#it's on the longer side which was a treat and the tags promised things i was looking for so i really got lucky

[justmystyles]

NEED YOU TO WRITE A JEALOUS/Angsty one for the picture of whoever is applying moisturiser to Harry. Your angst is soooooo good

PS: I’m OBSESSED with your work

Business or Pleasure?

read my other works here!

pairing: Harry Styles x plus size reader

word count: 2.3k

summary: you return to Love on Tour after an extended break, but after your last interaction, you come back to an awkward situation with Harry.

a/n: first of all, thank you so much for sending in this request, and for your kind words! when i first saw it, i wasn't really sure how to make angst out of it, but i think i figured it out pretty well.

i did take some artistic liberties with timelines here, i know the outfits and tour dates don't line up, but i had to suspend disbelief a little to make the story work out. sorry, don't come for me!

**Hey, so let's try this again! The first time I posted it was answering the wrong ask. That one will still be done snd posted. I promise!**

tags: @allthelovehes @ameerakane20 @ash-craze @bethanysnow @blue-ballad @blueraspberryreader @brightlightsinlife @creativelyeva @cute-as-ducks420 @deannaard @fanficismydrug @gem1712 @golden-hoax @gothmingguk @groovychaosavenue @hillzrry @iceebabies @indierockgirrl @jerseygirlinca @jng4kook @jooniesbabie @kaverichauhan @laurxn-robinson @lexiecamposv @mrs-anna-styles211994 @n0vaj3an @potterheadandsherlocked @rach2699 @ravenclawdirectioner @stylesfeverr @superchrystaldrug @tenaciousperfectionunknown @tiaamberxx @thechaoticjoy @theekyliepage @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @youknowwhaaat

As your car traveled through the streets of Glasgow, you were unable to really take in the stunning scenery around you. You were too busy worrying about what the day had in store for you, panicking about being face to face with him again. 

Love on Tour had been on break since November, so you hadn’t seen Harry in nearly seven months. And the last time you did see him, things got complicated. After the last show, Harry had rented out a local bar to throw what he deemed the ‘Love on Tour holiday party’. Since everyone would be going their separate ways for a bit, he wanted to give this family he had formed a chance to celebrate together. 

As with most holiday parties, the alcohol was flowing rather freely, and everyone was getting loose and having a good time. You noticed that as the night went on, Harry was by your side more and more, his jokes getting slightly more flirty and his touches lingering just a little longer than they usually would. You two had developed a pretty flirty relationship, but he was like that with everyone, so you didn’t think much of it.

Until you found yourselves in a secluded corner of the bar with his tongue down your throat. 

Sure, it was something you had thought about for a while. Harry was one of the most gorgeous people you had ever seen, and to top it off he was so kind, and funny. He was technically your boss, but you would never know it. He treated you like his equal, his friend. Developing a crush on him was inevitable. But you had never expected anything to happen. Then it did, and you hadn’t heard from him since. 

At some point, Harry had gotten pulled away from you to do shots with the band, and you had an early flight the next morning. So you decided to slip out while he was distracted, it would allow you to put off the awkward conversation, at least for a little while. 

You had expected a call or text, anything from him the next day, but you didn’t. You hadn’t heard from him once since that night. You had seen him making appearances and doing interviews, which meant that he had hired someone else for his glam during the break, that hurt. He had regretted that night so much that he didn’t even want to work with you. 

You were contracted for the entirety of his tour, so you knew you would have to go back. When you signed on for the tour, you were excited to see the world, but now you were dreading every second you had to spend with Harry pretending that nothing had happened between the two of you. Pretending that you weren’t heartbroken. 

“Miss?” The driver’s voice brought you out of your thoughts, and you realized that you had arrived.

You thanked the driver as he handed you your bags and made your way through the backstage area. As you walked down the hall, you stopped to say hi and caught up quickly with people you’d run into, sharing quick stories about your break and promising to catch up soon. You found your way to the glam room, and took your time setting everything, partially because of how particular you were, but more than that, you wanted to kill as much time as you could so you didn’t have to go out to the common areas and socialize. You knew he’d be there, and you didn’t want to face him. 

Once things were set up, you killed time alone in your space, scrolling through your phone. You heard voices coming down the hallway, one of them was unmistakable. You put your phone down and took a deep breath to prepare yourself. As he walked through the door, you plastered your best fake smile on. 

Harry saw you, and you noticed his expression falter slightly, but he quickly corrected it. “Hey Y/N, welcome back.” He said, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you into a quick side hug. It was significantly shorter than your past hugs, but it was long enough for his scent to overtake your senses. 

“Thanks,” you mumble as you step back, signaling for him to take a seat. You and Jeff say your hellos, and you make your way to your kit. The sooner you got started, the sooner you’d be finished, and you’d be able to get some distance from Harry. 

Jeff stayed by Harry’s side while he was in your chair. No doubt a calculated measure by Harry to make sure you weren’t left alone. As grateful as you were for that, you were also annoyed. He was the one that kissed you, and he wasn’t even man enough to reject you and apologize. 

“You’re all set.” You said once you were finished. You noticed Harry flinch slightly at your tone. You didn’t mean for your words to come out so stern, but you would only be able to hold back your emotions for so much longer. 

“Oh… okay, thanks Y/N.” Harry said cautiously as he got out of the chair, walking out of the room with Jeff. 

Once they were gone, you sat down into the chair Harry had just been in and dropped your face into your hands. The rest of this tour was going to be a nightmare. 

“Y/N, we need you backstage real quick.” Jeff sticks his head in the door only a couple of minutes before showtime. “And grab that lotion.” 

You furrow your brow, but comply. Grabbing the bottle and following Jeff down the hall. You find Harry standing shirtless amongst the hustle and bustle of pre-show preparations. 

“Um…” You got Harry’s attention and held up the bottle. “Jeff asked for this?” 

“Oh, right. I um… well…” He gestures to his bare torso. “I can do it if–”

“No no,” you interrupt him. “It’s fine, it’s my job.” You pump some lotion into your hand and set the bottle down. You rub your hands together and step up to Harry, taking a deep breath to center yourself before placing your hands on his chest and rubbing the lotion in. 

As your hands run along his body, your mind flashes back to that night. Your hands on his, his on you, your tongues entwined. You shake off the thoughts.

“Are you okay?” Harry asks, you look up to meet his concerned, almost sad gaze. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You lie. Your eyes remain locked on each other, Harry opens his mouth to say something. 

“The internet is going to go nuts for this!” You both snap your attention over to Lloyd, who was snapping pictures of your interaction. 

You feel your face heat up and look down, trying to hide your blush from Harry. You hurry to finish applying the lotion. “All set,” you finally say, unable to look up at him. He thanks you as you’re scurrying away, rushing back to your area. 

All you wanted to do was go back to the hotel and hide, but you knew you’d need to stay for a few touch ups before the encore. So you spent the entirety of the show sitting alone in the hair and makeup area lost in your thoughts, wondering how you were going to make it through. 

You kept an eye on the show through the monitor, making your way to the backstage area as he was finishing up his final song before the encore. He rushed over to you, breathing heavy, and adrenaline running high. You made some quick adjustments to his hair, and handed him a towel so he could wipe down a bit before going back out there, avoiding his gaze the whole time. 

He thanks you quietly before he returns to the stage, and you return to your space. While he’s finishing the show, you pack your things, hoping to get out of there and back to the hotel before he’s off stage. As you're closing up your case, you’re startled by a knock at the door. You look up and silently curse yourself for not moving faster when you see Harry standing in front of you. His chest rising and falling rapidly, still catching his breath, his body glistening, a combination of sweat and the lotion you had applied earlier. He was the last person you wanted to see, but you couldn’t look away. 

“Hi,” he breaks the silence. “Can we talk for a minute?” 

“I can’t, my car is waiting. I’ve gotta get back to the hotel.” You pick up your case and move closer to him, but he refuses to move from the doorway. 

“Please,” he pleads with you. You look up and see determination in his eyes. He’s not going to let you go without talking. You relent, dropping your case by the door and signaling for him to come in. “You’re not going to pull some fancy footwork and run past me if I move away from the door?”

You shake your head, you know he’s making a joke, but you can’t bring yourself to laugh. You move further into the room, hopping up to take a seat on the counter. “I’m here.” 

Harry takes a seat, running a hand through his hair as he tries to form the words. “I think I owe you an apology for the last time I saw you.” You remain silent, hoping he continues. “I was drunk, I crossed a line that I shouldn’t have, it wasn’t professional.” 

“It’s okay, we were both drunk.” You say, your feet swinging back and forth. 

“The last thing I wanted to do was screw up what we had,” he confessed.

“It’s fine, like you said, you were drunk. It didn’t mean anything.” 

Harry looked up at you, his brows furrowed. “I said I was drunk Y/N, not that it didn’t mean anything.” 

Your eyes went wide at his words. “I… what?” Before he could continue. “I just assumed it was a dunk fling or whatever.” 

“Have you ever heard the phrase ‘drunken words are sober thoughts’?” You nod, trying to put the puzzle together. “Well in this case, it’s drunken actions.” He stood from his seat, stepping closer to you. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a long time. I had liquid courage running through me that night, I knew I wasn’t going to see you for a while, and you looked so beautiful, and you smiled at me like that, and I just couldn’t help myself.” 

“Oh,” you said softly, it was the only thing you could manage to get out. 

“After the guys pulled me away, I tried to find you. I wanted to lay everything out, tell you how I felt, but you left.” He looked down, but you could see the pain in his eyes before they dropped. “We had kissed, it was this amazing kiss, and then you just left without saying goodbye. I realized I had fucked up.” 

“I didn’t, that’s not why I left, I…” You were about to apologize for leaving, but he could have just as easily called you. “Why didn’t you just call? Text? Anything?” 

“I felt so bad. I didn’t know what to say. The more time had passed, the harder it got. And before I knew it, it had been seven months.” He saw the tears welling in your eyes, and his heart sank. “I missed you so much during the break, but I miss you more now. You’re right in front of me, but it feels like you’re a million miles away.”

“I’m right here, Harry.” 

“You’re not though, we’ve barely said anything to each other, and there’s this awkwardness between us. I hate it.” His voice starts raising, frustration growing in his tone. “It was one of the best kisses of my life, but if I could go back in time and stop it from happening so that we could be us again, I would.” 

“Harry?” He looks up at you and you see a vulnerability in his eyes that you’d never seen before. “I wanted that kiss too. It meant so much to me.” 

“But… but you just left…”

“I had an early flight, and I didn’t want to pull you away because you felt like you needed to let me down easy. I just assumed I’d hear from you the next day, hungover and apologize. But I never did.” 

Harry stepped in between your legs, his hand coming up and brushing across your cheek. “You’ve wanted to kiss me too?” Your breath hitched from how close he was, all you could do was nod. He smirked at your nerves, relief washing over him. “You know, when you were putting that lotion on earlier, when your hands were all over me,” his face moved closer, his lips just a breath away from yours. “You were driving me crazy.” 

You couldn’t contain yourself, his husky tone, his breath against your face, you closed the distance and kissed him. He groaned against your lips as his hands rested on your thighs, squeezing gently. This kiss was different than the last, that first kiss was sloppy, desperate. This time, it was slower, more deliberate. 

When you finally separated, you were both breathless, silly grins plastered on your faces. “So, what now?” You ask, unsure about where this leaves you. 

“Well,” Harry sighs, his thumbs running back and forth over your thighs. “We definitely still have stuff to talk about, but I’m hoping it leads to a lot more of that.” He smiled, kissing the tip of your nose. 

“I have a feeling it will.” You smirk, pulling him in for another kiss. 

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles x fem!reader #harry styles x plus size reader #harry styles headcanon #harry styles angst #harry's house #love on tour #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fan fiction #harry edward styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot #harry styles blurb #harry styles x you #harry styles x y/n #harry styles fic

[kasdeyalilith]

Midnight Rain (Part II)

Warning/s: Angst and Fluff

Character/s: Scaramouche x Reader

Synopsis: Scaramouche finds himself traveling with the traveler following his defeat in the Sumeru war. He hopes to meet you along during the journey and earn your trust again.

Note: I didn't follow some canon scenes from the battle between the Balladeer and Traveler from the first part so some things are changed. As requested I sprinkled some fluff in here but there's some angst ofc. I managed to squeeze every sweetness in my bones just to come up with the ending. Hope yall enjoy and forgive me with the angsts.

"Ah you've seen my affection for her. If you were in my position, I think you'd feel the same way"

He frowns as he recalls what he said to you, shaking his head at the emerging memory. What a fool he is to treat you that way, knowing you're the only one who actually cares about him. He becomes so blinded by your constant love for him that he thinks dismissing your feelings will not cause you to leave, because you'll still fall for him and stay, only this time you're already falling before he can even catch you.

Scaramouche, who now calls himself "the Wanderer," journeys Teyvat with the traveler in the hopes of meeting you along the way. He offers to tag along on their adventures after the war in Sumeru, promising to make amends for his past actions even if they are forgotten by most. The traveler was hesitant at first, but Nahida convinces him to do it. He warns him that if he does something bad, he won't hesitate to feed him to Paimon.

The Wanderer spends his days doing meaningless things, like working on different commissions with the Traveler. Even though it's tiring and boring, he's never felt so at peace, which is something he can only feel with you.

He pushed those thoughts away as he cast a glimpse at the rising statue of Barbatos, which was gleaming beneath the sun's blaze. The last thing he needs to find you is for that piercing sting inside him where his heart is supposed to be.

The nation of the Anemo Archon proved to be a safe haven for explorers like him as all are welcome within its walled borders. A foreign feeling churns inside him; a sincere reception from strangers who do not immediately condemn him is an unusual occurrence for the Wanderer. After years of only you accepting and treating him as a normal being, it's a strange emotion to feel when a bard hands him an apple as a welcome gesture.

He imagines every situation and every word he'll say once he finds you, but all preparations are tossed out the window the moment he sees you. You who’s as perfect and beautiful as he remembered, even the grease that stains your skin from repairing a machine can’t lessen your beauty as you laughed at him, him who’s hair white as chalk and posture still as a doll. The Wanderer refuses himself the sudden surge of jealousy, he doesn’t have the right now as he stares at you longingly.

He felt his entire body freeze the minute your eyes locked on him, waiting with bated breath for the storm to strike. Your gaze, however, quickly shifts to the side as if you were unaware that he was standing there.

Did you absolutely despise him? He can't blame you if you do, but it doesn't make the pain that crawls and scratches him back any less painful. He can only blame himself for causing you so much hurt that you decide to ignore him entirely.

He isolates himself from the traveler, preferring to rest under Windrise's great oak tree. His hand wipes any daring tear that dares to fall, and even though he is no longer the frail puppet he once was, he still easily tears up. He is unsure if your rejection or avoidance of him causes him more pain, as both equally rip him apart. It hurts much more that you no longer care about him and he has no way to bring you back into his life, even if he drowns himself in sorrow and endures a thousand stab wounds.

He chases after those memories of you both being content and happy, and for a moment, he allows himself to get lost in them.

He eventually drifts off to sleep under the cooling shade of Vennessa's Tree, lulled by the Archon's breeze and the melody sung by the lyre coming above from one of the branches.

The Wanderer was painfully jolted out of his dreams of you when he felt something tap his shoulder; he frowned as he faced the intruder but stopped when he saw you smiling at him. He pinches and rubs his eyes awake to check if he's dreaming again.

You kneeled in front of him and offered him a bottle of water, which he accepted dumbfoundedly. His violet eyes are watching you intently as if Aranaras were dancing on the top of your head. You smiled awkwardly at him, overwhelmed by his focused attention, and cleared your throat, ready to ask him the question you had thought for hours.

He stills his beating heart, afraid that it’ll drown out your words as he awaits anxiously for you to speak.

“You must be parched, here’s some water I got from Sara awhile ago. Don’t worry it’s freshly taken from a clean spring. Anyway, I uhm saw you earlier while I was at the crafting table and I-”

"Wait before you say anything else" He rushes in front of you, grasping your hand while looking down at the ground and saying, "I'm sorry for everything I've done. Although I had my reasons for causing you pain, it does not make it right. I will do anything to regain your forgiveness. I will persevere even if it takes years or more. I love you. I know I'm a disappointment to you most of the time but you still constantly care for me, even when I act and make hasty decisions. Amidst my past and painful memories and mistakes, you are the first thing that has ever felt right. I'll always love you even if you turn me away"

Even if it is wrong to hope for your forgiveness instantly, he still clings to it while he looks at you. His face painted in sincerity, as he waits for your response.

“I uh- I’m so sorry to say this but I only saw you today? I asked for your whereabouts and followed you because well you seemed familiar to me and when I saw you staring earlier, I’m reminded of the locket I used to have and how you resemble the person in the picture but I can’t remember why I have it and who you are in my life”

“Wha-what do you mean?”

His entire world was put in chaos as he repeats your word over and over. Forgotten? All those memories gone? He want to latch at you and scream and cry but he can only stare, hand at his chest as it beats too hard and painful for him to even breathe.

“I’m really sorry uh traveler? But guessing from your actions and words we must’ve been linked at some point in the past. I don’t know how I’ve forgotten someone important to me but I’m willing to make new ones with you. How does that sound-?”

He fell silent, even if all the memories you both once shared are gone, taken away when the Greater Lord was forgotten and passed away, along with the memories of the Balladeer, he'll take anything as long as he can stay by your side.

“Kuni, call me Kuni”

"Okay Kuni, how about we start over?" You dusted down your skirt as you stood up and offered your hand to him, “I’m Y/n, researcher of the Knights of Favonious at your service”

You cheerfully saluted him, laughing at your own actions.

“I’m Kuni the Wanderer”

Finally, in the midst of the darkness that has surrounded him all of his life, you shone like the brightest star in his sky, as your light pours through the appearing cracks, chasing after the storm as it breaks through the barrier and free him from his cage.

“The Wanderer huh? So you like to just wander off?”

“Shut up”

“Should’ve called you The Grumpiest”

“Archons…. You’re lucky I love you”

#scaramouche angst #genshin scaramouche #scaramouche x you #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche+x+reader #kunikuzushi #genshin impact #genshin #scaramouche fluff

[roseghoul26]

Chapter 3: I Can't Stop You Putting Roots In My Dreamland

Arthur Morgan x fem!Reader

Synopsis: A fic based off the song “ivy” by Taylor Swift. After a startling introduction to the man, Arthur Morgan became the most important part of your life. Married at a young age to an older, wealthy man to help your family, you were trapped in a loveless marriage, your only sense of escape with the rugged cowboy. Will you be able to keep your affair hidden, or will your husband find out, and destroy the last thing that made you happy? Tags: Fluff, Angst, Smut, Strangers To Lovers, Infidelity, Fem!Reader, She/Her Pronouns Used For Reader, Period Typical Misogyny, Emotional Manipulative Relationship (not with Arthur), Mostly Follows Timeline of Game, High Honor Arthur Morgan Author's Note: this chapter does talk about sex with the husband, which isn’t non consensual, but it also isn’t something the reader actually wants, doing it more out of obligation than anything. also chapters will probably start to be longer and therefore take longer to write <3 Taglist: @lokiofasgard12 @ultraporcelainpig @that-one-beannnn @morethantheycansay Chapter List

You rarely smoked. 

The only time you did was after you and Hans were intimate. He would roll over onto his side, asleep, and you would get up from the bed, wrapping your robe around you and heading outside to the front porch, sitting right on the top stair. 

It was comforting to you, because you imagined the flame and smoke from the cigarette would burn the remnants of him from your body. 

You felt them in your pocket, the promise of temporary relief calling to you like a siren. You ignored them, choosing to listen to the sounds of the woods around you. The crickets sang, the frogs croaked, and you heard the chattering of nocturnal animals as they found food for the night. Everything was so peaceful, so why couldn’t you stop yourself from feeling so tense?

It had been two days since the trip into Rhodes. Hans had stayed in his office for most of that time, only coming out to eat and sleep. But as was typical before leaving on trips, Hans wanted you, so you obliged him. 

Sex with Hans felt like a task, no passion between the two of you. He treated it like he treated his business: efficiently. There was no foreplay, no lingering touches, nothing. It was just straight to the point, and done as soon as it started, which came as a relief to you. The less time you had to spend doing it with him, the better. 

However, as much as it shamed you to admit it, your thoughts had not been of Hans during the moment. Instead of cold gray eyes traveling down your body, you imagined they were a certain shade of blue. Instead of pallid skin, you imagined it was tanned, roughened from years in the suns. And when Hans’ hands did touch you, you imagined they were strong and broad, calloused yet gentle. You’d be a liar if you said it didn’t make it easier. 

Disgusted with yourself, you ran a hand down your face, slumping forward where you sat on the stair. Cold air dug into your skin, and you tightened your robe further around your body. The silk felt nice against your skin, but it did nothing to protect against the elements. 

You were about to fish the pack out of your pocket, but the sound of hoofbeats had you perking your head up, eyes focusing on the small path in front of you. Emerging from the shadows was a man on horseback, lantern in one hand that lit up the side of his face. It took you a second to register who it was, not quite believing your eyes at first. 

“Arthur?” You called out. Not only could you not escape from him in your thoughts, but here he was in reality. Not that you minded, but of course the timing had to be terrible. 

He responded with a noise of affirmation, and you couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips. “What’re you doin’ here? It’s very late.” You knew it was somewhere between nine and ten at night, which is a little late for visitors. “Don’t tell me you’re here to try and rob me again.”

Arthur audibly sighed, shaking his head as he dismounted his horse. “You ain’t ever gonna let that go, are you?” You watched as he secured the reins around a nearby tree before making his way over to you.

“Never,” you laughed, and despite your better judgment, you scooted over to the side to give Arthur room to sit. You patted the stair when he got to the porch, and he sat down next to you. The scent of tobacco and gunpowder wafted over you, and you felt his jacket covered arm brush yours, causing you to shiver.

It was at that point you remembered you were only wearing your undergarments underneath, and you tightened the robe even more around your body, both because of self awareness and the temperature. 

Wordlessly, you felt Arthur shift, taking his jacket and draping it across your shoulders. The outside material of the jacket had been rough, but the inside was lined with a soft pelt, warmed by Arthur’s body. The addicting scent was even stronger now, causing your head to spin, and you resisted the urge to bury your face into it. “You’ll catch your death out here,” he said disapprovingly. You just chuckled in response. 

“What’re you doin’ out here, anyway?” You heard him ask, and you shrugged. 

“I could ask you the same question.” You watched him out of the corner of your eye, and he sighed. 

“Leigh was worried ‘bout the ‘issue’ you’d been having, with the break-ins. He wanted me to come out ‘ere and make sure everythin’ is good.” He laughed lightly, and you felt his eyes on you. “Now will you answer me?”

Finally, you pulled out the pack, holding it gently in your hands. Glancing up at Arthur, he seemed surprised. “Didn’t strike me as the type who smoked,” he commented.

“I rarely do.” You pulled out one of the cigarettes from the pack, placing it gently between your lips. Pulling out your lighter, it took a few too many tries before the spark caught, and you lit the end of it. Taking a long drag, you wordlessly offered Arthur one from the pack.

He accepted it, placing it between his own plush lips, and you shifted closer to light it. Except this time, no matter how many times you tried, the spark wouldn’t catch, and you could hear Arthur chuckle as you grew more and more frustrated. “Piece of shit,” you grumbled, “I keep forgettin’ to buy a new one.”

You tried it a few more times before giving up, shoving it angrily back into your robe. “Sorry,” you grumbled, guilty eying the unlit cigarette that hung from his mouth.

“Can I try somethin’?” Arthur asked, and it piqued your curiosity, so you nodded. “C’mere.” Arthur gestured for you to move closer to him, which you did. The man practically radiated heat, you noticed, and your cold body wanted nothing more than to wrap around him. 

Your brain stopped functioning when you felt him gently grasp your chin with gloved fingers, keeping your head still, but not tight enough to keep you locked there. He leaned forward like he was going to kiss you, but he instead pressed the end of his cigarette against yours. “Inhale,” he instructed, and you watched the end of yours glow with red embers as you did, which ignited his.

He pulled away then, his touch lingering a little longer than necessary, and you were certain he could feel the way your heart hammered. “Resourceful,” you muttered, and Athur laughed, smoke spilling from his open mouth. You couldn’t tell if it was a trick of the light, but his cheeks were a shade darker than they were moments ago.

“Somethin’ like that. I think ‘desperate’ is the right word, though.” Arthur leaned back on one of his arms, the other moving the cigarette to and from his lips. “Haven’t had a good cigarette in a while.” 

Without even thinking about it, you extended the pack of them for him to take, and you watched him switch his attention from the pack to you. “Take it,” you demanded, shaking it gently when he didn’t budge. “I got plenty of them.”

“I appreciate it, but-”

“Just take the damn thing!” You giggled, practically pressing it against his chest, yet he still made no move to grab it. With a quirk of your brow that said really?, you tucked the pack into one of the various pockets of the coat around your shoulders. 

Arthur shook his head with a mix of defeat and amusement, and even in the low light you could see that smile that made you weak. “You’re stubborn.”

“First I’m strange, and now I’m stubborn. Got any other s words you wanna call me?” 

“I can think of a few.” Arthur had begun to lean near you as you spoke, but you watched his eyes flick down to where a ring sat on your hand and he pulled away. “But none of which I should say to a married woman.”

Right. Holding back a sigh of disappointment, you felt the jacket begin to slip from your shoulders, and you swore you saw Arthur’s arm move to fix it before stopping himself. Securing it back around, you took a final drag from your cigarette before stomping it out with your shoe, then kicking the butt under the porch once it had cooled some.

“Are you busy the next couple of weeks?” You asked, not really knowing what you were saying. 

“I’ve got some things. Why?”

“Oh, nevermind.” You immediately felt silly for even bringing it up.

“You sure?”

“Well…” you took a breath. “Hans is gonna be gone for the next week or two, and you especially know how easy it is to get in here,” you gestured to the house, and Arthur shook his head again. “I guess what I’m tryin’ to ask is if you’d swing by every couple of days? Just to make sure nothin’ has happened? I’ll sleep better knowing there's someone out there who keepin’ an eye on things. And I’ll pay,” you tagged on, and Arthur brought the cigarette back up to his lips, almost contemplative. 

You totally weren’t trying to come up with a reason to see him more. 

“Just every couple of days?”

You nodded. “You don’t even gotta talk to me or anythin’. I’ll leave the money somewhere secure and you can just grab it.”

“And if I wanna talk to you?” Arthur’s voice was surprisingly faint, like someone would if they didn’t have complete confidence in what they were saying. 

Cherishing the knowledge that he didn’t dislike your presence, you couldn’t help the small smile as you responded. “Well, I’ll be around.”

Arthur hummed in response, and he took one final drag until he was stomping it out, kicking it under the porch like you did. The two of you sat in silence after that, simply taking in the serenity of the nighttime forest. Arthur titled his head back, eyes locked on to the forest, and the moonlight graced his features. Why did he look even more gorgeous at night? Pale white light highlighted the angles of his face, his high cheeks, the crook of his nose. You were able to make out a scar along the bridge of his nose, and another on his chin. You wondered if the rest of his body was marked that way.

You hadn’t realized you’d been staring at him until he turned his attention on you, and you couldn’t tell if he was amused or concerned. “You alright there?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah,” you quickly responded. “Just tired.” Whether Arthur believed you, you’d never know. 

“Let’s get you inside, then,” Arthur replied, slowly standing up from the step. You almost wanted to grab his hand and pull him back down, not wanting this little moment to end. But that familiar feeling of guilt returned, and so you let the moment go, dissipating in the air like the smoke of your cigarettes. 

Arthur helped you up, escorting you to your front door with a hand barely not touching your back. You slid the jacket off your body, giving it back to him with a soft thank you. After draping it around one of his arms, he held the door open for you. You were about to step in when you heard him murmur your name. “Have a good night, darlin’.”

“Because of you, it is.” You beamed at him, before ducking into the dimly-lit house. A few seconds later, you heard the door latch shut, and the sound of receding hoofbeats a few minutes after. 

You gave yourself a moment to calm your racing heart, fanning your face to try and alleviate the heat in your cheeks. You were giddy and felt lighter than a feather. Like the last time, you felt like your real self had broken free, if not for a moment. That taste of freedom was delicious, and it was addicting. 

But with that freedom came guilt, and you were screaming at yourself in your head, every nasty word under the sun aimed directly at you in your mind. Married or not, you shouldn’t be letting an almost stranger sit that close to you, let him drape his jacket over you, let him hold your face so gently.

You shouldn’t be reacting this way. 

You shouldn’t be torturing yourself by getting close to him. 

You shouldn’t be getting close to him.

There were so many things you shouldn’t be doing, but you knew you couldn’t stop now. You needed more.

Sighing, you slowly began to make your way upstairs, the stairs creaking with each step. You headed into the washroom that wasn’t attached to your bedroom, this one located across the hall a ways down from where Hans was currently asleep. Washing the remnants of smoke from your body, you dared to glance at yourself in the mirror.

Sure, nothing has changed too drastically since you got married, your face still practically the same. But a deep weariness had made itself at home in your eyes. Your eyes, once filled with wonder and joy at the world, had turned dull, much like Hans’. They seemed to have sunken in more, like the life from your body was being sucked from your body. 

Anger boiled your blood, tears threatening to flow as you stared at the husk of yourself in the mirror. You were angry at your family for marrying you off. You were angry at Hans for agreeing to marry you. You were angry at the world for thinking it was okay.

And you were angry at Arthur for breaking into your house and setting off this chain of events in your mind. 

Taking a deep breath, you composed yourself. This marriage needed to happen, you told yourself, and it provided some small comfort, but it didn’t ease the sense of betrayal. And you shouldn’t be mad at Arthur, because it wasn’t his fault. You just wanted someone to blame for your treachery. Wiping down your hands, you were sure to avoid looking at yourself in the mirror again as you left.

Before you knew it, you were back in the bedroom, the familiar sight of Hans’ form beneath the covers causing a lump to form in your throat. Quickly slipping off the robe, you replaced it with a nightgown before joining him under the covers. 

The comforting smell of Arthur still clung to your skin, lulling you to sleep, your dreams interrupted with visions of him. It was the best sleep you’d gotten in a long time.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

The sunlight woke you up, beams interrupting your slumber instead of the voice of your husband. 

Sitting up, you placed your hand on the other side of your bed, and you felt it was cold. A smile grew across your face, an almost child-like giddiness bubbling inside of you. He was gone.

You quickly got out of bed, immediately heading to the closet to get dressed, not wanting to waste any of the precious time you had alone. You had no idea what you were going to do, but you were going to savor every moment. You had glanced at the clock on the way over, and you were surprised to see that you’d slept in until ten.

You decided on a thin, flowy skirt and a light blouse, something that would let you move with ease. As you got dressed, a familiar piece of paper caught your eye, tucked in the drawer containing your socks hastily. You picked up the little thank you note that Arthur had given to you, looking over it fondly. It was such a small gesture, but it meant everything to you. 

Tucking it back, you left your closet, heading down the stairs. Even the house seemed happier, sunlight streaming into the windows, and you opened some of them, letting wind clear away the stagnant air. You made yourself a quick breakfast, an assortment of fruits and some bread, cleaning the dishes once you were done. 

You now sat at the dining table, contemplating what you were going to do. Your options were quite limited, as the only way to travel from the house was the carriage, but that was gone. Hans didn’t keep horses, finding the creatures disgusting, leaving you stranded at the house. 

That wasn’t to say you didn't have a way of getting to places. If you really needed to, the main road wasn’t far, about a five minute walk on foot. If you waited long enough, someone would come by with a carriage, and you could ask to hop on. More often than not, they would accept, and you were always sure to hand them a couple of bills for their troubles. It was dangerous, and probably quite stupid, but you enjoyed the thrill of it all. 

But you weren’t in the mood to travel in the city, especially this early, where everyone would be able to clearly see who you were. You slumped back in the chair. Now that the novelty of being alone had worn off, the persistent loneliness was no longer covered up, making you slump even further into your chair.

It was then you finally remembered your little project you’d been working on for some time: your garden. You quickly left the house, a newfound energy in your step as you traveled along the makeshift path you’d made with your steps.Your skirts caught on various plants and sticks, but it didn’t deter you, and you made it to your garden in no time. 

It wasn’t much of a garden, to be completely honest with yourself. Fallen trees stacked up against one side, blocking it from view from the house. You hadn't tended to it for some time, and it showed. All six of your planters were handmade, made from various sticks and planks you’d found scattered about, and you noticed that they were all spilling out their precious dirt, the wood long since rotted. Also, weeds and vines and overgrowth covered over the delicate plants you’d raised, and you made a sad noise. You hoped they weren’t all dead. 

Digging through the thick growth, your fears were confirmed when instead of bright green, you were met with wilted brown. They weren’t anything special, just a few herbs and small vegetables that you’d grown from the remnants of produce you’d used for supper. Still, it was something you’d poured yourself into, and you couldn’t help the way your shoulders sagged, energy wilted just like the plants. 

You were about to move the weeds back over, when from the pile of dead plants, a sliver of fresh green caught your eye. Investigating further, you found a cluster of small growth of thyme and mint, baby sprouts, but still able to become something greater. A victorious laugh left you, and you eagerly began tearing away the invasive greenery, your energy returned.

It took a while, but eventually you’d uncovered everything, the dead plants pulled out, leaving the few remaining live ones in the unstable dirt. Before you could move them, though. you’d have to make new planters. The rest of the day you spent gathering various sticks, planks, and pieces of bark, creating a substantial pile in the garden.

By the time night came around, you were exhausted, covered in dirt and sweat, but surprisingly content. You bathed and, no matter how much you wanted to stay up and wait to see if Arthur would stop by, you went to bed. You said every couple of days, not every night, for God’s sake. 

The next day was spent working on the planters, taking many breaks inside. It took too many tires for you to make one that would stay together, but by the end of the night you’d made one. 

The third day arrived, and you worked again on the planters. It was the end of the third night when you heard hoofbeats come down your road, and you felt your heart beat excitedly. You were still close to the house, so you were able to hear Arthur call out your name. “Over here!” You responded, but you doubted he could see you because your back was pressed against the stack of fallen logs, blocking you from view from the house. “In the woods!”

It took a few moments, but you eventually heard branches crack and leaves rustle, as well as the light noise of his spurs. “Hello, Arthur,” you turned your head back to greet the man as he approached your side. “I’ll get your payment in a moment, just let me finish this.”

You turned back to the planter in your lap, and you saw out of the corner of your eye as Arthur crouched down next to you, watching what you were doing with an unreadable expression. “What’s all this?” He asked as you tied a knot of the rope, testing the stability of the planter with a tug. When it held, you smiled proudly. Another one done. 

“This,” you gestured around you, “is my garden. And this,” you pointed to the now finished planter, “is one of the last planters I need to make before I replace all the old ones.”

“Odd place for a garden,” Arthur noted, standing up again. Again, he helped you up, and you smiled gratefully at him. He wasn’t wearing gloves this time, and you were able to feel the rough skin on yours. 

“I know,” you replied, wiping dirt from your hands on your skirt. “But it ain’t like I got any other place for it.”

“Whaddya mean? You’ve got a whole empty lawn,” he said with disbelief, and you shook your head.

“I guess I mean I can’t. I ain’t even supposed to have this.”

“You… can’t?”

“It ain’t ‘ladylike or proper’ to keep a garden, apparently,” you scoffed, and began to make your way back to the house. “C’mon, let’s get you your money.”

A part of you hoped that he wouldn’t just take the money and leave as you walked back toward the house, but you wouldn’t blame him if he did. The two of you idly chatted, you leading the way back, Arthur not far behind. 

Looking back as you talked, you were able to appreciate him visually as you kept eye contact. He had the same red button up on  from earlier in the week, sleeves rolled up at the elbow, and the top two buttons undone. He had forgone the bandana around his neck entirely today, and you were thankful for it. He kept his hands on his gunbelt as he walked, the act far more enticing than it should be. You had to move your eyes before you could begin to stare. 

Reaching the house, Arthur held the door open for you, hesitantly following in after you. It was strange, seeing Arthur in your house properly. He looked very out of place, the antiquated decorations of high society a harsh contrast of the rugged outdoorsman. 

“I’m gonna go grab the money, so make yourself at home. And,” you pointed to his boots, “take those off. You tracked mud in my kitchen last time.”

He held his hands up defensively. “My apologies,” he chuckled, but he complied, setting his boots next to your shoes. It was almost familiar, seeing your shoes next to his, and a pang of longing for a life you’d never had or will have tore through your chest. 

Heading upstairs, you pushed those feelings away as you entered your bedroom. Reaching under the bed, you grabbed the lockbox you kept stashed, hidden between the mattress and the frame, setting it on your bed. Opening it, you grabbed a few bills from it, totalling to about five dollars. You pulled from your own personal money, not wanting Hans to question why he was suddenly down a bit of money when he returned. Tucking it back under, you hurriedly made your way back downstairs to Arthur.  

He hadn’t sat down yet. Instead, you watched as he traveled around the living room, examining the various photographs that decorated the shelves and the mantle of the fireplace. He was frowning as he looked over your and Hans’ wedding photo, but he broke his gaze from them as you stood next to him. “Here,” you handed him the money. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” he murmured, taking the bills gently, putting them away in one of his pockets. 

The two of you stood in silence after that. You weren’t quite sure what to say. A part of you wanted to invite him to stay for a drink, but that was risky, pushing to something less than proper. He took the framed wedding photo into his hands, and the both of you observed it.

You looked like a spooked deer in the photo, your eyes wide and staring into the camera. Hans had his arm linked in yours, and it was the only time you’d seen him smile, even though it was forced. The dress you were wearing was a poofy mess of fabric and ribbon, and you remembered how much it itched your skin.

“The dress is ugly, I know,” you joke, getting a chuckle from the man. “I’d never choose to wear somethin’ like that.”

“It seems like you don’t got a choice in a lot of things,” you heard him mutter, more to himself than anything. You couldn’t bring yourself to disagree with him; it was obvious you’d be lying. 

Arthur set the frame back on the fireplace mantle, and when his hand returned to his side, you felt it brush against yours, but a little too hard to be accidental. It was a simple yet comforting touch, and for a moment that loneliness tormenting you eased. 

But just as it came, it left, Arthur taking a few steps away from you. Turning your head to watch him, you felt disappointment overwhelm you. “I-” he cleared his throat. “I have to go.” 

“Okay,” you whispered as he got his boots back on. 

His mouth opened and shut as he struggled to formulate words, and he ended up just sighing. “I’ll see you later, darlin’.”

Nodding, you turned your attention back to the photo, not wanting him to see the sadness in your eyes. You heard the door latch shut, and like your shoes by the door, you were now alone.

You stayed inside for the rest of the night.

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

The next day arrived, and with it came rain. Lots of it.

It pounded against the roof of your house, and you found the sound of it comforting, distracting you from your miserable thoughts. Because of that, you spent most of the day in the attic cleaning, where you could feel the rain if you pressed your hand against the roof.

The following day was a clear one, not a single cloud in the sky. You finished up the planters, arranging them how you liked. You rewarded yourself with a long soak in the bath, spending nearly an hour in the tub. 

For both of those days, your mind kept wandering to Arthur, but not on the reason you thought it would. You kept going back to his comment about how you didn’t have a choice in a lot of things. In the back of your mind, you always knew that, but to hear it out loud, it had been staggering. 

You didn’t let yourself think about it for too long, however. The sacrifice of your own choice in life was a necessary one, you told yourself, and itIt was selfish of you to want otherwise. Your family would be out on the street if it wasn’t for you, and besides, you should be grateful for the life Hans has provided for you.

So why was it so hard to convince yourself to believe your thoughts?

You dreamed that night, for the first time in a while. It wasn’t anything crazy, but it still had you gasping when you woke. It was a domestic scene, and you were in the kitchen making breakfast. A sleep-laden Arthur came into the scene, brown hair tousled and in his face. He wrapped his arms around your body, bare chest pressing into your back, and he burrowed his face into the crook of your neck. It felt so real, and you swore you could feel the scratch of his beard on your neck when you woke. 

Getting out of bed the next day had been a struggle. You angrily grumbled at the birds as they taunted you with their lighthearted music, and you debated rolling over a smashing a pillow over your head and going back to sleep. 

Eventually, you managed to leave the bed, getting dressed and eating breakfast like you’d done in all the previous days. The monotony was getting boring, but there wasn’t anything you could do about that. 

Today you worked on filling the planters with dirt, and it took a surprising amount of time to find some that wasn’t too rocky or too muddy, and of course it had to be a significant walk from the planters. All you had to transport the dirt was a small shovel that you stored in a hollow trunk nearby, and you spent the day carrying each precious shovelful across the forest

By the time early evening rolled around, you were exhausted, your hands cramping and shoulders aching from the shovel, but you now had six planters filled with dirt, and the baby sprouts placed in each one. The dirt was still damp enough from the rainfall earlier, so you didn’t have to worry about watering today.

Leaning your back against the fallen trunks, you closed your eyes, savoring the feeling of the warm sun rays against your skin. The birds sounded less taunting than they did in the morning, and you let yourself get lost in their songs.

So lost, in fact, that you failed to notice when they stopped, spooked by the sound of a voice and footfalls. You jumped when your name was said rather loudly beside you, your eyes snapping open and staring at the creator of the sound. 

A concerned Arthur stood above you, hand extended like he was about to shake your shoulder. “Oh, hello Arthur,” you grinned up at him.

“You scared me there,” he half-laughed, pulling you to your feet. “I’ve been callin’ your name for a while now.”

“Well, as you can see,” you brushed your hands on your skirt, “I’m still very much alive.” You were afraid that the tense ending of your last interaction would’ve carried over to today, but you’re glad it didn’t. “So, whaddya think?” You gestured to your garden. 

“It’s… cute.”

“Cute?” You scoffed. “You mean to tell me I’ve been working all day for the last week just for it to be cute? You insult me, Arthur.”

Arthur laughed, and that damn smile adorned his lips. Looking away, you felt your cheeks warm.

“I left the money at the house again. C’mon.” 

The walk back to the house was short, like always, and Arthur asked you about the plants you were growing. You explained to him the way you’d found them earlier in the week, recalling the small little sprouts you’d found. 

“Plants are incredible in that way. No matter what the world throws at them, no matter what conditions they’re met with, they always seem to just… come back. Their resilience is incredible!” Looking back at Arthur, he was watching you with an indiscernible expression. “Sorry, didn’t mean to get all poetic there.”

“Don’t apologize,” Arthur shook his head. “I like that, though. Reminds me of someone I know.”

“Oh? Who?” You were genuinely curious, wanting to know more about Arthur and the people he associated with. 

“There’s this amazin’ woman, who, no matter what anyone tells her or what society deems is right, does what she wants, does what makes her happy. And when she gets dragged down, I’ve seen her bounce right back up, ready to take on the world.”

“Maybe you’re the poetic one,” you teased. “She sounds like someone I want to meet.”

You missed the look that Arthur gave you, like he couldn’t believe you weren’t catching on. “I’m sure she’d love to meet you.”

Eventually the two of you came into the house, and Arthur lingered in the doorway. “I’ll be right back, then you’ll be good to go.” You turned to head up the stairs, but you halted. “Unless…” Don’t you dare. “Unless you want to stay for dinner?” 

When he didn’t respond, you panicked a little. “You don’t have to, I just figured cause it’s almost dinnertime, you’d like somethin’ to eat.” Silence. “You know what, forget I said anythin’,” you looked away, embarrassed, and resumed entering the house. 

“You’re spoilin’ me, darlin’,” Arthur laughed breathlessly with a smile. 

“Is that a yes?”

He nodded, and a relieved but genuine smile fell on your lips. “You know where the living room is,” you laughed, toeing off your shoes. Arthur did the same, setting his boot next to yours again, and he made his way to the living room as you went upstairs. 

The process of grabbing the money was no different this time, and you were about to head back downstairs when you caught a glimpse of yourself in one of the mirrors in the bedroom.

Dirt streaked across your face from where you had wiped away sweat, and your clothes were in no better shape. Embarrassment once again overcame you, the ideals that had been ingrained into your brain for years making you feel so. No woman of your standing should be playing in the dirt, then inviting people into her home while covered in it. 

You quickly changed clothes, then headed into the en suite bathroom to wash down your face and body, even go so far as to fix up your hair, pulling out any debris that got caught in it. Satisfied, you headed back downstairs to Arthur, who sat on one of the various couches. He had taken his hat off, setting it next to him, and you watched him run his hands through it. 

“It wasn’t very nice of you to not tell me I was covered in dirt,” was what you said as you approached him, holding out the bills for him. “Sorry that it took so long.”

Arthur just chuckled, standing up in front of you, leaving his hat behind. He took the bills from you with a thankful nod of his head, tucking them into his pocket. “You missed a spot,” he said as he tucked the money away.

“Really?” You began to wipe at your face, frowning when Arthur began to laugh. “Where?”

“Here,” he muttered, and you felt two hands gently wrap around your wrists, tugging them away from your face. Releasing one, he used the pad of his thumb to wipe at your cheek, the rest of his hand resting on your jaw. His cerulean eyes flicked across your face, like he was trying to memorize the details of it, the curve of your cheek, the slope of your nose, the shape of your lips. “There,” he whispered, running the thumb across again for good measure before dropping his hand. 

Arthur stared at you for a moment, like even he couldn’t quite believe what he’d done. All thoughts went out the window, your mind and legs jelly. He took a step back, giving an appropriate amount of room between the two of you. Don’t leave, you were pleading in your head. “I-I’ll get started on dinner,” you stammer out. “If you’d like to get washed up, the bathroom’s upstairs, first door on the left.”

He nodded, taking a few more steps back. “I’ll be right back, then.” And with that, he turned up the stairs, leaving you stunned, alone, in the living room. You ran your fingers over where his hand had just been, and you laughed with shock and delight. You expected to feel guilt, and you did, but it was heavily muffled by the sheer joy radiating in your chest. 

The sound of water rushing through the pipes of the house broke you out of your daze, your hand returning to your side. Right. Dinner. 

Despite the tiredness you felt from hauling dirt everywhere the entire day, you felt energized as you entered the kitchen. You weren’t going to make anything elaborate, mainly because you were starting to run low on supplies. You’d have to run to Rhodes sometime during the next week, using your own money, of course. 

Dinner was going to be two small steaks, with diced potatoes and grilled green beans. The smell of the food quickly permeated the kitchen, making your stomach grumble hungrily. Arthur emerged from the bathroom when dinner was over halfway done, startling you because you had your back to him, and because your mind was constantly distracted with thoughts of him. 

“That smells amazin’,” he commented, causing you to nearly drop the utensil you were using to flip the food. Turning, he held up his hands apologetically. 

“I should’ve had you keep your boots on. Your spurs are loud,” you grumbled lightheartedly. “How are you so quiet?” You kept having to turn your head to talk to him, so he walked up next to you at the stove.

“Years of practice,” Arthur responded, which didn’t clear anything up.

“Practice for what?” 

Arthur hesitated to speak, and you rolled your eyes. “Arthur, I caught you breakin’ into my house. If you’re a thief, just say it.”

“I ain’t a thief.” He replied defensively. 

“Sure, whatever you say. I just sure as hell know you ain’t a deputy.”

Arthur laughed. “Ain’t that the truth.”

“So why are you pretendin’ to be one?”

The man beside you sighed. “It’s a long story… and one I ain’t so sure I can tell yet.”

Silence fell over the two of you, the only sound the sizzling of food as it cooked. It was you who spoke first. “So who are you then, Arthur Morgan?”

Arthur didn’t respond at first, and you watched his struggle to come up with an answer. “I ain’t quite sure,” he finally said, uncertainty lacing his voice.

“You’re… not sure?”

He shrugged. “I’m a lot of things, I suppose. I guess I can’t just put it into one word."

“Alright, how ‘bout this then. Whenever you’re not here, what’re you doin’?”

“I… I’m workin’. Odd jobs and stuff like that.”

“Do those odd jobs include thievin’?”

Exasperated, Arthur  made a noise between a scoff and a chuckle. “I suppose it does. Houses, banks, trains. Whatever gets me money, I guess.”

Grinning at your small victory at his admission, you poked him lightly in the chest. “So you’re an outlaw then.”

“And if I am?”

It was your turn to shrug. “Doesn’t change anythin’, really.”

Arthur noticeably relaxed at your answer. “Good.”

“I’m assumin’ Dutch and Bill are outlaws too, then.”

“Jesus, woman, is this an interrogation?” You heard Arthur mutter, and you laughed. 

“Sorry, sorry, just curious.” Your gaze went back to the food, and you noticed that everything was almost done cooking. “Was I right though?”

“I… Yes.”

You hummed in response. Bill you were expecting, but the other man you weren’t. He looked like he belonged in high society with you, not living a life from the reaches of the law. Maybe appearances aren't always to be believed, then. “Thank you.”

Arthur raised a brow. “For?”

“Answering my questions. And not just brushing them off. Thank you.”

“Yeah,” Arthur responded, not expecting thanks for such a simple thing. “You need any help with this?” He gestured to the food on the stove. “I ain’t much of a cook, but if you need help…”

Never once in your marriage had Hans offered to help you as you cooked, even when you had to make large amounts for dinner parties or guests. A warm smile found its way on your face, and you shook your head. “I think I got it. It’s almost done, anyway. You wanna grab some plates for me?” You pointed to a nearby cupboard. 

“‘Course.” Arthur stepped away from you, fulfilling your request, and your eyes followed him as he moved across the kitchen. Just like the shoes by the door, something about this just felt right, even though everything in your brain was screaming that this was wrong. This domesticity, this familiarity, everything was wrong.

But damn if it didn’t feel good, like something you didn't know was missing inside of you had been returned. 

Arthur returned a few moments later with two plates in his hand, setting them on the counter beside you. You spoke as you began to lead the food onto it. “Go ahead and take a seat. I’ll bring the plates out shortly. Utensils are in the drawer there” You ended with a point. 

“You sure?”

You nodded. “Want anythin’ to drink?”

“Whatever you’re havin’.” Arthur’s voice was distant as he moved away toward the dining room. 

Wine, then. The plates were hot in your hands as you brought them out. Arthur sat at one end of the table, where Hans would sit, and you set it down in front of him. You faltered for a second as you debated where to set yours. Normally, you’d sit on the other end of the table, with four chairs of space between you and Hans, but you figured it would be rude to do that right now. Besides, the selfish part of you wanted to be as close to Arthur as you could.

Leaving a chair’s space, you set your plate down before returning to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of wine, which you opened, and two glasses. Arthur stood when you returned, pulling your chair out, pushing you in when you sat. “You sure you’re an outlaw?” You joked, pouring out two glasses of the red liquid.

“I’m certain.” He took the glass of wine from you once you offered it. “Thank you, darlin’.”

“Of course.” Picking up the utensils that Arthur had grabbed for the both of you, you both dug in. You kept an eye on Arthur as he took the first bite, feeling self conscious of your cooking. He stilled, mid-chew, and you immediately thought the worst. 

“Holy shit,” he muttered under his breath. You took a bite, and you thought it didn’t taste bad, but you were partial to your own cooking. “That’s really good.”

Oh. “I’m glad.” You tried to not sound overly relieved. 

Arthur took another bite, groaning appreciatively. You really did try not to memorize the sound of it. “This is the best thing I’ve tasted in a while.”

“Do I even want to know what you possibly could’ve been eating that makes this taste incredible.”

“Probably not,” Arthur admitted. 

The rest of dinner was filled with idle chat, until Arthur asked a question that had you stopping mid-bite, fork handing in the air. “This ain’t poisoned, right?” He asked it as a joke, but there was a hint of genuine worry in his eyes.

“I sure hope not,” you responded, finishing the bite. Arthur didn’t elaborate further, only responding with a small noise. “Well, you can’t just ask that and then not explain. Is… is that something that’s happened before?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Arthur chuckled humorlessly. “There’s a pig farm north of here I stopped by two weeks ago. Friendly couple invited me in, we shared a drink, and before I knew it I was wakin’ up in a muddy pit with my money gone.” 

You had stared at him, shocked, as he recounted his story. “You’re kiddin’?”

“I wish I was. Wasn’t the first person they’d done it to, either. You wanna know the worst thing?” Arthur asked, leaning into you. You nodded, leaning in as well. “The couple? They were brother and sister, and their mother was their first victim.”

You were horrified and intrigued all at the same time. “Brother and sister? Oh my God,” you shuddered. “Did you get your money back?” Arthur nodded. “There are some weird folks out there.”

“You meet plenty of ‘em when you’re on the road. I don’t think there’s enough time in the world to tell you ‘bout them.” 

At the mention of time, you glanced out one of the nearby windows, finding it nearly pitch black outside. Arthur glanced outside as well, an apologetic look on his face when his eyes went back on you. “You have to go, don’t you?”

“I’m ‘fraid so,” Arthur sighed. You were happy to see that his plate had been entirely cleared, and he finished off the last of the wine in his glass. Standing, you cleared the table, bringing the items over and setting them in the sink. Arthur followed in behind you, carrying the half-full bottle of wine.

“Thank you, again,” you heard Arthur say, and you waved him off.

“You don’t gotta keep thankin’ me, Arthur. It was truly my pleasure.”

“Do you need help cleain’-”

“Arthur! Go!” You laughed, shooing him away. “I got this.”

Conceding, he headed to the doorway, putting his shoes on. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw his hat on the couch, about to be left behind. Quickly grabbing it, you set it on his head as he was leaning forward, securing his shoes. He let out a confused noise, but he smiled when he realized what you’d done. Standing up back at full height, he secured it on, flashing you a smile. “How’d I look?” He jested, a playful glint in his eye.

Like the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. “Like an outlaw,” you responded. “You just need a cigar or somethin’ and you’d really look like one.”

“That reminds me…” Arthur dug into a sachet strapped across his body. Once he found what he was looking for he presented it to you. It was a small silver lighter, which looked hilariously small in his hands. “Since your last one was a ‘piece of shit’, I figured you’d want a new one.”

“For me?” You asked and Arthur responded with a look that read uh, yeah?

“It ain’t much, I know-”

“Thank you!” You cut him off, beaming brightly at him. “It means a lot that you remembered.”

“Alright, well…” you watched as he rubbed the back of neck, not knowing how to respond to the praise, “have a good night, darlin’.”

“Stay safe, Arthur.”

With a final nod, Arthur left. You couldn’t decide if you wanted to laugh or cry, so you did neither, simply heading upstairs to your bedroom. Dishes could be done in the morning, you decided. 

Your mind raced as you got ready for the night. You knew he didn’t mean anything besides being nice with getting you the lighter, but it left your heart happy that someone not only listened to your grievances, small or large, and did something to fix them. 

Slipping under the sheets, you fiddled with it in your hands. You struck it, the spark catching almost immediately, creating a steady flame. Setting in on the nightstand beside you, you held on to the happiness you’d felt the entire night, and you fell asleep with a smile on your face.

You pretended to not feel a new sensation growing in your heart, something you wouldn’t dare name.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #arthur morgan rdr2 #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader

[aziraphales-library]

hello!! i was wondering if there are any fics involving A or C being in a cage? you dont have to look for any if that makes you uncomfortable! cages have just been a sort of comfort of mine for a while and its hard to look for fics involving that specifically

Hi! Here are some fics in which Aziraphale and/or Crowley are locked in cages. Mind the tags on some of these, folks!...

Gaia's Grotto by PeregrineBones (G)

Aziraphale is imprisoned in a golden cage and Crowley must find a way to rescue him. He has Death on his side. They go to visit Gaia, the earth goddess, who encourages him to ask Adam Young for help.

Caged Songbirds Never Sing by WorseOmens (NR)

Crowley and Aziraphale are both kidnapped by the same shadowy organisation. Fortunately, their prison overseers tend to jump to some faulty conclusions.

(Or: some humans never think things through properly, and the ineffable husbands profit from it)

In Walls of Pearl and Heavenly Chain by Anonymous (E)

When Aziraphale notices Crowley has suddenly started acting strange, questioning seems to bring more irritation than answers. It isn't till they're alone that he admits some kind of demonic rut is going to consume his mind within the next few hours, and soon enough the angel is the only thing he can think about.

Cages of Our Own Making by CaspianTheGeek (T)

Aziraphale is captured and held as bait to lure Crowley back to Hell. Things are not looking good for our favorite duo until Aziraphale makes an unlikely ally.

But what do you do with a demon who can no longer return to Hell? And what happens once others also get the idea and start joining in? Aziraphale and Crowley have to figure out how help the new arrivals get established on Earth. Luckily they have some help along the way, but even when things go as planned, there's always problems. And not everyone is happy about the new Defectors.

First chapter features some not pretty capture scenes, please read with caution. Later chapters will have battle scenes. There will be plenty of fluff in between. And I always promise a happy ending, this case both for our favorite duo and the friends they make along the way. Lots of OCs, but the primary focus will stay on Aziraphale and Crowley.

All the demons and angels are non-binary, so be prepared for neo pronouns and occasional gender discussions.

Ungilded Cages by ThisLullaby (E)

To pinch the OP's wording on the meme: Aziraphale kidnaps Crowley and keeps him in a cage, only taking him out for sex. It was Crowley's fantasy originally.

This does get a little spicy - please see the tags/warnings for later chapters but I promise there's nothing here not consensual. That said, pls do let me know if I've missed one. This is already written and will be posted three chapters per day to let me check for typos and such.

Gilded Cage by LadyMango (E)

Small like birds, angels and demons are kept in cages by humans and treated as pets.

Everyone knows that angels and demons don’t get along, but when two humans decide to move in together one already has a pet angel and the other a demon. No problem, they’ll just keep them in separate rooms, they’ll never meet. Except, little do they know, the demon is highly skilled at escaping his cage…

Aka. What if Crowley and Aziraphale were basically glorified budgies?

- Mod D

#good omens #ineffable husbands #imprisonment #cages #adult omens #mind the tags #mod d

[wolfnprey]

tid bit tuesday

I was kindly tagged by @folk-fae! I've missed some of my wip tags from last week, so here's a good chunk of tid bit to make up for it and hopefully I haven't already shared. So here's some reincarnation!

There are many things that Ryder is capable of without Eddie. He's just the one who's spent his life believing it. 

"Does that mean you expect me to stay by your side forever then?" Eddie questions teasingly, dipping the tip of his tongue against the seam of Ryder's lips to feel them part in invitation. "To make sure you keep going?" 

Ryder groans with an aborted shift of his hips against Eddie's. "You're never allowed to leave my side. Have I not made that clear yet?"

The next step, Eddie knows, is to let them rut against one another until they're both spinning with need and then bending Ryder over that rocking horse to fuck him with abandon. And it's a step that he'd gladly take. If there wasn't a more pressing matter to get to.

They'll make up for it later. Ryder always makes sure that they do. 

"Nothing can make me leave your side," Eddie vows. It's the same vow he's been making for years. Now there's no one who can take it away from him. "But before I go into depth on it, we're needed at the refineries."

Ryder slumps against the wall, his pout evident. "Since when?"

Playing it safe, Eddie takes a step back. "Cormac informed me before I came looking for you." 

Not one to shirk his position as Baron, Ryder permits himself another moment to mourn the loss of their moment before he straightens up and puts his mind to business. "Then we shouldn't keep them waiting any longer." 

Instead of letting Eddie lead the way, Ryder slips his arm around the Regent's waist so that they walk in tandem. Cormac, as promised, has the car waiting for them at the entrance, and says nothing of how long it's taken for them to get to it. Eddie gets in after Ryder, who rarely allows him to sit up front anymore.

The drive to the refineries isn't a long one but it does provide a drastic change in the land. The fields eventually give way to dry, yellowed patches and dirt as they path becomes surrounded by the long-standing oil wells and Armadillo flags standing proudly along the way. Oil drums are stacked appropriately with a golden insignia on each one while armed guards keep a watchful eye on their surroundings. 

Jade, dressed refinedly in blue silks, is waiting for them with one of the foremen, both wearing troubled looks. The weightlessness Ryder had carried in the nursery is replaced with the solidity of a concerned Baron. 

They're barely out of the car when Jade steps forward. "Productivity is down, Ryder."

"How down?" 

Jade looks to the foreman, who fidgets with his helmet before answering, "Thirty percent."

Ryder's hand falls to his belt as he walk in the direction of the office, the foremen having to pick up his pace to match the Baron's long strides. "Thirty percent? How are we down that much?" 

Eddie stays back to walk with Jade, letting the foremen take care of explaining. He already has his own conclusion on how it is. "The Widow has her hand in it, doesn't she?" 

Jade's never been good at hiding her emotions. It's easy to see her trepidation while she keeps her eyes on Ryder's back, voice low to stay between the two of them. "If they're not scared of her then they're being paid off by her. At this rate, our control of the territory will wane and less will be inclined to follow Ryder's rule as their Baron."

Sounds like it's exactly what The Widow wants. She's been quiet for months, which means she could have been planning for exactly this.

"I'll look into upping the amount of Clippers," Eddie tells her, "see what I can do to keep the Cogs from abandoning their work." 

"You mean Ryder will have you do it," Jade responds. It's not demeaning or dismissive like Lydia often liked to treat Eddie's opinion. It's only a reminder of the way things work; Regents can lend a strategic ear to their Barons for assistance but all orders had to be taken as if that Baron is the source. Ryder's clever in his own right. That's why they made such a formidable pair. 

"So I do," Eddie returns. Jade gives him a smile in solidariity. She's not a Baronness but Ryder still gives her a comfortable life and a position of power. Eddie's not interested in the role himself so he's happy to see Jade get to take it. 

The unsettled look is back on Ryder. They come to a stop as he turns to Eddie and Jade with uncertainty. The very kind of uncertainty that Eddie had extinguished back at the plantation. But Eddie's been waiting for the Widow to make her move. He's not letting her send Ryder spiraling into more doubts.

"Jade can reach out to Baron Chau for us," Eddie suggests calmly, "for you to make a new deal with him to get more Cogs."

Jade nods in agreement. "And we can give the loyal ones incentives. Cut hours and up the rations. That will give us some time."

Ryder's face smooths out. That's all he needs to focus on, making plans and prepare for what else the Widow might have in store for them. "Make it happen," he orders the foreman, moving back in the direction of the car.

"Are you going to stay for much longer?" Eddie asks Jade. "Or would you like a ride with us?"

"I should stay," she answers, "go over the schedules."

"I'll have Cormac stay behind with you." 

"There are enough Clippers here already," Jade declines kindly, "I'll be fi–"

A quick whoosh is all the warning Eddie gets before a truck full of oil drums explodes. 

The force of it throws everyone back several feet, pain shooting up Eddie's hip from the hard landing he takes against the pavement. The enflamed drums and vehicle block Eddie and Jade from where Ryder's landed near the car. 

Distantly through the ringing in his ears, Eddie could hear Ryder's desperate cries. "Eddie! Eddie! No!"

"Get him out of here!" Eddie shouted, rolling onto his hands and knees to push himself back up. He was able to see Cormac and some of the other Clippers holding their Baron back from the flames, from the next threat of danger. "Cormac! Get the Baron out of here! I'll be fine!"

Tagging :@oliverstaark @trippedandfell @honestlydarkprincess @useramor @oneawkwardcookie

#buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #tag game #tid bit tuesday #ryder #911 #into the badlands #ryder x eddie

[naomihatake]

Hello there

If your requests are still open then I had a zoro one in my mind. Kindly ignore if it's too long😅

The straw hat crew goes to an island to stay for a week. There zoro is just walking around when he comes across a girl whose face is covered with scarf and she is dueling 2 sword style with the villagers and beats them all when zoro steps up. Zoro asks the girl to show her face if he wins as reward and she agrees. Zoro wins and has the girl pinned on the floor beneath him🤭 and his hand raises to uncover her scarf but a villager rushes and tells the girl that the pirate lord's soliders are in the village. So the girl apologises to zoro and leaves. The straw hat pirates are invited by the pirate lord that rules the island and there sitting by the lord's feet zoro notices that the girl has the same eyes as the one he fought. The pirate lord treats her badly and has kept her as a sex slave(it's alright if you don't go into the specifics) then zoro gets ro meet the girl alone and she tells him she wanted to be world's greatest swordswoman but the pirate lord tortured her village and kept her by his side and all. She fights along side the straw hat pirates against the pirate lord and defeats his crew. She then joins the straw hat crew and maybe you can add some zoro x reader moments 🥺

Hello! I don't know if my requests are open either, but I like the idea and I'm trying my best to make sense of the scenes I have in my head with this plotline. I'm very stubborn and picky about the things that I like to write, but if I think about it, I can do something with this.

To be honest, I would like to go into the specifics of reader's trauma regarding the way she was treated and I might add some details so it would sound plausible to me. Like, she's a strong swordswoman, so why wouldn't she be able to escape, right? Some blackmailing comes in handy because it would suit the story — she can't disobey the Lord because it might put someone in danger, like her family, for example.

I have to find answers for so many questions that start with why because that's how I am as a writer. Why is she fighting the villagers? Was it her that jumped into the fight or the people? Why would they attack her? Would she have to kill or just defend herself because of a misunderstanding? Was she forced by the circumstances to attack? Was the girl just training with some young men because they asked her to? Was she protecting someone else from some drunk violent people?

Zoro wouldn't let innocent and unarmed people get hurt, which means he'd defend them without being asked to — he's a noble swordsman in his own way, despite the humor, teasing and his blunt behavior.

(I'm taking so many pauses while responding to this because I need to think 🤣)

Okay, by asking myself so many questions, I think I can do something with this. The only issue is that I'm busy and my inspiration is weird, so I don't know for sure when I will write this particular scenario. I really wish to write this for you, but I hope you can be patient with me <3

I like to take my time and not skip details I find to be very important, like feelings and circumstances, like the characterization and the portrayal of trauma. I like posting things that I am proud of — I don't like being superficial and I hope you can understand.

When I do write it, I'll make sure to tag you. Thank you for telling me your idea and even if this is not a promise, I'll try my best <333

Side note: if I write this, i think it will be longer than 4-5k words.

#asks #request

[maleyanderecafe]

Crows Like Things that Sparkle (Webcomic)

Created by: Mr.C/ Mijoo

Genre: Fantasy/Smut

I feel like I really want to like this webcomic. There's a knight female lead, character development for the yandere and there are some actually cool moments in it. The problem itself is the relationship between the two leads, which is a shame because that's what the entire webcomic hinges in. The good news is that there is a male yandere in it, the bad news is, just like me, you too will wish that you could punch this guy in the face as well. As of writing this, there are almost about 80 chapters.

The story starts with with a war between a kingdom and the enemy barbarians, the Norcans, finally brought down viciously by Captain Sahara Ellawood. Upon winning this war, she and her troops are able to come back to be honored by the king. The prince Chestia y Sollante meanwhile is playboying around with another girl, and ends up seeing Sahara kill four muggers that attacked this girl. The prince takes interest in her and Sahara feels awkward about being so rude to the prince before he ends up tagging along. She is invited to be praised by the king at a ball and over the course of a couple of days, the prince seduces her and has sex with her. After leaving and the prince getting injured and tended by Sahara, he uses his power as the prince to force her to strip, yet for some reason she still becomes enamored with him (because "she likes shiny things", I guess). There's a bit of a side thing about tracking down a thief in the village, as well as making a new dress for Sahara. As for the prince, no matter how many other women he brings to his bed, he can't help but think of Sahara, however, upon going to the party, he instead sees the Duke take interest in her and dance. The Duke treats her kindly throughout, while the Prince watches in jealousy, though Sahara's mind is still fixated on the Prince. The Prince encounters the Duke, telling him to stay away from her, but the Duke boldly states that he likes and cares for her, driving him to become more jealous as he watches Sahara supposedly run away from him, and even being afraid of him touching her. Sahara on the other hand continues to put space between her and the Prince after what happened. The Duke and Sahara get closer to each other, to the point where the Duke asks her if he will marry him so that he doesn't have to be approached by the Prince, even promising to divorce whenever she feels. The Prince gets more restless, having strong insomnia because of Sahara, and finds out that some royals have adopted her, and thus she will be living in the castle with him. Out of anger, the Prince nearly kills one of Sahara's subordinates, but not before Sahara sees and is able to bring him away after passing out. When Sahara greets the Prince in the morning he is desperate for her, begging her to not leave, hugging her causing her to tremble. The Prince admits his obsession towards her, stating that without her he can no longer sleep, and that he's willing to give up everything he has just so she will stay. Sahara agrees but under a couple conditions: to not harm her or her subordinates and to not touch her. As Sahara investigates who assaulted one of her knights, the Prince tries to find ways to woo Sahara with gifts with advice from her adopted dad. The Prince is able to keep his promise about not touching Sahara, but with some difficulties considering that she's all he thinks about. Sahara, as she's loyal to the king, decides to be by the Princes side and starts to suspect the duke, as the crown guard are rather disloyal to the king. We learn quickly about the Prince's heritage, how he's very likely a bastard child and not of the royalty linage, something that people ended up spreading rumors about which affected how he perceived himself. The Prince gets really jealous, believing that Sahara ended up marrying the Duke, however, it was the complete opposite, having her attempt to bring the Duke in, making the Prince very happy. During another ball, there is an assassination attempt, something that Sahara takes care of fairly easily, with a battle to prevent the city from being bombed. As a result thereafter, Sahara and her troops go on a quest to kill a bunch of disloyal religious figures, murdering them with little regards from them, in the attempts to fix the bombing that so happens and for going against the king.

I... feel like I should like Sahara. I mean she's a pretty cool and ruthless when she's allowed to be a warrior. I mean her first scene of decapitating someone and her latest scenes of her walking around with blood slicing apart any religious figure that goes against the crown shows that she can be one if the writers want her be. She has at least a semi unique backstory as well, saved by the kingdom and living in essentially the wilderness, which in theory makes for an interesting and powerful female lead.... Except for the giant problem of when it comes to the Prince, she immediately turns into, and I quote "a wet pile of cardboard", which is completely and exactly accurate. I'm not saying that you can't have cool female leads who are shy when it comes to sex and romance, but it still needs to make sense for the character, and it just... doesn't for Sahara. For someone who is suppose to be warrior who is terrifying in how she executes her enemies, having her suddenly becomes so submissive doesn't really make any sense, especially since it's not indicated before that she would end up acting this way. The relationship between her and the Prince also doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Initially, she's enraptured by him because he is "shiny" (or basically alluring), which is why she has sex with him in the first place, however, after he forces her to strip, she becomes somewhat traumatized, so much that she starts shaking when he touches her. However, suddenly after she learns about his backstory... she's suddenly okay with him touching her. Granted, he does at least respect her wishes in terms of not touching or hurting the people around her, but the problem is that the two of them don't really develop any meaningful relationship outside of then talking about what happens in the kingdom and about his past, so the romance between them feels superficial at worst and shallow at best. The reason for her being so loyal to the crown princes also doesn't make a ton of sense, as not only did the king forget about the war until he was able to kill their general, the two princes also ended up humiliating her, which I feel like is probably enough reason to stop being so loyal. The best solution to this is to just not put the romance in this story because it's way more interesting when she's just off doing more knight based duties then having to deal with the nonsense of the romance plot.

As for the Prince, where do I start with this guy. He starts out as a playboy who sleeps with a different girl every night, and ends up seducing Sahara and sleeping with her as well (I think it's also implied that this is Sahara's first time sleeping with someone). After she explains very clearly that she's not comfortable being with him, the Prince uses his power to make her strip for him, which leads to her being afraid of him touching her. Soon after that, he becomes obsessed with her to the point of not being able to sleep with others, gains insomnia because of it and even kills one of the ladies he tries to sleep with (which apparently is just brushed over like its nothing). He does have a begging scene with Sahara which would be something I would be livid for if his face doesn't constantly look punchable in every frame. The Prince does at least have a proper character arc as compared to Sahara, since he goes from a doochy playboy to a less doochy clingy guy, but it's also his fault that Sahara wants to stay away from him and if it not for the forces of the writers trying to smash these two dolls faces together, honestly, should have married the Duke or at least made it harder for the Prince to try to get with her again. Sahara forgives him way, WAY too easily to be believable and in the end, the Prince still gets away with killing that one girl and being with Sahara because plot. Again, these two have very little meaningful time together (other than maybe playing the sympathy card for the Prince since he's a bastard child and not really of the throne), so when Sahara declares while fighting that it's for the sake of love, it feels really shallow.

As a yandere though, while it takes a while, he does get obsessed with Sahara, only wanting her and not being satisfied with any other girl (which... kind of just sounds like your dick talking but that's fine), to the point of not being able to sleep. He tries to off one of Sahara's subordinates, threatens to kill the Duke when he thought that he was going to marry Sahara and is even willing to throw away his title as Prince just to be with her. He is for sure a yandere, just kind of a badly written one and more of a softer one. Which would be fine, if he actually had chemistry with Sahara, which he doesn't and- I'm just going to stop there.

I don't really like or remember the other characters that well too. I think the only one I genuinely liked was a side character who made the dress for Sahara. His backstory was that as a child he loved making dresses (despite being looked down upon because he is a male and guys can't make dresses, I guess) and had to fight and learn to make them until he got where he was today. I would far rather read a story that is based around that character and he was in the story for less than five chapters.

Overall, would I recommend this webcomic? Probably not. Even for a smut, the sex portions are lack luster (and again, this is coming from someone who mostly just tolerates Josei smut), the story is only really good at the beginning and near the current new chapters, and the two main characters just don't have any meaningful chemistry to make sense. There are portions that I did like about it, but it's probably not worth to read through those parts even with a male yandere. If you are interested, give it a try, and maybe you'll like it better than I did.

#Crows like things that sparkle #male yandere #yandere #yandere boy #recommendations #webcomic #ongoing

[malaky-nightm4r3]

Hey psst, After Effect update and news after eons

After Effect's 3rd birthday/anniversary is coming up, November 16th

So in celebration, I've begun making new refurbished ref sheets for everyone, we have a new main cast that isn't JUST Night and Killer, and the story is updated and in the process of getting loosely written out so drafts can begin, though I might end up asking someone to outsource writing Dream idly, I am NOT confident enough to write him accurately.

Its been ages but, this is your regular reminder regarding AE. This is a self indulgent sort of 'hurt/comfort' story, post Nightmare getting uncorrupted and donning the name Night, treating Nightmare as no longer his name due to what was done with it, and a slow burn romance story between Night and Killer. I'm doing my best to stick to each respective's canon but I can't promise perfection, though I treat Night as demiromantic which isn't exactly canon per say. Its safe to say this story is ""ship heavy"", though its just a driving force for me to create this story in the first place, the plot is more than just that.

The name is still sort of a pun, the story IS an after effect of one big detail changed in Dreamtale, and the multiverse's, story. Nightmare getting uncorrupted. But it also works for other background or side plots. You'll just have to be patient and find out.

Our new main characters, without giving much away, are Night, Killer, Color, Blue, Lust. Only teaser regarding the new lineup you'll get is Blue and Lust are married but not legally. They chose not to. Blue isn't just any old Underswap sans, he's the same one Killer stabbed in the eye in the one comic. Its been years since that took place, though, I'm sure Killer being his husband's best friend is no issue, right? Color might have a heart attack over Night and break out his old therapy routine, he's already handled Killer once before, surely Night will be easier, right?? Right?

Night is still plagued with night terrors, and occasional hallucinations of the creature that stood in his place for centuries. It isn't real, but he'll grow numb to it eventually...right?

Dreamtale, Nightmare, and Dream belongs to @/jokublog Underlust belongs to the AU community Underswap belongs to the AU community Color belongs to @/Superyoumna Killer belongs to @/Rahafwabas

Even after all this time, I still get anxiety regarding tagging creators for these things, so I've credited and linked to their blogs.

I do not see the AMT getting completed anytime soon, it will take a long time to even start whatever production I'm deciding on, so please understand it's still not magically all done and getting revealed on the anniversary.

You get one teaser ref, and that's the man himself, the origin of this whole alternate multiverse timeline story...Night

Isn't he just so much more mature looking than my last design? These refs are not what they start with, just their mid-story refs, made mostly for me!

One final detail for this, I feel its necessary, to those who have been fans for a while, or any newcomers who stumbled across this post, I'm pushing my unspoken policy I've had for years, which is No NSFW using the alts and story I'm creating. I have no issue with it privately, but please do not share it publicly.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck by me, through thick and thin, while I built this comfort story, fell apart from it, threw it all away and started anew. Thank you for being here, and encouraging me whether outwardly or in spirit.

#after effect updates #after affect #ae updates #art tag i guess #killer sans #uncorrupted nightmare #lust sans #swap sans #dreamtale dream #dreamtale nightmare #color sans #utmv

[middleearthpixie]

After the Fire

Fandom: The Hobbit - Post BOTFA AU Where Everybody Lives

Summary: Following the Battle of the Five Armies, a grievously wounded Thorin is brought back to the kingdom of Erebor, which is still mostly in ruins. Although he’s survived the wounds he received at the end of Azog’s blade, his recovery is far from complete. Grief, regret, anger, all are making his journey that much more difficult and the physical recovery isn’t quite the most difficult challenge he faces.

Jasna Stoneham is no stranger to loss, as she is a survivor of Smaug’s wrath upon Esgaroth. When she is asked to help the dwarves healers of Erebor, her instinct is to say no, but she needs the job, and so agrees to it. However, no one told her that of all the patients, she would be responsible for the king himself, Thorin Oakenshield. 

Unfortunately, the road to recovery isn’t necessary a smooth one, but if there’s one thing Thorin will learn, it’s that Jasna is just as stubborn as he is and for every step back he takes, she is there to push him three steps forward. And Jasna will soon find out that there is a gentle, softer side to the dwarf king, one that very few people have ever seen and one he fights to keep hidden from her as well. But like his recovery, that is also easier said than done. 

A nightmare brings Jasna to Thorin’s side in the middle of the night and they get to know one another a little better…

Pairing: Thorin Oakenshield x ofc Jasna Stoneham

Characters: Jasna, Thorin, Óin

Warnings: None

Rating: T

Word Count: 3,831

Khuzdul Translation:

Kasamhili nê - Please don’t  

Afsêl mê - Fuck you

Tag List: @tschrist1 @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @bitter-sweet-farmgirl @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-and-write-lover @sherala007 @enchantzz @knitastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell @jotink78 @sorisooyaa @ruthoakenshield @quiall321

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here. 

While she was far too busy to think much during the day, Jasna found the opposite to be true at night. Although Erebor still housed the Iron Hill dwarves as well as its own people, the city became quiet and still by the time the clock struck midnight and the silence that crept through the stone fortress grew thick and eerie. 

Óin and his wife shared apartments just down the corridor a short ways from the infirmary, but Jasna had yet to be given such quarters. Instead, she slept in the small room at the rear of the the infirmary instead.

“I’m afraid we’ve no spare apartments at this end just yet,” Óin looked a bit embarrassed that first night as he showed her to the small room tucked away in the rear corner of the infirmary, behind where the Durins rested, “but I promise ye, as soon as we do, I’ll move ye into it. If yer still here, that is.”

“This is f-fine,” she promised him as she peered into the room. “I d-d-don’t need much sp-sp-space. A bed. A desk to study at. Th-th-th—It’s fine.” 

His eyes narrowed, but it wasn't with the annoyance she often saw in others. His hand came to rest on her shoulder. “We can work on yer speech when things slow down some. That is, if ye wish to.”

“I’ve tr-tried. B-b-but nothing r-r-really w-w-w-helps!” She frowned, annoyed with herself for not being able to control her stupid tongue better. “I am sorry. Mama s-s-said we c-c-can’t afford to tr-tr-treat it, but I think it’s b-b-b-because I am beyond h-h-h-help and she d-d-does’t want to t-t-t-tell me that.”

“No need for that, lassie. Ye said it’s worse when yer nervous and hopefully, ye won’t be nervous much longer. Either way, we will work on it as time allows. But for now, ye should get a good night’s sleep.”

She pressed her lips together, trying to gather her thoughts to thank him properly. Him. Bard. Mama. They didn't seem to think her stupid, or grow annoyed when it took her so long to utter a simple word or sentence. Perhaps Óin was right and she wouldn’t be nervous much longer. It would only help.

With that, he left to round one last time and then go off to his own apartments, and she moved into the room that was, at least for the time being, hers. 

It wasn’t much, a cozy square with a window overlooking that out-of-control courtyard, but since most of Erebor was windowless, she was actually quite thankful for her small chambers. Without that window, she would have gone mad being unable to see the outside world. The infirmary, the kitchens, and the Great Hall were all on the ground level, while the bulk of the kingdom was below ground. 

She lay on her narrow cot, the silence pressing in on her. Over the last few months, between school, then Smaug, and then the battle, she was so tired, she fell right to sleep most nights, but not tonight. Her mind refused to go quiet and let her rest. 

She’d rolled over and punched her pillow for probably the tenth time when the low moans began. It wasn’t unusual. After all, these were wounded men in various stages of recovery and sometimes the recovery left them in worse pain than the initial wound.

But this was different. It didn't roll up, then fade. No, instead, the moans grew louder, linens rustling as if someone thrashed about in them. 

“Kasamhili nê! Ahhh.. Afsêl mê…”

She slid from her bed and reached for her heavy wrapper. It was winter and the fortress’ heating system was not yet fully operational, so everything was beyond cold so late at night. The exception was the infirmary, for while the heat could only barely be called such, it was slightly warmer in there than anywhere else on that floor. 

“Please… No…” 

The moans came from the far corner, and at first, she thought Fíli was the one having the nightmare, but as she drew near, she realized it was Thorin once more and not his nephew. He twisted the linens in both fists, his moans low and guttural as he moved, arching and twisting as he howled with pain. Not, not pain. Fear.

“Shh…” She reached for one fist, covering it with her much smaller hand to still it. “Your Majesty, shhh… you’re dreaming…”

His eyes snapped open and thank Mahal she had good reflexes, for he swung his free fist as he bolted upright. Then, with another howl of pain, he fell back into the pillows, his face and chest gleaming with sweat, his breath short and choppy.

“Easy,” she whispered, retrieving a bowl of water and a rag to bring back to him. She dipped the rag into the bowl, wrung it out, then gently swiped at his forehead. “Shhh… it was but a dream. No more and no less.”

“Mahal, it was so real,” he whispered brokenly.

“I know.” She offered him a gentle smile, stroking his hair with her free hand. She let it come down over his forehead. Cool. What fever he ran had broken and that was probably what caused his nightmare., his body fighting off the fever. “You’re fever-free now, Your Majesty. And th-that’s a won-won-won—” She frowned, slowing her breathing as she finished—“a good thing.”

He offered up a queer look, his brow furrowed. “Have I been with fever long?”

“You’ve not, no. Only a few hours at m-m-most and it was n-n-not un-un-un-unexpected.” She dipped the cloth into the bowl and wrung it out once more, then swept it gently down his right cheek. Water beaded against his skin, against the dark beard shot through with silver. “But, it d-d-did get quite h-h-h-high, s-so it was unde-unde—”

“Understandable?” he finished softly.

“Yes.” A feeling of idiocy washed over her. Unable to utter simple sentence. He must think her a total dolt. She pressed her lips together as tears of frustration stung the backs of her eyes. 

But he said nothing, just let his eyes close and a soft sigh rose to his lips as he settled back against the pillows. She wrung out the cloth again, this time bringing it to his neck and down over his chest, pausing when she came to the perimeter of the linen bandages wound across his wide chest. Rust-colored splotches stained it in places, but they were the smallest of stains to appear since he arrived off the battlefield. Thankfully, he’d not pulled out any of his sutures when he bolted up that way. No fresh blood soaked into the linen now. A relief.  

The silence that settled about her wasn’t as eerie as the earlier one. Thorin exuded a sense of calm, even asleep. Although she’d heard tell of the King Under the Mountain, she’d never seen him until now, not even when he and his company were in Esgaroth promising them everything if only they would help him. She’d been in training then, sequestered in the ramshackle, lopsided building at the farthest end of Esgaroth, diligently studying for an exam, when he and his men were arrested for breaking into the armory. By the time she’d managed to get away and try to see them for herself, the dwarves had already gone, joined in the celebration at the Master’s fine home. The doors had been closed, leaving her and her roommate Anissa, standing in the snow wishing they were on the party side of the door.

But now, the Master was gone, killed when the dragon Smaug fell on him on the Long Lake after Bard’s arrow found its mark. His lackey, Alfrid, was also gone, killed by an orc of some sort in Dale. Bard had become the unofficial leader of the Esgaroth people who’d survived Smaug’s attack and moved into the abandoned city of Dale, high on the precipice overlooking Erebor. Unofficial, but he transitioned into the role seamlessly and was a far better leader than the Master on any given day.

Jasna sighed softly, setting the cloth back in the bowl and left it there, then set the bowl on the bedside table. Thorin’s jaw relaxed, a low rumbling rolled forth a few minutes later. The King Under the Mountain snored. Softly, but he snored just he same.

She sat back in her chair. All she’d known about the heir to the throne of Erebor prior to now was that he was one of the tallest of the dwarves, with long black hair, an equally black, full beard, and piercing blue eyes. She hadn’t seen much of those eyes, and in the low light of the various torches mounted along the stone walls, discerning their color was impossible. 

He came into the infirmary not only with the serious chest and belly wounds that required twenty and forty stitches respectively, but with that slash across his forehead, the one that began at his right temple and angled down to almost the inside of his right eyebrow. It had taken roughly seventeen sutures to close it and now a square of linen lay over the healing sutures. His face also bore several bruises as did his upper body and arms. She didn't know what happened out on the battlefield, or even up at Ravenhill, where he’d eventually fallen, but he certainly didn't seem to have gone down without a fight. 

“Who are you?”

She jumped at his rumbling whisper. “Oh, I be-beg your pa-pa-pa—”

“Pardon?”

“Yes.” She nodded, heat sweeping up into her face. “I thought you were as-as-asleep.”

“My mind will not shut off.”

“You’ve been thr-through much, Your Majesty.”

“Please,” he slowly shook his head, his voice a bit stronger now, “Thorin is fine.”

She pressed her lips together, tried to remember everything Mama had said about controlling her stammer. Give them no reason to poke fun at you. You can do this, love. Take your time and focus on each word. “Thorin. I am Jasna.”

His eyes closed once more, but he bobbed his head. “Jasna. Thank you.”

“I’ve not done much, I’m af-afra-af—”

“You’ve done plenty, I assure you.” He hesitantly turned his head toward her, as if afraid it would hurt to do so. “Are you nervous?”

She swallowed hard, but nodded. “A b-b-b-bit.”

“You needn’t be.” He winced as he licked his lips. 

“I’m st-still in training.”

“And they’ve assigned you to me?” A tired smile lifted his lips. “Am I dying?”

Her spine stiffened at that. “I b-b-beg your pa-pa—” She grimaced and managed to force her lips and tongue to work as she spat, “what?”

“I am but teasing.”

“By mo-mo-mocking me?”

Now he turned his head to meet her gaze. “I did no such thing.”

She arched a brow. ���Oh, really?” 

He turned to stare back at the ceiling. “You didn’t answer me.”

“You judge me by my sta-sta-stam—”

“Stammer?”

She didn't care that he was the king, nor did she care that he was injured and under her care. “Do you?”

“Of course not. You’ve no need to be nervous before me, you know.” 

“I ca-ca-cannot control it.”

“Do I seem so imposing, lying here, unable to do a blasted thing for myself?”

He said it softly, but there was no mistaking the bitterness along the bottom of his words. She just stared at him for a moment, then drew in a deep breath to say, “You were wounded, remember. And terribly so. Th-that you are here is a te-te-testament to your st-strength.”

“My strength. That’s amusing.” He shook his head slowly, then turned to meet her gaze once more. “You needn’t be nervous around me. I am grateful you’re here, Miss Stoneham. And I would never mock your speech. If I should, please punch me.”

She arched a brow at him. “I beg your pardon?”

He nodded. “Do so. Only, wait until I feel a bit more like myself, if you’d not mind.”

“Are you… are you joking with me?”

“I’m trying to put you at ease. If it can be frustrating for one to wait for your words, I can only imagine it is even more so for you trying to force them out under such pressure.”

That was the last thing she expected him to say to her, and she didn't know how to respond. She’d heard the dwarves were greedy and slovenly, that they could be cruel and not shy about telling Men what they thought of them. No one ever told her they could be kind. And for their king to be this kind took her by surprise. 

“I—I don’t know wh-what to say.”

“You needn’t say a word.”

“Thank you.”

He managed a tired smile. “You’re welcome.” He paused, then added, “You look tired. And I hopefully will have no more nightmares, so please, go and rest.”

“I should stay—”

“There is no need,” he cut her off gently, letting his eyes close. “Good evening, Miss Stoneham.”

“Jasna,” she replied without thinking.

His eyes opened once more, that smile coming back to his lips. “Good evening, Jasna.”

With that, he settled into his pillow and a moment later, his breathing evened off and slowed down. She waited to make certain he was truly asleep, then  pushed up from her chair and left the bowl and rag on his bedside table to stride back to her chambers.

As she settled back on her cot, she stared up into the darkness. Mama. Bard. Balin. Óin. Narnerra. Thorin. They were the only people who didn’t feel the need to mock her speech or roll their eyes—or worse, their hands—whenever she opened her mouth to say anything. Children teased her until she’d cry, mimicking her whenever she fell over her own tongue. These dwarves showed her a kindness her own kin couldn't trouble themselves to show. 

Her eyes stung as every horrid memory bubbled to the forefront of her mind. She lay there, staring up at the black stone ceiling, her mind whirling so hard and so fast that sleeping was impossible. She hated that stammer more than anything else and wished she could find some way to rid herself of it for once and for all. But no matter how hard she tried, or how hard she worked, stress and nervousness brought it screaming to life. 

Perhaps Óin could help her lose that fool stammer for once and for all, because as long as they were willing to have her, she was more than happy to stay amongst them. 

Jasna had no idea when she fell asleep, but it seemed she no sooner closed her eyes that Óin was knocking on her door. “Miss Jasna? Time to rise.”

She blinked the sleep from her eyes with one hand, biting back a groan as she tried to shake off the last of her slumber. It clung to her like cobwebs, visible but difficult to grab hold of and sweep away. 

“Miss Jasna?”

“C-coming!” She yawned, rubbing her eyes still as she rose from her warm bed and stumbled to her dresser. A splash of water on her face, a comb quickly run through her hair before she swept it back into the messy knot she always wore, dragged on her simple gray cotton work dress, shoved her feet into her soft-skinned boots, and hurried out into infirmary.

“Is everything all right, lassie?” Óin asked as she joined him at his desk in the corner. “It’s not like you to oversleep.”

“I did not sleep well last eve. His Highness woke with nightmares after midnight. His fever had broken. By the time I was able to calm him and get back to bed, I was too awake to sleep easily.”

“Thorin’s fever broke?” Óin waited for her to nod, then did so himself. “Good. As long as it stays that way, we can begin seeing about getting him back on his feet.”

“Am I to-to work wi-with him again?”

Her stomach knotted as he nodded again. “Aye. I think that would be best. A woman’s touch is what that crusty dwarf needs.”

“Bu-but, I still don’t re-really kn-kn-kn—” She paused, swallowed hard, and tried again. “My skills are lacking.”

“Yer skills are coming along nicely, Jasna. And if ye run into trouble, just come find me.”

“But—”

“Go and check on Thorin first. Then Fíli. Then Kíli. Then I want ye to check the others, pull drains that need it and if ye run into trouble, as I said, come find me or Narnerra. We won’t be far from ye.”

She swallowed hard but nodded. “Yes, Óin.”

“And don’t look so scared. Yer doin’ fine.”

She bobbed her head, then moved to fill a bowl with clean water, and grabbed a linen cloth. “Thank you.”

His smile did much to calm her, to sooth her jangled nerves, and when she approached the king’s bedside, it was to see him awake and staring up at the ceiling. She drew in a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and said, “Good morning, Your Majesty,” as slowly as she felt she could get away with. “How do you fare?”

“I’m tired,” he said, his voice low. Linens rustled as he turned his head toward her. “And I owe you an apology, Miss Jasna, for keeping you up last eve.”

“You owe me no such thing, Your Majesty,” she replied, moving closer to lift the linen over his forehead to examine it. “It is my j-j-job and even if it w-w-w-wasn’t, I didn't m-m-mind it at all.” 

“Still, you have an infirmary filled with men needing your attention and do not need me monopolizing it.” His voice sounded only slightly stronger than the previous day, and he still looked utterly exhausted, which was to be expected. The wound on his forehead appeared to be healing nicely, the stitches shrinking as they dried. Another day or two, and they could probably come out. 

His apology came as a total surprise and she carefully set the linen back against him as she said, “If y-y-you n-n-need me, c-c-call me. That’s why I’m here, r-r-remmeber. Especially when you’re in p-p-pain.”

A rueful smile curved his lips. “Pain does not even come close to capturing how this feels at times,” he said, gesturing to his midsection with one hand. “I’ve never felt anything like this before.” 

“It will improve a bit each d-d-day. P-patience, remember.”

“Patience. It’s not exactly one of my strengths.” His blue eyes slid in her direction. “You sound more sure of yourself this morning.”

“Óin is pleased w-with my work. He and Narnerra h-h-have offered to l-let me con-continue training here.”

“He is not easy to please. You must be doing very well, then.”

“I ha-hav-haven’t k-k-ki—”

“Killed?” he offered quietly.

“Killed anyone,” she smiled, moving to the bandage across his chest, “which is al-always a good thing. M-m-may I?” She gestured to the bandage.

He nodded. “Will it stop you if I say no?”

She shook her head. “It w-won’t, no. But I like to ask j-j-just the same.”

“Look to your heart’s content, then.” He grimaced as she moved the bandage and it stuck to his skin. 

“I apologize. It seems it b-b-b-bled a bit during the n-night.” 

She turned to the bowl of water and the cloth and soaked the cloth in the water. As she wrung it out, a sheepish look came to Thorin’s face. “It itched and I scratched. I apologize.”

“Don’t. It’s better than if it b-b-b-bled on its own.” She lay the cloth over the bandage and gently applied enough pressure for the linen to absorb the water. “Does it hurt?”

“No, actually. For the first time in—” his forehead creased and he paused, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before he met her gaze again—“how many days have I been here?”

“Eight.”

“In eight days.” He sighed softly, his gaze going back to the ceiling. “How do Fíli and Kíli fare?”

“I’ve not looked in on them as yet,” she replied slowly. “But, K-K-Kíli’s wound was cl-clean and was healing well.”

“And Fíli?”

She hesitated. Óin had been adamant that Fíli’s prognosis be kept under wraps for as long as possible, since they simply didn't know much yet. “You should ta-talk to Óin.”

“You’re here.” Thorin looked over at her. “How is he?”

“I really f-f-feel y-y-you should—”

His eyes narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Your Majesty, pl-please—”

He tried to sit up, knocking the wet cloth from his chest to land in his lap with a soft slop, and with a wince, shoved off the covers. “Where is he? I want to see him. Now.” 

“Your Majesty, if y-y-y—-please!”

“Step aside and let me by,” he growled. 

“No, you r-r-r-re-re—damn it, stop!”

Several other patients stirred then, popping up to see what the fuss was about. Jasna bit the inside of her cheek as Óin hurried over, scowling as he said, “Jasna, what is going on over here? You’re disturbing everyone!”

“I b-b-b-b-beg your pardon, but—”

Thorin hissed with pain, swinging his legs over the side of his bed. Like the others, he’d been cut from his clothes when he’d been brought into the infirmary and instead now wore loose, short white underclothes that covered him only from hip to partway down his thigh. He seemed to take no notice of his state of undress as he tried to stand.

However, his face drained of blood, going as white as his small clothes. Óin caught him before he could actually get to his feet, and he glared at her as he snapped, “Go and wait in yer chambers while I tend to this!”

Heat scorched a path through her—mostly embarrassment, but not entirely, and the not entirely part had everything to do with seeing the King Under the Mountain almost naked. Dwarves were not shy about their bodies, but Men could be and she certainly was, so she was almost grateful for the reason to whip about and practically sprint back to her small room. 

#Richard Armitage #The Hobbit #Thorin Oakenshield #Hobbit Fic #Hobbit Fanfic #Fan fiction #The Hobbit fan fiction #Thorin x OC #AU #Thorin Fic #Is it hot in here? #Romance #Everybody Lives AU #The Hobbit BOTFA

[bbeanbbao]

moving the universe

summary

You and Jimin are finally together, and Jimin has a date planned. Let's just say that his ideas are...interesting.

relationship

park jimin/reader

tags

sequel to we ache until we bloom, f/m, alternative universe - college/university, established relationship, fluff, smut, vaginal sex, kinky sex

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preview 🔞

You sighed and reached up, clutching at your hair as your head tilted back, eyes closed.

"Mmm, yeah, right there," you whispered. 

The hand on your thigh gripped tighter and the fingers inside you moved deeper.

"So good, Jimin," you continued and you were rewarded with a firm suck to your clit.

"You like that?" Jimin murmured and you opened your eyes to look down at him, watching as his tongue moved back over you, his eyes dark and lidded. You moaned in response and he sped up.

You weren't going to last much longer, and you said as much, panting. 

It only took a few more movements of his tongue and fingers, and you were pushed over the edge, your body shaking and your lips parting.

Jimin kissed you gently on your inner thigh as he pulled his fingers out, then slowly moved his lips up your body until they met yours. 

"How are you so good at that?" you muttered between kisses and Jimin smiled against your lips. 

"I think you're just biased," he said with a chuckle then, turning on his side, he pulled you close to him, wrapping your arms around each other.

It was mid-afternoon on a Tuesday, and the sun was filtering through the thin curtains in Jimin's room. You were both lucky enough to have Tuesday afternoons free of lectures, and you tended to head to one of your apartments to study and relax together. 

…Though it wasn't the first time that had turned into you dropping to your knees and giving Jimin slow head which he enthusiastically returned every time. 

You lay there, warm and content, tracing your fingers over the patterns the light made on Jimin's golden skin.

"Are we still good for Saturday?" Jimin said quietly, running his fingers through your hair. 

You had finally got around to planning a celebration for getting through last semester, after the pact you'd made all those months ago, and Jimin had been planning a date for a few weeks now.

"Definitely," you replied. "Any more hints about where we're going?"

"Nope," Jimin said with a smile and you poked him in the side.

Jimin had remained coy about where he was taking you, saying he wanted to plan something cute to "treat his lovely lady", as he put it. He'd promised you could plan the next one but you were getting no clues from him.

"You're so annoying," you whined and Jimin laughed.

"Yeah, but you love me." 

You let out a huff.

"I guess I do." Jimin just laughed even more. "Can I at least know what sort of thing I should wear?"

Jimin considered for a moment, tapping his chin.

"Honestly, you should just wear what you want," he said and you poked him again. "But fine, I'd say something comfortable, we might be doing a bit of walking. Dinner isn't too fancy so you don't have to go all out, but you'll look amazing in anything."

You giggled at that.

"Okay, I think I've got a few ideas. I just can't believe you've planned this whole thing!"

"My fair lady must be chaperoned to only the best of places and only a perfect date will do," he said in a simpering tone and began blinking rapidly, putting on his best historical k-drama shaking eyes.

You laughed and began tickling each other, until he suddenly had you pinned down underneath him.

"Weirdo," you murmured fondly, before he dove in for another kiss.

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#jimin x reader #jimin x y/n #jimin smut #jimin fanfic #bts jimin #bts fic #bts smut

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Searching for critter gyroids in the snow

Snow’s still on the ground but it looks like that’s the last of the winter storms. The weather’s been unusually on the warmer side this week, though not enough to melt all the snow, but that means we can hang outside for a bit. Critter gyroids have popped up around the area so that gives us another reason to venture in the great outdoors after being cooped up inside for a long while.

After the last storm kinda took us by surprise I was kinda worried that we would have to cancel this event if the weather doesn’t improve. Luckily things worked out in our favor so that means we get to enjoy the snow for much longer without worrying about freezing our asses off. Had things not worked out, not only the gyroid event would be postponed, Dixie, Raiden, and company would probably end up stuck somewhere and that wouldn’t be good, especially since they came all the way up here for a reason.

Dixie made good on her promise to bring Lingxia and Nabai to the camp as well as invite Atsushi along. Raiden happened to be in the area and tagged along. Qingmei’s birthday is coming up so she’s hoping to make something with the gyroids considering that cute critters is totally something Qingmei would dig.

It’s nice to see the Bamboo siblings again along with Atsushi - a far too long awaited reunion, they said. Dixie was hoping to finally introduce me to Fuzi in person but something came up so he couldn’t make it. Part of it has to do with his engagement being called off. As it turns out Lingxia was right about his fiance being bad news -  in other words, he dodged a bullet there.

I’ve heard not so good things about Fuzi’s ex, mainly through Lingxia, who straight up doesn’t like her. Nabai didn’t have much of an opinion on her until recently but he didn’t quite get on with her either. Raiden however knew her in the past and there’s a damn good reason why she doesn’t get invited to family gatherings. She basically invited herself over the holidays to show off Fuzi while Lingxia and Nabai reluctantly tagged along. While that night sucked, it was an eye opening experience in which now the siblings know exactly who to avoid because seeing how she treated her family was uncomfortable. Yikes.

Raiden and Lingxia said that she was the kind of person who seemed to take pleasure in bullying those who she considers as beneath them, which was why her family stopped inviting her home. At some point Fuzi called her out on her behavior and she laughed it off, apparently thinking he wasn’t serious, and that was when he realized that things weren’t gonna work out between them. Good for him for ditching her and according to his siblings, he seems a lot more relaxed and happier since the breakup.

As for Lingxia and Nabai, they’ve been busy with the usual, though they can rest easier now that they no longer have a questionable future in-law to worry about. Lingxia has taken up pottery along with Libby so they’ve been making a lot of stuff. She gave me and Daisy Jane a handmade mug - I got pink swirls and Daisy got blue swirls, which is totally on brand for us - and I’ve been using it a lot. Lingxia mentioned falling into a pottery rabbit hole and binging on various artists like Kati - she was surprised when I told her that one of her favorite artists isn’t too far from here. I’m sure I can arrange something to get Kati, Lingxia, and maybe Libby together!

For Atsushi, it’s more of the same for him too. Now with three kids, things have been a little hectic but by now they’ve calmed down a bit. He’s still keeping up with his music, especially since he has his own studio, meaning a friend of his has a spare room so he can have a professional setup. He’s also been trying to keep up with streaming on a semi-regular basis and those have always been entertaining. He wants me, Daisy Jane, and Cheyenne to join him one day - we’re still working out the details on that - so that’ll be fun (and chaotic!).

He showed us a lot of pics of Pearl that haven’t been posted online yet and she’s so cute! As kinda expected, there were a few minor complications when she was born - nothing too serious thankfully - but after a rough couple weeks because of sleepless nights, everything’s good. Himeko is slowly getting back on her feet without overexerting herself. Bick and Coral are just as rambunctious as ever so it’s a good thing that Nanako and Minato are there to help out. Kayo and Kaiji have come to visit a few times since Pearl was born and with Kayo around, the kids are never bored.

Raiden updated us on the situation regarding Chihu, Sunni, and Nara. They’re staying with the demon slayers instead of going back to the city. For now they managed to get Nara’s parents to fuck off and they don’t know she’s with them so the less they know, the better. Chihu has been training with the others since he’s skilled in combat and it’s probably best to keep him busy. Also, with Lian and Dainn having to take it easy because of health issues, they could use the extra help.

She says Chihu and Sunni are all right, still a little much sometimes, but at least they’ve adjusted to the new living situation. Nara’s making slow progress, taking things one day at a time. While the doctors reassured her that she’s young and strong, the stroke left significant damage, meaning that she can’t live independently. As expected, she’s depressed about it but she’s slowly come to accept things as they are, mainly because there’s nothing much anyone can do about it other than to carry on.

Raiden says that despite being seen as a wimp by most, Nara’s a lot stronger than she looks considering the shit she has to put up with. From what I’ve heard about Nara, the fact that she’s still alive and kicking says more about her than those who put her down. Chihu did say that even though she doesn’t look like it, she knows how to put up a fight while trembling. I really hope she’s doing all right.

Finding gyroids in the snow is a different experience because it feels more like digging for treasure. Even though it has gotten a bit warmer there’s still some ice so we got some ice pics and extra warm gloves. It’s a good thing that most of the gyroids we found were clustered together so we don’t have to spend too much time freezing our hands. At least the ice isn’t hard to get off once we get it out of the snow.

With Atsushi around, there’s bound to be a couple of snowball fights. Raiden and Lingxia can get quite competitive while Nabai and Dixie are great at strategizing against those two. Making snowballs also helped us find buried gyroids as well as keep us moving so the cold doesn’t get to us.

When it gets too cold we warm up by the fire with hot cider Dixie got from Cinnastar, a place known for their spices. She hopes to take me there one day just to check out their shops and fill our spice cabinets. They’re a bit on the pricey side but Dixie says they’re worth it, especially when you wanna treat yourself. Considering how good the cider is, I’m intrigued! I’m no connoisseur but sometimes you just can tell when something’s top tier, or at least better than the usual.

While the gyroids are thawing out we’ve been playing video games and baking cookies. Dixie taught us this chai cookie recipe that turned out really good - the only problem being that if you make it with anything other than Cinnastar’s spices, it won’t be the same. At least they’re not hard to make and it’ll still be good either way.

Atsushi, Nabai, and Lingxia have been doing a lot of catching up. Since the siblings have a bit of free time, they’re gonna stop by Atsushi’s place before heading home since they haven’t visited in a while. Atsushi keeps bugging Nabai about how they should hang out more, not just with him but their other friends too. Nabai says he’s trying and Lingxia can vouch for that, but life gets busy. After all he’s got a city to run and Atsushi’s a family man so yeah, it’s hard to keep up sometimes. Trying to keep up with friendships as an adult can be tricky.

After the gyroids were thawed and cleaned, we got started on crafting some things. Raiden made Qingmei a cute husky plushie that I’m sure she’ll love. She also made plushies for the others back home - so far she’s made a wolf for Chihu, a tiger for Sunni, and she’s planning to start on a kitten for Nara tomorrow.

It looks like the plushies are the most popular - not that I’m surprised, they’re very cute! Atsushi, with help from Daisy Jane, is making some for the kids and once that’s done he hopes to get started on the cushions for his mom and Himeko. Lingxia is working on the tea set - she plans to make three, one for herself and the other two for friends. Dixie’s also working on the tea set after finishing crafting the rug. Nabai made a tanuki plushie and a trinket box and is planning to get started on the afghan tomorrow.

As for me, I’ve been making plushies and currently debating on whether to start the cushion or afghan tomorrow. I’ll figure it out tomorrow- after all, it’ll depend on if we get a good haul of gyroids or not since the weather might end up being unpredictable.

Read on AO3

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #Diary of a Junebug #headcanon ramble

[ithinkilikeit-reactions]

Healthy Competition (Yunho x Reader x Mingi)

Ateez Masterlist                                   Group Masterlist

A/N: you all know how I am. A story for me is never one thing, I make a small book lmao. 

Tags: outcast? Yunho, New guy! Mingi, Sunshine! female Reader, jealousy, love triangle, cursing, a lot back and forth, reader is a little oblivious, won’t be revealed who reader ends up with till the end, but it’s pretty obvious who it’s going to be

Smut tags: threesome? Voyerism, pet names, sub reader, reader is spoiled, dom! Yunho, dom! Mingi, it gets a little rough but also a little romantic, praise

Word count: 9212

NOT PROOF READ

You guys know me, it’s never just smut. It’s a story. 

He never truly understood why being well liked was important. No, Yunho wanted to go his own way and didn’t care what others thought of him, it was just the way he wanted to live. Making friends in school and having close connections just wasn’t at the top of his list of things to do. Why would he put in a lot of effort when those around him didn’t? It just didn’t make sense to him whatsoever.

People tended to shy away from him, he could understand that. He was big, intimidating, roaming the halls with quite the commanding presence, he truly couldn’t blame them. It stayed like this for a long time, until you transferred over. You were a breath of fresh air, casting a light on the shadow Yunho called school. It made him excited to go in the morning, it made him want to put in an effort. You didn’t treat him like the others did, no you handled him with respect but also laughed with him when you could. You had broken a little you shaped hole into the wall he had built up and Yunho was a better man for it. You were his best friend.

People always mistook you for a couple, which much to Yunho’s dismay was not the case. It especially hurt his soul when you laughed it off and simply said ‘No, no. We’re just friends.” He had been in love with you for the last 1,5 years… just friends? But he managed to push all that to the side, it didn’t matter how he had you in his life. It just mattered that he had you. Besides, he had no one else and he didn’t want to be alone again if he messed this up. Despite you having been able to break through his walls, no one else seemed quite as lucky and shied away at any other opportunity.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Yunho said softly, as you entered the class room. Dodging the other chitter chatter of your classmates because they didn’t quite matter to you, you wanted to see Yuyu. A whole weekend had been in between the last time you saw each other and you needed to catch up.

He looked good, leaning back in his chair with his leather jacket over his uniform because god forbid he wore his uniform like he was supposed to. His hair was dyed blonde and styled to look messy, like he didn’t put in an effort, but you knew he did.  The seat next to him was free because well, everyone knew by now that it was reserved for you and you only.

“You, do you need to work this weekend?” You asked, sitting down next to him and almost instantly toying with his hands. The action wasn’t abnormal, but it still made butterflies appear in his stomach. “No, no I don’t have to. Why?” He asked, turning to look at you fully. Taking note of how cute your hair looked that day and the soft glow of your skin. He was smitten.

“I haven’t seen you all weekend! We should go watch a movie, or go to the arcade or anything really.” You said and he nodded, thumb gently tickling your hand and making you pull away with a laugh. “I guess I can make time for you.” He joked and you shook your head, placing your arm on the table. “Don’t bs me, promise we do something this weekend.” You extended your pinky to his and he curled his longer one around it, your thumbs coming together to see the deal. “I promise.” He agreed, pinky squeezing yours a little bit as you smiled at each other.

“Class, we have a new transfer joining us starting today.” Your teacher grabbed everyone’s attention, yours included as your head whipped around to the front. Yunho’s attention however was still on you, watching your happy expression. It was so cute to him.

“Hello everyone, I’m Mingi. Please treat me well.” The new student was tall, with sharp facial features and sparkly eyes. He was undoubtedly attractive, he very much reminded you of Yunho when you first saw him. That attitude of ‘I don’t care’ was also a similarity you saw, as he brushed past students to go to his seat. “Mingi.” You mumbled softly under your breath with a smile, liking the way the word sat on your tongue.

“Mingi you joined just in time, we’re starting group projects this week.” Your teacher remarked and you instinctively grabbed Yunho’s hand, knowing exactly that you wanted to work with him. “So I guess, form groups. Minimal 2 max 4 people.” The enthusiasm was just absolutely radiating off of your teacher as he gave the explanation, but you were excited. You loved group projects with Yunho, but you couldn’t help but notice Mingi sitting alone flipping through a book and it made your heart hurt a little.

“Yunho?” You asked, turning to look at him again. He had an expectant expression, not thinking that you were about to ask him for Mingi to join in. “Should we ask Mingi to join our group? You know no one else will ask.” You paused, watching his face as he frowned. “Yeah but he’s new, we don’t know anything about him.” You understood his argument, but still you felt bad. No one should be left alone, especially when they just transferred over. It’s hard enough. That wasn’t even necessarily why Yunho didn’t want him to work with you, he kind of just wanted this extra time with you to himself.

“You didn’t know anything about me either and look at us now, I’m your best friend.” You smiled cheesily, hoping that your words were enough to convince him. Considering you transferred from a different school, you knew how it felt. It wasn’t fun and someone extending a hand was always helpful. When you moved schools, you decided that sometimes it had to be you to take the first step.

“Fine, I guess that’s alright.” Yunho couldn’t help but give in, knowing you would be preoccupied with feeling bad if he didn’t. “Really?” You asked, smiling from ear to ear and Yunho absolutely knew he couldn’t take it back now.

Mingi was similar to Yunho in the sense that, he didn’t really want to make an effort. Transferring schools was exhausting and well, he had simply decided that others would have to approach him and try if they wanted a relationship with him. However it really bit him in the butt when the teacher announced group projects and a wave of concern coated his body like a thin blanket. But he played it cool, pulling out the book he was currently reading and leaning back in his chair.

“Hi, Mingi was it?” Your sing-song voice knocked him out of his concentration, making him curtly look up at you. However his expression instantly softened when you met eyes, not needing to think twice about just how cute he found you. “Yeah, Mingi.” He responded, closing his book but not before slipping the book mark between the pages. “I was wondering if you would like to join our group? Only if you would like to of course, no pressure.” You smiled, crossing your arms over your chest. This was what he wanted, someone else to make the first step. “Who else is in your group?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow to you and unknowingly making butterflies fill your stomach. “Just Yunho.” You gestured to Yunho sitting at his desk, scribbling something into his notebook. “And Yunho’s okay with this?” He questioned further, making you even more nervous and flustered. You nodded your head, rocking on your feet slightly. “Well then I guess I would love to join your group.”

It took Yunho exactly 20 minutes together with Mingi to realise just how much he didn’t like him already. He couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, maybe it was the way Mingi had you laughing just as much as he could or the fact that you had this little sparkle in your eye when you looked at him that was normally reserved for Yunho. It bothered him to no end, but you looked happy so he pushed it to the side. It was one group project, he could deal with it. He could do that for you.

“You wanna go to a café, maybe study a little?” You asked Yunho, walking from the school building to the parking lot. Mingi was trailing behind you both, not trying to intrude but also wanting to hear what was going on. You peaked his interest, he couldn’t quite help himself.

“I would love to sunshine, but I have to work.” Yunho stopped by his bike, holding the helmet as you looked at him with a small pout. “Alrighty. I guess I’ll just go study on my own like a loser.” You mumbled, feeling Yunho’s hand pinch your cheek a little before putting his helmet on. “You go study alone like a loser, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said, the motor roaring to life as he sat down on the bike. The action alone was attractive and sparked that feeling in the pit of your stomach again, something that had happened a lot that day.

You watched him leave before sighing, only to turn around and see Mingi standing there with his book in his hand. “I’m free to study… if you want.” Mingi suggested, loving the opportunity to get to know you a little alone and away from Yunho. He hadn’t spent a lot of time with him, but he already didn’t particularly like him.

“Really, you wanna go study with me?” You asked, smiling brightly and Mingi had to bite his cheek to keep himself from smiling to wide. It was still his first day, he had to keep his cool a little bit. “Coffee’s on me, for inviting me into your group.” He said and you walked up to him with a sweet grin. “Mingi, we’re gonna be good friends.” You laughed and gestured in the direction of the café.

Yunho was sat in front of the arcade, your favorite drink and snack from the 7 eleven he worked at. It had been on his mind more and more lately, that he should tell you how he feels about you. Today was a possibility to him but he wasn’t sure yet.

“Yunho!!” You yelled, running up to your friend and quickly wrapping your arms around his neck. The action caught him entirely off guard, he hardly had time to catch you and hug you in return. You squeezed him extra tight because you truly appreciated the fact he wanted to spend his days off with you made you extremely happy. “Have you been waiting long?” You asked, pulling away and looking at him. He simply shook his head, his hands still around your waist. “Here.” He pulled out the drink and snack, handing them to you.

“My favorites!” You said, taking the snacks and standing on your toes to kiss his cheek. “You’re the sweetest Yuyu. Now let’s go inside so I can kick your butt.” You smiled, pinching his cheek before running into the arcade. However Yunho had to stabilize his heart rate first, the hug and then the kiss on his cheek… his heart couldn’t handle this. Especially not with how pretty you looked that day, with a thin sweater and comfy jeans. It was a simple outfit but still, you would look pretty in a paper bag.

“Look I told you just because you’re cuter and smaller than me, doesn’t mean I was going to let you win.” Yunho said, reveling at the winner title flashing across his side of the screen. “That’s really unfair. You have a height advantage.” Your comment made him laugh, that big hearty laugh he only does when he’s with you. The laugh that made your stomach do flips. “You see that’s funny because, I didn’t know there was a such thing as a height advantage when playing Tekken.” Yunho ruffled your hair and stood up from his chair.

“Anyone who is taller even by an inch has a height advantage against this shortstack.” Yunho was not expecting to hear that voice, not here. The simple tone already just upset him, it took him a lot to not get upset. “Mingi?” Your voice sounded cheery as you waved at the other guy. “What are you doing here?” Maybe it upset Yunho even more that you stood up and hugged him. But he didn’t own you, he couldn’t stop you. If you wanted to hug Mingi, you had every right too. It did hurt his soul a little bit though.

“You mentioned this place, thought I’d come by and see it for myself. Didn’t expect to see you two though.” Mingi lied through his teeth, of course you had mentioned you’d be here and of course you mentioned Yunho as well but that wasn’t important. Mingi could tell Yunho liked you, but he didn’t quite care about stepping on his toes. He was already starting to like you and he was going to try his hardest to get close to you, Yunho be damned.

“Can I join you two?” Mingi asked, looking between you and Yunho. “Oh, of course. We don’t mind, right Yunho?” You asked, eyelashes batting as Yunho found himself gripping the handle of an arcade game tightly. “Yeah, we don’t mind.” He said, mumbling his words as he walked over to the next machine you were planning on playing.

“You two start, I’m going to go use the bathroom real quick.” You said, patting Mingi on the back slightly and Yunho as you walked past. You didn’t realise that you were signing them both up for a situation they didn’t want to be in and that was prevalent as Yunho and Mingi exchanged slightly dirty looks. The game was a driving game and Mingi joined Yunho on the machine. Starting a round of racing in total silence as they waited for you to come back. They were both here for you, why would they talk to eachother.

However Mingi was curious, you and Yunho looked like a couple and well, acted like a couple but you weren’t a couple. He could tell Yunho liked you, so that must’ve stung. Which lead him to asking a question he knew would get under his skin.

“So, how long have you liked Y/N?” Mingi asked, continuing to blankly stare at the screen and turning the wheel. The question caught Yunho completely off guard, making him almost stop playing in general. “What does it matter to you?” He asked in return, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. This new guy had the nerve. “It matters because, I like them too and I need to how in deep you two are.” Mingi didn’t even bat a lash at the annoyance dripping off of Yunho. What did it matter if he was annoyed, Mingi was serious in his questions.

“I’ve been in love with her for about a year.” Yunho confessed softly, not sure when you would return from the bathroom. “And you still aren’t dating. Did they reject you? Or do you just not have the balls to tell them.” Mingi knew he was just pushing buttons now, but he was genuinely curious. If you had already rejected Yunho, Mingi stood a chance. “You really like to run your mouth for someone who just moved here.” Yunho was getting upset, who the Hell did this guy think he was? “Not really, just like to know what type of relationship I’m stepping into here. Apparently, there is none. Only really works in my benefit.” Mingi explained, smiling coyly at Yunho who was doing everything in his power not to sock him over the mouth.

However his willpower wasn’t that strong, he stood up ready to defend himself only to hear your voice. “What did I miss?” You asked, skipping from the bathroom. “I’m just, just going to go get something to drink. Finish the game for me.” Yunho’s tone was curt with you, even though this wasn’t your fault. He just needed a breather.

“I don’t think he likes me very much.” Mingi said, leaning into you and nudging your shoulder. You were starting to see that as well, but you quite liked Mingi. He’s the only other person who gave you the same feeling as Yunho. You were convinced they would be friends if they tried. “He doesn’t like anyone at first. He didn’t like me much at first either.” You said, trying to see if you could spot Yunho from the window. You didn’t like him upset.

“Doesn’t that prevent you from making friends with others though?” Mingi asked and well yes, the question did resonate a little bit. He wasn’t entirely wrong, but you were okay with it. You didn’t really need anyone else. “I made friends with you didn’t I?” You told him, cocking an eyebrow at him and he smiled at you broadly. “You did… you did.” Mingi stood corrected, crossing his arms and looking at you. He understood Yunho, you were cute, funny and warm hearted. It was natural to feel something for you with how close you two were. “Now what if I want to be more than friends?” He asked, not asking anything yet just throwing the suggestion out there. It caught you incredibly off guard, but made butterflies fill your tummy. No one had been this straight forward with you before. “That would make things interesting now wouldn’t it?” You said, half smiling at him as you looked at him. The straight-forwardness was nice… it was something you would have wanted from Yunho if the situation presented itself.

It was a miracle that Yunho hadn’t attempted to strangle Mingi yet, a week after his remarks. He felt completely defeated, having to work on this project together with him and having Mingi be there in the comfort of Yunho’s home. To say he was uncomfortable was understatement. Not to mention that he kept touching you and you were enjoying it. But one thing comforted him majorly, you were going to stay the night at Yunho’s house and not Mingi’s.

“Who should write the introduction?” You asked, scribbling away in your notebook as you started planning out your group project. Looking up you watched as Mingi and Yunho both raise a hand, looking at each other with unimpressed eyes. “Oh you can do it.” Yunho said, retracting his offer as Mingi started shaking his head. “No, no. By all means, you can write it.” Mingi told him, gesturing his hand towards Yunho. You simply watched the exchange, the testosterone truly filling the room. “No, I insist. You should write it.” He retorted again and you let out a very audible sigh causing both of them to look your way. “I’ll write it, otherwise we’ll be doing this forever.” You told them, making a note of the decision.

They had been trying to out-do each other ever since you and Mingi had gotten there. It was really beginning to get on your nerves but you let it go. Maybe they would bond because of this, just maybe. You liked them both so much, you just wanted them to get along.

However you caught yourself staring at them, looking at Yunho as he typed away on his laptop. His eyes were focused and he had his lip caught between his teeth. He was wearing a big knitted sweater, one that was even a little big on him and you could only imagine how it would look on yourself. It was soft compared to how he dressed when he would leave the house, you liked that look on him.

Turning your head to Mingi, you took in his features as he read through the textbook. He had such nice features, a nice sharp jawline with plush lips and sweet eyes. He was dressed in a loose jacket and t-shirt and he kept drumming his finger’s on the coffee table. He had nice hands, just like Yunho.

Yunho cleared his throat and stood up from his seat, stretching out and his shirt lifting slightly. He went to walk past you and stopped to ruffle your hair, making your cheeks heat up slightly. “You want anything to drink, sunshine?” He asked, still playing with your hair as he stood over you. “No but I am a little cold.” You told him, smiling obnoxiously because this was something you always did. You always stole his clothes when you were here, you had to bat your eyelashes pretty every time but it always worked.

“One sweater coming up…” Yunho let go of your hair and paused, looking at Mingi. “You want anything to drink?” He was trying to let go, be the better guy but it was hard. Everytime the asshole looked at him he wanted to hit him. But he was still in his home and well, Yunho was raised right so he had to be a good host. “Water is fine.” Mingi told him and Yunho nodded, walking away.

“You’re cold?” Mingi asked, scooting a little closer to you so that your legs touched his. You nodded and watched as he extended his arms to you. The hug was inviting but the expression on his face even more so, that warm sweet smile made you feel even more comfortable. You wrapped your arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, inhaling the fresh scent of him. He tucked your head under his chin and stroked your back, something Yunho often did for you as well and it made your heart flutter.

“Think about what I said to you last week at all?” Mingi asked lowly, not wanting Yunho to hear. Your face got hot at the question but you didn’t know how to respond. “I- I-.” You stuttered, not entirely sure how you felt. It had stuck in your brain, Mingi had wanted to be more than friends and wasn’t so shy about it. However, you also had feelings for Yunho. You did ever since you had met him, but Mingi truly tickled your fancy.

“It’s okay, I get it. You like Yunho. But you like me too, I can tell. That’s alright, I can work around that.” He continued, stroking your hair as Yunho walked back in the room. “I knew you were cold but you didn’t have to jump into a guys arms.” Yunho remarked with laugh even though he was dead serious. It hurt to see. You moved away from Mingi as Yunho put down the glass of water and stood up to put his sweater on, watching as the bottom dropped to just above your knees.

“Cute.” Both guys said in unison, looking at each other before rolling eyes. “You two need to relax. I get you don’t like each other but I would appreciate if you made the effort to try and like each other.” You said, crossing your arms over your chest and staring them both down. They looked guilty, not having thought about how you must’ve felt with all that tension in the room.

While you worked, an awkward silence fell over the group. There was a negative tension and a different tension you couldn’t entirely put your finger on, it was distracting. You were starting to feel guilty towards Yunho for dragging Mingi into your duo when he obviously didn’t want that. Tonight you were going to have alone time with him, hopefully make things up to him. At least that was what you thought, none of you had anticipated the heavy thunderstorm that started pouring down towards the end of your work session.

“Aw man, it’s raining wayyy too hard.” Mingi stared out the window, holding his backpack. Yunho wrapping his arms around your waist from behind. If it was someone else, Yunho would offer him to stay but it was Mingi so he could care less if he got soaked. Ignoring his grumbles, Yunho tucked his face into your neck from behind and the close proximity made you bite your lip. Maybe, just maybe tonight Yunho would act on his feelings because he was seriously biting back the urge to kiss your neck.

“Look man, I know you like seriously don’t like me.” Mingi started, turning around to see how Yunho was holding you. It was so possessive and yeah it frustrated him, but he knew the question he was about to ask would upset Yunho. “Could I stay the night too? The rain really isn’t going to let up any time soon.” Yunho’s grip on you tightened and you stroked his hand to calm him down. “I guess that’s fine.” His response surprised Mingi and you, but Yunho had a thought. If he was going to act on his feelings tonight, he might as well do it in front of Mingi to put him in his place.

“You’re serious?” Mingi asked, just to make sure. “Yeah I’m sure. You can sleep on the couch.” Yunho mumbled, lips tickling your skin. You smiled at Mingi, happy that Yunho was okay with this. Maybe your words resonated with him, you just wanted them to get along.

A few hours later, you found yourself playing on your phone as Yunho got ready for bed. Brushing his teeth and standing in the doorway, looking at you. “Did you give him a blanket?” You asked, referring to Mingi who was in the living room. “I’m not a monster Y/N. Of course I gave him a blanket.” Yunho mumbled, the toothbrush and toothpaste blocking his words. “I know that, I was just double checking.” You pouted, putting your phone down and opening your arms for Yunho to come into bed. He walked away to clean his mouth and then jumped onto the bed, crushing you in the process. “I’m a good guy, you know. I just don’t like him.” Yunho was pouting as he looked at you, his head on your chest to let you stroke his hair. You followed the cue, your fingers threading through his blonde hair. “Why don’t you like him? He’s nice.” Your words made Yunho bite back a groan.

“Nice. He’s nice.” Yunho almost mocked, sitting up slightly to look you in the eyes. “I don’t like that he likes you. It’s not that I don’t want you having other friends. But he likes you for more than that. He wants to be with you.” He explained, getting a little heated. You both sat up in bed, him looking at you with hooded eyes. “What’s wrong with that? I mean, I deserve a boyfriend too Yunho. I can’t wait for you forever and like I said, I like Mingi.” You confessed, not understanding what was confusing Yunho. You had liked him for so long and well now Mingi was in the picture, who you now also liked.

It took Yunho hearing that, to crash his lips onto yours. His hands cupping your face and knocking the air out of your lungs. However you accepted it with open arms because you had dreamt of this moment ever since you had met him.

His lips were feverish against yours, soft yet forceful as he pulled you against him. This kiss wasn’t a simple confession, this kiss was him telling you just how badly he needed you. Pulling your body flush to his and feeling your chest press against him, your own hands finding his hair to thread your fingers through it. Yunho’s hands moved from your face, down to your waist, to your hips to pull you into his lap. In that moment, you pulled your lips away from his to look at him. Stroking the back of his neck, his eyes were hooded looking at you. Yunho’s breath fanned over your lips and you felt this wave of warmth through your whole body, just looking at him. You grabbed his hands on your hips, moving them up your body and over your chest to cup your cheeks again. You wanted him to know you wanted this, you wanted him.

“Hey Yunho, you would happen to have a thicker blank-“ Mingi burst into the room, genuinely wondering if the other man had a thicker blanket. Though the sight he walked in on was something else. You looked fucked out, doe eyes darker than usual and breathing a little heavier as you were straddling Yunho’s waist. His hands were holding your face and Mingi could see that Yunho was seething at the interruption. “Though I see you two are getting plenty warm together.” Mingi smiled, leaning against the door frame. He was a little worried however, had Yunho confessed already?

You felt embarrassed, being nearly caught in the act because well you would have gone through with anything with Yunho.

“You know, you talk so much shit. You should prove yourself. If Y/N’s okay with it of course, I think they should choose who’s better.” Yunho was upset and you could feel him getting angry underneath you. It was a sudden proposal, one Mingi didn’t seem to be bothered by much. You weren’t either, something about it making you bite back a whimper at the thought. Your grip on Yunho’s shoulders got tighter and he felt you adjust on his lap, needing to hold back a smile because of it.

“You like that idea, sunshine? I need to hear your words, I need to know you’re okay with this.” Yunho said softly, to where Mingi could barely hear it so he stepped closer. Just watching as Yunho’s hand came up to hold your chin and stroke your face, you were small compared to him and Mingi knew if the roles were reversed, you’d be tiny to him too.

“I’m okay with this.” Your words went straight to both of their cores and Yunho smiled at you, gripping your chin a little harder now. “God you’re so pretty.” He said before letting your face go and moving you off of his lap. You whined at the lack of contact now, looking up at Mingi and Yunho standing over you. Yunho turned to Mingi, still looking at him with distaste. “You go first, but the second they tell you to stop, you stop. Understand me?” Yunho’s finger was pointing to Mingi’s chest and Mingi was simply taken back by it. “Despite what you think, I’m not a monster.” You watched the interaction, seeing the hurt stretch over Mingi’s face.

“Mingi.” Your voice was soft, a stark comparison to how Yunho was speaking to him earlier. You sat up on your knees in attempts to get to their level, your hand coming out to tug on his jacket and pull him closer. “Now go sit over there.” Mingi said to Yunho, gesturing to his desk chair in the corner of the room but his attention was fully on you.

Those chocolate brown eyes examined your face as you slowly pulled him down onto the bed, Yunho sitting in the corner like he was told and overseeing it all. Mingi crawled over you, hands coming up to hold your face and he settled between your legs. “So pretty.” He mumbled before finally crashing his lips onto yours. Lips way rougher against yours than Yunho’s were, but the mood here was different. Especially as your legs wrapped around his waist, making him press his bulge into your core. You were in a completely different level of need now, just wanting some sort of relief.

You moaned against his mouth as his hands moved down to cup your chest, squeezing your breasts through the sweater Yunho had lent you. “Please take this off.” You moaned, pulling at the sweater and trying to get it off. “You’re so eager, sunshine.” Yunho remarked, watching you tug at your clothes. You looked so damn desperate, so beautiful that it was taking everything in Yunho’s willpower not to push Mingi off of you. He could wait, he’d do that all to prove he was better than him.

Mingi didn’t need to hear you ask twice, pulling the sweater off of your body and throwing it in Yunho’s direction. It took him no-time to connect his lips to the newly exposed skin. Biting the skin just over the edge of your bra and making you whimper. Continuing to nip at the skin as his hands came up to tug on your bra, pulling it down your chest but on just enough to expose a little bit of new skin. “You’re teasing me.” You whimpered, feeling more frustrated than before. “I am.” He mumbled against your skin, biting down a little harder than before. “Because I can. I like seeing you squirm.” Mingi whispered, just loud enough for only you to hear before smiling up at you.

His words had you melting in his hands, helping him as he reached around you to unclasp your bra and tossing it in the same direction. Both boys loved seeing the new found skin, Yunho desperately wanting to reach out and touch you. However, he sat back again and watched Mingi take your nipple into his mouth. Your head falling back with your mouth open, soft moans slipping from your lips as you tangled your fingers in his hair. His tongue flicked over your skin, sucking on your chest and leaving little marks in his wake.

Mingi’s hand moved it’s way to your pants and unbuttoned them swiftly, pulling his mouth away from your chest to yank them down your legs. The action was a little harsh, startling you and Yunho took note. “Mingi, tell them what you’re doing. Y/N needs to know what you’re going to do, have them trust you.” Yunho told him, eyes locking with yours and giving you a soft smile. He was incredibly observant and it was making you feel all warm and fuzzy. “I’m sorry, pretty. Can I take these off?” Mingi asked, reclaiming your attention as he gestured to your panties. He brushed off Yunho’s comment, knowing he was right and hating that he didn’t notice it himself.

You didn’t Mingi’s rough touch, especially not as you gave him permission to go further. You were so wet you could feel yourself pulsing. The feeling of Yunho watching you and Mingi working over your body was just so intense. His fingers rubbed circles over your core and had your mouth fall open in a silent moan. Index finger slowly rubbing over your clit watching all of your reactions and frustration. “Tell me what you want.” Mingi said, continuing his actions as you whimpered in frustration. “I won’t do anything else until you tell me what you want.” He added on, looking you in your eyes and feeling the frustration. “Please make me cum, Mingi.” You begged, your attention now solely on him. “How?” He leaned forward, lips by your ears and deep voice ringing in your ears. “With your cock.” You answer surprised him, having expected way more foreplay until then but you seemed to be very worked up. “Please make me cum with your cock.” You were about to cry, you needed some relief.

“You’re sure?” He asked, kissing the skin under your ear while still rubbing your clit slowly. “Please.” You choked out, shuddering at the warmth in your tummy as he continued his slow movements. “Then bear with me for a second.” You were confused at what he meant, until you felt him flip you over with your front pressing into the mattress. You made direct eye contact with Yunho, facing him as Mingi rid himself of his clothes. After seeing the way you looked at Yunho, seeing the way Yunho noticed your discomfort, Mingi was feeling a little self-conscious. He needed to prove himself in his own eyes. He had to make you feel better than Yunho could, he was jealous of that bond.

“He’s going to watch, see how good I can make you feel.” Mingi’s voice was almost a growl which made you grip the sheets under you in response. Mingi’s hands found your hips and lifted them up off the mattress. Now having you on your hands and knees, Mingi guided his cock to your entrance and teased you. The tip gliding over your slit and making your eyes roll back, especially as the teasing suddenly disappeared. Stretching out your walls as he pushed into you, not slowly, enough to make you feel the stretch and shakily grip the sheets even more. “Oh my god.” You called out, eyes shutting as he sheathed himself into you fully. This was Mingi’s ego boost.

Yunho leaned back in his chair again, loving your facial expression and sounds. You looked so small by Mingi and he just knew you were so fucking tight around him. To say he was hard was an understatement. Palming himself through his pajama pants, Yunho grunted lightly. This wasn’t good enough.

Mingi dug his fingers into your hips, holding them for leverage as he started thrusting into you. Doing everything in his power to not cum already. Your pussy felt so good wrapped around him, he was fighting the urge majorly. Especially as you looked back at him, his thrusts picking up and you needing to bite back the urge to scream for Yunho’s neighbors sake.

Mingi’s body fell forward, chest pressing against your back and his hand gripping your chin to make you face Yunho. His lips were once more by your ear and he continued to make you face Yunho. “Tell him who’s making you feel good.” His words were a whisper, making you clench around his cock almost instantly. “Mingi-“ You cried out, listening to his commands while staring at Yunho. “Fuck you’re making me feel so good.” You added on, your arms giving out under you and Mingi chuckling in your ear in response. “So good for us.” Mingi mumbled, moving to grip your hips again as he knew you wouldn’t look away from Yunho again. He fucked into you harder, tip hitting your g-spot repeatedly at this angle and making your eyes roll back. It only took about 2 more thrusts to make your legs shake and that warmth in your stomach spread. “Mingi, I’m going to cum.” You whined, not taking your eyes off of Yunho for even a moment.

Maybe it was that, that brought you so close to the edge.The way he was examining your every expression, your fucked out face, swollen lips and glassy eyes. It made you feel like the most beautiful person alive, you had 2 gorgeous men fighting to see who could make you cum harder, it didn’t get much better than that.

Leaning forward in his chair in attempts to get closer, Yunho watched your eyes roll back and your body begin to shake. Your moans were music to his ears as you gripped the sheets as hard as you could, finally cumming for the first time that night. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, if only it was because of him. Though the illusion was quickly ruined by Mingi pulling out, pumping his cock a few times and cumming over your lower back.

“Shit, Y/N you’re so fucking amazing.” Mingi was out of breath, sitting on the bed and watching as you slowly recovered. “Thank you for letting me cum.” You mumbled, voice soft and shaky because your body was still experiencing aftershocks. He smiled at your words, putting his exhaustion to the side to lean over you once more and kiss your lips gently. “Anytime.” He added on after and leaning to grab a tissue from Yunho’s night stand. He watched as Mingi cleaned you up gently, helping you sit up after and grabbing his clothes from the floor.

As dazed as you were from all of this, you still wanted Yunho. Seeing him watching your every move, you wanted him so bad. However it felt different from the need you had for Mingi. That was primal, this, this was different.

“Are you okay, sunshine?” Yunho asked, pushing himself out of his chair and allowing Mingi to take his place. As much as he wanted this, if you were too tired to carry on that was more important. “I’m alright.” You smiled, almost a little dazed. You were sitting here naked in front of your best friend for the first time and there was no wave of insecurity at all. You felt safe as he looked at you.

“Look at you, you look so fucking pretty.” His tone changed, hands cupping your face as he stood over you on the bed. “All fucked out, sunshine you’re glowing.” He added on, heat rising in your chest. You pushed yourself to sit up on your knees to get your face closer to his. “You’re eager for me too?” He asked, smiling as his thumbs stroked your cheeks. Nodding, your hands moved to undo the tie on his pajama pants and not breaking eye contact once in the process.

Mingi could feel the different energy here. He could tell Yunho didn’t think he had anything to prove, it made him sigh in his seat.

Yunho had you pulled on top of him quickly, you straddling his waist as his tongue explored your mouth. His hands were everywhere, trying to explore every little bit of your skin that was new to him. From squeezing your chest in his large hands, to drawing his index finger over your spine, to gripping your hips and making you grind down on clothed cock. Your body was still sensitive, so the friction made you whine and digging your nails into his shoulders.

“Sorry.” You apologized softly, your forehead pressing to his. He simply cracked a smile, thinking your sudden worry was cute. “It’s alright, it feels good.” He explained softly, words going straight to your core. That was it for you, kissing him with a bit more fever than before and tugging on his shirt because you wanted it off. He abided, connecting your lips quickly after and his thumb found your sensitive clit. He rubbed over the bud lightly at first, speeding up gently as you made out with him. You found yourself moaning out louder than expected, your body being way more sensitive as his touches sent goosebumps over your body.

You pulled your lips away from his, simply allowing your moans to be heard and keeping your forehead to his. “You sound so pretty.” He pulled his thumb from your core, only to curl his index and middle finger inside of you. “I want you to cum for me, sunshine.” His demand was sweet, curling his fingers inside of you quickly. Yunho was being a little selfish, he wanted more than one orgasm from you. He wanted you to cum for him as much as you could.

Holding onto his shoulders for dear life, your orgasm ripped through you like a bullet. “Yunho- Yunho- oh my god.” You cried out, nails dragging over his skin as his fingers didn’t seem to let up. Riding out your orgasm for as much as he could. “The way you’re squeezing my fingers. I can’t wait to be inside of you.” He said softly, pecking your lips before moving them to kiss the sweet spot just under your ear. Yunho pulled his fingers from you and you let out a sigh before he slipped his fingers into your mouth. “Clean them off, sweetheart.” Your eyes were locked with his as you listened to his command, those big, beautiful eyes watching as your tongue swirled over his fingers.

“I think you’ve waited long enough.” You suggested, tugging on the waist band of his pants. He pulled them off at the suggestion, agreeing with you entirely. Yunho wasn’t patient for anyone, but for you he could do it. However that patience was wearing thinner with every second you were sat on top of him.

Yunho kissed down the base of your neck and over your chest, licking over the spots Mingi had made in the process. His hands gripped your hips, lifting you over his cock to guide you slowly. You tangled your hands into his hair encouraging the kisses and bites as you slowly sunk down onto him. It was slower than with Mingi, allowing you to feel every inch and the delicious stretch of him filling you up. Your face contorted, jaw going slack and making Yunho pull his lips from your chest just so he could watch. This was art.

“You’re so big.” You whined, having fully sunk down on him now. Yunho hummed and kissed over your jaw as he lifted your hips, allowing you to sink down again. His name was falling from your lips like a prayer, nails scratching over his scalp deliciously in the process. He continued his actions, helping you ride him and find the rhythm that was the most comfortable. His hips rocked slowly into you, still adorning your chest in kisses as you sunk to meet his thrusts.

It almost felt as if Mingi was intruding on this moment, leaning back in the chair as Yunho had before. It was all starting to make sense to him now, but he was going to allow himself to be deluded for a little longer. He wasn’t making it up when he said he liked you. Yeah, maybe it was quick and seemed like it was to annoy Yunho. There was more to it than that though, you made him comfortable. You took a chance on the new guy.

Mingi watched the scene play out in front of him. Yunho’s hand moving up your back and finding your hair, tugging at the end lightly to get to expose your neck to him more. All while he still slowly fucked into you, he kissed and nipped at your neck. Your soft moans were filling the room more and more with every thrust and kiss. He could tell you were close.

“Yunho- please.” You choked out, his thrusts cutting you off half way. “I can feel you squeezing me, sunshine. Are you close?” He asked, lips by your ear and hand moving inbetween you both to rub your clit. He whispered small encouragements in your ear, beggin you to cum for him as he felt himself getting close as well.

You kissed his lips as you came, needing something to subdue the overly intense feeling of your 3rd orgasm of the evening taking over you. Biting his lip in the process, that’s what it took to send him over the edge and pulling down onto him fully. He held you down, cumming inside of you and groaning your name against your lips. You continued to kiss him, ignoring the overwhelming feeling of him still inside of you. Your hands were struggling to find his, just wanting to hold them for a moment as you settled down.

Your body slumped against Yunho’s as you tried to lift yourself off of him. The previous activities having finally caught up with your body now that it was no longer coursing with adrenaline. Chuckling, he helped you off of him and laid you down on the bed gently. His hand stroking your thigh as he leaned over you.

“Mingi, can you got my bathroom and get a cloth and wet it with warm water?” Yunho asked and Mingi listened with no hesitation. His rivalry here wasn’t important any more, treating you well however was. He quickly returned and helped clean you up, the warm washcloth being nice on your suddenly very cold skin. Yunho thanked him, placing the wet cloth on his dresser and grabbing his sweater for you to slip on.

“I think it’s now truly bed time.” Yunho chuckled, seeing how tired and exhausted you looked. Yet you still laughed, processing the crazy events that just happened and how ridiculous it all was. “I guess I’ll get going to the couch.” Mingi pursed his lips, assuming he wasn’t welcome in this space and not in this setting. After what he had witnessed, it wouldn’t surprise him.

“What?” You sounded shocked, sitting up and looking at him. You exchanged looks with Yunho, who had a sympathetic look on his face. It was wrong to leave someone hanging after sex like that, he knew it so he wasn’t bothered by the question he knew was about to come. “He can stay in here with us right?” You asked and he closed his eyes, nodding and accepting that this was how you were. You were kind and it would eat you alive if you let Mingi sleep on the couch. “I’m alright with that.”

Mingi felt almost like he was being thrown a bone, but like he told himself before, he was going to allow himself to be deluded for just a little longer. Crawling into bed with you as Yunho settled on your other side. Your warmth was so nice, especially as you laced your fingers with him and rested your head on his chest. Yunho wrapped his arms around your waist, hugging you from behind and stroking your skin gently. If anyone would walk in right now, they would assume everyone got along. That they were good friends even, but you knew better. You knew you had to make a choice, especially after this. It wasn’t fair to them and guilt had suddenly consumed you, it left you awake for a majority of the night as the two slept peacefully.

It took about a week for you to get in contact with either of them after that. Maybe it was the guilt eating you up, or the way you had already made your choice but was scared to say it or the way they both looked at you the morning after. You hated it when people got hurt at your own hands. You knew you were wrong to do this but you did anyways.

Arriving at school, you made a b-line for an open seat next to someone else. Watching as Yunho and Mingi’s faces dropped, causing them to exchange looks. You had reassured them multiple times that you were okay with what happened that night and you were, none of that bothered you. Aside from the fact that you felt like you had led someone on due to your actions. You were sitting in a wave of guilt and you needed to work through that before you could move on… before you could move on with Yunho.

It took that night to know where your heart was and how bad you felt about it, Mingi was a obstacle of circumstance. Maybe he hadn’t have been there, you and Yunho would still be pining for eachother. However you were thankful for him because if it wasn’t for him, you most definitely would still be pining for eachother. You just wished you didn’t have to use him to figure that out. All of this was swimming around in your head, you hadn’t heard a word your teachers had said and the second the bell rang you were out of there. So quickly, that Yunho didn’t even have the chance to call out your name.

“We need to talk.” Yunho was startled by Mingi’s straightforward words as the other man grabbed him by the jacket and tugged him along. “Get the fuck off of me man, we have nothing to talk about.” He was just trying to get to his bike to go home, the last thing he needed was Mingi pulling him along in the parking lot when he was already seething. Yunho was upset, he was convinced that something had gone wrong that night and it was either his or Mingi’s fault that you weren’t speaking to them or hardly even looking at them. “You and I know damn well we have something or rather someone to talk about.” Mingi retorted, still tugging Yunho along. They still didn’t like each other, that was obvious.

“Y/N doesn’t want to talk to us, so let’s not talk about them.” Yunho stopped resisting, simply standing still and looking at Mingi. Mingi watched Yunho’s expression, not quite having seen this look on his face before. He looked like a kicked puppy, sad because his best friend and the person he loved wasn’t speaking to him. It just made what Mingi had to tell him even easier.

“I realized something that night. I think the first time I realized it was when you corrected me, told me tell Y/N what I was doing, that I startled them. The second time I realized it was when –“ Mingi paused, biting back how difficult this was. Yunho was quiet though, just listening because he having a hard time seeing where this was going or why Mingi was being kind to him for the first time ever. “Seeing you two together. You two have something that I had no right barging in on. I just didn’t see it until then, it felt like I was intruding. Like I walked in on this couple that had been in love for a long time. I think I just mucked up Y/N’s feelings. Confused them because you hadn’t told them anything.” Mingi paused again and Yunho was started to understand. “I just thought you had a crush on Y/N. I guess what I’m trying to say is I don’t want to mess two people up who are in love and I’m backing out of this.” Mingi finally finished, admitting defeat was harder than he thought it was going to be.

“Backing out?” Yunho asked, a wave of relief washing over his body. He hadn’t realized he had been this tense, but he had been this tense since Mingi had showed up. Yunho feared losing you and for the first time in about a month, that fear was gone. “If you’re fucking with me, I’m going to hurt you.”Yunho said and Mingi started laughing. “I’m not fucking with you. I never should have come off so entitled. I swear I’m normally not this much of a dick.” He said in response and Yunho rolled his eyes at him. “For some reason I highly doubt that.” Yunho cracked a smile, that relief truly taking over his body. “No, no trust me. I even think we can be friends despite all of this. But not if you don’t tell Y/N how you really feel. If you don’t do that, I won’t back off.” His tone changed again suddenly, turning serious again. Yunho laughed

Friends, Yunho didn’t think he needed them before. But he was going to lose you as a friend and gain you as something else. Friends weren’t such a bad idea anymore and well Mingi wouldn’t necessarily be his first choice. But Yunho and Mingi had something in common, they were both enamored with you and that had to count for something.

“Friends huh? Think that can still work after all of this?” Yunho asked and they slowly started making their way back to Yunho’s bike. “I mean friendships were made over weirder things. A little healthy competition shouldn’t be an issue.”

A/N: I had a different ending in mind. But I really wanted it to end with Yunho and Mingi being friends. So I made it turn a little which might have killed the ending. I’m not so sure anymore. Not the happiest with this but I hope you guys enjoy it either way. 

#yunho #mingi #ateez #ateez reaction #ateez smut #yunho smut #mingi smut

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 325: Deku VS the Outside of U.A. ~Conclusion~

Previously on BnHA: Ochako was all “dear bloodthirsty mob, this kid you see standing before you has fought harder than anyone and put his life on the line to protect you all, so please chill the fuck out, jesus christ. like, putting aside that he’s humanity’s best hope and so it’s very much in your best interests to let him rest and recover someplace safe so that he can keep fighting for us, are y’all seriously going to turn away an injured and exhausted child in front of his sobbing mother?? seriously?? come on now.” I’m paraphrasing here but that’s basically how it went down. Anyway so then the mob was all, “...” and Deku collapsed to his knees in tears, and Gigantic Fox Lady and Kouta ran over to give him a hug but then the chapter ended.

Today on BnHA: Horikoshi is all “FINE, YOU CAN HUG HIM”, which, was that so hard?? The U.A. Clown Mob is all “come to think of it, we’ve kind of been taking the heroes for granted this entire time, maybe we should be less passive in the future. anyway so Deku if it’s not too much to ask, can you please save everyone and fix everything.” Deku is all “I sure can, and by the way I forgive you for swarming around all menacingly two minutes ago and trying to deny me basic shelter and stuff.” Ectoplasm is all, “hey Todogang get a load of this. [walks in a circle].” Hawks is all, “that’s literally the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.” Rat Principal is all, “anyway so that’s what your students did today, hope you’re enjoying your new *~*ROBOT LEG*~*, Aizawa.” Aizawa is all “[lots of exposition about Kurogiri and for some reason, Toga, while being all brooding and sexy].” All Might is all “[standing here right outside of U.A. doing absolutely nothing and being foreboding AF]” and that immediately sucked away all of the warm fuzzy feelings from the hugs, goddammit.

each new week has become a waiting game of “when will Deku finally get to take a bath so people will actually be willing to go near him and give him the hugs he deserves.” the stakes have never been so compelling. I’ve almost forgotten about AFO entirely

lmaoooooo

me: for the love of god will someone please give Deku a hug before I die of old age

Mineta: YOU GOT IT!! --

Iida: [SWIFTLY CUTS HIM OFF] NOT YOU

fucking losing it at Mineta’s crying face. he really wanted to hug him. I legit feel bad but this is also the funniest thing I have seen all week, omg

somehow Kouta, who last week was only a hand’s breadth away from touching Deku’s head, is now twenty miles away from him in this new chapter

can I make a Loki reference here. is this recap a good place to insert a joke about someone using a TVA time-rewinding device to fuck with my poor boy Kouta over here. well anyway there it is

AND NOW HE’S BACK ALL OF A SUDDEN OMG

(ETA: since when is he “niichan” omg?? can’t handle this cuteness.)

BUT THEY’RE STILL NOT HUGGING HIM FFFFKFFFFF. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO. WHO DO I HAVE TO BRIBE AND/OR BLACKMAIL

OH NO KOUTA IS CRYING THAT’S IT I’M DONE FOR

“when I heard that lady I knew that I had to go, but then stop again within inches of actually touching you because you smell like week-old rotten onions.” listen Kouta, I’m not saying I don’t get it, but you all can’t keep doing this to me. it’s the way you guys keep teasing it. like, if you’re gonna hug him, hug him. don’t just stand there with your arms held rigidly out in front of you like a molded action figure

OH MY GOSH BUT HE SAID THE THING

KOUTA SWOOPING IN AT THE LAST MINUTE TO TAKE ALL THE CREDIT FOR FIXING DEKU LIKE THAT ONE KID IN THE GROUP PROJECT WHO DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT STILL TAGS HIS NAME ONTO THE REPORT ANYWAY, WHAT A KNAVE

GASP

(  ´͈ ᗨ `͈ )

SHE PICKED HIM UP LIKE A LITTLE BABY OMG?? she just leaned right over and lifted this child like he was a small animal. like a lil baby futon that she was about to hang up to dry. oh my god

-- HEY WHAT

(: well that’s extremely fucked up. though sadly not too surprising given what we just saw these past couple chapters

incidentally, I hope that anyone who was legitimately defending the civilians’ perspective earlier takes note here of how quickly that line of thinking -- “we’re just trying to keep our families safe” and all that-- can lead to straight up bigotry. if you’re willing to deny a child shelter and protection simply because he’s not YOUR child, and because you’ve decided based on Internet rumors (no real-world parallels there, I’m sure) that he might present a threat, it’s really not that much further of a leap to discriminating against entire groups of people simply because you perceive those groups as being dangerous. I’m sure the people who turned Gigantic Fox Lady away also told themselves afterwards that they did it to protect their families. “better safe than sorry.” “she’ll be fine, someone will take her in, but as for us, we can’t afford to take that risk.” people can come up with all kinds of justifications for treating other people as less than human, and the really scary thing about it is how fucking easy it is

one last quick side note, which is that Horikoshi does a great job here of showing how scapegoating works, given that AFO is the one who’s really to blame and who presents the actual threat, and yet Deku is the one who ultimately winds up being the target of the mob’s fear and outrage despite him being as much of a victim as they are. gotta love that irony, which unfortunately plays out far too often in the real world as well.

anyway I’ll get off my soapbox now, sorry about that. let us continue

YES, FINALLY OH MY GOD!!!!

AND THAT’S THE STORY OF HOW GIGANTIC FOX LADY BECAME THE GREATEST HERO. PACK IT ALL UP, WE’RE DONE HERE KIDS

holy shit. the real MVP right there. thanks for getting it done champ

jesus christ I have had it up to here with these people

literally the bar is set so low at this point that I’ll go ahead and take it. helping him because it offers them a tactical advantage is at least one step up from not helping him at all

“WHY NOT SHIKETSU” MOTHERFUCKER I SWEAR TO GOD

-- thank you!!

okay this one guy with the antennae hair is having himself a character development speedrun here

-- okay, but this part?? fucking this part, right here??

can we repeat that again?? the part where this guy acknowledges that the problems of hero society were caused not just by said heroes, but also by said society?? the part where he acknowledges that they treated the heroes like celebrities who were putting on a show for them?? the part where he acknowledges that when push came to shove, the vast majority of those heroes, when faced with a situation that offered no reward, were nonetheless willing to put their lives on the line to protect the very same people who then turned around and blamed them rather than thanking them?? are the civilians of BnHA even allowed to have actual deep thoughts about this stuff. holy shit

bro!!

ANTENNAE HAIR GUY SHOVING KOUTA AND GIGANTIC FOX LADY OUT OF THE WAY TO SLAP HIS NAME ONTO THE END CREDITS AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER. CONGRATULATIONS SON YOU FIGURED OUT THE CORE PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION AT THE VERY HEART OF THE MANGA. WAY TO GO BUD

meanwhile, on today’s episode of “one more chapter to go till the big volume cliffhanger, how else can I drag things out let’s see”

it’s a panel. of people’s feet. just a bunch of normal feet. with sneakers and shit

this All Might shirt guy is getting more screentime in this arc than 90% of the class 1-A kids

I guess I’m supposed to feel sorry for this dude now that he’s all “if we let you stay here do you promise to somehow magically fix every single problem that we are now currently facing?” those are some ridiculously exacting standards my dude. come on now

KACCHAN SIGHTING

thank fuck I’m not the only one who’s thoroughly unimpressed by absolutely all of this lol. I feel better now. meanwhile Iida and Kouda and Kiri are ready to run over there and hug them all. you guys are way too forgiving. damn you and your pure hearts

anyway so Deku’s like “yeah, definitely”

(ETA: almost forgot to comment on the “I’m no longer alone” part – he basically corrects the guy and says “sorry, but you’ll need to direct that question towards all of us, not just me, because moving forward we’re a team.” good stuff.)

you know what though, all joking aside... fuck yeah. because perfect victory, right. the strongest guys don’t settle for anything less. so I guess Deku has pretty exacting standards himself

also can you all just take a look at this fucking kid who’s got so much light in his eyes now that I’m gonna need eclipse goggles. hot damn. “you’re welcome” says All Might Shirt Guy as he is frantically interviewed by several local news networks asking him how he daringly managed to save Deku all by himself. “well I guess I’ve just never been the kind of guy who can sit back and let a bunch of rabble-rousers blame a little kid for all of humanity’s problems. someone had to step in and take action, you know?”

oH MY GOD THE SCENE IS FINALLY ENDING

don’t let the door hit you on your way out All Might Shirt Guy

but meanwhile, sudden Tododrama action??

oh shit

there are honestly so many ways in which Ochako’s very moving speech could have wildly backfired that I genuinely have no clue where this is headed lol. how exciting!!

so now Horikoshi is once again stalling for time with random filler panels, but this one is 10x better than the shoes lol omg

(1) was Ectoplasm’s jacket always this oversized. (2) did you guys know that if you go back to chapter 319 you can see that Horikoshi gave us a sneak peak at Enji’s Sad Detective disguise and I in fact made a joke about it in the 319 recap not realizing it was actually the stone cold truth. (3) did Shouto deliberately speed up out of impatience because Hawks was walking so fucking slow and he couldn’t take it any longer. (4) and what, I ask you, is up with these dramatic speedlines. so many mysteries here. what a masterpiece

everyone is acting all shocked about something ahh what’s going on

wait what

what the heck. did they just loop around behind everyone. what was the point of that lol. “anyway, so this is what they look like from the back” well okay, thanks for that Ectoplasm

(ETA: so it seems like they were actually hanging out someplace else away from the crowd this whole time, I guess? here I thought they had more faith in Enji’s disguise. I guess Shouto and Hawks don’t particularly want to attract this crowd’s attention themselves right now either, though.)

I am so fucking confused lmao

speaking of All Might WHERE THE FUCK IS HE lol. but yes, good, OFA brings everyone together, and Hawks is very deeply moved about this out of the blue all of a sudden. you know how it is

aw heck yeah now this is another filler panel I can get behind

Mineta really wants that hug, good lord. I genuinely love this actually. Mineta if you could just stay little and cute and keep crying about how much you love your classmates in a non-gross way for the rest of the series I would be so appreciative. you’re doing great

IIDA IS HOLDING DEKU’S HAND THIS IS NOT A DRILL. ONE TIME WASN’T ENOUGH FOR MY MAN HE’S ADDICTED NOW

what did I tell you. Kiri wants to get all of the mob’s autographs now. Kiri you’re a peach

Shouji having a conversation with another mutant type is a very nice touch! we really need to get to his backstory soon. I feel like that casual remark from GFL earlier was kind of hinting at more to come

is this the first time we’ve ever seen the Yaoyorictionary in action?? never forget that Viz tried to call it the “Yaoyorozu Reference Book” because they hate fun

last but not least, KAMIBAKU IS BACK ON THE MENU, FUCK YEAH. Kaminari trying to spice things up and introduce a little bit of controversy by smacking Kacchan on the back of the head for god knows what. I will be deeply disappointed after this if I can’t find at least one person unironically declaring that KamiBaku is now toxic and abusive

lfkdlWLWK TODODRAMA??

oh my god. Shouto’s face. Enji’s face. the back to “oyaji” again. the blunt, not-taking-no-for-an-answer, “I don’t know how much louder the universe can scream at you that doing things alone is not it, so hopefully you got the point” directness of it. fffdlkslj I’m so ready for this Horikoshi please don’t fuck it up my expectations are so high

HOLY FUCK

I SCROLLED DOWN AND HE WAS ALL “( ❛‿❛)” AND I JUST WASN’T FUCKING EXPECTING THAT OKAY. JESUS CHRIST. GIVE ME A SEC

lol okay moment over and now Enji’s pulling his hat down all dramatically like a world-weary Cowboy

OH MY GOD WERE YOU FACETIMING??

AHHHHHHHHH

(ETA: not to put Iida down or anything, but it’s kind of strange that Aizawa is all “the class rep sure did great” when Ochako is the one that was giving that whole big speech for like twenty minutes just now lol.)

(ETA 2: “thank god Iida stepped in just in the nick of time to keep Mineta from hugging Deku.” sorry Mineta I really do like you lately but it’s still low-hanging fruit lol.)

HE LOOKS SO SAD??! HE LOOKS LIKE HEARTBREAK ITSELF??! I AM BESOUGHT WITH THE URGE TO REACH INTO MY SCREEN AND PULL HIM INTO THE SAFETY OF MY ARMS??? MY GOD, AND I THOUGHT DEKU NEEDED HUGS

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH okay I was gonna just hold down the letter H for a full minute and count it out loud but within about ten seconds I realized I needed to chill lol

-- but then again NO, I DON’T NEED TO CHILL, I HAVE ZERO CHILL, ACTUALLY, BECAUSE IT’S AIZAWA WITH A ROBOT LEG AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

COMPLETE WITH ROBOT TOES FOR THAT EXTRA TOUCH OF AUTHENTICITY!! I LIKE HOW HORIKOSHI PUT ALL THIS EXTRA “!!!” EMPHASIS AROUND IT IN CASE WE COULD SOMEHOW POSSIBLY FAIL TO TAKE NOTICE. “REMEMBER, EVERYONE?” SAYS HORIKOSHI HELPFULLY. “REMEMBER THAT TIME AIZAWA CHOPPED OFF HIS OWN LEG?” oh wow now that you mention it we somehow forgot all about that. like who do you take us for

OH NO NOT THE SAD BOYFRIEND ANGST THAT I WAS SECRETLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WITH GLEE

well at least he’s not M.I.A. or back with the villains again like I thought he might be. still, that’s gotta be brutal to know your friend is in there somewhere, but to not be able to reach him again no matter how hard you try. that’s the kind of angst that pays off in final battles just when you most expect it. such is my hope, at any rate

what’s this now??

trying to decide if this is Horikoshi’s way of saying don’t worry about that, or his way of saying definitely worry about that lol

anyway so Aizawa is out here being all irresponsibly handsome once again. when is someone going to do something about him

here for Sexy Robot Leg Eyepatch Aizawa clenching his fists and making speeches about revenge. pretty sure we’re all here for that

WELL, WELL, WELL

IT’S ABOUT FUCKING TIME

I’M VERY GLAD YOU’RE ALIVE AND SEEMINGLY WELL, THOUGH!

BUT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK THOUGH, ALL MIGHT

ffff. bracing myself for that cliffhanger next week. you’d better not touch one hair on this man’s head Horikoshi. I’m watching you 

#bnha 325 #midoriya izuku #u.a. clown mob #class 1-a #aizawa shouta #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #bnha manga spoilers #makeste reads bnha

[asweetprologue]

me lámh le do lámh - Part I

Ahh I can’t believe it’s finally done! After a year of working on this beast, it’s finally ready for me to share. This is something I started way back last summer, and I decided to finish it as my project for this year’s @geraskierbigbang. It will be ten parts in total, and I will post one part per day until it is complete! There are several art pieces that were created by the wonderful @herostag​ and Miranda.draws for this story, which I will link when the appropriate section is posted. For a summary and further links, please see the masterpost.

Next | Ao3 | Masterpost

“Alright,” Geralt said. “Don’t laugh at me.”

Yennefer looked up at him with bright eyes, curious and already mirthful. She was sitting across from him in his quarters, reading through a tome she’d found in Kaer Morhen’s disheveled library. Geralt had just come from a bath after hours spent training Ciri in the yard, and the room was filled with the warm evening light, supplemented by the fire crackling in the hearth. Yennefer had insisted on carting dozens of tapestries and drapes to hang around the drafty keep, and the room was nearly stuffy with their bulk keeping the heat in.

Yennefer gave him an amused smirk. “I will make no such promises before I even know what you’re going to say.” The gentle teasing brought a fond smile to Geralt’s face. After the events of the mountain all those years ago, things had been understandably tense. Yennefer had been reluctant to join them when she had finally met up with Geralt after Sodden, but had eventually agreed to seek refuge in the witchers’ keep and teach Ciri to control her magic. Once she’d met the girl it had all been a wash; it was clear as soon as their eyes met across the room that Yennefer was as much a part of Ciri’s destiny as Geralt was.

Geralt had expected that to either mend the rift between them enough for things to go back to the way things were, or make things even more awkward. Instead, they found themselves in a sort of in-between. Over the years his affection for Yennefer had only grown, but he found himself looking to her more and more as a friend—maybe his best friend. After Jaskier, of course.

Speaking of. “I was thinking about Jaskier.”

Yennefer rolled her eyes obviously. “As you are so frequently wont to do. The thaw will come soon enough, dear, and you can run off in search of your bard.”

Geralt felt his ears grow warm. Witchers couldn’t blush, not truly, but he still felt the tingle of it as he fidgeted with embarrassment. “That’s not what I meant,” he said, absently tracing a finger against the grain of the wooden table. There were two goblets of wine sitting between them, but so far neither of them had begun to drink. “Do you know how many winters it’s been since I found Ciri?”

If she was confused by the odd turn in subject matter, Yennefer didn’t show it. Instead she looked thoughtful. “Two, perhaps three? You know I don’t follow the seasons with diligence.”

“Neither do I,” Geralt agreed. “I was thinking the same though, two or three years since the fall of Cintra. Which means Jaskier is…” He paused, trying to do the math. “He was a few years past forty, during the dragon hunt, I think. He must be closer to fifty now than not.”

Yennefer raised an eyebrow at him. “I recall mentioning something about his crows feet. What of it? Humans age. Are you only just discovering this?”

Geralt forced himself not to grumble. In a way, he was only discovering it. He’d known humans across the years, of course, and knew that many that he’d once been acquainted with were no longer alive or were in their twilight years. For decades Geralt had wandered through the world, changing no more than a ghost would, touching the lives of regular mortals for a brief instance, maybe a few times if they were particularly unlucky. No one had stayed by his side, dedicated themselves to a relationship with him, the way that the bard had. The amount of devotion that Jaskier showed to him had made Geralt antsy, in earlier years, and then confused and angry by turn. He had hated the idea of someone needing him, had hated needing someone in return. The way his chest felt heavy when he and Jaskier parted ways had left him furious with himself and the bard.

And then Ciri came into his life, and everything had changed so quickly.

With Ciri, it didn’t matter whether Geralt felt like he should care for her, or if he wanted to. He needed to. Without him, the girl would die, or be kidnapped by Nilfgaard for who knows what purpose. He had to feed her, and clothe her, and teach her, and he had to love her for her to thrive.

She made it very easy. It was only afterwards that he realized how much of an idiot he’d been to Jaskier, and the thought of how he’d treated the bard over the years had plagued him. It had been months before he could find him to apologize, but Jaskier forgave him almost immediately—which Geralt found both relieving and infuriating at the same time. This was the first winter they’d spent apart since. Geralt left the keep more rarely now, heading out on the Path only when the months grew truly warm and returning at the first hint of falling leaves. Ciri was safe on her own, he knew, but he missed her when he was away. And he could admit now that one of the forces driving him back into the world over the last few years had been the itching desire to find Jaskier again and settle the yearning in his chest for another year. He was less inclined to venture forth when his bard, his daughter, Yennefer and his brothers were all in one place.

This winter Jaskier had begged off, saying that he had “work in the south,” which could mean anything from spending a decadent winter in the court of some noble or sludging through the front lines as a Redanian spy. Geralt had learned not to pry too deeply into Jaskier’s business when he wasn’t around. It was often either too explicit for him to stomach or too confidential for Jaskier to share freely.

It worried him, being away from the bard for so long. He could get hurt, or captured by Nilfgaard, or worse. But what really terrified Geralt was the idea that he would find Jaskier in a tavern along the Path and realize that the bard had grown old, to find silver in his hair and wrinkles beside his eyes. “He’s getting too old,” Geralt said to Yennefer, who looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

“You must have known when you started travelling with him that he would eventually leave you,” Yennefer said, not unkindly. “Humans are so short lived.”

“I didn’t exactly get a choice about becoming his muse,” Geralt said with a huff. Despite his improved relationship with Jaskier over the past few years, he still found it difficult to admit that he had always been more than willing to let the bard tag along. If he’d wanted to travel alone, he would have. But he never had. “I just didn’t realize…”

“It always comes sooner than you think it will,” Yennefer sighed. She set her book aside and picked up her goblet of wine, turning to look out the large window their table sat in front of. It faced west out of the keep wall, towards the mountains and the forest beyond. The sun had set below the craggy peaks, throwing the snow covered valley below into darkness. Geralt could just make out the ruins of the old tower, its stones dark against the white landscape. “You can’t cure his mortality, Geralt.”

“We did.”

The look that Yennefer gave him was sharp, almost angry. The firelight in the room turned her violet eyes darker, like mulberry wine. “At great cost,” she snapped. “I can’t imagine you would put him through the Trials.”

A stab of panic shot through his gut at the thought. “No. Of course not. He wouldn’t survive it anyways. Only children stand a chance at all.”

Yennefer nodded, apparently satisfied that Geralt hadn’t completely lost his mind. “The boy hasn’t got an ounce of Chaos in him, in spite of his rather chaotic nature, so I highly doubt they’ll accept him as a late trainee at Ban Ard.”

“There must be other ways,” Geralt said, feeling petulant. “Less conventional.”

“I cannot believe we are actually discussing this,” Yennefer said, rising to her feet. She picked up her book from the table as well as her glass. “There is no way to achieve immortality, especially not without sacrifice. You know that, Geralt. Drop this foolish line of thought.”

Geralt rose after her, reaching out to catch her retreating wrist. A grasp loose enough that she could break it, if she wanted, but Yennefer paused. “Please, Yen. Just… look into it for me? I can’t—the thought of—” He cut himself off, dropping his hand away from her arm. The look she gave him was more pitying than he would have liked.

“I’ll do some research, but nothing more. Don’t get your hopes up, Geralt. There’s a reason there are so few of us,” she said. Her face softened slightly, as much as it ever did. Despite Ciri, Yennefer was still made of more glass and fire than anything else. “I know you love him, even if you can’t admit it to yourself. I promise, I will do my best.”

Geralt nodded wordlessly as she left and wondered if Jaskier's eyes would be as bright next time he saw him.

*

For weeks Yennefer said nothing about his request, and Geralt refocused on spending time with Ciri and preparing to depart for the spring. Lambert and Eskel had already left a month before, as soon as the road down the mountain began to thaw, but Geralt had hung back. The roof needed repairs, a difficult job to do in the midst of winter, and it was a hard task to leave for Vesemir alone. It was always like this, now—him looking for odd jobs to keep him at Kaer Morhen, with Ciri, making excuses until Jaskier’s jitteriness or Vesemir’s raised eyebrows forced them on the road again. Some of that was mitigated this season by the silence he heard when he found himself listening for the sounds of lute strings strumming gently in the background, and Geralt’s increasing anxiety about Jaskier’s wellbeing. Even so, it was hard to leave Ciri behind.

The girl was progressing rapidly as she entered her teen years, the chubbiness of her youth morphing into lean if awkward muscle as she continued to work on her swordsmanship. When Geralt and his brothers weren’t pushing her through drills, she was studying monsters and alchemy with Vesemir, or practicing her magic with Yen. She never seemed to tire, eagerly absorbing any lessons passed on to her and desperate to prove her worth. The only person she seemed to let her guard down around was Geralt, who found himself often goading her into mock wrestling matches (which he refused to throw on principle) and humoring her when she became restless and wanted to explore beyond the keep. Kaer Morhen was dangerous in the winter, but as spring approached and the deep snows on the surrounding mountains began to thaw, the duo spent more and more time trekking through old ruins and sleeping beneath the stars.

He could put off his journey south no longer.

“I’m going to be fine, Geralt,” she said, rolling her eyes at him. He wondered if he’d been this petulant as a teenager. Certainly Lambert had. “I can take care of myself, and Yen will be with me.”

Geralt tapped her wooden training sword with his own, indicating that she should prepare to go again. When he was a boy he’d trained against the other foundlings, stumbling around like pups through drills and sparring matches. Ciri trained against full witchers, and only Eskel ever faked a misstep here or there to allow her to get in a good hit. When she won a fight for the first time, it would be on her own merit.

The girl raised her sword into a decent fighting stance, and Geralt moved to correct her footwork. Her sword work was exceptional above the belt, but she consistently forgot her stances, throwing herself off balance. They’d begun putting her on the pendulums to force her to focus, dancing between posts to attack the dummies. Geralt had spent many a night rubbing salve into her bruised shoulders, gained from taking fall after fall from the low poles. No one forced her, but if there was one thing Ciri hated, it was admitting to weakness in herself. “Sword up,” Geralt said, and launched into his attack.

He stayed on the offense, forcing her to practice the defensive drills they’d started going over recently. “I know you’ll be fine,” he said, continuing their conversation. His breathing was relaxed, almost meditative through the slow exchange of blows. “Just seems cruel to leave you with only the old man and Yennefer for company.”

Ciri giggled despite herself, and Geralt found himself grinning back before he smacked her lightly in the ribs with the training sword. She swore—Lambert, Geralt thought with chagrin—and danced back a few paces. “Gotta focus,” he said, still smirking at her.

She poked her tongue out at him childishly and reposted off of one of his blocked attacks. He easily swayed out of the way, but the movement was fluid and smooth, which meant someday it would be fast, faster than he could dodge. He gave an encouraging nod.

They continued to spar for another half an hour or so before breaking, heading to the well to fill their water pouches. Geralt sat on the short ring of stones and Ciri slumped on the ground beside him, leaning against his leg. The simple trust and familiarity she exhibited around him still took him by surprise, sometimes. “I’m leaving tomorrow,” he said, rubbing a hand over the top of her head. Her hair was almost as white as his.

She sighed, wiping dripping water from her chin as she tossed her water pouch down. “I figured,” she said. “Say hello to Jaskier for me, when you find him? I missed his songs this time.”

Geralt’s caress turned into a playful ruffle. “I will. Any requests for books?”

“Ones about Elves,” she said immediately, “and Skelligan alchemy. It’s different from ours, did you know? The Druids—”

Geralt chuckled. “I know. You’ve said half a dozen times. No fairytales this time?”

The girl hummed, reminding him for a brief and touching moment of himself. “Just bring Jaskier back. He tells about your adventures so much better than you do.”

“He’s certainly made a career out of it,” Geralt grumbled, feigning annoyance. “I’ll do my best. You know how he is.”

“You missed him too,” she said, hitting his knee with one closed fist. “I know you did. You get all…Well, more grumbly and mopey than usual, when he’s not around.” She wrinkled her nose up at him in exaggerated disgust. “It’s gross. But I do want you to be happy.”

Geralt knocked back against her gently with his knee, swallowing around the feelings that rose in his throat. “You just think I’m a boring old man who won’t help you put toads in Eskel’s bed. But you never even ask. I’m the expert, not Jaskier.”

Ciri laughed, bright and crisp in the morning air, and Geralt felt warm despite the fading winter chill. Tomorrow he would leave, and he would find Jaskier, and next winter he would tell Jaskier that he had to stay at Kaer Morhen. For Ciri, if nothing else. And if it was more for Geralt’s sake than anything, well, no one had to know.

*

Yennefer found him before he left, saddling Roach in the stables.

“Go to Triss,” she said by way of a greeting. Geralt knew what she meant by the gravity in her tone and the tension sitting in the corners of her mouth. “Ask after Ida. I don’t know where she is or if she’ll speak with you, but a Sage is the only one that might be able to give you anything.”

Geralt reached out to grasp her hand firmly in his own. “Thank you, Yen,” he said honestly.

The sorceress sniffed. “Well, you owe me one, I suppose. I hope you find what you're looking for. But be careful.”

“I won’t do anything that might put him in harm’s way,” he promised. “I swear it.”

“Good.” She gave him a slight smile before leaning in to brush a kiss over his rough cheek. The simple touch warmed him from inside out. “Say hello to the bard for me. Tell him I heard about that disastrous competition in Vizima. Ought to have him stewing for a good long while.”

Geralt rolled his eyes. “I’ll give him your love as always.”

“Goodbye, Geralt,” she said, patting his arm lightly. “Be safe. You know how to reach me, if you have need.”

“I do,” he said. “I will. Take care of Ciri.”

“It’s more the other way around, I’m afraid,” she said with a soft smile, and Geralt understood exactly what she meant. Ciri had saved them both, in more ways than one. Every time he left her was more painful than the last. Someday, he knew, they might travel the Path together, a witcher, a sorceress and their daughter. Maybe even a bard, if he was extremely lucky.

Geralt hoped he would be.

#geraskier #geralt x jaskier #geraltxjaskier #geralt/jaskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier #big bang #geraskier big bang 2021 #multichapter #fic #fanfic #the witcher #witcher #writing #my work #geraskierbigbang #me lamh

[itsthewritergal]

Is this okay? - D.M x reader ODD ONE OUT

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 

I’m in love with this part... I hope you guys like it as well xx 

Dear Draco, 

A lady at St Mungo’s fixed my ankle a few days ago, you were right it was broken. Mum actually sounded pretty impressed once she realised that you were right. I’ve been meaning to write to you since you left… I wanted to ask how things went with your father. also I needed to apologise, I shouldn’t have ignored all your letters over summer, I won’t ever forgive your father and you know how I feel about what you did but after the Quidditch World Cup I don’t think I could stay mad at you. 

Mum’s been going on and on about going back to school, it’s driving me a little bit mental although it won’t be long until I’m back with you (and everyone else of course!!) 

All my love

See you soon 

Y/N

———— 

Dear Y/N, 

I’m pleased your ankle is better now, I hated thinking about you in pain. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer that night I just didn’t think it would sit well with my parents. Things with my father were fine when I went back. 

You have nothing to apologise for, I was in the wrong. I know I was, I knew I was when I stood there watching, but I’ll be honest I wanted to get a rise out of Potter. I shouldn’t have done it and I’m sorry that I made you think that I was that kind of a person, I promise you I’m not. And I will do everything in my power to change how I treat Potter and even his friends. I did what I had to at the World Cup, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you or your family got hurt and I could have stopped it. I’m just pleased you made it out safe. 

I can’t wait to be back either, the Manor get’s horrendously lonely. Perhaps you could come and visit next summer? Or even Christmas? 

Love 

Draco

————

“Draco” Y/N called the moment she saw him on the platform, 

“Hey darling” He said pulling her into a hug, but instead of relaxing like he usually did he just tensed up as if she was hurting him.Y/N pulled away quickly and studied his face 

“What’s wrong” She asked 

“Nothing. You worry too much” he chuckled, turning his back and pushing his trolly along the platform 

“where are your parents?” Y/N asked, Draco knew she was digging for answers about his father and what happened when he got home. A part of him knew that she wouldn’t be settled with his answer in the letter. 

“They left early, father had some ministry business to be getting on with” Draco answered “Oh” Y/N sighed, Draco wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders once he had dropped off his trolly with all the others. 

“You really don’t need to worry” Draco said 

“Weasley!” Blaise grinned coming up to the two of them “Hello to you too” Draco rolled his eyes, 

“You’re not as exciting as Weasley, I heard you broke your ankle over summer” He said, Y/N laughed knowing that Pansy told him. 

“You must be really bored if you think a trip to St Mungo’s is exciting” Y/N said climbing onto the train after Draco. 

They sat in a carriage, Y/N kept a close eye on Draco. There was something off, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but there was something off. Something different about the way he walked, the way he winced every time someone bumped into him, and Y/N most definitely noticed the look of pain which washed across his face the moment he sat down in the carriage. Pansy and Blaise were arguing about something with Crabbe and Goyle when Y/N turned to Draco silently looking him up and down. 

“Tell me” She whispered laying her head on his shoulder 

“What would I be telling you?” He said in a similar tone 

“Why you’re in pain” She said, Draco’s smile was wiped off of his face “I saw it the moment I stepped on the platform and when you hugged me and then when you sat down” 

“It isn’t anything” Draco said harshly 

“Draco please” Y/N said 

“Enough” Draco snapped, silencing the whole carriage. 

Y/N picked her head off of his shoulder and slid herself as far away from him as possible on the seat. “Darling, I didn’t mean it” He said quickly 

“Save it, I’m going to go find Cedric” She snapped, standing up and leaving without sending Draco another look.

— — — — — 

“Great. Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs this year the castle really is going to be full” Pansy sighed sitting herself down on one of the leather sofas. 

“Shut up Pansy it’ll be nice to have someone else around” Blaise said, 

Draco sat between them, his eyes focussed on Y/N who sat with a few of her classmates by the windows. 

“Just go to talk to her” Blaise said sympathetically 

“I’ve upset her enough lately” Draco replied “Tell her” Pansy said harshly “You think she can’t handle it but you’re wrong” 

“She doesn’t need to be worried about me, she needs to focus on her school work” “You sound like her mother. Go talk to her Draco” Blaise said 

“She’s practically in love with you, she’ll understand why you didn’t tell her” Pansy said 

“She’s hardly in love with me” Draco said 

“Well she doesn’t get all loved-up looking when Cedric’s around thats for sure” Blaise laughed 

“Oi Y/N!” Pansy called 

“Pnasy” Draco whispered harshly, Pansy merely sent him a wink as Y/N walked over to the group. She looked exhausted already, her hair pulled into a pony tail on top of her head and a large knitted jumper thrown over her robes to keep her warmer. Draco had to stop himself from drooling over her tired look. 

“What’s up?” She asked 

“Draco needs to talk to you, I think you two should go to his dorm” Pansy said

“Pansy don’t be daft” Y/N said turning away 

“Y/N please, I want to show you something” Draco said 

“Okay” Y/N agreed warily. 

— — — — — 

Draco’s dorm room was warm, it always was. Y/N had only ever been in a handful of times when they got bored of the common room. A few clothes were already strewn across the floor on Blaise’s side, but Draco’s side look practically untouched. Y/N sat down on the end of his bed and crossed her legs underneath her. 

“What’s going on Draco?” Y/N asked quietly, she felt strangely calm. 

“I need you to promise me something” Draco said kneeling down in front of her 

“Ok? what is it?” She asked. Draco took her hands in his, she felt his palms were sweaty. Something was wrong, really wrong. 

“You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to show you” Draco said. Y/N gave him a simple smile 

“You know I wont tell anyone, I rarely ever do. You know that” she said 

“I know” Draco nodded, standing up. He dropped her hands back into her own lap. Y/N paused for a second as Draco took off his tie. 

She was confused as Draco begun to unbutton his shirt. 

“What are you doing?” She asked, knowing Draco wouldn’t do anything to hurt or scare her but things felt wrong, Draco said nothing as he opened his shirt exposing his pale chest. 

Y/N felt the breath leave her lungs, almost as though someone had hit her in the throat. His stomach was bruised, and not just once or twice. Multiple marks from what Y/N already knew was his father’s cane. She should have noticed that day back at the Quidditch world cup. Y/N rose to her feet and made her way across the floor towards Draco, tracing her fingers across his stomach. A ghost of pain passed across his face. 

“I’ll kill him” Y/N promised, Draco’s eyes softened. 

“Darling” He said in an attempt to pull Y/N’s eyes towards him rather than the hideous bruising on his body. But she didn’t look away. Instead she just repeated the same words once more, this time a little more harshly. 

Her fingers danced across the skin around the marks, as if she was testing just how much it hurt him. 

“Sit” Y/N said firmly 

“I’m alright” he said, taking a few steps away from Y/N and pulling on a quidditch jersey 

“No you’re not” She snapped, Draco pulled Y/N back towards him; his arms wrapping around her shoulders, and hers around his back. 

“Listen to me” He said “I’m okay now that I’m here, with you” He tilted his head down, and placed a finger under her chin lifting it up closing the space between the two of them. 

“Draco,” She started, 

“Is this okay?”He asked, waiting for her agreement. 

“Yes” She said quietly. The gap between the two of them closed, as Y/N melted into Draco’s touch. 

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#draco angst #draco lucius malfoy #draco malfoy fic #Draco #Draco Malfoy #draco x y/n #draco x reader angst #draco x you #draco x weasley #draco x reader #weasley!reader #odd one out

[douxie-casperan]

Rise of the Titans and the assassination Hisirdoux Casperan’s character development

I’ve been ranting so much since Wednesday morning that I finally condensed by thoughts of WHY this one subject keeps setting me off namely the utterly diabolical way they handled Douxie and Archie’s relationship in Rise of the Titans and how it wasn’t just enough to hit him with the nerf bat.

Please note I’m at the point where I literally cannot tell the difference between Aaron headcanons, Teny headcanons and my own they are all mixed together in the blender that does funky things. I also apologise for typo/weird wording it’s half 1 in the morning and I’d rather sleep than edit.

~

If asked to sum up Hisirdoux Casperan there are certainly several things that come to mind:

Sees the value in people as a whole and will find do anything if there is a chance of help someone out

Prefers tactics that disable/banish rather than kill an enemy yet willing and able to pull the trigger if circumstances become forced

While not academically inclined he is very capable of thinking on his feet and outside the box calling back to his time on the streets where a split-second decision making is the difference between being caught and not

Terrible at planning he’ll be in there figuring it out as he goes along which is what makes the previous point so vital to literally how he goes through life

A natural charmer that would let him talk his way out of trouble 9/10 providing a perfect cover for his distrustful nature and reluctance to be touched by random people

Very down to earth, humble and never one to brag unless outright sassing someone

Will bang out some hot tunes at the drop of a hat, his love of music has never wavered once since he caught the bug despite instrument hopping ironically becoming a jack of all trades much like his magic style

The earliest memories he can recall are him as a young boy lost in the woods where he was for an unknown amount of time before his soon to be familiar finds him amongst the roots covered in dirt and drying tears, there is nothing before that. Unbeknownst to him is the colour of his magic matches the blue of a lost mother’s eyes and the song that haunts his nightmares as much as fire could well be hers though there is no way to be sure. From that moment on Archibald, shortened to Archie, would become his entire world and their friendship only becoming closer during the years they prowled Camelot together trying to keep themselves in one piece until the fateful day Douxie tricks the wrong person leading him straight into the path of the famous wizard Merlin Ambrosius.

It's no real secret that Merlin is a very closed off person who keeps his emotions as well guarded as his secrets, prefers the style of negative reinforcement over positive encouragement and is a very strict perfectionist in his. At this point in his life he can be very easily described as a disaster that is genuinely doing his best with every little mistake held of his head and his future self when brought back to that time period is belittled by Lancelot (Errand boy) and Arthur (Boy) too meaning it’s hardly a wonder his confidence was very fragile revelling in the times where he could do things without being told off for it. With Morgana largely ignoring him too (Though personally I like to think as he got older she’d occasionally take an interest until the blistering arguments with their master started to talk over daily life) a certain disguised dragon would have remained a lifeline and give that physical affection he craved much like being told he’d done well never seemed able to earn.

With Killahead he’d lose that home and family he made leaving just the two of them behind struggling to figure out their place in the world that had abandoned them.

There wouldn’t have been the words for it back then but the way he had been treated prior was outright abusive instilling very bad habits into Douxie yet by irony he was always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and help those in trouble without thinking earning a reputation as the Shepard of Fire. He refused to become like him seeking to be better, perhaps not as a wizard (Even though he was learning new charms and spells along the way) but certainly as a person. Despite everything he suffers through or witnesses in the intervening years, the loss of friends and kindling of far newer ones he never loses his good heart 

That said is it any wonder that after rightfully sassing Merlin for resurfacing, ignoring his existence despite being in the same town and only visiting him to run a finding errand that all the confidence he’d managed to build completely from scratch after Camelot wavered causing him to fall back solely into trying impressing his old Master who was acting like his humble apprentice must have coasted the past few centuries who himself fell back into old habits of belittling? It’s only when Merlin started to truly listen and acknowledge that this was not the same Moppet he once knew after Excalibur was fixed that their relationship finally started to become more like equals. After the defeat of Janus the changeling that broke into the castle he touched Douxie’s shoulder with a genuine smile and for a second he simply didn’t know what to do because the old man never did this before his brain kicked into gear and realised he’d finally earned that one thing he’d been so desperate for his entire life: That in Merlin’s eyes he could be more than a failure who only caused problems for the closest thing to a father figure he’d ever had, never solved them.

A staff will be earned, history would be set back on trap by banishing Morgana tag teaming with Archie because they know one another inside and out, as promised he’d get the kids back to the present but soon after things would go badly wrong. They’d lose Jim and because of his very nature he’d make a gamble to try and get him back because that life is worth trying for just for in a moment of surprising selflessness Merlin would be sacrificed to save him. The only constant in his life apart from Archie would apologise, openly express pride and how the greatest thing he’d ever done was saving this orphan, call him son for the first and final time before turning into ash in his arms. There would be no time to grieve for things will barrel into the crescendo of Douxie sacrificing his own life to buy everyone time to escape because if they did that everything he’d ever done would be worth it with one last whispered goodbye.

(Zoe sees him fall, so does Archie – His heart would break if he was conscious just like theirs does when his body crumples into the ground)

On the very fringes of the Light Realm he is gifted one more conversation with Merlin in a truly heart-breaking sequence (THANKS TENY) where they can just talk without any fear of consequence or politics and just be completely honest. Douxie is allowed to stand equal to Merlin, to have the hug he’d needed since he was a child and be allowed to simply let go of every pretense and cry his heart out because this can never happen again. He’s allowed to say goodbye to both his master and Morgana who had both shaped so very much of his life but like the painting he’d always remained firmly in the long shadows of until that moment.

When Hisirdoux Casperan finally leaves Wizards if we just accidently deliberately put the shawarma back in along with checking in with Zoe before departure, it is with having learned to live during his wandering years but this is the point of true freedom because he can finally escape into his own light with Archie by his side to keep Nari out of the hands of those that would see the world harmed. It won’t be easy but it feels possible somehow even with the knowledge everything is simply running on borrowed time.

Then Rise of the Titans happens.

At first everything is genuinely fine! No more running, they engineer a solution shut the Order’s magic down to make them a lot less dangerous and potentially at least incapacitate them until they can come up with a longer-term solution but all the best laid plans and all that. Douxie’s quick thinking stops the train from crushing any of the people below and it’s a very him style move to switch places with Nari to stall for time because for some reason the plot disabled Claire from portaling her or any of the threatened people/heroes to safety. He openly sasses the Order despite knowing the consequences will be bad for him because once again he’s managed to trick them, buy time that at the other end isn’t even slightly utilised until he’s forced back into his own body in excruciating pain. Archie immediately mobs him with comfort just as he has done every single time the wizard is distressed or collapsed with exhaustion without thinking because that is what their bond is like, incredibly close and far more than the Soul Bond mark that connects them together. They’re very alike in that regard, you have to earn the right to touch while equally knowing exactly what form the other needs the most in that precise moment in a way very few others could.

Bar the moment of figuring out that an illusion is in place to hide where the Order is opening the Genesis Seals and the brief insistence on reconnecting with Nari somehow Douxie manages to forget everything that makes him who he is after this point choosing to stand in the background being very no thoughts head empty or can only use the most basic spells of his youthful days not the seasoned master wizard he should be. Nomura is treated like an innocent slip rather than an outright death he did absolutely nothing to prevent (Not to mention the stupid daytime thing) nor seems to care particularly about afterwards yet with Nari’s he’s allowed to openly grieve in a gorgeously animated visual showing how he’d failed to keep her safe despite everything. He did nothing to help here either mind despite allowing himself to be tortured in the same piece of media to keep her safe, just watched another loss happen right in front of his eyes in his conga long line of them.

Then there’s Archie, oh god then there was Archie.

The dragon who even here he’d been shown to have an incredibly close bond with him decides you know what sod that tell him goodbye I’m going to make a joke about having a kingdom now dad and me are trapped in here forever. Douxie on his part looked sad for all of three seconds saying that he hoped he’s happy like it's a pet that wandered out into the world one day and never came back instead of a lifelong companion that has been there for as long as he can remember. He was now completely alone in the world since Zoe was also written out entirely and because every bit of his background had been forgotten about it somehow meant nothing. This wasn’t “I know you miss him, I know you need to grieve but you are running out of time” moment like things had been with Charlie, this was “cool shapeshifting dragon cat is now stuck in a plot hole that’s a shame” with zero pay off or any of the genuine reaction that should have been there or hell even trying to Ohana him back that very second because it never should have happened in the first place. Then even this wasn’t enough somehow, they managed to de-power Douxie even further into uselessness bar the (Admittedly nifty!) sticky feet stunt, the one who fought Skrael and Bellroc to a stalemate was shunted aside with barely a thought and his head would somehow get even emptier.

The one person who knew the danger of time magic the most stood by and said nothing.

The one person who would suffer the most by a reset because the lynchpin to his issues would be asleep if you got it wrong and should have drilled it into Jim’s head the best time to aim for stood by and said nothing.

The one person who had just suffered the loss of his familiar, best friend and only family along with the almost sister like Nari stood by and said nothing.

Then to add further insult to injury the caption when Douxie and Archie is shown says Some go their entire lives living an existence of quiet desperation because every drop of his character growth, his ability to finally start addressing his trauma instilled back in the 12th century, the staff he longed for was instead openly mocked by going “Aww he got his cat friend back how nice!” Everything he’d rightfully earned and had now would be unable to progress until certain criteria are met because it hinges entirely on the Trollhunter going to Merlin’s tomb and there’s only so much your support network of two (One if she’s written out) can do, the root of the majority of his issues all stem from one man.

And this folks is why I’ve been going on multiple rants about Douxie in particular, everyone was hit with the out of character bat to some degree in this film but when they came for him they didn’t just stop after they took his legs out because they wanted him to suffer from something he’s never had any control over to begin with all over again. Abuse survivors deserve better, these characters deserve better and we as viewers deserve far far better writing than we were forced to endure.

#Ooc - Behind the curtains #Rise of the Titans #Rise of the Titans spoilers #RotT Spoilers #RoT spoilers #Wizards #Tales of Arcadia #ToAWizards #Hisirdoux Casperan #Douxie Casperan