#i like took an entire break from art in the middle of this. oops.

[wwraithsart]

Gale and Mags if they were agents

Alt ver w/ color noise:

I like how a subtle noise filter looks but I worry I might've been too much. heres the ver with the noise anyway

#my art #illustration #digital art #art #splatoon #splatoon ocs #my ocs #gale #mags #side order #return of the mammalians #I WANTED TO HAVE THIS DONE BY THE END OF MARCH but whatever #i like took an entire break from art in the middle of this. oops. #posting this now if tomorrow me finds errors she will just have to live with it. #anyways.. a lot of the items have meaning so ill post something tomrrow explaining it #like theyre nods to other stuff re: that character #i do like how it turned out though all things considered

[belltrigger]

Short little thing for the anon with the bad experience! Since you were Anon, I can't really tag you, but I hope you see this anyway!

It takes place after Ingo gets back from Hisui, with a little bit of sleep issues! Oops it came out angsty... Inspired by @dingo-on-a-farm 's art of Ingo carrying an exhausted Emmet home.

Title: Troubled Sleep Word count: 1,152

When you lived in Nimbasa City, you became a heavier sleeper. It was a lively place for tourists to visit, with fabulous sights to see, many of which ran all night long. The sounds from people passing by outside was not limited to the daytime, even if there were ways to muffle it. He and Emmet had always slept like logs when they were younger, and that continued when they moved into their own place.

He knew that, like one knows their preference for dessert. Losing one's memories couldn't remove something so innate.

But living in Hisui had changed him, with new impacts being discovered every day. In Hisui, there was never any guarantee of complete safety, even though living within town walls minimized the danger somewhat. As a warden and skilled pokémon trainer, it was only natural to intervene and protect anyone in danger. He'd learned to sleep in bursts where he could, and to be alert and ready to go at the slightest warning. You never knew when that faint sound of footsteps outside could be a pokémon, moments away from causing an uproar.

Unfortunately, that translated poorly now that he was no longer in Hisui. More than once, he'd snapped awake at a sound outside, bolting upright in bed as he tried to locate a non-existent threat, eyes immediately alert. This, of course, had unintended consequences now that Emmet was in his arms every night. When he sat upright, Emmet always came with him, startled but still half-asleep. Even in his confusion, he held tightly onto Ingo.

Ingo could feel the tremors run through Emmet every time.

Whispered apologies accompanied pulling Emmet back to the mattress. Trying to sooth his fluttering heartbeat was harder. His breathing took longer to even out as he attempted to swallow his disorientation. They would spend several minutes trying to calm their rushing adrenaline, with Emmet gripping him tightly around the middle, face pressed against his chest.

Each morning after it happened, Emmet would look poorly rested, and not speak until he was forced to at work. But, he would still offer Ingo a smile, silently making breakfast with Archeops' help. Every night, Emmet would still seek out his embrace, still encourage intimacy, still fall asleep with their limbs tangled up together.

It never felt right to leave it alone, with how it was affecting his precious twin. But, Emmet just responded with a confused head tilt and smile when he tried to push the topic. His eyes said "leave it."

And Ingo did leave it, for a time.

But it had happened again this morning. Emmet responded as he always did. But unlike all the other times, Emmet ended up falling asleep at his desk during his lunch break. His twin was reclined back in his chair, hat tugged down over his eyes. His breathing was soft. Ingo spent a few moments watching Emmet sleep, before making up his mind, turning on his heel and stepping out of their office with a purpose.

----

Emmet was having such a nice dream. He felt fuzzy and warm, like his entire body was being hugged by Ingo. But that couldn't be right. Wasn't he at work? Had he fallen asleep? If anything, he should have been feeling the wood of his desk against his face. He slowly opened his eyes half-way.

"Mmm, Ingo?" Greeting him was very definitely his twin's throat, warm, with no coat collar in the way. "What...? Where...?" His body refused to move, so he took the opportunity to nuzzle against Ingo's neck instead. He could feel Ingo's hand on his lower back, and one underneath his knees. Why was he being carried?

Ingo returned the nuzzle. "We're going home, Emmet," was his older brother's soft, but short, answer.

"Home?" A yawn broke out of his mouth. Home sounded nice.

"Yes. You need to sleep somewhere more comfortable than your desk chair." Ingo's voice was firm, like his hold, and it made Emmet feel a bit giddy.

He curled up against Ingo as best he could in the position, arms tucked in against himself. A sleepy, content smile crept up onto his face. "I could stay like this forever." If Ingo answered him, he didn't hear it, the rocking of Ingo's movement lulling him back to sleep.

----

Emmet awoke again when they were almost home. When he'd decided to carry his twin home, he had expected a least a little trouble. But something useful in his own time had come from his time in Hisui - he was significantly stronger now. The idea that he now was capable of things like this could open up plenty of opportunities for them. But first, he had to fix the issues he caused.

"Emmet, are you awake?"

His twin's contented hum was accompanied by a soft kiss against his neck to show that yes, he was not asleep. Still a little fuzzy, but not asleep.

"I'm sorry for troubling you so many nights with my poor sleeping habits." He could feel Emmet stiffen in his arms, grip suddenly on the front of his shirt, but he continued. "Perhaps it would be better if we slept in our old, separate rooms until I can control myself better."

"Why are you apologizing? Stop it." The frown in Emmet's voice also showed in his expression, even though Ingo felt it instead of seeing it. He tightened his grip on Emmet just the slightest bit.

"After everything my disappearance put you through, I don't want to cause you anymore undue suff--" He wasn't able to finish the sentence before Emmet's lifted a gloved hand and covered his mouth.

"Ingo." Emmet's voice was low, serious. "Yes, it's hard. It's going to be. But I am not letting you face it alone." Emmet kept the hand over his mouth to avoid interruption, not accepting an argument. "We were born to face things together."

Emmet shifted slightly, so their eyes could meet. Once he saw understanding in Ingo's expression, he lowered his hand. "Emmet, I'm so sorry," he choked out. He lowered his head to nuzzle his forehead against Emmet's, despite their hats being in the way.

Emmet's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to offer an exasperated laugh, but it came out choked as well. "I thought I just told you to not apologize!" He still returned the nuzzle, and even brought a hand up to hold Ingo closer. "Nii-san, don't be a dummy!"

He hugged his younger twin as tightly as he could while carrying him like this. Emmet was right; to pull away from each other now that they had finally come back together? It was ridiculous beyond all imagining. To think he had even come to that conclusion!

"Still... we should perhaps seek out some solutions to my sleeping habits."

"I have some ideas already!" Emmet graced him with a mischievous smile, eyes half-lidded for an entirely different reason this time.

#Blankshipping #angst #fluff #hypervigilant sleeper #Emmet's solutions - soundproofing the bedroom #The test of the soundproofing? Oh you know #Bell Fic

[watchyourbluesturngolden]

I would love to see Harry jealous because his wife give a man ( Kindergarten teacher ) a compliment that he deals really well with Stevie.

this got kind of long oops, hope you like it :)

it's kind of cute

warnings: none

word count: 2k

“Time to go, Stevie!” You called, adjusting your coat in the mirror by the door. “Come get your shoes!”

You heard her feet pattering on the hall floor before Harry yelled, jumping out at her and scooping her up. She screamed in delight, laughing as he hoisted her onto his shoulders.

“Look at me!” She yelled, holding her arms out to her sides. “I’m so tall!”

“You are,” you laughed. “Is my tall girl ready to go?”

“I think our tall girl needs some shoes first,” Harry said, lifting her down. “The pink ones or the yellow ones?”

She thought intently before picking up the yellow shoes. She beamed when she got them on the right feet on the first try.

“Good job!” Harry said, reaching down to high-five her. Shoes were a tricky thing to learn. There had been a lot of struggling, but she was finally getting the hang of it.

She smiled, jumping up from the floor. Harry held her coat, helping her slip her arms into the sleeves.

“Let’s go! Come on, mom,” She said, bouncing on her feet. “Go faster!”

“Yeah, mum, hurry up,” Harry said jokingly. You shot him a look, opening the door so Stevie could run to the car.

Harry put his arm around your shoulders as you walked towards the car.

“She’s getting so big,” he commented. “Why can’t she just stay our little baby?”

“Very unfortunate,” you sighed. You made sure Stevie was settled before getting in and buckling your own seatbelt. Harry got in the driver’s seat, starting the car.

“I’m in the mood for some Moana,” he said, handing you his phone before he pulled out of the driveway. “What do you think, Stevie?”

“Moana!” She yelled, eyes lighting up.

You shared a smile with Harry as she began belting out the lyrics.

“I wonder where she got her singing voice?”

“No idea,” he laughed.

-----

He pulled into the school parking lot, stopping the music to grandly announce, “We’re here!”

Stevie gasped in excitement, already fidgeting with her seatbelt. Harry opened her door for her, holding her hand so she could jump down. You took her other hand, swinging her arms between you as you walked toward the school.

“Alright, Stevie, where are we going?” You asked, even though you knew where her classroom was.

“Yeah, we don’t know where it is, you have to help us!” Harry said excitedly. “Lead the way, princess!”

Stevie let go of your hands as she marched down the hall.

“Look at her, so grown up,” he said sadly, taking your now empty hand in his.

“I know, she’s practically an adult. Oh, she’s going to be in middle school soon, and then high school, and then college, and then she’ll be gone,” you said, getting emotional already.

“Wait, wait, we can’t get ahead of ourselves yet, this is a kindergarten parent-teacher conference, we have a few years.”

“Right, you’re right,” you smiled.

“Here it is!” Stevie announced, pointing at the door, which was decorated to look like a box of crayons.

“Oh, how cute!” You said, noting that each crayon was labeled with a student’s name. “Stevie, you’re the yellow one! It matches your shoes!”

“I know!” She said excitedly. “That’s why I wore them!”

“Very smart, Stevie. Very fashionable,” Harry said, ruffling her hair.

He opened the door, allowed both of you to walk in ahead of him.

“Hello! Hi Stevie, it’s good to see you!” Her teacher said, waving you over to his desk.

“Hi Mr. Jeffery!” She said, running over to him. “Is it here?”

“Of course it is! It’s right over there on the drying rack, if you want to show your mom and dad,” he said, pointing across the room.

She ran in the direction he pointed. When she came back, she was carrying a painting of a butterfly.

“Did you make that?” Harry asked, crouching down to inspect her artwork. “Wow, this is amazing, love! We’ll put this on the fridge so everyone can see it,” he promised, smiling.

“Yes, Stevie loves our art projects, don’t you?” Mr. Jeffery asked, smiling when she nodded enthusiastically.

“I have to talk to your mom and dad for a few minutes, Stevie. What would you like to do while we talk?”

“Color!” She said, shoving the butterfly painting into Harry’s arms.

“Alright, do you remember where the crayons are?”

“Yes I do!” She ran over to the art section, busying herself immediately.

“Yes, she’s very into art,” You said, smiling as you and Harry settled into the chairs behind Mr. Jeffery’s desk.

“I’ve noticed! She’s taken a particular interest in painting. Does she do a lot of that at home?”

“Oh, yes,” Harry laughed. “Y/N isn’t so happy with that, though, she’s ruined quite a few shirts.”

“We try to steer her towards more... dry activities,” you said, smiling.

“Well, that’s understandable,” Mr. Jeffery laughed, clicking around on his computer. “So, today I just want to talk about her progress. As you probably know, she does extremely well in several areas. She can do some sight reading, which is not something we see very often at this age. She is also doing very well with her numbers, colors, and shapes.”

Harry beamed as Mr. Jeffery laid out how well Stevie was doing. Of course, he already knew she was the most amazing child in the world, but it was nice to have outside validation.

“That’s great, we tried to expose her to as much reading as we could, we really wanted her to be prepared,” you said.

“You did an excellent job,” he smiled, looking at you.

Harry didn’t like this, even though he knew it was this man’s job to reassure and praise parents. He just didn’t like the way he looked at you. He was smiling a little too much.

“Yes, we did,” Harry said, leaning a little closer to you. He looked at the teacher with a face that was just a little less than friendly.

Mr. Jeffery cleared his throat, turning back to his computer.

“As for her social skills, she is also doing very well there. Aside from the normal kindergarten spats, she has no issues getting along with the other children. She communicates very well with the other teachers and myself. We really don’t have any problems,” he smiled again, this time making sure not to look at you for too long.

“Looks like we did a good job,” you beamed, nudging Harry. His intimidating face dropped and he smiled as he took your hand.

“Look at us go,” he said, looking across the room to where Stevie was still coloring.

“You’re very good with her,” you said, following his gaze. “I know she can be a handful sometimes,” you laughed, turning slightly to Mr. Jeffery.

Harry’s jaw tightened when he saw your face. He knew you were smiling from looking at Stevie, but he still didn’t like how happy Mr. Jeffery looked. He squeezed your hand a little tighter, causing you to shoot him a confused look. He kept his eyes fixed on Stevie, willing himself to stay calm. Y/N hasn’t done anything wrong, he reminded himself.

“No, she’s usually very well behaved,” he said, flipping through his notes. “Again, we’ve had very few problems.”

“I’m glad to hear,” you said, running your other hand up and down Harry’s forearm.

“Well, that’s all I have for you today, unless you have any other questions?” He asked, looking you and Harry. You looked at him, both shaking your heads at the same time.

“I think we’re good,” you said, turning back to him with a smile.

“Alright, well it was good to see you today,” Mr. Jeffery said, standing to shake hands with you. Harry watched intently, not blinking until the man pulled away from you. When he reached for him, Harry made sure to squeeze a little tighter than necessary. Not too hard. Just enough to make him nervous.

“If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me,” he said, smiling tightly.

“Yes, we’ll do that,” Harry said, not breaking eye contact. Finally, Mr. Jeffery stepped away to get Stevie. Harry moved his arm to rest over your shoulders again, smiling at Stevie when she skipped over.

“Did you make us a pretty drawing?” He asked, removing his arm to bend down. “Absolutely gorgeous,” he beamed. “Another one for the fridge, I think!”

Stevie giggled, taking your hand as she turned to wave at her teacher.

“Bye Mr. Jeffery! See you later,” she said, completely unaware of how tense Harry was behind her.

Harry placed his hand on your back, shepherding you both out of the room. Once the door was closed, you stepped away to look at him.

“Are you alright?” You asked, concerned at how tight his face was. “You’re not acting like yourself.”

Harry shook his head, flicking his eyes towards Stevie, trying to communicate not now.

You frowned, but silently agreed, taking his hand as you walked down the hall.

Harry was quiet the entire ride home. He didn’t sing along to the Disney music, even when Stevie yelled out “everybody!” before the big chorus. This was concerning. He usually sang even when Stevie didn’t want him to, and he could normally never resist her cheering him on. Something was definitely wrong, but you could tell he didn’t want to talk about it right now.

It couldn’t be that bad, though, because he was still holding your hand like he had been since you left Mr. Jeffery’s room. He had only let go of you when you had to get in the car.

Once you got home, Stevie ran off to her room, yelling something about “a tea party with Mr. Snuffles!”

“Harry?” You asked gently, approaching your husband. His back was facing you and his hands were braced against the counter. “Harry, really, what happened? Did I do something?”

“No,” he turned around quickly. “No, I’m sorry,” he said, reaching for you. You wrapped your arms around him, listening to his deep breathing as he held you.

“Ok, then what’s the problem? You looked so mad when we were talking to Mr. Jeffery,” you said. “What?” You asked again when felt him tense up at your words.

“Nothing, it’s just- it’s stupid,” he said, shaking his head.

“Harry, nothing that upsets you this much is stupid.”

“It’s just- ugh,” he groaned, dropping his head to rest in the crook of your neck. “I just hated how he looked at you.”

“You- what?” You said, pulling back. He looked at you, embarrassed.

“I told you it’s stupid,” he said, blushing. “I just didn’t like how you were talking to him, saying how good he was with Stevie, and how happy he looked. I don’t know, it’s dumb,” he mumbled, looking at the floor.

“Hey, come on,” you said, taking his hands in yours. “I don’t think it’s dumb.”

“No?” He asked, looking at you again.

“No, it’s not,” you said, smiling. “It’s kind of cute.”

“It’s not cute,” he said grumpily. “I feel like a child.”

“You’re not a child,” you promised, standing on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Maybe a little immature, but-“

“You’re so mean!” He exclaimed, laughing. “I’m so nice to you, and you repay me how? By hurting my feelings.”

“I’m sorry,” you smiled, kissing his cheek again.

“I’ll forgive you,” he said, pulling back to look at you. “But only if you give me a kiss.”

“I think that can be arranged.”

#Harry Styles #harry styles/reader #harry styles/you #harry styles/reader fanfiction #harry styles/you fanfiction #harry styles x you #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you fanfiction #harry styles x reader fanfiction #stevie #stevie fics #one direction #one direction fanfiction #dad!harry

[binniesthighs]

hello stranger | reader x changbin |

a/n: hehe hello cuties, before i get to the chapter, I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of the support and lovely messages you that you sent to me for the last chapter. as I said, it was one that was super personal to me and for it to be so relatable and emotional for you all makes my heart feel so, so full. these themes are going to continue, so please read the warnings cuties. as always, thank you so very much for reading my stories <3 

Part 6 

Pairing: self insert, female reader x seo changbin, female reader x han jisung 

Genre: strangers to lovers, fluff, smut, angst 

Tags: (of this part) college au, rapper!changbin, rapper!jisung, establishedfwb!jisung, artist!reader, skz side characters, bestfriend!chan, bestfriend!felix, roommate!minho, explicit language, HARD fluff to HARD angst, some sensual-azz fuckin’ (muhaha), unprotected sex (stay safe cuties!), lil bit of breath play, nipple play (f), cumshot, mentions of food, changbin has a cute butt (that’s the tweet) 

CWs: aftereffects of traumatic experiences, mentions of past toxic relationship, self sabotaging tendencies 

Word count: 6.6k (remember when i said i wasn’t gonna write long chapters? wellllll...ooP)  

Chapters 

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7

When you were back in high school, before you knew a thing about what love was, your Art teacher had given you an assignment: what do you think that love looks like? At first, all you had really known love to be was the kind that you shared with your friends and your parents, and maybe with your family dog. You had read about love in your favorite books and seen it in your favorite movies, but you had never really considered what it looked like. Obviously, the assignment was all up for you to decide, but there being a million and one things that you considered love to be, to put it to paper with your own hand was something different entirely. 

At first, when you thought of love, you thought of the typical: hearts, hugs, the colors red and pink. But, this was too simple. 

“What are you drawing?” You had sneakily whispered to your classmate. 

She shrugged, and continued scratching away at her sketchbook. You had peeked to see what she was putting together, and for her, she had started to draw what looked like a house on the edge of a lake. The house was in the middle of nowhere and it was surrounded by trees of all different kinds and there was a single bench that sat at the edge of the water. 

You figured, love can be a place, so you started drawing that. 

Your pencil swiped over the paper in strokes big and small, and the lead rubbed off on the side of your pinky as you outlined the corners of your apartment building. 

You thought, I love the people who live here, therefore, this must be love. 

It made sense. People and places could make up love. 

When you turned in your drawing of your apartment building you were surprised to see the variety of other paintings and drawings that the other students had turned in. One student had turned in a whole piece that had been drawn with oil pastel. It was a jumbling of colors: mostly red, as you had expected, but it also held streaks of gold, black and teal. You remember your teacher really liking that one. 

Today, if you would’ve gotten that assignment, it would’ve been completely different. 

It was a sunny afternoon when you sat at your easel with your pencil in hand. Drawing out the mere outline and rough draft, tears welled in your eyes. A long time ago you had promised yourself that if your art didn’t mean anything, what even was it?

The sun filled your room in the golden hour of the day best it could from your frosted glass window. The warmth that the rays held made your whole body swell with a warmth, and it gave your shaking arms the power to keep going. 

You brushed lightly over the rough canvas with your pencil, tracing out the lines as if they were the very memories that you had kept painted in your mind. 

You drew a snowy night, not much unlike the ones that you had been seeing recently. You drew an empty alley, not lit by much light. You drew the way that the oil slicked in potholes mixed with the snow. You planned out the way that the industry of the city lit his back as he stared out into that dark expanse where you knew that darker figures were hiding. You drew him. You drew him on that exact same night that you had fist seen him: a dark outline, who would become full of color. 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

“What’s that?” 

Changbin pointed to your easel with a sheet draped over it. 

“A surprise.” You answered. “I know that I’m not good with surprises, but, are you?” 

“I don’t mind them.” He chuckled. “For me?” 

“Mmhm. Its not ready yet so you’ll have to wait.” 

“I’m fine with waiting.” He sighed out. 

You nuzzled closer into his bare chest, right up to his heartbeat. Both of you were admittedly a bit dewy in your sweaty afterglow, but this was of no concern to you. These past few days, this had been your preferred way to drift off to sleep. Even on the occasional times when the both of you would be too busy to make the time, when you finally could see him, it was everything to you. In his large and muscled arms, there was no place else where you had felt safer. You too wrapped your whole being around him with a feeling so close it must’ve been unreal. If you could hear the muffled little rhythm of his heartbeat, you were sure that he could hear yours. 

“Soon, all this snow is gonna melt, and then I can take you to loads of other places. I’m just getting started.” Changbin’s airy breath tickled your scalp. 

“Really? Taking me to all the usual places?” You mocked. 

“No.” He said seriously. “I want to take you to places I haven’t taken anyone before. My secret places. I...you know...wouldn’t mind if you could draw them for me either.” 

You giggled, “Ever heard of taking a picture?” 

“Hey! It’s not the same.” 

“Fineee. Okay, okay. I’ll draw them for you.” Your fingertips traced down the muscles of his back. “Maybe I should start charging if you’re gonna keep being like this.” 

“You don’t do pro-bono?” He ran along with your joke. 

“If you ask nicely, maybe I’ll consider it.” 

He tsked, “Could you please draw for me?” 

You masked another adoring chuckle. “I do like it when you say please.” 

Everything about the one moment felt so sickly sweet, it was like you must’ve dreamt it up. In between the swaddling of sheets, you tried your best to enjoy the one moment: it was just enough to keep the doubtful whispers away. After all that he had done, said, all the pain that he had kissed away, or compliments he had hushed into your ear, the creeping feeling that you hardly deserved it all would rear it’s head time and again, even when you didn’t expect it to.

The two of you were quiet for a moment as you fell into the serenity of just existing together. After a while, you would narrow your focus best on the way that his breaths would rise and fall and the way this his body heat would melt into yours under the mess of sheets that neither of you bothered to fix. He would use his thumb to rub reassuring little strokes into the back of your neck where he had you. 

Your hand would fall down his arm, all the way down this wrist where his scar lived. Ever since you had noticed it, you couldn’t stop looking at it. Every time that you did, you were given a tangible reminder of everything that he had been, and was, to you. You rose the uneven skin to your lips to gift a little kiss to it. 

Changbin tried his best to hide his giddy smirk at the action. 

“Do you have to leave tonight?” You settled his arm around you once more. 

“No. Not tonight. But, for the next few days I don’t think I’ll be able to. They put me on the matinee shifts at the theater. I fucking hate those. No one comes in at all so it’s like I’m just sitting there.” 

“Wanna sneak me in some time this week? I should have a break.” 

“I would but...I’d prefer to keep that job. As much as I hate it.” 

“We could do something this Thursday? You aren’t busy on Thursdays as much right?” 

“Ahhhh I think so.” Changbin rolled the two of you over, allowing himself to lean over top of you. With a sly smirk he lowered his voice to say, “You know, my ribs really aren’t hurting as much any more.” 

“Oooh? Good to know.” You ruffled his curly strands. 

“I’m trying to say that I can go for another round if you would like to?” He bowed his head to kiss lightly into your neck and the fading love bites that he had put there himself. 

Your eyes wandered to your clock telling you that it was nearly 2 in the morning. If you had better judgement, you would’ve said no. But, these days, judgement wasn’t something that you took too seriously. 

He kissed down deeper, and pulled at your skin just in the way that he knew you liked it. Changbin knew the ins and outs of you perfectly, as well as exactly what to do send you quivering under him. All he had to do was press his body into yours so you could feel his weight, and it made you fold just for him. He followed his kisses up your jaw where he then lead them into your bottom lip and over every angle that your mouth would crave him. He often didn’t mean to do it intentionally, but between your parted mouths, his tongue would sneakily find yours, and he would slowly slide it against yours. 

“Do you want to?” He muttered between kisses. 

Under the covers, his hand cascaded down your side in a way that tickled slightly, but also made you shiver. 

He broke from his kiss to hold your eyes seriously. “We don’t have to.” 

“No, I want to.” You reached up to hold his sleepy and puffy face in your hands. 

Changbin said nothing more, but instead returned to weaving kisses back down your neck. Under your waist, you felt him angle up your hips higher and the heat of his tip teased at your entrance still slick with your arousal from before, and now renewed. He bowed his head down to your chest to pump himself with a few muffled grunts. After, he rose his head to hold your eyes with his own. The muscles on his arms flared where he held himself up, and those adorable little stretch marks in the corners of his arms moved with them. 

“God, you’re so beautiful.” 

You melted under his compliment. No matter who many times he had said it, you still weren’t use to it. 

“So are youuuu.” You said with a dreamy tone. One other thing that you had figured out about him was that returning such comments to him made him a flustered mess. It was utterly adorable for someone as stoic as him at times. 

“Psh.” He scoffed, then lowered his voice once again. “Beautiful how I fill you up sweetheart?” Changbin angled your waist up higher, then spread your thighs, finally pushing them into your body to tighten you. He aligned himself over you, then pushed himself in agonizingly slow. “Beautiful how I can fuck you so deep? How I can m-make you...” 

He had given up on talking, but rather thrust himself further into you with his shaking breaths and little “mmm’s” getting caught on his tongue. 

“B-Bin...fuck, f-feels s-so good--”

He pushed your legs up closer to your body, allowing himself greater access to graze your g-spot. Your busy fingers found their way around his back to claw all the way down. He still relished in taking his time with you, and would never rush fucking you--it was as if he had all the time in the world to unravel you. You returned around him, tightening has he fucked in and out with his own pace. After a while of doing the same, his hand crept around your neck to give you a couple choking squeezes that made you whimper out like a kitten. He would never keep it going for long however, but rather indulged himself in the way that your gasps would remind him of how good it all felt. After, Changbin dipped his thumb into your mouth to run the pad over your tongue. 

The tip of his teeth caught the skin of his lip which he bit into hard. 

“You feel so good baby. F-feels so good on my cock. It’s all for you angel.” 

An unrestrained groan escaped from your mouth as he continued and your orgasm pooled steadily. In and attempt to steady yourself you clawed back into your pillow supporting your head. 

He swiftly changed your position, taking both of his hands to turn you on your stomach. Without a pause he lead his swelling head back into your pussy where he kept on going at his favored slow pace. Your face smushed into the pillow with hips raised in the air. The fluffy fabric muffled your helpless moans. 

“Louder for me princess.” He growled. 

With one hand he arched over to tweak at your nipples with force: twisting and pulling, then he wet his hand with his own saliva to let your skin feel the cold and wet sensation. His other hand he used to reach around and rub circles into your clit. He was gentle at first, but worked your bud harder and faster. Your knees and legs shook the faster he rubbed, and you spilled your loudest and most unapologetic moans into the room that had risen in temperature. 

“Fuck...” He swore. Changbin allowed himself to quicken his pace inside of you. The action alone sent you spinning wildly into your orgasm: a tear of white hot heat that shook your whole body and turned your swollen bud into a sensitive mess under his fingers which did stop, even when when he knew that you had just cum all over them. The harder he pressed, the more wonderfully painful it felt, and you let your tears fall hot from your eyes to the sheet. You attempted to call out his name, but no words that left your mouth made sense. 

He turned your body once more, using brutish hands on your hips as he pulled you overtop of the sheets to fuck you into the bed once more with your sweating back stuck to the comforter. Your body shook with your orgasm still, and you needily brought his lips down to yours to kiss him with your thank you’s as he milked himself out in your tightening walls. 

Changbin was animalistic in the way that he finally let his hips snap over you, at last reaching his orgasm mere seconds after he had pulled out and jerked himself over you. Ribbons of his white cum came spilling out over your gasping chest and stomach and dripped lazily from his pink and flaring tip. He took in shallow inhales as he did, and kept rubbing until the very end and he had nothing more to give. Even as his hand dropped, you took his dick in your own hand to just twist lightly and ride out the last of his orgasm. He softened in your hand with eyes closed in his focus and came down. 

The combination of your lust held in the air for a few silent moments, then he collapsed back down next to you into a blushing and exhausted mess. His pink chest shook, and his soft heather eyes found you. 

“We should...probably take a shower right?” 

“Probably.” You grinned. 

Changbin leaned over to plant even more sugary sweet kisses on top of your lips. He always was one to admire his work, so he chuckled lightly seeing the way that he had properly covered you in his cum. 

“I can help you clean that off.” 

The bed shook and he rose to get you something to clean up. You wished that you could’ve moved to see him saunter around your room without a single piece of clothing on. It was no secret that he had one hell of a cute butt. 

Changbin helped you out of the bed, finding that your legs had started to shake and betray you a bit more harshly than you had intended. He ran the water for you both, inviting you in to take the task of cleaning you to himself. He took the suds in his own hands to brush them all over your body and took careful and gentle attention to the more sensitive parts of your body. He giggled a little at the way that even under the warm water, your nipples would still harden when he ghosted his fingers over them with soap. 

“Don’t look at me like that.” You scolded him. 

He took care of the little bruises on your neck and collarbones, giving them kisses under the clear stream of water as if he was healing them. After he was done, you did the same and cleaned out his hair with your shampoo. He always let out happy little groans when you would massage his scalp. He still had a couple scrapes on his face from a few weeks ago, so you kissed all of them too. 

Changbin’s favorite part was how he could mess up your hair with the towel afterword and make you look as ridiculous as possible. Of course, you would do the same. You would brush your teeth together, and dress somewhat all of the way back again. A while ago he decided keeping clothes at your place was a good idea, but you ended up wearing them more than he did. You blamed it on dirty laundry, but you really did just like the way that they would smell all tangled up in your blankets on your nights alone. 

With bare legs, you would tangle yourselves all up in eachother once more, and not even bother to look at what time it was then. 

As it had become his habit, before the two of you drifted to sleep, Changbin would kiss into your forehead “l love you. You know?” 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

Chocolatey goodness wafted up Felix’s nose, and he let out a happy little squeal. 

“~Thank youuu~” He beamed to the waitress. 

He took a careful sip not to burn his tongue, then turned his head to watch the way that the snow had started to flurry outside of the diner window. Minho flipped the pages of his book and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

“Whatcha reading?” Felix said with a little tap of his feet under the table. 

Rather than answering, Minho sighed out and closed his book. “Nothing now. If you’re gonna ask questions, then I’ll get distracted, so, nothing now.” 

“Oh. Sorry.” Felix frowned. 

Minho rolled his eyes, suddenly becoming exasperated over his new friend’s dramatic reaction. 

“It was something that I’m assigned to read for one of my classes. It’s about economics or something like that. I’m kind of just skimming; reading because I have to....” He took a sip of his coffee. “Y/n should be reading the same book considering that we are in the same class...but I haven’t even seen you with it yet.” 

You prodded at your plate of half eaten waffles. “About that...” 

“If you think that I’m gonna give you the SparkNotes you are sorely mistaken.” 

You writhed in your seat a bit like an upset toddler. “Come onnnnn, Minho, you know that I don’t have time for that, working at the library and such...”  

“--More like stealing my roommate from me. I hardly see him at our apartment anymore.” Minho made his remark with a type of snark, but knowing him, he was still just as sarcastic. 

“Yeah,” Felix piped up. “The three of us haven’t hung out in a while either!” 

“...Sorry, I’ve just been getting...caught up in things.” 

Minho cleared his throat. “I’m not saying that its a bad thing. It’s just something that I’ve noticed.” 

Felix nodded, “Me too! I’m really happy for you!! So is Chan, don’t get me wrong. We haven’t seen you so happy and like, not serious in such a long time. Really, I’m so so glad that you have someone like him for a boyfriend.” 

Your fork scratched your plate. “--Boyfriend?” 

“Yeah!” Felix beamed. “Isn’t that what he is?” 

Minho too held an expectant gaze. 

“I-I don’t think...we hadn’t really talked about what it is that we’re doing...or are.” 

“So you’re saying that he’s not your boyfriend?” Minho cocked his head in his confusion. “Well, you ask him and he’ll think that it’s a different story.” 

“H-he talks about me?” You sat up straighter. 

“Well, he hasn’t explicitly said anything, but the way that he never shuts the fuck up...” Minho suddenly became much more interested in his coffee. 

“What? You don’t want him to be your boyfriend?” Felix looked just as confused. 

In your hands, you crinkled up the napkin that you had resting on your lap. You hadn’t in fact, ever thought of such. Merely, you had thought that you loved him, and that you enjoyed being around him and that he had made you happy. Was it odd that the thought had never crossed your mind? 

“And he hasn’t said anything about it either?” Felix leaned in. To his side, Minho nudged his arm in the most non-obvious way possible. 

“...No?” 

Your heartbeat quickened in pace. 

“Af...after everything that happened back then? Didn’t you say that he like, confessed or something and you did the same? You’ve only been hanging out with eachother for weeks?” Felix pushed his cocoa away from himself to lay his hands flat on the table. 

“I...don’t think that we should press the issue.” Minho patted down the boy sitting next to him. 

It was the feeling that you had been avoiding for weeks: that kind of uncertainty and fear that you had pushed down so far after the night that it all came together, but you didn’t expect it to manifest like this. In your chest a knot tied itself together tightly and in a way that you couldn’t explain. 

“I...just like what's happening right now between us, I didn’t think that he would want--” 

Felix nudged Minho by the hip, motioning for him to let him out of his side of the booth. Minho rolled his eyes, but did so muttering, “I said we shouldn’t press the issue but here you go...” 

Felix slid over to your side of the booth, nearly shoving you up close to the wall with how near he scooched to you. Carefully, he removed the napkin that you had scrunched up into your palm. 

“Relax okay? You’re doing it again. Just calm down.” While his tone was sweet, you couldn’t help but find some condescending edge--real or not. 

“Doing what? I don’t think that I’m doing anything wrong??” 

Felix let you squeeze his hand tight, as patient as ever. 

“Do you not want him to be your boyfriend?” He repeated. “But he treats you so nicely? There’s nothing to worry about.” 

At first you were angry at yourself, angry at yourself for feeling the hot tears well up in your eyes in public, 

I’m so fucking pathetic. 

Secondly, you were furious at yourself for feeling anything less than the happiness that had made up your whole world for the past few weeks. You had worked so hard just to make something that made sense, and he made sense. Why did it have to be much more complicated than that? 

“Y/n?” Felix bowed his head down with his softening gaze. 

“F-Felix, I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“I’m just trying to understand so I can help you out with this. Clearly there’s something that’s upsetting you about, I don’t know, putting a label on it? If that’s the right word--” 

Minho sucked at his teeth, “He’s too nice to say that you’re self sabotaging again. Listen, you don’t have to have the answers right now, we’re just saying you’re getting in your own way at having something that could be really great.” 

Felix shot daggers in Minho’s direction. 

“I wasn’t gonna say this, but Bin’s been going through shit right now with his family that I’m sure he isn’t telling you about. Someone tipped them off about what he’s been doing and they’re furious. He’s been telling them that no one knows that he’s tied to them when he raps but they aren’t listening. Literally when he goes to see you it’s like, what’s helping him forget all that shit. He cares about you a fuck ton, and I’ve heard about it all. He wants you to be his girlfriend. Believe me. Don’t know why he hasn’t brought it up yet, but...” 

Felix took in a shaky breath, then turned his attention back to you. “Besides all that, I think that you should at least talk to him about this all. I had no idea that you felt this way. I’m sorry for making assumptions. At least, if you and him talk about it, you can figure something out right?” 

You took at the papery and crinkled napkin and dabbed it harshly on your eyes to dry your tears before they had a chance to run further down your face. 

“Why the fuck doesn’t he tell me anything?” Your voice wavered. 

Minho folded his hands on the table. “Knowing him, he probably thinks that it would be burdening to you. Selfless dick. He thinks that putting that shit on you somehow makes him seem like a handful or some shit.” 

“B-but I don’t feel that way?” 

“Then tell him!!” Felix’s volume rose. “When you talk to him, tell him that.” 

“What the fuck is this, a drama?” Minho laughed a little. “These communication skills are god-awful.” 

“Oh fuck off Minho,” Felix rubbed your back to soothe you. “This is real life, and we’re here to help out Y/n.” 

“That’s fuck off Minho-hyung to you.” The older boy stuck out his tongue. 

You wiped your nose against your hand, then Minho threw another napkin from the holder in your direction. 

“I promise that things will get better when you talk to him.” Felix nodded. “Talking always helps.” 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

Thursday afternoon came, and the forecast had called for snow, but none had come. Rather, the atmosphere had turned to be dreary and grey the whole day long, and the temperature dropped so low that some local schools had to cancel classes for the day. Your university had decided to do the same. While you had been thankful and decided to spend the day working on your various projects, you couldn’t bring your hand to the canvas. 

All day long you had spent figuring out what it really was that you wanted to say to Changbin, and you still hadn’t figured it out yet. Even you didn’t know what it was entirely that scared you deeply. But, you knew that somewhere you did. 

Why her? 

You could do better. 

Isn’t she...boring? 

You hugged your legs to yourself as you waited on your couch. The memories seeped into your brain like some kind of poison diffusing its way. 

No, no. You’re wrong. You tried your best to banish them. 

You’re all mine. No one else’s. Don’t you ever forget that. Tell me. Who’s baby are you? 

You squeezed your eyes shut, and dug your nails into the fleshy part of your knees where you held them. 

You don’t own me. You don’t have the fucking power. 

Three knocks clicked at your door, and you knew that it was Changbin. Your chest shook with a type of anxiety that felt like prickling thorns. You rose to open the door. 

“Fuck. It’s so freezing out there.” Was the first thing that he said. “I wouldn’t mind not having to go back out there if you are?” He slung his coat over one of chairs to your two person dining table. As soon as he was undressed, you were overcome with the desire to be as close as possible as you could get to him. It had been your safe place. 

Changbin let out a little surprised noise when you launched your body at him, but he just as quickly held you back firmly. 

“Is everything okay?” 

For a moment you let his rosemary and cedarwood cast aside all the ideas and words that ate away at you. 

“Can we talk?” You mumbled. 

“Yeah, of course. Can we sit down? Get a blanket maybe?” You nodded and let him do the work of going back to your room to get back your knit blanket that he knew you liked best. He threw it over his shoulders them beckoned you to join him in his arms. You snuggled right up into his chest where he had tucked himself into the corner of the couch. “Want to talk about it now?” 

With glistening eyes you tried your best to look up at him. His cheeks were still bitten pink from the cold. 

“Why didn’t you ever tell me about your parents? Or about what’s going on right now?” 

Changbin sighed and bit at his lower lip in his discontent. “Minho said something didn’t he?” 

“You can tell me, you know?” 

Changbin shook his head. “It’s not your problem to worry about, so I don’t want you do.” 

“But you’re my problem to worry about. Don’t you get that?” 

He sighed once more, then rested his head atop of yours. Where he held you around your arms, he rubbed gently.  

“And if...being with me helps you...I’ll come around anytime alright? You don’t just have to come here.” 

He laughed a little. “My place isn’t as private as yours is.” 

You toyed with the fraying fabric of the blanket. “You know that I can be quiet if I need to be. Or if you just want me to sleep over, I can do that too.” 

“I don’t want you going out of your way--” 

“--I don’t mind.” You nuzzled a little deeper. “So, your parents are giving you a hard time?” 

He tsked. “Yeah. It’s just...stupid is all. They care so much about what I do and don’t do when I left so it wouldn’t bother them. They’re trying hand out some kind of threats to me like they have the right to do so....they don’t.” 

“What are you going to do?” 

Changbin helped you up a bit higher up his body so your head could rest on his shoulder. “Nothing. Keep doing what I’ve always been. No one knows except the people I have closest to me. They’re worrying over nothing.” 

You formed a “oh” with your lips. 

“But, it’s nothing to worry about. I promise.” 

Already, you had forgotten what you really had decided to talk to him about. It had slipped from your mind just as quickly as you had let it arise. The two of you grew quiet, and you let yourself become overcome with the feeling and warmth that his body and the blanket gave to you. You wondered if he would’ve gotten mad if you had fallen asleep just then. It didn’t seem like the worst idea.

“As long as we’re talking about things, do you mind if I ask you something?” Changbin asked after planting a small kiss on your forehead. 

“What’s that?” You said with a sleepy and cracking voice. 

“You...don’t have to have the answer right now, but I just thought it would be worth it to ask, since we’ve been doing you know, this, for a few weeks now. You already know how I feel about you, I think that I’ve made it pretty damn clear, but, I was thinking that we could make things exclusive between us? Like, it just becomes me and you?” 

Drip by drip, the drowsiness that had swept over your eyes dissipated. 

“Would you be up for that? I just, it seems a bit odd to me that we haven’t talked about it yet considering...well, I think that it would be easier if we knew what we were so then we could, I don’t know, plan or something like that? It’s kind of a commitment, I know, but I want you to know that I’m willing--” 

“Bin...” You pulled yourself up from his chest. 

“What? Why are you looking at me like that? Did-did I say something wrong?” 

Who’s baby are you? 

“You want me to...be yours?” 

“Well, not exactly, you know what I’ve said before, but, I would like you to be my girlfriend--” 

A sob clogged your throat. Now that he had finally said it, the realizations came flooding over you like the deathly winter chill. 

“Angel, are you scared again? I told you that you don’t have to with me, I swear that I don’t ever want to hurt you or anything like what happ--” 

“--Like happened what? Back when I was so fucking stupid to get myself locked up in something that I thought would be good for me? Why is it that you want me to be your girlfriend, huh? I-is it because I-I fall over for you? I can’t run away from you? Am-am I just a good fuck for you? What is it?” 

“What the fuck? Where is this coming from? Y/n, you know that I love you, I fucking love you like crazy and I don’t think any of those things!! I’m not trying to restrain you our use you or anything like that, I don’t know why the hell you would think that!” 

“B-because you might not now, but what about later down the line...when I get boring or you figure out that I’m not as exciting like I used to be or--” 

“--What?! No! That’s not gonna happen!” Changbin reached out to pull you back into his arms, but you shook him off. 

Salty tears filled the corners of your mouth. “The last time that I-I did something like this, I--” 

“--Well this isn’t last time, this is this time, okay? It’s different! I swear to God that I’m not that fucking asshole. I get that you’re scared, okay, that’s totally understandable, but I’m asking you to trust me alright? Can you trust me?” 

Part of you wanted to trust him. In fact, a much larger part of yourself wanted to trust him so bad, it hurt. But, a smaller part of you, a much smaller part of you still screamed into the abyss that he was the last person in the world that you could trust; and that voice, was much louder. 

“I want you to be my girlfriend, and I want to give you everything that I have. All my fucking time, my attention, hell, just minutes ago you said that I was your problem, can’t you be mine? Is that not allowed? I’m just...I DON’T get you!!!” Changbin growled out the tail end of his sentence and only after he had said it he realized it was much louder than he intended. “Oh God, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...please. I’m not mad at you.” 

Your body had weakened, so when he had reached out for you, you let yourself fall into his arms. 

“Angel, can’t you see that what I’m trying to do is the complete opposite of what you think I am? Yeah I mean, it would be nice to call you my girlfriend, but not because I’m trying to control you or anything, but because...fuck, you make me happier, made me feel like I’m less lonely in this fucking crazy-ass world. I want to be that for you and you only.” 

Poisonous thoughts. Why were they even more alluring than the antidote that you had right in front of your face? 

Your limp body mustered up the strength of push yourself off his chest. Looking into his eyes you felt numb. With all the care that he held for you, you felt as if you didn’t deserve one single ounce of it. 

Why her?  

You figured that in some parallel earth, you would’ve been able to have said yes. In that parallel earth, nothing bad would’ve ever happened, and you wouldn’t have been crouched in that alley with snow melting into your dress. You would’ve lived a normal life without pain and doubt. Maybe you would’ve met him there too, and you would’ve been able to say yes. 

“You...don’t have to have the answer right now, but can you please consider it...for me? I meant everything that I said, but I...I also can’t wait forever.” You heard his voice grow thick. “I know that if...you can’t do it, or iff you don’t know, then I can’t just make it happen. There’s not a lot else that I can do. But at least I want to try.” 

You could do better. 

“I-I think that I need to be alone...right now--tonight.” Two more hot tears fell down your cheeks with a sting like a papercut. 

“Right now?” 

“Yeah, just--there’s things that I need to think about, I don’t..I don’t know. I’m sorry.” 

“No. I understand.” Changbin sniffled. 

Slowly, your two bodies seperated, and the heat from his body faded. You thought to yourself, it wasn’t yours to keep in the first place. 

You lead him quietly to the door where you watched him lace up his shoes and throw on his coat. His eyes had become puffy, as much as you figured you had looked as well. His grey eyes looked tired, just like the dreary day that you had spent all day hiding from. Still, he smiled. 

“Y/n. I know that you think that you’re hard to love. But you’re not. If you take away anything from this, I hope you know that your past doesn’t define you, and that you can have happiness after it all. I want to be that for you. If you’ll let me. Only if you’ll let me.” 

Your clogged nose made a horrible stuffed sound and you nodded. You had listened to his words, but had you heard? 

He sighed with finality, then bent down to kiss at the salty taste on your lips. 

“Call me, okay?” 

You closed the door after him, then collapsed down the door. Your pent up sobs flew out of your chest with loud and ugly sounding sobs. Each one hurt more than the last to get out. You crumbled against the wood door, and didn’t even mind the cool draft from under the crack. Your world became a blur in front of your watery eyes and your hands shook as they took your phone from your pocket. 

Words of self loathing filled your ears as you searched up the name, but it was the only one that you could think of in your blind emptiness. 

If only things could go back to the way that they were. 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

The walk to his apartment was cold, freezing even. You had worn the shoes that you had been scolded for, and the coat that provided you with barely any warmth. You knew the way to his apartment well--it was almost muscle memory by now. Streetlights passed you overhead, and finally the snow that was promised started to drift from the heavens and before you. 

Your hands cracked with the cold when you pushed the button to his intercom, and he buzzed you in without saying a word. You showed yourself up the staircase with empty sounding footsteps echoing against the walls. Your eyes had welled with tears once you reached his floor, but you blinked them away harshly. It was a futile attempt considering that he would see how red your eyes had become. 

His door was cracked with old paint, and the number had been scratched off with age. You knocked one time, no more than that. Somewhere a tiny voice had hoped that he wouldn’t hear the knock at all, and figure that you hadn’t even come up, and that you could quietly slip back away. 

But he didn’t. He must’ve been waiting. 

He too looked to be a mess: his cheeks and eyes had puffed up and he looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. He wore minimal clothing that hung loosely on his frame. 

“--Jisung--” 

Before you could say any more, he had leapt into you, and wrapped his arms around you so tightly that he could’ve rid you of all your breath. 

“Baby, thank you so much for coming. Thank you so much. I’m sorry how I acted at the concert. I just missed you so much....I missed you so much.” 

#i am...so sorry for this #ahhhhhhh #skz smut #stray kids smut #stray kids imagines #stray kids drabbles #stray kids oneshots #stray kids scenarios #stray kids fanfic #stray kids fanfiction #kpop smut #seo changbin smut #changbin smut #changbin x reader #seo changbin x reader #changbin x you #changbin x y/n #changbin x female reader #seo changbin x you #seo changbin x y/n #kpop imagines #kpop drabbles #kpop fanfiction #kpop fanfic #kpop oneshots #kpop scenarios #changbin x reader smut #changbin x female reader smut

[wannajointhecrabcult]

Masks and Music

(Part 1)

Part 2

I didn't think that my last post would've gotten ANY notes at all, so imagine my surprise when I find out that people actually liked it. After that suprise I thought why not and make another one so here we go! This is a Miraculous/Batfam crossover.

Imagine that Damian gets sent to Paris because the fam doesn't want him to become an emotionally constipated sad boi like Bruce and think that a change in scenery would help.

They don't know about the whole Hawkmoth situation because SOMEONE from the justice league decided that the while thing was a prank DESPITE that it was an ENTIRE CITY calling instead of a single person.

Like, aren't you guys supposed to be the world's greatest heros or something?

Who hired you?

Damian being the grumpy lil kid that he is holds a grudge and decides to not accept any calls or video chats from his family or tell them about Hawkmoth because that's what you get when you send someone across the world against their will.

(and because of plot convenience shhh)

Anyways, Damian goes to school as instantly adds Lila onto his mental list of people he needs to get rid of.

I mean, seriously, he's only been is the room for what, 15 seconds and he's already getting a migraine?

Great. Juusssttt great.

He sits in the back of the class with what seems to be the only person with brain cells in this room.

The dark haired girl just looks over and sees the disgust at Lila written all over his face and gives him a silent empathetic nod.

'This is unfortunately normal here.' she tries to convey through the small action.

He just nods back to show his understanding before turning around to observe the others.

In a few minutes Ms. Bustier walks in the room and asks him to introduce himself to the class.

It looks like the teacher never told the class that they were getting a new student because they all have to do double takes when they realize that there's a new face in the room.

He gives them the bare basics, telling them that his name is Damian Grayson, he's from America, and that he doesn't want any of them to talk to him before sitting down.

Clearly the teacher wanted him to say more or scold him for being so rude but a glare shut her up.

Later during a break period Lila tries to flirt with him and brags all about how she's met so many different celebrities and her achievements.

He tells her off and tries to move away but her nails are digging into his arms as she tries to convince him that he should stay away from Marinette.

Before he can maim her, the dark haired girl comes out from behind him and starts spraying Lila down like an unruly cat with some sort of strong smelling liquid from a spray bottle.

Lila screeches and stomps away.

When he turns to his hero the girl explains.

"It's a mixture of shredded lemon, expired maple syrup, vinegar, and pomegranate juice. I call it People Repellant but Thot Begone works too. Oh, and I'm Marinette by the way."

He eyes her hand before shaking it.

"Damian, though I assume you already know that. Can I get some of that by the way? I know a couple insufferable annoyances that would benefit from a spray down.

Marinette just blinks for a second before she bursts out laughing and that was the start of a great friendship.

Together they:

Make fun of Lila in the back of class.

Help eachother with homework (they only cheat off eachother when they REALLY need help)

Prank Lila in odd ways (Hey, just because she found hundreds of furbies hidden around her house that turn on one by one in the middle of the night effectively scaring the crap out of her when she's trying to sleep doesn't mean that it's their fault. She had it coming.)

Break a couple laws (shhhhhhh. Those toy stores don't need those furbies anyways).

Dare eachother over stupid things (they still insist that the cereal incident was caused by the other).

And overall become closer as friends.

They bring out the overdramatic chaotic gremlin child in eachother.

One time when Damian goes over to Marinette's place to work on a project he finds her singing a Disney song to herself on her balcony.

This isn't the first time they've caught eachother singing.

One time Marinette caught Damian in the art room at school humming one of the many annoyingly cheesy and catchy songs that Dick likes to listen to.

Despite him explaining the embarrassing situation to her she still teased him for weeks after.

He'll never get to live it down.

Damian shakes his head to get rid of the flashback when a devious smirk spreads across his face as a revenge plan comes to mind.

After carefully placing his stuff on the floor he sneakily makes his way across the space until he's right behind her.

That's when he joins in.

Screaming at the top of his lungs at first, effectively giving her a mini heart attack before eventually quieting down to a normal singing volume.

She glares at him, annoyed by his loud and obnoxious entrance before she starts singing again.

They eventually end up full Disney movie dramatically performing around her balcony with dance moves and over dramatic acting.

Is it bad that actual birds and other animals are appearing and joining in?

Damian totally kept one of the pigeons.

He named it Dolores.

(He later trained Dolores to attack Rossi on sight.)

When they're finished they end up on the floor out of breath.

They stay like that for a few minutes before Damian sits up.

"That. That was fun. I don't think I've actually ever sang before."

Marinette jolts up in suprise and turns to face him.

"Really? I never would've guessed. You have a really nice singing voice."

He would deny till his dying breath that he blushed when she said that but he covers it up with a smirk.

"Well I guess that's just because yours is so terrible in comparison."

He squawks when she jabs a finger in his side.

"Pshh. As if. Besides, my singing skills can't be worse then your gaming skills." She challenges with a cheeky smile.

"ExCuSe mE?!"

And that's how they spend the rest of the day playing video games, leaving the unfinished project to be completed on a later day.

Good thing it isn't due until 2 weeks time.

After a couple of hours playing video games, creating many possible Lila murder plans, eating pastries, and joking around, it's time for him to leave.

As Damian left for his place he got a feeling that something big was gonna happen.

Marinette also got the feeling but they both ignored it.

Little did they know, someone just happened to walk by and starstruck by the amazing singing they recorded the performance before posting it on the internet.

Imagine the duo's suprise when they wake up the next day to find themselves trending on the internet.

Luckily the video quality was pretty trash so their faces weren't identifiable but the audio was loud and clear.

The world was talking about the cute couple singing to their hearts desire on a balcony. If that's not cliche and adorable then the world doesn't know what is.

The assumption about their relationship status left them looking like tomatos but that didn't stop them from wonder why they didn't notice a creep recording them.

Damn Disney songs and their unnatural ability to distract people.

Of course Lila took advantage of the rising popularity of the video and talked about how she taught the two people in the video how to sing and gave them tips.

The two just walked past the idiot squad and sat down in their seats, making a mental note to come up with a prank later, when the akuma alarms came on.

They fall into their normal routine of Marinette running out to find a place to transform as Damian covers for her.

Oops did I forget to mention that Damian found out her identity because she crashed through his window in the middle of the night still transformed and asked him what's the answer to question 24 in their science homework because she just defeated an akuma by herself and was running on 20 minutes of sleep?

My bad.

Anyways it turns out today was the day Marinette had officially had enough of Chat's bullcrap.

It was gonna be a normal akuma situation.

Ladybug trying to fight the poor butterfly victim while chat noir either doesn't show up, tries to do everything on his own to impress her and ruins the whole plan, or just watches and complains about how she needs to get over her denial and date him BUT

This time he decided to actively try to push her in the akuma's way therefore putting her in SO MUCH MORE DANGER than she was already in.

Now she had to dodge out of the akuma's way AND CHAT'S!

WhAt ThE fUdGe?!?!

You think possibly killing Ladybug and trying to force her to beg for you to save her is gonna make her like you?!?

Just how hard did you hit your head when Gabriel dropped you on the floor when you were 2?

After the akuma was eventually defeated Ladybug told Chat to meet her on an abandoned rooftop that night because they needed to talk.

Chat being the oblivious person that he is (I swear I don't actually hate chat noir, this is for the plot I'm sorry) thought that it was for a love confession and became overly smug before leaving.

Making sure that he isn't following her, Marinette meets up with Damian at his place (school's over because of the attack) and asks him to help.

Later that day when the two miraculous holders meet up Ladybug distracts the Catboy by flirting with him while Damian uses his ninja skills for something other than sneaking up on her and giving Marinette mini heart attacks.

From behind he quickly hits a pressure point causing the other boy to fall unconscious.

Using her ALMIGHTY GUARDIAN OF THE MIRACULOUS powers, Ladybug takes Adrien's ring away and places a spell on him that makes it so he will never be able to use another miraculous ever again.

After they take Adrien home Marinette gives Damian the ring and Night Prowler is born.

He promises to do everything in his power to make sure that Selina and his family doesn't find out for the sake of his pride.

We'll see how that goes.

Night Prowler first officially appeared during an akuma named 'Break Dancer'.

Ironically, she was a ballerina that had to drop out of the finals in a competition because she broke her right leg the day before the show.

She could turn civilians into back up dancers and forced them to perform against their will.

They also worked as minions who would attack the duo for her while she stayed a safe distance away.

It was pretty obvious that the akumatized item was the music box held inside the bag that Break Dancer had slung around her shoulders but the real question was how could they get to it without becoming attacked by the backup dancer or becoming one of them.

Luckily (eheheh), a car with an open window playing music just happened to pass by before driving off.

Before it drove off, the music coming from the car was loud enough to play over the music box which caused some of the minions to become free again and run off.

Ladybug called her lucky charm and a Bobby pin landed in her hand.

As she looked around she noticed a store a couple blocks away that had a couple radios.

Unfortunately, the store was locked and closed.

Fortunately, she knew how to pick locks and a Bobby pin did come from her lucky charm soooo......

Who is she to deny literal gods.

They break into the store and grab a radio, and a speaker and rush over to where the akuma was causing chaos.

They turn on the radio, connect the speaker and turn the volume on as loud as it can go before flipping through the stations for a good song.

If they're gonna fight with music in the background they're gonna be picky about it and wont settle for anything other than epic.

While fighting they eventually get swept up in the music and end up singing along.

It's nothing less than full on majestic.

When the fight is over and the akuma is purified they find out that someone recorded it and posted it on the internet as well.

Now everyone knows that the beloved hero of Paris and her new partner were the two people singing on that balcony.

Ummmmm.....

Good thing that the video quality was trash right?

If it weren't for that their identities would've been busted the moment they started singing in hero form.

Luckily there aren't many people other than Damian that know what Marinette's singing voice sounds like so they're okay.

Well.... They WERE okay,

Until a certain rockstar and his agent came across the two videos and put two and two together.

So now King Sting (bee!jagged) and Peridot (turtle!penny) have joined the team.

Poor Penny, now she has to deal with two gremlin children and a some sort of bizarre man-child.

The next akuma confused the group quite a bit.

He didn't really do anything but sit on a rooftop waiting for the miracle team to show up.

They were all suspicious of him at first but when they did reveal themselves to him he explained his situation.

He was akumatized because his favorite rock band broke up but he didn't really want to take their miraculouses away.

He just asked if they could perform another song for him and he would give his akumatized item to them.

They all sorta looked at eachother and collectively went 'screw it why not' and sang another song.

If they were great before, they are absolutely AMAZING now.

Well that's what happens when you add a famous rockstar to a team of singing superheros I guess.

The akuma was blown away and true to his word handed over the rolled up picture in his pocket and was purified despite of Hawkmoth's nagging.

Haha screw you Hawky.

This time the ordeal was recorded by a news station and the 'hand over the akuma in exchange for a song' thing became a trend.

There were still normal akuma's that didn't follow follow it but those were far flung between.

It seems like Hawkmoth was getting annoyed by this so there started being less akuma attacks over the months.

Because of this some people were actively trying to get upset to attract one of the purple butterflies.

They traded one good thing for another I guess.

To stop that from happening the group started performing in public as superheros during concerts and festivals.

Because of this they became quite well known outside of Paris as well.

Is it ironic that more people know them as a band rather than a superhero team now?

When Marinette learned that they could change what their superhero costumes looked like if they put enough will into it she squealed.

Marinette designs superhero performance costumes for them whenever they have a festival to play at.

Whenever asked about their outfits they always reply with MDC.

Marinette's business gets really popular after that.

And since no one knows who MDC really is, she doesn't have to worry about the whole "Oh no me and my family are gonna be in danger!" thing

It's a win win!

Overtime they basically become a second (or third for some people) family to eachother.

Damian becomes more 'kid like' and open to others,

Marinette becomes more confident and overall happier,

Jagged gets to hang out with his awesome niece and her 'maybe more than just a friend',

And Penny gets a new outlet for stress and has so many more crazy stories to tell people.

One day while she's in the living room on the sofa watching 'The AristoCats' Damian just barges into the room and dramatically flops over onto of her.

He just lays there with his head in her lap and the rest of his body sprawled on the couch.

After everything that has happened this is normal for them now.

Without asking any questions or talking at all they just watch the movie together with the occasional remark or quip between them.

Around half way through the movie Jagged kicks down the door, effectively scaring the crap out of the two teens, while Penny follows behind him with an apologetic look on her face.

At first Jagged was yelling about something having to do with'Fang' and 'Dragon' and 'Miraculous' but after taking in the domestic atmosphere of the room he just sits down on the floor and joins in on watching the movie.

Penny, shaking her head in both amusement and exasperation, sits down on another chair and does the same.

While combing through Damian's hair with her fingers Marinette looks around the room.

'My life can't get any more complicated, can it?'

Oh boy, she just jinxed it.

This is just an idea I've had bouncing around in my head for awhile and I couldn't resist the urge to write it out. I AM planning on making a part 2 so if you like this keep an eye out for that. I'm by no means a fast writer though so it will take a while. But then again not many people will probably read this soo.... Yeah.

#maribat #maridami #miraculous x dc #daminette #Miraculous crossover #damian x marinette #i still cant believe that people actually liked my last post omg #people are so supportive in this fandom #masks and music

[nagitoshopejar]

Took me about two hours with lotsa distractions

And has 1561 words

Theres two prompts in here. In this timeline, everyone's alive. But also this is the second motive. Byakuyas secret surprises everyone(the longer part) and a game of truth or dare(not as long sorry) its 11:44 at night and I'm tired as all hecc

@fluffomatic here you go. Although I didn't exactly use inspiration based off the art you made. I'm really tired and barely know what I'm doing.

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"As your school principle, I am supposed to motivate you! So, for your second motivation, I'll be handing put secrets! Its your decision what you want to do with it." The build a bear reject says. "How am I supposed to get you guys to kill eachother?" Monokuma adds under his breath then disappears. Everyone looks at each other in confusion.

"Secrets?" Aoi had questioned the bear authority despite it already having left. Several thin papers were scattered like snow from what looked like it could only be the ceiling. They all scrambled to pick up the small pieces that had their secrets written upon them.

"Whatever man. Lets just forget about them." Mondo was about to walk out when a certain compass moral stopped him.

"Wait. Lets all share our secrets so that its no longer a motive!" Taka introduced the idea.

"Well, it cant hurt us if we do." Makoto states looking down at his own secret. They gather around in a circle like oval. Chihiro starts.

"... I uhm. I'm actually a boy dressed as a girl. Because people would bully me for being to "weak" or "feminine"." Chihiro looks down as if to be ashamed.

"Theres no need to be ashamed!" Taka gives the small boy a soft smile. Chihiro gives a small smile back, looking up.

"What about yours Taka?" He asks

"Oh! Right!" He lets out a small giggle and unfolds his, "...I uhm oh. I ran in the halls! I'm so sorry everyone! I know, this must be disappointing to hear the ultimate moral compass broke a rule." He acts as if it is shocking.

"No ones disappointed Taka! Its ok to break a rule if its a rare thing to happen." Makoto says.

"Well? Whats your secret?" Taka asks.

"Oh, I uhm. I-" Makoto looked away, a blushing mess. "I wet the bed 5th grade." Makoto said quietly but everyone heard him. A silence overcame them like a light in a dark room.

"I guess its my turn!" Byakuya says, wanting people to not bully or embarrass his boyfriend. "I've never... What?" Byakuya looks confused. "How is this a secret? I've never been tickled." He squints his eyes. Everyone looked shocked. Even Makoto looks shocked.

"Hold up. You've never been tickled?" Yasuhiro had asked.

"Well, for the ultimate progeny, his childhood would be not as "

'childish' as others." Kyoko had said, a hand placed on her chin.

"Agh-!" Byakuya had yelled after he was tackled. Leon had dug into his ribs getting sudden laughter pouring from his mouth. "WAHAHAIT!!" Byakuya was squirming.

"Hey!" Leon got tackled down by Toko. "What the? Why did you do that?" Leon yelled at the writer.

"You're being to rough with him!" Toko yelled at the baseball man. Byakuya started giggling and everyone looked over to see Makoto lightly tracing his abs and ribs.

"Nohohoho!" Byakuya squirmed, trying to get away from Makoto.

"Uh-uh. You're not getting away from me." Makoto teased. Kyoko walked up to Byakuyas squirming body and poked it earning a high squeak amongst the giggles.

"Noho! Dont dohoho that KyokO-" Byakuya started giggling harder when Kyoko started light scribbles on his ribs. He tries to grab her hands but ends up revealing his under arms and having Kyoko quickly shoot into them. "Hohold ohohohon!" He shot his arms down as soon as she did that.

"Oops. My hands are trapped. Guess I'll have to keep tickling you until you put up your arms." She shrugged with a sly smile on her face.

"Hehehehey stahp!" Byakuya reluctantly put up his arms above his head to make Kyoko stop. That only pushed her more. She sat on his hands but made sure not to hurt them and continued her relentless attack. Makoto was going ham on his sides and moved to his belly. Byakuya ended up squirming more than than ever, his laughter going up a few octaves. "HOHOLD ON! STOHAHAP IT PLEAHEEHE-"

"Nah. I'm hungry for a happy Byakuya!" Makoto said leaning down and nibbling ever so lightly on his belly. His eyes shut and a wide smile planted on his face emitting loud giggles like a speaker. Makoto also began dancing his hands hands along his sides, ribs and belly changing suddenly and with no pattern as well.

"Aw. You're so much fun!" Kyoko added some teases to the mix.

When it got to the point of Byakuya not being able to for words they stopped their attacks to give Byakuya a breathing break.

"Hmm. Should we try..?" He looked at Kyoko and she nodded. Makoto made his way down to his ankles. He sat on his calves. He cradled the progeny's ankles in an arm lock. He started snickering and giggling again cutely when Kyoko ran finger down and around his neck. He scrunched up his neck and made a little whining sound which turned into a ridiculously cute sight. Makoto laughed and smiles at this and turned back to his 'assignment'. Makoto traced a finger down the middle of the boys sole. And instantly his giggles went up a little. He messed around and drew shapes with the tip of his fingernail. Byakuya squirmed. Under the weight of his two lers. Makoto used his entire hand to scribble along both of Byakuyas feet. He thrashes, giggling violently.

"Ohohok did I do sohohomethihing?" Byakuyas head was tilted into his arm to try and stifle his giggles. Kyoko and Makoto took this as an opportunity to stop. Makoto walks up towards his head.

"You're so cute Byakuya." He kissed his boyfriends nose making Byakuya more rose coloured. His smile was still widely spread across his face and tears were both streaming and had stained his face. Makoto helped Byakuya up. "You ok?" The small boy said.

"Yea.. I'm fine. Just a little worn out." Byakuya said straightening his glasses ans fixing his hair. They heard a loud obnoxious laugh.

"OK OK IHIHI WOHONT BE SO CAHARLEHESS!" Leon yelled as Toko was going nuts on him.

"Promise?" She asks slyly.

"IHIHIHI PROMIHISE!!" He yelled, squirming under her. Toko relented and let him catch his breath.

"This is a school environment! You cant just do that!" Taka pouts angrily.

"Whatever Taka." Kyoko giggles. "We should hang out tonight. After 10. Truth or dare. Get closer yknow?"

" like a date then." Hifumi says.

"Not you. You're not allowed to come." Kyoko states glaring at Hifumi.

"I guess we should wait until then. I'm off." Makoto said dragging Byakuya to his room. Byakuya and Makoto were cuddling until something actually happened Makoto was being the little spoon. "Mmm Byakuya-" he tried to stifle his giggles as his boyfriend traced shapes on his belly.

"Wow Makoto. Your skin is so soft." He smiled, tracing the skin around hus navel.

"Byahakuyaaaa stoooop!" Makoto squirmed in the progeny's thouch.

"Aw. But such soft skin deserves to be caressed and needs attention." Byakuya cooed at the smaller boy.

"Heheheheh!" Makoto was giggling so hard he could barely make out any words. Togami smiled mischievously. He dug his fingers into Makoto belly on both sides of his navel. "BYAKUYAHAHAHAH! NOOOOO STAHP!" Makoto laughed out loud and threw his head out.

"Aw. Your face is sooo cute Makoto." Byakuya teasy complimented him and stopped his attack. They slept until 10 pm. It was the Monokuma night announcement that woke them up. They headed to the gym still a little groggy from their nap. As soon as they opened the gym doors, the light blinded them.

"You made it!" Aoi cheered happily.

"Yup!" Makoto smiled. They once again, sat in a circle wondering whos gonna go first.

"Taka! Truth or dare!" Aoi asked excitedly.

"Uh.. Truth." Taka answered a bit scared that if he said dare, Aoi would make him do something bad.

"Do you like anyone?" Taka was taken aback by such a common question coming from Aoi.

"Oh uhm. I like Mondo." Taka answered without hesitation. Mondo became a blushing mess and looked away.

"Makoto. Truth or dare?" Taka asked the small boy of hope.

"Uh dare."

"Hmm... I dare you to uhm.." Taka looked around a bit. "I dare you to throw that garbage away!" Makoto was surprised and not surprised but did it anyways.

"Hey Byakuya. Truth or dare."

"Dare. Truth seems to be to boring." He looked at Aoi. Aoi seemed to look through his soul.

"Let us tickle you." The small boy said.

"What?" Byakuya was taken aback, surprised.

"Let us tickle you." Makoto smiled at this thought.

"Well, the ultimate progeny doesn't count on giving up. Very well." He lifted up his arms leaving all his spots free to whoever wanted to join. Makoto slipped his hand under Byakuyas shirt and scribbled. Byakuya started laughing instantly. "Makohohoto!" He whined, knowing he couldn't beg for Makoto to stop.

"Whats wrong? Why are you laughing? Nothings going on? Whats so funny?" He asked and byakuya had never answered. Makoto lifted the taller boys shirt up leaned his head down. He blew the longest raspberry anyone has ever seen. He laughed louder and shot his hands down. Makoto stopped his attack. "You didn't last to long." Makoto says.

"Yea. You should lengthen that by training with Aoi and myself." Sakura said with a sly smirk. They continued the game for most of the night the headed off to bed.

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I hope you liked it!

#tickle fluff #tickle tease #tickling #sfw tickles #tickle #tickle community #tickle talk #tickle session #tickle blog #naegimakoto #makoto naegi #danganronpa naegi #naegi x togami #naegami #dr naegi #Naegami is a great ship change my mind

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

Hi y'all!

So I realized today that it's been about three months since I started cross-posting my stuff to ao3 (those of y'all who were here for After Each Midnight while it was still a wip will know that I've been writing for longer than that but anyway). With the latest fic I just posted, I now have 30 works published to ao3 within those three months! Which is wild to me!

Since that averages out to ten fics a month and I like round numbers, I decided to celebrate by listing my 10 favorite fics...of my own lol. Narcissistic? Maybe! But it's fun anyway!

This is a really long post as each rec includes a summary, an excerpt (or a few), and some personal notes/anecdotes about the writing process or what inspired me to write the fic, etc. so I'm putting it all under the break. If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea then of course please just skip over this one, but for anyone who wants to revisit some of my older works with me, or if you're curious about which fics I personally like the most, or if you want to talk about your favorite fics of mine in the replies or anything, then that's cool too! I just wanted to find a way to mark this down because it feels like something of an achievement ^_^

Thank you!

1. After Each Midnight Begins A New Day, (54,401 words, Rated E) Ship(s): 3zun, Wangxian Summary: When Lan Xichen wakes up the morning after the fifth anniversary of his life crumbling to rubble around him in Guanyin Temple, he's shocked to find both Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao in his bed, both whole and alive and...married to him?! (A time travel fix-it in which the time traveling and fixing of things has already been done by Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, and Lan Xichen accidentally gets dragged along for the happily ever after.) Excerpt(s):

1. “Poor da-ge,” [Meng Yao] teases again, this time with a bit of an edge, and Lan Xichen cracks one eye open just enough to see him stripping first out of his shoes and socks, then his third layer of robes, then his second, until he’s dressed much as he had been the prior evening - in nothing but a black under-robe so sheer that it actually almost looks gray. It clings to all the petite, lithe curves of him and the sight makes Lan Xichen’s mouth practically water. “What if I want my turn with you now? What if I’m jealous that er-ge got to have you all to himself for hours , while your poor A-Yao had to go have a drink with Xian-didi just to pass the time.” “Oh gods you’re a beast too,” Nie Mingjue groans as Meng Yao slips on top of him gracefully to lean down and pepper kisses up and down his neck and shoulder. “Get off of me, foul creature. Go tempt our husband, I’m temporarily immune to your wiles.” “You’re never immune to my wiles, da-ge, and er-ge is meditating oh so diligently. He’s certainly not smiling and watching us through his lashes as if we’re not well aware of his tricks and what he likes to watch.” - 2. “It took years of practice, you with your painting and I with my answering, but when you were a teenager I finally decided on the best advice I could think to give you: Do not seek for every answer in this life all at once, Xichen,” he instructs with a smile as he returns to painting. “Let them come to you gently and in their season, and trust that all will be as it should in the end.” Lan Xichen takes another breath and returns to his painting with a slightly trembling hand - a trembling that ends up creating a lovely branch on the tree he is painting that, when he turns his head to look, is modeled almost exactly after the one growing in the garden behind the Gentian House, just beyond the window. “I don’t remember ever seeing this tree,” he whispers and Qingheng-Jun hums across from him in clear understanding. “And yet it flows from your brush all the same. Now we can all know that you have nothing to fear, your memories will also come to you in their season. Until then, allow yourself to rest, and remember that you have the support of your family whenever you need it.” “Yes, father,” he replies with a whisper and a tremulous smile, feeling lighter than he has in days. - 3. “I will go into seclusion.” The statement is a stone dropped into the gently rippling water of a spring-fed pool. The stone is jagged and pitted with all that the world has done to chip away at it, to make it rough and painful to the touch. It is sharp in his hands, heavy with all the hurts he still carries in his chest, all the grief he has no more room to hold. He feels lighter with it out of his grasp, the words settling into the ensuing silence with some bittersweet relief.

Notes: I know I've said it before but it bears repeating: this entire fic exists solely because of the smut scene in chapter 1. I thought of the smut first, and then the lead-in to it, and I intentionally left the end of chapter 1 ambiguous - it could have ended right there as an angsty one-shot with Lan Xichen believing that it was all a hallucination, and there's nothing really in the text to say that it's not because Lan Xichen is a very unreliable narrator in this fic. But then I wanted to write the backstory for the smut if, in fact, it wasn't a hallucination - and everything kind of...butterfly-effected out from there to become what it is now, along with all the extras in the series that's now roughly 120k long altogether and still not finished. Oops. Oh and also: this fic that started the ball rolling only exists because for some reason the servers for Omegle went down for months where I live, and prior to that I used to spend hours rp'ing. Without that creative outlet, I filled the vacuum with writing fic instead and now here we are. So if you're grateful for my fics then thank Omegle for sucking for a few months lol --//-- 2. Loving, Loud, Wild, and Theirs (7386 words, Rated T) Ship(s): Xuanli & Gen (kidfic), 3zun (briefly) - an extra for AEM Summary: A brief look at how in this kinder world, Jin Zixuan managed to find and legitimize his three siblings as well as a snapshot of the chaos of love and fun that is his family with his siblings, his beloved wife, and their seven children. Excerpt:

He had listened to [Madam Qin] and her handmaid, and he had believed them, and he had been unsurprised to find himself thinking quite uncharitably of his father following his promise to Madam Qin that he would do everything in his power to make it right, as much as he could. [Jin Zixuan and Meng Yao] return to Jinlintai the day after the next, once their business is concluded. He’s relieved when nothing needs his immediate attention as it means he’s free to retreat into his and Jiang Yanli’s quarters so he can tell her everything that’s weighing on his mind. “No more surprise siblings from now on,” he sighs into the comfort of Jiang Yanli's chest when he’s finished outlining what has happened and his plans to prepare a new suite of rooms in the family wing of the tower. For Qin Su. His sister. Jiang Yanli just laughs her tinkling laugh and kisses him, her hands gentle as she combs his hair back from his face with her fingertips. “You’ve got more siblings now than any of the rest of us,” she teases with a mischievous smile down at him that is a bit too reminiscent of, weirdly, both Wei Wuxian and Mo Xuanyu for comfort. “Two brothers, a sister, and of course we must keep Mianmian in her spot on the list. If you would like to count brothers-in-law as well you’ve also got A-Xian, A-Cheng, Huaisang, Wangji, Xichen, and Mingjue...” He groans and hides his face properly in the soft silk of her robes even as she laughs again over his head.

Notes: This fic is actually a request fill for someone and I had some trouble ending it because there's a lot more I want to write with this wild family, though I did eventually find what felt like a good place to cut it off with 3zun arriving in Jinlintai for the visit they leave for at the end of AEM. There is something of a follow-up floating around my wips that - if it ever gets written - is a direct sequel to AEM that continues where this extra leaves off, with 3zun getting to spend time with their hoard of niblings in Jinlintai. No promises about if/when that will get written though. --//-- 3. Performance Art (8106 words, Rated M) Ships: 3zun, Wangxian (briefly) Summary: A Modern AU inspired by the 'Hysterical Literature' performance art project. Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Meng Yao take turns doing their best to read aloud from chosen written works as they're filmed. The twist is that they're trying to do so as they're being pleasured with a vibrator controlled by one of their partners off-camera, each of their turns ending when the partner being filmed/played with has an orgasm. Excerpt(s):

1. “Engage people with what they expect; it is..- it…it is what they are able to discern and.. ngh.. confirms their projections. It settles.. ah settles them into predictable-“ He cuts off suddenly to set the book down flat and slap one hand down sharply on the tabletop. Meng Yao simply clicks another button and Nie Mingjue groans as his newly unoccupied hand twitches back to rest on the edge of the table closer to himself, as if about to drop down beneath it. Lan Xichen and Meng Yao both shift forward in their seats but Nie Mingjue catches himself before they have to intervene, returning his hand to the middle of the table and forcing a deep breath into his lungs so he can continue. “-Predictable patterns of..of response, occupying their minds while you w-wait for the ex- extra-“ he huffs out a sharp breath and curls his hand into a fist as he tilts forward and forces out the rest of the sentence in a rush. “Extraordinary moment — that whichtheycannotanticipate. FUCK!” - 2. It’s a few hours of quiet, peaceful work later when Lan Wangji shifts his weight in the way that means he wants Wei Wuxian’s actual attention and not his ‘ I’m sculpting so I’m periodically looking at you ’ sort of attention which he is, of course, quick to grant. He pauses in his muttering half to himself and half to Lan Wangji to say, “Hm? What’s up Zhanzhan?” “From Xiongzhang,” he says by way of explanation, holding his phone out for Wei Wuxian to squint at the screen. It takes him a moment to understand what he’s looking at, his eyes needing a second to adjust to the small black and white video that’s playing after having spent hours looking between Lan Zhan and the clay form taking shape under his hands. “What is this?” he asks as he leans in closer and squints a little harder. He blinks and his eyes go wide in the next moment as he realizes what’s happening on the screen as the woman’s tension climaxes ( literally ) - and then it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to figure out just why he’d been asked to create an eerily similar setup in his own studio the previous afternoon for three men he might as well consider his sort-of brothers at this point. His next exhale is a wheeze as his ears go hot and Lan Wangji is instantly shrugging into a robe to stand from his lounging position and approach, concern written all over his features. “Wei Ying?”

Notes: I don't really have too much to say about this one except that it brought me so much joy and laughter to write and it honestly kind of surprises me that it's one of my less popular fics - it's nothing but a fun, sexy time! But I'm also terrible at guessing trends/what people will want to see so that might be on me haha. Oh! Also - a minor thing but something I'm very mildly proud of: the narrator voice is dependent on who's behind the camera! I wanted a way to make the person filming feel just as involved as the other two and I thought that was a fun way to do it since within the narrative it's technically going to be their perspective used for the video they're recording. Just to give y'all a little insight into my decision-making when it comes to my writing style for this one. --//-- 4. Anything For My Nie-Zongzhu (6411 words, Rated E) Ship: NieYao - pre-canon (just barely) Summary: Meng Yao is Nie Mingjue's trusted right hand, intelligent and valued by his Sect Leader, at least, who has learned lately to appreciate him a hell of a lot in private too - and for much more personal matters than the minutiae of running the Nie Sect. Seeing as Nie Mingjue trusts him so much, he finds it in himself to ask for something new - for Meng Yao to top him. [Technically an extra for AEM but can be read as a standalone] Excerpt:

“Am I to play into this boorish act you’re putting on tonight?” he teases instead as he steps closer until he’s near enough to feel the way the steam from the bath has turned the air sticky and humid. Nie Mingjue finally looks up at him and Meng Yao is internally crowing with triumph as he watches the lines of tension around his eyes and mouth fall away, his expression smoothing into quiet contentment. He did that. His presence alone is enough to help Nie Mingjue relax. It feels nearly as good as the day the man had angrily defended him to his own disciples and promoted him on the spot. “It’s not an act, I’m plenty boorish,” Nie Mingjue gruffs, returning his gaze to the letter, but this close Meng Yao can actually watch his eyes do nothing but try to glare a hole through the center of the page. “Of course you are, Zongzhu,” Meng Yao allows, his tone openly humoring - as is the smile tightening the corners of his mouth. “Therefore I can only suppose that you would prefer it if I returned to my walk and left you to continue your...correspondence in peace.”

Notes: Once again not really many notes on this one! I just love NieYao, I think their dynamic during Meng Yao's Nie Sect days has so much potential and I love exploring it every so often. --//--

5. Bite The Hands That Feed (1590 words, Rated E) Ship: XiYao Summary: After being forced out of the Nie Sect, Meng Yao has to come to grips with the hunger that's been chasing him his whole life, and he finds temporary satisfaction over and over in Lan Xichen, who is always so generous with his time and his body and is willing to help him feel less empty even just for a night. Excerpt:

He would never bite the hands that feed him, that stuff him full enough to make him believe for a moment that he’s no longer starving. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t inflict pains. He bites and he scratches and he plants himself in the bloody furrows until flowering moans reward his violent care, until pleasure bursts sun-warmed and sweet between them, berries ripe for the picking. He stains his mouth red with them, his fingers purple with the bruises he paints so delicately on his devotee’s body. If Meng Yao is being clawed to a slow torturous death from within, then it stands to reason that his other half will be ripped to shreds from without. He keeps his nails sharp and his teeth bared to tear into his flesh and drink sweetly of the vintage he offers - sweat, spend, blood, saliva when their mouths meet for crushing kisses. All of it is his to consume. He puts his mouth to the feast of Lan Xichen’s body and eats until the hunger pangs are satiated, drinks until he feels dizzy with it.

Notes: So I wrote this one when I was getting a little tired of the straight narration style of all my other fics and I wanted to try my hand at something looser, a little more prose-like but also a little darker than my usual fluff. I'm not sure how successful I was - this is actually one of my absolute least popular fics, number-wise! - but it's one of my favorites anyway. --//-- 6. A Figure, A Mouth (2788 words, Rated M) Ship: Wenzhou Summary: A quiet, intimate evening spent in the comfort of the Four Seasons Mountain Manor sometime between their arrival/fixing up of the place and the confrontation with Ye Baiyi. Excerpt:

After a while of warming each other up Wen Kexing urges him back up to push the bed under the window just as he’d said he would. Zhou Zishu takes the opportunity to blow out the candles before he rejoins Wen Kexing in their bed, the sudden darkness leaving them free to admire each other clothed in nothing but broad swathes of cool, sweet blue light bisected by deep black lattices of shadow from the trees out in the yard, the shadows from the contours of the wall and decorations around the window blocking and revealing them in turns. Lao Wen is, of course, as beautiful like this as he has been in every way Zhou Zishu has ever seen him, and he takes the time to savor it, to indulge in the decadence that Wen Kexing presents for each of his remaining senses. He’s a feast for the eyes, all hard muscle and skin glistening with glittering diamonds of sweat along his shoulders and the soft curve of his cheek. He’s a symphony for the ears, breathless desire and tender calls of his name that Zhou Zishu never lets go unanswered when they’re like this. By now Wen Kexing is an expert at drawing pleasure from him in every unlikely way there is to make sure that the effects of the nails don’t keep him from reaching his peak at least once, occasionally more in spite of his fading sense of touch.

Notes: Wenzhou makes me so soft and emotional, y'all. The next one on the list is also a Wenzhou fic and I just can't seem to stop writing them in fluffy/smutty situations because it's what they deserve. I really don't have anything more interesting to say about this fic, I just love them haha. --//-- 7. Tease Him Just Enough (2537 words, Rated M) Ship: Wenzhou Summary: A possible outcome if the conversation post-face reveal in episode 6 had gone differently - i.e. if Zhou Zishu had called Wen Kexing out on all his flirting and challenged him to do something about it - and then he does. Excerpt:

They don’t need words to communicate that at least right here in this particular moment there’s no one else they would rather have in their arms, pressed up against their bodies, no one else’s tongue who would find a new home in each other’s mouths or any other body their hands would rather explore. Wen Kexing has already known that they’re fated, but for the first time it feels like they’re agreeing to be so. Even if it’s just for a night. (Not that he thinks it will be just one night for them, but getting Zhou Xu to agree to anything remotely of the kind is like trying to drag a stray back-alley cat into a bath so he’ll take what he can get.)

Notes: My first fic for Word of Honor! The whole time I was watching the show (read: obsessively binge-watching) I was like 'Okay I like this show a lot but it's not nearly as compelling as The Untamed, idk if I'll be motivated to write anything for it'. Then I got to the end and I was like NEVERMIND YES I AM. I played myself. --//-- 8. You Need Tending (12,108 words, Rated T) Ship(s): Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji & Lan Xichen, Lan Qiren & The Jades & Wei Wuxian (this is a kidfic so nothing romantic!) Summary: Wei Wuxian is alone and homeless on the streets of Yunmeng, unaware of the presence of his parents' old friend so nearby. Lan Wangji is a child grieving for the loss of his mother in silence, overwhelmed by the world his uncle keeps dragging him out into. It takes their paths crossing more than once for Lan Qiren to realize just who Wei Wuxian is and that he needs their help, but he gets there eventually. Excerpt:

He watches on as the man comes to a stop next to the boys and squats down to check over the one who had been lost and suddenly he remembers lying on the ground and looking up at a stern-faced man with gentle hands and a ribbon across his forehead. The man who had given him medicine and bandages after a small boy had defended him from dogs, and an older boy had talked to him so kindly and helped him to sit up off the dirt. Wei Ying gasps as the memory hits and he scrambles back down off the roof, landing on the packed dirt of the space between the buildings with an oof, excitement bubbling in his chest. Along with the memory comes a name and it flies from his lips as he scrambles up off the ground to push his way into the crowd again. “Master Lan!” he shouts, his tiny voice lost in the din of the market. He tries to shove closer but the little family is already walking away, their backs to him as he strains against the flow of people much bigger and stronger than him. “Master Lan!” he tries again, desperation lending extra strength and emotion to his cry. Wei Ying stops struggling as he watches the two boys in white walk away, the pair of them flanking Master Lan in his sky blue robes as they move through the market, radiating serenity in the midst of the chaos. His vision blurs and he scrubs his forearm against his eyes angrily to dry them, trying to keep the three of them in his sight for as long as he can just in case they turn around and spot him. Just in case they remember him and maybe want to tell him to come with them.

Notes: Baby Wei Ying T-T He just hits me right in the heart, and so does baby Lan Zhan! And baby Lan Xichen. All the babies. This fic was actually completely inspired by an utterly adorable fanart of Lan Xichen giving a grumpy baby A-Zhan a piggyback ride! I'd been wanting to write a kidfic type fix-it for a while and that art was the spark I needed to come up with something workable. (Edit: here’s my reblog of the art I’m talking about!) --//--

9. Familial Circumstances (5393 words, Rated G)

Ship(s): Lan Qiren & Original Characters, Lan Qiren & Jin Zixuan, Lan Qiren & Qin Su, Lan Qiren & Mo Xuanyu - An extra for AEM

Summary: Another kidfic extra for the horde of children in Jinlintai, this time as seen through the lens of their beloved Great Uncle Lan. It's a simple relationship-study-type look at how all the children love their Great Uncle and how much he loves and treasures them in return.

Excerpt:

An unusual stillness accompanies [Jin Ruhai's] playing. Jin Lu stops fidgeting with her fingers, the twins slip into the perfect stillness of those who are utterly aware of themselves at all times - a trait [Lan Qiren has] noticed in every skilled fighter he’s ever come across - and even Jin Ye relaxes, slumping further and further backwards until she’s slouched down against his stomach, legs dangling over his crossed shins.

The piece isn’t a terribly long one, nor as complex as the next score Lan Qiren intends to teach the boy, but Jin Ruhai’s mastery of it is impressive. Again, Lan Qiren is forcefully reminded of Lan Wangji, always most at peace when behind his instrument to play with and/or for the people he loves.

There’s silence in the room until the last note fades with a shiver into the air and Jin Ruhai pulls his hands back from the instrument. The stillness lasts for one more moment before it’s interrupted by Jin Lu sneezing suddenly and her siblings laugh as the quiet breaks.

“I had to hold that in the whole time !!” Jin Lu laughs as she rubs her sleeve under her nose, one eye screwed shut as she giggles. “I didn’t want to mess up A-Zhuang’s song, it’s so pretty!”

Notes: I'm definitely biased because they're all my oc's except for Jin Ling, but I genuinely love all of the Jin children in the AEM AU. If anyone is ever interested in knowing more about their individual personalities and the like please don't hesitate to ask me, I've actually put quite a bit of thought into all 6 of the kids I created wholecloth and I have a lot of feelings about Jin Ling getting the chaotic siblings and loving parents he was robbed of.

--//--

10. Opportunities To Practice (5710 words, Rated M) (*WIP)

Ship: Xuanli - An extra for AEM

Summary: Jin Zixuan is nervous for his..marital activities with Jiang Yanli - after all, who could he possibly ask for advice? His father? No thank you. Thankfully Jiang Yanli is sweet and patient and knows her husband well - he just needs a bit of time and he'll get it figured out.

Excerpt:

She shivers with an interesting combination of want and intense vulnerability as she stands there, feeling bare in spite of her remaining layer. It’s of a material so sheer as to be practically nonexistent, nothing more than a delicate veil of a red so pale it’s nearly pink that sits on her body like a second skin. Until it falls gently away at the knee to flutter around her ankles, it clings to every curve, every contour, and as she watches Jin Zixuan doesn’t even bother to hang the robe he had just removed on the screen. He lets it drop into a soft pool around her bare feet, his gaze roaming her newly exposed figure - she would perhaps feel strange about it did he not look so devoted , so in awe of seeing her practically naked in front of him.

Yanli gasps softly as he suddenly drops to his knees at her feet and oh - that’s heady. Her body, which she hasn’t really thought of too much in the past beyond the occasional irritation that it’s weaker than she would prefer, has put the man she loves on his knees. He’s looking up at her now, his eyes wide and his hands reverent as he raises them to rest on her thighs, thumbs caressing her too-warm skin through the barely-there robe that bunches up softly under the pressure of his grip.

“You’re right,” he finally breathes, sounding slightly strained. “I’d like this to stay on. If that’s - are you alright?”

“I am,” she reassures.

Notes: This last fic is technically a wip, the only one in the list! However! - it's going to be a collection of one-shots centered around Xuanli and their sexual exploits that lead to their seven children, and possibly also the ones that are just for fun (horny Yanli rights forever). It's not currently high on my list of priorities or anything and the one chapter that's up so far can stand on its own so it's a wip but it's not? I just love Xuanli so much and I want to explore their relationship in my happy fix-it AU whenever the mood strikes, and whenever that happens this is where those one-shots will go.

--//--

And that's it! My personal top 10 favorite fics of my own as of right now. I thought about doing my top 10 according to statistics like hit counts or kudos, but I genuinely love some of these unpopular fics and I wanted to give them some love and attention even if it's just for me. I know there's a lot here to sift through but if any of y'all enjoyed the list or any of the specific fics on it let me know! I liked taking this little pause to take a look at what I've actually been producing these last few months.

Thanks for reading!

#the untamed fanfic #gonna tag the main romantic ships listed: #3zun #NieYao #XiYao #Wangxian #Xuanli #Wenzhou #y'all I legit spent hours formatting this and writing all this out #I also went looking for the fanart that inspired You Need Tending so I could link it and my page refreshed #which I suspected it would do so of course I hit Ctrl+A and copied it all - #only to find out that doing that doesn't extend past the readmore break which I had already put in #so I lost the whole introductory bit and had to rewrite it #T-T I didn't even find the fanart I'm gonna look for it again on mobile cuz it's easier #ANYWAY - literally no one asked for this and I don't even know if anyone was curious to begin with but I wanted to make this anyway soooo #It's also lowkey one of my goals to write something one day that becomes popular enough to end up on rec lists #So this is me kind of indulging that in a very 'tooting my own horn' kind of way that I refuse to apologize for #No shame in my game #Also if you see any typos or formatting weirdness No You Don't :) I've been doing this for 5+ hours and I'm hUNGRY

[kimistorm]

Don't do That! (Doctor Strange x Reader Part 7)

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Pairing: Doctor Strange x fem! Reader

Series: It's all a Little Strange, Chapter 7 Masterlist

There was the sound of magic coming from the library. Mordo and Wong clearly heard it too as they were running towards the library. You burst through the door and saw Stephen with the Eye of Agamotto open and running. Behind him, mirrored walls were starting to pop up from the ground. “Stephen no!” you shouted and ran at him to knock him down and hopefully break his concentration.

“Stop!” Mordo yelled as well and Stephen snapped out of his stupor a moment before you crashed into him.

“What were you thinking!” you demanded and got back onto your feet without helping Stephen to his feet.

“Tampering with the continuum of probability is forbidden!” Mordo shouted as he ran up to Stephen.

“I... I wa... I was just doing exactly what it said in the book!” Stephen stuttered in defense. “And what did the book say about the dangers of performing that ritual?” Mordo shot back. “Yeah, I don't know. I hadn't gotten to that part yet.” Stephen confessed. Mordo shook his head and explained, “temporal manipulations can create branches in time. Unstable dimensional openings. Spacious paradoxes! Time loops!” You interrupted Mordo, “you want to get stuck reliving the same moment over, and over, forever, or never having existed at all?” you asked in disbelief. Stephen tried to laugh, “they really should put the warnings before that stuff.”

“I told you that!” you shouted in frustration, “I told you that warnings go after the spell!”

“Either way, they really should-”

“Stephen!” you cried out, “your curiosity could have gotten you killed.” “You weren't manipulating the space-time continuum,” Mordo explained, “you were wrecking it.” He looked disapprovingly at Stephen, “we do not tamper with natural law. We defend it.”

“Don’t do that.” You stated stubbornly and refused to look Stephen in the eye, “don’t...mess with stuff you don’t understand.” You finished quietly and wiped a tear that had fallen.

“I clearly understood it if I could do it, and I read through the book.” Stephen protested.

“Ha! You didn’t ‘read through the book,’” you finally looked at Stephen and met your watery eyes with his shocked ones, “you only read part of it. Like you said, you hadn’t got to the warnings part yet.”

“Wha? (f/n), is this sentiment coming through?” he asked in amusement.

“Shut up Stephen!” You shoved his shoulder with enough force he had to step back to regain his balance. “I’d have to be pretty heartless to not care about you.” You answered, “though it seems heartless-ness is something you excel at.” You muttered under your breath.

“If you’re done having your domestic-” Mordo started.

“Oh my gosh Mordo!” you shouted, “this was not a domestic!” you pointed rapidly between the two of you.

Mordo ignored your outburst and trained his concentration on Stephen, “how did you learn to do that?” he gestured to the Eye of Agamotto, “where did you learn the litany of spells required to even understand it?”

“I’ve got a photographic memory,” Stephen explained, “it’s how I got my M.D. and Ph.D at the same time.”

“What you just did,” Mordo once again gestured to the Eye of Agamotto, “takes more than a good memory. You were born for the mystic arts.”

“Hold up,” you stepped into the conversation, “how can you conclude that?”

“It takes years for someone to have the skill to utilize the Eye of Agamotto. I’m sure you can’t even do it yet,” Mordo explained and you frowned at his comment, “and he was able to do it in weeks.”

“What about you,” you continued to sulk and crossed your arms, “can you utilize the Eye?”

“I’ve never tried.” Mordo answered simply.

Stephen shook his head, “I side with (f/n), my hands still shake.” He lifted his hands up to show that they were indeed trembling.

“For now, yes.” Mordo agreed.

“Not forever?” Stephen asked excitedly.

“We’re not prophets.” Mordo shook his head in denial, “come.” He gestured and led the way down the hall. You gestured for Stephen to go first and you were about to follow them when your pager shrieked.

“(f/n)?” Mordo and Stephen turned to look at you as you looked down at the pager.

“You guys go on ahead. Looks like I’m needed at the hospital.” You opened a portal into your room to change, “and it was my off day too.”

You hurriedly changed and portaled a block away from the hospital. You were still straightening your clothes when you burst into the hospital.

“Oh (f/n)! I’m so glad you could make it!” Christine gestured for you to follow her.

“What’s the emergency?” you asked and pulled your hair into a ponytail.

“Our other cardiovascular surgeon is in the middle of a surgery right now, but this guy needs immediate attention.” She explained and led you to a surgery room, “it’ll be quick.”

“Got it.” You responded and entered the room to do your job. Like Christine explained, it was quick and you were out in minutes. Which proved to be excellent timing as you got a text from Stephen. You frowned, you didn’t remember giving him your phone number. It was a simple text with one word, ‘Kaecilius’, and you jumped to look for Christine. “Christine!”

“Yeah?” she asked and looked at you.

“Listen, I’ve got to go. It’s an emergency.” You hurriedly told her.

“Go ahead. Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“Thanks Christine!” you called over your shoulder and ran out of the hospital. You found an alleyway and portaled straight to the front of the New York sanctum and burst through the doors.

“I’ve got to hand it to you Kaecilius.” You called out and he spun around to face you, “you didn’t pick an awful time.”

“Who is this chick in scrubs?” you heard one of the zealots mutter.

“This ‘chick in scrubs’ is actually a doctor in scrubs!” you corrected, “and I’m going to kick your butt!” behind them you saw Daniel shaking his head. “Oops, guess I lost the element of surprise didn’t I?”

“Yep!” he shouted.

“Give me a break Daniel! I’m trying to be cool here!” you protested and noticed Stephen standing on the balcony above, “I need to be a cool mentor!”

“Quit while you’re ahead (f/n)!” Daniel laughed.

“Shut up Daniel!” without warning a zealot ran at you with his spear poised to stab you. You jumped and spun around in the air and kicked him in the face as you spun around. “At least give me a chance to change!” you shouted indignantly and formed a shield on your left forearm to block the next attack. You flipped over the zealot and landed on his back while simultaneously transforming your shield into your favorite weapons. The two ice chakrams. Before the zealot had a chance to throw you off you jumped off of him but the other zealot ran straight into the area where you were about to land.

“Nope!” you heard Daniel yell and a whip shot out and pulled the zealot away from you.

“Hey Stephen!” you shouted and ducked another stab, “if you feel up to it, you can join in!” you brought a chakram around to slice at the zealot’s legs but he jumped out of the way. You jumped up and threw both chakrams at him.

“Oh, so now I can fight?” Stephen asked in annoyance.

The chakrams returned to you and you snatched them out of the air, “only if you want to. It’s experience!” the zealot ran at you and you spun around and kicked him away. “Daniel and I got this!” you smirked and risked a knowing glance to Daniel.

“Are you still good at that one spell?” Daniel questioned and grunted as he ducked an attack, “because now would be a good time!”

“On it!” you responded and your chakrams dissolved as you summoned a fiery whip and hooked it onto the balcony above the lobby and swung yourself up.

“What are you doing?” Stephen asked as you stood next to him and held your hands together in a symbol.

“Magic.” You replied without looking at him since you’re eyes were closed, “now stop talking.” You started to chant the incantation for the spell and a wind was throw up around you and snowflakes started to form within the whirlwind. Beside you, Stephen had staggered back and held up an arm to shield his eyes. The whirlwind was picking up speed and the snow around you was thickening with you in the center of it all, chanting the entire time.

Neither you nor Stephen noticed a zealot run at you and land a punch straight to your face through the whirlwind. You screamed and fell to the ground and the whirlwind dissipated in a second. You scrambled to get back up in your dazed state but a weight landed itself onto your chest and you blinked to recognize the zealot sitting on you.

“She’s too much trouble,” you heard Kaecilius call out followed by a grunt as he dodged a punch from Daniel, “kill her.”

“No!” you heard two voices yell out and the zealot formed a space shard poised for your heart.

“(f/n)!” you heard Stephen scream and the weapon rushed down at your chest.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. One of your arms raised to meet the zealot’s arm to block the blow. It didn’t completely block it, but it did cause the zealot to lose her mark and instead stab you in the stomach. Time resumed it’s normal passage and you screeched. Not even a moment later the zealot was yanked from your body as Stephen’s whip wrapped itself around her and tossed her ungraciously over the railing.

“(f/n)! (f/n)!” Stephen rushed to your side.

“There’s still a battle going on Stephen!” you winced, “it’s not fatal.” You used one hand to push him away while the other clutched at your wound to stanch the bleeding, “help Daniel.” When he didn’t move you shoved him harder, “go!”

That shook him out of his reverie and he scrambled up to his feet to go and help Daniel, “stop!” he cried out and leapt over the railing of the balcony to deal with what had happened.

You looked down at your stomach to see the dark red blood quickly seeping through your scrubs, “and these were my nice ones too.” You sighed. You took your shirt and ripped off the lower half of it. Not enough to reveal too much, but enough to provide pressure for your wound. You took it and wrapped it around your wound and tied it tight.

“This better hold up.” You muttered to yourself. Stephen, followed by Kaecilius and his two zealots bound up the stairs and you were no longer hidden from them. You drew out a whip made of the normal red matter as one of the zealots ran at you. You swung the whip around in an attempt to keep the zealot away. It registered in the back of your mind that Daniel was nowhere to be seen. The zealot broke through the line of fire and you barely managed to put up a shield before the zealot was in your face with the space shard pressing down on your shield.

“I don’t want to kill you.” You told the zealot.

“Too bad,” she snarled, “because I do.” She abruptly spun away and came at you with renewed vigor. At the last moment you dodged her and ran out of the balcony to keep you from being cornered in the wall. Your adrenaline was quickly muting the pain from the wound.

You turned around the next corner and fell into the ceiling. The hallway was spinning round and round at Kaecilius’ whim. The other zealot fell around the corner but got back up onto her feet much quicker. At the end of the hallway was the Rotunda of Gateways with one of the gateways broken open. The hallway turned again and this time everyone grabbed onto something to keep from falling through the gateway.

You formed a whip out of the cooler blue substance and hooked it onto the wall. You then swung up to face the other zealot and kicked her hand that was holding onto the ledge of the wall. She screamed and fell down into the gateway, barely skimming past Stephen.

“A little warning would be nice!” he called up to you. You gave him a cheeky smile and dropped down as well. Your whip wrapped itself around a door, but it wasn’t necessary since the hallway corrected itself. You ran towards the dial in front of the gateways but another zealot stopped you by throwing a space shard at you, which you (luckily) dodged.

Stephen then interfered by punching the zealot in the face. You took this opportunity to turn the dial, therefore trapping the other zealot. Stephen managed to throw the zealot into the forest and you spun the dial.

“Good job.” You panted. You started to calm down and the wound made itself known. You winced and placed your hand on the wound. It was bleeding more profusely than ever and the fabric was hot and sticky from blood. You leaned against the wall as your knees started to feel weak.

“(f/n)!” Stephen gasped as he saw how bloodied your clothes were and how pale you were.

You shook your head (which you regretted since you were taken over by a wave of nausea), “Kaecilius. Where’s Daniel?”

Stephen’s answer was interrupted by Kaecilius running up to Stephen with his space shards poised to hit. Stephen ducked and ran down the hall. Kaecilius then turned to you and you dodged and ran down the hall that Stephen ran down. Each step sent pain through you and your vision started to fade in and out. You gritted your teeth as you followed Stephen.

You turned a corner and nearly ran into Stephen who was pulling down a wardrobe, “it won’t do anything, leave it!” you commanded and continued to run.

The two of you made it into the room full of relics, “(f/n), hide. You can’t fight like this.” Stephen ordered.

“I won’t just leave you.” You argued.

“You’re a lot less helpful if you’re dead. You’re losing blood, we don’t have time. Hide!” he shoved you aside and you stumbled, but you followed his words and ducked into another hallway and tucked yourself behind a cabinet.

You ripped a piece of fabric from your pants and wrapped it around your wound. You took deep breaths as you tried to calm down your racing heart. You winced as you heard the sound of breaking glass. As much as you wanted to run to Stephen’s aid, you had to trust that he could hold his own. There was the sounds of more fighting, shoes being dragged against the ground, and then silence. As much as you had faith in Stephen, you couldn’t stand sitting down doing nothing. You tried to get back onto your feet, but the blood quickly rushed from your head and you fell forward. ‘Sorry Stephen.’ You thought to yourself as your eyes closed.

Masterlist

Taglist: @panhoeofmanyfandoms @daydreamer-in-training @marine-captain-deku

#doctor strange #doctor strange x reader #stephen strange #stephen strange x reader #doctor stephen strange #doctor strange x you #reader insert #x reader #marvel #marvel reader insert #mcu #mcu reader insert #marvel imagine #dr strange #benedict cumberbatch #marvel reader insrt #fanfic #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfic series

[lifeofkaze]

An Art of Balance #5

A/N: That one was tough. I have never written something with so much physical action before, and I had to rewrite a huge chunk of it until I finally felt happy with it. Describing sports is really tough, as it turns out. Also, KC belongs to the wonderful @kc-needs-coffee who lets me to a little cameo once in a while 😊 Enjoy!

 Word Count: ~ 3.100 (oops)

______________________________________________________________ 

Chapter 5: Back Home

A persistent rumour among the students was that Professor Binns had altered the clock in his classroom, back when he had been still alive. It was said, he did so to allow him to delve more minutely into every little detail of his subject he wished his students to remember.

If he hadn’t known any better, Orion could have sworn it was true.

He absentmindedly ran his quill through his fingers, trying his best to take in Professor Binns’s droning voice in what was their last class of the day. Orion glanced around the classroom. He estimated about half of the students were daydreaming about the upcoming weekend. The other half was fast asleep.

His gaze wandered out of the window. He could just make out the Quidditch pitch up ahead in the distance. The banners on top of the stands were swaying in a gentle breeze. He could feel it lightly brush his face from where he sat near the open window. It brought with it the pleasant warmth of a late summer afternoon.

Orion shuffled in his seat. He could feel his entire body brim with energy. The restlessness he felt had been bubbling under his skin for the last few days. He was itching to get back on his broomstick and to feel the wind on his face as he sped through the air.

This was what he had missed most during the summer break. When not at Hogwarts, he had no access to a broomstick, let alone people to fly with. Although Orion prided himself on always being grateful for what the universe had chosen to bestow on him, he sometimes he couldn’t help feeling envious of people like Skye. They could practise what they loved to their heart’s content, whenever or wherever they wished to.

He could feel McNully nudging him into his side. “There are only 23 minutes and 35 seconds left to his torment. 30 seconds as we speak,” he whispered.

Orion tore his gaze from the silhouette of the Quidditch pitch and turned to better face him. “Excuse me?”

McNully pointed at his now worse for wear looking quill. “You have been running your hand over this quill fourteen times in the last twenty minutes. In the last 45 minutes you have been staring out of the window seven times, with an average duration of five minutes. You have not been able to play Quidditch for 76 days in a row. And to add a personal note, tapping your foot excessively like that gives off an impatient expression and is rather annoying as well.”

Orion only now noticed his foot was indeed lightly tapping against the leg of table. He stopped.

“Sometimes I find your habit of observing your surroundings as meticulously as you do worrying, my friend.”

McNully shrugged, a carefree grin showing on his face. “What do you expect? I’m a commentator. I observe things and I comment on them. That is what I do.”

Orion had to grin at that. “It is indeed.”

He propped his head onto his hand, staring at the clock mounted above Professor Binns’s head. “I wouldn’t call it impatient, though. More like eager. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

McNully had started doodling onto his parchment, drawing tiny snitches between his notes. “Call it what you want, it doesn’t change what it is.”

Orion contemplated his words. “I agree. The appearance of the shell cannot change the core of things.”

He could see the confusion forming on McNully’s face. “I’m about 34 % sure that is what I said.”

 Only a few hours later, Orion felt himself unable to wipe the grin off his face. He stood in the middle of his beloved Quidditch pitch, the sun warming the back of his yellow robes. The unmistakable smell of grass, wood warmed by the sunlight and broom wax made him feel almost intoxicated.

Most of his team had already taken to the sky. They were getting back into the swing of things, darting around the pitch, doing turns and dives. Even down here, the joy they radiated was contagious. Everyone was wild with excitement to finally be back.

“And here is Parkin with a triple backwards flip. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a move to be watched! But what is this? Parkin is challenged to a race around the pitch by Jameson! Which Chaser can push their Comet’s limits further? There is a 92,4 % chance we are going to find out!”

He stifled a laugh. Of course McNully was here to commentate on their first friendly of the season. Orion hadn’t been the only one antsy to get back to business.

His attention shifted to the group of tense looking students stood in front of him.

Orion had carefully selected a few Hufflepuffs that were known to be skilled flyers. Every one of them had the potential to fill the vacant spot on their House’s team. He had already been thoroughly testing them, before admitting them to a practise with the other players. They had all passed his balancing test. Now it was time for them to prove themselves in action.

When he saw the reserve players arriving on the field, he mounted his broomstick.

“Now, my friends, is the time. The quest to become one of the pillars the building that is the Hufflepuff team is built upon is almost complete for one of you. For our new Beater to be revealed, we will have to see how you fare in a real match situation.”

He raised his arm, calling his teammates down to his side. “We will divide into two teams and play for a bit before switching things up. Good luck to all of you.” He inclined his head towards the contestants, some of them looking positively sick with nerves. “May this division serve to bring us unison.”

He unlocked the trunk resting at his feet and watched first the Snitch and then the Bludgers shoot up into the air. Picking up the Quaffle, he pushed himself off the ground.

“Let’s play.”

 If returning to Hogwarts had him feel like being home, tearing up and down the pitch made Orion feel like he truly belonged here. In contrast to the hectic movements unfolding around him, playing Quidditch granted him unparalleled focus, similar to nothing else. All that mattered was the moment at present, nothing before, nothing after.

He had taken himself back from the game playing out in front of him to better watch the students competing for the open position. Jason Everett, a rather loud and braggy guy, was one of the competitors he had chosen. He was sharing the dorm with Orion and McNully and Orion had never been able to form a real connection with him. To his surprise, however, he was showing great promise.

He decided to take the challenge up a bit. Putting himself on the same team as Lizzie and Skye, he wanted Everett to compete against a full set of Chasers for the second half of the match.

It wasn’t until flying with Skye and Lizzie by his side that he fully realised how much he had missed this. He felt like sheer life was running through his veins.

Although they hadn’t seen each other since the end of last year, it took them only a few manoeuvres to regain the unmatched unison the Hufflepuff team had grown reputed for. They had managed to create a bond between the three of them that didn’t require any words.

He felt this connection especially with Lizzie, allowing them to move almost as one when attacking the opposite goalposts. Throwing the Quaffle back and forth between them, it was no easy feat to stop them from scoring.

With Skye, it was different.

They had played together even longer than he and Lizzie. If there was harmony with her, it was all friction with Skye. The two of them were entertaining completely different beliefs on what Quidditch stood for and how it should be approached. As a result, they regularly clashed, on the pitch and off.

Contrary to what most people would think, the tension between them had never worn him down. Like a static charge, the constant challenge Skye Parkin posed to him acted as an energiser. Discussing strategic matters with her had never failed to give Orion new perspectives outside of his own thinking patterns.

“Here is what we all have been waiting for, my honoured spectators. Now, we are getting serious!” McNully was giving it his all in the commentary box, clearly relishing the first friendly of his not-so-secret favourite team.

“Amari and Parkin are on the hunt for the Quaffle, Jameson’s broken out of formation. If I didn’t know better, I’d say we are about to see the Parkin’s family pinching signature move! Watch this! The Chaser is flanked by Amari and Parkin. This is not looking good, ladies and gentlemen, if I were in possession of that Quaffle I would seriously be worried right now. Oh, and there we have it! Jameson makes expert use of her Comet’s impressive speed and pulls up from underneath her opponent, forcing her to either let go of the Quaffle or her broomstick. Parkin relieves her of the Quaffle, using her broom’s patented Horton-Keitch Braking Charm to drift around, racing to the other side of the pitch, Jameson overtaking her and Amari close by her side.”

Lizzie was diverging from the path he and Skye flew on, preparing to round and get behind the other team’s attacking Chasers, allowing Skye to pass the Quaffle to her at the last moment. They had used this strategy numerous times and it had seldomly failed them.

“Parkin sets herself up to score. Or is she letting Jameson have the advantage? We might never find out as Everett, hot contestant for the vacant Beater position, aims his Bludger directly at Parkin. This might get ugly!”

McNully was right. Everett had hit his Bludger straight towards them. It rushed towards Skye at a fast pace. Orion shouted a warning, but she had already seen it coming. She waited for a moment, dodging the Bludger at the last second before passing the Quaffle on to Lizzie, who made short work of the Keeper.

“And Jameson scores! That’s ten points for her team and an impressive show of flying skills from Parkin if I may add.”

Orion nodded contentedly before turning around and chasing after the Quaffle again. Lizzie and Skye both didn’t seem to have lost their fire. They were in good form.

Despite himself, he liked the potential Everett was showing. He wasn’t nearly the Beater they had lost, but he had foundations they could build upon. When Lizzie had needed to fill in for Bean a seasons ago, he and McNully had made a more than capable Beater out of her in a shorter amount of time.

His mind was taken off his thoughts when he saw a yellow flash dart past him. It was their Seeker Lucy, who had spotted the Snitch hovering just underneath the railing of the Slytherin stand. The other Seeker had seen it as well and both were racing towards it.

“Both Seekers appear to have spotted the Golden Snitch. Catching it would reward their team with additional 150 points. We’re talking the winning catch of this game here! O’Connell utilises the advanced speed of her broom, but Miller has less ground to cover! Both are nearing the Snitch at high speed, if no one slows down, we had better alert Madam Pomfrey. But no, no! O’Connell takes the absolute last out of her broomstick. She secures the Snitch and her team’s victory!”

Orion saw Lucy raise her arm in triumph, the wings of the tiny golden ball beating frantically against her palm.

Everybody was steering their brooms towards the ground, clapping Lucy on the back. Orion landed beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“That was magnificent catch, Lucy, well done.” He turned towards the other players that had gathered around them and raised his voice. “Although Lucy secured the win for her team, all of us have won today. As we were competing against each other, we were competing against ourselves. Overcoming what’s inside us makes us stronger, and lets us grow closer as one team.”

“One team!” everybody shouted what had gradually become their motto, raising their broomsticks up in the air.

Orion turned towards the contestants. “Watching you play, I have been able to gain insight to the path that lies ahead of us. I will contemplate which one of you will get the chance to balance  our team. I will let you know my conclusion when it is time.”

“And that would be when?” Everett asked impatiently.

Orion tilted his head and smiled placidly. “The time has come when the time has come. And the time is not now.”

A mix of confusion and frustration on his face, Everett left them standing and headed for the changing rooms. Orion had seen this look countless times before. New players always needed time to grow accustomed to his ways.

He was already going over the contestants’ performances in his mind when McNully rolled onto the pitch and joined his side.

“Brilliant match! The way I see it, you and Gryffindor are pretty evenly matched this season. I announced them the day before yesterday. If you keep up the form and choose a capable second Beater, that is. I calculated the odds and I would say Jason Everett has the best chance of fitting in, he is fast and has suitable strength. His aim is not the best though, 31,6 % of his Bludgers missed their mark.”

McNully’s eyes lit up. “I know just which one of my playbooks he needs. He will never miss his target again.”

Orion quickly filtered the information his friend had been spewing at him. He was right. Everett was far from ideal, but which player was when they started out fresh? They were like rough diamonds, waiting to be cut and polished until ready to shine.

“Can a Bludger really miss its target, though? Or is it the Beater that misjudges the path the Bludger is meant to be taken?” he mused.

“Whatever it is, I am glad this particular Bludger’s path was not destined to end in Skye’s face.” Lizzie and Skye were approaching them, their brooms resting on their shoulders.

Skye scoffed at her words. “As if it could have hit me. I had things under control. It takes more than that to bring a Parkin down.”

Lizzie rolled her eyes. “He is no Erika Rath, for sure, but it was good enough for a beginner, I would wager.”

Skye’s face darkened. “Don’t remind me of her. It has been such a beautiful day so far.”

“You will have to deal with her rather sooner than later. Ravenclaw is set as your first match in two months’ time. And from what I have seen so far, their Beaters are still the best Hogwarts has to offer.” McNully’s voice had a dreamy touch to it, making Lizzie chuckle.

“We all know you particularly enjoy watching the Ravenclaw Beaters,” she teased with a sweet voice. “Give KC my love, next time you see her, will you?”

“I have no idea, what you are talking about.” His face was blushing a deep scarlet. “I am merely doing my job and keeping my statistics up to date. I’d better get going now.” McNully turned his wheelchair hastily and rolled off quickly.

Orion was giving the snickering girls by his side a scolding look. “You shouldn’t taunt him like that. Our hearts’ desires are out of our power to control.”

“Calm down, Orion, it’s just a bit of fun. He can take that.”

The sun had slowly started setting, the stands casting their elongated shadows across the field. Skye rubbed her neck. “Come on, Liz, let’s get changed and head back to the castle. I’m starving.”

Lizzie hesitated, glancing at Orion for a second. “Go ahead, I’ll be with you in a second.”

Staring at her friend in wonder, Skye shrugged. “Whatever. Make it quick, I won’t wait too long.”

After Skye had left, Orion and Lizzie were alone on the pitch. He watched her staring back at the castle for a moment, the sunlight catching in her golden-brown hair. She seemingly tried to collect herself. He couldn’t deny being curious about what was on her mind.

He smiled openly. “What can I help you with, Lizzie?”

For an instant, Lizzie seemed to look for a way to word her question. She didn’t look him in the eye.

“Uhm, you are quite good at Herbology, aren’t you?” she mumbled.

He raised his eyebrows. “Being in balance with oneself brings you closer to nature. If you listen closely, the plants can tell you what they need.”

She sighed. “I take that as a ‘yes’.” She ran her fingers over the smooth handle of her broomstick, still not looking at him, her shoulders unusually tense. “Would you mind helping me studying?”

He tried to hide his surprise. “You need a tutor? Professor Sprout regularly fills me in on the academic progress of our team’s members. She never mentioned you struggling.”

“I haven’t so far,” Lizzie replied quickly. “But I had a look at the curriculum for this year. It’s really tough, and I don’t want to mess up my O.W.L.s because of a plant biting my finger off.”

It still struck him as odd, but Lizzie was his friend. He wouldn’t let her down if she sought his help. “I’ll be glad to guide you through your curriculum, as long as you desire my help.”

Finally Lizzie met his eyes, obviously relieved. “Thank you, I appreciate this a lot.” She suddenly seemed to remember something. “Can my friend Rowan come, too?”

His surprise turned into confusion. “Rowan Khanna is struggling with a subject?”

“Well, she is a perfectionist.” Lizzie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. A strand of hair had come out of her ponytail and she impatiently tucked it behind her ear. She was radiating a nervous energy Orion had never seen on her before.

“Of course, bring her. I’ll talk to Professor Sprout about using the greenhouse and let you know the details, is that alright?”

All of a sudden, Lizzie seemed much calmer. She sighed with relief, a smile forming on her face. “Brilliant. See you in the Common Room.”

With that, she spun around and quickly left. Now alone on the pitch, Orion stared after her and wondered what in Godric’s name that had been about.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #orion amari #orion x mc #orion amari x mc #lizzie jameson #art of balance #murphy mcnully #skye parkin #quidditch squad #the quidditch squad #quidditch

[beyondthetower]

Songs of Gronder Field (Annette x Felix)

Summary: Felix runs to Annette after the post time-skip battle at Gronder Field

Characters/Pairing: Annette x Felix

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: Spoilers for Azure Moon maybe?

A/N: Way more angst than I was intending oops. Inspired by this beautiful art piece by @meintaiko​! I’m obsessed with this art piece and it got my Netteflix feelings raging.

Nobody had known about them. He liked it that way. In all honesty, even Felix wasn’t sure he knew what they were. There had been a few moments of weakness; moments when the soft, cheerful sounds of Annette singing would drift into his path and momentarily cause a crack in his carefully built walls. He had tried to poke fun with his dry, sarcastic remarks, but after years of being apart he found himself seeking her voice out when he walked around the monastery. Until he finally got found out, hiding outside of the greenhouse, listening to her sing and wanting nothing more than to sit with her while she did it.

Of course, he regretted her knowing it. Telling her had been another moment of softness that made him angry at himself. But when she noticed him standing outside, watching the sky as he listened to her soothing voice, he was too flustered to lie. She hadn’t laughed at him, really. And she continued to sing for him. But other than that, he hadn’t seen her too much. He avoided her most of the time. Unless she was alone where he would sit with her and listen to her work, occasionally answering her questions or chuckling at her clumsiness. 

He liked what they were. He liked that she never questioned him, or pestered him, but rather just let him find her when he needed to. He liked that she would find too, when he locked himself away at the training grounds alone. She would curl up on the stone wall, studying, and wait patiently for him to come sit quietly with her. When he did, she hummed absent-mindedly to herself. She didn’t force conversation. It was easy. It was unattached. He liked easy and unattached. 

War, it seemed, changed him. After the professor had disappeared all of the Blue Lions had parted ways. He had gone back to Fraldarius territory to help his father hold back the Empire troops. Annette had spent some time with Ingrid in Galatea territory before making her way back to Fhirdiad. The change that occurred in her absence wasn’t exactly obvious at first. It hadn’t hit him until he saw her again at Garreg Mach: he had missed her. 

He noticed it first in his fighting. His technique had changed. Specifically, it had gotten worse. His footwork was sloppy, his mind was foggy, and he found himself anxious at the idea of going back into battle. This day was no exception. The one thing he had been training for all his life and here he was, standing in the middle of Gronder Field, on the verge of tears. 

A post-battle hum had settled over the landscape. Patches of high grass simmered in smoke left over from the attacks between former classmates. 

Classmates.

They had been his classmates. He had sparred with them, eaten lunch with them. He had watched them dance to stupid songs across the floor of the reception hall and listened to stupid gossip about the Goddess Tower. 

Now his sword was stained with their blood.

Felix turned to face what was left of his own army. He had been used to a similar feeling in their Academy days: glancing around to make sure that bandits hadn’t gotten the best of Ingrid or Sylvain or even Dimitri. This time was different though. This time his eyes seemed to have an acute focus that he couldn’t pin down. That was, until he saw her. 

Out in the distance, Annette stood up from behind a cluster of boulders, dusting off her arms and calling out to Mercedes who hurried over and hugged her fiercely. Felix’s breath caught in his chest, and a weird mixture of relief and unmanageable fear sprang through his veins. He hadn’t talked to her much since the reunion. But as he saw Annette standing there, apparently given a clean bill of health from Mercedes, he absentmindedly moved toward her. He hadn’t realized he had been running, not until he was close enough to see the surprise in Annette’s face as he got closer. The blue-green currents of her eyes flinching and startled.

Without thinking, Felix threw his arms around her. 

She was so small, he realized. He himself wasn’t a large guy, but she fit so perfectly against his chest. His arms wrapped around her in the kind of bear hug that illustrated the fierce protection he often felt over her. Hee realized as he held her that her protection hadn’t been his motivation for crashing into her now; it was his own. 

“Felix-” Annette said quickly. 

He said something back, his words muffled by her hair. She looked around with wide eyes, realizing that people were staring. Mercedes had excused herself, turning her back to them and trying to distract Sylvain and Ingrid as they limped toward them in confusion. Ashe had made his way over, doing a double take but trying to make himself busy with his bow.

“What?” Annette said, realizing she hadn’t made out what he had said.

Felix pulled away, his hands still grasping her waist. “Sing something,” he said sharply. “Anything, that stupid swamp beastie song I don’t care just-” His voice cracked, and he squeezed his eyes shut while the shame of weakness washed over him. Shame that only began dissipating when he felt the soft touch of a hand on his cheek. 

When he opened his eyes he was surprised to see that his vision was blurred. He blinked a few times, hoping it would clear the fog from his sight, but was horrified to see that it had only shaken free tears from his eyelashes that landed on Annette’s cheek. 

“Hey,” she said. “It’s okay.” 

Felix shook his head angrily, suddenly aware of the heat rising in his cheeks and the eyes of his classmates staring from a few yards away. Feet shuffled around him, making him horribly aware that people could see them. He was careless. He had let his guard down. In front of his classmates for that matter. Classmates that, yes, were allies, but could very easily be enemies. He had learned that quickly. Anyone could turn against you. Anyone could use those weaknesses against you. Should any of his so-called friends turn against him they would have that weakness. His weakness. Her.

Felix felt his knees buckled underneath him. He steadied himself on the boulder behind him and didn’t protest when Annette reached for him again. She hovered over him, cradling the back of his head with one hand and steadying him with the other. 

For the first time, at least the first time in his recent memory, Felix let himself fall apart. His forehead fell against Annette’s shoulder, and through his shaking breaths he could feel the tears continue to fall, sinking into the fabric of her jacket. He hated the way it made him feel: small and fragile and weaker than he was supposed to be. His brother had died in battle for heaven’s sake. He knew the reality of war. He had trained his entire life for the kind of battle he had been through that day. So why did it feel so hard?

There had been a darkness, he realized, that had seeped its way into his world. It had always been there, he was sure, lurking around the corner and waiting for his breaking point. Waiting for Duscur. 

When Glenn died it took root in his soul. It grew around his bones and built him that sturdy armor of emotional distance that made him the kind of warrior he strived to be. It had come full circle, it seemed. It had sniffed out this momentary lapse in sturdiness--the wavering fear he felt in killing those he used to call peers--and was ready to strike it down. He could feel himself blooming into something different. Something dark. Something he wasn’t sure he wanted. 

But then there was a splinter of light. And Annette’s voice broke through the cracks of his armor again. “It’s okay,” she breathed. Her breath was warm on the back of his neck, bringing him back to that post-battle stillness. Bringing him back to something that felt more like himself. 

Felix tried to bury himself deeper into her shoulder. Crawling further into this new, safe, space that felt like home. He didn’t want that darkness to take hold. He didn’t want those roots to grow. He had found a new safeguard that she had planted and tended with those stupid songs and her cheerful laugh and the soft way she touched him. 

“Oh how I just love to clean, clean the Library room…” 

Felix could feel the pounding in his chest dissipating. His breath, labored as it was, started to regulate again. Annette stroked his hair in slow steady movements and he tried to match his breaths with it. He could feel her cheek pressed against his temple, her He listened as she sang about blowing up the library and almost smiled. 

“It’s a stupid song,” Felix said quietly. He felt a shift and an exhale that sounded like an attempt at a laugh. 

“Would you rather something else?” she countered. “Maybe one of the Saint Hymns?”

“No,” he told her. And he meant it. 

Felix could feel her smile against his skin. She pressed a small kiss to his hair and went on with her song. He traced his thumb in small circles on her back as his hands hung limp against her coat. Having her within arms reach, within earshot, was enough to bring him back toward himself.

The war wasn’t done. There were sure to be plenty of other battles like this one, scary enough to shake him to his core. But maybe...maybe if he could still be near her, still be close enough to hear her voice or to call out when he needed her, that would be enough to get him through it.

#annette fantine dominic #felix hugo fraldarius #netteflix #fe3h #fire emblem three houses #felix x annette #annette x felix #fe3h fanfic #blue lions #gronder field angst am i right? #fire emblem fanfiction

[kaspbrak-tozier-reddie]

"Have you ever been to a birthday party for children/And one of the children won't stop screaming/...There's other people, you selfish asshole!" From Bo Burnham's song, for that quote thing? Also this is for Reddie. Thanks :)

Song: Art is Dead by Bo Burnham

Warnings: slight mentions of homophobia, other than that, just pure fluff.

Send quote/prompt and I’ll write a fic

——————————————————————

With Richie being a hotshot comedian now, his manager had decided it was now time to do a meet and greet. Richie not only now performs his own standup comedy shows but is on Saturday Night Live, does movies and tv shows. 

Having a rocky 2.5 years in the comedy industry, Richie’s new beginning seems promising, even Eddie is thrilled. After all, Eddie is the one that forced Richie to fire his writer and old manager due to homophobic jokes, not being able to come out thus shoving him back into the closest; and had jokes that were far too dry and tasteless that even Richie didn’t laugh. They made Stan’s jokes seem laughable now! So with the help of his boyfriend of 2 years, he and Eddie found a new manager.

“Excited for your debut M&G?” Scotty, Richie’s new manager, asks.

“Oh, heck yes!” Richie exclaims as he sets up his table. “Give me a sec.” Richie spots his boyfriend carrying a large bag that he immediately recognises as Eddie’s first aid bag. “Eds, we don’t need that babe.”

“Uh, yes, yes we do. I can’t get sick and neither can you!” Eddie replies placing the bag behind Richie’s chair. “Do you know how many germs are spread around here?”

“I -” Richie starts.

Richie can feel granddad’s wedding ring shift in his pocket, causing Richie to remember why he even has it in the first place. He carries it with him day in day out, ever since the couple’s 1st anniversary. Knowing that any day could be when he chooses to marry the man he’s been in love with since he was 10. 

“It’s a rhetorical question. Okay, long lines in a confide space, you will. Get. Sick.”

Eddie isn’t wrong, it takes only a couple people with a cold or flu to then infect hundreds more. Keeping a load up of hand-sanitizer on hand is important, he places it where it’s hidden but within Richie’s reach. The entire bag contains multiple bottles of water and fruits; as well as all those important tissues and general first aid kit that has been overly stocked with more bandages, band-aids, gauzes and alcohol wipes than it needs. 

But Richie isn’t nervous for the one on one meet and greet, it’s the actual panel where he’s speaking and Eddie refused to come up on the stage with him. He doesn’t know what he’s meant to do, sure he’s done interviews but it was one person, not hundreds. 

“Richie? You ready?” Scotty asks.

“Yeah.”

“Good, ‘cause it’s showtime.” Eddie stands off to the side and gives him the thumbs up and Richie looks everywhere but the stampede of fans coming in. All the other celebrities at the function are relaxed and getting ready but Richie is ready to puke instead of greeting the fans.

Maybe this was all a mistake, Richie thinks to himself. But he loves his fans, if it wasn’t for Eddie he would be on the list of most hated people around the world. Besides, Derry should be on that said list of places to not visit on account on its outdated teachings. 

His negative thoughts come to a halt as his first fan arrives at his station. It’s awkward, he has no idea what to say or do but nonetheless, he’s still sweet, awkward and charming. 

*

After 15 fans come to his table, he’s finally gotten the hang of it and that would also be 15 uses of the hand sanitizer thanks to his boyfriend’s need for hygiene and germaphobia. 

What Richie didn’t expect was his fans to be of a variety of ages, he’s seen kids as young as 12 come by with their parents in tow. Parents dragging their kids with them, the rare elderly citizens come by and not to mention a few whole families; we’re talking kids, parents and grandparents. Richie is blown away.

He sees a break and quickly looks to Eddie, who sits quietly behind the table out of sight. “Holy shit! This is insane!” Richie whispers, his mouth covered by his hands to not be seen as someone who talks to himself.

Eddie looks up from his book, “That’s great. Also, I was thinking that I come on stage with you.”

“That’s great,” Richie looks back briefly. “Oop, more customers.”

Richie can hear Eddie’s giggle and then it stops and a page flips. He accidentally bumps the ring in his pocket, causing him to jolt. Could this be it?

****

A couple of hours later, Richie finally sets up for the panel, the most important event of the day, according to his manager. “Are you sure Eds, I don’t want to seem like I’m forcing you,” Richie says as he gets hooked up to the sound system.

“I want to, the number of fans asking about me… I couldn’t. Also, don’t call me Eds,” Eddie responds and Richie signals for another mic and third chair is brought out to the stage.

There’s another panic attack bubbling in Richie’s throat and blood, he feels like he’s being smothered, he can feel his pulse around his body and hear his heartbeat ringing in his ears. He instinctively turns to look out at the crowd from behind the curtain and sure enough, there are, at least, 200 people. Every ticket for the panel was sold out, he remembers his manager said. Richie and Eddie are signalled out to the stage and manages to get to the chair without an issue and finally looks to the crowd. 

You can do this, he thinks to himself, I’ve got Eddie with me.

“So Richie, in your Netflix Special, you had stated that you are now writing your own material. Why the change?” The host asks; Richie had never really publically stated why the change but he guesses it’s time everyone knew.

“My old manager thought my jokes were too crass and wouldn’t appeal to anyone. He also claimed that self-deprecating or my gay sex jokes wouldn’t appeal. So he kept me in the closest and gave me jokes that I would never have approved.” Richie doesn’t hold back unleashing all his anger out. “I, of course, sued him and won.”

Cheers of approval echoes through and Richie’s tenseness starts to die down, relaxing into the crowd.

“Right, let’s go into the fan questions.”

Richie looks to Eddie and smiles coyly at him, Eddie returns the favour and gently squeezes Richie’s thigh for support. The two looks back at the crowd and straight up the middle are about 15 people ready to ask questions. “Why did it take you so long to leave that manager?” A fan asks.

“I couldn’t break the contract,” Richie explains. “When we were 2 years fresh out of college I had signed with this man and Eddie had gone into risk analysis. I did one gig and immediately wanted to drop him.”

Richie is about to continue when Eddie cuts him off, bringing the mic to his mouth.

“He knew that I delt with contracts and risks so he asked me to look at it. To put it simply, if he left and signed with someone else, he would’ve been in grave debt where it would’ve been damaging and become a whole legal issue.” 

*

Richie smiles at his boyfriend thinking back to the day that he took the godforsaken contract to the young risk analyst. As Eddie looked over the whole contract, he notices the whole fine print, something he knew that Richie would obviously skim over like every other person. Stan would obviously have 6 fits if he caught Richie doing that but alas Eddie isn’t Stan.

The manager had several writers on hand and Eddie looked every single one of them up and sure enough, each writer had a bad review. This man was going to stop Richie’s career before it even began but after 2 years Richie could opt out without any legal penalties. 

Eddie had explained everything to Richie but that still meant that Richie would have to do whatever they said to not face court. Richie, of course, was heartbroken but that was the way that it had to go. But in the comfort of Eddie’s apartment, he kissed him and Eddie kissed him back until he had pushed Richie away.

“Richie, you’re seeing someone. I can’t -” Eddie had said.

“I don’t care, I like you. Eds, I’m gay and I’m seeing someone against my will,” Richie tries to reason.

“That - that doesn’t matter.”

I broke his heart but he knew that Eddie was right. Natalie was lovely, no matter the circumstance he couldn’t hurt her.

****

“Eddie with Richie being a comedian, have you met any other comedians?” A fan asks Richie’s boyfriend.

“I have actually. Bo Burnham and John Mulaney,” Eddie replies. “In fact, Bo Burnham has a very relatable song called Art is Dead. It’s the epitome of Richie.”

“Oh, how so?” Richie presses. 

Sure he’s met Bo Burnham but he hasn’t really listened to his stand up shows, all he knows is that he makes funny songs. Eddie is often raving about a few of Bo’s songs but that’s about it, Eddie’s never gotten him to actually listen to them.

“Okay, so young Richie was an asshat and that’s just putting it lightly. Anyway, there’s this line, ‘Have you ever been to a birthday party for children, and one of the children won’t stop screaming?’” The crowd laughs, “I can guarantee you that Richie often did this, for all 6 of us and if we were lucky, also his own party, making it all 7.“ 

Richie just starts to laugh knowing full well that it was him as a child, he mouths ‘true’ to the audience, causing more and more laughter before Eddie’s voice starts to echo back through the speakers.

“Richie always craved the attention, as mentioned in the song, but one line that I use often is, ‘There’s other people, you selfish asshole!’“ Richie tries to contain his laughter but he burst and tears start to stream down his face as he laughs the hardest he has in years, from a joke that wasn’t his own. 

Nobody can break him but somehow his boyfriend explaining how Bo Burnham’s song is relatable just makes him burst into tears from laughter. Even Stan’s dry and sarcastic wit wasn’t enough to make him cry, in laughter, when they were kids or even now as adults. It’s physically impossible.

“I hope a lot of you got that on camera, me crying; nobody has been able to do that ever!” Richie exclaims as he wipes away the tears from under his eyes. Now it’s Eddie’s turn to laugh vigorously. 

But at that moment, Richie knows, he knows that the man right beside him, laughing in absolute joy, is the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Normally he’d forget about his granddad’s ring during the day until he got home and has taken his pants off. But now as the thought continues to creep into his brain, the ring feels like it’s burning a hole in his pocket, wanting to escape.

*

“How long have you two been friends for before you got together?” Another fan asks 

“About 3 decades of friendship and 2 years as boyfriends,” Eddie confirms.

“It would’ve been 4 maybe 5 years of being boyfriends if I didn’t have that shitty manager.” In Richie’s peripheral vision, he can see Eddie’s shocked face. “Don’t act surprised, I flirted with you through all of middle school to college.” Eddie laughs as does the crowd.

Richie knows it’s too soon but maybe this is the way it is meant to happen, how he is meant to ask Eddie to marry him. He’d be bloody stupid to not do it when he has known that Eddie is the only one for him ever since Bowers’ cousin in the arcade back when he was 14. 

The ring in his pocket becomes Richie’s main focus, not the fans; if he takes it out… 

“Rich? You good?” Eddie asks.

“Huh? Oh uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” Richie stammers. “Next question.”

“You said that you suffer from anxiety, how do you manage it when you’re on stage?” A young girl asks, she’s probably no more than 16, she fidgets with her fingernails as she speaks and it becomes that she’s nervous.

“Don’t be nervous hun, it’s okay, I am too,” Richie states and the crowd ‘awe’s’ causing Richie to chuckle. “I know if I’m having an anxiety attack and it’s become part of my everyday life so I find it’s best to act as if it’s not there. It’s partially because I’m too lazy to get therapy.”

That’s the truth, any time he gets an anxiety attack he knows he’s not dying especially since Eddie has explained it to him. It’s annoying but therapy is just too bothersome, he has to try to fit it in with his busy schedule and then he’ll probably have to get anti-anxiety pills or anti-depressants to stop the anxiety attacks.

“But, if Eddie is by my side then all my anxiety tends to go away,” Richie finishes and quickly digs into his pocket, fiddling with the ring in his pocket. It’s hidden away from the way he’s sitting which is the important thing.

But he’s unsure of what to do, does he do it now in front of hundreds? Or does he do it later at a restaurant? If he does it now and Eddie says ‘no’ then that’s going to leave an awkward 25 minutes left of the panel. 

He looks back at Eddie. 

“If you ever get married, would you become Richie Kaspbrak or Eddie Tozier or Richie and Eddie Kaspbrak-Tozier?” Richie’s eyes almost pop out of his head, the pain is unbearable, he needs to break, he wants to break but it’s an impulsive move to propose without thinking it through. 

He hasn’t thought of how he would do it.

Hasn’t thought of what he’d say.

“I uh,” Eddie faulters, “100% Eddie Tozier, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Richie chokes on his saliva and bursts into a coughing fit, what the fuck?

“You for real, Eds?” Richie questions, he takes one look at the audience, who are anticipating on what happens next, then back to Eddie. 

“If you’re taking it as a proposal, I don’t thi-” Eddie’s cut off by Richie holding a white gold plated ring. “Are you -” The look in Richie’s eyes is enough for Eddie to take the ring and place it right on his finger. Sure enough, it is, surprisingly a perfect fit.

“Ask him!” Some dude yells from the crowd, a chorus erupts and causes Richie to fall from his chair and onto one knee.

“I know this isn’t a restaurant and is entirely impulsive but it wouldn’t be me if it wasn’t. I love you, have since we were 10, instead of it being hypothetical, will you truly become Edward Tozier? Marry me?”  

“Yes,” Eddie replies pulling Richie up from the floor, the crowd erupts as he kisses Richie’s cheek before sending him back to his own seat. 

“Next question?” Richie says.

#reddie #richie x eddie #eddie x richie #edward kaspbrak #eddie kaspbrak #richard tozier #richie tozier #it chapter 1 #it chapter 2

[vexedtonightmares]

-it’s nice to have a friend-

for: 75 dates in the skam universe (sorry this is late oops)

@theskamlibrary

pairing: elu

prompt: rollerskating date

aka 5 times lucas and eliott were most definitely not on a date, and one time they were. 

1.

Platonically roller skating with your bro was cool, right? No homo or anything? Not that Lucas didn’t want there to be homo, he just didn’t think Eliott did. They weren’t on a date, obviously, but all of their other friends had bailed on plans last minute, so they’d adjusted the plans and it ended up being just the two of them. Roller skating like bros.

The lights cast a violet haze over them as they tied their skates up, illuminating Eliott’s smile like it was a work of art by itself. The little wheels on the bottom of Eliott’s shoes were a luminescent blue, the color of the sky, or the color of his eyes, depending on the way you looked at them. Lucas’ were yellow, which was whatever, yellow wasn’t his favorite color but it wasn’t his least favorite either. He’d argued with Eliott when they were picking them up, because the yellow used to be the color Eliott always wore when they’d skated there years ago, and blue was Lucas’ color, but unfortunately their feet were different sizes now and he was thus relegated to yellow. 

The local roller rink only ever played the cheesiest music, and Lucas wasn’t disappointed that night, he was pretty sure “Dancing Queen” by Abba was playing at the moment. Cheesy, of course, but much better than what it could have been. Last time he was there they’d played Justin Bieber on loop for an hour. His ears were still bleeding when he thought about it long enough. 

Eliott finished tying his skates before Lucas did, holding out a hand to help him up once he did finish. If Eliott felt the electricity when their hands touched, he didn’t show it. Still clasping Eliott’s hand, he was led across the carpeted area over to the actual roller rink where the swirling lights shone brighter than in the lobby area, casting unique designs on everyone and everything. 

Just as they stepped onto the rink, the song changed, a somewhat melancholy tune he hadn’t heard before, transporting him into the feeling that he was in a movie, or somewhere he could pretend this actually was a date and that Eliott’s hand on his meant something more than it did. 

They’d come to this same roller rink so many times as kids, their preferred place to be Eliott and Lucas, best friend extraordinaires. It was the place that Lucas, at age thirteen, had first realized what he felt for his best friend went a little beyond friendship. Maybe it was the way that the lights reflected off his unruly hair, the way that they were doing so now, or maybe it was Eliott singing the horrible cheesy music to him at the top of his lungs like they were the only two people in the world, but Lucas had fallen hard then and had never come back from it. He’d only gotten better at hiding it. 

When Eliott got a girlfriend Lucas wondered if he’d bring her here, it’s where Lucas would have wanted to go on a real date, but he never did. Lucas had asked him about it once and Eliott had just shrugged and said Lucille didn’t like roller skating, she preferred ice skating. It made sense, but Lucas allowed himself to believe that Eliott never brought any dates here because it was a special place to the two of them. Of course it wasn’t true, but he was nothing if not effective at convincing himself their connection went deeper than friendship. 

Eliott wore his heart on his sleeve, which was a beautiful and brilliant habit, but it did hurt when that heart never looked at him, not once. Lucas’ heart couldn’t keep its eyes off Eliott, he was just better at hiding these things. It was easier when he was only just realizing his feelings for Eliott, because no one knew how he felt about boys at that point, so he could easily pretend his moony expressions and mild avoidances were attributed to some nonexistent girl on his mind. Nowadays, things were getting harder, but at least Lucas had years of practice. 

The dreamy atmosphere had Lucas closing his eyes, letting himself skate without looking, imagining that he was soaring above the clouds, and that the lights surrounding him came from the sun setting and casting colors on the clouds he floated through. 

“I’ve missed this,” Eliott said, spinning Lucas around. Lucas opened his eyes, catching his balance on the end of the spin before he stumbled into Eliott. 

“Missed what?” he asked, words as feather light as the eyelashes Eliott looked at him through. 

“Me and you, the roller rink,” Eliott said, “You’re always different when we’re here, freer.”

Lucas supposed it was true, something about the atmosphere just made Lucas feel at home, reminded him of some of their best memories. He loved their other friends, he did, but some part of him had always hoped it would just be the two of them forever. He didn’t know Eliott felt the same way. 

“It’s because we’re floating on the clouds,” he said, gliding past Eliott, turning around to watch as he followed. “When else do we get to do that?”

Eliott shrugged as he skated closer. “Every time I’m with you I feel like I’m floating in the best way possible.”

Lucas became intimately aware of how close Eliott was to him, their hands no longer tied together, but brushing with a purpose as Lucas skated backward and Eliott skated forward, side by side, strides completely in sync. 

It was easy to pretend this was more than it was, that Eliott might take his hand with a different purpose and pull him close, that they might spin together under the cheesy and cliche disco ball hanging over their heads, spinning until they were dizzy and drunk in love.   

Looking up at Eliott, seeing the corners of his eyes creased as he looked down at Lucas, smile on his face that Lucas fell in love with every night before he went to bed, Lucas was struck with a realization. He’d always thought Eliott was the sun, and he was the moon, but he knew it wasn’t true. Eliott was the entire universe, and he was just a star passing by, so grateful to be a part of it. 

If he couldn’t have Eliott in every way, it was nice to have him at all. 

2.

The plan hadn’t been to go back to the roller rink, but there they were, skates in hand, watching the neon glow of their childhood together, all those memories, ready to make more. This time they hadn’t even bothered to ask their other friends, and Lucas wondered why. He knew from his end, but he didn’t know why Eliott didn’t protest. They’d hardly been alone together since their last day at the roller rink, and Lucas wondered if he’d done something wrong. 

The rink was practically empty, as it always was these days, but Lucas preferred it that way. When they’d come as children the rink was always overflowing with people, old and young, and their parents would get mad at them for disappearing, only to be found in the middle of the rink, spinning each other until they got so dizzy they felt like they were going to throw up.

Lucas wondered if the rink might close someday soon, it was obvious their business wasn’t what it used to be, and he hoped to any god that would listen that wasn’t the case. This was the one place where he could let himself be free and in love and Eliott didn’t notice because he was free as well. Free to do what, Lucas never knew, but he could always tell the differences the roller rink wrought in both of them. 

Their skates were the same as last time, Lucas with yellow and Eliott with blue. They had never even considered buying their own skates, even though they probably could have used them. Although, from the small number of people at the rink, it didn’t seem likely that many people other than them were using those particular skates.

Skating always required a lot more energy that Lucas thought it would, despite having done this activity more times than he could count, so he and Eliott took a break after a while, right as the trusty sounds of Justin Bieber filled the speakers. 

They sat at a table, Lucas watching Eliott, who was focusing intently. He was drawing something on Lucas’ hand, a thing he’d done since they were kids and Lucas had only grown to love more and more as they both got older. 

When Eliott was like this, working on a certain task with laser focus, Lucas was free to watch him all he wanted. It was perhaps one of his favorite things to do, to take in all the minute details that made Eliott Eliott. 

Like this: the way one of his eyes squinted more than the other while he drew, trying to get his design exactly how he’d pictured it in his head. Or this: the way the roller rink lights only illuminated one half of his face and his hair from the way he was sitting, changing color every second or so from red to purple to pink to orange to yellow to green to blue and back again. The way one of Eliott’s hands held Lucas’ in place on the table so he could draw from all angles, and the way that even that simple touch could make all of Lucas’ nerves stand on end and his heart race in his chest.  

Nearly everything Eliott did made Lucas’ heart race, but when they touched it was like someone had set off an array of fireworks in his chest and wouldn’t stop until they parted. Lucas didn’t ever want the fireworks to stop. 

“Done!” Eliott said, clearly pleased with himself as he put the cap back on his pen and released Lucas’ hand. Lucas lifted his hand to see the design and grinned against his will. 

Eliott was the absolute only person in the world that could call him Choupi or refer to him as a hedgehog and live to tell the tale. Arthur had called him Choupi as a joke, a total of one time, and had nearly lost both of his kneecaps.

These animals, the way that they served as an embodiment of who they were, were Lucas and Eliott’s thing. Eliott’s first, but Lucas had been his best friend as long as he could remember, and they shared everything, especially the things that meant the most to them. Eliott had known Lucas wouldn’t laugh when he talked about raccoons and how he felt a connection to them, and Lucas had known that when Eliott drew him as a hedgehog for the first time it wasn’t an insult, but a show of love. 

The drawing on Lucas’ hand was of a hedgehog and a raccoon roller skating together, small hearts surrounding them as they smiled, the hedgehog looking in front of him and the raccoon looking at the hedgehog. 

“I love it Eliott,” Lucas said, because he did. I love you, he meant, because he did. 

Eliott’s answering smile, so big that it looked like it might actually hurt, made Lucas’ heart melt into a giant puddle inside his chest and made him forget how to breathe momentarily. What else was new. 

They had to wait for the ink to dry on his hand before they went back to the rink, because Eliott had a tendency to pull Lucas by the hand or to catch him when he slipped, and Eliott was adamant about not letting the ink smudge. Lucas was just as adamant about it, but he would never admit it aloud. 

“Why hearts?” He found himself asking as they waited, cursing his brain for allowing him to speak at all. Eliott went red and Lucas wanted to slam his head into the table. Way to be obvious, Lucas. 

Eliott gestured to the rink, and Lucas nearly slammed his head on the table in embarrassment. Of course. The decorations were all heart shaped because Valentine’s Day was coming up. He was an idiot, an absolute idiot. “Forgot about the best holiday of the year?” Eliott asked, voice lilting and teasing. 

“Of course you would think it’s the best holiday of the year,” Lucas teased right back, because he knew that Eliott loved cheesy holidays like that. 

“Maybe if you had a hot guy by your side you’d like it more,” Eliott laughed, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Lucas laughed instinctively, despite the pain stabbing into his chest. 

Lucas raised his own eyebrows. “Right back at you.”

Did it hurt that, when Eliott had come out as pan a year after Lucas had come out as gay, he still never looked at Lucas as more than a friend? Definitely not. 

“Who says I don’t have one?” Eliott said, grinning and nudging his side. 

Lucas tried not to let his broken heart tear his insides too deeply. “I hope they’re worth it,” he said, because he didn’t know what else to say. 

“They are,” Eliott said, touching his hand lightly before gripping it and pulling him away from the table and back onto the rink. 

A ballad was playing, just like at middle school dances, but Eliott was undisturbed, singing the lyrics into Lucas’ ear while he did a dramatic display that he would argue should have put him in a world famous musical. Lucas fell in love again.  

3.

Somehow the whole gang had caught wind of their roller skating plans, so roller skating for two had turned into roller skating for five. It was probably a good thing, the last time they’d been to the rink alone had been a little too much for Lucas to handle. All the Valentine’s decorations were gone, replaced with their usual decor, magical in its own way. 

Eliott hadn’t ever told him who he’d been talking about that day, and they’d ended up spending Valentine’s together watching a cheesy rom com Eliott had begged Lucas to come over and watch. He never asked why Eliott wasn’t out with someone like he’d done for the past five years of their lives, because sometimes he didn’t need all the answers. Sometimes he just needed his best friend to need him, even if it was on a holiday meant for lovers. 

Eliott’s skates still had blue wheels, Lucas’ still had yellow, but their colors were joined by Yann’s pink, Arthur’s green, and Basile’s orange. Lucas had asked Eliott to come with him to the roller rink that day because it had been classic rock night, which meant the music would be good for a change, and they could enjoy it without making fun of it. 

The first notes of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” played as Lucas stepped onto the rink, four of his best friends behind him. If any of them were suspicious about Lucas’ feelings towards Eliott, they didn’t say anything to him or Eliott, so at least there were small miracles in the world. 

The spirit of Freddie Mercury propelled Lucas forward, and maybe he was showing off a little bit, but all the trips he’d taken here over the years had paid off in some ways. Basile was fumbling along, and Arthur kept nearly falling only because he was laughing as Basile so hard. Yann knew what he was doing, but someone had to keep an eye on Arthur and Basile, so Eliott and Lucas did what they always did, blocking out everyone and everything else. 

Lucas lapped Yann, Arthur, and Basile nearly three times before Eliott, laughing, told him to slow down, otherwise their friends would feel too inadequate. Eliott took one of his hands, one of Basile’s, pulling the two of them as Lucas scrambled to grab onto Yann who grabbed onto Arthur so they wouldn’t get left behind. 

Classic rock night tended to bring out an older crowd than usual, so they got a great number of dirty glares from the other attendees as their five person line stumbled their way around the rink. Basile nearly took out a husband and wife, trying to sway and skate on their own, and Arthur ran into the barrier on the side of the rink more times than they could count. Everyone was laughing too hard to care about any of it, Lucas and Eliott in the middle changing things up every once and a while to throw the others off balance.

Perhaps it had been a long while, but to Lucas it felt like no time at all, so when Basile, Yann, and Arthur left to return their skates, out of breath and possibly nauseous, Lucas and Eliott stayed for one more song, letting themselves pretend it had been the two of them alone the entire time. 

“This wasn’t what I expected,” Eliott said as they skated, looking over at their other friends. 

“What?” Lucas asked, looking up at Eliott as he always was. 

Eliott looked down at him, meeting his gaze. Piercing, bright, electric, everything. “I thought it would just be the two of us.” They kept skating, and Lucas was glad the lights were alternating between purple and pink, hiding the blush on his cheeks. After a moment, Eliott continued, “Didn’t you?”

“I did,” Lucas said without thinking it through, panicking a second only to be rewarded by a brief but luminescent grin on Eliott’s end. 

“Next time,” Eliott said, like he was certain there would be a next time. There probably would, but it was hard for Lucas to have that kind of certainty about anything, always expecting the worst to disrupt his life. The only thing he’d ever been certain of was loving Eliott, and some days it was hard to tell whether that was the best or worst thing in his life.

The song ended too soon, and Eliott’s smile went with it. Was it selfish to wish to pause time, just to witness Eliott’s joy for one more second?

But he couldn’t pause time, so the moment passed and Eliott and Lucas vacated the roller rink to go find their friends. Their friends, who didn’t understand the significance of a roller rink, or a hedgehog, and who didn’t make Lucas’ heart beat in irregular patterns every time they were together. 

It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, to have people who didn’t understand, but sometimes Lucas wished that they would, that they would see that he was in love and there was nothing any of them could so about it. Yet it was always a relief and a curse when they would ask him who he had his eyes on, who he wanted to hook up with. On the one hand, they didn’t know, and on the other they didn’t know.

So Lucas reveled in his own melancholy, determined to stay that way until the day he either died or stopped loving Eliott, whichever came first. Given that these feelings had prevailed for almost four years at this point, he was pretty sure the former was more likely.

“Eluuuuuu!” Basile yelled as they met up, and Lucas rolled his eyes. He didn’t know when his friends had decided to combine their names and refer to them as such, but somehow it had stuck and didn’t seem like it would go away any time soon. Secretly, Lucas loved it. Not so secretly, Eliott loved it.

“Basyarthur,” Eliott greeted with a wide grin, combining the other three’s names in a similar fashion every time, but always a different combination. 

Arthur nodded appreciatively. “I think that one’s my favorite so far.”

“Why thank you,” Eliott said with a mock bow, meeting Lucas’ eyes as he straightened up. Like a shot from a movie the light began to frame his face, circling him in a glow of neon light, spectral divinity dancing across each and every one of his features. Lucas knew he was staring, but he couldn’t stop himself as he did so.

“Lucas?” A nudge on his shoulder snapped him out of his reverie. Eliott was still looking at him, but the intensity had vacated his eyes and the lights had gone back to normal. Yann nudged him again. “Shall we?” he asked, gesturing to the entrance. 

Lucas nodded noncommittally, following everyone a few steps behind them. Eliott hung back as well, brushing a finger across the back of Lucas’ hand, a grounding sort of gesture they’d used for years when the other person seemed out of sorts. The touch was sweet and gentle and said I’m here. The touch also set Lucas’ heart aflame, but that was something he was working on.

Someday, maybe, that touch would say you’re mine and I’m yours and this was the way it was always meant to be. Someday, maybe, that touch would set Eliott’s heart aflame as well. 

But for now, Lucas looked up at Eliott, and Eliott looked down at him, and they smiled, always finding a way to be alone together in a room, no matter how big or small the crowd around them.

4. 

Lucas wasn’t sure which one of them suggested it, but going to the roller rink high off their asses was an entirely new experience. School was about to start soon and Eliott was anxious about going to university, so they’d decided they needed a way to relieve stress. The roller rink was the obvious solution, the weed was just an extra incentive. 

He couldn’t stop laughing, and he was sure the rink attendees knew or at least suspected that they were high, but thankfully the rink was empty enough that no one said anything.

They were in the same skates with their yellow and blue wheels once again, and Lucas couldn’t stop spinning the wheels with his hands long enough to put the skates on his feet. Was it just him or were the wheels spinning faster than usual? He laughed, catching sight of Eliott through the wheels. 

“Lu… cas…” Eliott stretched the two syllables of his name out long and slow, giggling. Lucas knew about Eliott’s bipolar disorder, knew that he shouldn’t smoke often, but it had been a very long time since either of them had gotten high, and Lucas trusted that if Eliott said it was fine, it was fine. Eliott was always so giggly when he was high, not that he wasn’t soft and smiley in general, but the effect of the weed took it to a whole new level.

Lucas hummed up at Eliott in response, a moment or so too late, as he’d been too lost in thought to make his mind or his body function at all. Eliott laughed again at his delayed response, tapping the tip of his nose. “You’re so cute,” he said.

Any other time, Lucas might have exploded right on the spot, but at that moment he was too relaxed to explode. All he could do was make a noise of contentment and whisper back, “The absolute cuuuuutessstttt.”

He was cute, there was no denying it. 

Somehow the skates had gotten on his feet, though he didn’t quite remember putting them on, but Eliott held out a hand, Lucas took it, and they both immediately fell over on top of each other, earning a glare from the mother and child at the table beside them, but they were too busy laughing to care. 

“Do you think we’re… too high?” Eliott whispered conspiratorially, moving lazily to unscramble their limbs.

Lucas screwed up his face as he stayed lying on the ground. “Pssh. As if.”

“Now get up, I brought you here to skate not lay on your ass,” Eliott giggled, attempting to pull Lucas up, who refused to be pulled up, leaning all his dead weight into the floor. The skates made Eliott slip again and soon they were both still lying on the floor, laughing harder than they had in a long time. 

They did get up, eventually, mostly because the mom who had looked at them disdainfully had complained and one of the roller rink employees had repeated her spiel to them with a sigh that said, I am not getting paid enough for this. Maybe they’d been looking at each other and trying not to laugh the whole time, maybe Eliott’s hand had found Lucas’ as the employee gestured towards the rink and told them to enjoy their day. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Why had they never gone to the rink high before? This was a whole new experience. Lucas usually felt like he was soaring while skating, but at the moment he wasn’t even sure if his feet were on the ground.

Whoever was in charge of the playlist that day did an excellent job. It was calm, maybe too calm, but it was freeing. The music was embedded in the gusts of air that ruffled Lucas’ hair as he skated by Eliott in a blur, a form of art subtly akin to breathing. 

There was a point right at the peak of a high when all the giggles subsided and all the dizziness went away where there was a certain clarity, sort of like a third eye opening, and it was like the stars aligned in the way they were always meant to align. There was a sharpness in Lucas’ vision that hadn’t been there before and there was a certain sense of rightness, like everything he had ever wanted could come true if he just pushed himself to reach for the things he wanted. What he wanted most in the world was Eliott. He already had Eliott, of course, but he wanted Eliott forever and always, in all the ways that mattered. 

Something in Eliott’s eyes said that he wanted that too. Normally Lucas wouldn’t dare, so he made himself a deal. If the lights went yellow in the next ten seconds, and circled Eliott in a golden haze of light like the sun he was, Lucas would kiss him. If the lights went blue, surrounding them in an ocean of LucasandEliott and EliottandLucas, he would wait. 

One

Two

Three

Four

Five 

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine—

Lucas’ heart raced, then dropped. They were blue. 

Eliott still looked beautiful, even in blue, but blue was the color of Lucas’ unrequited love, of the feelings that would never be returned, of the ocean that was LucasandEliott and EliottandLucas and then just Lucas. Just because he was accustomed to being alone, didn’t mean he didn’t still yearn inside at the thought of that changing.

Lucas was so lost in thought that he didn’t anticipate Eliott’s arms weaving their way around his shoulders, tucking Lucas into his chest and staying still in the middle of the rink. Or maybe they were spinning, it was sort of hard for him to tell. 

“Thank you,” Eliott said. 

Lucas tipped his head back and wrapped his arms around Eliott’s middle. “What for?”

“For being you. For this.” Eliott didn’t loosen his grip at all, but he lifted his head, casting his eyes to the ceiling and beyond. 

“You never have to thank me for that,” Lucas said, “You never have to thank me at all.”

“I know. That’s why I want to.” Eliott’s grin was all encompassing, so beautiful and grand that when he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to Lucas’ forehead it took a moment to register, Lucas’ brain still focused on the blinding way his soul was lit by an infinite glow. 

Eliott didn’t kiss him again, and they stayed like that for so long, the two of them tangled in a hug, that Lucas began to think it might all be a dream. If so, he didn’t want to wake up anytime soon.

5.

None of their other friends had wanted to go to the roller rink, and Lucas was secretly glad. It wasn’t that he didn’t like their other friends, but he liked Eliott best. Everyone knew it, and everyone knew Eliott liked Lucas best.

Lucas’ thirteenth birthday had passed without fanfare, so when Eliott had suggested they go to the rink to celebrate, Lucas had been overwhelmed with appreciation for his best friend. He always knew the best ways to make Lucas feel special. Lucas wondered if he’d suggested the roller rink because he knew their other friends wouldn’t want to come. 

They grabbed their skates at the front desk, tying them up giddily. The little wheels on Eliott’s skates were a golden yellow, a color that suited Eliott greatly in Lucas’ opinion. He was full of so much light, it only seemed fitting he’d skate on wheels that were somewhat of an embodiment of the sun. The wheels on Lucas’ skates were blue, an ocean blue that Eliott always said matched his eyes. He didn’t know if that was true or not, but it always made Lucas feel good, like Eliott had been paying as much attention to these things as he had.

Lucas was also glad it was just the two of them, because he had to tell Eliott something he wasn’t ready to tell everyone else yet. He just had to work up the courage. The ever changing rainbow of lights seemed to mock him as they skated, telling him to just say something already. He wanted to, but every time he opened his mouth the words stayed stuck in his throat.

Eliott, I’m gay.

He imagined Eliott smiling that trademark smile of his, taking his hands and spinning him around. Saying, That’s so great Lulu! because he was the only one allowed to call him Lulu and Lucas secretly loved it when he did. 

He’d run through a script in his head of any possible reactions or questions Eliott might have, though none of those scenarios had ever included a poor reaction. He knew Eliott too well, he knew that whatever he might say or do, it would be tinged with excitement and acceptance, no matter what. 

If Eliott had asked him how he knew, he might have blushed and muttered something about Troye Sivan, even if Eliott probably didn’t know who that was. Not only did Troye Sivan have great advice and insight, he was also very, very attractive, a fact Lucas had realized with the feeling of a lightbulb going off in his head. 

Eliott might joke about Lucas having a crush on him, to make him feel less awkward and to make it seem normal as anything else, and Lucas would laugh, saying ew, never! just to make Eliott laugh in fake offense. Because obviously, Lucas would never have a crush on Eliott. Eliott was Eliott, that was all. 

Sure, Eliott was really beautiful, and sure, it annoyed Lucas when the girls Eliott went to highschool with literally fell over themselves to try to talk and flirt with him, but that was normal. Lucas just didn’t want someone to steal away his best friend, especially when none of those girls seemed right for him anyway. 

Lucas wondered if in another universe Eliott was thinking of him as beautiful, and Lucas was there skating alongside him, clueless as ever. 

Eliott started talking to him then, bursting his bubble of thoughts and bringing him back to the roller rink. He was talking about some new art style he was trying, where he would draw people as animals instead of humans, try to match each person to the animal he thought suited them best. 

“What animal are you?” Lucas asked, and Eliott thought about it for a moment, even though Lucas knew he’d just been waiting for Lucas to ask. 

“A raccoon,” he said definitively, and Lucas giggled.

“A raccoon?”

“A raccoon.”

Lucas didn’t really understand. Eliott didn’t scream raccoon to him, though admittedly he wasn’t the artist here. “Why a raccoon?”

“Because they’re awesome,” Eliott scoffed, “Plus, they wear a mask.”

Lucas cast his gaze downward. “Do you wear a mask?”

“Sometimes,” Eliott admitted, “But never with you.”

Lucas felt his heart warm and flutter in a way that was uncalled for with such a simple statement. They said things like that all the time, this wasn’t special, so why was his heart racing like it was? “What animal am I?” he asked to take his mind off it.

Eliott lifted a hand and ran it through Lucas’ unruly and somewhat spiky hair. “A hedgehog.”

“Hey!” Lucas protested, but Eliott interjected immediately.

“Don’t ‘hey!’ me, hedgehogs are amazing. Tiny, adorable, sweet to those they love but a little prickly when they feel uncomfortable.” 

Lucas considered it. It was pretty spot on, if he was being honest. His heart took another leap at the thought that Eliott had taken so much time picking an animal to match who Lucas was, inside and out, and that he knew Lucas better than anyone in the entire world. Sometimes better than Lucas himself. 

He had a sudden sensation in the pit of his stomach, like the drop on a rollercoaster, a feeling of falling. It hit him all at once, and it was so glaringly obvious that he ran through his earlier thoughts of denial with a shake of his head. 

He was falling, most definitely, falling in love with Eliott. 

Well, fuck, what was he supposed to do with that? He certainly couldn’t tell Eliott that he was gay now, not when he now knew what he felt and why he felt it. Maybe it was a harmless, crush, and it would go away, but Lucas suspected the crush stage may have started even before he knew it was a crush. 

Never have a crush on Eliott his ass. 

He was only thirteen. No one ended up with the person they had a crush on when they were thirteen, that kind of thing only happens in movies. All he had to do was pretend, as long as he had to, until he found someone else that made him feel like Eliott did, like a whole, undamaged human being. He could do that, it wasn’t like he’d still be pining four years later or anything. 

+1.   

A Troye Sivan song was playing, which brought a small smile to Lucas’ lips. After he’d chickened out in telling Eliott he was gay that one fateful day at the roller rink, he’d been determined to keep both his secrets until the day he died. But then Troye Sivan had released Blue Neighborhood. And Lucas had listened to every song more times than he could count. And he’d blurted out he was gay to Eliott out of nowhere the very next day after the album came out. 

For some reason, they were back at the roller rink, and Lucas grinned with satisfaction as he finally got a pair of skates with blue wheels. Eliott’s were that beautiful golden yellow, just like when they were younger.

It had actually been quite a while since their last visit, both claiming they were too busy to make time. Lucas wasn’t sure if that was true for either of them, but it had felt like something had changed that day. They’d both blamed it on being high but Lucas knew that wasn’t the case. Maybe he’d been too forward and Eliott had gotten scared. 

They stepped onto the rink like usual, Lucas’ hand in Eliott’s, steady and warm, and they let their other senses overtake them, leaving their thoughts to be lost to time and forget that anything existed outside that beautiful and unforgettable roller rink. 

It was unusually crowded, which Lucas hoped meant business was back and booming again. He didn’t know what he would do if the rink closed, where he would go to feel alive. Then again, looking at Eliott, he realized he felt most alive wherever Eliott was. They could be at the bottom of the ocean, but if they were together Lucas would cherish every moment. 

“Why do you always take me here?” Lucas asked, because he genuinely wanted to know. Sure, it was their place, but they could have found a new place at any time. Lucas loved the roller rink, he was just sure Eliott must be sick of it by now.

Eliott spun around, skating backwards to face Lucas while they spoke. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, we could go anywhere! I don’t want you to feel like you have to come here for me,” Lucas said, always terrible at articulating what he was feeling. 

“I’d do anything for you Lulu,” Eliott said simply, “And besides, I love it here.”

Lucas smiled, and Eliott returned it, the softness emanating out of them so intimate and beautiful. “I can switch it up for the next date though, if you want,” Eliott continued, and Lucas tripped over his skates.

“Woah, you ok?” Eliott extended a hand to help him up and Lucas blinked a few times, trying to process what Eliott had said. For the next date. Maybe it was just a turn of phrase? 

“The next date?” Lucas asked without meaning to, still sitting on the ground. 

Eliott’s eyes went wide and they flicked away from Lucas’ face as his cheeks turned a bright red only emphasized by the neon lights overhead. “Yes?” 

When Lucas didn’t say anything more, a look of comprehension dawned on Eliott’s face. “Wait a second. You know that this is a date, right?”

Lucas did not know that. 

His silence must have spoken volumes, because Eliott retracted his hand, putting his face into both of his hands. “They’ve all been dates, Lucas.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Lucas said indignantly. He wasn’t that dumb.

“I thought I made it fairly obvious! After last time, though, I thought for sure I went too far, scared you off,” Eliott lamented in a strained sort of voice. 

Lucas made his way to standing finally, head a bit clearer, but still confused. “You went too far? You kissed my forehead because we were high.”

“I kissed your forehead because I wanted to kiss your lips but I was too scared to.”

“Well I hugged you because I was too scared to kiss you,” Lucas argued.

Eliott’s smile returned in the form of a small smirk. “So it’s a competition now to which one of us was more of a dumbass?” 

“It’s not a competition, I didn’t even realize we’d been on multiple dates,” Lucas pointed out.

“You’re right. Why did I fall in love with such an idiot?” Eliott said with a laugh, before his face blanched. 

Lucas took another moment to right his equilibrium. “Fall in love?”

Eliott could have backtracked, denied it, but instead he set his jaw and nodded. “Completely.”

“Well maybe you are the biggest dumbass then, if you didn’t realize I’ve been in love with you since I was thirteen,” Lucas said softly, breathlessly.

There was barely a moment for Lucas to pause and regret his words before Eliott was right in front of him, pulling him close as possible and capturing his lips. In Lucas’ mind fireworks exploded.

Lucas kissed Eliott back the way he’d always dreamed of doing and when they parted he took in everything, from the way Eliott’s eyes crinkled at the sides, to the swollen appearance of Eliott’s lips, to the way the lights bounced off his hair and cast that same serene glow they always did. Lucas laughed to himself, pulling Eliott back into another kiss.

The lights were yellow.

#skam france #elu fic #75 dates in the skam universe #eliott demaury #lucas lallemant #elu

[entomycetic]

BUST AU - Timeskip Moon Base (+other headcanons)

(Made a previous post about my The Space Between Us AU that I’m now calling BUST AU; all you need to know is Steven grew up in the Moon Base, which was remodeled over time to look more like a proper home.) “Here’s an AU that I won’t develop beyond this synopsis!” *immediately spends the entire night world building* ....Seriously its almost 8am, I haven’t left my computer since I made the first BUST post like 9 hours ago or somethin oops- Anyways, I really wanted to design how the moon base house looked in my head! Though after I drew it out, I realized it might be more suitable as a timeskip, when Steven had more say in how it was constructed, and was held more responsible for taking care of himself. I SUPER wanna revisit this and actually make a background for each room, but now is Not The Time, so here’s the general idea!

I wanted to get a sense of scale first, so here’s just the practice of getting the interior down! I used a bunch of screenshots to make an educated guess on the measurements, and boy howdy that is a LOT of room...

And here’s the (timeskipped) house version! (The holes on the far wall allow a platform elevator to efficiently transport people up and down the house, courtesy of Peridot and Pearl’s handiwork.) I went HAM on the decoration man, I’ll explain this chicken scratch bottom to top:

Warp Room

The entrance and exit! The warp pad was placed in its own room so the warp light doesn’t blind anyone. It’s a personal theory that the farther the distance of warping, the stronger the light; and the moon is pretty far!

The Gems bring back as many cool finds as they can to help decorate the space (making sure the sharper things are securely fastened out of reach). Along with this, Steven decorates with his own art and posters that he buys online. 

The Gems made sure to insulate and wall up the murals; they didn’t need him asking about the Diamonds so soon. Some furniture lines the outer wall with maps and books strewn all across them; Steven prefers to be home schooled down here, and it’s also where the Gems usually plan for missions that they want Steven to join. Steven also brought a bunch of flowers down, helping fill in the giant room.

Next to the door is a pair of homemade (but reliable) astronaut suits; they aren’t used very often though, since there’s not much to see outside. The main door used to be locked entirely, until a second airlock was fitted inside.

Kitchen/Living Room

To the left is the general living room area, to the right is the kitchen. The Gems were able to set up electricity, water lines, sewage, the WHOLE package!

The dining table usually has 5 chairs set up, but they keep some extra foldable chairs leaned against the cabinet- just in case.

A large rug, coffee table, two mismatched couches, and a cluttered bookshelf in the living room; long counters, overhead cabinets full of canned goods, a fridge, sink, and microwave oven in the kitchen.

Bathroom/’Shed’

For the sake of privacy, this floor is separated into two rooms with a hallway in the middle. Steven took the liberty of decorating it with a nice table and a flower.

As standard a bathroom you can fined on the moon, on the left- tub/shower combo, a short counter with a sink, a mirror, toilet, standalone closet with ‘typical’ bathroom supplies

Currently, the ‘shed’ is full of books, games, and beanbags; whatever Steven’s family think he might find fun usually ends up here. 

Steven built a little loft area as his first big addition to the house, which he’s proud of; only him and Amethyst have the guts to hang out up there, though. A small TV is used for his video games and movies; he can’t really get a signal for cable on the moon, but he can always watch new movies in theaters in the observatory.

Greenhouse

As it’s titled, where at least half the plants in the house are kept!

This area might have gotten the most upgrades, with Peridot’s help; with regulators and efficient plant lights, this farm and outdoor area is much easier to take care of nowadays.

The first ‘layer’ is a grassy area with a small oak tree and a pond with a few fish.

The ‘shelf’ floors act as a farm, with a variety of crops growing all year round in assorted wall hanging planters.

Plant lights hand down from the shelf floors; the brightest hang above the open area, so the tree gets enough light. Solar panels now line a majority of the outer walls of the base to power the house.

Observatory

Almost the same as it was when the Gems first started renovating; the only difference being the entrance/exit being changed to a different spot. Steven uses this room less ever since he’s been able to visit Earth more, but before then it might’ve been the room he spent the most time in.

Bedroom

The diamond seat was turned into a bed; with some custom-made support between the edge of the seat and the edge of the control panel, a mattress was able to be placed inside; the back of the seat and the control panel acting as the head and foot of the bed. As cool as the view is, Steven placed a removable veil over his bed for when he wants to pretend he isn’t entirely isolated from humanity.

I like to think it’s similar to the conservatory seen in the movie, with beanbags and flowerpots.

Furniture like a dresser and bookshelf was placed on the wall facing away from Earth; his desk faces the Earth. He also made a removable background curtain, so when his friends that don’t know he lives on the moon decide to video call, he doesn’t have to answer many questions.

He has a few hundred feet of string lights hung above everything, kind of like a spiderweb. Pearl calls it a fire hazard, Steven calls it necessary for the aesthetic

There’s all the rooms, now time for some other random headcanons!

Can you tell that I like Steven likes beanbags?

Steven picked up a LOT of hobbies since he had so much alone time; his most frequent being singing/playing instruments, gardening, reading, and art. The gardening helps him take care of the greenhouse, and his art decorates a lot of wall space. He’d have probably picking up cooking if he didn’t have to rely so much on others getting the ingredients for him.

Steven keeps a beanbag in the observatory; he could and does spend hours sightseeing. As fascinated as he is by society, he tries to respect peoples’ privacy as best he can, and doesn’t spy on his friends and family altogether.

A lot of the stuff to build was stolen or taken from garbage; Greg was impressed, exasperated, and afraid for his son when Amethyst told him this. (Amethyst still brings stuff for the house to this day; the foldable chairs, some of Steven’s posters, the living room rug,etc.)

The amount of hours he’s sunk into people watching has inadvertently made him REALLY good at lip reading.

Steven isn’t entirely vegetarian, but a good majority of what he eats comes from the farm in the greenhouse; it’s easy to tend to and is right at home!

The greenhouse used to be Steven’s favorite place to hang out, but seeing the human zoo kind of disturbed him; he still loves it since it’s his home and he likes tending to his plants, but he subconsciously avoids staying there for as long as he used to. (...remind me to never try to do half-assed-and-failed gravity math at 4am ever again. also. heheheh could write some fluffy qpr connverse....or something dramatic like the warp pad breaking...hehehehehehe maybe later tho when i aint dead)

#steven universe #su #steven universe au #the space between us #su bust au #mycoart #mycoau #mynotatian

[mrsrcbinscn]

Franny Robinson HC Infodump #4: Country and Bluegrass Music

hi, I’ll finally do a writeup on her work in jazz next but I’m in a country mood and was INSPIRED so oops country first

Word count: 2486

Dara & Danny

  In 1991, Daniel Maitland (fc: Martin Sensmeier), an Indigenous Alaskan kid, moved from Alaska to Payne Lake, Georgia, with his parents and older and younger sisters after his father got a job opportunity in Atlanta, a reasonable commute away. Daniel spent two years being musical rivals with Franny Framagucci before he proposed they just combine their talents and perform together at talent shows and the county fair. The two were inseparable, musically, until Franny went to college at NYU and Daniel went to East Tennessee State.

  They remained friends throughout college and reunited during winter and summer breaks to play together locally. Daniel was in Franny’s wedding party. He’s Wilbur’s godfather and is ‘Uncle Dan’, they’ve always remained close. They would write songs together usually through an internet connection except for when they could travel to write in person.

  In 2009, Daniel once again was the one who suggested they officially collaborate. That’s when the bluegrass-country-traditional southern/Appalachian folk duo was born. They have released 9 albums together since they started releasing music under Dara & Danny.

  One album, titled Molly’s Church, is almost entirely songs from the hymnal of the Church of the Nazarene in their hometown in Georgia, which was the church their friend Molly attended before her death. It was a “fuck you” response to them having received backlash from certain gatekeepers for a video of them singing Hank Williams’ I Saw The Light going viral. They were pissed two non-Christians were getting praise for performing the song. (Franny is a Buddhist and Daniel is an Indigenous Alaskan with traditional spiritual beliefs).

  To the backlash, Franny said, and announced the dropping of this album on an Instagram Live Q & A, “It’s funny. Like. Christmas is such a part of mainstream American culture. I celebrate Christmas, my non-religious Maori husband celebrates Christmas, are y’all mad about that too? Christianity is so deeply woven into American culture and the history of American music, like I just -- its wild y’all are so mad. And because I like to poke an angry bear, our new album, Molly’s Church [...] and what really gets me is like - just because I ain’t Christian, don’t mean I’m ignorant about it either. I’m from the Bible Belt, y’all. I did go to church with my little friends some Sunday mornin’s as a child if I had a sleepover at their house. [...] One of my best friends, the lovely, talented, beautiful, late Molly Vaughn, who we named the album after, was a devout Christian. When I would cry, she’d always sing It Is Well With My Soul to me and play with my hair. You can’t tell me that because I’m not a Christian, that song ain’t special to me. I think of that song whenever I’m going through a hard time and my heart is at peace because at its core it's a song about looking at your situation and making peace with it, and finding the strength to move on to hopefully better days. At her husband’s request, I sang Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing at her funeral, okay? Like- [pause for annoyed exhaling] to suggest we have nothing but respect for these beautiful hymns is insulting. [...] Insulting not just to us, but to the hymns. They’re so beautiful that they have made an emotional impact on two non-Christian musicians. I think that’s wonderful and speaks to how lucky we are to live in a time where all sorts of sorts are able to learn from and share with each other. But that’s just us, I guess.

  Every song on Molly’s Church has a special memory attached to it for either myself or Daniel, or in the case of Be Thou My Vision, it was Molly’s favorite hymn ever. We couldn’t name an album of hymns after her and not put that on it.”

  The track list is as follows: [Spotify playlist]

  I couldn’t find a folksy or bluegrassy version of Be Thou My Vision, which. I’m ANGRY about. Because when I was a practicing Nazarene Christian it was my favorite hymn, and I still find it beautiful but.

  Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing

How Great Thou Art

Dwelling In Beulah Land

Be Thou My Vision

It Is Well With My Soul

I Saw The Light

Victory In Jesus

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory

Holy, Holy, Holy

  Another album, titled Something’s Rotten in The Sticks is purposely very dark. It’s largely covers of murder ballads and sad traditional folk songs from the American South and Appalachian Mountains, featuring original songs and covers of songs that explore the darker sides of more modern rural life like the opioid crisis, unemployment, poor education, poverty with no social safety nets, and more. 

  Franny openly admits that she wrote the original songs from a place of immense privilege. In an Instagram Live Q&A about the album she said, “These aren’t my exact lived experiences. But I feel like I have some right to talk about these stories because these are the things happening to my people, the good people of the town that took my mother in when she was a twenty-something year old refugee, and then helped raise me. I buried my first friend thanks to the Sacklers (the family whose pharma company produces oxycontin, who purposely spread misinformation about how its a safe drug and who pret-ty much engineered the opioid epidemic) in 1998. I just last month buried one of my best friends since elementary school after three narcan shots couldn’t save them. 

  Rural Southern folks and the problems they face are dear to my heart. [...] I know how lucky I am to have grown up in the rural south and ended up where I am today, in the privileged position I am in. [...] And I see the way people in the cities talk to and about these people and it’s fucking gross. You know nothing about these people and what their lives are like, and what they care about and worry about. I have always been proud to be Southern, just as I’m proud to be Cambodian. [...] Rural poor folks are the kindest, most loving, most resilient people, and I am not ashamed that I came from that. 

  This album… so our last album, Prodigal Children of Clayton County, Georgia, was a love letter to and about our hometown and the people of the rural south. This album is more of a ‘we see you.’ And it's also, I hope, an accessible way to start explaining the problems our people face to city elites that look down their noses at them. Like, I hope people can say in response to “I just don’t understand these people”, “hey, go listen to I Grabbed A Banjo (And You, The Pills), then talk to me.”

  Daniel said in that same Q & A, “I was born in Alaska, I met Franny when I moved to her hometown in Georgia, in middle school, and we began playing music together in high school. I live in the Appalachian Mountains now, I studied Bluegrass and Old Time music at East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City. Now, I’m -- I’ve been lucky enough to make a living out of the music I love, but you know- like I said. I live in the Appalachian mountains, in Kentucky, in a rural area. I never left the rural south, since I came here, this has been my home. We’re privileged now, but had a few stars aligned differently, our high school friends’ lives would have been ours. We love the people of this region. Like Franny said, we both have two groups of people we are passionate about amplifying and equipped to amplify. Mine are our struggling rural folks, and Indigenous voices, and Franny don’t ever shut up about Cambodian or the rural south.”

  “I really fucking don’t.” Franny quipped.

The track list is as follows: [Spotify link, the first 8 tracks are the songs they covered on the album and the rest are songs that fit the vibe of the original songs to give y’all a picture]

  Knoxville Girl

I Grabbed A Banjo (And You, The Pills), an original song about the opioid epidemic that’s killed many of Franny and Daniel’s high school friends 

Troubles, traditional folk song as popularized by Kilby Snow and Anna & Elizabeth

Red Dirt Girl (Emmylou Harris cover)

But I Ain't A Milton Boy/Girl , an original song about how in Milton (a bougie rich people part of Georgia) kids go to college and become doctors and lawyers while people from the song narrators’ town don’t bother learning to solve for X because all that waits for them is army recruiters, the power company, or the unemployment line [the male narrator, Daniel], and the female narrator [Franny] sings about how she was a smart girl who held her first baby when she was a baby herself, married two bad men she thought were good, and now she sells her ADHD pills to college kids to buy groceries, and how their high school aspirations crumbled easily, and the chorus is literally just narrators fantasizing about a decent standard of living and having decent opportunities and then going, “But I ain’t a Milton boy/girl, and that’s why I’m cryin’ today”

Deportee (Woody Guthrie song as covered by Dolly Parton)

Savannah, a song Franny wrote about the time her brother drove her down to Savannah when she got pregnant in high school so she could have an abortion three hours from home, where nobody local to them would be out front shouting at people needing abortions

Poor Folks Town (Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton cover, instrumentation is modified to be a little melancholy to fit the rest of the album, but it is still a markedly happier song than the rest of the album except for Rich Kid Clothes)

Don’t Put Whiskey In My Water, an original song about a man nine years sober almost falling off the wagon when he’s laid off ahead of his teenage daughter’s high school graduation, including the line ‘don’t worry about Ole Miss, we’ll figure it out, somehow we always do, smart little girl like you can’t die in this town’

Don’t Take Your Guns To Town (Johnny Cash cover)

Pretty Polly

Down In The Willow Garden

Rich Kid Clothes, original song about a brother and sister super jazzed about their “new” clothes, hand-me-downs from the rich kids of the house their mama cleans, happiest song on the album

Health Insurance, an original song from the perspective of three different people, on in each verse, either dying or seriously suffering from solvable medical issues but because healthcare in America is trash they either can’t get help, or are going bankrupt trying to, that’s incredibly sarcastic including lyrics like ‘and I know I deserve to die for not having had a rich great-grandaddy, and who wants to see their daughter graduate college anyway’ , one of those sad songs with joyful instrumentation

  Another album! Is titled The Rise And Fall of Jenny and Jamie, and is a concept album meant to be listened from start to finish that tells the story of a couple that falls in love, gets married, has a very dysfunctional marriage, and ultimately divorces. Think the energy of Alpha Desperation March by The Mountain Goats, and the entire Tallahasee album but especially No Children. The Dara & Danny album is a little less dark because the last few songs, about divorce, are like...happy. 

  Daniel, who had been divorced twice by the time they wrote the songs for that album, said “There is nothing sad about ending a marriage you’re miserable in or don’t want anymore. The two songs about the divorce, they’re happy because our characters are happy to be done with each other. It isn’t Tammy Wynette spelling D-I-V-O-R-C-E and lamenting the end of her marriage, instead, Jenny and Jamie realize their marriage is toxic not just for the other person, but for themself, and they’re relieved to not be married anymore.

  Notable Dara & Danny performances and accomplishments:

They cover Whiskey Lullaby at many shows they do. A video from a 2016 show went semi-viral, and fans of the duo will show it as an example of “Peak Dara & Danny”

Nominated for the 2019 Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song, as the duo Dara & Danny, but ultimately Brandi Carlile won for ‘The Joke’

Franny was absolutely thrilled for her. She STANS Brandi Carlile and has written songs with her before. 

In the post-Grammys interview, the interview asked Franny if she was disappointed and she was like “I would pay Brandi Carlile to punch me in the face, so no.”

The clip of Franny saying that went viral and embarrassed poor Wilbur

“To be honest, when I saw The Joke was nominated, I didn’t even bother writing a speech. Daniel and I were both just thrilled to be considered to be like, at her level.”

Nominated for the 2019 Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance, as Dara & Danny, and again lost to “The Joke”, but again, did not care at all

Won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album as Dara & Danny, their fifth nomination in the category and second win

Nominated as Dara & Danny in the category Vocal Duo of The Year at the 2019 CMA awards.

Nominated for IBMA Album of the Year in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018

Won the 2019 IBMA for Album of the Year 

Won the 2019 IBMA for Song of the Year 

Franny is the first person of Cambodian descent to win a Grammy, an ASCAP award, an IBMA, or be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Daniel is the first Alaskan Native to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Solo work

  Franny’s used bluegrass-folk style music to write songs about the experiences of her mother and other relatives under the Khmer Rouge and in the civil conflict that preceded it. It leans a little away from #pure bluegrass but it includes mandolin, banjo, and even some traditional Cambodian instruments. It’s this blend of bluegrass instrumentation and traditional Cambodian instruments that on paper sounds like “Franny you’re crazy” but in practice its fuckin’ lit, y’all.

  It’s as genius as The Hu, that Mongolian band that was like “what is we play metal music with guitars and a drum set and TRADITIONAL MONGOLIAN INSTRUMENTS?” Lit.

  She did an entire album, Franny Sor Robinson Covers Kitty Wells [playlist] and that album gained Franny a ton of street cred in the country/bluegrass industry. She got a lot of respect for her Kitty Wells covers.

  She’s released three solo albums of folksy-bluegrass-country style music that is original music she wrote the lyrics and music for.

  Three solo albums, the Kitty Wells cover album, and nine Dara & Danny albums makes twelve country-bluegrass albums total Franny’s released, not counting featured artist appearances on other albums.

  Notable Franny Sor Robinson awards, performances, and accomplishments in the country music sphere:

  Franny sang ‘Born To Fly’ with Sara Evans once

Franny loves that song, it came out in 2000, when she was in college at NYU, and it was a staple song of hers to perform at any gigs she did in college

The day the United States legalized same-sex marriage, Franny was a supporting solo act for a friend of hers and she was like “I don’t know a better way to celebrate than by taking one of my favorite country love songs and making it better. And by that I mean gay.” By this point she’d been out as bisexual for years. So she sang Brad Paisley’s She’s Everything 

Franny’s always kept the pronouns the same in songs she covers, so if it was a man’s song about a woman she’s always kept it about a “she.” Her cover of She Thinks I Still Care by George Jones was an instant hit when it was released on one of her solo albums

At an event honoring Randy Travis, Franny performed his hit Deeper Than The Holler for him

She also got to sing I Told You So with him once at another occasion and she damn near died

At the final show of George Strait’s final tour, Franny sang Carried Away with him and almost cried he is one of her!!! Idols!!! and during his encore, she joined him and all of the other special guests of the final concert to sing All My Exes Live In Texas

She’s been awarded and recognized by various organizations for the furthering of Asian-Americans in the arts in general, in music, and empowerment for both her work in jazz and country umbrella music

She’s performed at and been nominated for CMA awrds, ACM awards, and Americana Music Honors & Awards

She’s won Americana Music Awards

When challenged to prove she could yodel she fuckin got right up and sang Hank Williams’ Long Gone Lonesome Blues and nailed all the very technical yodeling, and its a thing she’s like, Known for doing, so she will perform it live pretty often

#&&...hc

[agustdmono]

MASTERPIECE; kth Oneshot (M)

Pairing(s): Kim Taehyung x Reader

Summary: Ever since you moved into their town, you loved the work of the artist who owned a shop near your home. Eventually, you become a regular and grew close as just friends. Will you accept his offer and participate in his newest project?

Word Count: 7.8K+

Genre(s): ONESHOT! Mature (18+), Smut, bts AU (Artist Taehyung)

Caution(s): Slight dom!Taehyung, Y/N is painted on and then put against a canvas, lots of foreplay and teasing, oral (Y/N receives), fingering, hair pulling, unprotected sex, fluff ending

Author’s Note: We tried to pull thru the artist block. Tried. ((*゜Д゜)ゞ” - Thena

Moving into a new apartment was difficult, but unpacking and setting up all of the furniture was worse. Still, you had to stick to protocol and go through all of the steps to break the new place in. You finally finished setting up the last household item, but you noticed that your walls felt too empty. You stood there with your hands on your hips just observing how boring it was to look at. If anything, you thought that you could sleep where you stood. There were no paintings, photos, or shelves hung up whatsoever. To get a headstart on some sort of decoration, you took out your laptop and tried searching for the nearest art shop. After a few minutes of browsing, you stumbled upon Vee, that happened to be walking distance. Excited, you grabbed your purse and put on your shoes and headed for the store.

When you arrived at the front of the shop, your eyes were already observing the exterior of the building. The store was simple; yet it managed to stick out, compared to the surrounding stores. The next thing you knew, your hand was already against the cold metal of the door. You heard the chime above the frame once you took one step into the area. There were other customers present, but it wasn’t too crowded to the point of it being overwhelming. You received a couple glances and welcoming smiles from a few people; which you assumed were locals. The vibe here seemed to be homely, and not to mention, how the quietness soothed you like a lullaby. The atmosphere was just all around calming.

While taking your first waltz through the store, you eyed the paintings up and down. It as if you were picky with your choice, and when you reached the halfway point, the first painting that caught your eye was the surrealist movement. You were fascinated by the way the brush strokes protruded ever-so-slightly out of the canvas. From the front view, it looks completely flat and 2D, but when you stepped to the side, you could see other parts of the work from a different perspective.

“That’s my favorite one too,” a male commented.

You were startled by the sudden statement. The male stood close to you wearing an apron covered in paint splatters, but he managed to get some on his face. While he held his hands behind him, observing the painting like you previously were, you couldn’t help drag your attention towards him instead. You’d be lying to yourself if you thought the guy wasn’t attractive, but you weren’t here to scout for a man. You asked how much the piece was, and his answer was a little over your budget. Although it was only three digits, the wallet in your purse was screaming, and you felt defeated. The various artworks on the shelves were beautiful too, but you found yourself drawn, specifically, to this one.

“I’ll come back when I have more money,” you sheepishly explained. “I just moved here, and I don’t have enough cash on me at the moment.”

“It’s okay!” he beamed. “I’ll give you a discount since you just moved in.”

You were taken aback by his kind gesture. Of course, you accepted his suggestion since it was a good deal. When he took down the painting from the wall, he held it tightly with one hand, ensuring to use the other to seal the deal. Once the two of you shook hands and exchanged smiles, he traveled over to the counter. Behind it, he took out bubble wrap and secured your purchase. After you paid for the item, you thanked him for the discount.

“I’ll be coming back more often,” you smiled as you tucked your wallet away.

“Great! I love having regulars,” he exclaimed. “You can call me Taehyung, by the way.”

“I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you, Taehyung. I look forward to seeing you later.”

As he offered you another one of his boxy smiles, you left the store enthusiastically.

You practically bolted back home, but you were careful not to drop the artwork. After receiving 50% off the painting, you wanted to make sure that you took care of it. Finally, as your apartment complex came into view, you let out a relieved sigh. Before you knew it, you were already up the elevator and prepared to make a beeline for your door. As soon as you kicked your shoes off, you went straight for your toolbox under the sink. Taking out the hammer and nail in one hand―the painting still in the other―you walked over to your living room. Now, this was the indecisive part: knowing where to hang up the new piece. But without thinking about it too much, you casually strode over to the empty wall beside the bookshelf. It was a place where the art would clearly be seen, so it was more than perfect.

You finally had a steady income with your office job, and you found yourself coming into Taehyung’s store every week for the next month. Every time you walked out, you’d find yourself holding a new purchase and the two of you undoubtedly got closer. With his charm, irresistible smile, and contagious laugh, you were captivated more and more by the day.

This week though, you couldn’t visit him because four of your coworkers were on vacation, and you had to fill in their spots in order to keep the office running properly. Piles of paperwork were given to you, and you would leave the company building around 11pm. You were torn and drained from the amount of stress you took for the team. Thankfully it came with extra pay; otherwise, you would have walked out of there faster than anyone could say, “oops.” Once you received your paycheck at the end of the week, you were excited to spend it at your favorite shop: Vee.

After meeting up with your coworkers, who were on vacation, you were stoked to know that you were able to go back to your original schedule. You excitedly walked to the shop and didn’t bother changing out of your work attire. Walking around the shop, you spotted Taehyung already occupied with one of his regular customers. You waited by the cash register, holding the item you were ready to buy. It was a sculpture of a three-headed dragon. Taehyung walked up to the counter with the customer lingering by his side and helped her out with her purchase. They both made small talk as he rung her up, but it felt like forever while you waited. As the lady left, you watched as he quickly made his way to the back to grab some water. And once he came out, you flashed him a smile and a small wave. You were too busy digging into your purse to notice that he halted in his steps. Right when he saw you, his eyes scanned your physique. He then took another quick sip of his water, eyes wide and still looking passed his cup, before helping you out. The last bit of his beverage ended with a loud gulp; which then made you look up. Maybe that pencil skirt on you was a little too tight for his liking.

“H-How was work? I, uh… I missed you last week,” he stuttered, struggling to keep his eyes off of you.

“Last week was absolute hell for me,” you complained, running your finger through your hair, already frustrated at the thought. “They let me off early because my coworkers finally came back from their vacation. You know, I’m envious of you, Tae.”

“Really? Why?” he asked.

“You’re living your dream as an artist,” you stated, looking around the entire shop in awe. “I wish I could do the same.”

There was a slight pause between the two of you, causing the air to increase with tension. It wasn’t too noticeable, but you could tell there was something going on in that mind of his. You looked up at him, and as expected, he had that look in his eyes as if he were in deep thought.

“I want to show you something. It’s upstairs, but I need to help all these customers first,” he informed.

Initially, you were a bit skeptical, but you’ve known Taehyung long enough to trust him at this point. He led you to a door in the back of his store and pushed it open; which revealed a suspicious staircase. The two of you walked up the stairs until you reached another door. He rummaged in the front pocket of his pants to fish out his key to unlock the second door. When he motioned you to go in first, you nodded shyly. You just saw a studio full of empty canvases, sealed paint buckets, a large tarp, and all of the art supplies someone could probably think of, lying around. You stood in the middle of the room, fascinated by the view of the streets through the windows and the unfinished paintings.

Taehyung smirked at your reaction: glad you were interested in his workroom. Not many people knew about it; and by that, the only people who currently know are just you and him. When it came to his private room, he wanted to keep the space to himself. But when he met you, all while getting to know you as well, he wanted to become a little closer.

“Give me a few minutes,” he said with apologetic eyes, before rushing down to help any remaining customers.

You found yourself roaming around the studio by yourself. The room was fairly large, and the windows definitely accentuated that characteristic. You surely didn’t mind waiting on Taehyung, but you found yourself to be a little bored. To occupy yourself until he was to appear again, you glided passed some of the paintings. There was another particular piece that caught your eye, but you could tell he was still working on it. Because his equipment was still near the canvas and the paint was still wet, you made sure you kept your distance. He was painting a portrait of a female, but it was too difficult to depict who it was due to the lack of detail.

“I’m still working on that one,” he mentioned, as he closed the door behind him.

You nearly jumped at his sudden intrusion but finding it somewhat humorous. Once you noticed the gleam reflecting from the sun in his eyes, he bowed his head. Before you could ask him about the other customers for conversation, he motioned you to follow him. With that, you trailed behind him, looking past his shoulder to peek at what he was moving towards. The two of you walked up to a large canvas and you couldn’t help but wonder why he needed such a huge canvas; taller than an average human. It had to be at least seven feet tall. He was grinning from ear to ear, and you could see the excitement in his eyes.

“This is my next project, and I wanted to ask you if you’d like to be a part of it,” he explained, excitedly clapping his hands lightly.

“W-Wait, really?” you questioned, shocked obvious with your expression. “Am I really worthy enough for your art?”

The look on his face looked almost as shocked as your previous one.

“Of course!” he smiled.

You felt honored but astonished at the same time because the offer was so sudden. You wanted to help your favorite artist, so you might as well be apart of it right?

“What do I have to do?” you asked.

“I don’t want to give too much away,” he hummed, “but I’ll need to paint on your body.”

“Huh?”

“I mean o-only if you’re okay with it,” he chuckled nervously.

“I’ll do it,” you interjected.

“I understand if you don- oh, you actually said yes.”

“I trust you.”

If he had a tail, it would be wagging like crazy because you could see how relieved and happy he was at the same time. He grabbed a sheet and spread the item on the ground so that paint wouldn’t get onto his floor. He pulled the canvas closer to the setup and placed paint buckets near the edges of the sheet.

“We can take it slow if you want.”

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” you nodded.

You removed your heels before setting foot onto the sheet. You started off with unbuttoning your shirt; which exposed your black bra. The air conditioning was on and the cold air was hitting your bare skin. You slid the rest off and waited for Taehyung to finish mixing the paint. Once he turned around, he nearly dropped his paintbrush at the sight of you. Your chest was facing him and you did your best to not look shy. If anything, you kept a straight face, but you had to clench your jaw.

He invaded your personal space the moment he took a step towards you. You tilted your head up to avoid his gaze. You could feel his hot breath travel down your torso as the brush lightly tickles your skin. At one point you let out a giggle because you’re ticklish. You had to constantly tell yourself that there are no feelings involved. At least you tried to.

“Can I remove your bra?” he asked.

You snapped out of your thoughts. You felt your face get heated at his question, but you ended up nodding. He carefully wrapped his arms around you and fumbled with the clasp of your bra until he successfully unhooked the undergarment. You slipped the item off of you and threw it somewhere.

“Beautiful,” he mumbled to himself.

Unfortunately, you didn’t quite catch that, but he went back to coating your body with paint. When he got to your breasts, you shivered at the feeling of the brush rubbing against your sensitive skin. Eventually, he got to your nipples and you had to bite down on your bottom lip to stop yourself from moaning. You swore you stopped breathing. He saw you struggling and it made him want to make you squirm at his touch.

“Remove your skirt please,” he politely requested.

There’s no backing out now. You were about to pull down your skirt until you remembered what you were wearing underneath: sheer thigh-high socks. Your work had a dress code: if you wear a skirt, cover your skin with stockings. But you're lazy and you know how much of a hassle stockings can be. Taehyung is going to be in for a surprise.

You pulled your skirt down and kicked it off to the side. Your gaze met his and you saw the hunger in his eyes for a quick second. He mumbled something under his breath before he could continue.

“Trying to impress someone?”

“Work dress code,” you briefly explained. “Didn’t want to wear stockings, so I improvised.”

He cleared his throat and nodded. The sight of you was driving him insane, so he had to work quickly, but he can’t stop the tent in his loose-fitted pants from growing. He squatted down before you noticed the bulge in his pants; which he was thankful you weren’t able to catch.

When he started, he only painted within the lining of your socks, making sure that the lowest part of you would be finished. Since the squatting position wasn’t exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, he wanted to get that part done as soon as possible. You even offered to remove them in order to ease his focus on not getting the paint on the stockings, but he insisted that the top half of your thighs was enough. Apparently, it wasn’t enough for you though. He seemed so focused on such a vulnerable part of you; yet, you were sure he only had eyes for any empty spots he’d leave. As you peered down at him, you licked your lips as he stroked the paint near your groin. JESUS. Even then, you were sure you held your breath by the abundance of nerves that ate your stomach away.

“Can you spread your legs a bit more?” he questioned.

As he spoke, you felt his hot breath once again; only this time against your core. You knew that your thong was soaked at this point. Just then, you wish you could recite every single curse word known to man, and you hoped that he wouldn't notice that. Lucky for you, your undergarment was black; which could hide your excitement. It wasn’t until you met his eyes that you reluctantly nodded. Once the cold red paint hit your skin, you inhaled a deep breath to calm a part of your mind. Just when you thought you settled down, you felt a light graze over your core. It instantly brought a yelp out of you, feeling embarrassed and turned on at the same time.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” he innocently pretended.

“It’s fine,” you interrupted, not seeing through his playful act.

When you thought you knew Taehyung, you definitely didn’t. He was always the type to be full of surprises; and yet, here you are thinking that this is some sort of untamed project of his. While you were the source of it all, you were starting to think that there might be a little catch to this entire ordeal.

“You good?” he hummed, painting inches away from your heated center.

“Y-Yeah,” you gulped. “I’m just fine. Are you good?”

“With this view?” he rhetorically asked. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“What?” you questioned, dumbfounded with how honest he was being.

“Nothing…” he casually trailed off, leaning closer to sigh against you.

At this point, you had a gut feeling that he was legitimately trying to torture you. But since you didn’t want to ruin his newest art piece, you tried so hard to avoid asking too many nosy questions, and you do also recall him not wanting to give too much away.

“Done!” he exclaimed.

Finally, you mentally told yourself. You closed your eyes, noticing he pushed himself from off of the ground. Just when you thought it was over, he placed his hands on your shoulders, guiding you to turn around.

“I just have to do your back now,” he added, a toothy smile still on his face.

Knowing that you would stutter when you spoke, you just nodded, tying up your hair to give him space. Assuming that he would use the same brush was probably the worst decision; especially when you felt his hands tracing the curves of your hips and back.

“Is this okay?” he asked, stopping at your hip.

“Y-Yeah,” you stuttered.

“Seems like that’s the only word you know,” he chuckled, still wandering his stained hands all over your body. “Are you nervous?”

“J-Just keep going,” you reassured, knowing your nervousness was too much to hide at this point.

“Let me know if its too much for you, alright?”

Yet again, you had no words but a silly action that encouraged him to continue. With the thickness and quality of the paint, all of the substances on your body weren’t drying. You were somewhat confused with this concept he had going on. Maybe, you thought, that he would end up taking a picture of it to gain some inspiration for later, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Instead, you looked over your shoulder to see Taehyung, both hands covered with red, and flickering his eyes between all parts of your body. What made you even more anxious was how comfortable you were under his control and line of vision. Beforehand, you were just aching between your legs, but when he tilted his head, you could tell he wasn’t exactly done. He made his point to go even further, obvious with the look plastered all over his face.

“What next?” you dared to wonder out loud.

He hummed, reaching for the nearest cloth to wipe off the excess paint on his hands. Although they weren’t completely off, he figured that it was as good as it was going to get.

“You’ll see,” he hinted with a mischievous smirk.

You thought he would need it when painting; especially on a canvas so large, but apparently not. You also noticed him beginning to unbutton his dress shirt. In a slight panic, your eyes attempted to look anywhere but at the being before you. You could already imagine how you looked: trying hard to not appear astonished and in a trance when the skin of his torso was exposed. You just watched―as creepy as it sounded―you didn’t know how attracted you were to Taehyung until now. The boy you met in the shop the first day: sweet as can be, offering you a discount on your first purchase, turned out to be a total man who knew how to handle himself just right.

“Taehyung,” you called softly.

While he peeled the top from his body, he glanced up at with raised brows. The way his brown doe eyes sparkled under the natural sunlight brought a shy grin to your lips. But when you didn’t say anything more than that, a grin grew on his face as well. It was like the Taehyung you thought you knew had a hidden part of him.

“Have you figured it out yet?” he teased, tracing the corner of his mouth with his tongue.

It was likely that he was going to do the same thing that he did to you; except reversed of course. Maybe he would hand you the bucket of red paint, a paint brush, and a side of directions to go with it. But rather than leaving yourself not fully satisfied with your assumption, you made the bold decision to ask him.

“A-Are you gonna show me?” you stuttered.

“Come here,” he smirked.

You couldn’t believe those words and the expression on his face. There were really no lies when you looked into his eyes. There was a small stumble when you only took one step towards him, your knees getting weaker when you came into a realization. When he began taking off his shoes and socks, your eyes still watched his fingertips play with the waistband peeking above the button of his pants.

“Maybe you can help me with these,” he suggested, a smirk laying calmly on his lips.

As said, you took your time to approach Taehyung with caution. On the other hand, you had the thought of the paint on your body getting all over the place. Luckily, you both stayed standing on the tarp so the substance wouldn’t be all over his floors. When you glanced back up to his eyes, you could tell that the emotions behind them changed into something darker; lustful in a way, causing a chill to run down your spine at an instant. You then pressed your lips together as you realized you were taking in the entirety of his person’s image. While your attention ran over his bare skin, they steadily made their way down to his midsection. You recalled letting out a short breath out of forgetting how to breathe in the first place. Never did you think you would find yourself in this position to undress Taehyung. If anything, you would have thought that he would take you out to a nice dinner first like any other naive male. Now that you were here, you just had to shake your head; resisting the thought of an innocent male when he practically instructed to assist him with stripping down any leftover material.

“I have all the time in the world,” he huffed behind a light chuckle. “And apparently you do too; by how you’re just staring.”

“Sorry,” you whispered, letting your eyes fall to the ground.

You felt a taller presence in closer proximity. Peeking up at Taehyung, you made out a genuine smile as you looked passed your eyelashes. You were hoping that he didn’t find your lack of eagerness irritating.

“How about I give you a hand, hm?” he suggested, gently tracing his fingers along your arms.

As your eyes gazed down at his, you gave a small nod. You didn’t know what came over you, being an outgoing and confident person outside. Something about this type of scene really made you uneasy, wondering if you suited any of it. Somehow you also felt bad that Taehyung had to speak so much for a piece of art. All while pulling yourself out of thought, you were directed towards the cold metal of the round button at the top of his pants. But, that wasn’t the only thing you noticed either.

“Would you be opposed to me fucking you against that canvas?” he blurted.

You couldn’t believe your ears with what you’ve just heard. What made the entire scenario more unbelievable was the way his gaze intensified at his question. Your lack of eagerness must have made him doubt his actions. When you just stood there in shock, you felt as if neither one of you could take a breath. Despite his seriousness, you could feel his nervousness emitting from him. By taking a moment and inhaling a deep breath, you hummed out. Of course, you wouldn’t be against the idea of it; especially since he was Taehyung of all people, but the nerves were all the things that stopped you from presenting any confidence in yourself.

“I mean, I’m not oppo-”

And that must have been his exact cue. To gain a certain surge of reassurance that you were for the idea, he had to hear it from you. Apparently, though, he couldn’t help himself after you began. As his full lips pressed against yours, the palms of his hands immediately wrapped around your lower back for support. To say you were taken back once again would be a lie. You sort of had it coming by the way he was already hungrily licking his lips when you opened your mouth. Just then, you didn’t want to think about it; instead, you wanted to catch the two of you in this intimate moment together. It was like you were getting lost by how tangled the two of you were gradually getting. Your fingers would find their way up to his brunette locks to search for some sort of pull. You tugged gently, causing his moans to vibrate into your own mouth. From the gains of pleasure, you felt your center getting heated once again. As you were lead into the direction of the canvas, you were waiting to feel the flat surface against the apple of your back. The both of you were anticipating the sudden stop once the object stood in the way.

Just then, as the rigid frame was felt, you pulled away from the kiss. Your hands remained unmoved in Taehyung’s hair with a specific look in your eyes this time. He quickly dipped his head into the crook of your neck. As if it were natural, you tilted your head to give him more access. He brought his hands up to your breasts and massaged them. His lips were attached to your neck, and you felt how he roughly sucked on you. You felt the bed of his fingers playing around with your sensitive buds, so there was no point in holding back your soft mewls. Pleased with your reaction, he continued to leave marks all over your neck. Soon enough, you felt his hands cupping underneath your ass. By doing this, he pulled you even closer, causing paint to smear on his body. Surprised with the unexpected action, you let out a gasp. You instantly raised your own hands to rest on top of his shoulders. Letting out a sheepish smile, you trailed your eyes down his torso.

“Take it off for me,” he demanded.

You were thrown off guard by his sudden command. There was no going back now. You brought your hands down to the button of his pants. Your fingers were trembling, not used to the daring action. As you made several attempts, you felt your chin being lifted up by him. Your eyes met his before he spoke.

“Look at me while you do it.”

Without breaking eye contact; eventually, you managed to unbutton the garment. It wasn’t until Taehyung’s eyes flickered between his lower torso and you. You could tell he wanted you to finish him off by tugging his boxers down as well. As his hard-on sprung free, you couldn’t help but swallow the lump that swelled in your throat.

“Don’t be nervous,” he reassuringly spoke, “I’ll take good care of you.”

You still weren’t adjusted to this new side of him, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t aroused. He kicked his pants and boxers out of the way. While of his hands seized your waist, the other took a hold of your chin so that he was in your line of view. His eyes stared deep into yours; which caused your legs to weaken. Standing became a challenge. Judging by his hooded eyes, you knew that he was ready to give you everything you desired. He was waiting for a hint that you wanted this as much as he did. Instead of waiting for him to make the first move, you leaned in to capture his lips. He was surprised at your sudden confidence. You felt him smile through your kiss. His grip on your waist tightened, and you felt his tongue poke at your bottom lip, begging for access to explore your mouth. You opened wide, and he didn’t hesitate to dance his tongue along yours.

As he pulled you closer, you could feel his stiff bulge pressed against the surface of your stomach. He pushed you against the canvas; which caused you to break the kiss. You both were panting at how long you two were going at it. He pushed his right leg in between your thighs; which left you no choice but to spread your legs for him. You were trapped in between his body and the canvas. With nothing to hold on to, you placed your hands on his shoulders to keep a steady balance. He began to press further into you and rubbed his thigh against your womanhood. You tilted your head back and rested on the canvas. He took the opportunity to leave a trail of kisses on your neck and continued to work his way up back to your lips. Once his mouth was on yours again, his hand glided down towards the waistband of your underwear. He played with the band; which was pushing you over the edge. He was near your sensitive area and you wished he would go further. You sucked on his lower lip before pulling away.

“Can’t take anymore, baby?”

His hand was inching closer towards your womanhood and you were getting impatient at this point. You couldn’t help but squirm beneath him. He noticed your actions and stopped his hand from going any further to tease you. You looked at him and almost let out a whine.

“You didn’t answer me Y/N,” he said sternly.

“I want more,” you answered as confidently as possible, making sure you had the same aura of someone on his level.

“Seems like you don’t want it,” he teased while inching closer to your core once more.

“But I do,” you replied.

Just then, you felt his hand retract from their position on your body. You had to quickly take action for yourself. Without thought, you wrapped your arms around his neck and ground on his erection; which made a growl escape past his lips. He was frustrated with how quickly your mood changed. You pressed harder and you saw his teeth biting down on his lower lip. The pale skin around his mouth seemed like it could bleed at any second now. You could tell he was doing his absolute best to keep himself composed. If this doesn’t prove how much you’ve been craving more intimacy, you don’t know what will.

You felt his hands back on your waistband, but this time he didn’t hold back. He made his way past the lining and you already felt his fingers near your pussy. Your hold on his neck tightened as his fingers slide through your folds, and you could hear the wetness of your womanhood. You were embarrassed by how evident your arousal was, but you could see his jaw clenching. The fact that he was able to make you wet for him, definitely turned him on. Without any warning, he stuck a finger into you and pumped in-and-out of you in slow motion. You bit your lip to prevent your screams from being heard, but he couldn’t help but take notice of what you were trying to do. He shoved a second digit into you; which caused your eyes to roll back.

“Let it out,” he directed.

Seeing as how you were still biting onto your lip, he inserted one more finger into you and quickened his pace to unravel the build in the pit of your stomach. You couldn’t hold back anymore as the pleasure continued to build up at a rapid pace.

“T-Tae!” You managed to let out.

The satisfaction on his expression was apparent. He used his thumb to rub at your clit to stimulate your core further. You threw your head back and felt an overwhelming amount of pleasure hitting you. His fingers curled in you and it felt too good to resist. Your walls began to clench around his fingers; which indicated that you were close to cumming, but he wasn’t going to let the fun end there. He pulled his fingers out of you, leaving the feeling of dissatisfaction.

You then snapped out of your high when he lifted you up against the canvas. As the palms of his hands reached around your thighs to hold you steady, you pressed your lips together with anticipation. By Taehyung seemed to be taking his time now, scanning your entire body in front of him, you glanced down at how vulnerable you looked. Surely, his tip slipped into your entrance. You hissed in as his unbelievable length pushed inside of you, causing a fit of moans to be released from you and Taehyung. Just when you wanted to catch Taehyung’s eyes, you found the other pair already looking directly at you.

“Taehyung,” you breathed with pleasure.

Taking that as another one of his cues, he ended up thrusting with a pace. As he still held up your weight, he lifted you up and shoved you down onto his cock, to make sure you felt all of him. With each time you took all of his size inside of you, your head would fall back and your jaw slacking open with disbelief. You didn’t know how amazing it could feel. Although, never did you think that this would be something you’d find yourself in.

“Fuck,” he grunted.

“God you’re so big,” you moaned.

When those words came from you, he felt his confidence surge within him.

“I wanna cum on your cock so badly.”

He leaned into your neck and groaned. Your words are pushing him past his limit, but he wanted to enjoy this moment; except, you were making it difficult on him because of how naughty you were.

“Holy shit,” he managed to breathe out. “You’re driving me insane.”

He pulled out of you and you let out a small whine. You felt empty and you missed the feeling of his cock inside of you. To your surprise, he let you down gently, but he spun you around. With your front facing the canvas, he pressed his body against your back until you were fully laid on the surface. He didn’t wait for a sign that you were ready due to his lack of patience. He grabbed your hips and guided you towards his torso. His dick easily slid inside of you; which caused a rush of pleasure that filled throughout your body once more. On his first thrust, he immediately hit your g-spot, causing your knees to buckle. Both of you were reaching your high, but that didn’t stop Taehyung’s brutal pace.

“You’re so wet for me, Y/N,” Taehyung mentioned.

“O-Only for you,” you breathed as you took in his cock.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do this,” he groaned. “Every time you walked in, I just wanted to make you mine.”

If you weren’t getting your brains fucked right now, your heart would’ve been fluttering at his comment. Perhaps you could also be looking up at him with admiration, but the scenario you were in, put that idea on hold.

“Show me how much you want me,” you challenged.

When you spoke those words, the grip on your hips instantly tightened. Just by imagining it, you guessed what would happen at this very moment. One of his hands soon began to glide up your back, taking in the feel of your soft skin. While letting out a hot breath, he licked the corner of his lips. The look in his eyes was practically burning holes in the back of your exposed body.

You knew that he wouldn’t be too rough with you; until you felt a sharp tug on your hair. It was clearly unexpected on your part, but you weren’t complaining about it. The rush truly gave you that extra oomph to verbally express the pleasure you encountered. The walls overflowed with the sounds of your uneven breaths and deep moans. You then felt his soft lips brush against the shell of your ear; which gave you chills that ran down your spine. As soon as you felt his upper torso pressing against your back, you held your breath. His pace decreased in speed; which made you somewhat nervous.

“Don’t test me, baby,” he teased with a smirk. “I’ll have to show you next time.”

The nibble you felt on your ear then caused you to let out a mewl. You wanted to beg for more but couldn’t; due to the fact, he cut you off with his chilling tone.

“Let’s see what I can show you now,” he concluded.

“Please,” you whispered, not even taking a second to reply.

With your eyes closed shut, you wanted to take in every single second, needing to take in the unbelievable rush he gave you. It was like he could read your mind when his pace suddenly increased. As the pull on your hair remained, you arched your back to catch the slightest glimpse of him. He looked amazing with his bangs tousled in front of his forehead, sweat only starting to glisten on his chest and his eyes that caught your gaze again. The connection you felt didn’t fail to make itself obvious when you caught each other at the right time. When you locked both of your eyes, you offered him a genuine smile. As a result, Taehyung leaned forward; which lead his cock to sink further into you. Your mouth resembled the shape of an “o” with the inevitable feeling. Watching him inch his face closer, your stare exchanged between his lips and eyes with a sudden craving.

“You’re so beautiful,” he complimented just before he pressed his lips against yours.

Taehyung could switch between two moods. One second he could be an absolutely charming, but the moment his dominance outshined through his actions.

When you thought things couldn’t go any better than it already was, your eyes widened at the impeccable speed. His movements were unexpected when you felt his dick reach further than before; only at this time, he slowly pushed deeper without that initial quick pace. Your mind was running; yet, you could feel your legs falling weaker with his pattern. He’d start by quickening his thrust into you, but he would also slow down to shove himself as far as he could. Just by the various sounds of your breaths intertwining with each other’s, you moans were practically like a second language.

He took a hold of your leg and held it up as he pounded into you. He was able to fuck you deeper; which made you scream for him.

“I’m gonna-” you stuttered, trying your best to hold it in.

“I’m almost there, babe,” he informed, placing soft sweet kisses on your shoulder.

As his teeth grazed your body, you couldn’t bring yourself to let out a breath. If you let that happen, you knew you would be bringing yourself to release. Trying to gain all of your energy, all you needed was to wait for Taehyung. What didn’t help was when all of his breaths being cut short after every thrust into you. You could hear the exhaustion, from not only you but from the other who held you so close.

“I’m coming, Y/N,” he told breathlessly.

It was clear to you both that unwinding at the same time had significance. Once you felt Taehyung’s warm embrace wrapping around your waist, you let out a satisfied breath. He pulled out of you, and you were able to relax again after standing up for who knows how long.

“We need to wash off,” he chuckled.

“Please,” you agreed, sounding out a similar light-hearted laugh.

He leads you to the bathroom and helped you get cleaned up immediately. The hot steam really did wonders for both of your bodies; especially after coming undone together. Unfortunately, the time you spend together was short-lived. After you finished just before Taehyung could, you made a beeline for the set of clothes he prepared for you. Quickly changing into the spare items, you made your way over to the bed to rest. At this point, you were selfish. You didn’t bother waiting for him due to your exhaustion, so you pulled the blankets up to your neck, taking this perfect moment to relax all of your muscles once again. Just when he entered the bed area from the bathroom, he laid on the opposite side of you and wrapped his arms around you.

“Tired?” he wondered.

You could only nod, not being able to express your words properly. It was like he really did fuck the emotions out of you. He kissed the back of your head before you heard his even breaths. You felt at peace and you closed your eyes, resting against his bare chest. Little did you know that you were slowly falling into a mini nap.

Once you woke up, you didn’t feel him by your side; which made you panic a bit. You sat up quickly, only to see him sitting by one of his paintings. It appeared he was adding some finishing touches to his work. You wrapped the blanket around you for extra comfort before heading over to him.

“Whose that?” you asked curiously.

“Who else would it be?” he continued.

You squinted your eyes at the art piece, genuinely trying to give an answer.

“Is that…” you paused, double-checking. “Is that me?”

“In my eyes, you’re the art piece.”

With those seven words, you felt your heart melt at his words. No one has ever done this for you; not even your few past partners. Tears were forming in the corners of your eyes, not being able to control the unbelievable amount of emotions. You were overjoyed with his gift. You didn’t know whether you wanted to hug or kiss him, but you just knew you wanted to be with him in the long run.

“So does this make us official?” you asked as you took in every detail of the artwork.

“Only if you accept this painting,” he teased.

Hand-in-hand, you and Taehyung observed the other paintings that were up on display. There were various amounts of art pieces left for the entire public to see; ranging from sculptures to paintings and even a station to create your very own work. Although, you weren’t necessarily focused on any of those. When he initially invited you, the one conclusion you jumped to was him having a piece of his own. His face was unfazed, aiming to not give you any sort of hint whatsoever. Still, you remained curious as you both walked along the empty pathway. It wasn’t until the both of you neared the end that your eyes widened. The number of people you noted surrounding a certain area had your senses heighten. Intently following the crowd, you attempted to peer over the sea of people. In hopes to snatch just even a glance at it, your mouth fell ajar. While you stood there―meeting eyes with an excessive amount of paint smeared on the canvas―there was a great wave of doubt in the back of your mind. You thought it couldn’t be; however, the intense color of red only caused a bed of goosebumps to rise upon your skin. Without noticing how tight your grip was on Taehyung’s hand, you felt as if your feet sunk into the floor, not gaining any courage to go any further. Something you couldn’t notice after that was the confused expression swiped over the male’s face.

“You did not,” you hissed, eyes never removing from the frame.

He only flashed you a mischievous smile. As he took note of your reaction, he then took matters to plant a kiss on your lips.

“It’s more beautiful up close,” he told.

Before dragging you towards the art piece, he tilted his head in front of your vision to catch your attention. You didn’t have any other choice but to let your eyes of disbelief connect with his. Soon enough, it was like he had no time in the world as his hand took control of your jelly-like body. The public only continued to swarm the painting, filling the air with nothing but interest. Fortunately; yet, unfortunately, they were all kind enough to let the producer of the painting pass through. There before you, you saw the canvas that he indefinitely fucked you against. All it took was for one gulp to remember everything from that exact day; as if those fine moments were engraved in your memories forever. This painting was only the physical copy and proof of that.

There were certainly many aspects of art people could consider, but you honestly couldn’t stop glaring at Taehyung, nor could you stop the crimson shade from forming on your cheeks. You didn’t want to admit it though; that you appreciated how everyone took a keen liking in the painting. You were involved, that was for certain, but these people had no guess of truth behind it. Not even seconds later, you recalled hearing a stranger make a comment of their own.

“The energy from this art piece is rather…” the person trailed off, leaving everyone to anticipate. “Intimate.”

That’s when you knew you thought too soon.

Taehyung simply let out a laugh while you hid your face in your hands, sincerely wishing the earth would eat you up.

#bangtanarmynet #bts fanfic #taehyung fanfic #taehyung smut #bts x reader #bts fanfiction #bts oneshot #bts au #kim taehyung #bts #bts scenarios #bts smut oneshot #taehyung smut oneshot #bts smut #smut

[hopelessromanticspoonie]

To Keep You Safe

Title: You committed, I’m your crime

Chapter: 4/?

Author: hopeless_romantic_spoonie

Summary: Life as the assistant to Tony Stark was busy, but boring. All of that changed when I touched something I shouldn’t have and woke up with strange new abilities. If I thought that trying to figure out my new place in life as an Avenger was tough, I had no idea what was in store for me once I ran into the frustrating God of Mischief, Loki. 

Rating: E (later on)

Notes: Reminder that this is un-Beta’d, so please excuse any typos or grammatical errors I no doubt missed upon my revisions!

Also on Ao3 here :)

Warnings for this chapter: Language, blood, injury, destruction

~~~

After my little stunt on the roof, Tony decided my superpower training with Wanda needed to begin immediately. Waiting until I fully healed wasn’t an option if I was going to destroy the Compound with a–totally justified–mood swing.

Wanda did her very best in trying to help me figure this whole geokinesis thing out. She was patient and didn’t give up on me even when I gathered my hair in my hands and shrieked in frustration. She ignored any bellyaching or whining I sent her way and remained the ever-supportive tutor. Through our combined perseverance, I slowly became aware of the constant thrumming inside me, like a thousand bees buzzing just beneath my skin that got really pissed off when I was surrounded by nature or experienced heightened emotions. We worked for hours outside each day, her coaching me to harness my emotions and funnel them outward properly–AKA not mindless destruction of expensive property and killing of houseplants. It was frustratingly easy for her. She’d been working on her powers for years, while I’d had less than a week.

It was exhausting work, and I hadn’t even started fight training with Nat yet. That woman was going to kick my ass six ways to Sunday, and to say I was dreading it was an understatement of epic proportions. I collapsed into bed each night and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow, often forgetting to shower or eat until I woke up disgusting and ravenous the next morning. It was easy to understand some of my new roommates’ preference for protein drinks. I chugged them down on my way to the lawn in the middle of the Compound each morning, forcing myself to get something in my system before we began.

Half of the time I just looked constipated as I stared at leaves or small rocks, willing them to do what I commanded and getting discouraged as the wind proved more effective. Then something would move, but not how I wanted, and we’d have to try again but harder or differently. It wasn’t a very satisfying process, to say the least.

I even had some meetings with Bruce. He knew more than anyone how important it was to keep a handle on strong emotions and, since that seemed to be a huge trigger for me and I refused to let Tony hire an actual professional about it, offered to help me out as best as he could.

“Jen, what seems to set off your anger the most?” Bruce asked kindly during one of our ‘sessions’. Sitting in his office of neutral warm beige and soft lighting, He might as well be my therapist. With him perched across from me in a tasteful armchair and me cross-legged on a plush couch, we at least looked the part. All he was missing was a clipboard and look of feigned interest. But if it meant less destructive outbursts and my eventual freedom I’d pour my guts out to him all day long.

“Loki.” The answer came without hesitation. That Asgardian serpent knew how to get under my skin like nothing else, and always took advantage of that fact at the worst time. Although to be fair, he did make everything worse when he deemed us worthy of his presence, so it wasn’t just me.

“Why does he bother you so much? He can’t hurt you, not here. He’s stuck on base so we can keep an eye on him, so he has to play nice. And you’re getting better at controlling your powers, so you can fight back. He only has the power to hurt you because you let him.”

The truthful answer immediately sprang to mind, but I hesitated, sucking my bottom lip between my teeth and staring at the floor. I didn’t talk about my past. Bruce was a great guy, and he wouldn’t judge me, but talking about it meant feeling it again, and I wasn’t so great with that feeling thing people were supposed to do. Much easier to work myself to death and pass out to some fun nightmares, then repeat. But to make him explain the deeply rooted loathing that I harbored for Loki, I’d have to give him some sort of explanation.

When I looked up to him, hoping that he would just let it go, the curious concern on his face appeared well and truly settled onto his worn features. He even sank further into the cushioned chair, as if he could wait all day for me to reply. “He’s an annoying little shit,” I tried, internally crossing my fingers that he’d believe my easy and obvious answer.

“We all know that. But he also doesn’t make us angry enough that we break an entire wall of windows or kill a tree just by walking by it.”

Oops.

“His face is just really punchable?” I tried again. Going by the unchanged expression on his face, it didn’t work.

Damn. Guess it was honesty time.

“He destroyed my life years ago. Seeing his smirking face every day just rubs it in. He shouldn’t be free to roam around after what he did,” I mumbled quickly, staring down at my hands twisting in my lap. I had taken to carrying a palm-sized pointed stone in my pocket at all times. It gave me something to practice with when I was idle, and the paranoid side of me knew that I might one day need some sort of weapon I could manipulate while surrounded by man-made materials. I fiddled with it now, turning it over in my fingers and rubbing one side absentmindedly with my thumb. Anything to avoid looking at Bruce as he peeled away my protective layers to reveal my soft, gooey insides.

“The Battle of New York? Tony told me you worked at Stark Tower when it happened. But you’re here. You’re safe. He didn’t hurt you, and if he did, it wasn’t permanent,” Bruce soothed, his voice laced with sincere compassion.

“He didn’t hurt me, no.”

“I know that trauma can linger for years after-”

“I don’t have PTSD. Tony paid for me to see a therapist after the attack, and I worked though the trauma of the situation. I’m not afraid of that happening again,” I muttered, clenching the rock tightly as I looked up to him. Anger was simmering just beneath my skin, mixing unpleasantly with deep grief that I did my best to keep safely stored away at the back of my mind at all times.

“If you don’t have lingering trauma, and you aren’t permanently injured, how did Loki destroy your life?” Bruce prodded, digging deeper and deeper. “Without getting to the root of this issue, it’s never going to get better.”

“He took it from me.”

“I don’t understa-”

“He took it from me!,” I snapped and stood up, my anger boiling over as my free hand reached into my grey sweater and pulled out the golden necklace always around my neck. I stepped closer so that Bruce could see the small circular pendant. Etched into the gold were the shaky whorls of a thumbprint. My other hand gripped the stone so tightly that the edges drew blood from my palm, but I didn’t care. All I could feel were the tears pricking my eyes and the swarm of bees searching for release from beneath my skin.

“He took them from me. My mom. My dad. Michael, my twin brother. I see his face every day in the mirror and feel him around my neck, and I see their mangled bodies that I was forced to identify every time I look at his smug, arrogant asshole face! And he just gets to walk free around this place like he didn’t kill hundreds of people that day, and wreck the lives of those left behind! He feels nothing for what he did,” I shouted, my rapid-fire words tearing from my throat in an impressive shriek.

I turned away from Bruce to avoid the pity I knew I would see. It would be the same look that I got whenever I told anybody the story, which is exactly why I didn’t mention it. Ever. I stared up at the ceiling and blinked back the tears that threatened to spill down my face. Without waiting for his response I stormed from the room, leaving a stunned Dr. Banner in my wake.

Outside his office I jogged up the stairs, my eyes downcast as I focused on just getting away from that room. From the words I hadn’t spoken out loud in years to anyone. Speaking it made it real again, and that ache ripping my heart to shreds was one I wanted to avoid if at all possible. So preoccupied with my retreat and holding myself together, I didn’t notice the wall of pure muscle coming down the stairs until I ran straight into it.

“Milady! How are yo-what is wrong?” Thor went from surprised and happy to worry in an instant as I stumbled against him. His hands gripped my upper arms to steady me as he stooped down to take in my red blotchy face, the tears that had slipped down my cheeks, and the blood slowly dripping from my hand. “What happened?”

I lifted my bloodshot eyes to his, searching for pity and coming up empty. Only careful regard and fierce protectiveness furrowed his brow. Rubbing the back of my injured hand against my cheeks, I shook my head harshly. “Ask your brother,” I croaked, pulling away from him and rushing up the stairs.

“Loki!” The booming voice of Thor shook the art upon the walls like the thunder he commanded as he stormed away in the opposite direction. Good. Maybe he could knock that shit-eating grin off his face. If anyone could handle Loki, it was his brother.

I paid no attention to the assembled Avengers in the kitchen, even after Steve and Vision called after me. I needed to get to a safe place, one without rocks or plants or anything else my powers could use as a projectile. I barged inside my room without uttering a word. After my incident on the roof with the windows, I’d come back to find all of the decorative plants removed from my room. At first, I’d been insulted, but critical thinking made me realize it was for the best. The only weapon in my bedroom was the rock clutched in my hand and my body wasn’t going to fight itself for it.

I hadn’t even taken three steps into the room before I heard banging on my door.

“Pebbles, let’s talk, kid. Why is Thor trying to rearrange Loki’s face?” Tony’s frustrated voice projected into my room through F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s speakers installed in the ceiling. Our rooms weren’t fully soundproof, but regular shouting was barely audible through the thick walls and heavy door. The blood rushing through my ears didn’t help matters, either.

I stared up at the nearest speaker in silence, focusing on tamping down the roaring in my ears and itching beneath my skin. I wasn’t going to open that door until I had myself under control, and a chat with Tony wasn’t going to suddenly undo all of the hurt that I fought daily to keep bottled away inside.

“Pebbles?,” I called out, picking up on the new nickname and ignoring his question purposefully.

“Pebbles. You can throw tiny rocks around. It’s cute.” I picked up on the smirk in his voice followed a couple of heavy bangs on the door. “Now open the door and let’s hash this out, Pebbles.”

“I’m good.” I threw myself dramatically down onto my bed. I was not in the mood to deal with Tony right now. I just needed to sit and stew and maybe break a few things. Then it’d all be fine and I could go on my merry way of stunted emotions and repressed thoughts.

“No can do. Gotta be a grown-up and talk it out,” his firm, no-nonsense voice grated on my agitated nerves.

Talk it out? No thanks.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. Leave. Me. Alone,” I replied, directing my words and a pillow at the continuous banging on the door. As soon as the pillow thumped uselessly against it, the echoing knocks stopped.

“But I do, Jen,” came Wanda’s soft voice through the speaker. Bruce must have gotten her.

“Ugh.” I stood up, wiping away the last of my tears from my face as I went to the door. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out through my mouth, I opened the door. Thankfully, only Wanda and Tony stood on the other side. The rest of the gang must have gone to watch the spectacle I’m sure Thor and Loki were making. The disappointment on Tony’s face cut me to my core, so I averted my gaze to Wanda. She offered me a sympathetic smile, cocking her head toward the room behind me. I stepped aside and let her through with a flourish of my hand.

I groaned in defeat and looked up at a frowning Tony. “Tell Thor to back off. I’m sure he’s done enough damage as it is,” I muttered, dropping my chin to my chest and closing the door on him.

I turned around to find Wanda sitting on the couch, her elbows on her knees and her hands clasped in front of her. It was still surreal to have The Scarlet Witch just hanging out in my bedroom, even after daily training sessions for over a week.

“You know that I had a brother. Pietro,” she spoke softly, her eyes trained on me as I crossed over to sit beside her. “I also lost him because of another’s hatred. And it is a knife in my chest that never goes away. Sometimes I forget that it’s there, but then it comes back sharper and more painful than ever. But I can’t let that control me.”

I walked over and plopped down beside her with a thoughtful frown. I could feel my slick blood on the stone’s surface as I worried it, but the stinging in my hand was inconsequential to the turmoil inside. It could be taken care of later. “That’s easier said than done,” I muttered.

Wanda raised a hand covered in red light, twisting it. My bathroom door opened, and then I heard my medicine cabinet open and close. The first aid kit found in each bathroom of the Compound, because Tony knows his guests and their occupational hazards, levitated out and into her waiting hand. She gently took the rock from me and set it on the coffee table in front of us so she could tend to my injury with gentle touches as she spoke.

“It is. And I also thought that getting revenge for his loss would make me feel better. I ripped out the heart of Ultron. I watched him die, and the pain didn’t lessen. I still woke up reaching for him each morning and looking for him first when I needed to talk. It doesn’t fix the pain, Jen,” she murmured, dabbing at the small but plentiful cuts on my hand with a cleansing wipe.

“I have to see him every day. He gets to be free around this base without any issue,” I spat, clenching my teeth against the sting of the antibacterial solution.

“Being trapped isn’t without its downsides. Besides, I know for a fact that Thor is giving him a sound lesson as we speak. He has tried to atone for his mistakes,” she pushed, unwrapping a set of bandages and slowly rewrapping them around my hand.

She was at least right about one thing. From the crashes of thunder and darkening sky, the anger a certain God of Thunder currently held for Loki was made clear.

“It’s not enough,” I replied, my extreme emotions slowly fading to leave me feeling drained more than anything else. My usual state after the Battle, to be honest.

“Would you see him dead? If given the opportunity, would you take this rock and drive it through his heart? Honestly?” She finished up the dressing with a piece of medical tape to hold everything in place. Undeterred by my drying blood on the rock, she picked it up and held it out to me.

“I… don’t know,” I whispered, taking the heavy stone from her slowly and staring at it to avoid her knowing gaze.

“I don’t think you’re a murderer, Jen. And I’ve met several of them,” Wanda offered and stood up with a heavy sigh. “I’m not telling you that you’re not allowed to feel this. But you won’t like the person that you turn into if it’s all that you feel.” She squeezed my shoulder before leaving me alone with my conflicted thoughts.

I gathered the bloodied medical supplies and took them to the trash before walking to stand before the floor-to-ceiling windows of my room. Thor must have found Loki outside, as there were scorch marks on the ground and twisted remnants of metal benches scattered around the open green lawn.

I wasn’t a murderer. That I knew deep down inside. If Loki was powerless before me right now and I had a gun to his temple, I wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger. I couldn’t have that blood on my conscience. Did I want him to know my pain? Yeah, for sure. He showed no remorse for his actions. He sauntered around like he owned the place, as if the feelings of others were inconsequential and insignificant.

But he didn’t deserve to die. If anything, he deserved to grapple with the guilt of the lives he ruined for the rest of his immortal life. And maybe an occasional beating from his incredibly strong brother. But if he was going to learn from his mistakes, he at least needed to know what he did wrong first.

“Shit, I have to talk to Loki,” I groaned, dropping my forehead against the cool glass in front of me.

~~~

I stayed in my room for the rest of the day. Wanda must have told everyone to give me some space as no one came to bother me. During that time, I practiced. I sat on my bed, staring at my blood-stained rock and forcing it to move around the room, to do what I wanted it to and not lose control. Hours passed with my fighting the weariness of my mind and body until the natural light outside my room disappeared and was replaced with cool blue moonlight.

If there was any time to find Loki, it was now. His displeasure for the company of the Avengers wasn’t exactly a secret, leaving him to do the majority of his skulking around after hours. After his fight earlier with Thor, I knew he’d want to confront me. He wasn’t one to just take something lying down. All I needed to do was leave the sanctuary of my room.

After I stowed my rock inside my pocket, I threw on a pair of black tennis shoes and put my disheveled dark hair into a ponytail. The hum of electricity and fan of the heating system were the only sounds in the Compound other than my steps ringing firmly on the stairs as I jogged up to the roof. It was one of my favorite places and I was banking on that being common knowledge. I settled onto a large boulder in the middle of the garden, my back to the roof access door, and waited. He’d come.

“I should drive this knife through your throat right now,” Loki’s low silken voice was in my ear the second I felt two lean arms constrict around me, one around my shoulders to yank me against his rigid chest, and the other holding said knife to the soft skin of my neck. 

That didn’t take long.

“Why don’t you?” I ground out, stretching my head back against his shoulder to keep the blade from nicking my skin. I was engulfed by his presence. From the feeling of his taut body against my back to the heady scent of leather and spice, to his breath blowing across my ear, I was surrounded.

“I’m not done with you yet,” he hissed, the dagger around my neck disappearing as if it had never existed. His hands went to my shoulders and roughly spun me around before one went to my throat. He squeezed, not enough to cut off my air, but enough to let me know that he was the one in control of the situation. I swallowed and felt his hand shift over the nervous movement of my neck.

In the softly lit garden, I could just make out the damage Thor had done to him. The rolled-up sleeves of his dark button-down did little to hide the bruising blows that must have gotten through his armor, and his strikingly handsome face looked dreadful. Cuts marred his sharp cheekbones, and a large black eye only served to highlight the malice in his piercing emerald eyes.

Handsome? Nope, I didn’t just think that about the man threatening to strangle me.

Still, I couldn’t appear too weak. Calling upon the energy pulsing beneath my skin, I beckoned the sharpened, blood-stained rock from my pocket and put it to his own throat. My hours of practice that I had put myself through earlier showed in the slight tremor it gave in the air, but I dug deep to maintain it’s threatening position against his pulse. I would never do more, press it any harder, but he didn’t need to know that.

“Why did you send my brother to fight me?” he asked, glancing at my makeshift weapon with no concern before shifting his manic eyes back to mine.

Best get to the point before he strangled it out of me. 

“You killed my family,” I choked out around his grip, wrapping both of my hands around his wrist. For all my tugging at his arm, I was rewarded with his grip on my airway tightening ever-so-slightly but not budging besides that. It was enough of a message to still my hands but they remained on his oddly cold skin.

His steely gaze met mine, filled with fury. With a smirk, he grabbed the rock I held to his throat and it disappeared from his grip just like his dagger had. Well, shit. “And now what? You want to fight me? Or, rather, send Thor to fight your battles since you are too weak and irrational to take me on? You wouldn’t stand a chance,” he smirked, stepping closer until he had to look down his nose to see into my eyes.

“Try me, God of Mischief,” I replied through gritted teeth, my eyes flicking over to a tree behind him. With great effort, I directed the buzzing of power inside of me to find the weakest point in the tree. Locating it, my bandaged hand let go of Loki, clenched into a fist, and broke off a bare, dead branch. It flew over at the beckoning of my curled fingers, poised against his throat.

His sadistic smile grew at the thin limb pressing into his jugular. Without moving a muscle, Loki wrenched it from my control and soared across the Compound away from us. I was fighting a losing battle, but it didn’t stop me from trying.

“Learned a new trick, mortal? How quaint. But you won’t win against me,” he whispered, pulling my body flush against his by the hand at my throat, his breath cool against my ear. After one last demonstrative squeeze, he released me, pushing me away from him.

I fell to my knees as soon as I was free, taking deep gulps of sweet, sweet air. His icy touch sent goosebumps down my spine and lingered on my skin for far too long after it was gone. A weariness from manipulating my abilities for so long also tugged on my limbs, urging me to rest and recuperate from the strain. I remained kneeling, gathering my strength, as I scowled at him. “You ruined everything. You deserved it.”

“Get in line, darling. It’s hardly unusual behavior for me,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest with a shrug.

“You should pay for what you did!” I hissed, standing up and advancing on him.

He stood his ground, looking down at me with all the fear a panther holds for a mouse. “You know nothing of my recompenses. I know full well what I did on that day,” he seethed, the terrifying anger that radiated off of him made all the more imposing by his tall frame as he towered over me.

I flinched; I couldn’t help it. I was provoking a god, and the tension in his body and rage in his eyes spoke of power much stronger than my own. He had held his own against Thor earlier, only receiving a few bruises and scrapes for his troubles. What did I expect to be able to do if he decided to fully unleash the barely-contained ire that poured off of him? I bluffed that he wouldn’t be able to hurt me, but how far did the protection of his brother and Tony really reach? Besides the threat of another beating and possible imprisonment, there wasn’t anything stopping him from ending my life here and now and then disposing of me just like the throwing knives he so easily manipulated into and out of existence.

“I am not the same god that ravaged that city.” His harsh breath blew across my face as he advanced towards me, forcing me to back up until my body hit the cold glass windows behind me. I desperately clung to any iota of control I had over my powers as they bubbled beneath the surface seeking an outlet for the heightened response his closeness instilled in me. Craning my neck to meet the piercing eyes of the fair-skinned man crowding me, I saw no difference to the same villain that invaded New York City years ago, and I voiced that opinion.

“My actions on that day were not done with my full consent,” he admitted, some of the fury that furrowed his brow escaping with his strangled sigh. I could’ve sworn that he looked haunted for a moment, but I must have been mistaken because the cold gleam shining once again in his eyes was so intense that it appeared etched into his features. “No matter, as I have suffered the consequences either way.”

“Then add this to your list of consequences,” I whispered, reaching between us to pull my necklace from beneath my clothing. I shoved it into his face. “His name was Michael Thompson. My twin was murdered sitting in a cab with my parents from your Chitauri army. And every time I look at your stupid face, at my face, I’m reminded of it. I can never escape it, and you shouldn’t be able to either,” I said, my voice shaking with too many emotions that I wouldn’t name and fought desperately to stifle. I was not going to lose control, not after digging up the courage to face him.

Loki’s eyes quickly glanced down at the necklace before coming back to me, searching them quizzically. His jaw clenched as he took in my expression, and a look I could only describe as pain cracked the harsh veneer he usually maintained.

“I do know what it’s like to lose those I hold dear. This I promise you,” he breathed, his words drifting across my face in a mint-scented cloud before he turned and quickly left the rooftop. Leaving me standing there alone, shaking from an overload of emotions and struggling to catch my breath.

Free from his intensity, I leaned forward and put my hands on my knees, trying to quiet my ragged breath so I could listen to see if he returned to finish what he had barely begun. I had done what I had set out to accomplish. I made him face the harsh realities of his selfish actions years ago, literally shoved the evidence in his face, and forced him to listen to me. For all the good that it did. He had lived for centuries. What was the plight of a woman who was but a blip on the timeline of his life going to change anything?

The first bit of the conversation that I truly didn’t understand was the conclusion. ’I do know what it’s like to lose those I hold dear.’ Who had this heartless man lost? To have lost means that he must have loved someone, and who would he deem worthy of his affections? He made it abundantly clear that everyone was beneath him, dull creatures compared to the superiority of his godliness.

Had Loki had a heart at one point in his life? Was he born with the black shriveled-up stone that he most definitely possessed now? He must have been a little boy at some point in his life. Although, to be honest, I wasn’t actually sure if Asgardians just came into existence fully grown and, in his case, ready to piss off the world or, in his brother’s case, ready to save it. Could there really be a reason for the loathing that he harbored for the world?

Nope. Not going to try to humanize the murdering bastard.

The second thought that nagged at my overworked mind was that he claimed to have not been fully in control of himself during the invasion. Was that a lie? Recalling the haunted expression that had flashed in his dark eyes for the briefest of moments, it was doubtful. That had been the face of someone who had known true pain. Was the God of Lies that good of an actor? This new tidbit of information hadn’t been brought to my attention before, but I also hadn’t lifted my nose from the grindstone to really pay attention to much since I lost my family.

If it was true, then what in the hell had been strong enough to make him do something he didn’t want to do? Loki was a thousand-year-old god with incredible amounts of will, strength, and power. He didn’t just bend his knee and listen to anyone who could manage to get a word in edgewise. No, his cooperation would have had to been taken from him, as there seemed to be no one who he would freely give it to. I was under no illusion that he was playing along with his captivity now, perhaps having nothing else better to do than to hang around until a more enjoyable opportunity came along. 

Did Loki actually fear something and have a weakness like us pathetic mortals?

Obviously I needed to get some sleep if I was starting to go down that road. I was delusional with exhaustion.

Yep. That’s it.

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