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#why is he staring into my soul like that???
gay-dorito-dust · 2 days
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May I please request any comfort fluff with Jiyan from Wuthering Waves if you're open to those requests?🙏😔 I need bro to comfort me
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‘Are you okay?’
‘I’m sorry?’ You asked, looking up to see Jiyan stood over your seated form with conceding lacing his golden eyes.
‘Are you okay?’ He repeated, sitting down next to you, ‘you’ve been acting differently as of late and I feel as though there’s more to it than just a shift in personality.’
You chuckled humourlessly, the jig was up and you knew it but were too stubborn to accept help from anyone, especially from one who had more important matters at hand than your slight decline in mental health. ‘It’s nothing, honestly, I’m just a little-‘
‘Tired?’ Jiyan cuts you off and suddenly your throat felt drier than a desert and he must’ve known that he caught you in your one lie as he levels you with a stare, leaning slightly towards you. ‘How often have you used being tired as an excuse because people in your past have proven themselves ill equip with handling a difficult situation, despite saying false promises of being there for when life gets hard.’
‘Way too fucking often.’ You replied. ‘It’s like they were only in my life to take something from me, why? I’ll never know because they’re all gone and fucked off, like they didn’t just tore my souls to shreds snd left me to pick up the pieces.’ You concluded and it wasn’t until then did you realise that you had started to cry when Jiyan wordlessly wiped one away with his thumb.
You had let your guard slip, the one thing you’ve promised yourself to never do again in the presence of another person due to how they made it all about them; not to mention how they gone on about how suddenly they couldn’t handle your baggage before ghosting you completely whenever you tried to reach out to them again. You didn’t deserve that type of treatment and you know it, but you’ve less yourself to believe that their reaction will be how others would perceive your situation, and so you never bothered reaching out for help and instead letting it bottle up inside until you cracked.
‘I’m sorry.’ You gasped as you began to violently wipe away at your eyes when Jiyan held your wrists in his hand and brought them away from your face.
‘Don’t apologise,’ he started, ‘never apologise for your own emotions nor the people who’ve made you believe that others would turn a blind eye to your plan, for that is simply not true, but I understand that this is a hard mentality for one to unlearn after so long.’ Jiyan wasn’t well versed in comforting others, seeing as how he spent most of his life in the frontlines of the battlefield as both a medic and general, but that didn’t stop him from recognising that a misdeed had been committed against you and that he wouldn’t allow; So for you, jiyan would try his best to provide comfort that you needed.
‘Oh yeah? And who’s going to change that then you?’ You scoffed.
‘Yes.’ Jiyan answered without hesitation and a seriousness you’ve only ever seen in battle and that alone had you choke on your own words.
‘Why?’ You asked, looking into his eyes in hopes of getting the answer you wanted, you wanted to look for a lie within his eyes but his eyes only told you that he was being genuine with his words.
‘I want to prove that if there is one person who’s willing to shoulder your burdens with you, it’s me.’ He tells you. ‘I will not allow you to suffer alone during you’re in pain. So please, allow me to lend you aid in these difficult times.’
You stayed silent for a bit and Jiyan thought that he may have overstepped a boundary or two but his own worries were put to rest when you gripped onto his hand just as he was about to pull away. ‘If it’s not too much trouble for you.’
‘I wouldn’t have suggested such if it was, which it isn’t.’ Jiyan cuts you off softly.
‘Then I guess it couldn’t hurt.’ You said, slowly beginning to grow hope for this seemingly small promise.
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myokk · 3 days
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“She’s tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me”😤😤😤
(Regency AU with Eloise and Sebastian inspired by my slow trek through Bridgerton these days & @bassicallymaestra ‘s AMAZING regency inspired art😮‍💨😇🙏)
#I just have a love of big regency dresses what can I say😔🙏#if you haven’t seen them yet this is a study of the GORGEOUS P&P illustrations from the 1890s by Charles Brock#they are all just so spectacular & I stare at them alllllllllll the time wishing I had an ounce of his talent🙏🙏🙏#so I do these studies to pretend even though I change some things😅😅 bc these studies is the best way to improve imo🙏#but I remembered halfway through why I rage quit trying to draw with my fountain pen a year ago😂😂😂#that thing is amazing for writing and I love it like a child#but drawing?! tbh I should have used my drawing ink pen but whatever#I woke up with a hankering to do some crosshatching (which I hate) in an attempt to get over myself#also!!!!!! when Mr Darcy says something like that it’s no wonder Elizabeth jumps at the bit to believe every awful thing she hears about him#it’s like Mr wickham’s dumb stories that nobody else in their right mind would believe#are speaking right to her soul. like OF COURSE that asshole from the assembly would do all of those things😤😤#he called me ugly so OF COURSE he would deny mr wickham his living😤😤#(I don’t blame her I would do the same🤝🤝)#ALSO why tf did he even say that when he’s clearly smitten from the beginning#I’m sure if he knew that she heard him he would simply perish from mortification#well thst is my p&p - inking horror - inspiration rant of the day🙏🙏#(I read p&p at least once a year & it is the only fanfic I really read😅😅😅)#hogwarts legacy#hogwarts legacy fanart#hphl#sebastian sallow#hogwarts legacy mc#hogwarts legacy oc#eloise
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minhosimthings · 19 hours
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Lucifer|| Prolouge
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Synopsis: After you found your husband cheating on you, you found a different kind of comfort in his devilishly handsome colleagues.
Pairings: detective 02z × fem!reader
Warnings: angst, fluff, suggestive, minors please do not interact, catcalling, mention of alcohol, reader is cheated on by Heeseung, cheating (which I do not condone in real life)
A/N: Prologue for my 02z short series everyone! I abandoned everything else after Enha dropped Memorabilia just to write this BECAUSE I CAN. I will try to put out the oneshots as early as possible and I hope all of you will enjoy it! Au revoir!
Taglist: Open
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Crystalline tears filled your eyes as you walked under the dark azure sky. Your feet ached, your heart thumped hard against its prison and your mind spun and yet you kept walking. Walking somewhere, you didn't even bother to understand.
Adjusting your skirt, and moving your scarf down to reveal your bloodied lips from having bitten them too much, you tried to recall what had happened today that made you so miserable. Was it the broken coffee machine, or was it the recent murders in the newspaper? Or was it a person? Perhaps it was the latter.
Heeseung.
You loved Lee Heeseung. With all of your soul and all of your heart you loved him all the way through the bright Mays and the chilly Decembers. You loved him in a way only the setting sun could love the ocean, the way its rays danced with the water so gracefully.
And yet you caught him in your own bedroom, strong sinews of muscles handling another girl's lusty bones, as she merged her body with someone you thought belonged to you.
His apologies went deaf to your ears, you spent an hour or so packing up all your things and driving out the house without a second thought. You didn't even realise how much time you spent screaming your head off at him, trying hard to stop your tears from escaping their barrier as you shoved each and every gift he ever gave you into his arms and asked him to burn them to the ground. And yet you didn't know how to cope without them either.
Your mother never taught you how to handle grief without alcohol and your father's blood always seeped through your mouth in words of fire and fury everytime something went wrong. It was no wonder you had found comfort in Heeseung, a man who could handle all of your pain and all of your anger.
You had trusted him with your life, marrying him happily to escape your childhood home and entrusting in him your most beloved secrets, your love and dedication and your virginity as well. You thought that had been enough, staying home whilst Heeseung worked his ass off at the police station to provide you with everything you could ask for and more.
And when he came home, you were his toy, a plaything for him to release his stress on and yet you didn't budge. Why should you? When you were recieving all the pleasure you could ever want and giving all the pleasure back to your husband. Nevertheless, you stared at your empty ring finger now, hands shivering in the cold as you scolded yourself on not wearing mittens. Heeseung used to scold you too.
Lee Heeseung. What would you have done to absolutely irradicate Lee Heeseung?
You had parked your car at the nearby park where you knew it'd be safe, and had gone for a walk. Thoughts rushed to your mind. You had known about Heeseung's affair for some time now, but you wanted to catch him in the act, to prove to the world, to yourself, that your melancholic delusion could be justified. Here you were now, dragging your feet across the cemented pavement, knowing there's only one other place you could go to. The darkness was a bad place for a woman to be, at 10 pm but you didn't give a single fuck about anything as your prosaic body tried to get itself up. You swore you could have heard voices behind you.
"Hey, hey you!" You heard a voice shout behind you, "What's a pretty lady doin' in a place like this?"
You gulped in fear as your feet sped up. Stupid stupid girl, you thought to yourself, should have stayed in the goddamned car!
"Hey you ignorin' me?" The voice shouted again, and you could hear the gruff footsteps which followed you, getting closer by the moment, "Stop fucking runnin' away from me!"
Your heart pumped blood faster as you picked up your skirt and ran, at the fastest speed you could. This wouldn't have happened if Heeseung was here!, you thought, and though a part of your brain tried to scold you about still thinking about him, at the moment all you were focused on was getting somewhere safe.
The man's drunken voice could still be hear by your ears, and his harsh footsteps told you he was running behind you, chasing you as if you were a wild mongrel to be caught and leashed.
Only one place. Only one place you could go now.
Turning swift on your feet, you ran down the wide lane filled with shops on one side and the empty road on the other, being careful not to crash into the glowing streetlights, as your destination came into your visage.
The police station. Where you knew, your last hope would be standing.
|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|•|
"Got the Samson case solved yet?" Sunghoon yawned and stretched his limbs above his head, like a prosaic cat, "Man I could do with a drink right now."
"It's 10 pm." Jake checked his pocketwatch, running his hand through his hair as he always did, "What bar is going to be open at this time?"
"Hey, should we steal Jay's stash?" Sunghoon glanced, with mischievous eyes at Jake, who mirrored an equally mischief filled smile back.
"Don't even think about touching my bourbon." A dark haired man, with eyes as black as kohl, walked in, equally black gloves decorating his hands, "Unless you want to be stuck on traffic duty all week."
"Who pissed in your cereal today?" Sunghoon snickered, leaning back in his chair, a crack of his bone could be heard as he lazily stretched, "Let me guess, Heeseung?"
"Is it about his wife again?" Jake groaned, hair tangled in his hand again, "Jay, just leave it man, they'll sort it out."
"Sort it out?" Jay looked at the long haired man with a quizzical look, "What kind of a man cheats on a beautiful woman and brags about it?"
"Most of them." Sunghoon broke out into his drawer, hands reaching for a eloquent wooden pipe, which he lit and transferred to his mouth, sighing out the smoke as he relaxed into his chair, "You're too righteous to understand that, Jongsoeng."
Jay wrinkled his nose, as Sunghoon blew a puff of cigarette smoke into the air. Settling into his own chair, Jay's eyes flickered towards Heeseung's desk, where files lay messily scattered. A solitary photo frame brightened up the lonely atmosphere of the desk. Lee Y/N, Jay thought, his wife, not yours.
"Jay, come on, stop sulking over your little crush," Jake scoffed, his hands busy with a sleek, brownish-yellow bottle in his hand, "Just have a drink and get your mind off it."
"First of all, how did you get into my bourbon cabinet." Jay snatched the glass from Jake's hand, and toyed with it protectively, "Second of all, I can't just get my mind of it. I mean, come on," He extended his glass out to Jake who poured the elysian liquid into Jay's glass, "Who the fuck would have the gall to cheat on such a pretty woman who loves him to bits?"
"Look, you like her right? And don't say no, we all know it Jongsoeng." Sunghoon leaned forward in his chair, "So when she finds out about everything, just offer to take her home and, you know, let her sob into your arms and then take her into your bedroom and-"
"Since when did you start reading romance?" Jake chuckled, pressing a glass of bourbon to his lips.
"Since lover boy here started crushing on..what's her name? Y/N wasn't it?" Sunghoon laughed, taking another piquant drag of his pipe, "I get it, she is really pretty."
'Really pretty' was one way to describe you, Jay thought, smiling into his glass of bourbon. Every inch of you called out to him, beckoned him closer and closer to your poisonous radius. It wasn't that he didn't try to fight it, lusting after another's wife, but it was that he found that hidden sadness in your eyes heartbreaking everytime he looked into them.
"Want to head home, fellas?" Jake briskly sat up straight in his chair, "Or are either of you going to stop at a brothel?"
"Don't have time for that." Sunghoon chuckled darkly, putting out his pipe, "Plus I've got a-"
Bang!
The door of the quite airy police station burst open with a loud bang, and it seemed as if a hurricane in the guise of a panicked woman had swept in, alarming the three detectives. The sudden action caused them to act on their reflexes, pulling out their revolvers faster than their eyes could comprehend the sight in fron them. Jake's eyes seemed to work the quickest.
"Ma'am? Are you alright?" Jake called out, signalling the other two to lower their weapons. He stepped forward and turned a switch on, which caused the entire room to light up in bright light, contrasting to the soft yellow light that earlier shone from the desk lamps.
Jay's senses had seemed to ding up after the initial shock of the entire thing, as he walked forward with careful steps towards you, as Jake and Sunghoon whispered to each other, making out why you were here. Your eyes took a moment to register the man in front of you.
Jay Park, you thought, a man who was perfection incarnated.
"Y/N," Jay spoke softly, careful not to frighten you, "What are you doing here? Are you alright?" He looked you up and down to check for any disfigurements.
"I-" you spoke, your throat tightening by the moment, "Heeseung—he" you couldn't speak any more as his name uttered out your mouth. Bursting into tears, you buried your face in your hands as you felt your cheeks burn up with embarrassment. You really weren't crying in front of your (ex) husband's colleagues, men who you barely knew, apart from the usual condolences.
You felt warm, strong muscles pull you into their hold. It felt like a cozy cocoon, scented with the fragrance of pine and paper.
"Calm down, doll," Jay whispered into your ear, his hot breath fanning your neck, "take a breath for me."
Jay coached you through breathing in and out, which restored some of your consciousness. You had nearly been on the verge of fainting, with how much you had ran.
"Can I—May I sit down for a moment?" You asked, weary of the other two men's eyes watching you, "Please."
"Of course." Jay said, supporting your figure with his sinews as he led you over to his cubicle. You could see the other two hastily clearing out messy piles of papers. The shorter one, you assumed was Jake, from his drooped posture and lion-like hair. The taller one then, had to be Sunghoon, with porcelain skin and an ice cold gaze.
"Did-did you walk all the way from your house?" Jake questioned, offering you a seat, which you gratefully collapsed into.
"No, just the park nearby." You shot him a small smile through your croaky voice, which he returned, "My car's still parked there though. I drove from" you stopped in your words uncertain to say his name, "-from Heeseung's house."
You felt the tension in the room as you said those words. Heeseung's house, you thought, it had been home once. You felt Jay shift his position in the chair next to you, and Sunghoon transfer his weight to one foot, whilst leaning on the desk.
"If you want us to go beat him up, we'll gladly do it." Sunghoon offered, making you chuckle and shake your head.
"No it's fine, I mean she wasn't that pretty anyway, he's bound to lose interest in her some day or the other." You smiled, to no one but yourself. Humour had never been your strong suit.
"Aww man I really wanted to beat him up." Sunghoon feigned defeat, "Asshole deserves it for how much paperwork he gave me."
"That's the only reason you want to beat him up?" You raised a brow at the light skinned man, who raised one back.
"And for betraying a pretty lady of course." He winked at you, making you internally roll your eyes.
"Would-would you like some bourbon?" Jake awkwardly offered you a glass. You could see the embarrassment in his eyes the moment he asked the question, "Or water if you want-"
"I'll take the bourbon." You grabbed the glass from Jake, who, with his shocked eyes poured you a glass, which you downed immediately without flinching in front of the three startled detectives, "Can I have another?"
"Can we have some too?" Sunghoon smirked at you, grabbing his own glass and beckoning Jake to pour him a shot. Jay, admitting defeat, had grabbed a glass too, filled with the bubbly alcohol.
"Well," Sunghoon raised his glass in a toast, "to Heeseung hopefully getting bored of the other woman."
"Peculiar toast, Detective Park." You laughed, "I like it."
The moments that followed still felt like a fever dream to you. You had sat in a building, alone with three handsome men, talking down right shit about your husband, whilst drinking more bourbon than you ever had and although you had already defeated Jake in drinking (almost) half a pint, you still wanted more. This definetly was not on your itinerary for the evening, but did you care at this point? Absolutely not.
"Ugh fuck." You swore under your breath. You probably shouldn't have drank that much, but in all honestly, it would have helped to relieve some of the painful memories of the night.
"Woah steady there." Jay looked at you cautiously as you stirred in your chair. Jake was on the verge of passing out, having even taking his glasses off, while Sunghoon and Jay, who hadn't drank as much, looked as calm as the winds.
"You know what?" You started, not knowing the words coming out of your drunken mouth anymore, "Fuck Lee Heeseung, fuck that man." A sudden maniacal giggle from your mouth seemed to have amused Sunghoon.
"Fuck in what terms, Mrs Lee?" He asked, trying to hide his cunning smirk, whilst ignoring Jay's warning glares.
"Mrs Lee?" You questioned, feeling your senses come back, though you were still tipsy, "Who's Mrs Lee? Not me, no sir-ee." You laughed, "If I had the chance to chop off that asshole's dick right now, I would."
"But you wouldn't allow us to beat him up? Strange." Sunghoon whistled out in his usual cocky tone.
"It's getting late." Jay checked the grand clock in the corner of the room, his eyes wavered over the dried tears on your face, it was alarming to him how much a mere glass of bourbon had managed to get you giggling like a cuckoo, "Y/N I can drop you-"
"I'd rather fuck all of you in one night rather than see that idiot's face again." You chuckled again, this time, saying the sentence with full seriousness. Did you really mean it?, perhaps not, as you would have thought later on. But were you up for having sex with three extremely attractive men who happened to be the best friends of your ex-husband? That, was a definite yes.
"Oh really?" Sunghoon placed his forearms on the desk in front of him, leaning in closer to your face. Jay's hand clutched harder against the edge of the desk. "And what if I say yes to that proposal?"
"What are you implying, Detective Park?" You looked into his dark, devilish eyes, "That you'd have sex with someone pathetic enough to get cheated on?"
"Don't say that, you're not pathetic." Jay's eyes softened as he looked at you, but you merely scoffed, turning your face instead to look at Sunghoon, who was evidently smirking. You caught Jake's widened eyes from the corner of your eye, listening intently.
"How about this-" Sunghoon started, folding his arms, "You get a night of good sex, I get a night of good sex, you and I both get to rub that in Heeseung's face, and then we have breakfast in France."
"Are you married Detective Park?" You quizzed him with an amused face, his offer seemed at the very least, interesting to you.
"Not yet, no. I'm still young aren't I?", Sunghoon's mouth stretched like a cat's into a lazy smile, "Why do you ask? Are you....perhaps intrigued by my offer?"
There was something ironic about that sentence "I'm still young" that struck a chord within you, you were the same age as him and yet you were sitting there talking about your husband.
"Intrigued is one way to put it." You smiled back, hoping you looked anything like a vixen, matching the bastardous fox like energy of Sunghoon's, "But don't you think it's greedy of you, Detective Park? To want me all to yourself?"
"And what do you mean by that, Miss Y/N?" Jake smiled in his boyish manner, "Is Sunghoon here not enough for you?"
"I'm just saying." You held up your hands in mock defence, "wouldn't you both like to get a taste too?"
You glanced at Jay in the corner, who you had expected to be shaking his head in disapproval. But to your utter surprise, he had one of his gloves hands stroking his chin as if in deep thought. His eyes were dark even in the fluorescent light of the room, deep pools of cataclysmic waters floating around in his pupils. He looked vaguely interested.
"So just to recap," Jake started, clearing his throat, such that his Adam's apple was clearly visible, "You want us to bed you, so as to make your ex husband, our colleague and friend, someone's whose wife we definetly should not be sleeping with, jealous?"
"That's the blueprint." You said in a sweet honeyed voice, "How exactly you make him know that I'm not his anymore, you figure that out. If I even so as look at that man's face again, I will jump off a cliff."
"But the question is-" you put on a proud smile, eyes darting from one man to the next, "Who's going first?"
"Shouldn't you decide that sweetheart?" Jay's deep voice came like a rumble through the ground during an earthquake, slightly startling you. He hadn't said anything in the past few minutes, his sudden break of silence alarmed you.
"Alright then." You chuckled, not daring to meet Jay's eyes, you knew you'd melt as soon as you saw them, "How about the person who suggested this?" You turned your face towards a smirking Sunghoon, with his head held high like a peacock's, "Detective Park?"
"Shall I go with the lady's word boys?" Sunghoon asked Jake, who nodded his head, taking his glasses off the desk and outting them on again. The effect it had in him was quite handsome, according to you.
"Should we make a pact then?" Jake asked cheekily, glancing around for a piece of paper, finally picking one up from underneath the mountain of files lying on the wisened wood. Putting it down on the paper, he scribbled something down quickly, showing it off proudly to the others. You let out a laugh when you saw what he wrote.
"'The make Heeseung jealous organisation'?" You laughed, "I can't tell if you're serious or not."
"I'm dead serious." Jake looked at you with glossy eyes, he always was a funny one, you recalled, "Come on everyone, I need signatures."
He's serious about this, you thought, amused at Jake's comedic demeanor. You swiftly pressed the black ink to the paper, leaving off a flashy signature to decorate it. Jay signed off last, with an impeccable font.
Words couldn't have described that very evening. No sentence that could come out of your mouth could have ever even begun to explain to a complete stranger about how you had ended up in Sunghoon's car, driving to his house in silence. Shrugging off the moral doubts in the corner of your brain, you stared out the window into a dewy night.
Relax, you thought to yourself, there wasn't anything wrong with what you were doing.
Was there?
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milkloafy · 2 days
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THE IUDEX CANNOT FORGET — NEUVILLETTE
⋆。˚ ❀ prompt: "don't ask me to forget last night. in my heart laid a map of your body" by delilahfairchild ⋆。˚ ❀ contents: implied smut, fluff but bittersweet ⋆。˚ ❀ wc: 1.5k ⋆。˚ ❀ a/n: loosely based on the dialogue prompt above! i saw it and immediately thought of neuvi c: writing this made me so soft for him ahh pls enjoy!! xo
Amidst the stupor of the night was when poor decisions appeared to be good.
Add in the mixture of wine from a celebratory evening out and you felt just about invincible. The mere thought of any consequence seemed so far away from you.
But the moment you woke up with a throbbing headache and lack of clothes, you knew the consequences would catch up to you.
You stilled as you noticed the plush, royal blue sheets you laid in. It was all too familiar, yet experiencing it in such a way was foreign to you. Turning your head cautiously, you spotted a sleeping Neuvillette who looked completely unbothered in blissful unconsciousness.
Gravely, you examined his peaceful figure, savoring the last few moments of normalcy before your relationship was likely to change forever.
As you took one last look at the slow rise and fall of his bare chest, you slipped out of the bed to gather your clothes—all strewn around across the room. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks at the memory of exactly how your clothes came to be on the floor in such a way. For such a gentle soul, Neuvillette sure surprised you in that department.
Once you located your undergarments and began to clothe yourself, you felt guilt flood through your body. Guilt from the events of last night, guilt at the act of you leaving in the morning without a word… 
“Heading out so soon?” 
You jumped, your dress falling from your hands and back onto the carpeted floor. 
“Neuvillette! You’re awake.” 
He sat up slightly in his bed, exposing the toned muscles of his torso out for anyone to see. Tilting his head to the side, he said, “Your tone informs me you are not pleased with the situation. Shall I pretend to continue being asleep?”
Shaking your head, you hastily pulled your dress up from your feet, slipping your arms through the bellowing sleeves. “No, of course not.” You shut your eyes. “I just didn’t expect to have to talk about this so suddenly.” 
Neuvillette didn’t say a word, instead staring expectantly at you. 
“About last night—“ you began hastily, fingers tugging at the loose fabric of your dress. “You are one of my dearest friends, and I, yours. And we were both intoxicated. And—”
“If you are about to ask me to forget last night, please, stop.” 
His voice was filled with such sorrow that you forced yourself to look up at him. With a morose, yet understanding look in his eyes, you were hit with the realization that this likely wasn’t the first time he went through something like this. Despite his preference towards solitude, you knew his heart was kind enough to let people in, no matter how hard he tried not to let it be the case. Throughout his many, many years of life, he must have experienced a multitude of love and loss. 
And that only reminded you just why last night had to be a mistake. 
As if reading the expression on your face, Neuvillette spoke once more. “You may wish to erase the memory we made together, but painted in my heart is a map of your body. I am uncertain if I would be able to comply with your wishes.” 
You held your breath, grip tightening around your dress as your stomach churned. Feeling the wrinkles beneath your palms, you sighed. You would certainly need to get your outfit dry cleaned after this. 
“Neuvillette, I don’t want to forget last night, either,” you said, breathless. How could you forget, even if you wanted? The feeling of Neuvillette’s hot breath against your neck, the image of his sculpted figure that could somehow be so gentle when it touched you. Those moments were etched into your memory, too. “But what if it is for the best?”
“How could it possibly be so?” 
“You’re immortal, for one. I am not.” 
Truly, that was the bulk of it. You could have stopped there. What reason could be more potent than this? You were a human, with a lifespan limited by health, illness, aging. He was the Sovereign Dragon on Fontaine. If you friendship turned into something more, then the attachment would only grow. And when the time came for you to part with Teyvat, a storm was certain to come to the land. 
“I am not immortal,” he corrected. “I have reincarnated.” 
You looked at him helplessly. “And I have not. I will not. We’re good as friends—amazing even. If we stay this way, it’ll be easier on the both of us.” 
Neuvillette rose from his position in bed, slipping on a silken robe before walking over to you. Slowly, he approached, placing his hand on your cheek and you sucked in a sharp breath at the cold touch. 
“The easiest way does not always mean the best,” he said, softly stroking the high point of your cheekbone. “I would rather spend a life being able to hold you, kiss you, love you, until the last moments, rather than living in regret.” 
You squeezed your eyes shut, allowing yourself to melt into his touch. “But then when those last moments come, and it is inevitable that they will… What then? I do not want you to suffer—to feel anymore loss and sadness.” 
“I have grown to accept that it is part of life, no matter how long or short we live for. Loss is a constant.” 
You let out a breathless laughter, feeling almost hopeless. “Is that supposed to make it any better?” 
Neuvillette gazed fondly down at you, hand falling from your face to trace its way down your arm. You found your own hand finding its place in his, and you hoped he would never let go. 
“It does not make it better,” he said solemnly. “Loss is still painful, no matter how many times it occurs. Still, we cannot let that stop us from living our lives.”
He drew closer to you, so close you could almost feel the warmth radiating from his core. You held your breath and peered up at him. 
“I, for one, believe experiencing moments such as last night with you, and those like it to come, is worth the crushing pain of it all coming to an end,” he declared. At the look on your face, he placed a chaste kiss on your forehead. “Still, I cannot decide for you.” He took a step back. “If you wish to not go further in our relationship, I will respect that. I can never forget how you looked, how you felt, as you laid underneath me. But for your sake, I will not speak of it again if that is the what you so desire—”
“No!” you cried out, tearing your hand from his to hold his face gently between your palms. “That is not what I desire. I wish to have more moments such as last night with you. I wish to grow old and experience life with you. Still, I just wish I could always be there for you.” 
Resting his forehead against yours, Neuvillette sighed solemnly. “I know, mon coeur. There are days I wish the same, but until that is a possibility, please know that you will always have my heart.” 
You nodded, pressing your lips against his. You felt relief overcome his body as he returned your kiss. He enveloped you in a warm embrace, hands cupped around your waist as he nipped at your lower lip. Your hands that rested on his face made their way to the back of his neck, only deepening your connection. 
As you pulled away for air, you managed a quiet, “Thank you.” 
“What for?” he asked, brushing aside the hair that fell across your face. 
“For one, not getting mad at me for trying to sneak out and pretend nothing happened,” you said sheepishly, looking down in shame. “I am truly sorry. I really thought it would be the best thing for both of us… But it’s not.” 
Neuvillette gently pinched your cheek, hints of humor in his eyes. “Indeed, it is not. And while I may not be mad, a punishment has yet to be doled out.”
“The Chief Justice’s work is never done,” you said with a nervous laugh, wondering just what type of punishment he could be speaking of. 
“We deal with that later tonight,” he said firmly, giving you a gentle squeeze. “For now, we celebrate the evolution of our relationship.”
“Here’s to the rest of my life that I now have the honor of spending with you.” 
“The honor is all mine, mon coeur.” Neuvillette held your hand in his, placing another chaste kiss on lips. “Thank you for choosing me in this lifetime.” 
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jeonginsleftcheek · 3 days
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Cupid's Shot🩷
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pairing: lee felix x reader
genre: fluff, angst, slow burn
word count: 10.4k
description: what happens when Cupid breaks the rules and falls in love with a mortal?
warning/s: there are suggestive parts so mdni! not proofread!
a/n: here i go again with another felix fic and i'm really proud of it, except i feel like the ending is rushed but i had to write it twice cause i accidentally didn't save it the first time jddkdll
but anyways there will be a second part to this, with smut. it will be a continuation on this main fic but could also be read as its own thing.
please reblog if you like it!🩷
Their purpose is simple: bring two destined souls together by helping them get rid of their fears and insecurities, assist them to find the happiness they deserve, the love they would nurture with their soul mate.
Contrary to popular belief and the information in many books, there isn't only one Cupid, there is a whole nation of them, living in another realm, invisible to the eyes of the mortals, but they can see everything. Including the mortals auras, souls and their destined lovers.
The only rule they have to abide by is to not fall in love with a mortal. None of them really questioned it, they're just beings of light, existing to fulfill their purpose, until they disperse into little particles of shiny dust, disappearing into The Great Source Of Light.
They would get their assigned charges and do everything they can to cross them off the list after they manage to finally match them with their loved one.
Felix often wondered about a lot of things, like why was he born a Cupid, was he even born and where he actually came from if he wasn't. He wondered what The Great Source Of Light actually is and where it would take him after he fulfilled his duties. He wondered why wasn't he allowed to fall in love when love was so soft, warm and fuzzy. Wasn't love the ultimate goal? Was this some kind of punishment because of what he did in a past life; to be a mere messenger of love but never be able to experience it?
Ofcourse, he never dared to say anything like that out loud for the fear of what would happen if he did. He's never actually seen any punishments or violence happening in his little world, everything was cheerful and perfect, the Cupids worked and flew around with blushing cheeks and smiles painted on their faces; never complaining, never tiring. But he didn't want to risk it, or seem like he is defying the natural order of things, he is only curious.
Felix gets a scroll with names of his new charges, and he opens up the paper. Scanning over the names as they shine in a white-ish glow off the paper, something calls to him. His eyes flick around until they land on your name. Something inside him blooms, chimes and explodes in little fireworks. He chants your name in his head. It's time to find you. His eyes close and he focuses on your aura. Mixes of purples and blues swirl behind his closed eyelids and he can feel it closer, smell the sweet flowery scent with a hint of petrichor in it.
He opens his eyes and he's transported, his eyes meeting yours but ofcourse you don't see him. Your chin is resting on your palms, elbows perched on the table as you stare a hole into the computer screen in front of you. Felix quickly takes note of the surroundings, the clacking sounds, telephones ringing and chatter in the distance. He's in an office building, and you're sitting in your cubicle, your hair neatly tied and face devoid of any emotions. But he can see your aura, it's swirling and wilding around your frame, painting pretty designs around you. He thinks he's never seen something as beautiful as you are.
"Y/n!"- someone slams a stack of papers on your desk, startling both you and your Cupid, making him float back a little as he observes you.
"These papers need to be finished today."- the woman says, a malicious undertone in her voice.
"B-but it's almost six. I've worked overtime and-"
"It's not my fault you're slow. Next time work during lunch."- the woman turns around, leaving like it's none of her business.
Felix sees you immediately slump in your chair, the pretty blues and purples of your aura dimming down a little as you grip the papers and start going through them. Cupids weren't supposed to feel bad feelings like anger or envy or anything of that sort but Felix somehow felt annoyed at the woman, and moreover he felt bad for you. He wished he could help you get home faster somehow, but he knows he shouldn't meddle into anything except your soul mate.
Speaking of soul mates, as soon as Felix came down from his realm to yours, he couldn't feel another soul that's supposed to be binded to you. That was unusual but not impossible, sometimes charges had their hearts closed off and the Cupids had to try and open up their hearts first before actually connecting them with love.
He dismissed it for now and focused on you, trying to send you a lovely boost of energy so you don't feel too bad. You were tired and stressed, sick od being mistreated at work, seen as less than. There is a lump forming in your throat and tears threating to spill down your cheeks as you keep working. Suddenly, you feel relief, like someone untied the knot inside your chest and you take a deep breath in and somehow feel more energetic to keep working.
It's already past 9pm when you're done and you're beyond exhausted. All you want right now is a nice shower, a warm bowl of noodles and your bed. Felix observes as you tidy your desk and he follows you when you leave the building to your car. The walk through the empty dark parking lot is eerie and Felix can sense the fear creeping up inside you so he floats a little closer to you, his pink soft wings almost touching you. Not that you would feel it even if they did.
Your apartment is small, but it's cozy and clean and it smells like you, like your aura. It makes Felix's senses fuzzy, something he never experienced before. He looks around the living room full of plants you obviously love taking care of, pictures of you and your friends and family, little knick knacks you collect. He does a full turn and comes face to face with you, in your bra and he panics and scrambles away, almost flying into your lamp. The lamp swings ever so slightly and Felix is not sure how his wings have effect on anything physical in this world because they usually don't. He turns away from you giving you your privacy, waiting for you to leave to the bathroom.
When you do, he slowly flies back closer to the lamp and tries to touch it but his hand goes right through it. It was nothing, he sighs, relief washing over him. He keeps looking around, gathering information about his charge so he knows how to help you open up your heart and find love. Some kind of weird feeling washes over him shortly but he shakes it off. You come out of the bathroom, thankfully in your pjs which look adorable on you, Felix thinks as he smiles and watches you.
After your quiet dinner, you get ready for sleep and crawl into your bed, finally relieved to be in your safe space where no one can harm you. Felix ofcourse doesn't want to intrude and be around while you sleep, at least not yet, not when it's to early to enter your dreams. He turns around to fly out, back to his realm but a sniffle stops him. He stays still and listens, another sniffle coming from under your blanket.
A pang hits his chest when he realizes you're crying. He turns back to you and floats closer, the closer he gets, the more pain in his chest he feels. Why is it like this? Felix has always felt emotions of his charges to a certain degree but never this intense. It's almost unbearable to him and he struggles to come closer to you. He tries anyways, shining a little light he made inside his palms to look at you, but you're in the dark and can't see it. But he sees you and you look completely shattered as tears stream down your cheeks, eyes already red from crying. Your lips quiver, your aura fades more into gray and Felix feels what you feel.
He feels used and abandoned, ridiculed and lonely, unloveable. The feelings are so strong that they force him back away from you, tossing him into the wardrobe behind him, making the door rattle. You gasp and scramble into a sitting position, turning on the lamp beside your bed as fast as you can. You swallow in sudden fear as you look around but nothing's there. Felix is still, he's looking at you and he feels so bad that he scared you, especially while you were in a vunerable state. He still has no idea how he managed to make the door rattle or the lamp swing but that scares him too even though he didn't even feel any pain from the impact.
You shake your head and lay back down, turning the lamp off and wiping your tears away. Felix slowly floats towards the window, cautious not to touch or knock anything down. He looks at you one more time before he shimmers himself back into his realm.
"Have you ever moved a physical item in the earth realm?"- Felix whispers to his coworker and friend, Hyunjin, one of the Cupids he was close to.
"What?"- Hyunjin looks at him, his pink lips pouty and eyebrows furrowed in thought.
"Like... like have you ever accidentally made a lamp swing or a door rattle?"- he tries again and Hyunjin chuckles at his friend.
"Did you hit your head somewhere, Lix? We literally can't touch anything, we're not made from the same stuff earth beings and their things are made of."- Hyunjin says, closing his scroll and looking at Felix again.
"Yeah, yeah I know. It was just a stupid question."- Felix says quickly.
"Are you sure?"- Hyunjin squints his eyes at him.
"Yeah, positive. Don't worry about it."- Felix smiles in hopes to get the other Cupid to not ask any further questions since Cupids weren't really capable of lying.
"Eh, alright."- Hyunjin shrugs, opening up his scroll again and Felix sighs in relief. His friend was never one to pry information out of someone or ask incessant questions, which in this moment Felix is thankful for.
He's more than excited to see you again today, hoping you feel better than you did yesterday. He concentrates on your soul and aura, seeking you amongst the 8 billion souls on earth. As soon as he senses you he's transported into... the office bathroom? He's about to fly out because this is a breach of privacy but then he hears a familiar sniffle. There's no way you're crying in the office bathroom stall, is there? Felix slowly floats, looking for the source of the sound until he stops in front of the last door. He inhales and pushes himself through it, his eyes shut tightly. He slowly opens his eyes and squints, praying that you're not in some kind of compromising position.
You're not, you're just sitting on the closed toilet, your face in your hands and you're crying. Felix feels it again, the negative feelings drowning you in sorrow, one especially prominent. You feel excluded, invisible. Unimportant. Cupids don't really have a reason to cry usually, but Felix can feel your pain deeply with all of his being and his eyes water, golden sparkly tears sliding down his freckled cheeks. He reaches his hand towards you, trying to channel anything good through it, simultaneously fighting the bad feelings pushing him away. He knows he's not supposed to touch you or transfer any kind of light into you unless it's a dire soulmate situation but at this moment he doesn't care. He just doesn't want you to feel so sad and hurt so much. He places his palm on the top of your head, gently sliding it towards the back of your head and your head snaps up, your hand touching your hair where he just touched you.
Felix backs away immediately, pulling his hand to his chest as he panics, his big doe eyes wide as you look around in confusion. How did you feel that? You were only supposed to feel the light energy, but you actually felt his touch. Felix panics more when you reach towards him and he floats back out of the stall. Turns out you were just reaching for the door as you swung them open and hurried towards the sink.
Felix's heart beats hard in his chest, a strong fuzzy feeling shimmering in his insides, so dizzying to him that he doesn't even realize he floated right next to you. He gasps and looks at you but luckily you don't see him, you just splashed your face with water and you're looking at your reflection. He wonders what's happening to him, because a charge never made him feel like this nor did they feel him as you apparently did. He didn't even know who to ask about these things, and his friend Hyunjin seemed to know as much if not less than he does.
Felix throws that in the back of his mind for now, his main concern being; what or who made you cry at work? He follows you back to your cubicle and notices a few people gathered around another woman in the office, they're talking and throwing glances at you. Felix floats closer to listen in, even though he shouldn't really be doing that.
"Wow, Natasha, that ring really is beautiful."- one of the woman gushes as she speaks to the so called Natasha.
"I'm glad you're doing a bachelorette party."- one of them squeals.
"And I'm glad you didn't invite that weirdo. She seriously gives me the creeps."- another woman says, and Felix quickly realizes they're talking about you.
"Ugh, who cares about her. Let's talk about the party."- Natasha waves her hand and Felix feels something boiling in his blood, something he never felt before. Something that scares him and makes him wish he could do bad things to anyone who hurts you or makes you cry, but it quickly dissipates when he looks at your face. You look so dejected and he doesn't want you to think you're alone. He flies back to your cubicle and settles right next to you. And you're boiling. With sadness, anger and hurt, you're on the verge of exploding. Felix feels the push you're involuntarily making, pushing him and essentially pushing love away from you. Your aura is in the darker hues of blue and purple, swirling angrily. You stand up and as much as Felix wants you to stand up for yourself, he feels that you're not in the right state of mind and you might get yourself in trouble.
He quickly stands behind you, his hands hovering above your shoulders, scared now to actually touch you so you don't get spooked. He only hovers his hands above, as close to your skin as he can and sends some soothing light energy into your tense muscles. You relax visibly, the feelings of anger subsiding a little. You shake your head and sit down, deciding to ignore the bitches in your office because who really gives a damn about Natasha's wedding? You for sure don't so you go back to your work and Felix sighs behind you.
As you did yesterday, you continue working late into the night, leaving the building last again, crossing the creepy parking lot to your car and Felix follows closely like he did the day before. There's something different about your aura after that bout of anger you had in the office, something wilder brewing inside you. Felix can feel it and for some reason he doesn't recognize the feeling and he's left confused the whole way home as you drive, your hands gripping the wheel harshly.
You're calmer when you walk into your apartment and you do your nightly routine just like you did yesterday while Felix observes you patiently. You take a shower, he waits in the living room, he joins you for dinner and waits for you again in your room while you get ready for bed.
You lay down in your bed and the unfamiliar feeling that floated through you earlier is back. Felix struggles with it, he can't really comprehend the swirling he feels in his gut and he can't wrap his head around it being either a good or a bad feeling. He should leave but his curiosity gets the best of him, especially when you start making noises. Are you crying again?, Felix thinks and floats closer to you slowly only to realize in shock and horror that you're touching yourself.
He gasps, that feeling deep inside him stronger the closer he is to you and he feels like his insides are throbbing. Cupids don't exactly have a body they can touch but they know what sex is, after all that's part of relationships and love. And they also know they shouldn't be intruding on a private moment like this so Felix floats away towards the door, ignoring the fuzziness blurring his senses and vision. He tries to float through the door, the physical barriers never stopping him before, but his forehead collides hard with the door causing him to fall down on his butt, and he groans in pain. Pain? Since when do Cupids feel physical pain from impact like that?, he panics, his hand coming up to rub at his forehead.
"What the hell?"- he hears you say as you sit up and turn your lamp on, your eyes trained on the door. Felix guesses he made a lot of noise, again, and startled you, again.
"If there's a ghost in here now, you're sick!"- you yell out into the room and Felix looks up at you but luckily you don't seem to see him.
"Ugh, ghosts are scary."- he shivers, muttering to himself. You don't hear him, you sigh and lay back down, leaving the lamp on and opting to grab your phone. You open up Instagram, the mood you were in gone now.
Felix lifts up, dusting off the imaginary speckles of dust and glances at you again, feeling embarassed about this whole situation. He's confused about the door and how you managed to hear him smack into it. There's only one person he could ask about these happenings, and he's beyond nervous because of that.
"Hey Lix, how's it going?"- Changbin, one of the more experienced Cupids greets Felix as he makes his way to the Elders. Specifically, one he wants to talk to. Minho. For some reason, everyone is scared of him and there are rumours going around, rumours Felix doesn't even wanna think about because he gets scared easily.
"I- I need to talk to Minho."- Felix gulps and Changbin's smile falters.
"Oh? What for?"- he asks.
"It's personal. About my charge."- Felix answers.
"Ah, you got a tough one? Probably doesn't want to open their heart up for love, hm?"- Changbin wears a small smirk on his face as he plays around with the scroll he holds in his hands.
"Something like that, yeah."- Felix answers.
"You summoned me?"- there's a voice behind Felix and he shivers and turns around quickly, only to be greeted by a very pretty being, one that has sharp eyes and facial features but somehow there is softness underneath all that.
"Y-yes I did. I'm Felix."
"I know who you are. Tell me what you need."- the Elder called Minho talks calmly.
Felix turns to Changbin and he understands and shimmers away from them.
"Well, something weird is happening with my charge."- Felix says, clearing his throat.
"Weird how?"- Minho asks, the white light shining around him almost blinding Felix.
"I can feel her feelings, emotional and physical ones very strongly. So strongly that they managed to hurl me into her wardrobe and... and the door made noise. And then last night... I tried to float through her bedroom door and I banged my head into it."- Felix explains and he gets quieter and quieter as he talks, looking at Minho's face. The expressions Minho made during Felix's speech looked like he went through the five stages of grief in a few seconds.
"Has she heard you or seen you yet?"- Minho asks sternly and Felix is now scared for real.
"Yet? No, I mean no, she didn't. But she felt my touch. At least I think she did."- he mutters the last part.
Minho pinches the bridge of his nose, a long sigh coming out of his mouth.
"Someone screwed up. Again."- he says, annoyed.
"W-what do you mean?"- Felix feels like he's about to cry.
"Okay listen, just keep watching over your charge like you normally would. Create a link with her and infiltrate her dreams, fill them up with love. I'll talk to the others and we'll see what we can do. You just keep doing what you're doing. And don't be scared."- Minho places his hand on Felix's shoulder gently, in hopes of calming the young Cupid down. But nothing about Felix is calm in this moment.
It must be something big if Minho didn't tell him what's happening and he's asking to meet the other Elders. Something seriously bad is happening and Felix can't help but panic. In that moment of distress, he suddenly yearns to be by your side, the sweet scent of your aura, of you enveloping him and caressing him from the inside out. Felix opens his eyes and he's transported into your room. He didn't mean to do that and it startles him, he merely had a thought about you and he was suddenly there.
It's morning in the earth realm, way past your time to go to work but you're still in bed. It must be your day off or the weekend, Felix reckons. He hovers over your sleeping form and looks at you. Your aura is peaceful right now, the blues and purples leaning more to the pastel hues, and a slight silver shimmer between them swirling and dancing slowly. You must be having a good dream, Felix thinks as he smiles and reaches his hand towards you. He knows he shouldn't but he can't help himself. His palm rests on your cheek, and a buzzing feeling goes through him. A feeling he knows too well.
He gasps, retracting his hand as you stir in your sleep. Did you feel it too? His touch? The buzzing, the one that Felix always feels when a charges soulmate is near by. He couldn't believe it, he suddenly felt the other soul binded to you. But it was weird, like it's so close, almost like it's part of him. Something washes over him, a kind of melancholy and he doesn't know what to do with it. Sparkly tears brim at his eyes for a reason unknown to him and you're finally awake.
Your eyes flutter open and you stare straight at Felix, your sleep covered eyes boring into his wide ones. You freeze and he freezes too, his brain short-circuiting at the moment.
"What in the-" - you start and he shimmers away as fast as he can. There's no way. There's no freaking way you just saw him. He hopes he was fast enough so you'd think you were still dreaming. He shimmers back into his realm and accidentally bumps into Hyunjin hard, throwing him off balance.
"Woah! Felix?"- Hyunjin looks at him wide-eyed. "How did you do that?"- he asks.
"Do what?"- Felix's panic spreads wider inside him.
"You pushed me. How did you push me?"- Hyunjin looks confused.
"I- I don't know. I can't explain it right now, I just need to talk to Minho."
"You can't. The Elders are having a meeting. It's something serious by the look of it. Even The Great Source Of Light is attending the meeting. You know it's something bad when they're there."- his fellow Cupid explains.
"Oh my god!"- Felix cries, tears streaming down his cheeks and his friend gasps.
"Oh! You're crying! Why are you crying?"- Hyunjin flails both his arms and wings. He's never seen his fellow Cupids cry like this, especially not the always smiling Felix.
"I can't tell you. I need to go!"- Felix shuts his eyes tightly, concentrating on you again. He hears Hyunjin shouting his name, but it's too late, Felix is transported into your apartment again.
Only this time, it's the living room and you're sitting on the couch, talking to someone on the phone.
"I'm telling you it looked real. He was like some kind of angel. But like Barbie pink version."- you say and Felix accidentally chuckles. He covers his mouth fast but you didn't seem to hear him behind you. He slowly circles the couch to stand in front of you but you look through him.
"Well alright then my dreams are vivid as always. He was kinda cute tho."- you giggle and Felix feels warmness spreading in his face and chest.
"Sure, sure I need to get laid. According to you."- you laugh into the speaker, playing with the hem of your shirt, your legs tucked under one of the decorative pillows on your couch.
"Okay, let me know when you find a normal one."- you chuckle again. "I'll see you soon then. Bye!"
You hang up and shake your head, thinking to yourself that you've really gone mad if you started hallucinating like that. You get up and make your way to your room and Felix follows behind you silently, his senses buzzing again. You open up your closet and start sifting through your dresses. Felix heats up when he realizes you're about to undress. He turns around fast, closing his eyes, trying to be respectful even though there's a strong pull inside him telling him to just turn back around to face you. But he fights it and stays with his back turned to you.
When he's sure you're dressed he whips back around and his eyes land on you, dressed in a pretty dress and checking yourself in the mirror.
"Oh."- Felix gasps, his chest fluttering. He's never seen you dressed like that and his senses start buzzing even more. He's dizzy suddenly so he moves away from you, into the living room. He doesn't want to risk bumping into something or you seeing him again even though he has no idea what actually triggered that.
You finish getting ready and head out, Felix floating behind you. It's a beautiful sunny day and you walk to the park near your house, where your best friend waits for you.
"Y/n!"- Jisung waves at you, getting up from the bench he was sitting on and opening up his arms.
"Sungie!"- you yell back and close the distance, returning the hug.
Felix's lips fall open, and he feels something stirring inside him, something kind of uncomfortable at the sight of you hugging another man like that. You and Jisung part and start walking down the path together. Felix hurries up behind you, trying to put his hand on Jisung's shoulder so he can feel his soul. Jisung's aura is invisible to Felix, since he's not his charge but he can still 'read' his soul only if he manages to make the connection.
"So, how did your date go?"- you ask your friend.
"Which date? The one on Wednesday or the one last night?"- he smirks and you chuckle, smacking his arm and unkowingly startling your Cupid.
"Which ever one was better... or more eventful."- you wiggle your eyebrows.
"Honestly, they were both a snooze. This guy last night almost bored me to death. I'm beginning to think I'll never find my soulmate."- Jisung sighs. Felix's hand is almost on his shoulder.
"Aww, don't say that. I believe that you of all people will actually find your soulmate."- you say.
"I don't see it, unless Cupid personally comes down to earth and finds someone for me."- Jisung jokes and Felix freezes and retracts his hand.
Why did he say that? Did he actually believe in Cupid? Or was he just saying it?
You reach your favorite diner, and Felix manages to float through the door this time while following you. He stands behind your friend's chair as you chat and order, his hands hovering above Jisung's shoulder. He finally places them down, little lights forming from them as he tries to feel around for that familiar buzz and warmness.
But, nothing happens. Jisung doesn't flinch, you keep talking and laughing, and there is no buzz or warmness or love. At least not that kind, Felix can feel that Jisung cares about you as a friend but he isn't your soulmate and Felix feels relieved. Why is he relieved?! He's supposed to find your soulmate, that's his only purpose! He feels confused suddenly, thoughts swirling inside him and he decides - tonight will be the night he will try to infiltrate your dreams.
Felix waits for you to fall asleep instead of shimmering away this evening. When he's sure you're entering deeper into your dreams, he floats closer to you and hovers over you. He places his hands above your head and closes his eyes, concentrating on your energy. Little particles of light shine out of his hands onto your face, warming you up and creating the link your Cupid needs to basically transport himself into your mind.
You're dreaming, at least you think you are but it feels real. More real than any other dream you had before. You're in a field that seems to stretch forever, it's warm and sunny, you're surrounded by beautiful flowers but there's something different about them, different than flowers you see in real life. They're glowing, you realize. The light on their petals glimmers into million different colors, you've never seen anything like it.
"Pretty, isn't it?"- you hear a deep voice behind you and you whip around fast, but you're met with more flowers and grass.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"- you say.
"Not yet."- the voice says. "I don't want to spook you."
"Who are you?"- you ask.
"I'm... someone who's trying to help you open up your heart to love."- the voice reckons.
"Oh? I don't think my heart's closed though."
"Then why do you feel so lonely?"
"Ouch! That's none of your business!"- you feel slightly annoyed at the voice, but this is also just a dream so it must be your subconscious.
"Actually, that is exactly my business-"
"Honestly, I feel crazy talking to a void. Just come out from wherever you're hiding."- you hear a deep sigh and then you see a blinding light. Your arms come up to shield your eyes as you wait for the flickering to subside. When you put your arms down, you come face to face with a beautiful creature. You've never seen anyone as pretty as this creature is, they're practically glowing, their pretty pink wings shimmering and moving lightly as they hover over the ground.
"Hey, I know you!"- you say suddenly, pointing at him and waving your finger. "I saw you this morning when I opened my eyes. Oh my god, I am going crazy. I've conjured up some kind of pretty man in my dreams! You are a man, right?"
"Ugh, well, I'm not technically human. But for humans I am male presenting. I'm actually-" - Felix doesn't get to finish his sentence, he's suddenly forcefully thrown out of your mind.
The link is broken, why? Felix opens his eyes and you're awake. It's still night so why did you wake up? He floats away from you, giving you space as he sees you fumbling for your night lamp.
You turn the light on, your hand coming up to rest on your forehead. The connection must've been too much for you that it caused you a headache and that's why you woke up. Your Cupid feels bad that he caused you pain so he comes closer to you again, lifting his hands up over your hair to take the pain away. His light heals you and the pressure that was throbbing inside your head and behind your eyelids is suddenly gone. You go back to sleep feeling exhausted and confused about your dream even though you couldn't remember the details of it. Felix decides to stay next to you tonight.
It's been a few weeks, and the Elders haven't said a word about their meeting or Felix's 'situation' to him. He was still scared and panicky but he tried to stay calm for the sake of his charge - you, who he had to help find love. He tried to ignore the constant buzzing he felt whenever he got closer to you, but it was consuming him and making him feel weaker. Like his powers were harder to call upon, and he had no idea how you or the soul binded to you were doing that. Speaking of that soul, he had yet to find them and he tried to 'read' every single person interacting with you, but every time the reading came up blank.
Tonight, Felix decided to appear in your dreams again and try to make the dream longer so you could have a proper conversation.
You find yourself on the pretty field again, those wondrous flowers glowing beautifully around you.
"Hello?"- you say, looking around the now familiar place.
"I'm here."- the deep voice says and you turn around towards it.
"Indeed you are."- you chuckle. "I must be crazy."
"I assure you, you're not. Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Felix, and I am... well I'm your Cupid."- he says and you look at him in disbelief before you burst out into laughter, startling the poor creature.
"Okay, this is just a dream."- you shake your head.
"Yes, it is."
"At least I'm not hallucinating in real life."- you say.
"I've come to talk to you. I'm having some problems in finding the soul binded to you. I feel them close but I can't find them. It must mean that your heart is closed off to love."
"Is that like a soulmate?"- you play along this illusion you created in your head, when in fact you know you're just talking to yourself.
The glowing creature nods.
"What if I don't have one?"- you ask.
"Nonsense! Everyone has a soulmate."
"Even you?"
"I am just a messenger of love."- Felix shakes his head.
"Maybe I'm not meant for love. Maybe I'm an exception and I don't have a soulmate or whatever."- you sigh and Cupid floats closer to you.
"Is that how you feel? Undeserving of love?"
"Are you going all psychological on me?"- you chuckle, he's now closer to you and you feel warmth radiating from the light around him.
"Well, I need to know what's stopping you from finding love."
"I don't want to talk about this anymore."- you say, your mood sour suddenly and Felix feels it.
"Okay, we can talk about anything else."- he smiles at you.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be? Aren't you supposed to help people find love?"
"I am one of many."- Felix chuckles. "I'm supposed to be right here now. With you."
You're about to talk but your alarm blasts next to your ear and you realize you're waking up. The pretty field, flowers, sunshine and Cupid disappear into oblivion and you wake up in your room. The clock is showing 6:30am and you have to get ready for work. You have a warm feeling inside you and you feel like you just came from somewhere, some happy place and you're trying to grasp it again. You hate when you forget your dreams like that, but it must've been a good one because you're feeling more positive than you usually do.
Jisung calls you that evening, all excited about finding you the perfect date. He's been yapping about his coworker, Chan, for days, trying to get you to go out with him.
"Just take a risk. It's one date, what do you have to lose? If you don't like him just ghost him or something."
"Because that's very nice to do, Jisung."- you roll your eyes even though he can't see you over the phone and he laughs.
"Look, maybe it will just be some nice dick, but god knows you need that anyways."
"Oh my god!"- you laugh. "Alright then, I'll go out with him."
"Yes!"- you can imagine Jisung jumping up and down in excitement. "Wear that pretty black dress you have!"
And you do, you wear the dress, you put your heels on, you even put a little more makeup than you usually do and Felix watches.
He seethes in jelaousy, he recognizes it now, it's something Cupids aren't supposed to feel but he does. He wants you to make yourself this pretty for him, only for him. He knows it's the highest rule he's breaking but he can't help it, he's fallen in love with you.
You really don't have high expectations out of tonight, having been disappointed in people again and again. So you're surprised when Chan turns out not only handsome and funny but a real gentleman and someone you can actually have an intelligent conversation with. But you're cautious and don't want to jump to conclusions, or start anything serious.
That's why you decide to let go for the night, after a few encouraging drinks in your system, you invite Chan over to your place. You haven't been touched in so long, you forgot how good it feels to have someone kiss you as passionately as he does. You forgot how it feels to have gentle hands on your skin, worshipping you, laying you down on your bed.
Glowing golden tears slide down Felix's cheeks as he watches from the corner of the room. He knows Chan's not your soulmate, he linked to his soul back at the restaurant you had dinner at. And while he sensed that Chan was a good man, he still didn't want him anywhere near you. Felix still wants to give you privacy, but the buzzing and fuzziness clouding his senses don't let him move his wings or shimmer. He feels paralyzed and all he can do is turn his back to the bed, forced to listen to your pleasure, your strained moans, short breaths, your wetness caused by the man touching you and kissing you, the way you kept chanting his name.
Felix wishes to disappear, but at the same time his gut is stirring and he feels shame wash over him. He shuts his eyes tight, ignoring all the feelings brewing inside him, and suddenly he feels like he's being pulled up. He almost screams in fear but when he opens his eyes, he realizes he's back in his realm. Minho is glowing as he stands in front of him and Felix, still out of breath, slightly bows to his Elder.
"Felix."- Minho says and the Cupid gulps.
"Your powers are weakening fast, even as we speak."
"What's happening to me?"- Felix asks, fresh sparkly tears spilling out his eyes, lips quivering.
"You're losing your powers. You're becoming human, Felix."- Minho announces and Felix gasps.
"H-how is that possible?"- he's shivering now.
"I can't tell you yet. You need to find out on your own. Go back to your charge."
"B-but she's-"
"Go to her. Don't be afraid. Everything will be fine, Cupid."- Minho waves his hands towards Felix, little sparkly clouds coming out of them, soothing the Cupid's pain as much as he can.
"I can't shimmer."- Felix shakes his head, shaking a little.
"Just try to focus on your charge's energy and you'll be transported."- Minho says and Felix tries again, he senses you but he can't move.
"Hyunjin!"- Minho summons the other Cupid and he appears next to them. He takes in the state of his friend, shaking and tears still streaming down his cheeks. He's never seen him this weak or this sad.
"What's wrong?"- Hyunjin's brows furrow.
"He can't shimmer. Help him, just bring him to his charge, he'll show you the way."- Minho explains.
Hyunjin grabs Felix's hands gently and they both close their eyes, communicating with their minds, Felix sending his emotions and your soul's energy to Hyunjin. They manage to shimmer into your living room and Felix looks around. It's obviously the next day after that date, since time goes by differently in different realms.
"Hey, whatever happens, everything will be okay in the end, you know?"- Hyunjin smiles sympathetically at Felix, gently putting his hand on his friend's cheek.
"How do you know that?"- Felix's bottom lip quivers. "Do you know something I don't?"- he asks, vision blurry from tears. Hyunjin wipes them off.
"I don't. But I trust the Elders know what they're doing. And so does The Great Source Of Light. They would never harm us or anyone else for that matter."- Hyunjin reassures him.
"You really think that?"- Felix sniffles.
"I do. You'll be fine, my friend."- Hyunjin pats his head and shimmers away. Felix looks around again and you're not in the living room. He hears rummaging in your kitchen and he hopes and prays that Chan isn't still here. He wipes his tears away, trying to come to his senses, and you walk out of the kitchen towards your sofa.
You look up and freeze.
"What the fuck?!"- you squeal, grabbing the nearest object to you, which was just a decorative pillow in the shape of a flower and hurl it into the intruder standing next to your tv. Felix gasps, lifting his arms up to cover his face and the pillow flies right through him, a few particles of light dispersing around him as the pillow hits the wall with a thud.
"Okay, what the hell is this?!"- you say, obviously panicked and trying to pinch yourself so you wake up cause there's no way this is real.
"Don't hurt me!"- the 'intruder' speaks in a deep voice that's somehow familiar to you.
"What are you? What is happening?!"- you panic, half hiding behind your sofa. "Are you a ghost?"
"Ghosts are scary."- the creature shakes his head and comes closer. You squint your eyes, moving back a little, before realization dawns on you.
"I know you!"- you wave your finger at him and Felix feels a sense of deja vu. "You appear in my dreams. You talk to me. In some field with weird flowers."
"How do you remember that?"- he gasps. His powers must be really weakening.
"I remember a lot of my dreams. I don't remember what we talk about though. Am I going crazy and hallucinating right now? Talking to myself?"- you ask.
"No, I'm real."- the creature says.
You don't feel threatened for some reason so you come closer to him. Warmth radiates off of him and he looks ethereally beautiful up close. His hair is long and blonde, eyes dark but sparkles swim inside them, eyelashes long, freckles adorning his face, some of them in the shape of little hearts, even his upper lip is shaped like a heart. He glows, his pink shiny wings moving ever so slightly as he hovers above the ground just a little, before he plants his feet down on your carpet.
You reach your hand towards him, something pulling you closer to him and Felix stays completely still as he feels that buzzing again. His soul vibrates as your fingertips touch his ever so slightly and his eyes flutter. You gasp, only feeling electrifying warmness when you touch him, not actual skin like you would if you were touching a human.
"W-what are you?"- you whisper.
"I'm a Cupid. One of many. I was sent to help you find your soulmate."- he says and you laugh in disbelief, much like you did in your dream.
"I should call a doctor and get my head checked."- you sigh, sitting down on your sofa. Felix joins you reluctantly, almost shyly, and you eye him.
"I'm telling you, you're not crazy, this is real. It's just that you're not supposed to see me. But somehow you can."- he says.
"And why's that?"- you ask.
"I don't know. The Elders do. But they never told me anything, they said I should find out on my own."- the Cupid explains.
"The Elders?"- you play along to the madness.
"Yeah. Ugh, they're like beings of light like us, but like upper level. They take care of everything, keep the balance of Good in the world. All the positive feelings and such."- the Cupid explains.
"So is your name Cupid or?"- you say, trying to wrap your head around what's happening right now.
"No, my name's Felix."- he says.
"Okay then, Felix."- you emphasize his name and his chest flutters, some kind of vibrating wave washing over him. "How are you supposed to help me find my soulmate?"
"Well, I watched you and got to know you... and I'm supposed to feel the soul-"
"Wait, wait. You watch me? Isn't that kinda creepy?"- you stop him.
"N-no, it's literally what I'm supposed to do! Or it was, at least. I never intruded on your personal moments. I mean, not on purpose."- Felix says, looking away from you.
"What do you mean not on purpose?"
"I couldn't shimmer while you were here with your date last night. But I was summoned by the Elders anyways."
"Shimmer?"
"It's how Cupids transport through realms."- he explains, and you shake your head, your brows lifting up in disbelief.
"So you just watched me have sex?"
Felix cringes, the feelings stirring inside him last night threatening to resurface again.
"No, I didn't! I turned away. And just so you know, Chan is not your soulmate."
You scoff at him and grab your phone.
"Okay, I've had enough of this craziness. I'm gonna call the only person I trust, and if he can see you then you're real."- you nod to yourself.
"Jisung?"- Felix asks and you roll your eyes at him.
"You know eeeeverything about me, now do you?"- you say before Jisung picks up. You tell him it's an emergency and to come over asap.
And he does, just 10 minutes later, he's walking through your door.
"Come, I need to show you something."- you say grabbing his arm and pulling him into your living room.
"Where is the damn emergency?"- Jisung whines.
"There."- you point at Felix, who's standing next to the sofa now. "Do you see him?"
"You mean the pretty man with pink wings that's floating in your living room? Yeah I do and what the actual fuck?"- Jisung asks, his eyes widdened in shock.
"This is Cupid. One of many, as he says. His name is Felix and he's here to help me find love."- you sigh and Jisung laughs, shaking his head. "And since you can see him, either he's real or we're sharing a hallucination."
"I can't believe your ass was so lonely that you got your own personal Cupid to help you date."- Jisung jokes and you smack his head.
"Not funny!"- you say.
"Actually, you have your own personal Cupid too."- Felix chimes in.
"I do?"- Jisung's eyes widden again, his hand still rubbing where you smacked him.
"Everyone does."- Felix nods.
"So why can we see you?"- Jisung asks.
"I don't know. I don't know why any of this is happening. It all started when I accidentally swung the lamp and hit the wardrobe door-"
"That was you?"
"Yeah, and I'm not supposed to be able to influence physical stuff in the earth realm like that. I'm only made of light."- Felix explains.
"Okay then, you obviously need help. Since you can't shimmer or whatever, and people can see you, you have to stay here while I'm out. I mean people would probably be weirded out if they saw a guy with wings floating around me all day."- you chuckle and Felix nods, some kind of turmoil swirling in his chest.
"Shimmer?"- Jisung asks.
"Don't ask."- you say and Felix suddenly feels dizzy, he grabs at his chest, vibration going through his body.
"Felix?"- you tilt your head as you turn back to him.
He's buzzing even more now, little particles of light dispersing constantly around him.
"What's happening to him?!"- Jisung panics getting up and trying to get closer to the Cupid, only to be blinded by light.
Both of you lift your hands up to shield your eyes, and you hear some kind of little explosions like fireworks all around you.
The lights are so bright that you can see them under your closed eyelids.
You hear a thud and the lights disappear so you finally open your eyes. Felix is laying on the floor, seemingly unconscious and both you and Jisung rush to him.
You place your hand on Felix's shoulder and try to shake him only to realize you can actually feel him like he was made of flesh, not only the warmness and electricity that went through your palm earlier.
Felix is slowly waking up and he can hear Minho summoning him, at the same time he feels your hand on him, he feels the floor beneath him and he panics. He's pulled up suddenly, the action hurting him, his now human body screaming with pain.
"Felix."- he hears Minho's warm voice.
"What happened?"- Felix asks, slowly opening his eyes, all the light and swirling clouds that he was surrounded by every day of his existence suddenly making him naseous, intensifying the headache behind his eyelids.
"You're almost completely human. Have you realized why you're turning human?"- Minho asks and Felix shakes his head no.
Minho pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing in annoyance.
"Think about it. The buzzing you feel when you're close to your charge."
Felix thinks, despite the horrible aches going through his body, he tries hard to think about everything he knows. He gasps as realization dawns on him.
"I'm- I'm her soulmate?"- he says, his chest beating now and he clutches at it, realizing he now has a heart pumping blood through him.
"Finally!"- Minho chuckles.
"But how is that possible? Cupids aren't supposed to fall in love, especially not with mortals."- Felix recites the rule he learned the first day he opened his eyes.
"Well, someone screwed up. As you know, us Elders deal with good souls too, we help them reincarnate or pass on into different existences. Cupids souls are the souls of people who are done with their life on earthly realms, promoting them to a higher state of being. I mean, not only Cupids, but also Muses for inspiration, Sandman for dreams and many other light beings. The point is, your soul was supposed to be reincarnated as your charge's soulmate. But instead someone accidentally reincarnated you into a Cupid. Still, the pull of love is stronger than anything, travelling through realms and your soulmate ended up as your charge just so you can find love in each other. Weird how destiny works, but that is yours."- Minho explains and Felix just stares at him, the overwhelming amount of information seemingly suffocating him.
"Wh-what about my powers... My other charges..."
"Your charges have been divided between different Cupids, so don't worry about that. Your powers are actually what I wanted to talk to you about. They were one with you since the day you started existing, connected to your emotions so it will take some time for them to completely disappear. The transition will be hard but it will be worth it."
"B-but... what if she doesn't love me?"- Felix asks weakly.
"Oh, she already does. After all, she's your soulmate too."- Minho smiles, seemingly glowing even brighter than before.
"So what do I do now?"
"I will send you back to the earth realm. This is goodbye, former-Cupid. You did a great job helping people find love. It's your turn now to find yours."- Minho says beckoning Felix's friends to come closer. Hyunjin and Changbin float closer to Felix, both of them with golden tears sparkling in their eyes, threatening to spill out.
"You'll be fine, Felix. You deserve to feel love."- Hyunjin smiles at his friend and Changbin agrees.
Felix tries to hug them, but all he feels is the warmness of the light particles they're made of as they embrace him. It's enough for him to feel the love they hold.
"Shimmer him to his love."- is the last thing Felix hears before everything goes black.
It has been three weeks exactly since Felix disappeared and appeared again in your living room, without his wings, unconscious and running a high fever.
You and Jisung carried him to your bed when he appeared, unsure if you should call an ambulance or not. Jisung remembered that Chan's close to a doctor who's really good at what he does but you felt awkward since you never contacted him again after that night. He was still happy to help, holding no grudges against you and his doctor friend welcomes you to his ordination the same day.
You can't really explain the whole situation to the doctor lest he deems you crazy, but even with the little information you give to him, he takes care of Felix.
"Hm."- doctor Yang muses, staring at the papers in his hands. "He just has a fever, while all his other vitals are fine. It's just like he's burning up from the inside, like there's some kind of light or fire inside him."
Even after running all the possible tests, the doctor couldn't find the source of Felix's state, but you know it's gonna take more than any kind of human medicine to make him better.
And now it's been three weeks, Felix is falling in and out of consciousness, and you've tried everything and anything you could think of. Jisung's been helping you take care of him, and you've had time to think. Your heart ached for Felix, seeing him on the brink between life and death, holding on by a thread.
In the mean time, you decide to say fuck it and quit your job. It's not what you wanted to do originally anyways, you just had to pay bills like everyone else so you settled. But, after finding out about Cupids, Elders and whatnot, your earthly problems and concerns seemed kind of nonsensical. Life is so much greater than you thought it was, there is meaning in it, there is love and destiny and soulmates.
That's why you feel connected to Felix, in a way, he was excluded too, something you felt every single day of your life, especially at work. He was cut off from the only life he knew, he had no family or friends, no past on Earth, at least not in this life. You feel like you want to protect him in any way you can.
"Sungie, I'm worried. His breathing is really shallow."- you say, placing your hand on Felix's forehead.
Jisung is silent for a few moments, deep in thought.
"Jisung?"- you tilt your head at him.
"You know what I've been thinking? Since he is - well was Cupid, and he's made of light and love... wouldn't a true love's kiss make him better?"- Jisung suggests.
"Have you been reading fairytales?"- you chuckle.
"Cupid is kind of a fairytale though, isn't he? Or a myth, rather. I don't know, just think about it."
"That's so cliché though."- you shake your head in disbelief.
"Cliché or not, it could be the only way to help him."
That evening, you're alone with Felix and thinking about what your friend said earlier. It couldn't hurt to try, right? You got nothing to lose.
You get up from the couch that you've been sleeping on ever since Felix fell ill, and make your way to your room. He's laying on his back, his breathing fast and shallow, beads of sweat running down his forehead. You sit on the bed, nervousness suddenly washing over you and making your heart beat faster in your chest.
"Felix?"- you try like many times before, but to no avail. Your eyes water and you're afraid. If this doesn't work, he may not have much more time. The thought of that creates an empty hole in your stomach.
You lean in closer to his face and slowly press your lips on his. They're chapped but still soft and you feel something hit you, leaving you out of breath. Thousands of years of love, his soul that was binded to you since the beginning, stretching into forever, taking different shapes, nationalities, species. You may have even been two rocks on a shore when Earth first came into existence. You know him, you know his lips, you know his love.
You hear fireworks much like that day in the living room and you quickly pull back. Little lights are exploding around Felix and he opens his eyes.
"Y-y/n?"- he says weakly, his voice deep and raspy as he squints his eyes at you. The little lights from the fireworks disperse around you both.
"Felix?!"- you gasp. You can't believe it actually worked! Jisung is a damn genius, you think, smiling at Felix.
"W-what-"
"It's okay."- you touch his forehead and his fever seems to be subsiding quickly. "You have to drink some water."
Felix just nods, feeling completely confused and out of it. You grab a water bottle and help him drink.
"Oh, that's better."- he says. "What happened?"
"You were kind of unconscious for three weeks. Jisung and I took care of you. I thought you... I thought you wouldn't make it."- you say, your stomach swirling with many different emotions.
"How did you make me better then?"- he asks and your face warms up.
"I- ugh- I kissed you."- you declare and Felix's eyes widden, his cheeks rosy.
"Oh."- he looks away and awkwardness settles between you both as you have no idea what to do or say.
Felix's stomach suddenly grumbles making you chuckle as he gasps and grabs at it.
"I guess you're fully human now."- you say. "Let's go eat something."- you reach your hands towards him.
He grabs them, wobbling on his feet and you help him steady himself. After not using his legs for 3 weeks, he still feels weak and fuzzy even though your kiss basically healed him.
"My wings!"- he realizes suddenly. "They're gone!"
"Actually, they were gone as soon as you were brought back from your realm."- you tell him and he doesn't answer, seemingly deep in thought.
You decide not to pry with any questions as you both settle in the kitchen, he'll tell you what's on his mind when he's ready.
You whip up some instant noodles and bring two bowls to the table. Felix doesn't wait, he starts digging in with his chopsticks right away.
"Woah, woah, wait a little or you'll get burned."- you warn him, gently grabbing his hand.
His face flushes as he looks at you sheepishly.
"Sorry."- he mumbles.
"It's okay."- you smile at him. "You have lots of things to get used to."
When he does try the food, his eyes widden comically, lips falling open.
"Oh wow, this is so good! Must be food for gods."- he gasps.
"Thank you, but it's just instant noodles."- you chuckle. He smiles a little and continues eating as thoughts swirl around his head.
Now that he's completely human, everything he knew before and everyone he cared about was gone. Everything he ever was just evaporated, his powers, his wings, his duties. And even though he knows you're his soulmate, and you're bound to fall in love with him like he fell in love with you, he was still scared. If you didn't want him, he'd have nowhere to go.
"What's on your mind?"- you ask Felix after dinner, as you both sit on your couch.
"Well... I basically don't exist in this realm. I don't have a family, not even a last name. No one, but you I guess."- he sighs shyly.
"I know it's not the same, but I kind of of have no one except Jisung and well you either. I'm not really close to my family anymore."
"But the pictures-"
"Are old. They didn't agree with my choices and they didn't care for me when I was down. Jisung was there for me at my lowest so he's more like family to me than my actual one."- you say.
"I understand. It's just that... I'm scared."- Felix looks away from you.
"Of what?"
"I know we're soulmates but I'm afraid you wont see me the way I see you and then I'll truly have no one."- he says quietly. You chuckle, making him look up at you.
"You know what I felt when I kissed you?"- you ask and he shakes his head.
"I felt like I've known you for a thousand years. Like I loved you for a thousand years."- his lips tremble. "I've always been kind of a dreamer when it comes to love. But after being with wrong people I stopped believing. In soulmates, destiny, Cupids and whatnot. But kissing you tonight changed everything."
"Do you maybe want to try that again?"
Instead of answering verbally you start leaning in towards him slowly, your eyes travelling to his plump lips. Felix's heart starts beating hard against his chest as he leans in too. Your heart matches the beating of his as his breath hits your lips. He meets you halfway, your lips pressing together and you place your hands on his cheeks gently. You start moving your lips and he's stunned for a moment before he follows your lead. And suddenly, he feels all of it. All the precious moments of love you shared in your past lives. The purpose of his existence, he realizes as his soul buzzes is to love you. You smile into the kiss and he knows everything will be just fine.
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odasantiago · 22 hours
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Unexpected Warmness
Synopsis: Xanthus always swore he never wanted to indulge himself in warm feelings such as love, until the incubus manages to charm the vampire.
By Oda
The iron smell of cages rattle in Dontis’s head, he’s been here for a while, sighing against the dark wall, wondering if he’ll ever manage to find a way out. Which it always does, but the situation seems bleak. He looks around to the windows shining a shred of light into the cells.
But, suddenly, the cells start shuddering and shuffling, the other mythics locked up look around in confusion. Small sighs and gasps can be heard around the rows of cages, echoing through the halls.
Dontis runs up to the cell bars, the ginormous double doors open, light, cool air flows through, and from afar, he could see a thin but built blond man with blood on his face, Ruby eyes that could catch the hearts of anyone, a cold but expression full of Justice. Dontis holds his breath. He could smell the seducing bloodlust from a mile away.
That’s when he met his first unexpected bond, Xanthus Claiborne.
After Xanthus freed everyone, he finally got to Dontis, unlocking the cell doors, Dontis stared at his face and his slight smile. He’s felt love many times, and appreciation, but towards a vampire? It couldn’t be put into words. He said while running out,
“Hey, thanks for freeing me, vampire!”
Xanthus yells back, turning around to face him,
“Don’t thank me! run over here! You’ll be safe!”
“You’ll be safe” what an odd thing to hear from a vampire with such bloodlust.
After they all got to a place where no one could see them, everyone ran in their different directions after Xanthus made sure they were indebted to him, only dontis stayed.
Xanthus said, looking straight at him. “Why are you still here? You can leave, you know.”
Dontis perked up, “I am aware, I just.. wanted to get to know you better, you did save my life. You seem very interesting to me, Xanthus, I want to see what’s ahead.”
He said as he smiled softly, green eyes looking loving and kind.
Xanthus' face softened, and raised his eyebrows. He smiled back.
“How curious, then, I guess I’ll entertain you. What was your name again?”
Even though the vampire knew his name due to him looking at all the records before feeling them, he wanted to see what Dontis would say.
Dontis paused for a second, and he said,
“I am Dontis, but I’ll guess that you already knew that, Claiborne.”
Xanthus swore that this guy couldn’t be an incubus. Catching his gasp with his pride, he chuckled and nodded.
After a couple days or so, they meet up at the bayside, the ocean waves pounding against the wood of the walkway they stood upon. It was barely sunrise, but it was safer than being there midday with everyone around. They’ve been talking here and there, ever since dontis got released, he’s been growing more fascinating to Xanthus,
Sometimes the vampire's thoughts would be filled with him, and he hated it. Not wanting to get charmed.
“Why are we here, Dontis?” He asked, in a cold tone, while looking at the sea.
“I don’t know, really, don’t you just want to admire the bayside sometimes?”
Xanthus chuckled, he never thought about seeing nature with someone else. Especially an incubus, or someone he thinks about often, or someone he thinks is interesting, has a cute face, his scent drives him crazy at any time of day… you get the point.
Dontis cut through his thoughts with his smooth voice while half laughing, “What? Nature is nice when you're with someone else.”
“I’ve never felt so safe with another mythic in a long time.” Xanthus suddenly said, and his eyes widened, realizing what he just said.
Dontis' lips parted, looking like he wanted to say something. Xanthus looked gorgeous, his hair slightly floating in the wind, a smile on his face, the jewelry on him, his wide eyes that made his soul warm.
“You know, honestly me too.”
A few silent moments went by, of them walking along, seeing the ocean waves wash against the wooden bridge. The cool air made their hair slightly flow in the other direction, everyone was gone, it was just them.
An incubus and a vampire, wait, no, two people just reconnecting trying to figure out if their love is real.
Every single night, The taller man thought of that day, when he met Xanthus, it was unique, different. Xanthus felt a warm, electric feeling with a tinge of safety, he hasn’t felt that in a long time. Both of them haven’t.
The two mythics needed someone to feel safe with, to laugh with, and to relate with, without being used or threatened.
Dontis, always used for his kindness and comfort.
Xanthus, always threatened for an “uncontrollable” bloodlust his kind had.
Both of them understood.
They had both walked to the Ferris wheel, near the ocean, basking in each other’s presence.
“It seems we’ve made it.” Dontis chuckled
Xanthus looked over, “Made it to what?”
Dontis looked over with loving eyes, “To a new beginning.”
Xanthus sighed. “I’m assuming that you're using one of your charms on me.”
Dontis laughed, “You know I don't do that to you, Xanny.”
Xanny? The name was silly, but it made the vampire's heart fill with an embarrassingly electric feeling.
“Don’t call me that.” Xanthus turned away.
The taller man reached out to hold the blond haired man's hand. Xanthus looked at his hand for a second. Sighed, and took his hand, laying his head on Dontis’s shoulder.
They could both hear each other's heartbeats. They were slow, but it seemed like they felt safe for the first time being a mythic.
The vampire and the incubus spent years together, kissing each other, holding each other, both attending to their normal lives, but every few moments. They both thought of each other.
Numerous memories were made,
“for however long forever lasts for them.”
A/N: god I fucking love donthus they need to kiss
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short-honey-badger · 22 hours
Text
Kelp? No, Hello!
This has come from a little brainstorming session with my darling @goth-mami-writer. Enjoy a little JJK soul mate fic. We've decided to do our own takes on this, so I hope you enjoy! I'll have her works tagged below!
Pairings: Inumaki Toge x Female Reader
Warnings: Smut! Fast burn. Cunnilingus. The movie spoiled me. Fluff and sweet things.
Masterlist
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Toge doesn't expect to meet his soul mate while out for a snack run for the other second years in his class. You'd bumped into him coming out of the convenience store, and both of you had felt that instant connection when he'd grabbed your hand to prevent you from falling. Your face, red and adorable, stared up at him.
"Hi."
Toge wished more than anything that he could say anything to you that wasn't a rich ball ingredient, brows furrowing, as he slowly offers you a soft.
"Kelp."
Embarrassment welled up in his chest when you gave him an odd look, but then you shrugged like it was no big deal, giving Toge a winning smile and suggested that the two of you go somewhere less crowded.
Inumaki had easily agreed and shot a quick text off to Maki to let her know that he'd be back later that evening. He'd then followed you to a nearby park, your hand tangled with his own the entire time. The longer he held your hand, the more his mouth and tongue felt tingly, like he'd eaten something sour. It wasn't until he made it to the park that Inumaki recalled something Gojo had mentioned in passing about soul mates before.
"Soul mates, as rare as they are, can be dangerous. With enough skin on skin contact, your "other half" can mute your cursed technique. It's that reason why you hardly see anyone paired up around here."
Toge felt his heart rate pick up twofold, and his hand shook as he grabbed the zipper to his mask and tugged it down. You were looking at him curiously, taking in the old tattoos that he had on either side of his mouth. He licks his lips, voice rough when he speaks up.
"Hello."
You had beamed at him, excited but unsure as to why, other than knowing your soul mate seemed incredibly relieved about something. Toge had quickly introduced himself, speech picking up speed the more he relaxed in the knowledge that he couldn't hurt you with his cursed speech as long as you were touching him.
Things moved quickly after that. Dates and outings when Toge had the time outside of school, taking every bit of his spare time to get to know you. It's a month into his new relationship when things turn heated while he's at your apartment visiting.
You lay played across the bed, eyes only for Inumaki as the white-haired man hovers over you. Your shirt and pants have been cast aside, and he only wears a pair of boxers. You smooth your hands across his pale body, fingers dragging along his lean muscles and then up to pull him down for a kiss. His free hand grips your side, keeping your squirming body still.
You open your legs, and his throbbing erection flush with the heat of your core as your slide your legs up and around his hips. He sighs into the kiss, grinding down and enjoying the way your legs squeeze around him. You have been so kind, so understanding with him, and Inumaki loves you for it.
Toge breaks the kiss, smoothing down to nip at your jaw, and admiring the soft sounds that you make in response to his touch. Down he goes, taking your bra off and wrapping his lips around a peaked nipple. He leaves it swollen and red before he moves to the other one, giving it the same soft attention.
You whine and huff under him, dropping your legs when he scoots down to press loving kisses to your stomach and hip bones. He peeks up at you, purple eyes dark with arousal and want.
"You're so pretty," He murmurs and licks his lips, dipping his head to press a kiss to your covered mound. You shiver, eyes half-lidded as you thread your fingers through his hair.
His hands grasp your panties, sliding them down and past your legs to toss behind him. Inumaki strokes the sensitive skin of your hip bones, trailing them down to gently slide his middle finger through your sticky folds. He hums at how wet you are and explores further, slicking his fingers with your juices and basking in the noises you make for him.
"Toge, please."
Inumaki shifts back down at your quiet pleading, kissing your inner thighs and then up to your quivering lips. You whine at the heat of his tongue against your pussy, legs shifts open to accommodate his shoulders. He lulls his tongue out and groans when when he slides the muscle through your folds, finally tasting you. His mouth is devilish, tongue swirling against your clit and then pressing down with the perfect amount of pressure that it makes you see stars.
Toge slides a hand forward, fingers finding your dripping hole and circling it. Your hips buck, and he can't help the huff of amusement that escapes him at your Impatientness. The sorcerer nudges forward, and you sigh in relief at the feeling of being filled, even if it's only his fingers.
Your slick coats his hand, and Toge pulls all sorta of delicious sounds from you as he laps at your cunt like a man lost in the desert. Your stomach tenses, and you can feel that familiar tug deep in your belly as you get closer and closer. Inumaki grunts when you pull his hair, and he rises from your dripping cunt to stare at you, face covered in your juices.
"Is everything okay?"
When you nod, he drops back between your legs, tongue curling around your clit and sucking the throbbing bud into his mouth. You keen and arch off the bed, forcing Toge to push you back down even as he adds another finger. Electric shocks jump up and down your spine as you come with a cry of his name, muscles clenching down around his fingers and slick gushing from your cunt.
Inumaki slows to a stop when you pat the top of his head, feeling smug when he pulls away to smile down at your flushed body. He massages your hips and whispers sweet nothings as you come back to yourself before he leans down and kisses you. He wasn't done just yet.
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brandyllyn · 3 days
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Silk from their soul (01)
The Ghoul / Cooper Howard x f!reader [no use of y/n]
Rated: Teen (series will be explicit) Words: 1500 Summary: The Ghoul takes a bounty and you might be lost
Series Masterlist My Masterlist
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Wanted: Alive and Unharmed
The Ghoul runs his thumb over the picture - a woman, pretty enough but who knew what liberties the artist might have taken. It wasn’t uncommon to find people had some glaringly obvious deformity that no one had seen fit to mention to him before setting him on his tasks. Hunchbacks, missing limbs, hell he’d had a job once for a man whose only resemblance to the reward poster was that they were missing an eye. 
They’d been missing two by the time he’d drug them back to town.
In this case, he wouldn’t be surprised if the woman in question here turned out to be a damn sight less appealing than the picture made her out to be. But he was less intrigued by her hypothetical beauty than he was by the number beneath the image.
Reward: 5000 caps 
It was an absurd amount of money, enough to keep him in chem for years. Not that that mattered - chem was simple enough to come by if you knew where to look for it and procuring caps had never been an issue for him. No, the lure lay in the sheer amount - and that caution… alive and unharmed.
“What the hell did this one do?” he asks the woman putting the poster up with a frown.
“Ran away,” she replies with a shrug. “Boss wants her back.”
One of those then.
“This for real?” he taps at the number.
“Boss wants her back bad.”
He nods, pulling the poster off the wall and gesturing to the woman. “You can leave off, I’ll get her.”
“You?” she blinks at him then glances at the wall of bounties. “You sure this is the one you want?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“It’s just… boss is real picky - not a scratch on her.”
“Then not a scratch will be.”
The woman shrugs and moves along, tucking the papers under her arm. He doesn’t think she’ll listen to him, but if it keeps her from putting up more signs today it’ll give him a head start.
Tearing the reward amount off he stares at the picture with a frown, studying the woman’s face. She reminds him of someone, not that he could quite put his finger on it. Something in the eyes though…
He grunts, folding the poster and tucking it into his saddlebag. He’ll figure it out when he finds her, and he will find her. He always does. Practically wasn’t fun anymore.
The bounty itself was being offered by someone he didn’t recognize, a warlord calling himself Nero down at what used to be the Stateline - when there were still states to have lines. Probably got himself holed up in a casino like those assholes out in New Vegas.
Sliding his palm down the hilt of his pistol he glances up at the sun. Plenty of daylight left, enough time to ask a few questions, see if anyone had seen her.
“Move it.”
Someone shoves into his shoulder but the Ghoul barely spares the man a glance, turning on his heel and striding across the creaking boardwalk and down into the street. He might oughta consider supplies too, he doesn’t need much to survive on but he does need a bit.
“Someone should take care of those fucking vermin.”
Pausing in the street, he turns to look back, eyeing the man from under the brim of his hat. “What was that?”
“You heard me, asshole,” the idiot continues, oblivious to the idea that these could be his last words.
The Ghoul considers his options. He could shoot the man, easy enough. Wouldn’t take but a second and then another minute to roll the body and see what he had. Would cause a bit of a ruckus though, and he wasn’t inclined to spend his time in what might pass for a lockup round here if the locals took offense to it.
That did leave the more amusing option.
He turns slowly, one hand pushing back the corner of his coat to rest on his hip, the other arm hanging loose at his side. “Seems to me you might be having a bit of trouble with what we used to call ‘courtesy,’” He moves in the man’s direction, slowly rising up the small set of stairs until they’re eye to eye. The other man flinches and the Ghoul suppresses a smile. “Now, would you like to try that again?”
“I s-said-”
The Ghoul doesn’t give him a chance to finish, striking as quick as a cobra with thumb and forefinger. The man chokes but the Ghoul doesn’t let go, pulling on the tongue until the man’s knees buckle.
“Now I think you were properly warned about the consequences,” with his free hand he pulls his knife, rusty and with a patina of grime from Lord only knew where. “So I can’t help but wonder if you might enjoy this.”
“Thowwy!” the man’s neck arches back, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. “M’thowwy!”
The Ghoul hums to himself, hovering the blade over the man’s tongue. “We’ll see. Tell me, you seen this girl?” He digs the poster out, knife flashing dangerously close to the man’s eyes.
“Oh.”
“No?” He cocks his head, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Then I reckon you ain’t of much use to me are you?”
“Oth.”
“What was that?”
“Oth! Oth!” The man points and the Ghoul glances that way. South, fair enough.
“When?”
“Unnu.”
“Unnu?”
“Unno. Unno.”
“You don’t know,” the Ghoul finishes for him, still not letting his tongue go. “Then how, pray tell, do you know where she’s going?”
The man fumbles in his pocket, yanking a poster out that matches the one the Ghoul has in his hand. He takes it with a thoughtful frown, noting the scrawled words on it.
“South to Mexico, eh?” he asks, making a point of enunciating the soft ‘x’. “You going after her?”
The man nods and the Ghoul squeezes tighter until the man squeals, a mumbled series of what could pass for no’s grunting out of him.
“Good.” With a final nod the Ghoul lets the man’s tongue go. But there’s no chance for a sigh of relief before he turns his knife and slices the top of the man’s ear off.
“What the fuck?”
Grinning, the Ghoul slips the bloody cartilage between his lips, savoring the taste of fresh blood. “Something to remember your manners by, boy.”
☢ ☢ ☢
“Man, it’s hot,” you pant softly, resting both hands on your knees as you squint off into the distance. The short sage brush offers little protection from the late afternoon sun, and the trees with their spiky little leaves weren’t much help either. They had a dumb name - like Steven bushes. Something like that.
“I tell you Steven,” you huff conversationally, “days like today make a girl think leaving home wasn’t the best idea.”
The tree didn’t respond, which was probably for the best.
There are hills in the distance, maybe mountains? It’s really hard to tell how far away they are. You had been hoping to get to them before the sun went down but that was beginning to look less and less likely.
And that horned skull you’d seen a while back was starting to feel more and more ominous.
Letting out a sigh you set off again, doing your best to conserve energy. You try to keep to the hard packed earth, avoiding the sandy spots and looking for stones where you can find them. Anything that would make you more difficult to track. 
And someone was tracking you, you were certain of it. The Emperor wasn’t going to let you go just because you’d run off. With any luck he’d search down closer to Baja, you’d laid enough trail that direction even a blind man could find it. But there was no harm in being careful.
A hop takes you from one stone to another, your boots slipping slightly on the nearly smooth rock. Something skitters and you freeze, glancing around to find the source. It takes a moment for your eyes to pick it out - a lizard, maybe a foot long, the same sandy brown color as the rocks. It puffs its neck out and tilts its head at you curiously. 
“Nice lizard?” you ask cautiously. Keeping your eyes on it you move sideways, waiting to see if it’s going to spit poison or open its mouth to reveal inch long fangs. It puffs its neck out once more, mouth opening and a soft chirp comes forth.
Breathing a sigh of relief you watch it skitter a few feet away from you, turning sideways and cocking its head once more. Only this time, when it puffs its neck and opens its mouth a deafening roar sounds instead.
That did not come from that lizard.
Nor, in fact, do you want to know where it came from. It’s enough to know that whatever made that noise exists. Deciding speed is more important than caution, you take off running, aiming for the only thing in the distance that gives any semblance of hope.
It’s only as you’re climbing, heart beating in your throat, that it occurs to you that things that roar might also be able to climb.
☢ ☢ ☢
For updates follow and turn on notifications for @brandyllyn-writes
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serafilms · 2 hours
Text
OH, WE MUST STOP MEETING LIKE THIS
patrick zweig x reader
summary: in which patrick zweig is the bolter (the bolter by taylor swift). wc: 3k
kind of an alternate timeline spinoff of the golden quartet
(rather than an au, it's more like an alternate patrick x reader centric timeline, and an exploration of their dynamic and how it intertwines with the bolter, because i listened to it again after watching challengers, and thought to myself, "wow, this song is so patrick coded.”)
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You like Patrick Zweig because he makes you feel like he’s yours.
The sudden hand that claps onto your shoulder almost sends your soul into orbit as you jump in your seat, fork dropping to your tray. It is very soon forgotten.
“Patrick, oh my god!” Your arms are thrown around him, chair pushed to the side, and Patrick stumbles a little on the impact.
When you part, he’s grinning at you and you turn your head back to the table, where Art is munching on an apple with the corners of his mouth twitching up.
“Did you know he was here?” You ask him.
Art gives a shrug as he swallows. “He said he wanted to surprise you.”
You tug at Patrick’s arm to sit as you settle back into your chair.
He gives you an exaggeratedly sloppy kiss on your cheek and you cringe disgust, butterflies in your stomach all the while. “Had to surprise my favourite girl.”
“Thought Art was your favourite girl,” you quip. The blond kicks your shoe in retaliation.
“You can both be,” Patrick announces as he grabs Art’s apple and takes a bite. “So,” he says through a mouthful, “It’s Friday. What are we doing tonight?”
“Well,” you say, “I have an essay due Sunday, so I’ll be doing that.”
Patrick gives you a look. “Boo, you whore.”
“Alright, pack it up, Regina George.” The words are accompanied by an affectionate roll of your eyes.
“A guy in my calculus class is throwing a party,” Art speaks up. He snatches his apple back out of Patrick’s hands.
You let out a humming noise. “You guys can come hang afterwards. I’ll probably still be awake by then.”
Patrick studies you for a moment, contemplatively, as if you are somehow a factor in making his decision. You wonder if perhaps he wanted you to ask him to stay with you instead. But he turns back to Art and nods his agreement as an easy smirk falls onto his face.
“Sounds like a plan.”
There’s a little more idle chitchat and three-way bickering while Patrick swipes half your meal from under your nose and indulges in it as though he was the one who paid for it. You let him, partially because you’re not hungry anymore and partially because you’re not sure what he’s been eating when he’s on tour, so any nutrients you can get inside his stomach is a win.
Art lists off some of the people going to the party, and you chime in with unsolicited opinions, pieces of gossip, etc., on each of them, until eventually, your tray is empty and it’s time for you to go to class.
“I’ll catch you guys later. Don’t get too shitfaced tonight.” You try to ignore the way Patrick grazes his hand on your hip as you stand.
“No promises,” he snickers. He and Art share a look over the table.
It’s three in the morning when Patrick knocks on your door. He is decidedly shitfaced, but still not as bashed up as you thought he’d be. His hair is only slightly tousled, he doesn’t look like he’s about to fall over, and his clothes don’t even look like they’ve been haphazardly taken off and thrown back on.
Still, you gently tug him inside, hands reaching up to brush down his curls neatly.
“Come here,” you murmur. You don’t question why he came to your room instead of going back to Art’s. Nor do you question why he seems to have gone mute.
You begin helping him take his jacket off, then as he sits on your bed, his shoes. Despite being fully capable of doing so himself, he lets you take care of him. He doesn’t even stop to smirk or make a comment about the compromising position of you kneeling in front of him. Instead, he stares. Or it looks like staring. In Patrick terms, you decide that the more accurate verb is ‘gazes.’
After you’ve forced a glass of water down his throat and put his things in a pile to the side, Patrick has half tucked himself under your covers and is gazing at you – expectant, pensive.
The bed dips as you lay beside him, turning onto your side to face him. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”
Patrick’s hand darts out to cup your face. His eyes are half lidded, looking straight into yours. It’s a serious expression, one you so rarely see on his features. He almost looks like a different person.
His fingertips brush the side of your neck making their way down to your shoulder, your bicep then your ribcage, right near the curve of your waist. You hear his breathing deepen as your own does the same.
“I really like you, you know.”
Your breath hitches. You feel as though your lungs, heart and diaphragm have all be frozen in time.
The words shouldn’t warrant such a reaction. They shouldn’t have such a palpable effect on you, but they do. You know Patrick likes you a lot. It’s a given with the way he acts around you, seeks you out and calls you so frequently. But it’s precisely because you know that and because you know him, that you know what he really means in this moment.
Your voice comes out in a hoarse kind of whisper. “I really like you too.”
A hint of his usual smirk crosses his face, and then the next thing you know, you’re thrown in a void, and the only things you’re aware of are the warmth of his hand on your side and the press of his lips on your own.
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You love Patrick Zweig because he will always come back to you.
“Hey.” There’s a smirk on Patrick’s face as you step out of the bathroom. His eyes dart up and down your figure, from the shirt you clearly stole out of his bag while he was training with Art and Tashi to the exposed skin of your legs.
“Hey,” you reply, smiling as you move to situate yourself between his legs. His arms wrap around you as you settle into him. Chest to chest, heart to heart. You can feel the steady thump in his chest through your shirt. You take the time to drink in the sight of him. Every visit feels shorter than the last, and you sometimes worry his face will fade from your memory like a thawing lake in spring. “How was practice?”
Patrick rolls his eyes. “Tashi keeps riding my ass about my focus during matches.”
“Come on, she just wants to help you.”
Patrick’s eyebrows raise as he gives you a squeeze. “I didn’t come visit so I could be coached.”
You smile at that. “Oh yeah? What’d you come back for then?”
A grin stretches over his face as he flips you both over, and you squeak a little on impact. “Why don’t I show you?”
Warmth blossoms in your chest as he starts kissing up your neck. “We watch your matches sometimes, you know. When I miss you. Art always sighs when you do your weird little serve. Tashi commentates most of it, though.”
You feel the stretch of his lips as he smiles slightly into your collarbone.
“She has some good points,” you say, eyes fluttering closed for a moment as he bites down on your skin. “Maybe you should listen to her.”
He sighs, mumbling, “I don’t want to talk about tennis right now.”
“I know. I’m just saying – raw talent won’t always be enough.”
“I’ll deal with that when I start actually losing,” he replies in between kisses. He’s at your jaw now, lips still pressed to your skin with every word.
You hum at the vibrations on your skin, but a frown pulls at your lips. You aren’t Tashi or Art. It isn’t like you care all that much about tennis anymore, but the fact that Patrick seems to care even less worries you. His future is hanging by a thread, and it worries you most of all because you’re not even really sure if you fit in his future. You’re not sure if you’ll be there to sew it back up or standing in the distance watching it fray.
“You always do that,” you blurt.
He pulls away, looking at your eyes with a brow furrowed. “Do what?”
“Run away from your problems.”
“I don’t run away from my problems,” he says, pulling back slightly. You both know he’s lying.
“I’m sorry, I’m just worried.” You bite your lip. “You haven’t had a decent conversation with your parents in two years, and I feel like you’re not thinking about your future.”
Patrick shifts away from you, sitting on the edge of the bed next to you instead. His jaw has set as he looks at you. There’s a cold expression on his face and you want nothing more than to rewind the last 30 seconds and go back to how it was before. You gnaw at the inside of your cheek nervously.
“I don’t need you to worry about my future,” he says, voice low and steady.
Your own voice has a subtle shake in it, one that’s filled with regret. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Patrick looks at you for a moment longer, then swings his feet off the bed and heads straight for his things.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m leaving,” he says quietly. He shoves his hoodie into the bag and zips it up.
Your heart clenches. “Wait, Patrick, please. I don’t want us to leave it like this.”
“I have to go. I’ll miss the last bus if I don’t.”
“You can catch it tomorrow! Your competition isn’t for another two days!” The desperation in your voice is audible. “Please. Please don’t leave.”
Patrick’s figure is still, like a photograph frozen in time. His bag rests on his shoulder. He’s two steps away from the door.
“Please stay.”
When he turns and looks at you, you can see the way his expression crumbles.
“Okay,” he mumbles.
You manage a few steps towards him, slow and hesitant. The bag slides off of his shoulder and he engulfs you into his arms. There’s a kiss pressed to your forehead.
“I’m sorry,” you whisper into him.
His hair brushes against your cheek as he shakes his head. “No. No, I’m sorry.”
He holds you tight in his arms as you fall asleep. The next morning, you awake to an empty bed, and a sticky note on your desk that you won’t notice for another few days.
I’m sorry.
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You don’t like Patrick Zweig because he makes you cave every time.
A year fresh out of college, and your career as a journalist is flourishing. Your boss flounces up to you at your desk.
“You used to play a bit of tennis, right?”
You blink. “Uh, yeah.” You were ranked, like, 7th in the world for junior tennis before your injury, but sure, that about sums it up too.
“I need you to write a piece on the competition happening soon. It won’t be too spotlighted, since we’re not really known for our sports new, but you’ll have full control over it, since you’re the only one who knows anything about tennis.”
“Okay, no problem.”
“Great! Here’s a list of the players.”
Your eyes skim over the list half-heartedly. There were occasionally names you recognised, including – ah, there was Art. You flipped through until the end, and your gaze locked in on the last name on the page. Your heart crept into your throat.
Patrick Zweig.
“Did you know he was here too?” You struggled your way up your stairs to the apartment, grocery bags in each hand and your phone balanced between your ear and shoulder.
Art’s voice sounds muffled from the other line, probably because your ear is more on the screen than the speaker, but even so, the awkward lilt in his voice is clear as day. “Yeah, uh, he texted me.”
You sigh. “You don’t have to pretend like you’re not still friends with him for my sake.”
He’s quiet for a moment. "I know. I just didn’t know how you’d feel about him being back in town."
“That’s what Tashi said too.”
“So how are you feeling about it?”
"Well," you huff as you reach near top of the stairs, "it’s not like I didn’t know he’d be at the tournament." Your eyes close for a moment, and the image of his name in font size 11 Arial appears in your mind’s eye. "I just didn’t want to think about it. I mean, it’s been ages since I’ve even spoken to him. It’s—"
"Complicated," Art finishes for you.
"Yeah." You fumble for your keys in your pocket, trying to manoeuvre the bags without dropping anything. "I’ll be fine, though. "
Art hums. You get the sense he’s thinking about something. Finally, he says, "For what it’s worth, he never wanted to hurt you, you know.”
You manage a small smile, even though he can’t see it. "I know. I’ll call you later, okay? I gotta put these groceries away."
"Sure. Take care, alright?"
"Yeah, you too." It’s a big struggle trying to get the keys out of your pocket. You barely manage to grab your phone in your other hand.
"Need some help with those?"
The sound of Patrick’s voice startles you, and you nearly drop the bags. He’s leaning against the wall next to your door with a smirk playing on his lips. Your first instinct is to hug him, then something switches and you want to punch him. With the bags in your hands, you can do neither, so you opt for staring at him as though you’ve just seen a ghost.
He still looks the same as you last saw him (not that you think about him often enough to picture that image, of course), except with an extra hint of adult despair. But still, the curls are the same, he’s still wearing shorts, he’s still clean-shaven, and his smirk is still stupid as ever. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was a figure of your imagination.
You gape at him for a moment before finding your voice. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
He straightens up, taking a few steps toward you. "Thought I’d surprise you."
"Well, mission accomplished," you mutter, pushing your key in the door and twisting it. Patrick follows you in, reaching to grasp at the bags in your hands. You don’t say anything as he carries them over to your counter, his eyes darting around to take in the sight of your apartment.
“Nice place. I like what you’ve done with the bookshelf,” he muses as he lifts the groceries onto the tabletop, then leans against it.
The way he moves is so familiar that it sends a jolt of déjà-vu through your stomach. A battle rages on in your mind as you struggle to figure out how to feel. On paper, you’re not necessarily on bad terms. It isn’t like you could say you had a bad breakup, since you aren’t even really sure you were dating in the first place, so you never really had any nights of crying over him, eating ice cream, and asking your friends to stop you from texting him. The two of you just stopped talking.
“Patrick. Why are you here?” Your voice cuts like a knife through the air. This is starting to feel like some sick joke from the universe. You wonder if Art knew Patrick was going to ambush you. Maybe he gave him your address.
He looks at you, his easy smile dropping for a moment. “I wanted to see you.”
You stay quiet. His expression is uncomfortably serious, and you can see him waiting for a response. But the truth is you don’t know what to say. You opt instead for moving towards the groceries beside him and putting them away. Patrick just watches you.
"So," he says, breaking the silence, "how’ve you been?"
"Busy," you reply, picking up a carton of milk to put in the refrigerator. "Work’s been hectic."
You see him nod from the corner of your eye. "I’ve heard. Your articles are really good."
You glance at him, surprised. "You read them?"
"Of course." His expression softens. "I always keep up with what you’re doing."
A lump forms in your throat, and you focus on moving around the jars in your fridge door aimlessly to avoid looking at him. "Thanks."
It’s silent once more as you finish putting everything away, though you can feel Patrick’s eyes in the back of your head the whole time.
His eyes meet yours when you finally turn back to face him, and for a moment, he looks vulnerable. He steps closer, reaching out to take your hand. "I missed you."
Your heart clenches. It becomes easier to decide then. You don’t like Patrick Zweig. Can’t stand him, really. You hate him. You hate that just his hand in yours and three little words can make your resolve crumble like a statue smashed to rubble.
Against the better judgement of every cell in your brain, you say, “I missed you too.”
It’s nothing to do with you. You know that. As he kisses you, as he slips his hands under your shirt, as he lies in bed with you, traces patterns on your skin and clings to you like a lifeline, you know. Patrick is yours, and you are his. But he’s always making promises he can’t keep, starting things he cannot finish, running away from everything to no end.
Perhaps one day, things will be different. But for now, you stare at the empty space in your bed, the only trace of his presence being the lingering scent of his cologne. You sigh, draw open the curtains and allow the morning sun to seep into your room.
You hate Patrick Zweig because he will never stay.
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jennifer-jeong · 2 days
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[Fluff + Slight Angst] [Wanderer x Reader] “A Name of Your Own”
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SUMMARY Giving him an actual name <3
CONTENT Fluff, little bit of angst, mentions of his past, CHARACTERS ARE 18+
AUTHOR NOTES I think it’s so funny that if you try to name him “Dottore” he says “you can’t be serious…” LMAOOO Basically this is what I named Wanderer and this is how I imagine he’d react to the situation hehe Another Wanderer fic for you pookie <3 @thepurestgirll
WORD COUNT: 737
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“My own name…?” the confused anemo user asks albeit rhetorically.
You’re in the sunlit akademiya library in the process of choosing a name for Mr Kabukimono/Kunikuzushi/Balladeer/Scaramouche/Wanderer/Hat Guy and he wonders why it feels so strange. He hasn’t really had a name that he necessarily cherished. All were titles given to him that have some alternative meaning or intention behind them. But this time, it’d be a name just for the sake of a name. A name to call him by, a name with a meaning about his soul, not about his status or appearance.
“克仁” (romanized: Katsuhito)
You say the name with a stern look and a gentle smile. He looks up at you, your words pulling him out of his thoughts.
It took you a little bit of research and time to put it together but you decided on this: a meaningful name in his native language.
“I can’t really read the language… What does it mean?” he asks, confused, as you show him the characters.
“克 (Katsu) meaning ‘to overcome,’ and 仁 (Hito) meaning ‘compassionate.’” You explain while writing the symbols on paper, teaching him how to spell his name and how to pronounce it.
“I just thought it fit you pretty nicely. You’ve been through a lot and you’ve come out alive and even after all that… you still somehow have kindness in you. I think that’s what compassion for yourself and others truly is.” You say gently as you look at the paper.
You’re looking at the name but he’s looking at you, his eyes softening at your words and his eyebrows raise ever so slightly. His face reads a mix of surprise and melancholic happiness. He’s surprised that you have such nice things to say about him. He thought that you, the traveler, and Paimon would end up just messing with him when picking a name. But he’s pleasantly surprised and starts to wonder if he really deserves something so nice.
You’d already discussed the name with Nahida and the traveling duo and they loved it. They were also happy to see how much thought you put in it.
“Are you okay?” You ask, looking at him, once again pulling him out of his thoughts. He didn’t realize he was just staring at you instead of paying attention to the paper.
He blinks a few times and stutters out a shy “y-yeah… I just wanted to say… thank you.”
Your eyes widen and then close as you smile at him, “aw you don’t need to thank me, just enjoy your new name!”
He looks down bashfully, trying to conceal his emotions and appreciation. His heart is beating fast, he doesn’t really understand it, especially considering he doesn’t really have an organic one. But he seems to feel emotion the same way you do. This used to piss him off. But right now, he’s kind of glad he can feel this way. He’s glad you make him feel this way.
You’re also feeling bubbly. You’re happy he likes it and it feels like it was a moment for you two to bond. You test the waters a little bit more and say “I was also thinking your nickname could be something like ‘Hito!’”
He blushes ever so slightly as he meets your eyes again. “That sounds…” he stops himself from saying “cute” and opts for “nice” instead.
He was usually pretty irritable and always wore an annoyed look, but because this was important and brought up a lot of emotion at the thought of his old names, he was pretty serious. He was vulnerable. But you didn’t hurt him. He would always remember that.
“Okay! Then it’s settled. Let’s go get some dinner, Hito.” You chime.
“Sounds good…” he replies, uncharacteristically quiet.
You don’t pry though, you know he’s only recently been introduced to the idea of living a life of his own, uncontrolled directly by someone. You figure that this talk about names also brought up unsavory memories.
But he was no longer a puppet to be used. He was just him, and he’d forever be grateful to the people who made that possible.
He watched you jog ahead of him, out of the library and into the sunset. The golden light illuminating your hair and outfit as it flowed in the breeze. You called out to him, telling him how the weather was lovely.
He smiled.
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Thank you for reading!
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|| MASTERLIST ♡ ||
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bakerstreethound · 2 days
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To Ease Such Panic
Relationship: Sherlock Holmes x gender neutral reader
Warnings: self-worth issues, self-loathing, mentions of panic, anxiety, insecurities
Summary: Sherlock comforts you after a night of panicking and he helps ease your mind and worries.
All writings belong to me @bakerstreethound (Do NOT claim, copy, repost, or translate my works to other sites. I only publish here and on A03 under the same username)
A/N: Short, unedited spur of the moment fic written in haste to vent out my feelings and dread. I hope it is alright. As stated, it is pretty chaotic and full of me articulating my thoughts.
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******
Infinite finite panic lingers in your chest. All ran smoothly for the most part of the day, other than the job forum for your university not working denying you access to view open listing- listing you wanted to browse and apply for before the fall semester.
For hours your mind has been plaguing you telling you of your faults how worthless you are. You're too watered down in apathy to care so why continue? Why harp on the one thing in life you don't need to worry about yet. You want to be ahead but so many other things seem to pile up.
The little tasks you set aside turn to mountains turn to molehill until you start plucking away. When you're done with them, none of it seems to matter. You're too tired, so why do you not give up? The panic surfaces, and there it goes a vicious cycle.
It's like a phantom knife to the heart twisting it's hilt tighter, feepen I to your chest, a prick but you feel no other pain - your mind has constructed worse so this is akin to nothing but a numb ache. An ache nonetheless you want to drown out.
So, when Sherlock walks in through the bedroom door, seeing you in such a state of dissaray, hair a mess, dark circles under your eyes, once freshly polished nails chipping, cigarette ash in an ashtray on the nightstand, he knows this isn't right.
If you were in a better mindset you would've cared about your appearance the dissaray but apathy held you tight, refusing to let go and you choke on an empty scream wanting to get out, your eyes pleading to Sherlock. You are stronger than this, you always came out of it someway, for the self I clicked pain in your mind is worse or akin to the physical pain you expect.
"Sherlock it's not what it looks like..." you trail off fighting off the lump of tears threatening to spill. You hate the way he's looking at you, eyes soft mouth twitching, searching for words to speak. You don't blame him if he can't find any. You know what a disappointment you look like and you can't fault him for it.
He takes a step closer, blinking slowly. "Let me help. I am here."
You stare in shock wondering what has taken hold of him. "But you don't have to be. You can walk right out that door because I am not worth this, Sherlock. I don't understand why you came back why I am here."
"I'm here because you called me," he explains softly, reaching for his phone to display the call log. Sure enough it is there from two hours prior when you were in the middle of your frenzied mind, hopeless that you were never going to find a job or make friends, drinking a little to stave off the loneliness burning holes through your body and soul.
"I-I'm sorry," you whisper, voice cracking. "I shouldn't have inconvenienced you, but I didn't-" a tear falls down your cheek. "I didn't know who else to call. I so sorry."
Without another word he eases on the bed next tonyou, pulling you close to him, your head resting in the crook of his neck. The sure beat of his heart is all the more real and you're transported back to many of happier nights when it was you and him against the rest of the world.
A time when you had been fearless unafraid.
Perhaps one day you will pick up the pieces. But for now despite the crumbling castle walls of your mind you would stay here in the shadows together slowly building back the pieces.
For you are his rock and he is your world and little by little the panic falls from your body, beholden to the night.
******
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bellatrixobsessed1 · 2 days
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I Am Blackened Bones (Part 12)
It is the perfect day for some meditation if Aang did say so. There is still dew on the grass and raindrops from last night’s rainfall still tucked into the leaves of the ferns. Last night had been a good one for all of them. He and Katara had finally gotten a full night of sleep and the spirit had seemed perfectly content to sleep in the rain, knowing that she wouldn’t break into a blaze. Once or twice, he caught her messing around in a puddle. She had brought Katara a particularly large warm that she had retrieved from the puddle. Katara hadn’t appreciated the gift nearly as much as Toph did. 
Does Aang feel bad for Katara? Yeah. But the spirit did make a friend in Toph in giving her a new means to prank Sokka.
This morning the sun is high and glinting off of the remaining raindrops and the spirit has been freshly dunked. She is now sitting, not very still, in front of him. That might be difficult—she does not like to sit still. 
Aang smiles. “I’m so glad that you’re finally letting me give this a try.” He is glad and terrified to an equal degree. The spirit looks up at him with innocent, trusting eyes. He is so scared; it would be so easy to break that trust even if that is exactly what he is trying to avoid. 
The spirit doesn’t seem to be nervous at all. Had they left it to burn, he imagines that it would be burning a low and easy natural orange. “I’m going to be doing most of the work. All you have to do is sit still and…I guess just let me in,” he gently taps her head,  “when you sense my presence.”
The tilt of her head can mean either that she is very confused or that she understands perfectly. If he remembers correctly, a tilt to the right means that she gets it and a tilt to the left means that she is completely lost. It could also mean that she is entirely uninterested. But the intensity of her stare tells him that she is both invested and aware of what he has just told her. 
“Okay. Well then, here we go.” He takes her hand. Without its outline of fire it is rather cool. Cool like the damp wood of the banyans and mangroves. It has the same texture too. It is heavier than usual he notices—heavy with retained water. That might just be a good thing, if this journey into her mind doesn’t work, she might just be waterlogged enough to be free of fire for a while. 
He closes his eyes. That is where he will start; he will focus on the spirit’s hand. Cool, heavy, rough to the touch. A little swollen, he realizes with his deepening focus. Maybe she has too much water. It doesn’t seem to bother her though. The fire has burned away mosses and lichens that might have grown upon her woodsy arms. But he feels chunks of hardened lava in the spaces where fungi probably would grow. 
And then her hands begin to grow lighter. Lighter has he retreats further from her physical form and closer to her soul. 
Aang’s mind is empty for a blink. The space he awakens when he opens his mind’s eye is mostly dark. Dark save for a vivid orange glow quite far off in the distance. The glow that can only be the fire spirit. 
His heart leaps. Why is she so far away!?
He opens his mouth to call out for her but he has no name to call out. And so he runs. He dashes towards that brilliant blaze and to his relief, it does not get further as he wanders closer. In fact, the fire only grows larger and larger still until he realize that he hadn’t been looking at the fire spirit at all but at the start of a burning labyrinth. 
He swallows hard but the fire doesn’t move. Not that it isn’t still unpleasant. He is already dripping with sweat. The labyrinth crackles and shifts. It doesn’t make any sense; usually these kinds of blocks are in place to keep intruders out and prevent those who have successfully breached from reaching sensitive secrets. But the Fire Spirit had very eagerly welcomed him in…
Unless he had misread the tilting of her head.
“Hey!” He calls out into the blaze. “Hey, where are you!?”
He takes his first step into the furnace. What he finds is not a mischievous spirit but burning books spat from torched shelves. Rows upon rows of bookshelves that make up the walls of this burning labyrinth. There are hour glasses too, towering ones positioned one per every five shelves. They have golden sand with blue flakes and golden dragons to perch upon them. Cautiously he takes the first coroner. He leaps nearly out of his britches upon coming face to face with a massive komodo rhino sculpture. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Okay. This is fine.”
He bunches his fists and plunges further into the maze. Turn after turn, left right, right, left, straight, straight, straight…
He has gone straight for so long. 
Maybe he had chosen wrong. 
Maybe this will go on forever…
He doesn’t know for how long he has been wandering, traversing this endless hall, passing what very well could be the same burning portrait over and over again. Long enough for him to start considering a retreat. But if he does and the Fire Spirit is here he could leave her trapped within her own mind and so he stops. He turns to look at the burnt photograph. A pointless thing to do, really, it is burnt far beyond comprehension. All but for the bottom right corner. There are no discernible objects depicted in the paint but there is lettering; ‘to welcome a new candle; born 85 AG’.
Any hopes he had of finding a clue in the portrait deflate, and he with that hope. There have been ten thousands of people who were born in the Fire Nation in 85 AG.
He keeps walking. Walking until he passes a burning doll on the floor. Walking until he comes to a door, large and red and embellished with a Fire Nation insignia. He grits his teeth and pushes it open; what other choice does he have?
He can leave. 
He could certainly do that…
But what kind of person would he be if he did that?
The door closes behind him. 
He nearly screams when he sees that he is back where he had first started. It was maddening that first time and it is maddening the second time. And the third time. He is on his fourth time. This time instead of doing a pattern of left straight left he tries a pattern of right straight right. 
“Come on, where are you?” He whispers more to himself. 
The longer he wanders the more oppressive the place becomes. The furnace has become a complete inferno and it seems to tilt and close in on him with every step, coaxing him to flee. To let go and retreat back to the safety of his own mind and body. To the safety of the physical world.
He hates energybending. 
It isn’t natural. 
There are so many opportunities for things to go wrong and he has a feeling that he is about to come upon several of them. 
“Please! If you can hear me, come out! I’m trying to help you!” 
He swears that he sees a silhouette in the blaze. A small shadow peeking out from behind a burning pillar. He hasn’t passed pillars yet. He releases a breath, at least this is new. Maybe he is getting somewhere. 
Maybe that is why he can see the silhouette. 
Why he can feel something watching him from within the blaze. His stomach absolutely squirms. He really ought to leave. Surely Katara would understand. The Spirit can probably find her own way out, it is her mind after all. 
“Please!” He tries again. And then once more, very quietly. Posture slumped with defeat and exhaustion he makes another right. The presence grows stronger. Another step. Stronger. Another step. Stronger. Another step…
It throws itself from the fire and Aang screams. And the Fire Spirit screams. He lands upon his rear. And the Fire Spirit slinks back. He quickly gets to his feet and gathers himself. “No. No wait!” He tries not to raise his voice. “You wanted me to come here, remember? We’re trying to help put the fire out.” 
The Spirit takes another step back. 
“It’s me, the Avatar. I promised Katara…”
The spirit halts. 
“I promised her that I would help you remember? Can you help me, help you put all of this fire out?”
.oOo.
Her head hurts. It hurts so terribly. More than it ever has. Sounds have no meaning. Shapes have no meaning. Nothing has meaning. In this place there is so much of everything; every color, every word, every scent, and mathematical equation. This place is so full of everything that it has nothing at all. 
Memories…her own, someone else’s? Her own and someone else's? It doesn't matter, they pass so rapidly and so in sync that she can’t begin to decipher them. She isn’t even aware that she is seeing memories. She isn’t aware that she is hearing every word that she has ever—never?—heard. Every word that she has or hasn’t spoken. Every word that has or hasn’t been spoken to her. All at once. 
She clutches her hands to her head. 
There is one phrase; 20 to 55 inches. 4 tons. Black or white komodo rhino. 59 inches. 7 tons. White or black komodo rhino. 39 inches. 7 tons. Greater one horned komodo rhino. 60 inches. 10,000 pounds. Caldera ash komodo rhino.
Finally.
Finally there is a pulse of relief. It lasts for the span of time that it takes to listen and repeat that mantra. 20 to 55 inches. 4 tons. Black or white komodo rhino. 59 inches. 7 tons. White or black komodo rhino. 39 inches. 7 tons. Greater one horned komodo rhino. 60 inches. 10,000 pounds. Caldera ash komodo rhino.
And she latches to it once again.
Just like old times. 
Yes. 
She remembers. 
Old times. 
There was a time before all of this. 
But what was it? 
What was it?
“Remember?” The word cuts through her mantra. It is so close to her. She tries to block it out. “Remember?” 
She doesn’t. Or does she? She remembers something but perhaps it is not the thing that she is supposed to be remembering. Who is she? What is she? “Remember?” NO! No she doesn’t and it is driving her mad! She has already been driven mad! She is burning, burning, burning. And she can’t remember a thing.
Another word stands out amongst the colorful chaos, and fire, and the other words. “Katara.” It isn’t just a word. It is a concept. No, a name. A name that she can tether to one of the memories that leap from the pages of burning books into her field of vision. This one hangs in the air in front of her. 
But it isn’t the Katara that she knows. 
This Katara hurts her. 
This Katara trapes her beneath ice and she can’t breathe. 
But then her Katara holds her. She remembers that. That memory is true. 
“Remember?” It is the Avatar’s voice she realizes. 
And yes. She thinks that she is starting to remember. 
“I promised her that I would help you remember? Can you help me, help you put all of this fire out?” He tells her gently. She listens to him as intently as she can and, at last, the other voices begin to quiet. One by one they taper off. The memories and their images return to their respective book pages and the shapes begin to right themselves. The mathematical equations retreat back to wherever mathematical equations dwell.
There is only one sound left. One that too is beginning to taper off, “20 to 55 inches. 4 tons. Black or white komodo rhino. 59 inches. 7 tons. White or black komodo rhino. 39 inches. 7 tons. Greater one horned komodo rhino. 60 inches. 10,000 pounds. Caldera ash komodo rhino.”
“What?” The Avatar asks. 
But those are the only words that she knows how to shape. “Remember.” She says although it lacks meaning. Really she is saying it just to say it. While the way his lips have moved to make that sequence of sounds is fresh in her mind. “What?” She repeats, trying to move her mouth the way that he does. “What? Remember? What, remember? Remember what?” It doesn’t sound exactly the same on her tongue. She is probably pronouncing it wrong. 
So she says once more the one thing that she does know how to say. “20 to 55 inches. 4 tons…”
“I don’t understand.” The Avatar sounds as though he is on the verge of tears. 
“I don’t understand.” She mimics with just as much distress. She doesn’t realize just how befitting it is of her to say. 
The Avatar rubs his hands over his face. 
“Come on, let's get you out of here.” The Avatar suggests. 
But she doesn’t move. She doesn’t want to leave. She wants to understand. She thinks that she is so close. 
“We can try again but I think that we both need to come a little more prepared.” The Avatar says.
The spirit shakes her head. “No.”
“No?” The Avatar asks. 
“No.” She says again.
“No as in you don’t want to do this again? Or…”
“Now.” 
This time he is the one doing the repeating. “Now?” 
And the Fire Spirit takes his hand and she leads him to a door. It isn’t too far from where they stand. But The Avatar is in distress.
“Oh no! No, no! I’ve already been here, this is back to where I started.” 
She supposes that she can’t blame him for not having seen the door. It is affixed to the floor and she is the key. Her body fits perfectly into the keyhole and she nestles herself into it. Things are less painful when she awakens again.
“Where are we?” 
They are back in the dark place. She hasn’t been here in a long time. He hasn’t been here once. But she doesn’t know how to form the word ‘dark’ or the word ‘place’. And she can’t answer his next question either. 
“What are we supposed to do here? I don’t know…” 
She follows the Avatar’s gaze. 
Follows it right into the darkness.
Follows it right to where the darkness becomes blue.
She and the Avatar creep closer. Closer to the figure bathing in blue. 
The Fire Spirit is close enough now.
She sees the girl and her heart sears a violent orange. 
The spirit creeps closer. And closer still. And with a smaller proximity, she realizes that she is staring at a woman, not a girl. But the woman is small. Small and lanky and bruised. Her eyes are hollow. She is as dull as the fire spirit is vivid. As dreary as the fire spirit is bright.
The Fire Spirit peers at the Avatar with a question burning in her mind. She doesn’t know how to ask. The words are there but she isn’t sure how to move her mouth to form the words. She has no sand nor dirt to convey the question. 
Who is she? The spirit thinks.
“Who is she?” The woman speaks.
The spirit jumps and the woman flinches. 
The Avatar’s mouth falls agape. 
And her body bursts into flames. The spirit screeches and the woman cries. The spirit has very few words but here in this place it doesn’t matter because the woman likes to say what the spirit thinks; “help me, Avatar.”
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princessofdorkness · 6 months
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This particular photo just does things to me idk…
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showmey0urfangs · 3 months
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sam Reid!
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sidetongue · 7 months
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story in the tags
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trans-mephisto · 8 months
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Him: you better not be slightly uncanny Yukio Okumura plush when I get there
My stupid ass:
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