#the dirt stains... whew

[heartsriki]

BERRY FIRST LOVE⌇딸기

pairing ᝰ ni-ki x fem!reader — featuring.. sunghoon, jay, jake & sunoo | word count: 8.2k+

⌇ … warnings & genre ↺ highschool to adulthood au!, childhood friends to lovers, time skip, small-town romance, drinking, misunderstandings, fluff, mild angst, slow burn (?), lots of bickering, ni-ki is pushy at some points, reader is evasive asf, passing out from alcohol, wrote this with blonde riki in mind, slice of life & a little kiss :).

synopsis — returning to your small hometown for the summer, you find yourself tangled in old memories, old friends, and the chaos of your first love. with familiar faces and unexpected moments, you’re forced to confront feelings you thought you left behind. as the days pass, you realize that some things—and some people—are harder to walk away from than you thought.

lee's ₊˚⊹ ᰔ comment ┊Someone please compliment my title <3 also this took so long to write so if you love me reblog, ANYWAY ERMMM I KINDA COOKED IM NGL. I love this story so bad and I hope you guys like it too! As promised a fluffy jw fic is next bc if you all read my last fic.. WHEW IM SORRY. Anyways enjoy!

The sun hung low in the sky, painting the world in warm golds and soft pinks. The air smelled sweet—like earth and ripe strawberries, warmed by the afternoon heat. Your fingers were already stained red, a basket half-filled with berries swinging at your side as you wandered between the rows of green vines.

It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon. Just you, the rustling leaves, and the occasional chirp of a bird overhead. But then—

Thud.

Something, or rather, someone, tumbled into the bushes just a few feet away, rustling through the leaves in a flurry of limbs and laughter. You blinked, stepping forward cautiously.

A boy, maybe your age, sat up, rubbing his knee where he had clearly tripped. His dark hair stuck up in messy tufts, and his cheeks were flushed—not from embarrassment, but from the sheer amusement of whatever had just happened. His eyes found yours, wide and bright.

“You saw that?” he grinned, brushing dirt off his shorts.

You nodded slowly. “You fell.”

“I dived,” he corrected, puffing his chest out. “I was trying to catch the biggest strawberry I’ve ever seen. It was this big—” He stretched his hands out dramatically before glancing down at the ground. “And now it’s… gone.”

You followed his gaze and spotted a squished red mess near his foot. You wrinkled your nose. “I don’t think you caught it.”

The boy laughed, a sound that was light and free, like the breeze that carried the scent of strawberries through the air. “Guess not. My name is Riki… Nishimura Riki,” he announced, as if to cover up his failed strawberry mission. “You?”

“Y/N,” you answered, still watching him warily.

Riki wiped his sticky hands on his shorts and grinned. “Cool, Y/N. Wanna race to see who can pick the most strawberries?”

You glanced down at your half-filled basket, then at Riki’s empty hands. You smirked. “I think I already won.”

Riki gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “No way! I was just getting started! Let’s go—starting now!”

And before you could protest, he was already darting down the row, reaching for the nearest strawberry with wild determination.

Laughing, you took off after him, the sun dipping lower as their laughter filled the strawberry field.

It was the start of something sweet.

From that day on, Riki was everywhere you were.

He lived a few blocks down, close enough that he’d show up on your front porch without warning, dragging you outside for another adventure. Summers were spent racing bikes down the quiet streets, climbing trees at the edge of town, and daring each other to jump into the cold lake even when your parents warned them not to.

The strawberry field became your place. Every summer, you guys would return to it, competing to see who could find the ripest berries, sneaking handfuls into your mouths until your fingers and lips were stained red. It didn’t matter how many times you won—Riki never stopped challenging you.

“One day, I’m gonna beat you,” he swore, lying back in the grass after another loss.

“Keep dreaming, Nishimura.” You grinned, tossing a berry at him.

By middle school, things started to shift in small, unspoken ways.

Riki grew taller—a lot taller. He was all long limbs and endless energy, forever restless, always moving. You, on the other hand, started noticing things you hadn’t before—like how his hair always stuck up in the mornings when he’d rush to meet you for the bus, or how his laugh had gotten deeper, even though it was still just as contagious.

But some things never changed.

“Hold still,” you scolded, balancing on the tips of your toes as you tried to fix his tie before your first school dance.

Riki groaned. “I don’t know why I have to wear this thing. It’s choking me.”

“Because your mom made you, and my mom made me help.” You finished knotting it properly, stepping back with a satisfied smirk. “There. Now you look slightly less like a mess.”

He huffed but grinned. “Still don’t see why you’re not my date.”

You rolled your eyes, shoving his shoulder. “Because that would be weird, dummy.”

And just like that, he was dragging you toward the gym, where the music was too loud, and neither of you really knew how to dance—but you both still had fun, laughing at your own awkwardness until the night was over.

As you both grew, Riki was one of the most well-known guys in town. He was the kind of person who could charm anyone—teachers, classmates, even the grumpy dude named Heeseung who ran the corner store. He was still the same Riki who tripped over his own feet and made ridiculous bets, but he was also different. More confident. More effortlessly cool.

The small town never changed. Not really. The roads got repaved, a few new families moved in, and the old diner got a fresh coat of paint, but the feeling stayed the same. Safe. Predictable.

But you?

You started changing little by little.

At first, it was subtle. The new people moving in brought different ideas, different ways of seeing the world. You overheard conversations at the diner about places far beyond your quiet town—cities with endless lights, beaches that stretched for miles, streets so busy you could disappear into the crowd.

And you got curious. Too curious.

You wanted to see more, do more, feel more.

One night, sprawled out on Riki’s bed, playing a game on your phone while he worked at his desk, the words left your mouth before you even realized you were thinking them.

“Do you ever think about getting out of here?”

Riki turned around, raising an eyebrow. “Where is this coming from?”

You blinked, pausing your game. Sitting up, you met his gaze. “I don’t know, don’t you feel stuck here? Like… there’s more for you than just this?”

Riki tilted his head, considering the question. Then, with a shrug, he turned back to his desk. “No, not really. I like it here.”

That was it. No hesitation. No second thoughts. Just a simple, final answer.

You nodded, flopping back down onto the bed. Maybe you were the weird one. Maybe wanting something more meant you didn’t appreciate what you already had.

After that, you pushed the thought down. You didn’t bring it up again.

Until high school.

By the time senior year rolled around, that buried thought had grown into something impossible to ignore.

You spent more time watching the people who had left—following old classmates’ social media accounts, seeing them post pictures from college dorms, busy city streets, concerts where the air felt electric even through a screen.

And then there was Riki.

Riki, who still loved this town, who had no plans of leaving. Riki, who fit here so well—who had the same easy friendships, the same carefree laughter, the same ability to make this place feel enough.

He hadn’t changed. But you had.

And that terrified you.

One evening, back in the strawberry field, you finally let the words slip again.

“Im leaving this town.”

Riki, lying back in the grass beside you, didn’t answer right away. He plucked a strawberry from the vine, rolling it between his fingers. “Where?”

“Anywhere,” you exhaled. “Everywhere. Just… somewhere new.”

This time, he didn’t push you to stay nor did he try to change your mind.

Instead, he looked at you for a long moment before popping the strawberry into his mouth. “Then go.”

Your stomach twisted. “Just like that?”

He looked at you, but there was something in his eyes you couldn’t quite place. “Nothings keeping you here, Right?”

You wanted to believe it was that simple. That you could leave. But leaving means leaving him. After all this time you ignored one thing. How much Riki meant to you.

Deep down, you knew there was a deeper meaning to that.

The seasons were shifting and senior year was coming to an end.

After that conversation in the strawberry field, Riki became distant. Not completely gone, but different. The easy conversations, the playful teasing—it all started to fade. He still talked to you, but not like before. You figured he just needed time to process the idea of you leaving.

Maybe a lot of time.

One afternoon, as you walked through the school hallway, you found yourself scanning the crowd for him. He hadn’t been around much lately, and for some reason, the growing absence made your chest feel tight. It was stupid. He was just a friend, wasn’t he?

Your thoughts were interrupted by a light tap on your shoulder.

Turning around, you were met with a girl you barely knew, smiling shyly.

“Hey… weird question but are you and Riki dating by chance?”

You blinked, caught completely off guard. “What? No. Why?”

The girl tilted her head. “That’s weird. I heard from Jake that he was planning to ask you out.”

Your breath caught. What?

She must’ve seen the confusion written all over your face because she gave a small nod, lips parting in realization. “He’s liked you for the longest time. Didn’t you know?”

You stared at her, mind suddenly blank.

Riki… liked you?

That didn’t make sense. Did it?

But then—flashes of memories. The clumsy little boy with messy brown hair in the strawberry field. The way he always found a reason to be around you, the way your heart sometimes skipped when he got too close, when he said something unexpectedly soft.

The feeling you could never quite name before.

You liked him.

The realization hit you all at once, knocking the breath from your lungs. Without another word, you turned and ran.

You had to find him. You had to know if it was true. Because if it was—if it was, then maybe… maybe this town wouldn’t feel so suffocating after all. Maybe you wouldn’t have to leave.

Your feet carried you through the halls, past blurred faces and voices that didn’t matter. When you rounded a corner, your heart leapt at the sight of Riki’s classroom door, slightly open.

You slowed down, lifting a hand to knock—

Then you heard a voice.

“…Is Y/N really leaving?”

It was Sunghoon, a mutual friend speaking, his voice quieter than usual. He sat across from Riki, who was at his desk, staring blankly out the window.

“Yeah.” Riki’s voice was flat.

Sunghoon let out a breath. “And? How do you feel about it?”

You held your breath, pulse hammering in your ears. This was it. This was what you had been wondering ever since that day in the field. Ever since he started acting different.

Riki opened his mouth, hesitated—then turned back toward the window.

“…I couldn’t care less.”

The world stopped.

Your fingers curled against the doorframe, your chest tightening so painfully you thought it might break.

He couldn’t care less.

Not wanting to hear another word, you turned and ran.

This time, you didn’t stop till you got back home and hid in your room.

That night, you made your final decision.

You took the college offer abroad. You packed your bags.

And you left.

No graduation, no goodbyes.

Not even to Riki.

Because now, it was clear—there was nothing left for you in this town.

And you weren’t coming back.

4 YEARS LATER…

Here you were, walking down the crowded streets of the city you had called home for the past four years. Life had been moving fast—college, late-night study sessions, endless opportunities. And now, after graduating at the top of your class, you were finally taking a well-earned break before diving into the work scene.

The hum of city life buzzed around you—cars honking, people chattering, the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingering in the air. Everything felt familiar, routine. Until your phone suddenly vibrated in your bag.

Glancing down, you saw the caller ID flash on the screen. Sunghoon.

You sighed, already knowing this wasn’t just a casual call.

Besides Riki, Sunghoon had been one of your closest friends growing up. And when you left town without a word to the one person who mattered most, Sunghoon refused to let you disappear completely. He had spent years forcing you to stay in touch—going as far as making new email accounts every time you ignored him until you finally gave in.

Bringing the phone to your ear, you greeted him with a tired, “What is it now, Hoon?”

A dramatic whine came from the other end. “Why do you always say it like that? Can’t I just call my really good friend to check in?”

You hummed, unconvinced, waiting for him to get to the point.

“You just graduated, right?” He continued, his tone more casual now. “Come on, take a break from the city and come see all of us. You can visit your family too.”

Your stomach twisted. “I don’t know, Hoon… There’s no real reason for me to—”

“The strawberry festival is coming up,” he interrupted. “You know it only happens every ten years. Didn’t you promise me we’d go when it came back?”

You froze.

The strawberry festival.

You had completely forgotten about it. It was the one time your sleepy little hometown actually came to life. A massive carnival, packed with rides, music, food stalls—and, of course, strawberries everywhere. It was a rare event, held only once every decade, and back then, you and your friends had promised that no matter where life took you, you’d all come back for it.

Had it really been ten years already?

You let out an awkward laugh. “Damn… I forgot all about that. It’s really been that long?”

Sunghoon chuckled. “Yeah. So? Think about it. A break from the city, some fresh air, maybe a little nostalgia… You know you want to.”

You swallowed hard.

A break from the city. A trip home.

Before you could say anything else, Sunghoon spoke again. “Just think about it, okay?” And with that, he hung up, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You exhaled, slipping your phone back into your bag.

You should say no. You should keep moving forward, keep your past where it belonged.

You stood there, phone still in your hand, Sunghoon’s words replaying in your head.

The strawberry festival.

When did time pass so quickly?

You exhaled, tilting your head up toward the city skyline. It had been so long since you left that tiny town behind. Since you left him behind.

Your life here was everything you had dreamed of—endless possibilities, a fast-paced world that never stopped moving. You had finally become someone outside of that small town.

So why did your heart ache at the thought of going back?

Maybe it was nostalgia. Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe… it was the one thing you never had the courage to face.

Riki.

Shaking your head, you continued walking. It was just a trip. Just a festival. A quick visit, and then you’d be gone again.

Just like last time.

The bus rumbled beneath you as you watched the scenery shift from towering skyscrapers to endless stretches of green. The city had faded miles ago, replaced by winding roads and wide, open fields. Everything looked just as you remembered—maybe a little smaller—but familiar all the same.

You had never set foot in this town since the day you left. Now, as the bus pulled into the tiny station near Main Street, a wave of nostalgia crashed over you.

A lot had really changed. The same diner still stood at the corner but now there were multiple. The old bookstore still had its hand-painted sign, but now it was the center of a plaza. A few new shops had popped up, but for the most part, the town was frozen in time—stuck in the same rhythm it had been in since you were a kid.

You stepped off the bus, adjusting the strap of your bag over your shoulder. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over everything, making the town look almost painting, like something out of an old memory.

Taking a deep breath, you started toward home.

Your parents had been thrilled when you told them you were coming back, immediately insisting on picking you up from the station. You had refused, not quite ready for the flood of questions you knew would come the second you got into the car. You needed time—to process, to breathe, to prepare yourself for what this trip might bring.

Walking through your old neighborhood, everything felt both foreign and familiar. The cracked sidewalk where you once tripped and scraped your knee. The oak tree near the park where you and your friends used to sit for hours. The houses all looked the same, yet somehow smaller, less grand than they had seemed when you were young.

And then, finally—home.

The house was exactly how you left it. The white shutters, the wraparound porch, the wind chimes still hanging near the front door. Your mom must have heard your footsteps because, before you could even knock, the door swung open.

“There you are!” she gasped, immediately pulling you into a tight hug. “Look at you! You look so grown up—well, of course you do, it’s been years—but still! You’re home.”

You laughed softly, hugging her back. “Yeah, I’m home.”

Your dad appeared behind her, smiling warmly. “Took you long enough.”

You spent the next hour catching up, answering the usual questions about school, work, and city life while your mom fussed over you like you’d been gone for decades. It was comforting, but as the sun began to set, you felt it—the weight of the town settling on you, the memories pressing in from all sides.

And with that weight came the one question you had been dreading.

Had he changed?

Did Riki still live here?

Would you run into him?

You weren’t sure if you were ready to find out. But something told you that in a town this small, it was only a matter of time.

And it was.

The first night back home, you couldn’t sleep.

Your mind raced with thoughts of everything this town had been and everything it could be. Memories clashed with possibilities, nostalgia with uncertainty. No matter how much you tossed and turned, the restless energy wouldn’t fade.

You needed air.

With a sigh, you threw off the blankets, slipped into a jacket, and grabbed your shoes. The house was eerily silent as you stepped outside, the night air crisp against your skin. You winced at the sudden chill but ignored it, stuffing your hands into your pockets as you let your feet carry you aimlessly down the quiet streets.

The last time you were here, you’d sworn never to return. The heartbreak had been unbearable, a wound so deep you thought distance would heal it. But here you were.

Lost in your thoughts, you almost didn’t notice where you’d wandered—until you did.

Your breath caught in your throat.

The strawberry field.

The place where it all began. The place where summers used to stretch endlessly under the golden sun, where laughter filled the air, where small hands plucked berries until fingertips were stained red.

It didn’t change. The neatly organized rows were still the same, the vivid wooden fence now more sturdy than before. It brought you comfort.

A bitter smile tugged at your lips. How strange it was to return to something you thought you would never see again. You shook your head, forcing the emotions down. You had a reason for being back, and nostalgia wasn’t going to change anything.

Sunghoon. You should probably let him know you made it home safely.

Pulling out your phone, you scrolled through your contacts and tapped his name. Bringing the phone to your ear, you waited for the dial tone to ring.

Then—

Rustle.

You froze.

The sound came from somewhere behind you, a sound you remembered hearing many times just beyond the tall grass at the edge of the field. Your grip on your phone tightened as you turned slowly, heart pounding.

And then, you saw him.

A tall figure stood a few feet away, half-hidden by the shadows of the night. The dim glow of a distant streetlight cast a soft halo around him, highlighting sharp features, broad shoulders, and a hoodie tied around his waist. His posture was tense—mirroring yours.

Your breath hitched as your eyes trailed upward.

No.

It couldn’t be.

But then, your gaze landed on a tiny, unmistakable detail.

The mole on his chin.

Your stomach dropped.

Riki.

He was blonde now. Taller—so much taller. He had grown into someone almost unrecognizable, yet there was no denying it. It was him.

And he was staring at you just as intently.

Seconds stretched into eternity as you both stood frozen in place, caught between the past and present. You could see it in his eyes—he recognized you immediately. Even after all these years.

Then, he broke the silence.

“Y/N…?”

Your heart clenched.

Your vision blurred.

You didn’t think. You didn’t hesitate.

You turned on your heel and ran.

When you got home you were breathless, without a thought you curled up in your bed and rocked yourself to sleep wanting to forget about who you saw all together.

But it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“Y/N…? Y/N, wake up.”

A voice cut through the haze of sleep, pulling you from your dreams. You stirred, shifting slightly, only to feel warm breath against your face.

Your eyes fluttered open—only to be met with another face inches from yours.

You screamed. On instinct, your fist shot out, connecting with their nose.

“Ow—what the hell?!” The intruder stumbled back, clutching his face in pain.

Heart racing, you scrambled upright, eyes adjusting to the dim light. Tall, smooth dark hair, ridiculously bushy eyebrows—wait.

“Sunghoon?!”

“Jesus, yes, Sunghoon! Who else would it be?!” he hissed, rubbing his nose.

Your gaze flickered to the open window. Your stomach dropped.

“How old are we, Hoon? Why are you still climbing through my window like we’re in some bad teen movie?”

Sunghoon winced, realizing his mistake. “Your mom said you weren’t talking to anyone.”

You scoffed, crossing your arms. “And a normal person would take that as a reason to NOT break into my room.”

He exhaled, letting silence fill the room before finally speaking.

“What’s wrong?”

Your brow furrowed. “How did you even know I was here?”

A small smile tugged at his lips. “Why do you think?”

You swallowed, understanding his unspoken words. Of course.

Sunghoon inched closer, studying your face. “Seriously, Y/N. What happened? You and Riki used to be inseparable.”

Your stomach twisted at the mention of his name. You looked away, jaw tightening. “Don’t tell me you seriously don’t know? I saw you two—I heard him when he—”

The words lodged in your throat. You stood up abruptly, fists clenched at your sides.

Sunghoon stood with you. “When he what?”

Silence.

You couldn’t say it. You couldn’t repeat the words that shattered everything four years ago.

Sunghoon, watching your expression, racked his brain for memories—trying to pinpoint where things had gone wrong. And then…

Oh.

It hit him.

Four Years Ago

Sunghoon sat across from Riki, watching him with concern. His best friend sat slumped over the table, face buried in his arms.

”…Is Y/N really leaving?” Sunghoon finally asked.

“Yeah.” Riki’s voice was flat, distant. His gaze was fixed out the window.

Sunghoon exhaled, nodding in understanding. “And? How do you feel about it?”

Riki hesitated. His mouth opened, like he wanted to say something—something real—but then, he turned back toward the window.

”…I couldn’t care less.”

Sunghoon’s eyebrows shot up. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend you don’t care. You’ve liked her since middle school, haven’t you?”

That got Riki’s attention. He finally turned his head, locking eyes with Sunghoon.

Sunghoon froze.

Riki’s eyes were filled with unshed tears that were threatening to fall.

Without another word, Sunghoon reached out, giving Riki a firm pat on the back before standing. As he walked away, he heard it—silent, shaky sobs.

Sunghoon blinked, snapping back to the present. You were still staring at him, hurt and confusion in your glare.

He exhaled. “Y/N… I think you misunderstood something.”

Your expression darkened. “What is there to misunderstand?”

Oh, there was a lot. Sunghoon pieced it together now—how one sentence, one moment, had ruined everything.

He grinned suddenly, backing toward the door. “Yeah, you two definitely need to talk.”

You scowled. “What—?”

“Everyone’s meeting up to shop for the festival tomorrow. Get dressed and be out in twenty.”

“No way.”

Sunghoon smirked. “You don’t have a choice.”

And with that, he slipped out, shutting the door behind him.

You groaned, throwing yourself back onto your bed before reluctantly sitting up. With a sigh, you dragged yourself toward your wardrobe.

The town festival was tomorrow, and somehow, you had been roped into shopping for decorations and outfits with everyone. Against your will.

Sunghoon had given you exactly twenty minutes to get ready, and true to his word, he was banging on your door the moment time was up.

Now, here you were, standing in the middle of a busy shopping district, regretting every life choice that had led you to this moment.

It wasn’t all bad, though. You and Sunghoon had met up with Jay, Jake, and Sunoo—old friends, familiar faces. It felt just like the old days.

“Try not to look like you want to die, Y/N,” Jay teased, nudging you with his elbow. “It’s not a good look.”

“Oh, my bad.” You deadpanned. “I’ll smile harder just for you.”

Sunoo looped his arm through yours, grinning. “Come on, it won’t be that bad! We just need to grab some lights, banners, and—”

The conversation fell silent when approaching footsteps caught everyone’s attention. You didn’t need to turn around to know who it was—Sunghoon must have told the others about You and Riki.

His blonde hair caught the sunlight, seriously since when did he decide to go blonde? His ear piercings glinting with every step. His usual confident smirk was firmly in place as he greeted everyone else—until his gaze landed on you. The moment it did, his expression shifted, and instead of a greeting, he simply looked away.

You scoffed. What the hell? He was ignoring you? But you were stubborn. If he wasn’t going to say anything, neither were you.

Fine. Two could play that game.

Shopping took forever. Between Jake trying on every jacket he saw, Sunoo debating color schemes, and Sunghoon practically dragging Jay away from every fashion store, you were exhausted by the time evening rolled around.

Naturally, the group decided to end the day at a bar.

The dimly lit space was buzzing with energy, music pulsing through the speakers. Drinks were ordered, laughter flowed easily, and—shockingly—you and Riki had managed to stay out of each other’s way. For now.

Sometimes you would catch his gaze on you before he quickly looked away. It confused you, didn’t he choose to keep it distant?

Jake slid a drink your way, grinning. “Come on, Y/N. Don’t tell me you’re gonna be lame tonight.”

You raised a brow. “I don’t need alcohol to have fun, Jake.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved off. “But it helps.”

Maybe it was the exhaustion from the day, or maybe you just didn’t feel like arguing, but you downed the drink without another word.

Then another.

And another.

It wasn’t until your head started feeling a little too light, and your laughter came a little too easy, that you realized you might have overdone it.

“You’re drunk,” Riki muttered beside you, eyeing you critically.

You blinked up at him, pointing a finger at his chest. “Nooo, you’re drunk.”

“I don’t drink.”

“Okay, goody-two shoes.” You giggled, wobbling slightly in your seat.

Riki sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “Alright, let’s go.”

“What?”

“You’re done for the night. I’m taking you home.”

You pouted but couldn’t resist when he stood, grabbing your wrist and pulling you toward the exit. The others barely acknowledged your departure, too caught up in their own conversations.

By the time you reached your place, the effects of the alcohol had fully settled in. Your limbs felt heavy, your thoughts hazy. Riki helped you to your room, muttering about how you were such a hassle.

“You’re so annoying,” he grumbled, laying you down on your bed.

You hummed, blinking up at him. “You’re mean.”

“And you’re drunk.”

There was a pause.

Then, in a small, quiet voice, you whispered, “What happened to us Riki.”

Riki froze. “…What?”

You turned your head, staring at the ceiling. “A long time ago. I heard you.”

Silence.

“I heard you say you didn’t care I was leaving, Did I really mean so little to you?”

Riki looked at you silently listening to every word you said. Is that why you left without a word?

“Y/N…“

Your eyes fluttered shut, sleep pulling at you, but before you completely drifted off, you swore you felt his fingers brush lightly against yours.

And then, everything faded to black.

The town was alive with color.

Red and white banners swayed in the breeze, the scent of fresh strawberries and warm pastries filling the air. Stalls lined the streets, selling everything from homemade jams to strawberry-shaped trinkets. Children ran past with sticky fingers, laughing as they chased one another through the crowd. The festival was exactly as you remembered it—sweet, lively, and nostalgic.

And yet, something felt off.

Maybe it was the fact that you could still feel the ghost of Riki’s touch from the night before. Or maybe it was the words you had let slip in your drunken haze.

“A long time ago. I heard you.”

You hadn’t meant to say it. You weren’t even sure he had understood what you were talking about. But now, as you stood among the festival-goers, you couldn’t shake the feeling that today was going to be difficult.

That feeling only intensified when you spotted Riki in the crowd while trying to find everyone else.

He wasn’t with the others. He wasn’t with anyone. He was standing near the game stalls, scanning the festival like he was looking for something—someone.

Then, his eyes found yours.

For a moment, neither of you moved. The world around you continued in its usual festival chaos, but all you could focus on was him. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his gaze—something determined.

Then, without a word, he started walking toward you.

You panicked.

Spinning on your heel, you darted into the crowd, weaving between people and past booths in a desperate attempt to avoid whatever conversation was coming. It was childish, sure, but you weren’t ready to face him. Not after last night.

You searched through the crowd, scanning the festival until your eyes landed on Sunghoon and the others standing in line for the go-karts. Without hesitation, you hurried over to them, eager for an escape from Riki and whatever awkward tension had settled between you since the bar incident.

Just as you reached the group, you heard footsteps behind you. A familiar presence. You didn’t need to turn around to know it was Riki—his energy was unmistakable.

You ignored him.

Riki, however, wasn’t having it. He caught up effortlessly, standing close enough that you could feel his gaze burning into the side of your face.

“We need to talk,” he muttered under his breath.

You refused to acknowledge him.

The group, oblivious to the silent war happening beside them, continued chatting and joking around as you all waited for your turn. The line moved slowly, giving you plenty of time to bicker over who would win.

“I know I’m going to crush you all,” Jay bragged.

“You’re so delusional,” Sunghoon shot back. “You drive like a maniac.”

“That’s a crazy thing to say.”

“But am I wrong?”

You were entertained by the bickering until you were paired up with Jake on a two seater.

“Just so you know, I’m only targeting Jay,” Jake declared, cracking his knuckles. He turned to you with a playful grin. “Buckle up well, ‘cause we’re going straight after him.”

You laughed, following his order as you clicked your seatbelt into place. “Got it, captain.”

What you didn’t see, however, was Riki’s sharp glare fixed on the two of you. His jaw clenched as he watched the way you leaned into Jake’s side, completely ignoring him.

Riki scoffed, crossing his arms. “So she avoids me but giggles with Jake? Alright then.”

The game was on.

As soon as the music started, signaling the beginning of the race, everyone slammed on the gas.

Chaos erupted on the track.

Jake wasted no time, immediately veering toward Jay’s kart and ramming into him as promised.

“JAKE, YOU ASSHOLE!” Jay shouted as his kart spun slightly off course.

You burst into laughter—only for it to be cut short when your own kart jolted forward from a hard hit from behind.

“What the—” You twisted in your seat, and your breath hitched when you saw Riki behind the wheel of his own kart, glaring directly at you with a smirk.

Jake, unaware of the growing tension, was too focused on getting back at Sunoo, who had swerved past him effortlessly. “Hold on, Y/N, I’m gonna—”

BAM.

Another hit.

Again, it was Riki.

This time, he cut in front of you and Jake, blocking your path.

“Dude, what’s your problem?!” Jake shouted, trying to steer around him.

Riki only tilted his head, feigning innocence. “I don’t know. What’s your problem?!”

You furrowed your brows, confused by his behavior. His tone was sharp, but there was something else beneath it—something closer to frustration.

Not wanting to deal with whatever childish thing he was trying to pull, you gripped the steering wheel and swerved aggressively to break free from Riki’s blockade. Jake whooped as you sped off, but the feeling of Riki’s gaze lingering on you made you tense.

He wasn’t letting this go.

The race ended with Jay dramatically throwing his hands up, blaming everyone but himself for his loss. As the go-karts slowed to a stop, you unbuckled and climbed out, but your mind wasn’t on the game anymore.

Riki had been targeting you the entire time.

And you needed to know why.

You scanned the area, quickly spotting him a few feet away near his kart. Without thinking, you stormed over, your determination outweighing the hesitation you’d felt all day.

Riki, who had been watching you approach, felt a fleeting moment of satisfaction—until he saw the glare on your face. His stomach dropped.

Uh oh.

“What the hell was that, Riki?” you demanded, crossing your arms.

He smirked, “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

He leaned against his kart, playing it cool. “I was just playing the game.”

“Really? Because it felt like you were playing with me.”

Riki tilted his head, his amusement faltering. “Maybe because you keep playing with me.”

You blinked, thrown off. “What are you talking about?”

His expression darkened slightly, and for the first time, there was no teasing in his voice. “You’ve been avoiding me all day, Y/N. Pretending I don’t exist, laughing with Jake like nothing happened. What, I don’t even get a chance to talk to you?”

Your breath hitched. You hadn’t expected him to be this blunt.

You swallowed hard. “So your solution was to ram into me with a go-kart?”

“If that’s what it takes to get you to acknowledge me,” he shot back.

You scoffed, shaking your head. “You’re so childish.”

“And you’re so stubborn.”

You had nothing to say to that. Because, well… he wasn’t wrong.

A silence stretched between you, the tension thick, unspoken words hanging between glares and quickened heartbeats.

Then, finally, you exhaled, rolling your eyes as you turned to walk away. “I don’t have time for this, Riki.”

Riki watched you go, an unfamiliar feeling twisting in his chest. It wasn’t anger. It wasn’t frustration. It was something more vulnerable, something closer to disappointment.

A pat on his back snapped him out of his daze.

He turned to see Sunghoon standing beside him, arms crossed.

Sunghoon sighed, shaking his head with a knowing smirk. “Good luck, man. You’re gonna need it.”

Riki groaned, running a hand through his hair. Yeah. He already knew that.

But he wasn’t giving up. Not yet.

After the go-karts, you needed space.

The festival had plenty of distractions, and you were determined to find one that didn’t involve Riki glaring at you like you personally ruined his life. So, while the others wandered toward the dunk tank, you made a detour to a small strawberry stand, hoping the sweet treats would help clear your mind.

The old woman behind the counter greeted you warmly. “Looking for something special, dear?”

You glanced over the options—strawberry parfaits, chocolate-dipped strawberries, even little jars of homemade strawberry jam.

Before you could decide, someone else stepped beside you.

You didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Riki.

You stiffened as he casually leaned against the wooden stand, way too close for someone you were actively trying to avoid.

“What are you getting?” he asked, voice light but unreadable.

You ignored him. Again.

He sighed dramatically. “Oh, so we’re still doing this? Cool, cool. Just checking.”

The old woman glanced between the two of you, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Couple’s fight?”

Your entire body tensed. “We’re not a couple.”

Riki, annoyingly enough, just smirked. “Yeah. She’s just mad at me for existing.”

You finally turned to glare at him. “That’s not—” You stopped yourself, exhaling sharply. “You know what? I’m not doing this right now.”

“Right now?” he echoed, tilting his head. “So there will be a time?”

You clenched your jaw, turning back to the stand. “I’ll take a chocolate-dipped strawberry,” you told the woman, ignoring Riki completely.

“Make it two,” Riki added immediately, pulling out his wallet before you could even react.

You shot him a glare. “I can pay for my own.”

“I know,” he said, handing over the money anyway. “But you won’t. Because I already did.”

Your fingers curled into fists at your sides. You wanted to fight him on this. You wanted to wipe that smug look off his face and tell him to back off.

But at the same time…

You could feel the weight of his gaze, the way his fingers subtly brushed yours when he handed you the strawberry. His expression wasn’t just playful—it was calculated, like he was testing you, waiting for you to react.

And that was the problem.

Because every time he pushed you like this, every time he pulled you into his ridiculous little games, you did react. You always did.

And he knew it.

You exhaled sharply, turning on your heel. “I’m going back to the others.”

As the festival continued, you did everything in your power to avoid Riki.

You stuck by Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Jake, and Jay laughing at their antics, pretending everything was normal. But no matter how hard you tried to shake it, you could feel his eyes on you. Watching. Waiting.

It was driving you insane.

So when Sunoo suggested the Ferris wheel, you jumped at the chance, thinking maybe—maybe—you could get some distance.

Big mistake.

Because, of course, when it came time to pair up, Sunoo and Jake shoved you directly into a Ferris wheel cart with Riki.

“Wait, hold on—” You tried to back out, but Sunoo, with his deceptively strong grip, pushed you forward.

“Have fun!” he chirped, slamming the door shut before you could escape.

The ride operator locked it in place. You were trapped.

With Riki.

The cart swayed slightly as it ascended, the town growing smaller beneath you. A cool breeze drifted through, but it did nothing to calm the heat rising in your chest.

You sat stiffly, arms crossed, refusing to acknowledge the boy beside you.

Riki, for once, was silent too.

The tension was thick—almost suffocating.

And then, finally, he spoke.

“You’re really that scared of talking to me?”

You scoffed, keeping your gaze on the view. “I’m not scared of anything.”

“Then look at me.”

You swallowed, gripping the edge of the seat. “Why should I?”

“Because,” he said, voice lower now. “I think you already know what I’m going to say.”

You clenched your jaw. “Riki—”

“I liked you.”

Your breath hitched.

“I still like you,” he admitted, his tone softer than you’d ever heard it. “And I don’t think I can keep pretending I don’t.”

You finally turned, your heart pounding. “Why are you saying this now?”

He leaned back, running a hand through his hair. “Because you heard me back then. You heard me and you ran away without the full story. What I said at that time, That was just me being stupid.”

He paused regaining his thoughts before speaking again, “Of course I cared. Everyday since you told me you were leaving I thought about ways to get you to stay but you’re just so stubborn.”

You stared at him, your chest tightening. “So Sunghoon told you I was there, huh?”

“Maybe,” he said. “Am I stupid to think you felt the same way?”

You had nothing to say to that. Yet.

The cart swayed slightly as it reached the very top of the Ferris wheel. The festival lights below twinkled, casting a warm glow around you both.

Riki exhaled, voice almost hesitant now. “Tell me I’m wrong, and I’ll drop it. I’ll leave you alone.”

You opened your mouth—but the words wouldn’t come out.

Because he wasn’t wrong.

And deep down, you knew it.

The festival was winding down, but the air was still buzzing with excitement. The last of the fireworks were being set up, their colorful bursts of light reflecting off the river nearby. Families and friends gathered near the open field, setting down blankets and sitting on benches to watch the grand finale.

You tried to focus on the people around you—on Sunghoon, who was finishing off his fourth funnel cake, on Sunoo, who was still determined to win a giant stuffed bear at the dart game. But no matter what, your attention kept drifting elsewhere.

To him.

Riki stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, staring off into the distance. The glow of the festival lanterns flickered against his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw, the slight furrow of his brows.

You had spent the entire night avoiding him, but after everything that happened—after the Ferris wheel, after what he said—you knew you couldn’t keep running forever.

So, before you could talk yourself out of it, you took a deep breath and walked over.

“Riki.”

He turned, eyes widening slightly when he saw you. “You’re talking to me now?”

You ignored the teasing in his tone. “Can we walk?”

He blinked, surprised, but nodded. “Yeah.”

The two of you drifted toward the quieter part of the festival, where the sounds of laughter and music softened into a gentle hum. You walked in silence for a while, the only sound between you being the crunch of gravel underfoot.

Then, finally—

“You’re right, I did hear you,” you admitted, staring at the ground. “Back then. When you said you didn’t care if I left or not.”

Riki exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. I know.”

You frowned. “Did you say something after that?”

“I did but you didn’t stick around to hear it.” He glanced at you. “Sunghoon scolded me for lying.”

Your fingers curled into your sleeves. “What you said that day wasn’t the whole reason why I left.”

Riki stopped walking, turning fully toward you. “Then what was it?”

You hesitated, looking up at him. The glow of the fireworks reflected in his dark eyes, filling the space between you with something unspoken—something that had always been there, even if neither of you had wanted to face it.

“I was scared,” you finally admitted. “I was scared of losing you too but not only as a friend, I liked you as well.”

Riki studied you for a long moment. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he let out a soft laugh—one that wasn’t mocking, but almost relieved.

“Y/N,” he said quietly. “Is there hope that you still like me?”

You opened your mouth to answer but…. You couldn’t.

A loud boom echoed across the sky as the first firework shot up, exploding into a burst of red and gold. The crowd in the distance cheered, the sound carrying through the night air.

Riki looked up, his expression thoughtful. “I liked you back then,” he murmured. “And I still like you, I meant it when I said it on the ferris wheel and I still mean it now.”

Your breath caught in your throat.

Slowly, he turned back to you, his usual cocky grin replaced with something softer, something real.

“I don’t know where we go from here,” he admitted. “But I do know that I’m done pretending like I never loved you.”

You stared at him, the fireworks painting his face in shifting colors. And in that moment, with the warmth of the festival still lingering in the air, you realized something.

Maybe you were done pretending, too.

The festival was over.

The lights had dimmed, the stalls were packed away, and the echoes of laughter had long faded into the quiet hum of the small town. The air smelled of burnt sugar and fireworks, remnants of a night that felt like both an ending and a beginning.

And yet, here you were—standing in your childhood bedroom, staring at your suitcase.

Your flight was tomorrow morning.

You were supposed to leave.

That had always been the plan, hadn’t it?

You had spent so much time dreaming of something bigger, something beyond this town. You told yourself you needed to leave, that staying here would mean getting stuck in the past.

But then… he happened.

The memories of the past few days replayed in your head—the strawberry fields, the carnival, the fireworks, the way his voice softened when he admitted, “I still like you.”

You sighed, running a hand through your hair before pulling out your phone. One unread message stared back at you.

Riki: Meet me at the strawberry field before you go. One last time.

Your fingers hovered over the keyboard. You could say no. You could leave things as they were, pack up, and walk away without looking back.

But deep down, you already knew the truth.

You weren’t leaving.

Not this time.

The morning sun cast a golden glow over the fields, the dew still fresh on the leaves. It was quiet here—peaceful in a way that made your heart ache.

And waiting for you, just like always, was Riki.

He turned at the sound of your footsteps, hands shoved into his pockets. “You actually came.”

You exhaled, crossing your arms. “Of course, I did.”

He tilted his head. “Did you decide?”

You didn’t answer right away. Instead, you let your gaze drift over the rows of strawberries, remembering how it all started—the first time you met as kids, the summers spent running through these fields, the memories built in a place that had somehow always brought you back to him.

Then, finally, you looked at him.

“I’m staying.”

Riki blinked. “Wait—”

“I don’t know for how long,” you admitted. “I don’t know what comes next. But I do know that leaving doesn’t feel right anymore. Not if you’re here.”

A slow smile spread across his lips. Not cocky, not teasing—just genuine.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

His smirk returned as he glanced down at the strawberry bushes beside you. “So… what now?”

You raised an eyebrow, then crouched down and plucked a ripe strawberry off the vine, twirling it between your fingers before tossing him a look.

“You still think you can pick more strawberries than me?”

Riki let out a short laugh, shaking his head. “You cannot be serious right now.”

You only smirked. “Scared you’ll lose?”

His competitive streak kicked in immediately. “You wish.” He bent down, grabbing his own handful of strawberries before shooting you a challenging grin. “Alright, let’s do this.”

For the next few minutes, it was like nothing had changed. You were just two kids again, running through the fields, arguing over who could pick the most, sneaking strawberries when you thought the other wasn’t looking.

And then—

Riki suddenly reached out, grabbing your wrist mid-motion, stopping you in your tracks.

Your heart jumped. “What—”

“You’re really staying?” His voice was quieter now, serious.

You swallowed, your fingers still curled around a strawberry. “Yeah.”

A moment of silence.

Then—Riki took a step closer.

Closer.

Until he was right there in front of you, his hand still wrapped around your wrist, his eyes locked onto yours like he was searching for any hesitation.

There wasn’t any.

And maybe that was all the confirmation he needed, because the next thing you knew—

He kissed you.

Soft, tentative at first, like he was giving you a chance to pull away. But you didn’t. Instead, you leaned in, your free hand reaching up to tangle in his hoodie as the warmth of his lips melted away any lingering doubts.

When you finally pulled away, breathless, Riki’s lips curled into a smirk.

“So… does this mean I win?”

You scoffed, shoving a strawberry into his mouth before walking past him.

“Shut up and pick more strawberries, Nishimura.”

His laughter echoed through the field, and as you glanced back at him—his eyes shining, his smile wide—you realized something.

This was home.

And you weren’t going anywhere.

[hot-and-confused]

————————————— ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ————————————

hii i had the idea for this a few days ago and wanted to get it out there because i missed writing ! this will probably be a series ;) anywho i started writing this and basically blacked out, and i woke up and it was ten thousand words lmao

so yeah, dean x angel!reader

✮⋆˙ wc : 11.4k whew

✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧

one

she trudged through the crisp, white snow, leaving a crimson trail of blood in her wake. it saddened her, staining something so innately, immaculately pure, so agonizingly undefiled, but there was little she could do. bloody hands clutched her side, trying to slow her breathing to keep the pain from her wound at bay. badly damaged by the fall, her usually confident stride was replaced with heavy, labored footfalls, and her wings felt heavier than ever before.  

she had never been to earth before, as many of the other angels had. there was a heaviness that she could not place - an uncertain, unwieldy sort of intangible weight that seemed to plague her. a lingering sense of dread, of pain, of agony. it was quiet, for the first time in her life. there was no one praying to her, no one laughing or crying or even whispering. the silence was eerie, unsettling. it made her uneasy, tense, setting her on edge. 

the world around her seemed frozen in time, the silence broken only by the faint crunch of her steps in the snow. the forest loomed ahead, its skeletal branches reaching out like crooked fingers, cloaked in frost. she felt their judgment, their gnarled whispers scraping against her mind as though even the trees disapproved of her presence. she tightened her grip on her side, warmth pooling between her fingers, sticky and unforgiving, as though never to be washed away.

her wings dragged against the ground, leaving faint trails beside her bloodied footsteps. once radiant and pristine, they now bore the marks of her fall - feathers bent and darkened with scorch marks, dirt and blood clinging to them, a shameful reminder of her fall from grace.

in the distance, a faint glow caught her attention. it flickered, soft and golden, like a dying ember struggling to hold onto life. a part of her wanted to move toward it, to seek solace in its warmth, but another part hesitated. this world was foreign, alien. she had always imagined earth as beautiful, teeming with the vibrance and energy of humanity. but now, all she felt was its aching, devastating emptiness.

her breaths came in shallow gasps, her life-force flickering faintly. she glanced down at her hand, crimson staining her fingers as the wound on her side continued to seep. this body, this vessel, felt fragile, delicate - a stark contrast to the celestial strength she was accustomed to. every nerve was alight with pain, a sensation she had never truly understood until now. she had known of suffering, seen it in the lives of those she watched over, but to feel it? it was a revelation - raw and jarring.

the landscape around her stretched endlessly, blanketed in pristine snow that glimmered under the faint moonlight. the mortal world was hauntingly beautiful, yet there was a certain melancholy to it. the trees stood tall and bare, their branches clawing at the dark blue sky. a cold wind howled through the empty expanse, carrying with it a sense of desolation that burrowed deep into her.

she faltered for a moment, her vision swimming as the cold nipped at her skin, biting deeper than the blood that clung to her flesh. her breath was shallow, ragged, each inhalation a struggle, each exhale a plea she couldn't complete. the forest around her seemed to pulse with an energy she could not fathom - an unspoken sorrow, ancient and endless.

the world was still, but it was not peaceful. it was a stillness of despair, of an echoing silence that filled the vast emptiness between her breaths. every step she took seemed to sink her deeper into it, dragging her further away from the celestial light that once guided her. her wings, once a symbol of grace, now hung low, heavy with the weight of regret. their feathers, like the last remnants of a forgotten dream, trailed behind her - stained, broken, burnt, abandoned.

the glow in the distance flickered again, weak and uncertain, like a dying star, barely clinging to its place in the night sky. she could feel it call to her, its warmth a temptation, a fleeting comfort against the abyss she had fallen into. but there was no peace to be found here. only the bitter taste of loss, and the gnawing knowledge that something beautiful had slipped beyond her grasp.

with every step, the snow beneath her feet seemed to whisper, mocking her attempts at redemption. the earth, so foreign yet so familiar in its agony, stretched endlessly before her, a mirror of her own fractured soul. she had fallen. she was falling. and though the world spun on around her, she wondered if she would ever be whole again.

she tilted her face to the dark sky, a final plea to a heaven that had turned its gaze. the wind whispered through the trees, a soft, mournful cry. and still, the silence pressed in - unyielding, suffocating, as she continued her lonely march toward a light that could never reach her.

but when all seemed lost, she spotted the faint glow of a structure - a cabin, small and unassuming, its windows aglow with the warm light of a fire. her feet faltered, doubt creeping in. would the humans inside offer help, or would they recoil in fear at the sight of her wings, her bloodied form? she had no other choice. her strength was waning, and she knew her vessel wouldn’t last much longer in this state. summoning what little resolve she had left, she stumbled forward, her movements strained.

as she drew closer, she felt a presence - faint yet unmistakable. her instincts screamed at her to retreat, to flee from whatever lay ahead. but another part of her, quieter but insistent, urged her onward. there was something familiar in the energy emanating from the cabin, something she couldn’t quite place. and for the first time since her fall, she felt a glimmer of hope - fragile and tentative, but hope nonetheless. and not only hope, but a sense of familiarity.

she reached the door, her trembling hand hovering over the weathered wood. before she could knock, the door creaked open, revealing two figures standing inside. 

dean and sam were currently inside bobby's cabin, holed up during a blizzard. the sound of slow, labored footsteps on the porch alerted both of the brothers, sam grabbing a shotgun and dean reaching for the gun in the back of his pants. sam opened the door, immediately spotting a woman - the most beautiful woman either of them had ever seen. dark brown hair and fair, freckled skin, with feathered, opalescent wings flickering behind her, splayed out on the porch. her gaze was lidded, and she clutched her side, her hands stained a dark crimson.

she blinked, her knees almost buckling from exhaustion. being in a human body was horrid, she thought.

sam glanced over at his brother, watching as dean quickly grabbed a medical kit. sam slowly brought his shotgun down, but didn't move to lower it completely, not yet trusting the angelic creature.

"hey," sam greeted softly "can you tell me your name?"

“lenore.” she coughed a little, “i understand you know castiel.”

both brothers exchanged a look, sam holding the door open for her to enter the cabin. dean set the medkit on the table, his eyes trailing over lenore.

"what happened?"

“i fell from heaven.” she murmured, her voice a soft echo of grace marred by pain. the words carried the weight of her descent, each syllable trembling like a feather plucked from her wings.

that took both of them by surprise, but they kept their shock somewhat hidden. sam lowered the shotgun completely, leaning it against the wall by the door. they each took their own seats across from her at the table, waiting for her to elaborate.

“you do know castiel, do you not?”

dean narrowed his eyes at the mention of their friend, his protective instincts kicking in.

"yeah. what about him?"

“he spoke of you,”

that intrigued him. his features softened, but he stayed wary. 

"what did he say about us?" he wondered. 

“he asked me to protect you if he lost the fight with metatron.”

that got his full attention. dean didn't bother hiding his surprise. there was a small bit of anger, and his tone grew defensive. "why couldn't he protect us himself?" the elder brother wondered. "where is castiel?"

“i do not know. prison, maybe.” she shook her head, wincing at the pain as she walked through the cabin to where dean beckoned her over.

sam raised an eyebrow, his expression mirroring dean's as he followed the discussion. their gazes moved to follow her. sam wondered what type of angel lenore was.

"why can't he get out?" sam questioned, his expression curious.

“prison in heaven is much different.”

"how so?" dean prompted. lenore reached the space dean had been sitting at, and they were both immediately able to see that she was injured. the hand clutching her side was still a bright red, blood starting to drip onto the floor.

“well, it is not possible to escape, something i know to be a recurring theme on earth.”

"you're hurt," sam murmured, his voice gentle and concerned.

dean's mind flicked around, a plan forming as he observed lenore. he didn't entirely trust her. but lenore didn't seem to be lying.

“falling from seven hundred thousand feet in the air was not pleasant.” she spoke, green eyes trailing over each man.

"how the hell are you even still standing?" dean wondered, not meaning to come off as harsh.

“i am an angel, as you must know by now.” she tilted her head to the side a little, confused. she gestured to the mirage of her wings that seemed to flicker like a dying lightbulb, the feathers bent and snapped and covered in blood, dirt, and scorch marks. sam frowned at the sight of her wings.  the poor things were bent out of shape and covered in blood, and it hurt to even think how sore they were. his eyes flitted over them, before looking up at her.

"can you fix your wings?" sam found himself asking curiously.

“once this wound is tended to, yes. but i am using a considerable amount of strength to keep my vessel alive.”

sam frowned at that, but he understood. it explained the exhaustion shown on her face. though he still couldn't look away from how badly her wings looked.

"sit down," dean ordered softly, gesturing to the seat across from him "let's clean you up."

“showering is not something i require,” she frowned a little, confused. sam bit back a light chuckle, but his brother was not amused as he reached for the medkit.

"i mean cleaning your wound, sweetheart," dean clarified, the word rolling off his tongue with practiced ease. but the look in his eyes wasn’t teasing—it lingered, soft and unguarded, before he quickly glanced away.

“my name is lenore,” she corrected softly. “i do not know of anyone named 'sweetheart'.”

dean didn't catch on to the joke until she spoke, and he held back a snort. 

“it’s just an expression.” he got up, opening the medkit and finding the necessary supplies. sam smirked, shaking his head. 

“oh. thank you for clarifying. humans are confusing to me. i have never been to earth before.”

"humans are confusing to a lot of people," sam offered a reassuring, somewhat amused smile. dean returned to lenore's side, holding the necessary things to clean her up. sam's gaze fell to the injury she was cradling.

"can i see?"

she pulled her blood-stained hands away, resting them on her lap.

dean set his supplies on the table before gently reaching for her shirt. he hesitated for a second, not wanting to make lenore uncomfortable.

"is it okay if i pull up your shirt?"

“yes,” she hummed.

dean carefully untucked her shirt, lifting it up past the injury, exposing her stomach. sam frowned at the sight of the wound, his chest tightening. there was blood pooling on her skin, the injury was still bleeding heavily.

"did uh-," dean hesitated, his eyes trailing between lenore and the injury "did the landing do this?"

“yes, it was most unpleasant.”

"i bet. sorry," he replied quietly, before he pressed a pad covered in disinfectant against the wound. he gently cleaned the blood off of her, his touch surprisingly tender.

she barely winced, her lidded gaze trailing over his concentrated expression, shamelessly admiring him. “you are much more handsome than castiel said.”

sam tried not to grin at that as he watched the exchange. dean was completely focused, almost unaware of the compliment.

"the bastard said that?" dean questioned, though he still didn't look up.

“castiel was not born out of wedlock,” lenore mumbled, confused. 

sam barked out a laugh at that, the unexpected comment taking both of them by surprise. dean chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

"i didn't mean it literally," he explained, amused. "are you sure you came from heaven?"

“yes? have i said something inappropriate?”

sam took a moment to collect himself, while dean was struggling not to laugh out loud. he had never seen an angel quite like her.

"no it's just - forget about it" dean replied, finally looking up from the injury. he continued cleaning it, noticing the way lenore was practically ogling him.

"something wrong?" he wondered.

“no.” she shook her head, her gaze lingering, a neutral expression gracing her angelically - almost annoyingly perfect features.

dean hummed in reply, trying not to smirk and failing miserably. sam laughed a little under his breath, not expecting an angel to openly check his brother out. dean finished cleaning the wound, his eyes trailing over the injury. there was still a decent amount of blood to clean up.

"almost done," he murmured.

“have i done something amusing?” she looked up at sam, a confused furrow in her brows.

sam raised an eyebrow, his eyes flickering between lenore and his brother who was still tending to her. even he found it amusing the way the angel couldn't stop looking at his brother, but there was something almost endearing about it.

"not at all," he reassured her.

"do you have a type?" sam wondered curiously.

“a type of what?”

"like a type in men?" sam wondered, finding it hard to conceal his amusement.

“i don’t quite understand your question, i apologize.”

dean was trying desperately not to laugh. his brother asked a pretty straightforward question, and yet the angel was still confused. the idea of explaining to lenore that she had a thing for pretty men seemed too entertaining to pass up.

"a type as in certain features about a man that you prefer. like hair color or eye color." dean offered as an example.

“i suppose i have never considered it. i have not been with a man before.”

dean finally met lenore's eyes, finding it almost impossible to not laugh at her response. his mind immediately went somewhere dirty, but he kept to himself. 

sam cleared his throat, catching himself before he chuckled, but he couldn't look away from how the pair were interacting.

"you've never been with anyone before?"

“no, i am an angel. what purpose would it serve?”

"so you've never been attracted to someone before?" sam pressed curiously, leaning in closer. his eyes met dean's, noticing how his brother wasn't even trying to hide his amusement.

“i don't know. what does it feel like? all these... emotions are new to me.”

that was surprising. neither sam nor dean had ever met an angel so oblivious. it was actually amusing. dean leaned back after placing a bandage over her wound, covering it. he met her eyes with a light chuckle. "are you... serious?"

“i am lenore. i did not think it was such a difficult name to remember.”

sam barked out a laugh, unable to resist. dean rolled his eyes, raising his eyebrow “not what i meant, sweetheart" he teased without thinking, but really he was more amused than annoyed.

she pouted for a moment, before her expression morphed into one of realization. “oh, the... term of endearment”

sam found lenore pouting more amusing than anything, trying not to laugh at her realization. meanwhile, the pet name slipped out easily for dean. the elder hunter couldn't contain his amusement either, watching lenore carefully.

"yeah. sorry. force of habit" dean cleared his throat.

“do you often tend to angels?”

neither could deny the amusement. this angel was quite possibly the most amusing creature to enter their lives or anyone's life for that matter. they both shook their heads in unison.

"not even once," sam finally managed to reply. the pair shared another look, their amusement evident. even in the middle of a terrible time for them, lenore was the most amusing thing they had encountered in years.

“so why is it a, "force of habit" as you say?”

dean opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated. the question honestly caught him off guard. there was no genuine reason behind it. the answer would have him exposing more than he wanted.

sam, being the observant one, caught on much faster than his brother and found the whole situation much more amusing.

"he's just a natural flirt," sam teased. he nudged his brother with his elbow, trying to hide his amusement. 

“oh. i will try to remember that.”

sam grinned, sharing another look with his brother. he watched as dean rolled his eyes, clearing his throat once more. neither could deny sam's comment. dean was the flirt. he was much more amused than he wanted to admit.

"so lenore," dean spoke "you said that you fell from heaven, can i ask you something?"

“you just did.” she blinked up at him. 

that got a small chuckle out of sam, while dean tried to keep his expression neutral. her response was expected, but he still found it amusing. dean reached for the medkit, putting everything back in place.

"touché. i guess i should be more specific then."

“you speak french as well?”

sam almost burst out laughing, shaking his head. the way she misunderstood almost everything had to win her an award for the most innocent creature. dean shot sam a look, trying hard not to laugh with him. 

"no, lenore. that's just a phrase." he replied patiently. 

“oh.”

sam's eyes were slightly glazed over, biting back a laugh. lenore's obliviousness was entertaining. dean shook his head, clearing his throat. "uh, are all angels like you?"

“how do you mean?”

"oblivious. you seem rather.... ignorant. not saying it in a bad way." dean pointed out. sam bit his tongue to suppress any laughter that threatened to escape, struggling not to chuckle.

“no, they are not all like me. i am, young, well - as opposed to others. i have not been to earth before.”

"you don't say," sam murmured under his breath. he couldn't even believe he was asking the question but the curiosity was eating at him. "how old are you exactly?"

“ten thousand, four hundred and seventy two years old, i believe.”

dean's eyebrows shot up at that. ten thousand? he certainly wasn't expecting that. sam was impressed, but he was more amused.

"and that's considered young for you?" dean wondered, his voice full of amusement.

“yes, castiel, for example is over two hundred thousand years old.”

"jesus." sam murmured under his breath, while dean murmured an agreement. dean shook his head, looking at lenore with a confused expression "so you're saying you're basically a baby to them?"

“i am not a baby.”

sam raised his eyebrow, grinning at the way she took everything literally. even dean couldn't deny he found it more amusing than annoying.

dean shook his head, biting back a laugh.

"yeah i didn't mean it as in you're not capable. i meant it as in you're still inexperienced and fairly new to... everything."

“only to earth,”

"and human emotions," sam added. he knew he should be asking more important questions, but he was more amused with asking more harmless questions.

dean glanced at his brother, raising an eyebrow "so, angel," he mused, finding satisfaction at the way his question got her attention. she didn't seem put off by the nickname.

“i have never been inside a human before, i was more of a.... concept before,” she paused, like she was searching for the words.

both brothers exchanged a curious look. sam was intrigued. dean tried to play it cool. but her way with words had some questions rising.

"what do you mean, you were more of a concept?"

“my true visage is much different than this,” she gestured to her body. “very few can actually perceive me.”

that caught both of their attention. they shifted in place, looking more intrigued now

"and what if someone could perceive your true form?" sam wondered, raising an eyebrow

“then they are a prophet, or another angel in another vessel.”

sam nodded at that, but he tilted his head. his questions were more out of curiosity. "so why are you in a vessel now?"

“because i was cast out of heaven, and i did not wish to harm humans with my true visage.”

"wait, your true form hurts people?" sam wondered, growing slightly more curious. he had questions, plenty. even dean was curious enough to ask more questions.

“it burns their eyes out.”

"oh," both brothers murmured in unison, exchanging another look. sam was the first to speak up. "you're saying anyone that looks at your true form would go blind?"

“yes.”

"interesting," dean murmured under his breath, his mind wandering. he looked like he wanted to ask her more. sam cleared his throat, a question coming to his mind immediately. "do you always pick a pretty vessel?"

“i have never picked a vessel before, and i am not exactly sure what humans consider "pretty." is this not satisfactory?”

"not satisfactory?" at the same time, both of them replied with a look of disbelief. sam shook his head, looking her up and down. he was impressed "uh, you have to be joking."

“i was not.” she frowned slightly.

dean didn't reply, still taking a moment to look her up and down. she was very attractive, it was hard to think otherwise. sam spoke up, noticing her small frown. 

"your vessel is absolutely satisfactory, lenore. you're very pretty." he assured.

“thank you. you are very pretty, too.”

sam caught himself mid laugh, shaking his head. he found lenore's sincerity, more amusing than anything. dean raised an eyebrow, his expression softening at sam being called pretty. sam had to bite back a laugh. it amused him how lenore was so innocent. 

“have i offended you?” she frowned, tilting her head

sam shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "you didn't offend me.”

“why would you think that?" dean questioned, his hand instinctively moving to gently squeeze lenore's shoulder, wanting to make her feel more reassured.

she stared at his hand, confused as to why it was there. he caught onto that, noticing how she was staring at his hand. he moved it back, clearing his throat.

 "you seemed upset. i was trying to... i don't know, reassure you." dean replied softly

“i am not upset. i simply do not understand human customs. what is the purpose of this?” she reached out, gingerly placing a stained hand on his broad shoulder.

dean's eyebrows raised, his body tensing slightly at the soft touch. he stayed still, observing how she tried to mimic his attempt. sam didn't say anything yet, his eyes darting between the two. sam caught on what dean might not have.

dean met her eyes, clearing his throat "just... uh, human nature, i guess. it's supposed to be comforting, or to help if someone's distressed."

“oh. i appreciate that.”

sam had to hide a smirk, watching how lenore tried to mimic what dean had done. the whole thing was sweet, and he saw that dean wasn't pulling his attention away from her despite trying to stay neutral.

dean felt the tension in his body slowly disappear, nodding. he didn't pull away from her touch after she finished trying "i think you're getting the hang of this," he murmured, referring to human customs.

“really?” she beamed up at him.

dean would deny the fact that her smile was absolutely adorable, and that his chest swelled in response. sam had to look away, hiding his smirk.

"yeah," dean replied softly, watching lenore with softened features "you're a quick learner."

“this is pretty.” she stated, big green eyes looking to his for assurance she was using that correctly. she was not. she wrongly assumed it was synonymous for good or satisfactory. 

dean was trying not to show how amused he was, a smile curling at his lips. he wanted to correct her. but he just couldn't pass up such an opportunity.

"pretty?" he questioned softly, his heart fluttering.

“is that word not synonymous with "good"?”

sam was now biting his bottom lip to contain the laughter that was threatening to bubble up from his throat. his smile was growing wider with every reply from lenore. 

dean couldn't help but grin softly, slowly shaking his head "pretty is a compliment. it's more than just 'good'.

her plump, pink lips pulled into a little pout, discouraged.

that made dean soften, his fingers twitching in his lap as he fought the urge to reach up and touch her lower lip. sam was completely enamored. he hadn't seen anyone so endearing before. dean cleared his throat, his voice going softer.

"hey, don't make that face."

“why?”

"because i don't like seeing it," dean replied, his eyes scanning over lenore's face, taking notice to the way her plump lips had pulled into an unintentional pout. it was cute, something he would never admit. he reached up to gently press the pad of his thumb against her bottom lip, gently swiping over it. 

“so this vessel is less than satisfactory to you?”

"no, no. that's not it," dean replied quickly, shaking his head for emphasis. sam tried not to let out a chuckle, his eyes darting between the pair as they talked. the whole thing was cute, his tough older brother soft and understanding. dean cleared his throat, shaking his head. "i like your vessel just fine. you're beautiful."

she smiled softly, blinking up at him almost expectantly. 

dean found himself staring at her as she smiled up at him, his heart drumming in his chest in a way he didn't quite understand. his eyes flickered over lenore's features, his heart still pounding out of his chest. sam felt himself growing soft, his amusement at the two of them together growing as he remained quiet.

after a few moments, he cleared his throat. he was unsure of what to say next, but his fingers still burned with the urge to touch her. "lenore, honey.." dean trailed off. 

“despite my wings, i have no relation to bees, am i like an insect to you?” she shook her head, chiding him gently. 

sam bit his cheek until it hurt, trying desperately not to give in to the laughter he was holding in. he was watching the pair like some teenage girl watching her favorite romance movie.

dean snickered, shaking his head. but he couldn't fight the softness that settled into his gaze after she chided him. "that's not..." he closed his eyes for a moment, before he met lenore's eyes. "you don't know what a pet name is?"

“i am not an animal either.”

sam couldn't hold his laugh any longer after that, bursting out in a soft chuckle. he shook his head, hiding his face behind his hand. meanwhile, dean was trying to keep his amusement from showing, but he failed. the pet name comment got him laughing softly too. "no, sweetheart," he murmured, the term of endearment falling off his tongue so easily. "that's not what i meant."

“oh, so it is something you call people? like sweetheart?”

"exactly like sweetheart." dean murmured, his fingers reaching out to touch her chin softly, almost instinctively. sam just watched, shaking his head at the two of them. the whole thing was so amusing, yet the softness between the pair wasn't lost on him.

“humans touch each other a lot.”

dean hummed in reply, a smile curling at the corner of his lips. he was definitely enjoying the physical touch. he slowly dropped his hand away from lenore, even if he didn't want to, but he wasn't sure how much lenore wanted him to touch her.

sam cleared his throat, still finding amusement in lenore's confusion. "it depends on who we're touching. it's generally to show affection." he explained. he couldn't believe they were explaining touching to an angel.

she nodded, understanding. she placed a delicate hand on dean's chest, blinking up at him as if to gauge his reaction - to see if she was doing it right. 

dean tried to ignore how his breath hitched, taking in a sharp inhale. he felt his skin tingle under her touch, his heart skipping a beat. his fingers twitched in his lap, wishing he could touch her again, but he kept his hand in place. he remained still, letting lenore touch him. sam watched with a sly grin.

her fingertips gently touched the planes of muscle, halfway poking at his chest through his sweatshirt.

dean's heart was racing under her light touch, he felt every press of her fingertips through his clothes. his skin tingled where she touched, goosebumps erupting over his skin. if he were a weaker man, he would've leaned into the touch, wanting to feel more. he met her eyes, watching her expression. sam had to hide another laugh, his smile growing at the sight of his brother struggling to contain himself.

she glanced down at his sweatshirt, noticing the details of it for the first time. it read "led zeppelin" and the embroidery was the fall of icarus. she frowned at the sight, tilting her head.

dean was trying hard not to focus too much on the way her touch ignited his skin, but her eyes darting toward his sweatshirt caught his attention.

"it's a band." he explained without a thought, watching her. "you know what music is?"

“yes, i was not born one thousand years ago.” she smiled softly, it was her turn to be amused. 

he raised an eyebrow, noticing the way she was staring at the band's logo. clearly it was different than what she was used to in heaven. 

"do you... not like it?" he wondered hesitantly, his heart still racing.

“is it meant to be lucifer?”

that seemed to catch him off guard. "lucifer? you mean... the devil?" he questioned curiously.  "no, it's meant to be icarus from greek mythology."

“but icarus was not real. lucifer is. he was the first to be cast out.”

the clarification surprised dean, even sam raised an eyebrow at her reasoning. though he was impressed more than anything. "how-" he stopped himself, shaking his head. “that's not the point, sweetheart."

he murmured a soft chuckle, shaking his head again. "icarus isn't real, no. it's artwork," he replied quietly, hoping it clicked somewhere for the angel.

“oh, like the mona lisa?”

"yes," dean murmured, surprised. he expected her not to understand, but she caught on quicker than expected "exactly like the mona lisa."

“how intriguing.” she mused. 

that got a nod from the both of them. sam found himself a bit surprised at lenore's reaction.

dean nodded as well, his eyes shifting down to lenore's hand. his fingers twitched in his lap, again fighting the urge to touch her. she didn't pull her hand back, but turned to sam, letting her gaze trail over him, seemingly looking for something. 

sam met her gaze, his eyebrow raising slowly at being studied by an angel. it wasn't a bad feeling, if anything it was endearing. "what?" he questioned softly, watching her with an amused smile.

“you are not wearing artwork.”

that almost got a chuckle out of him, but he managed to bite it back. the corners of his lips did curve upward though, unable to deny lenore's innocence. dean was watching in silence. he seemed to be observing lenore's curiosity, his heart still racing. 

her brows furrowed, suddenly noticing the speed of dean's heartbeat, the soft vibrations under her fingertips. 

that almost got a chuckle out of him, but he managed to bite it back. the corners of his lips did curve upward though, unable to deny lenore's innocence. dean was watching in silence. he seemed to be observing lenore's curiosity, his heart still racing. 

her brows furrowed, suddenly noticing the speed of dean's heartbeat, the soft vibrations under her fingertips. 

sam was quick to notice the change in lenore's expression, following the direction of her eyes. he wondered how a celestial being could pick up a detail like a heart beat without actually touching it. dean was still staring at lenore, the feeling of her hand against his chest made his heart flutter. he felt a wave of panic, he never felt so out of control of his emotions around someone. 

“your heartbeat is very fast. are you going into cardiac arrest?” she turned back to dean, worry etching its way onto her features.

sam bit his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing out loud. dean shook his head, surprised and caught off guard by her question. he cleared his throat, shaking his head. 

"uh, no. no cardiac arrest." he chuckled softly, his voice softer than usual. 

“are you sure?”

dean nodded, his expression softening. he was beginning to get used to her innocence "i promise, i'm not going into cardiac arrest."

“that is good.” she nodded, standing up. she took a few steps forward, to where sam stood, leaning against the back of the couch. sam's eyes widened slightly, not expecting lenore to move and join him where he was. dean didn't say anything, his eyes trailing after her. his heart rate was slowly returning to a normal pace, while his fingers still twitched in his lap.

she stood a foot shorter than him, completely dwarfed by his frame. she reached up a hand, her fingertips grazing his chest, over his heart. sam tensed up, surprised. he stayed still, his heart rate increasing slightly, while his eyes remained on lenore. dean watched with bated breath. 

“your heartbeat is only somewhat faster than normal,” she acknowledged. 

sam didn't quite know what to say, feeling the light touch of her fingers over his shirt. he swallowed the thickness that started to form in his throat. dean stayed quiet, his eyes following her hand and then trailing back up. his hands were balling into fists in his lap. she pulled back her hand, clasping them together and simply standing there, as though waiting to be spoken to.

sam relaxed, slowly letting out a breath. his eyes trailed back to her, watching her curiously. dean shifted in his seat, swallowing the thickness in his throat.

"lenore, sweetheart," he spoke, his voice softer than normal. "can i ask you something?"

“yes, dean?”

dean was trying his damn hardest to stop himself from saying anything he shouldn't. he cleared his throat, trying to ignore the way she said his name.

"why do you keep touching us?" his voice almost wavered, but remained calm. 

“i am sorry. i will keep my distance in the future.” she was quick to apologize. 

sam winced, shaking his head "no no, sweetheart. that's not what he meant."

dean was shaking his own head to emphasize that he didn't want her to apologize. "i don't want you to keep your distance, i was just curious." he murmured. 

“i am trying to fit in, am i not doing it right?”

sam shook his head, his expression growing softer. he had his suspicions, but he didn't want to say anything. dean spoke up, his voice softer, "no no. you're doing a pretty good job. you didn't do anything wrong."

“but,” she started, cutting herself off with a frown.

sam was intrigued, raising his eyebrow.

dean stayed silent, though his expression showed that he was trying to get her to finish her sentence.

“if i am doing it correctly, why did you ask?”

dean met lenore's eyes. his heart was still beating faster than normal. he cleared his throat "because i wasn't expecting you to just... touch me like that."

“is that not what humans do?”

dean tried to be careful with his words, not wanting to offend her. "yeah... people do that a lot actually. i was just trying to understand your reasoning behind it." he admitted truthfully. 

“so there always has to be a reason behind touching someone?” she clarified, beginning to grasp the concept. 

"not exactly." dean replied, shaking his head slowly. "sometimes, people just touch others to show affection, other times people don't have a reason" he explained quietly. sam had a feeling that the reason behind her touching was for her to understand humans better. she seemed curious.

“oh.”

dean kept his eyes on her expression, watching her reaction. he wasn't sure how she'd react, or if his explanation made any sense to her. sam was watching as well, wondering if lenore understood what dean said. 

she nodded after a moment, the pieces seemingly fitting into place. sam relaxed at her nod, glad that it clicked somewhere for the angel. dean relaxed slightly, letting out a breath. he watched her, meeting her eyes "do you understand what i mean?" he questioned softly, trying to make it as simple as possible. 

“i do.”

"so, is there any reason why you keep touching us? or are you... just curious about humans?" sam asked curiously, wanting to get a better understanding of why. 

“well, at first i was curious, then i wanted to see if you were going into cardiac arrest.”

sam fought so hard with his laughter, but he gave in. he ended up covering his mouth to muffle the sound. dean didn't expect that. not that he was completely shocked by it, but it was unexpected.

dean bit his tongue to suppress the smile trying to make its way on his face, shaking his head. there were so many thoughts that ran through his mind "you were worried about us, uh, going into cardiac arrest?"

“your heartbeat was so fast, and humans are fairly delicate.”

dean was struggling. his chest swelled at her concern, and it made him feel weak. he had never once had someone actually be concerned for him like that "yeah, but you realize that... heart rates increase for a number of reasons, right?"

“i did not know that.” lenore shook her head. 

sam cleared his throat, calming himself down slightly. he was still trying to not burst out laughing. the pair had yet to tell lenore that heart rates usually increased when around someone they were attracted to. dean raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly in disbelief, "oh, did you not?"

“i have never had organs until now.” she explained. 

that had sam laughing again, shaking his head as he tried his best to suppress it. dean couldn't help the snort that escaped him. dean chuckled softly again, shaking his head. he tried his hardest to contain any expression that would give away his next thoughts. "well, sweetheart," he teased softly. "did you know that hearts can beat faster because of attraction?"

“you admire this vessel?” she asked, her tone curious and without pretense. her gaze lingered on him, unknowing of the way her question unraveled his composure.

that shut sam up in a second, his eyes wide as he tried to contain his laughter. he was too shocked to form any sound now, though he was grinning wildly at what just happened. dean was trying to ignore the warmth he felt in his chest, his fingers twitching as he bit the inside of his cheek. "i mean, yeah. you're beautiful." he murmured, keeping eye contact. there was no denying she was attractive. 

“my vessel is?”

dean cleared his throat. how was his heart still drumming in his chest? he didn't even know. his eyes shifted over lenore, and his heart skipped a beat "yes, sweetheart. you are. you're extremely beautiful, to the point you might break hearts of tons of humans."

“oh no, that is not good at all, i must acquire a different vessel.” she shook her head. 

dean shook his head quickly, raising his hands in defense, shooting sam a glare as he snickered. "no! i meant it in a good way, sweetheart! a really good way" he rushed out, his eyes widening. 

“how is breaking organs a good thing?”

dean shook his head, chuckling softly as he tried his best to clarify. but he was finding it amusing that she took his words so literally. "honey, the expression 'breaking hearts' doesn't literally mean breaking organs. it's to imply something or someone is too attractive to handle."

“that makes no sense.”

sam continued laughing behind his hand, shaking his head. dean raised an eyebrow, finding amusement in her stubbornness and innocence. he tried to be patient, knowing she was new to human customs. "look honey...” he murmured, looking for a way to explain that her beauty would draw in many humans- "you are... attractive. gorgeous.”

she blinked up at him, waiting for him to go on. 

sam was biting hard into the back of his hand to keep his laughter to himself. poor lenore didn't even understand that she was absolutely beautiful.

dean cleared his throat, his heart still drumming in his chest. "your face. your body. your appearance, honey" he emphasized. god, this angel was a lot to handle already. 

“my body?” she looked down, confused. 

sam was practically choking as he laughed, the corners of his eyes were starting to gloss with tears. he covered his mouth as his shoulders shook. dean wasn't any better. he ran a hand over his face, almost laughing at lenore's confusion. 

"yes, your body" he murmured quietly, running his eyes over lenore. she was unaware of how attractive she was, and it was both amusing and adorable to him. 

“why?”

sam couldn't contain himself any longer, bursting into a new fit of laughter. he covered his mouth with a hand, trying not to be too loud. dean was having to bite the inside of his cheek really hard now. how could someone be so oblivious and innocent to their own beauty?

"do..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say without accidentally offending lenore "do you have any thoughts on your body?"

“it hurts a little.” she offered. 

that had sam stopping his laughter for a moment. he raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. 

dean's eyebrows furrowed, curious. his laugh faded almost instantly, replaced with concern. 

“i just fell from seven hundred thousand feet.”

dean's entire expression softened. how could he forget about that? "oh. you're probably sore then?" he murmured softly, his hand twitching to touch her.

“it is a dull pain, does that constitute as "sore"?”

sam felt terrible, shaking his head "yeah. that would constitute as sore" he murmured in response. dean felt even worse. he frowned, his mind drifting to lenore's injuries. "you have any other injuries?"

“just my wings."

sam tilted his head, curious. he had heard a myth of how an angel's wings were their most sensitive. he wondered if the myth held true. "can i ask you a question, or two, about your wings?" sam asked hesitantly. 

“yes, sam. you may.”

sam smiled softly, glad she was open to questions "are your wings your most sensitive part of your body?" he asked curiously. 

“no, i do not think so.”

sam hummed in response, raising an eyebrow. his interest was piqued. dean was intrigued. his eyes were on lenore, curious if she would share any details. his fingers were still twitching in his lap, the urge to touch her returning. 

“that reminds me,” she spoke, shutting her eyes. a slight furrow appeared in her brows for a moment, before her long, feathered wings were pristine once more, still draped on the floor like the train of a wedding dress. 

sam couldn't hide his surprise. he didn't think she would just simply fix them without thinking twice about it. dean was surprised as well, eyes widening slightly. he hadn't expected her to heal her wings so quickly. 

"you uh, just healed them?" sam murmured in surprise. 

“yes?”

sam almost burst into laughter. of course that was a basic response from her. "just like that? with no hesitation?" he hummed. dean chuckled softly, shaking his head. of course, being an angel, she just healed so quickly and easily.

“my wound is almost gone.”

sam was shocked, his eyes widening. he was impressed that a wound could heal that quickly.

"already? so soon?" he muttered.

dean's expression softened. it was reassuring that her injury was mostly healed already. he found lenore to be quite fascinating - for obvious reasons. everything about her intrigued him.

“yes, see?” she pulled up her shirt, tugging off the bandages to reveal only a large bruise where there was once a deep gash - only thirty minutes ago. sam was caught off guard. his surprise grew. how could a wound heal that quickly in only half an hour?

dean's eyebrows raised. he leaned in to get a better look, impressed "that's pretty remarkable, sweetheart." he murmured softly, shaking his head. 

“you may remark on it, if you wish.” she spoke, her tone neutral. sam smiled at her wording. "that's not what i meant, sweetheart. remarkable means... amazing."

“oh. thank you.”

"you're welcome, honey.”

she let her shirt fall back down, stretching a little, her wings fluttering slightly before they disappeared. 

sam couldn't help but wonder how her wings felt. if they were as soft as they looked. meanwhile, dean was trying hard to ignore how her shirt fell down. he found himself staring where it was lifted up, his heart racing. he had to force himself to pull his eyes away. he felt his face heat, his chest clenching. 

he raised an eyebrow, watching lenore, who seemed to be evaluating his brother. she looked up at sam, a warm smile gracing her features as she stared intently at him. sam couldn't help but laugh softly again. he couldn't get over it. a literal angel. just beaming up at him. 

dean was in awe. he couldn't help the softening of his expression, his fingers tensing in his lap. his fingers twitched with the urge to reach out. but he refrained, watching her. she turned to dean, staring as intently at him before frowning slightly. 

she was picking up on dean's emotions. his laughter died in his throat, curious to see how he would react.

dean felt his entire body tense. he wanted to look away, or turn. he couldn't handle her looking directly into him with her piercing gaze. but he stayed still, meeting her eyes. his fingers curled into fists in his lap. 

“restraint,” she mused softly.

sam was surprised that she managed to pick that up, his eyes widening. he bit his bottom lip, his laughter dying. he was intrigued. dean swallowed thickly. she knew. he slowly shook his head. his heart still beating rapidly in response. she nodded, correcting him. 

sam was impressed. he knew she had empathy, but he didn't expect her to be so perceptive and honest.

dean felt his stomach drop. she knew. she could tell that he had to restrain himself. she knew what he felt. but he couldn't admit that. 

“uncomfortable with emotional vulnerability,” she murmured. 

sam froze. it was like she was reading right through his brother. he didn't know what to say. he cleared his throat, shaking his head.

dean felt his entire body tense again. she could read him so easily. he felt exposed and vulnerable. he wanted to deny it, but he couldn't. she was correct.

“i am sorry.” she was quick to backtrack. 

dean shook his head,  he couldn't deny it, no matter how much he wanted to. not with how she was completely correct "it's okay. you're right." he murmured. she seemed to think for a moment, before placing her delicate hand on his thigh.

that caught him off guard slightly. her hand was so delicate, and small. but the contact of her touching him, her hand on his thigh, made his entire body feel weak. his heart skipped a beat at the small, innocent touch.

a while later, they sat on the couch, lenore pressed in between dean and the side of the couch. she didn't understand where to sit, and just picked a random spot.

dean had to refrain from putting his arm around her. the space between them was so small, he could smell the faint scent of vanilla. 

she touched her fingertip to the back of dean's hand, the one resting on his thigh. even the smallest touch had a major effect on him. his heart rate increased at the contact. he stayed still, not being able to resist looking at lenore, his features softening as he did so. she slowly reached out her other hand, grabbing his large, calloused one with both of her smaller ones. 

dean was weak. he felt so weak. his entire body was pliant in her hands, his large hand malleable in between her smaller, delicate ones, like clay in the hands of a potter. he watched in silence, letting her touch him. the softness of her fingertips, it made him feel so much. he wondered what her skin felt like. he wanted to feel her skin on his, to feel the softness, to feel more. 

she inspected his hand, flipping it over and looking at his palm. she touched the ring he wore, bending his fingers gently, tracing his veins. dean let her, his hand completely open and exposed for her to study. he was completely still, letting her touch. the tips of her fingers brushed against his palm, tracing his veins, almost made him feel dizzy. his arm tensed, his breathing hitched. 

“is this bothersome?” she asked softly, stopping her movements to look up at him.

dean quickly shook his head. the last thing he wanted was for her to stop. feeling her delicate, soft touch on him was so overwhelming. he swallowed, trying to keep his emotions in control. "no. not at all." he murmured, his voice softer than usual. she nodded, continuing her exploration. 

his heart was drumming wildly in his chest. he felt dazed, almost drunk. feeling her fingers dance and press against his palm. he had to refrain from flipping his palm so he could feel her soft fingers between his. he felt his entire body warming up, his face flushing.

her right hand slipped down to his wrist, wrapping her slim fingers around it, placing her left hand up against his, as if to compare the sizes. he swallowed, his pulse rapid against her fingertips. his hand was much larger, his skin roughened with scars. his fingers twitched, wanting to hold her hand. she had such soft and delicate hands, which was a stark contrast to his own. she slipped her fingers between his, watching with great fascination at the way they molded together. 

dean's breath hitched. it took him a lot to keep his hand completely still. the feeling of her fingers between his, he felt that feeling of weakness. it was like electricity flowing through him, tingling up his arm.

he couldn't look away. his gaze was on their fingers. the contrast between her hand and his. delicate, and soft versus large and rough. she climbed over him, still holding onto his hand, her free hand reaching for sam's. 

sam watched her climb over his brother, catching him by surprise. his fingers instinctively moved, allowing her to grasp his hand for the same comparison.

dean raised an eyebrow, looking at her as she climbed onto him, confused but not bothered. but feeling vulnerable, having her climb over. his chest feeling tight. his head was starting to spin, his heart racing. 

sam's hands were a little bigger and less calloused, his fingers just a little longer. his hands were softer for sure. not as rough as dean's. sam was curious about her analysis, letting her hold his hand to compare. his expression slowly softened, watching lenore with a slight smile. 

dean still wondered how her hands would feel against the rest of him. he couldn't stop thinking about having her fingers on his skin. he internally kicked himself, trying to rid his mind of the impure thoughts that crept in. he ached to ruin her. 

“interesting.”

sam was fascinated by the differences, watching her analyse them. it had him curious. he raised an eyebrow, "interesting?" he wondered. dean was also intrigued. he wondered the differences too. though his mind wandered down to other thoughts, like how delicate her hands would feel on him.

dean shifted, glancing at his brother , who looked just as captivated by lenore's silent analysis. he couldn't help but smirk. 

"so, who's got the better hands?" dean teased, his voice low and gruff, though his tone betrayed his genuine curiosity. lenore looked up at dean, her expression thoughtful. 

"it's not about better or worse," she said softly, her fingers releasing sam's hand but not dean's, as though drawn back to him instinctively. "it's about what they've been through.” she whispered, tracing the roughened skin, “they carry the weight of battles won and lost. they speak of pain, of strength… of sacrifices no one should bear alone.”

dean swallowed hard as her fingers curled around hers one more, this time more deliberately. the way her gentle touch lingered made him feel like his entire being was laid bare for her to see.

"that's... deep," sam muttered, leaning back slightly, his own hand now resting on the couch. his tone was light, but there was a hint of admiration in his voice. lenore smiled faintly, her focus still on dean's hand. "you fascinate me.” she paused, looking up into dean's green eyes, her own soft and unguarded.  

dean's chest tightened, her gaze hitting him hard. vulnerability wasn't something he liked to think about, let alone acknowledge. but with her holding his hand, her fingers so delicately intertwined with his, he couldn't deny it.

"why is that?" he asked, his voice low, almost hesitant. lenore tilted her head, studying him as if trying to decide.

“you keep your true emotions guarded. but you are fighting to let me in.”

dean's jaw clenched, his usual walls threatening to rise. but the softness of her gaze as she looked up at him made it impossible. he was completely disarmed, her presence unraveling him in ways he wasn't sure he was ready to face.

sam, sensing the shift in the air, cleared his throat and stood. "i'm gonna grab a drink," he announced, giving lenore a small, knowing smile before heading toward the kitchen.

lenore watched him go, then returned her attention to dean. she still held his hand, her fingers now moving to trace a particularly deep scar on his palm. "you don't have to hide," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

dean's throat tightened, and for a moment, he said nothing. then, in a voice that sounded more vulnerable than he intended, he muttered, "it's not that simple."

lenore's lips curved into a faint smile, her fingers stilling against his. "yes it is.”

dean let out a shaky breath, his free hand running through his hair. "you've got a way of making a guy feel... exposed," he admitted, his smirk weak but genuine.

lenore's laugh was soft, melodic, but the look in her eyes - the trust, the understanding - somehow made it easier to bear. for the first time in a long time, he felt seen, and it scared him as much as it comforted him.

dean sat there for a moment, his hand still resting on his thigh where lenore had left it, tingling from her touch. his gaze lingered on her, his mind racing with thoughts he wasn't sure he should be having. he wanted to say something, anything, to break the heavy silence that had fallen between them. but before he could, lenore shifted closer, her knees brushing against his thigh.

she tilted her head, studying him with a quiet intensity. "you're quieter than usual," she said softly, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity.

dean chuckled dryly, shaking his head. "yeah, well, you've got me all figured out, don't you?"

lenore smiled, a little mischievous now. "not yet." she rested her elbow on the back of the couch and leaned her cheek against her hand, her body angled toward him. “but i think i'm getting there."

dean smirked. "good luck with that," he muttered, looking down at his hands. "i'm not exactly an open book."

"maybe not," lenore agreed, her voice soft again. "but you're not as hard to read as you think."

he glanced down at her, his green eyes narrowing slightly. "oh yeah? what do you think you've figured out?"

lenore hesitated, her fingers lightly tracing patterns on the fabric of the couch. "you carry a lot," she said finally. "more than most people could. and you do it quietly, like it's just... expected of you. but it's not."

dean's smirk faltered, her words hitting him like a punch to the stomach. he looked away, his jaw tightening. "it's not that simple," he repeated, his voice quieter this time.

"i know you believe that.” lenore replied, her tone understanding. "but that doesn't mean you have to do it all alone."

dean let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head again.’i’ve been doing this alone for as long as i can remember,” dean said, his voice rough. “it’s just… the way it is.” he shifted, avoiding her gaze, as if meeting her eyes would strip away the lie he barely believed himself.

"doesn't mean you don't deserve help." she countered gently, her eyes searching his. she was making an active effort to mimic his speech patterns, trying to get though to him.

he didn't respond right away, his fingers curling into a loose fist on his thigh. he could feel her watching him, waiting patiently, but she didn't push. that patience, that quiet understanding - it unnerved him. made him feel seen in a way he wasn't used to.

finally, he sighed, leaning back against the couch and running a hand down his face. "you're relentless, you know that?"

lenore laughed softly, the sound warm and genuine. "i've been told that before."

dean couldn't help but smile, though it was faint. "yeah, well, don't get used to this," he said, gesturing between them. "me, opening up or whatever. it's... rare."

lenore's smile softened. "i don't need you to open up all the way," she said. "just enough to let me in."

he looked at her then, really looked at her, and for a moment, he let himself wonder what it would be like to let her in - to let someone see the parts of him he kept hidden. it was terrifying. but with her sitting so close, her eyes so steady and kind, it felt possible… almost. 

lenore leaned back against the couch, her hands folding neatly in her lap. dean felt the absence of her touch like a physical ache, but he stayed still, his hand resting where she'd left it. he glanced toward the kitchen, where sam was still out of sight, before shifting his gaze back to her.

"you always this curious about people's hands?" he asked, trying to sound casual, though his voice carried a slight edge of vulnerability.

lenore tilted her head, considering the question. "not always," she admitted, her tone light. 

dean raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a half-smile. "but?"

her gaze dropped to his hand again, and she hesitated before answering. "they're worn, like they've carried too much. like they've held things they shouldn't have had to."

the smile faded from dean's face. her words hit too close to home, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say. he was used to people noticing his strength, all his bravado and peacocking - but lenore seemed to see right through it, straight to the parts he tried to bury. 

"guess that's just part of the job," he finally said, his voice quiet.

lenore didn't reply right away. onstead, she reached out again, her fingers brushing against his wrist. dean froze, the small, deliberate touch grounding him.

"you're not just your job, dean," 

dean swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. her words were simple, but they carried a weight that felt almost unbearable. "yeah, well," he muttered, forcing a smirk.

dean's gaze lingered on her, his smirk fading into something softer. he didn't know how she managed to do it, but she was tearing down walls he didn't even realize he'd built.

before he could say anything else, sam returned from the kitchen, a bottle of beer in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

"everything good in here?" he asked, his tone casual, but his eyes flicked between them with quiet curiosity.

"peachy," dean replied quickly, his usual bravado snapping back into place.

dean leaned back into the couch, letting the faint hum of the television fill the quiet space.

sam was sipping his beer, his attention half-focused on the screen, but dean couldn't tear his eyes away from lenore. her presence was magnetic, and even in the most mundane moment - sitting on the couch, she drew him in like a moth to a flame. 

she glanced at him and caught him staring. her lips curled into a knowing smile, and dean immediately averted his gaze, clearing his throat as if that would somehow erase the vulnerability he'd just displayed.

"what're we watching, anyway?" dean asked, his tone attempting to seem casual.

it was some crime show, the kind sam occasionally got hooked on. normally, dean would crack a joke about sam's nerdy taste in television, but right now, he was too distracted by the way lenore had subtly shifted closer to him.

her shoulder brushed his, just barely, but it was enough. he wanted to say something, do something, but instead, he stayed perfectly still, as if any sudden movement would break the fragile moment.

lenore leaned slightly toward him, her voice soft. "you seem tense," she observed, her eyes flicking to his hand, which was gripping his knee a little too tightly.

dean huffed a quiet laugh, his lips quirking into a smirk. "tense? nah. this is just my resting badass face."

sam snorted from his chair, not even looking up from his beer. "she's got you pegged, man."

dean shot him a glare. "nobody asked you, sasquatch."

lenore laughed softly, the sound warm and infectious. she shifted again, this time curling her legs up onto the couch and leaning more fully into dean's side. his entire body tensed at the contact, but he didn't pull away. if anything, he leaned into her slightly, letting the weight of her presence ground him.

"you're not as tough as you act," she said quietly, her soft voice just for him.

dean turned his head to look at her, his smirk faltering. her eyes were so comforting, so full of something he couldn't quite name, and it made his chest ache in a way he wasn't used to.

"don't let the word get out," he murmured, his voice low, almost tender.

her smile widened, but she didn't respond. instead, she let her head rest against his shoulder, her proximity filling him with a warmth that was both comforting and terrifying.

sam glanced over, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing. he took another sip of his beer, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he returned his gaze to the tv.

dean exhaled slowly, trying to relax into the moment, but his mind was racing. he didn't know what this was - what they were - but for once, he didn't feel the need to analyze it.

for now, he was content to let her stay close, her presence reminding him that maybe - just maybe - he didn't have to carry everything alone.

the fire burned low, its embers glowing like the remnants of a distant star, fragile and fleeting. lenore sat near its warmth, her form bathed in golden light, yet her shadow stretched long and deep, a quiet reminder of the weight she carried. outside, the snow continued its unrelenting descent, veiling the world in silence—a silence that seemed to breathe, to listen, to wait.

dean’s gaze lingered on her, though he told himself it was idle curiosity. she wasn’t looking at him, her green eyes fixed instead on the frost that crept along the edges of the windowpane. her hands rested still in her lap, yet there was a tension to her—an almost imperceptible tremor, like a string pulled taut, vibrating with the echoes of a song unsung.

“i thought the world would be brighter,” she said at last, her voice soft, a breath more than a sound. “i imagined the stars would sing louder, the earth would hum beneath my feet. but here… it feels heavier than i dreamed.”

dean shifted, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. he didn’t look at her, not directly, but he felt the weight of her words settle into him, rooting themselves in the cracks he rarely acknowledged.”earth’s not really one for singing,” he muttered, his voice rough yet low, as though the quiet demanded reverence. “it’s more… noise and chaos.” he glanced at her then, his green eyes flickering with something unspoken. “guess it takes some getting used to.”

she turned toward him, her gaze steady, unblinking. “and yet, even in the chaos, there is beauty.” her lips curved faintly, not quite a smile but something close. “perhaps it is the imperfection that makes it so.”

dean didn’t reply, couldn’t. her words struck something in him - something buried and forgotten, like a memory of warmth he hadn’t realized he’d lost.

sam, perched nearby with his ever-watchful gaze, said nothing. he let the silence stretch, knowing better than to interrupt whatever fragile understanding was weaving itself between them.

lenore shifted slightly, her wings invisible - yet ever-present in the way her posture spoke of burdens carried far too long. “the snow,” she murmured, her voice distant, “it falls without hesitation. it is neither cruel nor kind, yet it blankets the earth as though it were trying to soften its edges. i think… i envy its simplicity.”

dean tilted his head, his brow furrowing. “yeah, well,” he said, his tone lighter, though it couldn’t quite mask the gravel in his voice, “snow melts. doesn’t last long.”

lenore turned her gaze to him again, her eyes catching the firelight. “nothing does,” she whispered, “but perhaps that is why it matters.”

the room fell silent again, the crackle of the fire and the soft howling of the wind filling the space where words might have been. dean felt her words settling into him, as gentle and persistent as the snow outside, reshaping his edges in ways he didn’t yet understand.

for a moment, they stayed like that - three figures bound by circumstance and possibly even fate, surrounded by the quiet inevitability of the storm. and though the night stretched cold and endless outside, within the small cabin, a warmth lingered: fragile, fleeting, and perhaps, for the first time, enough.

lenore’s gaze lingered on the firelight, her expression softening as though the flames held secrets only she could see. her wings, though invisible, seemed to shift in her posture—a subtle lift, a quiet resilience breaking through the weariness.

“i thought i’d lost everything when i fell,” she said, her voice quiet but steady, like the first light of dawn breaking over a long night. her eyes lifted to meet dean’s, holding his gaze with an intensity that made him sit up straighter. “but now… i’m not so sure.”

dean tilted his head, his green eyes narrowing slightly. “what do you mean?”

lenore smiled then, faint but undeniable, as if she were seeing something they couldn’t yet. “maybe i fell for a reason,” she said softly, her tone carrying a note of wonder. her gaze drifted to sam, then back to dean. “maybe this… is where i was always meant to be.”

the silence that followed wasn’t heavy or tense—it was filled with something warmer, something unspoken but undeniable. the snow outside fell softer now, blanketing the world in a quiet peace. dean didn’t respond, but his jaw unclenched, and something in his chest loosened. maybe - just maybe - she was right.

[heartsandstars46]

Comfort part 2

Still lots of fluffy comfort and connection, but this part got a tiny bit spicy… 🔥 (brief nudity, nothing graphic, but still: MDNI please!)

fem reader x bf tasm!Peter 🩷

Word count: under 1k

Part 1

“How do you do this? Like, you come home with someone else’s blood on you, and that’s just ‘another day at the office’. How is that not unnerving?”

You were sitting on the counter in the bathroom, gently wiping the dirt and blood off Peter’s face, neck, chest with a warm washcloth… and also rambling a bit because he still seemed withdrawn.

“Or maybe I’m just not cut out for life as a superhero.” When he didn’t respond, you poked him in the shoulder. “Hey.”

“Huh?”

“Where are you right now?”

He smiled. “Here with you,” but even he didn’t seem convinced. You knew he was replaying the whole night in his head, trying to pinpoint his failures, the way he did with Gwen's death. (Not that he’d told you as much; that had been revealed by the things he said in his nightmares.)

“Okay, then can you do me a favor? Can you stay here with me?” You squeezed his hand. “Don’t make me go all ‘five things you can see, four things you can touch," because I will.”

He smirked. “Well, here’s one thing I can see.” He tugged at the now-filthy collar of the Ramones shirt you were wearing. “At least I ruined my own shirt and not yours.”

“Who’s to say it’s ruined? I am capable of getting a stain out, you know—as well as not turning everything in the wash red and blue.”

“Yeah, yeah, rub it in,” he said, but you were both laughing. “Let me get you something clean to wear.”

“Not blood-stained is really all I’m looking for—it’s a low bar.”

“Whew, thank god for that.”

When Peter returned, he did have a shirt in his hands, but he stopped short.

“What’s wrong?”

He smiled, studying you. “I just like that you wear my clothes when I’m not here.”

You were surprised by how much that comment fluttered your stomach. “Even though I can name more Ramones songs than you?”

“That was one time! And ‘Don’t Worry about Me’ is solo Joey, so that shouldn’t even count!”

“Why not? It might as well be the Peter Parker anthem.” You raised an eyebrow at him. “You always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and are just like, ‘No thanks, I got it,’ even when it’s about to crush you.” You normally wouldn’t have teased him on such a rough night, but it seemed to be distracting him.

“That sass is gonna get you in trouble, girl. I could tickle you at any time.”

“Nooo!” You were laughing as you batted away his hands. “Well, for the record, I like it too—wearing your shirts, I mean. It makes it feel like you’re here when you’re not.”

He smiled. “Good. I’m glad.” He took the washcloth from you. “Okay, your turn.”

He gently began to wipe clean your neck and chin. Then he stopped and laughed nervously.

“What’s wrong?”

“The dirt and stuff kind of goes under your collar. Like, and I swear this is not a ploy, it would be easier….”

You stared at him. Then the lightbulb lit and you found yourself tripping over your words. “Oh! It would be easier if I took off my shirt. Or, technically, your shirt, I guess.”

“Yeah. I swear I’m not just trying to get you naked.”

You touched his cheek and gave your own nervous laugh. “I would hope not, given the horrific fluorescent lighting in here .”

“First of all, you are exquisite in any lighting—or no lighting.”

You blushed, remembering his heightened vision.

“What if I worked quick and kept you covered up?”

You had no idea how he was going to accomplish that, but you agreed nonetheless. You trusted him to take care of you. He gently lifted the shirt over your head and you shivered. You felt incredibly shy. There was something so much easier about being naked and vulnerable in the dark. You hoped you looked okay; that your body wasn’t disappointing when bathed in all this light.

Though he quickly averted his eyes, you did catch Peter looking, somewhat awestruck, at your naked breasts for a second, and you felt your heart beat faster. 

“Okay,” he softly, wrapping one arm around your back and pulling you against him so that you were “covered up” by his body. Your bare skin pressed against his. “Be honest. Is this okay?” He looked into your eyes.

It was okay, and you said so.

As you were skin-to-skin with the man you loved, everything all at once was intoxicating--his physical warmth and his heartbeat and his hands tenderly pulling your hair back and cleaning off your neck and collarbone....

“Still doing okay? Do I need to ask you for five things you can see?”

You laughed and, heart pounding, impulsively kissed him.

“What was that for?” He asked, amused.

You just kind of shrug/laughed. You couldn’t have put it into words anyway. He chuckled, drying off your neck and collarbone.

“Okay, much better. Sorry again for getting you all dirty. Ready?”

No, you were never ready to give up that level of closeness. But you two could only ever be entwined for so long. You always had to go back to separate bodies and beings.

“Yep.”

Just before helping you into his shirt, he leaned  in and whispered, “You are exquisite in fluorescent lighting too.” He kissed the top of your head, then pulled his clean t-shirt over it.

“Thanks for taking care of me,” you whispered, grasping his hand and interlacing your fingers.

He tilted his head with a smile. “Who do you think I learned it from?” He squeezed your hand. “Only the best.”

[jamieleecvrtis]

TOM HOLLAND

Chaos Walking (2021) dir. Doug Liman

[waitimcomingtoo]

Red

Pairing: Arvin Russel x Reader

Warnings: fighting, swearing, southern dialect (not really a warning lol)

Masterlist

“Hey Arvin.” Leonora smiled as she climbed into her brothers car. “Sorry it took so long. I got my dress caught on a locker.”

“I don’t mind waiting, long as those hillbilly boys ain’t bothering you.” Arvin stated in his low southern drawl.

“They left me alone today thanks to Y/n.” Leonora sighed in content as she situated her bible on her lap.

“Y/n?” Arvin furrowed his eyebrows. “Who’s that?”

As if on cue, you opened the back door of Arvin’s car and got into the backseat.

“Hi.” You waved at the two of them with a cheerful smile. “Sorry I’m late.”

Arvin looked at you in the rear view mirror and cleared his throat, nervously taking off his baseball cap and smoothing his hair down before looking away. You had your hair in banana curls that came to your shoulders, the front pinned back to give a better view of your face. Your cherry red lips matched your skirt, which was a nice contrast to your bright white blouse. Arvin was taken aback by the girl in his backseat, feeling like you were much too pretty to be in his beat up old car. For the first time in his life, he cared about his appearance, fumbling nervously with the brim of his hat.

“There she is.” Leonora looked back at you. “This is my friend Y/n. She’s gonna come with me to visit momma today.”

“Nice to meet you. Awful nice of you to drive us. I don’t know anybody with a car.” You spoke with excitement, as if being in Arvin’s old car was a fancy excursion. He held eye contact with you in the mirror, nodded at you to acknowledge your greeting.

“Nice to meet you too. Name’s Arvin.” He tilted his hat to you. “You have somebody buried up there too?”

“Kinda. My dog is buried under the big oak tree in the back.” You explained. “It’s her birthday today.”

“We’re gonna say a prayer for Bessie and momma. We won’t be too long.” Leonora told him as he started the car.

“Bessie?” He wondered, looking to her for answers. The name ignited nostalgia in him for a song he had never told anyone about.

“That was my dogs name.” You said, a light flush appearing on his cheeks as you spoke directly to him.

“Nice name.” He commented, thinking of his dog Jack. “What breed?”

“Jack russel.” You answered, as if you read him mind.

“She likes Russel’s.” Leonora commented, causing you to jokingly slap her on the shoulder. Arvin’s jaw tightened as he looked at you in the mirror again, curious to know what his sister meant by that.

“Shut up. Least I’m not crushing on a preacher.” You playfully teased her.

“Just teasing.” She laughed as you pulled up to the church. “You can park here, Arvin. We don’t mind the walk.”

“Thanks for driving us, Arvin.” You smiled brightly at him. He finally turned to look at you, face softening when his eyes met yours.

“No trouble missus.” He nodded curtly at you, fighting the urge to break his permanent frown with a smile.

“See you later.” You waved goodbye to him as you left the car, linking your arm through Lenora’s once you were out. Despite your back being to him, he waved back, blowing out a nervous breath as he watched you leave. He wasn’t one to have his head turned by pretty girls, his grandmother worried if he even cared for girls at all, but something about you left a pink tint in his cheeks. He looked at his backseat where you had been, smiling a little at the thought of you. The smell of you flowery perfume lingered in his car, replacing his usual smell of cigarette smoke. It was a nice and welcomed change, one he wouldn’t mind getting used to.

Before long, Arvin heard a knock on his window. He looked up and saw you holding your book bag over your head with an apologetic look of your face. He quickly rolled the window down, blinking a few times in surprise.

“Hi. Leonora wudden done yet and it’s starting to rain. You mind if I wait in here?” You asked like it was a tall order, but he was more than happy to fulfill it. He hadn’t even realized it had begun to drizzle, too wrapped up in that thought of you to notice his surroundings.

“Go ‘head.” He nodded as he unlocked the door. “You don’t have to sit in the back if you don’t want . Front is just fine.”

“Thank you.” You smiled at him as you sat in the passenger seat, shaking the raindrops out of your hair once inside. You tossed your bag over the seat and let it sit in the back before rubbing your arms from the chill of the rain. Arvin wordlessly took of his jacket and laid it over your shoulders when he saw the goosebumps on your arms. You smiled gratefully at him and held the jacket tighter around you, taking in the smell of it.

“Thank you. Rain came out of nowhere.” You laughed breathlessly as you looked at him. Too shy to speak, he gave you a nod in response and looked out the window.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” You asked suddenly, making him look at you again. You had a coy smile on your face, a smile he was growing awfully fond of.

“Don’t got much to say.” He shrugged, just happy you were taking an interest in him.

“Shame.” You chuckled shyly as you looked down at your red fingernails. “I would’ve liked to hear whatever you had to say.”

Arvin’s jaw dropped a little at your statement, immediately coughing to cover up his shocked expression. It was the first time he had ever been flirted with and it showed. He rubbed his hand on his shirt to smooth it as he shook his head, unsuccessful in hiding how flustered you made him.

“You mind if I smoke in here?” He changed the subject before he could embarrass himself further.

“Go ahead. I like the smell.” You shrugged as he pulled out his lighter.

“You do?” He looked at you curiously with his cigarette between his teeth. Most people he knew hated the smell, but you were continuously proving you weren’t like most people he knew.

“Yeah.” You nodded. “Reminds me of my daddy.”

“Me too.” He chuckled softly, finding himself on common ground with you once again. “You smoke?”

He held out his box to you to offer you a cigarette, making you bite your lip as you contemplated it.

“I never tried it before.” You spoke shyly, as if it was something to be embarrassed about.

“Here. I’ll give you a light.” Arvin smirked as he took a cigarette out of the box. You opened your mouth and held eye contact with you as he placed it between your lips, red lipstick staining the base. He lit his own cigarette before leaning forward and lighting yours with his own.

“It’s gonna burn at first, you might start coughing.” He warned you as you took a short puff.

“Whew.” You took it out of your mouth and coughed. “That’s something different.”

“You don’t have to finish it if you don’t like it.” He assured you as he took a long drag of his.

“Never said I didn’t like it.” You winked at him before taking another drag. Arvin looked away as he smiled, rubbing his tired eyes with his free hand.

“My grandmomma hates it when I smoke in here.” He began to open up to you. “Said it makes the seats smell like a factory.”

“Then I won’t tell her.” You drawled. “Secrets safe with me.”

Arvin found the confidence to move his arm to rest on the back of seat, almost close enough to be around you. You took the hint and scooted closer to him, excitement evident in your eyes. He smirked a little before he took his cigarette out of his mouth and blew the smoke in your face. You leaned into his cloud of smoke, holding his gaze as you inhaled. He leaned forward as well, planning to meet you in the middle until you heard the backdoor open.

“Hey guys.” Leonora bumbled as he got in the backseat. “Rain came out of nowhere, didn’t it?”

You and Arvin shared a disappointed look before your turned in your seat to look at Leonora.

“Hi, hun.” You greeted her kindly. “You all set?”

“Yeah. Thanks for coming with me.” She put her hand on your arm and squeezed it in appreciation.

“Anytime.” You told her, sneaking a glance at Arvin as he put his key in the ignition.

He kept quiet on the ride to your house after asking for your address, so you busted yourself by keeping light conversation with Leonora. You didn’t live too far from the church and found yourself in your drive way sooner than you’d like. You unbuckled your seat belt and collected your books, looking at Arvin wistfully before getting out.

“Thank you for driving me home, Arvin.” You thanked him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“A lady should never walk alone. Specially not in the rain.” He nodded curtly. “Here, I’ll walk you to the door.”

“Are you sure it’s no trouble?” You gazed at him innocently through your lashes. You wanted him to walk you to the door, you just didn’t want him to know that.

“No trouble at all, doll.” He assured you as he got out. You said goodbye to Leonora before Arvin opened your door and helped you out.

“If your grandmomma don’t like the smell, maybe we could smoke outside sometime.” You suggested as you took slow steps to your front door, coming up with any way you could think of to see him again.

“I got the feeling you didn’t like it all the much.” He chuckled as he fidgeted with his cap.

“I could learn to.” You said, almost sadly as you looked at him. You stopped once you got to your front door, silently sliding his jacket off your shoulders and giving it back to him.

“How about we do something else? Something you like to do.” He suggested as he accepted the jacket. Your lips curved into a smile when he showed the same interest in you as you had in him.

“I’m pretty boring, Arvin.” You shrugged shyly as you dug your toe in the dirt. “Alls I do is go to church and do schoolwork.”

“You ain’t bored me yet.” He smirked as he shoved his hands in his pockets. You bit your tongue between your teeth and giggled, timidly tucking your hair behind your ear.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Arvin.” You held your hand out to him for him to shake. He took your hand and kissed your knuckles, never breaking eye contact.

“See you. You have a nice night now.”

You watched him the whole way back to his car, pressing a cold hand to your burning cheek to calm yourself down. Only once he and Leonora had pulled away did you go inside, leaning your back against the door and sighing once you did.

“How come I never seen you with her before?” Arvin asked his sister as he drove towards their house. He knew his sister didn’t have many friends, of any for the matter. And he definitely would’ve remembered seeing you before, considering the way you were stuck in his brain like an old song.

“We just met today. Chuck Greenwood was picking on me this morning but she stopped him. She told me she saw me at the graveyard every day and asked if she could tag alone to see her dog. She’s nice, isn’t she? My first friend.” Leonora smiled proudly as she brushed off her bible, never being one for making friends.

“She’s alright.” Arvin played down his feelings towards you. “How’d she stop Greenwood?”

“She asked him to take her to the drive in. I never seen a boy look so red.” Leonora bounced in excitement. “He forgot all about me and started following her around all day. Shame though, I heard him telling people he had his way with her behind the school busses.”

“That true?” Arvin clenched his jaw, feeling white hot jealousy corse through his veins.

“Course not. Shes not like that.” Leonora said, giving Arvin some peace of mind.

“Good.” He grumbled, turning the corner as his car rattled.

“She’s so pretty.” Leonora gushed. “She told me she could do my makeup for church this Sunday if I like. You think I should?”

“I don’t know. What does the Bible say about lipstick?” Arvin cracked one of his rare jokes.

“Nothing.” Leonora rolled her eyes. “She looks so pretty with it though. Reminds me of momma.”

“She did look pretty.” Arvin mumbled. “Nice color on her.”

“You like her, don’t you?” Leonora’s jaw dropped as her brother showed an emotion other than anger for the first time.

“You mind your own business now. Was just being nice.” Arvin stated as he looked at her in the mirror.

“You ain’t nice to nobody.” Leonora scoffed. “You like her.”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell her nothing.” Leonora smiled in satisfaction.

“You better not. Now hush up before I make you walk home.” Arvin warned.

“Just saying.” Leonora added slyly. “I think she likes you too.”

Arvin looked at her in his mirror to see if she was serious, and she was. He grunted and adjusted his cap, hoping his sister wouldn’t see the smile on his face.

~

“Can you pass me the sugar?” You asked Leonora in her kitchen the following day.

“Here you go.” She handed you the bag. “Thank you for helping me and grandmomma. I don’t know what she was thinking trying to make all this food on her own.”

“I’m happy to help.” You shrugged as you measured the sugar in a cup. “I love cooking. Makes the whole house smell good.”

“Well I appreciate it anyhow.” Leonora smiled at you as she poked your side.

“Something smells good.” Arvin announced as he entered the kitchen, stopping in his tracks when he saw you. “Hi, Y/n.”

“Hi Arvin. We’re making a pie for tonight. You wanna help us?” You turned to face him while resting the bowl of ingredients on your hip. You had an apron loosely tied around your waist and a streak of flour going across one cheek, looking as beautiful as ever.

“Not much of a baker.” He shrugged with a soft smile. “‘Less you like eggshells in your crust.”

“Could you set the table, then? 5 places, Y/n is staying.” Leonora asked him over his shoulder, missing the hopeful look on his face when she mentioned you staying.

“Hope you don’t mind.” You smiled apologetically at him while stirring the bowl with a large wooden spoon.

“Don’t mind at all.” He nodded, moving towards you to get the plates out of the cupboard behind you. “Pardon me.”

“Sorry bout that.” You stepped out of his way, shoulders brushing as you moved.

“No apology needed.” He shook his head as he collected the plates. “See you at dinner.”

You waved to him with your free hand as he left the kitchen and headed towards the table.

“He likes you, you know.” Leonora instigated once her brother was out of earshot.

“Don’t be silly. That boy dudden like anything in this town.” You chuckled, flustered at her implication. “We’re all just something for him to scowl at.”

“He does too.” She insisted. “I seen the honey glow on his cheeks when I mention your name. He thinks you’re pretty.”

“He said that?” You gasped, making Leonora laugh in delight.

“Uh huh.” She poked your side again. “Told me himself on the car ride home. You should’ve seen him, all red and blushin’. I bet he’ll put his plate next to you tonight.”

“If he does, I don’t want you making eyes at me all night.” You teased as you playfully bumped her out of your way with your hip.

“I won’t.” She said innocently as she picked up the basket of bread. “I’ll gonna bring this to the table. Maybe I’ll see your boyfriend while I’m there.”

You hit her on the butt with a dish towel for her comment, her laugh echoing through the house as she went to the table. You began to hum the tune of the Little Bessie song you knew from childhood as you poured the pie filling into the crust.

“My momma used to sing that song.” Arvin’s voice came from behind you, making you jump a little. “It was one of the last things I ever heard from her.”

He joined you at the counter and gave you a half smile, wordlessly holding the pie tin steady as you poured.

“I was awful sorry to hear about what happened to your family. Leonora told me, hope that’s all right.” You spoke softly as you looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

“S’all right.” He shrugged, signaling that he didn’t want to get into it. “She’s told me a thing or two bout you as well.”

“Like what?” You wondered as you took out the uncooked strips of pie crust.

“Like you telling Chuck Greenwood you’d let him take you to the drive in.” Arvin stated, a mixture of disappointment and anger hardening the boyish features of his face.

“She told you that?” You asked in disbelief as you laid the strips in a delicate pattern.

“Yes ma’am. She also told me he started a rumor that the two of you meet up behind the school busses everyday, doing God knows what, after school. That true?” He asked roughly. Leonora has already told him it was false, but he needed to hear it from you.

“No.” You laughed like it was absurd, popping the bubble of jealously that had formed in Arvin’s stomach since he first heard it. “He can say what he wants. Everyone knows he’s full of it.“

“Well if that’s how you feel, why are you going on a date with him?” Arvin gripped the counter and hunched over as he stared at you. You cracked a smile, seeing what Leonora meant by all the times she called him overprotective.

“Oh, Arvin.” You giggled, finishing the pie crust. “I’m not going.”

“But you said yes.” He stood you straight, his face twisted in confusion.

“I know. I said yes so when I don’t show up, it’ll hurt him like he hurt Leonora. Maybe then he’ll realize it’s not nice to mess with people.” You explained as you put the pie in the oven. Arvin was taken aback by your reasoning, standing there dumbstruck as you set a timer. He always thought it was his job and his job only to protect his sister, only to find out there was somebody else looking out for her too. The boundaries of his protection ended where the schoolyard started, and that had always been something that troubled him. Now that he knew he could count on you to keep an eye on her, he felt a weight taken off his shoulders.

“You let that candy ass talk about you like that to protect my sister?” He asked lowly as he took a step towards you. He brought his calloused thumb to your cheek and and wiped the flour from your face. Your breath hitched in your throat as you gazed into his dark and tired eyes.

“She’s my friend.” You stammered. “She’d do it for me.”

Arvin’s lips tweaked into a smile, approving of your answer. He dragged his thumb down your face, pulling your bottom lip down for a moment before it bounced back.

“If that Chuck Greenwood bothers you again, you tell me. All right, doll?” He murmured.

“Why? What are you gonna do about it?” You tilted your head and gave him a sultry smile.

“Kill him.” Arvin said simply, making your heart stop.

“I’m only kidding.” He followed up. “I’ll just set him straight, is all.”

“Thank you.” You said under your breath, too starstruck to speak at full volume.

“Speak up now, darling. Don’t mumble.” He commanded you. You cleared your throat and stood up straighter, hoping that would give the facade of confidence.

“I said thank you.” You repeated.

“No need to thank me. Any friend of my sisters is a friend of mine.” He tipped his hat to you and backed away, grabbing a dish towel to clean his hands.

“So you and I are friends now?” You asked, disappointment making a home in his heart now that he wasn’t in your personal space.

“Don’t have too many of em.” He shrugged. “One more cant hurt.”

He went to leave the kitchen so you quickly untied your apron and followed him.

“Since I’m not going to the drive in, I have nothing to do Friday night.” You began, sighing ostentatiously.

“Oh, yeah?” He smirked at you, taking the hint.

“Yeah.” You continued your charade of looking forlorn. “Leonora has bible study so I’ll be all alone.”

Arvin stopped in the hallway, taking your arm gently between his hand and turning to towards him.

“I could take you somewhere, if you’d like.” He offered as if he had just thought of it, but it had been weighing on his mind since your first encounter.

“I would like that very much.” You nodded, biting back a smile.

“Is it all right if I sit next to you tonight? Uncle Earskell chews pretty loud, it grosses me out.” He chuckled shyly as he scuffed his shoes on the floor.

“Sure.” You giggled, secretly thrilled that Leonora had been right. “I promise I don’t chew that loud.”

Arvin looked up and smiled softly at you, shrugging a little as he scratched his nose.

“I don’t supposed I’d mind all that much if you did.” He said quietly and you understood what he was implying.

“Speak up now, darling.” You repeated his own words. “Don’t mumble.”

Finally, you got a toothy smile out of the stolid boy. He grinned from ear to ear at you rendition of what he said before, feeling oddly proud that it had resonated with you. Before he could act on his feelings, Leonora appeared in the hallway.

“There you two are.” She sighed. “Pie is just about done. Y’all ready to eat?”

You and Arvin nodded repeatedly, both hoping she hadn’t seen anything before she interrupted it. You followed her to the dinning table, blushing when you felt Arvin’s hand on your back to guide you.

~

Friday night, right on time, Arvin pulled up to your house. He didn’t strike you as the kind to be punctual, in fact, he normally wasn’t. He just knew his reputation proceeded him and he didn’t want you thinking he didn’t care. He did care, very much in fact. He cared so much that when he saw you coming out of your house in high waisted shorts and a strapless top, he forgot how to breathe. You had a bandana tying your hair up, red like the color of your lipstick. To Arvin, you looked like a dream come true.

“Hello miss.” He greeted you as you climbed in his front seat. “Where to?”

“Anywhere you wanna take me.” You beamed as you buckled your seatbelt. He grinned wickedly as he started the car, feeling the wind whip through his hair as he pulled off.

He made small talk with you as he drove to a nearby lake, telling you about his new job laying down tar. Though you didn’t care much about the particular subject, you hung on to every word. You got the impression that he had a lot to say at all times, he just didn’t think anybody cared to listen. It wasn’t long before you pulled up to a still body of water, parking right before the shore.

“I like coming up here when the weathers nice.” Arvin told you as he kept his eyes straight ahead. “It’s quiet.”

“People who look for quiet places usually have pretty loud thoughts. What are you thinking bout?” You asked as you turned your body to face him and leaned your head on your hands. Arvin chuckled and fidgeted with his cap, looking anywhere but you.

“Only thing I’m thinking bout right now are those little shorts of yours.” He answered honestly, making you flush.

“You like em?” You smiled as you smoothed your hand over your shorts. “My momma made em. She works at the fabric shop in town.”

“She did a good job.” He finally looked at you. “Look real good on you.”

“What about you? Do you ever wear anything but white shirts and beat up old baseball caps?” You teased as you shook the brim of his cap.

“No ma’am.” He pursed his lips to fight off a smile. “Can’t say I do.”

“Good. Cause I ain’t seen anybody rock a jean jacket as good as you.” You told him. “Looks real good on you too.”

“Why, thank you.” He nodded his head before looking out his window so you wouldn’t see him turning red.

“You blushing?” You laughed, cupping his chin in your hands and making him look at you.

“I blush when pretty girls say I look good.” He defended himself as he playfully shooed your hands away.

“So Leonora was right.” You bit your tongue in amusement.

“About?”

“She said you thought I was pretty.” You sighed dramatically as you checked out your manicure. “Didn’t believe it until now.”

Arvin reached forward and took your chin between his rough fingers, holding it in place so he could get a long look at you. You sucked in a sharp breath as you held his gaze, entirely under his spell now.

“Now how could someone as beautiful as you not believe it?” He drawled, eyes darting between your eyes and your lips.

“I guess I don’t hear it all that much.” You whispered, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

“Let me ask you something, doll.” He began. “Anybody ever kissed you before?”

“No.” You shook your head as much as you could with his hand still attached.

He half smirked. “You ever want somebody to?”

“Not until now.” You breathed.

“Me too.” He gulped before leaning in the rest of the way. His hand was sprawled over your cheek, big enough to cover the entire side of your face as he kissed you hungrily. You accidentally knocked his hat off as you grabbed his face, trying to get as close to him as possible. He laughed as it tumbled onto the seat before reconnecting his lips to yours. He pulled you into his lap and pulled the banana out of your hair, immediately tangling his hands in your messy curls. He brought the banana around your neck and used it to pull you closer to him, if that was possible. You gripped the seat behind him, leaving crescent moon marks where your nails dug into the leather. He pulled away only to catch his breath, leaning his head back in bliss as he panted heavily.

“You gon’ be the death of me, darling.” He groaned as he blew out a breath towards the roof of his car. You took his face between his hands and tilted it down so he was looking at you, brushing your thumbs along his ever bruised cheekbones.

“Well then I hope you rest in peace.” You smirked before kissing him again.

~

The memory of your night in Arvin’s left a lingering grin on your face all weekend, still present on Monday during school. You walked with Leonora to her brothers car once the school day had ended, barely able to hear her over your loud thoughts of Arvin.

“Shoot.” You stopped in your tracks on the way out the school doors. “Forgot my math book.”

“You want me to wait?” Leonora asked kindly.

“No, it’s fine.” You waved your hand in dismissal. “I’ll be quick.”

“Alright then. See you in the car.” She waved goodbye, despite knowing she’ll be seeing you again in a few minutes. You waved back before heading to your locker and collecting your book. Since you were closer to the back of the school, you went out the back doors to walk around. Your heartbeat quickened as you clutched your books to your chest, knowing you’d be seeing Arvin in just a few moments. Your state of bliss was interrupted by someone putting their hand over your mouth from behind and yanking you backwards. All your books fell to the ground as you were harshly pushed up against the brick wall of the school building. Your attempt to scream was muffled by someone’s hand over your mouth, so you just shut your eyes in fear.

“There you are, you little whore. You missed our date on Friday.” Chuck Greenwood said through gritted teeth as he pinned you against the wall. Your eyes flew opened upon identifying your attacker and you impulsively bit down on his hand. He yelped in pain and let go of you, shaking his hand out to relieve the sting.

“Ow! You bitch.” He barked and shoved you again.

“Get off of me.” You shoved him back. “I’m no whore. I just didn’t want to slum it with a no good hilly billy like you. I had better things to do.”

This really set Chuck off as he grabbed your face and held you against the wall, restricted your breathing with his grip.

“Oh yeah? Like what? Know you wasn’t working. I drove by all the most popular street corners but I didn’t see you.” He growled as he got in your face. “Now I’m gonna get what I wanted, and you’re gonna keep quiet.”

His hands moved to your waist and you gasped in fear.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” You blurted to distract him. “And for your information, I was out with an actual gentlemen.”

“Who?” He took the bait and tilted his head.

“If you’d like to meet him, he’s right behind you.” You smiled a little, gasping for air when he let go of your face.

“What?” As soon as Chuck turned around, his face connected with Arvin’s fist. You couldn’t help but cover your mouth and laugh at the fact he practically walked into the punch, knowing that had to hurt ten times as bad. Chuck hadn’t yet recovered from the first punch when Arvin swung again, knocking him in the nose this time. Chuck covered his bleeding nose with his hand and looked up in time to be kicked in the stomach by Arvin. He fell to the ground and Arvin knelt down beside him, gripping his face the way he had just been gripping yours to make him look at him.

“You think picking on girls is fun? Huh?” Arvin yelled when Chuck didn’t answer the first question. “You think making em fear you makes you less pathetic?”

“Get off of me.” Chuck cried as he tried to roll away. “You’re crazy.”

Arvin grabbed him by the shirt with both fists, lifting him a little off the ground.

“You listen to me.” He growled. “You’re gonna find everyone you told about you and Y/n and tell em you were lying. Tell em you made it up and you’re sorry. You hear me?”

“Yes.” Chuck whimpered. Arvin pulled him up by his shirt and pushed him forward, towards you.

“Now get your ass up and apologize.” Arvin demanded as Chuck stumbled towards you.

“What? I didn’t even get to do anything.” Chuck turned around to complain to Arvin. Arvin raised his eyebrows in amusement before grabbing Chuck by the back of his neck and getting in his face.

“I said apologize.” He bellowed. “You apologize for spreading lies about her, being aggressive with her, calling her a whore, and you damn best apologize for that comment right there. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t make me wait.”

He lifted Chucks head up and forced him to look at you, tightened his grip when he hesitated.

“Ow.” He whined and looked at you. “I’m sorry.”

“For?” Arvin yelled in his ear.

“I’m sorry for calling you a whore.” Chuck apologized.

“And?” Arvin continued.

“And for telling people we did stuff behind the school busses.” Chuck added, flinching ad Arvin leaned in again.

“What else?” He snarled right in his ear.

“And for grabbing you. Honest to God, I’m sorry.” He cried loudly. “I did it. Let me go.”

Arvin let go of his neck and aggressively turned him around to face him as he gripped his shoulders.

“If I ever see you around my sister or my girl again, I’ll kill you. You hear me?” Arvin shouted as he pointed a finger in Chucks face.

“Yes sir. I mean, yes.” Chuck stammered, eyes full of fear.

“Now get out of here.” Arvin shoved him and Chuck went running. Arvin watched him go, not satisfied until he was out of sight. His breathing returned to normal as a sudden flush came over his face, realizing he just lost his temper in front of you. He looked at you timidly, worried you’d be scared by what you had seen. To Arvin’s surprise, you had a dopey smile on your face as you approached him.

“Your girl, huh?” You giggled as you took his hand in yours, examining it for serious injuries. The handkerchief in your pocket made itself useful as you used it to clean his wounds.

“Sorry you had to see that.” He spoke softly as he searched your face for signs of regret. “He won’t be messing with you no more.”

“Don’t be sorry. Nobody ever got their knuckles bloody for me before.” You brought his hand to your lips, kissing his red knuckles as you looked in his eyes.

“I’ll get em as bloody as I have to to keep you safe.” He promised. “You’re my girl now. Nothings gonna hurt you again.”

“I like it when you call me your girl.” You smiled as you slowly intertwined your hands with his, careful of his cuts.

“Well good.” Arvin put his hand on the back of your head and pulled it towards him, giving you a kiss on the forehead. “Cause I like saying it.”

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[adonis-koo]

Moon Child • knj

↳ Summary: You had never dreamed of a day where you weren’t an Omega, beneath the boots of all your brothers and sisters. In an untimely manner your life is quickly turned upside down at the unexpected Blood Moon Alpha being your mate. With a new home you are summoned to the Kingdom of Vampires all while struggling to get to know your new mate.

↳ Genre: werewolf!AU, a pinch of angst, fluff, smut, alpha!namjoon and omega reader dynamic, soulmate au, 

↳ Word Count: 16k

↳ Pairing: Namjoon/Reader

↳ Tags: whew okay um, brief thigh riding, dom!namjoon, alpha is used as a title, rough sex, vaginal fingering, doggy style (what else were y’all expecting?), heat sex, mating, a lil degradation (he calls her a bitch a lot), namjoon likes to call her little :(, size kink, a lil possession, breeding kink, begging, multiple orgasms, namjoon’s cum makes MC go feral??, 

Last Installment

Note: aaaah this has taken me over a year to write lmfaooo but it’s so worth it! I can never make a short fic for my husband so I hope you all enjoy! 

Run. Feet aching, heart rate spiked and head pounding and yet all you could do was keep running as if your life depended on it. In fact, it did depend on it. Your whole life, your freedom- or what little you had left of it, it all depended on how fast your legs could take you. The cool seeping air that was first sight of winter made your cheeks feel chapped and throbbing, your body near numb with a chill and yet all you could do was shove the branches away from your face away.

You made it obvious, you knew it too, there was no way they couldn’t hear the way your feet crunched over the fallen dead leaves and twigs, the little cuts of your skin was the biggest no-no above all else when escaping a pack- your pack to be exact. You see wolves thrived on scent, it’s how they hunt and track, Werewolves, are no different. 

You didn’t know where you were going but you were going to get there somehow. You could hear them in the distance, they were close. Too close. But the rattling up ahead had you spooked as well. You could smell a human and.... something else. A vampire maybe? No, it was strange. Your mind was frantic and you couldn’t go back from where you came. 

Shoving through the branches you nearly yelped as you smashed into the doe eyed girl who looked just as scared as you, you could hardly register the throbbing pain of falling down before scrambling away, a whine escaping you as you heard howling in the distance, “Please…” your words weak as you glanced up to the male. 

Silver hair and magenta eyes caused him to stick out like a sore thumb in the flora of green, he was immediately at the girls side helping her up as his nose wrinkled, eyes flicking to yours before the girls as he spoke,  “Sorry darling but I don’t deal in wolf affairs.”

The girl however couldn’t help but let her lips part, glancing between you and the male before she tugged in his shirt, “Jimin…” She murmured softly, your head frantically shot up at the sound of stampeding paws pounding against the soft earth, they were closing in, “She looks like she needs help...” 

Your lips quivered and now that you were on the ground you weren’t sure you could get up any further, your legs ached and your mouth dry and parched, the male gave you a sympathetic look before glancing at the women as he frowned, “Sorry love but wolves have their own court system, nothing we can do about it. Sorry.” He only spared you a brief word before grabbing the girl by her arms and just as you blinked they had dissolved into nothing but black dust and a leftover trail of something foul as you let out a loud whine.

“There she is! I found her!” You scrambled backwards at the sight of your packs head Beta, eyes viscous as he snarled at you. Whining you lowered your gaze as you curled up against yourself. You had one chance and you ruined it. Now what would become of you? It was like a flash, all of your pack hunters surrounding you as they gritted their teeth and snarled, tears blurring in your eyes as you curled into yourself. 

You had one chance and just like always, you ruined it.

 “Look at the pathetic bitch,” You could the two Beta girls snicker, fingers pointed in your direction as you lowered your gaze, feeling your lips begin with quiver slightly as they began laughing once more, “Her head must be empty if she thought she could outrun us. Omega, fetch us our drinks please.” She shouted, as if just to mock you further. 

Tonight was a celebration, and it wasn’t a celebration without the pack’s laughing stock. You, of course. Trying to run away was foolish, it wasn’t like an omega could survive on their own, but you were willing to risk it. Even if it meant just a taste of freedom before you died. Yet just like everything else, you failed miserably. 

The torn leather collar was just an added humiliation, a show of power and a show of just how low you were in the pack. You weren’t usually one for self pity, but you couldn’t deny the envy in your veins when you saw other omega’s in the pack. 

Omega’s were the lowest of low, they were considered dirt, but even they didn’t have it as bad as you, they continued their daily duties of watching the younger children, washing the pack’s clothes and any other domestic duties. You had all of these responsibilities as well the only difference was that they weren’t the Alpha’s favorite punching bag. 

Walking up ahead you held your tray, approaching the two Beta’s who were currently laughing at you before you gasped, feeling a jerking sensation of your body suddenly toppling over due to the Beta’s foot conveniently sticking out just as you walked up to them. 

The wooden cups toppled down spilling all over your dress before thudding to the ground making the two girls howl out laughing, “Lost your footing bitch? Awh the poor little omega is going to cry!” Your fists curled in absolute fury as your eyes blurred making them laugh further as you glared at the ground. A wad of spit hitting your cheek as the Beta girl spat at you, “Serves you right you filthy traitor. Abandoning your pack. How shameful!” 

They both cackled as they walked away, tears of anger dripping down your cheeks as your hands shook with rage as you harshly wiped the spit off your face. This was life, tormented by people all due to your rank. 

You couldn’t help it, you were born an omega. It wasn’t your fault you were born weaker than everyone else, that you couldn’t fight, that your sense of smell wasn’t as good or your sight, it wasn’t your fault you were worthless. Why did everyone's entertainment have to come at your expense? 

Sniffling slightly you rubbed the tears from your eyes as you sighed, attempting to not let the frustration get to you. It wasn’t like you could change your birth right regardless. But perhaps in time, people would simply forgot of your existence. Your dress would be stained now and the cups wouldn’t pick itself up after all, life had to go on whether you were the ass of every joke or not. 

The last thing you needed was a Beta walking by and scowling at how incompetent you were, “Miss Y/n..! Do you need help!” You glanced up at the bright pair of doe eyes, little Hueningkai stared down at you with that shy smile of his. 

You couldn’t help the tiny smile that pulled on your lips as you shook your head, “Don’t worry Kai, I’m fine…” You lowered your gaze a little as you sighed, standing up as you brushed off the specks of dirt from your skirt, your gaze softening a little as you glanced down at the little five year old, “You should get back to your mother. She wouldn’t want you talking to me.” 

Hueningkai frowned, those big eyes of his dimming a little before he stomped his foot, “My mom can’t make me! You’re nice Y/n why is everybody so mean to you…!” He frowned eyes looking somewhat glossed at the blatant mistreatment of you, your heart softened a little as you kneeled down, offering the boy a small smile. 

He was too young, too innocent to understand how packs- how your pack worked. Some days you couldn’t help but wonder if the little boy’s heart would always stay this soft, or if in time, he’d become cruel like everyone else.

“This is how the pack works Kai, don’t worry about me. I can handle myself. Now run along, the Blood Moon pack will be here soon and I’m sure your mom will want you close.” He parted his lips to object before sighing, bouncing a little in his spot before he nodded. You sighed as you watched him scurry away where the crackle of the large bonfire was in the distance and the moon was high in the sky tonight. 

Patrols would be heavy tonight and despite this being a celebration you weren’t a fool to the tension in the air. Blood Moon was one of the strongest packs in the realm, not only this but they recently made an ally with the vampiric Jeon Dynasty of Arestella which was a feat in itself. This was a big step for werewolves. You ran in packs and it was rare that society accepted your kind in their towns and villages for long.

But now having Blood Moon formally recognized, not just by civilization but by the Vampires, the most respected species? It was a massive honor and everyone wanted to jump to be allies with Blood Moon in hopes of also getting an ally with the Jeon Dynasty. Including your pack. 

Blood Moon was coming here to evaluate if your pack would be worthy of becoming allies. If it were up to you, you’d tell their Alpha to not waste his time and find a more compassionate pack then your own. If you were going to rot alone in this pack forever then you might as well make everyone just as miserable. 

Your pack was strong, but not enough to take on one like Blood Moon, perhaps that’s why the guard rotation would be high tonight, in hopes of making your pack look stronger then it was in reality. Who knows, if this went bad maybe they’d just kill you all. Maybe they’d kill you and put you out of your misery. 

The flames of the bonfire exploded as you watched the crowd pile around in the distance, cheers were loud and drums banged as you picked up the cups, gently holding one in each hand as you sighed, the wood had been brittle and cracks had become apparent as they bounced against a large tree root. Standing up you intended to throw away them in the waste bin not too far away from you but you stopped in your tracks at the strong smell. No, scent.

It was like firewood and cedar mixed together, maybe even a little pine if you sniffed hard enough. Your nose wouldn’t stop twitching at such a dreamy scent, you could almost smell the twinge of ash from here. How weird. You rubbed your nose as you dumped the cups into the bin. 

No matter how hard you tried though the smell wouldn’t go away, not that you minded of course. It smelt amazing, you just couldn’t help but wonder what- or who- was causing it. Maybe...No...who were you kidding? It was said mate’s had heightened smells, to find one another, but, you surely didn’t have a mate. And even if you did...You doubt they’d ever want you. The crowd seemed to morph into an even larger state as unfamiliar wolves joined in. Blood Moon must have arrived.

“What are you doing standing around bitch? The Alpha wants you.” You sighed as you lowered your gaze, the head Beta snarled at you, grabbing your arm roughly as he yanked you along making a small whimper escape your mouth. You were dragged through the crowd as they made a path for you both as you came up to the large bonfire, everyone standing at a distance due to its immense heat that licked at the air nearby. 

You strangled another whine as you were thrown at the boots of your pack’s Alpha, shakily you sat up on your knees wrapping your arms around yourself as you refused to look up at him. You could hear him chuckle as he kneeled down grabbing your chin harshly, “This is our pack's little bitch. I’m sure she’ll keep your beta’s nice and happy, won’t you?” He growled menacingly as you lowered your gaze once more, lips quivering as you sucked in a harsh breath. 

That scent from earlier suddenly suddenly invaded your sense once more, this time even more heady than before. It was all you could smell and even tenfold. Your thighs suddenly felt weak and arousal pooled uncomfortably between your legs.

“That won’t be necessary.” A strong deep voice cut in, making all the cheers from your pack stop as a new pair of thick boots stood in front of you. A squeak leaving your lips as you were suddenly pulled to stand up, large hands wrapped around your arms and you were glancing up at the tall daunting figure of the Alpha of Blood Moon. 

A hand quickly cupped your chin as your lips began to tremble, you heard him scoff, a twitch of irritation on his face as he lifted your chin higher as if inspecting the bruises you dawned.

You were confused and scared and yet oddly aroused, being face to face with the werewolves strongest Alpha and he seemed angry. Silently furious even, what had you done to even warrant this? Breath? Your lips trembled in fear as thoughts invaded your mind frantically, you were dead, you were really dead now. 

You hadn’t even said a word- “If this is how you’ve been treating my mate, then we have no business to attend with you.” Your lips parted, openly gaping at the said alpha who just claimed….you...you were his mate…

Oh...oh my god...you were his mate! You wanted to scream at the top of your lungs at how much of a complete idiot you had been for ignoring his scent earlier yet you were frozen in place staring up at the tall figure of Blood Moon’s Alpha, Kim Namjoon. 

He was even more handsome in person then what you had heard, you had an amazing angle of his razor sharp jawline and truthfully you couldn’t help but feel somewhat intimidated and aroused all at the same time. His k-nines looked just as sharp if not even more so and his tongue was tucked into his cheek, showing a dimple yet his expressions couldn’t convey anything but annoyance.

Your pack's Alpha’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head before he sneered, a gritty smile on his lips as he forced a laugh, “This? Is your mate? Namjoon surely you’re joking. We Alpha’s don’t associate with weaklings like them, they only slow our packs down.” You couldn’t help but lower your head in shame...He was right...you didn’t deserve to have someone like Kim Namjoon, Alpha of the great Blood Moon pack be your mate. You were nothing in compared to the leaps and bounds he had made in the werewolves history. 

“Omega’s are what we need to keep our humanity, they’re the softness we need in our pack to remind us that we’re still human. Omega’s are the caretakers of the sick and the hurt, they’re the ones that remind us peace is just as much of an option as war. I couldn’t be more proud to have an Omega as my mate.” Your gaze shot up to the wolfish appearance of Namjoon, his hair had been neatly styled but there were still a few stray hairs that gave him that wolfish look.

You couldn’t help but feel somewhat timid under the hellfire gaze of your pack’s Alpha, but oddly enough, having Namjoon stand beside you made you feel oddly...safe...Warm even, as if it was radiating off his body and you felt the urge to nestle against his side. As if it were meant to be.

Your wariness however stopped you from attempting to do so. You may know who Namjoon is, but you don’t know him personally. Is this just a set up? To get you to act out before you’re cruelly punished. You haven’t said a peep yet and you certainly don’t intend too. Especially with both pack’s present and not a single soul speaking, everyone's eyes wide at the situation that has unraveled so quickly.

“I’m surprised the Jeon’s choose your pack,” He sneered, eyes darkening as he growled, “Any Omega sympathizers are usually outcasts. What makes you think you can take my Omega?” He punctuated the word carefully making your heart squeeze a little. 

“What makes you think I can’t take her?” Namjoon suddenly snarled, his voice guttural making you jump, his eyes flashing a dangerous red as he bared his k-nines, “My pack is the strongest for a reason and I’ll make a demonstration of that just as easily. But because my mate is present I’ll make you a deal. And you sure as hell better take it. You let me take my mate, and I’ll leave this pack without a slaughter. No deals are being made and you won’t be allied, but you’ll be alive so there’s that.” Namjoon gave an icy condescending smile making your pack’s Alpha twitch in irritation. 

It was silent for a moment before he bared his teeth, your pack’s Alpha hated being made a fool and right now he looked like a whole circus as he snapped, “Go! Take the bitch, we don’t need her anyways.” Namjoon’s eyes cut at his words but he said no more. Waving a hand you squeaked at the sudden appearance of another wolf, Namjoon glancing at him briefly before down at you, “Take her to the camp set up.” 

You hadn’t even said a word and just like that, your life had been completely changed. Yet ironically enough, walking with the wolf as everyone's eyes glared down at you, you wouldn’t miss this hell hole for a second. 

You were wringing your hands as you paced in the lavished tent, a rug was even thrown down and there was a desk filled with plenty of papers, a foldable cot was set down at the end of the tent. You had never been somewhere so...luxurious before. You were subjected to sleeping on the ground most days and you were considerably lucky if it was closed to the bonfire. But not only was this tent set up close to the fire, there was a bed. 

You had never slept in a bed before. Well, a cot. But it was the same thing to you. You just couldn’t stop stressing though. Were you really mated to Kim Namjoon? Was he the one you’d spend the rest of your days with? You felt unsure, you needed to get to know him. To know if this was it. 

Werewolves had derived the term Mate, it was the closest you'll ever find to a soulmate. The Moon Goddess, had a mate planned for every wolf, someone who was your perfect match. The one you were meant to spend your life with. You personally, just always assumed you’d die both young and alone. It was hard believing Namjoon….Kim Namjoon, was your mate. 

You perked up at the sound of footsteps coming from a few feet away from the tent, they were surprisingly light compared to what you expected. Turning around you were met with the tent flap opening, your lips immediately quivering as your gaze timidly dropped at the sight of Namjoon entering. 

You could hear him chuckle softly making you fidget. What were you supposed to say? What were you supposed to do....Okay it was a dumb question, you knew what you were supposed to do. Mates would consummate and mark one another when they meet, mating was a universal thing to all creatures alike. But… you didn’t want to do that with someone you just met…

No matter how much your instincts were going crazy right now with the need to bend over his bed and present yourself in need. 

“You look scared,” Namjoon murmured softly, you jumped at his hand cupping your cheek, you hadn’t realized he was right in front of you until now, “Mmm, I won’t hurt you.” His growl was low, almost instinctive at the way his nose nudged against your hair, “I’ve been waiting to find my mate for a very long time. What’s your name?” 

His hands tenderly wrapped around your arms, his nose continuously nudging your hair as if drowning himself in your scent. You weren’t sure if his gesture was meant to be comforting, a part of you wanting to lean into his touch but the other had been bruised your whole life from touch. How were you supposed to learn to be okay with it again?

Your body naturally tensed in his grip as you murmured, “Y/n…” You didn’t want to be difficult, you didn’t want your mate to think you were stubborn and unattractive, but...You also didn’t want to give in right away...you weren’t sure you were ready too. 

Namjoon nipped against your ear making you jump, a playful smirk on his lips as he replied, “I’ll just assume you already know my name.” He decided to attempt a bolder move, nipping at your neck, this time making you whine. Except it wasn’t the good kind, you attempted to push yourself away as your gaze lowered back down.

Namjoon immediately paused, frowning as he pulled away somewhat to look at you. Your considerably smaller figure timidly glancing at the ground, as if expecting some sort of reprimanding. It was from this moment Namjoon realized this was going to take a bit more time then he had hoped. His hormones and your scent were driving him utterly insane with the need to mount you. 

But your comfort was and would always be more important to him, he wanted you to trust him, to be unafraid of giving yourself to him. While Namjoon wished being mates would magically make all this happen, he knew it wouldn’t, “Why don’t you get undressed and lay down. I’m sure you haven’t gotten a good night's rest in awhile.” 

Yet he couldn’t resist the urge to stroke a tender hand through your hair, pushing it back away from your eyes so he could properly see your face. Timidly you glanced up at him, nibbling against your lip as they parted before closing for a brief moment before you forced yourself to speak, “B-but...what….what about…” Your face felt hot as you tried to finish your sentence. 

“That can wait,” Namjoon replied promptly, offering you a gentle smile, “You’re here now, there shouldn’t be a rush. And you don’t look comfortable. Is there anything I can do to help?” 

Your lips trembled slightly, you weren’t sure what it was. Namjoon’s kind smile, those pretty dimples that showed up on his cheeks as he glanced down at you, or if it was his tender touch against your hair, as if he was calming a scared child. You didn’t know what it was but your eyes were watering before you let out a sniffle. 

“Hey, shhh! Don’t cry.” Namjoon was immediately cupping your cheeks, a frown on his face at the sight of your tears but before he could ask why you were crying you launched into his arms, wrapping your arms tightly around him as you buried into his warm chest, into the divine scent that rolled off him in waves. 

“T-thank you. Thank you so much.” You couldn’t stop thanking him in muffled sniffles, unsure of what you have ever done to deserve such an incredibly compassionate mate. You had never met an Alpha like Namjoon before. Most were cold and intimidating, but he was different. There was a reason he was the strongest. 

Rather than lock away his emotions, he weaponized them. 

Namjoon wrapped his arms around you soothingly as he pressed a tender kiss against the top of your head, “Shhh, you’re never going back there again. You’re home my little omega.” You had the biggest, most dumb looking smile on your face as you nuzzled into his chest, your cheeks burning at his nickname he had easily provided you. But for the first time in your life, it didn’t sound demeaning, it sounded endearing. 

You couldn’t get enough of Namjoon’s touch, it wasn’t even sexual. No matter how much your body thought it’d be better if it was. Just his touch was healing, it made you want more and more of it. You kept nudging him every time he’d take his hand off of you, wanting to be continuously petted. 

You might not have consummated with your mate, but you did spend the night tenderly in one another’s embrace, Namjoon showering you in the touch you were starved of your whole life. You never thought you were interested in physical touch until now, you wanted all of it, you wanted his hands petting your side, stroking your hair, his lips peppering your face in kisses.

You felt like a pup again when you fell asleep against his chest. Your life had changed drastically in a single night and yet you didn’t feel overwhelmed in the slightest. This was meant to be, you were sure of it.

“Looks like a storm is brewing.” You jumped at the soft sound of Namjoon’s voice, calm and steady behind you as you turned around from your spot where you had been currently watching the clouds brew and darken. You have been with Blood Moon for a little more then two weeks now. Everything was so...different.

Everyone was kind, they treated you with the utmost respect which you found yourself dumbfound at. You understood to a degree, being mates with the Alpha meant you’d….you’d be the packs Luna. There was no one to guide you on how to be a Luna and perhaps that was what had been secretly daunting you. This wouldn’t be an easy task, what if everyone judged you for making a wrong move? 

You wouldn’t become Luna of course, until you were mated to Namjoon, which you hadn’t partook in yet. But it was still lingering in the back of your head. Things between you both had been, formal at best. There was still much physical affection at night...and the occasional rutting- from the both of you before you both stopped your instinctual nature. 

“I’ve always loved the rain,” You offered a meek smile, you still had a hard time finding a way to converse with Namjoon in an informal way, he often told you at night he preferred when you spoke freely but...It just all seemed so foreign to you.

Turning back around you let the cool wind blow against your face, lifting your chin a little as you sniffed the fresh air, you could smell the crisp evergreen and the combination of rain on the horizon, “But thunderstorms always scared me as a pup. I have exceptionally good hearing so I didn’t like loud noises back then.”

Much like any other Omega you were considerably weak, but all omega’s had at least one strong sense, and yours just so happened to be hearing. But you often thought it came at a disadvantage, all you ever heard was the laughter of your brothers and sisters who looked down their noses at you. 

At least omega’s with speed had a better chance at running and those with good sight could see predators a mile away. Yet all you could do was cover your ears in hopes to drown out the noise of the world.

 “And what about now?” Namjoon asked, offering you an endearing smile as he sat down on the fallen tree that you stood behind, taking a moment to admire his beautiful mate. Turning to face him you gave a somewhat sheepish smile, lowering your gaze a little. 

It was hard some days to even look Namjoon in the eyes, he still carried the pheromones of an Alpha and it constantly reminded you that you were below him. That if you even so much as annoyed him he could easily snap your neck and there was nothing you could do about it. You felt guilty sometimes, for thinking this way. But it wasn’t as if you could help it, you had spent your whole life getting thrown around by your old pack’s alpha. 

“It doesn’t scare me as much anymore as it just hurts at times.The only thing that isn’t completely useless about me is my hearing,” You offered a weak smile as you rubbed the back of your neck, looking back out over the storm ahead, the clouds becoming darker by the second before you watched a crack of lightning strike in the distance, “It’s much more sensitive to noise then most wolves.” 

It was true, that was your one exceptionally good ability, you could nearly hear things a mile away, sometimes you picked up on interesting conversations. You had even known Blood Moon was planning to visit your pack long before anyone else found out in the regular ranks. It wasn’t a totally useless ability. But still, good hearing often came with disadvantages like loud noises that always had you whimpering and covering your ears.

“You aren’t useless.” You jumped at the way Namjoon suddenly grabbed your shoulders, turning you around to face him, his expression almost appeared like a scowl, looking somewhat angry as he continued, “You’ve been saying degrading things about yourself ever since you got here. You are my mate,” He let out a soft growl as you lowered your gaze, feeling like a pup being scowled at the moment, “Don’t mistake your softness for weakness. You aren’t useless. I won’t stand for you saying these things about yourself.” 

A loud crackle of thunder rumbled making you jolt a little, a low whine emanating from you as you rubbed your ears, “That’s easier said than done. You haven’t lived the life I have.” You tugged away from him a little as you kept your gaze lowered, pretending to not notice the look of mild hurt on his face at your rejection of his comfort, “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” 

There were moments like this from time to time, moments of disconnect between you both. You couldn’t help but wonder somedays if the Moon Goddess made a mistake, if you were really meant to be with Namjoon. Especially when days like this happened. 

“Then help me understand,” You paused as Namjoon wrapped his arms around you from behind, letting his chin rest on your shoulder as he nudged your neck with his nose, “I only want the best for you Y/n.” But did he? You felt unsure of how to go forward with your budding relationship with Namjoon. Could you really open up to him? 

“I don’t know how,” You mumbled, feeling somewhat ashamed despite not knowing why. Maybe a part of you wished you did, you wanted to be with Namjoon, you really did. But the only thing stopping you was yourself. Glancing out over the dark clouds you sighed, feeling a droplet of rain splat against your cheek as you rubbed it away, “We should get back to camp to let the others know the storm is beginning. It’s going to be a long night.” 

Namjoon looked as if he had more to say but only nodded at your words, stopping for a moment before holding out a hand to you. Glancing down at it you nibbled against your lip before hesitantly letting your fingers lace in his. 

He offered you a small dimpled smile, free hand lovingly stroking through your hair before leading you back to where the pack was camped out.

You and a few of the scouts of the pack had searched for somewhere dry to stay before the storm fully hit, thunder kept rumbling from far away and the lightning was getting closer with each strike. 

Out of a pure stroke of luck you had found a large cave mass that went deep into the Northern Mountains. The rain had already started pouring down as everyone was being gathered into the mountain, Namjoon was soaking wet as he waved in the crowd of people, his eyes meeting your soaking figure as he paused, “You should go to the fire and get warm. Wouldn’t want you to catch a cold pup.” 

He smiled down at your cute figure that glanced up at him, you rubbed your cheek somewhat shyly as you shook your head, you couldn’t afford to lay by a fire when so many others were being drenched in the ice cold rain, “I’m okay. We need to make sure everyone is safe first. I’m going out to check to make sure everyone is together.” Namjoon nodded in agreement, a smile still adorning his face as you pushed through the crowd as you made your way outside. 

A loud clap of thunder booming down making you jump with a whine as you covered your ears as you pressed forward through the harsh rain that dropped down like ice against your skin. It was freezing outside! Rubbing your arms you glanced around at the line of people as everyone gathered inside.

You could hear something abnormal but it was difficult to make out what it was between the rain pounding on the ground and the thunder that rumbled loudly, whining you covered your ears, feeling a headache come on as you pushed forward. Your senses were going wild, you could hear something. You knew you could. You just couldn’t figure out what. 

A loud clap of thunder roared causing you gasp, covering your ears as pain throbbed in your head, closing your eyes. You tried to tune out the noise but it only became heightened, “Help! Somebody please!” 

Your eyes snapped open as rain poured down, trying to relocate the sound before quickly following along the line of the crowd that was becoming shorter and shorter by the moment until you reached a little ways past the end, “Help! Please! Help!” You found an older wolf, a mother by the looks of it drenched in rain, looking frantic as you ran up to her, she grabbed your hands as she cried, “My pups! Please! She fell in the river nearby while we were waiting! My boy can’t keep her much longer!” 

You felt your heart burst- you should go get someone you can help! But…! There wasn’t enough time! “Lead the way!” You replied almost immediately. You’d just have to try your best for the sake of the young pup and the mother. She fumbled as she brought you down the steep hill, almost falling but catching yourself as your eyes caught the dimmed vision of a young boy crying out, “Mom! Mom! I can’t hold on any longer!” 

Not having the strength to keep up his little sister just as you were in reach of the crying girl his hand slipped, the heavy stream of water coursing causing her to immediately be washed away by the streams current. You could hear both the boy and mother scream before you did the stupidest thing in your life. 

Diving into the water coughed as your vision blurred with water and ran mixed, the water was ice cold and caused your teeth to immediately clack as you were rushed along, the little girl calling out with cries as her head bobbed up and down in the water.

“Hold on!” You called out coughing up water as you grabbed onto the log that was lodged in the river that the little girl managed to grab. Grabbing onto it you spat the river water that entered your mouth once more before managing to get closer to the little girl, her arms around your neck and you could hear her pitiful sobs as you held her. 

Your body was trembling and the whiplash of rain and the strong current was making your muscles weak as you tried to keep steady against the log, water continuously lashed against your face and rain in your eyes as you slowly but steadily used the log to guide you back to the land. Your muscles were ready to give out, not used to being used so much as you crawled onto the cold muddy ground. 

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” The mother was the first to run over immediately crying out over the loud rain, grabbing her sobbing daughter as she hugged her close, “We own you so much Luna! Thank you! Oh..! Luna?” You couldn’t muster a word, your body trembling and your vision spotting before everything went dark. 

…

Whining a little your head felt fuzzy and your muscles ached with every little movement. It took a moment before you forced your eyes open meeting the dark ceiling above, a few stalagmites hanging above you as brief confusion washed over your figure. Your body trembled a little as you heard a tongue clack, “You should be closer to the fire.” 

You groaned a little as you rubbed your head, your vision a little bleared as you rubbed your eyes before glancing up to the familiar voice of Namjoon who had just finished placing a fresh piece of firewood onto the small little fire that wasn’t too far from you, “C’mere my little omega.” He scooped you up effortlessly making you whine. 

You didn’t have any energy to objection though as Namjoon sat down, his back against the cave wall and now closer to the fire where your body was trembling as much, “You’re soaked to the bone,” He tutted, letting a hand press against your forehead before sighing, “You should’ve got someone to help you Y/n. You could’ve been killed diving into that water on your own.” 

You trembled once more, shifting a little in Namjoon’s grip before nudging your nose against his neck, the overwhelming scent of cedar and firewood relaxing your senses as you buried against your mate, “If I had gone to go get help that girl would’ve died.” You mumbled in weak objection against his neck, closing your eyes tiredly as you felt Namjoon’s hand begin to tenderly stroke through your hair, “Besides, I’m alive still, aren’t I?” 

You smiled weakly as you glanced up at Namjoon, he didn’t return the sentiment though, his eyes were a deep mahogany brown, piercing your gaze with his own and the fire reflecting and exaggerated his high cheekbones that much more.

“That doesn’t mean you will be in the future,” He growled, this time in a more stern voice causing your lips to quiver as they dropped, “Take somebody with you next time. I…” He sighed, his expression relaxing once more as he buried into your hair, “I couldn’t live with myself if you died and I just- I just let you. You’re my mate, I’m supposed to take care of you.” 

You frowned at his words, feeling somewhat conflicted. You had dreamt your whole life of being taken care of, of wanting someone to care, to comfort and coddle your every step. But...You didn’t have that sentiment growing up, and now actually having it…”But I’m okay. Namjoon,” You pulled away a little, your hair still damp and clinging to your face as you pushed it away, “I can take care of myself. I’ve had too my whole life.” 

You lowered your gaze a little as you tugged on a strand of your hair, “I...I know...that I’ve been a bit distant. And that we should already be mated by now. And I know that I haven’t been the easiest to get to know but, I just...I just need time, to get to know you, to become comfortable with the pack...I’ve been on my own for so long, it’s overwhelming in ways that it shouldn’t be.” 

You felt insecure about how you felt, truthfully. You should be grateful, you should be happy that you’ve somehow, against all odds, found your mate. That you should let him mate with you and get a move on with your new life. But it was difficult, in ways you felt like it shouldn’t be but it was hard getting used to such friendly smiles, to having your mate tenderly take care of you. Being called Luna, was rather overwhelming. 

“Y/n,” Namjoon sighed, his forehead resting on yours as his thumb rubbed against your cheek bone, “I’ve already told you we don’t have to be in a hurry. You can take as much time as you want to get used to the pack and we can take our time getting to know one another. I’ll be just as dedicated to you now as I will when we mate.” he nipped playfully at your neck making a smile tug on your lips, “But I will always be protective of you. That’s my instinctive nature.” 

You sighed in understanding, no matter how it made you feel, Namjoon was right. Mates were always protective, Alpha mates in particular, some more so than others. Even if Namjoon didn’t display it as often as others it was still there. 

You closed your eyes as you curled up against him, letting his fingers continue to untangle your hair in little strokes, a few pecks against your head here and there, “Have you been told why we’re here at the Northern Mountains?” You perked up a little with a yawn as you glanced up at Namjoon in confusion, a smile on his face as he brushed the hair away from your face, “We’re visiting Arestella, to see the Royal family. The Prince summoned us not long ago” 

Your lips parted a little as you tilted your head, “The Jeon Dynasty?” They were considered one of the kindest Dynasties to rule over Arestella for centuries- that was of course if you ignored the current king who outlawed magick and had sentenced the Witch Hunt to begin. But that was nearly fifty years ago now. Otherwise they had a fairly peaceful rule, it wasn’t too big of a surprise to you that their Crowned Prince signed an ally treaty with Namjoon. But still, to actually be here with Namjoon and him saying you’d be going to the Kingdom of Vampires, it was all a bit surreal.

Namjoon’s smile widened as he nodded, “Yes, me and the Prince- Jungkook have some business to attend. Apparently there's been a massive stir in demonic energy. There've been a lot of rumored Demon sightings that’s caused fright among Arestella’s outer villages.” 

You frowned as you pressed your lips together, hesitating for a moment as you rubbed the back of your neck, “Demons? Are they really real?” You felt somewhat hesitant to ask. You mind going back to when you last attempted to escape your pack. Those magenta eyes and silver hair, they were almost otherworldly...and the way they just...disappeared into thin air...

Namjoon offered you a weak smile as he shrugged, “I think so, I don’t know about the Prince’s involvement with demon’s but if he believes they’re real then I’d be willing to bet they are. He has ties in all sorts of different affairs. Demonic energy doesn’t always equate demons though, sometimes it’s just been plagued by Witches for a long time.” 

You hummed in response. You could see where witches could build demonic energy- not that you necessarily believed all witches were bad. People liked to fear monger and point fingers and be done with it. But things were rarely that simple in life. You still felt bad for all the witches that died during the Witch Hunt, a dark period in time just in the passing of Magicks outlaw. 

“I guess we’ll see when we arrive.” You mumbled as you let your head rest in the crook of Namjoon’s neck, his arms wrapping around you as he held you close. 

“Soon enough my little omega.” There it was again, that giddy little smile on your face as you sighed in contentment. Life wasn’t all too bad, even in it’s less fine moments.

The journey to Arestella had been peaceful, the weather had become gradually colder with each passing day and soon frost would be covering the ground and nights would become freezing without fire. This however, wasn’t a big deal for wolves as you had been custom to this for some time. When the air was colder the pack would shift and the fur of your animal counterpart kept you warm.

The one thing you were still struggling with was all the respect everyone gave to you. You felt yourself fumbling at times due to how friendly and kind everyone was. At first, you wondered if it was just because you were mates with the Alpha. It wasn’t the first you had seen everyone give special treatment to a Luna. 

Your eyes would warily watch over the other Omega’s in the pack who all appeared happy, anytime one was struggling a Beta was practically bouncing over to assist whenever needed. Things seemed so contrary to how you lived your life. Even now in such a spacious tent where the heat of the fire licked in the air where you settled against the small cot in contentment. 

Nudging against the pillow as you sighed, Namjoon and Jackson the head Beta had been talking about taking an alternate route to Arestella over the past few days which had lead to him not joining you until later. 

Hearing the soft crunch of leaves had your head perking and you could almost feel your inner wolf’s tail thwacking harshly as you curled up, the flap of the tent opening to see Namjoon’s- happy but obviously tired expression, “Happy to see me pup?” He teased lightly as you grabbed the stiff pillow to nudge against it to hide your smile. 

You were shameless in watching him pull the billowing shirt over his head to reveal the taunt thick muscles of his back to your view, your legs pressing together as you pulled the fur blanket over your chin, “How was the meeting?” You asked as Namjoon rolled his neck before taking a seat in bed, his hand resting against your head as he softly stroked your hair. 

“Good,” He hummed before laying down facing you, a soft smile tugging on his lips as he let his fingers curl around a strand, “We received a pigeon from the Sisterhood today.” You raised your brows a little in curiosity. 

The Sisterhood? You had heard of them of course, anyone who hadn’t was obviously living under a rock, or a century old witch perhaps, Namjoon chuckled a little at your expression as his hand met with your cheek once more, “We work in accord with them much like many other packs. We share the land with them and it only makes sense.” 

“Well yes,” You replied, it certainly wasn’t unheard of for the Sisterhood and wolves to work together, even your pack had assistance given to them by the Sisterhood from time to time, “But I didn’t realize you were that chummy with one another.” You snorted as you raised a brow. 

Namjoon clacked his tongue, his thumb stroking along your cheekbone making you shuffle closer to his warm body, “You know the story of how wolves came to be, yes?” 

“...Well...I’ve heard a few different variations.” You replied with a shrug, nearly every wolf knew a tale of how your species came to be but they widely varied. Your now curious as to what this had to do with the Sisterhood’s involvement. 

Namjoon gave a knowing smile as he replied, “It’s been passed down between generations of my family that a very long time ago, when the Moon was still young she- for the first time heard a prayer. It was of a young boy who had been attacked by our counterpart, wolves,” 

Namjoon tenderly pushed the strand of hair behind you as he spoke, “The young boy was crying and he bled beyond saving. As the life force left his body and he took his last breath beneath the full moon, pitied, the Moon Goddess took mercy on him and blessed him. Her powers only reigned so far, and so she turned him into a wolf. The Moon Goddess told the boy that once his wounds would heal he would be safe to return to human. But now he must bear the dual nature of both animal and human.”  

“When the rumors began to fester, the men of the villages nearby wanted to hunt the monster,” Namjoon hummed his fingers tracing down to your jawline, “The boy’s lover however, discovered who he was and pleaded with the men of the village. When they would not listen, the girl was sent a blessing by the Moon Goddess. The Bow of Lux. It became clear to her that if they would not listen to her, she would make them listen,” 

Namjoon gave a wry smile as he continued, “When the last man perished, the girl swore her life to the Moon Goddess and would continue to protect those who lived inside the forest and those who lived outside. The Moon Goddess, pleased, allowed her to form the Sisterhood and once she passed on, they say her soul turned to stardust and became Orion’s bow.” 

You perked a little as you smiled, “Is that why the women in the Sisterhood are only allowed to be addressed by celestial names to outsiders?” You had never heard that part of the story! It sounded so…! So forlorn yet, meant to be. Divine even. Namjoon chuckled as he patted your head, “Perhaps, that’s one of many theories. Orion is the patron of the Sisterhood, the first to protect. They pray to her for strength before they go into battle. My point however,” Namjoon tutted a little, his eyes crinkling in adoration, “Is that no matter what tale is being told, the wolves and the Sisterhood go hand in hand. We protect and work with one another when needed.” 

“Then what did the Sisterhood want?” You whined a little, impatient at Namjoon’s wordiness, he tapped your neck in gentle scold as you wiggled closer to him, his arm finally wrapping around you as he curved a brow. 

Clacking his tongue he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against your forehead, “Don’t be pushy pup,” You could hear the playful scold in his tone, “It was sent by one of the independent scouts; Vega. She asked that we keep our eyes out for a witch that lives in the North.” 

You frowned as you asked, “A witch? What could she want with a witch?” 

Namjoon shrugged, his fingers tracing against your hip as he replied, “I can’t say for sure. All I know is she wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. I know requesting Arestella to find a witch would probably get her hanged.” 

“Are Vampires really that fickle?” You raised your brows, unable to stop the snort, you had never seen a Vampire before but you had heard about them plenty and how proud they were. You didn’t understand why the reigning king banned Magick as it was, especially when it seemed as if their society relied on it previously. 

Namjoon also scoffed out an amused laugh, “You’d be surprised. Nobody follows the rules more than the own royal court. The Mad King makes sure of it. Anyone caught using magick is either hanged or burned. Even the court is not excluded.” You shivered a little at the thought. 

“And will you keep an eye out then?” You asked, you supposed since Blood Moon was nomadic like any other pack, Arestella couldn’t hold you accountable for the laws of their lands. But it made you worried. 

Namjoon closed his eyes solemnly, “I will, I’d never turn my back on the Sisterhood. Furthermore, the Prince doesn’t know all of my affairs. If it doesn’t concern our relationship then he doesn’t need to know.” He finally pulled you against him as you squeaked a little, your nose immediately nudging against his neck as you coiled against him, “You’ve been awfully curious tonight pup.” He whispered in your ear. 

A smile tugged on your lips as you inhaled his scent slowly, you could almost vividly smell the crackle of burnt wood against his skin, the kerosene he had split earlier while helping build a fire, a whine suddenly escaping your lips as you felt heat pooling between your legs. Your face throbbing as you embarrassingly pushed against his neck to hide yourself. 

This had been happening a lot, putting off your consummation had taken a toll on your body, constantly making you become aroused when you became too close to your mate for too long. The need to be filled with him was a constant ache, as if sensing that Namjoon let out an instinctive growl, his thigh suddenly forcing its way between your legs as he whispered in your ear once more, “I can smell how wet you are little one.” 

Your face throbbed even harder as your hips began rubbing into his thigh in search of friction you needed, desperately. Namjoon and you both had agreed taking things slow was for the best….But that certainly hadn’t stopped him or you from testing the waters a little…

Your arms wrapped around his neck as you whined against, letting your hips drag against his warm thick thigh as your clit pressed gently against his skin, the pleasure nearly sent you pathetically howling against his skin, “This isn’t fair!” You whimpered, your thighs shaking and your panties becoming stickier within seconds. 

Namjoon’s laugh was deeper this time, as if amused at how frantic his little omega was, “Then take what you deserve my little pup.” He nipped against your ear as you jumped, his hands grabbing your waist as he rolled unto his back, forcing your to straddle him as your lips quivered into a pout. 

Your clit was throbbing though and seeing how inviting his thighs looked was an opportunity you couldn’t pass up, shifting to place yourself against one as you whined a little, unable to stare directly at him as your hips wiggled in need against his thigh. Pleasure swelled in your body and a muffled whine escaped you before you jumped at the sound of leaves crunching. 

Namjoon instinctively sat up as you curled against him, not a second later hearing the sound of footsteps as a voice called out, “Namjoon, I need just one more thing.” Jackson called out as you crumpled against your mate.

You felt embarrassed at letting your hormones get the best of you. Namjoon as if sensing this gently stroked a hand through your hair before pressing a kiss against your head, “Don’t look so disappointed, we can always try again later.” 

Your lips quivered into a scowl as you pouted, flopping against the bed as Namjoon chuckled before calling out, “I’ll be out in a moment.” It was just as well Jackson had interrupted when he had. Who would’ve known what that would spiral into if you had been left alone.

“You look wide eyed.” Namjoon chuckled as he watched you circle around yourself, lips gaping as you glanced around in curiosity. There were so many sights and sounds it was hard to take it all in at once, “C’mere my pup, I don’t want you getting lost.” He grabbed your hand attentively as he pulled you along. 

The journey to Arestella had taken another day and a half but you did eventually arrive and you were in near awe at the sight. You had never been in a Kingdom before, much less the grand jewel of the realm. You could smell the hefty scent of fresh baked loathes from the few humans that dared to reside in the realm of Vampires. 

Today was a beautiful day, apparently Arestella wasn’t known to be the sunniest Kingdom but today seemed to be different, the sky was a brilliant azure blue with fluffy billowing clouds to compliment it’s sky and the breeze was cool against the day’s warm air, “I’ve never been somewhere so...crowded.” You managed to say as you squeezed past a group of people, staying particularly close to Namjoon as you glanced around wide eyed. 

“There’s much excitement to see,” Namjoon chuckled, “If you think this is incredible, wait until we see the castle. That’s where we’ll be staying the next few days. Jackson will keep everyone settled in the outskirts of town meanwhile.”  

You couldn’t deny you were excited, you could see the gothic castle even from here despite it being so far away. The day was busy and everyone was bustling but if there was one thing you noticed...It was a lack of color...or thereof…What color there was seemed very organized, as if these people were all in groups. And then occasionally you’d spot a bright pop of red of some of the people you passed, “Why is everyone dressed so...dark…” You frowned as you kept close to your mate. 

“They have a very strict system here in Arestella, they use colors to keep classes separated. It’s mostly in jewelry you’ll see it. Humans must wear red in some form as it’s stated by law if they live in Arestella. Blue is often a color worn by wealthy families, a multiple array of colors can be worn by the average vampire. I’m not very familiar with how it all works though. Vampires have their own class system like us wolves have though.” Namjoon explained as he guided you through the crowd as you curiously looked around.

You felt a smile tug on your lips as you glanced around, excitedly spotting another patch of red on a young girls neck, she appeared around your age and she- unlike you- seemed used to the large crowds of people, yet oddly enough despite being surrounded by vampires she didn’t look the least scared, “How can humans live here despite knowing a vampires nature? I think we don’t give them enough credit sometimes.” You commented as you let your eyes focus ahead. 

“Most likely because humans here use sigils to keep them protected from feral vampires,” Namjoon snorted, looking somewhat amused at how fascinated you seemed by this strange new world, “They live quite peacefully. Vampires are a bit proud though, they don’t like admitting that they do need humans to survive. No matter how much they can argue that they can feast on turned vampires, they still need humans for that to happen.” 

You hummed in curiosity before laughing a little, noticing the mild annoyance in Namjoon’s tone as he glanced ahead, a hint of smile on his face when he heard you as you both walked hand in hand. Eventually you did make it up to the castle together. 

You had never seen anything like it, the way the dark brick walls towered high above your head and the wings of the castle stood large and proud. Even though the courtyard was filled with lush flowers and benches for rest, it looked like something straight out of a fairytale. You didn’t understand how guards and maids could walk by without so much as a glance at the beautiful scenery. 

Namjoon tugged you along as your lips parted, the castle doors opening upon your arrival and you were greeted by a smiling maid that curtsied to you both immediately guiding you up several flights of stairs, the corridors were long but you couldn’t help but focus on the beautiful marble flooring.

The way the original white swirled with black and greys and speckled gold with even some peacock blue highlighting. Or the doors and the Jeon’s symbol painted in silver on each door, or the way the handles reflected their polished shine against the light that flooded in rays of gold through the windows. 

You had never been somewhere so refined. All you had ever known was the wild untamed beauty of nature, mountains and thickets of evergreen and streams that clashed with marshes. Sleeping out in the woods were galaxies formed in the sky, where you could even see speckles of stardust in the sky. You didn’t realize two things could be so different, yet so beautiful in their own way. 

“Here you are Sir Kim! His royal Highness will be with you in a moment!” She curtsied once more before shutting the doors of the room. The room was spacious and wide, it appeared to be...an office of some sort? Your brows furrowed a little as you walked in, the fireplace was not lit up but there were four chairs, two on either side of a rug that was placed in front of it. 

Then there was the desk on the far end of the room next to a large window that overlooked the woods near the castle. 

On the other end of the room was an assortment of trinkets of...personal achievements maybe? You perked at the sound of footsteps padding down the hallway gently, “There’s something wrong…!” Your brows furrowed and your head tilted like a puppy at the sound of a soft feminine voice, they must’ve been at the far end of the hallway, walking closer to the door you tried to listen better. 

“Shh, worry not my love. I’ll deal with it. Right now you should be attending your lessons. I promise nothing will happen.” The other voice was deep yet soft, alluring in dulcet quiet manner, yet seemed attentive and in demand for everyone's attention, “I’ll discuss everything with Blood Moon’s leader.” 

You could hear a faint sigh, “Please Jungkook...I...I don’t know what I’d do if this turns out to be true.” You felt your face immediately burn in embarrassment. 

You just eavesdropped on the Vampiric Prince’s private conversation with his mate! 

You whirled away from the door as you fumbled to sit down next to Namjoon who looked at you curiously, “Heard something you shouldn’t have?” You scowled at his teasing words as you crossed your arms. Namjoon had been scolding you recently on your nosey habit of using your one good ability to your advantage far too often. 

The door opened quietly as your gaze immediately followed the noise. You were met with a tall man, who just like everyone else in Arestella was undoubtedly beautiful, but even then. Prince Jungkook seemed unnaturally beautiful, his dark raven hair contrasting heavily against his glossed pristine pale skin, his hair hung low on his face and one side tucked behind his ear giving him an oddly regal look. 

A smile graced his lips as he bowed while you and Namjoon stood up, “It’s good to see you again Namjoon,” His voice, confirmed the same dulcet tone you heard in the hallway before his eyes turned to look at you, they were a deep burgundy red not at all the bright red that Namjoon’s eyes usually glowed, “You must be his new mate. You have my congratulations.” 

You gave an awkward smile, feeling your face heat up at someone so beautiful staring directly into your soul as you fumbled with your fingers, a noise escaping you that made you all the more embarrassed as you hid somewhat behind your mate, “She’s a little shy,” Namjoon smiled endearingly down at you, a hand affectionately combing through your hair as you glared with a pout at the ground, “This is Y/n, my mate. You may call her Luna. She’s just here to observe today in case she needs to come in my place in the future.” 

Jungkook nodded before taking a seat across from you both as you sat down once more, “Then let’s start. We’ve been getting a heavy influx of demonic energy on the south side of Incúrsio. I’m aware you’ve had some tension with them in the past but it’s different this time. Despite the Ceremony’s passing they’re experiencing mass hysteria saying it’s the end of the world. After doing a little bit of poking…” Jungkook sighed, shutting his eyes as you sensed a vague annoyance fill him, “I found out there’s a reason why.” 

Namjoon tilted his head in observation, you had never seen his expression so quizzical before but then again you had never seen Namjoon in such an important meeting, “And that is?” 

“A...friend,” Jungkook offered a weak smile, “Has told me there’s been a bit of, descent in the underworld if you will...One of the Prince’s of Hell, in his words was: ‘Throwing a tantrum’ and to ‘not worry about it’,” Jungkook looked semi exasperated as you furrowed your brows, “But despite his words we’ve been getting reported demon sightings and if a portal to Hell has been weakened for any demon strong enough to push through the traversing barrier we’re going to have a problem. He said he’d take care of it but...I have some doubt.” Jungkook sighed. 

Namjoon frowned as he rested his chin against his head, “So what do you want Blood Moon to do about it?” 

“I want you to keep an eye out of any demonic energy, I know you’re a nomadic group and you travel all over the realm...Said friend, assumes it’s only the portal in Incúrsio but...Given the reports I’ve received from other royal officials in other Kingdoms, it doesn’t seem like it. And please, ignore the people of Incuriso should you go back to your homestead meanwhile. They’re unwell right now and cannot think straight.” Jungkook answered, his gaze looking out the window into the wilderness were the tree’s swaying with the wind delicately. 

“We’ll do what we can, but if Incúrsio tries to attack my people. I can’t make any promises Jungkook.” Namjoon hummed as he leaned back in his seat, “But I will do what I can to defuse the situation should it arise. Is that all?” 

“For now,” Jungkook replied, fixing the cuff of his sleeve before glancing back up, “But you’re staying the next few days for a reason. Please make yourselves comfortable in the palace. I expect to see you both at dinner.” You nodded as you and Namjoon stood up making your way for the door, “Luna,” 

You paused at the deep voice of Jungkook as he called out, “A word please?” You glanced at Namjoon as you frowned, he gave a small smile encouragingly, stroking your hair once before exiting the room, closing the door behind him as you timidly turned around. Something about the Vampiric Prince put you on guard, though you were positive it was simply due to just how intimidatingly attractive him and his kin were. 

You got an oddly seductive, yet dangerous energy from any vampire you had came into contact with since arriving to Arestella, Jungkook wasn’t an exception, “Please, don’t look so timid,” Jungkook offered a gentle smile as he folded his hands as if to appear non threatening, “I just wanted to speak to you for a moment. Much like my own mate, everyone has been awaiting Namjoon to find his other half. I wish you the best of luck on becoming Blood Moon’s Luna.” 

He stood up, elegantly walking up to you, eyes dark like pools of the blood yet there was nothing dangerous or malicious about them, “If you’re ever in need of a place to stay Arestella’s doors will always be open to you. My kingdom would be happy to serve Blood Moon’s Luna in any need or situation. I hope you enjoy your stay here.” 

Tugging on a strand of your hair you managed a tiny smile as you glanced up at him, “Thank you, it’s appreciated.” 

To that Jungkook offered a dazzling smile that showed off the sharp teeth of his fangs, his smile could put nearly anyone to shame as he chuckled, walking to his desk as he hummed, “You should meet my mate while you’re here. I feel like you’d both get along rather well. And she’s often lonely these days. The court,” You could see the dismay in Jungkook’s eyes as he stood in front of the large window by his desk, “They aren’t accepting of commoners like her. She doesn’t like to worry me but I can tell she struggles by herself when I’m unable to keep her company. She could use a friend to confide in.” 

You swallowed thickly as you managed a smile, nodding, “Of course! I’ll make sure to introduce myself if I get a chance.” It felt like an incredible honor to have the crowned Prince of Arestella ask if you could keep his mate company but you’d try your best. 

You just didn’t know who she was outside of the news you had heard. Despite being in isolation word eventually made its way to your pack that the Vampiric Prince had found his mate, but not only his mate, but a commoner at that. 

Many in your pack sneered at that and often laughed, someone of low ranking suddenly becoming the mate of someone powerful? Unheard of. 

You felt a vague sense of empathy, you were in the same position as the Princess at one time. Except your new pack were very accepting of you...You supposed the same could not be said for the future Princess of Arestella, you couldn’t imagine how snide the Court must’ve truly been. 

“I’ll see you later then.” Jungkook offered you one last small smile before you left his office, closing the door gently before you noticed Namjoon waiting down the hallway, his eyes set on the artwork that displayed on the walls. 

“Finished?” Namjoon hummed as he glanced over to you, a hand falling to your head to pat it as you pouted a little as you nodded, “Then come along, they prepared lunch for us. What did Jungkook want to talk to you about?” 

You tilted your head, his tone rather strange. It sounded as if he was trying to come off relaxed but there was a tense note in his delivery. But then it struck you, most werewolves were naturally jealous of their mate associating with the opposite sex, alpha’s no doubt. 

You felt a teasing smile tug on your lips as you snickered, “Nothing, he just wanted to ask if I could speak to his mate, to become friends with her. Despite having similar class systems, it seems the court is rather….Icy about her becoming one of them.” 

“That’s not too big of a surprise,” Namjoon wrapped an arm around you, keeping you snug against him as he continued, “Royal court is always filled with people who look down their noses at one another. Civilization is an odd sort but they make it work. I’m sure his mate does feel lonely. I’d hate to be a commoner entering the court. Many are wolves disguised as sheep.” 

You tilted your head in thought, that was often an analogy humans used to describe people who pretended to be innocent when they were truly guilty. You supposed you could see what he meant by his words despite feeling as though wolves really weren’t all that bad, “It’s just odd. I can’t imagine being in that position.” 

“Well the good news is that you aren’t.” Namjoon pressed a kiss against the top of your head making you smile as you wrapped your arms around his waist, nudging his arm a little, a silent ask for affection, “And we don’t have to deal with any kind of courts fickle business.” 

Namjoon immediately complied, his hands stroking your sides as you paused in your spot, preening at his pet against your skin and the way his lips peppered against your cheeks, “You look like a little pup my omega.” He whispered, a small smirk on his face as he nipped the tip of your nose, “Always whining and begging for affection, always greedy for more.” 

You stretched your neck a little at the feeling of his nose rubbing against your neck, a surprised whine escaping you at the feeling of his scent gland suddenly knocking against you, “You smell like vampire.” Namjoon growled against your ear, a whine escaping you as you tugged on his loose button up shirt, “When you should smell like me instead.” 

He nipped your ear in warning to be quiet as he rubbed his scent gland along your neck. It was in your nature to be obedient, standing completely still as you allowed Namjoon to continue to scent you. Often a gesture done right before mating or simply a display of dominance. 

“Are you wet little omega?” Namjoon growled in your ear quietly making a pathetic whimper escape you, your thighs squeezing together as you lowered your gaze in embarrassment. Of course he could smell your heady scent, “Do you like being reminded of who you belong to?” 

His voice was deep and murmured in your ear causing you to tug on his shirt as he rubbed his scent gland one last time on your neck, “Come on, let’s get lunch. I’m sure you’re starving.” Your lips parted in almost offense at the way Namjoon suddenly pulled away, obviously satisfied with his work as you now were drenched in his scent and panties dripping wet. 

“What?” Namjoon tilted his head innocently but you could see that evil glint in his eyes that enjoyed watching you squirm as you glared at him, pulling away from him with a pout as you crossed your arms, “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it.” Namjoon lovingly stroked your hair as he kept his arm loose around you as you began walking once more. 

This man was going to be the absolute death of you.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” The flecks of concern were apparent in Namjoon’s eyes as he frowned, sitting up in bed as he was preparing to attend another meeting with the Prince and his order of knights. His hand gently resting on your head, thumb soothingly swiping over your warm skin as you nodded, yawning a little as you tried curling closer to his body. 

You looked rather pitiful truthfully, stretching your arms out to him as a verbal whine escaped you, wanting his affection once more as he smiled endearingly, “Sorry little omega,” Namjoon cooed as he brushed your hair from your eyes, “I have to attend this meeting. I’ll come back once it’s finished and then we can stay in bed for as long as you’d like.” 

Your body trembled a little, a bead of sweat beginning to trickle down your forehead as you whined again, “Do you really have to go?” You mumbled, your head laying in his lap as his fingers tenderly stroked through your hair lovingly. You weren’t sure what it was but you had woken up in the middle of the night feeling hot and you had since been clinging to Namjoon. All you did know was you felt much needier than normal for affection. 

You didn’t want your mate to leave. 

“It sounds pretty important,” Namjoon leaned down to press a kiss on your forehead before frowning, “You’re burning up. I knew that cold rain was going to catch up to you.” He sighed with a tut as you offered a weak smile, letting your arms wrap around his waist as he shifted in his seat, “I’ll send a maid to make sure you’re taken care of while I’m gone. Now c’mon on little omega, I need to go before I’m late.” 

You let out a louder whine, the innate need for your alpha to be by your side running through your veins as you curled against him. You could feel sweat dripping down your collar bones as you nudged your nose against his stomach. 

Namjoon looked a little guilty as he pried your hands off him, tears welling in your eyes as you whined again curling up in bed as your body trembled once more, “Shhh, I’ll be back sweetheart. Hopefully your fever will have gone down a little by the time I do.” 

Namjoon let go of your figure as you weakly cried out, collapsing against your pillow as you whimpered unable to speak at the way your wolf was crying out in desperation for your mate to not leave you. The door closed gently as your body continuously began to tremble and with shaky hands you tied up your hair as you began shedding your clothes. 

You were so hot. Another whine escaped you as you laid down back in bed, a violent tremor sounding through your body and your muscles were beginning to lock and clench as you groaned. A few minutes later a knock gently sounded at the door before a maid appeared inside. 

She gave you a sympathetic smile, “The Alpha told me what was going on, I have some cool rags to help with the fever miss, we’ve sent a maid to get you a tonic to help cool you off.” She explained gently as she kneeled down, bless her heart as she gently placed the cool cloth over your forehead as you tried to suppress the whine from your lips. 

Your wolf was just about as pathetic as you right now, howling and crying at her mate leaving her. The rag was quickly to dry up as the maid gently patted your collarbones down as she frowned, “You feel much hotter than most with a fever, are you sure you don’t have any other ailments?”

Your lips trembled for a moment as you thought about it. Abruptly you stiffened as your thighs clenched together, the sticky feeling of arousal making another whimper force its way out of your lips, “I’-I’m okay! It’s um….It’s just a...wolf thing…” You forced a smile as you clenched your thighs together, the maid frowned not understanding your words before she sighed, “Very well, but don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.” You nodded rapidly, trying to ignore the itch to let your hands furiously get to work.

You groaned as the door shut, trying to squeeze your thighs shut as if it would make it any better. Most humans and vampires alike may have derived the word Mate from werewolves but...your nature was still a mystery to them. Your long delayed heat included.

Your body had been in survival mode for so long that your heat hadn’t come in a long time, you never expected for it to come so early. No wonder you had felt so needy for your mates attention. 

A whine escaped you once more as you flopped on your stomach, burying into the mattress before your hips immediately began rubbing into the bed in desperate need of friction, heat was suffocating you and pain was beginning to well in your lower body. 

Omegas were truly the worst off with monthly heats whereas Beta’s only experienced them every three months and once every six months for Alpha’s. Over all being an omega truly was miserable. You had forgotten all about your heat after your body kicked into survival mode causing you to miss. 

It made sense for it’s return though, you had met your mate, you not only were safe but you were taken care of and pampered. Your heat suddenly showering up was like your body telling you it was time to get pregnant. Your thighs began trembling at the idea of your mate, your alpha mounting you and filling you with his big knot. 

You buried your face into the pillow as you whined, it didn’t matter how pathetically you humped the bed it wasn’t a replacement for what you craved. What your body needed and why arousal was seeping from your tiny hole and walls that squeezed around nothing at the idea of your alpha’s cock filling you up to breed you. 

Just the idea of Namjoon’s scent was making you nearly delirious as your hips desperately rocked into the mattress once more, the strength of your heat intensifying with each moment before all you could do was tremble and whine against the bed, desperately looking for anything to help the pain. The mattress, the pillows, your fingers, anything. 

Two hours. 

That was how long Namjoon’s meeting took. Two hours before your ears perked up at the sound of the familiar footsteps, your wolf's tail was practically flying back and forth and crying out in need. Another wave of heat filtered through your body making sweat drip down your neck as you shakily sat up. The door quietly opened as Namjoon walked in, locking it behind him before he turned to face you. 

His expression turned to sympathy that had you whining and whimpering, too weak to stand up but if you could you’d already be climbing up his tall figure, “Oh my little omega,” His voice was deeper than usual, a growl vibrating in his chest causing arousal to slide down your thighs as he slowly approached, “I could smell you all the way from the staircase.” 

Your thighs felt weak at the way he stood in front of the bed looking down at you dauntingly as you fumbled against the bed, “Alpha,” You whined, lowering your gaze subserviently as you stumbled against the sheets, getting on all fours before presenting yourself for him your thighs shaky and pain coursing through you as you whimpered, “Please. Alpha it hurts.” 

“Does it hurt omega?” Namjoon’s voice was growled and dominance seeped in his tone as you flinched at the feeling of his hand resting on the swell of your ass, “Do you need your alpha to stuff you full of his knot?” You jump with a cry at his hand slamming against your ass with a sting, tears pricking at your eyes as your hips impatiently backed against him. 

A snarled growl left his lips as your cunt was met with the thick length of his cock hardened in his pants before his hands roughly grabbed your hips, “Be patient little omega,” His hands gripped your hips harshly and the smell of his scent wafting through the room was making you light headed as another drop of arousal seeped from your needy cunt, “Do you need your alpha to fill you? Do you need my pups little one? Do you need to be bred like a good little bitch?” 

It was taking every ounce of energy to not needily drag yourself against his hips as you cried out with a frustrated whine, “Please alpha! Please! I’ll be a good mommy! I’ll take care of our pups! Please.” You needed to be filled with his cum. 

Namjoon was filled with both arousal and his primal instincts running wild at the sight of you so subservient and pliable in his hands, your smell was thick and heady in the air causing a growl to escape his lips again, “Oh will you?” Namjoon growled softly, his cock throbbing his pants as his hands stroked against your soft ass, his hand dragging down before cupping you’re wet cunt as you whined.

Your toes curled as your hips began to frantically grind against his fingers, “Ah-ah! Alpha...!” Namjoon tutted, gripping your hips with his free hand as you whimpered against the sheets, your eyes filling with tears at the way your body burned and yet your mate was still teasing you, “You need to be patient little one.” Namjoon growled with a tease in his tone, his long slim fingers dragging against your wet folds as you whined, your back arching once more to try and coax him to give you what you wanted.

Instead his fingers only dragged down to meet your tender swollen clit, a cry escaping your lips as your walls clenched around nothing but air, “You’re so wet my little omega, do you need your alpha’s cock inside you,” Namjoon moaned his fingers circling and pressing against your sensitive sensitive bud as his eyes became lidded with desire watching the way you pitifully jolted and jerked to stay still for him.

Your muscles tensed before your hips began rubbing against his fingers, “What did I say?” Namjoon let out a low growl making you whine once more. His hand was not so light anymore as he struck your ass making you whimper before obediently stilling for him once more to do whatever he pleased.

His fingers dragged up your folds before you squeaked against the mattress as his finger pushing slowly into you, a second finger slid in with just as much ease due to your excessive arousal as you whimpered, “Alpha! Please! I need it! I need it please!” You begged with a sob as his fingers began jamming against your g-spot, your walls squeezing around him impossibly tight as your lips parted and your eyes snapped shut. This wasn’t at all a replacement for what you needed but it still felt amazing. You just needed more.

“You’re squeezing around me so tight little omega,” Namjoon cooed mockingly, you could practically hear the smirk on his face as his fingers began giving little thrusts as you felt drool dribbling against your chin, “How much do you need my cock bitch?” He growled, grabbing your hair as he yanked it, a gurgled cry escaped you as he pushed his fingers inside you once more. 

Your hips unable to stay still anymore immediately began fucking yourself against him as you moaned and whined, his finger pads dragging along that little spongy spot as you gurgled, “Please! Alpha!” You could hardy formulate words as tears dropped down your face pleasure was twisting in your body yet it still wasn’t enough. 

Namjoon let go of your hair to dive between your legs, his fingers dragging along your clit making you nearly cry out at the way your walls clenched around his fingers and the orgasm flooding through you. Your lips were parted and frantic cries escapes you as you rutted messily against his fingers, “Alpha!” Your cries were pathetic as the burning in your body only strengthened at the realization there wasn’t a knot filling your cunt.

Namjoon clacked his tongue at the sound of your pitiful sobs, your walls unbearably tight around his fingers and your hips attempted to back against him as he pulled them out of you, “My pretty omega,” He cooed softly, “Are you gonna be a good girl and let me fill your little cunt with my pups?”

His hands stroked against your sides as your legs violently shook while frantically nodding, “I’ll be a good mommy! Alpha please! Please! Need your knot! Please!” Your back arched harshly as you presented your cunt for him, desperately hoping he’d give you what your body was crying for.

Your head was becoming foggy and the need for something, anything to fill you with a knot became your number one need. Namjoon as if sensing you couldn’t take anymore teasing began to undone the knot of his pants, “You’ll be a good little bitch and carry my pups? You’ll let your alpha breed you like a good girl.” Namjoon let out a soft moan, his eyes closing as his cock sprung free, bobbing in the air in search for your cunt as his hands dragged against your waist, roughly petting down your sides as you whined at his praise. 

Your body tensed and swelled with excitement as you squeezed your eyes shut at the feeling of his thick bulbous tip dragging along your wet slit as another deep growl left him, “Be a good girl and stay still.” You were whining against the sheets as his bulbous tip pushed inside you, the pain hardly even there as your heat had caused you to become dripping. Unlike humans you were made to be pounded into. 

“Alpha! Alpha please!” You whined, your eyes shut tightly as you strangled a mewl while keeping your body obediently still. You could hear a low growled moan from Namjoon as he pushed his cock further inside you, your cunt eagerly letting him slide in further.

“Mmm so tight,” He leaned down as he growled against your ear making you squeak as your walls tightened around him, “My little omega likes presenting her cunt doesn’t she? Does she like to be fucked hard and knotted?” You didn’t get the chance to answer before Namjoon’s hips were slamming into you, his cock fixing the ache of your cunt as you moaned embarrassingly loud as your face pressed against the mattress.

Pleasure was immediate as you cried out, moans escaping you as your walls needily clenched around his cock, “Alpha!” You whined before squealing against the mattress at the feeling of his long fingers pressing into your tender swollen clit. You whimpered as pleasure welled hotly inside you, your body needy for him after denying your consummation for so long. Your body was being lurched with every powerful thrust of Namjoon as he growled, “That’s it omega, milk your Alpha’s cock, mmm that’s it. You want your alpha’s knot don’t you?” 

“Yes please! Please! I’ll be a good girl.” You whined not having the energy to do anything but stay obediently in place as his massive cock continued splitting your cunt with every thrust, just feeling his thick length was causing your head to spin and your pleasure spiking as you mewled, “Alpha y-your so big…! Alpha please.” 

Your hips kept trying to buck into him causing a low snarl to escape him, Namjoon sounded nearly primal compared to his gentle level headed manners, hand large hands tightly gripping your hips and forcing them still as you whined in impatience your body craved his knot badly but you had heard Alpha’s don’t knot as quick as Beta’s.

“Be patience bitch.” Namjoon growled, his hands would certainly leave bruises later as his hips slammed into you to sate your needy cunt, he growled in pleasure at feeling your tiny walls trap his throbbing cock, “Gonna have my pups, fill your cunt up until your tummy is filled with my pups.” You whined as your body jolted, walls clenching harshly at his cock roughly sliding in and out of you, your heat craving his knot as your thighs trembled in anticipation.

“Please alpha! Please! I’ll be a good mommy.” You whined and whimpered, your back aching from it’s uncomfortable arch but your ass perking, wanting the perfect angle for his knot. Namjoon’s fingers roughly rubbed into your clit only making your walls that much tighter as his hips snapped harshly into yours, his chest pressing into your back as he growled into your ear, “That’s right little omega you’re going to have my pups. Mine.” 

Your thighs were beginning to tremble at the feeling of his base swelling, “You’re going to be an obedient bitch and take my knot.” He snapped, his hand tangling into your hair to yank it only to shove your face into the soft mattress as his hips rammed into you at an unnatural speed.

Your moans and cries were muffled as your walls began to rapidly convulse, the feeling of his thick fat cock ramming into your tiny walls, his fingers rubbing roughly into your clit. His rough manhandling. You were like a howling pup when your orgasm snapped in your body, whines and whimpers escaping you as Namjoon growled, his scent was overwhelming and he leaned down snapping his hips as he continued rutting into you, his fangs dragging over your neck before he sunk them deep into your neck. 

A loud whimper escaped you, your cunt clenching around him harder as all of your sense overwhelmed you, you couldn’t smell anything but firewood and cedar, his cock only making your orgasm that much better as he dragged it past your g-spot with each stroke as he marked you.

The base of his cock was swelling rapidly and dominant pheromones were rolling off his body as he growled and snapped at your obedience, still riding the high of your orgasm as your body was jolted and tossled by his hips which were roughly smacking against yours before you heard a choked moan escape him. Letting his cock fully rest in you as you muffled a whine against the mattress.

Tears stung your eyes at the feeling of his knot, it was massive and plugged up your small hole as you felt the first burst of hot cum stream from his cock, nobody ever told you that your hormones were running so crazy that you’d cum just from him cumming. But here you were letting out the most embarrassing cries and squeals in pleasure and it was like your orgasm was tenfold at being filled up by your Alpha. 

Spit was dripping into the bed as you let out the lewdest moans, your hips grinding against his cock that was completely stuck inside you, a snappy growl escaped Namjoon as he released your neck from his mouth, his cock hyper sensitive yet your needy grinding earned the second spurt of cum from his knot , “Stop that you needy little bitch.” Namjoon snarled in command, your walls split open by his massive cock yet they were still so tight around him. His cum was like euphoria for you. Making your head spin and your body nearly black out in pleasure as your hips kept trying to grind against him for more.

Namjoon snapped again as he grabbed your hips making you cry out with a whine, walls needily clenching around around him earning a third load of his seed as you moaned pathetically, your knees trembling but your body was begging for more. Taking pity on your trembling desperate figure Namjoon let his fingers return to your clit nearly making you scream as you whine against the sheets, “That’s right little omega.” Namjoon purred against your ear, “Let them all know who you belong to.” 

You were trying your best to be still, you really were. Tears pricked at your eyes as he let his fingers circle over your swollen bud, your walls harshly clenching around him earning a low growl, “Keep milking my cock baby. You’re gonna be such a good mommy.” Namjoon nipped against your ear as you whimpered. You were in absolute bliss, being stuffed full of his knot, his fingers playing with your clit while filling you with his seed. 

Your inner wolf was howling in ecstasy. The pleasure was so much you weren’t sure when it happened but your vision began to spot before darkening altogether.

“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better Luna.” Your cheeks burned at the Prince’s well meaning comment as you gave a timid smile, trying not to think about just why you had gotten ‘sick’ according to the rest of the court. Namjoon’s nose nudging against your neck as you curled into your seat. Your heat would have been unbearable had it not been for your mate, but Namjoon had taken care of you the whole week and…

You couldn’t say for sure but you had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before a pregnancy was announced. You couldn’t say for sure, omega’s weren't easy to impregnate but, surely after being knotted for a week straight by an Alpha...Just the idea of little pups running around had you nearly bouncing in your seat, “Oh, thank you Your Highness, I’m feeling much better.” You nudged back against Namjoon, eliciting a small growl in your ear from him as he straightened up a little. 

A large hand stroked against your hair as Namjoon spoke up, “Thank you for letting us stay, we’ll be heading out later this evening to unite with the pack, I’m sure they’re all ready to begin our journey back to our territory.” 

Jungkook offered an easy smile as he nodded, long locks of raven hair shielding his eyes briefly with the movement as he replied, “I’m sure, wolves have always had the tendency to be nomadic in nature. I just have one request for you.” Namjoon raised his brows in curiosity as the Prince looked to his mate, a gentle encouraging smile on his lips as if trying to coax her to speak.

She withered a little, looking away in reservation as she mumbled, “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Jungkook’s hand squeezed against hers in confirmation as she took a breath in resignation before glancing between you both, “I’m...looking for someone...A powerful witch, they say she lives north, I don’t expect you to look for her, but if you were to stumble across one such as herself, please send her to me, directly.” 

You tilted your head in confusion before you glanced at Namjoon, witch of the north...? Was this the same witch the scout from the Sisterhood was looking for? You could see the a mixture of desperation and resignation in the Princess’s eyes as she glanced back at the table, her hands folded as Jungkook tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear with soft eyes, “Pardon my words but,” Everyone’s attention was on you as you tilted your head, didn’t Namjoon say the royal court enforced these rules more then anyone? “Isn’t witchcraft punishable by death…?” 

A tense air took over the table and it seemed your words were confirmed, while you didn’t live in any kingdom, you had known just as well as anyone else witchcraft was against nearly every kingdom's law. Jungkook bowed his head, as if in understanding of your confusion, “It is, which is why we ask you to keep this between the both of you. We’re looking for someone dear to my mate, but the only way we can possibly find closure is through magick. Please don’t go out of your way or put yourselves in danger for this.” 

Namjoon nodded in understanding though keeping what he had previously talked to you about a secret, “Of course, we’ll keep a lookout if we come across anyone with that sort of power.” 

“Thank you.” The Princess offered a small smile before letting her gaze drop back to her plate, the conversation between the Prince and Namjoon picking up once more with any last minute details of what to look out for. 

After your private dinner with the crowned Prince and future Princess you had made your way out of the palace. While you would miss the plush beds and elaborate meals you wouldn’t lie in saying you were glad to be out of the bustling city and into the open air where your new pack greeted you with open arms. 

Taking a long sniff of the fresh air you curled up against Namjoon where the big bonfire was, everyone conversed and celebrated another fruitful picking to eat well. Namjoon’s arms wrapped around you as he nudged against your neck, a smile on his lips as he hummed, “Should we tell the pack?” 

You felt a smile tug on your lips as you looked up at the man who had become your whole life, shaking your head as you let out a breathy laugh, “No, I’d rather not tell them until we know for sure.” 

Pressing a kiss into your neck Namjoon flirted, “We’ll give it two weeks.” You rolled your eyes with a smile as you leaned against him, his hands tenderly stroking your stomach as you closed your eyes. You couldn’t wait to begin the journey to a new land once again and experience everything with your mate in hand. 

[fat-hedonistic-hogs]

A cursed scroll at Tsunade, turning herself into a rather thick pamper, with a clone nearby to make sure it gets thoroughly used...

⚠️ Contains diapers and soiling ⚠️

"A scroll? What's it doing out here? A message perhaps?" Tsunade asked herself as she grabbed the large paper scroll and unrolled it revealing a large circle of strange symbols inside which began glowing a bright pink color. "Shit! It's some kind of Jutsu!" The former kage felt herself became enveloped by the blinding light, it was like her skin and body was becoming softer and more maliable almost like plastic. Everything got bigger around her as she folded and contorted until she had fully transformed into a large crinkly disposable diaper with the only remains of her human body being her blonde hair and eyes which frantically looked around to try and find help.

"Poof~" a sudden puff of smoke appeared and a clone of Tsunade popped out of the scroll. It was identical to her except she was completely naked.

"God I gotta go so bad.... I knew I should of packed my diaper bag.... Oh! Who'd leave a perfectly good diaper laying around in the dirt? Oh well it's my lucky day I guess." The clone said with a drunken smile as she grabbed Tsunade and taped her around her bottom. "Whew~ I was about to bust! Thankfully this was here or that could of been embarrassing!" The clone Tsunade chuckled as she squatted down and stuck her poofy padded rump outwards.

"WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Tsunade asked as she felt her wearer squatting down and heard an ominous gurgle come from her stomach. "DON'T YOU DARE!" She yelled but it was too late as with a wet earth shaking fart her clone began unloading her bowels into her causing her plastic body to sag and become stained brown as the filth inside her piled up into a large messy mound.

"BLOOOOOORRRRRT~ FLRRRRPTT BRRAAAAAAAARP~ SPLOOOORRRT~"

The sounds of the Clone's messy dump filled the air and the clone couldn't help but moan and place a hand on her padded bottom cupping her messy rump and squishing it slightly before giggling. "Ooh~♡ That's much better! Blegh! I stink.... I gotta find Shizune and ask for a change before I get back to the office." The pampered Kunoichi said fanning her nose as she waddled down the street in search of her assistant all while Tsunade dragged behind her full of filth and attracting flies.

[gutterghosts]

Prompt 3 - Temper

Fifteen summers past…

Seated, cross-legged, eyes closed, her tongue ran across the back of her teeth. She could still taste the blood in her mouth, it permeated from where it had leaked down her face from her nose. “You shouldn’t let them push you around, Sarantsatsral,” her brother said as he wiped her face. They were in the quiet warmth of their yurt. Their mother and father were out on a hunt and Borgijin had been left to mind his sister. The diminutive Dhoro sighed and shook her head. “There is no point. They’re all bigger than me. They’ll just be meaner if I fight back.” Her brother clicked his tongue in a gentle chide. “Then get angry. Get so angry that you scare them.” Saran deflated some. She didn’t have it in her to be that kind of angry. Her brother knew it as much as she did, in the seven summers that he had known her she had never gotten angry, never brandished the temper of their mother. More like their father, quiet and thoughtful, more willing to show defiance through an unbreakable spirit rather than a quickly lost temper. Borgijin sighed and reached over to ruffle her hair. “I’ll talk to them. Don’t worry about it, little lamb.” With a smile he scooped her up and set her on her feet. “I heard Tuya was making boortsog, why don’t we go see if we can sneak a few pieces?”

Present day…

Crack! Bone and cartilage squelched and crunched beneath a balled fist. One after the other collided with a bruised and battered face until her knuckles split and bled, until the dirt around them was splattered in a ruddy hue. “Whew, she is really going to town on the guy,” a nearby Brass Blade whistled low. “Should we… stop her?”

The second, a tall and broad shouldered Roegadyn shrugged. “I’m on break, I ain’t stoppin’ shite.” The two watched with mounting grotesque fascination as the man flailed to defend himself before curling in a fetal position. The woman, who had seemed much larger when her fists had been flying, stood to her full height. “I was taller than ‘er when I was ten,” the Roegadyn snorted. “Embarrassin’ for the lad. Gettin’ bested by a wee lass.”

Her partner sniffed dryly and rubbed his nose. “Must of really pissed her off.”

“Mm.”

The dainty Dhoro looked down at her hands, then looked toward the man trembling beneath her, her shadow stretching across his body. An abnormally long shadow at this hour, a shadow that seemed to move even when she stood still. “I told you not to fuck with me, Adrian. But you just didn’t listen,” she tutted softly, wiping blood from her face with the back of her hand. “I really don’t like when I get like this, you know? An ugly thing. Letting that beast out. It’s not so easy to put back in the cage once you free it.” Her head lolled to the side, her eyes following the trail of carnage from his bruised body up to his misshapen face. “Tch.” Her tongue clicked against the back of her teeth. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Sorry,” he sputtered, spitting out a broken tooth onto the ground.

“Sorry for what?”

“….”

Her boot pressed to his shoulder, pinning him to his back as a hand dipped into her jacket to retrieved a handkerchief. With an exasperated sigh, she wiped her hands. “Sorry for what, Adrian,” she echoed.

“Sorry I tried to rob you.” In comparison to some Ul’dahn vigilantism, the man had fared rather well, still alive and breathing despite the blood and broken bones. Another chiding click of her tongue as she bent down and fished through his pockets until she found the jar he had tried to withhold while simultaneously taking her gil at knife point. She eyed the jar from behind reflective red lenses. A red-stained hand smoothed down her jacket and she stared down at him for several long moments.

“Next time, bring a bigger knife.”

[liibrii]

Built for eternity  

deity!Atsumu x gn!reader || crack/fluff || wc: 1.6k || 🦊

Synopsis: Once Atsumu was a great deity, equally loved and feared but after taking a very long nap he wakes up to a world that has forgotten him. Everyone but your group that’s digging up his old shrine. He's sure you'll be his new followers so why on Earth are you destroying his house?!

warnings: barely proofread, general stupidity, cursing, suggestive moments, archaeological mumbo jumbo, Atsumu is a god of something but it's vague and not really important, also gods exist and everybody is chill with that, reader is a very tired archaeologist and done with everybody’s shit

a/n: after 3 days of rain and 6 straight hours of shovelling dirt I had an epiphany. idk, it made me laugh so I decided to scribble it down. and yes, don’t mess with a profile unless you want archaeologists to hate you forever as always feedback is greatly appreciated!

Once Atsumu was a great deity with shrines and temples at every corner. Nowadays the only ones remembering him are obscure books only used for collecting dust. But that is about to change. Atsumu is sure of that. 

Group of loyal followers has gathered where his shrine once stood, a small one, one he never really cared about but these days he'll take every crumb of adoration he can. And the crumbs are a plenty as the group digs up the shrine, excited about the pottery shards and walls coming to light. 

They call themselves archaeo-something, architects probably since they will rebuild his power. Yes, excellent, it pleases him to see you all rejoice, taking pictures of everything, you will be his new followers and more will follow, he'll be a great deity again, equally loved and feared-

“Aright, take the wall out!“

Huh?

Why are ya destroyin’ his shrine?! No, no, no, stop breakin’ apart the walls! That was the inner altar, what are ya pigs doin’?!

Thunder rumbles and a downpour falls for days, and still those little crawly humans continue to destroy his shrine, his precious walls, and take away the last remains of old offerings. Oh he's going to have a word with all of you freakin' stumblin’ humans, ya better know yer damn places. But he'll start with the one in charge.

The excavation site is empty when he decides to approach you. You're shovelling away dirt, though you should've started with your shoes and clothes. You turn when you hear someone approach and your eyes widen, as they should, thinks Atsumu, at least someone 'round here should show him the respect he deserves, he's a god after-

“Hey! You're standing on my feature! Get off, shoo, shoo! And watch out for the profile! I just cleaned the damn thing. Excavation site is closed to the public Mister so I'll have to ask you to leave.“

Exca- what? Leave? It’s his shrine! Humans shouldn’t react to his presence the way you did, that's just, it's not what humans do! 

“But I live here.“

“You-? Oh. You're still standing on my feature, get off already,“ you pull him off the patch of dark soil that to him looks the same as the patch where he's standing now.

“Why are ya destroyin' my shrine?“

You wipe away the sweat on your forehead, or maybe it's rain, with raindrops still falling he can't really tell. “We're not destroying anything, we're digging it up. Documenting it. It'll get destroyed once the apartment complex is build here. Come on, stay away from the profile!“

You return to scrapping the patch of dirt and Atsumu feels some very confusing mixture of rage that you, a lowly little human being, are talking to him like he's a nuisance, and being very pleased because when you lean down to scrap the soil he has an incredible view of your behind, and whew, that's a very nice ass. He shouldn't look, staring is rude, but what else is he supposed to look at, there's just soil, and holes dug into the ground, a weird green box atop a yellow tripod, a shovel, and some stones, one beside your left leg, such good looking legs indeed, there's a mud stain all over your ass-

No! You're tearing down the last remains of his shrine! “Human. I order ya to stop doin' what yer doin' and answer my questions!“

You glance over your shoulder. “Sure. I'll keep on working and you ask me what you want to know.“

Why are you so calm?! He's a deity, a god, you should be on your knees begging for your life to be spared, not scrapping the ground, oh holy bean sprouts and apples, why does your ass look so good? “Do ya know who I am?“

“The one of many names. The Twofaced god.“ You straighten up just to change gardening hoe for a shovel.

“Why aren't ya scared then?“

“I've met your kind before,“ you shovel the dirt onto a big pile a few steps away. “Though they usually don't go around destroying my surfaces. A clumsy god is a first. Oh, what's this? Pottery, nice,“ you mumble as you turn a small object covered with soil in your hand.

“Hey. Show me some respect or-“

“Or what? You’ll make it rain again? Joke's on you I've been soaked through and through for the last three days. Hand me the trowel?“

“Yer extremely impolite.“

To his utter surprise you burst into laughter. “Listen your holiness it's Friday afternoon, I’m tired, my clothes are completely wet, I'm cold, I have gravel in my shoes, my shoulders are killing me, and I'm more than ready to go home. But before that I have a feature to document. The one that you so kindly stepped in. Now, please show me your godly powers and hand me the trowel. The mini shovel. Red handle. No, left. Left. That's the one, thank you, what did I tell you, watch the profile man!“

Good grief, have humans always been so demanding?

“Will my shrine be rebuild?“

“If your shrine is an apartment complex, sure. Give it a few weeks and it will be good as new. Literally.“ When you see his face your expression softens a little. “No. It won’t be. We'll look at the remains to figure out when it was abandoned, what happened, that sort of thing.“

“But yer an architect. Architects build things.“ He heard people of your group call themselves that. They talked about how the walls had been built though he quickly stoped listening. “This shrine was built for eternity!“

“Archaeologist.“

“What?

“You meant I’m an archaeologist. Not architect. I don't plan buildings, I dig them up once their eternity passes.“

“It's eternity! It doesn't pass! Go dig somewhere else!“

You sigh. You look almost as exhausted as he did before taking his a few thousand years long nap. “Great, you're one of those people. Always complaining, why is it taking so long, why do you have to dig on my building site? Well mister it ain't my fault you decided to build atop of my neolithic settlement. Hey, grab the hoe.“

“The what?“

“The thing by your feet. No, that's a trowel. The one with the long handle. No, that’s a pickaxe, yes that's the one. See there? Your footprints. Clean them. Come on, don't just stand around and look pretty, get to hoeing.“

“Right here? Out in the open?“ He wiggles his eyebrows at you. “Yer an intriguin'-“

“Clean them away.“

Atsumu does as you say all while grinning. You're getting flustered. Humans and their brave facades, we'll see how long you manage to hold your own up.

“There.“ It only took four scraps to get rid of the footprints but Atsumu proclaims it so proudly he might as well just have dug up the entire excavation site on his own. “That was as easy-“ As he steps away ground under his foot crumbles and he hears your shocked shriek.

“My profile!“

Oh dear. The word he’d use to describe the look on your face when you see the collapsed pile of dirt beside the hole in the cross section would be heartbroken. Devastated. On verge of tears. Irritated. Angry. Enraged? 

“What did I tell you?! I gave you one job, one job you clumsy wanna be deity! Oh fuck, come on, I’m to tired for this.“

“’m sorry,“ Atsumu mumbles. His ears are on fire.

“Yeah you better be. Shit, fuck, what am I supposed to do?“ You look at him the same way someone in a hurry looks at a doorknob when their jacket gets caught on it. “You. Here.“

“What's-“

“Don’t tell me you don’t know what a shovel is. You destroyed my profile. I'm very tired. I'm very angry. I don't care if you're a god or a plastic straw, right now you will help me fix it. Shovel straight down. I want a right angle.“ 

With his strength evening out the cross section proves to be no problem at all. He glances over at you, do you see what a good job he’s doing, maybe he messed up before but now he’s doing great, as you pay him no attention and write something on a small blackboard. A bunch of numbers and words. He recognises there's a date. What could the others mean? You lean down to reach for, oh that mud stain on your trousers is actually a hand print. You must've wiped your hand on your ass- 

The shovel slips. Luckily you're too preoccupied with your camera to take notice of it.

“Are you done?“ you ask without looking up and he stutters out an 'almost' since he's almost sure it isn’t just the shovel that’s slipping. “Looks good.“ You say more to yourself than him. 

He thinks you're pretty cute when you're not chewing him out for stepping onto that one patch of dirt. The way you lift the camera up and take photos of that patch of dirt is pretty cute too. 

“Help me pack up,“ you say once you’re done. He doesn’t need to be told twice, already gathering your tools. “All things considered you weren’t so bad. Maybe you should consider becoming the god of archaeologists.“ Your smile is incredibly cute too. “Fancy a drink?“

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

What's your take on swearing as a christian? Also thanks for running this blog!!! i've weathered many a storm going through your FAQ and poetry tags,,,

i personally swear all the dang time!!! ...offline, that is. i say the f word at least 20 times a day haha. my opinion is this: if you choose to swear, be respectful in your swearing:

avoid swearing in front of kids, especially if you don’t know how their parents/guardians are choosing to raise them when it comes to swearing (you don’t wanna get them in trouble by teaching them a New Word lol) .

avoid swearing around people who have a reason to be uncomfortable with swearing (when i’m with someone new and am about to use a swear word, i’ll check in with them -- “are you okay with swearing?” If they aren’t, I don’t press them to tell me why -- I simply avoid swearing. Ya know, like a baseline decent human being) .

do NOT use slurs that aren’t aimed at an identity you belong to!! my white ass is never ever ever gonna use the N word. i also avoid the b word and c word because i’m not a woman. in my mind, slurs don’t even belong to the same category as swear words -- they’re way worse. (this should go without saying but ya know how people are)

i also recommend that you make a conscious decision about whether or not you want to swear at all and if so, in what situations. Don’t just sorta “fall into it” without giving it some thought, if possible. Do you want to be someone who saves swear words for Big Situations? Or do ya pepper ‘em into everyday sentences (like i do lmao) so that they lose a lot of their bite and are just kinda fun?

Gonna close this with a ~ Fun Bible Fact!!! ~ 

There are some swear words / instances of vulgar language peppered throughout the Bible!!

There is a word used in Judges 3:22 that is used nowhere else, and therefore scholars debate how to translate it. In the verse, my left-handed fave Ehud has just stabbed King Eglon in the abdomen, and הפרשדנה spills out from Eglon...whatever could that be? Some translate it euphemistically as “dirt.” But my seminary teacher (and I quite agree with her) argues that it is indeed a vulgar word for “shit.”  It makes sense that a vulgar swear word would be used in this passage because the whole story is dripping in irony and humor -- it’s a very irreverent story crafted to humiliate King Eglon. .

For more “shit” in the Hebrew Bible: I actually love this article from the Game for Good Christians site when it comes to the 6 uses of the Hebrew word peresh in the Bible. It does a great job of explaining how in 5 of those 6 uses, peresh ( “shit” ) is just used as like, a technical term -- talking about what to do with your bull’s shit (heh) in a sacrificial sense. But the sixth time, in Malachi 2:3, this word is clearly being used in a much more vulgar sort of way -- making it more logical to choose the word “shit” over “dung” or “poop” when translating it: “And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then...I will rebuke your offspring, and spread shit (peresh) on your faces, the shit (peresh) of your offerings, and I will put you out of my presence.” .

In Isaiah 64:6, meanwhile, the prophet laments that “our righteousness is like filthy rags” -- or so it’s commonly translated. However, that word “filthy” (or “stained”) is more specific in Hebrew: it’s about rags used during menstruation. So not a swear word, but pretty vulgar. .

Gendered slurs (like “whore”) are unfortunately pretty common among some of the prophets. i’m Not A Fan. (come AT me Hosea and Jeremiah i’ll FIGHT ya! Jeremiah you’re like 12, do you kiss your poor mother with that mouth!?) .

Paul himself uses a vulgar Greek word for shit!! In Philippians 3:8 he explains that everything that came to him before Christ he now regards as σκύβαλα (the accusative plural of the word σκύβαλον for any Greek lovers out there who wanna know how to say shit in the nominative form. Oh, and in our letters that’s skubalon.) Translators often pick a nice gentle word like “refuse” or at the very most “excrement” for this word....but nope, it’s a much terser word, no euphemisms in Paul’s writing here. It’s straight-up shit -- alternatively, I do love this translation I saw here: “I forfeited all things; and I consider them crap so that I may gain Christ.” .

Jesus, meanwhile, uses a slur -- *gasp!!* -- but don’t worry, he only names it to condemn those who use it against others (whew): “But I say unto you...whosoever shall say to his brother, Ῥακά (Raca), shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Μωρέ (Moré), shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22). Scholars debate whether this term raca was A Very Bad Word or just a kinda mean one (similar to English words like “idiot” or “fool”). The Gospels are all in Greek, but this word raca is actually from Jesus’ own first language, Aramaic. And yeah, it seems to have mean something like “empty-headed.” Meanwhile that second term Jesus denounces, Moré, is in Greek -- the nominative form is μωρὸς (moros) and is where we get the word moron (a word that I avoid in English because it’s got a super ableist history, btw). Paul also uses this word μωρὸς in some of my favorite biblical passages, such as in 1 Cor 1, when he proclaims that God’s foolishness is wiser than any wisdom of human beings, etc. It’s good stuff but i’m just rambling now

[adelaidedrubman]

wip time

tagged by my dearest @honeysides to share a wip <3 thank you my love. sending tags back along to @scungilliwoman @shallow-gravy @chyrstis @strafethesesinners @lilwritingraven @faithchel @stacispratt @chazz-anova

i was fairly light on stuff the last few wip days and i'm pumped about having finally gotten chapter 8 of wildfire out (and whew doggy how did we get here) so a longer bit today. excerpt from chapter 9, featuring some of my favorite john characterization to play with: equal parts conniving, methodical sadist and middle schooler with crush.

He sighed, allowing himself the smallest private smile before reaching over to the passenger’s seat to retrieve his personal copy of the Book of Joseph and the bouquet of freshly picked flowers he'd brought for the occasion, giving the latter a deep inhale to ensure their scent was still potent and pleasant. He hesitated a moment before reaching to grab the revolver resting in the console as well and tuck it into his inner jacket pocket. She was still a ruthless killer, he couldn't allow himself to forget she was dangerous simply because she'd expressed a sliver of humanity.

He hesitated again, briefly pausing after swinging the car door shut to check his reflection in the window, fluffing and smoothing his beard slightly. She had given him a wonderful opportunity to earn her trust and ingratiate himself (and by extension, of course, the Project), he should do everything in his power to make a good impression.

But even as he reached the edge of the pit she'd burrowed, Deputy Rook didn't look towards him as she impaled the blade of the shovel into cracked dry earth, tossing loose mounds of dirt behind her. Her cheeks were pinkened with exertion, and he assumed the heat of the sun absorbed into alabaster flesh to cook it, all coated with a glistening sheen of sweat save for a few spots the grime of loose dirt had settled to make her skin matte. Thin strands of copper fell from the sloppy half ponytail she'd given herself, sticking along her forehead. Her clothing was decorated with fading stains of maroon dried in the sun, and if he squinted he thought he could see flakes in her hair, too. Blood had probably been spilled on her skin as well, he would assume, but had been slicked away with sweat. With every toss back of the shovel her toned biceps clenched and bulged, rippling with each strike into the ground. And her exposed legs were sculpted with equally prominent sharp lines and ridges as she anchored herself there.

Hadn't he once thought she looked delicate? That was only a week ago. She seemed all muscle now. She was probably dehydrated, based on how drenched with sweat she was. And possibly malnourished — given the limited food supply — in those very early stages of starvation when the body begins to eat away at the cushion of fat and pull skin taut but not yet deteriorate muscles, only making them more prominent. Good, she should be more desperate, then.

Fuck, he really should have thought to bring some small treat to offer her, something appetizing but not substantial enough to really fill her, just enough to lure her with the promise of a generous food source. Something like candy. Maybe it wasn't too late to go get some, she hadn’t even seemed to notice him yet. He could at least slip off to get his canteen from his truck to offer her a drink, although it would be better if he'd put ice in the bottle so it would be —

No. He was already here, she probably had noticed him and was just being obstinate. He just needed to move forward with what he had. Besides, if he took the time to do all that, the flowers would begin to wilt.

[llycaons]

31. we are really in it now. I cried three separate times watching this. that’s insane for me

part of what makes this such an effectively devastating episode is the juxtaposition of how happy it starts out. wwx with bare legs doing farming in the dirt (honestly his best look) just looking like a satisfied lotus grower surrounded by his family...yunmeng boy...getting his invitation to his sister’s baby celebration...the village is doing so well that we even have fashionable new outfits for wen qing and wwx

it might take a while but wwx totally gets back into lotus growing postcanon. look how happy he is. he loves mud

I don’t like the idea of lwj making a lotus pond for him as a surprise bc 1) wwx likes to make things grow himself and has a lot of happy memories associated with doing it himself and 2) that’s very emotionally charged and comes with a lot of baggage and lwj is really careful postcanon about respecting his space and his decisions around his family. so maybe he’d offer him some seeds some day idk and wwx could hold onto them for a while and then they’d grow some in their new place. I like that. I spend a lot of time wondering what their sect would run like actually, since they’re so different in upbringing and outlook and have led/co-led two very different groups of people. eh, all the important things they agree on. wwx is much more level-headed postcanon, while lwj is more playful and relaxed

it’s so beautiful how thematic elements take on additional emotional significance for the audience. I never noticed lotuses before but now when I see them in a photoset or on tv or something im like oh familial love :)

anyway lwj is barely on wwx’s mind this episode since he has a new baby nephew!! and he worked so hard to create a protective bracelet for this baby!! and he better tell JL the full story sometime bc SOMEONE should know! I swear it seems like wen ning really is the only living person who actually knows most of what wwx lost or what he worked so hard for

(I read somewhere mxtx was originally planning on killing off wen ning AND jin ling. like it wasn’t tragic enough? come on, lady.)

I really like how we get news through commoners gossiping in the shops. it’s an effective illustration of the theme of rumor and false reputation that permeated the novel

jin ling grapping his father’s sword!!! this is a theme this episode! I’ll get back to it!

the group talking about how lucky jiang yanli is...oh the dramatic irony stings

how did jin zixun order other sect’s disciples to go with him? he had ouyang clan, lan clan, and yao clan juniors up there. and how did he know where wwx and wn were? fucker.

the SOUND EFFECT just before the arrow struck wwx’s skull. whew. don’t remember that

if he had died here, would he have been able to establish a terrifying enough reputation for mxy to call him back? jzx was doomed, but would yanli have been okay? would the wens have been saved? nobody to protect them except-

oh fuck, au where lwj takes on the wens and then wwx comes back 16 years later and all the wens are alive and it’s not wwx’s fault anyone else got hurt

wei wuxian’s classic “I don’t even remember who you are” and “If I wanted to kill you, first of all, everyone would know and second of all you’d be dead already” lines I LOVE him what arrogance what honesty

ZIXUN DESTROYED JL’S PRESENT!!!! THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME SO SAD we saw how hard wwx worked on it and how excited he was...god...

wwx’s paranoia is clearly clawing its way to the surface, after feeling hopeful and optimistic for the first time in a long time he once again is threatened and attacked and blamed and has lost a chance to be with his family. zixun is openly calling him a stain on the jin clan’s good name, something wwx is painfully familiar with hearing - from myu about the jiangs, from lxc about lwj (unintentionally), from the entire world after he defected

I’ve seen posts like “wow jzx was such a great deescalator of this situation if he’d survived everyone would have behaved” and I call bullshit. first of all, nothing would have gotten jgy and jgs to not act like colossal pieces of shit, also he tells his cousin to shut up but he’s still accusatory and exasperated towards wwx, who’s obviously terrified and mistrustful. moot point because wen ning punches him through the stomach in honestly one of the most realistically bloody scenes on the show. god

it’s not even grief, not until we get to yanli and jin ling. it’s just horror. the world is frozen in disbelief

jin zixuan dropping his sword and wwx can only watch as if in a nightmare

when yanli gets the news she has lost the love of her life to her younger brother, either she or baby jin ling drops the toy and we see it hit the ground! I think this is when I started crying the first time. yanli’s stunned grief, jc’s terrified concern for her, jgy’s faked shock

we never see wwx angry at wen ning, ever, except in this scene. and wen ning can’t even defend himself. he didn’t do anything wrong! he was just used, but he doesn’t say a word in his defense!

wen qing explains very logically and cynically their reason for going to their deaths, but if she knows jgs is just using her brother as an excuse, then she must know that they’ll think of another way to scapegoat wwx for something and try to kill him. even if they turn themselves in

but maybe she’s hoping all jgs wants is wen ning dead, that wwx will choose the safe approach. turn in the STA. bow his head and apologize. she doesn’t tell him to do this and anyone who knows wwx would know he never would, but maybe she simply can’t think of another way out for them. and she’s at peace with this being the end. we’ve seen how her guilt has eaten at her from the outset. maybe this is a relief, to save their friend like this, to end it by their own choice. she knew this was never going to be permanent.

when she’s sitting at his bedside the first time I saw this I was so scared she was going to kiss him but nope only platonic I love you’s here whew

“I’m sorry and thank you” oh god oh god oh god she’s saying goodbye they’re never seeing each other again oh christ. I was crying again here I think. mzy was so good and wwx will remember that into his next life and he WON’T make the same mistakes as last time he’ll tell people what they mean to him!! god!! best friends!!

there’s this scene of the spirits in wwx going feral because he can’t control them anymore and they’re ready to kill. in the novel this was true, and tbh I think it’s what made reconciliation impossible. but somehow su she is able to control wen ning...it’s not explained and it’s a shame a genius like wwx was overtaken by a copycat of a completely different cultivation style. but eh, censorship. makes for a neater villain/hero dichotomy, but there was always enough moral grayness in cql to suit me anyway. his innocence makes me...it just makes him feel more tragic to me. but I get why people prefer the version where he’s at fault. that makes for a great tragedy too

while I was crying I was thinking “wait, in ep26 they said 50 wens escaped but I can clearly only count 18 here. could they not hire enough extras or something? was it to pay for jzx’s blood? come on, cql. let’s have some internal consistency.”

anyway in the novel, only wq and wn turn themselves in, leaving the rest of the wens at BM. I know, in cql they all go despite what wq said and they leave a drugged-up toddler and don’t tell wwx he’s there and yeah it’s not the best writing decision but whatever, I’ll overlook it because the next episode/fallout is so good

what I don’t understand is why novel wwx (who survived nightless because lwj got him out and was wandering the countryside in some sort of grief-induced haze for several months) destroyed the STA. didn’t he know he’d be torn apart? if not, how did he think he could protect himself/the wens afterwards? if so, how could he abandon the remaining wens like that? they were slaughtered after he died. I get novel wwx was a complete mess by this point too, but to me, the character’s decisions in cql make so much more sense emotionally because he goes on a rampage after he’s lost everyone and we finally see the culmination of his years of recklessness and not valuing his life and his trauma and grief and guilt. meanwhile the novel does have an edge over it in term of plot. as usual

but you know I have a lot less patience with the novel bc mxtx was writing whatever she wanted. she had literally no limitations. any plot and character issues were all her own fault. cql took liberties but it still had the basic structure it had to work with plus censorship of morally gray MC activities and the romance. anyway.

yanli grieving and burning paper money with JL is probably the third time I started crying but it all blurred together for me tbh. yanli who never hurt anyone in her life, who loved and loved the people around her and tried to protect them from each other and from the world, who’d already lost her parents and clan and her brother, who was only trying to bring her family together and live her life with someone she loved...pale as a ghost, a widow already, younger than I am now. wwx doesn’t care about jzx and definitely not zixun (really, who gives a shit about zixun? does he ever get mentioned again?). he just cares that he hurt his sister and his new nephew, who has no father now

I don’t have any decent way to end this one. the episode ends with the saddest rendition of their sibling song I have ever heard as wwx desperately shakes out the effects of the medicine and rune to his sister. if lwj had found him here, could he even have helped?

[keelywolfe]

Fluffy Bingo Drabbles

Notes: More from Fluffy Bingo Drabbles from By Any Other Name!

The list is here.

Finished:

1. Cold Morning 2. Rainy Nights

Newest!

3. Cuddles 4. First Kiss 5. Family Dinner

Still to come!

6. Swingset

~~*~~

Cuddles

The sun overhead was still cheery and hot, uncaring that autumn was fast approaching. Hot enough that Edge wiped the sweat from his skull with the cleanish wrist of his gardening glove. His fault for coming out to the garden without a towel but now that he’d gotten started, he didn’t want to stop.

Next to him, laid out on a clean cloth, were carefully separated bundles of freshly cut herbs. When he could, he preferred to grow his own, and someday his cilantro would thrive instead of ending up as withered little brown stalks. It was something to strive for.

He heard the telltale footsteps in the grass and took them as the warning they were, hardly grunting when sudden weight was sprawled against his back, two lanky arms draped over his shoulders pulling him back into an awkward embrace.

“Hello, love,” Edge said absently. He set aside his clippers and reached up to clasp Stretch’s forearm, returning the hug as best he could, considering that most of it was behind him.

“hi, babe.” The greeting was coupled with a hasty kiss pressed to the side of his skull, uncaring about any lingering perspiration, and Edge couldn’t help a faint smile as his husband immediately launched into, “did you know that you need a certain amount of hugs every day for optimum health?”

“Is that so?” Edge couldn’t help a tiny, disappointed sound when his most current hug drew away. He watched Stretch flop down on the grass next to him and asked, “And what is the requisite number of hugs for optimization?”

“according to the study, we need four hugs a day for survival," Stretch ticked off on his fingers, “eight hugs a day for maintenance and twelve hugs a day for growth.”

“I think we should cut you off at eleven,” Edge said dryly, “if you get any more growth, you’ll need new pants.”

“please, like you wouldn’t love a chance to take me clothes shopping,” Stretch scoffed. He scrambled back up and practically into Edge’s lap, hugging him again, this time properly from the front. “that’s two. i’ll have to come back for the rest, figure we gotta space out the dosage so you don’t get too much at once.”

“I may need a few extra, to make up for any missed doses.” He’d meant it to fall teasingly, but the way Stretch’s arms tightened around him to the point of pain meant the joke had fallen flat.

“Love—” Edge began, hesitantly.

Only to grimace at the particularly sloppy and somewhat moist kiss that Stretch pressed to his cheek bone, right next to the crack that scarred it, incongruous when paired with a sudden fierce whisper, “any hugs you ever missed, ever, i’ll make up to you. i promise.” Edge closed his sockets and though Stretch didn’t protest, he felt the soft whoosh of breath from his husband as his own grip tightened, holding him closer still. No past hurts could ever take away from the comfort of this embrace.

All too soon Stretch loosened his hold and Edge reluctantly did the same, letting him escape.

“anyway, let you get back to it.” Stretch scrambled to his feet and if his eye lights were suspiciously bright, Edge said nothing, “be back soon to give you another dose, yeah?”

“I’ll be waiting,” Edge said softly. He watched Stretch wander back inside at a pace that could charitably be called a mosey, then got back to work.

His next dose would be coming soon and he didn’t want to miss it.

-finis-

~~*~~

First Kiss

redacted

-finis-

Notes:  (sorry, we'll see it eventually 😁)

~~*~~

Family Dinner

The restaurant was a simple diner, owned and operated by the same family for twenty years, though these days it was usually the son who took his smoke breaks out back by the dumpster, not so much as to have a cigarette, but to breathe air that didn’t smell like hot metal and grease from leaning over the griddle.

Breakfast was served all day, specials available on Sunday, and the stuffed cabbage meal on Wednesdays very nearly required a reservation if one wanted even a chance at getting some.

The waitress, (no blood relation, but family nonetheless) looked up from writing on her pad at the clank of the bell over the door, her ready greeting dying on her lips as she mutely watched their newest patrons walking in.

A group of Monsters, skeletons, of varying heights and appearances, but that was not what left her speechless. In fact, she knew two of the shortest ones, they were regulars to the point she wordlessly brought extra condiments when they ordered the Farmer Breakfast special, extra hash browns. The tip was generous enough to make up for stomach-churning sight of a plate doused with an entire bottle of ketchup and the puns bad enough to make even their sour-faced busboy snicker.

A guy was with them this time, a human guy, pretty nondescript, skinny with brown hair, nothing to write home about, but that also didn’t leave her, and most of the diner, staring.

No, that was the fine coating of dirt that stained every one of them, from skull to sneakers, was it racist to think that they looked like they’d only recently dug themselves out of their graves? One of the skeletons in the back, a tall, red-eyed drink of mud with freakishly sharp teeth was wiping fruitlessly at his skull with what looked like a filthy wet nap. The rest of them only stood at the entrance by the ‘please wait to be seated’ sign patiently, though one other tall boy was poking hopefully at the little gumball machine at the side.

“heya, doris!” That jerked her back into action. She hastily finished with her current table, (two orders of Adam and Eve on a raft) and scurried over to the familiar ketchup boy.

“Hey, hun,” she said, eyeing his companions. “don’t think you’ll fit in your regular booth.”

He grinned up at her and gave her a wink, “yeah, our moment of booth has come. do what ya can, we’ll be happy to plant our bones anywhere.”

He sounded a trifle weary and at least two of his companions looked as if they were stifling themselves. Well, they were filthy, but they didn’t stink, and they weren’t leaving a trail, so she shrugged and led them to the back of the restaurant, where there was a large corner booth.

She left them with menus and a promise to return and headed to the kitchens. She came back with a fresh pot of coffee, wordlessly pouring for everyone who held out their plain white mug as she tried to pretend she wasn’t listening to the low chatter.

“told you it wouldn’t work.”

“c’mon, it totally worked! not a single broken bone!”

Louder, uncaring of possible eavesdroppers, “If your standard of success includes a level of acceptable injury, then you and I are going to be having a very long discussion tonight.”

“…no broken bones and nothing caught on fire? look, andy even kept both his eyebrows!”

“I do like having eyebrows.”

“Yes, and we did not even have to call for legal counsel this time which is of course not something we have ever had to do after an experiment before.”

“…bro, you and me need to have a talk, too.”

“done nothin’ but talk since we got here. all of ya shut it and pick somethin’.”

“I think I’ve already consumed my daily allotment of grease simply by touching the menu.”

“get the soup, babe. fits, since you souped in and saved the day. actions speak chowder than words.”

“Ugh, Papy, your delivery and timing could use some work.”

“I’d agree. If you’re so terribly eager for more action, we can have that discussion now.”

“…wow, check out everything on this menu, whew, breakfast all day, who wants pancakes!”

“…pancakes sound good.”

“Pancakes, yes.”

“yep. pancakes makes perfect.” Doris’s blue-hoodie regular shifted his gaze from the menu to her, “think we’re ready to order.”

Doris set aside the coffee pot and got out her pad, her pencil poised over it as she looked at her usual, unusual, group. As if they hadn’t just dropped an entire cabinet of curiosities right into their plain little diner and tonight on her own smoke break, tapping ash onto the cracked asphalt by the dumpster she’ll tell the busboy about them. He’ll tell his girlfriend the next day in hushed, humorous tones, and she’ll tell someone else, gossip traveling on slow words about the liminal space created in a corner booth on an absent Thursday.

For now, Doris is only thinking of her tip, shoving the question of ‘what didn’t work’ and ‘experiments??’ to the back of her mind as she asked briskly, “All right, boys, what’ll it be?”

-finis-

[borealwrites]

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Whew, right at the 1k mark~ I hope you all enjoy! Soon to be posted on my AO3 account as well ❤️

Buttercups and Buttresses

Jaskier was never very good at following instructions. It’d been true for as long as he could remember, much to the chagrin of his parents and tutors. Even his instructors at Oxenfurt had commented on his rebellious streak, lamenting how hard it made him to teach, though they also said it was an excellent trait for a bard.

It, combined with his insatiable curiosity, often got him into trouble. He supposed that by now he should have learned his lesson- when someone told him not to do something, there was usually a good reason for it. A good reason that he almost always ended up well acquainted with. It was never more true than with Witcher business.

Geralt had told him to stay with Roach. Told him that the monster he was hunting was too dangerous for Jaskier to follow into the abandoned and ruined castle. Jaskier hadn’t listened. In his defense, Geralt said that about every monster hunt. Drowners? Too dangerous. Manticore? Too dangerous. Warg pack? That’s right, too dangerous. How was Jaskier supposed to know that this time he actually meant it? Maybe if Geralt had sat down and explained what Huldra were and what they did, Jaskier wouldn’t have found himself in this situation.

Which was braiding wildflowers into the hair of something that looked like a beautiful woman. That didn’t sound bad, but Jaskier had no control over his actions, mindlessly staring at the dark, overgrown hole in the woman’s back as her tail curled possessively around his wrist, like a shackle. He could only guess this must be the monster Geralt had come to slay, in which case he wished the Witcher would hurry up and get on with it- mud was starting to seep into his breeches, making his kneeling position quite uncomfortable.

“...Dammit Jaskier!” He can hear Geralt growl from somewhere to his right, but his body’s attention remains firmly on the handful of buttercups and daisies he’s plaiting into the silken locks before him. The woman- or whatever she is- gives a hiss of displeasure, her tail uncurling from Jaskier’s wrist.

“That’s enough, bard.” Her voice is a silken purr, and his body immediately stills, the flowers falling out of his lax grip. “Be a good boy and stay.” The last word freezes his body, and Jaskier hates being told what to do, but he’s powerless. All he can do is watch helplessly as she stands, presumably facing Geralt.

“Release him.” Geralt says, his voice cold. What sort of expression is he wearing, Jaskier wondered. Was it blank, like usual? Or was his brow furrowed in anger, eyes narrowed as he glares at the woman?

“Why should I, Witcher? I doubt you’ll spare me if I do… maybe I should kill him.” The woman’s voice is equally cold, and Jaskier isn’t too fond of the way this conversation is suddenly going. He’d like to be able to say something, maybe try and convince her that really, killing him wouldn’t be worth it, but he still had no control over his damn body. She could at least let him look up, instead of keeping his gaze fixed on the discarded flowers. Oh who was he kidding, they were weeds, growing in the ruins of some ancient castle’s garden… it felt terribly poetic, and if he could have, he would have immediately started to write a song mourning the past glory of the buildings and how noble they must have looked, with their crenellations and buttresses, and all those other fancy architectural terms.

He was already composing the first verse, something about red gabled roofs reflected in a pond when the woman gave a shriek, turning towards Jaskier and oh dear, maybe he should have been paying attention. There was a flash of golden light- one of Geralt’s signs- and the woman was thrown back. Frustratingly, her hold didn’t loosen. So his gaze was still fixed on the ground as he heard the thud of boots running, the monster’s hiss. It sounded exciting and dramatic and he couldn’t see it.

How often did he get the chance to see Geralt actually fight a monster? Not often enough, and he was stuck staring at a pile of weeds. He wanted to howl in outrage, but, as before, nothing came of it. Then there was a screech, followed by a wet-sounding slice and then a sickening thud. Instantly, the tight feeling left, and he was able to move freely. Jaskier looked up just as Geralt walked over, sheathing his silver sword. He was scowling, which would have made a lesser man run, but not Jaskier. He greeted the Witcher with a smile.

“Thank you Geralt! It was dreadfully boring, being her slave. Was that the Huldra?” He chatted on, standing up with a groan- his poor breeches would be stained with grass and dirt forever- and these were brand new!

“I told you to stay with Roach.” Geralt snapped back, running a critical eye over Jaskier. “...She could have killed you.” Ah. So he had been worried.

“But she didn’t! All's well that ends well, I suppose. I have you to thank for that!”

“Hmm.”

“‘You’re welcome, Jaskier, I’m glad you aren’t hurt.’ And if you were just better at telling me about the monsters, maybe I wouldn’t get into so much trouble! Because you didn’t tell me she could hypnotize me to do her bidding, you didn’t tell me anything! I just saw a lovely young lady wandering about where a monster was. Yes, I realize she had a tail and pointed ears and a giant hole in her back but I didn’t notice that.” Jaskier rambled on as they walked out of the ruins, picking his lute up from where he had dropped it and starting on that song from earlier.

“All that remains are weeds and ruins,

Crimson stained curtains under red gabled roofs,

Ashy remains of those from long ago,

And monsters who hunt those who dare go.”

...He’d work on it.

[gasp-iwrotesomething]

Can you write G9 with Cecelia?

No problem, @ognenniyvolk, I’d be happy to write this for you! Thanks for your request and I hope you enjoy!

G9: “Call me a disaster but watching you lose your mind is my top three kinks.”

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Cecelia was tense, her shoulders rigid as she struggled to restrain her temptations. Her form had consumed her, the dark paint of her transformation soaking through her pale face, staining her eyes black. She was the definition of intimidating, most would say, but the story was different for me. Whew! I think I’m about to have a heatstroke under the stars, no desert sun required! She was tousling with a bandit she’d caught wind of, her blood-colored nails swiping sharp and unforgiving at the bandit. He dodges each swing with ease, like an acrobat in his natural habitat. Never seen a bloke with that amount of grace before! He looks the splitting image of a fox but moves like a cat caught in the middle of a dog fight. Even from a distance, I could tell Cecelia was holding back, reserving the worst of her supernatural strength to avoid spilling blood. If any of his blood was shed, Cecelia might go berserk with her thirst for blood. The last thing she needs as a warden is a misconduct linked with ruthless murder under her belt. I snap to when a crack rings out from their scuffle and I catch sight of Cecelia hissing with pain, cradling her hand against her chest. She is quick to leap back into action despite the injury and I scowl at the bandit. I know Cecelia told me to stay out of her way, but he’s clearly got some fight in those lanky bones!

I unsheathe the pistol I had tucked away before the we approached the bandit and take aim. Remember, don’t kill the cotton head, MC! Just stun him enough for Cecelia to apprehend him. So I assess the man as he swings a kick at the warden, his face twisted with intense rage and fury. His wardrobe isn’t as put together and stylish as Cecelia’s or mine, just a simple ruffled shirt and trousers the color of dirt clouds trailing wagon wheels. There! Along a belt that looked to be cobbled together from just worn leather and torn cloth, I recognize the buckle and realize just how far it’s jutting out. Taking a deep breath, I align the barrel of my gun with his writhing form and the dull golden buckle. Cecelia then barrels into his gut and he gasps, winded. Then she slams her balled up fist across his jaw so hard I hear the impact from where I’m standing. I can’t even keep my shock from showing on my face, both of my eyebrows shooting up as the bandit crumples and falls to the ground hard. Dust huffs in a cloud around his body and wavers in the air, shrouding his form in dry brown. Cecelia rolls her shoulders and smooths her scarlet hair down to her head, her face nonchalant as she whirls around to face me. I unknowingly flush red at the sudden lure of intense attention from the dashing vampire warden. A look like that shouldn’t be tangling my underthings into such a tedious knot. Awestruck, I blurt out the first phrase that pops in my head.

“Call me a disaster but watching you lose your mind is my top three kinks.”

Cecelia’s relieved grin mutates into a wolfish one, her fangs bared and gleaming in the moonlight. “That’s a little insensitive, little witchling. I thought of you to be as gentle as a lone flower growing in the field.”

“Says the proclaimed Desert Rose. And whoever told you that was lying right to your face for the sake of their own entertainment, warden. Sorry to call their bluff.”

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Thank you for your request! I loved writing this for you!

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[agent-succubus]

(The result of watching too much Letterkenny and Stranger Things back to back)

She shouldn’t have even been on this mission in the first place.  The Statesman sure as hell didn’t want her here and with this particular mix, the feeling was very mutual.  Champ had only requested a Roanoke assist because of *vague* info stating that there might be occult activity within the terrorist compound the agency was investigating.

Succubus wasn’t cut out for spy work.  She knew that, Ale knew that, Rye knew that, hell even Vermouth knew that and she was the nicest of the Shit Show Cocktail of a team that Champ dropped Succubus in.  Why did *she* have to be the one on call today?

“What the hell are you doin’?  On your left!  Jesus, didn’t Roanoke at least teach ya to be aware on the field.  Stay behind us if you’re too nervous to shoot, kitten.”  Rye scolded, adding insult to injury with the patronizing pet name.

But Succubus had kept her mouth shut and moved to the rear of the group making a mental note to put a hex on him once they were back.  By the end of the mission though a small hex would be the least of her worries.  

There was no occult activity.  Just some old, useless symbols that the idiotic white supremacist terror cell thought brought it power.  There were, however, a lot of guns suddenly aimed at them when they made it to the main bunker.  All Succubus could focus on was how heavy the gun felt in her hands and how they weren’t rounds meant for cursed or dead things but actual bullets.  Actual bullets that left a spray of matter against the acid stained concrete wall when she landed a head shot, her first head shot since she left her life in Cryptic Revolutionists behind her.  She forgot how hard it was to stomach.

By the end of it the air was filled with smoke and the smell of iron so heavy Succubus could taste it at the back of her throat.  The team breathed a sigh of relief- until Vermouth dropped.

One of the outside guards they missed had creeped in behind them and shot Vermouth in the back, the bullet leaving an exit wound the size of a golf ball in her sternum and tearing her twill embroidered shirt in the process.  Ale put a bullet in the shooters throat as Rye and Succubus kneeled trying desperately to help.  Blood was bubbling up and pouring out of her mouth as she tried to speak clawing at both of them in a panic before her limbs finally settled and the horrible gurgle of her labored breathing ceased almost as soon as it started.  There was a moment of silence from both the team and handlers on the other side of the glasses before Ale broke it.

“Fix it.”  He said to Succubus in a voice that quivered with rage and denial.

“...what?”

“Fix.  It. You’re the freak who can do that, right?  Bring her back now.”

Succubus scoffed, “I can’t do that here.  This area isn’t cleansed, I don’t have any of my supplies for a full resurrection-”

Ale’s glasses were suddenly off and silenced before he reached down and pulled her up by the shirt bringing their faces so close she could see the blood vessels threatening to pop in his eyes, feel the sweat drip off his forehead.  Her own glasses getting thrown off in the process and crushed beneath Rye’s boot.

“You were supposed to watch the fucking back.  This is your fault!  Fix it now and bring her back or it won’t just be Statesman that loses an agent on this assignment.  I’ll make sure of it.”

He pushed her back to the floor and Succubus didn’t know what to do.  She looked to Rye hoping that maybe the stoic agent would talk some sense into his partner only to find his arms crossed, glasses in hand- also disconnected from HQ.  They were in the dark and she remembered how much of a boy’s club Statesman still was.  If they killed her now no one would question their story.  It reminded her of another group of boys her freshmen year of college and the stench of kerosene soaking into her hair and clothes.  She began to shake.

“I can’t I don’t have what I need to do it, I’m sorry Ale-”

Without hesitating Ale bent down during her pleading and picked up Vermouth’s shooter’s handgun that skidded across the floor.  The still hot muzzle pressed into the soft spot just under her ear.

“Fix her.”  His voice was still angry but Succubus could see the tears welling up and sliding down his cheeks.

She had never brought back a fatal gunshot to the chest before, especially not without some sort of soil conduit to protect her from absorbing all the death.  The area wasn’t even cleansed, still crawling with the spirits of the terrorists they had killed.  No chalk, no circle, no dirt- how could she do this without dirt?

“Ale’s lookin’ a little trigger happy, best get to movin’.”

Her nerves subsided to anger and she bit back, “You think you’re the first assholes to put a gun to my head?  You better pray this turns out peachy because if anything happens to me there will be a shitstorm coming for both of you.”

Worst case scenario she would just be indisposed for a few days, well actually no that was best case scenario, worst case scenario she’d absorb the gunshot completely and die from phantom wounds.  Neither sounded great but with the burn of the muzzle still pressing into her skin she got to work scraping off as much mud from her boots as she could and packing it into the hole in Vermouth’s sternum.  It was enough to fill the exit wound while Succubus closed her eyes, placing one hand over the gunshot and the other on Vermouth’s stomach.  Poltergeist had only ever told her about vestigial resurrection like this- crude and raw using nothing but the necromancer’s own power and even then most stories or legends that depicted it often mentioned the act as a last resort.  A sacrifice in almost all accounts.  

It was like holding onto an electric fence even as your body screams at you to let go.  

Succubus could feel the body convulse under her hands, the dirt that had been stuffed into the wound slowly developing into flesh to fill the gap, and the essence of death being absorbed into her own body.  It was much faster than traditional necromancy rites and thank goodness for that because Succubus couldn’t hold on for much longer.  Vermouth’s soul hadn’t actually gone far so when her body did finish healing and her brain began firing off again her soul slammed back in so hard it knocked all three of them flat while Vermouth shot up with a hand to her chest.

“Goodness gracious!  Y’all would not believe the dream I had, did I get knocked out?  What happened?  Whew I feel great, come on what are y’all doin’ on your butts let’s go!”

Still crying like a baby, Ale managed to scramble up and hug Vermouth until she pushed him off.  By now the glasses were back on and HQ was going insane about the black out, that only increased when Vermouth came into view and her vitals reappeared.  

“You...you brought me back?  I don’t know what to say, I mean you Roanoke gals have always kind of scared me, but...that was amazing, I feel great.  Thank you.”  Vermouth gave her a genuine smile and offered her a hand up.

Succubus took her offering and was going to give a rather cocky remark about how easy it was until her body remembered what exactly it absorbed and began forcing it back out.  The death essence coming up as thick, black bile with so much force it sent her to her knees as she vomited.  It didn’t stop.  Even when the extraction and med team finally arrived all they could do was dab the sweat off her forehead and turn her on her side while she slipped in and out of consciousness.  Succubus almost preferred the vomiting over the chest pains that followed when they made it back to HQ and although Lilith appeared trying to tell her she would be fine there was an uncharacteristic twinge of concern in her voice.

“Clementine, dearie just stay with us Cherub is going to take care of you and you’ll be right as rain.  Drake’s already got in contact with Hart and he’s on his way, we wouldn’t want to make him worry would we?”

“Lilith, I didn’t-” Succubus tried to explain but the pain got to be too much and her words disappeared into gasps.

She highly doubted there would be any kind of official disciplinary action since it was their word against hers and keeping the peace between Statesman and Roanoke had always been a rather delicate game.  Lilith would know that Succubus hadn’t gone through with the rite willingly because despite how reckless she *could* be, self sacrifice was not something she was.  And word about something like that travelled fast in Roanoke.  By the time they made it to the Roanoke med bay her body was going into toxic shock and it was getting harder to stay awake despite best efforts.  The only thing keeping her from going into total failure was the spiteful rage still boiling in her stomach and she would be damned if she was going to die without making Ale and Rye’s lives absolute hell.