#am not looking forward of the presentation

[hanasnx]

anal w fuckboy!clark bc he’s never done it before and you’re sooooo desperate to differentiate yourself from the other girls on his roster you’ll give him anything

ANAL — c.kent

“ i heard from a friend of a friend, that dick was a ten out of ten ” 🪽

MINORS DNI 18+ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ ✉️ | dc comics. NOTES: fuckboy!clark nsfw twitter porn link video reference, must be logged in to twitter with age to see it. disclaimer; fuckboy!clark is my au, do not use it without explicit permission. WARNINGS: fem reader ノ au; fuckboy!clark ノ established relationship; fwbs ノ mention of reader having hair ノ allusions to unprotected sex ノ explicit sexual content ノ anal (f receiving) ノ anal virginity.

It’s a dangerous slope, you know. Having a little thing on the side with FUCKBOY!CLARK KENT was bound to end in flames. You’re not entirely sure how it happened, one day you knew him as your classmate, and then you were hitting each other up in the AM to come over for a quick one. There’s a sort of effortless charm about him, he acts strangely gentlemanly in a way a modern man can. Unfortunately you know you’ve hit rock bottom in standards because you think it’s sweet when he buys your Plan B, or stays a little longer than he needs to watch something with you until he’s gotta head home. It’s almost friendship, in a way.

The worst part is, you’re catching feelings way too quick. Sure you were attracted to him initially, but now your heart actually skips a beat when he says your name. You wait by your phone trying to catch a text from him to see what you’re up to. It’s pathetic, you think, brushing your hair back over your forehead. You’re not even the only girl he’s seeing right now, and you told him he’s not the only guy on your roster… yet you dive for your cell as soon as you hear it ring.

“You mean it?” Clark reaffirms, smoothing a hand over the cheek of your ass you’re presenting to him. Back at his place yet again, you’re in a familiar position, yet you’re offering up something new. His parted lips in quiet awe enclose so as drag his bottom one through his teeth, tilting his head at how you glisten in the dull light, pretty pussy all open while you await his answer. It’s like you’re getting wet just talking about this. “You’ll let me fuck your ass?” It’s such a crude way of saying it, and it makes you surge forward with the pillow still hooked under your hips. Thick fingers slot in between the fat of your pelvis and thighs, adjusting you right back where he wants you.

“Are you gonna do it or are you just gonna stare?” you challenge, resting the side of your face on his mattress so you can look back at him. From your peripheral, you can see his meaty dick fill out to full attention until the base is grasped by his hand. He gives it a couple of healthy jacks. You’ve been prepping for this, you did a bunch of boring research and you stuck stuff up yourself to loosen the virgin muscle. Just because your little asshole hasn’t been fucked before, doesn’t mean you can’t make it as comfortable as possible for yourself.

He doesn’t waste any more time, bringing the flat of his fingers up to his mouth so he can spit. A fat gob of it drips down, and he gently brings it to your puckered hole, massaging the natural lube in. His callused thumb swipes up and down until it visibly relaxes, when he gets cheeky the tip of it dips in. If you could see his face right now, you’d see stars in his eyes and a slack jaw. You lean into his touch, stowing your nervousness and crossing your arms under your head. The cold air hits the moistened tissue, and you hiss. It’s nothing compared to the clumsy bump of his mushroom-shaped head, the velvety skin coming into contact. You suck in a breath just as he exhales a throaty groan, shoving the whole tip in in his enthusiasm. “Oh, fuck…” he drags out the curse, tipping his head back as his hips lazily chase the feeling. You whimper in turn, but there’s a pleasurable sting in your belly coursing through you from his reaction that acts as more than enough payment for your sacrifice. “For me, baby? This all for me?” he asks, and you nod even if he can’t see it.

“Mm-hmm,” you hum back, clutching tighter onto his sheets as more and more of him is introduced to the new hole.

Once again he bites down on his lower lip hard, inclining his great body to the side to lean on his fist, the mattress dipping with his weight. His other hand palms your tailbone, pushing you down onto his dick as he surges, forcing himself into your little asshole. It hurts, but it’s a different pain than the ache of your neglected pussy. Squeezing your eyes shut, you try to relax into the experience while he presses on. “You’re so- fucking- tight.” reverently, he sings your praises. His pre mixed with his spit helps to lube up the entry, but because it’s an entirely different feeling than what you’re used to, you’re not sure what change could help it feel better. It’s not bad, it’s just hard to wrap your head around. It’s probably because it’s your first time. “This your first?” He read your mind.

Once again, you can’t speak, so you nod and hum in confirmation. A grin breaks out onto his face, eyeing you with a dark hooded gaze as he laughs a little breathlessly… the kind that makes your knees go weak. “Yeah? Givin’ me your anal virginity? You want me or sum’n?” he taunts. At the sound of his assumption, he bottoms out, and all the air is pushed from your lungs in a keen. It’s a soreness in your stomach you can’t explain, but you don’t want him to stop.

@HANASNX 2025 | do not copy, plagiarize, or steal.

[ilovekittycats2]

Pretend

Pairing: b. barnes x ex!widow!f!reader

In which,

Bucky wakes to an unfamiliar stillness and realizes—for the first time in a long time—he’s not alone.

A/N: This is a short lil blurb for all my bucky girlies!! sorry for the inactivity recently! i am back for good! send reqs!

WC: 685

masterlist

They sit side by side on the edge of a rundown motel bed, boots off, bruises blooming beneath black sleeves. The lamplight is warm and flickering, casting long shadows across the walls—ghosts that neither of them acknowledge.

The mattress sags beneath their combined weight. The kind of sag that means too many people have passed through, left things behind. Blood. Sweat. Secrets. The kind of place you don’t sleep so much as collapse. The kind of place you don’t talk unless you have to.

Bucky hasn’t said a word in over an hour.

You haven’t pushed.

You’ve gotten used to his silences. Learned to read the weight of them. They aren’t hollow. They’re full. Heavy. Coiled tight like a wire stretched to the point of snapping. Sometimes they’re safe. Sometimes, not.

This one feels dangerous.

His jaw ticks again. Barely there, but you catch it—the twitch, the slow grind of his teeth, the almost imperceptible flex of muscle in his forearm.

"You keep clenching your fists like you're waiting to hit something," you say softly.

He doesn’t look at you. “I’m fine.”

You let out a quiet scoff. “Right. The famous ‘I’m fine.’ Works every time.”

He exhales sharply through his nose—almost a laugh, almost a warning.

You don’t flinch.

You lean forward instead, elbows resting on your knees, braid slipping over your shoulder like a weight you forgot you were still carrying.

“You’re angry,” you murmur. “You’ve got this... rage tucked so deep inside you, I don’t even think you know what it’s aimed at anymore.”

For a moment, he’s completely still. A statue carved from grief and restraint.

Then—barely perceptible—he flinches.

You don’t press.

Not yet.

“It’s okay to be angry with him,” you say, quieter now. “With Steve.”

That lands like a punch.

His head snaps toward you, sudden and sharp. Defensive. “What are you talking about?” he says, too fast. “You think I’m angry with Steve?”

You don’t move. Don’t blink.

“I don’t think,” you say evenly. “I know.”

He stares at you like you’ve just stepped over a line no one else ever dared cross. Like you’ve peeled back a layer he thought was buried too deep for anyone to reach.

“I’m not—” he starts, but the words hitch in his throat. He doesn’t finish.

You turn toward him slowly. Not to corner. Not to confront. Just to be closer. Present. Steady.

“You’re allowed to be angry,” you say. “He left. He chose to leave. You woke up in a world without him—again. And you’re angry. Because now it’s just you. Because he left you behind with everything you didn’t know how to carry alone.”

His shoulders rise in a shaky breath, then fall.

Still silent.

“You want to believe it’s the world you’re mad at. The government. The war. The people who don’t understand you. But it’s him, isn’t it?” you ask, softer now. “It’s Steve.”

And then, from him—barely audible, like a confession scraped raw:

“I don’t know how to not be angry anymore.”

The words hang in the air like smoke. Tangible. Bitter.

His voice breaks halfway through the sentence, and he doesn't meet your eyes. But you see the tremor in his hands now—resting on his thighs like they don’t belong to him.

You don’t hesitate.

You reach out slowly, carefully, like you’re approaching something wounded and wild. Your fingers brush his.

You expect him to pull away.

He doesn’t.

You let your hand settle over his, gentle and sure. Not gripping. Not pushing. Just there.

“You don’t have to pretend with me,” you say, barely more than a breath.

The silence that follows is deeper than before, but it’s different now. Not coiled. Not waiting to snap. It’s full of all the things that have never been said. That maybe never will be.

His fingers, trembling beneath yours, turn—just enough that they can hold on.

It’s not much. It’s not enough.

But it’s honest.

And it’s real.

He doesn’t speak again. Doesn’t explain. Doesn’t defend.

He just lets you stay.

And maybe that’s the bravest thing either of you has done in a long time.

[bigheartbuck]

i keep these longings locked

part i part ii mentions of abbytommy/tommy-centric/eventual bucktommy

tw: internalized homophobia/homophobic language

I promise the next bit is going to be more lighthearted!

tag list: @sweaters-and-silly (lmk if you wanna be added too) ______________________________

His chest is tight as fuck. Tommy breathes through it. Head between his knees, feels his pulse uncomfortably loud and present in his neck. Lockers have emptied out mostly. His vision is swimming. He feels like throwing up.

"Kinard? Oh shit, hey."

He can hear fast footsteps, and then a warm, big hand on his shoulder. "You got it," the voice says and Tommy's brain is desperately trying to place it. His hands are shaking. "Inhale.... hold your breath, three, two, one, ....exhale. Good. Again, come on."

By the time Tommy emerges from what feels like the deepest, darkest sea and comes up for air, he's realized that the warm hand and firm voice belong to his new captain. Hen had given him a week tops. But Nash has persevered. Four weeks and counting. Tommy would've rather been found dead before ever letting Gerrard see him like this but Nash has a softness to him. His whole lets have dinner together shtick, his we're a family and we ride together pathos, his unwavering determination to make them act like a team -- Tommy's not sure he quite fits in there. Right now, though, he's glad it's Nash who found him like this and not Howie or Hen. They'd stage an intervention immediately.

Nash hands him a water bottle, sits down next to him. "Better?"

Tommy lets out a shaky breath. “Thanks cap. I, uh, I don’t know what just happened." He rubs his hand across his face. “I don’t usually get… like this.” He forces a smile. "Guess it was a couple of tough calls."

Nash eyes him, somewhat curiously. Several beats. "Everything alright at home?" Tommy shrugs. He should go home. Sleep it off. He meets Nash's steady gaze, but there's a flicker of genuine concern. Tommy can't handle it, Nash's empathy.

"Yeah. Everything's good," he lies and reaches for his bag. Nash stops him. "Not so fast. I uh -- I'd been meaning to talk to you."

Tommy blinks, confused, his hand still hovering near the strap of his bag. He’s not sure where this is going. "Uh oh," he says dryly. His pulse is still racing and only slowly returning to normal. "Am I being fired, too?" Deluca is still pissed at Nash but Tommy knows it was the right call. He's been putting in the work, though. Doing his part. It would be really shitty timing for Nash to let him go as well.

Nash’s gaze sharpens for a moment, like he’s sizing Tommy up, and then he exhales softly. “No, you’re not getting fired.” He pauses, like he’s choosing his words carefully. Tommy's shoulders relax. "But?" he asks.

"But..." Nash continues, "I've been wondering if maybe you're not exactly who you're supposed to be."

"That so?" Tommy asks, aiming for casual. Nash doesn't know, does he? Fuck. He wonders sometimes if it's all over his face. Tommy Kinard thinks about kissing boys. Tommy Kinard is a queer. Don't ask, don't tell. But look at him, he tries so hard to be a big guy but he'd take it lying down, wouldn't he? Fuck. He needs to get his dad's voice out of his head. It's funny, the way he is still such a fuck up. How he tried to make it work so hard and how he still failed. He would've given everything to be happy with Abby.

He juts his chin forward. Nash looks at him with so much kindness it makes Tommy want to crawl out of his skin.

"You're a pilot," his captain says, oblivious to the dark spiral of Tommy's mind. Tommy exhales. Breathe. For fuck's sake. Breathe.

"And you're competent, skilled, you're quick. I'd love to keep you here. But I keep thinking maybe you belong elsewhere. And I hear the Harbor is looking for someone like you."

Tommy must look genuinely surprised because Nash lets out a huffed laugh. Tommy hasn't considered flying in years. "Seriously?"

Nash nods. "You're one of my best. But I saw the way you lit up when we called in air support last week. You loved working with them. So, my guess is, that's where your heart is."

Tommy thinks no one's ever paid attention to him like this before. His stomach unknots slowly. Shoulders uncurl.

"I'll -- I'll think about it."

Nash squeezes his shoulder. "You should. It can feel like suffocating. Denying yourself what you want."

Tommy stares down at his hands.

"Yes, cap," he says, throat working.

"Bobby." Nash points to the jeans he's wearing. "Off shift. I'm just Bobby."

"Bobby." Tommy echoes. His legs still feel like jelly.

He takes a few sips from the water. "I might --" His tongue feels heavy in his mouth.

"I might have to look for a new place soon."

He hasn't talked to Abby yet. But he needs to, has to. He wakes up, shirt soaked through with sweat at least twice a night. The darkest, deepest sea in his mind and his father's voice are so hard to turn off. He can't live like this anymore. He's been googling apartments. Abby doesn't even know yet.

"I really uh --" Tommy doesn't know why he keeps talking. "I tried to make a good thing work and it didn't work."

Bobby nods. "And that's causing the panic attacks?" He asks it matter of factly.

Tommy clears his throat. "One panic attack." Lie. But Bobby doesn't have to know or be right about everything. "And I guess --" He hesitates. "Gotta figure out some stuff. Big stuff."

Bobby doesn't say anything for a while. Keeps his gaze steady. Tommy thinks he could probably confide in him. Bobby would see the ugly, dark, twistedness of Tommy's insides and tell him it was okay. That it gets better. And the thing is, Tommy knows. He knows. He saw some kid online the other day on YouTube. They were what, 15? When Tommy was 15 -- well. He's mid thirties now, not any less terrified. It's difficult to explain, out loud. How his head works. How the stuff that goes for others, doesn't apply to him. How he's less deserving of it.

"The big stuff," Bobby says after a while. He looks at Tommy, face open. He says it like a question, gently prompting Tommy to continue.

Tommy's eyes prickle. He should go.

He exhales. "Yeah. Been pretending to be... Someone I'm not."

He's a teenager and his dad caught him with a magazine of naked men and his hand down his pants. He's in the army and Micah is kissing him. He's 34 and engaged to a beautiful woman and he feels nothing when she shakes around him.

His mouth is dry as cotton.

Bobby squeezes his shoulder. "I hear you." A beat. "Don't need to say anything else."

They sit like this for a little while longer. Then, Tommy gathers his things, shoulders his bag. The ground feels a little less shaky. His knees don't buckle. He'll find an apartment. And he'll tell Abby.

"Kinard," Bobby says when Tommy's already at the door. Tommy turns around. "Promise me you'll think about transferring, yeah? Go after what you want?"

Tommy huffs out a laugh. Shakes his head. His chest is lighter. "Aye aye cap." He gives a half hearted mock salute. What he means to say is thank you.

He's pretty sure Bobby hears it anyway.

On the way home, at a red light stop, a jeep comes to a halt next to his car. A guy leans out of the window and asks for directions to the LAFD training academy. He's young. Bright smile, short blond hair. Tommy tells him where to go and the guy thanks him profusely. "Starting a new chapter," he says enthusiastically and adjusts his backwards hat. Out of his stereo Tommy can hear hip hop blaring. Eminem. "Me, too" Tommy shouts back and watches the lights switch to orange. "Good luck then!" the guy shouts over the revving engine and grins. "See you around!"

Tommy laughs.

"You, too!"

Lights turn green.

[d-lanx]

Ok here's a little thing i thought would fun for any artists to show off their progress at learning art (plus I'm nosey🤭).

Show off the oldest drawings you did (or the oldest that you can still find), the first things you were confident enough to upload online, and your most recent drawings and talk about them and show off how much you've progressed :)

Probably gonna end up missing some people, but I'm tagging a bunch of cool artists I follow/am mutuals with and am nosey to see how they started out, but no pressure :)

@fantasticalleigh, @thlayli-ra, @heelhausen, @stupidmarkzone, @2ndcitynightmare, @punk-o-ween, @normallypassingby, @tvheit, @seasonal-depression-of-punk

And if you wanna have a look at my old stuff, I've got it below =)

Oldest Drawings I Can Find

Of course, the first is an OC. Never did anything with her tho. Notice the lack of forehead and elbows, the arms that barely reach the hips, how indishtinguishable each part of the body is from one another. They're a perfectly smooth pole. and of course those wings. This is the first thing in my first proper sketchbook when I decided I was gonna start taking art more seriously. This would have been when i started secondary in 2014 at 11 years old. And I can't find anything from before that, since I never kept anything in a proper book/folder.

Second image is another of the first drawings in the book. It was my first closeup of a face, and also my first time drawing anime. I know I'm not the only artist who was desperate to learn to draw an anime-style as a kid. I remember doing this while on holiday, trying to follow an online tutorial, taking about 4 hours to get the outcome I did, and getting so frustrated that I couldn't get it to look right, that I was almost brought to tears. I'm pretty sure this was one of those "I'm never drawing again! >:(" moments, lol. Looking back, it was a pretty good first attempt. But I guess I was always a bit of a perfectionist, lol. Funnily enough, while I carried the anime eyes forward in my art style for years, to this day, I still can't draw a proper full anime style character.

First Drawings I Uploaded Online

I put these on insta to show my mates from school. The first picture was an attempt at a close up face with the new brush markers i'd got for christmas. This was 2017 just before i turned 14. Pretty sure I copied the design from an art tutorial book, that was supposed to be hyper-realistic (another christmas present). But I just couldn't bring that to life so just did what I could. Also, first time I used a signature. My signature's very different nowadays cos it's based on my tumblr username and not me actual name. But yeah. I was tryna get more professional I guess.

Second pic is the first full body piece I uploaded a few days later. Again, used the drawing books trying to learn how to draw flowy clothes. Think it was a book about drawing anime clothes that I used for this (another christmas present). By this point, each body part could move seperately and had joints. Also note the anime eyes, cos my simpler-but-still-anime-inspired eyes were something I stuck with a long ass time. This was the style I drew most often, and could usually do without having references (but obviously for this drawing specifically, I had the reference for the clothes). Had a lot of trouble with perspective, so all my characters faced forward, and later they would always face a 3/4 angle. And they could never lean or reach forwards cos I just couldn't get that to look right.

Most Recent Pieces

The most most recent is on the left, being my most recent closeup of a face. Still has a cartoonish edge with the lineart but much more realistic. And I'm fucking with this semi-realistic look atm. Tbh I dunno if i'd have the patience for the tiny details in hyperrealism. Also, fun story, in 2021 when I was doing my a-levels, I did an art piece that we were free to do in any style we wanted, and my teacher saw mine and was like “I wish you’d done it as realism instead of a cartoon style :(“ but it was actually my best attempt at realism and she hadn’t even realised. So I dunno, maybe I’m not cut out for realism 😂😂 I like my style rn tho so who cares

Then I got my most recent drawing of a (almost) full body. I got joints and decent hands and proportions and more body details.

Also this last year is the first time I've really got into digital. I always used to just do pen and paper. I even got a cheap drawing tablet, but couldn't get used to drawing on one surface and the image being up on a seperate screen. So I could never get the lines right. I did draw on my old ipad for a while which was easier, but the stylus was one of those with the thick rubber ball on the end, rather than a fine nib. Again, I had trouble cos I couldn't tell where it would register the contact with the screen and draw the line, which made it hard to do details. I got a new ipad a little while back that supports apple pencil, so I got one for it. And it's so much easier now that I've got a fine nib and can see where I'm drawing. I'm in love with drawing digital atm.

But yeah. That's how i've drawn over the years. Mental to see how much my style has changed and improved :) makes me feel better when I get frustrated with a drawnig and think I'm shit. Cos I know I'm getting better with each new drawing, even if it's only baby steps.

First: Now:

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Up All Night 8

Warnings: dark elements, noncon, age gap, narcissim, probably name calling and nasty words, other dark elements. Proceed with caution. (older!reader)

Note: I wasn’t serious about this but now I were. Please let me know what you think as it helps me a lot with ideas and I love interacting with you all.

Part of The Club AU

The hotel restaurant is nice. The music tinkles lowly under the din of voices. Travellers of all sorts; couples celebrating milestones, professionals attending retreats or conferences, and a few loners on their own journeys. 

Robert orders cabernet as he hands over the tall wine menu to the server. He marches away diligently. You sling your purse by the strap over the back of the chair and face him, finally settling in. 

“Long days?” He asks in that dulcet tone. It’s a perfect counterbalance to your wound nerves. Hopefully that wine will be too. 

“How did you know I prefer red?” You ask. 

“Fifty-fifty chance I got it right,” he tilts his head. “That’s a lovely colour on you.” 

You look down at the bluish gray. The same shade you might find on a pigeon’s wing. Not very bold but more than neutral. 

“You’ve got your deal, Mr. Laing. No need for flattery.” You arch a brow at him. 

“It’s Robert, and it’s only honest. I’ve never been one for empty lies.” 

“Mm,” you hum. 

The server returns and presents the bottle. Laing gives a nod of approval. You wait patiently as the wine is poured. The server leaves you with some time to review the other menu. 

Laing takes his glass and raises it. “Cheers.” 

“Salut,” you clink and slowly hover the rim before your lips. You drink and he does too. His eyes remind you of the dress. That bluish grey, almost icy. 

“Well, I’ve sent you the link for your digital signature, so why exactly am I here? If you are to the point, Mr... Robert?” You challenge as you place your glass on the table. 

His cheek dimples. He takes a cloth napkin and dabs his lips. His gaze doesn’t falter. 

“I’ll be honest then. I was planning on dinner, only wine.” 

“That’s great,” you grin. “I’m not very hungry.” 

You push the toe of your heel against his ankle. His lips slant. You lift your glass again. 

“I also can’t stand the whole prologue. I’m much more a fan of the main show,” you intone. 

🍸

You push back into Robert. Your eyes roll back as he sinks to his limit. You grip the warped sheets, twisted from your pleasure. His long fingers frame your hips as you slide down his length and rear once more into his pelvis. The slap of your flesh is loud, the impact rippling through you. 

You bite your lip and hum. You lean your head back and he releases your left him. He reaches and clutches your hair in his fist. You arch your spine as he pulls you up, lifting you to your fingertips. He squeezes your hip and holds you still, pumping into you without restraint. 

Your voice drones from you, unfurling into the lamplit din. The city passes outside the high rise window. You put your hand over his and clasp onto his fingers. 

“Harder,” you command. 

He obliges. You growl and slide your hand up to his rist. You lift yourself up, pushing back against him as he ruts. You rest your head on his shoulder as he hooks his arm around you, his other hand cupping your chest. 

You dip your fingers between your folds, rubbing your clit. He tuts and slips his hand down, flicking yours away. He takes over, thrusting into you deeper and deeper. You moan and focus on that thrumming pulse. Almost there, almost there. 

You cum with a quiver in your thighs. You brace his leg, feeling the taut muscle, and whine out your release. He follows not long after, his sweat trickling from his hair onto your shoulder.  

He pants weakly as he stills and keeps you against him. He loops his arm around you and keeps you in his lap. He rests his head on your shoulder. 

“Didn’t see that in the fine print,” he snickers. 

“Mm, you are a writer,” you muse and lean forward. You slide off of him and he groans. 

“I’ve a way with words... among other things.” 

“Four stars,” you remark as you sit at the foot of the mattress. 

“What happened to the fifth?” He challenges as he climbs off the bed. He takes a tissue from the box on the night table and rolls the condom up his dick. He catches it in the tissue. 

“Always leave room for improvement,” you chuckle. 

“Fair, I suppose,” he walks away, the light of the bathroom flicking on and illuminating his shadow on the floor. 

You stand and stretch out your legs. It’s been a while, you have to admit. You find your dress crumpled on the floor. Before you can grab your bra from atop the pillows, a buzz stops you. 

Your phone, on the low coffee table where you shared more wine. You go to it, hugging the dress to your chest, and bend to scoop up your cell. You are disappointed but not surprised to see your boss’ name. It’s not yet nine o’clock. That’s early for him. 

You put the phone back. You collect your panties and bra, then tuck your stockings into your purse. You go the bathroom as Robert comes out, a robe around him. 

“You don’t have to run out,” he taps your ass. 

“I should go home. Get some sleep.” 

“You can sleep here,” he offers. 

“But I won’t,” you counter.” 

He laughs. You’re right. You close the door behind you. You clean yourself up then pull on your panties. You hook your bra and slip back into your dress. You tidy your hair and wipe off what’s left of your makeup. 

You go back out. The phone buzzes anon. Robert stands by the window, watching the city. 

“You’re done with me?” He asks. 

“You know what this was.” 

“Fun,” he turns and leans on the wall beside the window. 

“Yes, very much.” 

“Well, the next time I’m in town...” 

“You really want to come back?” 

“I’ll write another book,” he says. 

“Alright,” you shrug and grab your purse and phone. 

As you head for the door, he clucks. You stop and look back as you step into your shoes. 

“Going home or going to change his nappy?” Robert challenges. 

“I’m off the clock,” you assure him and shove the cell into your purse. “Have a good night, Mr. Laing.” 

“I’ll do my best without you,” he slithers. 

You scoff and leave. You walk down the hall in silence. Your heels tap dully on the shining floor. You stop before the elevator as your bag shakes. 

You sigh and reach inside. You rip out the phone and answer it. “Mr. Drysdale, I’m busy.” 

“Oh yeah?” Ransom slurs, “bussssssy? At a hotel?” 

“Excuse me,” the hairs on your neck stand and the elevator doors open. 

“I saw youuuu. You went with him. After the wine....” 

You cringe as the elevator descends. He followed you. You didn’t even notice. 

“And I had wine too,” he hiccups. 

“Of course you did.” 

“But I didn’t do what you did,” he giggles. 

You snarl and hang up. You march out and through the lobby. You stop and turn at the entrance to the restaurant. You look inside. There he is, at the bar, about to fall off the stool. 

You spin and take a step. You stop. Goddamn it. 

You go into the restaurant and strut up to your boss. You tap him on the shoulder as he leans his head against the bar’s trim. “Mr. Drysdale.” 

[helloalycia]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 [𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄] — 𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐀 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐌

one / two / four / masterlist / wattpad

summary: after training with Emma some more, you realise you quite like spending time with her.

warning/s: mentions of death and violence.

author's note: i was supposed to share this two days ago but it’s been so busy lately, so apologies for the delay! only one more part left after this - enjoy :)

Small flames danced in the air around me, one by one appearing as and when Emma wanted them to.

My job was to keep an eye on them as they appeared, extinguishing them with a counter attack of water, depending on how big or small the flame was. It was supposed to develop my precision and ability to think on the spot, but it was difficult and I sometimes either overdid the water or missed the flame completely.

Emma was the perfect teacher though, encouraging and patient and never shouting when I got frustrated – which was often.

She conjured another ball of fire, this one a few metres in front of her, and the irritation of missing the flame before this got to me because I used a little too much water this time, directing it at the ball of fire and drenching her behind it instead.

My jaw dropped as she jumped, startled, and closed her eyes instinctively.

"Shit, Emma, I'm sorry!" I apologised immediately, moving forward to see if she was okay.

She wiped her eyes, spitting out a stream of water from her lips, and I winced at how much I'd used without realising. To my surprise, she began to laugh, her hazel eyes sparkling with amusement, and that was when I knew I hadn't completely messed up.

"It takes practice," she told me reassuringly.

I sighed, looking over her dripping dress and hair. "You say that about everything."

"Well, you're improving, aren't you?"

I quirked a brow doubtfully. "Am I?"

She smiled, squeezing the water from her hair into the grass. "Yes, silly."

I begged to differ, chewing my lip as I felt bad watching the amount of water drip off from her curls.

"Wait, I can help," I said to her, making her pause. "At least this one thing I can do without messing up."

She lifted her brows, curious, but stopped what she was doing. I used my abilities, focusing my energy on 'grabbing' the water from her clothes and hair, pulling the moisture out and into the air. It was easy enough, as easy as conjuring water and wetting something, and in seconds, her clothes and hair began to dry. She looked down, surprised as it worked.

"There." I moved a frizzy strand of now-dry hair from her eyes. "All done."

"Wow," she said with a slight smile, impressed. "Maybe quicker than me drying myself with my own pyrokinesis."

"Probably the only useful thing I can do," I responded. "Appropriate, given how training is going."

She stifled a laugh as she said, "Definitely useful, but not the only thing."

I breathed out tiredly, going to sit on the bench in the corner of the garden. She joined me, sitting beside me and straightening out her dress as she did. She always had these habits, ones nobody really cared for anymore, like remaining presentable at all times or not cursing or acting proper. It was very old-fashioned and I'd noticed it the more I trained with her, though I suppose it was a quality of the time period she lived in.

I was creating small droplets of water and flicking them at the grass as we sat in silence when she decided to break it.

"Can I ask you something?"

I hummed, glancing at her between messing around. "What?"

She straightened up, hesitant. "That day with Miss Peregrine, the day before you started to train with me. What happened?"

I paused, blinking when I realised she didn't know like I thought. It would have been easy to tell her to mind her own business, as I always did, but we were surprisingly getting along lately and I found myself not wanting to keep everything to myself right now. And if not for that, then just for someone to tell me I hadn't overreacted with Miss Peregrine.

"You don't have to tell me," Emma added, when I didn't respond straight away.

I shook my head, glancing at her. "No, it's fine, it's... She took me to the hill where the hollow comes out. Same time every day."

Emma nodded, eyes on me despite the fact that I couldn't hold her gaze.

"She wanted me to use my powers to kill it," I explained, and it felt so stupid, so embarrassing, as I said it aloud. Maybe because it was in front of Emma, who never seemed afraid of anything. "I barely got chance to realise until it was there and I just– I froze. I couldn't do anything except stare." I clenched my jaw at the memory, deflated. "I haven't seen one since my parents were killed by one. I just– I didn't expect it. She should've warned me. I wasn't ready. I thought–" I swallowed hard, shaking my head. "She should've warned me."

Emma rested a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry that happened. I'm sure she didn't mean to upset you. Explains why you switched training partners though."

"It's stupid–"

"No, it's not," she stopped me before I could even begin. "You weren't ready, end of story. And that's okay. Miss Peregrine is right most of the time, but even she can get it wrong sometimes." 

My eyes flickered between hers, reading the sincerity in them. Hearing her confirm what I'd thought helped a little. With how little control I had over my life recently, sometimes I thought the same of my emotions. I'd felt angry for so long, and this was a prime example. But knowing Emma believed I wasn't overreacting did something to ease my embarrassment.

"Would you try again?" she asked softly, dropping her hand.

I tilted my head. "What?"

She nodded like it was obvious. "Killing the hollow."

I looked down, growing uncomfortable at the thought of it. "Maybe, I don't know. I'm not ready."

She hummed in response, before adding, "I can help. If you want. I can go with you when you do it. Maybe it won't be as scary then."

Her earnestness comforted me more than I realised, and the thought of facing the hollow again didn't seem as far-fetched as it once did.

"Maybe," I replied, and when I looked up at her, she smiled tenderly.

—

Since training with Emma, it meant I was settling in a lot easier than I had been, which included spending the occasional evening with the others rather than locking myself in my room.

Tonight, we were all getting comfortable, ready to watch another one of Horace's strange yet prophetic dreams projected before us in the living room. His peculiarity was the ability to see the future through his dreams, but it wasn't as straightforward as that. His dreams could either be super specific or vague nonsense that he had to decipher. It was the latter that we all got a treat out of watching, like the 20th century equivalent of TV.

"Okay, sshh, it's starting," Hugh spoke over everyone's conversations, as Horace stepped in front of the room expectantly.

Chatter ceased as all eyes were on him. His arms were dramatically folded behind his back as he spoke.

"Tonight's viewing," he announced, "is brief, but rich in symbolism."

Emma groaned softly from beside me. "It's always rich in symbolism."

"Art," Horace responded with a hint of impatience, "is not appreciated in its time."

I cracked a small smile as the others giggled at his words and Emma playfully rolled her eyes. Horace took a seat on the couch opposite the projection screen Miss Peregrine had set up earlier and began to project his dreams onto it, using a strange telescope and his eye.

The dream flickered to life: shadowy figures marching backward, a goat in a top hat, then someone falling slowly into a giant teacup. Already, some of the others were stifling laughter whilst others were amazed by the absurdity of it. I was somewhere in the middle.

Horace cleared his throat proudly. "As you can see, themes of descent and social ritual–"

"–and goats in formalwear," I added nonchalantly.

Emma snickered from beside me, nudging at me to stay quiet.

"–themes of descent and social ritual," he repeated, as if I hadn't spoken, "are prominent in tonight's dreams."

"But the goats are formally dressed," Enoch pointed out. "Kind of like you, Horace."

We all chuckled at Enoch's comment, making Horace scoff quietly.

"Their attire has nothing to do with the dream," he defended. "Nor myself."

"I wouldn't dismiss the idea," Enoch muttered, eliciting some more giggles.

On the screen, the goat in the top hat jumped out of the tea cup and began galloping into what changed into a mid-western backdrop.

"So, does he get a cowboy hat now?" I asked, if only to pull at Horace's leg.

"His attire isn't relevant!" Horace burst, losing his patience.

Everyone began to laugh, including Emma, whose I could hear the clearest because she was right next to me. It was the first time I'd ever really listened to it, or acknowledged it rather, but it sounded quite... well, lovely.

The scene moved on to something different, and Horace cleared his throat calmly. "If the commentary is over..."

"Sorry," I apologised, but I wasn't, not when Emma was still grinning at my joke and her laughter still rang in my head like a lullaby.

—

It was a few months after the first attempt of killing the hollow when Miss Peregrine, Emma and I were stood atop the hill, waiting for it to return at midday.

If you'd told me months ago that I would come back, I would've shouted in your face. But here I was, oddly prepared to face the creature once more. And that was mainly down to Emma, who had nonstop encouraged me in training.

"Remember, control is everything," she reminded me, hands on my shoulders as she looked me in the eye. "Do whatever you want, but keep it locked in. Don't let go. No distractions, alright?"

I nodded, sucking up a deep breath. Admittedly, I was still tense even though I felt better prepared than last time. The nausea hadn't left since last night, but I swallowed it down and tried to remember Emma's advice.

She offered me a supportive smile. "You're gonna be okay, darling. Just take it easy. Miss Peregrine and I will be here if anything goes wrong."

"Thanks, Emma," I said sincerely, and I hoped she knew just how much I was thankful for. More than the advice, that was for sure.

She squeezed my shoulder, hands lingering for a moment longer and sending tingles down my spine, before she let go and moved to stand beside Miss Peregrine.

I looked at the spot where the hollow would show up any minute now, clenching and unclenching my hands in preparation. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but my fear was freezing up again.

"Any second now, Miss Y/L/N," Miss Peregrine called out to me, glancing at her pocket watch. "Good luck."

I nodded, eyes flickering to Emma briefly, who smiled at me encouragingly. And just as it did last time, I heard a splash over the edge of the hill, knowing it was here.

I dug my feet into the grass as I waited for it to appear over the edge, watching the grass depress where its spindly fingers pulled its body up. My fingers twitched as I grabbed ahold of the water from the ocean, the action using more energy than my average training session. The hollow's footsteps approached the painted outline of its corpse – the same thing every time – and I raised both hands as I brought a tidal wave with me.

It shot into a stream, wrapping around the hollow's invisible body and giving me some clue as to how it looked without actually seeing it. The hollow squealed, loud and sharp and ear-piercing, but I kept my control on the water, attempting to tighten my grip and pull it back into the ocean to drown it.

I thought it was going well, until I suddenly felt something slimy and wet hit me in the face, making me lose my grip on the tide and fall back onto my butt. The hollow snarled and I quickly stood up, eyes wide as I looked around for it, only the sound and footsteps on the grass my clue to its whereabouts.

In a split second, the wet, slimy tentacle of sorts – no, it's tongues – wrapped around my neck and tightened its grip, lifting me into the air.

"Y/N!" I heard Emma shout, but I couldn't turn my head as the hollow was bringing me closer to its mouth.

I used my remaining energy to control the water once more, bringing it back up the hill from the beach, needing it to get this thing off me, but it was difficult and my nose was starting to bleed and I couldn't focus with its tongues cutting off my oxygen.

Thankfully, a ball of fire zipped past my face and into the hollow's, making it drop me to the grass. Another ball of fire knocked the hollow back and then Emma was by my side, kneeling beside me as I caught my breath. We both looked up, the flames catching fire on the hollow – the only thing we could see – as it stood up to leap at us. But just on time, Miss Peregrine shot her crossbow at its head, killing it.

"Hey," Emma breathed out with relief, hand on my back as her other cupped my face. "You're okay, it's okay."

I touched my throat, still able to feel the tongues writhing around. My blood was warm, the metallic taste dripping between my lips from my nose, and I stood up slowly.

"It's okay," Emma repeated, fussing over me, but I shrugged her off, overwhelmed. "You almost had it, Y/N, you just need a bit more practice."

I scoffed, annoyed at myself for messing it up so badly. Even with preparation and notice, I still couldn't get it right.

"Miss Bloom is right," Miss Peregrine commented, approaching us. "You did good. You almost had it."

"Almost isn't good enough," I muttered frustratedly.

Emma's expression softened as she attempted to reach out. "Y/N–"

"Forget it," I said with a frown, before turning on my heel and leaving.

—

Later that evening, I sat by the fireplace in the living room, knees pulled to my chest, staring at the flames mindlessly. I still couldn't believe I'd messed up with the hollow earlier. Even when I tried, I couldn't do it, and it was stirring up awful feelings in my chest.

As I sulked, unable to go to my room to go to sleep anyway, I heard footsteps behind me and didn't need to turn to know it was Emma. She'd been giving me worried looks all evening, but I couldn't bring it in myself to talk to her.

"Hey," she spoken softly, taking a seat beside me on the rug.

I leaned my chin on my knees, humming in response.

Her eyes were on my profile, sympathetic. "It's okay that you couldn't do it. It just means you try again."

I shook my head, frowning to myself. "You don't get it."

She rested a hand on my shoulder, leaning in. "Then tell me, Y/N, please."

Her touch was warm – it always was, a side effect of being pyrokinetic, I suppose.

"I thought that facing it would make me feel better," I said quietly, glaring into the fire. "That I'd somehow atone for– for getting my parents killed. I couldn't kill that one, I didn't even know what it was. But it came for me. And instead it–"

I stopped myself, breathing shaky.

"Y/N," Emma started, other hand on my knee, but I spoke over her.

"No, you don't get it," I repeated, looking to her with watery eyes. "I couldn't do it. Not then, not now. They're gone. And I can't– they'd be so disappointed in me."

"That is not true," she said, forcing my knee down so I'd look at her. "You don't need to atone for anything. What happened was awful, but it wasn't your fault."

I turned my head, looking away from her as I wiped my eyes shamefully. "Maybe this isn't where I belong."

"That's not true either." She reached out, turning my face back to her, before meeting my eyes with certainty. "You've come so far. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you have."

"Emma, we both know I don't fit in here," I disagreed, giving her a knowing look, before looking down. "I've become so... awful. I try so hard not to be, but it's like I've forgotten who I am. Losing them, it's... it's made me the worst person to be around."

"Grief does different things to people," she tried to comfort me, not dropping her hand from my shoulder.

"I treated you awfully," I reminded her, blinking the tears away as I looked to her. "You've only ever been kind to me, and I threw it back in your face."

"And I haven't taken it personally because I know that's not you," she retorted, eyes flickering over my expression with concern. "And that was then."

"That was, like, two months ago."

She cracked a small smile. "Still." When I didn't speak, she continued, "We all feel like we don't belong sometimes. The loop has its days. I know it's hard, but it's safe."

I shifted my jaw uncomfortably, wanting to believe her.

"Come here, darling," she spoke softly, before pulling me in for a hug.

I didn't fight it as she wrapped her arms around me, revelling in the comfort. She squeezed me tight, stroking my hair, and I didn't need to wonder why she had such patience for me. Her heart was huge and I was lucky to be in it.

Once we pulled apart, she kept ahold of my hands, watching me closely. Then her hand lifted to my cheek and she wiped a tear with her thumb, a small yet intimate gesture that made my brain short circuit momentarily. So much that I didn't even hear what she said.

"Pardon?" I blinked.

Her lips curved into a small, amused smile. "I said, did I ever tell you how I ended up in Miss Peregrine's care?"

Swallowing thickly, I shook my head, realising I'd never asked.

She nodded, tilting her head as she watched me. "I'm from Cornwall, not Wales. My abilities manifested around the age of ten years old. I'd set my bed on fire whilst sleeping, so my parents they..." Her expression twitched at the memory, but she continued, "they changed my bed to a metal frame so I wouldn't set it on fire. No pillows, duvet, nothing flammable. They thought I was lying, a pyromaniac, because I would never get burned myself."

I hung onto her every word, curious.

"One day, my hands were hurting so badly. I didn't know what was happening, but it got too much, so I put them in some ice that was holding some fish at the market. The ice melted from how hot my hands were and I ruined the fish, so they chased me all the way home and wanted me – or rather my parents – to pay. I was so scared, and the ice only made it worse, and then my hands caught fire." She looked down at her hands, still holding mine. "My mother was terrified. She ran away, claiming I was a demon from her womb. I never saw her again."

I frowned. "Emma..."

"It's okay," she assured me, flashing me a small smile. "It was so long ago."

Time didn't heal, not permanently, we both knew that. But she kept going for my sake anyway.

"My father thought I was the devil, locking me in my room with asbestos sheets so I couldn't escape. He'd feed me occasionally, scared I'd hurt him if I fed myself. He was right, at least then. Now, I know it wouldn't have done any good."

"He would've deserved it though," I commented, and she gave me a look that said she didn't disagree.

"I was there, like that, for some time. But my sister... my wonderfully sweet and caring sister, Julia, she knew I wasn't as much of a monster that they made me out to be. She untied me one night, telling me to leave before father found out."

Emma had a sister? I hadn't known, though I'd made no effort to know. Considering I hadn't heard her mention her whilst being here, I couldn't imagine she spoke to her anymore and that made me feel awful.

"I went to the circus," she said, in a voice that wasn't her own. "I was a fire-eater, an apt career path for a girl with only one skill. It was only for a month, then Miss Peregrine found me."

She stopped, and I waited patiently as it looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn't.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," I said after a moment, squeezing her hands gently. "And I'm sorry you had to go through that. I... I should've asked. Sooner."

She shook her head. "That's not why I told you. I just want you to know that we all go through it. That's my story, but Enoch has his, Olive has hers – we've all experienced it. That feeling of not knowing who you are or where you belong. That fear of the unknown. But you're not alone, Y/N. You have us. You have me."

And she said it with such a finality that there was no room to argue otherwise, and I didn't want to. I may have lost my parents, but at least I'd gained a new family.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "For everything."

"You don't need to thank me." She smiled, before letting go of my hands and turning to face the fire, moving closer to my side. A pause, and then, "If you need to kill that hollow, then do it. We can train more. Practice. Okay?"

I nodded, looking at the space between us, what little of it was there. "Okay."

"It gets easier," she added, glancing at me. "Living in a loop. Being this age. Accepting your fate rather than running from it. Because you're safe. And that in itself is worth its weight in gold."

I looked up, shadows dancing across the side of her face from the fireplace. She looked hauntingly beautiful, and I cursed inwardly for even allowing myself to think it. It wasn't appropriate, not when she was helping me.

"I suppose being forever seventeen wasn't what I saw for myself," I spoke halfheartedly.

"At least you made it that far," she joked, stifling a smile. "Sixteen isn't all it's cut out to be."

I exhaled, a ghost of a smile on my lips, before glancing over. "But you're not sixteen, are you?"

"Hey, don't you know it's rude to ask a lady her age?" She nudged me playfully, and I let out a quiet laugh.

"You know what I mean," I corrected myself. "You've been here a long time, in this loop, haven't you?"

She pressed her lips together, shrugging. "I suppose I have. Eighty four years to be exact, since the day it was created."

My eyebrows raised, though I suppose I always knew it. It was just strange hearing it out loud. Especially because my brain felt disconnected, seeing a sixteen year old girl before me who was actually in her eighties. Oh, god. Did that make me weird for checking her out?

"You must remember, I've been living the same day over and over since I was sixteen years old," she added knowingly, when she saw my expression. "I feel like a kid still. It's all I know."

Sixteen, every single day for eighty-four years. For me, turning seventeen couldn't have come sooner. Maybe it made sense after all.

"If it's any consolation, I don't think of you as some old lady," I said, lightening the mood. "You're mature for a sixteen year old. Not so different from the smart girls in my year at school."

She chuckled, shooting me a sideways glance. "The smart girls, huh? And what did that make you?"

I flushed slightly, trying to play it cool. "I got by. Not straight As or anything, but enough to get into university."

She grinned.

"Forget I said anything," I mumbled, and she laughed wholeheartedly, sending somersaults in my stomach.

"Forgotten," she said teasingly, nudging my shoulder with hers.

—

Seagulls squawked above as they flew by, the sun shining down on us as we sat on our picnic blanket. Apparently the other children would do this every now and then, bringing everyone together for a picnic by the beach. Miss Peregrine usually joined too, but she had other business with another ymbryne to attend to in her study, so she was trusting Emma and Enoch with watching out for everyone, and (by default age) me.

I reached for a homemade scone, inspecting it closely.

"Don't worry, I triple-checked, it's raisin-free," Emma said with an amused smile, glancing at me.

"You sure this isn't a ruse to get me to eat the worst fruit on earth?" I asked suspiciously, sniffing the scone.

She scoffed playfully. "Rude. And here I am, going out of my way to make sure you can eat."

I hummed, not convinced, before taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. When I swallowed, raisin-free, I gave her a grateful look. "And you'd be right. Thank you."

She nodded satisfactorily. "I'll settle for a medal."

"You'll get a thumbs up." And I did just that, making her laugh.

As I took another bite, her shoulders brushed mine as she grabbed my cup of lemonade, stealing a sip.

I blinked at her over my scone. "I bought that."

"And I bought the scone, deal with it."

I raised my brows, slightly impressed by her sassiness, trying not to smile. She winked playfully as she took another sip, making my heart grow warm in my chest. Before I could respond, another bird squawked above us.

"We're being watched," Millard commented, hat tilted back, the only indication that his invisible head was looking up at the sky. "That same seagull has circled us five times now."

"Maybe it's pirates in disguise," Olive teased.

"Or maybe it's Miss Peregrine, warning you to stop kicking sand on my good trousers," Horace said, shooting Millard a pointed look.

We all laughed as they seemed to be having a stare off, though I didn't know how Horace did it when you couldn't even see Millard's face.

Enoch approached us, taking a seat on his towel in his swimsuit as he'd just come out of the ocean. As he moved his hair from his eyes, he nodded towards me.

"Hey, Water-Girl," he called. "I'm curious. Can you breathe underwater?"

I rolled my eyes at the nickname he hadn't dropped since I got here. "I can't say I've tried, Enoch. But I'm pretty sure the answer is no."

He smirked, amused. "Really? You make water appear out of nowhere and throw it around like confetti. It doesn't seem so far-fetched."

"Enoch," Emma said in a warning tone, shooting him a look.

"I'm pretty sure that would require you to control air," Olive pointed out. "Which is kind of my thing."

"But if it worked, you'd be a really cool mermaid," Fiona added.

I tried not to laugh as I looked between their eager faces. "Guys, come on. I'm not gonna drown myself to test a theory if that's what you're thinking."

"Nobody said you had to drown yourself," Horace corrected, shrugging. "Just a quick dip in the water."

"Don't encourage them, Horace," Emma disagreed, glancing at the well-dressed boy, before fixing Enoch with a glare. "She's not your guinea pig."

"It's just a harmless test," Enoch said innocently.

"Harmless until it's not," Emma scolded him.

And I knew she was looking out for me, but I was curious too now. It would be pretty cool if I could breathe underwater, and I was suddenly eager to try it. I glanced out at the ocean, seeing the tide was low. It couldn't be too dangerous, right? After all, I could just swim out of it.

"I don't think Y/N agrees," Bronwyn said with a giggle as she noticed my expression.

I looked back to the group, particularly Emma who was already tilting her head challengingly. The look in her eyes told me all I needed to know – it was a stupid idea.

"I mean, worst case scenario, I swallow some seawater," I said carefully, making her groan quietly.

"Or a jellyfish up your nose," Millard added.

"I don't think jellyfish are in this part of the ocean actually," Hugh corrected him.

"Only one way to find out," Millard countered, "right Y/N?"

I sighed, knowing this conversation would never end if I didn't give it a go. Plus, I was curious myself. "Fine, but if I die, I'm haunting you all."

"Deal," Enoch agreed.

I stood up, dusting my trousers off, and Fiona began to clap excitedly, eager to see what would happen.

"Y/N, you don't have to do this," Emma said with a hint of concern, hand grabbing mine, tugging it so I'd look at her.

"It won't take long," I assured her, squeezing her fingers before letting go. "Worst case scenario, I end up soggy and embarrassed."

She blinked. "You'll definitely end up soggy and embarrassed."

"But it will be excellent entertainment," Enoch remarked, making Emma shoot him a glare once more.

I smiled as I began to walk towards the sea, though not without hearing Millard's voice behind me.

"This seems like a really bad science experiment."

I couldn't help but mentally agree, but the peer pressure was strong, so I ventured into the sea until I was waist deep. I gritted my teeth, body adjusting to the cold water, and took a deep breath. The sun glinted off the ripples around me and I hovered my hand above it, trying to feel that familiar tug in my gut.

The water shifted slightly when I found my hold, and I spread it apart slightly before sinking in. It was freezing, but I tried to ignore it as I held my breath momentarily, unsure if the small pocket around my nose and mouth was working. It seemed like it was as I floated under the water, finally taking a breath.

Thirty seconds – that was enough time for me to be amazed and consider just how handy this could be, before my concentration wavered and the pockets burst, being flooded by water.

I choked, feeling the saltwater sting my nostrils and throat, deep in my lungs, and used my abilities to shoot me out of the water for air. Admittedly, it was embarrassing how I clambered out onto the sand, coughing up water and what felt like all of my insides.

Emma was already making her way down the dunes, expression sharp. "Real scientific, that," she snapped at Enoch, glaring.

"She volunteered!" he defended.

"Because you pressured her into it," she shot back, then kneeled beside me, rubbing my back. "Are you okay?"

"I think I swallowed half the sea," I mumbled, sitting on my knees.

"Definitely not a mermaid then," Millard called over the sound of the waves.

Emma ignored them, eyes searching mine worriedly. "Don't listen to them next time, you plonker," she scolded, though she didn't sound angry.

"Noted," I spluttered out.

She shook her head, moving a strand of wet hair from my eyes, and suddenly I didn't care about how cold or wet or thirsty I was. "You're freezing, come on."

"I can dry myself," I reminded her, already doing just that.

She scoffed quietly as we sat down by the picnic blanket. "But that doesn't warm you up, does it?"

I chewed my lip as I looked down, seeing I was now completely dry, but still in fact cold. "Maybe not."

She wrapped her arms around me from the side, the heat from them enough to soothe the goosebumps on my skin, and I couldn't help but lean in slightly, chasing the warmth.

"At least now you know," Enoch commented, before shrinking in on himself when Emma fixed him with a fiery glare.

"He's right, kind of," I started, but it was my turn to be on the receiving end of her glare.

"You could've gotten hurt," she reminded me. "And then what? We would've had to tell Miss Peregrine you almost got yourself killed trying to play mermaids."

I stifled the urge to smile. "Okay, so not a very good science experiment."

She tilted her head towards me intimidatingly, but a smile twitched on her lips.

"Won't happen again," I promised her.

"Yeah, until we dare her to do something equally as funny and challenging," Horace added with a snicker.

I didn't look away from Emma's gaze as I flicked my hand, shooting a spurt of water at his face. He complained as the others laughed, but I assured Emma.

"It won't," I confirmed.

"Good," she murmured, eyes flickering over my expression, her own softening.

My heart twisted in my chest at the way she was staring – all soft and protective and fond – so much that I had to look away, cheeks warm, and not because of her hands.

We stayed sat like that for a while longer, observing the others as they got on each other's nerves as usual. When I was finally warm, Emma let go, but I was still acutely aware of her knee and shoulder pressed to mine.

When the others were playing in the water, Emma and I were left alone. I was snacking on a jam sandwich as she was leaning back on her hands, watching over the others. And then she spoke up.

"You didn't need to prove anything."

I glanced at her, and she was already looking my way. "I know. But... I thought it would be cool if it worked."

She exhaled, rolling her eyes lightheartedly. "How did that go for you?"

I pursed my lips, looking back to my sandwich. "I was definitely cold afterwards."

She huffed, an almost laugh.

"Good thing I know someone with some pretty neat fire abilities," I added with a sheepish smile, and she shoved my arm slightly in response.

A pause, her eyes still studying me like I was something special. "I didn't like watching you go under. Not even for a second."

Sensing the seriousness in her voice, I looked to her apologetically. "I wasn't in any real danger."

Her eyes, looking green in the sun, flared with something unreadable. "Doesn't mean I liked it."

I held her stare, trying to figure out what she meant, but she gave nothing away. At least, nothing she didn't want to.

"I meant it when I said I wouldn't do it again," I reassured her softly.

She hummed, not entirely convinced, before looking ahead again. I did the same, feeling funny.

"–not for you to stand in, you imbecile, it's a sand castle!" Horace was shouting at Millard, close to the water.

"It was an accident!" Millard responded, before his hat flew from his head, hitting Horace in the face.

I cracked a smile as I watched them bug each other.

"Everyone really likes having you here, you know," Emma commented, noticing I was watching.

"I like being here, even if I do sometimes feel like a spare part," I admitted.

"You're not a spare part," she said, kicking my knee with her foot. "You belong here. With all of us."

I smiled softly, glancing sideways at her. "It's weird. I fought so hard to leave. But now I couldn't imagine being anywhere else."

"Aww, did we finally grow on you?" she teased, eyes twinkling.

"Yeah, like mould," I retorted with a knowing look. "Or maybe a bad fungus."

She shoved me again, this time with force, knocking me sideways in the sand. I laughed as I pushed myself back into a sitting position.

"You don't deserve my kindness," she mumbled to herself, a smile on her lips.

"But I appreciate it." I grinned.

She tensed her jaw, amusement dancing in her eyes as they met mine for a second longer than they should have.

I was starting to get used to this.

[spitefulsatanfics]

🕯️ 𝕀 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕃𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕐𝕠𝕦 — ℂ𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝕀𝕟 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 🕯️

"You don’t understand. I would fall again — a thousand times — just to stay beside her." — Castiel (probably whispering this in Enochian when you're asleep)

Pairing: Castiel x Reader (She/Her)

Rating: T / PG-13 — Canon-level violence & language, celestial yearning, heavy emotional intimacy, angelic affection with mortal weight

Tone: Canon-compliant, reverent romance, socially awkward clinginess, holy devotion meets unintentional obsession

Written by: 🖤 Little Devil — ⌘ Written and published: June 26, 2025 ™

Based on: Supernatural — Seasons 4 through 9 (canon-compliant, 17+)

✧ 𝟏. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭 ✧

Castiel doesn’t follow you. He just... happens to appear wherever you are. Constantly.

Drabble: “Cas?” you ask, half-laughing. “You were just in Idaho.” He blinks. “You stubbed your toe. I felt your pain spike.” You stare. “It was... distressing.” You blink back. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t explain further. He just steps a little closer. “I wished to be present in case you needed comfort.” And suddenly, you’re not annoyed. You’re floored. Because his version of love? It’s instinct.

✧ 𝟐. 𝐍𝐨 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐦 ✧

He doesn’t understand human relationships. But he knows he’d rather be in the same room as you than anywhere else in the universe.

Drabble: He’s standing in your doorway. Again. “Cas, are you lost?” “No.” He tilts his head. “I am... orbiting.” You blink. “Orbiting?” “I’ve read that’s what... emotionally bonded humans do.” You raise an eyebrow. “I feel calmer when I can hear you breathe.” You just sigh, setting down your book. “Come in then.” He smiles like it’s the sun rising in his chest.

✧ 𝟑. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞 ✧

He says your name like it’s the first word he ever learned, and the last thing he’ll ever say.

Drabble: It’s quiet in the bunker. He says your name out of nowhere — soft, reverent. You glance up. “Cas?” He blinks. “I like saying it.” “Why?” “It grounds me.” You swallow thickly. He tilts his head again. “Would you prefer I say it less?” You shake your head. “No. Never.”

✧ 𝟒. 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 ✧

He touches you like he’s afraid he’ll break something sacred. And every brush of his fingers is deliberate.

Drabble: He fixes your coat collar with the care of a priest handling relics. Wipes dirt from your cheek with his thumb like he’s writing a prayer. Every touch is laced with that careful restraint — as if he’s still afraid that being close to you might burn the wings off his back again. You reach up and touch his jaw. “Castiel,” you whisper. He closes his eyes like it’s a benediction.

✧ 𝟓. 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐀𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ✧

You could be talking about pie or killing demons — doesn’t matter. He looks at you like you are divine.

Drabble: You’re rambling. Again. Cas hasn’t blinked in three minutes. “Are you even listening?” “Yes.” “Then what did I say?” He repeats every word — perfectly. Then adds, “But I was also cataloging how you tuck your hair behind your ear. I like that.” You stare. He doesn’t flinch. Just keeps looking. Like you hung the stars. Like you’re what the angels were supposed to follow.

✧ 𝟔. 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ✧

Cas will straight-up smite anyone who threatens you. He says it very calmly.

Drabble: The demon sneers. You take a step back. Cas takes a step forward. His voice doesn’t raise. “If you touch her, I will end you.” The demon laughs. Castiel lifts one hand. The scream doesn’t last long. He turns back to you, all softness again. “Are you alright?” You nod, stunned. “Good,” he says, visibly relaxing. “Because I’m not.”

✧ 𝟕. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 ✧

Cas can sense your heartbeat across a battlefield. It keeps him grounded — and a little obsessed.

Drabble: The town’s chaos. Black-eyed demons everywhere. Dean and Sam are shouting. But Cas? Cas is still. Head tilted. “What are you doing?” Dean yells. “I can hear her,” Cas says quietly. “What?” “Her heartbeat. It hasn’t faltered. She’s alive. I’m going to her.” And then he vanishes like smoke in the wind.

✧ 𝟖. 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜, 𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐲 ✧

Cas doesn’t cook. Doesn’t clean. But he folds your laundry like it's a sacred rite and refills your shampoo because he noticed it was low.

Drabble: You step out of the shower and your favorite towel is already waiting — warm. Your shampoo bottle’s been replaced. Your tea is steeping. Cas walks by with the faintest smile. “You used the last of it yesterday. I wanted to ensure you wouldn’t be inconvenienced.” You blink. He tilts his head. “Is that... not the human standard of care?” “No,” you whisper. “It’s... more.”

✧ 𝟗. 𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐬 ✧

Cas is bad at being apart from you. He doesn’t understand why it makes him feel... cold.

Drabble: You’re on a solo supply run. He’s pacing in the bunker. Dean groans. “She’ll be back in twenty.” Cas stops. Stares. “But what if something happens?” Dean sighs. “You know you could fly to her, right?” Cas nods. “I promised to give her space.” Then quieter—“But my chest feels... wrong.” Dean mutters, “Yeah, that’s love, buddy.” Cas blinks. “I don’t like it.” “You’re not supposed to.”

✧ 𝟏𝟎. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐇𝐞 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐒 ✧

It’s not casual. It’s not simple. Cas doesn’t just fall in love — he devotes himself. Fully. Unquestionably. Eternally.

Drabble: You say “I love you” like it’s air. Easy. Warm. He says it like a vow. “I love you,” he murmurs, brushing his fingers over your cheek like it’s carved from starlight. Then— “If Heaven demands I walk away, I will rebel again.” You blink. “I will always choose you,” he whispers. “Even if it destroys me.” And he means it. Every syllable. Every lifetime.

✧ 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩:

Castiel never expected love. But when it came — when you came — it became the only thing that felt holy. He’s not human. But he knows how it feels to need someone so deeply it rewrites your very existence. You are his compass. His covenant. His cathedral. And there’s nothing in Heaven or Hell that could make him stop choosing you.

✧ The End ✧

[lilacmingi]

CREATURE OF THE NIGHT

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works. And please don’t spam-like!

Pairing: Newly-turned!Mingi x newly-turned!fem reader

Word count: 13,680

Note: I’ve been wanting to write something like this for a while and I haven’t seen any imagines with this plot before so ofc I had to write it. I hope this reaches the target audience lol

Bright and colorful pulsating lights, loud music, and bass thumping so powerfully you could feel it in your chest like a drum. It wasn't necessarily your scene, but you and your boyfriend of two years, Mingi, decided to try something new and attend a house party. It was fun, the both of you keeping to yourselves and dancing together while the world melted away around you. You bounced up and down in time with the thudding beat filling the house. The drinks were good, sweet with the bitter aftertaste of vodka or some other alcohol.

It was around midnight that things got a little... hazy.

You awoke with a start, gasping sharply as your eyes snapped open only to be met with the starry night sky hanging above, a myriad of twinkling dots speckling the atmosphere. Squeezing your eyes shut to clear your vision, you groaned in discomfort, rolling over and feeling the slightly rough sensation of grass beneath you.

How did you get outside?

Your head was spinning as you raised it to find Mingi lying a few feet away, his tall form crumpled on the ground.

"Mingi?" You winced at your own voice which was hoarse and sounded just as disoriented as you felt. You crawled over to your boyfriend's body, calling out his name again, this time more worriedly. "Mingi?" You shook him gently. "Mingi?"

His eyes snapped open and he took a sharp intake of air, his body jolting.

You breathed a sigh of relief. "You're okay. Thank goodness."

His sharp brows pulled together dazedly as he sat upright with a groan, his head falling forward into his hand.

"What happened?" He grumbled, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.

"I don't know. I think we blacked out." Your hand moved up to touch your neck where a dull ache was present, but there was nothing there. "What time is it?" You inquired aloud, fumbling for your phone to check.

3:45 AM.

"Jeez. How'd we get outside?"

"No clue." Mingi murmured, looking around the area. "My neck hurts though."

"Mine too. Let's go home."

Every step felt like a struggle, as if your feet were weighed down with heavy objects, lethargy riddling your entire body, seeping into your bones. You found yourself clinging to Mingi as you both walked home, using him for stability. Neither of you spoke, the only thing on your minds being getting back without collapsing.

Both of you stumbled through the front door of your shared apartment, your fingers fumbling with the lock to secure the entry before you teetered into the bedroom, haphazardly kicking your shoes off, not caring where they landed.

Unsteady on his feet, Mingi stumbled while tugging his pants off, grunting as he pulled off his shirt, tossing both garments onto the floor somewhere. Like him, you didn't feel like showering or even bothering with pajamas, opting to strip off your clothes and sleep in your undergarments. You just wanted to crash for the night and hope you both felt better in the morning.

You groaned when you hit the mattress, pressing your face into your pillow and tugging the covers up over your weary body. Mingi followed suit seconds later, clicking off the lamp before colliding with the plush bed.

"We must've partied pretty hard." He mumbled, reaching for you out of habit.

"Yeah. Maybe." You responded, letting him pull you into his bare chest. "I don't really remember drinking that much though."

"Neither do I, but let's just get some rest."

You nodded, too exhausted to think about anything, your brain fuzzy and your body screaming for rest.

You both stirred awake around noon, the first thing Mingi did was reach for you, as you'd shifted away from one another during the night. The mattress sank softly as he rolled over to where he was close to you again. You hummed drowsily as the remnants of your slumber faded away, squinting your eyes at the harsh rays of light shining into your shared bedroom through the curtains. It pulled a displeased groan from the back of your throat and you found yourself pressing your face into Mingi's chest to shield yourself from it.

Even after a decent night's rest, you were still feeling unwell, and not in a sense that you felt sick, you just felt like something wasn't quite right.

"How are you feeling?" You asked Mingi, your voice muffled by his chest.

"Not great. I feel off."

You nodded, thinking that was a good way to describe it. "Maybe we're just dehydrated. I'll go get us some water."

"That might be nice." He agreed groggily. "My throat is a little dry."

Slipping out of bed, you shuffled towards the kitchen, grabbing a couple bottles of water and bringing them back to the bedroom.

Mingi thanked you, cracking open the plastic bottle and taking a few gulps. You followed suit and did the same, finding that it brought you only a little relief. Screwing the cap back on, you settled against the headboard of the bed, rubbing your tired eyes.

"You don't think there was something put in our drinks, do you?" You asked him, the thought only just now occurring to you.

Mingi's brows furrowed slightly in thought before he shook his head. "We kept our drinks in our hand all night."

It was frustrating, knowing something wasn't right but not knowing what it was.

"Are you hungry? Maybe something to eat will help."

Mingi nodded and you slid out of bed once more, shambling back towards the kitchen. You didn't feel like cooking anything, opting for pre-cut mixed fruit in the fridge, pouring some into a bowl, and carrying it back to the bedroom.

"Thank you." Mingi took one of the forks you passed over, spearing a strawberry and popping it into his mouth gratefully.

You took a grape and chewed it, your face twitching slightly at the flavor. "Does this taste a little funny to you?"

Mingi swallowed the bite of fruit he was chewing, nodding slowly in agreement. "Yeah. It does."

You shook your head. "Maybe the fruit is going bad." You took the bowl from him and set it aside, a sinking feeling in your gut as you stared at the colorful fruits.

"Maybe we should go for a walk." Mingi suggested. "Some fresh air might be nice."

You nodded in agreement.

Getting dressed wasn't nearly as difficult as you anticipated. The lethargy and disorientation that riddled your body the night before was gone, but again, something was off. You felt different in a way that was inexplicable and couldn't be described.

As soon as you and Mingi stepped out onto the street, the sun glared down at you, your face twisting momentarily at the offending beam. Even Mingi was effected, letting out a grunt of discomfort and lowering his head for a second.

He reached for your hand, guiding you forward down the street. "Come on."

The air felt nice, but the sounds around you were louder, the people bustling about creating more noise than you were accustomed to. Not only that, but there was an unidentifiable and pungent mix of smells in the air. Your face twisted slightly in response, Mingi seemed to notice too, his brows twitching. However, neither of you said a word and started down the street.

What was supposed to be a peaceful walk turned out to be much worse than staying indoors. You were hyper-aware of everything, your eyes darting around at every little noise, unable to focus on just one as they all seemed to blur together in an incoherent ceaseless hum. It was too much.

"Do you hear it too?" Mingi's voice reached your sensitive ears, his question cutting through the noise.

"Hear what exactly?" You inquired, searching for an explanation. "Everything?"

He nodded slowly.

"I do."

Knowing that Mingi was experiencing the same things as you was a little reassuring, but didn't help the lingering concern that had made its home in the back of your mind. Despite that, you convinced yourself that your body was in the stages of recuperating after your night out. After all, you and Mingi weren't the type to go and party, so maybe your bodies weren't used to it.

"Would you like to go to the park?" Asked Mingi.

A peaceful place like the park might be good for both of you, so you agreed, staying close to your boyfriend. You could hardly think with everything overwhelming your senses, moving down the street on autopilot and hoping you ended up at your intended destination.

Walking past the front gates lining the park, things became less overpowering to your senses, dulling down to a more normal noise level. The sounds of bustling people were distant and replaced with the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. A sigh left your nostrils, feeling at ease in this new environment, even Mingi seemed to relax as you two progressed down the paved walking trail that wound through the grassy terrain.

Like the city, smells in the park were more noticeable: tree bark, flowers, and freshly-cut grass, which you thought was odd because the blades looked like they were getting close to needing another trim. However, there was something else beneath the aromatic scents of nature that you couldn't pinpoint, similar to the unidentifiable smell from earlier. Whatever it was was pleasant and made you want to locate the source of it.

"This is much better." Again, Mingi's voice pulled you from your thoughts.

"So much better." You agreed. "Maybe all we needed was some fresh air."

You crossed a small bridge that went over a trickling stream, a peaceful sound that you could hear even after it was out of sight. It made your brows pull together as you glanced over your shoulder, the bridge far behind you.

Mingi's eyes drifted over to you, noticing your behavior and giving your hand a gentle squeeze of assurance to pull your focus to him.

"We're okay." Was all he said.

Those words were enough to ease your mind for the time being, the sounds of nature taking your attention away from, well, everything. The shrill chirp of a bird in a nearby tree made you wince, Mingi's free hand coming up to cover one of his ears.

"Ah." He grimaced.

"That was loud." You complained.

He grunted in response, guiding you along the walking track.

It came out of nowhere, an intense scent hitting you like a brick wall; it was strong, fragrant, and stood out from all the other things you'd been smelling so far. A shaky sigh pushed past your lips, your footsteps stumbling to a halt as if you were physically impacted by the aroma in the air. Mingi stopped as well, catching a whiff of the same scent, his pupils dilating in response.

"Something smells good." His voice was rough and hoarse as he spoke.

"Yeah. What is that?"

Mingi gave a partial shrug, trying to get his bearings. "Must be a food truck or something in the park."

You nodded even though something told you it wasn't food you were smelling. Nothing had ever effected you like that before.

As you proceeded along the track, you came upon someone, your eyes locking onto the form of a little boy who couldn't have been older than 10. He was crouched in the grass beside the concrete walking path while his bike lie abandoned on its side. His mother was kneeling beside him, wiping his tears.

Your gaze was drawn to the bloody scrape on his knee, your hand instinctively coming up to cover your mouth and nose. Somehow you knew what that sweet scent was, your brain automatically placing a name to it. A hunger for something clawed it's way up your throat in a sudden, fierce wave and your stomach ached as if you hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Mingi." You grabbed onto your boyfriend with your free hand, squeezing his forearm tightly.

He was already staring, watching the crimson liquid that coated the little boy's scraped knee, his body rigid and tense with restraint. His ears, as well as yours, picked up the sound of the boy's rapid heartbeat as blood came from the fresh injury.

The dazed disorientation you felt earlier walking the streets was incomparable to how you felt now. Everything was a blur except the boy and all you could hear was the rapid thudding of his heart. You felt sick.

It took all the willpower Mingi had in him to speak and his voice sounded much too quiet and strained.

"We need to get out of here... quickly."

All you could do was nod in agreement, but your feet were rooted to the pavement, panic and hunger coursing through your entire body.

"Come on." He urged under his breath, forcing himself to take a step back.

You followed, turning away from the boy and heading in the opposite direction.

Rapid breaths pushed out of you in short bursts, your heart pounding in your chest while you fled the scene. Even when you got away from the tantalizing smell, you were unable to forget the image of blood that was seared into your mind. The ache in your stomach wouldn't go away and the persistent dryness in your throat was only getting worse.

Your surroundings were a blur, you and Mingi both bumping into pedestrians while trying to get back home, the sounds around you much more overwhelming than before. And the scents—they were too much. After the incident in the park, you now had an inkling as to what that unidentifiable smell in the city was. The thought that you could've been smelling the blood of everyone around you made your aching stomach twist into an uncomfortable knot.

Mingi's trembling hand shoved the house keys into the lock, shouldering his way into your shared apartment. The door slammed shut and he rested against it while you staggered into the kitchen, ripping open the refrigerator to grab a water. You uncapped it and chugged half of it, but the dryness in your throat continued.

"No." You murmured, your panic slowly rising when water didn't alleviate the discomfort.

It was so obvious what was happening to you two and yet you were in denial. You took another swig.

At that point, Mingi was standing in the doorway, watching you with a pitied expression.

"Y/n..." He murmured.

With trembling hands, you put the cap back onto the bottle and set it aside.

"Are we..." You couldn't even complete the sentence, horrified at your new reality.

Mingi was a no-nonsense guy who didn't beat around the bush when it came to most things, and what was happening to you both right now wasn't something that could be sugarcoated.

"I think we are." He responded faintly.

You let out a small cry of panic and stepped forward into Mingi's arms to seek some semblance of comfort, clinging tightly to him. It all made sense now. The heightened senses, the ache in your necks after the party, the sensitivity to the sun, the sudden craving for...

You squeezed your eyes shut, curling into Mingi's chest as if that would shield you from the situation.

"Hey, hey. I'm here." He assured in a gentle tone. "We're together. Everything's gonna be okay."

He ran his hands over your back in a soothing manner, the feeling of you in his arms helping to ease his own troubled mind. The entire situation was incomprehensible and overall not possible, yet it was happening to both of you.

Like you, he was overwhelmed with so many emotions at once, but the most evident one was the desire to protect you. Seeing you in distress shattered his heart and he wanted to do everything in his power to calm you down. He held you even tighter, whispering to you softly.

"I'm right here. You're in my arms. You can feel me. I'm here. Just focus on that."

You nodded against his chest, keeping your eyes shut in an attempt to focus on Mingi and his warmth, the beating of his heart grounding you a little.

Having a breakdown in this situation would do you no good, nor would it change your circumstances. However, that didn't stop your racing mind from producing an endless list of questions. You squeezed Mingi slightly, letting out a long breath to try and ease the concern plaguing you.

You and your boyfriend were different now.

"I'm scared." You uttered shakily, your voice trembling like you were on the verge of tears.

"Hey... hey." He cooed, pulling away to look at you, his large hand coming to cup your cheek, making sure you were facing him. The fear in your eyes was obvious and it made Mingi's heart clench. "Breathe."

You took in a deep inhale before releasing it slowly, listening to your boyfriend's words.

"That's it." He murmured encouragingly. "Again."

You inhaled once more, letting it out a couple seconds later. You went through this a few more times until your racing heart slowed.

"What are we gonna do?" Was the first thing you asked, a million questions still lingering in the back of your mind.

"I don't know, but we'll get through it. We'll figure it out."

That was enough to loosen the tension in your body, even though you weren't sure how you'd figure it out.

"Let's go sit on the couch." Mingi guided you further into the apartment and to the living room, easing you down onto the cushions beside him.

Silence hung heavily in the air as you tried to come to grips with your new reality.

"Do you still feel..." Mingi trailed off, hesitant to utter the word. "thirsty?"

You nodded against him, swallowing thickly at the reminder of your dry throat.

"Yeah. Me too. I'm afraid if we don't do something about it soon, we'll snap."

"I don't wanna hurt people." You spoke fearfully.

"Neither do I." Mingi shook his head.

Part of you wanted to stay inside and keep yourself locked away from the outside world, away from other people, away from the smell of blood, from the loud sounds, from everything. Another part of you, the part that was still forming, craved that red liquid that flowed through every single body you passed on the street that day. Your mouth watered at the thought and your teeth began to ache—a clear sign that you were changing.

"I don't want to, but I think we need to do something about these cravings." Mingi tried to be the voice of reason despite being just as scared and confused as you were. He knew ignoring what was happening to the both of you would only cause more problems.

You immediately started shaking your head, you refused to harm another human being, no matter how badly your stomach ached.

"It's either we act on it or you and I waste away." He said.

The thought of ceasing to exist made your chest squeeze uncomfortably. You didn't like that idea either.

"We can try animals." He suggested. "It sounds ridiculous, but it's the only option I can think of."

That made you pause. Animals. You mulled it over for a moment. If it worked for vampires in movies, perhaps it would work for you two. If your bodies needed blood, maybe it didn't matter where it came from.

It was strange, the way you felt so comfortable walking through the moonlit woods with Mingi. Normally you'd be scared out of your wits, but not at the moment. There was something so serene and peaceful about the scenery that made you feel like you belonged out there. The strong smell of nature and dew danced in the air, invading your overly-sensitive nose. It was a bit distracting due to the intensity of it, but better than being in the city around people. At least out here your head wasn't spinning.

"I have no idea what I'm doing." You murmured, stepping over clusters of vines winding through the undergrowth in the woods.

"Neither do I." Mingi took your hand in his, almost as much for his comfort as it was for yours, and it worked for a moment.

You felt useless. This vampirism thrust upon you and your boyfriend so suddenly with no help or anything was brutal. You didn't know how to hunt or what strengths and weaknesses you possessed. You were going in blind.

You couldn't believe you were actually going to give into this, to the craving that was gnawing at your insides, but you had to do something. If you didn't act on it, you weren't sure what would happen. You were making the right decision—right?

The both of you continued through the damp forest, hoping that something, anything, would cross your path and that the animal would be easy enough for the two of you to handle. At the moment, you and Mingi weren't sure what you were capable of or if you could even stop an animal, let alone move fast enough to grab one.

"How are you feeling?" You asked, wondering if he was going through the same tumultuous emotions as you.

"Nervous. Confused."

"Me too." There was a short pause. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"I'm not sure. It seems like our only option. And besides, we don't know what'll happen if we don't act on what we're feeling. We could lose our minds or do something horrible."

You nodded, not wanting to entertain the idea of what would've happened if you decided to stay locked in your shared apartment to starve.

Your sensitive hearing picked up a rustling sound, both you and Mingi freezing at the same time, your head jerking in the direction of the disturbance. A tempting aroma wafted through the dewy night air, pulling all your focus to it like a magnet.

"Do you smell that?" You asked, your mouth watering in response, your body reacting instantly.

It wasn't as fragrant as the human blood from earlier, but it was the best smelling thing in the area at the moment and your developing instincts were telling you to go after it.

"I do." Mingi breathed out, shuddering lightly. "Let's follow it."

The hunger in your bodies grew as you progressed closer to the source of the scent, the need for blood making it difficult for you to keep a steady pace. You needed to find whatever it was and get it as fast as you could before you lost what little control you had left.

Initially, you thought tracking down a meal would be difficult, but your legs moved on their own, carrying you towards whatever was emitting that tantalizing aroma.

"My teeth are killing me." You grunted softly in a whisper, slinking through the forest with Mingi, the smell of blood nearby only making the ache worse.

He nodded in silent agreement, his eyes darting frantically around the area before he caught movement in the darkness, his muscles tensing. "There."

Your breath caught in your throat when you spotted two deer up ahead, both completely unaware of the looming threat nearby.

"How are we gonna do this?" Mingi whispered so as not to startle the timid animals, creeping closer to them.

"I don't know. I don't know what we're capable of. I think we just go for it."

"You're probably right. I'll take the one on the left and you can take the right."

You nodded, your eyes zeroing in on your designated target. The dull twinge in your teeth morphed into a sharp pain that made you hiss quietly. At the same time, Mingi was rubbing at his gums to ease the uncomfortable sensation in them. Despite the discomfort, you both crept closer to the unsuspecting animals feeding on various vegetation, the thirst almost fully consuming you now. If it was this intense now, you couldn't imagine how much worse it would be if you'd waited.

The blood had a hypnotic pull that was making everything else go numb, any fears you had about feeding had faded away, replaced with the burning need to alleviate the empty ache in your gut and the dryness in your throat. A final acute pain shot through your canines, two sharp points now prodding the inside of your mouth, your body preparing for what was to come even though you had zero experience.

Both you and Mingi had pretty much blacked out when you got close enough, your new instincts kicking in and making you both lunge forward at unnatural speeds, Mingi tackling the deer on the left while you got the one on the right. It all went by in a blur, happening slowly and way too fast all at the same time.

The blood was warm as it entered your mouth, it wasn't bitter, not even close. It was rich and sweet like honey with a metal tang at the end that was pleasing to your tastebuds. The moment you swallowed the first mouthful, the emptiness in your gut was soothed as well as the dry burn in your throat, a feeling of overpowering satisfaction washing over you, quelling some of the thirst raging within.

You gripped the animal tightly, hunched over it while gulping down its blood greedily, having completely lost yourself. Your body was screaming for more, not getting enough as you fed. Once you started, you couldn't stop, overwhelmed with the intense need to keep taking until you had your fill.

The sensations coursing throughout your body were unlike any you'd experienced, it was like having your first drink of water in months.

You only stopped feeding when that sweet liquid was no longer was being pulled out of the animal. You drew back, your lips stained with blood as you released a heavy and shuddering exhale into the night air, taking notice of how much clearer your mind was, your senses no longer overwhelming, almost like you were more in tune with it all. The sounds of the forest had evened out and the various smells of nature dulled to a lesser intensity, though they were still much stronger than what they normally would be.

You got to your feet, staring down at the deer lying on the forest floor with two bloody puncture marks in its neck from your teeth—from your fangs. You continued to look fixedly at the animal, not quite processing what you and Mingi had just done. Your gaze drifted to your boyfriend standing a few feet away over his own prey, his altered appearance mirroring your own. You two were seeing each other this way for the first time.

His once brown irises were fully red, matching the blood glistening on his mouth in the moonlight. It was a slightly startling sight, but you weren't scared. In fact, you imagined you looked the same.

"Your eyes are red." You uttered.

"So are yours." He responded. "I can hear your heartbeat."

Your unblinking eyes darted down to Mingi's chest, then back to his eyes, a faint but quick thumping sound reaching your ears despite standing a short distance away.

"I can hear yours too."

Your gaze wandered over to your surroundings, noticing how everything seemed clearer and crisper to your eyes, even in the dark. Details of the forest stood out to you, the various textures of individual leaves and the bark of each tree. It was a lot to take in, but the last thing on your mind at the moment.

"I need more." You breathed out, only partially aware of your words.

"Me too." Mingi agreed, staring down at his own prey completely drained of its essence.

You both should've felt remorseful, but you didn't. You felt stronger than ever before. What you'd done should've been disgusting and horrifying, but it wasn't. Instead you both wanted more, you wanted to do it again and again until you were satisfied.

Mingi led the way, abandoning the carcasses and walking deeper into the dense trees. You followed closely, your endless thirst guiding you forward until you caught the scent of another animal not too far away, the aroma teasing your nose. Part of you hoped it was another deer, something large that would satisfy you.

Mingi's newly-grown fangs were practically itching to sink into something again, as were yours. That first kill had ignited something insatiable within the both of you, starting something that couldn't be stopped. You swallowed the saliva pooling in your mouth at the scent of blood in the air, now having an unrelenting craving for it.

An overgrown area laid ahead, teeming with moss and other wild vegetation. Mingi pulled you behind a thick tree to shield you both from sight, peering around the trunk to find a single deer, most likely a straggler that was with the two you and Mingi drained just moments ago.

"There's only one." You murmured.

He nodded, not bothered at the thought of sharing. He slowly crouched down, taking on a predatory stance while keeping his sharp eyes locked on the target, preparing to pounce.

You followed his movements, zeroing in on the deer whose pulse you could hear even from where you were, the thumping sound echoing in your ears. Mingi lunged forward and you mirrored his actions, darting out of the shadows and tackling the animal with him.

Mingi sank his new fangs into the deer and you followed soon after, feeding on a different area of the neck. Your quiet gulps filled the air between you both as you hunched over the animal, quenching your thirst together. Your hand slid slightly along the deer, unintentionally moving onto Mingi's. You didn't care though, your fingers curling around his as soon as they came into contact with his skin. He reciprocated by lacing his fingers with yours. It was dark and perhaps a little morbid, but there was something romantic about sharing an animal with him.

You were the first to pull away, Mingi doing the same, exhaling heavily. You swallowed, the taste of blood lingering on your tongue, reminding you of your new realty. Mingi stood and offered you his hand, helping you get to your feet. For a moment he just started at you.

Your vampiric red eyes gazed up at him, and despite the new color replacing your natural one, you still looked like you, your gaze still holding that gentleness that it always did.

"How do you feel?" He asked, his voice crystal clear to your ears.

"Better." You responded. "Much better."

The mental clarity you had was astronomical and the sensations coursing through your body were foreign, but not unwelcome. Every cell was thrumming with life, an energy like nothing you'd felt before tingled underneath your skin. You felt unstoppable.

Mingi's hand, still clasped with yours, trembled slightly, letting you know he was feeling the same things you were, both of you experiencing a rush like no other, unsure of how to handle it.

"We should go home." He uttered distantly.

You nodded, letting him guide you away from the scene where your murderous actions took place, the weight of what you two had done not quite setting in yet. The experience had been so overwhelming and the foreign feelings coursing through your newly-altered bodies made it difficult to focus on anything else. You moved quietly through the woods, navigating your way back home with more ease than you would've assumed.

Now that your hunger had been sated, the adrenaline from feeding started to wane, replaced with the realization of what you two had just done. The reality that you had just killed animals by yourselves started to sink in. You started to spiral before you even made it out of the forest, coming to the realization that you enjoyed every second of it. The intervals at which your breath was leaving you became quicker and deeper, the change drawing Mingi's attention.

"What did we just do?" You whispered.

"What we had to." He responded.

He was right. You two had rationalized your actions before you even left the apartment, deciding it would be best to feed yourselves now than find out what would happen if you didn't, but still, it was so much take in. The way you completely blacked out and some new, predatory part of you took over to feed was terrifying.

You felt like a monster.

"What have we become?" You uttered faintly.

Your question hung heavily in the night air as Mingi's hold on your hand tightened.

"H-Hey." He spoke up, his voice wavering slightly, giving away his own growing unease. "We had no other choice."

You knew that and yet your conscience was eating away at you.

"I just can't stop thinking about how I felt in that moment. I enjoyed it. Why did it feel good? Why did it feel so natural?"

Mingi chewed the inside of his cheek before answering quietly, "Because it's what we are now."

He felt sick saying that, but it was the truth. He felt the same things as you did. He got a thrill from going in for the kill and getting his first taste of blood. It was a terrifying realization that made him afraid of himself and what he might do if he didn't keep himself in check.

As the both of you emerged from the woods, it was like a dam broke and everything you'd done came crashing down along with the reality that this would be your new life.

"W-wait. What if someone sees us?" You asked, staring at the outskirts of the city. "We look like monsters right now."

"We'll just keep our heads down and hope no one's out."

It was after midnight, you and Mingi made sure to leave well after nightfall to ensure no one saw you, but there was still the risk that you could be spotted.

Mingi moved his hand to rest on the small of your back, keeping you close as you reentered the city, sticking to the shadows with your heads down. It made you feel like a criminal or something, like you had something to hide, which you did.

Thankfully, there were few people walking the streets at such a late hour. Both you and Mingi would tense up when someone passed by, but they paid no mind to either of you.

As soon as you returned to the solitude of your apartment, you scrambled to the bathroom, desperate to wash up. Your stomach twisted into a knot as you saw your reflection for the first time since your transformation. Mingi had made a comment in the forest about your eyes being red, yet seeing it was still jarring and had you frozen for a moment. The natural hue of your irises was gone, swallowed up completely by a deep crimson. You took a step forward to get a closer look, your lips parting just enough to catch a glimpse of the sharp fangs in your mouth that was stained with small smudges of blood. Flickering images of what you'd done with those pointed canines passed through your mind, stirring an unpleasant sensation in your stomach.

You finally tore your eyes away from the mirror, bringing a shaky hand to the faucet handle and turning on the water, vigorously rubbing away the partially-dried blood on your mouth, wanting to rid yourself of the evidence from that night. You watched the red-tinted water swirl down the drain, disappearing from sight.

Mingi followed you into the bathroom, avoiding looking at his reflection. He knew that if he saw himself, he'd spiral just like you and he needed to be strong right now. Seeing the new version of himself was too raw and he wasn't ready yet.

He stood beside you, cleaning his face and washing away the remnants of your trip to the woods.

The both of you dried your clean faces and moved silently to the bedroom where you changed into some comfortable pajamas, seeking a crumb of normalcy after your lives had been turned upside down.

Everything was changing so fast and you hated it. Just yesterday you were human and going to a house party with your boyfriend, now you were lying in bed with him trying to cope with the fact that you two were no longer human.

The silence in the room was too loud and it only made you aware of everything you were feeling. Mingi's beating heart was a constant, and though it was bizarre that you could hear it so clearly, it helped to take your attention away from the unease that had made its home in every corner of your body. As much as you wanted to pretend like things were normal, you couldn't. Things were different, you were different, and you could feel it too. Nothing felt the same anymore.

"What if we're stuck like this?" You asked faintly, referring to the fangs and red eyes, worried they wouldn't go away. You already knew the vampirism was here to stay.

"I don't know." Mingi uttered in a barely-audible voice, having already considered that himself. "Let's just try to get some rest and see what happens tomorrow."

A small sigh left you and you nodded slightly in agreement. "Okay."

Mingi turned off the bedside lamp and slipped his arm around your waist, drawing you in closer. Even with the room shrouded in darkness, you could see well, and it wasn't from the faint moonlight spilling in through the curtains. Everything seemed to remind you of your new reality and it almost made you nauseous. You nestled into Mingi's chest, closing your eyes in an attempt to rest, that is if you were capable of sleeping anymore. As you focused on your breathing, a pleasant aroma reached your nose, a small hum following. The smell was something that couldn't be described, but it brought you immense comfort.

"Your cologne smells nice." Came your murmured words.

"I'm not wearing cologne."

You were confused by this. "Then what am I smelling?"

"I think it's me." He uttered in a mumble tingled with surprise. 

That startling realization made you stiffen slightly, realizing you could smell Mingi in a way you never could before and you wondered if he noticed any particular scent of yours.

"Can you smell anything on me?"

Mingi gently brushed the tip of his nose along the top of your head, inhaling soundlessly.

"Yeah. I can." He spoke into your hair.

Your natural aroma was different from before, but there was a hint of familiarity in it. It wasn't just your body wash, shampoo, or perfume he could smell, it was something more, something completely you. It was home. Comfort. In that moment, Mingi thought if there were one good thing to come out of this unfortunate situation, it would be this.

"You smell... wonderful." He pressed a gentle kiss to your temple, burying his nose in your hair.

You pressed your body closer to him, letting his scent envelop your newly-heightened senses, temporarily silencing your concerns long enough for you to doze off.

The curtains had been drawn the night before, so there was no harsh sunlight hitting you in the face when you awoke the next day. Your eyelids cracked open and you were met with the familiar sight of Mingi sleeping beside you, his lips pushed into a slight pout in his slumber. Every memory from the night before came flooding back into your conscious mind, making your chest ache. He looked so peaceful, his brows no longer tugged together in concern. For a brief moment, everything felt normal, though you both knew neither of you were normal anymore.

Mingi stirred in his slumber, his eyes slowly opening and, much to your relief, they were back to their warm brown color. You could only hope yours had done the same.

"Morning." You greeted softly, your voice carrying just a hint of sleep.

"Morning." He returned, his eyes scanning your face. "How do you feel?"

"I feel alright." It was a half-true response. "I'm still struggling to process what we did last night."

A somber expression flickered across Mingi's face and he nodded faintly. "So am I."

Despite getting some rest, both of you were still grappling with the fact that you fed for the first time last night and that it felt good.

"What are we going to do about our jobs?" You asked faintly, the thought only just occurring to you.

"We'll just have to call out sick for a while. Stay away for a few days just to be safe and figure out how to manage everything."

Neither of you would be capable of working around people, especially not when you were so unstable. The beating of your coworkers' hearts and the smell of their blood would drive you mad.

"How long will we be able to use that excuse though? People are gonna get suspicious if we keep calling out."

Mingi breathed out a sigh, realizing the flaw in his plan. "Let's just take it one step at a time."

"Alright." You agreed.

It was probably best for you to not think too far ahead and figure things out slowly. That way it all wouldn't be so overwhelming—maybe. Dwelling on the future and all the problems that laid ahead would only cause you more stress.

"You wanna try eating something?" Mingi asked, propping himself up on his elbow.

"Yeah."

Mingi stood in the kitchen, staring into the pantry, scanning through the items stocked inside.

"Are you in the mood for anything specific?"

You weren't, but you answered anyway.

"Pancakes might be nice."

At least the thought of food didn't disgust you, maybe that was a good sign.

You watched Mingi in silence as he mixed up the batter and poured it into a pan, creating adorably-misshapen hotcakes. The sweet aroma of them was stronger than usual, but not unpleasant whatsoever.

A couple minutes later, Mingi plated the pancakes, smearing a pat of butter on top and drizzling the stack with syrup. Both of you held your forks and shared a look of apprehension. All you could think about was the fruit you and Mingi had the previous morning and how it tasted off. You speared a fluffy, syrup-covered bite of pancake and popped it into your mouth.

Your chewed the sweet hotcake slowly, your brows raising in pleasant surprise. "It tastes good."

Mingi's eyebrows were pulled together as he nodded in agreement. "It does."

Having discovered that you could still eat normal food was a huge relief and almost made you want to cry tears of joy. A small smile spread across Mingi's lips as he happily went in for a second bite. You mirrored his actions, the two of you finishing off the short stack of pancakes together.

The plate sat empty between you and Mingi, your forks laid together on the saucer. You wore a contemplative expression, your fingers absentmindedly tracing the wood grain on the dining table.

"I don't really feel like I ate anything." You voiced your inner thoughts aloud.

"Me too." He agreed.

"I don't think regular food fuels us the way it used to."

"At least we can still eat it." Mingi chose to focus on the positive.

You have a light sigh of relief accompanied by a little smile. "Yeah. At least there's that."

Being able to have even a shred of normalcy was enough for you and after having your lives turned upside down, you'd take whatever little win you could.

"Now what?" You asked, your question hanging in the air for a moment before Mingi responded.

"I don't really know."

He was just as lost as you were. Where do you go from here? Not having any suggestions of your own, you decided to start listing the things you had discovered so far.

"We know we can still eat regular food and that our appearances can go back to normal, probably at will if we tried hard enough."

"We know we can still sleep." He listed.

"And see our reflections." You added faintly, your mind going back to last night when you saw yourself as the creature you were now.

Mingi shook his head slightly. "I haven't looked yet."

"I don't recommend it." You murmured. "At least not for a while."

"We know the sun doesn't burn us and that we can sleep." He continued after a brief silence.

You nodded. "Those are all good things."

"They are."

You chewed your bottom lip, contemplating everything. "So the plan is to stay home and keep to ourselves for a few days. The only problem is we'll be thirsty again."

Mingi's expression shifted at the mention of having to feed. "Right."

"So we'll have to go back to the woods again."

"Yeah."

"That'll be the only time we leave the house." You said decisively.

"Agreed. It's not safe for us to be out around people."

The silence hanging heavily in the room gave way to thoughts—troublesome ones that neither you nor Mingi wanted to focus on.

"I need a distraction." You sighed out heavily, rubbing your face.

Mingi, who was thinking the same, stood from his seat and came over to your side of the table, his fingers gently encircling your wrist to pull you up from your chair. Without uttering a single word, he tugged you into his chest bringing you into his warm embrace, an arm sliding around your waist while his hand cradled the back of your head lovingly, guiding you to rest it against his shoulder.

His calming scent reached your nose and the tenseness in your body lessened. It was incredible how effective his natural aroma was, how it could instantly begin to calm you. He guided you into the living room without releasing you, abandoning the empty plate and silverware on the dining table. There would be time to wash dishes later. Right now, you needed him and he needed you just as much.

A faint grunt left Mingi when he sat down on the couch, pulling you with him. You curled into his body, your head resting on his chest while he caressed your hair. All you wanted to do was be close to him, as it made you forget everything, even for just a moment.

The weekend was unproductive. You and Mingi were either in bed or on the couch, usually watching TV, doing anything to occupy your minds and by the time Monday rolled around, you both called out of your respective jobs sick. You couldn't work, you couldn't see people, you were scared to go outside, so all you could do was sit around.

Neither of you were used to what you were yet, getting startled whenever you'd hear a neighbor talking on the phone as they passed your shared apartment or the sound of distant voices somewhere outside on the street. It was something you two were going to have to learn to tune out.

One thing you noticed during your time locked away indoors was that you felt the inexplicable need to be close to Mingi and it seemed he felt the same, both of you craving each other's presence at all times. This wasn't unusual, as you two had always been cuddly, but the desire to be near each other was almost palpable. It seemed that going through something so life-altering had brought you closer together both physically and emotionally, strengthening your bond.

"Are you feeling alright?"

It was a question Mingi asked you frequently over the last few days, wanting to keep a check on the things you were experiencing.

You nodded in response, turning the question back to him. "You?"

He shifted slightly, his arm tightening its hold around your shoulders. "I'm getting thirsty again."

"Me too." You admitted. "It's not too bad right now, but I know it'll get worse."

"We can't let it get bad."

While you hadn't talked much about the whole vampire thing, you mutually agreed to keep a check on yourselves and act on the new cavings you were permanently stuck with, even if it was immoral. Besides, when you were thirsty, morals were the last thing on your mind. It was a jarring realization, that your hunger overrode your rationality, but it was something you'd have to learn to accept and adapt to.

"Do you think we should go tonight?"

You chose to leave the decision-making to Mingi, raising your head to look at him.

"It would be better for us if we do."

You couldn't argue with that. After your first feeding, you had a clearer head and no longer felt that ravenous hunger looming over you. On the other hand, it had only been three days since this happened to the both of you and the fact that you were already getting thirsty again terrified you.

The sun dipped below the buildings, shrouding the city in shadows that were perfect for slinking around in. Like last time, you and Mingi set out at an hour where fewer people would be walking the streets, ensuring that neither of you would lose control. In your minds, the less people that were around, the easier it would be to keep your sanities.

Mingi made sure you were close, his fingers laced with yours while your feet carried you quietly through the darkened edges of the sidewalk. The soles of your shoes hit the pavement in time with his, creating a faint yet steady rhythm. The safety and solitude of the woods was just within reach, you could already smell the various wood and foliage from where you were. The morality of your actions were gnawing at you much like the hunger in yours and Mingi's stomachs, but you did your best to push it away.

The aromas of nature were quickly overshadowed by the sudden mouthwatering scent that awakened every cell in your body. Your footfalls slowed, your sharp eyes darting to the side, zeroing in on someone across the street. It was an instantaneous reaction, you could feel your fangs elongating on their own and you began salivating at the smell. Mingi could sense your focus shifting and looked to see what had captured your attention—a man who appeared to be in his early 30s ambling down the sidewalk, a hint of alcohol accompanying the smell of his blood. Mingi's feet were already moving before he could think to stop himself, pulling you along with him as he crossed the street towards the man.

You had tunnel vision, all you could see was the man's neck and all you could hear was his steady heartbeat thumping like a drum. Your mind was no longer registering him as a human being, but prey. A meal.

As the distance between you and the man decreased, the ache in your teeth worsened and your self-control dwindled by the second.

Mingi knew you were both going to get spotted if you kept chasing the unsuspecting man. He was starting to realize that, the rational side of his mind slowly returning to him for a split second. His grip on your hand was still tight as he stopped in place, forcing himself to look at something other than the man. When Mingi came to a halt, you were tugged back, turning your head to meet his gaze. Flecks of red were already beginning to show in his brown irises, a clear sign that his own restraint was diminishing.

"We can't." He spoke in a strained voice.

Your eyes started to drift back to the man who was getting farther away.

"Y/n, look at me."

His voice made you tear your eyes away.

"We need to go." His words wavered as they were uttered.

Bloodlust was clawing at you like a rabid animal, but you nodded in agreement anyway and let Mingi pull you down the street. He was silently cursing himself for going out this soon, but he knew you both needed it. He was terrified of the way you both were so easily affected by the smell of blood, how catching a single whiff was all it took to make the cravings unbearable. It just further proved that you two were unprepared for being around people.

"Keep your head down." He murmured, guiding you towards the shadows, keeping his own head lowered in case anyone were to pass by.

The forest was a welcomed sight, allowing you and Mingi to breathe a sigh of relief and get your bearings. You leaned against a nearby tree trunk, letting the sounds and smells of nature calm you for a moment.

"I can't believe we're doing this again." You uttered faintly.

"Neither can I, but we have to feed so we can get a grip on ourselves again."

It had only been a few days since the first time you fed and you both already hated this, feeling like you had to hide and sneak around just to feed yourselves. This was going to become your new normal.

Mingi's eyes caught something small moving in a nearby thicket, his reaction triggering your instincts. Your body was on high alert, every muscle going taut as you took a step forward. He grabbed your arm and pulled you closer to him, making sure you wouldn't go wandering off. He held you by the waist, his chin resting on your shoulder, keeping his voice low and quiet so as not to disrupt the animal.

"There's something there."

You sniffed the air lightly and nodded your head. "I smell it."

It was such an ordinary sight to find a little creature in the woods, but not anymore, not for you two.

"It won't be enough." You mentioned.

Mingi nodded in agreement. Such a small animal might satisfy your hunger for a short while, but it wouldn't be enough to satisfy you both properly. His nose was catching an array of scents, picking up on small animals scurrying around in the night, but there was something else that smelled better—larger.

You both felt that same sense of focus and sharp clarity that had taken over last time you fed. The same instinct to hunt, to search, and to capture coursed through every part of your body. Mingi took a step forward, his hand dropping from your waist in favor of lacing your fingers with his to guide you forward. All the scents wafting through the forest assaulted you at once and you quickly learned how to focus on which one you wanted to follow, your feet carrying you towards your meal for the night.

The closer you got to the source of blood, the faster you moved, feeling like you were floating rather than walking. The mouthwatering aroma became stronger, the lines of morality and survival getting blurred. Just ahead, a young female deer leisured through the wild ferns and dew-covered undergrowth without a care in the world.

You two had found your prey for the night.

A deer was perfect. You already knew it would feed you and Mingi both, though you might have to hunt something else afterward if the thirst persisted. In your mind, one big animal was better than a bunch of small ones.

The adrenaline rushing through your veins was different than it was last time, you were both less hesitant, almost as if you had subconsciously accepted your new nature and leaned into the instincts that were now a part of you. The pointed tips of your fangs prodded at the inside of your mouth, the sensation still foreign, but you couldn't be concerned with that at the moment. You were starving.

In a flash, you and Mingi were on the animal, moving in unison as you lunged for it, drinking greedily from its neck as soon as your teeth sank in. A satisfied groan of relief rumbled in the back of your throat, a similar sound leaving Mingi when he took his first sip.

In that moment, you didn't care about anything other than quelling the insatiable thirst that burned your throat, your humanity taking a backseat.

It was several minutes before both of you drained the animal dry, forcing yourselves to stop. You pulled away, your breathing heavy from the rush, looking over at Mingi to assess him. He was in a similar state, trying to catch his breath, his eyes still half-lidded and hazy. His tongue darted out to lick away the excess blood clinging to his plush lips which made you involuntarily do the same.

He reached out to grab you by the waist and pulled you close to him, both of you still panting and shaking, collectively coming down from the high of a successful hunt. Mingi's embrace was much-needed, bringing you a sense of comfort as the haze over your mind dissipated and you were left with the guilt of your actions once again.

As if he could sense your discomfort, Mingi's hand started to rub up and down your back in a soothing manner.

"You okay?" He questioned gently.

"I'm alright."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you think it'll get better?" You asked instead of answering, trying to avoid looking at the deer carcass. "The guilt?"

Mingi gave you a sympathetic expression, he too was feeling remorseful and it wasn't any better than last time he fed.

"I would hope so." His hand moved from your back to your cheek, cupping it lovingly. "But don't you think feeling guilt is a good sign? We could be going on a bloodthirsty rampage, but here we sit, feeling regretful for what we've done."

You mulled his words over, nodding slowly.

"And we didn't attack that man earlier." He added.

"We almost did."

"But we didn't." Mingi said firmly.

He wasn't trying to justify you both being monsters, he was trying to find any sliver of something good, any reason to not condemn himself and you for what you both were forced to do in order to survive.

"We didn't harm anyone. And even though we have to do this to stay sane," He gestured to the deer carcass. "I'm glad you're still you. I'm glad you haven't lost yourself to this madness."

"Not yet." You murmured.

"Hey." Mingi tugged your chin to face him. "I don't like what we're becoming either, I hate it actually, but I'm trying to focus on the positive, as hard as that is to do."

You blinked up at him, fighting back the tears trying to well up in your eyes.

"I'm glad you're still you too." You uttered.

Despite all the various noises reaching your highly-sensitive ears, the forest felt peaceful while you and Mingi sat kneeled in the dirt, holding each other for comfort. With him by your side, you could tune everything out a little easier.

"I have an idea." He spoke up, guiding you to stand up with him. "Instead of being afraid of what we're capable of, why don't we find out what we can do now? Test our limits. We need to get familiar with our new selves."

The thought of finding out what you were truly capable of was a daunting one that terrified you a little, but he had a point. There was no reversing what happened, so your only option was to get used to what you were and adapt. Spending your lives being oblivious to the extent of your abilities was self-sabotage and posed the threat of you and Mingi doing something destructive.

"Okay."

Upon your agreement, Mingi took your hand and pulled you deeper into the woods to an area that felt more secluded. The trees were taller and less moonlight slipped through the thick branches. He didn't want you two to get caught, though he doubted anyone would be wandering the woods at such a late hour.

You needed to find the silver lining in this nightmare, which is why Mingi proposed the idea.

"We've spent so long focusing on the downsides of this when we could be looking at the positives."

"The positives?" You echoed.

"Think about it. We're not human anymore." As bad of a taste as that left in Mingi's mouth when he said it, it was true. "We have enhanced abilities now. That's cool, right?"

"It should be." You said.

"Maybe it can be. We don't have to worry about getting hurt or sick. We probably won't age much or even at all. We'll have each other."

At the mention of having each other, some of the aching in your chest faded. That was a good thing to focus on.

"Did you notice how quickly we moved when we attacked that deer?" Mingi asked.

"I did."

Even though you were in a haze of thirst, you vividly recalled how fast it all happened—both times. Your body moved on its own whenever it was the right time and before you could process what happened, your teeth were already buried in your prey.

"Let's just run." Mingi held his hand out, his open palm waiting for you. "No chasing after a meal, just running."

Your crimson eyes met his and you took hold of his hand, making his expression light up.

"On the count of three."

You gave a nod and he counted down. As soon as he reached one, you took off.

There was no effort to it as Mingi led you through the woods, the cold air hitting your face with every step. It was actually kind of... fun. The sensation was similar to when someone was sitting next to you and the window was down in a car, the same feeling of freedom, the same rush of it all.

Your surroundings were a bit of a blur, and yet you could see every single thing you passed clear as day, your enhanced vision keeping up easily with the high speed.

Mingi turned to look at you, your bright eyes wide with wonder as you met his gaze, letting out a small laugh of disbelief, letting go of any fears or doubts.

Mingi's pace slowed and you mirrored his actions, coming to a stop amidst the darkened woods.

"That was..." You trailed off, searching for the right word. "exhilarating."

"It was." He breathed out, panting slightly even though he wasn't out of breath at all. It didn't even feel like he exerted energy. "What do you think we should do next?"

Now that you had a taste of the perks that came with being a vampire, you were more open to testing out more of your abilities.

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about our strength." He confessed.

"And how can we test that?"

Mingi looked around the area, surveying the land until he spotted a sizable boulder that would certainly be too heavy for any normal person to move.

"There." He pointed, walking over to the rock.

You watched him examine it for a moment, sizing it up before he placed his palms on it, pushing forward. Your eyes widened when it rolled, crunching against the leaves and foliage covering the forest floor.

"Woah." He murmured in disbelief, turning to you with a stunned expression. "You should try."

"Me?"

He nodded, beckoning you over. You stood before the rock and placed your hands on it just as Mingi had done. Even though you witnessed proof that you and Mingi were much stronger, you still doubted that you'd be able to do anything.

"Just give it a push. It's easier than you think."

At his instructions, you forced the boulder forward with a little grunt, expecting there to be a struggle, but there wasn't. The rock went rolling forward a couple times and it made you step back with a gasp. You were speechless, looking down at your open palms in disbelief, trying to grapple with the reality that you did that. You could really cause some damage with strength like that and it was alarming.

Mingi could sense your sudden unease that rolled off you on waves. He hooked an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into a side hug. "What is it, baby? What's the matter?"

"I never realized just exactly how strong we are until now. It's scary. What if we accidentally hurt someone?"

"We won't. We've kept ourselves in check so far."

"Barely." You murmured, recalling earlier when you nearly attacked a man on the street.

"Okay, yes, but we'll get better. As long as we stay strong."

You chewed your bottom lip, flinching when you felt your fangs prodding into it. That would take some getting used to.

"Hey. I've got another idea. Let's see how far we can jump." Mingi had a glint in his eye as he spoke, searching above, pointing to a sturdy branch on a nearby oak tree. "Do you think we can make it to there?"

You stared up at the limb, your focus shifting away from your worries. "I don't know. Can we?"

"There's only one way to find out." Mingi's arm slid off your shoulders and he crouched down, preparing to jump.

The branch was at least twenty feet off the ground, but after what you just witnessed, you were curious to see how high you were capable of jumping now. He looked over at you when you didn't kneel down, taking notice of your apprehension.

"You go first." You told him.

He nodded, bending a little lower before he launched himself upwards. To your surprise, he made it to the branch with ease, landing on it gracefully, as if he'd done it a hundred times. He flashed a fanged grin down at you.

"It wasn't that bad." He told you. "Come on up!"

You released a long breath, slowly crouching. Maybe if you fell you wouldn't get hurt. Vampires were basically indestructible—right? Leaping into the air, you launched yourself towards the branch Mingi was perched on, your eyes widening when you registered just how high you were. Just as quickly as you left the ground, your feet hit the sturdy branch with a small thump, your legs stable during your landing.

Mingi's eyes gleamed with amazement at how agile you both were now, slowly starting to understand how enhanced your bodies were.

"I knew you could do it." He spoke sincerely, his hand reaching for yours. "Let's sit."

You gladly lowered yourself to rest on the branch, your legs dangling off of it.

It was strange how right it all felt. You were perched high up on a tree branch, which should've been frightening, but it wasn't, not at all. It was actually kind of fun. There was no fear of falling or sustaining any injuries, it was peaceful.

Your eyes drifted across the wide expanse of trees and limbs laid before you, the moonlight filtering in through the foliage, casting faint beams onto the forest floor below.

"It's really beautiful up here." You breathed out in awe.

"Yeah, it is." Mingi agreed, gazing out at the nightscape.

The crickets and other nightlife chittered in the distance, the faint croaking of frogs accompanying the various sounds, making for a nice soundtrack to the tranquil moment. If you didn't think about the needless killing and having to drink blood for an eternity, vampirism seemed kind of nice. Even with the harsh realities of what you and Mingi were forced into, being able to perch in a tree and bask in the serenity of the night made it bearable. After all, you wouldn't have been able to do this as a human.

Mingi's attention drifted away from the breathtaking scenery to something else that took his breath away—and that was you. Now that he was no longer fixated on the negatives of being a vampire, he was beginning to notice things he had been too worried to pay attention to, like how captivating you were. The moonlight shone down on your face like a beacon, illuminating your features which appeared sharper now, giving you a more regal appearance. Your plush lips were parted while you stared at the night sky, your pointed fangs peeking out ever so slightly. Even the deep crimson staining your normally e/c irises was enchanting to Mingi and he found it hard to look away. He was hyperaware of just how attracted to you he was right now.

Feeling his gaze on you, you turned your head to find him smiling softly with fondness dancing in his red eyes.

"You're so beautiful."

The words he uttered made your heart swell. "Even like this?" You inquired, wondering if he was put off by your secondary appearance despite having the same one.

"Even like that."

"It's not too different, is it? I still look like myself?"

He shook his head. "No. You're still you. Everything is just enhanced, if that makes sense."

"Enhanced." You murmured thoughtfully.

"It's hard to explain." He gave a half laugh, his fingers coming to rest under your chin. "You're just more..." He trailed off, searching for the right word.

"More what?" You inquired softly, urging him to continue.

His voice was faint, almost a whisper. "Alluring."

That was a word you never expected to hear, especially since you never saw yourself as such.

"I don't know how to explain it, but you look even more beautiful somehow." He continued, which only caused your heart to beat faster and you knew he could hear it. "I guess it's true what they say about vampires."

"What do you mean?"

"That they're captivatingly attractive and seductive."

"Seductive?" You echoed with a little chuckle of disbelief. "I'm not even doing anything."

"You don't have to." He murmured, tracing your bottom lip with his thumb.

Your lashes fluttered in response to his delicate touch that sparked a warmth in your chest.

Like Mingi, you too were entranced by his striking visuals that were enhanced with the transformation. In the two years that you'd been dating, his looks had always captivated you, taking your attention in quiet moments spent together. You still weren't used to seeing him as a vampire, but you'd be a liar if you said he wasn't attractive with those hypnotic red eyes and sharp teeth. He was good-looking before, but he was something else right now, something completely entrancing and enticing.

Mingi pulled you closer, brushing his nose against yours. "My beautiful girl."

His honeyed words sent a rush of warmth across your cheeks, bringing a hint of a smile to your lips. You two always had an immense attraction to each other, it was undeniable. You always craved each other, but you'd never had such a deep-seated need for one another, one that permeated your entire being. Since this life-altering transformation, it almost felt like you and Mingi had bonded further because of it. The feelings you held for him were so much more intense now and you found yourself overcome with a sense of devotion that was stronger than anything you had ever felt.

"I'm feeling a lot of things right now." You uttered faintly, vocalizing your thoughts. "I always wanted to be near you before, but it's different now. I can't explain it."

"You don't have to." Mingi dropped his hand from your chin and slipped his arm around your midriff as he spoke. "I know exactly what you're talking about."

"You do?" You inquired, looking over at him.

He nodded, meeting your gaze. "I don't think it's a bad thing though."

"Neither do I. I kind of like it."

"So do I." Mingi whispered out lowly, tracing the tip of his nose up your neck, taking in your scent, something he was rapidly becoming addicted to.

A shaky breath left your parted lips while he inhaled deeply against your skin, causing you to suppress a shiver from the ticklish sensation that followed. Mingi raised his head, his half-lidded eyes gazing into yours.

"I've never wanted to kiss you so badly."

"What's stopping you?"

A half smirk played at the corner of his mouth before he leaned forward and captured your lips with his. The rest of the world melted away instantly and it was only you two, the warmth of Mingi's mouth making you lightheaded in the best way. His hand slid around the cradle the nape of your neck, keeping your lips attached to his. The feeling of him kissing you was far more intense than before. There was almost a sense of relief, like you needed it to survive. You felt whole.

Your fangs were the last thing on your mind as your lips dragged over Mingi's, feeling the shape of them with your mouth, memorizing every dip and curve. As if pulled by an invisible force, your body scooted closer until your side was pressed against his. He welcomed the proximity and tightened his hold on your waist.

Everything was hazy and the longer you kissed, the foggier your mind became. The emotions you felt were bordering on obsession, completely consumed by it all. Your fangs clashed with Mingi's amidst the heated make out, your hands coming up to grip his lengthy black hair in an attempt to ground yourself. He had been growing it out recently, which gave you more to grab onto, your digits tangling in the inky strands. A deep groan emitted from him in response and vibrated against your lips, making you shiver.

Mingi tilted his head, slotting your mouths closer together to deepen the kiss, making you grunt faintly at the new angle. Every cell in your body was buzzing and tingles danced along your skin wherever Mingi touched. This kiss was nothing like the others you two shared in the past. Your lips pressed harder against his, craving more of that dizzying sensation it brought. That's when you realized a sweet taste in your mouth, almost honey-like, and very different from the animal blood from earlier. There was no time to process what it was when Mingi abruptly pulled away, a smear of red on his lower lip, his fingers brushing over where you unintentionally nicked him.

"I-I didn't mean to." You stuttered out, your eyes wide in realization of what you'd just done.

"It's okay." Mingi assured you, breathing heavily. "I didn't even feel it."

You nodded, your mind still hazy as you tried to ignore how pleasant his blood tasted to you, which was odd since you were both vampires, assuming it might be bitter. The concern you felt for him overrode your curiosity to discover more and you moved to brush your thumb over his lower lip, assessing the accidental injury. When the bead of blood was swiped away, there was no puncture wound in sight, the small cut having disappeared without a trace. It had healed.

"It's gone." You murmured.

"I guess that's another ability we have." Mingi said breathlessly, and you could tell he wasn't all there.

He wasn't phased by the little accident, already going in for another kiss. You groaned faintly, your eyelids falling shut in response. His hands started roaming, sliding down your waist to squeeze it, his fingers slipping just underneath the hem of your shirt to dance along your skin. Every touch made your brain go fuzzy, halting your thoughts and replacing them with ones of Mingi.

His lips left yours to reattach along your jaw, leaving warm open-mouthed kisses down your neck and making you shiver with delight. Your head tilted back on its own to give him more access, your lips parting as your breath came out in short bursts whine he ravished your neck. He couldn't stay away for long, moving back to your mouth, humming lowly into the kiss.

If not for the fact that you two were up in a tree, this was the most normal moment you'd had in days and you planned to savor it. Your hands were back in Mingi's hair, raking through it as he kissed you deeply, his fangs scraping against your lower lip before he encased it with his mouth. A shiver ran down your spine when he applied light suction to the heated kiss, the sensation that followed making your head spin. Your nails dragged lightly along his scalp, clutching handfuls of his inky locks in an attempt to stay grounded.

Mingi wanted so badly to pull you into his lap, but he didn't want to risk you falling from the branch, so he made do with where he was, his large hands still holding your waist, his body angled towards you on the tree branch.

Mingi parted ways after a moment before he got too carried away, resting his forehead against yours.

"That was..." You trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Something else." Mingi finished.

"I've never felt so much love for you than I do right now. I can't really explain it."

"Yeah." He nodded in understanding, devotion dancing in his eyes as his trembling fingers caressed your jawline. You didn't have to put it into words, he knew exactly what you were feeling.

Your deep ruby irises glimmered in the moonlight, your lips swollen from the heated kiss and Mingi found himself entranced by you once again.

"My girl." He murmured reverently, cradling your cheek in his palm.

Your eyes closed and you found yourself leaning into his touch, your body craving it despite being seated right next to him. He chuckled adoringly, leaning over to rest against you, his head on top of yours.

"I just wanna stay like this forever." He murmured, gazing out at the forest, his hand finding yours.

"We can." Was your response and it took you a second to realize just how true that was. You hadn't considered the concept of being immortal. A knot formed in your stomach when you thought about what it would entail.

"Forever is a long time." You murmured, your gaze distant.

"Yeah, it is."

"That's kind of daunting to think about. We have to watch loved ones die, and we'll have to move eventually. If we don't age, people will get suspicious."

Mingi's hand squeezed yours. Those things had already crossed his mind, but he chose not to think about it. You two still had time to figure that out.

"I know, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He noticed your eyes had that worried glaze over them, you were still overwhelmed and he knew it. "We'll be okay. I promise." He assured you with a kiss on the cheek.

"What if we get bored?"

"The world is always changing and there's so much to do." Mingi said. "I don't think we'll get bored."

You nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead. We still have a lot to figure out right now. It's been less than a week since we were turned."

"Let's take it one day at a time." He told you.

You were both still scared and confused, struggling to come to terms with the fact that you weren't human anymore, but at least you had each other.

"Would you ever wanna go after the guy who turned us? Try and find him?" You asked curiously.

It would be difficult, seeing as you didn't know the guy and you barely remembered what he looked like.

Mingi shook his head. "There's no sense in seeking revenge. What would we even do if we found him? I don't have it in me to kill anyone."

"Neither do I."

"Then let's drop it." He rubbed his thumb over the back of your hand. "He's not worth our time and we're not going to let what he did to us ruin our lives."

His words struck you in the chest and sparked a feeling of motivation within you. When you looked at it from Mingi's perspective, learning how to live with this wasn't an obstacle, but a motivator. A part of you wanted to keep going out of spite so one day you'd be able to say you overcame the challenges of being a vampire—to say you made it.

"Yeah. You're right."

"This won't be easy, but I'm willing to work through whatever struggles we'll face." Mingi's voice was firm, decisive.

"Me too. That's all we can do, after all." You turned to him, feeling hopeful for the first time in days. "I don't know what I would've done if I was going through this alone."

You couldn't fathom a reality where you were the only one to get turned or vice versa. "Neither would I."

The amount of pain and isolation one of you would have to go through without the other, Mingi just couldn't imagine it. You would have to lock yourself away from him if he were human and if it were the other way around, he'd have to do the same in order to keep you safe. He was relieved to have you by his side during all of this, figuring things out together.

"I promise I'll never leave your side. Ever." He vowed suddenly, punctuating his words by giving your hand a squeeze. "You're stuck with me for eternity, princess."

Your features settled into a warm smile, a small huff of laughter escaping your nostrils.

"I guess I'm okay with that." Came your teasing remark.

"Hey." He chuckled, giving you a playful nudge.

"I'm joking. I'm honored to have you by my side forever." Knowing you'd never be alone was all the reassurance you needed.

"Likewise." He grinned, leaning his head back over against yours, nuzzling into you.

There was a beat of silence, save for the sounds of the night, before you spoke up in a gentle voice.

"I think as long as we focus on each other, we'll be okay."

Your optimism comforted Mingi and he gave your hand another light squeeze. "I think so too."

Masterlist ᝰ — enjoyed this imagine? reblogs & comments are very much appreciated!

DO NOT steal, plagiarize, copy, repost, alter, or translate my works in any way

🏷 @h3arteyes4mingi @weird-bookworm @poppy2007 @parkjennykim @evidive @mxlly143 @lizzymizzy-blogg @minhanbyeol @dinossaurz @laylasbunbunny @iammeandmeisiam @delulu18 @spooo00oky @tiredlittlevirgo @life-is-a-game-of-thrones

[bellewintersroe]

Ron Speirs Soft Headcanons:

Ugh I just have the overwhelming urge to write about Speirs I love that man. I wrote these so fast so they’re not the best.

Not much of a tw, both sfw and nsfw headcanons, enjoy 🤍

- ugh imagine this man crushing on you bad but you’re both out at war and he knows professionally he can’t make a move.

- let’s say you grow closer in Haguenau, you’re both exhausted and in need of comfort, and Ron starts checking up on you more often.

- At first you might think wtf why is Captain Speirs checking up on me so much, he’s actually really nice?

- you’d be exposed to a completely different side to him, and realise he too is just an exhausted soldier at the end of the day.

- looks at you with the most gentle eyes, kinda like the scene with him and Lip in the church. Even before you’re together, he just watches and listens so attentively. If there’s a strand of hair in your face he’d fix it for you (in the confinements of privacy of course).

- starts seeking out more and more time to find you alone.

- loves when you’d fix his hair for him. Or sometimes just your gentle touch.

- maybe he cuts his arm or something, it’s nothing bad but you’d be surprised to see Captain Speirs stood at the entrance of the aid station looking a little confused.

- you’d treat him with so much compassion and kindness, and your touch would be so gentle it would make Speirs realise how much he missed human contact. Most of all, it would make him yearn harder.

- cuddles when his cheek is pressed into your belly as he kneels below you, kissing your skin or through your clothes tenderly.

- soft, gentle kisses with hushed whispers where he reminds you to stay safe, and keep rested. Doesn’t want to see you overworked.

- I know he’s a tough guy but he’s suchhhh a softie, as we see in a few scenes, such as when he’s holding Chuck’s hand. He’s not afraid to be comforting when needed.

- if you’re ever upset he’d hold you so close, cradling you to his chest. He’d kiss your head and mutter the softest and most gentle words into your hair, practically curling his body around you protectively.

- if he see’s you upset, afraid or hurt in front of others he wouldn’t be afraid to show this more compassionate side.

- if you ever slip or nearly fall he’d stabilise you with a hand on the arm, checking up on you casually, but letting his hand linger a little longer than it need to.

- others might start to notice how soft he is around you, how kindly he treats you. The relationship blossoms, it’s private, but not exactly hidden. Others might speculate, but as long as nothing crosses the line in front of other people, it’s all cool.

- Ron looks forwards to looting out places to find you presents. Leaves them around for you, secretly slips them into your pockets when nobody’s watching.

- one day he’d purposefully claim a bedroom with the intention of sneaking you in.

- would cuddle you alllllll fucking night in all kind of positions.

- if he’s overworked or had a particularly rough day, he’ll rest his head on your chest, clinging to you as you’d lay in silence. “‘M not crushing you am I?”

- acts like a big baby sometimes, hums and whimpers a complaint if you move away from him or stop stroking his hair. Can he so needy but it’s somehow so hot.

NSFW Headcanons:

- when you’re just cuddling, sometimes he’ll feel himself getting hot and bothered and grow hard from just holding you alone.

- when both your eyes are closed, he’d take your hand and gently lead it down to palm him over or under his underwear. Guides your movements and lets out the softest and most delicious sounds you’ve ever heard.

- quiet, breathy moans when you pleasure him with your hand. His eyes are closed and lips parted, if he wants to be closer he might nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck, huffing and puffing as you work him to release.

- sex is particularly gentle when you’ve both had a rough day and Ron craves comfort and intimacy. He’d bury his face in your chest, or spend hours between your legs, licking and sucking, squeezing at the warmth of your breasts.

- not much dirty talk if he’s feeling particularly soft. Might hush out a few praises and throaty groans. “Atta girl…”

- small, but fast thrusts as he focuses on trying not to cum.

- brushing your hair out of your face and holding your head in place as he kisses you deeply.

- loves loves loves when you cuddle fuck, your body’s entwined, hugging one another close as you ride out your highs together.

- loves to play with you after sex, it’s not even teasing, he just likes to kiss at your hot skin, pushing a finger in and out or rubbing at your clit slowly.

- would have the messiest hair after sex or when he wakes up first thing, Ron is extra cuddly in the morning, it would be nice to have a complete break with him before he must get dressed and turn into Captain Speirs again.

[pmeri]

how did you even find yourself in this situation? 

well, for starters, wanting to skate with taylor meant you needed to know how to skate. and who knew how to skate? 

aiden.

“place your dominant foot on the back — yeah just like that.”

his hands were on your wrists, his hold was gentle but firm. as your dominant foot made contact with the skateboard you lifted the other without much thought. and he helped you stand on the stupid ripstik.

“i feel like i am going to fall over.”

he chuckled at that, because if he were to be honest — he also felt like you might fall over if he ever let go of you. your legs were shaking, seeing that made him let out a breath that he did not know why he was holding in the first place.

“angle your front foot a bit, like not straight or sideways — as if it is pointing the outside”

placing your hands on his shoulders, his hands never left your wrists. with his help, you did as he said so.

“just say forty five degrees, duh.”

in the end, you were somewhat standing on the caster board.

“that is not a skateboard; it is just a stick with two wheels that only people with death wishes use.”

“exactly, you get it.”

you deadpanned, there was definitely something wrong with him. your grip on his shoulders tightened, not enough to hurt him but making it notable that you were afraid. at least, a bit.

he stopped for a second.

then one of his hands left your wrist, finding its way to your waist; helping you balance yourself. 

your shoulders relaxed when the realization that he would not let you fall settled in.

“okay you are doing so good — now twist your back foot. like moving your ankle? something like that. i do not really know how to explain it. just go with the vibes?”

so professional.

you tried to, really. the acf of twisting your ankle front and back only caused the ripstik to move a millimeter forward and a few centimeters backward.

backward.

“WHY AM I GOING BACKWARDS??”

he started laughing uncontrollably, wheezing. making everyone in the park turn toward the two of you.

when he calmed down, he gave you a warm smile. his eyes softening, his grip never faltering. 

“okay, try again?”

he pulled you a little, causing you to skate. 

you picked up speed — yes, it was happening. 

did you really figured it out? but you were not doing anything–

you were skating, somewhat. — not because you were able to, but because mother nature decided you deserved it. 

because, the ground? it was not exactly flat. it had this little slope — barely noticeable but present nonetheless. enough to push the board forward on its own.

the hand that had been on your wrist now held yours, walking alongside you as you skated, just to make sure you did not speed up too much or wobble.

“yes yes yes — just like that, you are doing so good! you are natural, a prodigy — wait why are you not moving your ankle–?

that is when the truth came out, and aiden started laughing again. 

“you are not even doing anything, what the hell?” 

you turned to look at him to talk back. let me tell you, it was the biggest mistake you ever made.

wobble. tilt. boom.

thud.

a yelp left your mouth as you fell. 

but you did not hit the ground; you fell into his chest. his hands wrapped around you, one foot stopping the skateboard — his eyes nearly watering from laughter.

you were clinging to him like your life depended on it ( it did ), and aiden held you as if he would die if he were to let go of you ( he probably would ).

despite that, he laughed. so much. the blush that adorned his cheeks was not really because of the sun that kissed his skin. 

and maybe your cheeks darkened too — and maybe it also was not because of the sun that kissed your skin either. maybe it was his kisses at the spot where your shirt met your neck, his lips brushing against your skin gently.

“assisted by gravity.”

“newton type shit.”

notes from the author: based on a couple i saw last year... me and my ability to bring the loml into everything: — also, this piece is probably poorly written :( i still do not have my laptop back :((

[prehnite-soul]

Hey everyone its Mermay.

POV: You're a kid in chapter 12 of 'What Lurks in the Depth':

THE MAN

[[ Inspired by this fic made by @teasnarker92, go check it out it's amazing!!! ]]

this is also a piece i'll use in a powerpoint about digital drawing, so progress underneath the cut? ig? for anyone who's interested.

okay so we start with the sketch and the flat line art

then we do flat colors and basic shading

then I render- lights and shadows seperately.

last but not least, the background, in order: base, light and shadows

and, now really lastly, the tiny details, bubbles in this case

ta-daa.

[arabic-langblr]

Arabic learning event

Hello, lovely people (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

As discussed in this post, I will launch the Arabic learning event starting from July 5th, 2024 insha'Allah starting from the very beginning. I'm so excited!

If you're interested in joining, and for more information I'll redirect you to this link.

[mobius-m-mobius]

#brb telling detective Aziraphale everything I know

[dreaminganthea]

Anthea was determined by his challenge to like him all the more. There wasn’t much challenge to it, really. Benjamin was natural, and it was one quality in short supply in her growing social circle.

Her own behavior towards the sun’s rays was not like other women of her station. She had not grabbed a bonnet, nor a parasol to hide away her pale skin. Having come from a working class, and being used to the outdoors, she basked in the sunlight on occasion, the way her flowers did. A few freckles could even be seen hiding on her face and neck.

As a light breeze danced lazily around her pale-blue dress, fluttering her corn silk hair and skirt, she spread her arms a bit to make some small space between them and her body. She was a bird preparing to take flight. The tendrils of air laced through her fingers as her hands splayed open, and she breathed in deeply. Mother nature was being quite hospitable to them and she was grateful for it.

Anthea found Ben’s laugh and little nose scrunch terribly endearing. She endeavored to be the cause of it more often. Was she really so amusing? “I never said I sang well. Perhaps you’ll be the high note of the performance”. She gave him a pointedly humorous look.

“Perhaps someday soon, you will find a reason to enjoy attending?"

Should she divulge the reasons why she found balls less appealing? Why not? They had both been candid, thus far. “Dancing has as many rules as any other social call. Men choose whom to dance with, and some of my partners have been rather unsavory characters”. Her face scrunched with distaste. “After unwanted advances were rejected, I became the subject of vulgar rumors. Even when asked, I don’t accept partners anymore, for fear of other such incidents. It is also possible I might find someone so charming he will sweep me off my feet, and then right under a rug when he’s done with me. It has happened before”. This was one major reason she was still single in her late twenties. “I may yet dance again, if I feel the right partner has come along to ask”. Subconsciously, she glanced at Ben for a split second, before turning her gaze forward once more.

"I didn't realize I had a pirate as my new employer," he teased.

“I wouldn’t say pirate so much as a scavenger, or perhaps a museum appointed archaeologist. The occupation would present hazards, but it would also provide a look into history and other cultures, as well as earn me my own money, so I may be fully independent and do as I please. I wouldn’t need a gardener to do things for me, as I would be able to settle down and do it all myself again”.

Between the pink in his cheeks, and his small fumbling with words, it was a wonder Mr. Tallmadge didn’t have a gaggle of women fawning all over him. Anthea might be one of them, if she allowed herself to feel that away about someone again. As it was, she tried to keep her head clear and simply get to know him better. They would be spending time together from then on, after all. For Charlie’s sake. Eyes forward, silly girl…

“Instead of bringing life, I've brought nothing but death."

Anthea longed to reach out to him, and found she had done so on instinct. Her hand sat gently on his upper arm, and she couldn’t help giving a slight squeeze. In her opinion, the poor man needed reassurance and a caring hug. Someone to listen as well, which is what she intended to do as his friend. She let go, as quickly as she had reached out, lest she make him uncomfortable. Although… they were allowed to link while walking. Right?…

“Fun? Well, I do play games with my family. I enjoy long walks across the grounds and plenty of reading. I play music, compose, sing, write, and even draw when the fancy takes me. I’m afraid I am more of a creator, than one who goes out to socialize. Perhaps we match in that way? Maybe you also like to do research and learn more about the world? When I’m not busy with fictional stories, I do like to learn about the stars and planets, among other things. Oh! And I enjoy going to plays, concerts, and the opera!”

Anthea paused to take a breath, an instant look of worry on her face. “I do apologize. I can get carried away, when speaking on subjects I love. It can be an annoyance to some”.

Anthea wasn't wrong that marriage tended to be the goal of most gatherings. It could be quite harrowing, if one was rife with social unrest -- which he often was -- and with a sheepish little smile at her admission, he teased, "Well, we have only been acquainted for about fifteen minutes now. We'll see how long that gratitude lasts, Miss Whitford."

They walked side-by-side, the sun warming Benjamin's face until he placed his hat back upon his head. It seemed too forward to offer his arm, despite it being traditional gentlemanly conduct, so instead, he tucked his hands into his coat pockets, listening while she spoke.

“The idea of a recital is both thrilling, and terrifying,” Anthea admitted. “I don’t mind if you’re not a sharply tuned instrument; I’d be glad for the support."

Benjamin laughed at that, his nose scrunching. "Well, my inadequacies have never before sounded quite so poetic, so I'll take that for what it's worth. So long as we don't have an audience of more than one, I think we can save them from auditory assault...the fault being mine, of course -- not yours."

Thankful that the faux pas didn't seem to dampen the mood, Benjamin blinked as Anthea nearly rocketed onto her toes along with her vibrant exclamation. Or rather, she had until it became quite clear that dancing was no longer readily at her disposal.

“Certain people have made balls rather disagreeable to me,” she murmured. “I still attend them at the behest of my parents, as my sister’s chaperone.”

Benjamin frowned at that, unsure if he could offer any true comfort. "If you're referring to pompous ratbags, I agree that certain arseholes -- ah...people -- can make social gatherings difficult. I'm sorry, though... I couldn't imagine feeling cut off from what I love. Perhaps someday soon, you will find a reason to enjoy attending?"

To his surprise, Anthea painted a vibrant childhood picture of rummaging through dirt, and with a soft little grin, he directed his gaze out over the horizon. "I didn't realize I had a pirate as my new employer," he teased. "I couldn't imagine hiring anyone to do what I enjoy...but I understand it. I imagine you're all very much pressed for time."

“If you are satisfied with remaining within the garden, I should like to show off our skills. Besides, I am selfish, and wish to keep you all to myself for a while longer”.

A slight flush bloomed across Benjamin's cheeks and he laughed softly, unsure of why anyone would find his company so agreeable. "I would like that," he assured her. "I'm already enchanted -- er...by the garden -- so the mind truly wonders how else you could regale me."

Appearing quite pleased with herself, Anthea led him toward a charming little seating arrangement that included flowers in many shades. It was beautiful; that much couldn't be disputed.

"You all certainly have a green thumb," Benjamin commended. "I'm afraid I've spent so long away from the gentler joys, that I may no longer have the gift myself... Instead of bringing life, I've brought nothing but death." Shoulders hunkering, he shifted and cleared his throat. "But enough of that. What is it you do for fun in...well..." He laughed then, self-conscious. "I don't know why I'm even asking. It's not like I'm much of a social creature."

[tj-crochets]

Hey y'all! Do you have any recommendations for other plushie makers or designers with shops where I can buy their plushies?

[chimchiri]

New ear piercing on Monday...