#Flufftober day 20

[i-am-a-l0st-gh0st]

Sethos x gn!reader- Day 20

Summary- Just friends they say? t/w- fluff

Flufftober 2024

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"you two would make a very cute couple." Cyno smirked as you walked away "What!" Sethos shouted.

"Their obviously into you."

"No they're not Cyno."

Cyno scoffed at his persistence, he knew that you were into him. One, you'd tole him and two, it was incredibly obvious to anyone around. Even Tighnari had asked about the both of you. Still you both continued to deny the allegations of dating. But deep down you both knew there was something there .

One day a few weeks after the comment Cyno had made, you both were walking in the Sumeru desert. Your hands had brushed together a few times, but ultimately you decided to ignore it. There may have been a little sparks, but maybe that was just for you.

"Sethos?"

"Yeah y/n?"

"People think were dating right?"

"Yeah they do?"

"Well do you like me like that."

He stiffened at your words. He hasn't really thought that deeply about it. Not until Cyno had really bought it up. But every time he'd thought about you he couldn't stop getting butterflies. And archons had he thought of you a lot lately. It was never ending.

People swore you liked you liked him the same way but he still was scared. What if they were just rumors?

"Yeah I suppose..."

"You suppose?"

"Well I do like you okay."

"So they weren't rumors?"

"No. Not at all."

"Well so... So we like each other?"

"It seems so!"

You both stood awkwardly as the silence grew longer. Till Sethos grabbed your hand silently. He turned to face you, and seeing the blush on your face, let out a chuckle. He dragged you to his favorite spot, just bordering on the desert.

He leaned a head on your shoulder, tightening his grip on your hand. Neither of you wanted this peaceful moment to end.

[phoenixs-fandoms-and-writings]

Something to Show You

Fandom: Harry Potter (f*ck JKR)

Characters: Sirius Black, GN!reader

Plot: you’re one of Sirius’ friends and he’s been keeping a secret from you. Now he’s ready to tell you, or rather show you.

Notes: I am anti-JKR and her beliefs

This was written for day 20 @flufftober 2024 prompt: paw

Flufftober 2024 Masterlist - General Masterlist

I do not give permission to anyone to repost or translate any of my stories. I also do not give anyone permission to feed my stories through AI or to be posted to any third party website or app. If anyone sees any of my work posted anywhere but here or my AO3 (simplyreflected), then it has been posted without permission.

Read on AO3 here.

You knew your close friend had been keeping a secret from you. You were a little concerned but as long as he wasn’t hurting himself or others, then you wouldn’t worry about it. Well, you had secrets of your own, so you’d let him keep his.

“Hey darling,” he drawled like he normally did when he said that. “Come with me. I’ve got something to show you.”

You went with him without a second thought. When you entered the boys dorm, you turned to him. “What’s going on?”

You sat on his bed as he stood in front of you, “I’m an animagus.”

You just stared at him for a moment. “An animagus?” He nodded. “What do you turn into?”

“Watch and see for yourself.” He morphed and sitting in his place was a big black dog.

You slid off the bed, kneeling in front of him. You held out your hand, moving to pat his fur, but he lifted his paw and placed it in your hand.

He was such a cute dog. You lifted your other hand and started patting him as you put his paw back on the ground. Moving your hand closer to his ear, you gave him a scratch behind it, his tail thumping on the floor.

“Do you like that?”

He barked. You smiled at him; your excitement growing by the second and you started giggling at his actions.

“Do you want me to keep going?”

He barked again and rolled over, so you could scratch his stomach.

[dailyreverie]

Pumpkin

@flufftober - Day 20 Pumpkin

Pairing: Marc Spector x reader

Word count: 921

CW: Marc gets a bit suggestive but it's all very fluffy.

Flufftober masterlist

Marc is used to hard days, to days that never seem to end and drag until late at night. However, the past few days he’s had, have tired him to the bones and made him yearn for nothing but to be tangled in you. The air has been getting colder, the trees are turning orange, and all he wants is to forget the world outside and be with you.

The second he reached your door he felt all his muscles finally relaxing as if his body knew he was home at last. A soft knock to the door is all he does and in just seconds you open the door, smiling at his tired form and pulling him into your arms. He closes the door behind him as you take his jacket off - he doesn’t need it there, not when everything smells so sweet and feels so warm, warm enough to sneak his hands under your sweater to feel the skin of your back. Marc feels you shudder, his hands must be cold, but you don’t seem to care, or at least you don’t move. Quite the opposite, you hold onto his neck and finally - he thinks - let him kiss you, and taste you, and feel you, and everything he longed to do since the day he left for his latest mission.

“Hey, pumpkin,” Marc almost purred against your lips, his hands on your back holding you close.

You couldn’t stop the laugh that came from you, it made you pull back, moving back an inch, not even hiding the blush creeping up your neck. “What did you just call me?”

“I think you heard me.” Marc smiled fondly at your surprise, not minding the embarrassment he felt from how the nickname slipped out of his lips without warning. Marc Spector, whose sweet nicknames never go past the usual “baby”, was melting like putty in between your hands calling you pumpkin by some sort of betrayal of his own brain. 

“Oh, I did,” You pulled him back for a soft kiss. “But I think I might want to hear it again.”

Marc laughed and hid his face, looking at the floor to avert your gaze. “It’s not my fault. You taste like pumpkin spice, and your sweater smells like your pumpkin candle.”

“I’m seizing the season,” You defended yourself as if it were needed.

“I never said it was a bad thing, in fact…” Slowly, his lips approached yours enough to let your noses touch, his tongue licking into your lips to take another taste of you. “I love tasting you, you know that.” He managed to say before you both sank into the kiss, letting his hands massage your body as he deepened the kiss, walking you backward letting himself inside your apartment. You both fell onto the couch, catching air as he pulled you on top of him, your legs on each side of his legs.

“I really do hope you like pumpkin,” Your hands pushed his hair back, resting on the back of his head and softly pulling the curls you found there.

Marc groaned at the sensation, looking at you through hooded eyes. "Hmmm, you know I do." A soft chuckle escaped you as he leaned in to kiss your jaw, leaving a trail of tender kisses before returning to your lips.

"No, Marc..." You gently pushed him away to meet his eyes once more. "I mean actual pumpkin. Because I baked a whole pie, and I'm not going to eat that alone."

He playfully pushed you off him, making you fall on the couch, giggles erupting from you as he scoffed at the whole situation. “That explains all the pumpkin smells.” 

“And I thought you were just being sweet.” After a quick kiss on his cheek, you stood up stretching your hand out inviting him to join you. “Come here and taste it. It's been a while since I baked one, and I need an expert opinion."

Marc didn't need any more encouragement. He grabbed your hand and let you pull him up and guide him to the kitchen where you presented him with a slice of the homemade pumpkin pie. As he took a bite, his eyes widened in delight. "This is amazing," he mumbled with a mouthful of pie.

"I'm glad you like it.” You chuckled and leaned in for a kiss, capturing the taste of pumpkin on his lips. “I missed you.” Your voice turned soft as you looked at him, nibbling on the homemade treats you had made just for him.

Forgetting the pie for a moment, Marc wrapped his arms around you and held you close to him, his eyes casting a soft gaze on you. “I missed you too, pumpkin.”

You giggled again at this new nickname of his before he captured your lips with his. As Marc held you in his arms, it felt like the world outside had melted away, leaving just the two of you in the warmth of the cozy kitchen. The soft glow of the pumpkin-scented candles on the table added to the romantic atmosphere. 

The pie eventually reached the living room, where you catch up on the past few days and what you did without each other. Time passed, and as the evening turned into night and a movie was playing in the background, Marc found himself falling asleep with his head nestled against your shoulder, feeling completely content and at peace. You gently ran your fingers through his hair, savoring the feeling of his presence, and knowing that, in this moment, there was no place he'd rather be.

🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨🌙✨

Thanks for reading! Please reblog and comment if you enjoyed it!

[miharaikko]

a beagle's guide to finding love

Happy @flufftober • Day 20 • “Paw”

Oneshot • Rated GA • 6K words • Read on AO3

Pairing: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor

“Oh my God, Davey! What have you done?” Henry asked as he crouched next to me and started scratching my sides. “What am I to do with you, stealing bagels and assaulting that handsome man? He is very handsome, don’t you think? Don’t you think, Davey? Yes, he is—”

"Sorry, I—I forgot my bottle here,” Alex says, bending down next to us and grabbing the bottle that remained on the ground.

“You’re not too shabby yourself,” he said, smiling and starting to back away in a backwards jog, making sure Henry heard him.

And he heard him, alright. Henry’s cheeks were now a very intense color. I couldn’t tell you which one exactly; it’s all shades of gray for me. He’s usually just a gray blob himself, but now there was definitely something different on his face.

He smiled shyly, shook his head, and grabbed my leash.

“Come on, Davey. Let’s go home before we manage to embarrass ourselves any further today.”

OR: When David feels like henry could use a new friend, he takes the matter into his own paws.

Tagging my flufftober buddies under the cut! 💕

@firenati0n @theprinceandagcd, @caterpills, @kj-bee, @exitariel000 @shesfromboston, @msmarvelouswinchester, @dani-dabbles, @thesleepyskipper

[woncon]

Flufftober Day 20

Pumpkin

🎃 yoongi x gn!reader

🎃 special thanks to @honeytwo for helping me translate this into english, correcting my grammar and other mistakes. thank you for everything! °♡̷•.

🎃 flufftober masterlist | main masterlist

✁- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Well... He's very handsome." You try not to grimace or sigh in disappointment.

"You think it's a he?"

"Yes, I do. Somehow I've got it stuck in my head that Halloween pumpkins are dudes. He especially looks like that." You're pointing at your own pumpkin, the one you just finished carving with Yoongi.

One eye is smaller than the other, and although you'd have liked to have cool, jagged teeth in his grinning mouth, his dentition is more pitiful with periodontal gap-tooth than awesome.

"Can I say it? This guy looks pretty miserable."

"Don't hurt him! I tried everything. If you hadn't kissed my neck constantly, he might look better. It takes two to do a job like this."

"I apologise for you being so irresistible." He smiles wickedly, which makes you hard to look at him for a while, because your anger evaporates very easily.

"Whatever. What do we do with him?"

"We can pour strawberry jam on him. Specially on his mouth. Then he'll be scarier. Then we can put him outside the house."

"Great idea." You're about to head for the fridge, but two hands on your hips pull you back and you find yourself in Yoongi's arms, his mouth on your neck. "What are you, a vampire?"

"Shh," he murmurs as his lips skim slowly over your skin, tingling. "Just let me do it."

So you let him.

flufftober taglist (send an ask! <3)

@jaeheekangslover

@haechansbbg

[ikaishere]

Pumpkin

day 20!! modern au wild and hyrule:D

[littleseasiren]

Pumpkin

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: None

Words: Approximately 500 words

A/N: Flufftober Prompt 20: Pumpkin Thanks @flufftober for this challenge. Please let me know if you want to be added or removed from my tag list. Thanks for reading!

"Ok, so the pie needs to cool down first. We can check on it in a few hours. That'll be more than enough time to decorate it before tonight," you tell Bucky as the two of you stare at the pie on the kitchen counter. "Do you think it's sweet enough? Maybe we should sprinkle some sugar on the top?"

"There's no need for extra sugar, you're sweet enough already," Bucky says as he bends down and kisses your neck, down to your collarbone.

"You don't have to flirt with me, Bucky. I'm already yours," you giggle as he wraps his arms around you and pulls you into him.

"I love hearing you say that," he whispers in your ear. "And I'm yours."

He turns you around, then gently picks you up in his strong arms. "You said we have a couple of hours to kill, right?" You follow his gaze as he heads towards the bedroom, happy to be on the same page.

Bucky almost trips when a white ball of mischief runs past his feet, but his strong arms keep you safe until he gently places you on the bed.

A few hours later, the two of you are dressed and ready to go to Steve and Natasha's anniversary get together. They were keeping their party small, happy when everyone offered to bring a dish to the party, so they didn't have to cook.

The first thing you see as you enter the kitchen is some yellow splotches on the kitchen counter. When you move closer, your eyes fall onto the Pumpkin Pie the two of you had made together earlier. You're so distracted by what you see that you don't even hear Bucky stop next to you.

At the one end of the pie are two tiny pawprints, then a few more going to the centre of the pie. You gasp when your eyes reach the centre as you notice two deep holes where tiny paws had obviously punched through the pie filling crust that had still been setting.

At the other end of the pie is a splatter of pumpkin filling, the splatters having landed on the kitchen table along with small yellow paw prints leading to the TV room.

You and Bucky stare at each other in amazement before you follow the paw prints into the room. Alpine is laying on the floor, busy licking yellow pumpkin pie filling off her beautiful white coat. When she spots you, she meows in irritation.

"Don't look at me, Alpine. You're the one who walked all over our pie and fell in," Bucky calls from behind you, laughing at his cat's hilarious antics.

"Do you think if we cover the pie with cream that anyone will notice?" He asks as his blue eyes meet yours.

"Guess we'll have to find out. If the rest of the team finds out about this, the teasing will never end," you admit.

Alpine watches the two of you with her pretty blue eyes, her little leg hair tinted yellow, looking like she's wearing boots over her white fur. At least she loved eating pumpkin.

Tag List:

@morganmofresh @dottirose @cjand10 @buggy14 @crazyunsexycool @tripleoyaa @mandijo17 @fluffysucker @moviegurl2002 @unkasworld @midnightskyewolf

[rainisawriter]

To Care for You – Murayama (PSF #20)

Ficography

Genre: Fluff, angst, slice of life

Prompt: Pumpkin (@flufftober)

Word Count: 5,515

Pairing: Reader x Murayama

World: High&Low

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

A fierce pounding on the front door made you jump, nearly falling off the couch. Your heart was racing within your chest as you got up, slowly approaching the door. “Who is it?”

“Open this damn door, Natsuki!”

Hearing your mom’s name made you frown, pain tugging at your heart. “I’m sorry but she… she no longer lives here.”

“Bullshit!” He hit the door harder, causing it to rattle. “Open this damn door or I’m going to break it down!”

You didn’t have the money to fix it if he did break it down, so you made the decision to open the door, the chain preventing him from bursting inside. He was a huge guy, easily towering over you. “Please… she’s no longer here.”

He seemed to calm down a bit upon seeing you, folding his arms over his chest. “Where did she go?”

“She… died. A week ago.”

“Died?” he repeated in surprise, brow furrowed. “How?”

“Hit and run. She was -” You stopped yourself, figuring that he didn’t need to know that she had been wasted and wandered into the road.

His eyes flickered to the apartment behind you. “You live alone, kid?”

Your eyes narrowed suspiciously. “That’s none of your business…”

The man sighed, running a hand through his slicked-back black hair. “Listen, kid. Your mom owes my boss a lot of money. And now that she’s gone…”

“It falls on me,” you muttered flatly and he nodded.

He glanced around before moving closer, lowering his voice. “If I were you, I’d leave town. I’ll say that no one was home, but I won’t be the last one to come looking.”

“How much is the debt?”

“Five grand.”

“F-Five…” Your eyes widened, dread filling you. You didn’t have that kind of money! You were barely managing to scrape by as it was, every bit of your check going to bills and a little bit of food. With your mom gone, you didn’t have to worry about her wasting money on alcohol or partying with her friends, but that also meant you didn’t have the income from her job, either.

“For what it’s worth… I don’t think kids should inherit their parent’s debt,” he frowned, giving you a sympathetic look that had you scoffing.

“Yet you’re perfectly fine enforcing it.”

“We all do what we have to do to survive. Leave town before you get hurt.” And then he turned on his heel and walked away.

You closed the door, sliding down the wood until you hit the ground, a heavy sigh passing your lips. What the hell were you going to do? You honestly had no clue. He suggested that you leave town, but that required money, too. It’s not like you had any family to reach out to.

You closed your eyes, head falling back against the wood. “Even from the grave, you’re hell-bent on making my life as difficult as possible…”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

Murayama was lying across the couch in Oya’s gym, tossing a baseball into the air and catching it repeatedly. He was frustrated because you’ve been ghosting him lately, ignoring his calls and not responding to his texts. Every time he saw you, you were in a hurry and looking exhausted though you assured him that everything was fine. You were just busy with work.

He knew money was tight for you, especially after your mom passed away, but was it really so bad that you had to work constantly? He knew there was something you weren’t telling him and it was driving him crazy.

With a scowl, he tossed the ball onto the couch as he stood up, leaving the gym. He had decided he would wait inside your apartment until you got home and then he would demand answers. When he reached your apartment, though, he found the front door cracked open.

His brow furrowed as he stepped inside, calling out your name. The apartment was trashed, furniture broken and strewn across the floor. Drawers had been tossed, their contents sitting in piles. He screamed your name, fear gripping his heart as he began to search for you.

You were in the kitchen, resting against the cold tile floor, your back against the counter. Your face was bloody and bruised, brow furrowed in pain.

“Oi!” He cried, falling to his knees beside you. “What happened? Who did this?!”

You winced at his loud voice, pain shooting through your skull. “Do you have to be so damn loud?”

“Sorry,” he muttered, reaching out to brush his thumb across a cut on your cheek. “Tell me who did this.”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” His brow furrowed suspiciously as he searched your tired eyes. “If you’re lying to me -“

“I’m not lying,” you muttered, leaning your head back to stare at the ceiling. “Apparently, my mom racked up quite the debt before she died. They can’t collect from a dead person so they need the next best thing.”

“Hah? You’re telling me debt collectors did this?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how they knew I got paid today…” You ran a hand down your face with a groan. “Rent is due tomorrow but they took everything… fuck, what am I gonna do, Shiki?”

Murayama shifted so that he was sitting beside you, carefully putting his arms around you. You didn’t hesitate to lean into his warmth, fingers curling around his t-shirt as you buried your face into his neck. He wanted to tell you it would be alright, but the words didn’t come.

Truth be told, he didn’t know that things would be alright. He certainly didn’t have any money and he had no idea who your mom owed money to. Something told him it wasn’t just some street gang and, as strong as Oya was, they weren’t ready to take on the Yakuza.

All he could do was hold you. He felt powerless and he hated it.

“Shiki?” you called softly, looking up at him tiredly.

“Yeah?” He cupped your cheek, loving how you leaned into his touch.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. This is my problem, not – ouch!” You scowled when he flicked you lightly on the forehead, dark eyes narrowed at you.

“Your problems are my problems, idiot.”

“Yoshiki,” you stressed, sending him a serious look that made him want to squirm. “I can’t lose you, I… I can’t.”

“And you won’t.” He cupped your face, leaning his forehead against your own. “I won’t ever leave you, I promise.”

Your hands rested over his own. “Will you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone.”

He scoffed. “You really think I’m gonna let you be alone after this? If those bastards come near you again, I’ll kill them.”

“Shiki -“

“Safely. I’ll kill them safely.”

Despite yourself, you laughed at the ridiculous comment, the motion sending pain throughout your body. “Ah, it – ahaha – hurts to laugh.”

Murayama chuckled. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You glanced at Murayama as he slept peacefully in your bed, hair falling over his eyes. You knew you should have woken him up because he didn’t want you to go anywhere alone, but he just looked so pretty that you couldn’t bear to wake him.

Plus, he had spent half the night cleaning up the apartment after you fell asleep and you felt as if he had earned the extra sleep. You smiled at him, brushing away the hair from his forehead so you could press a kiss there.

“Don’t be mad,” you whispered softly before leaving the apartment. You were on edge the entire way to Dan’s store but, thankfully, you made it there with no issue. He was restocking the fridge when you entered. “Morning, boss.”

“Good morni- what the hell happened?” His eyes widened when he turned to look at you, quickly putting the box on the ground before rushing over. Worry filled his brown eyes as he took in your injured face. 

“I, uh,” you rubbed the back of your head, offering him a sheepish smile. “I fell down the stairs…”

Dan sent you a look, hand on his hip. He clearly didn’t believe you and rightfully so. He had dozens of fights under his belt and he knew what the injuries typically looked like. Those were definitely bruises created by fists, not stairs. It worried him because he had grown attached to you, but he knew how stubborn you were.

You had always been the type to keep things to yourself, to want to handle things on your own. He and the rest of Sannoh had been trying to help you with your mom for years, but you always refused. Murayama was the only one you had let in. 

“Are you okay to work?”

Before you could answer, the bell above the door chimed, an older woman stepping inside. You smiled politely at her and she froze, wide eyes staring at your face. She quickly apologized before backing out of the store.

“Shit,” you muttered, frowning at the male. “Maybe I should work in the back today… I don’t want to scare your other customers.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he smiled, gently patting your shoulder. “Can you finish stocking the fridge?”

“Sure, boss.” You offered him a grateful bow before heading over to the fridge, beginning to fill it with various drinks. You were nearly finished when you heard the bell above the door chime. 

“Dan-san!” Oshiage and Shiba rushed inside, grins on their faces.

Dan looked up from the magazine he was reading, quirking a brow at the two girls. You approached the front curiously, carrying the empty box with you.

“Did you hear?” Oshiage slammed a flyer down onto the counter. “Daruma Ikka is hosting a huge festival during the last week of October!”

Dan scratched his cheek, frowning at the paper. “Having all five Sword gangs there is just asking for trouble.”

“You’re not gonna go, then?” wondered Shiba. “Even though they’re giving away money?”

“What?” You and Dan chorused in surprise.

“Yeah, there’s a -” Shiba stopped dead when she turned to look at you, an angry expression coming to her face. “Oi, did that Oya brat do that to you?”

Oshiage frowned, worry in her eyes. “Murayama would never do something like that… right?”

“Don’t worry,” you were able to offer them a genuine smile because their concern touched your heart. You had never really gotten along with Ichigo Milk, mostly because Junko hated you so, by default, the others didn’t like you, either.

Then there was the issue of Oshiage’s crush on Murayama. She had been super hurt when she learned how close the two of you were and Shiba had confronted you about it. You hadn’t even been aware of her crush, something they didn’t believe at first.

You’re not actually sure when things started to change but, over time, the three of you learned to tolerate and, on some small level, care about each other. Perhaps it was because of Dan and his store that brought the three of you together.

Shiba scoffed, hand on her hip. “You come here beat to hell and tell us not to worry? I oughta-” She raised her fist threateningly and you held up the box like a shield.

“I fell down the stairs,” you told them with a frown. “I was super tired because I didn’t get much sleep. I’m perfectly fine, though! I’m a fast healer, ya know?”

She didn’t look convinced.

You cleared your throat, approaching the counter. “Is Daruma really giving away money? That’s surprising.”

“You have to win it,” explained Oshiage as she leaned her arms on the counter. “It’s a pumpkin carving contest! The winner wins $5,000.”

Your eyes widened, the breath leaving your lungs. They had already taken about two hundred bucks from you, so that prize would cover the debt in full while still leaving you enough to pay part of your rent.

Dan noticed how you reacted to this information though he chose not to point it out. Money had always been an issue for you and he could only imagine it was worse with your mother gone.

“So… you just carve a pumpkin?” You questioned, eyes on the flyer.

Oshiage nodded. “The Daruma babies are gonna be the judges.”

“Oh… it, uh, it sounds fun.” You tried not to sound too excited as you headed into the back of the store to drop off the box. You knew you couldn’t pass up this opportunity, but… you had never carved a pumpkin before. It couldn’t be that hard, right?

Your phone vibrated in your pocket, a single message coming in from Murayama. It was an angry, frowning face to let you know that he was displeased at your decision not to wake him.

You chuckled, sending him an apology before getting back to work.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“Why is this so hard?!” you groaned, stabbing the knife into the fruit with a scowl. You had gone through three pumpkins already and you had either butchered them or had been unable to pierce the surface. You had also cut yourself a few times, but they weren’t too deep.

You knew this wasn’t going to work, not if you wanted to win this contest. 

Grabbing your coat, you headed out. The cool autumn wind was blowing softly, wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. It did wonders to help your nerves since you never knew when the debt collectors would jump you again. So far, it had been a week and they hadn’t shown up again.

At first, Murayama had stuck by your side without fail and you appreciated his dedication and concern. You felt smothered, though, unable to do anything without him breathing down your neck. It sounded childish, but you didn’t want him to know about the contest. Perhaps you didn’t want him to get his hopes up because that would make it harder to swallow if you failed.

Either way, his presence was overwhelming and you needed a break. You expected more pushback when you told him you needed space, but he just agreed without a fuss. He had assigned Seki to watch over you from a distance, but the large male wasn’t exactly good at stealth. He was easy to lose and to distract.

You glanced at your phone to check the time before picking up your pace. The bookstore closed in a little less than an hour. It would take about fifteen minutes to get there, though, so you should have plenty of time to find the book you needed. Assuming said book even existed in the first place.

The bookstore was small and, currently, there were only a couple of people inside, browsing the selection. You scratched your cheek as you slowly headed down the aisles, scanning the signs listed above the shelves. Where would a how-to book on pumpkin carving even be? Education, perhaps? 

You didn’t see it so you moved on, rounding the corner to check the next aisle only to run right into someone. “I’m so sorry!” You lifted your head, meeting Dan’s surprised eyes. “Boss? What are you doing here?” 

Your eyes flickered to the cheap romance novel in his hands and he quickly hid it behind his back, cheeks darkening as he cleared his throat.

“Just browsing. You?”

You hesitated a moment, wondering if you should tell him. Well, it’s not like you have to tell him everything. “The truth is… that pumpkin carving contest sounds really fun and I want to enter, but… I’ve never actually carved one before. I was hoping I could find a book on it.”

He knew you were holding back on him, but he felt it wasn’t his place to pry for more information. “The Halloween section is in the back. It’ll probably be there.”

“Oh, I didn’t know there was one,” you chuckled, following the male toward the display. 

There were loads of spooky titles on display, along with recipe books and Halloween history books. Both of you searched, but there wasn’t a single book about pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns.

You frowned. “Could they be somewhere else?”

Dan glanced at his watch. “The store closes soon. It’ll be quicker to just ask the owner.”

“Good point.” You followed him to the front of the store.

The owner was a kind, elderly man named Nakamoto who smiled at the two of you when you approached. “Ready to check out?”

“Actually,” started Dan. “Do you have any books about pumpkin carving?”

“I’m sorry,” His smile fell a bit as he looked between the two of you. “I just sold the last one about thirty minutes ago.”

Your spirits fell at this information. “Oh, I see. Thank you very much.” You bowed before quickly turning and heading for the door.

“Oi!” Dan called out your name, starting to follow you until he remembered the book in his hands. With a groan, he placed it on the counter, offering a promise to the man. “I’ll be back for this tomorrow, please don’t sell it!”

The man chuckled as he watched Dan run from the store, chasing after you.

You weren’t sure how to feel, honestly. The contest had given you hope, but now it felt as if that hope had been shattered. 

“Wait up!” Dan grabbed your shoulder, a scowl on his lips. “If you want, I can help you.”

“Really? Are you good at it?” You looked at him pleadingly, making him chuckle.

“When I was a kid, I won the pumpkin carving contest at my school four years in a row.”

Your eyes widened, hands grasping the front of his hoodie. “Please teach me, boss!”

He smiled warmly, ruffling the top of your head. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be a pro.”

“Thank you so much!”

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

“Is he still sulking?” questioned Nakazono, glancing at Oya’s leader before looking at his two friends. They were sitting at a makeshift table low to the ground, playing a game of cards.

Murayama was lying on the couch, staring blankly up at the tall ceiling of the gym. It’s the same place he had been since you told him you wanted space. As far as the Sanchu trio knew, the male hadn’t slept or eaten since falling on that couch two days ago.

“What do you think?” scoffed Nakabayashi as he tossed down one of his cards on the table. “You’d think he got dumped or something.”

Nakazono shrugged, sitting down at the table. “Did you hear about the party Daruma is throwing?”

Nakakuki hummed as he drew a card, observing his hand. “It’s a Halloween festival, right? They invited all of Sword, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, it’s supposed to be the biggest party Sword has ever seen.”

Nakabayashi wrinkled his nose at the card his friend had discarded because it was one number off from the one he needed. “It’s probably gonna be a chaotic mess.”

“Fighting has been banned. The Daruma babies will be surveilling to make sure no one causes any trouble.”

Nakakuki grinned as he picked up the discarded card before laying out a 2, 3, 4 and 5 of diamonds, a set of aces, and a set of 8s before discarding the last card he had. “I win.”

“Damn it, again?” scowled the male, tossing his cards onto the table. “Why are you so good at this?”

He snickered, holding out his hand. “Pay up, brother.”

Reluctantly, Nakabayashi pulled out his wallet, slapping a ten dollar bill against his friend’s palm.

“Speaking of money,” Nakazono pulled the flyer from his pocket, setting it on the table. “They’re hosting a pumpkin carving contest, too. The winner gets five grand!”

“Five grand?” Nakakuki’s eyes widened. “That’s cra-“

The flyer was snatched off the table, making the three males jump in surprise. Murayama held it with both hands, tired eyes staring at the information printed there. He immediately thought of you and how you could use that money.

His gaze snapped to the three part-timers and they were surprised by the fire that lingered in his eyes. “We’re entering that contest and we’re going to win!”

The trio exchanged a look, not understanding why he was suddenly so fired up. Furuya watched the younger male return to the sofa, seeming a bit more at ease than he had been a moment before. Though he had no idea why, he did know it had something to do with you. It was important to Murayama and that was enough for him.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You took a deep breath, pacing back and forth as you waited for the contest to begin. With Dan’s guidance, you felt much more confident than you had a few days ago, but you were still nervous. If this didn’t work out, you had no idea what you were gonna do.

Though you hadn’t seen them, you could feel those thugs lingering just out of sight, watching you closely. Violence had been banned at the festival and they seemed to know that crossing Daruma was not wise. Still, their gaze was making you more nervous and you feared their presence would cause you to slip up.

On the opposite side of the festival, obscured by the sea of people, was Murayama and the other part-timers. The Sanchu trio and Seki were making the most of the festival, playing games and trying all the various snacks that were being offered.

Murayama couldn’t stop pacing, one arm folded over his chest while his free hand was resting against his chin. He was nervous because he knew how important this was. If he won this, he could single-handedly solve your money problems. He would be your hero, someone you knew you could depend on.

Most importantly, you’d be safe.

A hand rested on your shoulder and you jumped, heart leaping in your chest. You were afraid it was one of the goons.

“You’re gonna do fine.”

You released the breath you were holding at the sound of Dan’s voice. “I hope so.”

“You had a great teacher,” he grinned, giving your shoulder a squeeze. 

Despite your nerves, you laughed at the comment. “You’re right. If I win -“

“Ah, ah,” he wagged his finger. “When you win.”

“When I win,” you corrected. “I’ll have to thank him with some lunch.”

The music dulled as a voice came over the loudspeaker. “The pumpkin carving contest is about to begin! Head to your assigned stations and get ready.”

Dan sent you an encouraging nod which you returned before heading toward the carving station. Because of the prize money, dozens of people had signed up for it and they had been forced to put everyone into groups to make it easier.

The contest was held in a large open field. At the back was a stage decorated with paper pumpkins and cute little ghosts. In front of the stage sat six super long tables, each table having cardboard dividers to create individual sections for each pumpkin. A piece of orange paper with a number had been taped to each section to indicate who was supposed to be where.

There was quite a bit of distance between each table and, since you were placed into group A while Murayama was placed in group F, neither of you realized that you were both occupying the same space with the same goal in mind. The two of you were so close, yet so far away.

The field had been cut off with caution tape to keep the crowd out of the way while the contestants worked.

Kato appeared on the stage, holding a bright red microphone. His eyes scanned the tables. “You have twenty minutes to carve your pumpkin. Incomplete designs will be docked points, so don’t get too ambitious! Your time begins… now!”

You took a deep breath, picking up the knife. You had given it a lot of thought and you had chosen a design that held a lot of meaning to you. That was the first lesson Dan had taught you. Anyone can carve a pumpkin, but people can feel the emotion put into that carving. The stronger the emotion, the bigger the impression on whoever sees it.

You tried not to focus on the timer above the stage as you carved the design into the fruit. Every time you made a mistake, you felt more frustrated with yourself but you kept with it, trying to make the mistakes blend in with the overall design. You just barely managed to get it finished before the timer buzzed.

“Drop the knives!” snapped Kato, glaring at the few people who kept trying to carve. “Step away from your stations and position yourselves on the other side of the caution tape so the judges can put in work.”

You bit your lip, sending the pumpkin one last look before heading for the caution tape to the right side of the field where Dan was waiting. He smiled encouragingly at you, offering you your favorite beverage for comfort.

You took it with a weary smile, thanking him. Part of you wanted to stay and wait for them to finish but, as you scanned the sheer amount of pumpkins, you knew doing so would kill you. It was better to do something else to pass the time.

As much as you appreciated Dan’s support, you excused yourself because you wanted some time to yourself. Your mind was torn between worrying about the contest and thinking about Murayama. You really wished he was here with you.

You found your way to the edge of the festival, far away from the crowds of people. You fell onto the grassy hill with a sigh, tugging your phone from your pocket. Should you call him? You worried he would hear the sounds of the sounds of the festival and get suspicious so you chose to text him instead.

< Hey, Shiki. Are you busy?

His reply was almost instantaneous.

> For you? Never 🙂 What’s up?

A smile tugged at your lips. 

< I… wanted to apologize for pushing you away  I’m just dealing with a lot right now.

> I know. You don’t have to apologize ♡

You were starting to realize just how lucky you were to have Murayama in your life. He had always been your biggest support system, always by your side through thick and thin. When you needed space, he respected that- even if he did assign someone to keep an eye on you – and when you needed comfort, he dropped everything to be with you.

Most people saw him as nothing more than the delinquent leader of Oya Koukou, but he was so much more than that to you. He was the stars in your sky, the rain that helped you grow, the food that kept you fed.

Murayama Yoshiki was your world.

< Do you wanna come over tonight? We can watch Halloween movies.

You nearly told him that you had something you wanted to talk to him about, but you didn’t want him to worry so you kept that to yourself. Whether you won or lost this contest, you intended to tell him about it.

> I’ll bring the snacks ♡

The speaker buzzed before Kato’s voice overpowered the excited chatter of the festival. “The winner has been chosen! All participants must report to the field with their number card. No number card, no prize money!”

You stood up, pulling the orange and black card from your pocket. It held your name, the Daruma logo, your station letter and pumpkin number. The closer you got to the field, the more nervous you felt. This was it, the moment of truth.

You hung at the back of the crowd, peering at the stage where Kato and the Daruma babies stood. Three pumpkins sat on the table, turned around so no one could see the designs on them.

“In third place, taking home a ten-dollar credit for any food item at the Daruma festival…” Kato took the card offered by Agyo. “Misato, pumpkin #51.”

Misato was a teenage boy with a black bowl cut and large, round glasses. The crowd cheered for him as he rushed up to the stage to claim his ten bucks. He was allowed to turn his pumpkin around to show the design to the crowd before they let him place a bronze ribbon sticker on it.

The design he had carved was a family of pumpkinmen beneath a full moon.

“In second place, taking home $100 and a plushie of your choice…” Kato took the card Futa offered him, his eyes scanning the crowd with a smirk to build tension. “Murayama, pumpkin #86!”

Your eyes widened when you heard his name, gaze snapping to the male as he made his way onto the stage. He was scowling, clearly unhappy about the result. His scowl deepened when Kato smacked his shoulder, saying something you couldn’t hear. 

He smacked the silver sticker onto his pumpkin harder than he needed to before turning it around, showing off a cute kitten wearing a witch’s hat. You thought it was the cutest thing in the world and you felt sad that it didn’t win.

“Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…”

A tense silence settled over the crowd but you had already stopped paying attention, too focused on Murayama as he stepped away from the stage toward the other part-timers. You started to make your way over to him, pushing your way through the crowd.

Between trying to reach him and having already accepted that you weren’t going to win, you failed to hear Kato saying your name and pumpkin number. Dan saw you in the crowd and rushed over, grabbing your shoulder.

“What are you doing, idiot?” He hissed, pushing you toward the front of the crowd. “You won!”

“Eh?” Your heart raced within your chest, wide eyes staring at the stage. Kato was looking at you expectantly and you quickly rushed over, offering the four men an apology.

Ungyo smiled warmly at you as he handed you the gold sticker. You slowly turned the pumpkin around, placing the sticker above the design before stepping aside so the crowd could see it.

Murayama was already shocked to see you at the festival. Even more so to see you win the contest. When he saw the design, though, he felt his body flood with so much warmth and love that he felt as if he were being suffocated. 

The design on the pumpkin was a dragonfly resting atop a lotus flower, the exact same design engraved on the bracelet you had given him for his birthday several years ago. It was a set of only two in the world. Honestly, you weren’t even sure he still had his or would even remember it, but it was an important memory for you.

That was the day you realized you loved Murayama wholeheartedly.

Murayama had, of course, kept the bracelet. It was one of his most prized possessions because it was the first gift you had given him. 

Kato handed you an envelope with the cash in it and you bowed to him, thanking him and the Daruma babies. Honestly, it was taking everything within you not to cry and, as soon as you exited the stage, you took off toward the edge of the festival.

Murayama rushed after you, calling out your name but you didn’t stop until you were far away from everyone else. His hand found your shoulder, lips parting to say your name once more.

You threw yourself at him, arms tight around his waist as you sobbed into his chest. He swallowed hard, holding you tightly as he tried to control his own emotions.

You felt so happy that you had won and could clear your debt, but you also felt guilty for taking the money away from Murayama. Your fingers curled around the back of his tank top, arms hidden under the blue jacket he wore. “I’m sorry you lost…”

“I’m not. You won, that’s all that matters.” He meant this, of course, but he also felt a bit annoyed by it. He wanted to be the one to solve your problems, to prove that he could look after you and support you. He needed you to know that.

“Huh?” you frowned up at him, eyes glassy from your tears. “Don’t you need the money?”

He scoffed in disbelief. “I’m supposed to be the dumb one in this relationship, not you.”

You blinked dumbly. “You were… trying to win that money for me?”

“Of course I was,” he mumbled, a pout on his lips. “I want to take care of you and I’ll do anything for you.”

Your cheeks dusted with pink, heart filling with warmth. Words failed you at that moment so, instead, you leaned up and pressed your lips against his. He didn’t hesitate to return it, hand finding the back of your neck. His head tilted to the side, deepening the kiss.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

-> General Taglist: @asterhaze, @mrskenpachizaraki

[inegenly]

@flufftober 2024, day 20: Paw Absolutely 100% tooth-rotting, diabetes inducing, sugar coma fluff featuring female farmer, Elliott, and a stray cat.

[merlatealeaf72]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Hatchetfield Series - Team StarKid Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins Characters: Paul Matthews, Emma Perkins Additional Tags: Flufftober 2024, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Paul and Emma live together, Paul and Emma have a cat Series: Part 20 of Mer's Flufftober Summary:

@flufftober Day 20: Paw

Paul and Emma's plan for a corny art project with their pet kitten doesn't go exactly to plan

[ragana62]

Another new fandom with today's catchup post for Day 20 of @flufftober using alternate prompt 8 "Written but Never Sent".

This time around we've got Rosaline, and we've got Rosaline and Dario, and Rosaline trying very hard to not admit she might actually like this one.

It's Easy When You Mean It

Fandom: Rosaline

Pairing: Rosaline x Dario

Rating: G

[dat-carovieh]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Polizeiruf 110 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Karl Rogov/Vincent Ross, Theo (Karls Hund) Characters: Karl Rogov, Vincent Ross Additional Tags: Autumn, dog walks, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Flufftober, prompt, Paw - Freeform, Fluff Summary:

So sehr Theo es liebt, sich in dreckigen Pfützen zu suhlen, so sehr ghasst er baden.

@flufftober

[tina-19w]

Haunted basement

It was a morning like any other in the UA faculty lounge. It was the second hour of class and already some teachers were sitting in front of their computers at their designated desks without paying much attention to what they were doing, preferring to chat among themselves about the latest gossip of both the school and the world of heroes to which they belonged. Only Aizawa was focused on sleeping in the corner of the small room next to the desk area, not paying attention to what his colleagues were saying. He had two hours before he had four straight hours of class in different groups and he still had to grade his class of problem children. He had not slept much and felt that no matter how much coffee he drank he would not make it through the day, so he preferred to sleep for half an hour and in the next hour and a half continue with his duties as a teacher.

Apparently even sleeping for twenty minutes was a privilege because at that moment his noisy husband entered the teacher's lounge, shouting a greeting as he usually did, only succeeding in making Aizawa wake up and erase his quirk, very annoyed.

"Oh, uh, Sho. Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Clearly. Aren't you supposed to have class at this hour?"

"Ah, yes, but I left them with some exercises because I was coming to get one of those old speakers, the kind you used to put the records on them for English listening lessons. The kids asked me to show them what teaching the language used to be like with those wonderful speakers."

"You would say horrible, more than speakers they were like gramophones where you could barely understand what they were transmitting."

"Come on, Sho, that’s was it was all about, to challenge the students' real learning by having noise as it really is when talking to someone."

"Well, but why are you here? You know those old things are no longer here but in basement storage."

"I know, but I wanted to ask Toshinori for help. He had told me the other time that he had never been to the basement and I think this is the chance for me to meet him, don't you think?"

Aizawa grunted and decided to go back to sleep, he hoped he could qualify in time now that his sleep had been interrupted. Yamada walked out of the teacher's room once he found the tall blond. Who now was their new partner. This made Aizawa glad because now he could have a little more time to sleep while Yagi could accompany Yamada in situations like that. It wasn't that he didn't love being with his husband, but sometimes he wanted some alone time with himself and his new yellow sleeping bag (a gift from his troublesome but good students).

Besides, it was good that Yamada strengthened his relationship with Yagi while Aizawa was not present, only then will that relationship with the three of them work.

||°°||°°||°°||°°||

He had just gotten up and was putting away the sleeping bag when he heard a couple of people running towards where he was standing, talking loudly (in a frightened voice from what Aizawa perceived). The door to the teacher's lounge burst open and Yamada and Yagi came in, gasping and with frightened faces. Luckily Aizawa was the only one there, the other teachers had left a few minutes before the next class was due to start.

"Shoooo! We have an emergency, the basement is haunted!" exclaimed his husband as he ran to hug Aizawa who looked at him skeptically.

"Why do you think it's haunted?"

"Several of the boxes moved without anyone moving them and we heard horrible shrieks and...and..."

"The light went out without any bulbs melting," helped Yagi who was sitting at his desk, wiping the blood on his lips from the effort he'd made running there.

"Wasn't there any animal that would do something like that?"

"Noooo, I saw a box levitate right in front of my eyes, Sho. No animal can do that!"

"No, but a certain invisible student can do that."

"That...that would explain a lot," Yamada admitted, a bit confused that he had fallen victim to his students' pranks.

"Let's go back to that basement, meanwhile, Toshinori, could you check that my class is complete? If they tell you Hagakure went to the bathroom or something, send me a message."

°°||°||°°

Yamada and Aizawa went down to the basement, the black-haired man in front, and before entering he indicated to the blond to be ready and not to move from the entrance in case the girl wanted to escape. 

When he entered, the lights came on and there were several voices: Happy birthday, Aizawa-sensei. His entire demon class was there, with party hats on their heads and a cake with many lit candles flying in the air. If he wasn't so surprised at the big surprise his wonderful husband and boyfriend had prepared for him, he would have among his capture weapon those brats. Those wonderful, thoughtful devils who were his best group in all his years as a teacher. 

To hell with the assignments he had to grade for this group, he was sure they would forgive him if he turned them in a day late. That haunted cake wouldn't split or eat itself.

[sarcasticsciencefictionwriter]

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: Gen

Fandom: Sanctuary (Canada TV 2008)

Chapter Relevant Characters: Nikola Tesla, Helen Magnus, Nigel Griffin, James Watson (Sanctuary TV), Montague John Druitt

Chapter Relevant Tags: Fluff, Teasing, Found Family, Cat

Prompt: Paw

Chapter Summary:

Nikola begins to pack for New York

[rainbowfey]

Day 20: Pumpkin

@flufftober

Wind was howling through the empty street, sending red and brown leaves high up in the air, caught in a forlorn unending dance. Storm clouds veiled the sky and the shadows around Genma deepened with every minute. Rustling in the darkness made a shiver run down his spine and he had to keep himself from glancing over his shoulder nervously. Somehow, the emptiness around him felt like as if it could suffocate him if he didn’t take care. He could almost feel how cold fingers emerged from the shadows, barely out of reach and out of sight.

“Don’t be a scaredy cat, Genma,” he muttered to himself but couldn’t help ducking his head when he heard a quiet rustle from somewhere behind him. “You’re just imagining things.”

And even though his head knew fully well that he was getting caught up in his own imagination, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had crept upon him. He quickened his pace and hurried towards the safety of his home. He wasn’t far from his house anymore, he could already see its roof looming over the narrow building next to it.

With a sigh of relief, he fumbled his keys from his pocket and headed towards the porch, looking down at the ground as to not stumble into a puddle again. His shoes were still damp from the last incident and he wasn’t keen to get wet feet yet again. While intently staring at the couple meters of ground between him and the steps to his porch, he noticed something strange. There was indeed a rather big puddle in front of him but something about it was weird. It seemed like it was glowing in a soft orange light.

Genma took a moment to realize that the light wasn’t coming from the puddle but was rather a reflection of something else. He lifted his head – and flinched, when he found himself face to face with an enormous orange grin. He jumped a step back and stared at the porch bewilderedly. Right in front of him, neatly positioned on the wooden railing, sat a pumpkin. And not just any pumpkin but rather an exceptionally large one with an equally as large grin carved into its thick orange skin, a thin black candle flickering inside its open mouth.

It took a couple of seconds for Genma’s heartbeat to calm down again and slowly, his shock started to fade, giving way for his amusement at the excessive happiness in the pumpkin’s face. Someone had carved this pumpkin to look as happy as a child that had been given the biggest candy bar in the entire world. And if Genma ignored the fact that he had almost had a heart attack only a minute prior, the pumpkin seemed even a bit cute.

He smiled to himself and shook his head, giving the pumpkin a pat on the head when passing by it. He climbed up the stairs to the porch and unlocked the door, still grinning to himself.

“You got me good with that one, Raidou,” he called out while opening the door. He listened for Raidou’s reply but everything kept quiet. With a shrug, Genma entered the hallway and fumbled for the light switch. Raidou was surely caught up in something yet again and hadn’t heard him returning home.

Genma’s finger grazed the switch and he switched the light on – only, the light didn’t turn on. He flicked the switch again and then another time but the hallway stayed dark. He sighed deeply and murmured to himself, “Can’t wait for this storm to pass.”

With a last glance at the jack-o'-lantern on the porch, he closed the door behind him. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the twilight in the hallway and he paused when he noticed the sliver of light pouring down the staircase. “Raidou?” he called out again, this time a bit uneasily. “Where are you?”

Genma paused when he heard a thud from somewhere above his head. He absentmindedly took off his jacket and shoes and set them down somewhere beside him. The hallway was dark enough that he couldn’t be sure whether he had put them in the right spot but this didn’t matter at the moment anyways. His mind was way more occupied with the question what the hell had caused the thud above his head. Reluctantly, he stepped towards the staircase that was right around the corner.

Genma peered around the corner and froze when he saw another jack-o'-lantern on the first step. This time, the pumpkin had a rather pensive face, almost like as if he was wondering about something. Through the pumpkin’s hollow eyes and mouth, Genma could see another black candle, a small flame dancing on top of it. The thought crept in his mind that the candle looked almost like a decaying tongue and he shuddered, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. It took him quite a bit of effort to suppress the intrusive thought and he passed by the pumpkin, almost unconsciously keeping as much distance to it as the narrow staircase allowed.

The faint glow of the candle quickly faded when he got closer to the top of the stairs and he sighed quietly. Of course, wandering through the darkness didn’t seem as enticing either but the jack-o'-lantern was more than a bit unsettling and so he preferred it being out of sight.

Genma listened intently and when he heard another thud, he was almost sure that it came from his bedroom. He allowed himself a sliver of relief and climbed up the last couple of stairs. From the sounds of it, Raidou was rearranging their bedroom furniture once again. This also explained why he hadn’t heard Genma return home. Genma smiled to himself when the image popped up in his mind how he had caught Raidou off guard last time, a picture frame in his hand, humming quietly to himself. His anticipation grew when he followed the hallway towards the bedroom door under which he could see a soft shimmer of light.

When he reached the door, he paused and thought about whether he should knock. But then he decided against it since it would warn Raidou – and Raidou did deserve a little scare as revenge for the creepy jack-o'-lanterns. Genma smiled mischievously and opened the door very slowly, making sure that it wouldn’t creak. He poked his head into the bedroom, ready to holler a loud ‘Boo!’ at Raidou.

But the bedroom was empty. Genma stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the room a bit perplexed. He could have sworn that the thuds he had heard had come from the bedroom. But instead of Raidou, only the empty room grinned back at him, a lonely black candle flickering on the cupboard. Genma glanced at the dark corners of the room but he couldn’t make out Raidou’s silhouette anywhere. He was about to give up and search through the other rooms when something caught his eye. Something about the bed disturbed him.

Genma stared intently at the bed, narrowing his eyes. He started to grin when he made out the vaguely human shaped form underneath the blanket. So this had been Raidou’s plan all along! Unsettling him with the jack-o'-lanterns, luring him to the bedroom with the thuds. And now he was hiding under the blanket, probably holding his breath and waiting for Genma to come closer so that he could jump up and scare him to death. He stHe star

Not on my watch, Genma thought and stifled a chuckle. Slowly, very slowly he crept closer to the bed, praying that the floorboards wouldn’t creak while he was sneaking up on Raidou. This time, he was lucky and he was able to remain almost entirely silent. He positioned himself next to the bed and carefully lowered his hands, ready to grab the blanket at any moment. He held his breath and prepared himself for Raidou’s startled face.

And when he couldn’t wait any longer, he swiftly grabbed the blanket and pulled it away – and let out a horrified scream when he saw the horrid grin of yet another jack-o'-lantern staring at him with his hollow eyes. Genma cursed and flinched, only to stumble against something behind him. He swirled around and his knees began to buckle when he saw the wrathful, blood-smeared face of another jack-o'-lantern looming over him.

Genma screamed and flailed, hitting the horrible creature in the stomach. And the jack-o'-lantern monster groaned and faltered, stumbling a step back, its unnerving grimace still staring at Genma. Genma’s fight instinct flared up and he quickly closed in on the monster, this time aiming for its gruesome face.

“Hold up,” the monster shouted, raising its hands in the air.

Genma stopped dead in his tracks, his heart still thundering in his chest. He stared at the monster bewilderedly and suddenly he noticed the slender body beneath the pumpkin head. A body whose stature seemed oddly familiar. His ears started to ring when all the puzzle pieces fell into place.

“Raidou?” he asked aghast and the jack-o'-lantern bobbed up and down when the person in front of him nodded frantically, still clutching his stomach where Genma had landed his punch.

“Yeah,” the monster groaned in an all to familiar voice that seemed even more unnerving coming from the hollow mouth in the wrathful pumpkin’s face.

“You … you,” Genma stammered, at a loss for words. He was torn between punching Raidou yet again and hugging him. “What were you thinking?” he finally squeezed out, staring completely bewildered at Raidou who was still holding his stomach.

Raidou grumbled something to himself and finally let go of his stomach, only to raise his hands up to the dreadful pumpkin, carefully lifting it until his face appeared from underneath it. His smile looked more like a grimace and he set the jack-o'-lantern down on the cupboard next to the black candle.

“Man, you have a really good right hook,” he groaned, giving Genma a look that was half pained, half impressed.

For a moment, Genma thought about apologizing but then he crossed his arms and stared at Raidou accusingly. “What was that about, Raidou? Did you want to scare me to death?”

Raidou’s eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head emphatically. “Never! I just didn’t know what else to do with all of the pumpkins and I thought you’d find it funny.”

Now, Genma indeed felt amusement arise in him now that Raidou stared at him with puppy eyes. He felt his tension slowly fade and he started to grin at Raidou. “My revenge will be awful, just you wait. But what do you mean by ‘all of the pumpkins’?”

Raidou’s face took on an ingenuous look and he held a hand out to Genma. “I’ll show you. Truce?”

Genma kept him in suspense for another moment before he laughed and took Raidou’s hand. The relief in Raidou’s face made his chest tingle and he followed Raidou when he led him down the stairs. Genma gave the jack-o'-lantern that was still sitting on the first step a nasty look and only barely kept himself from giving it a good kick.

Raidou led him towards the kitchen and when they got closer, Genma suddenly noticed a mouthwatering scent filling the air. He held his breath in anticipation and when they entered the kitchen, his eyes widened. Amidst a myriad of black candles, Raidou had prepared a gorgeous feast. Genma’s jaw dropped when he saw a beautiful pumpkin pie sitting prominently next to a big pot which smelled like pumpkin soup.

He turned to Raidou who was still holding his hand. “I love pumpkins,” he whispered awestruck.

Raidou smiled at him softly and nodded. “I know,” he said tenderly. “And I love you, Genma.”

[foxboyclit]

cutest in the patch

for day 20 of @flufftober, in which Agnes summons a new buddy. up on ao3 here!

After many minutes of carefully reading and re-reading the spell’s instructions, Agnes turned to the brazier: charcoal, check; incense, check; herbs, check (well, the specifics were lacking so she made do with Howl’s spice cabinet). She took a deep breath to calm the nerves, and lit the components aflame. The crackling fire was welcoming against the autumn chill; she was, understandably, asked to practice this spell in the backyard. She began reciting the necessary words and gestures of the incantation, trying to remain calm as the smoke pooling out of the brazier took on an orange hue. Trust the process, she reminded herself. 

Agnes had been waving her arms and muttering gibberish for the better part of an hour, and Howl only knew this from their occasional glance out the window facing the garden. Wizardry had admittedly gone over their head, but there was no doubt in their mind she was growing into a fine mage. Howl had chosen the living room to read in, just in case their daughter came rushing in through the backdoor because the spell went awry. In fact, they almost spilled tea all over themself when that exact thing happened.

Except, instead of Agnes approaching them in tears or half-singed, she bolted in with delight.

“Mx. Howl! I did it, come look!” she called, and they rose from their seat before she could pull them out of it.

She led them out to her workspace, and once they approached, she reached into the bottom of the brazier. Then, she lifted the familiar by its armpits and heaved up a large orange cat for Howl to see.

“Isn’t he adorable?” Looking at the fat, medium haired, rust colored tabby with wide amber eyes, Howl smiled because he was, in fact, adorable.

“He is quite cute, better looking than Enoch.” and Agnes shuddered at that name, but her proud grin didn’t fade. “Does your new friend have a name?”

Agnes set the cat down to explore, as she crossed her arms to consider their question. “I think I like Pumpkin.”

“Very fitting name, hopefully he gets along with Peaches.”

Agnes beamed, already looking forward to bonding with their new family member.