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mythiccheroacademia · 3 years

Text

—lunch box

A/N: just another cute idea i had because i’m obsessed with barbarian/dragon king!bakugo and fantasy shit in general. some context: you and bakugo are betrothed—although, sometimes you wish you weren’t bc he can be a real asshole. luckily for you, he’s willing to work on it bc he likes loves you just that much. a litte angst (it wouldn’t be a mtha story without it) but it ends in fluff <3

Warnings: cursing

Your friends looked at their food with heart eyes and dug into the neatly wrapped box with fever.

“Ahh! Thank you for making this, Y/N!” one of them exclaimed. The other could only nod in agreement, too into your cooking to speak.

You smiled and waved them off. “It was nothing. Consider it a thank you for letting me copy the homework last night,” you chuckled.

“Did you cook one for Prince Bakugo? I’d imagine he’d love it! If there’s anyone’s cooking he loves more than his own, it’s yours!”

At the mention of his name, your expression fell. You looked down at the case of food you had prepared for him as an apology.

Four days ago, you two were hanging around his residence. You managed to get him to dance around with you. Well, it more like you were dancing and he was doing his best not to combust in embarrassment. Katsuki warned you that you shouldn’t be too reckless otherwise you’d break something.

Of course, you paid him no mind, too enthralled with your fun to notice your proximity to a nearby statue—one of the Bakugo family’s treasures.

One thing led to another, and you knocked it over, shattering it before either of you could even react. Your rich skin lost its glow and your boyfriend cursed something nasty.

Least to say, his parents were not happy. But instead of being rightfully scolded, Bakugo had taken the blame for it.

They found him attempting to clean it up and assumed it was his fault. You wanted to correct them, but he threw you a nasty glare, sealing your mouth shut. He was now under punishment until they deemed fit and from then on, he hadn't spoken a friendly word to you.

A little sigh escaped your lips. Your two friends looked at each other before offering you encouraging smiles.

“Hey,” one spoke, placing a hand on your knee. You met her gaze. “You should go give it to him. He’d love it.”

There was a moment of silence before you decided to act. Taking the spur of confidence, you stood up and briskly made your way to the other classroom. Just before you entered, you heard his voice and felt your heart waver with anxiousness.

However, now wasn’t the time to let doubt consume you. Things wouldn’t get better until something was done.

You took a deep breath, calming your nerves, before opening the door and walking in. Your eyes scanned the room and found the young dragon prince amongst his group of friends.

Jaw set, you walked over to them, hands firmly around the packaged food.

Kirishima saw you first and gave you a friendly wave.

“Hey Princess L/N!”

“Hi boys! How’re ya doing?” you politely asked, putting on your best smile.

They gave you an upbeat answer that lifted your spirits.

Despite that, you hadn't heard a response from Bakugo. In fact, he hadn't even looked at you—but you wouldn’t be disheartened. You fueled herself with faux confidence and held out the dish to your betrothed.

“I-I made you something small yesterday, as an apology,” you stuttered.

Katsuki finally looked up, indifference in his stare. Ruby eyes flickered down to the box filled with rice, chicken, vegetables, and a small pastry on the side. His favorite kind. For a moment, he seemed like considered your offer, but you suffered the low blow of humiliation when he turned away to look through the window.

“Thanks, but I’ve already eaten. Should’ve given it to me earlier.”

Something in your stomach fell. Crushing rejection blossomed up your throat with each passing second. His words were cold, harsh, and unforgiving. It might’ve been stupid, overdramatic even, but it hurt.

Heartbroken wasn’t even the word.

Your nose burned, eyes blurring before you could stop it. Your chest tightened with embarrassment. Luckily, you mustered enough strength to hold in whatever was threatening to crumble you.

“Oh,” you dumbly responded.

“I’ll take it!” Kaminari excitedly said.

“No, I will! I’m still starving!” Kirishima chided.

You placed the box down, struggling to keep up your act.

“Split it between the both of you. I hope it’s good!” You internally winced over how high your voice had become. “I’m gonna to get going now. I’ll see you guys after school, yeah?”

And before anything else was said, you bolted straight out of the room. You hadn’t bothered to look at Katsuki. Knowing him, he probably hadn't noticed the strain in your voice.

As soon as you were out of sight, the tears flooded. You held your hands against your mouth, desperate to muffle your cries. You quickly took you into the nearest bathroom and you prayed no one had seen you lest there be questions. If you went to your friends, it’d cause a commotion. Your parents would eventually find out and you didn’t want any more problems.

So, you cried your eyes raw and eventually willed yourself to stop when it was time to return to class.

…

The week had gone by without another interaction. The weekend brought you some relief since you wouldn’t be forced to see Katsuki’s face for the time being. Or so you thought.

All you wanted to do was run some errands for your parents and then go back home and continue sulking. Yet the universe would not let you rest.

The moment you caught Bakugo’s eyes, you pivoted on your heel and booked it the other way. You assumed his anger with you would force him to keep his distance.

But you were thoroughly surprised to find he was following after you.

“Y/N,” he called.

Irritation and hurt filled your chest. You only walked faster, clutching the purse against her chest.

“Y/N, stop,” he demanded to which you promptly ignored.

This went on for a good thirty seconds until Bakugo decided he had enough. Without much noise, he ran up to you, grabbing you by the shoulder.

You weren’t having it.

You harshly shrugged off his hand. “Don’t touch me,” you snapped, keeping your eyes forward.

“I need to talk to you,” Katsuki grumbled.

“Well I don’t want to talk to you. So maybe some other time.”

Truthfully, the crowned prince found himself shocked at your coldness. Despite your innate boldness, he wasn’t used to such an icy tone. Especially directed at him.

His father warned him to never attack in these situations, but Bakugo let his temper get the best of him. His first reaction was to frown and deal back harsher words.

“What’s your fucking problem, dumbass? When I say stop, stop!”

A spike of anger flooded your veins. You whirled around on your heel and glared at him with frosty eyes. You felt compelled to drop your papers and slap him, but instead, you settled for a finger in his face.

“First of all, I’m not some dog you can just order around, you jerk! And just because we’re betrothed doesn’t mean I’m some girl you can treat like dirt whenever you feel like it! Until you apologize, leave me alone because my only problem right now is you. Bye.”

And just as quickly as you came, you turned to leave.

Now Bakugo was actually stunned. Forget, cold, this was a side of you he hadn't ever experienced. Admittedly, he hadn’t been spoken to like that from anyone besides his mother—and she only got away with it because she was not only the queen…but he was his mom.

Katsuki honestly didn’t know how to handle it. It was only then that he concentrated back on his father’s advice. Whenever his mother was upset with his dad, his father would fight back, but never with emotional anger. Always with humbleness and an understanding tongue.

It usually did the trick considering his mother could never stay upset with him for more than a night. It always struck the teen with hidden awe. Sometimes, Katsuki thought his dad was an angel.

Bakugo was no angel, but he hoped it’d have the same affect on you.

The blonde teen softened his face and walked up behind you. He stopped you, wrapping his arms around your waist to lie his forehead against the decorated braids the fell down your back.

“Damn it. I’m sorry okay?” he lowly said, face burning from such a public display of affection. “Just hear me out.”

You didn’t speak and he clenched his jaw.

“Please.”

You inwardly cursed your rapidly beating heart. If it weren’t for how stupidly nice being in his arms was (he was definitely working out more), and the fact that you found him kinda cute begging for your permission, maybe you wouldn’t have caved in so easily.

For now, you’d blame it on the fact that you two were destined to wed. It was better to start dealing with fights now so, hopefully, the future held less of them.

You heaved a sigh, unwillingly ignoring your body’s urge to curl in his arms. Instead, you pulled away and turned to face him. You peered into unsure crimson eyes with as much harshness you could conjure.

“Fine. Speak,” you permitted.

There was a small pause as he gathered his thoughts. When he opened his mouth, you instantly regretted it.

“I’m still mad at you for being dumb and breaking one of family’s treasures. And I’m still fucking pissed that my old hag is on my ass about it,” he started and noticed how your eyes narrowed in contempt.

You were about to turn away, thinking this was a waste of time. However, Bakugo took a hold of your wrist before you could leave.

“Leave me alone! If you didn’t want to get in trouble, you should’ve just let me take the blame. I can't believe I thought you’d apologize—“

“Let me finish, princess.”

It was your title, yet you felt your stomach flip when it came from his lips. You refused to let it influence you…but you’d give him another chance.

Bakugo stepped closer to you. “I’m upset, but I took the punishment because I wanted to. You didn’t mean to break it. Accidents happen, I understand that.”

There was a pregnant pause. Then, you softened your gaze a bit, eyes still lit with inquiry. “Why? Why would you do that if it meant getting in trouble? I could’ve taken the blame just fine.”

“Y/N, you freak the fuck out whenever you don’t get a perfect score on an exam. You try not to mess up and when you do, it’s like the world is ending,” he explained with a teasing smirk. You ungracefully snorted. He had a point. “When you broke the vase, I could hear your heart drop. You were two seconds away from crying. And when I saw how scared you looked I just—I don’t know.”

The look on your face was something between shock, surprise, and wonder. You blinked, thick lips parting slightly in awe.

“Katsuki…” you breathed to which the boy heavily blushed. Realizing how sappy he sounded, his mind screamed at him to cut it out.

Bakugo looked down and noticed he was still holding your wrist. He quickly let go and instinctively rubbed the nape of his neck.

“D-don’t be dramatic. I just didn’t wanna see you moping around or some shit. My father said that it wasn’t that important anyway…the vase I mean,” he mumbled.

Sure it wasn’t, you thought. What were you gonna do with this boy?

You supposed an apology was a good start.

“That was very nice and admirable of you Katsuki. Thank you,” you eventually said. “I’m still really sorry about the vase, and for being mean to you just now.”

He shook his head. “I know, but I’m the one that should be apologizing. I ain’t hafta treat you the way I did. I was being an ass for not accepting the food you made for me earlier.”

“Yeah you were, ya bastard.”

He chuckled at that. “The two idiots wouldn’t stop raving over how good it was.”

“Well, I had the best teacher in the kingdom,” you grinned.

“And I had an even better student,” he winked.

Your smile widened. Maybe marrying him wouldn’t be so bad.

You couldn’t help yourself when you heartily embraced him, enjoying how his arms slowly slithered around the small of your back. Your eyes met and you kissed him on the lips, leaving him with a little gasp. You pulled away and giggled under your breath.

“You know, you're a sweet guy underneath all that false bravado.”

“False brav—what the hell are you going on about!?”

Ignoring his explosive behavior, you readjusted the straps on your shoulder before turning on your heel.

“Don’t bring anything for lunch on Monday, okay? I’ll see you later, blondie.”

Despite his little tantrum, Bakugo still watched you disappear into the store with a gentle expression. You gave him more headaches than he cared for, but you were worth it. Besides, he was sure you could say the same for him.

Bakugo turned to leave and passed his fingertips over where your lips touched his own.

He’d never admit to the giddiness in his chest. He’d take that shit to the grave.

#mha #bnha fics #bakugo x black reader #bakugo x reader #bakugo katuski #bakugo x poc!reader #mha fics #bakugo brain rot activated #barbarian bakugou #dragon king bakugo #mha x poc!reader #mha x black reader #bnha x black!reader #bnha x poc!reader #bnha x reader

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aetherarf · 3 years

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hi! i’m seeing your diluc father figure headcanons and i wanna ask if you can write some where reader had lost their parents and at a young age clung on to diluc and saw them as their father? (*´v｀) thank u!

Deciding to write the scene where Diluc adopts reader.

Also, AGAIN, I'm aware 'x reader' is romantic in nature BUT I JUST TAG IT FOR TRACTION. This fic is completely platonic/famillial in nature.

[[ Platonic / Famillial ]]

[[ Summary: Just a wandering child through Mondstadt, fighting to get a meal each night, until a kind man shows up...

Word Count: 2'034 ]]

The thunder boomed overhead, and the tears on your face felt like nothing amongst the rain that hit your face. Soaked to the bone, you couldn't even see far enough in the darkness to tell where the nearest building must be, much less the nearby city, or even Springvale!

You just wanted to run, the lightening having struck far too close for your liking, watching a poor, innocent tree explode into little pieces, close enough that it could've easily scorched you alive.

So you ran, you ran until you saw some odd... Structures. In the midst of night, and through the horrific rain, you truly had no idea what they could be, but as you set your hand on them, they seemed... stable. Stable and covered in leaves. It didn't do the best job at shielding you from the rain, but it made the wind that much less painful as it raked its claws over your skin...

The sky lit up, and then thunder rang out, you slamming your hands on your ears, feeling your very eardrums tremble at the horrific noise, your tears mixed in with the cold rain as you began to sob, just wanting it all to... to...!

"Hey,"

You jumped and screamed, staring at whatever spoke--

A... person? You heard the noise of rain pitter pattering on an umbrella, and as far as you could tell, he seemed dry... mostly.

"Are you lost?" A mans voice, but in the dark, you could only see his silhouette... You stared at him...

"I-I," you found yourself searching for words "I don't ha-have anywhere to go."

There was a moment of silence, and thunder rang out again, and you could only flinch-- but the man held out his hand, and the lightning was enough to let you see.

"Come inside, I'll keep you safe and warm for the night." He offered, and you... stared. Maybe you should be worried, but...

Thunder crackled, and you didn't just grab his hand, you leapt into his arms, he staggered, but his arm wrapped around you, shifting and picking you up with one arm, the other still holding the umbrella--it was a little incredible that he was carrying you so easily, but...

... You were more thinking about how warm he was, you had been cold for so long, dark windy nights alone, or the rain haunting you, you forgot warmth outside of the sun on your skin, which felt all too fleeting with the winds forcing clouds between the both of you.

The man walked inside the Winery, stopping to set the umbrella against the wall, and shutting the door firmly behind him, setting you down onto the ground.

You looked at the entire winery... it... it was so nice! So... warm...

The thunder rang again, but it wasn't all that loud. Sure, it was a little scary, but... It was distant now, the walls of stone protected you.

"Little bird," He said, and you froze, then looked up at him-- he had already pulled off his coat, "Get your shoes off, please," He had set the coat over your shoulders--so large, it had partially dragged on the ground when you wore it, "I don't think there's any clothes that can fit you here, but I'll find something warm and dry for you for the night."

You toed off your shoes, leaving them near the front door... but you looked at them for a moment, then at him--He was already walking off, and your feet hit the ground as you chased after him, until you bumped into his legs, and he looked back at you...

... his eyes were... really bright.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, turning around to face you.

"... Where are you going?"

He raised his brow, the first true expression you've seen from him, "Getting something for you to wear."

You looked down for a moment, then back at him, your mouth agape for a moment as you wondered if it was out of line to ask...

"Can-can... I come?"

He looked at you for a moment, before he replied, "I'm not doing anything interesting, but you can come."

You felt a wave of relief, he didn't seem mad at all, and you didn't have to be alone... while you were used to being alone, a single second without having a choice in the matter felt like it was going to rip you up from the inside out.

He held out his hand again-- and, compared to yours, it was large. You grabbed it, and he gently tugged on his arm, and by extension, you, before he began to walk. You looked at the surrounding area, and every so often, he gestured to a door or hallway, "Restroom that way," "This is likely the room you'll be staying in," He clearly wanted you to know where to go.

Finally, you stopped at a door, "This is my room, you'll likely have to wear a shirt of mine until we can get you some clothes of your own... Just for tonight, is that alright?"

You looked down at your own clothes, wet and torn and... well, they had long since outlasted their usage. The coat, his coat, was the only nice thing you were wearing, or had worn in a long time.

"Oh, that's... that's okay!" You half squeaked out... even if it was a big shirt, if it was warm and dry... well, you were happy.

He looked back at you, eyeing you for a second...

"I could run a bath for you, as well. It'd probably been awhile."

It felt a little mean that he said that, but... it was true.

"Uhm, that's nice, but... you're already being so nice, Mister... You don't have to."

"Nonesense," he gently chided, "You're a child, you deserve to be taken care of..." For a second, he was confused, "And I can assume you have no parents to take care of you."

"... No. I don't." That was the simple answer.

"Well... I'm not very good with people," he admitted, looking at a shirt--it was a dark grey, and definitely too big for you... but it seemed somewhat smaller than the rest of his clothes, the only thing that you wouldn't be pathetically dwarfed in. "But I'm not about to let a little bird like you freeze in the rain."

You didn't know how to feel...

"Thank you, Mister..."

"You don't need to thank me... just try not to make a mess, and we'll be even, alright?"

That was... right, you could do that.

"Now, do you want me to run a bath? I could cook something for you while you're in there."

"... that would be nice."

He grabbed the clothes, and brought you to the bathroom, getting it set up, putting some odd... salts? And a few drops of an odd liquid into the tub, it smelled... nice. He left so you could tend to yourself, giving you all the privacy you could need.

After a long, warm bath, you took the liberty of draining the tub and [trying, at least] to rinse it out... Just to make sure any mud or grime that was on your skin didn't stick to the edges, but you weren't really sure if you did a good enough job... No matter what, it had been a long time since you felt clean and relaxed, but you still wanted a meal in your tummy before sleeping... besides, sleeping in water was bad... You didn't remember who said that, but someone got mad at you for it.

The shirt and shorts you were given were awkward at best, you tying a knot into the bottom of the shirt, so you wouldn't trip over it, but it still went almost to your knees. You walked around, trying to remember where everything was, but the gentle sound of metal clicking metal alerted you to him.

Finding him cooking, he was cooking something that smelled... good. Maybe a little bit spicy? Smelled good, though.

"Uhm," the noise was more to alert Diluc to your presence than anything else, "Sir?"

"Take a seat," He nodded his head to the table, and you walked over, the tile cold beneath your feet... but much more preferable to the feeling of destroyed shoes getting stuck in half frozen mud, "It's a simple dish," he said, "Just some vegetables and meat. I know, you probably don't like vegetables, but they're good for you..."

"I'm sure it'll be yummy." It had been so long since you've eaten a proper meal, he could probably put dirt on a plate and you'd gobble it up.

A few moments of silence, and you mostly just kicked your feet as you waited, and he set a heaping plate of food in front of you, "You don't have to finish your plate," he said, "And if you want more, there's more. I'm going to get your room ready."

"Wait, uhm, sir?" You asked, and he didn't even get a chance to walk off, "I... I don't wanna be alone."

He stared at you for a moment... he was definitely a weird man, but not in a bad way. In a sort of... an ugly dog with a broken snout is weird and different, but not bad. Maybe it's nicer than other dogs.

"Do you want me to stay with you until you're done?"

"Y-yeah, but, uhm..."

You didn't want to be alone in this stormy night. He seemed strong, he carried you like you were no heavier than a bag of feathers.

"Do you," he examined your face, "Want to sleep in my bed, with me?"

You looked down, fiddling with your fork.

"Is that okay?"

For a second, he was silent. He was probably thinking.

"If you really want to, then I suppose that's fine."

You couldn't help but beam, oh... your last fear for the night was gone. Food in your tummy, clean, warm, and you wouldn't have to be alone...

For a second, there was dread for tomorrow, when it was, no doubt, your time to leave, but you refused to think about it. He was so nice, maybe... Maybe you could stay? You'd be okay with working for him! It was better than being all alone...

"Sir?" You asked, as he was cleaning something,

"You can call me Diluc."

The name was... familiar.

"Oh, uhm... Diluc? What's going to happen tomorrow?"

The sound of scrubbing ceased, and he turned his head to look at you out of the corner of his eye, "What do you mean?"

You looked down again, "Well, you're really nice, and... uhm... I know you're being nice because it's rainy... but I don't have anywhere to go." You said, poking at your food, "I-I know! You must be super duper busy, but... I can work for you! I kinda know how to clean!"

Diluc fully looked at you, and it was pure bewilderment on his face, and if it wasn't your fear of him yelling at you, it would've been funny,

"Absolutely not, you're a child," he said, "You can stay with me for as long as you need. We can talk about finding you a proper family another time, all you need to worry about is... well, kid things."

"... You... I can stay?"

"Of course. I'm not going to abandon a child." He insisted, returning to cleaning, "You don't need to worry about 'adult things', about how to take care of yourself. You should, I don't know, worry about making friends or maybe about your studies, or about what you want to do that day. The fact that you're so worried about..."

He sighed.

"I'm sorry, you've done nothing wrong. Trust me," the sound of him setting down a plate, "You're safe as long as I have anything to do with it, alright?"

You sort of just stared... One part of you wanted to cry, but as he walked over, he-

You flinched, but all he did was affectionately pat your back.

"Eat, little bird, it won't be as good if you wait for it to get any colder."

Now all you worried about was how fast you could get it in your stomach, and then get to bed.

#genshin impact #diluc #diluc x reader #genshin diluc #genshin x reader #bark writes #hurt and comfort #fluffy bark #// was gonna make it longer but #// cant rlly overdo myself lest i make less content for everyone

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garbagevanfleet · 3 years

Text

Brightest Blue (series)

PART TEN

Pairing: Josh x reader Warnings: THIS CHAPTER IS 18+ ONLY! sexual content (finally), pot use, alcohol use Summary: Things are changing. New state. New school. New roommate. You just pray things are going to click into place.

Notes: Okay, guys. If you missed it, this chapter is NSFW. This was the best to write, seriously. Love you all, don't be afraid to tell me what you think of it!

taglist: @valleyd0ll @satingrass-maidensfair @guitarfingers @thebohemianpenguin @peaceisouranthem @oblvions @hansonobsessed @myownparadise96 @lara-gvf @anditsmywholeheart @kill-fear-the-power-of-lies @bigblack-catattack

MASTERPOST

Two weeks before the Saturday of the play, the forecast had called for a blizzard. “Polar vortex” they had called it on the tv at school, flashing graphics of a polar bear wearing a scarf.

After classes on Friday, you had asked Kate if she wanted to go for coffee. You had been working like a dog on the play - sewing and painting to the point where your fingers perpetually hurt and the only thing you could see when you closed your eyes was the shade of green that every foliage prop was painted.

You ordered a caramel macchiato and genuinely tried to enjoy it, propping your legs up on the chair next to her.

“So,” she started, eyeing you like she had a bone to pick. She still looked so pretty when she was coming for your life. “We’ve been so busy with Josh, we haven’t had any alone time to talk about Trevor.”

You sucked in a deep breath and relaxed your stiff neck muscles, achy from behind hunched over while sewing. “Yeah. I kind of forgot about it, to be honest.”

“I have not, however. So dish,” she requested, reaching into her purse and pulling out a tube of lipstick. She applied it carefully in her phone camera as you spoke.

“Josh did it,” you admitted, making her eyes flick over to you momentarily. “I mean, I still slapped him, but Josh was the one that gave him a black eye.”

“And how do you feel about that?” she asked carefully.

You shrugged, wrapping your fingers tightly around your cup, half to leech the heat, and half because you were anxious. “I don’t know. I was kind of upset, but only because he could have gotten kicked out of school for that.”

She just nodded for you to continue as she cleaned up the lines around her lips with a paper napkin.

“I mean, and for what? He could have been arrested. Just for revenge. I feel like the best revenge would be just be keeping your head high.” You rolled your eyes at the beginning of your statement, just for emphasis.

She stared at you blankly as she picked up her mug. “Aren’t you flattered? I wish a guy would punch one of my hookups.”

“I mean, it’s cute, but I feel like he did it more for himself - for his own pride, you know?”

Her expression changed then to something a little heavier, her features sharpening in accusation. “Are you for real? Like, for real, for real?”

You frowned at her, feeling like you were being scolded. “What are you talking about?”

She let out a long breath, looking dumbstruck. “I haven’t really pressed it because I guess I just thought it was something that everyone knew but wasn’t talking about but-” She paused, putting her hand over yours on the table just to really drive the point home.

“That boy has it bad for you.”

You knew your expression was ridiculous by the way she looked at you with pity. “What the hell are you talking about? Josh? Are we talking about Josh?”

She closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and nodded.

“Kiszka?” you tried again, still refusing to let her statement sink in.

“Yes,” she said through a laugh. “Yes, your roommate Josh. Curly hair, hippy bullshit - that guy. I swear to God I thought you knew. I mean, there were times when I was like ‘does she actually know?’ but then I thought ‘there’s no way she lives with him and doesn’t know that’. You’re telling me I was wrong?”

You were struck silent for a few long moments. “Are you sure?”

Thankfully, she was looking at you like you were a puppy with its head stuck in a peanut butter jar. “Look at me. He punched a guy in the face for you.”

You closed your eyes and tried to suppress a smile. “I don’t know.”

“Okay. There’s supposed to be a huge snowstorm this weekend. Now that you’ve heard me say it, return to me on Monday - after spending all weekend in the same place as him - and tell me you don’t see it then,” she said simply.

“Okay, I will,” you challenged.

“Okay, you do that,” she quipped with a smirk, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest confidently.

+++

In preparation, you had gone grocery shopping together, picking out everything you’d need to be stuck in the apartment together. He had even made you take him to a thrift store, just so he could see if there was anything fun. In the end, he had come out with a card game in a box, still wrapped.

Saturday morning the snow started falling, this time in huge, fluffy flakes, and it wasn’t supposed to stop until Monday evening.

While Josh was in the shower, you decided to get everything ready for the evening’s festivities that you had planned together. You had gone to find a good cheese board at the market until you found out they were too pricey for your (nearly nonexistent) budget, so you ended up laying out different crackers and cheeses onto a circular pizza pan.

By the time he got out of the shower, you had grapes, pickles, olives, and chocolates laid out on the coffee table, and he caught you just as you were pouring each of you a glass of wine.

The charcuterie was his idea - actually, the first thing he suggested when you said you wanted to have a fun night in on Saturday. The three different kinds of alcohol had been your idea.

“Okay, it’s all yours,” he informed as he trotted out from his bedroom, dressed in a fresh set of clothes.

The shower was still warmed up, the mirror still steamy. You got a towel out and stepped in under the spray.

You took the time to enjoy washing and conditioning your hair - your mom had been sweet enough to send you some of the expensive kind you love. Once you had hinted over the phone that you were homesick and the smell of it reminded you of home, she was already googling it.

Once you felt sufficiently clean, you stepped out and dried off. The clothes you had taken into the bathroom weren’t anything special - you had chosen comfort over aesthetic - but they were warm, which is what you really needed as the snow fell outside.

When you joined him back in the living room, Josh was waiting patiently on the couch.

“Ready?” he asked, handing you your glass of wine.

“You didn’t have to wait for me.” You gestured down at the untouched food.

He smiled at you. “I know.”

You sipped at your drink as he gestured to the tv.

“Movie for background noise?”

You hummed in thought. “Maybe music?”

He nodded in agreement. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Whatever you pick will be perfect.”

By the time he had made a selection, you had nearly finished your glass of wine. “So, the costumes are coming along well. I got the cutest lace for the trimmings of Alice’s dress. I’m not sure you’ll even be able to see it from the audience, but she’ll look adorable in pre and post-performance pictures.”

He shot you a beaming smile. “That’s some master craft. Your attention to detail is unrivaled.”

You knew that he was just playing, but it still made your stomach flip.

“Should we play our card game?” he suggested, padding over to the kitchen and snatching the bottle of wine off the counter.

You watched his movements as he poured your glass full again. “Thank you. Yeah, we can. Or did you want to be drunker first?”

He hummed. “One shot each?”

“Of vodka?” you inquired as you picked yourself off of the couch. “Where are the shot glasses?”

“I don’t think I own any,” he admitted as he watched you rifle through the cupboards.

You shot him a shocked look. “You’re a college kid; why would you not own a shot glass?”

“Well, we haven’t needed it thus far. I don’t throw a lot of parties if you haven’t noticed.” He gestured around the empty room. “We’ll each just take a pull from the bottle?”

“Okay, you first,” you agreed, thrusting the bottle at his chest. He took it from your grasp with a smirk and then pressed his lips to the rim. He drank until the count of three before swallowing hard and passing it along.

You followed suit, except with more difficulty. He had made it look so easy, you had almost forgotten how vodka tasted. You swiped your thumb across your lips, wiping them dry in the process.

You took your seats back on the couch next to each other as the music played through the room.

“Charcuterie?” you offered, gesturing to the coffee table full of food.

“Yes, of course.”

As you watched him make a cracker sandwich, you spoke. “So, should we crack this game open?”

After he nodded excitedly, you ripped into the plastic wrap.

“Okay, it looks like it’s essentially just a questions game. We just draw one at a time and the other person answers them,” you explained after skimming the inside of the box. “And you have to finish your drink if you can’t answer it.”

He laughed. “Okay, ladies first. I’m ready.”

You pushed the stack of cards over at him. “No way, you ask me first,” you stated with a cheeky smile.

He raised his eyebrows at you but relented. As he plucked a card from the deck, he took a sip of wine.

“What is your favorite color?” he asked, leaning in and squinting like the information you were about to provide was essential to his existence.

You snorted. “Really?” He nodded, prompting you to continue. You hummed as you thought about it. “It’s blue.”

“What kind of blue? Like navy or sky?”

You shook your head. “No, more like that blue that’s so blue it hurts your eyes. The one that was a new pigment discovered not that long ago - so bright it hurts.”

He gave you a sincere smile. “That’s a good pick.”

“What’s yours?”

“That’s not how this game works,” he said through a breathy laugh.

You frowned at him. “Yeah, well. Then I’m asking you as a friend. Josh, what is your favorite color?”

He pursed his lips as he considered his answer. “It’s hard for me to pick, but maybe either red or orange.”

You nodded in agreement as you reached for the deck. “I could see that. Okay, your turn.”

You stared at the card in your hand that read, WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU SLEPT WITH?

“Are you alright?”

You snapped your eyes up to him, quickly nodding as you realized that he had been waiting patiently for you to read it.

“Okay,” he agreed cautiously. “That’s good. What’s the question?”

You couldn’t suppress an awkward smile as a heat rose to your face.

“It says, ‘who is the last person you slept with?’,” you informed in a humored tone. You even held it up for him to see.

He stared at the card like it just accused him of a heinous act. “You really got to answer the color question and I have to answer this?”

His intensity made you snort a laugh, though you were trying to hold yourself together so you didn’t spill your wine. “Okay, okay. I’ll answer it too. Maybe we can play the game where we both just answer it.”

“Do you just want to hear me talk about sex?” he prompted with a shit-eating grin.

You gave him a disbelieving look. “Are you- You’re the one that picked this game out!”

Your overreaction was clearly exactly what he had been looking for. You were anticipating his ribbing to continue, but it didn’t.

“The last person I had sex with,” he started, pressing his lips against the rim of his glass as he took a swig. “Was from my music theory class.”

“When?” you quickly asked, shocking even yourself.

“Is that part of the question?” he teased smugly, picking a kalamata olive off of the tray and piercing it with his finger before popping it in his mouth.

You licked your lips nervously. “No, it isn’t,” you admitted. “You don’t have to answer that, I was just curious.”

“You wanna get high?”

He was staring directly into your eyes when you looked up at him again.

“I feel like it’ll make it easier to answer these.”

You nodded at him, biting your bottom lip. “Yes. Yes, I do want to.”

“My room?” he asked, picking up both of your glasses as he stood.

“Your room,” you confirmed, following suit.

Through the slats in his blinds, you could see that the ground was completely covered in a white blanket of snow. You spent some time watching it fall from his bed as he packed a bowl.

“Here,” he said gently to get your attention. “You take the first hit. I’m going to light it and you’re going to suck in and hold it in.”

You nodded in understanding.

“Not too much though,” he warned.

The glass was cool in your hands as you took it from him. When he held the flame to it, you did as you were told before exhaling with care. He was looking at you with a proud expression when you met his eyes.

You handed it back over to him, waiting until he was in the process of taking a hit before you spoke.

“Tell me when you slept with her,” you demanded calmly, biting back a smirk at the way his breathing faltered.

It had turned into a game of chicken as you held each other’s gazes silently.

“You haven’t even answered the required question yet and you want me to do the extra credit?” he quipped.

“The last person I fucked was a guy from tinder back home, and it happened a couple of months before I left,” you informed him confidently. “I’ve only ever had one boyfriend, and he was a prick, so when we broke up, I went on a tinder bender just to feel something.”

A small smile spread across his pink lips as he listened.

“Now you.”

“She was my girlfriend last year. We broke up in April and I had a hard time saying no to late-night texts until the end of June.” His tone was sincere as far as you could tell, as were his eyes.

You were starting to feel the hit you’d taken by then, and you took a pause from the conversation to lean over the side of his bed and grab the bag of suckers you knew was waiting there for this very occasion.

The high washed over you in a gentle, pleasant manner, leaving you feeling a little dreamy.

“Sucker?” you asked, holding the bag open for him. He breathed a laugh - probably at you offering him his own candy - and then plucked one from the bag.

After he had it unwrapped, he held the bowl out to you again. “Want another? Or am I going to have to smoke the rest of this myself?”

“Yes, I’m sure that would be very rough on you, poor baby,” you teased.

He huffed a laugh, sitting up a bit straighter in his position. “You want another one or not?”

You stared at him wordlessly for longer than was socially acceptable, but when you finally spoke, it was with conviction. “I’ll have another baby hit.” You pulled the cards from the pocket of your pajama pants. “But then we’re playing another card, right?.”

He glanced down at the bowl and then back up to you. “When you say ‘baby hit’-”

“I mean I want you to blow it into my mouth with your mouth,” you explained cheekily, making him huff a laugh.

“You liked that, huh?” he asked, risking a dark glance up at you through his long lashes as his fingers played along the glass piece.

You knew exactly what you wanted to say - could hear it in your head, but your body felt tight with nerves at the thought of actually saying it. “Not as much as you did, I’m guessing.”

Oh, damn, you said it.

A smirk played across his mouth, his eyes half hooded. If you hadn’t been paying attention, you would have thought he was completely unaffected by your teasing, but you had been listening to his breathing, so you were perfectly aware when it changed slightly. It was just the smallest difference in sound like he was pulling in air through tighter lungs.

“Be careful with what you’re accusing people of.” A warning, definitely, but almost more of a challenge. In the months that you’d spent with him, you’d never seen him like that, but you suppose you wouldn’t have unless- Unless you were about to make him do something truly reckless.

You bit your bottom lip out of an anxious, excited energy. “Oh, my mistake then.”

The ball was in his court, and you could tell that he was expecting him to continue pressing him. A look of slight disappointment flashed behind his eyes, but you weren’t done yet.

You nodded toward the bowl, prompting him to glance down at it like he had forgotten what he was doing in the game he was playing with you. He kept eye contact with you as he brought it to his mouth and lit it. You watched the white smoke circle the inside of the globe before he sucked it into his lungs.

You tilted your chin up in invitation and tried to relax your muscles as he leaned in, his throat looking tight.

You felt his nose brush yours first before you realized you had closed your eyes in anticipation. The smoky smell hit you first when you realized you were supposed to be taking it from him. You opened your eyes and tried to breathe it all in, but most of it was lost to the room.

He had a tiny smirk playing on his features until you reached out and wrapped your hand around the back of his neck, pressing his forehead against yours in an abrupt motion. You could tell he had his teeth clenched by how tight his jaw looked.

You couldn’t stop yourself from playing your fingers along the sharp line of it.

“Do you want me?” you whispered, voice barely there at all.

Through a labored breath, he responded with a smoky sounding, “What would give you that impression?”

You couldn’t help the laugh that escaped you, but unsurprisingly, it came out sounding raw. Your fingers brushed across the short hair on the nape of his neck, the pleasant feeling causing his eyelids to flutter.

You leaned forward until you pressed your cheekbone against his, lips right by his ear, and pointedly asked, “Do. You. Want. Me?”

“Fucking of course, I do,” he spat through clenched teeth, sounding distressed as his hands wrapped around your waist, thumbs pressed into your hipbones on either side.

“Should we?” you asked, pulling back so you could see his face.

“Probably not.” His words were humored, a melodic laugh accompanying them, but still somehow managed to not sound any less strained.

You considered what he was saying for a moment, relishing in the idea that this was the last moment before the point of no return. “Just one hookup,” you reasoned.

He smirked at you, looking all too smug and disbelieving. “Okay,” he agreed.

Patiently, you waited for him to make the first move, your heartbeat bouncing around like a basketball in your chest. When you felt his hands move from your hips, your body tensed, trying to predict where they’d end up next.

As he cupped your jaw with both hands, you melted a little, muscles noticeably relaxing.

The kiss was tentative at first - just a brushing of his lips on yours like he was testing the waters. He held your face like he was afraid that you were going to vanish into thin air - like your presence was the key to his existence.

You could hear his shallow breaths as he opened his mouth, pressing it against yours. His tongue tasted like the orange sucker he’d abandoned on its wrapper on top of the dresser next to his bed. You lapped at it, body rising as you shifted to crawl into his lap. With the way he was sitting, cross-legged on his bed straddling him was a bit of a strain on your inner thighs, but the feeling was oddly pleasing - like a warm-up for the workout you were about to endure.

He let go of your face to place his hands back on your hips, pulling your body as close to his as it physically could be. Before he could situate you too firmly, you started to unbutton your pajama shirt, and bless his heart, he couldn’t help but watch your fingers work.

“Is this really happening, or this just a super high fever dream?” he asked, shaking his head as he frowned like he wasn’t sure he could trust his eyes.

You wanted to laugh at him, but you could hardly blame his disbelief. If someone had told you even earlier that week that you’d be in this position, you would have rolled your eyes at them. You hadn’t realized how much you wanted this until it was about to happen.

The last button undone, you let the garment fall, the pink and white striped fabric slipping off the bed and to the hardwood.

The cool air was shocking on your bare skin at first, causing it to tighten - well, that and you could practically feel his eyes raking over your chest.

“It’s happening,” you assured, leaning in until you were speaking against his parted lips.

The feeling of him brushing the pads of his fingers over your nipple made your breathing shudder. When you tipped your head back, he ducked in and pressed his mouth to your throat, dragging a stripe across your skin with the flat of his tongue. Every part of your whole body felt hot, but none more than between your legs. You tried to grind yourself down on him, but couldn’t seem to get a good angle - luckily, he seemed to notice, and halted your movements with his hands on your hips, stretching his legs out straight.

He pulled back just far enough to see your face when he ground you down onto him, the outline of his cock slipping against your core. Even with all the layers between you, the feeling still made you crumble against him, a whine escaping your lips of its own volition. It was clear that he felt it too as he bit his lip, his eyes fluttering.

You seized the opportunity to get your fingers under his shirt, lifting it over his head as he held his arms up for you. Before he could prepare for it, you pressed closer, pressing a kiss to his temple and then nipping at his earlobe. The cool metal of his earring was pleasing against your tongue, and you reveled in the moment as he sucked in a sharp, shocked breath.

His hands snaked around your sides, palms wide as he cupped your ass and used the leverage to pull you against him again. Burying his nose in the crook of your neck, he let a shaky breath escape him.

You could feel his thumbs hook under the elastic band of your pajama bottoms as he started to slip them down the cleft of your ass. Once it was bare, he ran his fingers over it, movement stalling as he looked at you with an eyebrow raised.

“Are you not wearing panties?”

You scoffed. “Not to bed, obviously. Are you implying that you wear something under those loose pants?”

The corners of his lips tilted up in a wicked smirk. “I encourage you to find out.”

You giggled at his confidence, sweetly nudging your forehead against his, so he didn’t expect the swift movement of your hand as you tugged the tie of his sweats down. The answer to your previous question was “no” - he hissed as you grabbed his erection, swiping your thumb across the head, glossy from the dim light through the blinds. It was just a tease though, because a split second later, you let go of it in favor of wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing your mouth against his again.

As you pressed him back, he tried to hold you, but once he realized you weren’t just leaning on him for support, he relented. You laid him back on his bed, pulling back as you slipped your bottoms off the rest of the way.

“Jesus,” he breathed as his eyes took in the whole of your naked body above him. “Hang on.”

He reached to the bedside table and grabbed the bowl and lighter. After he sucked in another hit and set the piece back down, he tugged you in roughly, depositing the smoke directly into your mouth. You tried to hold it in like he had taught you, but you were much more interested in getting your tongue into his mouth.

Still, you were plenty high, so much so that looking down on his bare form had tears threatening your eyes. He looked so soft and sweet despite the position he was in, his eyes half-lidded and one hand behind his head, one on your bare hip.

You shifted until you could grind your core against the length of him, the wetness letting it slip through easily.

“Fuck.” You had thought it was an exclamation of pleasure until you opened your eyes and saw a scowl painted across his face. “I definitely don’t have a condom.”

You hummed through a smile. “I don’t blame you, I definitely didn’t expect this.”

He frowned up at you. “We can just try something else if you want,” he offered.

“Well, I’m on birth control, and given the length of time between our last sexual encounters, I’m guessing we’re both clean - I know I am.”

He stared at you for a long moment before really realizing what you were implying, but once he did, he licked his lips in consideration.

“Come here.” You weren’t sure what he was requesting until he grabbed onto your thighs and guided you up until you were straddling his face.

The thought of it made you blush, and surely your cheeks were hot to the touch.

He started with broad strokes of his tongue, just dragging it through. You briefly wished he had a headboard for you to brace yourself on, but your thoughts quickly became completely incoherent. You decided you were going to lean back instead, placing your palms flat on his bent knees. When you were completely comfortable and situated, he started pointedly flicking his tongue against your clit directly, first very soft and teasing, but building to something rougher and more deliberate.

You thought you were actually going to shake apart when he sucked your clit right into his mouth, rolling the bead of it around on the flat surface. When you could feel yourself getting close to the edge, you threaded your fingers through his curls, keeping him close.

The moment you lost it, everything in the room melted away from you - just a black expanse with flicks of color littered throughout it.

You took a moment to catch your breath, trying to bring yourself, at least partly, back to reality. When you pulled away from him, you were met with the sight of him - the entire bottom half of his face slick with your come.

He only let you watch in fascination as it dripped from his chin for a second before he was pushing you back, your head laid at the foot of the bed. He slipped his sweats off the rest of the way before crawling over you.

There was no way you could have blamed him as he pushed in, seemingly not having any time for a slow entrance - you did make him sit there, untouched, for god knows how long. You certainly couldn’t name even a rough estimate for the amount of time passed.

The spark of pleasure that shot through you made you throw your head back, your spine arching as you let out a whine.

“I’m sorry, are you okay?” he breathed, through tight teeth.

“Yes,” you hissed as you ground yourself down onto him. “Keep going.”

Your eyes were closed, but you were sure he was wearing an awed expression. You grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him in until your foreheads were pressed together. When he started to move his hips, you let out a long, pleased hum, pressing your nails into the skin on his shoulders.

Your whole lower half was still incredibly sensitive, so every time he brushed you, it made you writhe a bit beneath him. “Mm, fuck,” you growled as he intentionally reached down and pressed his thumb into your clit, the feeling resting somewhere between “just perfect” and “way too much”.

He was biting his lip as he watched your reaction intently. You felt his hand snake down your outer thigh, gripping it from the bottom. He lifted it up, near-forcing you to wrap it around his hip.

The new angle was a different kind of feeling - something hot deeper in your gut like someone placed a smoldering ember in your belly. You weren’t paying attention to anything but your own impending orgasm, so you didn’t expect it when he sucked your nipple into his mouth. He raked his teeth over the bud, causing your hips to jerk against him.

When you opened your eyes and met his, you took a moment to absorb his expression - like he was seeing another dimension through your face.

You could tell he was close when his lips fell open, but that was perfect because he was taking you with him. You hitched your legs around his hips and squeezed, letting your head tip back.

When you came a second time, it was with his open mouth pressed to your throat, his hot breath hitting your damp skin. You let out a low whine, fingers tangled in his hair, probably a little too tight.

You suspected it was probably your muscles clenching in orgasm around him that set him off, a string of expletives falling from his kiss-swollen lips. His hips shuddered as he fucked you through it.

The other side of your collective climax was warm and fuzzy, like watching home videos from the ‘60s. When he was able to hold himself all the way up, you ran your fingers through his damp curls affectionately.

He was clearly trying to get his bearings, his breath flowing in and out of him like a tide.

“Are you okay?” he whispered, sounding like he might not be able to speak any louder than he currently was if he wanted to.

You hummed through a smile. “So good, Maybe never better.”

He rubbed his nose against yours, the smallest hint of an upward tilt to his lips. “I’m high as hell, so I’m not sure what’s acceptable for our situation right now, but can I kiss you?”

“We probably shouldn’t,” you admitted, making his expression fall slightly.

He nodded at you in reluctant agreement. “You’re right.”

You bit your bottom lip. “Ah, fuck it, we’ll start going back to normal tomorrow.”

#josh kiszka smut #josh kiszka #Greta Van Fleet #greta van fleet fan fiction #greta van fleet fic #brightest blue fic #gvf #gvf fic

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yourlocalfictionalenthusiast · 3 years

Text

IN LIFE, IN DEATH...

Part One

Luke Patterson x Fem!reader

Summary: All you wanted was to play the biggest gig of your life with your best friends, but you just might get more than you bargained for.

Warnings: death and some swearing (I don’t think there is anything else but if there is, let me know!)

…

May 1994

“Shit.”

You whispered to yourself as you stared at the old clock on the diner’s wall.

It had only been half an hour since your shift started, but you were already anxious for it to be over.

Cece’s diner was normally one of your favorite places in the world. It was a small, poorly lit building in a boring part of L.A. It didn’t see much business since it wasn’t easy to find. But the air always smelled like fresh coffee and cinnamon.

You loved working there, but it was not where you wanted to be right now.

“You okay, (Y/n)?” A voice asked from behind the counter. You turned to see your boss Cece, a petite middle-aged woman who was eyeing the dirty table in front of you that you were supposed to be cleaning.

“Yeah, sorry. My mind is somewhere else.” You admitted, throwing the empty plates in the tray and carrying them to the kitchen.

Cece shook her head and let out a laugh as she followed. “On a certain guitarist, perhaps?”

Your cheeks flushed and Cece laughed again, grabbing the rag off her shoulder and smacking it against your arm lightly.

She was one of the few people who knew about your feelings for Luke Patterson. One of your best friends, childhood crush, and most recently, your bandmate.

“And for your information, I’m thinking about all of the band because we’re practicing tonight.”

“Uh-huh.” Cece hummed, a sly smile on her face.

She always pretended to be annoyed with your ramblings since you joined sunset curve, saying that a sixteen-year-old girl had no business being in a rock band. But you had caught her bragging about you to the few regulars you had multiple times.

She had a son living a few states away, but they weren’t close. So she treated you like her daughter. Which meant she wasn't the biggest fan of you constantly hanging around a bunch of teenage boys. But eventually, she warmed up to them. Especially Alex; he was her favorite.

Luke, on the other hand, annoyed her to no end.

You ran the dishes under hot water and pressed a kiss to Cece’s cheek as you walked past her and back into the main room.

“Besides, Luke doesn’t like me like that.”

Cece rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak but the shrill ring of the phone cut her off. You let out a sigh, grateful for the distraction. She meant well, but when it came to your situation with Luke, you were more than happy to live in denial and ignoring it altogether.

He was your best friend. That’s all that mattered right now.

You shook the thoughts from your head and grabbed the phone’s receiver. “Cece’s Diner. How can I help you?”

“How much do you love me?”

Speak of the devil.

Your heart raced at the sound of Luke’s voice rang through your ears. His choice of words definitely not helping to calm you down. You shook your head, mentally scolding yourself.

“Luke?” You asked which prompted Cece to raise an eyebrow from the other side of the room.

“Hey. I’m sorry for calling you at work but I can’t finish this song and it’s driving me nuts. I need you and your genius brain to come help me.”

Despite your protests, the tap dance in your chest continued. It was ridiculous that after knowing Luke all your life, you were still shocked when he complimented you like that.

“I don’t get off until six, but I’ll come after.” You said, trying not to smile when you heard him cheer in victory. “And before Reggie asks, yes, I’ll bring coffee.”

Luke laughed before singing into the phone. “Get me a large with extra whipped cream and cinnamon.”

“I hate you.” You sang back, making a mental note to wipe off the smirk you could practically hear in his voice before the line went dead. You sighed as you put the phone back on the hook, holding a finger out to Cece.

“Not a word.”

A few hours later, you walked into Bobby’s garage, carrying a cardboard tray in each arm.

You sighed as you looked around the room. Every surface was covered in discarded paper balls and empty fast-food wrappers. You had expected to hear some form of music or at least some talking but the room was dead silent.

In the center of the mess, Alex and Reggie sat on the floor. Alex was trying to balance his drumsticks on his nose, and Reggie was mindlessly strumming his bass. Luke was sitting back on the couch, his eyebrows tightly knitted together as he frantically scribbled into his notebook.

“Your savior is here, and I come bearing coffee.”

All three heads whipped in your direction and within seconds, Reggie was excitedly bouncing his way towards you. He reached out to swipe a cup from the tray in your left hand. You swatted his arm away.

"Not that one. That’s Al’s.”

You set the rest of the drinks on the table in front of you and walked up to Alex. You handed him the cup and he gave you an appreciative smile. You always made sure to get him hot chocolate or tea, since you learned the hard way that caffeine can sometimes make his anxiety worse. He told you he didn’t want to admit that to the guys. So you were happy covering for him.

“Why does he get his own special one?” Reggie pouted as he grabbed another cup and strolled over to Luke, plopping down next to him on the couch. “And why is she the only one who can call you ‘Al’?”

“Because I’m his favorite.” You said, poking Reggie’s cheek as you passed him and took the other seat on the couch next to Luke. Alex just nodded, trying to hold back a smile.

“I thought you didn’t get off for another hour.” Luke said, looking up from his songbook for the first time since you got there.

“Cece knew it was important band stuff so she let me off early.” You shrugged.

“Oh no, she’s not mad at me, is she?” Luke shivered, thinking of all the times Cece had chewed him out for being a ‘bad influence’ on you or made him wipe down some tables for accidentally making you late for a shift. “You know I can’t stand when that woman is mad at me.”

“I also know that all you have to do is give her your little puppy-dog look and she’ll instantly forgive you.”

“Yeah, you guys are alike that way.” Luke teased, sticking his bottom lip out and batting his eyes dramatically.

“Yeah, yeah. So, what have you got so far?” You said as you bumped his shoulder with yours. He grinned and started translating his messy handwriting for all of you.

The four of you sat there for an hour putting all the words in the right places and by the time Bobby got there, you all felt confident that it was finally finished. You took your place behind your microphone and nodded.

“Okay, Al. Count us down.”

Alex twirled his drumsticks. “1…2…3…4!”

June, 1995

“Don’t look down.”

You couldn’t help but smile as you sang the song you had written a year ago. Your feet bouncing on the stage, the thin layer of sweat on your forehead.

To your left, Luke raised his arms, trying to hype up the non-existent crowd. Alex clashed his drumsticks together to the beat as all your voices came together.

“Cause we’re still rising up right now.”

You clapped along to the song, the energy coursing through your veins. Luke was in the middle of throwing his guitar behind his back. You rolled your eyes at him and he flashed you a small bashful smile before turning his head.

Your heart fluttered but you forced yourself to turn the other way, singing with Reggie just as the song transferred out of the bridge. The fog machines cued the ending chorus and you gripped your microphone with both hands.

“And even if we hit the ground, we’ll still fly.

Keep dreaming like we’ll live forever.

But living like it’s now or never.“

The other boy's voices dropped out until it was just you and Luke singing the chorus. You looked over at him, but his eyes were glued to the front of the room. Normally, you would share a mic for this part or at least stand close together, but he seemed determined to avoid you.

Just like he had been for the last six months.

You ignored the gaping pit in your stomach and poured all your focus into the song.

“Like it’s now or never!

It’s now or never!“

The final riff sounded and you let out an exhausted but proud sigh. There were a few scattered claps from the staff in the venue. But a curly-haired girl behind the counter was cheering especially loud. Reggie winked at her and leaned into his mic.

“Thank you! We’re Sunset Curve. Tell your friends.”

You rolled your eyes at him and pulled his arm, dragging him to the center of the stage. Alex came from his drum set and you gave him a high five.

“Al, you were amazing!”

“Yeah, dude, you were smoking.” Reggie agreed.

Alex blushed. “Nah, man. I was just warming up. You guys were the ones on fire.”

Reggie rolled his eyes. “Can you just own your awesomeness for once?”

Bobby and Luke nodded in agreement and you raised your eyebrows at Alex, nudging him until he finally smiled. “Okay, I was killing it!”

“I’m thinking we should fuel up before the show. Street dogs?” Luke asked. Alex and Reggie hummed in agreement but you wrinkled your nose.

“I think I’m gonna pass.” You said, jumping off the stage. It wasn’t that you had anything against street dogs, but as far as pre-gig activities go, it didn’t make your top ten list.

Bobby landed next to you and started jogging towards the counter. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair and approached the girl wiping tables.

“Oh no.” You said. “Bobby, leave that poor girl alone.”

Bobby turned around just enough to give you a glare as you both reached the counter. The rest of the boys weren’t far behind. You felt Luke slip behind you and throw an arm on Bobby’s shoulder.

Bobby told the girl some line about being a vegetarian. But she shook it off, looking over all of you.

“You guys are really good.”

You smiled proudly. “Thank you.”

She returned your smile. “I’ve seen a lot of bands. Even been in a couple myself. I was really feeling it.”

Luke was practically beaming. The whole band contributed with the songs, of course, but you and Luke were the main writers, so it was always nice to hear people compliment your words. “That’s what we do this for. I’m Luke, by the way.”

“Hey, I’m Reggie.”

“Alex.”

“Bobby.”

“And I’m (Y/n).”

“Nice to meet you guys. I’m Rose.” She said, turning to you. “You have a great voice, by the way. It’s always cool to see a girl lead vocalist.”

Bobby snorted. You elbowed him and Luke gave him a wet-willy. “Oh, thank you. But I’m just co-lead.”

She opened her mouth to say something else but Reggie reached in his back pocket and pulled out a C.D and a t-shirt, handing them to her. “Here’s our demo, and a T-shirt, size beautiful.”

As if on cue, you and Alex rolled your eyes. You sent Rose an apologetic look as she held the shirt up to her body.

“Thanks, I’ll try not to wipe down the tables with this one.”

Alex nodded. “Good call! When they get wet, they kind of fall apart in your hands.”

Bobby glared at all of you. “Don’t you guys have to go get hot dogs?”

Luke pushed Bobby back and leaned on the counter with both arms. “Yeah, he had a hamburger for lunch.”

The boys started going towards the exit but stopped when Alex noticed you hesitating. “You coming?”

You really didn’t want hotdogs, but you also didn’t want to stay and listen to Bobby attempt to flirt with Rose. So you nodded and followed Alex to the door.

“Hey, (Y/n)!” Rose called out and you turned around. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

You gave her a warm smile before walking out into the alley. The night air hit your skin and you shivered slightly. It wasn’t cold, but it was definitely a change from the sweaty stage. You wrapped your jacket around your shoulders.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Luke whooped as he jumped through the doors and into the alleyway.

Alex gestured around, wrinkling his nose. “The smell of Sunset Boulevard?”

Luke shoved his shoulder. “No.”

You jumped out of the way as Luke splashed in a puddle. “It’s what that girl said in there. About our music.”

His eyes flickered to you when he said ‘our’ but quickly looked away. It was practically the first time he had acknowledged your presence all night.

“It connects us with people, you know? They can feel us when we play.” He said excitedly, slowing his walking until the rest of you caught up with him.

He reached each arm up and pulled Reggie to his side with one arm and despite being right next to you, he pulled Alex to his other side. You turned your head forward to hide the confused look on your face but you knew Alex saw it.

Other than Cece, he was the only person who knew about your feelings for Luke. You could tell from the look on his face that he was just as confused with Luke’s recent behavior as you were, but he didn’t say anything.

“I want that connection with everybody.”

“Then we’re gonna need more T-shirts.” You heard Reggie say as you reached the end of the alley. You pulled up the hood of your jacket and turned your head away from the line in front of the venue.

You didn't mean to walk so fast, but you were the first one at the alleyway a few blocks away from the Orpheum. You made your hotdog and made small talk with the vendor for a few minutes before the guys caught up.

“You trying to ditch us, (Y/n)?” Reggie asked, putting ingredients on his hotdog.

“Not my fault you guys are slow.” You stuck your tongue at him and he squinted at you. Alex groaned. You looked over at him to see him trying to put a pickle on his tray.

“Man, I can’t wait until the day we can eat someplace where the condiments aren’t served out of the back of an Oldsmobile.”

As he apologized to the vendor for getting pickle juice on his battery cables, you, Luke, and Reggie made your way to one of the old couches. They both sat down, leaving one open space next to Luke.

You made a point of sitting on the arm of the couch, letting your feet dangle on the seat. If Luke was going to avoid you, then you were going to avoid him right back. You also avoided the questioning look Reggie gave you before Alex sat down.

Luke didn’t seem to notice. He was bouncing his leg and couldn’t seem to stop smiling, it was obvious that he was still buzzing with energy from the soundcheck.

“This is awesome, you guys.” He said as he made himself comfortable between Reggie and Alex. “We’re playing the Orpheum! Do you know how many bands that played here ended up being huge?”

You rolled your eyes and smiled while the boys chuckled. You were all used to seeing the intense side of Luke, but he had been an even bigger ball of excited energy ever since you booked the Orpheum gig. It could be a little much for the guys sometimes, but the way his eyes lit up when he talked about music never failed to make you smile.

“I’m serious.” Luke insisted as he leaned forward and raised his hotdog in a toast. “Eat up, guys. Because after tonight, everything changes.”

You all toasted and then started to eat. Usually, street dogs weren’t half bad. But this time there was a burnt, nasty flavor that made it hard to swallow. Alex saw your face and nodded in agreement.

Even Luke, who had a super-human stomach, made a face. But his hunger must’ve won out cause he took another big bite.

“That’s a new flavor.” Alex said with his mouth full.

“Relax, man. Street dogs haven’t killed us yet.” Reggie told him as he took another bite. You still didn’t feel one hundred percent confident about it but you shrugged and kept eating.

It all happened so fast.

At first, it felt like you were dreaming. Like maybe you had just fallen asleep and would eventually wake up and realize that everything was just a nightmare.

But then the outline of Los Angeles floated away in a haze of grey and you were left in the dark. There was nothing but silence until you heard a voice somewhere in front of you.

It was the sound of Alex’s frantic ranting.

You could feel Reggie and Luke next to you, but they didn’t say anything. You didn’t either.

But you didn’t really need to. It was glaringly obvious what happened, you could feel it in your bones.

You were dead.

Alex’s ranting slowly turned into crying, which made you cry. Luke heard your quiet sniffles and for the first time in months, he touched you.

He reached out and intertwined your fingers loosely in his, gently swiping his thumb across your knuckles. You closed your eyes, trying to soak up the feeling. This was the closest to him you had been in since that night in the studio.

It seemed like so long ago, but at the same time, it was all too familiar. You knew that if you stayed in this moment with him any longer, you would fall apart completely.

So you turned away from him and buried your head in Alex’s shoulder. It seemed like hours passed before the silence was broken and the opening of Now or Never filled the air.

“Is that…?” You started, but before you could finish, the floor disappeared from under you.

You hit the ground with a painful groan and blinked at the sudden flood of bright light. You felt movement next to you and saw Reggie struggling to get up.

You hauled yourself up and turned around to realize you were back in Bobby’s garage. It looked so different that you almost didn’t recognize it. There was a new grand piano and flowers on every table. The room was free of any trash or discarded flannels.

But the biggest change by far, was the girl standing in front of you.

She was about your age with brown hair tied in a ponytail, in a bright yellow shirt, and furry slippers. She was staring at the four of you with wide eyes and a terrified look on her face.

“How did we get back here?” Luke said as he scanned the studio.

The girl screamed, which made the boys scream and cling to each other. Reggie threw himself against Luke and pulled you behind him.

They all screamed for a few more seconds before the girl ran out of the garage doors. You cautiously walked out from behind Reggie and towards the middle of the room, spinning in a full circle.

The boys started talking but you were still mesmerized by all the changes made to the studio.

You looked up towards the ceiling and saw that there were chairs hanging by the loft and countless tiny plants by the windows but you could still see the nail polish-stain you had made on the carpet and the dents in the beams from all the times Luke had messed up his guitar throw.

Carefully, you reached towards the piano and tried to touch a vase of flowers but they passed right through your fingers. Your entire hand went numb then a tingly feeling spread throughout your body.

Well, two things were for sure.

You were definitely back, but you were definitely dead.

#luke patterson #luke patterson x reader #luke patterson imagine #alex mercer #reggie peters #julie molina #jatp fanfic

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kudouusagi · 3 years

Text

CindeReki Preview

Still waiting for the full audio but here is a translation of the preview for people!

Narrator: Once upon a time in a land far away there was a very unfortunate girl named Cindereki.

She lived with her evil stepmother and sisters and was forced to do the cleaning and laundry all day.

Reki: Oof, oof. Ah! I'm finally done cleaning the windows! Now I have to clean the dishes!

Narrator: Cindereki was doing her chores as always when

Miya: What? Are you still not finished cleaning?

Narrator: Her second older sister, Miya, came in. Miya said with eyes like a mean cat

Miya: You're as shitty as always, Cindereki. I can't believe you're my sister. I don't even want to think about it.

Cherry: You're not done making dinner yet, are you? Are you trying to starve us?

Narrator: That was her oldest sister, Cherry. She said that with her fan over her face like she didn't even want to breathe the same air as her.

Reki: I'm sorry sisters! I'll make it right now!

Narrator: Cindereki said and headed toward the kitchen in a fluster but she was knocked over when she reached the doorway by a large body.

Reki: Gaaaaaah!

Shadow: Oh no! My flower dress has gotten all dirty! Cindereki, you really are just a dumb dirty dog.

Narrator: Her stepmother, Shadow, said while swaying her big body back and forth.

Reki: I'm sorry, mother! I'll make food right away!

Shadow: Whatever, it's fine. Could you get the coach ready?

Reki: You're going out?

Shadow: Hehe. There's a ball at Crazy Rock Castle tonight. Do you know why?

Miya: Mother, is that...!?

Cherry: Will Prince Langa be there!?

Reki: Prince Langa?

#SK8 #sk8 the infinity #my translation

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silv3rswirls · 3 years

Text

Honeybee

Requests are open!

Anon asks: Hello! I just read like the majority of your works and I like your writing a lot! I saw that you are taking requests so (if that’s still the case) I’d like to ask for something where V is finally home from a trip and there’s just a lot of domestic fluff with his s/o welcoming him home with cuddles and affection. If that’s alright? I’m in a soft mood

Thank you so much Anon, sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoy.

Summary: Taehyung comes home starved for attention after being away for so long.

Pairing: Kim Taehyung/reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 871

It had been a long time since you last saw Taehyung. He and the rest of the boys had been filming Bon Voyage and while long periods away from Taehyung were nothing new, it didn’t stop you from missing him. Thankfully, he was set to land back in Korea today, unfortunately, due to delays, you had been stuck waiting all day for his return. You waited anxiously, trying to keep occupied. You cleared the apartment not once, but twice. You walked Yeontan and considered going out for a second one when the boredom of waiting set it.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting you heard the soft creak of the front door opening. Resisting the urge to run and jump into his arms you got up to meet him with a bursting smile. Taehyung looked up as he slid his shoes into place, a smile plastered on his face. “Y/n!” He exclaimed, his voice a little tired as was the rest of his appearance. He rushed over, wrapping his arms around you. “I missed you” he sighed.

“I missed you too Tae” You laughed, reaching to brush through his hair. “You look exhausted.”

He hummed with a nod, “the delays were horrible.”

“Well, why don’t you relax and I’ll make us something to eat.” You offered, shooing Taehyung away. He pouted, not ready to let go of you just yet, but he obliged. He dragged his feet towards the bedroom and seconds later you heard him and Yeontan reuniting.

Taehyung let his bags in the bedroom, pushed out of the way until he felt like unpacking. He caught Yeontan in his arms, hugging and playing with the excited dog for a few minutes before deciding to hop in the shower. You decided just to make something quick and simple, setting some ramyeon up to cook and warm up some leftover rice. And when Taehyung finally returned, relaxed from a long shower and feeling much more comfortable, he smiled and snuck behind you. His arms wrapped tight around your waist as you finished up the few dirty dishes. He sighed, leaning some of his weight onto you as he pressed his face into your shoulder.

“The food is done, go ahead and eat while I finish.”

He hummed and shook his head, his hair tickling your neck. “I wait for you” he murmured. You smiled, turning back to finish the dishes. He stood there clinging to you as you did, a comfortable silence between the two of you. As often as Taehyung had to travel and stay away, it never seemed easy to go apart for so long. Leaving was always bittersweet and returning was always exciting. He always came home to cling to you, never growing tired of missing you. When you finished it took a lot to coax him away from the comfort he had found leaning over you, but you got him at the table with only minor complaints. The two of you ate, laughing and talking about his trip and how things were. He told you all about the fun and experiences he had gotten while away and you updated him on your mundane cycle of work and life. As boring as you thought it was compared to Taehyung’s trip, he hung onto every word you spoke.

Taehyung finished his good before you, sitting beside you waiting patiently watching with a fond smile. Eventually, he perked up and got up from the table, telling you to wait while he went to get something. He came back with a smile, something hidden behind his back. “Close your eyes” he demanded.

“Ah, Tae you didn’t have to bring me anything.”

“Of course I did, now close them.” You covered your eyes turning in your seat to face him as you waited. You heard Taehyung shuffle a bit and take his seat again. You felt something light placed into your lap and after a moment he told you to open your eyes. You looked down, smiling at the plush in your lap. It was fluffy and yellow, a bee. You laughed, flicking at its wings a bit before picking it up and hugging it. “It’s so cute, thank you Tae.”

“You like it?” He smiled.

“Of course, but why a bee?” You questioned, wondering why he hadn’t gone for the typical bear or cat.

“Because you’re my honey bee” he declared with a proud little smile. You giggled alongside him, moving in to hug him with a quick kiss.

“Thank you” you sighed, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you more” He kissed your forehead, “let’s go lay down now.” You cleaned the mess from the table quickly, Taehyung holding onto the stuffed toy with a smile as he watched. The two of you quickly settled into bed, Taehyung’s arms around you as you rested your head on his chest. He talked here and there, but for the most part, you took in the silence, listening to his heartbeat and breathing. Yeontan jumped up to join the two of you as well, curling at Taehyung’s side. It felt good to be back in his arms and Taehyung was just as content with snuggling the night away.

#bts fanfic #bts #bts imagines #bts reactions #kim taehyung #bts v #taehyung x reader #bts fluff #fluff #taehyung fluff

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ace-in-a-shopping-cart · 3 years

Text

The Evening Emerald

Word Count: 11,662

Content warnings: mentions of child abuse, abuse (both physical and mental), death threats, talks of death, alcohol mention,

Virgil reached his arm out to hook his middle finger around a brush and dragged it over, not wanting to drop any of the sections of hair he’d been holding. His step-sister snapped at him when he pulled slightly to grab the brush properly. He murmured an apology as he brushed a section out before carefully braiding it into another section. In another half hour, the elaborate hairstyle was finished.

In yet another half hour, his step-family was off to yet another party they hadn’t bothered trying to bring him to. He knew not many of those they kept company with even knew he existed. Sighing, he cleaned up the workstation and started on washing the dishes. It gave him something to do while his thoughts churned.

He wanted to get away from this household. His father had owned this house and land before he’d passed and, as his child, Virgil had inherited it. His step-father, married to his father shortly before the dear man’s demise, ran the house with an iron fist instead. Virgil was under his thumb and, having been beaten any time he tried to take command or even have the slightest bit of autonomy, he knew he wouldn’t be able to take it by force.

He moved on to scrubbing the counters and sweeping the floors as he thought. The only way he could get the land back is if he saved enough money to buy it or if he married someone rich. He couldn’t see either situation working as his step-father had hidden him away from society for so long that it had forgotten of his existence and he was never able to earn anything. Even so, he’d filched the odd coin or so from the maids or passing milk man enough that he had a sizable coin purse squirreled away.

Just as he was finishing his chores for the night, a knock sounded at the front door. Virgil waved a maid away, telling her to go on to bed, and answered it himself. The pouring rain met him, as did an elderly woman. “Please, young man, could you spare a crust of bread? Perhaps a small cup of water? I don’t want to be too much of a bother.” She shivered in the night air and her soaked clothing.

Virgil smiled, gently guiding her inside. “It’s cold out there, madam. Cold and wet. The master of the house won’t be home for another hour or so. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you drying off by the kitchen fire and having some of the leftover soup. It was going to be thrown out in the morning for the dogs anyway. Seems it could do you more good than it can the dogs.”

“You’re too kind.” She said, gratefully taking his aide.

He only released her once they’d arrived in the kitchen. Settling her in a chair, he stoked the flames and went to grab the soup. He put it on the hearth to warm up again, sitting to talk with her in the meantime. She ate the soup and smiled kindly at Virgil, thanking him for his hospitality. Just as she was about to leave, Virgil heard the carriage pull up to the door.

Quickly, he ushered the elderly woman to the back door and gave her hurriedly whispered directions back to the main road. Then, he had to almost run through the house to get to the front hall just as his step-family walked inside. They didn’t seem suspect at all and wished to go straight to bed. Virgil checked the back door once they were upstairs and, finding the old woman had left, redid all the kitchen chores.

It was close to dawn by the time he finished, prompting him to simply lay down by the dying fire for warmth and a quick cat nap. When the sun rose, he would have to get up and start his morning chores but for now he slept.

~~~~~~

A maid’s foot ramming into his side woke him. She gave him a whispered apology and an explanation that he was late in his duties and she had been scolded into doing it. Virgil took over, rushing to get everything ready before his step-family got too angry. He carefully balanced all three trays on his arms, one held in the crook of his elbow and the other two in his hands.

He gently set one down on a hall table to free his hand so he could open his step-brother’s door. The man groaned and rolled away from the light. Virgil set the tray from the crook of his arm on his bedside table before moving to throw the curtains open, still balancing a tray. His step-brother groaned again but sat up and threw a pillow at him.

Virgil expertly dodged it and moved to the door, closing it and picking up the tray from the hallway. He moved on to his step-sister’s room and did the same routine, not even getting a pillow lodged at him for his efforts.

Finally, he approached the bedroom at the end of the hall. When his father had still been alive, that door had always stayed open and Virgil had been allowed to come and go as he pleased. Laughter had always echoed from there when his mother had been alive, still there to some extent after her passing but not the same. Now that his step-father lived there, the door was always closed and laughter was rarely heard.

Virgil carefully opened the door, trying to be as quiet as possible. his step-father was already sitting up in bed when he entered, glaring daggers at him. “I don’t appreciate being kept waiting so long for my breakfast.”

Virgil dipped his head as he placed the tray over the man’s lap, moving to open the curtains. “My apologies, sir.” He knew better than to offer an explanation, preferring not to have the milk container thrown at the back of his head again.

When he stepped back from the curtains, his step-father spoke once more. “There is a list of chores I expect to have completed before you go to bed tonight on my side table.”

Virgil again bowed his head, coming close enough to retrieve the list before he departed, closing the door behind him. He didn’t look at the list until he had made it back to the kitchen. “Scrub the dining hall floors, sweep the front steps, clean out the root cellar, polish the mirrors, clean the windows, polish the silver, tidy the rooms, dust the guest rooms, who even uses the guest rooms?!” His voice rose in indignation.

The cook snickered as she pulled rolls from the oven. “I don’t know, sir, but breakfast should be done in a few minutes.”

Virgil smiled, his anger dissipating. He moved over and kissed her on her plump cheek. “Thank you kindly, Mandy, but it seems I have too many chores to stop for food. I’ll have to charm you out of a slightly larger lunch than usual.”

She swatted at him as he made his escape. “You be sure to eat lunch, young master!”

Virgil raised a hand in acknowledgment before going out to the yard. Looking over his list again, he noted some of the more laborious tasks even as he started his morning chores. The morning was slow as he worked his way through the chores and the list, especially as his step-family continued to add to it throughout the day.

When noon came around, Virgil was flagged down by Mandy and sat on a stool, forbidden from getting up until he’d finished what she’d given him. He was starting his list again at the stairs, sweeping them and the courtyard, when a messenger came in.

“Letters for the household.” She said gruffly.

Virgil nodded, holding his hand out. “I’ll take them in, thank you.”

He flipped through them, finding some from various lords or ladies around the kingdom, most likely asking for someone’s hand in marriage, but paused when he came to the royal seal. Hurriedly, he took the mail to his step-father, shuffling it to put the royal message with the red seal on top and brought them in.

Virgil’s step-father gathered his two children around him, Virgil standing in the corner where he usually was, before opening the invitation and reading it aloud. “A decree from the desk of the king: A masquerade ball will be held on three consecutive nights in honor of our Prince Patton’s engagement to our neighbor’s Prince Remus. Everyone of marriageable age from every household is invited to attend. The first ball starts at eight o’clock tonight.”

Virgil watched his step-family jump for joy, his step-sister rushing to find an outfit to wear while his step-father and step-brother shared a scheming look. Virgil felt a buzz in his own emotions as he thought he might be able to sneak out and attend at least the first one. The other two nights were a prime time for him to sneak away. His funds were low but not so low that it was impossible. He didn’t dare ask if he could attend as he didn’t want to have more chores piled on nor to be locked in his room as he knew his step-father wasn’t above doing something like that to keep him at home.

After he exited the drawing room, he paused and overheard their conversation. “We must do it tonight, it’s the only logical time to do it.” his step-father said.

“Yes,” his step-brother responded, “tonight is the perfect opportunity. And, if we don’t get the opening we need, we’ll just use the other two nights as back up.”

“By the end of the week, Prince Logan Aeron will be dead.” A sinister chuckle followed his step-father’s proclamation.

Virgil’s hand flew to his mouth, stifling a gasp. They were plotting high treason!

Instead of reentering the room, he sped up his chores while still doing them with barely a flaw. He slowed down just enough to look busy when his family left before rushing to his attic chamber. He had managed to hide one of his father’s old suits in his closet and carefully pulled it out. Red wasn’t really his color and he had no mask to go with it but it was better than nothing. Come sleet or high water, he was going to warn the prince of the assassination attempt!

He rushed down the stairs and, wearing his best shoes, he exited out the back door. Just as he was exiting the yard, the old woman from the night before rounded the corner and smiled at him. Waving her hand, she transformed from a bent old woman in rags to an old woman with a wand and flowing robes. “Hello, child.” She said.

Virgil wanted to tell her that he was hardly a child but he couldn’t find the words.

“I was touched by your consideration and generosity last night so I’ve come back to bestow a wish upon you. Please, tell me what you desire most.”

Virgil found his voice. “I want to go to the ball. Just once, I want to enjoy life.” He needed to warn the prince but that wasn’t a want. After all, the fewer people who knew about this the better.

She smiled, waving her wand. “Then so it shall be.”

Butterflies flew from the nearby garden to circle around Virgil, lifting him off the ground slightly. When they set him down, his whole attire had changed*. He’d been given a delicate purple mask that hid the upper half of his face but left space for his eyes, a deep purple dress with butterflies decorating the bottom and becoming more scarce until they stopped at the waist, purple gloves that matched the dress and had the same lace pattern as the ends as the mask, and crystal shoes that loosely resembled ballerina slippers with ribbons that wound up his calves and stopped just short of his knees. He twirled, feeling light as a feather and just as gorgeous.

“Thank you! Is there anything I must know?”

“This only lasts until midnight, it will revert back to your former clothing at that point. However, it will last all three nights if you so choose to return then, a different outfit each time.” She winked. “For variety.”

That deal was too good to pass up. Virgil agreed and was given a carriage to ride in to the castle. He arrived just as the clock struck half past eight, entering the ballroom shortly after. He was met with a wall of noise and color as people swirled on the dance floor, some standing off to the side talking, others holding plates and glasses from the refreshments table. Virgil moved forward and started mingling with the other guests, doing a good job at staying away from his step-family but keeping them in sight.

He watched the dancing for a moment, remembering his own dancing lessons and memorizing the way the dancers moved as he was a bit out of date. Still, it was a nice change to be able to be served instead of being the one to serve.

He found an unoccupied corner of the room and sequestered himself there, enjoying just watching the proceedings. He was a silent pair of eyes connected to a memory bank, trying to soak up everything he could and remember as much as possible. He watched people roam around, accidentally catching the eye of a stranger.

The man was dressed in a dark blue suit that accentuated how tall he was. His hair was styled carefully back with a few strands falling onto his forehead. His mask was a dark green that set off his suit perfectly. He turned and, waving off the people flocking around him, came toward Virgil. Once he was there, he bowed at the neck and held a hand out, making eye contact. “May I have this dance?”

Virgil smiled, taking the offered hand and allowing himself to be led onto the dance floor. “Of course.”

The masked stranger bowed as the dance began. “What shall I call you?”

Virgil shook his head, enjoying the feeling of being held close to someone as they swept around the room. “I don’t wish to use my name tonight.”

A small smile graced the man’s features. “That sentiment, I echo.” He hummed as his eyes scanned over the heads in the crowd, finally coming to rest on Virgil again. “Your dress reminds me of a kaleidoscope of butterflies so I shall call you The Purple Butterfly, or just Butterfly if you prefer.”

Virgil smiled. “Well, then, what shall I call you?”

The man thought for a moment. “Emerald. Just Emerald.”

“And if I prefer something fancier?”

He smiled conspiratorially. “Then you shall have to wait until later tonight to hear it.”

The dance started in earnest at that point, leaving them little time to talk. They glided across the room, moving as if they’d been dancing together their whole lives. When it finished, they stood there for a second with each other. The next song started and they didn’t have to talk to know they were going to dance it together. Two more songs passed this way before Virgil stopped them.

He shook his head when Emerald gave him the same eyebrow tilt and angle of his head. “If I don’t sit down now, I fear my legs will collapse.” He was used to moving a lot throughout his day, rarely getting the time to sit down, but these shoes were as new to him as the dancing was and he’d already been on his feet more than usual today.

Emerald nodded and led him over to a secluded bench. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

Virgil smiled. “If you wouldn’t mind. I don’t want to be a bother.”

He shook his head with a laugh. “It’s no bother at all, Butterfly.” With that, he disappeared into the crowd.

Virgil felt a trill in his heart when the man said that. He caught a glimpse of the only pair of people not wearing masks to the event, the engaged couple that the party was for, and was jolted back to his task at hand. He was about to stand and make his way to them when Emerald came back with the refreshments.

"Here you are, Butterfly," he said as he handed him a plate and small goblet. "This is just juice so don't worry about any alcohol."

Virgil smiled gratefully and took the offered items. He took a sip of the drink and found it to be a sweet and fruity liquid colored red. Looking down at his plate, he noticed simple snacks that were high in protein. "Thank you, this will be perfect."

Emerald didn't sit down right away, preferring to lean against a nearby pillar as he sipped at his own juice. They stayed there in silence, simply eating their food and watching the dancing crowd. Virgil's eyes kept drifting back over to Prince Patton and his fiancé, Prince Remus. Finally, Emerald seemed to catch on to this.

"Is there something you need to ask or tell them?”

Virgil shrugged. "Yes and no. There's something important I have to tell them but I'm not quite certain how to go about doing that. I wouldn't want to bother them during such a happy time."

Emerald turned his head, an unreadable sparkle entering his eye. "Is it something that can wait? If not, I have our prince's ear."

Virgil shrugged again, eyes scanning the crowd for what he knew Prince Logan looked like. "I can't see the object of the conversation so I'm not sure how useful that would be." He looked up at the man, smiling beneath his mask. "However, I do thank you for the offer."

He nodded and went back to people watching, almost autonomously bringing his food and drink to his mouth. Virgil did the same, savoring the rich foods and smooth drink, wondering when the next time he was going to have something like this again would be. Searching the crowd, he found his step-brother fawning over a young maiden, his step-father nearby. He really had to look to find his step-sister but she was sitting on a bench and conversing with another young lady, both sitting close enough together that the interest must have been mutual. Virgil thought about how close the masked man was standing to himself and wondered if they looked like a couple to outside observers in the same way the women across the hall did to him.

The man looked down at him from his stance by the pillar. "What are you thinking of?"

Virgil blinked, looking back up at him. "Nothing of much importance." He'd always been told he had nothing to say so why bother speaking his mind.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Come now, there must be at least one thing of importance within that brain of yours."

Virgil wasn't as sure about that as the stranger seemed to be. Still, he gestured to the two women across the room. "I was just thinking of how sweet that couple looked together." He shrugged, eyes darting back down to the now empty plate and cup in his hands.

Emerald nodded, reaching down to gather the dishware. "That they do. Here, I'll go take care of this. Would you like to dance another set after that?" He looked into Virgil's eyes, waiting for his reply.

Virgil smiled, remembering that he wasn't simply a servant tonight and could do as he liked. "Yes, I think that would be splendid."

The man nodded and left to put the dishware down on a nearby table. He soon returned and they were off, sweeping across the dancefloor for another four dances. Virgil smiled and laughed as they twirled and spun, getting caught up in the lovely feeling of one person's attention resting solely on him for so long.

Still, he came back down to earth when the last dance ended. He remembered what he was there to do: find the prince and warn him of the plot on his life. He scanned the crowd for his step-father and step-brother and found them where he'd last seen them. He tried to find the engaged princes but neither were in sight, nor was Prince Logan anywhere to be found.

Virgil's chin was gently grasped and turned and he flinched away, fearing punishment. He met his dance partner's eyes and saw an apology in them. The man leaned forward to be heard above the music. "I'm sorry, I made a mistake grabbing you like that." He didn't speak for a moment, just looked into Virgil's eyes. "Butterfly, would you like to get away from here?"

Virgil was suddenly aware of just how loud everything was, how bright all the lights were and how heavy he felt on his feet. He nodded and allowed Emerald to take his arm, quickly guiding him to a side door. The man waved at someone else but Virgil was so disoriented, he had no idea who it was nor was he inclined to find out. He found himself pulled through the door and into another, darker, room. He was directed to a bench. Light flickered at a farther end of the room but all the candles were snuffed out where they had entered, making it easier for his eyes to adjust.

Emerald knelt beside him, a hand nearby. Virgil took a deep breath and held it, doing the soothing technique the cook taught him. Soon, after much arm rubbing and deliberate breathing, he’d calmed down enough to look at the man who was staring at him in a way that was so heartbreakingly concerned Virgil had to look away.

“I’m sorry.” Virgil’s voice was quiet but it was loud enough in the silent room.

“No.” Emerald’s voice was soft. “No, it’s I who should be sorry. I touched you without your consent and for that I beg your forgiveness. If you wish to leave the ball now I will understand completely and, while I myself am not free to leave, I will find someone who can take you home.” He stood and moved as if to leave but Virgil grasped the hem of his doublet.

“Please, don’t leave me.” He didn’t want to spiral into the usual thoughts he did when his step-family mistreated him, he didn’t want to mar this perfect night with the thought of yet more violence.

“Of course.” Emerald stood near him as Virgil gathered the soft material of his skirts and stood. The masked stranger looked at Virgil for a moment longer. “Is it alright if I light the candles?”

Virgil nodded and, as the room was slowly filled with light, looked around. They were in a library, larger than the one back at the mansion. He spun in a slow circle, his dress fanning out around him, as he tried to take in just how many books were around him.

Behind him, Emerald chuckled. “Feel free to look around, pull a book off the shelf if you want. I’m not sure you can take it out of this room but every guest is free to spend as much time as they want in here to read as many books as they can.”

Virgil looked on in awe before slowly walking to the nearest shelf. He didn’t even dare to run his fingers across the spines, his gloves slightly dirty from the food. Still, he wandered the rows and looked at all the different titles that were there. Many looked interesting enough for him to curl up on that bench and read until the sun came up and the staff kicked him out. He knew he didn’t have that kind of time and whirled around, bumping into Emerald.

Emerald laughed, hands holding Virgil’s elbows to steady him. “Where are you going in such a hurry, Butterfly?”

“I must speak to Prince Logan, it’s an urgent matter.”

Emerald nodded, serious suddenly. “What if I told you I could get you an audience with him?”

Virgil clasped his hands anxiously at his waist. “Really? You’re able to do that?”

Emerald nodded. “Quite easily. I’m his closest confidant, he tells me everything.”

“What must I do to get an audience with him?”

“It’s a very simple thing. You must play a game of chess with me.” He held up a hand. “You’re not required to win, but you must play the game to completion.”

Virgil nodded, having played chess with his father often before his death and still managed the odd game with the random footman. “That’s doable.”

Emerald led the way deeper between the aisles and up a flight of stairs to a chess set. He let Virgil sit first, the purple clad servant choosing the black set. Emerald laughed and sat in front of the white.

About midway through their game, Virgil asked the question that had been brought up at the beginning of the night. “So, what shall I call you if I deem it a time to be more fanciful?”

Emerald hummed as he finished his move. “You’ll have to wait until after your meeting with the prince to know that.”

Virgil had no idea how long their game lasted, only that he’d gotten so lost in it he almost missed the bell that signaled it was half an hour until midnight. He jolted, looking at the wall that the bell came from. “Is that really the time?! I must be on my way!” The spell wore off at midnight and his family was coming home at one, he still needed time to get home and get his chores done.

“Yes, that’s the time. Is there something wrong?” Emerald had stayed in his seat but looked slightly worried.

“I must go home now. Is there any way to meet with the prince tomorrow?” If he wasn’t already dead. Virgil felt like such a fool for taking his eyes off his step-family, even just for a moment was too long.

“His schedule is, unfortunately, quite packed during the day tomorrow. However, we can resume our chess game at tomorrow’s ball and you can meet him after that.”

Virgil nodded and made his way out, back into the stunningly loud ballroom. He went around the outside edge and rode his carriage all the way back home. Everything reverted back to its former state just as he was walking up the drive.

Mandy smiled at him upon his reentrance to the kitchen, having briefly run to his room to change. “How was it, sweetie?”

Virgil smiled back as he grabbed a rag. “Oh, Mandy, it was just like a dream!” Cleaning up the kitchens, he told the cook all about the dancing and the food and Emerald, leaving out the parts where he nearly ruined the whole night and where he was very useless at stopping an assassination. “And the best thing is that I get to do it all over again tomorrow!” If the prince wasn’t announced dead and the rest of the balls canceled.

She listened patiently to his rambling story, smiling all the while and loving the way his face lit up while talking about this Emerald. “It seems you really did enjoy yourself. I’m glad.”

He paused his dashing about to stand in front of the stool she’d perched herself on. He held a hand to her cheek. “Mandy, I’ve got enough energy left in me to do both my chores and yours. Go on to bed, you look exhausted.”

“Truly? It’s not going to be too much work for you?”

He smiled. “It’ll be fine. Go on now.” She patted his cheek and told him where the cookies were before giving in and making her way to bed.

He finished the kitchen and went on to clean up the sitting room, something that he really should have done before he left but he was too excited to do so. Just as he finished that, he heard the carriage come up. He'd changed into his every day wear a few minutes after getting back so there was nothing to worry about in that regard. His step-sister went straight to bed while the men went to the sitting room and called for some tea and refreshments, just as Virgil knew they would.

Virgil stood just outside the door and listened in on their conversation. “Did you even get a good look at him?!” his step-father was saying.

“No and I’m starting to wonder if Prince Logan had even attended the ball at all.” That was his step-brother.

Virgil breathed a sigh of relief. The prince was still alive and Virgil had another chance to make sure he stayed that way. He finished the rest of his chores as quickly as possible and went off to bed.

The next day, he was whistling as he worked when his step-sister came upon him. She sat on the upholstered bench as he dusted the library shelves. An unconscious smile came to his face as he thought of the library from the night before.

“You seem to be in a good mood. Care to share why?” She asked as he went about his chores.

Virgil shrugged. “I got an early start to the day, didn’t get a single thing thrown at me when delivering breakfast, and am slightly ahead in my work.” He instantly regretted telling her the last part, fearing that she would come up with other things to lengthen his day.

Instead, she didn’t even comment on it. “It’s nice that at least one of us is in a good mood.”

Virgil sighed, knowing she was operating on a script but hadn’t been given the lines for. “What makes you say that? Are you not in a good mood today?”

He caught sight of her in his periphery as she shook her head. “I met someone at the ball last night and I think we really could make a nice match.”

Virgil raised his eyebrows as the image of her and the young woman came to mind. “Oh? And who would this be? Why does this not put you in a good mood?”

“Because I’m not sure if Father will let me pursue her.”

“Her?” He coaxed her to keep talking so he didn’t have to, making it less likely for him to make a mistake and be punished.

“Yes, her. She’s not very high up, only the daughter of a baron. I’m sure Father wants to marry me off to foreign royalty if he can, at least a count or countess. He’d never approve of a baroness.”

Virgil hummed. They themselves were only on the viscount level, only a step above the barons. He wondered what level Emerald was at. He had to be high up if he had the ear of the Prince Logan, but he could also just be a childhood friend that had continued into adulthood. He tuned back in to hear his step-sister bemoaning her life and how it wasn’t fair that her father might not let her court the baroness.

He let her ramble as he worked before bowing and leaving the now cleaned library behind. He grabbed a filled water bucket and an old rag, washing the flooring in the entrance hall. Then came sweeping the stairs and dusting the bedrooms, guest rooms included. He helped with lunch and Mandy forced him to break long enough to eat before he was off to care for the animals outside.

By the time night fell and his step-family had left, he was very nearly dead on his feet. Throwing back on his best shoes and his father’s old red suit, he gained a second wind as he headed to the backyard. The old woman met him again, this time giving him a purple vest with silver accents, a black shirt and silver tie beneath it, and a pair of black suit pants. His mask for the night was a silverish white one that had purple accents and a silver butterfly wing as the right eye. His best shoes, admittedly quite ratty, were transformed into a pair that looked straight off the shelf and were as comfortable as they could be.

He was brought to the castle in the same carriage from the night before. He got to the entrance way before he spotted Emerald standing near the entrance to the ballroom, searching for someone. Emerald was wearing the same mask as the night before but his dress was an off the shoulder piece with long sleeves and a skirt that pooled around his feet. It was a dark blue color with star-like, shimmering sequins that clustered over the top and sleeves but trailed off at the waist, leaving the rest of the gown as a solid color. Emerald raised a hand as Virgil came closer, sliding through the crowd and coming to keep pace with Virgil.

“Hello, Butterfly. How are you this evening?” Emerald sounded as he did last night, slightly detached but with an air of caring.

Virgil smiled and breathed out a sigh. “How real do you want my answer to be?” He wondered how far he could push his luck tonight.

Emerald paused in his tracks, Virgil going a few steps ahead before turning back to find him standing still. “I want you to be as real as you’d like. You’re in charge here, Butterfly.”

Virgil genuinely considered that for a moment before speaking his mind. “In that case, I don’t think I could survive a night in that ballroom. There’s way too many people here tonight.” He was almost hoping Emerald would let them go straight to the chess game.

Emerald nodded, moving the few steps to stand by Virgil and holding his arm out. Virgil gratefully took it, settling his hand in the crook of the other’s elbow, and allowed himself to be led away. “I was almost hoping you’d say that,” Emerald said by way of explanation, “as I really wasn’t looking forward to dancing all night either.”

Virgil looked down at him, observing the way the light caught his mask and made his eyes sparkle. “I really do need to speak with Prince Logan before midnight.”

Emerald nodded, patting his hand. “And so you shall. We’ll take a turn about the gardens, see the stars, and then you can best me at chess and you can have that audience with the prince.” He smiled in a way that Virgil couldn’t interpret.

“Thank you. I’m grateful that you’re willing to do this for me.”

Emerald opened a door that led outside, depositing them in front of the castle gardens. “I find you an intriguing enigma, Butterfly. Would it be out of line of me to ask you to tell me more about yourself? You don’t have to disclose anything you don’t wish to.”

Virgil stepped out with him, breathing in the cool night air. “What do you want to know? How honest would you like me to be? I can spin quite the tall tale if you let me.” He used to talk to the child of one of the maids, always coming up with clever excuses and stories as to why he was injured in some way or another. He wasn’t sure if he was willing to share the truth with someone he’d met just the night before but he was also feeling slightly brave with the mask hiding his identity.

Emerald led him down a path lined with hedges and flower beds. “You can be as truthful or as fanciful as you’d like. I shall enjoy guessing which is truth, if you’ll let me.”

Virgil nodded. They walked in silence for a few more moments, the noise of the ball fading until it was almost gone completely. He sat, staring at the flowers across the path and the butterflies that flitted around them. “I’d like to talk about it, if you’re willing to listen.”

Emerald gathered his skirts and sat beside him. “I’m here whenever you’re ready.”

Virgil took a deep breath. “My childhood wasn’t the best. I had a few good, happy years. When Mother was still alive, before Father remarried. By the time I turned nine, everything had changed. Mother died when I was seven, Father remarried when I was eight and died shortly before I turned nine.” He shrugged. “Life went downhill from there.”

Emerald put a hand on Virgil’s shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me anything, Butterfly. I can apologize I asked and we can move on to lighter topics.”

Virgil shook his head, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. “Now that I’ve started, it’s easier to just keep going.” He felt a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. “My status no longer mattered. To them, I was just another person to put down.”

“To them? You’ve only mentioned your father’s second spouse.”

Virgil quirked the side of his mouth. “Yeah, them. Step-father, his son, and his daughter. They treat me like I’m lower than the dirt they walk on. The thing that gets me is that I let them. They’ve knocked me around so many times, I just do what they want because it’s easier than trying to fight back.”

He felt a tear slip down behind his mask. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Emerald’s arm slipped around Virgil’s shoulders and he pulled him against his side, just holding him for a moment. After a minute or two, Virgil sniffed and pulled away, pulling his mask out a bit to wipe at his eyes. “Sorry, I don’t know why I decided to spill my soul to someone I only met yesterday.”

Emerald looked back at him with gentle eyes, nothing but kindness to be found. “If you didn’t talk about it you would have burst. I can understand that feeling.” He perked up, standing and holding a hand out to Virgil. “Come on, let’s talk about a happier topic. Have you ever seen the night sky properly?”

For the next hour, they laid in the center of the hedge maze, heads together and feet facing opposite directions. Emerald pointed out stars and constellations, telling stories about them. Virgil asked about some and told made up stories about others. When they got tired of talking of stars and stories, they asked each other about opinions on anything and everything under the sun, learning about favorites and dislikes.

In that moment on the grass, Virgil felt that he could love this person, this man who comforted him when speaking of his family history, who played a mean game of chess, who had a lovely sense of humor. He knew that if he had the choice as to who to spend the rest of his life with, it wouldn’t be a hard decision to pick Emerald. It didn’t matter that neither knew the other’s name nor what they looked like, all that mattered was that they were alike enough that life would be paradise compared to his current situation.

Finally, Emerald sighed. “We should go back and join the ballroom, at least for a half hour.”

Virgil nodded and sat up. “Are you required to?”

Emerald shrugged. “As a close friend of the crown, it’s expected of me. Could you help me? I’m not sure I got all the grass off.” Virgil chuckled and helped brush him off, Emerald checking that Virgil’s suit was grass-free. They walked back together, hands linking.

They got back to the ballroom, the noise hitting Virgil like a wall. He took a deep breath as they went in, instantly trying to spot either his step-family or the royal family. He and Emerald stayed off to the side as they waited for the current dance set to end.

“Is your step-family here right now?” Emerald asked, leaning close to Virgil’s ear to be heard.

Virgil kept looking through the crowd. “I know they’re here but I don’t see any of them right now. That’s slightly concerning to me if I’m continuing the honesty streak.”

Emerald nodded, tucking him just that much closer to himself. “Can I ask why that’s concerning?”

“That’s what I need to talk to the prince about.” As much as he felt that he could trust this man, he was unsure if that trust could go as far as a plot on royalty’s life.

Emerald hummed, going back to watching the dancing. Virgil spotted his step-brother in the crowd and breathed a sigh of relief. When the dance ended, Emerald tugged Virgil onto the dance floor and into his arms.

Once they were out there, they synched up. Emerald barely had to press his fingers on Virgil’s waist to guide the dance. They moved almost as one as they glided across the dance floor. Virgil lost himself in the motions, in Emerald’s eyes, in the moment, and in the feeling of being held.

A half hour later, the dance set was finished and the pair were sitting on a nearby bench, drinking from goblets and watching the crowd. “Do you know when I may speak with the prince?” Virgil asked, leaning wearily against the wall.

“After we finish our chess match.” Emerald drained the last of his drink. “I made sure it was left in the same position as when we played last night. Care to finish it?”

Virgil nodded and instinctively reached to take his empty goblet. Emerald simply smirked, taking Virgil’s and handing both off to a passing servant. They wove around the room and slipped through the door into the library.

They sat and resumed the game, each giving a fact about himself with each piece captured. When Virgil managed to capture the second rook, Emerald laughed. “Last night I promised that there was a fancier version of the nickname ‘Emerald’ I’ve been using.”

“Yes, just as you call me the Purple Butterfly, there was something you could be called.”

“Yes, that. If it is a very serious moment, or you wish to address me by the full thing, call me the Evening Emerald.”

Virgil nodded. “Alright, Evening Emerald, let’s finish this game.”

Just as he was about to make his next move, the clock struck a quarter till midnight. “Oh my!” Virgil stood. “My apologies but it seems it will need to wait another day. I must be home soon!” He hadn’t meant to stay that late at all.

With that, he ran out of the room. The Evening Emerald was left to stare at an empty seat and hope the Purple Butterfly was safe.

Once again, Virgil arrived back at home just as the spell wore off. He changed out of the tattered suit and old shoes into his usual servant outfit before doing his nightly chores. Mandy and the rest of the staff had already gone to bed so he had the house to himself for a rare moment. Dreamily, he danced around the kitchen as he did his chores, remembering the dancing from earlier.

When all the chores were done, he prepared a snack and waited for his step-family to arrive home. They arrived soon after he sat down, giving him no time to rest as he took their coats and brought the snack to them in the drawing room. He was told to leave the room but once again stood at the door. HIs step-siblings talked of the people they met at the party for a while before his step-sister withdrew to her room. The two men, left alone in the room, talked about the royalty again.

“Did you see him at all this time?” Step-father asked.

“In my defense, I was busy with a girl.” Virgil could see him in his mind’s eye, rubbing the back of his neck with a barely apologetic look on his face.

The sound of a thud and a crash reached Virgil, making him wince. That sounded like something heavy and fragile hitting a wall and Virgil knew he was going to be the one cleaning it up tomorrow. “Do you mean to tell me that we have wasted two of the three night window to be rid of that man?” his step-father’s voice was low and slow, a sure sign that it was time for Virgil to get out of there.

He took the tray of now dirty dishware to the kitchen, cleaning them properly before putting them away, hands shaking all the while. It wasn’t the yelling that one had to worry about when it came to his step-father. It was the throwing things, the hands that lashed out quickly, the feet that would trip and kick. It was the soft voice the man only used when he was trying to get something peacefully or when he was livid.

That soft voice was what Virgil feared the most and the reason he wanted to leave so badly.

When the last dish was placed, Virgil made the long trek up to his bedroom in the attic. He pulled up the loose floorboard he kept his valuables under, checking to make sure that his coin purse was still there. It was, ready to go the day after tomorrow when he was finally going to leave this place behind forever. He put the board back before falling into bed, going to sleep soon after.

He woke the next morning to a footman knocking at his door. “Virgil.” A hushed voice reached him.

Virgil sat up, rubbing his eyes even as he pulled his work boots on. “Yeah? Come in.”

He poked his head around. “The master is up early.”

Virgil cursed under his breath, hurrying to lace the boots. “How deep in trouble am I today?”

“He threw a vase last night and wants it cleaned up two hours ago.”

Virgil rushed to the door, walking quickly with the footman on his heels. “Of course he does. And of course he wants me to do it. Because of course we don’t have a legion of maids to do exactly that.” Virgil grumbled as they descended. The footman didn’t respond but looked like he was nodding along.

They parted ways at the base of the stairs, Virgil giving him thanks and moving to the drawing room. his step-father was already there, sitting in an armchair and reading the morning paper. Virgil gave him a half bow before moving to pick up the pieces of ceramic.

The rug beneath the spot on the wall was damaged beyond repair and Virgil made a mental note to add a new rug to the shopping list. The wall was more or less undamaged, giving it a good wipe down would do the trick. Virgil stood and left the room, soon returning with what he needed to set the room right.

He hummed as he worked, thoughts drifting to the night before. The job was finished before he knew it and he stood to leave. Just as he reached the door, his step-father spoke. “There’s a new list of chores in the kitchen for you. I expect them to be completed before I return tonight.”

Virgil turned his head to look at the man who hadn’t even bothered to look up from his newspaper. “Yes, sir.”

The list was almost twice as long as it had been the first day. Virgil sighed, placing the things down where they belonged. Mandy blocked his way out the door. “I’m not letting you get a step farther until you at least eat something. I’ve seen that list and it’s more than should be asked of any one person.”

Virgil sighed but gave in, sitting down to eat. While he was eating, the scullery maid came in and set the feed bag down. “I’ve fed the animals and done what I can for them. I know it’s not much but it’s all I can give you.” He knew she’d grown up on a farm so the animals and their stalls were in good hands. He nodded his thanks as he shoved the rest of his breakfast into his mouth.

Snatching up the three trays, he went through the motions of serving his step-family before moving on to his other chores. He went up to the guest rooms, only to be told that all three of the maids had taken it upon themselves to clean them for him. He thanked them and went back down to sweep the front stairs and mop the downstairs. He was once again pulled into the kitchen for lunch but helped them to deep clean it afterwards.

The day dragged on slowly. Virgil counted the seconds until his step-family left for the ball. Finally, they did. He was up in an attic storage space trying to find decorations for something or other when the same footman came in. “Mandy wanted me to tell you that they’ve just left.”

Virgil glanced up and nodded. “Thank you.” He left his task where it was and went to get dressed. He pulled that floorboard back up and lifted out a small bag that contained his most prized worldly possessions. He opened it carefully and drew out a thin necklace chain with a small bat charm hanging from it, his mother’s necklace. He smiled, putting it on beneath his father’s old suit and best shoes.

He gave Mandy a kiss on the cheek before slipping out the back door. The old woman met him in the backyard again and provided the carriage and outfit. The shoes were the same as the first night but this time his dress was as black as midnight, with small stars dotting it and clustering in a swirl that ran diagonally across the skirt. It resembled a night sky with a nebula shining through and Virgil couldn’t have loved it more as it matched perfectly with the small bat charm resting between his collarbones. His mask was a black and silver version of the butterfly he’d worn the previous night.

When he arrived at the ball, Emerald was nowhere to be seen. Virgil slipped inside and found the same back corner as he had that first night. It wasn’t long before Emerald found him, slipping an arm around his waist and pulling him closer to him. “Apologies for not greeting you at the door, I was speaking with my brother.”

Virgil hummed, feeling slightly less drained of energy upon seeing him for some reason. “That’s fine, I’m not the main focus of this event.”

Emerald laughed lightly. “You’re my main focus. Speaking of,” he turned his head to catch Virgil’s eye, “what would you like to do now? Dance, walk in the garden, finish our chess match, sit and talk?”

Virgil smiled. “I honestly don’t have the energy to dance nor play chess at the moment. Finding a place to sit and talk sounds lovely, though.” He wanted to enjoy his last night with this amazing man.

Emerald nodded, stepping away enough to hold Virgil’s hand and guide him along. “Alright. I know an out of the way bench where we can sit and view the dancing without having to shout to hear each other.” He started leading the way and Virgil followed, paying more attention to Emerald’s outfit than to where they were going.

He was wearing a brilliant green suit that matched his name, his plain green mask that had been worn during both previous balls, and a silver circlet that kept his hair in check. As always, there were a few strands that had fallen over his forehead but Virgil found them endearing.

He was brought out of his musings by drunk shouting. A duke was blocking their path, shouting at a servant for, from what Virgil could gather, being out of wine. Virgil drew into himself just the slightest bit, having been on the receiving end of such yelling it is the furthest thing from fun he can think of. Emerald squeezed his hand before releasing it.

“Now see here, your grace. That is no way to treat someone who is only doing their job.” His voice was firm as he reached forward and grabbed onto the man’s arm.

The duke shook him off, squinting at him. “Who are you to order me around?”

Virgil looked around for help, flagging down a patrolling pair of guards. Emerald kept talking to the duke in a stern voice that grew angrier the longer he went on. The guards came over and Virgil filled them in on what was happening. They quickly escorted the duke out of the room and, presumably, out of the castle as well.

Emerald took Virgil’s hand, keeping him slightly closer as they kept going. They didn’t speak again until they’d arrived at a bench on the balcony. Emerald seated Virgil before he himself sat down. “I beg your pardon for my anger a few moments ago. The only thing I hate in the world is people who abuse their positions of power.”

Virgil smiled, feeling something settle in his chest at that, like something had just clicked into place. “I completely understand.”

“I must say, it was very quick thinking to call the guards over as you did.” Emerald remarked, making Virgil feel heat rise in his cheeks.

“It was just what anyone else would do.” He deliberately kept his eyes on the dancefloor, not glancing at his companion.

Emerald chuckled, switching the topic to sweets and favorite desserts. Virgil was grateful for the distraction, listening to him talk for a while until he felt awake and rested enough to dance. He told Emerald this and they waited for the next opening to step onto the dance floor.

As they danced, the world seemed to melt away. Virgil forgot about his step-family, the prince and the plot on his life, even the fear and uncertainty of tomorrow. In that moment, it was just him and Emerald. They twirled around the dance floor, both feeling as if they were floating rather than dancing, sweeping around the couples dancing with them. When they got toward the end of the set, Emerald took one of Virgil’s hands and spun him, smiling as Virgil couldn’t help but laugh as he spun. When he was pulled back in, Emerald dipped him. Virgil was held in strong arms, looking up into eyes that were a brighter green than the mask that lay over them, and had never felt more secure and loved in his whole life.

Emerald laughed through a heavy breath, holding him in the dip for a few seconds longer than the rest of the dancers before pulling him up and leading him to the same bench they’d sat on during the first ball. Both were breathing hard and just sat there for a few moments, leaning on the other. They didn’t speak for a few moments, simply sitting and enjoying the rush of the dance and the buzz in their chests.

Finally, Virgil sat up and away from Emerald. “That was exhilarating!”

Emerald chuckled, leaning against the pillar beside him. “That it was.”

A few more minutes were spent watching the dancing before Virgil caught sight of his step-father and was reminded why he was there in the first place. “Should we go finish that chess match?” He asked.

Emerald nodded and stood. “That sounds like a lovely idea.” He held a hand out and helped Virgil to his feet, tucking his hand into the crook of his arm.

They wove through the crowd until they reached the library door where they slipped through and over to the chess board. It was quiet as they sat down and tried to remember what their strategies had been and where they were in the game. Once they were mentally settled, they started up their usual banter as the game progressed. Virgil was enjoying himself, time seeming to fly.

An hour after they started, Virgil finally caught Emerald’s queen and moved into a checkmate position.

“You have captured my heart as easily as you captured my queen.” The Evening Emerald said softly, gazing down at the chessboard between them.

Virgil looked up at that, startled. “What?”

Emerald laughed. “Forget it. Let’s go meet the prince.” He stood, helping Virgil to his feet as well.

Virgil’s thoughts kept going back to what Emerald had said as they exited a door opposite the one they entered. They walked down the hall, taking a few turns before Virgil asked where they were going.

“He’s usually in the observatory at this time of night, ball or no ball, so we have to go there to meet with him.”

Virgil hummed in response. He carefully kept track of the amount of turns and in which direction they went.

“So, what are you wanting to speak to the prince about?” Emerald asked as they walked.

“I overheard my family talking about something that concerns me quite a bit.” He paused for a moment, weighing his trust for this man. After thinking, he continued speaking. “My step-father and step-brother are plotting high treason: the assassination of Prince Logan.”

They stopped walking when they got to a door. The clock proclaimed it a half hour to midnight just as they arrived. Virgil startled. “Oh! I didn’t realize how late it was. I have to go. Promise me you’ll pass the warning on to the prince? Please tell him about the assassination attempt?”

Emerald reached out, not quite touching Virgil’s arm. “Please stay. Just this once? You always rush off so quickly. You finally managed to beat me, don’t you want to at least meet the prince? Isn’t that what you came here for?” There was a note of pleading in his voice that made Virgil want to give in. The one thing that kept him from staying was the thought of what his step-father would do to the servants if he wasn’t there when they got back.

Virgil looked between him and back the way they came. “I really must go. I can’t be gone when my family returns.” He ran down the hall, back the way they came.

“Wait!” Emerald called out behind him. Virgil ignored him, even as an ache began in his chest. He made his way back through the library, along the edge of the ballroom, and out into the corridor, picking up a bit of speed in the empty hallway. The thud of boots on stone sounded behind him as Emerald made it out. Another call to wait and talk to him echoed to Virgil.

He burst out the front doors, the carriage waiting right where he’d left it. Finding it harder to run down the stairs in the slippers, he slipped them off and held them for a moment. Before he could start moving again, Emerald appeared at the top of the stairs, maskless. Virgil dropped one of the shoes in shock, screwing up his face in anticipation of hearing the shoe shatter behind him but not hearing anything. Instead, he ran to the carriage and climbed inside.

Emerald made it to the shoe that was halfway down the stairs when the carriage left the gate, Virgil gazing out the back window. He hoped Emerald would be able to do something about the prince’s life, hoped everything would turn out alright. He kept watching until the castle faded from view as the carriage raced along the path back to the house.

Hooves pounded against stone behind him but Virgil couldn’t be sure if that was his carriage or someone pursuing him and he was terrified to look in case it was his step-family going home early. He arrived in one piece and jumped out just as the dress dissolved back into his red suit, leaving him with the one glass slipper, ribbons trailing from it.

Mandy met him at the back door. “How was the last night? Was it everything you dreamed it would be?”

Virgil smiled at her and took the time to twirl her around. “I’ve decided to make my escape tonight, while the others are occupied with the ball. I shall be back as soon as I have enough money to claim this land as my own.”

She laughed. “I wish you well.”

He ran up to his room and managed to change into his normal attire before a shout and bang from downstairs caught his attention. He stored the slipper with the rest of his valuables, rubbed his face on his apron to make him look dirtier than he was, and went back downstairs. The front door was standing open and his step-family was in the entry hall. Virgil walked up to them, taking coats and hanging them up. “You’re home early. Did something happen?”

His step-father scowled at him. “There was a commotion that resulted in half of the guard disappearing in pursuit of someone. I didn’t like the situation and so we left.”

Virgil bowed his head, silently cursing his foolishness. “Can I get you anything before you retire for the night?”

“No, that will be all.” His step-father swept up the stairs and to his room. His step-brother and step-sister didn’t speak to him, just piled their coats into his arms and went into the drawing room. Virgil put the coats away and went to sit in the kitchen.

“I don’t know what to do now. Do you think I have time to sneak out still?”

Mandy came over to him and ran her fingers through his hair. “Oh, sweet. Of course you still have time. Get out while you can, we’ll be fine here.”

Virgil nodded, back straightening with intention. “Okay, thank you. For everything.”

He stood and made it to the top of the main staircase when a knock sounded at the door. A footman seemed to almost appear out of the wall and looked around for someone to take orders from. He caught sight of Virgil and gestured to the door. Virgil shook his head, hissing out, “Don’t look at me for help, I don’t have any authority here.”

The footman sighed and rolled his eyes before going to open the door anyways. Virgil dove behind the banister and peeked out at the entrance hall. The door opened to an unmasked Emerald standing in front of a small troop of castle guards. “Excuse me, I’m so sorry to bother you at such an hour but I’m wondering if you could help me. I’m looking for a man who was seen holding a shoe that looks like this?” He held up the shoe Virgil had dropped on the stairs.

The footman nodded nervously, glancing up the stairs at Virgil’s general direction. Emerald followed the footman’s gaze and smiled. “Are you up there, Butterfly?”

Virgil growled low in his throat as he came out from hiding and walked down the stairs. “No loyalty at all around here.” He muttered as he came to stand near the footman, who promptly went toward the kitchen. The maids were clustered around the doorway, just watching what was happening.

Emerald smiled. “Are you my butterfly?” The maids giggled from the doorway, Mandy coming out to shoo them away. “Is there somewhere private I can talk with you and your step-family?”

Virgil didn’t respond but led him to the doorway to the drawing room, only remembering that his step-siblings were in there as he was opening the doors. His step-brother was lounging on the couch as his step-sister paced, mid rant about the maiden she’d been flirting with. Virgil forced a smile as he advanced into the room, moving to stand in front of the damaged wall. Emerald came in and took a seat in the armchair. He looked to Virgil’s step-sister. “Would you mind going to get your father?”

She curtseyed and left without a word. Virgil’s step-brother sat up, his eyes widening as he caught sight of Emerald. “Your highness, may I ask what the reason for your visit is?”

Virgil was trying very hard not to collapse to the ground from exhaustion so his mind briefly glazed over the title before coming back to it. By the time it had registered, however, his step-father had stepped into the room and was glaring daggers at Virgil already. Emerald held a hand out to Virgil who instinctively looked at his own hands as if he had something to hand him. Instead, the man simply smiled. “Butterfly, would you please sit down next to me?”

Virgil nodded and moved to stand by his armchair, not having anything to sit on nearby. Emerald took his hand, rubbing his thumb gently over the back of it. Virgil leaned against the chair just the slightest bit. Emerald turned back to Virgil’s step-family. “So, I was told you wanted me dead.”

His step-brother squeaked and looked to his father, who was as still and cold as stone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, your highness.”

Virgil could feel his day catching up to him, just how much cleaning, dancing, socializing, and running he’d done was starting to take its toll on him. He leaned a bit heavier against the chair as he listened to Emerald talk with his step-father.

“I was informed by a trusted source that you were conspiring to kill me. I don’t think I have to inform you that that’s high treason and punishable by death.”

“Father, what’s going on? I don’t want to die.” Virgil’s step-brother asked, panic invading his voice.

Emerald smirked. “Why would you have anything to fear?” There was more back and forth conversation before Emerald ordered the guards to arrest the two men. Virgil’s step-sister went with them as she wanted to see if she could court the woman she’d been speaking with at the ball.

Emerald tugged gently on Virgil’s hand, drawing his attention to him. Virgil looked down at him. “Are you really Prince Logan?”

He chuckled. “Yes, I am. Now that you know my name, am I permitted to know yours?”

“It’s Virgil. Virgil Strand.”

Emerald pulled on Virgil’s hand until he was sitting in his lap. “Thank you for saving my life, Virgil Strand.”

Despite how tired he was, Virgil’s heart did a flutter when he heard his name. He rested his head on Emerald’s Logan’s shoulder. “I promise that I’m very happy to see you and know you're safe but I’m very tired.” He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling safe in Logan’s arms.

Logan chuckled. “I understand. Do you want to stay here or would you like to come to the castle with me? You don’t have to go back to the ball or anything like that if you don’t want to.”

Virgil hummed. “I wanna stay with you. Where it feels safe.”

He felt Logan’s chin brush the top of his head before there were arms around him and lifting him. Logan walked for a minute or so before Virgil was handed off to someone else. Metal jingled and Virgil felt himself rising, settling down with his back to Logan’s chest as he straddled what felt like a horse. He stirred slightly, causing Logan to hum a soothing tune. Virgil finally gave into his exhaustion and fell asleep in his arms.

He didn’t wake up until the next morning when the sun came streaming in through the window. Virgil rolled over, feeling soft sheets on his skin and a warmth next to him. He curled into that warmth before realizing that it wasn’t normal for him to wake up well rested nor with warmth nearby. Jolting backwards, he fell off the bed before realizing that he was in a bed. He groaned and stood, finding Logan had been the one asleep beside him. With no knowledge of where he was or how he got there, he wasn’t sure what the next course of action was.

Luckily, he didn’t have to think long as Logan rolled over, his eyes opening as he smiled at Virgil. “Good morning, Butterfly.”

Virgil smiled awkwardly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Logan rolled until his head was in Virgil’s lap. “I don’t exactly remember what happened toward the end of the night.”

Logan laughed. “That’s understandable given the circumstances. We need to talk to my father this afternoon but the morning is yours to command. What shall we do first?”

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t exactly have any clothes to wear except for these.”

Logan nodded. “I can lend you some for now and buy you more later. Anything else?”

Virgil shook his head. “Nothing I can think of.” He was already feeling tired again, his body wanting to catch up on sleep.

Logan sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to mimic Virgil’s stance. One of his hands came up to cradle Virgil’s cheek. “In that case, I think we need to talk.”

“I agree.” Virgil wasn’t sure how to approach the topic he wanted to discuss.

Logan smiled. “I love you. To be honest, I couldn’t take my eyes off you when you walked into that first ball.”

Virgil smiled, his hand reaching up to grasp Logan’s wrist. “I love you too.”

Logan leaned forward slightly. “May I kiss you?”

Virgil nodded, closing the distance and meeting Logan in the middle. When they pulled apart, both had a smile on his face. Logan laughed lightly. “When I first saw you, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I knew I had to talk to you. I’m so glad I did.” He leaned forward to rest his forehead on Virgil’s.

That afternoon, the king expressed gratitude for Virgil’s attempts to save Logan’s life and asked him what he desired as a reward. Virgil said that he and Logan wished to marry. The king raised Virgil from a viscount to an earl, gave Virgil back his father’s land, and permitted the marriage. They married a month later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The End ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Loosely based on this art.

#virgil sanders #logan sanders #analogical #prince!logan #cinderella!Virgil #patton sanders #remus sanders #side dukeality #mentions of child abuse #abuse (both physical and mental)#death threats #talk of death #alcohol mention #fluff and angst #mainly fluff with angst woven in #ace writes

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poedameronloverx · 3 years

Text

Changes and Surprises

Hiiiii! Finally posting the intro to the series I’ve been on about the past few weeks.

Life In Lockdown - Series Masterlist

Summary - A stay at home order is issued, you now need to work from home. Your best friend and house mate throws a spanner in the works when she invites her boyfriend and his best friend, who just happens to be your long time crsuh, to move in with you for lockdown.

Warnings - Mentions of Covid

Word Count - 1545

Lockdown, quarantine, whatever you wanted to call it. It was going to be your new way of life for at least a month. The stay at home announcement had gone live and your work had sent everyone home with whatever they needed to do their jobs remotely. The stay at home notice started at 10pm, giving everyone the chance to sort out what they could. You were lucky, you had a nice house that you shared with your best friend Rose, there was a good sized garden and the house was big enough that you and Rose would both be able to work from home without getting in one anothers way. Rose’s job consisted of her making a lot of phone calls and doing spreadsheet work so she’d texted you and said she would set up her work station in her bedroom, leaving the desk in the living room for you to set up. You were happy with your new work space, it was right next to the large French doors that led out to the garden, giving you a nice view for working. You’d just finished setting up when you heard Rose arriving home. She’d said she would do a food shop on her way home to stock up the fridge and freezer for the first week or so.

“Hey, could you give me a hand with all this stuff?” she shouted from the door.

You threw a pair of shoes on and headed out to her car. You helped her bring her work stuff in then started taking the shopping out of the car. There was double the amount of stuff you normally had for a week.

“Rose, why did you buy so much food?” you asked as you set the last bag down in the kitchen.

“Well… you know that you’re my best friend in the entire world right?”

“What have you done?”

“I resent the fact you think I’ve done anything” she replied “But yeah I have actually done something”

“Which is?”

“Well, we don’t know how long this staying home thing is going to last right? I mean four weeks at least”

“Right”

“So I maybe, kinda asked Finn to move in”

Rose had been seeing Finn for a year and a half. You adored the guy, he was one of your closest friends and had been for longer than him and Rose had been together. Finn had stayed over plenty of times with Rose but living with him constantly would take some getting used to.

“Right, I mean thanks for asking” You replied, rolling your eyes “I’ll get to play third wheel in my own home”

“Well, about that…”

“Rose?”

“He said he would move in, but only if Poe and BeeBee could as well!”

Poe Dameron. Your friend, Finn’s best friend and house mate. Also your long time crush. Living with him would absolutely take some time to get used to. His corgi BeeBee was the cutest dog you’d ever come across so you were at least looking forward to one of your new house guests.

“Poe is moving in?”

“Yeah” Rose nodded “Look, I’m sorry I know you have a thing for him and I’ve probably put you in an awkward position but I can’t go weeks on end without seeing Finn. I know I should’ve told you first but when I heard the announcement while at work I panicked!”

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked Rey and Ben to move in as well!”

“Y/N no offence, but nobody apart from Rey would want to live with your brother!”

You glared at her “Not the point here Rose”

“I know and I really am sorry” she replied “But it’s done now and I really hope you can be alright with it”

“When are they arriving?”

“Anytime now” she replied “Finn said he’ll bring takeout with him for tonight”

“I’ll let you put the shopping away then and I’ll go and sort the spare room for Poe”

You went upstairs and quickly cleaned up the spare room and put fresh bedding on. The room was practically spotless already but it gave you something to do to take your mind off the fact you were going to be living with your crush. The spare room was nice, it was spacious, it had a comfortable double bed and plenty of storage space where Poe would be able to put his stuff. There was also plenty of space in the room for BeeBee and his things. You’d just put the cleaning stuff back into the cupboard when you heard the door. You could hear Rose running along the hall to open it and let them in. You ducked into your room to check you looked alright before going downstairs to face them.

“Y/N” Finn beamed when you made it into the living room “Thank you so much for agreeing to this. I don’t know how I would’ve coped without my girl”

You caught Poe’s eye and he dramatically rolled his and made a face, you smiled.

“No problem Finn, it’ll be fun to have you guys here”

BeeBee was sniffing round the room, getting used to his new surroundings before he ran over and jumped up at your legs

“Hi BeeBee, have you gotten even cuter since I last saw you, I think you have!” you said, bending down to tickle the dog, his tail wagged excitedly with the attention.

“We brought takeout” Finn said “I didn’t know what anyone would want so we got Chinese, Indian, Taco Bell and some stuff from the new Italian down the road”

“I’ll get some plates” You replied

You all sat down at the dining room table and helped yourselves to all of the food Finn had brought with him, everyone chatted away about how strange life was going to be for the duration of the lockdown.

“So what sort of space does everyone need for working?” you asked “I’ve already stolen the desk over there and Rose is going to work from her room but what about you guys?”

“Well I need quiet for my job” Finn replied, he was a high school teacher “I’ll be doing classes online so ideally I could use someone’s room”

“I don’t need privacy or anything” Poe replied “I could set up at this table if that was alright”

“That would work” Rose said, “Y/N over there, Poe here, Finn can use Poe’s room and I’ll use mine. Keep the kitchen clear and we can all eat there together at lunch and use it for dinner for the time being so Poe doesn’t have to re-set up his work station everyday!”

“Sounds good” you nodded “I’ll wash up”

“No, I’ll get it” Poe said, taking hold of your wrist before you could get up “You’ve been so kind to let me stay here so it’s the least I can do”

“Let the man do it” Finn said, seeing you about to protest “It’s one of the rarest things you’ll see in your lifetime, let it happen”

“You’re hilarious Finn” Poe said, making sure to elbow his friends head as he picked up the plates

Finn smiled “Well I’ve always known I’m funny but thanks man, I appreciate it”

After the dishes were done you all watched TV for a while, eventually Finn headed off to bed. He wanted an early night so he was fresh for his classes the following day. He knew it would be a struggle to keep his students motivated whilst they were at home. Rose headed off to bed with him, she gave the excuse that she was tired but you knew she wanted to cuddle with Finn. Poe had been upstairs for a while before Finn and Rose went to bed, he wanted to set up his bedroom space and make sure he left enough room for Finn to work. BeeBee had gone up with him for a while but had since come back down to join you in the living room. You were curled up on the couch, watching a few episodes of a show you loved. BeeBee had wandered over for some attention and you’d lifted the cute dog into your lap where he slept peacefully. You heard the floor boards in the bottom stair creaking. Poe made his way into the room.

“Can I join you?”

“Sure” you replied

“I see the best boy is making himself at home” he chuckled as his dog opened one eye to glance at him before settling back down to sleep. “Thanks again for this. I know it must’ve come as a surprise to you that we were moving in. It certainly came as a surprise to me when Finn sprung it on me when I got home from work”

“Yeah it was a bit of a surprise but at least they’re happy right”

“Yeah” he smiled fondly “I would’ve stayed at home. I didn’t push to come here”

“I’m glad you’re here” you replied “Rose was right, we don’t know how long this is going to go on, but I’m certain it’ll be more than the 4 weeks they’ve said so I’m glad you won’t be on your own”

Poe smiled. It was certainly going to be interesting having him living with you.

A/N - So here’s the intro. Please let me know what you thought. I’m still really new to this, and I’m not totally confident with writing so I’d love some suggestions of how to get better and what you liked :)

#Poe Dameron x reader #Poe Dameron x Solo!Reader

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sunsetcurvetaintedhotdog · 3 years

Text

Let’s Be Kids Again ☀︎

Summary: Reader is having an awful day but luckily Luke is there to help her.

Warning: Probably some language and bad grammar

Word count: 1,766

Honestly, two more weeks left of school, and these teachers don’t give a crap. “UGHH!!” I quickly stood up from my desk because if I keep looking at all the missing assignments and projects that I have to turn in I’m probably gonna lose my mind.

Lately, I’ve been feeling like work just keeps piling up and it’s a never-ending cycle of turning in twenty assignments by the end of the week and then still being behind on fifteen more. I should be out right now not stuck inside on a Saturday. I could’ve gone to the boy’s rehearsal and just sat there. But no here I am stuck in my bedroom with papers all over the place.

I hear a knock at my door “Sweetie Luke’s one the phone come downstairs.” I quickly open my door and bolt downstairs.

Luke and I are best friends although I don’t really like saying it because it reminds me of how much I don’t want to be friends with him. I want more. I’ve had a crush on him for a while now still trying to adapt to the new feeling. I’m not gonna say anything tho it will ruin our friendship if he doesn’t like me back and just make everything awkward between all of us.

“Hey” I heard Luke’s mom talking through the other line “Luke wash the dishes before you leave please I don’t know how you could live in your own filth” on the other side of the phone Luke rolled his eyes at his mother exaggeration, there was only three cups in the sink “yea, yea, ok”. I started giggling at his antics knowing exactly he’s only saying that so she could get off his back. He’s not really gonna do the dishes.

“Hey, ok so I was thinking we could do something tonight. Reg really wanted to go to the new carnival that just opened. Something about needing to get his future told I don’t know” he let out a sigh “what do you think?” As soon as I was about to say sure I remembered the nightmare of homework I have upstairs waiting for me. “Ugh i cant i have homework sorry Lu”

“Forget about homework you could do it another day” “Lu I can’t just forget about it it’s due in a few days” Luke is now pouting “So, you’ve done a lot over the year getting a few bad grades won’t harm you come on party pooper” suddenly a light bulb goes off in his head “Bet i can win you at bumper cars loser has to buy the other one food?” He was teasing her and he knew it. Since they were little they always did bets sometimes going to far as none of them wanted to lose. He knew she wasn’t gonna turn down a bet.

“I hate you. You know that” Luke smiled in victory. “Yes, i love you too” he said with the biggest smile ever. He loved hanging out with her. More at carnivals her unmatched energy always amazed him she was so energetic and he loved it. Someone had to keep up with him right..

“Ok find I’ll meet you at the carnival” “ok see you there” I placed the phone back on the wall and went upstairs to change. Once I was done I headed out but my dad stopped me. “Finished your homework already?” “Uh...um... yea didn’t have that much apparently” yea that was a lie but that was tomorrow’s problem. I walked out and headed to the carnival which was only a few blocks away from my house.

“Hey there trouble” ah trouble the infamous nickname that Alex gave me when we were 12. Luke had made a bet on whoever can scare Mrs. Frances, our 7th grade science teacher, the hardest got to name the their band. Because of me the bands name is Sunset Curve, a huge victory for me but I can’t say the same for Mrs. Frances. She had to eat lunch with a frog that day...ops... yea no I wasn’t sorry it was hilarious but if it wasn’t for me Sunset Curve would be named Bloody Devils cause Luke thought it was cool.

“Hey Al, oh I like your.....” I was cut off by Reggie putting his arms around me and Alex. “WHOS READY TO RIDE THE HORSES!!” Yea Reg has a thing for horses that explains ‘Home is Where my Horse is’.

“Reginald relax go get a corn dog or something” Bobby rolled his eyes at the over excited Reggie bouncing on one leg. He truly loved carnivals. “Ok I’ll be right back after the corn dog we have to get our future told I heard the one here is really accurate I want to know if I end up marrying Reese Witherspoon.”

“Ok guys what do you want to do first? Ferris wheel, go-carts, games, ...bumper cars...” I side glanced at Luke and he was already looking at me. “Oh your on” with that me and him were racing to the bumper car line bumping into each other once we got there. He quickly grabbed me by the waist so I wouldn’t fall on the other people. We were both laughing and smiling like idiots. “We should’ve walked” I said wiping my tears off my face. “Yea probably” he chuckled. “Ok so Al and Bobby get to choose who wins.” i said “Ok deal if I win you have to buy me the biggest ice cream cone they sell here” he said “Ok and if I win....um I want.... “ I looked around and the saw the big pretzel cart “The biggest pretzel they can make” “Deal” we did our handshake and turned around to stand in line.

“Ok Al, Bobby, focus you need to make sure you watch to see who wins” Luke said Alex and Bobby nodded and we were off into our own bumper cars. Me and Luke were bumping off each other and hitting other strangers cars. I think I might get a neck cramp. But it was really fun and I think I won. We got off giggling “ Ok so who is the lucky winner” I asked “Luke I’m never getting a car with you, y/n won” Alex said “yea totally destroyed you dude” Bobby added. Luke let out a snicker “yea please I let her win..” “sure you did bud” Bobby patted Luke on the back and went off to flirt with a girl he had seen earlier in the line. Reggie isn’t back so he might be stuffing his face with corn dogs. “And then there were three” I sighed. Alex turned around from walking in front of me and Luke “yea well make that two there is this really cute skater over there and I think I might go talk to him so peace out” he turned around and walked away. He quickly glanced back and winked at me “have fun”.

“Ok that makes two then, you up to take me on the pretzel offer” I asked Luke, he looked down at me with one of his gorgeous smiles that can brighten up the whole town. Geez why is he making it so hard not to fall in love with him. “Anything for you” he kissed the top of my head and we headed to the pretzel cart. We ordered and sat down on a bench to eat the pretzel. He took many bites but whatever he did pay for it. Still I won so I don’t see how it’s fair he got part of the prize, oh well. “So homework is stressful right?” he asked. I groaned “ugh yes I just wish I could be a kid so I wouldn’t have to do so much work and the only thing I would have to worry about is sleeping in nap time” I rested my head against his shoulder and he rested his against mine. “ Ok then, let’s be kids again then” I looked up at him confused “what?” “Let’s be kids again, let’s ride everything here and completely forget that we have responsibilities for tonight. How does that sound” he was practically buzzing now with excitement “I’m down” I said. “First one to throw up cleans the others room for a week” he said “Bet!”. We got up and starting riding everything that we could.

It’s been two hours and I’m waiting outside the boys bathroom with a water bottle for Luke. Can you guess who won. “Ugh that last ride really pulled some strings” he said. I giggled at him handing him the water bottle. “Up for one more tho” he groaned “depends, i don’t think my stomach can take anything else. “Ferris wheel?” I asked. He nodded and we headed there. Now getting into the ride we sat next to each other and the ride starting going up. The sky was a beautiful mix of pinks, reds, yellows, and blues. He wrapped his arm around my waist and I laid my head on his shoulder while we just admired the sunset. Well i did, I didn’t know that Luke wasn’t looking at the sunset he was looking at me like if I were the most beautiful painting he’s ever seen.

“Y/n...” i glanced back up and what he did next really surprised me. He pushed his lips against mines and I didn’t react I was frozen in place. He was about to pull away when I finally starting kissing back. He took his hand and put it on my cheek and I tangled my hands in his hair. This was amazing I always loved carnivals because of the adrenaline a ride gave you but this completely ruled out that feeling it felt passionate and warm. My stomach was doing flips and I was loving it, everything about this moment was just perfect.

When we finally pulled away we pressed our foreheads together still with our eyes closed “You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to do that” he let out a shaky breath “then do it again” I whispered. He leaned back in to kiss me. This kiss went on a little longer and it was even more passionate than the one before if that was even possible. Now there was nothing stopping us we both know how we feel about each other and we can be together now.

Now not only do I have my best friend with me constantly but I think I might have found my soulmate. I am completely utterly in love with Luke Patterson.

#luke x reader #fanfic #writing #luke patterson imagine #luke patterson x y/n #luke patterson x reader #charlie gillespie #luke jatp #jatp imagine

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itskatastrophe-x · 3 years

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Far Off Places (CH 2)

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3

Word Count : 3,022

^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^

It took a few hours to wake up, but when you did, you sat up in a cold sweat, sharp pains shooting through your ribs, legs, and back. Almost three days of walking and running had taken a huge toll on your body. You scrunched your face in pain and shot a hand to your chest, noticing bandages around your arm and hand. That’s when you were very aware of your surroundings and two other figures in your peripheral. You looked at them in shock, their faces mirroring your same expression. You remembered the one with the wings just as you fell to the ground, but this second person you hadn’t seen. How many people were here, you wondered.

You tried to speak but your throat was raw and all that came out were raspy whispers and coughs. The one with wings looked at the taller one and motioned to a doorway. The taller one nodded and walked away swiftly, coming back seconds later with a bottle of water and another one full of a sparkling pink liquid. He handed you both of them and advised to drink the pink one first and wash it down with the water, explaining it was a health potion. You obliged and gulped it as fast as you could, almost gagging from the taste, and quickly chugged and swished the water after, feeling the effects almost instantly. You thanked them both and handed the bottles back to the boy and he took them back through the doorway, leaving you and the winged man alone. You fiddled with the bandages on your arms for a moment and cleared your throat a couple times before finally speaking.

“Where am I? Who are you? Thank you for the help.” The man lightly chuckled and took off his hat, his hair falling to frame his face. “My name is Philza, but you can call me Phil. The other one is Ranboo, he’s our friend that lives over by the mountain.” His voice had a very thick accent, unlike the boy, Ranboo. You nodded and he continued. “You’re outside of the Dream SMP. I live with Ranboo here with Technoblade. He goes by Techno. He’s currently asleep and we’re not sure when he’ll wake up. You’ve seen our dogs,” he chuckles out, drawing a smile onto your face. You scratch the back of your neck and heat makes its way to your face. “I’m sorry if I woke you. Your dogs made quite the ruckus.” He smiles fondly at you and waves you off. “Oh, don’t worry about it. We’re normally up around that time anyway. Days have been pretty restless lately, what with all the wars and such going on.”

He notices the worry on your face and goes on. “We tend to stay out of things. We’ve been involved too many times and we all like to keep things peaceful. These cabins are essentially a safe place. No one really knows where we live and we’d like to keep it that way. You aren’t here as a spy are you?” You shake your head and look down at your hands, bruises and cuts litter your body, but are slowly fading thanks to the potion from earlier. “No, I uh…” You clear your throat and steel yourself to speak more. “I… I travelled for three days to get here. My homeland was destroyed and I have nowhere to go.”

You look up at the man, the younger boy now standing next to him, staring at you in wonder and concern, the same concern seen in Phil’s eyes. “I’m still not sure how much I can trust anyone so I won’t say much more, but I lost my home and everyone I know. I’ve come a long way and I need somewhere safe. The person that murdered and burned my home could still be out there, and I need help. I know we’re strangers but I hope to trust you two more. You seem like nice people and, if you’re willing, I’d like to find some help some day to go back and figure out what happened.”

They both stare at you for a while until Phil smiles politely and nods. “Of course! Do you have a name you’d like us to call you?” You think for a minute, not being able to come up with a name to go by so as to keep your real name hidden. Ranboo speaks up a minute later. “We could call you Faer, if that’s ok. As a name it means Traveler.” You smile brightly at the small name and nod. “I guess that fits, seeing as I am technically a traveler now. I didn’t do much of that back home, so sure, let’s go with that.” They both nod in unison. “Faer,” you say to yourself. A fitting name, short and sweet and it rolled off the tongue nicely. Maybe one day when you knew you could trust them you’d tell them your real name, but for now that nickname would do.

They gave you some supplies, a bed, and some armor and better clothes after you got some rest and pointed you to a good spot to set up your own little home. They also gave you a map of the surrounding areas and gave you a rundown of some of the people that lived in the main cities, but there were so many that you forgot half of them. Ranboo followed you out to pick a spot to settle down, idly chatting about how life was in the area, who to stay away from, where all the farms were, and just general stuff to pass the time. Eventually you ran out of wood so you both ventured into the woods to chop some more.

After a couple hours, your small abode was looking good. It wasn’t anything fancy or as big as Techno or Phil’s houses, but it did the job. All you had to do yet was finish putting walls up inside, decorating, and making it pretty outside. You added some fences to give yourself a front yard, placed torches to liven up the place, and also made a small deck out front facing the aforementioned houses. It took a couple more hours of work to get the inside done, but everything was done around sunset and you were ready to pass out. Phil came over close to the end and said Techno was awake and they would be over soon to welcome you in. You were grateful to have such a warm welcome, but you were still on edge. How well could you trust these people? Sure, they gave you plenty of things and were friendly, but it felt like they were hiding something or were keeping information away from you. The way they would shirk off certain questions or avoid subjects completely was weird. You assumed it was because they didn’t trust you either, so you shrugged it off. You were a stranger to them. A person that ended up passing out on their land, giving them no info on who you were or where you came from. You were lucky you ended up here, though. Hearing some of the stories Ranboo told you made you glad this was the closest on your journey.

Ranboo returned, after leaving to clean himself up, with some flowers, a diamond sword, and a couple emeralds to get you started. After chatting with him for a couple minutes you heard a knock on your front door, signaling the return of Phil. You hopped off of your seat and opened the door to greet him. He had a couple dishes of various kinds of foods piled into his arms, so you gladly took some from him. What you were not prepared for was Techno. You didn’t know what to expect, as Phil had given no description, but the tall half pig, half human standing behind the winged man with a disgruntled look on his face, flowing red cape, and glinting golden crown was absolutely something you weren’t expecting. I mean, you weren’t one to judge, you just had no clue what to expect. Phil walked past you and asked Ranboo for help setting everything up, leaving you with the large man. He gave you a huff and walked past you, cape gently hitting you in the shins as the wind from him walking pushed it out behind him. You stood there, slightly in shock with the door open, as he made himself at home in your new living room. You closed the door and turned around to see him with his head hanging off the back of the couch, eyes closed and arms crossed. He did just wake up, maybe he’s still tired.

The night was going well in your eyes. You and Ranboo were getting along well and you could see why he was saying Phil was very much like a powerful father figure. Techno joined in on some conversations occasionally when he thought he had something to say. You asked him some simple questions but he refused to answer anything. You chalked it up to him not trusting you at all so you let it slide and shrugged it off. Phil had nudged him or elbowed him a few times if he thought he was getting out of line, but you waved it off saying you weren’t bothered. Honestly you weren’t bothered. You had heard worse in your courts back at home, so little phased you at this point. Thinking about your home had apparently made you zone out, because you were brought back to real life when you heard your new name being called. Ranboo had shook your shoulder lightly, concern etched onto his and Phil’s faces, amusement and curiosity finally glinting in Techno’s eyes. You laughed lightly and put a hand to your face, feeling wetness on your cheeks. When had you started crying?

“Faer, are you ok? What’s wrong?” Ranboo’s hand retracted and he stared at you with intense focus, very clearly concerned. You looked down at your empty plate, long forgotten from the hours before during your conversations. You contemplated telling them the truth, second guessed yourself, then shook your head and covered your face with both hands, letting out a short sigh. You knew you would have to tell them eventually, and you supposed now was as good a time as any. You started off at your lineage, being born into a royal family, being sheltered since you were young, your training and lessons. Everything shortened into smaller stories to keep things simplified. Everything leading up to your parents inevitable deaths and you becoming the ruler of a whole kingdom.

Techno had perked at the words “royal family”, finally becoming invested in something and listening closely, asking questions every once in a while. Ranboo and Phil sat in shock as Techno had basically taken over the conversation, you pouring out details as he asked. You weren’t sure why exactly you were letting him get so much out of you, but all of them seemed to relax the more you talked about your past, until finally you reached the downfall of your oversized city. Ranboo had gotten more invested in this, and seemed to want to figure out how it happened as well. He said he was a fan of theories and small details that seemed to be hidden, so he agreed to helping you find the arsonist.

They asked for coordinates so you got up, grabbed all the plates to take them to the kitchen, found your journal, and brought it back to where everyone was sitting. Ranboo’s eyes lit up as he watched you flip through the pages and you caught onto his gaze and smiled. He opened his own bag and brought out a journal silently, smiling the whole time, mentioning how he kept his own journals. You made a mental note to try to ask about them at another point as he put his away. You finally flipped to the page holding info about your kingdom and pulled out a map from between the pages as well, flipping them to face Techno and Phil. They looked over everything and you watched intently as they pointed and flipped, exchanging words every few seconds.

“We can just make a portal,” Techno finally grunts out. “Most of our locations we stay in have portals to each and highways connecting to the main portal by the community house. The only thing we would worry about is having you out and about. Some of the people here… Aren’t so trustworthy.” You think back to your conversation with Ranboo and nod. “Yeah, Ranboo said something about an Egg? What’s that all about?” They all go quiet and you feel like you’ve asked the wrong question. “I’m assuming it’s nothing good, so I won’t press anymore, but if it’s unavoidable then you’ll have to tell me eventually.” Phil speaks up from his side of the table. “Well, all we should tell you now is to not touch the vines, and if you hear anything to let us know right away. Don’t trust any bad thoughts.” You were taken back by that but hesitantly croaked out an ‘ok’ and left it there.

You all spent the last hour together coming up with a plan to get you to your kingdom, what you could look for, and who else you might be able to trust. The date was decided to be set for a week from the present day and you would find two more people, Karl and Sapnap. Ranboo said you would get along well with them and they were people they knew could help that had a lot of knowledge. Karl was a master at problem solving and a time traveler (though he still didn’t know exactly how to control it and only used it when he had to), and Sapnap was born in fire so he knew it well, meaning he might be able to know something from the wreckage. After everything was said and done, you were waving goodbye as they all crossed the snow covered field to their separate homes.

You shut the door and sighed, leaning your back against the solid wood plank, your head also falling back to rest on it, eyes closing as you listened to your breathing and heartbeat. The gentle crackling from the fireplace and torches calmed your nerves more as you pushed off the door and made your way to the kitchen to extinguish some of the lights. After cleaning up and tidying everything, you looked over the living room once more and smiled to yourself, finding your way up the stairs and into your bathroom to wash off and get ready to sleep.

All this alone time gave you time to think about the plans, and the more you thought, the more you doubted this person named Sapnap. You were told he had some kind of fire ability, and seeing as most of your kingdom was set on fire, you didn’t think he was very trustworthy. No matter how far away this place was, he was still suspicious to you. I mean, what were you supposed to think when you got to a random location and on the first day upon arrival you were told that there was someone here with a fire ability? Were you just supposed to trust this stranger immediately, just like that? You didn’t like that thought at all, but you trusted Ranboo and Phil enough already that you figured you should give this Sapnap guy a chance.

And with those last few thoughts, you finished settling in to sleep, finally in a proper bed after three long days. The thick blanket and the flickering light of the last embers in the hearth helped you to drift off to sleep. You made a mental note to write in your journal when you wake up, since you were exhausted and could barely keep your eyes open.

Hot. Burning. Loud crashing. Your eyes snapped open and you were finally aware of your surroundings. Your kingdom around you, burning to the ground, craters dotted the ground. You were surrounded by fire. You screamed out in pain and searched for a safe way out. Why was this happening? No. You knew the answer, you just had to remember. Right? Right! Dreams. You could solve things using your dreams, being thrown back into the middle of situations to see what went wrong. To look over missed details. The only downside was the fact that all your senses still worked. It was like time travelling but without all the paradoxical consequences. Essentially just to play detective.

You ran through the blaze, trying to find a safe path while also looking for clues. There was nothing but destruction, burnt remains, and the smell of burning wood. You finally made it to a clearing where the plaza in front of the castle was, and there in the distance between all the red flames and black smoke, there was a flash of color. It was fast, so you almost missed it, but it was there. Who was that? With that thought alone, you were sprinting in the same direction, not caring about the flames that would kiss your skin or the ember covered logs that would catch your legs. You needed this lead, no matter what kind of pain you went through.

You spent what felt like hours running around. Your legs felt like they were being torn apart, your skin was burning and blistered in a lot of spots, and it was getting too hard to breathe. There was no sign of the green that you saw earlier, so you gave into your body and fell to the brick walkway under you, the rough texture stinging your skin. You closed your eyes, breathing heavily, hoping you would wake up soon. Then you heard it. The sound of feet on the pavement ahead of where you laid. Your body hurt as you lifted your head, vision going fuzzy and dark as the person neared. Green.

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animedaddymilkers · 3 years

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Kinkmas 2020: Day 20

Prompt: Size Kink w/ Kisame

Genre: Smut/18+ || Tags: Size Kink, Comfort, Tummy Bulge, Cum-Flation, Fingering, Penetrative Sex || Characters: Kisame Hoshigaki, Female Reader || read it on ao3 here

"Hi, can I help you find any…anything?" your customer service voice chimed out, only stuttering over your words when you finally looked up and up and up and met the eyes of the customer in front of you.

Said customer was a hulk of a man, though the bluish tint to his skin had you questioning even that part. You were used to being generally small and short but the height of this man made you remember that all the more. Still, you had a job to do and kept the cheerful smile plastered onto your face. The man turned around and looked down at you rather amused, though you were relieved when his face broke out in a smile.

"Why yes, I need help finding some bandages and perhaps a new shirt," his voice boomed out, nearly sending you to your knees at the pure baritone nature of it.

Only now did you notice the tatters in his shirt and the gash covering his torso, "Oh, gosh, okay! H-Here just follow me!"

Clamoring about you collected medical equipment and grabbed his hand, leading him to the back of the shop after flipping the open sign to closed. You sat him down at your simple kitchen chair, which almost looked comical under his large form. But you didn't have time to ogle over the sight of him as he was still actively bleeding. Your hands prepped the supplies quickly and you were about to start fixing him up when his hands wrapped around yours, effectively stopping you.

"You don't need to do this, little dewdrop. I can do it myself."

Besides the affectionate nickname catching you off guard, you steeled your resolve and shook your head at him, "Please, let me do this! I don't see how you can stitch yourself up with your hands shaking so!"

He raised an eyebrow and looked to his hands holding yours. Sure enough, even while clasped around yours, his hands were shaking. Damn, the injury must be affecting him more than he thought. With a defeated sigh he let your hands go and leaned back into the chair, the wood ominously creaking beneath his weight. You sat on another chair in front of him and went to work, first, discarding him of the tattered shirt barely covering him. Still, to see his chest completely bare had your cheeks heating up. Your hands pressed against his abdomen to put pressure on the wound, intent to stop the blood. As you held your hands there the man in front of you rubbed his face.

"How did you get this injury?"

"Best not for you to ask questions, little one," so much for small talk.

"Can I at least have your name?"

The man seemed to think about it for a moment before answering, "Kisame. Yours?"

You gave him your name and reveled in the small smile he offered you after hearing it. After the introduction he seemed to relax slightly, allowing just a bit of small talk between you two. He told you he was injured in a fight, though he wouldn't go into too much detail and you wouldn't ask. The blood flow finally slowed and you took the cloth away, throwing it into a nearby bin. Then you set about cleaning the wound, frowning when Kisame tensed at the antiseptic that no doubt burned. Your other hand grabbed his and held it tight to support him through the pain. Briefly, you took in the sheer size difference of your hands, your own barely as big as his palm. After cleaning, you carefully bandaged the gash, paying mind to patch it up so it hopefully wouldn't rip open again.

"Thank you."

It was a simple statement, but it conveyed a tone of finality, that he was leaving and you turned from putting the supplies away, "You still need a shirt. And please, let me make you some food. It'll help you recover better."

Kisame should have turned down the offer, but you were hospitable and altogether unassuming. So, against the better judgment, he was trained with, he accepted your offer. Thankfully, you had a meal already on cooking since the morning and you dished out two bowls for the two of you. As you ate, it felt natural and easy to sit across from each other and chat. The conversation flowed from topics of your favorite colors, to what you thought about the fate of stray dogs. There was no rhyme or reason to what you talked about and that's what made it interesting. But, as Kisame finished his fourth bowl, you realized it was once again drawing to a close. You weren't sure why, maybe it was his attractive looks, but you didn't want to say goodbye to him. He offered to help do dishes and you actually accepted his help, if only to keep him around that much longer. Again, that only lasted for a handful of minutes until you were left shifting from foot to foot as both of you stood around in silence.

"You… You could always stay the night," you offered boldly before quickly adding, "To help you heal more, of course!"

His eyebrows raised before he nodded at your second part, "Of course, of course. You're right. It would help. I'll stay. Do you have an extra bed?"

Your face dropped slightly and you laughed a bit nervously, "Uhh, well, no, but you can have my bed! There's room enough for you."

"And enough for you too? Well, 'suppose even if not, you could always sleep on top of me, dewdrop," Kisame stated plainly before laughing at your sheepish reaction.

"I-I suppose," your cheeks heated up at the image of you curled up on his chest, another reaction that Kisame didn't miss.

He leaned down until he was eye level, grinning suavely, "I still need to repay you for patching me up, so name your price, and don't be shy about it."

You thought about it for a moment, knowing he wouldn't accept 'nothing' as an answer, "Kiss me."

"Damn, that's a pretty cheap price for a wrap job. But I guess I shouldn't complain. I'll gladly kiss you a million times over," with that, Kisame lifted you from the floor so your face was level with his.

Wrapping your legs around his torso, careful to mind his wound, you rested your hands on his broad shoulders. His smile was contagious and even as he leaned in for the kiss it was all a bit surreal. The soft lips against yours tasted, unlike anything you ever kissed before. Reminiscent of salt with a spearmint kick to it, almost like taffy. It was far from bad and when he went to pull away you found yourself following his mouth, keeping the contact. He exhaled in amusement against you but obeyed your wishes, kissing you again and again. His large hands supported your bottom, one hand easily covering an entire cheek as he held you close. The sheer size of the man had you wet from the second he walked into your store and now that he was kissing you in his arms you were a bit anxious to get the show on the road if you will.

You pulled away to peel your shirt off, white eyes taking in every inch of newly revealed skin. The shirt landed somewhere in the hallway as Kisame wandered through to what he deemed your bedroom. Not like it was hard to spot anyway, it was the only room that had a bed in the middle. Gingerly, he laid you down on the bed and snickered.

"You're definitely going to have to sleep on top of me," He grinned and kissed down your jaw to your neck.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," you responded in a breath, moaning at the way he sucked on your skin.

The sharp teeth so close to your jugular had your heart beating a bit faster. Though you were almost positive Kisame wouldn't hurt you, just knowing there was a possibility turned you on even more. He nipped slightly and you gasped at the feeling before letting out a moan. The reaction was exactly what he wanted and he took it as an invitation to do more to you, a hand placing itself between your legs and rubbing you through your pants. A grin spread across his face as he felt your wetness even through the material and went about undoing them, eager to see just how soaked you were. Once completely bare he slipped twin fingers down, damn you really were soaked. He pushed the thick digits inside, slowly working you open and making a comment about how he needed to stretch you.

Foolishly, you thought that just meant fingering you for a few minutes and then the main event, but you couldn't have been more wrong. Just when you thought you were going to get fucked, Kisame instead pushed a third, thick finger inside of you. You were already a moaning mess but he still pumped his fingers in and out, working you open even more. He curled his fingers just right and before long you were having your first orgasm of the night. Finally, he pulled all of his fingers out and began kicking your juices off. His fingers then hooked into his pants and boxers, pushing them down and off, leaving you gasping at the sight of what lay underneath.

Words were unfathomable as you took in the absolute fear-invoked of a cock he had. Truly, when people wrote about a cock able to split a person in two, there was a picture of him next to it. It made sense now as to why he went to such lengths to prep you and still you thought maybe he should go back to prepping you more. Yet you didn't voice any of those fears, the feeling of lust overtaking you and you decided you needed to try and take it right then and there. Kisame seemed to notice though and asked if you had any lube, pouring a copious amount onto his length before flipping you onto all fours. Like the horny bitch you currently were, you pressed your face down and wiggled your ass in the air slightly, begging him to fuck you already.

"You look so good like this, dewdrop. I'm going to fuck you so good. You're gonna look so sexy trying to take as much of my dick as you can."

His lewd words earned a moan from you and the tip of his cock nudged against your entrance. Slowly and carefully, he pushed inside of you, listening for any cues from you for him to stop, but when none came he went as far as your pussy would allow him to. For a moment, he stayed still, the sheer size of him spearing you had you moaning and gripping at the sheets nearly losing your mind. He barely got halfway in, but that was still impressive for your first time taking him. Inch by inch he pulled out until the tip was the only thing left inside of you before pushing back in, forcing you open again. You whined and wiggled your ass slightly, needing more movement from him, no matter how much it could potentially hurt.

Kisame groaned and obliged, pulling his hips out a bit quicker before thrusting back in. His heavy balls slapped against your clit, sending shivers down your spine. Where other lovers would lean down and kiss your shoulder, Kisame easily leaned over and caught your mouth in a kiss, not having to worry about stretching to reach at all. His large hands played with your tits, tugging on your nipples like they were toys. Though even with all the rippling pectorals and sheer body size, each of his touches were soft and playful. He pounded into you and you came at the sight of your stomach protruding with each thrust. The squeeze around him as you came was honestly a bit painful for him, but hey it's a good thing he got off on that. He helped you ride out your orgasm and then continued, almost literally, rearranging your guts.

"Fuck, dewdrop, this pussy feels so good wrapped around me, I could keep you like this forever."

Somewhere, your mind knew you only met this man today, but the overwhelming majority just didn't give a shit. He could keep you forever and it'd be a happy life. As long as it meant he'd fuck you like this, you'd be content. His hips seemed to only go faster, but with the amount of thigh muscle he was working with, it made sense. You came again when his balls hit against your clit particularly rough, sending your thighs shaking and you gripped the bedsheets desperately. Kisame groaned as you came again and his hands never stopped touching you, groping at every inch of your body.

Though it was only after your third orgasm did he start to falter himself. He grunted and gripped your shoulder a bit tighter than before, hips stuttering in their rhythm. But, he wasn't done yet and flipped you onto your back before picking the pace back up, fucking into you like a crazed animal. You weren't about to complain though and not like you could either, at this point you could barely form words longer than his name and various cusses. Kisame nipped along your collarbone, muffling his groans before he growled and shoved himself deep, covering your inner walls in white. It didn't stop there, his load felt like it kept coming and coming, the sheer feeling sending you into another orgasm. By the time he was finished your stomach had a barely yet still there bulge, thanks to the massive load he gave you. You babbled incoherent whines, whimpers, and moans and now this time, it was Kisame's turn to tend to you.

As he cleaned you up and, like promised, settled you on his chest, he grinned while rubbing your back, "Guess I should get stabbed more often."

hope you enjoyed! remember likes & reblogs help me reach more people! :D

#naruto #naruto x reader #kisame hoshigaki #kisame x reader #kisame x you #smut #naruto smut #reader insert #kinkmas 2020 #size difference

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