envyonne

[envyonne]

⟁ A BULLET A DAY, ft. BOOTHILL.

⠀ — where teasing, annoying, poking and prodding all fall under the same category; flirting.

⚠︎︎ more mechanic! reader, gn, boothill being an idiot, flirting, suggestive, he has fake teeth to me, something about tension + leaving him high and dry is soooo ….

from this request !

it’s a miracle, truly, how boothill manages to be so tempting and endearing yet so utterly irritating and infuriating at the same time. 

and it’s hot, sure, but that just makes it all the more annoying, leaves you frustrated and with an odd pool in your stomach.  

boothill managed his way into your supply of bullets, happily tossing back the brass casings like a simple snack. it was a genius idea at the time, really, giving him a stomach that can store ammunition. though had you expected him to chew on the damn things instead of swallowing them— you know, like he was intended to— you would’ve just given him a little side bag to save yourself the work.

you half hoped the lead stuffing the things would seep into his still intact brain, but chastised yourself for the thought soon after having it. you don’t hate him that much. your brain should check back and try the thought again in twenty minutes. 

“y’know what’d be real neat, buttercup?” boothill’s legs were kicked up lazily on your workbench as he sat next to you, waiting for you to finish a small modification on his revolver. “spikes in my boots.” he lifted a foot up, rolling his ankle a bit. “you know, them retractable ones. be able t’a have some real fun with those things.”

you snorted, his efforts to dodge his synesthesia beacon as entertaining as always.

“since when do i take requests?” you asked, eyes focused down on your work— far too used to his antics to lift your head anymore.

“since when d’you deny gettin’ to tinker with me?”

he brought his feet down to the floor and leaned forward on his thighs, the denim of his pants tightening around them. “what, gonna make me say please and thank ya now?” 

you truly wanted to reply, say it wasn’t a half bad idea and that you’d look into the upgrade. until he started shaking a few bullets around in his palm like they were fucking almonds.

now boothill noticed the clench of your jaw, and oh how he revelled in it. he’s fully aware how the crunching of brass and lead peeves you, ie. you telling him to knock it off an hour ago— (“it ain’t hurtin’ nobody, is it now?”—) but you’re just so darn cute when you’re ticked off. he’s gotta push your buttons just a lil bit. 

“somethin’ the matter?” the way his sharp teeth gleamed through that damn grin weren’t doing anything to help. 

he took a bullet between his thumb and forefinger, the shiny gunmetal digits pinching the ammunition as he held it up next to you. “d’ya care for one, sugar plum?”

fine, you thought. two can play that game.

you tore your attention away from the old steel revolver, finally turning to look at him. boothill prepared for an insult, one he’d tell you was ‘flatterin’ and all,’ but it didn’t come.

you leaned towards his hand, keeping your eyes locked with his that glowed a familiar and faint red. 

then you took the bullet between your tongue and top front teeth, gently pulling it out of his hands with your mouth.

his smirk actually dropped— you’d think someone stuck an infected usb into his ear with all the ideas that flooded the forefront of his brain, making his circuits just tingle with excitement. something about the hot single mechanic in his area.

you turned back to your desk, removing the bullet from your teeth and twirling it between your fingers idly as you gave a once over to his revolver, as if nothing had happened.

boothill blinked, chuckling gruffly with a shake of his head as he slumped back in his chair, flicking another bullet into the air with his thumb and catching it in his palm with a gentle clink! the cyborg gave a low whistle as he kicked his feet back up.

“ain’t you somethin’,” he drawled, earning a chuckle from you. “y’sure know how t’keep a man on his toes, don’t ya buttercup?” 

“i dunno what you mean, boothill.” you only offered a hum, willfully ignorant to boothill’s colourful imagination.

“oh i’m real sure y’don’t.” he shook his head, another chuckle rumbling his chest and sending a shiver down your neck.

“say,” he leaned towards you, his shoulder to yours, feeling a little lucky and dropping his voice to a knee-weakening purr, “if that pretty mouth a’yers likes metal, i’m more’en happy t’a—” 

“all done.”

all bets go down the drain. boothill deadpanned as you clicked the barrel of his gun into place and handed it back to him, standing up to stretch your arms.

“shops closed for today,” you fold them, leaning back against your bench. “you better get a move on before i have to kick you out.”

boothill’s eyes trailed up your figure, taking his sweet time finding your face. the cowboy raised an eyebrow into a cocky arch despite him swearing his body was on the verge of its cooling protocol. 

“you keep woundin’ me, sugar.” 

“i dunno what you mean, boothill.”

⠀ 𑣲 MASTERLIST / GOT A REQUEST ?

[envyonne]

“This is unnecessary.”

At Blade’s snide comment, you pull sharply at the strands of his hair in your hands. He grunts in displeasure before obediently quieting down, only a little scared of you scalping him if he annoys you any further. 

Perched behind him on the couch while he sits on the floor, your hands find themselves coming through his hair (long, smooth, untangled despite the fact that you’ve never seen him take a brush to it). Your efforts to part his hair with just your fingers are fruitless. His hair is thick on the top, so much so that you’re surprised his neck doesn’t constantly ache with the weight of it. Your hands pause, resting on the top of his head while you try and figure out how you’ll style it. 

“Be nice,” you warn, two hands on the sides of his head tilting it from side to side, treating him as a foam mannequin on which you can project your very thorough cosmetology skills. “Your fate is quite literally in my hands. I could knock you out and shave you bald very easily.”

“I don’t doubt that,” he says earnestly, and you can’t help the way your lips twinge into a smile. “This is clearly a hassle. My hair looks fine the way it is.”

“It does,” you admit, “but wouldn’t it be nice to try something new? And at no cost to you, aside from mild scalp pain. I’m good at hair. I did Kafka’s that one time.” You fail to mention that it was only one time for good reason. Kafka said that you handle hair the same way a lobster would handle a violin—that is, with clumsy hands and a clear lack of refinement. She had to hide every pair of scissors from you in fear that you'd give Silver Wolf microbangs.

As if on cue, your fingers get caught in an unexpected snag in Blade’s hair, and you pull and tug and yank as if expecting it to untangle on its own. Blade hisses and reaches a hand back to smack you on the wrist, turning around to glare at you. 

“Watch it,” he orders, gentle but firm. There’s not enough heat in his words to scare you, and his eyes are a particularly beautiful shade of copper in the dim, flickering light of this dingy lounge room. Whatever you say, beautiful, you think to yourself hysterically. 

After a few half-willed apologies from you and some nudges of encouragement, Blade finally relaxes enough to turn back around and tilt his head back in your lap, letting your fingers play with his hair nonsensically. A braid, you decide, would look quite nice on him. One long one down the back. If you had ribbon, you’d use some to tie his hair, but all you have is one of Kafka’s tragically thin hair ties. 

“It’s a nice color,” you comment absentmindedly, pretending that you can’t see the way Blade’s eyes have shut in contentment at your gentle prodding. “It changes in the light a little bit. It looks very blue now, but I’ve always thought it was black.” You section his hair off into three pieces, loosely laying one over the other over and over again. The aged gold ornament still hangs securely in his hair, and you don’t do anything to move it. It suits him. 

“It’s natural, if that’s what you’re getting at,” he tells you, the slightest twinge of a joke in his voice. It plays at your smile and at your heart, too. 

“You say that now, but you’ll be scrambling to come up with a lie when I find box dye in your bag.” 

He only hums in response, reluctantly enjoying the feeling of your hands on him—they’re gentle, and you can imagine he’s not quite used to this. It’s an addictive feeling, to have him at your mercy, even with just your hands in his hair. There’s trust, unspoken, lingering warmly in the air and settling like condensation on your skin. You could very easily do a number of things that would hurt Blade—kill him, almost. You’ve only ever thought of it a few times, and those were all a very long time ago. 

You don’t think of it that often anymore. All you’re paying attention to is Blade and the splitting ends of his hair and how nice he’d look with a red ribbon tied in. 

“We should go shopping,” you tell him, voice close to a whisper now. You’ve secured the end of his braid already, and your handiwork is admirable. The strands are neatly crossed over each other, uniform in size with each other as they taper down into the end. “Some clips for you would be nice.” Absentmindedly, you comb through the layers of hair near his face, digging your fingers gently into the sides of his face and scratching at his scalp. 

“And where exactly would we go shopping? We’re not exactly upstanding members of society in some people’s eyes.” 

“Then I’ll make clips for you,” you say, a naive kind of dedication in your tone. “I used to work with metal, a little bit. I could make jewelry. Ornaments for your hair. I’ll put a ribbon in next time.” 

“What makes you think there’ll be a next time?” Blade asks doubtfully, in steep contrast with the way he lets your hands roam along his scalp, and the way his head leans back into you as if he’s comfortable. 

“You’re a loyal customer,” you quip, “you’d never let somebody else do your hair when you have me as a dedicated stylist.” 

“I’m your only customer.” 

“I know,” and in a moment of weakness—because at the end of the day that’s what you are, weak, malleable and moveable when you’re with Blade like this—you lean down just a little bit, pressing a stupid clumsy kiss on the crown of his head. Your fingers trail down to trace the bumps of the braid, the divots and grooves in it, made by your hands, and yours alone. “That just means I can put all my effort towards you alone.” 

“You shouldn’t.” And he means it when he says that, and it hurts you, puts a sickly pang in your chest that you want to reach for and tear out before it grows into something worse. 

“But I will,” you tell him. Blade is stubborn, but not stubborn enough to keep it up. Not now, not here, not when the overhead lights are flickering and making his hair look just a little bluer, illuminating the warmer ends of his hair, glinting off the metal ornament still clipped into it. He rests between your hands, still sitting on the cold floor, pretending that he isn’t falling asleep with you like the fool he secretly is.

—°+..｡*ﾟ｡*ﾟ+.*.｡.—

taglist: @tragedy-of-commons @lasiancunin

(pssst!!! send me a msg or fill out the form in my navi to be added to the taglist!!!)

[envyonne]

So like. These guys.

[envyonne]

Sleep is a rehearsal of death

[envyonne]

[envyonne]

[envyonne]

I just think he’s neat (*´∀`*) 💓

[envyonne]

aventurine as a boyfriend!

a/n: 2.1 broke me i am no longer the same person i was before the update how can they do this to me 😔 heres bf aven i needed to show him my love i just had to

bf!aventurine who take you out on dates. mostly cafe hopping or a romantic candlelight dinner in your favorite restaurant.

bf!aventurine who sends you money out of nowhere and without any proper reason.

“did you just send me a hundred thousand credits?” you ask aventurine who’s sat beside you on the couch, his cheek squished against your shoulder as he scrolls through his phone.

"yes."

“why?”

“i don’t know.. i was bored.”

bf!aventurine who gives you little gifts or trinkets, saying he passed by them and couldn’t help but think you might like them. his trinkets varies from little gems to keychains that glitter under the sun.

bf!aventurine who doesn’t like it when you cheat during game nights. he’s not above sulking, giving you the cold shoulder, when he finds out you peeked on his cards when he went to grab a glass of water.

bf!aventurine who swears he’s not a jealous person. he trusts you, with all his life. but he can’t help the sudden anxiety creeping up his chest when he sees you conversing with his good friend, doctor ratio.

bf!aventurine who buys you things you mentioned in passing.

bf!aventurine who buries himself just a little more closer to the back of your neck at night when plagues of memories haunt him and render him unable to sleep.

bf!aventurine who has a habit of kissing your inner wrist. he can be in the middle of a poker game with your sat beside him and he’ll absentmindedly lift your hand up to his lips.

bf!aventurine who likes it when you play with his hair, especially the blond strands on his nape. he’ll even dip in for a kiss whenever you tuck his hair behind his ear.

bf!aventurine who drags you into the shower with him after a long day at work. he’ll spend five minutes just hugging you under the running water before washing up.

bf!aventurine who basks in your undying love and affection. but he can never get himself to tell you that. he’s content with laying in your arms and feeling your lips all over his face.

bf!aventurine who loves the way you kiss his neck. your warm breath brushing against the marking on his neck. one that reminds him of what he went through but you kiss the area like it’s a sacred spot.

bf!aventurine who dances with you in the kitchen of your shared apartment. palm to palm, nose to nose and music provided by him as he sways you two to his own rhythm.

bf!aventurine who lets you style his hair however you want. you want to adorn his hair with jewels? he has a box of assorted ones on his desk, go wild. you want to braid it? go ahead, just be careful not to tangle it.

“you look pretty, aven.”

“i have a hello kitty clip on my bangs.”

“very pretty, indeed.”

bf!aventurine who likes it when you sit on his lap. whether you’re cuddling while watching a movie or you tagged along with him to the casino. you’re always gonna be on his lap with his arms around your waist.

bf!aventurine who didn’t really say ‘i love you’ but instead traced the words on your back. his fingertips gliding across your skin sends shivers down your spine.

likes and reblogs are appreciated! masterlist

[envyonne]

Yeah I know, Yanqing again. But he's just so fun to draw with the swords and all! I wish I could use swords as stairs too.

[envyonne]

THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)

An Article from Neena Susan Thomas

“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”

[envyonne]

Art of Jing Yuan i drew for my bestie

I asked them what position would JY sleep in? Fetal or ball up

Also, a balloon stuck on him

[envyonne]

Turn to ball to avoid responsibility

NOTE : My Sony Vegas rendering makes everything whiter/brighter

[envyonne]

[envyonne]

the first ray of light

reverse comfort, may contain small spoilers for aventurine's backstory, may be ooc, reader and aven are in a relationship, mention of childhood trauma, abuse, slavery, aven with abandonment issues, hurt w/ a bit of comfort(?)

tbh idk what am i making and i'm not exactly sure how to end it, as i just want to project my abandonment issue onto him 😺 no worries though i will give him all the cuddles and loving he deserves after this. <3 #avenkai_real

aventurine who flinches the first time you try to touch him after a bad day that left him particularly upset and slightly injured.

aventurine who's still on guard whenever he's vulnerable, like right now—the stratagem is quieter than usual, no longer having that smug smile on his face, the lack of life in his eyes even more noticeable when his eyes are wide—surprised at his own reaction.

aventurine who apologizes—even if he doesn't need to—then tries to reach for you, saying that he just had a 'long and exhausting day at work' and shake his head when you ask him what's wrong—the senior manager is still determined to look unbothered in front of you.

aventurine who's had tons of bad, horrible experience during his childhood, resulting in his inability to trust anyone enough, not even to show any signs of exhaustion, always putting up a mask, appearing as a mysterious and mischievous guy, keeping everyone at arm's length.

aventurine who's secretly afraid of being left alone again, of losing his purpose and being deemed as useless. the moment he flinches from you, memories of the past come back to flood his mind with doubts and reminders—reminding him of the chains binding his wrists and neck together, the cells that caged him and his kins, and the shouts of the audience fighting over his younger self, over who gets to bring the poor boy home—treating him like a rare animal, a pet to command.

aventurine who unconsciously begins to tear up, his eyes still wide and unmoving as he stares into space, your words of concern flying over his head, until you cup his face and lean closer to snap him out of his thoughts.

"you're not just 'tired', i can see that something's bothering you. won't you tell me?" oh, those eyes of yours, full of worry and love, and your gentle fingers brushing away his tears. aventurine feels so weak, but he's also scared to open up, yet he also knows you well enough to know that you're a honest person, that your concern is genuine.

aventurine who's already used to fake empathy that it feels like a dream to feel your warm hands on his face—no, not even the thought of having such a wonderful person as his partner has ever crossed the gambler's mind, not like he deserves them, right? wrong.

aventurine who's caught off guard when you pulled him into a tight hug, his arms suspended in the air as his brain just stops working the moment your warmth spreads through his body, quickly enveloping him and slowly melting the ice encasing his heart.

it's not like he's never been hugged before, but they were purely for business reasons, merely a way to greet his acquaintances. but a hug from you? it was an effective way to make him sobs harder.

aventurine who was deprived of the love he deserves, but now he has you, his darling, who has wormed your way into his perfectly-shut heart (or so he thought).

maybe you could be the perfect listener, the first person he opens up to. maybe you won't leave after hearing about his gruesome past. maybe... you are the right person who came into his life at the perfect time, to give him a reason to live again.

it was like walking into the sun， being with you，it was like walking into the sun for the first time after a terribly long winter.

[envyonne]

hiii, I’ve seen some old art of yours and I’ve been wondering how do you draw curly hair? I struggle a lot with it…

hi!! well for starters i'm not sure what else to advise other then going through a lot of photos of people with curly hair studying how curls errrr work and behave and then training your hand coming up with random curly shapes

and then my painting process goes somewhat like this:

1. draw a base shape (it can be more neat/messy depending on your style and process) with some additional slightly lighter more saturated warmer/cooler color

2. add shadows and lights (note: it applies to everything not just hair - the darker the surface is, the less you should rely on shadows and more on light, highlights and reflections)

3. render and add details. it might be tempting but better refrain yourself from defining each curl; face framing pieces, stuck out locks, edges and where you need to show that one part of hair lays differently/goes in a different direction than the others (hope this makes sense) woud be enough

4. now i would probably stop at the third step but before i also used to use some grainy noisy brush to add more fluffiness

theres more then just those four examples of course but i hope they'll help figure out the rest!

[envyonne]

Let's make a deal! 🃏

[envyonne]

☆彡.。.:* “and who takes care of you?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I take care of me.”

-> jing yuan & pregnant!reader (gn, afab body)

headcanons & snippets : very long post I don’t have the wordcount because I wrote it on tumblr </3

a/n: i am simple and small and love meetcutes but also imagining the idea of the character meeting a reader who’s a single parent lol

When Jing Yuan first met you, it was, of course, by pure luck. Everyone needs to go grocery shopping, even the general. And with Yanqing effectively eating into his budget, Jing Yuan is forced to look at prices a bit more carefully than normal.

It’s not just about the money that’s spent, but also about discipline. Jing Yuan reasons that if Yanqing eats into all his allowance and can’t afford his own food, then he cannot just let the boy starve. But he cannot spoil him with lavish food, either. So Jing Yuan goes to the market with this goal in mind.

That’s when he spots you. It’s not exactly busy on the streets but it isn’t barren either, so Jing Yuan cannot fully explain why he saw you in the midst of the crowd. Perhaps your obvious condition caught his attention, along with the way you were carefully trying to bend over, kneel, squat, and various other attempts to try and get the apple on the ground.

It didn’t take much thought to stride over to where you were, wordlessly picking up the fruit and dusting it off on his chest. You audibly huff- not out of aggravation, it sounded more like relief as you slowly straightened your back with your hands on your belly.

“Thank you,” you say first, and then your eyes meet his and the surprise on your face is obvious. “Ah! General Jing Yuan!”

He cannot help but chuckle, handing the apple to you after assessing it isn’t bruised. “Yes, that is my name. But you do not work for me, so there’s no need for formalities.”

“Oh, well… still, thank you.” Taking the apple, you place it in the sack you carry full of other fruits and veggies alike. “Soon enough I’ll be able to do simple things like picking up my own groceries again. That’ll be nice.”

“You do look far along,” Jing Yuan comments, eyes dropping to your belly. “Do you not have anyone else to help you with groceries? I don’t want to assume, but usually I hear about how your feet can be sore at this period and walking around too much can be exhausting.”

You laugh- not exactly merrily, a bit more dry than he was expecting. “Right on both accounts! Yes, my feet are… rather sore. But I have to get used to it. There’s no one but me.” You seem to be fine, as lonely as your statement sounds.

And Jing Yuan assesses a few things in this moment.

Whoever you are, you’re on the last stretch of your pregnancy and you are doing everything by yourself. There’s obvious exhaustion in your features which means this is no easy feat and it’s wearing you down, which cannot be good not only for someone who’s pregnant but also someone who’s about to be a parent and needs all the rest they can get before the baby arrives. You seem to be resigned to your fate.

So, Jing Yuan makes a decision.

It starts with this shopping trip. He’s suave and charming as he takes the bag of goods out of your hands, smiling all the while he makes himself your new shopping buddy.

You’re reluctant at first, embarrassed, because surely someone so important doesn’t need to go out of their way to help you. But even you can’t deny that it’s insanely helpful when he reaches for groceries you need that are conveniently on the highest shelf- you wouldn’t have been able to get those things on your own.

You’re pretty quiet at first, but once Jing Yuan opens up to you about why he’s shopping and the difficulties he’s having with Yanqing- it gives the two of you a modicum of common ground.

Jing Yuan doesn’t seem to consider himself Yanqing’s father, but you can tell the instinct of one is there. The way he talks about his disciple is clear enough.

You give him a few bits of advice on how you’d personally go with disciplining him as well as rewarding him. You dont expect him to really do the things you say, but unknown to you, Jing Yuan takes mental note of everything.

Once the groceries are well done and bought, you’d think that the interaction would end here. But Jing Yuan is never one to leave a job unfinished, and he simply continues to walk by your side with your groceries in hand once the two of you leave the market. You come to realize yourself that he’s planning on accompanying you all the way home.

You don’t argue this time. You’re flattered and happy and willing to take advantage of his help now. Talking to the general was surprisingly easy once you got over the initial shock of it all.

You do underestimate him though. By the time you’ve made it back to your little home (which you’re also embarrassed by, sure that Jing Yuan probably lives somewhere with a lot more space and design, but this is what you have), your feet are aching and Jing Yuan must have noticed the way you’ve slowed during the walk back.

At the door, you’re ready to grab your groceries from him. But when you lift up your hands, he’s looking down at you, a soft pout on his lips that utterly surprises you.

“Let me put them away,” he offers, pout shifting into another easy smile. His tone is firm nevertheless. “You’re tired and need your rest. Sit down and I’ll take care of it.”

This is surely too much. But when you try to argue, it’s as if the man isn’t listening at all. He opens your door and enters your house like it’s his own! Leaving you staring and dumbstruck in your own doorway.

It doesn’t help that Jing Yuan flawlessly navigates your little kitchenette as if he’s always been here. The image of him blending into your home is strange and alien, but there’s not much you can do. You simply sit in your favorite chair and watch him until your eyes start to droop, and before you realize what’s happening, you fall asleep

And … when you wake, dinner is ready for you in Tupperware in the fridge along with a note.

It’s Jing Yuan’s handwriting. Telling you to take care of yourself and your little one, and a number for you to call if you ever need a helping hand

( part of you really thought it was his personal number, but once you gather the guts to call it, you realize it’s the number to his assistant. You could still get in touch with him this way, but you end up always asking for a knight to come to your aid instead, much too anxious to ask for the general personally )

You end up seeing Jing Yuan a few more times during the tail end of your pregnancy. Once during a walk in the gardens, another time when you were going out for tea, and then another, more vulnerable time, out in the gardens again but much later at night— fear shaking you to your core as you cried alone on one of the benches.

It’s impossible he would find you at such a time. But apparently the two of you shared your thinking spot-

(And you wouldn’t find out until later that these gardens were right next to where he lived, right in the tall building nearby that you’d always looked at in awe and wondered who lived there)

Scared, anxious, and oh-so lonely, you couldn’t help but cry to him when he offered his arms. How were you going to take care of a child all alone? What if you got angry and hurt it? What if you left it alone for too long? What if you coddled it too much and stunted it’s development that way?

There were so many things you could do wrong and you were convinced that you’d do them all.

“Of course you’re scared,” Jing Yuan would sigh in your ear, arms wrapped around you. The size of your belly makes embraces while sitting down a bit more awkward than usual, so he settles for one arm wrapped around your back, another gently stroking your belly. You’d told him once that it was alright if he wanted to touch- and he couldn’t really explain it- but he did want to. There was something about it that was so intimate and comforting despite the fact the two of you were still getting to know eachother. “It’s rational to be scared. You’re life is about to change in so many wonderful ways, and on the precipice, it feels like falling off a cliff. Predictability has been thrown out the window. But there are still many things under your control.”

“You can control the love and care the baby will have,” his voice is soothing and gentle, continuously lulling your anxiety to a slow, “the safe environment that it will grow in. Introducing it into a world of kindness.”

And though he isn’t nearly finished, your body is shaking under his touch. For a moment, he fears he somehow made things worse, before he hears the delightful sound of your laughter. He cannot help but lean back, eyes wide and a confused smile on his lips. “What is it?” Did he say something funny? While it wasn’t his intention, at least you weren’t crying anymore.

“You-“ you giggle, wiping your tears with your wrist, “my baby isn’t an it. You keep saying ‘it’.”

“Oh.” Jing Yuan chuckles, a slight embarrassment over his mishap making his cheeks flush just barely. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s- haha- it’s alright.” Not for the first time, Jing Yuan is rendered speechless. By you, your absolute beauty. It’s all he can do to simply sit and stare at you, taking in every delightful crinkle of your face and the sparkle in your eye (though you were still crying a little; maybe that’s why). “Jing Yuan…” suddenly, you maneuver slightly, taking his hands in yours with a smile. “Thank you. For all your help. I think… it would make me and my daughter very happy if you could find time to visit us again once she’s born. If you’re able to find the time.” You sigh. “I would love for her to meet you.”

Yes, it isn’t until then, warmth filling his chest and fluttering his heart that Jing Yuan realizes that he is so utterly in love with you. And he has been for awhile. Each of your meetings took a special place in his heart, something he unknowingly looked forward to every time.

Suffice it to say- there isn’t anything that would get in his way from meeting you again. You and your baby girl.