#my trip to hot topic was not in vain

[a-dorin]

innocence

pairing: plo koon x femmale jedi!reader

word count: 1.815k (oops, got a little carried away)

warnings: alcohol consumption, teasing, allusions to sex, use of pet names, smut elements, nc-17

prompt: “don’t look at me like that and then feign innocence.”

“are you ready for tonight?” 

aayla is practically glowing as you shift, eyes falling on her. a sleek, silk, inky black dress hugs her curves, a slit resting barely above the junction where her hip and thigh meet. a silver headdress glitters on her forehead and crest, trailing down her lekku. her plush lips are tinted a crimson hue, glossy and enticing as they curve into an admirable grin. 

“well, don’t you look absolutely gorgeous.”

“i could say the same thing about you,” a giggle bubbles up as fingers smooth out a wrinkle on your own gown, “bly is going to have a heart attack when he sees you.”

she scoffs, “oh, this is nothing. the man’s seen every inch of me. did you ever find a date for the gala?”

“no,” you exhale, “i’ll be going solo.”

“i can assure you the moment you walk into that ballroom,” aayla crosses over to you, placing a consoling hand on your shoulder, “all sorts of men, clones and jedi alike, are going to be fighting tooth and nail for one dance with you.”

“i doubt that,” you snort, fiddling with a ring, “with my luck, i’ll be stuck with ki-adi-mundi for the evening.”

“he has five wives to worry about,” aayla chuckles warmly, “he doesn’t need a sixth.”

stifling a laugh, you fluff your hair, beaming at aayla’s work. it was a painstaking hour sitting still, but nonetheless, the end result was near perfect, not a single strand out of place. your own gown was flattering yet alluring, a simple black piece with an off the shoulder neckline. sleeves cling to your arms, a soft, satin-like fabric. 

wrinkling your nose, you wriggle your hips, in a vain attempt to alleviate the tightness around the small of your back, dipping to the curve of your butt. there was a slit on the right side, just tapering off about mid thigh, but it wasn’t enough to create any sort of wriggle room. 

which, aayla reassured you wasn’t an issue. 

“you look fine,” you flinch as aayla’s firm tone floods you left ear, “the longer you stare into that mirror, the more you’re going to nitpick. if we don’t leave now, bly is going to get restless.”

“i’ll have to thank him for at least escorting me in,” you murmur, adjusting your dress for what felt like the fourteenth time in the last five minutes, “we should leave before i decide to stay in for the night.”

aayla flashes you a bright grin, “atta girl.”

departing from your quarters, the two of you make your way down the long corridor, taking a left at the end. in seconds, bly comes into view, shifting on his feet, glancing at the commlink strapped to his wrist. 

bly is dressed in a luxurious suit, the color a snowy, bright white. his shoes were a leather of some sort, matching with the suit. however, the shoulder cuffs were an intense gold, gleaming under the dim light of the jedi temple. regalia and medals were pinned to his chest, displaying his battalion, rank, as well as other accomplishments. 

in your peripheral, you could sense the admiration enveloping her features, how she was stunned by his appearance. 

“hey loverboy,” aayla calls, “we’re right here.”

bly’s head swivels, his demeanor completely changing the second his eyes met with aayla’s, “well good evening to you too, love.”

aayla wraps her arm around his elbow, taking a moment to pick a curl off his crisp white uniform, “you look handsome, as always.”

“and you look radiant,” he leans over, pressing a light kiss to her temple, “i’ll have to keep my eye on that cheeky nautolan.”

“cheeky nautolan?” you echo, arching a brow. 

aayla rolls her eyes, waving a hand, “oh, he’s referring to kit. he’s not a fan.”

bly’s jaw clenches, “and he’s not a fan of me either.”

“well you have no need to worry, commander,” aayla purrs, “i’ll be on your arm all night.”

“speaking of that,” bly remarks, jutting out his elbow, “if i recall, i have to escort you in, as well, general.”

“you don’t have to call me that,” you loop your arm through his, “let’s just skip the formalities for the night.”

“sounds like a plan to me,” bly nods, “i’m going to get wasted.”

“and have me take care of you again?” aayla teases, the click of her heels echoing through the corridor, “no thank you.”

“oh my love,” bly nudges his lover, “you’re always love taking care of me.”

“is our shuttle ready?” aayla queries, “i’m hoping it’s not a long way there.”

“it’s just at the senate building,” bly responds, gazing out the doors of the temple, “and if i’m correct, our chariot is waiting.”

“well, what are we waiting for?” aayla cocks her head. 

“i was waiting for you,” bly opens the door, motioning his head towards the shuttle parked outside. 

“after you, ladies.”

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

swirling a spoon in your drink, you suck in a sharp breath as a classical ballad begins to play, the sweet notes mixing effortlessly with the sound of laughter. there’s a calm, relaxed aura in the air as clone troopers, generals, commanders, senators, and jedi mill about, sharing tales of battle to the current political debates. 

your drink is half-consumed, a refined corellian wine. the notes linger on your tongue, intertwining with the sharp taste of mint. you were crunching on the mints provided with the meal, head resting on your hand as you stare at the dance floor wistfully, aching for just one dance. 

“why the long face, little dove?” 

a rumble to your left startles you, eyes flickering over to a familiar face. 

a kel dor hovers around your seat, talons tucked neatly into his clasped hands. his wardrobe for the night was a black suit, burgundy slash splayed across his chest. medals twinkle, silver and gold alike. 

“oh,” you straighten your spine, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, “just -- um, watching everyone.”

“are you watching everyone else or wishing to be like everyone else?” there’s a hint of a tease buried in his inquiry, “you’ve been sitting over here all night. i’m surprised kit has not asked you to dance, nor obi-wan. you’ve been a hot topic tonight at the bachelor’s table.”

“bachelor’s table,” you can’t help but feel the corners of your lips twitch into a meek smile, “was i really a topic of discussion tonight, plo?”

“indeed,” he hips his head. your eyes gravitate to his hand as it stretches out, palm up, “it would be an honor to dance with the most gorgeous woman in the room.”

“plo,” your eyes widen, “surely you did not--”

“did i stutter? dance with me, little dove.”

the moment your hand falls into his, he’s sweeping you away, bringing you out to the dance floor. a tender hand  wraps around your waist, the other hand lacing with yours. carefully, you follow his lead, ensuring you don’t trip over his feet. 

“don’t be so nervous,” plo’s voice is soft, “no one is paying attention to us, little dove. it’s just you and i.”

taking in a deep breath, you glance around, clinging onto the kel dor, “did you really want to dance with me or do you just pity me?”

heat flourishes through your cheeks, spreading to your neck as talons dig into your hip, “well, i wasn’t going to just let anyone have the first dance with you.”

“i’m surprised i was a topic of discussion at the bachelor’s table,” your heart flutters as he raises his arm, spinning you around, “i never knew i had that kind of power--”

“you do, little dove,” plo brings you in once again, in closer proximity than before, “and you don’t know the kind of power you hold over me.”

“o-over you?” 

there’s a beat of silence as the song falters, the orchestra ceasing as they prepare for the next song. plo’s gaze locks with yours, and although you can’t distinguish the emotion behind it, you can sense the intensity, the pull, urging you to lean in. you lick your lips, blood roaring in your ears as the flipping of pages transition into a new melody. 

“the things i want to do to you in that dress are utterly sinful.”

“do you care to elaborate?” your mind is reeling now as his hand drifts towards the small of your back, tugging on the fabric ever so slightly. 

plo’s head extends, modulator just outside the crest of your earlobe. there’s a quiet huff, followed by the richness of his voice. 

“i want to rip that little dress off of you, and make you mine.” 

your lashes tickle your cheeks as you squeeze your eyes shut, “i-i -- plo, please--”

“oh little dove, how i would love to just hear you whimper my name.”

a shiver rolls down your spine as your knees buckle, the statement going directly to your core. plo purrs as you practically fall into his chest, skin hot to the touch with desire, “plo.”

“yes?”

“c-can we um--”

“there is nothing that i would love more.”

wrapping an arm around your waist, plo leads you away from the dance floor, deflecting the whistles and shouts of kit, wolffe, sinker, and comet. the hall adjacent to the ballroom is empty, not a single soul around. there’s not another word from plo as he strolls down, seeking out a storage closet. 

tampering with the lock, he uses a talon, along with the force to pry it open. you slip in, followed by the kel dor. darkness floods your vision, yet you can feel his chest pressed against yours, a smooth surface cooling your back. 

“may i remind you of something, my sweet girl?”

you nod, feeling his forehead brush against yours, choking back a whine as fingers curl around your breast, “y-yes plo?”

“don’t look at me like that and then feign innocence, as i will not hesitate to strip all of that away in a matter of minutes. are we understood?”

“y-yes,” you breathe, nearly crumpling to your knees as a talon drags lightly across your inner thigh, nearing your slick folds. you were practically dripping now, the rush of exhilaration pumping through your veins. 

you could get caught at any moment. 

and it was clear that plo did not have any hesitations about taking you here, right here in this storage closet, where there were hundreds of people gathered not too far away. 

“no underwear?” the inquiry is edged with a growl as the pad of his calloused thumb circles your clit, “you’re soaking wet, sweet girl.”

his touch sends euphoria rippling through your being, and you find yourself craving more. 

“plo,” his name drips like honey, “stars, plo, touch me.”

“oh, i’ll touch you, my little dove. as long as you can keep quiet, i’ll give you anything you desire.”

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

taglist: @fandom-gal44 @dexthtoyounglings @xcertaindarkthingsx @idiotonanadventure @pinkwhorecrux @letitrainathousandflames @maiaofmischief  @laorme34 @vinciwolf​ @justalittlecloud​ @marina-isabella​ @queenofheavenandhell​ @always-on-tatooine​

#plo koon #plo #star wars #plo koon x reader #the clone wars #tcw #plo x reader #star wars x reader #plo koon smut

[saeyoungs-sunflower]

Hello!! I like your hc so much! So i was wondering can i request the rfa+v, and saeran with an mc who is really insecure with her body so she starve herself on accident? If you’re not comfortable than you don’t have to!! Thank you tho :)

Hey there! Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoy them😊I hope it’s okay but I mainly left out the eating part/made it brief. I’m really sorry, it’s just a bit of a delicate topic for me to write about but I really hope it’s still okay for you.

Just a reminder that it’s okay to feel insecure, but remember that you are not defined by your insecurities. I also don’t believe that there is one definition of beautiful, nor do I believe that thinking you are beautiful is vain or arrogant. Please be kind to yourselves, and if you are going through a rough patch with your body image or self-love, then I sincerely hope this can be a comfort for you and, if you can, I encourage you to reach out to someone or talk to a professional. My DMs are always open, if you ever need a chat or to rant then I’m here to listen. You are welcome and loved here💛

***

RFA with an insecure MC

Zen:

❤︎ now, if you’ve done his route, then you know that this man understands

❤︎ and we also know that his looks are very important to him, so he completely acknowledges your feelings and in no way invalidates them

❤︎ but that being said, this man worships your body

❤︎ if you guys weren’t together he would be the best wing man because he LOVES to praise you and lift you up, even if you aren’t feeling particularly insecure

❤︎ you got a new outfit? “YES GIRL YOU WORK IT” you do your makeup different? “YOU ARE SO TALENTED AND ARTISTIC YES” you’re in your sweats and your hair’s a mess you feel totally gross? “THAT’S MY GIRL RIGHT THERE WOW YOU ARE GLORIOUS”

❤︎ he’s very vocal about his love for you and his love for your body

❤︎ sometimes it can be a bit embarrassing and usually comments on your appearance can make you feel uncomfortable/self-conscious, but for some reason when he does it it gives you a lil confidence boost <3

❤︎ we’re no stranger to the fact that he is hot as fuck

❤︎ honestly makes a little mad like who gave you the audacity to look like that hMMM?

❤︎ so when you first started going out, your confidence plummeted

❤︎ and it didn’t help that, whilst the majority of his fans loved you and loved the relationship, there were a few that really got to you

❤︎ they would post some not very nice comments about you on the forum

❤︎ they were just jealous fanatics, but you didn’t know that and took what they said to heart

❤︎ you started working out a lot after that, probably a bit too much

❤︎ Zen picked up on this, and he was all for exercising with you but bbygirl you’re over doing it and you really don’t seem to be enjoying it

❤︎ so he decides to teach you how to dance!!!!

❤︎ that way, you still get the endorphins from exercise, but you also learn a great skill which gives you loads of confidence because guess what!!! you’re a natural and you look gorgeous when you dance!!!!

❤︎ teaches you that working out doesn’t necessarily need to be done for aesthetic purposes, and you can have loads of fun with your boo whilst you do it!

Yoosung:

★ bit like Zen, he kinda understands how you feel

★ he often expressed it in the chatroom that he was jealous of Zen’s looks, so I think this boy is also a little insecure

★ poor lil chicken nugget you’re beautiful too

★ but when you chose him over Zen?? oh boy the confidence boost

★ it was then that he got to appreciate that his looks didn’t mean everything, and he was grateful that he got to learn that from you

★ so when he found out you were insecure, it made him sad because??? you’re literally perfect????

★ he noticed that you were always second guessing yourself

★ you would always try on and so many outfits/do your hair over and over until giving up and throwing on whatever, but you always looked so defeated

★ he made a note from then on to always show you off to his friends like yeah bitch this is my hot ass girlfriend who also happens to be the most amazing person on earth what about it?

★ his social media is flooded with candid photos of you and the captions were always about how beautiful you were and how lucky he was to have you

★ however, he was still a little suspicious about your insecurities

★ when you were together and he asked if you want to grab something to eat, you had always “already eaten”, which started to seem unlikely especially in some situations

★ so whenever you came over, he would cook you SUPER delicious food

★ this boy is a cooking GOD

★ he also tried to make sure they were fairly healthy and balanced meals so you wouldn’t feel guilty about eating

★ little by little, your relationship with food became healthier once you discovered how good it could be when you cook properly

★ but also insecurities and bad eating habits don’t go away over night

★ so he always leaves post-it notes around reminding you to eat and take care of yourself, and also one’s that tell you how much he cares and loves everything about you

★ he’s so damn cute somebody hold me

Jaehee:

☞ GIRL SAME

☞ i know i’m repeating myself but this lady gets you

☞ we know that when she started working for Jumin, he made her cut her hair and wear fake glasses, and even though she looked HOT AS HELL (yes baehee work it) she just felt wrong and uncomfortable about her appearance

☞ so she could pick up on the fact that you were insecure from the get go

☞ she noticed how you would shy away from pictures, and you always wore clothes that would hide your body

☞ well that just won’t do

☞ something must be done

☞ you wILL FEEL THE LOVE MC YOU WILL

☞ organises a shopping trip for you to try on some hella cool outfits

☞ invites Zen along because, as stated above, he is very vocal with his praise and is just really good at hyping you up

☞ pretty sure everyone in the shop hates you because Jaehee and Zen do not hold back whenever you come out of the changing room lmao

☞ you may have been kicked out of one shop but let’s not worry about that

☞ you came home with some pretty fire outfits that were really flattering on you and just made you feel great ya know?

☞ Jaehee is usually pretty shy when asking you personal questions

☞ but she wants to help you, so one night over dinner she manages to get you to open up to her

☞ and man Jaehee is a good listener

☞ as a woman, i feel like she is able to understand where you’re coming from more than any of the others, so you’re in good hands :)

Jumin:

♚ this man…

♚ he just doesn’t get it i’m so sorry

♚ it’s not that he doesn’t care about your insecurities or thinks you are ridiculous for feeling that way, not at all actually

♚ looks were just never something he really thought about it in general

♚ he knew he was ‘good-looking’ and he knew what was considered ‘good-looking’, he just never cared about it much

♚ at first he was just like??? but you’re literally MC??? what is there to be insecure about???

♚ you had done pretty well at hiding your insecurities at the beginning of your relationship

♚ which was helped by the fact that Jumin would never assume that you had anything to dislike about yourself, so he never looked out for/noticed the signs

♚ it took a whole year guys damn

♚ it had been a year since you got together, so he wanted to take you out for a lovely meal

♚ but he also bought you a beautiful dress

♚ haha…

♚ this was where it went tits up lmao

♚ you were so grateful for it, it was a really stunning dress and you were actually pretty excited to try it on

♚ and so was he hehehe

♚ but when you came out of the bathroom and looked at yourself in the mirror, he noticed that your eyes were welling up and boi your face did not look happy

♚ Jumin’s like: ??????

♚ Jumin.exe has stopped working

♚ instantly takes you in his arms, shushing and cooing you as he rubbed your back

♚ “My love, what is it?”

♚ after a few sniffles, you knew you just had be honest with him

♚ “I’m sorry, Jumin. It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen but I just ruin it…it belongs on someone else, not on me.”

♚ holds you so much tighter and even starts to feel tears prick his own eyes

♚ he takes a different approach to compliments

♚ he finds a way to compliment your appearance without sounding superficial or fake

♚ instead of “you’re beautiful”, he goes for “your smile lights up the room” or “you carry so much warmth and kindness in your eyes”

♚ it’s his way of letting you know that he thinks you’re the most gorgeous thing to walk the planet, but while also telling you that you are so much more than what you look like

Saeyoung:

☀︎ hoo hoo boiiiiii

☀︎ i’m just gonna cut to the chase

☀︎ he found out during some ~sexy times~

☀︎ i’m not going into graphic detail it’s not that kind of post ;)

☀︎ things were getting hella heated like damn

☀︎ so he started to ya know like…unbutton your shirt

☀︎ why am i actually getting embarrassed while writing this i need to get a grip

☀︎ spot the virgin lmfao

☀︎ but then you stopped him and he’s like P A N I C

☀︎ terrified that he crossed a line bby chill for a sec

☀︎ but then you ask if you could turn off the light and he starts to suspect that you don’t want him to see your body

☀︎ he’s so gentle about the topic it’s very sweet

☀︎ he wants you to know that he loves every fibre of your being, but he also doesn’t want to push you if you’re uncomfortable

☀︎ “MC, I adore every part of you, including your body. If you want me to turn off the light I absolutely will, but if you let me, I want to show you just how much you mean to me.”

☀︎ you hesitated, but eventually agreed to leave the light on

☀︎ and JESUS CHRIST HE DID NOT DISAPPOINT

☀︎ Saeyoung has an incredible attention to detail, as well as patience

☀︎ and he took his sweet time with you lemme tell ya

☀︎ you’re pretty sure he kissed every inch on your body whilst also whispering his praise as he did so

☀︎ he honestly made you feel like a Goddess

☀︎ everything he said was sincere and he just treated you with so much care and love and that shit is contagious

☀︎ ever since then, he was more physically affectionate with you until eventually you didn’t even think twice when undressing in front of him

☀︎ hello yes i would like to order one Saeyoung pls thank you

☀︎ actual love of my life

V / Jihyun:

❁ he asked you to be his model for one of his paintings

❁ and you were like ummmm……okay maybe it won’t be too bad????

❁ but this man has no chill

❁ he wanted you to be semi-nude and you were like h e l l  n o

❁ he was also Confused™

❁ you tried to make up some excuse but it was hopeless

❁ so you just told him that being nude in front of him was already difficult for you, but for you body to be on display for others to see was just too much

❁ this sweet man

❁ his heart broke

❁ it hurt him so much to know that someone with such a kind soul ever doubted her worth, especially because of something like your looks

❁ you were absolutely stunning to him, but he wanted you to believe that yourself

❁ he made a deal with you that if you modelled for him and were still uncomfortable with the outcome, then it would only ever be seen by you two

❁ you reluctantly agreed, and he made it his mission to make you see yourself through his eyes

❁ it took him a while to complete, but when he did oh man

❁ you full on started sobbing

❁ OH SHIT HE MADE MC CRY PANIC PANIC

❁ someone help this man

❁ you managed to tell him that you weren’t crying because you were upset, but because you never thought that you would ever see yourself as beautiful

❁ but the way he painted you GOOD G R I E F

❁ he made you look ethereal, and you couldn’t believe that this was how he saw you

❁ you didn’t even focus on the parts of you that you would usually hate because he made them look so heavenly and like,,,they belonged there???

❁ “Jihyun, you made me look so lovely.”

❁ “No, my love, that’s just what I saw. Everything you see here is you, nothing else.”

❁ okay great he made you cry even more goOD jOb jIhYuN

Saeran:

☽ ha ha ha ha ha

☽ you thought Jumin was bad?? oh i am so sorry my guy

☽ he just has no clue

☽ “What do you mean? Why do you care about how you look? You’re not ugly or anything.”

☽ gee thank you Saeran

☽ but also you are not helping in the slightest

☽ he’s REALLY not good at expressing his affection okay pls give him a break

☽ but he’s not heartless come on now

☽ it took him a while to fully understand where you were coming from, and even then he struggled to find a way to help

☽ Saeran is a very quiet supporter

☽ it’s hard to spot to the naked eye, but you know when Saeran cares for you because you feel it

☽ the first thing he notices is your body language

☽ and since he doesn’t really know what to do, he kinda just...adjusts you

☽ for example, if he sees that your body language is very closed off, almost like your trying to hide your body, he’ll silently move your shoulders and fix your posture so you are more open

☽ and if he sees you bow your head or try to block your face, he’ll silently lift your chin up

☽ but the most important part is that when he does this, he always smiles at you

☽ now Saeran is very careful with expressing his emotions. so when he does show his feelings, you know he means it

☽ so you started to hold yourself with more certainty and confidence, because it made him smile to see you not hiding away

☽ ‘fake it til you make it’ is a very real thing, and eventually it became natural to embrace every part of you

☽ when he became more comfortable, he told you that he was proud of how far you’d come and how he loved to see you feel good in your own skin

***

Thank you anon for the request, I hope you’re doing okay. Once again, anyone is welcome to message me if you’re struggling and need a friend to talk to <3 x

#mystic messenger #mystic messenger headcanons #mysme #mysme headcanons #zen ryu #hyun ryu #yoosung kim #jaehee kang #jumin han #saeyoung choi #luciel choi #jihyun kim #saeran choi #mm zen #mm yoosung #mm jaehee #mm jumin #mm saeyoung #mm luciel #mm seven #mm v #mm jihyun #mm saeran #zen x mc #yoosung x mc #jaehee x mc #jumin x mc #saeyoung x mc #luciel x mc #seven x mc

[currywaifu]

𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: overseas trip 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: yukishiro azuma/reader 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: n s f w 𝐰𝐜: 2.4k words

𝐚𝐧: @sleepy-ruri​ hi ruri, nsfw definitely isn’t my strong suit in writing so this took a while to get out~  i tried to bring azuma justice here!!! uhh, practice safe sex guys— gender-neutral pronouns, but cis female body parts

“This is a little nostalgic, isn’t it?” Azuma said offhandedly, his hand coming to rest gently on your wrist. With a feather-like touch, his thumb barely brushing across your pulse. After a few seconds, you closed your fingers slightly around the length of his.

“To think we’re back years later in the place we first met,” you laughed quietly, your boyfriend following suit as the two of you enjoyed the walk back to the hotel room.

The two of you had been to this country before, albeit flying in separately.

It was a city of subdued colours but bustling theatricality, traditional buildings with tall chimneys made out of brick and spires of dark stone setting the main hub apart from the windswept, grassy hills and mountains compromising the landscape.

It was hard not to love the historic core of the capital, opulent with ethereal sites— its castles and churches and gardens putting an almost dreamy, magical filter in the world of reality.

“I remember it pretty clearly,” Azuma said, momentarily looking away from the row of buildings you were passing through, “the day we met,” he continued.

“We met in a garden near here, didn’t we?”

“Mhmm,” he hummed in affirmation, “would you like to go visit? It can be our little detour before heading back to the hotel.”

You smiled gently, giving him a small squeeze on the palm, “I’d like that.”

It was springtime, too, when you first saw Azuma. He stood there in the middle of the flourishing tulips, narcissus, and lupines; despite being surrounded by exquisite horticultural creations, you couldn’t keep your eyes off of the long-haired man.

“It still looks the same,” you said, taking in the sight of flowerbeds and groves being illuminated by the street lamps, giving the garden an almost mystical, fairylike glow.

Or perhaps, it was the memories seeping in that gave it that effect.

“Meanwhile, you’ve gotten more beautiful,” Azuma replied, a chuckle leaving his system. “I still remember how adorable you were, looking all lost and confused in a sea of flowers. Your dishevelled hair was cute, too.”

You nearly sputtered, unsure whether to call him out for his flattery or his teasing first.

“That’s not fair! Here I am, remembering how dazzling and graceful you were, meanwhile, you’re telling me I looked…” you trailed off, quickly changing the topic. “Besides, how do you even remember that?”

“Fufu, because it has to do with you, obviously,” he teased, “I even remember the leaves stuck on your sweater. I was almost afraid there’d be bugs, but you looked so helpless I just had to step in.”

“Azuma!”

You half-heartedly hid from his gaze, his body beginning to shake with mirth the more embarrassed you appeared.

“You make it sound like I got into a mess on purpose,” you muttered, pout already present on your features. “Is it my fault the wind hated me and smacked me in the face?”

“Well, someone needs to be at fault,” he began, “but I can’t blame the wind that brought me to you in the end.”

Honestly, where was he getting these lines? If he went on for any longer, you probably would have been set ablaze, and even in the dark of the night, you knew Azuma would be able to see it somehow.

“Really! Don’t tease me so much, we’re still outside!”

“Nn? Then it’s fine if we’re in the hotel room?”

You knew he was toying with you by the way the corner of his mouth quirked up, eyes steadily gauging your reactions. At this point you weren’t sure what else he was expecting, your widened eyes and the heat creeping up your neck already a set standard for whenever Azuma said something with… implications.

“Fufu. Ah, it’s getting darker. We should really be heading back now.”

Even as the two of you left the garden, you couldn’t shake off the flustered feeling that stuck with you. It wasn’t as if you and Azuma had never done anything, far from that, but perhaps the mood of tonight— being in the country where you two first met, further amplified your feelings and restlessness.

Still, you two had a tiring day sightseeing, and another long day ahead of the both of you tomorrow, so it was probably unlikely anything would happen.

You immediately changed into comfortable sleepwear the moment you entered the hotel room, your boyfriend chuckling as you sprawled onto your shared bed. As nice as the sights were, nothing could beat the expensively fluffy pillow welcoming you back after a long day.

“Little bunny~ don’t go to sleep yet, we still have something to do, remember?” He asked, voice mellifluous, as though sweetened with honey.

You shot up immediately, head rising up to gape at Azuma. Within a few beats, you notice he’s not looking at you, but instead laying out all of his (and your) skincare products on the coffee table.

Aha, right.

Your lack of an immediate response made the man turn around to face you, his ever-present smile looking a lot slyer than usual.

“Hmm? Is something wrong, honey?” he asked, leaving his station to sit on the bed beside you. His robe shifted slightly as he inched closer, a movement that did not go unnoticed by you.

Your heart fluttered the moment he started rubbing his thumb over your knuckles, a subconscious action that turned more purposeful as the tactile affection escalated upwards, the soft pads of his fingers slowly moving upwards to rub your arms.

With the distance between your faces decreasing, you resist the urge to shut your eyes as his you felt his hot breath against your cheek.

“You still haven’t said anything,” he reminded you, his free hand tilting your chin upwards. Eyes of gold greeted you, not unlike the lustrous jewellery royals would wear or the leaf crowns gods and goddesses would adorn in mythology.

“Your face is flushed, how cute,” Azuma said, “did you catch a cold, somehow?”

He didn’t actually think that, you knew perfectly well that he was aware of the effects of his actions. Still, he wasn’t one to pass up teasing you just as you weren’t one to unabashedly admit to how he was making you feel.

However, your patience could only take you so far.

“That’s not it,” you mumbled, “it’s… well,” you trailed off, hoping he would help you out and take the words out of your mouth.

He did not speak but his eyes did, a visible crinkle as he waited for you to arrange your words into something coherent.

“I know you’re probably tired from today,” you began, eyes darting to the side in a vain attempt to hide your embarrassment, “but I guess I’m… you’re—ugh,” you struggled to find the words, a direct enough phrase that didn’t come off as too desperate.

Azuma interrupted you with a fruity laugh, “you don’t have to worry. You could have just told me— we’ve done this many times before.”

You pouted, “it’s not fair. Why do you have to be so erotic?”

“Fufu, thank you. Now, let’s play around for a bit tonight, okay, little bunny?”

The hand beneath your chin tugs you forward, and before your eyes closed you noticed the gold diminishing, hidden beneath the dark coal of his pupils.

The first of Azuma’s kisses always leaned towards the sweet side, and this time is no different. His lips were soft and gentle, but his kisses were given with enough pressure to prove that you’re not the only one enjoying this.

Your hand comes to rest on his shoulder as you interlace the fingers of your already joined hands. The night had only just begun, but you appreciated this moment of tenderness as the day’s fatigue slipped away.

Hands abandoning their chaste positions on each other’s hands and face, your arms go around his neck as one of his arms hug you closer by the waist and the other presses against the flat of your back.

Despite the slow motions between your lips, it was clear who took lead of the other, him slipping past the seams of your lips and rendering tiny sound out of you. The hand on your back travelled upwards, his nails catching the soft hairs at the nape of your neck making you shiver.

No matter how many times he’d done it, he could never tire of exploring you, the way you’d pull away from him to breathe a low, spell-inducing, “Azuma…”

He murmured your name in return, the sound sinfully pleasing into your ear. In the time you took the catch your breath, he went from holding you against his chest to having you underneath him, lips pressing against your jawline as he muttered sweet nothings to you.

“You’re so cute, my little bunny,” Azuma said, and you felt like every appendage in your body melted into a puddle.

He gave a teasing nip to your ear, the hitch in your breath making him chuckle. He wetted his lips his tongue before gently kissing every part of his neck. You closed your eyes at the sensation, gasping as he breathed hot air on your neck in between kisses.

“Are you ready for more?” He asks, the hand still around your waist playing with the hem of your pajama shirt. When you nod, Azuma takes his time in unbuttoning the piece, his fingers brushing over the newly-revealed expanse of skin. The contact was brief, and you whined as though to tell him to hurry up.

“Hn, what’s that? You want me to go slower?” Despite his words, he doesn’t make you wait any longer, pulling off your top as you propped yourself up momentarily to discard the article of clothing.

As you settle back down onto the plush bed, Azuma’s index started at your collarbone, before tracing down towards your chest. He drew an indecipherable pattern, before stroking the side and massaging the mound as his thumb tweaked one of your hardened nipples. He puts his mouth on the unattended one, sucking firmly, and you nearly come right off the bed, feeling the first, tiny bit of slickness rush through you.

Needing an anchor, you slid one hand in his hair and gripped his forearm with the other.

“Azuma,” you said, not quite sure what you’re asking for— but apparently he knew, because the pressure leaves your chest as the pad of his thumb ventures from your stomach to the garter of your underwear, pulling down your sleeping shorts with it. He adjusted himself on the bed, positioning himself so he could be closer to your lower half.

You shuddered as his fingertips travelled down along the length of your legs to follow your bottoms. When you lifted your head, you felt your face grow hot as you see the look on Azuma’s face as he eyes your pussy. It’s rare to see a hungry look in his eyes, a look only reserved for the most private of moments, but nonetheless it never failed to get you more excited.

His face came closer to the space between your legs, but when he made contact with your lower lips, the sheer skill of his tongue and mouth electrified you. Azuma knew just the right places to kiss, to lick, to suck— knew when to change spots and at what pace to do it.

“More,” you croak out, breathless,

“So responsive,” he crooned against your pussy, your body responding to the pulsation in kind, trembling.

“Azuma!” you mewled, warning him that you were closely approaching completion. When he finally pulled his mouth away, you couldn't help the disappointed noise that slipped out of you, though it’s quickly cut off as Azuma unties the belt of his robe.

The silky fabric slides off his body sensually, slowly unravelling himself to you until he was completely bare.

The sight of his naked body does nothing to quench your desire, but if his hardened member was anything to go by you could tell he wanted you just as much.

“Are you ready, my little bunny?”

“Yes,” you breathed out, the both of you spending a few seconds to stare at each other lovingly, before he finally aligned himself with your hot, dripping core. The tip kissed the entrance, and you can’t help the feelings of anticipation you felt.

His expression remains the same— the corner of his lips quirked upwards as he slowly moved into you. The slide is easier than expected because of your wetness, but both of you wait a couple beats for you to adjust to his size.

When you finally felt ready, you whined out Azuma’s name.

Pulling out slowly, he slid back in, sinking into your skin. Pressing his chest against yours, he briefly kissed you once again as he continued gliding in and out of you. You tasted a little bit of yourself on his mouth, which did nothing but to spur you on more.

He rolled his hips against yours, before pumping more rapidly into your heat, hammering himself into your insides. Tireless moans, whimpers, and iterations of his name spill out of your mouth as your gripped onto the bedsheets beneath you.

You’re clenching around him almost painfully now, still sensitive from his earlier ministrations on your clit, and both of you knew there wasn’t much time left before you reached euphoria.

You wouldn’t mind staying like this, having his perfect cock sliding in and out of you, but you know it isn’t possible as your breathing shortened and a shower of stars blur your vision.

“Azuma!” you wailed out, your head falling back as one last thrust making you cum at last. It doesn’t take long for your lover to follow suit either, a pained groan escaping his lips; pulling out of you and smearing your stomach with his cum.

The both of you are spent and sweating, Azuma collapsing next to you on the mattress. Using what little strength you had left, you inched yourself closer to him until your head rested against his chest. His arm moved to settle beneath your head, massaging it lightly.

“I love you,” you said. With a gentle smile, he repeats your words.

“I love you too.”

You knew the two of you would have to get up eventually. You two had to clean up, and Azuma would never let either of you sleep without going through your respective skincare routines, but as you stared lovingly into his eyes you knew it could wait for a little longer.

want to order again?

#a3! #a3! act! addict! actors! #a3! azuma #azuma yukishiro #yukishiro azuma #cafe: dessert menu #a3! game #a3! x reader

[hitbythunder]

Among the Gods of Asgard -4

A dark!Thor x Reader, minor Loki x Reader story with all the drama and angst you’re craving. Including Alexander Skarsgard as Balder.

–> Read also on AO3

Summary: The gods are being loved and feared in equal parts by their subjects, more the latter by the thousands of slaves working for them. Ten feet tall, powerful and immortal are the rulers of all beings within the Nine Realms. You, the daughter of an Asgardian merchant, fancy the three handsome princes of Odin - like any woman does - and dream of actually meeting them instead of watching them at public events. That is until, as a consequence of Loki’s tricks, you are being forced into slavery at the royal court. Amidst this harsh new reality, you catch the attention of the god of Thunder who then seeks to make you his alone. You are nothing but a toy, a puppet, in the god’s eyes and he will use you as he pleases.

Do not hope for mercy.

**** WARNING: dark story, manipulative Thor, heavy rape/non-con elements, no happy ending in sight

____________________________xXx____________________________

The common baths consisted of several large basins distributed among adjacent rooms, all joined by one antechamber from which the exit lead to the rest of the palace. At this hour, the lights decorating the richly painted walls were already dimmed and the little fountains here and there turned off. Silence hung over the damp, warm rooms and the mortal girl faded perfectly in, her small figure darting through the thin mist, the faint sound of her bare feet on the cool tiles swallowed by the long skirt swirling around her legs. For a few moments she vanished inside one of the adjacent rooms, then appeared again only to hurry into another. Obviously she was searching for something in vain. Turning her pretty head from side to side, the mortal stood in the middle of the antechamber and sighed deeply in frustration, unaware of the pair of eyes resting on her, observing and scrutinizing from not too far away.

Her dress was beige, plain and just like any other maid's, with the neckline almost covering the collarbones so that there was little skin showing except her arms. The piece of cloth was held in place mainly by two bronze clasps on each shoulder and would droop like a potato bag down to her ankles if not for the thin belt around her waist. Currently she had her hands stemmed in said location, her hips leaning cheekily to the left and her bosom protruding nicely. Still searching she turned around again, presenting her backside which was worth surveying too.

Out of drunkenness, curiosity or boredom, the silent observer then decided to make his presence known before the girl had the chance to leave. An unmistakable ripple of water echoed through the many rooms as he moved his large body in the basin, cutting the mist like a knife and startling the girl. Instantly she wheeled around in the direction of the sound and narrowed her eyes to peek through the curtain of mist. The bare lights in the adjacent room hampered a clear view from afar so the girl walked a little inside, each step cautiously taken. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the blonde god sitting in the basin.

Can this night get any worse?

"Finally someone to pour me more wine!" Thor cheerfully held up his goblet, indicating for the girl to get moving, as he leaned against the edge of the basin. The foaming water covered him just up to his chest, leaving the rest above that line bare to behold. Tiny pearls of water mottled his sun-kissed skin, perfectly underlining the contour of each muscle in the dim light. In full awareness of his impressive physique, Thor looked expectantly at the girl across the basin.

Time for some fun.

Albeit with hesitation, _________ approached the god and picked up the large jug standing on the floor not too far away from the goblet it was meant to supply. It's within a large arm's reach - his reach! ________ thought sourly, her strained limbs protesting against the new effort. He seems to be in a good mood tonight but better not risk anything. With the image of the servant girl flying across the room in mind, she placed every step wisely as not to slip on the wet tiles or trip over her own feet. Luckily, the god had already emptied the jug by half – probably the source of his joyous spirits – and thus reduced the likelihood of spilling. Other dangers had evolved as a consequence, however, because Thor was mean and cruel even absent any alcohol.

The girl ignored the staring of the god as best as she could as she refilled the goblet in his hand, a strange shudder creeping up her spine. The crown-prince sensed her growing nervousness due to his presence, how she avoided to meet his intense gaze and how quickly she withdrew after pouring, creating more distance between them. It made him smirk. "It was you on the balcony the other day." he said and took a long sip, not averting his dark-blue orbs so as not to miss her reaction. Since it wasn't a question but rather a statement of known facts, ______ saw no point in denial and replied in a calm, professional fashion:

"Please forgive my blunt and disrespectful behavior, your highness! I didn-"

"Did you like what you saw?" Thor interrupted her, obviously not interested in her (boring) apologies, catching her completely off guard. Maybe he would screw out the desired reaction this way. What was she supposed to answer? The truth (It was smoking hot and kept her dreaming for over a week) or a lie (Your face looks ridiculous while fucking?). Hel no! Better come up with something in the middle.

"Well, it was pretty far away and with my myopia...I merely got the gist, your highness!"

A diplomatic and eloquent excuse, not exactly what the god had aimed for, nor what he was used from his personal slaves. Yet, come to think of it, Balder had mentioned her manners recently and how well she made up for the merchant's insolence. This new line of thoughts made the god drop the former topic and after a brief pause he spoke up again:

"My brother seems rather pleased by your services, so I have heard. But that leaves me wondering why you came to the common baths alone at this hour?" That's an easy one, just don't make some puns..._________ thought to herself as she collected some proper words.

"Prince Balder has already retired and sent me here to search for his golden bangle which appears to be missing, your highness." she replied, standing stiff like a column beside the bronze jug, a little away from the basin. The nervousness kept her fatigue at bay, but still she failed to realize what crucial detail of information had just slipped her mouth. In contrast to Thor, whose dark-blue eyes were aflame. "How fortunate..." he put the goblet down onto the tiles to his right and reached a little farther behind, grabbing something. "..that I found it earlier!" ________'s eyes widened at the sight of the bangle in the god's left hand, turning it playfully for her to behold the sparkling metal. "Imagine it was to fall into the wrong hands!" Thor's gaze traveled from the girl to the bangle and back again.Both knew he had her then - as if he hadn't had any power over her earlier. Everything ________ needed to do in order to get out of here and be finally reunited with her longed for bed, was to get that stupid bangle from the god. Easy as that.

"Please, if your highness would be as kind as to hand it to me, I could bring it to his owner!" she suggested, praying that he would agree and let her leave. "You mentioned that Balder is already sleeping, so why the hurry? Better keep me entertained some more!" The answer hit the girl like a slap across the face, her hopes destroyed, and with sagging expressions she watched as Thor put the bangle as far away as his arm would allow, impossible for her to obtain. Why can't he play nice?! As she silently cursed herself for not having considered her words earlier more wisely, the god grew impatient.

"Go on, dance for me!" His growl made her jump slightly and so she began to move, reluctantly at first - there was no music to rely on - but less so when she thought of a nice familiar tune. The sweet taste of wine flooded Thor's mouth while his other major senses were focused on the swaying hips of the maid. Again he mustered her, like he had briefly during the meeting in Loki's chambers hours ago. But this time he did so more thoroughly, his sparkling eyes raking slowly over her small body. Pretty without doubt but nothing compared to the stunning, flawless beauty of a goddess - that's what most men would conclude. But not so Thor. As the god drank in all the details of _________'s shape, every curve and every mark, he had to admit that this 'non-perfect composition' was rather attractive, even seducing. Due to the dress swirling around her, Thor had merely a vague idea of the flesh beneath and his curiosity grew with each of her alluring movements. Whether the alcohol was to blame or not, that girl had awoken something basic inside him, some deep secret desire that was finally surfacing - Thor could feel it as his mind-set switched to predator-mode. He wanted her to worship him, to beg for his attention. Suddenly he had an idea and reached behind, trading the goblet for the bangle again. At the same time, the girl had stopped dancing, her movements dying away as did the inaudible song in her ears.

"You want that, right?" A superfluous question, judging from the way the girl's eyes were glued to the bangle in his hand. Oh how he enjoyed having power over others. "Then go get it!" ________'s eyes followed the metal as it slipped through the god's loose fingers and fell into the water, sliding down to the bottom of the basin. There it lay, in front of the god, free for her to take and yet even more out of her reach than ever. For _______ had never learned to swim.

But if I get it I can leave. This might be my only chance!

Chewing on her lower lip, she weighed her options and came up with a rather risky plan: The water was too deep for her to stand, so she would jump right in and dive down to the ground, grab the bangle and push herself off with her feet to get back to the surface. In and out in one go. After inhaling deeply she jumped into the water, fully clothed and not caring that she splashed the prince. Patiently Thor waited for her to resurface, intending to keep her inside the basin with him, and he waited. And waited.

The bubbles of air above her diminished as her lungs were emptied. Actually finding the bangle on the ground hadn't been that easy and the whole plan seemed rather stupid to her, especially now that she was drowning. There was no strength left in her bones to fight, she could barely keep on holding the piece of metal. When the first spots of darkness emerged at the corners of her eyes, she suddenly felt two large hands grabbing her roughly by the upper arms, pulling her upwards and out of the water.

Coughing violently and shaking all over, ________ crouched on all fours on the edge of the basin. "Stupid girl...." Thor grumbled in annoyance as he sat down on the underwater step in front of the wet mess, one arm resting on the cool tiles and his torso twisted. This really hadn't turned out as intended. "What were you thinking?!"

The girl sat up and brushed the strands of wet hair out of her face, a cocky smile spreading between slight coughs. "I thought you wanted me to entertain you -cough-" The impending suffocation had made her lightheaded and Thor couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Tsk!"

Then he noticed the bangle in her right hand, her fingers tightly clawed around the metal. Did she just risk her life to fulfill Balder's order? What a dedicated maid... Thor wondered as he watched her regain some composure. Completely wet from the quick swim, the thin cloth of her dress was now clinging to her body like a second skin and revealing much to the beholder. Each curve, each hill, even some flesh shimmering through here and there. Thor licked across his lips, his loins stirring. This night was far from over and he needed her closer.

"Here, have a sip to calm down!" the crown-prince said as he offered her the goblet in an attempt to loosen her up. A noble gesture if not for the second thoughts.

"No, thank you, your highness... I don't drink." Of course she wouldn't take the bait just like that. "Then I order you to drink!" the god extended his arm further, bringing the goblet almost up to her mouth when she finally took it. But instead of letting go, he guided the goblet in order to ascertain that a large gulp of the expensive liquid rushed down her throat. The skin of their fingers on the metal faintly touched.

A few moments later, the wine had accomplished the desired impact and _________ truly had calmed down a bit. Not entirely, of course, because that would only be possible when she was away from the prince. Norns, she needed some decent sleep! But Thor had other plans for her. "Now that you are wet anyway, you can as well wash me!" Thor emptied the goblet in one sip and put it away for good. Then he turned towards the maid again, a wide grin plastered across his bearded face. "Regard it as compensation for saving your life!" Completely flabbergasted, but realizing that she had been given an order nevertheless, ________ stared at the god who obviously had taken a liking into teasing her. Great, absolutely great!

She had no choice but to let herself sink into the water, carefully this time so as to remain with her feet on the stone step one could sit upon. From a large bowl filled with colorful soaps standing next to the basin, ________ then took a blue one and rubbed it between her hands – the hands which were going to actually touch a god! She would have never expected that to happen in her life. As uncomfortable and out of place as she felt, the maid decided to start with the arm resting on the edge and remain as far away from the prince as possible. Thor could have burst into laughter at her naive attempts, knowing that they would be all in vain eventually. But he refrained from doing so, in fact neither of the two ushered a word and silence flooded the baths. Gently the mortal applied some foam on his massive arm, her small hands sliding over the tight biceps and triceps, then onward over the shoulder to the broad chest as far as she could reach. Thor sat still the whole time so that he wouldn't scare her away, watching her with wolfish eyes.

Compared to him she was not only small, she was tiny. Thus it would take a while for her hands to rub every spot of his body atop the water line, her warm soft palms gliding in circles across his divine flesh. But Thor wanted those hands elsewhere. Would she even be able to encompass him? Thor became very aroused by that thought and purposefully ignored the shouts of his consciousness, forgetting about them at once when he spied a pair of stiffened nipples under her wet dress. The stirring of his loins intensified. "Don't forget the rest below the water..." he ordered in a husky voice, blurred by both the wine finally affecting him and his growing arousal. Impatience hit him like a bolt when the girl hesitated to obey, her bright eyes full of doubt and shock. "T-this is profoundly inappropriate, your highness!" "I don't care about etiquette!" He rumbled. With some effort, the god ripped his gaze from her bosom to meet her eyes, pleased by the obvious blush and the fear he found on her face. Still she didn't move and so Thor suddenly grabbed her right hand with his and guided the way down. A growl escaped the god and the crimson on _______'s cheeks flamed up upon reaching the desired goal. Inappropriate or not, Thor was rock hard and throbbing.

"Are you refusing me?" the god grumbled when he felt her hand slightly retreating from his flesh, his own hand still keeping hers in place. ______ shook her head, swallowed hard and began to slide her hand along his shaft. Thor let go of her hand then and relaxed fully against the edge of the basin. Since there was too much of him for one hand alone, the girl soon used her other too and even then she barely reached around his girth. Thor was on fire. “Good girl...” Her cool breath on his heated skin did little to soothe the flames of desire within him, on the contrary, he only wanted her to be closer. So he put his right hand on her back and pushed, forcing her to lean a little bit further across his lap as she knelt beside him. Most of her body was under water now, but Thor explored her backside with his hand, squeezing and rubbing the soft flesh in a possessive manner. She was so delicate, so fragile under his touch and Thor knew that he could break her at a whim. Like a toy in his mighty hands. Those slim hips he felt were teasing him, quickening his imagination about her womanly treasure – how wet it would be, how hot and tight. A violent shudder of pure lust rushed through the god. The delightful tension was overwhelming as _______ continued to pump him, her slender hands sliding along his thick shaft.

“Faster!” Thor wasn't able to say more as his apex dawned upon him, threatening to wash over him like a grand wave during a tempest. Longing for the final moment, the god reached over with his left hand and cupped her deeply flushed face. Without effort he forced her to look at him, her eyes widened and watery, while his thumb parted her moist lips to invade her pretty little mouth and fill it. Like I would elsewhere...

Thor came with a loud grumble, his whole body contracting as the hot squirts diffused with the water. Overwhelmed and utterly succumbing to the bliss, his eyes fell shut as he rolled his head back. That was exactly when the mortal slipped off.

#dark!Thor x reader #loki x reader #among the gods of asgard #fanfic #manipulative!thor #romance and drama #thor x reader

[writemywaytoyourheart]

He sees your self-harm scars | Namjoon

Requested: kind of,,, @tangledsparkles gave me the idea, so thanks love, ILY ❤️

a/n: I'm in a sad place rn, I could use some Namjoon hugs....hope you guys like this one, ily (the gif for this one isn't the best, sorry ;-;) -chip

pairing: Namjoon x reader

Word Count: 979

Genre: angst, fluff

Warnings: nothing too bad honestly; self harm scars but no details on how or why.

Trigger Warning- if you're easily triggered by this topic, pls don't read

Namjoon comes into the living room grinning ear to ear while holding a giant picnic basket, “you ready babe?” You finish tying the lace on your shoes before standing up from the couch and nodding excitedly, “ready! Is there anything I can carry?” Namjoon nods and gestures his head toward a bag by the door that’s full of a big blanket, hats, sunscreen and an umbrella that’s all wrapped up small enough to fit inside. You walk over and pick the bag up then turn to Namjoon and smile, “alright, let’s go!”

The second you walk outside you know it’s going to be a great day to have a picnic with your boyfriend since the weather is perfect; not too hot with a slight breeze and some clouds in the sky that the sun hides behind every once in a while. The park you two are going to isn’t very far so you decide to walk there. A few blocks and you’re already huffing and puffing and whining about how your feet hurt as Namjoon chuckles at you.

You’re currently dragging your feet with each step you take and dramatically clutching at your throat and gasping for air, “N-Namjoon, h-how much farther is it?” He turns to look at you, who is a few feet behind him, and he laughs before tripping on his own feet and almost dropping the picnic basket; just barely catching it before it tumbles to the ground and spills all the precious food you two prepared for this special day. You gasp when you see it fall and your heart stops until he catches it and holds it up in victory, “DON’T WORRY BABE I GOT IT!! I GOT IT, IT’S FINE!!” Namjoon shouts in relief and puts a hand to his heart. You cover your mouth to try and stop the laughter, but you can’t help it and start cackling at the clumsy boy, partly out of pure relief and partly from how his face looked when he thought all that food was going down for sure.

-

After another two blocks you finally reach the field that you’re going to have your date and you shout in ecstasy and drop the bag on the ground, falling to your knees dramatically and pretending to cry in relief. You fling your arms out and Namjoon chuckles at you, “we made it! We actually made it!” He shakes his head and sets the picnic basket down under a nice tree before walking over to get the bag you carried there. “We weren’t even walking for more than ten minutes you drama queen.” He flicks you on the forehead and his face scrunches up the way it does when he finds something cute after you glare at him and smack his leg from where you’re still kneeling on the soft grass.

The both of you set the blanket up and sit down on it, setting the picnic basket down and then Namjoon starts to eagerly pull the different foods you packed out and put them on the blanket in whatever places he thinks looks good. After he’s done setting up, he stands and pulls out his phone, “ok y/n, get in a cute but natural pose and I’ll take your picture!” He sounds so excited that you giggle at him and lay on your side, propping yourself up on your elbow and putting your head in your hand. When you smile at him his dimples appear and they are just so cute you can’t help but giggle again. Namjoon notices and scrunches his nose at you, “what are you giggling about babygirl?” You shake your head and smother your smile right before Namjoon tackles you gently to the ground, playfully wrestling you until you’re under him as you try in vain to fight back, but the boy is too strong. He’s hovering over you with his dimpled grin and you try not to blush, so you whine to distract him, “Joonie~ I’m hungry, we need to eaaaaat!” He laughs and kisses your nose then starts to kiss your chin and cheeks; wherever he can reach he kisses gently. Soon you’re a mess of giggles as he starts going to your shoulders and down your arms, stopping to pull up your arm sleeve to kiss your soft skin there. You realize what he’s doing and panic.

“Joon, wait, stop.” You pull back and push your sleeve down, folding into yourself self-consciously when you feel his eyes trained on you. Namjoon slowly lifts himself off you and you can tell by the shift in the atmosphere that he saw them. The scars on your arms are old, but noticeable, and that was the one thing you didn’t want him to do; notice. You can’t look at him, so you sit up and scoot yourself back a bit to get some space between you two.

“Y/n?”

“Joon, please.”

“What?”

“I don’t…I don’t wanna talk about them.”

“Ok, that’s fine.” You look up in surprise and he’s pursing his lips, his eyes a little glassy. Your heart clenches and you move over to be closer to him. He smiles sadly at you when you hug his arm, then he brushes your hair off your face and kisses your forehead, “you don’t need to talk about them baby, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“ His sentence cuts off when you hug him tightly around the waist, “shh, please don’t say sorry. I’m sorry for not telling you. I promise I will someday. Today I just want to have a date with my boyfriend and be happy.”

Namjoon kisses your forehead again, “you will baby, I promise that you’ll never hurt enough to do that again. I’ll make you happy, I promise.” You shake your head and hum while hugging him tighter, “you already do Joonie and I can’t thank you enough.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a/n 2.0: thank you for reading :) i hope you guys have a great weekend, ilysm

-chip

#bts #bts fluff #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts angst #bts reactions #bts x reader #bts x you #bts namjoon #bts fanfic #namjoon x reader #bangtan sonyeondan #bts namjoon fluff scenario #bts angst imagine #bts angst scenario #namjoon fluff #bts x y/n #bts fic #bts kim namjoon #bts ot7 #bts fluff imagines #namjoon imagine #kim namjoon #namjoon angst

[erikismybitch]

Waiting In Vain: Chapter 9

Long Distance

The bar was extremely packed this night . Marley had finally cashed out her drawer and collected all of her tips. Becky , who kept checking up on Marley every five minutes was worried. She knew about everything, even the police raid . Becky insisted that Marley come and stay with her and her husband but she declined.

“You can save more money that way , I’ve already talked to Pedro about it , he’s fine” Becky rubbed Marley’s lower back and forced her into an odd hug.

“I won’t be in this hotel too much longer , I got some places in the works” she blinked hard , lying .

“Fine!” Becky was outraged by Marley’s stubbornness, she cursed some things in Spanish and started stocking the empty bar .

“I’ll call you in the morning, let’s get brunch” Marley started to make her way out of the bar , knowing that food always pleased Becky.

“You better!”

She clocked her surroundings on the journey to her car . Last night Hakeem had popped up and scared her nearly half to death . After she cursed him out, he left her alone . Besides him, she never knew what other creeps roamed out there, especially after midnight .

Marley locked her doors and blasted the car heater when she got inside . She drove off to the hotel that she had been calling home for three weeks . It was an okay place. It had a kitchen , a bedroom that was closed off and the maids made her bed every day . The pricing was around six hundred a week, so she needed to find an apartment sooner than later .

She entered inside of the hotel lobby, and said hi to Chadwick. The concierge that knew her by her name , helped her bring up groceries and told corny jokes that she laughed at only because he was nice. Marley went into her room, took a much needed shower and put some left over soul food in the microwave. The TV channels at the hotel could be better , so instead she used her laptop . She sat on the bed , ate and caught up with some vloggers she’d been behind on. She thought about vlogging her horrible life , but those never got views . She had to be some semi rich girl , living in the city who went on makeup company sponsored trips. Like Tiana. Marley rolled her eyes at the thought of her cousin. Who at last she heard had landed her an NBA baller boyfriend and was living in his mansion.

Marley sucked on the bone of her smothered pork chop and let out a loud burp . She was full and satisfied . After placing the plate on the night stand, she rested back into the pillows .

Just as she thought she’d would be falling asleep , her phone rang. It was a number she had never seen , an area code she didn’t recognize either . At first she wasn’t going to answer it , it was really late and it was probably a robo call . But whatever.

“Hello?” She pretended to sound tired and unamused.

“Aye” A male baritone spoke through the other line . He didn’t have to say another word, Marley knew it was Erik. “I can’t get you the fuck off my mind”

“That a bad thing ?” Marley sat up, fully alert now.

“I’m tryna’ figure that out” his voice full of contemplation. It was low, the two of them said nothing for a while . The small break had Marley flustered, she put the phone on speaker and laid back down. “You still there?” He asked . Absolutely

“I’m here, where are you ?”

“You know...Around” he seemed amused at his response.

“Not with this scammer ass area code you called me from”

He laughed at her joke, she had never really heard him laugh before . It was low pitched and short . She found herself liking the sound of it . Almost as much as the sound of his actual voice .

“I’m no scammer , baby girl”

“Yeah, okay”

Marley got up, she placed the phone under her chin and grabbed her glass and plate to wash. Erik could hear the clinking of dishes over the line .

“You eating huh?” He asked . Marley cut the sink off , expecting him to hit her with one of his classic jokes .

“Yes , cause I’m fat” Marley was full of sarcasm. figuring she’d beat him to the punch , that way he would maybe back off.

“You not even fat , you not skinny either you just straight”

“So all the jokes about me eating...” She asked for clarity , she didn’t know exactly what he meant.

“ Compared to me, you small. I just like getting under your skin”

“Why though ?” Marley maneuvered herself towards the living room couch, she sprawled her body across the arm .

“I don’t know, to see how much you could take” Erik didn’t laugh after his statement, the way Marley thought he should have.

“So now you’ve seen how much I can take?”

“Trust me, I don’t know any girl who can take all of me”

Marley cleared her throat , unprepared for the sexual innuendos. She thought it may have just been her mind hearing dirty things until Erik laughed again.

“Well...Your dreads are ugly , is it a fade or not ?” She took a jab back at him, hoping to battle it out .

“You know you like them , come harder than that” Eriks arrogance, encouraged her.

“You have weirdly chubby hands”

“I knowww you ain’t talking about chubby!”

“Fuck you!” Marley shouted and released all the bottled anxiety she had pent inside . She laughed , she didn’t know why but she laughed hard . And it felt good . “Oh my god” she took a deep breath and came back down .

“See you can take a joke” .

“You sound like you’re trying to train me” Her feet stretched against the wall , while her body laid against the couch . The phone sat on her chest , still on speaker . Her body positions moved in different ways , similar to the flow of their conversation.

“I’m training you for me”

“Boy please” Marley let out a shocking blow of spit and sat upright now.

“You know you wanna be on my team”

“You called me, sounds to me like you wanna be on mine”

He groaned at her sassiness , that was something he liked about her . If he pushed her enough, she’d bite.

“Marley” He spoke almost too soft , then let out a pause . She eyed the phone . Just watching the phone time add up by the second. She had been on the phone for almost fifteen minutes with Erik. Her face was getting hot from just anticipating what he might say next . The way he said her name , like he needed to get something off his chest . “Nevermind” he said almost too quickly.

She frowned and changed the energy with a new topic . “So..” she settled back into the bedroom. “Our little strip club stunt got me kicked out of my apartment”

“Good” he replied

“Good ?” Marley repeated as if she made a mistake.

“She kept talking about how she didn’t want you there anyway , you needed to get out of there”

“Oh yeah , what else she say ?” Marley was curious to know . She pulled back her comforter and sheets and got into her bed . With a click of her night stand lamp, the room was pitch black.

“We not here to talk about her , fuck her”

“She called you her boyfriend , you know”

Erik sucked his teeth loudly and let out a groan, Marley’s smile was like a Cheshire Cat now. “Tiana has never even seen me in the daylight ”

“Really?” Marley said in disbelief, she had this perception of the two of them totally wrong. Marley told him about what had happened. Erik has no idea on account of the fact that there were no traces of him online. He went into a whole debacle about how social media was dumb and unnecessary. He even suggested Marley deleted hers. She told him she was considering a break anyway.

“You moved into your own spot ?” He asked .

“I’m in a hotel right now , still looking but it’s hard” Marley didn’t even hesitate to tell him she lived in a hotel. She had come to a point where she was shameless.

“Finding a spot is Hard ?”

“My credit is shot from student loans” she admitted.

“Didn’t your mama teach you about credit?” Erik joked

“She passed when I was twelve ,so no”

“Let me teach you then”

“Teach me”

“Credit is everything” Erik said, then stopped talking as if he was finished .

“Is that it?”

“Yep”

“I hate you” she laughed hard again and kept smiling even after the funny was gone.

“Where do you want to live ?” He asked her .

She thought about the question. Where did she want to live in the future, or right now . In the future, she wanted to live an island life in some other country. Costa Rica, maybe Belize and grow old on the beach. Her thought process was taking a little to long so he asked her the question again, louder.

“There’s this small vintage apartment complex near my sports bar job. It’s so cute, with a little garden in the front and a fountain. A lot of old people live there so they take care of it . They had a vacancy, I put in my application a week ago”

“You work at a bar . I thought you did nerdy computer shit”

Marley wondered exactly what else Tiana told him about her. “Both , and what I do is not nerdy computer shit . What do you do ?”

“Nerdy computer shit” Erik couldn’t finish his statement before he let out a laugh . He looked at his phone screen, realizing that he had been on the phone for almost an hour with Marley. “Marley”

He did the thing again, where he said her name as if he wanted to get something off his chest. So she waited again for him to speak .

“Yes?”

“Pick up when I call , aight”

“Okay”

He hung up the phone , with his peculiar way of saying goodbye. Tiana may have had a new baller boyfriend, but the one she was crying over was in Marleys world.

(Sorry for typos)

#its about to go down

[nish-s-random-writing]

Growing Up (5/?)

Chapter 5! USUK Cardverse AU!

(a/n): This took a bit longer than expected, but heyyy, I’m gettin to that good stuff. 

ff.net || <<ch 4    ch6>>

------

“Hey, Arthur, can I ask you something?”

It was nighttime now, and Alfred was not surprised to find Arthur sitting on his own bed by lamplight, a thick book in his hands and all his attention focused in between. A tiny twitch of an impressive eyebrow was the only signal that he’d acknowledged Alfred’s presence, albeit in a manner that was far from pleased.

Hopping onto the foot of Arthur’s extremely large bed, Alfred repeated his question. With a sigh and deliberate lowering of his book, Arthur grumbled out a reluctant, “Fine.”

Alfred had not seen Arthur during lunch that day, the latter having requested that his food be brought into the library so he could continue his reading and exploration of its collection without interruption. When Alfred tried to visit him afterwards, he was given the cold shoulder until the young king retreated back to the winding hallways of the palace, left to juggle doorknobs all afternoon. When the sun was low in the sky he made a round trip back to the secret garden where he met the old man, who he now knew as Reece the gardener, and conversed with him until dinnertime.

Now he had Arthur sitting several feet away from him, both on a large bed that could fit ten orphans, while he read a book in an attempt to ignore Alfred as much as possible.

“What’s your favorite flower?” Came Alfred’s voice. Arthur seemed to startle and lower his book even more, although his eyes never looked up.

“Why would you ask such a question?” He said with the usual scowl.

Alfred shrugged. “I was in the gardens today, and I didn’t see too much flowers. That just got me wondering what sort of flowers you like.”

“The gardens hmm?” Arthur muttered as he flipped a page. “Were there any roses out there?”

Alfred lit up at that. “Roses? I didn’t see any. Are those your favorite flowers?”

Arthur seemed to hesitate at that, drawing out a long silence, until finally he nodded in that slow, unsteady way. “I suppose so.” And as he said it, without even looking up, the young queen could already feel the physical embodiment of childish glee lighting up as an impossibly wide grin on Alfred’s face.

“Well I think it would be awesome if we had roses in the gardens,” said Alfred in a vain attempt at a casual tone. “I wonder if they could make roses in all sorts of colors! We could have blue roses, they might like that; it could go along with all the blue decorations in this palace!”

“I don’t think those exist, Alfred.”

“Maybe we can have some made! After all, we are the ki—um, I mean,” Alfred furrowed his brows. He’d caught himself in time. “I mean, Yao told me if we had a request he’d look into it! Maybe they actually did find a way to make blue roses.” He tried for a laugh, but Arthur seemed unimpressed. He had made no acknowledgement of Alfred’s words and kept on ‘reading’.

“I explored the gardens today,” said Alfred again.

“You already told me that.”

“Well, what did you do? Were you reading that same book all day?”

“No, I was not. I’ve finished two others earlier.”

“Woah! You’re a fast reader. That thing would’ve taken me like, a month to finish!”

Arthur raised a brow. “Makes sense, I suppose, if it’s you we’re talking about.”

Alfred snorted. “Well you probably had a lot of practice so that’s no fair. Miss Amelia usually reads the books to us. You’ve probably read a lot of books on your own.”

“Well, I suppose I have.”

“Woah, did your old orphanage have a huge library too?”

“No. In fact, it was rather similar to Miss Amelia’s. My home had a small collection that my father used to add to.”

Alfred raised his eyebrows at that. “You remember your home?”

Arthur squinted at his book, holding it up a bit more over his face. “I wasn’t in the orphanage that long.”

“What happened? Did your house burn down? Was there an accident?”

Arthur didn’t respond. He held the book closer to his face.

“Arthur?” Alfred tried to prompt him, but it was clear that the older boy was closed off for the night. Alfred made a mental note to add ‘family’ to the list of things he should never mention around Arthur, alongside being king and queen, as he made his way over to his own bed.

OOOOOOOOOO

The classes began a week later. Three kind teachers a day sat them down in the library for a few hours, teaching them history, and arithmetic, and sciences. Arthur was quiet most of the time, but he’d be able to answer any question their teachers shot at them. Alfred was vocal; he tried to answer as best as possible and steer any lectures away into an off-topic story from the teacher’s life, because he found those more interesting.

They’d have lunchtime and the afternoon to play. Then they met up with Captain Herdevary, who initiated little games and races. Arthur wasn’t one to care and tended to idly run the laps as Alfred tried, and failed, to awaken his competitive spirit.

It would be like that for five days, and then they were free to explore as they pleased on the weekends. Arthur would coop himself up in the library and draw, write, or read. He always became hostile whenever Alfred got more insistent on him joining his exploration. Nevertheless, Alfred tried every day.

By himself, he’d walk down hallways he was unfamiliar with until he’d wind up at some ominous locked door or dusty broom closet. He’d walked into a few lavish bedrooms whose furniture were covered in immaculate white sheets. He ogled at the various tapestries that depicted royalty and war, often wishing Yao would be there to explain them to him.

He had visited the kitchens and befriended the sparse servants and cooks who worked there. He’d found the smithies where he found busy, burly men working with glowing hot metal and splintery woodwork. He’d also visit Reece and converse with him about the gardens and the old monarchy, about the stars and the sunset and whatever the old man would endure. Sometimes he was like Arthur, Alfred thought. Reece would be impatient and irritated if Alfred bothered him while he was working on a cluster of weeds, perhaps, or a bush or a stalk, but would eventually open himself to a bout of conversation. Sometimes, he’d laugh, and quite heartily at that.

Then, Alfred thought, maybe Reece wasn’t like Arthur. Maybe Arthur was like Reece. Maybe Arthur was like a grouchy old man who just needed to be spoken to even if he never talked back.

So, every night, when Alfred returns from his after-dinner explorations, he’d sit down at the foot of Arthur’s bed while the older boy read his novels. He’d talk and talk about what he’d seen that day. He’d talk about the extremely kind cooks who gave him desserts, to the heat of the smithies, of the fresh breeze in the gardens, of the tapestries and ornately carved doors and wide open windows and seemingly secret passages that wound themselves throughout the palace.

Arthur would never really look up at him in his pretense of ignorance. And Alfred would’ve bought it if Arthur wouldn’t snort at his misuse of a word, or supply a name to an interesting object Alfred would describe, or call him an idiot whenever he mentioned tripping on a rug or getting hurt otherwise. Sometimes, he’d even laugh.

And even if those instances would be called Arthur’s selective hearing, Alfred never failed to notice how frequently it had become when Arthur would ‘read’ with the book upside down in his hands. And when the book was upright, he never seemed to turn a page.

Weeks went by like this, and Alfred reveled in Arthur’s not-so-discreetly hidden attention at his tales of the palace. Although, Alfred had come to wonder why it is Arthur would never want to explore the place himself.

One night, three months after they had arrived at the palace, Alfred dared to voice out his question.

“Hey, Arthur, how come you never want to explore the place yourself?”

Arthur snorted. “What gave you the idea that I would want to do that?”

Alfred stared at the upside down cover of the book in the older boy’s hands. “Well, a few things,” He mumbled. “I don’t know. You like the place, don’t you? You call the gardens I talk about pretty, you say that the tapestries are interesting. Wouldn’t you want to see for yourself?”

Arthur hesitated, but his attention was still clearly not on his book. “I would,” he said carefully. “I would think them a, well, pleasing sight. But I’d hate to look at them thinking that I own them.”

Alfred tilted his head. “But it’s not like you own them, right?”

Arthur let out an exasperated huff. “We own them, Alfred. Our home, our place, our stuff, as Yao said. What do you think makes all of this our stuff?”

“Well, we’re the k—oh.” Alfred blinked. “Oh.”

Arthur glared at him over the top—or perhaps bottom—of his book. “Yeah. Oh.”

So that was it, then. The palace, everything—it’s another reminder to Arthur.

“Aren’t you happy about technically owning the library, though?”

Arthur seemed to pause again, but then shook his head. “I’m happy knowing it’s something I’ll use, anyway.”

Alfred didn’t really get that. Heck, he didn’t completely get anything Arthur said or did, but as long as he knew what not to mention, he felt that he would be a few steps closer to winning the other boy over.

OOOOOOOOOO

The next day was the sixth breakfast Yao had been late for. He showed up with his coat sloppily slipped on, bags deep under his eyes, and he was practically dragging himself towards the table. Even Arthur was sporting an expression of concern.

As Yao walked through the doors, three guards followed him and took up position at the entrance. After the Jack had slumped into his chair and began wearily scooping up porridge, Arthur spoke.

“Yao? Are you quite alright?”

“Yeah, dude, you look like you haven’t slept in weeks.”

Yao gave Alfred a sidelong grin. “You’re not that far off, kid.” He chuckled lightly and began to eat his food, whereas the boys were nearly finished with theirs. “But don’t worry about me. It’s just that, well, tensions have been rising for the past few days now—but you needn’t concern yourselves! Things have just been busy.”

Arthur furrowed his brows. “Tensions? What sort of—?”

“Yao!” Interrupted a familiar cry from the doorway. Captain Herdevary was there, hair tied in a ponytail and half-dressed in leather armor, taking a few long strides into the room. “Yao, I need you at the Hall now.”

Yao looked rather dejected, but gave the two young monarchs a weary smile then he took his final gulp of orange juice, before getting up and following the captain of the guard. Elizabeta only had time to flash the boys a slightly forced smile before disappearing beyond the doorway.

Across the table, Alfred shared a worried look with Arthur, and they finished their meals in silence.

OOOOOOOOOO

The next day, things seemed a bit off around the palace.

Alfred and Arthur woke up to two guards posted by their door, both regarding them with solemn nods as they headed off to breakfast. Yao wasn’t with them at breakfast and neither was he there at lunch. At both times, a set of guards were posted in and out the doors, as well as trickled throughout the hallways.

When Alfred tried leaving through the front doors of the palace for the gardens, the guards posted there—who wore heavier metal armor and carried a greater set of weapons—forbade Alfred from leaving the immediate courtyard, whose gates were also generously guarded. The young king attempted to amuse himself by splashing around in the marble fountain, but that quickly became boring.

He went to see Arthur but was surprised to find guards by the library door too. When he sought out his other routes to the gardens, he’d found the doors to those were guarded as well and was forbidden from leaving.

Finally, Alfred found an exit that wasn’t guarded. The passage to the king and queen’s private garden must have been so far behind the palace and lost in the inner maze of the outer gardens that whoever was posting the guards didn’t see it necessary to have them there.

Alfred found Reece and was relieved to finally be entertained. They began speaking of the flowers again, beginning with their daily discussions of Alfred’s gardening plans and winding up somewhere obscure like the evolution of horses. Eventually, the young king talked to Reece about the guards.

“It’s weird. They’re everywhere! I can’t take a shower or get some bread without passing like, fifty guards!” Alfred exclaimed.

Seeing the young boy’s wild grin, the gardener decided to take that statement with a grain of salt and regarded him with raised eyebrows. “Oh? Come now, mayhaps your Jack’s just been increasin’ them guards for your sake!  You seem to be a rowdy young’un and he might think you to set the place on fire with all yer runnin’ about.”

Alfred scrunched his face in an attempt to look offended, but ended up with a mix of furrowed eyebrows and a half-suppressed grin. “Please, I don’t go running around with a match!” Alfred giggled. “But really, I can’t even go out around the gardens. I only got here because those doors were the only ones without guards. All the side entrances—heck, even the front doors! They’ve all got guards carrying swords with them. What if we’re under attack?”

Reece hummed thoughtfully as he worked on trimming his bush. “Maybe your jack’s just bein’ extra secure, eh? After the last monarchy were killed he’d never been quite the same. Maybe he’s just been takin’ precautions for your sake, lad. Nothin’ to worry about.”

Alfred mimicked his thoughtful hum and planted his rump on the grass. “I guess so,” he muttered with furrowed brows. “Still. I feel kinda caged in. The guards being all around are giving me a bad feeling.”

OOOOOOOOOO

“Alfred?”

The young king jumps. Upon walking into his shared room, he was surprised to have his companion speak to him first.

“Yeah?” Alfred responds, taking his usual seat at the foot of Arthur’s bed. Arthur, meanwhile, has his book open on the mattress and he stares at it with hands folded in his lap.

“Yao wasn’t at dinner today,” Arthur muses.

“Or lunch.” Alfred nods.

Arthur clearly isn’t staring at his book any longer, instead picking idly at the sheets. Alfred waits for him to say something, and when he finally does, it’s in a hoarse, strangled voice that shook with something that was almost like fear.

“Are we in danger?” Arthur whispered, eyes lowered. “Yao’s been talking about tensions rising. Are we… Do you think we’re about to head into war?”

Alfred’s brows furrowed, and he instinctively inched closer to the other boy. “W-well, maybe Yao’s just adding guards up to be secure, because, you know, we’re kids. Maybe he just wants us to be extra safe. I mean, I don’t think we’re in danger, you know. I’ve been talking to Reece—the gardener I told you about—and he says Yao really cared about the last king and queen. He’s just adding extra protection ‘cuz he cares about us too!”

Alfred offered his brightest smile and got a nervous glance in return. In the candlelight, Arthur’s eyes were wide and unsure, that pretty forest-green flickering with a warm gold. In an instant those eyes weren’t pointed at him anymore, and were instead staring out the windows, up at the silver glow of the moon over the gardens. He seemed concentrated, contemplative, like he was deciding something in his head.

Then Arthur sighed, and closed his eyes, shoulders sagging. “You know, Alfred…”

Arthur trailed off at the distant sound of breaking glass that came from down the hall. There were footsteps, loud and rushed, as though the guards at their door were running away. Then, there was a short, distant yell, almost a cry that was immediately cut off by what sounded like a loud thud.

Arthur was frozen and Alfred was right next to him, clutching his arm in his childlike grip.

And then all was quiet.

#usuk #fanfiction #fanfic #hetalia #cardverse au #usuk fanfic #ukus #usukus #arthur kirkland #alfred f. jones #aph america #aph england #usuk cardverse #my writing #nish-s-random-writing #fic update

[rawnwas]

@nunukim-182  here it is! Thank you very much for waiting, I'm sorry it took me so long.   Enjoy it!

Since the kindergarten, I have been a child with difficulties to communicating. I commented on Star Wars all the time, it was very difficult for someone to put up with me. Actually, apart from my parents and my sister Esther, only one person cared about me. Her name was Rebecca Tucker.

Red was my best friend since kindergarten. she always sat next to me at lunch, in class, we worked together at school, and we also sat together on the bus. We even brought different fruits to lunch to exchange them, we went together to the cinema and to a Casa Bonita, it was funny. But all that changed when we got to fourth grade.

in this grade, everyone tried to appear "mature" and groups (some forced) were formed to "improve the interaction". There were the populars, the emos, the ugly ones, among others. red was adjusted immediately between the "hot girls" and me, obviously, with the nerds. I thought this wasnt going to affect our friendship, but as soon as the groups were defined, she started to avoid me and left with her friends.

Although Red avoided me, I continued to observe her and I realized that all our years of friendship were not in vain. I remember one time that she suggested seeing "the attack of the clones" to her friends when they chose which movie to watch at the cinema. Obviously her friends rejected that option for being a "nerd" movie and Red smiled falsely.

Our biggest interaction was on a school trip to "Villarejo dos peregrinos" where everyone said it was 1864. Our teacher told us to make pairs, and Red grabbed my hand instantly. I was surprised, because we hadnt spoken in months. During the tour, we talked as much as we could and i enjoyed her company a lot.

I didn’t realize, but I missed her a lot. Her voice, her smell, her hair, how she played with his strands as he spoke, the freckles she tried to hide with makeup, the perfume she wore ...

all those things that I missed, were back ...

but my joy evaporated as soon as the armed men invaded the place and threatened us.

I stood in front of her when they sat us on the floor, to prevent her from getting hurt. After the men were arrested, Red was so grateful that she sat with me back on the bus, and she forgot her friends during the trip, which sadly lasted only a few hours, and we kept talking. when we arrived, there was still a lot to talk about...

I thought she would continue talking to me later, but no, she was with his friends again. Even so, all those memories would follow my memory.

Even without her, I was not alone all this time. I started sitting at lunch with my friend Bradley, who was also a fan of galaxy wars, and with whom I had many things in common. I can say that at the time Red avoided me, he was my best friend.

besides him, I started to get together with Craig, Token, Tweek, Jimmy and Clyde. Somehow, I fit into their group, and among all of them, Clyde became a close friend. I confess that I felt betrayed when he started dating Red. However, thanks to Master Yoda, his engagement didnt last long.

at some point, I even played with eric, and ended up in Somalia, on a french ship with my laser sword, a heroic moment.

Over time, my interactions with Red decreased. some of her friends discovered her looking at me at lunch, and they started bothering her with that.

one day there was a talk about yaoi art at school and they showed images of Tweek and Craig, doing things that they normally don’t do. unlike the others, I was familiar with this topic and knew very well that tweek and craig were not really gay. I mean, there are a thosands of fanarts and fanfics about obi-wan x Anakin and Spock x Kirk and they are not really homosexual ...

During this event, I saw Red. She behaved like the other girls and found everything very nice. I dont doubt that when returning home, she looked for the two previous couples.

I thought Tweek and Craig were not really gays until they both ended up in front of the whole school. I was surprised with everything Tweek said, never imagined that Craig would be capable of all those things that Tweek said. I was also curious to know who Michael was, who apparently had been guilty of the separation.

The next day, Craig lost the class and Tweek appeared, but he looked very discouraged. Red also looked sad, it was as if the relationship of those two gave her hope for something.

But the next day, Tweek and Craig arrived at school holding hands, to the astonishment of everyone, including myself. Despite the surprise, I was glad that they were together again.

¿Red looked ... hopeful? I had never seen that expression on his face before.

At lunchtime, I sat next to Bradley, as I always did since the beginning of the year. Our table was next to the girls table. I could clearly hear a conversation from Red that caught my attention.

‘’Wendy, when you sayed that every kind of love is magical… you meaned that even a popular girl and a nerd can fall in love and it would be beautiful too?’’

That was not a typical Red question, and her friends noticed it too, so she got everyone at the table to raise their eyebrows. Wendy, meanwhile, took Red's hands and answered dreamily:

"Of course, any kind of love is magic!"

Red smiled shyly and could swear she blushed.

Bradley finished eating and ran away without saying goodbye. I was confused, but I finished my meal too and went out to the courtyard. all my friends were busy doing something, so I decided to sat in a corner to observe.

But before I did, Red appeared in front of me!

‘’Kevin... can we talk?’’ she asked.

‘’of course…’’ I answered surprised.

He took my hand and led me to the most isolated corner of the courtyard.

‘’Kevin ... do you remember that dance we had last year?’’ she asked looking me straight in the eyes and smiling shyly.

Of course I remember it! I smiled widely as soon as the memories arrived.

Flashback~~~~~~

In third grade, we had a dance near the end of the year. I remember well that Red decided to dance with Token, and I was sitting, feeling excluded. No girl wanted to dance with me, and I did not want to dance with anyone else.

It was like this until a girl dressed in a vulgar manner began to kiss several boys, including Token, who left Red aside to go with her.

Red was upset and sat in the stands. I went to talk with her and ask her if she wanted to dance with me, she accepted and we danced until the end of the dance.

After the party was over, they threw us out of the gym and Red sat down to wait for her uncles, and I sat with her to wait for my parents. As Esther was playing with the snow and Craig was playing with her friends, I was alone with her.

We talked and at some point, she took my hand and told me that I was the coolest guy in the entire galaxy. I felt extremely happy and I told her that she was also the coolest girl in the whole galaxy.

But before we could say anything else, the car of her uncles had already arrived for her and craig, leaving me alone with my sister.

~~~~~~~

I must have been thinking about that for a long time, because when I realized, Red was calling me. When I react, she kept talking.

'' ¿So, you still think I’m the coolest girl in the whole galaxy? '' she asked, holding my hands in his.

I thought about it a little. Even after she had avoided me, she was still the coolest girl I had ever met.

‘’ Of course, you are and always will be the coolest girl in the galaxy, and the planets beyond’’ I said without letting go her hands.

She smiled as she looked our joined hands.

‘’ you know kevin ... I still thinking that you’re the coolest guy in all the galaxies and I ... I like you, you know?’’

I was shocked. I also liked her too, actually, I always liked her, even after she started to ignore me.

‘’I… I…’’ I failed to form some phrase.

‘’So ... kevin ... what if you're Han Solo and I'm Princess Leia?’’ she suggested, winking at me.

I smiled. I had not thought of rejecting her, and now, less! she used a low blow!

-yes red! she smiled and hugged me.

As we parted, she grabbed my face, pulled her close and closed her eyes. Before I understood what was happening, our lips joined in a kiss. I felt very excited, it was silly, but in the end it was my first kiss.

‘’let's Rock!’’ she said after kissing me. We ran hand in hand to the courtyard. On the way, Clyde intercepted us.

‘’So ... are you guys together, huh? kevin, I thought these things didn’t interest you!’’ he scoffed, raising his eyebrows. I wanted Clyde to be sent to the farthest planet, from the farthest galaxy.

and somehow, my wish was fulfilled, because tweek and craig passed by holding hands and Clyde ran after them.

However, as soon as he left, Bebe arrived.

‘’I always knew you liked geeks! eh Red? I want to be the godmother of your wedding!’’ she said dreamily.

I wanted her to be sent to a planet farther away than Clyde's. But unlike Clyde, she went faster, winking at us.

When we get to the swing, we take turns pushing ourselves.

From that day, Red and I continued together, as if that separation by groups hadn’t happened. She surprised me with kisses and hugs, and I take my hand, as I always wanted.

[jbaeteng]

Boa  in the latest issue of Kicker 31 may 2019

"I was already gone in my head. When you get a clear promise and an adequate fee is paid then suddenly it's rejected, something breaks down in you" 

"My first half of the season was not good. Then I was able to turn myself upside down and play well, but I was benched anyway. The justifications given to me by the coach left me with the question: Why am I the one who had to be left out?"

 "I will attack again in the new season. At Bayern? I clearly imagine that I can continue at Bayern. I'm not going to run away, situations change quickly"

" I told Jupp Heynckes: I won ten titles with Bayern, I know the processes inside out, I needed a new impulse. I like being here, I love Munich, it was a great time, but I know when I have to go and that's what you would have to grant a player after so many years here"

"I know what I can do. When I have a club and a coach that gives me confidence, I know how to play"

"I'm a footballer, if you don't play a role, it hurts. I respect my teammates but I cannot pretend. I can't laugh around and pretend that I'm happy. And I know that when it mattered in the past years, I was always there in big games"

The season 2018/19 at Bayern is now over for him, but basically four weeks already: On May 4, against Hannover, Jerome Boateng was allowed to play for the last time. The remaining three games were followed by the central defender on the bench. "Of course I can not say that this season is good for me. I've lost a lot this year, my place in the national team and at Bayern, "says Boateng. "It was a negative year for both sides, for the club and for me." It's an unvarnished honest record.

This season began under obstructive circumstances. He said "in the summer of 2018, not in vain internally, that I absolutely wanted to leave" and got the assurance that he would be released from his contract until 2021, "if the right club comes and the money is right". These two conditions saw Boateng satisfied when Paris Saint-Germain wanted to sign him. But then the FCB officials refused. Three days before the transfer in late August 2018, Boateng learned "that they suddenly said no and I was not allowed to leave."

So he sought direct contact with the leadership - CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, sports director Hasan Salihamidzic and coach Niko Kovac sat at the table - and said: "Please, let me go! I have to go. I need a new challenge. "The position of the club sounded that way, Boateng says:" They said the coach really wants to hold you; for him you are number one in defense. "Rummenigge then repeated several times that he could not release Boateng under these circumstances. Boateng thanked "for the appreciation", but made clear: "I want to go anyway. Absolutely. "The answer:" No. Even if It's hard for you, you have to accept it so."

Boateng had already basically felt" that the club was no longer to me ". Because Rummenigge had put the 2014 World Champion in the showcase just before the 2018 World Cup with the words: "If a club comes and Jerome announces that he wants to change to this club, we will deal with it." Paris had now offered a transfer, the including bonuses would have added to 40 million euros. But the no remained.

"That was hard to work with," says Boateng today. "I was already gone with my head. If you get such a safe pledge and an adequate sum is paid, but suddenly it's called no, something collapses in you. So, without further ado, that did not leave me without a trace. "However, this abrupt change in the situation did not affect his general attitude to football and his job.

The relationship with the new coach Kovac, he found initially "all right, just like the other players". And he admits: "Sure, we had a bad phase in the fall, and I played badly," for example, when 3: 3 against Dusseldorf. So it came in those weeks to exchange with Kovac, "my first round was not good". During Christmas holidays, the defender telephoned the head coach and assured him that he had finally come to terms with the refusal to change clubs, "that I was fully focused and after the winter break totally wanted to fight for my place in the team". The Trainer's Response: In the winter training camp in Qatar, "everyone starts at zero".

There, Boateng notes, "I trained at top level". In the public training sessions, he was usually part of the A-Elf, Mats Hummels to the B-group. So Boateng "decided that I would start against Hoffenheim". But for the second half of the season, he was only substituted in the 90th minute for Javi Martinez. "I could not understand, I was angry, especially because of the statements of the coach, I would have trained super, he liked that, aggressive, I was headed, et cetera."

On top of that Kovac had announced shortly before the kick-off in Hoffenheim, Süle was Munich's center-back number 1, Boateng and Hummels would have to "match" behind her place. Boateng asked the coach about the background for this statement and learned: "He said that was a mistake."

Boateng locates the beginnings of this development in the second half already in the middle of December 2018, when he played against Nuremberg (kicker -Note 2.5) in Hannover suddenly had to experience 90 minutes as a substitute. "Since then, I felt I had no chance, because I could stand on my head and play well, I was still out in certain games," he says in a quiet tone. "It was very frustrating for me because I had worked hard." He supplemented the daily work with the team with an individual program: yoga, fitness, physio "to get me fit".

The appearance or accusation that he was too distracted from his profession as a professional footballer, he states objectively-determined: "All these side things, the glasses, the magazine, the party after the match against Dortmund - I do not have to do anything . "Boateng asks and says," What do I have to do for it? It is always put in such a way that I would have to travel through the world for it and would have any appointments or obligations for six hours. "Other players would also have photo shoots for PR purposes," why is this never discussed? "Jewelry, glasses, earrings "I've been wearing it since I'm with Bayern". So he became Triple Winner 2013 and World Champion 2014.

For his eyewear collection, he says, "every three or four months I spend an hour coming to develop the designs", on location in Munich. "Then there is a shoot for two hours, also in Munich, also every three or four months." For his magazine BOA he does "nothing, except a shoot over an hour or two, also in Munich, all three, four months ".

But did this boa party have to be the PR for the second edition of his lifestyle magazine in the Munich Nobel Club P1, right after the possibly decisive hit against Dortmund? And how inappropriate would this party have been in a defeat? "Then I would have turned up there from 11 pm to midnight because of the sponsors and then home," replies Boateng. "We have clearly communicated that to Bayern." In addition, the FCB makers knew what sponsors expected from a partner. "I had to be there for them." And no concerns were expressed to him by the club. "We could have discussed it and made a statement to the outside." Six, eight weeks before the BVB game, this party was planned.

Before Thomas Muller headed for P 1 that night, he said on social media, "Boa, do not let it get you down! Are a horny guy. "Hummels, Ribery, Lewandowski, Gnabry, Alaba, Tolisso came, allegedly twelve players. "If we had lost, nobody would have come," says Boateng. "But none of us thought that we would lose." The Bayern won 5-0, Boateng sat 90 minutes on the bench.

And are not there - another reproach - his constant short trips to Berlin? "Only if we had no English week and were free, I flew to Berlin," countered Boateng. "But it was always said: Jerome is in Berlin." For other players who also travel by air on days off, there was this topic not: David Alaba jettete known to often to Vienna, Javi Martinez to Spain, Franck Ribery to Paris. Boateng may not understand this different rating, "but that just fits in".

Where so far his deep tone remained the same, Boateng is now emotional and says louder: "I'm a footballer. I'm still burning. I'm hot. But I was slowed down because I was unfairly not used for me, as I deserved it. "Okay, he admits, football is never fair," but I feel like I'm upside down everything was set in stone since December ".

The second half-series began for him with a three-week delay, at home against Schalke, on 9 February. Before the match in Leverkusen, the third in the second half, in early February, Boateng had a one-hour conversation with coach Kovac. Again, he received praise for his good training performance - but sat outside again. But in the upcoming English weeks, the coach has promised him, "you're immediately on hand, if one does not bring his performance, because you deserve it, you train great". Four days later, in the cup at Hertha BSC, he still remained 120 minutes substitute. In the next league match against Schalke Boateng defended next to Hummels "neat", as he judges - the kicker rating 3.5 supports his self-assessment. On the next matchday in Augsburg he had to watch again for 90 minutes and today asks: "But on what grounds?" Two weeks later Kovac had told him that he would not change a victorious team. "Why am I the one who has to go out?"

Boateng takes a deep breath. "It was hard for me to accept that I was not used regularly and was only allowed to play when the coach just needed me." He leads the cup semi-final in Bremen, where he was stable (kicker note 3 ). "After that, I had to get out again", in Nuremberg, "and without explanation." Boateng emphasizes: "I'm the last person who can't take criticism when someone is better".

In the Hinserie, "I also told the coach, I had no problem with him taking me out." But in the second half he sees no reason for his supporting role "because of the training and the games". Kovac even indirectly confirmed it recently when he said to him, "You have not played that much, even though you may be the best defender." Boateng replied to Kovac, "How am I supposed to take that statement? You do not set me up, why ever. "The two are talking.

The 76-time international, early in March by coach Joachim Loew from the DFB selection retired, but would like to blame for the unsuccessful season 2018/19 not alone looking at others. He gives himself self-critical. "I let myself be pulled down too much by the whole situation," he says. But does not a World Champion and Footballer of the Year for which he was elected in 2016 have to defend himself against such attacks? "Sure, I know what I can do," he says, "but at the touch of a button I can not say, now I'm laughing again, it's all peace, joy, pancakes again. I am not. "He reclaims for himself original human feelings and reactions. "It was about my personal happiness, I just had to go."

In 2018, he repeated what he had experienced at the age of 18. At that time he felt that he had to get out of Berlin, "from this comfort zone, where everyone knocked on my shoulders." So it was again: "I needed a new challenge. I know how I am. Here I fall asleep, I told Jupp Heynckes, when he asked me a year ago what I would like to do. "The former Bayern coach understood, but wanted to know the reason. "I've won ten titles with Bayern, know the processes inside out," Boateng told him. "I needed a new impulse." To avoid giving the wrong impression, Boateng hastily emphasizes: "I like being here, I love it Munich. They were great times. But I know when to go. And that would have to have been granted to a player after so many successful years. "

How does it go from here? President Uli Hoeness described the professional with the jersey number 17 last Sunday as a "foreign body". Boateng names as counterargument Niklas Süle. To his immediate opponent in the defense he has "a super wire because the boy is absolutely okay". In the cabin, Boateng addresses things directly to everyone, including the superiors. "Because I want to be successful." In the summer preparation 2018, in the training camp, pleaded the two captains Manuel Neuer and Müller internally that Boateng should necessarily remain. And yet: Was his behavior at the celebrations and the cup win not unquestionable?

At the master celebration in the stadium he kicked off with his two daughters, afterwards he went to a friend's wedding, not the team party. "I'm a footballer," he says. And explains his point of view: "If you do not play a role, it hurts you. I respectfully respect my fellow players. But I can not pretend, do not laugh and pretend I'm so happy. And I know: If it was important in the last few years, I was always there in the big games. "An exception he leads immediately and without asking: The 2: 5-clap in the Cup final against Dortmund in May 2012," the is years ago ", kicker rating: 5.5. "Otherwise, I was always one of the players in the crucial games to stand out." In the 2014 World Cup final kicker made him the player of the game, grade 1.

And yet again the question: Does a team athlete not attend a club or team event? "It was not the last season game, there was still the double celebration on Marienplatz," says Boateng. "And when one of my friends marries, I go to the wedding. It had nothing to do with my mood. Even if I had played, I would be at the wedding. "He serves examples of his identification with Bayern. For the club, he had shortened his vacation, came to New York, did PR shoots for Audi and opened with Rummenigge the stock market. "I was the driving force, I did everything for Bayern."

In contrast, he felt at his shoulder injury in 2016/17 by the club not supported at all. The usual during an operation accompanying an FCB doctor was missing, afterwards there were no visits club official in the hospital or asking for his health. And he was never informed about his removal from the players' council this season: Suddenly Lewandowski was third captain, even Thiago got in a friendly match the captain's bandage - before Boateng.

A first crack suffered on 1 July 2011 started, long perfect relationship FCB-Boateng in November 2016. The Munich lost in Rostov in the Champions League with 2: 3, Boateng was danced in the first goal, before the second he committed a foul , Penalty, 1: 2-residue (49th). He was injured ten minutes later. Boateng would have to come back more "back to earth", so on the ground, said Rummenigge back then in the icy-cold Russia night. Boateng considers such public criticism as a breach of trust, especially because he had a few days earlier in a personal conversation with the CEO pointed to some athletic maladies and Rummenigge had criticized him in private, not in the approach. Boateng did not feel protected by the board boss. The sequel followed before the now ended season and immediately afterwards with Hoeness' public recommendation to change. Of course, Boateng is still ready to do that.

But the future employer must fit. "I have very clear sporting expectations and goals," says Boateng emphatically. He rejects a transfer to China or the USA with a decided no. He said it was about the personal esteem in a new club, he emphasizes: "I would like to prove once again my class after the disappointments of this season and show that I belong to the three top center-backs in the world. I know what I can do. And if I have a club and a coach that gives me confidence, I know how I play. "Despite the recent development, however, Boateng can" clearly imagine that it can continue at Bayern ". He asks: "Why not?" And answers: "I'm a footballer, Bayern is a big club." He also had to take into account that his children go to school in Munich. "I will not run away here for sure. Situations change quickly. "

Once again he clarifies:" I do not want to end my career, on the contrary. "He wanted" one hundred percent success as a footballer. Just after having been slowed down so much this season, I want to show that I am still fully occupied. I'm going to attack fully in the next season. "

After this season 2018/19, which at least spared him major physical injuries, he feels ready for new exploits. "Jerome has not finished yet and still has huge potential for the next three years," says Jupp Heynckes. In the triple year 2012/13, "he shot into the world class," said Boateng's former coach in Munich, "at the 2014 World Cup, he was the best center-back in the world." Boateng is "an easy to run player who needs trust and understanding "Heynckes says," working with him was a pleasure ". Peter Hermann, who saw Boateng as an assistant coach in Munich in daily operations, adds: "Nobody plays out from the back like Jerome does. He has to be fit, then he can play for a few more years at top level - if he wants it. "Boateng wants. He says. Determined.

On vacation, he will - as usually in the past years - go through a private preparation. For this he sets his own fitness trainer and physiotherapist on his own account. "For the five-week vacation, I have a well-planned plan," he says. The exercises are designed specifically for him. For the last 14 days of this individual work "full throttle" is programmed. Boateng wants to start "prepaired" in preparation for 2019/20.

#jerome boateng #kovac is such a loser #sorry some sentences may sound stupid because it's translated with google translator #:)

[fortunatowrites]

The Accident of Life

Writing Prompt: You are can tell when someone’s going to die soon. You never try to change things but one day you see someone you love is going to die soon.

“My place in this world is an accident,” he said after a shot of scotch.

“All of us are an accident,” she replied musingly.

“Hmm?”

He looked up from his drink to the girl across the bar.

“Stardust and gases fused through explosions, time, and gravity. I think that’s right, at least,” she smirked.

He chuckled. “You’re right. I’m an accident made by accidents.”

She tilted her head at him, her short auburn hair falling over her face. It was a thing she did when confused and something that he smiled at with a sigh. She was wonderful, but he could never be a part of her life or invite her into the awfulness that was his.

The gruff man rapped upon the bar for another glass. As he watched the bartender filled the glass again, his mind drifted back.

One week ago, in this bar, he sat back in the corner leaning a chair against the wall. His brimmed hat tilted over to shadow his face and give the false implication of sleep. Most people ignored him, thinking he was some weird cowboy wanna-be.

At the bar, two men talked loudly and rudely. Their topic was the women they’ve been with and who they’d want to be with, who was off limits, and what was next to do. Their eyes occasionally watching a nearby woman drinking at the bar.

It wasn’t until many drinks later that she would finally leave the bar. She would leave unfortunately unaware of the two ruffians following her. The stranger tilted his hat up to get a good look at the men finishing their drinks. One of them was glowing red. He smiled and let a thought go across his mind before blinking. Now they were both glowing red. That was all he needed to get up and discreetly follow them.

-

Now, back at the bar.

The Stranger swirled his scotch around, letting the ice cubes clink around.

“You’re acting strange today,” spoke the woman.

“Isabel,” he said, almost in a whisper. “I’ve done bad things.”

“We’ve been drinking together for a long time, buddy! I know you too well to believe that,” she said, beaming a smile.

“Heh.”

The idea was very amusing to him that she would believe him to be that type of person. The idea itself that he could even pass as a person was amusing.

-

One month ago, in the alley behind the bar. There was the steady sound of liquid splashing against the wall of a nearby building. The Stranger leaned back, hidden in the shadows behind a dumpster. The overwhelming stench of trash wasn’t bothering him as he watched the drunk man pee against the wall. Soon, another man approached him and brandished a blade. He was glowing red in the Stranger’s eyes.

“Give me all you got!” he barked.

“Huh?” the drunk slurred, turning and peeing on the mugger.

“Bastard!” the mugger shouted with a shove, knocking the drunk back into the alley.

As the mugger approached his prey, the drunk produced a gun and fired. The mugger dropped his knife and gasped as he collapsed to his knees. The drunk muttered something hateful as he got up and fumbled his pants. He tried to spit on the bleeding man, but missed. Then he simply stumbled away.

The Stranger smiled as he stepped out of the shadows and approached the bleeding man. The mugger looked up with an absolute fear in his heart.

-

Now.

“You’ve always brought out my best. Drinking with you has made me feel good,” spoke the Stranger.

“Stop talking like I’m going away somewhere! It’s weird,” she said laughing.

He took a swig of the scotch and gritted his teeth. It was strong, but liquor always tasted particularly strong to him.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he said, flashing her a grin.

“Only if we’re walking to get hot dogs.”

“My treat.”

-

Three months ago.

A bridge, a long walk away from the alley, sits over a shallow river. A man glowing blue is stumbling through the woods, frightened beyond belief. The branches snap and dried leaves crumble and crack underneath his feet. A dog was charging behind him, barking wildly with anger. As he reached the edge of the woods, he looked back to see if he could still see the wild beast. He did not see it. Nor did he see the large rocks before him.

With a loud yelp, he tripped and stumbled, striking his head against a rock and leaving him in a state between conscious and unconscious. Possibly survivable, if not for the fact he landed face first into the river. The dog reached the edge and sniffed the air. It caught whiff of the Stranger, whimpered and ran.

The Stranger stepped out from beneath the bridge and walked over to the man, watching the bubbles around his head gurgle and pop. He smiled a toothy grin and stooped low over the man.

A woman stepped into view, walking upon the water’s surface. The Stranger looked up at her, her glowing beauty shrouded in dark colors. She was an absolute contrast of the gruff looking scoundrel standing opposite her besides the drowning man. Two creatures of the night, well dressed and ready to perform unearthly actions.

“His time to pass is almost upon us. I don’t see signs of partnership, stranger,” her lovely voice spoke.

It was like the caring gentleness of a whisper but loud enough to be heard clearly across a rumbling stream.

“I’m hungry,” he replied.

She scoffed, “Blue ones are meant for higher things. But the red ones… they’re left to a different cause.”

“I want this one. I’ve been waiting.”

“Are you sure?” she said as a fountain of water began to rise besides her. She reached into it and pulled out a black handled scythe with a large crescent moon blade, shining with moonlight.

“Fine,” he said, retreating under the bridge. “But can you take care of these other bodies?”

The lady of the water looked with a slight disapproval at the corpses that were under the bridge in the Stranger’s lair.

-

Now.

The woman ate her hot dog and watched the Stranger light a cigarette. He sat across the table from her and let the smoke drift upwards, aiming away from her.

“You know I don’t care if you smoke around me,” she said with a mouthful of food.

“It can’t be enjoyable though,” he said holding the glowing stick aloft.

“Or can it?”

He let out a huff of air that could best be described as a polite laugh.

“So what did you mean by accident? My parents didn’t plan for me either.”

“Parents...”

It hung in the air for a moment as he pondered the subject.

“I have one parent,” he began.

“Ah, a donor? Sounds like the opposite of accident. Super planned.”

He smiled as he continued, “He summoned me in the hopes that I’d make him stronger.”

She tilted her head and smirked as she tried not to laugh. They locked eyes and he took another drag of his cigarette before deciding to jump straight to the point.

“I can tell when people are going to die...”

“Oh yeah?” she said with a disbelieving smile, bright white against her blue glow.

-

Six months ago, in an abandoned shack deep in the woods outside of town.

The robed man returned with a bucket of water from the river nearby. Walking over to a large wooden receptor, he poured it into a strange trough-like contraption that made the water flow in a circle around the center of his shack. The Stranger sat in the middle, arms crossed and in a huff. He was directly in the middle of a red pentagram-like symbol on the floor. Candles were lit around the room, surrounding the trough.

“I’ll bring you the last sacrifice tonight,” spoke the robed man’s raspy voice.

The Stranger simply glared at him, watching his every move traced in a dark red aura that glowed magnificently. Many self inflicted scars covered the face of this wicked man.

“Still not saying anything more to me?” spoke the man.

The Stranger sat silently until sundown.

“About time for you to go,” he grumbled.

“You must be hungry if you’re giving me reminders.”

The man gave an evil grin the the Stranger, but the Stranger simply sat and stared. The man grumbled and went off to his corner of the shack. He adorned his costume and then the robed man set off into the night. A few hours passed by before a sudden knocking on the door.

The Stranger perked up. Sounds of movement outside the door went to the window, where someone was trying in vain to see inside. The windows were barred and draped, but the old dirtiness and cobwebs would have been just as good.

“Please...help me...” the Stranger pleaded, imitating a person in danger.

“Oh my god!” came the muffled voice.

“I’m alone and hurt...”

“I’ll save you!”

Sure enough, the wayward traveler found their way inside. They were glowing blue and the Stranger couldn’t help but smile.

“Oh, how I’ve waited for someone like you.”

-

Now.

They went back to her apartment and the Stranger sat in a chair next to her bed. She was tossing and turning, thinking it was just from a night of drinking and partying. The Stranger didn’t have the heart to tell her that she was dying. His guess was that she was bit by something terribly poisonous while wandering the woods the morning before.

“It’s been a while,” spoke the whispered voice.

The Stranger sat silently.

“Did I not tell you to stick to Reds? I even ignored when you would bring down associates of reds early.”

Still he said nothing. She summoned the scythe.

“I won’t let you take her,” he stated, still refusing to physically acknowledge her.

“Then you’ll go with her,” returned her whispered threat.

“Gladly,” he said, still not turning towards her.

About ten minutes passed before he had the courage to look over. The room was empty.

“Just this once, demon.”

The Stranger turned back to the woman struggling on the bed. Her brilliant blue glow was dimming slowly. He couldn’t help but gasp with relief. The burning of a tear ran down his face as he watched her glow completely fade.

“Thank you,” he spoke in a hushed whisper.

#short stories #short story #creative writing #writing prompt #writing practice #free writing #demon

[averil-of-fairlea]

Honor your promise

Based on this from @thorinoakenshieldconfessions: “My new head canon is this: Just before Thorin’s love dies in his arms from a battle wound, she tries to comfort him. With her last bit of strength, she smiles weakly and jokes, “No sulking or frowning, my love, or I shall come back and teach you a lesson.” Then she dies. His heart shattered, from that moment on he often has a dour face, hoping in vain that she will someday make good on her promise.“   

And this from @imaginexhobbit:  “Imagine making up with Thorin against a tree.”

Notes: Angst, slight NSFW, humor. Flashbacks are in italics. I changed the “battle” in the head canon above to Smaug’s breach of the Lonely Mountain.

Written in loving memory of my husband, who died unexpectedly on August 5, 2017. He was my real-life Thorin, a complete Tolkien nerd who introduced me to “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” He was the absolute love of my life.

It seemed like a lifetime ago when Thorin last cradled your head to his chest under the canopy of a serene oak grove, the scene of so much passion and love, good-natured needling and laughter. But only a little while had passed since that bliss.

Farewell hurdled toward you, between you, as fast as the blood spilled from your body.

“You were supposed to hide.” Thorin didn’t mean for it to sound like a reprimand. You saved his life. Gratitude and a desperate plea rested behind the sharpness of his words.

“You knew I wouldn’t.” You touched his face and found comfort in the softness of his beard. But his heavy, wrinkled brow, falling like an avalanche, broke your slowing heart.

His tears fell onto your chin. He could hardly hear you through the din of sorrow and anguish, echoing inside his heart and all around him, strong as the overwhelming smell of fire and smoke.

“I have a better promise,” you continued through a hoarse whisper. 

“Stay.” Thorin touched your cold cheek. “Stay with me.”

You managed a small smile. “No sulking or frowning, my love, or I shall come back and teach you a lesson.”

                                                         ***

Thorin wakes up with your last words etched on his mind as always, and with a shred of hope in his heart that today will be the day.

As he collects his bedroll, pipe and the excellent pipe weed he stashed for himself, he hears but doesn’t participate in the company’s early morning chatter. Topics of conversation include Beorn’s monster-sized bees, the hearty breakfast the skin changer has prepared, and Dwalin’s nightmarish belches and farts lasting from a bean stew supper two nights ago.

In the midst of it all, Thorin catches chitchat between his nephews about him.

“Best to stay out of his way, Kee. He’s already grim. It’s written all over his face.”

“Of course he is. Mum said ever since his wife -”

“No, no, he smiles every now and again. Remember when Bofur sang in Rivendell?”

Kili nods with a wide grin. “Aye, he was tapping his foot and enjoying his wine, too!” The younger of the princes snaps his fingers, his eyes shining. “And he smiled at Mr. Boggins’ house - right at Mr. Boggins himself!!”

Fili nods, then with caution slides his eyes to Thorin, who does an excellent job feigning oblivion to the talk as he collects his bedroll into an uneven lump with fast, angry folds.

Convinced his uncle isn’t paying him any attention, Fili turns back to Kili and adds: “He had a little chuckle at Bilbo’s expense, too.”

“Didn’t everyone chuckle at Bilbo’s expense?” Kili’s words trip over his giggles.

Fili clearly wants to explode with laughter, but his shaking shoulders and several hard boot stomps on the hay in Beorn’s barn will have to do.

Within seconds, the brothers move onto the next subject - “what are the odds we’ll find a decent tavern during our travels? - while Thorin ponders Fili’s observation: “He smiles every now and again.”

Thorin’s mind moves as quick and as sharp as lightning, his musings piercing his heart.

Perhaps you had planned to fulfill your promise at the very moment his countenance changed from grim to blithe, he thinks. You may have mistaken his expression to mean he has forgotten you. That explains why you haven’t appeared to him as you promised.

“I have failed you,” Thorin mutters under his breath. “Again.”

And with those words filling his head, the memory of his last day with you plays out, as it does every day.

                                                      ***

“You have failed, Prince Thorin!”  

Wrapping your legs tight around his waist, you moved together as one through the last few waves of ecstasy. Thorin’s loosened belt kept his dark trousers from completely revealing his naked backside, but not by much. The rough bark of the oak tree behind you clawed at your hiked frock and scratched your skin, but the slight sting only added to the thrill of your torrid lovemaking.

“Failed?” The smile played on his lips sent you back to the sky. “Your moans tell me differently, amrâlimê.”

Oh, the power the simple act of smiling had on you. Your body quivered as you held each other for dear life, the pleasure between you generating such high heat that you were sure the whole of the Erebor could sense it, two leagues away.

“My turn…for failure…” He grinned that grin again. Your clenches below pulled  deep growls and thrusts from him that took you both by surprise with their intensity.

Several minutes later, as you lay under dappled sunlight on a plush gray blanket, surrounded by trees and birdsong, you clarified your earlier statement.

“What I meant was, you failed to take my mind off the fact that we argued yet again about you forbidding me to wield a sword over the next year.”

Stretched beside your body, his arm protectively around your shoulders as you rested your head on his chest, Thorin released a rugged chuckle before answering.

“I would say you wielded my sword very, very well a moment ago.”

Your face hot, you slapped his hand, making him laugh louder. When he settled down, his voice turned low and serious.

“Amrâlimê, please. Isn’t it enough that you still carry it?” He gestured toward your treasured weapon resting in its scabbard against a large rock. “And as I recall, it was not I who forbade you, but your midwife. It’s for the best. It’s for our child.” He patted your slightly rounded belly.  You lifted your head to look him in his beautiful blue eyes, the royal tailor’s inspiration for his striking cobalt tunic. It took everything in you not to rekindle passion’s fire.

“Well, if sparring is off limits,” you teased, “surely coupling should be also. Especially against trees.”

Thorin cocked an eyebrow - his “don’t-dare-think-it” look.  

“That was no mere coupling, my lady. That was -”   

“Magic.” You reached up to give him a gentle peck on the lips, and lay your head back on his chest. “Fine. I’ll follow the midwife’s orders. But I must tell you, I can hardly wait to practice again. I think I have some lessons to teach you.”

He scoffed. “Lessons? Need I remind you that I’ve been through more swords and battles than you’ve seen sunrises?”  

“Defending yourself and what you love is not always about experience. It’s about what’s in your heart.”

Thorin groaned. “That sounds like poetry.” He rolled his eyes, taking advantage of your turned head. If you’d caught him, his hand would get slapped again. He sighed and held you closer. “Heart alone doesn’t win battles or save lives.“

“Depends on what’s in the heart, my love.”

Thorin knew you would say that, and he had a response that he hoped would lead to more romance: “You’ll just have to show me.”

But he never got a chance to say it. All at once, a shadow of great and terrifying proportions crossed the sky directly overhead. The beast’s sweltering whoosh swept the forest floor across your embraced bodies.

You both scrambled to your feet and looked up, but the creature had already disappeared from your immediate sight. Its heat lingered, however. You thought you would burst into flames.

“What was that?!” you cried as you shook off the dried leaves, sticks and pine cone bits from your hair and clothes, followed by dousing yourself with what remained in your water skin.

No sooner had you asked the question did you hear a clamor of far-off screams and warning blows through a symphony of horns.

“Dragon!” Thorin stomped into his boots. “It’s headed for the mountain!”

Dragon. The word sent your heart into frenzied pounding. You fumbled into your shoes as Thorin tossed your coat to you. He grabbed your sword and secured it to his side on his belt, next to his own weapon.

“Thorin, give it to me! I’m coming with you!” You dove toward him, but he extended his arm and held his hand against your shoulder, keeping you back.

“You will hide here,” he said. Somehow, the urgency in his voice did not take away from the uncanny calmness in his tone. He sounded kingly, resolute. You’d never heard quite so authoritative a tone from him. He would make a fine king someday, and you, an exquisite queen, you thought. But first, the dragon needed to die. “I will send the first guard I see for you,” Thorin said. “Until then, put the blanket over you and wait quietly in the thicket.”

You reared your head back and widened your eyes. “A blanket?” you shrieked in disbelief. “You would leave me alone and defenseless?”

“I would leave you hidden and alive!” He approached you with fast, determined footfalls. In an instant, he took you into his arms and kissed your mouth hard. You knew what it meant. If his journey home resulted in his death, he wanted to make sure you knew how much he’d loved you. More than anyone. More than his own life.

He placed his hand over your navel, covered by your wrinkled dress.

“Promise me you will -” Thorin began, but another set of distant screams and distress calls interrupted him.

“Go!” You pushed him toward his pony.

He realized halfway to the mountain that you had deftly detached your scabbard from his belt during your embrace.

                                                     ***

As he pulled his grandfather from the mountain, Thorin heard you shout his name and scream for him to watch out.

“I am dazed…imagining things,” he thought. “She’s in the woods and hidden.”

But Thorin would learn much later from the guard he sent to protect you that you overtook the gentleman’s steed and rushed off toward the Lonely Mountain without him, hollering an apology in your wake.

Thorin heard your voice again: “FIRE!” you yelled that time. The dragon had its eyes fixed on him and his grandfather. An inferno glowed in its chest as the dragon opened its mouth.

Thorin couldn’t move as fast as he wanted, and he couldn’t get to you. He, along with elite fighters and commoners alike, raised swords to fend off the beast.  

He didn’t want to believe what he saw next. You, charging. You, roaring. You, screaming, “move!” You, drawing that blasted sword.

But too much rubbish, too many frantic people, and too little foresight got in your way. You lost your footing just after pushing Thorin and Thror out of the direct path of the dragon’s hot fury. You dropped your sword and stumbled in front of it. The blade got wedged in broken stone and sat upright, waiting for a victim.

Thorin lunged toward you just a hair too late. The sword sliced his fingers but slipped from grasp. He could only catch you after the fact.

“You were supposed to hide…”

                                                         ***

“Where are you? Honor your promise! Show yourself!”

The king’s mighty voice, deep and rough with anguish and madness, bounces off the streaked jade walls inside his reclaimed homeland. Outside, armies surround the mountain. Inside, his relatives and friends wring their hands and gnash their teeth, awaiting word from their troubled king.  

He looks around the vast halls for any sign of you. For the shape of you. Your voice. Your smile. Everything tugs at his mad mind, just as your heavy scabbard that he insists on fastening tightly to his belt weighs him down: War. Power. That sneaky, deceitful Hobbit. That conceited Elf. That dull bargeman, his loosing of a black arrow his sole redeeming quality. That daft, pointy-hatted wizard who egged Thorin on in the first place, practically ushering him into this disaster. That panicked Dwalin whimpering about Dain’s forces getting slaughtered instead of worrying about protecting the mountain’s wealth.

But at his core, Thorin wrestles the most with something else.

He remembers Fili’s remark months ago: “He smiles every now and again.” Thorin recalls laughing, merrymaking and feasting over the years, and those memories plague him.

Because as hard as he tried, he failed to stay absolutely solemn all of his days, the very thing that would have summoned you to return and teach him his lesson.

Because as much as he scowled and frowned, something would eventually remind him of life’s goodness: friendships, new and old; the kingly potential in his nephews; loyalty, honor, and a willing heart.

Dejected, he walks away from his fractured throne, off to the Gallery of the Kings and its dazzling gilded floor - yet another memento of his failure, when he led the company in an attempt to kill Smaug by drowning him in molten gold.

At that moment, as his mistakes and voices from his past overlap in his mind, your scabbard crashes beside him, right atop a vision of the dragon swimming beneath the floor, and your sword slides out, as if drawn.

                                                    ***

Thorin’s injury is grave from his final battle with Azog, but his healers tend to him day and night, cleaning the wound, applying fresh bandages and making sure he has every available remedy and comfort. A touch of Gandalf’s healing power seals his fate: Thorin will live.

The king’s closest friends, including Bilbo, Dwalin, and the rest of the company, bring him regular reports of his nephews’ slow but steady recovery and the rebuilding process. He’s gotten word that his sister and other Dwarves from Ered Luin will soon make the journey to Erebor.

As soon as his caretakers feel he can do it, Thorin takes on a few duties from his sick bed. The plans for a grand front gate and other repairs receive his approval. Along with the recently crowned king of Dale, he proposes new trade agreements and reinstates old ones. The Elven king, not yet a business partner but no longer a foe, has visited once, keeping a chilly distance but unable to conceal the relief on his face that Thorin will survive. 

And Thorin’s most formidable enemy lies dead in a lake.

All of this gives the King Under the Mountain a reason to smile; in Thranduil’s case, smirk.

Everything makes sense now. The love and devotion in his heart for his people and his home saved lives, won the mountain once and for all, and delivered him from madness and failure. .

Thorin finally understands what you meant when you said, “it’s about what’s in your heart.”

He still aches for you and the future you didn’t have, the child that never came into the world. He longs for your eventual reunion, many years from now if Mahal allows, to see you in all your beauty, magic and wisdom, just like the last time in the forest.

#thorin fanfiction #thorin fics #the hobbit fanfiction #the hobbit #J.R.R. Tolkien #tolkien

[thetorturedarchives]

i was being vain and searched up my ask scorpius blog today and one of the posts that showed up along with my blog’s posts was ‘scorbus engagement’ and my eyes glanced over it for a second when i noticed something abt n.e.w.ts so i read it carefully and it says ‘scorpius proposes to albus the day after they get their n.e.w.t results’ and sorry im not here to rain on anybody’s parade but a few things

1. WHY in fuck would two seventeen year old boys ever want to get married JUST after getting their a-levels  NEWTs. like most seventeen year old boys don’t even have the responsibility to wash a spoon and even more can’t be bothered to pay the bill at caffee nero on a date why would they want to take on such a fuckin chore. and before you say ‘because they’re in love and they’re young so they don’t realise’ i raise you

2. HOW in fuck would one seventeen year old boy find the money for the engagement ring -- because even men’s engagement rings are expected to be diamond encrusted or studded. ‘who cares about the ring’ you say, ‘they’re in love so he proposes with a claire’s charm bracelet’, WELL THEN

3. WHEN in fuck would they have the time to even show up to a registration office considering wizards don’t go to university so potentially five years of education (depending on what they’re doing in that last year) has to be completed in a year and most kids can barely do that in five years how the fuck are they expecting to get married while they’re literally cramming a masters degree into a year. ‘But Demixian,’ you cry, ‘studies don’t matter when they’re in luuuuurve’ OKAY BUT

4. WHO in fuck is raising these kids to get married that young!!!!!!! to somebody you only dated during your teens!!!! my parents got married at nineteen n look how the fuck i turned out!!!!! this bitch sure ain’t going to oxbridge!!!!!! they’ll be sick of each other in ten months!!!! ‘oh but  hgevdhd they’re in love!!’ THEN TELL ME

5. WHAT FUCKIN FINANCES do these two CHILDREN have to share?!!?!? you know what the original purpose of marriage is, right? to have children and to MERGE FINANCIAL PROPERTIES SO YOU CAN MANAGE YOUR LIVES are you saying these two TODDLERS are gonna waddle up to wizard barclays gringotts with their respective 2.50 and 11.10 and say ‘hi can we merge our accounts so we can have a whole 13.60 to buy a shoebox for our kids to run around in’ NO!!!!!!!! IN FACT THEY WON’T EVEN HAVE THAT MUCH AFTER PAYING FOR THE FUCKIN LICENSE!!! oh wait they’re short like THIRTY QUID and i refer you to 4 for those of you saying ‘draco will pitch in’ NO HE WONT BECAUSE HE’S NOT AN UTTER WANKER OF A PARENT WHO LETS THEIR KIDS GET TATTOOS WHEN THEY’RE TWELVE AND SENDS THEM PACKING AT SEVENTEEN!!! and FINALLY

6. WHETHER any of this stops them or not, whether they’re happy down the line or not, whether they can EVEN AFFORD IT or not, the most important factor is that scorpius would NEVER propose because he’s a punk ass bitch!!!! i love him but its the truth!!!! now i will not stand for this wimp erasure! albus also wouldn’t propose because the only thing he’s proposing is a trip to hot topic because he’s an emo bitch who’s scared of comittment. i know this because j.k rowling broke into my house and subdued my mother before looking me in the eye and telling me ALL of this

[thenctcults]

Drunken Love

Pairing: Yuta x reader Genre: bartender!au, fluff Warnings: alcohol involved Word count:  2,182

The loud bass boomed through the big speakers, making the ground pulsate with each beat of the upbeat dance song the DJ was playing. Bopping your head along the music you leaned against the counter of the bar and observed the sweaty bodies pressed against each other as they danced away on the dancefloor. 

Being a bartender was no easy job, working in the nightlife you had to endure a lot of things, especially as a woman. You managed to find joy in your job, albeit all you had to go through. Sighing heavily, the corners of your lips turning down in a sign of disapproval, you watched as a small group of very boisterous boys took shots after shots, completely wasted after their fifth one. No matter how many times you’d seen people like this and far worse, it still amazed you how they found bliss solely by drinking so much they cannot walk straight and probably regretting it and swearing to never drink again, but repeating it all again days after. Sure, you were in for some drinks to loosen up and get in the mood, but getting wasted was not your cup of tea. 

Your gaze averted from the group of boys, to a boy who slumped against the bar and judging from the way he was staggering and trying to balance himself on the stool, was also just as drunk. 

“Can I get a- ugh fuck, I forgot.” he giggled drunkenly, lifting his head up resting his chin on his palm, swaying back and forth, eyes closed and a lazy closed mouth smile playing on his lips. His long light brown colored fringe covered his forehead messily, the tips falling above his eyes. 

“That’s okay, really.” you assured the drunk stranger, hoping that he would not remember his order. One thing you really disliked was  serving already drunk clients because you felt as if you were contributing to their worsening state, but they paid so that mattered to you.  

Humming lowly, the handsome stranger nodded, his eyes fluttering open and making eye contact with you. Once his intoxicated eyes fell on you, his posture straightened, extending his arms and spreading his palms flat out on the wooden expanse of the counter, his mouth slightly parted. Noticing his strange behavior you squinted your eyes at him in suspicion. 

“You okay there?” you asked, voice faintly audible over the loud music. 

“Wow,” the stranger breathed in amazement, “you’re so beautiful.” he slurred, his words sounding distant due to the heavy sound. 

The urge to roll your eyes was real and you breathed out an airy laugh instead. That was definitely a comment you were used to hearing of like five times each night along with other attempts at flirting and by now you could say you’d grown immune to it. What was hilarious was when drunk people flirted with you, because their inebriated state didn’t really help but you did give them props for their confidence. 

“I know.” you replied nonchalantly and the corners of his plump lips turned up into a huge grin, showing off his perfectly straight teeth. Your cheeks grew hot and palms turned clammy, did this drunk stranger just almost made you swoon with just a smile? Right then, you had disappointed yourself at how easily you let down your guard. 

“I like confident girls.” he admitted, shaking a finger in acknowledgement at you. The corners of your lips turned down and your eyebrows shoot up in slight surprise; that wasn’t a response you were used to. Usually when you’d say you were aware of your good looks or even reply with just a simple ‘thank you’, people would get mad at you saying you were vain for agreeing with them, as if the only correct way to reply to a compliment was to deny it in order to get another one for validation. To you it didn’t work that way. 

“What’s your name?” he asked, leaning on his elbows, his head cocking on the side and a flirty smile plastered on his lips. It looked as if the drink he had previously requested was long forgotten, his full attention now set on you. 

“Chances are you probably won’t even remember it.” you countered, wiping a glass. 

“Normally, I would, but you’re just not anybody.” 

“That’s greasy.” you commented, grimacing at him. 

“Yuta, where the fuck have you been.” an angry looking and very sober guy appeared, grabbing Yuta by the shoulders. “We’re leaving now.” he said sternly and dragged a protesting Yuta away. 

About two weeks had passed after your first meeting with Yuta and, truthfully, you had pretty much forgotten about it until one night he stumbled drunkenly and sat on one of the stools. 

“Still as beautiful.” Yuta spoke over the music, skipping the greetings and getting straight to the good parts. 

“Still as drunk.” you noted, he did seem less intoxicated than the previous time, so that was at least some improvement. 

“You know, I’ve been thinking about you a lot these past two weeks.” Yuta completely ignored your comment and continued to talk about you. You were surprised to say the least, you expected him to have forgotten you over the course of two days, but here he was. 

“I really don’t know how to reply to that.” you admitted. 

“You just intrigue me so much for some reason.” he giggled. 

Cute, you thought and you mentally and almost physically slapped yourself. You would not allow yourself to have such thoughts about him. Never. 

“I wanna know more about you.” he kept going. 

“That’s nice and all, but I think this conversation should be better done when both of us are sober.” you said, avoiding the topic like a plague. You would not indulge in this kind of conversation with a drunk stranger, as much as you thought he was cute and wanted to know just as much. 

“You’re no fun.” he huffed, his already plump lips puffing out even more. 

Silence fell over you, you were tending the bar as always and he was lazily observing with a content smile. At first it was okay, but it got to a point where you couldn’t handle it anymore. 

“Are you just gonna sit there and just stare?” you asked, exasperated. 

“Well, since you won’t talk to me, that’s the least I can do.” 

“Touche.” 

“Am I boring, is that why you won’t talk to me? Do I not spark up your interest?” he whined, and shook in his seat, resembling a little kid throwing a tantrum. 

“That’s most definitely not the case.” you reassured him and the pair of you fell into yet another short period of silence, not that you minded really. 

“Do you ever think about how the moon must feel insignificant because it borrows light from the sun? That must be sad. Life is sad.” Yuta frowned, looking at nothing in particular, really, his eyes trained on the counter in front of him. 

“That escalated quickly.” you commented, unsure of what to say at his words, the sudden change of the mood catching you off guard. 

“But then again, when I think of you, life isn’t so glum anymore, it’s very colorful, like a beautiful spring day.” he smiled, droopy eyes looking at you. 

“And we’re back to square one. Go home really, you’re so drunk. Where is your friend?” 

“I’m not drunk, I’m intoxicated by you.” he smiled and shot you a finger heart. 

“Ah, that almost made my heart flutter.” you joked, cleaning some glasses. 

“I can try something else, then.” he insisted, a glint of determination evident in his brown eyes. Placing his palms flat on the surface of the bar he leaned in closer to you, looking at you with an unfathomable expression on his face, one that could be mistaken as genuine interest for you but you were not one to be swayed that easily. 

“I think of you so often, it really drives me crazy.” he admitted in a slurred voice, his tone serious and not so playful anymore. “What is this? I can’t seem to shake you off my mind ever since that one time I saw you, am I going crazy?” he asked, but neither you knew the answer to that. 

Right when you were about to reply, you were interrupted by his friend spurting out apologies at you, apologizing about how annoying Yuta was and how sorry he felt on his behalf, before bidding you goodbye. 

If you were being honest with yourself, from that night on you could not stop thinking about him either. 

It seemed as if Yuta had formed a new habit, dropping by the club you worked in every Friday night; it was like a newly found routine. With each visit, you had the chance to get to know Yuta more little by little, yet to him, you still remained as mysterious as you were the first time you had met. Maybe not as much, having revealed only a few details about yourself, but them apparently still being enough to make him like you even more. He would, also, often tell you how you had visited him in his dreams and would then proceed to describe said dream. Overall, it was really interesting watching him blabber on drunkenly. 

Drunkenly. He always seemed to be inebriated every time the pair of you would talk, that by now it didn’t phase you watching him stumble and trip over his own feet. 

However, the previous Friday night was different. As much as you had expected him, Yuta hadn’t showed up at all the whole time and you were quite let down, actually. It’s not like he was obliged to do so. 

Today, you had decided to wake up earlier than usual and do productive things. One of them being, grocery shopping, considering, your fridge and cupboards were empty. 

Pushing the shopping cart with one hand and holding your phone with the other, you put the check mark emoji next to another item on your shopping list. 

“I only need some tomato sauce and I’m good.” you murmured to yourself and kept on pushing the cart, not really bothering to look up from your phone screen. That was until you collided with something, or rather someone. 

“What the fuck! Watch were you’re going!” a grumpy and all too familiar voice yelled at you. 

“Yuta?” 

“Oh,” the boy let out a small sound of realization, pointing his forefinger at you. “Bartender girl.” he smiled, a smile so bright it blinded you. 

“You know, I’m mad at you.” you pouted, “You didn’t come last night.” you trailed off, your grip on the cart wheel tightened. You immediately regretted telling him that. 

“Really?” he questioned, his voice teasing, his smile taunting. “I guess someone got attached.” he said and you could detect a hint of smugness in his words that made you roll your eyes at him. 

“Am not.” you fervently denied it. 

“Mhm, sure, whatever floats your boat.” he agreed, tiredly. Not only did he sound tired, but he looked like it, too. The dark circles under his eyes and his slouched shoulders gave it all way. 

“You look like you’re having a terrible hangover.” you commented with a slight giggle. “And judging by the items on your basket, it looks like you’re making some hangover food.” you said and Yuta hummed in confirmation. 

“I think the best way to cure my hangover right now, would be a date with you.” 

“What if I said no?” 

“You wouldn’t.” Yuta replied simply, sounding very sure of himself, not a speck of doubt evident in his voice. “Please, consider it.” he added after a short pause with a hint of desperation. 

“What’s in it for me?” you crossed your arms against your chest and squinted your eyes at him. 

“You get to spend the whole day with me? What more could you ask for?” 

“Mmm,” you mused, placing a finger against your chin as if you were actually pondering, “sounds tempting, but I want more than that.” 

“Well,” Yuta smiled and approached you, stopping only a few centimeters away from you and rested his hand on the shopping cart, leaning in a little. “if everything goes great today, we can have more dates. Isn’t that tempting enough?” he cocked his head at you, his trademark, or as he liked to call it ‘healing smile’, playing on his lips. 

“Maybe I’ll consider it, now. Meet me outside the bar I work at at 8pm.” you said, pushing your shopping cart, already having reached the end of the aisle. 

“Wait,” Yuta called out, “I never got your name.” 

“You’ll find out soon enough.” 

#yuta scenarios #yuta fluff #nct yuta scenarios #nct yuta #nakamoto yuta #nct scenarios #nct 127 scenarios #yuta

[lovemenowmr]

Chapter twenty one

December was already here and I was so busy trying to find, Marco had been injured again after our little trip and he had missed a Europa League away match. That had also meant he was needy so I couldn't catch up so well with my projects and notes so I had last and this week’s work to make, I had also had to go do Sunday’s match at Signal Iduna Park and, since it was Marco’s comeback, it didn’t felt right not to go.

Borussia had won that match and there was another Bundesliga match but, as it was an away match, I didn’t feel obligated to go and could finish. I did watch it though, there were playing against Wolrsburg and Marco scored the first goal.

The next week it was already one of the last weeks I would spend here this year, which was kind of crazy. I hadn’t spend much time with my classmates this past moths, instead I would rather be with Marco or help Cathy to come up with her new youtube channel video. She was a little vain but I enjoyed her company so much, she was sadly leaving town next season since Matts was leaving the club to go to Bayern which – if you asked me – was a huge dick move. However Cathy seemed happy about it since they could be closer to their families and I understood how she felt.

We had decided to make Christmas shopping together since I hadn’t had time to buy anything, It was already Friday and I had bought loads of little things for my closest family and now we were looking for a specific kind of doll for Xiana, my niece. I had been talking with her yesterday in the middle time and she had told me he had asked Father Christmas for it but my brother couldn’t find it.

So here we were, on the third shopping mall and still without a present for Marco or Matts.

“Adi” Cathy said a little bit too loud “Is that the doll? I think it is”

“OMG” I said also loud “It is!! I can’t believe, I deserve “the best auntie” award”

We headed into the store and I finally bought the doll and text my brother a picture, which I captioned with a “I got it”.

“Okay, your niece is ready” Cathy said “Now I need to find a present for Matts and you for Marco”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it but I really don’t even know what to buy him, I mean, he has everything he wants already”

“I have the same problem with Matts” she said stressfully “And I also have to buy something for his mum, but she’s easy”

“I also wanted to buy something for Marco’s parents” I said suddenly realizing it “I’ve been at their house a lot for lunch and it feels right”

“Then we should hurry up” she said.

It took us a while but Cathy ended up buying an expensive watch for Matts and a dress for her mother – in – law and I bought a tray for Marco’s father. I had decided I would print out pictures of us and put then on a frame rather than buy something for him.

That’s what I did the next day and I also went to work, since I was making the hours I wouldn’t be able to do at Christmas. It ended up looking nice and I wrapped it up as well as the other presents. I put all my family’s presents on a box and took it to the post station, where I send it home since it was cheaper than carrying it on the plane.

It was match day on Sunday and Cathy picked me up and we headed to the stadium.  It was a good match and Borussia won 4 – 1, however Marco had a minor discomfort and was being checked up at the nursery when I left with Cathy, we had dinner together and I sent Marco a text asking how he was. He answered late at night and I didn’t  see it until the next day, he apparently had adductor problems again, which was heartbreaking to hear.

I had to go to class but I went to his house as soon as I finished, when I got there I saw Marco’s mother and sisters’ cars. As soon as I pulled of at the driveway Marco’s mother came to meet me.

“Sweetheart” she said “I haven’t seen you in while, how have you been?”

“Busy, what about you?”

“Great, babysitting a lot”

“Then you hadn’t been bored” I said laughing.

We entered into the living room and I saw all of Marco’s family there, Nico came to me running as soon as he saw me and gave me a huge hug, which melted my heart.

“Hi Nico” I said lovingly “I haven’t seen you in a while, how’s school did you learn a lot of things” he nodded while still in my arms and told me about what he did at school.

After a while he got down and went back to his toys, I said hello to everyone and sat next to Yvone, who was heavily pregnant by now. We talked a little about her and the little girl, who was going to be called Mia and was due to January,

I spent the whole afternoon with them, alternating between talking with them and playing to Nico, who seemed to want all my attention that day and got told off by his mother a few times. Apparently he was starting to feel a little jealous over his sister and was all needy, which I thought was so cute.

Thomas talked with me about Spanish football, because he had been watching it lately and since I had been informed by my brother I knew what was happening and we had a little debate over who was going to win La Liga. We also talked about Christmas presents but in a secretive way, since Nico was listening to us too. They were going to have lunch together the 25th and they would open their presents that morning while I was going to have diner with my family on Christmas Eve and open the presents that night.

They also invited me to have lunch the next Sunday with them, which I did. I spent the weekend with Marco, who was recovering and will be ready for the re start of Bundesliga after Christmas. We had a lovely lunch and we ended up having diner too since time flew by after we started talking.

We left their house at nine o’clock in the morning and as we were getting close to Marco’s house it started snowing, which made me so excited. I pulled off as soon as we entered the gates and told Marco to get the car at the garage. I ran towards the backyard, which was starting to get white already.

Marco came a while later, carrying two blankets and two mugs, he sat next to me at the garden’s couch and handed me a mug with hot chocolate, his was filled with a coffee.

“You’re insane” he said “You’re going to freeze out here”

“It has literally never snowed where I lived let me enjoy it” I said.

“Never?” he said.

“Nope, I live next to the see and it’s very difficult for it to snow, we had to travel to the mountains to see the snow when I was little”.

“Okay, but you can watch it inside too”

“Just let me stay here a little longer” I said looking up to him “Come sit with me”

He did as I said and we got comfortable under the blankets, my head resting on his chest. I listened to his heartbeat as I got intoxicated by his scent, the snow now covering the whole garden but I barely noticed it. I was looking up to him, his strong jawline was showing a little bit of stubble and I could appreciated it now he wasn’t wearing any scarfs. His cheeks were rosy because of the cold air and the tip of his cute nose was also red. His beautiful green eyes were visible through his lashes and they were looking at the end of the backyard. His hair was starting to get dump because of the snowflakes falling.

“The point of being here freezing is for you to enjoy snow” he said suddenly giving me a huge smile.

“MARCO” I said laughing as he carried me on his shoulder and spanked my butt.

“I’m not freezing for you liar” he said laughing as well “You’re getting wet and you’re going to be sick. I’m taking you to the shower” he carried me upstairs to the main bathroom.

As we got there we quickly stripped and got into the shower, letting the hot water run over our skin. I was still smiling like a fool and giggling a bit looking up to him, who was smiling wide as well. We stared at each other a little bit and he then grabbed my faced and got down to kiss me. I instantly got on my tiptoes so he could reach me and he smashed his lips onto mine with force, his tongue parting my lips away. As the floor was slippery I couldn’t spend much time on my tiptoes our kisses couldn’t last long, his hands grabbing my hips firmly so I wouldn’t fall.

“God, you need to grow a little” he said in between kisses, my hands now around his neck to give me balance.

“Hey” I said shoving him playfully “Maybe it’s you who need to shrink”

“Do I” he said while walking towards the end of the shower picking me up. “Are you sure you want me to shrink?” he asked while nibbling on my neck, “Not everything, hugh?” he said as he felt me yelp when I felt his hard – on pressing on my thigh.

“You’re getting out of topic” I said looking up to him while I tilted my neck to give him better access.

“I think you don’t really care” he said smiling against my skin.

Wednesday was already here and I felt both happy and sad. Happy because I would finally get to see my family and sad because I would have to leave Marco, which right now seemed like the most horrendous thing that could happen. We were going to spend a whole month without seeing each other, I was coming back after New Year’s day but he would be on Miami and he then had training camp away as Bundesliga didn’t start till the 28th of January.

It was very early in the morning and we had left to Dortmund’s airport half an hour ago so we were already there. Melanie has come whit us so Marco could go back home after I left. I had told him not to come but he was helpless and wanted to. We took a little longer because we had to pick her up at her house.

It was time for me to go and I didn’t want to say goodbye – that’s why I didn’t want Marco to come.

“Bye” I said looking to the ground as I got closer to the queue, feeling shy as I noticed people giving us looks. I soon felt a pair of strong arms enveloping me in a consuming hug, I hugged Marco back, feeling a few tears come to my eye and I rested my forehead at the crock of his neck as I was wearing heels. I loved to do so because I could smell his cologne and fell his heartbeat.

“I’ll miss you” he mumbled on my head while stroking my hair making me scoot closer to his body even though it was impossible to get closer.

“Me too” I said against his neck, only loud enough for me and him to hear and breathing into his neck one more time so it would stay all that time. We then pulled apart and looked at him to see a few tears in his eyes, which he blinked away,

“I love you” he whispered while he grabbed me by the face tilting my head until I meet his eyes, I answered the same way before he got down and pressed his lips onto mine in a frantic kiss, which would normally make me blush. “Remember to call me, okay?” he said as we pulled apart breathless. I just nod, still trembling for our kiss.

We pulled apart and I said goodbye to Melanie as well and wished her a merry Christmas after I grabbed my bags and started walking towards the line. I was soon into the gates and I looked back to see Marco and Melanie still standing there looking at me, I waved them goodbye and blew them a kiss after starting to walk up to my gate, which was still far away.

I was walking with a strong pace but that’s not what I was feeling inside, I felt uneasy and all the cells in my body were screaming to get back and be with Marco after that breathtaking kiss. I soon was sat at my seat, next to the window and an old white-haired man knowing, after for long hours and a brief stop at Munic I would be at Madrid and then I just had to wait for an hour till another plan would get me home.

M

I watched leave down the airport corridors, she was so perfect you could easily tell she was better than anyone around her. I could watch her all day, the way he walked so gracefully, the way she talked to everybody with so much respect and sweetness, she was just perfect.

I never had been so heartbroken in my life and this wasn’t even a full goodbye, she was okay, she still loved me even though I didn’t know why and she would be back but I couldn’t help to feel this ache which make my heart sting with misery as I saw her march down the airport.

I felt like a horrible person for wanting her to stay. She had just been away from his family for four months and it was so selfish for me to ask her to stay, that’s why I didn’t do it even though I was dying to. I love my little blonde so much I couldn’t even spend a week without her, let alone a month,

I had seen a few tears in her eyes as she had pulled away and I had been so painful to see, yet reassuring as to she didn’t want to leave me neither.

I had also seen a lot of people staring at us, but I couldn’t help but ignore them and center my attention into Adi, who was leaving me for a whole month. She was going to be having fun with her family and friends from home and I was so happy for her but I also felt unease as I had never been introduced to them nor did she talked to an extent about her family. However she did talked about her town, which she loved so much, that was because I was so lucky she wanted to stay with me.

“Marco, should we leave” Melanie said.

“Yep” I said with a broken voice, trying to stiff it afterwards.

“God, you’re so whipped” she laugh. “Never thought I’d seen the day”

I felt my cheecks blush and I shrugged my shoulders. She was so right even though I wouldn’t admit it to her.

#marco reus #marco reus imagine #marco reus fanfiction #borussia dortmund imagine #football imagine #love me now marco reus #chapter twenty one #bvb imagines

[whatdoyouthinkmyjobis]

Hunters on the Hellmouth

masterlist

first chapter

previous chapter

Warnings: discussion of suicide

AN: Inspired by BTVS 7.07 “Conversations with Dead People.” It’s the first week of December, about three weeks after chapter 22, a few days after GND9.

Chapter 23: Behind the Curtain

Months of researching other dimensions had yielded nothing on how the Winchesters had arrived in Sunnydale or if they could get back, so Sam turned to researching everything else about the world they knew versus the world they were now living in. He’d come up with vessels, or more accurately, a lack of vessels.

Over breakfast he explained, “No one’s been possessed here. (Maybe Willow, but we can’t know.) People have been remotely controlled like I was by the Luxic demon, but not outright possessed. But demons live in vampires. So maybe there’s something about human souls here that just naturally keep the demons out.”

“Or the demons are too big and horny to get in people.” Dean chuckled to himself muttering, Horny.

Excited, Sam pushed his food to the side and leaned over the table. “But get this, there’s almost no record of vessels. No one has encountered angels, so maybe there aren’t any people here who can host them. Maybe that’s why you and I are verging on the edge of super powered here.”

“Okay, I’ll ride the crazy train,” Dean said around a mouthful of bacon. “You said almost no record. What kind of vessels are there?”

“Vampires, at least. It looks like demons can’t get in a body unless it’s dead, but there have to be more, right? I found a book in Greek that roughly translates to Vessels on Earth. It’s part of a collection of rare occult texts in Mesa, Arizona. I’m thinking we can go right after work, grab a motel for the night, and we’ll be home by dinner the next day. Just like old times.”

Sam considered this the whitest of lies. He did know about one other type of vessel in this world: The Slayer.

In his research, Sam had tripped across the Slayer origin story. A young girl tied down by her tribe’s elders -- Shadow Men -- and filled with “the essence of a demon” in order to fight the demons plaguing them.

The story didn’t add up. Details were sketchy at best; the tale predated writing. How could possessing a girl with a demon possibly be helpful? Why would the demon turn on its own kind? Then there was the fact that Buffy, the current carrier of this demon essence, bore none of the signs of demon possession.

Hopefully, Arizona held some answers.

Mustard, spaghetti sauce, milk, and one serving of broccoli rice. "I don't feel Iron Chef enough to work with this," Buffy said.

“Pizza?" Willow suggested.

"Dawn is, like, ninety percent pizza at this point. It's to the store with us."

Wrapping up in their coats and hats, the girls headed into town. "Occasionally, I regret selling the Geekmobile. It’s like my summer brain blocked winter out completely."

"When are the guys coming back?” Willow asked.

Buffy sighed at the reminder she’d be spending the night alone. “They should be back tomorrow. Sam couldn’t get a lot of time off.”

The pain of separation must have shown on her face. Willow grabbed Buffy’s hand, her eyes soft and concerned. “I can cancel my plans. We can watch something funny, zany even.”

Buffy shook her head. “It’s one day. I’ll be fine. What are your big sparkly plans tonight?”

“Big sparkly library. I’m almost finished with my notes for my Art History paper, then I can start the fun paper-writing part,” she said enthusiastically. “I know I’ve checked all the books for references to ‘It is watching,’ but I may give them another look. It-ness is just so vague. I prefer the vain evils that like their names in lights.”

“Good, that’ll add some bupkis to the bupkis we know.”

“I can be your bupkis supplier.” Willow paused. “That sounded dirtier than I wanted it to.”

“Unintentionally dirty Willow is welcome any time,” Buffy said with a grin.

“Speaking of welcome and maybe dirty, I forgot to tell you about this crazy -- well, not actually crazy considering this is Sunnydale, but still loopy for me -- thing that happened last week. I was studying out in the commons between classes, and this girl walked up to me. She had this cute blonde pixie and a nose ring that I also weirdly liked. Anyway, we chatted about classes, and she gave me her number. You know what I told her, Buffy? I said, ‘I don’t need a study buddy. We’re not the same major.’ Smooth, right? It wasn’t until after she left with this hurt puppy look on her face that I even realized she was hitting on me. It’s been so long, I forgot what it was like.”

“What was it like? In the feels department, I mean.”

“It was great. Talking with her for a few minutes, I wasn’t thinking about Tara. I was thinking about me and the future of me. Of course later, I cried big ugly snot bubbles of shame over not thinking of Tara.”

“I don’t think Tara would want you to lock up your heart and hotness. You can love her forever, and still move on, snot bubble free. That’s kind of where Angel and I ended up.”

“Only Angel’s not dead. Well, he is, but he’s not and -- jeez, can’t you have uncomplicated relationships?”

“Doesn’t look like it. Dead or undead, you’ve taken some great baby steps, Will. Maybe the next step should be letting girls hit on you? How about we hit up The Bronze this weekend? Have some drinks. Get our dance on. You can practice flirting.”

“I was a little queasy when you said dancing, then you said flirting and lost me.”

“Girls’ night out it is!” Buffy said, squeezing her in a hug.

Willow was happy to spend an evening alone. The constant hustle and bustle of the house was like a warm blanket on a winter’s evening, but it was also a distraction. She still needed to head out into that storm. More like storms.

The prospect of a girl’s night out had her stomach in knots. She knew she needed to have fun more. Leave the house more. Engage more. But any form of healing felt like an unearned reward for her losing control. All of it felt like cheating on Tara.

Her second storm was Sam. Deep inside of sweet, nerdy Sam, something was wrong. Something was evil. When the pathway spell had failed, temporarily giving her insight into people, she could see a darkness swirling inside of him, tangled with the light. She didn’t think anything of it, after all, everyone’s insides looked a little different (except the matched set of Buffy and Dean), but then Spike showed up. Spike with his newly returned soul fighting with his demon passenger weirdly resembled what was in Sam. 

Did he know? Willow had a million questions and theories about how this swirling darkness came to live in Sam, but she’d thought it best to poke around on her own before broaching the topic. Unfortunately, this new discovery had been quickly followed by Sam’s new relationship, so Willow rarely had the chance to do spells on the sly around him. He wasn’t charmed. He wasn’t cursed. He wasn’t controlled. So what was inside of Sam Winchester?

Sam was engrossed in one of the books they’d picked up, so Dean focused on the music pumping through the diner. Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you.

The diner lights flickered.

Dean chuckled into his fries.

Sam looked up from his books. “Did I miss something?”

“The lights flickered.”

“So?”

“Exactly. Don’t mean anything.” Before Sunnydale, he’d have reached for his gun packed with iron-tipped bullets and grabbed the table salt. He’d have checked exits and looked for suspicious behavior in the other diners.

Not anymore. A flickering light was a flickering light.

Dean wiped his greasy fingers on a napkin before tossing the crumpled paper at his brother.

“Mature,” said Sam, tucking the projectile beside his plate.

“We getting a motel, or you wanna head back home an’ spend some real quality time with that book? Slow jams. Lube. Box of tissues.”

Sam gave Dean the exact tight-lipped bitch-face he was fishing for.

“Motel then?”

“You’re worried about her,” Sam said.

“Nah,” said Dean attempting to take a sip from his empty coffee cup.

“We can head back.”

Dean signaled the waitress. “Check?”

Having stayed late at school to work on a group project for History, Dawn was surprised to find the house dark on her return. There were two notes on the counter. At the library. Where else would I be? See you before bedtime, Dawnie! Love, Willow. The other one had ten dollars clipped to it. Not for pizza. -- Buffy.

Dawn ordered a pizza. If she was going to be the queen of the usually packed house for a few hours, she would do as she pleased. This involved blowing off the rest of her homework, listening to the pop station she secretly loved, and snooping in Buffy’s room for secrets and clothes she wouldn’t miss.

Dashing upstairs, she pulled out the drawers in Buffy’s night stand. When she was dating Riley, she’d kept her diary in there. For a mystically chosen superhero, Buffy’s diary was shockingly dull. Killed a vamp. Killed two vamps. Killed a demon. Kissed a boy. The boy parts were Dawn’s favorite.

Buffy must have found a better hiding spot. The only things in the drawers were stakes, knives, sticky bottles, handcuffs, candy wrappers, and a long purple...not stake?

Not candy wrappers either.

Dawn rushed to the bathroom to wash her hands in the hottest water she could stand.

Buffy’s night had been weird. At the checkout line at the grocery store, she’d discovered she had left her wallet at home. After running back home to leave something for Dawn, she staked two vamps before grabbing some fast food. To top it all off, she’d called Spike. She hadn't even noticed herself doing it until after she’d told him where she was patrolling.

Spike walked up to her, pretension stripped. He didn't saunter. Didn't prowl. “You and the missus need a hand?”

For the first time in weeks, only one vampire (that she knew of) was likely to rise that night. “No, I just wanted to see how you are with the hand and stuff.” She tried to sound light, as if they were meeting up for coffee.

“My hand?” He held up the completely healed appendage. “Weeks go by and you only talk to me to tell me where to be at night -- always conveniently far from you. I go. I patrol. I kick some ass, thank you very much. But days after the fact, you suddenly want to talk about my hand?” He looked at her, into her, opening all the doors and drawers she wanted closed. “Guessing lover boy is out of town.”

Buffy started walking toward a new grave hoping the shadows would hide her face. “I just wanted to check on you. You seem better.”

“I'm not.” Spike hadn’t followed her. He pulled the last cigarette from his pack at glared at her across the chasm of smoke. “I’m peachy. Tip top. Practically skipping on clouds. Does that make you feel better? Lessen the guilt?”

Buffy felt slapped in the face. “Guilt? What do I have to feel guilty about?”

A smirk verging on snarl curled across his lips before he turned away. “You called me, pet. In the future, don’t.”

Willow woke with a start, a note card stuck to her cheek. She scanned the stacks around her, hoping no one had witnessed DroolFest 2002. For the moment, she was in the clear.

If she hoped to get anywhere on the elusive It, she was going to need more caffeine. Shoving her notes in her bag and putting her books on the return cart, Willow headed out into the brisk night air.

She turned off the path to the coffee house. Near a small pond the school called a lake, stood a scraggly old magnolia tree. Tara dubbed it “the most majestic tree on campus,” which was saying something as she made a point of visiting them all.

Willow ran her fingers along the low branches, feeling Tara’s sweetness in the air.

“Baby, it’s me. I miss you.” For once, Willow could say the words without tearing up.

“I'm sorry I haven't tried talking to you. I've felt, I don't know, dirty? Ashamed. Not myself. Not your Willow. I think I'm getting better though.

“Is it beautiful where you are? Of course it is, you’re there. I, uh, I haven’t gotten less cheesy.” Not that Tara would have minded. She was always one to revel in gooey affection.

“It looks beautiful from here,” said a familiar voice. An impossible voice. There, on the other side of the tree, stood Tara.

For good measure, Dawn stuck her tongue out at Buffy’s cream lace blouse before shoving it back in the closet. The closet-cleaning a month before had turned Dawn’s second wardrobe into Dullsville.

Pushing aside a tote full of purses on the closet floor, she found a forgotten black miniskirt. Dawn wiggled out of her jeans to try on the new treasure, already preparing arguments as to why she should be allowed to wear miniskirts to school.

“She’s such a hypocrite,” Dawn complained to no one as she continued to dig around the mess on the closet floor.

The lights flickered with a slight buzz.

Dawn sat back on her haunches and peered at the light, daring it to interrupt her with anything remotely similar to a chore.

Grabbing a tiny navy thing, she bounded to the mirror to hold it up. “Dress or top? I vote dress.”

The mirror cracked; blood streamed from the cracks and across her reflection.

Dawn grabbed a small dagger from the dresser and ran downstairs.

The front door blew open in front of her. Wind howled into the house though no trees moved outside. Dawn threw her weight into the door, eventually closing it.

Her heart pounded as the lights flickered again. She grabbed the phone in the kitchen and called Buffy. It rang without answer.

The back door creaked open. Dawn slammed it shut and shoved a chair in front of it.

Was something trying to force her outside? Just beyond the light of the windows, she could make out two men standing in the yard. Vampires. A vampire couldn’t have gotten into the house. A demon?

Gripping her dagger tighter, Dawn padded through the house in her bare feet, gathering books and ingredients for a protection spell.

The vampire Buffy’d just kicked in the face recognized her. This wasn’t the usual Finally, we meet, Slayer, sort of recognition. He was Jason Chen from her Geometry class at Sunnydale High. He was shy of six feet, muscular even through his suit, with dark shaggy hair.

“We sat next to each other all semester? I let you copy my test answers?” he said.

“Sorry, don’t remember.”    

“Doesn’t surprise me. I wasn’t so great at math.” He ran his tongue over his fangs.

“Well, I passed, so thanks?”

He smiled at her, but not the hungry, cocky smile she was used to from vampires. “You know, I had the biggest crush on you.”

Heat rose in her cheeks despite herself. “Really? You never said anything.”

“I was pretty sure you didn’t know I existed. Looks like I was right. Plus, I heard a rumor you were dating some older guy and -- Whoa, what happened?” He ran his hands over his now smooth forehead.

“You changed back into your human face. You can switch between human and vampire. I recognize you now. You’ve lost weight!”

Jason smoothed his suit jacket and beamed at her. “Yeah! I took up boxing in college and burned off the baby fat.”

“You look good for a dead guy,” she said and meant it. He’d been baby-faced and pimply in high school; now his features were sharp, and a glint of sex flashed in his eyes.

“Thanks! I feel good, too! Like I finally have a purpose in life -- er, death.”

“I’m sorry about that,” she said, quietly.

He pointed at her cross and stake. “Guessing this isn’t new to you?”

Buffy shrugged. “Some people have careers; I got a calling.”

Jason shoved his hands in his pockets, casually letting her know he wasn’t afraid. “That explains a lot actually.”

“A lotta what?”

“You missed a bunch of classes, and you usually had cuts and bruises when you showed up. You seemed super sweet, but you were always in fights. People thought your boyfriend was some cult leader who was beating you up, but all this time you were Buffy the vampire killer.”

“Slayer.”

“Slayer?” He repeated it with skepticism.

“The girl called to kill vampires and demons. She’s called the Slayer.”

Jason grinned. “There’s a whole big world of darkness out there I need to learn about.”

Buffy shook her head. “I’m sorry, Jason, but you’re not going to survive the night.”

Quick on his feet, he spun to the side, beyond her reach. She swung into a round house, knocking him to the ground. He popped up, catching her ribs with a left hook, forcing all the air from her lungs. She elbowed him in the face, knocking him to the ground again. Buffy fell on him, pressing him into the grass with her knees, stake high.

Jason raised his hands in surrender. “I understand you have a grand scheme and all, but can’t we keep with the catching up?”

“You want a mini high school reunion in a cemetery before I kill you?” she asked, stake still raised.

“Why not? You make it sound like one of us isn’t going to make it to our tenth.”

“Who goes to the tenth? The twentieth is when people stop being fakey fakers,” she said with disgust.

He smiled, his deep dimples on display. “You’re confident you’ll live that long? Your confidence is one of the things I always liked about you.”

She climbed off of him and made herself comfortable on an elaborate tombstone. The idea of talking with a near stranger she could then kill appealed to her. “I’ve been doing this for a while. Lots of training.”

The vampire rubbed his face and shook away the blurry vision she’d no doubt doled out. “Do you just kill vampires? How did we get locked into being nemisises? Nemisi?”

“I kill lots of things that hurt people.” She was too tired for the spiel.

Jason took off his jacket, his dress shirt tight on his biceps, and sat on a nearby tombstone. “How do you know I’m going to hurt someone? This is a major case of guilty before proven innocent!”

Buffy cocked her head to the side, an eyebrow raised in skepticism. “You’re not a case; you’re a monster. You can’t tell me the idea of someone screaming and crying while you drink their blood doesn’t get you all a twitter.”

He smacked his lips. “Yeah, that does sound good.”

A question nagged at her every day, a question she rarely got to ask. “So why’d you do it? Why’d you drink the blood?”

The house was so eerily silent, Dawn swallowed to pop her ears. She tried to steady her breathing; Buffy was always on her case in training about her breathing. Closing her mouth, she took long, deep breaths through her nose and refocused on the protection spell ingredients spread out on the coffee table.

Behind her, something else was breathing.

Dawn spun around, but nothing was there.

A scream rose rose seemingly all around her before the television flicked on to an old horror movie with the volume turned up. She tried to turn it off.

Nothing.

She pushed all the buttons.

The woman continued screaming.

Dawn unplugged the tv.

The screaming did not stop.

Suddenly, everything flicked on. The radio blared a new pop song. The vacuum cleaner roared to life. The microwave began to cook. The lights burned bright until they hummed.

Dawn ran back to the spell book on the table. Lighting a dry rosemary sprig and tossing it in the metal bowl, she held a small mirror up to reflect the light. Over the screaming electronics she shouted, “I, Dawn Summers, cast you from this house, from this realm, back to the -- AHH!”

In a flash, all of the electronics exploded filling the room with shards of metal, glass and plastic.

The eerie quiet was worse in the dark.

“You think that will scare me?!” she shouted, her face and arms stinging from the shrapnel. “I’m in high school!”

Bang!

The knocking came from inside the house.

Bang!

She trembled.

Bang!

Framed against the moonlit window stood a familiar shape.

“Mom?”

Lightning flashed, black smoke surrounded Joyce, squeezing her neck and ramming down her throat.  

“MOM!”

The lights came back, like someone had flipped a switch, and Dawn was alone again in the wrecked living room.

Willow felt as if the ground opened beneath her, and she tumbled forever into the dark. She squeezed the branch harder, the bark biting her skin, pulling her back to reality. But in reality Tara was dead.

“How?” Willow choked through the rising tears.

Tara, her edges practically glowing, smiled a pained smile. “This isn’t how it’s normally done, but you’re special. I always knew that, but Heaven knows it too.”

“Heaven?”

Tara nodded. “They let me come to you.”

“Oh, baby!” Willow threw herself toward the woman she loved only to pass through her. The ghost left a tingle on her skin, a charge like being dangerously close to a lightning storm.

“You know I’m only here in spirit,” Tara said.

“Tara!” Tears blurred Willow’s vision. She wanted nothing more than to hold her lover one more time, kiss her soft lips, play with her silky hair.

“I have a message for you, a warning from Heaven.”

Willow wasn’t sure if she was more shocked that anyone in Heaven cared about her specifically or that whoever it was cared enough to warn her about something.

“You have to stop practicing magic,” Tara said. “You’ve become dangerous.”

“But--but Giles said stopping would be dangerous. He said small spells--”

“No, you have to stop completely, Willow. You have to stop, or you’re going to kill everyone.”

Jason sighed. “Have you ever been in a relationship that ripped your heart out? Not boo-hoo sad, more I-can’t-breathe grief?”

“Oh yeah.”

“She left me a month ago. I had a ring ready and everything, and she ran off with my best friend.” His voice almost cracked.

“God, that’s awful!”

“Finals were coming up. I was just so stressed and sad, I thought I’d come home for the weekend. Only no one in my family wanted to hear about it. Dad only cares that my grades are good; he wants me to take over his law firm. Mom was busy helping my older sister plan this giant wedding. My little sister, well, I think she was too high to notice I was home.”

“I’m sorry, Jason.”

She’d barely noticed him in school. He’d been a convenient way to pass Geometry. In fact, she couldn’t even remember who he had hung out with. How many days did he sit by her, yet another person not listening?

“Eh, I was bleeding out in a parking lot, and the offer of joining an undead army of evil didn’t sound half bad.”

“Army? Your sire used the word ‘army?’”

“‘Sire?’ Is that what I call the guy who made me all grr-argh? Sounds so formal.”

Jason ran his fingers through his thick hair while he inspected her, the hunger growing in his eyes. He would be ravenous by now. “Was your breakup recent?”

“Sorry?”

“You look sad, and when I mentioned bad breakups...It still hurts, doesn’t it?”

Killing Angel was a wound that would never heal, but him moving away? That was more scabbed over. She loved him still, but now it was more nostalgia for first love, the thrill of infatuation. He couldn’t give her what she needed.

As far as Riley went, she’d never loved him. The timing hurt more than his leaving.

But they were old news.

“No! I’m in a great relationship!”

He snapped his fingers. “Damn! You probably wouldn’t have gone out with me anyway, since I’m a vampire and all.”

She forced out a laugh of agreement.

“If your relationship is so great, why are you so sad?” he asked.

Suddenly, she knew why she’d called Spike. “It doesn’t have anything to do with my boyfriend. Not really. It’s just that my ex -- not the one I loved -- still comes around every once and awhile. He’s going through a hard time, and I don’t know how to be his friend. We’ve been enemies, confidants, lovers, allies, but I don’t know how to help him.”

“Did you know how to be his friend before the new boyfriend entered the scene?”

Buffy bit her lip and looked away. She and Dean had talked about Spike as much as they needed to -- why he was still alive, how much he helped her after she rose from the dead -- then she dropped it. The truth was, she had a hand in Spike’s suffering and didn’t want to deal with the fall out.

Jason stood up and stretched, a warm up. “Not gonna lie, that’s kind of crappy of you, but he’s got other friends right?”

“No, Spike is --”

“Wait, did you say Spike? British guy. Bleached blonde rock and roll type. Vampire?”

Her stomach sank as she gripped her stake. “Yeah, that’s him.”

The new vampire unleashed a deep, knee-slapping laugh. “Your friend, no your EX is a vampire?! Oh God, that’s hilarious!”

“How do you know Spike?”

“Spike’s the one who sired me.”

Buffy’s arms felt weak. Her knees shook. He had a soul and a chip. “No, he wouldn’t.”

Jason wiped away his tears of laughter. “I was leaving the gym after a workout. He grabbed me in the parking lot, said I could finish bleeding out or be part of something big--”

Before he could finish, Buffy lunged.

Sitting on the coffee table bandaging her feet, Dawn tried calling Buffy again. “Please! Pick up!” she cried. Hanging up, she whispered, “Mommy?”

The lights went out, when they returned a moment later, the words Daddy left us dripped down the wall in blood. The lights died again briefly and the message was gone.

The house started to rumble and shake, her own personal earthquake.

She grabbed the phone and dialed again, barely able to speak through the fear. “Dean? It’s Dawn.”

“Hey, sweetheart. You okay?” His voice was strong and alert, comforting.

She whispered, “Something’s in the house.”

“What? Like something demon or --”

“I think there’s a ghost and a demon and there’s a bunch of vampires outside. My mom is here, but so is something else--”

“Your mom? Sorry, but that ain’t your mom. You dealt with ghosts much?”

“Not really,” her voice drowning in tears.

“Listen, Sam and I are on our way; we’ll be to you in an hour. Make a circle with some salt. Sit inside. Do not let the circle break, okay?”

The house went dark, and Dawn could hear something growling. “Okay,” she whispered before hanging up.

Dawn ran to the kitchen, her feet stinging as the growling filled her ears, hot breath on her neck. Grabbing a large container of salt, she dashed back to the living room, tracing a thick line of salt around the coffee table and chair.

BANG!

Startled, Dawn fell back and knocked her head on the edge of the table, a small cry escaping her throat. A vampire stood at the window licking his lips.

It’s okay. You’re okay. Even if he breaks the window, he can’t get in. But no matter how many times she reminded herself, she didn’t feel better.

Dumping the ashen contents of the copper bowl, Dawn started over with her protection spell. Horehound tossed to the four corners. Cumin beneath her chair. Anise, angelica, mandrake in the bowl.

Joyce appeared in the living room. She tried to run to Dawn, but the black smoke smacked her against the wall. It held her by the throat as she screamed, “Don’t hurt my girls!”

“Hang on, mom!” Dawn lit the rosemary and held up a mirror to the flame. “I, Dawn Summers, cast you from this house, from this realm, back to the darkness you came from.”

A harsh wind ripped through the room, picking up bits of broken glass.

Focused on her mother, Dawn squinted to protect her eyes. “I, Dawn Summers, call on the power of the crone, the maiden and the mother, to cast you out. You have no part of this hearth. I, Dawn Summers, cast you back to hell!”

The mirror cracked in her hand, slashing across her palm. But beside her stood her mother, glowing and beautiful as Dawn always imagined an angel would be.

“You were so brave,” Joyce said.

Longing for her mother’s embrace, Dawn tried to hug her, but her arms passed through with a slight tingle.

“I want to hold you, Dawnie, I do, but you know I’m not back from the dead.”

“M-m-mom? Why are you here?”

Her smile was warm and kind. “I knew something bad was coming for you, and I had to protect you.”

“I-I tried to call Buffy,” Dawn said with a sniffle, “but she didn’t answer.”

Joyce’s smile faded and she looked away, struggling to find words. “Dawn, honey, Buffy was killed tonight.”

Willow wasn’t sure if she’d sat down on purpose or if her knees simply gave out, but she was on the damp, cold ground, clinging to her bag like it was a life raft. “Everyone, everyone? That seems like too many ones. Anyone is too many ones. I-I don’t kill people.”

Tara’s face turned dark. “Do you think I don’t know what you did? You murdered Warren. Is that what you thought I wanted?”

Bile rose in Willow’s throat. The tears came fast and hot at she reached out to Tara. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I lost control without you!”

“You don’t have control now, sweetie.”

“I do! I do. Giles took me to this coven in England and --”

“It won’t be enough. You’re going to slip up again. You’ll get drunk on power and then… Which of your friends do you think you’ll kill first? Buffy to get her out of the way? Or will you start smaller? Will you start with Dawn?”

“No! No!” Willow’s pleas turned into a cough, a furious need for air.

“There’s a way to make sure everyone you love stays safe,” Tara said, her voice like warm honey. “If you sacrifice yourself, everyone else lives.”

Willow sat up and wiped her runny nose on her sleeve. “Sacrifice? You mean kill myself?”

“You’d die a hero, honey, and we could be together again. Forever.”

Willow stood and glared at the image of Tara before her. “Who are you?”

Tara’s lips curled in a playful half smile. “Don’t you recognize me? I’m your Tara.”

“My Tara would never, ever push me to kill myself,” Willow said darkly.

“Suicide thing too much? Damn. Gotta give me credit for trying.”

Energy ran through Willow’s body, warming her, making her tremble.

The thing noticed. “What are you going to try to blast me with one of your cereal box magic tricks? You can’t touch me. I am older than time. I am older than earth. Reckoning is here, kid.”

“Reckoning? Big talk. Is the big bad gonna make us pay?”

The thing laughed. “Make you pay? Like you could give me anything. I’m done watching. It’s time to strip you of what you don’t deserve. There won’t be enough of you left to shiver in the cold when I’m done.”

Surprise replaced Willow’s rage for a moment. “You! You’re the one who watches?”

“And I’m going to love watching this.” Tara snapped her fingers, and suddenly she and Willow were floating a thousand feet in the air, the college a scatter of lights beneath them.

As Willow raised her arms, now glowing white, her body jerked, and she was free falling, Tara rapidly becoming a pinprick in the sky. She felt as if her body were tearing itself to pieces. The fall yanked her screams away to no one. As she hurtled to the ground, her vision whited out.

next chapter

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