#my sister called at midnight last night crying telling me she was going to the er and to get my mom

[thehunniestofbunnies]

Im so sleepy i dont wanna work

#aj talks #my sister called at midnight last night crying telling me she was going to the er and to get my mom #so i was up most of the night very stressed #also my mom sucks at keeping ppl updated #im assuming since shes home my sister is no longer in the hospital #my dad said he thinks he heard it was kidney stones but he wasnt 100% bc he wasnt awake

[shedoessoshedoes]

i'll sing her my songs, i'll stay through the night.

HAPPY NESSIAN WEEK!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't think I was going to have anything to post (and I haven't posted fic in like a year oops) but I hope you like this one for Song Association! Inspired by Taylor Swift's surprise songs and Peter Sun's song "First of July." Enjoy, and let me know what you think!!

@nessianweek

also, I have an ao3 now (YAY) sooo read on ao3

warnings: some language

word count: 1.3k

“Alright, alright,” Cassian chuckles as he works to calm the crowd down. It’s a packed house tonight, and they’ve been rowdy since the boys took the stage. “Welcome to our acoustic set!” The crowd goes wild at this: the Bat Boys have been adding in surprise songs to their set since they started performing, and it’s become a major draw for concerts. They rotate picking a song each show, and there are no rules on what that song has to be.

Azriel tends to pick slower, indie songs, and their fans adored his version of ‘Next to You’ by John Vincent III so much they ended up releasing it as a single. Rhys picks classic rock more often than not, and Cassian has the most variety: everything from ‘Let’s Talk About Sex,’ to Hozier’s ’NFWMB.’

They’ve played unreleased music, fan favorites that don’t fit into the typical set, covers of nearly everything, and, most memorably, have dedicated some of their favorite songs to their girls. Rhys’s picks are always overly sappy songs for Feyre: his performance of Frankie Valli’s ‘Can’t Take My Eyes off You’ was particularly iconic as he reenacted Heath Leger’s 10 Things I Hate About You dance. Azriel brought Elain out one night and perched her on a stool next to him while he covered Gregory Alan Isakov’s ‘Big Black Car’ for her. Cassian’s dedicated songs to Nesta, of course, but since they decided to keep their relationship private, he’s never acknowledged her officially before playing a song. Until tonight.

“So, y’all are especially lucky because it’s my turn to pick the surprise song for you tonight, and we have something extra special for you.” He sits down on the stool the stagehand brings out and slings an electric guitar over his shoulder as he sits. “I don’t know if any of you saw, but I actually got engaged last week.” They’d announced it with a picture of Nesta’s ring on his Instagram, the only caption a white heart. No tag. The public knew Cassian was seeing someone, but they didn’t know who she was. Didn’t know she was Feyre and Elain’s sister, and had no idea she was in the crowd tonight. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to play a song I wrote for her.” The crowd goes wild, and Cassian grins.

“It’s the first time we’re playing it, and she hasn’t even heard it yet,” he chuckles. “She doesn’t know I wrote it, either.” The crowd oooohs in response. “It’ll be out at midnight tonight, so you can listen to it again, if you’d like. It’s called ‘First of July,’ and I hope you like it. Nes, sweetheart, I hope you like it, too.”

He starts playing, simple chords on the guitar filling the venue.

I know that she loves me. I know that she loves the mountains more. Sun on her shoulders. First of July.

In the crowd near the stage, Nesta is standing, awestruck. She had no idea he was planning this. No idea he was even writing a song, much less one named for the day they met, and to spring it on her like this, well. She was probably going to cry. He did that to her. Made her express how she felt a little more honestly than she ever had. She stares up at him as he continues to sing, hand over her mouth.

You can’t tell her one thing to do She pushes your limits, she makes her own rules She’ll lift you up just to let you down, But she’s honest, she’s kind, she’s like no one around.

I’ll sing her my songs, I’ll stay through the night, With her in my arms, with her at my side So tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll make it right.

”Fuck,” she whispers, reaching blindly out for Elain or Gwyn’s hand. “I didn’t know he was doing this.”

Feyre laughs. “Rhys says he’s been planning it since you met.”

“Shit, Feyre, don’t tell me that. I’m already a mess.” Gwyn wraps Nesta up into a hug. Emerie gives the group of them a knowing look from where she plays with the boys on stage. Cassian is looking determinedly down at his guitar, and Nesta knows he’s nervous about what she thinks of this.

I know that she’s happy. I know ‘cause she’s humming while she eats At the counter Twelve o’clock noon

I know that she’s happy. I know ‘cause she’s reading me her stories. That she writes They’re not the ones she hides.

Nesta laughs wetly as Cass launches back into the refrain. It really was about her. About her schedule when she was on a deadline, and the songs she would hum when they wiggled their way into her brain and she couldn’t get them out. About the stories she read to him, and the scenes she hid because they may have been inspired by certain activities and she didn’t want Cassian getting too much of an ego, even if he was sure to read them once the books came out.

I’ll sing her my songs, I’ll stay through the night, Dear honeybear, love bug, sweetheart of mine.

She starts crying, then, because he hasn’t called her any of those names since they first started dating and determined ‘sweetheart’ was the only pet name she could stand. He really had been thinking about this for the whole time, then.

I know that I love her. I know ‘cause there’s nothing else I want.

Cassian finishes the song to raucous applause, and Nesta’s already sure it’s going to top the charts by the end of the week. He starts to get up and adjust for the next song, but she needs him to know she loved his gesture. That she was okay with it. “Cassian!” she shouts.

His head whips up, attuned to her at all times, even in a space as loud and chaotic as this one. When he sees her smiling despite the tears running down her face, his expression softens into a smile she knows is just for her. She waves him over, and he turns to gesture at a security guard. He looks back at her his face clearly asking if she’s doing what he thinks she is. She nods, and then follows a security guard up to the stage.

Cassian meets her at the top of the stairs. “You sure, sweetheart?” Nesta nods. He laughs, once, a joyous, hopeful sound, and kisses her. The crowd goes wild, and he’s sure the his brothers and the rest of his band are cheering too, but all he can see is Nesta. He pulls away from her to bury his head into the crook of her shoulder, and presses a kiss to her neck. “Love you, love you, love you.” He mumbles, and Nesta pushes him up and away so she can look at him.

“I love you too, you idiot. Go finish your show.” He laughs and pecks her nose.

“Nesta Archeron, everyone!” he shouts into the microphone, holding her left hand up so the camera can zoom in on her ring. “Also known as the love of my life.”

Nesta laughs, and he kisses her one more time. “See you after?” he asks.

“You always do. Break a leg. Don’t bring anyone else up here.”

“Never. It’s just you, Nes.”

“I love you, too, Cassian.”

He goes back to his set and Nesta watches the rest of the concert from off-stage. They finish and bow, and Nesta already knows there won’t be another show like this any time soon. She takes a picture of Cassian running back to her as he comes off stage, takes a deep breath, and posts it on Instagram. The caption reads: ‘@batcassian i guess the secret’s out. i love you.’

Cassian changes his Instagram handle to @cassianarcheron the next day.

#nessian #nessian week 2023 #nesta archeron #cassian

[perrydowning]

The moment I knew I’d lost him

I know it’s selfish, but I need to share what I experienced when I lost him a year ago at approximately 12:50 AM, CDT. Please only read on if you’re prepared for visceral descriptions of loss and death—I have no desire to hurt anyone with my garish need.

We went to sleep around midnight on July 27, 2022 and the last words he heard were, “I love you.” I think I woke up not long after he died because he felt like him, but not. Once I realized he was gone it never occurred to me to try CPR because I could just tell that whatever made him … him wasn’t there any longer. I called 911 and she wanted me to do chest compressions so I did, in case I was wrong.

Feeling his ribs crack under my palms will never leave me, even as I knew he’d be proud because he always told me that if you’re doing it right that usually happens. An officer arrived and took over.

I always thought I would be the sort to hold his body close, rocking and keening. But I didn’t. I didn’t even want to be in the same room because that wasn’t my husband. He was gone. 

At some point I called my mom and my sister. Then I just sat on our couch, the first trickles of ‘end’ winding through my blood. It wasn’t until my trip to Europe that I let the enormity of what I lost that night begin to settle into my veins, twine around my bones. 

I’ve lost a sister, all of my grandparents, my godson, my best friend, my dad, and a niece. I thought I would be at least a little prepared, but I wasn’t … I’m not sure I could have been. All I could do was stare at a point on the wall just under the television and wait. The EMTs arrived, but I knew. I knew. They looked so grateful that I only nodded when they told me there was nothing they could do.

My mom arrived and I don’t remember much other than retrieving his wedding ring before they took his body away. Honestly, my memories of the first two months are like the worst meeting notes ever. I can only remember when I talk to someone who was with me.

I’m not sure when I first cried, but I know once I did I couldn’t go more than half an hour without crying--for weeks after. It was really weird because, normally, I rarely cry. But there really isn’t another way to express agony so sharp, so blunt, so all-encompassing even as it’s insidious. The body only has so many ways to handle a major system event, so I leaked a lot.

At some point on day two I remembered that I’d begun a playlist for him in case I was hit by a bus. Yeah, I know, but he also had an oddly relentless set of losses, so we talked quite a bit about the reality that one of us was going to face what I’ve been facing. We both simply thought we'd have more time.

So, I guess my muse did me a solid, because I already had the soundtrack to curl up and cry, and sometimes that was all that kept me tethered. Because the only thing worse than weeping when your entire world is cracked and bleeding is when you aren’t.

I will love you until the end of time, Patrick.

#personal #mrdowning

[andyourhostkristenwiig]

Soo I realised I just dropped off the face of the earth after saying my grandma was at the hospital.

Well, things got really bad really quickly. That night, Sunday, they did operate her and we got a call that she made it through just fine at shortly before midnight.

But then on Monday morning my mom called me to tell me my grandma wouldn't make it through the day anymore. I had the option to say goodbye to her one last time but she wasn't really conscious and on all sort of wires so I said I couldn't do it. That just couldn't be the last image I had of her in my head.

Barely 3 hours later my mom called to tell me she's gone.

And this was really hard on me. It came so sudden, there was never a thought that this would be it, there was always the thought "Oh we'll do this with her when she's back home."

My grandma was a big part of my every day life. For 7 years now I've done her weekly grocery shopping with or for her. I spent lunch breaks with her if she had an appointment near my work. I cooked and ate with her at least once a month. Sometimes I'd pick her up to go eat because we were both alone at home. The other day I passed the place we would eat at, and had to quickly walk away because I had to cry at the thought that I would never eat there again with her.

But what's getting to me the worst is that after this festival was through, when I could go on vacation again, we wanted to go to Vienna together. She said she's always wanted to go but never got to with my grandpa. So we agreed that we'd start planning in Fall. It really pains that I couldn't give her this.

Work is stressful, it's hard to lose someone who's been such a big part of your daily routine. So I'm actually only working on like medium heat right now.

These past three days, I've grabbed a friend and attended three concerts in three different cities and it's really helped blow off steam. The shouting, the dancing...also Kristen's SNL episode couldn't have come at a better time.

We're all a bit lost right now. I officially don't have grandparents anymore before ai turn 30 and I'm honestly having a hard time dealing with that because all of my sisters and cousins got so much more time with our grandparents. Ironically, or maybe it's a sign idk, the funeral will be held on the 8th anniversary of my grandpa's death and she will be reunited with him officially.

#my therapy? spending too much money at ikea and leaving a fortune at the concerts #but it made me feel a bit better and it occupied me so be it

[trash-monkey]

A Sunrise Is A New Day!

A cry of a newly born child wails at midnight right as the full moon is at it's highest before another cry of an adult mourning his mother that lost her life birthing her youngest into the world and just months earlier they had lost their husband/Father in a wagon accident, now only two of the (L/N) family lives to see the next sunrise.

Days later...

"Naoto.... I thought it over for a while, I decided that in order for me to heal and rise Eden I need to move somewhere else." Naoto places the pencil in his hand on the desk after I approach him at his home late at night but he knew this was coming after the passing of my parents and now having to rise my sister, nothing is holding me to this town any more. He grabs a slip of paper from a cupboard in his desk before handing it to me

"My older sister lives in a nice small town called Jastgoth with her Alpha it's basically in the middle of nowhere, this is her address so you can write to her and see if it's a place for you." Gently I take ahold of the paper as I thanked him before Eden started crying in the other room where I placed her to sleep earlier.

"See you later." I said to my old friend after getting Eden to settle down and left back to the small house on the edge of town, early the next morning before Eden could wake up again I carefully write out a letter to Hinata and take it to the post office once Eden is awake before giving her to a neighboring Beta to babysit her while I work some money at the saloon. For three weeks we wrote to each other taking about many things but mostly her telling me about what life is like in the small town and any good gossip but in her last letter after I had written to her about my decision to move there she told me she's with a pup which I immediately made my way over to her brother house to tell the news.

"Naoto! You wouldn't believe it!" I shouted before running through the front door which scared Naoto at my sudden appears in his home.

"Calm down and breathe before you pass out!" I take a deep breath while feeling glad that Eden usual babysitter is watching her right now, I hold the letter in the air with a smirk.

"This is Hinata's last letter after telling her my decision.....

Dear, (Y/N)

I'm very glad that you have decided to move to our small but cozy town, both me and Emma can't wait to meet you in person along with little Eden! I also have very exciting news to tell and I wish for you to share it with my brother, we're having a pup! Naoto, you're going to be a uncle and I hope with all of my heart for the both of you to meet the new addition to the family very soon!

Love Hinata." He's freezes as he process the information about his older sister but his eyes water when it finally clicked that he's going to be an uncle.

"When do you have a day off from the newspaper company?"

"Not to soon but I can get it moved closer if I tell them it's a family emergency." He quickly throws on a coat to head back to the office so he can hopefully catch his boss before he leave the building while I head to the Beta looking after Eden.

"Hello, I'm sorry but can you look after her for a few days? I need to get things ready to move." The male submissive Beta named Admin smiled at the news.

"Of course I can and I'll miss the both of you but I'm glad you found a safe place to raise this little sweet heart." He bounced the little girl in his arms.

"Thank you!" I ran home to get as much sleep as I can before I started moving things into the old wagon in the morning, it takes two days of constant moving things with few breaks to finally finished which Naoto helped at the end after getting his bags ready for the long trip that he'll be taking with us not only to see his sister but to also help me settle into the new town.

"Is there a house or land for sale?" With Eden laying in his arms Naoto questioned about were I'll be living once we get there after we left a few hours ago and I said all my byes to everyone I know, I have already discussed it with Hinata.

"There's a small house for sale a few miles out of town but still close enough if you have to walk, Hinata also informed me that there's an job opening either at the lumber mill or the blacksmith." The wagon rocks as the horses attached pulls it along the dirt but well traveled road and we get as comfortable as we can while listening to the sounds of nature around us.

_______________________________________________(Little House on the prairie/Omegaverse/Harem au)

#fanfic #male y/n #male reader #anime #tokyo revengers #tokrev #tokyrev #tokyo revengers au #tokyo revengers anime

[multiphandommess]

Grievances

Requested by @wosoobsessed

Request - Hi, would you maybe be able to do a bit of an angsty one with Natasha? I lost my mum earlier this year. So maybe the reader's mum passes away and Natasha is just the best partner and comforts her through the Journey of her grief and like holds her while she cries. And goes with her to the funeral. Sorry if this is too sad you don’t have to do it I 100% understand if this isn’t the stuff you would want to write 😂😂But thank you anyway!!

I sat there in shock. I got the phone call everyone dreads, the call from someone letting you know a loved one has passed. My mother, a kind and funny woman, had passed on earlier today, and after getting a call from my sister, my world was crushed. The tears hadn’t set in yet, I was still processing the words that I had been told. Natasha was wrapping up filming for Poker Face season 1 in upstate New York. I wanted to text her, ask her to come back to the apartment with a bottle of liquor and a box of tissues, and fall into her arms. However, I felt bad doing that. It was only 10 a.m. and she had left at 7. This meant that there was most likely a 12-hour shoot day today and that she wouldn’t be home until 11 or midnight. So, I did the next best thing, I drove to the store, got some booze, and came home and cried. And watched sad movies, and cried. It was about 10 pm and I had a lot to drink. I wasn’t on another planet or anything cliche, but I wasn’t sober. And that's how Natasha found me, lying on the couch, staring off into space and mumbling to myself. “Hi Natty!” I slurred. Natasha looked shocked at my state, “Baby? What, uh, what happened?” The question made me remember why I got so drunk in the first place. This time, the tears came. I couldn’t stop them, they just kept pouring down my face. This reaction shocked Natasha, even more. “Ok, ok. Let’s get you to bed, ok honey? We can talk in the morning.” The next thing I knew, I was waking up in our shared bed with a killer hangover. After I emptied my stomach of the booze, I sat down on the bed next to an expectant Natasha. “So, do you wanna tell me what last night was all about? I brought home some beers to celebrate filming wrapping, but when I got home you were 2 sheets to the wind,” Natasha said, looking at me worried. “Nat…I…just…here,” I couldn’t get the words out, so typed it into my phone and handed it to my fiance. I was on the verge of tears again as I waited for her reaction. She didn’t say anything, she just pulled me into her and held me. I cried in her arms for a while. To be honest, I’m not sure how much time passed. All I know is that when I was done, it was no longer morning. We had spent the day cuddling, crying, and sleeping. 

“Darling? Are you hungry? I can hear your stomach rumbling,” Natasha said, after multiple hours of grieving. I nodded my head, my throat sore. “What would you like to eat?” She asked again. I only shrugged my shoulders, not currently wanting to make a decision. “Does pizza sound good?” Once again, I only nodded. I got up and made myself look a little more presentable and walked to meet Nat by the door. She took my hand and walked us to her car. 

I got in the car and she did too. As she drove, I decided to finally speak. “I’m sorry, bub,” I said, looking at my lap. I felt bad. I felt like I had been clingy and just overall annoying. 

“No, no. You don’t have anything to be sorry for. Why would you think that? You’re grieving over the loss of someone who was a giant part of your life. You can be as sad as you want. I’m going to take some time off and I’m going to be with you, ok? Because I don’t want you to think that this is something to be ashamed of. Feeling like this, feeling emotional, even feeling numb, is all a part of the process of grief. Please understand that you don’t have anything to be ashamed of.” Natasha reassured me. I almost cried out of relief. “Really?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around the kindness and acceptance of my partner. She nodded as we pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

“I promise, hon. You have nothing to be ashamed of and you shouldn’t feel weak. Now, I’m gonna go in and get our food. Want your normal?” She asked. After I told her what I wanted, she walked into the store. I was still feeling lost without my mom. She was the kind of woman everyone looked up to. She was a head-turner, yet she put kindness before looks. Even though I knew it would be hard to navigate this world in this new normal without her, I knew that Natasha would help and support me through my grievances.

#natasha lyonne x reader

[bangficsx]

PAINT ME RED | 02

series

After a long day of practicing and having drinks with Namjoon and Hoseok after dinner Yoongi went out to the beach again at midnight.

He looked around but there was nobody to be seen. The disappointment and regrets of letting a good opportunity go away made him squat on the sand and cry in his face covered with his palms. He wiped his tears and took out his notepad from his pocket and started writing trying to form his words in a lyrical form.

"Yoongi..." He heard a voice call in the distance and it felt familiar. He turned his face towards the direction from where it came.

"You came" Yoongi whispered in his voice heavy from the crying and drunkenness.

"Of course I did. Why did you leave?" Jia asked him. She had her hair up in a ponytail.

"I panicked. I like you a lot. I like you so much that I couldn't function normally the last 24 hours." Yoongi said making her giggle.

"And I haven't even told you my name."

"Then tell me"

"Jia... Kang Jia" she replied walking closer to him as he stood up from his place.

"I'll promise to never leave" Yoongi said keeping his hands around her waist and waiting to see her reaction luckily, she didn't remove them. He pulled her closer to himself.

"I really like you Jia" He said again.

"I like you too Yoongi but I need more than that. I want commitment Yoongi..." Jia said.

"I'm exclusively yours to keep or throw but we sure do have a lot to explore about each other."

"Just meet me here at midnight. We'll get to know everything about each other." Jia replied touching his cheeks.

"I'm only here for a week then I'll go back to Seoul."

"I live in Seoul too"

"Wait I know you..." Yoongi pulled his body away while still holding her.

"How?"

"I've seen your instagram. You're a fashion magazine editor and also a content creator."

"Oh.. You've seen my page. Thank you so much." Jia blushed at his sudden remark.

"And how do you know my name? I never told you."

"Come on who doesn't"

"Thank you for not being obsessive about my status and making me feel comfortable. That's why I really liked talking to you last night."

"So will you meet me here the next seven nights?" Jia asked smiling at Yoongi.

"Honestly I'm very nervous"

"Seven nights and you'll go back totally in love with me." Jia said with a smirk on her face.

"I've got a rule though"

"Thought you were nervous to play"

"We can't touch each other"

"You're literally touching me right now" Jia said twitching her eyebrow making him pull himself apart.

"To properly communicate I don't want us to be distracted because I can't meet you during daytime"

"Okay. But you gotta open up to me and not be afraid."

"Okay"

They both sat down on the sand beside each other. The wind blew harshly with the fragrance of fresh seawater in it.

"Tell me something about yourself. Do you have siblings?"

"A brother"

"I have a younger sister"

"My brother is married and is soon going to be a dad to a girl"

"Aww.. my sister and her husband have been trying for two years now. She's three years younger than me"

"How old are you? If you don't mind"

"Two years younger than you. 34"

"Well that doesn't matter that much."

"I'm out of the casually dating cus we're young and carefree phase now so that's why I want someone who'll always think about from the start if I'm someone they'd like to spend the rest of their life with."

"Due to my professional commitments I want something like that too. Someone who would like to spend her life with me. Somebody who can give me peace in my most chaotic hectic days."

"You're a beautiful person Yoongi"

"You too" he replied smiling at her.

Days flew by and Yoongi got to know Jia better with each passing day. They exchanged numbers and he would talk to her in between his practice schedule. Everyday he fell for her a little bit more.

Jia's boyfriend tried to contact her but she bravely told him she had found someone better and then blocked him. She wasn't ashamed of cheating rather she was glad she got out of it before it turned into a legal affair. Now all she thought about was Yoongi and her affair. Yoongi's world was nothing like she'd imagined and everyday she learned something new and she knew if she was doing this with him she would've to learn to adjust.

"So hyung is this serious?" Namjoon asked him while they were eating dinner together after practicing with just the rap line.

"You must know by now, you've done this before" Hoseok added.

"Of course it is. It's just this time around things are different. Back then with my ex you know how it was, we couldn't do long distance. So I'm just scared. Now I'm at a point where I want to get married and settle down. I don't wanna date for long. I have just been struggling to figure out my feelings. I'm scared to lose her. Is that love? But isn't it too soon."

"It's different everything hyung but believe me when it's right, it's right." Namjoon told him.

"Well then I guess I fell in love very fast"

"You're the one who always says everything happens for a reason right? Maybe it's meant to be, this is the one for you."

"I truly believe that but how can I tell her so early?"

"Have you been intimate with her?" Joon whispered to him to which Yoongi nodded denying it.

"You'll feel it when you do it. It's different when you love someone. It feels like your souls are connected." Namjoon said with a tiny smile on his face remembering the precious intimate moments he shares with his lover.

"I'll figure it out somehow. I wish I could meet her. I can't wait for it to be night"

Midnight came after three unbearable hours of waiting. Yoongi was desperate to meet Jia that he went to the beach twenty minutes early.

She came in a white jumper and black sweatpants with her pulled back with a scrunchie. She waved at him when he came into her sight on the dark beach. She ran to him and threw her arms around his body. He wrapped his arms around her caressing her back to provide her warmth and make her feel safe.

"I missed you so much today you've got no idea" Yoongi said pulling himself apart.

"Really?"

"I wish I could spend more time with you"

"Me too" Jia said touching his cheeks gently.

"You never bring a bag" Yoongi pointed out the backpack she had brought with herself.

"I brought something to spread on the sand so that we can sit more comfortably" Jia said removing her bag and kneeling down on the ground. She took out a mat from her bag and sat down with Yoongi.

They both saw the waves come and go with their hands intertwined lying between them. Even the silence was comfortable when they were together.

"Rules are made to be broken. What do you think?" Yoongi asked.

"Yeah of course they are" Jia replied without looking at him.

"Jia..." he spoke with a tenderness in his voice.

"Hmm" she turned her face towards him.

"I love you" he blurted out without thinking too much about it again. He was sure he did. This was the most deeply he had ever felt for someone.

Jia smiled looking at him.

"I know we've spent such little time together but that time means so much to me. I hate that I don't get to spend more time with you. Ever since I met you my life has a different meaning to it. Before I wanted it to be night so that the day could be over now I want the days to be over so that it's night and I get to meet you. I haven't stopped thinking about you for the past week. I love you Jia no matter if you do or not."

"I do. Yoongi, I do. I just need some more time to be sure of it. I want to see if this feeling persists. You know what I feel more is that it's unexplainable... I feel like my heart is safe when I'm with you. You're someone I'd bare my mind, body and soul to. I feel safe and comfortable with you. You should know that." Jia says holding his hands in hers.

"Would you kiss me?"

"Breaking your own rule." Jia teased him making him giggle before leaning closer to him suddenly startling him with her sudden action.

He tried to get closer to her lips but just before he could lock them, she kept her finger in between their lips. Yoongi sighed looking in her eyes closely before she pressed her lips on his.

It was a short smooch which didn't last long but it was special for both of them.

"I wanna wait and see how things go after we're back in seoul with our daily lives. Then we can discuss and decide on what our next step will be. What do you think?"

"It'll take some time to get the idea how our lives together will be. I'm mostly the one who can't give time to the relationship so I'll have to try and make things work. I really want this Jia. I want us to be together, make it work and spend the rest of our lives with each other." Yoongi said with her head lying on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her.

#bts #bts smut #bts series #bts stories #bts suga #hoseok #min yoongi #suga #yoongi #yoongi fanfic #yoongi x oc #yoongi smut #suga series #min suga #bts army

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

You Signed Up For This Prompt List

Prompts for You Signed Up For This by Maisie Peters (+ a few bonus singles), practice good reblog karma and sent a prompt or two to the person you reblog this from

And I am sorry to make it about myself again but you, you signed up for this

Please don't give up on me yet

I know I'll get better, I’m just not better yet

Scared of everything but I'm making it punk

A small towner, I only drink to get drunk

I was so in love, and that don't come off in the wash kinda hope it does though

You're seeing someone pretty and I hate her guts, so

We were bad but we're gonna be good

And I resent you just a little if I'm honest

And I swore that I'd swallow my pride, and you swore you would do better this time

At least I'm trying

One for being lost and alone in your early twenties

One for being obsessed with someone who puts you secondary

One for calling guys with guitars in a cemetery

I want a sorry but I'll settle for a handshake

I'm the baby but I'm gonna be the bigger man, babe

Cause you're awful and I miss you and I killed you in my dream

It's a low when even in my dreams you still don't want me there

You might be awful like all of the time, yeah it's almost inspiring

This wasn't how it's supposed to go, I should be the one you're dancing with

It's not like I've been crying, no, there's just smoke in my eyes

Cause this ain't no John Hughes movie where the girl gets the guy

I keep waiting for the heartbreak music that's never gonna come

Cause if you don't want me then you're not the one

Everyone told me so, don't wait around for you

Guess I misunderstood, thought you liked me too

We went swimming in an outdoor pool and you wouldn't tell a soul at school

I'm just fifteen, I just want you so that's cool

But I don't swim and you're not in love

And you only kissed me after midnight in an outdoor pool

It's the worst day of my life but it's all good

I'm crying and it's ruining my makeup

I wasn't eating and you still said nothing

Now it's coming up roses, kicking up snow, what a long winter, what a bad joke

Love him, I did for a minute, but I'm finished 'cause I've learnt

You kept me as your favourite secret and I thought we just took it slow

I feel like you feel nothing, that's fine

Now that I'm over that hill, you wanna say how you feel

And you've got a girl but you still call me psycho

You made me feel so useful then so used

All your exes found me and so beware, we’re all friends now, maybe you should be scared

You're a serial cheater, 'you up?' text repeater

When I told you you were funny, I lied

You had a couple of exes and I know that they let you get away with it

If I was the last girl on earth you'd still be weighing up your options

She tries to get closer, so you go and ghost her

You're obsessed with your father, red flag and a half

I nearly buried the hatchet then I remembered how you messed with my head

I could be a grown up but baby, you know what maybe I'll release this song instead

I wasn't broken till you tried to fix me

I'd rather see love as an optimistic than know the things that I know now

You're the one that got away and you got away with a lot

They say it's better to have loved even if you lost bt I can tell you it's not

Cause I feel hollow

Now you're kissing that girl I shouldn't worry about, how do you think I'm dealing?

I'll burn this house, I mean it

Well, what does that make me then? I'm your villain

Now I'm drunk and I'm mean outside your house

Whole town's gonna hear how you messed me up

Sister I missed this

If you're looking for the girl of your dreams, she's in Brooklyn with me

"He's fit, go for it", but we wouldn't ever leave a sister behind

And if you wanna take her out, you're gonna have to ask me first

Come on, have you seen those eyes? It’s nothing but the best for her

I miss you already

You gave it all and I gave it up

Late nights in the old arcade, drinking cheap wine as Elvis plays

You were always on my mind

I was scared to throw my heart off the edge, easier to tell myself we'd mess it up instead

But I still wish things were different, don't you?

I can't stop, even if I wanted to, talking to strangers about you

And when I say "I'm sorry," baby, I'll be bluffing

All or nothing, you chose nothing

Thought I'd be a cool girl but turns out I'm livid

Bet you hope I'm done but there's no way I'm finished

Oh, you got away with it, you crossed then burnt the bridge

You pulled a lot of shit, I sat and bit my lip

Everybody knows that a breakup is better when there's someone to hate

But now everything is through, it’s you I wanna call though

I got busy and you forgot how to miss me

You are one tough act to follow

People don't leave people if they really are in love

I was good, just wasn't good enough

Nothing more frightening than a woman scorned

Baby, if you thought that I was trouble then you're gonna hate what's coming next

Is that an angel? No, it's your ex

Woah, I'll fuck your life up as a blonde

I'm gonna make your friends say "Man, you messed that up!" and I would have to agree

You'll rue the day you did me wrong, I’ll put your name in all the songs

I'll twist the knife, it will be fun, fucking your life up

Pinky promised that I wouldn't love somebody if they didn't

They're tortured and I wouldn't understand it

Plus they got a lot of unexamined father/son baggage, they don't wanna talk about it, is that a challenge?

Funny I could pick 'em in a line up, pretty certain I could do it with my eyes shut

I think "You're so cool and different," and then the law pulls up and you won't get in the car and I'm like, "Oh, goddamn, not another rockstar"

Talk about me, make it all about you

You'd leave me dead if it'd set you apart

Aren't I lucky 'cause he could have chosen any girl to fuck with?  And he chose me, so I guess I should be grateful

A little self-obsessive and I sign up, where's the pen? Where's the line?

Glad that I got out before it got dark

You could be a better person, no, it's not hard

If there was a moment in this where you saw it goin' different, tell me what part

#ask game #my ask game #prompts #prompt list #my prompts

[the-letter-horror-lover]

reviews if you'd like.

Chapter 43: Self-righteous suicide…NOT!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"She's with this Hannah person?" Snake repeated in an unconvinced tone, "and she's going to be sacrificed?"

"Yes, she will be if we don't find her before midnight," Will stated, finally managing to remove Grell from himself, "I don't know why I'm telling you all this, it's not like I'm here to help any demon, but her soul is still unaccounted for and I would like to obtain it as quickly as possible…even if it involves aiding a demon."

"I'm not as excited to be working alongside you either, Spears," Sebastian replied icily, "but if it'll see that Nekohime will be alive with her soul attached, then I'll endure it."

"I think you've hurt her enough, demon," Snake hissed, crossing his arms, "I will go with Spears to rescue her….that is if he even knows where she is."

"I don't know where she is," Will said, "but I do have a theory of where she could be."

"Where do you think she could be?" Ciel asked.

"Ciel Phantomhive, I know that you know where this place is," Will answered, "Only you and Sebastian know. It's the one place where you were supposed to have died two years ago."

Ciel's eyes widened in realization as his brow narrowed in confusion, "The occult church of the pentacles."

"Exactly."

=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=

Lay down

Your sweet and weary head

Night is falling

You have come to journey's end

Sleep now

And dream of the ones who came before

As we finished our 'meal', I began looking around the room for a recognizable sign of where we were. The room, however, was bare, offering no distinct signs. I sighed in frustration, now thinking about an escape plan that involved leaving Alois behind and me (miraculously) finding my way back to the manor.

"Nekohime, why do you think Hannah brought you here?"

"That's what I'm asking myself too," I replied, running my fingers through my hair to untangle any knots, "it's all a mess right now and I don't know what is real anymore. I don't even know what's right or wrong…." I fell to my knees (I think I was being a bit too overdramatic, but hey, I'm a girl and entitled to do such every now and then), covering my face with my hands, "I just feel so lost."

They are calling

From across the distant shore

"Don't cry, sister," Alois comforted, coming towards me to hug me.

"I'm not crying, I'm just overwhelmed," I replied, letting my hands fall to my lap, "for some reason…I have this eerie feeling that something bad is going to happen real soon."

" You're probably imagin-" Alois was interrupted by the door to the room we were in opening.

"Luka, Jim," Claude sneered, crossing his arms (behind him, I noticed, stood three identical men), "either follow me peacefully or come squirming, I don't care for you both will get what you both deserve."

"Claude," Alois demanded angrily, his hands turning into fists, "What is the meaning of this? You know very well that my name is Alois not Jim. Jim is dead."

"No," Claude continued, moving to let the triplets come into the room, "but he will be."

I was held tightly at my arms and wrists and Alois was held by the last one. Their grip was frightening, it hurt. I was struggling as much as Alois (only he looked like he was having more success).

"Thompson, lead Alois out first," Claude directed, immediately walking back out the door.

Silently, my captors followed 'Thompson'. I stopped struggling, now scared at what this could lead up to. As we all walked, the passage we were walking in gradually got darker until we were finally in pitch blackness. We were being led up, I would know for the ground was gradually sloping upwards. Eventually, we made it to the surface. Alois had not been lying, this was a sort of church and a theater…but not a good kind. It was the place where Ciel had summoned Sebastian.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched Alois to continue struggling. When I wanted to walk towards him, I was held back by my captors. Alois was lead to the stone altar, ironically acting exactly like Ciel had when he was to be pinned to the cruel surface. My mind, gratefully tuned out his sobs and his screams…still my eyes continued to watch in horror. The woman known as Hannah was speaking something while Claude and Thompson were holding Alois down. She held some sort of blade over him, still speaking words that I could not here (not that I wanted to hear what she was saying to begin with).

Why do you weep?

What are these tears upon your face?

Soon you will see

All of your fears will pass away

Safe in my arms

You're only sleeping

A black light flooded the blade, making me realize something. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move, and couldn't speak. Alois was going to be sacrificed in some sort of ritual…and I was next. I dropped my gaze, I couldn't bear to watch. Why? Why all of this? What did she want with me? What was going on?

What can you see

On the horizon?

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea

A pale moon rises

The ships have come to carry you home

=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=

And all will turn

To silver glass

A light on the water

All souls pass

"It's 11:30," Sebastian replied, breaking the silence after checking his pocket watch, "if we are to rescue her, we must leave now!"

"Yes, Sebastian, let's go." Ciel stated, turning to walk out of the room, "Snake, if it will suit you, you may follow us…but be warned, you may soon regret it."

"I'll never regret anything that Nekohime is part of," Snake replied, standing slightly behind Sebastian, "I love her too much to leave her to death and pain."

"Hold it!" Grell demanded, trying to re-attach himself to Sebastian steel form (that is, after letting go of Will), "I go where ever Sebby goes, even to the depths of Hell."

"You idiot," Will replied, pushing up his glasses with his death scythe, "Hell is the one place you are not allowed to tread, for it is a realm of demons far worse and fiercer looking than your precious demon."

"But Sebby would be there to protect me!" Grell pouted, "He would nev-"

"He would be the one to hurt you the worst," Will growled.

"Look, the more we keep arguing whether or not if Sebastian can hurt anyone," Ciel interrupted, sounding irritated, "the more we will fail at rescuing Nekohime. So either help us or go back to your world. Snake, come."

"Yes, Smile," Snake replied, standing to hold open the door for Ciel

"Wait! I'm coming too!" Grell exasperated, following Sebastian's retreating form.

"And you, Mr. Spears?" Snake asked, still holding open the door, "What will you do?"

"….I know how much it must pain you to see someone you love on the brink of danger, possibly death," Will sighed, taking his time to walk out the door, "but you must realize that Nekohime might get rescued, but she might also not be the girl you once loved. Even if I….even if I have to give her the final rest she deserves…just don't forget what she meant to you…..and you to her." He walked out and disappeared down the hallway.

Snake stayed silent, lost in his thoughts for the moment before rejoining the rest of the rescue group.

Hope fades

Into the world of night

Through shadows falling

Out of memory and time

Don't say: "We have come now to the end"

White shores are calling

You and I will meet again

=X=X=X=X=X=X=X==X=X=X=

And you'll be here in my arms

Just sleeping

Before the knife could plunge into Alois, a violent anger surged deep within my soul. Without my knowledge, my body was reacting on its own. I was fighting my captors….not just fighting but tearing them to shreds! Literally! Limb from limb, I rendered them to nothing but a bloody pile of ripped flesh that made sickening sounds that I couldn't hear. Glancing up, I couldn't hear the anguished cries of Thompson as he watched me rip apart his other identities, but I did see him launch himself at me.

My fury built up even more, Hannah and Claude were not paying any attention to the fight between Thompson and I, still they went on to continue chanting over a scared Alois. I didn't care for Thompson's petty attacks, compared to this new unknown strength that coursed through my veins, he didn't stand a chance. I effectively gave him the same treatment I had given the other two, but in half the time. Now I trailed a fiery gaze up at Claude and Hannah, Claude of which smirked back at me.

That set me off. In blind, raging fury, covered in blood, I attacked…but a moment too late, for Hannah plunged the knife straight into Alois' heart. I screamed at them, attacking Claude with fury ten times what I had used on the triplets.

He was strong.

Very strong, so strong that I was nearly overwhelmed with the sheer brute force he used to throw me into the surrounding stone seats. The pain never really registered, because the same force that I was somehow channeling to give me strength was also protecting me from most of the physical destruction. During my recovery time, I glanced over at Alois. For some reason, I could tell that he was no longer alive anymore. Hannah continued to watch the fight escalate between Claude and myself, amused at the fight I was giving. I struck back with all I had, Claude matched me point per point.

=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=

Sebastian set down Ciel on the dirt path that lead up to the first steps of his interminable past. The others were barely catching up. For the moment, they were utterly alone.

"The one place I cannot escape," Ciel sighed, staring up at the black, blank stone structure, "but the one place where it must irrevocably end."

"Are you troubled, young master?"

"No….and yes," Ciel continued, "Sebastian, thought that I wouldn't be prepared for the time. Strangely enough, I'm calm. "

"Young Master-" Sebastian whispered, reaching out a hand as if to touch him.

"When all this is said and done, Nekohime's safe, and Trancy destroyed," Ciel continued, "will you carve the pain of my life into my soul?"

"Young master, I-"

"I want you to make it as painful as possible," Ciel interrupted, now turning to fully stare into Sebastian's glittering, ruby eyes, "That's an order." He whispered strongly.

Sebastian's throat suddenly constricted, staring-hypnotized-into the revealed sapphire blue eye of his contractor, 'I had promised myself to see that no harm should ever come to him, even if intentional…but if it's what he wants…'"Yes, my lord."

=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=

I launched myself at Hannah, determined to rip those smug, smirking lips from her face. Claude fell into the chase, tackling me from behind. With all the years from perfected martial arts training, I used his momentum to flip him in front of me. My timing couldn't have been more perfect. As I flipped him, I side-stepped and twisted, Claude ended up up-side down with his spine making a sickening ninety degree angle on the stone altar where Alois had died upon. Claude's wide eyes indicated to me that I had hit something vital. In his shock, he released me.

I jumped back, grabbing him by the waist of his pants and his tucked in shirt. I spun and threw him through a black door. The sharp smell of the wooded night flooded my senses, that and the scent of rage mixed with blood.

I took a bounding leap, landing only to look up into a pair of clear, crimson eyes. Sebastian's eyes. In my rage (even though I knew it was Sebastian), I mistook him for Claude and began clawing at his clean shirt. Every blow connected, my nails dragging blood and gore from the triplet victims and Claude into his wounds.

Sebastian hissed at me, blocking my swipes and punches, efficiently drawing me away from Ciel (who stood nearby in shock). A flash of red blinded me, this momentary color turned my rage onto a fuming shinigami. Grell held out his scythe in a furious, striking pose. Will also stood next to him, his facial expression never faltering from his usual cold demeanor.

"Neko!"

A cool, night-scented pair of arms drew me into a rippling frame. I twisted, now scratching at Snake's face. He immediately released me, backing away without trying to fight me.

"FIGHT ME!" I roared, jumping at him to continue my assault.

He blocked my every move, pain and grief written plainly upon his face. My mind screamed at me to stop, but my body continued on its rampage. I ruthlessly bit and scratched, purposely drawing blood. Grell jumped in to Snake's aid, out of the corner of my eye I saw Claude face-off against Sebastian and Will strike at Hannah. A furious, misplaced punch allowed me enough leeway to give Grell a nasty clawing to his face. He screamed bloody murder and re-doubled his attack. I jumped over him as he tried to block an attack on Snake and pulled his hair. Using my all, I threw him towards Sebastian and Claude, neatly pinning Claude beneath his near unconscious body.

"Neko, why are you doing this?" Snake cried, feinting a hit to the left but dodging right, "I don't want to hurt you!"

"Are you even real!" I questioned, pulling short a kick that would have broken several ribs.

Snake used my momentary pause to wrap himself around me, pulling my face close to his and kissing my lips softly, "Of course I am, and so is my love for you," He kissed me again, at this moment I stopped struggling, "I was wrong to let Sebastian have you," He kissed the tip of my nose, "I was wrong for leaving in the first place," kissed the center of my forehead, "I was wrong for ever doubting my feelings for you," he kissed my lips again, this time pouring every ounce of love that he could into the kiss, "and I was wrong for ever doubting your love for me."

What can you see

On the horizon?

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea

A pale moon rises

The ships have come to carry you home

A murderously feral scream ripped through the air, I turned as Snake released me to fight-by my side-whatever came at us. Will was lying unconscious next to a bloodied Grell, who stood swaying. Sebastian continued to fight Claude, their hits were point for point, neither giving up any ground. Hannah lunged at us, the knife used to kill Alois held dangerously in her hands. I quickly shoved Snake aside before dodging to the opposite side, a moment too soon. A flash of black pulled me into another warm, strong body as another scream form Hannah sounded.

"Looks like you guys started the party without me, pity."

"Undertaker!" I exasperated in disbelief, unconsciously clinging to him as he warded off Hannah single-handedly with his black scythe.

"Good to see you again, my beautiful Neko," Undertaker grinned at me, his grip on my waist hard, "Now, Hannah, is this any way to treat your helper?"

I spun out of his hold, landing to stand in front of Ciel (who had backed into a tree with a frightened look on his face), "What are you talking about?"

"I brought you to life," He replied, parrying a thrust made by Hannah, "so essentially you have me to thank for giving you a second chance at life, Luka."

"So you knew!" I replied, pissed, "You knew all along and you never told me!"

"You never asked," Undertaker hissed, side-stepping Hannah and turning to face me, "I had hoped that you would have asked the day Sebastian had brought you to me, but you didn't. Don't you remember that day?"

My eyes widened, I did remember, "Yes, and you also said that you needed to find out more information, what information was it?"

"Heh, I simply wanted to find out what Hannah wanted with you and why she had wanted me to combine a human soul with a demon body." He replied, smiling coolly at me.

"I wanted to fulfill Alois' death wish."

I glared at Hannah, who looked at me with soft restraint, "You killed him, so what does his wish have to do with me?"

"I didn't kill him the first time, but he was the only one that still showed me a form of familial love that I wanted," Hannah sighed, watching Claude and Sebastian continue fighting, "At first I was once in love with him, Claude that is, and I ended up pregnant. You were a stillborn, but your powers were dormant. I grieved and Claude drifted away from me. I asked Undertaker to help me keep your body, which he gladly did…for a price. I gave him my womb for his medicinal practices, and in exchange your infant body was kept. I was then called to Luka's aid….I helped him for the price. He gave me his soul. I was still in grief, so I kept it and stayed by Alois' side…just as Luka wished. Later when Alois was dying, I was then asked to protect someone dear to Alois. It was then that I decided to use his brother's soul since I knew that I had to go into hiding after killing Claude. I fell into the Hell's whirlpool and waited for you to become alive. Against my wishes though," She now glared half-heartedly at Undertaker, "You were sent to another dimension to grow up. I don't regret any of it, though. Your powers are what I'm going to use to rid the world of death and of miserable demons such as Sebastian. The only thing now standing in my way is…"

Hannah launched herself at Claude, reaching down her throat and pulling out a sword. She stabbed him through his heart, pulling out the sword just moments before Sebastian was impaled upon it. Claude instantly went slack, falling to the ground.

"Now that that has been taken care of," Hannah began, "Now I will proceed to gain what I rightfully claim. My daughter's powers and dominance over the rest of the world! Ciel and I will rule together, side by side, for all of eternity!"

"No! You gave her to me!" Undertaker spat, menacingly holding out his scythe, "She is mine! Neko belongs to me! I'll not see a filthy demon go back on their word, especially you!"

He lunged at her, slicing the air in front of him. Hannah jumped back, landing near enough to Ciel for Sebastian to join in the fray. I only stood my ground, momentarily paralyzed. Hannah kept the blade used to sacrifice Alois between her teeth, cutting the air in front of her with the sword she'd withdrawn from her body. I moved to protect Ciel, acting as a human shield. Grell eventually found enough strength to fight with Sebastian, but was thrown out of the fight, landing unconsciously next to Will.

"Neko!"

Snake wrapped his arms around me, securely. I allowed myself to shed a small tear of sanity, comforted by his soft embrace. I had never felt so tired in my life, already the strength that I had felt earlier seemed to be waning…my vision too, seemed blurry.

"Oh, Snake," I whispered, closing my eyes against the carnage, "What have I done?"

"You did nothing."

We turned, CIel's strong voice didn't match the terror in his eyes.

"This is all Hannah's fault," Ciel continued, "She's the one who tangled up this entire mess. She's the cause of your despair…Neko or Luka, it doesn't matter-"

"Doesn't matter!"

Snake pushed me into CIel, a sickening rip sounding in the air. I turned and a heart-wrenching, guttural cry rendered from my throat. A malevolent black light streamed forth from his eyes and mouth, his mouth open in a silent scream. Hannah had pierced him in his heart with the black blade used on Alois. Tears streamed down my face, I could see that he was in excruciating pain, already from the black light a viscous black cloud was forming in the sky and blanketing the surrounding area. Everything was being turned into what it once was, dead trees and a desiccated building became the entire landscape.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hannah screamed, lunging forward to rip the blade from Snake's body.

I moved and in a punishing strike, snapped Hannah head back with a powerful kick. She flew back, blood dribbled from her mouth, she was injured…but not fatally. I had wounded her. I reached down, ignoring the cries from Sebastian as he tried to get within distance of Ciel and I, and picked up the sword that Hannah had dropped in her momentary fury.

"Don't touch the Demon Sword!" yelled Undertaker, shielding Grell's and Will's bodies with his own.

I picked it up, it wasn't as heavy as I had expected but it wasn't exactly light either. The weapon fitted perfectly in my hand….even welcomed my grip. It was genuinely unexpected, but I paid it little attention. A new light blazed from the blade, much brighter and clearer…but still as black, this time as desecrated raven colored snow. I carefully launched the blade into the air, it hovered before slamming into the ground.

"What'll you do now, daughter?" Hannah questioned, snapping her neck back into place, "I'll have what Alois and Luka wished for!"

She lunged at me and we began a game of chase.

"There will be no death!" She clawed at the empty air inches from my face.

"No pain!" I dodged another swipe and aimed a well-placed kick to her stomach.

A newer light blazed from the sword, battling with the light coming from Snake. Ciel was in the firing range of the light. Immediately I jumped between the light and Ciel. I embraced him just as I felt the light from the Demon sword overtake us.

Water filled my nose and mouth, still, I held onto Ciel. Against the rapidly churning water, might waning strength lost my grip on him…the last I held of him was his cooling hand. My weary body was giving up.

'I'm drowning?...'

And all will turn

To silver glass

A light on the water

Grey ships pass

Into the West

Notes:

"Into the West" by Annie Lennox

Hey, it will definately be a while, but summer break is hear (and I'm a Graduating Senior! WHOOO!) so yeah, I am (for now) too poor to afford a computer with access to FF. I'm not giving up on this, 'Another World' is after all my baby. I will update when I can, but as a warning this will be a while. Cheer and Pray for Nekohime hard enough and you will read the rest to the end. Just for now, PLEASE BE PATIENT. BE PATIENT and wait calmly.

Bard, Mei-Rin, Finny: "Aishitsuji said it twice...she said it twice she did..."

Sebastian, Ciel, and the rest of the crew: *facepalm*

Illuminate

IzzyV

Summary:

Make the souls shine, baby, there is no one like you~

Notes:

andantin0 deserves the world for giving me this opportunity. She ordered me this piece and I'm so excited!

I hope you like it! ♥

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

“A redhead who works as a maid in that manor?” Ronald asked; hoping to have some clue about that beautiful girl he’d met before entering Campania. He could barely believe what Grell had just just said, or that the girl he had been thinking about had been so close all along.

Ronald wasn’t even sure why they started to talk about that, but he was happy with this results. Anything was an interesting change when the most common subject was death. They were in queue for the cafeteria, and as usual, they were making small talk. They ate together most of the time. Even though Grell said she had many friends to eat with, she really didn’t get along with most people in the office. Ronald felt the same. He knew many people, but sometimes getting along with co-workers was a pain in the ass.

“Yes! A boring girl who has a crush on my Sebas-chan. When she gets her glasses off she is way more interesting though- Hey! Give me those mashed potatoes! Do you think I’m dumb?!” Grell shouted to the worker, but he only grunted. They moved to the next free table quickly.

“Could you describe me that maid?” Ronald asked. He was trying to appear noncommitted as he ate softly.

“Why so interested?”

“No reason.”

Grell narrowed her eyes. “Big glasses, redhead… Nothing else… She looks Asian.”

Ronald smiled. “Really? Interesting.”

“You’re planning something.”

“I am not.”

Grell stared at him, suspicious. Ronald was up to something and she was ready to figure out what, but William came into the room, and all her attention was distracted for that. “Guess what?” she suddenly asked.

Ronald shrugged, and Grell smiles grew bigger. “I have a date with William.”

Ronald spit his beverage. “No way.”

“I do. I have a date.”

“Prove it.”

Grell smiled before standing up and shooting across the room. “Will!!! What should I wear for our date?!”

All the room looked at him, and William just fixed his glasses and said “Silence, Sutcliff. Go back to work as soon as you’re done here.”

The room whole room snickered; making fun of Grell’s desperate attempts to flirt with William.

Ronald opened his eyes, his mouth forming an ‘o’. “He didn’t deny it.”

“Because I have a date with him.”

“How even?”

“A lady doesn’t reveal her secret.” She held her hands together, sighing dreamily, you could almost see the hearts floating around her if you used your imagination enough.

Ronald smiled dreamily; placing his elbow on the table and his cheek on his hand. “I may have a date as well.”

Grell went down off her fantasy to smirk at him. “What? Did the blond woman from communications finally glanced back and you’re excited for that?”

“Perhaps.”

It was already late in the night, but Mey-Rin was still trying to clean the black out of the handrail. It was a silly mistake! But Sebastian was so mad with her. He made her clean everything herself and without his help.

Mey-Rin really wanted to be recognized by Sebastian. If only… If only he could understand how foreign she feels to this sweet and cozy life.

But it is not a bad feeling. She wanted to protect this new happiness, this new live, with her body and soul. And for that, she is willing to break as many plates as she needs to.

“You seem to be very focused. What are you thinking about?”

Mey-Rin screamed, previously unaware of the other person’s presence. She took out her gun right away, pushed her glasses back, only to be faced with a familiar face. She squinted her eyes as she tried to recognize his face.

“Do I know you?”

“Oh, your voice changed! That’s interesting.”

“Answer my question.”

“A, you don’t remember me? And here I am to fulfill my promise of going to a date with you.”

Mey-rin took her glasses back again. “Mister! How are you even here?”

Ronald smiled, finding the maid to be really cute. “That’s not really important,” he said, taking her in his arms and out of the manor, onto his scythe. Mey-Rin was still surprised of his strength when she started to scream because he had to hold herself tightly on the man or else she would fall.

She was being abducted by a gorgeous man who’s driving a stupidly big loud machine. What a bizarre night, and she was almost sure she was dreaming. The mower is incredible powerful, the jumps it takes are really high. It made Mey-Rin scream and hold tighter on Ronald’s neck.

He laughed, going faster. Mey-Rin hugged him harder; hiding her face in his back and which Ronald found to be utterly endearing. Aw, he was really excited about this date! He knew the maid would say yes.

Well, technically she didn’t say yes but she didn’t say no and she’s now laughing, so he took it as an confirmation.

They landed on a rooftop, and Ronald helped Mey-Rin getting down the scythe; holding her hand. Mey-Rin blushed, averting her eyes in a shy movement, and Ronald smiled.

Mey-Rin fell into his arms, and the shinigami couldn’t help but blush. He felt suddenly hot and he pushed Mey-Rin away of him; holding her by the shoulders. The maid looked at him surprised, but then she suddenly realized where they were.

“We’re in London! This is amazing! How did we got so fast here, Mister?”

“This thing is fast, right? I love it for that. Fast transportation is really the best thing.”

“Yes, but… what… I don’t understand.”

“Do you like magic, my lady?”

Mey-Rin blushed at the pet name, secretly liking being called like that. She wasn’t sure what was happening, and she was almost sure this was a dream, but she needed to answer the question.

“Yes, I like magic.”

“Think of everything we’re going to see as magic!”

Mey-Rin nodded, unsure of what else could she do in a situation like this. The man leaned up in his mower was incredible handsome, and his smile was a dream, but she was very confused, and improperly dressed. The wind was harsh that night and Mey-Rin shivered thanks to a particularly strong breeze.

“Does Mister has the power to bring me a sweater?”

Ronald opened his eyes with surprise, and then he cackled. “That’s a good one, but sadly, my powers don’t reach that point. But we should definitely move.” Ronald kept thinking that if his supervisors knew what he was doing they were going to kill him. More precisely, Spears was going to kill him.

But he was on a date tonight.

Ronald smiled, and he took Mey-Rin off the rooftop,lending her his coat. They were walking through the streets of London, the illumination of the dim lights feeling just correct for the mood.

“Where do you want to go? To the opera? To eat? Do not worry about your clothes, they won’t even see us.”

The maid tilted her head to one side. She didn’t want to get in a place without permission, and that was exactly what this young man was implying. Where to go? That was a good question. But Mey-Rin was a simple girl, and if she was going to date with a man, it was only good that he decided where to go. She said so to him, adding that they should go to some place he really loves. To the only place where he feel content and happy.

“You wouldn’t like that place.”

“Take me to it either way.”

Ronald bite his lips, and after a moment of consideration, he decided to got for it anyway.

The shinigami was aware that he really wasn’t allowed to do this. Bringing a human being to the shinigami world without a good reason was against the rules, and it was going to get him in troubles. And according to them, a date wasn’t a good reason.

He had arguments to disagree, but they were always ignored.

He had an excuse though, that here it was really the only place in the existence where he could feel at peace. Comfortable. Happy. It was weird, because he never felt like that when he was alive and he felt those presences living. Well, that was the whole point of working as a shinigami now. And when the maid, Mey-Rin, asked him to go to whatever place he liked, this was really the only place he could thought off.

The River Thames on the Other Side. The place where the impressions of human souls lingered. And those impressions shined as bright as your connection with them.

Ronald never saw many lights. And the bright ones were only three. He knew to which people belonged, and he feel peacefully and yet so sad when he looked at them. He missed them, more than he thought he would. And that was…

Mey-Rin was fascinated with the light show, walking along him with a smile in her face. Ronald smiled back.

“How can this lights work alone like this?”

“Mhm. Remember what I told you about magic?”

“Yes, sir.”

Ronald giggled. “Well… this lights are… They represent all the people that have impressed you, or you have impressed in your life. Both good or bad, doesn’t matter. And the stronger that bond, the stronger the light. It is really weird to explain. If I have to be honest, I don’t really understand it. Are you seeing lots of bright lights?”

Mey-Rin blinked; a bit confused about everything. Ronald’s smile stopped being charming to become melancholic, and Mey-Rin could feel there was something incredible sad about the existence of this man. She wasn’t sure of what. She looked again at the river, getting close to the edge of the bridge, trying to count how many lights she was seeing. They were many, and she wasn’t aware of how many people she’ve met in her life. And then, she remembered how many people she really knows.

How many lives she’ve ruined.

She looked back at him, and he was smiling as charmingly as ever. Mey-Rin clutched her hands in the coat, and moved closer to him, holding his hand with her hand.

They walked together like this, Ronald was telling a story about a co-worker who always got him into troubles and Mey-Rin couldn’t stop laughing, because Ronald did really good expressions with his face.

She felt really calm, peace surrounding her when she saw one light brighter than the rest. And she started to cry. Ronald got startled.

“Are you okay?”

Mey-Rin shocked his head, but when she looked back at Ronald, she replied yes.

“I just… My parents died when I was a child. My father… this light remember me him.”

Ronald nodded. He was sure that if the light remembered her her father, it was probably her father. But he said nothing, because any word felt extra, and he left the woman to indulge in the moment. She was smiling, with her glasses pushed back.

He wasn’t sure why he was attracted to her to the point of bringing her here. He mostly did it by impulse, because a pretty girl asked him his favorite place and he took her, but he also valued his work and this was a serious mistake.

Then she smiled again, this time, to him, with her glasses on again, and it was such a sweet smile that made his heart jump. And for the rest of the night, he didn’t questioned it.

“Is that Grell?”

“Your co-worker?”

Ronald sighed. Of course Grell and William were having their date in the bridge. Grell was leaned against rail, speaking seriously about something. William was talking too, softly, straight and serious and he usually was, but he looked infinitely more relaxed that he usually did. They were staring at the river intensely, and Ronald thought that maybe they were talking about the people they saw in the lights.

“I can’t believe they’re already in that level of their relationship… oh my god.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, let’s move before my boss sees me.”

“What is the problem? Shouldn’t we say hi?”

“Hahaha, no, if they see you here I’m going to die for real. Take my hand.”

“Are we going to-” Mey-rin speech was interrupted by Ronald taking her in his back and jumping through a portal again.

“This was really fun! Do you want to keep walking around, we could-” Ronald stopped himself at watching Mey-Rin yawn. She was probably very tired. They also had to work tomorrow. And while their works were very different, they both were demanding to them.

He grabbed her by the chin and kissed her cheek. Mey-Rin blushed, feeling very awake, trembling a bit.

The next thing she remembered was that she was lying on her bed, unaware of when she reached home. She still had her clothes on, so she was sure that the date with him wasn’t only a dream.

She didn’t remember his name, though.

She stood up quickly, distressed by this fact. How could she be so dumb and don’t ask for his name! How is she going to search him now? What if she never sees him again?

Hiding her face on her hands, she still smiled, the warmth memories of her date flooding her mind and her heart.

“You do realize my Will did see you, right? You’re lucky I could convince him to not say anything. A human! What are you thinking?”

“I like her. Thanks, by the way.”

“But humans are usually so… Ugh, anyway. I know they can be good too. Sometimes. Still, it would go better if you keep pursuing the blond from communications. That’s an infinitely better suit for you.”

“I guess, but she likes Spears so there is no much to do.”

“WHAT?! Excuse me.”

Grell directed to Communications, and Ronald was very busy laughing, so much William noticed him and went right to his directions.

“Knox! You have work to do. And where did Sutcliff went?”

“You’re in troubles, boss.”

William fixed his glasses, raising an eyebrow. “Pardon me? You should know that what happened yesterday will not be tolerated for a second time.”

“You’re in so much troubles, boss.”

Seeing William trying to discover if he was talking about Grell or not was a bit endearing, even though he never thought he would think that of William. Ah, everyone should have someone important in their lives. Or their deaths. For him, it was someone likes his friends… and the people you meet on the way.

Shit, he still doesn’t know her name. Well, he will ask it the next time.

Notes:

My main tumblr is theawesomefanatic! ♥

And my Kuroshitsuji blog is saltyshitsuji

The Dreamers

vakansu

Summary:

It all began in modern London, when Claude and Sebastian Michaelis-Faustus built the life of their dreams. Every aspect of it is a perfect illusion, until an unexpected visit begins the slow unraveling of events that will stain their lives, destroy others, and force them to question everything they thought they knew.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1: The Dreamers

Notes:

Discretion advised: homoerotic smut

Chapter Text

A gentle rain fell from the bitter autumn night, covering London in a thick sheet of moisture. Huddled close together, patrons of the street covered their faces with scarves, protected their heads with umbrellas, or simply used a bag to shield the fog from their glasses.

Meow—meow!

A looming figure in a black overcoat walked on the eastern side, a large black umbrella in hand, shielding most of his face. He carried a large white bag and nothing more, appearing to be on a mission for home. When he heard the gentle coos, his wrist tipped the large umbrella to free his gaze, glancing down to his right towards the source of the sound.

Meow—meow! The figure turned right into the alleyway, his stark eyes of pure cardinal ocher narrowing over his lenses at the source. A small kitten with a vibrant midnight coat huddled beneath the pathetic remnants of a lopsided cardboard box. Her face was turned away within the shadows of the soaked wing of the box, but her cries were audible and painful. She sounded lonely, possibly hungry. The man instinctively kneeled down without resting his knee on the wet cobblestone, reaching a black-clad leather hand towards the kitten and pausing before her general vicinity.

"I'm not going to hurt you." His husky voice nearly whispered, lowering the palm of his gloved hand a bit lower. "What's your name? I'm Claude." The little kitten turned her head towards his hand, staring at it for a long moment before inching closer as if to inspect him with her nose. When his scent didn't offend her she neared closer, and a small pink tongue grazed over the leather material. Claude smiled. "Are you a girl?" He paused for a moment, watching the little one become accustomed to his scent. "Olivia?" The kitten glanced up at him then, gifting Claude with her piercing eyes of lustrous silver. He smiled, reaching down to carefully lift her up with his palm, opening his jacket and safely tucking her within his large breast pocket. "Olivia it is then. Let's go home."

[✦✦✦]

Carefully placing the chicken into the pan, it sizzled with a crackling popping sound before another dash of salt, pepper, rosemary, and cayenne dressed the whitening seasoned flesh. A lid secured the meat while it began to cook, and turning around with the heel of his foot, Sebastian hummed to himself as he checked the wild rice and vegetables. Everything seemed to be in order, as this wasn't a particularly painful dish to make—something the chef could make within his sleep. He tasted a veggie, tipping his head and adding pink salt and a hint of garlic. He felt a little tug upon the hem of his pants, and glancing down he smiled as a white furball began to curl around his leg. "Braxton—daddy's busy," he hummed, gently tossing the vegetables, careful not to pierce them. He checked his watch—eight more minutes before he would need to check the chicken. "Alright!" Dusting his hands, he reached down to lift the longhair into his arms, cuddling his face near Braxton's and enjoying the soft fur. The cat purred deliciously as he snuggled with his owner, and Sebastian turned away from the kitchen to head into the living room.

A free hand moved to graze fingers along Braxton's topcoat, and the cat purred in appreciation from the delicate, loving touch. Sebastian lowered the spoiled kitten into his little basket—a haven of a silky pillow and his favorite crochet nibble toy of a black spider, crafted by none other than his big daddy. Sebastian watched as the little thing curled back into his resting place, smiling and lowering to sift fingers through his white hair once more. "You stay here and let me finish his dinner."

[✦✦✦]

It was too wet and cold to walk the rest of the way home with Olivia, so Claude decided to hail a cab. It dropped him off right outside of the cast-iron gate, and he tipped the driver before exiting the vehicle. He quickly punched in the six-digit passcode for the gate, and it unlatched and revolved itself instantly, sliding open for the tall man to slip between its crack as it opened itself enough to secure a full vehicle. It waited for about ninety seconds before closing itself shut once more.

Kicking off his shoes at the entrance, Claude shut and locked the front door behind him, tossing his keys on a small table near the door, and resting the umbrella on its drying rack. Carefully handling Olivia from his breast pocket, he shouldered the jacket and draped it over the coat rack to air dry, finally taking his first steps into the home. He immediately met the familiar scent of chicken wild rice—one of his favorite comfort meals—and smiled down at Olivia as she shivered in his large palm. Claude reached back for the large white bag, carrying her past the expanse of the oak foyer and deeper into the home, towards the source of the house's warmth. He heard the sizzling of meats, a thick waft of spices warming the atmosphere, and he paused before Braxton's little bed. The cat was much too overweight for Claude's taste and left dander all over the place, causing him to officially hire a cleaning service—or that fucking maid as Sebastian liked to call him: some twenty-something college dropout from the inner city that was a touch too familiar with his husband, thank you very much.

Claude used his foot to gently nudge the cat below, announcing his arrival home. Braxton merely glanced up at him, those large sapphire eyes blinking once, before plopping his head back against his paws and yawning, certainly uninterested in his return. He didn't even seem to notice his new sister.

"Spoiled brat," Claude breathed lowly, turning away from Braxton and making his way into the kitchen. Sebastian had his back to him, lifting the pan from the burner and turning on his heel to plate the meat over the bed of rice on the serving plate. His sanguine rose eyes widened slightly when he saw his husband suddenly standing at the island of the kitchen, and with a kitten no less! He quickly plated the slender slab of chicken, garnishing it with a bit of paprika, and lowered the pan on its resting rack to dust his hands and hurry over to the pair.

"You're late," he mumbled lowly, playfully as he reached up to kiss him. "But just in time for your dinner. Now tell me," Pausing mid-sentence, the man glanced down to the black kitten, reaching a hand out to stroke carefully along her wet coat with the back of his warm fingers. "Where did you find this darling creature?"

"This is Olivia," Claude replied, reaching to kiss the side of Sebastian's temple as he slipped an arm around his waist, pulling him in for some sort of affection. "I found her in an alley on the east side of the city, and I really should clean her up—" Sebastian slipped an arm around him to hug him back in turn, but his eyes were fixated on Olivia as the other spoke, and he reached up to carefully take her into his arms.

"Oh, of course! She needs to be cleaned, and checked...maybe I should take her to Dr. Claire? You didn't see her mother, or a litter of some sort, did you?" Claude pondered for a moment but shook his head. He wouldn't fight over the chore with his husband; Sebastian was some sort of cat-whisperer after all and adored cats as much as he loved cooking, which was essentially his livelihood.

"She was alone. I think Claire is a good idea. We should take Braxton too; the little fatball—" Sebastian's gaze finally fell from Olivia as he shot his partner a daring glare, "—is getting too hefty. Help yourself to Olivia." Claude was a tad taller than Sebastian, whose forehead naturally met the sight of his lips. He reached to kiss his temple once more, the motion being almost an involuntary reaction of having him so close, and lowered a palm to the curve of the man's rear, giving him a healthy squeeze. Sebastian's eyes smoldered in a kind of silent desire, glancing upwards to him one more and offering a meek, though seductive smile.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, motioning towards the kitchen set up behind him. "I've made your favorite chicken."

"I'll eat when you finish with Olivia." Claude answered, a hint of libido laced within his words.

[✦✦✦]

"Oh—not there—" A heavy, heated sigh pressed passed trembling lips, which widened moments later with a whining sort of moan of the culprit's name. "Claude—aah!" Sebastian tipped his head back into the covers, his eyes blindfolded and body convulsing upwards as his body tried to fight the intoxicating feeling that overwhelmed him. He tugged on his arms; both hoisted and tied above his head, hooked to the bedpost above him. Claude was nowhere to be seen, but a large lump idly floated beneath the plum silk sheets of the dark room, and Sebastian began to mewl in pleasure, his breathing heavy and hips arching upwards in response to the sensation. He tugged on his arms harder, forgetting that he was completely bound and helpless to his partner. He released another erotic moan, whining with his nostrils and spreading his thighs further for him.

Claude rested between his thighs and right at his pelvis, his head tipped low and his rather lengthy red tongue circling along the tight, puckering orifice of his husband's entrance. He breeched him there, the sensation driving his lover wild from the touch to his sensitive flesh, but Claude did not slow nor stop his movements. With his free hand he cusped the man's full arousal, starting to stroke along his length from the base and up towards the tip, tightening his grasp as he moved along the thick girth, and quickening his pace as he pumped his hand back towards the base. "Y—yes! Oh~!" Sebastian responded well to this, only fueling Claude to continue with this teasing. His tongue left the warm security of his body, tracing upwards along Sebastian's sensitive sac in loving, warm strokes with his moistened tongue, causing Sebastian to shiver in anticipation. "Just fuck me, Claude—please!" Claude smirked, his tongue trailing back lower along the sacs towards his moist entrance, adequately lubricating him there. It fed him well whenever Sebastian finally broke his silence and begged to be fucked. It was all that the greedy lover ever thought about, and he thoroughly enjoyed making him own up to it.

He continued to pump along his shaft a few more times, and as he reached the tip he felt the sticky essence of his precum pool onto the side of his hand. He reached to lick the flavorful essence clean from his cock, and sat up some, dragging the sheets on his back with him. Claude reached for Sebastian's nude, narrow hips, persuading him to roll over onto his stomach and expose his perk, muscular little ass. The other gave a soft gasp, his breathing heavy as his face planted into the fine silk, groaning heatedly as he strived to arch his hips upwards for him, spreading his thighs a bit for their support. Claude smacked a hand to the side of his ass, groping him there as his other hand felt along his own pulsing erection, longing to feel the other's body envelop around it. He smacked his cock down along one of his ass cheeks in a teasing warning, and then a loud buzzing sound erupted within the steamy atmosphere of the room.

The buzzing continued, and Claude knew it must have been his phone based on the source location, but he ignored it. The buzzing stopped, and as he slapped his cock back between the divide of Sebastian's warm rear, the phone began to ring again. "Fuck—" He breathed heavily through his nostrils, his brow frowning in sexual frustration, striving to ignore the phone and focus on his task. He arched his hips upwards, allowing his heavy cock to drag along the space between Sebastian's cheeks, and when he felt the heated dip of his entrance he slowly began to sink his engorged tip into his body.

"Ngh—gyah!" Sebastian didn't appear to notice the phone, his fingers reaching to grasp and claw onto the material of his binding as he was finally penetrated. "Oh, fuck yes—more—!" Claude reached with a hand to sink fingers into the other's dark mass of messy hair, grasping him there and forcing him to toss his head back. He simultaneously thrust his full girth down into the soft orifice, his body engulfing his heavy cock with ease and causing the man to shriek in aroused passion. Claude loved hearing his voice. Sebastian was never a quiet lover.

Forcing his toned, flat pelvis to his ass, the man began to arch his hips backward, tugging his girth from the depths of his anus, and thrusting back down into it in a repetitive, heady rhythm. "Mgh—you're always so—tight!" Claude breathed heavily, the libido still laced within his now scruff voice as he worked with the pace of his rhythm and the arch and pushes of Sebastian's waist against his pelvis. It made his whole body shiver in pleasure, fighting the urge to release prematurely within him. He grasped at his lover's hair, keeping that grip for a moment longer before he lowered down, hovering over the man's backside. He pressed his lips to the side of his neck, kissing him there affectionately before taking a heady bite of his flesh, groaning lustfully with his teeth locked there. The sensation made Sebastian respond by clenching his lower form along the girth that penetrated him, making Claude growl within his throat and quicken his pace.

Ding-dong!

Both lover's eyes sprang open, Sebastian's in a mild shock of surprise beneath the blindfold, and Claude's in an agitated glare of frustration.

Ding-dong!

"Who the fuck—" Claude gave a final thrust down into his lover, making Sebastian gasp in pleasure, but he paused there and turned his head towards the covered bay window. Someone was outside of their driveway, ringing their gated doorbell.

"What—who—" Sebastian panted heavily, turning his own head towards the source of the ringing. "It's nearly one in the morning, isn't it…?"

"Shh…" Claude cooed, leaning low to give a hot kiss to the back of his neck. "Just ignore it." He arched his hips to continue his movement, making Sebastian breathe heavier and groan to the sheets, arching his own hips and pushing himself back to Claude's waist.

"Oh, Claude~"

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

"Fuck!" They breathed in unison, and Claude collapsed on his lover's back, breathing heavily as he felt his patience waiver.

"Maybe someone needs help?" Sebastian suggested, and Claude rolled his eyes, sighing with frustration as he carefully began to unsheathe himself from the intimate depths of his husband. Sebastian's body shivered from the sensation, his mouth pouting significantly as he tugged on the bondage. "Let me go with you."

Claude reached forward, helping to remove the binding of his wrists. When they were freed, Sebastian pushed the blindfold from his eyes and glanced down to his lover's engorged erection. Claude was already slipping from the bed, reaching for a pair of black sweatpants, the muscle now hidden from view. But whenever he turned to the side, Sebastian received a heavenly glance of his erect bulge, making him chuckle. "You're going to answer the door like that?" He inquired, sighing as he tossed the blindfold aside and sat upright within the sheets. Claude went to rummage in a drawer, tossing Sebastian his own pair of dark pants.

"You stay here. I'll go check if it was worth the interruption." Sebastian watched as he left, running fingers through his mess of hair and collapsing back to the pillows, his body still heightened with pleasure.

When Claude reached the lower end of the hall, he approached a large white callbox on the wall. He pressed the receiver, immediately capturing an active video image of the security cameras around the home. He scanned them for the front gate and using his finger tapped the image to select and enlarge it. A figure stood right before it, slunk within what appeared to be a bright blue coat and soaked jeans. His tufts of blonde hair was familiar, and when his face looked up to the bell, apparently unaware he was right before a security camera hidden within the brick wall, Claude rolled his eyes when he witnessed the distinct azure eyes gleaming back at him.

Ding-dong!

Claude tapped the screen again before pressing the call button. He could hear it ring on camera, and the boy glanced at the phone on the gate wall before hastily picking up the receiver and pressing it to his wet ear.

"You'd better be dying or sleep walking, Trancy."

Chapter 2: The Proposal

Summary:

The night falters when a mysterious visitor interrupts the height of a passionate exchange, offering a peculiar proposal that draws sympathy from Claude and breeds fervent doubt from Sebastian.

Chapter Text

Alois blinked blankly, his bright azure gaze lifting to stare at the brick wall before him. He wondered if Claude could see his face somehow, and started to lean upon his toes as he tipped his head back, eyes seeking his presence. Claude’s voice sounded agitated, husky and gruff, and Alois felt his face flush with heat as he registered it. If he could see him, he wanted to see his face, too.

“I—I’m sorry it’s so late! I ran into some trouble at home and I—I wasn’t sure who else to turn to!” The rain was a gentle drizzle that slowly began to collide in thicker sheets. Claude could hear it audibly over the receiver, his own ocher gaze narrowing as he looked into the crystal eyes that stared back into the hidden lens. It looked like he walked all the way over from the inner city, completely soaked without an umbrella. Claude enjoyed the hike himself, but he was much stronger and more agile than the thin one on camera. It surprised him that he’d come this far without a bike.

“Can I come in?” Claude’s piercing stare narrowed even further, his body still aroused with heat, and the sexual frustration of being interrupted only aggravating his testosterone.

“…” Giving an exasperated sigh, the man tapped the button on-screen that would unlock the front gate, allowing Alois access. “Thank you!” Alois cried into the phone, hanging it up and bending low to retrieve what looked like a bag. Claude gave a gruff sound in response, returning the screen to the security camera panel and turning to descend the staircase to the first floor of the home, a hand moving to slip fingers into his dark hair. Pausing as he approached the front door, he glanced down to his pelvis and finally noticed his enlarged erection visibly pointing outwards. He slowly began to rearrange himself, resting it upright along his lower abdomen and allowing the waistband of his sweats to keep it situated there. Unlatching the two-bolt locks, he tugged the heavy oak door open, finding a panting Alois there with bright eyes of hope.

Claude took a step aside, motioning with his right hand for the boy to enter, not saying a word just yet. “Thank you!” Alois chirped happily, grateful for the chance, and entered into the foyer. He was drenched now and knew better than to track a mess into the home. Being the maid, it wouldn’t benefit him to do so, and with the proposal, he had in mind it was best he behaved himself tonight. Claude would make that difficult for him, however. He was far too handsome to ever act refined around.

“Sorry about this mess…” He mumbled lowly, bending low to kick off his shoes and placing the pathetic trainers neatly beside a dark pair of shoes before the shoe cabinet. Sebastian despised outdoor shoes inside of his home. “I didn’t have an umbrella and not enough for a cab…” His voice trailed as he glanced up, seeing the unexpected bulge of Claude’s pelvis and feeling his face flush slightly. Alois usually wasn’t this flustered, but something about Claude drove him absolutely wild. He could already feel his insides churn, bright eyes moving swiftly back to watch Claude’s handsome face with his furrowed brow and breathy exhale. One would think the man ran a marathon to let him enter the home. “Uh…I—“

“Honey, who is it?” Sebastian’s exasperated voice called down as he tugged on a loose t-shirt over his slender frame, tucking the front of it into the hem of his pants to mask his lasting erection. Presumably, he would have tried to finish himself off, but Sebastian thought masturbation was useless with a partner like Claude to look forward to every night.

“Is everything alright?” He reached the large opening of the staircase that was a vast balcony to the foyer below, his pure sanguine eyes widening slightly when he saw the matted blonde head of Alois. Those pupils narrowed a fraction, never leaving the shy gaze of the boy. “What’s going on?” Sebastian asked Claude again, this time in his native French.

“I don’t know. Would you mind making us some tea?” Claude replied in delicate French. He assumed coaxing Sebastian to join the pair downstairs was the most viable option, knowing that his husband wasn’t the biggest fan of their maid. Something about Alois offended the chef, who refused to speak English whenever Alois was around and forbade him to even serve Braxton his water changes and meals.

“Don’t you bother,” Sebastian would say, hurrying over to the animal and scooping him up into his arms, as if Alois was some vermin whose very presence would taint his beloved ragdoll. “I can handle his chores. The only hairs you will touch are any of his sheds around the house.”

Claude never knew why Sebastian disliked the kid so much. He saw nothing more than a young adult striving to do his best. Sure he had a few kinks, but who didn’t? Claude was quite unperturbed, remembering the first time he met the youth after placing an ad for the help. He answered it ridiculously fast and proved himself to be a very capable help around the house. He had nothing but praise for Alois, but tonight was a different matter. One didn’t just come over in the middle of the night uninvited. The maid had better have a decent enough excuse, or Claude would be persuaded to fire him.

From the foyer, Claude could see Sebastian’s eyes narrow in suspicion for a moment before descending the staircase, approaching the lower level with a hand on his hip. His face was flushed a beautiful tinge of warm rose that made him glow, gracing his cheeks and forehead, down to his neck and collarbone. It was his natural look of tainted arousal, signaling he’d recently been pleasured. The bright gaze from Alois fell over Sebastian’s face, making his own flush further, and staring back towards Claude he grasped the handle of his bag a bit tighter.

The maid wasn’t stupid, although he often played the part. He never knew exactly why Sebastian disliked him so much, although he probably had the merit to after the incident. Alois had his eye on the famous couple for quite some time, and it was vital that he acted this out smoothly if he wanted to win them over.

“Did I…interrupt something?” Alois asked meekly, his gaze roaming back towards Sebastian and putting on what he hoped was a desperate, helpless face. “I’m so sorry! I really didn’t know where else to go and I—“ Sebastian raised a hand as if dismissing his ranting apologies.

“Don’t worry about it, dear. Why don’t you two go warm up by the fire? I’ll fetch us all some tea.” He stated, and before Alois could say anything else he turned around to head for the kitchen, not before whispering an exasperated “That fucking maid,” in inaudible French beneath his breath. He was convinced Alois was a criminal, and worse yet, fancied his Claude.

Claude turned his attention back towards Alois, reaching to take his jacket. “Let me hang this for you,” He said, and Alois made a grateful expression as he handed over his jacket, rousing his wet hair with a pruned hand. It already started to dry, the golden strands fluffing beneath his cold fingers. “I’ll start a fire, and then you’re going to tell me what happened.”

[✦✦✦]

Sebastian busied himself in the kitchen, quite annoyed that it would be utilized so soon after its cleanup. He prepared a fresh pot of classic Earl Grey and biscuits, too tired to bother with baking anything spectacular for this particular guest. Plating everything neatly on a silver platter, he moved with it in his palms towards the den, where Claude and Alois sat before the blazing fireplace in the back end of the room. The scene was warm and appealing if only Alois wasn’t there at two in the morning.

He lowered the tray carefully onto the low coffee table, moving over to the couch to grab a large burgundy crochet blanket Claude made last Christmas. Feeling drafty despite the fire, he wrapped it about his shoulders and settled beside Claude on the hearth, his eyes now locked on Alois as the younger moved to help himself to a cup of tea.

“Why did your father kick you out?” Claude questioned, reaching to take a biscuit for himself and leaning to brush a kiss over Sebastian’s temple in a sign of gratitude for his offering. Alois watched as he did so, trying his best not to let his emotions read on his face, and wrapping his cold, nimble fingers around the delicate china. Little bluebirds traced the outer golden rim of it, the steam caressing his thawing cheeks.

“He’s fed up with me. Ever since I left school…I don’t know. He doesn’t love me anymore. I’m nothing but a failure to him, I guess.” He shrugged, his eyes lowering slightly as he thought about it as if reliving a conversation no one else could hear. “You know, I always wanted to study biology, but it got too hard, and then mom died…” His voice trailed, eyes narrowing as he coursed the thoughts of his mind. “Anyway. I need a new place. I need some help.” He offered a frown of grief, his electrifying eyes burning with newfound hope, gaze still upon the dark tea. “I was hoping that—that I could make some kind of offer with you—the both of you,” he added hastily, eyes cautiously falling over Sebastian. Alois knew that he wouldn’t be able to win Claude over if his husband didn’t agree to it, and he had an inkling Sebastian wouldn’t let him charm his partner too easily.

“Doesn’t he have other family? This isn’t an orphanage—I’m not raising this—this child. How old is he again? Eighteen? Oh please, Claude—we can’t be bothered with this, with him. Just give him some money so he can get a hotel or something and be done with it. And he’d better come on Wednesday; I don’t have time to do the laundry—and I know you won’t do it—” Sebastian spoke in soft, rapid French and was trying his best not to roll his eyes before their pitiful guest. He was already convinced it wasn’t his problem, entertaining him only because Claude allowed him inside. If Sebastian had his way, he would have left the boy in the rain to perish. Claude was silent as he watched them both, reaching a hand up to rub his palm over his husband’s back and pulling the heated little firecracker to his naked chest in an attempt to soothe him without replying to his tirade.

He assumed Sebastian was so annoyed because his sexual frustration was now starting to overwhelm him, whilst his own slowly began to fade away. If the usually calm male didn’t get his fix as often as he wanted, he became a fiery nuisance that would curse and rummage about the kitchen, firing rapid, prissy French and searching for chocolate. Claude found it all endearing. He loved this man.

Reaching back for the biscuits, he searched for a chocolate one and smiled when he found one. He knew his lover very well. Turning back to Sebastian, he raised it to his pink lips before the man could say another word, gently pressing it between his moist lips and effectively shutting him up. “Eat.” He said in delicate French, leaning to press his lips to Sebastian’s temple, who’s brow furrowed in slight frustration, but nibbled upon the treat anyway. He didn’t say another word, allowing Claude the chance to adequately hear what else Alois had to say.

Alois was quiet the whole while, sipping his tea like an obedient child and simply listening to the exchange. Whether he could understand it or not was always a mystery to Claude, his honey eyes watching the boy closely, squinting almost without his glasses while he focused on his young face. Alois fought the urge to pique an eyebrow in interest, keeping his language abilities a cherished secret. It would benefit him later, were he to keep it a mystery. For now, he had a goal and didn’t want to openly flirt with Claude while his irritated partner idly nibbled on chocolate right in front of him.

Lowering the teacup to his lap, he took a deep breath before speaking again. “I’d like to propose something. I don’t make enough to live on my own, and this is the only job I have. I really enjoy it, and want to respect your time and privacy, but I’ll be hurting without a place to live. If it isn’t too much trouble…would—would it—is it possible for me to stay here as your live-in maid? I will be on the clock twenty-four hours and will do every single chore that you need every day. It will help me pay my debts to you, and in exchange, I won’t need a raise or anything!” He raised a hand as a physical sign of declining excess funds. “I won’t need it since I’ll be living under your roof.” He didn’t dare glance over to Sebastian, who sat with an incredulous expression—almost one of deepest amusement.

“You both are so busy, and don’t have the time to clean up this massive place on your own,” he added hastily, his azure gaze flickering upwards to Claude’s in a hopeful dare. “I thought that…perhaps…this could help me get myself back together.”

[✦✦✦]

“Bullshit! Don’t you give me that, Claude Faustus!” Sebastian spat in hushed French, pointing his sharp finger towards the ground, absentmindedly pointing in the direction of the den, where they’d left Alois to wait as the two spoke in private. “I know you favor the stupid kid, but that doesn’t mean he has to live in our house!” Claude raised his hands in some sign of self-defense, speaking slowly, calmly in his lover’s native language, striving to help soothe him in whatever way he could.

“I know darling but listen to me—hear me out, please?” Sebastian narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms and watching the man closely. “You know the shop’s been so busy these days and I get home well past supper.” He raised his palm in the air as if motioning to an invisible source. “And the restaurant, isn’t it getting hectic there, too? You work—what, six days a week? You’re the head chef amour, and they need you there on call for every single hour of the day! We have a baby now, don’t you remember? We still need to learn about Olivia, and having the extra help around the house is a perfect opportunity for our family—“

Sebastian stared at him for a long moment, finally interrupting him once he’d heard enough. “If you hadn’t left, we’d be coming home together.” Claude didn't expect the retort, his ocher eyes widening in mild disbelief, lowering his hand. His brow furrowed in concern, staring at Sebastian as if it was the first time they’d ever argued.

“You…are you really going to bring that up, now?” He said slowly, disbelief etched in his voice. “You supported me with that decision, remember?” Sebastian pressed his arms tighter around his form, frowning now as he watched Claude. In truth, Sebastian hated that Claude abandoned his position for Bedelia. To him, it was as if the patissier abandoned him there too, and the transition was lonely and frustrating. But they didn’t have enough time to get into it now, with Alois downstairs waiting and eyeing their things.

“I don’t want him to live here. He can stay…but only for a few weeks. After that, I want him gone—do you hear me?” The look on Claude’s face began to pain him; he didn’t mean to hurt Claude’s feelings, but he was far too stubborn to break down and apologize for this soon. He had to compromise when Claude left the restaurant, and here he had to compromise again. It was as if Claude never considered his feelings. He never even asked why he disliked Alois so much, the stupid Scorpio.

It took Claude a moment to regain himself, staring at Sebastian with a confused expression that made his brow furrow, as if stuck on one particular thought. After a moment, he sighed deeply, nodding his head, and turning away to retreat back downstairs without another word. He was starting to wonder if all this bickering was worth having a fulltime maid, but they desperately needed the help. He hadn’t told Sebastian that Claudia appeared dehydrated and more lethargic than usual, and it stressed him between work and caring for the home. He wanted to take her to Dr. Claire, but never had the time, and was close to making a house call for her. Claudia was like a daughter to Claude the way Braxton was a son to Sebastian, and he briefly wondered if his husband ever considered the fact that they needed this generous offer of help.

When he approached the den, Alois wasn’t there. This momentarily helped Claude clear his mind, and piquing a brow he walked deeper into the room, crossing to leave through the rear exit and past the living and dining rooms towards the kitchen. When he approached, he found Alois cleaning the kettle and serving dishes at the kitchen sink. He smiled, approaching from behind and taking a seat at the island, leaning along the white marble countertop and resting a chin in his hand.

“Do you have all of your things with you?” He inquired, ocher eyes watching as he went about his work. Alois barely moved in surprise, aware someone was behind him. Claude’s aura was electrifying to him.

“I only have that bag. I left a few books and my bike, but it’s no big deal.” He shrugged, feeling the tiredness overcome him now, but refusing to show it as he cleaned.

“I’ll drive into the city tomorrow and we can pick them up after I run some errands.” Alois paused then, turning to glance back to Claude with one piercing eye the color of a weeping ocean of blue.

“Does that mean—you’re saying—“ Claude nodded, offering a tired smile while watching Alois’ large eyes smile in gratitude. “Oh, thank you so much! I promise it’ll be worthwhile, just tell me all that you need me to do and I’ll do it!” He had the strong urge to run over and hug Claude, but his hands were soaked and he didn’t want to get him wet, so he tugged them from the depths of the water and hastily rung them on his front, moving over to Claude and hesitating for a brief moment, before holding out his hand with a proud smile.

“You won’t regret it!”

Chapter 3: Paris

Summary:

An afternoon in Paris changed Claude’s life for the better, but in London he strives to preserve the slow unraveling threads of confidence and trust.

Chapter Text

It was a particularly bright summer day, with a humid fog and a cloudless blue sky. A thick layer of pollen coated an old sports bike, concealing its label and luminous black coat. Claude dusted it off with a rag as quickly as he could, first the seat and handlebars, then the front and rear lights and some of the thick iron body. When satisfied, he tucked the rag in his rear pocket and mounted the bike, starting the ten-mile trek to school. A large black rectangular bag hung over his shoulders, and he was dressed in simple jeans with a tight band shirt. The majority of his school uniform was tucked safely within his bag, the bright material safe from the dangers of summer riding.

Claude thoroughly enjoyed physical activity, and never complained about the hike to school. It was a surprise he spent most of his waking hours surrounded by heavy creams, sweets, and sugars while maintaining his athletic build. Grateful for it, the twenty-one-year-old didn’t have to restrain himself whenever he created edible masterpieces, allowing himself to fully indulge in his own senses as he mastered techniques within the kitchen.

The streets were rather clear today, and the ride was usually about an hour. Most of the time he would sightsee the bustling streets of Paris, or listen to an audiobook. He recently started circulating Charles Dickens, and during this ride spent his time lost within the oral pages of David Copperfield, narrated in his native Portuguese. It never took him long to get to school this way.

Once he finally reached his destination, he locked the bike on a rack, checking his watch as he hurried up the steps to the back entrance. He went to the locker rooms first to change into his uniform, a classic white jacket with large black buttons, black slacks, and golden embroidery etched at the hem of his coat. C. Faustus was inscribed in cursive lettering at the left of his chest with two tiny golden stars beneath, displaying his year at the school. When he fixed the chef hat on his head, he glanced over himself in the full-length mirror, satisfied with the ensemble.

It took him years to get to this point, and now in his second year of culinary school, he already left an impressionable mark upon his faculty and peers. He was eager to try harder since his mother always encouraged him to pursue baking after discovering his special touch in the kitchen, but despite this, his budding dream to work at a classical French bakery impeded his longing desire to work in floristry. Something about the mysterious life nature gave the world influenced Claude in ways baking simply did not, but with the talent he had in the kitchen, he couldn’t let it go to waste. With the culinary arts, he thought of a compromise—his tailored talent being the delicate floral arrangements he created with fondant or sugar icing, a tribute to his first love of floristry.

After the first hours of baking, Claude decided to take a break. Lunch had come and gone, and he realized too late that he hadn’t eaten anything yet. There weren’t any leftovers from the cooking projects that his peers usually shared, and it seemed to be a day of fending alone. His morning project was a small batch of cupcakes lined with purple lilies and large, intricate yellow bumblebees on each topping, a task that took the full morning to complete. It wasn’t a proper lunch, and he was in the mood for something lighter with a coffee and settled upon a classic crème brulée.

It didn’t take him long to prepare the simple, delicate desserts. Despite the time constraint, Claude utilized real vanilla beans simmered in the heavy crème and torched each ramekin until the top layers were a beautiful golden brown. He lightly dusted the caramelized top with powdered sugar and a scoop of fresh mixed berries, making the dish thrive in vibrant colors. He carefully packaged two of them, bringing his coffee in a thin thermos and leaving the kitchen to search for a quiet place to enjoy his snack.

He preferred to eat outside; to connect with nature any time he had a moment to himself at school. A large park was not too far from the main building, and he often walked there to watch people feed ducks at the lake, or attempt risky athletic stunts with skateboards. Today the park wasn’t very crowded, and families with young children were out walking their pets. The peaceful scene distracted Claude as he approached his favorite bench, but he paused when he noticed someone sitting in his usual spot. The head was bowed, reading a novel casually pried open at his bended knee, long, slender legs crossed and a portable canister in hand. Tuffs of dark raven hair moved, and Claude met wine-colored eyes that glanced up at him.

“Oh, did you want to join me?” His English was heavily accented as if he didn’t speak it often, and his voice was feathery and inviting. He smiled at Claude, and Claude hesitated for a moment, generally preferring to eat alone, but he couldn’t resist the kind smile. He moved to sit next to him on the opposite side of the bench, leaning back and turning to glance over to the fellow.

“Thanks.” Claude wasn’t in his uniform jacket during his break but noticed this individual was wearing the infamous white coat. Claude couldn't read the stranger’s name since a large embroidered black cat covered the lettering. It made Claude smile slightly, but he could see the small, golden star embroidered on his chest right beneath the area of his covered name. “Is it your first year?” He asked to clarify, lowering his bag to the ground beside him. The man nodded, leaning back into his seat, but keeping his rose-colored gaze upon Claude’s face. He had a youthful, confident charm that aroused interest within Claude, being almost breathtakingly handsome, and yet so very casual while wearing his uniform on a deteriorating park bench. Even the rebellious alteration of his uniform made him all the more intriguing.

“Indeed, it is. Feels like I’ve been here for ages though—wouldn’t you agree?” He closed the novel and set it aside, seemingly interested in keeping conversation with Claude. “I just finished an old hachis parmentier recipe for lunch—do you want some?” Claude arched a brow as he watched the other hold up the silver canister, opening it to reveal a heavy scent of spiced beef and thick mashed potato. “It’s something my grandfather made me every birthday.” He said proudly, handing Claude a small spoon. He usually didn’t take food from random strangers, but since he was a part of his school Claude dared to dip into the food, taking a polite helping and tasting the sampling. The hachis parmentier was a complicated array of flavors, leaving a pleasant kiss of spice on his palate that made him actually experience hunger. This man somehow managed to turn this classic French dish into a wonderful surprise—Claude had never tasted a selection so delectable before. His ocher eyes widened slightly in surprise. There was deceptive talent within this simple dish.

“This is delicious!” He said almost enthusiastically as his tongue rolled over the flavors, eager to taste more. The man beamed, holding out the canister for Claude to take, and moving an arm to rest his chin on a hand, elbow against the frame of the bench. He watched Claude as if no other existed at the park, but Claude assumed he was merely happy to serve his dish to a fellow student. “And does this mean it’s your birthday?” Claude asked, taking another small helping and glancing back over towards him. This one definitely belonged to the school. The man shook his head, those sanguine eyes never leaving Claude’s face.

“An old tradition, I suppose. Today would be his eighty-eighth birthday, and I had to do something for him. We would have crème brulée for dessert, but I didn’t have time to make one.” Claude paused, blinking and glancing down at the canister.

“Oh—I’m sorry to hear—I mean…your grandfather. I’m sure he would be proud of you. This,” he held up the canister with a sincere smile. “You’ve done something incredible here. Those hands of yours—this is your ticket. You’re incredibly talented.” He cleaned the spoon, holding it in his left hand and lowering it to his lap before turning to face the other better. “If you cook things like this, you’ll be at the top of the school—and this is just hachis parmentier! I’d bet even Sebastian Michaelis couldn’t touch your food or talent—this is miraculous.” Claude’s face was flushed as he spoke, a natural reaction to the spiciness of the particular dish. The man beamed, and his sanguine eyes appeared to glimmer a motivated hope as he watched Claude.

“You think so?” He said thoughtfully, his eyes finally leaving Claude’s face to gaze back to the canister. Claude nodded enthusiastically, feeling some sort of excitement overcome him. He’d never met Sebastian Michaelis, but tried a sampling of his food only once before. This young man’s creation rivaled even that budding star of the university. Suddenly he remembered his own lunch, and handing the canister back to the man, he reached down into his bag to retrieve his own desserts.

“Since it’s your grandfather’s day, you should have this,” he said, opening the cover and revealing his crème brulée, now at the perfect temperature for consumption. The other’s face was almost unrecognizable for a moment; his eyes widened in slight surprise, and his lips spread as if to say something, but no words came. He simply reached for a ramekin, holding the delicate treat up as if to inspect the intricate designs atop its face.

“This is so beautiful,” he murmured in French, and hearing him speak made Claude’s heart flutter. The voice was delicately beautiful, and an admirable reminiscence laced between those words. His eyes never left the dessert as he continued to inspect it, and after a long moment of what Claude assumed was contemplation, he witnessed a single tear shed from the crease of the man’s right eye, and his voice spoke with delicate wonderment as he smiled. “Are you an angel?”

[✦✦✦]

Claude was taught never to go to bed upset. It was better to discuss your woes before the end of the night, something he strived to keep within his young marriage. However, his partner was known to be unbearably stubborn at times and refused to speak much after any kind of argument. Tonight was no different, and after seeing Alois off to bed in his guest quarters, Claude returned to the bedroom, seeing Sebastian huddled within his side of the bed, assumedly asleep. He watched the silent lump for a while, crossing over to his side of the bed and slipping between the plum silk sheets. Sebastian did not rouse. Claude watched him for a moment longer, then leaning close to press lips to the back of his ear as he slipped an arm around his narrow waist.

“I’m trying to sleep,” Sebastian mumbled into his pillow, making Claude smile as he kissed him there again. “Just let me sleep.”

“Thank you for letting him stay... he’s a good kid. You’re doing a good deed for him, honey.” Sebastian rolled his eyes from his angle of the bed, not saying another word about it. He was tired of talking about Alois and he didn’t want to deal with this now.

“Can we do this later?” He asked moving an arm to shove Claude away. “You’re not getting anymore tonight.” Claude chuckled, ignoring the movement and holding onto him tighter, leaning to kiss the small of his neck.

“Not even if I kissed you? You love my mouth...how about here?” Plush lips ghosted over the side of his neck and towards the lobe of his ear, nibbling there with a sharp canine. Sebastian exhaled almost exasperatedly until he felt his mouth, making his body shiver in response despite his protest.

“I’m mad at you, remember? Go love on someone else.” He managed, burrowing himself more into the pillow and striving to ignore the arousal within his body. Claude pouted against Sebastian’s ear, and pulled the angry lump closer, brushing his waist longingly against the other’s rear. He heard Sebastian’s breathing slow slightly, a sign he was at least attentive to Claude’s movements.

“You don’t want to talk because you’re angry—fine. We won’t talk about it tonight. But I know your other angry language.” Sebastian tipped his head back against Claude’s shoulder, peering towards him within the darkness.

“And I know what speaks to you the loudest.” He declared just as confidentially, leaning to plant a kiss to the underside of Claude’s chin. Then he turned away, pulling himself from Claude’s grasp to tuck further into his side of the bed, closing his eyes with a satisfied huff. Claude paused, watching the area at the back of Sebastian’s neck for a long moment. He didn’t want to end it here, but if Sebastian is to be this stubborn, he had no choice but to accept it for the time being. Reaching to kiss the back of his neck one last time, he simply lay with his husband within his arms.

“I love you.” Claude murmured.

Sebastian remained silent until he finally fell asleep wrapped within the comfort of his partner’s embrace.

Chapter 4: Crème Brulée

Summary:

Alois and Claude begin an adventure in London, leaving Sebastian to confide his deepest concerns to his only confidant.

Chapter Text

Stirring with a slight groan, Sebastian turned over in bed, an arm outstretched to routinely caress over his lover’s warm body. Instead of feeling the familiar mound of his form, the arm slipped over the surface of the sheets, and Sebastian stretched his arm further as if to search for him.

“Claude…” He groaned in an effortless attempt to rouse his attention. He moved his arm further, rolling his face over the pillow and peering a tired eye open to look. The man wasn’t there. Huffing in a sleepy, exasperated breath, he closed his eyes tightly to help wake up, blinking as he turned to glance at the clock. “Shit,” he breathed, stuffing his face back into the pillow. It was already midday, and he’d overslept.

After a moment of contemplation, he reached for his phone from the nightstand, quickly sending a text to William. He didn’t have to wait long, and instead of receiving a response William decided to call. Rubbing his face with the back of a hand, Sebastian answered with a soft croak. “What is it?”

“It’s Sunday, remember? No serving hours today, but the kitchen’s restocking.”

“I overslept…” Sebastian groaned, rolling onto his back with the phone plastered to the side of his face. “Do you need me there? I can be ready in…” He glanced at the clock, suddenly wondering if Claude fed Braxton his lunch. “Give me an hour, and I’ll be there.” William offered a soft little chuckle, which wasn’t custom for the dining room manager. Sebastian must have said something truly amusing.

"We don't need you today. Take a rest—take Braxton for a walk.”

“He’s not a dog.” Sebastian chimed sternly, lifting a hand to smooth into his dark hair.

“You sure?” William sarcastically breathed, glancing over his shoulder. He knew Sebastian loved the cat as much as he loved food. “Are you busy tonight?” He added casually as if an afterthought. Sebastian narrowed his eyes; he was certain Claude would want to discuss Alois sometime after dinner. He wasn’t sure if he was in the mood for any of it. As far as he was concerned, Alois just didn’t exist.

“I’m stuck babysitting a blonde brat and his things,” He murmured, closing his eyes. “I really didn’t want to have to do this... Wait—you have a mate—give me advice. Claude is being very unreasonable.” William shook his head on the other end of the line, checking his watch. He didn’t want to get into this, not on the phone.

“Hardly,” he uttered lowly, looking over his shoulder once more. He was leaning against a panel in the vast, empty dining room, the rest of the house in the back preparing for next week. “What did he do now, Sebastian?”

“Forced me to take in this cretin, and I don't want him here.”

“You’re so spoiled,” William randomly commented. “I don’t think you realize how good you’ve got it. Why does he spoil you so much?”

“He loves me,” Sebastian replied easily, rolling over towards the edge of the large mattress and finally sitting up. “And of course I love him Will, but this is starting to get unbearable. He just…he doesn’t listen to me anymore.” His voice began to falter as if hesitating to say anything more to his trusted confidant. He glanced over to the bedroom door, offering a hushed French whisper. “I feel like a shadow sometimes…and I wonder, why am I even here; what do you need me for?” William’s brow knit in concern, taking in every word.

“There are worse things than that,” The man uttered. “He treats you well—too well, I’d say. But you, Sebastian, you deserve everything he gives you. And you love him, so…” His voice trailed, looking down at his black leather shoes. He didn’t want to think about Sebastian loving Claude, but he loved Sebastian enough to listen to him talk about their issues.

“I know, Will, but this is just frustrating. Can you imagine being married to someone who just doesn’t really listen to you?” William rolled his eyes. Sebastian had no idea just how exasperated William was within his own dying relationship, but he didn’t comment and continued to listen. “I have a bad feeling about this—that kid…and I trust my intuition.” He glanced back towards the clock, finally standing to his feet and arching his back to stretch. “Ah, but maybe this isn’t the time to explain. I probably can’t do dinner tonight, but I’ll text you if I can get out later. Maybe get a coffee after work tomorrow?”

[✦✦✦]

The house was eerily quiet, and Sebastian wasn’t sure if Claude left for work or not. After he showered and changed into something suitable, he walked across the long hallway of the third floor, peering over the balcony to see an empty second floor. He paused before the staircase, finding Braxton there with his face resting on his paws. Reaching down to scoop the ragdoll into his arms, Sebastian continued to descend the steps onto the second floor, moving through hallways until he reached the end of the main hall. He peered at the security system mounted on the wall, eyes scanning the various screens. No one was there. He descended the next staircase onto the first floor. The house was eerily quiet, and he realized now that he was completely alone.

“Do you think daddy put him in the guesthouse?” He asked Braxton, leaning to peer down at the cat as he spoke. Braxton’s large blue eyes glanced up towards Sebastian, who leaned closer to press the tip of his nose to the little nose of his beloved cat, before taking him through the entryways towards the kitchen. He didn’t see Alois anywhere and imagined he was resting in the guesthouse. He peered out of the large kitchen window that overlooked the rear of their property as if half expecting to see the little blonde head bobbing somewhere by the pool.

It was as eerily quiet as the rest of the house and not a soul in sight. Sebastian looked away, holding Braxton close to his chest and reaching into the refrigerator to prepare the cat’s lunch, but paused when he noticed steel lunchboxes neatly stacked on the lower shelf. Arching a curious brow, he pulled away to skim the surface of the refrigerator door, as if searching for a message from his husband. He didn't see one there, and then reached for the lunchboxes to carefully place the stack of them on the island behind him, closing the refrigerator door with the heel of his foot.

“I guess he took care of it for you already,” he commented, gesturing towards the lunchbox for Braxton after he peered into one of them. “Oh, your favorite—baked salmon with a tiny nibble of Gouda!” He exclaimed, a hand reaching to affectionately massage fingers into the back of his pet’s neck. His bright eyes fell over the other steel boxes, peering into the clear covers to view the other options. “What’s this…?” Brow furrowing slightly, Sebastian reached a hand to carefully remove the lid of a box, leaning closer and closing his eyes. A warm aroma of coffee and vanilla kissed his face, even though the small ceramic cup was chilled. A vibrant array of mixed berries delicately lined the caramelized brown sugar topping, and the familiar plating brought warmth to Sebastian that only Claude’s baking could produce. The chef smiled, and glancing back over to one of the steel boxes he noticed a tiny slip of folded golden paper.

Retrieving the note, Sebastian glanced over it with a small, amused smile. He placed it on the counter, moving to open the other containers with one hand and getting ready to serve his pet.

Honey—Braxton’s meals are prepped. Running errands today. I have Olivia & Alois.

Money on the desk for whatever you want. Crème brulée pairs wonderfully with coffee. Love, Claude

[✦✦✦]

Claude carefully placed Olivia into the portable carrier, securing her to the backseat of his large luxury SUV. “Don’t worry, Olivia. We’re going to see Dr. Claire today and make sure you’re alright.” He paused, peering back towards Alois. The youth stood behind him in the same blue jacket from the dawn of morning, his fluffy blond hair tousled from rest. “Fix your hair,” Claude said, standing back up from the hunched position at the side of the car, and absentmindedly reaching out to slip fingers over the blonde tufts of hair. Alois blinked in surprise, unaware that he was about to be touched in any way, and tried his best not to squirm in embarrassing triumph. Claude arched a thin brow, helping groom Alois to his satisfaction, and turning back to check over Olivia’s placement.

“All is well here. Did you clean up the kitchen?” Alois, still flustered from being touched, nodded his head quickly, taking a step back as Claude shut the rear door and turned to face him.

“Yes, I put the dishes away, and made sure the lunchboxes were neatly stacked in the fridge! Is there anything else you need me to do?” Claude shook his head, reaching for the keys in his trouser pocket and moving over to the driver’s side.

“That’s all for the day. You’re coming with me for errands, and then we’re stopping by your place to get the rest of your things.” He stated, finding it best they leave early in the morning before Sebastian had a chance to wake up. If his partner weren’t willing to deal with the situation just yet, then he would give him the space he needed until he wanted to talk. Until then, Alois was stuck with him. Alois smiled, placing his hands behind his narrow body and beaming.

“Where are we going today?” He inquired, hesitating a moment before moving over to the passenger side and slipping into the car. The dark seats were real leather, and it was a luxury he’d never experienced as he slipped his thin fingers beneath his thighs to touch it. “I know Olivia needs to go to the doctor, but what about Claudia?” Claude settled into the driver’s side, starting the car and glancing over to Alois. The boy flushed slightly when he felt the leather seat instantly warm his bottom and hands, and his mouth fell open with awe in his voice. “Oh my god—it warms!?”

“It’s not safe to move her from her enclosure while she’s so weak, and since I have you and Olivia to tend to…I’ll have the doctor visit another day. Right now she’s set up in an ICU enclosure; hopefully, she’ll get better there.” There was a tinge of sadness laced within his voice, and Alois looked over to him, a small frown etching in his brow.

“You know—we don’t have to go to my place today. I can hold onto Claudia and we can just go to the vet, no big deal.” He blinked those large blue eyes expectantly as if waiting for Claude to agree, so that he could sprint back into the house and gather the cherished pet arachnid. But Claude shook his head, already tugging on the gearshift to start the journey.

“She’ll be fine. It’s you I’m worried about right now.” He offered a small smile, though his eyes held some sort of lingering sadness. “I’ll stop by the vet first, and then we can focus on you.”

Alois watched him a moment longer, his lips smiling hopefully and turning away to look out of his window. A day alone with Claude was his longing refuge, and now he finally had it.

Chapter 5: The Catalyst

Summary:

Tensions escalate between Sebastian and Alois, igniting an argument that exposes deep-seated fear and resentment.

Chapter Text

London was cast within a dark and depressing storm that Sunday morning. Billowing angry clouds roamed high and threatened the city with treacherous rain, which finally kissed the streets the precise moment Dr. Claire blessed Olivia with good health. Alois held securely onto her carrier, tucked low beneath the large umbrella Claude held over the pair as they made their way back to the car. When they secured Olivia in the back, the two quickly returned to the front seats before getting too drenched from the heavy sheets of rain.

Claude leaned back into the driver’s seat with a heavy sigh, glancing out of the large windshield with a half-expectant look. Alois watched him, his thin body shivering from the cold. He folded his hands back beneath his thighs, hoping to feel the foreign warmth from the dark leather once more. He would prefer to huddle closer to Claude instead, but riding as a guest within his car would have to suffice for now. Alois had many ideas in mind.

“Suppose we won’t be able to get that bike…” Claude mused lowly, glancing over to Alois. Noticing his shivering form, he reached to adjust the temperature settings for the car. “I have a blanket in the back somewhere if you’re too uncomfortable?” He offered.

“It’s—really alright.” Alois chimed in his positive vibrato, quivering from his shivering body. Grateful for the sudden warmth he felt touch his fingers and thighs, he watched Claude with a smile. “And we can go another day. I should be alright, truly…” His voice trailed, and Claude shook his head, putting the car in drive and preparing to leave.

“I promised I’d take you there, so we’ll go.”

The drive didn’t take as long as Claude thought it would despite the rain, perhaps since the two left the doctor’s office just before the lunch hour. Alois instructed him where to go from midtown, and as they turned onto the next block, Claude could hear a shocked gasp from the younger’s mouth. Alois’s usually bright face dropped with a concerned, pained frown when his eyes fell over a pile of large clear bags soaking in the heavy downpour.

“Ah—are those my things?” He asked in a breathy voice, leaning forward in his seat with hands on the dashboard. “Is it…?” Claude’s ocher eyes fell over the hazardous lot piled onto the street. Three large bags of clothes and stacks of books soaked in the rain on the curb. Claude slowed the approaching vehicle, glancing over to Alois and watching as the boy looked after his things with an anguished expression of betrayal.

“I—I don’t—this isn’t fair!” He cried, a crack forming in his voice. “It took me bloody ages to afford those books!” His thin fingers reached to slip into his hair, grasping at blond tuffs and trying to inhale deeply, failing to calm himself before the tears swelled. “Fuck—“ He breathed lowly, eyes shut tight and feeling himself beginning to cry. “What did I do? I didn’t—I just couldn’t—“ Alois spent his only funds on those now worthless books, and couldn’t believe his money was sitting in the afternoon rain.

Claude stopped the vehicle near Alois’s former home, watching as the youth began to cry from the weight of his reality. He’d never witnessed Alois cry before, and the sight wasn’t so becoming of him. Claude always knew him to be a spirited youth, thus seeing this side of the younger male aroused compassion from him. His eyes left Alois to gaze back towards the sopping pile of paper and clothing, and then he sighed, reaching a hand to caress along Alois’s shuddering backside.

“Don’t worry about it,” He stated calmly, making up his mind. “I have the day off today…let’s go shopping.” Alois shook his head in his hands, angry with his father and embarrassed for crying in front of Claude. Of all people, why did he have to cry in front of Claude?! But when he heard the offer, the boy hiccupped from surprise, staring into the darkness of his hands. He waited a long moment to compose his crying, wiping his wet, flushed cheeks and glancing up cautiously towards Claude from behind his hands. The arctic blue eyes appeared almost skeptical in their surprise. He didn’t expect such an offer and was momentarily speechless.

“Why are you so kind to me, Claude? No one is ever this kind…not without a… a motive.” He added bitterly, frowning as he used the lining of his jacket to clean his messy face. He hated crying, and his blotched face reddened further once his eyes met the careful gaze of the other, who sat quietly and continued to soothe Alois at his back in gentle strokes. It made his face burn, now aware the male was touching him again.

“Everyone deserves a chance.” Claude stated simply, making Alois’s lips curve into a smirk behind his cupped hands. “Consider it an early present…your birthday is next month, isn’t it? Instead of a cake, you can use my card.” Alois watched Claude for a long, quiet moment, gathering himself with small, huffing breaths.

“Anything I want?” He clarified cautiously. Claude chuckled lowly, leaning back into his own seat and turning the wheel.

“Of course, you’ll have an appropriate limit.” He offered, turning away to look out the windows and guide the car back into traffic. “Enough to get you what you need…” Musing in a low voice, Claude glanced back toward Alois, bringing a leather-gloved finger to his own lips. “This will be our secret; my gift to you.”

[✦✦✦]

Alois felt like the luckiest person in the world. For an entire afternoon Claude Faustus, the famed patissier of central London, personally chauffeured him to shops so exclusive that merchandise didn’t even have price tags publically on display. Shoppers either had money to spend or left the shop without embarrassing themselves by asking for a price. This territory intimidated Alois at first, unsure which items were appropriate for Claude’s tab, but learned rather quickly that he didn’t have to continuously ask Claude,

“Does this look alright?”

“This here isn’t too expensive is it?”

“How about this—it won’t go over my limit, right?”

Claude would wave his hand aside, settling himself in the rest area of the storefront with a novel, patiently waiting for Alois to acquire whatever it was he needed. He hoped they would not be out for too long, however, with Olivia waiting in the car and evening fast approaching—the pair still hadn’t eaten, and Claude preferred home-cooked meals to dining arrangements.

He lowered the novel in time to see a bright, smiling Alois with two large, black bags in each hand. He held them up proudly to show Claude. “I finished! I think I have enough for a new wardrobe now—did you see that pretty purple shirt? I really like that color, so I got a lot of purple things…” He spoke rapidly, elated from the shopping adventure. “I still need new books, and I don’t think my bike was back at the house…” Claude closed the novel, reaching to take two of the bags from the boy as he stood to his full height.

“Oh, no need to worry. I’ll order the books for delivery and can easily find a bike. I like to ride, too.” He added, glancing down to him with a kind, knowing smile. “We should return now to get the kitten settled. If you need anything else, we can always return later.” Alois beamed, relieving his hand of two bags to Claude and moving to take one away from his other hand.

“You’re so amazing, Claude! I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow!”

[✦✦✦]

When the pair returned to the house, Claude noticed Sebastian’s car was still in the driveway. Surprised, he assumed the head chef had duties in the kitchen today, so once he parked the car, turned to Alois with a peculiar look to his ocher eyes, peering over his square frames.

“Our secret, remember?” Alois watched him with a sheepish smile, bringing his hand to cover his lips as a sign of silence. Satisfied, Claude parked the large vehicle and gestured to Olivia. “I’ve got your things. Take Olivia inside and feed her some of the chicken in the ice tray.”

Alois did as he was told, carefully carrying Olivia through the garage and into the house. An aroma of braising beef and pork permeated the air here, making him instantly salivate in hunger. He didn’t realize how hungry he really was until that very moment, looking forward to taste whatever it was. As he drew closer to the kitchen, he released Olivia from her enclosure and held her to his chest, entering the vast kitchen and peering around.

Sebastian had his back turned, nose in a large pot, sprinkling generous amounts of black pepper before checking on his boiling potatoes. He didn’t appear to notice Alois until the boy made himself known with a timid cough, and Sebastian turned, a sharp knife in hand, arching a brow.

“Ah, it’s you.” He uttered, somehow offering a sweet smile that Alois did not take at face value. “I was just preparing supper. If you don’t mind staying out of my way…I won’t need you until afterward.” Alois shrugged, holding up Olivia as if some sort of peace offering to allow him access to the kitchen.

“Olivia needs to eat, too.” He stated simply, walking almost cautiously into the kitchen and towards the refrigerator. “Claude said to give her the chicken from the icebox—” Caught midsentence, Sebastian pointed towards the doorway with the knife as he interrupted Alois with a condescending sneer, followed by a soft, irritating hum.

“I won’t repeat myself.” His soft voice stated calmly, and Alois watched him with widened eyes, clutching onto Olivia as if the male was going to attack the kitten.

“I’m only doing as told—you know, she has to eat too, and—“

“I’ll make sure she’s fed. Leave her here, and go finish the laundry. I’ve started a load.” Alois’s lips parted as if going to say something else, but instead he began to frown, becoming rather frustrated with Sebastian now. Even though he offered his services in exchange for lodging, he was starting to feel more like a sort of slave whenever commanded to do something, especially in that rude tone. He wanted to defend himself, as well as complete the task Claude originally gave him and was conflicted between the two. After a moment of hesitation, he stood his ground, certain that if Claude returned in time to see his husband’s bizarre behavior in person, he would vouch for him.

“I—I really think I should feed her. Claude asked me to, and you know, Sebastian…I really want to finish his request. I wish you would work with me here—” Sebastian stared at him, his alluring sanguine eyes narrowing in a nasty glare.

“The little damsel in distress,” He suddenly said in a piercingly hushed voice. “Poor Alois with no family and no home, coming into the middle of the night for Claude’s help. You seem to know my husband well—he’s a kind heart, and dare I say too easy to manipulate…as you’ve so well discovered, Alois... I’m watching you.” He pointed the knife in his direction as he spoke, annunciating every word slowly so that the boy wouldn’t miss a syllable. Alois blinked, still holding Olivia close and simply staring back at Sebastian with those cold, arctic eyes. They appeared confused at first but then transformed into empty mirrors that watched the male with a mutual gleam of abhorrence. For the first time, Alois scowled.

“And I’ve watched you.” Alois whispered in hushed French, making Sebastian’s eyes narrow further, keeping his eye on the boy. “If you’re not careful, you’ll see me in your dreams…in your nightmares. At your death.”

Sebastian remained silent, quite taken aback by the sudden French outburst, but too proud to acknowledge it directly. He didn’t know what to make of those words and felt a seething frustration penetrate him to his very core. Instead of acknowledging Alois further, he turned away to continue working on the dinner, his blood boiling along with the stewing pot of braised beef and chunky pork sausage meat, the perfect filling for his classic twist of hachis parmentier. Sebastian adored making the dish; it ultimately sparked chemistry with Claude, and it was one of his own cherished comfort foods. He choose it today as a sort of truce with Claude’s crème brulée, willing to cease the petty arguments for a moment of quiet within the house.

Sebastian always made the dish with nothing but love and adoration, but at this very moment, all he could feel was a cancerous hatred as he continued preparing the evening meal.

[✦✦✦]

Dinner was an awkward affair for Claude. It did not occur to him that, with his preference for home-cooked meals and his new live-in guest, Sebastian’s cooking would have to be shared. Naturally, Sebastian refused to feed Alois, claiming the boy wasn’t a part of the family and could fend for himself.

“He has the entire guesthouse; let him cook in the kitchen there and leave me in peace.” He exclaimed with a truly detestable undertone in his voice, which confused Claude all the more. Within the home he felt the suffocating tension between the two, making him begin to question the entire arrangement. If Alois were staying for only a few weeks, surely Sebastian would try— just try to make it work with their guest? Claude didn’t understand it, and because of this strived to talk with Sebastian about the situation after their awkwardly silent meal.

A stack of dishes in hand from the dining room table, Claude approached Sebastian from behind, placing the dishes into the sink and leaning close to brush lips over the back of his neck. Sebastian tugged away, moving to clear off the rest of the kitchen counter in silence. That’s how dinner unfolded: an awkward, angry silence that puzzled Claude and continued to irritate Sebastian.

Clink. Clank.

“Just—what is it, Sebastian?” Sebastian pursed his lips, sliding open the dishwasher and starting to rinse off clattering dirty dishes to stack into it. “You can’t avoid me forever.”

Clink. Clank.

Inhaling deeply as if to restrain himself, Claude smacked his open palm down onto the counter in frustration, making Sebastian jump in surprise. Claude’s hands were now on the counter at either side of Sebastian’s narrow waist, trapping the man there against the sink. Claude closed his eyes, taking another deep breath before trying again.

“What do I have to do to make you speak to me again?” Sebastian frowned, eyeing the dishes in the sink.

“What do I have to do to make you hear me?” He responded. Claude was silent, and Sebastian turned to look over his shoulder at him, mere inches from his face. Claude watched him, palms still on the counter and trapping him against the sink.

“Is this really about Alois?” He asked, grateful that Sebastian at least responded with something. Sebastian shrugged, turning away again. Of course, it wasn’t, Alois was simply the resulting sore from his rotting spite. Who he truly hated was Claude being none other than Claude.

“You abandoned me, Claude.” He stated each word carefully, slowly, so that the other male could really hear what he was trying to say. “Two years at Le Papillon, and then you just…up and leave? No real notice, no real explanation…I don’t think you know how embarrassing it is for a chef to loose his patissier—an amazing one who happens to also be his life partner. I was humiliated, Claude. You left me. If you don’t love baking then…do you even love me anymore?” He closed his eyes in frustration as the emotions of that time swelled into his memory.

It wasn’t too long ago, only about a year, when Claude and Sebastian worked full time at Le Papillon, a famous French restaurant within the heart of London. The rising stars from French culinary school, already famous by time they graduated and heightened by their engagement and illustrious wedding, applied for the incredibly competitive head positions at the restaurant, which required cooking and baking trials that lasted well over three months, serving cuisine to celebrities, and eventually select members of the Royal Family. Once they secured their position with the restaurant, Sebastian felt that their lives were closer to completion. Everything—absolutely everything, from their initial meeting towards engagement and marriage, their jobs, the house, Braxton—everything was perfect until that fateful day, when Claude simply placed his six month’s notice with Le Papillon, claiming he wanted to retire the industry. The unexpected resignation hit the restaurant very hard, including Claude’s credibility and Sebastian’s trust. The chef just couldn’t understand how someone so immensely talented in the kitchen—a man who served pastries to the Prince himself—would want to throw away years of work for the sake of opening a flower shop. Sebastian never forgave him for it, and resented Claude for abandoning the craft, and most of all, leaving him to tend to Le Papillon.

Claude frowned in concern, taking in every word from his partner and striving not to say anything until he was finished. He remembered everything about that period, but for Claude the experience was rejuvenating. He fully intended to retire the baking industry at a young age, and only after two years at Le Papillon saved up enough to finally branch into floristry by opening up Bedelia, his own shop where he artistically arranges floral arrangements, taking influences from both traditional flower arranging and the iconic Japanese art of ikebana. Claude finally decided that after years of cultivating a natural talent he simply no longer wished to expand, retiring the culinary arts and finally beginning his true dream was worth the effort. He didn’t expect Sebastian to understand the feeling; the chef was in his natural habitat whenever he stepped foot into the kitchen. But for Claude, his heart belonged to nature, and nothing his husband could say would be able to make him abandon that passion.

Sebastian never overtly spoke his mind about the matter, and for the first time, Claude heard his true, intimate thoughts about the situation. It gave Claude pause, and Sebastian remained silent for a very long time, doing little more than staring into the sink, lost in his own thoughts. Then he continued to load the dishwasher, setting it to start and pushing on Claude’s arm to set himself free from against the counter.

“You keep saying you want to talk, but I really don’t have anything else to say. I’m going to bed.” Claude’s face contorted into a concerned, though agitated frown, and he pulled away from the counter to allow Sebastian to leave. He watched the man walk away, a hand moving to push his long dark fringe from his face as he sighed, gazing around the room in a defeated agony before his sight fell back over to Sebastian’s backside.

Notes:

Kuroshitsuji character names and likeness © Toboso Yana. I do not own nor profit from Kuroshitsuji.

Fiction story and writing by vakansu. Please do not redistribute my writing.

crossposted on ✦ fanfiction.net/~vakansu

My Boy Builds Coffins

Andoniel

Summary:

Collection of stories with Undertaker. Short, fluffy (hopefully), comforting (at least for me).

I welcome any kind of prompt/request, as long as it fits into fluff/comfort/non smut.

Chapter 1: Sad

Chapter Text

The bell rang when two customers came in and I came from the back of the shop to ask about their wish. Undertaker wasn’t there at the moment, so I had to take care of them, I was assisting him in the shop.

“Welcome, how can I help you?” I asked them.

“Is Undertaker here?” asked one, a child, “I have some questions for him.”

“Ah, he’s not around at this moment and I don’t know when he’ll come back,” I said.

He stared at me for a moment and then he said: “Well, I guess you could help too. What’s your name?”

My eyebrows jerked up. “Well, if you insist. I’m Y/N. And you?“

“Earl Ciel Phantomhive. Will you talk?”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Money.”

“Well, since it’s not my shop, we should keep the same price as always, right? Make me laugh. Then I’ll tell you what I know, whatever it is, that you wanna ask,” I told them, with a straight face. They came on a bad day. I wasn’t feeling like laughing.

The other one, a butler, furrowed his brows and little earl’s face looked surprised.

The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before telling me some jokes.

They weren’t funny at all.

Then the tall one made an attempt to make me laugh, he even told Earl to go outside for a while.

His jokes were even less funny.

Then the doors burst open and Undertaker came in, pulling the boy inside.

“Dear, dear, I see we have some guests here, heh. I assume you want to ask about something…?” he said and raised brows at them.

The butler nodded and said: “That’s right. And your co-worker wanted us to make her laugh, but it seems it’s impossible.”

“You would spend a lifetime trying to make her even smile, heh. Y/N,” he said, came closer to me and laid an arm around my shoulders, shoving his face millimeters away from mine, “Dear, you can go, I’ll take care of them.”

I nodded and bid farewell to earl and butler. As I walked to the back of the shop I overheard Undertaker: “You must excuse her, this poor darling hasn’t laughed since she came here and that will be quite some time. So, where were we? Payment right? You can start-” After that, I closed the door.

A moment later, I heard insane laughter. I frowned, it was really loud and unpleasant sound.

I went upstairs. I’ve been reading a book with theories about mummification that Undertaker gave me. It was actually interesting.

I sat on a chair and continued reading.

After a while, I heard the steps cracking and a moment later, owner of the shop appeared.

“Y/N, darling! They’re gone finally,” he said. He came behind me and laid his chin on the top of my head. “Missed me?” he murmured.

All his hair fell around my head, making my own hair disappear under them.

I hummed in response to his question.

He stayed like that for a minute and then asked: “Ah, my sad Y/N… How can I make you smile? What would bring you joy?”

He suddenly stood straight and said that he has got something for me. “I saw it at the market and I thought you may like it. It could remind you of me.”

He searched his pockets and then dropped something into my hands.

It was a necklace with a small white human skull as a pendant.

Then he asked: “Do you like it?”

“Yeah. Thank you.” I answered and looked up to him.

“You’re welcome,” he said and pecked my cheek. “Get up, we have work to do, coffins are waitiiing…” he said and disappeared down the stairs.

When he disappeared, I smiled.

Chapter 2: Be safe

Chapter Text

"I hope you will solve this, earl."

" I promise, I won't let the Queen worry about this no longer that it's necessary."

"Hah. You are like a dog chasing carriages. I wonder what you will do when you catch this one.”

As they left, I've entered the shop from the back room.

#black butler fanfiction

[lanjustliving]

My Communion Letter

I'm Lannimar Palma also known as Love. I'm 21 years old. I remember a year ago, when I got baptized, I started seeing a lot of women standing here bravely sharing their testimonies. I told myself that one day I'll be the next one who's going to stand and speak in front of this crowd. And I'm so grateful, excited, honored and privileged (as God answers one of my biggest prayers) to share my communion and what the cross means to me.

I grew up with my siblings together with our grandmother. Every weekend we go to their place in Marikina. There, we also lived with one of our uncles. He is the same uncle who physically, verbally and sexually harassed me. It happened a lot of times.

I wake up every single day in my childhood asking why it happened. Why does it have to be like that? what's wrong with me? Do I not belong to the family? I feel so ashamed, afraid and so scared to tell anybody. Until the last time it happened, my other siblings cried aloud in the middle of the night knowing that there's really something bad happening.

My grandparents knew about what happened that night, but they did not bring it up, never initiated any clear conversation. My parents asked me if it's true. If its true that I am raped by my own uncle? People from our family don't really know the whole story. I am so traumatized by what happened. But nobody knew about it, because I kept it to myself, act like nothing happened, closed my mind in any perspective.

I lost hope in life at a young age.

I keep my mouth shut and did not dare to expose anything from it because I don't know if there will be someone who will believe in me. There's so many questions in my head like who would reach out to my hand? Who will wipe my tears as I cry for help every single night?

I'm just a little girl who loves to play with her Barbie doll.

Years and years passed by, I thought I can hide everything, buried it all six feet under and forget about it. But no, my parents (specially my mom) keep digging what happened from the past.

I started blaming myself because it happened to me, I blamed the person who did evil to me, I blame parents for leaving us alone with our own so- called 'family', I blamed everyone. I hated myself so much. I hated life so much.

Hatred grew deeper in my heart. It affected me physically, emotionally and spiritually. It ruined my relationship with my own family. I always isolate myself, being rebellious, and disrespectful. I used to be called 'the black sheep' of the family, I shouted bad words and harsh words in my mom's face, cursing her to death.

When I was in college, I thought I can escape from the realities of my life, through going to school early as I can and going home late at midnight. Everyday. I don't even want to go home anymore.

And it got worse when I become a member of a group called 'atheist republic' it is an organization with hundred thousands of people in the world. They are providing support to amplify the voice of the people who feel isolated simply for their lack of belief and faith in God. Who makes fun of Jesus, who hates one another. Filled with so many broken people, pointing out the wrong doings or short comings of every religion and such. I became one of them, an agnostic atheist college girl who doesn't really care about anyone, doesn't even know who Jesus Christ is, or heard anything about the famous scripture from John 3:16 'For God so loved the world.. '.

I walked alone in darkness. I was so lost, broken, and devastated.

To the point that I would always lock myself up in the bedroom or even in the bathroom for long hours holding a knife, cutter or anything that can hurt me; crying and wishing I was dead. I make my own art work painted with my own blood. I kept hurting myself just to ease the pain in the heart of this broken child.

Year 2017, in November, my older sister Airee got baptized in MMICC. She started inviting me to go to church and I always reject her and ask her please to stop because I don't believe in God. After so many rejections, she stopped inviting me but she never stops praying for me.

She prayed and fasted for me for 5 days.

Til one day when I was about to go to a concert 'where I thought was the happiest and safest place on earth'.

I saw an invitation on our refrigerator saying that "MMICC 3rd year anniversary worship service Sunday June 10, 2018 10 AM Makati Diamond Residences" and I got stucked staring at this card.

Who would've thought that I would come after so many years. For the first time, I decided to come to church.

I heard God calling, reaching out for the hands of her lost daughter from a very long time.

The whole service impacted me. I got a hard heart when I stepped in but left the room with a melted heart and so much tears in my eyes.

A week after that, I studied the Bible. I always cry everytime I hear the word of God. It took me a month, and then there's a part of the study where I need to forgive the person who took my childhood happiness, who took my freedom as a little girl, who ruined my life, who made me who I was before.

I chose to repent and forgive the person who hurt me and made Jesus as my Lord.

And last Monday, July 8, I celebrated my first year as a Disciple of Christ Jesus. And God gave me a very special gift, that is today!

I wanna share a scripture from Luke 11:2-4, ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.''

Brothers and sisters, as we take our communion, I just wanted us to be reminded that Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified and then died for the forgiveness of our sins.

I am a sinner, he is a sinner. Who am I not to forgive?

Everything happens for a reason.

For me, the Cross means Forgiveness.

I found Love, Joy, Peace, Hope, Freedom, Family and Purpose in FORGIVENESS.

Thank you!

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

[reilliane]

✤ — Universe: Sister! ✤ — Concept: The twin travelers Aether and Lumine lament over the loss of their older sibling following their argument and the destruction of their homeland. Little did they know who awaits their presence in the realm of the Abyss. ✤ — Characters: Aether & Lumine (platonic), Paimon, Diluc, Kaeya, Dainsleif A/N: Look at what's finally out of the prison called my drafts lmao- Dishing out some delicious plate of sibling angst. Behold, (Sister)AbyssLeader!MC. Ah yes, Aether & Lumine need hugs, they're terribly sad. Now, let's explore a common misunderstanding between siblings :))

“Please just reconcile already.”

It's quiet—a poignant sound that demands to be heard through the dissonance. And it's heard.

“... Pardon?”

The clash of fiery bellows and icy roars meets again only to melt and vaporize in the wind. Silence is all that ensues until eyes start turning.

In the dead of the night, in a tavern now holding a few people in its belligerent-turned atmosphere, something breaks; patience.

There is a small, tentative voice. Shaken with understanding.

“Lumine-”

“Make up already! You shouldn't-” the blonde in question blinks as if she's trying to keep something at bay, “Siblings shouldn't fight. You'll regret it so please,”

The air is cold.

“Before it's too late... you need to get along.”

No one says a thing. They allow the gravity—the truth in her words to sink in.

But the female Traveler can no longer stand the idea of being in the same room with another pair of siblings who refuse to meet eye to eye.

It's far too similar, far too much in essence that she's the one that's hurting for their sake. So she leaves in a hurry, a sight to behold for a Traveler that's known to be composed.

Her twin brother follows without any ounce of hesitance.

The door shuts, leaving two men to ponder over their blazing glares and frigid tones that have now dissipated in an uneasy silence.

No one is awake on the eve of midnight to witness the Honorary Knights depart with faces contorted into emotions deemed impossible for them to even feature.

Their steps are heavy as they carried themselves past the gates of Mondstadt; a jolly city that isn't so jolly to them anymore.

What hangs in the air—a tension of their own—isn't addressed until their feet have crossed the threshold bridging Mondstat to the crossroads.

“I know what you're going to say, Aether, don't. I just can't help it, okay?”

They shy away from the blue moon and its light, heading towards the canopy of shades provided by the great tree in Windrise. The moon is too stark of a reminder that pains them still.

“Master Diluc... and Captain Kaeya,” two siblings whose bond fell out in their passing years, the same pair they've seen fighting just a while ago, “In the end, all they'll have is each other. If they keep fighting, then... a time will come..”

“You are my younger siblings, it's my responsibility to look after you.” “Don't be hasty, you two.”

“When they will regret it.”

“Were you two world-hopping again? How many times do I have to say that you should at least tell me? It's just the three of us.” “I can't bear to imagine a world without you two.”

Lumine allows herself to fall by the roots of the tree, the swaying of the tall grass reminiscent of the loving caress on her person.

Her throat starts to burn, “And- and..”

“It'd be too late.” Aether completes in his twin's stead, voice profuse with dolor.

Too late.

Two simple words with a meaning so irreversible, a weight too heavy to bear that it will capsize the mightiest of ships and collapse the strongest of towers.

This eventide is the famed and glorified Travelers' own descent into their void of great travail.

What's witnessed to be as firm as a primordial rock, as composed as the still waters, breaks with a small crevice on their form. At long last.

“She was crying, Aether. [Name] never cries, but-” her hands are trembling, unsure what to do with them until she settles for clasping them, “But our homeworld fissured before she can get to us.”

Warmth swarms them—and it's far from being the comforting kind. It is evocative of a time of old, of a time when a world burns.

The siblings hate how centuries—maybe even a millennium now—have already elapsed and still, the sweltering heat of the flames can be felt.

“We were consumed by the flames but we were still able to flee. [Name] didn't know that-”

“You don't know if that's true.”

“She didn't know that we survived! She saw us plummet and she was trying to get to us but we were already transported before she could!” her rising voice astounds her brother, “She probably thought we're still there.. probably stayed behind so she can look for us- she could've perished and-!”

A hand lands upon her shoulder, without a doubt to try and stabilize whatever rationality, sense, and composure is left.

“Lumine, calm down."

Yet even Aether is far from being composed if his shaky hand is anything to go by. Still, his gesture is appreciated, and his sibling mellows out her hysterics to tiny stammers.

It's a painful sight to see; Lumine caving in on herself, trying not to let the tremors seize full control as it did with her brother. Someone needs to- someone needs to have a clear head between them.

Though that's easier said than done.

“It's just that- I- we-”

And the high from emotions suppressed due to the sudden thrust into a different world, the fresh wound of an argument that can't be taken back, they have already made itself known.

The cracks are there and it's too late to hinder it. Now they're breaking.

And they're breaking apart.

“All she ever wanted was to protect us. Do you really think that [Name] would leave after not seeing us flee first?”

��Just tell me if you're leaving, is that so hard to do? I'm not belittling either of you.”

The same old misunderstanding, how many times have they gone over this?

Aether released a sharp, clipped exhale. He then lifts his eyes to stare upon the slightly larger form of his older sibling, her enormous wings, grander and mightier... and the powerful nimbus exuding off of her.

“Then why do you have to be there in each of our battles? If you could just let us finish, you would see how perfectly capable we are on our own.” it isn't a lie, after all, they were her 'students', too.

[Name] only blinks, face passive, seemingly indifferent. “I worry.”

Worry? The twins try not to think much of their sister's blank visage.

Try not to think that her concern is superficial and exists only for show—that in fact, she does not feel anything. Because they know that [Name] has always been a feeling kind of individual.

Underneath that front of blankness lies a person who feels too much- loves too much for them. Baring those emotions for everyone to see just never has been, well, '[Name]'.

“That's the thing! You worry too much!” Aether bursts, failing to ensure his sangfroid.

There is a gentle tug on his cape, succeeded with a whisper of his name and a 'calm yourself', and he sighs. That second, there is an attempt to assuage his thinning patience before the argument turns uglier than necessary.

But that's almost impossible.

“You're my little siblings. I want to keep you safe, cooperate with me, why don't you?” it's a gentle thing to say, delivered just as gently.

But the aggro that's been accumulating for plenty of years distorts how they perceive such benignity.

Gone is the loving sister they're so fond of, and in her stead is a being with the same face carrying a semblance of care. Such is how their psyche, suffused with spite, warps a supposedly pleasant image into a mockery.

The twins share a look before nodding, their wings lifting them off the ground with the intention to venture past their world once more.

[Name] tenses, blank face displaying a small crevice that leaks alarm as she asks where they're going.

“Far from home for now... just to, to compose ourselves.”

“I don't think you should leave,” her voice is evident with dread, “Lately something's amiss with-”

Lumine sighs, “See, [Name], this is why we don't tell you... you refuse to let us leave.”

A beat of silence.

Did it really come off like that? [Name] swallows with a blink of her golden eyes. I had no intention to... I only ever wanted to know where they're going, it's...

Not knowing where her siblings are is what shakes her to the core.

She lowers her head, the epiphany dawning like the sun, “I... My apologies. I'm sorry.”

“We'll come back,” Aether assures her, though his voice does little to conceal his desire to satiate his wanderlust.

“Don't leave... Aether, Lumine.”

There is a fissure in [Name]'s visage, showing concern and fear upon hearing those words. But her siblings are no longer there to see it.

The twins traveled far and beyond as they dreamt of, only flying to their homeworld after a set time to fulfill their promise of return.

But the world they come back into is no longer the world they left from.

Crimson paints the sky, bleeding with rain that fails to quell the raging inferno. Voices ring in a babel—a chorus singing a requiem in the crumbling, burning earth.

They have no time to wonder why everything's falling apart. There is only one objective. Where, where is—

“Lumine! Aether! Where are you?!”

It's a voice so uncharacteristically profuse with panic that has them veering their eyes from left to right. But the smog hinders their sights, the most they can do is to try and swerve away from equally distressed people who are in the middle of fleeing.

Aether flies through the haze with his twin following behind, hissing at the heat of the enormous flames.

There's another call of his name, nearer than before, and he turns to change course—but someone collides against him. Immediately, his balance is tipped and he's falling in the banquet of flames.

Lumine reaches for him with a yell, their bodies cloaking with a golden light as they descend further into the scorching element.

It's meant to be blazing hot, and they really would've burned if not for the sheltering gold that takes care in preparing to transport them to a faraway world. To safety.

But then [Name] appears just above the flickering tips of the conflagration, features contorted in horror as she continues her cries of their names.

Lumine gasps, reaching out her hand, “[Name]!”

But by the time their older sibling turns down, golden eyes dilating, the flames ravage the twins whole and they're nowhere to be seen.

“I miss her so much, Aether, it hurts.”

Rivers spill from both eyes and neither has any intent to stop them.

“We couldn't even- we couldn't even apologize.”

Although they are here side by side, together, they are incomplete; they're meant to be a family of three.

“She might be gone now and I hate to think that our last memory together was us fighting.”

Not two.

Lumine fidgets with her hands, unsure what to do with their tremors. She wonders if she should just hide her face in them, or clench them in a semblance of fortitude.

Doing neither, she opts to just clasp and wring her fingers together in an otiose assay to mimic her sister's firm yet gentle hold on it.

She swallows, voice tight, “We don't even have anything in her memory.”

Aether's chest squeezes in remorse as his remaining sibling takes to leaning on his shoulder. He deems it strange to suddenly be the pillar of comfort, a role that's once suited for his older sister.

“I miss [Name], too,” his voice is barely audible on purpose, afraid that it'll waver if it gets any louder, “I'm just as guilty as you are. But she won't like it if we're to keep this up... we need to be strong.”

That indeed is true.

“I'm sure that... she would like us to be that way.”

An older sibling wishes for nothing but the strength of their younger kin; strength to overcome hurdles, to keep their chins up, and to keep on living.

But when adversity comes that threatens one's mettle... when a situation is tailored to enervate you, strength and weakness come to play.

When at its face, which will reign supreme? Vigor or frailty?

Will you fortify—

The Abyss Herald falters under the might of the golden suns, its cursed life a mere second away from snapping into nothingness.

But before it can proceed, there's a swift blur of [c].

—Or will you crumble?

An arching sweep glimmering with stars cuts through the fracas of navy and marigold, deflecting the onslaught of attacks in an easy strike.

The twins skid far back in the violet-tinted site raging with abyssal energy, ears picking up on their recently acquired companion—Dainsleif—and his sharp demand of 'wait'. Followed by a name.

A familiar name that has them stilling.

Dainsleif vanishes into the portal—without care for the Herald—before the Travelers can see who he's chasing, and the portal closes behind him.

They reach an answer implying that his chase is all for naught, though, because whoever he's chasing has no intentions to be caught. And whoever that is is coming back.

No openings are visible until a second later, when a fissure breaks through reality and out saunters a figure whose direction is towards the inverted statue.

“King...” murmurs the abyssal creature.

The title, though perfectly heard, is not paid any attention. No, the siblings focus on the lone figure upon the demolished steps leading towards the forgotten statue.

Aureate eyes widen and settle upon the distant figure of a woman. The same person being lamented over since the twins' arrival in Teyvat.

Despite being sequined in violet and gold, despite being cloaked in the stars... there is no mistaking those [c] tresses. Nor the aura she carries with each step.

Can it be?

“[N]-” Lumine starts, her voice tiny, “[Name]... ? Is that really you?”

A question breathed in a whisper so hushed, yet, it is not unheard.

[Name] looks just as surprised as they are, though her reaction is much more mellow and composed—as if she's considered the thought of them being alive and has clung to that chance.

“Aether... Lumine,” her voice is uncharacteristically soft, opposing the rigidity of her features. “You're alive.”

But underneath that firm layer of coldness, the younger siblings know—they feel the relief. The mutual happiness.

Such can be seen in the glossing of [Name]'s golden eyes, the only similar feature she has with the two.

Hearing their respective names be called out for so long—after long, long centuries spent in unconscious grief—all but beckons the twins' eyes to water.

Sister... !

“We- we are!” Lumine, the first to snap out of her trance, steps forward with a trembling smile.

She cannot believe this- this miracle.

“We're safe. And- and we're complete!” she grabs Aether's hand in hers to add emphasis on the fact that they're all in one place.

Together. Like they used to.

As a family of three.

The blond reaches her hand out in invitation, “Come, let's—”

But maybe that's just wishful thinking.

The unexplained aversion of eyes and the slight change of direction to face the abyssal portal makes Lumine pause her words and drop her hand.

Something does not bode well.

Fraught with dread—and the desire not to ascertain the answer but alas must be done—the air grows colder.

Aether is the next one to step forward, having caught the appearance of a frosty expression on his older sister's face. It's so foreign, so unlike her, so different from the warm fondness on her otherwise blank visage.

What's wrong?

“[Name]?” he does not notice how afraid he sounded.

His approach has not heeded any mind, though, because [Name] is not batting an eye towards him—at them—at all. Instead, she is strolling to the open portal being looked over by the Herald.

She's not looking at them. She's not doing anything- she's-

Leaving?

Their other traveling companion—a sad thing to note that they've forgotten Paimon's presence—shrieks in fluster when Aether bounces to a sprint, hand outreached.

“[Name]-!”

The woman in question slinks to the side, eyes glazed over with a shadow that presages a warning.

Spears of glittering gold rain from above like judgements of the divine, falling around the twins in a circle. A cage.

They've seen it a hundred times, having known their sister's mode of fighting throughout their life. But something is amiss with these spears, they aren't as... gentle as usual.

For even if [Name] seeks to encase someone, she assures that nothing can harm them. Despite having a prisoner, she does not spill their blood in their cages, not until necessary.

But when Lumine seizes hold of the spears, she cries out at the deep, cutting sensation upon her palms. She starts to tremble in her endeavors of searching for the reason why, but [Name]'s eyes remain blank and cold.

It is then apparent that the woman has no plan to let her siblings go after her. Much like what she'd done to Dainsleif.

Which sets a fine line—a division, a rift between them. When supposedly, there should be nothing.

There have always been no such partitions between them, regardless of the mires and disputes. In the end, the three of them never fail to look past it.

“Why are you doing this?” Lumine whispers, voice strained, tinged with disbelief. Why are you turning us away?

Her hands remain motionless at her side, unsure what to do with them now that she can't grasp onto the spears lest she's wounded further.

[Name] blinks once, then turns away. Her eyes still encompass that faraway look, too distant as if she's locked in a time so long ago.

Then with a monotonous voice, she answers, “... To save.”

The twins go still. Save?

“The both of you are in no condition to be with me. Only after you have completed your journey will you understand.”

This particular statement flies by their heads, far too wrapped around the answer 'to save'. To save who? What?

Is it because they turned away from her wishes to keep them safe, that she decided to go astray and fixate on saving someone else?

“Wait- where are you going?!” Aether fusses with wide eyes, seeing the older one of the three beginning to enter the portal.

“Don't leave us-!”

“Where are you going?”

Is it because they couldn't apologize? Because they took her warning for granted?

Lumine makes a quick observation of her cage of golden spears, trying to find a way out, but no such thing is present. She's resigned to striking them with her sword, but it does nothing.

There's no time to think. No time to do anything.

[Name] is leaving and they don't know when they'll see her again, or if they ever will and it's terrifying to imagine.

Is this what she felt?

Lumine is almost powerless, what with her shaking knees. She's afraid, she's too afraid.

In their time in Teyvat, they come to know that it isn't any light-hearted world they know. Teyvat is a dark, dark world shrouded with false, feathery happiness.

[Name] being far too deep in verboten matters of this world entails risks, risks that may cost her life and they can't bear to imagine-

Strewn pride aside, Lumine shouts, “Take us with you! Sister!”

“Don't leave... Aether, Lumine.”

Chagrined, [Name] shakes her head. The distress in her siblings' voices fails to sway her resolve. Not to say that it would in the first place.

The fact is castrating to the twins, who grow cold at this epiphany.

Their hopes of seeing [Name] crumble into resignation dissipates when they realize that she only looks exasperated.

“Until the time to reunite comes, this is our farewell.” she says, only gracing them with one last look before resuming her amble towards the portal.

No. The thought rings through both of the twins' minds.

Reduced to mere whispers, Aether clenches the fabric of his pants, knuckles white as his hurting throat sounds out pleas.

“We're sorry... please, we just saw each other again, don't do this.”

Five hundred years apart, clasping on nothing but the memory of an argument that tore them asunder, their desperation is understandable.

But even their sorries do not touch [Name]'s heart.

When this is again realized, the fear in their chests intensifies.

“Wait.” Lumine murmurs, heart racing. “Don't...”

The Herald bows as its leader passes by, chin held high, unbothered, indifferent—uncaring.

Seeing it ripples the twins with such dread and desperation. They can't believe- they can't believe this.

It's so hypocritical to feel this fear when they too, often left their sister behind bearing the same insouciance. But they feel the fear, feel the horror, and the hysteria—because people only ever feel these when they are the ones playing the tragic role.

Vision befogged with mist, eyes stinging with water, Aether grits his teeth and grabs ahold of the spears.

Pain blossoms in his palms and blood begin to trickle, but that pain is little compared to seeing someone leave.

Turn around. He pleads, but no god hears his pleas.

“We can handle ourselves just fine, [Name]. Don't worry so much.”

“No... no, wait.. ! Sister! Sister!” he exclaims, eyesight blurry as tears start to spill.

He doesn't even know why—is it because lacerations have sliced his hands? Or because [Name] refused the idea of becoming a family again?

In his cloud of reflection, he fails to realize that the cage has disintegrated and his twin is racing with a speed he hasn't seen.

“[Name]!!” Lumine calls, fingertips brushing against the back of her older sister, but she merely passes through the cloak of blue and black—and the portal closes.

Defeated, she sinks to the ground, eyes wide, “Ah... no.”

Paimon does not know how to use her voice as the pair grieves on the stone floor, next to the portal that took their sibling away.

She left no traces, not even a glimmer of flaxen dust from the spears she conjured. Nothing.

Just another memory of her presence—of her departure.

Now, both Aether and Lumine are the ones to soothe the anguish in their hearts.

“... Come back.”

Now, they are the ones to whisper the same words they heard but paid no attention to.

a/n: yes, MC is referred to as a 'King' despite being a woman, this is because the title of 'King' is the highest (and thus most powerful person) in a reigning dynasty. And MC is stronger than the twins (granted we don't know how exactly strong they are but just envision-). So, er, Saber moment? 😆

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415 @tjjjrsj @azirajane @hey-comrade-hold-stil @limelightsuperhero @chloeloe @loptido @windyventi @nejibot @ganyuqrt @justrinnn @yasunamilk @uwu-dreams @yvechu @alana5021

#m-sister! #aether x reader #aether angst #genshin x reader #female reader #genshin angst #lumine angst #platonic relationship #sibling au

[jjkafterhours]

Part 7 of reversal of the heart please ><

REVERSAL OF THE HEART.

PART SEVEN

TAGS/WARNINGS;; mentions of grief and loss, hurt/no comfort @m00dycr4nkybitc @brumous11

WC;; 2k+

NOTES;; Tysm for being so patient! This chapter will mostly appear fragmented, I hope you can forgive me for that. Don't hesitate to tell me what you think <3 PART ONE PART TWO PART THREE PART FOUR PART FIVE PART SIX

“Megumi? Are you alright?” You ask, alarmed as you hear the boy’s cries.

“I’m-” He takes a few minutes to steady himself. “Mom, please take me home.”

“Yes, sweetheart, where are you?” You ask, but he is still blubbering, hiccupping as he did.

“I ran away last night, and I’m really sorry, I promise I won’t ever, ever cause trouble again, please take me home. I’ll be good, I promise.”

You’re relieved but you are also hurt; but you know that you cannot reprimand the boy until he returned home. The questions could wait; his cries were agony to hear.

“He’s waiting at the police station.”

“Toji!” You call out to him, wondering if he did not hear. His strides become longer and without warning, he suddenly takes off into the dimly lit streets.

“TOJI!” You hiss, dropping the cone. He’s strong, much stronger than you, and it takes you all your strength to not lose sight of him. Your lungs burn, your muscles protest and within a few minutes you are gasping for breath.

“WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?” You scream.

“BECAUSE I’M FUCKING MISERABLE AND I HATE IT.” He yells back.

“THEN STOP BEING MISERABLE!”

“I CAN’T!”

“WHY?”

“BECAUSE IT’S ALL I KNOW!” He’s panting, his chest heaving as if he has been robbed of every single breath he takes. The first cry almost rips through his chest, and he doubles over with the weight of it. With one came another, and then arrive a hot torrent of tears, his hands shaking as they covered his face.

“It’s all I know.” He repeats, his shoulders shaking when you catch up to him. His fingers dig through your shirt into your skin. His breaths come in short gasps, and both sit down on a nearby bench. You cradle his head in your hands, and he curls up against you, weeping.

“Megumi told them he wanted to go back home. We just need to show the legal paperwork, proof that we are his guardians.” You explain.

“I want my son back.” He says.

“He told them that he got lost.” You reply.

▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

It is past midnight. He slowly sits up, and swings his feet over the side of the bed. Compared to the last couple of days, he had lost the overwhelming urge to cry. His tears had run dry. Megumi stares at the walls over his room, mercifully bare. At least if he was gone, walking into his room would not remind anybody of his room after some time.

It is blissfully quiet. Everybody had fallen asleep a little more than an hour ago.

He keeps walking.

The street lights stretch upwards, flickering with their dying light. Compared to that, the stars seem kinder. The sky is an infinite void, and they are the sole inhabitants, far, far away from him. He wonders if his hands would burn if he could touch them.

He keeps walking.

The sidewalk is empty, save for him. It seems unusual. He remembers how he would stay in his new mom’s arms, as she walked Tsumiki to school. His feet rarely touched ground, not necessarily because the way was too long, but because he had gotten used to being indulged by both parents, who were afraid of the world inflicting the slightest semblance of pain on him. Megumi remembers how his father used to keep him indoors all the time after his mother died, at first scolding him, then pleading him not to step outside, where the people who took her away were.

He keeps walking.

The roads are long, disappearing even when he strained his eyes to look farther, branching into different streets, hiding dark alleyways. He does not think he has ever gone this far. The apartment they used to live in was small, suffocating until his father managed to turn around. He remembers how he would see his father staring blankly into nothingness, his sister tugging at him, blinking away tears.

He keeps walking.

Everything had gone back to what it had been within a year. His father’s presence was no longer a constant reminder of their loss, and it gave him a twisted sort of comfort that he left them alone. He hated seeing him like that; slumped over against a wall, like a marionette with its strings cut. He cried whenever he saw that hollow expression on his face, and Toji would blink; his gaze focusing on him, slowly shuffling towards Megumi in order to placate him.

He keeps walking.

Days bled into one another. He could never really tell what went on in his father’s head. He seemed to offer little comfort; so, he turned to his sister instead. When he had announced that they would have to move into a smaller house and that he had to share a room with his sister, Megumi did not complain. He held onto Tsumiki’s hand, content with being hugged when the drive to the new address seemed too long and dreary.

He keeps walking.

He still remembers the old address. His father could not bear to stay. They would have moved one way or the other. Toji does not see Sendai the same way anymore. They move to Ishinomaki instead. It’s cheaper, his father says. It is better than the tiny apartment they used to live in. Him snuggled up against Tsumiki for warmth, while their father slept against a couch, offering some semblance of privacy. Megumi wonders if the man had gone through worse. Maybe he had, but it was a different matter with two extra people.

He keeps walking.

The new house is larger, emptier. It doesn’t feel like a home. He had seen the roadmap of scars over his father’s back, the man clumsily washing up the obvious marks before he walked in. At first, he would lie, say that he had gotten into a fight (it seemed plausible, Toji was not exactly known for having an even temper), but then he had seen the weird looking thing wrapped around his father’s waist, swallowing up the weapons before he walked inside the house, pretending to be in a brawl. Eventually he stops trying to explain, and they do not ask either.

He keeps walking.

Tsumiki goes back to school after 2 months of being held back. She has no problem catching up with the others. She has always been pretty smart, and his father was not the one to particularly care about grades. He had not gone for college; and he had turned out fine. Or at least not going to college was not the reason he was miserable. A college degree would not have picked him up from the streets.

He keeps walking.

Toji develops a reputation.

Sorcerer Killer.

He hears it from the “friend” who occasionally comes over to talk to Toji. Perhaps it was one of the reasons they had moved into a larger house, so that his father could discuss whatever filthy work he was going to do. He would hear them immediately if either of them tried to sneak upstairs and try to listen. Tsumiki does not listen, wishing to save the image of her father who she wished to love wholeheartedly. In all rose-tinted gaze, all was good and kind in the world, her father included, who was only trying his best to make ends meet.

Megumi was spiteful, disgusted. Why couldn’t the man have a regular job like all the other dads? Why couldn’t he just go to some boring office, ponder and complain over stupid papers and annoying bosses and then return home to spend time with them? It was all that he wanted, not the shelf of toys which his father had brought to kill time.

The man’s name is Shiu Kong. He didn’t think his father had friends. He doesn’t talk to them much, but seemed friendly enough. Mostly smoked with his father when they were not talking.

His name is actually Shi-woo, Toji tells him during one of those rare moments when he talks. Usually, it isn’t more than a few sentences, and his voice is raspy, grinding harshly against his vocal cords. Tsumiki seems to think it is different; she says she likes how he sounds. She wishes he would smile more though; the lines over his face seemed too sharp, and she wished something would soften them.

His father; smiling. Hah. Megumi could imagine a sneer, not an expression of genuine happiness.

He keeps walking. He kicks at the ground, wishing it would just break apart and swallow him whole. He wanted to see his mother. He barely remembers what she looks like. He didn’t want a new mom.

Megumi rubs his eyes, which begin to droop. His legs start to ache but he ignores it. He has heard of stories of dark alleyways, and knows well to stray away from them.

I have not gone that far, he tells himself. He crossed the park a few minutes ago. The ice cream parlour had long closed. Y/N had been planning to take him during the weekend.

Immediately a pang of guilt pulls at his chest. She would not miss him much, would she? He was not her son, after all. Megumi remembers how gentle she was, accidentally stopping himself whenever he almost called her his mom. It would not be fair to his real mom.

He remembers her gentle voice. It’s different from his mom’s, but he likes it. When Y/N wakes him up, quietly stroking his hair, then smiling at him, asking what he wanted to have for breakfast. It was rather simple, but he remembers the way she would take his hand in his, the slightly crinkling of her eyes when she smiled. She did not seem to mind the fact that he did not go to school along with his sister.

Megumi wonders if it was a way to tolerate his presence. If she did not scold him, he was less likely to throw a tantrum. Not that he wished to. It felt…right when he yelled at his father, his tantrums growing louder when he saw that his father did not react in the slightest, merely staring back at him in sympathy. He hated it to the core; wondering how his father pitied him when he was the one who spent so little time with them, just continued with his work, remarried not long after.

He did not think that his mother would be replaced so quickly. He wonders if his father paid Y/N to keep everything tidy and proper, to-it did not feel like it. That was why it felt wrong to throw a fit. His anger would crumble into guilt the moment she looked unhappy.

Megumi decided that paid or not, she was trying her best. He was not her child, so he could not complain if she really was irked by him or Tsumiki. He pretended to not look when she sat beside Toji in the rare times they spent time together as a family. Over time, the distance between them seemed to cease, her hand resting on his father’s— smooth, unbroken skin over scarred, calloused hands. It seemed oddly domestic. His father had slowly adjusted to the changes, and he began to see a warm sort of look in his father’s eyes, the same when he used to talk to his mom. His father had begun to move on, adjust to the new changes in his life.

Megumi was furious. How could he just replace her like that? He asks Tsumiki, who asks him another question in return.

Is it really so bad?

Yes. It was. He was miserable and he-

Do you want Dad to be sad for the rest of his life?

No, of course not! But how could he move forward so quickly? Just shelve up the past because now it was not relevant anymore?

Goosebumps rise over his skin. It is a cold night; he should know, his birthday is in 10 days. He wishes he had brought a jacket. He remembers one which Y/N had bought for him when they had gone shopping, along with the shoes. Thick, woolly and warm. But it does not stop at that. He recalls last week; his fingers tightly gripping her, her laughing when he ran around in the store, a burst of energy hitting him— it is the first proper outing he has had in a while.

Is it really so bad?

Along with that come the memories of the days before, her hugging him as he wept, tired and upset, quietly rubbing circles over his back. His skin aches to be held, and she’s warm, and he stays like that for a while. The warmth spread, easing into his chest and soothing his pain and loneliness.

Is it really so bad?

He tries to stop his chain of thoughts; because it was far too late. He had already stepped out, walked past the streets which he knew, into the dark, cold roads ahead. He was far away, and he did not know where he was going, so where was he, really? His thoughts drift back to keep away the cold, and it is the only thing he can think of. Before that, it had been cold, his father a man crumpled from grief.

Was it wrong to want to be happy, despite everything? To want to return to the familiar feeling he would have had not a few moments ago, before stepping out. He was lonely, he knew— maybe he could have just asked to maybe sleep with his parents, they have never refused him anything. Maybe he could have told her that he was not feeling well, and she would have hugged him and made him feel better again.

It is only then when Megumi wishes that he had turned back sooner.

#fushiguro toji x reader #toji fushiguro #toji x reader #toji x y/n #jjk toji #jujutsu kaisen toji #toji x you #fushiguro toji #fushiguro x reader #jjk fushiguro #toji imagine #toji fic

[bittermuire]

a nightlight and a bottle of wine

recently I’ve really loved nezriel and wanted to write a lil thing for them. this will be two parts, this is the first. modern au

---

It’s not like Nesta really knew what she was doing when she moved out. All she knows is that there is a rift between her and Feyre; a scar splitting their shared skin, a wound opening and reopening, never to heal.

And so she’s away. They’ve made their mistakes and let them be. They’ve hurt each other and even tried to love, but sisters love each other too much for love—and so she’s away. The guilt is still there, but farther from her, now. Nesta stirs it into her morning coffee and drinks the sleep, wiping it from beneath her eyes and the lines around her mouth.

Every so often Cassian will text her, inviting her out to dinner or to a work party, and Nesta resists the urge to throttle him. He’s a very smart, thirty-five year old man. He should know what cutting off someone means.

(He knows, of course he knows. She guesses he just thinks it doesn’t apply to him.)

His roguish charm, his smirk, his low voice, all inviting her to one thing—sex—was beginning to exhaust her. It’s a surprising relief to be away from him. She feels like she can wear tank tops and let her hair down and go out without a bra, relieved he won’t be there to stare.

(Was she really so afraid of him?)

So Nesta lives her life and drinks her coffee, wears her tank tops and sleeps in her underwear, finally a woman in the way she’s always wanted to be; she feels discrete from the rest of the world but in a near comforting way. She has no one to disappoint, no one to miss. Her world is confined to very few people and her mind allows for one.

•

But there are things that trip her up. Remaining ties.

One such: the nightlight clipped to her bed. It’s cheap, a gaudy silver. She’s sure Azriel bought it for no more than two dollars.

But she uses it every night.

(This trips her up.)

It’s a routine she’s given to herself, written into the margins of her life; she climbs into bed, smooths the blankets over her legs, grabs her book, opens it on her lap, then twists and switches on the light. It illuminates the page with a pretty, golden sun. She uses it religiously. She thinks that if she lost it, some intrinsic part of her might be lost as well, and this frightens her.

Remaining ties should be snipped. These last threads should be spooled up, put away, hidden in the bottom drawer.

She switches it on anyway, watches the light trace the letters.

(Sometimes she thinks she is the black stamp of letters. The utter bleakness of them on the smooth page. Sometimes she thinks she is what ruins the paper. She is what ruined the paper. There’s a reason she is here and they are there.)

•

November 19th.

Happy birthday to me.

She buys a cake from the supermarket and blows out the candle.

There’s a knock at the door, late at night. Not thinking to check, she goes to open it, and there stands Azriel, still in the doorway, bottle of wine in hand.

“Happy birthday,” he says bluntly.

She lets him in for some reason she still doesn’t understand, and they end up drinking a glass together. It’s from Cassian, the wine—his favorite. Azriel tells her that Cassian didn’t think she’d take it from him.

“So he asked you,” she says.

He smiles. “Because you like me.”

1:00 AM, and they’re still drinking. They barely talk. They just sit; they sit on the kitchen stools, then the rickety chairs, then the floor, then the couch, then back to the floor. His cheeks are pink, his words slurred.

“Why’d you come?” she asks, peering down at where he lays, splayed out, on the carpet.

(He’s not the kind for favors, she knows that.)

Opening his eyes, he fixes his gaze on her. He smiles sleepily.

“Happy birthday, Nesta.”

•

She doesn’t really celebrate for the holidays. Her apartment is bare, save a pair of twinkling bells on the kitchen counter, tied with a red ribbon. Sometimes when she’s cooking she’ll give them a little ring.

The letter comes in the mail—from Feyre, clearly put there by her own hand. It’s an invitation to dinner, for the winter solstice. They’re celebrating early this year because they’re going out of town for a few weeks.

(Please don’t feel pressured to come. We were going to leave you be but Az, since he’s so considerate, thought you might appreciate an invite.)

Nesta picks up her phone and texts Feyre a simple no thanks.

•

The next morning, she opens her door to a bottle of wine. Its neck is tied with a cherry red ribbon, and there’s a note—“If you’re ever lonely, give me a call. It’s my favorite.”

She doesn’t need to see who it’s from to know.

She smiles and picks it up, taking it inside.

•

It bites, the loneliness.

She wasn’t prepared for the quiet.

She traded in insults and jabs and sweaty hands at dinner tables for nothing, nothing, nothing. Silence in the shower, silence over breakfast. Over time, it’s begun to grate on her skin, sift between the strands of her hair, and she feels like she’s swimming a meter below the surface, ears clogged, vision blurred.

And slowly, she’s started to cry; she cries when the silence is too loud, when her aloneness is real, when she realizes the ugly truth of it all. She’s alone, she has nobody, she’s alone.

She picks up her phone and dials his number. “Let’s drink your wine.”

A small quiet. “I thought you’d never ask.”

“That wasn’t a question.”

“I know, Nesta,” he laughs. “I’ll be there.”

•

They don’t drink at all, actually. She starts crying again the minute she sees his face.

“Nesta?”

•

“I’m fine, really.”

They’re walking down the aisle of the grocery store, weeks later.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’m doing better, I am.”

He shrugs. “I don’t care. Pick a flavor. We’ll eat it, we’ll watch a movie.” He looks her up and down, brow creased. “You need two things—no, make that three things.”

She huffs a laugh, sticking her hand into the freezer and pulling out a carton. “What?”

“Sleep, ice cream, and company.” He grins. “And now you’ve got me.”

“Lucky me.”

“Lucky you.”

•

He’s seen her beautiful; he’s seen her ugly. He’s seen her in her rattiest apron with flour crusted into her fingernails. He’s seen her laugh so hard she cries, watched her slam her head into an open cupboard door, driven her to the hospital when she sliced her hand open with a knife. They’re together a lot, she realizes. They’re not halves; they’re one and one, and one and one make two, and they stand as two together on sidewalks, squinting at menus in the windows of restaurants, and they pet dogs in the park (Nesta always asks, because Az gets shy), and they take walks at midnight, and they live their lives contentedly next to each other’s. She starts to wonder if he splits his life into two—into Cassian and Rhys and Mor and Feyre, and into her, the girl who walked away. She’d like to know why he followed her.

Sometimes she’ll catch herself staring. Even before Cassian, she’d thought Azriel was the most beautiful of the three; all graceful, sloping shadows, soft and deep eyes, curling black hair. Her heart doesn’t know what to do anymore. It skips a beat when she sees him, but calms when she’s near him. It races when he leans close, falls to steadiness when he slings his arm over her shoulders. She can’t decide if she loves him like this or loves him like that. He means so much to her, means so many different things, that to give him a singular word wouldn’t fit.

She calls him Azriel, Az, Steve, Steven Shadow, Mr. Shadow, Ralph, Ron, He of the Candied Pecans, You. He responds to all of it. Recently he told her that it wasn’t because of the name, but because of the voice—(of course I don’t know who Ralph is, Nesta, but your voice, it’s your voice you use for me)—and she felt warm for reasons she couldn’t understand.

She shows up unannounced at his apartment when it’s a bad night. He does the same.

•

“Tell me the truth,” she begins, tipsy. “Did you like me before?”

“What?”

“Did you like me before?”

He frowns. “Elaborate.”

“Before you learned I’m a nice person. Back at the townhouse. When I hated everyone and was rude to you.”

“Oh.” He laughs a little. “I always liked you,” he says, and then his face settles into something like sadness. Nesta watches him closely. “I didn’t like… the way you made me feel, though. I’d see you down the hall, tired and everything, a stick of a person, and Rhys would make some joke, and I’d hate him.”

She blinks.

He looks down. “I’d never hated him before.”

There’s a tension between them. It’s common enough to be recognizable, but not enough to be familiar. She’s on edge, unsure.

The silence seeps in.

“And I hated myself, too,” he says. His eyes flick back up to hers.

Her breath catches in her chest. “I hated myself because I didn’t do anything. So I stayed away.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, overwhelmed. Everything is building; everything is quiet. His eyes are deep and dark and swirling. He shakes his head slightly, leaning closer, slowly, slowly, and she sees it all happen—he takes her face in his hands. She can see the stray strand of hair on his forehead, the one eyelash resting by his nose, the mole right above his mouth.

“I watched you fade,” he breathes. “I watched them pull you around.”

She twines one finger into his hair, trying to bring him closer, trying to have him closer. Come here, Azriel. Come with me. Be with me, love me, because I love you.

“I’m sorry,” she says again, because it’s all she can say.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he murmurs, and kisses her.

•

“Wait,” he says, reaching up.

“What?”

He touches the nightlight. “You kept this?”

She laughs, curled into his side, and says, “Of course I did.” He drops a kiss to her hair. “They all bought me books. You made it easy to read them.”

—-

@acosfisfeysandpropaganda I finally wrote it!!

#nezriel #nesta x azriel #nesta archeron #azriel shadowsinger

[httpdabi]

"Swallow it“

Step siblings, enemies, to lovers.

Word Count: 8.1k

Genre: romance, smut

Warnings: 18+, spit kink, public sex, creampie, unprotected sex, fingering, stepcest (THEY ARE NOT BLOOD RELATED)

,,Open your mouth’’ little Touya said, hiding the small piece of sweet chocolate behind his back happily. Tapping in one place as he waited excitedly. You did as he told hoping he won’t pull any of his stupid pranks. But somehow, you always end up doing what he wanted, trusting your Niichan.

You excitedly clapped your hands once you tasted the sweet taste of the chocolate, smile appearing on your face. ,, Don’t swallow it so fast’’ he said, a little bit disappointed that you didn’t enjoy the taste a bit longer, but it was already done. Chewing few times, you swallowed it.

At the age of 6, your father met Rei. Divorced mother, giving her best to raise her child as good as possible. It didn’t took them long to fall in love with each other, finding the comfort in each other. They both suffered the same way, so it was like a match made in heaven.

Once they married and Rei moved in with her son that was just one year older then you, your heart was almost blowing from all the happiness. You always wanted to have older brother to play with, to protect you and to love you. And Touya was all you wished for. Touya accepted you, not minding that you aren’t blood related. None of you didn’t mind it, since your parents taught you better.

,,Kids, dinner is ready’’ your stepmother said loud enough for you two to hear her. Annoyed that you have to stop the play, you and Touya made your way downstairs, Touya mumbling under his breath how he’s not even hungry.

Your smiled widely once you saw that Rei made your favorite dish, Lasagna. Jumping on the chair, you took the fork and waited for everyone to sit down so all of you could thank God for the dinner and finally eat.

,,Ahhh’’ Touya said, ready to feed you with your favorite dish. Opening your mouth you couldn’t wait to taste it finally, it was such a long time since you’ve ate it. Chewing it fast, you swallowed it in a second, making Touya roll his eyes on you ,, Don’t swallow it yet omg ‘’ he said frustrated with you, making your parents laugh finding it adorable how their kids get along.

,, He told me that I’m ugly Niichan’’ you cried out loud, feeling embarrassed and disappointed. It was your first crush, and yet he called you ugly in front of everyone in the class. You didn’t cry in front of them, but once you found yourself in front of your older brother, you couldn’t stop the small sobs coming from your mouth. You knew that kids were rude, but you still expected less.

,, You are the most beautiful girl in the whole world’’ he said angrily. How dare someone breaks his little sisters heart ? Even tho he was so mad he could burn everyone down, he calmed down, taking one small Schoko-Bon out of his pocket and unwrapping it.

,,Close your eyes’’ he said smiling, his hand on your head patting it slowly. You did as you were told, tears rolling down your cheeks. He didn’t even have to tell you what to do, you opened your mouth waiting for Touya’s surprise. Once he placed the sweet in your mouth, you started chewing it.

Touya’s blood was boiling, that’s not how you eat Schoko-Bon. If you weren’t so sad, he would definitely lecture you how you have to let it melt in your mouth to feel the beautiful sweet taste, but he simply let you have it your way.

,, Should I swallow it ?’’ You rubbed your eyes, cleaning the tears away. You hoped you ate it how he wants, but every time you eat something, you simply had to eat it fast.

,, Swallow it’’ Touya said. It was already too late, you’ve already destroyed the real pleasure the candy was offering you. You were so weird, he thought to himself.

It was midnight, when you tiptoed into Touya’s room, not being able to fall asleep. At your luck, Touya was still awake, playing with his Dragon your father bought him. He was happy that you were there, even tho you were a girl, he always loved to play with you.

,, Oh my god, yess, yess, yess. ‘’ you two heard Rei, giving each others confused looks. ,, Niichan, what is mommy doing?’’ you asked, petting his Dragon slowly.

,, She’s praying, obviously’’ your Niichan said proudly, telling you how it’s probably the best if you two pray too. Of course, once again you did as he told you, praying together with him.

At the age of 16, you found yourself having more friends then you expected. Even tho your parents were encouraging you to live a little, you loved more to spend your time with Niichan then with your friends. If you could, you would spend every minute, every second with him. Your lovely Niichan. If only he felt the same. You were sad when his friends would come over, and he would ignore you.

Once he finally called your name, even tho his friends were over, you almost died out of happiness. Making your way to his room happily, you hoped they will let you spend some time with them.

,, Sit here’’ Touya was tapping with his hand beside him. His friends sitting on the floor. You sat fast beside him, listening to your older brother not wanting to embarrass him in front of his friends.

,, Want something sweet ?’’ Touya asked, making you smile innocently. Once you closed your eyes and opened your mouth , you felt one long and sour Haribo in your mouth. It wasn’t so sour as it was supposed to be, but you still didn’t like the taste of it. Still, chewing it fast and swallowing it, making a weird face.

Touya and two other boys laughed, while Touya was petting your head. ,, Go do your homework, your Niichan will correct it later’’ he said smiling. Once you got out of the room, you could hear the boys laugh saying something about indirect kiss, which you didn’t understand.

,, IT’S HER FOULT TOO! ARE YOU BLIND ?? SHE WAS LEADING HIM ON ALL THE TIME’’ you heard your stepmom scream, not sure what was going on you just ignored them and made your way upstairs slowly.

,, YOU ARE INSANE, HOW DID SH-´´ your father was cut of in the middle of yelling. ,, CAN’T YOU SEE WHAT SHE’S WEARIGN? HOW SHE’S BEHAVING??’’ Rei screamed, loud steps coming your direction as you were about to knock at Touya’s door.

,, DON’T YOU DARE GET INSIDE THAT ROOM’’ Rei screamed. You didn’t understand what was going on. When you left home, everything was very normal, but just two hours later you faced the scary fight your parents prepared.

Their first and last fight. Since after that fight Rei packed her and Touya’s stuff leaving that same night. Looking at Touya, he just passed by you, afraid even to look at you, while his mother was pulling the sleeve of his sweather.

After that night you didn’t see Touya or Rei. Your father was trying to explain to you what happened that night, failing completely. Every night you would cry yourself to sleep, missing Touya. Every day your father would tell you tons of shit about Touya, saying how that boy was devil. How it’s much better it ended this way.

You remembered how your parents weren’t that happy as he was feeding you with the strawberry. Both of them looking at each other as if you did something so terrible.

As the years passed, instead of sadness, you felt so mad. You developed so much hate toward Touya. Why didn’t he contact you ? Not even once. You heard that he and Rei moved in other city shortly after the huge fight. No one told you directly, it was just a rumor for you. Sadly that rumor ended up being truth, since after that night every trace of him disappeared.

Every night you would check your phone, getting mad after seeing that he didn’t contact you, even tho it was so easily to. With instagram and facebook, it was so easy to contact anyone these days. Every time you saw a message or call from unknown number, your heart would go crazy only to find out it was a mistake and on the other line wasn’t him.

,,You have to keep your elbow up and don’t move your upper arm once you throw it’’ Shiggy told you calmly, trying to teach you how to throw that fucking dart. If someone told you that you will start hanging out with your ex brothers best friends, you wouldn’t believe them. Throwing the dart, it ended up at the end of the board, giving you no points.

,, She’ll never learn’’ Kai chuckled, wrapping his arm around your best friend Momo. Rolling your eyes, you wanted to prove yourself, throwing another one but missing again.

Shiggy’s cellphone started vibrating. Not paying any attention to it you just continued throwing the darts around uselessly, while he was facetiming someone. ,, Look who I’m hanging out with’’ he said, placing the phone in front of you, as his head popped beside your own with a big smile formed on his face. Once you moved your focus from the dartboard to his phone, you felt your heart sink, making you feel sick in your stomach.

,,Get that motherfucker out of my face’’ you hissed, pushing the phone away from you and throwing the darts with all the power your had, not giving a shit about the instruction Shiggy gave you few minutes ago. The fact that Touya was in contact with him almost made you throw up from all the anger. Shiggy froze in shock, not expecting that kind of reaction from you, fast moving away from you.

Years passed, and he never contacted you even once.

NASTY MOTHERFUCKER, you thought to yourself, biting your lip in anger.

After the call ended, none of them had courage to ask you what was that about, letting it go simply as that and never mentioning anything about it again. Not even Momo.

You were excited for your hard earned summer holidays. You didn’t plan much, but you were just happy that you could spend the time with your friends without stressing about work or anything.

,,What movie do you want to watch tonight ?’’ your father asked, placing the pizza you just bought in the oven, while you were preparing all the snacks.

,,Hmm..’’ you sighed, thinking. ,, Dumbo’’ you said happily. Momo always laughed at you for watching Disney movies. But in your defense, no one is too old for Disney. You just loved to cuddle yourself in blanket, with warm cocoa drink in your hand and watch some old Disney movie.

Your father laughed loudly once he saw you tearing up, then sobbing when those assholes started separating Dumbo’s mom from him. You were a crying mess every now and then.

,,So, do you have a boyfriend?’’ your father asked, trying to be a good father figure to you and open a conversation, telling you that he would love to meet your boyfriend in the future, only to push his lips into a think line once you told him that you don’t have one.

You laughed when he asked you if you are a lesbian, telling you how he would support you. ,, No dad, I’m not ‘’ you laughed out taking your phone and opening your Instagram feed.

,, Darling, you are really paying so much attention to that silly device ’’ he said. He was always against phones and almost any electronic, always telling you how was it when he was younger.

,, Dad, I want to delete all my social media so bad, but what the fuck am I gonna do ? Go for a walk?’’ you said, as you replied to a text from Momo.

,, Ah whatever, I’m gonna take a nap.’’ He said, standing up as he took the glasses from the table, making his way to the kitchen to clean them.

,,And I’m gonna make your wish come true, and go socialize with people’’ you said, helping him out with cleaning.

Since it was pretty warm, you wore your plaid skirt and simple white shirt. Hopping into your nike airforce, you took wallet and made your way out, to meet Momo in the café.

She wasn’t alone, of course. Shiggy and Kai were there as well, waving their hands at you, like you couldn’t see them. You loved the dull lightning of the café you spent so much time in. Greeting them all, you hopped in the armchair beside Shiggy, crossing your legs as you decided what you want to drink.

,, Dabi, my man’’ Kai said, standing up, hugging the man that just walked in. Still focused on the small menu with different kind of drinks. Looking up at the tattooed man, your felt your blood boiling as he offered you his hand. You just ignored him, acting as you still didn’t decide what to drink.

A knot formed in your throat, giving you the feeling if you say even one word, you will end up sobbing in front of them.

,, It was about time’’ Shiggy said not hiding his happiness, while all you wanted to do is vomit all over the table.

,, Yeah, I wanted to visit sooner, but I couldn’t’’ Touya said, as you played with your phone, trying to ignore his whole existence. In the moment the waiter asked you what you want to drink, you were too scared to say anything. Knowing that you were about to break down any time.

,, Hot chocolate please’’ you said quietly, smiling softly to the waiter you knew now for the ages. Standing up, you excused yourself and made your way to the toilet. Taking few deep breaths, you took a cigarette out of your bag and lit one in the toilet.

Trying to think about how much he hurt you. You made yourself believe that he doesn’t deserve your sadness. ,,Get your shit together’’ you said to yourself, inhaling the smoke of the cigarette deeply, before going back to your friends and that fucking asshole.

,, Hawks bought you a cake’’ Shiggy said, pointing at the cake beside the hot chocolate. You turned off cigarette and sat down, fixing your skirt.

Touya couldn’t keep his eyes of you, the fact that you were ignoring him was eating him alive. He didn’t give a fuck about all the questions coming from Shiggy’s mouth, all he wanted to do is talk with you. Looking you vacuuming the cake in front of you, he couldn’t help but smile.

,, I love youuu Hawks’’ You screamed, eyes closed and mouth full. ,, Taste’s good?’’ you heard his voice and you nodded happily to him, thankful that he noticed your fucked up mood.

,, How’s your mother ?’’ Kai asked, curious about Touya’s life.

,, Yes Touya, how’s your mother?’’ you gritted, finished the cake. If a stare could kill, Touya would be long dead by now. Momo looked at you confused by your sudden behavior.

,, She’s good. Always stressing me out’’ he laughed, taking a cigarette and lighting it up. You did the same thing as he did. Every word coming out of his mouth making you more angry if that was even possible.

,, I saw a photo of you two on your instagram, I’m glad she’s good’’ Shiggy said genuinely, being a good friend as always.

,, Yes Touya, I saw it too. I love the feed of your instagram. So aesthetic’’ you hissed puffing on your cigarette. At this point you didn’t care about the fact that you made the air hard to breath for everyone. They didn’t know what actually happened.

Touya’s eyes were getting darker with every word you spat, like he was getting mad about it. None of your friends dared to say anything, afraid that you’ll spill more oil onto the fire.

,, Anyway..’’ Shiggy broke the tension. ,, your username is so weird’’ he said, trying to find words that won’t make the situation worse, but failing miserably.

,, Such a weird username Niichan’’ you said, saying the last word thru your gritted teeth as you bit hard onto the straw, finishing your hot chocolate.

,, What’s your problem ?’’ Touya hissed, leaning over the table.

,,You are my problem, you tattooed piece of shit’’ You hissed, biting the straw even harder as you leaned over the table. Your behavior surprised him. He didn’t expect from you much after everything that happened. But what he didn’t expect at all, was the rude behavior you were giving him at the moment. You were always so sweet to him.

,, Guess you’ll have to deal with it then’’ he said. You wanted to wipe that fucking smirk from his face away. In your opinion, he was the one who was supposed to stay quiet. He was the one who didn’t bother to message you even once, he was the one who hurt you.

,, I dealt with your shit for a long time, so sell it to someone else’’ you said, as you placed the money on the table, getting ready to leave. Sure, you could sit there and argue with him till tomorrow, cursing him out and saying anything that got on your mind, but there was no need for it. He didn’t deserve even the bad words coming out of your mouth.

,,Ah come on guys, don’t fight’’ Shiggy said awkwardly, standing up once he realized that you were about to leave. You just ignored him, as you took your bag and made your way out.

,, Wait’’ you heard Shiggy’s voice once you got out. You didn’t want to turn around or stop, but of course he was fast enough to catch you. If he thought that there was even the smallest chance to change your mind, he was so wrong.

,,What ?’’ you snapped, still walking. You didn’t want to listen to anyone at all. Not even Shiggy, or Momo or anyone on this fucking world.

,,What was this all about? Don’t you think you’re overacting ?’’ he asked as he stopped you from walking. Your eyes widened at his words, almost shaking out of anger that he dared to say these word without thinking at all.

,,OVERACTING? WHO EVEN INVITED THAT MOTHERFUCKER’’ you yelled, ready to burn the whole place up.

,, We did, we thought you’ll be happy about it too’’ he said placing his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie. Happy? Happiness was the last thing you felt the moment you saw him.

,,Well, I’m not. Call me when he leaves’’ you said, leaving Shiggy all alone. Shiggy didn’t have his hopes high, but he still wanted to try to stop you from leaving.

Once you finally got home, you were glad that your father had change of plans. You were keeping your shit together, not wanting to wake him up. But once you found a small piece of paper on the kitchen counter saying that he’s out with his friend, watching some soccer game, you started crying. Loudly.

You wished he was dead.

How could he do this to you? Come back and act like you were someone he just met. You cried a lot because of him, but nothing could compare to tears that were rolling down your cheeks at the moment. You forced yourself to wash the make up of your face, before you found yourself buried into your pillow, sobbing into it.

The moment you heard the lock of the door and your father entering the house, you chocked your last cry, not wanting to worry him or to find out that Touya was back.

,, Did you fight with your friends?’’ Your father asked as he ate the eggs you prepared for him. Of course your father noticed the sudden change in your behavior. Of course he noticed that you didn’t leave the house last three days.

,, Yeah’’ you lied.

The three of them contacted you more times, begging you to meet them. Saying how you can simply ignore Touya and just meet them. It was easy for them to say something like that, since they didn’t know what happened. They didn’t know how much you suffered all these years.

When your father left for work, you found yourself alone once again. Since it was pretty early, you thought it would be alright if you go grab a coffee. As much as you remember, Hawks has morning shift on Friday, it wouldn’t harm you to chat with him a bit.

You wore your simple skirt, and choose a random baggy shirt, before you lazily made your way to the café.

Even tho the morning sun was really strong, the dark windows and the dull lights of your favorite café killed every sign of it. You loved the chilly and relaxing atmosphere of the café, and you loved that always the same people visited it.

,, What’s my favorite girl doing here so early’’ Hawks smiled, once he saw you sitting on the table he chills at when there aren’t many costumers. Somehow he always managed to figure out your feelings, trying to cheer you up with a cake or too much whipping cream on your hot chocolate.

,, Missed me a bit?’’ he joked as he prepared your favorite coffee for you. You just rolled your eyes lazily at him, as you took one cigarette and placed it between your lips.

,, You make the best coffee Hawks’’ you said honestly taking a sip of it. The too sweet taste of it made you close your sleepy eyes and enjoy it fully.

,, It’s because it’s made with love’’ he said as you cringed on his comment. You took the cellphone out of your bag and scrolled your Instagram feed, liking some photos of the strangers you follow.

While you were just scrolling thru your phone, and chatted with Hawks, every now and then he would sit down with you, you noticed the tall figure that entered the café. Eyes meeting with his, you broke the eye contact like it never happened.

He sat in the armchair on the other side of the room, facing you as Hawks made his way toward him happily.

Not paying any attention to him, you just tried to stay focused on your phone and the tasty coffee Hawks made for you. But you could feel him stare. You felt his eyes burn into you and once you looked up, you were right. Touya was simply sitting there, his head leaned back into the armchair as he looked at you shamelessly, not trying to hide it.

The whole time he sat there, he didn’t even touch his phone or coffee, totally focused on you. Not caring if he’s making you uncomfortable or anything like that. At one point you were done with his shit, you rolled your eyes and told Hawks that you will go out on the terrace. You didn’t really want to go out, but you wanted to avoid his stare in any way possible and going home wasn’t really a solution for you, since you would show him that he’s winning again.

You didn’t want to watch his face.

There were more people on the terrace, since everyone normal would like to enjoy the sun and beautiful weather. Greeting the people you knew, you sat under opened window where Hawks table was.

,,Want another iced coffee?’’ Hawks asked, his upper body peeking from the tall window. You nodded your head, as you placed your legs on the other empty chair, getting yourself comfortable and trying to ignore Touya’s presence.

,, How are you and I missed you is more appropriate way to greet someone you didn’t see for such a long time’’ you heard a deep voice you didn’t want to acknowledge. Looking on your phone and acting as you were actually busy with it.

,, Fuck off’’ you hissed, looking up at him when you realized that he isn’t leaving.

,, That’s not a nice way to talk to your Niichan’’ he said as he comfortably sat beside you. You were about to stand up and leave him, but a firm hand was on your tight putting you back into the chair.

,, You’re not going anywhere’’ he said, his hand still on your tight.

,, Would be much better if you just ignored my existence like you did all this years’’ you said, trying to push his hand away, only to end up failing. He got so much stronger over these years. Touya swallowed at your words, taking a deep breath not knowing what to say, as you tried to wiggle out of his grip once again.

,, Didn’t think you would hate me this much’’ He said as he took one cigarette and lit it up, doing it all with one hand, while his other hand was still making sure you won’t leave.

The message you’ve received from your father made you forget about the person sitting next to you for a second.

,, I don’t know what happened between you and your friends, but don’t let some silly reason break your friendship. You will regret it later. Say if you need some snacks, ly’’

He was right. Why would you ignore your friends just because this piece of shit came back after all those years.

He. Was. Not. Worth. It.

,, Move that dirty hand away from me before I break it ‘’ you hissed at him.

,,Ouch’’ he said sarcastically acting all hurt suddenly, placing the same hand over his heart. He was about to say something, but was stopped with Shiggy’s voice all of sudden.

,, Finally’’ he said hopping beside you two. You were about to leave, but your fathers words were in your mind.

You sat there quietly, answering to Shiggy’s question every now and then and ignoring Touya’s existence. Shiggy didn’t want to push you, so he just let you be, he was glad that you were with them at that moment.

,, We are going to Momo’s holiday cabin this evening. Come with us!’’ he said. Momo planned to visit you today and ask you, but since Shiggy already met you, he hoped luck will be on his side.

,, Sure. What time ?’’ you simply asked. Touya raised his eyebrows in surprise, while Shiggy gave you a high five happily.

,, We’ll pick you up at 17PM. OK?’’ he said and you just nodded in agreement. There’s no way you’ll let him ruin your summer holiday you were so looking forward to. You deserved to have some fun with your friends. Fuck that tattooed grinch.

Since a sleepover was planned, you packed your pajama, phone charger, hoodie and few things you needed into you bag. You sent a message to your father thanking him for his message, and saying that you will spend your night with them.

When they arrived, you saw that Momo was sitting next to the Kai who was driving. You were about to hop behind Kai, but Shiggy told you to move in the middle since you were the smallest one and don’t need much place as he and Dabi need.

Discrimination, you thought to yourself, as you sat in the middle. Trying to cuddle yourself to Shiggy and get away from Touya as much as possible. Acting like the smallest touch of him would actually kill you.

,, Can you move your fucking legs away, you are acting like you own this fucking car’’ you hissed pushing his long legs to the side with your knee.

,, Then sit in his fucking lap if I’m bothering you so much’’ Touya snapped back while taking even more place from you on purpose.

,, Who let this sidekick tag along anyway?’’ you said pushing his legs once more, making Momo laugh. Dabi found it cute how you weren’t even try to hide all the anger that was boiling in you and he only wanted to trigger you more if it was possible.

It was 8PM when you finally arrived. Maybe you could have arrived sooner, but every time Kai would speed up a bit, Momo would start to scream around how he drives like a maniac, and how he will get you all killed.

You were glad when you finally got out of the damned car. Stretching your body out, you took a deep breath. Making your way to the cabin, you placed your bag on the old couch once you got inside.

Not wasting any time, all of you started making plans. Momo and Kai prepared the dinner, while you were changing the sheets for everyone.

Shiggy and Dabi were preparing the table and everything that was on the terrace, like cleaning the chairs and everything else.

You sat on the swing seat, slowly moving with your legs while you waited for food to be ready. The smell of the food made you much hungrier then you expected, making you wish it will finally be done so you can dig in.

The evening was really beautiful. All of you were enjoying it to the fullest, talking about random things and choking on the food. The cold wine was also helping you all with the good atmosphere.

,, Yeah, Toga was always so sick’’ Shiggy clamed as he talked about the girl you all knew from your high school days. He talked about his experience, saying how she turned from such a cute girl into a crazy psycho, stalking him all the time.

,, She seems so cute tho’’ you said taking a sip. You never talked with her, but she looked too cute to be such a psycho.

,,Yeah right, if she had a chance, she would skin you alive’’ Kai said laughing a bit.

,,True, she couldn’t stand you at all. It was all Touya’s fault’’ Shiggy laughed, explaining to you how she had such a huge crush on Touya back then and how she couldn’t stand the fact that you were spending so much time with him.

,, We have a little problem’’ Momo said, coming back to the terrace. ,, We forgot the bag with the rest of the alcohol’’ she added, smiling awkwardly.

,,That’s fine, I’ll go buy us some wine or something’’ you said standing up. You wanted to take a walk anyway.

,,Shiggy get your ass up, you’re coming with me’’ you added as you pulled the sleeve of his hoodie a bit, making him whine loudly.

,,I’m coming with you’’ Touya said, grabbing your arm, not giving you a chance to protest normally. Your friends laughed loudly once they heard your loud curses coming from the inside.

,,Don’t be such a brat and just go, why are you making every single thing so complicated’’ Touya hissed as you were bragging how you won’t go then at all.

Rolling your eyes, you took your wallet and made your way out, speeding up as much as you could, trying to walk away from him.

Maybe it was the wine that was already in your blood, but as much as you tried, you couldn’t escape him at all.

,, Can’t you see that you ain’t fast at all’’ he said annoyed. You raised your eyebrows, ready to complain. You were pretty sure that you were fast as fuck there. At the end you finally gave up, deciding it would be the best to ignore him and deal with it.

,, How long will you keep this shit up?’’ he asked, walking lazily beside you. The fresh air was brushing your skin, as you hugged your wallet close to your chest, ignoring his words once again. When Touya realized that you won’t speak up, he rolled his eyes as he grabbed your arm and pulled you with him into the small alley, left from the sidewalk. Your eyes widened at the sudden change of his behavior.

,, You think you were the only one hurt ? ‘’ He said looking you in the eyes. ,, You think I didn’t want to contact you every day ?’’ he added while his grip got stronger.

,, Oh please, if you wanted you would have contacted me long time ago’’ you said, as you tried to pull your arm away from him.

,, You stupid little girl. There wasn’t a day I wasn’t thinking about you. Every time Shiggy sent me a picture of you, it was eating me alive’’ he said as his eyes were getting a shade darker.

,, I was going thru a fucking hell and you think I had it easy ?You think that you were the only one that suffered ? Doll, I was so in love with you that my mom found me a fucking therapist ‘’ he said not breaking the eye contact. You froze once he started saying all those words.

In love ?

,, You fucking drove me insane’’ he said, pushing you against the cold wall of the building. You couldn’t progress what was going on at all. You never knew that he had that kind of feelings for you. You never knew anything about it. You wanted to think about it, to try and figure out what happened back then. But you couldn’t. His face being so close to yours didn’t let you focus on anything else besides of him

,, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry that I couldn’t contact you. But I didn’t want to make things any worse for you’’ he said making you even more confused, unsure of what he meant with that.

,, But I’m back. Can’t you see ?’’ he said placing his forehead on yours. You could feel the pain in his voice. You didn’t know what happened back then, but at that very moment you decided to forgive him and purge all the terrible feelings that were choking you for such a long time now.

Once you two got back with more wine, your friends were surprised when they realized that you didn’t bark at him like you did just 20 minutes ago. They were surprised that instead of being all aggressive, you were trying to avoid eye contact with him, but none of them tried to question it.

It’s not that you were shy, but guilt was eating you alive at the moment. The fact that he went thru as much as you did or even worse, made you feel bad. But hearing him laugh at Shiggy’s jokes and thinking about how he’s here now, you decided to get drunk with them now and think about it later.

,, What took you so long that day anyway?’’ Shiggy asked you, as you guys talked about that one time when Shiggy and you visited your old friend and his girlfriend Melissa one year ago. Talking about how he accidentally came in her, and you had to go buy the DAY AFTER pills for her while she was bawling her eyes out thinking about of the risk that she might get pregnant.

,,Bitch, I didn’t know the city at all. How the fuck could I know where the pharmacy is ???’’ you raised your voice in defense. ,,Not even google maps could help me. How the fuck can I know what HEAD WEST IS ??? I’m not a fucking sea captain’’ you hissed making everyone around you laugh, as you mixed your fourth glass of wine with cola.

All of you laughed and talked about everything. Talking about intimate topics as much as about crazy ones. Kai talked about how he fall for Momo, when she liked his picture on Instagram from 2016. ,, You just didn’t look good in a while’’ Momo said, kissing him on the cheek with a huge grin on her face.

They were so cute.

First one to go to bed were Kai and Momo. The things were getting hotter between them with every new drink they had. Next one was Shiggy, saying he wanted to face time Melissa before bed, leaving you and Touya all by yourselves.

At first none of you talked, focused on the drinks you were too scared to say anything somehow. But you wanted to say so much to him, you really did.

,, So, how have you been?’’ he broke the silence, making you laugh at the random question he asked. The fuck with the formalities.

,, Oh shut the fuck up, don’t how have you been me’’ you choked out while drinking your drink, making him smile at how you were trying to break the tension.

You weren’t sure if it was the alcohol, or if he was always like that, but he totally opened up, talking about his stupid therapy and about everything his mom was telling him on a daily basis. He was joking around about it, but it broke your heart when you learned about what he went thru.

You talked about all the anger you had for him, about how much you were waiting for him to contact you. You told him about your work, and about billion small and unimportant stories that he gladly listened to.

,,Yeah, I remember that day’’ you laughed as you remembered the day when Touya fed you with the sour candy in front of Shiggy and Kai. ,, But I don’t understand what you did with that candy ‘’ you said as you placed your glass in front of you.

,,I literally sucked it’’ he laughed out, making you roll your eyes at him.

,,Let’s go buy some candies’’ he said as he stood up. Tipsy like that, you clapped your hands and hopped up. Since the night air was getting a little colder, you wore your hoodie and followed Touya outside.

The two of you bought all possible sweets, happy that the shop was the one that was 24h a day opened. Once you got out of the store, you opened the pack of Schoko-Bons, immediately unwrapping one and eating it fast.

,,Oh my fucking God stop it’’ Touya hissed while smile was forming on his lips. ,, Open your mouth’’ he laughed as he grabbed the pack out of your hands. You laughed with him as the memories of you two were going thru your head.

Touya unwrapped the candy, as he explained to you how to eat it. Once he placed the candy between your lips he told you how you shouldn’t chew it at all, how you should just melt it down and enjoy the taste.

,, You are crazy, I don’t see anything special in this method of eating’’ you said trying not to laugh.

,, Sure, nothing is special to you if you can’t vacuum it in a second’’ he said as he ate one of the bon’s. He couldn’t keep his eyes of you, smiling as he watched you trying to melt the candy in your mouth. He missed you so much.

,, Wanna know a secret ?’’ he mumbled to you as you nodded your head in a second, curious what he will tell you. Ready for the tea.

,,Come here’’ he said, leading you to the small alley you were few hours ago in.

,, Wanna know what happened that day ?’’ he asked, smirk forming on his lips as you choked onto the candy not expecting him to start that topic at all. You nodded your head still, wanting to know what made your father and Rei break up in less then one day.

,, Rei caught me masturbating with your panties in my hand’’ he whispered to you, making sure only you heard it, even tho only the two of you were standing there. All alone.

,,Wha-‘’ you caught out in shock. You thought about many reasons of what could happened that day. But nothing dirty as that was on your mind. You immediately started laughing loudly imagining Rei’s reaction.

Thinking about it, you would lie if you said that the image of him masturbating with your panties in his hands didn’t turn you on. Maybe you would be freaked out if you found it out few years ago. But in the image you had in your head wasn’t Touya as your ex brother, it was the attractive tattooed Touya that was standing right in front of you.

He saw the little blush on your face, and immediately commanded you to close your eyes and open your mouth for him. Leaning on the cold wall slowly, you did as he told you.

He placed the small candy in your mouth again. You ate it your way, finding it funny how easily he gets frustrated over it. A quiet laugh escaped his lips, as he got a little closer to you.

You twitched once you felt his gentle hand around your neck, making you open your eyes immediately. ,, Close your eyes’’ he commended again, as his thumb was rubbing your neck gently. Touya told you again to open your mouth.

You smiled and opened your mouth, waiting for the sweet taste of the candy, totally ready to provoke him a little more.

You froze when you felt a warm and watery texture, instead of the sweet candy. Realizing that he literally spat in your mouth, you opened your eyes in shock. Touya tightened his hand around your neck, forcing you to close your eyes again.

,, Now, swallow it for your Niichan’’ he whispered in your ear, spitting loudly in your mouth again. You were surprised when you found yourself obediently swallowing it. The moment you swallowed it, he crashed his lips with yours, pulling you up in his arms with his free hand, only to smash you back against the wall again.

You could feel him smirk into the kiss when he realized that you didn’t hold back at all. Holding onto his arms and kissing him back. Every time his grip around your neck would get tighter, you would open your mouth without him telling you to do it as he would spit all over again.

,, Don’t swallow it yet’’ he said spitting again. ,, Your Niichan has to teach you how to enjoy things properly. ‘’ he added as his hand left your throat alone and made it’s way toward your clothed pussy. Pushing the shorts to the side and rubbing your clit gently.

Once you moaned, Touya spat into your mouth again, while sticking his one finger inside you, slowly pumping it in and out of you. You found yourself swallowing the saliva inside your mouth, a quite but now more clear moan escaping your lips.

Touya added his second finger in, as you started to breath more heavily because of his touch. Wrapping your legs around him, you threw your head back, leaning onto the wall more while his fingers were thrusting in and out faster and faster.

,, Oh my fucking god’’ you moaned out, while his fingers were doing wonders on you, rubbing your walls like no one ever did.

,, Oh, you wanna pray, I see’’ he said, making you laugh unlocking the memory from the past. You tried your best to get the closer you could to him, moving in his arms and trying to get off on his fingers.

,, Does my doll want to cum?’’ he asked, as he sped up turning you into a whiny mess. You wrapped your arms around him and burred your head into his neck, trying to hold your moans since you were in public. Once your orgasm hit you, you had to bite onto his shoulder to keep your moans down.

Touya once again grabbed your throat, and pushed your head against the wall. You whined at the sudden loss of his fingers. Taking his chance he spit into your mouth once more, and placed the two finger between your lips, making you taste yourself.

,,Suck’’ he said, playing with his saliva in your mouth. The fact that you were obeying to every word, was driving him crazy. All he could think of was fucking your brains out.

,, Swallow it doll.’’ He said, and you swallowed it gladly.

The way home felt like forever. The moment you entered the old cabin, you were again in his arms kissing him passionately. Both of you having trouble walking, too focused on each other, you didn’t give a shit if your friends were maybe awake.

Touya couldn’t keep his hands to himself, grabbing your ass while kissing you with desire. Once you finally got into the room prepared for him, he pulled your hoodie together with your shirt over your head and threw it on the floor. Grabbing your hair, he yanked you towards the bed, pushing you onto it and immediately hovering over you. He started kissing your neck and chest, leaving wet and sloppy love bites all over it. Grabbing both of your wrists into his one hand, he pinned them above your head, trying to give you biggest hickey on your neck for everyone to see.

He wanted everyone to know who you belong to.

,, Touya please’’ you beg. You wanted to feel every part of his body. You wanted to touch him, to feel him inside you.

Leaving your arms alone, he pulled your shorts and panties down, not being able to wait any longer. He wanted to tease you, to beg you for him more. But he couldn’t, he had to be inside you. He was waiting for this moment for too long. Without a warning he slammed into you. You were still wet from all the fingering, so he slid in without a problem, still stretching you out with his size making you moan in both pain and pleasure.

,, So tight for your Niichan’’ he breathed out, as he started to move in a steady pace. His hands on your hips now, holding you firmly in place. Every move was getting faster and stronger, making the bed shake and hit against the wall.

You were a moaning mess, hands grabbing onto the sheets as was fucking you hard. Rocking into you roughly as the bed shakes, you didn’t give a single fuck if your friends could hear you, moaning his name out loudly and shamelessly.

,,Touya, I’m so colse’’ you managed to say somehow, as he was kissing your neck roughly, his hips getting more erratic.

,, Cum. Cum all over my cock’’ he said as he started rubbing your clit roughly, while fucking you even harder. Closing your eyes, you moaned his name out loudly as you finally cum again.

,, Fuck’’ he breathed as your walls squeezed his dick. Closing his eyes, he started moving roughly reaching his own climax. His dick twitching and spilling all his seed inside of you.

Just when you thought that he was done, he flipped you over onto your stomach, and started roaming into you again. Grabbing your hair, he pulled your head back harshly as he abused your neck with his lips.

,, Touya, ahh, too much’’ you moaned as he pushed your head into his pillow.

,, You are taking it so good.’’ He moaned as he fucked you recklessly. At this point you were sure that your friends were awake listening to you two.

,, Such a good girl for Niichan’’ he said. Touya wasn’t turned on because he was fucking his ‘’EX sister’’. You two weren’t blood related anyway, but once he felt your walls tighten around his dick again, while you called him ‘’Niichan’’ he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

Fucking you thru your third orgasm, Touya pulled out of you, commanding you to get on your knees.

,, Open your mouth’’ he said, wanting to do something he always wished for. Stoking his dick, one look at you, with your mouth open and tongue out was enough for him to cum in your mouth.

,, Swallow it’’ he said, breathing deeply.

,,I already did’’ you said, as he pulled you up and kissed you passionately.

The next day, you didn’t know how to face your friends. Dabi was acting quite the opposite, looking at you proudly, yet so lovingly once you showed up in his shirt, with bruised neck. No words could describe how much he loved you, how much he was ready to fight for you.

Pulling you into a warm hug, he kissed you in front of everyone. He didn’t know how will he go against your dad and his mother. But in one thing he was sure, he will never let you go again.

You are his, and only his.

#smut #romance #bnha fanfiction #bnha imagines #bnha x reader #dabi fanfic #dabi headcanons #dabi smut #dabi todoroki #dabi x oc #dabi x y/n #yandere dabi x reader #yandere touya #touya smut #touya x y/n #touya todoroki #dabi imagine #mha dabi #mha smut #mha imagines #mha todoroki #dabi #touya #bnha dabi

[clouddd-hannn]

What if you were a demon who pretended to be friends with all the other Hashiras, especially Tanjiro whom you grew fond of, and decided to betray them?

[ This will take place before the Mugen Train incident ]

"Yes, I understand," you answered the Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan, who smirked as he looked down at you, placing two fingers on your chin as he raised your head, making you whimper as you avoided his plum red eyes.

"I see. I hope you haven't forgot what you're supposed to be doing, M/N," Kibutsuji stated as he forced you to look at him, his eyes seem to be buried deep in your own. "Have you found someone interesting? Hm? Was it that kid, Tanjiro? The one kid whose sister was turned into a demon?"

You shivered under his gaze as you removed your chin from his hold, the other smirking amusingly. "I did not forget, Mr. Kibutsuji. I simply am just...stalling to take their minds off of the demons."

"M/N, you do know you're a demon in the upper rank, right?" The Demon King reminded you as you flosed your eyes and nodded, Muzan smiling as he finally fled into the night, leaving you with a sullen look on your face. You looked down at the ground as tears began pouring down your eyes, quiet sobs leaving past your lips as you knelt down and placed your hands on your mouth to suppress your cries.

A certain black-haired girl that gradiented into a flame orange has been wandering around, looking for you when she woke up in her box with no signs of you beside his brother where you usually slept. Hearing your distress, Nezuko made her way outside the manor where she found you.

With your heightened hearing and foresight, you knew for sure that Nezuko would come and you already knew what was to come tomorrow. You stood up and sniffed as you looked towards the girl who looked worried before moving towards you and wiped your tears. "Thank you, Nezuko," you stated before finally going back inside the manor.

The next day, you were as fidgety as ever that you couldn't even speak much with neither of the Hashiras nor to the Golden Trio and Nezuko. "M/N," you turned towards the voice, seeing Tanjiro who was smiling from ear-to-ear. He seemed happy to see you after his training and the sun was already setting. "I've manage to explode a gord!"

You smiled at him as you nodded. "That's great! Then, will you be able to fight off the demons now?" You asked the other male who huffed as he sat down on your bed and held you closer to his chest.

"I hope so. I won't let anyone hurt you nor any of the Demon Slayers. Even you," he stated as he booped your nose making you chuckle, although that died down when you sensed the approaching of demons. "I won't even let anything or anyone hurt you."

"That feels good to hear from you, Tanjiro. But can you tell me exactly why you're protecting me when I'm stronger than you?" You asked the male who laughed as he squished your cheeks, finding you cute as he placed a kiss on your forehead. "Ah, right. That answers my question then."

He held you closer as you two drifted off to sleep. When you two woke up, it was already midnight. All of a sudden, you two suddenly heard a loud 'boom' from outside. Knowing what was already happening, you looked at Tanjiro who got his sword and held your hand, yet you removed his hand from yours. "What are you doing? I'm not leaving you here, M/N," he stated.

Hearing you say my name makes my heart flutter too much. You thought before smiling assuringly at Tanjiro who was still worried. "I'll manage, Tanjiro. Trust me."

Tanjiro nodded before finally exiting the nursing ward and into the main estate where the other Hashiras were. You sighed, looking back at Muzan whom you expected. "Hm? I knew there was something with you and that kid."

"I already did what you wanted so don't hurt them—"

"Tsk, tsk. M/N, don't you know that telling me their whereabouts and everything...would mean you betrayed them," Muzan stated, making your eyes widen as you looked back at the door where Tanjiro exited. "Go. Let's see if there're still people left."

You sneered at Muzan before finally exiting and ran towards the main manor where all the demons were chuckling and laughing evilly. Your eyes bulged out at the scene, there was blood everywhere, the thing you haven't foreseen. This was not what I saw in my sight. What's happening? You thought as you panicked.

"Who could've told them?" Tanjiro, who was the only Demon Slayer left (along with Giyu, Shinobu, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Nezuko), stated before Giyu turned his eyes towards you where you were standing. They went back to their fighting stance as they fought off demons. You watched everything happen in front of your eyes.

How they were killed, how they became lifeless, how they took their last breaths, how Tanjiro cried as he witnessed how his friends died. You went up to Tanjiro who happened to kill the last demon who almost hurt Nezuko. "T-Tanjiro," you called.

Tanjiro looked at you with tears flowing down his cheeks. "You...M/N, did you have anything to do with this? Have you betrayed us? The only family you have?" The black haired male stated as he aided his sister who was now awake.

You were about to speak up but Muzan beat you to it. "Family? Kamado, the only family he has was the ones you killed. I'm the only family he has left," he said as tears began to pour down your cheeks.

"I-I didn't mean to, Tanjiro. Please—"

"Enough. I've had enough," Tanjiro stated as he drew his sword outand before you could sense it, he had already sliced your head with his black sword, not looking at you as he cried.

You smiled at him, as if you were victorious. "You've managed to beatan upper rank, Tanjiro. I'm proud of you," you stated as you closed your eyes and watched as Muzan gritted his teeth and fled the scene. "I'm sorry," you stated as the sun began rising, feeling yourself burn as you closed your eyes and smiled one last time at Tanjiro who began crying at your last words.

#male reader #x male reader #angst #demon slayer #demon slayer x male reader #anime x male reader #tanjiro kamado #tanjiro x male reader #demon male reader

[lemons3ason]

HOW THE VINSMOKE BROTHERS REACT TO LOSING THEIR S/O BECAUSE OF THEIR FATHER!

Warning: Mad Angst, Lowkey long I got kinda a little to into these scenarios, mentions of death and torture, I cried and lowkey need to make a part two for fluff TT-TT

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

Ichiji Vinsmoke

You were missing from bed this morning, of course Ichiji was curious of it since you were practically 8 months pregnant but he thought you were just back in the kitchen cooking with Cosette again. You were a chef for the Germa Kingdom, the only reason he had met you was because Niji had thrown a plate of food at Cosette and you shielded her from it before striking Niji in a nerve and knocking him unconscious for over 36 hours. Since that day Ichiji had claimed you as his, his cute firecracker, and yet for some reason you were never enough for his father. You made his son human, which in turn made him weak, sooner or later you would’ve had to be dealt with. Judge had summoned him to the throne room to speak with him alone, with his shadow casting over the young red haired man he spoke with a cold heartless tone, “(Y/n) has been executed. She was taken down to the dungeons before daybreak, so you won’t find her.”, he turned to his son to make sure he emphasized his point, “She wasn’t good enough for you anyways.”

Ichiji felt his heart shatter, something he once never had, and felt his lips quiver at the news. Nothing held him back, so why?! Why didn’t he just kill his father where he stood! Judge had sent you to the dungeons to be executed, all because he deemed you unworthy of the Vinsmoke name. Ichiji’s fist ignited into flames as his rage boiled in his blood. He was always cold and collected but right at this moment he was afraid! Afraid and enraged, Ichiji left his father alone and stormed down to the dungeons. Memories of his days tormenting Sanji replayed in his mind causing his stomach to churn. The dungeons were for the weak, only the strong could laugh from the other side of the bars and unfortunately you were just a weak powerless human compared to the monsters that lived right by your side.

“(Y/n)! (Y/n) answer me! Answer me right now!”, Ichiji’s voice roared through the cold dark cells of the dungeon.

Soldiers in charge of the chambers emerged attempting to calm their leader but their skulls simply met the hard brick walls as he punched them. Flames flickered from his fists and feet with each of his movements, even without his raid suit Ichiji was a force to be reckoned with.

“(Y/n)!”, his screams were desperate at this point, his emotional heart couldn’t handle the stress of the situation anymore.

Then he saw it, in pure disbelief he threw his glasses to the side taking in the pale lifeless battered body that laid before his eyes. Everything stopped, y-you were gone. He was to late. Ichiji didn’t want to believe it not now, not ever, he raced to your side scooping your cold form into his arm and holding you tight almost mistaking his own body heat as yours in broken hope that you were still alive. He was heartbroken, as he stared down at your beautiful sleeping face his vision became blurry. He had lost it, he lost you, tears and screams of agony poured out of Ichiji’s body. He couldn’t handle this, not (Y/n), not you of all people. His wails became louder so much so that his siblings could hear him, even Judge who stared out over the sea with no regret to his decision could hear the heartbroken wails of his precious son. Ichiji’s raw emotions triggered his powers, his tears evaporated from the intense heat his body produced and like an inferno eating at a dry field his flames engulfed the dungeons setting fire to half of the Germa Kingdom. Even as your body seared to ash in his arms he held onto you desperately his wails becoming noiseless gasps until his brothers pulled him out of the flames and away from your ashes.

“(Y/n)! (Y/n)! (Y/n)!!!!!”, He screamed fighting against his brothers strength as soldiers rushed in to put out the flames.

Even if he showed weakness because of his heart Ichiji mourned your death, he couldn’t handle it anymore because every little thing reminded him of you. For a whole week he had locked himself in your old quarters and he wouldn’t budge...not until Reiju appeared with the only thing that would pull him out of mourning. She kicked the door open holding something small in her arms and sighed seeing her brother collapsed by your bedside.

“She’s gone Ichiji, get over it.”, Reiju growled.

“How do you expect me to do that? Tell me Reiju! Every woman I’ve ever seen was merely a toy of amusement for me until I met her! She reminded me what it meant to be human, how do you expect me to get over her!”, the red haired male growled grabbing his sister by the fabric collar until a soft cry caught his attention.

The sudden rough movement had awaken the slumbering (h/c) haired baby that rested in Reiju’s arms. Ichiji’s body trembled from shock and he once again collapsed to his knees. Reiju smiled and kneeled down in front of her younger brother carefully placing his child in his arms, “(Y/n) fought till the very end, I noticed them take her down to the dungeon and the stress from them beating her drove her body into labor. Father’s word was absolute to kill her but nothing was said about the baby. All she asked was that I took her.”, Reiju sighed tears of regret falling from her blue eyes.

This little baby girl, with Ichiji’s curly little eyebrows, and your sweet eyes, was all he had left of you and he wouldn’t let his father take her from him like he took you!

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

Niji Vinsmoke

That night you hadn’t returned to bed, after a heated argument about his cruel behavior towards the staff of the ship you had left Niji alone in his quarters. The young prince waited impatiently for you to return but after midnight struck the clock he decided that it would be best to go find you instead. It wasn’t your first fight but truly he let himself go, he said things that he regretted and sucking it up and apologizing to you only seemed fair. He called your name loudly, not caring about the others and their sleep since he needed to find you quickly.

“(Y/n)? Hey little brat come on, it’s late we can continue this argument tomorrow just come to bed.”, he sighed running his fingers through his blue hair in frustration.

He noticed several guards talking amongst themselves and decided to question them on your whereabouts. All the soldiers froze up once they felt the intense anger radiating off of their general, they quickly stood at attention greeting Niji as he glared down at all of them. He noticed your necklace hanging out of one of their pockets and quickly snatched it back as he began to interrogate the soldier.

“Where the hell did you get this? A piece of gravel like you shouldn’t have been able to get this close to (Y/n) in order to take it. Where did you get this?”, Niji growled electricity discharged from his body with each passing second.

The soldier stumbled over his words trembling in fear as he looked death in the face, “I-I’m sorry sir! I-I found it in the dungeons it’s from the most recent kill. I-I didn’t know this b-belonged to Ms. (L/n)!”, the soldier squeaked in fear as Niji’s electricity made all the lights in the hall pop, his body glowed a dim blue in the dark corridor as he stormed down to the dungeons. Something didn’t feel right, for once an unsettling itch was making Niji nervous. Why would you be in the dungeons of all places? His steps echoed the farther down he went, but the eerie silence of the dungeons made his stomach ache. Something wasn’t right.

“(Y/n)? Hey brat, where are you? Come on this is enough, it’s not funny, (Y/n)!”, Niji yelled, his voice broke as he called your name, “(Y/n), come on I’m sorry! I don’t hate you, I love you so come back.”

For the first time ever fear was coursing through his blood and he didn’t know what to do. Every call of your name drove him crazy, you didn’t respond no matter how loud he got. He searched every sell desperately for you but he couldn’t find a thing, he was clueless on your whereabouts until one of the many prisoners in the dungeons spoke up.

“Niji?”, the old man called quickly grabbing the young prince’s attention.

“Who the hell do you think your calli-“

“That’s the name the young lady was calling when they were beating her. Niji, at the top of her lungs, it was painful to have to hear her.”, the old man sighed tears falling from his eyes.

Niji’s arms reached for his tattered clothes slamming him against the bars as he demanded answers, “What girl? Where did they take her?”

“T-this young lady with short (h/c) hair. They took her to the torture chamber just down the hall!”

“Her hair wasn’t short! Liar!”, Niji growled.

“I-It was! Lord Judge cut her hair with his spear to show her how little she meant to the family. Then ordered her execution, I haven’t heard her voice for the last three hours.”, the man admitted crying in fear of being punished.

Niji released the man and ran as quickly as he could to the chambers, but the pool of blood was enough for him to understand your fate. He stared down at the pool in defeat and fell to his knees as his vision became blurry. Bloodied whips and clubs littered the floor but Niji couldn’t see a thing, he screamed in anguish to the situation. His heart couldn’t take this, his head was splitting to the very thought of your death. His sadness quickly turned into rage, it’s was his fault, his father was the cause of all of this! Using his powers he appeared in his father’s room in a mere matter of seconds, his electricity burning hotter then ever before.

“WHERE IS MY (Y/N)?!”, Niji roared ripping his goggles off so he could see his father properly.

Judge, completely unamused by his favorite son’s outburst, simply scoffed and returned to his paperwork. Having been ignore Niji slammed his fist into Judge’s desk scattering and burning the papers throughout the room. He glared up at his father and repeated his question, “Where is my (Y/n)?”

“Tossed out to sea, it’s not like she was alive anymore. By now she’s being digested by some stray seaking that found her battered corpse.”, Judge sighed in frustration, “It’s not like I would’ve considered someone like her eligible to be your wife. A prince shouldn’t bother with a mere nameless slave.”

Niji was heartbroken, tears that had been ready to fall from his eyes from the past 20 years had finally started to fall. He couldn’t see, not even an inch in front of him as he grieved your death. He was to late, he fought with you and made you leave and when you needed him most he wasn’t there for you.

“It was pathetic how desperately she called your name, she was to reliant on you, it made the torture so much easier when she finally gave up. Hopefully the next woman you fall in love with is more suitable to be a Vinsmoke.”, Judge sighed lifting his son by his collar and throwing him out of his room.

Niji was forced to stumble back to his room, no matter how much he called you you never returned to his side. You were gone, all because he was to late.

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

Sanji Vinsmoke

“What happened to her? (Y/n)!”, Sanji yelled caressing your face as you slept.

Your body was covered in bruises and cuts from your recent fight with Niji, you had snuck onto the Germa ships to find Sanji and drag him back but unfortunately you had ran into one of his monster brothers. Reiju had stopped her beastly brother from killing you but you presence on the ship didn’t go unnoticed, Judge was now aware of you and he wasn’t happy. Reiju allowed you to stay in her room with Sanji but Judge had other plans for you.

“(Y/n) you idiot. You should’ve stayed with the others back on the Sunny.”, Sanji sighed holding your hand in his, you woke up seeing him softly kiss your knuckles.

“Takes an idiot to know one. Come back stupid, I miss you.”, you sighed turning to him.

Sanji frowned at you but he couldn’t help but smile seeing you awake. You were such a handful, always had been and always would be but that’s what he loved about you. He pressed a kiss to your forehead making you smile but once again you both forgot that you were prisoners to the family. Sanji carried you back to his room and kept you there by his side, you both softly whispered to each other declaring your love like children. Having you in his arms again made Sanji forget about his worries, all he needed was you and that’s all he wanted. Eventually sleep claimed you both but you both slept comfortably together sharing dreams that a promising future would hold. The next day Sanji was forced to meet Big Mom. He hoped that you’d be left alone in his quarters but hope was for fools, while he was gone one of the soldier’s had slipped a sleeping drug into your food and dragged you down to the dungeons.

“(Y/n), I’m back. Have you eaten I’ll make yo-(Y/n)? (Y/n)?!”, Sanji’s blood ran cold seeing you missing, you couldn’t move around with your injuries which meant someone had taken you. He raced through the halls of the ship searching for you desperately, not one soldier told him where you were but a feeling in his chest told him exactly where you were. His legs carried him to the dungeon chambers but he found himself unable to even open the door. Memories of the caged abuse he went through drove a cold sweat through his body, but he had to save you. He swallowed his fears and opened the door but his fears were realized when he heard your voice scream his name. He hurried, he rushed, as quickly as he could but he was seconds to late. With his father looming over your battered body Sanji was forced to watch the spear pierce through your back,

“S-sanji.”, you cried as the injury killed you instantly, your outstretched hand fell to the ground as you passed away.

“Why failures stick together I will never know, but at least there’s one less of you vermin.”, Judge growled pulling his spear from your corpse as he turned around to see his mortified son, “It’ll teach you better then to let fools get in the way of my goals.”

He simply scoffed at him and walked back up the stairs while Sanji fell to his knees just inches away from your body. “(Y-y/n)...(y/n).”, Sanji croaked holding the hand that you had been reaching for him with.

“(Y/n)!”, he screamed to no one in the cold depressing dungeon as he pulled your body towards his chest to hold you.

He sobbed into your hair, crying until his voice ran dry. Sanji couldn’t accept this, “Not like this, p-please not like this. Not her!”, he begged staring down at your bruised face that still looked like a beautiful Angel in his eyes.

“(Y/n) please don’t leave me. Not like this my dear.”, he whimpered pressing his forehead against yours.

This dungeon had caused him so much pain and now it was the place that had taken you from him. Why did life have to hate him so much? To be married off to a stranger, to be taken from his crew, and worst of all to lose the only woman he had wanted to marry. His family brought him nothing but agony, he cried until exhaustion forced him to sleep. Reiju was ordered to fetch him for dinner but the sight of her younger brother asleep against the wall while holding your dead corpse was enough to move her to tears. He truly did love you but now you were gone.

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

Yonji Vinsmoke

From the start Yonji knew that his father hated your existence, but Yonji just couldn’t help it. He had fallen for you, the way his name rolled of your tongue and past your sweet soft lips made him crave your presence. The way you reached your small hands up to him to hold his face in your hands made his heart face, but your eyes, your beautiful passionate shimmering eyes made him fall head over heels for you. Even when he was disrespectful towards others Yonji would always keep an eye on you smiling when he saw you doing the simplest of tasks. The prince that loved a peasant what a cliche love story. Even if he was a genetically modified human in your eyes he was just him, and you were just the perfect normal little human girl.

“Prince Yonji I made cookies today. Would you lik-oh heehee.”, you giggled watching Yonji eat the cookie from your fingers.

His crumb covered lips pressed against your cheek making you smile, but your soft moment together was spoiled by the all to familiar scoff of Lord Judge. The tall giant glared down at you while you sheepishly smiled up and greeted him, Yonji scowled at his Father’s glare and wrapped his arm around your waist protectively.

“Keep moving old man.”, he growled much to Judge’s disgust.

Cosette called you back to the kitchen, you excused yourself hesitating to give Yonji a kiss in front of his father but the green haired man wouldn’t let you leave without a proper kiss. As soon as he got his kiss he let you go, your face flushed red and smiling as you returned to your duties.

“Why you bother with a failure like her irritates me, you deserve a princess not a dirty servant Yonji.”, Judge growled down to his youngest son.

Yonji scoffed in annoyance to his father and simply walked away leaving his father to his own complaints. Judge decided that if you were the one his son wanted then he’d modify you so that you were actually useful to the family. Every night you would come to find Yonji and kiss him goodnight, it was a ritual that he became dependent on but tonight you didn’t show up. Far past midnight sleep was finally beginning to take over his body but he tried to stay awake hoping that you’d just been busy with chores. He woke up angry the next day because of your absence and went to search for you to give you a piece of his mind but no one had seen you. You always presented yourself to work even if you were exhausted or sick meaning something had happened to you. Yonji growled under his breath knowing that his father had something to do with it. One of the doctors appeared before him asking for his presence in the dungeon chambers, Yonji didn’t want to bother with it but his father was waiting for him. Just entering the room he could hear torturous screams resonating from down below, his father must’ve been furious.

“What do you want old man?”

His father simply pointed into one of the screaming cages and smiled, “Now she’s worthy of you. A soldier ready to give her life for you.”, he chuckled.

That’s when Yonji saw it, his eyes widened in shock seeing your blood stained body killing a prisoner. You held the knife above your head ready to kill them but Yonji’s hand caught your wrist as he called your name. You responded but the look in your eyes was enough to tell him what had happened. Cold, lifeless, dead (e/c) eyes, looked into his there was no spark in them anymore.

“What did you do to her!?”, Yonji growled sending his mechanical arm right to his fathers face.

Judge was unimpressed by his son’s rage and pushed his hand away, “Simply made her worthy of you. An annoying woman like her wasn’t fit to be a love interest for one of my precious sons but with her genetic enhancements now she is. Surprisingly she was able to stay sane for about 7 hours before the electrical charges finally fried what little brain cells she had. The only sacrifice was her mental sanity, her emotions, and her heart. She’s the perfect little puppet now.”

Yonji’s face dropped to the news of your torture, he turned to your frozen form and kiss your lips hoping that you’d react, hoping that it wasn’t true but nothing happened. Your cheeks didn’t heat up, your eyes didn’t sparkle with love, you didn’t call his name sweetly, he lost you.

“REVERSE IT! REVERSE THE EFFECTS RIGHT NOW!”, Yonji ordered holding your head softly in his hands.

“She’d really die this time, if we bothered trying. This is how she stays if you want her by your side, once you’re tired of her dispose of her. She’s no longer human she’s just an empty shell.”

Yonji couldn’t believe it, he held you calling your name over and over until you responded but you never did. You never made a noise you were just silent. “N-no...(Y/n)...n-not like this. Please not like this come back to me.”, Yonji pleaded through his tears but from then on it would never be the same.

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