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#writing established relationships is challenging when it's long form

novlr · 1 month

Note

how do i write an established married couple that are out of their honeymoon phase and now theyre just cute and comfy w/ eachother??

Established relationships, in particular, require careful consideration and development to make them feel authentic and relatable to your readers. An established relationship is one that has a history of shared experiences and a level of comfort and familiarity between the characters and can take many forms, such as long-term friendships, romantic partnerships, or even familial bonds. Writing established relationships requires a deep understanding of the characters’ backstories, the dynamics of their relationship, and how their connection influences their individual arcs.

Understand the dynamics of established relationships

Established relationships have a history and shared experiences that shape their current state.

Power dynamics, roles, and expectations within the relationship have been formed over time.

Established relationships involve a level of comfort, familiarity, and trust between the characters.

Conflicts and challenges in established relationships may be more complex and deeply rooted.

Characters in established relationships have a deeper understanding of each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and quirks.

Established relationships involve a sense of commitment, loyalty, or even obligation.

Develop their backstory

How and when did the characters first meet, and what were their initial impressions?

What significant events or experiences have the characters shared that have shaped their relationship?

How has the relationship evolved over time, and what challenges or conflicts have they faced together?

What are some of the defining moments or turning points in their relationship?

How has the way the characters have grown and changed as individuals affected their relationship?

What are some of the inside jokes, shared references, or traditions that are unique to their relationship?

Show the depth of their connection

Use dialogue to reveal the characters’ familiarity, comfort, and understanding of each other.

Show the characters engaging in shared activities or rituals that demonstrate their bond.

Describe the characters’ nonverbal communication, like knowing glances or subtle gestures.

Reveal the characters’ ability to anticipate each other’s needs, thoughts, or reactions.

Show the characters supporting, comforting, or challenging each other in meaningful ways.

Demonstrate the characters’ willingness to make sacrifices or compromises for the sake of their relationship.

Explore conflicts and challenges

Identify the underlying tensions, differences, or unresolved issues in the relationship.

Show how the characters navigate and cope with these challenges, both individually and as a pair.

Explore how external factors, such as family, work, or personal goals, can strain the relationship.

Demonstrate how the characters’ individual flaws or weaknesses can affect the relationship.

Show the characters working through conflicts, compromising, or finding solutions together.

Illustrate how the challenges and conflicts ultimately strengthen or change the relationship.

Develop character arcs

Show how the relationship influences each character’s personal growth, decisions, and actions.

Explore how the characters’ individual journeys affect the dynamics of the relationship.

Show how the characters learn from each other and inspire growth or change.

Show how the relationship evolves because of the characters’ individual development.

Illustrate how the characters’ shared experiences and challenges shape their shared future.

Reveal how the relationship ultimately supports or hinders the characters’ individual goals and desires.

Craft authentic dialogue and interactions

Use inside jokes, nicknames, or references that are specific to the relationship.

Show the characters finishing each other’s sentences or thoughts, demonstrating their deep understanding of the other.

Use subtext and implication in dialogue to reveal the characters’ unspoken feelings or concerns.

Demonstrate the characters’ ability to communicate effectively, even during conflicts or disagreements.

Show the characters engaging in playful banter or teasing that reflect their comfort with each other.

Illustrate the characters’ ability to have meaningful, vulnerable conversations that deepen their connection.

111 notes · View notes

fallingdownhell · 1 year

Note

Hello!

Could I request headcanons of Diluc, Xiao Zhongli, and Ayato with a demonic water dragon s/o?

Her dragon form is huge, with a serpent-like body, covered in scales blacker than the night, has 2 pairs of horns (the top pair curve upward and the bottom pair curve downward), sharp fangs and claws.

I'm gonna be honest, I have never written anything like this. It's new, but I like to challenge myself, so thank you. Hope I could satisfy you with the way I went about it.

Characters Included: Diluc; Xiao; Zhongli; Ayato

Content: gender neutral reader; shapeshifting; established relationship (Diluc; Ayato); getting together (Xiao; Zhongli);

Word count: 2,5k words

Hope you like it and sorry it took me so long to write.

Diluc

he would be absolutely clueless

he thinks you're a normal human just like him, only that you are a little obsessed with water and always want to be close to a big body of water

It's a good thing that Dawn Winery is so close to a huge lake

he always knows he can find you there, sitting by the shore if he can't find you anywhere else in the mansion

today however, something was not right when he went looking for you down at the shore

he saw you sitting there, feet in the cold water of the lake, nothing unusual about that

but... was there something laying behind you? Why was is swinging side to side from time to time? And why did your head look kinda weird, too?

Diluc didn't know what to think or expect, but he went closer to you nonetheless, not wanting to assume

When he did get closer, he noticed that those things seemed to be attached to you

As he was pracitcally behind you now, he finally made his presence known and you immediately jumped up, scared out of your mind since you didn't notice anyone approaching you. You even let out a deep, warning growl until you realized that it was Diluc

You started to relax a bit, but as you saw how he was looking at you, you realized that you forgot about something very important

Before you could run away - which you were definitely trying to do just now - Diluc grabbed you by the wrist, silently begging you to stay

You reluctantly do so, expecting to be bombarded with questions, which... never came?

He was just standing there, taking in your half-transformed state and with each passing second, you grew more and more restless

Soon enough, the questions started to come, but instead of being all over the place, he seemed to keep his cool, asking you one thing after the other

He even asked to see your other form, but you declined that, not wanting to shock him any more than you already have. He accepts that, but deep down, he really does want to see it

Surprisingly to you, he doesn't seem too put off about that reveal. Sure he has to get used to the fact that you are... dragon? Half-dragon? Diluc isn't too sure, but he doesn't mind

After all, this detail didn't change anything about the feelings you both had for the other. So why would he change his views of you? It was just another aspect of you and he could understand why you kept that hidden from him

Not many people would react to such a revelation the way he had reacted

Does ask to see your full form from time to time, but never pressuring you. He's just really interested, he was fascinated by the color of your scales at that time already, he couldn't imagine what it would look like when your entire body was covered in them

When you finally agree, he is mesmerized by your sheer size and the colours, absolutely can NOT take his eyes off of you

Swears to protect your secret and falls even more in love with you when he learns that you can also transform into a half-half form

Overall a pretty positive reaction from him, which you would have never thought would happen, but you sure as hell aren't complaining about it

Xiao

Immediatley knows.. upon your first meeting he just knows that something is up with you

you are no adeptus, but you aren't a human being either

yet he can't seem to figure it out, either, and that bothers him

he is supposed to protect this land, yet how can he do that when he can't even pick out what exactly you are

would keep taps on you and your activities, trying to determine wether or not you would become a threat he has to exterminate

he follows you around for quite some time. In fact, it almost becomes a routine for him and he doesn't realize it but at some point, he also knows your usual schedule by heart

why does he want to smile whenever he sees you interact with the children of Liyue Harbor? What is this warm feeling inside his chest?

Panics when he realizes this and tries to keep his distance from now on, but he quickly learns that he can't seem to stay away from you for too long

there's just something about you that keeps pulling him in, wether he wants to or not... and he also still has to make sure you're not a threat.. at least, that's what he tells himself

if he were to be honest, deep down, he was already convinced that you're not dangerous, but he needs and excuse to come and see you

that is, until one fateful day

he was fighting against some demonic creatures at Yaoguang Shoal. There were many of them and they kept coming, his karmic debt starting to wear him down as well

he was threatening to be overpowered, not being able to control the pain any longer since he had been fighting for quite some time already, when a huge shadow appeared out of nowhere

as he saw this huge dragon form approaching, he mentally prepared himself for a fight, but also for the possibilty of his death... when suddenly, against his expectations, the dragon attacked the demonic creatures instead of him

stunned for a second, Xiao quickly recovered and joined the fight again, this time at the side of this unexpected ally

with the help, it was over pretty quickly, but Xiao kept his guard up, not being able to predict what would happen next

then, the form of the dragon started to glow, then began to shrink until it was as small as a human. The glow kept fading and then the next moment, he was facing you

Xiao was confused, the emotions for once being obviously displayed on his face as he looked at you, connecting the dots in his head

"There, now you finally know. Can you stop stalking me now?"

You said this, with a teasing smile on your lips, indicating that you were aware of him all along, but seemingly not minding it that much.

On the other hand, Xiao was mortified. Without any reply, he teleported back to Wangshuu Inn, where he tried to process what had just happened

He kept to himself for a few days, and probably would have done so for longer, if it wasn't for you, seeking him out to talk to him about all the things that had happened

from this point on would be where your relationship started to bloom, Xiao slowly coming to terms with his feelings for you

he is not bothered by your upbringing at all. In fact, this meant that you were "blessed" with a long life just like him, so he wouldn't have to fear losing you far too soon again

sure, he still has to get used to it, but he is fascinated more than anything else. Constantly asks you questions, wanting to learn all there is about you

would care deeply for you, and depending on your believes, would keep it a secret from others if you were to ask this of him

Zhongli

just like Xiao, he also knows immediately that something is up with you

but unlike the adeptus that watches over Liyue, Zhongli figures it out on his own rather quickly

after all, he spent many years as a dragon himself, so of course he would recognise someone of that species

but it still gets him thinking... because, dragons don't exist that largly anymore, especially not the ones with the ability to shapeshift

he really wants to approach you and talk to you about this topic, but he also knows that he can't, as it would probably come across as creepy, especially if he were to bring something like that up in broad daylight with people surrounding you all

so, instead, he invites you out for a day. You spend the entire afternoon and evening together, ending the little get-together with a walk around the almost abandoned harbor at night

This is when Zhongli decides to bring this topic up, having felt the urge to ask you throughout the entire day

when he does, your eyes widen, not having expected anyone to ever get behind your little secret. You were scared.. scared of what he might do to you and him telling everyone else

Zhongli on the other hand, only now realized why you were looking so scared. He wanted to assure you that he would not tell anyone, but he also knew that you were not likely to believe him at all. He had to prove himself somehow..

and the only way he could think of would be to reveal his true identity to you, as well

at first, you obviously don't believe him, because... who would? A random person, claiming to be the God of Contracts, watching over the entire nation of Liyue? Yeah, as if.

But then, you have no choice but to believe him when he transforms into a half human, half dragon state infront of your very eyes

you suddenly feel extremely connected to him and instead of saying anything, simply follow his example, revealing half of your dragon form to him

Zhongli is mesmerized by the beauty the colour of your scales take. He wants nothing more than to trace along them with his fingers, the urge almost too strong to resist, but he does

you two begin to bond over that shared experience, your connection growing stronger and stronger with each passing day

your identites are a secret to everyone except you two, which only helps in strengthening that shared bond

it's hard to say who falls in love first, but it's not like that matters. It happened and that's the only important thing, since it led to the most fulfilling and loved relationship you ever had

Zhongli was enamoured with you, willing to do anything for you. Plus, he was an expert at keeping things hidden from other people, so you would never have to worry about people finding out about you. At least if you don't want that to happen

Either way, Zhongli swore to always stay by your side and protect you, and he plans on keeping this promise....always

Ayato

he would be just as clueless as Diluc

sure, he and his people did make a background-check on you before Ayato started to pursue you romantically, but that didn't bring anything unusual to light

nowadays, you and Ayato were engaged, with you already living with him at the Kamisato estate

he loved the open affinity you displayed towards water. He could often find you sitting outside, looking out towards the sea, lost in your own thoughts

you never seemed to care about the weather. More often than once had he found you sitting outside at night, the cold not seeming to bother you at all

At times like these, he would go grab a blanket before he sat down behind you, wrapping you two into the warmth of the fabric as you lean back against his chest, still looking towards the ocean

you also once told him that you adored the fact he had been blessed with a hydro vision. According to you, it made him smell like the ocean you so adored, his touch cool and calming on your skin

at first, he was a bit taken aback by the statement, but once he thought about it, he couldn't help but seeing it as a compliment towards him

at some point, the guilt starts to build up inside you, feeling bad that you hide such an important thing about yourself

you feel like he should know before you guys get married, since it might change his view on you. And what if he someday finds out by accident and then accuses you of lying to him?

No, you definitely don't want that to happen, so you decide to tell him

You write Ayato a little note, telling him to meet you down at the beach where you two can talk in private

he is a bit concerned at this, trying to think if he did something wrong or if he might have upset you in any way

instead of meeting you after his work, he decides to abandon it alltogether, making his way to you immediately

you're a bit surprised to see him this early, but you also welcome it. This way, you don't have time to overthink things and just tell him

When you tell him that you want to share a secret with him, Ayato is perplexed at first. He thought that there was nothing kept hidden between the two of you, but he also didn't want to judge just based on this statement

so, he tried to keep an open mind and signaled for you to tell him. When you did, it was obvious he didn't believe you. He didn't need to say anything, his eyes were telling it all

so, with a deep breath in, you started to transform entirely, your form growing huge, scales as dark as the night decorating your entire body, until Ayato was a mere peck of dust next to you

He watched all of this happen, equally terrified as well as fascinated. He honest to god thought you were joking, that this was one of those pranks people like to play on their significant others

you, after having proven your point, transformed back, now looking unsure, not knowing what to expect of his reaction

he, in the most diplomatic tone ever, told you that he would need some time to think, which you nodded, understanding that request fully

so, you waited. And those days were the absolute horror for you. Luckily, it didn't seem like Ayato told anyone, the people of the estate still talking to you and treating you like they usually did

but you haven't seen or heard anything from Ayato at all

the first time he comes to you again is after five days. And what he does confuses you even more. He just comes up to you, kissing you on the cheek and greeting you good morning like nothing had happened

before you have the chance to ask him about it, he is gone again, so you wait until you catch him in a quiet moment

And when you ask him about it, he just shrugs his shoulders. "Well, you're still you. That fact doesn't change anything. You're still my spouse and I still love you."

You're beyond relieved that he's not bothered by it, having expected the worst already

Ayato on the other hand, doesn't want to admit it, but that little revelation made him even more whipped for you than he already was

But that's something that you don't have to know about...

812 notes · View notes

night-raven-tattler · 5 months

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Hello Mx Tattly! I really enjoyed your ideal types post involving Heartslabyul characters. I like the idea of Riddle liking his significant other being someone earning his respect. So in this request, if they are open, of Riddle having a Yuu!Female reader s/o that is naturally gifted prodigy in fencing & swordsmanship, making her a bold, fiercely talented swordswoman who usually wields double swords (but is just as well with one). Both mostly got closer after his overblot since she was involved in defending him (somehow).

Just headcanons of Riddle having a s/o that is physically stronger than him (and affectionate when just the two of them since she also isn’t much of a pda person)

Extra: After getting to know a bit more of Diasomnia, she also manages to go under Lilia’s training after finding out he trains Sebek and Silver because she wants to continue sharpening her skills and seeing any form of improvement.

(She’s originally an OC of mine but idk if you take OC requests and didn’t wanna assume, so 😭)

Anyway thank you! I’m sorry if I wrote a lot.. 😭

Hello anon! Mx Tattly appreciates your kind words! Currently they don't do OC requests, however she might consider answering such requests in the future. He is sorry if the writing is not what you envisioned, especially since she didn't include Riddle being "protected" per se by the reader character, as they considered their narrative choice is one Riddle would appreciate more. He is also grateful for the brainrot you caused, as they are an enjoyer of sword weilding characters themselves. Hopefully you can still enjoy!

A knight fit for a queen

Characters: Riddle × F/GN!Reader* (romantic, pre-established relationship)

*the reader character has no gender defining charactersitics mentioned

Warnings: swords, book 1 spoilers, violence, mentions of hospital-like settings

By opening the document, you agree to Mx Tattly's terms of source confidentiality.

-ˋˏ’✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Ace laughed in your face when you told him, Deuce and Grim to wait in front of Ramshackle for you to get something, and you came out of the dorm with a pair of swords dangling from your waist, supporting your dominant hand

“Why are you bringing a sword with you? Where did you even find that thing?!”

It was an older pair of swords you found abandoned in one of the Ramshackle rooms, mere days before Ace and Deuce decided to challenge Riddle for his housewarden spot

Something about them told you they would be useful in the situation at hand

But even after hearing your reasoning, Ace still laughed in your face

Boy, was he proven wrong not too long after...

Riddle was just punched by Ace and, before your brain was able to catch up to what was happening, Riddle spiraled out of control

Everyone was trying to reason with him, yet it seemed as if he completely shut out everyone around him

Everyone turned from disobedient students into living targets of his fury

The gravity of the situation finally sunk in when Riddle summoned the rose trees all around the maze and ordered them to attack Ace

Yet, before thinking in through, you jumped in front of Ace and sliced away the threatening branches

They detached from the trunk, turning into cut pieces of cards as they flew past you and your friend

If you wouldn't have stepped in, Trey’s signature spell would’ve kicked in too late

The sky darkened as Riddle’s inner world started to collapse, bringing chaos and destruction to the outside world as well as he overblotted

“In my world, I am the law. I am order made manifest! The only response I will accept from you is ‘Yes, Housewarden Riddle’! All who defy me will lose their heads!”

And, while your Heartslabyul friends and Grim decided to face Riddle head-on, you decided to stay back and protect any incoming danger towards the students the Headmage was evacuating

The crowd of students around the magic mirror diminished, so you returned to the main place of action

Which turned out to be a good call, as a lot of flying debris caused by rogue spells kept flying towards the students

And you managed to redirect any incoming danger with your mysterious swords

Just in time to see Riddle collapse to the ground

You stayed close to Riddle when he woke up and was taken to the nurse's office, and visited him as often as you could

While you felt a personal duty to help out Ace and Deuce repair their destroyed labyrinth, you also wanted to keep Riddle company, mostly to assure him there were no hard feelings between the two of you after what happened

…But your intention were not as clear as you intended initially

Riddle was mostly silent and cautious, and so were you, which made things kind of awkward

Compared to his wary nature, you were trying to be at least a little bit comforting

And he finally realised your intentions when you brought him some tea in a thermos

He was truly astonished by your gesture, even touched by your small kindness

It was some milk tea with herbs he didn’t quite recognise, sweetened with a bit of honey

Bits and pieces of a memory of his crying about milk tea with honey flooded his mind, piecing together the puzzle of your intentions

Not only did you remember such a small thing, but you also went out of your way to cater to him while he was still atoning to his mistakes

Shortly after, Heartslabyul started getting back to its orderly peace as the unbirthday party put together was fast approaching

And you were very satisfied with the peace and quiet

What you didn’t expect, however, was Riddle’s sudden summon to his room directed to you and you alone

You entered Riddle’s room, and he turned around in his chair towards you, leaving the paperwork he was looking over unattended

He was back to working as diligently as ever, something you weren’t sure was appropriate so early in his recovery

But Riddle’s face looked serene and at peace despite his serious eyes, and you decided not to comment

“I believe it is time for the two of us to have a proper conversation about what happened. I know your visits while I was bedridden were… not the most conversation-filled, but I would rather not leave any rocks unturned.”

As gentlemanly as ever, Riddle guided you to an empty seat in his room, and he sat down only after you sat down yourself

“I want to apologise to you for what you witnessed.”

You wanted to interject, but Riddle stopped you with a gesture of his hand

“As a housewarden, my duty is not only to maintain order within the group of students under my guidance, but also to ensure their safety during a moment of crisis. As I was the, um… ‘crisis’ in this case, I was unable to do so. I apologise for falling short on my duty, and for having you make up for my mistakes.”

You were taken aback by the apology, but Riddle was not done yet

“I would also like… to thank you.”

You listened as Riddle poured his heart out to you

“I have heard you were a main participant in ensuring the safety of the student body. It might be hard to believe, but…”

Something in Riddle’s eyes softened, before his gray eyes regained their composed coldness

“I am not cold hearted. I may be harsh, but I care about my card soldiers.”

And you were aware of that

While you helped the Heartslabyul students put themselves together, you’ve heard the grateful stories of a relieved group of students who praised Riddle for his dedication and meticulous nature

They told many stories about Riddle taking time off his schedule to tutor struggling students, who always did his best to offer guidance and who never raised his voice while explaining to students how to tend to the Heartslabyul animals

“I may have fallen short, but you have proven yourself to have a good head on your shoulder in times of need. I thank you for ensuring the safety of my card soldiers.”

You took a few seconds to process his words before formulating your response

“I was just… fulfilling my duty.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, I am the ‘prefect’, right? I also have a duty to the students. I just did my best to act according to my role.”

Riddle’s eyes widened slightly, and something sparkled in his eyes as a proud smile blossomed on his face

And your heart couldn’t help but skip a beat, being witness of the first time you gave Riddle a reason to smile

“That’s a very elegant answer. You sure are an interesting person, Prefect.”

As time went on, you and Riddle became good friends

Your friendship mainly consisted of you finding your way to Riddle and striking conversations as you followed him around

You didn’t have a particularly threatening aura, but the swords you used during the Heartslabyul event became a permanent part of your uniform

Initially the teachers were not too on board with a permanently armed student, especially since the student body was filled with rambunctious individuals

Yet, Riddle vouched that you knew when it was appropriate to use the swords, putting the professor’s minds somewhat at ease

Lines started blurring little by little as your attachment to Riddle became more obvious, and Rook’s teasing towards Trey about him “losing his spot as Riddle’s knight” started reaching your ears

But you didn’t quite mind

And neither did Riddle

He was, if anything, in awe at your abilities

Riddle was amazed at how natural swords looked in your hands, how your sways and slashes were always forceful yet elegant, wide yet precise

And the sweaty sight of you after a training session did, admittedly, leave Riddle with a racing heart and mind

But, above all, he admired your dedication to improve despite having no guidance

And, with a little push from Ace and Deuce, he put together a plan to help you in that regard

You just entered your dorm when the most unusual gathering of people was seated in your living room

While Ace and Deuce were around often enough to become honorary Ramshackle members slash dorm decoration, Riddle, Sebek and Silver were not part of your usual guest list

You were surprised to hear the invitation extended by a sleepy Silver and a very reluctant Sebek for you to join their training sessions

And it was revealed how Riddle used his connection to the two guards as fellow equestrian club members to ask them for a favor

After you all settled some details with the guards, they took their leave, and exited the dorm as Sebek kept yelling about not allowing you to fall short

And being the teasing pieces of work that Ace, Deuce and Grim were, they left you and Riddle alone as they winked at you

“Is this your way of making sure I keep ‘fulfilling my duty’ as the resident day saver and Hearstlabyul knight?”

Your teasing made Riddle throw you an unimpressed glance that was quickly replaced by a smile

“I am quite sure this will do nothing to diminish the use of your newly acquired moniker, but my priority is to ensure you keep honing the craft you are so obviously proud of.”

Riddle’s words were truly touching, and it was so like him to go out of his way to help the people he cared about…

“Besides, I don’t really mind the moniker. It must mean the students are starting to recognise your skill and dedication.”

That statement really made your heart skip a beat

You hesitated before you took Riddle’s hand into your own

“Well… If you don’t mind the nickname, then I don’t mind it either.”

And you brought Riddle’s hand to your lips, leaving a kiss so soft Riddle almost though he only imagined the soft press of your lips to his knuckles

He took his leave soon after your biggest show of affection yet, but you didn’t mind

Despite Riddle’s reddening face usually being considered a bad omen, you quite enjoyed the brilliant glow of red on his cheeks as he left your dorm

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #riddle rosehearts #riddle rosehearts x reader #no beta we die like ortho

127 notes · View notes

thatsdemko · 1 year

Text

falling in love again - p.gasly & c.leclerc

masterlist

requested: y

pairings: Pierre gasly x fem!reader & charles leclerc x fem!reader

warnings: mentions of cheating + anxious thoughts + established relationship + love triangle +mentions of affairs

a/n: boy oh boy has this been a challenge for me to write. six drafts later and this is the final product! and yes there will be a part two! there was a second part to the ask that’s not yet complete! ☺️ also a Pierre girl thru and thru 🫡 so this PAINED me to write. would really appreciate some feedback on this xx

weddings are supposed to be happy occasions. the joining of two people coming together as one. the day every little girl dreams of, has finally come for you.

except it’s not a beautiful dream. it’s far worse.

for the past six months of your engagement, the man who once brought you so much joy and happiness no longer gave you that same excitement. you blamed the cold feet, anxieties, and stress of planning the wedding, but the moment has finally come and you still feel that way.

Pierre gasly, is your fiancé and the most perfect man on all paper and of any girls dreams. he’s kind, sweet, caring, and so beyond loving you swear you don’t deserve him. and truth be told, he doesn’t deserve you. he doesn’t deserve a wife who won’t love him the same that he feels.

matter of fact, since the beginning of the engagement your eyes began to fall towards a particular groomsman— the best man may you add, charles leclerc. you never noticed him right in front of you all this time until it was too late.

charles was the other man, and probably the worst friend ever, because for six months he was the reason you arrived home late, you held off on picking a date, and took away all your fears. he’s the man you so badly want to be walking down the aisle to, but he’s not.

charles has convinced himself he’s okay with it. in fact, he’s more worried you’ll say ‘I do’ instead of I don’t because he knows for a fact you don’t love Pierre. at least not anymore.

he knocks quietly on your door of the church. the music is faint but the over excited giggling from your bridesmaids fills his ears. he’s been given the task by Pierre to check on you and make sure you’ve been eating and staying hydrated. it’s sweet how much he cares, but all you care about is that Charles is there to do the same, and maybe worse.

convince you to leave the alter.

“is it safe for me to enter?” he pushes open the door a smidge, his accent rings through the room to let the girls know it’s not your fiancé, and he’s pulled inside by your maid of honor quickly.

“don’t linger for too long out there! he can’t see her.” she hisses, making sure the door is locked behind them, “she’s in the bathroom.”

she points to the door that’s cracked open, the only person in there is you. you’re crouched on the floor next to a bottle of vodka and a fan. the train of your dress is fluffed out all around you. he can hear your mothers voice over the phone, she got too sick to attend, and is trying to now calm you down. you’re terrified of what you’re about to walk into, you can’t marry him.

you hear the shuffling of dress shoes, and you’re greeted to a man in slacks, but when you look up it’s like he saves you from the worst phone call of your life, “I have to go, mama I’ll call you later.” you hang up quickly trying to get up from the floor, and he rushes to help making sure to not step on the white dress.

he swallows the lump forming in his throat, he can’t believe how gorgeous you look. there’s no amount of words to describe how he feels because he’s on the worst rollercoaster of emotions of his life right now. he wants to be happy for Pierre, but part of him holds onto that hope that you’ll disappear with him. leave all this behind.

“mon amour, you look breathtaking.” he breathes out allowing a tear to slip down his cheek, you frown wiping his cheek with your thumb. it almost would be better if he wasn’t here, but you know why he had to be. he’s Pierre’s best man, and it’s his job to check on you.

“don’t be this way, charles. you’re making it hard.” you whisper watching his back lean against the cracked door to gently close it all the way. you don’t have time for what he’s thinking about, you’re supposed to get married in an hour.

“do you have to marry him?” he asks, it’s a dumb question, but it’s the right one to ask considering you don’t even want to answer it. you don’t want to marry him, but now there’s thousands of people arriving to France today for this particular day. it’d be horrible to not walk down the aisle now.

“charles,” you breathe out, mouth going completely thick and dry you can’t speak. you’re blinking away tears to try to keep your makeup intact, you hate this. absolutely hate it.

“I think if you really want what’s best for him, you’d call this off. you’d leave with me instead and we can just go anywhere. anywhere but here.” he takes your shaking clammy hands in his beginning to kiss your knuckles. he strokes your ring finger that for the first time was bare to the bone. the big rock that once sat there was about to be replaced with a promise. one you couldn’t keep.

“cha–“

“no, y/n. I love you and I know you love me. you told me at rehearsals you don’t love him. I can’t see you being happy with him.” he drops your hands from his and he’s twisting open the bathroom door leaving it open for the girls to rush in and check on you. there was now thirty minutes left until the wedding bells would ring.

he slips out the room and heads back to where Pierre is nervously pacing with yuki attempting to get him to drink water. when Charles walks in Pierre is relieved, “how is she?”

“nervous but good.” charles plays a fake smile patting his friend on the back before taking the seat next to yuki who had inhaled the after smell of your perfume on his suit jacket, “you sneaky bastard.” yuki just mumbles shaking his head.

the time is a ticking bomb, it’s now ten minutes and everyone is beginning to line up. charles has been given the honor to walk you down the aisle since neither of your parents or close family could attend.

your hand presses against his back, allowing it to linger longer than it should’ve, “so where would we go?” you whisper hoping the wedding planner and photographers aren’t listening. you take the bouquet from him using it as a shield to protect your privacy.

“anywhere you want, amour. just say the words.” you both watch the first bridesmaid and groomsman walk down the aisle, both moving up closer to the door. it’s t-minus 5 minutes until your arrival in the church.

there’s a long pause between you two, he’s beginning to grow nervous you won’t back out. you’re beginning to have reality settle in for the first time. this is real life, not a fairy tail or a movie. there was no redos, but there was a chance to bolt.

“how about Asia?” you offer, eyes flickering down at the white flowers in your hands before looking up at him. he shrugs giving you a nod, moving up one more space now.

“I could do Asia, but where in Asia?” he asks, one more step closer. three more groups ahead of you both now.

“Japan? heard it’s beautiful.” you loop your arm through his, you throw the flowers to the side both of you watching them silently fall to the ground making the wedding coordinator pick them up.

“your flowers, mrs.gasly—“

“it’s miss y/l/n. just tell him I’m sorry.”

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fakesimp · 1 year

Note

Could I make a small request? XP (pls spare me I never made a request before)

Luxiem boys with a haphephobic s/o (tho they are used to touch from the boys there are bad days where it doesn't work)

And it is one of those days cuz a stranger decided to hit on them even if their boyfriend was present. Hence a bad touch day. How'd the boys react and do? OwO"

Haphephobia, with Luxiem

Warning !

Hurt/Comfort ; Established Relationship

A/n !

Haiwo ! I'm so sorry this took a long while, And I'll be writing these in headcanons form, I do hope you love this..

➶◜◝➴

Vox Akuma

Will keep his composure, but lord help the person when he glared at them.

The person will fell on their knees as he look up at him terrified,

That aside, he will be very, very worried about your well being.

Would check up on you, and asked if you want to go back home or not

If you trust him on touching you, he will be so gentle like he's holding a very fragile glass.

He will hold your hand, gently pulling you away from the crowd.

Leading both you and him back home.

If you don't trust him on touching you, he'll try his best to help you.

Though it is going to be a bit challenging for him, but he managed eventually.

Once both of you got home, he's going to ask you, if you want to rest or eat first.

Either way, he's going to indulge into your requests.

"I am so sorry for what happened today dear, Please do let me indulge into your requests, make you comfortable and forget about what happened.."

Mysta Rias

Lowkey losing it also panicking,

He's going to tug your clothes, as he nervously pull you away.

But if the person have the audacity to approach you again,

He will lowkey growl and glare

If you allow him to touch you, he'll put his hand over your shoulder as he lead both you and him back home.

If you don't allow him to touch you, he'll gently tug at your clothes. Looking at you, worried.

When you both got home, he'll kneel in front of you, looking at you. Then around your body to see if you're injured anywhere else other than the spot the person hits you.

He's nervous as you are, but he's trying his best not to look like he is in front of you.

He's definitely trying to find ways to make you forget what happened,

"Hey.. do you want to, uh, watch movie nights together?"

Luca Kaneshiro

The audacity?? Right in front of the Mafia Leader????

Honestly, before the person manage to hit you, he already grabbed the person's hand to prevent it to happen

His grip on the person's arm is strong, if he could break it he would, but he wouldn't, at least. For now.

Letting go the person, he told them to go before the worst happen to them

And then his golden retriever behavior will come back to him again as he looked at you worriedly

Looking around your body to see if you got any injuries anywhere

If you allow him to touch you he will gently grab your hands

Asking are you hurt anywhere? Please do not hesitate or be shy to tell him if you do

If you doesn't allow him to touch you, he will drape over his coat to your shoulders

Both of you still keep going on the day, but he's definitely staying closer than before so that the same incident doesn't happen

"Are you okay? Here let me give you my coat, we have a long day to go! Come on, let's get ice cream-"

Ike Eveland

Arms already out, preventing the person's hand to land on you

His eyes narrowed at the person as he slowly moves over to cover your body with his

He looked at the person with the most, judging look like 'what do you think you're doing?' look as he glances at the people walking pass them

He'll just stand there, staring at the person until the person backs away

After he's sure that they're gone, he'll turn to you

His voice soft, asking you are you alright? Do you know who they are?

Either you know them or not, your safety and your comfort is his priority at the moment

If you allow him to touch you, he'll hold your hand, gently rubbing his thumb at the back of your hands

If you doesn't allow him to touch you, he'll be like luca, draping his coat on your shoulders

"Don't worry, I'm right here to protect you.. come on, let's get going älskling.."

Shu Yamino

He would step over the person and gently push the person's hand back

He'd raise a brow at them, confused

He'll ask the person who are they, but if the person just walks away without answering

It'll make him let out a chuckle, 'that's weird' he said

He turned to check up on you, he'll offer his hand to you

So it is your choice if you want to hold his hand or not

If you decided to hold his hand, he'll smile reassuringly at you, gently rubbing his thumb along your knuckles

If you decided not to hold his hand, he'll retreat his hand back, nodding his head, understanding.

He'll ask if you want to go back or go buy some, food or sweets

Anything honestly to make you forget about what happened

Either way, he's more than happy to do it with you

"That's weird.. anyway, you wanna go get some, pancakes? Or Ice cream? Or both? Haha..!"

©fakesimp . 2023

A/n !

Here you go ! Apologies if it's not what you're expecting.. (⁠╯⁠︵⁠╰⁠,⁠) but I tried my best, also apologies if they're ooc-!

I am, listening to Luca's Honeymoon Un Deux Trois Cover on repeat since yesterday.. dear lord..

#nijisanji en x reader #nijisanji x reader #nijisanji en #nijisanji #luxiem x reader #luxiem #vox akuma x reader #vox akuma #mysta rias x reader #mysta rias #luca kaneshiro x reader #luca kaneshiro #ike eveland x reader #ike eveland #shu yamino x reader #shu yamino #➴ fakesimp writing for you #fakesimp replies #fakesimp writing

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junosmindpalace · 7 months

Note

Hihihi!! I absolutely LOVE your writing and i was wondering if i could request a modern setting senku x reader where they're academic rivals? Tho it would be cool if reader (can be either gn or fem!) was good at writing/literature and stuff instead of science like senku. I feel like it would be a silly little dynamic:3 Uhhm i hope it's okay!! Tysm in advance and pls take your time!! <3

hi hi! thank you for your request! i hope this is okay!

Though it often didn't seem like it since he is always so eager to indulge people in their scientific queries, Senku Ishigami is competitive.

This is something that his friend Taiju knows from all their gaming sessions, and later, this is something that is eventually discovered upon further watching him tackle tricky experiments. Never will Senku Ishigami turn his back on someone in need of help, on someone who wants to hear and learn more about science; but when a challenge presents itself, he’s determined to prove himself against it. Not for pride, but a sense of achievement. Excitement.

And for the longest time, you have been the biggest and most exciting challenge Senku has had.

The same went for you. Senku Ishigami had caught you quite off guard when you first met him. An eccentric, brilliant kid who wowed you with his scientific knowledge and capabilities. And when he discovered you in a similar fashion, a sort of unspoken rivalry was established--

--If rivalry even was the appropriate term to use, because there was never any real malice toward one another, especially from Senku’s end. Yet there was this lingering competitive air between the two of you on who could come out on top in certain projects. This was for all classes and assignments.

Jabs at one another was just part of your relationship (and sort of ritual, when in competition) with Senku, and certainly from an outsider’s perspective did it come off harsh and from a place of hatred. Any thoughts of malicious intent toward one another were instantly dissolved, however, when said outsider took notice of the way you two looked at each other, with not only matching challenging expressions, but genuine reverence and appreciation for what you bring out in one another.

Science, of course, was where Senku was primarily eager to take up a challenge. Though it was mostly him who showed you up in this area, it was you that showed him up when it came to literature. Reading, writing, communications; now that was your area to shine. It was not only this passion but your extensive general knowledge of the world (and what lies outside of it, which had pleasantly surprised Senku) and ambition for learning, forming relationships, and growing, along with your indulgence of Senku’s own enthusiasm, that made you so exciting to the scientist.

If previously discussed outsider who assumed that the two of you harbored malicious feelings for one another couldn’t catch on to those lingering gazes and continued to hold their previously stated assumption, there were many other instances that could’ve changed their view.

The two of you could often be found in a spare classroom sitting at the same table doing work together, asking each other questions and making conversation both pertaining to the work at hand and about whatever else was on your minds. Through the door that was often left half opened, passerbys could catch on to your enthusiastic chatter and get a glimpse through the long thin window an exchange of notes on the table the two of you occupied.

The members of the science club can always anticipate your visits, your name and face becoming recognizable as a regular visitor despite not being a formal member. Nevertheless you were always welcomed in with updates on projects, and you spent your time looking over (primarily Senku’s) shoulders and having your eccentric friend eagerly walk you through his own recent work.

The school newspaper and book club recognize his face just as much as the science club members recognize yours. The paper has covered Senku’s eccentric projects a few times after taking up your suggestion that the work he does would make for an interesting article. He’s read them and sprouted glowing praise on the way you captured the thrilling essence of science so stunningly (all in an awed tone as he scanned over the paper, while you attempted to exude nonchalance with a shrug, though you could feel the warming in your cheeks give yourself away). The book club has discussed quite a bit of science fiction from Senku’s own suggestions. He’s sat through a couple of meetings despite not being all that interested in genres that weren’t related to non-fiction, sci-fi or fantasy. Still, his in-a-nutshell summaries of chapters and events make you laugh, and so he at least gets something out of them.

And so when the misconception is eventually cleared up, the outsider can now see how endearing your dynamic really is; the fact that the two of you can get so into your competition but so very easily fall into a groove of working together. You encourage and build each other up to be better with your own work and questions inspiring him, and his inspiring yours.

And ultimately this is what made you so attractive to one another; the fact that you were both incredibly dedicated, hard working and intelligent people. Now, it’s no wonder the two of you got along so well together

(If there was something that wasn’t so endearing, and again brought up the point that perhaps you held some sort of malicious intent with your quips, it was when you’d combine your knowledge to gang up on others. The ill-natured vibe it gave off was unintentional on your parts.)

...

#i've been trying to get back into regularly writing for tumblr #but life has been busy #so hopefully this is okay!#dr stone x reader #dr stone fluff #dr stone oneshot #drst x reader #drst fluff #drst oneshot #senku ishigami x reader #senku ishigami fluff #senku ishigami oneshot

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inconsistentlywrittensoul · 19 days

Text

I’m way behind on posting about my rewatch - there’s plenty I do want to say about S2, and there’s a whole essay about gender and Phases that I’m probably never going to write - but I’m into Season 3 and I really want to note how much early S3 establishes the issues that are going to drive Buffy’s long breakdown in seasons 6 and 7.

Firstly, Buffy's tendency to pull away from her friends, feeling she has to take care of everything for herself and protect them from her problems and her feelings rather than sharing them. It’s a consistent pattern, and we see it in her running away at the end of Season 2, and continually refusing to talk about what happened with Angel with both the Scoobies and Faith. When she eventually does try to talk to her assigned school counsellor about Angel, she explicitly says she can’t talk to anyone else about what’s happening (only to find him dead, which I’m sure didn’t help).

Of course, this isn’t just a flaw of Buffy’s - her friends have a pretty big role to play, especially Xander. His sanctimonious, judgemental whining about Buffy leaving, as well as anything to do with Angel, does a lot to push Buffy away. (Not to mention the first thing he does when he finds out Angel is back is try to manipulate Faith into murdering him.) It’s also hard not to suspect that Xander’s lie back in Becoming did a lot of damage - because of that, Buffy thinks even Willow hates Angel and wouldn’t understand her continued feelings for him. ‘Kick his ass’ made Buffy feel like literally no-one is on her side.

Regardless of the reason, here we see the beginning of the split that will make Buffy feel increasingly isolated and unable to trust or rely on anyone as the series continues into the depression years, especially Season 6. But we also see the start of a pattern that will become a central flaw in Season 7 - her inability to express empathy or care for anyone who she sees as a reflection of herself.

I’m actually not talking about Faith here - that’s related, but it’s also a whole can of lesbian worms I don’t want to get into right now. But aside from Faith, in the first few episodes of Season 3 there are two girls who mirror Buffy, specifically in her relationship with Angel. In Anne, we have Lily/Anne, who’s wants to spend the rest of her life with her older boyfriend, who has a criminal past and seems a little crappy but also genuinely loves her and is trying to be good to her, and who ends up being sent to hell. Then in Beauty and the Beasts, we see Abby, who started dating a guy who seemed nice at first, but who turned out to be an abusive monster. Both are very obvious parallels to Buffy in her relationship with Angel (in soul-having and soulless forms), and serve as ways for her reflect on that relationship.

But what I want to focus on is the fact that, while Buffy does try to help both girls, she’s also unusually harsh and unempathetic towards them. Her attitude is ‘This is how things are, and you need to set aside your emotions and just deal with it immediately and without emotional support’; it reflects how she treats herself, but it’s also a pattern in how she treats people whose challenges reflect hers. Which will come to a head in how she treats the Potential slayers in season 7, and the way she alienates everyone around her in part through her treatment of them (and therefore also her treatment of herself).

It’s just interesting to see these issues that will dominate the last couple of seasons come across so strongly in this early part of Season 3.

#my apologies #i've been terribly lax in my posting duties #will try to post more (energy permitting)#and i'll try not to hate on Xander #but by early season 3 I'm really understanding where the Xander hate comes from #it's not him at his best #btvs #Buffy the Vampire Slayer #btvs rewatch #btvs s3 #btvs s6 #btvs s7 #meta #Buffy Summers #Xander Harris #Anne #Beauty and the Beasts

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kazutora-lover · 2 years

Text

Title: Devil's Arrival

Takashi Mitsuya x fem!reader

——————————————————————————————

Genre: fluff, established relationship, just soft

Summary: in which you experience a little trouble while being on your period but your boyfriend got your back

Warnings: mentions of blood

Notes: saying it again, I'm ALWAYS writing abt. their adult selves. Just to get that out of the way ;)

Word count: ≈ 920

(a/n: the devil made me write this)

——————————————————————————————

Mitsuya loves taking care of you when you don't feel good. Despite his occasional teasing, he's very nurturing. He can't stand seeing you feel bad and always proceeds to make you a hot water bottle or bring you painkillers once the time of the month arrives. And when he sees you do something that requires a lot of energy, he will do it for you too, no questions asked.

Everything for his beloved darling, you.

He's a very understanding person and he would never, not as long as he's in his right mind, blame you for your mood swings or the other side effects of being a woman.

So when he saw your blood leak onto the sheets this morning, he didn't think too much of it. Why would he blame you for something, nature forced upon you.

He shuffled closer to your still sleeping form and draped his arms around your body, pulling you closer to him to softly cuddle you awake. You slightly stirred in your sleep but your eyes just didn't want to open yet. Mitsuya hummed in content and moved the pads of his fingers over the apples of your cheeks.

If you opened your eyes right now, you would see how much adoration Mitsuya holds in his eyes for you. He swears, everyday he falls in love with you all over again.

Mitsuya continued his ministrations on your cheeks before he decided to let his fingers wander a little lower, now stroking the skin of your neck delicately. He knows how sensitive your neck is, in your current half asleep state, you would surely wake up soon due to the lingering ticklish feeling.

And then he saw your lips twitch and he knew you were just pretending to be asleep at this point. Mitsuya let out a breathy chuckle, "Are you enjoying yourself, Darling?"

But you didn't react to his question and he took it as his challenge to see how long you could keep this up. At first he didn't do anything, he just watched you to see if you would open your eyes to peek at him eventually. But when you didn't, he felt like being a little mischievous.

If you didn't want to see him, you would get to feel him. Mitsuya started off with his fingers playing with the soft strands of hair decorating your face and he knew he had you melt into his touch. How unfortunate for you. It would've been better had you not reacted at all because what you felt next was Mitsuya wildly nuzzling his head into the crook of your neck.

You couldn't help but burst out giggling. Mitsuya's hair tickling you was one thing but when you felt him pepper your neck with small, sweet kisses, you couldn't help yourself.

"So you finally decided to bless me with a reaction of yours?" He hummed into your neck.

"It's not my fault you're so warm and cozy, love." You retorted with a sweet chuckle and your boyfriend placed one last kiss onto your neck before he moved up to take a look at you again.

As much as you wanted to enjoy this sweet sweet moment a little longer, the feeling of warm liquid trickling down between your legs made you scrunch up your nose in distaste. You knew exactly what it was and you definitely didn't welcome it with open arms. Your stupid period, the devil arrived.

Sighing, you shifted to slowly get up from the bed and Mitsuya shot you a slightly worried look. Of course he knew you had gotten your period, after all, he saw the stain but he still couldn't help but ask, "You okay babe?"

"I'm sorry," you blurted out rather fast after seeing the mess you created on the sheets and Mitsuya swore his heart broke a little.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"For staining our sheets."

Mitsuya moved up to wrap his arms around your now sitting form from behind, his head finding its place on your shoulder. "So? It's natural, don't worry your pretty head about it. Are you in pain?"

You shook your head, "No."

He sighed out in relief "What matters to me is that you're comfortable and without pain, you hear me?" And then he moved his face a little bit closer to place yet another chaste kiss to your neck as his hands rub your stomach carefully. "I could never be mad at you, if anything, I respect you for going through this misery every month. So don't ever apologize for something you can't control."

He truly was too good to be true. You slowly turned around in his embrace and took a good look at your boyfriend with a soft expression before you gave him a proper kiss to his lips "Thank you 'Kashi."

Said man gave you an adorable smile, "Of course, Darling." But then he teasingly added, "We have been together for five years, you better remember not to worry about this ever again."

And you reacted by slightly pushing him back with a pout visible on the very same lips he loved to kiss so much, "Oh shush."

Soon after and you felt comfortable with your body again. Mitsuya had changed the bedsheets as he insisted he would and then the two of you had taken a shower together after he insisted again, claiming that he could help you wash your back and your hair. Who were you to deny him when he offered such a service?

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #tokrev x reader #tokyo revengers fluff #mitsuya takashi #mitsuya fluff #mitsuya takashi x reader #mitsuya x reader #kazutora-lover

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lilpunkrock · 1 year

Text

where you go (I will go) - bonus content #2

Hello and Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! In honor of the day of love, here’s another piece of WYGIWG bonus content. 🤍 Beware, spoilers lie below the line break!

series masterlist

Top 10 Dream & Love/Reader Moments

(In chronological order because I can’t rank my children, lol)

1. Part ii - Dream and Love’s First Meeting.

This is definitely a Top 10 moment. I remember being so excited to write Dream for the first time and to describe him through Love/Reader’s eyes. Establishing their relationship (especially Love’s habit of challenging Dream), writing their first little bit of “tension,” and then adding the abrupt end was so much fun for me.

2. Part iii - A Day in the Life of Love

This was another favorite early on. This chapter was entirely dedicated to establishing Dream/Love’s dynamic and revealing the inner workings of Love’s world, and I adored every second of it. Writing Dream’s obvious surprise at Love’s passion for simple pleasures (coffee and earl grey, anyone?) and his (thinly veiled) interest in her function were opportunities to show off Dream’s curious nature. I also loved writing the opening scene of him showing up in her room unannounced, reading a novel, with no regard for her personal space. To me, this emphasized just how otherworldly Dream is, particularly in comparison to how strongly Love clings to her past as a mortal.

3. Part viii - Dream Gives Love the Pouch of Sand

This gift from the Dream Lord was something I was really looking forward to. It definitely signals a turning point and a big step for our Dream Lord. Dream’s downplaying of how thoughtful it was for him to introduce Love to Hob is 100% thick-headed, pulled-the-wool-over-his-own-eyes Dream material. Also, this scene gives us the first time that Love refers to the Dream Lord as “Dream.” Up until this point, it had been Dream Lord, Lord Morpheus, Morpheus - another subtle but significant development!

4. Part ix - The Whole Dang Chapter

This is one of my all-time favorites of this series. I was so excited to finally put together all the pieces and reveal Love’s complete past to the reader. I was even more excited to write Love journeying to the Dreaming for comfort and finding solace in our Dream Lord. This chapter has our first truly voluntary touch by both parties (When you slip your fingers into the palm of his waiting hand, you’re surprised at the smoothness you find there. Soft as silk.) I was also dying to finally write from Dream’s perspective in this chapter. His evident desperation to gain answers about Love’s past without really knowing (or at least being able to admit to himself) WHY he wanted to know – so fun. Plus, their attachments start forming! So much going on in this chapter.

5. Part x - Love’s Grapples with the Fall

On a deep note, I adored exploring Love’s difficulty grappling with her feelings for Dream in this chapter. Getting to see how her past impacts her current decisions and how it cultivated this strong sense of hesitancy to fall in love out of self-preservation… this was a blast. On a more light-hearted note, writing the scenes where Love begins to notice little things about Dream that she didn’t before, her nervousness in his presence, all her little “simping” moments were SO MUCH FUN, AH.

6. Part xii - Love Submits to the Truth

Writing the scene where Love visits Dream unseen in his throne room was one I was looking forward to for a long time. There was a sweet surrender to this scene – the simple pleasure of being able to really look at him, unabashed and unashamed; admitting his beauty to herself; submitting to the truth of her feelings. That moment where you see someone you care about in a different light for the very first time, where you realize that what you’ve been feeling is actually love… This experience is one I’ve actually lived out in my own life, so writing this scene was very special to me.

7. Part xiii - Protective Dream + “I Remember You”

I mean, need I say more? Getting to finally write Protective Dream was SUCH a huge payoff. I’ve always subscribed to the concept that Dream is not unfeeling; rather, he almost feels too much, and must contain it for the sake of his function. Getting to open the floodgates a bit in this chapter was a thrill. Also, the realization that a part of Dream remembered Love, had always remembered Love, had been aware of her removal from the Dreaming on the night of her murder, and Love’s “Please don’t tell me that, Dream” that followed after his confession – *screams internally*

8. Part xiv - THE Dream and The Break-Up

The “dream” scene where Love and Dream finally give in to their feelings was actually the first scene I ever wrote for this story. Needless to say, the buildup was LONG. Finally getting to write these two lovebirds having a happy moment and opening up to one another gave me all the feels. The exchange of vows!! And then, of course, we had the whiplash of Love declaring her need to stay away from Dream later in the chapter. One love interest lying about their feelings to protect the other love interest is a hill I WILL die on.

9. Part xvi - The Sacrifice

Because I’m a sucker for some good old heart-stopping, gut-wrenching, knock-the-wind-out-of-you angst. This part had it all - Love missing Dream while in the Garden of Forking Ways, Love finally harnessing the full potential of her function, and then the ultimate sacrifice. I remember being so nervous to write this chapter, as it felt the entire story was riding on its shoulders. Dream learning of their attachments, Love’s acceptance of her fate knowing that it was worth it to protect Dream, her admitting her feelings, Dream promising to “find her” – it all set us up for our final chapters.

10. Interlude – Dream’s Vow

Honestly, any time I got to write for Dream was a major highlight for me in this story. Definitely planning on writing a one-shot entirely from Dream’s POV after the story is over. Describing the aftermath of Love’s sacrifice from Dream’s point of view, his utter devotion, his utter destruction – oof, it was a doozy. The angst was rough, but it all set us up for that final line – “And, in that moment, Dream of the Endless knows.”

Bonus: Any dock scene/”Twenty Questions” scene. I love writing for these two dorks. Enough said.

What are some of your favorite moments from WYGIWG? I’d love to hear them in the comments! 🤍

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that-gay-guy-from-hell · 1 year

Text

Phantoms of the Past: Vergil x Male Reader

SUMMARY: Vergil has always had nightmares and night terrors for as long as he can remember; however, when he met you, those began to subside more and more. Over the years, he had begun to forget what it was like to wake up in a cold sweat and terrified; that is until a few months ago. Once more, his mind has been plagued by these agonizingly real dreams.

BEGINNING NOTES: HAH! YOU THOUGHT I WAS DONE WRITING SAD FLUFF WITH VERGIL; WELL THINK AGAIN (He really is my comfort character--I swear). There are 12,886 words in this… This beats my last one so now this is the longest chapter I’ve written--It’s like 23 pages in google docs lmao. ⚔️🛡️⚔️ ▪️I couldn’t find an exact answer to this so I will put this here: a grin refers to the lil’ smirky smile Vergil gives Dante in DMC5 while a smile is closer to like showing your teeth. I hope that helps clear things up a bit lmao ▫️I use an in-game combo term (DMC 5)--just a head’s up. ▪️When I reference triggering unless I say specifically “Sin Trigger” I am referring to Vergil’s regular trigger (the pre-DMC 5 form; however, I use the concept art for DMC5 as my visual reference… I know that’s kinda complicated. Just look at his fandom page and then the gallery; you’ll see the concept art for DMC5.) ▫️I’ve never personally had a concussion before so I did some online research; forgive me if it is a bad representation of having 🛡️⚔️🛡️ 💠Vergil x Male reader; I tried to write G/N but it got confusing, sorry. 🔹Pre-established relationship--married and living together. 💠Fluff… well more angst; I got kind of carried away. 🔹Minor accusations of physical abuse; THE KEYWORD IS ACCUSATIONS. (trigger warning) 💠Minor blood warning; from both of you. ⚔️🛡️⚔️ READER RELATED 🔹The reader uses: Beowulf and Revenant 🔹Reader is overly chill about things; I am a rather passive person so it ended up being that way with this story, sorry. 🔹It is mentioned that you are younger than Vergil--and closer to Nero’s age. 🔹Reader does throw up; only mentioned it isn’t like graphic or anything--still figured I should warn just in case. 🛡️⚔️🛡️ VERGIL RELATED 💠Vergil has PTSD-related nightmares/actions. 💠Self-harm? Vergil skins himself accidentally; so I am not sure if that is self-harm per se. Plus it’s only in one part so it’s not that big of a talking point. 🛡️⚔️🛡️ Slight spoiler, don't read if you don't want to have things spoiled: To add some explanation to Vergil’s bit where he swore and freaked out: I figure that when Vergil lost his autonomy for so long as Nelo Angelo, he ended up becoming hyper-aware of what he is doing at all times. So when he does something that he either can’t remember doing or didn’t want to do that it would send him into a panic; fearing that he is going to lose his freedom again.

INSPIRED BY: And when thy heart ceased to beat--By: Craig

Please give this a read. It is what originally inspired me to write this, plus it is just a really good story and takes a pretty realistic look at what Vergil’s life could/would be like after everything that’s happened.

A cold wind swept through the arena as all movement stilled.

At the edges were the two remaining contenders; circling one another. One, a male human equipped with Beowulf, was out of breath and exhausted: the other, the olive-armored Nelo Angelo, had barely warmed up and diligently awaited the human's next move.

Seeing how the man defeated the slew of lesser demons that Nelo had sent prior, he decided to take things into his own hands. The devilish swordsman was confident that he’d win this fight; even if this particular human has been more of a challenge than anticipated--as the pair has been going at it for nearly an hour now.

With gritted teeth, the man sprinted at Nelo, cracking the ground in their wake. He was going to try and grapple with the large knight. Right before he was able, Nelo swung his greatsword. The silver blade was suddenly halted as it hit the Beowulf gauntlets. Even though the man was unharmed, the momentum of the attack was enough to fling the human far across the field.

Using the claws of the gauntlets, the man shredded the arena’s floor and stopped himself. Nelo turned to face him and waited for the incompetent warrior to stand back up. Noticing that the knight stood still, the man began to grow frustrated; knowing that the devil was taunting him to try again.

With a pounding heart and exhaustion only worsening, the man stood up with a grunt. He rolled his shoulders, cracking them loudly, and took a deep breath. Once more he sprinted at Nelo. When the man was close enough, he decided to jump off one of the nearby walls. Springing himself above the Black Knight and performed Starfall.

Nelo dodged but wasn't quite fast enough and was nicked along one side; which only further irritated the Black Knight. The second the man's feet landed, Nelo kicked the underside of their knees--bringing them to a kneel.

Not wasting any time, Nelo raised his sword to strike, only to be blocked once more by the Beowulf gauntlets. The pair locked in a bind; Nelo’s sword heavily pushing downwards onto the forearms of Beowulf, which were painfully held above the man’s head.

No matter what way you put it, a devil's strength is insurmountable to a human’s, even if the human is wearing the armor of a former devil. Nelo knew this and drove his weapon harder into the demonic protection as it began to falter.

Knowing it was only a matter of time before the gauntlets shattered, the man moved into a position where he could dig his feet into the ground. This allowed him to stand ever so slightly. Not having any better ideas, he used this small amount of space and attempted to jump. This, in turn, used the demonic energy of the boots to push the gauntlets up harder into the greatsword; allowing the man to stand up further. Without wasting any time, he jumped once more and noticed small cracks that began to spider on their forearm guards. However, he had enough room to break away from Nelo; making the knight slam his blade into the ground.

The man grumbled as they looked down at his gauntlets, seeing that they would shatter if hit by the sword again.

Nelo pulled his sword back up and huffed. Now it was his turn.

Nelo sprinted at his opponent and lunged with the broadsword; catching the man off guard; as he only barely dodged the sharp edge, rolling into a stand. Before the man had a moment to think, Nelo attacked once more. A large sweeping motion from the broadsword hit the gauntlets and blue sparks flew off the sword from the impact; sending the human flying into a wall of the arena.

Standing back on his feet, the man looked at his forearms; Beowulf had fractured all the way through. Seeing Nelo begin to move in again, he quickly shed the broken armor and dodged. Using Beowulf’s boots, he jumped onto Nelo’s shoulders and used him as a surface to bounce off.

The devil turned to face the man and heard him say something unintelligible; and yet, something so familiar. Nelo ignored it with a small dismissive shake of his head and continued the fight. Once more he moved to attack. The man attempted to dodge in the same way again, not knowing what else to do. However, Nelo wasn’t created yesterday. He was quick enough to grab the man's leg in a flash.

Nelo used the human’s limb as a handle to swing the attached body into the ground. The floor cracked from the extreme force as the man's flesh made contact; followed by an ear-piercing scream and the sound of an unimaginable amount of breaking bones.

A strange feeling ghosted at the recesses of Nelo’s mind, a feeling of terror--a deep underlying urge to stop what he was doing. However, the knight had to finish what he started. The demonic swordsman grabbed the man by his neck; making him scream once more.

Despite their wounds, the human still attempted to fight. He grasped at Nelo’s face and horns, pulling on them; all the while, the man was saying something Nelo was still unable to understand.

It didn’t matter, the struggle was pointless.

Like a hot knife through butter, Nelo plunged his broadsword through the man’s torso. Nelo felt the human’s body go limp and their hands released the tight grasp on his face. The dead man’s blood trickled down the silver blade and onto Nelo Angelo’s olive-armored fingers. Before the knight could enjoy his victory, he decided to get a better look at his opponent.

A loud clatter emanated from his sword as he dropped it and the fresh corpse. The Black Knight’s hands shook as he looked at the blood that was dripping from them, horrified at what he’d done.

Vergil shot upwards with a loud terrified scream.

He frantically turned his head around to get his bearings. He was sitting at home, in bed, with you. Vergil’s heart was racing and his skin was clammy. With short panicked breaths, Vergil gripped his face tightly, unknowingly tearing at his skin with his claws, as he replayed everything in his mind.

“Vergil? Is everything alright?” a confused and very concerned voice called from the space beside him.

The blue devil nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing you speak. You sat upwards upon noticing his terrified state.

“Hey,” you whispered and gently touched his bicep, making him flinch.

Vergil turned his head to you and just stared. You noticed that his arms were partially triggered, his eyes were glowing dully, and there were small pin-prick-sized bleeding marks caused by his claws on his face. His stare was blank with his brow ever-so-slightly creased. He looked afraid… almost as if he were lost.

“Another nightmare?” you softly kneaded against his arm, hoping to bring him back from whatever terrified thoughts he was in, “It’s okay, Vergil. You’re safe. Nothing is going to hurt you.”

His stare moved down to your chest and he slowly reached outwards. Confused, you let go of his arm--allowing him to fully pivot to see you. Barely-there scaled charcoal-black fingers ghost down your midline. You noticed a slight tremble in his lips and his stare had softened a bit.

Slowly you grabbed his arm, making sure he could see what you were doing (and to be cautious of his forearm’s blades), “I’m right here, Vergil. You’re safe and at home. Everything’s okay.”

He opened his mouth but no words came out, just a weak crack of his voice. The both of you just sat for a few minutes; his palm resting firmly over your stomach while you rubbed his forearm. You continued to try and ground him back in reality with your words, hoping to keep things from escalating.

When Vergil’s trigger began to subside, he cleared his throat and spoke in a barely audible voice, “I didn’t…” his voice trailed off once more.

“It’s okay Vergil,” you noticed his expression had shifted and he seemed to be more present, “You’re safe. I’m safe. We’re alright.”

Vergil nodded slowly, his free hand moved to yours that you had on his forearm. You let go of him and watched as he removed his palm from your skin. He placed your hand in between both of his. With trembling fingers, Vergil ran his digits over your hand and arm while staring down at the interaction.

Another few minutes passed, Vergil’s trigger had fully subsided and a few stray tears fell from his eyes. It pained you to see him like this; to see him so scared and not know how to help him. A small pang of hurt tugged at your heart; you had a feeling that whatever the nightmare was, it involved you as (you presumed) most have. However, tonight was different; Vergil didn’t attack you.

Over the past few months, Vergil’s nightmares and terrors had been getting steadily worse. Just two weeks ago he woke you up by almost dislocating your shoulder. A week ago? Vergil triggered in his sleep and gouged the crap out of your back--enough that you had to get new bedding because of bloodstains.

Tonight, you finally managed to get him to sleep for the first time in a week and he had another agonizing nightmare. It was also the first time he had tried to speak to you afterwards; rather than sit in silence.

A stuttering breath caught your attention. You looked into Vergil’s eyes as he spoke, his voice still laced with a terror you’d never heard from him before, “I couldn’t… You...” the blue devil’s jaw quivered, not being able to bring himself to finish his thought.

“You’re okay. I’m okay. Everything’s okay,” you moved to get closer to him, “I promise.”

He pulled you into his lap and buried his face into your neck and continued to mumble, “I’m sorry,” over and over as he shook against you.

You gently wrapped your arms around him and rubbed his back, “It’s not your fault, you don’t have to be sorry.”

The two of you remained this way until you both fell asleep. Vergil, thankfully, did not have another nightmare; however, his sleep was far from restful.

A ringing phone woke you from your sleep and you moved to grab it, only to be stopped by a strong set of arms. Vergil had wrapped himself entirely around you--legs and all.

“Vergil,” you whispered, “I need to get up.”

He grumbled in response and loosened his grip just enough for you to slip out of bed. You grabbed your phone and went to the bathroom. While in there, you saw that Dante had tried to call you and text you:

“You coming in today?”

“Hello?”

“I am going to keep spamming you till you respond,” and that he did.

It looked like Dante had been doing this for the past 30 minutes.

After you finished up in the bathroom, you called Dante.

It rang once before the red devil picked up, “Mornin’ beautiful.”

You rolled your eyes as you made your way back to the bedroom, “Do not call me that; Vergil will kill you.”

“Be one hell of a way to die--make sure to put it on my grave, yeah?”

The both of you laughed, “So, what’s up? The shop finally burn down or something?”

“Honestly… I don’t think the fires of Hell could burn this place down…” you could hear Dante’s chair creak as he leaned forwards, “You both forgot about that job this morning, huh?”

Your face went pale, “What--”

The younger twin laughed, “Verge and you had a contract for today. It’s nearly noon and you both are still at home?”

“Son of a bitch!” you yelled, forgetting that Vergil was still sleeping, “We’ll be right there.”

“See you soon,” you could practically hear Dante reveling in the fact Vergil messed up.

“Mhm, yep,” with that, you hung up the phone.

“Dante?” Vergil grumbled from the bed, making you jump slightly.

The bed creaked as you sat on it, swinging one leg on it, “Yeah… We are late to work…”

Vergil moved to set his head on your lap and sighed, “I will undoubtedly never hear the end of this mistake.”

“Mhm,” you gently ran your fingers through his naturally down hair, “knowing Dante.”

“Brillant,” Vergil looked up at you and had a strange pained look.

“Something on your mind?”

His lips parted slightly as he took a hand and reached up to your face, not saying anything.

You kissed his palm, “I’m right here, Vergil.”

He closed his eyes and nodded with a sputtering exhale. This had also become a regular occurrence in the last few months; even before the terrors began. You had noticed that Vergil would often stare at you with this sad and distant look on his face. One night, he finally acknowledged that he did so and admitted why; that he was afraid you aren't real.

After a few moments, Vergil removed his hand and sat upright. An air of remorse emanated from the twin as he whispered, “I did not harm you last night, did I?”

You shook your head, “No,” you set a hand on his bicep, “You did talk to me a bit, though.”

His brow furrowed as he tried to remember and looked over his shoulder at you.

“You kept… apologizing, telling me that you didn’t know..? I won’t pry, but…” you locked eyes with the blue devil, “I am here if you ever want or need to talk about it, okay?”

He turned to you, “Thank you for your offer… But I assure you that I am fine.”

“Vergil,” you placed a hand on his and spoke softly, “You don’t have to be fine all the time; it’s okay to be upset, to have problems.”

A weak grin was all he gave you in return, squeezing your hand tightly.

The eldest twin knew exactly what had set off this spiral of increasingly terrified thoughts; however, he was ashamed to admit it, even to you.

It had been a job just like any other; clear out demons here and destroy a nest there--a piece of cake really. However, the weather was far from amiable; being overcast and heavily raining.

“Fuck me!” you growled as you violently yanked the Beowulf boot from the mud.

The demonic hardware is rather heavy, at least for your human legs, so it is not ideal for muddy rainy weather--often getting stuck. Vergil noticed your grumbling and scrunched-up expression from the corner of his eye as he stifled a laugh.

“Don’t even--” you insincerely growled at him, “I swear I will throw them at you.”

Vergil smirked slightly and huffed a laugh through his nose, “Perhaps you’d prefer me to leave you here?”

Playfully you shoved his shoulder, “You wouldn’t dare.”

His eyes narrowed, "I wouldn't?"

You raised a brow, "You'll sleep on the couch for a week if you do, mister,” your voice was heavily layered with sarcasm and playfulness.

Without responding, Vergil grabbed you by your waist and hoisted you over one of his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

“Hey--!” you squirmed in his grasp.

“Stop struggling,” his grip tightened as his fingers dug into your skin, “Or I will drop you.”

With a shake of your head and a smile, you laughed, “What a romantic husband I have.”

“Tch,” Vergil was scowling, but you knew it was disingenuous.

The two of you walked like this for some time, enjoying the comfortable silence (which if you listened very closely, you could hear Vergil purring). A part of you had almost forgotten that the both of you were on a job; that is until Vergil yanked you from his shoulder and plopped you on your feet.

He placed a stiff hand on your shoulder, “Stay,” with that, Vergil dashed off behind you.

Confused, you turned around and watched Vergil zip around a group of miscellaneous demons. You lovingly wolf-whistled at the silver-haired hunter.

Similar to a peacock showing its feathers, Vergil did these solo fights to show off--to flirt with you. You knew that this was the case because he would always finish the fight with a fancy move; be it an over-the-top judgment cut or using his doppelgänger in a combo. Today he opted for the second type.

You smirked widely as you watched Vergil return the Yamato to its scabbard and dismiss Doppel.

Lovingly, you cooed at the devilish swordsman, “I love watching you work, you know that?”

His face was emotionless, holding intense eye contact with you. His lips were slightly parted as he seemingly tried to come up with a response.

Under your breath, you laughed quietly and approached him, “my Dark Slayer,” you winked and gave him a large grin.

He closed his lips and looked down with a tiny smirk, a trace amount of bashfulness ghosted his features. As you got within reach of him, a loud noise made both of you snap to attention. The two of you moved closer together, back to back; as per typical routine. The source of the noise sprung from the nearby buildings. It was a group of four Scudo Angelos and two Proto Angelos.

Vergil’s lip twitched as he huffed in irritation. He would always take care of these two types in particular, alone. Right now, however, it is impossible to get you away to a safe distance without a high risk of hurting you.

“So, you got a plan?” you calmly asked over your shoulder to Vergil.

With a small click of his tongue, Vergil spoke, “You take care of the Scudos; I will take the Protos.”

“Sounds good,” you nodded and the two of you broke apart.

Using Beowulf, you made quick work of the smaller demons’ shields. The talon heels of the boots are always a great tool for crushing the demons’ thick skulls. It didn’t take long for you to have them all but bloodied remains beneath your heels. You turned to address Vergil, figuring that he had finished his fight alongside you; however, he was still in combat.

You raised a brow as you watched him take on both of the knights. Confusion pricked at the edges of your mind, it was unusual for Vergil to take longer than you. The closer you watched the more off he seemed; his movements were overly stiff and his technique was sloppy. Deciding to help him, you moved in on one of the Proto Angelos. It didn’t take long for the demon to notice you. It charged at you and, just as it swung its broadsword, you parried the attack using your gauntlets. Taking advantage of the small gap of time that it took for the demon to pull its blade upwards, you hit it square in the chest.

The Proto Angelo stumbled back a bit but was relatively unphased by the uncharged punch. Now circling each other, you waited for the demon to attack. Once it did, you jumped upwards and were able to perform Starfall upon the knight. Grinding your taloned heels into the flattened olive-armored demon, you did a fancy flip off of it; deciding to have some fun. Which was a major mistake.

You hadn’t noticed that the second Proto Angelo also had its attention on you as it had knocked Vergil into a far-off wall. Hearing movement, you spun around to defend yourself but it was too late.

A searing pain shot through you as the demon’s broadsword slashed horizontally along your torso. With a loud shout, your knees buckled a bit as you stumbled backwards. You placed your arm along the slash, feeling it with your fingers--as to not break eye contact with the demon. The wound was bleeding profusely and was much deeper than you anticipated.

“Shit,” you grimaced and noticed the first Proto Angelo stand up. Thinking quickly, you sprinted at the second one and jumped off its shoulders. With another loud shout in pain, you landed using a shoulder roll. Your head was spinning as you slowly moved to kneel with your back to the demons.

A bright blue flash caught your eye and you felt a gush of wind pass you by. Once you managed to stand, the pair of Proto Angelos had been desolated into nothing but specs of dust in the wind. Where the demons once stood was Vergil in his sin trigger. Instantly, he was in front of you, making you jump a little.

With a huff and a weak smile, you jested, “Kinda sad I missed that,” you winced a bit as you felt your gut twitch in pain.

A large grey-scaled hand gently touched your wound. Despite the heavy distortion of his sinful voice, you could tell he was worried, “You are hurt?”

You did your best to play it off as you set a hand atop his, “I’ll be fine; it’s just a scratch.”

He huffed loudly and pulled his hand from your body, looking at his palm that was covered in your blood, “I am sending you home--”

“What-!” you shook your head, “Vergil, you can’t be-”

The blue devil snarled lightly, “This is not up for discussion,” he sighed with a shake of his head returning to his human form, “It is not worth the risk to keep you here.”

With parted lips, you did your best to formulate a sentence despite your anger, “I’m not just going to leave you,” you shifted your jaw to the side, “We’re partners, remember?”

“As if I could forget,” Vergil’s eyes met yours as he mumbled, “That is why I am doing this.”

“Vergil?” your voice pulled him from his thoughts, “You okay? You’ve been zoned out for a few minutes.”

“Forgive me,” he removed his hand from yours, “I was lost in thought.”

You looked at him curiously.

Vergil shifted to the other edge of the bed, “We should get ready,” with that Vergil left the room.

You pursed your lips and sighed through your nose as you stood up; admittedly, you had hoped he might indulge you on what he was thinking about.

After a few minutes, Vergil returned to the room. You already had the majority of your gear on and were in the middle of tying your boots when the ringing of your cell phone caught your attention.

Before you could answer it, Vergil snatched it off the bedside table, “What do you want, Dante? "

Although you couldn’t hear the younger twin, you could tell that he was poking fun at Vergil for being late.

“Have you called only to pester? Or is there a reason for this conversation?” Vergil’s lip twitched as he huffed through his nose.

A small smirk tugged at your lips at Vergil’s feigned irritation at his baby brother.

“I see,” Vergil slowly looked over to you and eyed you up and down, “My partner and I will discuss it and let you know,” he turned his gaze from you, “Goodbye,” he hung up the phone and placed it gently down on the bedside table as it was before.

Vergil moved to the closet and grabbed a dress shirt, his jaw moving slowly around as he mindlessly buttoned the black fabric. Your boots hit the floor with a soft thud. Humming a soft tune as you moved to the dresser to grab Revenant off of it, sliding it into the horizontal holster on the small of your back. From the corner of your eye, you noticed Vergil standing behind you.

“Oops, shit-- sorry,” you shuffled out of the way.

“Do not apologize, I am in no rush,” he opened one of the drawers and grabbed a pair of pants and his belt.

A bright smile adorned your face as you resumed your humming. You grabbed your coat and his off the nearby wall hooks and walked over to him.

Vergil had moved back to the closet and slid on one of his vests.

�� “Allow me?”

The blue devil turned to you, “I can button my own clothing.”

“I thought you weren’t in a rush?” you teased gently.

You handed Vergil his coat to hold and slowly began to button the slate-blue apparel. Out of the top of your vision, you could see that Vergil was staring down at you with a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

“So what did Dante want?” you reached over to the closet behind him and grabbed one of his ties.

“He wanted to know if you wished to trade places with him for today.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you made sure the tie was semi-loose--as he prefers--and tucked it beneath his vest.

“That he would accompany me on the job and you would work with the women--taking Dante’s place."

“Well,” you rested your hands on his shoulders and sighed quietly, “I guess that makes the most sense since we are so late today…”

“Are you sure you are alright with it?” his eyes flicked to your hands then back to you, “I know you prefer to work with me,” he tossed his coat over on the bed and placed his hands on your waist.

You laughed as you felt him pull you closer, “It’ll be fine, dear,” you leaned your head on his chest, “just promise me you’ll stay safe and keep in touch?”

“Of course,” his voice was barely over a whisper as he kissed the top of your head, “Same goes for you.”

“I will,” a grin spread across your face as you leaned back to look at him. Lovingly, Vergil pressed further into you and moved one of his hands to the side of your face, rubbing his thumb on your cheek. The two of you kissed gently. His other hand kneaded into your hips as you moved your hands down the front of his chest, grabbing his vest.

Gradually, you two split from the kiss. The blue devil stayed touching your forehead. You shivered slightly feeling his hot breath against your lips, wanting to taste more of him.

“Perhaps we should save this for later?”

“Just a little more… please?” you pouted slightly.

The blue devil chuckled softly, “With a face like that,” he brushed his lips against yours, “how could I say no?”

The two of you intertwined yourselves once more. He moved both his hands to your sides, slowly and strongly kneading down them. With kisses as sweet as molasses, he made sure to show you how much he relishes in your affections. One of your hands moved to his hair and slowly ran your fingers through slicked back pomaded locks. A small distant purring could be heard as he pulled you even tighter to his body. Vergil’s lips left yours and ran down your jawline and neck.

“I love you,” you murmured, “so very much…”

He removed his lips from your skin and looked you in the eyes; his way of expressing the same affection. Despite his silence, you knew he felt the same.

A ghost of a smile hinted at Vergil's face as he reluctantly let go of your body, returning to his regular volume, “We should get going; otherwise I may change my mind about saving things for later.”

Your face turned a slight red at the flat-out way Vergil said that he wanted you. The blue devil had walked over to the bed and slid on his coat. He then grabbed Yamato from its resting place next to the bed and your phone.

With your phone outstretched in his hand, he raised a brow at your expression, “Ready?”

You shook the ever-encroaching ideas from your head as you meekly grabbed your phone, “Yeah.”

“Good,” his hand was still outstretched, “Shall we?”

A large smile decorated your face as you grabbed his hand, “Lead the way, dear.”

The instant you left Nico’s van after work, you went inside to bathe. It had been another rainy day and you were not only coated in demon blood but also mud--lots of mud. You pulled off Beowulf before entering your shared home and set them on the rubber mat near the door; leaving them to clean later.

Slowly, you undressed as you made your way to the bathroom when you heard something odd.

“--to do,” it was Vergil. You peered through the door of the bedroom. He was sitting on the edge of the bed facing away from you and was talking to himself, “Perhaps it would be best--” he stopped and turned his head slightly to the right.

You bit your lip and knocked gently, “Hey, sorry to intrude… Didn’t know you were home.”

Vergil pushed up on his knees, standing to turn and face you, “Do not apologize, I wasn’t doing anything important…” he looked worn out.

The door creaked as you fully opened it and stepped into the room, halfway undressed, “You look tired, babe.”

The blue devil shook his head, “Dealing with my brother is exhausting.”

“Well, then after I shower,” you set Revenant down on the dresser, “maybe we should take a nap together?”

“I-” Vergil’s expression hardened, “I don’t know if that is a good idea.”

Your lips parted slightly as you looked with a soft crease of your brow, “I know it’s been rough but… you need some sleep, Vergil…”

He looked as if he were going to say something, but moved his gaze to the floor and nodded in agreement.

“You don’t have to wait for me,” you moved back towards the door, “I’ll join you when I get back, okay?”

The eldest twin nodded as he watched you leave the room.

He had already removed most of his clothing, only having his pants and his, untucked, dress shirt on. Slowly, Vergil stood and went to get a more casual shirt; removing the rest of his work clothes.

Now dressed in a loose-fitting black tank top and navy boxer briefs, he moved back to the bed. Apprehensive didn’t even describe how he felt right now; no, the eldest son of Sparda was petrified over the thought of sleep. However, you were right, he was beyond beat and wanted nothing more than to rest. With a heavy sigh, he climbed into the bed and closed his eyes, praying for just a moment of pleasant sleep.

You came back into the room about an hour later. With a warm smirk, you tip-toed around the room to avoid waking the sleeping devil. Once you re-dressed yourself, you turned back to look at Vergil when you noticed something was wrong.

His face was contorted into a rather violent grimace and, as per the night before, was partially triggered. Vergil was also breathing heavily and growling in his sleep. In his arms, he had taken one of the pillows--and some of the duvet--into a death grip, ripping them.

Biting your lip in thought you sighed, “Shit…” although you knew that this could only end badly, you decided to wake him up from his nightmare.

Cautiously, you moved to the edge of the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Vergil..?”

Nothing.

Your gut twisted with fear as you shook him harder, “Vergil?”

Still nothing.

With a heavy sigh, you shook him harder, “Wake up…”

Instantly, you were pinned to the floor by a set of charcoal-black scaled hands around your throat. You had never been scared of Vergil before but tonight? You were terrified. His face was somewhere between emotionless and furious. A loud rumbling growl emanated from the back of his throat as he continued to squeeze ever-tighter.

“Verg-” your voice sputtered as you grabbed his arms, gasping for air.

Blood had begun to trickle down your palms as you accidentally sliced them on his forearm blades in your panic. Becoming steadily aware of your need for air, you grabbed at his face and neck; anything to get him off of you.

Tears sprung from your eyes as you felt his claws pierce the sides of your neck as his grip tightened even further. You knew that if he pressed down his thumbs, Vergil would stab right into your windpipe and kill you.

Lightheadedness began to sink in as you croaked out another beseeching plea to your lover, “Vergil--!”

With nothing left to do, you clawed harder against him and roughly cut into his cheek with your nails. This seemingly pulled him from his delusion as his grip loosened.

A new look replaced the hardened glare from before, a look of complete and utter horror.

Vergil’s voice trembled as he realized what was going on, “What--?”

You took a loud deep breath and pulled his arms away from you and spoke as best you could with the growing pain in your throat, “Move,” you pushed against his body and did your best to speak normally, “please.”

Without hesitation, Vergil removed himself completely and stood staring down at you. He looked at his, still-triggered, hands and saw your blood dripping from his claws. The blue devil’s blood ran cold.

“Vergil-” you groaned as you sat upwards, watching him bolt out of the room, “Wait-” with a strained grunt, you gradually stood upright and did your best to stabilize your wobbly legs.

The blue devil slammed the bathroom door close, quickly locking it behind him. His hands had de-triggered and shook violently as he tried to wash the blood from his skin. He had turned the faucet as hot as possible and had begun to inadvertently scorch his skin. While he was brutalizing his own hands, he felt something drip down his jawline and to the tip of his chin. Vergil looked at himself in the fogged-up glass in front of him.

Upon each side of his face and neck were dark smears of your blood from you pushing him away. Three large scratches decorated one of his cheeks and were slowly bleeding; now dripping off of his chin and to the sink below. Vergil took one of his hands and slowly ghosted over the markings on his face. A deep all-encompassing pit formed in his gut as he replayed the nightmare from just the night prior. The feeling of you desperately tearing at Nelo’s face, trying to escape him.

A tremble found its way to Vergil’s lips and body. Pressing as hard as he could, the eldest twin began to desperately scrub his blood-stained face with the sink's boiling water; grimacing from the feeling of peeling the top layers off of his flesh. You were the only person in the world he wouldn’t dare fight, wouldn’t dare harm; yet, only mere moments ago, he had his hands around your neck. A wicked thought echoed in his mind, how it would have only taken just a few more seconds or just a little more pressure for him to have killed the only person he has ever loved. Vergil bared his teeth as he let out a muffled whimper, tears forming at the edges of his eyes.

The knob of the door jiggled, “Vergil?” the Dark Slayer flinched at the sound of your voice, even though it was soft and calm, “Vergil, are you okay?”

He couldn’t come up with what to say in response, only whimpering again with a sad twitch of his lip.

Using an even softer tone, you set your head on the door, “Vergil… Let me in, please?”

Despite his effort to come up with something, all he could muster was a loud voice crack as gripped the countertop.

“Vergil,” you sighed quietly, “I want to see you. Please open the door,” an overwhelming amount of fear had consumed your mind; not for yourself, but over how Vergil might punish himself over this, “Please, Vergil…”

“I-” he took a harsh breath trying to calm himself--and failing miserably, “What if I--” a crack began to form in the laminate countertop as his raw skinned fingers gripped harder and harder in growing frustration.

“You won't; I promise.”

After what seemed like an eternity, Vergil shut off the faucet and unlocked the door. You opened the door slowly and felt your heart sink at seeing your blue devil.

At the furthest point from the door, he was sitting on the floor, trembling heavily. Scalding red marks adorned his pale skin where he had been scrubbing and his fingers were no better.

“Vergil…” you approached him and saw his body stiffen, “Can I sit next to you?”

All he gave you was a small nod. Slowly, you moved next to him and sat beside him.

Neither of you spoke for nearly a half hour. At one point, you managed to get a hold of one of his hands and intertwined your fingers; thumbing over the fading red marks. Internally, you were fighting the urge to hold him as close and as tight to you as possible.

Vergil’s voice was nearly silent when he finally spoke, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay--”

“No,” he pulled his hand from yours and turned to stare at you, “No, it’s not okay,” with each word he got louder and held more frustration, “I could have--” he clenched his jaw as he scrunched his face, holding back his overwhelming storm of emotions, “I could have killed you!”

“Vergil…” you decided to follow his idea and pivoted to face him fully, “I face death every day with work so it--”

The blue devil snarled loudly, “I am not some mindless fucking demon,” he gripped his face with his hands, “I should be able to control myself!” tears began to slide down his face as he grimaced intensely, bearing his teeth in frustration.

You were taken aback, you have never heard Vergil swear before, let alone sound so distraught, “I--” your lips pursed as you carefully chose your words, “I didn’t mean it like that, Vergil,” you gently set a hand on his knee, “I just meant that I’m used to that kind of thing, as morbid as that sounds.”

A tremble reappeared through his lips, “You shouldn’t have to deal with that from me; it goes against everything I…” his mouth opened as if he were going to continue but no words came out.

You were trying your hardest to stay calm despite wanting to join his crying upon seeing him this way. Tenderly, you thumbed over his leg, “When we got married,” you made sure to keep your voice slow and soft, “I signed up for whatever hardships may happen, to or from either of us--that we would figure things out together,” you noticed that Vergil’s stare had finally reconnected to yours, “no matter what the what happens."

Vergil pursed his lips before taking a slow deep breath through his nose. His brow furrowed as he closed his eyes, slowly stopping his weeping, and removed his hands from his face.

A part of Vergil wanted to argue with you; to tell you that you're insane, delusional, that you shouldn't bear the punishment of his inner demons. The feeling of you grabbing his hands and holding them pulled him from his bitter thoughts.

Bringing one of his hands up to your lips, you kissed his knuckles, whispering against them, “I love you,” you brought the other hand up and repeated your action, “more than anything in the world, Vergil.”

His grip tightened on your hands, “You are a fool," Vergil did his best to sound normal but only managed to give a small whispering whimper of a response.

“If loving you is foolish then I will happily play the court jester, my love,” a small smile tugged at your lips, hoping to make him feel a little better.

After a brief moment of silence, Vergil released your hands and scooched closer to you, “May I see…” he meekly gestured at your neck.

You nodded slightly and exposed your neck to the blue devil. The skin of your neck had already begun to darken and had small red petechiae marks. It was easy to tell that Vergil had used his hands on you because of the long slender lines of bruising; which ended in much darker spots where he had been pressing the hardest (except his thumbs). At the end of each dark spot were small needle-like marks that had dried blood on and around them.

Although you tried your best, you flinched at the feeling of his fingers ghosting your neckline. Vergil’s expression became increasingly distressed the longer he looked at you. Seeing this, you grabbed his other hand and held it tightly; hoping to provide some solace to him.

“It’s alright, Vergil, it’ll heal,” you whispered as he pulled his hand back from your neck.

A small tremble found its way to his lips as he whispered back, “I am sorry.”

“You do not have to apologize,” you grabbed his other hand and held it, “It is not your fault.”

He paused for a moment before speaking, “We,” his voice cracked as he avoided your eyes, “We should get you cleaned up.”

With a comforting grin and soft voice you thumbed over his fingers, “You sure you are okay to do that?”

Vergil nodded, “I’ll be okay,” he pulled one of your hands to his lips and kissed it very gently.

It wasn’t long before morning rolled around. Reluctantly, you had agreed to let Vergil stay in the living room for the night and you sleep in the bedroom, alone.

You woke up freezing as you had grown accustomed to the broiling body heat of your lover. With a loud groaning yawn, you swung your legs over the edge of the bed. As you walked to the bathroom, you felt a sudden sharp headache form.

Upon reaching the desired location, you noticed that the laminate countertop was cracked badly by Vergil gripping it.

“Shit,” you grumbled.

Your thoughts were cut off as you began feeling very off balance, leaning on the broken surface for support, before suddenly lurching forward into a kneel and throwing up in the toilet. During all your years of hunting, you knew what concussions felt like and this was definitely one of the worst ones you've ever had.

“Fu-uck,” you sighed with a scowl slowly emerging on your features.

Finishing up what you had originally gone in there to do--and making sure to brush and rinse the fuck out of your mouth--you left the room with a few painkillers in hand.

The house was uncharacteristically silent as you wobbly meandered your way to the kitchen. Once at the sink, you poured yourself a glass of water and took the pills. With your hands resting on the edge of the sink, you slowly drank the rest of the water; doing your best to stay upright. The lukewarm water only helped to highlight the growing pain in your throat.

“Are you alright?” a voice called from your right.

“Gah--!” you jumped slightly and dropped the cup in the sink--which was thankfully plastic. Then turned to see that it was Vergil, “You scared me, Vergil--" you took a deep breath trying to calm your heart, "I am fine, just a little sore is all.”

His face softened as he cautiously pulled you into a close hug, “I’m sorry--is there anything I can do to help?”

“This is exactly what I needed,” you leaned further into him and heard him purring quietly, “How are you doing, dear?”

Vergil had a small smile as he whispered, “Much better now that I am with you.”

The two of you held each other--swaying slightly--for what seemed like only mere seconds; when, in reality, it had been nearly a half hour.

Vergil nuzzled his cheek into the top of your head and spoke very quietly, “I hate to ruin the moment; however,” he pulled back from the hug enough to see you, “Dante requested us to come in early today.”

You raised a brow, “Why?”

“Morrison brought in a big contract; Dante requested that all of us be there for the briefing…” Vergil placed a hand on your face, not wanting to let you go.

“Mmn, suppose I need to get ready,” you leaned into his palm and closed your eyes, and sighed, leaning out of the hug, “Best not to be late again."

Both of you stood at the front door, debating on how you were getting to the DMC. Since you had a concussion, traveling with the Yamato was out of the question--last time you had traveled under the same circumstances, you almost threw up inside the portal and then proceeded to pass out once on the other side.

“You sure you’re alright with this? I can just call an Uber or something,” you folded your arms and raised a brow.

Vergil nodded, “I am fine with it; however if you aren’t then--”

“No- no, it's fine just,” you tried not to laugh, “never thought 'flying via devil' would be something I’d do.”

He grinned, “Perhaps we should travel this way more then.”

“And here I thought you only used your trigger for emergencies,” you playfully teased.

“This is an acceptable outlier,” Vergil laughed quietly.

With a bright flash of cornflower blue light, Vergil stood before you in his devil trigger.

A warm smile adorned your face as you approached the black and blue devil, "I never knew the devil was so handsome,” your voice was laced with sarcasm as you placed a hand on his cheek.

“Chivalry will get you nowhere, human, ” Vergil gently jested back, holding back a small laugh, “I will devour you whole.”

“Oh no, whatever shall I do?” you dramatized your words; placing the back of your hand on your forehead and leaning back slightly, “Someone save me,” you did your best to stifle your laughter.

He wrapped his wings around you and looked downwards at your expression, “No one will take you from me, pet. ”

“I-” your lips were slightly agape as you tried to formulate a response--Vergil had never called you that before.

However, he spoke before you could come up with anything, “What? Devil got your tongue?” he leaned in close, breath washing over your lips.

“Mmn, no,” you moved your lips even closer to his, “I wish he did though.”

Vergil cautiously connected with your lips. You moved your hands to the dark reddish-brown underside of the leathery appendages and slowly ran your fingers along the grooves. This elicited a moan from your blue devil and made him push himself against you harder. His fingers were trembling as he ghosted them along your sides, catching your attention.

Breaking off the kiss but not moving away, you whispered against his lips, “You can touch me, Vergil. You won’t hurt me,” you used your hands to push his palms to your sides.

His pupils dilated slightly, “Are you--”

You cut him off with an aggressive kiss, placing your hand on his chest and kneading into him. Not wasting any more time, Vergil came back at you with an even more intense fervor. He pushed his tongue within the confines of your mouth. A muffled moan came from your lips as Vergil used his oral mastery inside your cavern; touching everything he could and playing with your tongue.

After a minute or two, you both broke apart from the kiss. You smiled widely at him and placed a long sweet smooch on the tip of his nose; making him scrunch a bit in confusion. The two of you stood holding one another for a few minutes before you broke the serene silence.

“We should probably get going,” you sighed, “otherwise we won’t be making it to work…”

The eldest son of Sparda sighed as well, “I suppose you are right…” he picked you up bridal style as you wrapped your arm around his shoulders, “Shall we?”

You nodded as he opened the door. A sudden cold wind shot right through you as you leaned in closer to the hot-blooded devil. It was raining quite heavily so Vergil shifted you to face him completely; sheltering you the best he could from the elements, holding you underneath your thighs. With a small grunt from the devil, you two were off into the air.

The flight wasn’t very long, you were at the DMC within a half hour; however, the rain had steadily gotten worse and made it a less-than-optimal flight. Vergil decided to land on the roof rather than risk being seen on the street and quickly ushered you indoors; fearing you would fall ill.

You took off your sopping wet coat and shook your head a bit, trying to dry off. Vergil had de-triggered and, because of how hot his devil trigger is, he was bone dry as he raised a brow at your “dog-like” actions.

“What?” you looked up at him, giving him a curious smile.

“Nothing,” he gave you a smirk in return.

The two of you came downstairs, Vergil went first as you followed. Upon entering the foyer, you noticed that Vergil wasn’t kidding when Dante said “everyone”. Said red devil, Nero, Trish, Lady, and even Nico were inside the Devil May Cry; all chatting amongst themselves.

The younger twin noticed you both on the stairs and flashed a wide grin, “Glad you both could make it! Thought maybe you were going to sleep in-- Ah,” a small dagger from Vergil jabbed Dante in the arm.

You pursed your lips and stifled your laughter, quietly speaking to Vergil, “Give me your coat? I’ll go hang it.”

He stared at you from the corner of his eye for a moment before doing as you asked; delicately handing you the dark navy clothing. Vergil moved towards the bar counter to converse with Nero as everyone else resumed their conversations. With a small spring to your step, you waltzed over to the hooks near the front door and hung both your jackets. Pivoting on your heels, you went to move back into the room when you were stopped by Dante.

The red devil stood in front of you and used his forefinger and thumb to turn your head upwards; revealing the bruising on your neck. An aggressive furrow appeared on his brow as he frowned intensely.

“Dante,” you whispered so that only he could hear you, “It’s not what you think--” his turquoise eyes locked with yours before he let go of your chin. It was too late.

He turned around, “Alright,” Dante’s voice was between serious and pissed-off, a tone that was highly unlike the high-spirited brother, “What the fuck.”

Vergil tilted his head ever-so-slightly and parted his lips in confusion, squinting at his twin.

Dante made his way across the room, you followed him and tried to get him to stop, but were unable as he spoke even louder than before, “What is wrong with you?!”

The blue devil’s face only became more confused as his eyes flicked between his brother and you.

The red devil shoved Vergil, “Answer me, Vergil!”

Fearing that the two would escalate into a larger fight, you grabbed one of Dante’s arms and tugged him away, straining your sore voice, “Dante you don’t understand-”

Dante turned to you, “I think I know strangle marks when I see them,” his eyes went back to Vergil, “I'm tired of not saying anything.”

With a slight sharpness, Vergil closed his eyes and scrunched his face, “What are you talking about?”

“Don't play stupid,” Dante raised his voice even louder with a slight growl, “You think that I didn’t notice? Everyone here has noticed--fuck,” he flung his arm out, gesturing at nothing in particular, “even Morrison asked me about it!”

“What does--”

Dante's voice was unbearably loud as he yelled at his older brother, "You're fucking beating your husband, Vergil!”

The shop went silent. At this point, Nero had moved toward the couch the three ladies were sitting on, awaiting Vergil’s response.

Your eyes widened at Dante and the absurd notion he had brought forth. Knowing Dante as you do, you had figured he was going to jab at Vergil for "being too rough in bed" or something stupid--not domestic abuse. With a slightly furrowed brow, you turned to the group next to you, then back to the brothers, and noticed Vergil’s pale stare.

Vergil huffed quietly through his nose as he looked downwards, pursing his lips in thought. After a moment, he looked back up at Dante with a cold glare, "Do you really think that lowly of me, Dante?"

Dante cocked his head to the side, his voice still laced with a growl, "You know, after what you've done? Sorry, but I wouldn't put it past you."

Vergil’s face was barren of any emotion--to everyone else besides you, that is. You’ve been in a relationship long enough with the stone-faced slayer that it was painfully obvious how much Dante’s accusation hurt him. Unable to think of what to say, he just stood there and glared at his twin.

"I ain't letting this go, Vergil. I'll stand here all fuckin--" a loud crack of thunder cut Dante off as the power went out in the shop.

You weren't sure what happened, but the next thing you knew, you were on the floor and a sin-triggered Vergil was encompassing your surroundings. It was overwhelmingly hot as you felt his wings and arms tighten around you, pushing you further into his chest. The blue-grey devil shook wildly as a continuous thunderous growl emanated from deep within his chest. At any other point, it would have been a nice feeling; however, the loud sounds, sweltering heat, and the bright blue light from his chest made your headache turn from bad to agonizing.

Through the loud rumbling, you could vaguely make out Dante speaking; something about Vergil overreacting. Then you felt Vergil shift slightly and heard a loud yelp from the younger twin. There was a loud shuffling of hasty movement from the couch beside the two of you which made Vergil snarl even louder.

Lady could be heard telling Dante to “back off” of (presumably) Vergil. You then a loud creak of the garage door being opened and more shuffling feet. The last thing you heard from the rest of the crew was Nero saying something unintelligible and shutting the door. Leaving Vergil and you alone in the foyer.

This was the first time Vergil had done something like this and you were unsure how to calm him down; so you just slowly wriggled your hand free and kneaded into the bright blue lines of your lover’s chest, “Hey,” you whispered in hopes of catching his attention, “It’s alright, Vergil.”

His growling quieted a bit, however, his grip tightened into an almost painfully tight vice.

A small grunting groan left your lips as you spoke again, “Vergil, we are okay. I’m okay,” you heard his growling subside further, “It’s okay, darling. We are safe, inside the Devil May Cry,” you leaned your head into his chest and kneaded harder against him, “It was just thunder. It’s okay--we are okay.”

You continued to intermittently tell the blue devil various forms of grounding statements as he slowly calmed down; loosening his grip and quieting his thundering growl. Although he doesn’t have to breathe when in this form, you heard soft whistling as he took small short breaths in through his sharpened teeth. His shaking had subsided as well; only moving with the reverberations of his small breaths.

A grin tugged at your lips as you heard a small distant start of a purr from your kneading, “It’s alright, my love. Nothing is going to harm us…”

Finally, he pulled back from your body. He placed his palms flat on the floor next to you and kept his wings around you, just much looser now. His pupil-less luminescent eyes just stared at you, leaving you to assume he was looking over your body for any sign of injury.

Very carefully, you moved your hands to the sides of his face and gently thumbed over the leathery denim-colored skin, “Hey…”

He leaned forward placing his forehead against yours and closed his eyes, showing you that he was coming back around. You placed a long tender kiss against his fangs and heard him purr louder.

As quiet as he could manage with his distorted voice, Vergil whispered to you, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” you smiled and gently jested, “head’s killin’ me though and the floors kinda cold” you laughed and moved your hands to the gap of skin between his shoulder pauldrons and neck, kneading with your fingers, “Are you alright, Vergil?”

Vergil nodded slightly, “Yes,” feeling the soft touch of your fingers against him, he allowed himself to de-trigger; slowly switching to his regular trigger and then his human form. All the while, you continued to massage his shoulders and tried your best to ignore the throbbing in your skull; wanting nothing more than to rip your head off.

The blue devil’s breath was ragged and he avoided looking you in the eyes. When he went to sit upwards, you grabbed his forearms, gaining his attention, “Vergil,” your voice was barely audible.

After waiting a moment, Vergil cocked his head slightly, “What is it?”

“Could,” you pursed your lips with embarrassment, “Could you help me up?”

Vergil nodded, “Of course.”

The eldest twin stood up and then leaned forwards to help you upright. You stumbled into him as you felt nauseously lightheaded.

Noticing this, Vergil held one of your arms, “Steady…”

You used your other hand to grab his shoulder and did your best to adjust to standing. He looked over to the couch and then back to you; before slowly picking you up and setting you on the pleather surface. Not wanting him to leave you, you grabbed his tie and tugged it slightly.

“I will be right back,” he grabbed the hand from the tan fabric and kissed it gently; which surprised you because of his distaste for out-of-house affections.

It was then that you noticed how quiet the shop was and how dark it was; the power had gone out completely. A loud creak from the garage door made you scrunch your face in slight pain. Vergil stood in the doorway and said nothing before moving back to stand near Dante’s desk.

You noticed a large cut through Dante’s shirt and realized that Vergil had used his tail to defend you from the red twin. Thankfully, Dante could heal quickly otherwise it might have been a trip to the ER from how large the incision seemed to be.

“So care to explain what the fuck that was?” Dante’s voice was loud, as normal; however, it felt like he was shouting right beside you.

Vergil noticed your discomfort and addressed his brother, “Quiet, you are being much too loud,” he flicked his gaze to you, “and no; I don’t.”

The younger twin’s face scrunched in irritation. Before he could speak, Lady cut him off by roughly slamming her hand atop his shoulder, “Maybe the two of you should go home for the day? Dante can text you the information later on.”

“Are you sure?” Vergil raised a brow at the sudden personable suggestion, “Or would Dante rather yell more absurd accusations at me?”

The red devil growled, forgetting to keep quiet, “You son of--”

“Watch your tongue. Mother is right here,” he flicked his eyes to the photo on Dante’s desk.

“I fuckin--”

You scrunched your face harshly and hoarsely snapped, “Oh my g-god,” you groaned, “Vergil isn’t beating me and I have a fuckin major headache. I thank you for your concern Dante, but it is misplaced… so can you please just drop it?”

The younger twin shook his head, “You expect me to--”

“It is a result of my night terrors and we are dealing with it ourselves,” Vergil said curtly, despite not wanting to talk about it. Then turned to address Lady, “I think we will take you up on that suggestion and leave,” the blue devil moved to grab your coats from the wall “Keep us informed..?"

No one responded as Vergil handed you your coat and you put it on as best you could while sitting. You wobbled a bit as you went to stand, but, a set of strong arms picked you up. A small blush found its way to your face as you realized Vergil was carrying you from underneath your thighs in front of everyone else.

Nero was the only one to address either of you as you headed up to the stairs, “Fly safe; winds pretty bad out there.”

Vergil nodded in thanks to his son as the two of you disappeared from view, heading to the roof. You nestled your face into the crook of Vergil’s neck, taking a deep calming breath. It didn’t take long for you to sleep--or rather pass out--in the blue devil’s arms and it stayed that way till you got home.

When you opened your eyes next, you were laying underneath the duvet of your shared bed. Slowly blinking awake, you mumbled, “Vergil?” and felt around to see if he was nearby. Nothing.

A hissing groan left your lips as you sat up and looked at the alarm clock. It had been several hours since you left the shop. You stretched upwards and immediately regretted it.

“Fuck,” you groaned as you grabbed your head with one hand, the headache from earlier surged back into existence.

In hopes to remedy this, you decided to try taking a hot bath. The moment you stood up, however, you fell forwards and just barely caught yourself with your forearms. A small laugh of disbelief escaped through your painful groan, it was really just not your day.

The sound of a familiar sharp voice calling your name pulled you from your thoughts. You slowly moved your head upwards and saw Vergil standing above you with a wide-eyed confused stare. He was wearing a space-blue sleeveless turtleneck with black yoga pants.

Admittedly, you weren’t exactly in a normal headspace when you cooed at the blue devil, “Ooh! You’re even prettier at this angle, Vergil.”

The blue devil crouched in front of you and rested his forearms on his legs, “I leave you for five minutes and you end up on the floor?”

With parted lips and raised brows, you eyed him up and down, “Was my plan all along since, from here, I get a really good view of your--”

Vergil put up a hand telling you to stop, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh, “Would you like help up?”

“Nah,” you jested and rolled over to face the ceiling, “I like being stuck on the floor,” a sly smirk tugged at your lips as you tilted your head back, “especially when we’re--”

“Enough,” Vergil sighed and moved to help you upright into a soft embrace.

You sighed and leaned into him, “You know I love you, right Vergil?”

“Perhaps I should take you to the hospital, you are acting in a very concerning manner…”

“No way in hell am I going to the doctor,” you pulled back and had a small pout on your lips, “I just need you beside me and I feel much better…”

“That seems rather counter-intuitive, don’t you think?” his voice had an outlying tinge of sadness as he looked down at you.

“Not in the slightest. In fact,” you moved your hands to his chest, “I already am starting to feel better in your arms.”

He avoided your eyes and had a small sad frown. A deep sharp pang of sadness stabbed at your heart at seeing him look so dejected.

You used a hand to cup the cheek facing away from you and gently turned him back to face you, “Vergil, care to join me for a bath?” you knew that he was still beating himself up over things and wanted to distract him for a while.

A soft huffed laugh came from his nose as he closed his eyes in slight confusion, “What..?”

“Come on, you need a break… to relax,” you cocked your head to the side, “Please?” you gave him the best puppy dog eyes you could muster.

Which seemed to do the trick as he sighed with a smirk “If that is what you want then I will accompany you.”

You pulled his face down to yours and gave him a small peck on the cheek, “Thank you, Vergil.”

Although the blue devil was hesitant to let you go, you eventually wander off with a very wobbly saunter. Slowly, you moved to the dresser and began to grab some clothing when you heard Vergil murmur, “I’ll go draw it up and I’ll be back for you; please try and stay upright,” then he left the room.

Your headache had subsided for the most part and was just a dull throbbing now. However, you still wanted to lay with him for a while, knowing that he needed it as much as you did. A warm smile crept its way to your face as you moved toward the edge of the bed to sit until he came back. You decided to lean over to the side table and grab your phone, checking it for any messages. Surprisingly, Dante and Nero had texted you.

The younger twin had sent a rather all-over-the-place paragraph explaining that he was sorry for the outburst in the shop and that he was just worried that something was going on. You sent Dante a text explaining that it was nice of him to worry but that, before he goes off, he needs to listen better.

Nero was making sure that both of you were alright and that if either of you needed anything to let him know.

Before you were able to respond, Vergil walked back into the room, “Are you ready?” his voice was very quiet and meek; catching you off guard.

“Yeah just gimme one second, just gotta send this…” Vergil looked at you with a slightly curious head tilt, you smiled at him, “Nero was just making sure everything was okay.”

“I see,” Vergil gave a weak grin.

“Nero’s worried about you,” you set the phone back down on the table and grabbed one of Vergil’s hands, “He’s a good kid, ya know? You’re one lucky dad.”

With a small shake of his head, Vergil pulled you off the bed, “Need I remind you that he is technically your son, too?”

You laughed and pursed your lips, “Sometimes I forget that part if I’m honest,” the two of you slowly made your way to the bathroom, “Especially since we are like the same age--you cougar,” with a playful wink you let go of Vergil’s hand to get undressed.

Vergil’s face scrunched, “You make it sound as if I am too old for you.”

Playfully, you shoved his shoulder, “Bah- you don’t look a day over 30; besides,” you paused a moment as you watched Vergil remove his shirt, “I like older men~”

“Those two statements contradict each other,” he noticed your gaze as he slid his pants off, “However, I appreciate the sentiment.”

Once you both were fully stripped, Vergil helped you into the tub; fearing you would fall, “Hey, Vergil..?” he looked at you, “Can you sit in, like,” with pursed lips, you tried to figure out how to explain what you wanted, “in my lap? Like with your back to me?”

“I-” he raised a brow and turned his lips to a thin line, “May I ask why?”

A smile ghosted your face as you cooed, “I want to be able to play with your hair.”

The blue devil was a little apprehensive at allowing such an action, but he did as you requested; positioning himself in front of you. His shoulders tensed up at the sudden feeling of vulnerability and being so exposed to you--even if the two of you have been together for a long time now. Noticing this, you gently wrapped your arms around his middle and leaned him back into you while you leaned back yourself; ending up in a semi-lying position.

Tenderly, you ran your fingers through his neatly slicked back locks, “You alright, Vergil?”

With a small stuttering inhale, Vergil rested further against you, “Yes…”

A faint purring came from the blue devil as he relaxed against your touch. The two of you just sat in the warm soapy water for nearly fifteen minutes, laying against each other.

Vergil shifted a bit to lay the side of his head on your chest before meekly whispering, “I love you,” typically, this would have made you ecstatic hearing him say such a thing; but there was an underlying sullen tone to the phrase.

You moved one of your hands to grab his while keeping up your ministrations through his hair, “I love you too, Vergil--more than anything.”

“May I ask you something? And I want you to answer me honestly,” his eyes were glued to your fingers that were intertwined with his own.

“Sure,” you removed your fingers from his hair and set that hand on his shoulder.

“Are,” with each word his voice became quieter, “Are you afraid of me?”

“No,” you answered without skipping a beat, “I will never be afraid of you, no matter what...”

Another bout of silence fell as you felt him lean harder into you while taking slow deep breaths.

“May--,” the Dark Slayer closed his eyes and spoke in a hushed voice, “May I confide in you for a moment?”

“Of course, my love,” you leaned and kissed the top of his head attempting to reassure the man.

He sighed and turned further into your chest, hiding his face, “N-Nothing scares me more than causing you pain,” you felt his brow furrow, “These past few months, have been spurred on by a combination of that fear and,” he had a lump begin to form in his throat, “and my time spent under Mundus’s…” he swallowed audibly in an attempt to deter his emotions.

You squeezed his hand tightly and you moved your other hand back to his hair, hoping to console him a bit.

Which worked, he took a shuddering breath and continued, “In my dreams--” he pursed his lips and unintentionally pushed himself as hard as he could into you, “I’m always back as- and I can’t,” he paused once more, realizing that this is much harder than he had anticipated, “control myself and I-I don’t know that it’s-- until it’s too late,” his voice cracked into silence as he gripped your hand in a vice hold.

That was enough for you to put together what he meant as your eyes widened. You whispered and moved your hand from his hair to his shoulder, holding him close, “Vergil…” you didn’t know what to do--how to help him.

All you could think to do was to hold him close and comfort him as he cried into your chest. You knew that he had nightmares about his time of being enslaved to Mundus and the other atrocities that have happened to the poor blue devil. Throughout your time together, Vergil had told you about that time and has even sought comfort in you when he was upset.

A meek whisper pulled you from your thoughts, “I’m sorry,” he sighed heavily, “I know this is substandard behavior.”

“Vergil,” you kneaded his bicep, “This is normal behavior, you don’t have to be strong all the time,” placing a soft kiss on the top of his head, you murmured, “You’re human--you have emotions; both good and bad.”

“I feel as if I have disappointed you,” despite his sad tone, a light purring could be heard from him--indicating he was at least comfortable.

“You could never disappoint me, Vergil--especially over something like this. Things take time to heal and even then they still leave scars; you aren’t to blame for what has happened, my love.”

“I do not understand how after what I have done in my lifetime,” his voice cracked with a tinge of frustration as he sat upright. His front side was facing out of the tub toward the innards of the room, leaving you to see his side profile, “Why you still believe me to be a good person…”

“Vergil,” you moved to sit up as well, no longer resting your back on the tub, “I don’t believe that you are a good person; I know you are a good person,” you watched his adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed his emotions again, “I wouldn’t have married you if I didn’t.”

A thin pained grin adorned his features as he turned his face from you; hiding the fact he had begun to cry once more.

“People do bad things,” you shrugged your shoulders a bit in thought, “that doesn’t make them a bad person. Traumatic experiences make people do things that otherwise might not have.” you paused and thought for a moment, “Vergil, you have been punished ten-fold by everyone your entire life, even for things that you had no control over. Which is total shit. You deserve to be treated well and like a living breathing person. I know you are a good person because you have shown me that many times over; you are worthy of love, Vergil.”

Vergil let out a loud shuttering exhale and turned his head to look at you with pursed lips. He wanted to say something, anything, but all he could muster was a small whimper of acknowledgment.

Moving to your knees, you spoke softly, “Is there anything that I can do to help you with these nightmares?”

“I,” after a small pause in thought, he turned to come face to face with you and grabbed your hands in his, “Could you promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“If we get into any altercations with,” he avoided your eyes with an increasing embarrassment eating the edges of his mind, “Angelo-type demons, please, leave them to me; please..?”

Your brow twitched in confusion as you cocked your head to the side; that’s when things clicked and you remembered what happened shortly before these terrors began, “Sure, if that is what brings you solace then I will,” you smiled, trying to make him feel a little better.

“Thank you,” his eyes re-connected with yours and he gave a small smirk.

The two of you sat for a brief moment before you pursed your lips and smiled semi-awkwardly, “I hate to ruin the moment, but could we get out of the water? I’m kinda cold…”

Vergil straightened his posture and nodded, “Of course, wanderer,” he moved to get out of the water and held his hands out for yours.

You grabbed them and wobbly got up, “Oh? I haven’t heard you use that in a long time.”

A small huffed laugh came from the blue devil as he handed you a towel, “It was the first nickname I gave you. I thought it appropriate for the moment…”

“It was wasn’t it?” you shook your head, “That feels like a lifetime ago…”

“In a sense, it was quite literally,” he leaned over and drained the tub.

With a small laugh and nod, you finished drying off. While the two of you got dressed, you couldn’t help but smile at the sight of your lover.

“Is something wrong?” Vergil noticed your stare.

Pursing your lips you thought for a moment and decided to indulge in his love for Blake’s poems, “ 'Joy & Woe are woven fine,/A Clothing for the Soul divine;/Under every grief & pine,/Runs a joy with silken twine.' "

An amused look adorned his face as he stood with parted lips thinking for a moment, “Auguries of Innocence?” the Dark Slayer cupped the side of your face, “We never did finish that poem; you’d always fall asleep.”

“Not my fault you have such a soothing voice,” you placed your hands on his chest and leaned into his palm, “Want to try again?”

He leaned against your forehead, “If it is alright with you, I think I’d rather sleep…”

“Only if you stay beside me,” you looked into his icy eyes; enamored with the thousands of different blue-grey hues, “please..?”

“Are you sure-- Mnm,” he was cut off by a sudden connection of your lips.

It was a slow and passionate kiss as you poured all the love you could into that one moment. Once satisfied, you left the kiss and whispered against his lips, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Vergil.”

Without another word, he picked you up and took you into the bedroom. Carefully, he set you down and crawled into bed with you. A small lingering sense of dread crept in from the edges of his mind; however, those were pushed away when you laid atop his chest. You curled into him and he tangled his limbs with yours.

As the two of you drifted off to sleep, Vergil had a very small content grin as he allowed himself to sleep; knowing that, at least for tonight, his terrors will be kept at bay.

Ending Notes: Sorry that was lowkey all over the place, I just went with the flow of my brain. It kind of just ended up being a long fluff fic. Also to add some explanation to Vergil’s bit where he swore and freaked out: I figure that when Vergil lost his autonomy for so long as Nelo Angelo, he ended up becoming hyper-aware of what he is doing at all times. So when he does something that he either can’t remember doing or didn’t want to do that it would send him into a panic; fearing that he is going to lose his freedom again. 🛡️⚔️🛡️ Poem quoted: Auguries of Innocence: William Blake

Want to see more like this? Want to read my work quicker and several stories that are not on Tumblr? Check this out on my AO3 (Linked here)

MASTER LIST FOR TUMBLR

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rambheemficrecs · 6 months

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In this post are the Fic Rec Content Guidelines, the Fic Rec Submission Instructions, the Submissions Form, and the Tags Masterlist.

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cosplayingwitch · 1 year

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Winter Wonderland

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x GN!Reader

Word count: 259

Description: established relationship, living together, absolute fluff, hate vs love of winter.

Warnings: absolutely none. It's as fluffy as one can write without melting into a puddle.

A/N #1: technically, this is based in the "year of the OTP challenge, but I made it reader insert. The January prompt I chose was "snow".

A/N #2: this is completely unedited and written in 20ish minutes on my phone. Please excuse any errors.

For as long as you can remember, you've hated winter. It doesn't help that you end up with frostbite faster than most people, but your dislike started before that.

Your girlfriend, however, absolutely loved it. The first winter you were together, she was absolutely shocked.

"What do you mean you hate winter?" Wanda shouted, "it's amazing! The snow, warm drinks, everything is beautiful."

"I just don't work well with the cold. I'd rather have warmth and sunshine than boots and coats. I can't drive in those things." You reply, shying away from her.

Wanda's eyes light up. She definitely has an idea up her sleeve.

"I think I can change that. Close your eyes."

You do as she asks, albeit reluctantly. Other than winter, you also hated surprises.

"Alright. Open them." Wanda says, after what seemed like ages.

When you open your eyes, you just can't believe what you see.

Amazed, you managed to stammer out, "y- you made it sn- snow in our living ro- room?"

"I wanted you to be able to appreciate how beautiful it can be, but without the cold and frostbite setting in." Wanda replies as she comes up and hugs you from behind.

You're still flabbergasted at what you're seeing. A flurry of white, with the smallest tinge of red from Wanda's magic. Snow falling softly from your ceiling and appearing to form drifts in front of your couch. The beauty of winter without feeling the cold.

You take a deep breath.

"This is absolutely beautiful. Maybe winter isn't the worst after all."

---end---

A/N #3: I'M BACK, PEOPLE! This is definitely one of the shortest things I've ever written, but it feels very nice. Any feedback is welcome, but please be kind with it.

#year or the otp challenge #fan fiction #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #established relationship #snow #prompt from #but make it reader insert #gender neutral reader #no pronouns #fluff #pure fluff #as fluffy as one can write without melting into a puddle #marvel fan fiction

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sinninghowlter · 1 year

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Danisnotadom

Ship: Phan Rating: E Contains: collaring, pre-established relationship, very light angst, degradation, namecalling, smut, cursing, heavy language, d/s undertones, daddy kink mentioned four (4) times, use of the word "slut" Words: 5746 Summary: Dan's not a dom. Everyone swears up and down that he is, insists he is domming his boyfriend and is too good to take it in the ass.

Phil's not a sub. Everyone thinks he is, everyone thinks his baby is in charge. What they don't know is his hardcore boyfriend is actually a princess. Read it below or on AO3

This fic was a brainchild of mine back in December 2022 and finally, here it is! It wouldn't exist if not for the cheering on of the Superstarkers groupchat on Discord and my writing friend @khalixascorner!! Thank you for believing in me and this fic with two strangers you've never heard of before me. A/N: this is unbeta'd and uses 2015 phandom with 2022 dan and phil. :)

"Alright guys, Dan insists he's starving so I've gotta feed him before he eats me."

"Not like that!" Dan shouts from the other room, "I just have been in the U.S. for so fucking long that all I want is familiar food goddammit!"

"You can't swear on my live streams, Dan!!" Phil shouts back. He begins scanning the chat, hoping that a slew of messages reading "OMG PHAN!!!!1!1!" and "DOMESTIC!!!!" doesn't follow. Instead of the expected messages, he starts seeing a few, albeit more explicit, replies in the chat: 'I bet he likes it that way', 'Dan probably eats him all the time', 'We all know Phil likes his daddy to eat it.' He hides the need to frown and roll his eyes behind a smile, answering an ask about what kind of plant the followers should get. "Um... I think you should get a cactus! They're always a good choice!"

"Phil! I'm starving!! Let's gooooooooOO!!!" Dan whines, now in the doorway. Phil looks up, taking in the younger's form leaning against the white wood. Dan smirks as Phil's eyebrows raised in challenge.

'omgggg look at the way he looks at Dan!!! OTP FOR LIFEEEEEEEE', 'PHAN DOMESTIC!!!!!' the chat reads, but neither of the boys are paying any attention to Phil's live stream.

"What are you thinking for food?" Phil asks, silently hoping for pizza.

"How's pizza?" Dan murmurs, and Phil can't help but smile affectionately at his boyfriend, "I really don't wanna cook."

"Sounds good," Phil replies, trying to tune out the part of his head that hones in on the comments in the live stream about how he does anything Dan says. He's not a simp. He just likes to indulge his boyfriend after he's traversed half the world alone for the first time in 13 years. He wants Dan to feel loved, heard... safe. If that means that a handful of kids on the internet calls him #DanHowellsSlut, well that's on them.

"Text me what you want, and I will order so you can wrap up your stream!" Dan smiles, walking out of the living room and back into the office, watching the end of the stream.

"Alright guys, I guess that means it's time for me to hop off here. For real this time. Danny boy gets fussy when he's not eating carbs." Phil chuckles at his own joke, saying bye to a few people in the crowd. "See you guys next week! Bye!" He signs off the live stream, falling back against the couch, and closing the lid of his MacBook with his foot. "Fuck..." he mumbles to no one in particular. Dan texts him, and he replies mindlessly, requesting the usual from Domino's.

"Daaaaan..." Phil calls, waiting for the man to reappear in the doorway.

"Yeah? You alright?" Dan pokes his head in, eyebrows pulled together in concern. They had just been texting, what was wrong that he felt like talking in person?

"I... it's nothing." He shakes his head, deciding last minute not to bring it up to the other, "Want to watch a movie or something with our pizza?"

"Sure. We should watch something old though, I don't really have the energy for something new."

"How's Hunger Games? We both have seen that loads of times."

"Perfect. Put it on then, I think the pizza is here." He rushes to the door, tipping the person and handing the boxes to Phil. He collects the paper towels and glasses from the kitchen, sitting down on the turquoise couch next to his partner. "Lights on or off?"

"How's lamplight?" Phil replies, distracted by the flatscreen across the room. He clicks on the movie, pushing his glasses up his nose as he grabs a slice of the pizza. Dan does the same, laying his legs across Phil's lap and watches the movie.

After a few slices, Phil takes to scrolling Tumblr on his iPhone. He smiles at the screencaps from his liveshow, likes a couple of pieces of fanart of himself, and reblogs a couple of gifs for the gaming channel.

Then it happens.

He hits a group of posts commenting on how whipped he is for Dan. How submissive he is, and how good he is for Dan. He can't help but scroll through the asks on the blog, reading about how he definitely almost called Dan "daddy" in a recent video. How he definitely wanted to kiss him at 12:23 in the newest gaming video... He sighs softly, turning back to the movie, just in time to see Katniss pick up her bow for the first time.

Dan's fallen asleep by the time the credits roll. Phil can't help but smile at the man wrapped up in his pimp blanket and hugging the cloud pillow. He looks exhausted and a tiny part of his heart breaks for Dan. This is most likely the first good night's sleep he's had in weeks, and Phil can't bring himself to wake him. Carefully, he lifts Dan's socked feet off his thigh, sliding out from underneath him. Instead of turning on the next movie, he gathers the plates, cups, and paper towel roll in his arms, disappearing into the kitchen. Phil deposits the dishes in the sink, vowing to clean them tomorrow, and returns to the living room. He tiptoes past the younger man and cleans up the pizza and coke bottle, trying his hardest to avoid banging into the corner of the coffee table. Thankfully, he doesn't hit anything until he gets the pizza box into the fridge. He cringes, hoping Dan isn't awake.

"Alright, now to wake the baby..." he murmurs to himself, shutting off the light in the kitchen. He returns to the den and presses his lips to Dan's forehead. "Honey? We need to go to bed." Dan crinkles his nose and groans, curling deeper into his ball of faux fur, "Nooooo... I wanna sleep here. 's cozy!" He hides his head under the blanket, attempting to fall back asleep.

"I know, Bear, but you'll be really sore if you don't go to bed. I love you, but I also know that you will complain all day about it."

"Gee, thanks, babe," Dan smirks, finally looking at his boyfriend.

"You know I'm right. Now, c'mon. You'll feel better." Phil reaches under the blanket, pulling Dan's hand until he finally obliges and stands up.

Phil can't help but kiss his boyfriend's cheek. Somehow, even after thirteen years, he's the most handsome man he's ever met. Dan smirks sleepily, resting his head against Phil's shoulder as they stumble into the bedroom.

He tries to sleep. Really, he does. Instead, though, his brain replays the posts, tweets, and messages haunting him for the last three weeks. They've gotten worse since Dan left for tour, it's like the posters have gotten bored and tried to stir up trouble. He presses his face to the pillow sighing deeply. Dan stirs in his sleep groaning softly.

"Whatever you're overthinking over there isn't worth it. It'll still be there in the morning. Go to sleep." The brunette murmurs, nuzzling into his side. They really do know each other inside and out. He nods and closes his eyes, pretending to sleep.

"G'morning," Dan mumbles, pressing into his side, making his hardon known. It's almost a ritual for them. If the weekday ends in y, Dan or Phil will push the other for morning sex. It's a given, almost like eating cereal for breakfast. Before he can reciprocate, though, Dan is staring at him. "I love you but you look like a dead man walking. So how about I take care of you this time, sir." Dan sits up, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Baby, you don't have to... I'm fine. It's not a big deal." Phil replies, hands finding their place on his waist.

"Okay. What's actually wrong? You never turn down sex." Dan furrows his brow, brown eyes locking onto Phil's as though he can read his mind if stares hard enough.

"I just don't feel up to it right now. I'm sorry." Phil gently presses a kiss to Dan's forehead. "I promise it's not you, I just got in my head last night. It's not important."

"I understand that. It's easy to do. Would you like pancakes or cereal for breakfast?"

"Pancakes, of course," Phil replies, thankful for the change in subject. Dan climbs off the bed, ignoring his lack of shirt. "I'll be right there, baby. Don't start without me!"

"No promises! I might eat them before you get in here!" Dan calls from the hallway, disappearing around the corner. Phil pulls his glasses on his face, making the bed and buying himself time. Just to allow his brain a second of clarity before he's met with the feeling of panic when Tumblr throws another post in his face.

-_-_-_-_-_-_

He makes it two weeks before he breaks. The duo had gotten back into their usual routine, reveling in the break in the chaos. Their livestreams were returning to normal and the whole debacle was behind him. Or so he thought.

Tonight's livestream was a joint event. Both men deciding it would be the perfect Christmas present for their fans. They answered questions and it all went smoothly until he sees it. He feels Dan go tense against his arm and Phil knows he saw it too.

A single message.

Nine words.

"Shout out the "Phil Lester Is A Sub Groupchat"!"

"I think we should get indian food tonight, don't you agree? I want that vegetarian bowl I get every time. It just sounds amazing!!" Dan tries, covering the awkward silence.

He takes that moment, disguising it as listening to the older's response, to take stock of the situation. There's a sense of panic in Phil's eyes. One so small only Dan knows what it looks like. He sees something else mixed in too, something he can't quite place. It's as though exhaustion and anger mixed together and created this new thing. He subtly gives Phil a nudge, three bumps on his right hip: 'check your face.' They'd implemented it after Dan rolled his eyes at something in the chat back in 2013. They decided it was best to avoid any issues. Phil blinks a few times, smiling quickly.

"That actually does sound amazing. I really am craving it too..." Phil replies quickly, changing the subject to what games they've been playing recently.

Twenty or so minutes later, Phil interjects, "Dang it Dan, I can't stop thinking about indian food now. But I swear we always abandon these guys for food."

"I'm starving, guys. Soz." Dan laughs, "We can continue this video game discussion on Thursday on my livestream! For now though, bye guys!"

"Bye!!" Phil clicks the button to end the stream and his shoulders drop.

"What was that about? You looked upset that someone called you a sub earlier."

"I am, okay? It's been haunting me for almost a month now. I'm weirded out by the fact that people get the vibe off you that you're a dom or the sub vibe off of me. What does it matter to them?! What we do in our bedroom when the lights are off is between us."

"Or inside us." Dan jests, attempting to break the tension. It works, causing Phil to burst into laughter.

"Jesus Christ, Dannnnn." Phil scolds still smiling. "But no, it's been messing with my head all month. That's why I pushed you off the other day. I was inside my head about the idea that the fans think that you're in charge and when you offered to take the lead it panicked me a little. I was worried they saw something I didn't, and they knew something I hadn't. Like a joke I wasn't a part of." He sighs, scrubbing his palms over his eyes. "I just don't like not knowing."

"Are you not happy being a dom? Do you not want to anymore?" Dan asks, eyes locked on the rip in the denim on his thigh. There's panic in his voice, and it breaks Phil's heart

Phil sighs, raising Dan's chin, "Trust me, sweetheart, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I fucking love being your dom."

Dan's cheeks tint pink, shivering slightly, "If it makes you feel any better, I have been haunted by "#Danisadom" the entire tour. For some reason, our fans are very observant about everything else, but this is one area that they're completely oblivious to. This is #Philtops2k15 all over again. At least then they had it right..." Dan laughs lightly, hoping Phil will join in.

"I remember that! And you're right, we made it through that just like we will this. Because you're my baby, Bear. Nothing is going to change that." Phil kisses Dan gently.

"And you're my sir. But I need you to tell me when you start getting in your head again. Please tell me, Phil. I don't want you hurt." Dan replies, voice low. He presses kisses to Phil's jaw. Before they can get too heated, he pulls away, "We have a meeting in thirty minutes."

"Wha? Dan!" Phil drops his arms to his sides, following the boy with his eyes as he disappears down the hall.

"Don't tell me you forgot! You set the appointment!" Before he can inquire further, his phone dings with a notification on their shared calendar: 'collar appointment'. Dan's voice calls from down the hall, a smirk evident in the tone, "the cab will be here in fifteen. Better hurry if you want to change." The black-haired boy sighs, willing his semi to soften.

"Fucking hell." He murmurs, rising from the couch to collect his jacket and wallet. "Dan, we have to make sure no one sees us."

"They won't, Phil. We made sure to get an appointment super fucking late. I promise no one will see us."

"I know, but I don't want this to get out. I'm not ashamed of being your dom but I don't want the rest of the world to be yours as well. Yknow? I just fear that if they somehow figure out how to manipulate you, then it will become an issue, or the parents will insist we are shoving it down their precious darlings' throats..."

"Phil," Dan touches his hands to the older's shoulders, pressing a kiss to his forehead, "It will be okay, I promise! If it makes you feel better, we can frame it differently." he leads them towards the door, out to where the cab is waiting, "Yknow? If we get caught, we can say we were collaring you." He whispers the last part against the shell of Phil's ear, breath ghosting across his cheek.

"No!!!" Phil whisper-shouts, "I hate you so much!" The two laugh it off, nervousness forgotten.

Almost...

The feeling of unease resurges when they arrive at the shop. "Dan, it's just here." He mumbles, motioning at the doorway. The other man turns back, having walked past it completely.

Neither of the guys knew this place existed, but they'd passed it millions of times. It's a small shop on the west end with blackened windows and a subtle navy tint to the stucco. It blends in where you wouldn't notice it if you didn't look for it.

He pulls open the door, and the words "OWNED" catch the streetlight, dark lettering glinting.

Phil takes a deep breath, leading Dan inside.

When they enter, Phil isn't sure what he was scared of. From inside, you can barely see the streets, and the knowledge that no one else can see inside calms his soul.

Dan's in his element immediately. From the first second, he's holding Phil's hand, pointing at different materials, gemstones, and buckles. "Look at this one!"

"Welcome in, you must be Mr. Lester and Mr. Howell! Pleased to meet you! My name is Gerald Rogers, I will be doing your sizing and fitting today." Both men shake Gerald's hand, their nervousness subsiding. "You guys seem nervous, is this your first collar?"

"It is." Phil begins, wrapping his arm around Dan's hips, "We've talked about it a lot, but I decided it was the perfect Christmas present."

"Well, we will be sure to find one that suits your dynamic perfectly. To start, let's have a seat back here so I can get a feel for your dynamic." The two men nod, following Gerald to the heavy black desk.

"Alright, let's start simple and work to the heavier details." The guys nod, and Dan takes Phil's hand. A silent testament that he's there and they're safe. "What are we thinking for the budget?" Phil replies with their budget and how flexible it is. Gerald begins typing on his laptop, nodding. "Who's going to be collared today?" Dan raises his hand, blush tinting his cheek.

"He is."

"Perfect. And can you guys describe your dynamic?"

"How do you mean?" Phil asks.

"I mean, what titles do you use, how hard is your play, do you tend to get rougher than most?" Gerald raises his eyebrows, hands poised over the keyboard.

"Well, the titles we use most for Dan here are 'baby, honey, sweetheart....' The soft stuff. And then for me--"

"I use "Sir" more than anything. We do joke around with 'daddy' but I don't really want that included this time." Gerald nods, updating his notes. He smiles encouragingly, waiting for the boys to continue.

"Are you wanting to have an all-the-time collar or just a play collar?"

"We are definitely looking for just a play collar. Our fans wouldn't take kindly to Dan suddenly wearing a heavy collar." Phil laughs lightly.

"Fans?" Gerald asks, casually.

"We're YouTubers. I presume you won't release to our fans what we're up to? Our relationship is kind of a personal secret they aren't aware of."

"I promise, discretion is one of the main things I promise with my services."

"Perfect," Dan states, hand squeezing Phil's.

"And are you two rough with your play? I don't mean physically, I mean are you guys planning on attaching leashes, pulling on the collar, or leading by it?"

"We were planning to try implementing it, does the collar hold up to that?"

"Oh, easily. We can do a double-layered flat leather collar with reinforced D rings."

"Perfect." Phil smiles.

"Great, let's get you measured Dan!" He nods, nervousness in his eyes.

"It's gonna be okay, babe." Phil smiles, reassuringly. "I'm right here." Gerald raises the tape measure, and Dan nods. "Don't flinch, it's okay. I'm right here."

"Alright, I've got the measurements." Gerald smiles, writing the numbers on his computer, "I'm guessing you are someone who hates people touching their neck?" Dan nods, never breaking eye contact with his boyfriend, "You did great."

"You really did, Dan." Phil praises, reveling in the way he minutely preens.

"Alright. what materials and colors were you thinking of doing this time?"

"We had been discussing doing a double-layered vegan leather collar in black and white."

"Are you thinking 12 millimeters or more?"

"Ah, definitely 12 millimeters... I think that's right. The site we were looking at said half an inch was ideal for a first hard-play collar." Dan looks at the measurement sheet in front of him, reading the numbers off internally. "I don't want anything too strong around my neck."

"Then that would probably be right around perfect... Let me get something drawn up for you. Wait here." Gerald walks into the back room, leaving the boys to their own devices.

"I'm really happy we're finally doing this." Phil murmurs.

"I am too. I like my collar, but one from the pet shop doesn't work well for us. It'll be nice to have one made special and not for a dog."

"Agreed. Did you want to go for a locking collar, baby?"

"I would be honored." Dan blushes, "But we can't lose the key or forget it's on."

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem for you two." Gerald interrupts, presenting his sketch.

The piece on the iPad in front of them is perfect. It looks like someone took the essence of Dan and created it. The thick black leather is sewn with white thread and the thin leather on top is sewn with black. There are three sets of eight rivets surrounding three D rings, and Dan can almost feel the black chains ghosting across his collarbones and back. "It's perfect..." He whispers, awestruck.

"I'm glad you think so! Is there anything you'd like to add or modify?"

"Can we possibly add in a few gemstones? Like maybe black gems here and here?" Phil points between the D rings, smiling awkwardly.

"Like... this?" Gerald adds the gems, turning it back. "And were you two considering a locking or belt-style clasp?"

"Locking. Can we get two sets of keys though?"

"Absolutely, that is a default for these collections, just in case one set gets separated. I will make a note on your order though just to be sure." He types it in, "I will have your piece ready in about two weeks." He smiles and clears the approval, having both of the men sign the agreement before reading out their total.

"That is perfect. Thank you so much." Phil smiles, handing Gerald his card.

-_-_-_-_-_-_

Back home, Dan can't keep his hands off of Phil. "What's up? You were trying to hold my hand in the cab, you've been glued to my side since we got home. Is something wrong? Are you having second thoughts about your collar?"

"No! I mean, no. I'm nervous but I'm not regretting it." Dan blushes, leaning against the counter, watching Phil eat cereal from the box, "If anything, I am excited." I can't wait to have something that symbolizes how much you want me to be yours. It's an honor that you want to collar me, Phil. I mean, what did I do to deserve this?"

"You existed, Dan. That's all that matters. You were deserving of it from the beginning, no one has noticed before me. I have wanted to collar you since 2010, but I didn't want to scare you off. Some people classify this as more important than a wedding ring. I mean, you are literally allowing me to put a lock around your neck. My love, you are the most worthy of anyone I have ever known or dated. I can't imagine anyone else would rather be mine than you. You're my world! I--" Before Phil can finish rambling Dan is pressing their mouths together.

"Fuck I have wanted to do that since we left Owned." He reconnects their lips and the quiet groan from Phil reverberates through him. He replies with the softest squeak, and most people would have missed it, but Phil catches it.

"If I had known that getting you fitted would have this effect on you, I'd have done it ages ago!"

"Oh shut up you spoon." Dan blushes, wriggling away from the older.

"Never," Phil replies, smirking. Dan glares playfully, disappearing into the living room. -_-_-_-_-_-_

Dan has been dreading this. It's finally Tuesday and he hasn't even said hello before he sees it:

"Hi, Daddy."

Dan can't help but freeze in his tracks, slipping before he can school his expression. He glares at the message. He hopes no one sees the look, but the chat's speed says otherwise. He doesn't know why it affects him so much. Neither of them has used that title since 2010. But yet it still haunts him.

Because it's not him.

"Have you guys tried any new shows this week? Phil and I-- ope!! Phil and I!" He snaps his fingers and laughs, "We've been watching a new anime! I can't remember the name though!" He deflects the chat, ignoring the comments in chat asking about his sex life with Phil.

"Da-an!" Phil calls from the hallway, walking in with a black cardboard box.

"Oh! Phil! I was just getting ready to call you!"

"You were?" He walks in, box still in hand, leaning down next to his partner.

"I was trying to tell these guys about that new anime we started! What was it called?"

"Oh, it was an old one I watched when I was younger. Vampire Knight?" The chat explodes in reply, half of them asking about the show and the other asking about the box in his hand.

"It's fun. Definitely a teen drama though. which I think makes it funnier. Cuz we're two grown-ass men watching a romance anime made for teenage girls." The two talk a bit more about the show before Phil comes up with an excuse to leave.

"Alright, now. Where were we?" Dan asks, "I have the memory of a gnat I swear to gods... Oh! The new album! So..." His phone dings somewhere in the middle of the discussion and he wishes he'd put it on silent. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a text:

Sir-- 9:08: It's here. 9:09: On the counter in the kitchen, I won't unbox it without you.

He almost whimpers, excitement settling into his body. "Well, I think I need to head out and finish editing the new video for you guys! Hopefully, I can have it out for you in the next six months!" He laughs, waving to the camera, "Bye guys! Talk to you all next week!"

He clicks end live, rushing out of the room. "Where is it?" He calls, words running together with excitement.

"It's right here! I told you I had it! I even showed you the box!" Phil laughs, pushing the box closer to the younger. "I haven't opened it. Do you need a knife?" Dan nods, cutting the box open.

Inside the box, wrapped in red tissue paper is a satin pouch. Neither of the boys can do anything but gape at first, shocked that it's actually real and in their hands. Finally, Phil comes to his senses and lifts the satin out of the box, untying the ribbon.

"I-- it's real," Dan whispers when the leather piece has been revealed. The chains softly tink together, and the loop for the lock at the back waits expectantly. His hands shake gently as Phil raises the leather, eyes meeting Dan's.

"It-- It's--"

"Perfect." Dan finishes his thought, breath coming in short gasps. He touches his fingers to the D-rings, blinking slowly.

Phil can't help but smile at the awestruck look on Dan's face, "Wanna put it on now? I mean, we are done for the night. Might as well test and make sure it fits." The boy nods, nervously.

"Alright. How should we go about doing this? Should I get on my knees or..."

"Just like we always do, bear. This is just another one of our collars. Hold still and I'll help you put it on." He turns around, back to Phil's chest, and digs in the box for the padlock. Dan grabs it, holding it in his hand, waiting for the feeling of the vegan leather on his throat. He hands the lock to Phil when he finally gets it into place, hearing the click when it's finally done.

"How does it look?" Dan asks, turning back to face Phil. The older doesn't reply, eyes wide and pupils blown.

"Holy fuck..." He whispers, causing Dan to blink rapidly.

"That bad?" Dan asks, hands reaching for the band. He grows self-conscious, confusion evident in his expression.

"N-no... No. Quite the opposite, actually. You look amazing, Dan." Phil blushes slightly, "Could you imagine wearing this in a video? They'd die."

"Because the one they thought was the dom is in a collar?"

"No. Because this may actually be one of the top ten sexiest things I have ever seen you in." Dan looks down at his loose t-shirt and joggers, raising an eyebrow.

"This? Phil, I wear this every day. They're literally my pajamas."

"No, I mean this." Phil laces his fingers under the collar, gently pulling Dan against him. "This is the sexiest thing you've ever worn. Probably up there with that one time, you dressed as me for Dailybooth."

"That was one of the first times you said you wanted to collar me." He blushes at the memory, remembering just how hoarse he was the next day.

"I know. And now look at you... All locked up and nowhere to go..." Phil's voice lowers, sending a shiver up Dan's spine. He presses their lips together, never letting go of the younger's collar. "What do you want to do, Daniel? Shall we break in this new toy?" Dan nods, mutely. "Alright. I want you on my bed ready in two minutes."

"Yes, sir. The same stuff as always?" Phil nods, turning back to the box. He digs through the paper, finding the second set of keys. He takes stock of the situation, wondering if this is a new chapter in their BDSM journey. Sure, they've had collars before, but nothing like this.

He thinks back to the time when Dan had asked for a stronger pair of cuffs. He remembers how he wondered then if this would be a new normal for them.

Before he can answer his question, Dan calls from the other room, "You comin' or what?"

Phil laughs breathily to himself, walking quickly down the hallway. "I'm comin', baby, don't get impatient on me or I'll make you wait."

"Yes, sir." Dan murmurs.

Phil opens the door, breathlessly. Before him is his boyfriend of 13 years waiting expectantly, eyes trained forward and collar around his neck. He's taken off every thread of clothing, and the blush on his skin catches the streetlight out the window perfectly.

"Fuck you're going to kill me, Bear," Phil whispers unbuttoning his corgi shirt as he closes the door.

Phil approaches him, connecting their lips. Dan whines, hoping and praying Phil would let him do something, anything to get the friction he craves. Instead of indulging, Phil takes his hand, leads him to the bed, and pushes him back onto the colorful bedsheets. "What do you want?"

"I want you!" He gasps in reply, brown eyes blown wide in desperation. "Please, I just want your cock."

"Aww, desperate already?" Phil growls dominantly, "Pathetic, aren't you."

Dan watches as Phil unzips his black jeans, waiting for the man to reveal what Dan's been waiting for, "C'moooooooon"

Phil glares, abandoning the buttons and instead sliding his fingers underneath the edge of the collar, pulling it up. "I know you're desperate, but you need to remember who's in charge here. I know our fans think it's you, but you and I both know the truth. We're going to try this again, who's in charge, Daniel?"

Dan nods, "Y-you are, sir."

Phil preens at his reply, pushing his jeans off his legs. He grants himself a couple strokes before pulling Dan in closer. "Good boy. What do you want, bear?" Dan blinks, silently communicating with his boyfriend. Phil nods, tangling his fingers in Dan's curls.

Dan blushes, licking Phil's tip. "Can you... Y'know..." He looks up at Phil, expectantly.

"Aww, want me to fuck your face?" Dan nods, parting his lips. Phil pushes his length into Dan's mouth, pausing briefly at the base, the feeling of his tongue too much to handle. "Fuck," He groans and resists the urge to jerk his hips.

Dan blushes, talking as best he can around the intrusion. Phil smirks and tangles his fingers in Dan's hair, pulling his head back to meet the base of his cock.

"That's a good boy, c'mon, take it all." Dan whimpers, suckling at the older's cock. "You're doing so good baby, I'm gonna cum though if we aren't careful..."

Dan pulls back, wiping his mouth, "W-want you to fuck me... Please?" Dan whispers gaze downcast towards his knees.

Phil smirks in victory. His usually articulate boyfriend has been brought to his knees, begging for any attention the older will grant. Phil growls, lifting Dan's chin to meet his gaze. His lips are parted, breaths escaping in short pants. "I would love to do that, sweetheart," Phil replies hotly, "Let's get into it then." He scoots back on the bed, "Did you stretch earlier like I told you too?"

Dan nods, handing the older a well-used bottle of lube, "Mhm, but you might need to check."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you wanted me to finger you," Phil smirks, spreading lube over two fingers and pressing them to Dan's entrance. When they go in easily, he presses into Dan's prostate.

"I know noth-- Oh fuuuuck," Dan moans, pushing his hips backwards. Phil smirks, adding a third finger.

"You know nothing? You're right. You're just a pretty slut. Made perfect for my dick." Phil pulls his fingers out, wiping the excess on his leg. He spreads more lube on his cock, pressing into the younger. "Beg for it."

"Please?" Dan begs, head dropping. "I've been waiting for this all day, sir. Please..."

Phil pushes the tip in, and pauses. "I didn't tell you to stop."

Dan attempts to push his hips back, mewling. "Please, sir... Please please please..." He curls his nails into the sheets, curls falling across his face.

The older shakes his head affectionately, pushing in the rest of the way. "Taking my cock so well, bear. You're such a good little slut for me. Take it all." He tangles his fingers into the back of the collar, using it to gain leverage. "Fuck..." Phil moans, speeding up his thrusts.

Dan tangles his hands into the sheets, groaning loudly. "Please, Please, please... I'm so close please..."

"Good." Phil's thrusts grow rougher, as he bites Dan's shoulder. "Don't cum until I tell you to."

The sound of their bodies colliding causes Dan to tremble. "Please... Please.... Sir... Lemme cum please!"

"Fuck, Dan... I'm so close... Ready?" he nods, desperately, "Okay... Cum for me. Right now, baby, I'm right behind you." Phil groans roughly, feeling Dan squeeze around him, pushing him over the edge. He reaches around, giving Dan's leaking cock a few strokes, helping him through his orgasm. "Good boy... You did so good." He whispers, letting go of the collar and pulling out of the younger.

"I love you so much, Dan." Phil whispers, pressing a kiss to Dan's nose. "You did so good." "I love you too. Thank you." he replies, dazed.

"For what?"

"Loving me, and for collaring me."

"Of course. Just proof your mine forever baby bear."

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!! Likes and reblogs are much appreciated!!

#shut up nika #phan #dan howell x phil lester #phan smut #phanfic

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kptssecretsanta · 5 months

Text

Merry Christmas, @monochrome-crisis!

Dear @monochrome-crisis, I have really enjoyed writing this for you, and I hope you like it. Your prompts were delightful and it was a lot fun playing around with these two. Happy Holidays if you observe, and happy fic-gift-day to you if you don’t! Best, your anon gifter.

TAGS: established relationship, secret relationship, arranged marriage, road trip, sort of, running away,

SUMMARY: Chay stands quite still and watches him for several seconds, but it doesn’t help to make the jumble of nonsense words rearrange themselves into useful sentences in his head.

“I’m sorry,” he says slowly. “An inauspicious start to what, precisely?”

“Why, to your marriage, of course!”

*****

can’t let this wait one more day

It’s Tankhun who accidentally breaks the news to Chay, on a rainy October afternoon when he’d expected to face nothing more challenging than a couple of hours playing the new Spider-Man game. A problem with his XBox has him venturing down to Arm’s office-cum-armoury-cum-tech lab, where he finds Tankhun sitting cross-legged on the floor, cutting pictures of floral arrangements and men in alarmingly colourful suits out of a vertiginously tall stack of bridal magazines. He snips some of them out with painstaking precision, and scratches the scissors angrily across others, his choices made according to some arcane and unknowable criteria. The images that survive his process are passed to Arm, who dutifully and efficiently pastes them down into a pastel pink, faux-fur-covered scrapbook.

“Khun? Is everything… Are you ok?”

“Auhhh! My favourite brother-in-law!” Tankhun cries at a volume that isn’t quite ear-piercing, but is certainly louder than required given the three of them are alone in an echo-y room, and Chay’s ears are less than thirty centimetres away from his mouth. “Everything is so much more than fine! It’s all wonderful! Practically perfect, in fact! Only do say you’ll let me dress you, nong, it would kill me to see you walk down the aisle in someone else’s shoes! And you wouldn’t break my heart like that, hmm, not on your wedding day? It would be a harbinger of so, so much bad luck! Such an inauspicious start, no?!”

Chay stands quite still and watches him for several seconds, but it doesn’t help to make the jumble of nonsense words rearrange themselves into useful sentences in his head.

“I’m sorry,” he says slowly. “An inauspicious start to what, precisely?”

“Why, to your marriage, of course!”

***

“Nothing is set in stone,” Arm promises him, trying to calm him down while Tankhun flaps off to find Porsche. “It’s just an idea, at this stage, that’s all. Just something that was suggested - really, it’s more like it was vaguely alluded to - at the last family meeting. It doesn’t mean you have to marry anyone you don’t want to.”

The atmosphere in Arm’s little misery-bunker has always been a bit sad, but it’s never felt quite as overwhelmingly damp and awful as this moment in time.

“I know you mean well, but ‘we might not marry you off against your will’ isn’t actually as reassuring as you seem to think it is,” Chay points out. He’s just pleased he can still form coherent words; that must mean the worst of the panic attack is subsiding.

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Arm says, and Chay tries very hard to find the deeply sympathetic look on his face comforting instead of terrifying.

***

Chay: hey

Chay: u busy?

Chay: i need to see u its urgent

Chay: ive run away im at the boba place

Chay: the one with the cute plants inside where you kissed me that time

Chay: pls don’t take long they’re cutting me off

not my secret bf: be there in ten

***

Macau picks Chay up in his older brother’s convertible, stolen for the occasion, and drives off without any questions. The extent to which he’s ride-or-die is, in Chay’s opinion, one of his absolute top-ten best traits. At Chay’s request, he heads out of the city, no particular destination in mind. He doesn’t say anything until they’re far enough out they’re relying on headlights, and the sound of rain on the windscreen is louder than the traffic.

“Whatever happened, it’s ok, babe. I promise.”

“You won’t say that when you know!” Chay cries. “Hia wants me to get married, Cau, it’s really serious!”

“What?”

“That’s what Arm said. And Khun! I’m sorry, babe, I know he’s your cousin, but also. What the fuck? How could he know something like that and not tell me!” Chay’s voice rises frantically, reaching a fever pitch as he vents his frustration at once again being the last one to find out important information about his life. “Oh my god, what if it’s to some disgusting greasy old man who wants a good little wifey, that Kinn needs to sign some business deal with?” Chay says suddenly, face awash with horror.

“Ok, first of all,” Macau says, glancing over at Chay from the driver’s seat of with a grin of a distinctly gremlin-y variety creeping across his face, “if Kinn needed someone to sign a contract that badly, he’d just break their fingers until they signed it.”

“That’s not reassuring, Cau.”

“And second of all,” Macau presses on, ignoring Chay’s point completely, “I’m not gonna let you marry anyone else, so it doesn’t matter anyway, hmm?”

“You really think they’ll listen to you?”

Macau frowns, impish grin fading as quickly as it had appeared, and clicks his fingernails on the wheel, the way Vegas really hates. “I dunno. Maybe? And if they don’t, we could just… leave, I guess.”

“I’m not - listen, babe, I love you, but your uncle kept my mum locked away in an attic for eighteen years because she married the wrong guy, so like. I don’t have that much faith in Kinn or Korn or Vegas to be super chill about someone trying to leave the family.”

Macau shoots him a quick glance, eyes slicking sideways before snapping back to the road. “Well, if you put it like that…”

“Look, you don’t have to come with me,” Chay says, voice laced with grim determination. “I know you – all your family are here, your whole life is here. But I think I have to leave.”

“Ok, ok. But you don’t have to go now,” Macau says. “We can come up with a real plan, take a little time.”

“I can’t go back. I can’t walk back in there. I can’t spend another second there.”

Macau swerves suddenly and pulls up on the side of the road, switching the engine off but leaving the headlights on, so the curtains of thick rain ahead of them are illuminated in their glow. Turning to face Chay, he reaches over and takes his hand, linking their fingers together and squeezing gently.

“Hey,” Macau says softly, which catches Chay’s attention more than any amount of screaming would have. “I’m sorry my family is such a fucking nightmare. I’m not - of course I’m not gonna make you go back. If you wanna leave tonight and never come back, we can do that.”

“But?” Chay asks nervously. Macau lifts a questioning eyebrow. “It sounded like there was a ‘but’ coming next.”

“Nope,” Macau says easily, shaking his head and letting Chay see the truth shining bright in his eyes. “No ‘but.’ I’d follow you anywhere, Porchay.”

“Cau…” Chay says, releasing the name like an invocation into the night air.

Macau stares at him, gaze far too intense to bear for long, and then he turns to look out at the road spilling away into the darkness ahead of them. “Chay, you know, we could - if you want - they can’t make you marry anyone if you’re already married.”

“Fuck.” Chay lets out a breath, a long, deep exhalation that carries away half the tension in his whole frame. “How are you so perfect when your family is so…”

“Shit, no idea.” Macau laughs and it’s not pleasant. “This is why I didn’t want to tell them about us. They ruin everything they touch, and I wanted to try and keep you whole as long as possible. So I’d get it, you know, if you don’t want - augh!”

Macau shrieks a little, very bravely, as Chay throws himself across the centre console and clambers eagerly if awkwardly into his lap, winding long slender brown arms around his neck and kissing him fiercely until one of them accidentally jams a knee into the horn.

***

The hotel is not quite clean enough to be boring, and just a little too rundown to be charming. It’s the last place anyone would ever think to look for them, which means it’s Macau’s new favourite spot. He pays for one room, daring the older man behind the desk to say something about the way he has his arm wrapped around Chay’s waist, fingers tapping out a gentle rhythm on his hips. Chay’s arm is draped over his shoulder in turn, so he can lean easily into his side, soaking up his warmth.

There’s a horrible pause where the guy hangs on to the key a little too long, and then Macau tips his chin up defiantly. His hand closes around the key and whisks it away from him.

“We can find it ourselves,” he says. It’s not until they’re halfway down the hallway to their room that he realises the guy had absolutely no intention of helping them with their bags.

Not that they have bags, per se. Chay has his old school backpack with him, which he’d hurriedly stuffed with a couple of pairs of underwear and some clean socks, a spare power bank for his phone and laptop, and more snacks than Macau’s seen in one place outside of a child’s birthday party.

Macau, on the other hand, has his phone, battery currently hovering around 19%, and his wallet.

“I thought,” Chay says defensively, when he catches Macau eyeing his stash, “that I might have to get the bus somewhere.”

Macau shrugs out of his bomber jacket and tosses it haphazardly across the room. “You shut your mouth. My fiancé doesn’t take the fucking bus.”

“Fiancé,” Chay murmurs to himself, rolling the word around his mouth. “Shit, Cau. Are you sure?”

��I am if you are.” Macau swallows and ignores the too-fast beat of his heart. Chay’s hand wraps around his wrist, fingertips pressing gently against his pulse point. Macau loves his touch so much; he hates why they’re here, but he’d be lying if he said he hates getting this much attention from Chay all at once, after months of existing from one stolen moment to the next.

Macau’s vague idea of showering and then planning the rest of his life is quickly shelved. He’s too busy letting Chay tumble them into bed, rolling over so Chay can pin his wrists and grind his hips down. Chay licks into his mouth and then laughs at the dramatic whine he lets out when he pulls away again too soon. It’s just for show; they both know Chay would never leave him so unsatisfied.

They make love on scratchy sheets in a cheap hotel on the outskirts of the city, because neither of them could bear to drive any further, because they both need to get their hands on each other, because Chay doesn’t mind being Macau’s dirty little secret but he’s damned if he’ll be anyone else’s husband, and because Macau has had a lifetime of watching his family destroy every good thing that wanders into its path, and he’ll be damned if he lets Chay be their next target.

As they fall asleep curled into each other, all warm skin and slow breathing, soft lips and steady heartbeats, Chay gives Macau the other reason he couldn’t marry anyone his hia chose for him. “I want to wake up next to you. Tomorrow. All my tomorrows.”

***

Arm wakes Chay gently, shaking his shoulder and stepping back discreetly as his eyes flutter open. Years of practice avoiding the flailing arms of a recently-roused Tankhun, Chay assumes.

“Shit. How did you find us?” he mumbles, pulling the sheets over his head.

“I don’t know where to start. You and Khun Macau have about twelve trackers between you, not counting your phones and his credit card.” Arm tugs the sheet away and turns his tablet around; it’s a mass of blinking dots concentrated in a small cluster.

“Where’s Macau? What have you done to him?” Chay cries when he realises he’s alone in bed.

“It’s ok, Khun Chay, he’s just getting coffee,” Arm says. He sounds calm, but Chay’s seen him like this before and knows it doesn’t mean he’s not alert.

“If you try and keep us apart, I’ll scream so loudly that everyone in the hotel’s gonna think you’re murdering me,” Chay says. “I’m a singer, I can do it, phi. My lungs can do things you wouldn’t believe!” He’s aware that he doesn’t look all that threatening, probably, sleep-dopey and with his hair all mussed up, but it’s worth a try. His hia raised Chay very carefully, though, and the second most important lesson he ever taught Chay was not to back down from a fight he believed in.

(The first lesson was not to start fights you can’t win, but Chay is deliberately choosing to ignore that.)

“Ah, no, it’s ok, nong,” Arm says quickly. “Look, here’s Khun Porsche, I’m sure he can explain it all better than I can.”

As the door opens, Chay snorts the snort of a man who has a deep fraternal understanding of Porsche’s ability to explain anything at all.

“Hia!” Chay leaps off the bed and strides angrily across the room, shoving at Porsche’s shoulder before the door has even swung closed behind him. “You son-of-a-bitch! You couldn’t even tell me to my face, what the fuck!”

“Chay – ”

“No! NO!” Chay pushes him again, hot tears of frustration welling in his eyes and making his brother’s face mercifully blurry. “How dare you? I had to find out from Tankhun, of all people?! And it’s not until I leave that you suddenly give a damn what happens to me? Get out of my way, I’m going to find Cau and if you try to stop me, I’ll, I’ll, I’ll. I’ll fucking bite you, I don’t know!” He’s properly crying now, beating his fists uselessly against Porsche’s chest.

“Chay,” Porsche says again, far more gently this time, and he catches Chay’s wrists before pulling him into a tight hug. “Chay, it’s ok, it’s all ok, I promise.”

“Hia!” Chay squeezes out between loud sobs. “Hia, please.”

“Arm,” Porsche says, craning to speak over Chay’s head. “Arm, I think you need to go fetch Macau now.”

***

“The thing is, Khun Chay, that while the relationship between the major and minor families is much closer these days – ”

“You mean because hia and Khun Kinn can’t keep their hands off each other,” Chay asks. He knows that’s not really why, but it’s funny to see Arm trying to work out how to answer the question in front of Porsche. He’s currently sitting on Macau’s lap, arms wound around his neck, and while he hasn’t actually growled or snapped his teeth at anyone who comes near them, his demeanour is carefully cultivated to suggest that he might.

“Uh, yeah. Yes. That’s not how I’d – but yes, I suppose Khun Kinn and Khun Porsche do have quite a noticeable physical connection,” Arm admits reluctantly. “And it’s good that they’re married. That’s great! But obviously there’s the deposed remnants of the former minor family to consider – oh. Umm. Sorry for your loss, Khun Macau – but the point is that now we all have some distance from the attempted coup, Khuns Kinn and Porsche thought that, uh.”

“They thought it would be convenient to get me married off, I know.”

“No, hang on, it wasn’t - it was just a silly thing Khun suggested, and Kinn said it - ok, yeah, he said it would be convenient, yeah, but we weren’t going to actually do anything about it!” Porsche throws his hands up in exasperation, nearly knocking the tablet out of Arm’s hands. “You didn’t have to run away on a whim, Chay!”

“Hang on, what does this have to do with Vegas and I?” Macau asks, at the same time as Chay mutters ‘It wasn’t a whim!’

“What do you mean?” Porsche asks him, leaning forward with genuine confusion on his face. (Chay recognises it from the days when he used to ask Porsche for help with his algebra homework.) “It was – the plan was – well, no, it wasn’t a plan, but Khun’s idea was that you two should marry each other.”

“Oh shit,” Macau says, squeezing Chay’s waist tightly. “Oh, shit, babe! Do you know what this means?!”

Chay wriggles around in his lap to face him, disbelief and hope warring on his face. “Is he saying what I think he’s saying?”

“I think he’s saying that they’re not gonna stop us being together, actually,” Macau says. He reaches up to stroke Chay’s face gently, running the back of his knuckles reverently along his cheekbones.

“Hang on,” Porsche says. “Hang on, are you two – is that why you shared a room?!” He turns to stare at Arm accusingly; Arm quickly buries his head in his tablet and starts tapping away furiously. Porsche tuts and turns back to the disgraced runaways. “Macau! Did you fuck my brother last night?”

“Of course not!” Macau says quickly, and then his little gremlin grin returns. “Fun fact, phi, your baby brother is a very talented top.”

“Gah, shut up, shut the fuck up,” Porsche shouts, then covers his ears and starts humming when Macau opens his mouth to elaborate.

“Stop antagonising him, and I’ll stop Tankhun from dressing you in cerise on our wedding day,” Chay murmurs to Macau, slapping a hand over his open mouth. Macau licks his palm, mostly out of habit, but nods his agreement.

“It’s ok, hia, you can listen again,” Chay says. Arm leans over without looking up from his tablet and taps him on the shoulder. “I said, it’s ok. We’ve decided to take a rain check on the eloping plan today.”

“Oh, Khun Nu will be so relieved,” Arm says. “He was so worried.”

“Aww,” Chay says, willing to be far more lenient now things are going his way. “He was worried about Cau and I? That’s so sweet.”

“Oh, yes.” Arm pauses briefly. “Well. That, and he was worried he’d ordered a custom Armani for nothing.”

#monochrome-crisis #kptssanta23

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talesofsonicasura · 2 years

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Sun Wukongs I know and personal nicknames

Something I thought of writing down and will update. Go from most known to least known.

Hero Is Back- Dāsheng

A name that he's commonly called throughout the English Sub of the movie and for the videogame. Quite simple plus more easy for me to remember. Has a small stubby tail that he prefers to keep hidden.

Lego Monkie Kid- Diva

He gives me pure diva vibes. Exaggerate some situations like running out of peach chips or is too lax at a serious problem such as MK's magic mishaps. Makeup game is on point alongside some outfits.

Saiyuki Journey West- Hermit

Wise and mischievous type that only travels for important business or visit loved ones living far away. Otherwise he gives advice, assist, and tell tales to his kingdom.

Journey To The West 1996- Teacher

Most likely to get out of a problem without much issue due to 'Out of the Box Thinking'. (Man literally acted like a marriage councilor for Demon Bull King/Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan.) Happily teach others if they are willing to listen to his rules and is quick to help those struggling with something. A little extra but means well. Tail acts a bit wonky making it unable to hold stuff for long.

Stephen Chow movies Sun Wukong- Feral

The type to stir trouble in two ways. Extravagant or stealthy manipulation, anything explosive and embarrassing are the most used. Will bite someone's ankles if they call him short. Has a stubby tail so he keeps up his human glamor as he rather not have someone notice.

Adventures From China Monkey King- Trick

Pulls small pranks or tends to trick people. Would definitely start a prank way for shits and giggles. If someone does manage to prank him, he takes it in stride. Not really a sore loser.

Digimon's Gokuwmon- Silverback

Second biggest Sun Wukong iteration. A bit reclusive fighting fanatic. Very bitter from having the tightening circlet placed to his head after being born. Takes time to trust others but is fiercely loyal once a bond is established. Nickname being given from his silver fur coat.

Monkey King Reborn- Flame

Hotheaded and fiery temper to match. Will throw hands with someone that pisses him off so you got to hold him back. Mischievous shit who is quick to get annoyed upon being caught in whatever shenanigan he's currently up to.

Nezha Reborn Sun Wukong- Gamble

Will bet on almost everything and likes to take a dangerous or insane route for any situation. Most likely find him at a casino that ends up going bankrupt since he's an expert card shark. Has a short tail and doesn't really care if someone sees it.

Unruly Heroes Sun Wukong- Wild

The type of person to be chilling on someone's rooftop or sleeping in trees. Probably jump into animal exhibits at the zoo or jailbreak all the simians. Will steal food from people like a wild monkey.

Smite Sun Wukong- Warrior

Fighting fanatic. Most likely host a small tournament or issue a friendly challenge. When not in a fighting mood, found enjoying good food and fine wine. Great drinking buddy, martial arts teacher from hell.

Aura Star Online- Acrobat

Has a hard time keeping still and will be a bit extra whether traveling and in a fight. Most likely to free climb any tall structure to even performing flips across the terrain. Will sneak into any performance just to steal the show. Has a short stubby tail that he prefers to keep hidden but doesn't have much of a reaction if someone sees it.

Tower of Saviors- Casanova

Suave smooth talker capable of seducing many. A huge wine lover that tends to shift between young, old, handsome or beast like appearance. Very committed to a solid relationship. Is very polite to advances if they didn't know he's in a relationship and understand that he's taken. Shift into a more monstrous form to chase off any that don't get the hint and keep pressing.

(Aura Star Online Sun Wukong btw)

#tales of sonicasura #sonicasura #personal opinion #sun wukong #hero is back #saiyuki journey west #monkey king hero is back #monkey king reborn #nezha reborn #smite #stephen chow journey to the west #unruly heroes #lego monkie kid #adventures from china monkey king #aura star online #tower of saviors #jttw 96 #digimon

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5eraphim · 1 year

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I need a support group for people who were sexually awakened by the "let's make a deal" trope. Technically I believe the name for this trope falls under the category of "Dark Bargains," though, in some instances, it's more akin to a gamble than a contract. And thinking more about this trope i startd spiraling and made this meditation on writing these tropes and why they work so well.

My Favorite Dark Bargain Tropes

The Deal with the Devil

A tale older than time. A mortal human makes some kind of agreement with a supernatural entity (not always a devil, but some sort of malevolent entity.) for worldly gain at the cost of one's immortal soul. While putting a lowly human against a powerful supernatural entity sounds like the build-up to a predictable occlusion, this narrative has been interpreted in countless ways to subvert expectations or even to subvert prior iterations of this story.

This is a sister trope to the "chess against death" story, where the protagonist will actively try to beat the devil/death at the cost of their soul rather than taking an assured reward for a secure price. Usually, the two overlap when the protagonist tries to work their way out of the contract, challenging the devil directly.

Not only should your audience know why the protagonist would sacrifice their own soul for their reward, but what is the relationship between the protagonist and this antagonistic entity. Do they not believe in the afterlife, a hedonistic character only concerned with Earthly pleasure? Are they doing this as a last result, only making such a drastic sacrifice after an entire life of suffering? While the audience must understand the reward, "want," and motivation in question, the "fear" or lack thereof regarding the devil should likewise be understood.

The Bet

This one is super common in media. I remember from growing up and adult media/fiction. IMO, the better the characters, the more compelling the bet. Even one-dimensional characters can work so long as a real rivalry is established. Additionally, the audience won't care about the outcome if one person is written as blatantly overpowered or if this person loses through some cheap last-minute twist. A twist-ending can only work with proper foreshadowing or at least post-justification.

While this definitely falls under the "bargain" category, gambler characters flourish here, as they are all the more likely to risk it all and fight as hard as possible to win. Maybe they are blind to their own shortcomings regarding their opposition, or they don't understand the severity of the bet until they're in too deep. Just because your character wants to win doesn't mean they can't regret entering in the first place!

The genius of the trope really lies in simplicity. A bet can fuel a plot under just about any genre. It could come in the form of a high-stakes action game. The downward spiral of a hero in a tragedy. A high school romance where the (usually) male protagonist is challenged to woo his love interest after his friends bet he can't do it.

The other critical component is the "punishment" aspect, or whatever fate should befall the loser. The story doesn't even need to show what happens to the bet's loser as long as the steaks are straightforward. Not to say the outcome needs to be played straight! The punishment could be less about harming the loser and more about the winner's amusement. Or perhaps the loser secretly enjoys or finds comfort in their punishment. The bet is far more about the "chase" and less about the "success."

The Fantasy Contract

Very similar to the deal with the devil trope but with slightly less sinister connotations. The idea here is it's more a matter of contracting the supernatural to receive their help and agreeing to follow whatever fantastical laws of the land.

Typically, the supernatural entity would try to explain the rules and regulations in "human terms" to lure the protagonist into a false sense of security. To get a contract signed without reading the fine print or informed consent. Sometimes to the extent, the protagonist is effectively played like a pawn, just a minor stepping stone in the villain's master plan. The drama unfolds as your protagonist begins to learn they didn't understand what they signed up for and pick up there's more to the contract behind the scenes.

There must be a good reason a character would try to make a contract with the supernatural, whether they believe it safe to do so or not. It doesn't have to be as dramatic as trying to raise the dead, so long as the audience understands why your protagonist is making this bargain in the first place. Perhaps the supernatural entities are "wolf in sheep's clothing" types, telling stories of helping humanity and mortals for ages now, omitting any less savory details.

Get creative writing on how to summon the entity! Fiction gives us no shortage of inspiring and fascinating ritualistic scenes of how to summon spirits and commune with the occult. Or instead of bringing the entity to your protagonist, they need to seek out the creature themself. Whether that means embarking on a weeks-long voyage to another land or a walk across town. Focusing on the setting and the build-up before even meeting the creature help build up anticipation and characterization of whatever your protagonist must invoke.

Working off the Debt

Not necessarily the direct result of losing a bet or bargain, but essentially all iterations of this scenario begin with a character confronted, needing to pay up, but ultimately being unable to pay monetarily. Great diversity for the reason your character wound up here. Maybe they were tricked into agreeing to something without seeing the price first.

Often in this situation, the protagonist is given board while working off their debt for the antagonist, considering how living under the same roof as one essentially forcing you into servitude could affect your protagonist's mental state. Working under someone's direct control would force your protagonist to remain aware and suffer the consequences of being unable to pay up. Or they agreed to take out a loan to send money to someone they love and cannot pay back their debt now that it's accumulated interest. In the same vein, consider your character agreeing to work off the debt of someone close to protect them.

Great sense of drama comparing a lone character with a massive weight over their head and pressure to pay off their debt, forced into the service of another person or organization. The fear of eternal financial debt is terrifying to the modern audience, and the idea of physically toiling away under the fleeting hope of escaping living like this. Especially if your character is a "fish out of water" type, the antagonist takes advantage of their naivety or inexperience in their new home.

While the pain of working off debt should be well elaborated upon, consider the build-up to this moment. Has your character been trying to doge the debt collector for some time? How long have they been working up this debt? Not to say every debater should have a long history leading up to the punishment for failing to pay, but to better establish your character's past and how that's relevant to where they've ended up.

As for examples under the "Gambling" sub-genera

All or Nothing

Ironically this trope is perhaps more common in game shows and competitive reality tv shows than in fiction. While it's hard to begin a story with the protagonist ready to bet everything they have on one game, if the audience watches how and how long the protagonist works to acquire what they have, we'll care all the more to see if they win.

Again, this generally works well as a climax/finale to your story, of watching how hard your character had to work for their success. Generally, no one would make such a risky move to possibly lose everything, logically speaking. Is your character so caught up with winning, so blinded by hubris they believe they already have this in the bag? Are they only risking so much to definitively defeat the antagonist? What exactly does winning big or losing everything mean in the context of your story?

You could also interpret this as it's not that the protagonist will actually lose everything if they don't win, but the idea of being "second best" is just as bad as losing everything. A character with pride on the line rather than something physical.

Other questions to consider might include the context of your particular character and the "final gamble" in question. Have they lost this game before? Were they prepared for everything to come to this? How much should your audience know about the challenger making this offer in the first place? While the game in question can be obvious, we don't necessarily need to know as much about the challenger. Playing up the knowableness of the opposition can amp up your character's fear in the situation.

Descent into Addiction

Unlike many other tropes listed, this one is far less neutral and much less likely to be played for comedy rather than drama. (Assuming you're writing something high-stakes.) For most, addiction is a rather somber topic, and when trivialized or written unrealistically, people won't want to see what ultimately happens to the characters.

Essential to understand the distinction between addiction and dependence; and how those factors affect your story. While addiction is about needing more and more to achieve the same outcome, dependence focuses more on taking the same thing without a sure result. Both can be just as compelling, can work in tandem together, and can explain a physical vs. psychological need.

Relapses often play a considerable role in stories about a descent into addiction and can work as the trigger for the events of your story, just as well as the bitter conclusion. "You admire a character for trying more than for their successes." (Coats) A character's recovery history can be just as compelling as their addiction, and if you are writing a character relapsing, this is vital information.

Even people with the best intentions or misguided love can trigger a relapse in another, usually in the form of some kind of enabler. The type of people who don't necessarily intend to cause harm or hurt the addict but will lead to a relapse all the same. Perhaps your enabler could be some kind of foil to a "tough love" character. Show the audience the difference between someone who wants the addict happy, even if they know the consequences, vs. a character who would do anything to save the addict from a grizzly demise, even if that means a lot of pain and tough love along the way.

Fixing the Game

Either in the form of a game rigged from the start for players to lose or fixed by the protagonist's opposition. This particular trope rally flourishes in a traditional casino/gambling table setting, considering the way these places are explicitly engineered to fuck with people's perceptions of time.

If the protagonist is initially characterized as moral and fair, we could watch what it would take to break someone like this. As in, someone who swears to always play by the rules eventually breaks down by loss after loss until they contemplate cheating. To learn what it would take to "break" them in this sense and how guilt would factor into all of this.

As important as the protagonist, the audience should know who stacks the game against the protagonist. Not to say the motive should be divulged immediately, but rather only in ways relevant to the main character. It doesn't matter if the enemy is a rival player or if the entire casino is in on the heist. It's the intention that counts.

Great way to build tension/suspense for the reader if privy to how the game is stacked, while the characters aren't. Or if subtle clues are laid, leading to the "Ah-Ha!" moment when all the pieces fall into place.

Strip Poker

I have no analysis here. Just always love the tension slowly builds. A relatively neutral conflict can be played for laughs or dread just as easily. Works best if the audience is given a variety of reactions from players. The possibilities are endless to see who would be embarrassed, who is just having a good time, who is hyper-focused on winning, and who would lose intentionally.

Lottery of Doom

A sort of toned-down cousin of the "death game" genre. The idea that a character can meet a deadly execution determined by sheer chance alone is terrifying!

The idea that this could happen to anyone plays on the natural human fear of disasters or fatal accidents, how any day could be our last. No matter how careful you are or how you try to protect yourself, it's simply impossible to prepare for everything. Sure, your main character might've survived the last lottery and every one before it, but that won't protect them from the next drawing.

In a more creative twist, you could play with the idea that your main character has won a gruesome lottery, but they don't know about the "doom" part yet. Someone so caught up in winning they only realize what they've signed up for once it's too late.

This trope is somewhat rare compared to the others listed but has excellent narrative potential nonetheless. While the format of a literal lottery isn't as exciting as gambling, it's the motive we need to care about. Maybe you're writing about a cursed town sacrificing virgins to appease a wrathful god, its pure population control, or just another cruel practice in your dystopian society.

#idk if this is an overshare but holy hell i spent way too long on this #i know good writers are supposed to avoid tropes like the plague #but i've aways been so fascinated learning niche examples of tropes i love #.txt

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