#top shelf chapter 16

[sevikasupremacy]

Forever - Chapter 16 (FINAL)

LOYALTY - Sevika x Reader Series

NSFW!

Warnings: Explicit, cunnilingus, reader pleasuring Sevika

Words: 1.8k

Previous Chapter

Summary: You try to distract Sevika from the pain.

“Here… take it slow.” You supported Sevika by holding onto her forearm as you cautiously led her into the apartment. The older woman groaned as she walked toward her bed.

“Don’t move.” You gently pat her shoulder before rushing to the bathroom, grabbing a towel from a nearby table along the way.

You grabbed a bowl from a cabinet underneath the sink before filling it with warm water. You dropped the towel in, soaking it before heading back to Sevika.

“Okay…” You tightened your lips into a thin line, unsure of which wound to clean first. The older woman watched silently as you placed the bowl of water on the floor before picking up the towel. After wringing out the excess water, you stood up and brushed the strand of hair away from Sevika’s face to closely examine the wound on her forehead and her bloody nose.

You held her chin up with your index finger, beginning to wipe away the blood running from her nose.

You made sure to not apply too much pressure on each wound as you wiped them clean.

After finishing the first step, you stood back to get an overall look at the older woman in front of you. Her gray eyes shone with affection as she looked at you, clearly trying to endure the pain.

You set the bowl and towel aside before gesturing to Sevika to move back so she could lean against the bedpost. As she did, you put a pillow behind her to give her more comfort.

You hurried over to the shelf near the door, your fingers moving swiftly as you scanned the labels on the bottles that were filled with various forms of medication.

Your finger landed on one particular bottle before grabbing it, pulling the top off.

“Here. This can at least ease the pain a bit.” You placed two pills into Sevika's mouth, then poured some water to help her swallow them. Sevika coughed slightly before giving a small nod, indicating that she had swallowed the pills.

“Lay here. I’ll apply some medicine to your wounds.” Just as you were about to head over to the same shelf, a hand firmly grip your wrist, pulling you back. You gasped, looking at the older woman in confusion.

“Stay with me first.”

“But your wounds—“

“Just stay for a minute.”

You looked up at the older woman worriedly, your hand cupping the side of her face.

Sevika closed her eyes before pressing her lips against yours, her hand finding its way to the back of your head.

“I need to go get the medicine now…” You whispered in between the kiss with your half-lidded eyes. The older woman pulled away and kissed your forehead before nodding. You smiled, gently patting her lap before standing up.

Upon reaching the shelf, you grabbed a bowl filled with cotton swabs and the specialized medicine you crafted specifically for Sevika’s healing. It’s been a while since you discovered that this particular medicine was the most effective for her.

You quickly returned to the older woman’s side, sitting on the edge of the bed. You dipped the cotton swab into the medicine before taking another look at the wounds that were plastered all over Sevika’s body.

“I’ll be gentle.”

“I know.”

You raised an eyebrow at her, simultaneously dabbing the cotton swab against the wound near her cheekbone.

“You’re always gentle toward me.” Sevika warmly smiled, leaning closer to give you another kiss but you stopped her.

“You can kiss me all you want after I’m done.” You scolded, causing the older woman to huff in disappointment.

“Come on,” You sighed, continuing to treat the wounds, “The sooner I finish, the sooner we can cuddle.”

Sevika’s eyes lit up at the last word. She immediately returned to the same position, silently watching your hand.

As you attentively applied medicine over the bloody wounds, you couldn’t help but glance at the broken mechanical arm. Honestly, you didn’t know how to actually feel about this whole situation. It all happened way too quickly and you didn’t even get the time to process everything. But you were hurt… and furious.

The creation that you have built with so much love and effort was torn away in a second.

“Don’t worry.” You tried your best to hold in the tears, “I’ll figure something out.”

Sevika gave a quick glance at her mutilated mechanical arm before looking at you, a blank expression on her face.

“I’ll rebuild it. And I’ll make it much more stronger this time.”

As you spent the next hour finishing up and cleaning the medical supplies, you headed back to Sevika.

“Come lay.” The older woman murmured, patting the empty spot beside her.

You nodded and slowly climbed up, snuggling into the blanket before laying on your side to face the older woman.

“Aren’t you going to lay down too?” You stared at Sevika who was still sitting in her upright position against the bedpost.

“Yeah… in a bit.” The older woman hummed as she stared into the distance as if she was pondering.

“What’s wrong?” You immediately sat up beside her, your shoulder touching with hers.

“It’s just…” Sevika slowly turned her head to look at you, “It felt like yesterday when I was still shooing you away from my arm.” The older woman chuckled to herself.

“Thanks for not giving up on m-“

“Oh stop thanking me,” You interrupted her, furrowing your eyebrows as you placed your index finger vertically against her lips, “Honestly I should be thanking you. For giving me a place to stay… and protecting me.”

“How about…” You shifted your body closer until your hip was against the side of her arm, “We replace those ‘thank you’s with ‘I love you’s?”

Sevika smirked, slowly adjusting her body to lie down. Soft groans escaped her lips as she tried her best to hide the aching pain from her arm.

“Well then,” The older woman turned her head to smile at you, “I love you.”

You grinned, crawling over to carefully lay your head on her chest.

“I love you too.”

You closed your eyes, breathing in Sevika's scent until your heard her softly say your name again. You slowly opened your eyes, craning your head as a response.

"Kiss me."

You giggled, tenderly caressing the side of Sevika's face before pressing your lips on hers earning a satisfied hum. The older woman purred into the kiss, sensually licking your bottom lip.

You whimpered, habitually parting your lips to invite Sevika’s tongue. Despite the lingering pain, Sevika’s hand found its way to the nape of your neck, pulling you closer.

“Sevika…” You whispered, your fingers traveling down to the buttons on the older woman’s top.

You pulled away, biting your lip as you impatiently unbuttoned her top. Sevika’s deep chuckle could be heard as you pulled the fabric apart, your eyes darted toward her black bra.

“Like what you see?” The older woman smirked, tugging down on the cup of her bra, exposing one of her breasts. You licked your lips, lustfully staring at the obvious hardened peak.

You dipped your head to glide your warm tongue along her collarbone, causing Sevika’s breath to hitch. As you slowly slid your torso down, adjusting to the new position, you eagerly envelope the hard peak with your wet lips. Your tongue teasingly moved in a consistent circular motion. Sevika groaned, slightly arching her back as her hand gripped your hair.

You continued running your tongue against it before gently sucking. One of your hands yanked on the bridge of the bra before cupping her other breast. You pulled away, focusing on Sevika’s aroused expression as your hands groped her breasts.

“Fuck…” Sevika grunted as she stared at you with half-lidded eyes. Your hands moved down to her toned abs, your fingers danced around her soft, brown skin. The older woman unintentionally parted her legs wider as if she was already prepared for your next action.

You smirked, immediately moving your fingers to the button of her pants. After successfully unzipping her pants, Sevika bucked her hips up, waiting for you to pull it down. The older woman’s chest heaved as you examined the large wet spot on her underwear. You leaned down and planted a kiss on the wet patch before sliding the underwear down, the smell of arousal filled the air.

“You’re so wet…” You purred, spreading the folds with the pad of your thumbs, staring in awe.

“Stop teasing.” Sevika clenched her jaw, her hand still gripping your hair. You chuckled, sticking your tongue out before gliding it from the throbbing entrance up to the swollen nub. The older woman pushed your head closer, forcing you to suck. You moaned, relishing the taste of your lover.

“Fuck Y/N–” Sevika moaned, squeezing your head with her thighs, but not too hard that it’ll break your skull.

Your tongue rapidly moved against the aroused bud in a consistent rhythm.

“You’re doing so good.” Sevika bucked her hips up, grinding against your tongue.

“Yeah like that…Don’t stop.” Sevika’s trembling thighs squeezed a little harder, preventing you and your tongue from going anywhere. You continued, focusing on your movements.

As you felt a slight pain from Sevika’s grasp, a loud and strained moan echoed all around the room followed by something warm and wet against your tongue. You lapped up the mess before sitting up, wiping your mouth.

You looked forward, smiling proudly at the sight of the exhausted older woman. Her half-updo was disheveled and her body glistened with sweat.

“How was that?” You whispered, hovering on top of Sevika, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face.

“Perfect.” The older woman panted, reaching her hand up to caress the side of your face. You leaned into her touch before turning to kiss the palm of her hand.

You silently crawled back to your side of the bed before plopping down with a satisfied smile on your face.

“Hope that distracts you from the pain.” You teased, drawing a soft chuckle from Sevika.

You laid on your side once again, placing your hand on Sevika’s bicep, tenderly moving the pad of your thumb to calm her down.

“Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” You blurted out, noticing Sevika’s smile growing wider.

“Me too.” She whispered before closing her eyes, her tensed body leisurely relaxing into your touch.

The room grew silent as the two of you drifted off to sleep with smiles on your faces.

Amid all the chaos, you were grateful to find happiness with the person you love. It made you realize that no matter what happens, at the end of the day, Sevika will always be there, standing right in front of you. With that comforting thought, you let out a content sigh, knowing that with Sevika by your side, you could face anything. At that moment, you were ready to embrace whatever tomorrow brings…

As long as Sevika was with you.

Author’s Note: Hey guys! We finally reached the end of this series. I just want to say how grateful I am to receive so much support throughout this. Not only am I’m really glad that I could share this work with you all, it was also very fun reading all your comments ;) I’m really going to miss writing for this series and I’m really proud of it.

But the end of the series doesn’t mean the end of everything. I will, of course, still be active on Tumblr as I continue to write one shots and headcanons for Arcane.

Thank you so much. I never knew that we could all come this far and it’s such a thrill to see 💗

Taglist: @holysmokesblog @moonknightys @honeyr4ven @im-sidney @meetmeinthervng @uwuttaja @tiptoeingquietly @trashbod @Doc-blue @mayalopxz @pinkiedash101 @gabrielsellesty @rockyroad-is-bomb @jkkwin @idcplss @pinkrose1422 @thesevi0lentdelights

[oftenwantedafton]

the assistant | william afton x f!reader x dave miller

chapter three

Explicit content, 3.4k words, new 5/16/25

ao3 link

You arrive at the restaurant a full two hours early that evening.

There’s no way you’re going to be late three nights in a row. You’re not going to give William Afton any ammunition this shift. By the time you pull into the parking lot, buoyed by a newfound determination and resolve, you slide the key confidently into the lock and push the door open, feeling ready to take on whatever the owner decides to dish out.

You don’t expect to see Dave Miller standing there, leaning back against the wall with his hands tucked into his pockets, awaiting your arrival.

“Why are you here so early?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

The door clicks shut behind you, reminding you that it needs to be locked.

“I don’t want to get in trouble again. What’s your excuse?”

The security guard shakes his head, dismissing your question and asking one of his own. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Are you certain? You were very upset this morning.”

“I was,” you concede. “I let him get under my skin, and I shouldn’t have. I know better. I think I was just overtired. Hungry. You know how it is.”

Dave doesn’t look entirely convinced, but his expression clears. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh, no. Not again. Listen, if this is another prank—”

“—No, this is a good surprise,” he hastily attempts to reassure you. “Helpy, come here.”

A soft metallic tapping sound echoes from around the corner, the creator of that tred soon revealing itself as a small animatronic bear no larger than a child’s stuffed toy with buck teeth and rosy cheeks.

“Where did it come from?”

“I told you, I found it in Deep Storage.”

“I’ve never seen one so little. How do you know its name? How did you even activate it?”

“It’s stamped on one foot. I read the name aloud and it switched on automatically.”

The white bear comes to a halt somewhere between the two of you, its violet eyelids clicking downward in a simulation of blinking before it stretches its small arms upward, reminding you of a toddler asking to be lifted up.

“It’s heavier than it looks,” he says, leaning down to tuck his hands beneath the bear’s arms. He shifts his grip until the bear is facing you, its short legs dangling in the air, that permanently cheerful, almost goofy expression regarding you.

“It’s cute.” You reach out to boop the shiny black button nose, earning another blink. “But Dave, I don’t think you should be rifling through things in storage. Especially not after what happened earlier,” you add, your expression darkening.

He sets the bear back down, then straightens. “I promise I won’t go back into Parts and Service.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be enough to satisfy Mr. Afton. He doesn’t want me speaking to you at all.”

“Why? Am I such a bad influence?”

You shift your weight from one foot to the other. “He certainly seems to think so.”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know, Dave. I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I want us to be friends.”

“Friends?”

“Yes. Pals. Chums, even.”

“I know what friends means,” you mumble, noticing the teasing lift at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. We should just stay focused on our respective positions.” You feel something tugging on your pants leg and glance down to see the miniature animatronic trying to get your attention.

“It likes you.”

“According to you, everyone around here does,” you mutter, your expression softening at the sight of the little bear. The thing was absurdly cute. Why had it been shoved on a shelf? “Anyway, animatronics don’t have feelings. It’s just part of its programming to mimic human emotions.”

Occupied with bending to offer a little pat to the top hat crowning the small figure, you don’t miss the sharp look the man offers you.

“What are you going to do until he arrives? Just sit and wait for him?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” You straighten. “I brought something to read to keep me busy and pass the time.”

This information is met with another dubious scowl. “If that’s really what you want to do.”

“Yes.” You turn around to secure the lock, then begin walking down the hallway, immediately hearing another set of footsteps follow your own. “No, Helpy. You can’t come with me. Stay with Dave.”

The bear jerks to a halt, then turns halfway around, clearly struggling to decide which direction to go in.

“Just programming, hmm?” The guard murmurs.

“Maybe that’s why it was on the shelf. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with it.”

“Maybe there’s nothing wrong it at all.”

You pause, your gaze meeting Dave’s. “There has to be a reason why it was there. When you’re done, put it back.”

“It deserves a better fate than collecting dust.”

“That’s not up to you to decide.” The animatronic turns fully in your direction, taking a step closer. “No, Helpy. Stay with Dave. Go on.”

A slow blink. It begins to turn back towards the guard, then faces you once more. You wonder what must be going through the robot’s central processing unit, the conflicting inputs from two directing agencies confusing it. It reminds you most strongly of a child trying to decide between two parents.

“Call it back to you.”

Dave’s gaze is flinty, his lips pressed in a thin line. For a moment you think he’s going to refuse, but then he barks out the command and Helpy obeys without further hesitation, returning to its rescuer’s side.

“Don’t forget what I said. It has to go back.” You resume walking towards the workroom, feeling the weight of the other employee’s stare the entire way.

***

You’re halfway through your novel by the time William Afton arrives, a low chuckle instantly setting your teeth on edge as he approaches the workstation.

“So now you’re early. Is the concept of time so elusive?”

Don’t feed into it. Don’t give him the satisfaction. “I don’t expect overtime. I just wanted to be sure to arrive at a decent hour.” You shut your book and tuck it back into your bag, nudging it further back under the desk with your foot.

“Of course you won’t be paid extra.” He still hasn’t sat down yet and you begin to worry. You hope he doesn’t know about Helpy. He can’t possibly, right?

“Well, I’m certainly not going to sit around and entertain you. We’re going to start now. Help me lift this,” he snaps, striding over to the final piece of the animatronic design that you haven’t had access to yet. It currently rests on the floor, a torso that’s propped up against the wall.

You bend to assist William, heaving the body part onto the nearby table. It isn’t long before the outermost panel concealing the interior of the chest cavity is wide open and your hands are buried deep inside while your boss issues a string of commands. You still feel tense and stiff, trying to prepare yourself for whatever insult or accusation might be flung your way, but the disparaging remarks have mercifully been kept to a minimum thus far.

Of course, you’ve been down this road before. Quite recently, in fact. So you aren’t quite as willing to let your guard down as the minutes pass into hours. The man’s mood can and likely will shift at any given moment. For now, you’re just going to keep silent and get your work done.

A state that hasn’t gone unnoticed. “You’re quiet this evening,” he observes at one point as he holds a series of cables out of the way so you can access an interior compartment housing a speaker.

You’re not taking that bait. No, Sir. “Concentrating,” you reply, unscrewing the final bolt securing the lid.

“Yet you were so…inquisitive earlier.”

God, he was so antagonistic. You’re beginning to wonder if you hadn’t hallucinated those previous moments when he’d seemed halfway decent. Maybe you’d just been blinded by a little hero worship. The guy is a complete asshole, plain and simple, genius or not.

“Trying to do better,” you mumble, carefully lifting the metal square out of the way.

“If that’s the case, then why have you accessed the wrong compartment?”

You freeze, your fingers hovering just above the open panel as he releases his taut hold on the steel wrapped cords. They snap back into place, slapping against your skin and stinging you. You jerk back, cradling your hand. There are red welts visible, but you don’t see any other damage.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was waiting to see if you’d realize your error. You didn’t. Not a good start to the shift,” he murmurs. “Perhaps you don’t have the instincts I thought you had. Let me see your hand.”

“It’s fine.”

“I said let me see it,” he repeats tightly.

You reluctantly hold out your hand and he clutches your wrist, rotating your hand back and forth to view it from different angles. “Nothing permanent. Not like my own scars.”

He wants to compete over who has the worst injuries now?

“You’ve never seen them, have you?”

You shake your head, wondering why he’s asking. Of course he knows you haven’t.

“Would you like to?”

He still hasn’t released your wrist. The fingers of his other hand are tracing the inflamed, puffy lines running like veins across yours.

“That’s okay,” you reply hastily. “I respect your privacy.”

“Since when? You were only too eager to paw through my things earlier.”

“That wasn’t me,” you protest. “Dave did that before I even got here.”

“If you had gotten here on time, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity.”

“So I’m supposed to supervise him now? If you had been here on time, this wouldn’t even be an issue.” The words escape your mouth before you can think better of them and you immediately gasp.

“There it is,” he murmurs, sounding oddly pleased. “Your attempt at contrition was paper thin. You’re still upset.”

“No,” you deny.

He releases your wrist, clutching onto the jacket sleeve covering his own as he begins wriggling out of the deep purple garment. You stare as the cuff of his shirtsleeve is unfastened and rolled back, the white material shifting to reveal a forearm covered in reddish marks.

“This is the cost of arrogance. Of distraction. Even the briefest lapse in judgment can spell destruction in this field.”

You swallow and nod.

“Get your head back in the game.”

“O…Okay,” you stammer, your eyes still glued to the strangely patterned scars decorating your boss’s skin.

“I mean it. I need your complete attention. There is no room for distractions of any kind. Any kind,” he emphasizes. You finally tear your gaze away from the ruined flesh to find his eyes darkening, the pupils dilating.

“I understand,” you manage to croak out.

“Do you?” He asks softly. “I’m not certain of that.” You feel his fingers on your injured hand again, probing and prodding, eliciting a faint groan of discomfort. You bite your lip to stifle any further sound. The touch gentles, evolving into a caress that nearly forces a new, more pleased sound from your lips, but you hold fast to your resolve. You won’t break, no matter how hard he pushes; no matter how tenderly he touches, leaning ever closer, regarding you with those hypnotic eyes full of desire.

William abruptly eases back in his chair, abandoning your appendage and working on unrolling his shirt sleeve. You feel the sudden absence of his body heat sharply, simultaneously silently reprimanding yourself for lamenting its departure. You shouldn’t be enjoying it.

“Ice should be applied to that. There’s a coffee shop with a twenty four hour drive thru down the street that can supply it. I’ll give you fifteen minutes for this errand.”

Seriously? A break? Other than a hastily gulped meal or snack—far away from the animatronics, of course, lest you drop some offending crumb or spill some harmful liquid on any of his precious components—the man never allowed you to rest during your shift.

“The clock is ticking. I suggest you get moving,” he adds, retrieving his jacket and folding it neatly over the back of his seat.

You scramble to your feet, digging your car keys and wallet out of your bag before dashing from the workroom.

***

Rain surprises you on the return trip to the pizzeria.

The rare, torrential downpour in an otherwise typically arid climate had just appeared out of nowhere. The windshield wipers of your car can barely keep up with it, squeaking loudly as they scrape over the glass. You curse yourself for not remembering to grab your jacket in your rush out of the workroom. You’re going to be absolutely soaked on the trip back, and you’re fairly certain William isn’t going to appreciate you dripping all over his workspace.

Still, it can’t be helped. It’s not like anyone could have predicted this weather. You park your car and take a deep breath, steeling yourself for the sky’s onslaught as you hurry to the door, key already in hand. There are puddles in the parking lot, forming in the crumbling asphalt, the water seeping into your sneakers as you sprint.

The door suddenly opens to reveal Dave Miller waiting just inside.

“Thanks,” you pant, eagerly entering the building to escape the deluge.

“Unusual weather,” he remarks.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” You tuck your keys into a pants pocket and swipe at your damp clothing, grimacing.

“Unusual for you to leave during your shift as well.”

“I ran to get some ice.” Seeing the guard’s puzzled look, you hold up your hand for a faster explanation.

“What happened?”

“Made a mistake during repairs. It was my own fault. It feels better already.”

The dark haired man frowns dissaprovingly. “Was it really your fault?”

“Yeah, sure.” You wave the injured hand in the air, then your voice lowers conspiratorially. “Did you put our friend back where it belongs?”

“Yes.”

“Great. Well, I have to get back. I’ve only got a few minutes left. Stupid rain.”

“Are you sure everything’s alright?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” You realize you haven’t seen Dave’s trademark too-wide grin at all yet this evening. “Relax. I’m fine. Promise. I’ll see you later. Thanks again for getting the door. Oh, and don’t forget to—”

“—Got it,” he replies, securing the lock.

“Okay. Bye.” You feel bad about rushing off, but you’re running out of time.

***

You make it back to Parts and Service with a minute to spare.

You can’t tell if William is pleased or not with your compliance. He’s certainly not pleased with your appearance, frowning as your sodden form enters the room.

“Why are you soaking wet?”

“It’s raining out.”

“Raining,” he repeats.

“Yeah. Pouring. Like, torrentially.”

A strange expression flits briefly across his features, then it’s gone. “I have a spare set of clothing in my office. It will be too large for you of course, but, at least it’s dry.”

“That would be great, thank you.”

The surprise over this sudden display of generosity clearly shows on your face and he hastens to add, “You’re of no use to me if you catch a cold.”

“Okay. Thanks again.” You swipe at a droplet that’s leaked from your forehead and slipped down your nose.

“I’ll be right back.”

You nod, waiting by the doorway for him to return. When he does, handing you a hanger with a button front shirt, pair of dress slacks and a belt slung neatly through it, you can’t help but notice a slight bulge in the normally empty breast pocket of his pinstriped vest. It wasn’t just the clothes he was retrieving, apparently.

“You can get changed in the employee restroom.”

It’s a relief to finally peel off your damp shirt and sodden pants several minutes later, slipping into William’s loaned top first. As expected it’s loose fitting, baggy everywhere except across the chest, where your breasts helped to fill that space. The pants similarly are roomy in your lower legs and extend far past your feet, forcing you to cuff them before you examine the fit higher up. An odd combination of loose and snug, the garment trying to accommodate the curve of your hips and the swell of your buttocks. Well, whatever. It’s not like you’re at a fashion show. The shirt tail is going to cover most of that anyway.

You quickly try to dry some of your hair out, ducking beneath the hot air vent and slapping the button a few times to renew the burst of air before deciding you’ve delayed long enough. You don’t think your mentor’s good graces can extend much further.

***

Cigarettes.

That’s what William had retrieved from his office. One is slotted between his lips when you return to the workroom, a lazy trail of smoke rising from the end.

He pinches the lit item between his index and middle fingers, extracting it from his mouth and sending a more serious plume upward as his gaze sweeps over you. “What?”

“Nothing, I just…I didn’t know you smoked.”

“On occasion.” He taps the ashes out into what looks suspiciously like the jaw of an animatronic you’d replaced the other night.

“It’s not…I don’t know, bad for these?” You wave a hand around the room.

He laughs, a sound that is genuinely amused, lacking its customary mockery. “No. I don’t think one cigarette will do any significant harm. At least, that’s what I always tell myself.” He takes another drag. “The clothes fit you better than I expected.”

You’re not sure if that’s meant to be a compliment or not, so you merely shrug and nod.

He glances at his wristwatch. “This evening is turning into a rather large waste of time, isn’t it?”

An apology automatically begins to form on your lips but you quickly stifle it. That’s one lesson that’s been hammered home.

William grins around the cigarette. “Or perhaps not.”

***

Once again you find the security guard waiting for you by the exit.

“You don’t have to keep doing this, you know.” You’re dressed in your own clothing once again. It’s still damp. You’re eager for a warm bath and a hot meal before bed.

“How was it?”

“It was okay. Honestly. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. He was actually kind of pleasant.”

“It’s the weather.”

“Oh? Does it remind him of England or something, you think?” You adjust your backpack on your shoulder.

“No. I don’t think that’s the reason at all.”

You wait for him to elaborate but he doesn’t, merely pushing open the door so you both can view the status of the downpour. It doesn’t seem to have let up any.

“Damn. I was kind of hoping it would have slowed down, at least. Oh well. I’m leaving now. You ever get to leave on time, Dave?”

He remains silent, watching the splash of water just beyond the threshold. “No.”

“That must be some serious overtime on your paycheck, then.” You nudge his arm playfully and his eyes slide to meet yours.

“I’m going to walk you to your car.”

“In this? Don’t be silly. You’ll get drenched.” You flip the hood of your jacket up, your smile evaporating when you realize how serious he is. “What’s going on with you, Dave?”

“Come on.” He takes a step forward, a little hiss of sound escaping when the first pelts of rain soak through his uniform. He holds out his hand and you slowly accept it, allowing him to pull you forward with a squeak when you’re similarly doused. You race to your car, cursing yourself for not getting your keys ready ahead of time, unslinging your backpack and hurriedly digging around in the outside compartment.

“You shouldn’t have come. I told you you’d get…” Your voice trails off as you pull your keys free, your face lifting to see Dave’s tilted back, letting the rain pour over his features. There’s an almost rapturous look there that makes you pause, staring at this display in utter confusion.

A different sort of smile than the ones you’ve previously seen adorns his lips when his face tips to regard you, a soft, secret sort of grin as the water spills over his nose and cheeks and lips, his hair plastered to his forehead.

“I know. You want to go home. I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t mind going there myself.” He tugs your hood a little further over your head to better shield you.

“Maybe…” The word hangs in the air between you. Maybe what? You’re not even sure. Maybe you’ll invite him over one day? Maybe you’ll be friends after all?

“Maybe,” he agrees, then turns and heads back towards the building.

[atinymekanie]

The Night We Met - Chapter 10: Let The Light In

|| Premise: What if Dawnbreaker's wish for one day and one night with the woman who lives only in his dreams... came true? ||

| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 |

Slowly, Zayne sat upright on the couch, his hands moving to rest on his knees, staring off into the distance. He would need a plan. Gazing around, he scanned the apartment for anything resembling something to make notes with. A phone, a tablet, even a pen and paper would suffice. Zayne had known the dingy apartment was bare, with not much in the way of décor or furniture or anything that really made it a home, but looking at it now, really looking at it – the barrenness was like a splash of icy water to the face. The hunter really had…nothing.

There were no rugs on the bland linoleum, no pictures or paintings on the walls, just a few areas with peeling paint and water stains on the ceiling. The couch Zayne was sitting on had no throw pillows, no soft blanket draped across the back, like he kept on his sofa. It was the only place to sit down in the apartment, other than the bed in the bedroom, and that fact made it quite apparent that guests were not a common occurrence. If they occurred at all. The table in the kitchen had a bent leg, and one of the few cabinets on the wall in the tiny kitchen area had a broken hinge. The linoleum in the kitchen was peeling up off the floor, like how a picked scab on an old wound might.

His brow furrowed as he continued to look around, glancing at the small, drab stand the TV stood on, noticing something sitting on the bottom shelf. Zayne stood, noticing the stiffness in his limbs, even just from sitting for a little while. That was odd. But then again, this wasn’t his body – not his normal one anyway, and it seemed clear the hunter didn’t take very good care of himself or his nutrition. Heaving a sigh, Zayne moved over to the TV and knelt down in front of it, his scarred hands reaching for the pile of what looked like papers on the lower shelf of the TV stand.

Magazines. Zayne stared down at the faded pages of old magazines as he held the small stack of them in his hands. What could the hunter want with magazines? Sorting through them slowly, he began to realize that they all shared a theme – Linkon City. There were travel magazines, daily gazettes with lifestyle tips and tidbits, and one food and restaurant-related digest. All from what looked to be ages ago, based on the brittle feel of the paper and the faded quality of the pictures. But then why was everything in the photos so…familiar? Zayne realized that it was because he had been to most of the places pictured in them. The museum, the ski resort, the shops and restaurants. Maybe not all of them, but enough to know the places listed in the magazines were from the city where he lived.

Shaking his head, Zayne stuffed the magazines back onto the bottom shelf of the TV stand, trying not to think about the broader repercussions of what that might mean. Now was not the time to get into an existential crisis. Even if the whole day so far already was one. Raising his head, Zayne’s gaze fell onto something he hadn’t noticed previously, sitting in the corner by the window.

The plant sat in the corner of the room, almost behind the TV near the window, nestled in a cheap plastic pot. The main stem was twisted and gnarled, and the leaves that sprouted from the few secondary stems were a dull green, rather than the vibrant color of most plants that Zayne was used to seeing. He moved over to the plant, peering down at it to see if he could figure out what it was, and that was when he saw the small white bud at the top of one of the stems.

“Jasmine.” The sound of his voice breaking the silence almost startled Zayne, the words seeming to ricochet back towards him after careening off the blank walls of the apartment. How did the hunter have a jasmine plant, of all things? And why? Reaching out, he tapped his finger against the soil, testing it. Way too dry. Zayne stood, stepping quickly into the bathroom and grabbing the cup from the sink. He filled the cup with water and returned to the plant, gazing down at it.

As he went to pour the water into the soil of the potted plant, Zayne paused, glancing at the water in the cup. Remembering how bad the tap water had tasted that morning, he frowned as his gaze moved back to the little jasmine plant. Perhaps that was the reason for its stunted growth and dull color. The water quality truly was terrible. Pursing his lips, he walked back to the kitchen area and dumped the water in the cup into the sink, watching as it swirled and gurgled its way down the drain.

Zayne stepped over to the table where the bottle of unflavored water sat, already about half empty. Hesitating for only a moment, he then nodded and filled the cup with the clean, filtered water, about to take it back over to the little plant in the corner. He stopped mid-step, suddenly wondering why he was bothering to care for a plant that wasn’t his, in an apartment that wasn’t his, in a body that wasn’t his, in a world that wasn’t his… Or was it? Zayne shook his head firmly – he had already decided he wouldn’t go down that line of thought again. Not while he still had to focus on the here and now. Whenever that might be.

His gaze returned to the sad little plant in the corner, the leaves drooping in the dim light from the sole window. With a sigh, Zayne walked over to the plant and knelt down beside it, pouring the water into the dry soil. The water sat on top of the soil for a second, then was greedily absorbed, disappearing faster than he had expected. A small crease appeared between his eyebrows as he realized just how dehydrated the soil, and therefore the plant, must be.

Retrieving the bottle from the table, Zayne brought it back over to the jasmine plant, tilting it slowly and watching as the water trickled from the mouth of the bottle and splashed over the leaves, dripping down onto the dirt beneath. Droplets shone in the wan light, sparkling as they fell through the air and bounced over the leaves and stems, finally sinking into the soil to nurture the roots of the tiny bit of life. Part of him realized that if he gave the plant all the water, he would have to go out and get more before the day was done. But he had to go out later anyway, didn’t he? Besides, nurturing life was important. Especially in a place where it was already so scarce.

Watching closely as the soil sucked up the water, Zayne waited until some of the liquid pooled on the surface of the dirt, then raised the bottle upright to pause the stream. Only a quarter of the bottle left. He would definitely need to buy more before the day was out. He glanced back down at the jasmine, reaching out his other hand to gently brush one finger against the small white bud. The fact that it could still manage to flower in such unforgiving conditions was a testament to its strength and perseverance.

Both of which were qualities he would need if he wanted to survive the rest of this nightmare. Zayne drew a hand down over his face, his gaze moving to the window, the glass grimy and smudged. He lifted the bottle of water to his lips and downed the rest of it as he stared out at the alleyway beyond the dirty windowpane. Now that the sun was more overhead, a lot more light filtered down into the alley, and therefore also into the small apartment. The little plant would never receive direct sunlight due to the angle of the buildings around the apartment, but thankfully jasmines didn’t need direct sunlight to thrive. More light wouldn’t hurt, though.

Turning around, Zayne moved back to the kitchen area, searching for a cloth or towel of some kind, even a sponge would work. He found a small drawer filled with different-sized towels, mostly hand towels, and selected one at random. Dousing it in water from the tap, he returned to the window and began to wipe it down, wanting to provide the little plant with as much light as the one window would allow. After a few moments of effort, Zayne realized that he wasn’t making much headway – most of the grime seemed to be on the outside, in the form of mildew.

Grimacing, Zayne turned toward the door, the soft blip sound from the bedroom suddenly making itself known again. Of course. Well, he needed to get used to setting foot outside, if he was going to do something about that wretched dot. This was as good a way to acclimate as any. He made his way over to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it and moving as though plunging into cold water.

As before, nothing happened when he stepped past the threshold, other than that same odd smell assaulting his nostrils, and Zayne suddenly felt a bit self-conscious of how apprehensive he was to be outside. Still, he couldn’t shake off the visceral fear that churned through him at being in the place from his literal nightmares. No amount of understanding of human physiology and psychology would stop the knee-jerk reaction that came with that realization. He gazed around the alleyway for a moment, reassuring himself of its definite lack of anyone including Wanderers, then stepped off the stoop and set about cleaning the window of the mildew and muck that had piled up on the glass.

Once finished, Zayne stepped back and tried to admire his handiwork. While the glass wasn’t completely clear, it was much less dirty and only slightly streaky. Much more light would be able to reach the jasmine now. He nodded decisively, then went back inside, tossing the now ruined towel into the small trash can in the bathroom before washing his hands.

After glancing over at the window to see if his efforts had made any difference from the inside – it did seem a bit brighter now – Zayne’s gaze landed on the magazines below the TV again. Right. All of this had come about from looking for something to make notes and plans on. Stop procrastinating. He blew out a long breath, the exhalation fluttering some of the dark hair that fell into his eyes. Perhaps the bedroom would have something to write on; he knew there was a nightstand with a drawer.

The soft noise from the monitor grew louder as Zayne covered the short distance into the bedroom, plopping down onto the bed and opening the drawer of the nightstand to rifle through whatever was inside. There wasn’t much. A few chocolate wrappers, a pair of old leather gloves, a pressed jasmine flower, and a phone. Finally, something useful. The odd assortment of items made him tilt his head, but the minute Zayne saw the phone he snatched it up, hoping the hunter used facial recognition and not a passcode.

Holding it up in front of his face, Zayne waited anxiously as the cracked screen lit up, then responded to his visage, albeit sluggishly. He breathed a sigh of relief as the phone interface shifted, showing him a pale blue background with only a few icons on it. It was somewhat different than what he was used to, but nothing overly complex. The hunter was clearly a minimalist when it came to technology – either that or he couldn’t afford it. The second one seemed quite likely.

However, the phone did have a signal of some kind – from what Zayne could tell, it was a sort of basic, citywide signal that allowed for simple usage of devices. Things like messaging, navigation, and local news updates. Either that, or that was all the hunter had bothered to put on the phone. He tapped over to the messaging icon, wondering what he might find there. Did the hunter have friends? Family? Zayne watched as the screen flickered and changed, revealing… Empty Inbox. Well, that answered that question.

A sort of odd, twisting sensation flared to life in Zayne’s chest as he stared at the empty inbox behind the broken screen. Like frost prickling across leaves, a sense of loneliness mixed with homesickness crept through him, stealing his breath for a moment. No wonder he woke up from every nightmare with the profound sense of being utterly alone, even if he was lying beside the woman he loved. When was the last time the hunter had even spoken to another person?

Frowning, Zayne flicked away the empty messaging icon, wishing that he could get rid of the twisting sensation in his chest just as easily. No such luck, of course. Instead, he busied himself with learning how the navigation icon worked, moving to sit beside the monitor at the end of the bed. To his surprise, when the phone moved alongside the monitor, it chimed, and the navigation icon glowed that same sickly orange color as the dot on the monitor.

Intrigued at this turn of events, he continued flicking and tapping through different interfaces in the navigation system, attempting to orient himself with where the apartment he currently occupied was in relation to the rest of the city, and consequently, in relation to the blinking dot.

After a bit of maneuvering through the somewhat unfamiliar technology, Zayne managed to make sense of the city’s layout, at least to some degree. He decided not to think about any oddly familiar sections that he might have noticed, instead thinking back to where the dot had approximately been that morning, trying to calculate about how fast the person must be moving through the city. Because it was a person. For now. A shiver ran through him at the thought – that at the moment, this was just another person, going about their day, moving through life, and very likely completely unaware of what was going to happen to them in a matter of hours.

Closing his eyes tightly, Zayne shoved the thought away, clearing his mind as best he could, given the circumstances. Drawing in a deep breath, Zayne held it for a moment and then exhaled slowly, repeating the process until he felt his thoughts clear. He tapped over to a basic notepad function in the phone and began typing out the steps he planned to follow for the rest of the day:

1. Head out and find a better store for provisions before nightfall.

2. Check the apartment for any and all useful assets.

3. Prepare by eating, dressing appropriately, etc.

4. Navigate the city successfully.

5. Get rid of the damn dot.

6. Shower and sleep.

Zayne stared at the list he had made on the phone that didn’t belong to him yet had responded to his facial features, wondering why he had even bothered to make a list. It was short and simple, but the act of laying out the steps seemed to help him focus – having an actionable plan was always better than winging it. After a moment, Zayne added one last step to the list:

7. Return home(?)

Squeezing his eyes shut, Zayne tossed the phone onto the bed and dropped his head into his hands. No. No falling apart again. His hands curled into his dark hair, his nails scraping against his scalp as he sucked in a breath, trying to repeat the breathing exercises he had completed just moments ago. He succeeded after a moment, the slow, controlled breaths allowing his nervous system to slowly regulate, his heart rate eventually slowing.

As his mind slowly focused, Zayne raised his head, his expression flattening, his normally emerald eyes becoming a flat agate flecked with cold metal, his jaw set, and his lips pressed into a thin line. He stood slowly and glanced around, his gaze raking over the small bedroom and then moving to the disheveled living area beyond the bedroom door. Glancing back at the phone on the bed, Zayne realized he still had more than six hours until sunset. Going to the store wouldn’t take that long. The apartment was not well taken care of – something that had irked him since he had woken up, and only now had the clarity of mind to realize.

Moving with a purpose, Zayne left the bedroom and began searching the dinky apartment for cleaning supplies of any kind, needing to occupy himself with something to fill the time. Sitting alone with his thoughts would be a recipe for disaster. The apartment was small and shouldn’t take too long to clean. Maybe an hour or two, tops? And now that he had the phone, finding another store for more food and water didn’t seem quite as daunting. That should only take an hour, no? Which would leave plenty of time to gather anything useful, eat, and prepare for his evening endeavor. His mind whirled through scenarios as he moved around the apartment, calculating how long each step on the list would take to complete.

Mentally, Zayne switched steps one and two in his list and added cleaning to the first step. His search for cleaning supplies turned up only a few items: a tattered broom, a ragged old mop, a bucket without a handle, a couple of sponges, three bottles of rubbing alcohol, and one mostly full bottle of a generic cleaning spray. Placing his hands on his hips, Zayne stared at the pitiful options he had pulled together, his brow furrowing. No wonder the place was a mess.

Still, it was something to pass the time and keep his mind off the troublesome thoughts that kept beating against the wall in the back of his consciousness where he had imprisoned them. Rationally, Zayne realized that his decision to clean was likely an attempt to control one of the few things he had any control over, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to continue doing it.

Shaking his head, he grabbed the broom and began sweeping first, then mopping, filling the bucket with water and some of the cleaning spray. Zayne was sure it wouldn’t be terribly effective, but since the floors didn’t seem to have been cleaned in who-knows-how-long, the difference between the mopped and unmopped sections was still quite apparent.

Once the floors were mostly clean, Zayne moved to the bathroom, cleaning everything in sight, using up one of the sponges and half of the cleaning spray by the time he was done. Since he was going to have to shower there later, he wanted it to be clean. As he finished cleaning the bathroom, Zayne stared down at his hands, wishing he had found cleaning gloves. A barely visible shudder passed through him, and he moved to the sink, scrubbing his hands furiously beneath the cold tap water. Thankfully, the apartment only had one bathroom.

From there Zayne continued on to the small kitchen area, wiping the counters and sink, scrubbing at the small range that seemed almost unused but was somehow still grimy. The few dishes in the small cupboards were then organized, along with the items in the two drawers beside the sink.

After cleaning his hands yet again, Zayne’s cleaning spree moved to the living room, wiping down the TV stand, hanging the long black coat on the single hook by the door, and taking the couch cushions outside to shake them out. He replaced them as neatly as he could, realizing that one of them was horribly flattened – likely from its owner only ever sitting in that same place, again and again. Without really thinking about it, Zayne swapped the cushions, placing the one with more shape where the flattened one had been, as if in an attempt to even them out in the future.

All that remained was the bedroom, which really wasn’t that messy. In his focused state, the blip from the monitor barely registered. Zayne straightened the thin blanket on the bed, then remembered that he had seen another blanket in the closet when looking for clothes. He turned, opening the closet and rummaging through the shelves, finally producing a slightly less worn, grey plaid blanket. As he pulled it out, something fell from it, landing on his foot.

A…plushie? Zayne bent down to retrieve it, a line forming between his brows. How odd. That was the last thing he had expected to find. Straightening up, he held the little plushie at arm’s length, tilting his head as he regarded it. It appeared to be a small black cat, but the fur was so worn that it seemed more like a dark grey, and one of its ears was torn. The pink of its nose was mostly gone, and the tail was horribly frayed. It looked…well-loved.

A small smile curved up one side of his lips for an instant before disappearing. Turning back toward the bed, Zayne placed the plushie on top of the monitor and picked up the phone from the bed, placing it in his pants pocket. He then set about swapping out the blankets, tossing the thinner one in the laundry basket in the closet.

Stepping from the bedroom, Zayne noticed the used sponges, an empty bottle of the rubbing alcohol, and the now empty bottle of cleaning spray. Remembering that he had seen a dumpster out at the end of the alley, he gathered up the trash from the bathroom as well as the used items and moved towards the door. As he did, he noticed that the light from the window had now fallen onto the jasmine plant in the corner. While it wasn’t direct sunlight, Zayne was glad that he had cleaned the window to let more light in. Maybe now the little plant would have a better chance of surviving.

Zayne finished taking out the trash and closed the door behind him, his gaze wandering across the much cleaner apartment. It looked…almost homely. The grey linoleum looked less like a torn scab and more like an old floor, and the light from the window brightened the living area a bit, making the place seem a little larger than it normally did. The couch looked marginally fluffier after shaking out the pillows, and the sink in the kitchen shone a dull silver. There was one floor lamp near the wall behind the couch, and Zayne turned it on, watching as the warm light from the bulb spread out towards the kitchen area, where the light from the window didn’t quite reach. He breathed a small sigh of something similar to relief and grabbed the coat from the hook on the wall. Time for Step 2.

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Tags: @callme-naomi @altair718 @seris-the-amious @schnittled @punk-cat

[autumnshighlady]

I've Always Liked to Play With Fire (part 29)

NESTA ARCHERON X ERIS VANSERRA X FEMALE!READER

summary: wedding night... activities

warnings: PURE SMUT!!! literally filth, i have no excuse. threesome, oral sex (F receiving), spanking, dom!Nesta, orgasm denial, face sitting, everything basically. slight talk of past trauma but that's it (seriously when y'all write threesomes why do your characters never discuss limits beforehand smh)

word count: 8.3k

DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE

a/n: sorry i fell off the face of the earth... again..... i got super depressed and forgot how to write but i'm back now! rip to the person who requested neris x reader smut and had to wait 28 chapters for it lol

DISCLAIMER: none of this is proofread and i WAS drunk when i wrote it so it's a disaster but it's smutty so feast away

part 1 // part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7 / part 8 / part 9 / part 10 / part 11 / part 12 / part 13 / part 14 / part 15 / part 16 / part 17 / part 18 / part 19 / part 20 / part 21 / part 22 / part 23 / part 24 / part 25 / part 26 / part 27 / part 28 / part 29 / part 30

read on ao3

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Your jaw hit the floor as you entered the unfamiliar room. Against the wall to your left was the biggest four poster bed you had ever seen, enough to fit at least 4 people with room for limbs to be spread but not touching. It was covered in a thick green blanket, with cream pillows and a knitted throw at the base. Almost-sheer gold curtains were wrapped from the top frame of the bed posters, held back by brass loops. There was a large, arching wall of flowers and branches surrounding a shelf behind the bed’s headboard. A few trinkets had already been strewn across the shelves – books, jewellery, a knife, all objects you had seen Eris possess. The floor was dark wood and elegant, with a large, red rug in front of the bed, offset by the most comfortable-looking, plushy chairs and couch you had ever seen. 

But what caught your eye the most was the expertly carved cinquefoil arches and pillars on the other side of the room that lead to a balcony. There were no windows between the pillars, but the room remained devoid of the chill of the night air. It was spelled, judging by the thin sheen of magic between the spaces. You couldn’t see the view at this hour, but you knew it would take your breath away.

Angling your head in amazement, you noticed two open doors on the right side. One led to what looked like a massive walk-in closet, while the other led to the bathroom. You followed the second door, peering in to see the largest bathing room you had ever seen. An enormous tub was carved into the floor at one end, a small fountain spurting from one end with dragon’s heads carved into it. Across from the tub was a spacious shower, with various faucets and shower heads at all angles and three shelves with different soaps and oils on them. Amazed, you stepped back into the main bedroom, too stunned to speak.

“So,” Eris smirked, sauntering up behind you and placing his hands on your waist. “What do you think, my love?”

Slack-jawed, you couldn’t find the words for a moment. You glanced at Nesta, who had come up beside you. Her eyes were wide, her soft lips parted ever so slightly in wonder. Everything in this room was perfect, down to the last detail. “Is this…” You tried to speak but your voice trailed off.

“Our room.” Nesta finished your sentence for you, her voice filled with awe.

You asked, “wait, did you know?”

Eris squeezed your sides gently. “She knew this was going to be my gift to you both. Unfortunately I had to tell her, as I needed her input in the construction of the shower. But this is the first time you have both seen it. It was originally a storage room, but I had it redone and it has been worked on for the past two months.”

You baulked. “Eris, I…” Once again, your voice trailed off. The scale of the room, the attention to detail, everything was specifically designed for you, Eris, and Nesta to live together without feeling cramped. Eris had done all of this for you, for Nesta. Even during those dark days where it seemed everything had gone awry, he had kept hope aflame with the building of this room. “I don’t even know what to say, this is incredible.”

Eris chuckled, resting his chin on your shoulder and letting his lips graze your ear as he murmured, “You don’t have to say anything. You both deserve it, and I am beyond thrilled that I have the honour of spoiling you like this. It is the least I can do, and it is just one of many endless ways I intend on proving my devotion.”

Instantly, your blood heated at the sensation and you let out a breath. You shivered slightly, face flushing at having your mate’s lips so close to your neck. The action did not go unnoticed. Nesta turned her head towards you, pupils widening with lust at the breath that escaped your lips. Eris simply moved even closer, his fingers stretching up your ribs ever so slightly. Even through the thick fabric of your wedding dress, your skin tingled where his fingers brushed and you sucked in a breath.

“My, my,” Nesta cooed, cocking her head and surveying you up and down like a dragon staring at her prey. The way her head tilted slowly, eyes aflame and each movement possessing a serpent-like quality reminded you of Athariel’s mannerisms – rider and beast, slowly morphing into a unified being. “Somebody is flustered easily.”

“That’s good,” Eris said smoothly, his voice like silk. “It means she listened when I told her she had to wait until the night of the wedding for her desires to be satisfied.”

“You really think I had time for any of that amidst the wedding chaos?” You tried to snap back, but your voice was breathy and weak. All you could think about was Eris’s hands on your sides and Nesta’s blue-grey eyes sizing you up. Your heart thumped louder in your chest as you realised your fantasies were going to be brought to fruition. All those weeks of having to suppress your urges were finally at an end. The sensation of your mates’ desire through the mating bond was almost overwhelming, igniting every nerve in your body.

Eris dragged his lips up and down the side of your neck, chuckling darkly at the shudder your body involuntarily made at the sensation. “Fair enough, we have been rather busy, haven’t we? I’m surprised you’ve made it this long.”

Nesta gracefully took a step closer to you, her rich, warm scent enveloping your senses as she gently removed the crown from your head, setting it down on the dresser a few feet away. “Oh please, take what Eris says with a grain of salt,” she rolled her eyes. “He’s been struggling to hold back just as much as we have. He’s desperate too.”

The High Lord paused his movements along your neck, amber eyes narrowing at her. “Careful, Nesta.” He purred. “I had planned on being generous to my mates tonight, I’d hate for it to turn into an evening of punishment and teaching that smart mouth of yours a lesson.”

Nesta bit the corner of her lip,and you couldn’t help but notice the sudden shift in the position of her thighs. She shot Eris a glare, lifting her chin with a challenge. “You wish.”

Before Eris could reply, you let out a snort of laughter at her boldness. A mistake, it seemed, as both your mates whipped their heads sharply towards you. Your stomach fluttered with a delicious fear, one that sent heat between your legs. 

“Is something funny?” Nesta asked, a hint of a smirk behind her lips.

You shook your head, resisting the urge to chuckle again. Truthfully, you were impressed with the self-restraint of your mates. For so many, the snapping of the mating bond ignited a weeks long frenzy of fucking. But even after the bond snapped between you, Nesta, and Eris, there had been next to no sexual touching. Every ounce of your being desired to ravage your mates, but Eris’s wishes to refrain until the wedding were the string that held you together. No, your male mate liked control. It was something you had always known about him, something that often made your imagination run wild with other types of control he would enjoy exercising. While you certainly liked your fair share of being in charge, you craved Eris’s approval that came with doing what he asked… after a good amount of mouthing off, that is.

Nesta had held herself together almost as well as Eris, refusing to give into your sly attempts to find a loophole in his command the last few weeks. She shared very little of what her and Cassian had done together, but you were itching to find out what she liked. To explore what buttons you could push, the sounds you could draw out from her plush lips…

Your thoughts were abruptly cut off as Eris’s hand found its way into the locks of hair by your scalp, expertly tugging and pulling your head back against his solid chest. The moan that escaped you was completely involuntary, your body going haywire at the simple action of your mate. 

“Nesta asked you a question,” Eris said sternly, forcing you to look up at him. Your breath caught in your throat as he tilted your head back enough for him to stare down at you. His amber eyes were dark with lust, the crown upon his head and the smug look on his face painting the perfect picture of royal arrogance. “It would do you well to answer it.”

This time you managed to catch the whimper in your throat as Eris tilted your head to the side so you were upright and facing Nesta again. The way he moved your body around as if you were a piece of chess on his playing board sent a new wave of arousal through you. You felt torn in two, part of you wanting to submit and let him use you as he pleased while the other part wanted to challenge him and face the consequences he would no doubt dole out.

Nesta’s arms were crossed, pushing up her breasts ever so slightly, which your hungry eyes noticed right away. She raised a groomed eyebrow, “well?”

Deciding to give both of them what they wanted for now, you answered. “What’s funny is I thought you’d be more submissive, Nesta. Your remark caught me off guard. After all, I know how badly you want to please Eris.” The first sentence was entirely untrue, something all three of you knew. But you couldn’t help but add kindling to the fire. The masochistic part of your brain wanted to see how you’d be punished, and if it’d be enough to break you into submission.

“Brave words for somebody who’s about to be at her mercy.” Eris’s voice was low and smooth, his lips returning to your ear. 

Nesta simply stared you down evenly, wicked cunningness lurking behind her eyes. “Pathetic, she wants us to not be nice to her and is trying to goad us into doing what she wants.”

You shook your head, but excitement ran through your veins. You heard Eris chuckle from behind you, and Nesta let out an exhale. With the mating bond still so fresh and the three of you in such close proximity, you knew they had felt your body’s every reaction as if it were their own. Despite the chill autumn breeze, the room felt stiflingly hot.

Eris’s hands moved higher on your hips, fingers spreading and ever so slightly grazing the underside of your breast through the fabric of your dress. Nesta stepped forward as well, so close you could smell the honey-lemon tart she ate for dessert on her breath. Her cheeks were flushed with desire, but her eyes still donned that stern expression that drove you crazy. Before you could say anything, her slender fingers reached down and brushed against the inside of your legs through your skirts. An icy hot shiver went up your spine at the contact, and you couldn’t help but arch into Eris, who at this point was responsible for holding you upright.

“So, it seems that you have a choice to make, my dear,” Eris said in your ear, rubbing agonisingly slow circles along your sides with his fingers. “How do you want this night to go? Do you want me to be nice and focus on making you both feel good, hm?” With those last few words, Eris gave your hair another pull, tilting your head further to the right and exposing more of your neck. You cried out as his lips and teeth finally found your skin, gently kissing and biting with the perfect amount of pressure. Instantly, your breathing became uneven, your body desperate for more.

After a few moments of pleasuring the sensitive skin on your neck, Eris removed his lips and continued. “Or perhaps, you want something a little different, for me to be mean and turn you into more of a desperate mess than you already are.”

Suddenly, the gentle strokes of his lips and tongue from before were replaced with sharp canines sinking into your skin. You gasped, a new wave of arousal rushing through you like the waves of a storm. His teeth stung in the most delicious way, mixing with the pleasure arising in your body and making your head spin.

“I think we have our answer.” Nesta chuckled, moving her hands to rest on your hip bones just below Eris’s. “But I want to hear her say it.”

“I…” You stuttered, world reeling from the whispers of touches from Nesta’s hands on your hips mixed with the harsh biting at your neck from your other mate behind you. “I want you to do your worst.”

“Masochistic little fox.” Eris purred. “If you need us to stop, please speak up at any point. This may not be the traditional coupling of mates, but I want you to enjoy it.”

“Nothing about us is traditional.” You couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That is true.” Nesta added. As if she couldn’t take the close proximity anymore, she crashed her lips into yours, squeezing your hips as she did so. Immediately, you placed your hands on her biceps, pulling her closer and moaning into the contact. Her mouth was soft yet all-consuming, and wetness almost immediately pooled between your legs. Nesta’s kisses have always turned you on in the several that you shared, but this was different. Before, they had been tender and longing, like a prayer echoing through an abandoned church. 

There was nothing tender about the way she was kissing you now. If her previous kisses were like a gentle creek flowing through the woods, this kiss was a tsunami. It bewitched your body and soul, her lips bold and claiming you wholly. You were hers, and she was yours – that’s all her kiss told you. You pulled her even closer, her chest brushing up against yours as Eris’s hands explored further, grazing your breasts more and more with each movement. You shuddered between them, lifting a hand and bringing it around Nesta’s neck, squeezing the back of it. She let out a moan, and you used the opportunity of her slack jaw to slip your tongue into her mouth, brushing her lips and tasting every inch of her.

After several minutes of being utterly consumed by the female, you felt her pull away. You let out a whine that was cut off abruptly as you were spun around to face Eris. His green cloak and dazzling crown had been discarded already, leaving him in his red and gold robes. Even without the royal symbols, there was no mistaking his power and status. It sent a thrill through you as you stared up at the male. Chuckling, Eris’s hand wove into your hair again as he pulled you forward, pressing his lips into yours. He was rougher than Nesta, a different kind of dominance, one that was nearly overwhelming. His lips were firm against yours, commanding every ounce of your attention, and you gladly gave it to him. The hand in your hair kept you immobile, unable to resist any which way Eris chose to move you.

You felt Nesta stir behind you, and after a few moments the strings trying together the back of the dress began to loosen. Her fingers expertly undid the material, and you eagerly pulled your arms from the long sleeves while keeping your lips glued to Eris. A shiver came over your body as Nesta’s fingers grazed your newly exposed skin, pulling the soft white and red fabric down your body and letting it fall to a heap on the floor before delicately removing the emerald necklace. Nesta also reached out and pulled the remaining few bobby pins out of your hair, releasing it from the previous mess of an updo it had become. 

You stood there in your underwear, skin covered in a thin layer of sweat from the evening’s festivities. You did not feel the urge to shy away and cover yourself as you had when getting undressed with previous lovers. Even as Eris pulled away and took a step back to drink in your naked form, you did not cower. You were his equal, and he yours. He would come to know your body like the back of his hand, there was no use in trying to hide it.

His amber eyes went from lustful to angry as they found the scar below your belly button, that cursed letter ‘M’ that his brother had carved into your skin. You bit your lip, pushing back memories of those awful encounters with Malgorm. 

“I hate the gods for letting this happen.” Eris muttered angrily, staring at the scar as if enough willpower could wash it away. “I am so sorry–”

You took a step forward, pressing your fingers against his lips to shush him. “What’s done is done,” You murmured. “We cannot change the past. We can find a way to permanently glamour the scar, as I do not wish for it to be on my body any more than you wish to gaze upon it, my love. Let’s not worry about it for now, okay?”

A slender hand on your shoulder made you turn to face Nesta. She had removed her crown and dress as well, leaving her just as naked as you. But her face was serious, breaking the teasing tension of the room as she spoke. “Are you sure this is okay? After everything that has happened, we don’t have to do this right away. We can wait.”

You shook your head. “No,” You said firmly. “I want this. I want you both. If I was unsure I would have said so. I trust you.”

Nesta’s voice was soft. “Okay. But is there anything off limits that might cause you to become… discomforted?”

You thought for a moment, hating the memories that flashed through your mind. But you endured it. Nesta was right – before anything happened, boundaries needed to be stated. “My neck…” You said slowly, remembering how hard Malgorm had grabbed you. “I don’t want pressure on my neck, please.”

Nesta nodded with understanding. You turned around to face Eris, whose gaze had softened. “I can work with that.” He said gently.

“What about you, Nesta?” You asked, facing your female mate once again. “What’s off limits for you?”

At first, the female visibly tensed, as if fighting off the urge to put those walls back up that she had so firmly in place when you first met her. Getting Nesta to be vulnerable with sex would be a journey, that much you knew. After how she described her couplings with Cassian and other males, this discussion of limits seemed new to her. She blinked slowly, and you could see the wheels in her mind turning. 

“Take your time,” you said softly, grabbing Eris’s hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

“My head…” Nesta said quietly after a moment, her eyes slightly glazed over as if reliving memories. “I would appreciate it if my head was not held down or restricted.”

Immediately, your mind thought of all the instances that explained this. The kelpie, the Cauldron, the human male who assaulted her, it all made sense. You nodded, then faced Eris once again to take the pressure off of Nesta. “And what about you, husband? Anything off limits?”

Eris scoffed half heartedly. “Nope. I am content with anything.”

You elbowed him lightly in the stomach, rolling your eyes. “You’re not funny. We’re trying to have a discussion here and you ruined it.”

The male made a noise of agreement, his eyes sobering up for a second before he sighed, removing the crown from his head and moving his fingers to unlace his robes. Nesta came up to stand beside you, her hand sliding into yours but her eyes fixed on Eris. Both of you stared as the male removed his robes and unlaced his tunic. You felt Nesta’s breath catch as Eris’s bare torso was revealed. Slender muscles were covered in faint scars. They looked to be from some sort of burning lashes – Beron’s doing, no doubt. Bile rose in your throat at the sight before you, at the thought of how bad these injuries must have been to still be scarred centuries later.

“My father liked to use his own fire on me,” Eris said slowly. “The wounds from the beatings disappeared fast, but my…. harsher punishments involved fire. I think in a way, he wanted me to fear our fire. But like many things in life, he failed.” He let out a hoarse laugh. “For this reason, I do not wish for pain to be inflicted upon me during sex. While I will inflict it if it’s something you want, I am firmly against being on the receiving end of it.”

“I understand.” You said, and Nesta murmured in agreement. Even with the scars, your body still heated up at the sight of Eris shirtless. They marked his skin like stars in the night sky, glowing in the candlelight. He was strikingly beautiful, every inch of him. From the way Nesta’s breathing changed beside you, he was having the same effect on her, too.

Finally, the arrogant smirk returned to Eris’s face. “Excellent, now that we are all in agreement…” His amber gaze fell upon you, making your knees weak as he spoke with lethal command, “Get on the bed.”

You rolled your eyes at him, but obliged, giving Nesta a quick kiss on the cheek on your way over. The mattress was soft and plushy as you sank down onto it, and you briefly wondered if you even wanted to know how much it had cost. 

All distracting thoughts vanished from your head as Nesta strode over, prowling like a dragon approaching a lost sheep. The silver light from the moon and the golden light from the candles illuminated her soft curves in an otherworldly way, the coronet now evolved into a simple loose, messy braid coming over her shoulder. She smirked as you leaned up to kiss her from your sitting position. Before your lips could reach hers, she chuckled and abruptly pushed you back so you were laying down. The yelp you let out as you unexpectedly fell back was cut off by a kiss, her mouth swallowing any noise you made as you melted beneath her. The rich scent of your combined arousals flooded the room, filling your senses.

Nesta’s thighs straddled you as she pressed her body into yours, her creamy skin brushing against you and making your nerves go haywire as she shifted her mouth to your throat, planting gentle kisses there before sliding further down your body. You reached down to try and pull her back up so you could touch her, but two silver flames appeared around your wrists, gently guiding them up over your head and twining into the bedframe, leaving your hands tied. You whimpered in complaint, causing Nesta to stop her kisses just above your breast. 

“I’m sorry, did you want to touch me?” She asked huskily, eyes dark. Her lips moved just above your nipple, her breath sending the bud into a peak.

“Yes.” You said breathily, trying to keep the desperate tone out of your voice.

Nesta gave your nipple a quick lick, causing your entire body to twitch before she continued. “Too bad, you have to earn it.”

“And how do I do that?” You snapped in frustration, unable to stop yourself. 

As quick as a snake, Nesta reached under your thigh and hoisted your hips off the mattress. With her other hand, she reached underneath and slapped your ass. Hard. Instinctively, you moaned loudly, pain and pleasure coursing through your body and creating even more wetness between your legs. Through half-open eyes, you saw Nesta blink in surprise then smile wickedly. She turned to Eris, who had discarded his bottoms and was palming himself through his underwear. A silent conversation passed between them, and you shivered with anticipation before Nesta turned back towards you. “Lose the attitude, love,” she said.

You huffed, but tried to force the attitude out of your voice. “Boring. What do I have to do to earn it?”

“You’ll have to beg us to let you cum, and you’ll ask permission to do so.”

“I don’t beg.”

“Oh but you will,” Eris chimed in, gently gliding his fingers down Nesta’s spine as she took your nipple in her mouth, causing you to moan. “And you’ll love every second of it.”

You couldn’t deny that. All you could focus on was Nesta’s mouth on you, her other hand fondling the other breast. All the squirming in the world was useless against those silver flame restraints, which was unyielding. Finally, Nesta shuffled down so she was kneeling on the ground with her upper body between your thighs. Involuntarily, your legs automatically widened as she settled in, which did not go unnoticed.

“Wow, you are desperate for me, aren’t you?” Nesta teased, running a finger up your inner thigh. “The lightest of touches have you soaked through your underwear, I can’t imagine how you’ll react when I get my mouth on you.”

You whimpered at her words that washed over you like warm water. You had never been this wet, this aching to be touched. Nesta was smug as her finger ghosted over your clothed slit, feeling the wetness of the thin material. Your hips jolted at the sensation, electric shock wracking your nerves. 

Your mates were going to be the death of you. Every instinct screamed to find a way out of the restraints and pounce on Nesta and Eris, but your desire to please them overpowered it.

“My, my, she’s sensitive,” Eris mocked. “I don’t think she’ll be able to handle what we’ve got planned.”

“She will,” Nesta said sternly before glancing up at you. “Won’t you?”

You nodded in blind agreement, the anticipation of not knowing what was coming next both exciting and terrifying you. “Good girl,” Nesta replied before grabbing your panties and tearing them in two, revealing your soaking wet pussy. She moaned at the sight of your exposed core, making you pool even further. Every sound she made, every look she gave you was enough to drive you crazy. Your thighs were near trembling as she lightly touched your clit, the contact with the sensitive bundle of nerves making you jump and your thighs twitch.

“Look how wet she is,” Eris said. “And we haven’t even done anything…”

Your eyes snapped open fully when you realised he had removed his underwear and was stroking his cock. Your mouth practically watered at the sight of the male with his hand wrapped around his long cock, a smug expression on his face as he stared down at you like you were a piece of meat served up on a platter. “See something you like?” He said arrogantly as he noted your expression.

“Mother above, do I ever,” You replied breathlessly. “My brain doesn’t even know where to focus.”

Nesta said, “I think I can remedy that.” Without another word, the female’s head dove between your thighs, her tongue sliding up from your entrance to your clit before wrapping her lips around the bud and sucking. Bursting with pleasure, your back arched off the bed, hands angrily pulling against the restraints begging to touch Nesta. She repeated the pattern, licking and sucking in all the right spots and making your eyes roll back in your head. 

Cursing under your breath, you let out moans as Nesta ate you out. Her hands were wrapped around your thighs, burying herself as far into you as she could. You could feel her enjoyment and desire through the mating bond, which intensified the experience tenfold. Never before had you been this turned on this fast. Nesta had already figured out what made your body sing and was playing it like a violin. Eris was kneeling behind Nesta, pressing kisses all over her back. The sight of it turned you on even more.

You could pinpoint the exact moment Eris’s fingers found Nesta’s pussy. The female let out a moan that sent vibrations into your core, making your moan echo off of hers. The room was filled with the wet sounds of Nesta’s mouth on you and Eris’s fingers rubbing Nesta’s clit. Her face was screwed up with pleasure and a focused determination, her tongue never relenting against you.

“Isn’t she making you feel so good?” Eris asked you. “Nesta seems like she’s already doing very good with her mouth, I can’t wait to test it out myself.”

“So fucking good…” You murmured, causing Nesta to moan in approval between your legs.

The sounds between Nesta’s thighs intensified as Eris slipped a finger into her, curling it in a way that had her squirming in between you two. “Do you know how many nights I’ve had to get myself off to refrain from storming into your rooms and dragging both of you into my bed to be fucked senseless? I’ve had so many fantasies about what I want to do to you two, even with an eternity ahead of us I don’t know if we’ll have time to complete them all…” The male continued, cocking his head and pushing his hips forward, letting his cock rub against Nesta’s ass. “Is this everything you dreamed of, my love, hmm?”

“Yes!” You exclaimed, hands gripping onto the headboard as you writhed underneath Nesta’s mouth. The pleasure was almost overwhelming, coupled with the sight of Eris behind Nesta’s kneeling form with his knuckles buried inside her, you felt yourself approaching the journey to your climax within ten minutes, a new record for you.​ Your mate between your legs whimpered as Eris’s movements seemingly sped up, but she kept her blue-grey eyes open and looking up at you. Incoherent noises escaped your throat as you began to plead. “Please…” you begged. “I’m getting close…”

“Close to what?” Eris asked mockingly, his voice perfectly even as if he wasn’t curling his fingers inside Nesta so tactfully that she was shaking slightly. “You have to use your words, my love.”

You felt your orgasm building at a rapid pace, coming crashing towards you like a tidal wave. “Please… I’m gonna–” Your words were abruptly cut off as you were unable to hold back the inevitable. Like water overflowing a cup, your orgasm washed over you, spreading that warm electric sensation through your nerve endings. Nesta groaned with pleasure as your hips bucked against her face, grinding into it as you rode out your high. The world went silent around you in those few, stretched out seconds. It was an orgasm unlike any you had ever experienced.

With shaking legs you caught your breath and Nesta finally removed her tongue from your cunt. You watched through hooded lids as she leaned her head back, and Eris bent down and kissed her hungrily, lapping up your juices. One of his hands grabbed her breast, squeezing it in his fingers and making her moan into his mouth. They were like two gods in a painting before you, one you would happily stare at for the rest of your life.

The silver flames around your wrists vanished, and you eagerly brought your arms back down to stretch them out. When Nesta and Eris eventually separated, they turned their gazes towards you. And you knew you were fucked from the wicked look in their eyes.

“I’m sorry–” You began apologising, but Eris cut you off.

“We asked you to do one thing, and you couldn’t even do it…” He said with gleeful disappointment. “A shame, I had such a lovely reward in mind for you if you had just been a good girl.”

Nesta scoffed. “I think she wanted the punishment.”

“She will regret that very soon.” Eris stood up and strode over to your side of the bed, grabbing a fistful of your hair and forcing you to look up at him. “Did we say you could cum?”

You shook your head, earning you another harsh tug that elicited a moan. “I asked you a question,” Eris hissed. “Did we say you could cum?”

“No…” You stuttered weakly, shrinking beneath his and Nesta’s gazes.

“Then why did you?”

“It felt too good, I couldn’t stop it.”

“Do you think flattery will keep you from punishment?”

You sheepishly shrugged. “A girl can dream, right?”

Eris barked out a laugh, grabbing you gently by the hands and guiding you off the bed. Your legs still felt weak, and had it not been for Eris you would have surely stumbled in your first few steps. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Nesta smugly smirking at her handiwork, her cheeks flushed. 

But Eris’s hand grasped your chin, turning your focus to him as you met his gaze. “Go to the empty space on the wall,” He said slowly. “And place your hands on it and spread your legs.”

You baulked, eyes widening. The evil grin on his face sent chills up your spine. Despite your recent orgasm, your body began to heat up again. Knowing better than to protest this time, you did as you were told. The sound of your footsteps echoed throughout the large bedroom as you walked over to the gap in the wall between the fireplace and the corner area. Taking a deep breath, you faced the wall and placed your hands on the smooth wood. It was cold beneath your touch, a soothing sensation against your sweating palms. You mentally cursed your body at how quickly it was recovering and ready for a second round. The mating bond was thick with desire so palpable you could feel it.

You heard footsteps coming up behind you, and you knew without looking that it was Eris. His presence could be felt creeping up on you as if it were your own shadow. You flinched as he put his hands on your waist, pressing his chest into your back. His cock rubbed against your ass as it did with Nesta’s, causing you to suck in a sharp breath. “If you want something, you have to ask for it,” Eris murmured in your ear. “Those are my rules, and you have already broken them. I am going to spank you ten times, and you’re going to fucking take it. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Eris.” You whimpered. Behind you, his cock twitched at the moaning of his name and the male groaned. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Nesta take a seat in the nearby chair with a glass of white wine in hand. She had run a comb through her hair, and when she caught your gaze she raised an eyebrow. “Don’t look at me for help,” she chided. “You’ve done this to yourself. I will not get you out of this.”

You sighed, trembling in anticipation and waiting with bated breath for the first strike. Wasting no time, it came seconds later. Eris’s hand came down on your right ass cheek, hard. From your throat came a guttural cry, one you didn’t know you were capable of making. It was a cross between a scream and a moan, crossing into the latter as the impact from the initial sting melted into a white hot pleasure. You barely had time to recover before the second one came on the other cheek this time, drawing out the same response.

“Good girl…” Eris murmured, rubbing your ass and pressing a kiss between your shoulder blades. You sighed beneath his touch, melting into it. 

But the tenderness didn’t last long. By the seventh spank, tears pricked the corners of your eyes. 

“Aw, look at her, Eris,” Nesta spoke up. “You’ve made her cry.”

Your laboured breaths drowned out his response as you pressed your forehead into your arms, which you had valiantly kept pressed against the wall. Your ass stung and sweat dripped down your forehead. But the cherry on top was your dripping cunt. Wetness had seeped down your thighs, glistening in the candlelight of the room on display for everyone to see.

You felt Eris’s hand brush some stray hairs out of your face, and he leaned in close to murmur into your ear, “Are you okay?”

“Mhm,” You whispered, nodding feverishly. 

There was no teasing in your mate’s voice as he spoke. “Do we need to stop?”

“No,” You insisted. “I can handle three more, I promise.”

You felt Eris nod against you before pulling away and continuing to rub your ass, which already donned the formations of several dark bruises. You turned your head towards Nesta, who was watching the scene with lust in her eyes. “You’re doing so well, my love,” she said tenderly. “You can do it.”

With a newfound determination, you forced your body to relax as Eris’s hand came down again with a loud smack, making you wince and grow wetter at the same time. Then again, and again. Finally, after the tenth smack, you collapsed your head into your arms again, panting. Your legs felt as weak as a newborn deer, gangly and unstable. You didn’t even have the energy to react as Eris swiped his fingers through your slip, sampling the wetness gathered there. 

He chuckled darkly. “My, my, somebody sure enjoyed that.”

“I’m not surprised, given her reaction to my one slap earlier.” Nesta said, placing her wine glass on the table next to her before standing up and making her way over to where you and Eris were standing. She wiped some sweat from your brow with a cloth and pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Well done.”

“Is my punishment over?” You asked weakly.

“Not quite,” Eris responded, gently guiding you over to the chair Nesta had been seated in. “You’ve demonstrated a lack of patience, which is unacceptable. So you are going to learn to be patient, and you are going to sit here and watch me fuck Nesta.”

“And you’re not allowed to touch yourself,” Nesta added sternly as Eris pushed you into the chair, which was now turned to face the bed and had a glass of water next to it. Truthfully, your body was relieved at the idea of getting a break. Your muscles ached from the trembling, and the idea of watching your mates fuck each other made your body heat up. So you nodded, getting a kiss on the cheek from each of your mates before they made their way to the bed. After taking a sip of the ice cold water, you leaned back in the plushy chair.

Nesta knelt on the bed, her long locks cascading down her back as she looked up at Eris. He stood before her at the edge of the bed like an altar she was worshipping, his lean muscles illuminated by the moon. He bent down and kissed Nesta as if she contained the last molecules of air left in this universe, his lips moulding into hers perfectly. You couldn’t help but bite your lip as you watched her shoulders relax as she melted into his kiss. Desire began to build in you once again, just by watching your mates share a heated kiss.

With a shove on the shoulder, Eris pushed Nesta into the bed so she was laying down. He wasted no time crawling over her body and pressing heated kisses across her chest. As his mouth came to her nipple, Nesta moaned and wound a hand in the male’s red locks, arching her back into his touch. Your palms itched with the urge to go over there and help, but the soreness of your ass reminded you to stay in your seat. 

“Fuck, these are gorgeous…” Eris murmured before switching to her other breast. He groaned into the mound of flesh as Nesta’s grip in his hair tightened, the animalistic sound echoing throughout the chamber.

Don’t touch yourself, you reminded yourself. No matter how hot the scene before you was, and despite the fact you normally loved being punished, you knew your mates were the type to only be so forgiving.

Grabbing one of Nesta’s long legs, Eris placed a kiss on the inside of her calf, working his way down. Nesta’s breathing shifted, her hips squirming to try and meet his face, but the male swerved every time and kissed her thigh instead. More arousal pooled between your legs as you watched Nesta squirm beneath Eris.

“Please, Eris…” Nesta breathed, her cheeks red and eyes half closed with desire.

The red haired male stopped, his lips centimetres above her pussy. “Please what?”

“Please use your mouth on me…”

Nesta’s pleas made you whimper. All you wanted to do was go over there and satisfy her, to have her clamp her thighs around your head until the world crumbled into ash before you. Eris turned his head to face you, where you were gripping the arms of the chair. “See how she asked nicely?” He said to you, “Now she’s going to get what she wants. It’s that simple.”

His pale fingers gripped Nesta’s hips tightly, pinning them down to the mattress as he brought his face between her legs and began his work. Immediately, Nesta let out a loud moan – she was much more vocal than you, letting her noises out shamelessly as she was pinned down. After several minutes, Eris easily slid two fingers into Nesta, stretching her out yet still keeping her hips still with only one hand. 

“Oh, fuck…” Nesta cried out as Eris curled his fingers inside her, one of her hands gripping the sheets while the other palmed her breast. Her eyes fluttered closed, and it was only minutes later when Eris pulled away. Nesta whined at the loss of contact, and he let out a growl, grabbing her leg and hitching it up against his waist. You watched with a slack jaw and clenched legs as Eris lined his cock up with Nesta’s entrance before slowly pushing it in. 

Nesta’s face contorted, her eyes squeezing shut and mouth opening in pleasure as Eris pushed himself to the hilt. His head tilted back, and his jaw clenched with pleasure. You dug your fingernails into the palms of your hand so hard it almost bled, the sensation of watching your mates’ blissed out expressions almost overpowering.

Eris leaned over Nesta, one hand on her thigh keeping it up against his hip while the other planted itself beside her shoulder. It only took a few minutes for him to pound in and out of Nesta, the sound of skin slapping against skin filling the room and drowning out Nesta’s moans. Eris was fucking Nesta hard, her toes visible curling with each thrust.

As Nesta’s legs began to tremble not ten minutes later, Eris slowed down his thrusts, making her whine. He turned his head towards you, a devilish grin on face. “So, my dear,” he said to you. “Do you think Nesta deserves to cum?”

Surprise flickered in you, and seemingly in Nesta too, for she turned her head sharply to look at you with wide eyes as Eris’s hand rubbed her clit. “P…please…” she begged you, desperation written all across your face.

You were torn in two. You wanted nothing more than to see Nesta cum, to watch her writhe underneath Eris as she rode out a blissful high. But the sinister part of you wanted to show her that you weren’t the only one who could take charge.

After a minute, you came to your decision. “No.”

“What?!” Nesta sputtered angrily as Eris pulled out of her, chuckling. Her hair was stuck to her face, her lips swollen from kissing and her cheeks red. Her grey eyes shot you a  furious glare.

“That’s my devilish little fox,” Eris purred, beckoning you over with a finger. “You took your punishment very well, and I think it’s time for a reward.”

“Please,” you begged pathetically as you laid down on the bed beside Nesta, desperate for any physical contact. 

Sensing that, Eris gave you a quick kiss before grabbing your hips and spreading your legs with his knees. You were so soaking wet that after checking your comfort with two fingers, Eris lined himself up with your entrance and slammed into you with ease. The breath was knocked out of your lungs at the impact, the delicious stinging pain of the stretch quickly melting into pleasure as it had with the spanks. He gave you no time to adjust before pounding into you, his soft grunts filling the air.

Beside you, Nesta sat up, a playful look in her eyes replacing the furious one. She grabbed your hair just as Eris had, forcing you to look at her. “Since you decided to be a brat and not let me finish after I was so nice to you, I’m going to sit on that pretty face of yours to shut you up and use you to finish myself off. Got it?”

About to burst with happiness that your plan worked, you nodded eagerly, shifting your shoulders to get more comfortable. Seeing the smugness on your face, Nesta rolled her eyes but released her hair, spinning her hips to face Eris. She then swung her leg over your face, leaning forward to place her hands on your breasts and play with them as she lowered herself down.

You moaned into her pussy, tasting the mixture of her and Eris on your tongue, eagerly lapping it up. You used the tip of your tongue to flick her clit, making her legs twitch around your head. Repeating patterns of licking and sucking, you gripped Nesta’s hips tightly as she grinded herself into your face.

Eris’s thrusts had somehow gotten more powerful, making you whimper into Nesta. Your wife let out a moan at the vibration, then Eris’s fingers found your clit. You were oversensitive, and as a result moaned repeatedly between Nesta’s thighs. Her legs began to shake around you, her hands squeezing your breasts as she panted, “Can I please cum?”

“Yes.” Eris grunted, his own thrusts getting sloppier as he chased his own release. Seconds later, Nesta moaned wantonly, her legs clenching your head and shaking like an earthquake as you sucked on her clit, drawing out her release. She cried out, her orgasm wracking her body as she grinded her hips into your face even more. You happily took it, whimpering as her moans spurred both you and Eris on towards your own release. 

As Nesta dragged her trembling self off of your body, she flopped down beside you. Her fingers quickly took Eris’s hand’s place at your clit, rubbing back and forth harshly. You nearly screamed at the sudden pressure, white hot pleasure pooling in your gut ready to burst.

“Come for me, my love,” Nesta purred in your ear.

That was all it took to send you over the edge. Your muscles clenched as your release shot through you, and you gasped with the sudden wave of pleasure. Nesta murmured praises in your ear as you rode your high, and Eris let out a growling moan as his hips sputtered, your clenching around his cock spurring on his orgasm. You cried out as his cum shot into you, the sensation almost overwhelming and prolonging your high. 

Finally, the ironclad grip on your hips released and Eris slowly pulled himself out of you. Your legs twitched, all three of you panting in an attempt to catch your breath. Deep down, you felt whole, as if the mating bond had somehow grown even stronger since before the wedding. It was as if a piece of you had been missing before you met Nesta and Eris, and they were slowly filling that void with pieces of their own.

“Does anyone fancy joining me for a shower? I’ll have someone deliver our favourite snacks afterwards,” Eris asked, standing up and holding his hands out for you and Nesta. Eagerly, you both took his extended hands and headed towards the newly built bathing room.

As the three of you stood under the multiple shower heads, tenderly washing each other when needed, you felt happy tears prick your eyes. The Nesta you met six months ago was a shell of herself, angry, with walls as high as Ramiel that refused to be crumbled by anyone. She was an object in another male’s court, a pawn in the games he played. An aggressive animal that was to be locked in a cage and only lured out when they had use for her. That Nesta never would have let anyone wash her hair, or cuddle beside her in bed. The Nesta standing beneath the shower with you was a changed female, one who knew her value and was now finally free to make her own choices without threats being made at every corner. She laughed freely, smiled more often, and the life had returned to her eyes.

Eris was a male who you never thought would tenderly kiss your forehead, or kneel before you to help you wash your legs. To be raised in an environment as harsh as Beron’s shadow, you knew how lucky you truly were that his heart stayed good. No matter how often he would deny it, you knew he was a good male.

And so all of the horrors you had faced in the last six months washed away with your happy tears in the shower, your wife and your husband beside you to hold you up no matter what.

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[katuschka]

Olalla Chapter Six 1/2

Josh Kiszka x f!OC x Jake Kiszka 3.790 words (revised; April 2025)

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, intended for adult readers. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental. Also, if you're under 18, go find some other entertainment elsewhere.

Warnings (are spoilers): hospital, head injury, naussea and vomiting, depression, memory loss, physical and emotional pain, loneliness, smut lite (retrospective)

Taglist

Previous Chapter Chapter Six 2/2 Olalla masterpost

I'm waiting for the wind to draw apart Those dark, billowing curtains. Then I will get up at once, to face the sun.

Josh, University Hospital in Krakow

—

It hurts. 

Beep, beep, beep. The sound hurts. He can feel it pulsating somewhere behind his closed eyelids. It hurts so much it makes his stomach turn. He can hear himself moan and tries to open those eyes. Everything around him is white. Nauseatingly bright. Where is he? In a bed, somewhere. He tries to sit, but the slightest movement makes him gasp and retch and… a woman is by his side in an instant, holding some bean-shaped bowl and helping him turn to his side, holding the bowl under his chin, just in time for him to throw up bile in it. It’s disgusting. It hurts. It hurts so much! Make it go away!

She forces him to lie back. Something’s buzzing and he can feel his upper body move upwards. It’s dizzying, but he can see the room now. More beds. Monitors. Beep, beep, beep. Is he hurt? She makes him drink some sweet tea. It hurts to swallow. Everything hurts. For fucks sake, make it stop… please. He can feel the bile rising again and tries to fight it. His mouth is full of saliva. One deep breath… and exhale. Once again. And again. It hurts to breathe. He can feel the air flow reverberating inside his skull. 

He can feel something move around his right bicep, too. The pressure grows stronger until it hurts, followed by a wheezing sound. Then the sensation is suddenly gone again. The woman moves around him, but he can’t focus on what she’s doing. Something cold flows through his left forearm. It’s a strange sensation and it stings. The pain goes away. Everything goes awa…

When he opens his eyes again, the room’s still bright, but slightly yellow. He’s not that nauseous anymore. Just tired. He tries to make sense of it all. He was outside. He made it to the top just to see the ominous shelf cloud right behind the central ridge. The billowing wind should have warned him, but it’s normal at that altitude. The northern sky was still clear when he heard the first deafening thunder and everything around him grew darker with each passing second. He was alone. The sudden wave of panic made his stomach clench…

Alone. Why was he alone? Why is he alone now? He had a fight with someone, someone important… but who? He remembers how they argued about the things he did and his heart sinks. When was it? 

He tries to look around again. There is a cannula in his left forearm, right above a bandage. Both his hands are bandaged as well, and he can see scrapes on his fingers and knuckles too, covered with some emerald green dye. One of his fingernails is gone, and it stings a little.

So, this is a hospital room, right? He must be injured. That’s probably why it hurts so much, but not as much as… When was it? What time is it? What DAY is it? He notices a digital clock on the opposite wall. 16:37. Come on, Kiszka, think! No, the brain protests. 

It’s so hot in here. He can feel a dribble of sweat running down his forehead. He tries to wipe it away with his fingertips and feels the structure of cohesive bandaging where his hairline should be. Oh god! And he’s alone. Panic engulfs him again, and the nausea comes back, and he suddenly retches again, even though there’s nothing left in his stomach save for two sips of the tea, but it contracts anyway, making him dry heave. It hurts. The woman’s back again, trying to calm him down. 

“Where’m I?”

She tries to keep him still, but he cannot keep still. He tries to make her understand. “Please, wha’appened?” She says something, but he doesn’t understand a single word she says. Until he does. One single word, but it fills his heart with bittersweet emotions. Chłopiec. That’s what his grandfather used to call him when he was chasing him around the house. Or them. You just wait, chłopcy, you just wait! And they still ran away, cackling. Ran to the magic room, he and Jakey. Muzyka, magia. He can feel his eyes fill with tears and she frowns and turns away, disappearing in the adjacent room. “Nuhplease, don’t go’way!” 

She’s soon back with another, younger woman. “Please, calm down Mr. Kiszka, everything is ok.” That makes him emotional again. He hasn’t heard his name pronounced like this in years. Kishka.

“Where’m I? Wha’appened? Wha’day…” his hoarse voice falters momentarily. He tries to clear his aching throat, but it hurts. 

“You were injured and transported here to the University Hospital in Krakow. This morning. So… it is 21st August 2025, so do not worry. You have a broken… uummm… fractured skull.” She immediately notices fear and shock in his eyes and starts flailing her arms around, scared that she probably said more than she should have. “But do not worry, Mr. Kiszka, it is fortunately not serious! You need to rest now and the doctor will say more to you soon!” 

“Ma’phone?”

“I’m afraid you didn’t have any phone with you Mr. Kiszka.” 

More sweet tea and another intravenous dose of painkillers. Cracked skull… oh god. Time moves slowly. He spends it watching the rhomboids of light move along the opposite wall, growing more and more yellow until they’re almost orange and near the other patient’s headboard. He’s alone. Injured, in pain, hurting and thousands of miles from home and no way to connect with any of them now. Does anyone know? Taffy… Last time they spoke, Christopher ended up shouting hurtful things into the speaker. So Taffy wouldn’t care anyway. Jake… He hung up on Jake, they haven’t spoken since. Or, at least he thinks they haven’t. 

Something else happened, and it made him feel like he’s destined to keep making mistakes. He wanted to make it better, but then the storm came and now he’s here. He was so scared he’d die in that storm. Maybe he should have. His chest feels tight. This doesn’t feel better…

A man who looks like a doctor arrives shortly after two of the patients in the room had supper. The rest of them, including Josh, are drip-fed. He’s barely moved since he opened his eyes. 

“Good evening, Mr. Kiszka, you’re feeling better, I assume?”

“Well, define ‘better.” He doesn’t want to be rude, but his growing frustration mixed with fear have taken its toll. “I mean… sorry, yeah… probably?” It still hurts to speak. His throat is still scratchy and his head feels like a snare drum, each word a hit with a drumstick. 

“Do you remember what happened?” the doctor asks while examining him routinely. 

“No…,” Josh hesitates first, then adds: “I remember the storm…”

The man starts scribbling something on the clipboard, then turns a few pages and frowns. “Well, that’s expected, so no need to worry. It should come back to you soon. You have suffered a head trauma early this morning, Mr. Kiszka. You have a grade 3 concussion and a linear skull fracture, which is very fortunate, because you didn’t need a surgery and we expect a full recovery. Your host, Agnieszka Sikorska, has already notified your brother Jacob Kiszka and your mother Karen Kiszka. I am to inform you that they are already taking…uuuh… action so as to arrive here on Saturday, the day after tomorrow, that is. Pani Sikorska also emailed us the details of your travel insurance, which was insufficient unfortunately, but your brother already took care of it just a moment ago. You young adventurers really think you’re invincible and nothing bad can happen to you, and then you end up here,” the doctor flails his nostrils and pauses to inhale sharply through his nose, for dramatic effect. Prick. “Well, your recovery is now the highest priority, of course, so that wouldn’t be an issue anyway, but you should be more mindful AND careful next time, or it will cost you.” Seriously, what a prick. Am I a fucking child or what? “Now, Mr. Kiszka, do you have any questions?” 

Agnieszka… Neszka… Olalla, oh god… Josh’s chest tightens again. She called Jake? He told her to call Jake… She was singing and the grass smelled like soap in the breeze… and pennies. He could smell pennies. It comes to him in flashes, but nothing more. It makes no sense. “What exactly happened? Is Neszka here? Can I see her?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know the details, but according to the report, it was a fall injury and Pani Sikorska was with you when the accident happened.” What?  “Again, you are very lucky, because to my knowledge, Pani Sikorska moved both your body and your head after your fall and that alone could have caused much greater damage if you were more severely injured. Very unwise.” Don’t you dare speak lowly of her, you son of a bitch! “She is not here, because you’re in the intensive care unit and nobody but your close family can visit you right now. If everything goes well, we shall move you to a regular room on Saturday.” 

With that, he excuses himself impassively, wishing Josh a good night before he moves to the next patient, leaving Josh alone with his thoughts again. 

He remembers her face now, contorted with hurt and rage. But then she hugged him as the fog started to dissipate. She really was with him up there. Before he can recollect anything else, he’s given another drip infusion and drifts off…

Friday morning didn’t go easy on him. The feeling of being trapped in your own body is a peculiar condition. In addition to the headache and abrasions on his arms, hand and shins, the strained muscles made themselves felt too. 

One doesn’t learn to fully appreciate the physiological mechanism of being alive until the cogwheels glitch and pain prevents you from being you. When the body is sore, the mind inevitably hurts as well. More so, when one has a reason to feel miserable. 

Once again, it took him a while to remember where he was and why. 

A white room, full of beds and monitors and beeping sounds. Somewhere behind the door, tray wheels clattered on the floor. Two nurses kept whispering on the other side of the room, their words indecipherable. As soon as he recalled all the sensations and conversations of the previous day, intrusive feelings of worry and hopelessness hit with brutal force. 

It was made even worse by the fact that he couldn’t really remember what happened after he felt the first raindrop landed on his forehead. Bits and pieces came to him like flashes of light: fear and darkness; haze; cold; a sunset, warming his cheeks; a soothing feeling of warmth on his chest… It was her hand. Her palm pressed against his sternum while her fingertips kept drawing small circles on his skin. 

None of it made sense. It was like trying to remember a dream, and failing. It kept slipping through his fingers, save for that one feeling, both exhilarating and oppressive at the same time. Like an underlying current of emotions that may or may not have been connected to the things that he still couldn’t remember. 

The realization came long before the storm, and he remembered his determination to tell her once he got back… which he never did. He woke up here instead. 

His frustration just kept growing.

Lately, his life had been a bead string of bad decisions and unfortunate events, including that ill-considered sentence, uttered without thinking in his half-drunk state. Not exactly lying, but he didn’t tell her the truth either. It wasn not true anymore. 

She came into his life just like a storm, subverting things he thought were immutable. He obviously could, would, and he did. At first he just suspected it, and his own confusion, as well as her evident hurt, robbed him of all the words he could use to explain and to defend himself. 

Her body was pressed against his. That’s why she was caressing his chest when both of them lay on a hard, sloped surface, with a starry sky high above them. 

It must have happened before this injury. A small, grassy patch was their bed for the night, with only a thin, waterproof thermal blanket sheltering their bodies from the damp. He felt so calm, so at peace. And he didn’t tell her. 

“I thought I was going to die here. Without saying things I should have said…”

“I wouldn’t let you.”

Wouldn’t let him die, or wouldn’t let him say it? Probably both. They were both crazy. And stupid. And from two different worlds… but… pretty much anything is possible, right? That’s what he used to believe. 

A flurry of rain started pattering against the window, disturbing the sleepy silence of the hospital room. He was safe here now, and it took him back to another safe place.

He was moving his hips slowly, revelling in listening to her short, high-pitched moans. She sounded like a titmouse. It was cute.  “You look like an angel.” “What?” He paused in his movements, looking down at her incredulously. She laughed softly, looking right into his eyes, and raised her hand to his face to stroke his cheek gently. He leaned into the touch. Heavy rain kept drumming on the roof above them. He rolled his hips again playfully, making her make that chirping sound again. She placed her palms on both of his asscheeks to still him momentarily, and continued: “I’m serious. That’s what I thought the first time I saw you, but it’s even more prominent now. Your flushed cheeks, tousled curls… goodness in your eyes… “Goodness in my eyes…?” “Yes. You are an angel.”  “I’m not.” He really wanted to dismiss that silly statement with a frown, but couldn’t stop himself from smiling.  “You are now,” she whispered.   Josh was never good at taking compliments. Especially when they came from a position of power, which was usually the case, with him being rather… tiny. Christopher used to have a few cute nicknames for him, but eventually stopped using them, convinced that they made Josh uncomfortable. And to tell the truth, they did. Subconsciously, he always fought for dominance and personal independence. It was easy to love someone unconditionally, but it was a bit harder to be vulnerable about it.  Apart from that, no other lover had said anything like that to him before.  People do sometimes. Strangers who exaggerate their true emotions because of the momentary excitement stemming from seeing their idol… which is not really him, just their idealized version of him. This was an intimate message, and one he felt comfortable enough to accept, albeit hesitantly.  He slowly resumed his pace, closing his eyes and moaning at the sensation, before he continued in a breathy voice: “Probably because you feel like heaven.” 

That’s when he really fell. 

He was allowed to stand up in the evening and, with nurse’s assistance, made it to the bathroom successfully. They gave him apple puree for supper as a reward, with the promise of solid food for breakfast. Yay for small victories! 

Jake and mom would arrive the next day and the knowledge made it hard for him to fall asleep. He was desperate to see them. 

They moved him to a regular room the next morning, which he shared with a guy in his forties who mostly kept to himself. They wouldn’t be able to talk anyway. 

So, after a few awkwardly shared pleasantries, the man returned back to the story he was reading and Josh resumed his previous activities consisting of staring at the wall or looking out of the window. And waiting. The hours dragged on again, until the most familiar face finally appeared in the doorway. 

He had a smile plastered on his face. The radiant version, with his eyebrows slightly raised. However, the two of them could never lie to each other, and Josh saw worry in Jake’s eyes. He looked very tired, too. 

Jake tried to hide it, dancing into the room and filling it with his own cocky persona, gesturing theatrically. “Weeell, prepare yerself foh some bollocking, ye olde prick. I mean, wha’s all this?” 

Josh just sighed and smiled back at him wearily, then glanced apologetically towards the other guy who looked up from his e-book and was now assessing Jake warily. 

“I’m happy to see you brother, but cut it out. Please.” Josh’s voice still sounded unnaturally croaky, even to his standards. It sobered Jake immediately, and he returned back to his natural, broody self. Remembering too well how it felt when he was in Josh’s place, he opted for sincerity. And so the tired smile was back. He took one of the chairs that stood next to the table and placed it next to Josh’s bed, but didn’t sit. Instead, he looked around, frowning.

“You should have your own room,” Jake mumbled while trying to open the tilt-and-turn window to let in some fresh air. “I, uhhh… I think I'll go talk to them. This is just… completely unsuitable. You need rest and privacy. No offense,” he added, turning around to look at the man occupying the other bed, who had no idea what Jake was talking about anyway. He made deliberate efforts to ignore the two of them completely, even though it wasn’t easy. The man watched Jake struggle with the window handle for a few moments before he put the e-reader aside, stood up and, motioning to Jake to step aside, tilted the window open. Then he returned back to bed with a muted voila gesture.

Josh watched the whole show with undisguised amusement, giggling: “See, it has its perks.” He looked at the guy and mouthed a silent Dziękuję! before he turned back to Jake. “Besides, I don’t want a special treatment. Especially now,” he added in a much more solemn undertone. 

Jake looked annoyed and huffed dramatically, but stopped pushing it. Rubbing his chin with just two of his fingertips, he looked lost in thought for a second, glancing at the other guy again. Then he just bent down and pulled Josh in a tight embrace. 

“Ouch, Jake. Easy!” Josh groaned, but his tone was full of joy, and so was his heart. He closed his eyes, letting it run through his veins like freshly filtered blood. He needed this SO MUCH. 

“You really scared me, man!” With the final pat on his back, Jake let go of Josh and helped him back with a grunt. They looked at each other again and both chuckled self-consciously, seeing both their eyes were red now. Jake, after he noticed the other guy trying not to look at them, quickly put his sunglasses back on, earning an annoyed huff from Josh. 

“For fuck’s sake, sit down,” Josh motioned to the abandoned chair to his left. 

“No, this is for mum.” 

“Oh! Where is she, anyway?”

Leaning against the radiator under the window now, Jako answered: “She probably got held up in the nurses’ room, together with…”

Christopher. 

Josh felt like his heart stopped for a second. Christopher stood silently in the doorway, reluctant to step inside, his expression a mixture of resigned sadness and caution. “Hey,” he said at last, the tone of his voice still as soothing as the scent of a cedarwood smoke. 

“Taffy…” Josh crooked, but before any of them could say anything else, there she was, first heard and then seen, storming into the room like a hurricane that sweeps you off your feet only to cradle you against her motherly bosom. 

And that was exactly what she did. “Oh sweetie! We were SO worried!” 

“Mom…” Josh sobbed, grateful that he could disguise all the emotions that started to pour onto the surface with the simple joy of seeing her. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t fool his brother. Something was off, and somber-looking Christopher standing hesitantly just nearby wasn’t the only source of all the strange vibrations in that room. But that was expected, and understandable. Surely, it would pass eventually.

“I’m glad you’re ok,” Christopher finally broke his silence and moved closer. They weren’t ok, that was more than obvious, but all the things that needed to be discussed could wait. That wasn’t why he came here. 

When Jake called him that the love of his life was lying unconscious half a world away, he didn’t hesitate for a single second. Everything is given its time, and now it was time to hold Josh’s hand. He took it in his, still with hesitancy, and rubbed his thumb gently over the back, careful not to irritate Josh’s scraped knuckles. It was a simple gesture, and Josh understood. He smiled mournfully and Christopeh let go after a while. Time.

However, even when the talk got more casual and they all started discussing practical consequences of Josh’s injury and the subsequent treatment, the tension still lingered in the air. Christopher and Josh kept looking at each other in turns, but never at the same time. Everytime it almost happened, Josh averted his gaze quickly. There was also another silent dialogue going on, as Josh kept trying to tell Jake without words that he needed to talk. 

“Mom? Why don’t you go get some coffee? You look really tired,” Jake asked, rubbing his own stinking and bloodshot eyes. “Maybe some snacks, too.” It was a strange suggestion, but one shared glance told her everything she needed to know. Motioning to Christopher to come and accompany her, they soon left them almost alone. 

“Ok, spill,” Jake nearly whispered. 

Josh was tearful. “Why is he here, Jake?”

His twin looked at him in confusion. Not even two weeks ago, Josh told him he wished he had him back in his life. Granted, that was before the shit happened and Jake knew they fought over it, but still… It was nothing but an echo of the past, however unpleasant, and whatever they had said to each other, it couldn’t have changed his brother’s feelings so drastically.  “What do you mean? That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Not necessarily.”

“Josh, what the fuck does that mean? What was I supposed to do? Or expected to do? I felt bound to tell him what happened, and then he wanted to come. And I was relieved that he did. He clearly still cares. And he definitely still loves you, because he told me! It’s only understandable that he’s a bit reserved. But… Are you not happy he’s here?”

“I am. Of course I am. I just…I…”

“Ok, brother, tell me what happened. Now!”

@its-interesting-van-kleep @edgingthedarkness @writingcold @thewritingbeforesunrise @lvnterninthenight @fleet-of-fiction @takenbythemadness @myownparadise96 @gvfstuddedmajesty @josh-iamyour-mama @jazzyfigz @tripthelightfantastix @sanguinebats @love-isnt-greed @klarxtr @kiszkas-canvas @wetkleenex-gvf

[kitthepurplepotato]

Chapter 18 - What’s on Izuku’s mind?

Summary: Izuku’s friends freak out over his weird behavior. When the boys go after him, Izuku’s secret gets revealed.

Warnings: Swear words, suggestive thoughts, quite a lot of talk about condoms. 😂 16+ for safety.

First Chapter Master List

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“I’m quite sure you don’t need 15 protein shake powders for 5 days, Y/N.” Katsuki appears behind you with an incredulous look on his face. You were so deep in your thoughts you somehow put the whole shelf into your cart while you only need one. Great. “What’s strong, Sweets?”

Wow, that name sounds absolutely wrong from his mouth but you decide not to comment on that. He didn’t mean any harm with it. He never does.

“I said something in the plane that made him sad. But then he looked okay, but…” You mumble, trying your best not to cry in the middle of the grocery store. Katsuki sighs.

“But you are scared he was faking it and he’s crying in a corner right now.” Katsuki finishes your sentence. You turn around to look at him properly, and for your surprise, he looks just as concerned as you. “My fucking argument with the bird boy didn’t help either, so don’t worry, it’s not just your fault.”

“That doesn’t make me feel less stressed, Katsuki.” You retort with a sharp gaze.

“I know, but I also don’t want you to think everything is your fault. Because it’s not.” Katsuki bites his bottom lip with a frown on his face.

“Is this about Izuku?” Rody decides to join the conversation, his voice mild and careful.

He’s really trying, bless him.

“He’s been acting weird and left to look around alone instead of being with us. Usually, when he feels… down… he does that. Runs away like an injured cat ready to die.” Katsuki takes a deep breath, also doing his best to not start another quarrel with the brown haired man.

You can’t believe how much these two love Izuku. The fact that they are trying this hard right now speaks more than thousands of words ever could. He’s so lucky to have them.

“I can send a message in the city group chat about him. There are no secrets in this place, they’ll find him in a few minutes.” Rody is about to type a message on his phone, but Katsuki takes it away from him.

“Do you want to freak the shit out of him birdface… I mean Rody?!”

“Okay, that was a stupid idea.” Rody admits sheepishly. “Maybe you should go after him? You are his best friend after all.”

Instead of answer, Katsuki just gives the guy his phone back and looks at you with a worried expression.

“Keep an eye on Ei for me, make sure he only gets what he can carry to the top of the mountain. He’s also on a diet. If you see chocolate, explode it.” You can’t help but giggle at that. Whoever said Katsuki is an aggressive person is an absolute idiot. He makes his way towards the exit and looks back with a sharp gaze. “The fuck are you waiting for, foreigner, come on.”

Rody looks so surprised his jaw is about to hit the floor and you are not far away from doing the same. Wow. Just wow.

“I’m… coming?” Rody is frozen in one place, not sure if it’s safe for him to step closer or if this is a prank and he’s about to die.

“Are you?” Katsuki teases and no one gets offended this time. Phew.

“I am!”

~•🥦•~

“So what’s the plan?” Rody mutters to Katsuki, while he trails after him like a lost puppy. Katsuki can’t help but roll his eyes.

“We don’t need a plan. We find him and ask him what’s wrong. If he doesn’t answer, you leave and I’ll torture him until he does.”

Fuck, Izuku has been Katsuki’s best friend - he has two best friends, shut the fuck up - for fucking decades but this new, emotional instability is freaking the shit out of him, to be absolutely honest. He would lie if he would say Izuku hasn’t been… like this before, because he was, around the time he broke up with that shitty ass bitch, but back then, it was easy to see the reasons why he was acting the way he was while right now, Katsuki is a little bit confused.

Izuku never wavered when it came to hero work. Every time he fell on his face, he stood up and tried again. Then if he fell again, even if there was blood trailing down his forehead, he picked himself up once again and tried over and over until he got it right. Hell, the guy broke every single fucking bone in his body daily, just to be able to get better at using his quirk. Then after the war, when they were both broken down and banned from doing hero work or going back to school, he still studied, he still did his best every single day, not even worried about what the future holds for them. He never gave up, he never even thought about giving up or about the dangers of the job, he always went head first into the task and grinded until he got what he wanted.

This Izuku… is new to him. This Izuku isn’t sure about his future anymore and that’s the part Katsuki is freaking out about. He doesn’t know this Izuku. Doesn’t know that to say to him, how to ignite that flame once again and hell, Katsuki isn’t even sure what the fuck would he do if he would be in Izuku’s place right now. Obviously, none of them are in the business for the ranks anymore, that game stopped being fun once they reached the top and realized how much responsibly the title comes with. But Katsuki can understand how heartbreaking it can be to loose something you worked so hard for in a blink of an eye. Izuku is probably in shock right now, trying his best to comprehend the situation and that’s why he’s acting so strangely. He probably lost countless hours of sleep to the worry he feels every day, the worry that with him out of the picture the world will crumble, that innocent people will die if he’s not there on the battlefield and even though he has no reason to feel responsible for something he can’t control, it still eats him alive from the inside unknowingly, because that’s how Izuku is - Instead of enjoying the free time and all the love he gets from the fans, from his friends, from his family and mostly, from his girlfriend, he can’t help but dwell on the what ifs. It’s stupid, really, but Katsuki can’t lie and say he wouldn’t do the same in this situation. Even the most hard-headed person would crumble under such pressure. Hell, he would be fairing much worse, he would have burned the whole world down out of spite in Deku’s place. That guy is so fucking strong, what the fuck.

“You are muttering like Izuku.” Rody smiles at him with a knowing look on his face.

“Fuck off, I still hate you.”

“Why?”

That question made Katsuki jump out of his skin. Because honestly, why?

“Why do YOU hate me?” Katsuki retorts instead, giving himself enough time to think about his own answer.

“I don’t hate you, Bakugou, but I also can’t just let the past go.” Rody mutters. “I know I wasn’t there but… Izuku told me about how you treated him in middle school. And before you yell at me, I know you’ve changed. But the way you talk about me, the way you treat me reminds me of those stories. Reminds me of your despicable old self and I want to smack you in the face for it.”

Katsuki only gawks at the man right next to him.

“You can’t just throw that into my face, man!” He laughs, absolutely gobsmacked. “Fair play bitch, but you know jack shit about me!”

“I know, sorry.” Rody laughs back, followed by a dramatic sigh.

“Don’t be fucking sorry, it makes sense. And to answer your question I hate you because you managed to be friends with Deku in one fucking day while I couldn’t fucking get myself to say a single nice word to him but secretly wanted to be friends again. I was fucking jealous of you, you dick. You and your fucking sad background story and your cute fucking pink bird. Fuck you.”

Rody almost trips over a stone from how much he’s laughing right now. “Stop fucking laughing! It’s not funny! You traumatized me! Hugging him and shit like you knew each other for fucking ages!” He retorts but he can’t hide the smile on his face.

Katsuki sees a green blob through the window, in one of the small stores in this area. By the look of it, Izuku is hyperfocused on a box of…

“Are you fucking kidding’ me?” Katsuki mutters, his face full of incredulity.

“What… oh my god…”

It takes the two men several minutes before they can stop laughing. Then they enter the store.

~•🥦•~

“Welcome!” A lovely voice greets the green haired hero when he opens the door to the tiny cosmetic shop down the road.

Izuku is on a mission. Probably on the most important mission in his whole life and he’s been through a lot of shit.

If he messes this up, everything is over. He’s been waiting for this moment for so long and he’s at his limits; if he can’t have this one thing as soon as possible, the whole world will crumble. He’s been hyper fixating on this thing for ages. His therapist told him several times to just do it, it’s not something he’s not capable of in this state, so he has to let his ridiculously high expectations go and just let it happen naturally. He needs to stop thinking about it and just… do it. But he can’t just do it, can he? He needs to think about safety. Protection. He needs to make sure his Sweet Pea doesn’t hate this new side of him. He needs to make sure he has everything to be able to finish this mission successfully.

Hence why he entered this store. A cosmetic store/pharmacy.

Today, Izuku will purchase some… condoms.

He makes a beeline towards the sexual health isle. Then he freezes.

There are so many choices. Too many. He doesn’t understand why do people need so many. He doesn’t mean to brag but he never had to have a ribbed condom to make the other feel great. Isn’t sex all about finding out what your partner likes? What’s the point if you don’t put any work in it? It’s Izuku’s favorite part! The analyzing! Even though he feels weirdly reluctant about penetration when it comes to his sweet pea, to be absolutely honest. She’s so pure, so kind, so lovely. Izuku just want to please her without doing any damage. Not like having sex is damaging but… ahh, it’s hard to explain.

“Hello, sir, are you looking for something specific today?” The lovely customer adviser asks and that’s all Izuku needs to start muttering out all his thoughts.

“I’m here to buy some condoms but I haven’t used one in a while and there are so many options and I don’t really understand the need to have so many and I’m also terrified I’ll buy the wrong one and I’m not sure what’s trendy or what not or if it even matters, but what if it does and I choose the wrong one and what if she has one she prefers and I didn’t even ask? I should have brought her over but I wanted it to be a surprise and I didn’t want her to feel like she needs to uhm… you know… so I just wanted to have it around, just in case… I think I’m freaking out.”

Izuku knows he should be offended for being laughed at by the customer adviser but she looks so entertained he can’t tell her off for it. As we all know, Izuku likes to please.

“Well, I definitely didn’t think when I woke up today that I’ll be helping Japan’s number one hero choosing condoms but I’m glad I didn’t call in sick today.” Izuku feels mortified. He really didn’t think about his fame when he started babbling about his sexual life. He wants the earth to swallow him whole or just run out of the store but he really needs to buy at least one box today, otherwise he’ll be trapped in the mountains with the girl of his dreams for 5 days, surrounded by things that will definitely remind him of… well… that… and he can’t do that anymore.

“Well, do you know if she’s allergic to latex?”

Izuku freaks out once again.

“No, I don’t, oh my god, what do I do now?!”

“Calm down, we have latex free options so maybe take on of those just in case, this brand here is the most loved one.” The lady pops the box into his basket before he can freak out over it. “Now if it comes to the trends… I would go for something simple as you don’t know what your lady prefers yet. This one here is our bestseller, it has a texture that feels like skin, so it feels more natural. We have normal and extra large I’ll leave you to decide which one you want to go with.”

Izuku feels too awkward to actually choose so he just pops both versions into his basket.

Here’s the thing… he has no idea if it’s something that came with his inherited quirk or not but when he hit his growth spurt… his third leg grew as well. He only had one girlfriend and he tries to forget everything about her but he clearly remembers her saying that his size is uhm… respectable. He’s not sure what that exactly means so… yeah. He’s quite sure he used normal sized condoms before and while they are a little bit uncomfortable, it was okay. But maybe he just needs to try a different size.

Okay, Izuku. Focus.

“Do I need… uhm… lube?” Izuku mutters our loudly and for his surprise he doesn’t get laughed at this time; the lady looks at him, her eyes moving from his face to his legs and she… gulps. Izuku’s whole face becomes as red as a fresh strawberry from his garden.

“I don’t think so, but buy one just in case.” The lady blushes and stares out of the window, probably mortified by her own reaction.

“Why are they so many options.” Izuku whimpers as he looks at the massive selection. There are so many flavors and so many brands and… why do you even need them to be flavored…

Izuku, for the love of god, do not think about it. Do not go there. You know why they are flavored.

“I’ll… get the one that says natural. I think.” Izuku pops the lube into his basket with a blush on his face and that’s when the door opens.

“You motherfucker! We thought you are depressed!” Katsuki yells loudly, making the lady jump.

“Ahh, hi Catherine! I hope he didn’t say anything weird to you!” Rody puts his palm on the customer advisor’s shoulder.

“No, he just told me how much he loves his girlfriend, that’s all.” The lady winks and Izuku wants to disappear once again.

“Kacchan, are these okay?” Izuku shows his basket to his best friend, probably looking like a kid showing off his freshly caught beetles.

“How many times do you want to fornicate a day, Deku?” Kacchan asks the million dollar question as he looks at the three boxes in his basket.

“They are different, Kacchan. I couldn’t pick.”

“Well, first of all…” Kacchan takes the normal sized box out of his basket and puts it back on the shelf. “Don’t look at me like that, we’ve changed in front of each other quite a few times you know. I’m not saying the other won’t fit but this will be more comfortable.”

“Thank you, Kacchan!” Izuku stares at his best friend with eyes full of wonder. Kacchan blushes.

“Let’s go fucker, your girlfriend is fucking worried. Also, buy something else so you can say that’s what you wondered off for, if you don’t want to tell her about the condoms.”

“You are a genius!”

Katsuki only rolls his eyes at that.

Izuku gets Sweet Pea’s favorite perfume without even thinking about it; she’s been out of it for several days now but she said it’s too expensive for her budget, so needless to say, Izuku buys three of them. He also gets some chocolate from the counter and a cute pin with the Island’s name for everyone. He puts the condoms into the secret compartment of his backpack while he puts the rest on the top.

“Your secret is safe, buddy!” Rody winks as they make their way out of the store. Izuku thanks the lady once again for all her help and she asks for a selfie. Izuku complies.

“Yeah, don’t worry, birdface and I will make sure no one bothers you two when you are in your cabin.” Katsuki grins as he pulls Izuku closer by putting his arm around his shoulders.

“Yup. We are friends now.” Rody does the same from the other side and Izuku is sure they look like three drunken blokes right now but he’s so happy he doesn’t even bother about how they look.

“We are fucking not.” Katsuki grumbles, but he doesn’t say a single word when Pino sits on his shoulder, and that says a lot.

Life is great. Life is amazing. He doesn’t remember the last time he’s been so happy and nothing can fuck up his perfect mood, not even the dread he feels when he thinks about the future because right now, in this moment, he is the happiest nerd in the whole world.

~•🥦•~

“Izu!” You jump into your boyfriend’s arms just as he comes into your view. Honestly, this man will be the death of you one day. “Are you okay?!”

“Sweets, I just wanted to buy something. I’m sorry if it came off like I’m running away, trust me, all I want is to be with you and my friends. I’m so excited to go up, I’ve been sitting on my bum for so long, I can’t wait to get in shape here.” Izuku giggles and you feel a sudden urge to touch his bum to make sure it’s still in shape… khm. Sorry. Nevermind.

“Yeah, Japan can’t loose it’s number one juicy ass. That would be more devastating than a world war in this day and age.” Rody adds cheekily and both of your faces blush.

“Rody, please…” Izuku mutters, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

“Okay, can you guys stop talking about my boyfriend’s ass? That ass is mine. So back off!”

You can’t believe you said that, but you felt like it would make the group laugh, so… yeah.

What you did not expect was Izuku looking at you with half lidded eyes, clearly enjoying YOUR attention; he creeps closer, his lips right by the cusps of your ear as he whispers. “I didn’t realize you like it this much.” And hell if it doesn’t go straight to your… well… uhm. There.

“Izuku. For the love of god. Behave yourself.”

“I’m so sorry, I…” Izuku starts to stutter as he comes back to his senses. “Uhm, I don’t know why I did that, I just…”

“Shut up and starts going up that hill.” You spank that famous ass three times to make him move. Izuku’s facial expression changes between “I’ll devour you right here right now” and “omg everyone is watching me I’m scared” as he leads the way towards the cabins. It’s extremely hilarious.

“Wow, that tension was something else.” Tamaki gossips with Mirio who only laughs at the comment.

“I mean, there is something extremely romantic about making love in a cabin.” Mirio admits with a sigh.

“Great, I guess this is what you get for coming to a trip as the only single person in the group.” Kyouka moans as she follows the crowd.

“You can hang out in our cabin, Kyouka!” Kaminari perks up right away, probably excited to have someone to talk to because Shinsou is clearly not in the mood for a friendly banter right now, god knows why.

“We are all going to have a grill party this evening in OUR cabin, so keep it on your pants for now.” Katsuki declares. “Ei got all the meat possible so let’s go up because it’s fucking heavy.”

“I’ve got the booze!” Kirishima grins. “It’s also heavy!” He says but he doesn’t look bothered by it at all.

“Come on guys, if I’m not the last one up there, you all suck!” Izuku yells from the top of his lungs with a massive smirk on his face. Needless to say that comment makes the whole gang perk up.

“Oh boy, I’ll be the first!” Kaminari yells back, already running ahead of the team.

“Oi, not on my watch, Pikachu!” Katsuki is the next one to start sprinting then everyone starts running like maniacs except Kyouka, who decides to stay with you, walking in a normal pace.

“He looks excited.” Kyouka smiles at you as he looks at Izuku running with Katsuki, borrowing some help from black whip when the “road” is too steep.

“I really hope he enjoys himself.” You say dreamily and Kyouka gives you a shit eating grin.

“Not unless he can see you, so move your legs, bitch, we need to catch up!” She pulls you forward aggressively, almost making you fall.

“Hey!” You laugh, but you start running anyway; with so many heroes around, you are quite sure someone will catch you if you fall.

… Next Chapter!

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Potato ramble:

- If you read the last chapter of my Kirishima fic you already now but if not… I’m not sure if I’ll be able to post as frequently or at all. I’m going through a tough time and it greatly affects my writing, especially this story, to be honest, so if I don’t post for a while, I’m sorry. I don’t really want to get into details for now as it would make it way too real and right now I’m trying to just ignore it and keep going, but… if it escalates, I’ll let you know. Please be patient with me. I’m doing my best. Also, if you see me post other stuff but not this one it’s probably because I have a bunch of chapters already written for everything but this one. I’m not neglecting this story I’m just… done.

- Now let’s talk about this chapter and leave the angst behind 😂

- I absolutely love this new unhinged version of Deku. He’s slowly starting to be himself and I’m so proud of him I want to cry. He’s not shy anymore, he knows what he wants and he also knows he’s loved for who he is and not for the facade he usually shows to the people around him and damn, that’s a character development!

- I hope you laughed when you realized what Izuku’s problem was. I definitely laughed my ass of while writing this chapter, especially when I was writing the beginning with the drama while knowing what the real “problem” is 😂

- Oh, also! You can support me with a “coffee” if you would like! It won’t help my mental issues but it helps me pay rent and buy more figurines for comfort so yeah. I’m just throwing this out there just in case. 😂

- Tell me your thoughts! Send me a comment! Distract me! Please and thank you! 😂

TL:

@garfieldthomas @porusuniverse @stickygumchewer @sixxze @mily-moo @aei-sedai-moiraine @aymasakusa @katsuari @kenzie-deadly @shiviwrites07 @lukerycyja-reblogs @cloroxisadelectabletreat @coffeent @kisskissshutmydoor @bobcar1 @yazminetrahan @cringefan @ronimacaroni77 @themultifandomgirl @dangerousluv1 @emperatris-rinaka @shotos-angelic-whore @angelsdemonsmonsters @norvacaine @rei165 @unofficialmuilover @yao-ai @happydragonfrog @eeerreehhh @vinivave

[gotham-ruaidh]

Little Bit Better Than I Used To Be

Catch up: Chapter 1 (Starry Eyes) || Chapter 2 (Save Our Souls) || Chapter 3 (Dancing On Glass)|| Chapter 4 (Merry-Go-Round)|| Backstage (1) || Backstage (2) || Chapter 5 (Danger)|| Backstage (3) || Chapter 6A (Love Walked In) || Chapter 6B (Without You) || Backstage (4) || Chapter 7 (Stick To Your Guns) || Chapter 8 (Time For Change) || Backstage (5) || Chapter 9 (Take Me To The Top) || Backstage (6) || Chapter 10 (Home Sweet Home) || Backstage (7) || Chapter 11a (Nightrain) || Chapter 11b (Nothing Else Matters) || Chapter 12a (Handle With Care) || Chapter 12b (I’m So Tired of Being Lonely) || Chapter 13a (Angel) || Chapter 13b (She’s My Addiction) || Chapter 13c (Patience) || Chapter 14a (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14b (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 14c (Where Do We Go Now?) || Chapter 15a (Dreams) || Chapter 15b (I Sing A Song of Love) || Chapter 15c (You Can Do This If You Try) || Chapter 16 (Let That Feeling Grab You Deep Inside || Chapter 17A: Never Tear Us Apart || Chapter 17B: It’s Tough To Be Somebody, And It’s Hard Not To Fall Apart  || Chapter 17C: I’m Wishing, Lord, That I Was Stoned || Chapter 18: Turn The Page || Chapter 19A: When You’re Alone, Do You Let Go? || Chapter 19B: Heading For A Spin ||| Also posted at AO3

Chapter 20A: I Don't Need Nothing When I'm By Your Side

So hold me close, better hang on tight Buckle up, baby, it's a bumpy ride We're two kids hitching down the road of life Our world, our fight

-- “Born To Be My Baby,” Bon Jovi (1988) [click here to listen]

North Carolina || February 1989

Jamie frowned, looking back and forth between the shelf he’d just put together and the three unpacked boxes of books (two marked CLAIRE, one marked JAMIE).

Would she like them organized alphabetically by author? Genre? Size?

He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. Or perhaps she wanted medical books in her workroom? And maybe he could put his music books on the cabinet in his studio –

“There you are.”

He hadn’t heard Claire pad into the room – at some point they would need to get throw rugs to protect the gorgeous old hardwood floors – and smiled as she effortlessly stepped into his embrace.

They held each other for a long moment – his lips against her hair, her face buried in the safety of his neck.

Almost three months since the acoustic tour had ended, the night before Claire’s birthday. About six weeks since they had closed on their dream house, nestled against a mountain in the forests of North Carolina, not too far from The Ridge. And about two weeks since the items in storage – from her packed-up apartment in Boston, and his packed-up house in Los Angeles – had arrived.

The property had everything they needed. Privacy and solitude, of course. An old barn that they were using as a garage for Jamie’s motorcycle and cars. The house – an old cabin, really, dating from the 1800s and which had been lovingly expanded over the years – was perfect. A spacious living room, complete with the original stone fireplace. An eat-in kitchen, with newly replaced appliances. Two small rooms off the back that were now his music studio and her workroom – spaces to pursue their interests. A modestly-sized master bedroom. And a small extra bedroom – which for now was for guests, though God willing would be a nursery very soon.

Claire had insisted on doing two things quickly, before spending their time unpacking all the boxes.

The first was to hang his six gold and two platinum records in his studio – and he agreed, after he had hung her framed medical school diploma on the wall of her workroom.

The second was to install the fax machine on the bare floor of the studio – which, together with the phone, was their only link to the outside world.

For as much as they isolated themselves in this beautiful, peaceful place – the world pushed along without them.

In March, they would leave for L.A. and three weeks of rehearsals with the band. Maybe play a few small gigs in clubs on the Sunset Strip – Jamie had always wanted to do that. And in April, they’d fly to Europe, and kick off the tour that had swelled to 120 dates and stretched into 1990.

Colum was busier than ever – finalizing logistics, negotiating with local promoters, running interference with the suits from the label, upgrading the concerts from arenas to soccer stadiums. He had a conference call with the band every Tuesday – with Ian calling in from Lallybroch in upstate New York, and Angus from various resort spots in Mexico and the Caribbean (“I can’t believe Charlotte and Molly haven’t worn him out yet,” Jamie had mused to Claire one day. She had only shrugged and said, “they take care of each other”). Colum would always have a punchlist of decisions for the band – OK to book studio time during the week off in Scandinavia in July? The roadies couldn’t figure out the pyro setup without the band, OK to wait until rehearsals? They would need to film at least three music videos, which one could be a live performance? – and follow up with decisions in a fax sent later that day.

Jamie had been clear with Colum that he had three conditions for the tour: that Claire would be with him, that Raymond would be traveling with the band, and that the same no alcohol/drugs/groupies rule from the acoustic tour would carry through to this tour. Of course Colum had agreed. Just as he’d agreed to make provisions for Jenny to periodically fly out to visit Ian, and for Angus to always have a suite with two bathrooms to keep his girlfriends happy.

Claire and Jamie knew that this tour would be difficult, for so many different reasons. But they would be better prepared this time, to draw strength from each other, and to have Raymond for support. And maybe, just maybe they would return home from Europe with the best souvenir of all…

“Another fax from Colum,” Claire murmured after a long while.

Jamie snorted against her hair. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or annoyed.”

“I do admire how hard he’s working for you and for the band. And how much he’s keeping all of you in the loop on the decisions he’s making. He doesn’t want any surprises.”

“I’d imagine not. The amount of bullshit he has to be putting up with right now must be insane. I just hope he doesn’t crack.”

“He never said if he’s bringing Tricia on the tour.” Tricia – Colum’s wife of more than ten years. She stood a head taller than her husband, still impossibly beautiful in her late thirties, smiling for every frown on her husband’s face. Claire had only met her once – couldn’t say she really knew her – but she knew enough about her.

How she had first met Colum at a party in 1970, when he was a roadie for Led Zeppelin and she was part of a gaggle of groupies that held court at the Riot House in L.A.

How, when she and her girlfriends joined the Led Zep tour the following summer, he had punched out the lighting guy at the Cow Palace in San Francisco when he heard the guy didn’t understand what Tricia meant by saying “no”.

How Geordie Ash – the reporter who had put Jamie (and, in a way, Claire) on the map last year with that Rolling Stone article – had sent flowers to her hotel room every day for a month during Led Zeppelin’s 1973 U.S. tour. Not knowing, of course, that she was allergic to lilies – or how Colum, who knew more about her by that point than he cared to admit, had wordlessly disposed of them for her, every day that month.

“I don’t think she likes to tour.” Jamie’s thumb traced lazy circles on the skin of Claire’s back. “Too many bad memories.”

If you asked any rock journalist or musician who had found Alex MacGregor – assistant to Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant – dead in his Seattle hotel room in the spring of 1975, they would all say quite confidently that it had been Colum Laird, who by that point had advanced to lead Zeppelin’s touring crew.

But a handful of people – Peter Grant, and Colum, and Jamie, and now Claire – knew the truth.

Tricia woke up, Alex cold beside her in bed, a needle in his arm. The only thing she knew to do was slip quietly down the hall, tumbling into Colum’s room…and finally, his arms. Where she had remained ever since.

“I couldn’t imagine being away from you for so long.” Claire sighed. “I don’t know how they make it work.”

Jamie shrugged. “They love each other very deeply. They fixed the broken pieces in each other. And now she has the two boys to keep her busy.” He kissed her forehead. “Something for us to aspire to, perhaps. What’s in the fax?”

She held it out for him to read. Sharing a smile at Colum’s scrawl.

J+C: I’m not calling because I interrupted enough moments between you on tour and I’ll probably do it again this year. I don’t have Raymond’s info pls have him get in touch so we have a copy of his credentials and the travel agent can make all arrangements for Europe. I got the label to foot the bill for his travel meals and hotels, convinced them it’s a business expense, you’re welcome. Stay out of trouble. Colum.

“We’ll have him give Colum a call after he arrives this afternoon,” Jamie mused, folding the fax and sliding it into the back pocket of his jeans.

Claire nodded. “The guest room is all ready. And I’m glad Dougal and Gillian and William will be here tomorrow – I’m so happy they’re so close by.”

Jamie squeezed her shoulder, and released her. “As am I. Now, I have a question for you about these books…”

[starillusion13]

FRIENDS!? Chapter 16

🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳🔳

Series ML

Pairing: poly!ateez × f!reader (An ATEEZ Office AU)

Genre: Mature, Angst, Yandere

Warning: mention of memories (nothing much just go with the flow), mention of hostage and crying, fear, fever and comfort.

W.C: 3.4k Network: @k-vanity

[Reblogs and Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you for reading and have a nice day ahead. Please always take care of yourself everyone.]

Hello, Can we be friends please?

>.<

"And how many times have I told you not to keep the temperature low? Eating ice cream and taking cold showers whenever you feel like and then staying in the low temperature of the air conditioner of the room and your cabin." Yunho was scolding you since morning and now again he is starting with his lectures. You rolled your eyes before turning towards Mingi.

He was hugging you to his side, he smiled down at you on the couch and adjusted the comforter around you. You sniffed and sneezed again.

This time the cold is serious and you know soon others will lecture you again after their work.

"You should listen to us, y/n." Mingi patted your head and kissed the temple, you snuggled close to him, feeling the comfort and relaxing to his touch. The big frame was enough to engulf you in a soft comforting embrace. "get well soon."

"You should find a new secretary..." you muttered under your breath with a pout while watching Yunho busy with file works and bringing different papers from the shelf and placing them on the tables. You should help but you know he has strictly ordered you not to do anything unless he says so. Huh! His loss.

When he heard your voice, he quickly said, "no need. Enough with one troublemaker."

"yah! You have been scolding me since morning. Why are you like this?" you pressed your body closer to Mingi when he shifted to the front. He was also busy with his laptop, arranging some data works. He held your hand without looking away from the screen and held it on his thigh and continued his work.

Yunho stood straight in front of you, his serious face with his hand on his waist and blocking your view from the glass window made you look up at his face. He looks the best when he is angry.

"and why don't you listen to us?" tilting his head, a smirk appeared, "maybe...to skip work. Am I right?"

"No. You are wrong." You said and watched him walking towards you. "Now what did I do? Why are you coming here?"

Your protests got quiet when his cold fingers made contact with your heated skin. He tsk and shook his head, "you are burning. Where is the medicine box?"

"Don't worry, Yunho. I have given her already. Soon, she will be off to dreamland but before that let her be the chatterbox." Mingi said and chuckled followed by Yunho's laugh who grabbed a rubber band from the table and went around the couch behind you both and you tried to look back when he held your face to the front, "don't move your head."

"But what are you even doing there?"

"stripping my clothes."

"what?!"

Your eyes went wide and suddenly, you felt someone combing your hair. Yunho tied your hair with the band and planted a soft kiss on top of your head. There's a high chance of you dying from their sweet gestures someday. You pressed your lips tightly to hold back the smile until Yunho appeared in your sight again.

"get some sleep." He said and took the three files from the table. He felt your stares on his back when he went towards the door, turning back he smirked, "stop staring at me like a stalker. A simple thank you would work you know."

"You should leave. That grumpy Hongjoong is waiting for you." you scoffed.

He raised a brow at you, "I'll let him know about this and Mingi keep an eye on her."

You glared at Yunho until he closed the door and you turned your face to Mingi who was already staring at you, "is he always this serious and annoying when someone is sick?"

"you should remember the days when you felt sick at school. He would keep you at home and not let you even talk to anyone. Yes he is that serious." You nodded at his words. He sits back comfortably, closing the laptop and pulling you on his lap and covering you with the comforter again.

"You look so pretty in a ponytail." He kissed your nose and smiled, "I see you are getting comfortable with all of us."

You smiled back, resting your head on his shoulder, "I feel so comfortable with you all. As if there's no danger that can harm me and I'll be happy forever. I wish to be like this always. I don't want these days to end any day."

"it won't end. You will be happy with us forever. Just don't run away if you feel scared. Let us be like this forever." His words were pressed heavily like his voice. There's a lot he was trying to hide behind them. He didn't mean anything bad back in the past but he still was wrong. He could have never let that happen. He had the chance and option but he chose the wrong side.

You chuckled softly, "why do you all repeat the same thing? You all always tell me not to run away. Why will I? It's not that I have some place to run to or someone to. I have you all and I really trust you. If we are sticking to the past that I left you all without saying anything then I must have reasons and I chose to believe it."

"y/n...there's a reason for everything. There's choice to everything but sometimes, some choices are self made and then by force. And about back then......you just have to..."

"Mingi, let's not talk about that right now. I know there's something that may have happened to me. and I don't know why but please...till the day I can't remember it, let's enjoy it like this. I don't even know what I will remember and how I will react but whatever it is going to be, we will be together." You slowly muttered and he held your palm tightly.

"I want us to be together...always."

"Can I tell you something?" you asked.

He nodded, "of course."

"you know...I have nightmares every night. And I guess...they might be part of those unwanted memories. They are so scary and uncomfortable and I feel like I have forgotten it but again, it repeats with a new scene."

"Can you see someone? Or who are they like?" he looked straight into your eyes and waited for your reply. "please tell me."

"I can't see anyone. But the voices feel so familiar. The places and the touches. I know them. I can remember them yet I can't. What happened to me, Mingi? Who are they?" your scared and pained expression made his heart beat faster.

He could see the old you facing him with tears asking him to help but he chose to ignore her and convinced himself that whatever he was trying to do was good even though it was the worst.

"they are bad...you should not think about the nightmares so much." He cupped your cheek, kissing your temple, "nothing happened like that. And if you still feel scared of it then come to one of us."

"I will try to." You rested your head on his shoulder and closed your eyes.

We will try too.

>>>><<<<

"no one is here and a little bit won't be a problem"

You were standing in front of the refrigerator, picking one from the different flavored ice cream boxes. Recently, you just got off from the fever and back to your habits. They won't be happy with this but what if they don't know about it then you can give some other excuses.

After having worked till late at night, now you are seriously craving for some dessert and so your ice cream is the best go to option.

As you extended your hand to pick a small cup of chocolate flavor, someone back hugged you, resting his chin on your shoulder, titling his head to yours. You flinch at the sudden action but you were now scared that you got caught and now you have to come up with a good excuse.

You stayed still, frozen like the ice cream in front.

"Are you going to eat ice cream again?" the heavy sleepy voice of Yeosang made you gulp. You try your best to avoid his serious side. For some reason, you feel so nervous.

You stuttered, "I-I no...I was not here for ice cream."

"then? I don't think your excuse for water is gonna work either." You bit your lip on his words, thinking hard to come up with a good excuse quickly.

Turning around to face him, you looked at him and noticed his stare. That stare was enough to tell you not to speak any more nonsense than needed. He pulled you front and closed the refrigerator behind you before slamming you against it. it was not harsh but still the action was so sudden that made you hiss. He placed a hand beside your head, you eyed his hand and then to his face. What's he up to?

He maintained eye contact with you but you tried to break it and push him away but with his free hand he gripped your jaw, "why are you so rebellious?"

"Yeo..."

"What were you doing here?" he asked with a serious expression.

You gulped before replying, "I wanted to eat something. I'm tired of that disgusting soup...I want something different. You all didn't even allow me to eat anything from the cafeteria."

"Wooyoung will be so angry with you calling his soup disgusting." he chuckled in the end.

You denied quickly, "no it's not like that. I hate having it everyday and it makes me feel like I'm in the hospital."

He kept staring at you, his gaze flickering between your eyes and lips. He was fighting himself but his gaze stopped to your eyes. Those eyes which he once loved so much, which once shined and got excited to see him but then...it turned different. The same eyes felt scared and teared up with fear on seeing him.

He wants you.

He licked his lip, "these eyes are just like my perfect doll. I love them," he tilted his head, admiring your beauty in front of his eyes so close, "these are always mine and will be forever." He caressed your cheek with his thumb, you closed your eyes at his touch.

His face came closer to you than it was. You could feel his breath and your body heating up, not because your fever returned but his touch making you want something. You couldn't understand what but something inside you was getting excited for.

There were only the sounds of both of your breathings.

Your nervousness was replied with his lips landing on yours. Your breath hitched and your fists gripped his t-shirt. The kiss was slow and he was taking his time with you. He wanted more but he knew he couldn't or... shouldn't. He paused for a moment to whisper, "please, look at me, doll."

You were breathing unsteady and you shook your head.

"please..."

you didn't want to face him but still you did. You opened your eyes and met his eyes.

A small smile appeared on his lips, maintaining eye-contact with you, he leaned closer, "do you trust me?"

"yes." You breathed out.

"I love you, y/n."

Biting your lips, you kept quiet. Actually, even if the answer was known to you, there was a nervousness in you. What if? What if something goes wrong?

"you are mine...say it y/n...mine."

"I am."

His lips touched yours, leaving a small peck and you shyly looked away.

"Look at me y/n and say that you are mine. Say you love me."

You gulped when you met his eyes. The eyes were shining with hope, the flicker of joy to get you so close to him and now you were complying with his actions.

But a memory flashed in front of your eyes. The same eyes of Yeosang staring back at you but you felt scared of him. you wanted to run away. His touch and words were not comforting like now but they were hurting you and suffocating you.

"Yeosang..." you hugged him tightly, closing your eyes and pressing your head against his chest. He was surprised with your sudden move but he held your head and stroked your hair, another hand rubbing your back. "I am scared."

"please don't be. Everything is going to be fine...just say that you are mine."

Come on, doll. Just say that you are mine and this won't hurt you anymore.

The voice, the name. Who is he?

You held him tightly, "I love you, Yeosang."

He smirked and kissed your head, "now, you are mine."

Staying in the same position for a while, you parted from him. He was not willing to let you go but soon you smiled, "why are you here?"

He chuckled, "same reason. Craving for something. I got my chicken orders and then I noticed you stealing ice cream."

"I'm not."

he patted your cheek, "well, we can eat chicken together. And also, I have some puddings in my room. Let's grab it and stay on the balcony."

You nodded enthusiastically. You are hungry and anything sounds wonderful to you. Holding his hand, you both walked towards his room.

Maybe the days are going to get better.

.

.

.

"she is happy with Yeosang. She trusts him."

Seonghwa nodded his head from beside his chair, "I saw that, Jongho. The things are different and on the positive side."

Jongho looked at him, "we are not going to make her cry again, right?"

Both of them were sitting at the other side of the glass partition of the living room. You couldn't notice them because of the two indoor plants hiding their figures and they were quiet when they noticed you looking around as if you were trying to do something hidden.

The ice-cream mission.

They were previously enjoying the city view and discussing all the possibilities that were going to happen but their conversation got lost after they noticed your figure happily roaming around the floor.

"I don't want to see her like that but what if she gets scared of us then it's going to be hard to keep her with us. And again..."

"No again." Jongho stood up angrily, "no one is going to do anything. She is just an innocent girl. she had no reason, did no wrong but we took advantage of her. Don't forget...even if she kills us. We deserve it."

Seonghwa stared at him and said nothing. The youngest left the place and Seonghwa sighed while looking towards the city again, "you are making it hard for us, y/n. please accept us...our love."

>>>><<<<

"How are you feeling?" Mingi handed you a glass of water as soon as you and Hongjoong returned from the meeting and entered their cabin on the 8th floor. Everyone was there as per the schedule. They had no more for the day and now you can relax for a moment. Today, two meetings have been conducted which were apparently scheduled later the week but you were relieved that you have no more upcoming in this week.

"I am tired and feel like dying." You mumbled and slouched down beside Wooyoung and rested your head to the side on his shoulder. He kissed your head and intertwined his fingers with you.

"why?" Wooyung asked and watched how Hongjoong removed his coat and tie and sat on the chair with his head resting back on the headrest.

"These meetings and paperworks are going to be the death of me." you whined.

Mingi waited for you to finish the water and then took the glass from you when Yunho came in front of you, quickly checking your fever.

"I was sick a month ago. Why are you still checking on me?" you raised your brows.

He scoffed and mockingly smiled, "you tend to fall sick often and if you are tired like this then I can see you having fever."

"Hey, it's not like that."

Yeosang chuckled from the corner, "there's a thief in our building who steals ice-cream and pastries every day and then gets sick of the cold." You glanced at him and remembered the night when he caught you in front of the refrigerator and you blushed.

"Am I hearing this right?!" Yunho and Hongjoong both asked you sternly and you just avoided their gaze when Seonghwa crouched down in front of you and held your palms, "why do you do that? Once or twice a week is fine but regular is not good. You should listen to us. Don't be like this."

You nodded, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay but don't fall sick coz it's worrying us." He said softly.

You licked your lips, "do I bother you guys?"

Everyone went quiet. Your question was hanging heavy in the air. They shared looks among them. Why do you think so?

"Never." San broke the tense atmosphere. He slowly approached your figure and everyone was watching him and how you smiled brightly. You were not afraid and hesitant with him around you, whereas you were excited to see him. "You can't be a bother. Trust me. it's been so long so long we waited for you and now when you are finally here, we are just worried not to lose you again."

He crouched down beside Seonghwa and kissed your knuckles when you took one of your palms in his hold.

"I'm not leaving you all, I promise." You smiled at him and he smirked before nodding.

A little smile appeared on Hongjoong's face when he noticed the interaction. He noticed each one of his brothers --- not friends --- but brothers were admiring you and wishing the exact same thing as him. He could feel the joy and fear inside their heart and he could feel his the most.

He started the game and only he could manage this to get a better ending to it.

He can do anything to change the flow and have the best moments with you.

"I want us to be together forever." He whispered.

But we know, sometimes the things we desire or wish to come true often happen in an opposite way and whatever the destiny has written for you. It will happen no matter what.

He just can hold onto you till the end, where he has to let go.

Let you go.

Forever.

NEXT

—————————————————————————

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[rizuno]

Into the Unknown - Chapter 5 Preview - Really Deep

Fandom: Star Trek/Alien Title: Into the Unknown Rating: Explicit (NC-17) Length: 16-18 Chapters, 6 chapters written! Link to Part I: The Unknown Kind Chappie 5 PREVIEW!!! 😀

It’s the confidential pre-mission briefing packet. None of it is good. That snaps him awake. 

According to the Invincible’s scans, the system is deserted, not a ship in sight. Acheron’s orbital ore exchange platform is dark and unmanned. 

“Delightful,” Jim mutters as he reaches the weather report for Acheron. It can pretty well be summed up in two words. Death storm. Of course. Going through the rest of the packet doesn’t reveal much more. The storm is preventing penetration by the Invincible’s scanners. The status of the Olduvai Mining Facility, Acheron Administration, and the small spaceport are all variable or unknown. There has been no contact. 

His PADD beeps on the bedside shelf, and he checks it to see a message from Bones, summoning him to Medical for his final mission clearance checkup. 

Fuck. Okay. One task at a time, just don’t think about the big picture at all. 

Jim stands up, stretches and shuffles over to open his underwear drawer, and there, on top, sit his SUNSHINE sparkle undies. Fuck it. If ever a pair of underwear could be called lucky, the SUNSHINE sparkle briefs are it. Jim defiantly shoves them on. For his checkup with Bones, he throws on a pair of sweatpants and then his matching sparkle CAPTAIN shirt, because why not?

[sanccharine]

15 | child labour

hogwarts au

pairing: hufflepuff!tzuyu x slytherin!reader  genre: fluff, slice of life  word count: 3.4k

warnings: description of injury, probably inaccurate, idk im not a doctor

summary: whether on the field or during class, you never shied away from trouble. and in your sixth year, trouble seemed to follow you like a shadow, though you couldn’t complain. especially when that series of misfortunes led you to the transfiguration prodigy, chou tzuyu.  includes: NO ONE MUHAHAHAH its a tzuyn special y'all

status: ongoing a/n: happy tzuyu day !! also happy nayeon comeback day !! and thanks to @eternallyghosting for fixing my atrocious grammar <3

masterlist | chapter 14 | chapter 16

The morning of the detention, as well as your fated talk with Chou Tzuyu, you woke up earlier than usual. Taking advantage of the rarity, you did your routine at a similar speed and headed to breakfast. The hall has never been so empty.  

Lee had picked the day where the first hour of the day would be your detention. You weren’t sure how to feel about it. Though you were grateful that you didn’t have to face your friends’ many questions and suggestions before anything. But it also meant, you were left to your devices, left to think and think and think about how to go about fixing your recent stumbling. 

Too nauseous to eat, you grabbed a muffin and made your way to the library just as the usual morning crew wandered in. Thankfully again, you didn’t catch any of your friends. 

You might have taken a detour to the library, just to stall for some time. To go over the words you wanted to say. You’d hate it if you misspoke and worsened the situation. Previously, you’d tried apologising, tried talking and she’d shut you down. Maybe this time around the pair of you would just listen. You would, you promised that to yourself. And you wouldn’t be petty. And you wouldn’t push her away. 

Simple enough? Right?

You stood at the entrance to the library. 

Nervous doesn’t even begin to describe the emotion swirling in your stomach. 

In fact, you’d bet you weren’t even this distraught when the game happened. 

Clenching your fists, you pushed open the door to the library. The librarian looked at you over her glasses and clicked her tongue. You’re not a favourite, but then again, when were you?

“Professor Lee sent—”

“Detention. Head to the reference section.” Simple, the books won’t be cursed or ready to snap your fingers off. “Organisation duty.”

Don’t we have magic to do all that?

The librarian shot a glare over her glasses as if she read your mind, you just nodded and made your way. 

Sighing, you walk down the shelves, until you find the reference section. Marked off by a placard, you turned right only to walk straight into Tzuyu. With a groan, she gripped the shelf next to her while you just stumbled a step back. 

It's not surprising you’d meet like this. Not surprising at all. 

“You alright?” you asked since she was rubbing her shoulder. 

“Just fine,” she answered, short as usual. Then, she glanced at you. Her gaze shifty. “I’m fine. Are you alright?” 

“I can handle a little bump,” you chuckled, not at all disoriented. Tzuyu offered an easy smile, so you mimicked it. 

So far, simple. Easy. 

Time seemed to pause for a moment. She was still holding her shoulder as she looked at you, waiting for something. While you resorted to taking her in. You hadn’t really seen her in a while. Properly, that is. Glances during classes barely counted. And that night, that night before the game was such a strange time for the both of you. So, in a way, you were glad she didn’t look so sunken. 

There was still an air of tenseness around Tzuyu. But her hair had returned to its usual state, though for once it was completely down and her eyes had some light in them, expectant. You were grateful. Having been the first task of the day, your tie was still intact, your buttons done to the top, and your shirt still tucked. For once, you could appear in front of Tzuyu without being your usual dishevelled self.

This was good. 

“You’re here early,” she said. 

“So are you.”

Tzuyu just hummed with a twitch of her lips. Of course, her being early was not strange at all. 

You nodded, gaze shifting as you gulped. You hoped it didn’t sound as loud to her as it did to you. 

“I think we should talk,” Tzuyu let go of her shoulder and fully pushed the book in front of her onto the shelf. 

“I think so, too,” you agreed. 

“Help me?” She tilted her head to the cart and you nodded. 

Very quickly, Tzuyu explained the organisation system (which was way more complicated than it needed to be, and again, is this not what magic is for?). Considering the number of reference books you had to replace, you decided to organise them into piles on a table first. That way, you don’t have to go to separate shelves one by one, plus it allowed you to stay in one place and talk to each other. 

You handed her books from the cart and she organized them into the piles you needed.

“So how do we start this?” you asked, pointing out the code on the book. 

“I wanted to apologise,” you bit back the urge to say she didn’t have to. 

When you didn’t say anything and handed another book, she continued. “Starting from the fight, I’m sorry for hitting you with that curse. It wasn’t meant for you. Honestly… I don’t know what came over me.”

Tzuyu paused as she looked over a particularly hefty textbook. 

“It’s not often I behave so… impulsive,” she admitted, “I didn’t even think when I cast the spell.” 

She took in a wavering breath. 

“I know you know, but I want to say it again. It was me who cursed you… wandless,” Tzuyu said, naturally avoiding your gaze as she turned to place the textbook at the far end. “I don’t know what came over me, or frankly how I did it, it just happened. Actually, the first time I’ve successfully cast a wandless spell.”

“Successful is an understatement,” you joked. You fought a grin when that earned a chuckle out of Tzuyu. 

“Thanks. I don’t regret it—as in, if it hit Hyukwoo as it was supposed to, I would do it again,” Tzuyu quickly clarified as she took another book from you. “I’m sorry you were caught in the middle, and it was so potent, with your hand and—”

“It's fine,” you quickly reassured her. There was no more desire to hide your left hand, even though it twitched from time to time. “I told you right? That I shattered my wrist?”

She nodded, resting slightly on a pile of books.

Well, you guess you hadn’t explicitly addressed her when you explained your injury. Plus, crucial information had been omitted. 

“During our second year, me and Yeri finally got to play as beaters together. Hyukwoo, desperately, wanted the position. So he did what he knew best and jinxed me, mid-game,” you laughed at the memory. Though at the time, you couldn’t even feel your arm. “I lost control of my broom and the bludger I was waiting for tore through it.” 

One look at Tzuyu’s horrified expression and you wanted to take your words back. 

“I’m fine, it was fine!” you shook your left hand just to let her know. She wasn’t convinced. “I mean twelve-year-olds have twig-like bones, it makes sense—”

“Don’t you have protection? Or gear or something to prevent this from happening?” Tzuyu furrowed her eyebrows, a mixture of concern and disgust threaded through them. “How can it be safe for kids that young—”

“Yes, we have protection, gloves, and guards, but,” you stepped away from the cart and pulled back your left sleeve. Using your right, you push back your left palm as far as it goes and let your index finger stop at the faint line by your wrist. “See that line, just where the palm connects to the arm,” Tzuyu nodded. “Completely unprotected, but I mean we sort of need it for mobility. I was weak, I was out of control, and in the wrong position. All that put together equals a shattered wrist.”

Tzuyu just stared at you in a daze while you explained your injury to her as easily as she explained how to cast conjuration spells. 

“Don’t know all the technical terms, plus, I think I was passed out or sedated for most of it. But Madam Yun said my muscle had torn open, hence limpness, and bones shattered to pieces,” Tzuyu pressed her fingers to her lips, physically stopping the squeak that left her lips. “She said it took her days to heal it slowly, just so the bones mended itself, but mended correctly in there. If that makes sense?”

“And you still play Quidditch?” Tzuyu asked, utterly aghast. You couldn’t help the snort that escaped you. 

“Seems like it,” you smirked at her as you shook your hand to loosen it up. “But yeah, thanks to magic, it’s all good. Just—”

“Why would you do that to yourself?” 

“What?” 

“Why would you play when it's so dangerous?” 

“Because it's fun?” you answered plainly and she pulled a face. 

“Can’t be so fun, you’d risk your body over and over again,” Tzuyu scoffed, before turning back to the books. She didn’t have any new ones to add to the piles because you hadn’t handed her any. So she resorted to aligning the piles as straight as possible. “What happened to Hyukwoo, then? Why is he not expelled?”

Well, that’s a question you ask every year. But, unfortunately, you knew the reason. 

Same reason, you were still at Hogwarts too. In a way. 

“Guess what? One of his idiot friends snitched on him, terrified out of his mind when he saw how serious the injury was,” Tzuyu pinched her lips together while shaking her head, her eyes cold. You’ve never seen Tzuyu express so much… ever. That too, in such a short amount of time. “Hyukwoo hid when I was hospitalized, but then only confessed—full snot and tears— when his friend ratted on him. Yeri beat the shit out of him, broke his nose almost as bad as he broke my wrist.”

You snorted again, hoping that Tzuyu would join, instead she was turning a deadly shade of crimson. Surprisingly there was no steam bellowing out of her ears. Your laugh fell, deciding to drop any attempts at jokes altogether. 

“Both Yeri and Hyukwoo were suspended,” you admitted, a statement that sobered you. 

Once you caught wind of the disciplinary action taken against Yeri, you’d run to write a letter to your parents, not caring you weren’t supposed to leave the hospital wing. You’d begged them for almost a whole week straight to do something to prevent them from expelling Yeri altogether. 

They weren’t happy you were injured. They weren’t happy you were playing Quidditch instead of focusing on your studies. They weren’t happy you’d befriended someone like Yeri. And worst of all, that you were demanding that they’d use their name to pull strings. 

Finally, they came through. At a cost. 

Hyukwoo had planned to injure you and cast a spell on you during a game. He should’ve been expelled. 

Yeri’s retaliation, although she injured another student, did it on your behalf and didn’t use any spells. Seeing as it was her first severe misconduct, her parents should've been notified, and maybe lost her privileges. 

Instead, Hyukwoo’s parents did the most to ensure Yeri was expelled and their son got away scot-free. When that didn’t happen, it only meant your parents had done what they promised. So you had to do what you promised. 

You looked away, turning your body completely to face the cart. You needed a minute to reset. A moment away from Tzuyu’s stare. 

“But yeah,” you said, fishing out a book and checking the code. “It healed weirdly, I didn’t take as much rest as I should’ve. So even without your curse, it acts up from time to time. You don’t really have anything to apologise for on that front.” 

With that done, you turned to give her a book. Tzuyu was in a daze as she took it from you. 

“Tzuyu?” you said, voice very quiet. Though you knew she heard when her eyes snapped to you. “You’re… ?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she nodded before clearing her throat. “Where were we?”

“You were apologising?” You tried a smile and she rolled her eyes in return. That will do. 

“Right, next was the plan,” Tzuyu’s whole body sagged. “Oh, I don’t know what I was thinking— I don’t think I was thinking at all! Yeosang was so against it, I asked him to lie as soon as he fixed you. And, of course, on the way he and Wooyoung did the heavy lifting.” 

You nodded, handing her another book. 

“Honestly, it was so stupid, I panicked and just said whatever and Yeosang was kind enough that he just went with it,” she sighed and corrected a pile. “Seems Lee is like that, too.”

“Yeah, I don't know how you thought lying to Lee would work.”

“I wasn’t thinking, I told you,” you just laughed at her admission. 

You hummed when Tzuyu paused. When she didn’t say anything more you decided to ask the question. 

“Why did you protect me?” 

Tzuyu looked up at you. Like a deer caught in a trap. 

“I, um, I didn’t know what else to do,” she confessed. “There was no other option. No other right option.” 

Then she nodded to herself before looking at you again. A steeliness in her gaze. 

“Like I said, I don't regret it, not any of it,” she said. “I’m only sorry how I treated you after. Even if I did want to lie for you, it was not something I make a habit of, I was questioning myself and then lashed out at you.” 

“Yeah, no, I get it. I’m sorry for how I behaved too,” it was your turn to do some admitting. “I try—I try so hard to look perfect around you. I don’t know why I do it, I just do. Even though I know that you know who I am or how many fights I’ve been in, or how I sleep in class or don't tuck in my shirt or whatever. For some reason, it bothers me. What you think of me bothers me. I care so much about it—and I don’t know, after weeks of some normalcy, that fight shattered everything. There was blood on my hands, literally—”

“I’ve seen you fight before.”

“What?” 

“Y/N, every student has seen you punch someone at least once in their school year, I’m no different,” Tzuyu said, wearing an almost maternal smile. 

“No, yeah, I know. I know that,” you mumbled the last bit of the sentence, “it just bothers me is all.”  

“Hmm?” Tzuyu tilted her chin up in question, but you just shook your head. For a moment, she narrowed her eyes, hoping you’d expand. When you didn’t, she spoke again. “For what it's worth, I admire your courage. I mean I can’t say I approve of the method, literally,” Tzuyu paused to point at her prefect badge. “But I am yet to see you fight for the wrong matter.” 

When you just stared at her, Tzuyu cleared her throat. 

“That’s all,” she said, returning to her piles. 

“Was it you?” 

Tzuyu was forced to look up at you again. Her mouth twitching to ask the question innocently, even though she knew what you were talking about.

“The cushioning spell,” you clarified. 

“It would seem so,” Tzuyu cleared her throat again and walked over to a nearby shelf with a book. 

“Thank you,” you said, as genuinely as you could. Tzuyu only mumbled back her acknowledgement. 

After that, the pair of you got into a comfortable silence. 

What had you been so worried about? 

Your conversation with Tzuyu couldn’t have gone smoother. She said her part, you said yours, neither of you had anything to apologize for, nothing of substance. Yet both of you had agonized over it the last week or so. You, so much so, your hand had begun quivering the moment you started thinking about her. How ridiculous, you thought as you raised your left arm to shelve away another book. 

Besides, what had been there to worry about? 

You felt so stupid. 

“I feel kind of stupid,” you startled when Tzuyu sidled up to you, placing another book on a shelf above yours. “I feel like we were worried about nothing, thinking back on it.” 

“Game season,” you added, “tensions were high… we were stuck in our heads.” 

You paused to think about the same string of words your friends repeated to you, over and over and over again. 

“It happens,” you concluded and she chuckled. 

“Yeah, I guess it does.” 

Your detention had gone past much faster than an hour-long lesson would. So quick, you sort of missed the atmosphere. Just you and Tzuyu at the library, alone (well, with enough imagination that is), shelving books side by side in silence. Time seemed frozen and it was comfortable. As you grabbed your bags and stepped outside the library, the sounds of rushing students filtered and you had to bite back the disappointment. You had to head back to class when you only longed for more time with Tzuyu. 

“Excited for Transfiguration?” Tzuyu asked, her voice pitched up with mischief. “You just look so… zealous.”

You raised an eyebrow while she tried to tamp back her growing smile. 

“How do I actually look?” you asked, a smile of your own growing. 

“Like you're going to throw up,” she straightened, looking forward. 

“That seems more accurate,” you said, taking a glance at Tzuyu’s profile. She was still trying to reign in her smile. But when someone pointed at the pair of you, she acted as if she were brushing at her nose, and quickly her smile disappeared. Her and her carefully orchestrated mask. You decided to toy with her, to crack through it, you deserved such joy. Even if it came at your expense. “Now that I think about it, I am excited for Transfiguration.”

Tzuyu hummed her question, her head tilting subtly as her eyes never wavered from the parting crowd ahead of you. Should you do it here?

“Well, I’ll finally get to talk to you again,” her eyes narrowed as she turned to you in the slightest. “I missed you.” 

Something like a squeak escaped Tzuyu’s lips and in an instant, she clamped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted around, measuring and calculating. But even if she showed no overt sign, the rising rouge blush was a marker for the effect your words had on her. 

Good.

You pressed a palm to your cheek, you were burning up too. You figured as much. 

“Yeosang not a good teacher?” Tzuyu tilted her head up, her eyes glimmering. You had to admit, she was good. 

“Pales in comparison to you,” you said and grinned when you saw Tzuyu struggle to not grin back. “But who wouldn’t?”

“That’s enough of your flattery,” she huffed, picking up her pace. “It won’t get you anywhere. Don’t try it.”

“I’m not trying anything.” Why were you smiling so much? You should stop, your cheeks hurt.

Even with whatever game you and Tzuyu were playing, you didn’t miss the way people murmured around you. A singular glance behind your back showed most turning away and shushing their friends. Shouldn’t they be in class?

Shaking your head, you turned your attention back to Tzuyu. 

She had stopped at the entrance to Lee’s class. She was waiting for you. Her hand tightened around the strap of her bag, twisting and untwisting. You quickened your pace to meet her there. 

“Speaking of Transfiguration,” she glanced at the door just as you stopped in front of her. “I have something for you.” 

She opened her book bag and rummaged through it, before pulling out a textbook. 

Your textbook, soiled and tarnished, but it was your Transfiguration textbook. 

“I found it on the grass later that day,” she handed it to you. “Cleaned it up and had to let it dry. Would’ve returned it to you earlier but we…”

“Weren’t being mature.”

“I was going to say we weren’t on speaking terms,” she chuckled as you took the book from her. You flipped through the pages. Yes, some were dirtied but Eunbi’s notes still remained, only slightly muddled, though with her handwriting it didn’t really change too much. “But that works too.” 

Closing the book, you looked at her. “Thanks.”

Tzuyu looked at you, somewhat unsure. Then her glance shifted down the corridor, her eyes steely as the last of the juniors rushed away. Even though she was doing her job, you noted for what it was. A minute distraction from you. 

Then it clicked in your head. 

The library. The silence. The longing. 

The answer couldn’t have been more clear. 

“Tzuyu.”

For the first time, you reached out. First. 

“Teach me,” you said, “be my tutor.”

any feedback is much appreciated.

a/n: call me hamilton the way im writing these chapters non-stop ! would you believe me if i said i wrote 13, 14 and 15 back to back within like 4 days ? i certainly wouldn't believe me :P anygays have a good day/night everyone !!

taglist: @someone-who-likes-broccoli @tatliegilim @nanabongos @pandafuriosa60 @eternallyghosting

send an ask to be added !

[coquitokisses]

Trusting Again | chapter 008: Lina

Word count: 1616

series masterlist • previous chapter • next chapter

I sat up on the bed after having another nightmare. I took a deep breath and looked over at the clock in the nightstand, it was 6:16 am and it was still dark. Since it’s winter, sunrise is almost at 9 am. Crazy, I know. I’m used to having the sun out by 6 or 7 in the morning.

I decided to get up and put on a jacket before walking out of the room. I used the bathroom, brushed my teeth and then I tied my hair in a ponytail before I headed downstairs.

The guys were dead asleep still and the house was filled with pure silence. I went to the kitchen and decided to make some coffee and while I waited, I walked over to the shelf that was in the dining room. I looked over at the few pictures that Nick had there and I smiled a little. They were pictures of me when I was younger, alone, with him and/or with Maria.

I gotta say, I’m really grateful with how everything turned out and I’m very thankful that Nick took me in. Who would’ve thought, Nick Fury adopting a girl after rescuing her. He’s such a softie, don’t let that tough guy act fool you.

When the coffee was done, I poured some in a cup then I put some creamer and sugar in it. There was obviously enough coffee for the guys for when they wake up. I grabbed my cup and then I went outside, it was snowing a little. I sat on the porch and I just stayed there, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time, as I finished my coffee. I heard some noise inside and I just assumed it was one of the guys, probably Steve since he’s an early bird. But I realized I was wrong when I saw Bucky walking out of the house.

“Morning.” I said

“Hey, you.” He looked at me “You’re up pretty early.”

“You are too.” I said and he sat next to me

“Well I think I slept enough.” He sighed

“Still having trouble sleeping?” I looked at him

“Kinda.”

“It’s the house, right? It creaks at night, it makes it hard to sleep sometimes.”

“It does creaks.” He let out a soft chuckle “But it’s not that.”

“Is it the bed? The pillow?” I asked “Does Steve snores too much?”

“You know what? He does snores, it’s insane.”

“I know, it makes me nuts, you would think that after 70 years of sleep he would learn not to snore.”

“I concur.” He chuckled

“Well you could sleep in Sam’s room.”

“Hell no.”

“My room is available if you want.” I said and he looked at me arching an eyebrow “I didn’t mean it like that, oh my god.” I ran a hand over my forehead kinda embarrassed

He laughed a little. “Then how did you mean it?”

“I meant like, I don’t mind switching beds with you, you perv.” I said and he chuckled

“Relax, I know.”

“Well that.” I said “My room doesn’t creak.”

“Tempting.” He nodded slowly “Thanks, doll, but I think it’s okay.”

“Well suit yourself.” I shrugged “I made coffee, by the way, in case you want a cup.”

“Thanks for telling me.”

“Of course.”

Bucky stayed with me for a while until he went back inside to go grab a cup of coffee, but I decided to stay outside for a few more minutes. I was there for a while, till I started to get cold so I went back inside. I washed the coffee cup and saw the time on the stove. 7:32 am. It was still early so I just decided to lay on the couch and watch tv and I did find a channel in English thank god. Although it was just the news, but I don’t care. At least it wasn’t in danish.

Like half an hour later I heard some footsteps coming down the stairs and when I turned my head I saw Steve.

“Hey, you’re up.” He said walking towards me

“Yup.” I nodded

“How are you feeling?” He asked lifting my legs so he could sit on the couch, then he placed them on top of his “You woke up pretty early.”

“Yeah, I think that I’m still a little anxious.” I replied “But I feel a little better than yesterday.”

“That’s good.”

“I made coffee.”

“I know, I could smell it from the room.”

“You know? You snore too much, you don’t let your poor friend sleep in peace.” I told him

“What are you talking about?” He looked at me

I chuckled. “I’m kidding, it’s just that Bucky said that he sometimes has a hard time sleeping and we were saying that it’s because you snore.”

“I do not snore.” He shook his head

“Yes you do.”

“I do not.”

“You do.” I nodded “It may be kinda light, but you do.”

“Oh my god.” He rolled his eyes

“And with Bucky’s super soldier hearing, I bet the poor man can’t even close his eyes.”

“You’re so exaggerated.” He said and I just laughed.

(…)

* hours later *

“Cat, there’s some mashed potatoes left in the microwave if you want more.” Steve told me

He was in charge of dinner and it wasn’t too bad. Mashed potatoes with bacon bits and cheese and some nuggets. 9/10 because he didn’t make gravy.

“Thanks.” I answered as I drank a sip from my water bottle

“So what’s Cat short for?” Bucky asked “Is it for Catherine?” I was about to talk but he interrupted me “But you don’t look like a Catherine.. unless it really is your name of course.. is it?.”

“No, I’m not a Catherine.” I shook my head

“Cathleen?”

“No.”

“Catrina?”

“Kinda close, is Catalina.”

“Is it really?” He said and I nodded “I like it.”

“It’s too long.” I crinkled my nose

“It’s a pretty name.”

I shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“Why Cat and not Lina? That would be a good nickname too.”

“Well Cat is shorter and cuter than Lina.”

“Lina’s nice, nobody calls you Lina?”

“No, it’s just Cat.”

“But why?”

I chuckled. “You don’t like Cat?”

“I mean it’s okay, I guess, Lina is prettier.”

“Why Bucky and not Jamie or Jimmy if your first name is James?” I asked and he tilted his head “Ah? Gotcha there.”

“Bucky sounds cooler.”

“It does.” I nodded “Nobody has called me Lina, like ever, it’s always been Cat.”

“Well Lina sounds better.”

I rolled my eyes laughing. “Whatever you say.”

“Good, then Lina it is.”

“Don’t call me Lina.”

“But why? I like it.”

I just sighed. “Alright, do whatever you want, I don’t care whatsoever.”

“Good.”

+ + +

*hours later, let’s suppose it’s nighttime already*

It’s 11 pm and the guys are watching a movie. Although Cat is not really watching it since she was doing another word search. But Sam and Steve are the ones watching it since Bucky is helping her to find the last word, which she can’t find and has already gave up saying that the word is just not there.”

“I swear, I think they forgot to put it.” She said “It’s not there.”

“Can you be quiet for a second? I’m trying to concentrate and your voice is distracting me.” He said to her while he was still looking for the word

“You’re not gonna find it.”

“Shh.”

After a few minutes, Bucky ended up finding the word.

“Give me that.” He took the pen out of Cat’s hand and circled it “I found it.”

“Ay Dios mío, half an hour later.” She said taking back the little book “Thanks, by the way.”

(Oh my god)

“You’re welcome.” He said watching as she wrote the date on the top corner of the page

And he noticed the little tattoo on her wrist. It was a little semicolon that had butterfly wings on its side.

“How many you got?” He asked pointing at it

“Like eight or nine, I think.” She replied

“Where?”

“Um, right here.” She lifted her other arm showing him the rose she had tatted on her other wrist “And here.” She lifted her pajama short showing him the phrase she had there

It was high so even if she had shorts, it couldn’t be seen unless she lifted up a little bit. It said “and here you are living despite it all”.

“And I have a few more, but those are in places that I usually have covered.” She said

“When did you get them?”

“Well my first one was the rose and I got it when I was 17, I went with Natasha since I was a minor.” She replied “The rest I got them at 18 and 19, the last one I got is on my ribs. Is very small.”

“Are they all small?”

“Kinda.” She shrugged “I think the biggest one is the one I have on my back.”

“Did it hurt?”

“That one yes, like hell.” She nodded “You like tattoos?”

“Well I don’t hate them.”

“Would you get one?” She asked

“I don’t know.”

“It’ll heal fast because of the serum.”

“What if it also ends up fading away?”

“Wanna test it out?” She tilted her head “With some stick and poke?”

“You’re crazy, absolutely not.” He said almost instantly, which made Cat laugh “I don’t trust you to do stick and pokes on my skin.”

“What do you know? What if I’m good?”

“Well something tells me you’ve never done it before, or am I wrong?”

“Well no, but..”

He cut her off. “It’s not happening.”

“Ugh, whatever, dude.” She rolled her eyes laughing “Suit yourself.”

a/n: chat, should i show the rest of Cat’s tattoos? Would you guys like to see them? lol

a/n #2: i wanted to clarify the date, by this chapter is December 2016 (like i said, the story takes place during and after Civil War so in this story im gonna put, like, those years where they were fugitives so yeah, just wanted to clarify that (in the movies, the time between Civil War and Infinity War is two years but in the story, it’ll be three years because i want it to be that way and because i can make it like that lmaoo)

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[foxblood]

The Threads of Memory V - Contact Tracing

Editor's Log 5/21/25 - This chapter has plot now too! More obvious plot, anyway. - Velim gets some family time. - Velim also does some breaking and entering. - As always, basic edits for readability.

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26/27/28/29/30

The driving rain kept the crowds off the dim back streets of the Sea Ward.  Gale pulled his collar up as the rain pelted him sideways beneath the shield and mixed with the icy mud caking the street.  It clung to his boots and stained the hem of his robes as it lapped over the wooden walkways.  The damp ached in his joints and the orb pulsed ever-hungrily in his chest in a hot and cold throb that kept his teeth chattering and his shirt sweat-stuck to his back.

He missed the stairwell on his first pass and backtracked.  The first few stairs were slick with ice and he leaned heavily against the wall, but the landing was dry and the shop behind the door hummed with magic.  The orcish shopkeep glanced over his gold spectacles at Gale and gave him a slight nod as he tinkered with a tiny brass automaton.  Arcane fire flickered blue-white in the sconces, catching on curling wisps of smoke rising from an incense burner on the top shelf.

Gale approached the counter.  The shopkeep set his automaton aside to make room for a large velvet-lined tray.  It rattled with trinkets and small weapons.

“Saved some things for you.” He tapped the side of the tray.

Gale recognized some of the enchantments on sight, outdated and sold at a steep discount.  A dagger glowed silvery blue inside its sheath, reacting to the shopkeep’s orcish blood.  Two rings sent a short magical pulse back and forth to one another at ten second intervals, electricity arcing between them once per minute.  The orb salivated at the offerings, tendrils of weave reaching for the tray and passing over each trinket, selecting the best cut of meat from the butcher’s counter.

Gale plucked out the dagger and the rings and a couple of tarnished amulets.  The shopkeep considered the items Gale had selected.

“Eleven dragon, seven shard, nine nib,” he grunted, picking up his automaton to tighten a couple more screws while Gale got his coins together.

Gale produced a string of taols from his pocket and untied the knot, sliding six of the heavy bronze coins off and pushing the stack across the counter.  The shopkeep swept them off the table and dug in a locked drawer.  Gale held out his hand, but the shopkeep dropped two shards and a nib on the counter.  Gale gathered the change and the trinkets.  He nodded at the shopkeep and braved the rain again.

Velim watched Gale leave Lonzok’s Arcane Supply, cloaked in Everon’s skin and the  smoke rising from their pipe.  Gale passed them without looking up, and they tried to parse the magic pulsing around him.  No change, the Netherese weave in his chest overwhelmed anything else on his person.  Once he gained a long head start, they followed him.  At the end of the street, he blinked out of sight with an invisibility spell, and Velim took a sharp turn down an alley in case they'd been spotted.

Velim cut across the city, clinging close to walls and tight alleys for some protection against the driving rain until they reached Gale's block. They took shelter beneath a shop awning and leaned against the cold brick, lighting their pipe again and puffing until the smoke worked the cold promise of sleep out of their system.  Gale turned onto his street and they ducked into the shadow of the alley.  Gale climbed the stairs to his tower, digging in his pocket for something Velim couldn’t see.  When he reached the top, he pressed his hand to the warded door and for a moment, nothing happened.  He got in on the second try, the wards illuminating him in a soft white glow.

Home safe, they thought, snuffing the pipe before the rain could.  They backtracked, avoiding the sludge clogging the gutters and entered the same stairwell they Gale emerged from not long before.  

The shopkeep -- Lonzok, Velim presumed -- glanced up from his tinkering, and his gaze lingered on them for longer than they liked.  “Let me know if I can help you with anything, Vulture,” he said, pushing his spectacles up his nose and returning to his work.

They studied the shelves of magical scrolls, picking at the tangled strands of weave for some indication of where Gale had passed.  No use, everything around them vibrated with such varied intensity that they couldn’t pick a necromantic charm from a fire spell.

They flipped through a reference of magical ailments from the shelf and approached the counter, dropping the book in front of Lonzok.  “You strike me as a man who’s seen everything.”

Lonzok’s eyes flicked up at them, then returned to the automaton.  “I might be.”

Everon’s snide smile curled across Velim's lips.  They flashed the badge pinned on the inside of their coat.  “I’m working on a case, but I’m afraid I’m no expert in magical ailments.”

The shopkeep nodded at the badge.  “Some tenure you got there, eh?”

“Indeed,” Everon’s voice felt slimy in their mouth, “might I describe the symptoms to you?  Perhaps you could point me in the right direction.  Of course, I’ll pay for the expertise.”

The orcish shopkeep pushed his gold spectacles up his nose with his screwdriver and leaned forward on the counter.  “Lay it on me.”

Velim studied the wrinkles in his face, the wiry hair receding at his temples, the smell of incense covering something mustier.  They thought they’d seen that nose before, broken several times.  

“Well,” they began in the same flippant tone that made them imagine throwing Everon off a cliff every time they heard it, “my patient is suffering from a critical case of spell parasitism.  It sits right above their heart and leaches magic into the environment at an alarming rate, forcing them to consume weave in order to stabilize it or it simply drains their own stores until they die.  It’s an uphill battle that we seem to be losing, but I’ve neither seen any similar ailment, nor am I Weavemaster enough myself to identify and cut out the cause.  Perhaps you’ve seen something similar?”

“So you want to cut it out?” The orc leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap, considering.

“I am perfectly capable of performing the removal as soon as I know what it is that I am removing,” Everon assured the orc with such a condescending tone that Velim was sure he’d throw them out for insolence.

Lonzok watched them closely.  “I seen kids do something similar before.  Took a find familiar spell, but didn’t finish so the weave gets stuck in their throat.  The half-formed critter eats the kid’s magic ‘til they’re drained, and then they wither away to nothin’.”

Velim cocked their head to the side, but swapped their curious consideration for smug neutrality and hoped he hadn’t noticed.  “My patient is certainly capable of completing a find familiar spell.”

The shopkeep eyed them.  “Well, I only seen the like in kids.  And only twice.”

“And how did you fix it?” Velim pressed.

The orc laughed.  “Didn’t fix it.  Kids died, both of ‘em that I saw, anyway.”

“Are there any records?” they asked, studying the stitching of their leather gloves.

“I didn’t keep none.  Try Blackstaff Academy’s infirmary staff, they probably got that on file somewhere,” the orc suggested, “sure they see it all the time.”

“Well,” they slid a few shards across the counter and tucked the book into the safety of their coat, “I thank you for your expertise.  The spell misfire is a start.”

“‘Course.  You come back if you’re in need of my expertise again, Vulture.” Lonzok tossed the coins in the locked drawer on top of the taols without taking his eyes off the disguised dragon’s back.  The draconic weave cast a haze around their body. His Truesight spectacles cut through the tangle of illusion magic they cocooned themself in, and he recognized those eyes from his brother's nightmares.  Cold air gusted in as they left the shop.

The orb ached in Gale’s chest, but not as badly as the night before -- keeping him awake until the wee hours of the morning with each painful throb against his ribs no matter how many times he fed the damn thing.  All the blood in his face pooled in bruised circles under his eyes.  Even so, he’d dressed and combed his hair in expectation of Velim’s arrival.  They came at least once a tenday now, dinner in tow.  As they settled on his balcony to watch the golden afternoon sun, he again considered telling them the truth.

 Tara settled beside Gale on the bench as Velim laid out the evening’s offering on the small table.  They sliced the bread with one or two quick strokes each, fanning the pieces out on the board around a wheel of white-bloomed cheese.  Gale watched, feeling just a touch embarrassed, but knew better than disturb their perfectionist’s trance.

When they finished, they tucked themself on Tara’s other side and leaned back with their glass of wine while Gale cut a piece of cheese off for Tara.  Gale’s earring glinted as he leaned over, the ring through his ear smooth and unblemished.  Mystra’s spinning wheel -- Velim wondered if he was trying to return the Netherese weave to her, if it lodged itself in him when he laid eyes upon it, and if so did that mean his left eye was dominant?  They thought they felt Mystra’s eyes boring into their back from the living room, but she was turned toward the door.  They made sure on their way in.

A cold breeze blew off the ocean.  Gale pulled into his sweater, the crow’s feet tight at the corners of his eyes.  Black tendrils traced angry red welts in his skin like charcoal driven in with a tattooer’s needle.  Velim spread some cheese on a slice of bread and took a bite, waiting for him to fill the silence.

“I read something interesting,” Gale began, “an excerpt from a pamphlet published in Neverwinter some two hundred years ago.  It’s only a sentence, but it makes mention of some sort of draconic plague that swept the countryside east of the city.”

“What was the pamphlet about?” Velim asked.

Gale waved his hand.  “A political piece using Azan the Red as a metaphor for some noble family or another with draconic blood.  Largely your run-of-the-mill slander, but I’d never heard of any such plague in that area.  The passing mention suggests common knowledge at the time of publication, referencing an actual plague.”

Velim scratched behind Tara’s ears thoughtfully, “perhaps some kind of fallout from Azan’s gravesite.  He was slain east of Neverwinter, 100 years before, but…” they trailed off, “no, he would have been scavenged so thoroughly and quickly, there’d be nothing left. You know how fast snatch teams form when a dragon falls, let alone one of Tiamat’s ilk.  He'd be in a million little pieces by then.”

“Are you sure they would descend so quickly as to preclude the possibility of some sort of magical contamination?” Gale pressed, topping up their wine.

Velim’s stomach flipped and they swirled their glass to stare into the little red whirlpool.  The bounty hunters, the magical artifact dealers, the adventurers looking for heroic renown, all would have circled Azan like buzzards from the moment of his blessing.  Long before he was the red dragon, as soon as Tiamat pierced his chest with a crimson claw and set that fire.  Their own heart constricted around a sharp and distant memory.

“Velim?” Gale’s voice pierced their concentration.  He raised a hand like he was going to reach for them.

Velim straightened up.  “It’s possible that he expelled his intrinsic weave as a last act of defiance,” they admitted, “but the stories of Azan don’t depict a man likely to let that go, even as vengeance -- and an event like that would have been recorded, anyway.  Nothing pisses the snatch teams off like a magicless dragon.”

“Ah, true, dragons are not known for giving their power away.  Quite the opposite -- I believe the potency of their bodies is due to their tendency to cling to it, as though their very bones hold it tight,” Gale clenched his fist in illustration and Velim felt sick, “makes for excellent enchanting and magical foci.  Unfortunate for the dragons, of course.”

Velim chuckled, hoping they didn’t sound too strangled.  “Yes, they do, don’t they?  No, I think Azan’s body was scoured down to the last mote within days of his fall.  It’s more likely a run of the mill fever they’re referencing.  The mosquitoes east of Neverwinter --” they blew out a slow breath, “those things kill hundreds every damn summer, and I could see the illustrative link between a red dragon and a particularly bad year for fever.”

“Your insight humbles me, as always,” Gale smiled at them, “I had not considered the bugs.”

“You must always consider the bugs, Gale,” Velim relaxed as the topic shifted.

“Or perhaps the pigeons,” Tara added, “and rats.”

Velim nodded.  “A good harvest year, and you could end up with any number of illnesses from the influx of rodents.  Good grain farming east of Neverwinter, too.  Maybe a hemorrhagic fever?  Blood might also provide a link to the red dragon.”

Tara hopped off the bench and trotted back inside, her absence leaving a cold gap between Gale and Velim.  Velim used the performance of the setting sun as an excuse to take a deep breath of the salty air off the harbor and stretch. Gale pressed his hand hard to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut and breathing through the new surge of pain while Velim was looking away.  He finished his glass of wine, willing the alcohol to numb him a little.

“Another?” Velim asked, brandishing the bottle.

“Yes please.” He set his glass on the table.  

Velim topped them both up, even though their’s was still half full.  “Your episodes aren’t normally this long.”

Gale willed his hand not to shake when he picked his glass up again.  “Impossible to hide anything from you, isn’t it,” he smiled at them, “no, I am…”

Velim waited, his face twisting into a conflicted grimace.  The confession stuck to the tip of their tongue, caged by the lack of solution.  No treatment to soften the violation of his privacy.  Their heart sank.

“It’s worse than it has ever been,” he clutched his sweater until the fabric wrinkled, “and my poor mother has no idea why I’m ill.”

Velim doubted that.  Morena seemed more perceptive than he gave her credit for, based on their brief correspondences and what Madame Toussau shared with them.

“I keep turning her away.  Gods, I know it hurts her.  Del tells me I’m killing her, but if she knew --” he swallowed a sob, “If she knew --” he stopped himself again.

Velim looked down at their bare hands, the ring of Mortal Guise shining in the gold light, and back at Gale.  Hugging him was not an option, he would feel the scales through their shirt or on their cheeks.  They couldn’t hold his hand, either, or he would feel the claws.  They settled for resting their hand between his shoulders, relying on the thick knit of his sweater to disguise any brush of claws.  He leaned into their touch, his body radiating feverish heat.

“I understand,” Velim said softly, desperate to confess what they knew, “it’s lonely, having to lie to the people you love.  Worse, when you know the truth would hurt more.”

The cries of seagulls circling closer for a chance at pillaged dinner swallowed Velim’s voice.  Gale’s heart stuttered in momentary panic.  He wondered how they could have found out, but their touch brought him out of his head and his breath rose and fell beneath the weight of their hand.

“I’m grateful you’ve let me in as much as you have,” Velim brushed their thumb across the ridge of his shoulderblade, suppressing their frustration, “it’s no burden to bear alone.”

Velim measured his breathing and the constant flow of magic spilling off him until both eased.  Gale wiped his eyes and straightened up, and Velim dropped their hand back into their lap.

“Thank you, Velim.”  Gale didn’t look at them, instead throwing back the remainder of his wine.

Velim finished their glass and watched the sun fall below the horizon, turning the clouds red.  “I have a meeting with Peiotr,” they said without standing.

“How soon?” Gale asked, still gasping slightly.

Velim looked at the sunset.  “I’m already late.”

“Gods, I didn’t mean to keep you,” Gale leaned back on the bench and stared at the planks of the ceiling above, wiping his damp eyes again, “I can clean up, if you need to hurry.”

“I don’t mind making Peiotr wait,” Velim wrapped the remainder of the cheese in the waxed cloth it came in, “this is good for another meal.  You ought to keep it.”

Gale watched them work, packing the food away with the same precision they laid it out with.  An ache settled behind the orb.  They already knew so much about his condition and remained eager for his company.  The memory of their magic surging into his chest rose to his mind unbidden.

Velim carried the leftovers into the kitchen.  Gale followed them, lingering in the cool draft from the balcony.  He watched them scratch the sweet spot behind Tara’s ears when she hopped up to direct them, dropping an enchanted trinket onto the counter.  Tara’s head tilted into the touch, but the greeting lasted only a moment before both of them were back to business. Tara flitted across the room and handed the enchanted locket to Gale.

He wanted to admit the full truth, but when he tried to speak up his throat tightened.  He closed his fist around the heart-shaped locket, the stones set into the silver dug into his palm.  The warding bond pulsed warm and soft in his hand.

Velim tsked at dusk settling over the city as they opened the door.  “Peiotr is going to get on my case about running around in the dark again.”

“Blame me for talking your ear off,” Gale smiled despite his aching heart, “I’ll see you soon?”

Velim shot him a half-smile.  “Whether you like it or not.  Take care, Gale.”

Gale pounded against the locked doors of his own voice, demanding that he tell them the truth.  Instead, he said: “take care, Velim,” and closed the door.  

The wards lit up, the magic brushing past his face as he pressed his forehead to the wood.  Tears welled, and he squeezed his eyes closed to keep them from spilling over.  His breathing came in short, painful gasps.

“Mr. Dekarios?” Tara meowed, rubbing against his legs.

Gale staggered away from the door and dropped onto the bench.  It creaked beneath his weight.  He buried his face in his hands, but tears wet his palms and his frustration boiled over in shuddering sobs that pulled his chest taut around the orb.  It reached for the locket clenched in his hand, and he threw it against the opposite wall.

Tara picked the locket back up and hopped up beside him.  “Mr. Dekarios, use it before you get worse,” she scolded, prodding his hand loose with a paw and dropping the locket back into his palm.

“I can’t keep lying to them, Tara,” he sucked in a hard breath as the orb surged for the locket with dogged hunger, “I can’t keep doing this.  It’s not working.”

Tara pushed his hand against his chest, the orb devouring the weave with a fiery ache that pushed a frustrated groan out of his throat.  He dropped the spent thing in his lap.

“Perhaps we should tell them, then?” Tara suggested gently, “Velim is a clever creature.  If the two of you put your heads together, you may get somewhere.”

Even in her absence, Mystra’s weight settled upon him.  The amethyst set eyes of her statuette watched him, and he glared back.  “If they knew what I had done, they’d think me a fool.”

“I think Velim would forgive you.” Tara curled in his lap and began purring.

Gale’s throat constricted again, his voice hoarse and soft.  “And if they didn’t?  This damned thing would take everything from me.”

The statue of Mystra stared forward, accusatory when Gale met her crystalline eyes.  A promise of unending retribution for his folly, and her ever-present watchful silence.  He looked down at the floor.

“Vely!” The young kobold chirped with delight, wrapping herself around Velim’s knees as they entered the cramped townhouse in the Trade Ward.

“Jada!” Velim returned the enthusiasm, helping the kobold scramble onto their shoulders.  They smiled at Peiotr when he appeared in the hall, tapping his foot impatiently.

He sniffed, his moustache working like a furry caterpillar.  “You’re late, Vely.”

“Yes, yes, dinner ran long,” Velim reached into the back pocket of their coat for a sheaf of paper, “but I have the pages.”

Peiotr harumphed.

“Dinner with the wizard,” Jada sing-songed from their shoulders, “when does Jada get to meet the wizard?”

“Jada gets to meet the wizard when the wizard gets to meet Jada,” Velim said, pushing past Peiotr for his office.  They dropped Jada on the seat next to the door.

Jada crossed her arms.  “Jada does not like that answer.”

“Bummer,” Velim said before Peiotr closed the door.

Velim handed Peiotr the sheaf of paper.  He put on his spectacles and studied Velim’s neat slanting hand.

“This ain’t all I asked you for, Vely,” he said, “where’s the rest of it?”

Velim considered the stacks of books on their bed, the journal full of anatomical and magical diagrams.  “That’s all I have Peiotr, I’ve got a case that takes precedence.”

Peiotr sighed and folded his spectacles again.  “I thought you were on leave?”

“Personal case.”

“Personal case,” Peiotr grunted, “for what?”

Velim cleared their throat.  “Patient-doctor privilege, Peiotr.”

He waved his thick hand at them dismissively.  “Not your wizard again.”

The blush prickled at their ears.  “Not Gale, no,” they lied.

Peiotr set the sheaf of papers on his desk.  “I can argue for an extension on the manuscript,” he held up his finger as Velim perked up, “but not unless you’re reinstated by the Vultures.  Far as the publishing house is concerned, you got nothing going on but this.  Unless I can get them an official dispatch or statement of injury or something, Vely, they’re going to drop us.”

Velim ran through their list of contacts.  “I can find someone to sign off on that.”

Something crashed on the upper floor, followed by shouting voices.  Peiotr rubbed his temples.  “Sit down, Vely, we’ll go over what you’ve got when I get back.”

Peitor lumbered out of the room as Velim fell into the plush chair on the other side of his desk.  They listened to his voice rise as he stomped up the stairs, met by a cacophony of childish excuses and blame, and took the moment to close their eyes.

Peiotr jostled their chair on his way back in and they startled awake.  He eyed them as he sat down.  “You gettin’ enough sleep, kid?”

Velim rubbed their eyes and pulled their pipe from their pocket.  “Of course not.”

Peiotr grunted disapprovingly, but didn't ask them to put it out.  “Let's see what you've got here.”

Velim picked up the paper slipped under their door, cracking Georgie’s seal.

Case dropped, Unger expelled from council.  Drinks tomorrow?

-G

Velim dropped the note on top of a pile of books with a long-suffering sigh.  Another problem: reinstatement and imminent deployment to some dead-sick backwater.  Peiotr might be glad for the excuse, but Gale couldn’t afford the hiatus.  They sat at their desk and rested their tired head on their arms, bed still occupied by the expensive arcane library gathered from any bookseller willing to exchange dragon parts for a rare tome.  Their arms itched where missing scales grew back in jagged quills that caught on their clothes, and their head pounded with a bloodless ache.  

A request for investigation would out Gale’s condition, get him reported to Blackstaff Institute and ejected from the city or worse.  Lying about his condition on the request would be out of the question: they were known for providing extensive evidence of a problem, Harold would call them out on it immediately.  And what of Unger?

Georgie might be in a celebratory mood, but Unger was expelled, not dead.  This was the same man who personally euthanized seven victims of Ilanezar’s Rage with a woodcutting hatchet, and then killed another fledgeling who opposed his brutal methodology.  They signed off on the euthanasia, admittedly, but not the use of an axe.  The memory still made them shudder.

And another thought chewed away at their mind.  Gale mentioned Azan, brought him up unbidden.  The last known Red Dragon of Tiamat who perished outside of Neverwinter during his assault on the city over 300 years ago.  Was he trying to tell them something?  Did he know about them the way they knew about him, and if so, what did he intend to do about it?  

They needed action.  Something to stop the running thoughts.  The orc at the shop mentioned Blackstaff Academy had records of spell parasitism.  Parasitism of smaller spells, albeit, but perhaps someone had figured out a treatment they could replicate on a grander scale for Gale.  They needed a solution, and maybe that was the key.  They could offer it up to him tomorrow with their confession -- they thought as they slipped out of their apartment and down the dark streets towards Blackstaff Academy.

The infirmary building floated apart from the main tower, connected by a narrow bridge.  Velim breathed through the vertigo as they walked along the underside, stepping over the crossbeam supports until they reached the end and circumvented the watching eye patrolling the bridge.  The city glittered underneath them, and when they climbed up the side of the infirmary to an open window they paused to collect themself before slipping through the gap.  They landed on the floor in the hallway, quiet except for the coughing of a sick child in one of the wards.  They made their way into a quiet room full of record books, a place they’d been only once before, and made a beeline for the shelf of research reports filed by ailment.

They traced the files, locating the books containing all instances of parasites on campus.  Four tomes in all.  They stacked them on the floor and flipped through, lighting the pages with a flickering flame perched on the tip of their finger.  Enchanted leeches, mind flayer larvae, slug vomiting, run-of-the-mill pubic and scalp lice, and -- here -- familiar parasitism.

Velim released an excited breath as they read on, drinking in the details of magical output and interaction with the lymphatic, neurologic, and vascular pathways of the host.  The affected areas were drawn with multicolored tangles of veins that lifted off the page, rotating slowly so the reader could understand the whole apparatus in three dimensions.  Yes, this was something they could cut out, if they could just figure out how to map the pathways in a living body.

They didn’t hear the door open, or the muffled clank of footsteps on the carpeted floor.  Their mind reverted to animal panic as someone grabbed them from behind, confused and thrashing for seconds before the thick arm tightened around their throat and choked the blood from their brain.  They pawed at the fabric of their assailant’s sleeve, but their filed claws failed to break skin as they lost consciousness.

[kashilascorner]

2024 Favorites, by yours truly - part 1. Reading

I didn't read a lot of manga or comics this year, so for the first time, I'm putting all together. The books here are very losely ordered by preference, with the manga just dropping wherever.

---

Un amor (Sara Mesa)

This is a book about obsession, about desire, about (not) belonging. I loved every bit of it and honestly felt like Sara Mesa was reading my mind at some points. This is a novel I would have loved to have written. First book I read last year, and also first 5 stars. It has been translated into English, with the same name.

Endurance (Alfred Lansing)

I loved this one, and I am convinced they were able to survive because they were silly about their whole ordeal in their first few months. These guys knew how to have fun, that's all I'll say. It's an incredible adventure and I only wish there was an epilogue to it. Also Lansing apparently made up some stuff but it's ok because he's a good narrator.

Young Mungo (Doublas Stuart)

This book was quite something when it released: I remember seeing it everythwere, specially in LGBT bookstores. I decided to read it because the audiobook (in Spanish) was available in my library and, having come back from a trip to Scotland, I felt like reading a story set there. What I found absolutely broke my heart in many little pieces. It is a beautiful, heartfelt, awfully realistic coming of age story set in working-class 90s Glawgow, full of very, very dark things. That being said, I do think a couple of the darker situations in the book could have been more delicately handled. Please look out the trigger warnings for this one.

Promising young women (Caroline O'Donoghe)

I foudn this on a second hand bookstore and had it sitting on my shelf for years (literally) but I thought it looked funny and decided to read it. Let me tell you: this book made me feel like I was watchign a good friend about to make the absolute worst mistake of her life, like watchinga train wreck in slow motion. It was darkly funny and then it becomes increasingly dark and even a little bit gothic. Absolutely loved this one. It is a coming of age story for your mid-twenties, it deals with obsession, loneliness, sexism and more.

A Camelot Triptych (Norris J. Lacy)

NOW THIS ONE. It's the arthurian retelling I've enjoyed the most so far: its short and sweet, its structure is a work of genius, it has a very limited scope and yet tells such a big story. There are layers to it. It is composed by three short stories, or chapters, the first from Merlin's point of view, second from Guinevere and third by Mordred. Absolutely fantastic. And very difficult to find so take your chance.

The tombs of Atuan (Ursula K. Le Guin)

The slow, beautiful second book of the Earthsea series coulnd't be more different in subject and tone from the first one. And yet it was perfect. Despite being so short, it's dense with symbol, heavy with meaning, and requires some patience to read it. This isn't a great fantary adventure. It is something differnt and yet so compelling, brilliant like great fables can be. This was my favorite thing from the novel (CAREFUL, it has spoilers).

Golden Kamuy (Satoru Noda)

This year I finally finished reading this manga, from volumes 16 to 31. Top 5 manga I've ever read. I love the mix of history, culture & nature, humor, adventure, thriller, and more. I love the characters, I love their design, I miss them already.

The Idylls of the queen (Phyllis Ann Karr)

Another Arthurian retelling, this one is so cleverly constructed, so keen on detail and threads so many things together into a very spcific moment of the story that I can only call it a work of genius. Want to see Sir Kay as a detective? Look no further! Ms. Karr really wrote one of my favorite Kays, one of my favorite Morgans and one of my favorite Mordreds and I can only say THANK YOU.

The indifferent Stars above (Daniel James Brown)

Lovely book about a not very lovely story. Earlier in the year I had read a novel called The hunger which overall I liked but felt very lukewarm about the addition of a supernatural element to a story that in real life was extremely compelling but also absolutely horrifying on it's own right. This books follows one of the party members closely and narrates every (mis)step of the doomed Donner Party. Truly beautifully written.

The winter king (Bernard Cornwell)

Third and final arthurian retelling on the list. I was very hesitant about adding it here because I thoroughly enjoyed the first book but not so much the sequels, though I still like them and how the story progressess (I still have a couple hundred pages left of Excalibur, the third and final book so let's see how that goes). Basically this is grimdark arthuriana, but done well. I love Cornwell's style and Derfel, the narrator, is terribly funny. This is also one of my favorite Arthurs so <3

Special mentions: Cruzamos por el ras de la montaña (Maria de la Cruz), Papa told me vol. 1 (Nanae Haruno), The count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas), Parable of the talents (Octavia E. Butler), Thérèse Raquin (Émile Zola), Yotsuba vol. 5 (Kiyohiko Azuma), The lying life of adults (Elena Ferrante).

[maddieautobot273]

Silk & Cologne (16)

A Miguel O’Hara x OC Series - Link to AO3 (X)

Chapter 16 - Normal

Pairing: Miguel O’Hara x Female OC

Words: 2.4K+ words

Warnings: PG but no major warnings for this one! 

Summary: Lisa tries to move past what happened the night of the attack, but can’t deny that things are changing. 

//////

It’s been about a week now since the apartment attack. There hadn’t been any news from Earth-1997 so it was business as usual for the Spider-Society again. Miguel would monitor the multiverse for any signs of anomaly activity, send in a team to deal with it or lead his own team personally. Whenever I was present when Gwen or Hobie or Peter B. would get the call to join in on a mission, my eyes always sparkled with wonder when a portal opened up and I watched them run through. I became curious what the other dimensions would look like. 

Maybe if I trained enough, I would get to be a part of all this? 

But whenever I’d catch Miguel staring at me, noticing the wonder in my eyes, there was an expression that he made that I couldn’t quite decipher. But I knew it was something along the lines of too dangerous. I had previously asked Peter B. what fighting in other dimensions was like, and he said if it weren’t for Miguel’s invention of the Gizmos or day passes, your atoms would break apart bit by bit, slowly killing you. 

“Your atoms don’t exactly feel too jazzed about being in another dimension,” as he once put it. 

Miguel had also briefly explained the process to me the other day during one of our work out sessions. He said that I was almost about to experience the “glitch” process myself while Spider-Doc was tending to my wounds after he and Peter B. first rescued me. When I realized it all, it started to make a little more sense. 

Now I understood the look in Miguel’s eyes a bit better. He didn’t want me to get myself killed. Understandably, I knew where he was coming from. I’m still fresh with my powers, despite my training and progress to control them. But I still had hope.

In between training sessions, I’d work on composing various routines like the one I displayed to Miguel during our mock battle. Just in case. Spider-Man had to actually start fighting villains eventually. Maybe not in my dimension, as per our agreement, but perhaps in Nueva York? Maybe another another dimension?

I had thought about asking Miguel to teach me how to fight, well, properly anyways. I knew with each Spider they had their own unique fighting style. I could mix my dance moves into my evasive maneuvers, but for my attacks? It could work, but be a little tricky. Which is why I need to learn some actual fighting moves. 

In between his Spider-Society duties, Miguel would take a little time out of each day to come visit me in my dimension and help me clean up my apartment. Some of the furniture was salvageable and easily repaired, while others weren’t as lucky. I could understand Miguel’s frustration when he tried helping me fix my bookshelf after I had gathered and cleaned up my toppled book collection. 

“Miguel, are you sure it goes that way?” I asked him as I read through the old instruction pamphlet I had saved from the movers. 

“Pretty sure,” he nodded firmly. “Any other way looks stupid,” 

I glanced back at the instruction manual, looking at the pictures of the display before looking back at the shelf. “Only if you’re sure,” 

“Lisa, really, I have a PHD in biology, engineering, physics, I think I know how to fix a bookshelf from IKEA,” He chuckled with a warm huff, his chest puffing up with pride as he worked. 

He carefully forced the piece in, snapping it in place. He wiped the sweat off his brow as he sat up. His holographic outfit was a blue tank top with beige cargo pants and white sneakers. He stepped back, admiring his work before looking over at me. 

“So?”

“I think you fixed it!” I beamed, smiling at him. “Now I can finally put these books away,” 

Until the board cracked, and toppled down, creating a domino effect that knocked over the other boards. My mouth gaped open at the sight, no words coming out. I glanced over to Miguel and I swear I could see his left eye twitching. 

He huffed, dropping the hammer on the floor. “That’s it, I’m buying you new furniture,” 

“Miguel, it’s okay, you don’t have to do that,” I spoke quickly, waving my hands frantically to try and ease him. “Besides, I can’t pay you back,” 

“Don’t worry about the money, really, it’s on me,” Miguel reached out and used his hand to gently pat my head, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “Relájate y deja que yo me ocupe, mi Mona Lisa,” - Relax and let me take care of it, my Mona Lisa 

I raised a curious brow at the man as my hand gently caressed his. “How much are we talking here?”

“Lisa, don’t worry, really,” Miguel chuckled softly as his fingers latched on to my hand, squeezing them rightly as he lowered his hand from my head. “Besides, I already ordered everything and they’ll be delivered within a few days,” 

“¡¿QUÉ?!” I gawked at Miguel as he brushed past me, grabbing his water bottle. - What?!

“Did you just gawk at me in my mother tongue?” He smirked at me. 

“Well, with us spending a bit more time together, can you blame me for picking up on some phrases?” I crossed my arms at him. “How much was everything?”

He gave me a side eye as I watched him gulp down his water, the adam’s apple of his throat bobbing with each gulp. When he pulled away, he sighed deeply, the drink refreshing him as a small trail of water traveled down his chin and neck. “That’s classified,” 

I whined, telling me to cut me some slack. All he did was laugh at my reaction. 

“Maybe it hasn’t occurred to you that I’m doing this out of the kindness of my own heart?” I smirked. “Maybe because I simply want to?”

My cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the realization that he was going out of his way, willingly, to make me happy. I felt spoiled. 

“But–”

“No buts about it, my Mona Lisa,” He grinned as he gently flicked his finger on my forehead before leaning in closer to my face. “Suffer,”

That all happened yesterday and the butterflies still hadn’t gone away. I had noticed he only acted this way around me when it was just the two of us. While at the Spider-Society, he of course would still be nice to me and offer me warm glances every now and again, but he would always keep things professional while working with the other Spiders. In a sense, I understood the switch and actually agreed. 

There could be a million reasons as to why Miguel chose to act the way he did. I was just happy he felt okay to relax a little bit and let himself go around me. I decided the next time I saw Miguel, I’d put my foot down and ask him to teach me how to fight. 

Anything to try and get that hopeless feeling out of my body after what happened at the apartment. I could feel the pulse of my web fluid quaking in my wrists during that entire encounter. The way that evil Miguel, no– Chameleon, was his name, taunted me, toyed with me. Never again. I’ll never give another villain the satisfaction. 

These thoughts had been plaguing me for the last few days, most noticeably during dance practice. Most of the teams had broken off to practice their work in smaller studios throughout the building, while my team and another worked in the main studio. We were doing our warm ups to some of METRO’s other music when I faltered suddenly and missed a step. 

“Okay, time out,” Kasey spoke up suddenly, signaling to stop the music. “We need to host an emergency team meeting,”

Toya paused the music as Hannah reached out a gentle hand, helping me up to my feet. I smiled warmly at the gesture, silently thanking her. 

“Coach, we’re gonna take a 15 in the break room,” Kasey yelled over towards our coach who gave her a thumbs up as an acknowledgement of her request. 

“Come along, our fearless leader,” Kasey took my wrist and pulled me along as the five of us left the main studio. 

“What’s going on? Did I do something wrong?” I asked nervously. 

We entered the break room, Touga immediately making a b-line for the vending machines as his eyes wandered over the various snacks and drinks. Kasey sat me down on a chair while the others sat around me at a round table. 

“Something's been bothering you, Lisa,” Kasey stated. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” I shrugged my shoulders, trying to appear as normal and calm as I could. “I’m fine,”

“No, you’re not, I think we’ve worked together long enough for me to tell the difference, Kendrick,” Kasey shot me a stern look but mixed a playful grin. 

“Did something happen?” Toya asked as his brother neared carrying an assortment of snacks and drinks. 

“You can tell us, Lisa,” Hannah pleaded gently, her blue eyes pouring into mine. “We won’t judge you,” 

I glanced around at their worried faces before I sighed in defeat. “I can’t hide anything from you guys, can I?”

They all shook their heads. 

I sighed again, my arms leaning against the table as I met their gazes. “Last week, there was a break in at my apartment,” 

“What?!” They all gasped, staring at me with wide eyes. 

“They didn’t take anything did they?” Hannah asked with worry as she placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. 

“No, but my apartment was and still is sort of trashed,” I sighed deeply as Touga handed everyone a snack bag and some water. He took pity on me and gave me an extra snack. “They weren’t trying to take something from the apartment. . .”

“What were they–” Touga began to speak until he stopped speaking mid-sentence, the realization hitting him as he sat down. 

“Oh shit, Lisa, I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Toya’s voice lowered with a sympathetic look in his eyes. 

“Why didn’t you tell us, girl?” Kasey asked. 

“I didn’t want me telling you guys to affect our team’s morale, and. . . I felt scared and ashamed that it happened,” I sighed, leaning back in my chair as I opened one of my snack bags and started munching on the mini pretzels. 

“You weren’t by yourself, were you?” Hannah asked with concern. 

I paused for a moment. If we created this ruse for the police, do I keep it going with my friends? I couldn’t lie and tell them that I was alone and make them even more fearful. But I couldn’t tell them the truth and say that Spider-Man from another dimension saved me. 

“No, I wasn’t,” I shook my head. “My. . . boyfriend saved me,” 

“Boyfriend?” Toya and Touga repeated at the same time, sounding surprised. 

Kasey nudged Toya’s side with her elbow to shut him up before looking back over towards me. “What exactly happened?”

“The attacker pinned me down and before he could do anything else, my boyfriend tackled him and told me to run. They got into a fight and the apartment got trashed in the process,” I explained softly. 

“So he sent the creep packing, mad respect,” Touga nodded his head with an approving look in his eyes as Toya mimicked the gesture. 

I smiled gently at them. I very much approved as well. 

“Well we’re glad that you’re alright, Lisa,” Kasey smiled warmly. “From now on, no more keeping secrets from us, alright? We’re a team, you know,”

“Not just a team, we’re friends!” Hannah beamed as she hugged me. “Friends help each other out, right, boys?”

“Yeah! If that creep even thinks of showing his ugly mug again, give us a shout and we’ll show’em not to mess with you!” Toya stated as he punched the air. 

I looked out at my friends and I could feel a warm bubbly sensation come over me as I looked at their smiling faces. “You guys are amazing, you know that?”

“What are friends for?” Kasey grinned. 

“Hey, there’s this new ramen shop that opened not too far from here. We should all go after practice today,” Touga offered. 

Hannah smiled, clapping her hands together. “That is a wonderful idea!”

I smiled at my friends as we moved on to other bits of conversations during the remainder of our break, munching on our snacks. It felt good knowing I had another group of people I could trust that I knew would have my back. A group of friends that I didn’t need to travel to another dimension just to see. 

///////

Earth-423 

Princess Petra soared through the air on her web sling, her silk skirt of her dress retracting into a shorter one as the web fabric silk morphed into her spider suit. The moon was full out that night as the silk of her webs glowed in the moonlight. Her spider pet, Webster, clung tightly to her shoulder as she swung across her kingdom. 

She had sensed a disturbance with her Spider-Sense, as Petra made her way to the forest. She caught herself on a tree branch, hunching over as she hid herself within the leaves as she found her prey. 

A strange fiend appeared through a magical portal. It appeared to be some sort of animal, with razor sharp teeth, a long tongue and covered in this black goo. Why, this creature looked very similar to Venomilcent, a horrible beast that had plagued her kingdom in months passed. But this creature clearly wasn’t the monster she was familiar with. 

“Oh dear, Webster, I do believe the danger we were warned about is upon us now,” Petra groaned with worry as she glanced down at her spider friend. “Of all the days to leave behind that handy bracelet he gave me,” 

As much as she hated leaving the monster to roam free in the forest, Petra knew she wouldn’t be able to fight that thing along. She wouldn’t just need the help of the royal guard, no, she needed their help to stop it and send it back from whence it came. 

“Come on, Webster, we must hurry and summon Lord O’Hara and his Society of Spiders!” Petra swung back the way she came. 

Meanwhile, Venom was left to roam the forest, searching for fresh prey to feast on.

////

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[artificialinsanity]

Hunting the Missing Link

Story Summary: When a mysterious individual crash-lands in the sleepy town of Starlight Edge, four unassuming individuals begin on a journey to find its origins, kickstarting a chain of events that would alter thier lives forever.

Chapter Summary: When Emily gets a new car, she takes them for a road trip to all thier favorite places, as a start to the most interesting day in the rest of thier lives.

[Next]

Story under the cut.

Just a few hours drive west from Empire City lies a small, sleepy town by the name of Starlight Edge, with a population in the low ten-thousands. Though small, the town is quite a hotspot for tourism due to the Starlight’s Edge of which the town is named after - a massive 100-foot cliff overlooking a series of 16 waterfalls flowing into a deep lake, known by the residents as Lake Selene.

A few miles away from Starlight Edge, on a street leading in from the town, lie 4 houses in a cul-de-sac, though only one has a vehicle parked outside - a yellow sports bike. Inside this house, a young hyena woman is tinkering with something while the 8am news plays in the background.

“In global news, Sonic the Hedgehog appears to have stopped the evil Doctor Robotnik yet again in the outskirts of Metropolis Zone,” reports the newscaster. “Sources say the Doctor, quote, ‘Didn't put up much of a fight.’”

“Why does this idiot keep trying these stunts!?” shouts the hyena to an audience of none. “By this point he should KNOW it’s not gonna work!”

Dressed in black with the proper safety equipment, the hyena is hard at work; soldering electronics together with a tutorial on her phone. Electronics lay all over her “garage”, from busted CD players, to old computer motherboards, to failed projects, parts and tools litter the place like they’re a rare commodity. Outside her work space, her living space isn’t much better, with clothes scattered all across her furniture, mainly centered around a single chair in the back corner.

Next to her TV is a slew of various SEGA video game consoles - Genesis, Saturn, and even Dreamcast - and next to those is a shelf full of video games, all of them about Sonic the Hedgehog. From the first one on Genesis to the last one on Dreamcast, she has them all. She even has the ones released after that, but those are on her PC, which lay just next to the shelf of video games.

With one final solder, the hyena raises her safety goggles to her forehead, eager to test out her contraption, when she hears a knock at the door. Steadily, she removes her safety gear, attaches her contraption to her wrists, and begins preparing herself.

This perky young hyena girl has big dreams, big ambitions, and a surprisingly ample bosom. Her fur is a creamy tan, like a warm latte, contrasting well with her clothes dark as night, much like the markings dotting her fur. She wore a light, yet tight black tank top with a cute yellow star adorned on its front, a black-and-purple tartan skirt with a purple waistband, some tight black sport shorts, purple combat boots that go up to her knees, and a crop top leather jacket with pins of some of her favorite musical acts - Neck Deep, State Champs, and All Time Low. Her eyes were a much darker shade of brown than her fur, much more akin to the trunk of an old and world weary oak tree. The contraptions she placed around her wrists were gold ring bracelets. Upon her hands, she also wore fingerless gloves, revealing the black tips of her fingers; and also had small purple glasses, which she wore on her nose. As for the girl’s name? It was-

“Stella!” barked a deep female voice from beyond the door. “You ready yet? I got something to show you!”

“Just a minute, Emily!” Stella yelled in response. Quickly turning off the TV, she rushed out the front door, eagerly awaiting what the day may bring.

“There you are, slowpoke!” said Emily. “What took you so long?”

“Sorry! I was fixing up my Light Bracelets.” Stella replied. “Why’d you call me out, exactly?”

“Come on! I got something to show you!” exclaimed Emily, clearly excited; which was rare for the porcupine, as she mostly stayed to herself. Her quills were a deep maroon, like autumn leaves, with her pupils a fiery red. She wore indigo boots with white stripes on them, jean shorts, and a pink tube tank top, with an indigo vest overtop. She was also one of the few members of this group to wear eyeshadow, hers being a striking lavender in color. She also had white gloves with spikes on them, as well as spiked bracelets around her wrists.

Emily took Stella two houses down, where a rounded object covered in abstract haphazard D.I.Y. canvas rest just out front, where it didn't just an hour ago.

"What's this?" questioned Stella, knowing full well what might be under the sheet, but feigning ignorance for pleasantries.

“Can’t say right now,” replied Emily. “Gotta wait for Lyla and Vicki first.”

Emily looked around.

“...Hey, where are Lyla and Vicki?”

Just then they noticed two figures racing down the street, one of them hovering just above the ground. As the figures got closer, Stella and Emily noticed it as a cheetah and a crow, rapidly approaching. As they got even closer, the cheetah slid to a stop just in front of the others, while the crow flew face first into a telephone pole. Everyone winced.

"Ooh, you okay, Vicki?" asked a concerned Stella.

"I- I'm fine!" said the timid crow, holding her head, dizzy. "Just a small bump, is all."

"I'll trust you on that, Victoria." Stella then replied.

Victoria is a shy, mild-mannered crow. Shorter than the rest, she wore a pristine white dress overtop her black feathers, though now its formerly spotless appearance has taken on dirt, grime, and a small bit of snow from the wintery ground. She doesn't seem to notice, or care, though. She's spacey - appropriately keeping her head in the clouds and rarely focusing on the situations at hand. Her hair feathers are always frazzled, despite her keeping them in a ponytail, and her boots are as black as her feathers, making them almost invisible unless you're focused on them. She also wore, on a chain around her neck, a small yellow heart-shaped gemstone, burning with a small flame to match, kept inside a small iron cage. Supposedly, in the time she’s owned it, Vicki has never seen the flame go out. 

"Probably shoulda warned ya about the pole, Vic. Sorry!" Said the cheetah in an oddly chipper tone.

"Yeah, maybe you should have, Lyla. She could have gotten seriously hurt!" Stella yelled

"Don't yell at her, Stella! I'm fine!" said Vicki in response.

Lyla is an upbeat, chipper cheetah with a heart of gold and balls of steel, despite being a girl. She will charge into any situation and will not stop until she either saves the day, or gets so hurt she has to retreat. She's impulsive, sporty, and VERY friendly, but has a fear of heights. She's also somewhat inattentive, often not realizing the true gravity of a situation. She wears a navy blue sports bra and sport shorts, as well as sneakers in the same color. Her short, manic hair is a rich, creamy brown, that falls overtop the rest of her bright yellow fur, and her eyes are a deep, rich blue that almost pierces into your very soul. She smiled, rubbing the back of her head in a bashful manner.

"You know I worry about you, Vicki," Stella said. "I just don't want you to-"

"I get it, mom. You don't have to lecture me, I'm fine," replied Vicki in response.

"Now's not the time for arguing, you three!" exclaimed Emily. "We can worry about this later - I have something to show you all."

"I take it it's underneath that car-shaped cloth?" Stella pointed.

"I told you not to peek, you jerk," Emily teased.

"Oh yeah, sure, I'll just NOT look at the biggest thing on the street right now. Sure. That sounds reasonable." Stella jokingly replied.

"Alright, I get it!" Emily jeered. "You've made your point."

"Alright, so what's under the cloth? Better be something good," Stella asked. "If I find out you bought a damn mom car, I'm going to be most displeased-"

"Don't worry, princess," Emily teased, "I know your taste in cars is very exquisite."

"It's a symbol of EXPRESSION!" Stella yelled.

"So you've told me a thousand times," Emily responded, rolling her eyes so hard they could drive down the mile street to Starlight Edge and back. "Don't worry - I picked out my favorite. And it should be one you'd enjoy."

Emily grabbed the cloth, said "I present to you:", and yanked it off with force, revealing a red Mitsubishi Eclipse sedan, with a vanity plate reading "VELS"

"VELS?" questioned Stella.

"It's our initials," responded Emily. "Vicki, Emily, Lyla, Stella. V, E, L, S."

"Chaos, why didn't I pick a name with a better initial?" joshed Stella, snickering. "Like Andromeda, or Aurora?"

"Oh yeah, because 'VEAL' is SO much better-" Emily teased.

"At least it's a real word!" yelled Stella in response.

"Whatever," brushed Emily. "So, you guys wanna go to the shops, and take this puppy for a spin?" She said, twirling a keychain on her index finger.

"YEAH!" Lyla, Stella, and Vicki all cheered in unison.

"Great! Let's go!" Emily exclaimed, excited.

Emily hit a button on her keychain revealing possibly the coolest thing about her new car - It was a convertible.

Everyone's eyes lit up brighter than the moon.

"Wait," Stella puzzled, "would putting the top down really be a good idea? It's January."

"Well, it's not snowing right now, is it?" Emily responded.

"Hmm, fair enough."

They all jumped into seats - Emily took the driver's side, as she's the only one legally allowed to drive; Stella took the passenger's side; Lyla sat behind Emily; and Vicki sat behind Stella. With everyone seated, Emily put the key in the ignition, turned it, and sped off down Parker Street into Starlight Edge.

It was a cold January day in Starlight Edge - the town had just been hit with 6 inches of snow just a few days before, and the town itself lit up brighter than ever before with the reflective snow on the ground. The small town adores its winters, having wonderful celebrations with each one. Just in from Parker St. is the shopping district, starting with Saturn Blvd., the biggest street in shopping in Starlight Edge by far, with stores, fast food restaurants, and even the Hogpine Mall, still kicking despite the decline in malls all over the world. Stella likes dropping in from time to time to pick up a CD or 2. After the shopping district is the residential district, where the citizens of Starlight Edge, well, reside. There's a few small shops in here - small mom and pop shops, convenience stores, bars, and some more fast food joints, but most of the space is taken up by housing. And just beyond the residential district is where the tourism takes charge - on the far East edge of town lies a renowned observatory, public pools, springs, parks, forms of entertainment like sporting fields, amusement parks and arcades, and beyond even ALL OF THAT lies the ever famous Starlight's Edge. Though that's MILES away from the town for the safety of its citizens, of course.

As the red Mitsubishi Eclipse pulls into town, the question arises among its passengers: Where to first?

"First things first, I should REALLY pick up Vimu," Stella said first. "I wanna have him with me, and make sure he's okay!"

"Then I wanna go to the bar!" Vicki yelled.

"Are you even old enough to drink?" Lyla asked, half joking.

"Oh, I'm not interested in alcohol!" Vicki responded. "I wanna swindle some suckers at darts and billiards! It'll be fun!"

"After that I wanna go to RCS Field on the East End," said Lyla. "My 1200 meter record is 25:58, and I wanna see if I can beat it!"

"Good luck with that!" scoffed Emily. "The only person who can run 1200 meters faster than 25 seconds is Sonic himself!"

"You don't know that!" yelled Lyla in response.

"Okay, but before you do that, I wanna buy CDs at the Hogpine Mall!" Stella butted in. "RCS Field is on the other side of town! It'd be a long drive there and back!"

"Stella, it'd be far quicker to get your CDs on the way back," Emily said. "If we're going to the far side of town anyways, better to get it out of the way as early as possible."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Stella said. "After, then."

"And then after all that we can get some fast food and go home," said Emily. "Sound good to you guys?

The car said "Yeah!" in unison.

"Great, then that's our day. Hope you're all ready!"

"I know I am!" said Stella.

"In it to win it!" said Lyla.

"I'm ready!" Vicki chimed in.

And with that, thier day had truly begun.

- - -

Thier first destination was Clysedale Care Clinic on Stellar St., the street Stella got her name from. The clinic takes care of all manner of creatures, from Chao, to Wisp. They're very trustworthy, with plenty of glowing reviews, which is why Stella has enlisted thier services for a while now.

Emily pulls the Eclipse up front, and Stella gets out.

"Wait here, guys," Stella said. "I'll go in alone."

She walked in the door, and the bell rang to signal her presence. Upon walking up to the counter, she was greeted by one of the Clysedale siblings - Ezrieal.

"Welcome to Clysedale Care Clinic!" They say in that customer service tone. "What can I do for you today?"

"Hi, Ez!" says Stella. "Is Theo in today? I'm here to pick up Vimu."

"Ah, of course! Let me call them out!" Ez says, before disappearing into the back. After a few seconds of muffled shouting Stella couldn't understand, a tall figure emerged from the back. They had glasses and brown hair, and just kind of looked tired all the time. His eyes quickly looked to Stella, seeming to know exactly what she was thinking.

"You're here to pick up your Chao, yes?" They said in a sleepy tone.

"Y- Yes, sir." Stella stammered, slightly intimidated. Dr. Theo always gave her a weird feeling.

"Let me get him for you then," He replied, disappearing into the back.

After a few seconds, they re-emerged with a white robotic chao with a screen for a face.

"Vimu!" Stella shouted, and gave him a big hug. "Oh, I'm glad to see you're okay!" Vimu made a cute little chime in response.

"Your Chao was a tad bit… unorthodox for us," Dr. Theo said, "But he appears to be perfectly healthy. No slowdown, no clutter, no viruses. One of the healthiest we've ever seen."

"Thank you for your services, Dr. Theo!" Stella exclaimed. "How much do I owe you?"

"The standard fee, my dear," Dr. Theo replied. "30 Rings an hour."

She paid the fee - 2,160 Rings. The price was steep, but it was her own fault for not coming to get her Chao sooner.

Theo did some counting, gave a satisfactory nod, and put the rings in the register on the front desk. "Once again, it has been a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Stella."

"I'm just glad the work you do here is so sublime!" Stella said. "Thank you!"

"Any time, my dear. Do come back if you require our services again."

"Of course! You guys are the best in town! Have a good day!"

"You too, Miss Stella."

With Vimu in hand, Stella walked out of the clinic, and got back into the car. Lyla and Vicki immediately greeted Vimu with pets and treats.

"Weird group of folks, those guys," Emily made an off-handed remark.

"Yeah, but they do good work, though," Stella replied. "They're not hurting anyone, so I don't judge."

"They've got some odd vibes about them, though," Emily said.

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing, Emily," Stella assured as Emily pulled out from the clinic and got back on the road. "Where to next?"

"Mighty Bar & Grill," Emily said. "Vicki's request."

Vicki pumped her fist in response.

That would take a trip to the residential district, which, like most things in this town, was relatively uneventful. After arriving at Mighty Bar & Grill, on the corner of Calmac St. and Griffith Rd., the band of four went in. Lyla, Stella, and Emily sat at the bar - Vicki had other plans.

"Don't you think it's a bit early to get sloshed, ladies?" the barkeep, a British mouse with the nametag Carrie queried.

"We're not here for alcohol," Emily responded. "These 2 are underage, and I'm driving these idiots."

"What? I'm 21!" Stella interjected. "I just personally abstain."

"Fair enough," replied Carrie, pulling out a glass. "What'll it be?"

"You got any sports drinks?" said Lyla.

"I'll take a sparkling water," said Stella.

"Orange juice for me," said Emily.

"Very well," Carrie responded. "It should be ready in a few minutes. In the meantime, have some fun!"

Which is what Vicki was already in the process of doing. She was haggling as many patrons as you could ask for at 10 in the morning to play her at various games, claiming she could beat them with her eyes closed. She'd even take bets - sometimes up to 500 Rings! Her strategy was foolproof - deliberately missing the first few shots, but then cleaning house after turn 3 or so. Darts was easy - with a steady aim, and enough precision, she could hit the bullseye or triple 20 every time. Pool was a bit more difficult, requiring a bit more skill to be able to handily win without sight. But Vicki's been at this for years - she's studied the slight variances in every pool ball, being able to pinpoint each ball without even knowing what color they are. Sure, for every 5 wins at pool, she had at least one loss. But that was the thrill of the game to her.

After getting thier drinks, Stella, Lyla, and Emily all went off to do thier own separate things. Stella perused the various arcade games at the bar, playing Sega classics like Hang-On, and House of the Dead with Lyla joining in. And when she wasn't playing with Stella, Lyla was indulging in some of the other games at the bar, namely the basketball hoop. She missed nearly all her shots, but she had fun at least. Emily, however, just sat at the bar, drinking her orange juice and scrolling social media on her phone. She didn't want to get too involved into anything, because she had to drive these dorks across town when this was over.

By noon, Stella and Lyla had gotten bored of the activities, and Vicki was finishing up her escapades, beating some poor sucker at Darts 501 for the fifth time in a row. He wasn't even drunk.

"Come ON!" he said, agitated. "There's no WAY this is legit! You HAVE to be cheating!"

"Maybe it's just a skill issue, Charles," Vicki said to the patron, spinning a dart on her finger. "I'll be taking those 50 Rings you wagered now."

"NOT till I have proof you ain't cheatin'!" Charles yelled in response.

"Forget it, man!" another patron yelled from across the bar. "She's legit. Just give her the money."

Charles, reluctantly, reached into his pockets and gave Vicki 50 Rings.

"Thanks for being such a good sport, Charlie," Vicki said smugly. Charles just glared in response.

"Yo, Vic!" Lyla said to her. "You almost finished yet? We've been here almost 2 hours now!"

"Yeah, I'm done," replied Vicki. "Let's go, then! Don't keep me waiting, slowpokes!"

As they went to leave the bar and reenter the car, they had a small conversation.

"What's got you so cocky?" Stella asked.

"Feeling like I'm on top of the world with all those victories!" Vicki responded.

Vicki accidentally walked into the door on her way out, causing the rest of the group to wince, though Stella winced the hardest.

As they got out of the bar, Stella asked Vicki "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" Vicki retorted. "That was all part of my scheme, anyways…"

"So how much did you make out with this time?" Emily inquisited.

"Meh, only around 850," Vicki responded, disappointed. "We gotta come back here after 8pm when everyone's sloshed - I'll make out with plenty for sure!"

Vicki giggled to herself, and everyone else smiled and joined in, laughing and giggling all the way to the car, where they then headed to RCS Field on the East side of town.

RCS Field was a hybrid football and track field, where the local football teams regularly practiced. While physically large, the field itself drew few visitors, namely due to the small size of the town, and the fact that the only games that really took place here were local anyways.

Lyla didn't really care much about the local football team - she was banned for being too violent as a kid anyways. What she cared most about was the track.

Olympic sized at 400 total meters around, Lyla practices her speed here many times a month to ensure she's in top shape, still trying to beat her best time - A little over 25 seconds for 3 laps around. She's tied it 3 times since she set it, but never passed it. She's hoping today she can break it wide open, though at this point, even a millisecond faster would be enough for her.

The track was in pretty good shape, as the architects had the foresight to put a glass roof overtop the field, so that the players would be unaffected by the weather, though Lyla did have to brush a small bit of snow off the track, as it had started snowing by this point in the day..

Lyla lined up at the starting area, with Stella on stopwatch duty, and Emily and Vicki on the sidelines for moral support. Stella was just glad she wasn't the one running.

"What are you gonna do when you beat it?" asked Stella. "You'd need some kind of a celebration."

"Think I might load up on lasagna and pig out for a bit." Lyla replied. "But that's IF it's possible."

"Alrighty then," Stella said. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"GO!" Stella shouted as she started the timer. And with that, Lyla was off to the races, literally. She had a bit of a rough start, as she typically does, but after a few minutes, she put her arms at her sides with her fists in front, and ran as fast as she could, completing 3 laps in 31 seconds.

Lyla was a bit upset, but she didn’t let it get to her - her first run wasn’t going to beat her record anyways. So she lined back up at the start, and ran the track again, and again, and again, over and over, slowly but surely closing the gap. 30 seconds. Then 29. 28 seconds. 27…

While Lyla was running, Stella began shivering. It was the middle of winter, and the thickest jacket she packed was a leather jacket that didn’t even fully cover her torso.

“Brrr! Is anyone else feeling a bit chilly?” She said to the rest of the group. Vimu huddled up next to her to try and warm her up.

“Maybe you should have packed for the weather, then,” Emily said, pulling out a puffy jacket.

“I don’t feel cold!” shouted Vicki.

“Here, take this then.” Emily threw a wool blanket at Stella. Stella nodded as thanks.

Lyla kept running, over and over running 3 laps around the track, closing the gap ever further, down to a 26:01, then 25:98.

“Just a little bit more!” Lyla exclaimed. “I think I can do this!”

Lyla lined back up at the start, determined to run as fast as she ever had. Stella yelled “Go!”, and Lyla was off, running at speeds she hadn't reached before. However, halfway through her second lap, she tripped on her feet, falling to the ground. However, making a miraculous recovery, she rolled into a ball, got back up, and finished the rest of her laps, finishing with a final time of…

“25:5…9.” Stella read off the stopwatch.

“59!?” yelled Lyla. “I tripped and fell, and was able to miss my record by a single millisecond!?”

“Well, this rounds up to 2 places, and milliseconds are counted in thousandths,” replied Stella, “So it could be anywhere from 1 to 10 milliseconds.”

“So? I missed my record by 10 milliseconds! By tripping and falling!” Lyla screamed. “Can I get a redo on that? Please?”

“Sorry,” Emily butted in. “You’re out of time for today. It’s 3 pm - The sun’s almost setting.”

“Damn it!” Lyla yelled. “But I’m coming back to tackle this tomorrow! I know I can do it!”

“Yeah, but we have other things to do today,” Emily replied. “Sorry.”

Everyone slowly walked back to the car, Lyla upset, but regaining her composure shortly after. Getting back in the car, they realized it was snowing harder than before. Not snowstorm levels, but definitely more than the light sprinkle of earlier in the day.

Emily drove the car back to the west side of town, but stopped at a grocery store instead of the Hogpine Mall.

“You didn’t clear this destination by us beforehand,” Stella said. “We cleared our destinations with you.”

“I know,” said Emily. “I just need to pick up a few things real quick. I’ll only be a second, I promise.”

And with that, she got out of the car and went inside. Stella, Lyla, and Vicki were left in the car to do whatever they wanted, though for some reason, Emily left the top down on the car. After 20 minutes, Emily still wasn’t back yet, so everyone was just doing their own thing. Lyla was playing a Game Boy Advance, Vicki was reading a book, and Stella was listening to music. Suddenly though, something caught Stella’s eye - someone shivering in a back alley. With the snow, Stella knew they wouldn’t last long out here, and considering the person was shivering in an alley, they likely didn’t have any place to go. Stella looked around for some way she could help, and noticed a taco truck on the other side of the street. After quickly instructing Vimu to stay put, Stella began to hop over the car door, when Lyla took notice of her.

“Where are you going?” she questioned.

“I’m just going to do something real quick,” Stella responded. “I’ll be right back.”

And with that, she hopped out of the car, and ran to the taco truck.

“Ahh, if it isn’t my favorite customer!” the truck owner said to her. “How many will it be, Stella?”

“Five, please, Donnie!” Stella replied.

“And I take it 3 more for your friends?” Donnie joked.

“No, just 5,” Stella said with a giggle.

“Coming right up!” Donnie said. “They’ll be done in just a minute, so don’t go anywhere!”

“OK!” Stella responded. In the wait she was able to get a longer look at the stranger in the alleyway - They appeared to be a female wolf with black, matted fur. She was covered in dirt and snow, and shivering from the cold. Her clothes; a red flannel, black jean shorts and combat boots, and white fingerless gloves, were tattered and torn, not nearly in enough shape to survive the winter. She had a gray muzzle and yellow eyes, and looked clearly distraught, almost on the verge of tears. Stella felt really bad for this woman.

“OK, kiddo!” Donnie said, startling Stella. “Here’s your tacos!”

“I’m, uh, still 21 years old, but thank you!” she said in response.

“Just because you’re 21 doesn’t mean you’re not a ‘kiddo’, kiddo,” responded Donnie. “25 rings please!”

Stella paid the 25 rings, and proceeded to move to the other side of the street, slowly. Lyla caught a glimpse of Stella, and noticed her going into the alleyway.

What are you doing, Stella? Lyla thought to herself.

Stella approached the mystery girl slowly, so as not to startle her. She was whimpering, rubbing her hands together next to a small fire for warmth. As Stella got close enough to the girl, she began to take notice of her, at which point Stella outstretched her hand and offered a taco.

“Here,” Stella said. “Take this.”

The girl did not. Instead she growled, bit Stella’s hand, and sprinted away on all fours, behind the store and out of sight of Stella.

Weird girl, Stella thought to herself, as she walked back to the car.

“So what happened?” Lyla asked Stella as she hopped back into the Eclipse.

“Not much,” Stella lied. “I bought tacos though!”

“Sick!” Lyla responded.

“Your hand!” Vicki pointed out, noticing the bite mark. “What happened?”

“I saw a homeless girl in the alley, and offered her a taco, but she bit me and ran away,” Stella answered.

“You gotta be more careful around strange girls, Stella,” Emily responded, exiting the store. “Is it infected? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

“I’ll probably be fine,” Stella responded. “Just gotta wash it and bandage it.”

“Nuh-uh. Not good enough for me,” Emily responded. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“Alright, fine,” Stella responded. “I bought you a taco!”

“Sick” Emily said as she took it, and began the drive to the hospital.

- - -

“See, Em? I’m fine!” Stella said as they left the hospital on the east side of the residential district It was just about sunset now after everything that had happened throughout the day.

“Better to know for sure than to assume,” Emily retorted.

“But I’m going to be fine,” Stella said, pointing finger guns at Emily with her newly bandaged hand.

“Be more careful next time,” Emily scolded with a sigh.

“Whatever,” Stella says in response. Vimu made a happy noise.

Emily looked up into the sky. “It’s getting late,” She said.

“Maybe we should be heading home?” Vicki added.

“Good idea! My legs could use a break from all this walking!” Lyla chimed in, stretching.

“Were we out all day?” Stella questioned. “Maybe we should make tomorrow a bit more low-key.”

“Good idea, ladies,” Emily chimed, pulling her car keys from her pocket, pleasant with how the day went on. “Get in. Let’s go home.”

The drive home was less talkative and less chaotic than the rest of the day had been. Everyone was mostly just talking about some of the things that happened today, and new interests of thiers - but softly so as not to disturb Vicki, who had fallen asleep in the back seat. Suddenly, the topic turned to sports, and Stella tuned out, looking out the side of the convertible car that still had its top down. She began looking at her bandaged up hand in the fading sunlight, and for a brief second thought she caught a faint glimpse of the mystery girl again, but when she turned to look again, the girl was gone, almost as if she was never there.

“You okay, Stel’?” Emily asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Stella sheepishly said in response. “Must be a bit tired, is all.”

“I feel you there,” said Emily.

By the time they had arrived home, the sun had fully set. Checking her phone, Stella noticed it was 5pm, which made sense, as it was late January. Everyone had gotten out of the car, and was about to head inside and turn in for the night, when Stella looked up and noticed something.

A meteor shower! Here! The Starlight’s Edge would probably be a better place to view it, but nobody wanted to miss a single second. Light shows like this were a rare occurrence, especially meteor showers and shooting stars! Everyone began “ooh”ing and “ahh”ing at the pretty lights and colors, and quickly began pointing out pretty stars. Stella even pulled out her telescope, The Constellation as she called it, to get a better view.

“I like that one!” Lyla said, pointing to a star that was shooting especially fast.

“That one’s very pretty!” Stella said, pointing at one of the brighter stars in the sky.

“I think that one’s pretty cool,” Emily said pointing at a large star.

“That one’s not even moving!” Stella responded.

“Should we wake Vicki up?” Lyla inquired.

“No, let her sleep,” Stella replied.

“Uh, guys?” Emily asked, slightly concerned and pointing at a particularly large star.

“Yeah, we get it, Em. You like the large one,” retorted Lyla.

“No, I think she’s onto something,” Stella said, now worried. “Is it getting bigger?”

“Hit the deck!” Emily yelled, causing everyone to scatter into different directions. Which was a good call, as the “star” crash landed in front of the Eclipse, tearing open the pavement and waking Vicki with the noise.

“What’s going on?” Vicki slurred, bleary eyed.

“We don’t know!” Stella yelled.

“Stay calm, Stella!” Emily commanded.

“Looks like… a person?” Lyla noticed.

To which she appeared to be right - as what has just crashed into the pavement is no ordinary debris or meteor. Sure, it LOOKED almost otherworldly, as it sparked on its way down, but what remained in the crash site looked far too…

…Mobian…

To Be Continued...

[planet4546b]

Book asks: 3, 16, 20

3. What were your top five books of the year?

(in no particular order!!)

The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell. instlantly entered maybe my top 10 books of all time. absolutely phenomenal book. i dont even know what to say about it

The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin. this series ABSOLUTELY lives up to the fucking hype, i adore it. obelisk gate was also phenomenal, im just counting it as part of the series (still have stone sky on my shelf but havent gotten to it yet)

House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski. a book that seemed designed for me specifically to go bonkers about it, i could talk about it for hours and hours

Underland, Robert Mcfarlane. Macfarlane's style occassionally isn't my favorite (a bit too prose-y for nonfiction for my taste) but i appreciate a book about underground spaces by someone who clearly understands their weight and also their beauty

World War Z, Max Brooks. this one was unexpected! but it's a fascinating way to tell a story about zombies, and brooks does a really good job of actually imagining what this world would look like. i find myself thinking of a few chapters all the time

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

unfortunately Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie. it's a book that i very much wanted to like but found myself unable to meet on it's terms and sort of walked away feeling unsatisfied. never been able to articulate exactly why!

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

im not watching too many releases, i think the most recent murderbot book was the only one i was particularly looking forward to!! its sitting on my shelf but i haven't read it yet so i cant judge if it meets expectations yet