#is this technically a drabble. i cannot tell

[highfiveheroes]

Small, interesting, still - Ruben

For the writer block thing

ooooh this will be fun!!

-

For someone so squeamish, Ruben really likes the spring.

Bugs like his house. It's near enough to water and woods that when the spring comes, he finds things crawling on his windowsills and in his kitchen and on his driveway more often than not. He doesn't think Kipperlilly likes them much, but what does she know anyway?

This morning it's a centipede, slowly inching its way across the windowsill in the bathroom. He'd been brushing his teeth; at the sight of movement he stops, stares at it, and puts his toothbrush upright in the holder with the toothpaste still on it.

It's late enough in the morning that he probably won't be impeding anyone's get-ready routine, so he can take a minute. He kneels on the toilet and leans over the back of it to put his arms against the wall. The centipede stops for a second, wiggles as though it's contemplating something...

Slowly, Ruben raises a single finger and runs it along the back of the insect. It jerks, then starts running away faster. He just watches it. He watches it, and beyond the centipede, he contemplates the sun and the sky and what the fuck any of them are even doing.

Once, after a particularly harrowing day working with Porter, Ruben had been so out of it that he'd come home and stared at an article of bug facts for three hours, trying to invade his mind with interesting tidbits about bugs instead of watching Porter in memory scream at them and murder—

Well, anyway, he wonders if this particular centipede has 100 sets of legs like it's supposed to or if it's got more or less like real ones do. It crawls into a hole Ruben hadn't noticed was there, aiming for outside. He'll never know, then. He doesn't move though; he stays still, eyes trained on the horizon. The sun has been up for a while now. It's late spring, which means he's treated to earlier and earlier sunrises now, but all of it's moot when he gets up at ten in the morning anyway.

The closer they get to summer, the closer he is to having to deal with this mess Kipperlilly and Oisin had gotten them involved in. He wishes it could be early spring forever, or even winter, something to stave off the disaster that's coming. He knows he's only a small part of a plan much bigger than he is, and he knows what he wants is inconsequential in the face of Porter and Kipperlilly and Oisin, and he knows he'd be better off if he could separate himself, or die, or something, because god only knows how poorly this is going to go—

Well, anyway, it's Saturday morning in late spring. Ruben is squeamish, but he doesn't hate the world for it. He only hates himself.

He picks up his toothbrush again.

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

Nights Spent In; Azul Ashengrotto

Content; Fluff, gender-neutral reader, established relationship

Word Count; 700+

Author's Note; This is for one of my first mutuals @azulashengrottospiano! I hope you enjoy this, and some domestic Azul! [and I'm keeping a screenshot of your ask ^v^]

As a reminder, do not put my work — or others for that matter — into AI as it steals. Link to Masterlist

Safe to say your social battery was pretty much at zero. You had fun, yes, but all you wanted to do was stay at home in some ridiculously comfortable pyjamas, eat leftovers from lunch, cuddle a bit, and maybe look through the storage container labelled Games! :D since there could be some hidden gems in there. And right now you were cuddled up under a super chunky knit blanket, snug as a bug in a rug.

You were content just putting the leftovers from lunch in the microwave, but Azul had insisted that he made the both of you dinner. You didn’t mind, since you had a nice view of him working away in the kitchen, muttering the recipe of tonight’s dinner to himself. He was even wearing the frilly apron and kitschy oven mitts.

What a dork. I love him so much. You giggled to yourself, watching Azul go about the kitchen, off in his own little world. 

Sighing, you got up — the blanket draped over your shoulders so you were still in your nice blanket burrito — and shuffled over to the Games! :D container, seeing if there was anything interesting that Azul wouldn’t just automatically win. You loved him, but if he made you go bankrupt again in this world’s version of Monopoly one more time you swore that you weren’t going to give him any kisses. You may love him, but he was not a humble winner. 

So any strategy games were completely out the window, luck based games were more on your side… hopefully luck just decided to favour you tonight. At least you had a cute chef at the least.

Hmm? What’s this? Blowing off the dust you pulled out an old edition of Snakes and Ladders. It relied only on luck, so it was perfect!

“Hey, sweetie,” you called to the kitchen.

Azul was just placing your dinner in the oven, it would take about thirty minutes to bake, so he had time to spare… and for you? He could spare all the time in the world for you. “What is it, darling?”

You held up the game under your chin and gave him your biggest smile. “Wanna play?” You waggled eyebrows for some added flair, and it made Azul chuckle.

“Fine, one round, but I won’t go easy on you,” he said, sitting down at the coffee table. He eyed the game, and squinted his eyes at the dice. A luck-based game? Playing your cards right I see.

“You never do,” you shot him a wink and rolled the dice. You moved your piece forward, not hitting any ladders.

Azul rolled his eyes, but took his turn, overtaking you by two spaces, also not hitting any ladders. “Would you rather that I did?” He looked up at you through his lashes, a small smug smile on his face. 

You hummed as you took your turn, getting a ladder and going up a row. “No, it’s more fun like this, plus you’re extra cute when you get fired up.”

Azul pushed up his glasses, trying to ignore the warmth that had seeped into his cheeks. “Flattery won’t help you, my dear, when I win.”

“We’ll see about that.~”

The rest of the game was spent in silence, the occasional tch escaping when either of you hit a snake, but the game was neck in neck. You had to roll a perfect six to win, and Azul a four, and it was his turn. The both of you had your fingers crossed.

He rolled a two, the exact number that he didn’t want. He moved his piece forward and gritted his teeth as he moved it down two rows. He sighed, handing over the die. He knew that he had most likely lost this game.

You gently took it, and rolled a six. You had won. “Looks like luck was on my side tonight,” you grinned.

Azul grumbled, but he couldn’t stay mad at you. “Would you like a prize for that?” It was part sarcasm, but also part genuine question.

You placed a kiss on his cheek. “Just spending time with you is a prize in its own right… but I won’t say no to your cooking either!”

It wasn’t really a prize, as you were already getting his cooking for dinner, but it nonetheless made Azul feel soft and warm. The two of you really should spend more nights in if they were going to be like this.

~~~~~~~

Tags: @eynnwwyjth, @hydra-sea, @inkybloom-luv, @identity-theft-101, @krenenbaker, @officialdaydreamer00, @twistwonderlanddevotee, @xxoomiii

[randomshyperson]

Hello fav writer 🤭 saw the game so here my request!!

Wanda + touch + number 2 ! Pretty please ♡♡

Hope you're okay if not I send you a lot of love :)

Wanda Maximoff x Reader - Drabbles

prompt: calloused hands in soft hands | words: 1183 | warnings: brief mentions of self-harming and violence, unhealthy coping mechanisms, winter soldier reader, takes place around civil war, fluff, kinda friends to lovers (unspecified).

A/N-> I wrote most of those on my phone, so I’m sorry if there are typos.

challenge masterlist | general masterlist

-&-

Nine hundred and ninety-eight.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine.

One thousand.

Start again.

One.

Two.

A drop of blood felt at your feet. The pain makes you flinch but you push again.

Three.

The bag makes a noise.

Four.

There's another crack and then the sand is mixing up with your blood.

You stop, panting. The destroyed bag is pushed off the holder so you can carry it away with the other ruined ones. 

The gym is empty because they only have two clients. Super soldiers from the 40s who got frozen in time and struggled to trust anything, even gyms, from the new century. But unlike you, Steve Rogers is getting better at training in public. He even goes running with some of the other veterans, you heard he even made a friend there.

You're not Steve. You never were. He was the good Rogers, you, well, let's just say Hydra didn't need to say much to charm you into the quickest way to find your brother again. A couple of lies later, and you found yourself in chains, losing the memories of your brother that were the reason why you accepted their bargain in the first place. Before you could protest, years were wasted as the Winter Soldier. 

Well, that's past now. Yet, you destroyed another pushing bag while remembering your past.

There isn't much to do when you ruin them all - you are left for some push-ups before Steve calls again. He's insistent on your presence in the tower tonight, someone's birthday whatever. You're not the party type. You cannot be his Bucky.

What's left of the bags are discarded in the community trash, and you make sure to lock the place as the old Mrs.Johnson - the son, not the father, as that man died before you got unfrozen by Hydra a fourth time - asked you to. 

But just as you're about to lock the old administration room, someone comes in.

Wanda is dressed in casual attire and they always make her look so not Avenger that it never fails to bring a smile to your face. She corresponds immediately, and you're not sure what good you've done in your life to deserve such sweetness but you're not complaining.

“Hey, you.” You greet her, keys in the lock but eyes on her. She repeats your words and you notice how shy she looks with her little anxious jump and hands safe in her pockets. “I thought you would be at the party tonight.”

She shrugs, a smile playing on her lips.

“I ran away.” She tells with a complicity you two have shared from the second you first met. Maybe being Hydra volunteers does bring people together. “I know you work out here so I thought… I don't know…”

She struggles to justify her presence but that just makes you smile.

“That watching me sweat was funnier? You're a flirt, Maximoff.” You tease her, enjoying the pink of her cheeks that she tries to hide with a chuckle. 

She mutters “very funny” but you don't push your teasing further as you lock the door and tug the keys away. Grabbing your old army jacket from the coat stand by the entrance, you hold the door open for Wanda to go out again.

“Let's grab something to eat. And you're paying Avenger.”

She laughs, retorting that technically you're an Avenger too and you're sure not contradicting a pretty girl today.

The place you two go for is a local diner. It is not full but it's not empty, at least not enough to go unnoticed. Especially with a Winter Soldier physic or the face of everybody's favorite little witch. So when you and Wanda manage to get to one of the last tables without anyone bothering for an autograph, you're sure she used her powers for that.

“You're getting better at this.” You tell her proudly which surprises her. While the Avengers often tell her to control her Hydra impulses such as manipulation of will, you don't seem to mind about the moral issues of it. You're just glad she's getting more confident in her own abilities, instead of blatantly embarrassing her for something opportunely useful like her team does. She smiles shyly in appreciation and you busy yourself with the menu.

But the second your bruised fingers are noticed, Wanda's mood changes. 

The waitress who is coming to the table suddenly has the will to turn back to the kitchen.

You watch as she moves the menu away from you to reach for your hands.

The softest fingers of the earth trace the lines of your calloused, over-abused hands. Every scar is touched before she looks up.

“Why would you hurt yourself like that?” 

You sign, not pulling away from her touch but struggling to stare into her eyes.

“Not all of it was me.” You try to joke, but the weak chuckle that escapes you turns into a nervous laugh as she doesn't smile. “ I did fight for one hundred years, you know?”

She shakes her head, the eyes scanning your face then looks down where your fingers are dancing together. 

“Steve said you were frozen for most of it.” She recalls with a strange hurt in her voice that makes you swallow hard. “And you're also a shooter. That wasn't that much of fighting back in the day.”

You smirk, one of your hands enveloping hers. Touch to touch warms your skin so tenderly that you barely feel the autumn cold coming from the windows.

“If I didn't know you, I would say you care about me.”

Wanda frowns and looks up, a serious look on her face.

“You do know me.” she says. “And you know I care.”

You're not surprised but you're speechless. You don't know how to do this. Whatever is between you and this charming woman.

So you just try your best to do what Steve always says you should: be honest.

Wanda watches as you sigh, hands still on the table, playing with hers.

It takes a moment, but finally, you add:

“The pain anchors me.” You start, risking taking a glance at her worried frown. “It just makes me feel I'm here instead of frozen again. It helps.”

It's her turn to sigh. When her hands move away you're worried you shared too much. You swallow, ready to push down your emotions when Wanda shifts in the bend to slide closer to you.

You tense, like a frightened animal but she doesn't make any sudden moves. Her actions are slow, the lift of her hand to your cheek, the tender smile before she leans in. 

For a whole moment, the world does freeze. But unlike any of the other times, you feel warmer than ever.

She pulls away just enough for you to look at her eyes again, nose to nose.

“Would this anchor you enough?”

You smile at her, your hands finding hers again on her lap. One of them, you lift to your mouth level just to kiss her soft skin.

“I wouldn't be able to be anywhere else, witchy.” 

[sweetwolfcupcake]

Gaze (II)

Secret Garden

Category: Drabble

Yandere John Wick x Reader

Part 2 of this drabble

Part III

Warning: Implied stalking

The GIF does not belong to me; credit goes to the original owner.

Unedited

Your fears turn out to be true, after all.

Days after the party, where you had enough stolen glances and locked gazes to make anyone suspect that you two are long-lost lovers, you still see him. You see him every time you close your eyes, see him from the corner of your eye, and feel him like he is just a few steps behind, but when you turn around, you see no trace of him as if he were a ghost haunting you. 

But you know that it is a trick of your mind, it has to be.

Why would he reach out from his glimmering world to your mundane one? Why would the hand that seems to be more accustomed to holding women clad in diamonds, offer itself for you to take? 

He belongs to the glitter and gold, and you do not. It was painfully obvious at the party. He is that classic art, somewhat dark with the tinge of danger and enigma exuding from it, but no less beautiful, one to be admired from afar and then move on.

Maybe that is why you are stunned to see him in the public library. Between rows of shelves, like a quiet shadow, his fingers run through the expensive cover of a book that itself would weigh as much as ‘War and Peace’. Maybe it is the same book after all, you cannot tell, for the title is in Russian.

You do not know how long you have been staring, but when he turns to you, the dark eyes you have been yearning for lock with yours like magnets. You realise that you are both relieved and intimidated.

He probably doesn’t even remember you.

It has been a month.

And yet something akin to heat flashes in his eyes. Turns out to be recognition, though.

“At the…party?”

“Eh–yes, I was wondering...too.” 

A blatant lie.

He has never left your mind. 

He seems to have stepped right from your dreams, especially those you get, swinging between wakefulness and sleep. When you see him standing over your bed, walking through your room, silent as a predator in the dead of the night. In your dreams, you feel the weight of his hand right next to your pillow. In your dreams, you feel the warmth of his breath over your eyes, nose, and lips. He smells like heat and longing there. Your dreams are so real, you feel you can almost taste them, and the air around you lingers with his presence.

But you know that is simply your mind playing its little tricks. They are just dreams. Impossible dreams. Maybe if they had not been dreams, you would be terrified. But since they are, you let yourself indulge.

You hear his voice for the first time. Technically the second time, but it is the first time that it is addressed to you. And pathetically, you feel special. This feeling, though, you snip out as soon as you feel it, reminding yourself that you are not special. You are a nobody.

Yet you let yourself bask in his presence—the low rumble in his voice strikes a chord each time he speaks, making your heart thud slightly faster. You are enthralled and spellbound, so you decide that a cup of coffee with him will not hurt when he offers it. Never noticing that he is close enough for you to smell him for real.

The rosy haze suddenly sizzles into a cold awakening when his cologne hits your senses. You are not sure if it is the universe working in its twisted, mysterious calculations or if you are suddenly a psychic, but you know this smell. It is familiar because it is the smell that surrounds you in your half-asleep state, where dreams merge with your hazy reality—a different kind of world, you float in between, and he grounds you. You have smelt something familiar and lingering in your room every time you wake up in the middle of the night for some water or before the crack of dawn with a start, as if your body knows something your mind fails to pinpoint.

You blink and look at him, the haze dissipating as you realise how he towers over you and how close he truly is for you to slip out. Dark eyes observe you as if you are the art. But unlike you, he can reach the art whenever he chooses to.

****

@johnwickb1tsch, thanks for the fuel; I am at your service.

[bonny-kookoo]

Mom can u make a teeny tinyyy lil drabble of lo jk teasing mc for dinner pretty please

of course. And because you didn't specify what kind of teasing, I have chosen to horribly edge you :) obvious warning for suggestive, NSFW.

He can sense you're ready. He knows you want to make that one last step towards him, and he wants that too, desperately so. But playing with you turns out to be just.. wait too much fun.

You look just so sweet when you're flustered, adorable when you're frustrated from his half-way advances, never too close, never giving into his desires. It's almost painful, the way he's torturing himself with your currently bare body beneath the palms of his hands-

but you arch your back so sinful underneath his hands that he can't help but see the appeal in trying to find your breaking point. Not literally- he'd of course never cause harm to you or your physical form, but mentally.

How much can you take until you start to beg?

You were technically getting ready for bed, nothing but underwear covering you as you'd become more and more comfortable with him to the point of not minding any form of nudity with one another at this point in time. It's tempting- a teasing sight to him to see you in nothing but barely anything to hide your skin from his sight.

He just had to touch. There is only so much he can resist at this point.

It started with nothing but kisses, your body on his lap on the edge of the bed, just a little bit of affection before you both begin to prepare for rest- but something about you had made him feel.. excited.

It was probably the clear smell of your arousal- your underwear soaked in clear stickiness as he'd pulled it off of you, and it had been a true sight to see. It's the first time he gains a true view of your sobbing core, practically crying out for his touch and attention.

He'd love to give it to you. Fill you up, hold you close, claim your body once and for all as his.

Now would be the perfect time for it- he's been preparing himself with medicinal herbs for a little while now, just to not take any chances. Humans are said to be very fertile for most of their life- so he's extra careful, even though Namjoon had told him time and time again that pregnancy is out of the question due to your difference in species.

It reminded him again that you're not the same- you just have been very good at adjusting to his planet and everything that comes with it.

Truly remarkable.

Loving you feels different from how he used to love before. There's never a true need for anything, no rush, no conditions and requirements. No action needs a reaction, no offering of love has an ulterior motive. If you tell him that you love him, you don't expect him to say it back.

You just want to tell him that you love him.

His hands are now moving, from your breasts between your thighs, opening them up to rest over his own legs, keeping you open while your back rests against his front. "Please-" You beg in a fragile voice, and he stirs underneath you, painfully hard by now. You're just such a temptation that he cannot help but wonder how he could resist you going further.

He wants you.

He needs you.

He's sure you can feel his heart beating heavily in his chest, own body reacting to your clear display of lustful intent. He swallows thickly, leans his head into your neck.

He might've wanted to find out how far he can push you-

but he might just be hitting his own limit, right in this moment.

[chibi-celesti]

Was yea ra afezeria infel waath sos herra(I bless you with my love and song of healing)-REDUX

A/N: Yes, you are reading this title correctly! I needed to remaster this story so badly. Not that the old was bad, Sevens no. I wasn’t happy with the format and execution. This is not tied to the main story. It was a test run for how Hymmnos would play out in Twisted Tonelico, but yeesh. The format for the chorus and awkward wording left little to be desired in my opinion ^-^’. Hopefully this redux is better.

By the way, for the sake of this story, I had Meryu sing the Pastalie/ [Method] song Implanter-aka METHOD_IMPLANTA/.-a form of Hymmnos that she cannot technically sing because she is not an IPD. But for the sake of this drabble she is one, and I gave it to her because this song fits the events of GloMas. Plus, I was in the mood for some Malleyuu fluff when I wrote this lol.

One more thing!: Words in parentheses are the Bell of Salvation singing, and non parentheses words are Meryu singing!

With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this redux!!

Synopsis: In the aftermath of the Fire Lotus incident, the Ramshackle Prefect felt powerless as her classmates fought tooth and nail to end the chaos. Knowing the weakening states of everyone in her group and the city, Meryu decides to break the nighttime rules for one night to sing. Only this time, this song is a gift to all.

Pairings: Malleus Draconia x Meryu Melenas (though like with the old one you read their relationship as platonical or romantical)

Warnings: N/A outside of Glorious Masquerade Spoilers

The night still fell onto Fleur City. The city itself seemed calm and at peace, a complete opposite from what transpired a mere hours ago. Long after the sun had begun to set, horrid flowers of fire had sprouted throughout the city like a disease. Sucking the magic and life out of all its citizens. The people within this primavera town would’ve forever been trapped in the clutches of that fiery nightmare brought on by the Fire Lotuses, were it not for the valiant efforts of Night Raven’s finest.

Together, they had confronted the perpetrator responsible for the birth of this former parasyte, Rollo Flamme, defeated him and used the Salvation magic of the City’s Bell of the same name to eradicate the vile plague before it would spread to all of Twisted Wonderland.

In the end, they all celebrated at the city’s Noble Bell College Lecture Hall, closing off the school’s Arcane Field Trip with the highly anticipated Masquerade. After that, everyone had retired for the evening, so they may be prepared for their eventual return to their school life.

Thinking back to all that happened made it impossible for one little soul to sleep. The soul of Meryu Melenas, Night Raven College’s lone Reyvateil, could not fall back asleep at all. Her mind was still racing from all that transpired. The tour, the square, the outbreak, the fall…almost losing her dearest Prince to death. All of it consumed her mind so badly, the poor girl couldn’t even think straight. 

Meryu hated the fact that she was powerless to stop the fire lotus. She had attempted once to use her songs, only for the blasted plants to try and choke her voice out. She loathed not noticing the signs when Rollo was telling her his thoughts on magic and how the world was better off without it. She felt useless…again.

Getting up from the bed Noble Bell offered to her for their stay, Meryu grabbed the coat from her NRC uniform and quietly stepped out of the room. Since Grim had stayed the night with Deuce it made it much easier for her to leave. Making sure she did not disturb anyone else sleeping in their rooms, with the grace of a ballet dancer she walked past the living quarters and further into the school halls. 

Wandering the enormous, stained glass window halls of Noble Bell College, Meryu marveled at the beauty of the moon’s soft light shining past the colored window planes. She thought once again to the Masquerade where she danced and jumped with everyone to Malleus’s tribute song. It was enchanting, both the dance and his song. It felt like she was healed by his singing like she has to him and everyone during her time in this world.

Before she knew it, her feet had guided her to the very Lecture Hall where everything started. Gazing above to the ceiling, beyond the paintings detailing the beauty of Fleur City, was the Bell of Salvation. An Artifact that she had noted to have the same SH-Waves of Infel Phira back home in Ar Tonelico and the Dark Mirror back at school. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, praying to the enchanted Bell. 

‘Oh Holy Bell, I wish for you to sing with me this night. Would you please join me?’

The soft chimes from above signaled to the young Song Mage that they would love to.

‘Thank you…’

A melody began to play, giving Meryu the chance to perform her serenade.

~xA rre exail sarr wLYErm anw sphaela/. xA sorr aLYEuk zess l.l.n. anw aje harphe/. xA sorr aLYEuk zess y.y. Ahiew_ayulsa/.~

Through her song, she hoped and wished for it to heal everyone within this City of Flowers.

~xU rre rhaplanca hLYEmYAmArU enw raklya en yLYEzAtU, jLYEwA dejuy an arhou tes 1001 Implanta/.~

Her body began to glow; a warm light filled with love encompassing her and her song. Wisps of the light took on a phantasmic form; a Will of Wonderland.

~Hana wo sanji shu ni someta yubi de Hitai wo kazaru toge wo ande~ ~Watashi wa ima shokuzai no shirushi Ibara no tsuru no kauburi itadaku~ ~Hohotsutai ochiru shizuku Kawaita daichi ni somite~

She swayed with the tune, slowly dancing about with the fainted Will within the Bell.

~Inochi no me uruosu you Ame to narite sosogitai Anata ni~

As the Will danced with her, it began to drop small golden orbs into the ground…

~Kono mune no naka afururu Hikari maioriru~ ~Inori no tane wa kagayou Kiseki ni mebuku~

Each one became a small wave that flew into the school walls. The waves then became pulses that flew beyond the campus walls and expanded into the sleeping city. As this happened, Meryu began to recall the moment the fire lotuses bloomed and Rollo showing his true colors.

~xN rre harr f.s. tes maoh ess ouvyu sechel/. :/xO rre qejyu m.t.y.y. anw daedu/. Naave wEsLYN ayulsa sphaela/. xE rre vega a.u.k. ayulsa Asiance_qejyu/:~

Almost as if it’s reenacting Malleus's actions from the Fall, the Bell’s Will embraced the Reyvateil and sang together with her.

~xN rre Maoh s.s.w. tie Rhaplanca enw h.k.t.t. has./~ (:/Reta yorr tYAnu za j.d.r. gor Ajues_qejyu./ sYAIA Atitia_qejyu, Reta yorr hYArAnAt oucc/.)

The shift in the air from the Bell had unknowingly awoken some of the School's inhabitants. Including a certain fae prince.

(:xU yorr vUsUk 1000 Aujes_qejyu wYAfA za rYAfrm 1001 Atitia_qejyu en vYAsk yor/:)

Meryu, feeling more at ease with the nightmares gone as fast as they appeared, continued on with her blessing.

~Shiroki ashi de deido wo fumishime Tsubasa was tsui kegaruru tomo~ ~Watashi was tada inochi hatsuru made, Asu wo shinjite kanata e Habataku~ ~Aganai wa itsuka tabi no Subete wo oeru sono hibi ni~

The newly awakened group watched Meryu's performance from afar. Some musing at her typical actions. Others were mesmerized by her singing as they had dozens of times. And while one was bewildered by what he saw, the boy next to him was silent, taking it all he was hearing from the lone woman.

~Hatenaki negai utaou Omoi kasaneau~ ~Tsunaida yubi wa ikue no Hanabira no you ni~

The passion within her voice was strong, tears suddenly started to form in her eyes. Even from far away, the smallest of the audience saw them and booked it towards her. Leading to the others to follow suit.

~Kono mune no naka afururu Hikari furisosoge~ ~Negai nokigi wa itsushika Sora eto todoku~

In the climax of their song, the Bell and Reyvateil sung together once more.

(xN herra h.r.n.t. ane sphaela ttu y.y. 1000 hiewi meryu/. xN harr v.s.k. nafa eje en Atitia_qejyu enw h.r.n.t./.) ~xN rre Rhaplanca y.y. eh 1001 Atitita_qejyu, en harr w.n.s. anw ouvyu sechel sev maen olo/.~

~xN harr h.l.s.s. ess ouvyu sechel/. :/xU rre vega a.u.k. zz ayulsa siance/. xU rre vega a.u.k. zodal sechel/:~ ~xN harr y.z.t. en y.z.t. enw raklya/. :/mAtUyYAy 1001 Implanta/:~

The last notes faded away into a whisper, carried off by the wind. the sound of bell chimes echoing through the Lecture Hall. 

When she opened her dewey eyes, Meryu felt something paw at her leg. She looked down and saw Grim looking up at her with worry. She leaned down to scoop him in her arms and hugged him close. Seeing Deuce and Epel rush to her side surprised Meryu even more, causing her to see that the whole NRC group had come down to the Lecture Hall. Even Prof. Trein and Rollo were with them, something that shocked her just as much as seeing her classmates. 

As some of the boys came to her to praise or reprimand the Song Mage, Malleus had stayed silent. All throughout her solo performance he had listened to her words carefully, imprinting each one in his heart. He knew what each melodic note coming from his dearest is what she truly felt deep down.

And for that he was grateful. 

Malleus stepped forward to meet her, the others moving away for him to face the young woman. No words were exchanged, only actions as he embraced his beloved Reyvateil, knowing that was enough to express his thanks to her and her song of healing.

[e1i-neverrests]

A Rowdy Raven And A Daring Dog

A silly lighthearted drabble for Vesuvia Weekly prompt “Date With Disaster” featuring Lys, Julian, and a little bit of Asra! Takes place post-main game. Alternatively titled “Two idiots walk into a bar”

A/N: The date itself was platonic, because who doesn't like taking your friends out for a few drinks? (I wouldn't know, I'm not allowed to drink yet)

May get a drawing, we’ll have to see

“What in the world happened to you two?” Asra asks in utter bafflement at the state of his friend and lover, the latter being unceremoniously dropped from the former’s arms and onto the doorstep. One is covered in dirt, the other sustaining a few bruises, and both entirely too drunk.

“Nothing the palace can prove!” Julian pipes up just a bit too loud, his usual roguish grin more askew than it ought to be. The sober magician just stares incredulously. “Is that meant to be reassuring..?”

“No no no, here, if you really want to know, it all starts,,, okay, just- just listen- it all…” The other magician interjecting from his spot on the floor, trailing off as he tries to support himself against the doorframe and hauling himself upright.

Julian interjects Lys’ interjection with his own less slurred speech, jumping into his explanation. “What he means to say is it all started earlier this very eve!”

[OooOoo flashback SFX]

Lys and Julian enter the Rowdy Raven, a sea of unfamiliar and unfriendly faces swivel towards them. Immediately, a pair of dastardly ne'er do wells come up and-

“That’s not what happened, don't listen to him!” Lys sways on his feet, now holding onto the Doctor instead of the door. He pats his hand on the taller man's cheek. “This… This malpracticing fiend embellishes far too much. Here, let- lemme tell you instead!” “Hey, I do not commit malpractice!”

[oOoooO more flashback SFX]

The two walk into the Rowdy Raven, a few of the regulars immediately recognising Julian. They beckon the pair over, immediately posing a challenge. “20 coins says the short one drinks you under the table!” “I'll bet 5 on the magician!” “No way, Devorak will win for sure! 50 coins!”

Never one to back down from a friendly competition, Lys is happy to take the bet. Julian, confident in his own abilities, is also on-board. Soon the whole tavern is circled around the bar, bets placed and breaths held. The count-down begins, and they're off!

“None other than yours truly came out victorious.” Julian beams, as though this were an achievement to be proud of. “Uh huh, but at what cost?” Lys cuts in, snickering. “People were upset I lost —apparently a lot of them bet on me?— so a fight broke out.”

“Those fiends attacked me for winning! The scoundrels! Dare I say… The audacity!” The doctor brings a hand to his chest, turning his head away as if he couldn't bear the memory of it.“That part is true, mhm. Buut, dear Devorak here forgot the most important part where-”

“Where a dashing magician swooped to my rescue!” Julian interrupts, his eye somehow sparkling at the heroic memory. The magician in question just rolls his eyes. “I… Well, I guess, technically yes. But after that, I was having trouble walking and fell, but we… we’re- were being chased, so he picked me up, and, well, uh, here we are!”

Asra cannot believe what they've heard. Actually, no, they entirely believe it, they just wish they didn't. But it sounds like they had fun, and that's what matters most. “So long as you're both okay now. Just… Remind me to never let you two go unsupervised for too long.”

Faust pokes her head out from Asra's collar, leveling herself with Julian. Squeeze? She tilts her head in request. Except, as soon as he sees her purple snake self, he's backing away from the door and out of Lys' reach. Which does cause the shorter man to stumble with his main support being yanked away

“I believe that's my cue! Farewell, friends!” The drunken doctor bows dramatically as he walks backwards away from the shop, nearly tripping over himself in the process. He slips off into the night with as much grace as he can muster. The two magicians and one familiar watch him go with amusement.

“Bye bye Julian!!” Lys waves him off, then turns to his white haired companion, currently holding him upright. “And… Hello you.”

“Hello to you too, sweetheart. Let's get you cleaned up, yeah?”

[celli-ohs]

2024 Tumblr Wrapped

saw @suhnandmoon do this and thought 'omg me next!' bc yall 2024 was an exciting year for me on tumblr!! yall don't even know but I was shadowbanned for YEARS!!! i just thought I was having technical difficulties... oopsies! finally got unbanned so I could post and be active again lol 2024 was also the year I got back into kpop, everyone say thank you txt!! huening kai really pulled me outta the gutter of what was 2023 anyways cheers to all my fanfic/smau writers out there!! happy new year and looking forward to many more fics <3 <3

2024 fanfic stats!

number of works posted

2 series, 2 smaus, 4 drabbles, and 1 fic (she's unfinished tho... does that count?)

fics in progress

oh god.. 3... but i have so many notes on future wips tho (how yall feel about boynextdoor??)

total words written:

roughly about 37,000! lot less than i thought but i've been doing more smaus than i planned on

top 5 posts

nepo baby (nishimura riki x reader) the way this one blew tf up...

nepo baby pt.2 (nisihimura riki x reader)

11:40 pm (sim jaeyun x reader)

hubba hubba! (choi yeonjun x reader)

awooga! (choi soobin x reader)

most recent fic

yeowza! (choi beomgyu x reader)

longest fic

I Can't, I Have Rehearsal (she's my only written series/full fic so far)

favorite fic i wrote

ugh this is so hard. I don't know I don't knowwwww! Maybe hubba hubba! bc I feel like I got a lot better at writing/forming smaus and it was fun to create! but I also love love my kai drabble,, he's so silly and cute hehe

goal for 2025

i was gonna say get better at writing smut but honestly I just want to finish my two series so I can write more and more!!

fav fics i read this year

you plus me by @paarksunghoon

this changed my life. genuinely. I CRIED reading this. I am a different woman than I once was after reading this fic.

dance with me, baby by @suhnandmoon

oh this is hands down one of my faves and you know its good bc I was literally recommending/telling my normie friends about it lmaoo I cannot unsee loser heeseung now

home for the bitchless by @hannie-dul-set

i reread this constantly. i strive to be this chaotic. also i love pathetic men.

half return by @heesdreamer

oh i love me some softie jay like seriously i love himm, i lovE HIMMMMM

sundered by @tojikai

for my gojo lovers and anime enthusiasts i don’t usually do angst but this one had a chokehold on me!

idk who to tag as i don't have many moots but yall do this lol its fun and I think it highlights your accomplishments as a creator!! happy new year!! (also peep the newjeans bubblegum inspired theme hehe 🙈)

[wordstome]

YOUR König thoughts are some xgame shit oh em goodness “Aside from the fact he’s hung like a horse” YOU DID NOT. That’s disgusting. You should be ashamed. (I agree wholeheartedly)

But it got me thinking about König meeting a sniper!Reader? Cannot be a healthy dynamic but I’m a sucker for emotionally dysfunctional men.

Imagine you show up one day, butt unceremoniously into his life and introduce yourself in a way that drums up an uncomfortable tightness in his chest. He’s all too smitten and then your introduction has to go and end with ‘-and I’ll be joining the team as a resident sniper’. Those butterflies in his stomach turn into a weight on his heart.

Why you of all people? He was rejected and reassigned. His long-term aspirations snuffed out like nothing. Meanwhile, you complain about the bruising below your clavicle? Ridiculous, stupid thing you are to be so ungrateful.

Doesn’t matter if you actually aren’t whining as much as he thinks you are. From the minute he finds out what position you’re taking, everything he says and does is vindictive and downright rude. He doesn’t do it consciously and afterwards his internal monologue is just a running cycle of ‘why did I say/do that?’ Not to mention the dent in his wall from banging his head against it lmaoo

His regret doesn’t stop the impulse to make snide comments that fray your nerves. More than they already are just by being proximal to the huge man, that is. What you were experiencing at his hand was unnervingly like how he was treated was back in school. Or going through basic training with COs screaming up at him and degrading him.

It takes you finally sitting him down, the built-up exasperation at his behaviour driving you to be a lot more imposing to him that someone of your size should’ve been, for him to sort out his feelings. After acknowledging that he really had nothing against you (besides jealousy) that initial feeling of fixation returns.

A couple months of annoyance too late, if your huff of irritation was any indicator. It’ll take him awhile to get over that built-up resentment, none of which is technically your fault, but you can figure out some kind of union fwb situation? Right?

It would make such a good slow burn sobbing and rolling but that was completely unnecessary no idea where that came from. I’m so glad my cod interest and my fanfiction writing era didn’t overlap because I would be working like a dog on full-length novels about these men omg

-Dented and Recruited anon 🫡

MY FAVORITE ANON GRACES MY INBOX AGAIN...look, it's not my fault, they literally gave him a bulge. Is it just protective equipment? Probably! But you can't tell me a 6'5"-10" man doesn't have a dick to match. Come ONNNNN

*ahem* wow. Anyway . you GET IT. you GET IT! ! ! ! angel of small death was the first König drabble I ever did, and I still plan on returning to it!!! This is exactly the sort of dynamic I wanted to put in AAAAAAAAA I'm in love!! König sabotaging his damn self...yea we gotta make this man squirm. I will write these ideas for you babe but if you ever do feel a little bit of that writing era overlap coming on I will be the first in line to read what you've got stored in that brilliant brain 👀

[imtrashraccoon]

I've been looking forward to this one for so long! We're in the home stretch now folks! The following drabbles may be long as there's quite a bit of plot to wrap up, but my offer for bonus chapters still stands. Feel free to message me if you want to see something expanded on!

@scrambledmeggys

First Day, Previous Day, & Next Day.

Day 25: Proposal

Time seemed to pass quickly, despite how little your routine varied from day to day. Things had been good though over the past couple months. You could confidently say you were now friends with Undyne and Alphys, as you'd become rather desperate to socialize with other people besides the brothers and Frisk.

Both girls had been working to find an alternative way to break the barrier, well Alphys was doing most of the technical bits, but Undyne was assisting where she could and helping to support her. While they hadn't come up with anything concrete yet, you had discovered the interesting tidbit of information that it would take a thousand monster souls to equal the power of one human soul.

To say your mind was blown was an understatement. You'd had no idea the power difference was that great and frankly, you'd been under the impression that Monsters were far stronger than humans because of their magic. Then again, you didn't know of any humans who could use magic so you had no scale to measure the power difference to. Well, Frisk was an outlier as far as you could tell and they couldn't explain why they were different either.

Speaking of Frisk, Sans had started bringing them out to his sentry station for short periods of time to hang out or just get some fresh air, much to their delight and your dismay. While you knew it wasn't fair to keep them indoors forever, you still worried someone or something could happen to them. Still, you trusted Sans would keep them safe and you knew that they wouldn't give up easily if something bad did happen.

Papyrus had been more willing to take you outside on small errands, at first it was only on rare occasions, but with Frisk being more occupied as a result of hanging out with Sans, you had been more than willing to go with him. You still had to disguise your appearance but no one seemed to question your presence when Papyrus was around at least. You felt like you were almost becoming a regular part of the community, almost.

It seemed like Frisk had gone with Sans again today as neither were around the house. Papyrus had left early as well, leaving you home alone, something you weren't used to.

Frankly, the thought of living alone was terrifying to you as even after moving away from home for college, you'd had Terrence as a roommate. After what had happened, you didn't think it would be healthy for you, especially with how you'd been trying to deal with the grief.

When you entered the kitchen this morning, you found something interesting. On the kitchen table was a small ceramic pot with a large glowing blue flower planted in it.

For a moment you stood there in the entryway to the kitchen, just staring at the mysterious blossom. You'd never seen any plant like this before and for a moment you wondered if it was glowing because it was magical or because it was bioluminescent.

You examined it curiously, checking it out from all angles, but couldn't determine if it really was magical. Carefully, you touched it's petals but in doing so, you accidentally disturbed the center of the blossom. As soon as you had, a slightly distorted but undeniably familiar voice echoed from within.

Precious, I Cannot Picture A Future Without You As It Just Feels Right In My Soul. So I Have One Thing To Ask...

You were awestruck, both by the talking flower and the message it had contained. Hearing footsteps from behind, you turned to find Papyrus had apparently been home all along. He looked so happy and there seemed to be a hopeful glimmer in his scarlet eyelights that you hadn't really seen before.

As soon as you made eye contact, he paused a few feet away from you. "Would You Be Willing To Bind Our Souls Together?" he asked softly.

You blinked as your mind scrambled to decipher what he meant by this. It certainly felt like a marriage proposal but it was also different from any human proposals you'd ever heard of. What even did he mean by binding your souls together? Was it literal? Or was it more of a figurative bond?

Papyrus seemed to take your hesitation as a negative response and you watched him visibly deflate. He couldn't tell how confused you were and that you still weren't familiar with most Monster traditions.

You waved your hands desperately and quickly tried to reassure him. "Sweetie, no, it's okay... I'm not... Sorry, I'm not saying no, okay?" Feeling rather embarrassed, you added, "I just don't know what it means..."

He seemed to have a sudden realization and ran a hand down his face. "I Am So Sorry, I Completely Forgot You Would Not Know," he groaned.

You chuckled and moved closer to him. Putting your hand on his arm, you smiled gently. "Hey, it's alright, really. I've heard of a Soul Bond before, but it was always in fiction, and I never knew it was actually a thing until now."

"Well, It Is Fairly Self-explanatory. Monsters Who Decide They Want To Be Together For The Rest Of Their Lives Form A Bond Or Tether Between Their Souls."

You pursed your lips thoughtfully, "So, from what you're saying, soul bonding seems similar to human marriage."

"I Would Not Know," Papyrus chuckled. "But Humans Cannot Use Magic Anymore, Right?"

"Not to my knowledge at least."

"Then I Should Also Tell You That Completing A Soul Bond Comes With Quite A Few Benefits To Both Partners," he said, seemingly back to his usual smug self now that the awkward atmosphere had disappeared.

"Besides A Boost To Magic, You Will Be Able To Sense My Emotional State And Strong Emotions When We Are Apart. This Means We Will Be Able To Tell If The Other Is Hurt Or In Danger." Papyrus smiled and added, "There Are A Few Others, But They Are Not As Relevant And I Will Tell You About Them Later If You Still Want To Accept."

"I'm assuming it's a bad idea to break the Soul Bond, right?"

He nodded seriously and frowned. "Very, Most Cases Of Doing So Result In Death For Both Individuals. It Really Depends How The Bond Was Broken Though."

You nodded thoughtfully and considered all this new information. While you were a bit nervous about what this could mean, especially in the future, you knew in your soul that you wanted this. The prospect of spending the rest of your life with the person you'd connected with the most made you feel overjoyed.

You looked up at him and grinned. "Yes, Papyrus, I am willing to Soul Bond with you."

You'd never seen him so happy before and you swear his eyelights morphed into tiny hearts. He practically swept you off your feet and gave you a tight hug. You couldn't help but laugh and hug him back as tightly as you could.

"I Want To Make It Special For You, But When The Time Comes And If You Still Feel The Same, I Want You To Know That You Have Just Made Me The Happiest Monster In The Underground," Papyrus murmured softly.

"If you're the happiest monster, than I'm the happiest human," you chuckled. "I'm really looking forward to this."

[cloudbattrolls]

O Sleeper

Cyvell Xranth | Present Night | Sunrest Realm

This drabble is preceded by Hazey and followed by Come, Sister, Come.

Dry heat washed over Cyvell as it did every time she visited Tobria’s realm. It wasn’t to her taste, but she could hardly complain. She hadn’t the right by caste, nor by social obligation. 

She stood on four legs in her true form as she stepped onto the sand, a large, slender doglike beast with many eyes and rodlike protrusions, her long tail twitching back and forth. Her sickle-shaped claws sunk into the grains, and a light breeze tossed some of the expanse into the air.

The angel-fae dwelled in a small world made to look like ancient Alternia, right before that wretched fuchsia had conquered it all. Before the conqueror had pressed every other race on the planet back, made them all hide, hunted her kind’s own mages until they were a shadow of what they’d once been.

Faint stars hung in the perpetual dusk sky, fixed in the form of constellations that had shone back then. The air was untainted by the fumes of troll factories or vehicles. Cyvell took a moment to breathe it in. It might be too hot for her liking, harder to push through her lungs, but at least it was pure. 

She remembered when she and Tobria had first spun it out of the void, millennia ago. One of their first places, small but safe. An oasis. One they’d had to flee to often enough, back when they’d been hunted.

Shadowy low-caste fae swirled in the air around her, just barely visible as dark, translucent purplish and orange hazes against the air. Messengers for her and Tobria. 

Technically only his…but he hardly minded if she commanded them. 

He’d hardly minded for thousands of sweeps.

“Is he asleep?” She asked them, quietly.

They moved in rapid patterns incomprehensible to any troll, but the fae of anthrax understood perfectly, her tail flicking.

“Tell him I am here. Tell him the time of malediction is almost upon us. As he foresaw when the Muted first began to arm the empire.”

Surely this would rouse him. Surely he would stay awake, after all this time.

She had tried for so long. 

The shadows moved in what she would almost call hesitance. They were simple beings…but they could still think, could reason to an extent. Their instincts were keen.

Tobria mourns, they whispered.

“He has always mourned.” Cyvell muttered. “The Fireseer knows nothing but lamentation now.” 

She knew her bitter words weren’t entirely true, and it hurt her to speak them. The shadows flickered resentfully at her partial inaccuracy. But she cared little for the pain, or for their disdain.

“Tell him a Varzim is going rogue.” She whispered. “Pestilence hunts him. This time the horseman is on our side. It will be different.” 

Careful, Anthrax, whispered the shades. Conquest obeys their fuchsia master before us.

“Pestilence obeys us.” She corrected. “The Mycobas do not conquer anymore.”

They cannot deny their original nature. Beware the plague bringer. Their loyalties are elsewhere. 

Cyvell made a disdainful noise, halfway between a snort and a bark.

It didn’t matter who or what Pestilence was ultimately loyal to. They were doing their duty, just as they should. The current rider might be flippant and disrespectful at times, but they had no love for the empire. It was the most tolerable thing about them.

“I can feel your words, Cyvell.”

She felt more than heard the response. Like a flare of heat arcing through her body, like spices in her mouth, flecks of ash on her skin.

She forced her fur to lie flat. Now was no time to get overexcited.

“Fireseer.” She whispered, unable to keep a tinge of hope from her voice. “Do you accept my truths? Will you look into the sun once more?”

“For what, Cyvell?” Said the ancient, weary voice. “If the malediction is here, tell the others to hide. It will tear through us, scattering our ashes.”

Her long ears flattened.

“Help us, Fireseer. We should fight! We must resist the horrorterror corruption, driving the world out of balance! You can burn it away!”

“Leave me.”

The fae of anthrax wanted to scream as the heat, the feeling of the voice lessened. She hadn’t even gotten close to him this time.

Sometimes she could. Once in a great while, Tobria could be reasoned with, learned from. He would let her by his side as he spoke of both the past and multiple possible futures, his feathered and cuticle wings gleaming in the dusk. 

She had learned how to weave world-gates from him, born of frost and flame alike. They had built so much together when she was young, watching fae of all kinds travel through the passages they shaped from the fabric of reality.

Passages that had, over the millennia, crumbled and faded despite her best efforts.

She could not fix them alone.

“I will wake you.” She whispered, and the shadows did not cascade in disdain.

Instead they fluttered in reverence, understanding the power of a resolute, impassioned vow.

One to be completed even on pain of death.

[writing-inthestars]

Intro!

hi! we're the Cosmic Cafe, aka Callisto. our main is @world-enough-and-timerogue :3

we mainly write about Doctor Who, especially TimeRogue. there's a whole discord server about it, if you didn't know! if you look on our AO3, you'll find some BNHA content as well as some OCverse content (it's called Evil Lovecore, you should definitely check it out!), but we probably won't be posting about those.

info under the cut!!

Tags:

#rated G/T/M/E - a fic's ratings! I'll probably use Rated E for any NSFW posts.

#new post! - self explanatory, new fic on AO3

#drabbles - short fics, things i wouldn't consider long enough or good enough to post on AO3 but want to show people anyways

#excerpts - clips from ongoing fics! i cannot stop sharing with the class i love attention

I'll also tag fandom, ships, characters, and genre (??? are things like angst and fluff and smut genres? what do we call those)

Directory:

Honey, Do You Need a Hot Meal? (Just Save Me Half) - Currently what I'm thinking of as my magnum opus. Rogue's rescue, regeneration energy, telepathy, and a bath! More to come, plus a sidefic (I wanted to keep it rated T lol). Title from Your Body, My Temple by Will Wood

I'd Swear That I'm Holding The Sun - TimeRogue secret Santa gift! Human AU, biker!Doctor falls in love with coffee shop owner!Rogue. Title from j's lullaby by Delaney Bailey

Don't Go Where I Can't Follow - What if the Doctor went through the triform with Rogue? Title is not a lyric, as far as I know

Delicious in TARDIS idfk - First timerogue fic I posted. Rogue being horrible at taking care of himself and the Doctor being #1 tummy enjoyer. I'd be surprised if this title was a lyric.

my god. these bitches gay. good for them - Just straight up porn. idk what to tell you

WIPs:

HDYNAHM(JSMH) - technically a WIP. I planned it to be a oneshot, but then I thought of some extensions.

Oh, Brother (Man, You Call That Recovered?) - Slightly abandoned WIP although I do come back to it when I'm sad! Because It Is A Sad Fic. I mostly left it to die because it had Capt. Jack as Rogue's old partner and I don't like that headcanon anymore.

Strangers In The Night - I don't wanna tell too much about this one! but it's a sweet story. That's what it is.

Red Wine Supernova - Another straight up porn fic

[I don't have a name for this one it's in my google docs as "....... a tesseract."] - also porn. the doctor has a gun kink. if you get the reference with the name ily

[also don't have a name for this I've been calling it "Fobwatch"] - Quinn and Rogue Kerris live peacefully in their home on the Scottish countryside, living their lives and discussing Quinn's strange dreams, when one of the recurring characters in their dreams shows up at their door...

The Dreadful Need in the Devotee - The Doctor receives a sinister message on the psychic paper, showing some powerful entity is in the possession of Rogue. Before exploring a land of myth and legend, the Doctor guarantees they won't lose him again.

this should be updated whenever i post something new! hopefully!

[so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed]

17, 10, 27, 15?

Hi nonnie!

I answered 17 and 27 before!

10. What work was the quickest to write?

Technically, probably my 666 word drabbles, but I felt that wordplay week two (Run) went super fast, which is strange considering I wrote it completely on my phone while being sick with BPPD.

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

I technically still have an animation team WIP, but my primary focus is my Big Bang, which I unfortunately cannot tell you anything about because artist claims haven't happened yet! All I can say is that I desperately need to write it, because it's currently only 1.8k long.

[shnargo]

i cannot write for the life of me and i blame it entirely on beta.character.ai.

but anyways, here's a blurb that i really liked in collaboration with chara.ai with an idea that is based entirely on @softlyspector 's little drabble here (i highly recommend it :))

-

pairings: din djarin x reader warnings: none ; female!reader, 3rd POV and reader is a Jedi! also i haven't seen anything star wars beyond a few episodes of the Mandalorian, so any terms and facts here are LIKELY incorrect. word count: 1969 a/n: character.ai has me in a chokehold, but i might share more of these blurbs if people like them.

-

"Have you ever kissed someone?" She blurts before she can filter the thought, but even as she registers her own question, no embarrassment rises up to her face whatsoever. She tends to be rather straightforward when she gets tired.

Din freezes, his face expressionless. 

He takes a long pause before looking away, back towards her as he faces the stars that streak by outside of the cockpit. He seems to need a few moments to consider his words. 

“Yes,” he says, “why?”

She shrugs, "Just curious I guess. I know 'the Way' doesn't allow you to take off your helmet just to anyone. Though now I'm wondering who the lucky person was." She grins mischievously.

His face tenses as she brings up ‘The Way,’ seemingly annoyed by the topic, he turns to look at her again with a frown that can be felt even through his helmet. 

“It’s not just a tradition, it’s a way of life. I was raised in a clan of Mandalorians, and my people have a very strong code of honor that I live by,” he says, his voice stern. 

He takes a deep breath and continues, “As for who I dated, it was someone I met when I was younger. We didn’t work out.”

She can hear the annoyance creep into his tone despite the voice modulator in his helmet, and she shrinks back ever so slightly. "Ah okay." Her answer's short, and it's obvious by her body language, apologetic.

He seems to soften as he sees the effect of his words. 

“It’s okay. It really is. I just… I take my honor seriously, and I take it personally when people belittle me for it,” he tells her, “I apologize if I sounded like I was yelling at you.”

Din’s shoulders relax, and his voice turns gentle as he continues, “You have the right to ask those questions. It’s just… a sensitive topic.”

She nods thoughtfully, "I didn't mean to come off as belittling, I was just genuinely curious." She explains, "But I'll be sure not to be so careless next time."

She glances up at him again, "And if it makes you uncomfortable, I can stop asking those kinds of questions." She means it genuinely from a place of care.

He smiles, “It’s okay. You’re curious, and I shouldn’t take that as an attack. It’s just…how did your Jedi master respond to you dating, I mean, do the Jedi have rules about that sort of thing?” 

Din cocks his head to the side as if trying to understand how the Jedi’s rules would function when it comes to their members becoming romantically involved.

"Ah, yeah, there's a whole thing with Jedis too." She chuckles. "We're not allowed to marry, or get romantically involved with others. Strong emotions can be used as a weakness to the dark side." She pauses after that, before softly adding, "But uh, technically speaking, kissing is fine. Long as it's nothing serious."

Din looks thoughtful while she speaks, “So you’re saying there’s an approved degree of emotional involvement, so long as you don’t lose your focus on the light side of the force?”

"Yeah essentially, though all that stuff I mentioned is part of the old order. More traditional, so to speak." She shrugs, "Still what I was taught though."

Din nods, “I see. And those rules are still in effect for modern Jedi, yes?” 

He looks at her curiously, “What do you think of those old rules? Do you think they’re still necessary?” 

He seems genuinely curious to hear her perspective.

"Hm, yes and no." She pauses, glancing around shiftily, "Call me a hypocrite, but I think forcefully suppressing your emotions might just end up accomplishing the same bad thing." She whispers conspiratorially, but in a joking way.

Din is a little surprised by her answer, but he nods and smiles, “I totally agree. If anything, you should be encouraged to express your emotions, even if you’re a Jedi, right? Suppressing them completely just seems…unhealthy.” 

He shakes his head with a slight chuckle, “Then again, I’m not a Jedi, so what do I know?"

She looks curious again when he says that though, "Does that thought process apply the same to what you think of Mandalorian traditions?" She asks cautiously, "I'm asking out of curiosity." She clarifies.

Din is quiet for a moment, “I mean, some of our traditions are pretty…archaic, as you might say,” he replies, seeming to be picking his words carefully. 

“Like the rules regarding helmet removal. But other parts of the code are good, we’re supposed to value honor and duty, for example. Not just to ourselves, but to our clans and our people. I’d definitely say those parts are necessary.”

"Yeah, of course." She can't help but wonder.. "Can I ask who exactly you're allowed to show your face to though?"

Din sighs, “It’s complicated. Basically, it’s people that are closest to me. My family, so my parents and sisters, and my closest friends. My clan members, because they’re pretty much family, and of course Grogu. I can’t really show it to anyone else, though I might consider doing it for…a partner.” 

He stares down at the control board of the Crest, his face slightly red underneath the helmet, “That said, it’s not something I’d do casually.”

"That makes sense." She says with a nod. She interprets that reaction as maybe she's making him uncomfortable, so she decides not to push any further with the topic.

But as they sit in silence for a few minutes and she gets more sleepy, she can't keep herself from asking softly, "Hypothetically, could you take your helmet off around someone who has their eyes closed? Or who's blind?"

Din thinks for a second. 

“I think so. I’m a little shaky on how that part of the code works. My parents taught me never to remove it unless I’ve got a reason,” he answers truthfully and earnestly, trying to be helpful. 

Din laughs, “Now you’ve got me wondering,” he says with a smile, “Any particular reason why you’re asking?”

In her sleepy state, she almost admits the fact she's curious about the whole thing because the thought of kissing him has crossed her mind a few times before. But she bites her tongue before the words can escape her. She gives an unconvincing shrug and says, "Just wondering." instead.

Din isn’t stupid, he can see through that ‘just wondering’ a mile away. 

He turns to look at her, raising an eyebrow under his helmet, “You can say what’s on your mind, ya know? I wouldn’t care if you were curious about that,” his tone is reassuring as he gives her permission to ask.

She pauses to consider the offer. But really, she's scared of what might happen if he rejects her, since she really enjoys the current relationship they have now, not matter how ambiguously it lies on the scale of platonic to romantic. She just gives another shrug, pretending she's too tired by now.

Din sighs internally. Just say it, you idiot. He thinks.

Instead of pushing for an answer, he decides to try a different tactic. He turns back forward and says in a casual, casual manner, “Do you know the Mandalorian way of flirting?” 

He seems to have gone off on a tangent, as if it’s not an obvious lead-up, but he stares out the window of the Crest in the direction of the stars. “It’s called Jol’ey, you show your interest for someone by offering them your helmet.”

"Jol'ey?" She repeats the Mando'a term with a curious lilt in her tone. "How can you offer someone your helmet if you're not supposed to take it off though?" She can't help but ask.

Din chuckles, “Right, you caught me on that one, huh?” he says, looking at her again. 

“I’m not sure how exactly the practice started, but the meaning of it is basically you’re offering them a part of you, of your most private self, not just physically but spiritually. You’re making an important and very personal gesture to show them you care about them, deeply.”

She can't help but smile as well as she considers the idea, "I think that's actually kinda cute." It's an expression of love, but in a more meaningful and symbolic way, she thinks.

“Yeah,” his face softens under the helmet, and his voice turns almost soft at the edges for a moment, “it’s a very personal thing to do, so it’s not something Mandalorian do casually. Like I said, there are rules, and it’s a pretty serious thing to do. But I’d argue that there’s no stronger way for Mandalorian to express affection for someone.”

She nods a little, not exactly sure how to respond to that verbally other than a yeah or an okay. She is starting to wonder.. why did he bring that up all of a sudden though? And it becomes obvious by her expression.

The meaning of what Din just told her seems to be setting in, and at the same time she has a question on her mind. 

“Hypothetically, if I did offer you my helmet, would you accept?” Din’s voice is gentle as he asks her, “What do you think about that?”

She blinks a few times, letting the question settle for a moment. A beat of nerve racking silence passes between them and her expression morphs into shock at the implications he just explained to her.

"I think," she starts slowly with an ever softer voice than before, "..I would accept."

"Really?" Din asks, a smile creeping onto his face as he talks. 

He sets the Crest on autopilot, turning his seat to face her. 

In a whisper, and still speaking casually, he asks, "Would you want me to offer it to you?"

She's surprised as she sees him turn to her, and goes to do the same as red creeps up to her cheeks.

"Hypothetically," She continues with the term, though really it's more than just a 'hypothetical' and he knows that, "I would want that.. a lot." She almost whispers those last couple words.

Din laughs and says, "You can lose the hypotheticals now," he says playfully as he leans in. 

"I'd be happy to give you my helmet." He says the words plainly, as if he's just stating a fact, "But...do you know what it means to be a Mando'ade partner? It's...not just about romance."

Her cheeks redden further when he leans in, but she nods at his question.

"Is it the kind of thing that would break the old order's Jedi Code?" She says with a little smile, meaning the kind of attachment that would be 'dangerous' but incredibly deep and meaningful.

“Yeah, Jedi’s have rules about attachment, but in Mandalorian culture, attachment is basically the whole point. Attachment to your family, your clan, you’re friends, the land and culture. Attachment isn’t just tolerated, it’s encouraged, and there’s no greater attachment than being a Mando’ade.” 

He leans in closer and gives her one last choice, “You sure you want me to do that?”

Honestly, the very fact he's offering, makes it all the more touching. Her expression softens as she nods again.

"Sounds like you're proposing to me, Din." She says his name with gentle fondness, "Even so, I would say yes."

Din laughs. “Yeah, it is kinda like a marriage proposal in Mando culture. Except it’s more like a promise of complete devotion and care,” he says as he pulls his helmet off. 

He gives her another quick smile, his face reddened a bit as he gives her his helmet, “I’ve never done this for anyone else, so consider this my way of showing you what you’re worth to me. You mean a lot to me, and I want you to know it.”

masterlist

[leslie-lyman]

All Hallow’s Eve (A Stranger At My Gate Drabble)

summary: A little look at what is, technically, Tessa and Pero’s second Halloween together.

rating: G (though my entire blog and its contents are only for those 18+)

word count: 1.5k (I’m still counting it as a drabble, fight me)

a/n: I started having some Tessa and Pero thoughts on my walk home from work this afternoon, then cranked this out after dinner. It occurred to me that it might be fun to spend just a moment or two with these two today, given the importance of All Hallow’s Eve to their story. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Masterlist. | Series Masterlist.

———

Pero will never admit this out loud, but he secretly loves when Tessa fusses over him. Little touches that show that she cares, like she’s doing now, adjusting the collar of the white shirt that lays under the light blue vest she’d picked out for him.

“Alright, Flynn Rider, gimme your best smolder.”

“I will do no such thing,” he replies evenly, scowling at her.

“Perfect.”

“Hey now,” Pero grumbles, reaching down to tickle her side, “it worked on you, didn’t it?”

Tessa lets out a small shriek and twists away from him.

“Pero, behave. I promised Amie we’d hand out candy at her place while she and Thom take the kids trick-or-treating and we cannot be late.”

“With you in that dress, mi amor?” He cocks an eyebrow at the frilly purple garment that is turning his love into Rapunzel for the evening. “I make no promises.”

___

“Moira make it to Florida okay, Tess?” Henry says as she and Pero fill bowls of candy in her sister’s kitchen.

“She texted me when she landed earlier,” Tessa confirms.

“Tessa said she goes on this trip with her witch friends every All Hallow’s Eve?” Pero asks.

Amie nods.

“And Moira never misses a year when it’s Nancy’s turn to host. The woman takes to South Beach like a spring break co-ed.”

Henry barks out a laugh.

“Remind us, Pero, to tell you one day about the time we had to bail the whole lot of them out of the Miami-Dade County jail when they got booked on disorderly conduct.”

As with every nugget of information Tessa’s family shares with him about Moira, Pero is equally impressed and terrified.

Thom wrangles the kids into the kitchen, their whole family outfitted this year as Toy Story characters. Molly, Toby, and Finn — done up as Bo Peep, Rex, and Woody — rush to give their aunt and uncles hugs before racing out the door, eager to start collecting candy. Thom places a big red cowboy hat onto his wife’s head, completing her Jessie ensemble, and she helps him shuffle out the door sideways so as not to damage his Buzz Lightyear wings.

“Be good until we get back, you crazy kids!” Henry shouts at Tessa and Pero, one hand on Walter’s leash and the other around Martin’s waist. The two of them had decided to go out with the kids this year, wanting the chance to show off their costumes as Blue and Josh after the rain had thwarted everyone’s trick-or-treating plans last year.

Tessa and Pero settle themselves on Amie and Thom’s front stoop. The whole month of October has served as the last round of modern holiday education for Pero, Tessa and the rest of the Walsh family including him in their Halloween traditions as they had those of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and the Fourth of July over the past year. Pumpkins Pero had picked and helped to carve now stood guard on either side of Tessa’s front door. He’s gone on a hayride and wandered his way through a corn maze. He’s watched spooky movies and been the eager beneficiary of Tessa’s return to fall cooking, their house always smelling of pumpkin, cinnamon, apples…

And now, he’s let her dress him up to partake in the tradition of costumes and trick-or-treating, happy to spend a few hours dressed up like that Flynn character from that movie with the long-haired girl with the pretty voice if it means he gets to see Tessa all done up in her lace-edged dress, an innocent pink bow sewn to the neckline between her breasts that makes him think anything but innocent thoughts.

Paper bags with battery-powered tea lights line the driveway and front walk, a collection of carved pumpkins are clustered on either side of the door. The air is cool and crisp, the sky cloudless, the faint smell of fallen leaves on the breeze. The yellow glow of the porch light lets folks know there’s candy to be had at this house, and turns Tessa’s hair appropriately golden.

Slowly, children and families start wandering up. There are a few costumes he recognizes, classics like vampires and ghosts, a number of tiny witches to whom Tessa gives a little extra candy, characters from that movie The Wizard of Oz that Tessa loves so much. There are plenty of others he doesn’t — a lot of young girls are going as Ms. Marvel this year, and many teenagers and grown women are the Scarlet Witch. Tessa coos over a young boy dressed as the Mandalorian (who, she insists, Pero is a dead ringer for, even if he doesn’t see it), who comes up to get candy along with his Jack Russell terrier dressed as Grogu.

Some of the children eye Pero with trepidation, the inherent spookiness of the holiday and the shadows cast by the porch light making him look even more intimidating than usual. But then a girl of about five dressed in an absolutely precious Rapunzel gown of her own approaches them, and Tessa and Pero can see the look on her face change when she realizes who they’re dressed as.

“You’re Flynn Rider!” she squeals, then marches straight up to Pero to loudly whisper in his ear, “You’re my favorite Disney prince.”

Pero has had enough practice at playing pretend with Tessa’s niece and nephews that he’s able to get over his surprise and muster up a suitable reaction.

“Thank you, princesa,” he says, giving the girl a courtly little bow from where he sits. He drops an extra large handful of candy into her bag with a wink, and she practically sprints back down the drive to her waiting parents, loudly telling them how Flynn Rider and Rapunzel live at that house.

Tessa giggles next to him and leans her head on his shoulder, murmuring something about how she knew Flynn would be a great costume for him. But Pero is lost in thought, the mirror image of this scenario playing out in his head, in which he and Tessa are the ones standing at the end of the drive, and the little girl in the princess dress running excitedly to meet them is theirs.

———

Once they’re home, Tessa plops their doggy bag of leftover candy down on the counter and goes to get herself a glass of water. Pero unlaces his boots, tugging them off and placing them on the mat. There are so many places for his things now in the house, so many reminders in every room that this place is theirs, not just Tessa’s alone.

When he straightens again and looks to her she’s gazing out the window over the sink, the one that in the daylight offers a view of the woods that conceal the Gate in their depths. Pero makes his way over to her and wraps his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on top of her head.

“You are thinking very loudly, angel.”

Tessa sighs, but it’s a contented sound.

“I was just remembering…it was a year ago tonight.”

Pero hums.

“I’ve been thinking about it, too.”

Tessa turns in his arms, resting her hands on his chest.

“You left quite a first impression that evening.”

Pero grimaces, imagining the way he must have looked, wet, injured, unkempt, unconscious, Tessa and Henry literally dragging him into the house that first night to take care of him.

“You were quite a surprise too, you know,” he tells her.

“Oh yes? What was it exactly?” She teases him gently. “My house full of magical gadgets? My inability to understand any of your languages? My absolutely incredible grilled cheese sandwich-making skills?”

Pero shakes his head, brushing the tip of his nose against Tessa’s.

“You were so kind to me,” he murmurs. “So kind when you had no reason to be. And you weren’t afraid.” He says it like he still can’t quite believe it.

“Of you? Never.” Tessa curls her fingers into his shirt. “You were mine, right from the start, even if it took me a while to realize it. And I was yours.”

A year. A whole year she’s been his, a whole year they’ve belonged to each other. It’s not enough. Pero wonders if any amount of time ever will be.

He slots his lips over hers and kisses her, loving the way she responds, always meeting him kiss for kiss. Tessa never leaves any room for doubt that she wants him.

She pulls away for a moment, a suggestive glint of mischief in her eye.

“Trick or treat, Pero?”

His answering grin is her only warning before he scoops her up and tosses her over his shoulder, pulling an indignant squawk out of her.

“I think, mi amor,” he says, heading for their bedroom with his prize, “I won’t be satisfied until I’ve tried both.”

———

[theycallmebecca]

Drabble: The Five Step Plan

Well this story for @the-slumberparty turned into a BEAST... I can't tell you the last time I've written something this long... it took a few days, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

As I mentioned, this is for @the-slumberparty and the Week 3 challenge to try something new in regards to tropes. The prompt I used was baby/child acquisition, but with exes to lovers.

In the end, this story turned into an AU version of how Frank Adler ended up as the guardian for his niece Mary. So not only was it new tropes for me, but also more dramatic and emotional than I normally get. Hence the warnings.

Title: The Five Step Plan

Pairing: Frank Adler x female reader

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: some language, AU version of how Frank became Mary's guardian, minor character death but mostly dealing with the fallout from said death

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

Usage Disclaimer: This work is for fans only. This author does not give permission for it to be shared, spoken of, referred to in any public manner (podcast, tv, online, etc.) that wants to either make a celebrity uncomfortable, mock fan fiction/fandom in any way, or the author themselves. Requests can be made, but it is unlikely the author will change their mind. If no response is given to a request then the answer is a solid no, not interested and the work cannot be shared, spoken of or even referred to, regardless of the manner or context. 

The call came in minutes before Frank was due on stage for a discussion panel at a conference.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Adler, there’s been a car accident," the police officer said. "Your sister's car was sideswiped and she did not make it.”

“My niece? Mary? Is she… is she ok?” he panicked.

“She’s fine, she wasn’t in the car,” the police officer answered but there was a hesitancy in his voice.

“What's going on?!” Frank demanded.

“She was the one who called to report it,” the police officer said. “It happened right in front of her.”

“Oh Mary!” Frank cried out, his heart breaking in two for his 13-year-old niece. “Where is she now?”

“She’s currently at the hospital, she insisted on riding with her mother,” the police officer said. “She threatened to sue the city for child abandonment if they didn’t take her with… she said you were in California.”

“My wife,” he heard himself say. “I’ll call my wife, she’ll come get Mary and do whatever needs to be done.”

“Give her my number, I’ll wait for her call,” the police officer said, his voice sounding relieved.

Frank mumbled goodbye and then hung up, totally numb. His sister was dead. Gone forever and…

“Mr. Adler? They’re ready for you,” a voice said from behind him.

Frank turned and somehow managed to say, “I can’t. I have to leave. My sister…” He couldn’t say the word, so he just said, “accident. Bad.”

Then he fled. It wasn’t until he was in the privacy of his hotel room that he called you. Technically, you were still his wife, even though the two of you had been in a trial separation for almost six months. But he knew you loved Mary, too, and would drop everything to rush to her.

————

You got to the hospital less than twenty minutes after hanging up with Frank. The police officer was waiting for you and within minutes you were reunited with Mary.

The teenager was wearing her signature brave face until she saw you, then she melted, the events of the afternoon catching up to her. You rushed to her side and gathered her into your arms, giving into your own emotions as she sobbed.

Eventually, the police officer cleared his throat and apologetically said that there were some legal things you had to take care of on behalf of Frank before you could take Mary home.

“I want to go, too,” Mary said, standing up. “I don’t want to be left alone.”

You nodded your head and gave the police officer a look that said not to argue. After all, Mary had already seen her mother immediately following the accident.

An hour later, you unlocked the front door of Frank’s condo, the place you’d called home for five years. You ushered Mary to the master bedroom and then held her until she cried herself to sleep.

It was only once she was asleep that you called for more help, asking your best friend to go to Mary and her mom's apartment and get their cat Fred and pack a bag of clothes for Mary.

You knew Frank wasn’t the biggest fan of cats, but you also knew he wouldn’t make his niece give up her cat, not after losing her mom.

As you waited for your friend to show up, you wandered around the condo and eventually realized that Frank hadn’t changed a thing in the six months since you’d moved out.

It made you both mad and sad that he hadn’t changed anything, because it just reaffirmed to you the choice you’d made to walk away. You weren’t a materialistic person in the least, but you wanted to be loved and appreciated and Frank wasn’t good at expressing love or appreciation. You’d hoped your walking away would wake him up, but it clearly hadn’t.

You heard Fred yowling in protest before your friend knocked on the door. Getting up, you let her in and took the cat carrier from her.

“Shh, Fred,” you whispered to the cat. “Mary needs you.”

The cat quieted instantly and didn’t fight you as you pulled him out of the carrier. You carried him down the hall to Frank’s room and set him on the bed.

He made soothing cat noises as he walked towards Mary and then he snuggled up close to her. You held your breath until you saw Mary’s shoulders visibly relax and knew that Fred was exactly what she had needed.

Leaving the room, you helped your friend with the rest of Mary’s stuff, putting it all in the guest room.

“Do you want me to stay until Frank gets here?” your friend offered.

You shook your head and said, “We’ll be fine.”

Your friend gave you a look that said she didn’t believe you, but she gave you a hug and made you promise to call if you needed anything.

————

It had taken Frank nearly twelve hours, but he was finally home. He took the stairs two at a time and quietly let himself into the condo since it was nearly 5 in the morning.

He set his bag down and he made his way to the guest room, where he assumed you’d put Mary to bed. He was surprised, therefore, to find the door open and the room empty save for things he recognized from Mary's room from her apartment.

Turning towards the master bedroom, he crossed the hall and turned the handle slowly. Stepping inside, he was surprised to find Mary alone, though a telltale purr alerted him to the presence of Fred, too.

He was annoyed for half a second before it dawned on him that of course you’d put Mary in his bed. The girl had been through a traumatic experience and you’d both agreed to take her some place she knew that wasn’t home. He hadn’t been there, but the bed had smelt like him, which would have helped calm Mary more.

Stepping out of the room, he pulled the door closed and made his way to the heart of the condo, only seeing the blankets folded up on the couch as he passed.

Hearing noises in the kitchen, he followed them and found you in the kitchen starting coffee and wearing one of his shirts and a pair of sweats.

You finished with the coffee pot and then turned towards him, your face showing the same grief that he knew his own showed, too.

He crossed the room and wrapped you in a hug, both of you giving into your grief.

————

You’d been in the waiting room the day Mary had been born and she had stolen your heart the first time you'd held her. She wasn’t your niece biologically, but she had been the one to make you an aunt and the two of you had had a special bond because of that.

Therefore, there was no way in hell you were going to abandon her when she needed you the most. Even if it meant having your heart rebroken nearly every day loving a man who would never love you back the way you deserved to be loved.

The first few weeks had been the hardest. The funeral had been planned and then had taken place. You and Frank had packed up his sister’s apartment, all of her things going into boxes in his garage while Mary’s stuff was unpacked in the guest room.

Then, at the will reading, you and Frank had found out that his sister still had you and Frank named as Mary’s legal guardians. You'd known she’d made the change following their mother’s passing, but you’d assumed she would have changed it when you and Frank had separated. Obviously, she hadn’t.

“I’ll move into my office,” Frank offered one evening after Mary was in bed and you were preparing to go home to your apartment. “You can move into the bedroom. It’s the only thing that makes sense when you’re here all day.”

You wanted to argue, but you were starting to get worried about Mary. She was seemingly just going through the motions and you were sure having both you and Frank within reach at a moment's notice would be helpful.

“Ok,” you said. “For Mary.”

And thus, that weekend, you moved back into your old home and went to bed in the bed that had been yours and Frank’s. The bed that smelled like him and made your heart hurt even more.

————

After you'd moved out of the condo, Frank had spent as little time there as possible, choosing to stay late in his office at the university over being bombarded with memories at the cold, sterile condo he lived in.

Now with you back in the condo and the addition of Mary, and even Fred, the condo was quickly becoming the place that Frank wanted to be. He adjusted his office hours at the university, mostly so he could take Mary to her therapy appointments, but also so he could spend time with the two of you.

Losing his sister had made him realize that he had been a fool to let you go without a fight. Thanks to a few therapy sessions, he had an idea of where things had gone wrong and he was determined to fix them.

Step one was spending more time with you, and Mary.

Step two was proving that he still loved you.

Step three was proving that the two of you couldn't live without each other.

Step four was getting you to fall in love with him again.

Step five was recommitting yourselves to each other.

He was going to do it.

————

You were looking through your list of text messages for something for work when you saw Frank's sister's name and guilt flooded you at the message next to it.

Promise me you'll never give up on him.

The two of you had been catching up, just days before the accident, and she'd sent that message and you hadn't replied.

"I'm sorry," you whispered to her spirit. "I should have replied, I was just scared."

Despite the awkward situation of being a sister-in-law and friend, she'd been as supportive as she could. She never pressured you for information, but was always willing to listen when you needed to talk to someone who understood Frank as well as you did, if not better.

"You're probably laughing up there," you muttered. Not over being gone from her daughter, of course, but over forcing her brother and you back together with no option but to spend lots of time together.

To Frank's credit, things were different now than they had been before you'd walked away. He was more attentive and, while he wasn't overzealous with his emotions, he wasn't as stoic as he had been before. There was not a single night that he sent Mary to bed without telling her that he loved her.

The changes you saw in him, made your heart hurt a little less each day and gave you a little more hope that things would all work out in the end.

"I promise," you whispered. "I won't give up on him."

————

It took six months of hard work, but Frank successfully got through the first four steps of his plan to get you back. It hadn't been as simple as he originally outlined, at least not after he'd let you in on the plan and you'd made your own suggestions. But in the end, the two of you had made it to the other side stronger than ever.

On the anniversary of the day you walked away from him, the two of you decided to renew your vows in a spur of the moment ceremony with just you guys and Mary in the backyard of the house you'd purchased together.

Mary insisted upon you both dressing up and said she'd take care of the wedding vows, which turned out to be a pair of wedding themed mad libs that she had gotten you both to fill out under the guise of being bored.

Needless to say, the intimate ceremony had been perfect, even though you and Frank had been crying from hysterical laughter rather than the normal emotions associated with weddings.

But finally, once you had all calmed down, you and Frank had sealed the crazy vows with a kiss.