#seriously these three should’ve dated each other

[spacediddly]

New addition to Team Should’ve Been A Polycule:

#seriously these three should’ve dated each other #axel x jenny x billy is ultimate ot3 #just watched beverly hill cop for the first time in my film class today #axel comes back to beverly hills as often as he can to see his girlfriend and his boyfriend #jenny: this is my boyfriend axel and this is his boyfriend billy #jenny: he is also my boyfriend #i guarantee that i am the only one posting about beverly hill cop polycule on tumblr in the year of our lord 2022 #beverly hills cop #eddie murphy #axel foley #billy rosewood #william ‘billy’ rosewood #jenny summers #jeanette ‘jenny’ summers #polycule

[targaryenluvs]

MAKE YOU STAY / EDDIE DIAZ

PAIRING: Dark!Eddie Diaz x Fem!Reader

SUMMARY: Your attempt to leave Eddie won’t work, because he won’t let them, or you.

WARNINGS: Obsession, guilt trip, jealousy, possessiveness, sexual content, manipulation gaslighting & entrapment.

WORDCOUNT: 2.3K Words

A/N: Happy season 7 launch!! I got inspired slightly by @megalony and her new Dark Evan series go check it out!!

Gif not mine, credits to the owner!

Life with Eddie use to be everything you could ever dream of. Whether it be slow mornings getting ready together, sharing a shower and helping Chris get ready. Or an absolute hurricane ripping through your home whilst the three of you stumble over each other to get ready after a sleep in.

No matter the time of day, you loved whatever you were doing, as long as they were by your side.

And Eddie’s protectiveness use to be just another aspect of your relationship you loved, until you opened your eyes.

It use to be small, his anger.

An incessant colleague reaching out for tips and aid in a new project, you being a senior member meaning it wasn’t uncommon for people to reach out to you. You were one of the best workers at the company, well respected and loved as well as brilliant. And always willing to help someone in need.

He use to love that about you. Until it followed you home.

Chris was currently at a friends house, leaving the two of you to an inside date night, “Now on what planet would I ever sit and watch four movies with the title ‘Die Hard’. You sure as hell can’t die that many times.” Eddie shook his head as you refilled each of your respective glasses.

“Sure you can, just ask Chimney.” You gasped before swatting Eddies arm, “Be nice! And put on our show.” The murmuring voices of your favourite characters was more than enough to lull you into his arms, content washing over you. Your ringing phone however, was ready to disturb the peace Eddie had longed for all day.

“Let me just grab this.” His hand scooped your phone up before you could, “Just get it later.” His dismissive tone made you frown, “Give me my phone, please.” You leaned over to snatch it, walking into the hallway. Eddie couldn’t help but massage his temple, did you seriously chose a phone call over peace and quiet in his arms?

He hadn’t noticed how often you picked up your phone, until it interrupted him. It happened often. When the two of you were cooking together, soft music and ambience long forgotten. Almost falling asleep, cuddling, and out of the blue the world was falling apart without you. Eddie thought he could handle it, you were needed, that wasn’t your fault, right? But what he also couldn’t handle was the secretive nature.

Why did you always walk away? Were you hiding something?

And now you were coming home later, clanging into the house at 11, or 12. Sometimes even later. “Where were you?” Eddie stood by the door as you hung your jacket, “Jesus, you scared me E.” His arms were crossed, shoulders tense as you made your way to him, a smile too wide for his liking. “Work ran late, m’ sorry.” As you walked away, his hand caught onto your wrist.

“Ow, let go.” Eddies grip loosened as you retracted your arm, soothing it, “What is your problem?” You looked up to view a sweet smile, “Nothing, just worried about you. When you didn’t call, I got so scared. This world, it’s scary Y/n, you know that, especially during these times.”

Your eyes watered involuntarily at his saddened demeanour, “Oh Eddie, I’m so sorry, I should’ve called. That’s my fault, forgive me?” Your arms came around his neck, before trailing down to his chest, playing with his name tag. “I forgive you, I can also think of a way you can make it up to me.”

His smile was mischievous, and intentions impure. “Oh? And what would that be Mr Diaz?” His hand was heavy on your back and slithering lower by the second, “I think we have an appointment with a bed tonight.”

“I have work tomorrow, so do you.”

“Cmon, for me?” His eyes were pure evil, and you were more than happy to give in, even if you were tired. Really damn tired, but he wanted you, so you should give in right? You did give him a fright. “Take me away Diaz.”

If you’d noticed the signs earlier, maybe you could’ve gotten away. His jealousy, when it did rear its head, was an ugly shade of green.

A late night, again.

Eddie had been by the door for 10, sitting for 20, pacing the kitchen and stress-eating for another 10 before he finally settled into bed. Wide awake of course. The opening of his bedroom door caused him to stir. He watched as you slowly moved around, placing your stuff away, putting your phone on charge and then changing.

He sat upright as you yelped, “Eddie! You scared me, again! Why are you sitting in the dark?” His face was drained of warmth, skin cold to the touch. “Was waiting for you, again.” You frowned at his words, “Baby, you know I’m late these days. Better for you to go to sleep than wait up.” He shook his head, burying his head into your stomach as his body relaxed. Your hands raked through his hair gently, “I think you should consider working from home.”

Your hands stopped in their tracks, working from home? The last time you worked from home was during lockdown, and you’d driven yourself half mad. “Why is that?” Eddie glanced up at you, “You’re barely home, Chris misses you, I miss you. Don’t you want to be with us?” You took a deep breath in before smiling, “Of course I do. I- I’ll see what I can do baby.”

His hands quickly dragged you into bed, “Knew you’d understand amor.” Eddie rested his head in the crook of your neck, his hands slowly making their way underneath your shirt.

“Sweetie, I’m tried.”

“I missed you.” You relented, letting him continue. It seemed to be all you were doing these days, bending backwards and over to please him, literally.

The first time you noticed his behaviour was also when you realised you needed space. Not that he’d give it to you. A new coworker, Harry, had invited not only yourself, but your friend Aleya and Jack out to lunch.

He was a nice guy, very eager to learn and never scared by a little constructive criticism. The only problem was probably his overbearing cologne, very pungent? Intense?

You’d also been driven to work that day, courtesy of your boyfriend. You were working shorter days now, completing about an hour or two of work at home now. It had taken some adjusting, after a few forgetful days and about a million texts from Carla with an impatient Chris at home waiting for you.

You spotted Eddies truck pull up as you wrapped up your conversation with the your three lunch goers, “And that’s me, I’ll see you guys on Monday. Thank you so much for lunch!” You reached out to Aleya for a side hug, the same for Jack and a normal hug for Harry. “Tell Eddie there’ll be a fire at my house later tonight, and he better bring Evan!” Jack joked as you waved him off.

Jack may or may not have a huge crush on Evan.

You hopped in, quickly chucking your purse and files into the back seat before kissing Eddie on the cheek. “Hi! How was Chris’s school?” Eddie shrugged his shoulders, “Fine.” Your eyebrows furrowed at his shortness, “Something wrong?” He turned onto the highway, knuckles tightly gripping the wheel, “You smell like him.”

“Like who? Harry?”

“That his name?”

You rolled your eyes, “No, it’s actually his father’s, middle name Jesus. Care for some wine Eddie?” Not once, had Eddie ever been physical. But raising his voice? Oh that was fair game.

“You think you’re funny huh? Having lunch with other guys and taking the piss outta me?”

“Nothing happened baby, it was lunch. He’s new and trying to fit in and I’m being nice. There’s nothing to worry about I swear.” The silence permeated in the truck, causing the hair on your arms to raise. You hated the silent treatment wholeheartedly.

“Whatever.”

His change in demeanour could flip like a switch, you always assumed it was him putting up a front. But when Eddie showed up the next day, flowers in hand and looking his sharpest, you were forced to reevaluate. “God I wish my boyfriend was that sweet.” Your project partner whispered as you sighed, “That’s Eddie.”

Even your boss wanted you to go with him, “Take the day off sweetie, you deserve it.” And with a pat on the back and a million swooning interns drooling over Eddie, you were sent on your way.

“I got these for you Y/n/n.” Your favourite flowers, arranged perfectly and smelling divine. Your hands wrapped around the bouquet, “Thank you Eddie, they’re perfect.” His smile caused your heart to race, he looked amazing. The Eddie with you that day was incredible.

His infectious laughter, perfect smile and the sweet nothings he whispered into your ear. That, was the Eddie Diaz you knew and loved. A gentleman, who had eyes for only you. Which is why you couldn’t help but wonder, what made him change? How was it possible to go from absolutely furious and unnecessarily jealous to an angel?

You didn’t want to know, and you didn’t want to stay around long enough to find out.

Maybe it was the date, or the fact that you felt as if he deserved an explanation face to face. Either way, if you’d known better, you would have made it away.

“Eddie, we have to talk.” The two of you were currently sitting on the couch, favourite show playing in the background. Eddie hummed along, a slight acknowledgment to your words. “It’s, about us.” Eddie turned the volume down, your sentence piquing his interest.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think, we should break up.”

And with six words, Eddies entire world came crashing down in front of him. What on earth were you talking about? “What did you say?” The smile on Eddies face was anything but sweet or reassuring, a bad attempt at keeping his composure. “You’ve been acting, odd, to say the least.” You stood from the couch as he followed in pursuit, all the way to the kitchen.

“I feel like, all that we’re doing lately is either fighting or sleeping. Every time I come home, you have something to say. Whether it’s about my later nights, about who I was with or what I’m doing on the phone. It’s like I have no privacy at all. I cannot keep a single thing to myself. And if I try to? You blow up at me. I mean last week for example, I tried my hardest to not argue with you by walking away. And all you did was follow me around the house, it drove me crazy. Showing up to my workspace when I tell you I can get more done without random lunch dates. I’m a grown adult but you treat me like a child. And if I stand up for myself I’m cheating. It makes no sense at all Eddie. And I tried to make it work, but I feel like you’re controlling me. I even reduced my hours, because you asked. I moved in even when I wasn’t ready, because you asked. I need a break.” You took a deep breath after your monologue, needing a second.

Turning towards Eddie, he stared straight at you. “I had no idea you felt that way baby. I’m so sorry, I never meant to do any of it. I love you so much, I can’t help but worry. After everything we’ve been through with Shannon,” And there it was, the guilt. It was blinding, clawing its way through you. Shannon. He’d already lost someone he loved, and Chris lost his mother. No wonder he was always to protective over you.

“Hey, I’m not leaving like Shannon okay? What happened was a tragic accident, and I promise nothing like that is going to happen again Eddie.” You immediately engulfed in a hug, his head resting against yours, “I don’t want to loose you, I don’t want Chris to loose you.” Eddie muttered repeatedly as you closed your eyes.

Chris walked into the room, thirsty, tired and curious, “Is something wrong?” You immediately detached yourself from Eddie, wiping away your tears, “Nothings wrong sweetie, did you need something?” He nodded before turning around and walking to his room, “We’ll talk later yeah?” Eddie whispered into your ear before moving ahead.

Sniffles came from underneath Christopher’s blanket, “You alright buddy?” Eddie asked, patting his hair down, “Water.” You watched as Eddie swiftly made his way to the kitchen whilst you sat down, “You need anything else?” Chris’s hand slowly lowered the blanket before smiling your way, “No thanks mum.”

And as quickly as he spoke, he turned over to sleep again. Your eyes were probably protruding out of your head, shock filling your senses. “Mum?” The word sounded foreign on your lips, but apparently comfortable enough on Chris’s.

“He called you mum.” Eddies voice was low, most likely as astounded as you based on the look on his face. You got up slowly, aware of the sleeping boy. You couldn’t help but smile, and kiss his forehead before making your way to Eddie. “I can’t believe it.” Eddies hand came up to wipe away the stray tears before pulling you in and kissing your forehead, “I can.”

“You’re apart of this family baby, always have been.” His words seeped in as he guided you to your bed, whilst you were stuck on autopilot. Chris viewed you as a parent to him, that’s how common you were in his life now, a constant for him to fall back on. He loved you, almost as much as you loved him. Your words weren’t forgotten just swirling in your head, how the hell could you ask for a break now? With this new huge responsibility?

Eddie knew, of course he knew. He was the one encouraging Chris to call you by your new name. Because if there’s one thing Eddie knew he needed, besides Chris?

It’s you, and he’d do anything to make you stay.

#yandere 911 x reader #911 x reader #eddie diaz x fem!reader #eddie diaz x you #eddie diaz imagine #eddie diaz x reader #911 imagine #911 fic #dark!eddie diaz x reader

[cashmoneyyysstuff]

edit cus tumblr tweaked out n posted the unfinished draft smh.

sitting in the bus with your fifteen minute now ex boyfriend was not something you expected to happen when you’d gotten ready for your date this morning.

you’re sitting as far away from his as possible, or at least as far as he’ll let you go. because of course shouto todoroki just couldn’t let you have one moment without flashing you his sweet little puppy eyes and kissable little pouted lips, three seats away from you.

your face is practically smushed against the window, intently keeping your eyes fixed on the green grass turning dark with rain while you try to keep your eyes dry. you wonder if it’s your fault, if you did something.

more people start coming in, trying to find shelter from the rain. the more people come in the louder it gets, they’re so loud, he’s so loud. he isn’t doing anything but staring at you, but it’s so intense it almost sounds loud. you feel it in the beat of your ears and the beat of your heart, you focus on the rain droplets bouncing off the pavement outside to desperately keep from crying.

you know shouto doesn’t have to take the bus, his dad could probably get someone to pick him up, he’d only made it a habit of taking the bus with you so you could spend more time together. you think maybe he shouldn’t have, it’s his fault, he spent more time with you then he should’ve and somehow that brought him to sit you down on a random park bench, grip on your hand still firm as he told you he thinks it’d be better if you didn’t see each other anymore.

as if you could just stop seeing him, fucking idiot. you’re in the same class, have the same friends, you see him in your favorite manga and the website you read your early leaks on that you shared with him, you see him in your notes because he’d write them down for you when you were sick to bring them to your dorm, you see him in your favorite snacks because you make it a habit of having him guess the flavor of the skittles you’re sharing.

seriously, what a moron. who does he think he is, the love of your life ?!

well, you sure thought he was.

you can’t bear it anymore, this feels like actual torture and you could honestly give less of a shit about how dramatic you sounded. this is unbearable, it’s suffocating feeling those deep colored eyes constantly on you, reaching out and begging and pleading for something you cannot and will not give more of to him.

this isn’t your stop, but it’s close. you can walk the rest of the way. screw the rain and screw him.

you quietly apologize to the people you’re pushing past, though they can barely hear you as you try to keep your wobbly voice even. when you pass by a group of people the start hissing and murmuring behind you and you think you weren’t being loud enough until you realize that of course he’d followed you off as soon as you got off. ever uncaring of the people around him except you know that’s not true. you know shouto cares, he’s kind, but you thought he cared about you and he apparently didn’t, so you trudge forwards with teeth clenched and hands tightened into fists. to desperately keep from crying.

why does he care so much, why did he follow you in the bus and now out of it ? couldn’t he just let you be alone ?? he’s the one who broke it off.

but you’re sure you’re the one who did something, how could he have ? your shouto’s perfect, the sweetest boy in the whole word. teeth clenched tighter and tighter, to keep from crying.

he calls for you, and then again louder over the rain, he won’t let you drown him out. of course he won’t. not when he calls for you again, a cool hand wrapping around your wrist this time. you want to melt despite the chill, but instead you boil ripping your hand out of his grip.

“just go home ! why’d you follow me out here ?!” his eyes are wide and so sad, you’d never raised your voice at him before even during your rare arguments.

“this isn’t your stop..” he tries to reason, voice quietly drifting through the air, the rain hits the pavement and his hair is getting wetter. he’s so handsome, he always is. you want to kiss him and you hate yourself for it.

“yeah, i noticed that too. did that on purpose if you couldn’t tell, which you obviously didn’t.” you’re being mean, you’re spitting everything at him to get him to just fuck off. but of course he won’t, because your shouto is kind. and he reaches out for you again only for you to back away from him.

“i’m sorry.”

“just leave me alone ! why can’t you just leave me alone ?!” you ask him and yourself and anyone who’s listening. you sob when he slowly, ever so softly wraps his arms around you and you push at him and push and push and push him away but he never backs off, he never leaves you alone. not when he’s everywhere. with the smell of his cologne and the softness of his lips on your forehead and the softness of his clothes as he pleads, he’s so sorry he says. but you don’t know why. he’s the one who broke it off right ?

“is it me ?” you whimper, he immediately shushes you but you continue “was it something i did ?”

“no, no it’s not you—it could never be you, love.” his voice is even, or it’s trying to be, you can tell he’s having a hard time with how tightly he’s holding onto you. like you won’t hear him out if he doesn’t keep you close, it’s funny because you’d hear him out even if he was trying to convince you the earth was shaped like a rectangle, hilarious even.

your heart bleeds for him, despite it being his fault your heart is hurting in the first place.

"it's just…better that way" is what he'd managed to spit out. "but listen—look at me." he grabs your cheeks, pulling your face up to look into his unwavering pretty bicolored eyes. he presses the sweetest, gentlest kiss to your lips, you don't think anyone would love you enough to kiss you like this ever again, and the tears keep flowing because you don't think you'd want to be loved like this by anyone other than him. and it makes you press back against him when he kisses you again, and again

" i love you, i do. and it's not you." he reaffirms again, because he knows you're thinking about it

"it isn't you. i love you, angel." he babbles over and over against your lips. "you know i love you, yeah ?" and you want to say you don't, but the shine in his wet eyes tells you everything you already knew, and you kiss him again, and again. his hands, cooling and so invitingly warm still firm against your cheeks.

#pls dont ask this came to my while im in the bus #ex boyfriend who doesnt wanna be trope..thing ? #its been on my mind for a while and i cannot stop thinking about it with him #also i was in my feelings #btw dm my interchangeable use of shouto n shoto lmao #enjoy ! #shouto drabble #shouto x y/n #shouto x you #shouto x reader #todoroki shouto x reader #shoto drabble #shoto fluff #shoto todoroki x you #shoto todoroki x reader #shoto x y/n #shoto x you #shoto x reader #todoroki shoto x reader #this is heavily oc coded im sorry

[wheresarizona]

Learning to Live Part 25

summary: Javier is taking you on a trip to Miami to meet the Murphys, and baby fever hits hard when you see each other interacting with their small children. 

rating: E (18+! No y/n, alternating POV, age gap (about ten years), explicit smut, chair sex, unprotected p in v (wrap it up!), creampie, anal play (f receiving), kinda double penetration, masturbation (m), sneaking around (you don’t want the Murphys to hear you), baby fever, (MASSIVE) breeding kink, dirty talk, spanking, (1) Papí, spit as lube, traveling, Javier being really cute with children, Javier losing his mind at seeing you with children, Steve giving Javier so much shit, Steve trying to keep you from fucking in the guest room and you two doing it anyway, grumpy Javier, feelings of insecurity/body insecurity (and Javier making you feel better), pregnancy discussion/talks of the future)

pairing: Javier Peña/f!reader

word count: 18.2k+

a/n: Happy Halloween! This is my treat to you for Halloween and the end of Kinktober. I hope you enjoy! This Miami arc is either going to be two or three chapters long. Thank you to the lovely @senorabond for betaing! And also, thank you to @juletheghoul for ensuring my Spanish makes sense! 

Thank you for reading! Comments and reblogs feed me. I’d love to know what you thought!

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Javier’s cell phone only rang for four reasons: his dad was calling, you were calling, it was one of the Murphys; Steve for their regularly scheduled Thursday chat, or Olivia wanting to talk to her tío and sometimes needing help with her Spanish homework. Last, and the phone calls he always ignored outside of business hours, were from his office. 

The first time your boyfriend took a call while he was with you, you’d barely been dating a week. 

While the two of you were cuddling on the couch on a Monday, watching some movie you couldn't even remember the name of because your brain at the time was focusing on getting naked instead of actually watching it, his phone on the coffee table in front of you started ringing. He apologized when he picked it up to check the caller ID and apologized again when he told you he had to answer it since it was his niece and got up from the couch. 

It should’ve been an endearing moment, but your confusion had overshadowed it because you knew he had no siblings. You could admit it was pretty cute overhearing him in the kitchen talking to her in the sweetest voice he clearly saved for children, asking about how her summer was going. 

After he hung up and returned to you, he’d explained: she was his best friend, Steve’s daughter, and he was her godfather, a role he took very seriously by being the best uncle to her and her younger brothers. 

That was many months ago, and with today being Friday and Javi’s phone ringing on his bedside table in your shared bedroom, you had a feeling it was Olivia since he talked to his dad on his way home—the problem, though: your boyfriend was in the shower. 

This seemed like an order-in kind of night, with it being the end of the week and you both wanting to relax. You’d just set the bag of Chinese food on the coffee table when you heard his phone going off. In less than thirty seconds, you had it in hand, the caller ID reading ‘Murphys,’ which was their landline, and confirmed your suspicion. Stepping inside the bathroom, the sounds of water roaring and splashing in the shower stall and the overhead fan humming greeted you; the large mirror over the sink was fogged up, steam permeating the air. 

“Babe?” you said loud enough for him to hear. 

The frosted glass door rolled open enough for Javi to stick out his head, his hair lathered in shampoo. 

“Yeah?” 

“Olivia’s calling.” You held up the ringing phone. 

“Can you answer it and tell her I’ll call her back later?”

Now, Steve and his family were well aware of who you were, and you knew all about them, but you’ve never spoken to any of them. So this request had a nervous flutter erupting in your belly. 

“Yeah,” you answered. “I can do that.” 

A swoon-worthy smile appeared on his face. “Thanks, mi amor (my love).” 

Immediately, you clicked the answer button, putting the phone up to your ear as you said, “Javi’s phone,” before making your way back into the bedroom and shutting the bathroom door behind you. 

“You’re not Javi…” said a deep male voice that had your eyes going wide. 

“You’re not Olivia…” 

There was amusement in his tone, not expecting the smooth southern drawl. “No, I’m not. I’m her father, Steve Murphy, and you must be the woman my best friend is madly in love with.” 

With a smile, you replied, “That’s me,” and introduced yourself.

“It’s nice to finally meet you—well, talk to you, at least. I gotta say I don’t think I’ve ever seen Javi this happy in all the time I’ve known him. You’ve been real good for him, and I’m glad he finally found someone who can put up with his grumpy ass.” 

Warmth spread through your chest, his last comment making you giggle. 

“You wanna know a secret?” you whispered. 

“Yeah?” 

“When he’s with me, he’s not grumpy. He smiles a lot and laughs. He’s really adorable, to be honest.”

“I don’t know if I’d call him adorable, but he’s like that with my kids, too.”

“Oh, Javi with kids is my kryptonite—he’s so good with them.”

“Let me tell you, when I came home to Miami after getting Escobar, he stayed with us for a while, and it shocked me how good he was with Olivia.” That didn’t surprise you. He’d grown up with practically all his cousins being younger than him, and he has a lot of them. “I don’t know if he told you, but not too long after he quit the DEA, he lived with us for a bit ‘cause he was having a hard time being in Laredo—from what I understand, there are some people there who aren’t too kind to him.”

“That’s an understatement, but yes.” 

Javi staying in Miami for a time was something you were aware of. 

Being back in Laredo had been hard for him, like Steve said, and he was known to run from his problems, so he went and lived with the Murphys for almost a year in their guest room. Then, one day, his dad called and told him not to worry, but doctors were running some tests after finding a mass on his liver that could possibly be cancerous. Javier’s mother, Antonia, died from breast cancer that wasn’t caught in time, so when he got off the phone, he packed his bags and was on the first flight home. 

It was the kick in his ass he needed to realize his dad was all he had left and was worth braving his hometown. Chucho’s mass was benign, and Javi annoyed the fuck out of him his first month back by being a mother hen and fussing over him nonstop.

“Well,” Steve continued, “he came and lived with us and was a huge help with Olivia and Stevie. He was a natural with them—they love Javi more than their actual uncles.”

A grin was on your face, loving to hear that he’d done so well helping them with their children. “And he loves them like they’re his biological niece and nephews.”

“He really does.” There was fondness in his tone. “You know, when we were in Colombia, all the guys we worked with thought he was a giant asshole since he didn’t put up with their shit—I was his partner, and I thought he was a giant asshole, but all the women in the office seemed to love him because he was sweet to them. Your man only lightens up for women and children ‘cause I sure as hell did not have a partner who smiled and laughed a lot. Like, I’m looking at this holiday card y’all sent, and I barely recognize him with that big ‘ol grin.”

The holiday cards had been your idea. 

Chucho did the photo shoot, and the picture you both chose had Javi and you in matching outfits of red sweaters and jeans, with him holding you from behind as you both smiled at the camera. Daphne and Velma, the seven-month-old calves you lovingly called your bovine children, were on either side of you wearing fake antlers, all of you in front of the red wooden barn, the bottom of the card reading, ‘Happy holidays from us to you,’ typed in a fancy script. 

It was very cute. 

It delighted you people were finally getting them, now wondering when you’d get that disapproving call from your mother. You knew it was looming on the horizon when your parents finally got theirs. 

“It’s nice, though, right?” You chewed on your lip. 

“Oh, it’s more than nice—it’s fuckin’ great! That man has been to hell and back, and it’s about damn time he finally gets to be happy and relax for once. Which reminds me why I called—were you guys able to get that time off next week?”

The two of you hoped to go to Miami the following week; there were just some issues with you getting days off. 

“Yes! Javi was going to call you tonight. We can do Thursday through Saturday, but we need to be home Sunday for his birthday because we’re celebrating with his dad.”

“That’s fine! We’re just happy you can come! Excuse me, ma’am, Connie just came in the room and has a question for me,” It sounded like Steve covered the phone, hearing his muffled voice say, “Yes, baby, they’re coming… Thursday through Saturday, they need to be home for Javi’s birthday Sunday… It’s not Javi, it’s his girlfriend… She’s great… You know Javi, he doesn’t want a fuc-flipping birthday party… Fine, I’ll ask her.” Now you could hear him clearly. “My apologies, ma’am. My wife wants to know if you’d like us to throw Javi a birthday party?”

“Oh, you guys are already letting us stay with you. I couldn’t ask you to throw a party.”

“Okay.” He spoke to his wife. “She says that’d be too much since they’re staying with us.”

Noise sounded over the line like the phone was being passed, followed by a woman’s voice now speaking, “Hi, is this Javi’s girlfriend?” 

“Yes,” you replied, giving her your name. “Is this Connie?” A baby was babbling in the background, and you thought she might be holding their youngest child. 

“It is! It’s so nice to meet you! I can’t wait for you to visit next week.” 

“I can’t wait either! I’ve heard so much about all of you, and I’m excited.” 

“We’re just as excited! Now, it’d be no problem throwing Javi a little party, and the kids would love to celebrate with him. I mean, they love any excuse to eat cake.” 

Giggling, you replied, “Well, we can’t deny the kids cake. If you insist, I’m sure Javi would be touched by the gesture.”

“Great! We’re going to have such a wonderful time. Javi’s told us how much you love the beach, so we’ll have to spend a day there, and I need to go grocery shopping. Is there anything you want to eat while here?” 

You were hoping to go to the beach, and happy she mentioned it. 

“I can’t think of anything. I’m not picky.”

“If you think of something, just give me a call. We want you to have a great trip.” 

“I know it’s going to be amazing,” you said truthfully. 

“I hope so! Okay, Steve wants the phone back. Nice to meet you, bye!” 

“Nice meeting you, too!”

“It’s me again.” Steve was back on. “Are you guys going to need a ride from the airport?” 

The bathroom door opened, and you looked over your shoulder to see Javi coming out in just a white towel wrapped around his waist, his hair blow-dried and styled. 

“I don’t know…?” you distractedly answered. With you going on the trip soon, you had been refraining from sucking marks into his skin to avoid any awkward conversations with the Murphy kids. Still, there were fading hickies your eyes took in as they moved down his torso to the tantalizing trail of hair that disappeared beneath the cotton. 

With the fan on in the bathroom, he could hear Cielito on the phone; however, he was unable to make out anything she was saying, thinking she might be talking to Robyn or one of his family members. He walked into the room, and she looked over her shoulder at him, his chest puffing out a little at how she was checking him out. 

“Who are you talking to?” he whispered.

Her gaze snapped up to meet his. “Steve,” she answered just as quietly. 

That had him taken aback since he was pretty sure his best friend and wif-girlfriend had never spoken before. Was it Steve who called and not Olivia? Has she been on the phone with him this entire time? 

What were they talking about?

“What does he want?” Javier asked. 

“I’m sorry, Steve,” she said to the other man. “Javi’s here, so give me a sec.” She turned in place to face him, covering the speaker. “He called to find out if we could visit next week—which I told him yes, but he just asked if we’ll need a ride from the airport, and I don’t know the answer.” 

Immediately, he held out his hand. 

She uncovered the phone, talking to his friend again, “Steve, Javi wants to talk to you.” A big smile was on her face. “It was nice talking to you, too… Oh goodness, that’s so sweet… He makes me happy, too. Like super happy.” She shielded her mouth so Javier couldn’t see it, her eyes locked on his, while she whispered in a conspiratorial tone, “Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s an amazing boyfriend and so goddamn dreamy. Literally, the best partner I’ve ever had, and I cannot wait to marry him, so he’s mine forever.” What she said made him smile, and his heart skip a beat. Steve must’ve said something funny because she laughed. “Bye, Steve.” She passed the phone to him. 

“Hey,” Javier said, with the cell phone pressed to his ear. 

“Hey, Jav. Your girlfriend’s great, and we can’t wait to meet her.” 

After his last relationship with Lorraine, and how he missed the red flags and ignored his mother’s warnings about her, having his family love the woman standing in front of him, and now Steve also liking her, it reassured him he was making the right choice for who he was going to marry—not that he had any doubts. Javier knew for a fact she was the one he was spending the rest of his life with. It just made him feel great that others could see how amazing she was. 

“Yeah, she’s fucking incredible.” 

“You’ve got it so bad for her.” Steve chuckled. “I got your holiday card, and I couldn’t believe my fucking eyes—the way you’re smiling, the matching outfits, and the dressed-up cows—” 

“Daphne and Velma,” Javier interrupted. 

The girls behaved well for the photoshoot—with the help of many treats and pets. He loved how the card turned out and was beyond happy Cielito even wanted to do something like that with him. It made him think of the future and the cards featuring the additions of tiny Peñas and seeing their family grow with each holiday season—showing their friends and relatives how their family had grown. Not that he loved the idea of rubbing their happiness in her parents’ faces or anything…

“These are your—what do you call them? Your bovine children?” He’d mentioned the calves on previous calls. 

“Yeah,” he answered. “The red one is Daphne, and the other is Velma.” 

“Okay, I’ll admit they’re pretty cute.” 

“They are. So anyway, we don’t need you to pick us up,” he said, getting back on topic. “I’m gonna rent a car like I always do.” 

“Sounds good.” 

He turned away from his future fiancée as he spoke a little quieter, “Did you say anything embarrassing about me?” 

His question made his best friend laugh, and he frowned. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Javi. We talked about how great you are with my kids and that you’re only nice to women and children.” 

That didn’t sound too bad. 

He whispered, “How’d she react about me being great with the kids?” 

Steve laughed again. “Positively. A direct quote is, ‘Javi with kids is my kryptonite.’”

Javier smiled. “Good. Tell mis sobrinos (my niece and nephews) I need them to be extra cute when we visit.”

“Will do. Speaking of the kids, Connie needs my help, so I gotta go.” 

“Give them all my love, and I’ll see you next week.” 

“I will. Bye, you asshole.”

“Adiós, pendejo (Goodbye, asshole).” He clicked the end call button, walking over to set the phone back on his bedside table. 

“You’re a dork,” she said. 

Turning toward her, amusement was clear on her face. 

“Why am I a dork?” he asked, taking a few steps to stand in front of her.

“Asking my reaction to how good you are with his kids.” 

His hands went up to cradle her face. “He said I was great with his kids.” 

“Yeah, he did, and he said you were a natural with them.” Her eyes had darkened, her fingers dipping into the top of the towel at his waist as she bit her bottom lip—she was turned on, and it made him smirk, his cock beginning to harden. 

“You like that?” he asked, leaning forward until his mouth was a hair's breadth away from hers, her eyes closing. “You like that if I got you pregnant, I’d be great with our baby?” 

“Yes,” she breathed. 

This was the moment his brain decided to remind him he needed to book everything for their trip right away.

His eyes squeezed shut, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out as he pressed his forehead to hers. 

“I’m sorry, Cielito,” he sounded pained. “We can’t fool around right now. I’ve got shit I need to do.” 

“But we were about to have really kinky sex,” she groaned.

“I’ll make it up to you after I get all our stuff booked and we eat dinner.” He sweetly kissed her. “Anything you want,” he said when he broke away, looking her in the eyes. “Anything.”

“Okay. That’s acceptable. I both love and hate that you’re a responsible adult.” She pouted. “Use my credit card and book us in business class since it’s two seats in a row. That way, we won’t have to worry about anyone sitting with us.” 

He smiled. “Yeah, I didn’t want anyone sitting with us either and planned on booking business—maybe first, depending on the price.” 

“Meh, stick with business.” 

“Okay. Window or aisle?” 

“Window.” 

“Good, ‘cause I like the aisle.”

That made her grin. “It’s like we’re meant to be or something. Next, you’re gonna tell me I can have your peanuts.”

“Oh, yeah, I never eat them. I usually just have a drink.” 

Whiskey on the rocks. 

“We’re soulmates.” 

“We are.” He agreed with a nod. 

“Ugh.” She stepped away from him, and his mouth turned down, his hands falling. “You’re basically naked, and I want to jump your bones. Put on some clothes, you saucy temptress.” Her head turned, shielding her eyes with her hand. 

“Saucy temptress?” he chuckled, walking so close as he passed her their arms brushed, heading toward his dresser. 

“You heard me—seducing me with your manly wiles and, god, your rockin’ bod. Okay, I’m going to the living room because you are so close to getting your dick sucked.” He opened a drawer, pulling out his sweatpants. “You know,” she said, still standing in the same spot but shuffling to face him. “You’re gonna be on the phone, right?” The towel dropped to the floor as he pulled on the pants. 

“Yeah,” he answered. 

“So, I mean, while you’re talking, theoretically, I could suck your dick while you’re doing it.” 

He sucked in a breath, his half-hard cock twitching at the thought. 

“You’re the saucy temptress,” he rasped, bending down with a groan to grab his towel and moving to toss it in the nearby dirty clothes hamper. “No, mi amor (my love), that’s how I end up accidentally booking us on a flight to fucking Australia or some shit.” 

“You’re no fun.” She was pouting again, looking adorable. 

“But I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” 

The Laredo Airport wasn’t very big. 

Built by the U.S. Government during World War II, it was used by the United States Air Force, then during the Cold War, it was a pilot training base. With the defense cutbacks after the Vietnam War, the military presence ended by the tail end of 1973, with commercial air service not arriving until the summer of 1975. 

The commercial air service? It would take you to exotic destinations, like Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston-Intercontinental. Basically, you flew from Laredo’s tiny airport to one of the larger Texan airports and, from there, headed to your desired location. 

This is how you ended up on a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport at 8:45 AM on a Thursday morning in December. 

The trip would only be three days long, so you both packed carry-ons that Javi insisted he carry, or roll, for your suitcase; he brought a leather duffle bag for himself. He safely stored the luggage in the overhead compartment, and you had seated yourself by the window and buckled in, your boyfriend beside you in the only other seat in your row.

For a comfortable flight, you wore leggings, an oversized T-shirt, and tennis shoes. Javier? The man refused to look anything but his best out in public, so he was in his usual tight-ass jeans, a white button-up with a blue patterned design, and his black leather jacket—to go to Miami, where the weather was hot and, from what you were told, humid. 

The things he did in the name of being the sexiest man alive. 

Your leg was bouncing, your shoulders tense, chewing on your thumb. 

Warm fingers laced with those of your free hand, Javi gently squeezing it. 

“You a nervous flyer?” he whispered. 

Turning your head toward him, you answered, “Little bit. It’s mostly take-off and landing. Once we’re in the air, I’m fine.”

“Yeah? How can I help?”

“I don’t know. Talk to me? Are you a nervous flyer?” 

A little smile was on his lips, barely shaking his head. “No. I’m used to it with all the traveling I did for work. I will say I prefer planes over helicopters, though.” 

The last of the passengers were boarding, but you aren’t paying any of them mind, in your little bubble with Javi. 

“Did you fly in helicopters a lot?” 

“Thankfully, no. We used them mostly when we needed to go out into the jungle, which I always fucking hated.” 

“The helicopter ride or the jungle?” 

“Both. It’s hot in there, and the animals. I, uh, don’t like snakes…” 

His answer made you smile as you replied, “That’s very Indiana Jones of you.” A thought came to you. “Oh! Would you wear a fedora if I got you one?”

His eyes squinted. “No...” 

The pilot came over the speaker. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard Flight AA319 with service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Miami. We are currently second in line for take-off and should be in the air in approximately ten minutes. We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts at this time and secure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments. We also ask that your seats and table trays are in the upright position for take-off. Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight. Thank you for flying American Airlines. We hope you enjoy your flight.”

You frowned at Javi, going back to your conversation. “But you’ve got the leather jacket—” You patted it over his pec. “—and the button up, that we can sluttily unbutton to show some skin, and we’ll get you a pair of khaki pants.” 

His eyes remained narrowed. “Why do you always want me to dress up as characters played by that guy—what’s his name? Harry Ford?” 

“Harrison Ford, and it’s not my fault he’s played some iconic characters that you’d look hot dressed up as—don’t lie to me and say you wouldn’t enjoy dressing up as Han Solo. You think he’s the coolest guy.” 

He was frowning now. “Han’s okay, but Boba Fett’s cooler.” He shrugged.

Your eyebrow rose. “Do you want me to get you some Boba Fett armor so you can pretend to be a space bounty hunter, and we can make it horny and have you hunt me down?” 

The wheels were turning in his head, and he seemed to be thinking it over, which made you giggle. 

“It’d be too uncomfortable,” he finally answered. “And I wouldn’t be able to see shit in the helmet. If I’m gonna dress up as a Star Wars character, I’ll stick with Han.” 

“Smart man.”

Javi kept talking to you about nothing important to keep you distracted as the plane started moving, only pausing when the flight attendants went over the safety briefing. 

What you didn’t expect was right before take-off, he kissed you, and not a chaste kiss but a toe-curling, forgot-how-to-think, skin-heating, breath-stealing, tongue-tangling kiss that had you so caught up in him, you didn’t even notice the plane had left the ground, or rose thousands of feet into the sky. 

When you finally broke away for air, you felt dazed; your eyes had closed, panting breaths and smiling. Arousal swirled in your belly and dripped into your panties, feeling the cotton dampened and sticking to your skin. 

“Still feeling nervous?” he asked, kissing your chin. 

“God, no.” You replied breathily. “Feeling horny.” 

A ding sounded, the light showing ‘seat belts needed to be fastened’ turning off, a flight attendant announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the fasten seat belt sign, and you may now move around the cabin.” 

“Javi?” Your eyes opened. 

“Yes, Cielito?” 

Leaning close to press your lips to his ear, you quietly asked, “Have you ever joined the mile-high club?” 

He audibly gulped. “No.”

“Would you like to?” His jacket was unzipped, and you walked your fingers over the skin on his chest, revealed by the top few buttons being undone, his aviators hanging in the dip. 

“Hold on.” Suddenly, his seatbelt was clicking open, and he was rising, keeping his head ducked until he was in the aisle, hastening toward the front of the plane. Watching curiously, he opened a lavatory door and went inside, coming out a minute later, a grumpy look on his perfect face as he made his way back to you and sat down beside you with a grunt. 

“It’s too fucking small,” he said, turning his torso to face you. “And I think we’d get caught if we tried.” He looked so disappointed, and the news made you sigh. 

“It’s good one of us is a responsible adult making the right decisions.” 

Leaning closer, he whispered, “I can get a blanket from the flight attendant and finger you under it if you really want to get off while we’re flying.” 

The idea caused your cunt to clench hard around nothing. 

��That sounds so good, but I’d want us both to get off. Guess we’re just gonna have to fuck when we go to bed tonight, and you’ll have to keep me quiet.” Your hand rubbed along his thigh, his eyes darkening. 

“I love you so fucking much,” he rasped. 

“I love you, too.” 

“Steve would hate us fucking in the guest room.” 

“That just makes you want to do it more, doesn’t it?” 

“Oh, yeah.” He smirked. 

“You’re such an asshole to him,” you giggled. 

“He deserves it,” he replied, closing what little distance was between you to kiss your lips. 

The flight was barely three hours long, which you spent reading the small book stashed in your purse, your boyfriend beside you with his reading glasses on, his big hand holding his own book you’d kept for him. 

When the flight attendant came down the aisle with the drink cart and snacks, Javi got a whiskey, while you got ginger ale and both bags of peanuts. 

The books were put away when it was time to land, and he held your hand tight while the other caressed your face as he distracted you with another mind-blowing kiss—you’d never enjoyed taking off and landing so much. 

Off the plane, Javi had the bags—carrying his duffle by the handles and rolling your luggage through the airport to the rental car agency. You took his bag when you got to the counter so he could fish his wallet out of his back pocket, passing the employee his driver’s license with you standing beside him.

The dark-haired man on the other side was smiling as he read the card and started inputting the information into a computer, his name tag reading Martin and beneath it, ‘Hablo Español.’

“Welcome to Miami, Mr. and Mrs. Peña!” Martin said, his words heavily accented. Your eyes rounded, Javi’s arm wrapping around your waist to pull you into him. “I hope you had a pleasant trip!” 

“It wasn’t too bad,” your future husband replied. “Right, Mrs. Peña?” He was smirking when he turned his head toward you, looking beyond delighted. 

“Right, Mr. Peña,” you answered with a smile, getting closer to him by hooking your arm around his middle, resting your head against his chest. “The flight was pretty great.” 

“Awe,” Martin replied. “Newlyweds, no? Here on your honeymoon?” He glanced up from what he was doing. 

“Something like that,” Javi responded, kissing your hair. 

The conversation transitioned to business, with your boyfriend having to sign a lot of paperwork before he handed you a small stapled stack and the employee directed you where to go to get the car, which involved getting on a shuttle bus. 

The sun was shining down from the clear blue sky, the temperature hot and humid, Javi having to take off his leather jacket. You were more than happy to carry it along with the papers for the car while he took care of lugging around the bags when they dropped you off at the car lot. A stop had to be made in a small, blissfully air-conditioned building to get the keys and have someone take you to where the vehicle was parked. You would think for such a short trip and the small amount of stuff you had, he would’ve rented a full-size sedan at most—nope, Javi rented an SUV, a brand new forest green ‘98 Ford Explorer, to be exact. 

His aviators were on, leaving you with the bags on the ground at your feet. At the same time, he meticulously inspected the SUV’s exterior for any scratches or dings that needed to be reported so they weren’t blamed on you, rubbing his thumb over some spots. 

Sometimes—well, a lot of the time when you were out in public—he had an intimidating aura about him, ‘just don’t fuck with me’ vibes wafting off of him with the grumpy expression on his face and how confidently he moved about. It came in handy when you were in crowded places because people stayed out of his way and didn’t bother you—instead of scary dog privilege, you had scary boyfriend privilege. An issue with scary boyfriend privilege: he was making the rental car agency worker extremely nervous, the poor man holding his clipboard and sweating profusely, which you didn’t think had anything to do with the weather. 

He was standing by you as Javi did his thing, shorter than your boyfriend with light skin, brown hair, and if you squinted, he kind of looked like Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle—same hairstyle, same forehead. 

“He’s a teddy bear,” you whispered to the employee. 

There was confusion on his face when he looked at you. “What?” he asked. 

“Javi—” You nodded in the direction of the man, who was crouched at the passenger side door and using his thumb to see if a mark was dirt or a scratch. “—he’s a teddy bear. It’s just how his resting face looks. Watch this.” You called out to Javi, “Find anything, baby?” 

“No,” he answered, grunting as he rose to stand. His hands were on his hips as he gave the side of the vehicle another look over. 

“I love you,” you told him. 

His head turned in your direction, giving you a beaming smile. “I love you, too, mi amor (my love).” 

He looked back at the SUV, and you said quietly out of the corner of your mouth, “See.” 

“I didn’t notice anything,” Javi told the employee, heading your way and wiping his hands on his jeans. 

“That’s great, sir,” the worker replied. “I just need you to sign here.” He pointed at a place on the paper clipped to his clipboard with the pen he showed your boyfriend. Javi was quickly signing and taking the offered keys. 

“Thank you,” your boyfriend said, shaking the other man’s hand. 

“No problem. If you have any issues, just give us a call.” 

“Sounds good.” 

The employee went away. 

The vehicle was already unlocked, so Javi walked over to the front passenger-side door. “Let me get your door, Mrs. Peña,” he said as he opened it. 

It made you giggle, moving his way with his jacket and the paperwork still held in your arms and hand, avoiding the bags on the ground. “That really made your day, didn’t it?” you asked, leaning in to kiss him when you were in front of him. 

“Yes, Mrs. Peña,” he murmured against your lips, feeling him smile. One of his hands was on the top of the door with the keys tucked in his palm, his other grabbing a handful of your ass. 

“You’re adorable, Mr. Peña.” Breaking away, you continued, “Give me the keys so I can get the AC going.” There was a grin under his perfectly trimmed mustache as he dangled the keys in front of your face, and you maneuvered the stuff in your arms to free up a hand to grab them—he pulled them away before the tips of your fingers even touched the metal. 

You glared at him when he said, “Ask nicely for them this time.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah.”

Inhaling deeply, you let the air leave your nose in a huff. “My love, may I please have the keys so I can get the AC going?”

“Of course, baby.” He handed them to you. “I’ll take care of the bags.” Leaning in, his lips met your cheek in a loud smacking kiss, slapping your ass before he walked away.

Miami had become a home away from home for Javier. It was a place where he could relax and be surrounded by the Murphys, whom he considered family even though they didn’t share blood. 

Colombia never felt like home. 

He knew he wasn’t welcome down there, finding his sparse apartments cold and lifeless, the only personal touch he made in the later years being the ofrenda for his late mother. There was no relaxing in South America when each morning he woke up could’ve been his last. Sure, he had Steve and Connie for a lot of it, but they were just as stressed as he was, and more so when Olivia came about, to the point Connie just up and left, back to the States. 

Colombia was never home, and at the time he was sent back to Texas after his fuck up with Los Pepes, Laredo didn’t feel like home either. 

He hadn’t known where he belonged when a good portion of the people in the town where he was born and raised still judged him for something he’d done over a decade earlier, a handful even hostile toward him. 

After Steve finished their work and got Pablo Escobar, he returned to Florida to his wife and kid. They invited Javier to visit and stay in their guest room for however long he needed, and he had. They wouldn’t take any money he tried to offer them, but they accepted his help around the house and caring for Olivia, who was five by then.  

Then he was called back to South America, and upon returning to the U.S. after that stint, he stayed with his dad for a month before he was in Miami again, that time for about a year, where he helped out with their barely ten-month-old, Stevie, and seven-year-old Olivia.

After going back to Laredo to be with his dad, he’d take occasional weekend trips like he and Cielito were doing now to stay with the family. Those trips became less frequent when they adopted Nate—he felt it was important they all had time to bond with their new addition without him being in the way. 

He spent so much time in this Florida city, he knew his way around pretty well, like how it was faster to take 874 South instead of Ronald Reagan Turnpike, and as a bonus, they’d avoid tolls. 

The air conditioning was cranked high, whooshing loudly while a Spanish station played loud enough to hear. He had one hand gripping the steering wheel, the fingers of his other laced with those of the woman he was going to marry, resting on her thigh. 

She was looking out at the scenery in interest as they drove. 

“Why’d you get this car?” she asked, staring out her window. 

“So we’d have room for the little passengers.” Bringing her hand up, he kissed the back of it. 

She looked at him. “The kids are gonna want to ride with us?” 

He glanced at her, resting their hands back on her leg, smiling. “Oh, yeah. At least Olivia and Stevie—Nate’s too young to care. Doing the whole car seat thing in a smaller car fucking sucks.” 

“So, what I’m hearing is we will be getting something like this when the baby-making starts and my car will have to go?” 

Her car was a tiny two-door Honda, and just thinking about getting a car seat in it was making his back hurt, her question also causing his chest to go tight from happiness.

His eyes were back on the road. “Sorry, baby.” He squeezed her hand. “I know you love your car. I was thinking something bigger than this.” 

“True,” she replied. “We gotta have room for all those babies you’re gonna knock me up with.” 

A shock of arousal shot through his belly. 

He had to clear his throat, his voice a little deeper. “Yeah…” 

“I can’t believe that innocent comment turned you on,” she laughed, and he frowned. 

“Don’t laugh,” he grumbled, having to wiggle a tiny bit in his seat with how blood had rushed to his dick. 

Immediately, she stopped but still sounded amused. “I’m sorry, babe. I know it excites you a lot.” 

“Excites you a lot, too.” 

“Yes, it does. So, let’s talk about something safe. How long before we’re there?” 

“About fifteen minutes.” 

“That’s not too bad.” 

She questioned him about what they lived close to, and he answered they were near a zoo, some parks, and the ocean was a ten-minute drive.

The Murphys lived in a one-story ranch-style house with an A-shaped gable roof extending over the front porch. The stucco on the outside was painted a golden yellow with crimson trim, and the window panes were outlined in bright white. 

In the driveway, Connie’s minivan and Steve’s little truck were parked. Javi pulled in behind his best friend’s rig, and not even thirty seconds later the front door was opening, hearing muffled, high-pitched squeals. 

“Hey,” he said to Cielito, getting her attention. “Relax. They’re gonna love you. You have nothing to worry about.” 

“Promise?” 

He smiled, letting go of her hand to hold up his pinky. “I pinky promise.” That made her smile as she looped hers with his, and he leaned in to kiss her quickly. 

“Okay, we better get out,” he said. 

“Okay.” 

Out of the vehicle, Javier walked around the front, a tiny dirty blonde toddler screaming at the top of his lungs as he ran out of the house, “Tío (Uncle)! Tío! Tío! Tío! Tíoooooo!”

It made him smile, crouching and opening his arms to catch the little boy, holding and hugging him as he stood back up. “Mi sobrino (My nephew)!” The child was securely sitting on one of his arms, looking more like his dad than the last time he saw him. “You’ve gotten so big, Stevie!” He tickled the toddler’s belly, making him laugh and squirm. 

Connie came out with Nate on her hip and Steve smiling beside her. 

“What are you feeding him?” Javier asked his friends. “How has he grown so much in, what, eight, nine months?” 

“Kids grow fast, Javi,” Steve answered. “Nate’s already walking.” 

His eyes went wide, getting a good look at the baby who’d only been six or so months the last time he was here and now was over a year old and a toddler—he was bigger, his olive-colored arms not as chubby, the black curls on top of his head longer, and eyes still as dark as he remembered.  

“You’ve gotta be fuc—” The other adults gave him looks, quickly correcting himself. “—freaking kidding me. He’s walking? Already?” 

“Yep,” Connie answered. “And talking. Right now, he’s tired because it’s nap time. Isn’t that right, baby?” she cooed, kissing Nate’s hair, his head resting against her shoulder and babbling. 

He was stunned at how quickly they grew in so little time, feeling a ball of anxiety form in his gut, thinking about his future children and losing so much time with them because of work. Dread was heavy like a stone on his chest at the thought of missing milestones of his kid’s growth. 

Fingers snapped in front of his face to get his attention, hearing his name and realizing it was Steve, Javier swallowing hard. 

“What?” he asked. 

His best friend’s eyebrow rose. “I asked if you were gonna be polite and introduce us to your girlfriend.” 

“Oh, shi-shoot.” She was on the side with his empty arm, and he rubbed his hand up her back, smiling. “Sorry, Steve, Connie, this is the woman I’m gonna marry—” He told them her name. “—or I just call her mi Cielito, my little heaven.” He kissed her temple. “Cielito, these are my best friends, Steve, Connie, Connie’s got Nate, and—” Straightening, he looked at the child in his arms. “Hey buddy, you wanna tell her your name?” he asked gently. Stevie hid his face in Javier’s neck, and his big hand went to the back of his head while his parents laughed. “Awe, it’s okay, bud.” He rubbed over the boy’s hair. “I know she’s a new person. She’s really nice and excited to meet you, and she makes amazing cookies.” 

His little head popped up. “Cookies?” his tiny voice asked. 

Javier smiled. He knew that’d get him. “Yeah, she makes amazing cookies.” 

“I want cookies,” Stevie replied. His attention turned to Connie. “Can we have cookies, Mommy?” 

“One second, baby boy.” She walked toward Cielito to whisper something in her ear. 

His girlfriend nodded her head, answering, “Sure! I can do that!”

“Is it really okay?” the other woman asked, meeting her eyes. 

“Yeah!” 

“Okay.” Connie looked at her eldest son. “The nice lady says she’ll make cookies with you, but you’ll have to tell her your name.” 

The boy looked past Javi to excitedly shout at Cielito, “Stevie!” Reaching his little arms toward her, and it made warmth spread through him when, without missing a beat, she took the toddler from him. 

“Hi, Stevie,” she said with a warm smile. “It’s nice to meet you.” 

They were facing him, and Javier pointed at her. “She’s gonna be your tía (aunt), Stevie.” 

The child’s eyes moved from him to her. “Tía?” he asked, shoving a finger at her chest.

“Yeah, bud, she’s your tía (aunt), and I’m your tío (uncle).”

Tiny blue eyes met his. “Tío—” His head turned to her. “—Tía.” 

“Yes.” She confirmed. “And you’re Stevie.” She gently poked his chest. 

“Stevie!” He clapped his hands. “We’re gonna make cookies, Tía?” 

“Yes, your mom said after your nap.” 

“Well, let’s head inside then, guys,” grown-up Steve announced. 

“Come with me,” Connie told his girlfriend. “The men can get the bags, and I’ll put the boys down for a nap.” 

“Okay,” she replied. 

It made him smile how easily she went, his eyes on her back with the toddler on her hip, whispering to him, and Javier thought it looked so perfect, so right; his mind was running wild with images of what she’d look like holding their child—wishing she was holding their child. Stevie looked like a miniature version of Steve; would Javier’s child with his future wife look more like him or her? Or would they be a mix of them both? What he knew for sure was they’d be perfect, and he would love them more than anything in the goddamn world. 

Fuck, he couldn’t wait to get married.

Hands landed on his shoulders from behind. 

“Jesus Christ, Jav,” Steve laughed, giving him a playful shake. He got out of the hold, spinning around to see his friend’s grinning face that made him clench his jaw. “I knew you had it bad, but this is something else—you’re really in love with this girl.” 

His eyebrows creased, frowning. 

Steve had known about his girlfriend since their relationship began and even gave him wanted and unwanted advice when he did and didn’t need it—he knew damn well Javier loved her. He’d been on his ass to fucking tell her, like how he’s been on his ass to get him to fucking propose, and only now was he actually believing it was all real? 

It pissed him off that his best friend doubted his feelings for her.

“Fuck you, man,” he replied, shoving the other man’s shoulder and watching his face fall. “Yeah, I fucking love her. I’ve fucking told you.” 

“Hey, hey—” Steve put up his hands in a placating gesture. “—I know you love her, Javier. I’ve known from how you’ve talked about her, but seeing it in person is something else.” 

“What do you mean?” His hands were perched on his hips, ignoring the beads of sweat dripping down his spine under his shirt. 

Steve smiled. “That ugly mug of yours—” He gestured at Javier’s face. “It’s clear in how you look at her. It’s like you’ve got fuckin’ hearts in your eyes or some shit,” he chuckled, Javier sighing. “I’ve known you for a long fucking time, Javi, and I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her.”

The explanation mollified him.

“I’ve never felt like this with anyone but her.” 

“I know.” His friend clapped a hand on his bicep. “And I’m really fucking happy for you, Jav.” 

“Thanks.” 

“I’m sweating my balls off. Let’s get inside.” 

“Yeah, it’s fucking hot,” he replied, heading toward the back of the rental. 

He didn’t need help carrying the bags or directions to the guest room. 

The house was nice and cool as he walked inside along the stone tiled floor and directly into their formal sitting room containing a long beige couch against the far left wall with a walnut-colored coffee table in front of it; a smaller version of the sofa along the wall beside the front door and under the large white-framed window, a chair that matched the same style across from it, and end tables at the sides of the couches. 

They never actually used this area unless they were hosting guests or during Christmas when Connie would rearrange the furniture to make it picturesque with their tree. Steve thought it was a waste of space; his wife could never know that.

His shoes came off with everyone else’s by the front door, where Connie had a shoe rack overflowing with pairs for adults and children, leaving his next to Cielito’s on the floor. Going further into the room, Steve headed for the kitchen while he turned down the hallway that opened to the right and led to the bedrooms and bathrooms. Olivia’s was the first door on the right. The second was a full bath themed around dolphins, her favorite animal, with them on the shower curtain, the art on the walls, painted on the toothbrush holder, and soap dispenser.

Next was Nate’s room, his door closed and across the hall from his parents’ master suite. 

The two boys’ rooms happened to be connected by a bathroom between them. Javier stopped in his tracks at Stevie’s open door—the woman he came here with, the one who made him the happiest man in the world, who he was going to marry and spend the rest of his life with, was sitting on the edge of his nephew’s bed with her back to the door, her attention on the child lying on his side facing her with his eyes closed under a light blanket as she rubbed small circles on his shirt-covered back.

Javier’s eyes crinkled at the edges when he smiled, a soft sigh leaving his lips. 

“She volunteered,” Connie whispered behind him, causing him to jump in his skin. “Sorry for scaring you—“ She squeezed his arm reassuringly. “She volunteered,” she continued. “Asked me how she could help and what Stevie’s nap time routine was, and it looks like she’s a pro. She’s great with him.”

“Yeah, she is.” He spoke just as quietly, glancing over his shoulder. “Rubbing his back still puts him to sleep?”

She playfully slapped his arm. “That’s your damn fault.”

“It makes him fall asleep, doesn’t it?”

“Quickest way. We do it with Nate, too.”

“Then why are you mad at me?”

“It’s not right you out-parented us. Now, you better marry this woman, Javier. It’s about damn time you become a father.” 

He scratched at his mustache. “You, uh, think I’d be a good dad?”

She looked at him like he was stupid. 

“Javier, you’ve always been so much help when you stay with us, and the kids adore you. Yeah, you’re gonna be a fantastic father.”

His throat was feeling tight. Steve arrived at Connie’s back, holding a beer. 

“What are y’all whispering about?” the other man quietly asked. 

“Javi being a great dad,” his wife replied, looking over her shoulder at him. 

“Oh, yeah, we’ve known that for years,” Steve said. “We just didn’t think you’d ever pull your head out of your ass and settle down.”

“Didn’t find the right person until now.” Javier shrugged. He peeked into the room, seeing his future wife was still occupied. Turning his head, he told the other two, “Follow me to the guest room. I need to ask you a favor.”

To be honest, you were really nervous about helping with nap time and stayed a little longer than necessary, rubbing the sleeping three-year-old's back to ensure he truly was passed out.  

There’d been whispers in the hall that hadn’t helped your nerves, wondering what the other three adults were saying amongst themselves and knowing it was probably about you, hoping it was positive. Steve and Connie seemed to like you, and she had trusted you to help with her child, so that was a good sign. They’d disappeared into the guest bedroom, down and across the hall, Connie had pointed out earlier when she gave you a very quick tour. 

You figured it was probably safe to leave now, ensuring the toddler was tucked in under his dark blue blanket before you’d gotten up and quietly tip-toed out of the door you closed behind you with a soft click. 

It didn’t take too many steps to get to where the guest room door was cracked open, with light spilling out into the hallway, and muffled voices could be heard. You entered, finding your boyfriend and the other couple huddled at the foot of the queen-sized bed directly in front of you.

The walls were painted a soothing greige, the greyish-beige color accented by the eggshell white ceiling, trim, and doors for the closet and en suite. An interesting choice was the wrought iron bed frame that looked old and out of place alongside the nice newer black bedside tables and dresser across from it and the stone-colored armless accent chair in the corner—even the lamps were modern, making the dark, possibly rusting, iron stick out like a sore thumb. The large framed photos of ocean waves crashing and rolling decorating the walls made up for it, though, enjoying the room's atmosphere. 

Javi’s head turned toward you, and he smiled. “Hey, baby.” He took a couple of steps to grab your hand and pulled you over to the Murphys. 

“What were you guys talking about?” you asked. 

“Going to the beach tomorrow,” Connie answered with a big smile. “Olivia’s staying home from school, and we were thinking we’d spend the day there.” 

That made you grin. “I’d love that!” Javi pulled you into his side. 

Your bags were on the ground in front of the dresser. 

“I know,” your boyfriend said, kissing your hair. 

It had warm fuzziness spreading through your veins at how thoughtful they were. 

“Well, glad we’ve got that figured out,” Connie announced, clapping her hands together. “Javi knows, but let me show you where everything is.”

“Okay.” 

She took you into the pretty standard bathroom—the combination shower/bathtub against the furthest wall from the door with a floral printed shower curtain on a golden rod; the bathroom vanity on your right as you walked in, painted white with a similar color laminate countertop and sink with red handles to open the drawers and cabinets under the sink, a large mirror hanging on the wall above it, and the toilet in the space between it and bath. She opened the doors under the sink so you could see where the towels and washcloths were kept and led you back into the bedroom to open the closet door so you knew where the extra blankets were. 

“—and I’m sorry about the bed.” Connie grimaced. 

“Yeah,” Javi interjected. “What happened to the old bed frame?” His hands were on the top of the footboard that looked like a wide, upside-down U made out of a thick pipe, with two smaller ones going across and others connecting those two in the middle. He gave it a little shake, the metal squeaking loudly.

“Steve saw this—” She pointed at it. “—and said it reminded him of a bed he’d slept in at his grandparents, and he just had to buy it. He thought it’d look great in here.” 

“Right…” Javi replied, turning his head, and even though all you could see was the back of it, you knew he was glaring at his friend.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Steve asked, crossing his arms. “I have fond memories of spending time with ‘ol peepaw and granny. Like when he’d take me duck hunting.” 

You were pretty sure you heard Javi mutter, “Fuckin’ hillbilly.”

Obviously, he was not happy about the sounds the bed was making, and you were a little disappointed about it, too—he hadn’t been joking about Steve hating you fucking in here. 

The blonde man was smirking. “What was that?” 

“I said it’s great you’ve got fond memories,” Javi sighed, looking forward again with the fingers of one hand pressed to his forehead. 

“So,” Connie began, “again, I’m sorry about how squeaky the bed is—”

“I’m not,” Steve interrupted, which earned him a middle finger from your boyfriend, whom the blonde man simply laughed at. 

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” you said, trying to keep things civil. 

“Hopefully,” the other woman replied with a nervous smile. “Well, we’re gonna get out of your hair ‘cause I’m sure you wanna freshen up after your flight.” 

“If it’s okay with you guys, I might take a cat nap after I shower. Getting up so early and traveling has exhausted me.” 

“Oh, that’s absolutely fine, honey.” She checked her watch. “We’ve got a little over an hour before Olivia is home, and the boys will sleep until right before she gets home. Come on, Steve, let’s leave them alone.” 

“Yes, dear,” her husband answered, following her as she walked out of the room, Javi moving to close and lock the door after them. 

He turned around with a grumpy expression, letting out a loud, long sigh. 

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think it is,” you told him as you took a couple of steps to the bed and started getting on it—immediately, high-pitched squeaks sounded with any kind of movement you made on the mattress. “Okay, so it’s worse than your bed at your dad’s…” 

“He did this on purpose,” he seethed, putting his hands on his slim hips while all his weight went to one side. 

You were lying on your side with your head propped up on your arm to look at him standing over by the door. 

“Uh, yeah, that’s obvious. It was a lot of effort to put into cock blocking you. He really doesn’t like the idea of you fucking under his roof.” 

“I told you he’d hate it—didn’t think he’d do this.” He pouted. 

You didn’t like how upset he was, and you had a great idea of how to cheer him up. 

Ignoring the ear-splitting sounds as you got up from the bed.

“Keep standing there, looking pretty. I’ll be right back.” 

You saw the confusion on his face for only a moment before you were walking around the front of the bed and away from him to go through the bathroom door beside the dresser. In seconds, you were back in the bedroom and tossing a white towel onto the grey chair in the corner on the other side of the en suite door. 

“Are you taking a shower?” he asked, watching with curiosity as you moved toward him, his eyes on yours. 

“Not right now,” you answered. “I’ve got more important things to do.” 

Finally, you were in his space. “Like what?” 

“You,” you answered, grabbing him by his open collar and tugging him toward you to crush your mouth against his, swallowing his moan. His arm went around your waist, the other hand on your back, allowing you to lick into his mouth, his tongue eagerly moving with yours in a familiar dance you both knew all too well. 

Arousal was burning in your belly, feeling your heartbeat at the apex of your thighs, your need for him seeping into your underwear. 

Your fingers started working open the buttons on his shirt. 

“We can’t fuck on the bed,” he breathily said between kisses, a big palm grabbing your ass. 

“The chair,” you replied, nipping at his bottom lip. 

Suddenly, he was pulling back to look you in the eyes, his reddened lips glistening from spit while his shirt was unbuttoned, hanging open. 

“The fucking chair,” he rasped, a look on his face like he was only just realizing. 

“Yeah.” You nodded. “There’s also the floor, the counter in the bathroom, the shower, and the clear space at the wall right there—” You pointed behind where the door opened. “—if you were in the mood for wall sex, but you’re really upset about the bed—” You rubbed your hands up his bare chest. “—so I thought you’d enjoy getting ridden on the chair.” 

His lips turned up in a toothy grin. “I love you so fucking much.” He kissed you quickly.

You matched his expression, looping your arms around his neck. “I love you, too, and I’m not letting a sabotaged bed stop me from getting dicked down. We just have to be… creative and quiet.” 

His eyes darkened, the pink of his tongue peeking out for a second, and when he spoke, his voice had gone deeper and raspier. “You’re not tired,” he said matter-of-factly, his arm pulling you into him so your bodies were flush.

“Nope.” You popped the ‘p.’

“You don’t want to take a nap.” 

“I don’t want to take a nap,” you confirmed. 

His fingers slid along your cheek until he cradled your face, his gaze stuck to yours. “You want me to fuck you.” 

“Very much.” 

His head moved until his lips were grazing yours, nuzzling your nose with his. “What got you so worked up you couldn’t wait until we went to bed tonight, Cielito?” 

His proximity was fanning the flames of arousal inside you, making your entire body heat, your nipples tighten, and your lips tingle where his barely touched.

Snaking your hand between your bodies, you palmed his hard cock straining against the zipper of his pants. “Probably the same thing that has you hard as a rock—I can’t stop thinking about having babies with you.” 

“Fuck,” he groaned, thrusting into your hand. “I can’t fucking wait.” 

“To get me pregnant?” you purred, stroking him over his jeans. “Or to fuck me?”

“Both,” he growled, grabbing the hem of your oversized shirt and saying as he roughly pulled it up and off your arms to land carelessly on the floor, “and you fucking know it.” You did, and it made your pussy throb. 

“I do.” You helped him shrug off his button-up, your hands going to his belt next. “And I can’t fucking wait either.” The buckle clinked as you effortlessly worked it open and unbuttoned his jeans, hearing the teeth pull apart as you unzipped them. 

Warm palms held your face to make you meet the dark pools of his eyes. 

“To get pregnant,” his voice had gone lower, seeing his tongue quickly wet his bottom lip. “Or for me to fuck you?” 

His pants were undone, and with there being no underwear in your way, you reached in and took him in hand, his shaft feeling like steel wrapped in heated velvet—hot, hard, and silky to the touch. A thrill moved through you at his mouth falling open and eyes closing, his groan going straight to your cunt. 

“Both,” you answered. 

One word and he became ravenous, desperate, smashing his mouth to yours in a passionate kiss while he went about undressing you as he walked you backward toward the chair—your bra getting tossed somewhere to your left, his lips leaving yours and stopping long enough for him to tug down your leggings and underwear in one fell swoop. He ghosted kisses up your body when he rose again until your mouths were attached once more, continuing the journey to the corner chair, his arm holding you around your middle to help guide you, your hands hanging onto his shoulders. 

He spoke between presses of his lips to yours, “You looked so fucking perfect holding the kid…. You’re gonna be an amazing mother to our children…. I need you so fucking bad…. I wanna give you a baby…. Let me fuck a baby into you…. Please.” The last bits made you moan into his mouth, your nails digging into his skin. 

The lines were blurred, and you weren’t sure if this was him leaning into the kink you shared or if he was being serious. It was true you couldn’t wait to get pregnant, but you both were well aware the apartment you lived in wasn’t big enough for the addition of a baby and had been actively working with one of the only two architects in town to design the home you planned to build. There was also the fact you wanted to get married first, and the proposal was months away. As much as you both wanted a child, you couldn’t start trying for another year at minimum.

Why were you overthinking this? You would just have a discussion with him after the sex to make sure you were both on the same page. 

“God, yes,” you gasped. “I want it.” 

The soft fabric of the chair hit the back of your legs, his big hands gripping your asscheeks, murmuring against your lips, “Let me eat your pussy first.” 

“Later,” came your muffled reply. “This has to be quick, so we don’t get caught.” 

You could feel him frowning before he broke away. 

“I don’t fucking care if we get caught.” His eyebrows were furrowed, and his lips were turned down.

What he said made you sigh, another thing that had you overthinking. “I know you don’t care,” you kept your tone as gentle as possible, rubbing your hands over his bare back. “But I do. They’ve been your friends for years and already love you. I’m only just meeting them, and I don’t want to give them a bad first impression. Yeah, I’m okay with going against Steve’s wishes and fucking here, only as long as he doesn’t know. Does that make sense?” 

“Yeah, I get it. I’m sorry.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I was an asshole for even thinking of letting us get caught.”

“It’s okay.” Your hands skated along his naked sides. “Now, let’s get back to the sexy—I am so horny.” 

His hand fell. “Do you need me to finger you?” 

“I think I’m wet enough. One second, though.” You held up a finger before turning around and spreading the towel over the seat. Facing him again, you ordered, “Pants off, Mr. Peña, and sit,” and moved out of his way. 

He huffed out an amused breath, pushing down his jeans. “As you wish, Mrs. Peña.” Stepping out of them, a pained groan slipped from his throat as he straightened, taking the seat as you requested. 

The armless chair was about as wide as a dining room chair with some cushioning and a channel-stitched back, covered in grey velvet, the wooden legs painted black. Javi sat down, getting comfortable as he sat back and spread his legs. 

The sight before you had your mouth going dry. 

His lust-filled gaze was looking up at you, taking in the broad shoulders, the expanse of his golden chest down to his soft tummy, where below his belly button, a trail of hair led your eyes to his big hand slowly stroking his hard cock; the tip was red and shining from the steady dribble of precum leaking from it, that he was using to ease the glide of his palm—he was the perfect picture of seduction and you were under his spell, willing to do anything he wanted.

A crooked smile appeared under his mustache. 

“You wanna watch me jerk off?” he asked. “Or are you gonna ride me?” 

The questions snapped you out of your reverie. 

“Sorry,” you quickly apologized, stepping to stand between his widened knees. “You’re just so sexy, and you know, watching you jerk off really gets me going.” 

“I know, mi amor (my love),” he chuckled. 

His hand left his dick, the long shaft resting against the coarse hair on his belly. Gently, he tugged you by the arm down for a kiss, and you took over, slowly stroking him at the odd angle, making him groan into your mouth when you went lower to fondle his sack, his large palm reaching around to trace the curve of your ass before giving it a squeeze.

On occasion, your husband-to-be had the tendency to get caught up in kissing—Javi loved kissing, so when he pulled you forward by your backside, your arms went around his neck for balance, and you welcomed his tongue when it pressed between your lips. His palms slid up your sides to rest on your ribs as he plundered your mouth, your heart hammering in your chest, feeling slick coating your inner thighs. 

The needy ache in your core got worse and worse with every passing minute, finally getting to the point where you had to get him inside you, or there was a chance you were going to combust from the pent-up tension. 

You broke away, his lips chasing yours. 

“I need you,” you panted. 

His eyes met yours, his pupils blown so wide that only a thin sliver of chocolate brown remained. 

“Okay,” he said through heavy breaths with a nod. “I’ve got you, baby. Stand up.” 

You did as he said, watching as he spit on his fingers and rubbed the saliva onto his cock, doing it a couple of times until his entire length glistened in the bright overhead light. 

Once satisfied, his hands were on your upper thighs as he helped you get one leg over his onto the ground beside the chair, then the other to have you standing on either side of him and straddling his hips. Not wasting any more time, you reached between your legs, guiding him to your entrance, and slowly lowered. That first stretch always stole your breath, resting your arms on his freckled shoulders, one of his going around your back to bring you flush to his front, his free hand skating down your back to grip one plump cheek of your ass. 

Javi’s eyes had squeezed shut, his breath hitching, feeling how your walls were having to make space for the girth of him and relishing the slight burn from the lack of foreplay. He wasn’t even halfway in, and you rose until only the tip remained, dropping again to take a little more, doing the same thing over and over, taking more of him each time until he was fully seated inside you. 

The familiar fullness made you smile, a deep sigh leaving you at how good it felt. Your skin was buzzing just below the surface, your body hot all over, sweat beginning to form on your brow, and you were in heaven. 

His face was against your collarbone, his warm breath hitting your skin. “You feel so fucking good,” his voice was muffled, the hand on your ass tightening. “Fuck, te amo (I love you). No sé cuánto tiempo voy a durar (I don’t know how long I'll last). Úsame para hacerte venir (Use me to make yourself come). Úsame, por favor (Use me, please). ¿Puedes hacer eso por mí, Cielito (Can you do that for me, Cielito)? ¿Puedes hacerte sentir bien (Can you make yourself feel good)?” 

“Sí (Yes),” you answered. “Sí, Papí (Yes, Papí).” 

His chest rumbled under you from his groan, a hand coming down on your ass in a sharp slap that made you clench around him. 

“Monta me (Ride me),” he ordered, smacking your backside again. “Monta me duro, mi amor (Ride me hard, my love).” 

Grabbing the hair at the back of his head, you pulled on it as you straightened your spine to make him look at you, his eyes heavy-lidded when they blinked open, while yours narrowed in a glare. 

“Javier, stop smacking my ass,” you hissed. “We have to be quiet, and you better make sure I don’t get too loud.” 

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. 

“Lo siento, cariño (I’m sorry, sweetheart).” His warm hands rubbed along the sides of your spine. “Prometo, estar más callado y evitar que hagas mucho ruido (I promise, I will be quieter and keep you from making too much noise).”

“Thank you,” you replied, pushing his hair back from his face. Leaning in close, you gave him a gentle peck on his lips and the tip of his nose. “If you come before me, it’s fine—it would probably take me with you, anyway.” 

“Fuck,” he breathed, feeling him twitch inside you. “With how you’re soaking my dick, I think you’ll get off pretty fucking fast.” 

“Probably.” You shrugged and started rolling your hips, watching in delight as his mouth fell open in a moan and his body shuddered. 

His arm wrapped around your waist, the other hand holding your jaw, keeping his eyes locked on yours, your own arm over his shoulder, and free hand caressing the side of his face. Both of you were sharing in the pleasure, your bodies fitting together so perfectly like two puzzle pieces, breathing each other in, losing yourselves in this moment. 

He wanted you to use him to make yourself feel good, so you did. 

Standing made it easy to rise on your legs, sliding up his hard cock to leave only the head and fall back down, thrusting your hips forward on the downstroke to take him to the hilt and make him raggedly groan. 

Heat was blooming in your belly, getting hotter with every second you worked yourself on his dick. He pulled you in for a kiss, and you slowed to a grind, the rough curls at the base of his cock rubbing deliciously against the swollen bud of your clit, adding gasoline to the fire inside you.

Like this, he was in so deep you were sure you could probably feel him if you pressed on your stomach, and you knew if he knew that, he’d be a smug bastard about it, which was valid.

You started moving again, the kissing becoming sporadic as you rode him in earnest, your arousal spilling down his shaft to coat his balls. His fingers were digging into the cheeks of your ass, his arms flexing as he gave you momentum and helped you move. 

The two of you were trying your best to stay quiet and hold back your sounds, Javi’s face flushed and forehead wet with sweat, both unable to keep some noise from slipping out. The loudest sound was between your legs, hearing the wet suck of your slick gushing around him when his dick pushed into your drenched hole. 

Something about fucking in places where there was a chance of getting caught really turned you and him on. Add in, you were told without explicitly being told you weren’t allowed to have sex here, and the higher risk had you rocketing toward your orgasm—Javi was right; you were going to get off quick. 

His hands went to your tits, his thick fingers zeroing in on your pebbled nipples, pinching and rolling them before his mouth's hot, wet heat pulled one stiff peak into his mouth. 

“God, yes,” you moaned, pleasure shooting directly to your cunt as you bounced on his thick cock. 

The muscles in your belly were tightening, adjusting your hips so every time you sunk down, he was pressing into that one spot that dotted your vision with stars, his mouth giving your other breast the same treatment. 

This all felt amazing, but there was something you needed…

“Touch me,” you panted, rising and falling in his lap.

His head popped up, glazed over eyes looking at your face.  

“Anywhere?” he breathily asked, and the question made you stifle a moan. 

“Yes.” 

“I’ll get you there.” And you had no doubt. 

He started with tweaking your wet nipple, roughly pinching it, his other hand going between your bodies to rub his thumb against your sensitive clit, the sensations feeling like electricity arcing up your spine, making your rhythm stutter for a moment—the heat in your stomach was growing and getting hotter, the closer you were to your climax. 

“Hang onto my neck,” he told you.

“What?”

“Lean forward and hold onto my neck.” 

You did as he said, pressing into his front and hanging onto him. 

His hand on your breast moved to cup your bottom, and he adjusted in the seat, grunting as he sat up, the chair creaking beneath him. Your tempo slowed while he continued circling your bundle of nerves with one hand, his other arm reaching around your thigh to spread two fingers around where his cock was impaling you, feeling how he was stretching you open.

“Your tight little pussy takes my dick so well,” he spoke into your breasts with how you were raised up on your feet, his cock halfway inside you. “I swear I was fucking made for you.” 

A moan slipped from your lips unbidden when those same fingers slid through the abundance of your slick on his length and continued up, swiping along the edges of your puckered hole, causing sparks to dance in your center. One thick finger slowly pushed into the tight ring of muscle to the first knuckle, your eyes rolling back in your head and toes curling at the added fullness, biting your lip to keep yourself from making any noise. You worked yourself faster on his dick, tilting your pelvis so he was pressing into all of the right spots, his digit fucking in and out of you at the same pace, it all making you go dizzy with pleasure. 

Your inner walls were fluttering. 

“Come on, baby,” he rasped, not stopping what he was doing. “Once you come, I’m gonna fill you up.” His head lifted. “Gonna fuck you full of me.” He kissed your clavicle, maintaining your pace. “Stuff you so full of my come, I knock you up.” You whimpered and were almost there. “Isn’t that what you want?” His fingers were still circling your clit and pushing in and out of your asshole, your hips rolling on his cock. “For me to finally get you pregnant?” he asked. “I’ll fuck a baby into you, Cielito, all you have to do is ask.” 

And you knew he meant it, the thought entering your mind that you could throw out your birth control today, and odds were he’d have you pregnant by next month—that was what made you crest, sitting all the way down in his lap as you came, your body tensing up tight as euphoria exploded out from your center, spreading through your system. His hand on your front was suddenly over your mouth to smother your loud cry, your body trembling as you slumped into him. 

“Good girl,” his words came out thick and rough. “You’re so good to me.” 

Your chest was heaving, enjoying the aftershocks and the feel of your cunt spasming around his dick that was still hard inside you. 

His hand left your lips to ghost up and down your spine, and he removed the finger from your ass. 

“This baby stuff is getting dangerous,” you sounded drunk, slurring your words, your face in the crook of his neck. 

“What?” 

“Our breeding kinks. You wanna know the thing that fucking got me?” 

“Yeah.” 

Leaning back to look him in the eyes, you told him, “The thought that if I tossed my birth control today, you’d probably have me pregnant by next month.” His cock jerked hard inside you. “I got off on you being fucking virile.” 

His eyes were practically black, licking his lips before he spoke. “We, uh—” He cleared his throat. “—we, uh, could test your theory…?” The hope was there on his face, and it made you feel like utter shit to have to deny him of his dream. This man wanted to be a father so fucking bad, and you more than wanted to make him one. It just wasn’t feasible at this point in time.

You held his face in your hands, stroking your thumbs over his cheeks. 

“Javi, I love you,” you started. “I want to have all of your babies, but as we both know, the apartment is too small for us and a baby. There’s also the whole I want us to be married thing, too.” 

“Pop said we can move in with him while the house is being built, and we’ll be married before a baby is born.” He sounded very sure of himself. 

Your eyebrow lifted. “How are you so positive we’ll be married in less than ten months?” 

He smiled. “Because you pre-accepted my proposal and told me you didn’t want a big wedding.” 

That was something you told him. 

Standing in front of a giant room full of people you actually only knew a fraction of and being the center of attention sounded like a literal nightmare scenario. A tiny wedding with only close friends and family in attendance was something more your speed—hell, eloping seemed like a goddamn dream. 

It hit you then the possibility of how soon the two of you could be married, and excitement bubbled up inside you, doing the first thing that came to mind and kissing him deeply, cradling his smooth cheeks in your palms. His lips were soft and plush, his tongue delving into your mouth with a moan, it turning into one of those kisses that drove you wild. 

You needed to make him feel good. You needed him to feel your love and happiness.

His dick was still throbbing in your pussy, and you started rolling your hips, his hands cupping your backside, keeping you in charge of the rhythm while he assisted in your movements. 

The way he liked it when you were on top was for you to go hard and fast, so you lifted and slammed back down in quick succession. It was slippery between your thighs, his cock sliding easily in and out of your wet heat, the kisses turning messy with how you were moving on him. 

In this position with both of you sitting up, you could get him to come pretty quickly if you sloppily made out with him and occasionally clenched your cunt around his cock; he’d say that was playing dirty if this was a regular romp, but under current circumstances, they were legal maneuvers like how he toyed with your clit and put a finger in your ass. These were all finishing moves that generally only came into play during quickies, though, when he was in the mood to make you come multiple times, he was liberal in their usage—and every time you were about to utilize a move, the fatality screen from Mortal Kombat came to mind, hearing in your brain the announcer say, “Finish Him.” 

His eyebrows were knitted together, and his eyes were closed, the effort he was putting into being quiet causing pitiful whines to escape his throat. He was tense beneath you, every muscle in his body pulled taut like a bowstring close to snapping, and you knew he was almost there, clenching up around him on your downstrokes. 

“‘M close,” he murmured, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of your behind and spreading your cheeks while helping you rise and fall.  

“Yeah?” you replied through heavy breaths. “I want you to come for me, Javi.” Your kiss landed on the side of his mouth. “I love you.” This kiss made it onto his lips. “I want to marry you, have your children, and spend the rest of my life with you.” 

He pressed his face into your chest, kissing what he could while you moved up and down—over the tops of your breasts, along your collarbones, up the line of your throat; all the while, he was saying against your skin, “Te amo (I love you). Me voy a casar contigo (I’m going to marry you). Te voy a dar todos los hijos que quieras (I will give you as many children as you want). Voy a pasar el resto de mi vida contigo (I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you). Fuck, te sientes tan bien (you feel so good). Eres perfecta (You’re perfect). No puedo esperar a verte embarazada (I can’t wait to see you pregnant).”  

“Embarazada con tu bebé (Pregnant with your baby),” you panted. 

A strangled noise came from him, shoving his face in your neck to mute it as he pulled you down to completely bury himself inside you. His teeth sunk into the spot where your neck met your shoulder, and you hissed at the pleasurable pain; his dick thickened, feeling it jerk, and the familiar wet pulse of spurts and spurts of his come gushing deep in your depths to fill you. 

You ran your fingers through his sweat-damp hair, his heaving breaths hot against your skin as he soothed over the bite with kisses, your own chest rising and falling rapidly, his arms hugging you close to him. 

The solutions he had so you could have a baby were rolling around in your head, and you wondered if it really would be that easy. 

Chucho would be over the goddamn moon if you guys temporarily moved in with him, and then a baby on top of that? His first nieto (grandchild)? The thing he constantly brought up? Chucho wanted to be a grandfather just as bad as Javi wanted to be a dad, and you knew he’d do anything for you both. 

Why were nerves fluttering around in your belly? You should be ecstatic, but there was a voice in your brain that sounded a lot like your mother pointing out you haven’t even been together a year. For all intents and purposes, you were still in the honeymoon stage of your relationship, and that’d have to end at some point. Would you both still feel the same after a year has passed? Two? Five? Ten? Would he still be as attracted to you after your body changed from pregnancy? 

These questions were stressing you out. 

“Javi?” 

He hummed in reply. 

“You know how you feel about me right now. Do you think you’ll still feel that way in a year?” 

His head came up with his eyebrows pulled together. 

“Yeah?” he answered. 

“What about in two years?” 

He was giving you a look like the answer was obvious. 

“Cielito, I’m gonna love you like this for the rest of my fucking life.” 

Your voice was small, “How can you be sure?” 

His hands had started rubbing comforting circles on your hips, looking at you with a tender gaze. 

“I’m my father’s kid,” he said, “and when we find the person meant for us, that’s it; it’s game over. We dedicate our lives to them, and we love them so fucking deeply we feel it in our souls—this is going to sound stupid, but Pop says we’re penguins.” 

“Penguins?” 

“Yeah, he watched some nature documentary and found out they mate for life—we’re penguins.” 

It made you grin. “That is the absolute cutest shit I have ever heard.” 

He smiled. “I knew you’d like it. Does that make you feel better?” 

“Yes,” you answered truthfully. “We’re mated for life.” 

“Yeah, we are, and I know it’s not gonna be all sunshine and rainbows. We’ll have our ups and downs like all couples do, but there’s no one else I’d rather go through the good and bad with.” The look on his face changed to something unsure. “Do you, uh, think your feelings will change?” 

“I don’t think so. My love for you is so embedded inside me that it sometimes feels like you’ve always been with me, and I just didn’t know. So, I think I’m a penguin, too.” 

He chuckled, leaning in to sweetly kiss you. When his lips left yours, he nuzzled your face. 

“Anything else you need reassurance about?” he gently asked with his nose sliding along yours. 

“Um, the other thing was if you’d still be attracted to my body post-pregnancy…” 

A thing you loved about Javi was how you could basically tell what he was thinking from the expression on his face, and right this second, as he stared at you, he was trying to work out how to politely tell you it was stupid to think he’d find you unattractive after having his baby.

“Are you talking about the body that grew our baby and kept them safe for nine months?” he asked, and yeah, you realized now how dumb it was to think something so absurd. “Yeah, I’m still gonna be attracted to you,” he continued, “the woman I love, who made me a father. I’m not gonna care about stretch marks or if you put on weight or any of the other shit that’ll change. You did something fucking incredible, and honestly, it makes me hard thinking about you being pregnant, so if there are things to remind me of that, I’m probably gonna be all over you constantly. Feel better?” 

That eased your worries. 

“Much.” You gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Thank you. Now, let’s go take a shower.” You started to move, and he stopped you. 

Hope was swirling in his eyes. “Is this a yes to a baby?” 

“This is a maybe on the baby, and we will need to have a long discussion with your father.” 

The smile he gave you was so blinding, you were sure it outshined the sun, a joyous laugh coming from him as he hugged you into his arms and squeezed you tight. 

“I’m so fucking happy.” The emotion was heavy in his voice. “Thank you so much.” He sniffled in your ear. 

Your hands slid over his back. “Don’t thank me yet. It’s not set in stone.” 

He pulled back, his eyes rimmed red, tears falling down his cheeks. 

“No,” he replied. “Thank you for loving me and being with me and wanting to have kids with me. I know it’s not a sure thing, but it’s the fact there’s a chance.” His voice cracked when he said the last word, his shoulders shaking. 

“Oh, babe.” You wrapped your arms around him and held him close to your body. 

This reaction for a maybe made you want to throw all caution to the wind and say fuck it, and just start trying, the rational part of your brain telling you to cool your jets. It was an angel and demon on your shoulders situation, with you leaning toward the baby, and it wasn’t going to help that the two of you would be around children for the next few days. 

The way Javi interacted with Stevie? Almost killed you. He was so sweet, and the child clearly loved him so much it had your ovaries aching. Three days, you were going to have to watch him with the Murphy kids, and you weren’t sure if you were going to survive or keep from throwing your birth control in the trash. 

You had to be strong. 

Javier knew this trip would be important since he was bringing his wif-girlfriend to meet his best friend’s family. He just didn’t expect also to get the news they might be able to start trying for a baby sooner than they had planned. 

Don’t get him wrong, he was excited about having their house built and getting to have a say in the design, but they were looking at twelve to fourteen months before it’d be ready to move into, and he did not want to wait that long to start their family—he was feeling… impatient. He’d already wasted enough of his life, and with him turning fucking forty on Sunday, he’d been plagued with thoughts of how many years he had left above ground. 

A couple of weeks ago, his therapist told him he was having a mid-life crisis, which he scoffed at because he sure as hell wasn’t buying some expensive sports car or chasing women half his age—he outright owned his dependable truck and was more than happy in his amazing and healthy relationship with a woman slightly younger than him. Then the therapist went for his jugular over why he’d begun wrestling with feelings of his mortality and how it started with him planning their trip to Miami and thinking about the Murphys and Cielito. What it boiled down to was he regretted the time he lost to his job and now felt unfulfilled that, at his age, he didn’t have a family of his own like Steve. 

The guy was right, and it annoyed him. 

It gave him a swift kick in the ass to figure out some things, though. 

Like how he went out to his dad’s last Tuesday after work to have a beer with him and ask if he was serious about them living with him if they were ever expecting and their home was still under construction—he said yes, and told Javier when Cielito eventually got pregnant he was planning to turn the guest bedroom into a nursery anyway. 

There was also the ring box he rolled up in a pair of socks tucked away at the bottom of the duffle bag he brought.  

He was ready to make some big changes, and by the end of this trip, he hoped more than anything he’d have a fiancée. 

After he got all of his happy tears out, they kissed and got off of the chair to take a shower, stopping on the way for her to grab her toiletry bag from her luggage. 

They washed each other and stole kisses, his hands wandering over her soapy skin with her giggles echoing in the stall. It didn’t take them very long to finish, going through their after-shower routines to get dry and do their hair. They changed into clean clothes, and he put on a lavender-colored button-up and some jeans, his eyes glued to her ass in the high-waisted denim shorts she was wearing as she bent over to put on her socks. He found himself closing the distance in two long strides to grab her hips, carefully bumping and rubbing the front of his pants against her backside. 

“Are you seriously humping me while I put on my socks?” 

He frowned. “I’m not humping you. You’d know if I was humping you.” 

“Fine. Are you seriously grinding on me while I put on my socks?”

“Maybe…”

She finished what she was doing, her socked feet planted on the floor, standing back up and turning in his arms. 

There was an exasperated look on her face as she smiled. “You’re so fucking ridiculous.” Her arms went around his neck. 

“They’re nice shorts,” he replied, making her laugh when he grabbed handfuls of her ass.

“Well, you’ll be excited to know I only brought shorts and leggings.”

He smirked. “I’m very excited about that.”

“Good. Have we been in here long enough that they’ll believe we showered and napped?”

Checking his watch, he answered, “We’ve been in here about an hour, so I think we’re in the clear.”

The look on her face shifted to something nervous. 

“Do you think we made too much noise?” 

For her comfort, he slid his hands up and down her sides. 

He’d never lie to her, so he told her the truth. “They’re on the opposite side of the house, and between them and us is their master bathroom that’s on the other side of that wall—” He pointed at the wall next to the door to the guest room’s en suite. “—then their walk-in closet, their big fucking bedroom, and finally you’d end up in the kitchen. Unless they used their bathroom or came down the hall to check on the boys, which I doubt because they have the baby monitors, I don’t think they heard anything.” 

“You’re sure?” 

The smile on his face was reassuring. “Yes. I’m not lying, Cielito.” 

She let out a breath, and her body seemed to relax. “Okay, fingers crossed they didn’t hear anything. Let’s head out there.” 

“Bésame antes de irnos, por favor (Kiss me before we go, please),” he said, puckering his lips.

“So polite.” She leaned in to kiss him.

When they separated, he took her hand, leading her out to find his friends. 

They found Steve in the actual living room they used at the back of the house, having to walk through the kitchen and dining room to get to it. There was a massive brown leather sofa in the middle of the room, Steve’s recliner next to it, a coffee table, and a decent-sized television in their entertainment center against the wall in front of the couch that had an abundance of VHS movies aimed towards children, and it looked like Connie had cleaned up after the boys, all of their toys put away in their toy box or back in their designated spots in the part of space designated for the kids. 

Walking in, they were behind the sofa, seeing Steve was watching ESPN and the highlights of a basketball game from the previous night between the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic, a beer held in his hand. 

His head turned toward them, his lips turning up in a shit-eating grin. “How’d y'all sleep on the bed?” 

Javier’s eyes narrowed. “Like babies.” 

Cielito moved to stand beside him in his friend’s view. 

Steve sputtered into laughter, and Javier frowned at the sudden outburst. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” the other man finally said. “Matching shirts?” He looked over at his future wife and her V-neck that was the same lavender color as his, he matched out of habit—all the shirts he brought had counterparts to what she had in her luggage. It was their thing. His friend wiped at his eyes. “Who are you, and what have you done with my asshole of a best friend?”

“I don’t see what the big deal is about us matching,” he replied, crossing his arms. “So what if we like to look good together? Where’s Connie?” 

“Doing laundry.” He nodded toward the door that led to the laundry room, and as if she were summoned, it opened, and she came in holding a large basket full of clothes against her hip with one arm. 

“Oh, great!” she exclaimed. “You’re up!” She paused after shutting the door. “Be honest with me, how bad is the bed? If you can’t sleep on it, I’ll pull out the air mattress.” 

Just the thought of sleeping on an air mattress made Javier’s body ache.  

“It’s pretty squeaky,” Cielito answered. “But we’ll survive. It’s seriously okay.” She waved away the concern.

“If you’re sure.”

Sounds started coming from the baby monitors on the coffee table, Stevie and Nate both in their separate bedrooms calling for their mom.

“Oh,” Connie said. “Looks like the boys are up. I’ll go put the laundry in our bedroom and get them.” 

“Don’t worry about it, Connie,” Javier told her. “I’ll get them.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah,” he replied. “It’s not a problem.” His head turned to the woman next to him. “Do you want to come with me or stay out here?” 

She smiled at him. “I’m sure you can use an extra set of hands—I’ll come with.” 

He nodded with a matching look, taking her hand once more and guiding her back to the hallway where the bedrooms were located. 

First, they stopped in Nate’s room, finding the tiny boy standing at the railing of his crib, crying for his mom. 

“Oh, mi precioso (my precious),” Javier cooed, quickly making his way over and scooping the child up. He held him on his hip, bouncing a little while rubbing his back. “You’re okay, buddy. Shhh, you’re okay. We’ll go see your mom in just a minute.” Turning to look at Cielito, she had a soft expression on her face. “Baby?” She was just staring, and it made him grin. “Mi amor (My love)?” 

She visibly jolted. “Sorry. Yes. Did you say something?”  

“Was trying to get your attention. I need to change his diaper. Do you wanna go get Stevie?” 

“I can get Stevie, yes,” she answered, nodding. “Be right back.” Immediately, she turned and left the room.

Nate had calmed down and wasn’t crying anymore, murmuring mom over and over again with his hand in his mouth. 

“That was your ​​tía (aunt),” he informed the little one as he walked him over to the changing table. “I know you can keep a secret,” he whispered, laying the child on the cushioned top. “I’m gonna propose to her tomorrow.” Grabbing a clean diaper and the wipes from the shelf underneath, he went about changing the toddler. “I figured out how I’m gonna do it last weekend,” he continued talking, his hands working. “So, she’s gonna be your tía, and hopefully soon you’ll have some primos (cousins).” He tossed the dirty diaper into the lidded bin he opened with the foot pedal, the kid now in a clean one as Javier buttoned back up his turquoise onesie with a sleeping long-eared, white, spotted dog on it.  

“Who’s that?” Came his soon-to-be fiancée’s voice from the doorway. He turned his head to see her holding the other boy in her arm while she pointed at him with a smile. 

“Tío!” Stevie shouted, grinning. “Tío and Nate!”

Javier picked up the younger of the two children and smiled. 

“That’s right, buddy,” he said, turning toward them. “Who’s holding you?” 

The three-year-old pressed his finger against Cielito’s chest. “Tía!”

“Good job!” He was close to them now, affectionately ruffling the kid’s dirty blonde hair with his hand and making him laugh. “You’re so smart.” 

Stevie held out his arms to Javier, and he quickly took him in his free arm, both boys sitting comfortably on each of his hips.

“Oh, no,” his future wife breathed, staring at him with wide eyes. 

Concern was etched on his brow. “What?” 

“My ovaries feel like they’re gonna explode.”

“Is that a bad thing…?” He wasn’t sure. 

“For my self-control? Yes. For you getting that thing you want really bad? No.” 

“What thing do I want…?” 

Her answer was to point at Nate, and his heartbeat stuttered, sucking in a breath.

This meant she really was contemplating them not waiting to have a baby, and it made hope swell in his chest. He didn’t want to be an asshole and deliberately wear down her resolve. Still, he also couldn’t control how he usually interacted with the Murphy kids, which apparently was getting to her—it made him happy that she was so affected by him being great with the children. He was beginning to think this trip was going to show her that he’d be a decent father.

He didn’t have a chance to respond, hearing from down the hall in the living room, Olivia shouting, “Is he here?!”

She must’ve just gotten home from school. 

“Sissy’s home!” Stevie exclaimed. 

“It sounds like she is,” Javier replied. “Let’s go see her.” He looked at Cielito. “Ready to meet the oldest?” 

“Yep.” 

Running footsteps could be heard as they made their way out of the room, his wif-girlfriend behind him on their journey toward the sound of voices. The young girl seemed to have run to where her father was in the living room because she came speeding back through the dining room that connected it to the front sitting area and finally found them. 

“Tío!” Olivia had a big grin, missing a couple of baby teeth in the front, throwing her arms around his middle when she reached him, hugging him hard. 

“Hola, mi sobrina (Hi, my niece). Lo siento, no tengo brazos para abrazarte en este momento (I’m sorry, I don’t have arms to hug you right now).”

Steve and Connie felt that Olivia should learn Spanish and had enrolled her in after-school classes for it since she first started going to school. Her dad’s Spanish was shit, and her mom’s wasn’t much better, so any time she needed help with homework she’d call Javier.  

“Está bien (It’s okay). Estoy feliz que estás aquí (I’m happy you’re here).”

Connie was walking up, having come from the kitchen. Nate immediately reached toward her and chanted Mom.

“I’m here, baby,” she said, taking him from Javier and returning to where she’d been. 

With a hand free, he patted Olivia’s back. 

“Hi, Sissy!” Stevie greeted. 

“Hi, Stevie,” she replied. 

“¿Cómo te fue en la escuela (How was school)?” Javier asked the nine-year-old. 

She let go of him to look up and meet his eyes. 

“Bien (Good). Aprendí sobre (I learned about), ¿cómo se dice dinosaurs (how do you say dinosaurs)?”

“Los dinosaurios. ¿Qué te enseñaban sobre los dinosaurios (What did they teach you about dinosaurs)?”

“Oh, my teacher wasn’t teaching us about dinosaurs today,” she said, switching to English. “I don’t know what she was teaching.” The girl shrugged. “I was too busy reading this book I got in the library about dinosaurs.”

He smiled. 

“Which dinosaur is your favorite?” 

“Triceratops! They could take on T-Rexes. I want to look for dinosaur fossils when I’m older!”

“You want to be a paleontologist?” 

She looked confused. “What’s a pale—a palien-tol-gist?”

“Paleontologist,” he said slower. “They’re scientists who study fossils.” 

“Yes, I want to do that!” She nodded enthusiastically. 

“Sissy!” Stevie loudly called, bouncing in Javier’s hold. “Sissy!” 

“Yes, Stevie?” 

“Tía’s gonna make cookies with me!” 

Confusion was on her face again. “Tía?” 

It made him realize he hadn’t introduced the young girl to his other half. 

“Yes, your tía,” Javier told her and moved the toddler from one arm to the other so he could wrap the free one around Cielito’s waist. “Olivia, I want you to meet the woman I’ve told you about who I’m gonna marry.” He introduced her to Cielito. 

“Oh! Cielito!” She looked over at the older woman. “Hi!” She waved.

Cielito was smiling. “Hi,” she replied. “It’s nice to meet you, Olivia.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, too. I wanna make cookies! What kind?”

“Chocolate chip.” 

“My favorite!” 

“Mine, too.” 

“Cookies!” Stevie shouted, making Javier snort and his future wife giggle. 

“Better head to the kitchen,” Javier said. 

“Yeah,” Cielito responded. “Let’s all go make cookies. You too, Olivia.” 

“Yes!” The girl did little jumps of excitement. 

In the kitchen, they found the ingredients for the cookies waiting for them on the counter, Connie having already gotten them out along with measuring cups and spoons, a large bowl, and an electric hand mixer. Hands were washed, including Stevie’s, who had a little stool to stand on so he could help as well as a toddler could. 

Cielito entranced the children as she walked them through step by step how to make the cookie dough, and Javier left the room for only a minute to run to the bedroom and grab his camera. 

She had Stevie in front of her on the stool, holding the toddler’s little hand to help him scoop the flour and sugar into the bowl, and Olivia next to her. She showed the young girl how to crack the eggs, and when they got to adding the chocolate chips, they all took handfuls to snack on—and through it all, Javier took pictures, getting candids of them laughing and others where he asked them to look and smile at him, Stevie always grinning big and saying cheese. 

Baking with a three-year-old was chaotic with how he wanted to touch and get into everything, but Cielito handled it like a champ and had the patience of a saint. 

It all had him thinking about their future, easily picturing her doing this same thing with their own kids. It reminded him of how some of his favorite memories growing up were cooking with his mom, and it made his eyes burn that his children would get to have similar experiences.

What he has known, and was being proven right, was he’s found his perfect match and the person he was supposed to spend his life with. 

From the moment he met her, there was something about her, some kind of pull—he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, and as he got to know her, she engulfed him, and he fell hard. After their first date, on his drive home, he experienced something new: he imagined what his future would look like with her in it. A lifetime played out in his mind of them dating, getting engaged, married, buying a house, getting a dog, and he’d never felt so much hope before. 

He didn’t think he had a chance in hell to make it a reality. He was positive he’d fuck it up before the third date. 

By some miracle, he didn’t. 

When he thought about those first few dates, the second was when he fell in love with her—that was when he knew she was it. By the third date, he knew he was going to marry her. 

A thing about Javier was when he put his mind to something, he got it done, and he didn’t like to waste time—this evidently also included relationships. He fucked up when he said he’d propose on their anniversary because there was no way he was going to be able to wait that long—and he cracked quicker than an egg hitting a wall. 

How could he not when she was so perfect?

Life was dull before her, empty; he always felt like something was missing. She was what was missing, filling that space inside him, turning everything vibrant and lively. There were an infinite number of ways their lives could’ve played out, and he knew in every single one the path he chose would always lead him back to her—they were meant to find each other. 

His love for her burned brighter than the brightest star in the night sky, and she was a part of him now—he could feel her burrowed deep down in his bones to the point there was no him without her any longer. She was his first and the only love of his life; there was no one before, and there wouldn’t be anyone after because she was the one for him. 

And when he held her, he held the entire world in his arms. 

She was his world. 

She was everything. 

And in less than twenty-four hours, she would hopefully say yes when he asked a particular question while holding a ring. 

Until then, he’d try to stay calm while watching her interact with his friend’s kids and ignore how his chest was filled with so much happiness he thought it might burst. These glimpses of what she’ll be like as a mother were driving him crazy, and it was taking everything in him not to haul her back to the bedroom and show her how much he loved it—they couldn’t, anyway, with the kids wanting to spend time with them and the damn bed. Fucking Steve.

He didn’t want to rile himself up, so he’d do his best to avoid thinking about her being the mother of his children or how earlier she said maybe to a baby.

Who was he kidding? It was all he could think about, and he was dying to get her alone.

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Tagging: @theorganasolo @nicolethered @nessamc @vanemando15 @fiscinthirst @melancholyy-hill @hnt-escape @sherala007 @jadesabre83 @rainbeaubrightchild @blub-senpai @pedrohoe04 @theherothesavior @captain-creampuff @javiersjeans @zetasaturno99 @amb11 @lovedbyth3sun @siidereeus @marvelousmermaid @mrszdjarin @themarcusmoreno @ms-loverman-066 @star-wars-fan-2005 @kissing-stars @chloeinpink @notyourlovemonkey @unofficialavenger90 @fictionismyreality @sheetsof-lennon @damnyoupedro @katareyoudrilling @iamskyereads @enjoyourlattebitch @daddydindjarin @absurdthirst @kirsteng42 @littlemisspascal @athalien @thevoiceinyourheadx @elegantduckturtle @harriedandharassed @girlofchaos @mswarriorbabe80 @theewokingdead @guess-my-next-obsession @pedrostories @deadhumourist

#pedro pascal #javier peña #Javier Peña/reader #javier peña x reader #javier peña x you #javier peña x y/n #kinktober #javier peña smut #learning to live series #wheresarizona writes

[tatsumessy]

when you get hurt badly - {blade (honkai star rail)}

you and blade had been dating for a while now but you having a shy personality and blade having more of a cold personality you were always put off a bit. not in a bad way but in a way to where you don’t want to do anything that might jeopardize the relationship. you both hadn’t discussed anything as important comparing to the future cause you were both busy with work but ever now and then he would make it known to people that you were in a relationship.

whether you two were in the same vicinity he’d always stay at most five feet away from you or just hover behind you while you do whatever you were doing. other than that, that was the most stimulation the two of you had with each other. but then there were sometimes where so many people would ask you because you were more prone to be talked too if you and blade broke up and you would say no with a little hesitation. because you were confused as to why they were asking such a stupid question.

things like this made you reminisce on your relationship that you should’ve tried harder on. currently you and three other people were dispatched on a mission to a dangerous deserted town that housed dangerous thugs and vigilantes. this would’ve been a piece of cake if you weren’t stuck with trainees who had a smaller power level than you. they all got caught off gaye’s and got beaten to a pulp, you were yelling at the last girl to stand up while you fought some guy but she wasn’t moving.

fear struck and your assumption was that she was dead, that moment of hesitation and confusion got you punched in the face. the man then proceeded to step on your leg breaking it. screaming out in pain you pulled out your weapon and started swinging at the man. he didn’t take your half assed threat seriously as he pushed forward knocking you harder onto the ground, your head hit the concrete with such impact that before you passed out you could feel him stab you in your stomach then a familiar voice of your mentor.

when you woke up everything was foggy, you remembered everything but your head hurt like a bitch. “your awake.” your mentor spoke, you sat up ignoring the pain and reopening your wound up trying to figure if the girl was okay. “she is fine. lay back down so i can stitch you back up. you have a concussion, a busted lip, two broken ribs and a broken leg. and you’re worried about someone else. reckless.” you rolled your eye while biting on your fingernails, “this is my fault. i should’ve paid better attention…” you said staring and wincing at the needle piercing through your skin again.

“you did fine, apparently they knew you were coming and planned that attack. you did as best as you could y/n.” she said cutting the excess off then grabbed bandages to wrap around your waist. suddenly the room door swung open and it was the last person your were expecting. blade was rushing into the room frantically looking around for you. once his eyes locked with yours he walked over and pushed your mentor out the way then grabbed your face to look at you. “what the hell happened. first of all, why didn’t you tell me you were going out on a mission?”

“it was an easy one i could’ve done it in my sleep.” you responded darting your eyes away from him, he was awfully close and your face was starting to heat up. “yet here you are with a broken leg, busted lip, concussion and broken ribs y/n. like i said what the hell happened out there? who did this to you.” “i was protecting someone i was incharge of. rather me than her.” you said trying to push him away so you could get some breathing room but he stayed put.

“no, better her than you.” he placed his hands on his hips and glared down at you. “i’m okay, it wasn’t a big deal blade.” for a second you could see a slight red dark glow in his eyes, it quite frankly scared you. he turned towards your mentor, “can we have the room please.” she nodded her head yes then left the room quickly, even she could sense the tension between the two of you.

“do you have a death wish or something? you. could. have. died.” he said emphasizing each word, you felt like you were getting scolded by your parent but really it was just your overprotective boyfriend. “but i didn’t. i was doing my job protecting the trainees.” he sighed and rolled his eyes before sitting down right next to you on the already shaky bed. you looked at him in confusion, he put his arm around your shoulder and forced you to lean into him. “i wish you leaned on me more y/n. i know i haven’t done my best on trying to move our relationship forward but come on.”

you wanted to laugh at his facial expression to mask the pain that you were in because this was a momentous occasion. blade actually opening up to you which with the pain you were in already made you emotional. tears fell down your cheeks, you wrap your arms around his abdomen and cry into his chest. “it hurts so bad…and i felt so helpless” you whined out, he laughed softly at your crying happy that you weren’t hiding things from him anymore especially when you were in pain.

#hsr blade #blade x reader #blade x you #blade x y/n #blade x female reader #honkai star rail #blade honkai #hsr #hsr x reader #hsr x you #hsr x y/n #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail x you #blade honkai star rail

[bloatedandalone04]

Warnings: fluff, mentions of smut, obsessive ethan bc my love, mentions of ptsd

➳Starting off lighty; the dude is obsessed with you.

➳Like right from the beginning.

➳You met in high school, but were never really ‘friends’.

➳Sure, if you needed to have a partner for an assignment, you’d ask him or he’d ask you, but that was pretty much it.

➳Much to his disappointment.

➳He felt annoyed at himself at the fact that he had four years to ask you out and he never did, and now you were both going to university.

➳Just imagine how happy he was when he bumped into you during orientation week at Uni.

➳You took him by surprise when you hugged him and told him how happy you were that you knew at least one person who would be attending the school with you.

➳You better believe he hugged you back - maybe a bit tighter than he should’ve - and asked about your schedule. He was overjoyed at how similar it was to his. 

➳Your non-existent friendship in high school turned into quick lunches together between classes and hour long study sessions every week.

➳It was only a matter of time before you began to feel things for him, the same things he had been feeling for you for four and a half years at that point.

➳One night, during one of your study sessions, Ethan offered to order pizza for the two of you as his roommate, Chad, had informed him through text that he was staying at his sister’s for the night.

➳You quickly agree, trying to hide the excitement bubbling within you at the thought of spending the rest of the night with the cute guy from your econ class.

➳Hours later, when both of you were covered in pizza grease and had turned to talking instead of studying, Ethan let it slip that he had a ‘small crush’ on you throughout high school.

➳You then let it slip that you ‘might possibly have a crush on him at this very moment’ and that was all it took.

➳A quick, pizza tasting kiss later and you were officially taken by each other.

➳When he introduced you to the rest of the group as his girlfriend, multiple looks of surprise were what he was met with.

➳“Damn, Ethan, how did you manage to get her to agree to go out with you?” Mindy would ask, earning a nudge from her own girlfriend. 

➳The way you said it was borderline bitter, and you knew you should be nice to his friends as it was your first time meeting them - except for Chad, who you knew for a few months now since he was Ethan’s roommate - but you didn’t like her teasing and accusatory tone directed at your boyfriend. 

➳Before he could even open his mouth, you were quick to defend him by wrapping your arms around one of his and shrugging, “The same way you got Anika to go out with you. The feelings were mutual,”

➳And Ethan was pretty sure that was when he realized he is in love with you.

➳Remember when it was mentioned that he was obsessed with you? 

➳Yeah, the guy is whipped.

➳He’d walk you to every class, not caring that he would have to sprint across campus to get to his own on time.

➳Quick but very heated makeout sessions in between classes were not uncommon. 

➳Study sessions turned into study dates and the night usually ended with the two of you having swollen lips and not actually getting any studying done at all.

➳A few months in and this guy is no longer a virgin, thanks to you.

➳Since you had a few boyfriends throughout high school, you weren’t as inexperienced as he was, so it was up to you to make his first time as comfortable as possible.

➳He was nervous for maybe three seconds before he quickly got the hang of it and ended up pressing you into the mattress for what felt like hours until your throat was sore and he reached that point only he had ever gotten himself to, before he met you. (Seriously, he became a sex beast from the second he lost his v-card)

➳Yeah, this guy is completely in love with you.

➳You see each other every single day, even on your busiest days, and usually end up spending the rest of the night together.

➳Whether that be at your place or his, you decide.

➳Now; Ghostface Ethan.

➳Let it be known that when the plan to kill his friends was made, you were the one person who would not be touched.

➳Ethan went to great lengths to ensure your safety, even going as far as taking a stab to the shoulder from when Quinn was behind the mask and going straight for you. (She had already “died” at this point and now it was his turn to get roughed up so the group wouldn’t suspect it was him - though he specifically told her to not go near you).

➳His sister scolded him on that later on, when he was patched up and in pain because he refused to let her harm you in any way.

➳But, he couldn’t deny how cute you looked when you ran over to him and held him, your hand pressed to his shoulder as his blood stained your favortie shirt you seemed to not give a flying fuck about at that moment. 

➳When the big reveal came, he made sure you were at the hospital with Mindy instead of the theatre.

➳He also made sure to let the sisters get a few swings in so he wouldn’t blow his cover when he returned to you and let his dad and sister finish off Mindy and Gale.

➳When you saw him again, covered in blood and cuts but alive, you never cried harder as he wrapped his arms around you; the two of you being painted as the only two survivors after blaming Kirby for it all.

➳After that, you took the year off school to cope with the loss and to also look into renting an apartment in the city together. 

➳In the end, Ethan went from hiding behind his crush on you to holding you against his chest every single night while he helped you deal with the PTSD from all of it.

#scream 6 ethan #scream 6 imagines #ethan scream 6 #ethan landry imagines #ethan landry x reader #ethan landry #scream 6 x reader #scream 6

[the-oblivious-writer]

Pretty Girl |5|

Tara Carpenter x Fem!Reader

Chapter Five: A Soggy Picnic

Summary: Your first date with Tara doesn't go as planned

Warning(s): Swearing

Notes: Last part of Pretty Girl! I appreciate all the support I've got on this series, you all are awesome

Previous Part

You knocked on Tara’s door, feeling a bit nervous– oh who were you kidding? You were extremely nervous. You’ve been wanting to take her out on a date for a while now and you were finally doing it. You would never forgive yourself if you somehow messed it all up.

The door opens to reveal Tara in a skirt and top, she looked absolutely stunning. You couldn’t pull your eyes from her. You shake your head slightly, trying to snap out of your trance. “You look amazing..” Tara’s face lit up and she smiled at you, “Thanks, Y/N. You don’t look too bad yourself.” She was also struggling to pull her eyes away. 

“Oh! These are for you,” you revealed the flowers that you were hiding behind your back and handed them to her. Tara happily took them, “These are lovely.” She briefly smelled them before noticing every single flower you had chosen to give her were her favorites. 

“Shall we?” You held out your arm for her to take, which she did. “We shall.”

—

It was raining. Of course it was. You had planned a picnic date, laying everything out on a blanket. Just when you and Tara start to get comfortable it starts down pouring. Luckily you brought an umbrella just encase but it still sucked. Within three minutes, most of the food was already unsalvageable.

“It’s fine, Y/N, really” Tara tried to reassure you but it was no use. “I should’ve picked an inside date, like the movies or something. I checked my Weather app like twenty times and not once did it say it was raining.”

You held the umbrella above Tara, not wanting her to get soaked on top of ruining your date. “I don’t mind getting a little wet,” she said before taking the umbrella from your hand and dropping it on the blanket.

“Wait, you’re gonna get it all soak–”

“And? I already told you I don't mind.–” she pulled you down by your collar until your faces were just centimeters away “—Besides, I’m here with you and that’s all I care about.” Her lips brushed against yours as she said this. Your eyes flickered down to her lips as she did the same to yours, you both leaned in until finally your lips touched.

Tara’s eyes closed shut as she enjoyed the kiss. You both melted into the kiss, your hands moving to her hips and her hands cupping your face. Both of you felt content and relieved, having waited what felt like forever. But if either of you were sure of anything, the wait was worth it.

You and Tara pull away from each other, your hands still on her hips and her hands still cupping your face.

“You’re a good kisser...” She said as she played with your collar. The both of you were still lost in each other's eyes, mesmerized by each other. “You’re not too bad yourself.” You replied with a smile, Tara mirroring it.

You had almost forgotten it was raining until the downpour picked up. “Shit, we should probably–”

“Yeah” you both gathered all your belongings and made it to your car, absolutely drenched. You shook your head in an attempt to get some of the water out of your hair. Tara did the same before taking off her jacket. “Damn, it’s pouring out there” Tara commented as she looked out of the window.

“Maybe a picnic date wasn’t my brightest idea” you said, still scolding yourself for your decision. Tara turned to you, looking you up and down before saying,“Believe or not this isn’t one of my worser dates. It was actually nice.”

“You’re just saying that cause I salvaged your favorite snacks.” You joked and Tara playfully rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, Y/L/N.”

“But seriously, I want a redo.” You stated as you pointed your finger at her. What you didn’t expect was for Tara to grab the hand you rest on your thigh and hold it. But you weren’t complaining. “You’ll get your redo. And that’s a promise.” Tara leaned in and kissed your cheek.

“Now” — she gave your hand a light squeeze — “let’s go back, I’m in the mood for a movie night.” 

“Sounds good to me,” still holding her hand you started the car. Somewhere along the drive her hand made its way to your thigh, you chose not to say anything. Enjoying the warmth of her touch as you drove.

When you both got back to her place, nobody else was there so you didn’t have to worry about any interruptions. You and Tara changed into dry clothes and put on a movie to watch. You wrapped your arm around her as she laid her head on your shoulder.

With both your feelings finally out in the open, you two had nothing to hide from each other. It gave you a satisfied feeling that you no longer had to worry about your feelings being unreciprocated.

You were falling for her and she was falling for you. Although it was a scary feeling, at least you were falling together.

-----------

A/N: Once again, thank you sm for all the support! More work is to come, I'm working on a new series that I'm actually super excited about

#jenna ortega #tara carpenter #tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter x y/n #tara carpenter x you #tara carpenter x female reader #scream #pretty girl

[letters2won]

GOOD 4 U!

03; Bewitched

Your legs bounces up and down as the realization hits you.

You’re not a regretful person. You don’t regret accidentally taking a raccoon home instead of your beloved dog or how you showed a Jacob Elordi edit in front of your English class when you meant to present your presentation on “The Outsiders”.

But fake dating? not your smartest idea…

You have to be crazy for suggesting it. You have to be even crazier to agree to it. But what do you expect from a down bad admirer and a girl who wishes to move on?

The adored cat-like boy sitting across from you, felt his hands get sweaty. He knows you’re here to lay out some ground rules, but this was basically a date in his eyes!

You two sat in awkward silence, unsure on how to start the conversation. “Can’t believe your ex hates my guts… I'm just a silly little guy!” he joked out and you let a giggle slip out.

After that small joke he made, you guys were able to relax and have a smooth conversation. Jungwon even managed to started a debate on how cats were better than dogs.

“You’re literally betraying your own dog right now!” you said through fits of giggles. He was laughing alongside you as he ate the shared cake you guys got.

Soon after you two were full off of sweets and had calmed down, deciding it was best to start the rules as you see the sun setting.

“How should we go about this..?” he began, trying to hide his excitement.

You pondered for a minute before responding, “Rule number one! Don’t fall in love!”

Jungwon's smile falters a little before he proceeds to roll his eyes, “Seriously? Am I not your type?” he teased.

“Maybe if you were Choso..” you seriously considered and he glared at you.

“Of course you’re a Jujutsu Kaisen fan.. it all makes sense now.”

“HEY?!”

You huffed and then continued, “Oh another one! Rule number two, we hold hands and give each cheek kisses to make it believable!”

Jungwon's eyes widened. He only ever imagined giving you small pecks of kisses, he can’t believe his manifestations are coming true right now. You on the other hand can’t believe you really came up with that. Feeling embarrassed, you moved on rather quickly.

“Oh! I got one! Rule number three, only our close friends will know the truth.”

“Do we have to let them in on our plans..” he mumbled.

“Well yea! I suck at lying, I even got a whole medal at home for being the worst liar in school!” which you stated a little too proudly. He should’ve questioned that but he didn’t, instead he gave you a love sick smile and sighed dreamily, “You’re so talented…”

“Rule number four, We go on dates every friday or saturday!”

Jungwon added on, “We should also always go to each events..” and you weighed the pros and cons of that. For a second, you almost forgot that this was your student council president that was going along with everything that you were saying.

He plays such an important role for the school yet here you are dragging him into your little petty revenge plan on your ex without an incentive.

“Jungwon, what do you want to benefit from this? I feel kind of selfish for only thinking about my side of the plan..”

He let out a hum before giving you his famous dimpled smile which has you bewitched. “I want to spend more time with you in all of this.”

There it is again, that funny feeling. Something about Jungwon is making your heart do somersaults and cartwheels. You’re still confused about what's happening and tried to push it aside. You never felt like this with your ex so why now?

You cleared your throat after realizing you were staring at him with a dumbfounded look for a good moment, “O-oh okay! Easy peasy!”

He let out a breathy laugh as you tried acting nonchalant, shifting in your seat feeling your face get hot. “Moving on! For the last rule…hm.” You two started thinking hard, almost felt like your thinking caps were going to explode any second now.

You gasped and gave him a wide smile, “ Rule number five, every Thursday you watch the new Jujutsu Kaisen episode with me.” He gave you a deadpanned look.

“I’m not watching Jujutsu Kaisen with you.”

“Please! None of my friends wants to watch or hear my thoughts and since you’re my soon to be boyfriend you have to tune in to my rant sessions about them!” you rambled on, giving him those expecting wide eyes.

Jungwon was gone. He had officially lost it. Soon to be boyfriend? Yeah, he’s agreeing with everything you're saying from now on.

“I’ll do anything you ask me from now on queen!”

Oh boy… he is down bad.

PREV ✩ MASTERLIST ✩ NEXT

╰┈➤ this feels kind of rushed… i hope you guys enjoyed </3

SYNOPSIS in which you’re DEFINITELY not upset that your ex moved on really easily (spoiler alert: you are!). Yang Jungwon, the student council president is glad your ex moved on because it’s time for him to shoot his shot (just not in the way he wanted.. a win is a win in his book!)

TAGLIST < open > @firstclassjaylee @sincerelyrki @w0nslvr @poollabug @mrchweeee @nanuer @jwonistic @nyfwyeonjun @jiamini

#enhypen #smau #enhypen heeseung #enhypen sunghoon #yang jungwon #aespa winter #enha smau #enhypen jake #enhypen jay #enhypen sunoo #enhypen niki #enhypen jungwon #jungwon smau #the boyz sunwoo #soul p1harmony #huh yunjin #aespa #jungwon x reader #kpop smau #enhypen smau #enha #enha x reader

[geekgirles]

The Doll and the Dragon

Chapter 3 That Distant Shore

Word Count: 15,977

Read on AO3

Previous/Next

Summary: "The day has finally come where Amalia will get to leave the palace premises and explore around Oma Island alongside Yugo. However, much to their mutual surprise, it won't take long before it becomes apparent the island's landscapes won't be the only thing they'll explore today. Soon they'll learn more about themselves and each other, at the same time as they wonder if they truly know each other at all."

“So, you’re getting ready for your date?” Nora asked him from where she lay upside down on his bed, her feet dangling in the air as she munched on some snacks she snatched from the kitchen. 

How she didn’t choke on those from her position was beyond him. 

“How many times do I have to tell you? It’s not a date!” Yugo snapped, rolling his eyes in annoyance at his sister’s insistence. He was looking at her from over his chair, his body facing the desk he kept in his room for last minute documents he had to look over. 

That was the downside of always being out and about, the stacks of paperwork that would inevitably pile up. 

Seriously, between the bureaucratic work and his sister’s antics at his expense, he really doubted he would live to a thousand years, at least in this lifetime. 

It was Nora’s turn to roll her eyes, an action which she made sure to emphasise. Leave it to Yugo to be in denial. Propping herself on his bed so she was sitting upright right after gobbling up her last snack, she flashed him a bored look. 

“Right, right. I always forget. It’s not a date.”

“Thank you.” Yugo puffed out his chest, glad his younger sister was finally seeing reason. 

“You’re just going to be adventuring around the island—one of your favourite things in the whole wide Krosmoz—alongside Amalia, whom I seem to recall you actually asked if she was okay with it, and sweating a Rogue’s whole bullet supply while you were at it; just the two of you. Yeah, it sure doesn’t sound like a date to me.”

Yugo pouted. He should’ve known it was a trap. 

“Well, it’s not!” He protested, even as he tried to busy himself with work to drown Nora’s sarcastic comments out. “Come on, Nora, I thought you were better than that.”

She furrowed her brow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

She definitely was not above teasing her older brother about his painfully obvious crush on the pretty flower that got sent to him. His being in denial only made it all the more entertaining. So she had no idea what he meant about ‘being better than that.’

“Don’t play coy.” He told her sternly, swirling his body once again to point at her with an accusing finger and a serious expression on his face. “Aren’t you supposed to be above all these ‘archaic notions meant to hinder positive interactions between members of the opposite sex such as the impossibility of men and women fostering fully platonic relationships’?”

Nora could only blink in disbelief. Once. Twice. Up to three times. Finally, she offered a slow, sarcastic clap, her tone flat. “Wow, I’m impressed. Where did you get all that from, Yugo, by memorising Simone de Bouftou’s works?”

Yugo just rolled his eyes, turning his focus back to signing documents and away from his annoying sister. “Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about all that?”

“No way!” She replied, waving the mere notion off with a psh! sound. “Of course men and women can be just friends. I mean, look at me, I’m only friends with most guys I know!” Then, she muttered to herself, “And I say most because the remaining guys are my brothers and that would be gross.”

Yugo wisely chose not to comment on how she wasn’t exactly interested in pursuing a relationship with any man in the first place. 

Ignoring his train of thought, she went on, undeterred. “Doesn’t change the fact that you and Amalia are going out on a date, though.”

Exhaling deeply from his nose, Yugo all but threw his pen down at the desk, causing a little thud! to echo around the room before it began to roll around the wooden surface it was in. He’d better be realistic and accept he would not get any work done, not with Nora this intent on getting on his nerves today. 

After solving Amalia’s little problem with her room—though, truth be told, she solved it entirely by herself—, the Divine Doll had timidly asked him if they could explore Oma Island some time soon, confiding in him her own desire to learn more about the world around her. A desire Yugo himself was intimately familiar with. 

In a moment of weakness, despite his better judgement, Yugo had given in, relating to her feeling of solitude with nothing to do and nowhere to go. And because he was a man of his word, he had been planning on the perfect escapade, writing down all the incredible places that could be found on the island his people now called home and deciding which ones they should start with. 

It wasn’t like he was excited, or anything of the sort. But, for whatever reason, the gods had entrusted him with a Sadida Doll, and this would apparently be Amalia’s first time seeing the outside world since her creation. The least he could do was make it worthwhile. 

And yes, maybe he had been a little nervous when he asked her if she wanted to go, and maybe the fact that he asked her at all would raise a few eyebrows among the most old-fashioned people, who would immediately label it as a date. But it wasn’t a date! There was no romantic intent behind it, he had only been trying to come up with the perfect plan because this would be Amalia’s first outing and he wanted her to enjoy herself, and he had only asked because…

Well, because asking a person if they wanted to do something rather than just assume and force them to do anything was just common decency!

As Shinonomé said, Amalia was their guest, not their prisoner. Even if they would be keeping an eye on her until the reason for her arrival became clear, they would still treat her with the respect a Sadida Doll deserved. 

And if asking her to join him on a little walk around the island counted as an adventure for her and made her smile like she had won a bet against Ecaflip, then he would gladly plan as many adventures and little escapades as she—

He was getting sidetracked! Shaking his head and with it those thoughts away, he couldn’t help but huff as he bit his lip, irritated both at Nora and at himself. But mostly at Nora. Sometimes he was sure her divine gift wasn’t bringing joy to their people, but to get on his nerves. 

“For the last time, it’s not a date! We’re just friends!” He threw his hands to his sides, desperate for his sister to finally listen to what he had to say. 

“What’s not a date?”

Their heads perking up at the sound of the new voice, both Yugo and Nora turned to face the newcomer with equally curious faces. Standing awkwardly in the doorway under their scrutiny was Adamaï, the round opening closing behind him. His brown irises flickered back and forth between his siblings and he had a stack of papers in his claws. 

Clearing his throat to dispel the sudden tension he found himself in, he thumped the bundle of paper on the table to organise them a little before handing them to Yugo. “Here, these are Qilby and Shinonomé’s reports on the new medicine they’re developing from some of Qilby’s plants. They want you to look through it and see if you can give them the go-ahead.”

The dragon’s discomfort only grew when a smile kept stretching over his twin’s face slowly. It was a little unnerving, to say the least. So, curling his tail around himself in unease, he braced himself for the worst. 

“What?” He asked flatly. 

“Adamaï, just in time!” Yugo jumped to his feet and hugged his brother tightly, patting him on the back. Not knowing how to react, all poor Adamaï could do was to awkwardly return the gesture. 

It wasn’t like he was adverse to receiving physical affection from Yugo, the two were undoubtedly close, after all; it was just that he had no idea what could have possibly prompted such a reaction from him. 

Already knowing he would come to regret ever opening his mouth, the dragon asked, “‘Just in time’ for what?”

Yugo broke the hug and gestured towards Nora, who had one eyebrow quirked and her face rested against her knuckles. “Ad, could you please tell Nora I’m not going on a date with Amalia?”

Oh, that actually explained so much. With a shrug, he turned to the magenta-clad Eliatrope, “He’s not going on a date with Amalia.”

The king threw his hands up in the air and his head back in triumph, blessing his lucky stars for having at least one decent sibling. “Thank you! See? There you have it, I’m not going on a date with Amalia!”

But Nora just hummed in response, her expression impassive. With the same stone-faced look, she turned to Adamaï, “And do you actually believe that?”

His answer was swift and devastating. “Not even for a second.”

“Adamaï!” Yugo screeched, bringing a hand to his chest in abject horror, the feeling of betrayal oozing from his pores. “Whose side are you on!?”

Ad just raised his claws up in surrender, though the smirk on his face made it plenty clear he wasn’t sorry in the slightest. “Hey, you told me to tell her you don’t have a date with Amalia; you never said anything about saying that and meaning it.”

The Eliatrope King opened up his mouth to protest, and promptly shut it. His face contorted itself into a grimace as he tried to refute his twin’s logic, but had to resign himself to accepting he had been had. 

Instead, all he could say was, “I hate you.”

The dragon smirked, “Love you too, bro.”

Their attention was drawn back to the only girl in the room when Nora made a show of clasping her hands loudly. She was still on Yugo’s bed, which creaked under her weight, seated in a lotus position as she crossed her arms and sent her king an infinitely smug look. 

“There you have it, you’re going out on a date with Amalia. End of the story.”

She had to refrain herself from rolling her eyes to the back of her skull when Yugo insisted on contradicting her, wagging a finger in the air for added effect. 

“No, no, no.” He shook his head very slowly and deliberately, slowly closing the distance between them as he spoke. “By your own definition, a date is two people, in this case, a man and a woman, doing something they enjoy together.”

“That is correct, yes.” Nora decided to humour him, nodding along. 

“Given you won’t believe me even when I tell you there’s no romantic intent on my part—”

He could feel himself bristle at the infuriating look his two siblings exchanged right under his nose. But that didn’t matter; he went on. 

“—then I feel obligated to point out we’re not going alone!” 

That got her attention, her brow furrowed in confusion. “You’re not?”

“Nope.” Yugo shot back, popping the ‘p’ and thoroughly enjoying the white-haired Eliatrope’s perplexed look. “Adamaï here will be coming with us.”

Suddenly seeing his twin openly gesturing at him caused the dragon in question to start, before jogging up his memory and realising he had indeed agreed to such a thing. “Ah, that’s right. To help you keep an eye on Amalia and make sure nothing happens to her.” Then, he added, tilting his thought in confusion, “But didn’t you say she redecorated her entire room in less than five minutes thanks to her power over nature? Oma Island is overflowing with vegetation, if anything, she’s the one with the advantage here.”

“Doesn’t hurt to be prepared, just in case.” Yugo replied absently, his eyes strained on Nora’s smirking face. That… was not the kind of reaction he was expecting from her after such revelation. It was making his stomach churn, honestly.

For her part, Nora was supremely amused by this. Yugo might be their people’s greatest warrior and a good king, but he could be so utterly hopeless sometimes, especially when it came to romance. No wonder he had never once taken a queen in all his reincarnations, according to Qilby and Shinonomé. She had to suppress an impish giggle. That was what made teasing him on these matters so much fun. 

“I see.” She finally said, her smirk unwavering. “You’re right. You definitely do not have a date with Amalia.”

Exchanging cautious glances with Ad, Yugo dared to say, “Right? T-thank you for finally noticing—.”

“You have a date with Amalia, and a chaperone.” She finished, finally allowing the full scope of her amusement to show on her features. 

Yugo’s whole posture slumped, a vexed pout on his lips. He could only blame himself, he really should have seen that one coming. 

Letting out a heavy sigh as he straightened himself up slightly,  he pinched the bridge of his nose in vexation. “For the last time, Amalia and I are just friends!” He groaned, throwing his arms to the side. “Why do you all insist I have feelings for her? You and Chibi tease me to no end, Efrim accuses me of letting her cloud my judgement, Qilby… I have no idea what he does or what he thinks, as always…”

Nora pretended to think for a second, she was about to open up her mouth when—.

“Um, maybe because you make it so painfully obvious?”

Everyone turned to the origin of the voice, coming face-to-face with a very smug-looking Qilby leaning against the doorframe. Yugo really couldn’t tell if he didn’t notice because he was so engrossed in the conversation or because their doors were too quiet. Which was ridiculous, to be honest. It wasn’t just a large rock shuttle in the middle of the room, it even lit up with wakfu every so often!

Seriously, their children didn’t even need nightlights to ward off monsters in the dark. The doors were more than enough!

“Okay, never mind.” Yugo said, his tone flat. “I know exactly what Qilby does…”

“You would if you actually used your time as a king should and read through our reports.” Qilby pointed out matter-of-factly as he strutted into the room, unperturbed by the sour look on his brother’s face. 

“For once I agree with you, dear brother.” Nora said sweetly, too sweetly. The way she leaned forward with her head resting over her intertwined fingers was a clear sign of how much she was enjoying watching her king squirm.

“I would've been done with these documents about an hour ago if you didn’t keep on distracting me.” Yugo protested weakly. 

His siblings were not having it, however. 

“No, you would have not.” They all deadpanned in unison.

Joining his little sister on the bed, which creaked under the added weight, Qilby stretched, passing his arms behind his back with a loud pop! Mirroring Nora’s devious smirk, he asked, “Why are we talking about Yugo’s obvious crush on his precious flower now?”

Purposely ignoring his twin’s frantic gesturing not to say a word, Adamaï took the liberty of explaining things. “Because they’re going adventuring today.”

“Seriously, Ad. Whose side are you on?!” Yugo scoffed as he threw his hands to his sides, incredulous. “And you deliberately left out the fact that you’re coming with us.”

To his chagrin, his dragon twin simply shrugged. “It’s not like my presence is going to change much.”

“Ah, I see. So this is a date with a chaperone.” Qilby interjected, stroking his braided beard with interest. 

“That’s what I said!” Nora exclaimed, before breaking down into uncontrollable laughter.

With a pensive hum, the eldest Eliatrope continued. “You know, this reminds me of our 168th reincarnation. You used to ask Adamaï or Chibi to chaperone for you on your dates with Dydda. Although, that had more to do with the fact that her father was very overprotective, rather than you being in denial.”

“What do I have to do to get it through your skulls that there’s nothing going on between Amalia and I? And I’m not in denial.” Yugo sighed, rubbing his face with his hands in frustration. He thought best not to point out how, unlike whoever this Dydda girl’s father was, he most likely had nothing on a literal god.

Or maybe he should point it out. It was incredible how easily they all forgot the real reason behind Amalia’s presence in their lives. 

“Oh, denying your denial. That’s a bad sign.” Qilby whispered conspiratorially to Nora, who nodded wisely. He purposely made his voice louder than it should be as he did so, loving every single second of seeing his younger brother twitch uncomfortably in his place. The smirk returning to his face as he basked in the glory of his youngest brother’s less than amused expression, he smugly added. “If you’re not interested in our dear doll, why is it that you’ve been choosing to blow off training with our siblings to practise all by your lonesome right in front of her room, hm?”

Nora’s bright pink eyes lit up in realisation before setting on him like feral, starving Bow Wow staring at a bone. “That’s right! Ever since Amalia arrived, you barely let yourself be seen around the training grounds! Only when we need to tutor our elite guards in training.”

Eyes widening at the accusation, Yugo was convinced his heart just stopped. Choking on air, he had to discreetly thump his closed hand over his chest to get it to start pumping blood again. 

He cleared his throat in an attempt to appear nonchalant. “...I don’t know what you’re talking about?” He hated how that sounded painfully unconvincing even to his ears. 

Qilby just rolled his eyes. “Please, Yugo. Need I remind you I remember everything that’s ever happened since the moment we were born, millennia ago? Whenever you like someone, you can’t help but show off in front of them. And since right now training is your best option to flex that divine physique of yours… Well, you do the maths.”

The Eliatrope King could feel his face heating up at the accusation. And worst of all, the eldest Eliatrope wasn’t exactly wrong. It had been a while since he went to the training grounds with his siblings. Doing his own routine at the back of the palace, where Amalia’s balcony was located, had sort of become a routine for the both of them by now. 

If he was being honest, that development hadn’t been intentional on his part. In fact, it all started because his siblings blew him off first. They had been planning on practising some group formations in case the Twelvians sent more warriors after them, only to then be forced to spend a good half hour waiting for them. It wasn’t until Shinonomé soared right above him and noticed him all by his lonesome that he was informed their siblings all had urgent matters to attend to and would not be able to train that day. 

From an outsider’s perspective, it would have been ironic that the king, who was supposed to be the busiest person of all, was also the only one who had found time to do some physical exercise. However, Yugo’s position as their people’s greatest warrior also justified he dedicated some time of his day, every day, to honing his skills to remain sharp and battle-ready. 

So with nothing better to do and not feeling like forcing their guards-in-training to clean after one person’s mess, he decided he could use some change in scenery. Only problem was he forgot his usual spot away from everyone else currently housed the Sadida Doll he already went out of his way to keep a strictly platonic relationship with. 

And it worked! It really did. Amalia didn’t try to convince him to take her as his bride or even bring the subject up at all. She was mostly content with letting herself be dragged around the palace and making idle conversation with him. Yugo actually wondered if she would ever drop the anvil on him, seeing how restless she looked from time to time…

Looking back, it was painfully obvious to see the Divine Doll really needed to get out more. 

The point is, he had been successfully keeping her at arm’s length, too wary of the gods’ true intentions behind sending her to them to risk putting his kingdom in jeopardy. But when he caught her staring intently at his display of physical prowess for the first time, her brown, doe-like eyes glimmering in awe and the softest blush dusting her cheeks, he felt something powerful, and a little bit cocky, surge within him. 

What began as mere attack drills became an elaborate choreography that ended up leaving him more winded than when he actually fought the World of Twelve’s champions. But the shortness of his breath, the accelerated heartbeat echoing in his ribcage, or the soreness in his muscles were nothing compared to the rush of adrenaline and pride he felt upon seeing Amalia’s reaction. 

Before he knew it, that one-time thing had become an addictive habit he had trouble even envisioning himself breaking. 

And apparently, his siblings had taken notice of it too. 

There was no way he was going to tell all that to them, of course. Especially not when Qilby and Nora were still laughing uncontrollably at his expense, their laughing fit having started roughly at the same time he froze on the spot at the bespectacled Eliatrope’s accusations. With a tsk! sound and a long-suffering roll of his eyes, he turned his back to them long enough to grab his cloak from his coat stand and put it on, pulling his hood over his head as well. 

With a nod of his head, he motioned for Adamaï to follow him. Purposely ignoring the way his actions finally broke Nora and Qilby out of their little trance, he pointed at the floor, his palm glowing a bright blue, and opened up a portal big enough to fit both him and Adamaï.

“Whe—...Where are…where are you going?” Nora managed to ask in between wheezes, wiping a tear away. 

“To pick Amalia up to show her around. At this rate, rather than take her on an adventure, I’ll take her to bed.” He replied simply, seemingly not realising how that sounded. 

As Qilby’s laughter intensified, a predatory grin made its way to the pink-eyed Eliatrope’s lips. “Hey, if you don't want to, I’ll more than gladly—.”

And just like that Yugo and Adamaï were gone. 

“Rude.” She scoffed. 

.......................................................................................................................

Amalia was practically buzzing with excitement. Today was the day she’d manage to leave the palace premises and explore Oma Island for a bit! Oh, she wasn’t sure this day would ever come. She had replayed the moment Yugo proposed the idea to her in her mind over a million times already.

It had been shortly after she admitted to disliking her room and receiving his and Chibi and Grougal’s help with redecorating the space more to her liking. That morning, not long after the little routine they had going on where Yugo trained in front of her balcony and she got to enjoy the show, he had come knocking on her door. 

Amalia still couldn’t make sense of how uncomfortable he looked when she offered him to come inside, only for him to vehemently, albeit politely, reject her offer and remain rooted to the spot beside the door frame even as the shuttle closed behind him. But she chose to shrug his weird behaviour off—honestly, between Yugo’s mercurial moods, where one second he seemed completely at ease only to tense up at the next; Nora’s strange comments both about them and about her, especially her; Efrim’s glares; and Qilby’s indecipherable expressions, the Divine Doll was really beginning to think what she considered odd behaviour was just culture shock. For all she knew, that was completely normal for Eliatropes!

So dropping the matter for the time being, she focused instead on what he was trying to tell her. Apparently he wanted them to have breakfast together. That in itself was great. Given how their interactions usually went, they would most likely walk around the palace afterwards. Maybe she could try bringing the subject of looking around the island up again?

Amalia dropped her porridge-filled spoon into her bowl the moment Yugo beat her to the punch mid-breakfast and suggested exactly that, her eyes as wide as the saucers carrying sweets, cold meats, fruit, and many other food options on the table. Then she proceeded to almost knock an unprepared Yugo out of his chair when she threw herself at him to hug him as thanks. Only to let him go immediately after because, judging by the way his whole body tensed up at the contact and how the maids and servants were staring at them owlishly, it seemed Eliatrope culture wasn’t big on public displays of affection. 

Which Amalia couldn't help but find ironic since their portal-making abilities usually meant their concept of personal space was a little faulty. 

Nevertheless, once she had released him and he recovered from the shock—Amalia told herself then to be more careful in the future; she was no longer with her family and couldn’t afford to be overly touchy-feely—, Yugo admitted to having been thinking over what she said about leaving the palace and how he reached the conclusion that she was right. Oma Island was her home now, it’d be better if she knew her way around it. 

And so, the rest of their breakfast was spent picking the perfect date and with a pleading Amalia begging a tight-lipped Yugo to tell her more details of their first ever adventure together. But even the doll’s best efforts were futile. He just told her to be ready when the day came and to let him worry about the rest.

And now that the day had finally arrived, she was so beyond herself with joy, no matter what she did, she just couldn’t stay still while she waited for Yugo to arrive to pick her up. 

That wasn’t an exaggeration. She had tried sitting on the floor and caressing the vines and ferns she’d grown the other day. She laid on her bed upside down and with her feet dangling in mid-air as she propped her head with her hands, or with her back to the wall as her eyes followed the lines composing the murals on the walls, trying to make sense of them. She had spent hours in front of her vanity, brushing her hair and trying to look her best. But nothing! 

As she frantically paced around her room like a caged animal, she couldn’t help but think Xelor seemed intent on making time go by more slowly today. 

She shuddered at the memory of her brief interaction with the time god, when her father introduced her to the other gods before sending her to the World of Twelve. Overall, he seemed nice, but she just couldn’t get over having to look him in the chest to look him in the eye…

Watching someone’s pectorals squinting was a scarring experience she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy. And when his mouth curled over his stomach? Amalia was the one who didn’t have the stomach for it. 

In a twist of fate, it was as if she had accidentally summoned Xelor himself and got him to do his job. For just as she got lost reminiscing, a knock on the windowpane leading to her balcony broke the Divine Doll out of her thoughts. 

With a gasp, she abruptly stopped pacing. Her eyes trained on the windowpane, she commanded two of the vines on her wall to open it with a gesture of her hands. She could only squeal in equal parts delight and excitement at the sight before her, before rushing out to the balcony without a second thought. 

Hovering over the railing were Yugo and his dragon brother Adamaï, the latter having spread his draconic wings to achieve such a feat. While Adamaï’s posture, with his arms folded over his chest and his batting wings, remained more guarded than Yugo’s, whose body was mostly hidden by his usual blue cloak, the two of them still wore pleasant smiles as they waited for her. 

Her eyes flickering down for a fraction of a second, she couldn’t help but smile appreciatively when she noticed they were hovering on purpose just so they could avoid stepping on her vines. That was so thoughtful of them.

“Yugo, you’re really here!” She exclaimed happily, her brown eyes glimmering in delight as she got closer. 

The Eliatrope chuckled at her reaction. “Well, I did say today I’d take you out.” He turned to his twin. “Isn’t that right, Adamaï?”

“I wasn’t there when you agreed on the specifics, but if that's what you said you would do, then the least you can do is hold up your end of the bargain.” He shrugged, not too concerned. 

The exchange causing her to remember her other guest and flush at her lack of manners, the Sadida Doll rushed out to rectify her mistake. “Oh, Adamaï! I’m so sorry, it’s great to see you too. We really haven’t had the chance to interact more.” She sheepishly cupped her cheek with one hand. “Uh, forgive me but, um… why exactly are you here?”

Despite how obvious it was he would only be third-wheeling on these two’s not-a-date (as Yugo insisted on calling it), Adamaï couldn’t help but chuckle at the doll’s innocent, albeit genuine, question. He had just opened his mouth when he sensed his brother’s voice inside his head, begging him not to embarrass him like the rest of their siblings would. 

As tempted as he was to screw with his twin and tell Amalia Yugo was just so worried about today going well and ensuring her safety, he specifically sought him out and chose this very date—the one day all week Adamaï didn’t have business of his own to tend to, mind you—to take her out, he thought better of it. 

On the one hand, it was true their siblings had been giving their king a lot of grief over the Amalia topic, and even though Yugo liked to act like everything was fine, Ad had been by his side since back in their Dofus days. And he knew Yugo really didn’t like to have his intentions with Amalia questioned or distorted for a cheap laugh, just like he knew Efrim’s obvious hostility and distrust towards her had really rattled him. 

Whenever the members of the Council of Six had tenser interactions than bickering, it was very serious. If they weren’t careful, their people were sure to find out, and putting them further on edge given everything that happened with the Twelvians since they arrived to this world was the last thing they needed. 

All that, combined with Amalia’s expectant, innocent brown gaze, made it impossible for him to have some fun of his own. Perhaps the Divine Doll didn’t know what things like suitors or brides or marriages were, but it was clear to see there was something there when it came to her ease around Yugo. And the blue-and-white dragon couldn’t bring himself to risk toying with her feelings. 

With an almost imperceptible shake of his horned head over how soft he was getting, he finally said, “Yugo thought it’d be best if we both showed you around, since we know Oma Island like the back of our hands. After all, we are our people’s greatest adventurers!” He stated proudly. 

“But that’s amazing!” The Divine Doll gasped. “Is that really true, Yugo?”

“Oh, you’d better believe it!” He nodded, clasping a hand on his twin’s shoulder and sharing a mischievous grin. “There’s nothing Ad and I love more than living adventures and discovering new places. Why, just ask Chibi and Grougal; our old room used to be filled to the brim with countless souvenirs from all the places we visited!”

As the two brothers shared a laugh and began reminiscing on some past adventures, Amalia was grinning like a fool. She couldn’t help but frown in confusion and the mention of their ‘old room’, vague memories of her father and the gods mentioning the Eliatropes were not native to the World of Twelve but not much else echoing in her mind. But she pushed that away for the time being in favour of focusing on the revelation of Yugo and Adamaï being great adventurers. 

How great was that?! Oh, here she was, longing to see the outside world, and Yugo and Adamaï had already seen so much of it! She imagined herself journeying the world, meeting fascinating new people and places, and having the time of her life doing so. For some reason she couldn’t explain, knowing Yugo had already done it all before filled her with a strange but warm feeling, one she couldn’t quite bring herself to dislike. 

The King of the Eliatropes really was amazing. 

While they kept exchanging stories, the sight of Amalia watching them interact in interest reminded Ad they weren’t alone. Elbowing his brother discreetly to get his attention, he was about to suggest they leave when one look at the Divine Doll stopped him in his tracks. 

“Um, forgive me, Amalia. But do you really think it’s a good idea to go around dressed like that?” He said instead, pointing at her outfit with one claw. 

Yugo was about to reprimand his brother when he, too, took notice of what the wild beauty was wearing. “Now that you mention it… Ad’s right, Amalia. Don’t get me wrong, you look great,” he admitted sheepishly, scratching his cheek in discomfort and ignoring the pointed look his brother sent him, “but, uh… We’re going to be moving around a lot, so maybe that’s not the most comfortable thing?”

Her eyes narrowing in slight offence, Amalia glanced down at her outfit… And immediately looked right back up, embarrassed. She was wearing the very same dress she had on when first meeting Yugo—the very same thing she had been wearing since, in fact. The boys were right, while undoubtedly beautiful, it would not do for her first adventure. 

Luckily, she knew just what to do. 

“If you want, we could call the Royal tailor to fix you something up real quick—” Yugo’s words were silenced by the Sadida Doll’s raised hand. 

“There’s no need!” She said brightly. “I actually spent hours choosing this outfit. Wait, let me just…” As she trailed off, taking on a palm-up pose, a current of air carrying brownish, autumn leaves picked up, taking the primordial siblings by surprise and forcing them, not for the first time, to avert their eyes. They couldn’t help but wonder if this kind of thing would become a recurring occurrence with Amalia around. 

When the wind finally died down again and they got to take one look at the doll, Yugo could only vaguely make out the sound of an unamused Adamaï spitting out some leaves that got in his mouth as the sound of his own blood rushing to his ears was all he could hear. And the vision before him was all he could pay attention to. 

Just like she did when she first introduced herself, Amalia had altered her physical form, although, it would be more accurate to say this time she had changed her clothing. She no longer wore the regal leafy orange and green dress the king had come to associate her with. Instead, she had donned a pair of beige pants made out of some kind of vegetal fibre he would not be able to name. She wore a simple, strapless dirty white top that left her neckline, shoulders and upper back exposed, with a pair of long, matching wristbands reaching past her biceps covering her arms and the back of her delicate hands. Joining both her upper and lower halves was a dark brown band with a large, orange leaf that covered both her chest and reached down between her legs, the same colour as the new pair of anklets around her bare feet. 

As his eyes travelled all the way up to meet her face, Yugo noticed how this time she had gone the extra mile to change her hairstyle as well. While still held up by a high ponytail, Amalia had foregone the elaborate tiara and antlers, choosing instead for her wild mane to remain as natural as possible. Still, the new look accentuated the doll’s sweeter, more delicate aspects; her silky green hair was now flufflier, with her side-bangs curling around her face and her fringe reaching past her forehead—it it weren’t for the shape of it, her hair would have been long enough to cover her eyes.  

All in all, it was definitely a much more practical outfit, a much better choice to spend a day outdoors in. Except for the fact that the way it hugged Amalia’s very curve made it increasingly difficult for Yugo not to break his concentration and plummet to the ground. And it only got worse when Amalia began turning around herself, showing off her new look. 

Then it got so bad even Adamaï noticed his struggle and had to hurry to loop their arms together so he wouldn’t lose his balance. 

“What do you think?” Amalia, blissfully unaware of the reactions she caused, asked as she finally stopped turning. She preened at them, a hand to her chest while she placed the other on her hip. “I call this one my ‘adventuring outfit’; since, you know, I figured I could use something more practical if we’re going to be walking around.”

“Good call.” Adamaï commented, his lips curling in amusement. Dear Goddess, if Amalia managed to knock Yugo’s breath out without even trying, then he didn’t even want to think what she’d be able to do if she ever put her mind to it. Raising an  eyebrow at his awestruck twin, the dragon shoved him lightly to get him back on the World of Twelve. 

When Yugo looked at him questionably, he discreetly motioned towards Amalia with his head. Eyes lighting up in realisation, the Eliatrope King straightened up, clearing his throat. 

“A very good call indeed.” Yugo agreed, before his expression softened with his next words. “That outfit looks really good on you, Amalia.” He told her sincerely, causing a lovely pink to dust her cheeks as she met his eyes shyly. After a moment when neither of them said a word, Adamaï, who was growing increasingly annoyed at this kind of thing, elbowed his brother yet again to reboot him. With a small start, Yugo cleared his throat right before using his magic to conjure a considerably-sized portal up. 

Gesturing at it, and chuckling at Amalia’s awed reaction, he offered her his hand, “Shall we?”

Amalia squealed, her fists clenched excitedly over her face. Adamaï rolled his eyes at their antics, but couldn’t suppress a soft smile from stretching over his lips. 

With an excited nod, Amalia took Yugo’s hand and let him guide her into the portal. She was about to go on her first adventure and experience travelling through an Eliatrope portal all on the same day!

Could this day get any better?!

..........................................................................................................................

“I am never doing that again.” She stated somberly after getting over her last dizzy spell, the dry heaving having finally stopped. 

Amalia could only lament the state she suddenly found herself in. Her ponytail was frazzled, her gorgeous mahogany skin was about three shades paler, she felt so drained she had no choice but to slump her ballerina-like posture forwards as she used a nearby tree for support, and her stomach still performed some somersaults from time to time. It was taking everything in her power to keep it all down.

Or whatever remained, at least. 

Glaring at the twins over her shoulder, she snapped. “Couldn’t you have warned me beforehand?!”

Startled at the sudden flaring of her temper—except for an instance or two of haughtiness, Amalia had been extremely polite and mild-mannered since she arrived— Yugo and Adamaï shared a meaningful, silent conversation over who should speak and dare elicit her wrath further. The king’s lips formed a tight line when his dragon brother oh so helpfully pointed out it had been his idea in the first place and, moreover, Amalia was his bride; it was up to him to deal with her moods. 

His nostrils flaring in annoyance, Yugo mouthed a ‘She’s not my bride’ back before the Divine Doll’s impatient “Well?” snapped their attention back to her. She was still using the tree for support, but this time she had her back to it, leaning against it with her arms crossed and an expectant eyebrow raised. 

The Eliatrope could only fidget nervously with his fingers as he finally admitted, “Well, to tell you the truth… We had no idea it would happen? You kind of are the first non-Eliatrope or non-dragon person to ever go through one of our portals.” He finished with an awkward laugh as both he and Adamaï rubbed the back of their heads sheepishly. 

Amalia closed her eyes and clenched her fists to her sides, baring her teeth in aggravation, she could feel her veins about to pop. What started out as the perfect beginning for a perfect day soon became a much more revolting affair. Literally. 

At first everything had been wonderful. She was so engrossed in the sight of Yugo smiling down at her with his hand outstretched for her to take, she only barely registered she was moving at all. And she was so captivated once again by the feeling of their bare fingers brushing she almost didn’t realise she had stepped into the portal. 

Being inside an Eliatrope portal was both a fleeting yet lingering experience. For a short few seconds all the Sadida Doll could feel was her wakfu being shaken, as if her very essence was being transported and not just her body. In the blink of an eye, they had gone from standing on her balcony (or hovering above it), several stories high, to landing just outside the palace grounds. 

It was exhilarating.

Until it wasn’t.

Just as Amalia’s feet touched the ground, the shaking feeling she experienced while inside the portal multiplied tenfold, and not in a good way. Just like before it felt like her whole essence had been travelling with her and not just her body, now it felt like only her soul had made it out, leaving behind her body and, more importantly, her stomach. Only for it to come crashing down in a split-second and with it its contents. 

One second, Amalia was standing upright, marvelling at the world around her, and the next she was bent over some bushes, emptying her stomach as she mentally begged the surrounding vegetation to forgive her. Close behind her, she had two very worried siblings fuzzing over her and asking if she was alright. 

Thinking back to that embarrassing image, the wild beauty huffed through her nose and tilted her chin up, but ultimately chose to forgive them. After all, it seemed they had been as taken aback by her reaction as her. 

“You’re lucky I didn’t get anything on my clothes.” 

Releasing relieved sighs, it didn’t take long for Yugo to grow worried again. Approaching the Divine Doll slowly, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay, though? We could always just go back if you’re not feeling well.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Amalia screeched, scandalised, jerking back from his touch even if only instinctively. “I’ve literally only been out of the palace for, like, five minutes! We cannot just go back now!”

Adamaï came to his brother’s aid, who was looking at the Sadida Doll like a wabbit caught in the headlights. “We just don’t want you over-exerting yourself, Amalia. After all, you are our responsibility…”

The doll narrowed her eyes at the dragon’s words, not appreciating how that made her feel like a child. Rolling her eyes a little petulantly, she pressed on. “Guys, I’m fine. Really. Just determined to never go through another one of your portals unless my life literally depends on it.”

“That might be a problem…” Yugo admitted quietly. Looking at everything but Amalia, he explained. “The place I want to take you to is kinda far away, my portals are the fastest way to go.”

“And why didn’t you teleport us right there in the first place?” Amalia arched an eyebrow, confused. 

“Because our portals don't work like that, not exactly…” He replied, but didn’t explain further beyond a flustered, “Let’s just say it’s really hard to tell how far our portals will take you each time, okay?”

“Okay…” Amalia drawled, trying to make sense of it all, without much success. Giving up, she asked instead, her hands on her hips as she waited for an answer, “So, how do we get there? I mean, without portals.”

It was Adamaï who responded. He pointed a claw to the jungle behind her, his height over her forcing the Sadida Doll to crane her neck to follow his finger. “We could just go straight through the jungle, but that’ll take us longer, about an hour or tw—Urk!”

He was abruptly interrupted when, much to his and Yugo’s bewilderment, Amalia grabbed his face and brought it closer to hers, yanking his full body forwards and forcing him to blink blankly at her beaming smile. “Why didn’t you just say so?! This is perfect!”

“I’ ish?” He frowned, his voice a little muffled due to the doll’s hands tightly squeezing his cheeks. At the same time, Yugo asked, “It is?”

“Of course!” Amalia exclaimed, throwing her arms to her side and finally releasing Adamaï, who couldn’t help but stumble a little even though he managed to regain his footing before crashing face-first against the floor. Sweatdropping, the doll made a mental note to be more mindful of the Eliatrope people’s personal space in the future. “We’re supposed to explore Oma Island, right? What better way to explore it than going through the jungle?” Clenching her fists close to her body excitedly, she squealed. “Oh, I will finally be able to sense what the plants around here feel!”

And with that, she turned back around, making her way into the lush, tropical vegetation with an extra skip in her step. As she went deep into the jungle, leaving a wide-eyed set of twins in her dust, the two brothers could only share bewildered glances at what had just happened. 

Okay, so Yugo’s portals making her throw up was enough for the doll to lose her temper and almost tear them a new one, but being told she’d be walking around a humid jungle for hours on end was apparently cause for celebration? And she intended to gauge how the plants felt?

“Okay, what just happened?” Yugo eventually broke the silence, asking no one in particular. His face contorted into a confused grimace as he tried to make sense of everything. “About the only thing I can sort of understand is the plant thing. She is a Sadida Doll, after all. But everything else?!”

Shaking his horned head in surrender, Adamaï limited himself to clasping his hands over his brother’s shoulders as he leaned into him. “Don’t let it get to you, Yugo. It’s plain to see one of the few constants in the Krozmos is that women are confusing; doesn’t matter if they’re Eliatropes, dragons, Divine Dolls… There’s no hope for us to ever be able to understand these beautiful, enigmatic creatures.”

As Yugo nodded absently to his brother’s conclusion, definitely seeing some truth in his statement, Amalia’s shrill and slightly irritated voice carried over to them even from within the jungle, startling them out of their thoughts. “You guys coming or what?!”

For her part, it was the doll’s turn to be startled when, as she rhythmically tapped her foot against the ground, waiting for them; a flash of blue caught her by surprise and caused her to yelp as the Eliatrope King and his dragon brother stepped out of yet another portal. 

She still had a hand to her chest when she pouted at them. “A heads-up would have been nice…”

“Sorry.” Yugo apologised meekly, rubbing the back of his head. He frowned slightly when Amalia remained rooted to the spot, looking at him expectantly. “Is anything wrong?”

“Hm, let me see…” The doll pretended to think, bringing a finger to her chin. Then, she kept the charade up by pretending to light up in realisation. “How about you lead the way since you’re the only one who knows where we’re supposed to be going?”

“Oh, right. Follow me, as Ad said, it’s pretty much a straight line to the other side.” Yugo said, motioning with his hand for them to follow him as he came to lead their little group, Amalia and Adamaï picking up the rear—if it could even be called that when there were only three people in a group. 

Now that they were back on track, Amalia allowed herself a moment to just take it all in. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she allowed her senses to be overwhelmed by all the living beings around her. She could feel the ground beneath her feet, the soily earth slipping through her toes as she curled them in pleasure. Her heartbeat was one with the oxygen and carbon dioxide being transported by the trees and plants lining their path. The light breeze caressed her skin just like the leaves at the top of the trees, rocking in the wind.  And even if she couldn’t connect to them personally given her nature, she could even sense all the little critters coexisting with the vegetation in the area through their trunks and stumps and branches. 

Nature was at peace here. It was almost as tranquil as back in Father’s realm in Inglorium. 

Oh, it was wonderful. A thousand times better than the small glimpses she would catch from her balcony. And yet, a strange sensation enveloped her, making her realise it wasn’t anywhere near enough. There was something—something powerful—pulling her towards it, telling her there was so much more out there than just what she already knew. And right now, all she knew for certain was that she needed to find whatever that was. 

It was an impulse carved deep into her skin, so deep, she would only carve herself out if she attempted to remove it. For some reason, she just knew—

“I’ve been meaning to say, Amalia, I’m rather impressed by your shapeshifting abilities.” Adamaï’s words broke her out of her trance, forcing her to blink momentarily to regain her bearings. They were certainly deeper into the jungle, judging by the way the amount of sunlight filtered through the tree leaves had decreased considerably. 

“Ad doesn’t say that to just about anyone, you know?” Yugo interjected, smiling at them over his shoulder.

“Huh?” She blinked blankly some more, before realising what they were talking about. “Oh! Um, thanks, Adamaï. Although, in this case I’m not too sure if I would call it ‘shapeshifting’; after all, I just changed my clothes.”

“Have you been capable of doing that since the beginning?” He continued, tilting his head in curiosity. “I mean, every time we’ve seen you, you always wore the same dress…”

“I just saw no reason to wear a different outfit every day.” She shrugged, before gesturing at Yugo. “I also figured not wearing very distinct clothing was an Eliatrope thing; after all, Yugo and the rest always wear the same thing!”

“We do change clothes. It’s just we don’t really go overboard unless it’s an important occasion…” The king mumbled, feeling the need to defend himself. Averting his eyes sheepishly, it was Yugo’s turn to ask, “So you’ve been changing your clothes this whole time?”

“But of course! I actually change into some pyjamas every night. What, did you think I just went to sleep wearing that dress?” She laughed at the mere thought, the sound mirthful and airy. 

As she laughed, the brothers joining in, albeit theirs was more awkward, they shared meaningful looks. As Adamaï mouthed how Yugo should really summon the Royal tailor by now, all the Eliatrope could do was mouth an embarrassed ‘I know’ back. 

After that, the conversation shifted to all kinds of topics. Now that Amalia was done with her dizzy spell for good, she was back to being the sweet and curious girl Yugo had come to know these past few weeks. As the Divine Doll chided them good-naturedly on their high intake of meat, Yugo secretly hoped nothing soured her mood in a while. 

Don’t get him wrong! Amalia was really nice most of the time, and it was understandable she’d be upset after vomiting, but the stark contrast between the cute, kind doll he’d come to know and the surly, angry creature that managed to cow them both into submission by simply raising her voice had been terrifying. 

As he regaled Amalia with some of the things he’d seen on Oma Island—and promised to eventually take her to due to her incessant prodding and puppy-bow-wow eyes—, he stumbled into a large leaf getting in the way and slapping him in the face. The action causing his companions to laugh and giggle at his expense, the Eliatrope limited himself to rolling his eyes good-naturedly before summoning forth a wakfu blade to cut the leaf off with. 

That turned out to be the wrong move. 

With a pained, strangled sound, Amalia fell to her knees, clutching a hand to her chest as she heaved, gasping laboriously for breath. His face paling at the sight of her, Yugo was by her side in an instant, holding her shoulders with one hand while the other took one of hers as he brought her closer to him. 

“Amalia, what’s wrong!? What happened?!” He questioned, alarmed, looking her over for injuries of any kind. 

“The… the… the leaf…” She finally managed to gasp out, a bead of sweat pooling at her forehead as she glanced up at Yugo weakly. 

The Eliatrope furrowed his brow, not following. He sent his brother a questioning look, but a shake of his head was all he needed to convey he too was at a loss. 

“The leaf? You mean the one I just cut?”

She nodded, the mere action requiring some effort. 

“What’s wrong with it?” asked Adamaï. 

It took Amalia a moment before she could speak, needing to regain her breath first. After what felt like an excruciatingly long time, leaning her head against a willing Yugo’s chest to better support herself, she finally explained, “Technically, I’m a Sadida, as in, one of my father’s people… I’m connected to all plant life around me. I… I feel their pain.”

Yugo felt like slapping himself, connecting the dots. “So when I cut that leaf off to clear the way, you felt it yourself.” He finished for her. He shook his head, overcome by guilt. “Amalia, I’m so sorry… I swear, I didn’t know!”

The feeling of her hand resting over his chest, right where his heart was, startled him momentarily. “It’s okay.” She smiled weakly, but not any less sincerely or beautifully, and the Eliatrope felt his heart skip a beat at the action. “Now you do, and I’m sure you’d never do anything to hurt me, at least not intentionally.”

“Should we come back?” Adamaï was addressing Yugo as he asked this, but before his brother and king could reply, Amalia cut in:

“No, no! I’m fine, really! We can continue!” She insisted. 

“You practically collapsed because I cut a leaf.” Yugo felt the need to point out, the same protective instinct from last time with Chibi and Grougal resurfacing. 

“Father said I would be a little sensitive to those things at first, and that, while my connection to nature will never be severed, I will build an immunity to it over time so the pain isn't quite as crippling. But I’m fine, really. In a few minutes, it’ll be like it never happened. Please?”

All of Yugo’s willpower to deny her and return home evaporated in an instant at the sight of her begging, doe-like eyes, tugging at his very soul. 

He let out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine…”

“Yay!” Amalia squealed, jumping to her feet. Well, at the very least, she did look better now. Then, she raised a finger as she winked at them. “Oh, just one thing. Leave the ‘plants in the way’ thing to me, okay?”

Glancing at each other, not  really sure how to proceed at this point, the primordial twins just shrugged, giving the Divine Doll their assent. “Sure, why not?”

For the rest of the journey to the other side, it was up to Amalia to take care of the obstacles in the way, at least, when they were caused by plants growing too close to the path. Her true nature as Sadida’s eleventh doll shone through whenever plants obeyed her every command. A mere flick of her wrist was all it took for leaves and vines to move to the side and let them pass. 

Each time it happened, Yugo and Adamaï could only look on in disbelief. It truly was incredible. They idly wondered if all Sadidas could do the same thing or if it was only Amalia.

.........................................................................................................................

About an hour had passed after their little scare, this time, it was Amalia who was regaling them with whatever few anecdotes she had of her time in Sadida’s Dimension. She was currently telling them about a squabble between two of her sisters and how Sadida had to step in to break it up—not unlike any regular parent would put a stop to their kids’ bickering—, when Yugo finally caught a glimpse of what he had been leading them towards. His face breaking into a huge grin, he swiftly turned around, stopping in his tracks, his sudden action causing his companions to subconsciously follow his lead. 

Blinking blankly, Amalia asked, “Yugo? Is everything alright?”

He nodded, perhaps a little more enthusiastically than he would have liked, but that didn’t matter. He raised his hands as if that would help him convey what he wanted to say better. “Yeah, everything’s great, don’t worry. I just need you to do me a favour, can you do that?”

“Now?” Amalia questioned, tilting her head to the side. Behind her, Adamaï finally caught onto what his brother was up to and couldn’t help the small smirk that curled at his lips.  Of course, Amalia remained none-the-wiser. “Are you sure this is a good time? I mean, shouldn’t we wait until we arrive at whatever it is you want to show me?”

It was Adamaï who cut in, peering down at the doll as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “The place we want to show you will still be there even if we take a little longer. Otherwise, we would’ve been wasting our time from the moment you refused to enter another portal as long as you lived.”

“And that’s a promise I intend to keep…” She muttered to herself, dead serious. With a roll of her eyes and a sigh, she eventually gave in, raising her hands in surrender before placing them on her hips. “Okay, okay. What can I do for you, Yugo?”

“Close your eyes and cover them with your hands.” He replied simply and enigmatically. 

“What? Why do you need me to do that?!”

“I have my reasons.” He shrugged. Then, seeing the suspicion written all over her lovely face, he placed his hands on her shoulders, silently begging her to listen to him. “I promise, Amalia, this isn’t some kind of mean-spirited joke or anything of the sort; I’ll be guiding you all the way. But I need you to trust me. Can you do that? Can you trust me?”

Amalia opened her mouth, a retort on her lips, when the words died in her throat at the sight before her. Technically, it wasn’t much, just Yugo staring back at her. But there was something about the way he stared at her, the intensity behind his gaze, that made her breath hitch. She really couldn’t understand what was so important to pause their trek around the island and towards their mysterious destination, but at that moment, staring deep into Yugo’s dark brown eyes, she wanted to figure it out. 

Yugo had asked her if she trusted him, and at that moment she did. She trusted him more than any other person on Oma Island. A tiny voice deep inside told her it wasn’t just because she spent the most time with him, warning her that these things ran deeper than that, but she brushed it off for the time being. Too dazed to care. 

She almost didn’t even register her own lips moving when she said. “I do. I trust you, Yugo.”

The toothy grin he flashed her was enough for her cheeks to grow hot. 

The Divine Doll finally began to regain her senses when her eyes followed him as he moved to stand behind her. Before she could so much as ask what he was doing, Yugo simply took her by the arms and placed her hands over her eyes. A shiver ran down her spine as he whispered in her ear, “Now, close your eyes and no peeking, okay?”

“O-okay.” She gulped, letting herself be guided by the Eliatrope’s steady hands on her shoulders. 

As this all unfolded, Adamaï couldn’t help but watch the scene in astonishment. He knew he and their siblings liked to give Yugo some grief over his circumstances with Amalia and, by virtue of their close bond, the dragon knew things were much more complicated than everyone made it out to be, Yugo included. And yet, what he had just borne witness to proved there was so much more going on under the surface. 

While Yugo was a kind and caring individual, for it was in his nature, he was rarely as gentle with others as he was with Amalia. At least, not since his body and mind were finally in sync. And even then, as soon as his mind began to mature even as his body couldn’t keep up, Yugo began to reserve that softness of his to small, harmless creatures and children. 

The only exception was when their siblings had a problem and needed comfort. However, the thing with the Primordial Eliatropes and their dragons was they were all too proud to ask for help even when they needed it most. 

And yet, here he was, carefully guiding Amalia around, both his voice and touches the softest of caresses. A part of Adamaï couldn’t help but think his brother’s behaviour had less to do with the Divine Doll being a literal gift from the gods and more to do with something much deeper. 

Not like Yugo would ever admit it. 

“Ad, you coming?” He asked over his shoulder, breaking the dragon out of his thoughts. With a shake of his head to clear his ideas, Adamaï nodded and rejoined them in no time at all. 

Finally, they reached the edge of the jungle, their destination just up ahead of them. A smile stretching over his lips at the sight, Yugo leaned in a little closer to Amalia, whispering in her ear and finding some sick pleasure in the way a shudder still ran down her spine in response.  

“You can look now, Amalia.”

“Ugh, finally!” She exclaimed, wasting no time in removing her hands from her face and opening her eyes. Unfortunately, that proved to be a bad choice, for the moment she opened her eyes, they were assaulted by the sun’s brightness, causing her to hiss in pain and close them yet again. 

Oh, when would she learn? The same thing happened when she was born and she first saw her father and sisters! Unlike her bond with plant-life, the doll had a feeling that would never become any less excruciating. 

Muttering something unintelligible under her breath and rubbing her eyes, blinking to regain her eyesight, the doll’s gaze could finally discern what was before her. She let out a loud gasp. 

The sight before her was a vast expanse of blue, a giant body of water like no other reaching as far as met the eye and captivating her very soul. There was even a point in the horizon where the water and the sky converged, and thanks to the clear skies above them, it was impossible to tell where one began and the other ended. She remembered catching a glimpse of something similar from her balcony, but the view couldn’t compare to this. The water’s movement was rhythmic and hypnotic, forming waves, crested on top by wonderful, foamy white right until they crashed against the shore. 

Excitement coursing through her veins as she took it all in, starry-eyed, the doll couldn’t help but shift involuntarily where she stood, the action bringing her attention to the new sensation under her feet. She moved around experimentally, amazed at the warm, grainy feeling under her soles and between her toes. Preferring to go barefoot, Amalia was used to feeling sturdy ground, plush grass, or, more recently, smooth, cold stone under her feet, but this… This was entirely new. 

What was this?

As if reading her thoughts, Yugo spoke. “This,” he gestured at the landscape before them, “is the beach. Pretty cool, huh?”

All Amalia could offer in response was a hushed nod, too awed for words. 

Using her silence to his advantage, he stepped a little closer to her and pointed at the body of water. “You see that right over there?” This time, she managed to voice an ‘uh-huh’, “That’s the sea. Well, a small part of it, at least; it’s immense, really. And right now, you’re stepping on sand.”

At last, Amalia found her voice, even if her amazement didn’t decrease in the slightest. “Yugo, this… This is incredible! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it!”

“I figured you might not have this in Sadida’s Dimension since there aren’t many plants that grow in this kind of ecosystem. So I wanted to show it to you—.”

Before he could even finish talking, Amalia had dashed forward and in the direction of the sea, kicking up a plume of sand that forced Yugo to use his cloak to cover both himself and Adamaï lest it got in their faces, or their eyes, or their mouths… They could only look on, surprised, as the doll came to kneel right at the shore, where the waves crashed. But while Adamaï looked on amusedly as she cupped her hands to drink some water, Yugo could only look on, horrified. 

He was even more horrified at the sight of his twin doing nothing to stop her. 

“Ad, what are you doing?!” He screeched, frustrated beyond belief. “We have to stop her!”

But much to his consternation, Adamaï only rolled his eyes good-naturedly at him. Boy, the dragon understood having to make sure she was okay lest they risked facing the gods’ wrath, but his brother could certainly get overprotective.

“Relax, bro. Let her learn on her own.” Then, to Yugo’s disbelief, he chuckled, “Besides, it’ll be fine to see the look on her face right before she spits the salt water in disgust.”

The king pursed his lips, his patience running thin.

“Adamaï.” 

“Hm?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What does salt do to plants?”

“Huh? Well, it kills them, of course.”

What kind of question was that?

“Right. And what is Amalia?”

“She’s a plant doll—.”

Oh. 

Oh.

“That’s what I thought.” Yugo couldn’t help but comment, a little smugly. After a beat, the two of them scrambled to get to Amalia and prevent her from hurting herself. In their haste, they couldn’t help but lose their footing in the sand and come tumbling down. Raising his head and spitting out quite the mouthful of sand, the Eliatrope suddenly felt like hitting himself. 

“Well, duh!” He exclaimed, and before Adamaï could question him about it, he extended his hand and created a portal right underneath them that dropped them right behind Amalia. 

Unfortunately, they were too late. The moment they landed, Amalia had just taken her first sip of the water. Eyes wide with terror, the siblings could only brace themselves for the worst and hold each other for comfort. 

…and then, their expressions fell in confusion when Amalia simply let out a sound of complaint as she winced and made a disgusted grimace in response. “Yuck! By Sadida’s trees! What on the World of Twelve was that?!”

While a still recovering Adamaï could only let his face drop on the sand with a resounding thud!, all a gobsmacked Yugo managed to say was, “Uh…yeah. Sea water is salty. Drinking it is not good for you.”

“No kidding!” Amalia commented as she stood up, dusting sand off her pants. “That thing almost made me throw up again.” Then, when she turned around to look back at them, her brow furrowed at the sight of an exhausted Adamaï sprawled face-down on the sand and the bewildered look on Yugo’s face. “Uh… you guys okay?”

“Never been better”, came Adamaï's sarcastic, albeit muffled, reply, his face still on the sand. 

While the doll could only blink blankly at their antics, uncomprehending, Yugo tried looking around for something to distract her with and move on from their little, apparently unnecessary freak-out. Eyes scanning the beach, they lit up at what he saw. 

“Amalia, look!”

Amalia followed his finger to the direction it was pointing at, her eyes widening in interest at what she saw. Lounging lazily over a piece of stranded wood on the sand, was one funny-looking little creature. It was blue and red in colour and had a gelatinous quality, so much so, its trunk was practically translucent, revealing what looked like several hearts of different sizes. Its eyes were big and beady, but it was hard to tell where its trunk ended and its head started when its other more distinguishable feature was a series of tentacles. 

It was both kind of disgusting and kind of cute. 

“Um, what is that?” She questioned, pointing at the thing. 

“It’s a Kralamoure.” It was Adamaï who answered. However, when Amalia turned around once more to better face him, she instinctively took a step back in surprise when she noticed a blue and white Kralamoure now occupied the dragon’s place. Adamaï couldn’t help but smirk in satisfaction at her reaction. “You’re not the only one who knows a thing or two about shapeshifting, Amalia.”

“Wait, you can shapeshift too, Adamaï?”

With a nod and a puff of smoke, he turned back into his draconically humanoid form. “It’s actually a dragon thing, or at least, it’s something Eliatrope dragons can do.” He shared a glance with Yugo, asking for confirmation, which he got in the form of a nod. “I’m sure you must have noticed how different our dragon siblings are.”

Now that he mentioned it, Amalia had taken notice of that the few times she’d seen a dragon around. The scarce few times she caught a glimpse of Phaeris, he looked like a winged, scaled Osamodas; Grougal was almost indiscernible from a human; Shinonomé was a horned, red-skinned woman; and both Baltazar and Efrim seemed to prefer their natural forms. 

She shuddered subtly at the memory of the smallest dragon. The least she thought about him and his terrifying eyes, the better.

In fact, now that she allowed her gaze to travel up and down Adamaï’s form, it finally registered just how different he truly was from his siblings. While the other dragons either took on their true forms or adopted more or less humanoid ones, Adamaï was essentially a dragon with humanoid features. He was bipedal at all times, and his movements were very much human, but he had claws instead of hands or feet, he made no effort to hide his tail or his physique as they were perfectly reptilian, and his face was more of a snout than an actual face. 

And to think they’d been taken aback just because she changed her own clothes when their dragons could do that. It was unbelievable.

Unaware of the thoughts running through her mind, Yugo pointed out anecdotally, “You know, when it’s Grougal’s turn to patrol, he usually takes the form of a giant Kralamoure to keep intruders at bay.”

“Wait, really? Do you favour Kralamoures as well, Adamaï?”

“Not really.” The dragon deadpanned, having to suppress a shudder at an unpleasant memory right before flashing his brother a glare for chuckling at his reaction. “I mostly just spend my time like this. After all,” a pair of wings sprouted from his back, “I can patrol from above just the same.”

“I see… And why do you need to patrol in the first place?”

Tensing up at her question and the particular can of worms that could open, Yugo scrambled to change the subject. It was a delicate topic so it’d be best if he handled it smoothly. 

“H-hey! Wanna go for a swim, Amalia?” He said, clasping his hands. 

If Nora had been there, she would’ve taken the opportunity to point out her brother had many qualities, but being smooth just wasn’t one of them.

While it didn’t go unnoticed by Amalia how he had changed the subject, much more urgent matters occupied her mind at the moment. “Are you serious? Absolutely not!”

That… was not the reaction Yugo was hoping for, even if it did seem to take her mind off asking awkward questions. “What? Why? That’s pretty much what beaches are for; having some fun swimming in the sea and sunbathing.”

The Divine Doll just rolled her eyes at his hopelessness. “Yeah, with the appropriate clothing! I can’t go swimming like this!” She gestured at her ‘adventuring outfit’, as she’d called it, “This was meant to be more practical wear when exploring; it’s not a swimsuit!”

“Well, why don’t you just change clothes again and put on a swimsuit, then?” Yugo suggested uneasily, not sure what the problem was. By his side, Adamaï silently mused to himself that his brother might not survive the sight of the Sadida Doll in a swimsuit. 

“Excuse me?!” Amalia snapped, incredulous. “Didn’t you hear me when I said I spent hours choosing this outfit? I can’t just up and make whatever! You can’t rush genius, you know?” She crossed her arms and stuck up her nose in a huff. 

For his part, Yugo was idly wondering where this world’s champions asking for a rematch were when you needed them. He also made a mental note, not for the first time, to summon the Royal tailor to have some clothes made for Amalia as soon as they arrived. The fact that she could make her own clothes and change in no time at all was a bonus, but he honestly wasn’t looking forward to having this same conversation every time he tried to surprise her and her outfit wasn’t appropriate for the occasion. 

Taking notice of the king’s slightly overwhelmed expression and realising she might have gone a little too far—even though she knew what she said made perfect sense. I mean, who takes someone to a place with the intention of swimming and doesn’t warn them to wear a swimsuit beforehand?—, she bit her lip. Clearing her throat even as she flicked her head in a proud display, she tentatively said, “A-anyway, j-just because we can’t exactly go swimming, it doesn’t mean we can’t still have some fun in the water. Since I’m already barefoot, we could try walking along the shoreeeeEEEEEE!”

Her words were interrupted by a loud squeal when some water splashed all over her, leaving the Sadida Doll positively soaked from head to toe. Her mouth gaping like a fish and her eyes about as wide as the Kralamoure still lounging on its piece of wood, she stood frozen in place as Yugo doubled down laughing, Adamaï's own loud cackles echoing from above them.

Normally, Adamaï would never stoop so low, but Amalia was clearly overreacting and it was too good an opportunity to pass up on. “What’s the matter, Amalia? I thought you said it was okay to have some fun in the water?” He mocked between laughs. 

Her eye twitched as she felt the water chill her to the bone, however, it didn’t take long for the outrage bubbling up within her to warm her whole body up in righteous indignation. Teeth borne as her face contorted into the kind of menacing scowl that would have made Sram proud, Amalia wasted no time taking revenge. 

“Why you little weed!” She screeched to the top of her lungs, throwing her arm out and commanding two rather tall palm trees right within reach of Adamaï to spring into action. 

“Wait, what the—!?” Before the dragon had time to react, the palm trees had him trapped between their leaves, acting almost as two giant hands he was powerless against. As he wriggled and squirmed, Amalia brought her hands down, and with that the two palm trees bent forward until Adamaï’s body was submerged under water. A few seconds passed where Yugo was beginning to seriously worry about his brother’s safety, when Amalia finally released him with a satisfied hum as she dusted her hands off. 

Looking back and forth between his soaked brother and the smirking Divine Doll, Yugo was wise enough to take a few steps back and away from her, making the resolution of never incurring her wrath. Given her usually sweet demeanour and child-like wonder, it was easy to forget she, too, was a demigoddess, and all that entailed. 

Spitting out some salt water and sand that got in his mouth as he tried to sit back up, an unamused Adamaï couldn’t help but spit sarcastically. “Wow, your bride is such a little flower, isn’t she, Yugo?”

The answer was immediate, surely a result of all the teasing he had had to endure a few hours prior. “For the last time, she is not my bride!”

But as Adamaï winced at his brother’s unnecessarily loud volume, his words gave Amalia pause, her gaze turning contemplative as she pondered them. Now that she thought about it, that had indeed been the reason why she’d been sent to Oma, to be Yugo’s bride because he was supposed to be her suitor. And even though Yugo had explained to her on her first day why that couldn’t be, he had yet to answer her questions regarding what it all really meant. He’d said that while brides and marriages tended to go hand-in-hand, they couldn’t get married as there was no guarantee they would ever fall in love. But, what was love?

She knew she loved her father and sisters and they loved her in return. The warm, happy feeling she got with them had to mean something. But what made it different from the kind of love that made people marry each other?

As Yugo was busy bickering with Adamaï over how, technically, he had no one to blame but himself, he heard Amalia’s voice calling out to him softly. “Yugo?”

“What is it, Amalia?” Looking over his shoulder to give her his full attention, he couldn’t keep his eyes from widening at the unexpected vulnerability she was showing. Her posture was hesitant, one arm draped over her form as her brown eyes were fixated on the sand as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. The gentle afternoon breeze weaving through her green locks. 

Her next question made his heart stop, “What is love?”

Tensing up, his own posture straightening up almost involuntarily, he sent his brother a pleading look, only for him to raise his claws up in surrender and walk a little ways off from them to give them some space. Yugo was not above suspecting he was only doing that as retaliation for not helping him when Amalia almost drowned him. 

The traitor. 

He made a show of clearing his throat and straightening his cloak as he stalled for time, his mind racing to find a suitable answer to her question. Or even better! Until she grew self-conscious and backtracked, apologising for ever bringing the topic up right before he assured her it was fine while also making sure to stow that conversation for another day. Hopefully never. 

But Amalia seemed to have no intention of showing him some mercy and giving him an out. Instead, she just remained where she was, waiting for his answer with bated breath, her big, brown eyes pleading with him and… He was a goner. There was no way he could just deprive her of an answer he had promised he would eventually give her when she looked at him like that. 

He was half-beginning to suspect she knew of this fact and used it to her advantage. And not for the first time he found himself cursing Sadida and his impeccable craftsmanship.

Rubbing the back of his head through his hood in surrender, he heaved a deep sigh as he trudged towards her to close the distance between them a little. Though, to make things easier, he made it a point to stare at the ocean and the afternoon sun rather than at her. 

“What is love, indeed?” He mused aloud. He chuckled through his nose. “To be honest, I’m not too sure anyone has the right answer for that. Would it be okay if I try explaining what love is to me?”

Coming to gaze upon the horizon as well, a small, grateful smile on her lips, Amalia shrugged. “It’s still more than what I know.”

Well, he supposed that was fair. “The thing is, Amalia, it’s very hard to find a suitable definition for love because there’s actually so many kinds of love, which means all definitions are simultaneously right and wrong, it just depends on the context. “

“What if the context is when two people wish to marry?” She asked innocently but bluntly. 

Wow, Sadida’s little flower didn’t pull back any punches, now did she? 

“Then that’s what we call romantic love, it’s different from the love you feel for your friends or your family.”

Amalia frowned, not sure how to feel knowing there was a different kind of love beyond what she felt for her family and Yugo—she felt particularly concerned for what that might entail for her friendship with Yugo. 

“But why? What makes ‘romantic love’ different?,” she air-quoted, staring back at him even as he was resolute in keeping his gaze fixed in front of him. 

The task before him was nothing if not daunting, the fact that he hadn’t really moved past flings in this lifetime —or, according to Qilby, any lifetime, really— made explaining such an abstract concept to a Divine Doll like Amalia, a creature that encapsulated all the grace and power belonging to a goddess and possessed a sense of child-like innocence and and wonder at the same time nothing sort of a Kerubean task. 

But he promised her he would explain things to her and it wouldn’t be very kingly of him to back out on their deal now. 

“All I can say for certain is that you’ll know when the time is right.” He finally said, his dark brown eyes glazed over at the phantom heartbeats he was trying to feel anew. “When you’re in love, you just know the love you feel for that person is different, despite how similar it might look to every other kind.

“You’ll find yourself constantly thinking about that person and wanting to look your best for them. And I don’t mean just wanting to look pretty, but you want them to see your best qualities, hoping that will make them fall for you. And you’ll find yourself appreciating all of their best qualities too.” He chuckled, biting his lip in amusement. “Oh, and for a good while you’ll even find their flaws charming! There’s a good reason people tend to say love is blind, after all…”

Finally, he turned contemplative, his voice carrying a particular softness that made Amalia listen to him with rapt attention, sensing what he said next was the most important thing of all:

“But more than anything, you want that person to be happy. You want them to be happy, and safe, and seeing them smile can light up your whole day and it’s incredible. Because you just want the best for them and there’s no better feeling than knowing someone feels the same way about you. I don’t know, being in love can be wonderful, I suppose. So much so, you end up asking that person to marry you because you want to secure you’ll both get to experience that same feeling every day for the rest of your lives.”

As Yugo kept talking, he honestly forgot all about the world around him, too busy lost in his thoughts, to the point he was mostly just thinking aloud. While he was certainly happy with the life he led, as it was an honour to have their people’s unwavering trust and nothing quite filled him like experiencing everything the Krozmos had to offer, a part of him couldn’t quite get over how he never really met the kind of person that made him want to settle down. 

Over the centuries he’d been with some really wonderful people. They had so much fun and they were all great, but none of them ever felt like his anchor. Not in the sense that they would tie him down, but more as in they’d ground him to the point of wanting to share his life with them. The fact that they had very different lifespans didn’t help matters. 

When they first met, they would always be in sync. They would all let themselves be swept off their feet by the appeal of an adventuring king, inebriated by the thrill of it all. But the more time passed, the more they wanted different things. And the more time passed, the more they were forced to admit they would never be able to grow old together; they would never be able to share a life together. 

It was always the same song and dance, and it always broke his heart. And yet, he never felt truly brokenhearted. 

Sometimes he wondered if it was because he knew how things would end before they even started and unconsciously kept them all at arm’s length. Never close enough to get under his skin and steal his heart. Never close enough to become a part of him. 

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts, he couldn’t help but flinch when he felt Amalia taking his hand and resting her head against his arm, causing a tingle to run up and down of it, a content smile on her face. Not for the first time, his breath hitched when she raised her head to meet his gaze. 

“You’re right, Yugo. That all sounds wonderful.” Snuggling closer to him, she sighed wistfully. “I really hope I get to be an actual bride one day.”

Despite the cosy glow of the afternoon sun and the warm temperatures typical of Oma Island, Yugo felt his blood run cold at those words. The tingling sensation in his arm gave way to numbness, while his mind felt overwhelmed by a million wayward thoughts, battling for dominance. 

How did things get like this, with Amalia cuddling his arm like a throw pillow. And all those looks she would send him—innocent and sweet, but hypnotising and alluring like a siren song. How did he know she wasn’t deliberately pretending not to know the effect she had on him? How could he know Efrim wasn’t right and she hadn’t been trained to seduce him?

After all, now that he thought about it, she seemed perfectly at ease with the idea of remaining at the palace even if he wouldn’t take her as his bride. What kind of person did that unless they had some ulterior motives? Thinking back, given her sole purpose was to act as his bride, the moment he turned down the offer she should have been more than happy to go back home… unless she was counting on it to use it as an opportunity to make him fall for her!

Something dark and cynical bubbled up to the surface as he lamented his carelessness, his jaw and fists clenching at the thought, frustrated with himself. One thing was treating Amalia kindly and respectfully, another very different thing was making a fool of himself for her. 

But just then, as he chanced a look at her, all those thoughts of Amalia being some conniving seductress vanished at the sight of her smiling face. So sweet, so genuine, so radiant. There was no way someone like Amalia could ever conspire behind his back like that. But the familiarity she treated him with was cause for concern, only, perhaps it was his fault, rather than a conscious attempt at manipulating him. Maybe he kept sending her mixed signals that made her believe she indeed had a shot of ever becoming his queen.

He had to suppress a groan at the memory of all the times he stood too close to her, all the times he didn’t hesitate to take her hands in his, the intimacy belying the way he led her earlier that day while she had her eyes closed… If Amalia behaved like she was his bride, it was because he himself made her believe that. He had to find a way to put an end to that mistake without making the even graver mistake of offending the World of Twelve’s gods. 

He was not in love with Amalia. For the sake of his people, he could not be in love with her.

Amalia had been basking in the warm afternoon sun when she felt Yugo shift underneath her. She peered up curiously at him when he gingerly grabbed her by the arms and pushed her away from him gently. Her frown only deepened when he didn’t look at her. 

“Let’s go back home, okay?”

As Yugo made his way back into the jungle, Amalia could only share a perplexed look with Adamaï before following suit. 

Was it something she said?

..........................................................................................................................

While the trek back to the palace had certainly been more awkward than before, with Yugo once again leading their little group but not saying a word, Amalia couldn’t help the immense joy she felt. She had been on her first adventure! She had left the palace and ventured into the island’s lush jungle, connecting to nature at last. She had even seen the sea! Yugo had been right, that had to be about the only thing you wouldn’t be able to find in Sadida’s Dimension. 

She was so making a swimsuit for the next time they went! 

Even with the few hiccups they’d had along the way, all in all, it had been a perfect day. She couldn’t wait until their next outing. With a small blush forming on her cheeks, she dared to hope maybe next time it would only be Yugo and her. 

Don’t get her wrong, she rather liked Adamaï, he was always very kind to her. But for some reason she couldn’t quite explain, there was something special about when it was just Yugo and her. 

As they finally arrived at the side of the castle where her room was, her balcony high above them, she turned to them. “Guys, I just want to say I had a wonderful time today. I can hardly wait for our next adventure! Thank you so much!”

“Don’t mention it, Amalia. It was our pleasure.” The Eliatrope King offered her a smile, but it didn’t quite feel like the usual smiles he would send her. It felt kind of… forced.

“I’m sure next time will be even better.” Adamaï told her with a nod of his head. 

“Amalia, I—” Whatever it was Yugo meant to say next died in his throat at the unexpected arrival of Phaeris. Amalia couldn’t help but take notice of the fact that he was in his winged, humanoid form. 

“Yugo, Adamaï!” He exclaimed, before taking notice of Amalia standing right there. “Phaeris hopes this isn’t a bad time.”

Whatever hesitation marred Yugo’s face moments prior was immediately discarded at the sight of his dragon brother, his expression turning serious and focused, like a king should be. 

“It’s alright, Phaeris. Is something the matter?”

“Phaeris wishes to discuss some Cra sentinel sightings. The rest of the Council is already waiting for us at the council room.”

“Cra sentinels, huh?” Yugo muttered to himself, at the same time as a Adamaï, who was holding his chin pensively, mused aloud, “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“We should depart as soon as you bid Lady Amalia goodbye.” Phaeris’ comment reminded both twins of the Sadida Doll’s presence. And of the little problem returning her to her room without their portals and no visible door posed. 

“We’re sorry that we have to leave so abruptly Amalia,” Yugo began, sharing a nod with Adamaï, “but Ad can fly you up to your room in no time at all.”

But, to their surprise, the doll just waved them off. “Oh, don’t worry about me! I’ll be just fine. You guys go take care of your duties.”

“Are you sure?” Yugo felt the need to ask, not feeling so sure himself. 

She scoffed good-naturedly. “Positive.”

Before any of the Primordial Eliatropes could get another word in, a gigantic, thick vine sprouted from underneath Amalia’s feet and carried her all the way over to her balcony. Once she was hovering over it, she gingerly jumped down the vine while it came back the way it came from. 

“Thank you again, guys! See you soon!” She turned around to wave them goodbye, which they all hesitantly mimicked, still taken aback by what they’d just seen. 

Divine Doll: 7; Eliatrope Council: 0.

Back in her room, Amalia decided to take a little more time before she changed out of her adventuring outfit and into her pyjamas. She found she quite liked her little ensemble; maybe she should use it more often. Stretching to relieve tensions from her super charged day, she let out a contented sigh, feeling happier than she had been in a while. 

Before getting into the room, she allowed herself to loiter around her balcony a little while longer. As the setting sun’s rays bathed anything they could reach and she leaned against the railing, her eyes catching sight of Yugo as he stepped inside one of his portals—surely to get to the council room—, his words and everything he’d done for her that day kept replaying in her mind. 

As she thought about everything he said about what love was and how it felt like, especially knowing your special someone felt the same, Amalia couldn’t stop a small smile from curling at her lips at the thought of getting to experience that kind of love one day. 

#wakfu #wakfu fanfiction #my fanfiction #divine doll! au #sadida doll! au #wakfu au #yugo the eliatrope #amalia sheran sharm #yumalia #adamaï #nora #qilby #phaeris #ankama #dofus #krozmos #eliatrope #dragon #sadida

[sainzfilm]

mick and being his gala date as his best friend

him in awe seeing you close to him and slowly confessing his love throughout the night

his sister shipping you guys for a while and can tell you are both into each other

pairing: mick schumacher x reader

a/n: this is just so CUTE 🥺 i love this kind of trope, would do everything for mick. and i hope this comforts my mick girlies out there :( i believe he’ll be back on the grid real soon

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

“I seriously don’t think I belong in these events,” You mumbled as Gina finished touching up your makeup, “Mick should’ve looked for another date.”

“Oh please, Y/N,” Gina scoffed as she set down the mascara bottle on the desk, “You know he’s always going to ask you to be his dates for these things. Plus, you look stunning!”

“Flattery won’t work right now,” You poked your tongue out, standing up and twirling in front of the mirror, “All done?”

Gina smiled as she crossed her arms, admiring the work she’s done on you, “All perfect. Mick, get your ass here!”

Mick yelled back an ‘Okay’, footsteps being heard throughout their house as he made his way to Gina’s room. Knocking before opening the door, “What di- oh wow, Y/N. You look…beautiful.”

“Oh…thank you, Mick,” You smiled at him as you smoothened out your dress, “Gina did well, didn’t she?”

Mick chuckled softly as he nodded, putting his hands in his pockets, “She did. So, uh, you ready to go to the gala?”

“Yeah,” You nodded, holding onto your purse as you walked towards him, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

As Mick drove the three of you to the gala, Gina definitely noticed the way Mick glanced at you every now and then. Especially when the traffic lights turned red – anyone could see how head over heels he was for you.

Stepping out of the car, Mick was there to offer his arm as the two of you walked to the venue.

“You know, one thing I’m excited for?” You mentioned, holding onto his arm, “The food.”

Mick laughed as he shook his head, “What about spending the night with me?”

“Hm, maybe that’s a bonus,” You grinned as you grabbed two champagne glasses from a waiter passing by, handing him the other, “Here. Cheers to dressing up fancy and being with my best friend.”

Mick didn’t visibly frown from the way he wanted to call you something more than that, but it was on him for not making a move, “Yeah, cheers.”

Gina couldn’t help but snicker from afar upon seeing the look on her brother’s face. Sure, she thought the two of you were cute together, but honestly? Just the most oblivious pair she’s ever seen.

“You know something?” Mick looked at you, leaning against the table, “Just between the two of us.”

You hummed, setting your glass down to look up at him, “What’s that?”

“You’re definitely the most beautiful girl in this room.”

“Stop flattering me,” You laughed as you nudged his arm, “You don’t have to lie to me as my best friend.”

Mick frowned as he turned to face you, “Well, I’m saying this as a guy that is finally making his move.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means that I like you. Not just as my best friend, which was a totally stupid facade for me,” He replied, putting his hands inside his pockets, “I don’t mind if you don’t see me the same way. I just need to get it out of my system before it’s too late.”

Blushing as your eyes widened, you stuttered and looked down at your feet, “O-Oh. Did Gina put you up to this? To prank me? Because I’ve always liked you! Mick, this isn’t a funny joke.”

“Hey, hey. Look at me,” Mick put his finger under your chin, tilting it upwards to look in your eyes, “I swear that I’m telling the truth.”

You couldn’t fight the right words at all. It’s not that you didn’t feel the same way – heck, you felt so much more for him than you’ve ever showed throughout the years.

“Say something,” He whispered, holding your face in his hands, “Please.”

“I…I feel the same way,” You whispered back, looking in his eyes, “I have for the longest time.”

“Thank god,” Mick chuckled softly, leaning his forehead against yours, “I guess we’re the idiots in love kind of trope, hm?”

“Maybe,” You laughed as you wrapped your arms around his neck, “But, I guess it’s worth the wait then?”

“You’re worth the wait anyways,” He smiled as he brushed his nose against yours, “Can…I kiss you?”

Nodding with a smile, “You can.”

Mick leaned in to kiss you softly and pulled you closer to him, feeling like the world around stopped for a moment.

Pulling away from the kiss, Mick laughed as he whispered, “Gina’s doing her little victory dance across the room.”

“She’s so going to tease us,” You leaned your forehead on his shoulder, laughing, “I’m not ready for that.”

“And we’re going to hear ‘I told you so’ countless of times.”

bonus scene!

Liked by gina_schumacher, estebanocon, and 631,383 others

mickschumacher gala night with my girl 🥂

view all 221,348 comments

gina_schumacher it finally happened!!! so happy for the endless mutual pining to be over ❤️

estebanocon happy for the two of you, mate! 👊🏻

schumiupdates oh my god HE GOT THE GIRL THEY WERE BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS

msc47lovebot they’re so cute 😭 i knew it I CALLED IT

yourusername cute soft launching 😘 see you tonight?

mickschumacher see you tonight, sweetheart ❤️

#sainzfilm drabbles #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic #f1 imagines #f1 x reader #fluff #f1 driver x reader #formula 1 x reader #drabble #mick schumacher x reader #mick schumacher fanfic #mick schumacher drabble #mick schumacher oneshot #mick schumacher fluff #mick schumacher imagine #mick schumacher #msc47 #ms47

[diorleclerc]

𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 - 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐲 + 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐜

pairing - pierre gasly x fem!reader x charles leclerc

warnings - bad dates, threesome, fingering, oral (f receiving), finger sucking, unprotected sex, creampie

author’s note - dedicated to @timetoracewrites even though she keeps breaking my heart with her pierre fic

after another shitty and horrible date, you decide to head over to pierre’s apartment, knowing that he would still be awake at this time

you knock on his door and wait a few seconds before you hear shuffling on the other side

when pierre opened the door, he was surprised to see you

“chérie, what’re you doing here? i thought you had a date tonight?” he asks, stepping aside to let you in

“i did have a date,” you say as you walk in

“and considering the fact that you’re here, i’m assuming it didn’t go well?” pierre asks, following you into the living room where charles was sitting on the couch

“hey! wasn’t expecting to see you tonight angel. i thought you said you had a date,” charles says once he sees you enter

“i did,” you tell him before sitting down next to him

“how’d it go?” he asks and you respond with an “ugh” and a roll of your eyes

“mate, she’s here with us and not her date. how do you think it went?” pierre snickers as he walked into the room with a bottle of tequila and a couple of shot glasses

“that bad hm?” charles asks you

“probably the worst date i’ve ever been on,” you say

“alright, how about we get some alcohol in our systems before you tell us about this horrible date of yours,” pierre says and starts pouring the shots

you each take a shot before leaning back on the couch

you were sitting between the two boys on the couch, with a decent amount of space between the three of you

“alright, so tell us about the date. what was so bad?” pierre asks

“well for one, he showed up late,” you start to explain

“chérie, that should’ve been your first sign to leave,” pierre says

“i know! but i wanted to give him a chance. there could’ve been lots of reasons why he was late,” you shrug

“that can’t be the only reason why your date sucked though,” charles says

“oh no, i’m just getting started,” you say before listing all the things that went wrong with your date

from the way he talked about himself for nearly the entire time to how cocky he was

you continue to tell the boys everything, all of you taking a drink every now and then

“and then i thought ‘hey, he might have a terrible personality but maybe he’ll be good in bed and i’ll at least get something out of this terrible date’. but nope! i was wrong about that!” you exclaim before taking another shot

“wait you actually hooked up with this guy?” pierre asks

“if you could even call it that. he lasted all of five minutes and couldn’t even make me cum,” you scoff

“i mean even if he lasted longer, i still don’t think he could’ve gotten me even close. he couldn’t even find my clit,” you continue

by now, all three of you were pretty tipsy from the shots

so you basically had no filter and were telling them every single detail

“angel, where do you find these guys?” charles shakes his head in disappointment

“yeah, you can do so much better ma chérie,” pierre agrees with his best friend

“you deserve someone who gives you all of their attention,” charles says

“more importantly, someone who can actually make you cum,” pierre says

“yeah? you know anyone who fits that description?” you ask, joking

“well, i’m available,” charles says so casually you almost miss what he said

“i’m sorry what?” you ask, trying to find any sign of joking on his face

“and if charles isn’t your type, i’m here,” pierre says and you turn to face him

“you guys are very funny. great joke guys,” you chuckle softly as you take a sip of water

“i don’t know about charles but i’m definitely not joking,” pierre says

“believe me, i’m not joking either. i’m serious mon ange,” charles says

“seriously this isn’t funny guys,” you say

“we’re not trying to be,” charles says

“we’re serious chérie, we could treat you so much better than these douchebag dates of yours,” pierre chimes in

“okay seriously guys, i think we’ve all had quite a few drinks,” you say, eyeing the half empty bottle of tequila

you feel charles scoot closer to you behind your back while pierre inched forward

he lifts your chin with his finger so you’re looking into his eyes

“you’re telling me you’ve never thought of this before?” pierre asks

“angel, if you really don’t want this, then we’ll stop and forget that any of this ever came up,” charles says

“but if you do want it, i promise we’ll make it so good for you,” pierre adds

“this is a really bad idea guys,” you start, feeling charles’ hands on your hips, tracing little circles

“everyone knows that bad ideas are always more fun,” pierre smirks a little

“I don’t want to ruin our friendship,” you say

“we won’t. friends help each other out,” charles says

“exactly. we’ll just be helping you see what you’ve been missing out on,” pierre says

“so what do you say angel?” charles whispers, kissing your shoulder

“fuck it,” you mutter before pulling pierre in for a kiss

he immediately cups your face and deepens the kiss

“i’m feeling a bit left out here. and i was the one who brought up the idea in the first place,” charles huffs as you pull away from pierre and turn to face him

“ever heard of having some patience mate?” pierre teases

“shut up,” charles rolls his eyes before kissing you sweetly

you moan into his mouth when you feel pierre’s hands cupping your tits

he pulled the straps of your top over your shoulder then started to tug the rest of your top down, exposing your tits

charles continued to kiss you, swallowing every moan you let out from having your tits played with

“are you done yet? because i wanna hear all her pretty moans that you’re muffling,” pierre speaks up as charles pulls away from your lips

“fine. then you can listen to her pretty moans when i’m eating her out,” charles says, giving you another peck before he got down in front of you

pierre rearranged your body so you were sitting on his lap, your legs spread over his thighs

while pierre pulled your top off, charles unbuttoned your pants and pulled them down your legs, along with your panties, leaving you bare

“such a pretty pussy,” charles says, looking up at you

“it’s a shame it hasn’t been taken care of,” charles continues, inching his face closer to you, his breath fanning over your pussy

“are you always this much of a tease?” you whine softly, wanting his mouth on you already

“better get to it, mate. she’s getting needy,” pierre chuckles, pinching your nipples as he kissed and sucked on your neck

“i think our girl’s been denied quite enough hasn’t she?” charles asks and you nod a little before he presses his tongue flat against you

he focuses his tongue on your hole, licking up to your clit and swirling his tongue around it

“o-oh god,” you whimper when he flicks his tongue against your clit

“i think she likes that,” pierre chuckles as you moan

“yeah? you like that baby?” he asks you and you nod

“why don’t you tell charles. tell him how good he’s making you feel,” pierre whispers in your ear

you look down at charles to see him peering up at you through his thick lashes

“f-feels– fuck– feels so good, charles,” you whimper out

“you taste so sweet mon ange,” charles mutters against you, the vibrations making you moan even more

“you make the sweetest sounds too ma chérie,” pierre says

“mmm- charles,” you moan when he starts sucking your clit into his mouth

“fuck my name sounds good falling from your lips,” charles says

as your orgasm approaches, your legs start to fall closed

but pierre doesn’t let that happen

he holds your legs open while his best friend worked to make you cum on his tongue

and when you finally do, they think it’s the prettiest sight ever

your eyes close as your head leans back against pierre’s shoulder and you let out a broken moan

charles laps up all your wetness before he stands up

you’re looking at him a little dazed as he cups your face and pulls you in for a kiss

“thank you,” you mumble against his lips

“don’t thank us yet baby. i haven’t gotten a turn yet,” pierre reminds you, running his fingers up and down your thighs

“why don’t you get to it then instead of just telling her,” charles says, making pierre roll his eyes

pierre brings his fingers up to your lips, tapping on your bottom lip

“open,” he says and you part your lips before he slides them into your mouth

“that’s it, get my fingers nice and wet baby,” he coos in your ear

he lets you suck on them for a little bit before removing them, trailing them down your body until he reached your cunt

he teases your clit a little, running his fingers between your folds and collecting your wetness

he barely dips his fingers into you, pulling them out as soon as they enter you to tease you

“pierre!” you whine

“what do you want baby?” he asks and you whine in response

“hm? what’s that chérie?”

“stop being mean. she’s aching for it,” charles says

“she can tell me what she wants. come on baby, be my good girl and tell me what you want,” pierre coos in your ear

“w-want your fingers. please.”

“good girl,” he praises before slipping two of his fingers inside you

he pumps them slowly, curling them up every now and then, rubbing your clit with his thumb

“r-right there pierre,” you moan when he curls his fingers just right

“yeah? is that your spot baby?” he asks and you nod

he fucks his fingers in and out of you faster, quickly making you cum

when you cum, he muffles your moans with a kiss

“think you can give me another one baby?” he whispers and you nod softly

it doesn’t take him long to bring you to your third orgasm of the night

as you calm down from your high, he and charles press soft kisses to your skin

“you think you have one more in you for us angel?” charles asks softly

“just give me a moment,” you say

“take all the time you need baby,” pierre says, kissing your shoulder

“but why don’t we take this to the bedroom, yeah?” he adds and you agree with a nod

“one of you better carry me though,” you say, squealing when pierre picks you up

“didn’t even have to ask baby,” he chuckles and carries you to his bedroom, with charles following

pierre places you down onto his bed softly while charles takes a seat in the chair across from the bed

the boys let you rest for a bit while they undress themselves

once all his clothes were shed, pierre climbed onto his bed, sitting back against the headboard

“what’re you doing all the way over there? the party’s over here,” you look over at charles, who was palming himself

“you guys go ahead and start. i’ll join in a bit,” charles says

you look over at pierre and your mouth immediately waters at the sight of his hard, precum dripping cock

“fuck,” you whisper and that just boosts pierre’s ego

“i know,” he says and charles rolls his eyes at his friend’s cockiness

“you’re big,” you blurt out and his smirk just gets bigger

“don’t worry, you can take it baby. on your hands and knees for me now,” he says and taps your hips

you do as he asks, getting on all fours on the bed, facing charles

pierre grips your hips as he lines himself up behind you

he runs his tip up and down between your folds, tapping his cock on your clit until you whine for him

“alright, alright. no more teasing baby,” he chuckles and slowly pushes himself into you

you let out a low moan at the stretch as he fills you up and pierre has to still himself once he bottomed out

“shit, you’re tight baby,” he groans, letting you adjust to his size

“pierre,” you whimper as he slowly fucks you

“yeah chérie?” he asks

“need you to fuck me,” you tell him

“i think you should give her what she wants,” charles says

“fuck, i don’t think i’ll last long with how tight she’s squeezing my cock,” pierre groans

“think you might be just as bad as her date if you can’t last long,” charles teases

“shut the fuck up– fuck chérie,” pierre grunts when your pussy clenched around him

he starts to fuck you harder, his hands grabbing handfuls of your ass and leaving bruises on your hips

your arms give out and you fall forward onto the mattress but he quickly pulled you back up

pierre wrapped his hand around your throat and held you up so you kept eye contact with charles

“doesn’t she look so fucking gorgeous right now?” pierre asks, looking at charles as he kissed the side of your face

“prettiest sight i’ve ever seen,” charles says

“hear that baby? you look so fucking pretty right now,” pierre whispers in your ear and you just moan from his words

pierre suddenly pulls out of you, making you whine out at the loss of his cock

“pierre–” before you could finish, he lays back and pulls you so you’re straddling his waist

“want you to ride my cock baby,” he says, keeping you facing charles

you lift your hips up, holding his cock in your hand as you guide him back into you

you slowly sink down, moaning at the feeling of being filled up again

“so fucking good baby– fuck,” pierre moans when you start to move up and down

once you get used to his size again and to the position, you start bouncing on his cock faster

“that’s it baby, ride my cock. just like that,” pierre says, grabbing a handful of your ass before slapping it, spurring you on

you’re keeping your eyes on charles the entire time, watching how his fists his cock while he watches you fuck yourself on his best friend’s cock

“you look so pretty right now angel,” charles says

“why don’t you come get a closer look,” you say

you motion for charles to come over to you and he does

he climbs onto the bed, sitting up on his knees in front of you

his hand is still wrapped around his cock but you quickly slap his hand away, replacing it with your own

you’re stroking him slowly as pierre holds onto your hips, lifting you up and down his cock

charles leans in for a kiss while you jerk him off, loving the way your hand felt around him

while you jerked him off, his hand reached forward to rub your clit while pierre controlled your movements

the room was soon filled with the sounds of all three of you moaning and groaning and the sound of your skin slapping against pierre’s

“f-fuck! i’m cumming,” charles moans as he cums all over your hand, some of it spraying onto your stomach

your orgasm followed next, your pussy clenching and squeezing around pierre’s cock which brought him to his own orgasm and he fills you up

pierre slowly lifts you off his cock, laying you down beside him

you rest your head on his chest and motion for charles to lay down next to you

“we gotta clean you up first, angel,” charles says softly but lays down beside you anyways

“in a minute,” you say, grabbing his arm to keep it around your waist while you laid on pierre’s chest, as you all caught your breath

“what’d you say about bad ideas again?” you ask, breaking the silence

“that they’re always more fun?” pierre replies

“yeah. this might’ve just been the best bad idea we’ve ever had,” you say

“agreed,” charles says

#cl #pg #charles leclerc smut #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc headcanon #pierre gasly smut #pierre gasly x reader #f1 headcanon #f1 smut #f1 x reader #diorleclerc writes

[xiaosenthusiast]

6. scooby doo

“yn! are you awake yet?”

“um, yeah dad! i’m awake!”

“come down for breakfast, your food’s gonna get cold!”

getting up and grabbing my phone from my nightstand i slid my feet into my slippers

—

walking downstairs and seeing xiao sitting at our table was not something i was expecting. he was eating some pancakes while scrolling through his phone, “oh yn come on, your food’s going to get cold.”

at the mention of your name, xiao looked up to you and snickered. HE SNICKERED. your fists’ clenched as you walked to the table with an annoyed expression.

“dad, you didn’t tell me xiao would be here?” feigning a smile you whispered in his ear. “oh, your mom passed by him and invited him for breakfast. which doesn’t make sense she went out again..”

“we’re not going anywhere with him though, right?”

“no of course not, your mom is out..but i didn’t want to leave my little girl alone here!” he whispers back as he grabbed me in a bear hug; squeezing the life out of me.

“dad! come on! i would never do that!! especially with him!”

“oh no, i just didn’t want you two to tear the place apart.” he finally let go of you as you started eating your food, your dad took his plate and walked into the kitchen. you took this opportunity to kick xiao in the leg.

“ouch! what do you want??”

“what are you doing here?!”

you crossed your arms as you squinted at him, “what’s wrong with me being here? we’ve known each other for a while, plus we haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“we saw each other three weeks ago.”

“yeah, but our parents don’t know that we’re ‘dating’. ”

putting quotations around dating, i guess he didn’t tell his dad either.

“oh my god.”

i froze. was that my dad’s voice? i slowly turned as i gripped my fork tighter in my hand, it was in fact. my dad.

“you two are…dating?”

“dad it’s not wha-”

“i can hear the wedding bells already! thank you xiao! oh, i have to tell your mom!”

he put his coat on and then ran out the door, i hear the car turn on and drive off. did he seriously.

“sooo, you didn’t tell your parents either?”

i turned and slumped in my chair as i looked at him, shaking my head. “i didn’t think i had to, i mean-”

i stopped myself from continuing that sentence, xiao looked intrigued but dropped the subject. the silence was a bit uncomfortable as the air felt tense.

“do you wanna watch scooby doo?”

“you watch scooby doo?”

“um yeah, we used to watch it together. i showed it to you and then you said you were their number one fan!”

“i was and still am.”

“i showed it to you! i’m their number one fan because i saw it first.” i rolled my eyes and moved to the couch. now that we started talking more the air wasn’t as tense, i felt relived that i could come up with a conversation topic.

“yeah yeah whatever just put it on.”

he sat next to me on the couch, a little closer than he should’ve but i didn’t say anything as i didn’t mind it. somewhere deep inside me i liked being this close to xiao.

watching scooby doo with him reminded me of when we were kids and we used to mess around a lot more.

—

“i can be fred and you can be daphne, yn!”

“but i don’t like you..”

“so then..i will be daphne and you can be fred?”

“yeah! i will save you all the time!”

—

thinking back on it, xiao was quite clingy. now that i think about it, what day is it?

i checked the date on xiao’s phone as he had passed out and i had left my phone in my bedroom. i had to reach over him to reach it, it’s not like he would know though; he was asleep, and he was snoring. quietly, but snoring.

it’s our monthsary, i should post something..i’ll just get it off of pinterest or something..getting up from the couch i tumbled back down, i’ll post it later i don’t want to go upstairs. scooby doo was still playing and xiao was still sleeping. i smiled softly at the scene, he always fell asleep while watching scooby doo.

i rested my head on his shoulder pulling a blanket on top of us, my eyelids feeling heavier by the second. finally closing my eyes i went to sleep.

extra !

hearing shuffling and whispers made me stir in my sleep, furrowing my eyebrows i was wondering who was making so much noise? it suddenly stopped and i relaxed again.

but wait…something wasn’t right here. why was i laying down? and what was in my hair?!

opening my eyes i adjusted to the dim light, the first thing i saw was green strands of hair. when i realized who it was, i sat straight up, knocking my head right into his chin.

“ow…good morning?”

the culprit scratched his neck before stretching, “what was i doing on your lap? last i remember i put my head on your shoulder.”

“you kept moving your head and i assumed it’d be bad for your neck.” he looked at the living room entrance and warily smiled. “by the way..your dad’s back.”

i had never turned my head so fast before, there my dad was standing in the entryway with my mom. so that’s what all the shuffling and whispering was. that’s two out of three questions i had, what the hell was in my hair?!

“xiao, did you put a bug in my hair? because i swear if you did..!”

he smiled at me with a teasing expression, “and what if i did?”

“are you serious?!” i started combing through my hair with my fingers, anxiousness settling inside of me.

“i’m kidding i was messing with your hair.”

i punched his arm.

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an — this is definitely more written than panels but oh well

taglist ! @layla240 @meisuuu @plinkuro @butteredmilc @ryuverse @kunihaver @nsojbbkkm @cridtiins @kiamei2010 @kazeniya @lucid404 @eimuros @phyot @xiamania @lovely028 @minan58 @5sos-wdw @justonemoreroz @feiherp @dazaisfavgf @cupids-chamber @ik4zuha @thenightsflower @cerisearan @kiyowoir @sweet-almonds @tjjjrsj @richxelle @pyrrhicgaze @r4nd0mwe1rdo @mave-in @tofucreator @scaraapologist @swivy123 @kunikuzushisbeloved @yorina @luvstivalll @fwauna @aludicpoet @duckyyyx

if blog is in green i couldn’t tag you due to your privacy settings !

#fake it till u make it — series #genshin x reader #genshin x you #adeptus xiao #modern au #genshin xiao #xiao x reader #xiao x you #xiao x y/n #social media au #genshin impact #genshin impact xiao #genshin smau #xiao

[dozing-marshmallow]

Hi !! Since i heard you do requests and i thought it would be silly

Could you do Ezekiel x Yandere reader but its a similar dynamic to what they did with Sierra and Cody? Reader being an uber obssesed fan and Zeke just trying to play the game (and getting far this time like he deserves)

(Whether they win or last until the top 4 is your choice!)

Sorry I took long to get this done my love, I was really stuck on figuring out how to write this ^^” I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

EZEKIEL X YANDERE! CONTESTANT! READER HEADCANONS

Everyone agreed you and Sierra would get along so well. And you know what? You did.

Although you guys’ competition was fuelled by your undying love for your specific sweethearts, the classic players were more comforted by your lack of interest in them.

Unlike Cody, Ezekiel was all welcoming of this affection. About time people realised how cool he is!

Because of you, he had the chance to show off how much diligence he earned over the time since his first elimination. He wasn’t booted off first this time!

Nigara Bawls was your favourite episode. You got a marriage out of it! A true marriage, not a painfully void marriage like Sierra had to mislead Cody into consenting to.

Seriously, have some decorum, Sierra.

Of course, you never said it to her gleeful face,“Eeee! Who needs a double date  when you can have a double wedding!?”

If only it was a triple wedding... With Heather gone, Alejandro’s facade was torn down. You should’ve seen it! All frown, no smile.

Who knew Sierra and you had something in common with him.

It was the fourteenth elimination, where it was you, Alejandro, Sierra, Ezekiel and Cody left in the game.

As usual, you had your individual rounds in the bathroom to pick your vote.

You hated the image, but against Sierra, you were an underdog. She was the one with the knowledge and strength.

However, she had the intellect of a rock. No way Cody would all of a sudden stop his voting for Sierra streak at a time you needed it and it didn’t matter who Alejandro put forward, though it would be pretty hilarious if he had voted for Sierra.

Four against one... She’s finished.

So, you waited. It came down to Ezekiel and her without the vomit bag of peanuts.

Just throw it to Zeeke, Chris. We don’t need to keep Sierra hoping.

Oh, but he did- He threw the final bag right in her direction, pushing an obnoxious squeal from her chest.

Your world shattered.

“No... My Zeeke...is going home?”

“‘Fraid so!” The host grinned at your ghostly face.

“No no no...” There has to be a mistake. You get up from your seat and bolt to the host and fought to see the votes yourself,“Let me see! Let me see! Let me see!”

To Chris' dismay, you had managed to grab a hold of the passports off him and confined your utter disgust. Ezekiel really was set for going home tonight, and it wasn't a bluff.

Three out of five passports for Ezekiel.

Two out of five passports for Sierra.

Looks like both of you went ahead and stabbed each other tonight. You refuse to be the one to have your heart strings drain out.

Though, acting so, you could.

You take a breath.

“So, it is true...” the prefatory of your pretend defeat, putting on a gloomy look to Ezekiel whom was as stunned as you,“I...have to bid you farewell now, my love.”

“What the frick?” your persona had fooled him too,“You really taking what these votes said? No one would ever vote the Zeeke off, it was rigged yo! Rigged!"

"I'll avenge you. I'll win for the both of us!" that wasn't a lie.

Seemingly forced into one path, Ezekiel stands up and trudges with reluctance towards the open exit of the plane, eyes reading for you to help as you slid the straps of the parachute around his shoulders.

There was no need to tighten them.

You turn to your "soul sister", clipping your hands with Ezekiel’s,“Sierra... We’ve had quite a time with our beloveds since the very beginning and we both know this is going to take a drastic turn in our competitions. Could you do us the mercy of sparing us a gesture of departure? Consolidate this as the final time we’ll be like this?”

“Omg, of course!” the superfan didn’t think twice.

She jumped up and came straight over. What she didn't expect was your fingers, twisting around her wrist.

"Huuuh?"

You drag her to the open passage of the plane,“I wasn’t lying. This is the final time we’ll be like this. Sorry Sierra.” she was barely standing on ground now,“But this show isn’t big enough for the both of us.”

Sierra realised far too late the trap she fell in, her braid violently flying from the air resistance,“(Y/N)! I thought we were friends!” Her face pressed in betrayal like she was innocent, yet was squeezing onto a rope of your hand, the only thing that was saving her from falling to death,“Cody! Cody! Cody! Help! Help! Help!” she screamed pathetically, for her lover that felt anything but.

You take a quick glance at him- he made no effort to even move from his seat.

What a lonely girl. She was still flailing.

“Let go already, Sierra!” God, she could hang there all day! This had to end now.

So, you bite her hand.

Sierra yowls and unintentionally lets go, and she fell.

Down and down and down. Her chicken like body got smaller and smaller, but her screams got louder and louder. It was ill, even for you, especially when Chris took too long to throw down the parachute, accepting the change of eliminated contestant without intervening.

Finally, that whiny headache had taken flight. Were you ever real friends? Or did you just get lost in the game?

Whatever. The final five still became final four tonight. And that meant you and Ezekiel.

You turn back to the remaining on flight faces,

Why so horrified, no one liked her, no one was brave enough! You did everyone a favour.

You place your hand on Ezekiel’s face, one of the few that wasn't distraught, smiling,"You're safe, baby."

#tdi #total drama #tdi x reader #request #td ezekiel #total drama ezekiel #ezekiel #ezekiel total drama #ezekiel td #td ezekiel x reader

[andiwriteordie]

aaaa congrats on 1.5k!!!

for the writing prompt things idk uh cuddly/touchy byler (prerelationship) and one of the other party members just calling them out on their lack of heterosexuality??

overdue hi helloooo!!!

oh my god i love this. this is one of my favorite party tropes, so here, have some lucas sinclair being So Done with mike and will. a fun little modern au, set around the party's sophomore or junior year of college!

—

now that i see you 

Here’s a little known fact that very few people know about Lucas Sinclair.

He’s bi.

Yeah! Lucas is bisexual, and it’s fucking great, actually. He’s known he was bi since he was about seventeen years old, though looking back on it, Lucas really should’ve known sooner. Honestly, there’s a reason why he loved watching the Spider-Man movies when he was younger, and it’s not just because Zendaya stars in them.

Oh no. It’s because Zendaya and Tom Holland star in them.

Talk about the Gen Z bisexual’s dream.

Anyways, yeah, Lucas Sinclair is bisexual, and he’s out to everyone he knows and loves. He never had a big coming out or anything, but if people ask about it, he doesn’t hide it or anything. But personally, in Lucas’s opinion, no one should assume other people’s sexualities, so if people assume he’s straight, that’s on them.

It’s fun being bi, and it’s fun having a girlfriend who’s bi too. He and Max have been dating since they were just fourteen years old, so they’re more than comfortable walking down the streets together and commenting on different people they pass by. (Not in a creepy way, of course. God no. Lucas isn’t like that, and neither is Max.) 

It’s also fun having so many friends who are part of the queer community as well. Everybody in the Party is actually part of the queer community—Will is gay, El identifies as bisexual with a strong preference for women, Dustin is on the ace spectrum, and Mike currently identifies as queer, as he’s still trying to figure out what label (if any) fits him best. 

All of that to say, as a bi man, Lucas thinks he’s gotten pretty good at reading what is and what isn’t flirty behavior. For example, El and Max used to hold hands all the time when all of them were in high school. For some girls, that’s not flirty behavior. For those two though? It was definitely flirty behavior, and that’s exactly why the three of them are in a poly relationship now and have been for well over a year. 

Another example? Sometimes, Will likes to lean his head on Lucas’s shoulder. Sometimes, Lucas gives Will piggybacks, like he does with Max. Maybe in another life, they would’ve been flirting with each other, but Lucas is fairly certain their behavior is platonic.

Mostly.

Not that it even matters because here’s the thing: Will is head over fucking heels in love with Mike.

Here’s the other thing: Mike is head over fucking heels in love with Will.

And now for the final thing: the two of them are so fucking stupid that neither one of them even realizes it, even though they both flirt with each other worse than anyone Lucas has ever met.

Like… seriously, what the hell? What the actual hell? Mike and Will are practically dating, except that they’re not, and both of them have come to Lucas on separate occasions and rambled for literal hours about how much they like each other. But of course, both Will and Mike had made him promise not to say anything to the other person, and of course, Lucas can’t just break that promise, even if it would save them a lot of heartache and save himself a massive headache.

Tonight, though… Lucas is questioning his entire life. 

Everyone in the Party is over at Mike’s house tonight for a movie night, and like usual, they’re all squished together on the tiny couch in the basement and on the floor in front of the couch. They’re watching Tangled tonight, per El’s request since her birthday is in a little less than a week. It’s a sweet movie, and because it’s one of Max and El’s favorites, Lucas loves it a lot.

But he’s not really watching Tangled tonight.

Oh no, instead, Lucas keeps getting distracted by the fact that Mike and Will are literally cuddling on the floor in front of him. And yeah, okay, that’s nothing new. They both tend to be physically affectionate people, and other than the weird period of time when Mike and El were dating and he and Will weren’t really talking, they’ve always been physically affectionate with each other.

But tonight is just a new level of “affectionate,” and Jesus Christ, Lucas is going to rip his hair out.

First of all. 

First. Of. Fucking. All. 

Mike is sitting against the couch, and Will is literally sitting between his legs and leaning up against Mike’s chest. Mike has his arms wrapped around Will, and throughout the movie, Mike keeps leaning down and whispering things into Will’s ear that make Will laugh and smile like a complete idiot.

Second of all.

Second of all, Mike keeps absently playing with Will’s hair. Mike’s always been a fidgety person, so when he’s not holding Will’s hands, he’s playing with Will’s hair, all soft and gentle the way that Lucas is literally playing with Max’s hair. 

Third of all.

It’s the lantern scene.

It’s the fucking lantern scene now, and Rapunzel and Eugene are singing to each other and looking lovingly into one another’s eyes. Ordinarily, the scene is enough to make Lucas emotional, and sometimes, when he’s feeling extra sappy, he might even tear up, because he gets to thinking about Max and about how happy she makes him. Nowadays, he thinks about El too and how their relationship, however unusual it may be, also makes him incredibly happy.

But nope. Lucas can’t even enjoy his favorite scene in the whole damn movie, because he’s too distracted by the fact that Mike is staring at Will in the same way that Eugene keeps staring at Rapunzel but also by the fact that every single damn time Will turns to look at Mike in the same way Rapunzel stares back at Eugene, Mike just so happens to turn away.

They keep missing each other’s stupid, pining looks, and Lucas wants to cry. He’s going to lose his mind here. He really, really is.

The song continues to play, and Lucas glances down at Will and Mike again. Somehow, Will has shifted even closer to Mike, and Mike is whispering something in Will’s ear again that makes him smile.

…

Alright.

Enough is enough.

Lucas just wants to enjoy his damn movie, and he’s tired of his best friends being idiots. 

So, as slyly as he can, Lucas sits up, and he leans down, closer to Mike and Will now. “Hey,” he whispers, loud enough so only the two of them can hear.

Both Will and Mike turn to look at him, confused expressions on their faces. “Hey?” Mike asks, his brow furrowed. 

“You both want to kiss each other,” Lucas deadpans, and he watches as both his best friends stare at him in horror. “And don’t try to deny it, because you both have talked to me about it. Just… do us all a favor, and go make out or something. I can’t watch the damn movie because I’m too distracted by the fact that you’re literally flirting in front of all of us and are somehow too dumb to realize it.”

Both Will and Mike turn a bright shade of red, and they look at each other, their eyes wide. For a few moments, they do that silent little Mike and Will communication, and Lucas fights the urge to roll his eyes.

All at once, everything is different, Rapunzel and Eugene sing together, now that I see you. Now that I see you. 

Then, all at once, Will moves away from Mike, and he crawls towards the stairs, still holding Mike’s hand. Neither one of them stands up until they’re away from the TV, and without another word, they run up the stairs—presumably to go follow Lucas’s suggestion.

Fucking finally.

Lucas sighs, and he leans back onto the couch, wrapping his arm around Max’s shoulder again. She shifts closer to him, offering a wry smile, and she mutters, “About damn time. I told you that you should’ve just told them earlier.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Lucas rolls his eyes, leaning over and kissing his girlfriend’s temple. “I wanted to give them a chance to not be idiots and figure it out for themselves.”

“It’s Mike and Will,” Dustin points out, from his place on the beanbag. “When it comes to each other, they’re always going to be idiots.”

“Okay, that’s fair—”

“Shhhhh,” El hisses, glaring at both Lucas and Dustin. “Mike and Will are stupid. We knew this already. Now, be quiet. I’m trying to watch the movie.”

“Sorry,” Dustin says, and Lucas smiles sheepishly.

“Sorry, El,” he whispers, reaching over and rubbing her back lightly. “I’ll be quiet.”

El narrows her eyes playfully, but she smiles back at Lucas, leaning closer to both Max and Lucas. “I’ll forgive you,” she whispers. “But only because now I won’t have to listen to Will whine about Mike as much.”

A quiet laugh escapes Lucas’s lips, and he just smiles, leaning his head on Max’s shoulder. Likewise, El leans her head on Max’s other shoulder, and silence settles over the four of them as they continue to watch the rest of the movie.

Lucas will check in on Mike and Will… later.

Right now, he gets the feeling they want to be left alone.

#andi's asks #byler #byler ficlet #elumax

[lonelycatsblog]

here is a short story i wrote

Arthur

By lonelycatsblog

“Guys, he’s not moving!” I shouted to them as they slowed down. We had just been going for a fun walk through the woods, the four of us, when I spotted a homeless person sleeping just off of the trail. When I first saw him I was doubled over, hands on my knees, panting from running almost a kilometre with my friends. He’d just been lying there, face down, with some garbage surrounding him. I should’ve left him, but my curiosity got the better of me. When I stopped to check on him, Jackson, Jean and Rowen had kept on going without even noticing.

“Don’t joke around, you’re falling behind.” Jean is my sister and my best friend, but god, she is annoying! Just yesterday, I was mid-shower and she turned off the hot water. I’ll get her back soon. We’re both 15 right now. She’ll be 16 in a few months. We have different mothers and the same father. It’s a complicated situation.

Slowly sauntering my way, she thought I was playing some sick prank on her and our friends. I wasn’t. This man, wearing a dirtied Walmart uniform, lying face down in the detritus, wasn’t moving at all. I was no longer on the trail. I was now kneeling beside the unconscious man, with his face planted on the forest floor, my heart rate picking up, looking for his pulse. Please have a pulse. Please. Please. Please. I pleaded in my mind for him to be alive. Still nothing. Looking up, I see my sister, a slight worry on her face, standing over me. She makes her way to my side, calling Jackson and Rowen over. “You two are kidding right?! Leave the man to nap.” chuckled Rowen. He never took anything seriously.

Jackson caught the distress on our faces and came jogging over. “Why are we all standing over a Walmart employee right now?”

“I can’t feel a pulse.” My voice is high and scratchy. It’s funny to think this morning I was stressed out over my exam and now I’m here. It really puts life into perspective. “Flip him over.” Jackson has command in his voice now. He’s focused. He believes me.

“NOW!” How is he this calm?

“K, on three” Jean's voice is pitchy. One, two, three. I count in my mind as she says it out loud. My muscles strain under the weight of the body. As he lands on his back, the leaves crunch under his weight, and the smell of mouldy leaves and sweat sting my nose, my thoughts are going a hundred miles an hour. I’m freaking out. We’re all freaking out. I can’t think. I can’t breathe. How does someone forget how to breathe?

Rowen is red in the face, standing about five feet back, unable to move. The homeless man is covered in dirt and blood? Yes, that’s blood. A lot of it. The blood seems to have come from small cuts all over his face and body. A name tag on his uniform says Arthur. Unzipping Arthur’s blue Walmart vest, Jackson is taking action. His dad is a fireman and taught Jackson everything you’d need to know in a situation like this. Hands cupped together, he starts CPR on Arthur. “Check his pulse again, Alec.” My palms are sweaty, and my fingers are cold and shaky

1

as I reach towards Arthur’s neck. His bare skin against mine feels cold and soft; does normal skin feel like this? Please, please, please. No pulse. “No, pulse.” I croak. This wasn’t supposed to happen to me. Why me? Why him?

Jean's hand intertwines with mine and we sit there and stare at Arthur’s motionless body while Jackson starts mouth-to-mouth. “Why isn’t he moving?” Rowen has finally come to join us beside Arthur. His face is bright red and his inhaler is in his hand. He’s shaking as he sits down next to Jean. Jean grabs his hand and we all sit in silence, waiting. Rowen and Jean dated for a few weeks last summer before Jean came out as lesbian. Things are a little awkward now between them but they still care about each other.

“Check!” Jackson is exasperated. My free hand fumbles around Arthur’s neck. “Still no pulse.”

“Fuck!” He starts aggressively pumping his chest. Arthur isn’t moving. Shaking beside me, I can feel Jean digging her nails into my hand. The pain is a good distraction, so I squeeze back just as hard. Crack! I snap back into reality to see a tear running down Jackson's face as he hopelessly wails on Arthur’s chest. The crack must’ve been one of Arthur’s ribs. I’ve heard that it’s pretty common to break ribs during CPR. Back on the main trail, I see Rowen fainting with his phone in his hand. Jean runs over to him, breaking his fall and picking up the phone. She begins talking to someone on the other end of the phone. 911? Hopefully.

Using all my strength, I pull myself to my feet and run to Jackson. I grab him from the back and pull him off Arthur. He’s full-on bawling at this point. “No, I can save him!” Jackson screams as he falls onto me still squirming. “Stop, I need to save him!” he sobs. “No, he’s dead. Let it go.” Arms swinging, he tries to escape my grip. I see his elbow swing towards my face and then darkness.

Lights flashing, sirens blaring, my eyes flutter open. I’m on the ground, my head in Jean's lap. She sits there silently, stunned. Where Arthur was before now lays a body bag surrounded by a few police and firefighters. The ambulance, the vehicle nearest to us, has Jackson sitting inside with a blanket around him and Rowen on a cot right outside. Everything is loud and bright. There’s a ringing in my ears—or maybe everyone can hear it. I can’t tell anymore.

“Hey, you're the one who found the body right?” an older man says from above. “Arthur.” Jean murmurs.

“Ya, I found him.”

“You’re going to need to come to the police station with me. We have a few questions to

ask you. If you want, she can come as well.” he gestured to Jean.

Prompt used: A group of teens find a dead body

#short story #my writing

[noforkingclue]

Ooh good omens! Can you pls write a fic where aziraphale has obsession with reader, channeling his inner devil? And reader has to beg crowley for help escaping the angel? Will crowley help or will he side with his angel?

Yaay, a Good Omens request! always happy to write for this. I went with both Crowley and Aziraphale being dark for this. Hope you don't mind!

Title: Friend or Foe?

Warnings: dark fic, mentions of stalking, drugging

Good Omens tag list: @mxacegrey

Everything tag list: @greenrevolutionary, @byebyebreezywrites, @spngingerbread21, @layazul, @lov3vivian, @simonsbluee

“Weird,” Crowley slumped in his chair and took off his sunglasses, “He’s an angel. Of course he’s weird.”

“No, no, no,” you waved a hand at him, “Weird is the wrong word. He’s been… acting out of sorts recently.”

“How recently is recently?”

You looked over your shoulder and glared at the demon. Crowley was relaxing back in his chair, feet on his desk and eyes closed. He tilted his head towards you, eyes still closed, as he waited for you to answer.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant.” You muttered

“Well,” Crowley said slowly, “Everyone acts ‘out of sorts’. Just because Angel is a, well, angel, doesn’t mean he’s immune.”

“You’re not taking this very seriously.”

“You’re acting too casual about it.”

“Because I know him.”

“And I don’t?”

Crowley opened his eyes and gave you a pointed look. You sighed and sat down in the chair opposite his desk. You put your head in your hands and said,

“Point made.”

You’d only known the two for a fraction of how long they had known each other. You heard Crowley sigh and looked at his through your fingers.

“Go on,” he said, “Tell me what he’s been doing.”

“Stalking me.”

“Stalking?” Crowley sounded amused, “Angel?”

“Everywhere I go he’s there,” you said, “I went on a date the other week and I swear I saw him in the coffee shop I was in.”

“Coffee shop?”

“And before you say anything else, the Ritz doesn’t count as a coffee shop. I know you and Zira go there for tea and cake but it is not the same!”

“Never said it was.”

“You were thinking it.”

“Was not.”

“Was too!”

“Was not.”

“Was-“ you shook your head and sighed, “This is stupid and off topic.”

“Off topic?” Crowley sounded far too innocent for your liking

“About my heavenly stalker. He called me up at three in the morning yesterday.”

“Three?”

“Well, technically it was two but I didn’t wake up until three. When he rung again.”

“Three in the morning,” Crowley rubbed the bridge of his nose, “For what?”

“To talk about books.”

“Books.”

“Books.”

Crowley groaned and swung his legs off the desk. You looked up at him sharply as he walked around the desk and patted your shoulder awkwardly.

“You should’ve seen the looks he was giving me in the shop the other day.” You said quietly

“Looks.”

“Yeah,” you looked down at the floor, “Looks. Like…”

“Yes?”

“I’m not sure if I should tell you.”

“Why not?”

“He’s your friend.”

“And you’re… I don’t hate you. You’re tolerable, for a human.”

“Thanks,” you said dryly, “The looks he gave me was almost like… Like he wanted to pin me against the bookshelf.”

Crowley didn’t answer immediately. You looked over your shoulder just as a cup of tea appeared in front of you. You raised an eyebrow and looked up at Crowley. He was deliberately not making eye contact with you.

“Humans find tea comforting,” he said, “Drink.”

“Thanks. So what do you think is wrong with him?”

Crowley didn’t answer until you took a sip of the tea.

“Could be possessed?”

“Possessed?” you yawned, “Is that possible? He is an angel.”

“Difficult but not impossible.”

You yawned again and the cup slipped through your grip. Crowley must’ve made is disappear before it had a chance to hit the floor. As your head lolled forward you hit something warm and soft. Familiar arms wrapped around you and stroked your hair.

“Did you really have to drug her?” asked Aziraphale, the soft words chilling your to the core, “What if she was allergic to it?”

“Relax Angel,” Crowley slumped back in his chair, “We’ve got her now so relax.”

#fanfiction #good omens #reader insert #request #aziraphel #crowley #aziraphale x reader #crowley x reader #dark