belleandtherosebush

[belleandtherosebush]

Lily of the valley (=｀ω´=)☘️ You can grab wallpaper HERE!

[belleandtherosebush]

You know what makes me super thirsty? Imagine sitting on Kylo’s face. Your hand in his hair, holding him in place as you grind all over his tongue and just use his face for nothing but your pleasure. Asking the Supreme Leader how it feels to be totally used and broken down to a mere plaything in the bedroom. I’m gonna go get a big drink of water now🙃

Every time anyone talks about sub Kylo it goes straight through me. I feel my soul leave my body. I ascend to a higher place. I don’t even want to tell you what happened when I read this prompt just a second ago but it was

Powerful

Under cut because f i l t h

He looks so kriffing good like this.

Keep reading

[belleandtherosebush]

kings supporting kings

[belleandtherosebush]

Can you do a request for me with Hannibal x Fem Reader where she starts seeing him as a patient and you reveal to him that you have kinda gray morals when it comes to murder and stuff like that and over the course of about 6 months or so you two start falling for each other but he tries to keep it professional until he can’t anymore and fires you as a patient which upsets you until he tells you why he did it (which was so he could date you)

Unexpected Romance

Pairing: Hannibal Lecter x Fem!Reader

TW: slight meltdown, hints of murderous thoughts, dependence, slight angst, arguing, fighting, happy ending

You sighed, walking out of the building that once held your third psychiatrist of the month, clutching onto the white paper labeled 'referral.' It felt like a slap in the face, sitting in a comfortable office chair and spilling your deepest secrets to someone you barely knew, only for them to refer you to someone else.

'I don't know how else to help you.'

They would question you, offering you a false sense of security, yet when their prescribed medications and deeply-rooted questions did nothing, they simply lost hope in rekindling your sense of morality.

You were...beyond saving...

You slammed your car door shut, flinging the piece of paper onto your passenger seat where it lay abandoned, seemingly mocking you that it would add to your collection of your previous referrals, prescriptions, and office information. You sniffled, staring at the leather of your steering wheel. The next second, you were screaming, crying, and slamming your fist against the steering wheel as if it insulted you.

"Fuck!" You yelled, clutching your sore knuckles, staring at the bruises that were already starting to form from the force of your rage. "Fuck..."

You sniffled, staring into your rearview mirror, hastily wiping away the tears that were streaming down your face, eyes bloodshot and nose threatening to plug up from your excessive crying. You tried calming down, taking a few deep breaths to calm yourself down. Your first psychiatrist taught you about breathing exercises.

Yet, those techniques didn't stop you from the plague that invades your subconscious. The images of your family murdered, blood staining every crevice...

You shook your head before glancing over at the piece of paper, sighing to yourself as you reached over, picking it up. The name of your new therapist stared back at you, promising you of more false promises and hurt.

Dr. Lecter.

A few weeks later, you were sitting in the waiting room waiting for your first session. Well, first session with your new therapist. You were picking your nails as you watched the clock, dreading the unavoidable. The minutes were ticking by, seemingly mocking you of your adversity.

You were anxious all morning, pacing in your room, dressed and prepared only a few hours ahead of schedule. The drive was hellish, thoughts of canceling the appointment, suffering a fee and turning back haunted you. Now, you were in the waiting room with a racing heart, the pattering of the raindrops outside distracting you.

'I am beyond help...'

"Miss (L/N)?" A deep-toned voice asked.

Your head snapped, mind clearing as you faced the person that had called your name. Standing by the door, keeping it open with a charming yet polite smile upon his face, was your new and fourth psychiatrist.

Dr. Lecter

"Sorry, yeah, that's me." You said, standing from your seat but keeping your distance, you simply didn't want to barge into his office. You gave him a small smile, still feeling uncomfortable with the beginning of your session. "It's very nice to meet you, Dr. Lecter."

"Likewise." He replied, stepping to the side with the door still opened for you. "Shall we begin with our session for today?"

"Of course." You walked past him, nodding in thanks before stepping into his office, maintaining from letting out a gasp of surprise over the vastness of his office. If you hadn't known this was his office, you would have guessed it was. The room screamed elegance and filled with decor one would see in an art museum.

"You have a lovely office." You complimented, looking around the room as Dr. Lecter closed the door and walked over to his desk, picking up some papers.

"Thank you, I quite enjoy displaying decorum through interior decorating." He replied, almost in a teasing way. "I apologize that you've been waiting a few weeks before we could start. Your psychiatrist had to send your information over from previous sessions."

"I wish it were longer, actually." You stated halfheartedly, finally taking a seat when he gestured silently towards one of his many available chairs nearby, nodding in thanks.

"Not very fond of sessions are you, miss (L/N)?" He asked, glancing your way as he shuffled through some of your paperwork, most likely your old medications and lack of diagnoses.

"I'm not particularly fond of wasting my time talking about my issues until the person trying to help me figures out I'm just incurable." You refused to return his gaze, fiddling with your nails. "They can't figure out what's wrong with me."

"There is no such thing as being incurable, there's only being overlooked."

"How do you figure?" You asked in confusion, looking up to watch him place down the papers and take a seat across from you. You didn't like the way he refused to look away from you, it made you...fuzzy.

"I believe your experience with your previous psychiatrists are, in better terms, unfit to handle someone like you." He paused for a moment, "You need someone that is able to understand you, discover your innermost self and I'm simply a better fit."

You felt your cheeks warm slightly, glancing away and unable to understand that fuzzy feeling you were feeling in your chest. "You make it seem so undemanding." You only glanced back when he called your name.

"You, my dear, are not incurable."

You were speechless, you didn't know what else to say. Something that would make him deter him away, but nothing could cross your mind before he continued.

"You are not beyond saving."

You stared at him for a while, the words sinking into your mind and chasing away some of the doubt that has haunted you for a majority of your life. You decided, against your judgement and the aching of your heart at the risk of more pain, you would give him a chance.

You nodded, which prompted him to give you a polite smile.

Time to restart the process.

At first, it was morbid curiosity.

When Hannibal was notified that he was being referred to a fellow colleague's previous patient, he was curious, very curious. He wanted to know the reason a respected psychiatrist, with an incredible track record, couldn't help a patient for once.

Therefore, he decided he would see the person behind his fellow colleague practically being close to ripping their hair out in stress. However, he was genuinely surprised when he opened his office door and saw you sitting in the waiting room. Your timid form playing with your nails with your gaze laser-focused on the clock that you didn't even react when he stood in your presence. Yet, you were oddly polite and if Hannibal didn't read your paperwork, he would have assumed you were an ordinary girl with her own issues.

However, you were...different.

He couldn't place his finger on what it was, but you weren't like anyone else he had seen step into his office. Your profile made it seem like you were a delinquent waiting to happen. However, you were polite, respectful, and had a deep passion for the arts similar to himself. He's never met an individual who shared a multitude of common interests with him. Perhaps, he underestimated you. He certainly wasn't prepared by how pretty you were and how close you two would become and he wouldn't forget your first session. When he had the opportunity to dig deep within your center and rip out your deepest secrets about yourself, in his own space.

Your gaze was focused on the window, watching the water droplets from the rain slide down the glass, the sleeves of your sweater hiding your delicate fingers. Those slim fingers that he couldn't stop staring at. You seemed so helpless, desperate for validation for the things you were going through, and he wanted to know the root of the problem.

Perhaps then, his curiosity would dissipate and he would have an easier time letting someone like you go.

"You must tell me what you're feeling if I am to help you, Miss (L/N)." He spoke softly, crossing his fingers and catching your gaze as you turned away from the window to return your attention with him.

“I feel…” You muttered with a pause, before turning your attention to the man across from you, “like I’m a danger to myself and others because of the things I think about.”

“And what do you feel?”  He asked, voice subconsciously matching your own.

“I think about hurting people, people that I used to care about. Seeing their faces twist in pain as their life drains from their eyes.”

“How does it make you feel? Those thoughts that haunt you, you mentioned that they plague you. Is it because you’re ashamed of them?” He mentally cursed himself, allowing his growing curiosity and obsession to take hold in order to discover you.

“They do haunt me but…it’s not because I’m ashamed of them.” You avoided the intensity of his stare, staring at the loose fabric of your sweater. “I’m ashamed of them because I like the thoughts.”

He swore he felt his heart skip a beat.

It has been six months since you've become his patient and Hannibal was plagued with conflicted feelings. Over the course of six months, Hannibal began to notice the ever growing affection he held for you. The soft moments between you during the break between sessions where you both would discuss your various common interests of art, music, and food.

He never thought he would find an individual so interesting, articulate, and extremely beautiful. He could still remember your lovely smile when he presented you with one of your favorite books he happened to have in his many collections of literature. He knew that he had fallen in love with you. Something he never quite expected to happen in his entire lifetime.

However, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Not when he was still continuing to be your psychiatrist.

A few days after your last session, he turned in his referral for your new psychiatrist and he prayed that you would allow him to reason with you when you find out what he has done in order to be with you properly. From your previous sessions, he knew of the abandonment you’ve feared, however, he didn’t want you feeling like he gave up on you.  

He was sitting at his desk, checking his watch as he waited for your arrival. His mind was repeatedly going through the possibilities of your reaction. Your consistent timing insisted that you would arrive any minute. He decided with a heavy sigh, that he would check the waiting room and hoped that you would accept his feelings.

You smiled to yourself, sitting in your usual spot in the corner of the waiting room. You arrived a few minutes early, yet it allowed you to have some time for yourself before you continued your session with Dr. Lecter. 

Despite the happiness you felt, you still felt a little nervous. For the past few weeks, you have realized something about yourself that you didn’t think would possibly ever happen. The fuzzy feeling that continued to tickle your mind all those months was the blossoming feeling of love. 

It left you scared, scared of the possibility of what it could do to affect the professional relationship between doctor and patient. The possibility of Dr. Lecter discovering your feelings and refusing to continue helping you. All due to the disgust of having someone like you fall for someone like him. It left you feeling defeated already, yet you will allow yourself to continue to be around him. To be around him and never letting your feelings show. 

The sound of the door opening made you stand, giving Dr. Lecter a smile which he gladly returned with a soft greeting. However, something in his face made you hesitate in replying. He seemed to have something bothering him and your heart skipped a beat. 

This couldn’t be what you think it is…

Pushing the thought from your mind, you quickly returned the greeting. 

“Afternoon, Dr. Lecter.” You said, stepping forward when he moved to the side to allow you to walk past him and into his office. “Something troubling you?”

The suit-clad man quietly closed the door, walking past you to stand near his desk, he leaned against the wood, hands perched on the surface. “We have something to discuss.” He finally said, gesturing to the recliner. 

“I think I can manage just fine standing.” You retorted, voice full of ice as your eyes hardened slightly. Your body tensed as you continued standing your ground, crossing your arms. “What’s the issue?” you asked, desperately trying to keep the hurt from your voice. 

“Please, allow me to explain myself, I do not wish for you to assume-”

“I think I’m assuming correctly, right? Just go ahead and tell me what you’re thinking.”

He sighed, glancing away, presumably gathering his thoughts. 

“I believe it is best if I am no longer your psychiatrist-” 

Crash.

Hannibal ducked when something was sent flying towards his head, resulting in a loud crash as the object practically combusted against the wall. In instinct, he was quick to cover his face with his forearm, protecting himself from getting hit directly. He was shocked for a moment, processing what occurred before hearing you rush towards him.

“How could you?!” You yelled, trying to hit him with raised fists, becoming more annoyed when your old physiatrist kept blocking your feasible attacks. “You said you wouldn’t give up on me! You fucking liar!” 

“I’ve never lied to you! Let me explain!” You couldn’t bother to see his reaction, his face expressing a mix of emotions of shock and desire. He never witnessed you become so angry before, especially at him. He found his fascination for you grew even more. “You’re only making things worse.”

“I don’t care, asshole!” You screamed, pushing him which didn’t even move him an inch as he stared down at you, gripping your forearms as you started crying. “Why are you getting rid of me!”

“You stupid girl!” Suddenly, you were pinned against the wall, gasping in shock at the warmth of Hannibal’s chest pressed against your own, your wrists pinned on each side of your head. “I only did it to be closer to you!”

“What…?” You were breathless, staring into his eyes that were full of darkness and something else you couldn’t recognize. His warm breath hitting the side of your face from his close proximity. “Then, why would you?”

Instead of answering, Hannibal simply leaned down and kissed you, warm lips pressed against your own, which quickly turned passionate. Eagerly, you returned the kiss, pressing closer to him as Hannibal let go of one of your wrists to grip the back of your head, fingers tangling into your hair. 

After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity, he slowly pulled away, gazing down at you while you tried catching your breath. 

“I’m in love with you, (Y/N).” He stated, fingers pulling away from your hair to instead delicately graze the soft skin of your cheek. “I cannot court you properly if I remain your psychiatrist.”

“Dr. Lecter, I-” Your eyes watered, ashamed of your previous behavior. 

“Hannibal, darling.” He muttered softly, stroking your cheek as he pressed his forehead against your own. “I accept you as you are and I want you to be mine, always. Will you consider that?” 

You smiled softly, sniffling as you nodded, resulting in Hannibal pulling you into a tight embrace which you gladly returned. “You already have me.” You replied. 

Spam Liking = Blocked

Taglist: Comment to be added!!

@prettywhenibleed

[belleandtherosebush]

this fucks

[belleandtherosebush]

Just finished hamlet & had to share THIS

[belleandtherosebush]

Alright, I got some thots about Joel Miller

I love when people write him as a dom who is able to hold his composure during sex, but I just know that the second this man gets his dick touched he's nearly brain-dead. He can try to talk to you, but it ain't gonna make any sense (which is why you tease him and try to make him tell you how good it feels).

You start riding him? He's along for the ride, literally. All he can really do is bask in it and enjoy it as much as he can — which is a lot.

It takes him a while to be able to hold a conversation while fucking, but he learns. Although you've made it your mission to make it as hard for him as humanly possible. It's fun to watch him stumble over his words or abandon a thought completely.

Anyway, long story short, Joel Miller gets pussydrunk and can't talk or think.

[belleandtherosebush]

Silent Cry [Straykids x Stay]

❤️Ultimate Masterlist

💜Rules and Guidelines

🕯Summary:

You had a rough day, bottling up your feelings, wishing that someone would hear you. What if someone did?

The reader is Stay, Gender Neutral comfort fic.

🔗https://archiveofourown.org/works/40486299

🌹CW:

Detailed Mental Breakdown|Anxiety Attack|Hurt with Comfort|Hyperventilation|Fluffy Angst|Comfort Fic

💌 This is a work of fiction, I by all means don't force ship anyone. They have the right to love whomever they want.

🍄Wordcount: 2K

Sighing deeply, you pushed open your room door. 'Safe' you thought unconsciously, shutting the door softly. The doorknob cackled, signalling that it was locked. A breath of relief escaped your lips, and dreadfully tears soon followed. Tears dripped down your cheeks as you stood still in the middle of your room, hesitant to succumb to the comfort of your sheets, not wishing to taint them with the pain buried in your heart. Hiccups of sobs echoed softly, hands trembling with your nails digging into your palm. A crack of thunder caused your breath to hitch loudly as you flinched. Hand instinctively raised to cover your mouth. You held your breath, listening to every creak before allowing yourself to cry more.

Pressure pressing down on your shoulders, from knowing too much, from knowing too little. It scared you. You held yourself, body curling into itself, trying to protect the remains of the inner child you kept hidden away. "It hurts," you whispered, barely a puff of air escaping your lips. Hands shaking through the blurry vision coating your senses. You swallowed dryly, trying to catch your breath. Short gasps and inhales were all you could take. Panic filled your senses, trying desperately to catch a breath of air into your system. Your hands held onto themselves, nails bedding moon crests on your skin. Fear clouded your judgement, pulling you deeper into sorrow.

Felix's breath hitched, stumbling on his own feet. The members' heard the loud thud of Felix's arm hitting the wall as he tried to steady himself. Chan held onto his shoulders "It's happening again isn't it?" he asked, wrapping Felix's arm around his shoulder. Felix held his head, nodding weakly "Hyung, they're hurting," he whispered, gripping the hem of Chan's shirt. Chan nodded, rubbing Felix's back "I know, I feel it too," he said, kissing Felix's forehead. Jisung walked over to his twin, wrapping his arms around his waist. Felix exhaled deeply, burying his face into Jisung's neck. Chan looked up "We better head home," he said, watching the members nod in agreement.

Slowly you began regaining your breath, counting with each intake of air. Your hands trembled still, shaking the remaining adrenaline out of your system. You sighed, taking a seat on your bed. A tiny skzoo entered the corner of your vision, gently you turned the skzoo around making it face the other way. Shame crawled up your body, coating your every thought. You wanted to reach out, you were desperate to be heard but guilt stopped you. You gulped, parting your lips only to feel the tears that went dormant come back. Impact hitting harsher than earlier, your body curling into itself. Heart-wrenching silent cries soaked your shirt, leaving only the loud puffs of air to be the only sound indicating a presence in the cold room.

Overwhelmed by your emotions, you didn't hear the door slowly open. You always knew deep down that lock wasn't going to keep you safe. Chan frowned, watching your curled figure from the door frame. He clenched his jaw, trying to refrain from running towards you, to comfort you, to reassure you. Your vulnerability screamed through your actions, desperately hanging on to what's left of your sanity. So close to the edge but also a coward for not immediately jumping. Chan knocked on your opened door, causing you to break out of your trance. Jolting, you frantically wiped your tears as if they were acid burning your skin. You hesitated to look up, afraid of the expression he would have. You took a few short breaths before finding the courage to look up.

Chan did nothing but looked at you with a softened smile. You felt your chest clench, choking on a sob desperately crawling to escape. Chan walked towards you carefully, paying attention to your expressions as he made his way closer. You whimpered, jaw clenching, feeling your teeth grind against each other. Chan stopped, smile not leaving his face "Are you alright, little one?" he whispered, looking up at you as he sat down on the floor below you. You tried so hard to force yourself to choke up an "I'm okay," but it burned to say a word. Your lips quivered, head shaking "No," you whispered, breaking the last string of hesitance. A raw, gut-wrenching sob escaped your lips.

Tears fell freely, finally able to take a chip of pressure off the block. Chan smiled warmly "Can I hold you, little one?" he asked, looking up at you. You nodded frantically, "Please," you whispered and it didn't take long for Chan to carry you, setting you gently on his lap. Chan rubbed your back softly, whispering gentle words of affection. Tears dripped down your cheeks, staining his shirt but he paid no mind. He stroked your hair "Do you want to tell me what bothered you, sweetheart?" he asked, quietly. You shook your head, burying it deeper into the crook of his neck. Chan chuckled softly "I got you, stay," he whispered, leaving a gentle peck on your forehead.

You exhaled softly, relaxing into his hold. "Can Binnie come in darling? He's been standing by the door for some time," Chan said, taking your hand into his own. You looked over to your door, noticing Changbin rubbing his hands, waiting for the right moment to enter. You looked up at Chan, nodding softly. Chan nodded, gesturing Changbin over. Changbin kneeled in front of you, rubbing your thighs gently "Hello baby, feeling better?" he asked softly. You nodded, locking eyes with him. Changbin smiled warmly "Mind telling us what happened stay?" he asked. You pouted, sniffling as tears threatened to spill again. Changbin noticed, eyes widening "You don't have to tell if you don't want to agi-yah," he said fanatically.

Chan chuckled softly, chest rumbling against your back. You wanted to reach out and so you did telling them your problems, your fears, what built up to it and what you think will happen. Changbin listened intently, taking your every word into consideration. Chan wrapped his arms tighter around your waist nodding as you continued to speak. You exhaled, finally able to be heard. Changbin took your hand, kissing your palm lightly "Agi-yah you can take your own pace, you don't have to force yourself to keep up," he said, looking up at you. You whimpered, biting down on your tongue "I know but it's easier said than done," you whispered, Chan, nodded lightly "It's harder to ignore it when it's happening right in front of you," he said, letting you know that he understood.

Changbin sighed softly, letting you thread your fingers through his hair. The rest of the members peeked through the door, waiting till it was safe to come in. You noticed the other presence and shivered. Chan chuckled softly "Permission our dear stay to allow the rest of the family to come in?" he asked playfully, fingers tickling your sides. You giggled softly, nodding at Chan's question. The rest of the members slowly filled in the room, and the Jilix twins immediately cosied up against Chan, leaving gentle touches on your skin. Seungmin smiled warmly, leaning over Changbin to lay a soft kiss against your cheek. Minho stroked your hair gently, smiling as you leaned into his touches. Jeongin leaned his head beside Changbin, letting you trace his features. Hyunjin came in last, tilting a cup of water for you to sip on, smiling gently before setting the cup down when you're done.

Felix looked at you, studying your features. "Stay, what happened lovely?" he asked carefully. You sighed, looking at the eight pairs of eyes staring at you "I'm scared to take the first step, but I'm also scared of being left behind, it's so contradicting and frustrating, I couldn't take it anymore," you said, anger and disappointment evident in your tone. Felix nodded, acknowledging your words "You know you did your best but it feels like time is slipping from your grasp," he said, looking at you. You fidgeted with your nails, "Yeah," you whispered, tilting your head down. Jisung tilted your chin facing him "It's normal agi-ah, don't feel ashamed, you hear me?" he said, bopping his head with each word.

You giggled softly, nodding at his words. You sighed, leaning deeper into Chan's hold "We're proud of you," Minho mumbled, looking at you. Your breath hitched after hearing him say that. Minho nodded "You should know that we're proud of whatever you do, may it be from waking up or going to jail for taking my advice too seriously. We'll always be proud of you," Minho said booping your cheek. You pouted, sniffling at his words "Aigoo, you made the baby cry, Minho hyung," Seungmin said, smacking Minho's back playfully. A smile played on your lips watching 2Min bicker. Hyunjin sighed, pinching your cheek lovingly "Sneaky little stay, watching the members bicker" he teased. You whined, glaring playfully at Hyunjin.

Chan chuckled, pinching your cheek as well "Is that so?" he asked, watching your ears tint red. Jeongin huffed, swatting the teasing hands surrounding you and pulling you onto his lap "Don't tease our baby, look their ears are heating up because of you," he scolded, using the iconic grandma Jeongin voice. Jisung snorted a laugh, muffled behind his palm. Jeongin noticed "Aish, just like your father," he said, ignoring the scandalous gasp Felix made as the members laughed to their heart's content. You giggled, hiding your smile against his shoulder. Jeongin chuckled, rubbing your back softly. "Such a bad influence for our stay," he teased, stroking your cheek. Changbin pressed his tongue against his cheek "Ya! We're a good influence," he said, looking at Jeongin.

Jeongin smacked his shoulder "How dare you talk to your grandma informally. Kids these days," he scolded, shaking his head. Hyunjin burst out laughing, holding his stomach as he rolled onto his back. Changbin winced playfully "Grandma's so scary," he said, rubbing his shoulder. You watched the members fondly, heartwarming from the love filling the room. Felix noticed the subtle smile, etching your lips "Feeling better than before?" he asked softly, stroking your hair. You nodded, smiling brightly "Yeah," you said, leaning against his touch. Chan smiled warmly, gently petting your head "You don't have to keep everything to yourself anymore, little one," he said.

"If you can't find anyone to lean onto, we'll always be here, agi-ah," Changbin said, nodding his head. "If you want a break, you can have one. If you need to slow down, you can do that too. Don't feel guilty for taking care of yourself, understood?" Jisung asked. You giggled "Understood," you replied as a satisfied smile etched his lips. Minho pulled you over to him causing Seungmin to roll his eyes "Hyung, they're not a doll," he said, holding your hand. Minho glared at him "I know, I just wanted to hold them," he said, hooking his chin on your shoulder. Seungmin sighed "Your health is the priority, eat well like our dweakki," he said with a straight face.

Changbin looked at Seungmin, utterly betrayed "Yah!" he shouted. You giggled softly, reaching over to take Changbin's hand. Changbin froze, staring down at your hand on his and immediately calmed down. Hyunjin chuckled "Only stay can calm down an angry dweakki," he said, poking your cheek. You glared at him, curling up against Minho. Minho chuckled, rubbing your thighs "Should I put him in the air fryer?" he asked. You looked up at Minho, gulping at his expression. Minho smirked "Well?" he asked. You shook your head instantly, "No, thank you," you said. Minho frowned but nodded "Hyunjin-ah you live another day," he said. Hyunjin gasped loudly, holding his chest "He really wanted to fry me," he said in disbelief.

Chan sighed, "See what I have to deal with," he said, pulling you back into his hold. You giggled softly, snuggling against his chest. "You'll never be alone, wherever you are, we'll be one step behind you," he said, rubbing your palm with his thumb. "I'll protect you," he grumbled, holding you tightly. Your eyes widen "I'll protect everyone here," he mumbled, nuzzling your neck. You relaxed, nodding softly. "I know," you whispered, sighing happily. Chan shifted letting the other members cuddle against each other. "Rest, little one, you had a long day," he whispered, stroking your hair. You nodded, letting him tuck you in before wrapping his arms around your waist. "Sweet dream my babies," he said, closing his eyes.

[belleandtherosebush]

Steve will put on sweatpants and not do up the drawstring, then when he puts his phone in his pocket, walking around the house casually, his sweats slllllllowly slide down his hips, exposing the elastic waistband of his boxers and his Adonis belt until he realizes and adjusts them again absent-mindedly.

Bucky will actually threaten anyone who dares to try and explain that that is what the drawstrings on sweats are for.

[belleandtherosebush]

Thank you sm! And thanks for the request love, i hope you like it <3

Destiny

pairing⁀➷ geralt of rivia x fem!reader

word count⁀➷ 1.5k

summary⁀➷ Geralt finds you injured in the woods (more in the ask)

warnings⁀➷ soft!geralt, fluff, mention of blood and injuries, swearing (only once tho), use of y/n once

a/n⁀➷ As always, tell me if I missed a warning please!

🥤my kofi if you’d like to leave a tip🩷

You had expected this day to be different. You were supposed to help your uncle and learn more about herbology so that one day, you would know as much as he does about taking care of the people in the village.

Not lying here, on the slightly damp forest ground.

It would be a long walk back to the village, and your wounds and aches would not make it any easier. Your limbs felt heavy. Your body ached. And before you could fight back, you were defeated by tiredness.

Your eyes opened abruptly as you became aware of sounds coming closer and closer to you. A horse was coming towards you, on it an incredibly muscular man who looked familiar to you.

You had never met him before, but when he came closer and you saw his bright amber eyes, you knew who he was, what he was.

When he saw you, lying there on one of the big roots, he quickly got off his horse.

"Wait here, Roach." he told the horse.

Fear washed over you as he slowly approached you.

"Please, don't hurt me." Your voice was soft, almost a whisper. But witchers could hear better than ordinary people, he had heard it clearly enough.

The witcher stopped for a second and seemed… offended? He shook his head slightly and looked you in the eyes.

"I won't hurt you." His voice was low. Incredibly deep.

There was sincere in his voice, it almost gave you goosebumps.

He was terribly attractive, and his eyes both frightened and fascinated you. He came closer and closer to you and you could only follow him with your eyes. Your fear had eased a little, but it wasn't completely gone.

"It's not that bad," you said quietly as his eyes examined your wound. "I just need to rest a bit before I-" you made a hissing sound as he lifted the fabric covering the wound. "You are not fine." he grumbled.

He knew you wouldn't be able to walk one step on your own without collapsing. As the witcher walked to his horse and took an elixir-like phial from one of the pockets, he asked,

"What happened to you, who did this?" his voice almost sounded angry. But not because of you.

"I was gathering herbs. My uncle needs them to medicate the people in the village. And-" you had to swallow at the thought of the attack.

"There were three-three men. They were looking for someone." The witcher grimaced in anger, as if he already knew what they wanted.

"They wanted to know where the Butcher of Blaviken was."

He said nothing but an annoyed "hmm," his hand still holding the fabric so as not to cover the wound on your hip.

The witcher looked you in the eye, and up close, his own ones were even more special.

"Don't move." he demanded and you nodded. Then he dripped some of the elixir into the wound. It burned like fire.

"Ahh fuck!" you had to bite your lip to stop swearing. "It'll be over in a moment." He took your hand and nodded at you encouragingly. You squeezed his hand so hard that your fingers almost started to hurt.

"Breathe, can you do that for me?" He spoke so calmly and collectedly. You looked at him again, his gaze never leaving your face the whole time. Then you took a deep breath, as deep as you could under the pain. And as quickly as the pain had come, it was gone again.

You were breathing heavily and it felt like you had been running for hours. The witcher bandaged your wound and looked you in the eyes again. The fear you normally had of his kind, fear that was taught as a child, was now completely gone. If he hadn't come to find you, you would still be lying here now and would probably faint in no time.

He had saved you.

"What's your name?" you asked the witcher quietly as he lowered the bloody piece of cloth onto the tended and protected wound. He inhaled sharply. "It's okay if you don't-" you started but he spike over you. "Geralt of Rivia." He replied.

Your lips parted a little. You blinked in surprise as you looked at him. Geralt had gotten up and walked to his horse to put the vial back. Quietly you whispered, "The Butcher of Blaviken."

He turned to face you, "I'm sorry they attacked you."

You were astonished, because you didn't expect an apology. Actually, he had nothing to apologise about either. After all, the men were not acting on his orders.

You smiled at him weakly. Suddenly everything felt so exhausting, breathing, being able to see, everything.

"It's the potion," Geralt answered your unasked question. "It makes you tired, to heal your wounds in your sleep."

"Oh." you said softly, before you felt two strong arms lift you up. Then you fell asleep.

Geralt entered the small village on Roach, and you laying safely in his arms.

All conversation died down when they noticed the witcher.

However, when they saw you in his arms, some began to whisper.

„He's a witcher!" "What does he want with her?" "Did he kill her?" "Where did he come from?"

Geralt knew exactly where to take you. A healer was usually quick to find, but especially in such a small village. "Stop Roach."

He got down, careful not to hurt you.

Your uncle opened the door before Geralt could knock, but when he saw you, his face paled. "Y/N-" His gaze went to the blood on your coat then darted to the witcher.

"She needs to lie down." Geralt commanded. He looked at your uncle with a penetrating gaze.

"What have you done to her, Witcher?" There was hatred and disgust in his voice.

"I healed her." Geralt replied dryly.

He pushed past your uncle and quickly found what he was looking for.

He carefully laid you down on the small bed.

Your uncle hurried after the witcher, but when he saw you, he realised that what Geralt had said was true.

Your coat was bloody but the wound looked well taken care of. "I put a potion in her wound, it should work. She'll have to sleep for a while for that to happen though." Geralt sat down on the floor beside your bed and leaned his back against it.

Your uncle looked overwhelmed, but he knew well enough that there was nothing he could do now.

"Thank you, Witcher.".

"Hmm." Geralt simply replied.

While your uncle went to his herbs to make you some tea, Geralt closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out.

With a loud gasp, you woke up. You looked around in confusion, as you saw familiar walls and herbs, the ground was softer than before in the forest. As you slowly sat up, leaning on one elbow, you knew you were home.

Something moved beside your bed. No, not something, someone. Geralt stood up and looked at you with a soft gaze. "How are you?" he asked in his deep voice.

Your eyes went to your wound, or to the place where it had been. Your skin was completely healed, no cuts, no blood. You brushed your finger lightly over it, but it didn't even hurt anymore.

"Thank you." you whispered gratefully without really answering his question. "Thank you Geralt."

You stood up and in a matter of seconds you wrapped your arms around his strong torso. "Thank you." you mumbled into his chest once more.

Geralt was surprised, and at first he just stared down at you. You still had your arms wrapped around him when he carefully put one arm around your waist, then the other. He smelled terrible but that didn't matter right now.

He had saved you. You looked up at him, still in the embrace. Something in his eyes had changed, his look had changed. You didn't know what it was.

Geralt, however, knew, and he could not suppress it.

The way you looked at him without any fear, how you had thanked him so many times. Nothing even suggested that you thought he was the monster so many people saw him as.

Slowly his arms moved down your back. Your faces were so close that you could see the finest, smallest scars on his face. Geralt could hear your heart beating, not evenly but fast and irregularly. You looked into his amber eyes the ones that had even followed you into your sleep.

His hands pulled you closer and the moment, when his lips met yours, fast yet slow, hungry yet gentle, felt like time had stopped. As if there was only this moment, only the two of you. Your fingers played with Geralt's hair, feeling his strong neck and pulling him down even further towards you.

When you had to gasp for air and your lips parted, he still held you close to him. You bit your lip as you looked at him. Geralt exhaled heavily. "I don't believe in destiny," you whispered. "But you might've changed that."

༄ Don't copy, translate or republish any of my works on any app or other platform please. I only post my work on Tumblr and Wattpad.

Reposts are always appreciated, they really make my day🧡

[belleandtherosebush]

Unexpected Raise {Max Phillips x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 5.9k

Warnings: Max being his normal asshole self, slight humiliation, teasing use of ‘daddy’, dog collars, blood and biting, vampirism, oral sex (female receiving), vaginal sex, slight softness?

Comments: You want a raise, Max Phillips wants you to do his bidding. But at the same time, he wants you to fall into his arms willingly. No excuses, just wanted some Max Phillips. Co- written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

Evan storms out of Max’s office, making you chuckle at the dark look on the form “acting” sales manager’s face. Since Max had come into the office, there was rarely a day that went by that he wasn’t throwing some kind of tantrum. 

“Hey - here’s Max’s mail.” You groan when Charlie, the newest intern, wheels the cart from the mailroom by and drops off the stack of envelopes that were to go to Max. “I know he said you were to deliver it to his office.”

Sighing, you stand and straighten your skirt, thankful that you didn’t have to humiliate yourself until after you walk into his office. “Thanks.” You murmur, picking up the envelopes and walking over to the door that had Max Phillip, Sales Manager inscribed on the door plate.

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[belleandtherosebush]

I just got the overwhelming urge to cuddle with Ellaria help me I'm dying.

***Ellaria is awesome

Complete

Y/N woke up feeling like something wasn’t quite right. There was a soft kiss being pressed to her shoulder as her eyes opened.

“Good morning, dove.”

Y/N smiled as her body stretched out in the large bed. Ellaria’s eyes were soft as she looked down at the waking woman. Y/N reached out and threaded her hand into the long locks of the other woman and tugged her down for a lingering kiss.

It was sweet, very different from the passionate clash of tongue and teeth from the night before. The arm that rested under Y/N’s head curled as Ellaria melted into the embrace.

When they broke apart, she knew what was missing. The broad chest that was normally found at her back most mornings. The heavy arm that draped across her waist and foot that loved to run up and down her leg.

“Where is our lover?” Y/N asked, voice still husky from sleep.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she answered. “Doran requested his presence first thing this morning. You slept through his annoyance.”

Y/N grinned at the image of a reluctant and petulant Oberyn rising from the bed, foul curses muttered as he dressed. Dark scowl on his face as he felt them. “Oops.”

Ellaria laughed. “He was smug about it. Claimed that we had worn you out.”

She groaned with wry amusement as she rolled over, sprawling out on the spot that their lover claimed for himself to sleep most nights after they were finally sated. Her arms curled around the pillow as Ellaria’s came around her.

Y/N snuggled back into the older woman’s embrace, enjoying the smooth skin as it pressed against her own. The warm and loving embrace a natural thing between the lovers. As much as they loved focusing on Oberyn, each woman enjoyed their time together as well. She sighed with contentment as Ellaria buried her head in Y/N’s neck, her lips open against her skin. Her eyes drifted shut easily.

They opened again far later. The bed shifted beneath another’s weight. Oberyn looked down at her and Ellaria with such unabashed love in his eyes. His hand reaching out to stroke her shoulder. She could still feel Ellaria’s even breathing against her skin. The slow and steady whoosh of a deep sleep.

He moved slowly, disrobing before easing himself down beside Y/N. Taking great care not to wake the sleeping woman behind her. It was gradual, moving up onto Oberyn’s chest, Ellaria moving with her in sleep, not wanting to be parted from Y/N. Her legs were tangled with hers, easily locking them together.

Oberyn stretched his arm out, curling it to where it rested on Ellaria’s back, his other set on Y/N’s shoulder. Y/N pressed a soft kiss to his chest.

“It was so beautiful, watching my doves embrace so lovingly while they slept.” Oberyn whispered to her, his fingers gently tracing circles into her skin.

“We love our time together, my prince.” Y/N answered, pushing back against Ellaria gently, who responded by pressing closer in her sleep. “But we are not complete unless you are with us.”

His lips pressed a kiss against her hair as Y/N closed her eyes again, ready to drift back to sleep in the warm embrace of both of her lovers.

MasterList

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[belleandtherosebush]

Ménage à Quartre {Ezra x F!Reader x Oberyn x Ellaria}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 10.7k

Warnings: Partner swapping, protected sex, oral sex (male and female receiving), anal fingering, vaginal fingering, anal sex, m/m sex, breast play (it’s Oberyn and Ezra for God’s sake) 

Comments: Meeting a charming couple in the bar of a hotel leads to a night of pleasure. M/M F/F sexual activities, if that thing isn’t your deal, please scroll past. Co-written with @storiesofthefandomlovers

The glass of red wine at your elbow wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad. You lifted up and took another sip as you glanced around the room, watching the other people interact as you waited. The hotel bar was a good place to observe, to watch the people mingle. You could just imagine the commentary that would be murmured in your ear if your other half were sitting beside you. Especially concerning the one in the yellow blazer and linen trousers, perfectly contrasting his warm tanned skin. He was gorgeous and the self confident air around him told you that he knew how to effectively wield all the charm that he possessed. Dark eyes that fixed themselves on you as he strode your way, a smirk adorning his handsome face.

“Good evening. What’s a beautiful woman like yourself drinking alone for?” Oberyn approaches, resting his elbow on the bar while offering you his finest smirk. The one that the majority of women cannot resist. He leans a little closer and waits for your response, a twinkle in his eye.

“Hmmm” You give him an appreciative look now that he is closer. The fine silver in his dark hair was more noticeable now. The thin trace of a beard framing his jaw and making it look even more chiseled. “Perhaps I’m not alone.” You offer, raising an eyebrow as you lift your glass and take a sip. “Just like I can’t imagine that you would be alone.” Looking around the bar, you are aware that several women are watching the interaction, envy on their faces.

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[belleandtherosebush]

Bred {Mando x Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 6123

Warnings: Alpha/Omega dynamic, oral sex (female receiving), fingering, vaginal sex, knotting, cream pie, breeding kink

Comments: Another Alpha!Din fic that the world probably didn’t need. After the events of Navarro, Mando prepares to travel to the Unknown Regions with the reader. They will be traveling nonstop for weeks and that would be alright normally, except for the fact that his Omega caretaker for the child cannot find her suppressants anywhere on the ship and there is no way she can get more before her heat comes. 

Maker….this couldn’t be happening. You tore through your bunk, sure that you would find the bottle of pills that had just been there the day before.

“Where are they?” Your frantic muttering accompanied your movements, knowing that it was only a matter of time before they would return to the ship and he would want to leave right away. You had to find your suppressants before Mando came back with the last of the supplies.

You had just bought a big bottle. Unsure of how long this trip to the Unknown Region would take, you had calculated that you would need enough for at least six months. While he was fairly certain that you would be able to find fuel, the possibilities of finding supplies for your needs were far less. The bottle was needed to suppress the heats that came over you as an Omega as you traveled on a small spaceship with an unmated Alpha.

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[belleandtherosebush]

Starvation {Ezra x F!Reader}

The luscious planet should have been safer than some of the more arduous ones. The people, less fringly. Until you found yourself stealing nutribars from an encampment because your own tent had been ransacked of your foodstuffs. Just a few of the strangely wrapped bars was all you took. You weren’t like most, you just needed to survive. Until you had eaten one. Now you could barely see straight, the fire licking through your body making your face shield fog up, the heavy breathing sounding like someone was in your suit with you. You needed someone, anyone to make the pain go away.

“Well well well, who do we have here? Looks like you’re lost fella. Want me to help guide you on the most optimal path out of this here fine piece of planet? This marvellous sector is my turf so unless you are foraging for a fight, I suggest you scurry off down that path to sweet solidarity” Ezra’s voice echoes through the clearing as he appears from behind a tree. His fingers hover over his blaster and he waits for your response. He can’t see you. Your face shield obscure by fog caused by perspiration he imagines. But he knows that everyone is a threat on this planet and he’s not willing to take any chances. “Are your ears defective?” He asks, impatience tickling at the back of his neck along with beads of sweat from trudging through the forest all day.

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[belleandtherosebush]

Bear With Me

Pairing: Pero Tovar x F!reader

Summary: Pero was cursed when he was young, and now he lives cut off from everyone and everything. You enter his life unexpectedly - will he let you stay?

Words: 9.3k (I slipped)

Warnings: very AU, Pero turns into a literal bear. But nothing major really. Kinda sorta implied possibility of domestic violence? But nothing is ever explicitly said and nothing happens to anyone.

Notes: Oh man, I've been at this for weeks and now I'm ready to not look at it anymore. All born because one morning I saw a picture of a bear and thought "hey, looks kinda cuddly" and now we're here. Also inspired by Beorn from The Hobbit a bit. The title is my plea to you all lmao. I'm immensely grateful for @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange who is the loveliest and offered her knowledge of Spanish to help my duolingo-skipping ass. lly bby <3. Tagged the usuals plus those who asked/seemed interested.

MASTERLIST

You are lost. Terribly lost, and alone, stumbling through the woods, your only focus on putting one foot in front of the other and getting as far away as you can from what you left behind. Branches have cut into your face and hands, and they sting in the cold night air.

If you’re being honest, you hadn’t really planned this desperate escape very well at all, just seized the opportunity to run as soon as it came. You hadn’t packed clothes, just grabbed your traveling cloak and a little food for the journey. You have some coins, but a fat lot of good those would do if you lost yourself in the middle of nowhere with no inns or markets for miles. And there would be search parties, you knew that. This was all very unfitting and improper for a lady, and truthfully, that was the spiteful spark that kept you going.

That, and the thought of that horrible, vile, disgusting man your family was forcing you to marry. It would have been a good, beneficial match for both families, but you refused to throw your life away and sacrifice your happiness even for such a cause. Besides, you had always dreamed that getting a husband would be your ticket to something better, never really feeling loved or appreciated in your own home. Marrying some old idiot who treats other humans like garbage is not the way. You know the man is violent and cruel, and you do not want a part in that life.

So, you ran away and kept on running, and got lost, and now you're so very tired and cold and thirsty and scared. For some reason, you had thought it would be safer to walk in the woods rather than on the road at night, and in a way, you were right, because you have not seen another living creature bigger than a squirrel for hours. The problem is that in the darkness you had lost your way and were no longer at all sure of the direction nor the goal of your journey. In the darkness everything seems to be moving and staying still at the same time, creeping you out more and more the deeper you go. You think – hope – you were hallucinating when you saw a giant something moving beyond the trees some time ago.

Eventually, you don’t have any more strength to go on and you have no choice but to stop and rest for a while. Your last thought is that you would probably die and get eaten by a bear as you curl into a ball on the forest floor and pass out, the exhaustion overtaking you.

--------

Pero wakes up that following morning not long after daybreak, which is much earlier than he should like, to a very insistent goose honking at him and biting his ankles to wake him up. He opens his eyes just so he can glare at the goose.

“Qué quieres?” he grunts. “You know better than to come wake me this early.”

The goose doesn’t quit honking, and behind the noisy bird there’s also his trusted ewe.

Okay, they must really have something important to say if they both came to wake him up.

“What is it? Is someone hurt?”

The answer is clearly an affirmative, so he quickly moves to get up.

“Lead the way then.”

He is surprised, though, when his companions lead him farther into the forest, beyond his immediate garden, beyond all the stables and little lodgings for all his friends.

There are birds twittering around a lump lying on the ground, which Pero immediately recognizes as a human, not an animal. He had been aware of someone walking in the forest last night, but he had taken off in the other direction as stealthily as he could to not endanger the person and to protect himself from being seen as well.

He doesn’t know how long it has been since he has last been in contact with another human, but he’s sure it’s been several long years. He would rather keep all potential visitors far, far away from his cabin, but he can’t very well leave an innocent woman to die on his land. He would try to help her, as he helped all the creatures he found as best he could, though he has to admit he has never done that for a human before.

The woman seems to be unconscious, because she doesn’t stir at all even when he lifts her up in his arms. Pero makes his way back to his cabin, trailed by the animal company observing the situation. He lays her down on his bed before moving quickly to find some herbs that could help, as well as some food and water, hoping she’d stir sooner rather than later. He leaves the ewe in charge of the situation, knowing she will take the responsibility seriously.

--------

You wake up to sunlight filling your bedroom – only it isn’t your bedroom. Someone else’s bedroom entirely, in a house you don’t remember ever visiting.

You had flitted in and out of consciousness during the night. Day? How long have you been asleep for anyway? What day is it? What time is it? Your stomach growls, saying time to eat.

The room around you is unfamiliar, but the warm sunlight makes it feel welcoming and cozy. The bed is very large and quite comfortable with lovely blankets and pillows. There’s not much furniture though, only a cabinet on the far side from the bed, which you suspect holds clothes and such, and what looked like a basin, presumably for washing up.

New clothes have been laid out for you on the foot of the bed. You faintly remember hearing a man’s low voice a couple of times, and you think you maybe saw a sheep watching you at some point, but you probably dreamed that. Pulling on the clothes you notice that they are ridiculously large on you, the shirt much too broad in the shoulders and the sleeves far too long. You have to roll the sleeves several times to get your hand to peek out of them and tie the pants up with a string. The pants at the very least confirm that these are a man’s clothes, which alarms you just a little, because it seems you are alone in a house with at least one man, and seemingly no women.

Getting ready to leave the room, you are surprised to find a tray of food waiting for you outside the door. There is a fresh loaf of bread, cheese and butter, eggs, a flagon of water, a big pile of berries and fruits, and even a pastry! You come from a very wealthy family, and yet you could not have hoped for a better spread to sate your hunger. The man who lives here must be quite wealthy too, then, and it baffles you that such a man doesn’t seem to have even a maid in his house.

Not wanting to contemplate on that too hard now that you have food in front of you, you carry the tray back on the bed and tuck in with the fervor of a wild beast. Thank goodness there is no one to witness it.

After eating, you take another nap. The exhaustion of your runaway journey is still in your bones; muscles ache all over your body and your feet really hurt.

By now you can tell that the sunlight you had woken up to had been the last rays of the day rather than the first, so you deduce you must have slept all day rather than just the night. With the light dimming fast, you decide to leave exploring the house for tomorrow. You have not seen or heard anyone in the time you’ve been awake, but that’s okay. You’re still clearly being taken care of. Deciding you’ll go and introduce yourself first thing tomorrow morning, you lay down and quickly fall asleep again.

-

The next time you wake up you are sure that this time it really is morning. After sleeping for almost the entirety of yesterday, you’re now ready to face everything with new energy. The house still seems very quiet; the only thing you can hear is birds chirping outside.

There’s a breakfast tray again set for you just behind the door, filled with fresh food. Even the breakfasts at home couldn’t compare with this. You seriously consider offering to stay at the house as a maid just to be fed like this – of course, maids were usually not fed as good as the masters of the house or their guests. Plus, you hadn’t worked a day in your life, as you sadly remind yourself. What exactly had you imagined for your future when you ran away?

Shaking away that thought for now, you set out to find the people who live in the house – who had saved you!

It’s quiet, but there are soft rays of sunlight filling out the cabin, giving it a pleasant lively glow. You can imagine it glows at night too, based on the amount of beeswax candles all around the cabin. The house seems to be on one floor, but very large and open. It seems like a good sturdy home. Only the bedroom where you came from is behind a door, otherwise you can see everything in the open common space – a kitchen space for cooking, a strong-looking wooden table for eating, some comfortable looking mats and pillows to sit on around the corners. But there’s still no one else in sight.

You find it less odd now that there was no maid with the cabin being odd in other ways too. Hoping to find someone in the yard, you carefully step through the huge double doors to the still crisp morning air.

The first thing you see is different sizes of pens and houses for animals of all sorts. You see chickens, sheep (there really had been a sheep then), geese, cats, birds, pigs, and even a goat and a horse mulling about. Blinking in stunned surprise, you stand there observing the animal farm, who in turn don’t seem to pay you much mind. Only the sheep you had seen before looks to be staring you back.

“Where’s your owner?” you ask them at large, but mostly addressing the sheep – not that you expect it to really answer.

To your surprise, it’s not the ewe who answers you, but a goose, who honks and jerks his head in the direction of the stable.

“Th-thank you,” you answer the goose, still feeling rather unsure of whether you’re actually communicating with the animals or if you’re just overanalyzing their normal behavior.

But into the stable you go, cautiously peering in. There, in the stall that you assume belongs to the big black horse you saw, is a man curled up on a stack of hay, snoring faintly.

You inch closer, more curious still. Is he a farmhand asleep on the job?

Your foot accidentally trips on a bucket, and the clang startles the man awake.

“What now?” His question is a barely intelligible growl.

“Why are you sleeping there?” you return, not fazed by the grumpy, scruffy looking man.

The man seems only then to notice you’re there, and he sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, taking you in. He has a dark, curly mane of hair down to his shoulders with a scraggly beard to match, and a scar down his left eye that highlights his annoyed expression.

“You were sleeping in my bed, where else would I sleep,” he grumbles.

“Your bed? You own that cabin?”

“Sí.”

“I thought you were maybe a farmhand or a stableboy,” you try to say apologetically, but apparently fail.

“My friends don’t need anyone else but me here; they can take care of themselves,” he scowls.

“Your friends?”

The man throws out an impatient hand pointing through the open door to the yard where the animals seem to be listening in on your conversation.

“Oh, right!” You feel embarrassed now. “Well, I wanted to thank you for saving me” –he grunts in acknowledgement– “and for taking care of me,” you finish shyly. When he doesn’t answer, you continue, “How long was I sleeping? What day is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“How can you not know?”

“I have no need to know. Every day is the same. Mealtimes are the only time I need to keep.”

“But what about when you go to the market?”

“I don’t.”

“Really? Why not?”

“I have everything I need here.” He sounds like his patience is wearing thin on your questions. “What I would like to know is why you are here.”

“You brought me here! At least, I assume so...”

“Yes. But why were you passed out near my house?”

“I was lost. On my way,” you reply evasively.

“Where were you going?” he asks, frowning.

“I don’t know. I mean, I’m not going to tell you!” you correct hastily.

You realize that even though this man claims he never goes to town, he could easily be lying or joking or something, and if he were to blab to someone at a tavern that he had found a woman lost in the forest... Well, that wouldn’t be good for you. You doubt the search parties would even have given up so quickly, given the wealth of both families involved. They would search in the forest too; you were sure of it.

He looks at you suspiciously, scowling still more.

“Why do you live here in the middle of nowhere anyway?” you ask, trying to change the subject.

Apparently, that was a bad idea. His scowl deepens to previously unknown proportions.

“Y eso a ti qué te importa? That is none of your business.”

Right. Well, to be fair, you didn’t tell him what you were really doing in the forest either. Maybe you’re both hiding something. But he seems courteous enough, and someone who takes care of so many animals can’t be all bad. The man may not be the most pleasant host, but you also don’t feel threatened by him.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I just wanted to thank you for helping me so much. And for letting me sleep in your only bed. That was very kind of you. You did not have to do that,” you say softly, hoping you can start on a better foot now.

This time his scowl is more of an embarrassed one, and seeing it makes the corners of your mouth twitch in a smile.

“It was no trouble. They did the most, I just stayed away,” he says gruffly, jerking his head in the direction of the animals.

“Oh? Did they also make my breakfast?” you tease. “You must have trained them well; their baking skills are sublime.”

He rolls his eyes at you but doesn’t say anything. The tips of his ears are a little red though.

“What’s your name?” you dare to ask him.

“Pero. Pero Tovar. And what should I call you, lady?” he asks as he finally stands up from his hay bed, coming to stand in front of you.

At that point you’re glad you don’t blurt out you can call me whatever you want to, sir, because the man is huge. Somehow you had not paid attention to his size when he had been sitting on the floor, a little farther from you in the shadows, but now you could well understand why his clothes were so ridiculously big on you.

He’s clearly a lot taller than you, taller than all the men you know, and the breadth of his shoulders is frankly breathtaking.

You somehow manage to stammer out your name, and he nods.

“You can stay here while you recover. Let me know when you are ready to leave,” he says, moving past you, signaling that the conversation was over.

“Thank you,” you squeak out after him.

It’s not that you want to overstay your welcome and seem like you’re using him, but you’re also not keen on leaving just yet. You have no clue as to where you want to go, how to get there, and what to do when you get there. There’s even a tiny voice in your head telling you to go back home and get the marriage thing over with – you certainly wouldn’t be the only woman in history forced to marry a horrible man for monetary gain.

But you tell that voice no. Not after all this. You wouldn’t want to admit defeat and submit to your fate like that. You don’t want to. So, you have no other choice but to just buckle up and move forward. Always move forward. Perhaps your host would be able to at least point you in the direction of the nearest town that isn’t your own, and you’d be able to travel on from there. It would be best if you could lay low for a while though, just to wait for the storm to pass…

You run after him, deciding on the spot to ask him if he would let you stay with him for a few days longer. You could repay and be of use somehow, right?

“Mr. Tovar!”

He freezes, looking over his shoulder at you. “Just Pero,” he says, sounding like he barely even recognizes his own name addressed like that.

“Oh, right, okay, Pero. It’s a great name!” You cringe, horrified at your talent at making conversation with him so far. Why did you blurt it out like that? The man looks even more confused now.

“Ahem. I was just wondering if you would maybe let me enjoy your hospitality a little longer,” you start tentatively. “Just for a few days, until I figure out where to go from here, then I’ll be out of your hair. And I can help around while I stay! I can help feed the animals and whatever else you need. I don’t have much experience, but I’m sure I could be useful!”

His frown is contemplative now, and you think it’s a good sign that he is at least bothering to consider the idea.

“I’ll even sleep in the stable, you can have your bed back,” you finish your speech with a final dash of earnest, pleading eyes.

“No.”

The small flame of hope in your chest dies like someone had just poured a bucket of water on it.

“You will have the bed.”

--------

Pero doesn’t know what made him say that.

Well, that’s not true. He’s fairly certain those beautiful eyes of yours had something to do with it. You looked like you might cry if he didn’t let you stay, and he wouldn’t have known how to deal with that at all. He just knows his friends are having a laugh at his expense behind his back right now.

“Really? You mean it?”

Pero would never admit it, but the smile and relief on your face make him feel all warm inside and solidify his choice.

“My horse wouldn’t want anyone else sleeping in his stall, it is better that way,” he says dismissively.

That is probably true, although it isn’t the whole truth. He has no use for the bed at nights anyway, so you might as well sleep there and stay out of harm’s way at the same time. If he ever sleeps at night it’s curled up on a nice patch of moss somewhere in the forest, but he knew for sure he wouldn’t sleep well until you were safely out of the woods. Until then the short naps in the stable would have to do. He wouldn’t put you at risk by staying here during the nights.

“So, what can I do to help?” you ask, pulling him away from his thoughts.

“I have no use for help,” is his automatic reply, because he has never needed any help and he certainly doesn’t expect his only guest ever to help.

“Please, I’m sure there’s something I could help with! I would feel bad just lying about while you work,” you insist.

“Bueno. I’ll show you how to take care of the chickens. Come.”

--------

The next couple of days pass quickly with you learning how to take care of the animals and the bees and the gardens and vegetable patches and the surrounding forest. In truth, there’s no way you could learn even a fraction of all that in just two days, but a tired Pero lets you follow him around and help wherever he thinks you can be useful. He doesn’t seem to mind that you have no previous knowledge of such labor whatsoever, which you are grateful for. And it’s giving you good experience for when you will try to find work later!

It’s surprisingly enjoyable, helping with all this work around his property. It’s making you feel like you have a purpose, even if it is only in this little bubble in the middle of the woods. You can see that Pero keeps himself busy and doesn’t have many moments of stillness. He feeds the animals, takes care of the gardens, plants new seeds, cooks and bakes for himself (and now you), gathers needed supplies and food from the forest, goes to fetch water, and tons of other things. You don’t know where he learned to do it all, because to you it seems like there is nothing he can’t do.

Somehow two days slip into five, but neither of you say anything about it. Instead, Pero is teaching you how to make bread. He had blushed very endearingly when you had praised the food he makes, especially his bread, and promised he could teach you how to do it, but also insisted that the good flavor came from the ingredients, not his skill.

On the seventh day Pero raises the question of your returning back where you came from. He suggests that he could help you find your way back, trace your steps, and even travel with you some of the way to make sure you don’t get lost again. In a slight panic you beg him to let you stay just a couple more days still. The truth is, you really don’t have a good enough excuse for staying anymore, but you also don’t want to leave. You feel good here. Facing the real world doesn’t sound appealing at all anymore. He acquiesces, but you can tell it’s a little begrudgingly. You feel bad for overstaying your welcome so rudely, but you hope you can repay him.

--------

Pero doesn’t understand why you still want to stay with him. It cannot be the company, so there must be some other reason for you wanting to continue staying here, he thinks.

That night, while you are safely sleeping inside, Pero goes on his usual nighttime patrol. Even though he has had to isolate himself, and he’s sure he would be chased away from every single one of the villages surrounding the forest, he still watches over them, often scaring away robbers and plunderers and the like that creep in the night. He never dares get too close to any human dwellings, though, opting to keep watch on the roads nearby instead. Doing these small deeds to help protect the villagers keeps giving him a sense of purpose. It’s his way of atoning for his past sins – he has hurt people, but now he can maybe save others from getting hurt. The irony of him protecting people from others while also protecting them from himself isn’t lost on him.

Unconsciously, his heavy legs carry him to the place where he found you days ago. He decides that tonight is as good a night as any to check on this part of the forest, and lumbers on, farther away from his own lands.

The night is dark, but in the distance, Pero can see small specks of light. It doesn’t take him long to figure out they are torches, and that there are several, which means there are also several people roaming the forest tonight. A gang of robbers? Mercenaries? Whoever they are, good people don’t usually stomp like that in a forest in the middle of the night – he should know. On top of that, the group is being annoyingly noisy. It sounds like they are purposefully making a racket. Why are they being so loud? What is their business here?

Pero decides to investigate and creeps closer, staying hidden in the shadows as best he can with his massive form. Soon he can make out what they are yelling, and what he hears chills his blood.

Your name. They are shouting your name, clearly looking for you.

Anger fills his body, his temper always so much worse when he’s like this, pulling primal, animal instincts out of him. You have endangered him! All these people are after you, and they could find himwhile they’re looking, and who knows what would happen to him then. He has so carefully stayed away and made his life as good as he can in complete isolation – safe – that he’s not ready to have it ripped away from him.

With the anger boiling his blood, it takes every ounce of self-control to not run straight back to his cabin and throw you out of his home at once. But he cannot, he must wait until morning. It would only make things worse to have you see him like this. He has no idea when he became this sentimental, but somewhere in the back of his mind he recognizes that he would rather not hurt you.

Letting out a furious roar to blow off some steam, he sets off running full pace in the opposite direction, away from the group of people, away from his home. His only glimmer of hope is that the search party could be so frightened at the sound of him that they give up searching for you, thinking that you’ve been eaten by a bear…

Your company had made him forget why he absolutely did not want any visitors. What a fool he has been, forgetting his own rules, thinking he was safe while an outsider lived in his house.

--------

The next day you wake up as usual and go fix yourself a breakfast. The breakfast trays had stopped coming when you were back on your feet, but you didn’t mind that. You’re happy to manage your own meals, enjoying a quiet moment by yourself in the morning before going to wake up Pero in the stall and starting the day’s chores.

Only this morning when you go to the stable, it’s empty. That’s strange. Pero hadn’t said he would be going anywhere last night, but then again, he probably wasn’t used to reporting his comings and goings to another person.

Still, you ask around from the animals if they have seen him but seem to get back a lot of shrugs and shaking heads. You try not to panic but worry still creeps in your heart. You have never been alone here without him, and suddenly it feels like a very different place. His presence fills the whole property in a way that you instantly miss now that he’s not present, doing the chores with you. You try to assure yourself he’ll be back soon – he would have said if he was gone longer, wouldn’t he? Maybe he had just expected you to still be asleep at this time.

By midday, Pero is still nowhere to be seen. It’s getting harder and harder to not worry about him. What if something happened and he’s hurt and alone somewhere in the forest, like you had been? You make a promise to yourself then and there to take his horse and go looking for him if he doesn’t come back very soon.

There’s noise behind you; the goose and sheep both yelling at something. The something turns out to be the man of the house, walking briskly toward you.

“Pero! I’m so relieved to see you! I thought you–.” Your voice dies away when you see the furious expression on his face. He is a veritable mountain of a man, and yet you’ve never seen him anything but gentle – okay, he’s a big grump, but never like this. Now he looks downright scary.

“Wha–"

“You didn’t tell me there were people looking for you,” he growls, and you feel your heart drop through your stomach. “There’s a whole party out there roaming this forest, and they were getting too close to my liking last night. So, you can now go back to them and take them away with you. I don’t want to see anyone around my cabin again.”

You couldn’t find your voice to speak, but Pero barreled on, “You have fooled me into letting you stay, and all this time you were putting me and my friends in danger by being here, leading those people to us. Vete. Never tell them where you were.”

“Pero, please believe me, I didn’t mean to do any of that! I will go, you are right, I have been a burden to you long enough, but I will not go back to those people. You can throw me to the wolves if you wish, but I am not going back there. They are the ones I was running from in the first place!” Your voice is watery, and your chest feels too tight, but you have to make him hear you out.

Pero doesn’t look any less thunderous, but at least he’s letting you talk.

“I’m– I’m sorry I didn’t tell you there would be people looking for me. I was so foolish; I didn’t realize how it could affect you. I promise I never meant to stay this long or come here at all, but I liked it here with you so much I didn’t want to leave! I never meant any harm to you or your friends, I swear,” you finish, needing him to believe you.

Long moments pass without either of you saying anything anymore. After a while you recognize that this is it and leave to pack your few possessions.

Alone in Pero’s bedroom, you let the tears fall. You feel stupid for not realizing hiding something like that would make Pero upset. Can you blame him? You had avoided all his questions about why you had been in the forest and where you came from. He had saved you and let you stay here out of the goodness of his heart, and you had just been selfish, liked the comfortable life. But it wasn’t your life – the whole point of this journey had been to find your own, not crash into somebody else’s.

Feeling like you have taken enough from him already, you don’t dare grab even a loaf of bread for the journey as you leave. Pero is outside the front door, leaning against the wall there with his arms crossed over his wide chest. He doesn’t look at you as you pass him and whisper a small goodbye.

You haven’t taken more than five steps when his gruff voice stops you.

“What were you running from?”

“What?”

“You said you were running from those people who are looking for you. Por qué?”

“Oh, Pero, never mind that now, it’s stup–”

“People don’t run away for stupid reasons.”

You pause. It almost sounds like he’s speaking from experience. Not for the first time you wonder about the story behind his choice to live out here all alone.

“I– Well, other people stay and suck it up. I couldn’t,” you try to explain.

“What do you mean?”

Pero is still looking extremely scowl-y, but at least he doesn’t radiate anger anymore.

“My family was making me marry a horrible, cruel man for money. I knew if I married him, I would be miserable for the rest of my days, living under his thumb, getting my soul crushed every day. The few times I met him it was clear he had no respect for me, or for other people in general. I won’t bore you with the details, but even now I know I made the right choice in leaving. And I know tons of other women live in a situation like that with no chance to change it. But I had a chance and took it.”

“And these people would take you back and force you?” he asks quietly.

“I believe so, yes. I would not want to take the risk of finding out if I’m right,” you answer firmly. “My father would not care, of that I am sure.”

Pero nods but doesn’t say anything else for a moment.

“It is.. dangerous if they come here. I want to keep them as far away from here as possible.”

“I understand, Pero. And I’m really sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.” You know he needs to protect himself – after all, that’s what you were doing as well. “If anything, I am happy you didn’t lead them to me straight away.”

Pero seems to think for a moment.

“What if I took something of yours and placed it far away from here, maybe on the side of a road? A piece of clothing, something they would know is yours. They could follow that false trail and not come back to this direction again.”

You are stunned. “You– You would do that for me? Truly?”

“You are safer that way,” Pero says like it’s no big deal.

--------

Later that night Pero takes a few chunks of fabric torn from your dress to a more distant part of the forest, sprinkling a false trail near a road that leads to the nearest bigger town in hopes of the searchers picking it up and thinking you were still traveling onward. You both reasoned that the searchers would mostly be interested in finding you alive, and that’s why fine combing a whole forest wouldn’t probably be their priority anyway. You were a little upset at basically losing your only dress but agreed with Pero that it was the best course of action.

After that, things settle down to the way they were before, only now the air around you is more relaxed. Pero knows more about you now and subsequently trusts you more, and he can feel himself starting to be quite comfortable around you. You’ve been thanking him over and over for letting you stay, and Pero is very pleased to have been able to help you, but he’s also feeling very conflicted. How long would it take until his secret comes out? It’s getting harder and harder to imagine saying goodbye to you, but he knows that must happen. He hopes you will leave soon to end this storm of emotions swirling inside him – and yet the last thing he wants is to see you go.

The routine continues, with you helping him take care of the animals and the gardens, and him teaching you to cook and mend things. He helps you to tailor some of his clothes to fit you better, since your dress was torn and his clothes are impractically large on you – though he secretly likes seeing you in his tunic, for some weird reason he can’t explain to himself. It makes his heart beat erratically when he sees the long sleeves fall way past your fingers as you wave your arms while talking, or when the fabric slips off your shoulder again, and how you huff in adorable annoyance when that happens.

In your company Pero starts feeling like a normal human again, and he lets himself even joke around you. He’s genuinely having fun with you, in a way he can’t ever remember having, although sometimes it still gets a little overwhelming for him. He’s been alone for so long it takes some adjusting to remember to take you into account in everything. Fortunately, you seem to understand this, and give him a lot of space to be by himself too.

Slowly he adjusts to your small touches, too. He wasn’t foreign to touch, he pets his friends every day, but it felt new to be on the receiving end of such touches from you. It started small with fleeting touches here and there, but with time you held his hand a little longer every time, and he felt all the tension leave his shoulders for those short blissful moments.

Before he knows it, a month has passed since you came to stay with him. He hasn’t kept count of days in a very long time, but since you came, he has. Pero finds himself enjoying your company more and more with each passing day, and it’s all the more painful at night when he’s reminded of what he really is, and why you could never stay – why you would never want to stay.

--------

Life with Pero is better than what you ever imagined you could find for yourself after running away. Much of it has to do with the lovely animals you’ve befriended, and the quiet, simple everyday routines. For someone who had never done any sort of physical labor in your life, you never could have guessed how fulfilling this life feels to you. But the biggest reason for your happiness is, of course, Pero. You enjoy his company, all the things you do together, and especially delight in the playful side of him he sometimes lets out along with his gorgeous dimple. And the care he shows for all living things, not just his own animals, speaks of his kindness and the love hiding under the intimidating exterior. More than a few times you’ve found yourself staring at his capable hands as he works around the yard, brushes the horse, kneads dough… On one warmer day he worked shirtless chopping firewood, and you had to leave to cool down for a couple of hours, because you’re certain the way you wanted to stare at his rippling muscles was in no way polite.

You had never seen or known anyone like him. You hadn’t thought him extraordinarily handsome when you first laid eyes on him, too distracted by everything else going on then, but you definitely noticed now. His ridiculously big and warm brown eyes drew you in, as well as the striking line of his nose, and the plush bottom lip you tried your hardest not to stare at every time he talked. He had even cut his hair some, showing you more of his beautiful face.

The truth is, you’re falling for the gentle giant, and that makes it almost impossible to imagine ever leaving his cabin to go build a life on your own. It would hurt to leave Pero, and you think you’d miss him, and this place, no matter where you’d go. You still try to remind yourself that just because you feel this way, doesn’t mean he does too.

But sometimes you think he might. For all his kindness, you don’t believe he’s letting you stay purely out of the goodness of his heart. You know he enjoys your company too, clear in the way he’s been opening up a little and relaxing around you more. He tells you stories of his past, and your heart feels full imagining Pero running around wild as a young boy. He tells you stories of how he learned so many things, from woodworking skills to new languages, and about the old man who had helped him get supplies when he was setting up the cabin here. It’s clear the man had been a great help to Pero and that it was painful for him to talk about the man who had passed away years ago now, and your heart breaks for him, but you hope to hear more someday.

Pero also does seem to get flustered and surprisingly bashful with you quite often, but you’re not sure if you can take all the credit for that with your gentle teasing – adjusting to company is probably still a lot for him at times.

Still, you feel that you are not completely deluded in thinking he might return your feelings. Daring to trust in that hope, to take the first step, is another issue entirely.

-

You’ve been gathering courage for a few days now to ask Pero to come join you in the bed at night. Not meaning to pressure him into anything more intimate, but just to get him out of sleeping in the stall with his horse. That cannot be good for his back. Besides, you feel bad for having stolen his only bed all for yourself, when said bed was easily big enough for the both of you to fit comfortably.

Alright, having his presence there would both comfort and exhilarate you a lot, and you wouldn’t mind if something were to happen at some point, but you truly don’t mean to push him to anything more at all. You know it’s not entirely appropriate, but really, who’s going to judge you here.

That evening you approach the subject with him.

“Pero, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Pero grunts, acknowledging you.

“I’ve been thinking… It’s really not fair for me to hog your bed all to myself and make you sleep out in the stable.”

“It is no trouble at all, chula.”

“And you still insist the horse doesn’t want anyone else sleeping in his stall but you?”

“He barely tolerates me,” Pero grumbles, shaking his head, but fondly.

“Right, so it doesn’t make sense for you to sleep there. I’ve been here for so long that I think we should just share the bed,” your voice gets quieter toward the end of your sentence, but Pero still hears you loud and clear. His head whips up from where he was whittling something, and he looks at you with his big brown eyes blown even wider.

“No, not like tha– I didn’t mean– I just meant there’s enough space for both of us,” you finish lamely, extremely flustered.

Pero just keeps staring at you with what you can only describe as a horrified expression on his face.

Well, this wasn’t going as you hoped. You’re mortified now, since Pero probably still thinks you’re propositioning him, and he clearly can’t think of much worse things than sleeping with you.

“No.”

“Come on, Pero, I meant just for sleeping only. It’s not that big of a deal. We don’t have to eve–“

“No. I would never do that,” he insists forcefully.

Your heart plummets in shame.

“Remember to lock the door. Descansa.” And with that Pero promptly marches out of the house without sparing you another glance.

You flinch as the door slams shut. You had honestly thought he might like you back, but clearly you were wrong if he won’t even entertain the notion of sharing the bedroom with you.

-

A little while later, as you’re trying to fall asleep in the bed that seems larger than ever now, you wrestle with feeling embarrassed, hurt, and guilty. Pero’s dismissal of the idea had been quite callous even for his grumpy self. The look in his eyes had spoken of more than just wanting to be a good, respectful host – he had looked positively disgusted by the thought. That hurt you. But you also realize that you may have pressured him too much. Maybe it’s all too much for him still. Maybe you should apologize?

All the emotional turmoil swirling inside you makes it impossible to fall asleep. You don’t even want to sleep with this between you, you want to talk it out. If Pero can’t bring himself to share with you, you’ll sleep in the stall and make him take the bed, at least for some nights. Besides, you’ve made good friends with the horse in your time here – how could Pero claim the stallion wouldn’t want you there.

Deciding to go find Pero right now, you make your way through the pitch-black darkness of the night to the stable, but he’s not there. Only the horse and everyone else sleeping in their own places like nothing’s amiss. Trying not to let panic take over, you rationalize that if all the animals are sleeping soundly, there is likely no need to worry. Pero probably told them he’d take a little walk to clear off his head after that disaster of a conversation and would be back shortly. You’ve learned not to worry about Pero alone in the forest too much, even at night. He knows these woods better than anyone, especially around his own cabin.

That still doesn’t mean you’ll go back to bed before he comes back. No, you need to see him return to be absolutely sure he is alright, and then you can talk.

After a moment, pacing around the stable gets tiring, so you settle down on a pile of hay in a corner. You’ll just rest here for a bit while you wait. Can’t be too long now.

-

You wake up hours later to Pero shaking you awake rather forcefully. Before you even get your eyes fully open, you can tell he’s mad. And in a different way than you have ever seen him before.

“What are you doing here?” he hisses, but at the same time lets go of you as if he just realized what he was doing.

Blinking your eyes to adjust to the light coming in through the door, you mumble tiredly, “I came looking for you, but you weren’t here, and I fell asleep waiting.”

“You– you slept here all night?!”

You haven’t heard Pero raise his voice before, but it seems that for some reason he doesn’t have control over his reactions at all right now.

“Yes, but it’s no big deal, I’m fin–“

“I have told you not to wander outside at night, haven’t I?” he growls, pacing around the stable.

You still don’t understand why he’s in such distress about this.

“Yes, but I didn’t wander, I came looking for you!” You’re starting to get a little annoyed now. “I didn’t want to go to bed after I made you upset. Why are you acting like a bear that’s been shot in the ass anyway?”

He stops pacing and glares at you.

“You could have been hurt,” he whispers.

Oh, is that what this is about?

“I’m sure you would have protected me if there had been any danger,” you try to placate him.

“NO, you don’t understand, I could have hurt you!” he yells, seeming beside himself.

“What are you talking about Pero?” You’re completely bewildered now. Hurt you? How? What?

“I can’t protect you from me,” he grits out, and he actually sounds like the mere thought is causing him immense pain.

“I know you wouldn’t hurt me Pero, that’s absurd!”

An impatient grunt. “No lo entiendes… You don’t know the true me, you don’t know what I am.”

“I know the things that matter, I know that you are a good man and that I love y–“

“Don’t. A monster is what I am,” he says weakly.

“That’s not true at all, Pero, I know it isn’t.” Tears swell in your eyes now. “Tell me what’s going on, please. Why are you saying these things?”

He’s quiet for a long time. “If I tell you, you’ll want to leave. It’s why you should leave.”

Your heart is in your throat, but you manage to stutter, “I– I won’t leave, I promise. I want to b-be with you Pero.”

“You shouldn’t. I will only cause you harm.”

--------

It took to hear you begging with tears in your eyes to make him finally relent. He had wanted to put off the inevitable, had wanted to keep his secret for a little while longer and not burst the bubble of happiness he had found with you. He knows he cannot keep you here with him, knows you will leave after you find out what he is despite what you may say now. He had just wanted to keep you looking at him with that joy and caring in your eyes he usually finds there instead of the disgust that will soon take over.

At least his companions have the grace to stay at a respectful distance while he’s about to lose yet another person he.. loves. There’s no denying either of those facts.

Pero sits down on the cool stable floor, not bearing to look at you when he speaks.

“I was cursed when I was barely seventeen. I don’t know how many years ago that was anymore. I had joined a mercenary gang not long before that. Everyone in my family had died by the time I was twelve, and I needed to find work. I had helped around here and there in my village, but I wanted more coin than those jobs could get me. So, I trained to fight, spent time with foreign people in foreign places, and I was finally allowed to join this group for good. It is not a noble profession but selling sword could get you work in many places, and I had nothing to lose.”

He takes a deep breath and continues, deciding to let it all out once and for all. Then it would be done.

“My first job with the gang was to assassinate a witch. A foolish idea, even with a group of seven men, but I was young and wanted to prove myself. I should have realized only an idiot would take on that job.”

“As soon as the witch came face to face with us, she started shouting out spells. The rest of the group abandoned the mission in an instant, running away in every direction. I was the only one standing there when the curse hit, frozen on the spot in terror. What a great warrior,” he chuckles self-deprecatingly.

“She cursed me to turn into a beast every night. During the day, I am mostly a normal human, although the curse made me larger than I was before. But at night I am a.. bear. A big one. When I turn, every sundown, I am still aware of who I am inside on some level. But it is harder. I get.. much more violent and rough. Angry and more impulsive. Wilder. It is difficult to remember my human parts in those moments. That is why I fear I might not be able to protect you from myself,” he admits the last part quietly.

Now whispering through a lump in his throat, he continues, ”When I turned the first time, I became very aggressive, and destroyed the whole camp. I could not control my rage against the people who had left me alone with the witch. Maybe I did not even want to. But afterwards, when I returned to my human body when the sun rose, I saw what I had done and fled. I was so ashamed.”

He takes a few deep breaths before continuing. “I found the most isolated place I could and built my cabin here. I did not want to live near people again. I did not want to cause any more fear and destruction. Even in my human form, they all stare at me. It is better to keep myself hidden and far away. I do not believe there is any cure.”

“But it is not all bad,” he says, the faintest smile curling his lips. “I have my companions, who all know what I am but have stayed with me. They know to stay out of my way when I change, and they help me. They provide for me, as I do for them.”

“Did the witch also give you your scar?” you whisper, and Pero startles – he had almost forgotten you were still listening.

He clears his throat. “No. That was not long after it though. One night I came across another bear. A real bear. And he recognized that I was.. different, so he attacked me. Once he realized I was no match for him, he let me flee without any larger injuries.”

“And– and the transformations? W-what is that like?”

“Painful. It’s sometimes exhausting, and I rarely sleep well as a bear. That is why I sleep long in the mornings.”

For the first time since sitting down Pero dares to glance at you. You’re looking at him with wide eyes, tear tracks down your face, but you seem calm. You’re not running away. Yet?

“Oh, Pero, I am so sorry,” you whisper.

He shrugs, not really knowing what to say now that he’s told all of his life story to you.

Suddenly he feels himself blushing, feeling embarrassed. That was a bit much to unload on you, wasn’t it?

“Perdón. I have– I have not spoken to anyone else in.. in years. About that or anything else. I have had to protect myself, and others from me.” He’s quiet again for a moment. “But now you understand why I said you would not want me if you knew what I really am.”

“Says who?” you ask, shuffling forward on your knees to sit in front of him. “I think I should get to decide for myself if I want you or not.”

Pero frowns at you, a little afraid of what you’ll say next.

--------

“I do want to be with you, Pero, nothing could change that,” you promise. “I think the real question is will you let me? Do you want to be with me too?”

“Pero claro que si,” he says gruffly. “But how can you want a man who cannot even share a bed with you?”

“I’m sure we can share it during the daytime, if we so wish,” you chuckle and wink.

Pero flushes again at your teasing, and it’s honestly so endearing you have to really try to contain your giggles, and instead continue hastily, “Besides, now that I know, I can help you out. Help with the work more, so that you can rest longer in the mornings. I will take care of you, like you have taken care of me.”

“Do– are you sure?”

“I love you, Pero. I don’t ever want to leave, if you will let me stay,” you say, reaching to carefully cup his face in your hand.

He presses his own large palm on top of your hand. “I do not want you to go, chula. Never did. I love you.” His words are quiet, but there’s a conviction behind them. “I promise I will keep you safe.”

“I know you will,” you smile.

Pero is openly staring at you with his large eyes that show every emotion – mainly a disbelieving adoration that warms your heart and soul.

You lean in closer to press soft but determined kisses on his forehead, nose, and cheeks, hoping that he will soon get used to you showering him with love. Pero has his eyes closed and his breathing is stunted, like he’s nervous. You are too, and yet somehow it also feels very easy now. When you finally make your way to his mouth, you press only a soft, sweet kiss on his plush lips. The kiss is unhurried and explorative, but also quite clumsy – neither of you have much experience in this matter. That’s alright though, you can take your time and figure it out together.

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For the two of you, life continues as normally as it ever is in the secluded cabin, happy and content, taking care of your animal friends and baking and tending the gardens. In time your bear-man even lets you see him as the bear for longer than just a quick flash from a distance, as he learns to be calm in your presence. After some time, on cold winter nights you sleep warm and cuddly with your big bear who is only gentle for you.

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tagsies: @writeforfandoms @starlightmornings @niki-xie @salome-c @littlemisspascal @deadhumourist @thepoisonofgod @leslie-lyman @hopeamarsu @a-reader-and-a-writer

[belleandtherosebush]

Unknown Currents

Part 2

Pairing: Merman!Din Djarin x Human!Fem!Reader Warnings: Injury, Blood, SMUT, Monster Fucking, Double Penis Merman, unprotected sex (please be safe irl and wrap it up), Oral Sex (fem receiving), hand-job, Double Penetration (Vaginal), creampie, cock-warming, cum kink, maybe some breeding kink, praise kink, switch!Din, switch!reader, Din comes a lot and idk what else to say about that *shrug*, Not beta read we die like mne Word Count: 8k Tags: Modern AU, Outer Banks AU, Merman AU, Fluff, unexplained soft magic system, oh no emotions got in the smut again

Link to Part 1: Here

For @maybege​‘s AU Birthday Bash! Plus a good helping of smut for Kinktober

You should have fucking known that if a merman was questioning your inclement weather planning when you lived on the literal oceanfront that things were going to get worse. But you had to admit you were not feeling super calm as you got off the radio with Mr. Conway. It was seemingly all bad news, things had turned foul much too quickly to get you off the island.

The entire storm system had shifted, picking up steam over some warmer waters. And in the early hours of this morning, it had been upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 2 Hurricane. It had all happened in what felt like just hours, and you had been spending your time hurrying to get the lighthouse and outbuildings closed up for the storm.

Windows were shuttered and locked. The backup generator for the light was fueled and prepped to turn on automatically if the main power failed. Any loose items that were used when hosting or guiding tours that were kept outside got pulled into the old dock house. It was muscle weary work.

Your body ached from the exertion, but you had been happy to do it all thinking that you had a place to go during the storm that wasn’t… well… alone on an island. It was all going to be fine you told yourself, right up until the generator roared to life for a few minutes before something crunched.

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