#the best b sides of anything. and stone heart is there

[emilyprentissluvr]

TV (Emily Prentiss x Reader)

"What about the plans we made?"

Summary: In which you're grieving your dead wife. But is she actually dead?

Warning: Angst and mentions of death.

YOU WALKED along the cobblestone path, stepping over the cracks you had come to memorize. The sun was shining while the birds were chirping and you wanted nothing more than to shoot those damn birds and rip the sun from the sky. 

It wasn't fair that beauty could exist when the love of your life didn't.

"Hi Em." You smiled sadly as you sat down across from your wife's grave. 

It had been eight months since you'd gotten the call that your wife was dead.

 243 days of existing without your other half. 

34,9920 minutes of wondering why you had to fall in love with the most selfless, heroic, and caring person to walk this earth.

20,995,200 seconds of missing the only person who made everywhere feel like home. 

"I brought you flowers," You said as you put the fresh pair of roses against her gravestone. "The worker at the flower shop said that I must have the happiest partner alive since I buy bouquets so much. How ironic is that?" You chuckled sadly. Not because you found it funny, but because you knew Emily would have. 

'That wouldn't happen if you would stop buying me flowers' Is what Emily would have said. 

"I never understood why you didn't like flowers," You said as you picked at the grass beneath you. "And you don't get a choice now. You broke our promise." You frowned as you threw the small pieces of grass at her grave.

"You need to let that go, my love' Emily would say. 

"I was supposed to go first! That was the deal! But you broke our promise so I can do whatever I want. So if I want to fill your whole damn grave up with flowers then I will." You said indignantly. You knew you probably looked crazy to onlookers. Having a one-sided argument with a grave probably wasn't the best way of coping. Making up your dead wife's side of the conversation probably wasn't the healthiest either, but you didn't care. You didn't care about a lot of things these days. 

'You are so stubborn sometimes' Emily would have said with a teasing smile. 

"We're both stubborn," You said with a small eye roll. "I mean, we wouldn't be in this position if you weren't." Tears start to form at the corner of your eyes. You didn't think it was humanly possible to cry as much as you had over the last eight months. But here you were, the never-ending tears making their way down your cheeks. 

'I'm so sorry sweetheart. I never meant to hurt you' Emily would have said as she consoled you. She would have scooped you up into her arms and tucked your head into the crevice of her neck where it would fit perfectly.

"It's not your fault. None of this is." You sniffled as you reached out and placed your palm against the cold stone of her grave. "It's just not fair! We were supposed to have a lifetime together. We had so many plans."

'I know my love. But just because I'm not here doesn't mean you can't live your life to the fullest' Emily would have smiled, ever the optimist. That had been a surprise when you first met over five years ago. While she may have been a badass, stone-cold agent on the outside, she was nothing but sunshine and warmth on the inside. Of course, you were the only one who got to see her soft interior but you didn't mind, you loved having a part of Emily just to yourself. But now you didn't have any part of Emily. 

"I don't know how to move on without you, Em. How am I supposed to enjoy life when you're not next to me enjoying it too? How can I love anything when half of my heart is buried with you?" You cried, tears still flowing down your cheeks as you leaned your forehead against her grave. You cried until the birds stopped chirping and the sun went down. You mourned the woman Emily never got to grow into. You grieved the life you and Emily never got to live. 

You didn't know how long you'd been there, but after your tears subsided you decided to head home for the night. 

"Bye, Em. I love you." You murmured as you traced her name in the stone before standing up and walking along the cobblestone path once again. 

The drive home was quiet. The radio was playing Emily's favorite station but you weren't paying attention. Maybe that was why you didn't notice the car in your driveway until you parked. You furrowed your brows as you recognized the black SUV, those were the ones Emily drove whenever she was on the job. 

It wasn't unusual for a black SUV to be in your driveway. Emily's team would come to visit you at least once a week. You didn't know if it was because they felt guilty for her death or if they wanted to be close to the closest thing to Emily. You didn't mind it though, it was nice to have company to break up the silence of your house.

However, you knew the team was on a case. Penelope had called and told you that. So you cautiously walked up to your front porch. You shakily grabbed the keys from your purse and unlocked the door. "Hello?" You called as you walked to the living room where you saw a light on.

As soon as you walked in you froze. The purse in your hand drops to the floor. It was a ghost. The ghost of your Emily standing right in front of you. You closed your eyes wondering how your tired brain could conjure up such a perfect image of her. But when you opened them again she was still standing there. 

"Y/n?" Emily's voice cracked as she laid eyes on you for the first time in eight months.

Your brain felt foggy and you couldn't find the flashlight to see through it. Were you hallucinating now? 

Emily could see the shock on your face and the way her presence hadn't registered in your mind. "It's me," The brunette said, wanting nothing more than to wrap her arms around you and never let you go, but she knew she had to be careful. "It's Emily," She said as she walked toward your frozen frame slowly.

She was close enough now that you could feel her breath but you didn't dare to look anywhere but into her eyes. The same eyes that had watched you laugh, cry, and love. The same eyes you had spent years memorizing...

Oh my god. Was this real? Was this your Emily and not a figment of your grieving imagination?

Almost as if reading your mind she smiled, "I'm real, my love", she raised her hand slowly and tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. You let out a shallow breath as you felt her touch and suddenly the fog from your brain had been cleared. This was real. The woman in front of you was your life, your love, your Emily.

You launched yourself at her knowing she would catch you. You were immediately wrapped into her embrace, feeling at home for the first time since you had gotten that soul-crushing phone call. 

Nothing else mattered to you at this moment. All your questions and confusion could be answered later. Right now you were in your wife's arms and you never planned on leaving

 "Emily." You smiled tearily as you tucked your face under her chin, the smell of perfume filling your senses. "Hi, sweetheart." Emily smiled as tears fell down her face, "I told you I would never break a promise." 

#emily prentiss #criminal minds #emily prentiss x reader #emily prentiss fanfiction #emily prentiss x female reader #emily prentiss x you #emily prentiss x y/n

[togrowoldinv]

Detka

Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader

In the midst of the battle and in the aftermath, Natasha saves you

Note: This is soft Nat with a little bit of battle angst in it. But it’s mostly fluff. Enjoy it!

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

It’s the peak of the battle when you realize that you’re cornered. The only move you can make is directly into enemy fire, but you’re running out of ammo and don’t see another option.

“Hold tight, y/n,” you hear through your comms. It’s Natasha’s voice.

“I have to make a move!” You say back.

“Not yet,” Nat says. “Wait for me.”

You sigh and retreat a few steps back into the makeshift shelter you took solace in.

You trust Natasha. Ever since you met the woman she’s been protective of you, and you know she isn’t going to steer you wrong in battle.

“You still there, y/l/n?”

“I’m here, Natasha. What do I do?”

Before she can answer, she comes into your line of sight. She’s taking down enemies left and right with her weapons and her body.

“Go to the right! I’ll cover you!” She shouts over the fighting.

You listen to her and break right. You successfully get out of being cornered.

“I’m clear!” You tell Nat, but soon you’re being taken from behind. With your legs lifted off the ground, you try to kick your way free. There’s no use. The alien is stronger than you. “Natasha!”

Nat looks around frantically. She can’t see you. “Where are you?”

When you don’t respond, she takes out her phone. Tony implanted in a tracker in your suit for moments like this. She triangulates your location and runs that way.

You’re across the city by now in a building. They captured Clint too and he’s tied up next to you.

“Tell us where the stone is and no one gets hurt,” the leader of the fighters speaks to you both.

“We’re not saying a word,” Clint replies.

“Perhaps if we hurt your new friend here, you will speak.”

“Don’t touch her,” Clint breathes out.

But it doesn’t do any good. The other aliens take the order from their leader to hurt you. A simple few kicks to the stomach and you’re aching for help.

“Care to speak now?” They ask Clint again. He knows that he can’t talk, but he doesn’t want them to hurt you anymore either.

“Clint, I’m fine,” you whimper out. “Don’t say anything.”

“Be silent! Or you will be killed,” the alien says.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Natasha slip silently into the room. She holds up a finger to her lips as she gets closer.

“Where is the stone?” They ask again.

“We’re not telling you,” comes Clint’s reply.

“Finish her,” they scoff the order.

But before they can touch you again, the three aliens at your side are taken down one by one.

“I’m a better shot when I’m pissed off,” Natasha says, aiming directly for the leader. She doesn’t hesitate to take them out as well.

You find yourself crying on the floor, the weight of it all sinking in. Nat watches and her heart breaks. At the sight, she doesn’t think twice about coming to your aid before that of her best friend’s.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Natasha hustles over to you. She unties your hands and runs a soft hand your palms. “You’re okay.”

“You saved me,” you say. “Thank you.”

You fall into her arms and she holds you against her chest.

“I got you, y/n,” Natasha says. She holds you for at least a few minutes before it’s time to go. “Can you walk?”

You nod and stand up. Your stomach aches but you manage to make it to the quinjet.

Natasha stays by your side the entire time. She walks you to the medbay. She turns to leave and give you some space, but you slip your hand in hers. It’s a silent plea for her to stay.

“What do we have here?” Dr. Cho asks you upon arrival.

“I got kicked pretty hard,” you explain. Dr. Cho lifts your suit top to reveal already bruising skin. Natasha feels herself getting emotional next to you. She’s angry, but she softens when she sees you flinch at the doctor’s touch.

“Looks like a broken rib or two. I’ll have to do a test to be sure, but you’ll definitely need some time off to heal,” the doctor explains.

“But we have mission in two days and-“

“Hey, no missions right now. Don’t worry about that,” Natasha says. Her voice is soft.

You don’t expect her hand to rest gently on your cheek and wipe away a tear you didn’t realize was falling down your face.

“I’ll be right back,” Dr. Cho excuses herself.

“You alright?” Nat asks once it’s just the two of you in the room.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just upset with myself.”

She moves directly in front of you and takes your hands.

“You did everything right,” Natasha says.

“But what if I-“

“No, don’t do that. You can’t what if everything or you’ll never have any peace. Trust me. You’re new at this. It’s okay, detka. I promise,” she says.

“What’s that word mean?” You ask her innocently.

Her cheeks turn a deep red and she glances down at her feet. She’s been caught.

“It’s just a Russian word,” she tries.

“That means what?” You ask. She hesitates. “Nat, you don’t have to tell me.”

“It’s fine. It’s just- it means babe or baby,” she confesses.

Your eyes go wide and the breath leaves your chest, not due to the broken ribs.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I care about you a lot and seeing you like this is just hard and I guess I slipped the term out. It won’t happen-“

You cut her off by pressing your lips on hers. Natasha moves her hands to your cheeks and deepens the kiss. Your hand pulls at the front of her suit. There’s not an inch of distance between the two of you.

Natasha breaks the kiss first, remembering that you’re injured. You chase after her lips and she smiles. It’s the brightest smile you’ve ever seen.

“Later, detka. Right now you have to heal,” Natasha says.

“But-“

She kisses you again before you can finish your plea.

“I know,” she says, her forehead resting on yours. “I like you.”

“I like you so much, Natasha,” you admit.

Nat kisses you one more time before the doctors come back in and give you orders to relax and let yourself heal.

She takes your hand as you walk down the hallway together.

Natasha saved your life in more ways than one that day.

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff comfort #soft natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff

[quitealotofsodapop]

Hmm, I somehow can imagine Macaque in JTTW Stone Egg au eventually asking the Pilgrims with help getting back in Wukong's good graces. Like, it would take a long tike since A) these are Wukong's friends first and foremost and they definitely started off rocky and B) Macaque od stubbornness his own way and would be too prideful to ask for help trying to rizz up his own mate! But I can also see Wukong being the sort of person to continue to push him away even after he's forgiven Macaque and is too scared to let him close despite clearly wanting to apend tolime with him. He is very much acting like a tsundere throughout and has long since gotten to the point where he should have been able to just give an inch but is too pigheaded to.

And by that point the pilgrim will definitely see this and start an intervention now that it's safe to do so. Ao Lie would join in mainly because he wants to make Wukogn happy since he still isn't the most thrilled about Macaque, Baije because he's tired of the flirting, Wujing because he genuinely wants to help, and Tripitaka kinda got dragged onto it

Immediate "Parent Trap" shenannigans ensue!

Mac goes to the Pilgrims for advice/help after a particualrly bad arguement with Wukong for help regarding how to make it up to him.

Ao Lie is a hopeless romantic, so he'd be the first to jump and help Mac with "re-wooing" Wukong despite his own protective "big-brother" vibe. He ultimately wants Wukong to be happy and reunited with his mate. However, Ao Lie has to be told *not* to take off with both monkeys on his back for a kidnapping/surprise horse-ride date.

Sha Wujing is far smoother, and is the one to organise a quiet area for the two monkeys to have a date/casual alone time together. He's pretty bad at being subtle about it though - he def makes an audible winking sound when he pretends to be busy with something to leave "you two crazy kids" alone.

Zhu Bajie ain't helping. Nope. Nada. Now eat this plate of noodles.

Bajie does give Mac a decent set of advice regarding how Wukong likely feels after all this time + solid understanding for why they broke up in the first place. He works best as a passive supporter.

It takes Tripitaka a while to agree to help Mac with anything deeper than making sure him and Wukong don't claw eachother apart like cats. He covers his ears and mantras the second Mac brings up the topic of romance.

Even with all this help, Mac is still super stubborn/nervous about showing his most vulnerable side again. Wukong is perplexed by his former mate's stumbling and stand-offishness.

A big confession/confrontation occurs during the Sai Tai Sui chapter - in which Wukong glamours himself into the stolen Queen that the monster lusts after.

Sai Tai Sui gets a but too handsy and Macaque drops any pretense of tsundere-ness and yells; "HEY! HANDS OFF MY MATE!" and mauls the Celestial Beast to the point that Guanyin has to intervene since the beast is technically her pet.

Wukong looks relieved, adoring, and... smug?

Macaque: "Peaches, why did you put yourself in danger like that?! The pig could have turned into the Queen!" Wukong, smug smile: "Juweihuli was right." Macaque: "Huh?" Wukong: "Your mentor was right. She said that you have a terrible jealous streak over me - even when we were apart. The second that monster even looked at me, I knew you wouldn't stand for it." Macaque: "...you went to the Vixen for advice? About me??" Wukong: "Of course! I still have a lot to learn about the Macaque of now compared to the one I knew 500 years ago. I want to get to know you all over again. Sorry if it was a little reckless." Macaque: *heart-eyes and purring sounds* (♡〰♡) (meanwhile...) The Buddha (observing for afar): "I declare this a win for me."

It's not a one-way wooing thats for sure.

#jttw stone egged au #shadowpeach #liu er mihou #six eared macaque #sun wukong #lmk ao lie #lmk zhu bajie #lmk tripitaka #lmk sha wujing #jttw aus #lmk aus #lmk #lego monkie kid #jttw #journey to the west #gif warning

[ayanominitrash]

ᴵ'ˡˡ ᴸᵉᵗ ʸᵒᵘ (ˢʰᵒᵏᵒ ᴵᵉⁱʳⁱ ˣ ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ)

a.k.a The Satoru To My Suguru I first posted this on Ao3 here.

"What are we going to tell the boys?" "We don't have to tell those idiots. I think they'll pick it up somehow." "Do they even know that girls can like girls?" "We'll find out." Where the reader is a manager, Shoko is Shoko. And they were together. Until the reader decides to be something else.

₊˚ ♡

When y/n first entered Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College, she was set to be an auxiliary manager instead of a sorcerer. She hadn't expected to be anything else but that, and she also didn't expect to be the girlfriend of the one and only brunette beauty - Shoko Ieiri.

Her short girlfriend who was always kind and laid back, was a bit of a stuttering mess when she uttered her short confession filled with cigarette smoke. They were seated side by side on a stone bench behind the open track field. It was at sunset and they were sharing a cancer stick with a slight chill in the air. 

"I -I like you."

"Hmmm?!" Y/n abruptly whips her head to stare at her best friend wide-eyed. "W-well, of course, you do. You wouldn't spend all this time with me after all if you didn't."

"I don't mean it t-that way." She looks away, the red in her cheeks is evident.

"Then. . .what do you mean?"

"Are you going to make me say it?"

The other girl nervously chuckles while tugging at the collar of her managerial suit. "Ah, this seems a bit sudden."

"It isn't." Shoko looks at her with a serious face. " I was pretty sure I left signs... .L-like, when I open the door for you when you and I enter rooms together."

Another chuckle, "B-but, anyone could do that without meaning anything, so I wouldn't have a clue."

"It doesn't matter. Do you want to be my girlfriend or not?" There was a feigned irritation in her voice but her companion can tell that it wasn't genuine and she was just nervous by the way her fingers trembled while she put out the cigar against their slabbed seat.

Shoko knows that she was putting a big risk in their friendship by confessing, but she was done playing cat and mouse. She was done trying to guess if there were some hidden meanings behind the actions of the intelligent, and cute girl beside her. If her heart beats faster like hers every time their fingers brush against each other. Or when they share an indirect kiss every time they share a cigarette stick or a blunt. Shoko was getting scared of how attached she's been getting to Y/n because they were always together, since their other classmates, Satoru and Suguru were always the ones out on missions, always leaving Shoko behind. But ever since Y/came along, she hasn't. It was like she found her own Satoru to her Suguru, as cheesy as that sounds. She tried to fight that naturally, but she's done doing that too. She'd rather claim her as her own before anyone can even have the chance. So she can't be alone anymore.

"You know, ever since I laid my eyes on you, I've always thought you were really pretty."

The brunette flinches at her words and gave her a surprised look. Y/n gingerly took Shoko's hand in hers, locking their fingers together.

"I always thought you were cool, witty, and strong."

"I don't even fight though." She finds herself blushing at her words and at the fact that they were holding hands, a thing she never thought they'd do after confession.

"Everyone knows being able to heal someone else is a rare and a very strong ability." Y/n places her other hand on top of Shoko's. "I'd be honored to be your girlfriend."

They stare at each other with small smiles and red faces, before Shoko quickly pulls her hand away from her. "Isn't it a little taboo for two girls to like each other?"

"You're just now thinking that after we've just confessed and become official?"

" Who said we're official? I didn't even get any flowers."

Her companion scoffs, completely baffled. "I'm not the one who confessed first!"

"So annoying." Shoko playfully covers her ears with her hands, maintaining a poker face.

"Hey! You're so out of your element - come here."

Y/n tackles the brunette, wrapping her arms around her now lover, and putting all of her weight until they eventually fall from their seat to the soft trimmed grass.

They both lay there and giggle for a moment and admire the orange hues the sunset was providing in the sky when suddenly y/n bumps Shoko on the shoulder with her elbow.

"What are we going to tell the boys?"

"We don't have to tell those idiots. I think they'll pick it up somehow."

"Do they even know that girls can like girls?"

"We'll find out."

₊˚ ♡

Y/n and Shoko were inseparable. During their homeroom class with Sensei Yaga, they'd purposely show up earlier than the rest so they can save their seat next to each other because their taller classmates love to steal their seats just for shits and giggles. They would walk the hallway holding hands, they would feed each other during lunch, and they'd cheer for each other during General P.E. The others don't seem to bother it, probably because they thought it was a normal friendship between the two since they choose not to kiss in public. But behind closed doors, that's another steamy story.

As an auxiliary manager, today was one of the many days where y/n has to accompany Sorcerers that need to travel by group to faraway areas. Shoko was excited to hear that she was assigned to accompany them for today's mission. She just has to join this one.

"This mission is pretty light that we have the green light to bring Shoko." Y/n starts, staring into the ledger she was holding.

They stand in front of the black vehicle that the auxiliary managers drive the Sorcerers in. Standing next to her girlfriend was her Sensei who was probably there to oversee the mission and how y/n executes this.

"The code word for 'boring'" Satoru says beside Shoko, using his fingers for the air quotes.

"Be nice, Satoru." Suguru lightly pats the back of his hand against the taller boy's chest. "I bought candies that you like that we can snack on during the ride." 

"Goodie!" With that, he immediately pipes up and enters the car. 

"W-wait, I didn't even explain the mission yet." 

Suguru only shrugs before sliding into the car. Shoko stays while she crosses her arms, an apologetic look on her face. Y/n can't help but tighten her grip on her wooden ledger while she seethes in anger. This was finally her time to impress Shoko with her being a manager. And that stupid tall stick tree was ruining it all for her. Suguru was no help either.

Her Sensei chimes "You can go ahead and discuss it on the way. Or at the site even. I doubt those two punks would listen."

"Yes, Sensei," Y/n says begrudgingly before walking over to the front of the vehicle to get into the driver's seat.

It was a quiet 1-hour drive, save for a bit of the boys' usual banter, Shoko occasionally chiming in with them. In the rearview mirror, y/n can see how her girlfriend is biting into her thumb, a habit she has when she's itching for a smoke. 

Once on the site, you discuss with much dexterity about the mission's details: a few low-grade curses on the loose in an abandoned apartment building. 1 or 2 trapped civilians, may be dead or alive. Exorcise the curses and bring back survivors if any. Shoko Ieiri is to attend to immediate medical aid if necessary.

With that, the young manager gets ready to cast the barrier while the trio trudges forward into the building. While the barrier forms, Satoru nods to himself as if in approval, while Suguru emits a low whistle at the sight. Shoko can only show a small smile and stare back at her girlfriend before the curtain can fully block the view.

It's been a few minutes since the trio entered and it has been relatively quiet. Y/n and her Sensei were sitting down at the curb where their car was parked when the older teacher gasped while he was reading the ledger.

"Y/n!" He growled, causing the young manager to abruptly stand up from her seat.

"Yes, Sensei?!" 

"What is the meaning of this?" His hands were shaking when he shoves the ledger to face her way so she can read it. "This is -"

"Special grade! They're going to die!"

"How could you let something like this happen?"

"I-I swear, Sensei! I wouldn't have let this pass me!"

"And yet here we are. This mission was only meant for the fourth year, now Ieiri is in there!"

"Sensei, I even read it out loud earlier -"

"Enough from you. I'll call for backup."

 What happened, y/n could not tell. She knew herself to be meticulous especially when it comes to the documentation part. She even recalls that she read the ledger out loud and it was indeed the correct one for the trio. Now her girlfriend was in there. The two boys were of course the strongest but even this mission was too risky for them.

"Sorry Sensei, I'm going in there."

"Stop spewing shit! Stay put here and - hey!"

While y/n removed her tie, she ran up to the barrier to break into the apartment building. 

"It's suicide! You're just a manager, idiot!"

"Sorry, sensei, my girlfriend's in there!"

"GIRLFRIEND?!!"

Shoko was smoking a cigarette on the third floor of the building. She sat on one of the tables in an apartment in silence, sometimes looking at her nails if she wasn't staring blankly at the wall. It was silent, save for a few ruckuses the boys were causing somewhere on the upper floors.

Suddenly, the door flies wide open and Shoko freezes.

What is y/n doing in here?

"What are you doing in here?!" She vocalized her thoughts.

The other panting and sweating, wastes no time to run up to her and grab her by the wrist, and whisks her away to run through the halls.

"What's going on? Where are you taking me and - you shouldn't be in here?!"

"Shoko, I don't know how, but the location got messed up."

"What do you mean? You're meticulous as ever!"

"I know! But - we have to get you out of here."

As they run down the stairs, Shoko sees that the past spirits they'd left on their way to the upper floor had been exorcised. There were middle-class spirits and Shoko notes that it was impressive that a manager such as y/n was even able to exorcise them. Her companion leading her abruptly halts once they reach the second floor, causing the shorter girl to bump against her back. 

Then, it happened.

The ceiling bursts open with the black blob of a special grade spirit, along with Satoru and Suguru falling with it. When they collide to the floor, it starts to give out and both girls yell, y/n wrapping her arms around Shoko to protect her, ready to cushion her fall. The floor finally gives, and all of them fall to the ground.

"What are you doing in here?!" Suguru yells at the two girls. "Hurry and leave!"

"Low-grade curses my ass, y/n!" Satoru yells, pointing a finger her way, his glasses long gone.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we have to exorcise the curse."

"We?!" Her classmates simultaneously yelled.

Y/n takes out what looks like a wooden straw and a few pellets from the inside of her suit. She takes one look back at Shoko with a look of determination, before darting up to the special grade spirit in a blink of an eye. She was as if almost as fast as Satoru.

Almost.

All of them were in shock by her movements, even the special grade curse itself was caught off guard when she landed against the side of the blob, only to jump back away and puff the sharp objects to its body.

The blob didn't flinch, but then.

Boom!

Explosions from where it was went off and Satoru and Suguru had to shield themselves from the debris. It was then they snapped out of their stupor and jumped into the battle.

Can you believe it? The strongest sorcerers and an auxiliary manager. . .exorcised a special grade demon?

Back at their high school, y/n approaches Shoko at one of the wooden benches in front of the main entrance, where a few cherry blossoms littered the yard.

"Hey. . ." The manager starts as she approaches Shoko.

"Hey, there. You feeling better?" 

"Yeah, thanks to you."

"Of course. It's my job."

"Speaking of," she pauses so she can sit down beside the shorter girl. "The locations of the mission got switched because there was a curse playing on the paper."

"What?"

"I know right?"

"Wouldn't have Satoru caught that?"

"We think it manifested itself as soon as you guys entered the building. If Satoru did catch it, he probably didn't think it was a big deal."

"Hmm."

They sit together in silence for a moment before Shoko speaks again 

"I take that doesn't mean you're expelled?"

"Ehr, no."

"That's a relief -"

"Quite the opposite."

"What do you mean?"

The young manager turns her body to face Shoko, giving her a serious look. She takes the brunette beauty's hands in hers before speaking.

"Shoko, you know I love you, right?"

"W-what?!" A bright red streak. "What are you going on about. . .of course I do, stupid." 

Shoko looks away before saying the next part. "I love you too." Y/n cups Shoko's cheek gently and urges her to look back at her eyes. "I want you to know that I'm here for you no matter what."

"Why are you saying this all of a sudden? You said it yourself that you're not expelled so - "

"Shoko, they want me to become a sorcerer."

It was like time stood still for the couple. They stare into each other's eyes in the quiet. Only the bellows of the wind and the rustle of the cherry blossoms could be heard.

"Oh" was all the brunette can say.

Meeting Y/n was like a dream to Shoko. She was no longer alone whenever the two boys were on missions. It used to be so boring with her and her own Sensei going over medical discussions on their own. But ever since then, y/n was always there waiting by the vending machines. And if she was going overtime with her managerial work, Shoko would wait for her to come home late into the night and they'd eat dinner together. At least then, they were only apart for a few hours. But, if y/n became a sorcerer. . .sometimes, there'd be missions that would take days, weeks, and even months to execute. 

Can Shoko handle that?

"Are you mad at that?" "Why on earth would I be mad?" Shoko says, carefully removing her hands from her partner's grip. "Are you going to take it? I mean, I thought you held some prejudice against being a sorcerer."

"I don't know." Y/n looks down at her hands. "I never wanted to be a sorcerer because that's how my parents left me. But, when I fought today and they even told me that I was strong... .it makes me want to see how far can I go."

Shoko casts her eyes down, but a small smile plays on her lips.

"I see, then that's your answer then."

"Then, what does that mean between us?"

"Hmm?" Shoko smacks her on the shoulder, to which the other girl rubs the spot. "Why are you worrying? The only thing that's going to change is that I'll be inclined to make your food for you to bring on missions."

"You're not bothered. . . by that?"

"I'd hate it if I'd have to be the one holding you back. If you want to do it, I support you."

One would think that y/n would be relieved or happy, instead, she surprised Shoko by pouting and crossing her arms.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"I thought you'd be more upset that you won't get to see me that often anymore. But now I'm thinking you just want to get rid of me!"

Shoko scoffs. "What are you? A kid? You're too old for me to coddle you."

Y/n suddenly stands up to walk away but Shoko grabs her by the wrist and pulls her back down.

"H-hey, what are you going on about - "

Shoko stops talking when she sees the childish face her partner has. Her lips were still in the same pout but it was shaking, trying her best to hold back her tears but it was already running down her face in streams. Her brows furrowed seriously and her gaze fixated on the floor.

The brunette stops teasing her at that moment and opts to hold her girlfriend's hand in silence instead. 

"I -I don't want to be f-far away from y-you. . ."

". . .I know. "

₊˚ ♡

A few years later, Shoko sat down on the wooden benches at the entrance of Jujutsu High near the cherry blossoms. She was careful not to stain her white doctor's coat all the while making sure her long hair didn't hit her face. Her fingers dig into her coat's front pocket to fish out her reliable stress relievers: a pack of cigarettes and her lighter. 

"I thought you quit smoking."

She looks up and sees her tall friend, Satoru towering over her. Beside him was the raven-haired Suguru, both in their teachers' uniforms. 

"Not quite, right Suguru?"

The man in question widens his eyes and glares at her, only for it to be gone the second Satoru whips his head at him. Despite his bandage blindfold, one can feel his judgemental stare.

"You two still go on smoke breaks?! Why am I getting left out?!"

"There he goes again." Suguru rubs the back of his neck.

"The world doesn't revolve around you, idiot. You're busy teaching so naturally there are times we hang out without you. Grow up."

Satoru feigns hurt, putting a large hand over his chest. "Ieiri, that's the meanest thing you've said to me."

"Shoko!"

The three of them turn their heads to the owner of the voice, to find y/n, skipping her way over to them with a big smile on their face. When she finally caught up to them, it was evident that she had just been in quite a battle on her last mission. Her long dark sleeve jujutsu uniform was all covered in dirt with a few tears here and there. Her face was a bit dirty as well. 

"Welcome back," Shoko mutters with a small smile before putting her cig back to her lips. 

The sorcerer puts her hands behind her back and sways in place, beaming at her girlfriends. The two men look at each other and then back at the girls. 

Satoru was the one to speak. "What? Don't be shy. No hugs? No lover's reunion?"

"Y/n has been gone for two days," Suguru adds. "Y/n, is she even treating you right? I'm always available to fill the spot."

With this, the brunette kicks Suguru's shin by instinct, causing him to yelp and hold his leg, jumping in place.

"My pretty Shoko is wearing a white coat and we don't want to get it dirty," Y/n says, to which Satoru and Suguru scoff at the cheesiness.

"My pretty Shoko" Satoru coos while twirling. "Oh, my fabulous Shokomoookoo." 

Ieiri was rubbing her temples in annoyance but there was an amused smile on her nonetheless.

"How about a kiss then?" Suguru suggests and pushes the young sorcerer towards Shoko, almost bumping foreheads.

"Oh, hey." The brunette blushes and puffs smoke to her lover's face.

"Hey. . ." A read streak paints the sorcerer's face as well, then leans in for a kiss on the lips.

"Ahhww, isn't it sweet? A lover's reunion. Suguru, I'm jealous. Come here."

Satoru was making kissy faces at him before Suguru stopped him from getting closer with an extended hand. 

The couple could only giggle at them.

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

(❀❛ ֊ ❛„)♡ reblogs and comments are appreciated//do not repost my work anywhere // more from my drafts soon - shoko's so underrated

#shoko ieiri fluff #jjk ieiri #jjk satoru #jjk geto #shoko ieiri x reader #shoko ieiri x you #jujustu kaisen #fanfic #lgbtq+ #gayyyy #aliens #satoru gojo #gojo satoru #jjk gojo #gojo jjk #suguru geto #geto suguru #fluff #jjk shoko

[hey-kae]

Already So Perfect

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x female reader

Request: hi! if you take requests could u maybe write about best friend!charles turned into boyfriend!charles and before the next gp, pierre goes to your hometown to help u with a surprise for charles and after the surprise you make the relationship official?

Warnings: Language, Monaco GP 2022.

Sidenote: I rewrote this about 4 times before i ended up with this version, what explains how long it took for me to post it, but i ended really liking how it turned out so i hope you do too! Strongly recommend listening to Dandelions by Ruth B. while reading cause it came on while i was writing it and my heart went 💥

Monaco Grand Prix 2022:

After that one awful pitstop and the expletives that spilled out of Charles' mouth in pure anger and frustration as he got back on track, it all seemed unsalvageable in the monégasque's eyes. It was set in stone in his mind that this weekend would be nothing but a disappointing memory that he would have learn from only to store it away and ignore it for the rest of his life after that.

For now, he didn't really know how he'd end up dealing with the painfully fresh memory, but he knew one thing for sure: he didn't expect to look back on the weekend with a satisfied smile.

You had been watching the race from the pit lanes, switching between the Alpha Tauri garage and the Ferrari one so you would be able to listen to your two best friends' team radios. Your eyes furiously came back to the grid positions every few seconds as the race neared its end, anxiously watching for any changes in the positions.

You were in the Ferrari garage, red headphones on your ears so you could listen to Charles' radio when he was asked to box. That's when shit hit the fan and a rather good race turned into a disaster. Your body acted on its own, ripping the headphones off you ears, simply not bearing to hear Charles' angry, pained voice screaming curse words like he had nothing else to say. Because, let's be real, he probably didn't.

Your eyes closed as you realized how bad this was. It was almost painful, the silence that took over the room as Charles' name dropped down to P4. The thought of how much disappointment Charles was dealing with right now squeezed at your heart and made your throat dry.

You just let your legs carry you out of the Ferrari garage and you walked in silence towards the Alpha Tauri one, knowing that the atmosphere there wouldn't be much better but still desperately wanting to escape the heavy aura of the red-dominated room.

You stayed there until all the cars passed the checkered flag and Pierre appeared amongst his team members. He shook everyone's hands, a consoling attempt from both sides, then he finally reached you giving you a quick friendly hug that showed how much he appreciated your presence there.

You never knew what to say in these situations, so you just settled for a small "Hard luck." and a sympathetic smile. Pierre responded with a small nod and a half-hearted smile.

Seconds of silence dragged on as you and Pierre stood there.

"Vas à lui. Il a besoin de toi maintenant." Go to him. He needs you right now.

It was slightly selfish, but your heart wouldn't bear being around a disappointed Charles. You just knew you'd end up blurting out anything that would make him feel better, even if that meant spilling things you wanted to keep to yourself.

"He has Arthur and his mother with him. You're alone here, Pierre."

"No, y/n. He needs you by his side after today." He emphasized the 'you' in his statement. Even after the bad race he had, a glimmer of mischief sparkled in the French driver's eyes, twisting the meaning of his words in many confusing ways.

The questioning looks you gave Pierre made him give you a little push and a small, encouraging "Go!"

For some reason, Pierre's insistence made you hurl to the bright red garage, only to find it mostly empty except for some team members. Enough time had passed since the race. Charles had probably already passed by here and was probably even done with the media and press duties he had post-race.

Your shoulders slouched in a short-lived moment of surrender before you started sprinting to the motorhome, knowing that would be where you'd find Charles.

Thankfully, you were right. Charles was in his driver's room. He seemed to be picking up a few things and packing them in a duffel bag so he could head home.

"Charles..." You started but quickly found that your words were crushed under the weight of the situation.

He turned to look at you the second his name rolled off your lips. It might sound dramatic, but you could almost see his guard being let down, the unreadable look on his face quickly getting replaced by an honest, vulnerable one. He finally allowed his body to relax and he sat on the massage table behind him.

"I'm so sorry about today." You managed, taking a cautious step towards him.

Charles, when upset, usually kept to himself and bottled up all his feelings, so it was safe to say that you didn't expect his hand to wrap around your wrist nor for him to pull you in to stand between his parted legs.

"J'en ai marre de ça, y/n." I'm sick of this, y/n. He mumbled, pulling you close and hugging you around the stomach.

"Je sais." I know. You didn't have the right words to say so you just rubbed circles on his back with one hand and ran your fingers through his tangled hair with other, not caring that it was still slightly damp with sweat.

You hoped it helped him feel a little better, but you highly doubted that so you just let him stay wrapped around you for as long as he needed. You didn't mind staying that way until he decided he okay to pull away.

The staff, on the other hand, had other plans.

"Charles, i'm really sorry but they need to start deconstructing the motorhome." Someone spoke from outside the room. Charles pulled away, his expression scarily impatient, his eyes closed as he took a deep breath in attempt to calm himself down.

"C'mon." He disguised the urge to ask you to come home with him with the small word but you understood him and you didn't find one reason to why you shouldn't accompany him. If he needed you by his side, even if it was just as a friend, that is where you were gonna be. At least for today, you were willing to ignore your feelings for the guy that was currently guiding you out of the Ferrari motorhome towards the outdoors.

Once you were outside, you felt his hand wrap around yours. It shocked you enough that your gaze immediately shifted down to look at your hands. Charles, apparently just as surprised by his gesture, studied your face, trying so hard to read you expression and understand how you felt towards that. You didn't really know what reaction he wanted so you concealed all the feelings this gave you, keeping your expression neutral.

His lips pursed and he started making his way towards his black Ferrari. You followed him with a head swirling with a million thoughts.

The drive to his apartment was overruled by a comfortable but confused silence. Fans had stopped him on his way out of the parking space, waving at him but keeping a distance, clearly aware of the race results.

Once you reached your destination, Charles told you to make yourself at home before he disappeared into his bedroom.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower." He appeared in the doorframe, shirtless with a towel draped over his arm.

You nodded, looking away as you felt your cheeks blush. You saw him disappear again out of the corner of your eye.

Letting out a breath you were holding, you rid yourself of your light jacket and headed towards his kitchen to make him something to eat.

It was shocking how fast Charles' quick shower was. You didn't expect him to walk into the kitchen so soon, but there he was, hair still wet, watching you from one of the chairs by the kitchen table.

"You don't have to make food."

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

He nodded and thanked you before the room fell back into silence.

You were reaching to grab a plate when you heard Charles' voice again.

"I don't know why i feel like this is the right time to say this but I can't see you as a friend anymore."

His words immobilized you momentarily but you quickly recovered and spun around to face him.

"I'm sorry, what?" You didn't know if you were confused or hurt. Whatever it was that you were feeling, it wasn't good.

Here you were, keeping him company in his apartment after a bad race and making him food, trying to make up for his bad day and he still had the audacity to tell you he didn't see you as a friend anymore.

"I just can't be friends with you anymore," you didn't wait for him to finish. You dropped everything you had in your hands onto the counter and quickly started making your way back to his living room so you could grab your phone and get going.

However, his damn fast reactions kicked in and his arm wrapped around your waist just as you were gonna pass him.

He stood up before he continued his previously interrupted sentence.

"... i like you too much to be okay with being your friend. Je veux être beaucoup plus que cela." I want to be way more than that.

At this point, he didn't need to hold you back from walking away. That thought was long gone and instead, you quickly turned to face him. Your mind didn't register it fast enough because it just sounded too good to be true.

Pierre's insistence that you go to Charles after the race instead of staying with him suddenly started making sense.

You stared at your best friend in disbelief, you mind still processing the fact that he just said the words you thought you'd never hear from him. It seemed like you brain was too busy memorizing this moment instead of busying itself with coming up with a response.

You just stood there admiring the guy you've liked for so long, since both of you were children begging your parents to sleep over at each others' houses, and the look on his face as he expressed feelings you could've only dreamt he felt.

"Now would be the time to say something." He grimaced awkwardly, his mind already running over the list of ways this weekend could tumble even lower down the scale of catastrophe. He was desperately trying to get insight on wether or not this was a good idea.

Without even realizing what you were doing nor thinking the action through, your arms reached up and wrapped around his neck, inhaling the comforting scent of his shampoo and basking in the the comfort of being so close to him. At that moment, you literally felt him relax and exhale in relief, his own arms wrapping around your waist in a delicate embrace while he hid his face in your neck.

The fact that you could feel his heart beat against your own body gave you goosebumps all over. However, it seemed like for now the only thing you cared about was how amazingly safe you felt in his toned arms. It felt like that's where you belonged in the first place. It felt like home.

After that, Charles decided that eating on the table would put too much distance between the two of you so you ended up on his couch, your legs draped over one of his and two plates of food in your laps as he ranted about his day before he made sure to ask you about yours.

As it neared midnight, you started getting anxious about leaving alone this late, especially since you were getting sleepy.

"Charles, i really need to leave." You started getting up, but he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you even closer.

"Leaving? Why? Just stay here."

Previously, there were moments in your friendship with Charles where the limit lines blurred and you ended up cuddling in bed until both you fell asleep. You never thought it was weird since you had grown up around Charles and the both of you grew up thinking it was normal. Therefore, it didn't really make sense to him that you were planning to leave tonight after all that happened.

It barely took any convincing from his side before you were dressed in his sweats and cuddled up with him in his bed.

The night passed in a blur of confessions and sloppy kisses and before you knew it, sunlight came into the room uninvited, reminding you that even if you felt like the two of you were the only ones to exist in this world, reality still says otherwise.

You woke up to two text messages from pierre.

"I haven't heard from both u and Charles since yesterday so i guess last night went like i thought it would." The first text read, the other one being a string of winking emojis.

You didn't have time to respond since Charles, still mostly asleep, grabbed your phone out of your hand, dropped it onto the mattress and pulled you back into him as you giggled.

Silverstone Race week 2022:

A full month since monaco. A full month since you and Charles started dating.

Precisely, on the Wednesday before the british race, the 29th, a full month would've passed.

It was the Monday just before that. Charles was flying to you tomorrow, planning to spend the day here before the both of you head to Britain. Pierre, on the other hand flew in on Sunday just like you asked him to.

Throughout the past month, Charles had gone out of his way to spend as much time with you as was possible. The amount of dates he had managed to sneak into his schedule was absurd, especially since the dates involved one of you flying to the other. You wanted to do something nice for him. That's where Pierre, who was ecstatic when he found out the two of you were dating, came into play.

While watching a movie with Charles once, there was a scene where the two main characters went on a date on the beach right as sunset started. He had said that he's always wanted to try that so, naturally, you were planning to recreate that for him.

You saved up some money and rented out a section of a beachside restaurant, spilling some additional cash so they would give you full privacy and control over the space for a few hours. You insisted on the privacy part of the deal since your relationship with Charles was still a secret. No one other than Pierre and your families knew.

Along with your french best friend, you went shopping and got all the things you needed, from cooking ingredients down to small candles to decorate with.

Pierre stared complaining once he realized he was going to have to help you with all the cooking, but he still did it nonetheless, telling you that he expects any future Leclerc children to hold his name due to his big contribution in making the relationship happen.

"Dude, what the hell? We've been dating for a month! Easy on us, please." You had replied.

Tuesday noon, you climbed into your car and headed straight to the airport to pick up Charles. He met you in the parking lot and gave you the biggest kiss once he settled in your passenger seat.

As was planned, Pierre was nowhere to be found when Charles and you returned to your apartment. He was probably already finishing up the preparations of the things you had bought yesterday.

As sunset neared, you started bugging Charles that he should get up and get dressed because you wanted to show him a spot you discovered. After some bickering about that, he ended up putting on some white shorts and a loose beige button down. You couldn't help but smile as you realized he had unknowingly picked out the perfect outfit for what you had planned and that the color of his shirt was almost identical to the color of your sundress.

Halfway through the drive, you stopped on the side of the road to blindfold Charles with a bandana you brought with you. You also sent Pierre a quick message telling him he should disappear from the restaurant in about 5 minutes, then you resumed the journey.

"I don't like this, y/n. I'm getting nauseous." Charles had complained many times, even after you had parked your car and started helping him out of it.

"5 more seconds, i swear." You assured him as you guided him down the beach. Luckily, there was a pavement that gilded through the sand so he hadn't picked up on where you two were yet.

Once you reached the spot you and Pierre prepared, you turned around to make sure everything looked good before telling Charles to take off the blindfold.

It looked golden, in a way.

The sun was just about to start setting, its light harmonizing perfectly with the one coming from the littered candles and the lanterns paving the way to the dinner set up. Instead of setting up a table, you had used a big white tablecloth directly on the sand and placed many pillows and cushions on its edges. Right in the middle was the food Pierre had helped you prepare, distributed neatly on white plates. In a big bucket of ice on the side, there was a bottle of white wine ready to be served and just beside that, there was a bouquet of red tulips and white baby's breaths, the only pop of color that meets the eye.

You had chosen the tulips because they meant 'thank you' and you were thankful for Charles. The baby's breath, on the other hand, was a different story. The florist told you it symbolized everlasting love, and even though you have not said it before, but you loved Charles in a way that felt like it would most-literally define the meaning of the word "everlasting".

"You can open your eyes." You spoke after intertwining your fingers with his.

You watched Charles as he ripped the bandana off with his free hand, his expression completely changing as his eyes met the sight in front of him. His lips were parted and his eyes were glistening, his hold on your arm tightening.

"Oh mon dieu, y/n." Oh my god, y/n. He gasped.

"I don't know if you remember when you told me you wanted to go on a beach date, but i wanted to surprise you with one. Plus, tomorrow is the 29th, so it's been a month since Monaco, what means that we've-" he cut off your rambling with a passionate kiss, his lips feeling perfect against yours, an amazing combination of sweet and firm.

"Je n'comprend pas comment tu es si parfaite. Ça- Ça c'est magnifique, et toi... Mon dieu, tu es tout ce que j'ai toujours voulu." I don't understand how you're so perfect. This- this is amazing, and you... My god, you're all i've ever wanted. He said after breaking the kiss, pulling you as close to him as was possible, planting small kisses on your forehead between his words.

"Tu merite bien plus que ça, Charles." You deserve way more than this, Charles. You kissed his cheek and snuggled into his chest while he continued staring in disbelief.

Seeing him smiling like that was all you wanted out of life. Seeing his eyes glimmer with so much happiness made you want to spend forever making him happy. You were never superstitious nor religious but, standing right there with him made you want to beg every higher power and wish on every shooting star, passing airplane and dandelion that you'd get to spend the rest of your life with this man.

He looked over at you, his gaze making it hard to breathe while also setting your soul free and making your heart dance with utmost joy.

If the kind of love that comes once in a lifetime and sticks around until your very last breath actually existed, this was definitely it for you.

"I love you, Charles. I think i was already starting to in Monaco, but now i feel it so strongly and i just can't hold it in anymore." The words spilled out of your mouth once your body felt like it was overflowing with the love you felt for the man stood beside you.

To your relief, the words made Charles' smile grow.

"I love you too, mon ange." My angel. He kissed the top of your head. "Je t'aime tellement beaucoup plus que je ne le pensais possible." I love you way more than I thought was possible.

His words had such a strong effect on you. They made your heart want to escape its cage and leap towards his. You've just never felt happier.

After that, you both sat and ate.

Charles literally blushed when you gave him the flowers and explained their meanings to him. It nearly made your heart burst, seeing him so flustered over something you did.

You were sat between his legs, his arms wrapped around your shoulders in a loving embrace when he propped his phone up on one of the cushions beside him without you noticing, immortalizing the moment perfectly in a photo. You had your head tilted back slightly, your eyes closed and one your hands wrapped around his arm while the other reached behind you to cup his face as he kissed your cheek, your surroundings illuminated softly with the glow of lanterns and small candles.

The moment he showed you the picture, you fell in love with it, making him smile.

"How about we use it to let the world know? I just want post it in my story and brag about having you in my arms." He suggested in a tone that made it clear that he was just testing the waters. He wasn't going to pressure you into anything but he just wanted you to know he was ready to share this with everyone.

You quickly turned to look at him. You found him waiting for a response with full seriousness.

"You actually want to do that?"

He nodded, "As long as you want it too. We don't have to do it yet but I'll probably end up using this picture no matter when." He chuckled, looking back down at his phone screen.

You admired his smiling face and his blushed cheeks and asked yourself why you were hiding the fact that you get to call him yours from the world anyway. Looking at him alone made you grin like a lovesick idiot, for God's sake.

"Post it." You smiled and he looked up at you with so much love it nearly made you squirm.

"Tu es certaine?" Are you sure?

You nodded and kissed him.

Less than a minute later, he put his phone away, signifying that your relationship was now as public as it can get. You heart beat faster as both excitement and nervousness coursed through you, but Charles touch on your skin was quick to dispose of any negative thoughts.

When you were back home, you logged into instagram and hundreds of notifications rolled in.

You ignored them and just clicked on Charles' story to see what he had posted. Sure enough, the picture from earlier appeared on your screen, the only addition being very few words Charles added on the bottom corner.

"I don't think it gets better than this." The small text box read and right below it was your username, signifying that Charles had mentioned you.

You heart swelled at the little sentence he had chosen to add and you found yourself replaying the story over and over again before finally sharing in onto your own profile, the grin never leaving your face.

After that, you sent Pierre a quick message, inviting him over for breakfast tomorrow, thanking him repeatedly for his help and letting him know that everything went well.

"I know."

"I just liked his story." He replied, shamelessly referencing the many internet memes about him liking posts on instagram. It was funny, you couldn't deny that.

You sat and thought about the upcoming race weekend while Charles' singing voice sounding from the shower filled the apartment, grounding you and assuring you that this was in fact your reality, even if it felt too good to be true.

This weekend, you'd finally get to walk around the paddock with Charles without going out of your way to look like platonic friends like you had done the previous race. This weekend, you'd finally get to walk around with his hand in yours and with the whole world knowing that he was your boyfriend. The thought alone made your stomach fill with butterflies,

It seems like Charles was right after all. It doesn't get much better than this, does it?

How can it get better when this is already so perfect?

#charles leclerc imagines #f1 imagines #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc x you #charles leclerc one shot #charles leclerc oneshots #f1 x reader #charles leclerc drabble #charles leclerc blurb #f1 fic #f1 oneshots #f1 one shot #f1 x you #f1 imagine

[rainisawriter]

I saw your requests are open and I have a request for murayama🐥 If Murayama's girlfriend prefers her love language to him by writing poetry for him and giving small gifts (like a simple drawing,painted stone,necklace and etc.) A girlfriend who is a little afraid of contact in a relationship What would he be like in this relationship? What would he think of this love language Headcanon or oneshot is not important to me, can you write something about it＼ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ／

Genre: Fluff, slice of life

Word Count: 2,461

A/N: Let me just say that this is the best banner I’ve made in a while lol I really like it. Also, I realized halfway through this request that you wanted them to be dating already but I was in too deep to fix it T_T)/ I hope you don’t mind and I hope you still enjoy this~

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

The first time you met Murayama Yoshiki, you knew that he would become an important person in your life. Maybe you didn’t realize that he would become the love of your life, but you knew he would be important. There was just something about him that drew you in, like a fish unable to escape a whirlpool. Though, part of you wasn’t so sure you wanted to escape.

In the beginning, you weren’t sure how to get his attention but you knew you wanted it. You couldn’t just come out and say that you thought he was cute, so you did what you do best – you wrote him a poem and made him a bracelet to go along with it. Neither were anything fancy, but they had come from your heart and you hoped he would be able to sense that.

You couldn’t just waltz up to him and give it to him, though. He was the leader of Oya Koukou, always surrounded by guys who would lay their lives down for him. You didn’t feel quite so comfortable stepping into Oya, either, so you took a less direct route.

“Can you please give this to Murayama-san?” you smiled brightly, holding out the small box containing the two items, along with some cookies you had bought from the store. It was secured with a blue ribbon so the contents wouldn’t spill out.

Furuya and Seki exchanged a look, clearly unsure of how to feel about this situation. No one had ever been brave enough to come up to them unless they were looking for a fight and you were looking at them without fear. Rather, you were looking at them with kindness which caught them off guard. Oya students were never looked upon with kindness.

“Um…” Furuya cleared his throat, glancing at his friend before slowly taking the box from your hand. “Sure…”

“Thank you very much!” You smiled brightly, bowing to them before turning and rushing away.

The two men watched you blankly until you turned the corner.

“What if it’s a bomb?” questioned Seki, taking a step back.

Furuya scoffed, smacking him atop his bald head. “Don’t be an idiot.”

When Furuya finally presented the box to Murayama, the younger male wasn’t entirely sure how to feel. He assumed it was just a challenge letter or another glitter bomb. The latter made him pause in opening it, dark eyes shifting to the couch he sat upon. He was still finding glitter stuck to the fabric after the last one he had received and that was over two months ago.

With a scowl, he decided to head outside in order to open it, not wanting to have to clean up the mess again if it really was a glitter bomb. Not that he had actually put in any work the last time – it was mostly Furuya and the lower ranking among the part-timers.

Safely outside, he tugged the ribbon, letting it fall to the ground. When he lifted the lid, he could only blink at the contents, clearly confused. He reached for the neatly folded paper first, convinced that it just had to be a challenge letter, but it wasn’t. 

He certainly wasn’t the brightest kid at Oya, so the poem left him scratching his head, though he’d be lying if he said it didn’t elicit a warm reaction from within him. The bracelet was made of brown rope with a baseball charm in the center, surrounded by two blue beads on either side of it. 

The bag of cookies was snatched from the box by a grinning Seki but they were quickly taken back by the younger male, a scowl on his lips. His dark eyes fell on Furuya. “Oi, where did you get this?”

The tall man shrugged a shoulder. “Someone asked me to give it to you.”

“Who?”

“I didn’t get their name…”

Murayama exhaled in annoyance, his eyes returning to the poem. He wasn’t sure why, but every time his gaze slid across the words, it awoke a fluttering feeling in his chest. Though the full meaning was lost on him, he could understand a part of it. Whoever had written this clearly felt strongly about him, he could feel it in every stroke of the pen.

“Find them,” muttered Murayama, making the two older men exchange a look of surprise.

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“There, it’s done!” you grinned brightly, setting the paint brush down onto the table. Your hands and apron were covered in various colored paints but you didn’t mind – it was part of the creative process, after all! Sitting before you was the completed canvas, the colors vibrant and warm.

“Woah, that looks amazing,” commented your best friend. “Who is he?”

“Murayama Yoshiki.” The name felt nice on your tongue and you smiled warmly, admiring his silhouette in front of the school he adored so much. “Do you think he’ll like it?”

“He better,” she scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. “Any guy would be lucky to receive this as a gift.”

“Thank you,” you nodded proudly. “I think it’s my best work!”

“When are you going to -”

The doors of the art room were thrown open, causing both of you to whip around in surprise. Your friend looked terrified, her body tensing up as she slowly backed away.

You slowly stood up from the stool, blinking at Furuya and Seki. “What are you two doing here? How did you even find me?”

Your friend looked at you in shock, leaning toward you and hissing, “You know these two?!”

“Not personally, no,” you replied nonchalantly, shifting to the side so they wouldn’t see the painting.

Furuya stepped farther into the room, glancing around and wrinkling his nose. When was the last time he had been inside a classroom that wasn’t destroyed? Elementary school, perhaps? It felt strange to him.

“Murayama sent us to get you.”

Your eyes widened, heart skipping a beat. “W-What for?”

Your friend’s voice shook as she stepped toward you, fingers curling around your arm. “Y-You can’t just… just walk in here and kidnap people!”

“Hah?” His eyes narrowed at her, his tone enough to make her flinch.

“It’s okay,” you told her softly, offering her a reassuring smile and a pat on the hand. “They won’t hurt me.” ‘I hope,’ you found yourself thinking.

“Are you sure…?”

“Yes.”

“Come on, we don’t have all day,” scowled Furuya, though his voice lacked its usual bite. “We’ve been looking for you for hours and we’re hungry.”

“Sorry for the trouble,” you apologized. “Just one moment, okay?”

He watched you closely as you gathered your things and he didn’t miss how you hid the canvas from him, carefully wrapping it up with brown paper. You felt nervous as you followed the two large men from the school, hyper aware of the strange and terrified looks of your classmates. 

The worst your school ever saw was someone kicking the vending machine because their snack got stuck, so seeing these two obvious delinquents had everyone on edge, especially since you were following them. You kept your head high, though, smiling brightly to let everyone know you were okay. You hoped they wouldn’t sense your nervousness.

Arriving at Oya put you even more on edge because everyone was watching you, sizing you up to see if you were a fit challenge for them. You had no doubt in your mind that if Furuya and Seki hadn’t been with you, they wouldn’t have hesitated to attack you. As someone who couldn’t fight to save your life, you found yourself walking closer to Furuya for comfort.

The boys led you into the gym where Murayama was waiting, lying across the couch and tossing a ball into the air before catching it. Several groups of guys were scattered throughout the gym, all of whom looked at you with suspicion and confusion as you were led to the stage.

“We’re back!” announced Seki with a grin.

Murayama caught the ball, moving his head to the side. His eyes locked with yours and you felt your breath catch in your throat. You had seen him so many times before this, but it was always from a distance and never up close. Had he always been this pretty?

He slowly sat up, his feet pressing against the floor as he watched you. He lifted his hand, motioning for you to come closer but you were rooted to the spot, unable to tear your gaze away from those dark pools.

Furuya gave your shoulder a gentle shove, knocking you from your daze.

You clutched the painting to your chest as you slowly stepped closer, gaze on the ground in front of you.

“Oi,” called Murayama, his tone softer than you had expected. “Why did you give me these?”

Glancing up, you saw him holding the poem you had written. The bracelet was secured around his wrist, bringing a bright grin to your lips. “You’re wearing it!”

He tilted his head to the side. “That’s usually what people do with bracelets, yeah?”

“Yes, I just… I thought you might have thrown it away,” you admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck. “I’m really happy you kept it.”

Why was his heart picking up speed? He wasn’t sure, but it made him feel vulnerable and he didn’t like feeling that way. His eyes flickered to the brown package held protectively against your chest. “What’s that?”

You felt warmth flood your cheeks, grip tightening around the painting. Yes, you were quite proud of what you had created but… were you read to show it to him? Giving him the poem was easy because you weren’t there to see his reaction. If you showed him the painting now, you wouldn’t be able to avoid it if he didn’t like it. 

“It’s, um… it’s nothing! Just a school project,” you lied, laughing nervously.

Furuya scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. “It’s a painting.”

“You saw it?!” Your wide eyes snapped to him and he smirked.

Murayama’s eyes narrowed at the two of you, feeling jealous that Furuya knew what it was when you refused to show it to him. Clicking his tongue, he stood up and jumped down from the stage, closing the distance in just a few strides. He reached toward you without thinking and you winced, taking a step back.

His brow furrowed, hand falling back to his side. “Are you afraid of me?”

“No!” You replied quickly, shaking your head. “Sorry, I’m just not very good with being touched.”

“Oh.”

You nodded, biting your lower lip in thought. After a moment of silence, you slowly held out the painting. “I made this for you, Murayama-san. I hope you like it.”

His heart skipped a beat at how cute you are and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t happy to be receiving a gift from you. He took the package, careful not to touch your fingers as he did so. He tugged away the brown paper, dark eyes scanning the canvas.

You watched his expression carefully, but he remained stoic, causing you to bite your lip again. “You probably don’t like paintings, huh? I didn’t really think about it, I’m sorry.”

Though his face remained blank, there was a war zone going on inside of him. He was absolutely touched by the painting you had done of him. He was touched by the bracelet and the poem. He couldn’t remember a time he had felt happier, though he knew taking over Oya was a close second.

“I love it,” he breathed out, eyes shimmering with sincerity as he stepped closer to you.

A bright smile came to your lips and he was sure it had just brightened the room. “I’m so glad!”

“Why are you giving me these things?” Murayama was dumb, but he wasn’t that dumb. He had a good idea of the answer, but he wanted to hear you say it. He wanted to be sure.

“Ah, well…” you rubbed the back of your head, cheeks warming. “I really like you, Murayama-san.”

“Yoshiki. Call me Yoshiki.”

You felt like you were going to burst with happiness. “Yoshiki-san, then.”

He adored the way his name sounded coming from you and he wanted to hear it again. His mind was racing as he tried to grasp onto the words he wanted to say. He just wanted to ask you out on a date, it couldn’t be that hard! Yet the words continued to escape him, much to his frustration.

“Yoshiki-san?”

“What?”

You hesitated for a moment. “Will you…”

His heart skipped a beat. Were you about to ask him out?

“…look at the painting tonight? In the dark, I mean.”

His heart dropped, a frown tugging at his lips. “Why?”

“Please?” You pressed your hands together, giving him a pleading look that he couldn’t being himself to say no to.

“Fine.”

“Thank you!” You glanced at your watch and clicked your tongue. “I have to go, but don’t forget, okay?”

Before he could utter a word, you turned on your heel and rushed away. Murayama’s frown deepened as he looked at the painting. What was so special about looking at it at night? It made no sense.

Then again, nothing about this situation made any sense to him.

That night, he waited for the sky to darken before he slipped away from the gym, painting in hand. He headed into an empty classroom, not turning on the light and nearly tripping over a desk lying on the floor. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, kicking it out of the way.

It was then that something caught his eye. Something was glowing a faint green in the darkness. He slowly lifted the painting, squinting at the words. Painted in the bottom corner with glow in the dark paint were the words, will you go out with me?

He scoffed in disbelief, the corners of his lips sliding upward. What a cheeky little thing you were! 

To him, you were strange. He didn’t understand poetry or painting or making bracelets. He didn’t understand why you liked him or how you had come to do so, but he admired the fact that you had approached Furuya and Seki without fear. 

You didn’t look at any of them with disgust or fear, just kindness. People were always quick to judge those at Oya, and rightfully so, but they were rarely ever given a chance. You were willing to give them one.

Murayama smiled as he leaned against the window sill, the cool night air ruffling his hair. He could definitely picture you as the queen of Oya, as his queen. 

“I hope you’re ready,” he hummed softly. “Tomorrow, I make you mine~”

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High&Low Masterlist

Request Rules

All my fanfics

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#high&low #high and low #murayama yoshiki #high & low #oya koukou #ask #answered #request #anon #Rains ficography

[fe-fictions]

Any more Felix to share!!!

(How about Felix getting possessed!!!!!)

After the war had ended, you were finally safe. Dimitri had come back into himself, and was a fine king. Peace and unification was spreading all throughout Fodlan, but one problem remained.

Those Who Slither were still active. Underground, but very much alive. 

Dimitri had assigned you and Felix to this task; a very humble king had bowed before the Archbishop, requesting the Church’s aide in his mission.

You accepted without a second thought. Felix wasn’t thrilled with the idea of helping Dimitri, but a fight was a fight. He’d been itching for some battle (even if he wouldn’t admit to it).

So you were on the way to the first location, a secret bunker that was deep underground, filled with confusing tunnels and venues that you weren’t sure led to anything good.

No, it was very clear TWSITD weren’t done.

At most, they were regrouping. Planning their next attack, and who to work through in order to do it. The Adrestian Empire was long gone- now it was just a matter of who to choose, next.

You and Felix subdued them quickly, your militia of Blue Lions following without hesitation. 

The scouts were removed first, Ashe and Annette quick to locate and purify any curses or traps they detected, and it was a stealthy, swift method of thinning their numbers quickly.

When you were finally discovered, though; that’s when the real battle began.

Felix fought like Hell beside you, and it’d be a lie to say you weren’t impressed. The man had insurmountable skill, and it pleased you beyond measure to see him so elegantly destroying the enemies in his path. 

It was going flawlessly, with minimal injuries. 

But things never went this well. You exchanged a glance with Felix as you took down the last mage in sight. Something was off.

You pushed forward with great caution. The tunnels were best described as catacombs, dark and difficult to navigate through for fear of getting lost.

There was no telling what was lurking around the corner. 

Felix noticed the light first.

There was a flicker on your left side, targeting you from behind a pillar meters away. He gasped, grabbed your arm and pulled you out of the way. 

Magic erupted from the catacomb, slamming into his chest. Felix flew backwards, nearly taking you with him.

“Felix!!” 

Your voice echoed after him, his body crashing into the wall with an unholy crack before he crumpled to the ground. Your heart dropped like a stone. You moved to chase after him, but the cries of panic from your comrades stopped you.

There were dozens more of them. They were closing in around you.

“Defensive positions!” You shouted back to them, gripping your sword tight. You rushed down the corridor, reaching Felix’s body. He had managed to push himself onto his hands and feet, but he was shaking violently.

What did that mage hit him with?

“Are you okay, Felix? C-can you stand-”

“No,” His voice was mangled. He sounded violently strained, the convulsing getting worse. You touched his back, but he struck your hand away.

It stung with the sudden violence, shocking you. 

“Felix…?”

“Get back-” He curled in on himself, blood oozing from his lips. A curse mark glowed red on his back, bright and dangerous. “I c-can’t control-”

“Professor!!” Annette’s cry forced your attention away from him, “Get away! It’s a curse!!” 

When you turned back, there was a sword swinging towards your face.

With a gasp you stumbled back, barely keeping your nose. He didn’t skip a beat; he struck at you again and again, each attack more violent than the last.

You could hear the Lions scrambling to reach you, but none could give aid. You were outnumbered, and they needed to defend themselves before they could get to you.

Those Who Slither had created the perfect trap.

“Maintain!!” You shouted back to them, unsheathing your sword to block Felix. A violent clang resounded in the darkness, the sparks illuminating his face.

His eyes were flooded with black magic; Felix himself was nowhere to be seen.

You steeled yourself with a sharp breath. His strength was multiplied, the curse fueling him to complete his mission. You needed to take him down before he reached the rest of the group. 

You clashed blades back and forth, refusing to give even an inch of room. The space was small, doing all you could to keep distance between him and the rest of the Lions.

They were preoccupied with those mages; if he was to enter the fray with them, it was only a matter of time before his strength overwhelmed them.

He nearly had you beaten. 

The way he was hitting at you, it was as though he were trying to cut through the blade, itself. You could feel the handle biting into your skin with every assault.

Each time you could see his face, the deeper your heart sank. He was so far gone, lost deep in the magic. 

But he wasn’t lost.

“Felix-” You hissed his name, teeth grit as you bore the brunt of his strength over and over. “I know you’re in there. Y-you have to fight this!”

“......”

“If you don’t, everybody dies-”

His breath stuttered, a millisecond’s hesitation before he lunged at you again. Your eyes widened at the sight. 

He was fighting.

“We have to find the mage that cursed him- if we defeat them, we can stop the curse!” Annette rushed to tell you, breaking away from her duel to come to your aid.

“Can you find them?” You grunted as you absorbed another blow. A distorted growl fell from Felix’s lips. 

“Yes.” 

“Go,” You charged Felix, forcing him off balance, “I’ll keep stalling!!”

The battle was dragging on too long. Every time you started to get an upper hand, Felix’s possession gave him an inhuman strength that you didn’t know how to handle. It was far too much for you to handle. He was going to overwhelm you if it kept going. 

Every parry, every counterattack you launched, he was beating you back. 

The critical strike fell when he struck his blade close to your hilt. The crack of bone reverberated in your body. He broke your wrist.

You cried out, your hand numb as pain rocketed up your arm. Felix smashed the sword from your hands, disarming you. He swept your legs out from under you, sending you to the ground.

“Professor!!” Mercedes’ panic alerted the Lions. The Archbishop was in dire straits.

“Quick, someone- gah!” Sylvain took a blast of magic to the shoulder in his panic to get you help. They were still struggling. 

You hadn’t given them enough time.

Felix would attack them from behind, while they were distracted and unable to defend against the mages and their possessed ally. 

You had walked straight into a trap...and you were going to die.

Felix stood over you, the sword quaking in his hands. 

“Felix...p-please…” You choked out, clutching your wounded hand to your chest.

The sword rose over his head, preparing to take yours. His whole body was trembling, but it was no use. It was clear the power had overwhelmed him. 

This was the last you’d see of your husband. 

You closed your eyes, accepting your fate. There was little anyone could have done. If only you’d seen it before him. Maybe something could have changed.

Maybe-

“Raaagh!!” 

Your eyes flew open at the clanging of metal. The sword clattered to the ground from Felix’s hands. The cry had echoed through the catacombs, catching the attention of enemy and ally alike.

Felix remained standing, if only for a moment, when his eyes returned to their natural color. He spared you a weary, frightened look...and then he crumbled to the floor.

“Got him!!” Annette exclaimed from far away, waving frantically to get your attention, “The mage is down!! Is Felix-??”

“He’s…” You trailed off, returning to your husband. He wasn’t moving at all. With a cautious touch, you inched towards him, your fingers barely brushing his back. He didn’t slap you away, not this time.

He was breathing, but unconscious, you realized upon turning him over.

Blood seeped from his lips, staining his skin and clothes. His expression was troubled, as though in a great deal of pain. There were tears that trailed from closed eyes.

But he wasn’t gone.

“He’s alive.” You croaked, bringing some relief to the Lions. It was time to end the battle. With Felix’s curse removed, you could at least try and finish things against the remaining mages. 

Shaken by the loss of what you presumed to be their leader, they started losing the upper hand. 

You returned to the Lions and assisted in bringing about swift justice, refusing to let them escape. There would be no survivors. Not after what they did to your husband.

It took longer than you wanted it to, but the battle was ended, and the enemy was extinguished. Everyone was exhausted, in no shape to be fighting any longer and in desperate need of medical assistance.

The trek back to camp would be longer than the journey to your mission, but as everyone hobbled back, eventually you were able to find relief. 

You followed alongside Sylvain’s horse, Felix carried alongside his oldest friend.

Ingrid helped him bring Felix down, and the pair carried him to the medical tent. You followed to be treated of your own wounds, your wrist pain flaring angrily now that the adrenaline had subsided and you were once again safe.

You sat beside your husband and waited patiently for him to wake. Ashe set your wrist, wrapping it tightly while Mercedes worked to mend the bone.

Your eyes remained on your husband the entire time.

“Don’t...don’t worry, Archbishop. He’ll be all right. Once we get him cleaned up and patch his wounds up, he’ll be back to normal in no time.”

You smiled at Ashe, though it was far too weak to be reassuring.

“I appreciate your comfort. I’m afraid my concern isn’t his recovery; it’s his reaction once he wakes.”

He nodded in understanding, the rest of your healing done in silence. Your gaze remained fixed on your husband, taking his hand in yours. 

You decided to stay with him until he woke up. Once he was with you again, then you could allow yourself to feel relief.

Until then, all you could do was wait.

-------------------------

“...eth…”

“...y...h!!”

“...By...Byleth!!”

“Byleth!!”

You were startled awake by a loud voice in your ear. It was almost a command. A cry. 

You woke suddenly, finding your neck and back stiff. You’d leaned against the bedside and fallen asleep beside Felix.

But now there was a hand tightly squeezing your shoulder, and you were staring into the tearful eyes of your Felix.

He was awake.

And he...was crying…?

“F-Felix…”

“The hells is wrong with you-!” He took your arm and yanked you forward, crashing into his chest. His arms were bound around you, squeezing you tight against him. You could feel the trembling in his fingertips, almost clawing into your skin.

He clung to you for all he was worth. His breathing was ragged, as though desperately trying to keep himself together and he was failing miserably.

You reciprocated his embrace without hesitation. 

“It’s okay, Felix.” You whispered, kissing his neck chastely. “It’s all right. I’m here.”

“I could’ve killed you.” His voice was a mangled growl, cracking and breaking off at the end of his nightmarish realization. “I almost took your head, and I-”

“Shhh, love. Shhh…” You stroked his hair, which had been freed from his ponytail and was a tangled mess like the rest of him. But he shook his head. 

“I couldn’t fight that damn curse. I tried...so hard...I was worthless. I c-couldn’t do anything, a-and I…”

“It’s not your fault.” You murmured, “None of it is your fault.”

“It was like a nightmare.” He sucked in a sharp breath, desperately fighting the whimper that escaped his lips. You hugged him closer. “I was watching you fall by my hand. It wasn’t like a spar. It was a fight to the death- and you almost lost.”

“Annette found the mage in time, and I was able to hold you off.” You reminded him gently, but again he shook his head. He swallowed thickly, but the lump in his throat wouldn’t go away.

“You don’t understand, I-I...Byleth I couldn’t fight it. I had to watch you lose. You could have died by my hand-”

“Darling…” You cooed, gingerly slipping from his arms. He stared up at you with such a hopeless gaze, it nearly broke your heart in two. 

Tears were streaming down his face, the brokenness in his expression haunting. You had never seen such a thing, before. You cupped his cheeks, holding his face in your hands with the sweetest smile you could muster.

“You did what you could. No one blames you for what happened. You protected me from that curse, and we all walked away from that battle victorious. I’m sorry you had to experience all of that. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, and to think you had to suffer through it...I’m so sorry.”

Felix looked away, his hands clenched into the blankets. You stroked his cheeks tenderly, wiping away the droplets that followed. 

“But please...please don’t blame yourself. What you suffered was cruel, and out of your control. You did a wonderful thing, protecting me. I will forever be grateful for that.”

“But I…” He took your forearm, looking down at the bandages around your wrist. “Look what I did to you. Imagine how much worse it could’ve-”

“It wasn’t.” You reminded him, interrupting the spiral. You covered his hand with your own, drawing his gaze back to you. “I was hurt, but I’m healing. I’m grateful you didn’t do worse, and you should be, too. What matters is that I’m here, now, and you’re all right. There’s no need to worry about the hypothetical.”

“Hm…” He was dejected. “I...want to believe that. I just…”

“You suffered greatly.” You understood his pain, squeezing his hand softly. “I know you can’t wipe it away that easily.”

“I just...I need time.” He huffed, lowering his head. Wordlessly you shifted closer, and held his head to your chest, embracing him with the gentle, loving touch that only you could give him. A touch that saw his breath hitch, and his eyes fill with tears once more.

“Take all the time you need, my love.” You whispered, welcoming his trembling embrace once more. 

Felix choked back a sob, clinging to you for dear life.

“I-I’m...so...glad you’re still here.”

Drops of rain fell into Felix’s hair. You held him closer.

“I am, love. I’m here.”

“I’m not losing you, too.” He whispered weakly, but the fire of a solemn vow burned beneath his sorrow. 

“Never, Felix.”

A kiss touched his forehead. 

“I’ll always be here.”

#felix #byleth #fe 16 #fe three houses #fe3h #fire emblem three houses #felileth #felix x byleth #fe fictions #fe-fictions #f!byleth #fem!byleth #f!mu #angst #possession prompt #hurt and comfort #but mostly hurt #because felix is just a WRECK boye

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for saving my grandchild's life?

After the brutal murder of my mother several years ago, I ([redacted]F) have been trying my best to lead this continent in the best way I can think of to avoid such a tragedy happening again. Given the horrific nature of her death as part of a genocide led against our people, all I have left is some... relics related to her, one of which is a very precious... stone. I'm not going to go into details here, but over the course of the years since her death, I believed I had found a way to revive her using this stone. I created a series of homonculi in the hopes that, given a vessel, the remnants of my mother housed within this stone could come back to life. This turned out not to be true; instead of becoming a living recreation of my mother, the homonculi developed their own personalities. This was disappointing, but I accepted that perhaps some things just weren't meant to be, and allowed them to live as normal humans. The last of my attempts, my now-beloved daughter S (20F), had a weak heart, and so I realised that removing the stone from her body would be life-threatening. It seems the strange properties of my mother's stone have the side effect of stimulating a proper heart rhythm. I, of course, have made her aware of this, as I feel like it would be wrong to hide such crucial medical information from her. Recently, S has fallen in love with and married the captain of my personal army, J ([redacted]M), a young man of great character, who has saved my own life before. When I heard they were expecting a child, I was overjoyed. Unfortunately, S's weak constitution made the pregnancy incredibly difficult for her. It was clear she would not survive the birth and, when her child was born without a heartbeat, she begged me to take the stone from her heart and use it to save her baby. Although distraught, I complied with my daughter's final wishes and managed to save the child (B, 0X). It seems, however, that using the stone on a natural-born human may have had some interesting effects. Not once has anyone heard the child cry, or even so much as whimper. Frankly, I can understand why this might be unsettling, especially in a new-born, but considering the child is otherwise perfectly healthy, I don't believe this is anything to worry about. J, though, refuses to understand this. I suspect his response is likely due to the grief of losing his wife (he does not seem to recognise that I have also lost my daughter) combined with the stress of becoming a first-time single father. I have been doing my best to assist with the child (my grandchild!), but he is accusing me of having done "something terrible" to the baby and insinuating that I chose to kill my beloved S. I know this situation is hard on him, but it's hard on me, too, and I don't know how to explain to him that all I did was follow his wife's dying wishes to save the child's life. Since he seems to be determined that I am somehow at fault for this, I have to ask: AITA?

Edit: A fire broke out in the monastery last night. Although it was brought under control, both J and B have disappeared without a trace. I fear the worst.

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

[doublerainbow-if]

How would the RO’s react if in deep crushing stage they saw the MC had a hickey?

M isn't surprised. After what they done to you, leaving you in that mess of a home without contact or support, they understand why you wouldn't want to be with them. It hurts still despite understanding your reasoning. A part of them felt that maybe you forgave them and even like them back. But they have been wrong before. They look at the flowers on their arms, more daunting than ever, as maybe they were just not meant to be somebody. Athena is only one to see the tears flowing down from M eyes.

L hates this. They shouldn't feel this way. They're your best friend first, not a jilted suitor. God B has been influencing them again. They love you, they known this since the beginning. Not having a name for the feeling in their chest until you had settled down and no longer having the chaotic surroundings to distract from what they should have known from the beginning. Why didn't they say something? Why didn't they do something? Why can't they be happy for you? Millions of conflicting thoughts are warring in their head at the thoughts of you. Why aren't they happy for you? That single question is the one to break them.

B is a dying inside. They show their support of you finding someone at last. That's why you'll let someone get so close to you right? They are so happy for you, their smile straining on their face as their eyes burn. The moment you leave, they run. They run, run, run, until they get to their apartment. It's not healthy for them to take off to here to have an attack but at least they have peace and privacy. Quickly stuffing their face with a pillow to scream all of their pain and sadness out. Get rid of the encompassing feeling of despair in their chest as you slip away from them. The two of you weren't to be. You finally found your happily ever after while they are left behind. It's a grim fairytale then. The broken chuckle cut through the sobbing as Peter press himself against their side.

J is angry. The normally mellow person is actually angry at you. They send you away from their office, their eyes are harden into stone as the anger leaks from their being. The pen in their hand finally snaps from their tight grip, spilling ink all over hand and the documents in front of them. They mutter a curse under their breathe at the mess in front and swiveled around to the wide window in their office. They haven't felt like this in ages. Not since, they traced the marks not hidden by their tattoos. They don't want to be anger at you as you did nothing wrong. But they still want to rage so much. After finally letting their love again, it gets stomped all over again. They need to leave before they something they regret. They avoid any eye contact with you as the sight of that thing on your neck again will only make it worse.

V is ready to fight. They shouldn't be like this. They don't have a right to you, you don't even know their feelings. But it doesn't calm the hatred in their heart. They let you into their heart, walked right in with no barriers or anything. The look in your eyes in those private intimate moments, they thought you had felt the same about them. Did they mistake something else for affection? Are that desperate for somebody to love them? After what they did? Are they the fool? All of that self hatred boils in their body, unleashing unto you. V hates themselves for feeling this way but they want you to feel it too. They are a fool for falling for you in the first place. A fool who should have known. Why did they open up to you? They will hate you from now on just to escape their own inner self hatred.

C is outwardly proud of you. You finally got together with someone who isn't your soulmate. Showing their pride in how you took their teachings and actually put them into pratice. But that bitterness in their mouth is not going away no matter how many times the wish it so. They had hope you would come to them for this. They were your relationship coach in a sense and would have helped you in practicing. That's all they wanted is for you find them first. But that tight feeling in their chest is not growing away after denial and denial. They wouldn't fall in love, there's no sense for it in this world. They're not in love.

Avery is crushed. All of that self doubt and hatred comes rushing in at the sight. They had hope that they could be somebody to someone. Not the Remington heir, the art investor, beloved patron, or whatever other titles they are given. You were the first one to treat them normally. A helping hand in a time of darkness for them. They saw some of your glances and caressing eyes, and maybe you did like them back. They want to believe so badly, remembering when you hold hands and the little games you'll play. What have they done to deserve this?

Kahula is going to find this person. They are not the one for you, it hurts just of thinking of that, and they need to meet the one who was so close to you. They have to be the best for you even prefect as you deserve the gold standard. They take their role as protective sibling to heart and act in your best interests. But they know they are also being selfish. They want you to look at them with your loving eyes, you tongue and teeth, your face, just everything about you. They also want to know how they stack with these new partmer. They want to change themselves so you'll focus on them but they hate wanting to go through with it. They are not your partner and they shouldn't be a jealous fool. Why are they like this. Is this truly for your sake othere's.

#double rainbow- if #ros #The infamous hickey ask #thanks for the ask! #angst

[avatar-obsessed-girl]

For The Best | Miles Quaritch

This story will eventually contain smut and violence MDNI (18+)

Chapter 1

Word count: 2.4k

Multiple part series —> [ 1 ]

Visual of Kxani

Ikran screeched echoing through the forest along with the beat of their wings. You were flying next to Neteyum and Lo’ak behind Jake and Neytiri. It was surprising to say the least the boys were joining this attack mission. Jake had always not trusted their abilities, it was only till you and Jake got into an argument about it he let them join. It wasn’t uncommon for you two to fight, you were both strong willed and warrior just with two different perspectives.

With your bow in hand and visor on you looked over and yiped to the two boys. Lo’ak smiled and raised his bow in return but Neteyum showed nothing. You flicked your Ikran wing over to him which brought a smile. You always knew how to get to him. To the children you were the cool aunt that wasn’t really an aunt. After the battle between the sky people you decided to stay with the Omatikaya and it didn’t take long to become close with the Sullies.

“Ground team go” you heard Jake say through your ear piece

The next thing you knew the train exploded off course and neytiri already took out one aircraft. The other one was left to you. You summoned your Ikran to bite and throw the person through the middle, leaving time for you to jump aboard and bust through the door to the pilot. Giving them a stab, only to run back off and jump out the side getting caught by your Ikran. You searched the air for the boys only to find them on the ground. Something told you it was Lo’aks doing.

You cursed looking ahead to see another aircraft launching a missed right at the boys. You swooped down to see Jake had found Lo’ak and told him to run. You didn’t let him get far before you picked him up from the claws of your Ikran.

“Kxani let me go!” He yelled over the wind

“When you quit being a skxawng I will!” You yelled back

It wasn’t until his Ikran was below you you dropped him so he could fly by himself.

“I hope your ready for the ass whipping” you said only to receive an eye roll

The flight back was anxious and awkward; you could practically feel Jake’s anger. As you approached high camp the familiar arrival horn got blown and echoed through the caves. It felt good to be home when you landed next to Neytiri. Tuk immediately hugged her mom then you. You picked her up and set her on your hip. She began to mess with your tooth necklace.

“Your brothers are in trouble” I whispered setting her down

You walked over to Spider and ruffled his hair. Over the years you and Spider grow close. He even called you his parental figure sometimes. You took great joy in these words when he expressed them, you never had a mate or love interest. Even though he was different he was yours and you always looked after him. Putting an arm on his shoulder you lead him away from Lo’ak who was visibly pissed after getting yelled at.

“How was it while I was gone?” You asked in English

“Meh didn’t do anything” he responded

From the tone of his voice you could tell he was disappointed he couldn’t go. Then again he would never be able to, his sadness laid stones in your heart.

“How about we go exploring tomorrow?” You noticed how he perked up at your words

“Can we bring Kiri?” He asked

It was obvious the way the boy had a crush on Kiri. The way he stared at her when she wasn’t looking or when she helped him apply his blue stripes. You thought it was cute.

“Of course” you smiled “maybe even Lo’ak so he feels better”

—————————————————————————

Lo’ak and Spider whooped and yelled as they jumped from vine to vine, leading the group. It was you, Kiri, Tuk, Lo’ak, and Spider. More than you wanted to bring but you couldn’t say no to her cute pouty face. Spider and Lo’ak carried a bow with arrows while you only stuck to your knife. As the group ran along a big branch Tuk got distracted by a plant and got yelled at by Lo’ak.

“Tuk keep up!” He yelled

“Bro why did you even bring her anyways” Spider laughed

You flicked him in the head for his tone

“She’s such a cry baby” he said “your not allowed on the battlefield, I’ll tell mom if you don’t let me come!” Lo’ak mocked

“Don't pick on her” Kiri scolded the two for laughing

“You're just jealous she’s cuter than both of you” you chuckled hoping down onto the ground as a bone caught your eyes.

“Do you really need more teeth aunt Kxani?” Lo’ak sighed

“You can never have enough!” You looked over to see Tuk beside you also inspecting the tooth. It was a baby nantang tooth that one must have dropped. You handed it to her “This one's for you Tuk” you smiled putting into her hand.

The girl ran off to find her sister as the boys inspected a fallen helicopter. Unfortunately your gathering was cut short by the search for Kiri. She must have wandered off again like she always did. Spider was the one to find her in the end. On the way back Lo’ak stopped to look at tracts.

“Bro what is it?” Spider asked

“way to big for a human” Lo’ak paused “avatars but definitely not ours”

“What are you doing?” Kiri asked in a sharp tone

”shhh tracking” he retorted causing kiri tail to flick in irritation

Your heart raced the further you went, there were many tracts meaning it was a group. The sounds of talking reached your ears. You slowly unsheathed your knife, soon a group of bodies came into view.

“We need to leave now” you hissed

”bro we have got to check this out” Lo’ak smirked as he and spider moved forward

Tuk urged to go forward but you held her back, she pouted but stayed and hugged Kiri’s arm. It wasn't long before the two were back. You touched your fingers to your neck.

“Devil dog, devil dog this is echo wave over” you say

“echo wave send your traffic” jake replies

“we got eyes of some avatars, there’s six of them, over” you reply

”What's your position?” He asked

You glare at Lo’ak and sigh “we’re at the old shack”

”Who’s we?” He asked annoyance thick in his voice

“Me Spider, Lo’ak, Kiri” you paused “and Tuk”

”You listen to me very carefully Kxani, get out of there”

"See i told you!" Kiri said, rubbing it in his face

"Kiri stop" he hissed

"It almost eclipse come on-" Tuk started to say before she got grabbed by a avatar

Within moments you were all surrounded by these invaders. All of them yelling to put the weapons down. You threw your knife down on the ground.

"Put them down now" you said in Navi to the spider who thought he could fight back because his bow was still in the air.

As soon as he laid it down everyone got grabbed by their queues and pushed down onto their knees. Tuk cries made your heart ache, you hated hearing her like that. Fortunately Kiri got her to calm down the best she could.

The leader went around looking at everyone's fingers. He inspected yours only to see that I had 3. You hissed at him and bared your teeth. As a warning only for it to be met by a tug on your queue. He went over to loak next.

"Show me your fingers" the leader demanded in a low voice

Lo'ak being the smart ass he is raised his middle fingers up which only cause the leader to laugh at him "you his aren't you"

Lo'ak hissed at the invader

He grabbed him from the other invader. "Where is your father" he asked with a snarl

"Sorry I don't speak english to assholes" Lo'ak responded in Navi

"Where is your father" the leader responded back in Navi

As the leader pulled a nice out at him and tears went down your cheek as the male pointed his knife at kiri. Spider thrashed and yelled though it being nothing compared to the strength of an avatar. You whimpered at his struggle.

“What’s your name kid” the male asked

“Spider” he paused “Socorro”

The man gazed at him unbelievably because kneeling down to his level “miles?” He asked

“nobody calls me that” Spider spat

”well i thought they sent you back to earth” the male

“you can put babies is cryo dipshit” Spider said

It wasn't until then that you knew this avatar was Spider's father. Anger swelled inside you. This man had led the humans into war and abandoned his son. His son in which you cared about very much.

“You are a pathetic excuse of an avatar” you hissed out bringing the attention to yourself.

The mane got up and walked over to you. Looking you deeply into the eyes, before turning away again and speaking into his ear piece. They then dragged everyone to the shack and placed handcuffs on your wrist. You stared at the bright orange bands and could already feel the circulation in your wrists slowing. You looked over to see the tall man watching a video on a screen. It plays a video of the battle between him and Jake. You watched with a smirk as the last scene played, with Neytiri shooting him with 2 arrows to the chest. The man picked up his old skull crushing in between his fingers.

“Destroying the evidence does not destroy the burden” you said

“So she does speak English” he smiled dusting off his hand

You said nothing in response and only turned the other way. You felt awkward under his eyes, his intimidating gaze pierced through your back. After an hour the day transformed to night and it began to rain. You were forced to your feet and held close by your queue by one of the avatars. Every tug sent a sting down your spine. Though the pain was quickly ignored by a whoop in the distance. Neytiri was close, she and Jake were coming to save them. Your ears flicked with every call. And soon all hell broke loose.

An arrow hit an avatar next to Kiri and Spider. Killing them instantly, Lo'ak did something to make green gas disburse everywhere. As Kiri and Spider began to run away another avatar grabbed her. Only to be shot by another one and Neytiri's arrows. Lo'ak and Tuk bit their way to freedom and ran. You threw your head back and slammed it into the avatar behind you, causing his grip to faulted and you to escape. You caught up with Kiri and Spider. You looked up.

“Go! Climb!” You yelled

As the three of you quickly escalated into the trees, explosions went on around you. One knocked Spider out of the tree. Neytiri appeared next to you trying to drag Kiri and you away.

“Im sorry sister” you told her before jumping from branch to branch to get closer to spider, who was already surrounded

You jumped down on one man, knocking him to the ground before punching another in the face the best you could with your conjoined hands. It wasn't long before you were restrained once again. Spider was slung across the leader's shoulder and the same was done to you as you thrashed, screamed, bite, and punched. But it was no luck, you had gotten captured. As you got into the ship a ship sting went into your arm causing you to grow more tired by the second. Soon the world went dark.

—————————————————————————

You woke up to blinding lights streaming into your face. You tried to cover your eyes but found your arms and legs were locked into place.

“Ah good morning sweetheart” a voice said

You knew it from somewhere, but you couldn’t place who it was. With your vision still not working and your memory foggy you didn't form a response.

The man chuckled “where’s that sharp tongue now?”

Then it all came back like a hammer hitting your head. You hissed and thrashed against your restraints.

“Let go of me, demon!” You screamed

To your surprise it worked, your restraints unhooked and you got to your feet setting yourself into a low crouched position. While baring your teeth the man only chuckled and slowly walked towards you. The clicks of the teeth hanging from your tail echoed into the room. You lunged, only to get caught and pushed up against the wall with the man holding you arms above your head by your sensitive wrists. You yelled in frustration.

“So feisty” the man said “ i like it”

he then yanked you off the wall and led you out of the room. You saw Spider being dragged away to his cell passing you.

“My son!” You yelled “let him go”

it wasn't until later you realized you called him your son. You have never called him that before. You thrashed against the avatars. But no matter how hard you tried, your strength was nothing compared to theirs. They drug you along like nothing. Soon you were strapped to a vertical table. Your head was locked in place as she looked around and hissed at every human around you.

Only the vibrations of the machine cause you to stop. Soon a green light flashed and swirled around you. It stung your eyes causing them to water. If this is what they did to Spider, you understood why he looked the way he did. You shut your eyes tightly and gritted your teeth. You heard a woman speak to you but you paid no mind to her.

Soon you started to scream in pain. Your eyes felt like they were being pulled from your skull. Your body shook frantically from your muscles tensing for so long. Finally they removed you, your screaming must have annoyed them too much. The last face you saw before you passed out was the leaders that you still didn’t know the name of.

“You scream like a banshee, sweetheart” he said

This was the last thing you heard before you passed out.

———————————————————————————

Thank you for reading! <3

#recom quaritch #avatar #avatar 2 #miles quaritch #colonel quaritch #quaritch x reader #no use of y/n

[feudalconnection]

The Nomination Period for the 4th Quarter 2022 Inuyasha Fandom Awards is now CLOSED!!

Hey everyone! 

Below the cut you’ll find a complete list of all the nominations received for this quarter!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this quarter for taking the time to do so. We hope you enjoyed your experience! If you do not see your nomination, please reach out to us as soon as possible! 

We strongly encourage that when you view a work of art or read a fanfiction, please reblog or leave a review to let the creators know how much their work and talent is appreciated!

The voting period will begin October 29th and end November 12th. 

In order to be able to vote, you’ll need to register so we can keep it all neat and clear. We will be posting the link to the voting form on the first day of the voting session. 

Got a question? Check out our FAQ or send us an ask. 

Message one of the mods directly: @classysassy9791 @ruddcatha @umacaking @yukinon-writes

Thank you to everyone who nominated for making this 4th Quarter absolutely wonderful, and happy voting!

NOMINATIONS Q4 2022

Best Action

“One Truth” by SugarRum (AO3) “An Adventure Through Time” by ooKuroiOokami (AO3) “The Crimson Hero” by CrimsonInu55 (FFN) “Calamity Tempest - Miko’s Melody” by ForgettableFox (AO3) “Moon Mother” by @mynightshining

Best AU/AR

“Welcome Home” by CloudsCloudlet (AO3) “I Can Quit Anything, But I Can’t Quit You” by @cannibalsforbreakfast / Laeoukka (AO3) “The Closest Moment to the Dawn” by @classysassy9791 “The Legend of the Dark Forest” by BlueZeldana (FFN) “The Art of Falling in Tandem” by @bitternovembersoul / ShikonStar (AO3) “summer’s a knife” by Shespitsfire (AO3) “The Selection Process” by @sereia1313 “Switched” by @sagemcmae “Dance With Me” by @kaoruhana08

Best Canon Universe

“Helping Hands Heal Hearts” by @dawnrider “Domestication” by littlekitsune1 (AO3) “Healing Rain” by Emmyyasha (AO3) “Clandestine” by @skyelara & @violetasteria “Falling for you” by Catzchen (AO3) “An Eternity Within Your Orbit” by Mynameishuman (DK) “An Ocean of Feelings” by Hallow777 (AO3)

Best Angst

“Haunted” by @witchygirl99 “The Soul in the Beast’s Eyes” by @neutronstarchild & @ruddcatha “With All My Love, Kagome” by @heynikkiyousofine “a call to motion” by @lutelyre “Too Little, Too Late” by Dea_Luna_Leigh (AO3) “The Progenitor” by @moon-ion / thetroll (AO3) “Izon Sho” by Anyara (FFN) “The Bond” by Wonderbug (AO3)

Best Dark

“Could we write our own story?” by @ruddcatha “A Lust for Power” by @loveless-scribes / Loveless81 (AO3) “The Jade Stone” by @lazy8blog “Legacy” by @fandomobsessions016 “Wishes: Upon Blood and Honey” by AnuubisSilver (AO3) “I’m Here” by Catzchen (AO3) “1/3” by ProudHanyou (AO3) “Control” by Wonderbug (Ao3)

Best Drama

“The Fae Tree” by @alannada “Willow” by @lavendertwilight89 “The Price of a Wish” by @lazy8blog “Sea of Dreams” by Valgreys (AO3) “Welcome Home” by CloudsCloudlet (AO3) “Forget Me Not” by @sereia1313 “I want you to come and say everything about me” by @shade-without-color “Colosseum” by Ixaix (AO3)

Best Humor/Parody

“Just One of Those Things” by @mamabearcat “Nugs” by @roseheartwhitefox “Uncharted Territory” by @chiaztolite “Dog Bastard: A Heavy Metal Dark Fairytale” by Ficcubus (AO3) “One Hanyou Too Many” by DameM (FFN) “Indecent Exposure” by Cherisenae (AO3)

Best NSFW

“Best Laid Plans” by @bitternovembersoul / ShikonStar (AO3) “Whatever You Want” by Emmyyasha (AO3) “Aluminum” by @moon-ion / thetroll (AO3) “Deep Inside of You” by vegetasprincess (AO3) “To Mate with a Hanyou” by Shnuggletea (FFN) “Uncharted Territory” by @chiaztolite “Scent and Sensibility” by Wenjohn (AO3) “Heat” by vegetasprincess (AO3)

Best One-Shot

“I Don’t Need Perfection” by @cannibalsforbreakfast / Laeoukka (AO3) “Switched” by @kagkik / marsmagari (AO3) “B-Side” by @serial-doubters-club / hakomorebi (AO3) “Best Laid Plans” by @shikonstar “It was a dark and rainy fight…” by @drosselmeyerwrites “Slip” by Mynameishuman (DK) “Duck Duck Goose” by JediMasterDarjaak (AO3) “Indecent Exposure” by Cherisenae (AO3)

Best Character Portrayal

“How to Train Your Dog Demon” (Inuyasha) by @anxietyaardvark “Supersum” (Kagome) by @elkonigin “Scars” (Inuyasha) by @inuyashasforest / Novaviis (AO3) “The Five Things Sesshomaru Didn’t Want Her to Know” (Rin) by @livinginthefifthdimension “The Progenitor” (Sesshomaru) by @moon-ion / thetroll (AO3) “Abandoned” (Kagome) by bmo_galaxy (AO3)

Best InuKag Romance

“Just for a Little While” by @fawn-eyed-girl “‘Till Death Do Us Part” by @elkonigin “The Art of Falling in Tandem” by @bitternovembersoul / ShikonStar (AO3) “Ateliere” by Cloudscloudlet (Ao3)

Best SessKag Romance “Deconstructing the Pyre” by @mrfeenysmustache / AshMish111 (AO3) “You’ve Always Belonged in the Home in my Heart” by @kaoruhana08 “Friends with the Monster” by @chiaztolite “Overcoming the past” by @valgreys “Chutes and Ladders” by Jillybean823 “Midnight Kiss” by @mynightshining

Best Romance

“treat this night like it’ll happen again” by shespitsfire (AO3) “Undertow” by @violetasteria “Moon Mother” by @mynightshining “summer’s a knife” by shespitsfire (AO3)

Best Fluff

“Keeping Score” by @neutronstarchild & @fawn-eyed-girl “Bonded by Birth” by @kawaiichan67 “Helping Hands Heal Hearts” by @dawnrider “The Way to Her Heart is Tanjiro” by @kawaiichan67 “Coffee Flavored Kisses” by ReeseBee (AO3) “Aluminum” by @moon-ion / thetroll (AO3) “kiddie crew” by Shippooo (AO3) “The Exponent of Breath” by Avert_Ye_Eyes (AO3) “Magenta Stripes” by Ixaix (AO3) “You’ve Always Belonged in the Home in my Heart” by @kaoruhana08

Best Serial

“But There Was Only One Bed” by @superpixie42 & @lavendertwilight89 “Barren” by @skyelara “Overcoming the Past” by Valgreys (AO3) ���Ero” by Anyara (FFN) “The Selection Process” by @sereia1313

Best Ficlet

“On a Bridge” by @yukinon-writes “Kick” by @viva-el-belt-libre / AiyraOdessa (AO3) “Inukag Week 2022” by @cstormsinukagblog “Ride that Hellhound” by @mama-ino “Whose are softer?” by LadyoftheLemon (AO3)

Best General

“Sins Week 2022” by @alannada “The Only Constant” by @witchygirl99 “Mother Moon” by @mrfeenysmustache / AshMish111 (AO3) “More Than Blood” by @deanscarlett / InuScarlett (AO3)

Best Completed

“Life Could Be A Dream” by Dea_Luna_Leigh (AO3) “Mourning Routine” by @kstewdeux “A Dab of Desire” by Wenjohn (AO3) “The Fae and the Contract” by @cstormsinukagblog “Deconstructing the Pyre” by @mrfeenysmustache / AshMish111 (AO3) “The Exponent of Breath” by Avert_Ye_Eyes (AO3) “Calamity Tempest” by ForgettableFox (AO3) “Little Red & the Silver Beast” by @sagemcmae “Forget Me Not” by @sereia1313

Best Action

“he’s about to snap :) ❤💕” by @mysandwichranaway “Kagome” by @yumanichan “I have a type and its Demon Brothers Fighting” by @istehlurvz “Actually canon” by @starzie-sky “Kagome” by @emryshart “Warrior Inuyasha” by @thornedraven

Best AU/AR

“Stay with me until Sunrise” by @heavenin--hell “Merman Inuyasha” by @clementinesgulag “InuKag Aladdin!AU” by @kamokuash “Beneath the Weeping Wisteria” by @mama-ino​ “Go Away Dad!” by @kalcia​ “Final Conquest” by @ashleys-canvas​ “Untitled” by @heavenin--hell​ “SessKag Howl’s Moving Castle” by @weeeting​

Best Canon

“Inuyasha” by @ikirou-aah​ “Doggy” by @onixiage​ “With All My Love” by @geda-art​ “How to make a tired dog boi fall asleep” by @darcysdoodles​ “SessKagu” by @witchy-khali​ “InuKag” by @justafewsmallsteps​ “Sesshomaru” by @tobiramasimp​

Best Angst

“Inuyasha Sketch Dump (first image)” by @dari-uki​ “Untitled” by @nartistadigital​ “my heart…” by ninaplushy (IG) “Behind You” by @cherisenae​ “Sisters” by @briizer​

Best Dark

“Inuyasha Sketch Dump (first image)” by @dari-uki​ “Blood” by @shoujobees​ “作の日 の 転生” by cotta_me (TW)

Best Humor/Parody

“he’s also sloppy” by @rubbesart​ “Go Away Dad!” by @kalcia​ “Do It Yourself, Coward” by @echobows​ “Light Me A Lantern” by @nectarine500​ “Lord Sesshomaru am I serving c***?” by @unico2​ “Brothers&Sister” by @wanfnag2017​ “Untitled” by @marycrispies​

Best Kiss

“You were born to meet me, and I was born for you” by @emberfauna​ “InuKag” by @ashleys-canvas​ “Want Some Extra Cheese To Go With That Shirt?” by @mamabearcat​ “おやすみいぬかご（ちゅっ）” by mtb_umk (TW) “Into the Abyss” by @classysassy9791​ “SessKag Big Bang 2021” by @mikodaiyo​ “A hot night is dawning” by _taisana_ (TW) “Untitled” by @skittledoodles​

Best Character

“Kikyo” by @veenavalart​ “Inuyasha” by @avendell​ “Kagome Higurashi in Tactical Techwear Outfit” by @wepepe-draws​ “Shirtless Sesshomaru” by @yumanichan​ “お前だとわかっていた” by @sweepingtree​ “He looks ethereal” by kochomaii (TW) “Sesshomaru” by @razdazberry​

Best Duo/Pairing

“Sango and Kirara!” by @bishoujo-bitch​ “InuKag” by @justafewsmallsteps​ “Kaede & Inuyasha for Hidden Hanyou” by @nartista​ “First Comes Marriage” by @sayuri-watanabe​ “Pmo launch piece from April” by @elevenharbor​ “Inuyasha and Mother” by tjwjddl75 (TW) “Untitled” by @re-unknown​ “Happy Tanabata” by @shierak-inavva​ “Some Things Never Change” by @thornedraven​

Best Doujinshi

“When your kid’s imaginary friend is actually the ghost of your ex… awkwaarrd~” by @briizer​ “Inuyasha in Tokyo” by @artbiari​ “After Kagome’s Return” by HulloYokai (TW) “Two minicomics” by @marycrispies​ “Kaede and Kikyo” by @briizer​ “Once and Future Taiyokai” by @spiralofdragon���

Best Redraw

“I am the wind… the free wind” by @euwulalye​ “Inuvember Day 26” by @meldrymoon​ “Kagome” by @geda-art​ “Newly Wed InuKag” by HulloYokai (TW) “SessKagu” by @witchy-khali​

Best NSFW

“Steamy sesskagu commission” by @jisatsu-draw​ “Hot Spring” by @memilylove​ “MirSan Week Day 7: Skin/Pink” by @eliza-faust-diary​ “InuKagmasutra: Reverse Cowgirl (P2)” by Len_Barboza (TW) “Modern Era Nights” by alysssainukag (PX) “Untitled” by sayuriwatanabe7 (TW) “Too sexy for his own good” by @razdazberry​

Best Romance

“Debutante and the Dog” by @kalcia​ “Sesskagweek2022” by @elevenharbor​ “Long time since I didn’t draw this two☺️💕” by @maronnosekai​ “Teasing” by @pachworldx-1​ “Windy Hill” by @solus-thanh​ “とある夏の日の犬かご” by mtb_umk (TW)​ “This is Their Love Story Started” by @icestar1​

Best Non-Canon Pairing

“First Comes Marriage” by @sayuri-watanabe​ “Because the sun rises from the east and he’s the Lord of the West” by @sweepingtree​ “Wind&Moon” by @wanfnag2017​ “Scribby Sesskag” by @shierak-inavva​ “SessKagu” by @satoru-taisho​ “Goodbye, Lover” by @otaku-108​ “Into the Abyss” by @classysassy9791​ “SessKag Sticker” by @rin-afananditshows​

Best LGBTQ+

“modern au rin and shiori” by @dragonmickie​ “KagKik” by @kirrtash​ “Untitled” by @audrieberrie​ “Cute Girltober Day 4: Sleepover💕” by @emberfauna​ “IzaKimi” by @izakimi​

Best Group Depiction

“Excursions” by cotta_me (TW) “Thinking about Kagura” by @tmetta​ “Moroha’s Salon” by @iristars-kla​ “Untitled” by _marshiyan (TW) “Brothers&Sisters” by @wanfnag2017​ “The Beach Episode We Never Got” by @weeeting​

Best Traditional

“Surprise in my Sketchbook!” by @chanteligence​ “Pilvet väistyvät, kun tuuli suutelee kuuta. 🌬️🌙” by Haitchu (TW) “Kagome Redraw” by @beastrekindled​

Best Overall

“M'LORD! COVER UP!” by @lemonlushff​ “Thinking about Kagura” by @tmetta​ “Contest” by @amlli​ “What Could Have Been” by @thunderpot​ “俺を見ろ…” by Len_Barboza (TW) “Wind&Moon” by @wanfnag2017​ “Inuyasha and Mother” by tjwjddl75 (TW)

#feudalconnection #fc nominations #fcq42022 #inuyasha

[a-dragons-journal]

It is pouring rain tonight and I am soaked to the skin and loving it

a) Literally just went and stood out in the rain/walked around in the grass for like ten minutes, came in thinking I was done just long enough to wax poetic to the group chat about it, and then changed my mind because my skin and soul were itching for more and went back out to just lean on my porch railing doing nothing but Smelling and Listening and Feeling and getting soaked for another fifteen minutes solid

b) Best success with trying to get into the werewolf magic/mental shift headspace yet; I find trying to let the sensory input I’m getting drown out my usual stream of word-thoughts is the best method for me to try and let those word-thoughts go, although the one thing it doesn’t work so well for (so far, anyway) is whatever song the Internal Radio is currently playing. Definitely did not lose my human mind but definitely felt a bit more feral, so that’s something.

Who cares, though, honestly, it was a side project, not the goal. The rain is Good it is Good it is Good; intellectually I’m glad for it because we’ve been in a drought for over a decade and we need the rain like the Earth needs the Sun, Zeus willing may it last through July, but even that aside, emotionally if there is anything that is Holy Holy Holy it is the pacific northwest in a rainstorm. This is the Way of this land and it is Good and Right; this place is meant to be dripping wet and shining crystalline with rain and mist and this natural state of being is Good. It does my soul good and it always has; in my current state of chronic burnout standing in the cool and wet getting soaked to the skin and surrounded by green-fresh-clean-Alive smells and sounds and feeling is one of the only times I feel fully settled in my skin and more than a shambling shell of myself. I have never understood how so many people hate the rain and I don’t think I ever will and I don’t think I want to.

I Live, I Live, I Live, cries the world in joyous cacophony of water on plant and stone and rooftop; I Live, I Live, I Live, my heart answers-joins the chorus.

#dragonkin #rani talks #journaling #otherkin #werewolf magick #my love affair with the world

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

After the Hurricane 1989 Pop-Rock / New Wave / Pop / Soca / Calypso / Hard Rock / Progressive Rock

Yikes, folks; this one was *pretty* bad. Back in 1989, a devastating hurricane named Hugo had managed to strike the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, and one of its foremost ambassadors, UK super producer and legendary 'fifth Beatle' George Martin, decided that he would try to raise funds in order to help rebuild it, in part by having a benefit comp put together that consisted of songs that had been recorded in his own famed recording studio there, AIR Studios. A whole lot of starpower had passed by AIR in the decade prior, and so here we get a comp that's chock-full of immensely popular names.

But these selections end up leaving a whole lot to be desired. So much of this album, despite the undeniable talent that's featured all throughout it, seems to suffer from an excruciating level of listless and generically disposable, radio-friendly 80s malaise 😒. I mean, I personally love a lot of 80s music, but I'll be damned if most of this doesn't just somehow strike me as "songs to close the garage door and turn your engine on to." So many of these tracks just feel so devoid of any soul or meaning. It's brutal.

And while most benefit comps come packed with previously unreleased, hard to find, and exclusive material, nothing on this comp was actually anything close to being rare, with only one of its songs having not appeared on any studio album: The Rolling Stones' "Fancy Man Blues," which was on the B-side of their 1989 single, "Mixed Emotions." So, while most people know in advance that when they're purchasing a benefit comp, they're probably not getting something that's very good—because why would an artist contribute some of their best material to a release that's not even their own?—this comp can't use that defense, because every single song on this thing had already been previously released by its respective artist, and all of these songs were pretty easy to access by the time this comp had come out too.

But what's more is that some of the white acts on here really took the whole island vibe of Montserrat to heart, and then they either tried to incorporate it into their own sound (😕),  or they just straight-up tried to play Caribbean music (😩). And let's just say that white people, for the most part, should've really, at the very least, stopped doing the latter in the early 70s, after Harry Nilsson's "Coconut." The law firm-sounding prog rock outfit of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, who were an offshoot of Yes, deliver "Teakbois (The Life and Times of Dread)" on this album, and I *really* don't think that that song has aged too well. And sure, there was plenty of embarrassing music to go around in the 80s, but one of the cringiest fads of that entire era had to be the deluge of tunes that came courtesy of pop and rock acts who decided to temporarily adopt a Caribbean style. Remember how non-disco acts tried to cash in? Well, people did it with Caribbean stuff too! And almost none of it was good in hindsight! 🥴

Still though, credit where it's due: although AIR Studios served as a destination for a who's who of UK and American 80s pop, George Martin still afforded its space to Montserrat's own biggest native star too, Arrow. And in 1982, Arrow would record the album, Hot Hot Hot, whose eponymous title track would end up serving as his own magnum opus, and quite possibly the most famous soca/calypso song ever made. But don't confuse that actual very good original version with the far more famous cover by former New York Dolls frontman David Johansen's tongue-in-cheek lounge-singing alter-ego, Buster Poindexter, because that version, even though it was all the rage at plenty of weddings, was made with a huge dose of silly irony. And Johansen himself has come to hate it too!

So, overall, I think something that's wholly reinforced by this album here is that while there was a ton of great music in the 80s, there was also a lot of it that's completely regrettable as well; moreso than there was in either the 70s or 90s. Musically, the 80s were a fantastic decade for a lot of reasons—as all decades are—but I also think that, as of right now, in our history of contemporary music, it also tended to churn out some of the most insufferable stuff that we've ever heard. And even a whole lot of the most popular acts of those very years, who we'd all nearly unanimously agree were undoubtedly talented, weren't spared from some of its worst indulgences either 👎.

Highlights:

Cheap Trick - "Just Got Back" The Police - "Invisible Sun" Arrow - "Hot Hot Hot"

#pop rock #pop #rock #new wave #soca #calypso #hard rock #progressive rock #prog rock #prog #music #80s #80s music #80's #80's music

[thekidsarentalright]

hi! i know this is a super broad question but i was wondering if you had any idea where to start with fob lore? i've been a fan for years but i never really got deep into the lore, so i was wondering how to start because there is so much history lol

hi!! ooo this is such a good question!! i'm about to throw a lot of resources at you the covers a breadth of their history, all being good places to start learning about stuff in my opinion, and hopefully some of it helps!! (under the cut so this isn't super long and annoying lol):

none of this rocks- if you can afford to buy the book, and care to read about Joe's life mainly, it gives Very good, primary details of fob's inception and lore!

rolling stone article- if you Cannot afford to buy the book, or don't wanna read it for whatever reason, this rolling stone article takes an excerpt from the book about how fob formed (from Joe's perspective of course)!

my heart will always be the b-side dvd- essentially speaks on a lot of the stuff from above, but all 4 of them are in it and it gives insight into what they were up to post-tttyg, pre-futct!

early srar era interview- not Super lore heavy, but they talk about the hiatus and how coming off of it was for them/how it felt (was one of the first interviews of theirs i watched that helped me build my knowledge so. thought i'd throw it in)

fob fan wiki- honestly, this is probably one of the best most comprehensive primers on fob you could ever read. it goes over information from every single album cycle, as well as info on their musical inspiration, etc. if you don't mind reading a lot, or have any particular era you wanna know more about, this is great!

young blood chronicles- incase you haven't watched it, figured i'd throw it in! along with the bonus of the commentary on it!

bests & worsts interviews (parts 1, 2, 3, 4)- these interviews are referenced often enough i feel they're lore now lol, also just really enjoyable to watch!

take this to your apartment (parts 1 & 2)- more about tttyg era, but specifically how they lived together!

jason interview- referenced enough to include it. pete being silly

moustachette- short film. thing. patrick did and pete's in it and it's kinda iconic tbh

bedussey- another. uh. short film? pete and patrick are dumb

stumpomatic & fobomatic blogs- for pictures of them throughout the eras, as well as some lore filled posts here and there, you genuinely cannot go any better than these blogs. incredible archives of photos! That is all i can think of off the top of my head right now that best encapsulate their lore, for the most part! if there's anything more specific you'd like links to or to know about, absolutely feel free to ask!!! i love talking about them, clearly!!!

#genuinely deeply hope this is helpful to u :-) learning abt their lore is so fun #once again feel the need to apologize if this is too much i am just passionate 😭 #asks #anon #fob #save

[writingrose29]

Strangers (1/3)

Pairings: Steven Grant x Fem!Reader (Steven’s POV)

Summary:  Sometimes the best person to talk to is the one that you will never meet again.

AN: Here is the first part of the prequel of Two Birds, which I will also be cross-posting on this blog from my ao3 account!

Word Count:  2073

Strangers Masterlist

Ao3

Next Chapter

Why was it that everytime you believed that things could not get worse, they did? It was as if the universe specifically went out of its way to challenge you for even daring to think such a thing.

For Steven it was that specific type of day. Waking up in the middle of the street, lost and confused. Why was it day time? Why were people driving on the wrong side of the road?

None of it made any sense. Not even the sinking feeling of sorrow that rested within him. He couldn't remember a reason for him to be full of pain that only this deep sadness could bring.

So he did what he felt like he had to do, call his mother while wandering off, trying to find anything organisable to ground himself in the situation he found himself in.

It wasn't long that he realized he was in Chicago. Why? He had no clue. There was nothing for him here, or anything in the States for that matter. The Americans he passed gave him odd glances and it wasn't until he glanced at himself in one of the passing windows did he understand why. He looked like down right shabby, a right mess. His eyes were bloodshot, deep bags underneath. His clothes seemed grim and were tousled. The curls of his hair flatten slightly by the kippah he wore on top of his head. Was that him? For a moment in felt as if he was in the body of a stranger, his mind slowly registering what he was seeing. It was only when the reflection mirrored himself lightly pinching his cheek did he feel reassured that it was indeed him.

Steven turned his attention away from the shop window and kept walking. He wasn't sure why but he felt the urge to walk, to run, but it was an itch he had to satisfy. Even as if his feet started to ache and burn he continued his aimless path.

It seemed his path brought him to a park, Nichols Park according to the street signs. He glanced at the families and couples he passed. The children running around in carefree joy, their parents either keeping a watchful eye or joining their children in their games. It was a sight that nearly lifted his heavy heart only for a bitter taste in his mouth to keep it weighed down like a stone in his chest.

He glanced around as he walked, his eyes looking for any open benches yet each one he saw was taken. It wasn't surprising for it was a sunny day, with just the right temperature to come out and to enjoy a day in the park.

It only took a minute or two for him to find an open spot yet as he walked closer to the bench he understood why. While the previous benches were taken fully, this one only had one person occupying it. A young woman, a rather nondescript person no matter how long he stared at her. As he walked closer to her, an uneasiness started to grow inside him. It was as if she was a black hole, a large cold spot on an otherwise sunny day. He noticed how the other people would only spare her a glance before walking the further route away from her, as if being too close to her vicinity would draw away from the light of day.

He wondered if she knew the effect she gave off, the coldness and bitterness that seemed to drive anyone away from her and the open seat. He guessed not by judging how relaxed she seemed. Her laying back onto the back of the bench, her legs stretched outwards as she held her head towards the sun, soaking in the radiance.

His hesitancy towards taking the seat grew, not due to her being an unwelcoming cold spot but instead of his fear of disrupting her peace. It would be awful rude of him to disturb someone who seemed to be so relaxed. Would she be angry, annoyed? He wouldn't blame her if she was. Yet the pain in his feet made up his mind and he decided to shuffle towards her. Ignoring the warning bells that rung in his head, screaming for him to leave her be, to run in the opposite direction of her.

He stood beside the empty space of the bench, his fingers lightly tapping the arm rest. He tried once again to look at her, to take in any details of her yet it was as if his brain was scrambled. Anytime he thought he made out a feature it was lost before his mind could take note of it. It wasn't long that a headache started to form, barely noticeable at first yet the longer he tried to concentrate on her the stronger it seemed to become. The throbbing forced his eyes away from her, and the pain slowly dissipated.

"Uh excuse me?" He spoke gently, keeping his eyes downwards, deciding to stare at his shoes.

Silence.

He dared to look up to see her staring at him. He could make out the look of confusion and surprise on her face, as if she was shocked that someone was in fact talking to her. Perhaps, she was aware of the unfriendly aura she gave off.

"I'm truly sorry to disturb you but is this seat open? It seems everywhere else is full and my feet are killing me. I completely understand if you don't feel comfortable. Who wouldn't be with a stranger."

She continued to stare at him, tilting her head slightly as if she was studying him. Her blue eyes-or were they green, no brown, no gray. The image of her was constantly shifting, rewriting in his brain until he started to feel another headache grow.

The woman shrugged, "Go ahead."

Steven felt himself freeze slightly, shocked that she even responded to him. He muttered a quick thank you and sat beside her.

He felt her eyes stay on him, causing him to shift his body as if trying to shrug away the odd feeling it gave him.

They sat in silence, with only Steven giving her the occasional glance to observe her.

"You look like shit," she stated so plainly to the point it didn't even come off as rude only factual.

"So do you," he pointed out when he spared her a glance. It seemed that glancing at her in a short burst was the easiest. It was enough for him to see the occasional wince of pain on her face whenever a slight breeze passed by, or when she moved a muscle.

Instead of getting offended she merely laughed, removing her gaze from him.

"Are…" he hesistated unsure if he should even make conversation with the odd woman, "Are you okay?" His mind flashed to those small instances of those pain-filled grimaces she had, the ones that made him concerned.

"I feel how I always feel."

Her reply made him frown. Before he could bring up the vagueness of it she cut him off.

"What about you?"

Steven recoiled slightly, "Me?"

She nodded slightly, "Yeah. Are you okay?"

He paused as she threw his own words back at him. He gave a hesitant nod before sighing. "I'm not sure," he admitted honestly. It was the only way to describe the emotions within him.

The odd woman merely hummed.

Steven cleared his throat, "Beautiful day innit?"

He felt her eyes back on him before the feeling eased away.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

Steven nodded his head in agreement. "What brings you to the park?"

He saw a small smile on her lips out of the corner of his eye.

"Just came to play chess with an old colleague of mine. Did him a favor last night and he wanted to check it before I head back."

Her nose scrunched up slightly.

"You don't seem too happy with that," Steven noted lightly.

"More like I was reminded how much I hate playing chess with him." She let out a small huff, "What about you stranger? Do you come to the park to make small talk with strangers."

Steven felt his face turn warm as her teasing words as he shook his head. "Uh no, not really. Just walking and my feet led me here."

"Then why did a Brit come across the pond? Something interesting in Chicago that I missed?"

Steven frowned and shook his head, her question reminding him of his most recent memory gap.

"You don't have to tell me," she continued, "Though sometimes talking to someone you'll never meet again can be cathartic."

He paused, taking in her words. Barely noting that even her voice was as nondescript as the rest of her. It was to the point that he was starting to wonder if he was talking to anyone or just a figment of his imagination.

"I don't know," he admitted softly, "It was as if I just woke up here."

"No memory at all?"

He shook his head, "None. As if I just appeared."

She stayed silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," her voice was as soft as his own, "Sounds like a fucked up nightmare."

Steven snorted in agreement.

"At least you get some nice weather for a change."

A small laugh escaped his lips, it sounded almost strain as if he wasn't sure if he was going to start sobbing or not. "You've been to England?"

The stranger hummed, "I go where I am told."

Steven wasn't a fan of her answer, something about them made the hairs on his neck stick up.

The silence returned between them. The only noise coming from the distant laughter and chatter of the other visitors of the park.

"I think I'm tired," the woman said softly. The suddenness of her statement drawing his attention to her.

"Tired?" He didn't bother to hide his confusion.

He briefly caught another flash of pain on her face, he tried to hold his gaze before giving into the urge to glance away.

"Yeah, tired," she repeated, "of everything. Of all this-" she stopped herself suddenly, as if she knew she was tipping the conversation somewhere she did not want it to go.

"Imagine being able to feel everything," she said, "Every particle of matter and energy, of this universe and those beyond. The pressure that constantly weighs down on you, as if you are drowning in open air. As if moving your finger the wrong way could cause this entire park to go boom, leaving nothing but ash in its place. That you can feel the life of all these people that surround you, that if you clench your fist you can stop a heart or have them implode into visceral," her voice was shaky, stumbling over her words a few times. The stranger took a deep breath. "Maybe," she continued her voice becoming lighter, "you wiggle your nose and a flower sprouts, you blink and lightning strikes. Clap your hands and a forest grows in the driest of deserts."

Steven stayed silent, her words nearly suffocating him.

"Sounds like a very overwhelming sensation." His mind flashed back to those painful twitches, but he decided to stay silent on that topic.

"Yeah."

"You…you aren't going to…harm yourself right?" He spoke slowly, unsure if he even had the right to ask such a question.

The woman let out another laugh, though this one seemed more sorrowful.

"No," she replied, a certain bitterness held in her words, "Wouldn't do much."

He stared at her with wide eyes, his face paling.

"You're a good guy, a cute one too" she continued as if the admission she had just started meant nothing, "I would wager all of you are."

Steven's horror turned into confusion, a light blush gracing his face. "What?"

The stranger gave him an odd look before shaking her head, the wind catching the scent of her rose perfume and spreading it towards him.

"Nevermind. You'll understand eventually. Well most likely."

Steven merely gaped at her, feeling as if he should know what she was talking about but was lost in the dark.

"You hungry?" She questioned him, getting up from the bench and stretching, "Imma head to an IHOP if you want to join."

Steven stared at her for a moment, before standing up as well. He was starting to feel hungry.

#moon knight fanfiction #moonknight fanfiction #steven grant x reader #steven grant/reader #steven grant x fem!reader #steven grant/fem!reader

[casspurrjoybell-17]

HEART'S FATE - CHAPTER 26

*Warning: Adult Content*

After a delicious meal, a long sunset walk up and down the beach and a few hours around the campfire, Martin Hunter’s children are ready for bed. 

He offers Nico and Rio a bedtime story but to his surprise, they ask Skylar West to sing them a lullaby instead.

Skylar looks to Marin with a question in his arched brow and the single dad nods his consent.

 He follows them to the large tent they'd borrowed from Martin’s brother, Alpha Dane Hunter and make sure they're all tucked in and have everything they'll need for the night, water bottles, flashlights, extra blankets in case it gets cold, before launching into a soft, low tune in the same strange tongue as last time.

Martin listens for a moment but when his eyelids start to droop, he shakes himself and moves out of range. 

A few minutes later, Skylar steps from the tent, zips it shut and rejoins Martin by the fire.

"That was fast," Martin remarks evenly.

He winces apologetically. 

"I did my best to keep magic out of it but it's nigh impossible for a siren to sing without some effect."

Martin smiles up at him. 

"It's okay. Getting children to sleep without magic is nigh impossible, too."

Skylar’s expression warms. 

"They'll sleep 'til dawn, I'd wager. Should be safe for us to take a walk."

With a hesitant glance at the tent, Martin chews at his bottom lip. 

He has barely let his children out of his sight in so long, anxiety fizzles in his gut like soda water at the thought of leaving them alone.

"Martin," Skylar says, drawing Martin’s attention back to himself gently. "They'll be alright. Flora and Miguel are twelve. Do you remember what it was like to be twelve?"

Martin laughs under his breath. 

"My brothers and I were terrors. Maybe this is karma for all the stress we caused our parents. One time, we tried to catch a glimpse of a Lycian, a sort of monster wolf, that had wandered onto our territory. Just about got ourselves killed. We were grounded for a month."

"Have Flora and Miguel ever done anything similar?"

"No. Thank the Goddess."

Skylar nods. 

"They're intelligent, mature and responsible children. They'll be fine and so will the little ones in their care. Now, you and I have a date."

He extends his hand to Martin and after a final hesitation, the single dad takes it and lets him pull him to his feet.

Skylar grabs a blanket and a pair of towels and then they walk away from the campground and out across the low dunes to the gently sloping beach. 

It's not especially long, stretching just about a kilometer from end to end and large waves, rocks and riptides make it unsuitable for swimming. 

Pebbly sand, looming cliffs and tidal pools make it picturesque, nonetheless and one end harbors a secluded little cove.

They had explored it with the children earlier and it is towards this Skylar leads Martin now.

A jut of dark rock hides it from view,and if you didn't know it was there, you might miss it.

 At high tide, the waves cut it off from the rest of the beach. 

The tide is in now but this doesn't deter Skylar in the least and he times things perfectly. 

As a wave withdraws its foaming white waters back into the sea, he grabs Martin’s hand and with a whoop of laughter, pulls him with him as they dash around the wall of barnacle-encrusted stone.

On the other side, a narrow little canyon bites into the cliff. 

It may have started out a sea-cave but now the top is open to the moon and stars.

Fine sand covers its floor and high, dark walls of sea-scoured rock shield it from the wind. 

At its mouth, a pool shielded by a ring of rocks remains relatively still despite the waves that dash themselves against its barriers. 

At high tide, it will merge with the sea as the waters rise but at the moment it appears sheltered and calm.

Skylar leads Martin up into the little canyon and spreads their blanket on the smooth sand beyond the mark of high tide.

“Here, let's wait until the moon is higher," he says, "for the best light."

Smiling, Skylar lies on his back and pulls Martin down at his side. 

The moon isn't visible in the stretch of sky above but its light already outshines the lesser stars and fills the air with a silver haze.

"How many lovers have lain in this very spot, do you think?" he asks quietly.

"Lovers... Is that what we are?" Martin muses, trying out the word.

Skylar turns his head to look at the smaller male and his hand finds his. 

"I hope so."

"Have you had many?"

"A few, as I told you before."

"All human?"

He nods. 

"All save one."

"Which one was that?"

Skylar rolls onto his side and props himself on his elbow to look down at Martin, his hair spilling over his muscled shoulder like a curtain. 

"The only one I have fallen in love with."

Martin’s heart clenches with an unfamiliar feeling and he recognizes jealousy only by description.

"What happened?" Martin asks around the sudden tightness in his throat.

Skylar smiles. 

"I don't know yet. I'm hoping he will fall in love with me, too."

Flushing as he catches on, Martin stares up at him. 

"What if he already has?"

"Then I'd ask if he'd consent to be mine."

"And if he said yes?"

"Then I'd bring him to a secluded beach, beneath the moon and stars, and make passionate love to him."

Martin wrinkles his nose. 

"Sounds cold and scratchy. Sand gets everywhere, you know."

"I'd bring a nice soft blanket to lie upon and towels in case the sea gets us wet and a few extra things, to get us wet on purpose."

From the pocket of his loose trousers, Skylar produces a little bottle. 

Martin can just make out the label in the refracted moonlight and recognizes it as a type of body oil that can double as lube.

"Only, of course, if he wanted to," Skylar adds, setting the bottle aside.

Silence falls between them. 

The wind sighs over the canyon's top but doesn't touch them and the waves crash and boom with a constant and primordial beat. 

A similar beat pulses in Martin’s blood and pools with a strange heat in his core as desire stirs to life but Skylar says nothing more.

He's woven his half of the net and handed the rest to Martin who can finish it and ensnare them both or let it unravel, if he wished.

His ex-wife, Elena never offered him such power. 

Even when they were starting out and everything seemed perfect and Martin thought he was perfectly in love with her, she simply told him what she wanted and he obeyed.

Martin thought he was lucky. 

He’s no Alpha and being told what to do could be hot, in the right context. 

It only became a problem when he figured out he didn't have a choice.

Not like the choice Skylar was giving him.

Yes or no and every shade of maybe in between.

"I think he'd want to," Martin whispers.

He sees the shadow of Skylar's arched brow. 

"I think I'd want to be sure."

Meeting his eyes in the dark, Martin holds his gaze. 

"I want to."

Skylar smiles. 

"If, hypothetically, you were this one, the only one, man or woman, I have ever loved, I would want to be sure of your comfort. Do you prefer to give or to receive? I enjoy both ends of the bargain."

Understanding his meaning, Martin blushes. 

He has always been more comfortable in a passive role and he knows there's nothing wrong with that but it's also probably why Elena chose him as a target. 

Still, Skylar is not Elena and word by word, action by action, he's proving it.

"Receive," Martin says.

Even in the dark, he sees Skylar’s eyes light with an inner gleam, like the moon upon the sea. 

"And would you have me, here and now?"

As the waves crash upon the shore and the moon peeks over the canyon's rim above, Martin answers with the only words he can.

"Yes, I would."