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writingmochi · 1 year

Text

part 2

cast: taehyun ✗ fem.reader (ft. loona yyxy, txt's hueningkai, and other idols)

synopsis: the year is 1999. cardboard boxes were put on the driveway of the newly-settled home across from where taehyun lives. the five sisters will soon shake the neighborhood with their eccentric personalities yet mysterious auras. the moon sisters. since that day they arrived, taehyun is intrigued by them and especially you, the youngest of the sisters

genre: coming of age, bildungsroman, slice of life, romance, drama, high school au, late 90s au, angst, a tiny bit of fluff, mature content (explicit smut, suicidal characters, depressive episodes)

based on: movie the virgin suicides (1999)

word count: 19282 (19.2k) out of 52076 (52k)

warning(s): tyun wears glasses AND is an amateur boxer, mentally and physically abusive parent, narcissistic parent, gender discrimination, suicide attempt, self-harm, depression, blood, bruises, explicit sex (semi-rough sex for part 2), protected sex, hand job (m & f receive), oral job (m receive), manhandling, dissolution of marriage (broken home peeps, i get you), mentions of arranged marriage, mention of smoking (cigarettes) (if there is something that i forgot, let me know)

message from the moon: remember that this story is fiction and do be careful and read the warnings at the top. all the idols mentioned here are not what they are in real life.

welcome! this is supposed to be a one-shot but because the word count has reached 50k+ and my tumblr errored because of it, i have no choice but to split them in two. so this is part 2! i know this is the shorter part but you also need to take a rest to because of how heavy the topics are. thank you so much and i hope you enjoy it!

cd mix | wall collage

read part 1 first!

you have no regret as mama slaps your cheek when you arrived back home after crossing the street. the burn on your cheek lingers as you hold back your tears. for you, it’s a reality check that you will get nothing you want as long as you are still in high school and live with them.

you see the various expressions your sisters have on their faces as they see you being berated by the person who gave birth to all of them. nothing screams joy in them. and yet, you defended them and taehyun.

taehyun. yeah, your plan didn’t work, yet you blame yourself for everything that happened tonight. all of you are stuck here, getting the brunt of your matriarch’s untrustworthiness towards the whole idea where she also sets a boundary she didn’t expect all of you could pass.

you told mama it’s your fault you’re still out past curfew, telling her you split up with your sisters and go with your date somewhere else on the school grounds, how you’re bored mingling with people and you converse so much with your date—making you lost track of time. that’s why she doesn’t question the disheveled look of your hair, clothes, and the additional piece of clothing you’re wearing from the colder autumn weather.

after being bombarded with your mama’s sayings, you fled back into your room as a throttle of steps followed you. all of them in their sleepwear with you being out of place—like a black swan in a flock of white ones. you expected that they’ll ask you and guilt you like how mama did, like how you’re doing it to yourself as it eats you up from the inside. your shoulders hunch as you sit on your bed, the dried tears from the corner of your eyes still culminating in new ones that are still producing since the fresh moment from downstairs. you wanted to peer at the house across from you, but you didn’t. you didn’t want to feel like you’d lost.

“hey, you seemed different.” hyejoo is the first to approach you, sitting beside you.

you let out a sigh, shaking your head, and licking your bottom lip before replying, “i’m so sorry i lost track of time with taehyun. you can blame me for whatever thing we might get from my shitty carelessness.”

“we could talk after you cleaned up. your eyeliner is so smudged…” sooyoung commented as she caressed your messy hair. picking up your pyjama from the wardrobe, you gave a tight-lip smile to them before going to the bathroom.

you can see the hickeys taehyun left on you clearer when you clean your make-up by the mirror. the dark spots scatter at the skin between your collarbone and neck while a few are on your chest. fingers pressing against one of them, you close your eyes, returning to that moment with taehyun as your body reacts to the pleasure you remembered. you force yourself to stop from the memory and face the reality of your consequences.

sitting down in a circle inside the nightlight-lit room, you dried your hair with a towel as your sisters tell you stories about what they did with their date. sooyoung and juyeon had an impromptu photoshoot as the king and queen of homecoming for the yearbook club. jiwoo and gyuri sat on the bleachers of the indoor court, conversing about her date’s play with the theater. chaewon and seungmin hung out in the school’s greenhouse—her club’s place. hyejoo and sunwoo played football on the field with the rest of the boys’ team and girls’ team. their guts told them how the night is getting late when they returned to juyeon’s van as it brought them home. you and taehyun disappear. they searched for both of your whereabouts but gave up on it.

as the spotlight turns to you, you gnaw the inside of your cheek before you say, “i tried to pursue him to run away with me.”

escaping has always been the matter you talk about once every month or when one of you thought about it. all of you put together many plans to escape your parents. you recall sooyoung’s plan on working part-time at university to save money so when all of you have graduated, you can move away and try to build your life with her. but, it all changed when your mama pushed sooyoung back one year below her, making her and jiwoo in the same year—and what sooyoung theorizes is how she can control her more. sooyoung was supposed to graduate this year but with that circumstances, she can’t.

“then…” chaewon leans into the conversation.

“i got selfish. i got mad that he focuses on his own life. he got mad that i didn’t care for all of you to run away by myself. he’s-“ you let out a somber smile. “i’m sorry. i plan this without thinking of all of you. i’m tired and angry and i don’t want to live this life anymore until she will let us go. so i made a path myself and i was hoping he’ll come too. if he agreed, i would have wanted to help all of you to leave.”

you sighed, “i also realize how he’s the same as the guys that pursue us, you know? he doesn’t like me for me. he likes me because i’m in a collective with you. i realize how selfish i am because of it. he was the only one who was brave to chase me. so i take it as a challenge of how much he wants to be with me before i realize i fell too deep for him to recognize other factors.”

hyejoo scoffed before she reaches for your hand, “i shouldn’t have mentioned that motherfucker.”

“no, it’s okay. that’s life, right?” you justified yourself and her. she wraps her arm around your shoulder and gives you a small side hug before you noticed her relax. you turn your head towards her to see her eyebrows raised.

“why is there a bruise on your neck?” you realized where she is going, but didn’t react fast enough as you felt hyejoo brushed your hair and moved your head away, letting her see a hickey on the spot she mentioned.

“i knew it!” hyejoo whisper-yelled as your other sisters crawls to you to show the spot.

“that means…” chaewon questioned, representing all of them.

the weight slides down your shoulder and back as you reply, “yes, i had sex with him too.”

even their reaction is making you laugh as they try their hardest to not make a ruckus as your parents are asleep downstairs. but your shoulders are sore from the number of times they shake you to tell them ‘yeah, you had your first time’ and the only one in your sisters who did it.

“how does it feel?” jiwoo asked, her eyebrows wiggling.

“honestly, overwhelming. it is a concoction i can’t summarize.” you remembered the constant praises between the two of you. “he’s great, and he said i’m great, so that’s that.”

you're glad it's a sunday so all of you talk about what you are facing, what you were thinking, what you had experienced, and other topics the entire night. you learned your sisters were also as selfish as you. hyejoo even mention how she wants to run away by herself at the start of the new school year but it’s not right. sooyoung mentioned how she almost had her first time but didn’t. as the moon sets to the west, the stories are stacked. how envious chaewon is of you and hyejoo being the more active one than she is, while jiwoo mentions the attempts she had to ask girls but didn’t do it because she’ll expose herself as a sapphic. all of your thoughts meet one another that night as the sisters resolve their conflicts in the open round-table conversation. you can state that all of you love each other and it’s very unconditional.

you can state that all of you are teenagers who need to experience life.

well, mama disagrees with that.

you stare at the dropping expression on all of your sisters’ faces at the dining table during breakfast—your heart follows too. you look away when you sense the glare landing on the side of your face. the shame growing inside your heart joint with the drooping of your eyelids as all of you took an all-nighter to talk.

it happens way too fast; you thought. mama’s stories she shares at the table somehow make you feel more guilty, how she said she would be at a school dance with her date and having her nanny with her to grab her food and drink, saying that she never forgets the curfew her parents give. she also cites chaewon as the one that is like her—not mentioning the other three sisters that also arrive home before curfew too. chaewon’s face turns from shock to a frown as mama continues to ramble about how an irresponsible child you are to her. your hands were on your lap when you felt another grasp on one of yours, hyejoo sitting next to you, subtly fuming.

your rebel of a sister explodes after hearing that mama will quit all of your after-school clubs, enrolling all of you back in ballet and musical instruments classes once again.

it happens way too fast when monday comes. you stared at your sisters in your similar-looking uniforms as mama brought you all to school for the first time when she will quit your sisters from the school clubs. it’s weird to see all of you wear the same style, knowing that all of you are inherently different. hyejoo’s wearing more than enough hair tie on her wrists that it battles the bracelets chaewon wears, but you know she’ll be aware of the pain later in the day.

they felt it too as mama’s warning to stay within the five of you the whole day—still ringing in all of your minds. your sisters stayed silent when they come across their former dates. a few of your sisters even spoke to them to leave them alone. when you witness it, you can’t help the guilt eating up inside you as your sisters give small smiles when returning to your crowd of five.

your hands continue picking on your nails as it jitters, imagining a cigarette stick between your fingers and how you tap the ash away as it fell onto the gravel. but mama will rage more if she can smell the recognizable scent from either you or hyejoo. so you both had a truce to stop smoking for the foreseeable future. though with your sisters’ club items being banned, your personal items aren’t as you still allow to bring your discman, but with a twist that you will hear orchestral music around mama if she’ll asked you to let her hear what you’re listening.

your eyesight glance between the hands on your desk to the open door of the classroom as you see the last person you want to see.

taehyun.

you looked at kai nudging his elbow at the boy as he stopped to look towards you. the world comes into a pause as you notice how tired he looks from his enormous eyes. you wanted to comfort him, but your mind lets you recall the conversation at night. you roll your eyes before looking towards the window beside you, glad that you sat with no seatmate.

after school, you went to the ballet classes that hyejoo still joins until this day. the teacher was in shock when she sees hyejoo introducing you and your other sisters—saying that you are going to join them. it feels weird to relearn the ballet positions again as the last time you remember going into the class was at age 7 when mama lets you learn classical guitar. you hear how your joints cracked from the moves as you stare at the dance floor with hyejoo dancing, all of your sisters’ backs leaning against the mirror wall as you study the other much more advanced ballerinas that are your age.

after ballet class when all of your sisters are asleep, you return to your usual routine of sneaking to your older sisters’ room to watch the new law and order: special victims unit episode, seeing how detectives elliot stabler and olivia benson solve the crimes; even with you joining in theorizing. you were glad that both of them are heavy sleepers, curling into the sweater you’re using. but tonight, you didn’t wear your usual striped sweater. you’re wearing the sweater you brought back home on that fateful night everything changed.

your mind recalibrates itself when you go back to learning classical guitar, not saying much to your teacher as you’re scared that they’re going to tell your mama about the problems you could accidentally expose to them. but as the lesson goes on, the way you pick the strings made of nylon and how enjoyable it is playing the guitar comes back to you. and you’re hoping that it last until your torture ends.

everything seems to find its place a week in. ballet dance class on monday and thursday, classical guitar class on tuesday and friday. mama said she’s not going out on wednesdays to oversee you all cleaning the houses. your usual chore of washing the dishes has now increased with another chore of washing your parents’ cars. you stole a glance at papa who is looking at his pager, still curious about why he cried on homecoming night but seems to be more emotionless as the day goes in the week.

the next monday, mama didn’t bring you to school as she does. instead, papa does. the weather itself is getting colder as is nearing the middle of october when you’ve been given permission to use outerwear for school so you don’t get sick. mama, who is on a “trip” with her friends, left the house to papa alone. as you sat in the middle of the dodge caravan he uses—the less of the two cars your parents own—you steal glances at your papa from the rearview window. the words are rising in you as you can’t help to vomit them out.

“pa…” you were the first in that entire drive to speak. “why did you cry when we went to homecoming?”

sooyoung, who sat in the front seat, turns her head to papa as you could see how the only man in the car is looking at the road and not at his daughters.

“it’s okay, papa…” you continue to glance at the rearview mirror as you could not back down, rubbing your hands with each other in the sweater paws. “it’s okay to cry. to cry is a human experience.”

papa stayed silent until the car arrives at school—you didn’t expect a reply anyway from your silent dad as he stayed that way most of the time. the only time he emote was when you saw him cry that evening.

you and your sisters part ways as you brought yourself to the bathroom. splashing away your face with cold water, you stare at yourself from the reflection. you notice the corner of your eyes has drooped more rapidly than you expected and how sunken it has been from the dark circles becoming darker. you held the pain of the icy water running down your fingers, burning the open wounds on each finger from the picking you had done as you pick not only the edge of your fingernails any more. your eyes glance down at the sweater that you wear as you brush them down, the color is the same as the blood that is drying up around your nails. your mind wondering if someone in class would notice how different your sweater is from your usual.

that indeed happened when you arrived at class and heard the audible gasp behind the wall of music you’re listening to from the headphones you are wearing. surprise is something you expected because you are wearing his sweater right now.

taehyun stares at you in his burgundy sweater as you walk to your desk. he wore a hoodie that you’ve never seen before but you recognize it deep down: he felt out of place without his burgundy sweater. your eyesight catches him behind the glasses as he stares at you. his face sits in a resting position that if anyone doesn’t know him may look intimidating. maybe he intends to intimidate you.

a folded paper arrived at your desk as you were writing notes in your notebook—preparing to compare it with your siblings. the paper was ripped from the corner of a notebook as you recognized the lines. you open the paper to find a message written with a thin pen.

meet me at your usual wall at recess - tyun

your eyes lifted to see him glancing behind his shoulder before he faces back to the front of the class. biting your lips, you slip the note inside your skirt pocket before returning to focus on the writings on the board.

picking your nails, you leaned your head against the brick wall near the field—sometimes the side of your fingers still rubs with one another as you expected a certain smoking cylinder. the shrugs from the moving gravel enter your ears as you turn to meet the boy of the moment.

“taehyun…”

“(y/n)…” he follows you and leans his upper body against the wall.

“what makes you want to meet me?” you chuckle, already knowing what he will say.

“you’re,” he licks his lips, “wearing my burgundy sweater.” taehyun replies, hands in his pockets, making his upper body appear much buffer than you remembered. but you observed how hunched his body is. cowering. “and i want it back.”

“it’s a memento for what we did that night.” you playfully said as you rub yourself with the clothing. “besides, it’s so soft.”

“give it back.” he snarled as you looked towards him, seeing how his eyes squint behind his glasses. his fang-like teeth give a threatening look. different from that night. different from that day. different from the first time you two met.

“make me.” you crossed your arms in front of your chest. you pay attention to how his face reacts as he looks at your face, his eyes then wander to your chest where your hands are resting above the arms, covered with the sweater paws. but the wind is blowing enough air to meet the open wounds you create. you wince as your nerve signals the injury to your brain.

“did you hurt yourself again?” he catches you as you see the exposed fingernails from the sweater. you wanted to hide from him. you didn't want him to see the pain you haven't let out to him on his mattress. but he caught them before you sucked them into you; before it sunk under the surface that is your face and body language. so, you nod and scoffed.

“everything changes so fast in a week. we could’ve been outside the town. just the two of us, you know. instead, ma’s fucking us up more.” you glance back at him. “i guess. this sweater will be a reminder for me of how it could be and how my mind was turned whatever degree they have turned. muddling up what i know about me, about my surroundings, and about you.” you give out a huge exhale before facing away from him, facing forward once again.

“you’re-“ taehyun paused. “you can’t just steal my belonging?!”

“so what? i did right.” you turn back towards him, stepping one foot forward closer. “or in your mind.” another step forward.

“no girls are brave enough to do it?” you hummed, tilting your head. “you always assume girls to be as quirky, as innocent, as easily control, huh? well, change your mind, silly. ‘cause this is how the world is.”

“then what about you?” he retaliates, turning his body. you stumble backwards before putting your hand on the wall to stabilize yourself.

“not everything should be revolving around you, right? i admit i adore you. i still fucking am. but your proposal to ask me to run away with you will not be the right way, (y/n).” taehyun rolls his eyes before continuing. “any guy would love to take you away: making you his. but i’m not like that ‘cause this is how the world is.”

you gritted your teeth as he threw your words against you. taehyun steps closer, making your body touches the brick wall once again. “you’re like me. thinking all boys are the same. thinking all the boys will treat you the same way you have been treated.” he nods as you stare into his eyes.

his large, vivid eyes staring down inside your soul. you see him shaken by your words and his realization of you and himself. it happens too fast when both of you lean forward, connecting your lips together.

his hand moves towards your waist, gripping the sweater you’re wearing, as you wrapped your hands beneath his underarm, pushing his shoulder blades forward as you heard a thud beside your ear. one of his hands holding him against the wall and you in between the two surfaces. the feverish sensation crawls back under your skin as your lips, tongue, and teeth clashed with each other so much that you can feel saliva dripping down the corners of your mouth.

pulling back and seeing a string of saliva connecting the two of you, you both breathe, making yourself steady with taehyun fixing his disarrayed glasses frame. his hand still sits beside your head as you both stare at each other, both of you are shaken up by the whole interaction.

ring!

the bell broke both of your trance as you slip out of his hold. his touch lingers at the end of the sweater as you walked backward, facing him.

“still a no for giving your sweater back, silly.”

and you disappear, leaving taehyun with a smirk on his face.

while your pain returns and lingers—stagnant for another two weeks, mama has become more of a helicopter mom you are aware many of the children in your social class have. the height of the plates you washed seemed to lower each day as you came back from your guitar and ballet lesson. your eyes linger on chaewon who took care of the backyard garden from the window, her dress’ end covered with manure and dirt which mama doesn’t allow herself to approach. then to sooyoung and her vacuum cleaner scrambling to both floors as the noise pierces your ears. they continue to hyejoo who is hanging the clothes that came out from the washing machine. lastly, to jiwoo who is dusting and putting the clutter back in its place—you saw her put the pillow back on the sofas. mama oversees everything as sits with her legs outstretched and a cup of tea by her side. papa is at work, working his ass off so you all could live and survive.

it continues just like that until halloween night.

the sound of children screaming around the street in the night sky is deafening as you and hyejoo stare outside of the window in your eldest sisters’ room. you touched the bruise on your cheek as you dared to ask your mama if you can trick or treat tonight. your sisters stare at it in horror before she’s the one that storms away at night, wearing a fancy dress as if she’s also going to a halloween party. papa also sees the incident before he and mama went back into their room. you overheard her booming yet unclear voice from behind the wall before he left first, then she did.

your nails play on the end of your turtleneck shirt’s long sleeve, hearing the scratch of the fabric as you stare down at your all-black ensemble for your costume as olivia benson from special victims unit.

you took a glimpse at hyejoo in her veronica sawyer from heathers costume as she tucks her blazer before walking back to the room. chaewon’s dazed gaze at the box-shaped tv is more pronounced with her juliet from romeo + juliet outfit complete with her wings as jiwoo reaches for her in an outfit that if you look close enough looks like her regular outfit but it’s her ginger spice costume. sooyoung sits in front of the tv as she lets out a sigh, her open palm trembling as she looks at each of you who she styled while she is in her cher from clueless costume. your oldest sister has tried her best to make your costume as exact as possible with the limited pieces of outfits all of you have. you heard her change the tv channels a few times before landing on one.

returning your head to the window, you stare one last time at the crowded streets full of children and pre-teens, as no other teens live here except for the one across from you.

speak of the devil, the front door of the house opens to see mrs. kang puts a plastic pumpkin bowl full of sweets and a cowboy-costumed taehyun with a space ranger-costumed kai went out. taehyun’s head turns towards your window when the door shuts behind him. kai seems to talk to him as they face the scattered crowds of people in costume. you can only let out a small smile you hope he catches as you close the window and curtains, facing the screen to spot addams family values playing on the tv. you sat beside jiwoo, resting your head against her shoulder as you watch the macabre family unit that is so united you don’t know how to classify your own.

your unfulfilled food cravings combine with your body that hasn’t had a proper rest making you collapse into a deep sleep only ten minutes into the movie. when you wake up, the only source of light closest to you is the running device—outside sources help your eyes adapt faster. the tv is playing a rerun of an older sitcom when you sit up on the floor, seeing the silhouettes of your sisters. the sound of excitement is now gone when you could only hear grasshoppers outside. stretching your body, you stand up from your position to see that your sisters have fallen asleep, except you only counted three and identify them as the three oldest.

you heard floorboard creaks as you walk to your own room, hoping your other triplet is asleep in her bed. the door opens to the beds arranged for the three of you, but no silhouette is there before you close the door.

“hyejoo…?” you called her name but the hallways stay silent. so silent that you can catch the gush of the wind blowing inside the crevices. following where it comes from, you arrived at the open laundry area with the ladder to the roof, and the hatch above it is ajar. the thing that contrasts your memory of the room is the blazer on top of the washing machine, the blazer you recognize hyejoo wore before. you decided and climb up the ladder.

the darkness almost blinds you as you let the outside light makes you adapt. you called for your sister’s name once again but not as loud as before, hoping not to cause a disturbance for the sleeping children. when you approached the front of the house at the roof, that’s when you meet a silhouette, the air blowing the ends of the hair and oversized shirt as you watch the body moving closer to the edge.

“moon hyejoo!” you exclaimed as the person named turned her head slowly. the moon reflects the conflict in her eyes.

“don’t step closer.” she reaches her hand out and sniffles. you gnaw your lip as you also reach both of your hands out, stopping whatever she’s trying to do.

“don’t move…” you speak as you see her shaking her head, the sniffles getting heavier as she looks beyond the raised edge of the roof she stood on.

“i’m fucking tired of living this life, okay? i just…” she sighs, pulling her hand down to be beside her body once again. “i want to give up. we’re too tied up with her bullshit. i wanna be free, (y/n). i wanna do what i wanna do.”

“i know.” you step closer, seeing her anklet refract the light along with yours, dimmer because of her position, creating a shadow in front of you. “but we all promise to stick together, right? we made a pact that we have to live and die together.”

hyejoo looks down at her anklet as she nods, “and we’re gonna make one of us mad if we didn’t fulfill our promise.”

“that’s right. you can talk it out with us as a collective. believe me, all of us are tired too.” you took a step closer to her as she doesn’t push you to stay back anymore. “who’ll be our front-line offense if we revolted together?”

“of course it’s me.” hyejoo chuckles as steps forward to the roof instead of the ledge. “you all won’t survive mother’s torment without me berating her back.”

“exactly.” you were a few meters away from her. “then we’re gonna cherish every time we have together, okay? all five of us?”

as she nods, you grab her from the platform at the ledge into a warm bear hug. you sense your turtleneck getting wetter as she let her heart out. brushing her hair and swaying to calm her. your eyesight sticks to the unfamiliar view of the surrounding houses from above. that’s how your sight stays on one specific porch.

taehyun stood by his front door with his front face towards you. his cowboy hat tucked beneath his underarm as you stop swaying and focus on caressing your sister instead. his stare lingers on you, goosebumps growing on your skin as you cannot tell what he is thinking—only his piercing gaze.

he must’ve seen everything.

you let out a smile that might be hard for him to see. but when he enters his house, you’re feeling as if he understood what you’re communicating to him.

yet, your trance disappears as you picked up the screech of a vehicle before you lean closer to the ledge, seeing the dodge caravan hot with how papa just arrived back home. he stumbles out of the car before slamming the door shut. hyejoo leans away as she looks down at you, papa stumbling his way in before he disappeared underneath the platform from the second floor.

“is pa okay?” you asked her, seeing her brushing her tears away.

“he’s definitely not. if he is as intoxicated as i think he is, he can’t open the front door.”

the two of you arrived at the first floor. you opened the door to find your papa leaning against the door before stumbling inside with hyejoo helping to prop him up. you almost gagged at the unfamiliar stench of alcohol reeking from him. his eyes not fully shut might mean he’s not 100% unconscious, clearer with his sudden murmur.

“hye… (y/n)…” he mumbled as you both help him bring himself into the master bedroom. you heard hyejoo grunt as you let go of the weight to push the door open. it’s a rarity for you to enter your parents’ room as mama doesn’t allow you to be in there. when you realize it, most of the items are hers. it sickens you that your papa’s personality isn’t being shown enough. but when you consider it, papa’s origins are unknown as mama’s the only one that told stories of her life before having kids, giving papa no chance whatsoever. pulling his shoes off, you both push him onto the bed. when you thought he has settled and you jut your chin towards the door so both of you can leave, you overheard the man talking.

“kids…”

it has been a long time since he called you that and it makes your body freeze. hyejoo and you turn around to see your papa leaning against the pillow, an unrecognizable smile on his face that combines something warm and cold at the same time.

“i’m, i’m sorry…” he hiccups as his head almost fell asleep before he jolts awake, but only lasted for around 30 seconds.

“i, i will try- to get a bet, better future for… us…”

as papa fell asleep, you look towards hyejoo as she gives you a shrug, the tear tracks on her cheek make you gesture so she can clean it. papa hasn't spoken to his daughters in a long time. the family picture photo shoot was the last time you remembered it. your steps become slower as hyejoo went up the stairs, leaving you alone to look at the portrait of your family from nine years ago.

“put on your greatest smile, kids!” you recalled him said. yet, you could see the suffering of you and your sisters as they crawled up the frame of the portrait. and, you seem to believe papa now realizes it too as the few of the first things he sees each time he came out of his slumber is the reminder of how his daughters' lives are deteriorating.

nothing interesting happened since halloween and entering the eleventh month of the year, well if you count mama’s much more prominent sob stories at the dining table interesting. you gazed between chaewon and hyejoo, having the triplet connection to talk with facial expression, realizing that what she talked about is her earlier stories but more elaborate and dragging.

you nibble your bottom lip while watching the street passing by in the morning sky. papa’s turn to take you to school as mama is sleeping her ass off after they both went to a gathering. hyejoo’s the one in the front seat as the radio plays the hits of 1999, dido‘s “thank you“is now playing in the caravan‘s speaker.

you sometimes catch how papa took a glimpse behind his driver’s seat in the vacant street of the neighborhood. how, little by little, he almost resembles his children. sunken eyes, a frown that stays on too long, his wrinkles getting more prominent along with slight white hair growing from the roots on his scalp. your headphones hanging around your neck with your backpack straps on and the discman strap hanging on one shoulder as the quiet ride to school continues.

stepping out of the car, you all greet your papa goodbye as he looks at you proudly before he goes to his work in his not-prime condition today. putting on the headphones on your ears, you brush your cool hands against the burgundy sweater that you almost called yours after a month of holding onto it—pressing the play button to play cd mix #12 once again after already playing since #1.

the door of the class opens with you as you step inside, seeing your classmate giving small smiles because you didn’t indulge in any of their gossip to make them care about you anymore—you wanted to fade into obscurity and you hope it’s working. seeing the open space beneath you from the window reminds you of hyejoo’s attempt, how it’s almost laughable that she thought of the same ways to end things as you—how you thought about if you openly ended your life at this specific window from your seat. your eyes glance back to the front when the teacher is coming into class and one last peek at the glasses-wearing boy who sits a few rows in front of you.

rubbing your tummy that is full of lunch after you gather at your usual tree trunk, you let out a yawn and stretch your palms from how tired they are from playing your guitar. the chipped pointer fingernail reminds you how you strum along to the music from your cd mix as you don’t have a pick. the class is empty as people still took a rest and eat lunch before the last periods of today’s school day.

you pulled out your discman, unwrapping your headphones before putting them on. naturally, you rub the ridges of the button to turn the device on before moving to the play button. the sound of guitar playing coming from your headphon- wait…

you’ve never heard this song before.

the seat you’re sitting is your place. the discman that you’re hearing from is your discman. but the song differs from the mix you brought from home. putting the song on pause, you take the device in your hand before opening the lid. a silver cd that resembles the ones you have there, but this is different and that’s when you raised your eyebrows as you read it.

to my moon pixie, y/n

cd mix #✰

luna - the smashing pumpkins

hey - pixies

child psychology - black box recorder

little trouble girl - sonic youth

venus as a boy - björk

…

you counted 10 curated songs in the mixtape, some you’ve heard, some you recognize the artist, and some you didn’t know. your callused hand reaches to rub the marker on the burned cd. then, your eyesight scans the last set of written words at the bottom of the circle.

you want to watch me in my boxing match? reply through aim, kay? - your silly boy

taehyun’s fingers fidget with his ballpoint, flipping it all over his hand. his stare switches between his homework and the interface of the messenger with two windows open. one window is the chat room he has with kai that stays open—the last message is about him finishing playing goldeneye 007. the other window shows the members list, people he has added on aim as each second one of them switches from online to offline, and vice versa.

yet, his eyes are stuck on one screen name that always switches on and offline. moon12345.

the bandage he wore for sparring for his upcoming match rested near the back of the desk as his mind is slowly stepping back from the homework. he doesn't know if his plan will work. he and kai scrambled to the nearest music store from here to find the right songs to put in your cd mix. with his parents leaving him once again at home—still sad as they could not see their son compete—he needed at least one person to be by his side. he asked kai to come with him before his friend reminded him that this is the perfect opportunity for him to ask you.

“i can’t ask her. she fucking hates me.”

“how do you know that?” kai chuckled as they both walk around the street. the green and purple color of his buzz lightyear costume shine from the streetlights. both of their basket full to the brim with candies and chocolates.

“well… she won’t return my sweater.”

“and i’ll do the same if you and i are fighting.” kai sarcastically rolls his eye before tipping the hat on taehyun’s woody costume up.

“you’ve said to me you’ve changed.”

“i did and i am.” taehyun reiterated.

“you change your ways of thinking because of her, right? how you can’t expect what someone thinks because of what they are? how she is more than just a cool girl for you?” kai tilts his head, with taehyun sighing and nodding afterwards.

“don’t you want to tell her?” kai responded, “like you said to me before, she’s hurting in there. if you truly adore her, do you want to drag her away for a night?”

taehyun lets out a scoff as he brushes his hat off his head. “everything changes way too fast.”

“so did us. i mean, i do. i didn’t even think of having a fucking significant other this fast and i certainly don’t believe i got one faster than you. especially counting how long you have been pining for this girl.” kai comments on his new partner, making taehyun giggle as he brushes his dark hair, almost obscure to the dark sky above him.

the boy reflected on it once again. his friend is correct. how would you learn he changed if he doesn’t show it to you? the last conversation both of you had showed that you and he are flawed. both of you let your biases affect how you think.

“okay, i’ll do it,” taehyun exasperated as kai’s face turns to glee before he returns to his thoughts, eyebrows now furrowed.

“but?” his friend squints his eyes.

“how am i gonna do this?” the boy sighs as he looks at the children walking in their costumes, some are eating the sweets they got. “she seems more closed off ever since she broke her curfew, which, i know, my fault with that too. i haven’t seen her go outside again in the evenings and even if i have the moon sisters on my list, she’s typically not the one to chat on aim. in our homecoming chat room, she didn’t even write a single word. even if the moon sisters’ screen name is online, how would i know it’s her?”

kai nodded and said, “then, what is always in her mind? what does she always have with her?”

taehyun’s head lifted as he fixed his glasses, carefully pulling his hand down as he realize what his best friend mean.

“her discman and cds.”

taehyun has listened to music he has never listened to before to make a cd mix for you. as your taste is vague, he didn’t know which genres were the right ones to give to you. but he hopes it’s enough to get your attention.

he shook his head at the thought as he does his homework, hearing the tv in the living room where his parents are watching a movie. his mind transcends to the notebook he’s writing in—a few pages before it was the same page he ripped to give you a message. the words he got from reading and listening have been collected in his brain so he can do his homework as best as he can. rubbing his hand because of how tired he is at writing, he felt the calluses that grow on his knuckles from the training.

taehyun leans his head against his hand that is propped on the desk, lulling to one side as sleep tries to capture him in their bed. the boy’s eyelids are getting heavier and heavier and when he wrote the last word for his homework, he seemed like he could sleep in peace. so he rested his head on the hand, letting it hold him as gravity can’t pull it to fall. he’s too tired to climb back into his bed where his gym bag still sits.

that’s when he heard a chime from his pc.

pushing the glasses back up, he searches for the chat room on the desktop. yet, penguinkai said nothing in the chat room. he then looks to the other window and finds a screen name highlighted. he clicks the name as quickly as possible and a chat room opens.

moon12345: hey stranger, it’s (y/n)

moon12345: great recommendations you gave me

moon12345: would love to see you beat your opponent ;)

taehyun lets out a chuckle, looking at the small shine from one window on the second floor of the house across. the chime comes in and out until midnight as they both talked, talked about everything he could think of like how’s the homework and you asking him how he found the songs he put on the cd. the topics you two talked about are even deeper than he expected to talk to anyone other than kai or his family.

K_Tyun: hows ur nails?

the screen paused as the light pierces into his eyes. he’s glad he turned on his nightlight before so it doesn’t hurt his eyes more.

moon12345: healing

moon12345: not all of me though…

K_Tyun: whatd u mean?

taehyun looks out the window again before looking down at how he sees only one car is at the carpark. the dodge caravan which he sees your father drive.

moon12345: kinda wanna blame you for this

moon12345: i guess it’s my fault too

moon12345: ma’s getting harsher day by day

moon12345: i mean

moon12345: you saw hyejoo almost killing herself, right? before i saved her?

the boy nods his head, expecting you to know his answer before he heard the clack on his keyboard and types down his message. he waited for a few seconds to pass before he sees the minute number changing once again before you answer.

moon12345: then i’m glad you’re taking me out

moon12345: it felt weird to know my sisters chatting with their friends here when i don’t have one

moon12345: so… thanks… i guess…

he lets out a giggle as he replied.

K_Tyun: urwell

K_Tyun: dont forget my sweater at the match

moon12345: i won’t forget it, i promise

moon12345: i might just give it back if you win :)

when the day of the match comes, taehyun warms his body up under unknown nervousness. the match was in another town and he’s scared you could not come because of it, knowing how harsh your mother has been in your own words.

he always seemed confident each time he competes, remembering how he won a podium place back in elementary school and how he fought his match between that and this match. remembering his parents and sister’s cheers by the sideline before it changes to kai and his boxing club friends. he looks at his friends that are also in the match and their varying results. some cried and others were ecstatic with their results.

“you ready?” his coach asked as he puts his hand on his shoulder, rattling his body to wake him up inside the locker room. taehyun nods as he looks away, but he felt his head move from his jaw to face the coach.

“you don’t look okay. what’s on your mind?” he questioned.

“the girl i told you about. she’s going to be here.”

“then impress her.” the coach’s fiery gaze transfers to him.

taehyun stood up from his seat, body all warm up, emotions all over the place as his coach puts on his robe before bringing him into the ring where hundreds of people are focusing on him. he ignores the flashes from cameras that litter the large room like stars in the sky, eyes focusing to the ring as he sees his opponent. a tad bit bigger than him by height but skinnier—makes sense to him that they’re in the same weight class.

after sitting in one corner of the ring, he sees his coach and his assistant putting on vaseline along his face and exposed body. the cold substance is rubbed on his skin so that he won’t be as battered as he hope he was not. he drank a few sips of water before he puts on his mouthguard. the surrounding crowd is blurry without his glasses, but he could view his opponent’s figure. nothing that reminds him of you caught his attention.

i won’t find her now, he thought.

as the round starts, he holds his guard position as both boxers move in the ring. taehyun is known to have great stamina by his coach and peers—he hopes it will persist him until the end. he heard loud cheers from the side that he recognizes before the opponent gives a right hook, which he successfully dodge before giving a jab, hitting the opponent’s torso but slipping because of the lubricant he uses. as much as he tried to focus, he has times when his stare at the crowd linger too much that his opponent notices. where are you?

as it enter the sixth round, taehyun felt his head getting heavier—the wounds on his body are aching him. the scores are even but the overwhelming sensation of getting punched, blocking, and avoiding gets a toll on him. the vaseline with another concoction that is added to put on his open wound helps it as only droplets of blood is on his skin. he looks out of the ring again, searching for you as fast as he can, hearing the sound of his opponent’s punch. his coach is yelling from the side, telling him to stay focused. but his body struggling is to breathe and stand up, his blurry vision getting blurrier than what is his prescription. a force pushes against his cheek before his body follows.

bam!

thud!

his opponent gave a hook and knocks him down. the referee counts down as the room moves so slowly from his perspective. the people that gathered around the ring made a commotion, he recognize a few of his club friends with looks of concern as the opponent looks at him from above, letting out a smug smile. all his eyes can focus on is outside the ring.

1…

2…

blood is running down his nose as he tried to prop himself up…

3…

“KANG TAEHYUN!!”

he looks at where the voice came from. a familiar voice piercing from the crowd.

4…

he sees someone wearing burgundy struggling to come to the front of the crowd towards the ring. taehyun’s eyes widen more, making him push himself more, hands fumbling to hold himself upright.

5…

the figure is blurry as it tries to pry itself to the front of the crowd. when the figure stood near where his friends are, he finally realized who are they…

you. you who is wrapping your hands around your front as you see him trying to stand up. a sudden smile now grows on his bruised face.

6…

he knows you’re here, and he will not let you down. he pushes more to stand up, moving his feet so it stabilized him as he straightens his legs…

7…

he erects from the floor and stood in his stance again, head lolling as he brushes the blood away that flooded from his nose. the sound of the bell ring and he moves around again, getting a surge of energy to continue until the end of the round 15 seconds later. a few jabs and hooks hurt the opponent.

the bell rings signaling the end of the round as his coach and his assistant crawl up to the ring and give him his water bottle while wiping his face with the towel, and giving him a small ball of tissue for his bloody nostril. they put the vaseline combo on his skin again so that it helps him and his wounds more.

“you did well there.” his coach says, shaking his body and arms so it doesn’t go numb.

“no, i’m sorry, my mind got into a bit of a haze back there.” taehyun replied after taking out his mouthguard. the coach nods as he knows what the boy meant as he sees the burgundy figure approaching closer to his corner. taehyun’s eyes set on you as his coach turns to meet you in the flesh.

“you must be the girl…” he said as you turn towards him, tilting your head while taehyun shrugged.

“yeah, she is.” taehyun looks at his coach, still huffing. “can she-“

“yeah, she can.” the coach permitted you to get into the ring, nodding at you as you climb in. you were holding onto a messenger bag where its strap goes across your chest and pipe jeans with sneakers on.

“i’m so sorry, it’s- fuck. it’s a long story.” you hugged him, not caring about how sweaty he is as he stay still before you lean back.

“no, it’s okay. you’re here now.” he looks up to meet you. the way the lights that shine on the ring now illuminate your figure but obscure your face so only he could see. you wear wearing pretty smoky eye makeup with your winged eyeliner. his gloved hand comes to touch your side as he brushes it against his burgundy sweater you’re wearing. he tried his best, but blood seems to rush down to his lower part—he wants to rip it off of you. his coach taught him to not relieve himself before a match, but he felt the frustration even more when you’re here.

taehyun closes his eyes and feels the chills on his skin when you kiss his forehead. your lips linger there as you brush his dark bangs away. his enlarged eyes uncovered looking into yours, seeing something new other than your cracked vase. a fixed vase as your eyes wrinkle.

“i know that you can beat him. i didn’t know shit about boxing but i almost saw you knock him down. so i believe you can…” you replied. taehyun looks at you, smiling from cheek to cheek, and he stood up so he can hug you again.

“you want to take this sweater from me, right? then beat him.”

you whispered in his ear, pulling yourself away from him to go outside of the ring. the coach gives him his mouthguard back as the bell rings, starting the seventh round.

his mind is much clearer as he throws punches, jabs, and hooks as best as he can. his abs muscles are aching for being such an easy target, but he prevails, knocking him back or even more. and at round nine, he notices his opponent swaying and his energy depleted. that’s when taehyun punches him and knocks him down, his chest rises and falls while everyone counts along with the referee.

taehyun’s gaze stays on his opponent—who doesn’t struggle much—then stand to you, who stood beside his coach. your eyes caught his as you give a slight pout, hearing the count rounding to 10 in 3… 2…

ding ding ding!

taehyun sensed how his body almost knocks down by his peers, hugging him like how he did to them in the earlier matches. his head facing the ceiling to breathe out before seeing you let out a grin he hasn’t seen in a long time. as the referee raises his hand, he can feel hands reach for him, saying how well he has done and how he qualified for the next round. taehyun brought himself to his opponent, and compose him before they both hugged. as he turns to see you, the thought of things he’ll do with you is slowly moving forwards.

“hey, coach. can i go to the hotel first?” he said when he recognized his coach wrap his arm around the boy’s shoulder. the coach squints his eyes before mumbling “teenagers“, making taehyun chuckle as the man lets him go.

“your room key is in your locker with your bag.” the coach says as he nods before leaving him. taehyun steps down from the ring and wraps his gloved hand around one of your forearms as he brings you away from the sea of people.

“where are we going?” you replied got muffled by the velcro strap he ripped open in the hallway, pulling the glove off by biting the rubber.

“you’ll see. wait for me here, gonna grab my bag.” you stay beside the door he went in like he wanted as he arrives at the locker he was assigned to and put on a hoodie he wears as a replacement for his sweater, changing into his usual shorts from his boxing one. seeing the key as he pulls his bag out, he puts it in the pocket before closing it and grabbing the strap.

from the crowded and warm room full of people, the night breeze greets both of you. taehyun sense the cold from it as his sweat is still sticking onto his skin, weakening him with the breeze. both of you walk in the street of the unknown town to the hotel he and his club has checked in.

“why are you so quick, tyun?” you giggled before he stops you, holding onto both of your shoulders while you bite your bottom lip.

“just, it’s that i haven’t jerked off in weeks. coach’s order. but seeing you in my sweater is making me…”

“you called me here to fuck?” your eyes squint.

“not like that. it’s just a side effect-“ he hisses as he moves his body, especially after being reminded of how bruised his body is after the match.

“we’ll talk it out on the way to the hotel.” you cut him off, nudging towards him before he took both of you away.

when you both enter the hotel and pass the lobby to go to the elevator, he stood right across from you when you open your mouth, asking, “you’ve changed, right?”

“define change.” he challenges.

“what we talked about before at school and in the chat room.”

“i hope so, you?”

“my sentiment also,” you quickly replied before stepping closer to him. “i’m not going to lie here. you look hot in the ring…”

taehyun chuckles, “you said you wanted to wait for me to patch up first…”

“you started it, now i can’t think of it.” you close the gap between the two of you as you whisper, “think of it like my appreciation to you for winning that match.”

taehyun quickly leans forward and captures your lips in his as the door of the elevator opens and he dragged you to the hotel hallway in the room's direction. as you both reached there, he felt your hands wrapped around his front, back hugging him as he opens the door.

“this room is for you alone, right? no roommate.” your chin pressed down his back muscles as he inserts the key in.

“i was supposed to be here with kai but he back down cause he has a new partner he wants to have dates with.” he picked up your gasp right as he turn the key and heard the door unlocked.

“really? ho-“

he pulled you in and pushed you against the door as its close, enclosing you in between his arm as he slotted the key back in and lock the door. “we can talk about this later, yeah?”

you giggled as you caressed his hair, brushing away the sticky hair while nodding. after pulling off your shoes and socks, he brought you into the room to see the two single beds as he puts his bag on the one closest to the door—you follow him. his hands found the end of his sweater that looks different because of you wearing it. hands rested on his nape as he caress your covered skin underneath the sweater, letting him kiss them every time he turns his head.

your arms stretch above you as he pulls his sweater off of you, seeing you dressed in a black muscle tank that fits your torso as he put the sweater on the occupied bed. “your turn to have layers, huh?” taehyun teasingly asked.

“not my intention. it’s just what happened,” you smirk as you lean in and kiss him more and deeper. your hands are reaching for his abdomen when he winces, making you lean back. “too hard?”

“yeah…”

you brought him to sit on the other bed as you pulled your jeans off, making him see the anklet he hasn’t seen in a long time. he pulled off his hoodie as you take your tank top off before putting it on beside your jeans, leaving you in your undergarments that is matching in colors. he tried to open his shorts, but he heard a tsk coming from you, kneeling in between his legs as he allowed you to pull it off of him.

“you’re hurting and i’ll try my best to not make it hurt.”

he sighs as your hand is on his bulge before pulling his boxers, making him lift his hips to let you pull them down and throw them somewhere in the room. your callused fingers trail up the skin of his thigh as he squirmed from the ticklish sensation he got before it arrive at his base, seeing it had already risen a little.

“did you get turned on at the match? you’re nearly there,” you comment on that as you gave him a stroke to let his blood flow more there.

“yeah. i’m frustrated when you’re not there so i tried to pour it out in the fight and other advice the coach gave to me. then you came and this,” he looked down, “grew.”

“uh-huh…” you hummed as you wet your palm with your saliva and caress it on him, making the movement much smoother as he let out tiny groans, knowing he’s in a hotel room instead of the comfort of his home. his jaw drops when he sees you let him inside your mouth. your lips pucker while dragging your head back and you let your tongue lick his tip as he brushes away your hair. the lights coming from outside the sheer curtain reflect on both of you.

your hand reaches for his hip to hold him down, noticing the scabs that form because of your excessive nail picking that goes beyond cleaning your free edges like you used to. the fingertips he remembered is harder and thicker—you might have played your guitar more often. one of his hands reaches for yours as the other is holding him up. you let him caress your hand as he felt the scab along the open wounds he remembered. he let out a groan as he sees how deeper you suck him; as if you were waiting for a long time to showcase it to him.

hearing your muffled moan, he catches your free hand playing with yourself as he sits up to caress your head, gripping the hand as he sees you pleasure yourself with him. his other hand reaches to caress your cheekbone, sometimes pushing you down so you stay still and embrace him.

you pull out and peer up at him, seeing a sheen of saliva around your lips as you wipe them away before stroking his now hard and raging member. he pulls you up before hugging you, pushing you close to him by your cheeks and gives a kiss on your stomach—holding onto your body as if you disappeared if he lets go. taehyun noticed your body is frailer than the last time, eyes looking at the almost-faded cigarette burn marks still on your thigh. underneath the eu de toilette you still use until this day, he hasn’t smelled the distinct cigarette scent again. it’s as if you’re transferring how to cope when your parent is more restrictive than before—showing off how you hurt yourself instead of hiding it like you used to.

taehyun pushes your underwear down before guiding you to sit on his lap, both of your legs spreading to the other side of his legs. he hears you gasp as your wet core touches his skin. leaning down to catch his lips, your hand traces his sweaty body, the muscles that ache from the ring as it still awake to indulge you, before rubbing a few of his wounds, making you lean away.

“i’m scared that if i ride you, i’m going to hurt you.” you pouted as he kiss the pout. he stares into your eyes before seeing you raise your eyebrows. you move against his thighs to drape your hand around his neck as slowly as possible, his hands holding onto your back as he gives kisses above your breasts before sucking the skin on your shoulder. your chin sits on his shoulder as he sensed how your breath caresses his earlobe, how you sigh and whisper profanities you used to exclaim.

“take me, taehyun. i need you.” he heard you whisper, making him separate your fronts that were touching. he brushes your hair as he sees that look back in your eyes, the feverish passion he always had and thought with you coming back. the way your hand reaches one of his that is beside your head to let his thumb traces your puffy lips, giving a slight suck on the fingertip.

“lay down with your back facing up.” he juts his chin towards the pillows behind the two of you as you let him go. he sees you stretching your head and neck before following what he said.

taehyun grabs the condom from his bag and puts it on, wetting his palm to help make the rubber slip easier. though it’s his second time, he still feels nervous to be in a more dominant position. but with the way you act, it seems that you’re letting him take charge—making him feel more blood rushing down to his parts.

he grabs another pillow from the other bed and he sees you laying face down on the pillow, looking to the side as you tried your best to breathe. as he climbs up the mattress, he lifted your pelvis and put a pillow right beneath the part where your stomach and hips meet, making him see your core underneath the light before he pulls your hips up, your knees arching along.

your head is looking behind your shoulder as best as you can as he let his tip touches your hole before he’s pushing in. taehyun hears your moan as you muffled yourself with the pillow you’re holding onto. hands gripping onto your pelvis, he embraces your walls once again after a long time, missing the tight pressure that is making both of you sensitive. his thrusts are careful as he tried to memorize every part of you in him.

all he wanted was to pound you for the teasing you did and the frustration he succumbed to. at how you thought you were the right one before he gave you his piece of mind. he sees your hand coming up behind you, reaching for something before he grips it with his own. you have a fiery look in your eyes as you face him.

“fuck, go harder,” you said before letting out a moan, your hips pushing up against him to meet his slow push. feeling it deeper in you. taehyun’s grip on your hand flatters as he opens the hook of your bra before leaning in closer.

“my fucking pleasure.” taehyun gritted his teeth as he grips onto your love handles before drilling you into the mattress. the number of moans you let out multiplied as you tried your best to muffle it down or add more air as you gasp. the strap of your undergarments falls down your arm as he reaches beneath you and your breasts move with his harder and faster thrusts.

with his position and sore body, he leans down his body and lays on top of you, grabbing both of your hands to rest them on each side of your head. your head pivots as he kisses your spine up to your shoulder blades, hips now focusing on pushing deeper. his head nears your ear as you try to breathe, sweat falling down your temple as he kisses it before the corner of your lips, seeing you pout to kiss him more.

“i fucking miss you.” he groans into your ear as the mattress moves because of his movement. you tried your best to crane your head to kiss him, but one of your hands fell out of his grip as it reaches for his nape so you could capture his mouth to yours.

“i miss you too,” you whine. he sees your eyes glistening as you stare at him so beautifully. the strength from inside him comes as he pulls you up into the kneeling position, hands holding onto the front of your body as you let out quiet moans you’ve learned this moment. his hand moves to your clit and breasts as you hold on to one of them, teeth and tongue clashing with him as best as you can. the groans and moans between the two of you combined with the skin slapping filled the room—little intrusion from the street of downtown making it livelier than he expected.

thrust upon thrust and marks decorating your back as your well-kept nails create scratches on his forearm. he felt himself about to burst.

“i’m cumming.”

“come for me, tyun,” you said with his nickname as he burst inside the condom. his hands going limp as you try to find your edge, his hips moving automatically to help you.

“fuc- i’m-“ you exclaimed as your body tremble before both of you fell to the mattress. the pillow has stains from your makeup as you try to not mess it up more. both of you trying your best to breathe and make yourself steady as he kisses your cheekbone before mumbling against your skin.

“i like you so much. you got me wrapped around your finger since the day you moved in across from me, moon (y/n).”

he lets go of your body before slipping out, hearing you exhale as you turn your head to face him. tying the condom up and throwing it in the trash can, he felt the lingering sense of you watching him as he turns his figure around. you nibble on your swollen bottom lip as he stood there, staring into your soul with him bearing one for you to judge. he finally let out his feelings for you. that no matter what happened between the two of you, he still likes you, and he will love you if you let him.

you wince from the pain in your hips as you stood up. tired, naked bodies facing one another as you step towards him, reaching for his nape as you push yourself closer to him, your skin near touching his as he felt your breath.

“well…” you let out a small smile, “you got me wrapped around your finger, kang taehyun.”

you give him a peck on the kiss as you both looked at each other, memorizing each other as your finger trails his facial feature. all the frustration he had gotten from you and his match all dissipated. there is only care between you.

taehyun washes himself up as told by you while you help clean the room. there is a robe hanging by the bathroom door that he wants to wear, one part of a pair that you’re wearing while cleaning. behind the running water, he heard the door knock before someone opens it, hoping it was not one of his club friends. when he came out, he sees you in his sweater already ordered food from room service.

“eat up. you’re tired after the match and fucking. i don’t want you to die on me this early.” you jokingly said to him as you entered the bathroom. your messenger bag is on top of the table beside your discman that is open, seeing the cd mix he made for you inside it with a small first aid kit pack next to it.

after you both wash up and eat up—dressed in the robe from the bathroom—he sits on the floor as you pulled the upper part of his robe open and bring the first aid kit with you. putting on the antiseptic on his wounds as he observes your own. he sees you prepping for the bandage to be put on his much more open wounds. your eyes meticulously scan all over his face as he can’t take his stare off of the scabs on your finger.

“do you want me to patch you up, too?” he questioned. you look at where his eyesight is.

“it’s okay. all of them are already scabs.” he hums at your answer.

“how is it?” he asked as you put on a bandage on his cheekbone.

“you did well. i didn’t expect that you were struggling before i came.” you chuckle as you put a bandage on the bridge of his nose. “you beat the guy. so good for you.”

“hmm, yeah.” he nods as he let you finish patching him up.

“i almost failed to be here,” you spoke out as you lean back, both of you sitting on the floor as you closed and tidy his robe once again.

“i tried sneaking around, telling my sisters to help me, which they agree and luckily, ma’s not home since she went with her friends again.” you push your tongue into your cheek, “then pa found me.” you gaze at him from the corner of your eyes.

“i was scared shitless when i got caught. i don’t know shit about this town and sooyoung wanted to come with but she can’t drive a car even if she wants to drive pa’s caravan. so i realize from the deepest part of my heart that i’m not going to go.” you wrapped your arms around yourself, hugging yourself as you lean back against the mattress—following the boy.

“i spoke to him as best as i could. my papa doesn’t talk that much and his power plus influence stays underneath ma’s for most of my life. so, i don’t know what he’s thinking and what he’ll do. it came to my surprise when he offered to bring me here…” taehyun’s eyebrows raised.

“no way.”

“i know, right? so yeah, he brought me here and gave me pocket money. that’s why i can call room service and order us food.” you tuck your knees near your chest before putting your head on his shoulder. his hand reaches yours as he brought them to his lap, brushing it with his thumb.

“pa’s has been more forward towards us and sneaking up behind ma too. i never thought that day would happen…” he sees you from the corner of his eyes, a somber look on your face as you stare into the darkness in the hotel room.

“i’m happy he retaliates. i know little about him because ma always overshadows him and her grip on us—her grip on him too. it’s…” your head shakes on his shoulder.

“i still don’t get it. like why now? why not earlier? why hasn’t he been able to stand up against his wife who’s controlling the family and throws him aside too as she uses his hard-earn money for her expenses?” you groan before rubbing your face with your palm as he faces you to him, holding onto your robe-covered body as he stares into you, seeing all the confusion floating in you as a little star sits there in the middle. its light being pushed back from all of its shadows—the conflict, pain, and suffering in your life.

“love makes people do crazy things. i think your dad loves your mom so much that he hasn’t realized how much you suffer in your life. you told me that your family has a traditional view on gender roles, right?” you nodded to reply to him. “maybe he now realizes how your mom enforces it to all five of you is not helping, but hurting you instead.”

“not exactly but enforcing it, but she wants to make us a clone of her.” you right him and he nods as you return to the topic. “does it mean that he fell out of love with ma? because i don’t see it that way.” he chuckles after hearing your observation.

he remembered that halloween night as he pulls off his costume in his room, seeing the dodge caravan parked in your house’s carpark. seeing a silhouette of a man stumbling out of the driver’s seat as he approaches the front door before his body limps by the frame. he got chills that night, the first time he sees the parents of the sisters he adores not wearing his mysterious mask—his persona that he shows to people in the neighborhood.

“from what you’ve said to me in our chat room and what you’re telling me now. i don’t think it’s not because he fell out of love with your mom.” he cups your cheek as you gaze at him, eyes sparkling with stars littering in it; as if the entire world is on his palms. his entire world.

“i think it’s because his love for his children grew tenfold. when your dad cried that homecoming night, i have a sense that he’s guilty of something.” taehyun sensed something aching in his heart that differed greatly from the one has gone through before. yes, he has felt sad, angry, disgusted, terrified, and joyful. but this is the first time that when it’s tugging him, tears are forming in his eyes.

it is as if he is connected to you so much, he feels your pain, your stress, and how it has hurt you inside out. taehyun has never been this empathetic before, maybe once when euphoria surged in when his sister got into her dream college from the mail. taehyun sniffles his nose as you glance at him in concern, to which he replied with a small smile.

“i sense regret coming from him but also pride. proud to see his daughters growing up so well and regret to know that you all persevere without his help at all. cause, in my mind, he wanted to, but he can’t.” hearing his words, he sees you openly sob in front of him, letting him brush away the droplets of tears coming out—knowing his own will come out eventually.

“and i think he realized just how important you and your sisters are in his life. maybe much more than his wife.” the tears gather from the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall as he can’t keep up with his emotions again, letting his bearing soul connects with yours.

“and i think he realized how big his love is for his daughters.” he leans his forehead against you as he hears both of your sniffles. eyes open to look at yours as you regulate your breathing.

“like how big my love is for you.”

wait, what?

“huh?”

“you heard her, right?”

“what the fuck?”

“no way…” jiwoo said as she pushes the door closed. five of you are in your oldest sisters’ room, staring at each other. all of them looking stunned in their own different ways. you don’t believe that this has happened. hyejoo has anger inside her eyes. jiwoo wanted to cry out if she can’t hold on much longer. chaewon’s eyes are empty. sooyoung looks much more tired when the frown overcomes her face.

“is that why she went out so much these past few months? trying to find the right people to be our husbands?” hyejoo breaks the silence.

you caught it right. mama is arranging all five of your marriages with her friends’ sons. you wanted to throw up and crawled yourself out of your skin from how unbelievable she is.

winter break doesn’t have to be any worse than what've you faced. the start of a new year doesn’t have to be like this. mama didn’t even have an arranged marriage with papa, why does she want it now? for wealth? status? ego? you don’t know. what you recognize is that she is playing her pawns—all five of you—and putting them in places that benefit her and she’s the only one that got the benefit out of them.

“hey, hey, hyejoo. please…” sooyoung reaches out towards her sister, wrinkles forming between her eyebrows before she brought her younger sister into an embrace.

“she fucking ruined everything.” your triplet said into your sister’s shoulder as you gnaw the inside of your mouth. you glance at jiwoo who has a rare scowl on her face and chaewon who has a pillow in her arms. the tension builds in the room as nobody talks. even sooyoung—the usual mediator—can’t say anything, eyes getting emptier as she succumbed to the pressure before holding onto hyejoo tighter.

“okay…” you’re the one brave enough to cut the silence. “you heard what she said. she arranged partners for all of us and we know who they are. she said they are her friends’ children. i, for certain, don’t agree with any bullshit she’s doing. but…” i need to talk to taehyun, your thought cuts you off. but you look towards the desk that only has specks of dust on it. no humming can be picked up. the last device you own to communicate with anyone—other than the home telephone—is gone.

when you call home from the hotel room for papa to pick you up—he was the one to tell you to call the previous day, you thought he or one of your sisters was the one that picks up the phone. that’s when you find out her voice and froze up, cutting the line as fast as you can as long beep echoes in the room. you turn your head towards taehyun who is in the other bed, awake enough to realize the expression on your face.

“take me home with you, please.“

she was furious when she found out you went out to be with taehyun—no other explanation is necessary before she scolds you as she usually does. yet, that day was different,

that day when you come home was the first time more than you and hyejoo had protested against her explicitly. droplets of blood were flying to the floor as your sisters looked at it in horror. you were furious with your unlucky streak before your sisters stepped forward. hyejoo pushes to stand in front of you as jiwoo holds your face, scratches with blood flowing on your cheek because of the rings on mama’s fingers when she slaps you. chaewon tried to hold mama down, but she also got pushed to the floor. sooyoung was the one to calm her from her raging fit at you. instead, words are flying about how a terrible daughter and sister she is for not following what the matriarch told her and not keeping her sister intact.

papa stood on the sideline near the stairs as he sees everything in the living room, your torn tank top on the strap that you should hold up to not expose your torso, your bleeding cheek that jiwoo is cleaning up, and your broken discman that is split into two from mama’s stomp, empty of any cd. as your sisters and mother argue, you turn towards papa who has a grim look on his face before his wife calls for him. eyes glance up at his wife with trembles that the others don’t recognize—you were the closest to have noticed and your eyes have trembled like him too.

you cowered when your mother tells all of you to shut it, hearing the heavy steps above you as you see the only desktop all you and your sister has a collective being brought down to the garage, the sticky notes all of you have put on still sticks to the frame. one by one, he brought down the pieces of the machine you used to communicate with other people outside of the house.

“once winter break comes: no leaving the house. no land telephone. no communication outside of the home.“

as the two weeks before winter break that is full of exams has come, you didn’t speak with anyone—your sisters also didn’t as all of you are rattled by the bomb that was dropped at home. you give taehyun a shake of your head when he tried to approach you. not right now. you hope he gets your message as he nods before walking away. you spend your time at school listening to the noise you didn’t notice before, the sound of the rustling leaves as they died to prepare for the snow, the scratchy voices of people at school talking, and the chirping of birds flying in the sky.

when the first snow falls, you and chaewon enviously looked outside the window to the children of your neighborhood welcoming the falling snow. hands and feet hurting from all the lessons you got both ballet and musical instruments—the last classes before winter break were yesterday. you watch girls and boys opening their arms as the snow falls on them, seeing the white particles on their clothes. the new family with their toddler child introduces the snow to the little one, playing in it with the mother and father. as you breathe out, you can see the air droplets you let out from the dropping temperature.

she has taken your freedom from all of you. you will not be surprised if she pulled all five of you out of school during winter break so you all have to be homeschooled with, of course, her.

you didn’t communicate to taehyun verbally during winter break. the last time you saw him was when he walked home from training, a gym bag on his shoulder from the match he told you about before, one near the end of the year as he pushes into the quarter-finals with his matches. but he caught you from the window, giving a wave as specks of snow are on his dark hair—glasses fogged because of his breath.

“do we wanna do this?” you said to them before looking at your anklets that held on until this day. “do we want to end our lives together?”

all of your sisters are silent hearing your implication. the pact that you made between the five of you has held onto all of you so tight that even thinking of it makes you have to tell them. it tells them you don’t want to exist in this world anymore. and at this time and in this situation, you might be happier if you’re not.

“no.”

“don’t.”

“no…”

“we’re not.”

your sisters’ rejection filled your ears as you can’t hold back the corner of your mouth from lifting. though, rationally, you said “yes” to it anytime so that your suffering ends. deep beneath your heart, a “no” always lingers. and for this life you have been living for the past six months, the “no” has grown and rivalled the “yes”. the realization of it waters your eyes as you watch your sisters glance at one another.

“then all of us have something to hold on to stay alive,” you spoke your mind as you brushed the tears that are falling down the apples of your cheek. opening your arms, chaewon knocks out your breath by hugging you first. the pillow stayed between the two of you as your other sisters gather and make a group hug—the sobs and sniffles filling the cold room.

pushing them away with your might, your sisters giggled as sooyoung gather you into a circle putting your right foot where the anklet sits to the middle, joining toes together. you glance at all four of your sisters as they let out chuckles before hyejoo pushes the ones beside her forward as all of you follow to connect your head together.

“hold on tight.” sooyoung said.

“love each other.” jiwoo added.

“we can do it.” chaewon spoke.

“fuck them up.” hyejoo exclaimed.

“stay alive, pixies,” you mumbled before the circle dispersed.

on christmas morning, you didn’t expect a feast to be put at the dining table as you all look at it, bewildered. mama stands at her end of the table while papa is doing work in his office in the house. the house doesn’t even have a christmas tree or decorations themed around it as you got even more confused when mama gave each of you a present in a box. opening it, you see a beautiful gown and a matching pair of elbow-length gloves that you know comes from a fashion house, judging by sooyoung’s gasp as she viewed it. it has a similar shape to the homecoming dress you wore, but the fabric is velvet—much more expensive than what you wore. you stare at it before looking at your sisters’, seeing how they are the same, but the dark colors are different; from purple-based to green-based.

“on the 31st, we’re going to the ball i told you. at it, you’ll meet the suitors i have picked for each of you.“ you glance at the end of the table as you don’t want to react out loud from her gift. you don’t want to react to satisfy her ego.

“remember, make me proud. and be glad that i found you husbands who are as handsome and rich as our family.“

‘will they make me happy? you wanted to comment, but she command you to eat the food in front of you. you glance at chaewon who is sitting across from you behind the clinking sound of the fork meeting the plate. her wrists exposed the scars from her coping ways—the lines are much thicker than you remembered but not deep enough to bleed out like last time. her eyes took glances at your matriarch who is having fun by herself with her new cell phone before returning to you, the first time you see her rolling her eyes in disgust almost making you splutter the meal you eat. even the softest of five of you is done with her antics.

when the night of the 31st came, you heard a vehicle starting outside as you fixed your dress. a little tighter for your liking, but it looks modern enough for the 90s and regal at the same time—regal is what mama likes people to call everything about her.

you stared out the window as sooyoung is fixing your dress, seeing the caravan not in its place. all of you are helping one another in each of your outfits when you helped in spraying the perfume and jiwoo fixing your concealer. hyejoo is fixing sooyoung’s hair while chaewon fixed the accessories. the clock hand is close to 10 at night—the time you need to go. you never celebrated new year’s eve but you’ve seen the festivities before from the tv to the fireworks outside your window.

in the car that your mom is driving with her high heels; much more luxurious and modern compared to the caravan, you sit in the backseat with all three of your sisters whilst chaewon—still her golden child—sits at the front. your shoulder rubbed against sooyoung’s as you stare out of the car window beside you, letting your eyes gaze at the jungle full of towers high above and touching clouds. you realized mama brought you downtown to a place that is supposed to be for your social class—that she’s the one being benefitted the most from your family. it is s a ball, as she reminded you.

you see, down the streets, people preparing to close the road for the festivity. you knew this year’s new year’s eve is special as all of you who are alive are entering a new era. a new year, a new decade, a new century, and a new millennium. the 2000s.

the pressure is real when you faced that daunting fact, that for everybody alive currently: the 2000s is something new and they are the ones that are going to build on it. people are crowding the street going to places like pubs with live music that you haven’t gone to in a long time. you wished you still do because you love music and you wished you still have your discman with you as mama is putting on a radio station that is playing christmas songs. you want to return to listen to exciting guitar riffs and unique voices again.

the car stops in front of a lobby of a large building with people all around it. the butlers in suits open the door and offer you a hand as you stand up, waiting for all of your sisters to come out as you were met with cameras all over you. this is a real deal, you thought—scared of being bombarded by one. but when you look at your eldest sister’s face, she’s living it. the valet drives the car away as you climb up the stairs into a foyer with mama at the front—looking like the ducklings that followed their mother duck you saw in an illustration from your elementary school biology textbook.

the sparkling ballroom full of people and chandeliers blinded your eyes as it has been a long time since you’d been to one of these balls—the last time was before you enter your first year in high school. her group of friends immediately greeted mama, the ones you knew as her friends back in her school years—seungmin’s mother was a weird detail you notice. you let out a smile along with your sisters as your mama’s friends greet and compliment all of you. you were glad you didn’t shriek in surprise when one of them has a chihuahua in their purse or one of them pinch your cheek until it hurts.

five of her friends are left standing by her side, all of them—you recognize—having sons. you stood with hyejoo beside you, seeing her clenching her dress fabric. it scares you that she will tear it; not that she cared about it. they all talked to mama before glancing at each of you one by one.

“are we going to meet our “suitors”?" her hands raised to make quotation marks, making you giggle in this horrible situation all of you are in.

“i think so. you didn’t expect to be paired out with freaking liu yangyang, right?”

“how about you with that lad, jay park-“

“don’t remind me, hye.” you shush her up as you see yangyang and jay’s mothers approaching both of you. you went back into your previous posture and give a small smile as you greet both women.

“let me bring you to jay, sweetie.” she giggled as she took you away from your sisters, all of you separated in different directions as you strode on the carpeted floors. you then find a boy that is talking with a girl, a smirk don on his face before his mother taps him to stop their conversation. he subtly pushes the girl away before turning to you and you already know his infamous playboy behavior is out and about tonight. you didn’t even believe he was as young as you and heard many rumors of him switching girls every two months on average.

“jay. you’ve met (y/n) before.” his mother said to him as you see him squint his eyes, a look you recognize coming from him as he grabs your gloved hand in his.

“moon (y/n).”

“jay park,” you replied similarly.

“i will leave you two to bond.” mrs. park says as she gives you a wink before blending into the crowds.

“whatever bond is,” you mumbled.

“i can show you what bond is.” you heard the boy flirt as you pulled your hand out of his grasp, timidly holding it beside you.

“uh… can we go grab something to eat?” you rub your stomach beneath your dress. “i’m starving.”

“of course.” he then guides you to the buffet table as you search around, seeing a few people you’ve recognized since you were little all grown up. you tried to get as much food as you can because of reasons: 1. mama added more to your food limitations since she scolded you for going past curfew—meaning that you forget how some food tastes; and 2. you want to disgust the man? boy? whoever he classified himself from you by eating like a pig. surely, it won’t be attractive to have a “wife” like this.

“so, where do you go to school?” you talked to him as you eat while he grabs an alcoholic-looking drink that you know he wasn’t supposed to drink.

“a boarding school for the rich. i thought you went there ‘cause you smell like money.” he tried to flirt with you again as you nod.

“i don’t go there.” you almost burp out as you tried to digest all the food you put on your plate. “different school. a public one.” he hums as he sips before he puts his drink, grabbing a plate of strawberry-covered chocolate that he tried to eat seductively.

“i also know about your don juan? lothario ways?” you squint your eyes as you watch his reaction.

“i prefer to call it casanova. but keep going.”

you leaned back before continuing with your words. “and you go to boarding school so…”

you see him smirk while chewing his strawberry, wiping the chocolate coming out of his mouth before saying, “i fucked almost all girls there…”

then and there, you almost vomited out your food as you heard him giggling behind you. a subtle disgust is on your face when you turn to him as you pick yourself up. “almost all?” you questioned.

“yeah with students, below me, the same year, above me, teacher-“ you cut his tangent from your hearing as you ignore him flaunting on sticking his dick inside any women he sees at his school. you rubbed the crumbs from the corner of your lips—careful for your makeup cause mama will come back into her fury mode if she sees a small smudge. the boy talks away as he looks somewhere else, a perfect time for you to slip away into the crowd.

you find a buffet table for drinks as you grab yourself a small glass of water before chugging it into you, feeling the liquid refreshing your esophagus as the last time you drank was before you prepare to come here. holding the glass close to your lips, you view the lipstick mark on the side before you wipe it away with your fingers. your eyes wander around the room, trying to locate your sisters with the boys mama assigned them to. trailing and trailing at the sea of heads when you see someone, your hand froze up as you try not to let the grip of the glass go but not too hard to make it shatter in your hand.

kang taehyun.

he’s wearing an all-black ensemble with a turtleneck right beneath his coat. the glasses sit on his face perfectly and his dark hair has gel in them, letting him style it with his forehead exposed.

what is he doing here?

you put the glass on the table for dirty dishes before you walk on the floor, eyes focused on him. people seem to understand you’re passing by, dispersing so that you can reach him easier. taehyun seems to sense it too when he turns and sees you, a smirk forming on his face. when you reached him, you pat his shoulders before he held your hand against his heart.

“it’s you, right? i’m not dreaming?” you murmured. you can feel it beating beneath the layers between your skin and his skin.

“it’s me.”

you hug him, wrapping your hands to pull him close to you as he puts his hands on your waist—he knows because you’ve hugged and held each other so much. you pull away, letting your gloved hand caress his cheek.

“what are you doing here?” he holds on while he looks at the crowd behind you. the lights are getting dimmer. you can pick up slow jazz playing, letting people dance if they want to.

“i’m taking you away with me,” he spoke out.

“what?” he grabbed onto your hand and pulled you out of the ballroom.

“w- what about my sisters? they’re still in there-“

“their partners have brought them out too,” he explained as you try to keep up with him. seeing the lobby, he brought you down the stairs into the cold street of the downtown area. you heard the explosions of fireworks all around as you walk down the pavement—as carefully as you can because of the heels you’re wearing. the exposed skin along your shoulder can’t combat the cold. hearing you loudly hiss, taehyun offers his blazer for you to wear—buttoning it up so it doesn’t make you much colder.

“how did you find me there? what’s happening?” you genuinely asked. everything is moving behind your back and you don’t like it. you don’t recognize anyone that is as meticulous in planning a heist as this.

for the answer, taehyun pulled out a folded paper from his pant pocket, nudging it to you. you stop underneath a hanging roof of a restaurant, the dim lights coming inside and christmas-themed lights around you help you read out loud taehyun’s handwriting, which you realized aren’t his words.

hello, my daughters.

i know that this is a sudden message to be told, but i’m hoping that each one of you is with a person who you trusted and i also trusted. sooyoung with juyeon, (y/n) with taehyun, hyejoo with sunwoo, chaewon with seungmin, and jiwoo with gyuri as kai had spoken to me—no matter your circumstance, jiwoo, you will always be my daughter.

i’ve sent them here to get you out of the ball that your mama has brought you. i know she didn’t ask for your permission to go and for setting all of you up for marriage. i’m aware she is trying to exert her power on all of you for the last time this year. with the start of the new year, a new decade, a new century, and a new millennium, i hope you will forgive me for not being the best father in your life. i will settle this down during your winter break with your mama and i hope that all of you will be safe wherever you will be for the break.

i love all of you so much and i will reach for you when i’m done or when i need you.

love. papa.

both of your hands hold onto the paper, goosebumps rising underneath the coat. biting your lip, you swipe your tears that haven’t fallen out as you read it one more time to get the words right.

he cares, and he loves you.

“how did you get this?” you mumbled, rubbing your nose because of the dry cold air and tears forming.

“your dad contacted us through aim messenger after a few days after we went home. he told everything to us about what all of you are going through and he needed someone to protect you for the time being. he made a plan to bring us to the ball and pick all of you up as he prepares something behind the scene. he didn’t say much else out of that, but he said he wanted to help you find your happiness after the escalation back home.”

you looked down at the letter, reading the last few words from it as you grab taehyun’s hand, keeping him near you. is that why he has disappeared so much? is that why he has been in his office most of the time? he’s in there trying to help all of you and helping himself too. you wanted to join in on the fight with him and you could read your sisters’ minds that they also want to be with him. but based on the letter, all you have to do is to trust him and trust the preparation he has done to execute.

“i know you agree with this. but i don’t want to be a burden to you and your family. your sister might come home for the break, right? i don’t want to bother her rest with my presence.” you said as you lean your head against his chest, his arm wrapped behind you.

“my parents rent a cottage in a rural village for winter break. i told my family about your situation from your dad and more from the stories you told me. they agree for you to be there.” taehyun said in your ears as the fireworks explode more and more. “and they agree that you need time to heal and you won’t be if you’re in your house.”

you look up at his face when you heard people all around you counting down. your eyes stick to one of the tvs that are playing in the restaurant as the number goes down. people standing and gathering as they stared at the countdown, hands holding a drink of their choice, a few of them wearing glasses with frames that spell the number 2000 on them. as it gets closer, you can hear them counting down loudly from the inside.

fireworks explosions filled the outside as you take a glimpse above the hanging roof, lights sparkling in the dark sky more and more.

your head turns towards the boy as both of you give a knowing smile.

you lean in and kiss him. his hands hold onto you more and you tilt his head, feeling the lips you have missed. the exploding lights and bustling people inside the pub filling your ears with excitement.

pulling away, you glance at him as he glances at you. a certain confidence in his eyes combines with loveliness.

“happy new year, my pixie.”

“happy new year, my silly boy.”

both of you chuckled as you stare at the restaurant, seeing the people sitting back down and fried foods being served on the tables by the servers.

“you want to grab a table?” taehyun asked as he follows your sight.

“we can?” you took a glimpse to see him nod. a grin growing on your face as you drag him, opening the restaurant’s door.

“you have to tell me how your match went…”

the two of you enter the restaurant as the firework extravaganza continues. celebrating a new chapter of everyone’s life, including you and taehyun.

the moon sisters disappeared on the first day of january in the year 2000.

“so, that is how you two met...”

taehyun stares across the dining table to view the pre-teen girl leaning against it. her hands playing with the fork on the table.

“i left out gory details because i don’t want your sisters to know now.” taehyun replied. the sun shines brightly into their house as they eat for the first time in the new year.

it is the first of january of the year 2023 when taehyun tells a story to his three daughters during breakfast. the girls are wearing matching pajamas in different sizes.

his oldest, jihye, is the one that sticks to the words he said the most—because she is the one that asked how he and their mom met.

jihyo, the middle child, is focused on playing mario kart 8 deluxe on the nintendo switch.

and the youngest, jihyun, is hugging her precious teddy bear while holding a handle of a small sippy cup full of chocolate milk.

“is that why mom is a, a p- peu- peusychologish?” his youngest asked, sipping the milk from a straw near her lips.

taehyun chuckled when he listened to his child trying to pronounce her mom’s career. a presence lingers beside him when he heard the chair scraping on the wooden floor and sees plates of pancakes with various toppings on them.

“that’s right, bear, that is why i’m a peusychologish.” he glimpses to see you, his wife, standing beside him, wearing a grey tank top that matches his grey t-shirt. you step behind your daughters’ seats to bring the pancakes for each of them. his heart still beats the same for the last 23 years since the two of you met.

you are now a proud child psychologist while he is a retired professional boxer turned boxing coach. he boxes away to national and even international championships while you learn to help children face things that are beyond their understanding. you still play the guitar from time to time, even playing it in your sessions. he remembered when he went home from one of his matches to see you having a session in your office with a child younger than your youngest. you were playing your guitar—finger-picking style—and he sees the child who looks at you, eyes sparkling as the music plays in the room, before hugging your knees, making the caretaker giggle.

as you meet the new millennium, you knew from what happened in your past—and from the way you still watched svu until today—that you want to help other people who face hardships like you do. you were glad that you were given an opportunity to do so and grab them when it’s your time.

when picking a major for university, you were confused if you want to pick psychology or criminology—two of them are nearly the same where one focuses more on criminal psychology. other than the crime shows you watched, you’re curious because of what you have experienced with your mother. so when you realized you have to choose between helping people like her to reform or helping your inner child, taehyun is your beacon and came to the rescue with his opinion. you choose your inner child first because if you are treating children, you also treat your inner child.

you also didn’t expect to have daughters all the times you’ve gotten pregnant as your sisters have sons with each of their partners. with that, you’ve tried your best not to emulate the worst things about your mother to them, learning also from your mother-in-law how to raise a child the good way.

“i also wanna ask.” jihyo exclaimed as all of you consumed your food at the dining table. “is that why grandpa is alone?”

at winter break in the year 2000, when all of you and your sisters disappear from the face of the earth for a few weeks, papa fights your mother in court. he told all of you how he has collected evidence upon evidence of your mother’s physical and emotional abuse towards him and all of you for the past 20 years they are married. he said it’s enough for one case. but more evidence comes out when in the six months you live in that house, she is also cheating with a younger man.

you remembered holding onto chaewon’s hand when a family law attorney papa hired called you for an interview. trembling hands as you shook her hand and jitters crawling down your skin, she turned out to be the most caring person you’ve known back then. you remembered seeing her eyes glisten when you tell how you want to end your life because of your mother’s deeds, showing her scratch marks on your cheek from when she slapped you until you bleed. after a week passed by with no messages, she asked all of you if you rather live with your mother or papa. all of you unanimously said papa rather than her.

when winter break ends and you went back home to your household, the divorce has been settled. even though she got most of the money—because she is a woman without a job—papa got custody of his daughters. all of you settle into your new home a few blocks away from your previous one, letting her live her life in that house alone before she moves in with her younger lover. taehyun seems upset with the turn of events, but he was just glad that you are settled with your domestic life.

“grandpa is not alone. he lives with auntie chae and uncle seungmin.” jihye tells jihyo as she gave both of you a smile.

“that’s right. and by the way, we will meet them at auntie soo’s house for lunch. so finish your breakfast and take a shower after this, okay?”

“okay, mom.” the girls said as they devour the pancakes. you turn to taehyun as he smiles at you with food in his cheeks. the way his glasses sits on the button of his nose, making you push it up.

when jihye volunteers to wash the dishes as her sisters prepare to go to bathe, you drink your coffee with taehyun, staring at the back garden of your house in peace. the wall where the glass door leading to it stood with two empty spaces on both right and left—where both of you put your precious items there. taehyun’s medals and belts are on one side, newspapers and magazine clippings of him in the ring with his belt hanging on the corkboard you put. the other side is you put your music players and cds, seeing the albums you love now in physical form to hand down to your descendants, a few of them are cd mixes seulgi gave to you back in the early 90s and the special cd mix taehyun gave to you.

“i’m so glad i stick with you for 20 years and more.” taehyun heard you said, you have a raspier voice that he swoon about because of your age—and from the cigarettes too.

“i will be glad to stick with you even until the world ends, pixie,” he replied, making you let out a grunt.

“stop with the pixie nickname, okay? it feels different when you’re hearing it at 40 years old.” both of you chuckled as you stand up and wash your cups. taehyun lets out a smile for the life he made with you before joining you in the kitchen, drying away the dishes, and putting them back into the right place.

taglist: @endzii23 @fluffyywoo @camipendragon @hiqhkey @wccycc @stayzentiny @rebsmoonn @boba-beom @angelbythewindow @ttyunz

#txt imagines #txt scenarios #txt angst #txt smut #txt fluff #txt x reader #taehyun x reader #rsc: troubled pixies #cr: taehyun #cs: txt #sc: regina

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sweetearthandnorthernsky · 7 months

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i begged you to hear me (boundary, sae & adanel)

in which saelinriel prepares to go to barad curon, and gets into an argument first. (is this stretching the prompt? probably. do i care? no <3) a little bit of worldbuilding here: i imagine the word 'naneth/nana' to be more gondorian sindarin, where as someone like idhrin (an elf) would use probably emel/emig.

You almost laugh when your sister makes the suggestion, and you feel bad – Adanel looks hurt – but you simply aren’t letting this happen.

“No,” you say, and continue to sort through your gear – trying to figure out just what you can get away with leaving behind – in the murky darkness of Barad Arthir.

Barad Curon awaits, and so does Gothmog, and he has never been one for patience but then – neither have you, in the grand scheme of things.

Adanel huffs, and you would think that in this scenario she was the younger sister, and not four years older than you. “And why not?”

There is a new mark on Adanel’s face – on her cheek, and it almost matches yours, but you know, though she has not told you, that she didn’t get hers from invading a swan’s personal space as a child.

You aren’t entirely sure what happened in Bree while you were gone and there is a new fierceness in her eyes to match.

“Because,” you say tightly, adjusting the straps on your shield. “I said so.”

“I’m the elder of us,” Adanel tells you pointedly. “That is my line, not yours.”

“You aren’t acting like it,” you mutter under your breath, not looking at her. Then, at normal volume: “Be that as it may, my answer is still ‘no’.”

“What you’re doing is dangerous.” Adanel steps into your view at this point, and you roll your eyes.

“No more dangerous than my life has been for the past year, and believe me, I've done worse." Off the top of your head, venturing to Amon Thaur in the presence of almost all the Gurzyul and masters of Mordor with absolutely no back up is very near the top, and you lived through that fine. "You aren’t coming.”

Rangers of the White Company mill around – talking in hushed voices, moving things – and you are not quite sure where Faramir is, but you do look for Eowyn to help you with this situation, but you cannot find her.

Adanel’s face hardens.

“I promised Naneth I would watch over you, you know. I can’t do that when I can’t see you.”

You whirl to face her fully then. “And you promised me that if I let you come into this cursed vale, you would listen to me about when to stay behind!”

A frown comes across Adanel’s face and you know your sister well enough by now that you can practically see the thoughts forming in her head, wishing she hadn’t agreed so clearly, wishing she’d done something to provide herself a loophole.

You have drawn yourself to your full height by now – being the tallest of your sisters is a wonderful thing, and it helps drive your point home.

“And that is now, Adanel, you need to listen to me about this.”

“Then why?” Adanel says, and you may be taller, but she is still older and she carries herself like it. “Give me a reason, and I may be more inclined to drop it.”

You inhale.

Exhale.

Try to find a nicer way to put it.

There is none.

You take a breath again.

“You will be nothing more than a distraction.”

The hurt comes across Adanel’s face again and you hate yourself for it, but you go on.

“Gothmog, he–” you swear once, trying to untangle this mess in a way your sister can understand. “He hates me, Adanel, you have to understand that, for what I did to him. He has for months. He is a petty, vindictive, merciless, arrogant tyrant, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants.”

You exhale, just as the doors to Barad Arthir open and in come a flood of people and you think you see Faramir, so if Adanel really won’t listen, you have no qualms about getting the Prince of Ithilien to do something about it–

“And what he wants is you dead,” she finishes quietly.

“That is the long and short of it, yes.”

You rake a hand through your hair.

“And he is more than willing to play with the lives of the people I care about –” Golodir on the Pelennor flashes through your mind – “And I cannot be worried about you when I am dealing with him.”

Adanel smiles then, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“It is a good thing you will not have to worry.”

Damn it.

“For the Valar’s sake, Adanel! He will kill you, or worse! What part of that isn’t sinking in?”

Your words come out much, much louder than you mean them too – echoing off the walls of Barad Arthir and it gets the two of you several strange looks.

You breathe again, almost deflating.

“Adanel, please.”

You are suddenly very tired.

“I am not going alone, if that is what you are so worried about. I just. I can't take you. I can't risk potentially losing another sibling.”

And is it less than fair to use that card? Maybe, but if it will keep your sister here and safe from Gothmog, well, you make your peace with it.

Adanel studies you, and you let her.

A resigned look comes over her face and you realize that she isgiving in, and a relief so great comes over you that it feels like a tidal-wave.

“Fine.”

You know Adanel will be angry about this for months, maybe years, but if it keeps her safe, you can't quite find it in you to mind.

“I know that Eowyn needs help,” you say, “Clearing out Lindalire. She will need someone like you to help her cleanse the place of the dread.”

Adanel nods stiffly.

“Be careful, alpheg,” she says, pulling you into a tight hug.

“I will.”

You meet with Culang and Morinel and Idhrin (not before stopping to speak with Faramir, just in case).

You square your shoulders, and march toward the Citadel of Night.

#my fic #og-post #oc-tober 2023 #sae stuff #saeblings tag

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searchingwardrobes · 2 years

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Scarborough Fair: 2/?

Killian still isn't home from college yet in this chapter, but please be patient! The next chapter I have a sweet reunion for you :) It's going to be a slow burn for a little bit, but I promise the payoff will be worth it!

Since I didn't update last week, you'll get two chapters this week, so be on the lookout for chapter three in the next couple of days. For now, here is a sweet chapter about this unconventional family Emma has found . . .

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Emma Swan has had a charmed life, despite being a foster child. She has a wonderful family who loves her, and the best friends in the world. The only thing that mars her idyllic existence is her birth mother: a homeless woman who mutters nonsensical rhymes and claims to be Snow White. One fateful night, however, Emma’s world is shattered. Perhaps her mother’s rhymes aren’t nonsense after all.

Rated: M for date rape, dubious consent, teen pregnancy, and sexy times (the good kind!)

Words: Almost 3k in this chapter

Chapter One

Also on Ao3

Tagging: (let me know if you wish to be removed or added): @snowbellewells @teamhook @kmomof4 @jrob64 @xhookswenchx @winterbythesea @thisonesatellite @welllpthisishappening @spartanguard @ohmakemeahercules @tiganasummertree @sparlecorn93 @sals86 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @zaharadessert @huntressandlioness1 @jamif @undercaffinatednightmare @onceratheart18 @sparlecorn93 @sals86 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @zaharadessert @huntressandlioness1

Unlike most of her classmates, including her sister Anna, Emma Swan didn’t mind not having a car. The high school was only a few blocks away from her house, and she actually liked walking. Especially when the weather was as beautiful as it was today.

Too bad Emma was too distracted to appreciate it.

“Are you going to tell Ingrid and Liam?”

The question pulled Emma’s gaze from the sidewalk which she’d been staring at as if it held the answers to the universe, multi-verse, and everywhere in between. Like places where Snow White was a homeless lady.

“Huh?”

“About Mary Margaret.” Anna’s brow was furrowed with concern as she looked at her.

“Um,” Emma hesitated, hitching her bookbag higher on her shoulders, “I don’t think so. It’s not like I’ve seen her much lately, you know?”

“Are you serious?” Anna demanded, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. She began ticking off on her fingers. “At lunch today, at the park two weeks ago, after volleyball practice two days before that. She’s back, Emma. In full force.”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “Are you saying you’re gonna blab? Because if you won’t keep my secret about this, maybe Ingrid and Liam need to know about you and Hans up on Lover’s Peak -”

She was cut off when Anna clapped a hand over her mouth. “Okay, okay,” Anna hissed, glancing around nervously. “And do you have to be so loud?”

Emma was surprised to realize they were only two houses down the street from home. “Sorry,” she whispered, “I wasn’t really being serious.”

Anna crossed her arms and scowled. “You sure? Cause I know how you feel about Hans.”

“That he’s a scumbag? Yeah, the whole family’s in agreement about that.”

“I just . . . I love him, Emma,” Anna sighed dramatically.

“No, you’re in lust. That’s different.”

Anna nudged her teasingly with her shoulder. “Just wait until after the prom. You’ll see. A few dates with Neal, and you’ll understand what I mean.”

“It’s not like that with Neal. He’s just a prom date.”

“Uh huh, sure, I’m telling you, Emma, it’s intoxicating. A boy touches you a certain way, and it doesn’t matter how he acts, what he says, how smart he is, you just want him.”

“Again, I’m pretty sure that’s lust. Or hormones. Just be smart and don’t get knocked up, okay?”

Anna laughed and rolled her eyes. “Have you met Ingrid?”

It was true. Working as director of the county family and children’s services, Ingrid knew well the pitfalls of teen pregnancy. The minute she heard Anna giggling about Hans, she marched her down to the free clinic and got her a prescription for birth control pills. Ingrid had wanted Emma to start taking them too, but she had declined. She had no intention of getting stupid over boys, nor was she about to risk hormonal side effects for said boys. If she did decide to start having sex, whoever he was would wear a condom, damn it.

“You changed the subject, you know,” Anna interrupted her thoughts.

They were in the front yard of their house now - a yellow, two story craftsman with bright white steps leading up to a small landing. Built in the 1920s, it was drafty, old, and a bit two small for a family of six. A detached garage had been added sometime in the 60s, but they had never parked any cars in it. Liam’s truck was currently in the driveway, to the left, like always, to make room for Ingrid so she could park nearer to the covered back walkway that led to the kitchen door. That was Liam’s love language - taking out the trash, slipping an umbrella in your bookbag when it rained, letting Anna have the last chicken leg while pretending he really did prefer the thigh.

“Let’s not tell them -”

“Again?”

Emma glared at Anna, who held up both hands in defense.

“You know how Ingrid gets about Mary Margaret, and it always ends badly.”

“That is a good point,” Anna admitted.

It was Ingrid’s job to help people, and it tore her apart that she couldn’t help Mary Margaret. Emma just couldn’t handle her biological mother sleeping on the couch again, interrupting their sleep with her nonsensical ramblings, having fits, making messes, and then disappearing again for months at a time. No, she wouldn’t let Ingrid do that to all of them again. Never again. If that meant withholding information, so be it.

“So we won’t say anything? Promise?”

Once Anna had echoed, “Promise,” the two of them headed for the backdoor. When they entered the kitchen, they were shocked to find the kitchen dusted almost floor to ceiling with flour, including LIam himself. A pot boiled on the stove, and Liam wielded a spoon as he spun to greet them.

“What the hell . . .” Emma muttered.

“I guess this is dinner?” Anna asked, lifting a lid off the nearest bubbling pot.

Thursday night dinner was a family tradition, and they each took turns cooking. Emma usually did breakfast for dinner because it was all she could cook without almost burning down the kitchen. Or frozen pizza. The only rule, after all ,was that you couldn’t order out. It looked like Liam had decided to be an overachiever this week.

“Homemade ravioli,” Liam explained, “at least I hope. It sounded so easy on the blog I read, but I’m worried it will turn out as some sort of congealed goo.”

“Smells good, though,” Anna said, dipping a spoon into the second pot. “Oh look, I think this is a ravioli!”

Liam leaned over the pot. “Oh good, I was afraid they would all stick together.” He then looked up at the two girls. “Do you have a lot of homework?”

Emma laughed as she dropped her stuff onto the bench by the door. “If that’s your way of asking if we’ll clean up your mess, the answer is yes.”

He gave a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I wasn’t sure what Ingrid would say if she saw the kitchen this way.”

Anna grabbed an apron and joined Liam at the stove, being the better cook of the two girls, and Emma started wiping the countertops. She smiled fondly as she watched Anna instruct Liam on which spices the marinara sauce needed. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Liam had only married Ingrid four years ago. It was also sometimes hard to believe Anna hadn’t been her sister until they were both seven. Basically, it felt like they were all actually related by blood.

Except maybe Killian, but that was different.

By the time Ingrid came through the door, Emma was putting the broom away and Anna was setting the table. She smiled broadly at the three of them as she dropped her purse and keys on the bench by the door. Then again, Ingrid Jones always seemed to be smiling. She was the embodiment of “the cup is half full” which balanced Liam Jone’s sometimes dour outlook.

“It smells fantastic in here!” she exclaimed, pressing a kiss to first Emma’s cheek, then Anna’s.

“Hey!” Liam exclaimed. “I’m the one who’s been hand rolling homemade pasta for the last two hours!”

“I’m sorry, babe, my mistake,” Ingrid chuckled as she pulled Liam close for a tender kiss.

Anna and Emma made the requisite gagging noises that any self-respecting teen would make when witnessing old people kiss, yet truth be told, it warmed Emma’s heart to see Ingrid so happy. She and Liam had denied their feelings for way too long, wanting to put the kids first. That was how they both were in everything - sacrificial. Emma suddenly felt her throat go tight with emotion, and she cleared it loudly.

“Okay, you two, take it upstairs before I puke.”

Ingrid rolled her eyes and Liam tossed his apron at her. She caught it and couldn’t help grinning at her foster parents.

“Can we eat already?” Anna demanded. “I’m starving!”

Her demands were met with a sudden flurry of activity and chatting as they all took their seats around the kitchen table. Laughter and conversation flowed as plates were filled with ravioli, salad, and garlic bread. As usual, Ingrid asked about their days, and Anna gave a thorough run down of everything that had happened from the moment she stepped out the door to her last bite of garlic bread. Also as usual.

“And you, Emma?” Ingrid asked as soon as Anna stopped to take a breath.

Emma shrugged as she speared another ravioli with her fork. “It was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

She glanced at Anna, who’s arched brows and slightly gaped mouth said the exact opposite.

“Fix your face,” Emma whispered behind a napkin, and Anna quickly shoved a huge forkful of salad into her mouth.

“Well I have news,” Ingrid told them, and judging by the smile on her face and the way she sat up a bit straighter in her chair, it was good news.

Thank God, Emma thought to herself.

“You won that grant money,” Liam guessed.

Ingrid shook her head. “No, it’s not about work.” She laced her fingers together and propped them beneath her chin, gazing at each of them in turn. “Killian is coming home for the summer.”

“He is!” Emma exclaimed, dropping her fork with a clatter.

“Really?” Anna squealed, jumping in her seat.

“Wait a minute,” Liam demanded, “why am I just now hearing this?”

“He must have missed you while you were making ravioli,” Ingrid told her husband as she reached out to pat his hand.

Liam deflated, turning his palm to lace his fingers with his wife’s. “You’re probably right. I’m just happy he’ll be here.”

“I told him you would.” Ingrid smiled adoringly at him as she pressed a kiss to his knuckles.

“If only Elsa were coming home too,” Anna sighed.

Ingrid gave her a look of sympathy. “I know, sweetie, me too.”

“Well,” Liam announced, slapping his palms on the table, “such good news calls for a celebration! How about I pull out the guitar like the old days?”

Anna groaned and rolled her eyes. “Not the sea shanties again.”

Emma laughed. “Oh my God, I remember those. That was Killian’s pirate phase.”

“It was Liam’s pirate phase too,” Ingrid put in, a sparkle of humor in her eyes.

“I was writing a scholarly essay about them,” Liam grumbled defensively, which only made the women giggle more. “Fine, forget I mentioned it.”

Genuine hurt tinged Liam’s voice, and for some reason it made Emma think of Mary Margaret and the way her green eyes so often seemed to plead with her daughter to remember. Remember what, though? That was always the question.

“Actually, Liam,” Emma spoke up, her voice suddenly serious and a bit tender, “I would like you to play.”

“Really?” he asked, the crows feet around his eyes crinkling with pleasure. In that moment, he looked so much like Killian, it made Emma wish he were already home with them.

“Yes,” she said, jumping up from the table and tugging on his arm as if she were seven years old again.

He capitulated with pink coloring his cheeks and light sparkling in his eyes. The only things Liam loved more than music were his brother and “his girls,” as he referred to Ingrid, Emma, Elsa, and Anna. He retrieved his guitar from the alcove in the living room as the girls got comfortable in their usual spots. Ingrid always sat amongst the pillows on the floor beside the hearth because that’s where her husband sat to play. Anna plopped into the recliner with an afghan wrapped around her shoulders. Emma curled into the corner of the sofa, closest to the fireplace, with a large throw pillow hugged to her chest. Usually, Killian was opposite her, annoying her by sticking his feet in her lap, and Elsa’s spot was always in the window seat right behind the sofa. Some would call the room crowded, others cluttered, but Emma just found it cozy.

“What would you like me to play, Emma?” Liam asked as he tuned his guitar.

Emma chewed on her bottom lip as she second guessed the longing in her heart, yet in the end, the pull was too strong.

“Can you play the song my mo- er, that Mary Margeret taught us?”

His smile was filled with understanding as he nodded towards her. “Of course, love.”

Liam and Killian both tossed around the endearment “love” rather freely. She didn’t know if it was their British heritage or just a personal habit, but it had always warmed her.

Liam hummed the tune as he strummed the first few notes of the folk song that originated in his homeland.

“O, where are you going?" "To Scarborough fair,"

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;

"Remember me to a lass who lives there,

For once she was a true love of mine.

And tell her to make me a cambric shirt,

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,

Without any seam or needlework,

And then she shall be a true love of mine.

And tell her to find the town which no one knows,

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,

And reunite the lovers there with a kiss ,

And then she shall be a true love of mine

And there she must sow an acre with but one kernel of corn,

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,

Upon the seashore before the tide comes,

And then she shall be a true love of mine

They were all quiet for a few moments as the last notes faded away, then Emma spoke softly.

“And you’ve never heard that version anywhere else?”

Liam shook his head as he began to absently strum another tune. “Never. It was your mother teaching it to me that inspired my dissertation. Yet in all my research, I never found any records of those specific lyrics. Some mention the shirt without needlework, some mention sowing with one kernel of corn, but none mention the town no one knows or reuniting lovers.”

“Emma,” Ingrid asked in her gentle voice, “is there a reason you wanted to hear your mother’s song tonight?”

She stared at the pillow on her lap, silently willing Anna to keep her mouth shut. “It’s just been awhile since we talked about her.”

“Oh honey, I should have thought of that,” Ingrid told her, reaching out to lay a comforting hand on her knee.

“It’s okay. Sometimes I don’t want to talk about her, but then other times . . .” she trailed off with a sigh. “It’s probably hard for you to keep up with my emotions. They’re all over the place when it comes to her.”

“It actually makes perfect sense,” Liam assured her. “I’ll never forget the first time I met her. She floated down those stairs like a ghost.”

Ingrid winced. “Yeah, I probably should have warned you.”

“I was . . . what?” Emma reflected. “Nine at the time?”

Ingrid nodded. “Sounds about right. She had completely disappeared for about two years. I honestly thought we would never see her again. Then, when she showed up on our doorstep, she looked almost the way she had when she was pregnant with you and I hoped . . .”

She didn’t have to finish the sentence. Emma remembered it well. Her mother’s previous visits had been brief, and she had been so young, they were just jumbled sensations of fractured memories. That particular time, however, her mother had slept on Ingrid’s couch for a solid month. She had slept a lot and been largely silent, almost completely mute, staring for hours at nothing at all. For Mary Margaret, it was actually an improvement over her typical erratic behavior.

“The only time she spoke,” Liam reflected softly, “was when I played music.”

“And she taught you that song?” Anna asked for the first time since they’d gathered in the living room. It wasn’t like her to be so quiet, and Emma wondered if it was because she was afraid of spilling Emma’s secret.

“You don’t remember her being here?” Ingrid asked.

Anna shook her head. “I was so afraid of her, I kept my distance. So it’s all hazy in my memory.” She glanced over at Emma. “Sorry.”

Emma didn’t blame her - she was afraid of Mary Margaret most of the time, and the woman was her biological mother.

“We had just started Thursday night dinners,” Liam continued the memory, “and when Killian and I came over from next door, I would bring my guitar. Mary Margaret startled me when she started singing one evening. She had never before spoken a word in my presence. I was playing Simon & Garfunkel’s version of ‘Scarborough Fair,’ but Mary Margaret was singing different lyrics.”

“And she stubbornly insisted that you were singing it wrong,” Ingrid interrupted, laughing.

Liam chuckled as he nodded. “Yes, she did. I was fascinated by her version, and insisted that she teach it to me.”

Ingrid’s eyes became distant and sad. “I thought it meant she was getting better.”

Now Emma reached over to take her mother’s hand. Her real mother - Ingrid Jones. The one who raised her. Just because she called her Ingrid and not “mom,” didn’t change the way Emma felt about her. Ingrid had loved Mary Margaret, too. It was why she took permanent custody of Emma.

It was also why she never adopted her. So she could remain Emma Swan. As her birth mother had wished.

#cs ff #cs fanfic #captain swan ff #captain swan fanfic #angst #heavy angst #angst with a happy ending #cs impossible au

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rosecoloredmuses · 1 year

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I posted 2,657 times in 2022

That's 2,657 more posts than 2021!

1,723 posts created (65%)

934 posts reblogged (35%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@pegasus-parfait

@rosecoloredmuses

@graceful-cure-swan

@curestardust

@merveiilles

I tagged 2,646 of my posts in 2022

#laini rambles; ooc - 755 posts

#graceful swan; tsubasa mizuno - 309 posts

#play with me; memes - 147 posts

#anon - 135 posts

#here are my friends; promo - 120 posts

#normal karate guy; seiji sagara - 107 posts

#cuties in chara studio; koikatsu pics - 79 posts

#spoiled snow white princess; hime shirayuki - 76 posts

#the power of hot food; yui nagomi - 69 posts

#becoming hope; madoka kaname - 68 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#((while i’m being non-specific about muses i think anyone who has been around me for long enough knows which muse is most likely to do this

My Top Posts in 2022:

((I’ve had a while to gather my thoughts about it so… here are my feelings on the Magia Record anime’s ending that nobody asked for. Spoilers, obviously.

Despite Magia Record being associated with Madoka Magica, which is dark already, I feel the deaths in Magia Record’s anime were a bit… much? I don’t know, I just feel the writing was crueler than it needed to be. Sure, Yachiyo has the new group at the Mikazuki Villa and a new group of friends, but why did they have to kill off Momoko and Mifuyu, the last two other members of her old group? Even if you say she’s carrying on the hopes of her deceased friends, I think we could have done without the two additional deaths.

I can live with Alina, Touka, and Nemu dying at least. But Ui? Nope. Iroha spent the entire series looking for her and she just. Dies in the end without actually being reunited with her big sister. It just leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

And don’t get me started on the implication that Madoka died. The original game was NOT supposed to be one of Homura’s failed timelines, and her time traveling in the end makes things feel a little pointless.

And with the Doppel system presumably gone, it’s a good idea to assume that everybody died/turned into a Witch at the end. Or at least until Madokami comes in. Yaaay…

Had Magia Record not been adapted from a gacha game where all of the characters I mentioned lived, I would be feeling more positively about how things turned out. I guess I’m just like “things could have ended more happily” despite the fact that the anime already had multiple changes from the source material? I hope I’m making sense.))

15 notes - Posted April 8, 2022

((In 2015, I wrote a drabble depicting Red brainwashing Tsubasa, a moment which couldn’t have happened on-screen because the whole brainwashing thing was originally a magic anon that specified she was brainwashed by Red. Said drabble wasn’t very good. So, I’d like to rewrite that to minimize the cringy 2015ness from it and better reflect Tsubasa’s current depiction. Placing this under a cut because this will probably get long!))

The riverbank was quiet. Peaceful. It was the perfect place to sit and read while reflect on things; it was exactly what Tsubasa needed as she sat down on the bench with a book in tow. She wiped some still-fresh tears from her eyes before starting to read.

She would be fine, she told herself. She was a Precure and it was her duty to protect the innocent while keeping her identity a secret from others, she tried reminding herself. It was better to get hurt herself than let others get hurt. Even if she couldn’t reach out for help or explain her injuries to others, it was okay because it was her suffering and nobody else. She kept telling herself this, and yet…

Why was it ringing so hollow today?

A pain clenched her heart that she couldn’t describe. She thought it would go away with time, but the more she tried ignoring it, the more that ache cried out, demanding attention. But even now, Tsubasa threw her focus into her book hoping she’d feel better soon.

“SAIARK!” the cry came from somewhere far away, but it was unmistakable. As soon as it hit Tsubasa’s ears, she shot up from her seated position and closed her book. She reached for her PreChan Mirror-

Are you sure you want to do that? You’ll only get battered and beaten again.

The voice came out of nowhere and it broke Tsubasa’s train of thought. She froze. Scanning the area, she couldn’t find where the voice came from— her only companion appeared to be the hot summer sun.

“Who’s there?!” Tsubasa cried out as her body tensed up. It was clear she wasn’t alone, but who had just spoken? The voice appeared to belong to a man— one she’d never encountered before. Why was he here? Why was he talking to her like this?

You’ve gotten hurt over and over for the sake of people who don’t appreciate it. Even if you were to reach out for help, nobody would notice your pain.

There was a presence behind Tsubasa for the briefest moment. But when Tsubasa spun on her heel, there was still nobody there.

You tell yourself that it’s fine as long as the people around you are safe. That it’s for the best. So you let yourself continue to hurt as everyone continues to smile around you. But… those aren’t your true feelings, are they?

“That’s…!” Tsubasa’s eyes widened in horror as the words caught in her throat. How could she possibly answer something like this— tell this voice that he was wrong about her when she didn’t even know its owner?

You wish desperately for someone to notice you’re hurting and reach out. You want to stop feeling so alone in your battle against everything threatening the peace you so treasure. But nobody will answer your silent call. You will continue to suffer while lying to yourself repeatedly.

Tsubasa’s first instinct was to deny everything this voice was saying about her… but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, her eyes welled with tears. As she put her hands to her face in confusion, a certain realization came upon her. One that she didn’t want to acknowledge:

On some level, this voice was completely right. She knew she wasn’t okay and wanted someone, anyone to acknowledge her. To tell her that she didn’t need to hurt anymore. That she didn’t need to be so alone anymore. But even such small comfort was beyond her.

You sacrificed your normal life to save your friend, only to be separated across cities. But even on your own, you fought. You thought you were doing a good thing by saving other people as you continued to pay the price. And to add on to your growing misery, there’s another group of heroes in town.

The voice didn’t need to name them; images of the Happiness Charge Precure flashed in her head. They were so pretty and strong… unlike herself.

Every time you look at them, you’re reminded of what you left behind in Tokyo and what you lack. Companionship… strength… support. They are everything you are not and have everything you’re too scared to admit. Seeing their happiness has only served to deepen your own despair.

“St…stop… please… stop…” The difficulty with which those words came out was disturbing. She wanted to run, but her feet stayed rooted in place as her own body was starting to betray her. Every word this voice spoke increased the pain in her heart and caused the tears to overflow even harder.

It’s unfair, is it not?

It’s so unfair!

That thought came spilling out without Tsubasa realizing it. It was undoubtedly her thought, but it was so… foreign. Where did it come from?

Those girls protect the people just like you do, yet they’re smiling while you are left crying all alone.

Why are they happy while I’m not?! Somebody please… look at me instead of them!

Once again, a strange thought forced itself into her mind. It was as if something was trying to invade her body— first it’d frozen her in place and now it was trying to change her thoughts.

Tsubasa whimpered. She knew something was horribly wrong and that the voice was doing something to her, but she was powerless to stop it— whatever this voice was, it was a power far greater than her own. She instead silently prayed that someone would somehow interrupt whatever was happening and save her.

But help was far away.

You cannot continue like this. If your body doesn’t give out, your heart will. You’ll disappear while the people who never looked your way will continue on with their lives like nothing happened.

The thought of disappearing— dying— without anyone acknowledging her delivered a shock Tsubasa wasn’t anticipating. She… she didn’t want this to happen!

See the full post

15 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

Permanent Starter Call

((I am way too late to the party, but please like this post if you don’t mind me:

yeeting myself and my muses into your inbox without prompting

making starters for you randomly

just overall loving you

24 notes - Posted April 29, 2022

Independent Multimuse feat. Madoka Kaname

rules ❤️❤️ muses

Promo art by @turem!

28 notes - Posted April 10, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

@friendshipstates

Amanogawa High School. On first glance, it would appear that it was just an ordinary Japanese high school with nothing notable about it. But according to the intel the Legion was able to gather, there was a type of hero residing here that did not exist in their native timeline: Kamen Riders. And one of these Kamen Riders was foolishly open with his identity.

Tsubasa stood on a nearby rooftop, watching as the unsuspecting student body went about their day. Her mission was to gather intel on Kamen Rider Fourze’s ability. She was not going to waste any more time.

“Let the future reflected in the mirror turn terrible!” Within seconds, every human that was not otherwise protected was sealed within a dark coffin-shaped mirror. “Show yourself, Saiark!”

As soon as those words were spoken, every human captured within the mirrors was turned into a Saiark, flooding the school grounds with the monsters.

“Now what will you do... Kamen Rider Fourze?!”

34 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #false #((lol not too bad considering this is a smol rp blog-))#long post tw

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 3 years

Note

Could Bella/Victoria work

Congratulations, anon, you have stumbled upon one of the very few Twilight pairings that I will actually say "yes", to. Of course, as always, there are caveats, but we're not in my usual land of "AH HA HA HA HA NO".

Why The Hell Do I Think This Could Work?

Bella and Victoria both live lives of misery in part at the hands of men. For Victoria, I could see Bella having very easily been her redemption arc. (Which, of course, would lead to instead the madness of Edward, but that's another story.)

What do I mean?

About Victoria

Victoria's tale is a rather sad one. She started life impoverished and destitute in England centuries ago. She lived in a brothel and by some miracle, mostly her older sister's hard work, was able to avoid prostitution and starvation.

Then, one day, her sister disappears. Victoria's survival and well being relies upon making herself scarce, disappearing when someone comes looking for her, but things start getting desperate.

Then, not long later, her sister returns. Only, her sister has changed, is impossibly beautiful, with marble skin, and is barely recognizable. Victoria begs Anne to take her with her, Anne realizing Victoria will die in this place otherwise, takes the risk and turns her sister. Victoria joins Hilda's uber feminist coven (Anne's sire who seems to turn primarily marginalized women).

Well, Hilda likely turned too many vampires, and eating from densely populated areas they caught Volturi notice. All of the coven but Victoria (who escaped) and Heidi (who was recruited for her gift) were killed by the Volturi.

Victoria loses everything in one moment: her sister, her coven, her way of life. She wanders as a solitary, miserable, nomad who expects death now at every turn.

During this, James starts hunting her, intent on murdering her for sport. Victoria escapes him at every turn, which intrigues him further, and this eventually devolves into the toxic relationship we see between the pair of them in canon. They also at some point pick Laurent up.

Deep down, Victoria knows James is simply using her, that she's not even truly a part of his games but just a chess piece that he can use to hunt these women. But this is the end of her rope. This is all that she has, and she embraces it with all she has left.

And then James is murdered and it all falls apart.

Bella Swan is now Victoria's white whale, Victoria channeling both Ahab and Hamlet at every moment. Bella Swan in herself is a symbol, means nothing, but if Victoria can destroy her then she can avenge James and something in her miserable existence will have meaning. This one thing will have meaning.

And then, of course, Victoria fails at this at every turn, the Volturi come for her again, and now there is no way out. As Edward taunts her, she falls on her sword, choosing death.

(Victoria's tale is peak bleak and I'm honestly a little upset that we got Twilight instead of this.)

About Bella

Bella has a very different story, but she's also at her lowest point. She was hunted by James for what amounts to no reason at all, was used and dropped by Edward during the New Moon period as if she was nothing more than a toy he could cast aside, and is now going to be murdered in vengeance when her lover isn't even there to witness it.

All of this is about Edward, and yet, Edward is in Rio.

There is something so tragic in all of this that Victoria never sees in her blind pursuit of revenge.

So, Where Am I Going With This?

Say that Victoria catches up to Bella. Perhaps only Sam is a wolf, perhaps Bella goes to Florida and Victoria pursues her there. Rather than kill her immediately, Victoria waits.

She at first waits for the Cullens to show up, as surely, they can't have left her completely unguarded. This is a ruse and a lure to get her out of hiding. They never show up.

She then waits for some hint that they'll actually be witness to Bella's demise. Bella swears she has no address, Victoria has no address except the Denali, and she could send a video tape to them but...

What Bella says is worrying.

Bella isn't concerned about her life at all. She freely admits that Edward will never come, never witness this, and more damningly he doesn't care. Bella is a mortal mayfly to him, he got bored, and said as much himself.

James died for nothing and Bella will die for nothing: one day Victoria will realize this.

This might give Victoria significant pause. Of course, this could be a ploy, but if it is then Bella has balls of steel (which she does but this would be a bit much even for Bella). And the longer Edward doesn't show up... Victoria begins to think this is true: Edward truly doesn't care.

Now, either out of a sense of pity/rejuvinated purpose, to become what Hilda was for Victoria or else out of a new angle of vengence (Victoria clues into what Edward wants least of all), Victoria could very well turn Bella.

Victoria's probably still a paranoid wreck, still has Riley and his instructions to turn an army, which likely gets out of control in the worst of ways. But they may make their way out of this, or, rather, there's a chance Victoria gets to Bella early enough to avoid this.

There's a mess to deal with with Riley, of course, who is in part so loyal because he believes Victoria loves him. But I can see Victoria and Bella becoming genuinely close, good friends, and in time lovers.

So, yes, for once you get the "Muffin Approved" stamp, anon.

#twilight #twilight meta #twilight headcanon #twilight renaissance #bella swan #victoria #bella/victoria #meta #twilight shipping #shipping #headcanon #opinion

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undercaffinatednightmare · 2 years

Text

Pollyanna

Emma Swan was twelve when she found herself moving to Storybrooke, Maine to live with her only living relative, Regina Mills. Her parents had died weeks ago from a terrible fever breakout in the remote part of Africa where they served as missionaries. She still felt alone and terribly sad, but she was glad to know her mother’s sister was willing to have her come live in her house.

A pretty brown haired woman glanced at her wristwatch and adjusted her hat as she paced by the platform. “Aunt Regina?” Emma asked hopefully.

The woman’s face took in Emma’s plain dress and straw hat in dismay. “Miss Emma Swan?”

“Are you my Aunt Regina? I’m so pleased to meet you!” Emma started to hug her, but the woman drew back in alarm.

“I’m your Aunt’s secretary, Belle French. You can call me Belle.” She gave a prim nod. “Where are your trunks?”

Emma held up her one case. “They said the rest of my things may make everyone ill or have bugs.”

Belle’s face dropped a moment before she smiled again. “Well, it’ll be alright. I’m sure you’ve grown quite a bit as well. We’ll get you things that fit later.”

There was so much to see and so many new things to experience, Emma felt excitement push her grief away during the drive. Her parents always told her to look for the good in every situation. It had gotten more difficult since losing her parents, but she tried her best.

Aunt Regina’s home was far larger than she expected. Did only one person live here? It felt more like a place of worship than someone’s home. Belle led her into a room full of plants. A lovely woman in a dark blue dress with her black hair coiled on top of her head sat talking to a rather nervous man with ginger hair and glasses.

“Miss Mills? I’ve brought Miss Emma.” Belle said with a gentle nudge.

Both people turned to look at her. Emma felt more than a little out of place, but waited patiently for her aunt to acknowledge her. “Well? Come over here. Let me see you.” Aunt Regina waved her hand regally.

With a nervous glance to Belle, Emma approached. “Emma, this is Reverend Archibald Hopper. He’s the minister at our church here. You’ll see him each Sunday.”

“How do you do?” Emma asked politely.

“Rev Hopper, this is my niece Emma. She come to live with me.” Regina told him.

“The one whose parents died on the mission field?” Rev Hopper lowered his voice.

“Yes. My brother-in-law and my sister died of fever.” Her aunt said.

“Well, it’s good to finally meet you Emma. I’m sure your aunt will take good care of you.” Rev Hopper held her hand gently between his own.

“Where did you get that dress?” Aunt Regina asked making Emma jump in surprise. “It doesn’t fit.”

“It was in the missionary barrels.” Emma frowned and fingered the lace edge of the dress.

“The missionary barrels?” Rev Hopper echoed.

Regina sighed heavily. “Their supplies were always packed into barrels and sent. They didn’t always know what would arrive.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll handle it later. There’s a few things in your room. I’m sure you understand that I’m unaccustomed to children’s noises here. So I expect you to behave like a lady.”

Emma nodded and started to run after Belle to catch up. “Emma?” Aunt Regina called. “Go up the stairs like a young lady.” She thought she could hear the quiet laughter of Reverend Hopper.

A small brown and white dog was snuggled in a basket at the top of the stairs. She gasped and ran forward to pet the sweet dog. “What’s his name?”

“His name is Henry.” Belle explained as Henry licked her hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At breakfast, Emma was shocked to learn how many things she could choose to eat. She took a careful sip of her milk when she sat at the table near Aunt Regina’s place. “We’re heading into town today. We need to get you some new clothes.” Regina said as she cut a dainty bite of food.

“New clothes?” Emma asked in shock. “Store-bought?”

Aunt Regina smiled at her. “Well, you’re a Mills now. You have to look like one.”

Emma squeaked in response and covered her mouth. “I’ve never owned anything new before.”

At the store, a pretty woman named Ashley shooed her behind the screen to change and snuck a cookie to her as they fussed over her dress. It felt like something out of a story book getting new clothes and shoes and hats like the fine ladies she saw on the train.

On Sunday, they sat on Aunt Regina’s pew during service. Emma watched the boys and girls from the orphanage tease and taunt each other. One boy turned to look at her with large eyes of the brightest blue she’d ever seen. Given where he was sitting, he had to be about her age.

“Emma, don’t stare at the orphans.” Aunt Regina said in a voice so low she was the only one who could hear her.

She turned to face forward, but if she looked through her lashes the right way, she could still see the way he was staring at her.

Aunt Regina was required to meet at the orphanage after service. Emma looked around wondering if she would have ended up in a place like this if it hadn’t been for her aunt. There were lots of people in town who reminded her how kind and generous her aunt was to her. She always said “yes ma’am” or “yes sir” as they spoke. She knew it was enormously kind, but why did everyone think she needed to be reminded?

“Who are you?” The boy from church asked.

“Emma Swan. I’m Ms Mills’ niece.” She bobbed a curtesy like she did with some of the adults. “Who are you?”

“Killian. Are you an orphan too?” He frowned and watched her.

“Yes. My parents got sick. So I live with my aunt.” Emma shrugged.

He tilted his head with a mischievous grin. “Come on, Swan.”

Together they ran around Storybrooke as Killian introduced her to the games he liked to play. As small as the town was, Emma wasn’t worried about getting lost or Aunt Regina missing her yet. She ended up at the harbor with her new friend.

“This is Nemo’s house.” Killian whispered. “He’s the meanest man in Storybrooke.”

“I thought you said Mr. Gold was the meanest man in town.” Emma whispered back.

As Killian told her the story of Nemo’s pet kraken, a twig broke behind them. Emma screamed, more because Killian pushed her as hard as he could. “Go, Swan! Run!”

She run to face the person endangering her friend. Nemo was bald and serious looking, but there was also something sad in his expression. “No! You can’t hurt him!” Emma shouted.

Nemo stared at her for a moment. “And who are you to tell me what to do, little girl?”

“I’m his friend.” She stood at her full height. “And you…you’re just a lonely man who needs to stop trying to scare children.”

He paused and his face went slack. “I suppose if I don’t, you’ll tell your aunt?”

Emma frowned. “No, but you should still let him go.”

It only took Nemo a moment to release Killian. He waved them both inside for tea. When Emma’s attention was pulled to the rainbow dancing on the wall, Nemo let out a rusty chuckle. “It’s a prism. Light refracting off the angles in the crystals.”

“It’s like having your own person rainbow every day.” She grinned at both of them.

Nemo rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d never thought about it that way.”

The next few days, Emma noticed Belle and Will speaking in low voices. She’d started hoping that they might announce an engagement soon. Belle would be such a lovely bride. Instead, she heard Will mention the orphanage and Belle hushed him with a sharp look.

“She’s not going to tell. Are you, lovey?” Will grinned at her.

Emma felt her spine stiffen. “What am I? A snitch baby?”

Will chuckled. “Belle and I are helping organize a fundraiser - a bazaar- to raise money for the orphanage.”

“So they can have better blankets and clothes that fit?” She asked.

Belle looked surprised, but softened her response. “Among other things, yes. How did you know?”

“Killian told me. That’s where I would be if not for Aunt Regina, right?” Emma asked looking at her hands.

Will squeezed her hand and put an arm around her. “Come on, lovelies. Let’s conspire over ice cream.”

“You’re funny.” Emma grinned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You must be, Emma.” A tall man said as he walked towards the house. Henry ran up and let the man scratch his ears. “I’m Dr. Loxley. I was friends with your parents before they moved. I’m sorry for your loss, Emma.”

“I’m sorry for yours too.” Emma replied. “Are you here to see Aunt Regina?”

He chuckled and looked down. “Aye, but she’s not going to see me. I’m here to argue with her.”

“Oh. About the orphanage or something else?” She tilted her head and watched him.

Dr. Loxley knelt down to meet her eyes. “You know about that?” She rolled her eyes and he laughed. “Alright. Your aunt means well, but she hides behind her family name. She doesn’t want anyone to see behind the mask she gives the world.”

“She doesn’t want anyone to know she’s lonely.” She nodded. Her aunt could be cold and temperamental, but Emma knew she was a good person.

His eyes flickered at the ground for a moment. “Aye.”

“What was she like when you knew her?” She asked as they both sat down on the grass

“She was very spirited and kind.” He admitted.

“She’s pretty too.” Emma nodded. “I hope I’m as pretty as she is when I grow up.”

He smiled brighter. “I see so much of your mother in you. Except your smile. That’s all David.” She smiled at that. It seemed to be too painful for Aunt Regina to talk about. “But yes, she was beautiful back then too. She used to wear her hair down on her shoulders.”

Belle came to fetch her for their afternoon errands. “Dr. Loxley! You’re back?”

“Not quite. I wanted to talk Regina into easing up on the town again.” He admitted. “But I was distracted by our newest resident.”

“I’m sure you’ll be good friends before you leave for Boston. Emma has that effect on people.” She smiled. “Good day, Dr. Loxley.”

“Where are we going today?” Emma asked brightly.

“I need to drop some pieces with Ruby and then we have errands for your aunt. You’ll like Ruby.” She grinned. “But her grandmother can be difficult. So you’ll need to be careful, alright?”

Emma found herself walking through the house. It was more of a home than Aunt Regina’s. She heard a woman arguing with someone and followed the sounds. A smarmy man in a lurid green suit stood there with sample of fabrics while the older woman lay on the bed.

“See here, Mrs. Lucas? This satin is finer than the-“ He stopped and stared at Emma. “Young lady, don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt adults?”

“You’re Regina’s niece, aren’t you?” Mrs. Lucas asked.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m Emma Swan.” She smiled at the woman. “I’m glad to finally make your acquaintance.”

“Young lady, can’t you see this dear lady is ill?” The man continued.

“Now, Mr. Ozman, Miss Swan is doing nothing wrong even if she is impertinent.” Mrs. Lucas waved his concerns away. She narrowed her gaze at Emma. “You have a stubby little nose.”

“I know I do. I wish I had a prettier one, like yours.” She replied to the woman who made a sound like she was trying not to laugh

Mr. Ozman was still talking about fabric and handles. “You’re not dying, are you?” Emma felt tears threatening. She grabbed Mrs. Lucas’ hand as if that could sway her.

“Now, Miss, you need to go.” Mr, Ozman insisted.

“No! If you’re not dying you should be glad you don’t need that ugly coffin! You should be glad to spend time with your granddaughter. You should be glad you can still walk.”

Belle came rushing in and Emma buried her face against her friend as she cried. Eventually Mr. Ozman left and Emma had tea with Ruby and Belle. She hated the idea that a healthy vibrant woman was letting her life pass by. It was the saddest thing she’d ever heard.

The following day, Emma searched for Rev Hopper out in a field. She had a note from Aunt Regina for him. She waited patiently on a rock as he finished praying. “Emma! It’s good to see you again.” He smiled.

“My father used to practice his sermons with me. I could help if you like.” She offered.

“It’s alright. You know I’m curious what your necklace says.” He asked.

“Father’s favorite quote. If you look…” She sighed and blinked. “I always go cross eyed.”

“May I?” Rev Hopper smiled. “If you look for the bad, you’ll surely find it.” He smiled sadly.

“My father taught me a game when things didn’t go right. He taught me to find the good and be glad for it.” She explained. “One year I wanted a doll for Christmas, but we didn’t have the money. So we waited for the missionary barrels to come. But instead of a doll, there were crutches.” She began. “So Father said we should play the glad game.”

Rev Hopper smiled little and chuckled. “I can’t imagine a child being glad they got crutches instead of a doll.”

“Father said we should be glad we have them, but that we don’t need them.” She shrugged.

He chuckled and shook his head a little. “You came looking for me.”

“Yes, Aunt Regina asked me to bring this message for you.” She handed him the slightly crumpled piece of paper.

“Thank you, Emma.” He murmured. “I’ll walk back with you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Loxley stood outside with Will and Belle. Aunt Regina forbade everyone from attending the bazaar. Emma hated that she might miss her solo, but she also wanted to help Killian and the others. It was dreadful thinking of how cold it would be in winter.

“There has to be someone we can talk to.” Will shook his head.

“What about Rev Hopper?” Emma asked. “Can’t he say something? After all, no one can own the church.”

That night, something tapped on her window. She looked up and saw Killian sitting in the tree by her attic window. “What are you doing?” She hissed. “You’ll fall and kill yourself.”

Killian rolled his eyes at her. “I climb trees all the time. Come on, Swan.”

“But Aunt Regina said I wasn’t to go.” She bit her lip.

“But half the people are only coming because of you.” Killian’s big blue eyes pleaded with her. “Come on, Swan. I won’t let you fall.”

She nodded and carefully followed each of his instructions until they were climbing down the tree. Emma hugged him and tried to keep her voice low. “Killian! You’re the best!”

He beamed and walked her to the bazaar. Everyone she knew had come, Granny Lucas, Marco from the carpenter’s shop, Ruby, Will, Belle, even Sheriff Humbert. The one who surprised her was Nemo. Killian began rattling off all the adventures they’d discussed over the last few weeks.

Killian helped her pull up her prize from the wishing well. She held the doll tightly and hugged him again. “My own doll? I’ve never owned one before.”

When she arrived back home, she worried about walking past Aunt Regina. Instead, she decided to climb the tree back up. Killian made it look easy. She almost lost her grip twice. When she finally sat on the gable of the house, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her new doll slipped from her grip and she reached for it.

She realized her mistake too late. She managed one small scream before everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What are you saying, Robin?” Regina asked in the hallway.

Robin Loxley was angry. “Emma could physically recover, but I worry about her mentally. She’s not got the strength for what’s coming.”

Regina paced. “What’s to be done?”

Robin gave an exasperated shake of his head. “Regina, have you locked yourself away for so long that you’ve forgotten how to love your own niece?” He paced back to the window. “She needs, more than anything, to have her hope back.”

“Miss Mills?” Belle called up. “They keep coming.”

Regina closed her eyes. “I’ll come down and talk to them.”

At her door stood all the people she’d spent a lifetime pushing away. Rev Hopper, Mrs. Lucas, Marco, Nemo…Regina looked at the boy who’d been chasing around after Emma all this time. He’d stayed until she’d asked Will to take him home, only for the boy to come back.

“We’ve only come to see her and wish her well, Regina.” Mrs. Lucas said.

Finally, Regina opened the door. “Why don’t you all come in?”

Robin grinned and brushed a kiss to her cheek before he bounded up the stairs. Secretly, she was glad he’d be the one to break this news to Emma. There was no doubt the family stubborn streak ran as strongly through her as it did the other women in their family.

As Robin carried her past everyone she cared for, Regina could see the dark mood slowly lift. The Ladies Aid gave her a new doll, Marco made a small wooden ship, Mrs. Lucas even quilted her a blanket to keep her warm. Everyone brought something from flowers to cheerful words for the girl who’d turned their town upside down.

Belle announced her engagement to William Scarlett and Emma cut a look her way. “Really?” She whispered. Belle nodded excitedly. “And you have to walk with me.”

Emma finally nodded. Rob stopped in front of Rev Hopper. “We looked for the good, Emma.”

But it was Killian who got the biggest smile from her. “I got adopted!” He announced looking at Nemo behind him.

“You did?” Emma squeaked happily.

“Aye, but we’ll need you home soon to help keep these two rascals in order.” Nemo grinned at her.

Regina gave up trying to hold back her tears. If Robin could find the right medical team, she was fairly certain they’d get Emma walking again.

They got Emma settled in the train for the trip to Boston. Leroy was hanging a sign below the welcome sign at the station: Storybrooke: The Glad Town.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emma still felt uncertain returning to her Aunt Regina’s house. They’d lived in Boston the last five years after she fell out of the tree beside her room. Now that she was able to walk again, they were moving back for Aunt Regina's wedding to Dr. Loxley - Uncle Robin. Still, she had seen little of her friends since Belle’s wedding.

Belle adjusted her dress once more declaring her ready for the party downstairs. She took the stairs carefully, hoping everyone's attention would be directed anywhere else. Nothing could have prepared her for the brilliant blue eyes waiting at the base of the stairs.

His jaw dropped slightly as she made her way towards him. She faltered for a moment and he bounded up the stairs to offer his arm. "Swan, you look.." He breathed.

"I know." Emma teased even as her cheeks burned. The last time she'd seen him, he was standing behind Mr. Nemo as Robin carried her down the stairs. Back then, he was gangly and fully of anger, not the handsome gentleman beside her. "Thank you, Killian." She murmured.

"Always my pleasure, Emma." He promised, squeezing her hand. "May I have the first dance?"

"I don't know how to dance." She whispered as fear slowed her steps.

"There's only one rule, find a partner who knows what he's doing." He murmured the words as he guided her into his arms.

She jumped when his prosthetic hand touched her back. "I didn't think- are you alright? I don't want you to hurt yourself." She'd forgotten that he'd lost his hand during the war.

His smile warmed as he held her closer. "I've never been better, love."

Hearing the honesty in his voice eased her concerns. She relaxed and enjoyed herself. How had she let herself forget him? When their dance ended, Killian scratched behind his ear and asked her to join him outside.

Aunt Regina placed a gazebo where the tree had stood. Killian walked with her to the spot. "I was hoping you'd permit me to play the glad game with you once more?" He smiled sheepishly.

Emma rolled her eyes. She hadn’t played that since falling from the tree. Killian knelt in front of her. "Instead of being sad about the things that have kept us apart, I promise to always be by your side. Will you marry me?"

She nodded as tears filled her eyes. “Yes.”

Maybe they’d start playing the Glad Game again tomorrow.

Tag!

@kmomof4 @teamhook @ilovemesomekillianjones @earanemith

Also to blame: @hollyethecurious & @jrob64

I couldn’t sleep until I finished this silly thing so hopefully it all makes sense 😂

#captain swan au #too much Disney #I might remember to post on AO3 later

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headinthestaticsky · 3 years

Text

The Dusk Comes for me: Jasper Hale x My OC Fleur Swan, Chapter 4

Warnings: Moments of violence, cussing

AUTHORS NOTES: None of the characters in Twilight belong to me. All rights go to Stephenie Meyer.

Sorry if you find anything misspelled or out of place. I proof read these chapters 3 times I still find things wrong with it.

“I'm alone, look at the sky, my dear. I am not every falling star make a wish every time I leave so we can love until infinity.” I'm Waiting Here by Lykke Li and David Lynch

One minute I was I sleeping with Jasper in my room and the next it seemed I was in a unfamiliar location. My movements were not at will, my feet pounded against the steel floor. It was as if I was chasing someone, I soon caught a glimpse of who it was. It looked like a security guard as I was running I noticed a sign on the wall “Grimsham.” Grimsham, that’s in Mason County. What am I doing in Mason County? Two men had ran ahead of me eager to catch the man. The two men looked unfamiliar to me, I was sure I had never seen them before. The security guard had made it outside just about to get out of the area when the man with long blonde hair caught him taking him down to the ground. They then began to feed on him, They were vampires that explained the speed. But why was I moving so fast though? My uncontrolled movements moved toward the man about to start feeding on him. It was then that I noticed that I was not in my body. My “hands” looked far to pale to be my own. Before I could see who the woman was I jumped up, gasping for air. I looked around the room, Jasper was gone.

For once I was thankful about him not being there. I didn’t need him stressing out about something that I was a dream. I stretched and got up quickly getting ready for school as I slept in a bit too long. I went for a white lace long sleeved shirt and black jeans with the same ankle boots that I've owned for 4 years. I grabbed an apple since I didn’t have much time to eat. Just as I had closed the door I saw Bella slips on a big patch of ice. I held in a laugh wanting to be a little nicer today. I saw dad pull up in her truck and quickly help her up.

“Geez are you okay Bells?” He asked.

“Yeah, ice doesn’t exactly help the uncoordinated.” She replied.

“Well I put new tires on your truck since the old ones were getting pretty bald.”

“Oh thanks dad.”

“I’ll put the chains on your tires tomorrow okay Petal?”

“That’s fine dad, thank you.”

“I’m gonna be late for dinner today. I’ll be working overtime.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Well, a security guard that works at Grimsham Mills down in Mason county got attacked by some animal.” He explained.

“Oh.” Was all I could say. My heart dropped down into my stomach I didn’t know what else to say. This couldn’t have been a coincidence, no way it couldn’t of been. But, I wasn’t a vampire how could I have predicted this. My mind was racing. Dad seemed to have noticed my distant look on my face.

“Are you okay Petal? You’re looking kinda pale there.” He asked

“Oh yeah I’m fine sorry my mind wandered. Be careful down there dad.” I replied.

“Yeah be careful dad.” Bella said.

“I always am. love you guys.”

“Love you too.”

These past few days have been pretty tense. Bella was of course on even more edge than usual as Edward hadn’t been showing up to school. Every time I pulled into the back of the lot and joined the rest of the Cullens I could feel Bella’s eyes burn at the back of my skull. I didn’t dare to look back, thinking I might combust into flames if I even glanced at her for a second.

Today seemed to be one of those days. Jasper and I began to walk up the stairs toward the school. He suddenly stopped and turned around glaring back at her. Bella faltered and turned around quickly, seemingly intimidated by his harsh glare.

“You didn’t have to do that you know that right? I can handle my bony twin sister.”

“I felt like I had to darlin, her emotions were starting to give me a migraine.”

“Aww, I’m sorry love.” I said I then pecked his lips.

“Edwards suppose to be back to though right?”

“Yes, he is he’s just running late.”

“Oh okay. Maybe him being back will calm her down.”

“Hopefully, now come on, we have a history test to take.”

“Ugh, why would you remind me about that now I got a migraine.” I said.

He chuckled before dragging me to class. As much as I wanted to focus on my test I just couldn’t. That dream kept filling my head after every questions I read.

“Who was America named after?”

“Where is the Hudson River located at?”

“Name differences between federalist and anti-federalist.”

I just couldn’t formulate a full answer without drifting back to the dream. The three people ravaged that poor security guard and I was in one of those monsters bodies. Am I connected to them in someway or was this really just a dream? For my sanity and racing heart I just came to the conclusion it was. I just barely finished that history test before the time had run out. I finally lifted my head to see Jasper looking at me, worry etched all over his chiseled face. I couldn’t be helping his migraine at all. I grabbed his hand and led him out of the classroom. English and Calculus went by quickly and I was soon back at lunch. Bella hadn’t been glaring at me from across the room today. Jasper must’ve of scared her a bit. It was nice to get a break from the constant looks of pure hatred. I was working on an essay about the Scarlet Letter for English and Jasper had left to take a quick walk. As soon as he left Rosalie had tapped my shoulder.

“Hey are you okay? You’ve seemed kinda off this morning, Jasper’s starting to notice it too. She asked.

“No, I’m not.”

Alice and Dean’s interest had peaked and listened in on our conversation.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen to you?”

“No, not exactly. I just had a really bad nightmare. It was like I was in on the attack, It wasn’t me me though I was in someone elses body. I helped with the attack I was chasing that poor man with two other men.”

“That’s strange, no wonder you’ve been out of it all morning.” Rosalie said.

“But it gets even worse, dad told me today he had to go down to Mason county because a security guard got attack by an animal. It was the same place in my dream.”

Rosalie, Emmett, Dean, and Alice looked shocked not exactly knowing what to say.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You’ll drive yourself crazy.” Rosalie said.

“Yeah don’t worry about it short-stack.”

“Yeah, you guys are right I need to stop worrying. I just can’t help it. It felt so real to me.”

“We’ll check out the area if that makes you feel better.” Alice suggested.

“I couldn’t ask you guys to do that but, thank you for the offer.”

“It wouldn’t be much trouble.” Dean said.

“No really I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Rosalie asked.

“Yeah it’s okay, can we just keep this between us for now.

“Don’t worry, We won’t tell anyone else.” Rosalie said.

“Thank you.”

Jasper had returned to the table putting his arm around my should and kissing my head. I noticed he had someone else with him, that person being Edward.

“Been a while Edward, are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I feel a lot better.”

“Good.”

I then took Jasper’s hand feeling more content. It felt nice to tell somebody else about my dream. It was like a weight fell off my shoulders and my heart had returned to it’s normal pace. After Art and Calculus I made my way out of the building ready to head back home. Hopefully Bella would be in a better mood I didn’t want to fight today. I felt my arm being tugged on to turn me around... I of course knew who it was I guess him being back didn’t help he much.

“Yes, Bella?” I asked in a calm tone.

“Look I know you’re around the Cullens all the time what’s going on with Edward!? She demanded.

“I don’t know.” I lied.

“Don’t lie to me! How stupid do you think I am? Everything was going fine in Biology and then when I asked about his eyes he freaked out again.”

I held in a comment I didn’t want this to escalate.

“I am not lying Bella I don’t what is going on we never talk much.”

“Oh don’t give me that load of crap! Tell that freak of a boyfriend of yours to stop glaring at.”

“He can look where ever he wants to and he is not a freak. Don’t start something you can’t finished Bella. It won’t end well for you.” I said and started to walk away.

“Oh no your not, you’re not going to walk away from me again!.”

Before I could say anything else I heard the screeching of a van. It was heading right towards us. I pushed Bella out of harms ways as much as I wanted to rip her head off I wouldn’t let her get crushed by a van. But I didn’t have enough time to move myself. I put my hands up knowing that it would help the impact but, my instincts just told me to do that. I was suddenly knocked down hitting my head on the pavement. I looked up with blurry eyes to see Jasper holding me and stopping the van. My breath was stuttering I didn’t know what to do.

“Are you okay darlin? I feel pain.” He asked he amber eyes filled with worry.

“I’m fine. You need to go though you can get caught. We don’t need anyone getting suspicious about you guys.” I said.

He nodded, kissed my head then left. I was suddenly surrounded by students all of them shouting to call 911.

“Oh my gosh Fleur!”

“Are you okay?!”

“I’m calling 911 now.”

“I’m sorry Fleur I tried to stop!” I heard Tyler say, he had a cut on the side of his head

My head started spinning so I laid down before I closed my eyes though I saw Bella's face for once she didn’t look at me with hatred but, shock and worry.

#jasper hale x oc #jasper hale x reader #jasper hale #rosalie hale #emmett cullen #alice cullen #esme cullen #carlisle cullen #bella swan #twilight #twilight saga

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licieoic · 4 years

Photo

“The Seventh Prince” - Digital Oil Painting

Inspired by Suptober, theme: Switch it up! I’m a major fairy tale nerd, so I decided to go for a “Wild Swans” AU where Castiel is the seventh prince, the one stuck with a swan’s wing for an arm, and Dean is his personal knight/protector. Have a drabble under the cut, because I’m obsessed...

Please see the pinned post at the top of my Tumblr for my links if you'd like to help support me in saving for a safe place to live!

Dean applauded along with the rest of the wedding guests as the young queen kissed the king. Now that she was finally able to speak, it had seemed only right to have a second wedding, one where she could do more than nod. He still didn’t fully understand the particulars of why she’d needed to keep silent for seven years as she’d worked to undo a spell set upon her seven brothers, but he figured he didn’t really need to know. Magic didn’t come with handy explanations, magic just was.

Movement to his left drew his attention away from the happy couple and he saw his charge, Prince Castiel, rising to leave the garden where the wedding had taken place. Bound to protect him, Dean followed as he always did.

“I’m not going far, you don’t have to come with me,” said the prince, his rough voice a bit softer than usual.

“Actually, I do,” said Dean, before adding with respect, “your highness.”

“Suit yourself, Sir Winchester.”

“Will you ever call me Dean?” It was a question he asked often. “I hear ‘Sir Winchester’ and I think you’re talking about my father.”

“Perhaps someday.” It was the answer the prince always gave, though he seemed more preoccupied that day.

Dean hadn’t been Castiel’s knight protector for very long, but he thought he knew what had him so upset. Eying the red shawl that was perpetually wrapped around the prince’s left arm from daybreak when Dean would join him to sundown when he would leave for bed, Castiel only possessed one good arm, which left him unable to join in the happy applause for his sister.

The knight stayed only steps behind Castiel as they mounted a tall hill overlooking the nearby forest. They would often end up going on walks in this manner. Whenever his mood would darken, Castiel would always withdraw from his family rather than burden them with his melancholy. But Dean saw it all. The troubled expressions, the heavy sighs, the longing looks toward the horizon. Normally, he wouldn’t say anything, it wasn’t his place, but his heart had gone out to the prince. He seemed so lonely, so isolated. If he had to endure punishment for overstepping his boundaries, so be it.

“Do you, uh…” He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at the prince. “Is there anything you’d… like to, you know, talk about?”

Castiel flashed his vibrantly blue eyes at Dean and the knight tried to appear nonchalant, desperately hoping his face wasn’t turning red. It was painfully obvious that feelings and talking about them were not his forte, but he didn’t retract his offer. At first, Dean thought the prince might refuse or else ignore him entirely, but then he sighed.

“I was just thinking,” he said, looking back the way they’d come toward the wedding where the guests were beginning to move inside for the party. “This might be the last time all eight of us are together for a long while. Lucifer left pretty much as soon as the spell was broken, that was no surprise, but then Michael followed him soon after. Now Gabriel has been talking about leaving and seeing the world too. I have no doubt that the rest of my brothers will go at some point. And that leaves me. Here. Going nowhere.”

“You’ll always have the queen,” Dean pointed out.

“And I love her dearly,” said Castiel. “But she has her own family now, with two children who are terrified of me. Not that I can blame them.”

“Where would you go?”

Castiel shook his head. “I have no idea. But the desire is always there. The need to… just be free.” He lifted his head, casting his gaze over the tops of the trees where green met endless blue above. “I miss the sky.”

Dean blinked. “The sky?” Then the penny dropped. “You can’t fly.”

“Not anymore.”

Taking a step closer, Dean tentatively asked, “W-what’s it like?”

A small rare smile ghosted across Castiel’s lips and it was like a bit of sunshine peeking through the clouds. “Exhilarating. It was the only time I didn’t feel trapped in my own body. Swooping through the clouds, gliding on the wind like I was weightless, landing on water and floating like a ship, completely effortlessly.”

Dean’s heart was pounding just at the thought. “Sounds terrifying to me.”

Castiel chuckled and it felt like winning something. “I suppose it would.”

“Why couldn’t you go somewhere if you wanted to, like your brothers did? Just—not the sky.”

“And spread more rumors about the monster? I couldn’t.” He must have caught Dean’s expression because he added, “I know what’s said about me. It’s why I keep my distance from my family as much as possible. I don’t want them to be feared and whispered about as well.”

They were silent for a while. Castiel closed his eyes, lifting his face to the breeze. Dean kept his gaze on the prince, watching his dark hair play in the wind. He leaned his weight on one leg, his left hand going automatically to rest on the hilt of the dagger he always kept at his side. He could only imagine what Castiel was thinking, feeling so alone, essentially going from one cage to another, living in a body that was only mostly his.

“You’ll always have me,” he said, suddenly.

Castiel’s head snapped in his direction, his eyes wide, but then he scoffed. “That’s a nice thought—”

“I mean it,” Dean interrupted. “I want to stay. With you. I’ll always be by your side.”

The moment hung between them, heavy with things unsaid, though it was still far more than Dean had ever intended to say. He almost wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole, but then the prince would be alone and he’d just promised him he wouldn’t leave.

Slowly, but with far more dexterity than Dean would normally expect from someone with only one working hand, Castiel untied the knot of the sling wrapped around his left arm, then unwound the fabric and pulled it free.

All of Dean’s breath left him in a whoosh as the prince stretched out his wing, the feathers bright white in the afternoon sun, like the wing of an angel. It was so massive, even though they stood a few steps apart, Dean could swear he felt the tips brush his cheek as the wing extended past his head. It was softer than anything and left the knight with the crazy urge to bury his hands in it.

“Now do you understand?” Castiel asked. “Why I can never let anyone get too close?”

“It’s… beautiful,” blurted Dean, the first thought in his head tumbling out of his mouth like an idiot.

“Beautiful,” the prince repeated, his eyes dark as he lifted his face to look at the wing. “Sooner or later you would see it as I do. A curse. And you would ask to be assigned a new duty. One where you could forget about me.”

“I won’t,” said Dean, speaking quickly when Castiel opened his mouth to argue, “let me prove it to you.”

That seemed to bring the prince up short, making him pause in the act of folding his wing back down by his side. “How?”

“Let me stay with you.”

The wing settled, rippling elegantly. “For how long?”

Dean shrugged. “Well… as long as it takes.”

Castiel looked at him for a long moment and Dean wondered what he saw. Blue against green, like the sky meeting the forest.

“I’ll give you a year,” he said, at last. “If you remain by my side that long, I’ll believe you.”

“Only one year?” said Dean, giving him a teasing half-smile. “Why not seven?”

“I don’t think I’d be able to wait that long to claim you.”

It was Dean’s turn to be brought up short. “What?”

“And once mine, I won’t be able to let you go. Remember that.”

“Why? W-what would happen if I left then?” Was this more magic?

“It would kill me.” Castiel tilted his head in that maddening way he had. “Don’t you know?”

Dean shook his head. The prince closed the distance between them, reaching up with his right hand to touch Dean’s face. His thumb slid across the apple of his cheek as his fingers traced around the outside of his ear. Shivering, Dean resisted the urge to close his eyes.

“Swans mate for life… Dean.”

The knight’s stomach clenched involuntarily, hearing the prince use his given name for the first time. Swallowing thickly, he asked, “That a promise?”

Castiel’s deep blue eyes were stormy as he answered, “A warning.”

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whimsicallyenchantedrose · 3 years

Text

Dead Man’s Cell Phone--Epilogue

Summary: When Emma Swan starts getting phone calls and texts from an unfamiliar number, she decides to check it out–only to discover the number belongs to a Killian Jones, who was killed in a robbery gone wrong six months ago. With some help from a medium, Merlin Emrys, Emma hopes to find out why a dead guy is contacting her–and why she feels such a strong pull to someone she has never met before.

Rating: K+

Tagging a few people who may be interested (Let me know if you want to be added or taken off the list): @sailormew4 @annaamell @flslp87 @emmateo26 @bethacaciakay @ultraluckycatnd @effulgent-mind @ilovemesomekillianjones@kat2609 @brooke-to-broch @missgymgirl @galadriel26 @the-lady-of-misthaven @charmingturkeysandwich @jennjenn615 @laschatzi @kimmy46 @snowbellewells @iamanneenigma @daxx04 @nickillian @a-rose-for-a-savior@in-spirational @gillie @britishguyslover @ginnyjinxedandhanshotritafirst@kmomof4 @linda8084 @golfgirld @captain-swan-coffee @searchingwardrobes @hollyethecurious @laughswaytoomuch@allyourdarlingswans @winterbaby89 @facesiousbutton82 @cssns @therooksshiningknight, @lfh1226-linda @tiganasummertree @eastwesthomeisbest @dreamingdreamsalways @xsajx @justren21 @laughterandbooks @cocohook38 @therealstartraveller776 @jrob64 @resident-of-storybrooke

Welcome to my entry for the Captain Swan Supernatural Summer! A big thank you to @cssns, the ladies on the Discord! Thank you also to @eastwesthomeisbest, my artist and my beta @veryverynotgood!

Other Chapters: Prologue 1 2 3

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

One year later

“It’s time, Little Brother. Are you ready for this?” Liam asked, giving the bowtie of his tux one more straightening tug.

Killian ran a hand through his hair, examining his appearance in the mirror. He looked rather dashing if he did say so himself. “Younger brother,” he murmured affectionately. It had been rather a running thing between them since they were lads. “And aye. I’m more than ready. I would have wed her after our first date if she’d have had me.”

Liam laughed as they climbed the stairs and emerged onto the library roof, now decorated with a bower of blooms and a velvet aisle between rows of chairs, filled with all of their closest family and friends. “I trust you for that, Killian,” he said. “It was plain to me from the first time I saw you together that the lass had stolen your heart clean away.”

Killian smiled as he took his spot at the end of the aisle and his brother and best man stood beside him. “I’ll not deny that. Given the way we met, it would have been pointless to deny our connection, and doing so would have prevented an entire year of bliss--although as I recall, you weren’t too keen on Swan to begin.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “I was merely trying to protect you. I must admit to a bit of selfishness as well. After all, it was clear you’d go to the ends of the earth for her. I had no doubt it was only a matter of time before you’d be leaving me for the States permanently. In any case, I’ve seen the error of my ways, and I did apologize.”

“That you did,” Killian agreed with a nod.

It had been quite a year since he’d woken from his coma. He and Emma had begun dating immediately, and it had been as though they’d been together all their lives. Their relationship held the comfort of a long union and the excitement of something new. It was the best of both worlds.

For a few months they’d endured a long distance relationship, each of them taking turns visiting the other, but it soon became apparent that Zoom calls, texts, and the occasional, far too short, in-person meeting simply wasn’t enough for either one of them.

And so, as Liam had alluded to, he’d decided to move to Storybrooke. He’d taken a job at the docks and then eventually started a charter service where he took patrons on sails around the harbor.

Six months after they began dating, Killian took Emma on a midnight sail under the stars. There, he’d gotten to one knee, pledged his heart to her forever and asked for her hand in marriage. To his everlasting joy, she’d said yes.

The ensuing half year had consisted in a flurry of wedding preparations. Emma’s sister-in-law and best friend had been rather insistent on throwing her the wedding of the season.

And so here they were, only minutes away from pledging themselves to each other for the rest of their lives.

In the end, the choice of wedding officiant had been rather a no-brainer. If it hadn’t been for Merlin and his help, Emma and Killian may never have met. Killian might still be languishing in a coma.

And so, when Merlin took his place at the end of the aisle and clapped Killian companionably on the back, Killian shook his hand heartily, feeling the need to thank the man yet again.

It was then that the music started, and Killian’s attention was drawn to the other end of the aisle where his bride stood smiling, arm in arm with her brother David. Killian felt the tears swell at the sight of her, so beautiful in her lacy white dress and veil that he was overwhelmed.

Killian watched a single tear trail down her radiant face as she slowly walked toward him. The rest of their life was about to begin, and he couldn’t wait to take this adventure with her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the back stood three chairs, marked off as reserved. To all eyes the chairs appeared quite empty.

To all eyes, but Merlin’s, that is.

He saw the truth. The chairs were occupied by the spirits of Graham Humbert, Arthur Pendragon and a woman Merlin had never sensed before, but a woman whose identity he knew well enough.

Alice Jones, Killian’s late mother.

When Emma and Killian had asked Merlin to officiate at their wedding, they’d made another, rather unorthodox request as well.

“Is there any way we could, like, invite Graham and Arthur?” Emma asked. “I mean, it’s really because of them we’re even together. I don’t want to, you know, disturb them if they’re all happy and everything in the afterlife, but it would mean a lot to have them there.”

And so, in lieu of a bridal shower, Emma had held a seance, she and Killian the only guests, other than Merlin himself. Graham had appeared as soon as he’d been called, although it took a bit more persuasion to bring Arthur back to the land of the living.

The two spirits had been delighted at Emma and Killian’s happy news, and had readily agreed to be guests at their wedding. Just before returning to their everlasting reward after the seance, Graham had taken Merlin aside.

“There is someone else who very much wants to attend,” he’d said. “Killian’s mother has been watching over her little boy all his life, and she couldn’t be happier at the turn his life has taken. She wishes to share in his joy.”

Graham asked for Alice’s presence to be a secret, to be revealed only at the right time. Merlin smiled as he guided Emma and Killian through the ceremony that would knit their hearts together forever. Once the formal events of the day were over, he’d bring the newlyweds back to reconnect with their most mysterious guests.

“By the power vested in me, I now declare you husband and wife,” Merlin proclaimed joyously.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Killian took his brand new wife into his arms, connecting his lips with hers.

“You may kiss the bride,” Merlin said, rather unnecessarily, as the gathered assembly chuckled indulgently. “Are you ready for your happy beginning?”

The End!

Notes:

--Well there you have it! Happy endings for everyone.

--Thank you to everyone who read, liked and commented on this story! You’re support has meant so much to me!

#cssns21 #captain swan supernatural summer #my fanfiction #cs ghost story au #sort of #dead man's cell phone

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tooweirdforyou · 3 years

Text

Luffy With A S/O Who Has A Tattoo Of The Jolly Roger

A/N : this is a request from my sister so I’m excited to post this! This was actually really cute so I hope you enjoy! :)

Summary : In which, one day, Luffy finds out about his female significant other’s hidden tattoo of the crew’s Jolly Roger.

note : if you all would like a post of where the crewmates might have their Jolly Roger, or have any ideas or thoughts yourselves, please share! I’d love to hear it.

“The crew is rather lively today, aren’t they?”

You smile at the sight of Luffy running around with a water gun, chasing after Usopp and Chopper and spraying them with it.

Nami and Robin sat on the lawn chairs beside you, the shade of the umbrella taking over your bodies to protect from the heat of the sun.

Nami was wearing a white bikini, Robin wearing a black bikini top with a white skirt that reached her knees, while you settled in a white tank top and some light blue denim shorts.

Sanji was coming down from the upper deck, having just exited the kitchen with a silver plate of beverages on top.

Brook and Franky sat off to the side, Brook drinking his tea and enjoying the sight of the trio, while Franky watches in amusement as well, whilst tinkering with his torso.

Zoro laid by the railing, swords at his side and arms crossed with his body leaned back. His eyes were closed and he was resting, but you could tell he was listening in to everything.

“They always are.. it seems we can never get just ten minutes of peace.” Nami exhales heavily, shaking her head disappointedly as the sound of yells and laughter filled the air.

Nami’s comment caused Robin to giggle as she turns the page in her book, that was resting on her lap.

“It’s always fun with them around.” She points out, keeping her eyes trained on her book.

You laugh along as well, Nami only sulking for a brief moment before seeing Sanji returning with fresh drinks for them.

“Nami-swan~, Robin-dear~, [Name]-chan!~ here are your freshly made beverages!~” Sanji sang, lowering his hand with the plate down, setting down the drinks onto the table for the three of you.

“Thank you, Sanji.” You and Robin thank the blonde in unison, Nami immediately grabbing the glass and smiling brightly. “Thanks, Sanji.”

As Sanji swoons at the three of you, you turn back to your captain and lover and call out to him with a grin.

“Luffy! Are you thirsty? Come here, Sanji made drinks!”

Ignoring Sanji’s small protests that it was only meant for the ladies, Luffy’s eyes lit up and he grins brightly right at you. “Ooh, yeah!”

He quickly runs over, still dodging Usopp’s and Chopper’s water attacks with ease before landing right in front of you.

His straw hat hung around his neck, resting on his upper back and wore nothing but his red shorts. Water glistened against his skin in the sun from the splashes of water from Usopp’s shot.

“Seems like you’re having fun.” You sit up from your chair and held out the fresh glass that Sanji had placed down for you, holding it out for Luffy, who took it after thanking you.

Luffy stands in front of you and brings the glass to his lips, taking a long sip before exhaling in satisfaction.

Luffy smugly grins. “Shishishi~, Yeah, I keep hitting Usopp and Chopper easily! They kind of suck at aiming.” He mindlessly states aloud with a laugh, Usopp’s brow twitching at his words.

“Oh yeah?..” Usopp began fiercely pumping his water gun before smirking and pointing it at Luffy’s back. “I’ll show you the skills of Mighty God Usopp! Sniper King!” He shouts and pulls the trigger instantly.

Luffy only grins cheekily and moves aside before the water made impact.

Unfortunately, you became the target.

With Luffy having moved aside, you were shot in the face which resulted in your clothes and body to become wet and completely soaked.

“Haha! You missed again!” Luffy laughs wholeheartedly at the sight of your wet form, pointing at Usopp as he doubled over from laughter.

Nami and Sanji gasps at the sight, Sanji’s anger building up as he shouts at Usopp. “USOPP! YOU BETTER GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW! HOW DARE YOU SHOOT [NAME]-CHAN!?”

Usopp sweatdrops at Sanji as Brook’s laughter fills the air. “Yohohoho~ that was quite unexpected!” Franky joins in the laughter as well. “That was definitely a suupperr~ shot!”

Robin giggles and smiles. “That was certainly quite the aim. Are you alright, [Name]-san?” She hums, turning over to you, who was recovering from the shock and wiping your wet face.

You couldn’t surpress the smile forming as you chuckle lightly yourself. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just water.”

Seeing Chopper walk over with a hand towel, you smile gratefully to the little reindeer who was currently in his monster point.

“Sorry, [Name]! We didn’t mean to get you involved.” He apologetically smiles, you taking the towel from his hands and began wiping your face.

“No worries, Chopper.” You assure him, standing up straight to go change when Nami audibly gasp at the sight of your back, her eyes widening.

“Huh? What’s that on your back, [Name]?”

Since you got wet, your shirt was wet as well and the water expanded towards the back of your shirt, so it exposed your skin.

You hum questioningly and turn around to see her eyeing your back, the others widening their eyes at the sight of it, besides Zoro and Luffy.

“Woah! Is that what I think it is, [Name]?!” Usopp gasp in awe at the sight.

“When did you get that done, [Name]-san?” Robin asks, sitting up and setting her book onto the table.

“My, that’s quite a magnificent sight.” Brook hums, nodding at it.

“YA-OW! That looks great, [Name]!” Franky grins, giving a thumbs up towards you.

“It’s really cute! When did you do it?” Nami smiles, leaning closer to inspect it properly.

“No matter what it is, even if it was something else, it sure looks amazing on you, [Name]-chan~!” Sanji swoons, admiring it.

“Ah, it looks amazing, [Name]!” Chopper compliments, returning to his smaller usual form.

You bring the towel down from your face and smile at the others. “Thanks! I got it done in the last island we visited.”

“Got what done?” Luffy tilts his head in confusion, crossing his arms at the others’ awe of your back.

He didn’t understand. You didn’t look different. “Did you get a haircut or something?”

You laugh softly at him and shake your head at his question. “Nothing like that. Here.”

You turned around and moved your hair and towel down. You then lifted the hem of your shirt to expose your lower back.

Zoro, who was listening in, opens his eye to see what the crew was so excited about. His eye widens before a small smirk took over his lips. “I see, not bad.” He hums, approving of it.

Luffy just blinks a bit, staring at your back blankly before his eyes widens in surprise, completely shocked from the sight.

“EHH?! NO WAY!”

Right on your back, similar to the place Ace had his tattoo, was your own tattoo of the ship’s Jolly Roger, just a bit lower.

A skull with crossbones, as well as a straw hat, printed cleanly across your skin and matched well, as if it was always there from the beginning.

“Cute, right?” You grin at Luffy’s reaction, pulling down your wet shirt again and faced your captain.

“I thought it’d be nice to have the mark of the Straw Hats. What better than the Jolly Roger?”

The others smiled at your response and hum. “The tattoo looks great, [Name]. I wish you could have told us, maybe we could have had one with you.” Nami sighs and you giggle softly.

“Don’t worry yourselves about having to get one. If you guys want one too, be my guest, but this was just my own choice is all.” You say, waving your hand dismissively towards her with a gentle smile.

“Man, that’s so cool! Why didn’t you tell me about this before?!” Luffy eagerly shouts, eyes turning into stars for a moment before he looks up at you excitedly.

“I guess I must’ve forgot.” You sheepishly hum, rubbing the back of your neck with your hand. “Anyways, at least you guys saw it now.”

Before the others could question you any further, you pick up your stuff left on the lawn chair and smile at the crew. “Well, since I’m soaking wet and I’m getting cold, I’m going to go ahead and shower first.”

With that, you began walking off with a small hum of a tune, making your way over towards the bedroom to grab your change of clothes first.

Luffy watches as you go, a small grin still across his face as he chuckles heartily. “Shishishi, I didn’t know [Name] had a tattoo of the Jolly Roger. That’s really cool!”

“It is unexpected of her to suddenly get a tattoo or mark out of the blue.. but that’s our [Name]-san! Yohohoho!~” Brook joyfully laughs, Usopp smiling and nodding in agreement. “It’s definitely the real thing, it looks just like it too.”

“I wonder why she chose her back of all places though.” Chopper innocently hums, glancing down at his water gun and shook it to see if there was still water in it.

“In any case, it looks great and that’s all that matters. For now, I’ll get started on dinner.” Sanji smiles, taking a cigarette out of his carton and lit it up with his lighter.

“EXTRA MEAT FOR DINNER, SANJI! MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!”

“ALRIGHT ALREADY! STOP YELLING!”

You let out a satisfied and pleased breath, letting the towel rest around your shoulders and hair air dry. You wore a t-shirt and shorts this time, feeling comfortable from your shower.

Going into your bedroom, you became startled at the sight of Luffy sprawled across your bed with his eyes closed.

“Oh, Luffy.”

Hearing your voice, Luffy snaps awake and sits straight up. His body was still wet from earlier so it did dampen your sheets a bit, but you didn’t mind.

“[Name]. Took you long enough!” Luffy hums, crossing his arms with a pout forming on his lips. “I was waiting for you.”

Your eyes soften at his action and you smile lightly. “Sorry, Luffy. I lost track of time while I was in there.” You explain, making your way over to the dresser, picking up the hairbrush.

Luffy nods, signaling he understood as he watched you began heading towards him and took a seat at the edge of the bed, where it wasn’t wet.

You began brushing your hair, noticing that Luffy was staring at you and you glance over. “Something wrong?”

“Can I see it again?”

Knowing what he meant, you turn so your back faced him and lifted the back of your shirt to expose the skin.

Luffy stares blankly for a few seconds before giving a small smile.

“..you chose that spot for Ace, didn’t you?”

Your eyes widen at his question before a gentle smile appeared on your lips. Nodding, you spoke. “Yes, I did.”

Luffy looks down, his smile widening slowly before he eventually looks back up with a cheerful grin and closed eyes.

“I see. Shishishi! Well, it looks great!”

Luffy reaches his hand over and carefully glided his fingers across your tattoo-covered skin, admiring the sight of his mark on your back.

A warm smile casted over his face as he then pulls your body back into his chest and hugs you tight.

“On the next island, I’ll get the same as you, but I’ll get it on my chest! Sound good?” Luffy hums, arms wrapping around you as you leaned into him.

You chuckle heartily at him and nod. “Sounds good, Luffy.” You turn your head and peck his cheek lightly, causing Luffy to smile wider.

Luffy returns a kiss onto your head and smiles lovingly with pink-tinted cheeks.

“I love you, [Name]!” Despite his voice sounding so cheerful and childish, it was the most sincere tone you’ve heard from him.

You smile back at him with closed eyes, hands placing themselves onto Luffy’s arms around you as you curled into him more. “I love you, Luffy.”

“Oi, dinner’s ready!” Sanji’s voice calls from the kitchen, and you hum. “Mmh, it seems Sanji has finished cooking.”

“Yeah, Sanji made lots of meat! Let’s go already, [Name]!” He quickly lets go of his hold on you, leaping off the bed as you sat up straight and fixed your shirt.

“Okay.” Luffy grabs your hand and began pulling you up and out of the room, quickly heading to the kitchen to feast on the delicious dinner awaiting you both.

“Time to eat!”

A/N : heyyy, hope you guys liked this and enjoyed! :D I thought it was cute.

#tooweirdforyou #one piece #one piece x reader #op x reader #x reader #luffy x reader #monkey d. luffy #monkey d. luffy x reader #op #one piece scenario #scenario

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bosspigeon · 3 years

Text

a space between the shadows

My VERY last-minute prompt fill for @wayhavensummer, which turned into YET ANOTHER character study of my Sad Werewolf Detective~ Prompt: 🌈First Pride, Belonging Pairing: Adam/Male Detective, Bonus Found Family Vibes~ Words: 2137 Summary: Arlo has some... complex feelings around his identity, his relationship with his closest friend, and who he is supposed to be in a place like Wayhaven. CW for allusions to homophobia, slurs, and implications of religious trauma/bigotry

Seeing as someone actually bothered to submit paperwork this time, Arlo feels it’s safe to assume there will be no (or at least fewer) strange supernatural occurrences involved in this festival. Still, he’s not sure what to make of it.

“I don’t… have to go, do I?” he asks Tina.

Tina blinks slowly at him, as if he’s suddenly become the stupidest creature to ever draw breath. “Yes,” she says simply.

“I’m just a detective, and it’s Wayhaven, it won’t be anything crazy, so I don’t have to be there to keep things—”

“Oh, no, of course not,” she interjects, well acquainted with his nervous babbling by now. He’s barely exhaled his relieved sigh when she leans her elbows on his desk and grins in his face. “We’re going in a purely civilian capacity.”

“But I don’t want to,” he says quietly, and he knows he sounds like a pouty little kid, but he can’t help it.

Tina pouts mockingly right back at him. “I don’t care.”

And that sort of sums up their entire relationship, he thinks.

Adam, of course, is about as pleased as Arlo is. Unfortunately, Adam has not yet learned what Arlo knew by sixteen— that there is no force in the known universe more powerful than Tina Poname's stubbornness. She simply can't be defeated.

"She's a little bisexual juggernaut," Arlo sighs. He's annoyed, sure, but he can't keep the fondness from his tone as he watches her swan back and forth from the safety of the sitting room.

Naturally, Tina and Felix get on like a house on fire, and the two of them have commandeered Arlo's studio. The floor is a minefield of water cups, washable paint, and drying posters. Felix has Tina's flag tied around his neck like a cape.

Mason disappeared the second the first tube of paint was popped open, though his sharpy retort of "I like what I like" when Tina asked what his persuasion was (so that she could make him a poster as well) did launch her into her practiced dissertation on the intricacies of bi and pan identities, and how they mean similar things, how at their core neither are meant to be exclusive, and it is simply a matter of personal identity and choice which one suits an individual best.

"Have you been to a Pride festival before?" Nate asks, setting down two mugs of tea on Arlo's coffee table, carefully out of the way of the map of Wayhaven he and Adam are poring over. More for Adam's peace of mind than anything. It's mostly taking place in the local park, and while there will be a parade, the route is short enough to keep things contained.

"Yeah, once," Arlo says with a shrug, and he and Adam are sitting close enough on the sofa for their shoulders to brush with the motion. "When I was at uni."

Nate hums and sits down in the armchair across from them. "I assume it was… unpleasant for you?"

Arlo smiles, flustered, and rubs at the back of his neck. "It was fine. Fun, even. I mean, I went to art school, so the turnout was great. Nerve-wracking, yeah, because so many people, but seeing your anthropology professor riding a mechanical bull in little more than nipple pasties is one hell of a distraction."

He can feel the scandalized look Adam is giving him, but he knows if he turns to meet his eyes, he'll blush all the way to his hairline, so he sips deeply from his mug instead.

Nate tilts his head, lips pursed. There's a brief twitch of amusement to them, but it settles as his brow furrows thoughtfully. "I'm afraid I don't understand. If you had a good time at the last festival you attended, why are you so hesitant to participate in one closer to home?"

Arlo looks down at his mug, thumbing at a chip in the black enamel, exposing an ellipse of white ceramic underneath. The silence is heavy, and he knows if he lets it go on too long, Nate's going to start apologizing, so he sighs hard through his nose before he barrels on. "It's… it's different here. Back at school, I wasn't… I wasn't the Detective's weird brat. I was just Priestley, the weird performing arts major." He picks a little harder at his mug. "Might sound odd, but I didn't have to perform there, not the way I do here. I could just be Arlo. Not a shadow. Just… the fuckoff huge goth from your sociology lecture hall who just so happens to like men."

He doesn't look up, but he can tell Nate is chewing over the information. As he considers, Adam shifts on the sofa, closing the bare inch of space between them so their thighs press together. Arlo peeks up, and Adam's giving him that look. The one that makes him go all soft around the edges. "I know small towns can be… conservative," he begins, and his mouth twists distastefully around the word. "But I have never gotten the impression that Wayhaven was…"

"Anything but refreshingly progressive," Nate finishes for him.

Arlo looks up with a wry smile. "Yeah, no, it's great on that front. I'm damned lucky I didn't have to grow up with Rebecca's family. It's just…" He shifts his weight, and before he can sprout claws to really start menacing his poor mug, Adam plucks it from his hands and sets it out of the way. "There's a legacy for me here," he murmurs. "One I never asked for. Sure, I don't have to worry about getting called slurs," he chews his lip, "at least, not anymore after the whole Graham thing, but I'm still… I don't really get to be me here. People here don't look at me and see Arlo. They see Rook's kid. They see Detective Priestley the Second." He huffs out a laugh. "I didn't even get to come out on my own here. I honestly don't think I ever have outside of school. Everyone knows everything they want to know about me, because I've been a landmark since I was born. This month, it's just a landmark with a rainbow flag."

Nate is giving him that sad-eyed look he gets whenever Arlo and Rebecca get into it. The one that says he wants to help, but he's not sure how.

Arlo rubs his hands over the worn denim of his dark jeans, picking at a frayed thread. There’s a spiderweb of cracks forming in the fresh coat of black polish on his thumb where the nail has begun to thicken in response to his emotional state. He sighs a little, but he doesn’t have the time to sink too deeply into his own head, because there is a pale hand creeping cautiously over his.

“Why do it, then?” Adam asks, head tilted and brows drawn, as if he truly doesn’t understand. “Officer Poname cares deeply for you. I am sure she would understand if you were honest with her.” His lips twitch faintly, and the smile he gives Arlo is touching in its earnest, if stilted, effort. “Bisexual juggernaut or no. Though, she is only little to you.”

Arlo snickers weakly, turning his face away so he can hide behind the fall of his hair. Adam doesn’t let him hide, though, brushing it out of his face, knuckles skimming the detective’s cheekbone. Arlo can’t help but sigh and lean into the touch, eyes fluttering closed.

There’s a crash and a cry from the other room, but it’s Nate’s startled noise that makes the two of them leap apart as if burned, putting a few inches of space between them.

Arlo’s face flushes hotly when Nate smiles at them, and there’s a mischievous twinkle to his dark eyes. “I wonder what that’s about!” he exclaims, clapping his hands together and springing to his feet. “I’ll go check on them, shall I? Make sure they’re not causing too much trouble.” And before Arlo can even stutter out a… something—an explanation, or maybe an apology for third-wheeling the poor man—Nate is striding off towards the studio with a spring in his step the detective can’t help but find incredibly mocking.

He closes the door behind him with a parting smile and a decisive click.

They’re left on the sofa sitting guiltily apart like a pair of teenagers caught canoodling, and surprisingly it’s Adam who breaks the stalemate by huffing through his nose and turning to Arlo again, reaching out for his hand and tugging it between his own. “You were saying?” he presses gently, his thumb tracing ticklish lines alone Arlo’s palm.

Arlo tilts his head and sighs “I guess I just… Tina’s like my sister, you know? And we wound up going to different universities in different cities, and I didn’t really get to share any of those big milestones with her. She’s not the type to be jealous I made other friends or went and had fun without her, but it feels sort of… I want to be able to share this with her, since she was one of the first people who ever bothered to… to not just care about me, but to care about me enough to…” He furrows his brow and chews at his lip, trying to figure out how to make sense of the feelings he’s never really been able to express out loud. “Neither of us belonged here, really. Sure, I was born here, but I never really felt like I was supposed to be here. I just felt like I was filling a space someone more important than me left vacant.”

He looks down at Adam’s hands, sturdy and strong, tangled up around his freckled, long-fingered one. He swallows. “Tina’s the one who looked at that space, then decided it wasn’t for either of us, and she carved out one that was.” He smiles fondly, thinking of the way Tina bullied her way into his lonely life and gave it some much-needed color. “She made a space where we could both fit. It was messy, and awkward, and we were still outcasts, but we were outcasts together.” He laughs, and it sounds suspiciously wet even to his own ears. Thankfully, Adam doesn’t bring attention to it. “Christ, I’m rambling. Does this make any sense at all?”

Adam is quiet, thoughtful for a moment, but he squeezes Arlo’s fingers to draw his eyes up again. He’s smiling, a real smile, one that Arlo is seeing more and more these days. A man could get addicted to a smile like that. “It does,” he murmurs, bringing Arlo’s hand to his mouth to brush a kiss to his palm. It’s such a simple little touch, it barely lasts a second, but it steals all the air from Arlo’s lungs.

Adam shifts, and his face scrunches a bit. “While I won’t say I am looking forward to the chaos, I am…” He looks up at Arlo again, his brows drawn, his jaw set with the same fierce determination with which he stares down trappers. “I am honored to share this with you.”

It is really not fair, the way he can just say things like that, things that would sound trite and cheesy coming from anyone else, with such naked honesty. Arlo has no choice but to kiss him. He’s rewarded by a sweet, startled noise rumbling against his mouth, but he draws back before they can get too distracted, seeing as their friends are just a room away. If Adam is pouting, Arlo’s certainly not going to be the one to tell him.

“I guess, in a way, it’s a first for the both of us, right?” he coughs, just to ease the heavy atmosphere a bit. “My first Pride in Wayhaven, and your first entirely.” He pokes Adam in the chest. “We’ll have to get you a flag. You look good in pastels.”

“Are you certain the rainbow is not too at odds with your aesthetic?” Adam teases in return.

“Goth is a state of mind,” Arlo replies archly.

They laugh quietly together, shifting again to close the distance between them. Adam turns to face Arlo more fully, their shoulders bumping in a way that is incredibly comforting in its charming awkwardness. “What is wrong with Agent Priestley’s family?” he asks, keeping his voice low so as not to draw the attention of their companions chattering in the other room.

Arlo tries to smile, but it comes off as more of a tense grimace. “Catholic,” he snorts.

Adam’s expression mirrors his so perfectly, Arlo has to clap a hand over his mouth so he doesn’t bark out a laugh. “Ah,” the vampire says primly. “I understand.”

Arlo gives up and collapses against the vampire, snickering helplessly into his neck.

#the wayhaven chronicles #wayhavensummer #adam du mortain #a du mortain #tina poname #i hope this makes any sort of sense #i know i kinda went off the wall w the prompt #but my logic is that there's ANOTHER prompt that will be for the actual festival #so this is more an introduction to the First Pride????#fhdkjashdkjsg if its bad its bad okay #yeehaw #oc: arlo priestley #arlo's issues aren't with his identity so much as with the fact that his identity never really mattered to people in wayhaven #just who his parents are #arlo wants to be allowed to be himself without feeling like he has to live up to someone else first #and tina helped him with that #tina is the one who helped him feel pride #so he wants to be able to share this with her #its not directly mentioned here but naturally adam is trans yeehaw #pidge writes

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wallwriterstuff · 3 years

Note

Hi! Can I please request a Demetri x mate!human!fem!reader where she’s Bella’s younger sister, and when the Volturi come for Renesmee, the Cullens tell her to stay with Charlie, since they had a bunch of vampires with them plus the Volturi showing up, it’d be bad with a human in the mix. Being related to Bella (haha) she doesn’t listen, choosing to hide behind a tree to try to see how Bella and her family are (she was worried what the Volturi would do). I’m sure everyone would realize there’s a human there, and Aro sends Demetri to check it out, who finds Y/n, and quickly realizes she’s his mate. Ooo that would be nerve racking to Bella because she’d see Dem speed her younger sister over to where all the Volturi are. I’m sure she’d have to go back to Volterra with them, and she’d be a little freaked out. Awhhh it’d be so cute to see them bond, and on New Year’s, she wants to watch the ball drop (because it’s a tradition), and when it’s the New Year, she kisses Dem for the first time!

Little Red Riding Hood Part 1 ||Demetri Volturi x Female Reader||

Part 2: The Big Bad Wolf

Part 3: What Soft Lips You Have

Part 4: And They Lived Happily Ever After

Warnings: None, just Aro being a manipulative little meanie

Words: 4793

Summary: Against her sister’s advice, Y/N Swan sets off on a one woman mission to protect her family, unaware of the price she will have to pay to do so.

One of the worst habits you had was wondering the house late at night when you shouldn’t be. It wasn’t your fault really, insomnia didn’t have an easy cure and your sleeping medication was…well, when you woke up in the morning you felt drunk, they weren’t really something you enjoyed using. It had been an innocent quest really, a simple mission – get a warm mug of milk to go back to bed with. If anything, you were perfectly in the right to go wandering your own home. It should have been safe, even at 3:24AM.

Riley Biers shouldn’t have been there.

But he was.

In your living room.

And so were you.

Until you weren’t.

Alice had seen it all in advance of course and whisked you out of that room so fast the venom hadn’t even had time to properly enter your system after Riley bit down. Charlie hadn’t even been woken from his slumber by the time you were whisked into the depths of the forest to a nice little clearing where you could scream to your hearts content and nobody would hear you. Carlisle had saved you that night, sucking the venom out as quickly as Riley had injected it. The night that had followed was a surreal, whistle stop tour of the vampire world and its laws, laws you were technically breaking since you knew about the Cullen’s now. Of course, that meant you knew about the newborn army to, but you decided to stay out of that one. Some things however…some things demanded your attention, and whether you were human or not you simply had to at least see your family would be okay.

After a whirlwind few months your sister was saved, married and knocked up. Come Christmas, your hybrid niece was looking to be nine years old and your father was suspicious but none the wiser to the world you knew all too much about. You had carefully hidden your bitemark with polo necks, a sudden and bizarre choice your father had commented on once but quickly dismissed after you spouted some fashion facts Alice had prepared you with – fashion and Charlie did not mix and he dropped that conversation faster than one might drop a saucepan on fire. Of course, Renesmee (who you had created a variety of nicknames for just to tease Bella because otherwise you…well you’d have to call her Renesmee, and that was just cruel) was unique in every way, and unique and unknown equated to threat and danger in many minds, many minds the Cullen’s had slowly swayed over the few weeks since Alice had informed them of their impending death sentence.

You hadn’t been allowed to visit since the nomads and covens had started arriving, and though you understood the reason it didn’t make it any easier to know your sister, your niece, your extended family, were all in danger and you weren’t getting to spend what might be their last moments with them. It was only made worse when Bella and Edward had brought your father tickets to go fishing out of state, and tried to do the same to you. You loved your TV shows, truly you did, so for them to somehow get you backstage passes for Supernatural of all things was…immense. What you hated the most was how tempted you were to go. Who would say no to a long stay in a five star hotel, all expenses paid for and any bills you accumulated paid for by a Cullen, bottomless credit card?

When Edward and Bella had dropped you at the airport, part of you really had been ready to say goodbye to them, but as you stood in line for the gate the heavy weight of guilt settled in your gut and wouldn’t stop squirming. You had to turn back, you had to go. Nobody knew when the Volturi were going to land exactly, but you knew the day, and with Charlie and Sue gone for their fishing trip you would have nobody to stop you doing the incredibly dumb thing you had set your heart on. The taxi fare home had been extortionate but you couldn’t exactly have called anyone for a lift could you? You called the hotel and told them you were cancelling your stay, having to push your backstage pass for the Supernatural set deep into the depths of your bag to manage the grief of missing that opportunity, but family came first.

A restless night’s sleep later and you were dressing for the snow. It had fell fast and thick since Christmas day, so you had to set out early if you were going to get anywhere fast. Bella was your sister and you loved one another dearly, so of course you had spoken all about the upcoming battle, her hopes and her fears, her plans.

“There’s a clearing to the North of the house, we’re hoping if we engage them there it’ll be far enough away from people to stop anyone else getting involved by accident.”

Clearing to the North of the Cullen residence, right. With your Grandfather’s old compass you had set out, bundled in your thickest woollen coat and decked out the whole nine yards with scarves and hats and gloves. The air was freezing, nipping harshly at your exposed skin till your ears and nose were tinged red. Sniffling, you trudged through the layers of snow, stumbling over your own feet once or twice in the hereditary Swan way before regaining your footing and ploughing on. The trees seemed never-ending, an identical blanket of white on each and every one that towered above you, encroaching from all sides and making you lose all sense of direction. If it wasn’t for the compass in your hand you could have easily gotten lost in the winter wonderland, but a break in the treeline finally made an appearance. Numb as your extremities were, you forced your tired body to cooperate and propelled yourself forward, stumbling towards a tree you might be able to see past.

The forest was eerily silent, not a single scuttling animal or twittering bird to be found today, and the clearing itself was so large and the covens spread so far apart you could barely see a thing either, not with your dull, human eyes. A swarm of black gave away the Volturi, the mismatch of beiges and neutral tones on the left letting you know your family had yet to be taken down. A sigh of relief escaped you and you clapped a hand over your mouth in alarm, heart skipping a beat in your chest. Vampires had extremely sensitive hearing, there was no way somebody hadn’t heard you, and if it wasn’t the sigh that gave you away then it would surely have been the sound of mitten slapping flesh. Pressing into the bark you peeked around the tree trunk, heart hammering in your chest now as you tried to establish what was happening. You couldn’t hear a thing, could barely see. Ness sat atop Jacob, his russet fur glinting in the bright white of the snow-covered landscape.

“It all looks so terribly interesting from this distance does it not?” the smooth voice was right by your ear, and you screamed louder than you ever had in your life. Whirling around you shrunk back from the vibrantly red eyes of an admittedly handsome man, his expression devoid of any emotion as he looked you over. He had boxed you in against the tree trunk, his cloak billowing about him, the shiny, golden ‘V’ hanging around his throat making your chest constrict. Volturi, he was a Volturi guard. With wide eyes you stood in a silent stare-off, unable to decipher the emotions flickering through his eyes as he stood a step toward you.

“Stay away from me!” you cried, cringing back into the bark behind you. His head tilted.

“You came to spy and did not expect there would be consequences?” he asked, not stopping till he was almost on top of you. Your breath hitched. He had the most gorgeous looking face but you could identify the features of a killer in it. The glowing red irises didn’t look at you with malice however, more…confusion. His sharp, pearl white teeth weren’t bared to take your throat out but carefully sealed away behind plush lips. You could almost believe he didn’t intend on hurting you if his hands weren’t still reaching for you.

“You’re here to butcher my family, I had to…” you trailed off, because in reality what could you do? What could you possible say to this vampire that wouldn’t make him laugh? You were human, you stood no chance. He had paused, waiting patiently for your answer, yet when you gave him none he proceeded to pick you up like you weighed next to nothing, your feet being whisked out of the numbing snow to dangle over his arm. His eyes never left yours.

“Hold tight little one.” He suggested, his voice devoid of any emotion. If there had been any part of him you might have been able to appeal to before it was gone now, hidden behind a stony exterior. The world blurred around you and the jarring movement thew you off balance as he set you on your feet again, your body tilting in a way it shouldn’t till he was forced to grab you and hold you steady. Nausea rose quickly in the back of your throat, the world still spinning and blurring your eyes. You could see the edges of black cloaks swirling in your vision as you fought back the urge to be sick. There was no way to hide your anxiety now, your heart hammering away for all to hear, your breathing too quick to be normal.

“You seem to have distressed our dear friends, Demetri.” The smooth voice was sickeningly sweet, entirely false to your ears. Trying to take a steadying breath, you forced yourself to look up at the three imposing figures before you. A giant stood behind them, two young twins to their right. The three were quite obvious to you form the stories you’d heard, and your shudder had nothing to do with the cold this time. Demetri, the man holding you, had yet to let go of your waist, and his hands felt strangely soothing, their firm grip something that felt grounding and reliable despite your terror in this moment.

“An intruder who has already seen too much, end her now as yet another of the Cullen’s mistakes.” The blonde sneered. You swallowed, mind spinning. You were dead either way, right?

“My niece is not a mistake.” You retorted. You were proud that your voice didn’t waver once, though the grip on your waist tightened slightly and you weren’t sure if it was to warn you or scold you. Caius hissed, eyes narrowed in a vicious glare.

“Your niece? May I, my dear?” Aro stood before you, taller than you had expected with hair almost as long as yours. You knew it wasn’t a request, but you found yourself desperate either way to avoid touching him and shrank back from his extended hand, straight into Demetri’s chest. His hand was hesitant, but it lifted from your waist to lightly skim down your arm, his lips close to your hairline as he whispered, “Do as you are told now, little one.”

He carefully extended your hand for you, noting the tremor in it once more as Aro’s eyes flickered between you. He removed your mitten with a flourish, your hand immediately clenching and unclenching at the sudden blast of arctic cold it had previously been shrouded from. Aro’s skin was somehow even colder and your shivering grew in intensity. Very vaguely, you could hear Bella shouting something, but the distance was so great and the clearing so vast it swallowed the sound. His eyes flickered over yours, completely pinning you to the spot, and then they looked past you to whatever was happening behind you. Demetri was blocking your view when you tried to see what Aro was seeing.

“Sweet Y/N, your bravery in coming here is applaudable. I can only hope our own dear ones are as dedicated to our family as you are to yours.” Aro sighed, a hint of melancholy in his voice. You flinched, knowing the next words from his mouth would most likely be spelling out your death sentence. The sound of the breeze was all that filled your ears for a moment, the anxiety and anticipation growing in your stomach making it difficult to hold onto the meagre breakfast you’d forced yourself to eat. It occurred to you in that moment that this would be your final moments with your family, your last chance to say goodbye, and they could hear it. Squaring your shoulders, you held your head high.

“I came because I love them, and I don’t regret that. You can’t destroy my family, their witnesses are proof of that. My niece was created out of love and the legacy of love they would leave behind will be far too great for you to overcome. So go ahead and do what you have to to me, if I can die with half their grace then I know I’ve done them proud.” You clenched your fists at your side, prepared for the bite that Aro would deliver, maybe Demetri. Caius looked most upset by your little speech, hissing quietly and looking prepared to spring towards you. More muffled noise from behind you let you know your family had heard, even if you couldn’t hear their goodbyes you felt them in your heart.

Aro’s head tilted slightly, his expression cold, and then his mouth opened slightly and he was leaning forward. You closed your eyes, flinching as you braced for the pain of a bite you knew well, but instead you felt cold air, and when your eyes snapped open you were shielded from Aro’s bite by a tall, lean body, one strong arm curled backward to keep you caged against his spine. Demetri.

“Master…please.” He extended his hand, ripping off his glove with his teeth as he went. Aro eagerly took his hand, probably as desperate as you were to know why one of his most treasured guard would so openly defy him. Some of the Volturi’s people were starting to whisper behind them but a lethal look (from the giant of a man you guessed was Felix from Bella’s stories) silenced them. His grip on your hip tightened for a moment, the silence deafening before Aro chuckled.

“Ahhh…così si forma un legame eterno.” he murmured. You scrunched your nose, having no idea what he meant since you didn’t speak Italian. When Demetri carefully moved aside, giving Aro as slim a chance to access you as he possibly could, and your heart twisted with gratitude that he would even bother to try. You swallowed, doing your best to keep your fear from your face.

“Aro.” Caius growled. Aro held his hand up, forcing his brother to heel even if he couldn’t placate him.

“You are intriguing, Y/N. The Volturi do not offer second chances, but for the sake of our dear Demetri we are willing to bend the rules just this once,” Aro smiled, a shark-like grin that made your stomach sink, “You have a choice before you. Your family are quite innocent in regards to the accusation against your niece, for that we will deliver no justice-“ there was some uncomfortable shuffling behind him Aro dutifully ignored, “-however you are a law broken, yet another example of the Cullen’s inability to guard our secret from humans. An example must be made, you must be dealt with appropriately. Either you turn here, now, or you come with us, and we turn you.”

It was a Hobson’s choice. What Aro was really asking was how dead did you want to be? Dead dead? Or undead dead? If you let Carlisle bite you now in the clearing there were so many unpredictable nomads around. Bite your wrist and it would take forever for the venom to reach your heart and really start the change, you would be tortured right in front of them, a punishment for them all no doubt. Bite your throat and blood would spill, blood so many of those nomads wouldn’t think twice about feeding from in any other situation. So, what did you do? Did you choose the option where you ended up far from home but safe? Or did you choose the option that did not guarantee your safety but did guarantee your family would suffer watching you suffer?

For the first time since you entered the snow you felt warm, warm with so many eyes on you. Swallowing thickly, you tried to will your mind to work faster to outwit the vampire before you. In the end, you could only think of a compromise.

“My father’s not home right now. If I chose to come with you, could I have time to pack some clothes?” your voice was slightly weak, your heart aching in your chest. Your father would never see you again, he’d have to believe you just ran off, that you were the same flighty woman your mother was. Bella might never get a chance to see you again either, an eternity of knowing you would never lose your sister, but that you would never be reunited. It was painful however you spun it. Aro’s smile only widened, knowing he had successfully backed you into a corner.

“But of course! Such a…noble, sacrifice, must be rewarded. You have earned that much my dear. Demetri will take you now.” Aro gave his tracker a nod and Demetri seemed to relax, swiftly turning on his heel to march you across the snow. His hand was gentle on your arm, but the speed he set almost had you running to keep up, like he was desperate to get you out of there lest Aro change his mind. As you were escorted out of the clearing, you dared a single glance back at Bella, her face the very picture of horror as Edward held her back. All you could manage was a weak smile as your sister disappeared from view for what was possible the last time.

Once you were far enough into the trees that the clearing was out of sight for you, Demetri suddenly came to a stop, exhaling sharply and dropping his hand from your arm. It ran through his hair but barely ruffled it. Whatever he was thinking, you weren’t about to be privy to it as he slung you across his back with ease. You gasped, clinging on tight.

“Hey! What are you doing!” you protested.

“Taking you to your home. You are slower than I am.” He retorted, his voice quiet and his grip on your thighs firm. You held on tight, heart rabbiting in your chest.

“You don’t even know where I live.” You squeaked. Demetri chuckled, the sound vibrating through your gut.

“No, but I know where the Cullen’s live, and I find it hard to believe that in all this snow you walked all the way here. Now hold on tight and try closing your eyes, it may help with the nausea, cara mia.” He gave you seconds at most to bury your face in his shoulder before he took off, maybe…or not? You weren’t really sure but you didn’t dare lift your head to look. He made sure his gait was smooth, every stride flawless so he didn’t so much as jostle you, and by the time he gently encouraged you to unwind your legs from his waist you were in front of the Cullen’s house. The only reminder you had ever ran anywhere with him at all was the windswept state of your hair – it was unfair his still looked perfect.

He had been right of course, you had driven to the Cullen’s today. It was hard to imagine him sitting beside you in your small car, his cloak about him and his outfit all…well, what even was he wearing? Why did that even matter when this Volturi guard was escorting you to pack things that would be your only reminder of home? Demetri was quiet, watching you carefully as you stared at your car. Nothing made sense. Why had Demetri saved you when he was the one who hauled you out in front of Aro? Why had it felt like he was protecting you? Why was everything so…comfortable? Being around him was like being in the company of an old friend, it was familiar and warm, inviting, the silences felt natural.

Demetri quietly called your name, his expression questioning, but you didn’t bother to give him an explanation, simply pulled out your car keys and got into the driver’s seat. The radio chased away the silence, your fingers clenched tight around the wheel as you tried to figure out what to pack.

“Where are we going?” you asked him finally. Demetri kept his eyes on the horizon.

“To our home, to Volterra. You will be joining us in Italy.” He answered. Italy? You didn’t know the first thing about Italian culture. What was the food like? The people? The language? You’d need to pack warmer clothes, and they didn’t accommodate turtle-necks – not that you needed to hide a bite from vampires. It wasn’t really until you pulled up in the driveway of your home that it really struck you, the weight of the deal you made hanging heavy on your shoulders as you idled in front of your childhood home. In your mind you could see yourself running up the drive, your suitcase abandoned for your father to pick up as he welcomed you to stay for the summer. Other winters where you had opted to spend Christmas with Charlie over Renée flashed through your mind next, dilapidated snowmen and strung up lights over the porch flashing bright. Tears stung your eyes.

“I’m never coming back here, am I?” you whispered. Demetri remained silent, and you were grateful for it. There was nothing he could say to make this better and you suspected he knew that. Furiously wiping at your eyes, you rummaged for your house keys and cleared your throat. “You should wait until I open the front door, it’ll look suspicious if you follow me in and any of the neighbours see.” You muttered, already climbing out of the car before he could argue. It was a slow walk up the drive, a walk where you desperately tried to imprint the bumps in the concrete, the muddy smells of the forest surrounding you, and the awful netting in the windows’ you father hadn’t changed since your mother moved on, into your memory.

The smell of stale beer from the cans in the recycling box beneath the sink hit your nose as the door opened, the familiar smells of Charlie’s aftershave and Sue’s perfume coming next. The house was cold, quiet, desolate even. Demetri was in front of you in the blink of an eye as you shut the door behind you, nobody would have seen him enter for sure. He glanced around himself, obviously curious at the choice in décor and the photographs along the walls – you couldn’t bear to look at them. With a soft sigh, you left him in the living room, knowing he would do what he liked anyway regardless as to whether or not you invited him upstairs.

The suitcase you had packed for your trip would need to be unpacked, some of your jumpers and long-sleeved shirts would not be needed in Italy after all. It would be hot, and heat was not a friend to wool. Your wardrobe doors flung open, you were contemplating what to put back when Demetri interrupted you.

“Vampires do not feel temperature the same way humans do. When you turn it will be no issue to wear jumpers, if they are what you prefer.” He said. Brows crinkling, you subconsciously lifted a hand to your throat.

“It’s not really a fashion choice,” you murmured, “But I guess I don’t need to really hide a bitemark from a bunch of vampires, do I?” Just like that the air changed; you no longer felt comfortable with Demetri, not when he was giving off such a sour energy. He radiated danger, anger. He took a breath to visibly compose himself, but his eyes were still darkened by anger, near black with the rage he radiated. The leather of his gloves squeaked as he clenched and unclenched his fists. You took a step back from him, biting down on your lower lip as your heart skittered.

“Show me,” he said, eyes blazing. You shook your head. “Show me.” He growled, stepping forward this time. Gulping, you reached up with a shaky hand to pull the turtle-neck down as far as you could, thankful the material stretched slightly. Demetri peered past the fabric to the silver crescent shapes of Riley’s teeth, emblazoned on your skin until Volturi venom decided to buff out that imperfection. He hissed quietly, his fingertips tracing the mark and sending shivers down your spine. He was freezing cold, cold as a corpse actually since that was technically what he was, so why did his fingers leave a blazing trail of fire across your skin?

“It’s just small, it’ll go away anyway if-“

“It will not, go away.” Demetri ground out, his eyes fixated on the scar. He looked genuinely disgusted and you couldn’t tell if it was at you or the bitemark, you couldn’t tell quite why it bothered you so much either. Why did you care so much that this upset Demetri?

“It won’t?” you asked weakly. He winced a bit, letting his hands drop and looking away. You counted ten whole seconds before he dared turn back to you.

“No, it will not. Venom is what will immortalise you, petrify your system, it has had a chance to do so to those cells it has touched already and they will be forever changed by it. My only hope is to bite down there, that by breaking the surface with my teeth it heals over with my venom.” He almost growled the word at you in his frustration and you swallowed, blinking in surprise.

“You’re going to be the one that turns me?” you questioned. Could he even do that? Did he have the self-control? You had thought Aro would do it if you were honest, though you couldn’t say you were over the moon to have that old coot’s teeth in your throat it was guaranteed to at least be safe. What right did Demetri have to steal your life? Why was he so angry over the thought of another vampire biting you? Had he claimed some weird sort of vampire dibs?

“Of course. The Volturi have laws they enforce but when it comes to affairs between mates, they leave well enough alone.” He informed you, head tilting. Your breath caught in your throat.

“Mates?” you whispered, mind reeling.

“You do not feel the pull?” he asked. He had yet to step back from you, unbearably close and yet somehow not close enough. For a moment you couldn’t say anything, simply trying to desperately scramble to think coherently enough to consider answering.

“I don’t…I barely know you, you can’t just…say that.” You stammered. Demetri very gently grasped your chin between his fingers, tilting your face upward so you were forced to maintain eye contact with him. You weren’t sure what he was searching for, if he found it or not, but he dropped your chin with a sigh.

“Pack, tesoro, we have little time.” He murmured. You were relieved when he stepped back – it gave you a chance to breathe. Mate? Demetri thought you were his mate? You knew what that meant, Edward had explained to you what his connection with Bella was like after Riley had introduced you to his world, trying to help you understand how awful the months leading up to Bella’s running away to Italy had been for both of them. Is that why he had been so protective of you on the field? Is that why he was so furious another vampire had dared mark you? It crossed your mind then just how selfish your decision actually looked to the outside world. In your head, you had been saving your family from suffering, but to them it probably looked like you had chosen to run off with your mate because you didn’t trust they would take care of you. How were they ever going to forgive you for this?

#twilight #twilight fanfiction #volturi #demetri volturi #demetri volturi x reader #request #swan sister #they're all as dumb as each other I swear #x reader #possessive demetri is kind of a thing I'm suddenly into apparently

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hamliet · 3 years

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RWBY and Alchemy: The Birds

So remember when I wrote about the seven metals of alchemy? Well... there are also five birds, and like with the metals, RWBY seems to be associating a specific character with a specific bird.

Birds are important in alchemy because they were viewed as symbols of the spirit, as “mediat[ors] between the earthly realm and heaven world.” Adam MacLean states:

The alchemist in observing the flight of birds, recognised in them a picture of the human soul undergoing spiritual development. The soul, aspiring upwards, flying free of the restraints of the earth bound body seeking the heavenly light, only to have to return to the earthly consciousness again.

Black Stage: Raven/Crow (Raven and Qrow Branwen)

The raven/crow/jackdaw is a symbol of nigredo, the blackening. This stage corresponds to earth elementally and symbolize decay and death (obviously).

It’s no coincidence that Qrow and Raven are focused on in the first part of the story, and while they still are under their own arcs, Qrow has been largely separated from his nieces and others during the past few volumes. His nieces and the rest need to grow up rather than depend on Qrow. See Splendor Solis 20:

The children are portrayed as playing with a crow/raven among them, symbolizing their immaturity. However, the adults in the back of the image are in red, showing that they have grown up.

The theme of growing up and maturation is very present in Raven’s arc: namely, she never did. She fled from her adult responsibilities in abandoning her own daughter and ran back to her childhood home, her childhood promise. She also undergoes a putrefaction, a purification by fire in a sense, through her daughter. When Yang confronts her in the vault of the Spring Maiden, she shreds every excuse Raven has, pointing out that Raven is selfish, cowardly, and childish, happy to sacrifice others but never herself. The daughter, here, is the mature one, and thus Yang wins the lamp of knowledge: Yang gave Raven a dose of self-knowledge in the vault, and we see Raven making a small step afterwards via going to see Tai.

Qrow is better off than Raven in that he doesn’t entirely run from his responsibilities... except he does, just in a different way. He drinks to dull the pain, and as a result, Ruby ends up taking care of him on their journey instead of the other way around. Qrow himself acknowledges that he has childish beliefs; his semblance is a self-fulfilling prophecy rather than an actual power.

For the first time in a while I thought, maybe, maybe I could be around somebody -anybody- without my Semblance making it… complicated. And now, it just feels like a childish dream. Gone... like everybody else.

Just like his twin sister, he’s afraid of truly getting close to people, which RWBY seems to hold up as the pillar of maturity and development. I’m not saying Qrow is as negative a character as Raven (he isn’t at all), but he is still struggling to grow up aside his nieces and their companions. In fact, this will be A Thing for all the characters who relate to birds.

The crow is often depicted as dying inside a flask:

Which could be seen as alluded to by Qrow’s alcoholism. Through not facing the darker parts of himself and not growing up, Qrow is killing himself. Fortunately, he’s been making some steps in the right direction.

Rainbow Stage: Peacock (Cinder Fall)

Look the girl has feathers on her outfit that are very reminiscent of peacocks feathers... without the eyes. We’ll get there. The feathers are described by CRWBY as “iridescent” which is a term alchemists employed historically to refer to the rainbow stage.

Post-Blackening, the products of the great work are scattered in a variety of colors, colors that are all at war with each other. To quote Carl Jung,

It is commonly said of the peacock that it has an angel‘s feathers, a devil’s voice, and a thief’s walk.

NB: arrows are often used as symbols in part of this stage, and bows and arrows are weapons Cinder is, er, known for using too.

Jung also comments this, which fits with Cinder being both a Maiden, associated with the seasons, and with her being an agent for change in the story as a whole:

Just as the Queen Mother or the mother of the gods grants renewal, so the peacock annually renews his plumage, and therefore has a relation to all the changes in nature.

The peacock is actually a flightless bird: post death in the Blackening, it cannot fly, but in order to proceed through the rest of the stages, it has to gather the disparate colors (ie parts of itself) in order to renew itself (yes, they’re linked to renewal and rebirth).

However, Cinder is not doing this. She received many call-outs, and has severed every bridge people have attempted to build with her. If anything, post volume 8, she seems more lost than ever. So what could be an impetus for her to do this? Well...

Why are her peacock-esque feathers missing their eyes?

The ancient Greek legend of Argus (which is a place in RWBY’s world; the place where Ruby hears Maria’s story of her silver eyes and asks Maria to train her in using her silver eyes) is that there is an immortal monstrous woman with snakes for legs named Echidna who they keep hidden in a cave, but she keeps finding ways to kill humans, until Argus finally kills her. After this, Hera has Argus guard a goddess with his hundred eyes, but then Mercury/Hermes/Thoth kills Argus, and Hera casts his eyes into peacocks’ tails to remember him. I wouldn’t read toooo much into this, but I do think it would be very, very fitting for Cinder to receive a call-out from her “kids”: Emerald and Mercury, the latter of whom is an allusion to Hermes/Mercury and the former of whom might be an allusion to Thoth. Until Cinder has been confronted by Mercury and Emerald, she won’t truly be able to see.

I have said before that I think Ruby will use her silver eyes to save Cinder from being consumed by the worst parts of herself (as literally symbolized in the Grimm taking her over). The decay of the Blackening is washed away to reveal the color of the peacock’s iridescent tail, and so both a confrontation to get Cinder to face the worst of herself, and then pity shown to her by someone who has no reason to be kind to purify her (look, it’s a term in alchemy, and Ruby has been described as “the embodiment of purity”) of the Grimm will probably be the impetus for Cinder to change.

White Stage: Swan/Dove (Robyn Hill, maybe Winter Schnee?)

Robyn’s emblem is a white bird.

The swan symbolises the dissolving of impurity into ash. In Volume 8, when Robyn and Qrow are freed from prison, ash falls everywhere.

Like the peacock, a swan is a bird that does not fly. Robyn is grounded in Mantle, rather than Atlas. After the gathering of opposites in the Peacock’s Tail, the dove/swan “reconciles and unites opposite substances,” according to Lyndy Abraham. Swans swim along the surface of water, while the true colors are concealed beneath; swans dunk their heads underwater, which symbolizes a person diving deep into dissolution and purification. Robyn’s Semblance is also about this: it allows Robyn to sense their true colors and intentions, rather than what they attempt to protect at the surface.

I am also wondering if Winter is somehow connected to this as well, because of the appearance of white birds in her semblance.

The focus on transformation that is part of the life cycle of a swan (ugly ducking to beautiful bird) is also perhaps symbolic of Winter’s internal development; this volume, she learned to fly on her own, growing up and shedding the need for father figures completely. She’s now able to fly (literally) freely and to save her people. But we will see; the connection is less strong here.

Yellow Stage: Pelican (Hazel Rainart)

Due to the previous three all having links to a maiden, I wonder if the summer maiden will somehow be connected to pelican imagery, but for now, my inclination is to say that Hazel displays traits of the pelican as well, though there may be another person associated at some point.

The pelican’s notable accomplishment is to stab its own breast and nourish its young with its own blood. It is a symbol of sacrifice. Hazel sacrifices himself to save the children: Emerald, Oscar, Jaune, Yang, and Ren. He does so by stabbing himself in the chest with numerous dust types, combining all sorts of elements (key to alchemy).

Red Stage: Phoenix (?)

This one remains to be determined. It could well could be Cinder (I mean, look at her name), plus the bird characters have thus far been adults like she is and possibly have a maiden association.

But it could also be Mercury, because of his association with fire and specifically with burning his “nest” as the phoenix does. When Cinder and Emerald find him, he’s burned his home.

Plus, I think it’s pretty obvious Mercury will either get his semblance back or develop a new one, and it’s most likely going to be related to flying given his emblem and allusion. It would also fit with his having prosthetic legs: he doesn’t need them fixed, and his losses don’t make him any less human. It’s always been within his soul to fly.

Ooooor the phoenix could be connected to Oscar, because of its association with the sun. It’s really too soon to say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#rwby alchemy #rwby meta #rwby speculation #cinder fall #mercury black #oscar pine #qrow branwen #raven branwen #robyn hill #winter schnee #alchemy #hazel rainart #rwby theory #this meta is not perfect #but i was tired of wrestling with the birds

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sashi-ya · 3 years

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{+18} – Cherry Blossom & Tangerines – Trafalgar Law x Y/n – Part 5

Modern AU. Trip to Jeju Island, SK. No spoilers.

Female reader. No physical descriptions. Everybody is +18, canon ages. Chopper is human.

Tw: NSFW, blindfolding, soft sub/dom, unprotected sex (this is just fiction, pls wear protection). Fluff. A little bit of ZoSan

A/N: I haven’t had the chance to visit South Korea due to Covid, so everything included is pure research. Excuse me in advance if there is something that’s not 100% accurate! Keep in mind is purely inspired ♥

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31059467

Word Count: 4.5 K

» List of parts: {P1} {P2} {P3} {P4} {P5} {P6}«

Chapter 5

“Y/n it's our turn, let’s sing!!” Vivi told me, while pulling me from my arm. “Vivi, wait”, I said. I kept watching how Law was still hugging the girl. “What is it?... Oi!”, Nami said, also witnessing the scene.

“Don’t go, just… wait”, I begged my redhead friend who was ready to kill him. I saw how the mysterious woman and Law laughed together. Zoro didn’t even care, he was more drunk than anything else.

The girl was ruffling his hair, pinching his cheeks. Law didn’t even look at me. I didn’t know if he was just simply so amused about the girl that he simply forgot about me, or, he was doing this on purpose, knowing that I’ll be watching, maybe to let me know he wasn’t going to commit to me in any way.

“That’s it. I’m leaving”, I stated. Vivi, Robin and Nami insisted on me shouting at Torao, but I couldn’t. I was so hurt, and, besides that, I wasn’t even his girlfriend, so I had no right to reproach anything to him.

The girls came with me, and we drove home. The boys didn’t realize we had left until long after we weren’t at the karaoke bar, when Sanji texted Nami asking what the hell had just happened. “Sanji, you should ask your stupid ass friend Torao, what the hell is he doing with a bitch?, plus, go get your boyfriend too, she is right next to him”, Nami said via audio.

Sanji sent an audio back, “Nami-swan! Zoro is not my boyfriend… wait, you were talking about him, right?, whatever, Torao is still with her, I’m gonna see who the hell is she and kick the hell out of stupid Law for hurting Y/n-chwan”.

I drove as fast as I could, at that point I only wanted to bury myself in bed and cry my eyes out. I was silent all the way. My friends knew there was no point in saying anything else, so they just strung along with me.

We got home, and Robin offered me some tea, yet, I politely turned the offering down and headed almost running to my bed. I covered myself up to my face, and pitiful tears sprouted from my eyes.

I heard my cell phone ring several times, I knew it was probably my friends asking if I was all right. But I didn’t have the strength to even see the screen.

“Why did you choose to hurt me like this, Law?” ... I whispered to myself, unable to understand why I was in that position, why after all the romantic stuff he has done for me he didn’t even care I was there…

I reached my phone and simply turned it off, I was fed up with it ringing. Some minutes, perhaps half an hour passed until I fell asleep, crying.

Suddenly, Nami’s loud screams woke me up. “TORAO, WHAT THE FUCK? WHY ARE YOU BRINGING THIS SLUT HOME?”.

I didn’t hear Law’s voice, but I did hear someone climbing the stairs, quickly, almost running.

The door opened suddenly with a loud sound, like someone kicking on it. I was still in bed, and the bang of the door made me take an upright position instantly.

There he was, the villain of my story with tears on his eyes, hopeless, shaking. “Y/n-ya!!! it’s not what you think, let me explain…” “STOP, what type of lie are you going to spit out from your stupid mouth?, plus, what the hell? I heard Nami saying you brought that girl home. Have you been drinking? Are you drunk? what the fuck?” I shouted at him, also crying.

Suddenly, before Law could say anything else, I saw a brunette, tanned, tall girl, with big eyes that resemble Law’s ones. She looked at me, smiling and peacefully said, “Hello Y/n, my name is Lami. Trafalgar, Lami”.

I opened my eyes, and mouth… “Trafalgar?”.

“That’s right! I’m Law 's sister! Nice to meet you! I’m sorry if you got things wrong!” she said to my stunned me. “Oi, brother, she is so pretty!! Even more than in the pictures!”.

“Oh God…”. I was somehow relieved that Law wasn’t flirting with a girl, yet mortified because not only me, but all my friends had called Law’s sister a slut… a bitch.

“I am… I am really sorry… And, uhm, N-nice to meet you…”, I said, wiping the tears on my eyes. “It’s ok, darling! I’m leaving you alone so you can talk in peace, I’ll be downstairs!”. “O-ok”, I said sniffing.

Law slowly approached to the left side of my bed and sat there, next to me, in silence. I wasn’t capable of saying anything to him, either. I had put up a show, he probably thought I was a toxic girl, jealous or even worse things. I had mistrusted him. It was probably the end of something that hadn’t even started.

Suddenly, Law hurled himself on me, hugged me and nuzzled on my lap. “I thought you wouldn’t believe me, I’m sorry, I really do. Lami lives in Jeju and I wanted her to meet you because she is not traveling to Seoul any sooner, we just decided that we will be meeting at the bar so… so you could get to know her”. He said, still with his head buried onto my legs.

“Law…”, I began to cry again. I petted his hair and told him “I am the one who should be sorry. I- I thought you were a bad guy, a typical man that doesn’t care about the girls. I am sorry…”. I felt horrible.

I could hear downstairs my friends laughing, Sanji and Zoro fighting, Luffy shouting. Luckily everybody would make Lami feel comfortable, after all. Law was still sobbing over my lap.

After several minutes I decided to speak up. “Law, stop, you are not the one who should be crying asking me for forgiveness. You did nothing wrong. I was completely mistaken. I hope you will be able to forgive me someday”, I said, gaining composure in order to make things clear.

He sat back, looked at me with teary eyes and asked, “someday? There is nothing to forgive. I want to be with you, I … L…”

“Oi, you two, stop crying, Lami is leaving”, said Nami leaning on the door frame, smiling at us. As she left, and Law wiped the tears off my cheeks, we stood up from bed. I was still dressed so we headed downstairs right away.

“Sis, let’s go, I don’t quite remember how to get your home from here, so you tell me”, said Law. Lami looked at him with loving eyes, and said, “My big brother is always taking care of me, I missed you doc”. Law’s cheeks became red, and he hid under the white with black spots cap he was wearing.

Lami said goodbye to everybody, except me, “she probably hates me”, I thought.

I was going to wish her a good night, when Lami held my hand and pulled from me. “Let’s go sister-in-law, come with us!”. I followed them into the car unsure if Law wanted me there, because he was still embarrassed as hell.

I let Law’s sister sit on the passenger seat, and I sat on the back seat behind Lami. A few seconds after Law started the car Lami said, “Oi, Y/n! did you know that Law has never ever introduced a girlfriend to the family before?”. I choked a little when I heard her say “girlfriend”, and simply chuckled. Law told her to stop, but Lami continued telling me how “emo” he was when he was an adolescent, making fun of his sibling.

We finally arrived at Lami's house. It was a traditional Jeju stone house, with big windows and a typical korean roof construction. On the entrance was a tall guy wearing a cap with “PENGUIN” written on it, waving at us. Law parked the car next to a black Hyundai Ioniq.

“Oi!! brother-in-law!!! How are you? It’s been a year my dear friend!” the guy at the door told Law. We descended the car, and the guy hugged Law in a way “man” do. Lami introduced me to the man, he was his boyfriend, and they had been living together for a few years, and apparently before dating Lami, Penguin knew Law since they were little.

We went inside, and had coffee while chatting about everything. I didn’t feel uncomfortable at any moment, Lami and Penguin were really warm people.

Law’s sister and I headed to the kitchen. It was a perfect opportunity to ask her about their parents so I thought of the best way to bring up the subject. I didn’t need to, because it was the first thing that Lami mentioned.

“Y/n, I’m sure my cold brother didn’t tell you anything about our parents… right?”, she said. I was helping her putting some mochi onto a plate, so I looked at her and said “Not really… At first I thought Rosinante was his father, but then I realized that his surname was Trafalgar, not Donquixote”.

“That’s right, Rosinante is something like Law’s dad. When my brother was 10 years old, my parents passed away in a car accident. They were both doctors, the best ones of this city. Law looks exactly like my dad when he was younger…”, she stopped for a little, and continued, “We stayed with our grandparents at the moment. After two years, Law became really ill and had to be taken to Seoul for some doctors to cure him. Luckily, Rosinante was a volunteer at the children’s hospital where Law was being treated. After six months of intense treatment, he recovered and forged a friendship with “Corasan” who took care of him… Oh sorry, I meant, Rosinante. Corasan it’s just a nickname Law gave him during… the chemotherapy...”, she concluded.

“Oh… poor baby…I’m sorry for your loss too, Lami” I said, feeling a lump in my throat. “Don’t worry, we are all right now, time has passed”, she said, grabbing my hand softly and smiling. She continued, “but let me tell you something, I’ve never seen Law with that type of twinkle in his eyes in the 24 years I’ve known him. He loves you; I can sense that. Plus, when you left the bar earlier, he became so desperate, he was truly worried about losing you”.

I blushed instantly, yet, I was so happy of hearing how he probably loves me that I giggled. And Lami, too.

From the living room we heard Law calling me, “Bab… Y/n-ya, let’s go home it is pretty late”. “Ah… my sweet loving brother and his ways…”, Lami said with a sarcastic tone, rolling back eyes. We both laughed and headed where the boys were.

“Oi Penguin, do you have a bottle of cold water? I tend to get thirsty when I drive”, Law asked Penguin and looked at me with some sort of look I can only label as… horny?. “Right, bro, let me get you one”, said the cool cap guy and headed to the kitchen. “He gets thirsty?” I said to myself a little confused, but dismissed the thought as my attention went to Lami who was showing me a photo of his brother when he was a little baby.

The happy couple invited us to the lantern festival that was taking place the next night at the historical center of the city. They told us to bring all of our friends too. We were excited about it, so we accepted the invitation and left the house.

During the ride along a road by the sea, Law asked me, “Babe, can you please turn the GPS on?, I don’t really know where I am going…”. I searched for my phone in my pockets, but realized I’ve left it at home. “I didn’t bring my phone… give me yours”, I told him. He grabbed his from the black jeans pocket and gave it to me. “Law, your phone is dead…”, I said, trying to turn it on.

“Yeah, my battery died after calling you twenty times when you left the bar…”, he said, kinda joking. “Oh…”, I gasped, and continued, “Well, let me enter the address on the car sat nav”.

I approached my hand to the little screen when Law stopped my hand and smirked. “It would be a shame if the computer wouldn’t work and we ended up lost…”.

“You clearly had this planned, right?” I said arching a brow. “Me, planning things? that’s not something I usually do…”, he said in a sarcastic way, but with a sexy tone that made me somehow fidget on my seat.

I came closer to his face and almost talking next to his ear I said, “Let’s get lost”. Law licked his lips, placed his right hand over my lap and said “Heh, sure… I can’t resist myself anymore”.

He suddenly turned the wheel and took a little road that took us to the beach. Finally, my lover parked the car, luckily it was a deserted zone, a cliff area, and there weren’t any houses or places nearer.

The beach ahead of us was lightened by an intense moonshine, the sea was choppy so the waves hit hard on the cliffs.

Law threw his seat back and patted his lap, “Strip for me, and come here, baby”. “Ah, so we are fucking on the car, nice…” I thought and began to take my clothes off.

“Don’t take that off, yet. You know that little bandanna you have on your head could help us…”, he said to me after I jumped over his lap. I felt a rock hard bulge under my core, he was already so ablaze for me.

He then untied the cloth that was holding my hair, smirked at me, and said “may I?” while covering my eyes with it.

“Lay you back on the steering wheel, baby girl”, he ordered me. I remember instantly how he likes to dominate me, so I followed his order to a “Yes, sir”.

His fingers ran from my mouth to my neck. He kept lowering them softly caressing my flesh. I could barely feel the touch of his fingers over my skin. He wasn’t talking, and I was unaware of what was coming next, I was blindfolded, but surrendered completely to this man.

All of a sudden I felt a cold sensation over one of my nipples, “Uhg…” I moaned, throwing my head back. Then the chilly stinging feeling moved to my other nipple. God, what is that?... and suddenly remember Law asking Penguin the cold water bottle. “Damn you, Law”, I said to myself but only being able to verbalize moans and grunts.

He began to trail an icy path from my breasts to my lower stomach. My heated skin mixed with the cold water that began to melt over my flesh, felt like a sweet torture.

“Your hot body is making the icy water melt and wet my jeans… or is it perhaps your own arousal for your Master, baby girl?”, he said to me, while running a thumb over my clit.

He then penetrated me with two fingers as he only knew how to, took them off and asked me to open my mouth. “Taste yourself, baby girl”, he commanded me, and I opened my mouth and sucked.

I heard - and felt- how he unzipped his jeans, and slowly took his member out. I could feel how he began to softly hit his manhood over my sex. He was playing with it, but my body couldn’t wait for it to be inside of me.

“Is it getting hot in here, huh?” he said and unbuttoned his black shirt. I knew it because he then grabbed my hands making me caress his skin. My hands wandered along his chest, but my mind was only focusing on how much I wanted to be penetrated by this man.

I was drowning in lust, I needed him to do something, but he didn’t. “Law… Sir… What are you doing?... fuck me, I want you to fuck me…”. He laughed, and violently but gently enough he pinched and twisted one of my erect nipples. A strike of intense pleasure hit my center, and it was so unexpected that I only purred at it.

He then ran his inked fingers through my hair and pulled me closer to his face, this time he wasn’t being gentle, he was being rough… and I loved it. “What do you think you are doing? I am the one who gives you orders in here, are we clear?” he said, whispering with a grunt in my ear.

“Y-yes sir, I- am sorry…”, I said, stuttering. “Good”, he said and kissed me. We made out, hard, feverishly. I could feel over my entrance how his sex became even harder.

He suddenly put his hands on each side of my waist and lifted me up a little bit, so I could place my knees on each side of the seat. He used his right hand to guide his pennis inside of me. It was just the tip of it, he was enjoying how I was probably miming the words “fuck me” repeatedly. After a few seconds of torture, he grabbing me again from my waist, pushed me down against his lap. “Ugh..” I said, opening my mouth, throwing my back to the steering wheel, so hard that I made the car horn sound.

I wanted to be penetrated, and he did it so roughly, yet so pleasantly.

I began to ride him, back, forward, up, down, tracing circles with my pelvis. My left knee hit the emergency brake handle, it hurt but I didn’t care. I placed my hands over his strong abs, letting all of my senses focus on the pleasure, imagining the expression he had on his face when I heard him groan.

Law pulled my hair and threw my neck back, again making me hit my back on the wheel, and used his hips to bang me, hard, burying himself into me. Every thrust made my body react with little spams; I was being sent to heaven.

Law untied the bandanna that was covering my eyes, and said in between the thrusts and an agitated voice, “I want to see your precious face when I make you cum”. My eyes slowly returned to its functions, admiring the sweaty thorax of Law, the way his stomach would go up and down picturing his rapid breathing. His face showed a red glowing, he was more than aroused. I was too, and as I reached for climax, placing my right hand over the steamy glass of the car window, Law did too with a hard “Huh”.

He bathed my insides once again. I remained still enjoying the warming sensation inside of me, trying to erase any worry at the time.

Law placed a hand on my back and pulled me closer to his chest, while lying his neck over the headrest of the yellow Sonata.

I rested my whole tired body over his, enjoying the touch of our warm skins, the scent of his body, with my lips wandering along his neck, leaving soft kisses over its skin.

“We should go back home; they might get a little bit concerned…” I told Law, still over him. “Yeah, you are right, let’s go back…”.

It was 4 am so once we got home and opened the door, we entered stealthily. I walked behind Law when he suddenly stopped, and I fell over him. “What is it, Law?!” I whispered, “I don’t know, this is kind of a slumber party…”, he whispered back at me.

Suddenly all the lights turned on. Everybody was sleeping on bare mattresses on the floor of the living room.

Little by little our friends but Zoro and Sanji woke up.

“Oh my god, finally…” said Nami and everyone began to laugh. They weren’t laughing at us, but at Sanji and Zoro who were sleeping cuddled.

Law looked at them and looked at everybody else and said, “Excuse me, is this something new to you? Oi Mugiwara-ya, tell them every time you three get to sleep at home they do the same”. Luffy nodded, still laughing.

No matter how much noise they made, nor Zoro or Sanji woke up, they seemed to be happily enjoying sleeping like this, so we didn’t want to bother them anymore.

“Let’s go back to sleep, guys. Y/n and Law you can sleep upstairs, we left Law’s bed intact”, said Franky winking at us. “Thank you!!” I said, and we went upstairs jumping through the multiple legs of our friends.

We climbed up the stairs, and went into the boy’s room. I was undressing when suddenly Law offered me a big loose t-shirt. “Don’t get me wrong I love your naked body, but what if the boys enter the room and see you naked?”, he said. “Oh, Law, are you jealous? hahaha”, I mocked him. “Well, let's not discuss jealousy…”, he said frowning.

I grabbed his white loose t-shirt with some kind of black power ranger called “Stealth Black” printed on it and put it on, giggling. I could have sworn he was a geeky nerd, and that was the proof.

Law and I jumped into his bed and muffled up with the bedding. He hugged me, kissing my head. “Thank you for making this the best holiday of my whole life…”, he said. “Thank you for paying the bus ticket that time…”, I whispered with my face pressed up against his chest. We both laughed and soon after fell asleep.

I woke up with the sounds of some birds chirping on the window. Law was still asleep beside me, with his ruffled hair, his cheek pressed against the pillow with his mouth open, snoring softly. I couldn’t help but drool over that image, so handsome even like that, the intimacy, the person I wanted to wake up to each morning.

I placed my head over the tattoos of his chest, following with my index finger the lines of ink on his skin. I remained there for a few minutes hearing his heartbeat, drunk of his skin scent.

Softly he began caressing my cheek, still without opening his eyes. He was probably half asleep yet.

I felt a million butterflies trapped on my stomach, I was so in love, I had fallen for this guy, hard. I felt a little guilty, I mean, how was I supposed to fall in love so quickly with a man?... I guess it was just love at first sight…

Law’s hand stopped moving, and suddenly I heard him mumble something like, “Mmmm- hum - I-I- love you Y/n-ya”. I widened my eyes, “did he just say he loves me? “I was completely surprised and even unsure if that was what he said or if it was just my imagination.

Some minutes later, he opened his eyes, slowly. “Good morning, baby girl”, he said, kissing my forehead. I was immobile, watching his face still trying to process what he had just said. “What is it?, are you sleeping with your eyes open? you are gorgeous but that would be a little creepy”, he said, surprised.

“N-No, uhm, I am awake, yes. Good morning”, I uttered. “Are you ok, Y/n-ya?”, he asked with a confused expression. “Yeah, uhm… Law… Do you sleep talk?”, I inquired him. “Oh… did I? I’m sorry... I do, yes. Sometimes. What did I say?”, he said this time with a worried expression. “Oh, no, nothing, I thought I heard something but I don’t know. It’s nothing”, I said, trying to settle the matter.

We remained cuddling up a little bit more, until we heard movements downstairs. They were probably waking up, so I decided to go to my room and get ready for the day.

“New pajamas”, I thought while taking off Law’s shirt. I folded and put it on my suitcase, I wasn’t willing to give it back to him.

I went ahead and showered. I let the warm water bathe my skin while thinking about Law saying “I love you” while he was asleep. Was he really? Did he really feel that or was it just a dream?... I guess I should wait…

After the bath, which clearly made me more anxious than relaxed, I went downstairs to the kitchen where Sanji was already preparing breakfast. I decided to help him with setting the table while chatting about the lantern festival of that night. Nami, Vivi and Robin joined us and were pleased that Lami and Penguin invited us to such a pretty event.

Our last day in Jeju passed with us visiting the Samseonghyeol Shrine, which is the oldest historic site in Korea. That place is considered as the birthplace of three demigods of the island, founders of the Tanma Kingdom that governed Jeju Island before the Joseon dynasty took over.

At noon we came back from the city and began to get ready for the festival that night. I received a message from Lami, “@TraffLami.06 > hello Sis! How is the day going? Is my brother treating you right?. Listen, we usually wear “hanbok” to the festival. If you want to too, you can rent them from a friend's shop. I send the location. See you tonight! ♥”. I got super excited for it, I loved cultural clothing and I wanted to see Law wearing those clothes too. I told my friends and we all agreed on renting one. Law, being the warm boy he was, wasn't so sure about it, but with a little kiss and a little begging I could convince him.

The night came and we all drove to the historical centre of Jeju. The place was all garnished with paper lanterns, string lights hanging from some bridges, lit inflatable displays, food courts, typical music being played that mixed with the buzz of hundreds of attendants that were enjoying the night.

I was wearing a hanbok in yellow and orange tones, while Law used a green and black one. He looked like a typical groom; I couldn’t help but fantasize a little about us getting married someday.

Luffy of course ran to the food stalls followed by everybody else, Zoro went ahead and attacked the stall where they were offering some kind of soju and Law and I waited for his sister and Penguin to arrive at where we were.

Law was more silent than usual and his face showed concerned. I thought at first about him missing his parents or family, maybe the festival triggered some memories, so I held his hand without saying anything. He squeezed my hand, and began to sweat.

“Are you ok, doc?”, I asked. He looked at me, I could sense he got really nervous and finally mumbled, “Y/n-ya we need to talk…” …

Part 6, FINAL

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