Tumgik
#pact devils and details
hauntthenarrative · 10 months
Text
Haunting the Narrative Round 1
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Haunting the narrative means that the character’s absence heavily impacts the plot. They’re not present when their influence is most strongly felt, whether they’re alive or dead!
69 notes · View notes
rainfrazier · 10 months
Text
sorry. ok
pilot episode opens with blake rolling up on his motorcycle blasting Black Sheep Of The Family or some shit
"stuck in the middle with you" rose and blake's Get Along song/ feel-good montage of the two of them reading through rose sr's library
sympathy for the devil as the outro music in conquest's introductory episode
laird behaim slice of life montage. he's a well respected man about town doing the best things so conservatively
a cappella intro of renegade stix playing as blake trudges through the snow in handcuffs after being arrested in arc 5, then the music picks up for an upbeat little montage of him getting booked into jail smoothly transitioning into the end credits of the episode
obligatory hells bells in late pact
lots of silly diegetic music in this thing. blake wakes up from a time reset in the toronto jail and one of the cops' phones goes off and the ringtone's set to Heat Of The Moment. fell desperately trying to start his car while the shepherd's ghosts converge on them and he bangs his fist on the dash and the car sputters to life with Don't Fear The Reaper playing on the radio.
fell attwell fast car tracy chapman. many are saying this
42 notes · View notes
sporesgalaxy · 1 year
Text
ok so you know how in my elaborate dp rewrite with silence alexander, that is constantly teetering on the edge of being its own thing, I wanted to add witches? <- hasnt talked about this in months. well good news I just solved witches
57 notes · View notes
brocktonbay · 10 months
Text
Tumblr media
27 notes · View notes
aballadforbarbatos · 2 months
Text
diavolo makes a pact with you
well, you never know
once upon a time, he brought it up to lucifer and barbatos
they shot him down immediately
receiving a lecture is bad enough but imagine receiving one from BOTH lucifer and barbatos
rip
he takes it like a champ tho. he’s way better than me cause i hate getting told off
years pass
the devil’s pudding event happens. diavolo almost learns his lesson that day.
like he says he has but there’s a lot of times where that memory crosses his mind and he sits there like huh. wish that could happen again
YOU learnt the lesson though, so it’ll NEVER happen again
if he brings it up on his birthday there’s a good chance you will look at him with disdain
he’s catching up on paperwork when something crosses his mind
maybe you’d be more into it if you had a pact with him?
the lecture he got from his two closest friends though was pretty awful though
but…
what if it was in secret?
what if, and he’s just throwing out ideas here, he gave lucifer a ton of work and made barbatos go on holiday and summoned you to his castle?
hypothetically.
you know, a will-never-happen scenario.
barbatos appears at his door soon after that.
“hey, barbatos. what did you need?”
“oh… nothing. i just got a bad feeling, that’s all.”
oops
another year goes by and the idea pops into his head again, about the same time as he sees you cuddling up with mammon
Right.
diavolo’s situation and this isn’t even remotely the same, because you don’t need a pact to cuddle and mammon is your first so he’s on a separate level altogether, but he chooses to ignore these details
it’s barbatos’ birthday. he gets sent off. hearing complaints, diavolo threatens him with two weeks
lucifer weirdly gets hit with a ton of work randomly. damn that’s crazy huh. do your best!!!
and you are summoned to the castle. you also get a bad feeling.
he tries to convince you that having a pact with him is a good idea
(some people are normal about this; i am not and wouldn’t need convincing personally)
you refuse.
if you bring this up to lucifer if he asks about your visit he is so screwed
ah, but maybe he could make you his unwilling partner in crime…?
pulls a lucifer and forces it on you. suddenly you have a big fancy mark around your neck.
he’s pretty proud of it. you cover your face with your hands and go oh my god.
it feels like it could be exasperation but he would really prefer for it to not be that
lucifer asks what diavolo wanted you for and you weakly say it was for new clothes. new clothes that conveniently hide your collarbone
all of this is unraveled when someone (mammon) walks in on you getting dressed and screams bloody murder about the weird MARK on your neck
pacts are permanent and so is diavolo getting lectured
1K notes · View notes
incognit0slut · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Masterlist
KINKTOBER 2023 NSFW
One-shots based on songs
Lock your door NSFW Billie Eillish - Billie Bossa Nova >> All Reader wanted was for her coworker to pay attention to her. Spencer was more than happy to oblige.
Take it off Taylor Swift - Dress >> Spencer has a hard time keeping his hands to himself.
Buried in the pillow NSFW Chase Atlantic - Slow Down >> A night of restless sleep ends better than expected.
Body on mine NSFW Justin Sky - Collide >> Reader and Spencer find a way to spend the night together on a team retreat.
Lose Control part 1 of 3 NSFW Sickick - Mind Games >> Spencer finds himself locked in a room with his rival.
↳ The Last Laugh part 2 of 3 NSFW Sickick - Mind Games >> Spencer finds himself sharing a room with his rival.
↳ Better for you part 3 of 3 Spencer spends the change of year with a new resolution as he starts looking at his rival differently.
Dance with the devil NSFW Chase Atlantic - Swim >> Spencer reassures Reader that sex toys are his ally rather than his enemy.
All I need NSFW Daniel Caesar, Kali Uchis - Get you >> Spencer realizes how much he wants to spend the rest of his life with Reader. What better time is there to propose if not in the middle of making love?
Heaven to you NSFW Julia Michaels - Heaven >> Spencer couldn't wait to touch you after he's released from prison.
Play our fantasies NSFW Doja Cat - Streets >> The FBI agent visiting your workplace wants more from you than answers to his questions.
Tumblr media
One-shot #Gifwriting
Pretty Boy NSFW Spencer was too pretty for you to resist.
Pretty when you sleep NSFW As newlyweds, Spencer couldn’t keep his hands off of you. Even when you were asleep.
Sweet agony NSFW After a tragic event, you believed you were unworthy of love. Spencer decided to prove you wrong.
Tempting the Cowboy NSFW The team has been trying to bring Spencer back to the BAU after he hung up his badge to live on his ranch peacefully. It’s a good thing you’ll do whatever it takes to persuade him, even if the rugged cowboy wants to bend you over in the barn.
Beyond the limit NSFW Spencer was hesitant when you asked him to be rough, but when he realized how much you enjoyed it, he wondered just how far he could push your limit.
↳ The breaking point NSFW Spencer realizes that being dominant doesn’t always require him to be rough, especially when he has complete control over your body.
Hypothetically Chronically single, you suggest a pact with your best friend to start a family together when you turn forty.
Tumblr media
Series
Right Kind of Wrong
Genre: Romance, mystery, crime, suspense Warnings: 18+ explicit sexual content (MINORS DNI), graphic details of murders, mentions of suicide, mentions of SA status: complete
Reader never thought she would be involved in a murder investigation when she suddenly became a witness. She also never thought she’d encounter her one-night-stand again—the awkward stranger who isn’t exactly that good in bed… Or is he? Offended by the sentiment, Spencer is determined to prove her wrong. But the more he gets tangled with the beautiful stranger, the more he realizes there is more to her than what meets the eye.
Tumblr media
Your requests
Love was a foreign concept until he met you.
You’re flabbergasted at how much your son resembles your husband.
Spencer thinks you’re too sweet for a damaged man like him.
Spencer forces you to give him a show when he discovers your secret.
Spencer gives you a ride on his horse to watch the sunset.
Your idea of showering together to save time doesn’t work out as you planned.
Spencer finally lets you go down on him after you convince him that you're ready.
3K notes · View notes
mlmshipbracket · 5 months
Text
ROUND 2: POLL #1
Tumblr media Tumblr media
ROUND 2 ALL POLLS [HERE]
PROPAGANDA BELOW
Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones:
NO PROPAGANDA SUBMITTED
Astarion Ancunín/Wyll Ravengard:
Astarion Ancunín/Wyll Ravengard:
Wyll and Astarion play out as a story of parallels and contrasts. 
Wyll is a monster hunter, and Astarion is a vampire. However, Wyll can be surprisingly reasonable when he learns of Astarion's true nature, to the point that he makes a "pact" with a player character Astarion to not hunt him if Astarion promises not to drink from innocents.
Both Astarion and Wyll are trapped in a relationship with an abuser--Astarion with his vampire sire, Cazador, and Wyll with the devil he contracted with to receive his powers as a warlock, Mizora. (Spoiler: Both Cazador and Mizora cause monsters transformations in Astarion and Wyll.) The way the two react to their bondage contrasts in interesting ways: Astarion latches onto behaving selfishly, his centuries of slavery without any aid convincing him that he needs to focus on gaining power to protect himself, no matter the cost. Wyll responds to his own abuse by clinging to his folk hero persona, the Blade of Frontiers, leading to him being selfless to the point of great personal cost--at one point in the story, Wyll can choose to (spoilers: be bound into his contract with Mizora for an eternity to save his father--the father that banished him from Baldur's Gate at the age of 17 because of his contract.) There's a good chance for them to push each other away from the extremes of selfishness and selflessness to end up more toward the middle, particularly if you choose one of them as the player character. (Spoilers: Astarion can be talked out of sacrificing 700 souls in a demonic ritual to become the Vampire Ascendant with a charisma check, and Wyll's highest stat is charisma. If you're playing as Astarion, you can offer to use your past as a magistrate to try to help Wyll get out of his contract, and it's pretty in character for him to argue against giving up on ever breaking free from it to save Wyll's father.)
The way their romance paths play out also have an interesting mix of contrast and parallels. Astarion is an incorrigible flirt and very quickly pursues a sexual relationship with the player character as long as he reaches a relatively low approval score threshold, while Wyll refuses sex in his romance until the end, because he wants to have a slow, romantic courtship as portrayed in the bardic tales he loves so much. However, (spoilers: Astarion eventually comes to the realization that being forced to prostitute himself to lure victims for Cazador has damaged his self image and relationship with sex, and admits he was initially seducing a romanced player to try to secure protection for himself. Once he hits that point he asks the player to halt sex in their relationship until he can figure out what he himself actually wants. Between this and dev notes found in the game's script that details that Astarion actually DOES want to have non-sexual intimacy, there's a good argument to be made that Wyll's style of romance is actually much closer to what Astarion truly wants in a relationship.)
Both Astarion and Wyll are attracted to all genders, and make comments indicating attraction to each other. Wyll frequently mentions that he finds Astarion charming and beautiful (particularly commenting on his "well-coiffed" hair), and Astarion immediately responds "Wyll" when asked which party member he wants to drink from the most, and eventually admits (if somewhat derisively) that "Wyll's the sort of prince-type I would have once dreamed of marrying. When I was about thirteen."
And the cherry on top of all of this? You can choose to play the game as either Astarion or Wyll, and romance the other. So you can, in a sense, choose to make this pairing canon, at least in your playthrough.
171 notes · View notes
gatitties · 1 year
Note
👀
You did? I should check them.
Then, what about Platonic Yandere! Luffy, Zoro and Sanji with Female!Teen!Y/n who is from the real world and is a fan of Strawhats Pirates but got teleported into their world?
─Yandere!monster trio x fem!teen!reader (platonic)
─Summary: you find yourself in your favorite anime but things seem to be a little weirder than you imagined
─Warnings: obsession, toxic behavior, general yandere stuff yk
Part two
Tumblr media
─ One day your existence simply decided to teleport to the world of one of your favorite animes, One Piece, let's not go into details, you just did it somehow and you accepted it quickly because you had already read about all those fanfics where someone changes universe.
─ But nothing happens! It seemed that all the luck you never had finally came to you with a bang because you landed on the Mugiwara ship, nothing less.
─ Excited was a word that fell short of how you felt in that world, but also scared because you knew the entire context of many of the things and atrocities done.
─ You forgot everything bad to focus exclusively on the fact that you were meeting your favorite or comfort characters, you could definitely die after this because it was like a dream come true.
─ Leaving all the confusion and distrust of how or why you were there, everyone seemed to believe that you were not from this world and that they were not real in yours because you knew a lot (too much) about them.
─ Usopp is a little afraid of you because of all your knowledge about them.
─ Robin wanted to know more about the void century but Luffy simply refused you to give them 'spoilers' of what was about to happen in their lives, you had no choice but to respect him, now he was your captain after all.
─ Luffy was very clingy to you from the beginning, he found your admiration towards them adorable, he really likes to impress you when he uses his devil fruit, although everything here is out of the ordinary and impresses you.
─ You won't have a second of peace with this boy if you ever get hurt by someone (or even if it was your fault because you tripped or something), he feels responsible for your health and won't let anyone do anything to you.
─Zoro is in the same line of thoughts as his captain because in his eyes you were someone completely vulnerable in this world full of monsters, that sometimes you get lost because of your fascination simply increases his degree of protection.
─ Sanji became equally fond of you, having you in the kitchen learning about your world was more fun than he thought at first, he felt like a father whenever you came to him to tell him about any nonsense you had done with Luffy on some random island.
─ And despite the fact that all this time with them was incredible, you inevitably missed your loved ones, your old routine and life.
─ The faces of the three when you carelessly commented that from now on you were going to start looking for a way to return to your world was completely horrified, the three of them looked at each other and nodded, a silent pact.
─ They threatened Nami because she was the first one who offered to help you, just like Robin, weren't you happy with them here? You seem happy and you would be well protected, why would you want to leave their side?
─ They would lie if they find valuable information, they only try to protect you, you have also told some bad things about your world and if you leave they will not be able to keep you safe.
─ Luffy is much clingier, Zoro is much more careful of your surroundings, Sanji doesn't seem to take his eyes off you in case something unexpected happens that could hurt you.
─ You practically have a trio that is all over you all the time, lucky for you, you decided to ignore a lot of the red flags in their behavior, chalking it up to just being worried and you couldn't defend yourself, which got you rid of a lot of possible punishments.
─ Although, it was inevitable not to notice how persistent they are when you want to go explore an island, you don't even have a wanted poster because they always manage to lock you in the ship somehow when the fights start.
─ But by the time you realize that they are behaving differently from their normal personalities, it will be too late, they will limit you as much as they can, they will only blackmail you because they would hate to see you hurt by one of them.
─ It doesn't matter if you start to be afraid around them because of their obsession, Luffy will still demand his hugs, Zoro will want you to take a nap with him and Sanji will make you his kitchen assistant whether you like it or not, you have no opinion here, just do it.
─ The punishments are not very severe, no violence, just deprive you of things like food or movement, if you need to spend a few hours or days in your room without seeing anyone, you will.
─ They won't see their behavior as strange, no one from the crew will dare to say anything to help you because the last time Franky was almost decapitated by Zoro.
─ They see you as an innocent little sister who doesn't know how to take care of herself, they don't want anyone to corrupt you, they're just trying to keep you safe, can't you see that? They want the best for you even if they have to punish you in the process, after all you were a careless teenager who was unaware of true evil.
─ Now you'll be safe, right?
679 notes · View notes
seospicybin · 1 year
Text
PLUTO.
Tumblr media
EPILOGUE
Chapters: Part I / Part II
Synopsis: Knowing that your life will end soon, you choose to have your desired death by making a pact with the devil with a red hair, Hyunjin. (9,5k words)
Author's note: Thank you for reading Pluto series! As always, feel free to vent on my ask/messages :)
Tick, tick, tick.
That was the last you heard, the ticking sounds of the clock. But what you're hearing right now is the beeping sound.
Your eyes are too heavy but you keep on trying to open your eyes and see where you are.
Once you manage to lift your eyes a little, the lights blind you and you quickly shut them again.
You try to shield your eyes with your hand but no matter how much you tried, you feel like barely moving.
You slowly open your eyes again and close them for a second, it takes you a moment to adjust them to the lights and finally be able to look.
White. It's all white.
You're in an empty room and everything is white, you smell something through your nostrils, something sharp and clean.
You turn your head to the side and see where the beeping sound coming from, it's coming from a machine.
Disoriented and confused, the machine starts to beep to the same rhythm as your heartbeat and it's going faster and faster.
It seems to trigger the machine as it starts beeping rapidly, in a second someone comes into the room and rushes to you.
"You're good. You're alright. You're in the hospital," she softly speaks even though you didn't ask her anything but look at her all confused as she checks on your vital signs on the machine.
"Breathe.... in and out..." she orders you and practices it with you.
Somehow you're following her, taking deep breaths in and out until your heart beats back at its steady pace.
"I'll call for your mother, okay?" She says.
As you are alone in the room and lay on your bed, you try to recollect how you ended up in a hospital but nothing comes to your mind.
But you woke up with your heart aching so much that when you touch your cheeks, they are wet with tears.
If you have been sleeping, you would think it's just a dream that you'll eventually forget about at one point in the day 
But if it's just a dream then why it feels like you'll not dream again? If it's just a dream then why you're not glad to be awake? If it's just a dream then why do you want to stay asleep forever?
-
Here's what happened.
One day, your mother came to your apartment and couldn't wake you up, sent you to the hospital where you stayed in a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, and cannot be awakened for four months.
The doctor can't find the scientific explanation for it, you got scanned this morning and there's nothing wrong with your body. The simple way to put it is that your brain shut down all of a sudden and puts you into a comatose.
You've been in a coma for 16 weeks and 3 days to be exact, missed the whole winter, and woke up to the warm spring sun.
Strangely, it didn't feel that long for you, it feels like you just woke up from a dreamless sleep.
"Do you remember anything before you went to sleep that night?" The doctor asks.
You force your brain to remember anything from that night, but can't seem to recall anything but you remember going to bed to sleep.
"I remember going to sleep that night and nothing else," your honest answer disappointed you as well. It frustrates you how much you want to remember but you just can't.
"Any details you remember?"
You try to remember again but it's like searching for something that you know isn't there, pointless.
"I heard the sound of the ticking clock and after that... nothing."
Your mother squeezes your hand on the bed, she has been like that from the moment you gained consciousness. She never left your side even for a second and clings to you like the role is reversed, she's the toddler and you're the mother.
"Ticking of the clock?" The doctor asks with wrinkles on his forehead.
"Yes."
Disappointment is drawn on his face as he couldn't get the answers that satisfy his curiosity. Well, sorry doctor, you're just as baffled by the whole situation.
He caps his pen back and hands the file to the nurse next to him, "we need another day for observation and if nothing goes wrong, you can go home the next day," the doctor informs.
Your mom sighs in relief and squeezes your hand so tight, "that's good, honey!" 
It confuses you so much because she's giving you the brightest smile, oozing with pride when you've done nothing but wake up from your extremely long nap.
"Any questions?" The doctor asks.
You shake your head at him, "No, for now," you answer.
"Remember if you feel something, nausea or headache, let us know," he reminds you.
"Sure thing, doctor!"
"Thank you, doctor!" Your mother says before he leaves the room.
It seems like your mom can finally relax after hearing that. She can't stop smiling, she keeps looking at you and brushing your hair.
"You can go, mom," you tell her, noticing that she hasn't changed her clothes since last night.
"I'll go home after your father arrives," she says while tucking the blanket to the side of your body like she always did when you were a child.
"At least go have something, I haven't seen you eating anything since this morning," you insist.
Your mom softly chuckles. She didn't expect that you know she hasn't eaten anything.
You get why she acted like that, she regretted not being there when you got out of comatose and ultimately, she must be scared that you'll never wake up again.
Imagine trying to wake your daughter from her sleep but she doesn't wake up. That must have been traumatizing for her.
After a moment, she finally caved in, "want anything from the vending machine?"
"Mom, have a proper meal, please?" You complain and the role is still reversed now that you found yourself scolding her.
She slowly lets go of your hand and gets up from the chair, "I'll be back in a few minutes," she says.
"Take as much time as you want," you said.
"I'll be waiting," you added with a smile, reassuring her that this time you'll wake up to her call.
She hesitates for a while but your glare works to send her away, taking her cardigan with her as she leaves the room.
The sound of the door sliding open wakes you up from your nap and your head turns to see who's coming.
It's exciting to see someone else other than your mother despite the possibility that things will be awkward since you haven't been social for four months.
The nurse sheepishly smiles as she drags a cart with her, "I'm here to change the IV," she announces.
Your excitement fades a little and you let the nurse do her thing while you look out at the nice weather outside from your bed.
Another person comes into the room and you look to the side to see a familiar face.
"Minho!" You shout a little too loud that the nurse got startled.
"I'm sorry," you meekly mutter to her.
Minho comes to the side of your bed while carrying a bouquet in hand, "hey," he greets you with a soft smile on his face.
"Please, sit down," you gesture to him to sit on the empty chair next to your bed.
"This is for you," he hands you the bouquet of beautiful pink tulips.
You take it with a smile and gently put it on your lap, "thank you!"
He sits down on the chair and looks at you, "you look much better," he said.
Does that mean he visited you before? But you don't want to presume and wildly guess.
"I feel good, yeah, never been better," you say, already feeling awkward that you can't hold a conversation for more than ten seconds.
You could have so many things to talk about if you didn't skip four months of your life.
"How are you? How's work? Tell me everything," You ask while admiring the flowers on your lap.
"I'm good. I got promoted and that required me to move to another city," he answers.
You turn your head at him, slightly surprised by the news, "and you agree to move to another city?"
He nods, "I'll be leaving at the end of this month."
You got sad because you do remember the heartbreak and the fight and the canceled wedding but you hold nothing against him. You were hoping that you get to rebuild your friendship with him and start over.
It seems like you both need more time and space for that.
"Well, that's a good thing that you got promoted," you said with a smile.
"Thank you," he sincerely thanked you.
"We should meet again before you leave," you say to him and hold the flowers close to your nose to smell the floral scent.
He agrees with a small nod and a smile.
You put the flowers down and hold out your hand at him.
Minho looks at it, then places his hand on yours.
"We'll always be friends, Minho," you earnestly say and let him know that you put everything that had happened in the past.
It seems like Minho has been waiting for you to say that and release him from the guilt of breaking the bonds of your friendship.
It's like he has been holding his breath and can finally let it out in a long sigh, he closes his eyes and holds your hand in his, "thank you."
Your mom returns a few minutes after Minho left with a cup of coffee in her hand.
"I met Minho in the hallway," your mother says and sips her coffee.
"Did he comes by a lot?" You ask out of pure curiosity.
Your mom thinks for a second and beams, "I think that's his third visit," she answers.
So he did visit you before when you were still in your deep slumber.
Your mom takes the flowers from Minho and places them next to flowers sent from other people. They're mostly from relatives but it still surprises you that a lot of people care about your well-being to the point that they send you flowers.
"How do I get so many flowers?" You ask.
"That means you're loved, honey," your mom simply answers.
You wouldn't be that sure but it does feel nice to receive flowers.
There's a bouquet of red roses that catches your attention and you wonder who sent it.
"I don't remember receiving this," your mom says just as confused as you are.
"Can I take a look?"
Your mom hands you the roses and you inspect them to find any card or letter attached to them or anything that tells the identity of the sender.
"Nothing," you say with a disappointed pout.
The choice of flowers is what intrigued you because this is a hospital and you send red roses for lovers. For as long as you can remember, you don't have any flings or boyfriends, your love life is pretty much staying in a coma.
"Could it be that someone sends it to the wrong room?" Your mom asks.
You shrug and bring the flowers close to your nose, the distinctive smell of roses fills your nostrils. You smell it again with your eyes closed and something flashes by in your head.
You close your eyes again and try to retrieve what has just flashed by. A memory so distant you don't know if it's real or you made it up in your head, of a red rose and sunset, white sheet and rainy day, of thunder and warm skin, red locks slipping between your fingers and eyes that gleam in the dark, a sinister smile and then a whisper in your ear.
"Come here!"
-
It's not easy to act normal when you slipped away from civilization for four months.
But it's nice to come home and be in a space that you're greatly familiar with, sleep in your bed and drink from your favorite mug.
On the first night back in your apartment, you let your mom stay over with you because you learned that there's no way to put her mind at ease than giving her what he wanted.
There's a stack of letters on your kitchen counter and you definitely don't want to go into that yet.
"You got a call for you," your mom informs as she goes through the notes she has written on the sticky notes on the fridge.
"From who?"
"From the newspaper," she answers.
"Huh?"
"You don't remember?"
You do remember applying for a job but didn't know that they responded to it, "I do remember but I didn't know that they—" but your hope deflated knowing that you must have missed the chance.
"I missed the interview, didn't I?" You ask with your shoulders slumped.
Your mom smiles and hands you the sticky note, "I told them about your condition and they wanted you to contact them if you're still up for the interview," she explains.
"Are you serious?" You ask in disbelief.
She eagerly nods and holds you by the shoulder, "it sounds like they wanted to hire you so much that they are willing to wait for you," she convinces you.
It's a lot to process and you're having a hard time believing it, "Oh my God, I have to prepare myself for the interview," you suddenly got panic knowing that you have a lot to prepare.
Your mom squeezes your shoulder, "hey, you're still in recovery. Take it slow, okay? No need to rush it," she reminds you.
You agree with her, your priority, for now, is to fully recover and once you settled, you can finally live the life you desired.
It's only the beginning but you already feel excited about what awaits you in the future. It's like you've been given another chance at life, a clean slate.
The only appropriate response to a gift is gratefulness and you promise to never take things for granted ever again.
Your mom is fast asleep when you get on the bed next to her, she must be tired from spending the last few months sleeping in the hospital.
You find yourself wide awake and you reckon this comes from the fear of never waking up again, you plan on telling your mother about this issue first thing in the morning. It's time for you to stop keeping things from your mom anymore, you promised yourself that. 
But for now, you try to make yourself tired by finding something to read but what you found in your drawer is a necklace, a gold chain with a locket.
You open the locket to find a little clock with the glass cracked like someone has stepped on it and you figure that this is why you kept hearing the ticking sound, it must be coming from this locket.
You can't confirm that since the clock is dead, probably running out of battery but you keep it close to your chest, closing your eyes, and see if you can remember anything about it.
But instead of the ticking sound, you hear another whisper in your ear.
"Shh... just sleep!"
And just like that, you fall asleep.
-
It takes you a month to finally adjust yourself to a normal life and it consists of participating in what life offers you.
It took your mom a week to finally let you alone and sleep by yourself without calling every hour.
You go to therapy every Thursday afternoon to talk about your trauma of sleeping and you still can't sleep at night but you try not to pressure yourself, you know the process takes time.
When you believed you are prepared enough, you went to the job interview with confidence and left with a proud smile on your face, not worrying much about whether they will hire you or not.
As long as you've done your best, then there's no room left for regrets.
The next day, you got a call that you got hired and you can start working the next week. You can't be more grateful for it.
This Friday, you got invited for drinks with Kim. It's not a wise choice to start drinking again but it's not about if you can resist alcohol but how persistent Kim would be to make you drink.
You put on a dress and put on a little make-up, don't want to overdo it but at the same time, you want to look impressive, it's your first time going out after being out of comatose.
While waiting for the elevator to arrive you contemplate whether to tie your hair or let it down.
When the elevator finally arrives, the doors slide open and you step inside. Someone is getting in after you and you guess he must be your neighbor so when you eventually look at each other, you politely smile at him.
Kim waves her hand up in the air to let you know where she is.
The two of you hugged and exchanged a kiss on the cheek, she hasn't gotten a chance to see you after you got discharged from the hospital so it feels like a reunion.
"You look so pretty, babe!" Kim compliments you while calling for the bartender.
"And you're prettier than I remember," you playfully compliment her back.
She cackles and helps you sit on the stool next to her, "how are you doing?"
"I'm doing good, yeah..." you hesitate a little but can't help to share the good news either, "I got the call from the newspaper earlier," you say with a sheepish smile.
Kim raises her eyebrow, intrigued. She leans in close to you with wide eyes, "and...?"
"I got the job," you announce.
"Oh, my God!" Kim pulls you into a hug and squeezes your arms in excitement.
"I'm so happy for you. I really do!" She earnestly says with a wide grin on her face.
It warms your heart that she is just as happy as you about the news, "and what about you? How are you doing? Any exciting news?" You ask with a giggle and turn the attention back at her.
She fixes her hair and folds her hands on the counter, turning her head at you, ready to spill whatever information she stored in that little head of hers.
"Let's catch up on my love life, yeah?" She fixes her sitting and leans in closer.
"About two months ago, I broke up with my boyfriend," she begins.
"Oh no," you coo.
"I know right? We fought because I told him I'm getting to be just his girlfriend. I thought we're ready for what's next and it's my right to know if we're having the same thing in mind, you know," She sighs and subtly rolls her eyes, annoyed.
"So we argued and he moved out, and didn't come back for days. I gave him time and had a breakdown a few times because I missed him so much."
You intently listen to her story, emotionally invested in it since it's involved someone you cared about.
"Then a few days ago, he came to the apartment and I thought he was there just to pick up his things," she cracks a smile and you guess the story takes a positive turn.
"We had a long talk, heart to heart, I sobbed because I'm not good at talking about how I feel and..." she pauses to sigh again.
"And...?" Your eyebrows raised in curiosity.
She smiles again and put her hand on her temple, "he proposed to me."
It's obvious that you didn't expect to hear this and it's taking you a few seconds to respond to the big news, "what?" You ask in disbelief, a bit too loud that the people around you can hear it.
She shows the ring on her finger, the little diamond catching the light and reflecting it at you. Kim giggles as she holds out her hand at you.
"Aww, Kim!" You coo again, holding her hand while admiring the ring on her finger.
"I'm so happy for you," you say with a big smile on your face.
She smiles back at you, putting her hand on top of yours forming a stack of hands on the counter.
You know you truly care for someone when their happiness becomes your happiness and you couldn't be happier for her.
"And I'm happy that you're back, I do," she says, her voice breaking at the end of the sentence.
"Because I don't know who I'm going to ask to be my bridesmaid but you," she adds.
That reminds you of how much she cherished you and what a good friend she is, you got touched that you hug her for quite a while.
"Let me see that ring again!" You say as you pulled away from the hug.
She enthusiastically shows it again for you, "the diamond is a bit disappointing, eh?"
You chuckle at her and decide to skip answering that.
"Don't worry, he's got something big somewhere else," she adds.
You both burst out laughing, couldn't care less if anyone got bothered by how loud you are.
Oh, how you missed this!
"The birthday girl is going to be a bride, I see?" Someone says.
You turn your head to see the bartender, a sweet smile and freckles, the one face that you can't forget. The one that you let got away from you.
"You remember him, right?" Kim asks you.
You already locked gaze with him even before you can recall his name, "it's the cute bartender," you say, just to tease him.
When you think his smile couldn't get any brighter, he proves you wrong. His smile grows wider and brighter, it's so cute that you almost melt.
He's the first one to look away, flustered. He turns to Kim and asks, "one negroni and one raspberry martini?"
Kim glances at you to confirm he got your order right and you nod.
"Coming right up!" He says and starts making the mix of drinks.
Kim turns at you and leans into your side, "you can choose to not answer it but you said you don't remember much about the last few days before you know..." her words trailed off, probably afraid that the question might be uncomfortable to you.
"That's okay, Kim," you convince her that it's more than okay to ask you about it. It's an unpleasant experience but it doesn't bother you that much.
"How much do you remember?" She asks, genuinely wanting to know.
You prop a hand under your chin and think hard for a while, "I don't know how to explain it but my memories are incomplete..."
You think of an analogy to create a simple explanation, "like I know the whole puzzle looks like but at the same time, I know there's still a few missing pieces," you finish.
Kim pursed her lips and tries to process your explanation, after a while, she lets out an inaudible sigh.
"As long as you remember we had fun on my birthday then we're good," she says with a wink.
"Of course, I remember that. But mostly the part where I had to drag you home," you joked while resting your head on her shoulder.
"In my defense, I was the birthday girl, I deserved that!" She defended herself and puts her head against yours.
The drinks come at the right time, "negroni for the bride girl," he says while putting Kim's drink in front of her.
"Raspberry martini for the 'I hope she's single' girl?" He says with a grin.
You nod and mutter, "thanks!"
Felix stays there and watches you taking a sip of the cocktail he made, hands on the counter, and veiny arms on display.
You suddenly got thirsty and a glass of drink happens to be right there in front of you.
"How is it?" He asks you once you've taken a sip of your drink.
You tug the little straw between your teeth and seductively smile, "cute," you reply.
He shyly smiles because he knows you're not answering his question and definitely not talking about the drink.
He leans forward on the counter and looks at you with one hand behind his neck, "You know there's a different name to this drink?" 
The freckles look fainter than you remember but he's cute nonetheless.
"No," you honestly answer.
"It's called the love potion," he says with a sly smile and a whole lot of attractiveness.
"Love potion, huh?" You look down at your drink, stirring the ruby red drink with your straw and you got a flash of memory.
You remember the same drink but it tasted different, of a white dress and cold night, of you getting off the ledge and an empty bar.
Then there's the whisper in your ear.
"Sell your soul to me."
It feels so real that your head snaps to the side just to see there's no one there. You swear you feel like someone is right there, their head is right next to your ear, and whisper to it.
"Something wrong?" Felix asks.
He must have noticed you acted strange a while ago. You quickly put on a smile and sip your drink, "nothing," you lied.
He scratches the back of his head, making it obvious that he's going to ask you something, "so, are you single now?"
You smile at him, watching how he gets so shy that he can't hold eye contact with you for more than five seconds.
"I've been single for a long time," you answer.
You're aware of how pathetic and hopeless that sounded but who cares?
He pokes his inner cheek with his tongue, "so you lied that day."
One thing that you hate the most is being accused of lying, you may have overreacted and shot him a glare, "lied? When?"
That may shock him a little that his smile fades, "the last time we met you said you have someone waiting at home," he explains.
"I said that?"
He nods, "I reckon that you're dating someone at that time so I..." he stops himself from explaining further.
"Someone at home?" You force your brain to delve deeper into your memory bank and try to retrieve this exact moment when you said that to him.
As far as you remember, you didn't date anyone. The only man you fancied is Minho and that ended miserably then you fell into a coma which cleared the allegations that you dated someone at that time.
"I'll be back," Felix says, getting back to work and taking orders from new customers.
You turn to Kim and ask, "Did I perhaps mention anyone in our conversation?"
Kim puts down her drink and blinks her eyes a few times, "Minho?"
"Other than him?"
"I'm pretty sure there's no one else," she answers.
It got you thinking who is this someone you talked about and who waited for you at home?
"We rarely talk about boys but you did ask me a lot of things about my life on the day you went into a coma," she says, "it's like you knew you were going to—"
Kim clears her throat and sips her drink again.
One thing that you learned after you woke up from your come is that you aren't the only one traumatized by this, your parents and Kim are the proof of it.
You're lucky to find people that cherished you and you promise to cherish them back. You link your arm with Kim's and sip your drink.
"I'll pay for our drinks tonight," you say.
"Cool because I'm thinking of getting drunk tonight," Kim goes into a fit of laughter.
"No, please, don't!" You tease back but also laugh along with her.
Who knew that two lonely people make a great pair?
-
In spring, flowers aren't the only thing that bloom.
In what feels like a second life given to you, your hopes and dreams bloom with the season.
Every day you wake up to a beautiful sunny day with the warm breeze blowing through the window, carrying the heavenly smell of flowers and earth.
And on each day, you make sure to take a moment to be grateful for this given life and everything else that it gifted you with.
A loving parent, a kind friend, and a good friend who lives far away from you but close to your heart, then there's a job that you love.
Ultimately, thankful that you wake up from your sleep and get to live another day.
But somehow, you still feel like there's still a hole in your chest and no matter how much air you take, you stay breathless. You feel full but not whole.
Something is missing and you don't know what it is.
Or is it just the usual human greed of keep wanting more of everything?
You decide to take a day out by yourself and enjoy the lovely spring day, had lunch then bought an ice cream on your way to the park.
You take a stroll under the row of cherry blossom trees with their petals swirling around in the air, creating a romantic and melancholic scene.
That explains the number of couples you've seen, walking hand in hand and taking each other's pictures. You're not going to lie that you get a little jealous.
For a second, you thought that what's missing from your life, a boyfriend.
A moment later, you scoff at the thought and continue walking with your head looking up at the tree branches, soaking in the warmth of the sun shining through the leaves.
"It's such a beautiful day," you sigh in delight.
It's like you've just cast the spell on the sky that it suddenly turns grey and the dark clouds looming above you. You doubt that it's going to rain or that's what the weather forecast said. After a few steps though, the raindrops start hitting the ground and everyone scatters around to get away from the rain.
"Of course!" You huff, annoyed.
You stop by the front of a cafe just a few blocks from your apartment building, with the hem of your dress and shoes wet from stepping into puddles of water.
It's better if you stay and wait for the rain to stop before taking a walk home.
You watch the rain while standing there and catch the smell of flowers, turning on your heels, you see the flower shop next to the cafe.
The buckets of flowers are on display, blooming so beautifully with their vibrant colors pleasing your eyes. Your eyes pause to look at the bucket of red roses.
The red reminds you of the color of your drink, the love potion and the pomegranates your mom puts in your fridge, of your favorite scarf and shade of lipstick.
The red reminds you of... someone's hair slipping between your fingers and of lips kissing your skin.
The red reminds you of...
"I like your red hair."
"And I like you."
Where's that coming from? You ask yourself. No one is there whispering things to you and you don't remember having this conversation with someone.
It's getting confusing because you can't tell which is real or not anymore. You got so frustrated when you look at the roses again.
They're beautiful but the red holds so much mystery.
-
The rain only got heavier so you decided to run to the nearest convenience store to buy an umbrella and start walking home.
You wait for the elevator to arrive and take you upstairs, you grip your umbrella in one hand and your wet cardigan in the other.
When the elevator slides open, there's already someone in it. You look up to see that it's your neighbor, weirdly enough, the one you always share an elevator with.
He's always in his black outfits and standing in the far corner of the elevator, hands in his jacket pockets, and his long hair curtained his face.
You push the button for your floor and lean against the cold steel wall of the elevator.
You catch him looking at the puddle of water on the floor from the drops of water dripping from the end of your umbrella.
"The forecast said it's going to be a beautiful sunny day," you say to him, trying to shift his attention elsewhere.
He looks up at you with no expression on his small face.
"No one was ready for the rain," you add with an awkward laugh.
Since he's not responding to your small talk, you turn away from him and face the elevator door. You uneasily look at his reflection on the shiny surface of the elevator door.
"And they say life is beautiful," he softly says.
Something just slides into place and you froze there, memories flooding into your head all at once like someone plays a movie at double speed and you have a hard time catching up to it.
When the elevator dings open, you see the doors slide open and you slowly step out of it.
He follows you from behind, getting out of the elevator, except that he's going the other way.
You take a left turn while he takes the right turn and both of you start walking further away from each other.
You swallow air and stop in your track, turning around to see him walking away from you.
"Did you make anyone cry today?" You ask him and your voice echoes in the hallway.
He abruptly stops walking and stands there for a second. You hold your breath the whole time he's standing there and when he finally turns around, you feel faint.
Despite the distance, you can feel his eyes on you and you recognize that soul-gazing eyes, how it stares right into your soul.
"No," he then looks at the pocket watch he keeps in the inner pocket of his jacket and says, "but it's only 5.30."
You smile at him with tears rolling down your cheeks and watch him walking towards you, no one but you.
The moment your lips touched, you know you have found your missing piece. It never feels this good to finally breathe and not worry about the hole in your chest.
He kisses you as if he was breathing and you wish you can hold your breath longer to kiss him more.
He presses his forehead against yours and lets out a low sigh of relief.
"I set you free from pain and removed all of your memories of me," he says with his hands holding your face close to him.
"How do you remember me?" His warm breath brushed your cheek as he speaks.
"Because my heart still remembers you," you answer.
He pecks your lips again for a long time then let go with a gasp, softly laughing with his eyes closed, "good girl!"
He takes your hand and intertwined it with his, slipping his fingers between yours, making your life officially complete.
-
This warm skin, these fingers, and hands, his silky hair and plush, red lips, his breathless voice and whisper in your ear.
All of these things make a missing piece in your life and that piece is back in its place, right next to you.
The devil in the flesh, the prince of hell, the one who saved your life.
"Hyunjin..."
He was busy kissing your neck when you softly call his name and he drags his plump lips to your jaw, planting a kiss on your lips to finally answer your call.
"Yes, beautiful?"
You hold his face in your hands and take a look at him, touching his beautiful features of gorgeous eyes and a beautiful nose, rosy cheeks, and plump lips, touching them to confirm that he's real.
"I miss you," you say and your heart hurts from letting those words out.
He softly gazes into your eyes and caresses your cheek with his knuckle, "I miss you too."
His whole weight on top of you should be enough to convince you that he's real and the two of you are making out on your bed.
"I thought you were taking me to hell," your hands are holding the back of his head, tangled in his hair.
He plants a kiss on your shoulder and begins making a long trail of kisses from there to your lips. He gasps when he pulls away.
"Well, this is your hell," he says.
You tip your head to the side, "huh?"
"Your hell is living a cursed life with me," he answers then places a sloppy kiss on your lips.
He looks at you and probably wonders why you got quiet, "or you don't want it?"
You close your eyes and try so hard to verbalize your thought but words can't do justice to what you're trying to tell him.
You put your hands around his neck and hold him close, feeling his warm body resting against yours, his heart lies close to yours, beating at once.
"I really thought I'd never see you again," you cry again from how glad you are to be able to meet him again, cursed or not, you feel alive when you're with him.
Hyunjin buries his head deep in your neck and breath you in, "for a second I thought you're going to be mad at me," he says.
You start sobbing uncontrollably, you didn't know you'd been holding so many emotions but maybe it's all coming from the feelings of your life finally becoming whole.
"You're that happy to see me again?" He asks while chuckling and wiping your tears at once.
You nod.
"You're that happy to live a cursed life?"
You nod again and pull him close, "as long as I'm with you," you croaked.
The thunderous rain is no match to the sounds you make as Hyunjin makes love to you.
It's like your bodies are just as ecstatic to meet again they become one, filling each other's needs and satisfying each other's cravings.
He thrusts into you, slow and deep all the while his eyes looking into yours. Somehow it feels like he's making love not only to your body but also to your soul.
When it feels overwhelming, you pull his face by his chin and kiss him.
He knows your body too well, he knows what gets you going, what pleases you the most, how to make you writhe and make you a moaning mess under him.
When he makes you cum, he convinces you once again that he still holds the highest rate of making you cum, 13/10.
Sex with him will never be a disappointment but the sex you just had feels different, it was exceptionally nice, and it makes you feel vulnerable and powerful, held and set free, to love and be loved, all at once.
With all these emotions flooding inside you, you might as well let them burst out of you.
"I love you so much," you blurt out but you don't regret it at all.
It's bound to be out anyway and this cursed life taught you nothing but to bet every part of you for someone you love.
Hyunjin tenderly kisses you before answering, "I love you too."
And if Hyunjin says this is your hell then you want to stay there, burning in your passionate love for him, forever. 
-
People have their own concept of heaven.
Yours though would be the one that draws a big difference from other people's.
Your heaven has a devil who welcomes you with a soft yet fiery kiss that wakes you up from your sleep.
You giggle when he nibbles on your ear, "morning," you sleepily greet him.
He kisses your temple, "I think it's way past morning."
You force your eyes open and see the sun shining so brightly outside your window.
"You sleep so tight," he says, hovering above you with his face merely inches away from yours.
You loop your hands around his neck, "am I?"
"Did you have a nice dream?" He asks while removing the strands of hair from covering your face.
A dream can't be better than your heaven so you shake your head, "I haven't slept that well in a long time," you say.
"Afraid that you'll never wake up again?"
You shake your head again as he unlocked a new fear in you, "afraid that I'll never see you again," you say.
He softly smiles with eyes closed and gently kisses you, with your naked body under cover he doesn't waste any second but allows himself to touch you all over.
Your heaven is having his head between your legs and his slick, hot tongue on your heating core.
Even after you cum against his greedy mouth that doesn't stop him from dragging his sinful lips all over you, planting kisses, and wetting your skin with his saliva, making you squirm from the stimulation.
He only pauses his exploration to caress your cheek with such loving and a long kiss on the lips.
Then he continues by putting his mouth on your ribcage and sucks hard on the skin, it stings but is still bearable.
Next, he places his lips on your breast, sticking his tongue out to tease your nipple, wetting it and sucking on it.
Then when you're high in pleasure, he plants a bite on your breast.
You yelp in pain and grab him by his hair out of reflex, "oh fu—" you stop yourself from cursing.
Hyunjin quickly rubs over the mark with his hand while smirking at you.
It seems like he's going to make another one and look for the perfect spot for it. His hand slides down your side and then stops on your thigh.
You have an inkling that his next target is somewhere in that area, and although you know what he'll do, you spread your legs open as he lowers his mouth on your inner thigh, permitting him to go ahead with his plan.
He kisses the skin before making a mark there with his teeth.
You grip the sheet as he keeps on sucking the skin and gives it a lick after, you can see the bruise slowly blossoming on your skin.
"I just can't say no to you, mmh?" You mumble but don't sound like a complaint to him.
He kisses the mark after and put his body between your legs with his head resting on your chest.
"Your soul is mine, remember?"
You slip your hands in his silky dark locks, "but not my body."
"That's the point," he takes your hand and kisses your wrist, "I have to let everyone know that you're mine."
He places his lips right there on your sternum and stays like that with his eyes closed.
"All mine," he murmurs as if he's talking to your heart.
"Body and soul," you add with a smile on your face.
He opens his eyes and finds yours immediately, he crawls over to plant a kiss on your lips, tenderly but intensely with a hand on your jaw.
"What happened to the red hair?" You ask with a fistful of his dark hair in your hand.
"You don't like the black hair?"
You softly chuckle and brush his hair to the back, "were you trying to be incognito?"
"Well, it worked because you didn't recognize me until yesterday," he answers.
"I started to wonder why we always met in the elevator, you know. I thought you were my neighbor," you explain while laughing, feeling stupid to ever thought that way.
"Well, I have to keep my eyes on my asset," he coyly says with a sly grin.
He collapses on top of you, capturing your lips in a long, breathtaking kiss, a kiss that takes everything further, a kiss that makes you warm inside and outside.
His body is enough to make you salivate but why only look when you can have a taste of it, a bite of it, and eat it too?
It's amazing that you still know how to get around him, where he likes you to touch him and makes him whimper under you.
You ease yourself down his length and breathlessly moan at how good it feels, how he perfectly fills you whole.
Hyunjin is a walking temptation yet he's your only indulgence.
He roams around your body as you straddle him, spreading his warmth with the gentlest touch of his hands.
"You're so beautiful," he mutters to you in his soft, breathless voice.
"Come here!" He orders, pulling you by the neck and bringing your face close to him.
He opens his mouth and takes your lips in his, hungrily and passionately, as if your kiss feeds and quenches his thirst, as if your kiss brought him life.
You smile when you break the kiss and place your hands flat on his chest, continuing to roll your hips in circular motions.
Low grunts escaped his slightly parted mouth with his hands gripping each side of your waist.
"Good, huh?" You lowly ask.
He delightfully sighs and looks you in the eyes, "like the sweetest sin," he answers.
This is your heaven and your heaven is his body against the white sheet and his smile in between kisses, his soft voice that calls your name, and how sweetly he praises you.
Your heaven is having him on the bed and having him every day for the rest of your life.
And your heaven makes you sin first thing in the morning.
-
A day in your life goes like this.
Even before you can open your eyes, you wake up feeling needy for his touch and he would be there, lying beside you ready to provide you with everything you seek.
You kiss him on the lips and greet him, "morning!"
"Morning, my sweet little sin," he greets back.
Morning sex is always a good idea yet optional. But cuddles are a must.
Just two naked bodies tangled on the bed, indulging in each other's embrace, hands all over with mouths locked in a rapturous kiss.
Breakfast, shower then get dressed for work with Hyunjin trying to sneak a few kisses in between.
You kiss him before leaving the apartment and give him a warning, each day varies from the other.
"Please, don't cause any traffic today!"
"Not with the elevator out of service again!"
"Don't break the copy machine, please?"
Hyunjin sometimes obeys but most of the time, no. The one warning he never obeys is following you around.
He's there when you're stuck on a bus full of people or run with you when you catch your bus, in a meeting, or in the copy room, nowhere is off-limits to him.
He appears and disappears, here and there, anywhere, anytime.
Hyunjin does whatever he pleases.
"This desk has the perfect height," he whispers into your ear.
You roll your eyes knowing that it's him right behind you and his arms caging your body in between.
You were sorting pages of articles on your desk, "remember what I told you?"
"That you miss me at work?" He playfully guesses.
You shake your head and ignore him, putting all of your focus on the task at hand.
Hyunjin brings his mouth close to yours, "Come on, just a quickie," he whispers.
You scoff, "it's never just a quickie with you," you say.
"Like you ever mind," he whispers into your other ear.
You scoff again and put down all of the pages, turning around to face him, "can you stop with the devil's whisper?"
His red hair is flashy against the dull colors of your office interior and background. Truthfully, he's the only thing that makes your day brighter entirely.
"How about a kiss?" he sweet talks with his hands around your waist, pulling you close.
You take a moment to consider it because it's never just a kiss with him, it's never just that, he will want more and you can't say no to him.
He tips his head to the side and smiles at you, "just one kiss?" He sweetly asks.
You put your hands on his arms and feel his biceps contract against the fabric of his dark shirt. He's so irresistible, just one look at his face and you found yourself nodding to him.
The kiss is electrifying already but the thrill that comes from the spontaneity of it and the slight fear of anyone can walk in on you making out with him in your office.
Before you get intoxicated, you quickly pull away from his kiss and sigh, "one kiss and you got it," you say.
With his hands cupping your face, he can easily hold you still and kisses you again.
You whine against his lips but not breaking the kiss.
"At least give me more tongue," he says against your lips.
It's like he has programmed your brain to always submit to his wishes, you open your mouth and stick your tongue a little, letting him twirl it with his.
He deepens the kiss while hoisting your body, sitting you on the edge of the desk.
You immediately let go of the kiss and gently push him away, "that's two kisses already," you remind him.
You reach for his face to clean the lipstick smeared around his lips with your thumb.
"Does it look good on me?" He asks with a lopsided grin.
"Oh, yeah," you playfully answer and remove the lipstick on the corner of his mouth.
"Put it more on me then," he seduces you for more kisses and he's just good at that, tempting you.
You look away before his hypnotizing eyes trapped you in his spell and hold his hands on your lap, "I'll see you later, okay?"
His face drops onto your neck and groans with his mouth on your shoulder.
You hold him close and brush his hair with your finger, "I'll see you at home," you assure him.
He heavily sighs and then kisses your neck before letting you go.
You get off the desk and give him a long hug, "be good."
"Don't have lunch at the cafeteria today," he says as he finally lets you go.
"Huh? Why?"
"It's just veggies and tofu, you wouldn't like it," he says with a cute nose scrunch, which is opposite to his evil doing.
You get suspicious that it's all his doing, "It's you isn't it?"
He pouts and shrugs with one hand lingering on the doorknob.
You glare at him but he only winks in response before leaving the room through the door.
Little did he knows it takes so much in you not to cave into him, you need to take a minute off and fan yourself with paper, calming yourself down.
When it's lunchtime, a co-worker comes knocking on your office.
"Let's have lunch!" She says with a smile.
You swivel your chair to face her, "what is today's menu?"
"It's tonkatsu so we have to hurry," she answers.
You let out a sigh knowing that Hyunjin lied about his warning, "that flaming hot Cheetos," you mutter under your breath.
"What's that?" Your co-worker asks.
"Nothing," you lied.
"I'll be waiting by the elevator," she says.
There's already a long line of people queuing for lunch and you check on some emails while waiting for your turn when someone grabs your elbow.
You turn around to see who it is and gasp in surprise, "Minho?"
A smile rises on his face and you both share a quick hug.
Now you get why Hyunjin tells you to have lunch somewhere else. It's definitely not about the food.
"What are you doing here?" You ask while still surprised to see him there.
"I just came down from a meeting," he replies and holds his briefcase in the other hand.
"Did you—" you pause to move along with the queue then continue, "you got transferred back or what?"
"No, I'm only staying for a week," he answers.
It's ridiculous that you didn't know how much you miss him until you see him again. You link your arm with him and force him to join the queue line, "come on, I treat you to lunch today," you say.
The talk continues during lunch, catching up on each other's life but mostly his life in the new city he's living in.
He buys coffee for both of you after and talks outside by the rooftop of the building where employees come to smoke or just hang out.
"Isn't this the one dream job you had since college?" Minho asks as he sips his coffee.
"Yeah, I wasn't confident they would hire me but..." you shrug and you're just as baffled because you wrote the resume after taking shots of tequila.
You foolishly grin when you remembered that night.
Minho grins along with you, "what? Tell me?"
You laugh because it may sound so silly to him, but you decide to not tell him and then shake your head.
"I'm just so happy we've been so supportive toward each other," you earnestly say with a smile.
Minho puts his arm around you and together you stare out at the view of the city on a beautiful spring day. Back then, you would have overthought every little thing Minho did to you but now, you don't even think about anything at all.
You feel comfortable and safe around him because you know you have a friend who has your back.
You rest your head on his shoulder and sigh, "look how far we've come, Minho."
-
The sky takes a dark turn in the evening as it begins to rain when you get off the bus.
You have an inkling it's someone's doing, someone with red hair and mischief in his eyes, someone who's standing a few steps from you holding an umbrella.
"Can you stop ruining spring for everyone's sake?" You grumble as you approach him.
"It's not my doing," he denies then opens the umbrella for both of you.
It's never a straight game with him, he makes you guess every move he makes. You huddle close to him as you walk together under the umbrella with his arm on your shoulder.
There's a sudden loud crack of thunder that you grip Hyunjin's arm in response.
"Oh, how romantic!" You sneer.
He pulls you closer to his side, "you're walking with the devil but afraid of a little thunder," he sneers back with a half-smirk.
You roll your eyes at him and hold onto his arm, "you knew Minho was in the building, huh?"
Hyunjin got quiet and by human standards, he knows how to keep it cool.
"Are you jealous that we had a little chat?"
He looks unbothered but drops his hand to meet yours and clasped it with his.
But by the devil's standards, he's bad at hiding his jealousy.
You lift your clasped hands and kiss the back of his hand, "did you make anyone cry today?"
He returns the favor with a kiss on your cheek, "No," he answers.
He looks at you with a sly smile on his face, "But I'll make someone cry tonight," he adds with one of his eyebrows raises, hinting that the object he talked about is you.
Well, that's one way to arouse you, subtle but effective.
"That wouldn't be the first time," you say with a seductive smile and the recollections of how he fucked you so hard that you cried playing in the back of your head.
That only arouses you more, got you thinking of his body and his lips and his kisses and his...
You stop walking and he has no option but to also stop on his track.
Gosh, he's so beautiful and hot, literally and figuratively and the best thing is he's yours.
You grab the front of his shirt and pull him close, kissing him so hard that he has a hard time catching up to it.
"You should have told me earlier and I would have come running," you say as you pull away from the kiss.
He scrunches his nose and thinks for a while, "we should start running then," he says.
It's a crazy idea but it seems like you'll never know how to say no to him and you'll never want to learn how.
You take the umbrella from him and ditch it, pulling him by his hand to start running through the heavy rain.
The locket around your neck bounces along with every step you take and you can hear the ticking sound of the clock, of the needles moving forward, counting down to forever with Hyunjin.
Tick, tick, tick...
-
Support my blog by kindly reblog, comment or tip me on my ko-fi!
taglist: @abiaswreck @septicrebel @cursed-mars-bars @ppiri-bahng @drhsthl @a-katsukitty @tangylemonade @bluenights1899 @thisisnotstraight88 @raspbinniecreme @elizalabs3 @avyskai @lachinitaaaaa @is2cb97 @simeonswhore @marvelous-llama
908 notes · View notes
vikugnavikugna · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
THE WORLD'S MOST CUTTING EDGE MANGA! VOLUME 7 OF "PACT: DEVILS & DETAILS" AVAILIBLE NOW FROM VIK MEDIA!
119 notes · View notes
hauntthenarrative · 9 months
Text
Haunting the Narrative Round 2 Side B
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Haunting the narrative means that the character’s absence heavily impacts the plot. They’re not present or active in the story when their influence is most strongly felt, whether they’re alive or dead!
14 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
I'm sorry, I had to take a break from the game to write this little act 1 ficlet because I'm obsessed and wanted to try out this POV for a bit. Sorry/not sorry.
Build this ship to wreck pg-13, 900-ish words
*** It’s so simple, seducing her. Almost boring in all its pettiness. A little flattery here, a carefully worded promise there - their lives are dark and dreary and full of worms and Elnys Tavren is not even half as immune to vain delights as she’d like to pretend she is.  “You don’t have me yet,” she reminds him and all the freckles and scars of her skin seem visible in the moonlight at that moment. The darkness rising from the earth nearly disguises her but not to him. Never to him, he doesn’t miss a beat and that’s why he’ll win in the end.
There’s something wild about the way she moves. Something raw and unrefined that makes him think not of the endless line of perfect, willing bodies he’s lured and baited over the centuries, but of a before that he no longer knows ever truly existed outside of his imagination. Hundreds of years of make-believe take their toll, he assumes. Perhaps that’s why he - apart from the fact that she’s the least powerful fighter of the group - had chosen to bite her, not so long ago. Glaringly obvious reasons aside, she’s also someone the living man he used to be might have desired, once, before he made a deal with the devil and lost all traces of himself to cruelty and death. Cazador, at least, wouldn’t enjoy her, of this he’s absolutely certain. Look what the pets dragged in. He’d feed, soften the worst of his bottomless hunger and throw away her corpse; the notion rattles dangerously in Astarion’s chest for a fraction of a second. No.
The chasm of his pasts thunders and rages, but he can’t give in to it, can’t twist up this chance at turning the tables. Nothing matters but that freedom, the sheer might of it. Does it?  Mere hours ago Elnys had allowed him to deal with the filthy Gur monster hunter the way he saw fit and Astarion had cut the man down - sloppily, without much glee, but instead a sinking sensation at the pit of his stomach. Disappointment, surely, at the lack of grandeur. Surprise that the dreadfully dull woman holding the reins had loosened them like that when, normally, she’ll jump in between an arrow and a bystander for no good reason. On the way back to camp he had meant to ask her why, meant to prod further into the shades of what his power over her could be wielded from - lust, loyalty, naivety - but the words had got caught up in between their companions, then in a camp full of celebration and revolting wine. There’s so much to consider, wound tight around others like this. Obstacles, idiocies, downright doubts, but Astarion is nothing if not resourceful so here they are now. He tells her he’s been wanting to have her since he first saw it. It’s cheap, hells is it ever, but what is seduction other than a mutually signed pact to play certain parts? An animal and its prey. The consummate lover and their chosen one. There’s a glint in her eyes as he steps closer, a flicker of hesitation perhaps. He changes his tone, tilts his head, adjusts to her unspoken demands and just like that, it’s gone again. It’s so simple, seducing her.  And hells, it would be boring if it wasn’t for her rough edges, the unpolished lust and the memory of nights in camp, listening to her spin tales from the sordid places she grew up in, her glee after a successful battle, her sharp insights and filthy mouth. All those details of her, they fill up every empty space between them, flatten out the hollows. 
She tastes of cheap wine and smoky fish and her hands get lost in his hair, twisting themselves around his curls as he kisses her; he gets lost in his own well-rehearsed theatrics, then in her blood as she rolls her neck and allows him. No fear, no sense of obligation and he’ll remember this for at least a century, he thinks, the way her fingers trace the wretched scars along his back as he drinks her, the way her breath catches and her lips are on his, licking her own life from them. Afterwards, she’s flat on her back beside him on the ground like they’re some lost wood elves frolicking about; he plays along, thinking this woman's surely predictable enough to appreciate that sort of romantic delusion. She’s glancing at him with that particular gaze she has sometimes, letting it graze over his face. It makes her seem puzzled and determined at the same time, as though she’s measuring them quietly, holding them up against a scale of her own making. 
There’s that rattle again, the sound of bones in him as he realises he doesn’t want to know what she makes of this, let alone of him. Nothing to see in here, he thinks, pushing himself up on one elbow to meet her gaze. Nothing, nothing, nothing. “Are you alright?” “Am I… what?” Elnys shrugs; the corners of her mouth twitch. “Forget it,” she says, but he won’t. After Cazador, he doesn’t forget a single thing. “Darling, of course I am, as you so eloquently put it, alright,” he retorts instead, stifling a scoff with a smile and her possible further questions with a thumb rubbing over her nipple.  She growls, low in her throat, and pulls him down over her.
“’s not a strange question, you know, just common courtesy,” she mumbles later still, arms curled around herself, a few fingers vaguely brushing his arm. He doesn’t care for it, or wouldn’t under any other circumstances, but the sun will be up soon and he can’t find it in himself to spoil the wonder of seeing it by moving anywhere. Elnys’s crimson-dyed hair is spread out over the grass, over the place where his heart once could beat and Astarion lies there watching the stars fade into a bright sky as she begins to snore, her breaths tickling his shoulder. It’s so simple, seducing her. 
113 notes · View notes
nickfowlerrr · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
my moodboard for @the-slumberparty’s test your palette visual challenge. this certainly sparked something in my mind.
short fic below the cut bc i was inspired 🕯️🥀🌚
the devil’s bride
pairing: demon!lee bodecker x witch!reader
warnings: 18+ only.
words: 2.3k
notes: idk i just had a thought and ran with it lol. let me know what you think. feedback and reblogs are always welcome and so appreciated. thanks in advance for reading 🖤
Tumblr media
You came back to town for your sister’s funeral, heartbroken and enraged. She wasn’t a stupid girl. She never would have been out so late by herself, let alone drinking. The story you were told of what happened that night made no sense. None of it.
So you decided you’d find the truth on your own.
A simple incantation over a rigorously detailed ritual offering and not three days later the man she’d been seeing was mysteriously found dead. The church mourned over yet another life gone too soon as you scoffed at the scene. The spell worked to find her killer but you still felt a pull to do more. You were closer to the truth now, knowing Frank had killed her, but you surely weren’t the only one who knew that. The cover up story for your sister’s death, the one that made her out to be just some drunk harlot who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, it came from somewhere. From someone.
You soon enough got your hands on the official case files. Each and every paper was filled out and signed off by the same man. Sheriff Lee Bodecker.
There was nothing you could truly do for your sister now, you knew that. But your rage only grew more palpable with each page you turned, with every lie you read. A fire burned within you and all you could see was red. All you could think was revenge. You wanted to know why. This was only a small piece of the puzzle that was Lee Bodecker. He was hiding something much bigger, much darker behind the “small” cover ups you were sure he hardly thought twice about.
There was something evil brewing in this town, dark, unnaturally powerful. You could feel it the moment you’d arrived. And your gut told you he was at the center of it. You were going to find out exactly what it was he was hiding, one way or another.
He wasn’t the only person willing to work with the devil himself to get their way. And when a girl looks as sweet as you, even the sharpest of men won’t see her coming.
You’d made a deal with the devil before, one more couldn’t hurt. He’d find you to collect eventually, you’d make the most of what magic and time you had left to try and do what little good you could.
You would just need to get close to him, gain his trust, and then find out the truth. Once you knew, you’d make your pact to put an end to whatever it was that was going on here, whatever shady dealings your sister had gotten entangled in that ended in her losing her life and having her name and reputation unfairly tarnished.
Two weeks of watching the Sheriff, two weeks of careful planning until you were sure you were ready to approach him. You pulled at the skirt of your dress with one hand, the other holding your homemade pie as you carefully walked up the steps to his house. You made sure you looked as nice as you could, all made up and dressed just right to ensure you would hold his eye the moment he saw you.
The sheriff was an intimidating presence, you could feel it even now. He held power and there was something in his eye that made it near impossible to look away once he had you in his sights. He was a handsome man, too, only adding to the draw you couldn’t deny. You took a breath to steel yourself before knocking on the door. It was only a moment until he answered.
“Can I help you, darlin’?” he asked after pulling open his front door, looking you up and down. You didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered on your cleavage, the top button of your dress having been purposely left undone to give him just a little view.
“Hi there, uh, Sheriff?” you asked feigning uncertainty, “I’m not sure I’m at the right address,” you laughed coyly, balancing the freshly baked pie in your hands.
“You’re at the right place,” he reassured you. “What can I do for you, sweetheart?”
You internally cringed at the pet name but forced a demure smile on your lips as you fluttered your lashes up at him; his crystal blue eyes peering down at you.
“The real question is what can I do for you, Sheriff. I just wanted to come by and say thank you, for all your hard work. Abigail was my sister, she uhm,” you paused, swallowing the small lump in your throat, “well you know, all that went down. I’m just thankful you got the case solved as quickly as you did. It was, horrible. But better to know what happened than to be left wondering,” you smiled sadly.
You lifted the pie in your hands to bring it up to him, your offering. “Wasn’t sure what the best way to thank you would be, but I figured a pie wouldn’t hurt to start with.”
“That’s mighty kind of you,” he paused, prompting you to give him your name. You did and watched as he repeated it, your name falling off his tongue, nearly dripping in honey from his accent. You smiled.
“I’m sorry about your sister,” he offered, your jaw tightening as you worked to keep your smile on your lips, hoping the flash of ire that burned in your eyes wasn’t noticeable to him. That wasn’t why you were here, but you knew he didn’t care, and hearing him say he did irritated you.
“But thank you. Who am I to turn down a pie from a pretty lady,” he smirked, letting his eyes roam over your body once again when he took the pie from your hands. “Sure looks good,” he said, his eyes still on you, “bet it tastes good, too.”
“Only one way to find out,” you said, voice wavering on sultry as you held his eye before dropping your gaze to his pink lips briefly, then back up. You held your hands behind your back as you blinked up at him. You smiled again when his tongue jutted out to wet his lips. “You let me know how you like it. And if I can do anything else for you, Sheriff, just let me know.”
You made to turn and go, but his voice stopped you, just like you hoped.
“Wait a minute, darlin’, you walked over here all by yourself?”
“I did,” you answered.
“Well, I can’t have you walkin’ out there alone in the cold, can I. ‘Specially not in nothin’ but a dress. Why don’t you come inside, have a slice of pie with me and I’ll give you a ride home after.”
“Oh, I’d hate to put you out, Sheriff,” you opposed weakly for the sake of politeness as you toyed with the hem of your dress, your fingertips brushing against your thighs, goosebumps rising on your skin. “Though it is a bit colder now than when I first started walkin’ over here,” you smiled shyly.
“Come on in, sweetheart, it’s nice and warm inside. Make yourself at home,” he said as he walked back and held the door open for you.
You smiled widely at his words and made your way inside. “Thank you, Sheriff.”
“Lee,” he offered.
“Lee,” you nodded as you passed him in the doorway, brushing up against him more than you needed to. The warmth radiating from him sent a wave of heat right through you, but you didn’t let the effect he was already having on you show. You could feel his eyes on you as you walked further in, following the sway of your hips before he shut the door behind you and followed you in. He led the way to the kitchen, setting down the pie on the table before he returned to you with a pie cutter and two plates and forks. You gently took the cutter from him, your touch lingering on his hand for a second. “Please, allow me,” you said before cutting him a piece and placing it on his plate. You cut a smaller slice for yourself, no real intention of eating it as you watched him sit down in his seat, sliding the plate closer to him.
You took your own seat and crossed one leg over the other as you waited for him to try it. But seeing how easy it was to get him to let you inside, you weren’t even sure you’d need him to eat it to have the man wrapped around your finger. Everything was playing out just the way you wanted it to.
Lee’s moan brought you back to yourself as you smiled at him, watching him chew before he swallowed his bite.
“Take it you like it,” you tittered.
“Just might be the best damned pie I’ve had,” he grinned at you. “Real sweet,” his blue eyes burned into your own, an intensity there you weren’t expecting quite yet. A twinkle of something you couldn’t place shining as he looked at you.
“‘M glad you think so,” you breathed. “New recipe, made it specially for you.”
“Hope you didn’t go through too much trouble on my account,”
“Oh, not at all. I wanted to.”
He smirked at that, his eyes sharper now as he took you in. He licked his lips wolfishly before he spoke.
“So, you come all the way down here just to proposition me, honey?”
You stilled completely at his words. Tilting your head at him as you furrowed your brow incredulously, “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, darlin’. You come down here to whore yourself out to the first man who catches your eye, like that little sister ah yours?”
You took a deep breath as you willed yourself to remain calm, though the set of your jaw and the flaring of your nostrils surely gave you away.
“I’m only gonna tell you this once, Lee, don’t talk about my sister again.”
“Oh, you’re gonna tell me, is that right?” His grin was wicked as he taunted you. “You think you can tell me what I can and can’t do? You’re dancin’ with the devil, darlin’.”
“Don’t worry about me,” you shook your head, refusing to break eye contact first, “Me and the devil, we get along just fine.”
He laughed heartily at that as you maintained your composure. If he thought for one second you’d be scared of him, he was sorely mistaken. Even as he stood, getting closer to you, invading your space as he towered above you, you didn’t budge.
His hand was suddenly on your chin and when you went to swipe at him, he squeezed hard, tutting at you as you dropped your hands back down.
“I want you to tell me why you’re really here, darlin’.”
“What’s wrong, Lee? Is it so hard to believe a pretty girl would actually go out of her way to bake you a pie? To stop by and say ‘Thank you for all you do, Sheriff,’” you exaggerated your faux gratitude as his eyes darkened while he listened. “I bet what’s really hard to believe is that anyone in their right mind would ever want you to fuck them. One soft smile and a stupid innuendo from a nice girl in a short dress had you opening up your home. I really thought you’d make it just a bit harder,” you taunted, earning a growl from him as he yanked you up out of your seat. You found yourself being pressed against his chest, his strength more than you’d imagined.
“You can play all you want, but you think I couldn’t smell your sweet cunt the second you stepped up on my porch? I know you’re all hot and bothered,” he pushed you back against the table as he spoke crudely, “wet and ready for me already, like a good little whore.”
“I’m no man’s whore,” you bit back, refusing to back down. He chuckled deep in his throat.
“No you’re not, are ya. You, are the devil’s whore, ain'tcha,” he said, voice thick with lust as he leaned over you. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared up at him, the blues of his eyes flashing the deepest black you’d ever seen before their color returned, his smirk right along with it. “Sweetheart, you’re lookin’ at the devil himself. Been waitin’ for you to show up for a while now. Finally make good on that deal you made me. I got ya outta this town just like you wanted. You had a few good years. But it’s time ya come back to me. Waited for you long enough,” he breathed. You gasped in pain as an unexpected, sharp, searing fire burned in your chest and along the ring finger of your left hand. You pushed against his hold on you, writhing uncomfortably in his grasp until suddenly the burn was gone. You clutched at your chest as you gasped for breath. He grabbed your hand and held up his left hand in yours, your eyes landed on a solid silver band on his ring finger and a diamond banded ring on your own.
“What-” you started before being cut off by his brash tone.
“Oh don’t act so surprised. You knew damn well what you agreed to when you made that pact. Five whole years, magic and freedom, and then you’re mine, sweetheart. Forever and always.” He placed his hand over the left side of your chest, a sudden tightness was felt on your heart, a tight squeezing that shouldn’t have been possible.
“Don’t look so scared, honey,” he simpered, his hands finding your waist as he began feeling you up. “We’re gonna have a whole lotta fun together, you and me. And if you’re good, I’ll even let’cha keep your magic. Don’t work on me anyway.”
308 notes · View notes
brocktonbay · 10 months
Text
pact: devils and details is my tag for this now.
13 notes · View notes
fortisfilia · 2 months
Text
Promised Part 2 - Tom Riddle x reader
Tumblr media
Info: This is a rewrite of a story I've posted on my old account years ago. If it sounds familiar, that might be why :)
Summary: In this story, Tom didn't grow up as an orphan, but with his grandfather and uncle. Reader's sister got very sick and the Gaunts offer their help. But not without asking for something in return.
Warnings: Arranged marriage, sickness, bullying
Word count: 1.7k
Masterpost | Masterlist | Part 1 | Part 3
Part 2 - Back in Hogwarts
Being back at Hogwarts felt strange. Usually, it was like coming home, where the old stone walls kept you warm even when they were so cold. But this time, having left your sick little sister behind and after practically selling your soul to the devil, you felt as if everyone already knew. Every time someone looked at you, underlying judgement was inherent in their gaze.
How could she do this? How could she agree to marry someone she didn’t love? She probably did it for the money. Or for his reputation. Both perhaps.
No one had said anything to your face yet, but the nasty expressions they wore gave them away. Girls from year five had always greeted you, had looked up to you, trying to impress older students and wanting to be noticed. Now they didn’t look you in the eyes, even though their stares bore holes into the back of your head and when they thought you were out of earshot, they would group up in the hallways and whisper to each other.
Camille Kegley was the only person you trusted enough to talk to. She was your best friend since your first year in Hogwarts and being with her had always been easy. She was a breath of fresh air - humble, fun and a loyal friend. A true Hufflepuff. So you had told her every little detail. How your sister got cursed, that the Gaunts visited, what they offered and what they asked for in return. Camille’s mouth hung open by the end, but she understood.
“I would have done the same thing for my brother,” she said. “I’m so sorry all of this happened though. If I can do anything to help you out, just let me know.”
“Thank you. Really. The only thing I want right now is for everyone to stop looking at me like I murdered someone.”
“You think they know already?”
“‘I’m not sure,” you sighed. “Seems like it.”
“Have you told anybody?”
“Just you. And please. Don’t tell anyone. I don’t want Elsie to be the girl who’s been cursed when she starts school next year and I won’t be here to help her.”
“I won’t. Don’t worry. But how would anyone know it then, by now?”
“I have a feeling the Gaunts want as many people to know as possible. To make it harder for me to back out.”
“You think Tom-”
“No,” you said and shook your head. “It seemed he was even more against it than I was. His grandfather, Marvolo. I think it’s him who’s eager for everyone to know.”
“Wanker,” Camille said.
“Tosser,” you added.
“Merlin’s saggy left bollock,” Camille went one better and you both laughed. “And what about Tom?”
“What about him?”
“Well, if they’re going through with the pact like you said, you’re going to marry him. Do you like him at least? In any way?”
“I… don’t know. I hardly know him. Though he seems to take after his grandfather, unfortunately.”
“Saggy bollock,” Camille whispered.
“I guess I’ll try to get to know him. We’ll have to get along someday after all.”
“Good idea,” Camille nodded. “You should do that.”
“He’s so distant. Cold. I don’t know how to approach him.”
“Oh, that shouldn’t be too hard. He’s just a man. They're all quite similar if we're honest.”
“I’m not sure he’s similar to most men we know, Camille,” you said and she laughed.
“You’ll have to find out, then. Maybe, deep down, he’s quite nice.”
“Maybe.”
Tumblr media
Maybe not. Tom acted like nothing had happened for the first week of school. Either Morfin had slipped some Forgetfulness Potion into Tom’s tea, or he actually detested you that much, because it felt as if he didn’t even know who you were. He didn’t greet you in the hallway, hell, he didn’t even glance at you in class. Nothing. How was this supposed to work if he didn’t try at all? It was unfathomable.
The only person who talked normally to you, besides Camille, was Benjamin Hilt, a Gryffindor boy from year six. He was annoying, to put it mildly. Perhaps he just tried to be nice, but it seemed he wanted to know a lot about Tom and you. And, to be fair, you didn’t even know much about Tom and you.
Ben acted like Hogwarts’ very own private investigator, trying to elicit as much information as possible from you. He had you wondering if he was working for the Daily Prophet. 
How did the engagement happen? Weren’t you still too young? Did your parents agree immediately? Was it possible that you didn’t do it willingly? Was it forced? 
“Merlin, Ben!” you shouted. “Stop asking all those questions. What are you trying to get out of this?”
“I don’t know,” he said and scratched the back of his neck. “It’s just so strange, you know. I’ve never seen you two together. Seems off.”
“Well, mind your own business then. Git,” you said and rushed out of the great hall. 
Tumblr media
Even though Tom avoided you magnificently, his friends, or rather his followers, seemed very much interested in you. And not in a positive way. They looked you up and down in class, followed you in the hallways and you could only guess what they were mumbling to each other. Certainly not compliments.
Emlyn Avery and Tiernan Lestrange were the worst of them. The two boys were on you all the time. You tried to act as if you didn’t notice, but it got more concerning each day. Every time you looked over your shoulder, those two were standing close. And they smiled so spitefully, it was clear how much they enjoyed freaking you out. Bastards.
It had become a habit not to walk the corridors alone. Camille was with you most of the time and if she couldn’t be there, you followed random groups of people until you found one of your friends. This technique, as humiliating as it was, worked well. Until that one day, when Professor Binns asked you to stay for a moment, after your History Of Magic lesson. Not only did he take ages to get his point across, but made you more nervous each second, when your classmates’ voices faded until you couldn’t hear a single sound from the hallway.
Your heart was beating in your throat when you left the classroom. Of course. Avery and Lestrange had waited for you. With their stupid grins on their faces. They didn’t even act as if they were there for something else.
You pondered where to go. The great hall was always busy and also quite near, so you turned right. They were following you. You heard their footsteps behind you and they were coming closer. 
Whenever you went a little faster, the two of them did too. You thought about running away but didn’t want to give them the satisfaction. 
Eventually, they caught up. Avery walked to your left, Lestrange to your right until they had you cornered.
“What do you want?” you asked and tried your best to control your voice. 
“Just wanted to say hello,” Avery said.
“Hello,” you said and tried to push through them, but they didn’t let you.
“No,” Lestrange smirked. “We’re not done yet.”
“Did Riddle send you?” you asked. “To scare me?”
“Why would he do that? To his future wife.”
“You tell me.”
“We’re here to clear some things up,” Avery said. “That you might not know.”
“And what’s that?” you asked.
“You see, we don’t know how you did it. How your family pulled that trick to make Tom agree to marry you. It can only mean that you’re plotting something. And -”
“Wait, he didn’t tell you?” you asked.
They didn’t answer right away but exchanged an involuntary glance with each other. A sore point. Interesting.
“We know enough, okay?” Avery hissed. “Tom has a great future ahead of him. And I swear, if you get in the way, you’re going to regret it.”
“I’m not -”
“Shut up,” Lestrange interrupted you with his wand close to your face. “I don’t know what you’re after. Money, fame, whatever it is. You might want to think about it again and I’ll have you know it’s not worth it.”
“I don’t care for any of that.”
“Come on, what other reason could you have to pull off something like that?”
There was no way you were telling them about Elsie. Every student would know by next year and she was far too sensitive to handle that. “None of your business.”
“That just proves you’re not trustworthy,” Avery said.
“Because I’m not telling you two my reasons?” you almost laughed. “Give me a break. Why didn’t you ask Tom? Your good friend who confides everything to you.”
Their faces turned red, their embarrassment obvious. Even if everyone knew how much power Riddle had over his friends, they didn’t like to be reminded of it.
“Listen here, you little -” Avery stopped talking when a hand touched his shoulder and pulled him and Lestrange away from you.
Tom stood there, looking at them rigidly. “What are you doing?”
“We’re… Just…”
“Talking to her. Trying to get to know her better,” Avery mumbled.
Tom looked at you for a second, then back at his friends. “Doesn’t seem like you were having a nice chat.”
“Oh it was very nice,” Avery said. “Making friends.”
“Was it a nice chat?” Tom asked you.
You were still so tense from them threatening you and hadn’t expected Tom to talk to you directly after days of silence, so you just stammered, “I… They -”
“Shut up you,” Lestrange took a step in your direction until Tom pressed his wand against Lestrange’s chest.
“Don’t,” Tom said through gritted teeth.
“I wasn’t -”
“I don’t care Tiernan. Let’s go.”
Without another word, the three boys walked away towards the Slytherin common room. You were still glued to the spot when Tom turned around and glanced at you.
Tumblr media
Masterpost | Masterlist | Part 3
36 notes · View notes
calypso707 · 5 months
Text
Astarion x Fem!Tav bard : Fruit of The Poisonned Tree
Intro : Every day, she longed for his touch, his lips against her skin, his voice in her ears, his whole being.
Tags : 3rd pov for this one because i'm more comfortable with it, few chapters comings, this story will be mainly romance I guess, risk of spoilers about Astarion, ascendant form coming..
I hope you’ll like this first chapter, enjoy ! ~
Tumblr media
Chapter 1 -
She missed her home at Baldur's Gate deeply. Although the majority of the inhabitants were humans, she had always felt at home there, with the river Chiontar within easy reach. For a bard, she had risen quite successfully and was well liked by the populace and the local lords, often performing at balls and other festivities. What she missed was practising her music on the riverbank, singing to the Blushing Mermaid from morning till night without her vocal chords weakening. She missed the simplicity and comfort of her past life. Quite simple. And in just a few days, it was all gone.
She had been kidnapped by mindflayers, had an illithid larvae inserted behind her eye, survived the crash of their ship,had fought gnolls, goblins and other creatures and now she was sleeping under the stars surrounded by odd companions. A few details aside, that was all. Normal people would have spread this over several months. She was still trying to figure out how she had managed to survive this far.
She looked towards her companions who were surrounding the campfire a few metres away. She had isolated herself, as she like to do, to be alone with her thoughts. Her eyes passed over each of her companions, starting with Lae'zel, a gith she had met aboard the nautiloid. However grumpy her nature was, she had shown unfailing loyalty and was a great ally. She had also crossed paths with a cleric and disciple of Shar by the name of Shadowheart. Then she met Gayle, a magician, in the funniest possible way. Wyll, nicknamed the Blade of Frontiers, son of the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate who had made a strange pact with a devil, Karlach, a tiefling with a fiery temper and, finally, him.
Astarion.
Tav finally focused her gaze on him, comfortably seated on a wooden chair by the fire, his feet resting on a log. In his right hand he was holding a steel cup, and she could easily guess that the inside was some old brandy, the liquor he enjoyed the most. In his other hand, he was holding a book, he seemed to be absorbed by his reading. From time to time, Karlach teased him to include him in the conversation with the others. The bard tilted her head slightly and squinted her eyes to read the title engraved in gold on the cover of the book, "The Curse of The Vampyr". She held back a smile at the irony of the situation and wondered about the veracity of the tale. Did he see himself in what he was reading? She was curious to know exactly what the manuscript was about - was there anything new she did not already knew?
Her gaze followed the curve of the vampire's arm to focus on his face. His perfect face lit by the dancing light of the fire in front of him. She caught a glimpse at his fangs as he silently read parts of the book, her eyes detailing his perfectly shaped nose before finally coming to rest on his eyes. It was as red as the blood itself, and it pierced her soul every time he looked at her. She felt her heart skip a beat - she had never imagined herself becoming allied and close to such a creature. She had never seen anyone like him. He was dangerously charming and eloquent beyond compare. He was quick-witted, mischievous, teasing and delighted in the misfortune of others. He had a penchant for manipulation, lies, expensive alcohol, art and poetry. And she cursed herself for being drawn to him. Because she knew the influence he could have on her. He was the devil on her shoulder who drove her to commit terrible sins.
It took all her strength to stop staring at him like that, and she returned her attention to the violin at her feet, her fingers brushing the strings. Music was her magic, but it was so much more: it was also a sign of power. A power that could keep battles alive, make heroes eternal, but also shatter reputations and turn cities to pieces. She took a deep breath, as if to restore her own self-confidence, and picked up her musical instrument to return to the others. As she approached the campfire, she realised that everyone had already gone back to their occupations, except Astarion. The vampire looked up from his book to examine the young woman for a few seconds; she could not tell if it was the firelight that was having that effect, but a strange glint shone in his eyes. He stopped reading completely as he closed the book and locked his hands against his chest, still looking at her as she awkwardly sat down at the opposite of him.
"Interesting book? Did you learn anything new?" asked Tav, grabbing a half-full cup from the ground at her feet. Bringing the cup to her lips, she took a big gulp and immediately regretted it, repressing the urge to wince. From the strong aroma of the alcohol, she guessed that it was Chultan Fireswill.
"Surprisingly, no," he sighed. "I was expecting to learn something unusual, so I must admit I am a little disappointed," said Astarion, shrugging his shoulders.
She smiled at his answer, her eyes glued to the flames waving in front of her. The fire was blocking her view of Astarion and it was no bad thing, given how easily she lost her composure when she was alone with him and he liked to take advantage of that. She was glad there was this barrier between them.
"Now, darling, are you trying to run away from me?" asked Astarion. She was able to guess the mischievous smile on his lips. She barely had time to reply when she saw him rise from his chair, walk around the fire and come to her side. He held out his right hand, the other resting casually on his hip.
"All this brandy and small talk whetted my appetite. Shall we ?"
Tav lost herself in his crimson eyes for a few seconds before finally grabbing his hand to get up, leaving her violin on the bare ground. The vampire quietly led her to his tent, which she entered. It was not the first time she had entered it, but the smell wafting through the small space made her heart throb every time. Brandy, rosemary and bergamot. She looked over her shoulder at Astarion, who was closing the entrance to the tent with his agile fingers before returning to her. His fingertips grazed the crook of her neck, a shiver running through her body. He gently wrapped the long braid around his arm as he positioned himself behind her, applying gentle pressure to tilt her head back.
"I have waited for this moment with great patience," he said hoarsely.
Tav tried to calm her breathing, excitement and apprehension gradually taking over her body. She hated as much as she enjoyed the effect he had on her. Astarion tugged gently once more on the braid to tilt her head to the right, exposing her neck completely. He lowered his head, inhaling the scent she gave off before placing a chaste kiss on her sensitive skin. He slidded his other hand up her stomach before touching her breasts, grasping the lace of her corsage with his fingertips and pulling it with a calculated, disconcerting slowness to reveal the birth of her breasts. She half-opened her mouth, her breathing getting heavier and heavier.
"Stop playing that little game," she said. "Be very, very quiet, darling. You do not want to wake up the others" he answered, teasingly.
He then began to place another kiss behind her pointed ear, before placing another one against her neck. She felt something cold brush her skin, she guessed it was his fangs. This was followed by a stabbing pain that radiated throughout her neck. It was not the first time he had fed on her, but each time the ache surprised her. She leaned her back against his chest and placed her hand on Astarion's, which was resting on her breasts, intertwining her fingers with his. She listened to him feed, closing her eyes. Each of his sips, each of his breaths sounded like a melody to her ears. For her, this kind of moment was just as sensual and intimate, it brought them closer in a different way and that was what she enjoyed. Every day, she longed for his touch, his lips against her skin, his voice in her ears, his whole being.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
thank you so much for reading this first chapter, i hope you liked it! I've published the rest on Ao3 : Fruit of the Poisonned Tree. I'll mainly be posting my OS on Tumblr!
55 notes · View notes