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mysweetgirl2-love · 2 years

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After A Long Day… - Artem Wing x Reader

Please, this one is maybe the simplest and, honestly??, it was kinda my favorite write so far.

At least, he started heading in a positive trend writing wise. Very much enjoyed describing this small shared moment between you and the best lawyer in Stellis 🙈 Live, love, Artem.

Warnings: None, this is pure soft. Very sweet interaction :)) don't let the prompt deceive you, I promise ^^" Prompt #10: Undressing Word Count: 2.8k

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“You’re doing WHAT tonight?!”

Cringing slightly at how Kiki’s voice screeched over the phone’s receiver, you found yourself panicked in the middle of your boss’ living room, wondering if you just should end the call before he could hear your co-worker yelling at you on the line. Even when she wasn’t on speaker, the voice was just a little too loud for the setting you found yourself in.

“Yes. Yes! Now, if you would just shut. UP. Maybe! Maybe my cover won’t be blown.” You growled over the phone, causing your tone to be more intimidating than possibly need-be but knowing it was better that way if it got the message you needed relayed across to your excitable friend.

It was late on a Friday night where you found yourself infiltrating the space you were just starting to grow more accustomed to. You and your boss, also known as the youngest and most successful lawyer of his time, recently had started seeing one another. Not like you were just hired and your boss was starting to notice your hard work-kind of seen, no. In all honesty, to your unbeknownst self, Mr. Wing had been noticed truly since the day you started working at his firm. A spunky, up-and-coming young woman in his office was hard to miss for anyone, and the talent in which you displayed in a courtroom wasn’t unforeseen by him either. Arguably, he had grown to be enamored with you before ever having the chance to ask your name.

He wasn’t invisible to you either, obviously. Being someone of his status in the world of law, along with his undeniable looks and physical beauty, it was hard to turn a blind eye to him for those reasons and more. If not you trying to keep your head in the game of the work field, and not hopelessly falling for your boss, both your co-worker and the firm’s executive woman were quick to point out the tension around you both whenever you had interacted. It was increasing in complication with every passing day you both came into work, and finally both Kiki Bennett and your bosses boss, Celestine Taylor, ultimately convinced you to approach the man and profess your growing crush before it “became too much of a distraction”.

Thus, taking the Artem Wing by surprise, a relationship formed from business turned into that of involvement. Something he didn’t quite know how to handle, or if he should feel good about indulging in anyway. Another personal note in himself, he truly did find himself to have a certain infatuation with your person, he ultimately said yes because of words from Ms. Taylor. Whereis, in a previous conversation, the woman had talked you up and your teamwork on the floor of the firm, claiming you to be a strong, independently willed person, who always knew what they were doing.

That, on top of the silent praises Artem held internally for the lawyer you were turning out to be, was what reassured him that saying yes wouldn’t halt his work… and that it was alright to indulge in what fate was kind enough to give him a chance with.

So, he agreed to your asking of grabbing a bite to eat after work—the time now being two weeks since your first outing with one another. Where drinks were shared, drunk talk maybe too quickly came off of your tongue, and feelings were no longer able to be denied as he asked the details of how you felt about him, the intoxicated haze your drinking had put you in making it hard to have any filter. Admitting to things like how you admired the broadness in his shoulders, and lovesick words centered around how “the blue of your eyes makes me feel like I’m drowning in an endless ocean of sight,” and maybe how he should be a glasses model.

All to which you were very apologetic and embarrassed for the following morning, he reassured you over the phone by saying it wasn’t a big deal. That he found your ramblings “endearing,” and wouldn’t be opposed to hearing more when eventually given the chance.

It had at least a month since that night out, and though it wasn’t the only time you both had reserved time one another outside of work since then, nothing had yet to compare. You blamed your endless babbling on how great of a boss Artem was in your eye’s, but Artem had claimed it was because his workload had since spiked over the course of that month and it was hard to find time for something quite like it again.

With that in mind, and having recently acquired personal access to his penthouse of an apartment, you took it upon yourself to maybe help relieve some of the tension from a work day by surprising him with a night in together. Now, was entering his apartment without outrightly telling him you’d be there when he got home a good idea? Arguably, no. You were never great at giving surprises, and with Kiki’s reaction to where you had bustled yourself off to after work… you could only hope Artem wouldn’t find this incredibly invasive.

Kiki’s whine resounded again from your speaker, your name being dragged out in a tone that all too nagging, “I didn’t think you’d be so quick in getting a spare to his apartment!”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s crazy, no I don’t think we’re moving too fast, the place is great, yada, yada, yada,” You threw another throw pillow up on the couch in trying to make the place more homely. When you first had come over, the apartment barely looked lived in; even the bedroom had crisply pressed sheets and just all around smelled like fresh laundry. Before ultimately returning this evening, you had run to a department store—purchasing a few seasonal appropriate decorations that you thought would fit his space. “Are we done here?”

“No! No way are ‘we done here,’ I need details!” You rolled your eyes at your phone, then moving to just hold the device against your ear with your shoulder, hands too busy with the pillow details.

“Look, Kiki, as much as I love being your friend and gossiping about all the good, bad, and the ugly—“

“This isn’t even that!” She interrupted, much to your very irate dismay, “This is BIGGER than just gossip! You’re—“

There are approaching footsteps you can distinctly hear from outside the apartment, and you’re suddenly bounding back up the stairs to your boss’ bedroom to hide from the incoming man himself. Only when you were in the securely out of sight from the

“Look. Kiki. I have to go.”

“Wait—“ you heard just the beginning of your name leave her mouth as you hit the end call button and cut her off. Further turning your cell on do not disturb, you placed it face down on Artem’s dresser and planned on leaving it there to avoid any bombarding texts you were bound to receive in plenty after your phone would send Kiki to voicemail each time she tried calling back.

You eased your body against the frame of the bedroom as you intently listened to what was happening beyond the room, clearly hearing Artem now moving into the space and going through his evening routine. The shoes clicked on his tiled entry as he slipped out of them, knowing this is where you would ultimately be found out.

There was a pause in noise from beyond his doorway, maybe a light shuffling as you imagined him looking over the familiar dress shoes also by his step. A beat or two more, and slowly you heard him step into his living room with a weighted pause.

Softly, not quite a whisper but lower than his familiar ‘inside-voice’, he hushed your name. Breathed it into the space, and upon its calling, you step out from behind the wall and found him already to be peering up at the balcony over his living room, anticipating you.

It was subtle, but you swore you saw his eyes brighten with your appearance from the room. Bubbly giddiness guiding you back down the stairs and back to the first floor of the penthouse. “Hi…”

Artem barely gives himself time to breathe at your greeting before he’s already pacing your way, arms extended and open for you if you chose to accept them. And, you were not going to be the person to deny his welcoming hug.

Taking your own step forward, you pressed into his chest and let his arms wrap fittingly around your shoulders, pulling you in and pressing you to the fabric of his dress shirt—his comforting smell of mixed cologne and office smell calming any senses previously heightened by the interaction with Kiki.

“When’d you get here?” His voice is still quiet, hands curling gently around your shoulders and holding you in place.

You shake your head in starting to respond, “Not too long ago… maybe a half hour?”

“Ah,” Artem shifts, and suddenly you’re pulled away from his front and instead held at a distance, his eyes giving you a once-over, “were you alright getting in on your own? The doorman didn’t give you any problems?”

“He saw I had the key and didn’t question twice. Artem, please.” Your own hand reaches and gently wraps around his wrist, giving the larger man a reassuring squeeze, “You worry too much.”

Artem’s eyes warmed with the comment, a light shrug shifting through him, “I would like to argue that it’s almost my job to keep worrying…”

“Sure, but not about me!” You giggled, shaking your head gently before your eyes fell on the tie he always wore. The sleek fabric almost shining in the warm overhead lights of his apartment. Slowly your hand fell from his wrist and, with the other, reached for the accessory decorating his center—slipping your finger in its knot and pulling down. “You shouldn’t feel so responsible at home.”

“I—Well, yes— But—“ Mr. Wing was suddenly a stuttering, stumbling mess as you continued in your actions, “When-When it comes t-to you—“

“Please, I feel like me being here should be your biggest relief,” You openly teased as the tie slipped out of its bonding and simply laid around his collar. “I don’t think there’s a place safer in Stellis for me to be.”

“M-Maybe,” finally lifting a hand, Artem cleared his throat and leveled his emotions, getting ahold of himself, “but, you didn’t want to wait for me to also get off work?”

You couldn’t help but grin at the question, promptly shaking your head, “No. That would ruin the surprise.”

“Surprise?” Suddenly then Artem lifted his gaze to peer around the room, his eyes falling on the throw pillows separately adorned in both fall leaves and gourds, looking to find a candle lit in the center of the coffee table, quickly turning once over his shoulder to the table where he kept a few framed photos and seeing the grouping of differing-colored pumpkins bunched together. He let out an easy chuckle with now having lasting touches of you affecting his apartment, finally peering back towards you with a gentle nod. “I see now… very nice.”

You grinned so hard it caused the skin on your nose to scrunch and it gave your smile a new pureness in excitement, happy to be here, physically, emotionally, with him. His approval just made your enthusiasm all the more prevalent, like he could feel it radiating off you in waves.

“So, you like it?” You ask carefully, reaching up and then pulling the tie out from under his collar. He seemed to shiver at the sensation of the silk slipping out, maintaining his smile this time.

“Mhm.* He slowly nodded, his attention now fixated on watching the tie gently fall through your fingers, “I don’t think ‘like’ is the right term…”

You raised a brow lightly up at him, your head falling on its side to emphasize your curiosity, “Oh? You’d call it something else?”

“I love them,” he answered swiftly, and you were taken by such a meaningful word falling from his lips, your cheeks then feeling warm on your face, “it’s like a little touch of you can finally stay in the apartment.”

The increasing beat of your heart then faltered, and you gasped as if it would help restart its beating. Artem’s warmth quickly fell with a panicked look creasing into brows, his hands hovering around your elbows.

“Did I say something wrong?” He suddenly asked, worry etched into his brow that he might’ve taken it a step too far, “I didn’t mean to overwhelm—“

“What? Oh! No, no, Artem,” You lightly laughed and let your hand not preoccupied with his tie fall lightly on his shirt’s breast pocket, “you’re totally fine. I just wasn’t expecting such a… poetic statement.”

“Poetic?” He spoke the word with an awkward, “I don’t believe I’ve ever been associated with the word.”

“You’re a lawyer, you’re not supposed to be.” You grinned with your joke, “Hence my surprise~”

Artem laughed gently through his nose, his head leaning in and allowing the bridge of his nose to gently press against the skin of your forehead. You melted at the point of contact, the smile hurting your cheeks with how wide you were continuously beaming.

“Thank you, by the way,” He murmured softly, his breath washing over your face and lulling you further into this hazy comfort, “I’m very grateful for this surprise.”

“I appreciate your feedback,” You chimed, your hands slipping now under his topcoat and pushing the article of clothing from his shoulders, it sliding down his arms just from its weighted material, “but it’s not even the highlight of the evening?”

“Really?” He’s now eager to shrug himself of his outer layer of clothing, get comfortable, “What else would you have planned?”

“Does a movie night-in sound fun? Something easy for the season?” You both gave each other some distance to keep admiring the other, not seeming to be able to stare long enough in being able to comprehend just how attractive the other was. You felt corny in that moment, but the giddiness you saw in him at the suggestion of a movie was clear.

“You truly do know the way to my heart.”

It wasn’t a secret to you that Artem had a certain appeal when it came to watching films—both asking you with your co-workers what you all thought about recent films that had come to theaters, and ones that had already existed for an extended period of time. Being able to give him the space for something comforting like a movie night, as well as listening to his ramblings about certain choices behind one’s film-making, was certainly a good outlet to provide him with after a day at work.

“I try to pick up on things,” You relent afterwards, grabbing the jacket which finally slipped from his wrists and clutching it around one arm. You held it between the both of you, nodding at Artem with your chin, “Hurry up, then. Go get comfortable and I’ll start making popcorn.”

“Do you have a movie in mind?” He asked while watching you step away for the kitchen.

“Thought I’d give you the honors, silly.” You chimed while reaching one of the many cabinets over his counter, reaching up for one of the handles, “It’s your surprise.”

“Then, I’ll be right back.” He cleared his throat, you having to laugh before shooting him an amused look. Finding it almost hard to believe you allowing his choice made him flustered, and yet you still found the tips of his ears were certainly brighter in color than the rest of him; such was the truth.

Artem didn’t hesitate any longer, quickly pacing up his stairs and turning into his bedroom leaving you down below. The greeting was sweet, and being able to relax in his arms seemed like a great way to end your night, end off the busy week at Stellis Law Firm. You couldn’t ask for a better outcome.

Artem suddenly called your name from the room, you promptly turning and widening your eyes to find the man with his shirt now halfway unbuttoned. White, broad shoulders further showing themselves to you along with the dips of his collarbone. He was focused elsewhere, though, and you quickly realized he was dangling your phone out in your direction.

“Ms. Bennett seems to be calling…?”

You groaned, your head falling into a facepalm, deciding then maybe the lack of Kiki could make it better.

“Don’t worry about it,” you waved your hand back up at the balcony, placing the microwavable popcorn into his microwave, “just… her trying to get the details about tonight.”

“I see…” You could hear the smile in Artem’s voice as he retracted back to his room, “Well, she’ll be glad to hear about it from me, personally, on Monday.”

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nagisadelune · 1 year

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Headcanon: Cooking For Artem

(Definitely not edited)

YEAH BOIIIIIIIIII! IT'S OUR FAVORITE SENIOR ATTORNEY, MR. ARTEM WING'S BIRTHDAY! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Okay, so I wanted to write something for Artem's birthday that is coming up (April 26th) because why not? Anyways, I know that I haven't written anything in awhile, but I hope that this kind of makes up for the sudden increase of workload. Either way, I hope you enjoy this one!

For our timeline, you can basically imagine any timeline. Whether you want to be dating, married, engaged to him; imagine this however you would like to. Also, I would like for you to imagine that you're working at Themis as Artem's partner if you decide to not be Rosa.

⭐⭐⭐

"How come you're yawning so much?" Kiki asks you in the middle of her story. With the new case that you and Artem received a couple days ago, you two are both swamped with work, trying to sort out the paperwork and known evidence. As much as you love working here, it definitely needs a lot of time and effort to get it done.

After taking a sip of your fresh coffee, you look at her to explain, "Mr. Wing and I just started a new case, so we needed to put in some overtime to get through what we wanted." Kiki only nods in response before taking a sip of her coffee. Suddenly, you notice the confusion in her eyes.

"I don't think that explains why you're so tired though?" she asks, staring into the reflection of her coffee to put the pieces together. "Even if you and Mr. Wing work overtime, he would make sure that you two get home decently on time," she continues before squinting at dark circles, "and you seem to be yawning more than the previous times that you two worked together into the night." You look back down at your coffee cup to hopefully hide your face a little; you didn't want her finding out about your plan and blurting it out to the entire office.

"Y-Yeah, I just didn't sleep well," your voice trails off before you take another sip of coffee. Although you can't exactly see her face, Kiki's studying eyes seem to bore a hole into your forehead. When you finally pull the coffee cup away from your face, Kiki's eyes seem to widen, seemingly putting the pieces together.

"Did you prepare something?" she asks teasingly, poking at your arm. With the blush in your cheeks, you realize that she knew your plans. With a sigh, you can only nod at her response where she excitedly places down her cup and claps her hand like a child who just figured out the hardest math problem in the homework. "What did you prepare? A gift? Or something more?" she begins bombarding you with questions, trying to figure out more about your little surprise. Suddenly, her voice seems to cut off, and you watch her freeze up in front of you. "G-Good morning Mr. W-Wing," she greets, stuttering on her words. Confused, you turn around for your eyes to meet with a familiar chest.

"Good morning," Artem greets with a slight nod. "If you don't mind, I would like my partner for the new case we're working on." Kiki can only nod and excuse herself awkwardly before escaping the senior attorney's gaze. You look back at Artem confused before he looks down at you. "Sorry to disturb your conversation, but I think I found another clue for the case," he explains briefly, catching your attention. The two of you start walking back to his office as you discuss the details.

"Does it regard the testimony of the main suspect?" you question, your thoughts returning to the case. Artem nods to confirm your suspicions before explain his train of thought. While you try to keep your mind on the task at hand, you feel the drowsiness catching up to you, making your steps slow down. Before Artem catches you lagging behind, you try to catch up to him again, but you awkwardly trip over your own feet, causing you to yelp slightly. Closing your eyes to brace for the impact of the hard floor, you feel yourself hitting a softer surface, hands on your arms and a familiar scent hitting your nose. Opening your eyes, your eyes land on the fabric of a suit, making you rush to stand.

"Are you okay?" Artem asks worriedly, looking over your body to visually check everything. Feeling the blood rush to your cheeks from the situation, you can barely give him a verbal response and look at him, making you choose to nod instead. With a sigh of relief, Artem appears to relax a little before checking you one more time. "Did you not sleep well last night?" he wonders aloud, and you're sure that he noticed the dark circles under your eyes.

"I slept well, but I guess I didn't sleep enough," you answer carefully, your voice small enough for only Artem to hear. Artem shakes his head helplessly before you two step into his office. The thud of the door shutting wakes you up slightly, but you can't help but to yawn and take another sip of coffee.

"It is nearing the time for lunch, so maybe you need some energy?" Artem pieces together before grabbing his phone from his desk. "Let's order some food, so we can eat twelve. Do you want your usual order?" he asks, scrolling on his phone screen. With your tired brain, you just process the situation, making you wake up instantly.

"A-actually, I don't think we need to order anything," you suddenly state, making him looking up from his phone confused. Without another word, you walk towards your bag and rummage through the contents from the specially packaged items. With your back facing towards him and his eyes on you, the nervousness finally hits you; you can only hope that he likes your little surprise for him. Your hand brushes against a familiar fabric texture and holds onto it. Carefully, you begin to dig it out of your bag, making sure your wrapping doesn't get too ruined. When you lift the two surprises out of your bag, you turns towards him, and his eyes stare at the two items in your hands confused.

Before you get the chance to explain yourself, Artem suddenly pieces the clues together, "Did you wake up early to cook for us today?" When he completely figures out, you can only nod at his response.

"I decided to cook today since you always cook for us and handle my meals even though that's supposed to be my responsibility," you explain quietly. With a small pause, you realize how the air in the office turned awkward, making you explain yourself further. "W-well I technically didn't really cook much; I only made the rice, cut up some vegetables, cooked it together with some meat, and arranged it. It really isn't much compared to what you do, but I just wanted to return the favor after everything you've done for me," you ramble quickly before realizing that you just made the situation even more awkward. In an instant, you try to hide your face and clear your throat. "W-we don't have to eat it if you don't-" you shyly start again before Artem cuts you off.

"You cooked for me?" Artem whispers, his tone reflecting his touched and confused feelings. You nod again at Artem before you hear his steps approach you. The load in your hands seem to lighten, and you see one of the lunch boxes you packed in Artem's hand. "Let's just eat here then," he softly offers, a small smile on his face. You nod with a smile on your face, feeling slightly relieved that he accepted your gift. After unwrapping and reheating the food, you two are seated on the couch and eating the meal you prepared. However, there's a slight problem: you messed up the seasoning; you only realize it after you take a bite and realize how bland the meal is. Sadly, Artem already had a couple bites while reading the document on his tablet, making you cringe at your mistake. You can only await his comments about the food, making you try to distract yourself by reading a document for the case.

An awkward silence lands over you as you nervously scan through the lines of the document. Although you feel like you need to break the silence, you know that it would still be too awkward for you. The most you could do was to shovel your bland stir-fry into your mouth and to cry internally about forgetting to season your own food. Seriously, how do you forget to season vegetables and meat? While you're mentally kicking yourself about this, you manage to not hear Artem trying to call your attention to the point that he needs to tap you on the head. When you realize what just happened, your cheeks burn red from embarrassment. Trying to compose yourself, you look up to see Artem staring at you blankly.

"W-what is it? D-did you f-find anything?" you stutter out, making you internally scream at yourself again. At the worst possible moment, your tongue slips on the syllables of your words, and you can only hope that Artem notices your nervousness.

"Not yet," he answers softly, "but you have been awfully quiet. Is everything okay?" Of course, he would notice; the top attorney of Stellis would definitely notice any abnormal behavior out of his partner.

You only sigh in defeat before you admit your mistake: "I forgot to season the food, so I just gave you bland food." You want to bury yourself into the ground, so your embarrassment can disappear. However, Artem's reaction catches you slightly off guard.

"The food was fine," Artem responds in an attempt to ease your feelings. "Yes, it was bland, but that's an easy fix compared to cooking it incorrectly." While honest with your cooking, you can't help but feel him picking at his words to not offend you. Because of this, you still feel upset about your lack of memory and don't notice him watching your face twist at your cringe. He carefully sets down the empty container and gently places his hand over yours. Not expecting his warm hands on yours, the blood suddenly rises in your cheeks, and your heart pounds against your chest. "Bland food is better than burnt food. I'm just glad that someone even tried to cook for me, alright?" Artem comforts you as his fingertips slightly press into your skin. You can only nod at him and not make eye contact, slightly relieved by his reaction.

"Next time, I'll make you something better then!" you promise out loud, finally making eye contact with him. With a bright smile on your face, his eyes widen in shock before a moment before returning your smile. His hand squeezes yours for a moment before letting go and turning his body towards you.

"Maybe you should try to cook when we're not overloaded with a case. I know you forgot to add the seasoning because you didn't get enough sleep last night," Artem reasons, patting your head. In shock, you stare at him, trying to piece together how he figured it out.

When you get stuck, you finally ask, "How did you know that?" Your eyes try to blink the tiredness away from your eyes as he stares at you with a smile on his lips.

"I know the work we have to do, and we're partners. Do you really think I wouldn't be able to figure out that you didn't sleep enough after seeing you get more coffee?" he asks. Trying to figure out how he knew you grabbed more coffee for yourself, he awkwardly clears his throat to cut off any questions you have, "I mean, you rarely get coffee around noon since I tell you that I'm going to order lunch soon." Understanding his logic, your cheeks grow red from embarrassment as he seems to read you like a book. Hiding your hands in your face, you hear Artem move off of the couch for a moment and walk to somewhere near his desk. You look over at him as he searches for something in his closet.

"Do you need any help looking for something?" you ask cautiously before standing up. You are about to walk over to him when he finally pulls out a folded blanket from the closet. Glancing over at you, he shoots you a small smile before closing the door and walking towards you.

"Lay down," he tells you, and you can only warily relax your body on the couch. He sits down beside you before unfolding the blanket and covering your body, adjusting the edges of the blanket to cover the entirety of your back and shoulders. "Take a rest. I have energy because of your food, but you must be exhausted from cooking in the morning," Artem quietly explains as he carefully tucks a pillow underneath your head. Before you can protest that two minds are better than one in the new case, he cuts you off, "Not having enough sleep will impede your logic and thinking. It's best if you sleep and let your mind process it for a bit." While you acknowledge that his explanation makes sense, you can't help but feel like you're not doing your part of the work for the case.

"But I want to finish another part before I rest," you complain quietly, almost feeling your lips pout. Although you want to keep working, your body feels warm under the blanket, slowly lulling you to sleep. "I should at least finish reading the document," you mutter out as you curl up under the blanket. Within another minute or two, your mind already eases your thoughts into silence, and you're sleeping soundly with the blanket covering half of your face. When you stop talking, Artem glances over to see you sleeping peacefully like a child and chuckles at you. His hand carefully brushes your hair away from your face, and his voice quietly mutters something.

"Thank you for today. Sleep well."

⭐⭐⭐

Okay, I'll admit that this one is really sweet. I swear someone is going to get diabetes from reading these sort of things lol. Anyways, I hope you liked this one! I know that this isn't exclusive to Artem's birthday, but I still wanted to write something sweet because it is his birthday. Anyways, I hope to see you in the next one!

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alstroemeriadissonance · 2 years

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NXX Turns into Cat - Part 1 (Meowrius)

Each NXX duder turns into a cat. Everyone else—Rosa, mostly—deals with the mess.

Separate Timelines for each NXX duder.

Hijinks and absolute pettiness (pun intended) ensue.

The same thing has been happening in the conference room, yet again.

The din of rising voices escalated gradually at every exchanged line, the argument easily becoming the focus of this week’s meeting. Eventually all the preparations for the meeting: the data projected against the wall, printouts of confidential data, softcopies meant to be pushed to each attendee’s devices—all became worthless.

Even under the dimmed lights of the conference room Marius could easily pick out the shrugging of Rosa’s shoulders; Luke had also quit bothering to be surreptitious with playing his mobile game, even laying his phone flat on the table, its screen showing miniature soldiers fighting for dominance in yet another tower defense game.

“I am telling you right now, Richter, the course of action you are proposing is unwise. Someone has to stay and process the data here in the Headquarters, and the best candidate to do that will be the owner of the sys—”

An elegant, yet seething voice cut in. “If you were listening for the past hour, Wing, I did say that the manual input required for this case is very minimal, and that it can easily be done remotely.”

“You are just looking for excuses to run off with my junior, and as her boss I do not—”

Marius’s ears started to tune out the bickering between the two oldest NXX members, who unfortunately also acted most childishly whenever the point of contention involved a certain someone.

He sighed as he shifted in his seat, uncrossing and crossing his legs. The meeting has been running for more than an hour now, and yet very little has been achieved.

God. Let this end already.

The pile of printed documents—all bearing important, confidential information handed to them under the table by Captain Darius Morgan—remained untouched; a good indicator as to how much time had been wasted within the confines of the NXX conference room.

Oddly enough Marius remained reticent all throughout; he kept to himself ever since they started to convene for their regular meeting.

Usually he would’ve joined the fray, or oftentimes even start the bickering; but all Marius had been doing for the past hour and a half was stare at Rosa, who sat across from him at the conference table.

One of his hands propped up his chin as he made googoo eyes at her—which the junior lawyer deliberately ignored, her eyes stubbornly glued to the holographic display projected onto the glass wall—while his other hand fiddled with cloth charm that he received a couple of days ago under very, very strange circumstances.

“I just need to hold on to this while making my wish, huh.” Marius’s quiet voice was easily drowned out by the argument now made worse with Luke joining in. His eyes were still glued to his favorite Missy Lawyer, wishing and hoping she’d spare him a glance; maybe even throw him just a crumb of acknowledgement.

Yet Rosa was still hellbent on ignoring Marius, still upset at the relentless teasing he did while they were waiting for Vyn to arrive at the Headquarters’ lounge before the meeting started.

Everything had come to a head when he, still riding that exhilarating high he usually experienced whenever he was around her, saw it fit to steal her packed lunch of chicken nuggets and fries.

Then proceeding to eat each and every piece in front of her.

Marius had meant to buy her a new lunch out of the goodness of his heart—that way she’d have something fresh and hot when lunchtime came—yet he just had to run his mouth and made his already vile deed worse several magnitudes over by proclaiming she deserved something better, maybe cooked by one of the chefs under his family’s employ, believing that the chicken nuggets were merely bought from some fast food joint nearby.

As it turned out, Rosa herself cooked the nuggets, and was particularly proud of how she managed to pull off a certain fast food joint’s secret recipe.

Needless to say, he accidentally wounded her pride in the worst way possible.

How do I make her look at me again? His fingers flipped the small silk charm in his hand over and over, as he looked at her with such pining. Can’t stand the thought of letting the day end without her forgiving me for being such a dumbass.

He sighed once again.

It seemed that all he could do at this point was to merely sigh.

No longer seeing the point of the meeting, Marius took out the silken charm from underneath the table, placing it on the glass surface so he could appreciate its details: A cartoonish depiction of a rotund calico cat was embroidered onto the pink silk; Marius found it extremely endearing, for something that had been promised to him as a precious artifact powerful enough to grant wishes.

I wonder…

===

Two days ago.

“Mr. Von Hagen! Mr. Von Hagen!”

Normally, Marius would ignore any unfamiliar voice who called for him, striding faster in an effort to get away from yet another enterprising distant whoever who saw it fit to take their chances with the ‘young, impressionable Von Hagen’.

Yet this time, Marius immediately stopped and turned around to face the man, for one simple reason: They were both in the corridor leading to his own bedroom.

Which meant that the total stranger managed to get past their usually formidable security and infiltrate his family’s private residence.

Marius was ready to deck the man who dared —and probably whoever was in today’s security detail—but he stopped dead in his tracks the moment he laid his eyes on the little man who trailed him.

To say that the little man was strangely attired was a severe understatement: a voluminous red silken belted robe over loose black trousers; the entire outfit topped off with a black silk ceremonial cap sporting a long tail that trailed along the short man’s back.

The entire costume wasn’t too outrageous by Marius’s standards—he vaguely recognized it from the depictions of Japanese shrine priests he’d seen on television—but the fact that there was a Japanese shrine priest lurking in his home had him pinching the side of his arm to check if he was dreaming or snoozing in the middle of a particularly boring board meeting.

“No, no. This is no dream, I can assure you, Mr. Von Hagen,” the strange looking man simpered. “I am only here to make a delivery. Yes.”

Having had his share of dubious gifts sent his way, Marius had to raise his hand in objection. “Whoa. Hold on there.” He gave the other man a once-over. He wasn’t carrying anything that could be taken as a particularly expensive gift; both of the man’s hands were empty. Maybe there’s a small jewelry box hidden somewhere in those huge sleeves? He threw a cursory glance at the man’s clothing, including the voluminous trousers made of flowy fabric. Maybe something jade?

The Shinto priest’s eyes further narrowed into slits; his mouth curved in a sly grin. “If you are looking for anything suspicious, you will find nothing. No.” His hand finally slipped into one of his trousers’ side pockets, producing a flat embroidered flat silken pouch sealed on one end with an elaborate knot. “This. Take it.”

Tiny hands grabbed Marius’s closed fist, planting the silk charm onto his palm and closing his fingers over it. “The girl wished for you the best. She is a kind, pure soul.” The priest’s grin widened further. “You are lucky, yes. She got the best luck; she chose to give it away. To you.”

This is getting ridiculous. Marius slipped his own hand into his pocket, pressing the hidden side button of his smartphone designed only to be used whenever his life in his danger; and this was a good moment for him to believe he was indeed in danger: someone snuck into a place where he is most vulnerable, whose behavior was too unpredictable that Marius may probably not be able to talk his way out of it should things go horribly south.

“To use this charm, just hold it in your right hand and make a wish. That’s it. Easy peasy .”

“Hang on. Who sent this? Who’s ‘she’?”

“Eheheh. That, Mr. Von Hagen, is a trade secret.” Marius could almost make out a flashing of teeth as the man grinned. “An exchange of favors, then? Yes?”

Marius gulped. He had listened to many proposals enough for him to know that agreeing to anything with this sort of person, even verbally, was dangerous.

“I’m just asking who she is. Not interested in making a blind deal, old man.”

The device was supposed to send the closest security to his location within a matter of a single minute or less; yet Marius found himself still talking—and trying to suss out more details on the gift and the identity of the sender—for way longer than a few minutes and yet no one has arrived yet.

Shit. Did he…?

No. Impossible.

“...like I said, Mr. Von Hagen, if there is no exchange, then I am honor-bound not to let you know who she is, no.”

“Alright. Okay, how about this, then. How the hell did you manage to get here?”

“I have my ways, yes.”

Marius had a few choice words for that kind of sassy reply—some people actually did pull that on him—yet he was briefly distracted by a small flash of light off the other end of the corridor behind the suspicious man, his eyes only leaving him for a few seconds. “Wait—what hap—”

Then, a flick of a bushy tail in the shadows.

“—pened…”

When he set his sights back to where the priest stood, there was no other soul in the otherwise empty corridor but his.

A few seconds later frantic footsteps thumped across the carpet; security had finally arrived, and each and every one of them swore that only less than a minute passed between them receiving his distress signal and their arrival at the scene.

A later review of CCTV footage revealed that Marius was standing by himself in the corridor for a few moments; no one was with him, strange-looking little man or otherwise.

Marius had then chalked the hallucination up to work fatigue.

But the silk charm was still in his fist.

===

Loud scuffling sounds pulled Marius away from his reverie. Artem and Vyn would have already traded blows, if it weren’t for Luke restraining Artem by holding onto his arms and Rosa doing the same to Vyn, trying her hardest not to let go.

Look at her. Wish she’d hold on to me like that, Marius idly mused as he ran his thumb across the charm’s smooth fabric, conveniently ignoring the context behind why Rosa was clinging to the doctor’s arms. I wish she’d hold me, tell me I’m a good boy …

…

“Meow.”

===

“What the actual fuck.”

Luke ran towards Marius’s chair. “Marius. God fucking damnit I can’t deal with your stupid jokes right now.” His voice came out strangled in utter frustration as he stared at the slate gray-colored cat sitting on a pile of Marius’s discarded clothing, heaped haphazardly all over the latter’s seat. “This is the worst time to be pulling jokes, Marius. Come out now, or I’ll make sure the Von Hagens won’t have their next generation.”

Vyn let out an inelegant snort. “I suppose our squabbling bored him. If you only listened to reason, Wing, instead of forcing onto me your insecurities—”

“All of us can see through you, Richter—”

Luke had had enough. “Hey, Watson. Remember how we fixed this kind of problem back in middle school?”

“Wait what do you mean—oh.” Rosa's lips slowly cracked into a smile as comprehension dawned on her. “Yeah. How we always solved quarrels in the playground back then?” She winked. “Let’s do it, for old time’s sake.”

“That’s my Watson. On the count of three, then… One.” Luke cracked his gloved knuckles. “Two.”

Artem and Vyn, both too preoccupied with each other, failed to notice the other two sneaking into position behind them: Luke once again behind Artem, and Rosa slinking into Vyn’s shadow.

“Three..”

Luke and Rosa both grabbed and pulled the back of the other two’s collars, then—not giving Artem nor Vyn any chance to react—collided Artem’s and Vyn’s heads against each other’s with such force, that the impact produced a thud sound loud enough to make Rosa wince.

Vyn let out a scathing string of unheard-of curses; Artem held his throbbing, stinging forehead quietly as he doubled over in pain.

“Right. Have you guys had enough already?” Luke crossed his arms, glaring at his older colleagues carefully rubbing at the red, swollen lumps forming on their foreheads. “I would have just stuffed both of you in a Get Along shirt, but I never expected I’d see use of it in a room full of adults, so I don’t have one in my pocket.” He jerked his thumb towards the cat now rolling on the glass conference table. “Can we now move on to whatever shit Marius just pulled?”

Vyn let out a long, pained sigh. He was about to retort, but bit back his words as soon as he realized that it was Rosa who pushed his head towards Artem’s. “Fine,” he snapped. “Let us review the security footage in the server room.”

===

Yet looping the footage that captured the exact moment when Marius was replaced with a cat yielded absolutely nothing. “It’s not even edited,” Luke murmured as he ran that particular clip in his own laptop over and over, at the same time checking for any telltale irregularities in the footage’s metadata in a separate window. “The video is clean.”

Artem walked over to Luke and peered at the detective’s screen. “If it’s clean, then what does that mean about whatever Marius did?”

Luke merely shrugged. “I’m at a loss. Either Marius really did disappear, or…” He craned his neck to look outside the server room door, right at the spot where Marius’s seat was located. “Is there a trap door…? Vyn?”

However, Vyn wasn’t paying attention to their review of the footage—which he himself proposed—and was instead in the middle of a hushed conversation with Rosa, while Luke and Artem were busy trying to make heads or tails of Marius’s disappearance. “He looks like a Russian Blue,” Luke heard Vyn whisper as the doctor peered at the wide-eyed slender cat currently ensconced in her arms, purring loudly as it licked its paw. “Color-wise, he is a Marius -like cat indeed.”

She giggled. “He acts very Marius too.”

“With how he bit my finger? Yes.” Vyn concurred, as if he wasn’t talking to someone who played a big part in inflicting the unsightly bump on his forehead. “Mayhap this is really Marius. If so, I very much prefer him to stay in this form.”

“Hey, Vyn, can you please stop flirting with Rosa for a second and work with me?” Luke groused, almost about to lose it himself. If Vyn pushed even a bit further, his trained fist may even find its way to the doctor’s irritatingly pretty face. “Please?”

Vyn tsk-ed. “I was merely staying out of your way,” he muttered as he approached Luke. “Well?”

Luke tapped onto the CCTV screen that displayed the portion of the floor underneath Marius’s chair. “I was going to ask if this basement allows for things like trapdoors.”

Silver hair oscillated as Vyn shook his head. “Impossible. As you said, this is the basement. There are no other floors underneath, only this building’s foundation and the bedrock it is anchored to.”

Luke buried his face in his hands. Well then.

“I…I don’t have anything else to say. That cat,” he pointed to the one now purring loudly in Rosa’s arms, “Is Marius. Unless I am mistaken. Whatever.” He threw up his hands, pulling away from the CCTV panel after he tucked his laptop underneath his arm, slinking out of the server room. “I give up. Just call me when I’m needed.”

The detective silently gathered his things and noped out of NXX Headquarters.

“Um. Mr. Wing? Dr. Richter?” Rosa piped up as she watched the two men gather their own things after Luke. “What do I do with Marius here?”

Artem looked at the cat warily. “My apartment building does not allow for pets, unfortunately.”

“I cannot take care of a pet,” Vyn said a little too quickly. “I have too much on my plate right now. But for you, Rosa, I can explore other options that we could take. Like surrendering the cat to a shelter—”

“NO!” Rosa tightened her hold on the gray cat, its small vibrating body now pressed firmly against her chest. “We will not hand Marius over to a shelter. You hear me? No!”

“Rosa, listen to reason, please.” Artem started to loosely fold the Pax acting CEO’s garments, slipping them inside a foldaway shopping bag he always kept in his briefcase in case of any sudden grocery runs. “A shelter will attend to a cat’s needs better than a busy attorney who lives alone.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Ohh, so if it’s against Marius, both of you know how to agree with each other.” She shifted her hold on the cat, letting it nuzzle and lick her chin. “I’ll be taking care of him then.”

Rosa gently slipped her hands underneath the cat’s front legs and held it out in front of her. “Aren’t you such a cutie pie?” she cooed in a singsong voice. “I’ll take you home tonight!”

The cat squirmed a little in her grasp. “Nyaa.”

Hearing those words—and finally understanding just how intent his rose was in looking after the cat’s welfare—Vyn said, “Let me drive you to the nearest pet—”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this Dr. Richter!” Rosa cut in with a forced cheer as she gathered her things with one arm; her other arm already full of purring cat. “Do your stuff!”

Artem also could not help but take his chances to see if he could outdo Vyn this time. “I can help you with that, Ro—”

“Nuh-uh!” Rosa interrupted her boss with as much forced enthusiasm as she did with the doctor, already well on her way towards the door. “I know you’re also swamped with work, Mr. Wing. Don’t worry about me, this is all taken care of.” She winked as she pushed open the heavy glass door with her hips.

Then, under her breath: “Assholes.”

===

An hour’s worth of pet supplies shopping later.

Rosa finally made it to her apartment, flopping onto her sofa as soon as she reached her living room. The cat—which she already called Marius, even if the veracity of the cat being him was still debatable—then proceeded to jump onto the carpet. It rubbed its warm, purring body against her calves that ached after all the walking she did, while carrying a cat and several shopping bags, at the same time.

“Meow.”

She reached down to give it a few chin scritches. “You’re cute, Marius.” The cat then let out another mewl of delight, then rolled onto his back, as if beckoning Rosa to touch its fluffy belly.

“This isn’t a trap, is it?” Rosa said, as if she was certain that Marius could understand her even in its feline form.

“Myaa.”

Rosa exhaled, then proceeded to tempt fate by running a hand across its belly…which promptly sprung the cat trap, as she initially expected.

All four paws ‘captured’ her hand, with the forepaws dragging sharp claws across the skin near her wrist.

“Ow! I knew it—” Rosa hissed in pain, rubbing at the growing welts on her scratch-streaked skin. “You’re still a gremlin, no matter what form.”

Grumbling, she pushed herself off the sofa then—after dabbing alcohol onto her shallow cat-inflicted scratches—set out to do her chores before tiredness could latch onto her for the rest of the night.

After a few minutes she managed to lay out everything a cat may need for a week’s stay: assorted cat food, litter box with a bag of litter sand, a few cat toys, among other sundry cat care items. “I think that’s about it.” Rosa then turned towards Marius, intending to let the cat familiarize itself with the location of the litter box.

However, it wasn’t by the foot of the sofa where she last saw it. “Marius?”

No response.

Refusing to give in to panic worsened by fatigue—there was no reason for her to worry: her apartment was perfectly sealed and there were no open windows, not even gaps underneath her door that even the sneakiest cat could slip through—Rosa took a deep breath and counted 10 to 1 slowly to calm herself down, just as Dr. Richter had instructed her after he witnessed her losing utter shit in front of him not too long ago.

She crept to the kitchen, thinking that the remnants of last night’s chicken nuggets may have attracted its attention. “Marius?”

There was still no hide nor hair of cat to be found, even as she moved the oven so she could peek behind it. “Marius…don’t you like chicken?”

She remembered just how upset she was for the stunt he pulled with her chicken nuggets this morning; yet Rosa was already more than willing to forgive Marius as long as she could find the cat safe and not caught up in something that could harm or injure it. “Marius?”

“Mrowr.” The sound was faint, and quite a few ways away from where she stood.

Is Marius upstairs?

Rosa quickly made her way towards her upstairs loft bedroom, making sure to proceed slowly with light footfalls to avoid startling the feline. “Marius…”

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as soon as she turned on the bedroom lights.

There was Marius, indeed, in all his slate-gray furry glory…perched on an opened drawer full of her underwear and lingerie.

Draped over its head were her still unused red silk panties, which she bought with the intention of having something to use...in the event of something spicy possibly happening during a totally platonic, just friends only date.

“Meow.”

“MARIUS. VON. HAGEN. PUT IT BACK. NOW.” Rosa, utterly mortified, lunged towards the cat without thinking.

“MROWR!”

Her loudly expressed humiliation may have started the Marius-cat; it jumped out of her reach, her silken panties still wrapped around its body even as it dashed downstairs.

“Marius!” Her face burning red with shame, Rosa clambered down after him in an effort to retrieve her Just in Case underwear. “Come back here!” Agony saturated her embarrassed cries. “PLEASE!”

“Mrowr.” Still intent on hiding away from Rosa and possibly any perceived hostility aimed towards it, the cat hopped onto the windowsill, trying to wedge itself between the glass wall and a large crystal vase full of water and freshly-cut roses.

Oh no. No. No!!

Her cries of “Marius” were completely drowned out by the sound of glass shattering onto the floor; myriad glittering pieces clattering across the smooth linoleum.

===

“Heya. Um. Luke?”

“...Hahaha what?” Rosa found herself laughing despite having traces of tears running down her cheeks. “You totally expected this to happen?”

A smile slowly formed on her lips as she listened to her childhood friend through her phone’s speaker. “Don’t tell me you’ve been hanging around waiting for me to call you.” A pause. “What?”

She laughed again as Luke told her that yes, he had been on a stake out in a nearby convenience store for a couple of hours as he waited for her SOS.

“Whew. I love you Luke,” she told her childhood friend, drunk in such utter relief. “You’re a lifesaver. Come on up, I’ll leave the door open for you.”

Her mood had lifted considerably as soon as she cut the call, placing the phone beside her on the sofa.

She then took a deep breath and buried her face in her hands, staying put on the sofa as she waited for Luke. Right. In a few minutes Luke will be here with some warm food, and he’ll help out with the clean-up…

Rosa stayed in that position—face in hands, breathing slowly and deeply—until she heard a slightly morose “Mrowr.”

After taking one last deep breath, Rosa peeled her hands away from her face, allowing herself to look at the gray cat sitting by her feet. It was no longer wearing her sinful panties—they must have been dropped somewhere as the cat scampered around for a hiding place—and instead had a piece of leftover chicken nugget clamped between its jaws.

Marius-cat then placed the chicken nugget by her feet.

“Meow.” It looked at her with wide, blown-out pupils, as if begging for attention.

Or forgiveness?

“Oh, you.” Relenting, she picked up the gray cat by the scruff and let it perch on her lap. “Are you trying to say sorry, Marius?”

“Mrrr.” It rubbed its body against her stomach, then promptly curled up on her thighs. The barely-there vibration of its satisfied purring soothed Rosa somewhat, and she gathered the cat into her arms, holding it close against her bosom.

“You think a chicken nugget is enough for me to forgive you?” A fingertip gently booped its pink, moist nose. “Nuh-uh. You have to behave, Marius. Not even being a cute cat gives you a pass!”

“Myaa.”

Rosa giggled. “Oh you.” She nuzzled the top of its head, cooing at him gently as she relished the soft fur tickling her nose. “You’re such a good boy after all, giving me that nugg—”

Neither Rosa nor Marius—Marius von Hagen, human—could comprehend what exactly happened, but there he was, in all his naked glory, lying over Rosa’s lap.

Both of them were too stunned to even react.

Rosa, in particular, was too stunned to even properly react to having a totally naked man, with all bits accounted for, on the same sofa as her.

Being a bit too large for the furniture, Marius’s arm dangled over the edge of the upholstery, his hand chancing upon something smooth that got caught in his fingers when he—in a rare flash of clarity—saw it fit to cover his delicate bits with both of his hands.

The sight of smooth, vivid red—Rosa’s missing panties—making contact with Marius’s manhood was the catalyst for the night’s climax.

Rosa screamed into high heavens, her brain now on the fritz with shock and humiliation. She frantically pushed and kicked Marius to the carpet. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY PANTIES?!”

“I DON’T KNOW!! I DON’T KNOW!!” Marius cried out as he shielded himself from Rosa’s frenzied kicking with one arm, his other arm desperately trying to protect what remained of his now shredded dignity. “I DON’T KNOW!!”

This was the tableau that greeted Luke as soon as he stepped into Rosa’s apartment.

===

Back in the NXX Headquarters, Conference Room. The next day.

“Miiiiissssssy. Look at me, pleaaaaase,” Marius groveled in front of Rosa, who was seated in her usual swivel chair, arms crossed and still refusing to look at him. “I didn’t mean it! I swear. God.”

There were many conspicuous traces of mauling evident on his person: several patches of gauze taped over particularly bad cuts—some of them Vyn had to redo himself as they were shoddily done by the same person who doled out the injuries—and medical tape wound over a portion of his left hand that for some reason held Rosa’s unspeakable scrap of garment all throughout the thrashing.

Marius laid down on his back by Rosa's feet as he continued to grovel, as if he was still a cat begging for a belly rub. “MISSY. PLEASE.”

A few paces the three other men looked on at the pathetic exchange unfolding right in front of them, with varying degrees of indifference on their faces.

“I told Rosa Marius would be better off living the rest of his life as a cat,” Vyn whispered as he watched, with barely held back amusement, Rosa’s mule-clad foot jab at one of Marius’s bandaged cheeks. “But even as a cat the brat still manages to be an absolute imp. Incredible.”

Luke shook his head. “Nah, it’s better that he’s back to normal.”

Vyn had to raise an eyebrow. “Interesting. I thought you hated Marius.”

“I can see why,” Artem passively watched as Rosa tried to flip Marius over with both her feet. “Kicking a cat is a criminal offense.”

“Aaaand Marius is fair game.” Luke said, with finality.

#tears of themis #marius von hagen #vyn richter #luke pearce #artem wing #lu jinghe #mo yi #xia yan #zuo ran #tears of themis fanfiction

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iceysghost · 2 years

Note

gold for artem?

GOLD 》 luxury, prestige, elegance

◇ He gives you a new set of glittering jewelry.

COLORS OF ROMANCE EVENT

Artem Wing x Female! Reader

Word Count: 819 words

Trigger/Content Warning: kissing

“Your tieclip, it’s so pretty.”

A quiet whisper, only five words; a whisper enough to make his heart beat quicker. Your hand tugged on his tie while you sat on top of him.

Comfort lied in how the law firm, often busy and unrelenting, was now quiet. It was a safe space, his lap, in his office, the two of you alone in the building as the city lights shone through the glass.

“Hm?”

ARTEM, leaning into his office chair, gripped your cheek.

“It's the same as your cufflinks, isn’t it? They look like your eyes.”

“Do you think so?”

“Mhm. Or, it can go the other way. Your eyes look like sapphires.”

“You think my eyes look like sapphires?”

He proved your point further as his albeit tired eyes seemed to light up. You could see so much in them: the bright sky, the night sky, the deep sea. Once a glimmer hit them, you saw the fluffy clouds, the twinkling stars, and the way the moon’s reflection bounces off the calm waves. You saw the world in his eyes, your world, your future.

“Yeah, I do think so. Your eyes are beautiful.”

“Never as beautiful as yours.” he hummed.

You pulled his tie. He focused so much on the sensation of his tie being pulled that he didn’t notice your face moving closer to his.

You gave him a gentle, simple kiss. He wanted more, more of you, and ran his tongue over your lips. And who were you to refuse?

His office is messier now, you thought, as you walked around, looking for one of your files, waiting for Artem to get back from lunch. You tidied it up a bit, cleaned the empty coffee cups, took out the trash, putting stuff into its respective drawers....

A box caught your eye. It didn’t seem to belong in an office. Covered in black velvet, almost flat—

“[Name], you’re here.”

Your head snapped back at him and you shut the drawer with a loud boom.

“Ah, Artem!’ you exclaimed.

He brisked towards you.

“Something wrong?”

“No, nothing!”

Your eyes flit to the drawer. What would happen if he found out you were looking through his stuff?

“Ah...” he sighed, “it seems you’ve found it.”

“Found it? what do you mean?” you smiled awkwardly.

He bent down and opened the drawer. The black velvet box was now in the palm of his hand.

“I was planning on giving this later, but I guess now wouldn’t be too bad.”

He opened the box to reveal a glittering, gold necklace. A deep, blue sapphire pendant sat in the middle. His eyes, it looks like his eyes.

“I suppose you’re thinking it looks like my eyes, yes?”

The events of last week flashed through your mind. His eyes, like the sky, the sea, and his lips as soft as pillows.

“Is that why you—?”

“I thought, maybe, if you really felt like my eyes looked like sapphires, maybe you could carry a piece of me with you.”

You looked up at him. This necklace was beautiful, so beautiful, but nothing beat the smile in his real eyes, the pink of his cheeks, and the way the parts of his face sat perfectly together to make his classic, slightly flustered face.

“Artem, you...”

You touched the pendant. It ran smoothly over your finger.

“Thank you.”

“Would you like me to put it on for you?”

You agreed and turned around. the necklace was cold, but as you glanced at it, it looked and felt as if it fit perfectly on you.

His fingers grazed your nape, making the hairs on it stand up, and even more so when his lips graced your skin.

“Artem, this is the office, they’ll see...”

One firm hand on your waist, the other on your shoulder, he kissed your nape and sucked on it lightly. You had to cover your mouth to stifle a moan. The necklace was the last thing on your mind. Since when was he so needy, so clingy, that even in the office he’d do such things?

Knock knock. You froze.

“Who is it?” he asked calmly.

“Celestine here, lunch break’s over. Here’re the files.”

You frantically pulled away from him. He walked over to Celestine at the door and received the files. You sighed in relief, as she didn’t seem to pick up on anything, until right before she stepped out of the door...

“[Name], care to help me handle one of my clients?” she looked at you.

“Ah, sure!”

You looked back at Artem. He stared with a look of confusion.

You followed Celestine outside. The moment the door shut she held the both of your shoulders and shook you violently.

“Nice necklace you’ve got there.”

She let go and walked off.

“But what about the—”

“There is no client, [Name]. Just wanted to tell you how nice that looks on you!”

All works belong to @iceysghost on Tumblr. Reblogs and shares are allowed. Do not repost on other social media platforms without permission. Do not reproduce or plagiarize any part of my works in any shape or form.

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theres-a-bea · 1 year

Text

Forgo The Parable CHAPTER 2 I guess?

The new kid moved to the board, facing the class as the teacher looked for his name in the updated register. He remained expressionless, almost looking through everything his eyes set upon, like they were all see-through and almost nonexistent. Ingrid usually didn’t care to notice someone’s face during class introductions, but she strangely couldn’t help but look at him.

Aside from his emotionless expression and his intimidating air, he was quite eye-catching, a fact she’d easily gathered just by looking at him, and the bunch of people that were already whispering amongst themselves in the back of the class. She almost made a face at a particularly loud comment from a few seats behind her, but only restraining herself to frown instead as her line of vision rested on his face once again, watching the sunlight form soft lines that revealed the gentle slope of his nose, the curve of his lips, the feathery lines of his lashes–

Ingrid sat straighter in her seat as her eyes met his, bright blue irises blinking back at her for a full second before they moved to look at the tip of his gleaming shoes.

What was that? He couldn’t even look her in the eye. Embarrassing.

“This is Artem Garner-Wing, quite a bit of a late enrollee,” Mr. Vasquez pushed his reading glasses down and set his eyes on the registry again, running a finger over names and seat numbers, “I trust you will all play nice and treat him well.”

surprise bitch !!! we finally have chapter 2 after like a year of waiting or something 😭 I have the rest of the chapters all ready and plotted out, so ig updates will be a lot faster now ? maybe ? like i said in the tags, maybe i'll finish this shit in ten years. It's not my favourite chapter yet, but i did kind of cry writing it so i hope you like it i guess ? love you mwa

toodles

#forgo the parable #roswing #artem wing #ingrid rosworth #tears of themis fanfiction #zuo ran #sakyo shizuma #baek eunhu #luo yuhao #morinaga kureha #na yunseong #wow okay so this took a year #now i gotta switch up the tags cos i feel like it was kinda dark

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lumineferious · 2 years

Link

Summary:

When the four men of the current NXX team end up confessing to Rosa, she stumbles, not knowing what to do.A compromise is in order, that has everyone spending time with everyone else.Maybe, just maybe, this will work out to get the happiest possible ending for everyone.

Notes:

It’s polycule NXX! Rosa included, and the current plan is 11 chapters. Hope y’all enjoy!

#tears of themis #poly nxx #polycule nxx #rosa tot #rosa tears of themis #marius von hagen #artem wing #luke pearce #vyn richter #mo yi #lu jinghe #zuo ran #xia yan #fanfiction #fanfic

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rrrrinmaru · 2 years

Note

artem prompt 28

The hand that slides over your waist jolts you wide awake. You spring into consciousness, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes as you blearily turn over, blindly feeling for the familiar body in bed.

Artem pulls you in, pressing you to his chest.

“Wha’s wrong?” You ask, voice slurring from tiredness. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Artem murmurs. One hand presses against the back of your head, fingers carefully running through your hair, trailing down to rest gently at the back of your neck. His other hand is still wrapped around your waist, holding you in a loose embrace. “Bad dream.”

“What about?”

You can feel the sigh leave his mouth. His chest trembles slightly and you almost pat it out of shock; you’ve never seen him this… unnerved. He must have had a really bad dream if he’s reacting like this.

“You were gone,” he says quietly, muttering the words into your hair. “I couldn’t find you.”

Is that it? You’re not sure what you were expecting, but maybe something worse, like him losing a huge case, or getting killed, or whatever stuff nightmares are made of. To hear that he’s this shaken up because he dreamt you were gone is—well, it’s not nice to admit, but it makes something bright curl up inside your chest.

“I’m right here,” you coax, and your hands reach up to wrap around his neck. He goes easily, turning his face into your neck as he sinks into your hold; the hand at the back of your neck slips down and he ends up circling both arms around your waist, breathing slowly into the space where your shoulder meets your neck. Something wet brushes against your skin, and you let the surprise leave your body in a sigh. You’ve never seen Artem cry, and you didn’t think this would be how it happened.

“You won’t leave, right?”

You carefully run your fingers through his hair. The ends are a little matted with sweat; you’re stunned at how much of an impact the dream had on him.

“I won’t leave,” you reassure him, your voice hanging between the two of you like a glistening chandelier on the high ceiling of your heart. “Go to sleep. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

#rin writes tot #rin answers #rin has an event #tears of themis #tears of themis artem #tears of themis fanfic #artem wing x reader #artem wing #artem fanfic #artem fanfiction #artem x reader #artem wing fanfic #artem wing x mc #tot fanfic #tot artem #zuo ran fanfiction #zuo ran x mc #zuo ran x reader #zuo ran

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sdaomine · 2 years

Text

NXX Men and Tiktok Trends (Part 1)

Artem Wing: Towel Prank

“Celestine, please.” Artem rubs his temples, the exhaustion already evident on his features. “We can discuss this ‘new case’ of yours on Monday,” he says through the mic, “it’s already ten minutes past five. It’s a Friday.”

“No way! Are you really Artem?” Celestine teases from behind the screen. “What happened to the Artem who always worked overtime?”

“This is the point where you realize it sucks to be Artem,” chimes Marius. A chorus of chuckles can be heard from the other attendees.

Artem groans. “Celestine, I’m…”

You press your palms against your mouth in an attempt to suppress your giggles. You are hiding in the bathroom, just having finished taking a shower; outside the loo, you can clearly hear the on-going meeting with the firm’s executives, including the entire NXX team.

You smirk as you look in the mirror. Wrapped (not) securely around your body is a thin towel that barely reaches half of your thighs, perfect for this prank you are going to pull on your partner. It was Marius who pitched the idea to you last week – who else? – and suggested you try it on Artem, see how he’d react. Of course you agreed.

Suddenly you hear Luke. “Alright, guys, let the poor man rest. He probably just wants to spend time with Watson.”

Watson is the signal for you to come out. It’s time.

“Hey, everyone!” You step out of the bathroom with only your towel on, making your way towards Artem sitting across your bedroom work table. “So sorry I couldn’t join today…”

“R-rosa!” Artem’s eyes widen upon seeing your barely-covered skin. “Stay there. Wait –”

You shoot him the sweetest, most innocent smile; Artem is too flustered to even think about what he should do next – you actually expect him to act up and turn off his Ipad’s camera, but thank goodness he doesn’t – and so he ends up frozen on his seat, eyes still fixated on you.

You take this one chance and practically sprint towards him – your grin is wide when you see yourself on the screen, as well as everyone’s anticipating faces. You inwardly count to three.

One. Two.

“No, wait!”

Three. You tug the small knot on your towel, and in that one second, pry the soft material away from your body.

“Rosa!”

In a fit of panic, Artem rams his hand into his Ipad too violently that the poor gadget is sent flying across the room. Your mouth is agape when you hear an ugly crunch as it falls onto the wooden floor.

There was only a deafening silence in the room, until…

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

A ripple of (extremely) amused laughter fills the space, and even when the Ipad’s misfortune saddens you, you couldn’t help but join in with the others. Thank goodness the Ipad’s screen is only broken; you can still hear the others so clearly as they make fun of the senior lawyer.

“Man, that was fun to watch,” comes Marius’ voice, followed by Luke’s laughter.

“Nice job, Watson! I told you, Vyn, Artem’s going to…”

“Heh. Do not involve me with your foolish pranks.”

“Artem!” Celestine calls from the Ipad, which is still on the floor. “I can’t wait to see you on Monday!”

You bite your lip as you look at your partner – all flustered and embarrassed – who seems to be preoccupied with the turn of events: it takes quite a while, actually, before Artem realizes that you are wearing a nude-colored tube beneath your towel, as well as black cycling shorts. You aren’t naked at all.

Artem heaves a sigh, burying his face in his palms for a moment before treading towards the opposite corner of the room to retrieve his Ipad. He purses his lips as he faces the team once again. “You’re all involved.”

“‘Course we are,” responds Marius, winking at him. “It’s so funny, I wish I recorded it.”

Vyn interrupts. “Marius, all our meetings, even unofficial ones, are recorded.”

“Really? Great!”

“I’m ending the meeting now.” Artem places the Ipad atop the table, ignoring the others’ protests as he clicks the “Leave Meeting” button.

Your cheeks are burning. “Artem…”

He is looking at you with a blank expression. You suppress a sigh; of course he’s going to be angry. I already prepared myself for this…

But Artem only walks toward you, his eyes now carrying a sparkle of mirth. “Rosa.”

“Artem?”

You bite your lip when his fingers pull on the garters of your tube, rolling them down – the next moment his large hands are on your waist, pulling you flush against his body. “Rosa,” he says again.

“Y-yes?”

A devious smirk. “I think you should make it up to me.”

The next thing you know, you’re already naked — this time, for real.

Luke Pearce: Not Saying “I Love You” Back

With a sly grin, you switch off your phone just a few seconds before Luke plumps down on the empty seat beside you. You had just finished watching another Tiktok trend, and now you are planning to pull the prank on your oblivious boyfriend.

Luke holds up a plate of pastries. With how excited his smile is, you suddenly feel a little guilty… “Heya, Watson. Just in time,” he says, “so, cookies or brownies?”

You stifle a laugh. “I can’t believe you actually tried baking.”

“What’s wrong with baking?”

“Really, now?” You take one cookie, pretending to examine it. “Luke, I told you. It doesn’t matter if you can bake or not…”

Vyn had sent you a box of pastries last week: a dozen brownies and cookies that smelled so heavenly you were able to eat six of them in just a few minutes. You unconsciously bragged about it before you and Luke went to sleep, things like, “I wish Dr. Richter sends us pastries every week. I don’t mind free cookies. Besides, they’re more delicious than the local bakeshop’s!”

“You like them so much?” he’d asked you; the night lamp was already switched off, so you couldn’t see his expression. “I can bake for you, too.”

“You don’t have to,” you had told him, kissing Luke on the cheek. “Don’t stress yourself out, okay? I love you.”

But Luke was a jealous baby the day after that, and suddenly he was so eager to learn how to bake. I really shouldn’t have bragged about Dr. Richter’s pastries…

He clicks his tongue. “Nope,” he says, popping the ‘p’ syllable. “You said you like pastries, so I learned how to bake. Eat up.” Luke stuffs a cookie in your mouth. Oh gods, it’s so good…

“Mm! Delish!” He’s so good at everything!

While chewing on the cookie, you notice him wearing familiar clothes: a yellow sweater, and… a floral apron.

“Luke, you have no idea how adorable you look right now.” You survey him from head to toe, your lips curling into a tiny grin. “My brilliant Sherlock, wearing a yellow sweater with a floral apron? Cuteness level one thousand.”

“First of all, you gave me this sweater. Second of all…” Luke leans forward, his fingers brushing against your temple before planting a chaste kiss on your lips. “I’d happily wear your apron.”

“Too cute.” You playfully pinch his cheeks. “Too cute!”

“Okay, that’s it. I’m going now; you can just pinch my cheeks again when I get home.” He captures your wrists and kisses your fingers, one by one. “Is that okay, Watson?”

“Of course.”

“Alright, then.”

“Luke, you better be home before midnight.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He winks at you, stepping out of your shared apartment. He’s a few seconds away from closing the door when he says, “Bye, Watson. I love you.”

“Bye!” you bid farewell. You fish your phone out of your pocket and begin to fake-tap. “Take care and have fun with Dr. Yishmir!”

You do your mightiest to refrain a smile when you see in your peripheral vision that Luke has stopped in his tracks and is still standing between the doorway. He clears his throat in an attempt to catch your attention. “Will do, I promise. I love you.”

Biting your lips to suppress a giggle, your gaze remains glued to your phone. “Good. Have fun!”

“Watson,” he says, his voice sounding more stern yet with traces of twitchiness. “I love you. I’m going now…”

“Okay, Sherlock,” you fake cough, trying not to give in to the bubbled-up hilarious feeling within her. “Don’t be silly, now, why are you still standing there? Curfew is twelve, you know…”

“Okay, that’s it. Clearly something is going on here.” Luke steps back inside before closing the door with a soft thud. “Hey, Watson… what’s wrong?”

“What?” you ask, your brows wrinkled together in a frown. “Luke, are you alright?”

“Rosa, are you alright?”

Luke swiftly makes his way towards you; he gets down on one knee across the couch and takes your hands in his, “Watson. Are you angry at me? Did I… do something? What did I do? I’m sorry –”

“What? No! What are you talking about?” You stifle yet another cackle, averting your line of sight away from your boyfriend. “No, there’s nothing wrong, okay? You should be going, Dr. Yishmir’s probably waiting for you already.”

“You always say it back. You always say I love you…”

“Didn’t I just say it back?”

“No, you didn’t. You told me to take care, have fun, be home by twelve,” he sighs, his hands gripping tightly on yours. “Do you not want me to go? I’ll stay here. I swear it’s alright. Come on.”

He plumps down on the couch beside you. “I’ll just text Aaron that I can’t go. I’ll stay here and we’ll watch another one of your favorite shows, or whatever it is you want to do.”

“Dr. Yishmir is probably waiting already; you haven’t seen each other in months. Of course I want you to go.”

“Then – then why aren’t you saying I love you?” Luke’s voice softens, his lips twitching into a cute frown. Aaaah, I really feel guilty now... “I said it three times and you just told me to keep safe and have fun.”

“Hey, that’s genuine!” Your voice finally cracks as you are so close to bursting into a fit of laughter. “I swear, there’s nothing wrong! I just –”

“Wait. I think I know what you’re up to.” Luke’s eyes darken for a moment, pondering – suddenly he lets out a defeated sigh and clicks his tongue. “This is another one of those pranks, isn’t it?”

“N-no! It’s not! I promise –”

You halt midway when you couldn’t hold your giggles any longer; you clutch your stomach as it burns every time you laugh. Luke, on the other hand, is still looking at you incredulously, shaking his head in utter disbelief, and at the same time, adoration.

“I knew it. You’ll pay for this.” He leans dangerously close to you, his coral eyes brimming with something you can’t quite place. All of a sudden another round of giggles blankets the living room – Luke’s fingers relentlessly tickle you until you raise both hands in defeat. “S-stop!”

“Giving up, now?”

“I give up! I give up! I’m sorry!” you cackle along with him as Luke sweeps you in his strong arms, his touch kindling a familiar flame. You try to bury your face in the space between his neck and shoulder, hiding the fiery blush all over your face. “You know what? Don’t go. I prefer you cuddling with me – you are soooo warm.”

“Me too, Watson.” A kiss atop your head. “I won’t go.”

“So, are we... gonna watch movies?”

“Sure,” says Luke, now heading to the bedroom. “We’ll see.”

“We'll see?”

You see a slight smirk tugging on his lips. “We'll see how long you'd last.”

#tears of themis #luke pearce #artem wing #zuo ran #xia yan #tears of themis fanfiction

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jihyuncompass · 3 years

Text

Let’s Go Home

I had an idea for a small little Artem fic. Is there much of a point to this? Nah I just wanted to write something short and sweet

Artem x MC

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: N/A

Summary: It’s late, and Artem isn’t home yet.

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

The kitchen clock ticked as you sat in silence. Your head resting on your palm you watched the lights glimmering over the city skyline. The sun had set hours ago and now the only light visible to you outside was only the lights from the skyscrapers nearby.

Pulling your eyes away from the large windows you looked back to the clock on the kitchen wall. Watching the clock blink you thought back to early in the evening when you had been getting ready to leave the office.

“Are you sure you want to stay late?” You asked him. Artem looked up from the file he’d been reading from.

“Yes.” Artem said, then met your eyes when you still seemed unsure. “This case needs extra attention so I should stay and prepare for my client meeting tomorrow.” Still displeased with his answer, you gave him another peculiar look.

“Artem-”

“I won’t stay too late. Just go home and rest. There’s still the leftovers from last night in the fridge.” He said. Still unsure you pressed your lips into a fine line but it was no use trying to change his mind.

Sighing, you nodded. “Okay, but don’t stay too late. You need your rest too.”

“Of course.” He said. “Now go home, it’s okay.”

That conversation had been at five, it was already pushing eleven PM, and still Artem hadn’t come back yet. Him staying at work late wasn’t a new thing but ever since the two of you had moved in together it happened significantly less. Still, even on the days where he did stay late it was never this late.

Your phone didn’t show any missed calls or texts either. It was so unlike him, who usually always made an effort to at least let you know what was going on with him. Your finger hovered over the dial button. On one hand you didn’t want to bother him, yet at the same time there was the nagging worry that was poking at your mind.

Giving in, you hit the call button. Listening to the dial tone drone on. Hopefully he’d answer quickly. However, after about five rings you only reached his voicemail. Sighing you hung up the phone. This wasn’t like him at all.

Artem’s workaholic attitude and habits weren't new to you. He’d always been like this as long as you’d known him. Still, even with his usual habits this wasn’t like him. Maybe before you’d gotten together sure, but not now.

His phone is probably off. You told yourself, he’s probably just really caught up with his work and not paying attention. Still, the worry was eating at you.

Throwing on a jacket over your casual clothes you left your apartment without even thinking. It was like your body was on autopilot as you headed back towards the law firm. You attempted to call Artem again with no response.

As Themis Law Firm came into sight, you looked up to the window of Artem’s office. The only office with its light still on. At least he was still in his office, so he must have just lost track of time.

You’d never been in the building when it was this quiet. Even early in the morning there was usually at least a little bit of noise. The sound of computer keyboards, printers, or even the coffee maker was the usual soundtrack of the office. Now however, there was absolutely no noise at all. Only the sound of your shoes against the floor filled your ears.

Walking towards Artem’s office the light from inside was filtering through the gaps in the doorway. Stopping in front of his office door you pressed an ear to see if you could hear him inside working. Yet now it was uncharacteristically silent inside. You furrowed your brow and knocked on the door, only to be met by a continued silence.

“Artem?” You called out. Still it was completely silent on the other side. Another moment passed before you chose to open the office door and let yourself right in.

The office was a mess. Files and documents scattered across the tables and shelves. You knew this case was a tough one but it looked like he’d had to go through hundreds of notes just this evening.

Artem sat at his desk with his head down on the top of the desk resting on his arms crossed on the top. Careful not to make too much noise when you approached him, he looked to be completely asleep. His computer monitor showing his screensaver, his suit jacket tossed over the back of his chair.

Like the other tables and shelves his desk was covered in files and notes, notes about the case, evidence, testimonies, laws and legal codes. All written in Artem’s handwriting with his favorite fountain pen.

Placing a hand on his back you shook him gently. “Artem?”

After a few shakes his heavy eyes opened, with them now open you noticed the dark circles he’d made an effort to hide. He blinked the exhaustion out of his eyes. Taking a long and deep breath in he turned his eyes up towards you.

“Artem you fell asleep.” You said. “It’s nearly midnight.” Lifting his head from the desk Artem took in the state of his office and the darkness outside the windows.

“I thought I’d just lay my head down for a moment.” Artem said, readjusting the tie around his neck, loosening the knot around his neck. “I guess it ended up a little longer than a moment.”

Awake again he flipped through the files in front of him. Glancing through the notes he’d written on his notepad and in the margins of the documents. Holding yourself back from making a sharper comment you instead tried to grab his attention gently by rubbing his shoulder.

“Hm?” Artem turned his head towards you. Looking at him directly like this the exhaustion etched on his face. You knew this case had been keeping him working nearly nonstop but he looked like he could drop at any moment. “What is it?”

“It’s midnight Artem. Let’s call it a night.” You closed the file in front of him. Reaching out he attempted to open it again, but your hand on the folder kept him from it. “I know this case is a lot but please. Let’s just go home.” He sighed, letting his shoulder’s slump and rubbed a spot on his forehead.

He sighed, looking back over his mess of notes. You could tell how hesitant he was to agree. Letting his eyes slip closed for another moment he nodded. “Alright, let’s go.” Artem set his pen down on the desk and pushed away from his desk. You helped him to get his suit jacket and overcoat. Even with his eyes open he didn’t seem to really be awake.

Taking his hand in yours he allowed you to lead him through the darkened office and down the elevator. Artem leaned against the wall of the elevator to close his eyes until the elevator got down to the lobby.

His eyes opened as the elevator doors opened. Giving your hand a squeeze the two of you left the building to head to Artem’s car.

“Give me your keys.” You said. “I’ll drive us home.” Artem shoved his hand into his pocket and fished around for his car keys. Handing them over you unlocked the doors and got yourself into the driver’s seat. Artem pulled himself into the passenger seat, once he was settled in his seat he rested his head against the window, his eyes falling closed.

The drive home was completely silent, nothing but the sound of the road as you drove and the soft sound of Artem’s breathing was all you could hear. Luckily the two of you didn’t live too far away from the Law Firm, so it didn’t take long for you to pull up to the apartment building. Once you were finally parked you glanced back towards Artem. Eyes still closed while he leaned against the window. Taking the keys out of the ignition you took his hand to rouse him.

“Are we home?” Artem asked, eyes opening just a sliver to check his surroundings.

“Yep, come on. Let’s get you home and to bed.” The car keys were shoved into your jacket pocket while you opened the door to get out. Artem followed suit albeit much slower than you.

Just like in the office Artem held your hand to lead him. On a different day you would have insisted on him eating before he slept. However just looking at him right now, he probably wouldn’t be able to stay awake long enough to eat a bite. You’d insist on him eating more tomorrow morning to make up for it. At this moment what he needed more than anything was to rest.

You only let go of his hand for a moment to unlock the door, ushering him inside in front of you. Moving on an autopilot he stumbled his way into the bedroom where you trailed not far behind him.

“Here.” You said, resting a hand on his arm. “Sit down, I’ll help you.” He nodded, nearly collapsing onto the bed behind him, but forced himself to remain sitting up. Standing in front of him you leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead as you pushed his suit jacket off of his shoulders and dropped it on the bed next to him. Next you undid his tie, a sigh of relief coming from him as you did so, his shoulders relaxing as he took in and exhaled a deep breath.

Next you made quick work of helping him out of the rest of his work clothes. Pausing to rub his neck and shoulders for a moment. The smallest and lightest of touches to help him relax. His eyes were barely open but he still watched as you focused on him and how he felt.

The last step was getting him into his sleeping clothes. Despite the heaviness in his body he helped you to get redressed and wearing something more comfortable. Finally you pulled the covers back on the bed for him to finally sleep. Making sure that the blankets were fully covering him you backed away to pick up his work clothes to put them with the rest of the dirty laundry and turn off the rest of the lights in the apartment.

“Where are you going?” Artem’s soft voice made you turn. His eyes were open even if they struggled to stay that way.

“I just need to clean up a little, I’ll be right back.”

“Stay.” He said. “Come lay with me.” You looked to the armful of dirty clothes in your arms.

“But your clothes, and the lights-”

“Please.” Artem pleaded. Looking at the kitchen light still on you sighed and just closed the door. Dropping the dirty clothes onto the floor next to it. You guessed you could always take care of it tomorrow morning after you woke up.

Artem seemed pleased when you walked back towards the bed. Stopping by his side. “I’ll just change, just hold on for one more minute.” Although he seemed displeased Artem nodded. Stepping away you changed as quickly as you could manage, fully aware of how Artem was watching the whole time. Forcing himself awake for the minute it took you to change.

Getting into bed you were almost instantly enveloped by Artem’s embrace as he pulled you in against his chest. As quick as it was you never would dream of complaining as you put your arms around him.

“I love you.” Artem whispered. “Thanks for finding me.” He put a sleepy kiss on the top of your head. Smiling against his chest you held him tighter.

“I love you too Artem. I’m glad I went searching.” Artem hummed above you, but he clearly wasn’t aware anymore. Sleep finally took over him again. You watched him for a moment or two. Rubbing his back and enjoying his warmth. In the morning you’d both get up early and go straight back to the office to work on this case. Tomorrow would probably be another late night, but so long as the night ended like this. Perhaps you didn’t mind how late it would end up being.

#tears of themis #tot #artem wing #zuo ran #sakyo shizuma #artem x reader #artem x mc #fanfiction

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frospino · 3 years

Text

Paper Clip-Shaped

Pairing: Artem Wing x Reader

Summary: You're exhausted from working overtime. Artem calls you out on it. For some reason, there's a bruise on your forehead. Fluff.

Word count: 1.836

A/N: Uuh this somehow turned from (stares at blank page) to "Hmm I have an idea" to "huh 1.800 words?!" Look, Artem is Awkward and Adorable and Handsome and Capable. In short, my type. w Here's some hugging and awkward situations with our favourite senior partner.

You could hear the rustling of paper as you gripped the documents of your recent case just a little too hard. You sighed and tried to smooth over the edges. Artem would hate the mess you just made of his files; you were sure of that.

It had been a few weeks since the senior attorney had officially asked you to be his partner. You had been honoured, delighted even, and had accepted his offer. You caught a glimpse of yourself in the monitor of your laptop, its stand-by lamp idly blinking, and the circles under your eyes were visible even in the reflection on the black screen. Maybe I should have thought about it just a little bit before accepting.

You loved working with Artem—his knowledge of the law, paired with an incredibly observant and sharp mind, meant you learned something new just by being around him every day. And there was this strange sense of… excitement when you were close to him that had nothing to do with work whatsoever. You hesitated to call it love. Artem was so guarded, and it was hard to figure him out most of the time. So for now, you referred to it as a “spark of something” in your mind. Not that you had the time to talk to anyone about your blossoming feelings for your boss.

Even though you loved being a lawyer, more-than-liked your boss and had enough ambition to further your career, the recent workload was simply too much. You sighed again, more dramatically this time, and let your head fall onto the table with a loud thunk. “Ow,” you whined at the sharp pain on your forehead, just to underline how tired and stupid you felt in that moment.

“Is everything alright?” A deep voice called out to you from the direction of the office door. Of course Artem would choose this exact moment to appear. You shot up, tried to straighten your blouse and turned around with what you hoped was a bright smile. “I’m good! I just, uh, hit one of my toes against the desk when I rolled closer with my chair. I was just a little clumsy, that’s all!” You silently prayed to Themis that Artem would buy your lie. You had no desire to explain your thoughts to him.

Any other person would have thought that Artem Wing looked impeccable as he stood in your doorway. A plain white mug with steaming coffee in hand, dress shirt still looking as if it had just been pressed, the knot in his tie done with precision. But the fact that he wasn’t wearing his suit jacket and his hair looked as if he had ruffled it in frustration just moments before told a different story. Apparently, even the mighty Artem Wing wasn’t completely immune to overtime.

Your partner looked at you as if he was expecting something, but when you weren’t offering anything else, he motioned with his hand in the general direction of your desk. “May I come in?”

You rubbed your eyes and held back the urge to cuss as you saw a smudge of mascara on your index finger. “Uh—sure.” You turned towards your desk and pretended to be busy with the documents in front of you as you tried to fix the worst of the makeup smudges under your eyes.

“Would you look at me for a moment?” Artem’s voice was laced with concern. Why did he enter your office? Was something troubling him? You blinked at yourself in the laptop screen a couple of times, decided that there was no fixing the makeup mess on your face, and turned towards your partner again. “Artem? Is everything alright?”

He stared at you in silence for a moment that stretched longer and longer, and you felt yourself blush as his azure eyes fixated on your forehead. “As I thought.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“You have a bruise on your forehead.” He gave the lightest tap to it with the index finger of his free hand, and you could feel a slight pain at the contact. “It’s paper clip shaped. Care to explain?”

“Pa-paper clip shaped…!?” From the corner of your eye, you saw the paper clip that had previously held the case documents together sitting smack in the middle of your desk, approximately where your head had rested just minutes before. You felt the puzzle pieces fall together, almost as if in an animated sequence in a mobile game, and felt tears begin to gather in your eyes. Here you were, alone at night in an office with your boss whom you absolutely had something for, and you had to explain to him that you gave yourself a paper clip-shaped bruise on your forehead because you wanted to be dramatic, because you were exhausted, and your mascara was probably drawing Picasso paintings all over your face, and really you were so unprofessional and it would be no wonder if he let you go tonight—

“Hey. Hey. Look at me. What’s wrong? How can I help?” Upon seeing your tears, Artem put the coffee mug on your desk and slowly took one of your hands in his. His whole body was stiff, as if he was unsure of what to do, but you were surprised to see a faint blush grace his handsome face. You took a deep breath in and did your best to force the tears back into the depth behind your eyes. “It’s okay. I’m just tired—”

“I’m sorry for interrupting you,” Artem’s voice cut through your explanation, “but if I’ve learned anything from working with Vyn, it’s that tears signal not just mere tiredness, but exhaustion. Why didn’t you say anything?” Artem’s brows were furrowed, and his lips were pulled down in a hint of a pout. He’s disappointed, was the first thing that shot through your head. He probably expected more of me.

“I’m sorry Artem, I—I’ll do better. I haven’t slept well these past days, but I will buy lots of “Rest Well”-tea this weekend, and I’ll perform better next week! I promise!”

Now it was Artem’s turn to sigh, and he pulled over one of the chairs in front of your desk to sit down next to you. “I’m not disappointed in you.” As always, he managed to see right through you. It felt as if in his work with Vyn, he had somehow developed mind-reading abilities, sometimes. “I’m disappointed in myself for not realising how exhausted you are.”

“But—but you don’t have to! I can take care of myself!”

“If you could, there would be no paper clip on your forehead right now, don’t you think?” He gave you a small smile, and in that moment, you wanted nothing more than to crawl into his arms and fall asleep right there. Even if the paper clip thing was incredibly embarrassing.

“As your senior, and your partner, it’s my duty to notice things like this. I should’ve known you’re overworking yourself. Instead, I gave you all these documents without setting a clear deadline. You probably thought I wanted these worked through by tomorrow, right?” Unsure of what to say, you just gave a nod as an answer. “Then it’s my fault. It’s fine if you take another day or two to prepare these. I know you have other cases as well. I apologise.”

You were stunned into silence at his words. You hadn’t ever heard Artem apologise like this before—probably because Artem usually didn’t make mistakes, and the only other person he was close to in the office appeared to be Celestine. Artem’s eyes were still on yours, and you noticed that he kept shifting his posture as he was waiting for you to speak. He was still holding your hand, and a warm feeling spread through your entire body. Finally, your brain remembered how to speak. “You have nothing to apologise for. I just… I just wanted to impress you.”

At your confession, his eyes widened, and the blush on his face intensified. “Y-you do. You impress me every day. I wouldn’t have asked you to be my partner otherwise.”

Both of you continued to look at each other, a tired but sincere smile on your faces. You were glad that Kiki wasn’t there to witness this moment, or the gossip wheels of Themis surely would start working on their highest settings…

“Artem, this might be a weird request, but. Can I hug you? I could really use a hug right now.” Before you even registered what you were saying, the words had left your mouth. As you were still scrambling your brain for an apology, trying to find a way to blame it on your exhaustion, you felt a pair of strong arms wrap around your body. Artem’s heartbeat was palpable against your body, and you could swear your hearts synchronised for a moment. His warm breath caressed your cheek as he whispered, “I wanted to offer before, but I didn’t know how to say it without overstepping boundaries…” It was all the confirmation you needed. You hugged him back, inhaling deeply, trying to memorise his scent. Who knew if you’d get another moment like this? Maybe tomorrow, you would both wake up and wonder how this could have happened. But for now, you felt safe and secure in Artem Wing’s arms, and tried to stretch the moment for as long as you could.

When you both eventually pulled back, you saw Artem’s eyes linger on your lips for the briefest moment—but before you could react, he stood up straight and cleared his throat. “A-anyway. You should really go to sleep now. If you can arrange it, I give you permission to come in later tomorrow too, so make sure to get eight hours of sleep. Do you need a ride home?”

As he gave his little speech, Artem’s eyes remained fixed on the floor in front of you, and he kept sliding his watch up and down his wrist.

“If you have time, that would be wonderful. I’ll just quickly make sure these documents are locked away…?” You let your sentence trail off, trying to give Artem an out if he wanted to take it.

“Yes. Of course. The least I can do is make sure to get you home safely.”

You thanked him and quickly put the files into a secure drawer. You scanned your desk one more time, but decided you would clean up the mess tomorrow. Artem, always the gentleman, held up your office door for you, and the both of you walked towards his car, silent and seemingly lost in your own thoughts.

(The next day, Celestine was surprised to find a screenshot of security camera footage on her desk. She couldn’t remember requesting it for any of her cases. As she took a closer look, she smiled to herself. There is hope for him yet, she thought, as she destroyed all evidence of the previous night.)

#my writing #Artem Wing x reader #Tears of Themis #zuo ran x reader #Artem Wing imagine #Tears of Themis fanfiction #I'm still trying to get a good grasp on all of their personalities--I might try to write more for Artem and Marius #there is angst potential in Vyn so (googly eyes)#I apologise for any typos and other mistakes I've been suffering from insomnia #but you know how it is... the fanfiction calls so you gotta write

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veonhagen · 3 years

Text

stargazing with artem wing ( gn reader )

you both lay amongst the glittery night skies. the wind brushing along your exposed skin sends a shiver down your spine as you try to rub the cold feeling off. it was just right after the sun had set down the horizon — you and artem both decided to have a picnic date in a nearby outside park as a break from all those paperworks and cases.

you gazed upon the bright stars in awe, not noticing how another pair of eyes were laying on you instead. out of all the beautiful lights you could witness in the darkness that is the night, artem chose to gaze upon you instead.

you were laying on his chest, kept busy by how the stars twinkled and shone, leaving you breathless of how pretty does this light show happen every single night. you pouted lightly at the realization of how you’ve been ignoring this sight for a long time, only to see it this late in your life.

for artem, you were the one leaving him breathless. you didn’t notice it yet, but he is thinking to himself how amazing and wonderful of a partner he has. not a partner merely for the sake of work, but a partner he’ll have for life. he never thought he’d love someone the way he did you. you were his one and only star that outshines them all, putting the moon to shame.

his thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of your cheerful voice, not that he’s complaining anyway. to hear your own voice is yet another blessing he thought he never deserved. “artem, look! a shooting star!” you pointed out to a small ray of light in the blanket of night, grabbing the other’s attention. finally looking at him excitedly, you ask, “are you making a wish?”

artem says nothing but a faint smile paints itself on his lips, in which it gave the answer you were asking for. he looks at the soon disappearing ray of light until the thought of a wish crosses his mind.

i wish for a lifetime with you as my partner.

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yanbub · 3 years

Text

mutuals appreciation post !! happy 1.3k milestone ♡

not @ me just randomly doing this 🤡 anyways yes happy 1.3k 💞 posting this early just in case someone unfollows 🙄 but i'm sadly not done with the event yet so i don't have any milestones planned for now so i just did this instead ;;;; maybe if i reach 1.5k i might do smth tho ??

in no order whatsoever

@starglitterz ; bye ilysm 🙁🙁 literally one of my best mutuals xdxd quill x yuyu 90k words frustrating slowburn teethrotting fluff friends to lovers asf. ok on a serious note IM SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE A LU JINGHE STAN⁉️⁉️ literally the cutest, hottest and richest man alive i tell you not 🙄 !! anyways i hope we can get to know each other more <3

@kazuqha ; im so scared to know what your "yan simping for marius" album contains ..... like literally. AND IM STILL GONNA BE INDENIAL ONE MORE TIME,,, just so i can get his event cards probably ❤ HAHA. being indenial has it's pros ok i rlly want that electrifying night sr and the symphony of the night ssr like oh my god not to ramble but he looks so hot in it 😩 i want him to kiss me so bad?*,?*@?!?@(#) ily i hope you get more zuo ran cards bc youre his wife 🤪

@noirkkat ; it's the way i've been wanting to be mutuals with you for so long bYE. I THOUGHT YOU WERE REALLY COOL AND WHEN WE FINALLY BECAME MUTUALS YOU WERE MORE THAN THAT 😍 anyways youre so sexy and stay bad 😜

@dilucbar ; let's go bili some noodle soup and egg waffles kasami si thoma and childe 😩 #conyo bye he might type in a jeje way i cant do this today HWHAHWJAHWHAHSHA anyways conyo thoma and childe our beloved 💗

@test-tube ; why are you so sweet it's too much for my health but idc youre literally one of the sweetest mutuals i have :((( we rarely talk these days but im glad that i can still see you on my dash slaps you with my affection and support asf

@baeshijima ; my fellow lu jinghe stan haha manifesting more of his cards for us <33 im so close to spend money on the matching tattoos one but 🙁🙁 i hate wasting money on games uGHHHH anyways lu jinghe supremacy insert heart

@eternism ; hi giggles i havent sent my yoimiya angst idea to you but i might do it later 😍 unless i forget again 🧍‍♀️anyways HAHA <3 ILY !!!! youre so cool?*?(?!?!? i hope you get yoimiya ur beloved bestie !!

@ganyuslily ; bye you're the only one who can understand me when it comes to mo yi insert pensive emoji they keep saying hes sus or a red flag but like,,,, idrc????? i still love him either way and i doubt mihoyo would make a love interest a literal red flag like that man,,, anyways congrats on ur xia yan again and i hope you get zuo ran's ssr <3

@kazuhavo1r ; yOUR. YOUR MARIUS CONTENT. I SCREAM EVERYTIME I GET TAGGED IN IT LIKE?&#(@?@*#(#?# I LOVE IT WHEN MARIUS I SWEAR YOU NOT 😭😭 but tho gl on ur exams/school :(( i love how we invade the tot fanfiction tags 😍

@astrealia ; xia yan <3 thats it for you LMFAO /j ok but. xia yan personal story is breaking me how can you just endure all of it wtf ily btw

bye i can't think of anyone else i am so sORRY if you aren't included ;;;;; i only rmb the ones ive been interacting more recently <//3 anyways ily all mutuals yall r so coolsies as yall should !

#🍥 ; rambles #ok im gonna. go back to tot #<3 #edit: I HAD THIS ON QUEUE HELP

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nagisadelune · 1 year

Text

Headcanon: Meeting Artem in University

(Definitely not edited)

I've been kind of on a roll with Artem headcanons recently because I keep looking at his cards (as a simp for him). Either way, I have another headcanon about him for you guys, and it's actually your first "encounter" with him.

I know that Hoyo already has a story set about how you/Rosa/MC first meet Artem, but I feel like this could happen in the actual storyline outside of the cards (?). Also, there is a tiny spoiler from the game about Artem's relationships with certain characters, but I don't think that it ruins too much about the actual story. Either way, I hope you enjoy this headcanon!

For the timeline and setting, assume that you are Rosa and that this is during your time in university, so imagine this being set a few years above the official start of the game.

⭐⭐⭐

"How do I improve this part of the paper?" Rosa asks the older woman across the desk from her. The tension in the room feels thick as Rosa begins asking questions regarding the quality of the paper. She needed this paper to be perfect.

After a brief reread of the section, the older woman explains, "You need to elaborate more about the details that you interpreted. Your evidence already discusses a lot about the observations of the scene, so you really need to get deep with your analysis." Rosa nods understanding the explanation, already plotting out how to rewrite the essay. Before she could ask another question, her advisor decides to end their meeting, "It's almost five, and I have another person coming in after you. I'm afraid we have to end our discussion here." Rosa looks confused as she glances to the clock in the office and realizes the time.

In a rush to clean up and leave, Rosa bids her farewell to her thesis advisor, "Thank you for your efforts, professor. I'll be sure to adjust my paper with your feedback." She bows towards her advisor before carefully leaving the building. As she walks towards the exit, her heels click against the ground, and she continues thinking about the discussion with the professor just earlier.

While she's lost in her thoughts, a male on the other side of the hallway sighs, thinking about his current workload. Noticing the girl who just exited the office, his eyes follow her figure. Her medium-length brown hair flow behind her as she briskly walks down the hall, and her fingers seem to be counting something. Her concentrated eyes don't detect a certain campus celebrity watching her intently while standing still. She quickly walks past the male, and his eyes follow her figure getting smaller down the hallway.

He barely manages to break his gaze on her when he shakes his head, but it seemingly breaking a trance he was just in. He approaches the office door and knocks on it, the hard wood against his knuckles echoing in the hallway.

"Come in," the female voice inside answers as she pours some hot water into a cup. The male outside grips on the doorknob before twisting it and entering the room. "How were classes, son?" she asks when she sees his familiar figure in the room. He carefully closes the door to avoid the loud thud when the door completely closes before slipping his backpack off.

"They were okay, but it's just been a long day since it's getting darker earlier," Artem briefly explains to his mom before sinking into the chair. The seat is still warm from Rosa which shocks him at first, but he slowly settles and enjoys the warmth. While waiting for his mom to sit down with him, his eyes wander on the room before landing on the large monitor on the desk. He notices a student's essay displayed on the screen, reading the name: Rosa (L/N).

"It is getting darker, so you shouldn't forget to take care of yourself this winter," his mom reminds him as he only half-listens to her, humming in response. His mind wanders as he recalls the focused girl walking down the hall lost in thought. Although they never physically interacted with each other, she already left a strong impression on him.

"Did someone check in with you about their thesis?" he asks, still looking at the computer screen. "The new semester just started, and someone's already finished writing theirs?" Surprised at the pace, he looks at his mom trying to see what she has to say about it.

With a sigh, she replies, "Yes, that's a student's completed thesis. She wanted me to look over it since she wanted perfect it." Artem nods, understanding the situation. Although it surprises him that someone already decided to finish their thesis, it's understandable to finish early to revise. "Not only that, she works really hard to make sure that she does well on these papers," she comments again, finally sitting down in her chair. Her fingers grips the string of the tea bag as she moves it up and down in the water.

"How is this thesis though in your opinion?" he asks in curiosity. His mother eyes him, noticing his new found curiosity and internally chuckles at her son.

"It's just a draft, so obviously there are some things that she needs to change up. However, considering that, it's coming along well for her," she explains before setting the tea bag down. In response, he nods before seemingly reading the paper himself. "Why are you so interested?" she finally questions, trying to figure out what her son is thinking.

"She just caught my attention on my way here; that's all," he mumbles softly while still skimming the lines of text. She scoffs softly before taking a sip of her fresh tea.

Yeah right. Only caught his attention.

⭐⭐⭐

Again, this is probably going to be proven wrong by Hoyo, but I like to think that this is Artem's first time ever seeing you lol. Either way, I hope you liked this one! Don't forget to follow if you like this, and I'll see you in the next one!

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iceysghost · 2 years

Note

Hiii! Could I request a White for Artem? If you're still doing your colors of romance of course!

Thanks a bunch! 💕💕

WHITE 》 softness, purity, safety

◇ Bright light shines through the windows as you share an embrace under the pearly sheets.

COLORS OF ROMANCE EVENT

Artem Wing x Female! Reader

Word Count: 400 words (sorry if it's a bit short)

Trigger/Content Warning: mentions of nudity, kissing

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, incessantly ringing through your ears. As your senses became clearer, the sensation of his arms grasped around your nude figure made you coil up like a plant shuddering and closing from someone's touch.

ARTEM's naked chest was pushed against your back. His fingers were gripped onto your body, pressed against your waist, holding you in a tight embrace, your legs intertwined under the soft sheets.

He pulled away, rolling onto his other side, and turning off the annoying alarm. You tried to follow him, turning towards him, but the sun had risen already, and a ray of it came through the curtains and hit you perfectly in the eye.

You wince, rapidly turning back to your old position, shutting your blinded eyes in a stinging kind of pain. He pushes himself towards you again.

"We have work today…" you mumble.

"Ten more minutes, please."

He cuddles closer. Artem buries his head in your neck and kisses your skin. Over and over again, fleeting, ticklish kisses. Sweet kisses.

You attempt to turn towards him again, this time using your hand to shield your eyes from the sunlight. He welcomed you, holding you tightly, covering your eyes before leading your face straight in front of his.

You're greeted with half-lidded breathtaking blue eyes, eyes full of gentleness and a glint of giddiness too.

He leans closer, kissing your forehead, letting it linger. He whispers:

"You're gorgeous."

You can smell him, the faint scent of sandalwood from his perfume yesterday, the perfume he's worn for so long and will probably wear for months or years to come. You reach a hand out to his face, and wipe off a glistening bead of sweat about to fall from his hair.

He holds tighter, and kisses you on the lips. Soft, gentle, quick; it was enough to leave you breathless, a quiet gasp escaping your lips.

His face was a subtle shade of pink, a slight smile plastered on his lips. You smile back at him. Now that there was no alarm, you could hear the faintest of sounds, even his slow, steady breathing. You moved closer even further and placed your head on his chest.

Ba bump, ba bump, ba bump, went his beautiful heartbeat. The heartbeat that gave life to your beautiful husband was now thumping in your ear.

"I love you, Artem."

"I love you too, darling."

#tears of themis #tears of themis x reader #tears of themis fanfic #tears of themis fanfiction #tears of themis fluff #tears of themis artem #tot fanfic #tot fluff #tot x reader #artem #artem wing #artem wing x reader #artem wing x rosa #zuo ran #zuo ran x reader #iceysghost colors of romance

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iceysghost · 2 years

Note

Hi! I was wondering if you could do an Artem Wing TURQUOISE fic? I'm in the mood for some angst, if you don't mind. :)

TURQUOISE 》 health, tranquility, emotional protection

◇ The sky's the color of your hospital dress, and he's the wind that rushes through the air and makes you feel alright.

COLORS OF ROMANCE

Artem Wing x Female! Reader

Word Count: 1,223 Words

Trigger/Content Warning: mental breakdown, crying, hospitals, mentions of physical injury (bones cracking, wounds, minimal cursing

He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose you. He couldn’t imagine how grey it would feel, how blurred and hazy his vision would be. But as your body cracked and blood rushed out of your wounds, he got a taste of what it would feel like. He struggled to see through his tears, and he struggled to see himself in the mirror without thinking that this was the man who hurt you, this was the reason you almost died; he, ARTEM WING, was to blame for your injury.

After work, he took the same flowers, carried the same “get well soon” balloon, and drove the same car to the same hospital. But he couldn’t muster up the courage to see you, to be next to you, to talk to you.

The flowers started to wither, and the balloon deflated and wouldn’t fly as high as it used to. He knew he was taking a long time to visit you, but his gifts weren't cooperating, and it only screamed at him more to get going and not be a pussy.

So, after cutting a case short and taking deep breaths, he got into his car, bought a new bouquet and new balloon, and decided that today would be the day.

As he walked through the hospital hallways, he was eyed by nurses passing by and patients with IV stands and wheelchairs. It made his skin crawl, thinking that maybe they sensed his nerves, maybe they knew that something was wrong with him.

He looked up at the room numbers. 417, 418, 419—

Something crashed into him and he nearly toppled over. Flashes of white, beige, red, silver, his hand sprawls out and lets go of the string, he steadies himself and—

"I didn't think I'd ever see you here, Mr. Wing."

Vyn, somewhat of a sworn enemy, stared him down with a grave look. Artem froze.

Dr. Richter eyed the light pink balloon, now in his left hand. "Nice balloon you have here."

The tension seemed to catch the eyes of even more passersby, who started to whisper among each other. Artem's heart sank to his stomach. This was another reason for him to feel guilt, another person who believed that he was to blame, the one thing that proved that it wasn't all inside of his head.

Vyn handed the balloon to him slowly. Artem trembled and held the string tightly.

"Hold onto it tighter next time," Vyn said condescendingly.

"I'll make sure to." Artem rushed quickly behind him and brisked to the right room.

He opened the door slowly. There you were, sleeping, with a peaceful look on your face. Your room was already decorated with gifts; drawings, letters, different bouquets of flowers in white, pink, and green, and not a single balloon in sight. Artem doubted himself. Maybe it's too dorky.

His footsteps were quiet, gentle; he placed the bouquet on your bedside, tied the balloon to your bed, and took a seat.

This was all his doing, it was his fault, his fault he couldn't protect you. She's going to hate me, he thought, I'm such a terrible partner.

He held your hand, which had an IV hose attached. Your warmth was something he craved, something that he wished to feel in a murky world, but he was afraid that you wouldn't appreciate him wanting to be with you.

Your eyes slowly opened. "Ar…tem?"

His breath hitched and he swallowed. This was it.

"Yes, it's me, [Name]."

"Where have you been?"

"You were—waiting for me?"

Artem was in shock. You were waiting for him, you wanted him to visit, he got it all wrong.

"I'm so glad you're here." You held his hand tighter.

"I'm sorry I didn't come right away, I just thought you'd be mad at me," he mumbled.

"Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?" you laughed. Artem took a deep breath.

"I thought you'd be mad at me because I was the one who failed to protect you."

Your eyebrows furrowed. "This…isn't your fault. Don't think about it that way."

"Oh, and don't say it's all in my head. I mean, there's obviously someone who thinks the same way as I do—"

You snapped out of your trance and sat up. "Who's blaming you for it?"

He reached his hands out to hold you down by the shoulders. "It's…no one. Just Vyn. Whom I came across in the hallway. And maybe the whole NXX."

"They WHAT?!" You were ready to confront these bad boys and tell them that they were wrong, and mean, and unjustified for blaming Artem.

"Calm down, please, you're still hurt. It's nothing for you to worry about."

"Nothing for me to—they're wrong! You did everything you could, you were a great partner, you were amazing."

"I was…amazing?"

"Yes, you were, Artem."

He bit the inside of his mouth. All this time, he thought he was in the wrong, but you had to believe otherwise.

"I'm sorry, [Name], please just calm down. I just really thought you hated me, so I didn't visit, and I'm sorry. Sorry, I'm sorry."

Sorry, sorry, sorry, over and over again, he repeated in his mind and under his breath. You couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"Don't be sorry," you said earnestly, but your voice started to weaken. "I…really, really missed you."

He moved his chair closer to you and held both of your hands. You reached one hand up to his face and cupped his cheek. He leaned his forehead into yours, and you could see his eyes so clearly. They were blue, a deep blue, like the night sky, the sea, the depths of a sad heart. Both in silence, you blinked, and rubbed each others' hands, and smiled, and spent a few moments with nothing but each other.

"You know, Artem, this whole time I was blaming myself. I thought I was too weak for you. But I guess that's just what anyone thinks," you whispered. His deep blue eyes widened.

"The both of us felt sad, so we assumed that we were to blame. That's wrong, that's so wrong. And I want to get over that with you."

Artem hummed quietly. He takes a moment to listen to your breathing and mutters:

"I thought I lost you."

"I thought I lost me too." you whisper back.

No matter how many times other people visited, this was what you needed; the support, the comfort of none other than Artem.

You fought back your tears, but they ran down, down, like raindrops, and you were choked by your own breathing. He cried a subdued cry alongside you, squeezing your hand gently, foreheads still stuck together.

His other hand, still cupping your face, moved away slightly. You felt this pressure on your cheek: a kiss, one long, genuine kiss, and shorter kisses to wipe away the tears that endlessly graced your face.

"I won't blame myself for everything, [Name], but if I must take the blame to protect you, to save you…" he spoke, slowly, deeply, savoring his words:

"I'd take the blame for you anytime."

Your eyes flit away from his for a split second, to your side, the side of your bed.

"You know, Artem, I must say…"

"You must…say?"

"I really like the balloon. It's cute."

#iceysghost colors of romance #tears of themis #tears of themis x reader #tears of themis fanfic #tears of themis fanfiction #tears of themis artem #tears of themis angst #tot angst #angst #artem #artem wing #artem wing x reader #artem wing x rosa #tot artem #zuo ran #zuo ran x reader

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