#literally just realized she is biting the thread not kissing the wound

[yokedtablet]

[vibingandsimping]

Hello hi- I humbly request male human x karlach, be it hcs or a story, I just want some hot buff teifling on the brain 👉👈

(This anon sent another request highlighting some details they forgot.)

But, yes, Karlach is such a sweet gal and deserves all the love in the world.

Karlach x M!Reader

Forewarnings: Angst/Comfort and some smut ahead…

The battle you faced that afternoon was gruesome. One companion needing reviving after being chopped in the gut… quite the sight. You weren’t much better off and sustained a good handful of wounds. The scratches healed with little effort but there would be some that needed stitches and rounds of magic. Halsin and Shadowheart, sadly, were spent after tending to who they could. You were left to your own device’s as you ran the needle through a gash on your thigh. Teeth clenching as you bite back a wail. The muscles in your body tensed and only increased the ache in them. You tried to ignore the way the moonlight reflected you onto the water. You needn’t a reminder to how grotesque you were surely becoming. It was already hard enough to recognize yourself in mirrors as you aged.

Karlach, who had been your lover for a couple fortnite’s now, noticed your disappearance. She searched for a little while until she found you a little ways from camp near a pond. You were bloodied and bruised- heart aching at the prospect she couldn’t help you in battle better. She barely got out there herself. She placed her warm hands on your shoulders and you instinctively stiffened. Only for a moment til recognition slipped in and you relaxed as the shaking of your hands steadied. You never realized the effect she had on you. Her lips planted on the top of your head with a hum and you finished the last few pierces of your needle before tying it off and snapping the thread.

The silence between you two was deafening as she watched the way your body sulked as you looked in your reflection through the body of water. You were shirtless and pant-less; save for your undergarments and anything that didn’t heavily restrict access to the flesh. “Soldier,” she spoke as you gave her a sulking look, “what’s on your mind?” You shrugged and attempted to brush it off. Telling her it’s nothing and you were just exhausted from the battle. She knew you well enough- she served in the war for too long to not know distinction between the physical and mental. She dug her thumbs into the blades of your shoulders a couple times before sitting beside you. You finally give in at her puppy-gaze. Tears nearly brimmed in your eyes as you detailed your insecurities in your flesh. The fear of being inferior and having to come to terms with scars and change. Her expression was soft-understanding.

“Have you never noticed my right arm?” She almost whispered as she lulled you from the depths of your thoughts. Cold thoughts- truthfully. You furrowed your brows before inspecting it more thoroughly as she shed the clothing that concealed it. It didn’t really cross your mind but it was almost all scar tissue… along with literal holes in the flesh to pump the heat and exhaustion from her mechanical chest. For a minute, you almost felt silly for being insecure in something that now felt minuscule. “We all have scars. Small or large. It just proves our journey in life and as a warrior. It makes you strong.” She boasted with a flex of her scarred arm before returning to her softer demeanor. You smiled at her and she drew you into a kiss. “Besides, I like them.”

After she said that her lips trailed to a scar on your bicep. Down to your chest… following each and everyone she could find as your breath hitched. Her lips were impossibly hot despite her engine being fixed and cooled off. The blaze of her passion and being so intense. Her hands settled on your thighs as she lingered on a particularly dark scar. Karlach drew back up and reconnected with your lips. Intense and hungry as she drew your hair into her fingers. You planted your hands on her hips and tugged her forward. The tiefling worked your body like a wonder and you could feel the front of your pants growing tighter. You’d almost feel shameful if it weren’t for the fact she seemed so thrilled by it. Her groin grinding against yours with a soft moan. You breathed in through your nose against her lips with the friction. One hand moving down her pants and towards her wanting sex. She lost herself in the teasing for only a moment before she grabbed your wrist and pulled it away. “Not yet,” she whispered, “I crave it so dearly, I do.” She got onto her knees and pressed her head against your thigh. “But for now… I want to show you how handsome I think you are. Inside and out.”

Her fingers made quick work of the material shielding your erection. If she hadn’t been so pent up for ten years perhaps she’d be more keen on proper foreplay. For her, she’s ready to jump just about anybody’s bones, especially yours. You drew a hiss in at the crisp air kissing the warm and sensitive flesh of your cock. The woman drew in a pleased breath at the sight as she leaned in and licked a strip up the base to tip. Once reaching the head, she took it all in with one fell swoop. Pressing against the back of her throat as you stared down in awe at the mess of horns and hair at your pelvis. Her throat was warm and almost painfully hot. God, everything about her was hot so who the hell were you to complain? You wrapped a hand around her remaining horn and started bobbing her on your length. Her tongue worked avidly along the underneath while she sucked what she could as you took the reigns. This was a pattern for several minutes with occasional rough moans leaving her throat. She was surely soaking as you could tell she was taking pleasure in it. Whether it was simply the act of the sex or you taking dominance- you weren’t sure. What you did know is that you wanted to plant her on the ground and fill her up so beautifully after. Hear her moans ring through the air clearly as you helped her reach heights she so deserved.

Yes, you’d do exactly that, you decided as everything began to reach a fever pitch. Your thighs shaking as your air caught in your throat. Hand gripping her horn tighter but the motion going slack as you focused on the building pleasure. The tiefling was acute to your condition and worked desperately to help you reach that high. Reach it you did. Head knocking back and a groan escaping your lips while you filled hers in exchange. She drank everything you gave her enthusiastically, tail swaying behind her in satisfaction. Once you spent your first load she lifted off you and wiped her lips of her drool and your mess. You never thought she looked more attractive than she did now. Lips swollen, pupils blown wide and so needy. You had much in store for her- so much you wanted to show and give her. Thanking her for her support and ensuring that she’d stay with you.

[overwatchfics]

COLLAB IDEA CUZ WE ARE BOTH FERAL FOR KIRIKO'S FANGS !!!

BITE CHOMP BITE; reader asks kiriko to bite her because they would like to know how it feels like to be bitten by canines teeth but kiriko enjoys it so much she turns back for seconds, tasting your blood

thank you for your feral brain once again, don't rush writing these <3

Biting HCs - Kiriko

A/N: Literally the absolute top thing that turns me on calling me out like that moss. tagging @syddybus @legoskii37 @saebyeoks-gf

Warning: Contains Blood

Kiriko is nothing if curious, but she is also cautious.

As a side effect of being one of Inari's most faithful, she inherits physical characteristics of a fox, which includes fangs.

Kiriko asked one day if you'd like to try it.

This is being written by a monster-fucker so of course you're going to say yes (:

She sits behind you on the bed and rubs your shoulders reassuringly. Her tongue gliding over her sharp canines, the light of the moon catching on them in the reflection of your bedroom mirror. Her mouth aimed at the crook of your neck, approaching slowly.

Kiriko's softly glowing eyes meet yours in the mirror and she pauses, her form moving back into the shadows away from the light of the moon.

Are you sure about this? I could hurt you, we can still back out if you want to?

You turn around and draw her in back by the shoulders till you're forced to turn back as you feel her chest press up against your back and her breath fanning hot over your ear.

Trust me love, you've caught my interest in that little request to use your teeth on me, let's find out together. What do you say my bold fox?

You knew you hit the mark when you feel Kiriko's breath hitch and her hands tighten in the fabric of your shirt.

If you're sure then I'll go on ahead, smack me if you want me to stop.

Kiriko brings her mouth to your neck again and this time you feel her kiss the spot where she plans to bite.

I'll be gentle love, but it's going to hurt anyways.

With that her hands pull you closer and her fangs sink into your skin.

It hurt, a lot, you choked out a shocked gasp through your lips, jaw hanging open.

Right then you also feel a hot streak of arousal run through you.

Heat starts to pool between your legs.

Your hands clutch at Kiriko's desperately.

You feel Kiriko's fangs leave your neck, her hot tongue run across the puncture wounds, cleaning them, before leaving a kiss there.

Meeting her gaze in the mirror, you notice her eyes are blazing with desire, a small rivet of blood running down her mouth.

You turn in her arms, seating yourself in the epicenter of her lap, drawing your arms around her neck. You take notice of the small smirk gracing her features.

Well? how was it Kiri?

Kiriko's eyes focus on you, catching them out of their zone. You notice her breath has shortened to light pants.

You tasted... divine, I didn't realize I was capable of drinking your blood and feeling this empowered. It wasn't just that I could feel and hear your heartbeat. I could almost taste your anticipation and arousal on my tongue, every sense in my body heightened, I need more... if you'll let me?

Wordlessly you pull her into a heated kiss, tasting your own blood upon her stained lips, her teeth pull at your bottom lip, before swiping her tongue across it. Her tongue meets yours in dance of blood, and you nearly feel dizzy with how hazy the kiss is. Her hands are running all over your body, scrunching up your night gown. Kiriko grinds her hips up into yours pulling a sharp gasp from your lips. Her mouth makes a trail down your jaw and neck towards the swell of your breasts. Kiriko finds that she can't bend her back any lower, so she leans forwards till your back meets the bed. She eyes the lightly bloodstained button up nightgown you're wearing with ire before gripping the fabric and meeting your eyes. You can't figure what she's doing until she tugs harshly, and you watch the gown tear in half, buttons flying off the thread. The shrine maiden hungerly kisses her way to your breasts lavishing your sensitive nipples in attention. You feel her fangs graze them, but she knows better than to bite there. Her fingers flick and roll your nipples and she pull herself up till she hovers above you, her eyes are the brightest thing in the room, and you can't help but stare into them. Her hands are on either side of your head and she's got that smirk pulling at her lips. Kiriko rolls her hips slow and hard into yours. You groan breathily and wrap your legs around her waist, and she continue to grind away between your thighs.

Kiriko feels her fangs ache and she brings her mouth to your neck. At the same time, her hand yanks your panties down roughly, her hand rubbing slow firm circles into your slit, coating her fingers in your slick. You feel her mouth by your ear and without warning she pushes two fingers into you until their hilted in stilled inside you. You choke in surprise and gasp in and out a couple times.

The time for gentleness has passed love, I am going to fuck you till everyone knows the name of who you belong to. You're mine, and I'm going to mark you as so my dear.

Kiriko decides then to bite down into your flesh. Hard. You shriek and her body presses hard against yours. You can't think of anything else, but the fangs buried deep in your shoulder and the fingers curling into your front wall, your body jerks against the shrine maiden above you. She gathers your arms and holds your wrists together behind your back, her nails digging into your skin. The pain of being bitten ebbs away and you feel yourself get impossibly wetter as a new wave of arousal crashes over you. You pick up on the sound of Kiriko growling lowly and she pulls her fingers out of you just to slam them back in with brutal force. It nearly hurts as she does it again and again in and out. You can hear the slick of her fingers working in you over your cries of pleasure. Your blood feels like it's boiling and the feeling of Kiriko sucking your blood through the wound she created. The fingers inside you are unrelenting as she reaches a spot in you that makes you jolt. She paused briefly and performed a test thrust hitting it again. She grunts and readjusts herself and slams in repeatedly. You're shaking and you start to pant her name, Kiriko lets go of your wrists and intertwines her fingers with yours as she picks up the pace. Your free hand clutches at her back, feeling her muscles coil and harden as she hunches herself over you possessively. You feel the muscles clenching around her fingers begin to convulse and you slam your hips in rhythm with her fingers. Kiriko moves her hand and in using her arms at this point to put more force behind her thrusts. It's getting unbearably hot, and you can't barely think with the amount of pleasure you're feeling you nearly feel numb to everything else, beads of sweating rolling off of your face. Your moans of Kiriko's names then become shrieks and the sound between your legs sound akin to wet smacks, and you can't even give Kiriko a warning of you orgasm as it hits you. You scream her name, twitching and jerking against her, muscles tensing, your heels digging into Kiriko's lower back. Her hand slows with the aftershocks, but you take notice that she doesn't stop "Kiriko, I don't think I can..." the shrine maiden pulls her fangs from your neck licking and kissing her way to your ear "Yes you can baby, you can give me one more can't you? I'm very hungry and my appetite hasn't been sated quite yet." and she's leaving kisses across your face peppering the hot flushed skin there. You sigh and lean your head groaning at the feeling her fingers gently rolling your clit "Fine, but a little gentler, I felt like I was going to black out there." Kiriko's only response is a light hum against your neck "Good girl", and looking down you realize blood has flowed down your body and into the sheets. Her tongue is hot against you as she trails bites and kisses down your body. eventually ending up between your legs. Kiriko bites into one of your thighs before quickly releasing, taking a moment to admire her handiwork. Her hands work to pry your thighs open, and she keeps a hand on one of them to prevent them from clamping down on her. One of your hands laces fingers with Kiriko's on your thigh. She pauses and looks up at you flashing you a fanged grin, and you almost gasp at the sheer amount of blood staining the lower half of her face. Kiriko returns to her between your legs and her tongue pushes between your folds. You sigh then groan as her tongue traces letters into your clit and pushes a finger into your wet heat. She alternates a pattern of licking then sucking and she'll slick her tongue against your clit, making your hips jump and she chuckles "Easy girl, settle down" She props herself up and moves back up your body, leaving gentle kisses up to your neck where she breathes you in. Kiriko adds another finger and presses both fingers into that spongy place that makes you jolt. You groan her name, your voice hoarse from the prior screaming and shrieking.

PART 2

[apocalypticgargoyle]

so, SO, Hear me out. This has been stuck in my head for DAYS. Can i request a Sapnap x reader smut, BUT Incubus!Sapnap. My brain is mush. Perhaps reader doesn't believe in demons etc, so they're trying to prove to themselves that these things indeed don't exist by trying to summon a demon, what type of demon? they don't know. Unfortunately(fortunately) for them, the ritual works and Sapnap is summoned. Afab reader with any pronouns, and Dom or switch Sapnap.

i literally love this idea sm. thank you for trusting me with it. [thank you to a friend of mine who helped me w some of the plot elements.] I hope you enjoy and happy reading! xx

𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐓. ⛧ 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐮𝐛𝐮𝐬!𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐧𝐚𝐩 (18+)

pairing: incubus!sapnap x afab!reader

warnings: nsfw (minors dni), mentions of an Ouija board, blood, oral (fm. receiving), smut, domination, choking

Your fishnets clung to your legs, yet provided little protection against the nipping breeze dragging icy fingers across your skin. You rubbed the arms of your jacket, attempting to generate more warmth as your breath fogged around you. Your friends giggled and kicked at each other, hanging around their shoulders and acting drunker than they actually were. It felt like icicles picked your heart each time you faintly felt like you were enjoying yourself, all because of Him.

His words echoed in your head each time a man approached you, finding yourself nearly too suspicious to believe they wouldn’t end up like He did: cold, distant, and arrogant.

The club had been too loud, in your opinion, but you’d be damned to let one of your friends know. They were focused on finding you a squeeze to preoccupy you while you got over Him. You didn’t need a distraction, you just needed to get rid of the thought of him.

One of your friends grabbed your arm, dragging you down a portion of concrete steps and into a lower-level shop. You briefly caught sight of the neon sign above the door, LOCAL PSYCHIC blinking in bright pink piping to welcome in tourists. You scoffed to yourself as you shrugged through the beaded curtain over the door.

The shop smelled of incense and a potpourri of unfamiliar herbs. A slender woman with long black hair looked up from a magazine, gold eyeliner sparkling in the dim lighting of the store. She watched the group of you carefully as your friends went straight for the Ouija boards in the corner. As you looked over her various shelves of exotic species of crystals, you could feel her eyes burning into your shoulder.

You sighed quietly, grabbing a green hued crystal and approaching her in lieu of your group. “So, this will get rid of my bad juju if I stick it in my bra, right?” You quipped jokingly, making her smuggly grin.

She straightened up, revealing a metal band t-shirt that you couldn’t pronounce the name of, let alone knew. “Gorgeous, you’ll need a fist full of moldavite to cleanse what you’ve got going on,” she jested, voice raspy and surveying. “Give me your hand,” she stated, more than asked. You reluctantly reached for her, her boney ringers cupped your hand, rings catching the candle light beside the cash register.

“Does it say I’ll disappear mysteriously after a boating accident?” You leered, making her bite her lip.

You could practically feel her breath on your skin. She studied your palm closely, wetting her lips. “I think I have something better than moldavite, though,” she quirked before digging her nail into the center, making you hiss. She drew a bit of blood from the wound, placing a business card against the spot. The center of the card oozed the crimson color seeping from the cut. “Call this number when you get home and all your bad juju will clear, my love. Him included,” she whispered. “You don’t believe in demons do you?”

“Of course not,” you answered, your eyes locked on hers as she smiled darkly at you, almost forebodingly. You flipped the card in your hand, a number plastered on one side and “REVERSE YOUR REGRETS,” printed boldly on the other. Your eyebrow perked at her. “What, is this a demon calling card?” You quizzed almost sarcastically.

Her dark, full lips twisted up. “I guess you’ll have to find out.”

Your mouth ran dry as she smirked, fingers brushing against your own as your hand slipped from hers. You found it hard to speak on the bus ride home, or even form sentences while you were crammed between two of your friends as they all sparked chatter about their upcoming finals. One of the main reasons they bought the Ouija board was to ask a ghost to write their history and philosophy theses.

Your apartment was dark and alluringly quiet compared to the night of bright lights and ridiculous EDM you had endured for most of the night. You let your jacket slip to the floor as you switched on a lamp, washing your hands as your mind relayed what the woman from the shop had said. As you dried your hands, your eyes traveled towards the living room, the dark fabric of one of His hoodies peeking out from between the couch and the wall. You bit your tongue, anger flashing into your veins. “Even Him…” you thought, remembering what she had told you.

You grabbed your phone, slinking over to where your jacket was and fishing the card from your pocket. The red smudge of blood almost perfectly split the phone number in half. “You don’t believe in demons do you?”

“No, what kind of respectable adult believes in demons,” you grumbled to yourself, dialing the number. You turned the card over again, eyeing the words as you waited for the call to connect. Instead of ringing normally, three long dial tones sounded over your receiver, sending a shiver down your spine. Dogs of your apartment complex began to bark, sending feral noises of discomfort into the air.

An automated voice began to speak, startling you slightly. “Thank you for your call. Your sacrifice is pure and has been accepted. Congratulations.”

Sacrifice? The line went dead, your power fizzling out as well. You froze, your feet feeling as if your shoes were filled with cement. In an instant, your array of candles sparked to life, brightening the room. Your heart thundered in your chest, unsure of what was happening. Sacrifice?

You held your breath, waiting for what was to come. It seemed as if your apartment had been removed from the city outside, instead an eerie silence settled in the room, making it almost suffocating to be alone.

“Hello, dove,” a dark voice called from behind you, making you jump a foot in the air, chest wheezing from the jump scare. A man smirked at you, resting his chin in his hand as he looked at you. He dominated one of your chairs, his other hand drumming his fingers against the leather. His suit was well tailored, but he wore it rather lazily with his crisp white shirt unbuttoned. He wore dark nail polish, making his fingers appear longer.

His eyes trailed your body, pressing his lips together as you realized how tightly you were clutching your phone and the card. “How did you get in here?” You asked, your voice barely audible.

He stood, straightening the sleeves of his suit jacket. He walked over to you, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. Your breath was measured, your body drawn to him as if you were an animal in heat. “You summoned me, puppy,” he answered, voice dipping an octave before dragging the card from your fingers. Your skin burned and sparked at his touch. His smell was intoxicatingly enticing, making your mouth water.

He held the card between two fingers, his eyes locking to yours indefinitely. “You even bound yourself to me,” he noted, letting his finger pad draw across the blood stain on the card. “Little minx,” he mumbled.

You swallowed. “What are you?” You managed, words uneven and almost jumbled.

He turned slightly on his heel, circling around you slowly, fingers dragging against the fabric of your shirt before snaking around the back of your throat. His thumb teased against your skin almost as if he was restraining himself from ripping you in half. “They call me Sapnap. Some might categorize me as a demon, but that seems rather exaggerated, don’t you think?” He responded. “I’m here to help you reverse your regrets.”

You inhaled sharply. “What does that mean?”

He chuckled darkly, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear. “Baby, I’m here to make you feel good again,” he divulged, the heat of his breath skimming against your neck, urging you to submit to him. "I'm here to make you forget all about Him."

In an instant you found yourself pinned beneath him, the sheets on your bed cast aside along with most of your clothes. He watched you sternly as he slipped his jacket off his shoulders, unbuttoning his collared shirt, pupils blown with lust at your hungry appearance.

Sapnap ground his hips against yours, tugging on your thighs to bring you closer to him. Your back arched slightly, fingers digging into the sheets as his lips traveled from your neck to your chest, one of his large hands palming your breast. You stifled a moan, hips bucking against him. He pressed his tongue against your navel, licking a strip against your skin before he was in your ear again. His fingers curled around your waistband. "Uh uh, dove. I wanna hear you."

He leaned back on his knees, teeth nipping at the inside of your thighs as he trailed towards your core. His eyes danced up to yours, briefly gauging your reaction before slipping his finger between the skin of your hips and your lacy undergarments, tugging them down your legs. He pressed open mouth kisses to your thighs once more, teeth grazing the sensitive flesh with a restraint you had half a mind to egg on.

He hooked his arms around your thighs, burying his face where you needed him the most. Your body reacted to the pleasure of his tongue almost instantly, fighting to clamp your legs around his head as your toes curled. Sapnap was taking his time with you, eating you out as if you were his last meal, humming slightly to send vibrations against your nerve endings.

You threaded your fingers through his dark hair, rolling your hips against his mouth and muttering his name. He moved, teeth sinking into your thigh as he pressed his finger into you, making you moan incoherently. You tugged at his hair, earning a groan in pleasure as you noticed him grinding against the mattress. His lips were back on your heat as his finger curled inside of you.

He added another finger, finding your sweet spot almost as if your body had been made for him specifically. With each swirl of his tongue and his moans at the sight of you enjoying the chase of your orgasm, the more the tension began to build within you. He quickened his pace as he watched you pant, coaxing you closer to the edge.

Sapnap moved his head from side to side, flattening his tongue for more friction, pumping his fingers in and out of you. "Cum for me, baby," he commanded, breath hot against your core. You relinquished control of your body, letting your climax rip through your body, leaving you breathless and stunned.

He wore the devil's smile as kissed the inside of your knee, praising you heavily for heeding to his demands. "Good girl," he cooed, voice dark and drawn with lust as he moved to press his lips against your shoulder. "Such a good girl."

His lips traveled beneath your ear, nipping at the skin before pressing his tongue into your mouth, one of his hands holding your chin.

He discarded his pants, spitting in his hand and stroking himself a few times as his eyes burned into yours. He dragged you towards him, gripping onto your hips before driving himself into you. You groaned at the pressure, grinding against his hips and earning a smirk from him. "So needy. Have I not been good to you thus far?" His words dripped with a god complex you had yet to taste.

You whimpered slightly before he rolled his hips against yours. He retracted himself before slowly thrusting into you, watching with pride as you writhed for more of him. "I could kill you, you know?" He stated, thrusting into you harshly, pressing his hands into the mattress on either side of your head.

You chuckled breathlessly, your fingers wrapping around one of his wrists. "You won't," you moaned as he set a pace, digging his hips into yours.

Sapnap's other arm moved, wrapping his hand around your neck and squeezing slightly, as if showing you he could do worse. "Says who?" He provoked, pressing his lips against yours, teeth dragging against your bottom lip, eliciting a moan from deep in your throat.

His thrusts were becoming sloppier, deeper as he buried himself into you. "Me," you answered. He grinned deviously, pinning your knee to your chest and pounding into you, basking in your moans like they were personalized ego boasts. "I can take it," you groaned quietly, enticing him. He tightened his hold on your neck, causing your vision to blur in pleasure as heat rushed through your body, his roughness a perfect catalyst to your cardinal hunger.

"That's right, sweetheart," he grunted, eyes seeming to burn brighter with your submission. "Take it," he mirrored, his pace relentless against you as if testing your limits. He pressed his thumb in your mouth, moaning as your teeth rested against it, tongue darting out against it. You focused on his eyes, trying not to roll your own as your body ached to climax.

You could see the veins in his neck becoming more prominent and he removed his thumb only to grip your jaw in his hand, shoving his tongue into your mouth to lap at your whimpers. His hands moved to pin your forearms to the mattress beside you, his lips melding against yours as the two of you pushed each other to orgasms. You could feel his pleasure coming undone within you, finally acting as the jumping-off point for your second climax.

You panted, hurriedly attempting to catch your breath as he pulled out of you, sighing in pleasure.

He moved to begin dressing, holding your card between his teeth as he buckled his belt around his waist. Your mind blurred in bliss, still riding your high. It didn't really bother you if he left or stayed.

He finished buttoning his shirt as you sat up on your elbows, watching him straighten his appearance. "I'll call on you soon," he stated, tucking the card with your blood on it into his breast pocket.

You quipped an eyebrow at him. "This is a normal thing now?" You questioned, the situation seeming different.

He patted his pocket to gesture to the card. "You're mine, dove. I get you whenever I want," he smirked. He rested his knee on the edge of your bed, leaning down to press his lips against yours possessively.

[valhallanrose]

Dancing Queen

A reflection on past birthdays and a glimpse at the present. 

Happy birthday to my firstborn.

2.3k. Cautionary CW for discussions of food. 

Fic title: Dancing Queen by ABBA.

The first birthday that Zelda remembered actually wasn’t her own, but Tamryn’s. It was his twelfth, though only the third time he’d actually celebrated on February twenty-ninth and not on March first. She was four then, giggling madly as she smashed a piece of the cake into his face - a tradition in Nevivon and something their parents had encouraged - and licking buttercream frosting off her fingers until Galen lifted her up to the kitchen sink to actually wash her hands. 

Tamryn got her back two months later, on her fifth birthday, though he was far more gentle than she had been about it. Maybe it was because she’d been completely zoned out chewing on one of the sugar flowers that had adorned her cake, but she distinctly remembered assessing the mouth feel of one of them before a hand on the back of her head tipped her face straight into the slice of cake Evalina had just set in front of her. 

Birthdays were typically small affairs in the Olenev household. It was time to simply be together, take joy in another year spent living life to the fullest and with each other. The only exception Zelda could think of was her bat mitzvah, all those years ago, and Tamryn’s own bar mitzvah, though she certainly remembered her own better than his. 

They always got to pick a special breakfast a few days before the actual birthday. Zelda chose the same thing every year without fail: chocolate-stuffed syrniki and strawberries. There was never another time of year that particular combination was eaten, only on her birthday, which made it feel all the more special to her no matter how old she got. 

Some birthdays had been...less than happy. Her sixteenth, the first birthday alone, the wound of her father’s death still raw on her heart. Or her twenty-fifth, which she had entirely forgotten until the following week, elbows deep in work at the Lazaret. Not that she’d celebrated at all during the plague, it never felt like a worthwhile occasion. 

She remembered on her twenty-sixth birthday, the first she acknowledged after the end of the plague, wishing quietly that there’d be no more sad birthdays. She wanted those happy times back - those happy times of just being five years old in Nevivon and feeling sugar flowers melt on her tongue and getting her face shoved into a birthday cake just when she thought it was safe.

And then Tamryn had found her later that year. 

Twenty-six had been a new beginning for them both. Twenty-seven had been the first birthday of hers they celebrated together since she was fifteen - a little awkward at first, but they found their way, finding a cute little restaurant on the waterfront and Zelda nearly punching Tamryn over the set of diaries he’d found in an antique shop that had belong to an apothecary long before.

For her twenty-eighth, Tamryn had given her an experience - a theater company from Prakra had made a temporary stop in Vesuvia to host a performance of The Tempest for the Countess on their way to Venterre, borrowing the theater in the Heart District closest to the palace. The short period they were in town fell over her birthday, and Tamryn had not only gotten her tickets, but got them tickets for one of the private boxes rather than the general audience. It had been a delight, and an experience she treasured dearly. 

She’d asked Tam once, a few weeks after that birthday, why he did so much for her (not that she was ungrateful) - and he’d simply smiled, kissing her forehead and telling her that he had ten years of birthdays he wanted to make up for. She’d assured him he didn’t need to do that, but he waved her off, pointing out that he was an adult and that if he wanted to do nice things for his family, he would. 

The twenty-second of April came again, this time her twenty-ninth birthday, and Zelda stirred when the mid morning sunlight beamed across her face and warmed her skin. A heavy weight pressed against her back as she began to roll over, making her snort as she assessed the limited amount of space between her and the other side of the bed. 

“Bed hog.” 

Oberon lifted his head, some of her hair threaded between his antlers, and gave her an incredulous look that made her laugh. 

“Yes, you, a bed hog. Brat. Come here, give me your head.” She shifted enough to sit up, carefully brushing her hair away from where it had tangled with the new growths forming, each only a few inches tall by then. “How are your nubbins doing?”

Do not call them my nubbins. 

“Fine, oh mighty forest prince, how doth your crown fare -” Zelda laughed as Oberon shoved his face into her chest indignantly, the stag sighing dramatically before he laid his head in her lap. She carefully inspected the velvet, idly scratching behind his ears all the while as he patiently waited for her assessment. “They do look good, Obie. You had a beautiful eight point set last year, I’ll bet on the same or more this year.”

She’d kept his last shed, actually. They were currently mounted on the wall in her shop, those pretty eight points acting as hooks for the herbs and plants she was in the process of drying out. 

Zelda smiled as she began to scratch around the base of one of his antlers, his hind leg thumping against the mattress and his head pushing into her hand as he snuffled contentedly. There were a few long beats of quiet before his voice filtered through her mind again and drew her eyes down to his, all big and brown and soulful. 

Zelda?

“Yeah?”

Happy birthday.

She beamed at that, lifting his head in both hands and pressing kisses to his fuzzy cheek, even when he complained about ‘smelling her morning breath’ but made no move to get away.

“Thank you, Obie. What do you say to breakfast?” Zelda glanced out the window, smiling at the cloudless blue sky and the bright golden sun. “Tam spent the night last night. I’m thinking me, you, him, and Magnus out in the back garden after I whip something up.”

Oberon nodded slightly, shifting to drag himself out of her bed - quite literally, as he put his front hooves on the floor and shuffled forward until his hind legs hit the hardwood. Zelda shook her head at him and flipped back the covers, combing her fingers through her hair and shoving her feet in her slippers before she made her way down the hall to the kitchen.

She knew she’d slept in, but she was surprised to see Tamryn already awake, standing at the stove with Magnus perched on his shoulder and preening his bedhead. 

“You, not waiting to mooch off my breakfast? Hell must have frozen over.” Zelda teased, and Tamryn rolled his eyes, tipping his head back and giving her a cheeky grin. 

“I could say the same thing about you sleeping in.”

“It’s the weekend, Tamryn, I’m not a masochist.”

“Well, not just a weekend.” Tamryn shifted, lifting his left arm to gesture for Zelda to come closer. She gladly accepted the embrace, burying her face in the soft wool of his sweater as he gave her a tight squeeze. “Happy birthday, shithead.”

She swatted at him as he laughed, turning away from her to slip the spatula under the pancake when Magnus chirped and set it carefully on the serving plate to his right.

Zelda’s brows drew together as she let her eyes wander over the ingredients, then the pancakes themselves, the realization dawning the longer she looked over it all. “Tam...are you making -”

“Mama’s syrniki recipe, yeah. I can’t promise it’ll be perfect, you and I both know she would follow her heart tweaking things and I only have the recipe cards you helped me braille, but I realized I have now been here for three birthdays and not even attempted making it.” He waved the spatula idly in the air and blew a few strands of hair out of his face before he continued. “Hopefully I wasn’t too presumptuous, but you and I both have the same opinions about chocolate and I felt optimistic.”

Zelda laughed, shaking her head as she found the chocolate in question and broke a piece off for herself. 

“No, not presumptuous at all.” She popped the piece into her mouth before she began to move about the kitchen, pulling together parts of Oberon’s own breakfast with the deer hot on her heels. “I’m looking forward to it. I don’t think I’ve ever made them myself, so this’ll be the first time I’ve had them in years. Tea or coffee?”

“Coffee, get the hell out of here with your fancy leaf water.”

“If tea is leaf water, then coffee is just bean water, stupid.”

“Maybe, but if I wanted to drink leaf water I’d just go drink from a puddle.”

Zelda flipped him off, and when Magnus squawked loudly, Tam returned the gesture, snickering to himself under his breath as he worked his way through the last few syrniki. 

*     *     *     *     *

Eventually, when they made their way out to the small back garden and crammed the plates onto the wrought iron patio table, chatting as Magnus settled on the back of one of the empty chairs and Oberon found his favorite spot - easily noted by the way the grass was permanently flattened at the base of the crabapple tree in the corner of the garden. They both were animated in conversation, Zelda only pausing to take the first bite of her syrniki and losing her train of thought.

They weren’t Evalina’s, but they were still delicious, the chocolate warm on her tongue and the strawberries perfectly between sweet and tangy - it was enough to make her throat feel a little tight after she swallowed.

“Good?” Tamryn asked after a moment, and Zelda laughed, nodding as she spoke. 

“They are. They’re not mom’s, but they don’t need to be. They’re perfect.” She reached out and laid a hand on his wrist, squeezing it lightly. “Thank you, Tam. Really.”

“You’re welcome.” Tam shoved strawberry in his mouth before he reached into the pocket of his sweatpants with his other hand, turning Zelda’s palm over and smacking a slim, flat box into her hand. “Your gift, by the way, before I set it down and forget where I put it. I already did once, I made the bed and lost it in the sheets. Damn near shit myself.”

Zelda snickered softly, gently tugging away the crisp white ribbon and carefully cracking open the box, the lid opening on a hinge that revealed the jewelry inside. 

The necklace was simple - only a single pendant, the six-pointed star a little bigger than the pad of her thumb and strung on a delicate golden chain. Her breath caught as she lifted the star on one of her fingers, watching the morning light gleam on its polished surface. If her throat had felt thick before, she felt like she was trying to swallow a rock now, eyes burning with the tears that welled up.

“You said you lost yours years ago.” Tamryn said gently. “I know you loved it, and you never took it off when we were kids…”

“You’re going to make me cry on my birthday.” Zelda sniffed, and Tamryn laughed, reaching out to pat her arm. 

“Don’t, because then you’ll make me cry, and then we’ll both look ugly when we go out later.” He smiled when Zelda snorted at that, swiping a rogue tear away before it could slip down her cheek. “Do you want help putting it on?”

“I’m sure it’ll look ridiculous with my pajamas, but that’s not going to stop me. Yes, please.”

The clasp would come together neatly at the base of Zelda’s neck - simple, but secure - and the pendant fell just below her collarbone, making her smile and touch her fingertips to it once she released her hair from where she’d moved it out of Tamryn’s way. He draped his arms lazily around her shoulders, chin propped on her head, rather than returning to his own seat across from her at the table. 

“If the chain is too short, I can take it back to the jeweler and ask them to add some length to it.”

“No, Tam, it’s lovely. Thank you so much.” She laid her hands over his and gave them a squeeze, smiling as he squeezed them back before he straightened up. 

“I’m glad you like it.” Quickly, he snatched a strawberry off her plate, snickering to himself as he made his way back around to his seat despite her protests at the theft of fruit. “Now shut up and eat your breakfast.”

“Ass.” Zelda reached out and stole one of the blackberries left on his own plate, munching happily on it and smacking his hand away when he tried to steal another strawberry off her plate. “Go away, you have your own fruit.”

“You won’t even share with your beloved older brother?”

“Just because I’ve been stuck with you since birth doesn’t mean I like you, you know.”

“Joke’s on you, bitch, that goes both ways.”

With a laugh, Zelda finally dug back into her syrniki, banter and conversation mixing and flowing between them easily as they talked about anything and everything that came to mind. The sun continued to move overhead, warming their faces long after their plates were cleared and their cups were empty.

She didn’t need to know how the rest of the day was going to go - in her book, it was already a pretty damn great birthday.

[brightmoonprincess]

Request for... are you okay with Glitra? Can I suggest Adora thinking Glimmer likes Bow, but Catra suspects she likes Adora. Catra confronts Glimmer, but then Glimmer confesses she’s both Catradora, and cue Catra realising she’s attracted to Glimmer and some Glitra smoochies??

I love glitra!

less specific but I went for a glitra confrontation, hope you like it!

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Adora snores. She’s slumped over, with her head resting on the table and her hand still gripping a half-empty energy drink can. 

Catra yawns. She’s barely awake, but she’s playing with Adora’s hair rather than reading anything from her textbook, fingers combing through the thick blonde ponytail.

“Your second derivative is completely wrong,” Entrapta scolds Glimmer, who scrunches a handful of pink hair in her fists and groans loudly.

Yep, it was another all-nighter for the crew. The semester’s procrastination finally caught up to the three struggling students. It seemed like a good idea for them to all take their classes together-- that is, until all of their study sessions together ended up including no studying whatsoever. They begged Entrapta to help, enticing her with promises of all the tiny snacks they could afford, if she managed to help them pass the final.

It’s 3:45am.

Glimmer pushes herself away from the table and stands up, slamming her hands onto the wood. “I can’t take this anymore! I’m going on a walk to wake up,” she declares. 

It’s overly dramatic, and Catra rolls her eyes at it. But then she says, “Actually.. I’ll come with you.”

It’s late and she’s sleepy and stressed, so Glimmer doesn’t think too much of it. They both grab their jackets and head out, leaving a sleep-talking Adora and an Entrapta who is recording it all.

- - -

The campus is dead quiet. Which makes sense, given that is the middle of a night on a weekday. The air is chilly, but refreshing. The two walk beside each other, a couple feet apart as they stroll down a path.

It isn’t often that Glimmer and Catra are alone. The time they spend together is usually in a group setting, like during a study session or a weekend outing with everyone else in the friend squad. At this point, they would consider the other a friend, sure. But if you asked either of them, they would both say they’re absolutely nothing like the other. So. They don’t hang out alone much.

They don’t say anything to each other for a while. It’s a little awkward, Glimmer thinks, but her brain is too fried to make any small talk. Catra probably won’t care, though, and she appreciates her for that. 

It ends up being Catra who finally speaks up, saying, “Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Oh! What’s up?”

Catra stops walking and sighs. “I’m just going to say it,” she starts. “Listen, I get it. My girlfriend is beautiful and talented and incredible in every single way. But all your desperate pining is really starting to get on my nerves, alright?”

On some level, Glimmer knew this was coming. It had to, eventually, right? But that doesn’t stop her from saying, “Haha… What are you... talking about…?”

Catra gives her an unwavering deadpan look.

“Fine, fine,” she admits. There isn’t any way out of this that isn’t awkward, so she realizes that she might as well put it all out there. “... Was it really that obvious?”

“Glimmer, this morning you spent the entire lecture staring at the back of Adora’s head and sighing.”

Oh. Oops. Glimmer looks away sheepishly and says, “Ok, you’re right. I maybe-kinda-sorta still have feelings for Adora. I’ve been trying to let it pass, I swear! But… they just haven’t yet.”

She looks back at Catra, who is staring at her with those intense eyes. It makes Glimmer feel dizzy.

“I want to lose either of you as friends, and I don’t want to have to avoid either of you... But, I’m sorry,” Glimmer continues. “I care about you-- really!-- and I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for you... Er... please don’t be angry at me?”

“I’m... not angry,” Catra says, in a strained voice that lets Glimmer know she’s still working on not getting angry. “I get it. She’s still your best friend. Maybe you can, I don’t know... turn down the thirst a bit?”

“Right. Sorry about that,,” Glimmer agrees. “If that’s the case, then we should probably stop all the flirting that we’ve been doing, too...”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on there,” Catra stops her. “We’ve been doing what?”

“... Really? I’m not trying to change the subject, but… C’mon, Catra. Don’t act like you don’t flirt with me all the time.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Glimmer returns the same deadpan expression. “Last time we went to a party together, you literally licked my cheek and said I tasted like glitter.”

“That was to annoy you! Not to flirt with you!” Catra argues, her voice higher-pitched and her cheeks cherry-red. “I don’t like you.”

“Well maybe I don’t believe you!” Glimmer says stubbornly. 

With that, Catra grabs Glimmer’s face and kisses her.

Glimmer’s eyes widen. A few fluttering moments pass, and she’s too surprised to react. But the shock is overwhelmed by the want, and she starts kissing her back almost frantically.

It’s not delicate, and it’s a little clumsy. The tension that hung between them like tightly wounded thread flows out all at once, as if a dam had been broken down. Glimmer bites down on Catra’s lip. Catra moves her hands to Glimmer’s waist, pulls her closer until they’re pressed against each other as closely as possible.

They don’t break apart until they’re practically breathless. They aren’t sure who, but someone finally does. They immediately take a step back and stare at each other for a moment, panting.

“... Catra, what the fuck was that?”

[snarkwrites]

summer sizzle | yours - reggie mantle [ m ]

[ prompts used ]  One Small Kiss, Pulling Away For An Instant, Then Devouring Each Other + I Love You + heavy eye contact + comfort sex + first time (together)   -

[ authors notes ] And I did it. I’ve been literally dying to write this for a while now, but lately, my fucks to be given have taken a hike, so I figured if there ever was a time then it’s now? So.. Here. Have some filth.

[ warnings ] 18+ only. All actual children please exit the building now. This is not meant for your eyes. Body fluids, oral sex , mentions of biting... Other than that just teeth rotting fluff.

[ pairing / fandom ] reggie mantle x lodge!ofc - riverdale

[ tag squad ] sadfaces. there’s no one on my riverdale taglist as of now. So I won’t tag anyone. If you see this and you want to be on my taglist, I’ve linked that doc below. FYI, as of today, I am being totally serious. If you’re not on my taglist ( or haven’t told me you want to be tagged in my writing over DM or message) I will definitely not be tagging you.

[ tag doc | masterlist | fyi | ask box status : open, accepting anons (headcanons for characters & fake fic titles only tho) ] 

                                  R E G G I E M A N T L E in yours,..

“Reggie?” I called out as I stood in the empty, locker lined hallway. The dance was still in full swing in the gym but I didn’t care. I’d seen everything play out between my sister Veronica and Reggie, one of my best friends. Naturally, I rushed right out.

I heard the doors leading into Riverdale High swing shut hard and I took a deep breath before making a beeline down the hall. I stopped in front of the trophy case to reapply my lip gloss and take a few deep breaths.

,, you can do this. You can make the first move.” I thought to myself all the way down the hallway and out the doors of the school. I caught him just as he reached his Charger and I tapped his shoulder, so nervous that I nearly jumped out of my skin when he turned around.

“Jesus.” I raised my hand to my heart, giving a soft little giggle as I stepped closer and pouted up at Reggie for a few seconds while toying with his tie, threading it through the fingers on one hand. My eyes settled on his chest because for the life of me, I absolutely could not meet his gaze right now. Not and actually say what I’d come out to tell him. Looking down and just.. Touching him a little… It was keeping me calm and far better than me, just blurting it out awkwardly. I wanted to ease into it.

“I saw what happened.” I finally managed to mumble because I knew I had to say something. 

Reggie let out a breath and tensed a little. Then I stepped closer, my body pressing light against his and he kind of just melted against me, staring down at me a moment before nodding back to the building. “You’re missing the dance.”

He completely ignored what I said about having seen what happened between him and my sister, or the fact that not even ten minutes later, she was all cozy with Archie Andrews again as if nothing had ever happened. I could look at Reggie and tell that it was eating him alive, but true to form, he was refusing to think about it right now.

Mostly to keep the tension between us at a minimum, I answered dismissively, 

“My date was a drag anyway.” I shrugged half-heartedly as I said it, pouting a little over the fact that naturally, my date only came with me in the first place because of Veronica being my older sister. I shoved the thought out of my mind and bit my lip, my gaze falling to the black silk tie undone around his neck, raising a hand to toy with it again in the hopes of distracting myself. 

This had been so much easier in my head. What if I told him and he laughed about it? What if telling him made things awkward between us? All my doubts chose that exact second to surface and I stepped away just a little to try and get myself together. During all this, Reggie was staring down at me intently, almost thoughtfully. 

Finally, he spoke up. “Comin here tonight was a mistake. I knew your sister was gonna wind up going back to Andrews, I just chose to be an idiot. Be blind. Tell myself that I was wrong.” 

“You’re not an idiot. You felt something, it’s okay to feel. She shouldn’t have let you believe she felt things in return, if we’re being honest.” I shivered as the wind picked up and I hugged myself a little. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself to say something. Anything, at this rate. I was determined to make my own feelings for him known at last because frankly, keeping quiet was getting entirely too difficult to keep doing.

And I had nothing to lose.

“Wish I felt like that right now.” Reggie remarked quietly, stepping closer on his own just as I hugged myself a little harder because of the chill in the air. He looked me over, not saying anything. Then he shrugged off the jacket to his suit and draped it around me. “You’re going to freeze out here, Vivi.”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You are my best friend, Reggie.” I reminded him patiently, tapping a foot against the pavement as my gaze broke away from him and momentarily, I glanced back to Riverdale High. “Screw the dance. This whole night was a waste of time. I only came because…” I fell silent. I was literally thisclose to saying exactly why I’d taken the date with the idiot I’d come with, but somehow, I couldn’t just… say it already.

“Because of what?” Reggie’s fingers tucked beneath my chin, making me look up at him. I gulped and let out a shaky breath, my teeth chattering a little. He stepped even closer, towering over me. “C’mon, you were saying something, Vivi. Don’t stop now…” he coaxed, deep brown eyes fixed on me, promptly making me stare in distraction and realize just how quickly I drowned in them.

“Because of you. I came tonight because of you.” 

“What do you mean, because of me?” he completely closed the distance between us, his hands lingering gingerly at my hips as he stared down at me, dazed. I whined, giving him a begging glance. I couldn’t find the words to actually say what I was dying to and here he went, insisting that I said them. I cleared my throat quietly and after a second or two of mumbling to myself about it, I took a deep breath.

“Whatever you do, don’t laugh.” I mumbled softly as I rose to tiptoe, placing the palm of my hands on either side of his face to pull his mouth closer. I originally intended to just go for it, but I awkwardly wound up kissing the corner of his mouth instead and when I did… His fingers dug into my lower back, moving down to squeeze my ass through the body con minidress. 

He pulled me up slightly, and just as I went to back my face away, he bit his lip and gave this little smirk while shaking his head, chuckling against my mouth, “Where you think you’re about to go, Vivi?” both his lips clenching my upper lip between as he planted a similar kiss on my mouth. When I felt his tongue trailing between my lips, my mouth fell open easily to give him access. If I shivered again, it was not because I was cold.

No, in fact, my entire body felt like it was on fire from the inside right now. He stepped back to lean against his car just a little, letting me melt against his embrace completely. Tongues clashing for control of the kiss turned to teeth nipping and scraping at each other’s mouths, shaky breaths caught in the air and swallowed by a kiss that was getting so deep and out of hand in a good way that I was starting to feel dizzy. We pulled away, panting for our next breath, both trying to process what just happened. 

“I think I love you.” I managed to get it out, wiping the back of my hand along my lips. Reggie blinked in surprise, but that cocky smirk started to form and naturally, Reggie wouldn’t be Reggie if he didn’t push for more. “You think or you know?” he stared down at me intently, a gaze that demanded an answer.

“I think that I know. There’s just always been this magnets pull…” I said it feebly, afraid that now having said it, he was about to gently tell me that he didn’t feel the same. When I could finally bring myself to actually look at him, he was just staring at me intently… That cocky smirk had gone so much softer. His hand left it’s resting place on my hip to raise and lay against the side of my neck so he could cradle my face in his hands. “Yeah.” the word was choked out and his mouth buried against mine all over again, devouring it. I rubbed against him a little, trying to get even closer. The scent of his cologne filled my nose and I breathed it in deep, a soft sigh disappearing between our mouths as I did so.

When we finally broke away again, he licked his lips, staring intently at the way mine were left swollen and bruised by the desperate, longing kisses exchanged. 

Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I weren’t working myself into a panic because I’d just said… all that… and he really hadn’t said anything yet. 

“Why didn’t you ever say anything, huh? Because I..” he looked down, taking a deep breath, looking back up slowly. “I never would’ve even started something with Veronica if I knew.. I just thought we were best friends. Kinda thought I was gonna lose my goddamn mind because I wanted to say it to you so many times…” he trailed off, taking a few shaky breaths, stepping closer all over again with his hips pinning me against the side of his car, his hands wandering as he rubbed against me and let me melt against him, a frenzied groan against the shell of my ear as the friction started to build and we realized neither of us were interested in stopping or even wanted to.

The next thing I knew I was being pulled up his body, sat down in the passenger seat of his car. He leaned in, peppering my face with kisses as he muttered in a daze against my mouth, “I wanna get out of here. Do you, baby girl?”

“Yes.” I managed to gasp just as I felt his teeth latch onto my lips all over again, tugging, his hand slipping between my thighs and making me whimper and rock against it as soon as I felt him cup my dripping cunt. “Please?” I questioned breathlessly.

He rubbed harder, a quiet “Fuck” hanging heavy in the air between us as he dipped his head back down, muttering dazed against my mouth, “Right now, baby girl. Because if we don’t go now… People are going to get a show.”

He reluctantly pulled himself away, straightening to stand and he shut the door firmly behind him, hurrying around to the driver seat. Once he was inside the car, he started it and his hand crept right back over the center console, settling between my thighs again, a sharp hiss at just how wet his fingers came away at the touch. 

His house was coming into view and as soon as he parked behind one of his dad’s many cars, he killed the engine, leaning across, his free hand at the back of my neck to pull me into him. The hand buried between my thighs kept rubbing, applying just a bit more pressure, drawing a gasped whimper out of me as I met his mouth, devouring it hungrily. I shivered at the way his fingertip trailed a line right down my center while giving me a lust filled gaze.

I pouted to myself when he opened the car door and quickly made his way around to my side, opening my door and bending at the hip, unfastening my seat belt and scooping me up into his arms. My arms looped around his neck and my nose nuzzled right against the space between his neck and shoulder and he had to stop and adjust the way he carried me because it caught him off guard and he’d very nearly dropped me. He wasted no time getting us inside, up the stairs and into his bedroom. He sat me on top of his dresser and locked the door before turning his attention to me all over again.

Stepping between my legs, he tilted my head slightly, mouth grazing against the side of my neck all over again. I could feel his lips really latch on, the suction forming between his mouth and my skin. I wasn’t stupid, I knew exactly what he was doing.

He was going to make absolutely sure I was covered head to toe in his marks. And honestly, that’s the exact thing I wanted.His hands skimmed the insides of my thighs and his mouth bore down harder, the sound of our heavy breathing almost amplified in the quiet of his bedroom. When I felt him cupping my cunt all over again, rubbing it over the soaked underwear, my head fell back and I sucked in a deep breath, rocking myself against his hand. When he leaned into me a little more, something clattered to the floor with an almost deafening thud and the two of us locked eyes, freezing in place.

When no one barged down the hall to knock at his door, he grabbed the back of my neck lightly and pulled my forehead against his lips while his other hand brushed the soaked fabric barrier covering my cunt out of the way. 

My breath caught in my throat and he muttered softly, “Hope you’re not planning on leavin, princess. I wanna take my time with you tonight.” and just as I went to whimper when his thumb rubbed at my clit and his fingers buried deep in my core, slowly stretching me out a little, his lips crashed against mine to swallow the sounds of my quiet moans and whimpers as he continued to work at my clit and his fingers drummed against my spot, massaging and scissoring in and out of my core. 

I rocked myself against his moving fingers and gripped at the shirt he was wearing, pulling it apart, sending a quiet spray of buttons clinking against the floor of his bedroom and he gave a low, husky chuckle as he lazily trailed his tongue over the outline of my lips. I tugged his shirt off, letting it fall softly to the floor. He gave another quiet chuckle against my mouth and the silent tear of fabric was heard as he stopped what he was doing to me long enough to tear my panties off, tossing them beside his shirt. As he turned his attention back to me, his eyes lit on my dress and he started to work it up over my thighs, up to my hips before pausing again to bite his lips and rub his chin thoughtfully.

“Reggie.” I choked out in a breathless whisper. I was throbbing, literally aching to get off and then he stopped and I was starting to get more than a little needy. His eyes locked on mine and he stepped close all over again, scooting me towards him and then picking me up, stepping over to his bed. My back hit the mattress and my hands raised, fumbling with the thin black leather belt at the waist of his pants. Once I got the buckle undone, I worked the button free. I caught his gaze as he pushed my legs open wide, his body serving as a barrier to keep them spread. Then I went agonizingly slow with the zipper to his pants.. Because turnabout is fair play. He barely held back a quiet whimper and the second his pants were undone, he was kicking off his shoes and letting his pants and underwear pool at his ankles, kicking them free from there.

He pushed me back against his bed and centered himself over me. “Condom?” I muttered the question against his mouth and he nodded, reaching out for his nightstand to open a drawer, pulling one out. As his eyes met mine again, he conquered my mouth in another hungry kiss, grinding himself against me and groaning against my mouth as the sloppy sounds of our kissing seemed to echo in the quiet room and compete with the quiet creaks of the mattress beneath us. “But first..” his lips ghosted down my throat as he mumbled the words into my skin, “I wanna taste you.” his eyes met mine as he said it and I nodded, biting my lip. 

As his mouth sank lower, diving down from my throat dragging across my collarbone. When he dipped his head and I felt his tongue dart out, circling my nipples as one of his hands slipped between my thighs again, his thumb pressing hard against my clit, rubbing and working the circular bundle of nerves. 

My fingers curled in the sheets on his bed and his teeth scraped against my nipples, teasing them to points as he buried his fingers inside me all over again, panting against my neck, “You’re so wet already, fuck.”  as the wet sounds of his fingers working my spot with each deep thrust he made. 

He moved down my body a little more, his tongue lazily trailing down my abdomen and circling my belly button, making me almost giggle and raise a little to look down at him. The lower he got, the more I felt that lazy slow burning heat in my stomach get hotter, send my stomach fluttering. I could feel my thighs slip off of each other and I knew i had to be dripping on the sheets and leaving a puddle. His eyes met mine one last time as he settled between my thighs, arms hooked beneath each one to hold me open. 

Almost like a tease, he licked his lips and then he buried his head between my thighs, his tongue striping right up my center, circling my clit. I felt his lps latching on, sucking and I tried like hell to get a little more movement, get friction going all over again, but his grip on me was too tight for it. He chuckled against my cunt, “Just be still, doll. Let me take care of you, yeah?”

“Feels so good, ugh..” my head fell back as I muttered the words, my eyes fluttering open and shut, trying to stop tears from spilling because he was teasing me to a point in which I literally felt like I’d cry if he didn’t just let me get off. “Reggie!” I whimpered, begging for more. He tilted my hips upward, burying his tongue inside me even further and I lowered my hand, gripping at his hair. He gave a quiet growl, the warmth and wetness of his tongue against my dripping pussy sending a shiver shooting through my entire body. “C’mon, doll.. I feel you tensing up. Let go for me.” he muttered in a half dazed lusty tone against my pelvic mound and honestly, I needed no further push beyond his words. The orgasm that had been building for a while now ripped through me and I could hear him greedily licking and sucking me clean. He started to crawl back up my body, pressing himself down and into me. He slipped his fingers between his lips, groaning as if I were the best thing he’d ever tasted, making me watch him as he licked his fingers clean.

When he went for the condom, I reached out, wrapping my hand around his wrist, working it free from his fingers as I looked up at him. “Let me.”

He fell back against the mattress and I took the condom, tearing into the wrapper with my teeth. I worked it down over his thick length slowly, almost teasing as I did it, making him come alive below, bucking his hips upward against nothing, quiet moans and groans shattering the peaceful silence of his bedroom. He gripped my hips and I straddled him, sinking down on his length slowly, a sharp hiss coming as he stretched me out and filled me up. 

Reggie rose to a sitting position and I wrapped my legs around his hips. He leaned his forehead against mine and muttered soft against my mouth, “You feel so good.Faster, princess. C’mon.. Ride me.” and I obliged him, starting to ride his cock a little faster, letting him sink into my pussy deeper, his length striking right against my spot and making me dig my nails into his shoulders just a bit. His hands gripped my hips and he started to pump me up and down on his cock, slower, steadier and so much deeper. My head fell back as I eagerly rocked my hips to meet his deep drives and moaned his name quietly, the sound only overtaken by the sound of our sloppy wet kisses and the steady creaking and rustling of the bed. 

He tensed a little, his hips stuttering against mine, his fingers digging into my sides almost enough to leave bruises behind and he growled against my mouth, “You’re all mine now, right?”

“All yours.” I breathed against his mouth, my tongue trailing over his lips, slipping between them to collide with his. The kiss broke and my mouth strayed down the side of his neck. Like he’d done to me earlier, I fully intended on leaving marks behind. His grip tightened on my body and he groaned my name. “Fuck. Vivi. That’s it, baby girl. Want you to, “ he trailed off, taking several ragged breaths, “Mark me up, baby.” 

I buried my lips on his neck, latching on, leaving behind a sizeable mark, riding his cock faster, whimpering against his ear as an orgasm began to build even more. “C’mon.” he urged, fucking into me faster from below, “Let go. Ride it out, princess.” 

My pussy vised his length and he groaned against my neck, leaving a mark on the other side of it, his hand raising to tangle in my hair and tug at the ends of it, making me slam myself up and down on his cock even more, harder. I could feel myself dripping, still clenching his thick length tight and when he flipped us so that he was on top, slamming into me deep as he positioned my legs around his hips, burying his mouth in mine, I could feel him throbbing and my head fell back, my breath catching as I struggled to breathe properly again. 

He pulled out, crawling down my body again, groaning as his eyes locked on the sight of me dripping, the excess of my juices pooling on the sheets beneath me. He moved back up my body, his mouth meeting mine as he muttered lazily against my mouth, “I’ll be right back. You want some water or anything, princess?”

“Just hurry back, baby. I wanna know how it feels to fall asleep in your arms.”

My words sent a bright grin to his lips and he nodded, slipping out of bed. I laid there and took a few deep breaths before grinning bright in the dark.

Telling him hadn’t gone nearly as bad as I was afraid it would. And now, Reggie Mantle was mine. All mine. And I was all his.

[laurelleghuleh]

OCAF | Ch. 14 “Scars”

Warnings: read the masterlist first

Songs:“Perfectly Wrong” by Shawn Mendes, “Insecure” by Brent Faiyaz ( I think this song is exactly what is going on inside Daphne’s/your head rn), “Teacher’s Pet” by Melanie Martinez (when DaddyErwin arrives)

DAPHNE’S POV

“Are you sure you’ve had enough?”

Tracing his thumbs over my ribs and lowering his gaze to my torso, Levi firmly said “No.” and my bottom lip quivered in anticipation. I instantly felt something unfamiliar, something wicked growing in my lower belly, something I had to suppress as soon as possible. I could see the same lust swimming around Levi’s eyes, but the dark shadows beneath them, the gauze over his wound, the scars, the signs, and all the bruises all over his skin talked more loudly to my conscience than my selfish yearning. We both needed some rest.

I sighed and moved away from him, leaving him quite puzzled. I stood up from the tub, removed his firm grip from my ass and smirked at him as I stepped out. But he was faster than I expected. Levi instinctively followed me out of the bath, caught me, and turned me to face him again, pushing me against the wall behind me. Then his lips found my neck, eagerly gliding down my throat, following the line over my pulse.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he breathed against my heated skin. I almost didn’t catch his words, his lips barely lifted from me to spell his sentence out. He gently pulled my torso toward him as he slid down, exploring every inch of my skin. Again.

At the same time, one of his hands was firmly pressed on my waist while the other one was down on my thigh, lifting it up and securing it next to his side. My shoulder blades were now pressed against the bathroom's wall, my hands loosely placed over his shoulders, my eyes closed, my mind completely somewhere else.

No. We need to stop. I need to stop this… This is wrong. So wrong. What are we even doing?

I swallowed thickly trying to pull myself back together.

“Levi, we… You should rest-”

I couldn’t even manage to finish my sentence as I felt his fingers lightly pinching my nipple, then gently cupping my breast, and his face slowly climbing back up to mine.

He looks so tired.

“You should go to bed now” I sweetly whispered, caressing his cheeks with my hands. His face immediately lifted and a wide smirk curled his mouth.

“Say less.” he murmured.

That’s the last thing I remember about that night. Even now it feels like, when his swollen lips met mine again, everything just went in a blur of sloppy noises and imprecise memories. We clumsily rushed back to the bed, not even minding to put some new sheets on, landing on the bare mattress, one pressed against the other. We probably did it again, at least once. Only the adrenaline kept us going, but at some point I think we just passed out.

In the middle of the night, I woke with a start. A biting heat was scratching my throat, my mouth was completely drained, my body almost did not respond to my own commands, and my eyes refused to open. Once I faintly lifted my eyelids, I finally realized where I was. And most importantly, who I was with.

Lying next to me there was Levi, still sleeping soundly. Who knows how long he hadn't slept like that. His arms were still lazily wrapped around me, his chest swelled and deflated slowly with each breath, his forehead was flat and relaxed, his lips barely parted. I would have stayed there forever just staring at him.

I felt so small, so vulnerable on that bare mattress, and yet so calm. A thin thread of moonlight casually traced his contours and all I could do was silently contemplate him. If I had had the strength, I would have once more run my fingers through his silky dark hair, which now hung messily over his temples.

I would have stayed there forever.

I would have stayed there even forever if I hadn't felt that sudden bang inside my chest. Badum. Like a hammer knocking unexpectedly against my ribcage. Badum. A toll that became almost deafening in the absolute silence of that night. Badum. It was the first time a man had made me so small, so vulnerable. Badum. But I think I knew that feeling. Badum. It was the same thing I felt during the expedition, when the only thing I could think of was Levi and how badly I wanted to see him again. Badum.

I didn’t know what that was exactly, but it scared me to death.

“Oooh, you know what this is. You know it already, little liar. You felt like this even yesterday when you were looking for him everywhere, so desperately, so foolishly.” Badum.

“You felt like this when he helped you calming down.” Badum.

“When he kissed you the first time.” Badum.

“When he let you talk about your stupid past.” Badum.

“Even when he was just looking at you from a distance.” Badum.

“You’ve been feeling like this since the very beginning, you foolish little girl.” Badum.

“So why don’t you stay? Stay. Linger between your dear captain’s arms a little longer.“ Badum.

“Stay. No really, stay.” Badum.

“It won’t make much of a difference at this point.” Badum.

“Ruth is dead.” Badum.

“Abigail hates you.” Badum.

“Nina would hate you too if she only knew all the blood that ran through your hands last year.” Badum.

“Stay.” Badum.

At that point my heart was racing so wildly in my chest I almost believed it was about to wake Levi up, but probably only an earthquake could have disturbed his sleep in that state. I did my best to slip out of his arms as silently as possible, dragging my weary body off the bed, crawling, and looking for my clothes. Then I creeped out of his room, limping back to mine.

Time was not on our side, he was right. Nothing was on our side. People like Levi and me can be content with letting down their guards for one night and one night only. I would have stayed forever, but not in this life. The new day would eventually bring clarity to the stupid mistake we both made that night. He would have done the same in my position. Or at least, this is what I tried to tell myself as I curled up in my blankets, crying myself to sleep.

The next day I instinctively got up to the sound of the alarm and dragged my body into the bathroom like an automaton. I felt like throwing up. My bowels were literally upside down.

Then, opening the wardrobe to take the uniform, I came across my reflection. Almost complementary to the battle scars there were now faint bruises where Levi must have exerted too much pressure the previous night. I stared at them for a couple of solid minutes, not even daring to touch my own skin. They were the clear signs that what happened between us couldn’t be washed away that easily. But I was determined to find a way to erase them. To forget about him and get back on track. He wasn’t part of my plan, nor I would have allowed him in. Ever.

I'm going to earn my freedom on my own, legitimately this time. In a way or another.

Anyway, that morning eating was out of the question. I could barely bring myself to drink a glass of water at that point. On top of that, just the thought of seeing Levi made me already sick. Therefore, I decided to skip breakfast and go straight to the medical wing of the HQ. I knew I could be of service and my first aid skills were definitely needed after the expedition.

I kept myself busy all day, helping injured soldiers and filling reports. Hours dragged on pretty easily. I was so caught up that I even forgot about lunch. I was going around like a spinning top. But as always, the Lady Luck was not cooperating that day. Still kneeled beside a soldier’s bed to change his gauze, I suddenly froze. From a distance I heard the nurses greeting someone, saying things like: “Captain”, “Captain, welcome”, “How are you feeling, Captain?”

I hoped and prayed with my eyes closed they were talking to another captain. Spoiler alert: they weren’t.

Chills ran down my spine when, lifting cautiously my eyelids, I saw Levi sitting next to another soldier’s bed, right in front of the one I was taking care of. He wasn’t in his uniform, just regular clothes, his expression looked neutral, his shoulders less tense than usual.

He lingered there for less than five minutes I think, holding that man’s hand and talking to him with such a low tone I couldn’t catch a single word. That soldier’s conditions were pretty bad, I was told he was about to die and I assumed Levi was there to talk to him or just to say goodbye. I secretly imagined their conversation as I tried to stay focused on my patient. In the meantime, I foolishly believed Levi didn’t even perceive my presence, but when he stood up and walked past me, everything was suddenly crystal clear.

He knew I was there. He perfectly knew. It took a single, brief glance to express all the disappointment and disgust he was feeling toward me. Just one.

How I missed his old unreadable face.

I gulped and brought my eyes back on the soldier I was treating. I knew I probably hurt Levi, or maybe just his ego, but I didn’t expect that sudden nausea to grow again in my stomach.

I shouldn’t feel bad for him. I should feel bad for myself. Also, I only did him, us, a favor. A big favor. He’ll forget about me pretty soon. Stop thinking about him and just move on, Daphne. You made the right choice. No regrets, right?

When dinner time arrived, the nurses were practically forcing us all to take a break and go eat something, but my stomach was still upside down. As I was on my way to my bedroom, rhythmically exerting a little pressure on my biceps to relax a little, I sensed an arm hooking mine. Hange.

“Excuse me, Miss, where are you going? The food is in the opposite direction.” she said, softly smiling.

“I don’t really feel like eating right now…” I tried to evade her look.

“Are you unwell? I didn’t see you at breakfast, nor at lunch… Is everything okay? I mean, I know the expedition was rough and all-” she started to say, increasing the speed of her voice.

“No, no.” I interrupted her. “Don’t worry Hange, It’s just that I’m not hungry.”

“But you have to eat something. What about soup? It will warm you up a little if you’re not feeling well.” she suggested.

I sighed noisily, then just nodded. There was no way I could escape her. Hange always had her ways to convince people.

Luckily for me, there was still no sign of Levi when we entered the room. In the cafeteria, the air was tense and everyone was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The few who were chatting kept their voices low, the others were just staring somewhere on the floor or the table as they silently ate.

Hange and I took place with her fellows. It was so strange to not see Petra, Eld, Gunther and Oruo around. Even though I didn’t know all the soldiers I could feel those who were missing. I could feel an unbearable void.

And of course when I thought I was safe, suddenly Levi arrived. His unfazed facade was back on and he was still visibly limping.

I wonder if he changed his gauze this morning… Daphne, no. Don’t even try the nurse card now. Please, try to be professional.

As usual, he took his seat right in front of me, didn’t greet anyone, didn’t say a single word. Didn’t look at me. Not even once. Better, much better than that death look from earlier. Do not look at me. Do not talk to me.

“Finally! Levi, I didn’t see you at breakfast and lunch either. Where were you all?” Hange told him.

“Either who?” he calmly asked.

“Well, not even Daphne showed up. I’m just glad we are all here now. Together.” she sadly sighed.

I sensed Levi’s head tilting in my direction, but his eyes were still somewhere else. He probably had figured we were both trying to avoid each other. Or maybe I was the one making assumptions. Maybe it was just a coincidence.

“So, how are your legs?" Hange continued.

“Yes, Captain, how are your legs?” I imitated her with an unbothered tone, eyes fixed on my spoon as I raised it to take a sip.

“That should be my line.” said Levi.

I almost choked at his words, coughing and blushing visibly. This fucking asshole. So is this the game we’re playing now?

Hange immediately turned toward me, rubbing my back and asking me anxiously: “Did something happen to your legs too? Are you hurt? I knew something was wrong with you..."

I clicked my tongue and glanced at Levi, trying to show him all the anger pooling in my eyes. Then I replied nonchalantly: “Nothing serious. I'm good, Hange.”

I exhaled soundly, prey to that sudden frustration his words caused me, and decided to stand up from my chair.

“Sorry, I think I lost my appetite.” I added before I rushed out of the room. I don't have time for this bullshit.

Running off, I suddenly bumped into something. Something so hard I thought I was about to fall backward. Providentially two strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders before anything happened and I finally realized that hard wall was actually someone.

Ouch.

“Cadet, are you okay?” I heard someone saying.

I squinted my eyes, blinking as I tried to regain my composure. When I finally realized who was now in front of me, I just mumbled: “C-Commander, sorry, I wasn’t paying attention-”

“Don’t worry. Are you okay?” Erwin asked me again.

“I hope so...” I murmured in pain, rubbing my forehead. What is this man made of?? Bricks??

“Well, since you’re here, would you walk with me? I was kinda looking for you. Can you walk?” he calmly said.

What is it with everyone and my legs today? Wait, what?? He was looking… for me?

“Ehm, sure… I can walk.” I replied.

He nodded and beckoned me to join him as we started to walk along the hallway.

“So, how are you doing? Bump aside...” he asked with a soft voice.

“Vertical and breathing.” Daphne. Please, Daphne. Do not try to be sarcastic with your superior, for fuck’s sake.

“I-I mean, better than nothing. I’d live.” I corrected myself, not doing any better. When I side-eyed him I caught him lightly chuckling. Ok, that’s weird.

“Alright. I was informed about your contribution during the expedition. You did well.” he declared.

“I-I just… I just did what I had to do, sir.” Gosh, I sound like Levi.

“I’m glad to hear that.” added Erwin.

“I think now I get it… I-I get why you are fighting, what you are fighting for.” I don’t know why I told my biggest enemy that thing, but… I kind of needed to get it out of my chest.

He glanced at me, letting a small grin appear on his face, and then stopped in front of a massive door. Towering me with his height, the commander asked me: “Would you follow me inside my office? I’d like to continue this conversation in private. Just the two of us.”

Fuck. What have I just gotten myself into?

I nodded and shyly stepped inside the room behind him. At a first glance, his office was way bigger than Levi's. Every piece of furniture was made of dark solid wood. A big desk was right in the center, paired with his personal chair and two smaller ones on the opposite side, maybe for his occasional guests. On the right side of the room, there was a little green couch, some other shelves, a couple of paintings and maps hanging on the wall, and a door just ajar. His bedroom, probably. On the left, a huge library. I took a rapid glance at how every single book was perfectly aligned and ordered on each level. I was secretly trying to guess which of those concealed the poem Levi had told me the night before, imagining him browsing and picking up some books from there. But I was suddenly brought back to reality by Erwin’s voice when I heard him asking me:

“And tell me, how is it going with your comrades?”

As soon as he sat down at his desk I couldn't help but notice how solemn and handsome Erwin looked. His cheekbones were now illuminated by a little oil lamp beside him, his posture was regal, and his shoulders perfectly matched the two huge windows behind him. If possible, I was suddenly way more nervous than before.

“Oh, ehm… O-Okay, I think.” I stuttered.

“Have you noticed something strange with them?”

“No, sir. Not before what happened yesterday… When the spy came out and-”

He stopped my confused babbling only raising his palm and then asked: “And with your superiors? How is it going?”

Fuck. Me. Fuck me. No. No. No. C’mon Daphne, think fast. Say something.

“Ehm… I-I got the chance to interact with just a few of them… But, well, Hange has been very kind to me since the very beginning. She’s a great leader. She-” I started to say.

“What about your captain, Captain Levi?” he interrupted me again.

“What do you mean?” Here we go. Fuck. Here we go.

“You know he’s surveilling you on my account, right?” Erwin added.

He has been surveilling pretty closely, sir. That’s the problem.

“I’m well aware of that, sir.”

“And how is it going?” he questioned me.

It sucks because I think I like him, but I screwed up everything and now he hates me, but I don’t care because I’m not here for him, but actually I do care, like a lot, and now I don’t know what to do.

All I could say was: “Ehm, we had our ups and downs, but… Levi is a great captain. I respect him a lot.”

Even though it doesn’t seem like I do, considering that I left without a word after we fucked all night. But besides that, yes, I respect him a lot.

“Excellent. Excellent… Well, what I wanted to tell you was that I’ve been thinking about your situation recently… I thought deeply about it. All things considered, you behaved all this time. Except for that little accident…” he said lifting his gaze from his knuckles as he rested his elbows over his desk.

The Underground, I thought. I swallowed thickly.

“But you are also very disciplined, neat, always on time. You demonstrate to be skilled and smart. Or at least that’s what Levi has always claimed.”

I wonder if they talked about me even today. I wonder if he still thinks about me this way as a soldier even if he hates me…

“You contributed to the expedition and even survived the female titan.” the commander continued.

Geez, I’d like to know where he’s getting at with this conversation.

“So, I want to inform you that I’m willing to go a little easy on you. To loosen my grip.”

My eyes widened at the sound of his words.

“Just a little.” he added, gesturing a little space between his index and thumb, almost sarcastically.

My face fell after a second. He doesn’t think I’m that dumb, does he?

“I sense a but coming, Commander.”

“Buuuut. But. On one condition. I think Levi needs some rest and we still haven’t talked about his plans for you and Yeager given that his squad doesn’t exist anymore… However, we have to act as quickly as possible right now, and find the spy.” said Erwin.

I nodded to make sure he knew I was listening carefully.

“Since you were one of the few people to survive the female titan, your help is crucial right now. Therefore, I’ll personally ask you to do things for me, like cooperate with my subordinates and-”

“Yes. Yes, absolutely.” I hurried to say. Calm down, you stupid. “Ehm, I mean, sure. I’ll do it. Tell me what I have to do and I’ll do it.”

“Good. Good.”

He made a little pause, standing up from his desk. Then, walking toward me, he spoke again: “You’ll run some errands for me, bring me things, reports or papers from time to time, so just know that this office’s doors are always open for you.”

Should I be afraid of all this sudden kindness from the Commander? Or does he just need a lot of help?

I nodded again, then added: “Thanks, Commander.”

His shoulders relaxed and his eyes traveled down my body, examining my figure from head to toe.

“I saw you staring at the library earlier. Do you like reading?” he asked, moving his gaze toward the bookshelf.

“Honestly, I’ve never read a book, sir. I know how to read and write, but the only things I’ve ever read were...” Shit, how do I put this… “My… My former employer’s documents and letters. Pretty boring stuff.”

“I see.” He eyed me again, intertwining his hands behind his back, taking quite an authoritarian posture. “Well, feel free to take as many as you want from my library. Just remember to put them back afterward.”

“Really? I mean, I-” I blubbered, moving my hands anxiously. Can you not embarrass yourself for once, Daphne?

“Take one now.” he ordered me.

I gulped. “Ehm, okay.”

“I’ll take my leave now. I have a meeting with Hange. I suggest you find Wim and my other subordinates tomorrow morning. They’ll give you instructions about our research.”

I only nodded, following him with my eyes as he walked toward the door. But before he exited the room I spoke again: “Commander… Thank you again for your trust.”

If I behave and act accordingly, Erwin may even become my pass out of here. How the tables have turned...

He slightly rotated his head over his shoulder, softly smiled at me, and then just left without a word.

When the door closed, I started to walk back and forth in front of the library for a while, wondering which one to choose. Half of them were war-related books, from the theoretical ones to actual novels, and even poems collections. A little part of me was still looking for that particular one, the one Levi was talking about the night before, but I knew that was the one I should definitely have to avoid. There were so many I didn’t know which one to pick.

Take a short one, just to see if you like reading stories or not. Just pick one and leave, for fuck’s sake.

At some point, I noticed a little book with a pretty fancy cover, it looked like it was a part of a bigger collection of fictions. That’s it. I’ll start with this one.

As I walked to my bedroom I realized how late it was getting, the sky was darker than before and I thought maybe going to sleep earlier wasn’t a bad idea. I had hours of sleep to recover. But once in my room I figured that was easier said than done. Of course, all I could do was think about Levi, that night we spent together, and how twenty-four hours could make such a difference.

That book I took from Erwin’s shelf was a blessing. It helped me to distract myself, even though, from time to time, Levi’s face appeared between the lines. Whenever I brought my digit to my mouth to wet it or just touched the page to turn it I believed I could still feel his skin and the thought alone made me go insane. However, the story was so fascinating I read it all in one breath until I fell asleep still holding it in my hands. Without it, I would have probably stayed up all night thinking about him.

And then another day came, another day of Levi totally ignoring me. And then another one. And another one. Almost an entire week passed and his eyes were still injected with hate and other things I couldn’t figure out yet.

Luckily, the days after the expeditions were - to use a euphemism - busy. I went back and forth from Erwin’s office to update him about our research and progress, bringing him papers, letters, and whatever he needed. Even coffee or tea sometimes.

It came out that Armin had a theory about the spy, a really good one, and the commander decided to trust his intuition. From that moment the kid cooperated with us to see if that was the right path to follow.

I hardly ever happened to be at HQ, yet every time I set my foot there, it always seemed as if fate wanted me to accidentally meet Levi. It happened that I saw him even just walking by, for a few seconds or that we both ended up being in the same room, for several minutes or hours, even just a meter away from one another. His lips were always stitched and the few times they parted it was only to weave a few, cold, and terrible words against me. His eyes ignored me, like I was not in his line of sight, and whenever they found me, even from a distance, it was just to throw me deadly glances. Ignoring me was so deafening that I almost had the impression that all his attention was upon me.

So is this how it will go from now on?

[ AN: Guys, just to clarify, Daphne’s/your nausea is caused by the whole situation, she’s/you’re not pregnant, just stressed. Also, I know I shouldn’t be here explaining the story, but I hope no one is hating on Daphne right now. Poor girl, she is so scared of her feelings since she never felt like this and also feels like she betrayed her sisters (and herself somehow). However, stick around because the next chapters are going to be pretty animated. How do you think Levi is doing right now? I’m genuinely curious. Hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the story so far. See you next time! ]

[samuelburtonblog]

DISCORD THREAD | SAM X SKY:

feat: @skyking91

date: 9/18 directly after the party

summary: sky bandages up sam’s wounds and they confess their feelings for each other 

mentioned: @nahcam & @eeveecrmchl

Sky

Sky was outside taking a juul break. She didn’t do it much but when she got drunk, she loved the fucking head rush. Anyway, Sky was minding her damn business when some crazy dude came up to her. She was terrified for a moment being a sex worker, she was always afraid of being the victim of a hate crime or attacked by one of her clients. She felt like she recognized that guy, but it was dark and the man seemed bruised and bloodied. What the fuck? “Oi!” She screamed at him as he ran away. “What the fuck?” Sky said out loud to herself. She started walking in the opposite direction that he ran, and did in fact see a man who definitely just got his ass handed to him. As she got closer, she felt like that recognized the man. She picked up in a sprint, as fast as her heels would let her go, when she realized who it was. “SAM!!!!” She screamed, her voice echoed off the tall buildings. “Oh my god!” She got down to her knees and put her hand on his shoulders. “Sammy!” She begged. “What the fuck happened? Oh god.” his face was a disaster. “We need to get you home. Her flat was close. “Can you walk a few blocks?” Not Sam. Not after Eevee. That was going to be far too much for her.

Sam

boy, was sam glad that sky had found him. he wasn't sure how long he would have been alone out here if she hadn't. he groaned, squinting as he tried to look at her but it was dark and his face hurt and he was still trying to focus on getting air back into his lungs. his throat burned and he was sure he was gonna have some bruising their as well. fuck cam was strong. he mentally assessed the rest of his injuries. his head was killing him, but it didn't feel like he was in danger of a concussion. no broken bones. he was lucky it wasn't more serious. "mmm, help me up," he mumbled. all he wanted to do was get the fuck out of here and sleep. he was so fucking exhausted and any of the energy he'd managed to generate during his brief nap had been literally beaten out of him. he reached for sky, trying to find something to grab onto, to stabilize him. 

Sky

Her shoulders fell with relief when he responded to her. Okay. He could understand her and talk back to her. Good start. But his voice was so raspy, and she could tell he was having a hard time breathing. She gripped onto him when he reached out for her. She got to her feet and tried her very hardest to help him up. He was so much bigger than her. “Okay.” Once she finally got him standing up, she wrapped her arm around his waist and gave all of her strength to helping him stand up. She was panting, trying to calm herself down and keep herself from crying. Not Sam. “The lofts not far, love.” She encouraged him, even though she was fucking panicking.

Sam

sam was almost positive that if it weren't for sky, he'd be in a lot worse shape than he was now. fuck, she was really kind of his guardian angel this week. if she hadn't been the one to tell him, if she hadn't come and gotten him and sat with him at the hospital... well that wasn't worth thinking about right now. sam needed to focus on putting one foot in front of the other right now. he tried not to lean on her too heavily. she was so much smaller than him and he didn't want to knock her over. why did he get into that stupid fight. he groaned, though it was more so a reaction to his own stupidity as opposed to the pain. and he was still a drunken mess. he really fucking hated himself right now and though he was the one bleeding out all over the place, it was sky he felt sorry for. and he told her as much. "i'm sorry." it came out raspy and quiet and sam felt embarrassed and ashamed that she had to clean him up. this whole situation with eevee hadn't been easy on her either and it was unfair for him to be so fucking selfish. 

Sky

No, no. He wasn’t doing that. That was going to set her off and make her cry. Sky was juggling so many different emotions in her mind. She was mad. She was really fucking mad. At Sam. At whoever beat him up. And just the world in general right now. She was so scared. Her mind was going to so many dark places right now. What if she hadn’t found him when she did? How much longer would he have been laying there? Scared and mu himself. In pain. She could tell he was hurting. And that her hurt. When Sam hurt, Sky hurt. Did someone else start a fight with him? Or did someone attack him? What the fuck had happened? “No. Stop that. Don’t apologize — you’re — Don’t make yourself feel like that. It’s okay.” The walk home was taking longer that normal. They were going half the speed of her normally New York City pace. “Almost there.” She should have Ubered, but her flat was so close.

Sam

once sam was cleaned up and sober he was going to make sure to tell sky how much he appreciated her and everything she’d done for him. all this time he’d been mourning the loss of the last person he felt sure he could count on, but sky had been there for him nearly the entire time since. he’d really taken her friendship for granted and he’d be sure to make it up to her once he could walk on his own. he was glad they were going to her flat. regardless of whether or not he’d ended up on his ass this evening, he wouldn’t have wanted to return to his apartment alone anyway. he nodded in response when she told him they were close, using the back of his hand to wipe away some blood that was spilling from where the skin had broken over his nose. he was a disgusting bloody mess and he was hoping sky had something for him to other wear than his blood stained t-shirt.

Sky

They finally got to her loft after what seemed like a 3 mile block. Even though they had only been walking for less than 10 minutes. They stumbled in her apartment and were greeted by a very loud Kyro who seemed to be just as panicked as Sky. She meant to tell her dog to shut up, but she was too focused on making sure that Sam was okay. “Sit.” She demanded, as she pulled out her kitchen chair for him and plopped him down on the seat. She took a deep breath of relief when she finally let go of him. He made sure he wasn’t going to fall over on himself before she turned to pour him a glass of water and get the first aide kit. He was a mess. And sky was no doctor. What if he had an internal injury or something? Sky had to stop getting so dark. He was fine. She had to keep telling herself that. She first started to wipe the blood from his face and hands.

Sam

sam sat with a heavy sigh, relieved to be off his feet. he gratefully took the glass of water from her and slowly drank from it. what he really wanted was some aspirin but sky was already hovering over him and cleaning his wounds. it stung and he made a face, biting down in the inside of his mouth as he let her work. his eyes drifted up to her face and he watched her as she took care of him. she looked worried, and sam wanted to tell her that it was okay and that he was fine, but he wasn’t sure that would mean all that much coming from him at the moment. he felt an overwhelming surge of love for her in that moment, his eyes big and sad as he continued to focus on his breathing. he reached out and touched her lightly in an attempt to comfort her.

Sky

That was it. That’s what made her lose it. The touch on the shoulder. She paused for a moment and started crying. She couldn’t handle another person she cared about being hurt. She was trying to stay strong for him again. He needed it. But she couldn’t. She was just so scared. She tried to pull herself together because she knew she needed to help Sam first. That was all that matter right now. She could cry later. “Okay. We need to clean this.” She said to herself. She got up to wash her hands before she started rubbing the antiseptic on his skin. She was trying not to press down too hard and hurt him even more. She sniffled as she cleaned him up, wiping her tears right the back of her hand. “Fuck.” She cursed under her breath.

Sam

oh fuck. he hadn’t meant to make her cry. sam panicked a little, trying to figure out how to make it okay when she got up to wash her hands. “sky...” he said, his eyes following her as she readied the antiseptic. it stung, but he was too preoccupied with the way she was crying to worry much about that. “hey,” he said reaching out to touch her arm again. “it’s okay, really, i’m okay. it’s just some blood and some bruising, i’m okay, i’m here.” and she looked so nice in her outfit for the party and he didn’t want to ruin it but he was also pretty sure that if he didn’t hug her right then that he’d never forgive himself. his hand slid up from her arm and looped round her shoulders as he pulled her in close to him. “see i’m fine,” he said into her hair, just wanting to stop her from crying. he hated seeing her sad and he hadn’t being the cause of her sadness even more. if he could help it, she’d never cry again. he kissed the top of her head before pulling back to look at her. he held her face in his hand, using the pad of his thumb to wipe away a small tear. his hand lingered, his eyes soft, and his lips twitched upwards into a small smile.

Sky

Her felt her ex grab her in a way that was meant to comfort her, but that familiar touch only made her cry more. She was used to people not being around for a long time in her life. It had happened to her all the time as a child when she was moved from family to family. Never really staying in the same place for more than a few years. But New York has become her home. She’d never lived in one place longer. And Sam had to stay. When he say him lying on the ground completely helpless, for a split second she thought she would lose him. Sam couldn’t leave her. She took short breathes, trying to catch her breathe. She finally let out two big shaky breaths when he attempted to calm her. The peck on the head was actually comforting too. She looked up at him with dark, swollen eyes. Oh God. Sky was just realizing now that no matter how many people she had cared about over the course of her life, Sam was the one that she wanted to stay with her forever. She needed him to never leave her. She really thought she had lost him for a minute back there. The actress took a deep breathe and slowly stopped crying. She reached to place her tiny hand on his cheek. Sky wasn’t think straight, and got so lost in his eyes that she almost forgot what was happening. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, lingering close to him for a moment. It felt like a magnet was pulling them together, and she could barely stop herself from pressing her lips to his.

Sam

sky’s hand on his face was a comfort. it was familiar. and somewhere within sam a rush of feelings he’d thought forgotten came flooding back to him. she pressed a kiss to his cheek and he was more sure in that moment than he was sure of anything else that he needed her like he needed air. she pulled back, though she was still close and sam’s gaze lowered and fell to her lips, something stirring inside him that he hadn’t felt in a long time. he was so exhausted both physically and emotionally and he was so vulnerable and in the moment he felt a need to be close to his ex in a way he hadn’t been in a long time. the distance closed between them and their lips met and sam could feel himself melt into her, closing his eyes as he pulled her closer, needing so desperately for her to be with him here in this moment.

Sky

This was not the time nor the place. They were both hurting. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.  They just needed to feel some type of comfort. She was trying to convince herself of anything else besides the truth. She felt him pull her into closer, and she deepens their kiss. She put both hands up to his face gently, being careful not to hurt him. She breathed him in for a moment before she before she pulled away to scan his face for a reaction. She needed to know what he was thinking. Because she was so damn confused, but wanted this to so badly be genuine. There had been a few times she wished she would have giving up sex work for him, but she hadn’t felt that more until this moment. How could she ever take him for granted?

Sam

sam was not in the frame of mind to be rushing into anything but it felt so good to be with sky like this again. she meant so much to him and he’d been so happy when she’d told him she still cared for him. hell, that she’d still loved him. and for the split second between her confession and the gin spraying out of his nose, he’d thought she was talking about this. he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed kissing her, holding her, and he was breathless when she pulled away from him. his eyes were on hers and they were so full of genuine need. a desperation to be close to her again. he cradled her face in his hand, trying to gauge whether or not she wanted this as much as he did.

Sky

Sky didn’t know what to say. Clearly he was waiting for her to say something next. But for once in her life, she couldn’t seem to find any. She suddenly realized that Sam was still bleeding and needed to be bandaged up. “Let’s just...get you cleaned up right now.” Again, she needed to remind herself that taking car of Sam was her first priority. “Here.” She grabbed something Motrin from her purse and handed her three tiny pills. “If you weren’t drunk I’d give you some of my ambien.” She joked as she started to wrap bandages around his arms and taped some onto his hands. “I still have your Fleetwood Mac shirt. You can wear that tonight.” She told him. They needed to have a real talk but she knew that they were both too fragile for that right now. She dropped her head to pulled of his shoes. “Go wash up in the bathroom and I’ll look for the shirt.” She told him as she finished wrapped his wounds and stood up to offer him a hand.

Sam

fuck. she was pulling away from him. it was the sensible thing to do. they were both so vulnerable and they weren’t thinking rationally. but what sam was feeling was so real and he was fearful that if they left things alone then he’d regret it. he let her bandage his wounds, watching as she busied herself with taking care of him. when she offered a hand he took it, but he stayed seated. “sky,” he said, and he hadn’t intended for his voice to come out the way he did, all quiet and pleading. “can we talk about this?” because sam was still thinking about the kiss, and he wouldn’t be able to think about anything else until they’d settled this.

Sky

She felt her throat tighten and heart stopped when he asked her to talk. She wasn’t ready for this tonight. Her head hung in defeat as she sat across from him at the table. She just realized that she had some of his blood on her outfit, but that was neither here nor there at this point. This was a conversation she wanted to have in the morning, but deep down Sky knew that neither of them would be able to sleep if they didn’t. “Okay.” She told a few shaky breaths. She looked over at him silently, hoping he’d start.

Sam

her reaction concerned him. had he misread things entirely? was she not feeling the same way he was feeling? he cleared his throat somewhat uncomfortably, looking at her as he spoke. “did you not... i mean do you not...” he looked away then, slightly flustered, trying to figure out what it was he wanted to say. this was definitely a conversation better suited for the morning when they were rested and emotions weren’t running so high. but sam needed to know. “did you not feel that?”

Sky

That was actually kind of adorable. The way he was getting all flustered. Of course she felt that. How could hell she ignore a feeling like that. “No. I did. Of course I did.” She wiped them rest of her tears from her face. “Sam...” She reached for his hand. “I thought something way more terrible happened to you tonight for a split second. And thats when I realized that I felt...the...that.” She waved her hand to motion between them because she could really find the rights words fo describe how she felt. It was love, but it was also fear and uncertainty.

Sam

sam felt guilty about scaring her like that. it’d been his own fault that she found him that way, bleeding all over the pavement, struggling for air. if he’d have found her like that... he didn’t want to think about it. but he was here now and he was okay. sky was doing a great job bandaging him back up. he squeezed her hand gently. “i’m sorry i scared you...” he murmured, meeting her gaze again. he thought about how grateful he’d been that sky had found him and how he’d wanted to tell her how much he’d appreciated her when they were walking back to her flat. “sky... if you hadn’t been there... if you hadn’t been here through all of this i don’t know what i would have done.” something really stupid, probably. “sky, i need you,” he told her, his voice urgent.

Sky

Fear struck deep through her body when he told her that he didn’t know what he would have done if Sky hadn’t been there. She needed to stop thinking like that. She reached out for his hand, dark eyes pleading with him. “Sam...” She began, taking a shaky breath. “I need you too. I’m — im sorry I didn’t realize just how much I needed you until now. You’re the best man I ever met. I’m sorry...I’m sorry I took that for granted before. Her eyes grazed over his beaten face. That was so hard to look at, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. “I’m sorry for everything.” Of course, she was referring to what she refused to give up which inevitably caused their break up. She still completely blamed herself that one.

Sam

sam ducked his head, eyebrows knitting together as he frowned, shaking his head. it had sucked, ending things with sky. in many ways sam felt like she was his other half. they just really got each other and sam felt like a better man when he was with her. she was such a positive force in his life. but she wasn't entirely to blame for things ending. sam had been jealous and possessive. and while he knew that sky didn't have feelings for those other men and knew that it was just a job, something he'd known about before they became involved, it still got to him. he wanted her all to himself. and it had been unfair for him to ask her to give it up entirely for him. "don't be, really," he said. "that doesn't matter now," he told her. and it didn't, not after everything else that had happened. what was important was that they were here together now, here for each other to hold each other up when they both felt things crumbling around them. "we're here now, you and me, that's what matters, right?" he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "you mean so much to me... more than you know..."

Sky

Sky had never been happier in her life than when she was with Sam. Of course, there wasn't many good parts of her life to compare it too. Still. He made her feel like a fucking queen, like she deserved nothing but good. When she had gotten her first role on broadway, Sam was the first person she wanted to tell. She wanted to share her life with him, and she never stopped wanting that. It just took this to make Sam realize that. Of course, deep down she had always been thinking that. She had just tried so hard to push those feelings back. This was just so complicated and Sky was so confused, but everything that Sam was saying...she felt that too. "Sam..." She looked down at their hands then back up to him. "I love you."

Sam

sam couldn’t believe it’s taken him so much time to realize what was right in front of him. he’d felt so alone as if everyone who’d ever mattered to him had left him in some way or another. and while he and sky had spent their time apart, if he had ever needed anything, she would have been there for him. she was just amazing like that, always had been. at her words sam’s heart swelled and he felt safe and he felt home. seeing sky always felt like returning hole after a long day and in the moment sam couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. he reached up and touched sky’s face, smiling at her meaningfully despite the pain. “i love you too.”

Sky

Sky hated that it took something like this to make her realize how she felt about him, but her heart was still full regardless. This was Sam. Her Sam. She closed her eyes and smiled softly to herself when he touched her, just focusing on his calming touch. Her eyes opened when he spoke to her. Her heart swelled. She took his hand from her face and kissed the back of his palm. This felt so right. The few months they spent apart felt so wrong. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She confessed.

Sam

“it was stupid, it was my fault,” sam admitted. his gaze dropped to his lap, ashamed. looking at it with a bit of clarity now, it was really a cry for help. he’d really been slipping lately, thinking he could handle everything on his own. he looked at sky again and his smile widened, knowing now that he didn’t have to. “i’m not going to do anything like that again.”

Sky

“Okay.” Sky nodded. She still had so many questions to ask him about the fight. She was sure it wasn’t entirely his fault. Why though? Why would Sam get into it like this? Did it have anything to do with Eevee or was something else going on? “Come to bed.” She told him, standing up and grabbing his hand. “You need to rest. And you can tell me what happened in the morning.” She was eager to know that story. And she wanted to know who did this to him. Now that she knew Sam was okay, she was starting to get angry. But Sam’s health was still her number one priority. That could wait until the morning.

Sam

sam got slowly to his feet. he was still dead tired but he felt better now than he had when he’d stumbled through the door and that was entirely thanks to sky. he realized then that he didn’t know if he’d ever actually told her ‘thank you.’ he leaned in and gave her a small tender kiss on the cheek. “thank you, sky.” he said as he pulled away. the word ‘bed’ had never sounded so good and sam couldn’t wait to get some much needed sleep. he sensed it would be a lot easier with sky nearby.

Sky

Sky just shook her head because she didn’t need to be thanked for this. She was just grateful that he was okay, and that she was the one to have found him. Her heart fluttered a little when he gave her a loving peck on the cheek. She reached up to trace tiny circles on his face around his bloody cuts. She reached for his hand and started gently pulling him across her studio apartment and towards her bed. The idea of sleeping next to Sam actually excited her and comforted her at the same time. She hated sleeping without him for the few months they were apart, and she wanted so badly to lay next to him again. “Get undressed. I’ll clean you clothes.” She went into her closet and dig through it to find one of his old t shirts. It was a shirt that she never wanted to throw away, but felt like she couldn’t wear again.

Sam

the way sky touched his face was so gentle and loving that sam felt like his heart might explode. he let her lead him to bed and did as she said, slowly pulling his shirt off over his head. he winced a little, a sharp pain radiating from his shoulder. he must have landed on it funny when cam had slammed him to the ground. after he’d successfully removed his shirt, he stripped down the rest of the way to his boxers and sat on the edge of the bed. he’d forgotten how lonely it was sleeping on your own when he and sky had broken up. bowie helped a little, and thank god there was another living thing occupying sam’s space because he just might have gone crazy otherwise, but it hadn’t been the same. he’d missed holding her so much and early on he’d had to convince himself not to call her while he lie awake, staring up at the ceiling, trying to fight off his insomnia. he couldn’t wait to hold her again.

Sky

Sky whipped her head around to look at Sam when she heard in wince and pain, which caused her heart to sink into her arse. She had to remind herself that Sam was okay. She took a deep breath before she walked back over to Sam. She gave him a worried expression as she sat back down next to him. She needed to get him ice. With his shirt off, she could see all of his bruises so clearly. Which of course, made her heart pang again. She gently helped Sam put his shirt on, trying not to hurt him even more. Once he shirt was on Sky stood up. She had completely forgotten that she was still in her outfit from the party. “I’ll be back with your water and some ice. Lay down.” She instructed him, pulling up the covers and adjusting a pillow for him. She washed up in the bathroom, changed in pjs, and turned the shower on while she let herself have a good cry into the bathroom sink. Just for a minute. She needed to get out before going back to bed with Sam. “Here.” She said when she finally returned to her bed. “More Motrin for the morning, water...” she set both down on the night stand next to him then slid in bed

Sam

sky was really good at this taking care of people business and sam thanked his lucky stars once again that she’d been the one to find him in the alleyway. though his body was sore and exhausted, but it was also thrumming with this sort of excited energy as a result of being close to sky like this again. the act of her helping him with his shirt alone was something so intimate. he watched as she left him to get cleaned up in the bathroom. sam climbed under the covers, settling into bed and already feeling at piece. he closed his eyes, focusing on evening out his breathing as he began to wind down. he opened his eyes when sky re-entered the room, placing the motrin and water on the bed side table. the temporary peace he’d found in the brief time he’d had alone vanished as she climbed into bed beside him. they were both tired and he was certain he’d be unconscious in a matter of minutes which was really a damn shame. even after their conversation earlier, sam was still uncertain about where that left them and what that would mean for them tomorrow. he loved her and she loved him and they needed each other if they were gonna make it through this intact. though lying in bed with sky was familiar, he was nervous being this close to her like this, like he’d do something wrong. he felt kind of like a teenager again. turning over on his side was a bit of a no go at this point unless he wanted to further fuck up his shoulder. he settled for reaching for her hand under the sheets, his fingers intertwining easily with hers.

Sky

All Sky wanted to do was snuggle up next to her ex, but she didn’t want to hurt him anymore. Ex seemed like an odd word for him now. Even though it always seemed weird. Now so more than ever though. This was all so uncertain and confusing. But one thing Sky knew for sure was that she loved Sam. She loved him so damn much she thought her heart might explode. She turned on her side and propped her head up on her hand to look at him, surely not taking her black eyes off of him until he fell asleep completely. She smiled as she felt their fingers intertwine, giving his hand and firm and comforting squeeze. That felt so familiar. It was so comforting, yet made her feel so uneasy at the same time. Where the hell were they going to go from here? Was she going to quit her job now. She had to keep reminding herself to just focus on Sam’s recovery. They’d work out the details eventually. A conversation she was both terrified yet excited to have. She pressed a light kiss on his forehead as he drifted off, unable to help herself. He was all bloody and mangled and bruised in the inside too. She just wanted to give him all the love in the whole world.

[keeroo92]

Savior, Bloodstain, Hellfire, Shadow Ch15 (V x Reader)

Chapter 15 - Love’s Agony

____________________________________________

June 6th, 12:14 pm

V

V's blood runs cold as he hears you scream. His emerald eyes go straight to where you lie on the ground, prone beneath an enemy as it prepares to land a forceful strike against your already wounded form. Time seems to slow as V starts to run toward you, Shadow not far behind him. He can hear his blood pumping in his eardrums; he knows it will be too many beats before he can reach you, but he tries anyway out of desperation, his face strained and tight where moments ago it held a grim smile.

Griffon moves so rapidly he seems to teleport to your side, swooping in and taking your outstretched arm in his mighty talons and dragging you out of reach of the demon, leaving a trail of blood on the sun-dappled sidewalk behind. V has never seen the demonic bird fly so fast. The second you are out of immediate danger his eyes narrow along with his focus.

He hastily pulls out his book of poems, letting it fall open to any page.

“Every wolf’s and lion’s howl, raises from Hell a human soul,” he reads aloud almost snarling, and snaps his fingers to summon Nightmare. V's hair goes white, the black dissolving like dust into the humid air.

V watches, carefully timing his advance as Nightmare bursts through a storefront, brickwork and shoeboxes flying across the street. He darts forward, jumps lightly and lands on his final familiars form, cane sinking in to give him something to steer with.

Nightmare trods slowly forward and with every step V’s rage grows, a towering inferno of wrathful flames in his mind. He channels it into Nightmare as the mammoth creature swings a motorcycle-sized fist at the demon that struck you down. It hits with a sickening crunch of metal and the demon disintegrates as V turns his attention to the final threat. He sends another burst of energetic rage to Nightmare and it emits a thin laser from its single eye, leaving a trail of explosions in its wake. Shadow and Griffon rejoin the fray, lightning and spinning blades quickly bringing the final demonic knight down. V launches himself off Nightmare and darts to the demon, thrusting his silver cane into the creature’s face without his usual flair; his mind is on you. The moment the last demon dissolves, V is by your side, panting.

V gently pulls your blood covered body into his arms, the crimson bright against your too-pale skin. The wound on your hip still oozes out yet more of the precious liquid as V brushes the hair out of your face.

“Ah, fuck, V, that doesn’t look good! Is she still breathing!? What do we do!?” Griffon exclaims worriedly, flying in circles overhead. Shadow pads up to stand next to him, letting out a low whine as she sees you in her master’s arms, bloody and covered in dirt.

V cradles your still form carefully, noting the growing blood pool beneath you with terror squeezing his heart until it feels like he no longer has one. He strokes your cheek and your eyes mercifully open. He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, a small portion of his fear dissipating as you regain consciousness.

"V... it hurts… Shit, V, get my bag. You have to… dress the wound," you say haltingly. V swallows heavily, his eyes quickly spotting your bag a few feet away.

"I got it, Shakespeare!" Griffon swoops over to the bag, gripping it in his deadly talons as he drags it to V. He looks down at you again, unsure how to proceed.

"Y/N, I don't know how..." he whispers. He looks to your hip, seeing the blood still flowing. It's slower but the sight still terrifies him. His heart feels tight, too tight in his chest as he realizes he may lose you.

I just found her... this can't be happening.

"It's okay V, I'll talk you, aaah, through it. First you need… to stop the bleeding. Get one of the small towels and just, augh, press it on my hip," you tell him. He's amazed at how calm your voice is; there's not even a hint of fear; only the painful exclamations. You’re acting like its nothing worse than a stubbed toe and it reassures him. Griffon digs around in the bag, finally pulling a towel out and dropping it in V's waiting hand. He does as you say, pressing his long fingers over your hip, his other hand still holding you off the blood-soaked cobblestone.

"Y/N..." he whispers your name tenderly, and his heart loosens just a fraction when you smile at him. Please, don't leave me alone again...

His arm tightens around you as if he can keep you alive through sheer force of will. He knows his fate is sealed, but yours remains a mystery to him. He takes another breath and presses the towel against your hip with more force.

"Good, that's good, V. Hold it like that for a while," you say quietly. Too quietly for his liking.

"Tell me what to do next," he begs you, not knowing if you'll stay awake long enough to show him how to save you. He needs to know now; he needs to plan and be ready. He needs to be able to see the next step in his mind, as he always has. Even before his rebirth.

"You'll need to clean the wound and… bandage it once the bleeding slows. There's some antiseptic in my bag, pour a little over it and… use a clean towel to wipe away what you can. Can you tell me how big the cut is? How deep?"

V glances down at your hip, forcing himself to look at your injury. Slowly, he peels the towel away from the wound just enough to see the damage. He catches his breath as he glimpses bone within the deep gash, his skin prickling in terror.

"I... oh, Y/N, I can see bone. The wound is about five inches long, I think. Oh, my little fox..."

Blood gushes out and he hastily presses the towel against it once more. His heart is beating painfully fast now, panic filling his mind.

"Please don't leave me, Y/N. I need you at my side," he mutters under his breath, tears falling freely now as his heart starts to wither; it wants to follow you into the abyss. He wants to tell you he loves you, but now is not the time. He bites his tongue hard enough to taste the coppery tang of his own blood.

"V, I'm not going anywhere yet. It looks bad but I can… heal from this with your help. Hold it together just a little while longer, my poet, you can do this," you say slowly, struggling to get the words out. "A wound that large… uhh… will need stitches. And we can't stay here much longer; the demons will find us. Get the antiseptic ready."

He nods, gathering his strength as best he can. Griffon brings the bottle over and a new towel. He slowly, delicately lays you on the ground to free the arm that’s been holding you. Shadow pads over to your injury, her nose taking the place of V's hand to hold the blood-soaked towel against your wound so that he can prepare the antiseptic.

He takes your hand, giving it a quick kiss, then pops the lid off the bottle. Shadow backs away slowly, taking the crimson towel with her. Blood starts to run from your wound again, but it seems slower than before, to V's immense relief.

He pours the liquid across your hip, and you bite your lip, suppressing a scream. A whimper escapes your throat despite your best efforts. V takes your hand again, giving you an anchor from the pain. A tear escapes his eye as he watches you in agony. He knows that most others would be howling and thrashing away from the source of the agony, but you barely even flinch. He's amazed and saddened by how accustomed you seem to be to pain.

"That's plenty, V. Now clean it, gently," you gasp out. He takes the clean towel and slides it slowly across the wound, taking care to not jostle the still forming scab.

"Okay. Now it needs to be stitched. I can do it myself but I'll need… you to hold me up so I can see," you say, determination filling your eyes, lips set in a firm line.

V's shoulders slump in relief - he wasn't sure he could bear to cause you any further pain. But this much he could do. Bringing the required needle and medical thread to you, he lifts your torso and braces you against his own, so you're leaning against his chest. He kisses your neck, holding you up despite his obvious exhaustion. He feels you brace yourself as you bring the needle down, piercing the flesh near the wound. He watches as you carefully stitch yourself closed again, once more amazed and saddened by the ease with which you do so. Finally, you tie the thread off and are finished.

"That should hold for a while. Last step, we have to bandage it," you say with an exhausted sigh.

"Allow me, little fox. You lie back and let me take care of you now," V murmurs in your ear. He gently sets you on the ground again, careful to keep your wound off the dirty cobblestone.

V watches you as you relax on the ground. Your eyes drift closed, unconsciousness taking hold. He suddenly can’t keep the words from spilling from his mouth.

"Rest, my little fox. I've got you," he pauses, making sure your eyes are closed fully. "I love you, Y/N..."

________________________________________________

June 6th, 6:07 pm

Awareness returns to you slowly. The pain in your hip comes first, then the stiffness of having been in the same position too long. You lick your cracked lips, but your mouth is so dry it does little good.

 Assess the damage.

You take a moment to feel the pain in your hip, letting the agony fill your mind and analyzing it with a sense of detachment perfected from years of practice. You memorize the sensation, making it all the easier to then set it aside and focus on the rest of your body. Nothing else hurts anywhere near as much, but you feel a dull ache from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head. It feels like your entire body has been clenched for hours, probably from the pain.

 I have feeling in all my extremities; that’s good. Probably no permanent damage, but too soon to tell for sure. I wonder how much blood I lost. At least a liter from what I remember.

The thought reminds you of your dry lips, and you make a mental note to drink plenty of water to replenish yourself.

 Ok, now where am I? Is that… cigarette smoke and oil? V must’ve gotten me to Nico’s van.

Thinking of V brings the memories rushing back. You remember looking in his eyes as the edges of your vision went black, the sound of his voice as he spoke. Normally so soothing and lovely, yet he had sounded so scared while he was helping you treat your wound. Panicked, even.

But he had sounded intensely focused and serious when he spoke those last few words. Like nothing else mattered in the world. Your heart fills to bursting as you recall the moment.

 "I love you, Y/N..."

Your mind swims in bliss, reveling in his words. You feel as though a piece of your soul that had been missing your whole life has finally been returned to you. You feel… complete. You resist the urge to laugh, knowing that it would hurt.

 I love you too, V. And I can’t wait to tell you.

Finally, you open your crusted eyes. As you had thought, you find yourself in Nico’s van, the mechanic sitting across from you and tinkering with some piece of machinery you can’t identify. You don’t see V and let out a whimper.

Nico looks up from her fiddling and immediately drops the chunk of unknown metal to the floor as she rushes to sit by your head.

"Hey hey hey, look who's awake! Ya had me worried, Y/N!"

"Nico? Where's V?” you rasp.

"Hush now, it's alright. V brought you to my van, then he went back out again with Nero. It's only been a few hours, so they should be back soon enough. I hope," she explains. She holds a bottle of water with a straw to your lips, a kind smile on her face.

"He... left me? But..." you feel like you're about to cry, wondering if you imagined his words. Your eyes dart around, taking in the sight of Nico’s van; the red tabletop across from you, the stove not far away, the complete lack of organization. The familiarity of it soothes you, enough to get your heart to slow down as you gulp down the water.

You drain the bottle, carefully lift your hand and wipe your cracked lips as you pause to gather your thoughts. Emotion and agony mix to form a strange haze over your mind, dulling your senses and numbing your impulse to hold back. You sigh softly, the words tumbling out before your pain and love addled brain can think to hold them back.

"He said he loved me. I want to tell him... need to tell him..."

Nico’s eyes go wide and she lets out a quiet squeal of delight, her hands clapping together seemingly of their own volition.

"Oh honey! Spill! Tell me everything! I need an update!" Nico sits next to you, listening intently. She looks at you, waiting impatiently, and you realize how much you’ve missed having female friends. Having a kindred spirit to talk about boys with isn’t something you’ve been able to enjoy for a few years since your oldest friend died. You grimace tightly, the pain of the loss even after all this time twisting your guts into unfamiliar shapes.

“I’ve been falling for him since the library, he’s just so…well, he’s everything I like in a guy. Then yesterday, as I was passing out after stitching my wound closed, I heard him say it. That he loved me.”

Your lips stretch into a smile here, your heart light remembering the soft tone of his voice as he spoke the words.

 “I love you, Y/N…”

Nico smiles at the look on your face too, clearly thrilled for you. You blush a little, nervous to hear what she thinks.

“So did’ja knock boots yet?” she inquires with a lewd grin, leaning forward on the edge of her seat. You blush heavily, remembering that perfect night with V, the heaven of being with him in such an intimate way rushing through you once again.

Nico shoots to her feet, clapping her hands and laughing at the look on your face.

“I KNEW IT! I knew it, the way he was looking at ya, oh my gosh it was like he thought looking at anything else was some kind of crime! You might actually be able to make the idiot smile,” she exclaims, hands gesturing wildly in the air around her.

The thought of his smile, that special smile he saved just for you, makes your heart melt into a puddle of goo in your chest. A warm mass of joy and excitement that somehow managed to fall for someone amidst the chaos surrounding you. Another grin splits your face in half, thinking of V and all the things you want to say to him, to do with him, everything the future holds once Urizen is gone.

"Sugar, you are head over heels! I'm so happy for ya! And heaven knows V could use a little joy in his life; that boy looks like he wouldn’t know a joke if it walked up and bit him in his scrawny little gothic ass!" She pats your shoulder as you yawn, still exhausted from your ordeal. She reaches to her pocket to pull out a cigarette, still grinning at you happily.

"You get some more rest now, y'hear? I promise I'll wake you when he gets back."

You give her a grateful look and slip back into oblivion, dreams swirling around your handsome poet. ________________________________________________

June 9th, 4:56 pm

V doesn't return for another three days.

For the first day, it doesn’t bother you much. You assure yourself that he’s just helping Nero, he’ll be back soon and you can talk. Nico brings you her best attempts at food, and after two meals of her concoctions you ask her to just bring you your bag, stuffed full of all the food you and V eat when away from her van. She does her best to distract you, chatting with you as she works in her little corner, cracking jokes and asking you all about what happened with V in between bouts of noisy welding and curses.

You tell her slowly, saving a few details for yourself alone but enjoying her little squeals and clapping hands whenever you tell her something new. Her joy for you is obvious, her friendship an anchor against your rising tide of concern for the man you love.

You go to sleep that first night thinking he’ll be there when you wake up, smirking adorably at you as he sits down to read from his poetry book, the words of William Blake filling the silence.

On the morning of the second day, you start to get angry.

 How could he do this to me, just up and leave when I’m sitting here like this? Especially after what he said!

By midday, your rage has peaked and you refuse to answer any of Nico’s questions, instead crossing your arms and fuming silently as the hours pass with still no sign of your poet. Your blood boils in your veins as you angrily chew a granola bar and slurp down water with your eyes fixed in a Death Glare.

Night falls, and your fury shifts to concern.

 He couldn't have... fallen, could he? No, no way. Nero would watch over V, surely? He has to be okay, he has to be.

You run your mind ragged imagining all the ways that V could be in trouble, your heart breaking a little more with each new thought. You envision his lifeless eyes staring up at you from a blood-soaked street. Him holding his guts in as he trudges away from a battlefield, barely supported by Nero. His cane lying forgotten in a muddy ditch, his corpse nowhere to be seen. Nero, with only V’s bracelet left to bring back to you.

The second night, you barely sleep. What little time you spend resting is destroyed by nightmares, a blend of the past and all your visions of V’s death. You wake up screaming twice, Nico holding you and rubbing your back until you calm down enough to tell her what you had dreamt of.

The third day dawns and you feel your heart being dragged over a field of broken glass as your eyes open and V is still not there. All the images of his dead body flood your head once more, and you sit there in silence, shuddering as your mind tortures you brutally from within. By the time Nico wakes up, you are in the midst of a full-blown panic attack, your arms gripping your knees to your chest, your shirt damp from all the tears that have fallen on the fabric. You stare forward, unseeing for a length of time you cannot measure until finally, Nico holds you close, her own tears joining yours as she rubs your back and does what she can to comfort you.

“Nico… is there any way you could go outside and look for them? Not too far from here, but just… please?” you beg her and despite her hesitance she agrees, taking your baseball bat with her just in case.

You start counting, keeping track of how much time passes after she leaves. You’ve just reached 2,249 when the door opens to reveal a long-fingered hand on the doorway, tattoos barely visible in the low light. You catch your breath, scarcely daring to believe what your eyes are showing you.

"V?"

He enters slowly, unsteady on his feet. He's leaning on his cane now more than ever and your heart stops when he loses his balance, falling just at your feet. He looks completely exhausted and you wish you could reach down to help him up.

"Y/N... you're awake?”

He sighs, slowly getting back to his feet. You carefully adjust your position, making room for him to sit beside you. The moment he settles, you tug him into your arms. He nuzzles your neck, holding you so close it makes you ache. You feel the tension leave his body as he wraps his arms around you.

"I love you too, V," you whisper in his ear, unwilling to wait a second more to tell him. You hear his breath catch in his throat, and he pulls back to look in your eyes. His emerald orbs are shining, sparkling, and you stroke his cheek gently.

"You weren't meant to hear that part," he whispers, "but I'm glad you did."

He leans forward and presses his soft lips to yours and you sigh with joy. His tongue probes your mouth and you open eagerly, craving his taste. He moans in your mouth, and you tug his hair gently.

He pulls back, looking deep into your eyes again. "I love you," he says wondrously, as if the possibility of love had never occurred to him before. He says it again and again, punctuating it with kisses. He seems to be exploring the words, getting used to the feel of them in his mouth. You grin, then start to giggle, all the terror and rage of the last three days leaving you in a single peal of joyous laughter. He looks at you, confused for a moment, but seeing you so happy he soon joins in your laughter.

"What the hell is so damn funny?" Nero shouts from the doorway. V doesn't even glance at him, instead giving you another deep kiss. You hear Nero cough loudly and then start clapping, shaking his head in amusement.

"I'll uh, leave you two alone, and I'll keep Nico busy for a while for ya,” He chuckles as he closes the door behind him, leaving you and V alone.

V pulls back, giving you that smirk you love so much. He traces a finger down your side, stopping at your injured hip.

"How does it feel?" He asks quietly, his adorable smirk morphing into a frown.

"It's healing, getting better day by day. I can't move it too much yet or it might tear open again."

He kisses you again, voice breaking as he speaks. "I thought I'd lost you, little fox."

"I'm more durable than I look. I'll be here for a long time to come. We have all the time in the world, my poet."

His handsome face twists into a grimace and he pulls away from you, taking a deep sigh. He stares at his tattooed hands, considering something internally for a long moment of silence before he finally speaks again, his mournful tone making apprehension rise like a tsunami within you.

"There's something I must tell you..."

[shymaidxn]

👫 !!

Four Relationship Headcanons Meme | accepting!

1. Gran having his own problems sleeping at night is probably one of the reasons Diantha takes learning herbalism so seriously for a bit. We’ve discussed before how they’re both night owls, and how they’re both a bit haunted by things but Gran having it much worse with night terrors and plenty of hidden fears keeping him up, which results many a late night chat on deck or helping him to sleep in his quarters. And while Diantha is very thankful that she can do that, she’d like to try and lessen his sleepless nights (even though she will still be by his side/she kind of loves being there for him). So she branches out from medicinal research and focuses more on relaxers and sleep help, and tries her best to make Gran her taste tester late at night (“after dinner is the only time i can have the kitchen to myself nowadays” as an excuse for lateness, “you’re the only night owl who could rival me” being some sort of excuse to have him taste things). It becomes kind of routine, with Diantha peeking in on him whenever she’s not coaxing him, but never quite knowing if her stuff works because he always answers the next morning that his sleep was fine or he rested well enough. But then one night Gran just hands her some papers, and of course it’s revealed that Gran had found out about what she was doing and was writing down really simple notes on how each thing made him feel to give to her for research. None of the stuff helped too much, to her disappointment, but Gran insisting that anything she did for him always made him feel better made her very happy (but also embarrassed). And his nightmares did become a bit less frequent, though Diantha is still there when he needs her. Herbalism becomes more of a hobby after this too, Diantha focusing more on medical training than medical treats.

2. I would think both of them would want to be pretty physically loving in their relationship. They would want to hold each other or do little physical things like hand holding on a walk or playing with each other’s hair, kissing or squishing cheeks, or all sorts of kisses and hugs --- But there’s the boundary of not knowing what the other would like, so all thoughts of those things are paused in favor of not making the other uncomfortable. Especially when it comes to kissing. Cuddling and holding each other was kind of already a thing before they started being a couple, they just had to get over the worry that the other person wouldn’t want to do that more regularly/normally. Kissing is a whole other ballpark, because I would think neither of them have any experience in that field, and thus have no idea how to go about even finding the right time to peck the other’s cheek, let alone have their first real kiss. Confession of feelings on Valentines, Gran’s return of feelings probably a bit after White Day (even if she gets chocolates she doesn’t get a straight answer right then and there) and the first time they actually kiss...Late Summer, most likely. A date day during a vacation on Auguste leading to a midnight talk near the waves, something kind of somber yet lovely, one saying to the other that they wouldn’t need to be as sad or lonely now that they had this, and they look into each other’s eyes and it’s just...Natural. Sweet, soft, short yet feels like eternity, and a very happy moment when it feels like a bit more weight has been lifted from them.(Korwa, Ilsa, and maybe a few others screaming “FINALLY THEY DID IT WE’VE BEEN WAITING ALL DAY!!!!” from behind a bush makes Diantha so shocked she accidentally bites Gran’s lip when she goes back for a second kiss; she apologizes profusely for it and secretly wants to bash coconuts on everyone elses’ heads with how embarrassed and even angered she gets. That certainly doesn’t stop them from slowly warming up to sharing kisses as the vacation goes on though).

3. They’re both super attentive to one another when they get hurt or sick. A small scratch is instantly patched, a bruise is instantly soothed and scolded over (soft scoldings only, since they know who they are and what trouble they can get into, so nothing is really unavoidable). They both rarely run fevers or get colds, and when they come down with them it’s usually either when there’s nothing to stress them (docked for ship repairs, winter vacation since summer has the knickknack shack, etc.) and sickness catches up to them, or when everything is in an immense stressful situation is said and done and their body takes it as an opportunity to shut down for a bit. After WMTSB3, where they both knew they have jobs to do and have to press forward to help save the skies, they’re running high fevers for days (Gran for a day or two longer than Diantha, which worries her to no end) and getting lots of needed cuddles and sleep while weakly slurping soup. Whenever only one of them is sick, the other is as attentive as they can be, being by their bedside and trying to take care of them and make them as comfy as possible, while making mental notes of what to do or get when they’re away from each other.Injury-wise, Gran gets hurt a lot more than Diantha, but Diantha still frets over him. The thread we had awhile ago when he defends her from an attacker comes to mind, in that if an injury is partially her fault in her mind is when she feels the worse and frets the most. At any point in their relationship, Gran getting hurt = Diantha wanting to help take care of him. Her first few months on the ship she feels absolutely useless, and then she’s basically making her his tester for bandaging wounds and fighting infections when she’s learning medical practices (with Jasmine or someone medical from the crew always by her side to help) and Diantha doesn’t take no for an answer on it. Taking care of Gran is probably one of the few things she’s very stubborn and standing her ground on, whether he wants her to or not sometimes. Golly though, Diantha getting serious injuries...Not a pretty or as simple picture, probably, though after everything is patched up and healing Diantha is soothing Gran to the max that nothing was his fault, she’d be okay, everything would be fine (even though she had maybe 0 confidence in that the day it happens dghdfkhjf).

4. The Grandcypher is basically their home. They both have deep connections to their home islands and would love to visit there from time to time, of course. But the Grandcypher is a place that’s helped them go so far, literally and metaphorically. It’s helped them both grow as people and discover new things they never would’ve dreamed of, and they both want to keep doing that for as long as they can. Because Diantha, in her mind and heart, knows the adventures won’t end whenever they reach Estalucia. Whenever they find Gran’s dad, whenever they discover everything about Lyria and Vryn, whenever everyone gets what they wanted from their trip here there’ll be more that they crave. Or rather, there’ll be a familiarity and family they won’t want to leave. And Diantha doesn’t want to leave any of it either; the family that gave her so much freedom and then so much confidence in herself and in the connections she’s made, she could never abandon it nor would she ever dream of it.So if Gran ever raised the concern of her wanting to settle down, not wanting to raise a family on a ship and not wanting to be absent like his father, she knows. She wants a family, of course, and settling down is a very nice thought, and she knows one day she may really want that. But she knows she wants all of this more right now. And even if they were old and grey and still flying around together, she wouldn’t mind one bit or want anything else in the whole sky. She just needs him and this ship, she’s realized, and she’s truly happy.

[little-inkstone]

A Fate Sealed with String Part 7

Summery:  After meeting the man her parents have arranged for her to marry, Belle decides she’ll take her own fate into her hands.  Literally, with the help of a charmed piece of thread that will lead her to her true love.

AN:  I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six

AO3

The first thing Belle realized while she traveled without Rumple was that she missed him. Her heart yearned for him in a way that it never had for anything else before.  Even when she met a young Princess traveling to the same destination and joined her she still longed for Rumple.  Anna was good company and they became fast friends over the two days they traveled together.  Belle had wanted to see the Valley of the Trolls just to see it, but Anna needed their help.  The trolls had told Anna what she needed to know Belle decided to help her get home as fast as possible and they had raced their way down the mountain.  Everything had seemed to be going well but that hadn’t lasted for long.

Anna was dead.

Belle lay on the side of the cliff they had been traveling down, her hand reaching into thin air as tears filled her eyes.  She let out a sob and rolled away from the cliff, curling into a tight ball as she cried.  Anna had been suspicious of a woman that had claimed to be her aunt and was hoping the trolls could tell her if it was true.  It had sounded like an adventure to Belle.  One that would help distract her from her own swirling thoughts.  And maybe if she helped the princess with her problem an answer would come to her.  Now all of that was for naught.  A storm had whipped up just as they sidled along a sheer path etched into the side of the mountain.  The path was safe enough in normal weather, but beyond treacherous otherwise.  Nothing had been natural about the snow storm; clearly it was the work of Anna’s aunt.  The wind had all but grabbed Anna and pulled her off the cliff, leaving Belle to desperately try her best to reach for her new friend.  She had stretched as far as she could, almost falling off the path herself. Belle’s hand had just barely missed Anna’s and she watched in horror as her friend fell.

She had failed, she had been so close to grabbing her and she hadn’t made it.

“Rumple,” Belle cried as she cradled the necklace he had given her.  “Rumple, help me.”

He was there before she had even finished speaking.  Belle felt his arms wrap around her, strong and reassuring and everything she needed.  She clung to him as he ran his hands along her body, his voice panicked as he searched for some kind of injury.  He wouldn’t find one, she was fine, she was safe, but Anna wasn’t.

“Belle, please,” Rumple begged, worry making his voice high.  “Tell me what’s wrong; I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“I failed her.” Belle said.  “I failed Anna and she’s gone.”

“Who, Belle, who?” He asked, trying to lower his voice so it was more soothing instead of panicked.

“Anna, my new friend.”  Belle repeated pointing over the cliff.  “She f-fell; I couldn’t reach her in time.”  Her voice broke and she began to cry harder.

His lips thinned and he carefully removed her from his arms.  Rumple tucked her against the side of the mountain to keep her safe and pulled a white cotton handkerchief from thin air.  Gently he dabbed at her cheeks and then handed her the cloth.  He kissed her forehead and pushed a strand of her hair out of her face; then he stood with a grim look.

“Don’t move.  I’m going to be right back.”  Rumple said.

Belle nodded, her face blotchy and red from her tears.  She was confused and scared as he looked over the side of the cliff and her heart almost stopped when he kneeled and began to climb his way down.

“No, don’t I can’t lose you!”  Belle said jerking forward to grab him.

“I’ll be fine Belle, I’m using magic.”  He said, raising his hand to keep her from getting closer as he hung off the side of the mountain.  “I’m going to go and see if there’s anything that can be done for your friend, the fall might not have…”  Rumple trailed off and Belle nodded jerkily.

They both knew the chances of that were very low, but his words made her hope.  Belle sat for a long moment, trembling as she waited for Rumple to return.  Two short days ago she had been with him in the capital, happy and safe.  Honestly she wished she’d stayed there with Rumple. Her time away from him had done nothing for her confusion and had only made her ache with loneliness for him. That’s why she and Anna had been on such a dangerous path, both of them had been in a hurry to return, but Belle had been the one to suggest such a risky route.  Closing her eyes she pressed her forehead to the tops of her knees.  Her foolishness had led to Anna’s death.  If Belle had just stayed with Rumple then Anna would be safe still and on her way to warn her sister of the danger their aunt posed.

The sound of rustling made her look up and she let out a relieved sigh.  “You’re okay.”

“I am, but Belle, are you sure your friend fell?”  He asked as he pulled himself up and kneeled beside her.  His hand reached out to gently brush her hair out of her face, the wind kept throwing it into her face.

“Yes, I-I couldn’t reach her.”  Belle said, more tears beginning to fill her eyes again.  “I failed her.”

“No, no, Belle you did your best, I know you did.  I’m just sorry I wasn’t here.”  Rumple said, carefully he wrapped his arm around her and she tucked herself under his chin.

“You should have been with us; I shouldn’t have asked you to stay behind.  I’ve missed you so much and now everything’s gone wrong because I couldn’t just admit I love you.”  She whimpered.

Rumple made a strangled noise at her words but cleared his throat and pushed away what she had unknowingly said.  They could deal with that later.

“Belle, please, listen to me, your friend – Anna was it? – she wasn’t down there, and the air was thick with magic.”  He told her, tilting her jaw so she was looking into his eyes.

“W-what?” Belle asked.  “What does that mean?”

“It means she never hit the ground.”  He said gently.  “Someone whisked her away.”

“Then she’s alive!” She gasped, grabbing the lapels of his shirt.  More tears sprung to Belle’s eyes, but this time they were from relieved joy.  “It must have been the trolls!  They said they would watch out for us.”

“There was no malic in the spell, I think you’re right.”  Rumple said.  He pressed his forehead to hers and smiled.  “I’m so relieved you won’t have to carry the burden of feeling like you failed someone.”  He added, almost so softly she didn’t hear him.

His words confused her.  She thought on them the entire time they traveled down the mountain.  And continued to think about them as she and Rumple made their way to the castle to make sure Anna really had survived.  The words haunted her even more so as she introduced her new friend to Rumple and his eyes had turned sad and preoccupied. That night she couldn’t sleep; she lay in her bed in the inn and remembered his words from their ride so many months ago.  There was a hurt in Rumple’s past, a regret that still needled at him.  It wasn’t her place to ask, but he was hurting and all she wanted was to comfort him as best she could.

Biting her lower lip she slipped from her bed and wrapped herself in a thick gold coloured shawl. Her heart raced as she quietly left her room and walked the short distance from her room to his.  Going to a man’s room in the middle of the night was rather scandalous, but after having slept in the same bed as Rumple Belle doubted this would do anymore damage to her reputation.  Softly she knocked on his door, stepping from foot to foot as she waited from to answer.  When a few silent moments went by without a reply Belle let out a sigh.  It was foolish to think he would be awake just because she was, and if he were sleeping she didn’t want to wake him.  At least someone needed to get some sleep. Just as she was about to leave the door creaked open slightly and Rumple peeked out, when he saw her he opened the door wider.

“Belle, what’s wrong?”  He asked worriedly.

For a moment words abandoned her as she looked at him.  Rumple was in nothing but a sleeping shirt that was open down to the middle of his chest.  The string that kept it closed was missing she couldn’t help but stare at the large patch of tan skin on display. Her eyes drifted down, realizing he wasn’t wearing sleeping pants and his feet were bare as well.  She had never seen him with so little on before.  On the ship he had worn long johns a sleeping shirt laced up and pants with socks.  Belle had wondered if he was cold, but now she realized that he had been trying to preserve her modestly.  Her mouth went dry as she looked at him and her cheeks began to heat.

“Belle?” Rumple repeated, his hand reaching out to grasp her shoulder.  “Are you alright?”

“Oh, yes, of course.”  She replied, his touch shocking her out of her daze.  “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to disturb you, I just…”

She licked her lips, suddenly unsure of herself.  When she had been alone in her room slowly being driven mad with curiosity this had seemed like a good idea.  Now faced with a Rumple who was so close to nakedness she wasn’t as sure.

“Anything you need, Belle, I am your loyal servant.”  He told her earnestly.

“Today, on the mountain, you said you were happy I wouldn’t have to carry the weight of having failed someone I cared for, and when we rode together you mentioned not being in time to save someone.  What did you mean?”  Belle asked.

It was best to just get it out of her mind.  If he didn’t want to talk of it he could send her back to her room.  He lowered his head, his eyes shadowed by his hair, his lips were had thinned with a deep grimace.  The look made Belle wish she wasn’t so bull headed and reckless.  She hadn’t wanted to hurt him, she wanted to comfort him, but instead she had ended up causing him more pain by dredging up old wounds. Silently Belle cursed herself for the unintentional cruelty.  Just as she was about to apologize and return to her room he looked back up at her.

“I’ll tell you, but not in the hall where anyone can see you, please, come in.”

He opened his door wider and gestured for her to come in.  Belle took a step forward and then froze when she saw his bed.  Of course he would have one in his room, she wasn’t foolish enough to think he was sleeping on the floor, but it hadn’t crossed her mind.  Taking a deep breath she walked in anyway, she had shared a bed with this man, it didn’t matter if they were alone with one and he was almost naked.  Belle had begun this and now she needed to be brave.

Perhaps if she acted brave bravery would follow.

[ashleyjacksonblog]

Guys Reveal The Smoothest Things Girls Have Said Or Done To Them, So Take Some Notes

Of all the words I would use to describe myself, “smooth” is definitely not one of them. In my general life, I’m just not a smooth person. I’m the friend who blurts out the secret because she didn’t realize it was a secret or the one who will be talking smack when the person I’m talking about is standing directly behind me. And things only get worse when I’m trying to show a guy I like him. Seriously, the art of learning how to show a guy you like him is one that I have yet to master.

Luckily, I wound up in a relationship with a guy who finds my awkward inability to make literally any of the first moves endearing. But the vast majority of my dating career has been a long series of awkward and unsuccessful attempts on my part to play it cool and convince the guy I like that I don’t actually like him. Makes sense, right?

Yeah, so I’m probably not the person you should go to for tips on how to show a guy you like him. But these dudes might actually have some better advice for you. In a recent Reddit thread, they shared the smoothest things girls did or said when putting moves on them. READ ALONG AND TAKE NOTES, LADIES.

She found a way to give him her number without him asking.

She points at my phone "Is that the new one? Have you used (appname) yet?" I say no, she says another one, again – no. "What about MyNumber?" I say I don't have that one. She takes my phone puts her number in – there now you have my number.

– /u/grumbotron

She managed to give him her number and touch his butt.

She slipped her number into my back pocket. I didn't know what she was doing, only felt a hand on my ass. She walked away immediately, and when I looked at the paper, my boner grew three sizes, that day.

– /u/Ineptor

Kayla Snell/Stocksy

She didn’t bother beating around the bush.

Girl I worked with that I thought was way out of my league came up to me at a work party and whispered “if we fuck tonight, will it be awkward on Monday?” I said “nope”

Then I proceeded to make it awkward on Monday. 10/10 would do it again

– /u/tonyprent22

She asked to hold his hand, and he thought it was adorable.

"Can you drive with one hand?"

Yeah.

Holds my hand

Daaaaw

– /u/mycalvesthiccaf

She paid his lunch bill when she wasn’t even there.

I went out to lunch with some coworkers and was texting my girlfriend, mentioned where we were in passing (she's in another city a few hours away). Ask for the check, it's already paid, I'm looking around to see if I know anyone in the restaurant… Nope GF had called in and paid for lunch.

– /u/Skydivekingair

She cut right to it.

I was talking to a girl. As in, I was at work, she was waiting for a ride, I walked up and said hey. Then spoke about nothing for a minute.

She goes, "So, do you want my number? Here" and boom

– /u/20forlife

HEX.

She told him he was “pretty.” Then, she corrected herself.

Co worker (female) said to me "you're pretty".

I said "guys typically don't like to be called pretty"

30 seconds later

"You're fuckable"

Yep.

– /u/JonSw1ft

She made it clear there was a high chance they were going to get it on.

I met this girl one night and we talked pretty much the whole night. Flirting heavily etc. It was getting to a point where I had to make a move but an ex of mine was around. Decided instead that I would say:

"Can't do anything tonight, but I'm like 50% sure that next time we meet we will."

Her reply –

"Nah, more like 80%" and gave me THAT look. Had to take a breath and calm down haha

– /u/antoniomargariti

She set herself apart from his ex.

I was texting with this girl who knew my ex had a jaw problem, so bj were off the table. Suddenly, she wrote "btw, my jaw is perfectly fine"

– /u/UlibraU

Léa Jones

She alluded to a sleepover.

Invited her home for some balcony red wine. She appears with dinner she wants to make for both of us. I think cool. She asks if I have eggs. I say yes but we're making a fish thing, do you need eggs for that? She says "No for breakfast."

Mind blown.

– /u/petteroes4

She seamlessly demanded a kiss.

Random lady got me to do shots with her at a bar. It was turn for tequila she was explaining to her friend how to do it. She just gave out commands while we were doing it. Lick the salt! Take the shot! Bite the lime! Kiss! I remember kissing her I was thinking " wait what?!" So that was smooth.

– /u/Jakuskrzypk

All right, now, write these tips down and go put the ~MOVES~ on your crush.

Check out the entire Gen Why series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

Check out the “Best of Elite Daily” stream in the Bustle App for more stories just like this!

Subscribe to Elite Daily’s official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don’t want to miss.

Guys Reveal The Smoothest Things Girls Have Said Or Done To Them, So Take Some Notes

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[chadpetersondatingblog]

Guys Reveal The Smoothest Things Girls Have Said Or Done To Them, So Take Some Notes

Of all the words I would use to describe myself, “smooth” is definitely not one of them. In my general life, I’m just not a smooth person. I’m the friend who blurts out the secret because she didn’t realize it was a secret or the one who will be talking smack when the person I’m talking about is standing directly behind me. And things only get worse when I’m trying to show a guy I like him. Seriously, the art of learning how to show a guy you like him is one that I have yet to master.

Luckily, I wound up in a relationship with a guy who finds my awkward inability to make literally any of the first moves endearing. But the vast majority of my dating career has been a long series of awkward and unsuccessful attempts on my part to play it cool and convince the guy I like that I don’t actually like him. Makes sense, right?

Yeah, so I’m probably not the person you should go to for tips on how to show a guy you like him. But these dudes might actually have some better advice for you. In a recent Reddit thread, they shared the smoothest things girls did or said when putting moves on them. READ ALONG AND TAKE NOTES, LADIES.

She found a way to give him her number without him asking.

She points at my phone "Is that the new one? Have you used (appname) yet?" I say no, she says another one, again – no. "What about MyNumber?" I say I don't have that one. She takes my phone puts her number in – there now you have my number.

– /u/grumbotron

She managed to give him her number and touch his butt.

She slipped her number into my back pocket. I didn't know what she was doing, only felt a hand on my ass. She walked away immediately, and when I looked at the paper, my boner grew three sizes, that day.

– /u/Ineptor

Kayla Snell/Stocksy

She didn’t bother beating around the bush.

Girl I worked with that I thought was way out of my league came up to me at a work party and whispered “if we fuck tonight, will it be awkward on Monday?” I said “nope”

Then I proceeded to make it awkward on Monday. 10/10 would do it again

– /u/tonyprent22

She asked to hold his hand, and he thought it was adorable.

"Can you drive with one hand?"

Yeah.

Holds my hand

Daaaaw

– /u/mycalvesthiccaf

She paid his lunch bill when she wasn’t even there.

I went out to lunch with some coworkers and was texting my girlfriend, mentioned where we were in passing (she's in another city a few hours away). Ask for the check, it's already paid, I'm looking around to see if I know anyone in the restaurant… Nope GF had called in and paid for lunch.

– /u/Skydivekingair

She cut right to it.

I was talking to a girl. As in, I was at work, she was waiting for a ride, I walked up and said hey. Then spoke about nothing for a minute.

She goes, "So, do you want my number? Here" and boom

– /u/20forlife

HEX.

She told him he was “pretty.” Then, she corrected herself.

Co worker (female) said to me "you're pretty".

I said "guys typically don't like to be called pretty"

30 seconds later

"You're fuckable"

Yep.

– /u/JonSw1ft

She made it clear there was a high chance they were going to get it on.

I met this girl one night and we talked pretty much the whole night. Flirting heavily etc. It was getting to a point where I had to make a move but an ex of mine was around. Decided instead that I would say:

"Can't do anything tonight, but I'm like 50% sure that next time we meet we will."

Her reply –

"Nah, more like 80%" and gave me THAT look. Had to take a breath and calm down haha

– /u/antoniomargariti

She set herself apart from his ex.

I was texting with this girl who knew my ex had a jaw problem, so bj were off the table. Suddenly, she wrote "btw, my jaw is perfectly fine"

– /u/UlibraU

Léa Jones

She alluded to a sleepover.

Invited her home for some balcony red wine. She appears with dinner she wants to make for both of us. I think cool. She asks if I have eggs. I say yes but we're making a fish thing, do you need eggs for that? She says "No for breakfast."

Mind blown.

– /u/petteroes4

She seamlessly demanded a kiss.

Random lady got me to do shots with her at a bar. It was turn for tequila she was explaining to her friend how to do it. She just gave out commands while we were doing it. Lick the salt! Take the shot! Bite the lime! Kiss! I remember kissing her I was thinking " wait what?!" So that was smooth.

– /u/Jakuskrzypk

All right, now, write these tips down and go put the ~MOVES~ on your crush.

Check out the entire Gen Why series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

Check out the “Best of Elite Daily” stream in the Bustle App for more stories just like this!

Subscribe to Elite Daily’s official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don’t want to miss.

Guys Reveal The Smoothest Things Girls Have Said Or Done To Them, So Take Some Notes

from Meet Positives http://ift.tt/2hqXVzE via IFTTT