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zephyrchama · 4 months

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Listening to Magic Moment on a non-stop loop has forced me to write this.

Writing Prompt: MC giving "free massage" tickets to the brothers.

Under the cut. Gender neutral MC, second person, one section for each of the 7 brothers.

Warnings: Nothing hardcore but there is suggestive content (every person has different boundaries so I don't know whether to classify it as some or a lot?). One section almost has a violent outburst (guess who lol it's satan's part), that might be unsettling to some.

The Seven Rulers of the Devildom had expensive taste. Must be a side effect from being some of the most powerful and influential millennia-old entities around.

The student council gave you a regular allowance and there was some side change from various part time jobs, but no way could you afford a custom designer brand gift for each of your housemates. When probed for details about what they’d like, they always say they’d gladly accept anything from you. That’s surely true, but you wanted to gift something they’d actually use and appreciate.

So after weeks of thinking, you got a bag of nice craft paper and some cute stickers that reminded you of the brothers. You holed up for an evening with a Do Not Disturb sign on the bedroom door. Late at night a couple days before Christmas, you snuck into the festively decorated living room and dropped your gifts into the brother’s stockings. Those were also your idea, and technically a gift with some little snacks inside, but now they also contained an extra surprise.

On Christmas morning everyone would wake up and discover your “Free Massage” tickets. One use per ticket. Valid forever.

Lucifer ---

You assumed Lucifer would use his ticket quickly, given how exhausted he often was. Despite being as busy as ever, he showed no intention of using it. Perhaps he thought the gift was beneath him and forgot about it entirely. Perhaps he needed hints to remind him.

For days you would check in on him more and more frequently. Send him a text, inform him that you were around if anything was needed. “Don’t forget to take breaks, ok? I’m here if you need me!”

One evening you boldly slipped into his room on the pretenses of returning a book. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. A sleepy Lucifer was towel-drying his hair after a shower. He sat on the corner of the bed, clean pajama shirt folded neatly beside him.

You took a seat on his other side. The book was large enough to occupy a third space. “Thanks for lending this to me. It was a surprisingly helpful reference.”

“I told you it was, didn’t I?”

He sounded amicable to conversation. Time to go on the offensive. “Do you need any help with that? I have a nice hair dryer from Asmo.”

“No,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I have the same one. I just prefer simple routines like this before bed.”

One rejection wasn't enough to deter you. “How was your day? Did anyone cause you trouble?”

You would have known if one of his brothers had acted up, but maybe something else was on his mind you could take advantage of.

“It was particularly uneventful. Quiet, for once. I’m glad to have this evening off, I have to be up early tomorrow.”

Shot down again. Now Lucifer was reaching for his shirt. Before he put it on, you grabbed his shoulder and weaseled your arm under his armpit and around his back. Not the smoothest move, but he stopped to humor you.

“Is anything on your mind?” he asked.

“It’s just that you’ve been so busy lately, I’m worried about your health. You’ve got to take it easy from time to time.” You rubbed your palm over his back. “I’m sure you get sore when you’re overworked.”

“Indeed. However, it’s something I’m used to.”

He re-folded the shirt and got up to put it away. “Would you like to stay the night? You must miss me, seeing as I’m so busy.”

“Absolutely!”

In the spare moments it took for Lucifer to hang up his shirt, place the returned book on its shelf, and walk back to the bed, you already made yourself at home in the sheets. He chuckled, “someone’s eager.”

The lights turned off and he slid into bed by your side. After only a couple of minutes, Lucifer shifted to face the wall. He already appeared asleep. He must really have been tired after all. Under the warm blanket, you reached to stroke his back again.

A novel idea formed in your mind. If all your attempts failed while he was awake, maybe subliminal messaging while asleep would be effective. You snuggled up close and whispered into his ear, “massage ticket… Use… the massage ticket…”

You weren’t expecting a reply, but Lucifer’s deep voice whispered back at you, “why would I waste such a valuable gift?"

"You're awake?" you gasped. Lucifer's prank had been unexpected. You began softly punching his back. "I thought you fell asleep."

"I'm awake, and I wasn't planning on using that ticket. Especially when you go through the trouble to do interesting things like this.”

Mammon ---

Mammon’s ticket had been confiscated. He no longer had it because he got up early, the most excited out of everyone to receive his shiny new presents, and once he saw what was in his stocking he knew that each of his brothers had one too.

Beelzebub walked in on him rooting around in everyone’s stockings to snag their massage tickets for himself and tackled him, as he thought Mammon was stealing Christmas chocolates. The commotion attracted everyone else and Mammon’s ticket was vetoed in a unanimous vote. But he still deserved a gift from you.

Instead of letting him choose a day and time like the others, you visited Mammon’s room when you felt like it. He was still pouting.

“You know I’ve been on my best behavior all year. S’not fair!” He punched the couch in frustration. He really had been getting into less trouble lately. It felt bad seeing him so down.

“Do you want one now? A massage, I mean. Don’t tell your brothers. It’s a limited time offer since you don’t have a ticket.”

“Ya mean it?”

You nodded, and his misery turned into excitement. He literally jumped up. “Well, do I get a little somethin’ extra too? Since I don’t have my ticket, ya know. Somethin’ to make up for that. I’ve got this nice little outfit you could wear that’s-”

You quickly cut him off before the Avatar of Greed gave too many demands. “Limited time offer with terms and conditions. Take the massage right now as-is or leave it. Up to you.”

“Aaarghh alright, alright. I’ll take it. Feel honored! I’ll humor your little massage for a while!”

Mammon dramatically pulled his shirt off but kept wearing the silliest, smuggest smile. He really was cute when trying and utterly failing to act tough. He sprawled himself out on the couch, “let’s see what you’ve got!”

Since the greedy demon hogged all of the couch space, there was nowhere to sit next to him within arm’s reach. With a “don’t mind if I do,” you decided to crawl over Mammon’s legs and sit on his butt.

In a moment of shock he wiggled out from under you. You would have toppled over the side of the sofa had Mammon’s famously fast reflexes not scooped you up, now placing you atop his chest. “Whaddya think you’re doin’, huh? Who said you could do that?”

“You did! How else was I supposed to… Look, do you want this or not?”

His scowl, no matter how big, couldn’t hide the blush on his face. “Yeah, ok, but just… warn me this time… Ok?”

Leviathan ---

It had been nearly a week since you last heard from Leviathan. After Christmas, you thought you might not see him at all until the new year. There were so many holiday game events happening, after all.

“Think I’m stuck,” read the message that popped up on your DDD late one night.

“Can’t move. Requesting reinforcements. And food.”

Concerned, you popped into the kitchen for whatever palatable finger foods you could assemble on a plate and began making your way to the third born’s room. You knocked, but there was no answer. It had been a while since he gave you a password, but it didn’t seem to matter now. You just walked in.

Leviathan was slumped over in his gaming chair, surrounded by roughly ten different screens. Each had a different game and one was streaming some idol talk show. His trash can, while still relatively contained, was almost overflowing with energy drink cans and snack packages. Levi didn’t seem to notice you walk in. He had been gaming for days. You set the plate at the edge of his PC desk.

“Dang. You live like this?”

Bleary-eyed and vitamin D deficient, he still shrieked. “Whuh? Don’t scare me like that!!”

“I came to answer your distress call. You’re stuck?”

“Oh, right. I did send that, didn’t I.” He turned back to the monitors briefly to pause a few things and save a few others. It was impressive how much he could multitask.

“My back’s turned into a pretzel. I thought I’d finally take a break, but when I went to stand up I couldn’t. I think I’m stuck to the chair, lol. If I, uh, use the massage ticket, could you help me?”

“’course I will. Here, drink something.” You slid him a juice. The gamer chair was pretty tall, blocking all access to Leviathan’s back, so you started tapping away at his shoulders. He scrambled to take his headphones off, which helped.

“Sorry to call you in for such a stupid reason. I know this is a disgusting sight..”

You shook your head, though he couldn’t see it. “How’s your game progress?””Oh, about 80% done everything? 85? But it’s mostly the daily quests now, I’ve maxed out on all the top prizes from the main event stories. Look, I even got this Christmas bow set. It has trash stats but looks like a tree and fires little candy canes.”

A big burly warrior with a Christmas hat on one of the screens demonstrated the weapon.

“Uwaah, you know that really helped. I think I can try to stand now.” Leviathan made a made show of setting his legs on the ground and leaning forward, only to magnificently slide back into the chair. “Ow. Ok. That, uh, wasn’t what I planned.” He turned away. “Don’t look at me.”

“No! Don’t give up!” You spun the seat around and he squeaked In astonishment. “We’re gonna make this happen. Levi! Do you trust me?” It was all or nothing. You dramatically reached out your hands. You knew you could do it. You were going to pull this demon out of the gamer chair.

Steeling his resolve, Leviathan nodded and grabbed your hands. You asked, “ready?”

He confirmed, “Ok… Ok lets go! One!”

“Two!”

As you shouted “three!” in unison, you tugged back with all your strength. Maybe you could have pulled a little less, as the two of you went flying backwards. There would have been some real damage if Levi didn’t cushion your head from the tiled floor with his arm.

“Woaaah it woooorked! We did--”

Mid-celebration, he seemed to notice he was in a compromising position on top of you. After barrel rolling off to the side, his voice got noticeably quieter. “We did it… yeah, uh… Sorry about--”

Leaving no room for negativity, you reached around his back and hugged him before he could finish the sentence. “I really missed you, y’know? Come out of your room more often, Levi.”

His face wasn’t visible, but you’re sure it was bright red as he stammered a soft “alright.”

Satan ---

Satan texted, asking if he could redeem his massage ticket after a long and tiring day. Said it was urgent. His presence was always in demand at social events, galleries, and book shop unveilings. After five busy events in one day he just wanted to return

home to relax with a book, but some idiots were running around the library playing war with rubber band shooters. His fuse that day was incredibly short. So he retreated to the comfort of his room, but each thudding footstep down the hall sounded irksome and brought Satan one step closer to snapping.

When you knocked at his door, wrath was seeping out the cracks into the hallway. He practically screamed at you to get inside. Satan was shaking on the edge of his bed, crushing an unrecognizable object in his hand. The room was dreadfully cold. You rushed to his side, practically jumping into the empty space next to him.

He barely acknowledged you. Rubbing slow, small circles on his back had a quick effect though. Upon hitting between his shoulder blades, his tense muscles loosened and he leaned against your side. You could hear him grinding his teeth. After a long minute passed he exhaled in relief.

You scooted back a bit and guided his head to your lap. Stroking continuous circles, one hand was in his rich blonde hair, the other against his shirt fabric. “Thank you for coming,” he muttered, rubbing a cheek against your thigh.“You really saved me there.”

“Any time. Do you want to talk about your day?” Your voice was low and soft.

“No. Just keep going.”

Gently pulling at his shirt collar, you loosened it to caress the back of his neck. He was still in his outdoor attire. He’d tell you about it in time, once fully calmed down. He tried to apologize for the outburst, though it wasn’t your fault and he didn’t quite know what to say. You brushed his hair back, combing it away from his forehead to let him know things were okay. It became your personal mission lessen the stiffness in his back. You’d work your way down his spine until he relaxed.

“Maybe I could read you a book, too?” You suggested, squeezing his shoulder. Satan shifted his hand to rub your knee in appreciation.

Asmodeus ---

Asmodeus set aside a whole spa evening to use your massage ticket. It was special. He filled his bath with high-end fragrances so his skin would be extra silky. He extended an offer for you to join him in the water, heated with magic to be the perfect temperature, but you said you’d wait in his room. Those baths can take hours. You’d be too pruny to feel, let alone massage anything. He had plenty of interesting magazines to flip through in the meantime, and you got to enjoy the plush sheets on his bed.

He waltzed out of the bathroom in a magnificently fluffy robe, another Christmas gift he’d received from somebody. “Thanks for waiting! Were you lonely? I’m allll ready!”

A brand new skincare set waited on the vanity, stocked with creams and masks for you to try together. Asmo plopped into a seat while you pulled up a spare chair behind him. “What are we starting with first?”

He rifled through the packages. “This!” A matte purple, gooey liquid. “I tried samples of this before, it smells divine. Come here!”

You let him plop a dab of the gloop on your nose and rub it into your cheeks. “There! Give it a few minutes and then wash it off. In the meantime, shall we begin? Hm?”

He turned to face the mirror and wiggled impatiently for his massage, cheekily sliding the robe off his shoulder. “I know you probably can’t wait much longer.” You both laughed. With the robe around his waist, you got to work redeeming the ticket. Pounding against his back didn’t seem to phase him at all, and Asmo hardly moved from the strength of your fists as he rubbed another cream under his eyes. He launched into a story about some fan who sent him a thirty page letter the other day.

“They described my beautiful eyes really well. It was even scented, and each page was another scent. Isn’t that wild? Do you think they did that themselves, or are the pages sold like that?” His eyes peered at you in the vanity mirror. “Hey, can you rub a little harder?”

“Oh, sure!” Knowing it would be hard for you to physically hurt him, you put a bit more force into each tap. “What scent was your favorite? Like, could you distinguish them?”

“Actually, yeah! There were lots of fruits like cherries, strawberries, one was pine scented, and a rose one of course.” Asmo glanced away from his own reflection once again and he shifted his weight back towards you. “Hey, hon? Harder?”

You obliged, squeezing his back muscles with as much strength as you could muster. “Is that… Was it the longest fan letter you’ve gotten?”Asmo let out a barely distinguishable moan. You almost thought you imagined it.

”Hm… Not by far…” He started, but trailed off. With a big breath, he moaned louder and leaned back further. “Oh, come on, harder… ” He wrapped his arms around his chest and wiggled.

“Asmo!? What the-- are you…? Gross!” You lifted your hands in shock and he burst out laughing. Without anything supporting him up, he fell into your lap in a fit of giggles. “Did you think I was serious? Ahaha! You’re so cute when you’re flustered!”

Beelzebub ---

“I ate something that didn’t agree with my stomach, can I redeem that gift for a massage? It might make me feel better.” That’s what Beelzebub asked one afternoon, stopping by your room after noticing the door open. It’s rare for something to upset Beel’s stomach. It must have been really rancid.

“Yeah, of course! You wanna do it here or your room?”

“We’re already here. If you don’t mind.” Beel walked in and made himself at home, smoothing out the covers on your bed.

You got up to shut the door, but wondered if a run to the kitchen would be useful.

“Will ice help? Or any kind of medicine?” Maybe even normal food would cancel out the bad stuff and make Beel feel better, but he declined. Beel already propped his head up on your pillow and laid down.

“You’re gonna lay face up? How am I supposed to rub your back?””My stomach hurts. I thought you could rub that, and I would feel better.””Oh.” Nobody else had been able to look at you directly while giving massages. This was more embarrassing.

Beelzebub realized he hadn’t taken his shirt off, but didn’t want to stand and repeat the process again, so he just pulled it up to his chest. His breathing did seem more labored than usual. Out of pity, you didn’t roll him over. “I haven’t done this way before, so tell me if it’s uncomfortable.”

The demon was so much bigger than you, it was hard to find a good starting spot. “You can sit here,” he said, patting his waist. “Only if you want to. I don’t mind.” So you scooted on up, placing your legs to the left and right of him. Beel is so muscled it was like sitting on a warm rock.

“Where does it feel uncomfortable? Here?” You prodded a bit around his stomach, careful not to make him sick.

“Pff, haha, yeah. That’s it.”

“That tickles?”

“Yeah.”

While Beel softly giggled, you worked your hands along the soft spots between his ab muscles. “What did you even eat?”

“A bath bomb.”You couldn’t help laugh along with him. Beel continued, “I didn’t know that’s what it was until Solomon told me though. I thought I maybe I accidentally had his cooking. It looked delicious. But I think it started expanding, and caused an ache.”

“I can’t blame you there. I almost ate soap once.”

“Really? You?” You were always the more level one when it came to food. “Did it look good?”

You nodded. “Boy, did it. And it smelled amazing, I could smell it from across the room. You probably smelled the bath bomb the moment you walked in that building, right?”

He vigorously nodded. “So you do get it!”

Beel reached up and pulled you into a big hug, catching you off guard so you practically fell on top of him. “Thanks for making me feel better.”

Escaping from one of Beel’s hugs was no easy feat, so you happily went along with it. “Any time. If you ever see one of those fake cupcakes again, maybe we can put it in the bath water and see what it does together.”

Belphegor ---

“I’ve got a fun idea. Meet me in the observatory?

When you showed up to Belphegor’s summons he was counting stars. The observatory was dark but the stars were bright enough to illuminate his silhouette standing in front of the window. He greeted you with a warm smile.

“I brought my ticket. I have a special request though.” Waving the massage ticket in

his hand, he came to meet you in the middle of the room. As your eyes adjusted you could make out that an old telescope was set up next to the fountain.

“ A special request? I guess I could hear you out since I came all this way.”

The two of you took a seat on the floor. For several moments, the only sounds were your own breathing and the soothing flow of water. When he didn’t start explaining, you were afraid Belphie might fall asleep in the peaceful silence. “Are you really gonna wait for me to ask what it is?”

“Yeah. If you wanna know, you should hurry up.” You could hear the smile in his voice.

“What did you want to do?”

He reached to adjust the telescope in front of you at your eye level while explaining. “I thought we could stargaze together, but instead of just talking about what we see, we could draw them on each other’s backs. If you draw the constellations I can tell you what they are. When it’s my turn, I can show you what they look like and tell you stuff about it. What do you think?”

If your eyes could have stars in them, at this moment they would. “That sounds like a really fun idea.”

“Hehe, right? I told you. So take a look, what do you see?”

Belphegor turned his back towards you while you excitedly peered through the telecope. It was easy to focus and you quickly found a target to study.

“Two there, and then… Ok, I think I’ve got it. What’s this?”

You started to replicate what you saw with little knocks for stars, and connected them by slowly drawing arcs between the points. Belphegor’s jacket would slide over his shirt though, messing up the curves.

“Hm…” He sighed. “I thought I would be pretty good at this, but it’s hard to tell what you’re drawing.”

“This might be easier without the jacket,” you admitted.

“Really? I’m too tired to take it off though. Take it off for me?”

His brothers spoiled him too much, just like you did, so Belphegor didn’t move a muscle when you tried to peel off the warm jacket. You had to get in his personal space and lift his arms up for him. You told yourself the struggle would be worth it when you finally wrestled it off of him and could wear it yourself. He was being too uncooperative though, and eventually suggested “how about we switch? I don’t want to take this off, I’m comfortable now.”

Dejected without your warm prize, you agreed. The telescope stand rattled against the ground as he readjusted it and you turned away from him. “Do you still really want to use your massage ticket if I’m not the one doing it?” you inquired.

He hummed and hawed, mulling it over while gazing up at the sky. “Yeah, I do, if it lets me do fun stuff like this with you. I got one, let me know if you have this star sign in the human world.”

The first couple pokes sent tingles through your skin. The stars were really far away from each other, drawn on opposite sides of your lower back, but you weren’t prepared for such a delicate touch and had been distracted. “I don’t… think so? Hold on, draw it again.”

“Don’t you know? It goes like this.” He poked again, a little lower. You let out an

“eep!” and subconsciously scooted forward.

“Wait, I’m not done.” He was clearly holding back laughter. “I haven’t shown you this other one yet.”

The next constellation felt less like the trace of a star, and a lot more like Belphegor just wanted to tickle your sides. “Do you know what this is called?”

“Khh hahaha, no, I don’t.” The laugh-riddled admission further encouraged him. He wiggled lines all over your sides and crept his way to your stomach.

“I guess we have a lot of constellations to talk about then. Good thing the sky is so clear tonight.”

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lumi-nescentt · 6 months

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And When I'm Feeling Alone, You Remind Me Of Home

Pairing: Mick Schumacher x Wolff Reader

Warnings: a lot of fluff, like first christmas with your boyfriend and your family vibes

Words: 3.1k

Summary: Going home with his girlfriend should scare him, especially when your dad is a very intimidating Austrian giant and his boss but it's the last thing on his mind when you show signs of a cold.

A/N: I've been in a Christmassy mood since the first snowfall so I felt like writing something with Mick that happened in a cabin in Switzerland bc that's exactly where I'd like to be for the holidays

Spending the holiday season in a cabin in Switzerland with your family and your boyfriend had been Susie’s idea and you couldn’t have been more grateful for your step mom’s idea. You loved this time of the year and spending it without all the people you loved had simply been out of the question. You loved the winter ambiance too much not to share it with all of them.

It took a bit of sweet talking your dad for him to accept having Mick over for two whole weeks and even more to let him stay in the same room as you but after a little scolding from his wife, Toto had caved in.

It’s not like Toto didn’t like Mick, in fact he cared about him a lot. The relationship he had had with his dad was very strong and he could see a lot of Michael in the younger German. However, he couldn’t help but feel a little protective of his only daughter, even though you were already 23 years old.

With Mick being here, your little brother Jack had someone else to obsess over and the poor Mick had had to deal with Jack following him everywhere he went and asking him a million questions. Mick didn’t seem to mind in the slightest and happily answered every question and even played with him whenever he could.

It felt a little weird to have one more person joining your family for all your traditions but you loved how dedicated Mick was. Having him here meant that for once, you didn’t have to build your gingerbread house with Jack. As much as you loved your brother, his taste in decoration didn’t really match yours so you were happy to let him do his thing while you and Mick decorated yours.

Baking the vanilla cookies had been a bit messy because as hard as he was trying, Mick wasn’t the best baker. He always managed to pour half of the ingredients on himself which ended up with Jack throwing flour everywhere because he thought that was what Mick was trying to do. It took twice the time it usually did to make a whole tray of crescent biscuits but they were still very tasty.

Out of all the things you had done together, your favourite thing had been decorating the Christmas tree. Seeing your dad sway around to festive music with Susie in his arms while Mick chased after Jack who had stolen a Christmas ornament right from your boyfriend’s hands, everything felt just right. The tree was beautiful and next to the usual four stockings now hang a brand new one embroidered with Mick’s name in thin golden letters.

As Christmas approached, you could see the stockings get more heavy and the way yours was practically overflowing already didn’t go unnoticed. You knew it was Mick’s doing, your stocking was always pretty full the previous years but never to that point so you made sure to thank him as best as you could by giving him a lot of attention and spending most of your time close to him.

When it was finally time to open the presents that were at the bottom of the tree, you and Mick were woken up by the screams of joy of your brother bursting into your room and tugging on your hand while you stirred awake.

-“y/n ! Come down please.” Jack whined, tugging on your hand with both of his

-“ Mick, make him stop.” you groaned with a laugh, turning around and burying your face into your boyfriend’s chest while Jack climbed onto the bed between the two of you, looking at Mick with a big toothy smile

-“ I got it.” he assured you before turning towards your little brother “Good morning, Häschen. What do you say we go downstairs and bring your sister her coffee ?”

-“ Will that make her come with us faster ?” he asked, not totally convinced

-“ I promise you it will.”

-“ Ok let’s go now.” Jack exclaimed before running downstairs as fast as he came in

-“ We’ll be right back, Liebling.” Mick assured you, placing a soft kiss on your cheek, following your brother who was now asking Toto to show him how to make coffee

Ten minutes later, you were sitting on the couch downstairs, all cuddled up against Mick with a blanket wrapped around your shoulder while Jack ran back and forth between the tree and the couch to give everyone their presents so you could all start opening them together. With the snow lightly falling outside, it was the perfect moment to do so.

Since Mick hadn’t asked you for help with picking gifts for your family, you simply assumed he hadn’t bought anything but from the look on your parents’ face when they opened their presents, you could tell that half of what was under the tree had actually been bought by Mick.

It had been Mick’s idea to go ice-skating with you on the frozen lake after having lunch and while it stopped snowing. The thought was very sweet, Mick wasn’t the best at it but he knew you enjoyed it so he gladly went with you. You spent the entire afternoon spinning around, holding Mick’s hands so he wouldn’t fall and trying to race him, knowing damn well you were way faster than him. Mick played like a gentleman and was never a sore loser, only giving you a quick kiss when you won before asking for a rematch.

The rays of sun piercing through the clouds had tricked you into believing it’d be warmer but the December cold was seeping through the few layers of clothes you had decided to wear. Your beanie was a little too thin so, despite wearing it, you could still feel the cold air hitting your head.

You had also decided to leave your scarf inside, even though your dad had tried to convince you to wear it. All you had to do was smile and make puppy dog eyes for Toto to leave you be. He was convinced you’d be sick later but he was truly helpless when you asked him something with your pleading eyes.

You had seemed fine when you came back a few hours later so Toto stopped worrying about it and focused on the Harry Potter movie marathon you had started after coming back. Jack was sitting on Susie’s lap, half asleep already despite the fact it wasn’t really late. It seemed like tiredness was also hitting you as you fell asleep halfway through the second movie, nuzzled against Mick who was softly playing with your hair, lulling you to sleep.

You woke up a few hours later in your bed as Mick turned off the lights, settling next to you. Using the remaining strength you had, you shuffled closer to him, wrapping your arms around his waist.

-“ Thank you for carrying me, baby.”

-“ You looked too cosy for any of us to wake you up and your dad was going to do it anyway so I just told him I could do it.”

-“ You just earned brownie points with him then. He never complains about it but I know I’m not as light as Jack.”

-“ I can assure you, you weigh nothing angel.”

-“ Thanks, Mickie.”

The two of you fell into comfortable silence and soon enough fell asleep. Mick was usually a pretty heavy sleeper but after feeling you turn around for what felt like the hundredth time, he slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see you awake. However, you were still asleep but your previous relaxed face had now been replaced by a frown as a drop of sweat slid on your forehead.

Thinking you might have been having a nightmare, Mick turned on the lamp on his bedside table, casting a dim orange light in the room before trying to wake you delicately. He called your name several times without a response before he tried caressing your shoulder over the cover, finally making you open your eyes.

-“ Are you okay ?” Mick asked worriedly

-“ My head hurts and I’m cold.” you complained, wrapping yourself in the cover and getting closer to Mick

-“ You’re burning up Liebling, do you have any medication you could take ?”

-“ I didn’t bring anything but Susie probably does, Jack usually gets sick pretty easily so we never leave without it.”

-“ Alright, I’ll be right back.” Mick tried to move before you tightened your grip around his waist

-“ It’s the middle of the night Mickie, stay here we’ll ask in the morning. I don’t want to be a bother.”

-“ You’re in pain, I’m not just going to sit back and do nothing when I could help. Also I’m pretty sure if I let you be and Toto found out he’d be pretty pissed at me and I’d actually like to keep my job and my girlfriend.”

-“ He wouldn’t do that, he’s a big softie and he loves you deep down.” you mumbled, screwing your eyes shut as a chill shook your entire body

-“ That’s it, I’m going to ask Susie. I’m sorry Liebling, I know you’d rather not but I can’t bear to see you in pain.”

-“ Come back soon please, you’re warm and I’m freezing.” you caved in, knowing you didn’t have enough strength to actually argue

As quietly as he could not to wake up Jack who was sleeping in the other room, Mick knocked on your parents’ door waiting for either of them to open the door or to tell him to come in before entering. After a few seconds, the door opened with a sleepy and confused Toto behind it.

-“ Is everything okay, Mick ?”

-“ Yeah, sorry to bother you but y/n’s sick and I’m pretty sure she has a fever but I don’t have any medications with me. She said Susie might have brought some.”

Hearing some noise and feeling the warmth of her husband gone, Susie got out of bed and stood next to Toto catching the end of Mick’s answer.

-“ I’ll go get them for her, in the meantime, Toto could you make her a cup of hot water with honey and lemon juice please ?”

-“ I’ll do it Susie, thank you so much.” Mick jumped in, hurrying to the kitchen with a stressed look on his face

-“ He feels guilty…” Susie said, shaking her head

-“ What ? How do you know ?”

-“ He kept glancing towards you worriedly with a kicked puppy look on his face and he’s been fidgeting with his fingers this whole time.”

-“ I didn’t notice.” Toto admitted with a sigh, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck

-“ It’s okay, you always go protective dad mode whenever any of them is sick and you usually don’t snap out of it until you’re sure you can’t do anything else to help. It’s pretty sweet.”

-“ I feel a bit bad now, I’ll go talk to him.”

-“ Perfect, I’ll go down with the medication in a bit.” Susie said, kissing her husband on the cheek before starting to look through the bathroom’s cabinets

When Toto arrived in the kitchen, Mick was pacing, waiting for the water in the kettle to boil. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t even notice he had company until Toto cleared his throat, making him jump slightly.

-“ Are you okay, kiddo ?”

-“ What ?”

-“ You look stressed, are you okay ?” Toto insisted, resting against the counter as Mick stopped in his tracks

-“ I’m just worried about her.”

-“ I know, trust me I am too but she’s going to be fine. It’s just a little cold, she’ll be okay in no time. You shouldn’t make yourself sick with worry about it.”

-“ So you’re not mad at me ?”

-“ Of course not, why would I be ?”

-“ Because I’m the one who convinced her to go ice-skating for hours when it was still cold so it’s my fault if she’s sick now.”

-“ You’re not the one who refused to wear warmer clothes, Mick. It’s not anyone’s fault but if it was it’d be mine. I’m her father, I should have insisted that she wear her scarf and a thicker sweater too.”

-“ Even if you had, I'm sure she wouldn’t have listened. She’s too stubborn to do so. It’s not your fault either.” Mick smiled as the kettle made a sound signalling it was

Toto watched as Mick carefully filled the cup with water and gently mixed the whole drink, taking a sip to make sure it wasn’t too hot as Susie came in holding pills in her hands.

-“ Here you go Mick, she can take one now and another in 4 hours if she’s still in pain.”

-“ Thank you, Susie.”

-“ No problem, now go and make sure the both of you get some sleep.” Susie smiled, giving Mick’s arm a squeeze before going back to her room with Toto following close behind.

When Mick came back to your room, you were dozing off, barely awake enough to open your eyes and smile weakly at him. Mick sat down next to you and brought you closer to him, making you sit up a bit so you could drink. The two of you sat in silence as you slowly drank the whole cup while Mick played with your hair.

-"Are you ready to go back to sleep ?” Mick asked, kissing the top of your head

-“ Yeah I think so.” you answered, lowering yourself under the covers

-“ Come closer, you said you were cold and I want my good night kiss, angel.”

-“ I don’t want you to get sick because of me.”

-“ I don’t mind you not kissing me if you’re worried about that but I’m not letting you freeze.” Mick smiled, pulling you towards him so your back was resting against his chest

-“ Good night Mickey.”

-“ Good night Liebling, wake me if you need anything.”

Luckily for Mick, the rest of the night went without another incident and you ended up sleeping like a baby. Being sick had tired you out quite a bit so you slept for most of the day, only waking up when your dad knocked to bring you a tray full of warm food and some more medication he had picked up at a nearby pharmacy.

When you finally got out of bed, it was time for dinner and you just sat down on your chair waiting for the rest of the family to come sit down, watching how Jack immediately ran towards you and gave you a delicate hug, almost afraid to break you if he squeezed you too hard.

-“ You’re not going to hurt me, you can squeeze me a bit harder, Bunny.” you smiled, ruffling his hair

-“ Dad said we had to be very nice to you because you were sick.”

-“ Dad’s just exaggerating because he doesn’t like seeing me sick but I feel much better already.”

-“ You promise ?” Jack whispered, looking at you with worried eyes

-“ I promise, you’re not getting rid of me this easily. Who would tickle you until you’re screaming, huh ?” you teased him wiggling your fingers against his ribs until he was laughing freely

-“ Well what do we have here ? Is somebody getting attacked and no one’s here to defend them ?” Mick taunted you with a smirk as Jack screamed for help

Before you could stop him, Mick was coming towards you, tearing you away from Jack and pulling you onto his lap as he sat down on his chair.

-“ How do you want to take your revenge Jack ? Should we tickle her too ?”

-“ Yes !!!” Jack screamed in delight watching as Mick starting poking your ribs, joining in quick after

-“ Please have mercy.” you said in between laughs, squirming to get away from the two pairs of hands tickling you “ I won’t tickle you again Jack.”

-“ What do you say little buddy ? Should we stop ?” Mick asked your brother who thought for a second before nodding

-“ Thank you boys, I was starting to run out of air.”

-“ You can thank Jack, I wouldn’t have stopped if it wasn’t for him.” Mick joked, placing a soft kiss on your cheek

-“ You’re getting confident Mickey.” you smiled at him

-“ Is that a bad thing ?”

-“ No, I like it. It looks good on you.” you said, turning to face him so you could kiss him properly this time earning a groan of disgust from Jack who ran to hide behind Toto’s legs

Toto and Susie were standing in the archway, Susie’s head resting against Toto’s arms with soft looks on their faces.

-“ Inviting him was a good idea, Süße.” Toto smiled, bringing Susie closer to him

-“ I know, that’s why I brought it up in the first place. I knew seeing him with her would win you over, you big softie.”

-“ It would be lying to say I can’t see how in love they are. It’s just weird seeing her so grown up, I still remember how tiny she was when she was born. Mein süßes kleines Mädchen.” he whispered the last part, picking up Jack in his arms

-“ Don’t get all emotional now, she still needs you in her life so come on let’s get dinner started before you start crying.” Susie smiled

The dinner went peacefully, Jack was on his best behaviour, making sure you were alright every five minutes despite you reassuring him which made you smile, he really was a sweet kid. For the whole dinner, Mick’s hand never left you, it was either on your thigh or resting on the back of your chair, tracing circles on your shoulder.

Despite sleeping all day, you were still tired so instead of watching a Christmas movie with the rest of your family, you and Mick went back to your room to rest. Now that you felt a little better, you let Mick get closer to you and the boy happily snuggled against you and kissed every part of your face with the kind smile that had made you fall for him in the first place.

You both knew that if he became sick too, you’d be there to take care of him and that was all that mattered. You could be anywhere in the world, stuck in any foreign place, as cliché as it sounded, you knew you’d be alright if you had each other. He made you feel safe in the most uncomfortable situation and you did the same for him, everyone around you could see it.

The rest of the trip went normally and before you and Mick went back to his family’s cabin, your dad pulled him aside and gave him a hug, surprising the younger man. Before he could say anything, Toto thanked him for taking care of his daughter and said he was glad you were dating someone as nice and thoughtful as him.

If Mick had been a little less stunned, he would have probably hugged him back but all he was able to do was smile and nod. Without knowing it, your dad had just given Mick one of the best late Christmas presents he could have wished for and Mick was now more sure than ever about the future of your relationship.

#mick schumacher x reader #mick schumacher #f1 imagine #f1 #formula 1 #formula one x reader #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #f1 fandom #f1 scenario #f1 x you #f1 x female reader #f1 x y/n

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yellowflowerbub · 10 months

Text

small business

꒷︶ ̇ ̟ ෆ ‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿ ෆ ̟ ̇ ︶꒷

summary. you and gojo run the snacks stand for your class together

wordcount. 1k

pairing(s). teen!gojo satoru x reader

tag(s). friendly banter, gender neutral reader

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The school festival is busy. Students scurry through the building and the outskirts of the premises like rodents, every inch of the school from closet to hallway is drenched in the stench of school spirit. Silence is something you won’t hear until you return home as the whole of the student body fills the air with inaudible conversation.

The room you inhabit has little to no decoration, in comparison to the rooms adjacent to your own, the classroom is wholly bare. The stand you’ve thrown together consists of brands of sweets organized at random. In front of the table is a sign that reads, “Candy 400 Yen Each”. Running the stand and sitting behind the table along with you is Gojo Satoru. He doesn’t appear to be any more elated to run the stand than you are.

“Can’t we just pack up?” Gojo groans, he’s been steadily complaining for the better of an hour. It’s almost admirable how someone can remain this verbally annoyed for this long.

“No, we haven’t gotten anywhere near our class’ goal.” You reiterate while recounting how much you’ve earned as of now. 1,600 yen. 19,400 yen to go.

He whines, leaning back in his chair, “But we’re nowhere near getting to our class goal!”

“I just said that.”

“How can they expect us to get that much money in a day from these kids? Everyone keeps walking past our room ‘cause it looks like there’s no one in here.” He twists around in his chair restlessly, kicking up his legs over the armrest and planting them back onto the floor, folding his legs under one another before pulling his knees up to his chest.

“That’s a great idea, Gojo. You should go out and tell people that there actually is a stand in this room.” You suggest, pushing on his shoulder as you do.

His glasses plummet to the tip of his nose as he jerks out of his seat, “I can’t do that! They’d just walk past me. I’d rather jump off the roof than have an underclassman ignore me and chase after them. God that sounds humiliating.”

You don’t bother responding to him. At some point amongst the nagging, a student wanders through the door. Gojos eyes shoot to the student then to you.

“Hi, we’re selling sweets for our school's fundraiser. Everything we’ve got is on this table.” You gesture to the array of candy.

The student looks nervous, almost unreasonably nervous for the circumstances. They feel around in their pants pockets and pull a few coins from one of the back ones. “Can I buy two chocolates?” They ask holding up the coins in one hand and a two in the other.

“Sure, that’s 800 yen. You can drop it in that jar to your right.”

They hum, grabbing the candy and flipping the coins in their respected place.

Gojo looks antsy. The tips of his thin fingers drum on his thigh and his poor posture, fixed eyes, and chattering teeth make him look predatory. Too bad this energy is directed toward the kid who looked like they’d shit themselves before they came in.

“Why stop at two pieces of chocolate? We have too much shit to only grab one thing.” He speaks like a salesman, a stark change in tone from the groaning and whining senior he made himself out to be a moment ago.

“Oh,” They sound startled, “Well, I’m just not that.. hungry.”

“Bullshit,” They jump, “I know an exhausted student when I see one.” He does not.

“Really, I promise I’m not tired at all.” They stammer yet Gojo persists.

“Look at those bags under your eyes, you must not have had any sleep last night. Boy have I got just the thing you need.” At this point, you’re sure this is the cap on how much money you’ll be making today.

“If I put more money in, will you let me leave?’

“Yes.”

Without another word the student drops the rest of what remained in their hand straight into the donation jar and leaves as quickly as they’d come. You resist a strong urge to drag your hands down your face.

“Dude.”

“Yup?”

“You’re so oblivious it’s infuriating.”

Gojo scoffs, “I am not! You’re too much of a pushover to see when a customer needs to be pushed a bit.”

“‘Pushed a bit’ is an extreme understatement. You nearly made that kid shit themself.” You outstretched to tip the donation jar toward yourself, “Speaking of shit, stop swearing while we’ve got customers.”

His countenance twists into one of genuine confusion, it hadn’t wrapped around his diminutive mind how he could come off as pushy. In his eyes, some people, especially those younger than himself, needed a little push, “Really?”

“Yes.” You deadpan.

Despite his idiocy, Gojo is immensely intelligent in reading people. Of course you probably wouldn’t be making any more money if word gets out that some asshole is berating underclassmen for the few bucks they’d brought to spend however, that kid was loaded.

“Holy- that kid had 8,000 yen on them! We’re close to being done with this now!”

You could see Gojo being physically inflated with pride. With his pointer finger he nudges his shades further up the bridge of his nose, “See?”

You continue to count the money once more.

“I’m like, the best at reading people.” He boasts, “If it were just you here, you would’ve let everyone waltz out that door without asking them for anything else. I’m just too good. Maybe I should look into sales.” It looks like he'll burst if he pumps his pride any further. You might not be able to drag him down to earth, he’ll continue to drift away until his ego is out of plebeian reach.

“Do you think I’d look good as a car salesman? Hm~?”

“Absolutely not, stick to sorcery.” He deflates.

“Damn! You’re so ruthless. I’ve got some feeling in my heart!”

“Unfortunately, most of it is complete and utter idiocy.”

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

a/n: in honor of the new jjk season coming out

Feedback and Reblogs are Appreciated!

#gojo x reader #gojo x you #jjk x reader #gojo satoru #jjk gojo #teen gojo #teen gojo x reader #jjk fluff #gojo saturo

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strangelittlestories · 19 days

Text

The first time he saw a sponsors' billboard at a music festival, Dionysus threw up on the ground.

He stood there for a moment, transfixed by the swirls of bile and wine and other glittering substances that fizzed and smoked against the earth.

He stared at the augury spelled out by his godly fluids and his eyes were wide as shotguns.

"D?" One of his followers had noticed that this was more than the usual moment of revery that followed revelry. She looked at his eyes. She gasped.

His followers had seen him horrified on many occasions. There were times, after all, when he had seen something awful and needed to be cradled to sleep like a child. Often, they were awful things that he had *done*. They had come to learn that his rages were just as beautiful as his sorrows - these were the times he was his most alien and his most vulnerable.

But this was the first time they had seen him *scared*.

"D, are you ok? Do you ... do you need a drink?" His expression was like a warning sign in a foreign language. "Do you want me to hold you?"

"What is this doing in my temple?" They had never heard his voice so level, so drained of music.

"That? It's just a beer company, D. They pay the festival to put the branding up..."

"Oh, it's not a brand, dearest." D clicked his finger and this particular follower - he thought her name was April, or maybe May or September, a month of some kind at least - fell to the ground, her body spasming in what could have been pain or pleasure but was most definitely ecstacy. "It's a *muzzle*."

Then Dionysus walked away into the forest, never once looking back at the revellers he left behind.

The press speculated on his disappearance, but never found anything concrete to say, just endless waves of speculation. Most of his followers moved on to worship other gods or celebrities, following the party scene.

Tuesday - the girl who had noticed D's fear and whose name he had very nearly remembered - left the scene entirely and became a computer programmer. Many of her employers have commented, over the years, on the vines that occasionally grow out of the servers wherever she works. But they always stopped asking questions when she fixed her eyes on them with that whipcrack of drunken intensity.

When asked what had happened to D, she would only say "he's coming back".

When the 8acchae announced their presence by streaming a live concert from a prominent bank's website, most dismissed them as just another Anonymous knock-off.

But some people recognised the name, or noticed the vines that decorated the ivory of their theatrical masks, or recognised the drunken stare of their shotgun-dilated eyes. And they began to stock up on tinned goods, for they knew the wild time that was coming...

#writing #microfiction #flash fiction #short story #mythology #greek mythology #dyonisus #euoi euoi

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ghostiiess · 4 months

Text

“you’re the best gift i have ever received”

synopsis: while you’re trying to wrap your christmas gifts, your boyfriend jake knocks on your door and surprises you with a gift

warnings: none, petnames (princess, babe, and baby), mention of kisses (not makeout), i think that’s all? let me know if there’s more!

type: fluff

wc: around 850 (i think)

member: jake from enhypen x female reader

author’s note: i am in love with jake’s and hoon’s collab with tiffany & co…. so i added it into the imagine, i hope you guys will like it!!

reblogs and likes are really appreciated!

english's not my main tongue.. sorry if i made any mistakes!

Wrap, wrap, wrap. You were late... again.

Like every year, you procrastinated to put the wrapping paper on the gifts you bought for your family and loved ones. You loved buying the gifts, picking out the tags, choosing the wrapping paper, seeing the smiles on the faces of your family and friends when they opened the gifts, but you hated the time when you had to wrap everything and put the gifts in order. You found it long and boring, especially since your gift-wrapping skills were not the best and most beautiful.

If your boyfriend Jake saw you doing what you are doing now, he would probably laugh and tell you how adorable you are, trying to handle the tape and the wrapping paper at the same time. Unlike you, he wrapped gifts beautifully.

- Why is wrapping presents so hard?!

You sighed for the umpteenth time under the air of the festive songs you had put in the background, then looked at the gift you had just wrapped. How could a book be so difficult to wrap?

- Well... it's not too bad. After all… it's the gift that counts, not the wrapping.

You looked at the pile of gifts you had left. Just seeing the other gifts discouraged you. Again, you took the gift, that was meant for a family member, placed it on the paper, and took a deep breath.

- You only have six left, you can make it Y/N! you said to encourage yourself.

At the same time, there was a knock at your door. You weren't expecting a visit today, but you guessed that it was probably your boyfriend, who liked to make surprise visits from time to time. You opened the front door and let the cold wind and snow enter your house.

- Hii! said your boyfriend Jake with a big smile on his face, as he walked into your house and kissed you on the cheek. I have a special delivery for you!

- A special delivery? you asked as you closed the door behind him.

Your boyfriend nodded and handed you a bag, running his ringed hand through his dark brown hair.

- Coming straight from the North Pole! It's not your Christmas present, but I really couldn't wait! he smiled. I really wanted you to wear it before Christmas Eve at my family's house.

- How many non-Christmas presents will I get? you laughed. I thought we had to go easy on the presents this year... and this is the third one! I really appreciate it, but... I don't want you to spend all your money on me, baby.

He laughed.

- Yeah, but... Don't I have the right to spoil my girl during this festive season? Besides, it's so fun and cute to see you all happy afterwards.

He kissed your forehead, then said:

- Open it, I want to see your reaction.

You nodded your head, then gently removed the red tissue paper that decorated the white bag. You took the small wrapped gift and removed the red wrapping paper from the box, revealing a small turquoise box inside. You could recognize the brand just by the color, due to the promotion Jake and his best friend had recently done with Tiffany & Co.

- Jake... Is this really what I think it is?

- Open it and you'll see! He replied with a grin.

You opened the small turquoise box and saw a silver necklace, with a small heart-shaped pendant, that opened to reveal your and Jake's anniversary date of dating. You couldn't help but smile.

- Jake... It's so beautiful, I love the detail of our birthday in the little heart...thank you so much! I love it so much, you said, kissing him gently on this lips. Can you put it on me, please?

- It's nothing princess, you deserve it! he replied, putting the necklace around your neck.

- How is it? you said, turning back to face him

Jake put his right hand over his mouth to hide his smile and couldn't help but giggle a little. His hand slipped to his heart, you could almost see sparks in his brown eyes.

- Baby, you are sooo beautiful. It suits you so well, omg… Come here.

He placed his lips against yours, then gave you another smile.

- I knew I had made the right choice with this necklace. To be honest, I ordered one too and I thought we could both have matching necklaces. I think we could look really cute and beautiful wearing them together. What do you think? before you could answer, he continued. Wait! We could even have matching rings! I think I saw some that went with the necklace. Omg, we'be so cute!

You took him in your arms, laughed softly, and then nodded to confirm his idea of matching necklaces. You pulled away from the hug, then went on with what you wanted to say:

- Thank you so much baby. I also wanted to give you a gift today, but all of your gifts are in transit. They were supposed to arrive today, but there was a delay in shipping and delivery, and I won't get them for another two days but…

Not letting you finish your sentence, Jake placed his lips on yours, then pulled away from the kiss while placing his left hand on your right cheek.

- Baby, you're the best gift I've ever been given. As long as I have you, I'm happy. And if I’m being completely honest, I don't want anything, except for us to grow old together.

Still a smile on his lips, your boyfriend looked at the messy pile of presents on your kitchen table. He knew you hated wrapping gifts.

- Need a hand?

- Please.

not so sure about the end, but i still hope you guys liked it!

permanent taglist (open): @nsb-rkive @kentisbaby @firebenderwolf @hyuneee0 @yawnzzznnn @ghostyycat7

bold can’t be tagged.

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fruitsoxs · 3 months

Text

New Year's Kiss

pairing(s); Gale x (GN)reader summary; You somehow end up kissing your rival at midnight OR you seriously misinterpret the vibes Gale is giving off (modern au) warning(s); reader is a dumbass, they are so bad at understanding social ques, Gale can't flirt, this is mostly fluff wordcount; 1.8k notes; this was beta read by both @linklebard and my partner! i couldn't have done it with out them <;33

You never really liked parties. They were often too loud and too crowded. You hate being forced to socialize with other people. You’re definitely an introvert, and when given the choice would rather stay at home. You especially hate work parties though. Not only do you have to talk to people, but these people are your peers. Your educated, rude peers that have an “I’m better than you” outlook on life. The hardest part about work parties? You can’t escape them. Unless you are on your deathbed, you HAVE to attend. It’s an anxiety fueled nightmare

That is exactly how you ended up at your university’s New Year’s party.

You grip the champagne glass with so much vigor that it may just explode in your hands. People around you are talking, creating a sea of noise which threatens to drown you. Face a little pale, you slowly raise the drink up to your lips and sip. The liquid does little to help you unwind, but it serves as your life vest on this treacherous adventure. Without it in your hands you’d just be standing there awkwardly amongst your peers.

The party is being held in the Performing Arts center, in a large room adorned with gold decorations and giant pillars. In the center there is a live band playing. A jazz band whose music should be relaxing, but in this environment it only adds to the stress. Many people are dressed in their finest clothing, showing off their expensive brands. You opted for something a little more simple, but elegant nonetheless. You’ve done your best to look presentable, but you can’t deny the fact you struggled to force yourself off your computer for this event. Despite it being winter break, you’re working relentlessly to put together a research paper that will HAVE to pull in grants.

You’d much rather be putting all of your energy into that than standing here awkwardly at the party. You need to work hard in order to draw in the attention of benefactors, especially with that certain someone who always seems to be fighting with you for the same grants. It wouldn't be such an issue if the man didn’t beat you almost every time. It was only recently that you lost against him after presenting what you thought was your best work. It didn’t even seem to be a fight in the end, his project was chosen without a second thought. You worked your ass off day and night to perfect every inch of that proposal, and in the end you were left with nothing.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.” A voice rings out beside you, pulling you from your solitude. When you look over you are met with the big brown eyes of the coworker you were just thinking about. Gale Dekarios, the most annoyingly smart person you know. The one who you are constantly butting heads with, and the person you can safely say you hate the most. The worst part about him? He always seems to be correct in a way you can’t refute. He’s wickedly smart, with looks that match. You don’t think there’s a single soul who would describe him as anything but handsome. It’s utterly unfair. Despite your harsh feelings for the man, he always seems to worm his way into your thoughts

“I think you may have misread the email then, Professor Dekarios. The word required was used more than a couple of times.” You answer, crossing your free arm over the one holding your drink. You would know, you were the one in charge of sending out that email. He lets out a soft chuckle and nods. “I happen to thoroughly read every email I get, especially the ones I get from you. I just figured you’d skip out on the festivities seeing as the word “required” doesn’t always guarantee your attendance, Professor.” He points out, taking a sip of his own drink.

While he’s not wrong, you don’t appreciate the way he says it. Everything sounds so sassy coming from his mouth. It feels like a slight on your attendance to these ordeals, or like he’s comparing himself to you. There’s no doubt in your mind that he shows up to every single one of these events. They seem like something he would enjoy. You, on the other hand, do like to skip out on parties, even when they are technically required to go to. The reason behind you playing hooky though, is the man in front of you. He’s always somehow one upping you, making it so you have to work extra hard to earn any amount of attention. And while you could earn that attention by attending these parties, and schmoozing up to the department leaders, you’d much rather gain attention by doing good work. Besides, you’ve never been all that great at networking.

“I do value my job, you know.” you snap, clearly angered by what he said. It is all his fault after all. If he wasn’t so goddamn competent at his job, you might be able to relax every once in a while.

He doesn’t seem phased by your anger, simply nods along. “Ah yes, and how lucky are we to have you here. One of the finest Historians I know.”

‘But never the best’ You think bitterly, sipping your champagne again. You find yourself thinking back to those late nights, scrolling through Rate My Professor to compare your scores. Despite your best effort, he always seems to have the most positive reviews. The students love him, the faculty love him. It seems he will always be better than you, no matter what he is doing.

You intend to end the conversation there, but it seems Gale has other plans. Always the sociable one, he opens his mouth again. “It does seem like you’ve been much more engrossed in your work lately. Planning anything big?” he asks, genuinely curious about your work. However, you have never been good at social cues. Thinking he’s making fun of you, you narrow your eyes at him. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business, Professor” you snap.

He always seems to be trying to gawk at your work. For what? You aren’t sure. Every chance he gets he’s asking what your most recent project is. Sometimes he even asks to view your lesson plans for classes, which always pisses you off. What right does he have inserting himself into your work? Not only that, but what intentions does he have? There’s no way he’s trying to help you, right?

He holds his hands up in feign surrender. “Alright, No need to get snappy. I'm just curious. Who would I be if I was not interested in my colleague’s work?” he asks, offering you a smile.

You really have no idea what to make of this guy. You’ve always hated conversing with him, because it genuinely feels like he has some secret motive behind his kind words and smiles. He has to be making fun of you for something. There is no other explanation. At least not in your mind. Still, maybe you are being too harsh. You let your glare fall, and give him a small nod. You shift your eye over to the clock. Only five minutes to midnight, which means it’s almost time for you to go home.

Your eyes go back to Gale, who is still by your side sipping his drink happily. Why is he still next to you? Doesn’t he have some other poor soul to chat to? You open your mouth to voice this, but he cuts you off by clearing his throat.

“The music is rather lovely today, is it not?” he asks you, avoiding eye contact as if he’s nervous.

What? Why is he talking to you about the music? You seriously don’t understand this man’s intentions with you at all. Is he trying to get you to lower your guard so he can learn all your secrets? No…he’s much too smart to need to do that. He goes above and beyond, relying purely on his brain alone. He would never commit messy tricks to get what he wants. You arch an eyebrow at him, and look over at the band. They’re playing a pleasant tune.

“I guess.” you mumble.

“And the decorations are nice!”

“It’s a little cheesy.”

“Perhaps, but cheesy isn’t always bad.”

You take another sip of your drink, realizing it’s growing quite empty. Well, It’s only three minutes until midnight, You can survive with what you have. You start to get comfortable with the silence, before Gale starts to speak again. “You know we are probably the smartest people in our department. How would you-” You cut him off this time, utterly confused as to why he’s STILL talking to you. “Don’t you have someone else you’d like to talk to?” you ask with complete sincerity. He seems a little taken aback by your question, his smile disappearing for a small second. Within a few moments it’s back on his face though. “No. I actually quite enjoy talking to you.”

Two minutes until midnight.

You’re stunned. What does he mean? You feel your cheeks heat up despite yourself. You clutch onto your drink a little more intensely. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I enjoy talking to you. You are great company and I-” he cuts himself off.

One minute.

“You?”

He clears his throat, his face turning a bit pink. He then turns to you, taking a deep breath. You expect him to say something, but this time he’s quiet. He just waits for a moment. Once the clock strikes midnight, he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you in closer to him. He does it slowly, giving you time to move away if you want. You find yourself wanting whatever he is doing though, a flame lighting up inside you. Carefully his lips meet yours, and the room disappears.

The kiss only lasts for a moment, but you can feel the fireworks light up inside you.

“I quite like you.” he admits after pulling away, his face inches from yours. Unsure how to respond, you reach up and kiss him again. This time the kiss lasts a few seconds longer. His lips are warm, a little dry, but so pleasant against yours. When you pull away, he’s smiling again. “I’ll take it, you feel the same?” he asks.

You nod shyly.

“Good. Now, might I propose something that I meant to ask earlier? Would you be willing to do a joint proposal with me?”

How could you possibly say anything but yes?

#gale x reader #gale x tav #gale x you #gale dekarios x reader #baldur's gate 3 x reader

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carpenoctxrn · 5 months

Text

Simon Riley x Reader (GN Pronouns)

synopsis: everything I believe simon would do with his S/O during Christmas

also feminine reader but not implied gender.

sfw

simon who loves the idea of decorating his house. at first he didn't want a house as he felt like it would be a empty shell and a reminder of how he is never around, how he will never be normal so an apartment would be more okay. but he decided financially if he can afford a good house he should purchase it. so he bought a two story house that has some acres but tons of trees surrounding it.

simon who asked his darling naturally after passing that milestone of being in a relationship as long as they had, he felt it would only be appropriate to ask them to move in. at first their darling was hesitant but ultimately they knew the answer was yes.

few months after simons darling moved in it was christmas. he felt as if he should ask his darling if they were interested in decorating the houses. he was met with online emails for delivery dates of christmas trees, gold and red ornaments, wreaths, gigantic candy canes to decorate the outside of the house, a bunch of out door lights, and a light up reindeer pulling santa set up to be placed on the roof. that was the only answer he needed.

as the couple would go out to the town to watch movies, shop for grocery, or to satisfy food cravings they would occasionally purchase knick knacks for christmas to hang around the house or to decorate during the festive season. simon didn't think ill of the holiday nor did he feel excited. some christmas he spent it being deployed and the ones he stayed at home were not different than every other day.

simon who is actually a bit excited this holiday because he has a sense of home in house all because of their darling. he loves waking up and having their darling ask them for help hanging things. he loves how domestic it feels when they set and begin decorating their christmas tree.

simon who definitely overspends on gifts for his darling because he wants the christmas to resemble a christmas catalog. he bought name brand everything without looking at the price tag. he bought them make-up if they used any, clothes of their aesthetic and color, gaming equipments if he felt like they need it, shoes from converse to YSL heels, and so many lingerie from small businesses all around the world that would ship to your location. it was tough getting the deliveries before his darling but he decided to just offer picking up the mail or anything if it was delivered to the post office rather than the drive way that was about one mile away from the house.

simon who helps his darling cook for their christmas dinner and offers to do the dishes afterwards while his darling showers and gets dressed. but before his darling went upstairs he decided to give some gifts early to his darling. like the brown silk dress that was skin tight and had long sleeve. it complimented the 24k gold bracelet that had your's and his initial engraved on it. along with some fluffy white socks that made them smile.

simon who wears black cargo pants with the maroon shirt you bought him to wear. he wore his silver rings, bracelets, and dog tags that complimented him. and also black fluffy socks too.

Master list

the divider is by @pommecita

#call of duty #call of duty mwii #simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x you #simon ghost x reader #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #call of duty modern warfare ii #ghost call of duty #cod mw2 #call of duty headcanons #dividers by pommecita #christmas #christmas imagine

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munsonhoneybaby · 4 months

Text

Beginning Traditions | Eddie Munson X F!Reader

Summary: It’s your first Christmas in your new home with Eddie and the two of you are ready to explore the next steps you’ll take together as you form your own Christmas traditions.

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: 18+ mdni, just some heavy making out honestly nothing bad in this one

A/N: takes place in december of ‘94. bit more of a blurb/drabble. this was originally gonna be some super sweet extensive thing with a lil breeding kink and some sex by the fireplace but uh- the month really got away from me. i’ll try and make it up to y’all with whatever i post next <3

The bluesy cadence of Elvis’s voice floated quietly through the main rooms of your home, the old holiday records your family had passed down having been dusted off in the name of the season. It was certainly a change of pace from the rock and metal cassettes you typically had playing. The golden twinkle of the Christmas lights worked hand in hand with the flickering fireplace to fill the room with a warm glow.

Four inches of snow blanketed the ground outside and, according to the weather report, the elements wouldn’t be letting up anytime soon. Inside, however, Eddie had turned up the heat and started the fire while you had made two mugs of hot chocolate ‘with all the fixins’. The Christmas tree was fully decorated, including multiple ornaments the two of you had made together. The only thing missing was the star on top, which was what led you to balance precariously at the top of your step stool, stretching to reach the top of the eight-foot tree.

Warm palms met your exposed skin as your boyfriend of eight years grasped your hips to steady you. “You gotta be more careful, pretty girl. Gonna gimme a heart attack.”

“Eds, babe, the ladder’s like two feet tall. If anything, I’m worried about takin’ the tree down with me.” You fidgeted with the fake branches, “Is the star sitting straight?”

“Looks perfect, honey.” He held a hand out to help you step down, tugging you a few steps back to take a look.

You hummed in agreement as he kissed your temple, your back pressing into his chest. “It’s pretty. You did a good job on the lights.”

He smiled at you before glancing out the window where the wind howled and the tree branches shook. “Thank God I put up the lights outside yesterday. Who knows when this storm’s gonna let up.”

Hip bumping his, you gave him a suppressed smirk. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll find ways to keep busy. I just hope we don’t lose power, even with the heat going I’m still freezing.”

“If we can find ways to keep busy, we can definitely find a way to keep warm. Don’t you worry, honey baby.”

A ding from the oven drew you to the kitchen as Eddie put away the step stool. Grabbing the bag he’d stowed away in the guest room, he met you in the kitchen where you were swapping out the freshly baked sugar cookies for unbaked cookie dough. “Hey, I’ve got somethin’ for us to do tonight.”

“When did you go to Family Video?” You frowned in confusion at the bag in his hands.

Ignoring your question, he asked, “Remember that one kids’ Christmas movie you liked that came out last year? The Tim Burton one?”

“The Nightmare Before Christmas?” The smile spreading on your face had him pulling the brand-new VHS from the bag. With a little squeal, you took it from him to inspect it. He’d even gotten one with a plastic hardcover instead of a paper one. Your arms wound around his neck with a tight squeeze, “Thank you, Eddie!”

Squeezing your waist right back, he chuckled. “‘Course, pretty girl. Why don’t you go turn the movie on and I’ll make us some popcorn, hm?”

Less than a year until he’d turn thirty, and even after so many years with you he still stood in the doorway to watch you bend over and put the VHS in– only then did your boyfriend attend to his task of making popcorn. The hot bag burned his fingers as he dumped the microwaved popcorn into a big bowl. He joined you on the couch after pressing play for you, the festive pattern of your matching pajama pants blending together as your legs curled against his.

Eddie eyed your content expression as you watched the movie with a small smile. It had been a philosophy of yours to try and maintain the spirit of the holiday season for as long as Eddie had known you. Even when he’d still lived with Wayne, you’d insist on coming over to help decorate the trailer. He still remembers asking you about it on your first Christmas together as a couple. My family doesn’t really get along, you’d explained with an expression of shame that made his chest hurt. Not a lot of people show up to celebrate, and there’s always a fight when they do. I guess I just wanna try and enjoy what I have around times like this, y’know? Bring people together. He looked over at the two stockings hanging from the mantle of the fireplace and imagined more hanging beside them. “So, are you gonna leave cookies and milk out for Santa this year?”

Meeting his eyes out of the corner of yours, you smiled and popped a piece of popcorn in your mouth. “I s’pose I could if Santa actually wants to sneak in the living room at midnight to put the presents under the tree.”

“Well, I think he’s going to. He’s gonna need the practice if he’s gonna have a little one or two to deliver presents to in the Christmases to come.” He tried to keep a lightheartedly teasing expression on his face, but part of him tried to gauge how you would react to that.

“Little ones, huh?”

“Doesn’t have to be by next Christmas,” He reassured with a little smile. “All this’s just makin’ me think about it.”

“Yeah?” Your hand soothed over his clothed chest before slipping beneath his shirt to do the same to his skin. “Eddie Munson’s really thinkin’ about kids?”

His face flushed, head tilting down as his eyes darted around. “I don’t know, it’s just…we’re in such a good place– and I wanna stay like this for a while longer, I do, ‘cause this is perfect, y’know? I just think we’re getting there, I guess. Like maybe it’s time to start talking about parenting stuff a little more and preparing together?”

Cupping his cheek, you met his gaze with a small smile. You couldn’t help but kiss him, fingers winding into the loose messy bun that was falling out at the base of his neck. “We’ll talk about it, Eds. I promise.” You could feel his smile against your lips as they molded to his again, his arms surrounding you to draw you into his lap. “Eddie, the movie,” You pouted half-heartedly into the kiss.

“We’ve got it on VHS now, babe. We can watch it anytime,” He argued as his mouth found its way to your neck. Head rolling back to give him more room, you pulled your borrowed scrunchie from his hair. His hands wandered from your hips over your waist and up your back, mapping out each curve as though he didn’t already have them all memorized.

Pulling back slightly, your thumb stroked over his jaw. “You’re gonna be such a good dad.”

“You really think so?” He asked, a little nervousness seeping into his tone.

“I know so, baby. You’re gonna be amazing.”

He pulled you down into another ravenous kiss, mumbling against your lips. “I love you.”

On Christmas that year, he got down on one knee and gave you a ring.

The next year, you bit your nail as you watched Eddie unwrap his final Christmas gift from you– the first of several positive pregnancy tests.

————————————————————————-

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #stranger things #eddie munson christmas #christmas fic #eddie munson x f! reader #dad!eddie munson #eddie munson × reader #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson drabble #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x f!reader #eddie munson fluff

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trulybetty · 5 months

Text

dec' 07 x joy

Prompt: joy Pairing: frankie x reader (maverick) Word Count: 706 Warnings: mentions of the seventh circle of hell that is corporate year-end events Summary: the year-end Christmas party would be a whole lot more enjoyable with company. Frankie has been deployed, meaning your plans for the night have had to change. AO3: Linked

x. masterlist

The music was loud, the food uninspiring and the speeches had dragged out longer than they needed. There were also not enough drink tickets in your hand to compensate for an evening of your own time spent at this work event. It was the same every year. Everyone shuffled into the same conference center, slapped a name badge on, made small talk, ate bad food and listened to the VP talk about himself on stage all night. You were also certain the black and gold decor predated your on-boarding to the company which was— well, now more years ago than you cared to count.

The one highlight of the night though had been your time spent getting ready, taking joy in the purchase of a new outfit that glittered against the festive lights that decorated the room. You’d even splashed out for a room at the upmarket hotel next door. Which now felt a little gratuitous given it was just you who was going to be staying in it.

Originally you’d posed the invitation to Frankie, feeling foolish at the idea of asking him to come with you. It’s not like you were a couple. Despite him coming up to Seattle at that point almost every weekend from McChord. But when he’d said yes to your plus one you’d been overjoyed and the outfit you’d picked out while shopping with Cat weeks ago had him specifically in mind.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Last week he’d had only the time to send you a quick message, short and to the point:

Being deployed, gone for the next week, sorry - F

Which meant he was no longer going to be able to attend your work’s end-of-year celebrations. His absence, though understood, left a hollow feeling that had taken you by surprise. You and Frankie weren’t supposed to be a thing - but you were fast finding yourself fighting more often with the feelings you swore you didn’t have.

As you stood there, half-heartedly sipping your drink and scanning the room, you felt a presence behind you. Before you could turn around, a warm breath tickled your ear, and a deep, familiar voice sent shivers down your spine, “Miss me?”

Startled, you spun around to find Frankie standing there, looking unapologetically handsome in a navy suit, one that you had no idea he even owned. Not only that, but the top buttons undone of the crisp white button-up shirt, which you suspected was brand new, showed off a flash of skin. The sight of him took your breath away. He had an apologetic, yet mischievous smile on his face, clearly aware of the surprise he had just given you.

“Frankie! But how? You said you were deployed…” Your voice trailed off as you continued to take him in, still in disbelief that he was there in front of you.

He shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. “Let’s just say we managed to pull a few strings to avoid the formalities of post-deployment,” he dropped a soft kiss to your lips before he gave you an appreciative once over, “Plus I couldn’t miss seeing you in this outfit after hearing so much about it the last week.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, the sound mingling with the background noise of the party. “Well, I’m certainly glad you did. This evening just got a whole lot better.”

Frankie's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled, and you felt a warmth spread through you. It was amazing how his mere presence could change everything.

“You look amazing, by the way,” he added, his tone sincere as his fingers threaded with yours, giving your hand a tender squeeze. “I mean, you always do, but tonight is something else.”

You felt a heat creep up your cheeks at his compliment. “Thank you. You clean up pretty nicely yourself,” you teased, noting the absence of a tie. “No tie?”

He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “Couldn’t find one to borrow on base. This look okay?” he asked, his voice suddenly losing its confidence in concern he might have slipped up on the dress code by not finding a tie.

“More than okay,” you assured him, your heart skipping a beat.

#december x 500 #frankie morales #frankie morales x you #frankie morales x reader #jfrankie morales x f!reader #frankie morales x female reader #frankie morales fanfiction #frankie morales fanfic #pedro pascal character fanfiction

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rosesloveletters · 4 months

Text

violets in the snow.

Pairing: 1971 Willy Wonka x Reader

Word Count: 2,733

Warnings: no major content warnings apply.

Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Reader allows Wonka to open one present early.

Author's Note: I know Gene was Jewish, even though I believe he said he wasn't exactly religious. I have no intention of trying to be offensive/belittle/make light of anyone's religion or beliefs and I apologize if it comes across that way because it is without a doubt not my intention. I simply wrote this as a Christmas fic because that's the holiday I celebrate and I wanted to write reader giving Wonka a sweet gift.

Edited.

divider created by @/saradika on Tumblr.

Winter winds blustered across the barren landscape beyond the sprawling complex of Wonka Industries. Inside, temperatures were comfortable, but the distant crackling of the fireplace and the holiday decorations you had put up in your shared living space reminded you that the heart of December was far from being thawed.

It was Christmas eve and you were right where you belonged: snuggled up to your lover’s chest, burrowed beneath a soft knitted blanket of plush purple plum yarn.

You and Wonka had sipped several mugs of cocoa throughout the evening, keeping yourselves in the festive spirit while also keeping warm and taste-testing a batch of hot chocolate with a brand-new twist that he planned to debut next month.

Its warming properties had already worked their magic.

Your outer extremities, fingers and toes which were almost always cold were now warm to the touch and kept you comfortable instead of shivering and feeling lethargic. Wonka’s new hot cocoa worked specifically for people whose blood circulation needed a bit of a boost, especially during the winter. Even if your body typically ran hot, this new hot chocolate benefitted most everyone when the weather turned brutally cold.

He had been hard at work this season, creating new treats to unveil for the holidays while expediting production for maximum return. He never sacrificed the quality of his confections, however, as he would only promise to deliver the best of the best for his devoted customers across the globe.

However, Wonka only had to please one heart this Christmas and all his efforts would be worthwhile.

You did not expect or demand anything of your lover, other than his simple presence in the quaint little life he’d built for you both. You didn’t need gifts or candies or sweets, you needed his sweet mouth to whisper verses into your ear and the gift of his gracefulness as he swept you into his arms and cradled you to his body.

You wanted presence of mind, not tangible presents. You wanted memories for you and him to hold on to, laughter to warm you on long, winter nights and hours of conversation to carry you through till dawn.

Wonka could give you that and decided he would stop at nothing to please you in every way he knew how. He would pull out every tool in his arsenal, every scrap of wit on his tongue, fire in his belly, thought in his head and love in his heart to make this most wonderful time of the year more memorable than any you had lived before to date. He had held a heart or two in his time, but yours was worth holding onto. He wanted you to know that you were special beyond words and so he poured his love into you like the waterfall which churned the great chocolate river in his beloved chocolate room.

You wanted to taste the caramel threads in his blue eyes, to bite his licorice heartstrings and devour his chocolate heart already melted from the warmth of your love. He was the only one you wanted this Christmas, your shimmering sugar rush that set your veins on fire and filled you with energy, motivation and desire.

You loved everything about him, from his creativity to the unapologetic sincerity of his character.

Wonka did not let you forget that he was a force to be reckoned with because he set out to teach lessons, give advice and guidance, but there was a side of him that no one knew quite like you did. Even if you questioned him or tried to make sense of it, he found little ways of surprising you without giving you a hint. You could not expect this man to divulge a lifetime of secrets to you in such a short time, yet you dreamed of what the inside of his mind looked like and hoped with all hope that those thoughts in his head were kind.

There was a lot you knew about Willy Wonka, but far more that you didn’t. That was the fun of him, really, to not know what you were getting into, however, if Wonka guaranteed you one thing, that was consistency.

Nothing about the man ever changed, though his lack of a routine was somewhat maddening, you could count on his actions towards you to remain unchanged. You were careful when entering any relationship, platonic or romantic, because you sustained a permanent soul tremor from plunging through thin ice when you should have tread more carefully.

Willy treated you the same, on good days and bad; he loved you more than anyone ever had.

He gave so much and you decided it was high time to repay the favor.

You got off the couch, extracted yourself from the warmth pocket you had settled into over the course of the evening and walked to the tree you had insisted he help you put up and decorate. He didn’t make a fuss when you asked him to help you decorate the living space; he was pleased that you wanted to bring a little sparkle that he normally would not have created for himself. He was far too busy to fuss over decorations when his candy sales shot through the roof every holiday season, but he made time this year because it was important to you and therefore it was important to him, too. After all, it felt homier to have decorations and he felt much more festive each day when he would look at them. The Christmas spirit was alive in his heart and he owed it more to you than to any mere decoration.

His eyes followed your movement, twin blue flames which had escaped from the fireplace and burned brightly within him instead. He watched as you selected a very specific present from beneath the tree, a flat rectangular box covered in festive wrapping paper and topped with a bright red bow. Wonka raised an eyebrow as you brought it over to him and held it out for him to take.

He peered at you questioningly as you offered him the gift box, “what’s this for, my dear?”

“Just take it!” you laughed and he finally did, his fingers delicately wrapping around the box as he placed it on his lap. He looked at it for a moment as if he couldn’t believe that any of those presents under the tree were for him.

Who else would they be for?

Wonka looked up at you with a delighted smile on his face, “you know, I thought we were supposed to wait until morning.”

“I know, I know,” you replied, “but whenever I was little, I used to get so excited to open my presents that my parents would let me open one gift on Christmas eve.”

“Ah,” Wonka smiled fondly at your anecdote and nodded in understanding as he glanced down at the present in his lap, “so this one…you’re wanting me to open it now?”

You nodded as you pulled your legs up onto the couch and tucked them under yourself as you sat up a little straighter to watch him open the gift.

This was your first time sharing Christmas traditions with Wonka; you wanted to share everything with him, and you decided you would start with what was closest to your heart. The season of giving meant tearing off a piece of your soul and pressing it into the folds of a love letter penned for the man who had made you feel whole again. You wanted to dedicate every day to him, not just special ones because when you were with Wonka, every day was special in its own unique way.

You watched with bated breath as Wonka gently lifted the wrapping paper from where you’d taped up the end. He ever so carefully peeled back the folded edge, then cheekily tore into it like he were an excited child on Christmas morning. You watched him fondly, wishing to reach out and touch him, to brush his strawberry blonde curls out of his face, but you knew that would ruin the moment. Instead, you merely watched him open the present, eager to get to the inside and see what it was that you simply could not wait to give him until the morning.

“Hm, let’s see here…” Wonka hummed to himself as he flipped the now unwrapped box over. It was clear that this was a shirt box, although that gave away little information as to what kind of shirt it was.

Willy began to peel back several pieces of tape where you’d secured the box before wrapping it.

“I hope you like it,” you whispered, uncertain what his reaction was going to be when he saw what you’d gotten for him, “if not, I’m sure I could return it.”

“Nonsense, my dear,” Willy looked up at you, his blue gaze was one of reassurance, “I’m certain that I will love it.”

Not as much as you, my dear.

Willy removed the rest of the tape from the box and flipped it over, then lifted the top. Inside was several layers of red tissue paper to conceal the gift and Willy sifted through to find what you had hidden inside the packaging for him. He brushed the paper to the side and his fingers brushed fabric. He was intrigued; the material was unlike anything in his current wardrobe.

He lifted it out of the box, the piece of fabric unfolding as he did so and he held it up.

It was a gorgeous, rich plum color that matched his coat, except this article of clothing was a sweater. It appeared to be handmade with thick yarn, perfect for colder weather, and was soft to the touch like crushed velvet. He admired the sweater and his hands caressed the sleeves, appreciating the finer details: the curved neckline and fitted hem and cuffs as well as the oversized fit which would hang loosely off his broad frame – you had sized it impeccably to fit his body type and preference.

“You always wear the same thing, not that I’m implying it as a bad thing, but I thought you might want to switch it up from time to time,” you tried to explain, “so I had the idea of getting you a sweater because I thought it might be warmer and I picked the color to match your coat. I wasn’t sure if you would like it, but I can always find you something else, if you-”

He cut you off midsentence and you blushed as you realized how much you had been rambling; His speaking voice took on the gentlest tone you had ever heard, “I love it. Thank you, my dear.”

You were about to insist that he didn’t have to lie to you, but the words died on your tongue as you watched him slide his arms into the sweater and pull it on over his head. When his head popped out from the neckline, you nearly giggled at his frizzy, wild hair which was mussed from pulling the material over his head. There was no controlling it; his hair was unmanageable on a good day and besides, it was the last thing on his mind currently.

He was too busy admiring the sweater you had gifted him, his round, rosy cheeks bulged at the edges of a smile, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes becoming more prominent as he squinted in delight. To say he was pleased was an understatement. Wonka appreciated all gifts he was given because he was always grateful and honored to be worthy of someone wanting to bestow a gift upon him, but this was something of great wonder. You had chosen this gift because it had reminded you of him, at least, the color had done.

Judging by his sweater paws, you had chosen the right size. Wonka liked oversized outer vestments and this was the perfect touch; he looked precious in it, swimming in the warm wool that enveloped his body in warmth and comfort like a big hug.

“It looks even better on you than I thought it would,” you complimented him, giving him a satisfied smile as he looked over at you with love in his eyes, “I’m happy that you like it.”

“I love it,” he repeated, resisting the urge to hug himself as he deliberately snuggled into the sweater for emphasis, “and I think it’ll see a lot of wear this winter, if it’s going to be as cold as is being predicted.”

You nodded. You couldn’t take your eyes off him, he looked so sweet in the sweater, his eyes lit up with excitement and his hands still appreciating the incredibly soft fabric. Wonka’s mannerisms were like that of a small child, despite his age; he was ecstatic over being given a present and offered you many more thanks as you sat beside him on the sofa.

He leaned over and scooped you into a full-bodied hug where you almost ended up on his lap because he was so eager to hold you against him. You let out a sweet bout of laughter and kissed his warm cheek, making him coo and nuzzle against your neck a little bit.

“I love you, my dear,” he whispered in your ear, “thank you for this, truly.”

“You’re welcome, Willy. You deserve it.”

You deserve the entire world and I’d give it to you in a heartbeat if it were mine to give.

You didn’t say those words, but even never voiced, he knew. He could see the sentiment reflected in the depths of your eyes, which was perhaps why he lost himself in them so often. The echoes of words you never said reverberated against the walls of his heart and he could feel them bludgeoning the inside of his ribcage with a barrage of activity the likes of which his cardiovascular system had never endured before. It was comparable to butterflies taking flight in his stomach, except this didn’t make him feel like he might spill his guts.

Instead, his heart swelled with affection, he viewed the world in colors you had taught him to see and he lived life with new purpose. His dreams held meaning and he finally understood what it was all for. Perhaps it was the magic of the holidays that permeated the air and embedded in his bones, but he was content to live the rest of his life like this. He felt as though he was seeing for the very first time, kissing you was the first sip of water taken after being dehydrated, his grip on you stronger than gravity.

You were who his heart belonged to and if his heart were an apartment, you had rented the biggest room.

He was violently delighted by the promise of the new year and what was to come for the two of you, but for now, he was content to succumb to his need for peace, quiet and relaxation amid his company’s busiest season. You offered him reprieve from the bustle of the holidays and he would sink into the refreshing haze, allowing himself to be swept away by you and the love you both had to give.

You would take this moment, just for the two of you, seizing it and holding it in the palm of your hand. You would never let go, of him, of this holiday, of your love. It meant far too much to you now, having finally learnt why you spent your whole life trying to put into words how a moment like this might feel.

Now, you knew.

You did not have to try, you only had to feel.

When anyone asked you what your favorite color was, you got vulnerable because your skin was berry-stained, your bruised heart abused by the love it was forced to feel now that you ached for the cookie-cutter metal stars to punch holes through your lungs so you could breathe him in more strongly.

He was all over you and you clung to him like the most resilient flowers in winter, like violets in the snow.

“Now, darling,” Wonka began, hands on his knees as he hoisted himself off the couch and approached the hoard of gifts beneath your tree, “I do believe there’s something under here for you…”

#willy wonka #willy wonka and the chocolate factory #willy wonka 1971 #wilder!wonka #willy wonka x reader #willy wonka imagine #willy wonka and the chocolate factory imagine #gene wilder #biblio :: 📖

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liminalpebble · 4 months

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🎄🕯An Unhinged Yuletide Gathering🕯🎄

My darlings! 💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️

It's time for a festive unhinged gathering! Arrive in your loveliest ball gowns and with your thottiest thots and feel free to share away! The more, the merrier! I'm thrilled to have every single one of you here. This time, I invite you all to a lavish Scandinavian manor house.

We can watch the snow and the northern lights from the lovely art nouveau observatory of the highest tower. Throughout the evening, the roaring hearths, lush decorations, and golden glow of luxurious interiors will keep us very content. There will be decedant warm beverages aplenty, a scrumptious dinner, and spread after spread of desserts.

The company is, of course, also a mouthwatering collection of our exquisite fictional men.

Jonathan Pine is in a brand new and very smart three piece suit, welcoming you with an incandescent smile as he guides you in. He smells deliciously of expensive cologne and the single festive red rose pinned to his lapel. Before he takes his leave, he holds your hand in both of his and makes some very intense eye contact, saying, "and Miss, if there's anything at all I can do for you, please don't hesitate to find me."

You barely catch your breath as you move further past polished oak doors into the large glimmering ballroom where Loki is lounging on a velvet couch, some elaborate mixed drink balanced in his lovely ivory hand. He charms us all with tale after tale as our cheeks get warm and we take turns feeding him teasing little bites of cake.

Thomas Sharpe stands brooding in his finest tuxedo, desperately waiting for his chance at a waltz with you as you look so lovely this evening.

Eddie...delicous, sweet, snarky Eddie Munson snuck in with the caterers. His big chocolate button eyes scan the crowd of lovely ladies, and he gives a big dimpled grin. With no regard at all for the job he signed up for, he shrugs off the uniform top, smooths out the Iron Maiden shirt beneath it, and swaggers over.

"Welllllll, hello lovely ladies!", he declares as he plops on the couch next to Loki, even daring to cross his legs over the god's lap and steal a sip of his drink. Loki stares at this bushy-haired miscreant with a leathal glare that cracks delightfully into a big euphoric grin. One trickster obviously appreciates the charisma of another.

Adam keeps to himself, playing the most beautiful piece of music on an antique lute. He feels a rare flicker of joy as he anticipates candlelit ghost stories on Christmas night (a sweet revival of a Victorian tradition). The faintest twitch of a smile moves his lips as he thinks of all this...delcious...company he'll have the pleasure of experiencing it with.

Hux sits alone, reading in a quiet parlor. The general's lovely hands stroke his beloved ginger cat, Millicent, as he plays out chess games within his powerful mind. His lovely green eyes flick towards you as he hears your footsteps, and he smiles wickedly. You're the only distraction he allows here, afterall...and what an enjoyable one you are.

Thank you for joining the party, my loves. Who else do you see? What does the evening have in store for us? Have you brought something interesting? Oh, do tell. *wink*

Welcome and happy holidays! 💃 🎄

Peb 💜

@acidcasualties @lokischambermaid @lokisgoodgirl @mischief2sarawr @holdmytesseract @infinitystoner @smolvenger @tripleyeeet @take-everything-you-can @leelei1980 @unlucky-number-13 @unfocused81 @sweetsigyn @veemoon @loz-3 @little-wormwood @littlespaceyelf @glitchquake @viv-annelore @peachyjinx @peaches1958 @gigglingtiggerv2 @marcotheflychair @mochie85 @muddyorbs @sailorholly @holymultiplefandomsbatman @thedistractedagglomeration @hellfirenacht @thenerdyoldersister @alexakeyloveloki @lemongingerart @eddiethehunted @fanfic-collection @girl-next-door-writes @fictive-sl0th @mischiefmaker615 @icytrickster17 @ladyofthestayingpower @goblingirlsarah @chokeanddagger @loopsisloops @slutty-thevampireslayer @coldnique @eddies-house @fairyysoup @jennyggggrrr @holdmytesseract @eleniblue @elegantkoalapaper

#peb's unhinged gathering #holiday edition #lovely mutuals #lovely fanfic friends #sas #eddie munson #adam olla #general hux #loki of asgard #loki fanfic #let's play

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uzumaki-rebellion · 7 months

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The Offering Part 3

Need to catch up? Masterlist HERE.

youtube

"I know he loves me

I know he cares

Cause he's all mine

And soon he'll be knockin'

At my door

Things will be alright"

Juicy – "Sugar Free"

Lebadi slid the fingers of her right hand over the monorail console while watching a monitor to gage the flow of traffic in the wide Birnin S'Yan street. Her left hand rubbed on the swollen belly that was ready to pop with a strange mutant's baby.

"Everything good?"

Lebadi turned her head and watched a lanky, reed-thin male co-worker saunter in to take over her shift. Mantso quirked up his thick lips and handed her a warm chocolate coffee along with a hot-out-of-the-oven seasoned meat bun. She accepted both and shifted her weight out of the chair so he could take over.

"Slow night. Thank you for this," she said.

Taking a huge bite out of the round bun stuffed with ground beef and yellow potatoes baked inside, she wiped her lips when the flavorful juices spewed out onto her chin. Mantso studied her belly.

"You are ready to burst," he teased.

"One more month."

"When does your leave start?"

"Next week."

A rumble outside the wide glass window announced the arrival of the midnight lift in the city center.

"I'll hold it for you," Mantso said.

Lebadi grabbed her sweater and waddled out of the control room taking an escalator to the surface street. Saturday nights were a busy festive time and she passed through crowds of young people out for a night of dancing and drinking. She missed doing that with her friends back home in Birnin Zana. If she hadn't gotten pregnant, she'd be attending Dora Milaje training with Okoye and going out with her crew to their favorite clubs and night cafes.

Chewing on the tender meat of the late night snack Mantso gave her, she gripped her cup of cocoa-rich coffee and sat by herself on the monorail. It was a short fifteen minute ride to her cottage nestled behind a row of luxury villas. She jostled her big belly around exuberant party-seekers and munched on her food while admiring the bright lights and music spilling out onto the public sidewalks from flashy clubs. Ten minutes later she rounded a corner that led to the opening of a quiet suburban street twinkling with tiny nightlights decorating the clipped hedges lining the path she followed. Tall rust-colored trees blotted out the noise of the main street behind her.

Approaching her home, she noticed a figure hidden in the shadows of her small porch.

"Who's there?" she blurted.

No one answered and she took a step back, cradling her stomach in a protective stance.

"I see you!" she shouted to make herself sound tough.

The figure moved toward the light of a street lamp and Lebadi sucked in her breath.

Okoye.

"It took me some time to track you down here," Okoye said, eyeing Lebadi's burgeoning midsection, "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

Lebadi entire demeanor slumped with shame.

"I'm your best friend, Lebadi. You can tell me anything in confidence and I would never judge you."

"I know…but…"

"But what? Who is the father?"

"No one you know."

"Are you still seeing this person? Are they going to support you and this baby?"

"No…I'm not seeing them anymore. This wasn't planned."

"I know it wasn't. You were supposed to be training with me."

Okoye's eyes softened. Lebadi glanced at the new shaved head that highlighted the perfectly round skull of her friend. A brand new v-shaped crimson tattoo crowned the top of Okoye's forehead. She had passed the first level of Dora Milaje training.

"Open your door. The neighbors should not hear our conversation," Okoye demanded.

Lebadi shuffled past her and onto the porch. She swiped her kimoyo beads over the door handle and stepped aside to let Okoye in first. The motion sensor lights in the living room flickered on and she hung up her sweater on the back of the door. Setting down her coffee and half-eaten meat bun on a side table, she faced her bestie full on.

"Sit," Lebadi said gesturing to a chair near the couch.

Okoye glanced around the neat cottage living room before sinking down into the chair.

"I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

Lebadi excused herself and went into a small hallway that led to the cramped bathroom. She closed the door and gripped her hands on the sink. She wasn't prepared to let anyone know her secret. For the past four months she had hidden in Birnin S'Yan where no one knew her or her family. She kept her interactions among family and friends purely through vid chats at low angles to conceal her stomach. She joked about eating too many meat buns that the city was famous for to explain away her plump cheeks and wide moon face. Stories were made up about being busy with work and taking advanced art classes at the University of S'Yan that rested above the cliffs overlooking the sea. Many questioned why she'd move so far away, but most assumed it was because she was disappointed about not being accepted into the Dora Milaje Corps. She let that lie fester to dampen the pleadings of returning to the Golden City.

Lebadi needed to give birth in a place where she was a stranger, and the fast pace of seaside life was the perfect hideaway. She hired a private midwife and planned to give birth at home. Beyond that she had no further plans. It all depended on what came out of her vagina in thirty days. If the child looked human, she'd give it away to the midwife to find a good home. She used a fake name in the city and no one would be able to trace a baby back to her. However, if the child came out a mutant…

She shook away the thought with splashes of cool water on her high cheekbones. Okoye would ruin all of her plans. Wiping her face with a towel, Lebadi stared at her frightened eyes in the mirror. She had saved up enough money to pay a bribe to the midwife to keep the birth off of the formal hospital registry. The only problem was that she couldn't decide what to do with a child if it came out like him.

K'uk'ulkan.

Lebadi shivered at the mere thought of him and the baby inside of her moved. She touched the spot where it kicked her. The child was strong in there. So ready to come out.

"Lebadi, are you hiding from me?"

Okoye's voice sounded more hurt than accusatory.

"Coming," Lebadi chirped.

Okoye studied her every move coming back into the living room. Lebadi took a seat on her lumpy couch adjacent to the chair and finally gazed into her friend's eyes. They were watery and her lips trembled.

"I was worried about you. I didn't know what it was, but I felt like something was wrong. I needed to see you in person and ease my mind," Okoye said.

"Now you see why I stayed so far from home."

"Having a baby out of wedlock is not shameful anymore."

"The father and I are not together. He doesn't know about this baby."

"He has a responsibility. You are from a prominent family—"

"No one will know about this child. When it is born I will give it away."

"Give it away? Are you mad? You are descended from the first family that stood by the Udaku clan when Bashenga created the nation. You have grandmothers and grandfather's written about in our history books…you cannot just give a baby away with your bloodline, Lebadi. It would be sacrilegious! A sin in the eyes of Bast."

"I cannot keep this baby, Okoye."

"Why not?"

"Because its father is a foreigner. Not a Wakandan."

"Foreigner? How?"

"He slipped through our borders."

"No one slips through our borders. Do not lie to me, Lebadi. I am your friend."

"I met him at the Mama Wati Festival. Two years ago. I fell pregnant eight months ago. We were secretly meeting here in Birnin S'Yan. You cannot tell anyone."

"This is a national security threat. I cannot sit here and ignore that. I work for the palace now. This man could be a spy using you."

"He is not a spy. There's nothing in Wakanda he wants… not anymore since he left me. I am begging you Okoye. Nothing will happen to the nation if you keep quiet about this. I am no longer seeing him. He is long gone away from here."

"How was he able to even get through our protective dome from the outside? Lebadi? Answer me!"

Lebadi burst into tears and covered her face. To not have her lover pained her heart. She struggled to regain her composure and became frantic when Okoye tapped her kimoyo beads. A sharp discomfort in her side distracted them both and Lebadi clutched under her stomach and sat back in her seat.

"Lebadi, what's wrong?"

"I'm okay…you are stressing me out and it disturbed the baby."

"Should I call your doctor? Uh..the midwife?"

"No…I am fine now."

"I'm sorry."

"Please…just leave this be. Keep my secret."

"You cannot give your baby away. If you need help, W'Kabi and I can do that. We're getting married next year…we could adopt your child and keep it close to you—"

"No."

"How far along are you?"

"Eight months."

Okoye palmed her hands together and let the tips of her fingers rest under her chin.

"You have been dealing with this all alone?"

"Yes."

Okoye lowered herself to her knees and clasped Lebadi's hands.

"I see that you're frightened. I will keep your secret, but I will return to help you when the baby comes. We're figure out what to do together. Your child deserves a good home…with you."

Okoye thumbed away the tears that pearled out from the corners of Lebadi's eyes.

"Do you need anything right now? Money? Food?" Okoye asked.

"No. I'm tired and want to go to bed."

"I will stay for the weekend and return for my training. No more keeping secrets from me. Promise?"

"Promise."

Lebadi squeezed Okoye's hands.

The moment Okoye left the cottage Sunday evening, Lebadi packed up all her clothes and called a private cab to ferry her to the marina. She tossed her kimoyo beads in a sewer run-off after telling her mid-wife that she was going home and would no longer need her services.

Lebadi knew Okoye had a good heart and wanted the best for her, but the reality spoke of newer alliances. She couldn't trust that her friend wouldn't go searching for breeches in security and ring the alarm. It was better to go away and give birth alone on the sea away from prying eyes. Telling her that the father was foreign was bad enough. It was a stupid mistake on her part.

She rented the same boat she had used for two years sneaking away to see Namor. It was an older model that most people bypassed for the sleek newer ones all over the marina. She paid for a three month rental and the woman releasing it didn't bat an eye at her condition or the crinkly bills she paid in cash from a fat purse stuffed with more Wakandan money. It took Lebadi four trips to load the boat with supplies of food, water, and things she would need for a baby. The last item she carried on board was a peach and sand-colored conch shell that Namor gifted her. She wanted something of his with her.

She set sail on a Monday evening to cloak herself in darkness, taking the boat off radar once she was past her target area to hide from any drone surveillance.

She programmed the boat to glide her to her favorite spot three miles from the coast. For three days she used radar from the boat and her own binoculars to scan for anyone coming after her. She left a month's worth of pre-programmed holo vid messages for family and select friends to keep up appearances until the baby came. Using the boat ramp, she dipped her heavy body into the water when the weather was too hot and spent most of her days lying in her berth to keep cool. She limited the use of the air-cooling system to keep traces of vibranium energy surges to a minimum in case it captured the attention of the Wakandan Coast Guard.

A pod of dolphins passed by her boat her second week out at sea and they lingered to frolic for a few hours before heading out to the growing swells. Shading her eyes with her hand, she pondered moving the boat when it was bumped by something that didn't feel like a strong wave shoving the starboard side. She tottered on bare feet to investigate if she hit a reef and was shocked to find a large orca nudging the hull with its massive head.

Lebadi held onto some rope looped around the inside of the hull to keep her balance. The orca opened its mouth and echolocation clicks bounced at her along with high-pitched whistling sounds. It snapped its mouth closed a few times making jaw claps and she ran to the control room to move the boat away from the sea creature. At a smooth twenty knots, she left the orca in a wake of white water, but it gave chase. She aimed the boat back toward land but the orca kept up and then cut her off, forcing her to head further out to sea. She white-knuckled the control console when the orca slammed itself under the boat.

Cutting her eyes to the ocean, the boat stuttered to a complete stop. The odor of something burning came from the stern. She shut everything down and checked the back. The boat belched blue-black smoke and the orca peered at her from the water with a menacing brown eye under a patch of white marking on its slippery skin.

"What the fuck did you do to this boat?"

The orca clicked and rolled its dark body upside down in the foamy turquoise waters. Before she could curse it again, it flicked its wide tail and tossed Namora onto the deck. Soaking wet, the Talokanil woman stood to her full height and sea water dripped from her feathered headdress and the jagged spear she carried. Lebadi turned away trying to hide her stomach, but Namor's cousin spotted the forbidden fruit of their union. She stuck the tip of her spear against Lebadi's stomach.

"Ba'ax le ts'íiba' utia'al?" Namora spat out from behind her breathing mask.

Lebadi nodded and stepped back from the spear. Namora lunged forward raising her spear at an angle that would slice the child out of her womb.

"Don't! Please!" Lebadi shrieked.

The harsh rays of the sun and the muggy heat draped Lebadi in an uncomfortable cocoon of dripping perspiration. Short of breath, and frightened, she urinated on herself and lost control of her knees. Namora tossed away her spear and caught Lebadi with her strong but gentle hands. Her piercing dark brown eyes were the same as Namor's.

"Yaan teen," Namora whispered in Lebadi's ear.

"Please don't kill my baby," Lebadi pleaded before the world went black and she collapsed in the Talokanil's arms.

Lebadi woke up to the delicious aroma of something being cooked in the galley. She glanced around the berth before touching her belly. The baby still protruded from her midsection and it moved when she lifted up on one arm. From one of the circular berth windows, Lebadi noticed that the sun had vanished ushering in a muggy evening calm. How long had she slept?

A soft slightly muffled humming voice drifted into her ears.

"Namora?" Lebadi called out.

The humming stopped and the sound of feet padding across the creaking floor took over. Namora entered the berth carrying a steaming bowl. Her headdress was gone and her long dark hair sat loose on her shoulders.

"Ma'lob ak'abtal," Namora said.

Lebadi nodded at the evening greeting and sat up further, grimacing at the weight on her bladder. She dangled her legs over the side and shoved a pillow behind her to support her lower back. Namora held out the bowl.

"Bix a u'uykabáa? Wi'ijen?" Namora asked.

"I'm fine…yes, I'm hungry…um…wait, you don't understand that…give me a minute."

Lebadi closed her eyes to think better. She imagined Namor being with her in the kitchen and the words came back to her. She reached for the bowl with both hands.

"Dios bo'otik, Namora."

Lebadi stirred the spoon in the bowl and chunks of chicken floated in a savory-smelling soup. Yellow rice, caramelized onion, and chopped greens from her food supply filled up the spoon. She ate the first spoonful and her tongue detected a pleasant fishy taste with the greens. Seaweed.

"Good," Lebadi said, scooping more soup onto her spoon and funneling it to her hungry mouth.

Tilting the bowl back to slurp up the liquid, Lebadi wiped her mouth after finishing the meal.

"More?" Namora said.

"You know my language?"

"Chen jumpit," Namora said holding her thumb and index finger close together. She knew a little.

"I would like more…"

Lebadi gave the bowl back to Namora and the Talokanil woman smiled beneath her breathing mask. It made her eyes light up. She returned quickly with another tasty bowl and Lebadi took her time eating it. The silence between them was pleasant enough although Namora kept sneaking glances at her protruding stomach.

"I am much better now. This food was wonderful."

Namora watched her face and Lebadi couldn't tell if there was real comprehension so she stuck with handing back the empty bowl. She followed Namora into the kitchen galley where a big pot of the soup stayed simmering.

"You eat now," Lebadi said, pointing to the stove.

Namora shook her head and turned off the burner under the pot. She cleaned Lebadi's bowl and spoon and placed them on the draining rack. Pointing a stern finger back toward the berth, Namora ushered Lebadi back to bed to keep her off of her feet. The soup in her belly calmed the baby, making her eyes drowsy.

Lebadi fell asleep.

She dreamed of home, her parents, and Okoye. Strange images intermixed surreal images of water and whales blending into amorphous shapes. She woke up to the sound of water lapping against the boat.

"Is anyone here?" Lebadi shouted.

She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Ma' k'a'abet a yaantal sajakil, teen le."

Namora's voice traveled to her from the deck. Lebadi wiped her forehead and huffed. It took a minute longer than usual to pull herself up from the bed. She ambled over to the small restroom and let out a steady stream that relieved her screaming bladder. The extra effort used to clean her privates made her yearn for relief soon. She fumbled her left hand against the sink to help lift up from the toilet. Washing her hands quickly she returned to the berth to find Namora waiting for her. She scrutinized Lebadi's face noticing a grimace.

"Ba'ax yaan ma'alo'ob tu láakal?" Namora asked.

"Everything is alright. The baby is fine…le paalo' ma'alob," Lebadi said.

Namora looked unsure. Lebadi doubled over.

"Oooff!"

Lebadi jammed a hand against her side. A strong contraction nearly bowled her over. She squeezed here eyes shut and breathed through the pain. Namora helped her get back to the berth and made her as comfortable as possible. She ran back into the kitchen galley and rummaged through a few cupboards before running back with another spoon and a glass jar filled with honey.

"Kaab…this… for pain," Namora said.

Namora dipped the spoon inside the dark thick honey and held it up to Lebadi's lips. She accepted, and swallowed the richness taking the spoon away from her.

Namora held out her hand toward Lebadi's midsection seeking permission to touch.

"Béet?"Namora said.

Lebadi nodded and Namora unfastened the loose pale blue dress that she often wore for the Mama Wati ceremonies. Pushing the gauzy material aside revealed a heavy burden. Namora gently ran her hands over the front and sides, feeling the warm skin until she grinned.

"I want you to know I didn't plan this. My country has the best birth control…I just think my annual shot couldn't protect me from his genetics…"

Namora didn't understand and looked at Lebadi with bright eyes.

"Ch'úupale' juntúul chan paale'," Namora said, rocking her arms like she had a baby.

Lebadi blinked rapidly, recognizing the words she spoke. Her two years of rudimentary Yucatec Maya with Namor flooded her brain with comprehension.

"How do you know it's a girl?"

Namora fastened Lebadi's garment back up.

"The baby comes. I bring him here."

"Bring who here?"

"K'uk'ulkan—"

"No!"

Lebadi grabbed Namora's hands in a vice grip. Namora jerked away and her eyes narrowed.

"He must come to his daughter," Namora insisted.

Lebadi whimpered and pleaded but the Talokanil woman ignored her. Another contraction rendered her helpless on the bed. She felt the boat move as if it were being pushed. Namora called out what sounded like names and the boat moved faster. Forcing her body to get up, Lebadi lumbered out onto the deck.

Namora stood on the top of the bow with her hair blowing in the night wind. Silver moonlight illuminated her shape and that of the pod or orcas pushing the boat along a route that only they knew. Lebadi rubbed her stomach and regulated her breathing as another churning contraction shot through her midsection. Gravity helped to pull the baby down in her womb.

They arrived at a small, hidden island seventy miles away from the Seychelles Island archipelago.

Lebadi's birthing pains subsided on the trip there, but kicked back into high gear the moment Namora helped her off of the boat and into unnaturally warm waters. Namora set up a little campsite near a natural hotspring and the orcas pushed the house boat away from view on the other side of the island. There was enough non-perishable food stacked nearby and a cooling container held plenty of fresh water bottles.

Namora lifted Lebadi to her feet and moved her into the large natural pool closest to the sea where cooler water mixed in making it a comfortable temperature. The water helped offset the weight she carried and the soothing warmth helped with the contractions. Namora pulled off all of Lebadi's clothing and her nakedness felt natural as she squatted in four feet of water to relieve the pressure on her cervix.

"Why do you have that?" Lebadi asked.

Namora raised up the conch shell Namor had given her two years ago. She removed her breathing mask temporarily, puckered lips, and blew into the narrow end creating a haunting sound that gave Lebadi chills. Looking over the horizon, she glimpsed the pod of orcas shifting their bodies so that their tales were the only things visible on the water. Lebadi counted seven of them in total. Namora brought her spear over to the hotspring and stabbed it into the bottom. Lebadi gripped it as soon as another contraction struck her womb.

Namora lowered herself into the water and wiped away sweat dripping into Lebadi's eyes. She demonstrated calm breathing through her mask that Lebadi followed. The fearsome warrior seemed so protective of her. But it made sense after Lebadi thought about it more. The child inside of her was Namora's blood relative, a baby cousin. They were a family linked across the big waters and different cultures. Lebadi realized she had been a fool to think she could give birth alone at sea. She needed family with her and Namora had become that kinship. She cooed soothing words and cradled Lebadi's face to encourage strength in bearing the new life making her way through.

Lebadi tried to picture what her daughter would look like, and in the imagining, the dawning realization crept upon her. Okoye was right. There was no way she could give her baby away no matter what she looked like upon earthly arrival. Lebadi hunkered down all her weight and endured her birthing pains for another hour.

From the sea, the orcas whistled and twirled their now upright bodies in a circle. Water churned in a frothy seafoam green rush creating a mighty whirpool.

"He comes," Namora said.

Namor shot out of the water and flew so high in the sky that Lebadi had to squint to track his form against the blinding sunlight. Her breath caught in her throat and hot tears blurred her eyes as the baby moved further into the birth canal.

Namor swooped down from the blue skies and took in the picture before him. She began to ugly cry feeling so bad for herself. He floated down, the wings on his feet whirring rapidly. His spear dropped onto the sand and he floated closer until he settled onto the ledge of the wide pool of warm water. Namor's brow furrowed and he stared at her struggling in the warm liquid until his features softened with the glimpse of her belly. His facial expression could not fathom the truth of what was coming. Lebadi watched his confusion transform into full understanding and acceptance once the side of his mouth quirked up into a slight grin. Pulling Namora's spear out of the sediment under the water, he tossed it and moved behind Lebadi, his strong arms surrounding hers, helping her squat better. Namora removed her mask and dove under the water to tend to Lebadi's stretched vaginal walls.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Lebadi cried into his neck.

"Shh…Lebadi, I am here. Push…"

"I didn't want to hurt you…you lost children when they grew old and I know you don't want that pain anymore."

"Hush."

She couldn't stop crying and apologizing. He kissed the side of her temple and held her lovingly. His hands reached under the water to feel her stomach and he chuckled at the size.

"It's a girl," Lebadi whimpered, slowly relaxing into his presence once more.

He stroked her forehead and hair, kissing her cheek repeatedly, his strong body giving her the momentum and strength to bring life into the world.

"I love you both," he whispered before nuzzling her cheek.

Namora rose up, gasping from the foreign air.

"She is almost out."

Namora dove back down and Namor encouraged Lebadi.

"Push…in yucanaj…push…" he said. "Ma' a faltará mix ba'al…understand? You will want for nothing. Neither of you."

A contraction rippled down from her womb into her vaginal opening. Lebadi peered at the top of Namora's head under the water, her hair flowing with the swoosh of the current adding more water into the balmy liquid. She strained with all her might to get those lower muscles to cooperate with her will, and they did. The fullness was expelled from between her legs in a rush of newborn liquid as a little caramel brown and yellowish vernix body with a head full of satin ebony waves burst free from Namora's hand and floated to the surface attached to her umbilical cord. Water washed over their daughters face and she squirmed in the clearness as it cleaned away the blood and creamy protective vernix on her skin. Namora rubbed away the slippery coating and the baby's skin was even more brown and beautiful.

Lebadi reached for the baby and lifted her to her breast and immediately the child gasped and struggled to breathe. Her skin turned ashen and before Lebadi could nuzzle her nose onto the little face, the baby girl stopped moving. She never opened her eyes once.

"No!" Lebadi cried out "Nonononononoooooo!"

She wept uncontrollably as Namora checked the baby's neck. Namor remained silent as he touched the little limbs, lifting her hands and feet. There was webbing between the tiny fingers and toes and the small budding of wings on her precious ankles. She even had his pointed ears.

"Why would Bast do this to me? Bring me this far only to take our baby away?" Lebadi lamented.

Namora reached for her breathing mask and placed it on her face again. Lebadi cradled her nameless baby girl against her breast. Her nipples leaked milk and the absurdity of that action threw Lebadi over the deep end. She closed her eyes and wallowed in sorrow.

Namor touched his daughter, wiping away vernix from her nose, checking to see if anything obstructed her nostrils or mouth. He placed his mouth over the child's mouth and blew air into it as Namora pinched her button nose closed. That didn't work to stimulate breathing. They even tried rubbing her chest for light compression to get the baby's heart to pump. He used the warm water to clean her soft hair and Lebadi lowered the small body under the water feeling miserable and lost.

Namor's chest shuddered and he exhaled a long drawn out breath.

"It will be okay, Lebadi. Maybe we are too different to produce a healthy child."

Lebadi whimpered and his body trembled against her sharing the loss.

"This is cruel. If I had to lose a baby, it should've happened before I held her. Why couldn't I miscarry in the first trimester? Why…?"

Lebadi's voice drifted into a mournful wail and Namor held her tighter until the sun moved from over them. Namora tapped Lebadi's shoulder and softly spoke Talokanil. He translated for her.

"We should bury her now so she will be at peace," Namor said.

"Not yet…please…I need more time."

The cord had been cut an hour earlier and Namora did her best to be respectful and discreet when she buried the afterbirth. The baby had lost more color and her skin began to turn gray.

"Her skin still feels warm and soft," Lebadi said.

"What name should we give her?" Namor said with sadness in his throat.

"Lewatle. Her father came to me from the ocean, and the ocean is where she will return."

Lebadi glanced at Namora.

"I don't want her buried on land. I want you to take her into the water…far below. I will give her to Mama Wati."

Namor translated the words again and then flew up out of the hotspring carrying Lebadi and Lewatle to the edge of the island shore. Although weary from giving birth, Lebadi willed herself to walk into the water carrying her baby. Namor and Namora walked at her sides as the water licked at their feet and rose up to their waists. Lebadi clutched Lewatle to her breast.

"Mama Wati, please take care of my child. I am a child of the sea, just like my grandmother and her grandmother before her. I offer you my little one who could not survive this journey. Please care for her as you have cared for my people for generations. May her spirit live on with you…"

Lebadi's voice trembled and she stopped speaking to the waters. The pain of her grief became unbearable and she handed the baby to Namor. He tucked his daughter into the crook of his arm, then bent over and kissed her forehead. Lebadi fell to her knees in the water. Namor lowered himself to join her. She gathered up the baby one last time.

"Be good for Mama Wati my sweet little girl…"

Lebadi lowered her head to smell the baby's hair and the water surrounding them rose higher in a swirling mass.

"Are you doing this?" Lebadi asked.

Namor shook his head and Namora rushed forward, her gaze studying a wave of water rising from the sea. They all moved backward toward the sand, but the swell corralled them and snatched the baby from Lebadi's arms. She screamed and clamped a hand over her mouth. A water funnel lifted the baby above their heads. For a heartbeat they all witnessed the shimmering, glassy water take on the pulsing shape of a giant manta ray that formed into a watery woman with blue-black fluid locs radiating from her head holding the baby in dark azure arms before dissolving into warm salty rain falling on top of their heads. Lewatle floated gently under the water, her tiny limbs flailing and her eyes wide open. Lebadi lifted the baby and the child gasped, choking on the air. Quickly dropping onto her backside, Lebadi held the baby to her breast under the water where the child latched onto her nipple and suckled.

"Mama Wati claimed her and spared our baby's life!"

Lebadi stared at Namor who stood bewildered. Namora laughed and clapped her hands together. Namor knelt beside her and caressed Lewatle's head.

"She is like your people, Namor. Can't breathe on land. A true child of the sea," Lebadi said.

He lifted them both up again and placed them back into a shallow hotspring where the baby nursed underwater as Lebadi sat and breathed above it.

"How will this work?" Lebadi asked.

The grateful thrill of having a live baby once more gave way to worry. Namor stared at his cousin. Namora put her hands on her hips.

"They can live with me," he said.

"Not in Talokan," Namora said with sadness straining her voice.

"I can't separate mother and child. Lebadi and Lewatle will live in my cavern. My child is a mutant, see?"

He touched the buds on her ankles that unfurled tiny wings.

"She may eventually learn to breathe air too, but it is safer to keep them hidden near Talokan until we see what she becomes as she grows," he said.

Namora nodded.

Namor sat next to Lebadi and hugged her with one arm, watching his child nurse and his woman relax into returned motherhood.

"Your offerings into the sea gave our daughter her life back," he said with wonder in his voice.

"Mama Wati heard me and blessed us. She will look over Lewatle now."

"As soon as you are strong, I will take you to the place where I live away from our capitol. There is a pool entrance that I use that we can convert into a living space for the baby. The water is warm for your comfort and shallow enough in parts for you to walk in as the baby swims. I can't lie…this may be difficult for you. I have crossed a line having a child with a surface dweller."

"Will your people try to kill me again?"

Namora climbed into the hotspring with them.

"No one will harm you," Namora said.

"My people may try and look for me. I don't want them to think I'm dead."

"They will have to believe that. Lewatle can never go to Wakanda. Even if you created an environment for her near the sea, she is too different to pass among your people," Namor said.

Lebadi held her daughter's hand and shifted her body to allow the baby to sleep on her chest covered by water.

"I didn't mean to give you a hard life, Lewatle," Lebadi whispered.

Namora brought over a thick blanket and made a soft floor bedding in the hotspring. They had to place heavy rocks down on the four corners to keep it from floating away. Lewatle slept below the surface on her back, and Lebadi gazed down at her daughter's form as light dappled across her round face. Namor stroked the swirling hair of his child. He was proud, but a somber energy shadowed him.

Namora spoke to Namor quickly and removed her mask, spooning around the infant.

"Come," Namor said, "you must rest. Namora will sleep with our baby and wake you in a few hours to feed her again."

The calm in his voice made it easier to leave her newborn's side. She was exhausted and flooded with mixed emotions. Birthing a mutant child that could only live in water became a stressful mindfuck.

Namor made them bedding only a few feet away from the hotspring and they faced one another. He kept stroking her damp hair and wiping tears from her eyes. They didn't speak, only gazed at each other in total wonderment. There was a bloodline connection between them.

Lewatle's hungry mouth fed from Lebadi as the new mother walked in the calm sea. Every few minutes she dropped under the water holding her breath so her baby could see her face clearly. Lebadi was blessed with the ability to hold her breath for six minutes because of her surfing skills and she used it to bond as best she could underwater. She rubbed her nose against the baby's nose, kissing her cheeks and forehead, and Lewatle laughed with bubbles near her mouth, her bright ebony eyes tracking every movement Lebadi made with her head. Lewatle was strong and quite adept at swimming on her own. Lebadi wondered if it was a evolutionary trait of Namor's people, much like baby giraffes and newborn impala fawns in Wakanda that had to walk soon after birth to avoid predators. The webbing on her fingers and toes gave the baby graceful movement the few times Lebadi let her go to test her swimming abilities. No matter where she moved underwater, Lewatle swam close to her, automatically reaching for her breasts to suckle and stay protected in her arms. There was no sense of helplessness. She assumed all Talokanil children were that way at birth.

Fear gnawed at her insides.

Could she leave Wakanda and never return?

She adored her family and hiding in Birnin S'Yan had been the hardest time in her life after finding out she was pregnant. As much as she loved Namor, she worried that homesickness would break her spirit if she went to his world. Looking down at Lewatle, her own personal concerns vanished for a time. The baby was physically like her father and could only survive with his people. She had to do what was best for Lewatle.

Namor eased along her side and she handed the baby to him. He dunked under with Lewatle and stayed down for a long time, allowing Lebadi to tread water peacefully with the sun baking her face a darker brown. Namor cradled his little one and bonded in the sea with her. No…she couldn't stay in Wakanda. She had to go with him to give their daughter her best life.

"You are a good mother," Namora said.

Lebadi glanced over at Namora. She looked young without her headdress. Namor told her that his cousin was twenty, but she acted much older, her warrior spirit giving her the presence of an elder instead of a young woman.

"It's only been one day."

"One day is a good day. This baby is not like his others."

"The others weren't mutants?"

Namora shook her head.

"I think she will live a long time. Maybe as long as him. He is happy," Namora said watching the shape of Namor swimming with Lewatle below the surface.

Lebadi leaned back and floated, staring up at the sun. Namora brought her fruit and fresh water after a time and she left the water to rest on land, sunbathing and taking naps. Namor brought Lewatle to her inside the hotspring for a late afternoon feeding.

"I will have Namora go to Talokan and bring things we need to move Lewatle to the entrance of our home. We will destroy the boat you came here with, but you may take what you need from it."

"Can't we just bring the boat? We could use it for me. I can't stay in a cave all the time. I need a life above the surface or this won't work," she said.

Namor thought about it.

"We may be able to fix it," he said.

"I think the orcas damaged the bow thrusters. There's a self-diagnostic module on the boat and I can use it to help repair it. I have to keep it in a secret place—"

"Because of the vibranium."

"Yes."

He pondered that.

"We could change the boat to accommodate the baby so you can be outside with her away from other surface dwellers."

"We can make a life together."

He kissed her temple. "Yes, we can be together as a family."

The mottled gray leviathan rose from the deep and Lebadi gasped watching the fifty-foot female humpback whale breach the surface near her house boat. After a week of recuperation and adjusting to raising Lewatle on the small archipelago, time had come to travel to her new life.

She'd left a cryptic message to her family about needing more time alone to get her life together and recorded a series of vids using the houseboat's comm system to send out a monthly schedule of recordings. Lebadi had four older siblings and her parents held important positions in the Udaku Royal Court. No one would be alarmed by monthly vids from her with their hectic schedules. She had at least seven months of physical vanishing time before anyone would become truly alarmed. Unless of course, Okoye interfered. There was no time to weigh the possibility of that.

Namora fussed with the baby, making sure she was secure inside a baby carrier made of slippery neon blue seaweed and soft cloth. Namor helped tie the carrier tight on Namora's back. Lebadi filled bottles with her milk on the boat with her breast pump and stuffed them in a bag attached to Namora's hip. Namora would ride inside the whale's mouth with the baby guarded by the two orcas through a series of underwater vortexes that would lead them to Namor's hidden enclave. Two young male warriors waited to accompany Namora on the outside of the humpback, one of which wore a large hammerhead shark crown on his head. His name was Attuma and Namor treated him like another relative. Attuma stared at Lewatle in the water with such fascination that he lost all pretense of being a menacing-looking threat. He touched her fingers and toes and laughed when she tried to grip his hand.

From the deck of the boat Lebadi watched the whale open its maw and fill it with enough water to look like a small pond. Namora dove inside with the baby on her back and for a split second, Lebadi's legs buckled.

Her baby rested inside a whale's mouth.

Attuma and the other warrior faced Namor from within the sea and held their hands up like a shark's mouth. It was the same gesture she witnessed before two years previous when they honored their sacred K'uk'ulkan.

Lebadi held onto Namor's arm as the whale swam further out to sea and dove under with the men on either side holding on to the barnacles embedded in the marine animal's flesh. It waved the giant tail like a farewell, exiting with an explosive splashy wake.

"Ready?" Namor asked softly.

"Yes," Lebadi answered with bated breath.

"Go sleep. When you awaken, we'll be with our daughter again."

Lebadi walked inside the boat and crawled into her berth. Namor activated the spectral camouflage cover to hide the houseboat, and within seconds, there was the sensation of rising up in the air. Lebadi could only imagine what a sight he must've been, flying with the houseboat on his back. The ebb and flow of air pockets created light turbulence on their journey rocking her to sleep. At least three times she woke up checking her swollen breasts dripping with milk, expecting a feeding.

Her rest took a full hold and her sleep was untroubled. A waning moon greeted her eyes through a window as Namor woke her up.

"We are here. You will have to hold your breath to get past the barrier. The houseboat is hidden safely and my attendants tell me Lewatle is well, waiting for us."

"Thank Bast and Mama Wati," Lebadi mumbled sitting up.

She swiped a hand over her twisted hair, thankful for the sleep that refreshed her energy.

"You are shaking," he said, reaching for her hands.

"I'm nervous…a little scared. The opening looks like a snake's mouth."

Namor embraced her, helping to calm the jitters coursing through her body.

"It will be a new world for you, but the only one Lewatle will know. We must be brave to guide her. I'm nervous too."

"You?"

Lebadi pulled back from his chest.

"You've been a father before," she teased.

"Every child is special and different, but Lewatle is a miracle. A precious gift. This time will be strange and wonderful for me too."

His expression was tinged with nervous energy. They were embarking on a momentous experiment raising a unique baby.

"Do you feel strong?" he asked.

She nodded.

"How long do I need to hold my breath?"

"Four minutes."

"Easy."

"We will go to a depth you may not be used to, so don't panic. I will carry you to get there quicker. Without me, it would be impossible for you to get there on your own without having to hold your breath longer. Come."

He carried her in his arms while flying off the boat. They drifted down into night water. Three Talokanil men anchored the houseboat under a canopy of tropical foliage that blended it with the surrounding lush topography.

They all swam above the surface hidden by drooping vines and tree leaves the size of elephant ears. Their only light was the small lamps they held that glowed a turquoise blue filled with vibranium energy. The small entrance to his world looked like a tiny pool of inky black water. Lebadi breathed harder.

"Put your arms around my neck," Namor said.

She hung them loosely at first until he pulled her tight against his chest. The shine from the lanterns glowed in his eyes. The low covering of the cave entrance caused a claustrophobic reaction to kick in with all the intimidating darkness that the lamps couldn't illuminate.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered, kissing her lips. "Think about Lewatle. She can't wait to be with us again."

Lebadi's eyes welled up thinking of her baby mermaid.

"Do you think she can hear my voice under the water? I press my lips against her cheek and say her name. Will I ever be able to hear her call me Mama?"

Namor rested his forehead on her temple.

"She knows her mother loves her just by feeling the vibrations you make under the water. She can hear you above the water and she has always known your voice when she was swimming inside of you."

Lebadi grinned and wiped away a tear.

"I'm ready," she said.

He nodded and she gulped in air, slamming her eyes shut and pressing her face into his shoulder. The temperature of the water dropped after fifteen seconds, but Namor's body heat stayed constant and she was warmed by it. Pressure pushed in on her ear drums and she focused on the sensation of colder water rushing over her body. There was a steep drop and right when the strain of needing more air took hold, they flew up into what looked like a small beach inside of a wide open cave.

Soft sugary white sand met her feet when Namor put her down. She followed him past a wondrous enclosure of stalagmites and stalactites. The long icicle-shaped deposits of limestone and calcium carbonate glowed the same neon blue Lebadi recognized from her home.

"Oh…my goodness…"

Her eyes nearly popped out walking through another part of the interconnected cave system that felt like a warm cozy sauna filled with giant glow worms that wiggled their bioluminescence, illuminating the mural-sized paintings that depicted the life of the Talokanil.

"Is that you?" Lebadi asked, stopping in front of a mural where a young boy a floated above kneeling people. Namor nodded, and her eyes followed the story of the ascension of K'uk'ulkan to the throne of Talokan.

All sorts of creatures in stylized Mesoamerican images decorated wall after wall as she walked holding Namor's hand. Her eyes grew even wider realizing that her idea of cave-dwelling was vastly incorrect. Each cavern gave a palatial feel, and she could only speculate at the grandeur that Talokan must've been twelve thousand feet down below in the depths of the ocean. Whatever imaginings she held about perpetual darkness hiding from the surface world was erased.

A gust of cooler air wafted down in another connected tunnel and when her eyes adjusted to that section of the cave, she clearly saw the shapes of tall trees growing high above nearly reaching the opening at the top that let in the light of the moon. Attuma held up his lamp and Lebadi recognized the shapes of abundant fruit growing from the branches.

"Almost there," Namor said, squeezing her hand as they entered a new well-lit area that felt more like the vestibule of a grand manor.

Two female attendants wearing pale peach-colored dresses waited for them. One held a garment across her arms, and another held a small round cup made of jade. They lowered their heads to Namor. He took the cup and bid Lebadi to drink from it. The warm, sweet liquid had a slighty chalky aftertaste that reminded her of cocoa powder.

"This is what our women consume after having a newborn. It helps with the milk and gives the mother strength," Namor said.

The attendants led them to a majestic room with smooth polished walls decorated with exquisite blood-red shells and pictures depicting an extraordinary underwater city.

"Is that Talokan?" she asked.

"Yes. It is the capital city…and there, in that structure, is my throne room. Here, change into this and I will meet you right outside. They are going to summon Namora to bring Lewatle."

He kissed her cheek and left her holding the thin coral gown. Looking around the room she marveled at a low platform bed covered in a soft orange blanket. She pulled off the blue covering that she wore leaving only her panties on. The new dress went down to her ankles and supported her tender breasts well.

Namor returned.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you. Is this your bedroom?"

"Yes."

"It's lovely. Peaceful."

He held out his hand for her and she clasped it, eager to see their child.

They passed by shelving housing ancient books and rolled up maps on old faded yellow parchment. Another section held an unfinished mural and her wandering eye caught sight of something that halted her steps. It was a mural of an ancient map of the southern hemisphere and Wakanda was outlined in gold and vibranium. Namor pulled her along and the smell of seawater became pungent. The glow of cerulean blue water lapped at damp sand inside a vast room that appeared to be a comfortable living area circling the pool of hypnotic liquid. They stood together at the edge, and the water surface stirred. Namora emerged pushing a floating baby bassinet that rested under the water. Lebadi released Namor's hand and rushed into the pool, splashing water everywhere to get to her little one. She burst into tears lifting her daughter and allowed her body to sink down into the luxurious warmth, pulling away the top of her dress to feed Lewatle. The baby squirmed and then settled in her arms.

"Thank you…thank you!" Lebadi said, reaching for Namora's arm and holding it.

Lebadi could barely get her words out as relief spilled into her.

"She did well?" Lebadi asked.

Namora smiled and patted Lebadi's hand.

"She slept all the way," Namora said.

Namor jerked his head and the attendants walked into the pool moving the water bassinet near the edge and mooring it to the sand with heavy iridescent sea crystals. Namora slipped away and changed into dry clothing that matched the color of the attendants.

Lewatle fell asleep in Lebadi's arms and she rocked the baby until Namor approached her holding a small mask that resembled the ones all of the Talokan wore on the surface.

"Let me see if this fits her," Namor said.

He knelt down and slipped the breather over Lewatle's face. The baby fussed and shook her fists, but quickly settled back down, becoming accustomed to breathing in a strange way above the water.

"You can feed her in the water and bring her out when you are done. She will sleep here and everything you need will be brought to you. I will go down to Talokan and inform leading elders from far and wide that an heir has been born," he said.

"Will you take her down there?"

"Not yet. I want you both comfortable first."

"Do all of your people know about me?"

"Only the ones Namora brought to your boat two years ago."

"They will be angry…feel betrayed. You hate us. How can you have a child by an enemy?"

"You are Wakandan. I do not see you or your people in the same way as the others. Our people are too similar. I'll explain it to my elders and our nation. It will be easier to accept once they see my child. She is a reflection of me."

"Will you paint her on your walls?"

"Of course. I will paint you there too. It is possible that you and Lewatle can be a bridge of eternal peace between our nations one day. United by blood and understanding of who our real enemies are."

Namor helped her stand, and Lebadi accepted a small baby dress from an attendant to clothe Lewatle in. It finally turned somewhat normal to hold her baby on land freely.

Lewatle's eyes held Lebadi's gaze and she smothered the baby with kisses. Her daughter's smile from under the breather made her heart swell. She sang a Wakandan lullaby and rocked the baby while walking around the living area. Very little furniture was present, and the pieces that did decorate the space were simple and colorful: A few small tables holding statues of Yucatec Maya gods. A simple set of low stools surrounding a small hearth where a pot of food simmered over a low fire. Lebadi sat there for a moment to watch the bubbling mixture. Her thin dress dried quickly and the dampness against her skin evaporated.

Namora brought Namor a bowl of steaming fish stew from another cooking area beyond the hearth, and he shared it with Lebadi sitting on the other stool, feeding her with a wide scooped golden spoon, pampering her every need. The stew had lots of red pepper flakes and small, soft seeds with bright green slivers of onion that tasted sweet in the lightly salted broth. She didn't know what kind of fish she ate, but it was cut in thick flaky chunks.

Namor gave her a long piece of red cloth and Lebadi tied Lewatle to her back with it. She followed him around for another tour of his private respite away from his people. Old relics from the past dazzled her eyes and she became enthralled with the history lesson he gave her about his part of the world. When Lewatle whimpered from hunger again, she returned to the pool and Namora showed her how to clean the baby and pointed to where she could use the restroom herself. There was a bacteria the Talokanil placed in the water that fed off of the urine and feces from their waste release and Lebadi was happy to know that she would never have to worry about diaper cleaning. They gave her little cloth strips to put on Lewatle, and when they were soiled, the women dropped them into a closed off part of the cave away from the main body of water. The bacteria ate away the waste material and the diaper was pristine again in an hour or so.

Once Lebadi became weary from the feeding, Namor led her to his bedroom and held the baby. She crawled onto the soft cover and he snuggled next to her, adjusting Lewatle's breather making sure it was secure.

"Today was a long day for you both. Sleep. You are home now," he said.

Lebadi drifted off into bliss.

"Lebadi, the elders are coming."

Lebadi climbed down from a papaya tree. She shifted the netted fruit bag around her shoulder and faced the fearsome warrior woman.

"Do I look okay?"

"Teech ka wilik ma'alob," Namora affirmed in the positive.

Lebadi handed Namora her bag of cave fruit and smoothed back the new sleek twists she palm rolled her thick hair into. Her long orange over-the-shoulder dress was adorned with shells and beads that once belonged to Namor's mother. She scurried behind Namora through the twists and turns of the cavern, her sandaled feet slapping against the cave floor until she met Namor standing poolside.

Dressed in his full king's regalia with a feathered serpent crown, he held Lewatle in the crook of his arm swaddled in the colors of royalty. All she could see of the baby was a head full of glossy black curls that became thicker in texture after the three weeks they had been living there. Tiny gurgles came from behind her small breather and the bundle moved in Namor's arm as if the baby were anxious. Three attendants carefully smudged the air with hand-sized incense cones. Tendrils of smoke created a hazy yellow atmosphere with the cloying scent of purple sage and cinnamon.

"Stand behind me, Lebadi. I want them to see our child first," Namor said.

She did his bidding and watched the pool water churn as shadowy figures came into view below the surface. Lebadi leaned into Namor's back as thirteen mature-looking individuals climbed out of the water in full feathered headdresses dripping with ropes of vibranium jewelry draped around their blue arms and necks. Five men. Seven women. She recognized an individual that could've been non-binary that happened to be the eldest one standing in the center. Water dripped from their bodies but that didn't cool the flames of curiosity in their eyes as they peered down at the small wonder in Namor's arms.

"Lela' in waal," Namor said holding out the baby with pride in his tone.

Namora slinked over to Lebadi, and her presence helped relax the tight knot in her stomach.

"Bix u k'aaba'?" the non-binary elder asked.

"Lewatle," Namor answered.

He reached back for Lebadi's hand and pulled her forward.

"Lela' u na' in waal…Lebadi," he added.

The elder stepped forward and looked Lebadi square in the face. Their gaze came across intimate, as if they were trying to see into her soul. The attempt to assess what kind of person Lebadi represented ended as Lewatle gurgled in her father's arms, her fingers grasping at the air.

"You were willing to stay here and never see your home again?"

Lebadi tilted her head with surprise. The elder spoke fluent Wakandan.

"You know my language?"

"We know many languages," another male elder piped in from behind.

"These are the governors of the twelve cities of Talokan. Chacc is the vessel that holds our spiritual connection to our ancestors," Namor said, staring into the face of the non-binary elder with kind eyes.

Chacc glanced at Lewatle.

"May I?" Chacc asked, gesturing toward the baby.

Namor handed Lewatle over and Chacc cradled her against their chest with tender affection. They turned to the other elders who circled up to study Namor's heir.

"She is just like him," an elder woman said, her blue face lighting up with amazement.

They touched the webbing in her fingers and toes and lightly stroked the tiny wings on her ankles that made Lewatle bubble with laughter that echoed around them, forcing laughter from some of the other elders. The pointed tips of her ears completed their inspection.

"She is the color of the sacred ocean jasper," one of the elders said in awe.

Lebadi looked down at her child from over their shoulders. Lewatle's skin tone rested in the middle of her parents, a perfect blend of Black and Brown.

"Her name means 'Ocean' in Wakandan," Namor said.

"Why did you hide this from us?" Chacc asked.

"He didn't know about her…she was not planned. I tried to prevent anything like this from happening, but Bast and Mama Wati had other plans," Lebadi said.

"Bast and Mama Wati?"

"Those are her people's gods, Chacc. One of them saved our daughter. When she was born, the air above took her life. But it was returned because she is one of us," Namor said.

Chacc carried the baby over to Lebadi and bounced her gently in their arms.

"You are human and cannot live in our capitol. Lewatle will be raised Talokanil. Do you accept that? She will learn your mother tongue as well as ours, but she will never be Wakandan. Not the way you may like," Chacc said.

"I have accepted that she will live here, but you are wrong. She is Wakandan too. I will teach her about my people, and one day…maybe… she can see my world—"

"Never!"

A middle-aged looking male elder eased next to Chacc. His headdress was made of the long-spined sea urchin.

"Usukan, watch your tone with her. She will become my wife. Address her with the same respect as you do your K' uk'ulcan."

Usukan and the others jerked their heads to stare at him the same way Lebadi did.

"Forgive me…I am only pointing out the obvious. Lewatle can never interact with those people, K'uk'ulcan. The child is royalty, a deity in her own right. Blood of your blood. Flesh of your flesh. She bares all the markings of your lineage. This child belongs to Talokan."

Namor held up his arms and Chacc placed Lewatle back where she belonged. He turned to Lebadi and gave her their baby. The other elders lowered their heads, understanding without words that the child was hers too. Wakandan.

"I will tell the people in three days that I have an heir. You were summoned here to meet her first so that you may prepare all the cities for a celebration."

A small woman wearing a crown of sea stars, who refused to look at Lebadi from jump, raised up her voice.

"When will you marry the surface dweller?"

"Her name is Lebadi," Namora said.

The other elders gave the small woman and two other men who shared the same grim faces furtive looks of discomfort. No one wanted to anger Namor.

"Yes, Namora…Lebadi. I ask again, when shall this union happen, K'uk'ulkan?"

Namor took a step forward and glared at them all.

"When she tells me she is ready, I will tell you."

Chacc glanced at Lebadi.

"Is this something you would like to happen, Lebadi?" Chacc asked.

"We haven't talked about it. Right now, we're bonding as a family. But I love him," Lebadi said, ducking Namor's direct gaze and circling her toe in the sand. Her face became warm and her stomach shivered.

Chacc nodded and lowered their head. All of the elders held their hands up in their way of supplication.

"Líik'ik Talokan," they said in unison.

Namor pointed to Lewatle, and his eyes bore into the faces of the three elders who were less accepting. All of the elders lowered their heads again and repeated, "Líik'ik Talokan."

Namora lunged forward and pointed at the disgruntled elders.

"You will tell our people what you saw here and you will say her name with reverence. Our K'uk'ulkan has been alone for a long time. You may have wished for him to marry one of our women, but he fell in love with her, and she gave him a child who may bring him peace for himself. Do not be selfish and darken her name because you wanted him to unite with your daughter, Usukan…or yours Ixchel—"

"Namora," Namor cautioned.

Namora sauntered even closer to the trio she addressed.

"I will hold my tongue, K'uk'kulkan…but my spear will not be so obedient if I hear of any evil words spoken against my little cousin."

Namora returned to Namor's side and her entire body stayed coiled and ready. She locked eyes with Lebadi and nodded her head toward her. Lebadi felt sorry for anyone who crossed Lewatle's big cousin.

"You may leave now," Namor said in Talokan once more.

Chacc gave Lebadi a warm smile and followed the others back into the water where their skin turned back to the natural brown of their foremothers and forefathers.

"Do not worry, Lebadi. Chacc will set the others straight. They have seen that I have produced my likeness in female form. Lewatle will be exalted among our people," Namor said.

He stroked her cheek and palmed the curve of Lewatle's head. Lebadi walked into the water and lowered the top of her dress and removed the breather for the baby. It became a long feeding and she was able to think about her reception from the elders. She trusted what Namor said.

Namora swam up to her and watched her feed Lewatle.

"They will accept her," Namora said. "His word is law."

Namora checked for Namor who had taken off his crown and gone off to add more scenes to his growing mural.

"How long has he been alone, Namora?"

"Since my grandmother was a child. Our family is large, but he is the only one of his kind. Lewatle…she is important to him. I feel his love for her…so strong. I know he wants you to be his wife."

"This is all so fast. I'm still trying to get used to her."

"Do you truly love him?"

Namora's eyes were shiny. She tread in water up to her neck.

"I do."

"Then I ask that you marry him. He will cherish your life for as long as you live and he will have Lewatle by his side."

"Does he have grandchildren? Great Grandchildren?"

"No. His children were never able to have babies of their own. He lived with them in Talokan until they passed on, and then he moved here permanently. They were never like him…but Lewatle is. He sees a future that can be different. Being a ruler and nothing else is not good for him. I think…I think you and the baby are good for him."

"What about you? Do you want to have a family someday?"

Namora splashed water on her and swam backwards while laughing.

"Men fear me. I am a warrior. I protect Talokan and that is what I want."

"There isn't anyone you like in Talokan?"

"Oh, sure…many."

"And?"

Namora pushed water on her again wetting Lebadi gently. Lebadi let go of Lewatle to be with Namora and the warrior women twirled around slowly cradling the baby under the deeper end of the pool.

"She likes you a lot," Namor said.

Lebadi turned her head and Namor walked into the luxurious pool to sit next to her.

"To think she tried to kill me the first time she laid eyes on me. And now…look at her. She stays by my side every day watching over me and Lewatle," Lebadi said.

"We have many male relatives and very few female relatives her age. You are the closest to a sister she has."

Namor watched Namora play underwater. His mood had shifted to a relaxed state. The burden of revealing his daughter waned and he could finally shake the tension he carried in his body all morning.

"Will you marry me, Lebadi? Become my wife?" he asked.

He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it before rubbing small circles on her knuckles.

"I didn't think I could love another woman. Especially one from the world of my enemies. I heard your prayers in the ocean and you lured me to you. I became enchanted by your beauty and your grace. I don't know what kind of life I can give you here, but I will do my best to be a loving husband and father. I want you here with me. You can't go down to Talokan, but I can give you a taste of it here. You can draw, paint, and venture out from time to time when it is safe on the surface world. Look at her. See? Lewatle thrives. She will have a blessed life."

"What if you fall out of love with me?"

"That will never happen."

"What if I decide I want to go back home one day? Would you allow me to leave?"

"Leaving here means leaving Lewatle behind. I know you would never betray me and tell your people about my world. But if you left me, our child will remain in Talokan."

His tone was sharp and his eyes narrowed in that way of his when he wanted her to know how serious he was.

"If I marry you, would I become queen? How can a queen rule a world under the sea where she can never go?"

"The people will come to you."

"How? Squeeze them all in here?"

"Let me show you."

He helped her out of the water leaving Lewatle with Namora. Wandering through the connected caves, he took her to a route she was unfamiliar with that led down deeper into the earth.

"See?"

Namor left her standing among jagged rock formations as he flew down to a staged structure of carefully placed blocks of limestone that created a floating stage surrounded by beautiful azure water.

"As queen, our people will greet you here. I will place a great throne for you right there and our world will come alive for you to participate in important matters. We can be united here in front of thousands."

He flew back to her side.

"Give me time to think, Namor."

"I will not pressure you."

They returned to their living quarters and Namora had Lewatle tucked away in her water bassinet. A dark figure stirred in the water. The bones of a hammerhead shark came into view before the rest of the looming figure of Attuma broke the surface. He carried a small shark figure carved out of smooth soapstone. Attuma looked at Lebadi and then pointed at the baby.

"Go ahead," Lebadi said.

The giant man moved next to the bassinet and looked down at the baby. Namora watched him and smirked.

"Let him hold her," Namor said to Namora.

Namora placed the breather over the baby's face and lifted Lewatle who only wore a diaper cloth. She held her out for Attuma to take. He placed the soapstone figure inside the baby bed and picked up Lewatle who became a tiny doll in his massive hands. Attuma stood awkwardly as the baby squirmed and let out squeals of delight. Namora swam away from him and Attuma looked around the quarters with panic in his eyes.

"He's held babies before, but because this is my child he's nervous," Namor said chuckling afterward.

Lewatle stopped moving and stared up into the man's face.

"That is your cousin Attuma," Namor said.

Attuma raised the baby higher and closer to his face. Lewatle waved her arms and touched Attuma's mask.

"Leti' ki'ichpam…"

"Yes, she is beautiful, Attuma," Namor said.

Attuma stood for awhile, staring at the baby until he tucked her in his arm and rocked her, showing off the gift he brought for Lewatle to touch.

Attendants notified Namor and Lebadi that it was time for them to eat. Attuma put Lewatle back into her bed and Namora followed him under the water leaving Namor's realm on the surface.

Lebadi and Namor sat across from each other and he talked about growing more squash and beans in his cave garden. He ate food from the sea like his people, but he enjoyed eating the foods of his mother when she had once been human. The man was a verbose storyteller and she listened with avid ears. He asked her to share more about herself that he had missed while they had been apart. She spoke of her work, loneliness, and feeling out of place in her own homeland when he left her. Namor became quiet then. She reached across their plates of fried corn, black beans, and grilled squash and patted his hand.

"I understand why you chose your people," she said. "All those elders showed me that you are needed. Being selfish about us was out of my love for you. I wanted us to be together and losing you ripped my heart apart."

Namor reached a hand over and thumbed a tear away from her eye.

"I'm happy here. You spoil me and Lewatle. There is so much to do and explore within these caves. I have the houseboat and I will cherish my memories of Wakanda…"

Namor's face softened and he held her hands on the table.

"I will marry you," she said.

He squeezed her hands and his smile shined brighter than the jewels around his neck. A splash from the baby bed alerted them that Lewatle wanted attention. Namor strode across the room and pulled off his robes until he was stripped down to his green swim shorts. Lebadi peeled off her dress to her underwear and padded over topless, fitting her breather over her face. She dove under the pool water and joined Namor with their daughter.

Eight months into her new life, an alarm was sounded inside Namor's private abode.

Namora woke them up in their bed speaking the Talokan language so fast that Lebadi couldn't translate fast enough. She grabbed a covering and rushed out to Lewatle's bed where two women looked after the baby during the night.

Attuma and Namora stood at attention dressed in their battle regalia with four other male and female warriors. A gruff-looking soldier in a leadership position approached Namor with a solemn expression. Lebadi recognized him from private talks with Namor. His second-in-command of the Talokan army. Yaluk.

"K'uk'ulkan, the Wakandan military are moving in our territory in the north Atlantic," Yaluk said.

"What are they doing? Surveillance?"

"We don't know, but they have moved in several positions off the coast of Brazil, and the Caribbean territories. They have one aircraft that has entered the sea near the vortex that leads to Sayyil. We have a pod dispatched there to watch them. The vessel floats in one place…as if it were hiding."

Another soldier rose up from the pool of water in a rush. His voice sounded agitated.

"The king of Wakanda is on his way to the Sayyil territory!"

Namor went to a corner of the cave and brought out his spear.

"We will go see what the Wakandan king is up to," Namor said.

"Namor?" Lebadi said.

She held Lewatle against her chest. At eight months the girl was chunky and active, wiggling in her mother's arms.

"This is not war if there's no overt provocation. I want to see why he's there. Your King T'Chaka will need to stay away from our waters to avoid my army," Namor said.

He kissed Lewatle's forehead and nuzzled Lebadi's cheek. She knew not to ask how long he would be gone. There were global threats to their discovery at a more brisk pace. Especially among the western powers. Too many were testing nuclear weapons, polluting the oceans with chemical waste and human trash. Namor was adamant about killing his enemies from other countries on sight. He told her several times that Wakanda was a special case, but the fierceness he carried out with him when he passed by her made Lebadi doubt he would be civil if King T'Chaka acted rash. This left her torn with her allegiance. Perhaps she could be the voice of reason if something went awry with her former king. She was still Wakandan after all, even though she was married to the Talokan king.

Lewatle wiggled so much in her arms that Lebadi finally put her down. The baby crawled toward the pool trying to catch up with her father. Their attendants blocked the baby's path and Lewatle sat back on her rump and cried, her mask making her voice sound strangled in pain.

"Shhh..shhh…it's okay my precious little one. Yuum will be back in no time. Don't cry, Na' is here, I'm here…"

Lewatle cried and pointed to the water.

"Yuum!" Lewatle wailed.

Lebadi took the baby to the water and removed her mask so she wouldn't get frustrated and pull off her breather in a distraught fit. The water cooled down her angst and Lebadi walked around the pool with her daughter snug against her chest listening to her mother's heartbeat.

"Such a good girl, Lewatle. Yuum will come back home soon, don't you worry."

Once the baby calmed down, Lebadi returned her breather and walked out of the pool. She strolled the grounds of the caves and pointed out particular images on the murals.

"That's you! Yuum painted you so pretty."

Lewatle mumbled her baby talk and snuggled her head against Lebadi's neck.

"Look how handsome your father looks next to me. See? I'm wearing my wedding dress…and look there… see all the Talokanil that came to see us wed in the grand hall? One day if you want to get married to someone, you can wear my dress. I hope you will have a wedding in the same place as me, because Na' can't go down to Talokan in the palace."

"Up!" Lewatle said, raising her hand up above her head.

"Up?" Lebadi said in Talokan and Wakandan playing with her daughter's bilingual learning.

"Up, Na'! Up!"

Lebadi sighed. Her daughter wanted to go to the cave garden where she could watch for her father fly down from his journeys out into the world from the opening in the roof.

"Up! Up!" Lewatle insisted.

Lebadi took her child where she wanted to go and they stared up high above the tall fruit trees and gazed at the starlight filtering down in the semi-darkness. She rocked the baby on her hip and whispered sweet words in her ear, praying to Bast that Namor would remain cool, calm, and collected over the Atlantic. He ripped apart a foreign naval ship on previous trip away. Lebadi didn't know how many dead floated in ocean graves because of him over the centuries. She kept quiet about it. Namor was deadly and kept his killing business away from her.

For two days she walked and rocked Lewatle, wishing she could swim up to the surface and wait for her husband on the houseboat. A messenger sought out an audience with her in the grand hall waters, and she sat on her custom shark throne listening to the young woman fresh from the sea giving word that Namor would arrive soon.

"What became of his meeting with King T'Chaka?" Lebadi asked.

The messenger, Hun-Nal-Ye, fingered the shark-tooth necklace around her neck. Her flawless blue skin had dark moon-sliver scarring around the sides of her temples denoting her status as a citizen protector of Talokan. Her hair hung in long wet wavy strands past her shoulders and she held a small jade manta ray, a talisman Namor used to prove that his messenger's words were directly from him.

"K' uk' ulkan has rendered a treaty with the king of Wakanda. There will be peace between our nations," Hun-Nal-Ye said lowering her head.

Lebadi's favorite attendant, Tepeu took the talisman from Hun-Nal-Ye's hand and gave it to her. She palmed it and placed it inside the top of her dress against her heart.

"Thank you, Hun-Nal-Ye. You may leave."

Hun-Nal-Ye nodded and dove back into the water. Lebadi stood up and breathed deeply.

"Please tell El-Cuaj to dress Lewatle for her father and meet me in the cave garden," Lebadi said.

Tepeu lowered her head and left the grand hall.

Lebadi meandered her way toward the cave garden, patting her heart to feel the manta ray talisman pressed against her skin. Touching her hair, she fluffed out a puffy cloud adorned with cowrie shells and gold trinkets. Her royal indigo dress billowed behind her as she walked.

Sunlight illuminated dust motes high above her head, and the warmth teased her bare arms and face.

"Na'!"

Lewatle's voice broke Lebadi's reverie with nature.

"Let her crawl to me," Lebadi instructed El-Cuaj.

The attendant placed the baby on the soft earth and Lebadi sat down eight feet away from her.

"Come," Lebadi said in Wakandan and Talokanil.

Lewatle hustled her knees and hands, scurrying toward her mother. When she reached Lebadi, the baby used her hands to pull herself up on her feet with a wobbly balance. Lebadi touched the ankle wings that looked inflamed at the calmus root. There were traces of a sea-made poultice that the nanny El-Cuaj used to sooth the pain for the baby. Much like a new baby tooth, Lewatle's wings were growing and became a slight discomfort for the little one.

"Yuum, up! Na'…hmmm…." Lewatle murmured.

Lewatle's head tilted back instinctively knowing that her father would come down from the tiny bit of visible sky. Lebadi looked up too, awaiting a glimpse of Namor. The baby babbled and cooed and Lebadi entertained her daughter by holding her upper body to help strengthen her chubby legs.

A shadow loomed above them and Lebadi grinned.

"It's Yuum!" Lebadi said.

Lewatle looked up and Namor floated down from the top, hovering over seventy feet above them. Lebadi started pointing to him and gasped when Lewatle released her hold on Lebadi's arms and flew up six feet, her baby wings whirring like her father's.

"Oh Bast!" Lebadi squeaked, jumping to her feet and grabbing for her daughter's toes.

Lewatle's flight was wonky and off-kilter, but she held her arms high above her head, kicking her little feet trying to steer her trajectory. Like a bumble bee drunk from too much nectar, the baby zig-zagged in the air and Lebadi became frightened that she would fall and break bones. Namor dropped down quickly and wrapped his arms around his daughter.

"You miss Yuum that much?" he teased, kissing Lewatle's forehead.

Lewatle only squealed and babbled away.

"My queen," Namor said.

He landed softly by Lebadi's side and hugged her with one arm. She kissed his lips and rubbed her hand over his hair that held the warmth of the full sun that she missed for the days he was absent.

"I wasn't expecting her to do that so soon," Lebadi said.

"I started flying at this age. My mother had to tie a piece of rope around my waist to keep me near her when she harvested fruit on land."

"We should do that."

"Only when I am not around. I can catch her once she gets stronger and better."

"I'm so glad you're home safe. Hun-Nal-Ye told me it all went well."

"I don't know what King T'Chaka's true intentions are on the surface world, but we have an agreement about the sea. He will avoid encroaching in that area for their spying. Flying over it is not an issue. Going into the sea near there again will be seen as a threat by me. I will destroy any submersibles or lingering ships."

Lebadi listened and then closed her eyes to feel the sun again. Her stomach dropped as she felt Namor whisk her in his free arm and fly them all to the hole in the cave sky. They landed near the ledge of the tall hill surrounded by foliage down below. The sun danced on all their skin and Lebadi drew in a deep breath of fresh air. They were far from the snake mouth entrance of their underground dwelling, and isolated from humans who could never get through the dense canopy or the brush hiding them from the Talokan world.

Across the horizon, Lebadi studied the sea and thought of her family. The last of her vid messages had gone out the month before, and she was sure there would be a search for her. She debated about going to the houseboat and sending a final message telling them the truth. That she had run away with the love of her life and had a baby.

She fought back tears thinking of her parents worrying that she was dead in Wakanda somewhere. Her own people would consider her a traitor for falling in love with a mutant foreigner if they knew the fantastic reality she lived in. Another civilization had to hide their true selves and their powerful vibranium resource. Lebadi buried those thoughts in her heart, tucked them for back into a hidden place that she would never open again. She was now a Queen Mother and deeply in love with her husband and child. A time for mourning Wakanda had to end. She had made her choice the moment she floated into the sea with Lewatle filling up her belly.

On top of the hidden hill, Lebadi gave a final prayer to the sea's horizon, asking Mama Wati and her ancestors to comfort her family. She watched her loving husband play with their flying baby, enjoying the sight of Lewatle floating her chubby brown body above her father's outstretched hands. The wings on her feet buzzed and she flailed her arms in excitement. The reality of her daughter flying before walking made Lebadi laugh and she glanced at her husband once more. The joy on Namor's face and the precious squeals of happiness from Lewatle was worth the sacrifice of leaving Wakanda. Forever.

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