#okay i'm almost at the tag limit so i just wanted to say happy birthday you're the most amazing friend the most talented and creative writer

[prawndip]

Happy Birthday

CHARACTERS: Alhaitham, Cyno, Kaeya (and Klee), Kaveh, Tartaglia, Wanderer, Yanfei, Zhongli & gn!reader

TAGS: all platonic relationships! reader is traveler in this case

SYNOPSIS: happy birthday! what do they get you to celebrate the occasion?

WORD COUNT: 984 in total

NOTES: most self indulgent piece all the characters I picked are all the ones I'm emotionally attached to. it is my birthday ok I write whatever I want.

ALHAITHAM:

he was in a bit of a dilemma. he'd get you a book, but he fears it would be quickly ruined by the weather or in combat while you were traveling.

he ponders on it for a moment, but eventually, he gets an idea. on your birthday, he presents you with the ability to access the books in the house of daena and the more private records the akademiya has.

as the acting grand sage at the time, he gave you the access just because he could. of course. now that he was back to being the scribe, he didn't have those same privileges anymore.

"I'm not exactly sure what records the akademiya has, but I hope it helps you learn more about teyvat."

CYNO:

a limited edition genius invokation tcg card that you would have gotten had you not missed the selling period. cyno, on the other hand, seemed to snag a spare card, and by coincidence, it was your birthday!

of course, he had an actual gift for you beforehand, a water bottle for your travels. when you travel, you're always thirsty!

and after giving you both the new water bottle and the card, he immediately challenges you to a duel.

"I have this card myself, and I want to see how it fares in the new deck I built. so what do you say? want to duel?"

KAEYA AND KLEE:

klee wanted to give you "the bestest birthday gift ever" but didn't know what to get you. naturally, she asked albedo, but he was in dragonspine at the moment, so she asked kaeya instead.

kaeya thought long and hard about it. and told klee that he had the perfect idea. but he needed klee to give him one of her jumpty-dumpties (without the explosion, of course)

so on the day of your birthday, you were given a stuffed jumpty dumpty that was recoloured to match your outfit, a memory of your friends (almost like family now) in mondstadt!

"klee wishes you could go fish blasting with it!"

"yes, but let’s not get the traveler grounded by accident, okay?"

KAVEH:

ok. he’s in a bit of a pickle. he has to get you something for your birthday, but it has to be within his budget, but everything he wants toget it out of his budget! and there’s no way he wants to go to alhaitham and beg for some extra mora! before he knows it it’s the night of your birthday, and he still doesn’t have anything to give you!

thankfully he is a man of many talents. and he looks devilishly at his woodcarving tools that sit in his house. with nothing but a block of wood and a vision, he gets to work.

the next day, you are presented with a wood carving of bongo-head, your fungi companion. which had been carefully carved and painted just for you. kaveh looks awfully tired.

“happy birthday traveler! what? no! I'm not tired at all!”

TARTAGLIA:

his birthday gift would be an opportunity to spar with him. just kidding. not that you wouldn't spar with him, or course. however. it's what you're using to spar him with that is the real gift.

it's a brand new sword. he thought you would like it. it is light, fast, made with the best of metals and forged by the most skilled blacksmith in all of snezhnaya. to top it all off, he got your name engraved on the handle.

it was the best gift he could think to get you. as a traveler and adventurer, your sword can mean life and death, and he couldn't stand seeing you use nothing but a dull blade.

"come on traveler! I didn't want you to lose against me just because that crappy blade of yours broke mid battle! that's not fun, now is it?"

WANDERER:

to be honest. he sat on what to give you for a while. but eventually, he settled on a handmade gift. as a wanderer, he has way too much time on his hands.

on your birthday, he presents you with a small, handmade dolls of your, your sibling, and paimon. they're intricately stitched, with faces carefully embroidered onto them.

when you looked at them in awe, the wanderer only gave a huff in response. crossing his arms and looking away, although he seems to be quite fond of his work.

"this isn't to scale. or else paimon would have been so small she'd have been a ball of fabric."

YANFEI:

it's a journal that was carefully assembled and binded by yanfei herself. the cover is made of the most durable leather, able to be snapped shut with a clip, and your name was engraved on the spine.

a pen can be held in the journal, and she tells you that you can write about all your adventures into the journal. it's incredibly durable, and it is unlikely to get easily wreaked by the rain.

and should you need another one, you know where to find her.

"so, what are the first words you're gonna write in it. oh! how about 'here's how I met the best lawyer in all of teyvat'? just kidding. write whatever you want!"

ZHONGLI:

a preserved glaze lily. or really. any preserved flower native to liyue. you can clip it to your clothing or hair as an accessory if you so desired.

he'd tell you its a way for you to think of liyue as you travel. you've descended onto teyvat for a couple years now, but no matter where you go, or what happens. liyue would always welcome you. liyue would always be grateful to you as their hero.

and when you leave this world to head to the next, you can always think of teyvat.

"liyue will always have a place for you. should you require anything during your adventures. we’ll be there to help you."

#genshin #genshin impact #alhaitham #cyno #kaeya #klee #kaeya and klee #kaveh #childe #tartaglia #wanderer #scaramouche #yanfei #zhongli

[nashibirne]

Please don't stop the music

Pairing: Clark × y/n / reader

Summary: Clark Kent is your neighbour and good friend but over the last months you've fallen in love with him. Clark has no clue because you're way too shy to make a move on him. So you yearn for him secretly. Until today...

Credits: This was inspired by @fuckoffbard 's fantastic playlists for some of Henry's characters. Check them out, there's such a lot of great, inspiring music to discover!

Warnings: pure fluff, lots of kissing and smut too, virgin reader, deflowering, first time, sex, unprotected sex, all vanilla and sweet, friends to lovers, nsfw, 18+

Unbeta'ed! English is not my mother tongue, so read with caution. 

This is my first try to write from reader's perspective. There's a lot of "you" and "he" in it but I hope it's okay.

Tags:

@agniavateira @lunedelorient @inlovewithhisblueeyes @willkatfanfromasia @hell1129-blog @mis-lil-red

So...let's get the party started

"That was delicious, Clark. The best chicken pot pie I've ever had." You lean back in your chair with a satisfied sigh, placing a hand on your belly. "Thanks. It's my mum's recipe. I'm glad you liked it." "I did. It will take some beating to make something better next friday."

You have established kind of a habit over the last few weeks. Every Friday night you cook for each other and watch Netflix together afterwards. This week it's been Clark's turn to cook for you in your apartment. Those nights are heaven and hell at the same time for you. It's heavenly to spend so much time with him, to be close to him but the constant secret craving is dreadful. You could do something about it, sure, but that would mean to lower your guard, to expose yourself, to run the risk of getting rejected and hurt and even worse of losing Clark as a friend. 

Apart from the fact that you are almost pathologically shy you wouldn't even know how to make a move on him because you've never done something like this before. You have never confessed your feelings for someone, you've never made the first step. You've never been in a relationship. You have never done more than kissing. You are a grown up woman and still a virgin.

At least in real life. In your fantasy you are an experienced badass of a woman, in your dreams you are a self-confident bomb shell, in the short stories you secretly write you do all the naughty things you've never done in reality though you'd love to. Your fictional alter ego does all the things you yearn for. She's straight forward, extroverted, sexy. The hottest guys fall for her as soon as they lay eyes on her. She knows how to please a man and how to make a man please her. She knows no limits, no taboos, no coyness. 

And thanks to internet research, porn, fan fiction and masturbation you know everything about sex - technique, positions, kinks, toys, language. You're a pro in theory and clueless in real life. 

"So what about some music." Clark interrupts your thoughts. Still a little absent you point at your mobile. "Sure, just choose a playlist. The app should be opened."

You regret your words as soon as they've left your mouth.

Shit.

Clark grabs your phone and starts scrolling through the music app.

Please, don't see it. Please, don't see it. Please, don't see it.

"You have a playlist called Clark?"

Fuck!

"Umm...yes?"

He chuckles and gives you a funny look. His beautiful blue eyes find yours and your heart starts racing.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? Just because." How can you ever explain to him that this playlist includes all the cheesy, steamy, sad and cheerful songs that make you think about him. That you listen to when you daydream about him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clark laughs, leaning forward, cocking his head. "You make a playlist and name it after me for no reason?"

Ground swallow me up...

"Who says I named it after you?" You cross your arms in front of your chest defensively.

"So there's another man called Clark in your life? Who's he?"

Think for heaven's sake. Think.

"Well...um..."

"Yes?" Clark grins, obviously having fun watching your attempt to wriggle out of this situation.

"Well, if you must know...you're right. It is named after you. It was supposed to be a surprise. I put all the songs in it, I think you might like. I planned to send you the link for your birthday."

Good...badass move.

You sigh with relief a little too loud.

"Oh really? That's nice. Great idea actually."

"Thanks."

"Can we listen to it?"

"No! Of course not. You'd spoil the surprise!"

"Oh, come on, y/n. You have seven months left to add new songs."

Shit.

Without waiting for permission Clark starts the playlist and you're horrified when you hear 'Addicted' by Saving Abel. Of all songs he's chosen one of the sexiest. Heaven help!

"Never heard of this one. Sounds great. I like Rock." Clark says, listening to the lyrics carefully.

I'm so addicted to

All the things you do

When you're going down on me In between the sheets

Oh the sounds you make With every breath you take

It's unlike anything When you're loving me

"Interesting choice." he mumbles with a smirk and a wink that makes you blush.

"Yeah...now give me my phone."

"No way." Clark laughs and skips to the next song. You smile when 'Chicken Fried' by the Zac Brown Band starts playing. This song feels like home for you and you love imagining you and Clark visiting a bar that plays country music where you have a beer and dance all night long.

You know I like my chicken fried

Cold beer on a Friday night

A pair of jeans that fit just right

And the radio up

You can't help but nod your head to the rhythm, humming along. Clark raises an eyebrow, watching you curiously, a smile playing on his lips. "So what's next?" 

'I wanna kiss you all over' by Exile sounds from the little Bluetooth speaker on the table now.

I wanna kiss you all over

And over again

I wanna kiss you all over

Till the night closes in

"Oohh..." Clark wiggles his eyebrows. "Seventies rock...really?"

"Yes. Really." you snap and grab for your phone but Clark's too fast. He grabs it first and presses it to his broad chest. 

"Come on, Kent. Choose another playlist. That's stupid." You are really annoyed and embarrassed now.

"Why? It's pretty interesting which kind of songs you've chosen for me. Tim McGraw, Chris Stapleton, Jeff Bates..seems I strike you as a country guy." He scrolls through the playlist with a big grin. "And what's that?" He starts laughing again, skipping to the next song. "Barry Manilow?" 

'Can't smile without you' That's maybe the cheesiest song ever but you love it so so  much. Every single word of the lyrics expresses what you feel for Clark so accurately. The melody makes you so happy, everytime you hear it you picture yourself and Clark as a happy, loving couple, spending a wonderful day in the park. Just like the couples in chick flicks do it all the time. Kissing and laughing and holding hands, making a little picnic on the lawn beside a lake, drinking champagne and eating strawberries from each other's hands. 

And you see I can't smile without you

I can't smile without you

I can't laugh and I can't sing

I'm finding it hard to do anything

You see I feel glad when you're glad

I feel sad when you're sad

If you only knew what I'm going through

I just can't smile without you

You sigh thinking about it but Clark is close to a laughing fit. "Please, y/n. Tell me you don't seriously think I like that kind of music." He wipes away a tear from the corner of his eye. You press your lips together unable to say anything. You realize you're on the brink of bursting into tears and you get up from your chair quickly.

"Just delete the songs you don't like, there's no need to make fun of me." You turn around and stare out of the window, no longer able to hold back tears.

"Hey, y/n. What the hell...." Clark is by your side within seconds. He looks at you with a worried and confused expression. "Hey." he says softly again. "What's up, why are you crying?" He takes you by your shoulders gently and turns you around to make you look at him. "I'm sorry. I was just teasing you. Please...don't cry."

You sob and rub your eyes to stop the tears from falling.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm being ridiculous. It's just...that stupid playlist. You weren't supposed to see it..."

"It's not really a birthday surprise, is it?"

You shake your head.

"So what is it." 

You don't dare to look at him. You just stare at your feet without saying a word.

"Y/n?" He touches your shoulder and a shiver runs down your spine.

"I can't tell you." you whisper.

"Why not?"

"It's silly."

"I'm sure it's not. Just tell me, okay?"

You lift your head to look at him. You gulp when you realize how close he's standing to you. His eyes meet yours and he gives you an encouraging nod. "Okay. I'm going to tell you under one condition."

"Yes?"

"Promise me not to say anything about it. I tell you what the playlist is about and you won't say a word, okay? We will never talk about this again."

Clark stares at you for several seconds. "Okay." He finally agrees with a frown.

You swallow hard, closing your eyes, taking a deep breath before you open them again. Clark takes your hands in his. "Whatever it is. You can tell me." You know he wants to reassure you but to feel your hands in his makes you even more nervous. At the same time you would never  want to let go because the sensation of closeness and intimacy is so incredible. You clear your throat, knowing full well that it's too late to back down.

You can do this. 

"The playlist... It's not for you it's more...about you." You look him in the eyes and he smiles at you, nodding slightly, indicating to you to go on. "All these songs, they are somehow connected to you. They remind me of you. They make me think about you. They make me dream about you." Your voice fades into a whisper. "Because I'm in love with you."

You lower your eyes and stare at your feet. Several seconds pass before you feel his finger under your chin. Clark lifts your head gently and makes you look at him. He keeps his promise and doesn't say a word. Instead he brings his lips close to yours and you look at him with surprise. In his eyes you see happiness and lust and you gasp when you realize that he's about to kiss you. 

When his lips touch yours, time seems to stand still. When he starts kissing you tenderly the world stops turning for a moment. The kiss intensifies and you feel like you're melting in his embrace, in his strong arms. You feel his hands on your waist, sliding under your blouse and you mirror his actions, following his lead. When he feels your touch he moans softly into your mouth.

Clark pulls away and breaks the kiss, he's just as breathless as you.  "Am I allowed to say something? Not related to the...you know what." he asks with a smirk.

You giggle and nod your head. "Sure."

He cups your face with his big hands and looks you deep in the eyes.

"I'm in love with you too, y/n. More than you can imagine maybe. More than I could have imagined before I met you."

"Clark..." You kiss him again and things heat up quickly. You can feel his fingers all over your body, his lips all over your skin. You can tell how aroused he is by the huge bulge in his jeans that presses against you. His moans are so incredibly sexy, the way he whispers naughty little things into your ear makes you shiver. Your panties are soaked and you wonder if this is normal or if he's going to be disgusted when he finds out.

You get your answer only seconds later. Clarks hand is between your thighs now, wandering higher, underneath your skirt, until it reaches your crotch. It slides over your panties between your legs with light pressure which causes you to sigh with lust and desire.

"You're all wet for me." Clark whispers in your ear. "So sexy..." He's heavily breathing now and you get turned on even more. "I want you. I want you so much" he moans into your neck, his hands on your breasts playing with your nipples.

"I want you too, Clark." You groan loudly, when sucks on the sensitive spot above your collarbone.

He pulls away, gives you a smirk and takes your hand, leading you to your bed, that is placed in the corner of your one-room-apartment.

You're about to lay down but he stops you.

"Not so fast." He kisses you again and then he begins to take off his clothes. When he's done and you finally dare to take a look, you can't help but let out a little whistle. "Wow. You're shredded...and...big." You're amazed and scared at the same time.

Jesus. How's this supposed to fit?

Clark seems to read your mind. "Don't worry, you're gonna like it." He gives you a sexy lopsided smile and pulls you close. The next round of hot, passionate kisses follows and he starts to unbutton the light summer blouse you're wearing and strips it off you body. You take off your skirt and feel very self-conscious when you stand so close to him in only your underwear. 

"Look at you. You're beautiful." Clark whispers in your ear while he unclasps your bra. Only seconds later it lands beside the bed together with your panties.

"You're beautiful." He repeats and you blush. You reach out your hand and touch his chest. He grabs your hand and presses it on the spot above his racing heart. You're relieved that he seems to be a little nervous too. He grins and gives you a light, playful push and you fall on your bed, landing on your back. When you smile at him he plops down on the bed right by your side and kisses you again. Your hands start exploring your naked bodies. You touch Clark's cock shyly and caress it carefully. It feels wonderful, smooth like velvet and hard as a rock.

"Fuck, y/n. That's great. So hot..." Clark growls in a dark voice full of arousal and he starts stroking your pussy. His fingers run through your wet folds and he rubs your clit, making you whimper with pleasure.

"Oh god." you sigh. This feels so much better than you could ever have imagined. So much better than doing it yourself. He's rough and gentle at the same time and you love it.

When you feel one of his fingers at your entrance you flinch. 

"Clark, wait!" You make him stop before he pushes in.

"What's wrong?"

"I've never done this before." 

"This?" He's visibly confused.

"Sex." you say, giving him a sheepish smile.

Clark sits up straight, taken by surprise.

Shit...Mood killer

"You're a virgin?" he asks with an amazed frown.

"Yes. I'm sorry..."

"There's no reason to be sorry, babe. I just wasn't expecting that. It's okay." He gives you a tender little kiss. "We don't have to do it tonight, if you don't want to. We can wait. Do it another time."

Nope. Not gonna happen.

"No! I've waited long enough. I want this. I want to sleep with you. Tonight. Now." You say insistently. "I just wanted you to know why I'm so clumsy and insecure." 

"You're not clumsy. You are doing this perfectly." 

"Okay." You sigh with relief.

"So do you want me to go on?" You feel his fingers on your pussy again.

"Yes." You moan.

Clarks starts pleasuring you with his hand again. He stimulates your clit, strokes your folds and gently fingers you, finding your g-spot without problems and soon you're a panting, whimpering mess.

"Clark...fuck..."

"You like that, y/n?"

"I do. I'm close..."

"Then come for me, babe." 

And that's what you do. You close your eyes and a powerful orgasm runs through your body, causing you to convulse with loud shrieks and long, lustful moans. When you look at Clark again he smirks and carefully climbs on top of you.

"Are you ready for me?"

"Yes." You nod eagerly.

"Sure? I need to hear that you want this, angel."

"I want it. Fuck me, Clark." You hiss when you feel the tip of his huge dick press against your entrance.

"I'll be careful. I promise." He smiles and strokes your cheek. "Whenever you feel uncomfortable just tell me and I'll stop, okay?"

"Okay." 

Clark kisses a trail from your mouth down your neck to your tits where he sucks your nipples, gently biting them. You sigh and you can't wait to feel him inside of you. You lift your hips and Clark slowly pushes his cock into your pussy, bit by bit he enters you carefully and it feels sensational. He stops when he reaches your hymen and then he quickly pushes through. The pain you feel is sharp but it's over in the blink of an eye and all you feel afterwards is pleasure. The pleasure of Clarks dick stretching you to the max, filling you completely. 

"You're ok?" He looks at you, searching your eyes for any sign of pain or disapproval. 

"I'm good. This feels great." you whisper and when he starts moving carefully with slow, short thrusts you moan his name again and again.

"Fuck, you are so tight...this is...spectacular." Clarks voice is raspy and he picks up speed a little. "You take me so well, babe." He moans out of breath. "I'm close." 

His thrusts get harder and faster but he's still careful and gentle. It doesn't take him long to cum hard with a loud growl. He collapses on top of you and you kiss passionately, hugging each other tightly while his dick is still inside of you. When he finally pulls out and rolls off  you both sigh in unison.

"That was wonderful, Clark."

"Did it hurt?" He looks at you with a worried expression on his handsome face.

"Just a tiny little bit." You say and rest your head on his chest, playing with his chest hair.

You giggle when you hear 'Tennessee Whiskey" by Chris Stapleton sounding from the speaker.

"The playlist is still running. Maybe I should stop it." you say, ready to get up and look for your phone but Clark stops you.

"Don't" he murmurs. "Your playlist is perfect. So please don't stop the music." 

"Sure?"

"Sure. Can't wait to make love to you to every single song." And with a smirk on his lips he falls asleep and you close your eyes too, feeling immensely happy, satisfied and loved.

#henry cavill #henry cavill fandom #cavillry #clark kent #clark x reader #clark kent x y/n #smut

[lotusmuses]

when you're 18 you should not be self shipping with 14 year olds

hi anon!

so this post is a little long because i know it's about hiro and if you're one of my followers, you know i always have a lot of thoughts and can never shut up about him. (i guess it could be about varian too? but i don't ship him with anyone but hugo and nuru or my non self insert oc in an au). also i just woke up from a nap so there's a possibility that nothing i say makes sense.

anyways people might hate me for this but

i started liking hiro when i was 10, i think it was a week before my 11th birthday when the movie came out

and he was a very very relatable character for me, i made a post about that so i won't go into details

anyways he became my comfort character and that.. hasn't went away.

like if it was up to choice i wouldn't self ship because i know that really as soon as i turned 18 (almost 2 months ago) most characters that i like became socially off limits?

but it's not working like that. i don't know if it's because i've liked him for so long or because my neurodivergent brain decided to cling to the character that keeps it happy (literally as soon as i turned 14, mentally he and i were the same age even if he's technically 4 years older than me and now i'm technically 4 years older than him and since then we aged together? if that makes sense) but he's still very important to me

like when i watch the movie or show that's like the equivalent of hearing about a friend's past to me

in my mind he's 18 (a few months older than me actually) and has graduated sfit and is working at krei tech and considering going back for grad school

i know it's weird but yeah.

also just to clarify i'm aroace-spec and i headcanon that he is too (actually i've heard that he is in canon?) so when i have my self insert, those two are mainly in a qpr? idk if that makes it better but i know some people are specifically upset about things like this being sexualised, so just wanted to say that its not that

i'm often in a pretty bad place mentally and imagining that there's a character that would listen and understand how it feels and just be there for me is really nice.

but uh i get where you're coming from. i honestly thought about asking if this is okay? like self shipping in general. but i don't know how others handle that characters don't age? like i don't self ship with anyone else, like my si/hf characters that are older than me (saeran from mystic messenger who is 21/22, viktor from arcane who is in his 30s i think) are all older sibling or even teacher like with my self inserts. but also none of them are real so there's that.

that's it, i think. adding what i think are relevant tags. if you or anyone wants to discuss this, just send me another ask/comment/dm me! normally i say thanks for asking but this wasn’t a question haha. so er thanks for talking to me? :)

#fictional other #fictoromantic #self insert #self ship #si x canon #si x fo #hiro hamada #bh6 hiro #hyperfixation #special interest #aromantic #asexual #nova answers #he's a coping mech for me basically #i wouldn't ever actually go for anyone younger than me irl

[megexpress]

Omg after that ask I really need aquamera to adopt a puppy together! And I can't stop laughing at the image of Mera trying to jump into the lions cage "Those are lions Mera, they'll chop your head off and I won't be able to have a chat with them so they change their minds about tasting you" "But look at their puppies! I'm sure the puppies aren't bad!" "Cubs. Lions' puppies are called cubs" and then she goes on mission of questioning about the name of each animal's puppies.

Hello~

Anon is referring to this post.

You sent me this anon a few days before I had learned that AquaMera actually do adopt a dog in the comics! I didn’t know at the time I wrote it. Now I really want them to adopt a puppy in the DCEU. I don’t think they will since the puppy from Arthur’s childhood in the film was probably an homage to Aquadog, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hope for it! 

Yes! I wrote in my tags on that post that Arthur would have to hold her back from trying to pet all the surface animals and I stand by that. The fact that you think Mera would refer to other animal’s babies as “puppies” is so cute, omg. I’m now accepting it as canon because that is adorable. I did think of a scenario that could help appease her curiousity, though…

“Arthur, if you don’t get out of bed right now, I’m going to kick your ass.”

She was sitting on him, shaking him with all her might. Today was Mera’s birthday and she wanted her present immediately. He told her the day prior that he was finally going to make good on his promise - he was going to take her to meet new surface animals. Ever since the puppies she saw, she had been talking non-stop about them. She demanded he tell her stories about the dog from his childhood and his experiences with other animals. She knows a lot about water creatures, but her knowledge about animals from the surface is quite limited. Mera’s curiousity about the surface world comes and goes, but her curiousity about the animals? That hasn’t waned at all. Her eyes light up when she reminisces about the puppy she held in her arms. He is excited to go to the zoo today. He knew it was the perfect gift for her. He loves seeing her happy and to be the one to bring her happiness is a gift in itself.

But, why did she want to go so early?

“As your king I demand you come back in an hour or t-”

The blanket was ripped from the bed and the curtains opened before he could finish his sentence. He shivers in the sudden draft, cringing from the light.

“Mera!”

“Oh! You’re awake! Great,” she says, pulling on his arm to get him up. “Get dressed! It’s time to see more animals!”

“Okay, okay,” he laughs as he finally sits up, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “I’m going.”

“A miracle,” she quips, pulling him to his feet.

“Happy birthday, by the way.” He kisses her temple before shuffling off to quickly get ready.

At the doorway, he looks back to see her smiling and silently clapping to herself in excitement. What a dork.

She notices his stare and huffs in annoyance, shooing him out of the room.

~

The day was a definite success. So much so that Arthur was enjoying himself more than he thought he would. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had went to a zoo. Animals behind cages aren’t his favourite thing in the world, but there is something nostalgic about zoos. His dad brought him to a few when he was a kid. Besides, witnessing Mera’s awe was all the reward he needed. He bought her cotton candy (It’s candy? Yes. But, it’s made from cotton? Not the way you’re thinking. If you’re tricking me… Just eat it, Fight Club. …Oh! It melted! It’s good, right? Yes. Hey! Get your hands off my cotton candy! Haven’t you heard of sharing? You’re already shaking from the sugar rush! Am not!) and heaps of ice cream. She didn’t seem to mind. He remembers the stories of her childhood birthdays. The theme was always the same: stuffy and more like political ploys rather than an actual party. He wanted her to experience a birthday like she never had before - carefree and fun. Thus, seeing all the animals and the copious amounts of sweets. He even bought her a balloon in the shape of a giraffe. She had it tied proudly around her wrist while she lead him around the zoo.

He couldn’t help but softly smile at her gasps of shock, her endless amount of questions, and her tendency to refer to young animals as “puppies.” He nodded at first and was about to correct her, but her look of pure happiness squashed that. She was way too damn happy for him to rain on her parade. So, he gladly went around with her and saw all the “puppies.” He encouraged her to crane her neck to meet a giraffe’s eyes, laughed when she tried to croon back to the screeching monkeys, and smiled in affection as she fawned over the bumbling bears. He took her to see some water animals, too - like hippos and otters - but her attention was really drawn by the surface-bound creatures. Occasionally she moaned about the animals being too far to touch, but then she would get distracted by the sound of a nearby exhibit and would rush to the next species to coo over.

As the day winded down, there was only one animal left to see: lions. She saw the sign and ran to look over the barrier and into the pit. All were lazily laying on a rock, bathing in the last rays of sun, drowsy as can be. The only ruckus was made from the two lion cubs tumbling about and occasionally running to one of the adults before scampering off again.

“How am I supposed to pet the lion if it’s so far away?”

“You’re not. Wild animals are dangerous, regardless if they’re in captivity or not.”

“But I held that puppy on the beach!”

“That’s different. That was a domesticated animal. These are not pets. They could seriously hurt you.”

“I’ve swam with sharks and orcas, Arthur. I could deal with petting this overgrown puppy.”

“It’s an overgrown cat, actually, bu- STOP TRYING TO JUMP THE BARRIER!”

Arthur grabs Mera by the back pocket of her pants to stop her from jumping into the pit of lions. She kicks and tries to wriggle out of his grip, but her sugar high is almost gone and, with it, her energy. Her body slumps in defeat and she lets Arthur pull her back to safety. With her feet firmly planted on the ground once again, Mera turns to Arthur with wide eyes and a pout.

“I just wanted to pet the lion puppies.”

“I know,” he says, pulling her into a hug.

She buries her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. He soothingly strokes her hair. He can tell she’s tired. Her eyes were starting to droop and her energy had significantly dropped in the last hour. The anticipation of the day and then experiencing the actual excitement must have been overwhelming and exhausting. Plus, her feet must be aching from all the walking. He’ll give her a foot massage later. He should also think about actually getting food into her system… He does feel bad for her, though.

That’s when he sees the sign in the distance.

Perfect.He unwraps her arms from around his waist, noticing that her eyes were shut.

“Did you just fall asleep?”

“Mmmm no,” Mera groggily denies, stifling a yawn. “Are we going home now?”

“Just one more thing and then we can leave.”

“Okay.” 

She gently takes his hand in hers, letting him lead her to their last stop.

~

“Shut up!”

Mera’s lethargy evaporates as she takes in the scene before her: people were taking pictures with a baby lion laying across their laps. The supervising zoologist manned the cub, occasionally swapping one out for another when one got particularly restless. People were told to sit still as the cub was placed on their laps and a photo was swiftly taken before the cub was taken back and the next set of people came in. 

Mera’s eyes light up in excitement, her last bit of energy surging to the surface.

“Are we taking a picture with the lion?”

“Of course. Why would I bring you here just to watch?”

She ignores the question as she realizes they are next in line. Her smile is beaming and she seems to be emitting a faint glow. Thankfully, no one notices as they are all enthralled by the lion cub stretching its limbs. She absentmindedly swings their intertwined hands. Arthur affectionately watches her and leaves a soft kiss at the top of her head. She turns to him and winks.

They’re next.

They are rushed in and one of the workers takes the balloon from Mera’s wrist for safe keeping. They are instructed to sit down and be still. Mera freezes, her eyes displaying all the animation that her body cannot. The cub is brought and laid across their laps, its head nuzzling into Mera’s stomach and its tail swishing in Arthur’s face. Mera’s hand slowly descends and hesitantly pets the cub’s head. The cub is distracted, not really paying attention to the affection its being shown, but Arthur can feel its purr rumble throughout its body. Mera lets out a slight laugh. She’s at a complete loss of words. That’s a first, Arthur laughs to himself.

The photographer curtly tells them to smile and snaps the photo. The next thing they know, the cub is removed from their laps and they are handed their photo (and Mera’s balloon) before being escorted out. Mera and Arthur huddle to examine their photo together. The cub isn’t looking into the camera, clearly distracted by something off to the side. However, the cub is not the best part of the photo - Mera is. Her eyes are slightly shining as she looks at the cub in reverence, a hand caught in motion, scratching behind its ear. Arthur is looking at Mera in the photo, a smile playing at his lips, complete devotion in his eyes. 

I’m going to marry her one day.

“Were you crying?”

“What? No!” Mera discreetly wipes at her eyes, erasing the evidence.

He chuckles as she tucks herself into his side and pulls him close.

“Thank you, Arthur.”

“Happy birthday, Mera.”

#AquaMera #Aquaman #thx for the msg anon~ #as someone who has actually done this before... it was definitely an experience lol #also i'm currently sick as hell and am not functioning properly so that's lovely and #explains why i wrote this lmao i think it's cute though and that's all that matters