#*hair mod link in the replies

[theashenphoenix]

CARLOS OLIVEIRA • RESIDENT EVIL 3 (2020)

[cookiescribble]

Innocent Love

Flufftober Day 16: “Yes, No, Maybe” + bonus prompt “I’ve Got You.” (this one gets an actual title because i was planning on posting this as a regular fic)

A/N: I don’t think this is quite what the prompt meant (and the words are out of order) but I was already in the middle of writing this when we decided we were doing flufftober and had written that line so I figured I’d use it for this prompt 🫶🏻 - mod angel 

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Summary: After talking through some emotional concerns, you and Spencer finally feel comfortable getting intimate with each other. 

CW: very fluffy smut (18+), mutual loss of virginity, discussion/description of SA (based on the memories he talked about in 3x16)

~~~

You were sitting on the couch, originally watching a movie that had since been forgotten about. Your hands were tangled in Spencer’s hair, your lips against his, your kisses feeling like they were the air you need to breathe. 

You pulled away for a moment, both of you trying to catch your breath, your heart pounding as if you just ran a marathon. You looked at each other, letting out a little laugh, still holding onto each other. 

“Do you remember anything that happened in the last 20 minutes of this movie?” He asked, still laughing softly. 

You laughed harder, shaking your head. “No, I was focused on something way more important,” you murmured, grinning as you pulled him in for another kiss. 

He hummed against your lips, his hands automatically coming to hold your face, and you were back to kissing fervently. 

After a few more minutes of this, you slowly pulled him on top of you, never breaking the kiss, your hands tangling in his hair. You could feel his heart beating fast against yours, as you slowly slid one hand under his shirt…

Suddenly, he pulled away, wincing, his breath shallow and shaky. You pulled your hand back, holding it out in front of you. “I’m sorry, was that too much?” You asked, worried that you were going to scare him off. You hadn’t been dating for too long, and you didn’t want to rush things, but it had just felt… right. 

He hesitated, still catching his breath. “No… Yes? Maybe? I…” He sighed, and you could feel his breath on your face since he was still so close to you. “I don’t know…”

You reached up to touch his face, consoling him and giving him a soft smile. “Let’s stop for now, okay?”

He nodded, sitting up, running his hand through his hair and taking a deep breath. “Sorry…” he muttered, looking at you apologetically. 

You shook your head, putting your arm around him. “Nothing to be sorry about,” you assured him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he replied, his breath finally going back to normal. “I just… I-I don’t know,” he sighed, as if he was frustrated with himself. “I haven’t… I don’t…” he kept stumbling through starts of sentences he never finished. 

You pat his shoulder in a comforting gesture, letting him know you understood. You were trying to think of words yourself; you and Spencer had gotten far enough in your relationship that it was probably time to have a “talk,” but you felt shy about it. It was a slightly uncomfortable topic, especially since you didn’t know how to bring up your total lack of experience without sounding like a complete loser. 

He took your hand off his shoulder to hold it, linking your fingers together. The sweet gesture gave you the bit of courage you needed to keep talking. 

“So…” you started hesitantly, “do you… want to do… that, someday?” You tried not to blush, it shouldn’t be this big of a deal to talk about it. “Because some people don’t, and that’s totally okay too, and I really wouldn’t mind if-“

“No, I do,” he cut off your babbling. “I… I really want to try this with you. I just…” He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t… have any actual experience with… that, but I’ve had some experiences kinda… related to that, and they were… bad.”

You were kind of relieved to hear the first part of that, but hearing the last part of what he said made you furrow your brows. “I… also don’t have any experience, if that makes you feel better.” You rubbed your thumb over the back of his hand. “But, the other thing… Do you want to talk about it?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, just letting himself feel your calming touch. “I just… I’m worried I’ll start to freak out.” He sighed, gripping your hand a little tighter. “It’s… kind of a long story.”

“Well, I’m more than willing to listen,” you replied softly. “Besides, I’ve got nothing better to do.”

That caused him let out a soft chuckle, making you smile. “Okay, well… it started when I was in high school.” He stared into the distance as he talked, almost as if he was somewhere else, describing the events happening. “I was… well, less than popular in school, which I guess is to be expected when you graduate at 12.”

You nodded, giving his hand a little squeeze to try to ground him. You’re sure that wherever he was right now, it wasn’t a good place. 

He closed his eyes, taking another deep breath. “And… sometimes, people would just pretend to like me, and I didn’t know any better and I just believed them.” He gave your hand another squeeze. “One day… one of the girls in my class came up to me, and she said her friend wanted to meet me, and I was excited because I thought I liked her, and the idea of someone liking me was, like, unheard of at the time…”

You frowned, starting to soothingly stroke his hand with your thumb. He’d told you about his time in school being emotionally difficult, but he never told you any specifics. 

He opened his eyes again, still not looking at you. “So I met this friend at the time she told me, and when I got there… she was there, but it wasn’t just her; the whole football team was there, and…” His eyes were starting to water now. “And they… took my clothes off and they tied me to the goal posts… and they just laughed at me when I begged them to let me go.”

“Oh, Spence,” you whispered, reaching up to wipe away the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. “That’s awful.”

He sniffled, looking like he was trying to hold his breath so he wouldn’t cry. He reached up to touch your hand that was on his face, closing his eyes again. 

You felt your heart breaking at his story. How could people be so mean to him? Especially when he was so young and vulnerable.

You pulled him into a tight hug, stroking his hair soothingly. “It’s okay now, honey,” you cooed in his ear. “I’ve got you. No one’s ever going to hurt you like that ever again.”

“I know…” he sighed, his voice still a little wobbly. “But I just… can’t forget it, and when you started to take my shirt off, it just brought me right back there.” He hugged you a little tighter, burying his face in your shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spoil the moment…”

You shook your head. “You have nothing to apologize for, Spence,” you assured him. “I would never ask you to do something you weren’t ready for.” You pulled back slightly to look at him, pushing his hair back so you could look in his eyes. “If you want to try to go further, we can take things slow, okay? We can take our time.”

He nodded, looking up at you with those big, sad eyes of his. “Yeah, I think I like that idea.” He gave you a soft smile. 

You smiled back, kissing his forehead. “C’mon, let’s finish this movie.”

“I think we’re gonna have to rewind it,” he laughed softly, sitting up again. “I barely even remember what movie we were watching.”

…

You both kept your word about going slow. Every time you were alone together, you started to slowly get further and further. He eventually got comfortable with you taking his shirt off, and you both got a bit more comfortable letting your hands roam. 

One day, everything seemed to fall into place, and you were both finally ready. 

Spencer had come home after a rare slow day at the BAU, and he scooped you into his arms immediately when he entered your apartment. 

He was on you instantly, pulling you close and kissing you, his hands gently gripping your face as you fell back onto the couch. You let out a surprised hum against his lips, your hands tangling in his hair as the kiss started to get very heated. You took his tie off, throwing it on the side of the couch. He let you unbutton a few of the top buttons on his shirt, eventually breaking the kiss to look at you with half-lidded eyes. 

“Can we… go to the bedroom?” he asked softly, panting from the intense kiss. 

Your eyes widened slightly. “Are you sure?” you whispered back, reaching up to touch his face. 

He nodded, putting his hands over yours. “I’m sure. If… if you want to, that is…”

You nodded immediately, standing back up as you both walked to the bedroom, Spencer pulling you by your hand as you both giggled excitedly. 

You closed the door behind you, and Spencer slowly walked towards you, pulling you in by your waist. He kissed you, slower this time, with more intention. His hands slowly slid up your sides as his tongue slipped into your mouth. 

You let out a dreamy sigh, hugging him tightly. You lifted your arms as you let him pull your shirt off, tossing it off to the side somewhere. You unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, and it joined yours on the floor as you fell back on the bed, Spencer quickly moving on top of you, his touch on your body feather light. 

His hands worked achingly slow, feeling every inch of you. Starting at your neck, slowly sliding down your arms, back up your waist… his touch so gentle you might not have felt it, if you weren’t paying attention. 

But, oh, you felt it. It felt like electricity was flowing through your body with every touch of his fingertips. He looked into your eyes as his hands kept roaming your body, you never thought you could feel so loved by somebody.

Eventually, his hands came to slowly push down your bra straps, making your breath catch in your throat. “Can I take this off?” He asked, his voice soft and sweet like honey. 

You nodded, sitting up so he could reach your back to unhook it. After a few moments, it joined the rest of your clothes on the floor. 

You looked up at him, and he was looking into your eyes. His eyes were slightly widened, and he seemed as though he was keeping himself from looking at you. 

You let out a warm laugh, reaching up to touch his face. “You’re allowed to look, Spence.”

He blushed as his eyes roamed down your body, leaning you back so you were laying down again. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, his hands resuming their search on your body. You closed your eyes, just letting yourself feel the sensation. 

Eventually, his hands reached your chest, making you gasp lightly. Your eyes opened instinctively as you felt him hesitate. “Is… is that okay?”

“Y-yeah,” you stammered, your face slightly flushed. “It’s just… new. But not bad.” You looked up at him sheepishly. “It feels… nice.”

He gave you a soft smile, his head coming down to meet yours, your foreheads and noses touching. His hands resumed the soft touch, making you let out a soft moan when he touched the sensitive part of your skin. 

He kissed your forehead, then your cheek, then started planting soft kisses down your neck and your shoulders until his lips finally found your breasts. You let out a gasp, your eyes closing as your hands tangled in his hair. Your heart was pounding like crazy; you wouldn’t be surprised if he could feel it from where he was. 

His kisses were achingly gentle, before his tongue started moving in circular motions. Your eyes squeezed shut, and you were letting out soft whimpers. Eventually, he made his way back up and gave you a soft kiss on the lips. 

You both looked at each other, giggling softly, feeling like two teenagers sneaking away on prom night. You felt giddy, but serious at the same time. This meant a lot to both of you. 

You bit your lip, your hand slowly sliding down his side before you started to undo his belt. He let out a shaky breath, and soon you were working on his button and zipper, pulling it down…

“Wait!” He exclaimed suddenly, making you pull your hand away, slightly startled. 

“D-do you want to stop?” You asked, worried you did something wrong. 

“No, no, I don’t want to stop,” he shook his head. “I just… can’t forget…” he trailed off as he pulled something out of his pocket, placing a condom on your bedside table. 

You blushed fiercely, that one gesture suddenly making everything feel more real. 

He settled back on top of you, reaching his hand out to gently cup your cheek. “Had to make sure that didn’t get stuck in the clothing pile,” he laughed warmly. 

You laughed back, touching your noses together again. “Well, is it okay if this goes in the clothing pile now?” You asked, tugging at the waistband of his pants. 

“Yeah,” he smiled, his face looking a little red. “All good now.”

You reached down to tug at his pants again, pulling them down as Spencer helped you slide them off. Your eyes wandered down his body, seeing something very prominently bulging in his underwear. Your eyes darted back up to his face, your cheeks turning pink. 

His hands were back on you, sliding down your sides before resting on your hips. “Your turn?” He whispered. 

“Y-yeah,” you whispered back, swallowing and nodding. You reached down to unbutton your own pants before Spencer’s hands were sliding underneath them, and soon they were discarded to the clothing pile. 

He got closer to your face again, biting his lip. “I’ve, uh, been doing some… research…” he murmured, sounding a bit flustered. 

“Research?” You repeat, laughing lightly. “What kind of research?”

“Well,” he started, his hand resting on your hip. “I just… really want to do this right. And I want you to feel good. So I, uh…” he looked a bit embarrassed. “I looked into… what women say feels good. And like, how to… get you… prepared…” he let out an awkward laugh, running his hand through his hair. 

You giggled, covering part of your face with your hand, your face feeling hot. “Yeah? And what did you discover?”

“Well, there were things they said help so it doesn’t hurt,” he explained, his hand trailing down your leg now. “So… I wanted to try it, because I don’t want you to be in pain while we do this.”

He was so sweet you could almost cry. Instead, you just nodded. “Okay… let’s try it, then.”

He nodded back, lifting your legs up and slowly pulling your underwear off. You looked up at him, a bashful look on your face as you lay bare underneath him. 

He took a moment to look over your body before clearing his throat. “Okay, so, the first thing they recommended was putting a pillow under your hips.”

You nodded, taking one of the pillows you weren’t laying on and handing it to him. 

He furrowed his brows, the way he did when he was concentrating hard on something. You picked up your hips so he could slide the pillow underneath you. 

“Comfortable?” He asked softly. 

“Yeah,” you nodded, adjusting your position slightly. Your hips were angled slightly upwards now. “What’s next?” 

“Next is to… get you… ready.” He reached up to  push a strand of hair out of your face. 

“R-ready?” You asked, your face a bit flushed. “So you’re gonna… t-touch me?”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Is that okay?”

You nodded, biting your lip. “Yeah, it’s okay. I guess I’m just a bit… nervous. I’ve never had anyone touch me like that before,” you mumbled, looking away. 

“Me neither,” he replied, stroking your cheek with his thumb. “But, this is supposed to help you feel less nervous, on top of trying to get your body used to… something being… in there,” he chuckled awkwardly. 

A giggle bubbled in your throat, your face bright red now. “Right, yeah,” you took a deep breath, trying to prepare yourself for what was about to happen. “Okay.”

His hand trailed down your body again, watching your face for any reactions. He parted your legs, his hand resting on your lower stomach. “Ready?” He whispered. 

“Ready,” you whispered back, taking another deep breath. 

His hand trailed down until he finally reached the bundle of nerves between your legs, touching it tentatively. 

Your breath hitched, and you let out a little whimper. Just one small touch and you were already feeling your body react. Your arms reached out to wrap around his shoulders, hugging him for support. 

“Does that feel good?” Spencer whispered in your ear, his fingers pausing to make sure you were still okay. 

You nodded vigorously, threading your fingers in his hair, your faces so close that you could feel his breath. “Yeah…” you whispered back, your face flushed. “It… it feels really good.”

His other hand moved to stroke your hair soothingly as he started circling your bud, earning a soft moan from you. 

The juxtaposition between the innocent sweetness he was showing and the very not innocent thoughts you were having were starting to make your head spin. You didn’t think you could ever feel so good, but you were already getting so worked up that you couldn’t imagine yourself lasting much longer. 

After a few minutes of Spencer rubbing you achingly slowly, he whispered to you again. “I’m gonna, um…” He seemed like he almost felt too shy to say the words. “… put my finger in now, okay?” He cleared his throat, his eyes looking into yours. “It’s supposed to help stretch you out a bit, so it doesn’t hurt… l-later.” He was blushing, his awkward mumbling sounding very endearing to you.

“Y-yeah, okay,” you murmured, biting your lip. “I can handle that.”

He nodded, stroking your hair before he went any further. “Just relax,” he whispered. “It said that tensing makes it more likely to hurt.”

You took a deep breath, relaxing your body as much as you could manage. It didn’t help that he had gotten you worked up so quickly. 

He pressed your foreheads together as he slowly slid one finger in, making you hug him a little closer, letting out a quiet whine as you felt this new sensation in your body. It was almost like a slightly full feeling, except that you felt like you wanted more. 

“Is that okay?” He asked softly, his thumb gently caressing your cheek. “Doesn’t hurt?”

“N-no,” you stammered, deciding you’d answer his last question first. “It doesn’t hurt, it feels really good.”

“Do you think you can manage a little more?” He searched your face to look for any signs of discomfort. 

“Yeah,” you breathed, swallowing. “I think I can.”

He nodded at you, pressing his face to yours as he slowly slipped another finger in. 

You let out another soft whine, holding him a bit tighter. He looked at you, silently asking a question. “I’m alright,” you whisper softly. “It feels good.”

He pressed a kiss to your forehead as he started moving his fingers, the new sensation filling you with excitement, already feeling like you were close to coming undone. 

“Spence…” you moaned softly as he suddenly kissed you hungrily, his tongue in your mouth causing you to tangle your fingers in his hair tightly. 

You didn’t think anything could feel this good, his fingers thrusting in and out of you, hitting you where it felt the best every time as if he was an expert. You felt something building in your stomach, your toes starting to curl as you let out a string of moans and whimpers. 

You pull away from the kiss, breathing shakily as you try to speak. “Spence… I-I’m…” you squeezed your eyes shut as you suddenly felt overwhelmed by how much pleasure was coursing through your body. 

Spencer ran a hand through your hair, the gesture very gentle compared to the relentless way his fingers were moving inside of you. “Just let it happen. I’ve got you,” he murmured in your ear before his lips were back on yours, his thumb gently stroking your cheek. 

The tenderness in his voice and feeling of his lips and the movement of his fingers finally sent you over the edge, moaning loudly as you felt waves and waves of pleasure crashing through your body. Your back arched off the bed as you got lost in the pleasure, almost feeling like it was never going to end. 

Finally, you felt yourself come down, panting as you tried to process what just happened. You’d never really felt that kind of sensation before.

Spencer was looking at you in awe when you finally looked back over to him, also seeming to be processing what just happened. 

You blushed, feeling a bit shy after all that. It made you feel more exposed than taking off your clothes had. 

After a few moments, he broke the silence by whispering, “You’re so beautiful.” He pushed your hair back, getting a better look at your flushed face. 

You smiled sheepishly, your heart warming at how sweet he was. He was really good at comforting you during such a vulnerable time. 

“So, uh…” you started, absentmindedly running your finger up and down his arm. “Do you think that was… sufficient?” You chuckled awkwardly, feeling like you sounded ridiculous. 

He was also blushing, his voice warm and sweet. “I hope so,” he laughed lightly back. “Do you feel… ready?”

You leaned in, looking into his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt more ready for anything in my life,” you murmured. 

You both smiled at each other, Spencer’s face getting more and more flushed as your hand traced down his side to his hip. 

“It’s not fair that I’m the only one not wearing any clothes right now,” you teased as your fingers stopped right under the waistband of his underwear. 

He bit down on his tongue, his hand moving to help you finally take off the rest of his clothes. 

Soon, you both lay there, completely bare. Your face was a bright red, your eyes widening automatically as you looked over his body. You moved your eyes back up to his face and he met your gaze, pressing his forehead to yours and gently cupping your cheek. 

“Are you, ah…” You felt a bit embarrassed as you spoke. “Are you sure it was enough… preparing?” As stereotypical as it sounded, you were having trouble imagining him fitting inside of you.

He smiled softly, tangling his legs together with yours, the sense of closeness feeling reassuring to you. “You can tell me if it hurts… I want you to tell me if it hurts, okay? Or if you changed your mind-“

You shook your head, cutting him off. “I didn’t change my mind. I promise.”

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into another kiss, slowly moving on top of you so he was straddling your waist. You stifled a moan when you felt something hard pressing against your stomach.

After a few more moments, he pulled away slightly, his mouth still inches away from yours. “Okay, I… I’m going to…” He trailed off as he sat up a bit more, his hand right next to your face as his other reached for the condom on the table. 

You felt a bit embarrassed just staring at him, but you kind of couldn’t help it. “So, there’s like… a right and a wrong way to wear it, right? I remember being taught that in high school.”

He nodded, tearing the wrapper open and starting to slowly roll it down his length. “Yeah, I’ve been, uh… practicing,” he admitted sheepishly. 

A giggle bubbled in your throat as you thought about what that “practicing” meant. For some reason, it excited you how much he prepared for this. It meant that he really cared a lot for you. 

After it was on, he came back down to face you again. “Ready?” He asked softly, his hand finding yours and interlocking your fingers together. 

You gave his hand a little squeeze. “Ready,” you replied, nodding determinately. 

He looked into your eyes as he slowly pushed himself in, both of you letting out a little gasp as you finally joined your bodies together in this intimate harmony. 

You let out a little whimper when he was all the way in, feeling perfectly full. You fit together perfectly, like you were made for each other, as cliché as that sounded. 

After a few moments of just staying like that, your foreheads pressed together as you both adjusted to this new feeling, Spencer spoke breathlessly. “Does it hurt?”

You shook your head. “No, it doesn’t hurt. It feels… amazing,” you admitted, whispering to him. 

He smiled softly, reaching up to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear with the hand that wasn’t holding yours. “Can I start moving?”

You nodded quickly. “Please,” you practically begged, your body already aching for this pleasure that was only just starting. 

He wasted no time, his eyes closing as he started a steady rhythm, his movements almost achingly slow. 

He leaned his head down for another heated kiss, letting out a quiet moan against your lips. You squeezed his hand tight, matching his moan as his thrusts started getting a little faster. 

You could immediately feel the pleasure building inside of you again. He was able to hit the exact spots that made you whimper and moan, and hearing his own muffled noises of pleasure against your lips was making you feel dizzy. 

After a few minutes, he pulled away from the kiss to bury his face in your neck, his movements starting to get erratic. He sounded like he was mumbling something to himself, his voice vibrating against your neck. You think you heard him listing some of the periodic table elements, which could’ve almost made you laugh if you weren’t so lost in the feeling of him. 

“Spence…” you whimpered, trying to pull his head up to press your face against his. “It’s… I…” You tried to convey the feeling building inside you as you felt yourself getting more and more worked up with each of his thrusts, but you couldn’t even form a cohesive thought. Instead, you squeezed his hand tighter, letting out a loud moan. 

Thankfully, he understood you, and you could feel his hair tickling your forehead as he nodded. “Me too,” he breathed, his voice slightly whiny. “God, me too.”

You wrapped your arm around him, the movement of his hips getting faster and faster as the room was filled with the noises you both were letting out. 

Finally, you couldn’t take it anymore; your back arched, pressing your body against his, your feet tangling together as you felt his tensing against yours. You felt yourself hit that high for the second time tonight, your hips moving to meet his as he moaned loudly, his hips shuddering as he came right there with you, the frenzied movements dying down until he finally stopped, collapsing on top of you. 

You were both panting, trying to catch your breath after such an intense moment. He let go of your hand to wrap his arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug as he buried his face in your neck. You reached up to gently stroke his hair, your other hand absentmindedly tracing patterns on his back. 

You stayed like that for a few minutes, keeping each other close, your hearts thrumming in your chests against each other. His body was warm on top of yours; he almost felt like your personal weighted blanket. 

Eventually, Spencer lifted his head up to look at you. As you met his eyes, you both let out a little giggle, the giddiness of what you just experienced really hitting you. He moved so he was laying on his back, scooping you into his arms as you curled up into his side. 

“That was… wow,” you finally broke the silence, a big smile on your face. 

He smiled back at you. “Incredible,” he finished for you. “I… I never thought I could feel quite like that.”

You reached up to cup his cheek, your tone slightly teasing. “Your ‘research’ didn’t prepare you for that?”

He laughed warmly, pulling you closer against him. “Nothing could’ve prepared me; you’re a one-of-a-kind person, and everything with you just feels so… special,” he gleamed at you, putting his hand over yours. “I… I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” you breathed, getting slightly teary-eyed. You weren’t prepared for just how emotional this would make you. “I can’t imagine myself doing that with anyone besides you.”

“Agreed,” he nodded, his tone soft as his thumb wiped away the tear that was forming. “You okay?”

You nodded, turning your head to give his hand a little kiss. “Yeah, I’m okay,” you smiled softly at the comforting touch. “Just feeling a lot of emotions, I guess.”

“That’s normal,” he replied, pushing your hair back so he could look at you better. “The hormonal release can cause a flood of emotions, sometimes causing postcoital tristesse. It’s normal to feel some anxiety or sudden sadness-“

“It’s not sadness,” you cut him off. “I’m crying because I'm so happy.” You smiled wide, nuzzling his nose with yours. 

He couldn’t help but smile back, his eyes closing as he nuzzled your nose back. “That can also happen. I’m glad that’s the one you’re feeling.”

“Me too,” you sighed contentedly, resting your head on his shoulder as you closed your eyes, exhaustion suddenly hitting you. 

He let out a warm laugh as he saw you getting comfortable, hearing the drowsiness in your voice. “How about we get dressed and go to sleep?” he whispered. “I think we’ll both sleep really well tonight.”

“Mhm…” you mumbled, trying to will yourself to sit up after your body suddenly felt really heavy. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

After a bit of effort, you both got up to change into your pajamas, stealing a few quick kisses as you did so. You settled back into bed, snuggling up under the covers, whispering “goodnight”s before you both fell asleep almost instantly. 

After that night, you were practically inseparable. This had basically become a nightly routine; you tried out a whole bunch of positions to test what felt the best for both of you. His favorites were the ones where he could hold you in his arms. 

It always ended with lots of snuggling afterwards, the intimacy making your relationship even stronger than it was before. You never thought you could feel this much love for someone, but you felt it every day with Spencer.

[papayaem]

Two Wheels and One Heart – Part II

Dad!Lando Norris x daughter!reader

Summary: The recovery story of Lando's daughter after her motocross injury

Warning: Motocross accident, injury, broken bones, hospital, physio, fluff, angst if you squint

TAKES MOST TAKES PLACE DURING WINTER BREAK

Three days after surgery, the swelling had gone down enough for the doctors to finally place a proper cast on her leg. Lando had barely left the hospital. He’d only gone home once—to shower, grab clean clothes, and pick up her favorite hoodie (one of his quadrant hoodies, actually; she stole it two years ago before it was even released and never gave it back).

She was quiet, more than usual. Not in pain—at least not physically anymore—but in her spirit. She didn’t ask about her bike. Didn’t ask when she’d ride again.

That worried him more than the X-rays ever could.

Week 2 – Home, but Hurting

“Careful,” Lando muttered, arms under her as he helped her down onto the couch. She winced as her casted leg brushed the cushion.

“I’m fine, Dad.”

“You’re not fine,” he said. “You broke your tibia. There’s literally a metal rod in your leg now.”

“I don’t need reminding.”

He sat beside her, rubbing the back of his neck. There was silence for a while, broken only by the quiet hum of the telly in the background.

Then: “I scared you,” she whispered.

He turned to her. “What?”

“I know I did. You looked... different. At the hospital.”

Lando’s throat tightened. “Yeah. You did scare me. But not because of the injury.”

“Then why?”

“Because you weren’t you. You didn’t smile. You didn’t joke. You didn’t say ‘told you I’d send it off that ramp.’ That’s how I knew you weren’t okay.”

She looked down at her lap. “What if I can’t ride again?”

Lando reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, gently. “Then we’ll figure it out. But you can. You just... need time. You’re strong. Stronger than I ever was at your age.”

She looked up at him, eyes wet. “Promise?”

He nodded. “On every race I’ve ever driven.”

Week 5 – Progress and Pushback

They started physical therapy at a small clinic outside of town. Lando insisted on driving her every time. He’d sit in the waiting room, coffee in hand, reading notes from the McLaren team, but his attention always drifted to the sound of her voice echoing down the hall.

Some days she made jokes and would not shut up to save her life. Other days she cried in the car, or just completely shut down. He never rushed her. Never forced her to try explain something he could never fully understand or forced her to just “tough it out.” He just listened and waited, the supportive silent which made evrything hurt just a little bit less.

And one day, on the way home, she surprised him.

“Can we go see the track this weekend?”

He nearly missed the turn, but he agreed, feeling the need to give her everything she wanted and more, and incredibly proud of her progress.

Week 7 – Back Where It Happened

They pulled into the gravel lot on a Saturday morning, sun low, the track still damp with dew. Her crutches sunk slightly in the soft dirt as she limped to the fence.

Lando followed silently.

Her eyes scanned the course. The ramp still stood where she’d flown. Fallen. Broken.

“It doesn’t look so scary now,” she said.

“Because you faced it.”

“Not on the bike.”

“No,” Lando said softly. “But in here.” He tapped her chest. “That’s where the real crash happened. And that’s where the healing starts too.”

She didn’t reply, but her hand slipped into his, and she felt so much lighter, as if visiting the track gave her the closure she needed so badly.

Week 10 – Small Steps, Big Dreams

Lando had a surprise waiting in the garage. A stationary training bike—modded with softer suspension, full safety harness, and VR goggles linked to old GoPro footage of her favorite trails.

Her jaw dropped.

“You built this?”

He shrugged. “Had some help. McLaren engineers like side projects.”

She laughed for the first time in weeks. “You’re such a nerd.”

“Dad nerd,” he corrected, grinning.

And that afternoon, as she rode slowly, leaning softer than usual, legs trembling, Lando sat nearby with a stopwatch and a tear in his eye.

She wasn’t just riding and building strength again. She was rising.

Epilogue – Months Later

Six months to the day after her fall, she stood at the start gate of a small local event. Just an exhibition lap. No jumps. No pressure.

Lando was right beside her, adjusting her gloves, checking the straps on her boots like he always used to when she was little.

“You sure about this?” he asked, eyes searching hers.

She smiled, fearless this time. “Yeah. I’ve got my dad in my corner.”

She revved the engine. He stepped back. The gate dropped.

And as she took off, dust rising behind her like a storm, Lando didn’t see a broken girl. He saw his daughter—whole, brave, and flying again.

Please to not copy or Translate without permission x

[myreia]

—for birthday shenanigans

Hello! Hi!

So, here's the deal: for a lot of different reasons, I have been unsubbed from FFXIV since June last year. Which means that I haven't seen my WoL Aureia in a very, very long time, and I also haven't played around in gpose for an equally long time. And I miss it!

My birthday is at the end of the month 🥳, and I was thinking that it would be fun to do a gpose for art trade.

I am a very new artist, but I like drawing other people's OCs for practice and for fun. You can see some of my art here. I am going to offer colour busts, something along the lines of my galaxy hair series. ✨

I'm still developing a style, so don't expect it to be exactly like this, but it's the vein of what I can currently do.

—Let's Trade!

Open to anyone, it doesn't matter to me if we're mutuals or not 💖

Message me via DM or an ask. My tumblr DMs only allow messages from blogs I follow to keep spam out, so if you can't reach me that way, send me an ask! You must be off anon so I know who you are. You can also DM me through Discord, if you have mine. Alternatively, if none of these work, reply to this post and I'll contact you!

I will send you the link to a folder with Aureia's .chara file and the single mod necessary to make her her (she's half-elezen/half-Midlander, so she needs her ears!)

Make whatever you would like! I am really easy going, I don't mind folks messing around with my OCs. This is her gpose tag for her general vibe, as well as her character tag and my fanfic tag.

Send me your WoL or FFXIV OC's gpose tag, and a couple good screenshots for refs. Something with neutral lighting is ideal, just so I can get their hair colour and skin tone right! If you have Hrothgar OC, I'm sorry but I probably won't be able to draw them since that's outside my skill level right now.

No Dawntrail spoilers, locations or gear please! I haven't played the expac yet and I'd like to stay surprised for when I do play it.

Aureia's usual vanilla hairstyles are Head Hound (Hilda's hair), the Bold and the Braid, and Great Lengths. I'm 100% open to modded hairstyles, too, if you have something that you think would suit her!

If you want to throw other mods on her, go for it! I have no idea what is current in the mod scene, and I'm very easy going about sticking her in different things.

We'll share what we've made during my birthday week, which is June 22 to June 28! 🎉

Post yours and make sure to tag me in it! 🩷

I will post my half of the trade and tag you in it! 💜

If you have any questions or would like to trade, please message me!✨🖤

[aziraphales-library]

Lost Fic #308

1. okay so I saw this fic recently on my feed, I'm pretty sure it was either the author or someone who reposted it but I think it's fairly recent? only a few days ago I think. a fic where it's like "Oh this thing seduces you, it shows your deepest desires" and I think it was a person who would shape-shift into what you love most? like a reverse-boggart. I tried to bookmark but I'm pretty sure ao3 was on the verge of going down and I only did it via the tumblr link so it didn't work after all. - @the-lesbianest-batman

2. hello! ive been trying to find a lost fic ive read before and unfortunately i havent bookmarked it. it's a fic wherein crowley is in love with aziraphale but he's afraid to confess and tries to move on. then he met someone from america and been with them for quite a long time. there was a scene where crowley would be with aziraphale(in st. james park, or the bookshop) then go back to america after a few days then comes back to aziraphale again then goes back to that person again. Then aziraphale confessed that he's in love with crowley, and crowley has to go back to america to tell his partner that he was in love with someone else, and his partner knew that already so he let him go. i also think crowley's partner looks a little bit like aziraphale. like he has blond hair and soft features? also i think in the later part, aziraphale knew that there's a person that crowley always come backs to in america(because crowley would spend there for quite a few years), and that's one of the reasons why he broke up with him. thank u sm! - anon

3. hiya!!! i love your blog :D ive found and read so many great fics from your amazing recs!! thank you for your hardwork 🙇. i tried looking around for a fic i remembered after reading "Tadfield's Finest" a few weeks back but i just can't seem to find it again?? I'd love some help finding it if you guys have come across it. here are some things i remember: i)Newton was a rookie (i think) and an assistant to Crowley ii) Crowley and Aziraphale are married iii) Newton had no idea they were married and only found out cause he popped over to where Crowley lived to give him a ride to work?? iv) i think their jobs had something to do with detective work or being in the police. thank you <3! - @guroseinsei

4. Hi! Love all the lost fics you find for people! Hopefully you can help me too:) It was a fic where Aziraphale went to see Crowley at a club, that he heard he was at, it was New Year’s and it was set in the past, possibly 1967. Aziraphale is a little drunk and gives Crowley a new years kiss at midnight, then Crowley takes him home because Azi’s so drunk, and his bedrooms are basically empty, but he miracles decorations for the bedroom that Azi will be staying in that he knows he’ll like. I stopped reading it there and lost it and would love to go back to it! Hope you can help me, thanks for all that you do! - @abrewski20

5. Hi! First of all, thank you so much for running this blog. You're... well, doing Aziraphale's work. I'm looking for a fic that I haven't read but I distinctly remember the premise. It was post-S2, after Aziraphale takes the Metatron's offer and goes to heaven, but he can't stop coming back to Earth to hook up with Crowley. Hope you have more luck finding it than I have. Thanks! - anon

If you know any of these fics please include the number in your reply! Thank you :)

- Mod D

[melsie-sims2-finds]

Welcome everyone to my new Sims 2 CC Finds blog.

Here you will find 4t2 clay hairs, a mixture of 4t2 and maxis match clothing, 4t2 and maxis match build & buy cc, as well as mods and other relevant Sims 2 community updates.

If you'd like to see all of this cc in-game I highly recommend you follow my gameplay blog, @melsie-sims2. WCIFs on my gameplay blog are always open and I will be reblogging the replies here as well.

✨ Mobile Navigation

Sims 2 Help

4t2 Hairs

4t2 Clothing & 3t2 Clothing

MM Clothing

Build & Buy

Sims 2 Mods

Just Chatting

WCIF?

🌈 Other Links

Sims 2 Default Replacement Database

4t2 Conversion Database

My Sims 2 Gameplay Blog

My Ko-Fi

Happy Simming! 💙

[pinkyjulien]

Learning that people are taking the piss at me for pointing out how crazy this community is earlir today, nothing surprising or new, but like... First of all, I don't even know you 😐 the majority of folks that trashtalk me, I only know vaguely by names - but I usually know who they hang out with and it says everything I need to know

At this point, I'm beging people to start thinking for themselves and realize the behavior they're all supporting

No matter if you hate me, for whatever reasons, don't let that hate make you support some awful shitty people just because they don't like me either 💀 People are way too quick to befriend others over shared hatred, and it makes you look really dumb!

Case in point 👆 Recent Example -

This person used to go by "Bambi" on twitter, and on other socials

We interacted once or twice when the holo/zwei drama was happening but nothing outside of that

(There was one time where I posted a picture of my ship in the Cyberpunk discord server and bambi posted a pic featuring wash's OC right after, which seemed sussy to a lot of people💀 especially since she wasn't posting anything/being active at all - but now it makes sense! anyway not the subject here)

BUT SEE The funny thing is, she was all against zwei's when the holopoint thing was happening on twitter - even replying to zwei directly with the following:

(sadly can't link the post cause her old account got suspended?? oop)

But now, this same person is taking the side of people who left passive-aggressive comments on a new modder because the mod "looks too much like someone's else" ??? isn't that why we all hate zwei, for attacking others over hair color, over "similar clothes"?

Do you see what I mean here??? This isn't even about this bambi person, this is this whole fandom's problem

People are idiots, they don't stand for anything, they just follow the trend and what fits their current "friendships"

It's fucking pathetic 😭

[dawns-beauty]

im just gonna come off anon, i was the one asking about the smoothness of mods/a skin mod with body hair for women. thank you for the link and replies! ive used salt and wind for a while - not sure if i'm misreading, do you have any issues with it? i love your mods and mod list posts, i was on a skyrim hiatus for a while and am going back to complete vanilla for one playthrough before i go extreme modding again. lastly, ive wanted to get into modding for a while, do you have any tips?

oh, i don't really have issues with it and generally like it a lot, but I do wonder if a rougher texture would pair better with the hair meshes I've been using lately.

On modding, this gets kinda long so

Do you mean getting started on using mods? I've only ever used Mod Organizer 2 and its predecessors, so I am biased, but like it has everything I want and more so I have to recommend it over Vortex for mod managers. It's great being able to see when your mod has conflicts and with which other mods with a click. Also, it has LOOT built in, for some basic mod sorting needs, and separators so you can get your mods grouped up how you like them.

For getting stuff set up: GamerPoets' channel.

In general, I also recommend generating a bashed patch with WryeBash once you have your load order figured out. It automatically patches a lot of stuff (it isn't infallible, but it is better than nothing.)

The biggest thing I can say that helps in modding (besides very carefully reading mod descriptions) is learning how to use SSE Edit. You can find/solve most mod conflicts with it alone. Here is a guide on it that seems pretty solid.

If you mean actually making mods, well, learning SSE Edit is also probably the first step in that journey as well! It's best used for simple patches imo, once you have the basics of the Creation Kit down most stuff is easier to do with it.

On using the Creation Kit: DarkFox127 has an excellent tutorial series on it. I also have to sing the praises of Creation Kit Platform Extended: it has made the buggy, crash-prone CK run smooth as butter for me.

A few other tools that are helpful to be familiar with:

NifSkope: lets you view meshes, makes it easy to change textures directly on the mesh.

Outfit Studio: meant for editing Outfit meshes, but also helpful for basically any other kind of mesh editing.

Some MO2 addons I like:

Sync Plugins: lets you sync the plugins (right) pane order with the file (left) pane order. I think it's simplest to keep the files in the order I want to load them in.

Nif Preview: when you have conflicting meshes, this addon lets you actually see the meshes with a click.

Then I guess lastly is the area I'm most experienced with, NPC appearance editing. I use a method that lets me use appearances made with RaceMenu in game, instead of generating them through the CK. I made a tutorial for it here.

Hopefully some of this is helpful!

[chibinur]

Hi ! I love your art style, it is so good ! I was wondering, how do you render the hair ? Because I draw too, and I would like to know, if you don't mind 😅

Hi !!! Sorry for the late reply, I've been very busy these past few months :'D I'm happy that you like my way of rendering hair omg !! Yes of course I can show how I do it ! Also, don't take it as an artistic fact, I'm only explaining my personal process of rendering !! Maybe this technique will suit you, or maybe it won't.

Forgive me in advance for my potential grammar mistakes, English isn't my native language :')

Okay, let's get started !!

Tbh, it's many trials and errors XD But something I've been doing for a year is playing with colors to set an ambiance you want to convey in your drawing. Look, I'm not a pro at color theory but I often do color combinations such as orange/blue, yellow/purple (one color for lightings, one color for shadows), they work super well together !

It's a lot to take in ;v; But hear me out, what I'm saying is important for the rendering !

The first step is to color the hair (the whole character in fact) with a base color. Here's what I did for this drawing (the quality is horrible sorry ;-;).

Then, I add a layer above the base colors and set this one to "multiply" (it's a fusion mod that will darken your drawing). You either choose a blue color or purple for the multiply layer (or any other color tbh but I'm still not too familiar with color theory). What's important is to make this color fit with the other color you'll choose for the lighting at a later step. Personally, I chose a dark blue for the multiply layer.

After that, I add another layer and set it to "overlay". Personally, I set the opacity quite low for this layer in order to give the drawing a softer look. Here comes the color combination ! If you chose blue as the shadows on the previous layer, you pick orange for this layer. Then, you pick a blurry brush (I don't know how it's named in English, maybe a soft brush...?) and brush the area where the light comes from. You can also erase some areas where it would be "logical" to have shadows, like what I did above Link's eyebrow, the back of his head, and his hair near his chin. The eraser step is there to add extra details and give your drawing a little more depth.

Then !!! You add yet another layer above the previous one and leave it at "normal" mod. It's on this layer that I start rendering ! So what I do is, I take a brush with soft edges, like this one. You can use any brush, really !

There are different colors between the shadow area and the light area as you can see on the previous pic. I color pick the different colors between those two areas and make strokes, just like this.

I pick a color on the drawing, I make a stroke, I pick another color, I make another stroke and so on.

Then, I add another layer which I set on "overlay" mod and use the color blue for the opposite area of the orange light from a previous layer.

Then, on the same "overlay" layer, I pick orange again and I use my soft brush on the area where it's the most likely to recieve the strongest light. The color orange will appear stronger and more vivid.

Then I add a last layer for adding details like strokes of hair with a flat brush. I'm adding so many layers at this point lol, forgive me :')

And TADAAA :D

Sorry for the blurry pictures, they are screen captures from my speedpaint video.

I don't know if I made it too complicated :') Hope it helps though !!!

Thank you for the ask, I had a blast to write :D

[bkdkbkmerzine]

🎉 Happy Birthday Bakugou Katsuki 🎉

Please join us in wishing a very Happy Birthday to a special Merman—Katsuki—with a gift from our head mods!

Artwork by @larabeedrawin and accompanying fic by @samisnotlegend

AO3 Link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64872940

“Red-lipped Surprise”

“Your lips are so red. Did something sting them?”

Leaning his upper body onto the floating dock while his tail stretched out languidly into the water below him, Midoriya Izuku stared up at his human friend in concern. She actually looked quite odd today. There were dark marks around her eyes that almost looked like bruises—but pretty—and her cheeks appeared flushed too.

The human, Ochako, smiled reassuringly at Izuku as she packed away the various samples he’d brought for her. Although Izuku had been collaborating with human scientists for a long time as he helped them study various types of fish, many aspects of their lives and behavior still baffled him. Like right now, for instance. How could Ochako be smiling so happily if she had such a vicious wound on her face?

“Don’t worry, Izuku!” she reassured. “It’s not a sting; it’s ‘make-up’. It’s a form of decoration that us humans use for our body, like clothes, tattoos, hair clips—things like that!”

“Oh!” Izukiu smiled in relief, glad that Ochako wasn’t hurt. Decorating oneself was something he definitely understood.“What are you decorating for, then?”

“It’s my anniversary with Himiko!” Ochako shared. “We’re celebrating tonight.”

“Aww…” Izuku leaned his head on his hand, smiling up at his human friend. He’d met Ochako’s mate on a number of occasions. She had really sharp teeth, and seemed delighted whenever Izuku complimented her on them. “I bet she’ll love it! You look really striking, Ochako!”

“You really think so? Thanks so much! I usually don’t go for such bold colors, but Himiko loves red, and so…”

“Hmm…” Izuku’s thoughts drifted, his hand rising to touch his own lips. Like humans, a lot of mermaids enjoyed making themselves pretty, especially for their mates. Izuku usually didn’t pay attention to his appearance—he was too busy collecting and studying strange fish—but he and Kacchan had recently begun courting. And his birthday was coming up!

Izuku felt confident that Kacchan liked him no matter what he looked like, but he couldn’t help but wonder if something like brighter lips would enthrall Kacchan the way it apparently enthralled Himiko…

When he imagined Kacchan with bright lips, Izuku felt his heart skip a beat. He’d really love kissing Kacchan when he had such pretty lips, he thought.

As Ochako finished packing up the rest of the samples he’d gathered, Izuku decided that it couldn’t hurt to give it a try. Worst case scenario, Kacchan would just tease Izuku for engaging so much in human culture! That would be nothing new.

“Hey, Ochako? Do you have any extra dye that you used for your lips?”

🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧

It turns out that ‘lipstick’ didn’t actually work very well under water. That was okay, though, because Kacchan loved sunbathing, and so Izuku had already planned to take him to the beach for his birthday. There were a few nice beaches on their stretch of coastline, but for Izuku’s plan to work, they needed a little more privacy than the mermaid-and-human filled beaches they usually visited.

“Where we goin’, Izuku?” Katsuki asked, smiling at him through the sun-dappled rays that shone through the shallow waters.

“I told you; to your birthday surprise!” Izuku replied, squeezing his hand.

Katsuki’s birthday had dawned on a beautiful, warm spring day. A strong breeze the night before had blown cherry blossoms from the nearby forests into the ocean, and as Izuku looked upward, they created a canopy of soft pink stars to swim through.

Izuku had taken the time to set everything up at the beach in the early hours of the morning before he’d then gone back to pick up Kacchan, still sleepy and a little grumpy as Izuku snuck into his den to cuddle with him a bit. They had been courting since practically childhood, but had only recently made it “official”, so some things were still new…

It was that newness that made Izuku feel a little nervous as they finally approached the birthday surprise. When she gave him the lipstick, Ochako had told him about some of the things it could be used for, and Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn’t eager to give them a try.

Finally, they approached the sloped sandy shore of the beach. This beach was located behind some rocky hills that the humans hadn’t developed yet, so it was hard for them to access. Sure enough, when Izuku popped his head out of the water, he saw that they had the entire stretch of beach all to themselves.

Grinning, he pulled Katsuki to the spot he had selected, marked with the quilt of kelp he’d placed that morning as well as the bags containing their lunch, weighed down with rocks and swaying gently with the tide.

“A picnic?” Katsuki asked, failing to hide his smile as they approached. “Really, Izuku? That’s so cheesy…”

Kacchan loves it!

Izuku preened as they swam into the shallows, their fins breaking the surface of the ocean and their bellies grazing against the soft sand below them. He’d thought long and hard about how to celebrate Kacchan’s birthday, but in the end, Kacchan liked simple and thoughtful gestures. He wasn’t one for flashy or ostentatious acts of courtship.

They swam up to the woven kelp blanket, pulling themselves halfway out of the water. Izuku admired Kacchan for a moment as he pushed his wet hair back, immediately turning to bask in the springtime sunshine.

Katsuki was always beautiful, but there was something about the way his face relaxed, or the way he laid back, comfortable against the warm sand, that Izuku just couldn’t get enough of.

For a few hours, they laid against the sand together, talking and idly eating their way through the picnic—filled with all of Katsuki’s favorites, of course. Izuku gave Katsuki his other (less risky) presents, which he seemed to really like. In particular, he put on the corded bracelet studded with sea glass, and seemed to have a fun time admiring all the different colors in the light.

After a few hours, they dipped back into the water to freshen up and chase fish through the shallows for a bit, before eventually coming back to shore.

It was then that Izuku decided he couldn’t be a scaredy catfish any longer.

“I have one more surprise for you,” he admitted. A little pink in the cheeks. Katsuki turned back to Izuku curiously.

“Hmph. Didn’t I tell you not to overdo it, nerd?”

“I haven’t!” Izuku denied. “Well… This one isn’t like the other ones, anyway, okay? But I need you to close your eyes.”

“Hmm…” Katsuki eyed Izuku skeptically for a moment. Izuku fidgeted, nervous under the sharp red gaze of his partner and best friend. “Alright,” he agreed, closing his eyes.

Izuku scrambled for the lipstick, a bit surprised by Kacchan’s easy acquiescence. He’d expected Kacchani to put up a bit more of a fight… but the smile playing at the corners of his lips indicated that he was more amused by the request than anything.

Izuku pulled out a hand mirror and uncapped the lipstick. He had taken out the tube to examine it before, but now that he was faced with actually putting it on for Katsuki, he felt a little intimidated. It was much more solid than he’d initially expected—having thought that the dye might come in a powder or maybe a liquid—but this was more like clay. Ochako had said that people kissed with lipstick on all the time, but what if Kacchan thought it was gross? What if it felt clingy and weird? Or what if Kacchan thought it looked gross?

…It was too late to back out now, Kacchan was waiting. Izuku lifted the make-up to his lips, watching himself in the mirror. The first stroke of the lipstick put a vibrant strike of red across Izuku’s lips. He blinked at himself in the mirror, rubbing his lips together. The texture wasn’t bad, he decided, and the red stood out against the green in his eyes and scales. He applied a little more, being careful to outline the full shape of his lips.

When his lips were fully coated, he capped the lipstick and took a moment to examine himself in the mirror. His hair was drying into soft ringlets, and his cheeks were flushed from so much time spent in the sun. Most of the scales around his eyes and temples were green, but the few red ones sparkled, seeming to stand out more with the help of the lipstick.

Izuku turned his head, examining himself from different angles. He felt… pretty. Really, really pretty. Tucking a strand of curls behind his earfin, Izuku put the lipstick and mirror away. He turned back to Katsuki, still laying against the beach, patiently keeping his eyes closed so he wouldn’t spoil the surprise.

Izuku scooted closer, reaching for Katsuki’s hands. He felt like jellyfish were swimming around in his stomach.

“...Okay, Kacchan… You can open your eyes.”

Katsuki did, squinting for a moment against the bright sun, then focusing on Izuku. His eyes widened.

As Izuku watched, Kacchan’s pupils expanded, filling to eclipse his seashell red eyes until only thin rings of color remained. Izuku felt his second heart skip a beat.

Kacchan thinks I’m pretty.

Slowly, Katsuki brought a webbed hand up to cup Izuku’s cheek. Izuku pressed into his touch, smiling.

“I know it’s a bit of an unconventional gift but…”

Making oneself pretty is a very traditional step in courting.

“S’nice,” Katsuki said. “...You look nice, Izuku.”

Izuku giggled, turning into Katsuki’s webbed hand. He pressed a kiss to the center of his palm. When he pulled away, a bright red mark in the shape of his lips was left behind.

“Oh,” Katsuki breathed, looking at it with wide eyes. Pink spread across the translucent scales on his cheeks.

Another step in courting is to leave marks on your beloved.

Izuku giggled, biting his colored bottom lip with a fang. That definitely wasn’t a bad reaction. Feeling bold, he took Katsuki’s face in his hands and turned his head so the sweet expanse of Katsuki’s cheek was his to kiss.

Kacchan’s cheek was soft and warm under his lips, and Izuku used the excuse of the lipstick to linger a little longer. After a few seconds, though, he pulled back, eager to see his mark.

“It’s a human tradition to give one kiss for every year older someone turns on their birthday,” he said, pressing another quick kiss to Katsuki’s other cheek.

The new mark was sharp and defined. An imprint of red against Katsuki’s perfect skin. Izuku’s nerves buzzed with excitement as he examined the mark—his mark!—on Katsuki. Unable to contain himself, he ducked down to kiss him again, then again. He kissed his cheek again, his neck, his collarbones, smiling all the while.

Three, four, five…

The last kiss he placed (against Katsuki’s shoulder) looked a little fainter than the rest, so Izuku took the lipstick back out, uncapping it to reapply. When he caught Katsuki’s expression, though, he paused.

Katsuki looked up at Izuku, his lips downturned into a frown. He’d brought his tail up to wrap around Izuku’s and pull him closer, though, so Izuku knew he wasn’t actually upset. Most likely, then, he was pouting.

Izuku smiled, bringing the lipstick up to re-coat his lips.

“What’s wrong, Kacchan?” he asked. “Do you not like it? Maybe we should rinse off—”

Katsuki’s tail wrapped tighter around Izuku’s body. “Don’t you dare,” he hissed. Izuku did his best to fight down his grin, but knew that he was failing.

“Then what is it?” He brought a hand up to play with the fins around Katsuki’s ears. “You don’t like the color?”

“Dummy!” Katsuki scolded. “You’re doing the human tradition wrong!”

“Oh?” Izuku asked, suddenly a little flustered. “How am I supposed to—”

Katsuki ducked down, claiming Izuku’s lips in a kiss. Izuku’s eyes widened, then closed. He kissed Katsuki back gently. Their lips separated with a soft smack.

Izuku looked down at Katsuki with half-lidded eyes.

“Supposed t’kiss me here…” Katsuki murmured.

“Oh, I see,” Izuku giggled. “My mistake.”

Six, seven, eight, nine…

He kissed Katsuki until the bright red stain was shared between them, and stopped bothering to count when they reached Katsuki’s age.

Ah, well, Izuku thought, smiling into the kiss. The tradition didn’t say you had to stop if you didn’t want to.

When Katsuki turned his head to kiss Izuku’s cheek, Izuku basked in the feeling, knowing that Katsuki had just marked him with the lipstick, too.

Humans have pretty good birthday traditions, he decided.

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

October Week 5 - Getting Crafty

This week is all about getting our hands dirty and working on those fantastic books we’ve been making. Papercrafting and decorating and fancy writing, if that is your chosen medium. Or even how to make pretty digital pages! This week is about bringing the grimoires to life! Lots of links and ideas this week for inspiration (grimspiration?) on ways to put our books together!

Monday - Digital Mediums

I know some of these require payment and subscriptions, and there are plenty of other free options out there if anyone knows of them feel free to add them in a reply or reblog!

Gimp - Photo/ Image Editing

Adobe Photoshop - Photo/ Image Editing

Word/ Excel (Or wordpad, cause its free) -

Tuesday - Papercrafting

Scrapbooking

1 - Tips and Tricks

2 - Ideas

3 - Witchy Ideas

A general search on the internet, Youtube, or Pinterest will give a bunch of other ideas! Some things I've done in my own include pages with envelopes and scraps of paper with sigils on them, s bit of foil on a page dedicated to mirror magic, and a functioning, turning wheel of the year!

Junk Journaling

Pinterest - Witchy Junk journal Ideas

Youtube - How to Junk Journal

Bullet Journal

How to

Witchy Themed

Witchy Ideas

Journal

How to

Guide to Journaling

Wednesday - Stickers and Ephemera

This kind of speaks for itself. But like anything on the crazy old internet, its all about tags and searching. Think about the tags you follow here on tumblr. Witch, witchy, grimoire, dark academia, vintage, plant and flower, magic, magick, wicca, paganism etc. Be as specific in some cases as you can be, though a vague search will sometimes lead you to what you're looking for. Below are a few places I've found things to use in my papercrafted grimoire journey.

Amazon/ Temu

Etsy/ Bigcartel/ Depop any of those!

Small business/ Artists

Art from friends

Thursday - Other things to add and other links

No draw art ideas!

So you want to build a grimoire - Patheos

Laurel's Guide -Tumblr

Cauldron and Brew - Wordpress

Don't hesitate to add anything you can think of both written/ typed or physical trinkets to your grimoire. It doesn't have to be neat and trim, unless that's what you're going for. It can be overstuff and gritty. Whatever works for you! Add twigs in the shape of runes, charms, crystals, leaves or flowers, plants, anything! Locks of hair, photographs, charts and graphs, anything and everything you can think of. It is literally yours to create how you wish!

Friday - do the thing!

Now that we’ve covered a bunch of links with all kinds of ideas, get crafty! Make your pages! Or take the pages you’ve started and decorate them! Make them your own! Whether your grimoire is form over function or function over form, make it yours!

Don't let these be the limit of your creative searches! Find more online tools, find more physical books, find inspiration for your creation anywhere and everywhere, but most importantly, express yourself freely within your grimoire!

-Mod Hazel

[theashenphoenix]

CARLOS OLIVEIRA • RESIDENT EVIL 3 (2020)

[turnupswritessometimes]

Rookie Mistake - RE4 - Leon/Luis Oneshot

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58180393

Summary: "Secondly—" Luis stepped around him so neatly, that Leon didn't catch him in time. It wasn’t even until hands were tugging his shirt up, that he realised what he was doing. Realised his shirt had hiked up, at some point, and he hadn’t thought to fix it. "Hey!" Leon twisted, but Luis’ hands held him firm. Firmer than he’d think he was capable of. Thumbs brushed either side of his spine. "This regulation for you, sancho?" "That," he said. "Was a mistake."

(So there's this one mod...)

Word Count: 7,800

Rookie Mistake

"Wait a moment."

They didn't have time for this. They were heading through the tunnels; deep underground; he was completely lost and twitchy at having to rely on Luis. Ashley was in danger – more danger than ever – and they didn’t have time. He had to get back to her before it was too late. He knew what it was like to fight that parasite. She couldn’t go through that alone.

Leon looked back at Luis. "What?"

"Firstly—" Luis caught his shoulder, turning him to face him. It was easier to let him, than to resist. He raised his hands, and Leon looked at those splayed fingers. "You will be no help to the senorita if you have run yourself ragged."

"We don't have time."

"Secondly—" Luis stepped around him so neatly, that Leon didn't catch him in time. It wasn’t even until hands were tugging his shirt up, that he realised what he was doing. Realised his shirt had hiked up, at some point, and he hadn’t thought to fix it.

"Hey!" Leon twisted, but Luis’ hands held him firm. Firmer than he’d think he was capable of. Thumbs brushed either side of his spine. "This regulation for you, sancho?"

Leon’s stomach twitched. He tried turning again, with more force this time. Smacked Luis' hands away, though he was still aware that his shirt was still hiked up; that his midriff was on show. Aware that the touch had sent sparks dancing over his skin.

"That," he said. "Was a mistake."

That was a tattoo across his lower back. Was just sat above the line of his pants. Swirling black lines akin to wings. Usually, it was easy to forget it was even there; he couldn't see it unless he twisted around in the mirror; and he avoided that. That reminded him the mistake was permanent.

Luis leant back against the rocky wall. His arms were folded which meant, short of Leon tossing him over his shoulder, they would not be moving again in a hurry. If he wanted to save Ashley, he had to have this conversation. Luis looked smug; head titled to one side, smirking, those dark eyes looking Leon up and down. It made his stomach twist, and his cheeks prickle with heat. He hated that. Hated that he would care about what this man – this man who was untrustworthy and a stranger – thought about him.

He adjusted his shirt, tucking it in. "Does it matter?"

Luis shrugged. "I just did not see you as – that kind of guy."

He huffed his hair from his face. Tried to seem unbothered. Failed. It was always like this with the tattoo. "I'm not."

"And yet—" Luis waved a hand in the general direction of his midriff. Paused, waiting for a reply. When he didn’t get one, he tilted his head. Dark curls fell to his shoulder. "It suits you nicely.”

"Shut up," Leon snapped. "And get moving."

Though he didn't want to go first. Didn't want to expose his back to Luis again; that would be dangerous. So, he glowered until the man finally pushed off from the wall. Forcefully casual. He even whistled, under his breath, as he headed further into the tunnels.

Leon followed. His back burnt. He could still feel those hands on him. Thought about what it would feel like to feel that again. Maybe lying down; Luis above him; murmuring into his ear about how nicely it suited him.

He pushed the thought from his mind. This wasn’t the time.

The whistling was like a needling in his ear. Grating. It made his finger twitch on his handgun. It was more annoying than Luis' general chatter. And he knew what it was; it was Luis way of trying to break him; to get him to talk about the tattoo. It was working.

Eventually, he snapped, "I was still in training, alright?"

The whistling stopped. Replaced by a slow, wide smirk. "Alright?”

He didn’t want to look at Luis. He wouldn’t look at Luis. But he also knew the whistling would continue until he explained more.

"My squad - in special forces - all wanted to get tattoos together," he said. "Like – group bonding. Like, a rite of passage."

"I see, I see." Though Luis' eyebrows were still raised. "And you chose..."

"Somewhere always hidden." It wasn't enough, but it was true. He hadn't been quite stupid enough to get a silly tattoo somewhere he couldn't easily hide. Those dark eyes still watched him. "I was drunk. It seemed funny at the time."

Luis nodded. His dark curls fell forward to hide his face, and he pressed his hand to his mouth. A moment later, Leon realised why. He was laughing.

Leon pushed his shoulder. Hard enough to send him against the wall. Luis still laughed, bouncing off it like it was nothing.

"I am sorry," though he didn't sound it. He was still grinning at Luis.

Leon rolled his eyes. He felt uncomfortably warm. It shouldn't matter. It really shouldn't matter because he barely knew this man and he wouldn't want to see this man after this mission.

Would this mission ever end? He continued down the corridor, trying to listen for any bugs. Any monsters. In fact, he'd welcome a good gunfight right now, if it stopped this conversation.

“No, it’s a good joke,” he said. Snapped. They were up against a corner, and he pressed his back against it. Checked his sniper, to look around the corner with. “The pretty boy with the girly tattoo.”

He looked through the scope, instead of at Luis. Saw a blur of heat and took the shot, hearing the familiar cry of a bug.

“At the time, I thought I was in on the joke.”

He guessed he had been, until they were sober. And everyone else had guns or flags, which were equally stupid and embarrassing, but they weren’t quite as embarrassing as Leon’s.

He lowered the rifle, flicking his hair from his eyes again.

“I am sorry,” Luis repeated, and this time, he sounded like he understood. Leon wouldn’t look at him. It was another joke to him.

Leon shrugged. He continued walking; it felt like the tattoo was burning.

Their hips nudged together. Leon twitched away.

He felt fingers graze the small of his back again. Turned to snap at Luis, only to find him looking at him softly. His eyes were heavy-lidded; dark irises glinting in the low light.

"If I were you, I would not be shy," he said. His voice was low. Completely inappropriate for roaming underneath a plaga-infected castle. "It is – how you say – sexy?"

Bastard. He was a bastard, because Leon knew for a fact Luis knew that word just fine, and knew the implication. He'd said it to get a reaction from him.

"Shut up," he said, again, but it didn't have the same bite.

Because Luis was an attractive man. He could admit that. Objectively. He was very attractive and there were certainly worse men to have been chained to. Because deep down, he was already thinking about if they could meet again, after the mission. Hopefully still on the same side, but didn't think he would mind fighting Luis like he did Ada.

(Dammit, his love life was awful. How did he end up like this? He blamed Raccoon City. Everything came back to Raccoon City.)

Because Luis was being very obvious that he was attracted to Leon, and the tattoo only seemed to increase that. It made him feel unnecessarily flustered.

Luis shrugged. "I am just being truthful."

"Oh, so that's what you choose to be truthful about?" It was easy to slip into unbothered.

They had to pause, to dispose of a few bugs. It was strange, how easily they’d fallen into working with each other. Leon kicked a corpse to one side, reloading his handgun. Focused on the familiar movement of that, and not that his pulse was racing. Not that his mind was racing about what Luis would like to do with him.

"I have never lied," Luis said. "I simply operate on a need-to-know basis."

Leon almost laughed. He managed to stop it before it turned into more than a chuckle. Hated that too - that this guy could make him laugh, even when he shouldn't. They could pause here, in this alcove, and reload.

"And you think I need to know you think my tramp stamp is sexy?" Leon asked.

"Oh." Luis grinned at him, and it was like a sunbeam. "Si. Definitely."

It stirred his stomach. He looked Luis up and down, and watched his dark eyes twinkle in response; in genuine interest. Because if the tattoo wasn't secret, it was a joke at his expense; that he even agreed to it.

Now, someone found it sexy. And he liked that.

He was really flirting over the corpse of a bug monster.

"Well maybe when we get out of here, we can continue that conversation." It felt like a surrender. But he was choosing that, choosing to turn his back on Luis as they continued, and knew it was an invitation.

An invitation that was taken. He was there, immediately, his hands tugging Leon’s hips back to him. His thumb pressing over Leon's spine; the centre of the tattoo. "I like the sound of that, amor."

His breath caught involuntarily.

He didn’t move. Didn’t stop Luis from tugging his shirt up again, and let his fingers press over the tattoo, edging round to his hips. His touch was light, and that made it even more unbearable. Made it an effort not to make any embarrassing sounds.

Maybe he didn’t mind surrendering to this man.

He caught Luis' wrists, gently. Felt warm breath against his ear, lips just grazing the side of his neck. His heart hadn't stopped racing since he'd gotten out the car the previous night, but it pounded more heavily now.

There was another skitter from somewhere above them. Another bug. And that made Leon remember the monsters. The plaga. Ashley.

He was flirting whilst Ashley was fighting for her life. Terrified.

"We have to go." He let go of Luis' wrists. Stepped away.

And to his credit, Luis took it in his stride. He chuckled, matching his step down the stairs and tugging out his own gun.

"Later, then."

Which seemed like another reason to make it through this.

Even if it was as embarrassing a one as that damn tattoo.

*

Leon sat at the bar alone. Whiskey on the wooden top in front of him. He was trying to pace himself with it. Had to pace himself with it, because there was every chance he'd be sat here by himself all night. Every chance this was a trap, and if it was, he needed to have his wits about him.

He'd gotten the comms message through a week ago. It was unbelievable. Luis Serra, back from the grave.

His first reaction had been livid anger. At first, he was only going to the meeting suggested to pick a fight. How dare he let Leon think him dead – how dare he have the gall to say, "Fancy another dance, Prince Charming?" Instead of explaining anything.

But the rage settled. Alright, so Luis was alive, and he'd found out Leon was too. They were both alive. That was a miracle. After everything, after Luis saving his life, he couldn’t hold Umbrella against him. He’d repented for those sins. And couldn’t Leon have just as easily fallen into a trap like that.

So here he was, waiting for that man, in a small, seedy bar downtown. It felt like he had a target on his back; like he was waiting to be shot.

He'd been there half an hour when someone settled into the stool next to him. That familiar smell of cigarettes; like he really was a ghost, and his smell was proceeding him. He glanced across to see that familiar leather jacket; a glimpse of dark curls.

"You made it." Leon spoke to the glass in front of him. He couldn’t seem too eager.

"So did you," came the reply. That familiar, uncaring lilt. "Not that I doubted you, sancho."

Leon glanced at him, properly this time; Luis looked drained, dark smudges under his eyes, his curls a little lank. Then again, Leon couldn’t say he was fully recovered, either. And he wasn’t a wanted man.

"Well, no offence, but I had my doubts about you," Leon said.

Luis laughed. Ordered a whiskey on the rocks too, and Leon was very glad there was a group at the other end of the bar. They were clearly regulars, keeping the bartender occupied. The less notice they could attract, the better.

"It was a very close thing." Luis leant an elbow on the bar, and it brought them that inch closer together. Leon was sure he could feel the heat coming from him. "Thanks to your first aid."

He'd done the best he could. His hands had been shaking, from the fight with Krauser; from the shock; from the very fact that he needed them to be still.  He'd done what he could, with what he had. He’d thought it wouldn’t be enough.

"Well, you saved me," he said. Evenly. Took a swig. It seemed safer to, now, especially now it wasn't a trap.

"Oh, you would have been fine." Luis smiled at him, and it made a warmth settle in Leon's stomach. Those eyes were the same; like black coffee. "Surely, you were, no?"

"Eventually." Though he had been hung from the side of a cliff. And, because Luis was chuckling warmly, he pressed on, "How'd you get out of the castle?"

"Can I not keep a secret? Seem more mysterious?"

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Was it Ada?"

"If it was?"

He'd seen those emails. He knew they were working together. At the time, he hadn't even felt betrayed. It had explained everything; it had seemed inevitable. Only hurt as much as poking an old bruise. Luis' answer confirmed his theory.

Leon nodded.

There was a pause. They both took another sip. This thing sat between them. The thing from the tunnels. The flirting. That Leon had said they’d continue from there. This was the offer, returning.

"The senorita?"

"Home safe. You knew that."

"Por sorpuesto. What I do not know is if you still see her?"

She'd asked Leon to work for her. He thought about that, and how he'd known he couldn't. It would be like keeping a wolf for a pet. Still, "We said we'd meet, every month, for lunch."

Because he liked Ashley. She was sweet girl and she'd been through hell with very minimal complaining. Because he'd enjoyed spending time with her even when there was the imminent threat of death, so it would probably be even better when they weren't about to be killed.

"Ah, very sweet." And it seemed to answer Luis question. There was nothing there. She was a little sister to him.

Leon thought about saying that she'd like to see Luis too. She probably would. But they weren't here to talk about Ashley. He took another swig, and waited for Luis to get to the point.

"So, you learn your first aid skills before or after the..." He waved his hand to Leon's midriff. He couldn't help glancing down the bar, as if the men down there would know what they were talking about.

"You're not funny," Leon said. Paused. "The...happened just a few weeks into training."

"You were the black sheep, eh?"

"The kid who just graduated from the police academy dropped into the special forces by the president himself?” Leon swilled the amber liquid around the glass. “I fit right in."

Luis chuckled. His shoulder nudged Leon's, and he found himself nudging back. He still felt that spark. That hadn't changed. Luis thought he was sexy, because of that damn tattoo. And Leon still found himself attracted to him; to the smirks and glinting eyes and smell of cigarettes and leather.

"What about you?" Leon asked. Couldn't believe he was asking. He supposed he wasn't as scared of the answer now. "What about – Umbrella?"

Luis did pause then, and it gave him a jolt of satisfaction to not be the one on the backfoot, for once. He took a swig of his drink, and rolled it around his mouth. "You really want to know?"

Leon knew he should say yes. It could be important in figuring out their next move; what Ada was up to. But he also didn't want to know. It was acknowledging that, by all accounts, he shouldn't have trusted Luis in the first place.

"Suppose not," Leon said. "So, why'd you ask me here?"

"You and I both know why I asked you here, sancho."

Was he really still the sancho? It seemed like Luis was only saying it to irritate him. He wouldn’t rise to it. Not this time.

Leon finished his drink. It still burnt his throat on the way down, and sounded much too loud when he put it back on the wood of the bar. He looked at how the dingy, yellow light reflected on the rim. He did know. He was the one who'd suggested it. A night together; forget Umbrella and the military; forget the Plaga and the zombies. Still, now that the proposition was in front of him, he felt – oddly self-conscious. Too aware of what Luis was here for, and what he was expecting from Leon.

Not that he would ever say any of that.

He leant his chin on his palm, instead, and raised an eyebrow at Luis. Like he was unbothered. “That all, huh?”

Luis' dark eyes sparked back at him. He still smirked, letting his gaze graze over Leon. His skin prickled at the attention. “That’s all.”

Leon raised an eyebrow in return. Looked pointedly at the glass in Luis' hand. His smirk widened. He finished the drink, tossing the golden liquid back. His Adam's apple bobbed with the motion.

Leon's stomach squeezed in answer.

He still waited. Knew that he could say no and walk out. But he didn't. The more he sat with this man, even now the tide of relief had subsided, the more that attraction – that pull – was back. The more he did want to see where this went.

Luis stood, untangling himself from the stool. He stepped past Leon, fingers just grazing the back of his shirt, as he passed. Just over where the tattoo was.

Leon followed. Like a dog, he supposed. Tried to walk casually, though his heart was pounding in anticipation. Back out of the bar, and down the street. It was a warm evening, with a light breeze.

Luis lit a smoke, as soon as he was outside, and Leon tried not to watch him too greedily. But it was captivating; the way the smoke curled from between his lips; the uncaring way he took a drag. The way car headlights made his skin bronze, when they passed.

They paused, after Luis had stubbed it out under his boot, and when they were stood in front of a small hotel. A nice enough one, not the beat-up one around the corner.

"I have a room here for the night," Luis said. "I do not suppose you would like to join me?"

"For the night?"

"Si."

Leon pretended to think about it, as if there was any question. He'd met him at the bar, and that had been the answer from the start.

He smiled. "Sure."

As if he was unbothered. Tried to seem unbothered, as he followed Luis into the hotel and up the stairs. As if he wasn't fazed by the proposition; as if he did things like this all the time, when he was more used to gunfights.

The room was nice. Clean and white and comfortable. Leon closed the door by leaning against it with his back. Watched Luis flick on the bedside lamp, and look over his shoulder to find he hadn’t moved. His hair cast shadows over his skin; a curl sat just over the curl of his jaw.

Luis smiled, a dark eyebrow twitching up. "You alright, bello?"

Leon nodded. The monsters suddenly seemed easier to deal with; his body knew how to shoot a gun. Knew how to start with that; didn’t realise he’d forgotten how to start this.

Luis chuckled, under his breath, and stepped forward. Like he could see right through him. "Plaga infested castle, and yet you're nervous of me?"

"I'm not nervous," Leon said.

Luis' hands grazed his hips, palming the shape of them, and Leon pressed into the touch. Ran his hands over Luis' wrists, taking a breath.

"Of course you're not." Luis' voice was like a purr. His hands lifted higher, just raising the hem of Leon's shirt. His fingers brushed bare skin, and Leon thought about those hands on that gun of his – pressed further forward. Hated that he paused there.

Luis chuckled, and closed the gap. Kissed him confidently – firmly – and Leon let his mouth fall open; let Luis’ tongue press against his. His hands slipped to Luis' back, his fingers splayed over his leather jacket. He could smell it, underneath the smell of his cigarettes, and it made him heady. Luis pressed closer; a leg slipping in between his, just as firmly.

His breath caught.

Luis nipped his bottom lip, as he pulled away; just a hair's breadth. "Been a minute, huh?"

He nodded. Was it really so obvious? "Don't get a lot of time for…"

Luis' leg shifted and he felt a spear of arousal. He was being teased, and he should hate that; should hate Luis' soft chuckle in response. Should hate the soft way he kissed the corner of his mouth.

"You are not beating them off with a stick?" Luis brushed Leon's hair from his face, his fingers lingering over his jaw. "Truly?"

"What about you?" Leon asked, because that was easier. Easier than thinking about how it felt impossible to get close – truly close – to anyone, after Raccoon City. His lips grazed Luis' stubble. "Don Quixote?"

Luis only chuckled again; perhaps he had the same problem. He kissed at the hollow of Leon's jaw, teeth grazing skin, and Leon pressed him closer. Buried his hand in those dark curls, and kept him there. Luis' leg shifted again, and he felt another curl of heat. It was a relief when his shirt was tugged high, just under his ribs, because he was warm. Very warm.

Luis' hands moved over his waist, his fingers pressing over where the tattoo sat. It sent sparks dancing across his skin, and he pressed down against Luis' leg. Felt, rather than heard, a moan against his neck. His fingers tightened in those dark curls, breath catching.

He let Luis peel his shirt off, if only because it gave him the chance to catch hold of Luis' leather jacket, ready to ease it off.

Luis caught his wrists before he could. Tugged it free himself, and stepped away. It left Leon pressed against the door, feeling needy for that warmth again, his heart racing. He watched Luis place the leather jacket over the chair in the room, reverently, even though Leon's own shirt was in a puddle on the floor.

"Seriously?" he asked.

Luis looked over his shoulder at him. He didn't let himself look over his body; at how he could see the shape of his chest and waist now. He raised his eyebrows. "This jacket is a work of art. She should be treated with respect, alright?"

Leon raised his eyebrows back, crossing his arms. It felt like a shield; he couldn't decide if he wanted one or not. Because he wanted this; was attracted to Luis, was already aroused. But the skin on his back was prickling, and he still felt too aware of himself.

Luis laughed. He stepped forward again, and Leon did glance down him, now. Had the satisfaction of seeing the bulge in the front of Luis' jeans, and knowing he was not alone.

"No need to be jealous," Luis murmured, tracing his fingers over Leon's arms. Just lightly enough to raise the hair there.

"I'm not jealous of a jacket." Though he still stared at said jacket. It was easier than those dancing, black coffee eyes.

Those hands untangled his arms. Gently. He let them fall. Let Luis' fingers nudge his chin back to face him, his thumb rubbing over his chin.

"Very sweet," Luis murmured, looking at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

"I'm not sweet." But his hands were catching Luis' waist again, and he was pressing away from the door. The air-con was cold on his skin.

"Si." Luis' fingers brushed his hair back again, even as he guided him across the room, walking backwards. "Not nervous and not sweet."

"Shut up."

Luis lifted his chin up, smirking. "Why don’t you make me?"

Leon tugged them flush against each other, crashing their mouths together. Heard a satisfied sound from Luis as he kissed him back; pushing his tongue against Leon's. He carded a hand through the back of Leon's hair, another feeling his bare shoulder. He was busy exploring under Luis' own shirt. His skin was warm; soft, his back arching against Leon.

He lost track. There was only Luis' mouth and tongue and heat against him. Only his hands grazing over Leon's bare skin, and his heart racing in his chest. Then Luis was tugging him down onto the bed, and they were creasing the tight, white sheets with their weight. He tugged Luis' shirt free - he wasn't so reverent about that - and pressing their bare skin together. It increased that heat, between them. Luis' arms looped around his neck; he kissed over his cheekbone. Grazed his teeth there and Leon let out a soft sound. Felt Luis smile against him.

"Shut up," he said, again.

Luis lay back on the sheets, under him, dark curls spreading across the white.  His teeth flashed when he smiled. "I did not say anything."

Which he didn't. Leon still wanted to frown at him, though. Because he looked very handsome on those sheets, and it was making his heart stutter; because it was better than being soft. He couldn’t start being soft.

"Still," Leon repeated.

Luis chuckled, his knees pressing into Leon's hips. He bit his lip.  Held out until Luis' nails dragged up his sides; it sent a spear of heat through him, and he hated that a whine came from the back of his throat.

His cheeks burnt. He kissed Luis, forcefully, so that he didn't have the chance to say anything about it. Nipped at Luis' bottom lip and felt his fingers dig into Leon's skin. Kissed over the stubble of his jaw; it scratched his nose and mouth, and he loved that feeling. That feeling made his face tingle.

"Here," Luis murmured into the soft skin of Leon's neck. His hands pushed his chest. Leon resisted, for a moment, just to show that he could. Let Luis turn him over – his back hit the sheets – and settle over him. Their hips pressed against each other and the friction of their jeans made Leon's breath hitch. Fingers traced down his chest, slowly; teasing again. "Let me take care of you, bello."

His voice was so soft, like a purr, that he gave in. That he tangled his fingers in Luis’ curls again, and let him kiss his throat and collarbones as he eased his jeans open.  Paused, just after he did, pressing a palm against the interested bulge there. Leon's hips bucked against it – he tightened his free hand in the sheets.

Luis pressed a chaste kiss against his chest. It felt like a reward. Luis was the sweet one, but he didn't have the breath to tease him about that. Could barely think when those long fingers were tugging him free of his pants. Were twisting around him artfully; well-practised. He bucked his hips into the touch on instinct, desperate for the touch.

Luis shushed him, still gentle. Thumbed over the head of his cock and Leon saw stars. Tangled his fingers in more of those dark curls. He pressed his mouth into Luis' shoulder, and felt Luis' hand tug in reaction. Firmly.

"Goddamn," Leon gasped.

 "You really are happy to see me, eh?" His hand was still moving. Not firmly enough to create real friction. Just enough to get him to want more.

"Better here - than - those tunnels," he managed to reply.

Luis laughed, and it seemed genuine. His touch paused, and that felt like torture. Leon's hips raised upwards, and he took hold of the bedframe behind him to help angle himself.

"Oh, I don't know," Luis murmured. "It had atmosphere, no?"

If Leon had any breath left, he would have laughed. But Luis' thumb rubbed over that spot again, and his breath came as a sharp hiss. He tightened his thighs against Luis' hips, hating that smile. He gritted his teeth.

"You're gunna – either have to – stop that," he managed to say. "Or - finish."

Luis stilled his hand, tilting his head to one side. "You don't think you can go twice?"

His neck felt flushed. "Been a minute."

And he just knew, from Luis' dangerous smile, he thought that was sweet. Bastard. But he did let go of him, undoing his own jeans. Leon shifted lazily, kicking the rest of his off; kicking his shoes off, even as he burned. Should still feel self-conscious, but his body had warmed up now. Now his mind felt half-drunk on this intimacy. On Luis Serra's soft, soft voice murmuring that he'd take care of him.

"The bedside drawer," Luis murmured. Kicking their clothes from the bed. Their shoes landed in a collection of thumps. Leon didn't let his gaze linger on the scar; the tight, raised rope across his chest. He turned his attention to the drawer, pulling the bottle out.

Paused.

"What was your idea of how this would go?"

Their legs were still tangled, and Leon was still throbbing with need, but it had subsided enough to think a little more clearly.

Luis' hand shifted up his side, and Leon bit his lip to stop from sighing. "You'd let me choose?"

Yes, because it was easier than saying it himself. Leon shrugged. "You saved my life."

Luis kissed him, open-mouthed. Stayed there to murmur, "You saved mine."

"Still." Still, he was aware that his back was against the sheets. Aware that Luis liked the tattoo there, and he liked that Luis liked it. Made it feel like it wasn't a mistake.

But he couldn't articulate or admit that. Absolutely not.

“I said I’d take care of you.” Luis' black coffee eyes glinted at him, in the low light of the bedside lamp. He leant closer, until his lips were just grazing the shell of Leon's ear. "I thought about watching those wings of yours take flight."

His stomach clenched, and he dug his fingers into Luis' skin. It gave him away, even if he said, "That can be arranged."

Luis saw through him. Of course he did. He chuckled, and nipped Leon's earlobe. It sent a spark through him. He dropped the bottle, breath burning his throat.

"Oh, gracias, senior," Luis murmured. He caught the bottle, flicking it open and squeezing it over his fingers. "So kind of you."

"Screw you." But Leon's hips raised, ready, his core throbbing.

Luis actually winked. "Oh, we will get to that, do not worry."

Leon opened his mouth to snap back; just as Luis slipped a finger inside him. His breath stuttered out, instead. He closed his eyes, so he didn't have to see that smug, satisfied smirk. He rode that spear of pleasure, tangling his legs around Luis', and tugging him closer by his dark curls. Nipped at Luis' shoulder as he started to move. A steady, easy pace. Taking care of him. He felt like he was going to burst.

Luis' breath was hot against his throat. His breath rumbled, as he murmured, "Hey, hey - look at me?"

A thumb traced a line under his eye. It was a huge effort. Especially because Luis was still moving; Leon's hips twitched in that rhythm, seeking more. But he did. Was rewarded with a wide smile; his teeth flashing in the low lamplight.

"That's my boy."

He tugged Luis' mouth to his own to try and disguise the whine that came out of him at that. It wasn't successful, he felt Luis' chuckle against him. Even as he pressed another finger in.

Leon felt like he was coming undone. Watched the light glinting in Luis' dark eyes; the way his curls twitched as he moved; that soft smile as he worked; as he started to unravel him. He hung on to the bedframe behind him, blood roaring in his ears. Heard his own voice whine out, "Luis…"

Luis kissed him, softly, as a response. Continued moving; curled his fingers and Leon cried into his mouth. He felt clenched; primed like a bomb.

"Luis – I need—"

"What do you need?" Luis murmured.

"Dammit." He could barely think of words; and especially the words he knew would get him what he wanted. Did want that.

“Tell me.”

"You."

And he even got the strength to meet his eye, even as he fought for breath, his chest heaving. It was like a fight, and he was losing. Fine, he’d lose, if he could get some relief. If he could get another spear of that fantastic pleasure.

Luis brushed the hair from his face. His fingers sparked, where they touched. "Dios mio, you're…"

His hand stilled. It gave Leon enough of his mind back to ask, "What?"

“Here,” Luis murmured. His hands found Leon's hips again, thumbs digging against the bones. Eased him round, and Leon obliged. He thought he'd do anything Luis told him, if he’d make him feel this good. His knees sunk into the sheets and his need felt even worse; even heavier; in this position.

A good worse, he thought, as those hands felt over his waist; his hips; his ass. He heard Luis' moan, and looked over his shoulder, through his hair. It was actually nice to see Luis look flustered; a dark blush on his throat.

"Everything you wanted?" His voice came out low; rough. Because the tattoo would be full on show, now. Luis would have a view of it, like a black flag, just between his hip bones.

Luis' fingers tightened. "Oh, and more, amore."

Leon had to let his head fall back onto the pillows, catching hold of the sheets. It was the soft way he said it; the way his fingers grazed over his thighs, getting the downy hair to stand on end.

Teasing.

"Luis."

"Si, si, patience." He had to wait for another caress, shifting his head so that he could still see Luis’ out of the corner of his eye, before he finally felt Luis pressing into him. He keened, arching into it, and heard an answering sound from Luis. He wondered how the tattoo moved with the motion. His hands steadied him, as he began moving. Much too slowly.

It was lightning. It sent a wave of heat and desire through him at every move. Leon bit the side of his hand to stop from mewling like a cat. It was just the right side of overwhelming; especially when he was already so aroused. When his own cock burnt between his legs, and he didn't think Luis would even need to touch him there.

"Hey – hey—" Luis' breath was heavy, by his ear. His curls tickled between his shoulder blades, and just that sent shivers over his back. Kept moving, his pace increasing, just a little. "Can I hear?"

Leon made a sound of protest. Squeezed his eyes shut. His teeth made a dull ache on his hand; if he wasn't careful, he would break the skin.

Luis paused. A shaky hand brushed Leon's hair back from his face; grazed his wrist. "Hey – Prince Charming?"

Maybe it was the nickname; the nickname made him feel like he was floating. He did pull his hand away then, his breath so heavy it hurt his ribcage; burnt his throat like fire. "Don't stop. Please."

Maybe Luis planned to tease him again. Surely he did. But instead he kissed at the join of his shoulder, his tongue scraping there, his teeth nipping. Leon whined, and the fingers on his wrist tightened.

It was embarrassing. It was embarrassing for Luis to hear him; it was easy to give in, when he was being so soft. When him being soft made him realise he liked this; liked Luis wanting to hear him. When his whine was answered with Luis moving twice as fast as before. When he heard Luis' answering sounds, from above him.

The embarrassment added to it.

He bucked his hips, chasing that friction and that fire, and wondered if the tattoo was flying like Luis had hoped. From the fingers pressing into the hips, he thought so. He braced his forearms on the bed, his hair back in his face, staring at the lamp with blurred vision. He matched Luis' rhythm. Beat it, and Luis' gave a long, low moan.

"Bueno," he murmured. Dipped his head to kiss at Leon's shoulder. "Muy bueno - my good boy. My good, good boy."

If he was in his right mind, he would snap that he wasn't Luis' boy. His mind had left him, entirely, though. Instead, it sent a spike through him. Luis' boy.

If Luis made him feel like this, he would be Luis' boy.

He would only whimper a string of his name, twisting his fists in the sheets. Letting Luis hear every embarrassing sound.

"You can let go." Luis' mouth moved against his shoulder blade, his hands firm on his hips. "Let go, Leon."

He did; as Luis thrusted into him again. Cried out, and Luis answered as he finished. Leon fought for breath, as he came. The heat and the need subsided, and his mind could only fizz, like a disconnected wire. His strength gave out, and he fell against the sheets. Felt Luis over him, their skin burning where they brushed each other. Felt his dark curls against his back. Felt his hand search for Leon's, and fit over it. Squeezed. He felt his heavy breath; felt the movement of his stomach and chest as he recovered.

"Dios mio," Luis whispered again.

Leon took a heavy breath. Managed to murmur, "You can say that again."

Luis chuckled. Kissed at the hollow of his jaw and Leon made a soft sound in response, words failing. His hands found Leon's hips again, as he eased himself free, and it sent another whine from his throat; he couldn’t tell if it was pleasure or pain anymore. He shifted. Suddenly, it was hard to keep his eyes open. His energy had drained.

And yet, his mess was all over the sheets; over himself, now that he’d fallen into them. He was uncomfortable, and he needed to make himself move. He caught the back of Luis' neck, as he tried to get upright, and pulled him down for another kiss, his lips clumsy.

He searched for the right words through his misty brain. "You're – fantastic."

He felt Luis smile.

"Oh, I try.”

*

Luis was smoking.

Leon didn’t see how he even had the energy to sit upright, after that. He’d barely had enough energy to shower; to get rid of the messy sheets. He lay back, under fresh sheets, his energy drained. He watched Luis’ profile; he’d tied his hair back, so only a single dark curl fell by his ear. Watched his lips around that cigarette, and swore he could still feel them on his shoulders; his neck.

His heart wasn’t racing, but it still thudded heavily in his chest. His mind couldn’t do much more than spark, and it was an effort to keep his eyes open.

Luis glanced at him sideways. “Turned into Sleeping Beauty now, eh?”

“Shut up.” But he didn’t have the energy to move properly. He flapped an arm at Luis, and he chuckled. It was that charming chuckle that made his stomach twist.

His mind went on a tangent, because of that chuckle. Imagined if they were both normal; if he’d really been just a cop; if he’d gone on vacation to Spain, one time. If he’d met this Spaniard and had a fling with him. Just a fling. Without any of the complications of his job, or Umbrella.

Luis looked down at him, properly, his cigarette still between his fingers. The smoke curled in a ribbon, towards the ceiling. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah.” Leon wasn’t about to share that fantasy. The beers in the sun and the cool of the pool after a humid heat and the soft romance of it all. That would be too much. “I’m good.” He paused. “I’m beat.”

It was a poor choice of words and Luis’ smirk let him know that. He raised an eyebrow, but maybe he was tired too, because he didn’t make a joke. His eyes were soft.

“Your problem is you’re too tense.”

That was probably it. His muscles felt loose; like he’d just finished a workout. Completely drained, but in the best way.

“I wonder why,” he replied. Stretched a little, just to enjoy the ache in his muscles. It had been a minute, and he liked that it was Luis Serra who broke that streak. “Aren’t you?”

Luis raised his cigarette, twisting it slightly, and Leon chuckled. That was one way not to be tense.

He brushed his hair from his face – it was still damp from the shower – and kept his arm up, as Luis stubbed out his smoke on the ash tray. The smell lingered. The window was open, just slightly, just enough to get a breeze to catch the drapes. It was truly dark outside, now, only an amber streetlight outside fighting against the indigo blackness.

Leon listened to the roll of the cars passing. It was soothing. If cars were passing, that meant the city was still alive. He always slept easier knowing that; when he slept at all; guessed that was probably another reason why he was so wiped now.

Training had been harder. The deep breathing of other people sleeping was too much like the constant heaves and groans of those things in Raccoon City. Leon wasn’t letting himself think about how it would be to sleep next to Luis. He’d embarrassed himself enough, without having a night terror.

Embarrassed himself enough.

Damn, he had. Had mewled and whined and wanted Luis to call him good boy again. He bit his lip, frowning as though that would help soften the memories.

“You’ve gone quiet,” Luis said. His leg nudged Leon’s. “I am trying not to be worried, but…”

Leon shook his head, like that would be enough. Another car came by, the white lights illuminating the room for a moment.

A hand nudged his arm down. Gently. If he really wanted to, he could resist. If he really wanted to, he could start an argument about it. Deflect. Instead, he let Luis nudge his arm down. Looked up at him, and his dark eyes were soft, and searching. That made it worse; that he really cared.

He twisted his lip between his teeth, to feel the sting. “It’s not you.”

A dark eyebrow twitched higher; that wasn’t enough of an answer. Leon took a breath. Shrugged, and even his shoulders ached. “I just – guess they were right about me.”

“Because of the tattoo?”

Leon found himself smiling, just a little. “Must be a slut, right?”

Luis shifted. Lay down, on his side, so that they were on the same level. So their legs brushed against each other’s and he felt a rush of warmth. Luis traced the line of his collarbone.

“I did not think you would be bothered by what anyone says about you.”

“I’m not.” It was automatic. Just like not being nervous. Not being sweet. He reached up, twisted that dark curl around his finger. Easy to be intimate, now. “But some things – stick.”

They stuck when Krauser insisted on calling him pretty boy, with his mouth twisted like it was swearing. They stuck when he was trapped in basic training, and the comments were constant.

Luis’ hand settled over his chest. Could he feel his heartbeat? “And you know why they said that, don’t you?”

“Are you going to tell me it’s because they fancied me?”

“Maybe they did.” And when Leon rolled his eyes, Luis kissed him. Slowly. “Maybe they were jealous.”

Leon snorted. He got another kiss for that, Luis holding his chin steady. He tangled his fingers in Luis’ hair, his stubble rubbing against his mouth. That was a cliché, and it didn’t help wash the words away.

“Then they’d probably be jealous of you right now,” he murmured.

“Ah, of course.” Luis’ tongue traced over his bottom lip. “Then, I count myself a lucky man.”

Leon did laugh, genuinely, and that seemed amazing, just after feeling like that. That Luis could distract him. His hand trailed down, over his neck. His finger just grazed that spot. That raised scar. His heart stilled.

Luis shifted his wrist, moving his hand away, and it subsided the panic again. He pressed closer, barely pulling his face away. That was fine. Leon stared into those dark eyes. Luis was a lucky man. He was lucky, because he was here, with him.

“You know, I take it all as a compliment,” Luis continued. Leon pushed his chest in protest; immediately slipped a hand around to the small of his back to pull him closer, because Luis was alive. “I know you are having a good time, you know?”

“And did you?” Did he see those wings moving?

“They do not know what they are missing.” Luis murmured something in Spanish, too low and too fast for Leon to make out. He only registered another long, slow kiss, and felt his remaining energy draining from him. Wanted to stay here, in Luis’ arms, where he didn’t have to unpack any more of those feelings.

He suspected he would have to, in the morning. He suspected he’d remember and they’d have a similar conversation all over again. Maybe he’d even have to say more. Leon closed his eyes. He was allowed to keep them closed, this time.

“I’m really glad…” he murmured, already feeling himself slipping away. Another car passed. The city was still alive. “I met you, tonight.”

A mouth pressed against his forehead.

“Me too, mi corazon.”

[bg3storage]

Hello everyone! I've gotten some asks and replies on my Tav gifsets for the mods I use. I wanted to gather up an easy list to navigate and explore. I will update this page as I go on throughout the game so feel free to check for any of the mods I use here.

All credit goes to the amazing modders who are waaaay more talented than me haha. I am simply a graphic designer and gif maker with 0 knowledge of blender. I'm in awe of what they do every day so please support them on nexus or pateron.

Now without further ado...

⋆☁︎｡⋆☾ ﾟ｡⋆ GENERAL ⋆☁︎｡⋆｡☾ ﾟ｡⋆

Preset: Mantis' House Of The Dragon Presets (Alicent)

Eyes: Eye of the Beholder + Poesielibre's Fancy Eyes Presets (Flaming Contract)

Skin: Astralities' Sublime Skintones (Spring Warmth 07) + Bit Tired 'Round The Eyes - Tattoo Edit

Scars: Unique Tav Custom Appearance + Bhaal Scars For All + Darker Bhaal Scars for All + Vampire Bite Scar

Bangs: Bangs Bangs Everywhere (Ballerina)

⋆☁︎｡⋆☾ ﾟ｡⋆ OUTFITS ⋆☁︎｡⋆｡☾ ﾟ｡⋆

✿Escape From the Nautiloid: hair, outfit (mostly for roleplay purposes for durge players)

✿The Journey Begins: hair, outfit, belt

✿Chilling at Camp: hair, dress,

✿Once Upon a Dream: romper + accsessories, flower crown, shoes

✿Nature's Gifts: dress, boots, cape

✿Arrival at the Goblin Camp: hair, outfit

✿Embracing the Urge: outfit, cloak

✿Tiefling Party: hair, dress, flower crown

✿Underdark Trinkets: hair, outfit

✿Underdark Explorer: hair, hat, outfit, boots, cape*

*(it was from the midnight lover's set but it seems it has been deleted, if it ever gets reuploaded i will post the link here)

✿Journey to Moonrise: hat, boots, necklace, outfit, hair

✿Camping in the Shadows: hair, outfit, boots

[2nd-drop-me-safely-in-this-hell]

The image of Vergil is taken from a video showcasing a mod that alters his face, which can be found here. The screenshot has been altered for visibility.

"An Imposed Courtship, Part II"

Characters:

Lucia (Devil May Cry)

Vergil (Devil May Cry)

Dante (Devil May Cry), mentioned

Relationships:

Vergil x Lucia

Dante x Lucia, unrequited

Premise:

Dante has left the building. Now Lucia and Vergil are left to become acquainted.

Content Warnings:

Unrequited love

Author's Note:

This is the second part of an ongoing story. The first part can be found here. The next part will be linked here when it is finished.

In this story, Vergil's devil form is described differently than it is depicted in Devil May Cry 5. I wanted it to seem to be somewhere in between a standard Devil Trigger and a Sin Devil Trigger, as that is the role it plays in Vergil's moveset.

Lucia looked the man before her up and down. He was unmistakably Dante's brother. He had the same handsome features, albeit undercut by his dour expression and... Interesting hairstyle. She did, however, admit to herself that he was rather sharply dressed.

Vergil broke the silence. "What have you been told about me?"

"I know about Redgrave City, if that's what you're wondering." Lucia bluntly replied.

Vergil nodded. "Dante doesn't plan on returning while you're here. I won't take offense if you wish to go home."

Lucia sighed. "Did he tell you why, by any chance?"

"Not at all. He was insistent that there was nothing wrong with you. He simply isn't interested."

Lucia crossed her arms. "He could have told me as much."

"Certainly. Although, it was foolish of you to come all this way with no guarantee of his attention."

"I know... I was hoping to at least get a confirmation of his feelings, one way or another."

"You shouldn't have warned him you were coming, then."

Lucia stifled a chuckle. "I didn't wish to be that rude."

"It seems to me that he's been incredibly rude to you."

Lucia nodded.

Vergil reached into his coat pocket. "I would normally be happy to send you to the nearest airport, but I've opened two portals today already. Abusing Yamato's power risks blurring the divide between this world and the Underworld, even limiting its use to one side." He pulled out a stack of cash. "The most I can afford to do is to expense your journey home."

Lucia shook her head. "That's very generous, but I'll stay. So long as you don't mind."

"...Even knowing what I've done?"

"As Trish tells it, it's only what one half of you has done. And even Lady admits that you're mostly harmless now." Lucia's eyes fell to the floor. "It's a little inspiring, really. To hear that someone who fell so far can salvage their life, with enough support."

"Hm."

Lucia's eyes met Vergil's. "So, would you mind if I stayed?"

Vergil hesitated for a moment. "No. Though, I'm not much more local to this city than you are, so don't ask me what to do while you're here."

"That's fair enough." Lucia took a seat on the couch. Vergil remained standing.

"So..." She struggled for a moment to decide what to ask this man, who lost so much of his life to evil. Eventually, she spoke.

"What do you know about me?"

"Not very much. Obviously, you aren't human. Though I don't think I've encountered a demon quite like yourself before."

"Ah..." Lucia's gaze fell again.

Vergil adjusted his collar. "It's obvious because you radiate demonic power. Considerable demonic power. You must be a formidable warrior."

"Thanks." Lucia said softly.

"Your form is indistinguishable from a human's. You're quite beautiful, really."

Lucia laughed. "You aren't so bad yourself. Though, I must admit, that hair is quite a statement. Have you always worn it that way?"

"Yes. Unlike my brother, I don't prioritize vanity over my vision."

"Then why not just... Cut it short?"

Vergil shifted nervously. "I like it this way."

Lucia nodded. "That's fair enough."

Vergil nodded as well. "Is that red your natural color?"

"Yes, it is."

"...It's very striking."

"Thank you... I think."

The pair fell into silence for a long moment after that. The quiet was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

Vergil picked it up. "Devil May Cry." He paused. "Yes, that is the password. State your business."

Lucia watched as Vergil listened to the caller.

"Remain calm. Help will arrive shortly." Vergil hung up the phone.

Lucia stood. "Well, it seems there's something to do around here after all."

"That there is. Shall we?"

* * *

Vergil and Lucia stepped out of the office, and onto the sparsely populated street.

Lucia looked around. "I don't see a taxi..."

"There's no need for that." Vergil activated his devil form, and spread his wings.

"Oh my..." Lucia examined Vergil's transformation.

She was amused by the silhouette of his head, which fittingly reminded her of a samurai helmet, save for the protruding tube-shaped horns on each side. His eyes were bright green, not just the two in the middle of his face, but the dozens along his head and body. His face appeared almost skull-like, having flesh, but lacking eyelids, lips, or a nose. His mouth held large, sharp teeth. Two wings sprouted from his back, along with a tail with a barbed tip. His fingers and toes were clawed, and his left arm bore a scaled scabbard, now holding Yamato.

Aside from his more grotesque features, Lucia was struck by Vergil's lean physique, his musculature once hidden beneath his layered garb now laid bare. A strong stench of sulfur hit Lucia's nose, and she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't as repulsed as she should have been.

Vergil cocked his head. "Well? I've shown you mine." His voice was lower, and distorted in a way that sent a shiver down Lucia's spine. "I'm waiting."

Vergil wanted to see her devil form. And despite herself, Lucia wanted to show it to him.

Lucia activated her own transformation, bearing white feathers on black skin, and spread her own wings.

Vergil's breath hitched, made more noticeable by the distortion of his voice.

"I'm ready." Lucia spoke. "Lead the way."

"Very well." Vergil turned in a hurry, then took to the skies, and Lucia found that his physique was just as striking from behind. "Try to keep up!" Vergil shouted as he flew at an alarming speed.

Lucia took to the skies herself, and quickly caught up, leaving behind the Devil May Cry office, and any thoughts of its proprietor.

[aziraphales-library]

Lost Fic #224

1. Hello! Thank you for your amazing work. I've been reading two fics a day since I found your page. Would you please help me find these two fics? I didn't bookmark or save the links, and I'm mourning them so hard 😭 They're both post-season 1. Thank you! Fic 1: Fallen Star Maker Crowley. Post Apocadon't. They move together. Crowley remembers meeting Aziraphale before. They were in love. Crowley forged swords for the Morningstar. Present Demon Crowley has a forge in the garage. It's smutty, melancholy, and sweet - anon

2. Fic 2: Post Apocawasn't. Adam loses control over his Antichrist powers because a date went wrong. He creates a massive snowstorm. Crowley and Aziraphale flow in and calm him a bit. Then they find somewhere to wait out the storm. And it's cold, so they share a blanket, and one thing leads to another and… Smut - anon

3. hello!! i’m looking for a fic set during the 60s, ineffable wives, they were at a beach and crowley goes to find azi. then they go back to azi’s hotel (?!), there’s an explicit scene, i think it’s crowley who washes azi’s hair, and she sits on her lap. it was one of the first gomens fics ive read and i don’t remember the name nor author :( please help me out ❤️ - anon

4. Hello amazing, lovely mods, I'm back with more vague memories of a fic I can't find anymore. C & A are on the run and end up back in Eden which is somehow locked up. A is on the brink of death and C nurses him back to health. There was some problem with using magic and C ends up building a wooden hut or something similar. Any ideas? - @wendishmaiden

5. 'ello 'ello 'ello! I'm trying to find a fic I read before I had an AO3 account. (spoilers, dear readers, but the details were necessary to locate the fic) It was set after S2, because I remember it had the full cast of angels and demons, and Muriel is left in charge of the bookshop. Everyone meets in a barren winter wasteland, all the angels and demons hold hands to destroy the Metatron, G-d banishes Herself (iirc), and all the angels and demons pair off. Help? - anon

If you know any of these fics please include the number in your reply! Thank you :)

- Mod D