#'cat' should start with 'queue'

[forgeofthenine]

Omg in the last few posts you were talking about heat as in temperature but my brain registered it as something COMPLETELY different and it got me thinking…

What if tieflings had some kind of a heat cycle and they get extra sensitive and desperate because of it?? I can imagine Zevlor and Rolan being super embarrassed or nervous to bring it up, maybe Dammon’s more chill about it but still extra needy

So, this has absolutely been a passing thought in my mind and as soon as this request came in I knew I just had to push it to the front of my request queue, purely for my own mental health lol

Gotta admit, I'm a fan of omegaverse dynamics and I actually looked a little into irl animal biology and mating behaviour to get a better feel for what I think tieflings would be the most like. So this has both general headcanons and some NSFW headcanons for the individual bachelors

You probably didn't expect quite this much (over a thousand words of tief content) when requesting but this had me in a chokehold, I hope everyone enjoys <3

TW: NSFW under the cut, very heavy breeding kink, overstimulation, alpha/omega adjacent dynamics

Tiefling NSFW heat and rut headcanons

General

So, I feel like once all tiefs reach sexual maturity they'll start to either have heats or ruts, depending on their biology

Anyone with female biology will have a heat, and I feel like they'd have heats similar to cats but with a slightly longer time between heats

So generally they'd have a heat every two to three months or so unless they're pregnant or have other health issues

For the ones with male biology they'd definitely have a rut

They'd follow similar patterns to the women, but it's not unusual for some tieflings to have longer stretches between their ruts if they don't have a partner

A single tiefling that isn't particularly sexually active might only go into rut once or twice a year

I do think a male tiefling could prematurely go into rut if exposed to a females heat, and couples that have been together for a while will sync up

They have pretty typical heat and rut behaviours with nesting, possessiveness, and a pretty undeniable breeding kink

Nesting, possessiveness, and general mood shifts tend to start setting in during pre-heats and pre-ruts

Pre-heats and pre-ruts can last two to five days, and a full heat and rut can last anywhere from two days to a full week depending on the individual

In saying that, having a partner can definitely shorten both heats and ruts, so single tieflings working through things by themselves will have longer heats or ruts

Heats and ruts can also become more painful the longer they go on without the relief of a sexual partner

Tieflings can tell when others are in heat and rut mostly through pheromones, but a female tieflings tail will also involuntarily lift when she's in pre-heat/heat and around a male

I wonder if I should go so far as to headcanon that they have knots, I did already give them all ridged dicks

Dammon

If you and Dammon aren't dating then he'll be much more shy about his ruts

He basically disappears from his forge and the public for a few days and then comes back as if nothing happened

Once you start dating him is when you find out why he pulls the disappearing act

Dammon is actually very open about it now you're both together and have already been intimate

Blushes slightly while trying to explain some of the more physical, primal aspects

Would flush even more if you tell him you find the whole thing incredibly attractive

The next time he has his rut, you're the only person allowed to see him, and he really is a sight

Naked and tangled in his sheets, all flushed and tense, undeniably hard as he palms himself while looking over at you

Even the way he strips you of your clothing is different, he just about rips it off you as he kisses and nips down your neck and chest

While Dammon is usually one to take his time with making you feel good when he's in rut the only thing on his mind is getting to cum

Though even in his hazy mind frame he still makes sure you're comfortable the whole time

Even a near sex crazed and highly hormonal Dammon is still a very caring partner

You know he's going to bend you in half as he fucks you, he just loves how good you look underneath him like that

Breeding kink go brrrr

This man always fucks like he's trying to breed you but it's off the charts when he's in rut

I hope you're ready to be fucked within an inch of your life because his refractory period ceases to exist

Absolutely watches as he pulls out of you and some of him cum leaks out because he's stuffed you so full

Dammon praises you so well too, you can not shut up this man and his dirty talk

"That's it gorgeous, you take my cock so well."

"You gonna make me a daddy, darling? 'm gonna knock you up, full you up with my cum."

Once his rut dies down enough, he'll scoop you up for a bath

There is no way you could stand after the way this man just wrecked you-

Dammon takes very good care of you, and then you do it all again the next day

Zevlor

Whether you're dating Zevlor or not, he's your personal wealth of knowledge on everything tiefling

So what do you do when a book you read mentions 'the times of year and conditions unique to tieflings' and doesn't explain it?

You go and find your favourite paladin

Zevlor is so embarrassed, dating or not, explaining to you how tiefling heats and ruts work

Can't even keep his eyes on you

When you two are dating and you realise you didn't see him at all yesterday, it's time to go hunting for the man

You have an idea of what might be going on but nothing prepares you for what you find

Much like Dammon, you find him tangled in his bed sheets desperately trying to get himself off

He lets out the sexiest groan when he sees you standing there

He's the gentlest of the three while working through his rut

Even then, Zevlor is noticeably rougher with you than usual

Has you in a missionary position, his whole body pressed to yours as he pants in your ear and thrusts into you

Zevlor can't keep his hands off you when he's in rut, they're all over your hips and chest and giving light tugs to your hair

He gives into the primal need to mark you too, it's the only time he'll give you hickeys

Breeding kink: the sequel

Absolutely tells you he's going to breed you, and fucks you like he means it

Doesn't even think as he uses his hands and tail to spread your legs so he can fuck you deeper

Zevlor loves to look at the way you tremble every time he fills you with cum, using his fingers to help you get off at the same time

Even while he's trying to find his own relief, he makes sure to make you cum so many times you end up overstimulated and about to cry from the pleasure

Definitely has you cockwarm him as the two of rest, the thought of you keeping his seed so deep in you until it takes just gets him going again

You'll know he's ready for another round when Zevlor starts grinding himself into you again

When the worst of his rut is over he gives you the best massages

Apologises so profusely too the first few times you help him through his rut, even if you tell him how much you like it

Rolan

There is no way Rolan is ever telling you anything about heats and ruts

Absolutely forbidd his siblings from mentioning it too, he's just way too embarrassed for you to know

Even when you guys are dating he just locks himself away in his tower for a week while he works through it and recovers

This man will not tell you anything

And then he forgets to lock the door

As soon as you open it you're met with the sight of a whiney, teary eyed Rolan trying to get off by grinding against a pillow in desperation

Unlike with the other two, there's no clear 'top' when you're with Rolan during his rut

He loves having you ride him until he sees stars just as much as he wants to bend you over his desk until everyone else in Ramaziths tower can hear you scream

Rolan loves hearing you when he's in rut

Yell his name, tell him that you belong to him, tell him how good he fucks you, say he looks so pretty when you ride him-

He loves all of it so much

He's also the one that bites you the hardest, expect him to draw at least a little bit of blood by accident

Breeding kink: the trilogy

Rolan isn't letting you leave the room unless he's knocked you up

Absolutely puts a fertility spell on you by brushing his hand over your lower belly and murmuring the words

He also refuses to pull out unless it's to change positions, and if any cum leaks out of you he'll push it back in with his fingers

Overstimulation is the name of the game with Rolan, he wants you both overstimulated and crying and completely fucked out

This man believes in equality and we love him for it

The youngest of the tiefling bachelors and definitely the most pent up, it'll take all day before he calms down enough for the two of you to rest

When things do calm down, after he makes sure you're both clean and fed, Rolan wraps you up with him in his bed and will read to you

It's his own personal flavour of aftercare, cuddling and reading your favourite book as he makes sure you're comfortable and happy

And it all starts over when you wake up the next morning with him hard as a rock against your ass

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 x reader #bg3 x reader #baldurs gate 3 smut #bg3 smut #baldurs gate 3 dammon #bg3 dammon #dammon x reader #dammon x reader smut #dammon smut #baldurs gate 3 zevlor #bg3 zevlor #zevlor x reader #zevlor x reader smut #zevlor smut #baldurs gate 3 rolan #bg3 rolan #rolan x reader #rolan x reader smut #rolan smut #bg3 tiefling #bri answers

[jymwahuwu]

CW: yandere, masturbation, jing yuan fantasizes about you…implying that yingxing likes you

High-Cloud Quintet, close enough but the boys occasionally avoid master Jingliu and Baiheng to gather in private…that is, Yingxing, Dan Feng and Jing Yuan go out to drink and play hologram chess pieces leisurely on holidays, check out new weapons and practice. Talking about…starry sky, path, aeons, past, future, immortality, wine, snacks, drama, poems, Xianzhou current news…and some sexual stuff.

It started as an accident. Jing Yuan sent a picture stored deep in his phone to the boys' chat group, a cute cat-hybrid hentai- the kitty's ears and face were sprayed with white seed, and their lips were open in anticipation.

[Chat group]

Jing Yuan [cat cafe is a great place] : haha i'm sorry, sent it wrong

Then delete the message.

Dan Feng [queue if request to weave rain and clouds] : …

Yingxing [more weapons can be commissioned] : you…

Jing Yuan is the youngest to join. He receives your messages during social gatherings and often chats with both of them about you! Jing Yuan didn't intend to imagine it in such detail, but the mellow smell of wine wafted in the room… More and more wine flowed down his throat…

How your new clothes expose your thighs and arms and fit your beautiful figure perfectly. He wants to see your glistening folds as you're filled, his seed leaking out. want to hold a wedding with you, a lovely little ceremony, and invite you and his friends to attend.

"Um… they still look so pretty from behind… I'm sure they're shy in bed…"

Yingxing is more reserved, stopping him before his description becomes too explicit, but stroking the wine glass and thinking about you. After returning home, he clenched his hands into fists and jerked off.

Dan Feng casually added a few words, also thinking about marriage… He still believes in some aspects of tradition. Few people can meet his conditions. Maybe he should have a spouse or concubine?

#yandere hsr #yandere honkai star rail #yandere jing yuan #yandere hsr x reader #yandere jing yuan x reader #honkai x reader #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail x you

[periprose]

Okay I gotta request something JUST HEAR ME OUT

Black Cat!Reader trying to tell Tasm!Peter she's Black Cat while he tries to tell her that he's Spider-Man at the same time. Queue up Peter being baffled, while reader just doesn't believe him lol

Also I am loving Florence, it's so good and rich, I'm still only on chapter three but I want to kiss your Peter senseless- he's such a sweetheart🫶 Also I love youuu🥰

AHHH bby i love this idea and I love you!! (also thanks for the support on florence)

/

Secrets are difficult to reveal.

They're especially terrible when you're telling something so tumultuous to your best friend, something that could either make him judge you severely or run away from you.

How do you confess that you're a thief? An villain turned anti-hero?

Even worse, Peter is someone you really love. Someone you know is too good for you- he would never feel the same way. But that's why you have Spider-Man, right?

You always knew it wasn't always going to be fun and games to be Black Cat. To be the very symbol of bad luck- it's a bad premonition.

You stare in the mirror. Peter will be here any second- he always climbs up the fire escape into your apartment's bedroom, and you told him you had something important to say.

There's a knock at your window, and you turn a little too abruptly.

Peter watches from the outside. He has a tentative smile, but he can see that you're worried, and you make the conscious effort to relax your face.

Peter himself is worried. He's about to confess something very important to someone very near and dear to him- he's Spider-Man, and not just that- he's having a sort-of affair with Black Cat.

He doesn't even know how it happened. First she was stealing wealth from banks, then a few months later she came with him with the notion to be good, and Peter always believes in someone redeeming themselves... but that doesn't mean she had to be so goddamn hot, all black leather and white fur, and Peter's just a horny dude who could not help but kiss back when she made a move on him yesterday.

And it was hot, it was good for him to take out some very human emotions by making out with her, but it wasn't everything. It wasn't you, and now he feels incredibly guilty. So he wants to come clean. Peter wants to let you know the whole truth, and even if that means you'll never like him again- Peter will never act on his unspoken feelings for you- he knows you deserve to know.

"Hey." You let Peter in, and he immediately walks in with an air of anxiety, hands already shaking as he paces around. "You good?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah." Peter shakes his head immediately. "No, not really. We need to talk."

"Oh." You give him a look as you sit on your bed. "You have something to say, too?"

Peter nods, and you think it can't be nearly as bad as what you're going to tell him.

"Okay. Let me go first- I've been hiding something from you." He starts, but you shake your head. "I haven't been around."

"I haven't been around, Peter." You tilt your head at him. "I... I haven't been telling you the truth."

"Just wait. I'm trying to tell you something important." Peter insists, wanting you to know the truth but you keep going.

"I'm a bad person, Peter." You murmur, and Peter stops, interest piqued. "I've been misusing our friendship- you wouldn't want to be friends if you knew my past."

"No. That's not true." Peter sits down next to you on your bed, feeling that he should comfort you before potentially breaking your heart. "I'll always be your friend. Tell me what's going on."

"Don't sound so sure." You grimace at him. "I... I'm Black Cat."

"Huh?"

"I know, it's so terrible. I stopped with all the stealing and killing, but... I'm still not sure if my so-called good deeds are enough to forgive me." You lean over your legs. "I don't... I work with Spider-Man every now and then, too."

"But-" Peter tries to interject, and you keep going anyways. He's incredibly baffled- it's not that you don't match the size of Black Cat, it's just that he's sure he would've recognized your mouth under her mask. He's fantasized about your lips long enough.

"He kissed me yesterday." You admit, and for some reason it feels like a slap in the face to say, even if you know that Peter doesn't actually like you like that. "And I've always liked you, Peter, so I just have to get this off my chest, because I feel so terrible. I'm sorry."

Peter is snickering.

"What?" You shove him. "I'm trying to tell you about my actual, serious pain, Peter, and you're just laughing-"

He loves this. He can actually be with you, no questions asked, and you have to be Black Cat- who else would know that Spider-Man kissed you? Peter feels a little bad that you're clearly agonized about it still, and he is laughing, but he can't help it.

"I was trying to tell you the same thing." Peter shrugs, as you hang onto his every word. "Okay, not the same thing. But that I'm Spider-Man."

You raise your eyebrows. "Really?"

"What do you mean, really? What's so shocking?" Peter asks, somewhat affronted, still finding it funny. "Do I not look like I have Spider-Man's build?"

"No, no. It just... feels a little too convenient." You give him a pitiful glance. "Maybe you could prove it?"

"Wow." Peter shakes his head, stifling a small smile. "Why would I lie?"

"No, Peter, it's not that you would lie. It's just... it's too obvious of a happy ending for me, and I-" You wince. "I don't normally have those."

"Oh." Peter knows about your past, your unhappy origin story, and he doesn't want to say anything to negate that truth.

So he simply thwips out a web towards your desk, planting your water bottle against the wall, and you don't look too surprised, although you do inhale.

"So that means- I was working with- and you-" You try to make a coherent sentence. "We... we kissed?"

"Tell me if this feels the same." Peter murmurs, half jokingly, mostly serious, and he pulls your face up in the same way you remember he did yesterday.

Knowing that you were the one in that leather black suit with the white trimming stirs something more inside him- yeah, he loves you and he's so glad to have you here now- but it makes yesterday even hotter in hindsight.

No mask this time. Nothing to get in the way of you dragging your fingers through Peter's hair as he presses his lips against yours, not hesitant at all. His lips are firm, plying against yours, and he inhales in a way that screams that he's wanted to do this for a while- even if he kissed you a few days ago, it wasn't like this- and it has you understanding he doesn't want to be gentle. He wants to finish what he started.

#tasm peter parker x reader #peter parker x reader #tasm peter x you #peter parker x you #tasm peter x reader #tasm #peter parker #tasm x reader #tasm peter parker x you #spider-man x reader #spider man x black cat reader #black cat!reader #drabbles #spider man #the amazing spider man #spider man x you #spider man x reader #ask #requests #x reader #reader insert #mutuals :) #tasm peter parker #tasm!peter parker x reader #tasm!peter parker x you

[m00nlight-ramblings]

BG3 Companion Modern AU Headcanons

These random thoughts popped into my mind and I had to write them down. I love these little weirdos, and some of them probably don't make sense but OH WELL.

Should I do a Part 2 with more companions?? Let me know - my inbox and requests are open!

------

Astarion

This dude's got iPad kid energy - he loves to scroll Tiktok for hours.

He gets bi-weekly pedicures. And not the basic kind - the full on 1.5 hour long with the massage and the mask and the exfoliation.

His favorite holiday is Halloween. He plans his costume starting in August.

He'd be the type of person to be walking through a mall, see a Claire's, and spontaneously decide to get his ears pierced idk.

Is really into metal. Like, you'll come home and Metallica will be blasting and you walk into the bedroom and he's folding laundry and just like, "Oh, HELLO, Darling!" but will have to scream it over the volume in which he's listening to music

Will truly take an hour picking out the perfect wine to pair with your dinner...he's definitely a wine snob.

The cheapest article of clothing Astarion owns is from Banana Republic and it's an undershirt...everything else is ~*very fancy*~

Loves watching all types of vampire movies/TV shows. He can often be heard saying, "Oh no, they got that all wrong" under his breath.

He definitely reads like 1-2 books a week. He's recently really gotten in spicy smut books (he definitely got recommendations from BookTok).

For sure falls asleep to ASMR videos.

Gale

This man loves HGTV *queue Home Depot commercial music*

Has the most absolutely beautiful, clean home you've ever seen with about 30 bookcases CRAMMED with books. The books are the only disorganized thing in his home because he constantly is reading them, so alphabetizing them is useless.

Pinterest is his most used phone app. His boards are carefully curated. That man has a recipe/inspiration pic/quote for EVERYTHING.

Definitely volunteers at the animal shelter once a month. Often times has to talk himself out of bringing a cat home.

LUSH is his favorite store at the mall. He loves them bath bombs.

He THROWS DOWN at holiday parties...Christmas? Thanksgiving? The table is SET. The decorations are UP. He's wearing an APRON because he's been cooking ALL day. The playlist is PERFECT.

Speaking of holidays, he has matching pajama sets for everyone in the household. For every. Holiday.

Fall is absolutely his favorite season. "Sweetheart...have you ever watched 'When Harry Met Sally'? Perfect autumn movie...also I bought a new scarf today to go with my new peacoat. And mittens. And a new hat...it's getting cold outside."

He definitely has a Live. Laugh. Love. adjacent sign somewhere in his home

He definitely needs glasses to read. And he for sure has those librarian chains so that he can just take them off and they hang, instead of losing them.

Karlach

Absolutely loves to eat meals watching Youtube videos.

Imagine her in Times Square? She tears the M&M's store UP.

Is obsessed with documentaries. She often says things like "I can't believe there's so much stuff to LEARN out there!"

Definitely has a Squishmallow collection. And she rotates which one she sleeps with every night so they all get a chance.

Is absolutely the worst cook of all time but tries really really hard...however, she can make a mean boxed mac n' cheese.

Has an obsession with sugary cereal. There's always Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Fruity Pebbles in her cabinets.

Certified Switie for SURE.

Is really into astrology. Definitely has said, "Oh, you're just saying that because you're a SCORPIO" or the like many, many times.

Absolute Starbucks addiction (venti iced caramel macchiato, extra caramel).

Has monthly "girl's nights" (but everyone is invited) at her place. The rules are: pajamas only, junk food, romcoms, and a playlist of the best pop songs in the past 20 years.

------

How'd y'all like it...should I make a part two with other companions?! Remember my inbox is open and I'm accepting requests!! I'd love to write some stuff so send it in!

#balders gate 3 #bg3 gale #gale fanfic #gale headcanons #gale of waterdeep #astarion #astarion bg3 #astarion fanfic #astarion headcanon #bg3 #karlach #karlach headcanon #karlach fanfic #karlach fan fiction #karlach bg3 #bg3 karlach #bg3 astarion

[yrthr]

☾ PERFECT PLAN ? ; PARK GUNWOOK

gunwook masterlist / zb1 masterlist ; wc 0.76k

➛ genre / trope ; shy cofident ➛ warnings ; cursing , mentions of food

“ PLEASE. “

“ no. “

“ PRETTY PLEASE ? “

“ no. “

yuqi shook your arm back and forth using her whiny baby voice while you gave her a judgemental yet unimpressed look.

she pouted , letting out a small puff of frustration as she laid her head on your shoulder.

“ i’m not that mean , plus i’m waiting for him to make the first move. “

“ yeah by the time he does we’d might as well marry each other and have kids. “

you looked down at her , “ i’m down. “

the bell rung. the end of recess.

yuqi chuckled sitting back up straight and putting both of her hands on your shoulders , giving you her best serious face that she could muster up.

although that just made her look like an angry cat.

“ my dear child , i might separate from you once again to enter the gates of hell which you may know as chemistry. i trust thou will know what to do when the time comes. “

yuqi gave your shoulder a firm hard pat before picking up her things and leaving your classroom with a ‘ cya ‘

“ … what the fuck yuqi. “

after she left it got you thinking… should you carry out this elaborate yet stupid plan.

both you and yuqi were aware that the class president , and seat-mate , gunwook had a massive crush on you.

to be fair , he wasn’t very good at hiding it.

it started from casual talk when you became seat-mates then texting , passing notes and cute doodles during class , copying his homework , him borrowing your items , you borrowing his jacket to sleep on. [ he tried to discourage you from this activity but he couldn’t help but take this chance to admire your features as you slept. ]

overtime you noticed the small little details such as him blushing whenever you accidentally brushed fingers or the frequent glances he’d give you.

this was confirmed when another one of your friends , gyuvin , asked gunwook in which he went on a full tangent on his small [ big ] crush on you.

you easily fell for the class president too , just that you were way better that hiding it.

after weighing the pros and cons you decided to go through with the plan , after-all the worse thing that could happen is embarrassing yourself and having to drop out of school to not show your face in school again.

plan recap : ask who is crush is , he wouldn’t say who it is , you reveal it , confess and he confesses and boom. easy.

you took a deep breath mentally preparing yourself for the incoming events. which just on queue , the wooden doors slid open revealing the man himself.

“ hey ! you didn’t go to the cafeteria today soo i got you a small snack. “

gunwook pulled out a egg and mayo sandwich , offering it to you.

you smiled thanking him placing the sandwich on your desk.

“ also i have to ask you something. “

“ yeah ? “

“ do you have a crush ? “

you saw his eyes slightly widen and the way his shoulders tensed up a bit. a small blush coated his puffy cheeks and he started fiddling with his fingers.

‘ he’s more shy than i’d thought he’d be ‘ you thought , fighting the urge to giggle.

“ yeah , its you. “

gunwook looked at you with a sudden surge of confidence , he maintained eye contact his body now leaned back onto the chair with his arms crossed. [ although the blush still remains on his face ]

that.. did not go according to plan.

“ wait wait do you not feel the same way ? oh shit i’m so sorry ! gyuvin told me to just say it whenever the day comes but like oh my god why did i listen to the guy ?! “

“ no ! i… do feel the same way it’s just , wow , i didn’t expect you to be so straightforward. “

his face instantly relaxed as he let out a few embarrassed yet amused chuckles.

“ so… you like me too ? “ he asked all smily and giggly seemingly unable to revert back to a resting face.

“ was it not obvious ? actually yours was way obvious. “

“ no it wasn’t , i hid it well. “

“ oh please the whole school probably knew “

the playful banter continued and underneath the tables his hands reached for yours , intertwining them in a perfect fit.

“ OH MY GOD LOOK GYUVIN THEY’RE HOLDING HANDS ! THEY’RE— “

“ JESUS SHUT UP YUQI THE HALLWAY ISN’T SOUNDPROOF. “

“ SHUT UP LET ME HAVE MY MOMENT. “

“ ITS THEIR MOMENT ? YOU’RE JUST CREEPILY STARING AT THEM FROM THE WINDOW. “

“ YOU’RE DOING THE SAME ? “

divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

©️ yrthr 2023

#zb1 #zb1 fluff #zb1 drabbles #zb1 imagines #zb1 x reader #zb1 scenarios #zb1 fics #zerobaseone imagines #zerobaseone x reader #zerobaseone #boys planet imagines #boys planet scenarios #park gunwook #zerobaseone gunwook #gunwook imagines #kim gyuvin #zb1 reactions #zb1work

[giorno-plays-piano]

Thorns In His Mouth

Part VII

Pairing: fae!Steve Rogers x reader

Warnings: obsession, dubious consent, minor character death, drugs (neither reader nor Steve are involved), slight eating disorder, mentions of tumor, high tech elves.

Words: 1.2k

Summary: Maybe it was a good idea to chat with a waitress a bit more once she brought you your order. Perhaps she could at least tell you with whom you should speak because you simply couldn’t force yourself to look at others, most of them already high, shouting something loudly or laughing or weeping. You could constantly hear the flapping of someone’s wings, weird whispers and noises, and the sound of boots and hooves that made your hair stand on end.

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI

_______

"But where are we going?" You hurried after the elf who was walking way too fast on his goddamn perfectly long legs.

"My friend is a phooka who doesn't like sunlight much," Steve said, turning his face to you but not slowing down. "Since magic costs us too much in your world, not many fae can afford constant glamour. And phookas don't exactly look like humans, so he has to hide where not many people can see him."

Oh. You hadn't thought of that. Phookas were black-haired cat-like - or goat-like? - creatures, as far as you remembered from a book about Celtic fairies you've had as a child. It would be incredibly hard not to freak out if you suddenly saw one in the middle of the city.

Poor creature. Where was it living? How hard it would be to not only be unable to use magic, but also communicate with pretty much anyone at all with an exception of fellow faes? Steve, on the other hand, looked perfectly human even with his strange face and piercing blue eyes, his ears perfectly normal. Was he using glamour?

He seemed to be amused with your expression as he laughed, extending his hand to you so you could walk close instead of dragging behind him.

"Do you use glamour to change the shape of your ears?" You blurted out, unable to keep silent to satisfy your curiosity, and then shame bubbled up inside you as you realized it was a too personal question to ask a literal stranger. Nevertheless, you took his hand when his fingers brushed against yours.

His gaze warmed up. "I do. What, do you want me to oblige you and show you their true form?"

"No, no pleasure, I'm sorry! I don't know why I asked that."

"It's a shame," the elf winked at you. "I'd ask you for a wish in exchange."

Warmth crept into your cheeks: was Steve flirting with you just now? Or was it his fae nature showing itself? The fair folk were supposed to be overly playing - or utterly horrifying. Steve, you thought, was likely both.

Turning to the left, away from the bus station with a long queue of tired students nervously clutching their Ipads and Iphones, you followed the Watcher with your eyes on the road instead of looking at him. It never came to your mind that he considerably slowed down his pace so you could keep up with it, his palm warming yours as he held it gently. You missed his intent stare as he stopped smiling, and his eyes flashed oddly.

"Your first lesson," he finally said after a couple of minutes, breaking the awkward silence. "Don't ever bargain with a fae if it demands a wish in return. Always try to propose something first. Give it something valuable, but what you're ready to part with."

"Like my earrings?"

There's a faint smile on his full lips, "Like your earrings."

"But what if I really need to bargain with a fae, and it wants nothing else but a wish?"

Steve abruptly stopped, and you nearly fell down the ground if he didn't catch you, steading you with his unbearably hot palms on your shoulders, towering over you, his expression somber.

"You NEVER bargain with that fae," he said, and your knees started to tremble out of nowhere when he squeezed your shoulders tight. "Never. Come find me, and I will trade something else with you to help."

There's something dangerous in the way his lips crooked, but you continued staring at his face, anyway, like a snake charmer at a cobra - except it was you being controlled, his voice a low command.

"There has always been plenty of malicious fae even in Sacred lands, but many turned worse in exile. You will never guess which one is which, and you don't want to know what they'll do to you if you give them a chance."

"But... but weren't fair folk forbidden from harming us?" Your voice trembled a little, and Steve blew out a little breath, his thumbs drawing circles through the fabric of your blouse to comfort you, probably, after he stopped painfully squeezing your shoulders.

"When you give them a wish, you hand them the power over you. Do that, and the law will no longer work in your favor."

It was a rule #1, perhaps the most important one among the long list of other rules you were given when dealing with the little folk. Never have you ever allowed a fae to ask you for a wish since then, promising yourself you wouldn't waste your own life even for your mother. There was always a different way, Steve said, glancing down at you as he towered far above you. Sacrifices, whatever their nature, rarely led to anything good in the end.

By the time he walked down the stairs to enter the nearest metro station, you realized you had a very vague picture of a place you were going to, immediately asking the elf where he was planning to take you. Why were you leaving fae's part of the city? Did some creatures live outside it? Was it far? Was it a dangerous place, too?

The man was chuckling again at a limitless number of questions you could ask without drawing a second breath. "You were a worrier, weren't you?" He asked, and your cheeks grew hot with embarrassment.

"He lives close," he finally said, motioning to the metro tration. "And no place is dangerous as long as you're with me. You might get nervous, though. It's dark and dirty there."

Dark and dirty? Was it, like, some sort of a cave.

Looking at the growing smile of the elf, you suddenly realized why he was taking you down the metro station. Dear God, that's where that hairy phooka lived, right? Somewhere on an abandoned metro line or between the stations where no one but rats would see him, and so he wouldn't need glamor.

It all felt like some sort of urban legend.

You didn't have it in you to stop, knowing your mysterious friend was expecting results in return for his earnest work, but when Steve was helping you jump over the protective fence right on the tracks, you squeezed his hand, breathing heavier.

"Can I hold your hand, please? This place gives me the creeps," you smiled nervously at him, and Steve let out a loud laugh in his typical fashion, grasping your shoulder.

"You weren't scared of coming to a place full of drug addicts and all sorts of scum, but the metro scares you?" He helped you up when you had finally jumped down, barely believing you were really doing it, your anxity amping up. "Don't fret, you lovely little thing. I know this place better than anyone. I've lived here for many long years myself."

________

Tags: @heavenly1927 @yazzzmints @devils-blackrose @lost-and-founds @kennafild @toodlesxcuddles @shygardengalaxy @heimtathurs @moonlightazriel @tsujifreya @lilithmoon92 @greenowlfactif @minshookie29 @nina2697 @youngdreamer3214 @jsrblue

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers #mcu fanfiction #mcu #captain america #dark steve rogers x reader #dark steve rogers #yandere

[blackllghtshadow]

It's hard being in between world's

This post will be uploaded in two parts since it's too long, this is the first part.

Summary: You're a hybrid between na'vi and human, the first one at that, you are defiant over tsu'tay's dominance, and he wants to punish you for disrespecting his position in the clan.

Warning: for this first part there is not much, just a bit of fighting, the interesting this comes in the second part.

You were born a hybrid, yeah a human who can breathe Pandora's air, you live in the Omatykaya clan en if the na’vi in the clan call you “txanfwìngtu'' or what humans would call a bastard, you looked human except you had tail, pointed ears and a tswin or in human language queue, the braid that na'vi had, normally there was one na’vi who scolded you for everything, that na’vi was Tsu’tey, the warrior na’vi that had eyes for Neytiri, and who wouldn’t? That woman had everything, she was brave, a boss in her own right, and she never lowered her head, she would fight the world if she had to, to be honest you had a bit of jealousy of her, you weren't as tall as a regular na’vi, maybe that was your human genes, your skin wasn’t as blue as well, it was more of a Gray blueish color.

It was night, you were looking at the stars thinking about why everyone seemed to have problems with you, you don’t know for how long you were out there, lost in your mind, suddenly you hear a strong voice “nga sweylu ke lu out fìtseng” (you shouldn't be out here) you turn your head up and there was Tsu’tey looking at you like if you were one of the ugliest things out there, you give a desperate look, “lumpe lu nga fìtseng?” (why are you here?) you answer him, he gives you a growl narrowing his eyes and hissing at you, at that your ears go down in discomfort, and you give him your own hiss, if he was going to play like that, then you would as well, in response at your hissing, he crutches next to you and hoist you up by your arm with force, “you should, respect more, txanfwìngtu” (bastard) he growls at you.

You get pissed off because you were so tired of all this treatment, you look at him”skxawng” (Idiot), he growls and in response he drags you by your arm as if you were a naughty kid that had to be disciplined, he made you walk through the crowd of na’vi in the clan and took you to a private part of the clan where he throws you with little care, you hiss at the fall, you get up, but he beats you down again, and again when you try for second time, as you decide you had had enough, you grab onto his tail which makes him kick you, he falls with you in a ray of tangled limbs as you bit on his shoulder he gravs your braid and yanks you away from him, but you attack back like a wild cat, he punches you again the share force throwing you once again to the floor.

You growl in frustration, before you can press, he graves you by the hair and hoists you up throwing you to the corner, you yelp at the hit, and clearly once again on the floor, you flip to your back just in time as he holds you by the wrists and ties your wrists together, “what are you doing?!” you protest, “subduing you” he growls, not stopping to look at you in the eyes, once he had you tied up and ”subdued”, he steps back to look at you, you give him the best death stare you can manage to perform, which makes him smile in a cocky way, how much you hate him, that smile always made you want to claw his eye out, just to see him fall for once.

You start to wiggle to get free, but it's useless, the man tied the rope good enough to make it hard for you to untie yourself, "I'll be back you just have to be a good girl and I won't harm you more" he says, you hiss at him one last time, "do I have to put something over that mouth of yours so you stop doing that?" he growls, you roll your eyes in an attempt to be defiant to his clear power over you, "that is what I thought" he growls looking pissed off, with that he walks away leaving you tied in a corner.

Wile he was away, you didn’t stay put, you fought against your restraints, accidentally ting them tighter and going anywhere with it, you growl in frustration, you stop when you hear Tsu’tey’s voice at the distance, he came back with half of a Yovo fruit, you arch a brow at him, “I’m not a fucking bird tsu’tey, that will not do to satisfy the hunger” you growl at him, he leaves the food in front of you, “you should have behaved then” he replies in a serious tone, after he holds the fruit in front of you so you can eat it, you decide to bite him as well just to remind him how angry you are with him, he hisses and slaps you throwing your head to the side, making you yelp and biting your tongue in the presses, striking your tong out of your mouth so the stinging sensation fades away you feel his gaze boring to you, he growls one last time and power walks away.

After that you manage to fall asleep, only to be awakened some time later by tsu’tey yanking you up still with your wrists tied, he makes you walk out of the clans lands him walking right behind you, its middle of the night and no one sees you nor tsu’tey walking out, he makes you stop in front of a Pa’li, he picks you up by your armpits and pulls you up onto the beast's back, and after he connects his tswin to the beast and jumps on its back just behind you, holding to your hip so you don't fall he makes the beast gallop away from the clan lands, you have to lean back on him so you don't fall, and the simple act makes you despise everything, he is so close while the mount gallops your hips sway with his making it feel like if it were an intimate thing, “where are you taking me?” you ask but Tsu’tey doesn’t answer, grate, you don't know where he is taking you, you are tied up, and he is holding you by the waist like if you were lovers, after what seems an eternity you ask him again with no response, although you can feel him brooding on your back, “I’m hungry, and I’m tired” you say, “can you keep quiet” he finally snaps, “if you want me to shut up, I need food, sleep and information to where you are taking me” you snap back, he sighs like if you were the most insufferable thing in this world, “good luck buddy, I’m not happy as well” you feel his hand tighten on your hip “lean on me” he finally says while brooding, “what?” you say, he growls “I said lean on me and try to sleep” you look at your back to see he was the same man who was beating you up nothing more than 3 hours ago, you narrow your eyes, but you do as he says, and you lean on his shoulder, closing your eyes you drift off to sleep.

Tsu’tey wakes you up some time after, you look up trying to shake off your sleepiness, it happens very quickly when you are faced with the Ayram alusìng (Hallelujah Mountains), you blink several times, but they are still there, you glare at him feeling your rage and fear rising, Tsu’tey brought you to the Hallelujah Mountains at middle of the night, that is where the banshees where, what was he planning, he gets off the mount and then pulls you down leaving you in your feet, you were all but killing him with your stare, your eyes go to the mountains and then to your bound wrists, and in your mind you knew he was going to make you do something that you wouldn’t like.

#tsu'tey x reader #tsu'tey avatar #avatar #na'vi x reader #tsu'tey smut

[bonefall]

Ask Etiquette

HELLO sorry for the intimidating post lmao, I just need something to toss up on the masterpost because I feel bad deleting asks and then people will never really have an idea of why I never answered them

I get a ton of asks (usually anywhere from 10 - 20 a day!) and I'm not able to get to them all! I try to answer as many as possible but I'm still just one guy. So with that in mind, there are some sorts of asks I will simply not answer, and some 'requests' I have for people who send them in;

Please keep your asks short PLEASE try not to send me essays if you want a response; I still love reading them! But if you send me walls of text/analysis you are asking me to write a lot in response, which I'd rather spend on actually writing or designing cats. (On that note if you send a bunch of questions at once, the likelihood I respond goes down.)

Do not send me personal questions Listen... I'm a stranger on the internet. I'm overjoyed to see when my art connects with people and helps you realize things! But don't ask me sensitive questions like how to move out of your abusive parents' house!! PLEASE learn internet safety and get less comfortable with volunteering that kind of information to people you don't know!

Do not ask me personal questions you do not need to know what i study or where i work. get less comfortable asking these sorts of questions to queer people on the internet, especially when they talk openly about having previously been abused or stalked. (not that a person should even need to be as open about that as i am)

If I don't have a good response I won't answer Especially for suggestions I don't vibe with. I try to only say "No" if I have a particularly interesting "No" to talk about, if that makes sense! If I had to write a full explanation for every veto or idea I don't vibe with, this blog would be 90% what isn't in BB.

No AUs within the AU. "What if Hawkfrost survived his impalement? What if Firestar never joined? What if Tigerstar was never born?" Listen, buddy, you're creating an exponential distraction for possible ways the story could have gone and I'm not looking to write several essays for the literal hundreds of alternative ways Clan history could have been written. It takes you 5 words to ask "What if X never died" but it takes me paragraphs to answer. (This isn't about suggestions btw, I very specifically mean ppl asking hypotheticals for fun.)

Don't be rude. I feel like this should go without saying but please mind the parasocial gap. Especially if you're on anon, I don't know you, your backstory, or your cadence.

And, lastly, CLANMEW ASKS!!

I make a hard effort to get to everyone!! Those are published on Clanmew Day (WHICH IS NOW JUST GOING TO BE THE 30TH OF EVERY MONTH SO THAT IT'S LESS CONFUSING) but PLEASE understand I get a ton of them.

As I write this I have more than 26 tabs open of unanswered Clanmew asks, a lot more in my inbox, and 9 already in the queue. So that you understand the sheer volume of asks I have there.

If I didn't get to you that month, chances are that I'll get to you on the next, but please understand why I ask for folks to not re-send asks

So here's Clanmew-specific requests;

PLEASE just try a translation on your own first! Don't just send me raw lists of OCs to translate, give it a go first using the Lexicon, just so I can see you tried. I will happily and gladly make more specific words for you when I see you try!

When you send OCs you've translated, ask me for a new word at the end if you didn't already in your list. Just in case I can't think of a witty comment or a word suggestion, you will help me a lot

Please try to format with lists like this one Folks will send me double or triple-indented lists and it will take up my entire screen when they've only sent like, 5 names. Remember that posts you send to me go on people's dashes, be considerate please You can open a list like this by starting a new paragraph, typing -, and then an immediate space. Hold Shift + Enter to indent without adding another bullet.

If you could put "Clanmew" somewhere in your ask, like even if you open up with "Clanmew: Here is my question blah blah," it would help immensely I physically can't get to every ask I receive on Clanmew Day, so if you have "Clanmew" in your ask somewhere, it makes it a lot easier for me to find it when I can finally answer! I really wish Tumblr had ways to sort asks, but currently, I've just gotta make due with Cntrl + F.

#I currently have 900+ asks btw #Bone Babble #EDIT: See that 900+ number? It's now actually 1100+

[ghoststyles]

Fairway to Heaven - Part 7

You might wanna queue up Phoebe Bridgers for this one?

7.6K

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It’s been five whole weeks since Harry received Camille’s package. The brown box sits in the back of Harry’s office closet, burning a hole in the floor. He left all of the contents alone, except Oliver’s birth photo and a drawing, which are now in a picture frame on his desk.

The drawing, made of crayon and construction paper, is of a cat (or so he thinks) next to the Eiffel tower. In large, messy letters reads ‘Pierre’. When he zones out during his meetings, he looks at it, wondering if Camille has made any promises to Oliver about meeting Harry.

It’s not that he’s avoiding going to Paris. He’d leave tomorrow if it were up to him. Reopening this chapter of his life means a lifestyle change, not just for himself, but for Briar. She’s 24. No one should be thrown into a life where they’re suddenly a step-mom. She can’t even rent a car alone in America, for God’s sake.

They’ve danced around the topic; neither of them really knowing what to do. Briar tries to keep busy by working at the club and spending time at her campus’s library. Harry can’t help but feel her pulling away. He prays this uncertainty from her is in his head as he feels his 30 year old self-destruction return.

The door to his son is wide open. He wishes someone would just fucking shove him through.

~

Briar is staring staring off into space at Cafe Benito, waiting for Madison to arrive. She taps her foot nervously, making direct eye contact with everyone who enters. She feels sneaky and that Harry could walk in at any minute.

The short brunette enters the cafe moments later, directly locking eyes with Briar at the corner table.

“Hi, Briar! So nice to finally meet you in person,” she smiles warmly, sitting down in the seat across from her. Briar pushes an iced latte toward her, to which she smiles gratefully. “Your message was a little cryptic. What’s up? And why did you want to meet in person?”

Briar takes a deep breath as she stares at Harry’s assistant, a woman she’s talked with numerous times over the phone, but has never met.

“Without getting into too much detail, Harry is dealing with a personal issue, and I think he might need a little help. I wanted to get in touch with you, since you know his schedule and travel preferences.”

“Oh, sure, sure. What’s going on?”

“He needs to go to Paris for a bit. I’m not thinking too long. Maybe a month or so,” Briar sighs, looking off to the side. “But I know he’s so busy with work, it’s super hard.”

“Well, he and Niall just hired a new associate, so I feel like it wouldn’t be too hard. A lot of people take leaves of absences,” Madison smiles softly. “I’d say it’s been about 8 years since Harry took one. Not sure why. I had just started there as a temp.”

Briar has a hunch as to why he took time off. Nonetheless, she doesn’t dwell on it.

“Yeah, a leave of absence. I just don’t think he’ll do it on his own. Which is why I need your help. I’d like to arrange for him to travel there, maybe in two weeks. Does he fly commercial or take the jet?”

“Commercial for long-haul flights. He gets less freaked out over the ocean in the bigger planes,” she laughs. “I can book something using my company card and get reimbursed for it so he doesn’t suspect anything.”

“That sounds good. I say just pick a date, and I’ll make it work. Do you think you can slowly start clearing his calendar? Maybe decline recurring meetings one at a time. I’ll talk to Niall to make sure this is alright.”

The women discuss packing for him in secret, and ways to cover their tracks. As heart wrenching as this whole situation is, a rush of adrenaline hits Briar. She takes a sharp breath when Madison speaks up.

“Are you going to be joining him? I can make sure to get you the seats that lie down next to each other.”

Briar bites her lip as she feels her eyes droop sadly.

“No, this is just something he needs to take care of. I think it’ll bring on some personal growth.”

Madison nods, “Okay, no problem. Can I be honest with you?”

Briar sits up, nodding.

“Harry has been a new person since he met you. It’s like night and day. Before, he was a little scatterbrained. I think you bring a little stability to his life that he was missing.”

Briar’s heart could jump out of her chest. She quietly thanks Madison, scared of crying in the cafe.

“I could feel him slipping back into his old ways these past few weeks, so whatever he needs to go do, I hope it brings him back,” she places her hand lightly on Briar’s shoulder before standing up.

Briar hopes it brings him back, too.

~

A few days later, Briar heads to Harry’s house with Gus in what feels like the first time in forever. She feels like a stranger. They’ve texted here and there, but Briar is purposefully making herself busy and unavailable.

Maureen is out watering her plants along their shared fence when Briar drives up. Gus trots over to sniff her through the fence before promptly lifting his leg, nearly peeing on her. Maureen shrieks, dropping the hose and walking back to her house.

Briar laughs to herself before calling Gus back over. Gus barges into Harry’s house through his garage door like he owns the place. Briar follows him in, only to stop dead in her tracks at the site of his kitchen.

Harry is singing Elton John at the top of his lungs, placing cookies on a cooling rack. His oven is on and the counters are littered with bowls, plates and dry ingredients. She watches as he circles his hips, mixing the batter as he moves along.

“And I think it’s gonna be a long, long ti--,” Gus finally approaches Harry, to which he jumps when he feels his fur swipe his leg. “Birdie! What’re you doing here?”

She smiles, walking over to him to wrap her arms around his core. She slips her hands in the waistband of his sweatpants, making his gasp at how cold her hands are.

“Just miss ya, is all,” she smiles, closing her eyes. “What’s all this for?”

“I listened to a podcast and they mentioned doing something from your childhood that made you happy. So, I decided to make some cookies. Boxed recipe, of course,” he laughs, pointing to the slightly burnt desserts.

“That sounds like fun,” she scrunches her eyebrows, wondering what she’d pick. “I’d do a lemonade stand, I think.”

“Now we’re talking. Want to be my business partner?” Harry places the bowl down before lifting Briar onto the countertop. “I’ve missed you, baby. I’m so sorry I’ve been so in my head lately.”

Briar shrugs, not sure what to say. They kiss passionately for a few minutes, before Gus starts barking. They break the kiss, only to see Gus giving them the side eye near his food bowl.

“I fed you at home, hungry, hungry hippo!”

“Just give him some. He looks skinny,” Harry purses his lips as he walks to the pantry. He scoops a generous amount of food into the bowl, making Briar roll her eyes. The vet would say otherwise.

Her phone buzzes, signaling Madison sent Harry’s Paris itinerary. She quickly clears the notification, taking note of the departure date. Harry leaves in 8 days. Her stomach turns in anguish.

Harry guides Briar to his couch, bringing her to lay her legs across his lap. He’s staring dreamily into her eyes, but she can’t feel more disconnected to him. She knows how bad this situation is hurting him, and she doesn’t want him to move on without addressing these feelings.

Harry starts to dance his hands up her side, a clear pathway to getting in her pants. Her resolve remains strong.

“Let’s just talk, Harry,” she grabs his hand and puts it in his lap. “I feel like we haven’t been doing a lot of that lately.”

Harry nods, defeated, “I know. It’s just a weird situation that I don’t know how to navigate.”

“I agree, but that’s why we have to do it together,” she says, twisting the ring on his pointer finger. “How’s work? What’s been going on?”

“We just hired a new associate, so that should take some things off my plate. My calendar is surprisingly lighter. This might be a shift in the right direction. Or, Niall is silently pushing me out,” he chuckles.

Briar bites her lip. She has an animated face, and she doesn’t want her expression to give her secret away. Harry continues talking, so she assumes she’s in the clear.

Her conversation with Niall went well; he rolled his eyes at the idea of taking on more work, but he understands this is something Harry needs to do. His job is to play dumb at work and make Harry believe he is attending all of the same meetings. Madison even went as far as to make fake calendar invites.

“How’s your mom settling into California?” Harry asks after a beat of silence. Briar has to stop herself from groaning.

Weeks before, she drug her brothers to their childhood home to clear out junk. It was a cathartic experience; she hadn’t been there in years, but it felt like she never left. Her bedroom was the exact same; purple walls with zebra print accents. She found her pile of Littlest Pet Shop pets and Polly Pockets. It was like she was 5 again, sitting on the floor with her Dad, giving names to each pet and telling him their intricate backstories; lots of infidelity and long lost twins.

Even her oldest brother, Welles, and his new fiancee, Imani, came. He started off cold, but warmed up as they reminisced on their early days. Cormac sat quietly, unable to join in since he was just a baby at the time.

“I think she’s alright. The house is beautiful. Have you ever been to Montecito?”

Harry looks down, before nodding, “Yeah, that’s where Camille and I lived for a bit.”

“Oh. I see,” Briar says quietly.

“You should go out and see her. It really is one of the most beautiful places,” Harry says, rubbing her leg.

“Yeah, maybe,” she yawns. The pair chit chat for a bit longer, putting Briar’s mind at ease a little.

“Can you stay for a few days?” Harry asks, staring right into her eyes. “I-I can’t help but feel like I’m fucking everything up.”

This wakes Briar right up.

“H, no. I think I’ve just been trying to keep myself busy since the only thing that needs to happen now is,” Briar trails off. “You need to go to Paris.”

Harry closes his eyes. He can feel his heart hammering in his chest.

“I know,” he says quietly. “I’m just scared.”

Briar sits up, adjusting herself into a kneeled position. She grabs his hand, looking down.

“I know you are,” she inhales. “So, I made arrangements for you to go. You leave in 8 days.”

Briar feels like a ton of bricks land on her. She’s terrified to meet his eyes.

“W-what?”

Harry is stunned, feeling like all the air in his lungs left at once.

“I talked to Madison and Niall. Everything is set. You’re going to stay there for a month.”

He closes his eyes, processing what she’s saying. What about work? What about the two of them?

“I didn’t go as far as contacting Camille, so you’ll have to do that. But, I’m sure she can fit in some visits. Maybe at a park, to start,” Briar rambles. “You’ll probably have a lot of downtime.”

“A-are you not coming with me?” Harry asks, dumbfounded. His hands are trembling, waiting for her answer.

She shifts, not meeting his eyes, “No. Just you.”

Panic bubbles uncomfortably in his chest, “Birdie, please, I,” he trails off. “I can’t do that. No. No.”

“You can, and you’re going to. This is such a big moment for you, but I think you need to do it on your own,” Briar chokes out. Tears started to roll down her rosy cheeks. “You can call me any time. I’m sorry I had to do this so sneakily.”

He pulls her into his chest as he starts to cry. His heart is breaking knowing they’ll be separated for a month.

“Thank you,” he croaks. “You don’t understand how much this means to me. But I’m so gutted you aren’t coming.”

She sniffles, wiping her nose on his shirt. His chest bobbles up and down as the quiet cries take over him. She can’t help but feel like this is the end.

~

Harry sent Camille an email of his itinerary a few days prior to his departure. He profusely apologized for the last minute plans, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s eager, almost. But, maybe Harry is reading too far into her tone.

The family has a few activities throughout the month, but they can easily work around Harry’s time with Oliver. She even invited him to one of his football games.

Briar is sat on Harry’s bed as he looks through his suitcase one last time. He mentally checks off his toiletries, socks and underwear, not really paying any mind to his outfits.

He’s still in disbelief he’ll be on a leave of absence from work. It took a lot of convincing from Niall, but finally Harry gave in as Niall swooped him into a big hug. Harry made a list of books in his phone that he’d like to read, and museums he’d like to visit, since he hadn’t been to Paris in years. Hell, he’s barely had any free time at all.

“Are you gonna stay here while I’m gone?”

Briar’s head snaps up to look at Harry. She bites her lip, unsure how to answer.

“I think I’ll just stay at my apartment, if that’s okay,” she says quietly. Suddenly picking at her cuticles is more interesting than looking at Harry.

Harry’s heart sinks, but he understands. She didn’t ask to be part of this.

“I just don’t want to feel like the girl you have waiting for you at home.”

Harry shudders, but nods, “I get it. I want you to be comfortable. I drug you into this.”

“No, I offered to help. So I am. It’ll be okay. I just have to keep myself busy.”

Harry moves the suitcase from the bench at the foot of the bed to the floor. He looks at his folded clothes sadly and swallows thickly. He crawls to meet her on the bed, pulling her into the small spoon position. Harry starts to kiss the back of her neck, sucking a little longer as he moves under her jaw.

“Are you gonna send me lots of nudies?”

Briar inhales deeply, not missing a beat before replying, “No, you can watch porn.”

Harry gasps, “Briar Barlowe, I do NOT watch porn!”

“Mhm, sure,” she smiles to herself, still facing the other direction. “What do you even watch anyway?”

Harry thinks for a minute, wanting to have this conversation delicately, “I just try to support women in their pursuit to find lucrative job opportunities. Also known as fucking the housekeeper.”

“You are so full of shit,” she laughs.

“I like watching people fuck in the woods. And maybe almost get caught.”

Briar’s eyes scrunch closed as she giggles. That checks out, based on the number of times they’ve hooked up on the 14th hole.

“What do YOU watch, missy?”

Briar smiles, “hmmm. A lot of it we already do. But my new favorite is ‘free use’”

Harry’s stomach clenches, “That’s hot as fuck baby. You want me to just take you whenever I want? Wanna wear nothing but one of my shirts around the house?”

He continues kissing her neck as she moans out, “Yeah, daddy.”

“Wanna go downstairs and pretend to read your book? And I’ll be right there?”

Her heart races with excitement. This is just the distraction she needs. She peels herself away from him, but not before grabbing his crotch.

“Oi! Easy, Birdie.”

She scurries off to Harry’s sofa, peeling her panties and bra off as she goes. It’ll be like a scavenger hunt. She grabs a book from the shelf and positions herself on her stomach, knees bent and ankles crossed behind her in the air. The exposure feels cool against her wet cunt.

She flips to a random page, a smutty one of course. The character is pinned down, her partner kissing down her body with an ice cube in his mouth. She shivers, imagining Harry’s tongue swirling around her nipple with ice between his teeth.

She hears Harry coming down the steps. The trick to free use porn is to not say a word at first. Briar continues reading until she feels Harry come up behind her, his large hand grabbing her butt cheek and massaging it. She flips the pages, furrowing her brows and using her pointer finger to keep her spot exaggeratedly.

Harry pulls his cock out from his gym shorts and briefs before lining himself up and pressing into her. He keeps his thrusts short and shallow, not wanting to give her too much of a reaction.

Tiny gasps escape her throat, but she tries to keep her composure. For added fun, Briar starts to read her book out loud. Harry’s stomach clenches at the detail, wanting to do everything to his girl.

“‘Wrap your legs around me and tell me how much you like it, Nate says’,” Briar sighs out, slowly flipping the page. Harry has to bite his knuckle as not to cry out.

“I love reading, I wish my daddy read my naughty books with me,” Briar sighs, holding back a moan. “Oh my gosh, daddy? Is that you?”

She turns her head, a devious glint in her eyes.

“Ughn, keep reading your book, baby. Wanna hear your words.”

“‘Can you be a good girl and be quiet?’ Nate says, and I can finally start to feel his fingers under my skirt,” Briar reads out loud, her pussy clenching Harry’s cock deliciously.

Harry locks his jaw, smacking the book out of her hands. She gasps as he flips her over and starts to pound into her. He presses his hand into her bare chest for leverage. She throws her head back, a strangled cry falling from her lips.

“Love fucking you all the time, baby. Don’t know how I’m gonna live without this fucking pussy for a month,” Harry grits out.

In all their fun, it distracted Briar from the magnitude of their situation. Her mood shifts, and it’s like her cunt dried up immediately. Her heart is pumping from anxiety and not excitement. She cries out, her muted orgasm washing over her. She might as well have faked it.  

“Fffuck yes, baby. Gonna come now,” Harry grasps her cheeks with one hand, making her lips puff out like a fish. “Can you say, ‘I love you, Daddy’?”

“I wov you daddy,” she blubbers out, his hand making it difficult to enunciate.

Harry buries into her before dropping his body weight onto her and sticking his face in her neck as he pours into her, “Love you so much.”

She stares at the ceiling over his shoulder. Love fucking hurts sometimes.

~

On the day of Harry’s flight, he and Briar spend the whole day together. They got breakfast and took Gus for a walk around the public garden. Their pinkies are locked as they stroll past the once flowery oasis, spying piles of leaves on the ground.

“What’re you thinking about right now?” Briar asks.

“I’m not as nervous as I thought I’d be. I think I’m thinking of logistics. Like, if it goes well, what do we do? Do I fly to France a few times a year? I don’t think she’d let him come stay with me right away. Someone would have to fly back and forth with him,” Harry trails off, his pinkie cutting off the circulation of Briar’s.

“Well, there’s time to figure that out. It doesn’t have to be determined over night,” Briar says, leaning her head on his shoulder. Her heart has felt heavy all day. She tries not to let her feelings show on her face, because she knows Harry would back out. He has to do this.

“And I want to make sure you know where you fit in all of this. I know you haven’t said it, but I know your brain pretty well at this point,” Harry says, placing his thumb on her cheek as he turns to face her. “We’re partners. A team. I know you’re thinking you’re a burden. And you’re not; I value your input so much. Just need you to be patient with me.”

She nods silently, placing her head on his chest. Gus starts to pull on his leash toward a goose, so it stops her from crying.

“Augustus Theodore Barlowe-Styles!” Harry yells.

Briar looks at him wildly, “Um, when did that happen?”

Harry shrugs, “If you need me to sign a fake paper, I will. But I am his dad.”

Briar bites her lip, looking the other direction so Harry can’t see the pain on her face.

They continue on, returning to the car about an hour later. Harry has a parking ticket, to which he grumbles to himself. Briar laughs, snapping a photo of him holding the bright orange paper.

They return home to put Gus away and wait for the driver. Harry arranged for a driver to pick them up so they can say their goodbyes the whole drive. When the black Escalade pulls into the driveway, silent tears start to blur her vision. The man grabs Harry’s luggage and opens the door for Briar to get in.

They sit so close together, not even a sheet of paper can fit between them. He grasps her hand for dear life, not willing to let go first. The drive to the airport is excruciating, so Harry just peppers kisses in Briar’s hair, taking in long whiffs of her scent.

“I can’t thank you enough, Birdie,” Harry starts. “A month will go by in no time.”

Briar breathes in deeply, a lump forming in her throat, “Just a month.”

“Just a month.”

They sit in silence, basking in the physical feeling of one another. Harry leans down to kiss her as they pull into the terminal. It deepens, Harry gently swiping his tongue through her lips. The car comes to a stop, so Briar breaks apart. Harry feels a pang in his heart.

Briar starts to cry, a tiny sniffle escaping her. She can’t bring herself to look at him.

“I don’t want to go yet, but I have to, baby.”

She nods, squeezing her eyes shut. Her grip on his t-shirt is so tight, her hands are shaking.

“I love you, Birdie, so much. Just bear with me, please. Whatever you’re feeling…Call me. Text me. We’re in this together.”

Harry grips her thigh before opening the car door. She shuffles out after him, the bright lights of the terminal blinding her. The driver is taking Harry’s luggage from the trunk, so the two of them stand at the hood of the car in a tight embrace.

Briar’s tears are dampening Harry’s favorite Kendrick Lamar ‘DAMN.’ hoodie. He looks so soft and comfy. His hair is freshly washed, the smell of the citrus shampoo taking over their embrace.

The AirFrance attendants take his luggage away, so he only has to worry about his trusty suede duffel bag. He places one last long kiss on Briar’s forehead and pulls away. Their hands are interlocked, but don’t separate until the last second.

Harry grabs his duffel bag before sadly following the attendant inside. Briar stands still, watching him through the glass windows until he’s at the escalator. Harry presses a kiss to the pads of his three fingers before turning his hand to face her. She reaches up, pretending to grab the stray kiss, tears still falling rapidly.

“Whenever you’re ready miss,” the driver’s soft voice breaks her train of thought. She looks over at him in acknowledgement.

When she looks back to the escalator, he’s gone. Briar sobbed the whole ride home.

~

“I can’t be a step-mom, Caroline. I’m fucking 24 years old!” Briar grasps at her hair as she’s sat at brunch. She didn’t sleep for a single minute after dropping Harry off. She paced her apartment, ready to send the most Earth-shattering text to Harry.

He couldn’t have been sweeter to her. He paid for in-flight wifi so he could text her throughout. He watched movies he thought she’d like, and rated his meals. He was a fan of the yogurt parfait but not the chicken milanese. He let her know there was a woman with a young baby sat next to him, so he offered to hold the baby while she used the restroom. Briar’s heart hurt at the last part.

“Well, maybe you don’t have to be all that involved, anyway. The kid lives in France, for Christ’s sake. You could be like Luke and Lorelai in Gilmore Girls.”

Briar stares at her, bewildered, “They broke up because of the secret kid, Caro.”

“You’re right! But they found each other in the end.”

She rolls her eyes at her friend’s inability to read the room. She’s too absorbed in her new bartender boyfriend to care about anyone else now.

Briar hasn’t heard from Harry in a few hours, but she assumes it’s because of the time difference. The waiter appears, asking if the girls would like more mimosas.

“Keep them coming, please,” Caroline smiles. He nods before disappearing into the back. She looks back at Briar. “Can’t you just hold on for two weeks? That way, he’ll have a better idea of how he can manage it all, and then you can decide.”

She’s right. Briar hasn’t even given it a fighting chance; she’s just always trusted her gut and it’s always worked out. The complexity of the situation scares her.

“You’re right. I don’t even know if they’ve met yet. I’ll relax a little, I guess. How’s Max?”

Caroline nods, giving Briar a side hug, “We’re good. Taking it slow. He got out of a long relationship not long ago, too. I’m really happy, Bri.”

Briar smiles, “I’m so glad. You deserve it. I’ll try to cross paths with him a little more at Wynnewood. Does this mean you’re moving back here any time soon?”

Caroline laughs, breaking the yolk on her eggs Benedict, “Probably. I’m already sick of my parents’ house. It’s weird not knowing anyone in your town as an adult.”

Briar looks down at her phone when she feels it start to vibrate.

🦊: Are you busy?

She puts her phone in her purse so she can focus on her friend. She’ll call him later.

“I get that. Have you met anyone at the gym or anything? Maybe you can start teaching spin again,” Briar suggests. Caroline juts her lip out.

“Maybe. It’s a commitment, though.”

“Might be good for you. Think about it.”

The girls wrap up, and part ways. If there’s one thing the two of them go hard or go home for, it’s brunch. Briar decides to grab an Uber since she had a few mimosas.

The driver arrives, but he furrows his brow when she gets in.

“For Harry?”

Fuck. She’s using his account, not hers. She nods, not really wanting to disclose that it’s her boyfriend’s account. Her phone vibrates again.

🦊: Where are you going? Call me if you’re heading home.

“Fuck,” she curses under her breath. Leaning her head against the window, she lets the glass cool her now warm forehead. Harry gets pinged when his credit card is charged.

She dials his contact, about to give up until he answers on the third ring.

“Hi, Birdie. What’re you up to?”

She can’t quite read his tone.

“Hi. Not much, just got done grabbing brunch with Caroline,” she looks out the window. “H-how’s it going over there?”

“Everything here is good. I landed in the morning, obviously, checked into my hotel, and then I met up with Camille and Oliver at a park close by. It was surreal, honestly,” Harry says, putting his free hand on top of his head. “It went really well. Better than I could’ve imagined.”

Briar smiles, finally feeling genuine about this whole situation. She could cry knowing that little boy will finally get to know his father. And she knows he’ll never skip out on him from this point on.

“I’m so glad, H. Really. I bet you’ll have so much fun the rest of the time you’re there. Will you be able to have him by yourself, do you think? Or does Camille want to be there for the first couple visits?”

“I think I will, eventually, yeah. She just wants to make sure he’s comfortable, y’know? But, from what I can tell, he’s already perfectly comfortable.”

“That’s great. Maybe there’s an activity you can do together,” Briar says, but pauses. “Honestly I’m not sure how French children spend their time. Eating cheese?”

Harry laughs, pacing his hotel room. He hasn’t been this anxious with Briar on the phone since their first call.

“From what I can tell, it’s a lot of play dates. The thing is, kids are allowed to just ‘be’ here. I feel like American kids have to be occupied at all times. It was cool to see his imagination play out. Even though we only had a football with us. He got really creative with it.”

“Anyway, I miss ya, Birdie. How’s Caroline? Is she still with Max?”

“Miss you too, so much. Gus does too. I don’t take him for runs like you do. And Caro is good. Still with Max,” she says as she fumbles out of the Uber.

“Thank you!” She says to the driver.

“You home already?”

“Yeah, walking up to the door. Sorry I accidentally used your account,” Briar says sheepishly.

“Don’t apologize, my love. Charge whatever you need to on my card.”

“Thanks. I’m gonna take Gus for a walk. I love you. I’m glad you had a good day. Remember to send pictures,” she smiles leaning on her door frame.

“Love you, Birdie. Have a good night.”

“Bye. Sleep well,” she says quietly.

She starts to cry again, maybe from the alcohol. She’s happy for him. Really. But she can’t help but feel this gnawing in her soul.

~

“Olivier! Viens ici s'il te plait,” Camille calls out.

Harry is rusty at French, not needing to use it in years. Nonetheless, his boy drops the toy in his hand and enters the kitchen.

For their visit today, they’re at Camille and Theo’s countryside home. Theo took their daughter for a walk to give them space. Harry didn’t request for Theo to make himself scarce, but he appreciates the gesture.

“Harry va t'emmener chercher une crêpe. Est-ce que ça sonne bien?”

The little boy nods. Harry is translating in his head. He only recognizes is his name and une crêpe.

Even though Camille is hesitant, the crêperie is around the corner in the small town. They’d be gone for half an hour max.

“Does that sound good, mate? What flavor are you going to get?”

Oliver looks puzzled, and stares at his mom. She nods her head, “Anglais, Olivier.”

“Oweo,” he says quietly. Harry learned Oliver has a small speech impediment they’re working through. He’s made great strides throughout the school year.

“I might get that, too. Ready to go?”

The boy nods, and they both stand to head to the front door. Camille waves them off from the window.

Harry feels like a deer in headlights. Should he hold his hand?

Oliver starts to walk on the gravel road, to which Harry switches positions with him so he’s in harms way if a car were to swerve at them.

Alright, he thinks. That was fatherly.

Oliver reaches his small hand to grab Harry’s, and he feels his heart lurch in his chest. It’s so small, Oliver holds onto his pinky. He smiles, thinking of Briar.

They walk a bit longer, Harry listening to Oliver ramble on about 100 topics. He smiles and nods largely, encouraging him to keep talking. The crêperie comes into view, so they enter the shop to meet a cheery older woman.

“Olivier! Bonjour mon coeur!”

Oliver hides behind Harry’s leg and peeps out, "Bonjour mademoiselle Celine.”

“Good morning. We’d love to have two Oreo crêpes, please. I’ll also take a cappuccino.”

“Of course, sir. Tout pour mon client préféré,” she giggles, looking at the boy. Judging by their mischievous smiles, he can tell Oliver is a regular here.

“Merci.”

They sit at a small table outside on the packed patio. Oliver sits on Harry’s lap, since there is only one chair. Oliver points out birds and starts to recite the alphabet backwards for Harry.

“Parles-tu français?” the woman next to them asks.

“Not much, honestly,” Harry laughs.

“Is this your son?”

“Oh, he’s n—,” Harry stops himself. “Yes. Yes, this is my son, Oliver.”

His heart is beating out of his chest. He’s so used to not claiming his niece when he takes her out.

“Beautiful. You look like twins,” she smiles before going back to reading her book.

“Merci,” Harry smiles.

The waiter brings their crepes and Harry’s drink. He pulls his phone out for a quick selfie of the two of them, Oreo crumbs messy around their mouths. He sends it to Briar, knowing it’s the middle of the night.

“Who is that girwl?” Oliver asks, spying Harry’s screen saver. His little accent makes Harry smile.

“That’s my girlfriend, Briar. Maybe one day you’ll get to meet her. Do you want to see her silly puppy, Gus?”

“Yeah!”

Harry shows Oliver tons of videos he’s taken of Gus and photos of himself and Briar. They enjoy their time looking at pictures and singing some of the songs he’s learned at school. The two walk home together, hand in hand.

Harry doesn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.

~

It’s noon before Briar finally wakes up on her day off. Gus is well past his puppy years, so he’ll sleep as long as she’ll let him. She leashes him up, opting to not bring her phone and take in the sunshine.

She misses being able to let him out back at Harry’s, but she deals with it. They walk and Gus sniffs around for about an hour before they make their way home. She pulls her phone on the charger to find a few texts from Harry.

🦊: Awake yet, lazy bones?

🦊:  Went for crêpes. Just the two of us.

🦊: I already feel so comfortable hanging with him, Bird. I wish you were here 🖤

There are several hours in between texts, so she doesn’t rush to reply.

🐥: Two cute guys! I’m so happy for you. Wish I was there too.

She lies.

Gus lays down, so Briar immediately heads outside with her headphones. She hasn’t taken a run in weeks, but she wants her heart to hammer in her chest from exercise, not anxiety. She’s never told Harry she runs, in fear of him dragging her for long distances. She prefers to run to a coffee shop and then walk back.

Main street comes into view once she finds a good rhythm. She’s listening to Clouds by One Direction, so her pace is quick. She passes Lululemon moms with their babies in strollers and designer dogs in tow, giving tight lip smiles.

Her favorite cafe is on her right, so she stops to stretch and even out her breathing before going in. The guy at the counter welcomes her asking what she’d like to drink.

“Can I have an iced green tea with just a pump of sweetener and a lemon?”

“Sure, coming right up,” he winks.

She sits at the counter to get off her feet.

“This might be weird, but I think you’re in one of my business classes.”

Briar cocks her head to look at him. They all have to have profile photos since it’s online. She finally recognizes him. Spencer.

“Oh, yes! Spencer, right? I’m Briar,” she reaches out to shake his hand gently.

“Yep, good memory. Are you almost done with your paper?”

Briar smiles, “Nope, haven’t even started outlining.”

“Okay, good. At least we’re on the same wavelength.”

He hands her the drink and waves her off when she tries to give him her card, “No worries, it’s on me. Let me know if you want to meet up and study some time.”

He walks swiftly into the back. He wrote his number on the cardboard sleeve surrounding the drink. Nervousness bubbles in her stomach.

🦊: Heading back to the hotel. Let me know if you’re free.

She reads Harry’s text. Re-reads it. Re-reads it again. Then she shoves her phone in her sports bra before sprinting out of the cafe.

Her music resumes at full volume, this time, Kiss You comes on. She smiles trying not to sing out loud for everyone to hear.

She makes it home in record time, running straight to the bathroom to shower. She continues playing her music, only to be interrupted by a call. She squints from across the bathroom to see the familiar fox emoji on the screen. She waits for it to go to voicemail before belting out the lyrics to Steal My Girl. Briar isn’t sure why she’s avoiding him. It’s only been 3 days. They have a long time to go.

She finishes her shower, taking the time to moisturize and do her skincare routine. Once she’s in her robe, she settles in her bed to call Harry back.

“‘Lo?”

“Hi,” She says quietly. “Did I just wake you up?”

“Yeah, but it’s okay. I think I fell asleep at 4pm,” he chuckles. “How is your day?”

“Good, I slept in and then went for a run, actually.”

“A run? How come you’ve never gone on one with me?” Harry is sort of offended.

Briar laughs, a genuine one, “‘Cause I was scared you’d make me run for miles. I like to run and get coffee or tea and then walk back.”

Harry hums, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt. He’s not sure what else to say to her.

“Can we FaceTime? Wanna see your pretty face,” Harry says.

“Mhm,” Briar switches to FaceTime in one swift motion.

“Hi, pretty,” Harry says, his eyes lighting up.

“Hi, handsome. Looks like you already need a haircut,” she laughs.

“I know, I totally spaced getting one before I left. Although, I didn’t know I was leaving.”

Briar is quiet before asking, “How was your day with Oliver? That’s great you got some time alone with him.”

Harry beams as he tells her all the things Oliver has shown and talked to him about. He told her how natural everything feels, even so soon after officially meeting him.

“So, did Camille explain to him who you are?” Briar asks delicately.

“Yeah, but he hasn’t called me Dad or anything, yet. Papa, in French, I guess. She gave him all of my cards every year. She’s shown him pictures,” Harry yawns. “But I don’t think she ever told him the history, of course. Always said ‘maybe one day. Ultimately, Theo is raising him. That’s a bond I won’t try to interfere with. I trust him.”

“That’s good. I know I keep saying it, but I’m so happy for you,” Briar smiles softly.

“Thanks, Bird. You look awfully comfy,” Harry smirks. “Whatcha got under that robe, lovie?”

“C’mon, not now, H,” Briar blows him off.

A confused look flashes over his face, but it quickly fades.

“What? Why not?”

“I just — You’re there to see your son. I just feel weird calling and doing all this,” Briar admits.

“But it’s okay to call me while I’m on a work trip and get me riled up?” His head cocks to the side, eyebrows furrowed.

“T-that’s different.”

“How?” His nostrils flare out. “It’s not like I have Oliver here with me.”

“I don’t know, it just is. Don’t be like this, please,” she pleads.

“Okay…?” he draws out. Suddenly, her flaky behavior is not in his head. “Um, I guess I’ll let you go then. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They both hang up with newly formed pits in their stomachs.

~

Harry woke up bright and early on day 11, getting ready to watch Oliver’s football game. They spent the last few days apart so he could visit his grandparents in the south of France.

Harry spent each day the same way; eating at a cafe, reading the newspaper, taking his French Duolingo lesson, and then hitting a museum or a park before ordering room service. Sometimes a call with Briar fits in there.

Harry smiles at the thought of his mum and sister meeting him. Gemma’s daughter, Hattie, is only a year older than Oliver. He can picture them running around in the backyard on a summer day, jumping in and out of the pool, ice lollies staining their faces.

He’s getting ahead of himself. He visibly shakes his head back and forth to focus.

Grabbing it off the side table, he looks at his phone. It’s 1AM at home, so he wonders if Briar is still awake.

🦊: Hi, Birdie. Still awake?

Briar is 5 episodes deep into Jersey Shore when her phone vibrates. Gus stirs, wondering why she’s disturbing him. Doing the math in her head, she realizes it’s 7AM in Paris.

🐥: Morning 🤍 I’m just watching TV

He doesn’t bother replying, and opts to call.

“Hi,” she says quietly, grabbing the remote to pause the TV. The tension over the last few days have been rough, and Briar knows it’s her fault. Her cold feet about going all in with Harry has consumed her. She’s been dodging his calls, calling back hours after he tries to initiate contact.

“What’re you doing up so late, baby girl?”

His gruff morning voice gives her chills. She misses his soft speaking voice gently rousing her from sleep in the mornings.

“Watching classic American television,” she laughs softly. “What’re you doing up so early?”

“I was invited to watch Oliver’s football games today. Camille’s parents will be there too, so it’ll be nice to see them.”

Briar grimaces to herself. Will it? Those people left him high and dry as much as Camille did.

“That’s nice. Were you close with them?”

“Yeah, her dad and I bonded over vintage cars and watches. And her mum is very sweet.”

Briar hums. After a while, Harry speaks up.

“You’d tell me if something was wrong, right, Birdie?”

She freezes. He’s onto her.

“Yes,” she starts off slow and questioning. “Why do you say that?”

“Not sure. It might be me. Just feeling like we’re a bit off.”

“I’m not a long distance person. You know that,” she lies. Again.

“I know that. This isn’t a long distance relationship, though,” Harry replies.

Briar opts for silence. Again.

“I need words, baby. This is never going to work if you’re not honest with me.”

She closes her eyes, “I just don’t think it’s going to work at all, Harry.”

There it is. The breaking point. The atomic bomb. The earthquake that destroys 100 cities.

Harry covers his eyes with his hand. He’s so shaky he can barely stand. A highlight reel of their time together flashes through his mind. The high highs and their few and far between lows. He’s never in his life felt so tied to another human being before. Not even his son, whom he’s just getting to know.

“You don’t mean that,” Harry presses. His heart is racing so fast it’s all he can hear.

“I don’t fucking know, Harry,” a cry explodes out of her chest. “This feels like too much, too soon.”

Harry clenches his teeth and balls his fists, “No. No, Briar. This isn’t how this is going to go.”

“Why do you get to dictate everything? This is a big fucking deal, Harry. I can’t see where I fit into this, so I’m taking myself out of it.”

“No! Baby, please. Please just wait until I’m back. There’s gonna be a plan, and I’m sorry I don’t have that for you right now. I’m so fucking sorry. Don’t do this to me. Please,” his voice breaks, exaggerated wheezing leaving his chest.

Briar holds the phone away from her ear, unable to listen to the begging. She’d cave immediately.

“I’ll fly you out. Right fucking now. Drive to the hangar and get on the fucking plane,” he seethes. 

She shakes her head, even though he can’t see her. 

“Get on the fucking plane, Briar,” the anguish in his voice shatters her heart into a million pieces. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Briar clicks off hastily. She feels like the most heartless person in the world. Violent sobs take over as she leans down to rub her face in Gus’s fur.

“Fuck, fuck, ffuck, fuck, fuck!” Harry yells. He starts to punch into the pillow on the bed, slamming his fist over and over again.

With shaky hands, he texts Camille that something came up and he’ll see them tomorrow instead. Harry crumples to the floor, feeling like he could vomit. His phone buzzes, hoping--praying-- it’s Briar. 

Harry, that’s not how this is going to work. You’re either in, or you’re out.

C

“Fuck!”

_________________________________________________

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[jewish-culture-is]

Shalom!! Welcome to @jewish-culture-is, a blog dedicated to celebrating, talking about, and occasionally complaining about jewish culture! This blog receives submissions in the form of both asks and submissions, and operates on a queue system. Currently, the queue is set to post four times a day.

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if anything that isn't a jewish culture post is submitted and I feel it should be posted anyway, or if I make a post on this blog that isn't a jewish culture thing, it'll be tagged with #not jewish culture. important blog related things will also be tagged with #important

check out @jewish-vents and @trans-jewish-culture-is for more jewish content; I would prefer if you sent your vents to jewish-vents, and will probably stop posting them here because of the existence of that blog. thank you!

feel free to send me cat (or any other pet) pictures! all pet pictures even if they aren't cats will be tagged with #cats, and then their respective animal if they aren't actually cats (:

thank you for being here, and reading this far! shalom!!

#jewish culture is #pinned post #not jewish culture #important

[da-proti-toku-grem]

@thegengarprincess sent me an ask tonight with a moodboard for Jan and Jure going on a date to the beach and I LOVED the idea so I literally stopped writing a kiss prompt and ran to write this instead :)

I'm writing this at 2am and queueing it for the morning lol. I don't think I'll post this one on ao3, but idk...I'll see when I wake up I guess

It's very short, basically just fluff/crack and them being silly boys in love hehe, enjoy :3

If Jan was being honest, he wasn't much of a fan of the beach. Not that he hated it, but he simply preferred to stay at home or go for a walk in the woods.

That being said, that didn't mean he was strong enough to resist Jure's puppy eyes and cute pout when he asked if they could go together.

So that's where he found himself right now, lying on a towel on the sand, propped up on his elbows, watching from the distance as his boyfriend ran into the sea.

Jan simply stared at him, watching how his blond, wet hair stuck to his face, how his eyes as blue as the sea and his big smile adorned his face with what could only be described as pure contentment, how the sun seemed to accentuate each of the thousands of freckles that decorated the drummer's body, how the muscles under his arms moved as he swam, how–

Yes, Jan really should stop himself before making a scene in the middle of a public beach.

Not that there were many people – given that it was Tuesday and the vacations hadn't arrived yet – but he really didn't want to have to deal with people's stares for getting hard watching Jure swimming from afar.

So he opted for the best option he could think of: taking a nap in the sun.

He took off the shirt he was still wearing, keeping only his swimming trunks and sunglasses on, and lay back down on his back on the towel.

Jan was about to fall asleep, his mind slowly drifting off to the world of dreams, feeling the pleasant warmth of the sun's rays on his skin, when he was suddenly startled to feel a cold, soaked figure lying on top of him.

A certain tall, blond, slender-figured boy who called himself his boyfriend, who had jumped on top of him and wrapped him in his arms happily shouting "Janči!", to be more specific.

“What the fuck, Maček?!” exclaimed Jan, his hands immediately trying to push him away.

Jure, on the other hand, acting like the actual cat he was, just clung to him. “What? Can't I just hug my boyfriend?” He asked, not letting go of Jan for a second.

“Jure you are fucking cold! And wet!”

“And? I'm failing to see the problem here,” Jure teased.

Just as Jure raised one of his arms to brush a strand of hair out of his face, the black-haired man took the opportunity to grab his arm, rolling him onto his back and straddling his hips, putting his arms over his head in one swift motion.

“I caught you, you sneaky little cat,” said Jan, smilling triumphantly.

“Oh no! What am I going to do now?” replied Jure dramatically.

“Well, as you may know... Bad kittens deserve some punishment,” Jan smirked.

Jure's smile slowly faded away as the realization of what was about to happen kicked in. “Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes,” the guitarist declared as his hands began to roam all over the blond's body, tickling the places where he knew he was most sensitive, making him squirm under him, pleading for him to stop.

“I'll stop, I'll stop, I promise, please Janči, please stop it,” he managed to get out between giggles.

“You promise?”

“Yeah, yeah, I promise, please.”

“... Okay,” he said, finally stopping the tickling.

As Jure tried to recover from his "punishment", the younger spoke up again.

“Aren't you pretty like th-” he started, but was quickly interrupted by Jure, who rolled them on the spot once again and positioned himself between Jan's legs.

“Like what?” he smirked.

“Mmm... I think I like this too,” Jan said, wrapping his legs around Jure's waist and cupping his face between his hands gently. "My cute little kitten.”

“Meow,” purred Jure, making Jan chuckle again before closing the distance between them with a soft, tender kiss.

#let's ignore the fact that i (as someone who lives 5min walking away from the beach) forgot about the fact that slovenia doesn't have that - #- many beaches and they probably have to make a long trip by car to go there but it's not really important lol #joker out #jan peteh #jure maček #jan/jure #the two kitties of joker out <3 #< don't mind me that's my tag for them hshshs #mine #maca writes

[fuckitwebhaal]

Shit wait why you leaving what happend

😭 Nothing horrible, oops, I realize how bad that last post sounds. Ultimately it’s burnout, both with the game and tumblr and within my own personal life. I don’t really play BG3 anymore, I have a lot of criticisms about it, and I find myself feeling isolated from the fandom due to either disagreeing with popular fanon or just not relating to content going around.

This blog has started to feel like a chore to maintain; I stress when my queue gets low because it feels like I have to perform to keep my little followers and mutuals happy, and that’s not healthy. I’ve been through a lot in the past few months in my personal life (moving in with parents, lost my apartment deposit, constantly sick, wrecked my car, my cat died, etc.) and I just don’t get the same joy out of it. Instead I’m stressed over “falling behind” or “not producing enough content” which isn’t normal or healthy for me. I’m holding myself to standards about playthroughs and oc lore and meta content that I’m just… never going to have the energy or drive to do.

This isn’t because some followers or mutuals have made me feel this way, these are my own personal sentiments borne out of extreme depression, withdrawal, and anxiety over how my TUMBLR BLOG WAS DOING when I have quite literally been putting out fires in my personal life and that’s where my attention should have been (and should still be, I’m not out of the woods yet).

Another thing is that the burnout with bg3 has turned my attention over to the pathfinder games that Owlcat studios has made, and I absolutely love them and I find them more engaging and well-made. It’s a much smaller fandom, I feel like I have a lot more breathing room, so I may switch to either moving my pathfinder blog here or dropping this one entirely as a memorial to my time in BG3.

Regardless nothing is set in stone, I haven’t made any real decisions yet, but I think the end is on the horizon for me in the bg3 sphere. I love everyone I’ve met and I intend to stay in contact with people (I’m not dying or going away, my discord is still open lol) I’m just really, really tired.

#askbox #personal

[heartstringsduet]

I should really make a new banner because who the fuck am I kidding? Have some of chapter 6 of First Aid. thanks for tagging me lovelies @strandnreyes @carlos-in-glasses @carlos-tk @alrightbuckaroo @lemonlyman-dotcom @liminalmemories21 @freneticfloetry @ladytessa74 @sznofthesticks - I'm making it through your posts slowly and queueing them up.

Carlos beckons him closer with a tilt of his wrist and two crooked fingers. 

Once TK comes over onto the mat, hips swishing like he’s a cat deigning to give him attention, Carlos swallows at the sight and instructs, “Put me in a headlock.”

TK pulls a face. “You don’t want that. I’m sweaty.”

“I can handle a bit of sweat.” Carlos makes a point of dragging his eyes down to where his mouth has been many times before. “Come on.”

Carlos leans down like TK might feel more confident to put his arm around his neck but TK still looks unsure. 

“I’m not just saying this to get you to suck me off in the changing rooms later,” TK starts, “but holding you down is pretty much an impossibility. Your body is kind of a beef machine.”

Open tag since so many have done it already. Please tag me back so I see <33

#michelle writes #first aid #tarlos #tarlos fic #seven sentence sunday #tg

[karniss-bg3]

Hey guys, hope you're doing well.

I apologize for being quiet/less active lately. I've hit a bit of a creative wall where I'm feeling the bite of burnout and it's been a struggle to write anything I can feel good about. My cat has also gotten sick which has resulted in a mad dash to the vet and a great deal of worrying on my end. She is fine for the moment which is a relief but the bill that came attached right before the holidays has added a new layer of stress. It will all work out but the events compound one another and it has tossed my mind into a vast, bleak fog.

For this reason I'll not be accepting new writing prompts for the time being. The ask box will remain open for all other inquiries/comments. I suspect the earliest I'll reopen writing requests is early next year after things have settled down. I do still have a few prompts to address so folks may see writing still pop up here as I move through the queue.

I know I often thank people for their support but I do want to delve into that a bit deeper. I never expected much from this blog when I first started it. I figured it would just be a depository for my ravenous Kar'niss obsession so I wouldn't flood followers on my primary blog with material they didn't sign up for. Instead it's morphed into a little haven for fellow drider enjoyers to congregate and discuss amongst their peers. From theorycrafting to praising their favorite Absolute loving arachnid, this spot became so much more than I ever imagined. Three-hundred plus followers later I still see the enthusiasm thrust into the comments and tags for a character that deserved more than he got.

Fandom can be beautiful and it can be ugly. Just like any community, it's subject to the flaws of its contributors. I am happy to say that, by and large, I've bore witness to more beauty than anything else and it's part of what has made this journey special to me. I am not Kar'niss, I don't work for Larian Studios, I am just a guy who gravitated toward a character I felt I could relate to and I ran with it. I am by no means a world class writer, merely someone who enjoys the art of storytelling. I am proud I was able to enrich an already bustling community with my little blurbs of text and I hope to continue to do so in the future.

So when I say thank you for your support I mean it. This has been some of the most fun I've had over the last two months and it is because of your passion and willingness to reach out. Hype comes and goes and I don't expect Kar'niss to be at the forefront of someone's mind forever. Should the day come that the devoted screams fade into hushed whispers I will still look back on my time here with great fondness. All of you are wonderful and I wish you nothing but good fortune for the end of this year and all throughout the next. Thanks for sticking with this old fart.

Have a fantastic holiday everyone!

#kar'niss #update #writing prompts are closed #Adrian gets sentimental at seven a.m.

[late-to-the-party-81]

He who Lovescraft loves loudest

AN: Here is my contribution to Stucky Halloween. I don’t really do true scary things, so I went a bit of a different route.

Big thanks go to @greekgeek24 for organising the event and making not only the cover for this fic, and for all the fics that are being entered, but also for the custom bonus image she made for me to share with you guys - you'll find it at the end.

Another big thanks goes to @zenaidamacrouras1 for beta-ing and giggling along to this silly story.

This story also fills Square O2 of my @stuckybingo card - Eldritch Horror as well as the October challenge prompt - Haunted House, and Square B3 on my @steverogersbingo card - Himbo Steve.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Summary: There’s some scary goings-on around campus. Several students have ended up in hospital, traumatised by something they’ve seen. Bucky, Steve, Sam, Nat and Alpine decide to investigate. Will they discover what’s going on and more importantly, will Bucky get lucky with Steve?

Relationships: Cap Quartet friendship, Steve x Bucky, FWB Nat x Sam.

Word Count: 6k

CW: College AU (all are late teens/early 20’s), kissing, groping, suggestive language, Bucky is constantly horny, Steve is a bit of a himbo, Nat has Sam right where she wants him, Scooby-doo inspired, crack treated seriously, cartoon style slapstick, Alpine is obviously the heroine, recreational drug usage (it goes without saying that in real life you should not have your cat inside your hotbox....)

It was quiet and peaceful in the library until Sam and Nat burst in. Steve had said he wanted to study, but Bucky had managed to convince him, as easily as usual, that making out would also be a good use of their time. 

Bucky was straddling his boyfriend's sinfully muscular thighs, arms wrapped around his neck, enjoying the feel of Steve’s lips against his own. Enjoying the way Steve’s tongue was snaking its way into his mouth. Enjoying the way both of their partially chubbed up cocks were pressed against each other through their layers of clothes.

It was in the back of his mind that it would probably be relatively easy to convince Steve to abandon the library altogether for the soft bench seats in the back of his van and a lot less clothing. However, that’s when the other two appeared.

Nat, making a statement with her skin tight purple jeans and matching top, threw her bag down onto the table and slumped into the nearest uncomfortable wooden chair, all the while making gagging sounds. Bucky pulled away from Steve with a sigh, sliding back onto his own chair. Steve chased his lips for a few seconds before realising why Bucky was no longer kissing the shit outta him. He blushed and immediately turned back to his books, pointlessly trying to make it look as though that was what he’d been doing all along.

“I don’t even know why you two even bother coming to the library to study,” Sam teased, smoothing out his orange turtleneck. “One of these days Mrs. Parker is gonna catch you and throw you out. That’s if she doesn’t throw you out for smuggling your cat in.” 

Bucky spun his chair around, planted his feet in Nat’s lap and tilted his head back to seeSam pointing at Bucky’s backpack. As if on queue, a small, white, furry head popped out of the open zipper.

“Mrow.” Bucky reached out his hand to scritch the top of her head and she started to purr.

“Nah. Mrs P loves Alpine. Who do you think gave my princess a taste for fresh cooked chicken? And she loves me too, especially after I helped her nephew study for his mechanics exam. Doc Octavious gave Peter an A. ”

“I don’t know how you do it, man,” Sam grumbled. “You never seem to study, but still manage to ace all your classes. Meanwhile the rest of us gotta work double time. Especially Goldilocks over there.” Sam jerked his thumb and Bucky twisted in his seat. Steve had gone back to his books, but he still had a cute flush covering his neck and cheeks and his hair was adorably mussed. Bucky smiled indulgently, taking in the sight of his boyfriend in his tight navy slacks and white cotton shirt, before turning back to Sam.

“It’s not my fault I’ve got more natural talent than any of you goobers.” Nat glared at him and shoved his booted feet from her knees. “What are you two here for anyway? I thought you were going to have your own ‘study session’.” He raised his hands in air quotes and Nat’s glare got more intense. Alpine ducked her head back into the bag. 

“We’re here,” she ground out, “because there’s been another attack.” Bucky looked at Nat askance and her announcement even got Steve’s attention as his head snapped up too.

“Yikes! Who was it, and when?” Steve’s shyness at being caught making out melted away, replaced with his no-nonsense ‘mother-hen’ tone. Bucky decided he loved Steve all the more for it.

Sam moved around the table and sat down on Steve’s other side. “It was Clint and Laura. They were found late last night, wandering around near the campus coffee shop.” He pulled a fold out map from his jeans pocket and spread it across the table. Steve picked up one of his pencils and, tongue poking out between his lips, drew an X on it. It was the fourth such mark on the paper.

Bucky scooched his chair closer, pushed his shaggy, shoulder-length hair out of his face, and peered over Steve’s shoulder. Nat got up from her seat and stood behind all of them, resting her hand on Bucky’s back.

“They were crying and talking nonsense when Campus security found them. They’re up at the hospital. I was gonna go up there in a bit and see if I could get anything out of them.” Her tone was laced with anger and Bucky turned his head to look at the clenched fingers of her free hand. Outside of him, Sam and Steve, Clint was one of Nat’s closest friends and she also adored his long term girlfriend Laura, having announced early on that the pair were definitely ‘endgame’.

“I can’t believe that Dean Fury isn’t doing anything about this. This is the fifth attack in just over two weeks and he’s acting like it’s nothing but Spooky Season pranks that have gotten out of hand.”

Bucky wouldn’t put it past Nat to storm into Fury’s office and refuse to leave until he took it seriously. She might not be the tallest, but she was definitely scary when she wanted to be.

“I think I see a pattern,” Sam said, cautiously. His finger tapped down on the map. “Here are the first two attacks, then the third, fourth and finally, the one last night. They’re all within half a block of the old Borson house.”

Steve’s brows drew together. “But no-one has lived there for years. As I understand it, the realtors only just got hold of his daughter to get her to agree to sell.”

“It gives me the heeby-jeebies,” said Bucky. “But maybe we should check it out this evening?”

“Got any twos?” asked Sam.

“Go fish,” Nat responded before she held out her hand for the joint Bucky was passing her. Sam grumbled and drew a card from the deck.

It was smokey and dark in the back of Bucky’s van, but that wasn’t unusual. Nor was the fact that, once again, Bucky was sitting on Steve’s lap. Now he’d passed the joint on, he could return to kissing Steve. 

Steve’s lips opened under his, so Bucky let go of his mouth full of smoke, shotgunning it to his boyfriend. Steve moaned back, his hands tightening on Bucky’s waist and rocking them together. 

“You’re so fucking sexy, Buck. Must be the luckiest guy in school.”

“If we were alone you could be even luckier,” Bucky mumbled into the soft skin of Steve’s neck.

“But you’re not,” drawled Nat, “so clothes stay on and flies stay zipped. That means you, Barnes. We all know who the bad influence is around here.”

“Anyway,” added Sam, “aren’t you two supposed to be keeping a lookout? Can’t do that while your lips are attached together.”

Bucky turned his head and stuck his tongue out at Sam. “You’re such a square.”

Sam raised an eyebrow and took a long pull on the joint. “I think you need to reframe your definition, man. I’m sitting in the back of a beat up van, smoking a joint, keeping an eye out for an unknown monster terrorising our campus and getting beaten at ‘Go Fish!’ of all things. Also, I’m me. As far from square as they come.” 

“Don’t get cocky, Wilson.” As she spoke, Nat stretched out her foot, placing it right into Sam’s crotch. Sam squeaked. Nat smiled.

“I still don’t quite understand what we’re even looking out for,” said Steve. “What did Laura say again?”

“Not a lot,” Nat replied as she stared down at her hand of cards, still rocking her foot back and forth. “She’s obviously traumatised from whatever it was that happened. Her parents said she wasn’t really talking at all, but when I got there she just grabbed hold of my shirt and pulled me really close. Then she just started muttering under her breath. The words ‘tentacles’ and ‘monster’. Then she let me go and went back to staring into space.” The others looked at her in horror, but Nat didn’t seem to notice. “Got any eights?”

Sam threw his cards down across the small table and the moment was broken. The slips of card slid across the melamine surface and Alpine, who had been lightly dozing upon it, opened her eyes and batted a few to the floor.

“Damn it, Romanoff. How the fuck do you do that?” Sam bent down with a huff to retrieve his cards, the joint wedged in the corner of his mouth.

“Observation, my dear Wilson. I can read you like a book.” As Sam sat back up, Nat plucked the joint from his lips and passed it back towards Steve and Bucky. She slipped around the table and slid onto the bench seat Sam was occupying, squishing him against the wall of the van. He grinned at her.

“And is that book the Karma Sutra?” He’d dropped his voice as low as it could go, pulling out all the stops.

“Depends how flexible you are, Sammy-boy.” Nat flicked the end of his nose and they both dissolved into giggles

Bucky, started to chuckle at their antics, when suddenly an ear-piercing scream from outside split the air. 

“Jinkies!” Steve exclaimed and leapt to his feet, banging his head on the roof of the van and tumbling Bucky to the floor in the process. Both exclaimed in pain.

“Damn it, Stevie!” 

“Sorry, Buck.” Steve rubbed at his head with one hand and with the other reached out to haul Bucky up from the floor. One strong jerk and Bucky was back on his feet. Bucky placed the joint in the ashtray and then rubbed at the ache in his ass. Sam and Nat were also on their feet and opening the sliding side door. Cool autumn air swirled into the space, flushing out the pungent fog they had all been cultivating.

Nat jumped down onto the asphalt, head tilted to the side as she waited to see whether any more noises would be forthcoming. She didn’t have to wait for long. A second scream met their ears and before any of the others could say anything she was off, sprinting towards whatever was happening. Sam and Steve looked at each other for a moment and then Sam sped away, hot on Nat’s heels.

“Nat! Wait!”

Bucky jumped down after him, but before he could follow suit he felt Steve’s large hands clamp down on his upper arms.

“Stay here, Bucky.”

“But Steve!” Bucky twisted in Steve’s hold to face him, confusion on his face.

“No, Bucky. I need to know you’re safe. Please. Stay here. You and Alpine. And we might need you to drive the van.” He dropped a kiss to Bucky’s forehead and then he was also running off into the streetlamp lit night.

Bucky watched him, mouth agape in stunned silence, before he stepped back and sat down on the edge of the open doorway.

“What the hell was that? Doesn’t he trust us, Al?” Bucky turned his head to look back into the van. Alpine was no longer sitting on the small table. “Al?” He stood up and then climbed into the van. “Alpine? Where are you, princess?” Bucky opened his backpack zipper wider, wondering whether his stalwart feline had decided to curl up in there for a snooze. No such luck.

Bucky planted his hands on his hips and let out a sigh. His girl was always trying to roam somewhere. He re-exited the van and strode over to bushes on the opposite side of the road.

“Alpine… Princess… Where are you sweetheart?” He ducked down but couldn’t see her. “Here, Alpine! Pss-pss-pss… I’ve got some chicken for you…” Bucky walked a little further down the sidewalk. She had to be around here somewhere. Just then, he caught movement in his peripheral vision; a dart of white disappearing between two fence planks.

“Ah-ha!” Bucky jogged off in pursuit. “You won’t get away from me.” He clambered over the short fence and followed the small blur of white into the shrubs. Branches snagged at his hair and his olive green t-shirt and he wished he’d worn a jacket now - it was a lot colder out here than he’d first thought and it would have protected his arms from getting scraped. The greenery thickened, forcing Bucky down onto his hands and knees. He shuffled forward and  stuck his head and shoulders into a gap under one of the bushes. Alpine was sitting under it, swishing her tail angrily.

“There you are, Princess. Come on. Out you come. We need to get back to the van.” Carefully he reached out, but Alpine let out an uncharacteristic growl as he did. “Hey! What’s gotten into you?” She growled again, the hair on her back standing up on end. As Bucky looked at her in the gloom, he realised something. She wasn’t looking at him. She was looking at something behind him.

Bucky felt a chill go through him, and realised that the ground around him was taking on a green glow. He looked at Alpine, her fur also taking on the eerie hue.

“I don’t suppose that’s Sam, trying to scare the jeepers out of me?”

Alpine continued to growl.

“Didn’t think so…”

Bucky took a deep breath and then backed up quickly, intending to surprise whoever it was behind him with his speed. However, the weed from earlier had made him a little light-headed and as he stood up and spun around, the world spun with him. Something strange - green and non-human looking - started to coalesce in front of his eyes. It opened its mouth and let out an inhuman noise as something else wrapped around his arms. Bucky stepped back in alarm and caught his heel on a tree root. As he lost his balance the creature lost its grip on his arms, but that meant there was nothing to stop Bucky as he pitched backwards. Pain flared from the back of his skull as it connected with the ground. The green, monstrous figure loomed over him, getting closer, but the world continued to spin, before it all went black.

Bucky was shaking.

No. He was being shaken.

“Bucky. Baby. Please. Wake up. I need you to wake up.”

Bucky groaned. His head hurt so much and Steve’s voice was so loud.

“For god’s sake, Steve. Let him breathe.” That was Nat. Bucky groaned again and tried to open his eyes.

“M’okay, Steve,” he croaked out. “What happened? Where am I?”

He sat up, clinging onto Steve and finally managed to open his eyes. He was in the back of his van. Hazy memories flooded back in.

“Alpine! Where is she?” Bucky whipped his head around looking for his beloved pet, but he just went dizzy again and had to cling to Steve harder.

“She’s here, man.” Sam knelt down beside him, a struggling bundle of white fluff in his arms. He opened them and Alpine jumped down onto Bucky’s lap, rubbing her head against his middle and purring. “We came back to the van after finding out that the screaming was Hope Van Dyne - Scott had jumped out on her to give her a scare. It apparently worked too well, although Scott is now sporting a black eye. But when we got back you weren’t here and the door was open. Steve was starting to have a nervous breakdown when Al came running out from the trees, meowing her head off.”

Bucky felt Steve slide to sit down behind him and pull Bucky’s slimmer frame against his broad chest. Bucky allowed himself to be pulled into the hug and Sam continued.

“As soon as Steve got close to her she turned tail and ran off again, but stopped every few yards and looked behind her. She was seeing if we were following. What on earth were you doing in the yard of the Borson house?”

Bucky inhaled deeply, letting the smell of Steve’s cheap, but familiar, cologne sooth him. “It was Alpine. She ran in there first and I followed. I didn’t realise it was the Borson yard. I was concentrating too much on getting my princess back.”

Nat sat down cross-legged next to him, eyes roving over his face as if she were a nurse checking for signs of concussion. Knowing Nat, that’s probably what she was actually doing. “We found you unconscious and Steve carried you back here. What happened?”

Bucky’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall the details. “There was some kind weird person - creature - and it grabbed me, and made this horrible squealing sound. It was green. But I slipped and fell. Banged my head. I didn’t even see it that clearly.”

Sam let out a whistle. “Jeepers! I know you were baked, but what in the HP Lovecraft did you see?”

“I really don’t know, but I want to go home.”

Bucky was still nursing a headache the next day, which sucked for two reasons. Firstly, it was Halloween, and he, Steve, Nat and Sam were supposed to be going to a party tonight and currently he wasn’t feeling it. Secondly, it was making it harder than normal to pay attention in Professor Zemo’s History of Conflict in Europe class. He just wanted to go to sleep, preferably with his head resting on Steve’s stomach as his blonde boyfriend combed his fingers through his hair.

“Are you with us, Mr Barnes?” Sam jabbed him in the ribs and Bucky lifted his head to find that the Professor's accented voice was aimed solely at him. He realised he must have been staring off into space. 

“Sorry, Professor. I didn’t sleep very well last night.” Bucky mumbled his apology into his chest. Professor Zemo sighed and briefly pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Mr Barnes, please don’t make your nocturnal habits anyone else’s problem except your own. You can waste your own time if you want, but you will not waste mine. If you can’t give my class the proper attention then please avail yourself of the door.”

Bucky squirmed in his seat from embarrassment, aware of the heat in his cheeks that was probably turning his face bright pink. “I… umm…”

“Don’t be so hard on him, Prof. It wasn’t his fault. He got attacked by the monster last night.” Sam’s voice cut across the awkward tension in the air and Bucky didn’t know whether to hug him or hit him. However, his announcement had the effect of distracting everyone in the lecture hall. Or rather now focusing them on Bucky for something other than being chewed out by Professor Zemo.

“You saw it?” Maria turned around in her seat in front of Bucky, eyes wide with intrigue. “What was it like?”

“And why aren’t you in the hospital like the others?” Carol, in the row behind leant forward.

“Well… I…” Bucky rubbed at the back of his neck, trying to formulate an answer that wouldn’t make him look like an idiot. Fortunately he was saved from answering by the Professor trying to get his classroom back in order.

“Settle down, everyone. There is no monster. It’s all just pranks by your immature peers, I’m sure. The only real damage is going to be to the property prices. Who’s going to want to live near such a rambunctious group? I sincerely hope that whoever is behind it stops soon. It’s bringing down the reputation of our centre of learning. But anyway, enough of this distraction. Are you staying or going, Mr Barnes?”

Still awash with embarrassment, Bucky mumbled “Staying, Sir,” under his breath, but it seemed to placate the Professor. 

“Alright then. Where were we? Ah, yes… the Peninsular War…”

“Are you sure I look alright, Buck?” Steve’s voice was laced with trepidation, but Bucky was having difficulty concentrating. He knew that Steve’s costume was going to be a vampire one - he was a werewolf to go with him - but Bucky hadn’t quite realised how revealing Steve’s outfit was going to be…

The main part of it was a red singlet which made Steve look as though he was about to start wrestling. Bucky thought that he might enjoy wrestling with Steve. Under the singlet was a shirt. Sort of. It was sheer. It had a built in cravat at the net and had multiple folds of fabric around the wrists. However, it stopped just above Steve’s glorious tits. To finish it off, there was a short black cape with a red ‘pop-up’ collar. On his feet Steve wore his shiny black dress shoes, his black socks pulled part way up his calves. It was definitely ‘a look’.

Not that Bucky’s outfit was much more dignified - a furry hooded cape with ears that just about covered his nipples, some kind of cross between grey sweatpants and yoga pants with a fuzzy tail, and a pair of furry gloves with claws. He’d just put his battered combat boots on to walk around. And right now he was walking closer to Steve.

He pressed his chest up against his boyfriend’s, wrapping his arms around Steve’s slim waist. He smiled to himself as he saw Steve’s eyes flutter shut as the fur of Bucky’s cape rubbed over his exposed nipples.

“You look so good, Steve, it makes me want to howl. Ow-ow-woo!” Bucky threw his head back and leaned into the bit.

“Buck….” Steve hissed between his teeth, his neck turning a very un-vampire like shade of pink.

“What? The only other person here is your mom and she knows how I feel about you. She’s rolled her eyes at me enough. But I promise to behave myself while we’re out. Or at least I promise to try. And you can’t blame me, baby. You’re so god-damn sexy.”

Steve seemed to have got over Bucky’s over the top reaction and looped his own arms around Bucky’s neck. “Right back at you, Buck. I can’t promise not to bite your neck.” Bucky snorted at Steve’s silly vampire accent but leaned in for a kiss. It started innocently enough, but as was normal for the two of them, hormones raging, it wasn’t long until Bucky was lying on his back on Steve’s bed, being pinned down in a way he couldn’t complain about. However, before things could move from PG-13 to Rated R, they became aware that there was a knocking on the front door downstairs. 

As they listened to the dulcet tones of Sarah Rogers letting the visitors in, the two reluctantly drew apart and willed their erections to go down. There was one thing when your boyfriend’s mom knew what you were getting up to, but for her to see the evidence of it was another thing altogether. 

Costumes sufficiently smoothed out, the two descended the stairs to find Sarah chatting to Sam and Nat in the hallway. The three looked up. Sarah Rogers let a small smile play over her lips as she took in the costumes of her son and his best-friend-turned-boyfriend. Nat and Sam grinned.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Slutty monsters of the night?” Sam drawled.

“Can it, Mr ‘Nat and I aren’t wearing a couples costume’. You’re Batman and Catwoman for fuck’s sake.”

Nat rolled her eyes behind her mask. “Yeah, and Batman and Catwoman aren’t a couple.”

“They are friends with benefits though,” smirked Steve. “So I suppose it tracks. I don’t know why you two don’t make it official.”

“Why spoil a good thing, Rogers? Natty and I both know where we stand, don’t we, kitten?” Sam turned his head and flashed Nat his signature gap-toothed smile. Nat extended a gloved hand toward him, fingers curled like claws.

“Me-ow! Now, let’s get going, boys! Halloween parties wait for no creatures.”

The four of them all hugged Sarah Rogers goodbye, and Bucky carefully picked up his backpack from her sofa, a sleeping Alpine still inside. Sarah had said that he could leave the cat with her, but Bucky had decided to bring his faithful feline with him and let her chill out in the van while the party was in full swing at Scott’s house.

He pulled himself up into the driver's seat, placing his backpack down next to him and tucking his tail to the side. Steve slid in on the other side and reached across to squeeze his thigh. Sam opened the side door and helped Nat hop up, even though she was capable of getting in on her own. When the door slammed shut again, Bucky turned the ignition and they were off.

Steve fiddled with the radio, turning on a local station playing a medley of Halloween hits. Thriller was currently playing. Bucky hummed along while he drove, drumming on the steering wheel while Sam sang along, slightly off pitch, in the back.

It was one of those ‘blink and you’d miss it’ moments. One moment they were driving along a fairly empty street, towards campus, the next the headlamps lit up a strange green form in front of them. Bucky slammed on the brakes. Steve reacted quickly, grabbing Bucky’s backpack and stopping it, and Alpine, sliding off onto the floor. In the back, Sam and Nat let out cries of displeasure as they were shaken about.

“What the hell, Barnes!”

Bucky twisted in his seat to meet Sam’s outraged gaze.

“Did you see that? Did you see it?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He put the car back in drive and pulled over to the side of the road and leapt out. He was looking around frantically as the others climbed out of the van. Steve reached into the backpack and placed Alpine on the ground and she wound around Bucky’s legs, sensing his discomfort. Steve placed his hand on Bucky’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“I saw something green, Buck. But I wasn’t really paying attention.”

Bucky spun to face him. “It was him, Steve. The monster.”

Sam and Nat came to stand next to them.

“Are you sure, Bucky?” There was a gentle questioning note in Nat’s voice.

“Absolutely, Nat. I’m certain.”

“Well,” said Sam, rolling his shoulders and puffing out his bat symbol covered chest, “He can’t have gone far.”

Down on the ground Alpine started to paw at Bucky’s leg. “Mwerp.”

They all looked down at her. She cocked her head, turned around and trotted off.

“She’s doing it again,” said Nat. “She wants us to follow her.” 

The four of them scrambled, Bucky only just remembering to lock the van, and they all jogged off after Alpine. She ducked down and squeezed under a gap in a fence and her faithful humans skidded to a stop.

“It’s the old Borson house again,” stated Steve. “Something very fishy is going on. Let’s go.” He started to climb over the fence, but stopped part way when he realised the others were looking at him. “What?”

“Seriously, man?” Sam raised an eyebrow. There was a heartbeat of silence, and then Sam shook his head in resignation. “Okay. Let’s go.” He followed Steve over the fence and held his hand out to Nat. She gave him a look and practically vaulted over, landing crouched, one hand on the floor between her bent knees. Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Such a poser.”

“You’re just jealous that you can’t do it,” Nat retorted.

Bucky snorted, but clambered over the wooden panel in a more sedate manner. He didn’t trust himself not to fall flat on his face. Nat smirked at him. 

With them now all standing in the yard, the very place that Bucky had been the night before, Alpine trotted back over, chirped at them and swished her tail.

“Okay,” said Steve, back in full-blown ‘large and in charge’ mode, which made Bucky’s heart pound loudly in his chest. “Let’s split up. Sam, Nat. You check the yard. Me, Buck and Alpine will go inside. Whoever finishes first joins up with the others. Let’s put an end to whatever this is.” They all nodded their agreement and Sam and Nat snuck off into the trees, black costumes helping them blend right into the shadows. 

Bucky turned to Steve and took his hand with a smile. “Do you think you’ll need an invitation to step over the threshold?”

“Ha ha, Buck. Come on.”

The front steps creaked ominously as they walked up them. Bucky clung to Steve’s back, now starting to feel a little creeped out.The only thing stopping him from going into full blown panic was wondering how Steve could be so calm and collected while his nipples were exposed and currently pointy enough to cut glass. “What do you think we’ll find in there, Steve?” Bucky asked. “A monster?”

“Pphht. It can’t be that scary.” Steve pushed open the front door, and they walked into the gloomy interior.

Something brushed up against Bucky’s leg and he let out a shriek that he quickly muffled with his hands. Looking down he saw Alpine’s reflective eyes looking back at him. Letting out a sigh of relief, Bucky bent down and picked her up. She wiggled out of his arms and settled on his fur-cape covered shoulder. 

“You wanna be close too, princess? I don’t blame you.”

He pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight, sweeping it back and forth across the floor and walls. The house was still furnished, with thick layers of dust covering every flat surface. When old man Borson had died neither his daughter or two sons had really wanted anything to do with him or his things. It was sad, really.

Suddenly a noise ripped through the air, something akin to a hiss crossed with a scream. The two young men came to a halt.

“What on earth?” Bucky felt Steve’s voice rumble in his chest as he buried his head into Steve’s back.

“I don’t like this, Steve.” He remembered the fear and disorientation that he’d felt last night and tried to repress a full body shudder. 

The noise sounded again and they turned their heads towards the stairwell. The sound was coming from above them. As their eyes adjusted to the gloom, a green glow could clearly be seen. Bucky gulped.

“We’re gonna go up there, aren’t we?”

“We gotta, Buck. We gotta do this for Clint and Laura, and the others who were hurt before them.”

Bucky nodded against Steve’s back. He could do this. 

Slowly they walked towards the stairs, making their way up, one step at a time. The unnatural glowing got more intense and while there were no more screams, the ominous hissing got louder and louder. They crept, one foot after the other, closer and closer towards the partially open door at the end of the corridor, Bucky’s fingers curled around Steve’s red, spandex singlet. Steve stopped, one hand raised a hair’s-breadth from the old, scarred wood and looked at Bucky. His eyes looked strange under the eerie glow, but he looked so sure, so brave that Bucky knew he’d follow Steve anywhere, even if he did currently look like a cross between Bela Lugosi and Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart. Bucky gave him a small nod, and Steve pushed the door.

The creature stood there, illuminated by its sickly green glow. Its face had two dark eyes, but where its mouth was, it seemed as though it had half-swallowed some kind of squid. Tentacles curled down around its chin, glistening with slime. It had two long arms, ending with three fingers and claws, which it raised menacingly at the two young men. 

Bucky and Steve lept in the air as it screamed, that ear-piercing sound combined with a hiss. They screamed in return, filled with terror and Alpine leapt down from Bucky’s shoulder, hair on end, hissing and spitting. They all turned tail and ran. Alpine was in front, her four legs carrying her faster and far more elegantly than either Steve or Bucky. Next was Steve, barrelling forward, clasping Bucky’s smaller hand in his, practically dragging him along behind. Bucky stumbled, bringing up the rear. He kept turning his head, shrieking incoherently as he realised the monster was right behind them. 

They thundered down the stairs, across the entrance hallway and out of the front door, Steve almost ripping it from the hinges as he pulled it open.

“Nat! Sam!” Steve shouted out for their friends as he dragged Bucky across the lawn.

“Here!” They heard Nat shout and turned to see her standing by the trees at the bottom of the yard - the place where they’d found Bucky yesterday. She waved them towards her. “This way!”

They turned toward her and carried on running. “He’s still coming,” Bucky wailed. What he wouldn’t give to be an actual werewolf right now. He could rip out its throat or something. They stumbled into the shrubbery, Nat having melted back into the darkness. Why did she want them to go this way? Surely it would have just been better to escape by running out the front gate and heading back to the van?

They ran between two trees, and as they did so, they heard Sam shout out.

“Now!”

Instinctually, Bucky and Steve came to a halt and turned around. The monster was bearing down on them, getting closer, when suddenly it tripped on something and crashed to the ground. Immediately, Nat launched herself from the shadows and landed on the creature’s back. She jerked his arms up and cuffed them together. At the same time Alpine leapt down from a tree, landing on the creature's head. She dug her claws into its skull and it let out an all too human type of noise.

“What the heck?” Bucky was dumbfounded. What just happened? Where had Nat found handcuffs? Why wasn’t she scared? She stood up, brushing loose dirt from her pleather outfit and sauntered over to Bucky. 

“We used a tripwire from Sam’s utility belt. The handcuffs are also part of Sam’s costume and I wasn’t scared because of what he and I found in the shed before you two wusses came shooting out of the house.” She patted Bucky’s cheek and he wondered if she’d read his mind or whether he’d actually spoken out loud.

Steve, choosing to ignore Nat’s teasing comment, looked down at the struggling creature in the dirt. “What did you find?”

Sam placed a booted foot in the small of the creature’s back, pinning it to the floor and trained his phone flashlight on it. “We found costume making supplies. And glow sticks. Lots and lots of green glow sticks.”

“Plus instructions on how to make a small speaker. Cos-play stuff really,” Nat chimed in, adding her flashlight to the mix.

“But that means…” Bucky’s jaw dropped and he strode over to their struggling captive, dropping into a crouch. “This isn’t a monster at all. It’s someone dressed up and trying to scare everyone. Just like the Dean and Professor Zemo said. But who?” 

Sam helped him to manhandle the creature into a sitting position, and now he was up close, seeing it lit up and having his hands on it, Bucky could clearly see the rubber and foam, the stitch marks and the little channels that had been made in the outside to house the multitude of glowsticks. Alpine came and sat down next to him, licking at a paw nonchalantly.

“Right - let’s see who you are.” Bucky grabbed hold of the monster’s head, soft and squishy rubber under his hand, and pulled to reveal…

“Professor Zemo!” The four of them exclaimed in shock.

The professor’s dark hair was plastered over his forehead, and in the torchlight his brown eyes gleamed with frustration.

“Yes, it’s me.” His lip turned up in a snarl and if he weren’t handcuffed, Bucky would have been reluctant to be this close to him.

“But why? What on earth do you get from scaring college students?”

“While I did enjoy a little of the karma from scaring some of your peers witless, it was more that I needed the house prices to come down. I wanted to buy the Borson house, but do you know how little a college professor makes? It was starting to work, too. The price had already been slashed once. I’d have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for you pesky kids.”

They all looked at him, dumbfounded, until Steve spoke up.

“Respectfully, Sir, that is really fucked up. Buck, sweetheart, can you call the police?”

“You kiss your momma with that mouth, Stevie?” Bucky sniggered, taken aback by Steve’s uncharacteristic swearing.

“No, but I’ll kiss my boyfriend with it.”

And he did. Just a vampire kissing his werewolf boyfriend in a dark, haunted stand of trees.

Sam made gagging sounds.

Nat called the cops.

Alpine purred.

The end.

Bonus: - They finally get to the party and have a fabulous time.

Tag list: @christywrites, @alexakeyloveloki, @doasyoudesireandlive, @galactusdevourerofworlds, @km-ffluv

#stuckyhalloween2023 #stucky fanfic #stucky fanart #steve rogers x bucky barnes #crack fic #college au #cap quartet #steve x bucky #alpine the cat

[wito-chan-bla-bla]

Detection VI

Previous part (05)

Next part (?!)

~

 Kalego hates noisy places, but he especially dislikes work meetings. Of course, there is no denying that all (or almost all) of them are his colleagues are professionals in their field, but as soon as some idiot (most often the director) starts talking about some topic separate from the work, it can last for hours. And Naberius can't even leave because it's disrespectful. It's a good thing they don't put him at the very back of the queue with his reports just to make him lose his temper.

 And this day should not be any different from all the others, only…

 The sudden fog around him moves him into a familiar room, hands gripping his soft, fluffy sides tightly and a little painfully. Someone very familiar is pinning him to the wall, where a centipede is sitting with many small eyes on its hair-covered legs.

  –KILL THAT THING!

 Kalego feels like a cat that the owner presses against a cockroach sitting on the wall, naively thinking that the lazy creature will kill someone. But Naberius has no choice, so he swings and uses a Cerberion puppy, which gets rid of the infernal insect and leaves no ugly spots on the wall.

 Once the little creature is killed (which Balam wouldn't approve of), the demon turns to face a view that doesn't leave its own face ironic and sarcastic. He sighs and reaches out a clawed hand to stroke the finger pressed against his stomach.

 –Did some insect scare you that much?

 –`S-some insect`?! Did you see THAT?! It has eyes on each leg! And it's HUGE! Fu-fu-fu! Be-e-e!

 –Someone said they wasn't afraid of insects.

 –I'm not afraid of human insects! They don't usually have a hundred eyes scattered all over their bodies!

 You scream a little more, and then you start to choke. After coughing a couple of times, turn the Kalego so that the small furry creature is facing you. Even in this form, the demon doesn't look too pleased, and you dutifully bow your head to apologize.

 –I interrupted your school meeting? I'm sorry, – if you had ears like Ameri or Opera, they would immediately fall down. – It's just that you told me to call you every time I was in danger... so I acted immediately.

 –At least you're used to reading spells quickly, – Kalego lowers his small paws, touching sharp claws to your skin, and shakes his head. – And even if I meant attacking you directly, that's not exactly a bad option either. At least I can make it look like I'm away on important business, and not just skip a work meeting with these idiots.

 –That is… will you stay in this form... for a while?

 Naberius sees hope in your shining eyes and cannot refuse. He nods in frustration, and you giggle softly-squeal, pressing his small body to your face. The silky fur touches your face and you giggle into his stomach, leaving barely noticeable kisses on the demon's skin. Kalego initially resists, trying to move away from your tickling movements, but eventually gives up and lightly hugs your head with his paws.

 For obvious reasons, Naberius does not often assume his familiar form, even when there are no demons around to torment him, that is, "pet" him. Kalego doesn't feel so confident in this cute, charming form, as he stops scaring everyone around him just by looking at his face or eyes. But that doesn't mean that sometimes, sometimes he can't make an exception for you.

 And this is one of those days! You didn't expect to get something like this today! You were just cleaning up the house when you saw a huge insect that would make anyone's guts turn over, and you called the first defender you could think of. And now, thanks to this, you get a soft pillow-toy for an indefinite amount of time, which means that you need to start using this opportunity as soon as possible!

 You hurry to the sofa in the living room, holding Kalego like a small child and scratching his small belly with your index finger. When you land on the furniture, you lie on your side and hold the demon to your face, inhaling the unusual, slightly strange, but still pleasant aroma.

 The softness and beauty of life immediately surrounds you from all sides. You stroke and scratch your love in all the places you can reach. Kalego quietly complains about you, spins a little back and forth, but still allows you to create your "loving love". You cover his cute face with small kisses, glad that there is something adorable in Hell, and not just incomprehensible monsters that want to devour you.

 Naberius snuggles closer to your neck as you stop moving your head in all directions and stand still to enjoy the moment. He quietly flaps his wings, trying to cover at least your hand, but his round body does not work. The demon groans in exasperation and buries his beak into your skin, inhaling the familiar smell of a human, his human.

 Lying next to a fluffy and cute Kalego, you suddenly feel a little smaller and younger than you really are. Remembering all those times when you fell asleep as a child after playing with a soft toy, you move a little closer to the demon, burying your forehead in him and slightly hiding your nose in his fur. The air seems to be filled with a sleepy potion, and soon you start to doze, gently hugging Naberius with one arm.

 Kalego tosses a little when he realizes that the person across from him has fallen asleep, settles back down and leaves a small birdlike kiss on her cheek. He does not feel tired (except mentally), and therefore cannot also close his eyes and also have a sweet sleep. So he promises himself that he will take care of his beloved's sleep until she wakes up... or until the damn headmaster comes here to ruin everything.

 The demon admires the peaceful expression on the other person's face, rolls his eyes when a little saliva starts to roll down from the corner of her lips, and calls for a handkerchief to wipe it all away. He hopes that this day will pass quickly, he will return to his normal form, so that he can come back and truly embrace his love.

 Yes. That will be fine. Suddenly, the dark eyes notice small dark spots left over from hickeys and bites. Kalego smiles faintly and hums contentedly to himself as he folds his wings behind his back.

 It will need to update the "labels".

*+*

 As soon as you hear the sound of a key turning in the lock, you immediately drop everything and rush to the entrance to throw yourself at Kalego with hugs, screeching and screams. Usually, the demon doesn't look too pleased, but he opens his arms with incredible speed, preparing to catch you in his arms. But this time he scowls at you, holding you close with only one hand, and then only for a short time.

 You immediately realize that you should leave him alone. By saying that dinner is on the stove, you go to work out a plan for the next lesson, or rather, just try to remember what is so interesting about life in the human world.

 You take a few steps and are almost at the end of the corridor when a hand is suddenly grabbed. Kalego freezes with a sad face behind you, and you suddenly see longing and fatigue in his eyes. The demon mumbles that he will do without food, and asks if you are free now.

 You've never been very good at improvising, but it's not hard to talk about your own world, so you nod as you follow Naberius. He gently pulls you by the wrist to the sofa, where he sits, gently pushes you in the chest and leaves you lying on the soft pillows.

 Kalego sighs heavily and a little painfully, starting to take off his clothes. For a second, you twitch your entire body, watching as pale skin appears from behind the long robe. The demon magically sends his form to a chair, and then, opening his wings and stretching them a little, lies down on you, with one arm around your back, touching the place where you might have wings, and with the other hand removing the ring from you.

 Stress radiates from your love in waves, and you rush to put your arms around his back and head, holding him closer to you. Naberius inhales softly through his nose a couple of times, and then exhales with relief, hugging you with both hands and hiding his nose in your home clothes. His hand twitches, as if he wants to intertwine his fingers with yours, but for some reason he changes his mind. You take the hint and start using both hands to relax the demon.

 Naberius closes his eyes, enjoying the touch of his head, horns, hair, ears, back, and wings. It's amazing how much he still needs physical touch. Each time he stays around you longer and longer, holds you in his arms longer and longer before work, and hardly lets go of your hand on dates… His face may remain stony, but his gentle nature will somehow manifest itself around you.

 You chuckle softly, and the Kalego bounces on your chest. He opens one eye, looks at you intently. In response, you just stroke him harder and push him back, muttering to him to continue napping. The demon listens, and it looks like your chuckle was not in vain, because he is going to fall asleep on you again, as he did so many times before. It's nice, of course, but it's not too interesting to lie and stare at the ceiling without a book, phone, or any other entertainment at hand.

 Fortunately, your ring is nearby, so you won't get bored today.

 The demon's breathing is getting shallower by the second that you scratch him like a dog. You're just thinking that he's fallen asleep and is about to put on the ring when Naberius suddenly raises his hand and snaps his fingers. From somewhere in the bedroom comes a blanket that covers the bodies lying on the sofa. Kalego relaxes more, one of wings rolls down and begins to hang down to the floor, the other is curled up and embraces you from below.

 You can almost hold back a happy giggle when you see the calm, peaceful demon. You want to snap him to your chest and strangle him in your arms. You can barely restrain yourself from waking him up, eventually trying to relax as much as possible and try to fall asleep as well.

 You watch the light coming in from the window and playing on the ceiling. The house is dark, and you can hear the papers on your desk rustle slightly in the wind. Kalego is lying on top of you, not moving and barely breathing. He sleeps as quietly as ever. He would look dead if he didn't occasionally twitch his nose or move his wing. He looks like a statue, but not just because he's so heavy. (Although everything is relative).

 You love evenings like this almost as much as you love evenings when you talk to Kalego. He may not be as interested in the human world as his friend, but he will always listen to you and ask you to tell him more if you remember your past "home". He will always tell you something about Hell: whether it's some random fact, something important that can save your life, something related to school and your work as a "teacher", or even something about himself. Lying in silence and remembering his voice next to you, you can't help but smile, realizing that he almost doesn't sound tired, annoyed or angry, and if he does, you are rarely the cause of it.

 In fact, it's quite easy to negotiate with Naberius... at least for you, that's for sure. He may have a tough personality, but because you find more and more charming details in it every time, life becomes much easier. His mutterings of displeasure are becoming more amusing than infuriating day by day.

 You look at Kalego, remember his small shape, remember Iruma... and then your past "home". The human world was never something that you often thought about, unless it was required in class. There wasn't anything... special about it.

 Yes, you were an adult, with a lot of memories and people who were even... dear to you. You weren't Iruma, who easily left everything behind and went to the demon world. You had something to cling to.

 At the beginning of your "work" here, you almost did not think about your relatives, because you were afraid of everything and tried to survive. Soon, the events taking place in Hell sucked you in, and you didn't have time to think about the loved ones you left behind. But things are pretty calm right now, so you start thinking about the human world and... get terrified.

 Yes, you were not killed by that maniac, but you still disappeared from your world without a trace. Your job wasn't something you wanted to run to as fast as you could from five o'clock in the morning, but they probably told your relatives that you were... missing. What was their reaction when they heard this? What about your colleagues, your few friends? Why are you thinking about this only now, after all this time?

 The answer is simple: you, like Iruma, didn't want to go back to the human world.

 The human world is filled with technology, deceit, cruelty and sadness. Yes, the demon world is the same, but not the demons have so many legends about how some "human" came into the world and destroyed everyone. People who consider themselves better than "some otherworldly beings who take souls and kill for fun", to some extent, were even worse than these very creatures.

 And yet... you feel a sharp sadness and regret that you were not able to at least say goodbye to some of the people in your environment. They were never too close to you, but they were still the ones you chatted with before and after work, who you sometimes went out to have fun with, and even felt like they really enjoyed spending time with you.

 You continue to stare at the ceiling, but with different eyes. Has there ever been a person in your life that you truly cherish, for whom you would go to the other side of the country just to help them? No. But would you like to see some people from the human world, at least once more? Definitely yes.

 Kalego opens his eyes with difficulty and lifts himself up slightly, looking down at you. You instantly turn your attention to the demon and give him a faint smile. You want to ask him in a cheerful voice if he slept well, but all that comes out of your mouth is... a whimper?

 –Why are you crying?

 Naberius leans over and brushes away the tear tracks that roll down your cheeks with his thumbs. You swallow and look away from him, starting to stare at the fireplace. Kalego exhales, leans in and kisses you on both cheeks, then leaves a small kiss on your lips before pulling away again.

 –Do you want to talk about it?

 His voice is so soft and gentle that it feels foreign. No, he is often gentle and kind to you, but your own thoughts have made you suddenly too sensitive to any words coming out of the demon's mouth.

 –I just... I just thought my parents might be thinking… That I was dead.

 Naberius freezes, carefully scanning your face. He rubs his cheek, then pulls you into his arms, starting to stroke your back. You wrap your arms around his neck and snuggle up with a soft whimper, like a wounded puppy. No one else says anything. You calm down a little in the embrace, but you still feel a sudden weight in the depths of your chest.

 It comes so suddenly and doesn't go away at all. All your thoughts are suddenly focused on that past life, you imagine the reaction of people who found out about a maniac, and then realized that you did not come to work, did not return to the apartment, that some of your things are lying in the same alley where Sullivan appeared and saved you from a madman.

 You fall asleep in Kalego's arms, but you still wake up with a heavy heart. Kalego makes you breakfast and showers you with love in various ways, but you still don't feel good. The same thoughts are swirling in your head, even if you try to shut them up, knowing that nothing can be changed.

 You lived far away from your parents and rarely communicated with them, but suddenly the desire to hear familiar voices suddenly begins to devour you from the inside. The desire to see the school you went to destroys you from the inside out. The desire to look into a familiar office and talk to colleagues, even if they will not be so happy about you, pierces you from the inside.

 –(Y/N)-san, is everything okay?

 You look up from your cup of tea and stare at Iruma. Today is the day when you go to his house and talk to him about everything from school to certain things in the human world. And even if the latter topic rarely comes up, for some reason it was today that the boy decided to talk about it. He wants to tell his friends something interesting about his past "home", but he couldn't think of anything, so he asked you to help... unwittingly reminding you of the heaviness in his chest.

  –Yes... probably. I just... I just miss my old "home" a little, – you shrug and take a small sip. – I understand that you don't have the best memories of your past life, but... it wasn't so bad for me after all. And while I'm glad I ended up in Hell... I suddenly thought I'd like to... see my parents.

 You can literally hear Iruma stop breathing for a second. He looks at you with regret, then lowers his head and mumbles a sad apology. You shake your head and force a smile.

 –It's definitely not your fault, Iruma-kun. If I hadn't been here, I would have been killed then. Because you are there, I found an easy job and my love. Besides, I like to study magic.

 –What was... your family like? I'd like to understand what it's like to have... parents who didn't leave you practically to your fate. B-but if you don't feel comfortable talking about it, don't!..

 –It's all right. My parents... they're good people. I can't say that we always had a good relationship, but they helped me finish school well and go to university in another city… After that, I tried to study, so I rarely came to them. I was able to get a job right after I graduated and tried not to lose it in the first few months, so... I didn't really talk to them either. Before I got here, I was trying to get a promotion, so... – you sigh too loudly with grief. – I think I've started to forget a lot. I hadn't spoken to them in so long, even on the phone, that I almost forgot their voice…

 You raise your head and look at the sad boy. You shake your head and smile weakly.

 –Don't worry about me, Iruma-kun. I'm the one who's here to support you. Distance separates people from each other, especially if they have previously communicated without barriers… I just suddenly thought that I would like to visit them at least once more… These thoughts will probably go away soon, so don't worry about me.

 But they didn't leave. Just like Iruma's sad look. When you go to his house again, you hear some screams, and after a few days you will find out that…

 –W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE GOING TO THE HUMAN WORLD?!

 And it screams not even Kalego…

  –Iruma-kun said that he wants to bring some goodies from the human world to his friends, and also go for a walk with his beloved grandfather, so we're going there!

  –What does this have to do with me?

 –You will protect Iruma-kun with your eyes and keep bad people away from us, Kalego-kun!

 –Then why are they coming?

 –If Iruma-sama gets cold, I'll put it on his jacket. Or don't you like being around me, Kalego-ku-un?

 Naberius hides behind you and clears his throat.

 –You know you've already been caught once visiting the human world, right? Now you want me to be accused of trespassing in another world as well?!

  –Don't worry, Kalego-kun, we won't be discovered this time! – Sullivan winks. – I've refined the spell, so there won't be any problems! But I couldn't find a spell that allows me to understand human language, so I'm counting on my wonderful grandson and you, (Y / N)!

  –Uh... okay.

  –If anything happens, tell them during the interrogation that we were forced to.

 You nod and look around. Iruma and you are dressed in normal clothes, but everyone else is wearing hats and long cloaks to hide their tails, horns or ears.

  – Go ahead!.. By the way, (Y/N), can you tell me where your parents live? You can visit them in the late afternoon if you want!

 Your eyes light up and you nod at the address. Opera wags their tail thoughtfully as they pick up their coat, watching as the stronger demon looks at a map and nods to himself. He snaps his fingers and a portal appears, where everyone enters.

 You find yourself in an abandoned building located not so far from the city. You're about to ask where everyone wants to go first, when Opera suddenly grabs you, throws you over their shoulder, and runs away, shouting to the shocked Kalego: "Try to catch me if you can, kohai!" The demon immediately rushes after them, Sullivan puts his grandson on his shoulders, and they cheerfully go in the direction of tall buildings.

 It looks like it was some old abandoned hospital in the woods, as you are greeted by a rather vibrant area of the city, not the outskirts. You look around and can't believe that you are seeing all these signs again, advertising, inscriptions about free Wi-fi, buying some two products for the price of one, and so on. You smile at the familiar smells, feeling even more excited when Opera finally puts you on the floor.

  –So, where do you want to go? I do not know that many free places, so...

 –Don't worry, (Y/N), I brought some expensive jewelry that I've heard can be exchanged! Can you help us?

 You nod and look around uncertainly. Where's the pawnshop?..

 You go ahead, looking around and choosing someone who won't yell at you as soon as you speak to them. It's hot outside, and you genuinely empathize with the demons wearing multiple layers of clothing. Iruma in shorts is pointing around and chatting about something, and you notice strange looks from passersby.

 Have we forgotten how to speak the "human language"? What happens if I can't speak my native language? What should we do then?! And how do I... how do I talk to my parents?

 You hear your name and turn around, quickly realizing that it's not Kalego speaking. You look in surprise at your former colleague, who runs up to you with a surprised cry and a glass of some liquid in his hands.

 –(Y/N)?! Is that you, (Y/N)?! (Y/N)!..

 You are surprised when she throws herself at you and hugs you so hard that the air escapes from your lungs. She was one of the people who was most friendly to you and sometimes invited you to parties, but for her to be so kind to you?..

  –Oh, (Y/N), I thought you were sold for organs! – she starts shaking you from side to side, shouting in a panic all over the street. – Why didn't you answer your phone? I contacted your parents, they don't know anything! Where have you been? You scared everyone! The police searched for you for several months, and then stopped, saying that there are absolutely no leads!..

 You look at her directly and suddenly realize that her speech sounds familiar, you understand her, but still something is wrong. It's like you've abruptly started practicing a second language that you've learned and haven't used in a long time.

  –What does she say? – Kalego asks, looking at you doubtfully and clearly wanting to shut your colleague up by force. – It's so loud.

 –She's just, uh, happy to see me. It's hard to explain…

 The woman freezes, and then looks from you to Naberius in surprise.

 –What language are you speaking now?

  –Um, that's easy… this is such a special variety of Asian languages, a mixture of several and a strong accent. Kalego-kun and my companions are from a small town where this language is spoken. It's... it's all a little hard to explain...

  –He looks like he doesn't understand us. Doesn't he even know English? I mean... how many opportunities to play games and read comics does he lose?

 –They value their native language much, so it can't be helped... ahem.

  –Well, it doesn't matter. Where have you been all this time?! Why didn't you tell me everything was fine?!

  –Um, it's a complicated story... I was sort of... kidnapped?

 You cough nervously as you watch her eyes widen. With a quick shake of your head, you hurry to calm the woman down so that she doesn't scream again.

 –But I'm fine, don't worry! Sullivan-sama, – you point to the old demon who is chatting incessantly with Iruma, – saved me and brought me to him. There I met Opera-san and Kalego-kun. They decided to take a little walk today, so I'm kind of like a translator here...

 She looks first at you, then at Naberius, and then gives you a brilliant answer:

 –I didn't think you'd ever get involved with the mafia.

 You look at her blankly, and she points her finger at the demon closest to her.

  –He's dressed like an Italian mobster, (Y/N). And they, by the way, too. And that look... can you ask him not to look at me like he's judging how much my organs are worth on the black market?

 –I'm afraid he was born with that look. I can only cover his eyes with my hand.

 –I think he'll burn a hole in it and keep staring at me.

 You giggle and nod weakly. You ask Kalego to move away for a while, and he starts to devour your interlocutor with his gaze even more.

 –I'm not sure, (Y/N). Are you sure it's safe?

 –You just don't want to go to Opera-san and Sullivan-sama, do you?

 –Including. And I just don't want anything to happen to you.

 –This is a human world, nothing will happen to me, don't worry… Now go, go.

 You push him away and continue to communicate with the former colleague. It's nice to know the news of your home world, let each one make you sadder and sadder.

 –So you lost your phone and couldn't recover it? That's how... unfortunate. But I always told you that you need to remember the phone numbers of other people, at least relatives!

 –I'm going to buy a new one if they don't give me the old one, so I'll be fine…

 –Why didn't they buy it for you right away?! Doesn't the mafia want you to give up their secrets?

 –Yes, they are not members of the mafia!

 –They don't show it!

 –Anyway… can you tell me where the pawnshop is? Sullivan-sama wants to exchange some jewelry.

 –Stolen goods are hardly accepted there…

 –They're not mafiosi!

 You chat with her a little more, then look at the maps to get to the pawnshop. The woman makes sure for the last time that you are safe and sound, and leaves, saying that she will tell everyone at work that you are fine, but you should still go to the police and report your "miraculous discovery".

 Which you do as soon as you exchange jewelry. Sullivan goes shopping with his grandson, and you go to "please the law". You may feel awkward coming up with a story on the go, but Kalego helps you a lot. You are glad that they did not ask for documents, otherwise it would have been a failure. You are given your passport, taken from the apartment, where you should not return, because the owner can make you really lost, some documents, as well as a phone that was found after Sullivan “got rid” of the owner.

 Kalego is surprised that your phone has no buttons, to which you shrug and say that you need to somehow have fun and improve, since there is no magic. After that, he offers to charge it with lightning, but you refuse, just asking for charging from the police.

 You sit and wait for the phone to finish charging, looking ahead and moving awkwardly back and forth on the spot. Naberius sits next to you, crossing his legs and looking at the police in a way that makes them afraid. A few of them want to go up to him and ask him to stop, but this look scares them too much.

 –You're going to call your parents, aren't you?

 You jump up and down, not understanding how the demon read your mind. Kalego looks back at you, and you sigh, nodding.

 –I-I'm not sure what I'm going to tell them. Yes, I'll tell them about the "abduction" if they ask, but... I just don't want to worry them any more and... I don't want to reassure them. I mean... this might be the last time I'll see them. They'll think I'll call them, but I-I'll never do that.

 Naberius reaches out to you, and you are horrified to feel his tail moving. Fortunately, the demon quickly regains his composure and quietly apologizes, saying that he will control himself better from now on. As a result, he puts his arm around your shoulders and pulls you to his chest, playing with the tips of your hair with his fingers.

  –Actually... maybe you can call them after we get back to Hell.

 –In what way?

  –Let the Batora of our favorite student think about that. It is quite difficult to create a portal between two worlds, but surely the connection is not so difficult to make.

 –We'll have to pay every month for the chance to call my parents. I don't think Sullivan-sama will be so happy to risk his happy life with Iruma-kun and come here at least once every few months. And even more so, he won't want to constantly change his jewelry.

 –If you think the system can't be fooled, then you're wrong, – he smiles at you, and all the cops get even more creepy. – And I'll threaten to give them the lowest grade in battle magic if they don't come up with something.

 –You're so cruel! – you nudge him in the side.

 –That's why I'm a demon, (Y/N).

 –Speaking of which… Why is there a spell that allows you to understand demons, but no spell that allows you to understand humans? And how did Sullivan-sama make a contract with Iruma-kun's parents if he doesn't know any human language? And how do demons do this in general?!

 –As far as I know, when a person summons a demon, there is a temporary 'connection' between them, allowing them to understand each other. It disappears as soon as the demon returns to its own world. As for spells… I don't know if this is true or not, but people used to be used as servants and food, – you swallow involuntarily, – and it's easier and "more arrogant" to make a person understand a demon than a human demon. And we demons have one language, and you have many. It's easier to use a spell and force them to learn one language than to constantly pick up a new one.

  –That's how... well, it's a good thing I ended up in the demon world after all.

  –Thanks to me, you'll be able to learn everything-everything you want to know!

 –I didn't want that much… Just take me to the places you like. I want to know what your life was like when you lived here.

 You nod, even though you don't know where to take him… You just ate, read, played games, and sometimes went for a walk in the park. Nothing really interesting…

 While your phone is charging, you try to remember interesting places. Once it's charged, you exhale and pick a familiar number, ready to call your parents.

 The voice you almost forgot almost makes you burst into tears on the spot. You squeeze the phone harder, afraid you'll drop it.

–I do not know who is calling this number, – you almost do not understand the text, because you can not concentrate, – but stop it immediately! Delete my number and never mock me like that again! I don't know anything about my daughter anyway, so just leave me alone...!

  –M-mama, Mama, it's me-me! Listen… this is not a joke! Don't hang up!

The silence hits your heart hard, and then a loud sob is heard from the other side. Kalego squeezes your hand, turning away, giving you support and allowing you to communicate with relatives almost in private.

 –(Y/N), is it... is it really you? Where are you... where have you been all this time?.. Why didn't you call us?! Your boss reported that you weren't at work, you weren't at home, no one saw you, and we!..

 –I'll tell you everything tonight, I promise! I'll come to you... is Dad around? I'd like to hear his voice, too.

 You've never cried so hard. The crazy life in Hell fades into the background, and you can finally think about your original family. A conversation you've been thinking about for days immediately goes off track, as you start crying, unable to say even a single sentence properly. You promise and promise that you'll meet them tonight before you laboriously hang up the phone and sniff loudly. Kalego discreetly creates a handkerchief and hands it to you.

 –(Y/N)-san, – this is the first thing you hear as soon as you calm down a little and go outside, – are you all right? Have you talked to your parents?

 –Y-yes... thank you for giving me this opportunity, Iruma-kun, – you sit down and pat him on the head. – I promised to visit them tonight, but they're in another city, so…

 You lift your head and look at Sullivan. The demon smiles at you and nods, telling you that he will go somewhere interesting while you communicate with your family. He suggests that you temporarily forget about all the bad things and go have fun, especially since now you, a person who knows this city, are nearby, so everything should go just fine.

 And so it happens. The first few places that Iruma and the others wanted to visit, you look sadly in front of you, but then you come to your senses a little and begin to gradually join in the general fun. It's nice to walk for other people's money, so you show the demons places where you couldn't go for your salary or where it was a commonplace pity to spend your own savings.

 Small cafes and big restaurants, exhibitions and attractions, movies and parks – everything passes by and leaves good memories. You go with Kalego just behind the others. Naberius looks scowling, he crosses his arms and looks around, but you can see a slight twinkle of interest in his eyes. You stop every time he has a question and explain a particular thing to him, watching out of the corner of your eye as Iruma does the same to his protector and grandfather.

  –Shichiro would love it here, – the demon says quietly, looking around the bookstore window. A large black cat comes around the corner, stretching lazily in the sun. – Maybe steal him an animal…

 –L-let's not put the local flora and fauna under such stress! Maybe we should buy him some textbooks instead. I'll pass them on for him.

  –I wonder if the sheet music is sold here... I'm curious about the difference between demon music and human music.

 –I'm not sure, but... there are probably autobiographies of musicians inside, or something like that… Hey, Opera-san, we'll go inside for a second, okay?

 The demon eating some human food with a cat-like smile turns their head to you and nods quickly. You drag Kalego inside. The store is quiet, cool, and smells a little like books. Naberius lets out a sigh of relief and starts moving next to you near the even rows of bookshelves. He stops and points at some of the books, wanting to know what they're about. Somehow, all he comes across all the time is weird romance novels, some unfunny comedies, and books about teamwork. You have to take him to some other department before he gets into a fight with a book that tells him by its description that he is not a good colleague for other teachers.

 Books for children and adult textbooks are in your hands, and you are ready to help Kalego choose the right reading material. The demon freezes with a book in his hands, probably looks at it, then hands it to you and asks what is there in the plot.

  –Uh ... it's a book about the kind of torture used centuries ago…

  –Fine, I'll take it.

  –N-not as a March-san gift, I hope?..

  –Oh, don't worry, – his smile is as creepy as it often is, – I'll use such a rare find on my own.

 Naberius takes a few more books, including some complex textbooks, horror films, biographies of some musicians and notes to fairly well-known classical works that came from somewhere. You choose literature to suit your taste and stand at the cash register, afraid to even imagine how you will drag it all.

 Fortunately, there is always a weight-loss spell, so you can carry the bags on one finger, but Kalego insists on taking all your belongings. Later, he will reduce them and hide them in his pocket.

 The day is going well, too well even. It could have been a great date if it hadn't been for the trio reacting admiringly to everything around them. Fortunately, not only did they distract you in this way, but they also left you free to hold your favorite demon's hand or even kiss him while no one else was looking. In this huge city full of people, you feel a little uneasy, but everything is fine as long as Kalego is near you.

 You visit a few more places and end up on a park bench. Opera with bags and others buy ice cream, while you sit with the already purchased portion and look at the sky. It's already evening in the city where your parents live, so it's time for you to head there.

 –That damn headmaster said they were going to see the pond and then send us to another city. Are you ready to... meet your parents?

 You nod to yourself. 

 –But... would you like to come with me?

 Naberius thinks for a moment, looks ahead, quietly continuing to nibble on some dried fruit that he bought at the market. The demon shrugs and turns to you.

 –If you want to. I can go to them as your friend or as your love. You haven't seen your parents in a long time, so it's up to you whether to interrupt this meeting with me or not.

 –Then I'd like to... introduce you. And if I introduce you, my story will seem more complete. Although I wish I could tell them something different, I have no other excuse or reason for disappearing from this world for a few months…

 –We can always erase their memories if you want, – Kalego says, patting you on the shoulder. - Or replace some memories.

 –Can you do it?! – you jump up and down.

  –I... no, – he winces and looks at the departed demons. – I specialize in battle magic, even if I could, I would only make it worse for them. But our favorite boss can. If he can manipulate the minds of demons, then he definitely won't have any problems with humans.

 –What makes you think he won't refuse me?

  –You're taking care of his 'favorite grandson'. And it's easier for him than moving to another world, so no problem.

 –I-I need to think about it.

 You remain seated until the trio returns.

 –So, (Y/N), are you ready to see your parents? Oh, I heard there's a great little restaurant right next to your house! While you're chatting with your parents, we'll go there! Do you want to bring some food, Iruma-kun?..

 –Sullivan-sama... if anything happens, can you... change the memory of my parents?

 The demon freezes in place, watching you closely. He rolls thoughtfully from one heel to the other, and then nods weakly.

 –I think I'll have to spend a certain amount of time, but there shouldn't be any problems. Of course, if other people ask your parents something that I erased from their heads, it will be an awkward situation, but that's another matter.

 –Then you can... change their memories as soon as I... we, – you squeeze Kalego's hand, – get back from them? I don't want them to worry any more once I'm gone... again.

 The demon nods and suggests that you go somewhere where no one can see the company.

 You walk up the mountain next to Naberius, squeezing his hand and constantly tripping. When he asks you what's wrong, you don't say anything for a few seconds, and then you say it with dry lips:

  –Perhaps... it would be better... if they simply erased the memory of my existence. I can ask them to move somewhere where no one will know they had a daughter, and then... make them forget about me.

 Kalego freezes, and so do you, almost falling down. You look at it without understanding anything. The demon shakes his head and pulls you into his arms.

 –I mean… I definitely won't go back to this world, because I still live for myself, not for them, and I want to be with you, in a world that has become so much closer to me in such a short amount of time… And they will feel better if they forget that their daughter first did not call them for several months, and then was reported missing.…

 –I don't have the right to choose for you, but I still don't advise you to do it, –he pulls you closer to him. – Maybe they'll forget you, but you definitely won't. And if you ever want to visit them, they will see you as a stranger, not as their own daughter. It will hurt your heart a lot.

–But I-I can't leave them to suffer again, – you cling to him and try to hide your tears in his clothes. – I'm already a bad daughter, I only thought about them now... should they even remember someone like me?..

 –I'm sure as soon as you see them, you'll stop thinking of yourself as 'bad', – he moves away and pats you on the head. – And so it would be better to change their memories and maybe come here occasionally to visit them.

 –And how can that be possible?..

 –If Iruma becomes the demon king – which I doubt, even with the prophecy – communication with humans will clearly become easier. But even if you don't, you still have your boss. And... eh, so be it, I'll try to master the portal creation technique, although I don't promise anything.

 –You're working so hard for me... thank you so much.

 You rush to hug him, immediately hearing a giggle almost in your ear. Opera stands at the top and makes with their fingers the heart that you and Kalego fall into. You hear growls from one side and laughter from the other and decide it's time to meet your family.

 Taking the demon's hand, you walk forward to the abandoned hospital, trying to breathe calmly and not think about anything that might reflect badly on your meeting with your parents.

 It's time to apologize to them for their long absence.

#kalego x reader #mairimashita! iruma kun #kalego naberius #x reader #fem!reader