#non-binary shiver for the win

[magnusgremlin]

Pspsps splatoon fans I have a splatfest Shiver for you, enjoy!

[raikkonenvettels]

X pushing Y behind them to protect them and body heat for warmth werewolf!Seb who's Enby and Kimi 🤣♥️

after way too much time here it is (i am so so so sorry for that 😭)

finally my brain decided that i could concentrate for a while so i wrote this!!! (also i should have seen this ask coming bc enby seb is enby seb and i know you love it as much as me lol)

so here it is!!!

It all began as a normal stroll in the woods, as many stories do.

Seb and Kimi were just walking through the green forest, the younger of the two in their wolf form, curls noticeable in their blonde fur. They were very happy about those curls too, since they were due to them growing their hair out. It hadn’t been long since they had come out as non-binary, but they had never been happier. Kimi, of course, was his usual supportive-boyfriend self about the whole thing, so that had been very good too.

As the two began to go deeper and deeper into the forest, they started hearing some rumbles coming from the bushes ahead. Seb instantly got on guard, getting in front of Kimi as fast as they could - the Finn’s face showing his worry - and growling lowly and menacingly, trying to scare whatever was in front of them. The rumbles were getting louder and louder, the animal on the other side getting closer and closer to the pair. Until…

A rabbit suddenly jumped out of the bushes, starling Kimi who was…certainly non expecting that to happen. The animal was white and fluffy, his demeanor everything but threatening as he approached the couple, sniffing the air a bit before hopping away calmly.

Kimi sighed, relief washing over his body, before looking down and seeing Seb’s very unimpressed face. It was almost mocking, as if it said: you are a Formula One world champion and you get scared by a cute tiny rabbit?

“Don’t look at me like that, you got scared too!” the older huffed out, annoyed.

The were shook their head, dismissing what their boyfriend said. The Finn just rolled his eyes, knowing he couldn’t win against Seb’s stubbornness. “So, is this big bag wolf going to show me the place they told me about or do they want to stay here and make fun of me?” he said folding, his arms in front of him. The German perked up at that and started marching away excitedly, Kimi following them close behind.

After ten more minutes they finally arrived at place, Seb proudly showing him their discovery. Kimi was mesmerized: the nature there seemed pure and uncontaminated by men, the trees growing big and the grass green and tall. But the most stunning thing there was the beautiful clear river that flowed there, which created an even more idyllic scenery.

The Finn felt Seb tugging his tee, indicating his to go with them near the river, where they sat together, a peaceful silence enveloping them both. At one point, though, Kimi started shivering, the chilly night air making him feel colder than he thought he would be.

Seb curled around him tighter, their head on their paw and their tail urging the older man to lay with him. And so Kimi did, wrapping his arms around the wolf and snuggling his face in their ruff, a different kind of warmth warming his heart now.

And that is how they fell asleep, with the calm sounds of the forest as their lullaby, feeling warm and content.

god this prompts were so good too i loved writing this!

also i just wanted to say that i my have a surprise coming later today/tomorrow in honor of seb’s birthday 👀👀👀👀 (and it’s simi so there is that)

[panda-writes-kpop]

Poly! JiBo (JiU x SuA) x Reader - You've Earned This, All of This (Requested!)

A/N: Hi guys, girls, and non-binary pearls! I hope you all are doing well. I'm looking forward to getting a well-deserved break during Thanksgiving, and I hope the rest of you get some time to relax and enjoy yourselves as well!

TW: Just fluff, mentions of DC's first win in case that makes you emotional

Summary: After receiving their first win, JiU and SuA are in need of some comfort. Luckily, you're at the ready to comfort and love your favorite girls in the world. 🥰

♡ Masterlist ♡

The day had finally come. After years and years of waiting, you're able to watch their first place finish on a music show live, and you couldn't be prouder.

Although it broke your heart to see your favorite girls in the world crying their eyes out for everyone to see, you knew how much this moment meant to them. They'd been working so hard for so long, and they finally got the recognition they deserve.

Now, it is time to celebrate and wipe the tears away, and you quickly prepare to leave the house and meet the girls at their dorms.

You knew that JiU, SuA, and the other five Dreamers would be busy with celebratory Vlives, pictures, and so much more. You only wanted to help, comfort, and celebrate, so that's what you did.

Before arriving at the dorms, you stop into a local supermarket. You grab three bouquets of flowers: a simple yet colorful assortment of pastel daisies for your sweet JiU, a collection of the finest red roses around for the shining star named SuA, and a bouquet of five different colored tulips that the other girls could fight over.

The drive over to the dorms doesn't take long, and you're inside of the building before you know it. A manager met you by the front entrance, and you had the tulips over to them.

"Make sure the others get those flowers."

"I will," They nod, "but you should go to JiU and SuA. They're waiting for you in the lounge area."

The company managers knew you were coming as you always try to call before you make an appearance. Although SuA, JiU, and some of the managers deemed this to be unnecessary, you were still trying to be polite. Plus, it guaranteed you some quality time with you and your girls, which didn't happen very often.

You quietly enter the lounge area, and your heart swells at the sight in front of you. JiU and SuA are cuddling on the couch, and occasionally, one of them will sniffle before wiping a spare tear away.

You mentally coo at your girlfriends before taking another step into the room. You make your appearance known by clearing your throat.

Their heads snap up to you, and you smile at both of them.

"I believe a celebration is in order, right?"

You offer the flowers to each girl, and you notice that they both begin to tear up.

"Oh, baby… I can't-" SuA's voice cracks before she begins to sob.

"Honey, you're too sweet." JiU softly mumbles as tears run down your face.

You manage to squeeze between the two girls before wrapping an arm around each of them.

"I'll always be here for you two, okay?" You try to reassure them with gentle touches and sweet words. "You've earned this… all of this. Don't feel bad for crying, especially in front of me or everyone that loves you, like your fans and staff."

SuA immediately buries herself within your body, which makes you smile. JiU, on the other hand, gently leans towards you while playing with a strand of your hair.

"I love you so much." JiU softly whispers against your skin, which makes you shiver.

"Me too." SuA mumbles from her position against your chest.

You chuckle before talking.

"I love both of you to the moon and back."

[pcktknife]

If anything we should be celebrating Shiver’s massive win streak, non-binary win 🤭

she aint even canon nonbinary dont connect me to that sea witch

[citricacidprince]

Listen, I love Shiver as much as the next person, non-binary loser icon and all that,,,

But we can't let them win again, I don't care if it's team water or fire don't let that smug bastard win again pLEASE /j

[forbidding-souda]

hello... could i please get imagines for kaz, keebo, and chihiro with a chubby fem nb reader? owo... (if possible, with a trans and/or nonbinary chihiro?) thank u!!!

Kazuichi Souda, Kiibo, and Chihiro Fujisaki with a chubby, feminine non-binary S/O

order up. they/he fujisaki for table 6. gender unspecified but those pronouns are used.

currently listening: my name is mud by primus

playlist: kirari momobami

-Mod Souda

Kazuichi Souda

❤ Being with somebody nonbinary has opened him up to be more gender flexible. He never realized before, but he doesn't feel uncomfortable when put in pretty dresses and with lipstick on. He does his eyeliner every day and his hair is bright pink, damnit, it's as if he was practicing to look femininely beautiful. And when you're out, and someone misgenders you, when Kazuichi corrects them they're more likely to listen. You can't tell if it's because of his sharp teeth or because he's a man - but they always listen to him.

"What about this?" He places the little robot on its legs, wounding it and watching it walk around. It walks with a march, as if it were a soldier, circling the room. You watch while sitting on the floor next to him.

"Very cool, how long did it take you?"

"Oh," he laughs. "I started about ten minutes ago."

You close your eyes, beyond impressed. "Sweet deal." You say.

He wraps his arm around your center, pulling you closer to him, your side colliding with his. You lean awkwardly. Sitting there with him as he shows you the small trinkets he makes is something that happens almost every day. He loves it when you compliment him - that approval is something that always makes him feel better. He literally shows to you everything he does as if he were a child.

"Isn't it cool?"

You nod. "It's beyond amazing, Kazuichi."

❤ He doesn't care how much you weigh - he is going to pick you up. Especially from behind, when you don't know he's there. He presses your back to his chest and lifts you off the ground.

❤ Also him dating somebody nonbinary is actually quite perfect because I imagine he's always been a bit bicurious - and he loves feminine people. So haHA! You're perfect for him.

❤ Since ur chubby, your feminine clothes fit him. Win win.

❤ He likes taking pictures with you while you both are in the Rosie the Riveter pose because your weight makes your arms look as thick as his - and the two of you just look buff as fuck.

❤ He likes teaching you about cars in the rare instance that you can impress random men with your immense car knowledge and feminine appearance.

❤ ^ This is absolutely hilarious in his mind. He has experienced many bro-dudes while being a mechanic.

.

Kiibo

❤ If anything, he'd be surprised if you had a gender. Gender is something he doesn't understand - why does it even exist? You're nonbinary and feminine and he's agender and semi-masculine so it's perfect. He understands you a little better than he can understand mostly other people. I'd like to think that maybe he decided to get closer to you than the other people around him because you are nonbinary. When he is first told your gender, he'd probably be like, oh thank god.

You try and remember the last conversation you and him had before he left to get clothes for a costume party - did you even tell him what you wanted? Because what he brought home was exactly what you were thinking. He seemed to know you; that's what catches you off guard. You didn't think anybody could know you so well.

"This is perfect," you say. "When did I tell you what I wanted?"

He shrugs. "I just guessed. It's not like your taste is peculiar or anything. It's just clothes."

"Is it logged in your memory?"

"Now it is," he says. "But not previously - I've never had to do this before."

"You're very intuitive."

His body twitches as if he's gotten the shivers. His lips form a smile and he stares down at the table. He responds shortly. "I listen."

❤ You two might also be one of the most eccentric couple ever.

❤ If you have to explain to someone what being nonbinary means then you usually just say, "you know - what gender a robot would be." and they tend to understand.

❤ Kiibo is surprised by how warm your body is. Are you always warm? Are humans just always a heater? It's strange to him.

❤ Your hands are like, small compared to his own, so he loves to hold your hand. He can feel your warmth through them. Whenever he pulls away, his palms are a different temperature.

❤ ^ Your touch lingers on his body. It's super romantic.

.

Chihiro Fujisaki

❤ Being with somebody more feminine helps them feel more masculine. When they feel insecure about not being masculine, you always share with them fictional ships of the strong man and the like 'princess' femme and be like "us". Ya'll probably have matching phone backgrounds with that theme. They love the idea of being the 'man' in the relationship, and when they're with you - it isn't hard to imagine that at all. It helps a lot with their self-esteem.

You're sitting in the living room with them, them typing away at their computer. This is your way of trying to get them out of their room. At least here, they're in your presence, and it's at least some form of company. It's only been a few hours and the place already looks different - empty water bottles on the floor, his socks discarded on the table, half eaten food bags. The mess follows him wherever he goes, it seems.

"Do you want anything to actually eat?"

"No," he says, not looking up. "I live off of this well enough."

"Chihiro."

His eyes widen a bit as he stares up at you. They blink a few times, their eyes not used to staring at anything other than blue light. "Do we have melon?"

"This is your house."

He smiles sheepishly and returns to his computer even when you get up. His eyes do lift and admire you as you leave, however. You're just so lovable when you care for him. Mentally, he puts extra money away into the christmas-eve-gift jar.

❤ Nobody ever assumes the two of you are dating. You could literally (not that you would) kiss them in public and people would probably be like what good friends.

❤ Okay but you could probably give him piggy back rides right.

❤ Anyway they are always locked up in that room of theirs so just coerce them into sleeping by telling them the two of you can cuddle. Win win. Quid pro quo, even.

[ussgallifrey]

Kinktober Day 8: Divine

✦ Prompt: Praise Kink ✦ Pairing: Thor Odinson x Non-Binary AFAB!Reader ✦ Warnings: 18+ only - minors do not interact, language, vaginal fingering and penetration, smut.

The baths on Asgard were absolutely, one-hundred percent, superior to the ones on Earth. The sheer size of the basin alone was enough to win your vote, but the water never seemed to cool from the perfect temperature. The oils and creams always did wonders for your hair and skin. It was probably one of your favorite aspects about visiting the homeworld of the God of Thunder, among many others.

When you push open the door to the bath chambers, still drying yourself off with one of the plush cerulean towels, you catch his very interested gaze from across the room. Sat upon a chair with his legs kicked up onto the small table, slowly picking grape-like fruit from a stem and popping them into his mouth with a carefree air about him.

“Was it as relaxing as you remembered?” he calls out, licking his finger of the fruit’s juices.

You shrug with a shy smile, “No complaints here.”

Thor nods, pleased to hear your contentment, before depositing the rest of the fruit onto the decorative tray on the table’s edge.

You move across the room, to the small wardrobe where your clothes were kept for such trips. Nothing seemed just right though, as the room filled with the humid air from the bath. Beads of chilled water run down your shoulders and back. Without thinking, you pull the towel from your chest, bringing it up to dab at the ends of your hair - enjoying the rush of air that cools your warm skin.

The sound of him clearing his throat draws your attention as you glance down at your naked body and quickly realize your mistake.

“You know,” he starts, his voice moving closer as he pushes up from the chair. “They say a person can find heaven within the eyes of their lover.”

Large calloused hands find themselves situated on your waist, a bearded chin lowers to the shell of your ear as a very muscular body folds itself around your back.

“Strange then,” he huffs a warm breath against your skin that makes you shiver. “That I should find it within the valley of your cunt.”

A laugh bubbles out of you as Thor nips your earlobe, smiling as he does so, hands digging into your plump stomach as you bend forward in a fit of giggles.

He allows you to turn in his arms, so you can face him.

“You’re absolutely obscene,” you chide, still smiling.

“Ah, you love it,” he smirks.

His hands are unable to stop their travels across your body, however, as they squeeze and press against every curve and roll. He kicks the forgotten towel across the floor, pushing you against the wooden wardrobe with a gentle thump, looming above you as his right-hand travels lower and lower.

“Oh,” you sigh, hips tilting upwards into his easy touch.

Thor smirks as his fingers delve into your velvet folds, his thumb pressing down against your aching clit. He savors the moans that fall from your lips as he pushes up into your throbbing cunt. Two fingers, then three, stretching around the tight squeeze of your inner walls.

“Look how well you take my hand,” he purrs, leaning his lips down to your cheek for a heated touch. “I could make you cum on command, couldn’t I? You’re just that perfect.”

Your moans grow higher as his hand thrusts in and out of you, the tips of his large fingers curling up to hit that most desirable of spots.

“Perfectly designed for me.”

His praise turns to a heated grunt when you let out a back-bending groan, moving to stand on the tips of your toes as your body arches into his perfect touch.

“Will you let me take you? Will you allow me that greatest of pleasures? To cum inside of your perfect cunt, my love?”

Your voice is achingly breathless as you manage to moan, “Yes.”

And with your consent, Thor lifts you up, easily, with only his left arm - his other hand still buried so deeply inside of you. He positions his knee right between your thighs as you wrap your legs around his waist. And then it’s only the strength of his sculpted muscles that hold you up, as he goes about undoing the ties of his pants as his fingers curl up and press in against your quivering bundle of nerves.

Your body shakes when he pulls his digits from inside you, a whining noise drawn deep from your throat as he chuckles softly, lining himself up.

“Just a moment more, my love. Then you shall have that which you were made to take.”

The stretch of his girth is unbearable as he takes his time, slowly easing his throbbing member into your heated aching core.

“P-please,” you beg, urging him on faster.

He huffs, thighs quaking as he takes the slowest of thrusts forward, “What a perfect lover, you are. Look how your cunt just welcomes me right in, covering me in your heavenly juices.”

“Gods, Thor,” you moan at his praises, at the feeling of him filling you up. “Just move already please - ”

He fixes you with a knowing smirk, eyes clouded with heavy desire, “Patience, pet.”

Kinktober 2021 Tag List: @camelliaflow3r | @dilf-vader | @stardust-galaxies

Permanent Thor Tag List: @blackberrybucky | @justreadingficsdontmindme | @leyannrae

Permanent Tag List: @agentwhiskeypussyindulgence | @brooklyn-times | @buckybarneshairpullingkink | @diinofayce | @dilf-vader | @eileenalone | @juniorhuntersam | @lambs-to-the-cosmic-slaughter | @majesticavenger | @mirjahaals | @nahthanks | @outofmilk | @redhairedfeistynerd | @s-trawberryv-eins | @smilexcaptainx | @slowly-drifting-again | @tangerineliqu0r | @tellmealovestory | @weasleyworshipper | @ya-lyublu-tebya

[dazaimency]

Kaeya x AFAB!NB!Reader - Mora for Your Thoughts (18+)

Request: Um can I request a kaeya×AFAB fem non-binary they/them reader bondage, master, spanking, and overstimulation. The reader is a astrologer

Tags: AFAB fem non-binary they/them reader, bondage, master calling, spanking, slight overstimulation, and very slight ice play, astrologer!reader

Word Count: 2.475

NSFW!!

Crossposted from HERE (ao3 collection, mostly BNHA)

Given your powers, you should have at least somewhat expected Kaeya creeping up behind you in the bar while you were sitting on a stool, lost in thoughts. But instead, you jumped out of your seat when a cold hand touched your shoulder, forcing you to turn around.

Once you were face to face with your boyfriend, Kaeya didn’t hesitate to place a quick peck on your cheek before sliding in the seat beside you, ordering his favourite wine. Your lips curled upwards and warmth spread out through your torso when his posture relaxed, clearly at ease in your presence. The smile only deepened when you remembered what you had foreseen a couple of days ago - a fact that Kaeya didn’t miss.

“Something on your mind?” A perfect dark blue eyebrow raises, only enhancing the playful smirk taking place on Kaeya’s face.

Of course he knew. Even though you were the one practicing astrology, Kaeya was familiar with every secret and whisper going on in the streets of Mondstadt.

“Not really,” you tease back, and the conversation stirs in a different direction. As the sky darkens and Charles starts to send drunkyards home, Kaeya’s touches become more intimate, thumb circling your hips, or his hand caressing your thigh and knee. You were well aware how tonight was going to turn out, and you knew Kaeya was too.

You told him who a few of your clients were, and Kaeya being Kaeya, decided to exploit it. He found it amusing when you were anticipating what he had planned for you, with you unable to look into your own future at the same time. So, when he had found out that you had a meeting with an “adult toys seller”, who wanted to ask you about their sales, he went to their store and bought something a couple of weeks after your meeting. He didn’t know for sure if you would foretell it but even if you hadn’t, it would be a win-win situation for him - you’d still be surprised.

“Wanna get out of here?” Kaeya suggests, taking in the sight of your rosy cheeks and lips swollen from your biting. You feel a little jealous when you notice alcohol had little to no effect on him, except letting that spark in his eye to be seen by others instead of being kept private.

You nod, taking his hand into yours and dragging him out of the bar, waving goodbye to Charles. Kaeya managed to place a quick payment with a generous tip before feeling the cold bite his cheeks once he stepped outside.

His fingers intertwine with yours and he guides you to his home. Comfortable quiet resides in the air as you make your way to the front door, only sometimes messing your steps. Your breaths quickens as you approach the entrance and you lick your lips in anticipation.

You turn to Kaeya but before you can open your mouth, he has you pinned against the door, cold wood clashing with your back, making you shiver. Holding you by your hips, he pushes a leg between yours, forcing you to moan into his mouth.

The chilly air mixing with his warm body pressed against yours only makes you get closer to him, enveloping his shoulders with your arms, feeling his lean frame. You slide your leg up, enabling him better access and he smirks into the kiss.

“Impatient, aren't we?” He outright grins and moves lower to your neck, placing pecks and bites on the soft skin, sending jolts of electricity down your spine.

“S-Says the one who got me a sex toy,” you manage to say with rugged breath, slightly shaking from his tongue and teeth nibbling at the crook of your neck.

Kaeya only hums and unlocks the door behind you, smoothly sliding both of you inside while keeping the position.

“What a shame. And I wanted to surprise you,” he clicks his tongue, deep blue eyes scanning your body, revelling in how your smaller frame fits his.

Usually, you'd enjoy this position but you knew what he had prepared for you. Excited to finally see it, you decide to push him: “You should have visited a different store, then.”

“Getting cheeky, hm? Remind me, dear, how do you call me?” you keep yourself from smiling by biting your lips, and you feel your crotch getting wetter with every word that escapes his mouth.

Looking him straight into his eyes, you respond, “You should have visited a different store, Master.”

You push your chin up, expecting him to kiss you or to take down your clothes but instead, he sweeps you off your feet, carrying you to the bedroom with ease. You yelp with surprise, but quickly resign in trying to get down. It wasn't a bad position to be in.

“I ought to punish you. Shame you know what I have planned for you,” the smirk in his voice tells you otherwise. Did you miss something? He acted too smug for having his surprise ruined.

Kaeya sat you down on the bed, ordering you to strip. You quickly obey, soon feeling how soft the sheets feel against your skin. Meanwhile, Kaeya took off his gloves and was waiting in front of you nonchalantly, tapping his foot.

You could see the glint in his eyes when his gaze washed over your naked figure, sly smile embellishing his starry iris. Your stomach clenches in excitement and a shiver runs down your body when he approaches you, hiding something behind him.

“Turn around,” every syllable makes you want him more, the contrast between your naked body and his clothed form only enhancing it. Following his order, you turn onto your stomach, arching your back, silently chuckling when a soft gasp involuntarily escapes him. He moves onto the bed, kneeling at your legs with a perfect view of your pussy that is dripping wet for him. He resists the want to push a finger into you, torturing you with a slow preparation just to feel your walls clench around his digit. Dismissing the thought for later, he sets out to do what he has planned.

“One,” you hear Kaeya say a moment before pain cuts through your skin as a slap lands on your cheeks. He licks his lips when the skin darkens and your body jerks at the sensation. The image of you spread out on his bed, letting him do anything he wants is sent straight to his cock, making it twitch in his tight pants. He was enjoying being in charge, having you completely devoted to him.

Subconsciously, your body leans into his touch. You expected to be punished for being “bratty” but you had the toy he bought in mind, not only spanking. Not that you weren't enjoying it.

As if reading your mind, Kaeya lands another hit. “Two. Mora for your thoughts? Three.”

The stings feel heavier now, and you let out a small moan, missing the smirk on your master's face.

“Are you disappointed? Four. Were you expecting something else, my dear? Five.” You would like to wipe that cunning smirk off his face, were it not for the way each slap made you clench around nothing.

“No, no, Master!” You moan out as another hit lands. This time, the hand stays on your cheeks, brushing quickly against your rim before moving lower to your slit, teasing the sensitive skin. Kaeya's fingers play with the wetness as you hold your breath, hips leaning into the touch, desperately wanting to be filled.

You realise your mistake too late. Lying to the trickster is never a good idea, especially if you are at his mercy. The caresses stop as well as your breaths and you await for further punishment.

A singular harsh slap comes without a warning. The force making a ripple on your skin, painting it a darker shade. Your legs shake when your pussy clenches around nothing and you let out a whine, silently cursing both yourself and Kaeya.

“Oh my, it seems like you deserve something else, doesn't it? Luckily, I came prepared,” this gets your attention and you turn to look at him. He holds a couple of silky ropes - it must be what he had been hiding before.

Your eyes widen as you realise you had been 'played'. He wanted to tie you up all along, setting you up for a fake surprise. A sly smirk graces his features, starry eyes full of smug. Later, you would wipe it off his face, but you were too horny to care about being toyed with in a sense that didn't mean reaching orgasm.

With a slight nudge, he orders you to lay on your back. A question stains his eye, one he doesn't need an answer to, and his length twitches in his pants uncomfortably, still pulsating in the closed space.

You eye the silk, noticing its pleasant texture. Kaeya joins your wrists in a tight knot, connecting it to the headboard. You try to wiggle your hands but the cloth won't let you, effectively leaving you to your boyfriend's mercy and gaze full of lust.

“Now, that's a pretty picture,” Kaeya leans over you and kisses you deeply, his hands drawing circles on your hips. His fingers leave small trails of goosebumps and shivers when he decides to tease you with his vision, brushing ice over your skin as your tongues intertwine. He swallows your every whimper and his hips move in sync with yours as you desperately need to release some tension.

You want to reach out to touch him but the silken bindings keep your hands in place, depriving you of holding onto him. Your fingers dig deeper into the cloth, fists forming and tugging at it as you try to become less flustered.

“What a sight indeed,” Kaeya breaks the kiss and kneels between your bent legs, long fingers slowly finding their way to your pulsing clit. When he finally touches it, you let out a moan and dig your head deeper into the pillow. The slight caress sends waves of pleasure through your body and you envelop your legs around him.

“So wet for your Master already. You would be ready for me if I fucked you right now, wouldn't you?” he hums as if he wasn't just as horny as you. His cock is painfully throbbing in his trousers, creating a wet spot from precum. Kaeya's head is filled with images of him fucking you into the mattress, but right now he wanted to toy with you some more before giving into his needs.

His thumb keeps circling your clit, pressing more with each time you moan out. His digits finally penetrate you, two fingers stretching you out for him. Already, you are a mess and when he enters you a relieved 'Master' escapes your mouth.

With that, Kaeya throws all his plans out of the window. His hand leaves your sensitive clit, making you whimper at the absence of his touch. His pants and underwear soon land on the floor and he's raising your hips to enter you before you can complain about the loss.

You both moan at the same time. Your walls finally clench around him, almost making his hips slam into you but he stays still, giving you a bit of space to adjust. His hands run up and down your body, touching every curve they reach.

Kaeya in front of you is breathtaking. His usually messy hair is even more all around the place, sticking to his skin in some places. Having ditched all his clothes, you can take in his lean frame, fitting perfectly between your legs.

When you are ready, your fingers grip the silk tightly and your legs rest on his shoulder. Kaeya places a quick kiss on your calf and his eyes find yours. As your gazes meet, he starts to move - just a small push to get himself further inside makes you close your eyes. You curse at the restraints keeping you from reaching out and dragging him to a hungry kiss but the feeling of being exposed like this makes your walls clench more.

“Fuck, baby,” he lets out, usual eloquence gone with his last self control as his slams get rougher. Kaeya fully buries himself inside you, brushing against your sensitive spot with each thrust. “You feel so good...”

You can only nod, unable to come up with a verbal response for your master. Seeing pleasure reflected on your face, gaze getting more filled with mist with each thrust, Kaeya speaks up, finding his lost eloquence, forcing you to focus on his smooth voice: “You enjoy being tied up, don't you? Say it, say it for your Master.”

“I-I do, Master. Please… Just don't stop,” you let out between moans, the only thing on your mind right now is Kaeya's cock. Knowing your body well, he knows exactly how to make you moan out the most, and he wasn't holding back tonight.

Satisfied with your answer, his thrusts amp up. He feels your walls clench and stretch around him with each push, and he lets out a few grunts when he senses his orgasm approaching. His fingers start paying attention to your clit again and you whimper loudly when his skilled digits start toying with the oversensitive, pulsing spot.

Jolts of electricity run through your body. Overwhelming sensation ripples through your insides as you finally come, moaning out a mix of Kaeya's name and 'master' when you arch your back.

The new angle allows him to bury himself deeper, hips stuttering at the satisfaction. Seeing you come in front of him with his name on your lips pushes him closer over the edge and after a few rapid thrusts of blindly chasing after that pleasure, he moans '(y/n)' and empties himself inside you.

Once you both catch your breath, he slips out and leans over you, quickly untying you. You hum when he lays down next to you, massaging your numb wrists and kissing the marks left by the bindings. Before you came, you struggled more in its tight grip, making the silk stain your skin with lines that you will have to cover the next couple of days. Not that you were complaining. Plus, Kaeya's chilly kisses were enough to make any discomfort fade away.

When the haze of pleasure leaves both of you with clear minds, you frown, suddenly remembering something: “What happened to the electric toy?”

Kaeya chuckles as if he was expecting the question (he probably was) and kisses your cheek: “Don't worry, we'll try that another time.”

[charlieiscoping]

bakugou x reader (non-binary) // bakugou or midoriya?

you’re midoriya’s best friend. that is why you absolutely hate that you’ve had the biggest crush on his bully, bakugou. fucking katsuki bakugou. while you can take his usual comments and advances towards midoriya, today was different. you learn a secret that leads to your biggest decision yet.

content warning: arguing

you sit in class in your usual spot behind midoriya. you two are just chatting and skimming through his notebooks filled with details upon details of every hero and villain that you can name. 

you glance at the door, expecting aizawa to walk through to start class. your heart stops for a second as you meet those red eyes. the usual angry look is plastered on bakugou’s face. hands in pockets, shirt slightly untucked, he walks into class. there’s one chair left available, and of course it is the one right next to you. bakugou starts walking towards you; three rows away, two, one, and finally he turns to walk down yours. 

you poke midoriya to get his attention before the teasing begins. midoriya looks up at you, then looks at bakugou, and sighs. 

“what are you looking at nerd?” you hear him ask. as bakugou reaches midoriya’s desk, he slams one hand on the open notebook. “you taking more notes nerd? if you can’t be strong like me, then you have to have the brains like me huh?” he leans down till he’s inches away from midoriya. you start to lean forward to try and stop bakugou from making it worse but a gentle hand stops you.

bakugou laughs, “it doesn’t matter anyways, if you and i went one on one, i would still win.” bakugou’s eyes turn towards you and meet yours. your face begins to flush and you shift in your seat.

“oh shut up bakugou” you say, “there’s nothing wrong with knowing who you are are about to go up against. besides, you’re just jealous that he didn’t need to just make a big explosion to get into this school.” you instantly regret saying that the minute bakugou stands up and takes a step towards you.

“kacchan leave them alone!” midoriya stands up and faces bakugou, making him stop where he stands.

“oh calm down love bird” this comment makes you blush again, “i’m not going to hurt them” bakugou places one hand on your desk and faces you once more, “but you if you ever think that you can make comments like that again, i might just change my mind on hurting you. we all know that i am one of the top preforming students in this room. besides, didn’t you rank 15/21 on the last written test?”

now you really are blushing. what he said was true, and it hurt. 

“back off kacchan.” states midoriya.

kirishima gets up and places a hand on bakugou’s shoulder, “come on bakugou, sit down before aizawa comes in.”

bakugou stares at you for a few more seconds. his hand on your desk relaxes and his pointer finger starts to tap. he get’s up and turns to face kirishima. while doing so, his hand grazes your shoulder sending shivers down your back. 

at that moment, aizawa steps into the room. his sunken eyes scan the room, “take your seats everyone, today we are going over interview etiquette.” bakugou sits down next you and you finally exhale. you cannot understand how midoriya is able to handle bakugou’s comments. then again, they seem to hurt more now than they did before. i guess that is what having a crush does to someone.

during class, you can’t help but feel as is bakugou’s eyes are on you often. you brush it off as a form of intimidation and focus on what aizawa says.

==========================================================

“okay class, go to lunch. once you come back, you will be paired up with the person sitting next to you to practice giving and taking interviews. please don’t be late.” and with that, aizawa grabs his sleeping bag and gets bundled up.

everyone is standing up and rushing out the door, yet you can’t seem to move. the person sitting next to you? you turn and meet bakugou’s gaze. neither of you say anything as he stands up and walks out with kirishima and denki.

“hey [y/n], are you coming?” you turn your head to face midoriya standing by your desk. you snap back into to reality and stand up.

“yes, sorry, just lost in thought.” you say. grabbing your stuff, you start to head towards the door. 

once you’re in the hallway, midoriya says, “i’m sorry you have to be paired with bakugou. tell me if he does anything stupid and i will talk to him!”

you chuckle, “it’s okay. i can handle myself.”

and with that, you two go eat lunch without touching the subject again.

===========================================================

once you are back in the classroom, you two sit down laughing and chatting about what you two did over the weekend.

bakugou is the last person in the classroom again. your smile fades as he enters the room and takes his seat.

“okay class, as i said, you are paired with the person sitting next to you. and before you ask, yes kirishima you can join denki and sero as the only group of three.” all three of them burst out laughing in excitement. 

“i trust you guys to go find a quiet spot on campus to run these mock interviews. you have the notes, you have the questions, now go.” aizawa says before once again slipping into his sleeping bag.

everyone gets up with their pairs and start heading towards the door. midoriya gives you a sympathetic smile before leaving with uraraka.

“come on already. i want to get this over with.” bakugou says as he stands up and starts walking away without you. you sigh, and follow suite. 

you guys find an empty classroom and enter. your heart is pacing now as your thoughts swirl with possibilities of what could happen during this interview. bakugou sits on top of a desk facing towards you. you are unable to move as the thought of being close to him scares you.

“listen, before we begin,” he starts saying, “i want to apologize for my comment on your ranking on the last test.” is he apologizing?

“what? are you- did you just apol-” you start to stutter and a chuckle leaves your lips. it’s quickly cut off by the glare he shoots you.

“yes i am apologizing. can you just accept it? there’s a reason i don’t usually apologize.” he crosses his arms against his chest and you feel a ping of guilt. 

you nod, “i accept it.” you two sit in silence for a couple of seconds longer. “will you ever apologize to midoriya?” you ask.

bakugou scoffs, “of course not.”

“and why not?” you start to get irritated. 

“he doesn’t deserve one! he has to do so much to be where he is, and he suddenly gets this overly strong quirk, so people just love him? what about those of us who are just naturally smart and strong? i’m better than him!” he starts to become angry and you regret bringing midoriya up. 

“but like you said, you’re one of the best preforming in our class. what does he have that you aren’t already better at?” you gain the courage to take a step closer to him. you have always been protective of midoriya, especially with bakugou.

bakugou looks at you without saying anything. he then shakes his head and turns away, “none of your business. can we just start on this stupid interview?” you can hear a slight defensive tone in his voice. 

“no. tell me what he has that you don’t already have. you have your whole squad, you always rank in the top 3 on tests, you are physically one of the strongest in the class-”

“he has you!” he yells, slamming both hands on the desk. you stop moving, you stop talking, you stop breathing. 

“m-me?”

“yeah, you heard me. what are you? deaf? do you need me to say it again?” but before you truly know what you’re doing, you walk over to him, grab his face, and kiss him. you are currently up against the desk, your body is in between his legs with your arms raised up to hold him. you feel an initial pull of him backing away but not even a second later he leans in and wraps his arms around the small of your back. he scoots to the edge of the desk so your chest is pressed against his torso and he kisses you harder.

one of your hands finds its way up to his blonde locks and the other finds its way down to his chest. you both sit/stand there kissing for a couple more seconds. finally he pulls away.

“[y/n], we really need to-” at that moment the door opens behind you. midoriya is now standing in the doorway looking at his childhood bully and best friend pressed against each other.

“[y/n].. kacchan.. what are you-” he starts to run towards you two, “get off of them kachhan! you bastard!” before he reaches you, you are shoved away by bakugou who is now standing.

“bastard?! deku you’re the bastard!” bakugou raises his fist, sparks start to come off of his hands.

“bakugou! stop!” you rush in between the two and face midoriya. “stop! let’s talk this out!”

midoriya stops in front of you, his face twisted in anger and confusion. bakugou steps behind you so you two are only an inch away from each other.

“what are you doing here midoriya?” you ask.

“uraraka had to leave suddenly so i came to join you two. clearly you guys are a little preoccupied. how long has this been happening, huh?” he looks at you, tears swelling in his eyes, “i have been trying for years... YEARS... to get that idiot” he points at bakugou, “to like me. what do i get in return? insults and bullying and a- a- a brick wall!” you wince, “and i always went to you on the rough nights. you have always been there to tell me to not let it get to me! and why? so you could.. could screw him behind my back?!” you feel a tear slip down. 

“i-we- this-”

“this was the first time anything has happened you idiot” bakugou says, stepping beside you, “i haven’t done anything sooner for your stupid ass.” anger starts to raise in his voice. you step back, your emotions starting to overcome you.

“for me?! so you’re telling me that you have liked them and you held back for me?! oh how wonderful! it’s not like you could have been nice to me and then you two can do all kissing you want!” 

“guys.. please... stop. i’m sorry midoriya. i don’t know what came over me, bakugou just apologized and admitted his feelings-”

“so you threw yourself onto him, huh?”

“hey! don’t you dare say anything bad towards them.” bakugou takes another step towards midoriya.

“they’re my best friend! not yours! you can’t take the one thing i have!” midoriya stares straight back into bakugou’s eyes. things start to get tense.

“do i not get a say in this?” you spit out.

they both turn towards you, one pair eyes stare at you with hurt, the other anger. 

“fine.” they both say, backing off.

“listen, midoriya, i promise this is the first time him and i have even really touched. i’ve liked him for months but did nothing because he hurts you.” bakugou winces at this, “and bakugou, i like you, but this was a one time thing if you can’t be nice to midoriya.” tears are slipping down your cheeks.

bakugou loosens up and faces midoriya, “fine. i’ll follow that as long as you let me take them on a date, idiot.” you scoff, but midoriya just turns to face him.

“so, mr. king explosion murder, how does it feel to know that you have done the ultimate injury to your childhood friend?” both bakugou and you stand there in confusion.

“what are you saying?” you ask.

“i’ll get to you next, but first, i’m interviewing mr. king explosion murder over here.” midoriya says, a small smirk creeps in the corner of his mouth as a tear slips down his cheek.

bakugou lets out a sigh, “you have got to be kidding me.”

“now that’s isn’t an answer, or proper interview etiquette.” midoriya says. you can’t help but let a chuckle out. 

you take a step closer to the two. first you give midoriya a hug before turning to bakugou. your heart beats quickens for better reasons. 

“well, sir, are you going to answer the question?” a smile spreads across your face. both you and midoriya let out a laugh.

bakugou raises an eyebrow and gives you an annoyed look. you playfully push his shoulder, receiving an eye roll in return. before your hand reaches your side, it is met by bakugou’s hand. you don’t pull away, and your fingers intertwine. you can feel midoriya looking at you, but he says nothing. you know he’s hurt, but he’s always put your feelings into consideration. there will be a lot of talking to do after this, but for now, it’s okay. you face bakugou as he starts to speak.

“well, it actually feels....”

===========================================================

[umbry-fic]

A Palette Full of You (3)

Summary: Glimpses into Colette and Lloyd’s lives as they grow up together, learn who they are, and fall in love with each other.

(Written for Colloyd Week 2021)

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving, Sheena Fujibayashi, Zelos Wilder Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving & Sheena Fujibayashi & Zelos Wilder Rating: G Chapter: 3 of 6 Word Count: 6896 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 11/06/2021

Chapter Title: Race Into the Night

Chapter Summary: Lloyd, Colette, Zelos and Sheena visit the carnival to have a night of fun after the end of exams. Lloyd and Colette end up riding the Ferris wheel alone, where...

(Colloyd Week Day 3: Confession/First Kiss)

Notes: Chapter 3 of my multi chapter Colloyd week fic! Featuring much fluff and sap. Zelos is non-binary in this and uses they/them pronouns.

Chapter title from Yoasobi's song.

Chapter list Full fic Previous chapter Next chapter

~~~

18-years-old

"There is no way I'm ever going on that thing. You can't make me."

"Come on, you promised that if I scored better than you at darts you would ride the Riptide with me! Gonna go back on your word now, Sheena?"

"Stop smirking at me, Zelos! You clearly cheated! That game was rigged!"

"All carnival games are rigged. That's common knowledge."

"I don't care. You still cheated!"

"Cheated how? You were watching me the whole time!"

Colette giggled, watching her two friends have a go at each other as they inched closer to each other with each word they spoke. All three of them were leaning against the cold metal railing, though Colette was careful to keep a safe distance from Zelos and Sheena. When they were engrossed in arguing with each other, there was a safe zone, and a not-safe zone where one was liable to get smacked by a wildly gesturing arm or two.

Surrounding them were various stalls staffed by people who were enthusiastically calling out to potential customers, hoping to receive more coupons in the final hour before the carnival closed. There were pop-up game stalls featuring the classics like ring toss and soccer, food stands selling carnival staples like candy floss and popcorn, and even thrill rides like the aforementioned Riptide, a roller coaster that paled in comparison to USS' coasters but certainly had the most twists and turns of anything offered at the carnival. Adorning everything was bright neon lights and colourful decorations, and noise came from every angle, lending to a cheery atmosphere that could get a tad overwhelming at times.

Despite the late hour of 9 pm, there was still quite a crowd - mostly consisting of young adults like them, the majority of families having gone home for the night. She had bumped into quite a few classmates in the past three hours, who had come here with the same idea of having a fun night out with friends after the end of A-levels. A lot of pictures had been taken, until her cheeks hurt a bit from smiling so much, but it had been great fun.

She, Lloyd, Zelos and Sheena had managed to visit almost every booth, using up all of the coupons that they were sharing amongst each other. But even with their combined efforts, they had only managed to win one prize: the adorable Siberian Husky plush she was currently hugging. Though they'd certainly snacked on their share of popcorn, sharing one large carton between the four of them until their fingers were sticky with kernels.

"Colette, back me up!" Sheena begged, turning to face Colette. Despite the biting words that were leaving her mouth, her true emotions were betrayed by the smile playing at the corner of her lips. Sheena's hair was tied up into her trademark high ponytail, the ends of her hair swaying slightly in the weak wind.

"What, me?" Colette exclaimed, rather surprised she was being pulled into the conversation. Zelos and Sheena tended to retreat into their own world whenever they got into this state, forgetting anyone else existed.

"Uh, well..." Colette muttered, sheepishly smiling. "Sorry to disappoint, Sheena, but I have to give this one to Zelos."

"See? Even Colette agrees!" Zelos placed their elbow on the railing, leaning closer to Sheena, smirking.

Sheena didn't even spare Zelos a look, just shoved their face away with a hand, ignoring Zelos' sputters of protest. "How could you, Colette? How could you side with the idiot?" Sheena cried in mock betrayal.

"Well, I and Lloyd were both there, and we both saw Zelos win fair and square. And a deal's a deal," Colette replied, shrugging. Zelos did seem more insistent than usual, but she couldn't discern why.

"Just think of it as a date!" Zelos waved a nonchalant arm in the air, that smirk never fading as they took hold of Sheena's arm.

"Screaming in abject terror is not my idea of a date," Sheena hissed through gritted teeth, though she didn't free herself from Zelos' hold. "Besides, we're supposed to ride the Ferris wheel together once Lloyd comes back!"

"Eh, we won't make it before the carnival closes if we catch the Ferris wheel. Don't worry, I'll treat you to ice cream afterwards! And if that isn't enough to appease you, surely some Ajisen will." Zelos turned to Colette and winked, leaving Colette utterly confused. Was there an underlying meaning to all of this she was supposed to be catching?

"If you drag me on that damn thing, Zelos Wilder, I swear I will never forgive - GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! STOP!" Sheena shrieked as Zelos began to drag her by brute force towards the snaking queue of the Riptide. Colette gaped, watching Sheena struggle wildly, digging her feet into the ground and hurling curses that got steadily fouler at Zelos, who didn't seem to be affected at all.

"I'm back with the drinks!" Lloyd's happy voice came from behind her as he walked up to her, holding two cups with steam venting from their tops, hair adorably ruffled from the day's hectic events, woefully unaware of everything that had occurred in the time he was gone. "Wait, what's... Happening...?" he asked, only now spotting the gradually diminishing silhouettes of Zelos and Sheena.

"I... Uh, Zelos and Sheena are going to ride the Riptide," Colette said, explaining the situation as succinctly as she could. How else could she word it, anyway? There was no explaining the antics of those two.

"Alright." Lloyd shrugged, accepted her explanation and passing one cup over to her. She pushed the plushy into the crook of her elbow, freeing up a hand to accept the cup and still managing to almost drop it. She closed her fingers around the plastic cup, soaking in the warmth it emanated.

"It's hot chocolate," Lloyd explained between gulps as he practically downed the whole cup in half a minute. "They're out of hot milo. Sorry."

"It's alright. Any hot drink would have done." Colette finally took a sip, feeling the sting from the heat and sticking out her tongue.

"Should we wait for them to come back or go queue for the Ferris wheel?"

Colette sighed. "We should just go. The queue for the Riptide is really long... They know to meet up back at the MRT at 10."

The original plan was to take a group photo at the peak of the revolution of the Ferris wheel, but that didn't look like it was going to happen now.

So it would just be her and Lloyd riding the Ferris wheel. An activity that could be seen as romantic. The pamphlet for the carnival had even advertised it as a ride of love. When they'd walked past it just now, she'd seen that the Ferris wheel was decked out with a ton of wire hearts that lit up in multiple colours.

It was just ten minutes. It would be over in the blink of an eye! Totally!

"Then, let's go," Lloyd said, grabbing her hand and giving her a minute heart attack, causing her bravado to crumble into dust.

Nope. There was no way this could end well.

The two of them joined the short queue for the Ferris wheel, having thrown their empty cups into a nearby dustbin. Only eight people were waiting for the next empty carriage to descend to ground level and open its doors. Five of them - three children and two adults - belonged to one family, while the rest were a group of three girls, enthusiastically talking to each other. It wouldn't take long for their turn.

A bout of shivers overcame her as the wind picked up, the warmth of the drink already a memory. She wrapped her free arm around herself, gaze dropping to the floor as she once again regretted forgetting to bring out her favourite dog-ear hoodie. It was always hanging on her clothes rack, and it would have been so easy to just reach out a hand and swipe it on her way out. But no, she just had to wake up late and stumble out of the house still half-asleep.

She'd forgotten how cold the nights could get. Especially for her, someone who couldn't even handle the lecture theatre air-conditioning. Forgoing a long-sleeved T-shirt for her kiwi bird-print tee was not helping matters.

"Here." Something warm and soft was draped around her shoulders, and she looked up to find herself draped in Lloyd's familiar jacket, his face hovering close to hers. "You should have told me you were cold," Lloyd muttered, his breath tickling her neck. "I would have given you my jacket earlier."

His jacket smelt like him, a safe, comforting blanket that reached to her thighs. It held his body heat, too, slowly seeping into her.

Colette flushed, turning her face away so she didn't have to look into those russet eyes. For there was concern there, as well as the ever-present kindness, but there was also more. There was no way to hide her blush, not when he was right here, but she still had to resist the urge to hide her face behind the plushy.

Why was she still trying so hard to hide, anyway? It's not like it was of any use. She was so obvious. As Zelos had told her, it had gone far past the point of being funny.

"Though I guess you're always cold," Lloyd said, tearing his gaze away from her and taking a hurried step back. Perhaps the words were meant to be teasing, but they fell flat with the out-of-place laughter attached to the end.

"I - I mean, it - it was my fault for not bringing a jacket in the first place," she stuttered, the words stumbling over each other in her mouth in her hurry to answer. Now Lloyd would know she was nervous too. She was doing really well, wasn't she? “But thank you.”

"The next carriage is here," the attendant called out, voice flat and expression terribly bored. He was staring at them with a barely veiled expression of disinterest, waving his arms to direct them into the next carriage, doors wide open.

"Come on." Lloyd grabbed her hand, the smile returning to his face. The Ferris wheel was lit up to the nines, throwing soft purple light onto everything around her and illuminating half of Lloyd's face. Beautiful. He was always so beautiful, but it was moments like these where it made her heart hurt, wanting so desperately to reach out and touch his face.

Heart pounding in her chest, she took her seat, Lloyd sitting directly on her left, their legs close enough to brush.

She placed the plushy in her lap, resting her chin on it and trying her best to slow her racing heart, knowing it would be of no use. Here, in this carriage that was slowly rising into the sky and gently rocking, it was just the two of them in this little space, cut off from the rest of the world.

It was hard to tell herself she was imagining the intense way Lloyd was staring at her, like she was the only thing worth looking at, even though the beautiful night scenery was right outside the glass. Nor was it possible to imagine the tension, sharp as a knife, that had arisen between them for the past half a year or so. Almost everything was the same: they were still incredibly close, but there was a hesitance there now - in the way Lloyd’s fingers sometimes curled away from hers, in the way she sometimes stopped before throwing an arm around his shoulder to embrace him.

Neither of them had spoken up about that tension, dancing around each other like fools. Even if he did return her feelings… Love wasn’t enough to bridge the impossible distance between them. She could never fully comprehend all that he felt, just as he could never fully comprehend the absence of what she felt. She could never give him what others could, not with her extreme revulsion towards anything sexual in nature. She’d be willing to try, for him, simply because her love for him knew no bounds, but… she couldn't say where her limits would be. Likely not very far from where she would start.

Even though Lloyd had been nothing but supportive of her, that didn’t mean he was willing to take a chance that could very well end in failure and heartbreak. She might not be enough for him when it came to a relationship. If that was the case, she could understand. Neither of them had done anything wrong. If they were incompatible from the start, then she could keep her silence. She’d be perfectly happy to remain as friends, even if these nebulous feelings would never leave her chest. She didn’t want to lose them.

"Um, do you, uh... like the plushy?" Lloyd asked, his voice cutting through her anxious thoughts. Awkwardness radiated off of him in spades as he shifted in the seat, turning his head away to stare down at the floor. At least she wasn't the only one that was nervous. He was repeating the exact question he’d asked her when he’d given her the plushy.

"I love it. It's soft, and it's cute. Thanks for giving it to me." The same answer she’d given him before.

Lloyd had been the one who won a carnival game - the ball toss, to be specific. He'd managed to down all the cans with a single ball and gotten the choice of any of the first-place prizes. Zelos had raised an eyebrow and asked him how he'd gotten past the unfair odds. Lloyd had sheepishly scratched the back of his head and said it was a lucky accident, one that he couldn’t repeat, which proved to be true in his later attempts.

Lloyd had taken one look at the prize pool, pointed out the Siberian Husky plush to the staff, and then stuffed it into her hands the moment he'd gotten it, proclaiming that it was a gift for her. Zelos had been outright snickering, while even Sheena had looked like she was holding back laughter, shoulders shaking.

Lloyd's hand found hers in the little space between them, his thumb rubbing the skin of her palm just below her fingers. It was a repetitive, soothing motion, helping to calm her down.

She hoped that, no matter what, they would always stay together. Whether as friends or more. Just the two of them.

"I'm glad you like it." Lloyd's voice was getting progressively quieter with each syllable his lips formed, slowly shifting right along the seat towards her.

“Can - can I…” Lloyd asked timidly, turning to face her and leaning closer. Her field of vision narrowed to just his face, barely lit by the scant light that reached them from the carnival grounds and the spokes of the Ferris wheel. Everything else was slowly turning into a blur. “Can I kiss you?”

The carriage had reached the top of its revolution. Through the window, she could see the sparkling lights of the high-rises in the distance. Silence suffused the air as no one spoke, the world itself seeming to hold its breath, neither she nor Lloyd moving a single part of their bodies as they stared at each other. His eyes were wide, filled with such incredible emotion, built up over years and spilling over at this very moment.

Her breath caught in her throat, a current of warmth making itself known in her heart at the fact that he’d actually bothered to ask. She’d expected Lloyd to - the kind, considerate soul that she’d come to know and love, but somewhere in the back of her mind was tucked the irrational fear that there would never be anyone who respected her boundaries, simply because she wasn't worth it.

She took a deep breath, preparing her answer. It wouldn’t be “normal”, that was for sure. It wasn’t a simple yes or no, but rather…

“Is it fine if it’s on the cheek?” were the quiet words that left her mouth, shattering the expectant silence as her grip tightened on the plushy. Maybe one day, she wouldn’t mind a kiss on the lips, but not today. She wasn’t up to it yet.

She doesn’t know what answer she expects. Probably a no. It’s perfectly understandable for Lloyd to just step away.

“Of course,” Lloyd replied instantly, the gentle smile on his face once again shattering all the preconceived notions she’d constructed in her head, absolutely terrified of rejection but huddling herself into a corner in the belief that that was all she could possibly receive. There had been no hesitation behind that statement, no hint of reproach or anger or irritation towards her.

“Yes.” The word slipped out without any thought, for she herself had yearned for so terribly long. The desire she had always held to love, and to be loved, despite everything - to experience it all with the boy that had always been part of her life and that she hoped could continue to be there for the rest of it.

She turned her head to the side, and it didn't take another moment longer before Lloyd pressed his lips against her cheek, one hand still holding hers while his other arm wrapped around her shoulder, the plushy trapped between them. He was nothing if not gentle, bringing up her earliest memories of being kissed on the cheek by her mother, before she had left her life forever. It was through that gentleness that the force of his love was truly impressed on her - for there was passion there, in the very act of holding himself back. Love, gentle like a warm flame, but not any lesser for it, for his love was just as impregnable as a brick wall, unyielding and unbreaking.

She could feel his warm breath against her cheek, his lips softer than she could have thought, his hair close enough to run her hands through as she’d always wanted. So she did, letting the strands fall through her fingers like melted chocolate.

Was he… smiling? It sure felt like it.

It wasn't a magical moment like people always said the first kiss would be like. After all, theirs was nowhere close to conventional, but it was an experience that belonged only to them. No sparks were flying in the air, nor did time stop. It was just the two of them, fitting together perfectly like puzzle pieces in the way they always had, and she couldn't ask for anything more.

Lloyd moved away, his arm dropping from her shoulder, hand joining the other to clasp her limp one. His eyes were shining with joy, the same joy that filled her heart and made it feel like it might take flight at any time. Everything had finally fallen into place.

Her whole face was now on fire as she turned away, leaning forward over her legs. Her hair fell by the side of her face like a veil, letting only tiny glimpses of Lloyd through.

“You’re sure?” she asked, knowing that she needed to clarify. Even if his actions had been the shining light that burned away most of her doubts, some still remained. Lloyd really, truly needed to understand what he was getting into. She would not let him mindlessly enter into a relationship with her without knowing about all the ups and downs, all the complications that would come with it. That would only end in them hurting each other, and then they might never be able to stand the sight of each other again. It was the dreaded future she never wanted to come to pass. “It’s not going to be easy."

“I know,” he replied, squeezing her hand, his russet eyes focussed on hers. “But all relationships have challenges, don't they? We'll figure it out together, just like always. And if it doesn’t work out, then we’ll stay as friends, forever. I just want you to know that I love you.”

There is nothing but burning conviction behind his words, and a determination that reached deep into her soul and lit a flame of hope.

There would be many more difficult conversations that needed to be had, candid discussions that would need to take place. But for now, she didn't say anything more, hoping the unspoken “I love you” from her side could be understood, clear as day. She still couldn’t make herself say it, the final lingering doubt that she suspected would never fully go away holding her back: that romantic love had to go hand in hand with sexual attraction, and that one could not exist without the other.

She simply closed her eyes, leaning against him and enjoying the gentle rocking of the carriage for the remainder of their time on the Ferris wheel.

~~~

25-years-old

"Remember this Ferris wheel?" Lloyd teased Colette, squeezing her hand as they stood in front of the Ferris wheel at the reopened carnival. It wasn't the exact same one they’d ridden at the age of 18, for that one had been deconstructed years ago. But it was a near-perfect replica, down to the purple lights that lit up the spokes, though the hearts were gone. Even the bored attendant who was barely paying attention to her duties was right!

"How could I forget?" Colette laughed, her trademark bright smile on her face. Even after knowing her for twenty years and dating her for seven of those years, the sight of her smile never failed to light a spark in his chest.

At least this time Colette was dressed appropriately for the colder night, in a pencil skirt and a long-sleeved collared blouse with a few frills. She looked a lot more put-together than him, who was just wearing plain old jeans. He had picked her straight up from work before driving them here, after all.

All that was missing was the staff pass that she’d removed from around her neck and left in the car. Her smart-casual image, however, was completely shattered by the pair of grey dog ears poking out of her hair, attached to the headband sitting behind her ears. They even felt furry to the touch, though it wasn’t real dog fur.

A pair of brown ears sat on his own head. Colette hadn’t managed to win a grand prize at the game stalls like he once had out of dumb luck, but she'd managed to do pretty well at the ring toss, scoring almost all of her tosses onto the red-rimmed bottles. That meant she could redeem a few mid-tier prizes, so she'd gotten two headbands with dog ears attached, one for her and one for him that he could wear if he wanted to. He'd put it on immediately. Now they matched! He needed to take a picture of them sometime - Sheena and Zelos would appreciate the cute image.

More like Sheena would strangle him over digital space if he didn't send cute photos.

The carnival had finally returned after four years of absence, and he and Colette had jointly decided to return almost immediately upon hearing the news. It was small and honestly not that impressive compared to other theme parks they’d been to, but it still held precious memories. And it would make for a fun date, which it certainly had so far!

They'd retraced their steps from years ago, though unfortunately, they were lacking Zelos and Sheena. First riding the pirate ship, Colette’s hair going wild in the air as the ship swung from side-to-side, then visiting the game stalls, laughing at each other’s absolutely horrendous attempts, then buying and sharing a stick of cotton candy between them, taking turns biting from the fluffy substance and having their tongues curl from the overload of sweetness, before finally arriving back here at the Ferris wheel.

"I know I've said this already, but thanks for planning this all out," Colette said, linking her arm with his and smiling up at him as they joined the queue. The queue was much longer today, amounting to more than 40 people, by his rough estimate. It was still quite early in the evening, half of the sun still peeking over the horizon, the sky painted in a pink that would soon be darkening to orange. It was just as noisy as in the past, perhaps even noisier, for the families hadn't gone home yet. "There were quite a few kerfuffles with the system at work today, and this really helped."

"That bad?"

"Mm. We had a new intern come in today, and then the old system just decided to crash. Not the intern's fault, she's the sweetest girl. But it was still a headache to deal with."

"Well, I'm glad it helped. Though I'm just happy to spend more time with you."

If everything went according to plan, then he'd be seeing a lot more of her in the future.

He shoved his hand into his pocket, checking that the all-important box was still there. It was the crux of this whole operation, and he could not lose it.

Colette laughed, a sound that inevitably made him smile. "I'm sorry I haven't been free for the past few weeks. It's a busy time for the company."

"It's alright. I'll be starting work soon too, after all. Besides, we still stay two floors apart. There's pretty much no way we don't see each other every week, silly."

"Sorry, sorry. Shouldn't be a downer; you're right. Anyway, since tomorrow’s a public holiday, want to spend it over at my place?”

“Netflix and chill?” Lloyd answered, well aware that he was probably getting some weird looks from people close enough to overhear him. He wasn’t even sure if Colette knew of its double meaning - she was generally completely clueless about the world of euphemisms. Over time, they’d just started co-opting the phrase. After all, their time together at each other’s place was mostly spent… watching shows while curled up together on the couch, creating dishes that were more like unrecognisable disasters in the kitchen while attempting not to set the whole place on fire, or Colette playing video games at the foot of the bed while he tickled her neck with his toes. In terms of risque activities, they so rarely happened - and only after he checked, double-checked and triple-checked that Colette was feeling up to it and not forcing herself for his sake.

“I don’t mind, but we haven’t finished that card game we started last month. The card piles are still sitting untouched on my bay window. Wanna do that instead?”

“Sure!” He replied enthusiastically. Board games or card games always promised a good time, if infuriating when nothing would line up and Lady Luck was decidedly not smiling on him. Colette seemed to get all the luck in these party games. Maybe it was consolation for tripping all the time.

“It’s such a shame that Zelos and Sheena aren’t here,” Colette said, pulling out her phone. “I know they went on the Ferris wheel the year after we did, but we still haven’t gotten that group photo we were supposed to.”

“One’s in Europe and one’s in Australia. There’s no way they could join us on such short notice.” The last he'd heard from them, both were doing well for themselves and very happy in their long-distance relationship.

“True. I guess I can add them to the photo afterwards with the power of Photoshop. Oh, and Zelos sent me this really weird message...” After a few swipes of her finger, Colette shoved the bright phone screen under his nose.

Zelos Wilder: Looking forward to the good news ;)

“Do you have any idea what they mean?” Colette asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. “They haven’t been replying to my question!”

Lloyd could feel his fingers twitching. Zelos Wilder wasn’t here, but if they were, Lloyd would have strangled them already. Trying to spoil the surprise, were they?

“It’s probably nothing! You know how they are. Always trying to cause chaos.” Lloyd shrugged, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious, as he tended to be.

“I suppose that’s true… What good news?” Lloyd could hear Colette repeating that question to herself under her breath, not quite soft enough for it to escape his notice. She didn’t seem to have noticed that anything was up with him, thankfully.

“It’s our turn! Come on, let’s get on!” Lloyd declared, just loud enough to startle Colette and cause her to nearly drop her phone. She hurriedly stuffed it back into her pocket, following Lloyd to the open carriage. She hadn't realised the space before them had completely cleared.

The attendant lazily waved them onto the open carriage with barely a glance at them, a mumbled: “Have a nice ride” leaving her mouth.

Lloyd was the first to scramble on, turning around to give Colette a helping hand - only to find her falling straight into him, having tripped over the raised step. With a shocked “Oh!” falling from her lips, Colette crashed into him, nearly knocking him flat onto the carriage seat. With a shocked yelp, Lloyd braced himself against the glass window of the carriage, barely maintaining his balance. Years of practice at stopping Colette’s sometimes fantastical falls over obstacles that weren’t visible to him had honed his reaction times to near perfection, giving him ample preparation for this situation.

The attendant continued to ignore them, gaze fixed not so discreetly on the phone sitting in her lap. The doors of the carriage slid smoothly shut, and with a jolt that nearly knocked them off balance again, the carriage set off on its journey.

"Um, sorry..." Colette apologised from her position pressed flush against Lloyd's chest, arms entangled in his. She slowly extricated herself from the mess, stumbling a few times but managing not to fall again, even with the gentle swaying of the carriage floor. He tried his best to steady her without falling over himself. She sheepishly smiled. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Lloyd adjusted her headband, setting the ears that had been knocked crooked back into their rightful place. He’d told her multiple times that she didn’t need to apologise for tripping, but she still did, the habit too ingrained to break. It was endearing, though. “You?”

“I’m fine!” Colette smoothed out her skirt (though there weren’t any noticeable wrinkles in it from the fall,) and sat down to rest her weary feet, giving Lloyd the cue to sit down as well. “Thank goodness I wasn’t wearing heels…”

Lloyd did not want to imagine what would have happened if she was - she might have twisted her ankle, or worse. She rarely wore heels due to her clumsiness, but when she did, all sorts of accidents tended to happen.

He stuffed his hand into his pocket again, fingers feeling the velvet texture again.

It’s still here.

"What's still here?" Colette’s confused voice broke through his relieved thoughts. Her hands were resting in her lap and she was leaning forward, eyes shining with a curious light. The usual white lights of the new condominiums close to the carnival grounds shone, a few glimmers of pink visible as people celebrated Pink Dot. It was at this very moment that the Ferris wheel's lights turned from purple to pink, the spokes emanating soft pink light that washed over Colette, making her hair glisten - almost like an ethereal fairy with imaginary wings that shimmered, having come to visit him on this mortal plane. The dog ears only added to that image, somehow. Even now, the sight of her was enough to make him feel dizzy, both out of love and awe, even if he no longer blushed like an embarrassed schoolboy. Awe that she could get more beautiful every time his gaze landed on her. And awe that such an incredible person had chosen to trust him and stay with him.

He was so enraptured by the angel before him that it took a few seconds for her words to process in his mind, after which he froze in horror.

OH NO, HE’D SAID IT OUT LOUD. A thousand alarm bells were ringing in his head. Some days he was reminded that he was an adult now, and other days he was reminded that he was as much an idiot as he used to be. Some things just never changed.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Colette said, a teasing lilt to her voice as she rested her chin on her palm, an amused smile playing on her lips.

He could just play it off - he knew Colette wouldn’t pursue it any further if he gave off the signals to drop the topic. She was just like that: the most considerate person he knew.

But…

The original plan had been to do it on the Ferris wheel. It even had Zelos' approval. This, right now, was the perfect chance to just let the cat out of the bag. And he would grasp the opportunity in hand before it could escape him.

For he could think of no future happier than one spent Colette’s side.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the purple box out of his pocket with a shaking hand, dropping to his knees on the surprisingly clean carriage floor, devoid of the usual spilt drinks and crumpled up tissues.

He could tell the exact moment Colette gleaned the true intent behind his actions, the blank, confused expression on her face morphing into one of shocked disbelief, eyes widening and hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Damn it, he’d completely forgotten the script he’d written with Zelos’ assistance in a back-and-forth over messages, Zelos alternating between giving actually good advice and being extremely annoying, though Lloyd had gotten them to shut up by asking them when they planned to propose. The two of them had both struggled to find the right words, since neither of them had done super well in English. But Lloyd had persevered, wanting to get his feelings across eloquently.

But now that he was staring into Colette’s blue eyes, all the words were sprouting wings and flying mockingly out of his head, leaving only blank space for him to reach uselessly for.

The one piece of advice Zelos had given him that continued to stick in his head was this: speak from the heart, and surely she would understand.

He couldn’t keep her waiting forever.

“I… ” He couldn’t help but start off slow, struggling against the block in his mind but determined to push past it. The words then seemed to just come to him, progressively faster as time went on, stumbling out of some unknown part of his mind - or perhaps it would be more accurate to say his heart. Somehow, throughout it all, he didn't drop the box despite his trembling hands. “Colette, you’re the most amazing person I know. Your compassion, your gentleness, even your clumsiness, they’re all vital parts of my life that I wouldn’t give up for anything. You are my shining star in the sky, the one that gives me hope, that inspires me to be the best version of myself. If I had the choice to relieve my life from the start, I wouldn't change a thing, because meeting you on that playground all those years ago was the best thing that has ever happened to me. All my years spent with you have been incredible, and I would like to spend many more by your side. So, just like years ago, Colette, I have something I need to ask you, right here and right now.”

“Will you… Will you marry me?” He finished, voice drifting off into silence as he flipped open the box to reveal the two plain, thin metal rings he’d bought. Colette wasn’t the type to go for flashy diamonds or colourful gems. She’d appreciate something simple like this.

He waited, the few seconds of deafening silence seeming to stretch out into eternity, broken only by the sound of blood rushing past his ears. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked this very question, if in a different and less dramatic form. He’d already received her answer once. But he would respect whatever answer she gave now, and most of all, they would keep the promise they had made at this very place: that they would always remain friends, no matter what.

~~~

Colette still couldn’t quite believe her ears, gaze flitting between Lloyd’s face and the box he was holding up towards her, the two rings housed snugly within reflecting pink light.

Marriage had crossed her mind many times. She had learned over the years that it wasn’t a penultimate goal that had to be reached to prove her relationship successful, and she’d told Lloyd as much when he’d asked her two months ago if she’d be willing to get married.

But still, even if she had managed to break free from most of the notions the fairytales of old had implanted into her head, able to just enjoy them as sweet stories now, she couldn’t quite rid herself of the dream of having a fairytale wedding. One that was perfectly planned, with family and friends present to stand witness to their union.

She’d told him yes. That she would be willing to tie the knot with him, the one she loved. The expectation of a proposal had been simmering in the back of her mind ever since, often going forgotten. She had not expected the time would be now. Lloyd had been more fidgety than normal, constantly checking his pockets while disguising the action as keeping his hands in his pockets. She’d known something was up, but his true intentions had escaped her detection until just moments before, when she’d been taken off guard. All she’d thought when he’d pulled out the box was that it resembled the ring boxes in the dramas Sheena was always recommending to her, the ones that appeared in all the emotional proposal scenes, until the realisation had hit her in the chest like a truck.

Once again, like years ago, they’d reached the top of the revolution. The silence remained unbroken as Lloyd patiently awaited her answer, not pushing her towards one. And so events repeated, mirrored across time.

Colette slowly stretched out her arm, eyes shimmering with unshed tears as a smile graced her face. She nodded, her throat blocked by all the emotions that swirled in her chest, unable to say ‘yes’ out loud even as she screamed it over and over in her mind, the tears finally breaking free of whatever barrier was holding them back to spill down her face.

Lloyd broke out into the most beautiful smile she had ever seen, radiating pure joy as he slid one of the simple, elegant, silver bands onto her ring finger. It fit. Perfectly. When had he even learned her ring size?

She picked up the other ring that was meant for Lloyd, marvelling at how her hand could somehow remain stable as the rest of her body trembled in barely contained emotion. The ring was so tiny, held between her thumb and index finger, and yet it held such significant weight as she slid it onto his ring finger, the skin of his hand rough against hers and the metal cold.

Lloyd jumped to his feet, pulling her into an embrace and pressing a kiss to the top of her head (his nose bumping the dog ears), holding her close, his happy laughter rumbling through his chest. Even now, when he must have been bursting with joy, he was still mindful of her boundaries, refusing to do anything that would cross the line. Heart filled with warmth, she pressed herself impossibly closer, intending to just melt into his arms forever -

"Please get off the carriage."

The deadpan voice that belonged to neither her nor Lloyd broke through the peaceful bubble that had been constructed around the two of them. She froze, feeling Lloyd stiffen around her as well. Looking to the left yielded the view of solid ground, and the same uninterested attendant gesturing towards it.

Ah. They'd reached the bottom without even noticing. This was… embarrassing, to say the least.

Thankfully, no one seemed to be in the queue at the moment, allowing the two of them to escape from the Ferris wheel without much attention. It appeared that only the attendant had borne witness, and she couldn’t seem to care less, having returned to the booth.

Their interlocked hands swung in the air, the matching rings glinting under the bright neon lights of the carnival as she wiped away her happy tears, both of them grinning uncontrollably.

"I love you," Lloyd said, the words leaving his lips with ease, as they always had. "Shall we go home?” he asked.

Home was with friends and family and Lloyd, the one who held her heart.

Colette squeezed Lloyd’s hand. She felt light as a feather, like she could somehow fly with wings that she didn't have.

"I love you," she replied, the words coming so easily now. "Let’s.”

~~~

The attendant shook her head, scoffing as she returned to scrolling through Twitter.

“I suppose love does make the world go round.”

~~~

Next chapter

[mrs-mystica]

Fight For Me [Prinxiety]

Pairing : Roman and Virgil (Romantic)

Author’s note : This was a challenge for me. I had a hard time to write this, but I really wanted to write this story. Hope you’ll enjoy it!

Masterlink

Human/Medieval AU(?)

Third Person POV

In a kingdom, far, far away, there was a king and a queen, who ruled over their land with a lot of care. They wanted nothing but the best for their people, and they always stood by their principles. This also applied to both their sons, Roman and Remus. There was a tradition that was passed from generation to generation in the royal family. To be sure to have the best of the best on the throne, princes and princesses were trained from their young age to the art of the sword and self-defense. All potential heirs had to go through this training, no matter their position . And their other half also had to be worthy. But how to be sure that a strong individual would be sitting on the throne next to the royal heir? To win the hand of the princes, a duel against them must be won.

Contenders would be coming from all across the land, even from distant lands, just to test their luck to win a place on the throne. Men, women or non-binary people, it didn't matter. Anyone could challenge one of the princes. The crown was open for every challenger. But the princes wouldn't let the place next to them to anyone. They trained, and trained, to make sure that they could repel any contenders that they didn't like or find worthy of their love.

The two princes had different views toward this tradition. Remus hated it. People would continually come at the castle door to challenge him. He knew they weren't there because they thought he was particularly good-looking. He knew that he didn't care enough of his appearence, his hair being always messy and his clothes usually being ripped or stained. Thus, he knew his challengers were lying when they told him they were blinded by his beauty, that they wanted to fight for his love. He hated those hypocritical good for nothing, and for a long time he took an immense joy to make them bite the dust. But it became boring after a while. So he had an idea. He declared that he would fight to death anyone who would challenge him for his hand. You either win his hand, or you die. Needless to say that it worked pretty efficiently.

On the other hand, Roman thought this tradition had its charm. He found the idea oddly romantic and he was determined to find his soul mate. Normally, princes and princesses would only accept one challenge a day, but Prince Roman thought that the more he fought, the more he had the probability to find the one who would win his heart. He would fight anyone who would show off the slightest interest in him. He fought so many people that he ran out of pretenders. Annoyed and bored, he would wander in the little town near the castle, his sword sitting in his scabbard, searching for someone to challenge. It was pretty uncommon for a member of the royal family to wander near the villagers, and it was even less common for a prince to challenge people for his own hand. Prince Roman surely was one of a kind.

On one of these days, he would witness scenes of the everyday lives of his subjects. An old woman selling fruits, children playing tag together, a man kissing a woman on the cheek, a cat sitting on a roof and watching the humans from above... Prince Roman likes to watch the town moving around him. It helped him fight the boredom from not fighting. It was all he would do in his free time. Either training, fighting or trying to find someone to fight him. Maybe he was a little obsessed, he thought.

A sound caught his attention. Someone was begging someone else to stop with a broken voice. The prince was alerted by the voice and he followed it. In a dark alley, between two stores, he saw one man holding another one, while a third one would kick their victim in the stomach. Two of those men were laughing and the broken voice belonged to the other one. He looked hurt, but there were no tears in his eyes. He was looking at his aggressor with a stare filled with hatred. Roman could feel a shiver going through his spine, although he didn't truly understand why. He didn't know the man in front of him, but as a prince, it was his duty to intervene and to protect his subjects.

- HEY!

He called out the men. The two attackers jumped and froze when their eyes saw the prince. Roman had already unsheathed his sword and he pointed it at the men.

- This is a royal order. Release him. Or else...

Filled with fear, the two men dropped their victims and flee the scene as fast as they could. The poor man fell on the ground, cursing as he touched to cold hard ground under him. He rubbed his stomach, trying to make the pain go away. The prince put back his sword in its scabbard and approached the man.

- Are you alright, my dear citizen?

He put his hand in front of the man, palm facing the sky, inviting him to take it to help him get up. The man looked at the prince, and it was at this moment that he truly saw him. He had thick black hair who partially fell onto his face. He had deep black eyes, beautiful eyes that he couldn't help but to stare at. And those lips. A thought came through his head, noting that he sure had pulpy lips for a tough looking guy like him.

Both men stared at each other for a moment, until the dark man finally took the hand and got up. The prince was hypnotized by the man in front of him. He only managed to say two words.

- Fight me.

He didn't realize how weird it would sound out loud. The thankful look on the man's face was quickly replaced by fear. Roman cough, trying to break the awkward vibes that were now suffocating both of them.

- What I mean... is... erm... You know who I am, right?

The scared man carefully nodded, afraid that saying the wrong thing would make him ending up between the guard and the tip of the sword. Roman sighed. He definitely didn't mean to scare the man like that.

He couldn't place another word that he was interrupted by two newcomers. Two other men appeared in the alley, both wearing glasses. One of them was wearing a tie and the other one had a cardigan attached around his shoulder. They both were wearing blue clothes, one baby blue and the other navy.

- Virgil! Oh Virgil! There you are!

One of the two men covered the distance that was separating him from them and he hugged the dark man. He looked relieved.

- I'm so happy to see that you're okay!!! We were so scared! You didn't come home at your usual time and we were afraid that something had happened to you!

It was only when the third man, the one wearing a tie, put a hand on his shoulder that the newcomer realized there was someone else in the alley. He broke his embrace and gasped as he recognized the prince.

- Oh my lord! Prince Roman!! What gives us the honor to be blessed by your presence?

The man laughed nervously, clearly uncomfortable by the royal presence. He wondered what he was doing with his precious son Virgil. Did something happen? He sure was worried.

The prince took a dramatic pose, his hand in the air, trying to look awesome and at his best. He smiled, showing his perfect teeth.

- I, the wonderful and brave Roman, am here to challenge this man in a duel for a place by my side on the throne.

The two newcomers looked at him like he was hit on the head or something. Now Patton was sure that something had happened. But the prince, really uncomfortable, didn't let him the time to speak that he spoke again.

- Tomorrow, when the sun rises, you will come to the arena next to the castle, and you will duel me in a sword fight. I look forward into fighting you, Virgil.

He gave the dark man his sweetest smile before leaving the scene. Virgil. It was a name he was not ready to forget.

***

The three men were now back in their home, all sat at their table. What was once confusion had turned into fear. Virgil was panicking.

- What the HELL am I suppose to do?!

- It's okay, it's not a big de--

His second dad, Logan, tried to reassure him, but Virgil was too far gone. All the emotions he was feeling, it was too much for him. The prince was awesomely good looking, he felt helpless when their eyes met, he was speechless and unable to say anything, blinded by his beauty. And since their encounter, he couldn't stop thinking about him, even thought it was only an hour ago. And it seemed he made a great first impression to the prince because he now had a chance to challenge him for his hand. But what if he threw it? What if he messed up? Prince Roman was the best sword wielder of the entire kingdom. Did he even stand a chance?

- The ONLY thing I can wield is a knife! Tomorrow will be a DISASTER!

Patton wanted to reassure his son so bad, but he didn't know what to say.

- I will never be happy. This is a chance of a lifetime, and I'll blow it...

Logan hated to see his child like this. Suddenly, he got up, went out of the room and came back with two swords.

- I will train you.

The two men looked at him with a confused look. Logan sighed, but kept his determined look in his eyes.

- Ok, I've never actually wield one of these, but I've read plenty of books about the art of the sword. With some training and experimentations, I'm sure we can transform theory into practice.

With tears still in his eyes, Virgil looked at his father, unsure. Logan gave him a reassuring smile.

- We will get through this, together. And if you lose, you will at least have given your best. What do you think?

It took Virgil some time to take a decision, but he looked at his brother, a determined look now in his puffy eyes.

- Alright. Let's do this.

***

When it was finally time for the duel, Virgil hadn't slept at all. He and Logan had trained all night, trying their best to execute what was in Logan's books. He wished he had more time to prepare, but he had no choice. Adrenaline was already going through his veins when he arrived in the arena. A wave of anxiety hit him when he stepped into it. Virgil thought he looked ridiculous. Since he didn't have an armour of his own, he had to borrow someone else's and it definitely was too big for him. He was floating in it. It sure wasn't ideal, but what other choice did he have?

The seats were all taken, a lot of people had gathered to watch the daily dual of Prince Roman. They were loud, really loud. They didn't seem to notice him at first, they all seemed busy talking at each other, waiting for the show to start. The dark man looked through the crowd until he finally saw his family. Logan and Patton were waving at him, giving him thumbs up to tell him that everything was going to be alright. At their sight, Virgil relaxed a little and the tension that was building up through his body decreased in intensity. Virgil continued to examine his surroundings. He then saw the royal family, sitting above all the other. Virgil noticed that they all looked bored, especially Prince Remus. They didn't seem to have noticed him yet, so Virgil assumed it was probably because Roman was having these challenges daily and it must become boring after a while.

Trumpets started to play, announcing the beginning of the show. The whole crowd went silent, their attention was now entirely focussed in front of them. A well-dressed man stepped into the arena and went in the middle of it. Virgil then noticed the big circle on the ground. He wondered what it was for. The man looked at the piece of paper in his hands. He started talking loudly, trying to be heard by the whole arena.

- Ladies, gentlemen and other precious citizens of our great kingdom, I welcome you all today for this ceremony wher--

- Cut the formalities and hurry up, ringmaster.

The king's voice was firm and loud. Virgil was surprised that he could hear him so clearly, even though he was really far away from him. The poor man in front of him was shaking in fear, not expecting to be cut by the king himself like this. He continued with a shaky voice.

- Yes my King. Everyone, please welcome today's challenger, Virgil Sanders.

The man invited Virgil to approach. The crowd was clapping and screaming, loudly. Carefully, he approached the man and stood next to him, waiting for the next instructions.

- And now, please welcome warmly our ''Really Obviously Muscular And Nice'' Prince Roman into the arena.

The cheers coming from the crowd were even louder. He looked at his right and saw Roman entering the arena. The man didn't think it was possible, but the prince looked even better than when he met him in the alley. He was wearing a big armour that was entirely painted white, with little golden ornaments along the line. He had the red logo of the kingdom painted on his chest and back. As the prince approached him in the middle of the circle, he could only think of how the armour was highlighting his attributes, especially his face. When Roman was finally next to him, they stared at each other, and the prince gave Virgil a tender smile. He was really happy that the mysterious man hadn't back down his challenge and that he was willing to give it a shot. It was worth a lot of points in Roman's book. Maybe he finally found the one he was looking for after all? He wanted him to be, but he refused to give up his hand easily. He had to fight him, like all the others before him.

- The rules of the challenge are simple. The two challengers must duel with their swords until one of them exit the circle traced on the ground. The last standing person in the circle is declared the winner. Do you, gentlemen, accepts the terms of this duel?

Both of them nodded, without looking away from each other. Virgil smirked, which destabilized the prince. He quickly regained his confident look and winked at Virgil. The arbitrator asked them to take a few steps back and to unsheathe their weapons, which they did. The arbitrator was ready to start the duel.

- En garde. Prêt? Allez.

And the duel started. Both men looked at each other, their knees bent a little so they were ready to jump at any moment. They were moving to their right, not stopping to look at the other, trying to evaluate their opponent. They were both on the defensive, waiting for the other to strike first, ready to strike back. Virgil's anxiety was at his highest, but he was not paralyzed by his own fears. It seemed that, for once, his anxiety decided to be on his side. His fight or flee instincts were kicking in, and he had no intentions of fleeing. His heart was beating like madness in his chest. It was like he could see everything, every little detail, every sound, he could sense it all.

They continued to walk in circles for some time. Roman was the first to move. He took a step forward, in Virgil's direction, and he executed a lunge, trying to hit his opponent's right. Virgil was quick to parry with the guard of his sword. Their faces were close for a second, which destabilized Virgil a little. He quickly made a leap backward when he noticed that Roman was trying to press his sword against his in an attempt to touch his chest with the tip of his sword. Virgil was careful, he was getting closer to the line on the ground. Roman charged again and their blades crossed a few times, emitting sharp sounds each time. It was pretty clear that Virgil was lacking experience with the sword. His movements were clumsy at times and his defense had serious weaknesses. If it was a duel to death, he would've had a lot of opportunities to pierce through his heart. Knowing his opponent was inferior to him in the art of the sword, Roman got cocky. He thought he could end this duel anytime he wanted, but first he wanted to play a little bit with his prey. Roman leap back and opened his arms, taunting Virgil to come get him. The dark man didn't fall for the trap and instead taunted back the prince. It made Roman giggles.

He quickly covered the distance between them and assaulted his opponent with a series of quick hit. It was too fast for Virgil and he couldn't parry them all. His plate chest was assaulted and he had to take steps back at each hit. Virgil knew he was getting dangerously close to the line. Roman knew his strategy was working. When he got Virgil close enough to the line, he took a step back and prepared his next move. The crowd was cheering and screaming his name repeatedly, it boosted Roman's confidence. He wanted to finish in beauty with a Fleche. It was a hit or miss situation. Roman gained momentum and rushed in Virgil's direction. But Virgil had noticed that the prince was preparing something. And when Roman struck, Virgil was ready and he immediately moved to his left. Roman had already crossed his legs and it was too late to go back. He tried his best to regain his stance, but Virgil pushed him forward with his hand, dooming Roman to fall forward.

- Halte!

The duel had ended, Roman had crossed the line. The crowd had become silent, and for a moment, Virgil was afraid he had done something wrong, but then the crowd screamed and cheered, louder than they ever cheered before in the duel. They were screaming his name, ecstatic to have a new prince. Virgil felt so proud, a big smile had appeared on his face. He went next to Roman and offered him a hand, to help him get up. The prince giggled and took the offer, getting up, hands in hands with the man who had just won his heart. They gazed at each other and, for once in his life, Roman wasn't angry to have lost.

- Well done, my dark prince.

They were staring at each other, smiling like idiots. The prince put one of his hands on Virgil's cheek and whispered to him as he got his face closer to his.

- I'm happy it is you.

And they kissed, sealing their fate together as lovers and future husbands.

3267 words

A.N. : I have an idea for a bonus scene staring Deceit and Remus in this universe. If this is something that would interest you, please tell me !

[panda-writes-kpop]

Rosè x Fem! Reader - The Girl Next Door (Requested!)

A/N: Hi guys, girls, and non-binary pearls! Hope you all are doing well! 💞

Masterlist

TW: IMPLIED FEM! READER, heartache and implied breakup, reader is kind of a jerkwad, angst with a happy ending :)

Love is rough. Rosè knows this; she’s seen the strongest relationships crumble right in front of her eyes. It’s hard to get close to someone, to let them into your heart, when you realize that they’ll just break your heart again and again.

Tears stream down her face as she tosses her phone to the other side of the couch.

We’re done this time… I know I said that last time, but I can’t keep letting them hurt me over and over again.

One phone call was enough to shatter Rose’s delicate heart into a million pieces. Ready for a wonderful night-in with her partner, Rosè wore her finest pajamas with the award-winning smile that everyone seemed to adore.

Well, almost everyone.

A knock on her door causes Rosè to stand up.

“I’ll be there in a moment!”

She quickly wipes the tears from her face as she rushes to answer the door.

As the door opens, the familiar sight of you in a leather jacket with that stupid beanie that covers your head. Rosè manages to give you a warm smile despite the mascara stains on her face.

Ah, it’s just Y/N. I don’t know whether to be relieved or concerned.

You sigh before holding out a bag of food. Rose’s smile fades as she realizes the reason for your appearance at her front door.

“There was a delivery man who kept knocking on your door. He kept knocking and waiting for you to answer, and since he was interrupting my jam session with his constant noise, I decided to just grab the food and pay him extra to leave us both alone. Here’s your food, and don’t bother paying me back. I don’t really need the money anyways.” You shrug before waiting for Rosè to grab the food from you.

Rosè found you to be… odd. You were on the quiet side, and you didn’t tend to leave your house much except to get the mail or to pick up food. You weren’t exactly the friendly type, which was something that Rosè quickly found out when she moved next door to you.

~

Rosè excitedly knocked on the door with a basket of baked goods in her hands. This was her first time meeting her neighbors since she moved in, and the prospect of making new friends thrilled her.

As the door opened, a weird mixture of Old Spice, stale pizza, and newly printed books hit her nose. You entered her view after the door is nearly opened all of the way.

“Whatever you’re selling, I don’t want.”

Rosè softly chuckled. “No, no, I’m not a saleswoman. I was trying to-”

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those weird religious people. How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t want to be in your cult!”

“Please just listen to me!” Rosè yelled before shyly backing off. “I moved in next door, and I brought a gift with me.”

You cautiously inspected the basket in her hands before gently grabbing it from her.

“Oh… thanks. I don’t really get around to baking these days.”

You then closed the door in Rosè’s face before she could get another word in.

~

“Rosè? Are you even listening to me?” You wave a hand in front of her face as Rosè focuses back on the present. “Listen, I can see you’re having a rough day, and in order to not invade your privacy or make things worse, I’ll just drop off this food and head back home.”

You shove the food into her arms, and you turn around to exit her home.

“Please stay.” Rosè softly mumbles.

God, I sound so desperate, but I need to talk to someone about what’s been happening. I haven’t felt truly heard or seen in such a long time.

You turn back around to face Rosè.

“What?”

Rosè shivers slightly as you make direct eye contact with her.

“Can you stay? I know we’re not close but-”

“I can stay for a little bit. I guess my music can go without me for a little while longer.” You joke.

Rosè stays silent before stepping out of your way.

“No laughs? Wow, it must’ve been a really bad day.” You say as Rosè blankly stares at you.

You take the food from her hands before heading to her kitchen. As you hum to yourself while grabbing plates, Rosè feels her heart skip a beat.

You weren’t as cold and unfeeling as you made yourself seem. The girl who sneered at others whenever they tried to make small talk was not the same girl who offered to accompany Rosè on the worst night of her life.

“Are you coming, or am I going to have to eat all of this food myself?” You tease while holding a sandwich in your hand.

Rosè laughs before giving you a genuine smile.

“I’ll be right there!”

For the first time, you crack a small smile at Rosè’s sudden enthusiasm.

Perhaps I misjudged you after all, Y/N.

[gabis-dub-studios]

Guys, stop picking team grass. Team fire is really cool and team water I can understand. Team grass is full of people who keep picking Shiver's team because they find Shiver cool and/or hot. Even though Shiver does have a alright design overall but that doesn't excuse her/their boring personality. Picking Team grass because you like grass Pokémon or some other reason is fine! However, picking Team Grass just because you are thirsty over like a 17 year old or so and/or you want Shiver to win because it would be funny if she/they did win that's unfair for the other teams. That's why Shiver fans piss me off because they keep on wasting the hard work the other teams have just because it would be funny or because Shiver fans simp over a bland character who I think is a minor. Sorry, I just wanted to rant about that and I still find Shiver bland and boring. However her/their design is growing on me now, I still do not get the simping that's almost making Shiver a tumbler sexy.. Girl? Non-binary? Demi-girl? Whatever I don't want to get canceled so cya later my fellow skaters and #Frye&BigManrights! And team fire!!!!

[millenniumhprp]

“Paulina captured the essence of Emily. I love how she incorporated her being a strict vegetarian and her duality. This is going to be fun!” - Admin G

Congrats Paulina! You have been accepted to play as Emily Alexandria (FC: Felicity Jones)! Now, you have 48 hours to create your blog and follow our checklist.Once completed, please send a message to the main page and we will provide the link to the OOC blog / Discord.

In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the process, just send us a message here and we’ll be happy to answer you. Great job! We can’t wait to see how you bring your character to life. Happy RPing!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Name: Paulina

Preferred Pronouns: she\her

Age: 23

Time Zone: CEST

Activity level: Available for most of the time, I work from home. Due to my responsibilities less available on weekends.

Previous Roleplaying Experience: bellumcity, allwasnotwell

How did you find out about Millennium : From Gina

What are you most excited for in the RP: I love to watch how the simplest story takes an unexpected turn.

Anything Else: [removed]

IN CHARACTER

Character you are applying for:  Emily Alexandria

Gender/Pronouns (any characters can be changed to non/binary):  she

Why this role?: I love characters with an inner conflict. I would love to explore the way she struggles with her demons and how it affects her relationship with other people.

Describe the character in your own words: Emily is well aware of her value and strength, but she never thought about herself as better than the others. After the vampire attack, she struggled to decide what she should do to protect people the closest to her from her bloodthirst. Emily wants to continue her previous life and continually search for better ways to control herself.

Any changes? Why?:

Patronus: Her Patronus is a bat

Wand : Ash tree, dragon heartstring, 10 inches, supple.

How do they feel about their House placement? Emily thinks the Horned Serpent House is the perfect choice for her. It symbolizes the sharpness of mind, and she believes intelligence and her knowledge is her biggest strength.

Blood-Status: Half-blood

Birthday: 6 of July

Head Canons:

Emily always was a good person and wanted to do what’s right, but she wasn’t a fool and never let anyone take advantage of her kindness. The bite wasn’t just the poison to her body but also to her heart. Her current state changed her the way she didn’t want to accept. It seems like all the darkness came out of the surface. Emily tries to fight her dark side, but sometimes she’s losing control and acts completely out of character.

Before the attack, Emily was a strict vegetarian. She hates animal and other magical creatures abuse. Now she is forced to eat meat to prevent an uncontrollable hunger for blood, and it makes her sick of herself even more.

She is a daddy’s girl. Her Muggle father is a historian, and before Emily went to Ilvermorny, he took his daughter to Italy and Greece and taught her the European culture and mythology from the non-magical point of view.

Extras:

Para Sample:

Sometimes it gets worse.

Emily couldn’t sleep all night. Every inch of her body trembled with pain, throat sore and dry craving only one thing. She tried not to move scared she’ll start to scream. Thin silver chain she tied her hands with wounded her wrists. She did it just in case to make sure her instincts won’t lure her out of bed without her knowing. The only thing that matter was to keep her composure and don’t let anyone know her secret.

Nights like this made Emily doubt that she’ll be able to hold on any longer, but she fought for control over herself with every fiber of her being. Most of the time she was winning this battle, but the price was high.

Every morning she casts a hiding spell on her burned from silver hands. At least she didn’t have to worry about her appearance- her face never had any signs of tiredness. In fact, her face barely had any expression at all. It felt like the bite froze Emily’s body, maybe not entirely, but permanently.

She forced herself to get up and prepare for classes. Hot shower soothed her aching body a bit. Taking her last blood lollipop from a hidden drawer, she decided to join her friends and get some breakfast. It’s gonna be a rough day- they’re only two weeks away from their trip to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, and all the candidates are practicing most of the time. All of them were doing their best, but only one can become a champion, and Emily wanted it to be her. She was now a predator after all, and she needed a good challenge. Thinking about the awaiting tasks excited her and scared at the same time. What if she loses control and kill someone? But what if she wins fairly despite what she become? Proving they can live normal among the others could do a lot of good for people like her.

Mindlessly chewing her sandwich, Emily was so deep in thoughts that an owl had to peck her a few times to get the attention. A bit surprised-she didn’t expect any letter- Emily took an envelope- it was big and had a weird yet familiar scent that made her shiver. There was only one piece of paper with one handwritten sentence inside, but it was enough to get Emily panicked.

“You can’t hold on yourself forever, doll.”

Connections:

Natalie Elliot- friend,

Rayden Stryker- common fight for creature rights