#(also ch 2 is coming soon pinky promise)

[enjoythesilentworld]

Wille's Month - Literature

day 3! @youngroyals-events

“I thought you were a literature student?” “This is literature!” Wille is a very serious literature student, thank you very much.

Read below or on ao3! (cw: implied sexual content)

To the surprise of no one, graduate school turned out to be a little demanding. Still, Wille enjoyed it. He did. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was actually producing something worthwhile. Finally, he had an outlet for all the confusion and turmoil growing up, an explanation for why it’d been so hard to accept himself for who he was. In literature, in tracing lines between characters and plot lines, connecting authors and themes, he found answers. He found common ground and explanations for the world around him. It helped him see beauty in the little, mundane things and simplicity in the big, complicated things. No more was it, why do I feel like this about another boy? It was oh, you felt this, too, and it all turned out okay. The humanity in his readings and the brilliance in discussing it with others, the searching for answers and that spark of joy when he finally connected two pieces together, it kept him going. All that, along with periodic praise from his advisor, plenty of coffee, and, of course, almost more than anything, Simon. 

Simon. Wille knew that he could’ve done the whole thing by himself – he’d enrolled before even meeting Simon, thank you very much – but something about having the man by his side, going through the same slog of self-doubt and fear and exhaustion made it all the more worthwhile. To have each other to go back to at the end of the day meant everything to Wille, and he was pretty sure Simon felt the same. He still didn’t know who to thank at the university for that silly bonding trip, but Wille was eternally grateful to whatever almighty force had brought Simon into his life. That first day, Simon’s shy smile and blushing cheeks, which quickly turned to sassy remarks and teasing smirks, had been a ray of sunlight in Wille’s life. Things had already been fine, even good, but Simon brought something more. Something Wille would never be able to put into words. Wille could read every book ever written and still never find the words to describe it, that thing that brought them together, that tug at his core; come closer, be near me, be with me.

All told, the little pieces of Wille’s life fit together well. Most days, he remembered to eat meals at reasonable intervals and got at least a few hours of sleep every night. Sometimes, he even went to the gym. Unfortunately, graduate school didn’t give a fuck if you were happy and in love and generally having a good time. It had a way of pulling apart all those little pieces and scattering them across the room, like an ornery housecat. On this particular day, Wille felt as though someone had stuck a spoon up his nose and scrambled his brain. He’d been reading the same three papers for days now and was making no progress, he had dozens of unread emails sitting in his inbox, and only one line written for his writing workshop assignment (which was due in two days). Needless to say, he was exhausted. There was only one thing he wanted to do: curl up in bed with his boyfriend. Very rudely, Simon was busy with rehearsals, so Wille was cursed to spend the evening alone. 

Sighing dramatically, he fell into bed, then squirmed around in frustration. It made him feel a bit better.

As was typical of a literature student – Wille, ever the cliché – his room was covered in books, haphazardly stacked in precarious piles on every available surface. Most were of respectable nature, if a little promiscuous. A few, however, were of a different breed. Since he had the time to kill, he pulled out a book from the bottom of one of the stacks, huffing when the whole pile toppled over. 

The cover was a swirling array of dark fabric, and nothing more. In simple serif font, the title read: “Velvet Desires: Passion Unleashed". And, so what if Wille liked to read trashy smut novels in his free time? He spent so much time dissecting prose and interpreting symbolism, who could blame him if every once and a while he just wanted to turn his brain off?

Simon found him like that hours later, half reading the book and half dozing. 

“Hi, baby,” Simon purred, crawling into bed and wrapping his arms around Wille’s waist, burying his face there. 

Wille smiled and set the book to the side, then pulled Simon closer. “Hello, my love.”

“Missed you,” Simon said into the fabric of Wille’s shirt, the sound a bit muffled. 

“I missed you, too. Did you have a good rehearsal?”

Simon simply hummed and lifted his head, smiling sleepily. Wille glanced at his book for a moment, and Simon followed his eye line. They both froze, before they each pounced on the book at the same time. Simon was faster. He jumped out of the bed and spun away from Wille’s reach. 

“What’s this?”

“It’s a book,” Wille huffed, grabbing at it. Simon giggled and climbed across the bed, dodging Wille again. 

Simon gasped dramatically as his eyes skimmed over the back cover. He looked up with mock horror on his face. Wille rolled his eyes. 

“I thought you were a literature student?” 

“I am– That is literature!” 

“This is smut, Wille.”

Wille groaned. “Come on, Simon, give it!” 

They chased each other around the room a moment longer, Wille not really upset and Simon not really horrified, before collapsing back onto the bed. 

“Very uncouth,” Simon tsked, poking a finger at Wille’s chest. 

“There’s a lot of good symbolism in there.”

“Oh, is there?” Simon asked, tone low. He rolled and moved to straddle Wille, leaning down to kiss gently at his jaw. “What else is in there?”

“Simon…” he whispered, then brought his hands up and gripped Simon’s hips, before sliding warm fingers up his back, along each vertebrae. 

“Anything fun?” 

Wille hummed, then curled a hand around Simon’s neck and brought their lips together. 

“I can show you.”

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

Scars That Heal || Eddie Kaspbrak x Reader Series

• Ch. 12: Changes •

A/N: The missing gaps in time are on purpose since they will be in book 2 as flashbacks, which will include references to events you have not read yet. All fluff and shenanigans this chapter to make up for last, I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: brief mention of nausea and gore towards the very end, but otherwise, tooth-rotting fluff!

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧

𝐀𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧' 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡

              - David Bowie, Changes

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

- 𝗠𝗜𝗗 𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗨𝗦𝗧 -

    "I still can't believe you went after Bowers," Richie scoffs.

    As he steps off his porch and onto his lawn he looks over at his best friend and takes another gander at the bruises and welts littering her skin. Her lip was still busted and despite his and his mother's efforts to clean her bottom lip of blood, it must have started bleeding again sometime during the night as more had crusted over.

    "Yeah, well," she shrugs. "It felt good,"

    "Yeah," he snorts. "It looks like it,"

    "You know what I mean," She elbowed him and he nodded with a little laugh.

    "What d'ya want to do? I mean, we could keep standing around here like a bunch of idiots, but-" he shrugs, hands falling into his pockets, and Y/n smiles.

    "I dunno," she shrugs. A wince falls over her face, a painful-looking one at that. "But I don't think I'm gonna be welcome back at the Capitol Theatre any time soon."

    Richie nodded, a ghostly look falling over his face at all that had transpired in the past twenty-four hours alone. He still couldn't believe she had done that. He still couldn't believe a lot of things but her being in his corner after what she had found out seemed a little harder to believe right now. Especially after the junkyard... But - Jesus, that was already a week and a half ago, it felt like only hours.

    He could hear her words from the park the other day in his ears and he suddenly felt the urge to pay her back. He smiled his charming crooked smile and hoped for the best.

    "You still craving fries?"

    "Always," she answered, a look of suspicion written in her features. "Why?"

    Y/n didn't know why she kept asking these questions when she knew the answer. She didn't at all like the look growing in his eyes or the stupid feeling of guilt growing in her stomach.

    "Cause I'm prepared to make a deal with ya toots,"

     "Oh, yeah?"

    "Sure am," he says, patting his hand over his left pocket. "I'd been saving up for a long weekend at the arcade but that's a bust. And I just got a raise on my allowance ━ that's again, toots. Allowance. It's the money you get when you do stuff for people, you might never have heard of it--"

    "Is there a point here, Rich? Cause if so, you better get to it faster,"

    "Point is, I'm packing and I'm also craving milkshakes. So how's about I treat you to the biggest pile of fries your staved ass has ever seen--"

    Y/n shoots him a knowing look, ready to detest when he holds out a finger.

    "If," he continues. "you take me there."

    "Take you there?"

    "Take me there," he nodded. "By piggyback."

    Y/n gave thought to this, all while hiding behind an unimpressed look. As much as she hated to admit it, she was starving.

    Richie shrugged. "Hey, you're the one always saying you don't want to feel like charity. Well, this ain't charity, this is work with a reward. Take it or leave it,"

    Her unimpressed look grows stronger in an attempt to buy her time. But it's useless, her stomach answers for her with a long growl and a smile sneaks up on her.

    She steps forward, crouching down a bit for him to jump on her back. "Alright, let's get this over with."

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

    "You know, I was really worried about carrying you, but dude, you weigh like nothing. You're a fucking bean pole," Y/n says.

    She comes to a slow before straightened her back letting him slide off her back and onto the ground. The two of them had arrived at the nearest diner in the town square where they now stood.

    "Well, not to brag or anything, but," he fluffs his collar. "I took a massive shit before we left,"

    "Ugh!" a shocked and uncomfortable laugh breaks loose from Y/n and she sticks out her tongue in disgust. "Regretting this already."

    She threw open the doors and the two found themselves inside one of Derry's lesser diners.

    It smelled like sausage and coffee beans, and it had a vibrant red and black theme. There were maybe nine or ten people there, little kids included and they could hear the jukebox blasting a David Bowie song. Y/n had a hard time enjoying it with the combination of a full bladder and an empty stomach so she turns to Richie and nudges him with her elbow.

    "I'm gonna run to the restroom. Get us a booth?"

    "Do your thing," Y/n nods and disappears around the corner. As his eyes follow her, they land on the corner in question she had disappeared around where there sat the jukebox.

    He wanders over, eyeing the machine as Changes reaches a crescendo. A mischievous smile blooms as the lights from the window illuminated his face.

    "Three plays for a dollar, huh?"

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

    When Y/n returned from the restroom, she had expected to find Richie lounging in a booth somewhere, feet up and bugging the employees. She did not expect to turn the corner and nearly collide with the boy as he stood at the Jukebox and feeding all his money into it.

    "Dude! I carried you here, you owe me fries!"

    "And you shall get them my liege," answered Richie in a Shakespearean tone. "But first!" He dropped the act and looked away from the Jukebox for the first time, wearing an almost evil grin. "A social experiment,"

    Y/n's brow furrowed as she watched Richie punch in the same Tom Jones song over and over and over. It was then she caught on to what he was doing. She held out a hand as her eyes watched the Jukebox.

    "Hey, hey, hey, wait," she said, stopping Richie in his tracks.

    He looked up at her with a pout. "Relax, toots. I saved just enough for their biggest basket of fries, you'll get them." Then Richie saw the look on her face. He could practically see the gears turning.

    "No, not that. It's just..." she said, eyes never leaving the list of songs. "Before you put in more, you should throw in one It's Not Unusual,"

    And that's when the afternoon went from good to great.

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

    By now, the duo had ordered and waited. They now sat tucked into a corner booth with a great view of the street corner and the passers-by of Derry. Changes had long since ended, and the remaining songs in the queue had trickled out. Richie memorized the song queue and was silently counting down until the big moment as he sat across from his battered-up best friend.

    Her busted lip poked out in a bored pout, her chin propped up on her palm as she balanced her head on the table while looking out at the graying town landscape. It always escaped her how Derry could possibly look so gloomy on even the hottest, brightest days of summer. Until recently that is, the truth all too clear to her and her friends now.

    The thought of the Losers scattered all over this hellhole only added to the gloom. They should all be here, together. Pointlessly debating which condiment goes best with fries, not fighting over... Over what they had fought over.

    Y/n's eyes finally broke away from the manhole at the center of the little intersection outside and wandered over to Richie. He had stolen the salt and pepper shakers from a few empty (and not so empty) tables and was currently doing his best to construct a salt and pepper shaker tower. His tongue was sticking out from between his curled lips and his glasses were sliding to the end of his nose at the angle he looking. The tower was nearly three shakers high and Y/n could hear him muttering, 'where's Haystack when you need him?' under his breath.

    The gloom Y/n had been thinking so intently on was suddenly ebbed away at the sight, and the corners of her lips hooked into a small smile.

    At least she had her favorite Trashmouth.

    "If you keep undressing me with your eyes, I'm gonna catch a cold," said Richie, never once looking up from his tower.

    Y/n snorts. "You're unbearable,"

    Richie shrugs defensively. "Hey, you're the one who said we're stuck with each other," he clicks his tongue and winks. "No going back on that kind of deal,"

    "Oh, I meant what I said," Y/n releases her chin and folds both arms on the table. She hated getting all serious again, but she just needed to be sure. Her voice softens, trying to catch Richie's eye. "All of it, okay?"

    Richie's hand around the salt shaker stops, and he pries his eyes off the tower and to his best friend. Despite her intentions and promises, everything that transpired the day before -- good and bad -- flooded over him and made him tense.

    She suddenly offered him her pinky and a small smile.

    "Stuck forever?"

    Richie rolls his eyes. He didn't quite know who to blame, maybe just the losers in general, but he was going all soft and lame.

    "Like my ass and a toilet seat, toots,"

    He locked his pinky with hers and the deal was sealed forever.

    Y/n leaned back on her side of the booth and took a large swig of the complimentary water as her eyes returned to the streets. The chatter of the diner had died down a little. There weren't as many people since they got there, but they were still filtering in and out. But when Y/n had a hard time shaking off the images she had of her best friend in the state he had been, she deems it safe enough to lean forward and lowered her voice.

    "You know," she began picking at her napkin, making slow and tiny tears here and there. "I--" she sighs, not knowing how or where to begin. "I wouldn't blame you."

    Richie, having abandoned his shaker tower, frowns.

"I wouldn't blame you if maybe, it was -- or is hard to be..." she shakes her head again and rubs her forehead trying to find the words. "I wouldn't blame you if it was hard to be around me and Eddie," She blurts.

    "I'm gonna stop you right there," Richie says. "We're not gonna do that, okay? You have exceeded your sappy meter and you're gonna need to wait about 48 hours for it to charge up again. I think we've both had enough, right?"

    Y/n swallowed her words. She swallowed any promise she was holding out to him that their feelings for Eddie wouldn't change anything. That she wouldn't ever want to stand in their way, however true it was. And instead, she made a new one.

    "Let's just agree, whatever happens, happens. Let that be whatever it needs to be. Even if that means neither of us gets to see that adorable, asthmatic pipsqueak ever again. Deal?"

    Y/n fought the bittersweet smile threatening to appear. She could see it now. Richie knew what he needed to know about himself now, and that was already a lot for him to handle. She could see in his eyes he wasn't ready for the possibility of whatever was his feelings for Eddie Kaspbrak.

    Y/n's stomach turns to knots when the thought crosses her mind, but that only confirms to her it was time.

    She looks around the diner, looking for prying eyes and she still finds none. She leans in, voice lowered as she fiddles with her napkin again. "I'm uh--," she clears her throat. "I've never told anyone this, but..."

    She lets out a sharp breath. "Well, let's just say Eddie isn't the first Loser I've ever had feelings for,"

    Richie shakes his head, making a "what am I supposed to do with that?" face at her sudden shyness. She only gives him a solid stare until it finally clicks.

    Richie collapses against the seatback with a gaping, triumphant look.

    "No. Fucking. Way," Richie slaps his hands on the table and leans forward, and an ugly excited laugh comes barreling out of his chest. "You big homo!"

    "Would you fucking shut up?!" Y/n hisses, reaching over and shoving him back against his seat by his forehead. She looks around the diner and determines no one had heard that. Maybe except one guy in his forties, but that was most likely about him knowing they did something to the jukebox. He was sat with his young kids, looking tired and all too suspicious of their laughter at the jukebox. Finally, she laughs a little. "Beep, beep you moron."

    "You telling me you and Little Orphan Annie...?"

    "I'm saying," Y/n sighs, shrugging her shoulders. "I meant it when I said you're not alone, alright?"

    The look in Richie's eyes hardly changes.

    "No!" She answers. "No, nothing's happened but..." Y/n shook her head. "I had feelings for a really long time, up until about two years ago."

    "Wowza," Richie sighs, leaning back into his seat and plopping one hand on the table. He sighs. "We sure know how to pick em,"

    "Yeah, you could say that," Y/n laughs.

    In fact, that's all she could say. A million things ran through her head, things she wanted to say to Richie but couldn't. Cause when she looked in Richie's eyes at that moment she -- they both -- knew everything unsaid could remain that way. With one look they knew. They knew that they could both count on each other, have each other's back. And that included Eddie too. They knew that no matter who held Eddie's heart, they could both agree that Eddie's happiness -- and each other's -- was most important.

    The sound of brass instruments invaded the atmosphere, pulling the duo's eyes to the jukebox across the diner. Their faces lit up in matching grins, both of them nearly forgetting the psychological horror they had just unleashed upon the diner.

    "What's new pussycat? Woah, wo~ah,"

    And thus began the best meal they ever had.

- 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗨𝗚𝗨𝗦𝗧 -

    Y/n relished at the demanding burst of cool air that bombarded her sweaty skin as she stepped inside Keene's pharmacy. The grip on the money she had scraped together tucked tightly in her right palm grew tighter when the shopkeeper's bell announced her arrival. Her eyes fell to her injured leg, and by now her feet have already begun their journey forward towards the first aid supplies. The last of the bandages secured around her leg, and she winced at the faded and stained cloth that was in dire need of a change.

    Her eyes pick up from the ground when she hears a choked gasp only to find the boy that had been occupying her thoughts standing before her.

    "Y/n," His voice is meek and heavy with sadness, and you can hear the absence of breath in his lungs that she always seemed to create.

    Despite the staggering stampede of emotions she felt, she found herself releasing a chuckle. "Hey, shrimp."

    The name itself would have been strong enough to send hooks into the corner of his lips, tugging them into a half-smile had it not been for the sight before him; she was a wreck. Looked as if she had been put through an actual wringer and his heart stops for a moment, in fear. At that moment he is grateful he has his inhaler, Y/n had a talent for taking his breath away but he never would have dreamed of it happening this way. Already his mind is going at twice its speed, a mad swarm of thoughts that dizzy his head, and as quickly as he can he tries to pluck one - just one - thing to say to her. When he finally speaks, he is thankful that his voice has returned to him.

    "How's your leg?"

    He doesn't have to ask, the first thing he saw - the very feature that tipped him off about her - was the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around her left calf. He couldn't imagine why it would still be bleeding, much less this profusely given how long ago it had been. Perhaps it had opened back up. And Eddie felt it best not to address the new set of scrapes and bandages that were scattered across her arms and legs, though each one filled him with worry. But her eye... it was completely swollen, and several shades darker than a usual bruise.

    She grew rather sick looking at the question and instantly he was filled with dread. Had It gotten to her again? Was it something new entirely? Either way, he felt a great deal of guilt he hadn't been there, and more than anything he wanted her safe. Maybe, if it wasn't too crazy, be the one to look out for her. To protect her.

    "I just," she swallows thickly, eyes darting around to avoid his eye line.

    Eddie tilts his head, encouraging her to continue. She looks as if she's about to unload a great deal off of her chest, but after a moment she shakes her head.

    "Nothing," she lies. "Just need new bandages."

    Eddie's horrified expression does not waver, but only intensifies, zeroing in on her. He just simply can't ignore the state she's in. And while every instinct inside him screams to jump in and help, he knows that's not his call nor his place. But he had to ask, he had to know.

    "Are you okay?" He blurts suddenly. He mentally slapped himself. Of course she wasn't. "What happened...? You're leg? You're eye? Are you in trouble at home? Was it...?"

    She grows tense, and Eddie scolds himself once more when he sees her walls rebuilding themselves. He hated his stupid word vomit sometimes.

    "No, Eddie!" she says tiredly, sighing at her slight outburst. "I'm..." she sighs again, staring at the floor, looking almost... calculated.

    Finally, she picks her head back up, her expression flat, but her tone a bit softer. "Just Bowers. The usual."

    Eddie couldn't help but feel like she was lying. And that hurt him. But he understood. If she had pressed him about things at home he probably would have done the same. Eddie sighed deeply as well.

    He missed the way things were.

    He missed Y/n.

    He missed the feeling he got around her, the storm of butterflies and mind-numbing fits of laughter they'd bring out in one another. He missed the way his skin would tingle like every blood cell was on fire when their skin accidentally brushed together. Eddie missed the way he'd lose himself in thoughts about her like he was now.

    Eddie didn't realize it until that last thought crossed his mind, but this was the first time in weeks he felt something other than anxiety and fear. And maybe he was crazy, but when he looked in Y/n's eyes now he thought he saw it too -

    "I'm sorry, Eddie," she says, breaking him from his daydream, sending him falling back down to earth. "But I really need to take care of this."

    He glances down at her leg, the bandage still soaked with blood and he feels fear squeeze his chest again. She was leaving. And that meant he had to, as well. He would have to say goodbye and go back home to his mother. He could hear her haunted cries, whining at him and wailing. What took you so long, Eddie? Don't you know what you're doing to my heart?

    Eddie goes rigid at the thought when he realizes; the last time he saw Y/n... Those horrible things his mother had said to her and he... Jesus, what she must think.

    "Y-Y/n," he sputters desperately as she begins to limp around him. She had gotten no answer for once again he had gotten lost in his thoughts. But he couldn't have it end like this. He just couldn't. "Y/n, I'm sorry."

    She stops in her tracks and looks back at him, thoughtfully. A sad smile graces her face.

    "I know, shrimp,"

    Her eyes hold a thousand words, a million things she wants to say to him as he wants to say to her. But they die out, and she turns away.

    "Y/n!"

    He couldn't let her go, he just couldn't. Then why was this so difficult? He always had a mouthful to say, but around Y/n L/n, Eddie was always speechless.

    "I wanna..." he gulps, a pleading, sincere look in his eyes. "I wanna see you again." He admits.

    Y/n smiles sadly. Like she doesn't want to let him go either. But still, she gives him a pleading look after gesturing to her leg.

    "Eddie, I gotta take care of this,"

     His head sunk to the floor and he nodded, embarrassed. Of course, what the hell was he thinking? She didn't need him coming in and messing things -

    Her sudden sigh broke his thoughts. "Meet me outside in five? I could use some help,"

     A nervous smile broke out, stretching and hurting his cheeks and Eddie nodded when he met her eye. He was out the door without another word, back in the alley where he had first bandaged her up all those months ago.

    His mind raced with possibility and more unanswered questions. What would he do, what would he say? What had happened to her, and could he have been there to stop it? His face still burned with embarrassment when he thought of the things he let his mother say to her, how livid he was with himself.

    It was all he could do not to bounce off the walls from the jitters. The crates from the last alley visit, or at least some like it, remained and so Eddie eagerly took a seat. His knee bounced up and down at unnatural speeds as his mind raced, his eyes wandering the alley as the wind swept in a familiar summer breeze against his cheeks.

    "I really need to focus right now," he orders, his hands making delicate work of the bandage over the new kid's stomach.

    "You need to focus?" Richie snorts over his shoulder, causing Eddie's cheeks to burn.

    "Yeah, can you go get me something?"

    "Jesus! What do you need?"

    "Go get my bifocals. I hid 'em in my second fanny pack."

    Y/n leaned forward, balanced on her knees with a crooked smile that would with Eddie for days. "You have a second fanny pack?"

    The burning in his cheeks grew, and Stan joined in. "Yeah, why do you have two?"

    Eddie didn't dare meet anyone's eye, let alone Richie or Y/n's.

    "I need to focus right now and it's a long story. I don't want to get into it."

    Besides! He was telling the truth! He needed to focus. Who knows what kind of shit has gotten into this kid's system by now?

    Eddie had nearly finished with the new kid's bandages when he heard the jingle of the store bell.

    "Yep. Thanks." Came the hardened voice of Y/n backing out and towards the alley with a pressed and forced smile before turning for the alley and away from whoever she had been talking to. Eddie was the only one to have caught the small whispered words under her breath from the silence of the alley. "-for nothing, I guess..."

    Eddie shot up from his seat, subconsciously straightening out his shirt.

    "Everything okay? What was that all about?" He asked as Y/n finally joined him. Eddie sputtered, mentally kicking himself for prying. "I mean, you don't have to tell me or anything, it's just you seemed frustrated. You know what never mind, you probably want to get your leg fixed up, right?"

   Eddie stopped again, shifting on his feet when he realized Y/n must be waiting to talk. "Sorry," he mumbled. And to his great surprise, she smiled.

    "Don't be. I've missed your word vomit," she joked.

    Eddie could feel the corners of his lips twitching up in a smile, and something happened to him he hadn't felt in a long time; flutters invaded his chest, making the air he breathed feel lighter and his stomach was doing flips. And he would have fallen harder had he known Y/n's stomach was doing flips right along with him, and a burning sensation lighting up her neck and ears.

    "Well, here-" Eddie said, snapping out of his daze, no longer able to stand by and ignore the gash in her leg. He supposed it really was like old times. He stepped aside, gesturing for the crates and taking the bag of supplies Y/n had handed over.

    "For real though," Eddie began, eyeing her nervously as he unzipped his fanny bag and begun fishing inside for hand wipes. "What happened, Y/n?"

    Her smile fell, and her eyes dropped to her lap where her fingers fiddled together. To Eddie, it felt like a long time before she finally answered.

    "A lot's happened since Niebolt, I'll leave it at that,"

    Eddie nodded, and stepped forward, lowering himself to his knees before her injured leg, and began unwrapping the first of the supplies from her grocery bag. "It feels like years ago,"

    "Yeah, it does," Y/n croaks.

    There's another small silence and Eddie feels a tug in his chest when her eyes linger over him. He only spares a moment to meet her eyes back before taking a deep breath and holding it. With a wince, he unraveled the cloth and quickly discarded it. He tried not to linger on the injury; the edges of her claw-like scars remained, but it looked as if they had been messily pried back open.

    Like deja vu, Eddie found himself battling to keep his lunch in his stomach, but the overall worry in his system for one of his best friends triumphed over it this time around. He dismissed the urge to gag and instead darted his eyes to Y/n in between his work.

    "So..." he asked, realizing he didn't really know where to start. "how have you been? Other than, you know," he laughed nervously.

    To his relief, Y/n smiled.

    "It's hard not being around the losers. I only ever see Richie anymore. Even Bev and I haven't really spoken since the fight, which has been really hard. We've been in each other's lives for so long,"

    As Eddie finishes cleaning the wound, his heart sinks a little at her words. True, he missed Beverly very much. But he also knew all too well what Y/n spoke of, and judging by the look in her eye as she softens at him, she knows it too. She gives him a gentle nudge with her foot.

    "He misses you too," she says, growing another small smile. "Won't shut up about you, in fact. Which is saying something... Guess I'm one to talk, though," she adds, watching him nervously out of the corner of her eye, and Eddie's heart skipped another beat.

    "What about you, shrimp? Dare I ask?" She says with a smile.

    Eddie, Y/n noticed, had been unusually quiet. By now, on any other occasion, he would have talked laps around her by now but something was keeping him. Maybe he just feels a bit out of step, she thinks, as she did. It had been far too long since things had been normal for either of them. But something told her he was now particularly quiet perhaps because he wasn't all that eager to share how things had been for him since the losers split. She couldn't imagine things had been well at home with his mother given everything that had transpired.

    So she didn't pry. She changes the subject, hoping to get his mind off of whatever might be bothering him. Her mind returns to his previous questions, and she bites the bullet.

    "Quitting my job." She says finally, stunning Eddie enough to pull his attention away for a split second. "You wondered what I was doing there. And aside from restocking, I was um... I was quitting my job."

    "You got a job at Keene's Pharmacy? When?" Eddie asked, reaching for a strip of gauze.

    Y/n seemed to think about it for a minute, counting the days in her head before shrugging. Leaning forward, she holds the gauze in places Eddie begins applying the bandages. "I guess a little over two weeks after Niebolt. I did little things around the store, this and that really,"

    "How come I never saw you?" Eddie asked, and Y/n shrugged.

    "He had me running errands most of the time," and she smiled a little. "But sometimes I'd stick around a little longer. I'd offer to sweep or restock the shelves or something. It's stupid, I know, but... I don't know, I guess I was hoping to see some admittedly cute... shrimpy little dude come walking in to refill his inhaler. Is that stupid?"

    Eddie paused, unable to hide the smile or the raging blush taking over his face. Y/n smiled to herself when she saw it, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't feeling a little bit of it too. Finally, Eddie spoke. Or at least, he tried to. His voice came out hoarse and he cleared his throat, quickly shaking his head as he secured the bandages in place and began disinfecting his hands.

    "No. No, that's not stupid at all. I mean, I don't know if I'd say shrimpy, necessarily, maybe a little skinny but-"

    Y/n laughed, smiling hard at the boy she hadn't stopped thinking about for weeks. Like Eddie, she hadn't realized just how much she had missed him until now. But, she hoped, maybe she could change that.

    Eddie trailed off, his ears burning at her laugh but a smile on his face all the same. At this moment, everything was perfect. Or seemingly so, at least. And then...

    "Thanks, Doctor K,"

     He smiled, a sinking feeling in his chest knowing what was coming next as she hoisted herself back on her feet. "Yeah, of course."

    A silence falls over the two, a silence they know won't last.

    "I guess I should get going," Y/n says finally, gesturing down the alleyway. "I'm meeting up with Richie later, he's swinging by my place." And for a moment, she looks hopeful and Eddie already knows what she's going to ask. "You're welcome to come. We both really miss you,"

    Yet again, Eddie Kaspbrak finds himself with a million thoughts racing in his head, but no words on his tongue. What could he say that wouldn't hurt her? What could he say that wouldn't essentially admit he was still a coward who couldn't stand up to his own mother? What could he say?

    But evidently, he doesn't have to. Y/n can see it in his eyes, and any trace of hope deflates with her. She nods sadly, eyes now on the ground and her freshly bandaged leg. "I get it, Eddie. It's fine. You don't have to say anything."

    "Y/n..." He didn't know what felt worse; knowing he let her down, or the sound of her using his real name.

    "Really, it's okay,"

    But it wasn't okay. And Eddie knew that. Today he had been given a second chance with Y/n, and already he had fucked it up. Or so he thought...

    A smile returned to her face just before she left; it wasn't nearly as bright as it had been moments ago, but it was as real as any other he had seen all summer. And then she spoke. She spoke the three words over her shoulder as she disappeared out of view that returned a familiar spark to his chest.

    "I'll call you."

    There was hope yet.

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[northcarolinanative]

𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 (𝟷𝟶)

Chapter 10: Pogue

A/N: Hey guys!! Thank you for all the feedback on the last part!! It means the world to me!! I hope you like part 10!! It is so crazy that I have written 10 parts of this story, and hopefully more haha! As always my message and inbox are open for requests or just to talk!! Also a TW: Physical Assault and Violence, cursing, depictions of harm, Rafe being an asshole per usual.  

Description: John B’s Sister comes home from staying with their mom, only to find out that her brother is missing and her dad was murdered. JJ may have just lost his best friend. She and JJ have to figure out what to do and how to pick up the pieces.

Need to catch up? Ch.1 / Ch.2 / Ch.3 / Ch.4 / Ch. 5 / Ch.6 / Ch. 7 / Ch. 8  / Ch.9 

I was frozen in my spot. My blood went cold, I didn’t know what to do. He killed the sheriff and ran my brother away from the island and into the sea because he couldn’t stand up and own up to his actions. He had the guts to pull the trigger, but not to own up to it. I tried to move my feet but they were frozen in place. I felt the goosebumps begin to raise on my arms as he took a few steps toward me. I had never really been a fighter. There wasn’t much need on the mainland, and here I was always surrounded by JJ and John B, who fought for me, even if I didn’t agree with it. At this moment I was scared and really wishing I had taken them up on that offer. 

He didn’t speak until he was steps away from me. His glance was harsh, and his eyes were dark. They were sunken into his face, and his cheekbones more prominent. He looked terrible, but he deserved to be eaten up from the inside out. “You have a lot of nerves coming in here,” he said. His walk almost like a stalk, slow and predatory. I just looked at him, I tried to put on my most confident facade, but I was shaken inside. I never liked Rafe, but now I'm scared of him, he killed someone, then went about his life. “You’re brother killed the Sheriff and you’re here, for what, to beg for our money?” He scoffed at me moving faster. 

“Do I look stupid? You killed Peterk–” I was cut off but Rafe pushed me against the wall with his hand around my throat. “Don’t you ever say those words again” he tightened his grip on my throat. I felt his fingers dig into my skin. “You fucking pogue” He gave me the last push before releasing me. 

I sucked in a breath. I was seething, I could practically feel the anger running through my veins. I walked toward him, I didn’t want to show fear. “What makes it okay for you to be walking around here after what you did? Huh? You’re a kook, right?” I put my finger in his chest. “That’s why my brother is missing at sea and you aren’t rotting in a jail cell right now.” My words came out through clenched teeth. 

Rafe was quick to grab my wrist and twist it harshly away from me. I kicked back into his knee trying to get free. He backed me up against the wall again, using his height and power against me, his arm under my chin pressing my chest hard. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He spat his words at me. 

“What is it a secret?”  I squinted with sarcasm dripping from my voice. “What? That you Rafe Cameron are a manipulative murd--” I was cut off with a hit to the left side of my face. I didn’t have time to brace for the impact and fell to the ground. By now we had drawn the attention of the other club members. 

Rafe kneeled down next to me. “Next time you’ll keep your mouth shut bitch.” He stood up beginning to walk away. 

“What is going on out here?” Mr. Jones walked out looking between me, on the ground holding my hand over my now swelling cheekbone, and Rafe. 

“You see Y/N Routledge here, was trying to follow after her brother, coming after me,”  Rafe said before turning the corner, back to the parking lot. 

“No. He was tormenting me, Mr. Jones! You know me!” I started to beg. “I wouldn–” 

“You’re Routledge’s kid?” He asked me. I just nodded my head looking down at the ground, unable to look at his face. I knew what was coming. It was inevitable. “I don’t think that it would be good for you to work here this summer. With everything that happened with the other Routledge kid…” He paused putting his hand on my shoulder. “It has nothing to do with you, but I don’t want people to mess with you like what just happened out there. I’m sorry Y/N” 

I nodded a quick, “I understand.” I walked out keeping my head down again. I pushed open the large stained glass doors. Instantly missing the cool air-conditioning of the country club. I pulled my hair back to stop it from sticking to the back of my neck. 

“Y/N” I flinched away from the voice. “Y/N is that you.” I turned, recognizing the voice. I saw Pope jogging toward me, his hands full of groceries. “What are you doing at the country club?” He asked. 

“I could ask you the same thing?” I said, forcing a smile, only for a pain to shoot through the side of my face. 

“Wait what happened to you?” Pope said, dropping the grocery bags and touching my cheek. “You’re bleeding.” He took his hand down to show me the red blood that was on his thumb. I looked shocked, I guess the adrenaline was still kicked in. “I’m going to run the last of the deliveries to The Wreck, let's go there and get you cleaned up?” 

“Oh no. I really don’t think I should be around Kiara right now.” I said shaking my head and heading off toward my car. 

“Y/N. don’t be stubborn, you need to take care of that, you’re covered in bruises and you know that there isn’t great equipment at the Chateau right?” Pope had picked up his bags matching pace with mine. “Plus Kie feels really bad about what she said. She’s dealing with this a lot differently than you and JJ.” 

I opened the back of the car, helping him put the remaining groceries in the back of the car, giving in. I knew that I would need to work things out with them eventually. “I hope she shares with me what you said. I’m not gonna let what she said go easily, it hurt Pope.” I finished, raising my eyebrows in his direction before closing the hatch rather harshly. 

We settled into the car, each of us putting our seatbelts on. “Are you okay to drive? You don’t have a concussion do you?” He said putting his hand on the gearshift before I moved to drive away. 

“I’m fine, no head injuries. I promise.” I held up my pinky finger. I felt like we were kids again, it was something that we all used to do. Kie and I started it of course, but somehow drug the boys into joining us. 

Pope shook his head, but smiled and linked his finger with mine. “I just texted Kie to tell her we are on the way.” Pope’s eyes scanned over my face and neck “Your neck is turning purple. Seriously Y/N what happened back there?” 

I just shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about it okay?” I looked over at the phone in his hands. “Do you think you text JJ? Tell him I’ll be at the Wreck?” 

“Yea,” Pope said. I heard the question in his voice as he stared down at his phone. 

“I told him I was going to find a job, don’t want him to come looking for me ya know?” I said forcing a smile. “So, I know how the rest of us are doing, but how are you doing with all of this?” I asked. No one had seemed to ask Pope's opinion in the midst of the argument the other day. 

“Oh,” He paused before I heard him take in a deep breath. I turned the car back onto the main road toward The Wreck. “I don’t know. I just miss his, like we’ve all seen each other every day since I can remember, and now he’s like not here anymore. Part of me wants to believe he’s out there.” 

I thought about telling him what JJ and I had found, but I felt like it was too soon. I didn’t want to give him the same hope, then have to crush it if it wasn’t going to. It might have also been me being selfish because of what happened the other day, but I wanted to wait to tell them. 

“I get it, I was expecting to see John B walk through that door when I got back, but instead I got JJ,” I said with a giggle. This comment seemed to lighten the mood of the car as it sent Pope into a fit of laughter. 

JJ. He wasn’t going to let this go, he wouldn’t take me not wanting to talk about it for an answer. I didn’t want him anywhere near Rafe. If I was being completely honest with myself, Rafe scared the hell out of me. He was a murder, and the way he treated me, with no caution to try and silence me, showed that he had no remorse. 

I pulled myself from my thoughts as we pulled into the parking lot at the Wreck. I helped Pope with the grocery bags. I ignore the pain in my wrist as I load groceries into my arms. 

“Ah, Pope!! Always right on time with the groceries, just when I need them” Mr. C said as He walked into the room, Kie close behind. Mr.C took groceries from my arms before turning back to the kitchen. She was notably shocked to see me standing there with groceries. As she looked over my face her eyes grew wide. “Y/N What the hell?”

“I was hoping you could help her get cleaned up?” Pope asked following Mr. C into the kitchen. Kie nodded her head. 

I could see the look of worry on her face. “Follow me,” She said. We slide around workers through the kitchen and into the back office. “Sit here, okay?” she sent a slight smile my way, patting the edge of the empty desk. She reached into a drawer pulling out a first aid kit. 

“Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic Kie, it's a few bruises,” I said laughing with her. 

“John B would kill me if I didn’t take care of you, you know?” She smiled and started to unwrap the alcohol wipes. I felt the sting of the disinfectant, flinching away when she first started to clean the split on my face. “Look I am really sorry about what I said yesterday Y/N. It was totally uncalled for what I said. I know that it doesn’t excuse my actions, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up, because it would only hurt that much worse in the long run if it turns out to be true.” He started to rub cooling cream over the bruising around the cut. 

“Kie it’s okay” I breathed. I was glad I didn’t tell Pope about the discovery that JJ and I found. “I understand that. We’re all coping in different ways. I shouldn’t have jumped onto you as I did either. We all process differently.” I sent her a small smile. While I forgave her, I found it harder to want to open up to her. In the past, I might have come to her with boy issues or even the encounter with Rafe right away. 

“Y/N is this a handprint around your throat,” Kie said, staring deep into my eyes. I felt tears start to fill in my eyes. The pain in my cheek started to finally hurt, I could feel it throbbing. I quickly looked down. Kie moved my head looking up so that she could apply the same cream to the red mark on my neck. I heard a commotion outside the door, quickly moving to look at the door. “Probably just someone dropping something in the kitchen.” She smiled softly at me. I looked down at the floor as she capped the cream on the floor. “So are you gonna tell me what happened, who beat you up like this?” Kie asked, her voice dripping with worry. 

“You know, I’d really like to know who I have to kill?” JJ said entering the room. He took a quick glance over me. He practically pushed Kie out of the way to wrap his arms around me. I hooked my chin over his shoulder to see Pope in the doorway to the office. I wrapped my arms around his neck. His hug was tight and protective. “JJ. Thank you, but if you don’t let go so I can breathe you might kill me.” I laughed at my joke. 

“How are you joking right now?” He pulled back and put his hands on either of my shoulders. 

“I’m fine J. Really. See?” I moved my legs on either side of him and wiggled my arms. 

He scrunched his eyebrows looking at me. I could see the hurt in his eyes and I smiled, feeling the tears coming back to the forefront of my eyes. JJ moved his thumb to carefully trace the cut in my cheek with his thumb, letting his finger trace down my jaw to the darkening handprint on my throat. I heard him take in a deep breath as he saw it. “Y/N Cut the shit. Who did this?” He asked. I could see the anger growing behind his words. Kie came up beside me with Pope following behind her. 

“Seriously, you can tell us?” She said. I could see the pity in her eyes. That is what I didn’t want, pity from any of them. 

I looked back at JJ. and hung my head low. “I went to the country club, that’s where Pope found me, to try and get my job back. I worked there every summer, and I know I would need the money.” I started, JJ’s eyes met mine. He was focused on everything that I was saying. “And Mr. Jones had me step out and wait while he scanned in paperwork or whatever. And I ran into someone there, who wasn’t happy that I was back.” 

“Obviously. Who was it Y/N?” JJ asked. He wasn’t being pushy, he just wanted to help. 

“It was Rafe,” I said, swallowing after the name left my mouth. 

JJ turned away from me. He ran his hands through his hair, I heard his breathing pick up. I saw Kie and Pope’s faces look just the same. “I am gonna kill him. What can’t he get away with?” JJ was seething. 

“No, I provoked him. He came up to me and started talking about how JB killed Peterkin, and I snapped. I told him I knew that he did it, he killed her. He tried to shut me up, obviously, until Mr. Jones came out and he left. I didn’t get my job back, but are we surprised?” I let out a cynical laugh.  

“Hey hey” JJ walked back up to me. I could feel the anger radiating off of him, but his composure seemed calmer. He was so close. He was standing between my legs. My thoughts going back to the conversation we had last night. He put his hand on my chin forcing me to look up at him. “You did not provoke him, Y/N. He’s a murder, who’s walking free. You did the right thing calling him out. Don’t think for a second that this was your fault, alright?” 

“Alright.”  

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[golgafrincham]

The Forest God

Late December into the beginning of January was....tense and grim to say the least. Staring out my window into my own little patch of forest and retreating into an alternate reality where anyone could date a forest god was a huge comfort. Thanks again and again to🍃🌳💚 @dateaforestgod 💚🌳🍃 for the inspiration (psst under no obligation to read this however). The only constructive distraction I could manage that whole time was writing (but not the thing I was supposed to be writing, uh-oh) so ...here is a story about the first person to date a forest god.

Ch 1 They meet Ch 2 They meet again Ch 3 First date

🌳 Once upon a time there lived a person who was neither so young as they used to be nor as old as they would become. They lived in a small village on the edge of a great forest that was not as vast as it used to be, nor as dark as it would become.

Siv, for that is what their parents called them, was the last child of the family.

As the youngest Siv had been doted on and indulged - as one should with a baby - long after they grew up. They loved their parents more than anyone and never bothered to imagine what life would be like if they had not been destined to care for Mother and Father into their old age and until the very end. The older siblings had all been married off long ago, some happily, some not.

When not chopping wood for the fire or carding wool for the spinning wheel, Siv sat at the foot of the village wise woman. Since before they could remember, Siv had been fascinated with healing and little everyday magic, though not everyone in the village still agreed that everyday magic was a good thing. When Siv’s great-grandmother was still a little girl, a new god had been carried into the village by a group of men in black robes. At first the people had driven them away, but they came back again and again, with promises of prosperity and peace if they knelt before the new god - a god who they said was humble, yet of all the gods insisted that he was the only one. By the time Siv was born no one sacrificed to the old gods on their feast days or prayed to them for luck or a good harvest - at least not in public. By the time Siv grew up, no one hardly ever mentioned the old gods by their names, instead calling them all “false gods” or, as the more modern and progressive villagers termed them, “devils.”

As the old gods were pushed to the edges of the villagers’ consciousness, so too was the wise woman pushed to the edge of village life. But they still came to her when the new god wouldn’t calm their colicky baby or return their lost goat to the flock. They came to her after sunset, or in a panic at noon. They paid her reluctantly in bags of grain, or a chicken, or a promise that they never meant to keep. But still the old woman did her best to help, and she passed along her knowledge to Siv.

Together they would often go into the edges of the forest to collect medicinal herbs. The old woman showed Siv how to talk gently to the roots before pulling them up, how to take only what was needed, and how to leave an offering for the spirits of the forest to thank them for their generosity.

One day, after all the chores were done and the orange light of the sun was falling through the remaining dry leaves that still clung to the trees, Siv went to see the old woman and give her a bit of extra food in preparation for the long dark season to come. But she was not in her hut, and the hearth was cold. Assuming she had gone into the forest, Siv started down the well-worn track. It was the first time Siv had gone into the forest alone, though they had been there together many, many times before.

Hours passed as Siv followed the track deeper into the forest. The repeated call of “Grandmother! Are you here?” faded into the trees and received no reply. They called out louder, venturing just a little off the track to head towards the clearings that would allow their voice to carry farther. Still no reply. In frustration, Siv finally decided to give up after realizing the light in the forest was growing dim.

Siv pulled the edges of the woolen cloak tighter and turned around. After what seemed like an hour, though, the track was still in front of them but the edge of the forest was nowhere in sight. A white puff of breath escaped Siv’s lips. The sun had gone down and it was getting as cold as quickly as it was getting dark. There was no tinder, no flint to make a fire, only some bread and a hunk of cheese that was for the old woman. Siv knew they had to keep going, but the track was so dark - strewn with rocks and roots - the going was slow.

The moon rose as a silver sliver in the sky, but it was too weak to cut through the dense branches and reach the ground. It must have been after midnight when Siv, shivering and exhausted, decided to give up.

I will freeze in the forest or I won’t. But I can’t go any farther. They spotted a huge oak on the edge of a rise. The massive roots of the oak had twisted and pushed the earth up forming a little hollow at it’s base. Siv did their best to push a pile of leaves into the hollow to make a kind of nest, but before they lay down remembered that they were a guest in the forest, and a guest should always bring a present for their host.

Siv felt along the ground until they had collected twelve little stones to make into a small circle. In the middle of the circle they placed a larger, flatter stone, and on this stone put a single leaf and the bread from their pocket, just as the old woman had shown them. Satisfied that they had done all they could, they fell back exhausted into the pile of leaves. Wrapping the thin cloak around tightly, they curled up and immediately fell into a leaden sleep.

The forest at night was normally quiet, but immediately after Siv fell asleep it passed into an even more profound stillness. Looking up from the ground, there were only a few places amidst the tangle of trees where one could see the tiny pricks of light that were the stars. Suddenly but silently, even those few lights were obscured. A dark shape nearly as tall as the trees moved towards the gift that had been left in the circle of stones. The shape hunched over and shrunk as it lowered itself to the ground. One long dark finger reached out and poked the bread.

Though it wasn’t much, it was the first gift He had seen in a long time. He turned towards the sleeping figure and the light of the faint stars caught the edges of His horns. He sniffed the air. He had sensed this person in the forest before. Harmless. He thought as He shifted closer. Only a small patch of Siv’s face was visible through the cocoon of fabric, already covered with a light dusting of frost. Weak trails of hot breath escaped through pale lips. Pitiful.

He stared at Siv for a few moments more, then looked back towards the gift. In the center of the dark shape, a dark heart softened. The outline of the shape began to recede and melt like a shadow disappearing into the greater darkness.

The crescent moon peered between the crowns of the trees and threw a cold shaft of light into the hollow, illuminating the edges of Siv’s clothes and the dark gray fur of the wolf that stood facing them. The wolf approached, circled three times, and settled down as close as He could. He rested His chin on His crossed paws and closed His dark green eyes.

Soon enough He could tell that Siv was warming up. The pitiable human stirred and stretched their legs just a bit. They rolled over, threw one arm onto the side of the huge wolf and buried their face in the coarse fur.

He sighed to Himself. Only a human would do such a foolish thing.

They slept.

~~

Dawn had not yet arrived when Siv began to stir. Wrapped deep within a dream of a warm fireside and a faithful dog, the undeniable fact of the hard forest floor only gradually reached into their consciousness to pull them back to reality.

For a moment, a handful of fur told them that the faithful dog was still there, and they wondered where they were. Siv rolled over and  tried to uncurl and sit up, but every joint and muscle refused to budge. With a little time and patience, feeling started returning to the ends of their fingers and toes and they managed to prop themselves up. 

I’m still alive. But also still in the forest. They knew they had to get moving, but before they could even try to stand up they saw it.

Not ten paces away was an enormous dark gray wolf. 

Siv froze in place, barely daring to move. The wolf was staring directly at them with piercing dark green eyes. 

Wolf. Dog. Wolf. This wolf is the dog in my dream. It kept me warm. 

Siv looked more closely at the wolf.

This is not an ordinary animal. 

The wolf cocked its head slightly and opened its eyes wide. It got up and slowly walked to Siv, stopping only two arm’s lengths away.

It spoke, or at least, Siv heard its voice.

You are not afraid.

“I am afraid.” Siv replied quite truthfully.

You do not run.

“If you were going to kill me, I would already be dead.”

“May I ask...” they knew that the wolf, not being a wolf, was best approached with deference “if you stayed beside me in the night to keep me warm?”

I did.

Awkwardly, with limbs still stiff from the cold, Siv got their knees and made a small bow. “Thank you for saving my life.” “I have no way of repaying you.” then they remembered the piece of cheese still in their pocket. That’s a poor present. But no, that’s not all I have. Siv looked around and saw a large brown oak leaf - they grabbed it and placed the piece of cheese on it. Then, slipping a small silver ring off of a pinky finger, placed the ring next to the cheese and slid the leaf towards the wolf.

“Please accept this small gift. Its insignificance is not meant as a slight, it is all I have.” 

It was. The slender silver ring was a gift to a young child from their oldest sister’s family when she married off, and was the only material thing of value Siv had ever owned. 

The wolf rose and lowered its head towards the gift. It smelled it cautiously before releasing a snort of hot breath. The cheese disappeared so quickly Siv wasn’t entirely sure it had been eaten.

The wolf sat back on its haunches. 

I am not fond of metal. 

By this time the sun was beginning to rise and the sky was fading into the blue white of morning. The outline of the wolf, however, was falling deeper into shadow. The shape of the wolf darkened until it became only a shadow, with two bright green eyes remaining.

Siv’s blood ran cold. Fool, fool, you have insulted a ....wolf...god. You’re going to….you deserve to die.

However, the voice continued I will accept your gift.

The shadow grew until its piercing green eyes were towering over the kneeling human. Within its darkness though, there were myriad things growing, myriad decaying, plants rustling in the wind, animals digging, running, flying. Siv was frightened and entranced. 

Only when the morning sun had peeked between the trees, and the shadow had coalesced into a new, more solid form, was Siv able move their head just enough to look up and truly see what was before them.

The sun’s rays outlined a figure twice as tall as the tallest man Siv knew. It was crowned with dull golden antlers that cradled the rising sun. 

The green eyes of the wolf looked out of a human, though somewhat long and sharp, face. The wolf was no longer there, but the figure wore a gray wolf pelt around its middle, tied with bands of ivy. Below the pelt the humanness ended, for it stood on the hind legs of a stag.

The being bent down and hooked one sharp pinky nail into the tiny silver ring before lifting it up to His face.

“Though I am not sure what to do with it.” This time when He spoke it wasn’t directly into Siv’s inner ear. Instead He spoke with a voice that was deep and rich as forest loam while gentle as a breeze passing through a copse of ferns.

Siv was transfixed.

He lazily twirled the ring around the end of his pinky nail for a few moments before seeming to remember the human in front of him.

“Why did you come into the forest so late at night with no fire or metal so necessary to your kind?” There may have been a hint of bitterness in His question.

Siv’s mouth opened, but there was nothing to say. 

 “Why? Come? Here?” He tried again, clearly and slowly enunciating. Perhaps I used too many words on this simple human He thought to himself.

Why...? For a few moments, Siv truly had no recollection of yesterday, or any moment before they had seen….Him. Think!

“I….had come…to the forest...with no disrespect.” Their mind shoveled through piles of frozen dusty thoughts until finally -

“the wise woman! I went to see her but she was gone. Her hearth was cold. I thought she had gone into the forest, so I went to find her and...I lost my way.”

“She is not in the forest.”

“Oh.”

“Thank you.”

“How...do you…?” Siv ventured.

“I know everything that comes and goes in this forest.”

“She is not in it.”

“Thank you.” 

“Thank you again for saving my life. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

“No.”

The intervening silence was long enough for Siv to realize that the forest was no longer silent. Birds high in the trees called to each other, bushes rustled - the forest was awake.

Siv looked around - the giant oak, the piles of leaves, all looked more friendly and comfortable in the daytime than they had last night. Unfortunately, the daylight didn’t help the fact that nothing looked the least bit familiar. They were still hopelessly lost.

In the time they’d spent looking around, the forest god - for surely that is what He must be - had silently moved towards the deepest part of the forest.

“Wait! Please! Wait!” Siv shouted as they struggled to get to their feet.

The god didn’t seem to hear, continuing on in a stately pace. 

Siv ran, jumping over roots and brambles, trying desperately to catch up.

“Please” they could barely get a word out, breathing hard as they ran “I don’t know how to get home!”

The god stopped, but didn’t turn. Instead He raised his hand towards a golden branch of a nearby larch. A tiny sparrow hopped onto his outstretched finger and they appeared to be conversing silently.

This gave Siv almost enough time to catch up. “Please” they fell to their knees, though whether out of exhaustion or as a gesture of respect it was difficult to tell, “I am lost.”

The forest god gently placed the little bird back into the tree and at last turned towards the panting human at his feet.

So frail and easily confused, these humans, yet, so troublesome at times. “And?” He asked, His voice was so low it almost slipped into a growl.

“Please...can….you….point me towards the eastern edge of the forest. The...village?

The god didn’t answer.

Oh no, I am asking for a favor...and I have nothing to offer in return. Fool. Fool. He saved your life, and you are asking Him for another favor. But...if He doesn’t help me I could die here.

“Lord” Siv began again, but this time as respectfully as they could “I don’t deserve your aid - You have already saved my life once - but I must return home. It is my duty to care for my aging parents. They will worry about me and if….if I don’t return there will be no one to chop their wood or go to the market for them.”

“...”

“If I don’t return...the wise woman has no one else to pass down her knowledge of the old ways.” Ah, wait, that’s it. Siv dared to look up at the shining face of the forest god. His face was an impassive mask, at once both beautiful and terrifying. Siv avoided His emerald eyes and looked up - only then did they notice the faded chain of flowers draped between His antlers.

“If you help me to return, I promise to find the forest shrine and make it like new. I promise I will return at the full moon with gifts, and light the little fires to mark the changing of the seasons.” 

“...”

“Why should I believe you, human?” He demanded, though His tone was more weary than angry.

Siv was tired, and still cold, and by this time very very hungry. There was nothing more they had to give. There was no way they could prove that their promise would be kept. 

“I...there is no security I can give you but my word.” But what good is the word of a mere mortal like me? Worthless. Their shoulders slumped.

“Thank you for saving me. I will leave.” 

Dejectedly, Siv turned around and tried to make their way towards the direction of the still rising sun, hoping it would take them to the edge of the forest eventually. 

They made their way under fallen logs and over roots and brambles. The forest had woken up fully by now, and Siv could swear that the birds - there were more of them than seemed normal for this time of year - were mocking the lost and hungry traveler with their echoing songs.

After what seemed like hours of frustratingly slow progress, Siv sat down heavily on a fallen tree. How could I have been so stupid as to get lost? If I die here...and never see my parents again....what a foolish way to die. Like an ignorant child. Their eyes began to fill with tears. 

“You are going in circles.” 

Siv looked up. The forest god was directly facing them, where moments ago there had been nothing. The dappled light that filtered through the trees played across His warm bronze face and shoulders.

“The birds have been trying to tell you for hours. Can’t you hear them?”

Siv’s head shook and they quickly tried to wipe the corner of their eyes. Instead of a proper answer, Siv’s stomach gurgled.

The sunlight that fell on the god seemed to sparkle and the edges of his form became less distinct. He took one step forward and was no longer quite so tall, quite so imposing. He leaned down towards the dejected human.

“Hungry?”

Siv nodded. Everything about the forest god seemed to have softened - His antlers weren’t so large and sharp, His lips were full and curved into a gentle smile.

“Here, I saved half of the gift you gave me earlier. Do you want it?” He extended one long sinewy arm, and in his hand was a half of the piece of bread Siv had left as an offering the night before.

Siv stared at it. The sound of their stomach grew louder.

“No, thank you.” the hungry mortal shook their head, resigned. “I can’t. It is a gift, given in thanks for hospitality. It is Yours alone.”

The forest god took back His proffered hand and stood up. “Good. It was only a rock. I ate the bread last night.” He tossed the brown rock over his shoulder where it hit the ground with a thunk.

He shook his head. Pitiful. 

“I am tired of hearing the birds constantly yelling at you.” He straightened up to His full height, and extended one large hand towards the human. 

Siv stared at the god, awestruck once again. 

“...” He dropped His hand.

“Are you coming?” He said somewhat impatiently.

Siv immediately got up.

“Take my hand.”

Even reaching straight up, they could only just touch the ends of His fingers. In response, the god subtly shifted as if moving away from Siv - though He never actually moved. He was now only a couple feet taller than the confused human whose hand He grasped.

The moment the god took Siv’s hand, their heart began to race and stars filled the edges of their field of vision. Their whole body felt light and heavy all at once like they were going to faint. But instead of fainting, they were pulled forward. 

The trees seemed to part before them. Siv would look to one side, then look again only to see a completely different scene. It was like the forest was running past them in the opposite direction while they were walking calmly. Within moments they were on the well-trod path, within sight of the edge of the forest.

The god stopped and let go of Siv’s hand. To Siv, it felt like suddenly being ripped from a warm bed in winter and shoved outside. It took every piece of willpower Siv had not to reach out and grab that hand again.

“I go no farther than this. I trust you can find your way from here?” He gestured out towards the open land beyond the trees.

Siv’s eyes followed the god’s motion and saw familiar landmarks. They turned to answer, but instead of the forest god they only saw the retreating form of a giant stag passing silently back into the woods.

💚Chapter 2

[imitranslates]

Fukigen na Mononokean Ch. 74

Abeno and Ashiya’s meeting with the Underworld Princess continues!

Please remember to check out the official English release when it comes out, preferably on Crunchyroll if you’re able to!

The newest chapter can be read on the official website by clicking the yellow button labeled 読む!

Fukigen na Mononokean Chapter 74 - Supporting Promise

Page 2

Ashiya: Go look for

Aoi-san in the...

Page 3

Ashiya: .......

[There's zero chance of them being alive.]

[...But there isn't any proof that they died.

It might be a ridiculous bet, but there's enough reason to try looking for them...!]

Princess: Cough.

Ashiya: (I want to look for Aoi-san!)

[Abeno-san is definitely interested,

so he'll listen to the Princess's wishes--]

Princess: (coughing).

Page 4

Princess: Cough.

(But... there's zero chance of them being alive.)

(Parasitic shrub is an incurable illness.)

(Once cursed, its roots infest the body until it drains all of the victim's power.)

Ashiya: ......

[I want to believe that they're alive, but... If I think about it realistically under those circumstances,

The scene we'll surely lay our eyes on is...]

Page 5

[If we go into the forest, we have to be properly prepared for that...]

Princess: (coughing)

Abeno: ...I accept.

Abeno: I shall travel to the forest to look for Aoi.

Page 6

Abeno: ...However.

I have one condition for conducting the search.

Abeno: I want you to consider this the first and final search for Aoi.

Ashiya: !?

Princess: ...Eh?

Princess: Why...?

Page 7

Abeno: That's...

Abeno: !?

Ashiya: UWAH?!

Fox: Kon!

Ashiya: The Princess's medicine!

Page 8

Fox: Konkon!

Fox: !?

Fox: Kon!?

Abeno&Ashiya: !?

Page 9

Fox: Kon!

Kon!

Abeno: Princess, is there something wrong?

Princess: I... I'm fine. I'll make a full recovery soon, so there's nothing to worry...

Cough, cough...

Fox: Kon...

Fox: Konkon!

Abeno: ......

Ashiya: She sounds pretty disturbed... I wonder if she's really okay?

Ashiya: Maybe her condition worsened while she was talking to us...

Abeno: .......

Page 10

Ashiya: !

Fox: Kon!

Princess: (coughing)

Abeno: Forgive me for my rudeness, but

Please allow me to confirm your condition with my own eyes.

Princess: !

Princess: There is no need for that. There's nothing wrong with my condition....

Abeno: Speaking as your subordinate, Princess, that doesn't appear to be true.

If you would rather refuse, I will go retrieve Koura with the Mononokean.

Page 11

Princess: ...Cough...

Princess: ...I understand.

Princess: Raise the curtain.

Fox: Kon!

Page 12

Ashiya: !?

Page 13

Fox: Kon...

Abeno: !

Ashiya: Wh!

Ashiya: She's crying!?

Abeno: Where are you in pain...?

Princess: No, it's not that...

Ashiya: Were you scared when Abeno-san forcefully demanded to examine you?

Princess: It's not that either...

Page 14

Princess: Up until now... I've never spoken my true feelings about Aoi's situation.

I'm simply overcome with emotion now that I've finally spoken it out loud.

Ashiya: .....!

Princess: Normally I would consult with the three officials about my concerns.

Princess: But they don't think that Aoi is still alive.

Page 15

Princess: I couldn't bear to cause dissent among the officials and I, so I acted as though I agreed with them.

Because of that, it's difficult to express my wish to search for Aoi in front of them...

Ashiya: So that's why you had the Justice leave.

Princess: Yes...

Princess: ...But, when I heard that there was someone who also believed in Aoi's survival, I wanted to meet them.

And moreover, that person had a deep connection to Aoi and became the second master of the Mononokean...

Princess: I thought I might be able to expose my true feelings without lying to you.

Page 16

(...It looks like you're also holding on to lingering hope,

(So I don't want to give in just to seem reasonable right now...!)

Princess: I don't want to give up on searching for Aoi until we find them.

Princess: Please let me hear why you want it to be the first and final search.

Page 17

Abeno: I've already thoroughly searched all the places I can.

Princess: !?

Abeno: In the end, I haven't been able to find Aoi's remains, nor any clues to where they were.

The forest is vast, so I can't claim with certainty that I didn't miss anything. That's the reason why I will conduct another search.

Page 18

Abeno: However, whatever outcome I reach at the end of my search will surely be final. No matter how many dozens of times I scour the area afterward, I believe the results will remain the same.

Abeno: ...Besides, if they're unharmed and alive, they would have come back on their own.

Princess: ...If you believe Aoi is alive, that means you're waiting for them to return, rather than searching for them...

Page 19

Fox: Kon!

Page 20

Princess: What you're saying is probably correct.

Searching until we find them was a reckless and poorly planned suggestion...

Princess: And conducting the search while maintaining the Mononokean's primary duty of coexistence would be difficult as well...

Princess: ......

Princess: ...But I can't accept this as the first and last search!

Princess: I don't want to give up until we find Aoi!!

Page 21

Abeno&Ashiya: !?

Abeno: I understand your feelings, but you should reconsider...

Princess: I don't want to!

Abeno: Even given your position, I can't promise something I cannot do...

Princess: I don't want to!

Abeno: Then, I have to refuse this request.

Princess: No way!

Ashiya: ("No way"!?)

Ashiya: (The Underworld Princess... Is this her last attempt at resistance? She's kicking up a fuss...)

(Ashiya: Her way of rebelling is just like Yahiko's... They really are siblings.)

Abeno: .....

Ashiya: (And I can feel a silent pressure on my back!!)

Ashiya: (I hear a threatening voice saying, "Don't just sit there, convince her! You're the babysitter!" Is it an auditory hallucination...?!)

Page 22

Ashiya: ...Please.

Ashiya: I want to search for Aoi as well, so

Could you accept that condition?

Princess: !

Page 23

Ashiya: Abeno-san really will refuse your request if you don't agree to those terms.

If that happens, I'll have to obey Abeno-san as the Mononokean's employee.

(And that would be disappointing...)

Ashiya: You don't want that either, right, Underworld Princess?

Princess: ......

Princess: Will this really be the first and last, no matter what?

Ashiya: No matter what... Princess.

Page 24

Ashiya: If you don't limit the search like that,

Abeno-san won't have any confidence in himself.

Abeno: !

Abeno: ......

Princess: !?

Princess: ......

...I see.

Princess: I was merely insisting things on my own without being considerate of him.

Page 25

[If that condition isn't to make me give up,

but a limit meant to restrict himself instead]

[Then I suppose my selfishness won't be allowed...]

[I was able to freely to express my feelings about Aoi that have been swirling in my heart for years... That's enough for me...

No matter the result, I should entrust it to these two.]

Page 26

Princess: I heard something from Aoi a long time ago.

When you make a promise in the Mundane world, you "pinky swear," correct?

Ashiya: !

Princess: I promise.

Princess: My request will be the first and last.

Page 27

Princess: Please go to the forest to search for that child.

Page 28

Abeno: Very well.

Page 29

Abeno: I humbly accept your request, Princess.

Page 30

Princess: Take care during your journey.

Princess: I shall leave Aoi to you.

[painandpleasure86]

I Cannot Believe It’s True

A/N: Hi there ppl! I never participated in a ship week like this time… Thank u Mel aka @roger-taylors-car for hosting this special week ❤️

This little DeazelloNeighbors'AU haves the previous chapters:

Ch #1 “My new neighbor it’s my crush”: https://painandpleasure86.tumblr.com/post/190777536948/my-new-neighbor-its-my-crush-deazzello-week

Ch #2 “Gimme your comfort, I suffer of love”: https://painandpleasure86.tumblr.com/post/190796228203/gimme-your-comfort-i-suffer-of-love-deazello

Ch #3 “Life-changing decisions (and a lot of suspects)”: https://painandpleasure86.tumblr.com/post/190811616233/life-changing-decisions-a-lot-of-suspects

Oh! This time, I took the prompts Valentine’s Day and Cheating.

I deleted previous post because I posted it so late and with some imperfections... Also, yesterday was an occupied day (plus Valentine’s Day date with my bf). Sorry :(

I hope to post for Day 6.

Summary: a disaster was about to start…

Warning: Angst, Fluff and a pinch of humor.

Word count: 2300

Permanent taglist: @warriorteam1924 @toomuchlove-willkillyou @deakysgurl (if you want to be in this list, send me a msg or ask)

If you liked it, please reblog! That will help me to reach to more ppl :3

***********************************

Were long days without him. He wasn’t that happy. But, taking what he learned in acting school, he always was smiling, being kind, working hard in the dance studio.

A nice way to cheer him up was, ironically, help to Ronnie. Joe really liked that woman. She always was so kind, smiley and also even after 6 kids she still was beautiful. He couldn’t deny that, even being gay. “John straight taste was nice”.

How he helped to the mistress? Taking care of the children meanwhile she was to buy some groceries, gone to the hairdresser for her dye or meanwhile she was taking a bath or cooking.

Robert and Michael were old enough to take care (Robert was almost 19 and Michael almost 17) even Laura with almost 15 years; so he took care of the three youngest. To him, was so great. He loved baby Cam, and Luke that he was starting to walk… Joshua had 10 years old, but he also kept an eye over him.

Once he trapped Josh looking for porn mags at his dad’s office.

“How you know that? Isn’t something of your age”. asked Joe to the boy.

“I trapped to my dad once with his hands under the table and I asked what he was doing”, replied Josh without shame. He continued talking. “The strange thing is, that in that pics I didn’t saw women… but I didn’t found it repulsive at all. They’re getting sex between them because they’re alone and… they also have needs”.

That words couldn’t came from his own.

“You really thinks like that?”

“Were words of my Dad and looks credible to me”.

Joe couldn’t found words then to explain that Josh dad was gay.

“Please don’t tell to my dad that I found his mags with that naked men… and never to my mom!” begged Joshua.

“Promise” and Joe extended his right pinky finger.

The guy understood the signal and extended the pinky finger from his left hand and intertwined it with Joe’s pinky finger, smiling.

“Redhead power!” said Joe, raising his left arm.

Josh laughed.

“We’re the best!” exclaimed Josh.

That happy smile made Joe being sad internally. Josh was like a little redhead John.

Laura always was watching at Joe with love eyes. And was paradise to her when she hurted a bit one of his feet and Joe hugged her to comfort her. When Joe listened “y-your pa-parfum it’s so nice” he could knew that Laura was better. “Yeah sweetie, your dad also loved it…” thought Joe.

Ronnie didn’t left to Joe to grab Cameron often, but when that happened… he felt like he was with some of his younger cousins or better, with a step brother. That baby was his weakness. “You’re a cute boy!” he often said to the baby, giving a  smooch in the little forehead. Cameron always gave in response a cute giggle. But this time, that happy face didn’t made him remember to John. Cam haves Ronnie’s face.

———-

February 11th Ronnie received a call when Joe was around there.

“Take care of Cam and Luke please” said her, running to the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi Ronnie!”

“John!!! How are you? we’re missing you here!”

The man smiled.

“I’m tired Ronnie. I just want to stay at home…”

“When you will come back?” asked the mistress.

“I’ll be there before Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow.”

Ronnie told to her offsprings “Dad will comeback tomorrow!” They smiled... And Luke said “Dad?” His first word.

Ronnie started to cry. She grabbed Luke in her arms.

“Ron.. Ron?”

“Oh sorry John! Luke told his first word, finally!! Come on son!”

The toddler didn’t wanted to say anything.

“Put him in the phone”

The baby started to listen his dad’s voice.

“How are you, little bud? I miss you so much!”

The baby didn’t said anything, just giggled.

Joe, having Cameron in his arms, watched at Luke’s eyes and cheer him up to speak. “Come on Luke, you can do it little champ!”

And Luke said “J-joe!”, pointing at the redhead.

John couldn’t react.

--

(In Montreux)

Roger saw John paralyzed with the phone in his hand and against his left ear.

“Deaky… are you okay mate?”

Trying to speak, he responded “Luke said his first word… and wasn’t mom or dad. Was the name of my new neighbor”

“Oh I see that Ronnie it’s having fun without you, then” joked Roger.

Deaky watched at Roger pretty annoyed. With that face. He preferred to not answer and continue talking with his family.

Roger approached to Brian then.

“John it’s acting rare..”

“Well, Roger, he’s so sensitive. Perhaps he isn’t in the mood to joke as he used to be.”

“No, not only for that. When he mentioned a couple of times to his neighbor, his cheeks flushed and his eyes brightened a bit.”

“You’re right Roger. I see that he loves to his neighbor” joked Bri.

“I think that’s serious. That he’s a kind of platonic love of John. But deaky didn’t wanted to accept. You know how’s deaky with things about his private life. If he didn’t want to tell to us, better not ask”

“I know it Roger. I know at the same person. I just hope that, at least he can have a nice Valentine’s Day.”

-------

Ronnie was asking “John? Are you there? John?”

“Sorry Ron. Roger made me a bad joke.”

“Haha! Do you wanna talk with the kids?”

“Sure”.

Joshua and Laura approached to the phone and talked a bit with their dad.

Meanwhile, Ronnie told to Joe “thank you for your help, really! The kids loved you!”

Joe smiled and his cheeks turned red.

“Now you’re the one with their cheeks flushed” joked Ronnie.

Both laughed.

“Was an honor Ronnie. Your kids are so great. And this little bud” pointing to Cameron with his chin “the cutest baby ever… well also Luke, haha! Don’t be jealous, man!” he added, caressing a bit Luke’s head.

Joshua screamed “mum, dad want that Cam listen his voice”.

Joe, watching at the woman, said “take to this bud.”

“No Joe. Gave to John a surprise and speak with him!” exclaimed the woman.

Joey, holding Cameron with his left arm and hand, took the phone and he said “Hi sir”

Another moment of silence for the bassist.

“John? Are you listening me?” asked worried Joe.

---

Meanwhile, John’s bandmates watched to him staring in silence.

“Joey” he finally replied in a sigh and smiling.

“See… he’s in love with that man” pointed Roger watching the scene.

“Let John alone Roger! If he’s happy…” said Brian. “Let’s coming back to our business” concluded.

----

“I- erm we miss you John… also this little guy that I have in arms! I must to confess that I love to be with your family”

“Even Ronnie?” John joked.

“Of course! I was helping her these last days.”

“It’s ironic… but well! Put me to my son to the phone please… we will talk tomorrow Joey.”

“Okay."

Joe approximate the phone to Cam’s left ear.

"Hi my little piece of heaven! How are you?” he said with the softest voice ever.

The baby giggled intensely.

“Dad loves you so much!”

The baby babbled.

All there were smiling for that cute scene.

Joe took the phone again and said “to Ronnie again?”

“No Joey. That’s all. See ya soon. Lov- take care of yourself”.

“Bye John”.

Both hung up.

Joe said “I think that I should to go to home…” and gave Cameron to Ronnie.

“Stay for the dinner, I even made a lactose free dessert for you”, she said, receiving to her youngest one.

Kissing to Ronnie in one cheek, he replied “I’d love that. But I want to sleep. I need that.”

“It’s okay Joe. Come tomorrow to have dinner with John please. He would be so happy to see you when he come back”.

“Tomorrow I’ll be here.” And watching to Cameron, he said “bye bud!”. Luke said “Joei” and extended his arms. Joe hugged to the little boy that was sat in the floor. “Bye champ!”

Josh and Joe made their “redhead power” salute.

“MICHAEL, COME HERE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO JOE” screamed Ronnie

He was until the stairs and said “No. Look how I’m dressed, plus outside it’s cold.”

“Excuses Mike, when Samantha came here you were dressed with that pajamas and you didn’t cared at all to go outside and close the main door” replied Laura, kinda upset.

Michael couldn’t respond better thing that “It’s better that you go to open the door to him, I listened how you says sometimes I love you joeeeeey ” meanwhile you’re sleeping.”

Laura’s cheeks were extra red. Mike made his bad action for that day.

Joshua started to mock Laura, but Ronnie stopped him.

Joe, in response of Mike’s confession, hugged Laura.

“You’re so cute, I like your style, and I know what you mean when you give me a flash of that smile but girl, you’re only a child ” Joe sung.

Laura laughed for the reference.

“I love that song, have my age! That’s so cool”.

“Great, but also there it says why I don’t reply to your flirth”

“I know... but anyways you’re so beautiful”.

Leaving the embrace, both walked to the main door. Laura still having that blush...

————--------------------------------------------------

John came back. Finally. And was huge his surprise when he saw Joe in the familiar table.

“Joe? Here? I-”

He stared at the scene and his offsprings came to greet him.

“You will say Dad again?” the man asked to his son Luke.

“Joei… Dad” pointing to Joe.

John laughed and hugged to the toddler.

“Luke really likes you Joe. Thank you for help to Ronnie” said with Luke in his arms.

“And you don’t greet me?” asked Ronnie giving a kiss in John’s lips.

Joe was a bit jealous.

Josh made a disgust expression.

“Hi Ron, this meal smell so delicious! Sorry, i’m hungry…” And watching at his youngest in Ronnie’s arms, he said “Hi my little piece of heaven!”

Leaving to Luke in his special chair, he said to Ronnie “I need to talk something with Joe…We will comeback soon.” In a whisper, he added “I’ll pay something for came to help you”. The men disappeared.

Both men were to the studio of John,there they hugged so tight for five minutes. Just hugged. In silence.

“I missed you so much Joe.” said finally the bassist.

“Me too… being here cheered me up, until I recognized that almost all your kids have the same smile that you have.” admitted Joe.

“Was masochist then” said the elder, leaving the embrace and caressing the right cheek of Joe.

“No… Well a bit. But was fun. I love to your children John.” replied the redhead. “And I love you. I do since a lot of time.” That last words were the speech that once his father caught saying to the mirror. Grabbing John’s face with both hands, he added  “Before knowing you in person I loved you. Now, even more. You’re the one…” and gave to him a sweet kiss in his lips. “Let me be your Valentine… the only one.”

John down his sight.

“I want that… but I can’t. My kids. My family…”

Walking to the door, Joe started to cry and say “You should think a bit more in you!” and watched at that greenish eyes again.

“Have the balls to do it, please. You’re happy with me, no? You told me how nice was to be alone and hug me… Don’t refuse to be happy” and he covered his face with his hands. Were a lot of tears.

After a couple of minutes, he said “I’ll go to the bathroom to wash my face. I don’t want that everyone watch at my eyes and ask me what happened”

When he opened the door, Joshua and Laura were there. They listened enough.

“Are you the boyfriend of my dad?” asked Laura, surprised.

“I’ll better call to mum” said Joshua serious.

“NO JOSH, COME HERE” screamed John and running behind him.

But John couldn’t catch to his son.

Meanwhile, Joe asked to Laura “Why you’re listening private conversations?”

“Mum wanted to call you and Dad because the chicken was ready, and well, instead of knock, we stared listening to dad and you talking… You’re the boyfriend, no?”

A question that Joe was about to reply, but Ronnie and the rest of her children were there.

“Kids, to your rooms… This is an adult conversation. Mike, take care of Luke and Cam meanwhile, please”.

Michael, with his brother Cameron in arms, said to Laura “I told you that those screamings were moans! And you didn’t wanted to believe me!”

Laura entered to her room, crying.

——–

Ronnie closed the door of the studio. Joe and John were there.

“I cannot believe it’s true… You, again... cheated on me… WITH A MAN! IN OUR HOUSE! BECAUSE NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY JOE SCREAMED. HE MOANED!!” Watching to Joe, she continued speaking… “YOU, PLAYED WITH ME AND MY KIDS, ACTING LIKE A KIND MAN. WHY YOU DID THIS TO MY FAMILY?”

“Ronnie, y-”

“DON’T CALL ME OF THAT WAY AGAIN JOSEPH.”

Watching to John, she added “AND YOU… GO AWAY OF THIS HOUSE. GRAB YOUR THINGS NOW”

“Veronica, I wanted to tell this soon…”

“HAHA… You know something John? I don’t believe you”.

The woman left the room, crying.

---------------

Both men left the house.  

“I’ll take a taxi and I’ll pass the night in an hotel. Again.” John told to Joe.

“Well John, in some moment that should happen…”

Both hugged tightly again.

“Love you John”.

“Love you Joe”.

And Joe started to go to his house.

Now there, his parents asked to Joe “What happened there? We listened some argues”

“Ronnie discovered that John cheated on her…” and, watching to his father, added “With me” replied Joe.

****************************

Again, if you liked it, please reblog! That will help me to reach to more ppl :3

Cheers, Lily

[writing-freak]

Masterlist

last updated/revised: 7/26/20

i. The Sports Festival

reader with a weather quirk faces off against shinsou in the sports festival

  - pt 2: Parties for No One

you consider approaching shinsou after the sports festival. an unlikely friendship commences

ii. Heroes and Villains

requested; a mistake shinsou makes during a mission leads to the death of six hostages and you in the hospital. you manage to calm him down before a breakdown

iii. Soulmate AU Aizawa and Shinsou w/ Dreams AU hcs

requested; part of soulmate au week; every time you go to sleep, you meet up with your soulmate. unfortunately for your soulmate, you’re an expert at lucid dreaming, and manage to conceal your appearance by changing in every dream

iv. Soulmate AU Shinsou w/ Platonic Soulmates AU hcs

requested; part of soulmate au week; platonic soulmates appear as shadowy demons at night. when you overcome your fear of the monster in the night, you can get to know your own imaginary friend

v. Heroes Together

requested; after growing up close friends with shinsou, you are forced to move away and leave your home behind. years later, you return, reunited with the best friend who doesn’t seem to remember you

i. Big 3 Slumber Party

a sleepover with the big three leads to some truth or dare confessions you may or may not be ready to share about your best friend

ii. Smiles of Sunshine

requested; a first date scenario in which Mirio is determined to break you out of your shy, bashful, and slow-to-smile shell

iii. Soulmate AU Mirio w/ First Words AU hcs

requested; part of soulmate au week; first words au in which Mirio has “OH MY GOSH PUT SOME CLOTHES ON” on his wrist and you have “I am so sorry I did not mean to flash you” on yours

iv. Falling for You

requested; awkward, embarrassed, pining over here where you are absolutely determined not to fall in front of your crush

v. Don’t Leave

requested; angst; Mirio’s perfectly planned day is ruined by a horrible accident while he’s away at work

vi. Nighteye Reincarnation hcs

requested; platonic!Mirio; when Mirio hears of a quirk like yours, which can reincarnate the souls of the dead, he is determined to find you and spend one last day with his mentor, Nighteye

i. BNHA Soulmate AU Week Day 1: The Ticking Clock

part of soulmate au week; everyone has a timer on their wrist that counts down to the moment they meet their soulmate. yours has been on zero since before you can remember

ii. Facts of the Universe hcs

requested; friends since before you can remember, there are no boundaries between you and bakugou. you share everything, but how can he possibly share how he really feels about you?

    iii. Facts of the Universe pt. 2 hcs

requested; angst with fluffy end; when you’re severely injured, bakugou can’t help but feel the universe he thought he knew so well crashing down upon him

iv. Dress Prank hcs

requested; fem!reader; how does bakugou react when you put on a revealing dress and tell him you’re going out to see another man?

v. Meet the Parents hcs

requested; when bakugou agrees to a dinner with your parents for the first time, the last thing he expects is for your dad to be exactly like him

i. BNHA Soulmate AU Week Day 2: The Red String of Fate

part of soulmate au week; tamaki, your shy soulmate, keeps running away from you, making the red string tied to your pinky longer and longer, and far more inconvenient for you

i. BNHA Soulmate AU Week Day 3: Blue Eyes

part of soulmate au week; you are obsessed with the color blue, and spend your life dedicated to the things the beautiful color produces. only problem? you’ve never been able to see it

ii. Promise to You

requested; when an ex-friend of yours who spent years shattering your self esteem shows up on your tiktok’s for you page, your boyfriend ditches his study session to calm you down

i. BNHA Soulmate AU Week Day 4: Save Your Soul

part of soulmate au week; everyone has colorful marks on their skin where their soulmate touches them for the first time. you’re determined to hide your soulmarks: a pair of hands on your waist

i. BNHA Soulmate AU Week Day 5: Drawing on Skin

part of soulmate au week; anything you write on your skin shows up on the skin of your soulmate. you often draw the attention of others due to the crazy doodles, scribbles, and words written all over you from head to toe

i. BNHA Soulmate AU Week Day 7: Running from Pain

part of soulmate au week; in a world where you feel every ounce of pain your soulmate has, you spend your entire childhood trying to keep your soulmate safe, and it seems like they have the same idea. that is, of course, until you’re off to the support course at UA, and find yourself in all sorts of trouble. you don’t feel so bad, though, cause whatever your soulmate is up to seems to be creating the same amount of pain for you as you’re creating for them

i. BNHA Soulmate AU Week Day 6: The Power to Choose

part of soulmate au week; soulmates have matching tattoos on the same place on their bodies. a conversation with your best friend reveals just what she believes about the tattoo marked into her skin

i. Hide Away

requested; through your close childhood friend kirishima, you meet tetsutetsu, another hero in training who develops a quick crush on you. after a stressful day of getting ready and listening to your friend’s teasing jokes, you find yourself on your first date with the young hero

i. Soulmate AU Aizawa and Shinsou w/ Dreams AU hcs

requested; part of soulmate au week; every time you go to sleep, you meet up with your soulmate. unfortunately for your soulmate, you’re an expert at lucid dreaming, and manage to conceal your appearance by changing in every dream

i. Soulmate AU FatGum w/ Emotions AU hcs

requested; part of soulmate au week; soulmates can feel each other’s emotions, which can be frustrating, but comes in handy now you know your soulmate is one of the top pro heroes

ii. Late Night Snack

requested; drunk after a night out with friends, you can think of only one person to call, your boyfriend, the pro hero fatgum, begging for food and a bit of company

i. Soulmate AU Tokoyami w/ Black and White AU hcs

requested; part of soulmate au week; your soulmate’s fears and insecurities are like shadows, and can turn your vision grey until you meet them. when tokoyami’s colors start fading, he becomes desperate to find you

i. Risky Business hcs

requested; an american exchange student is caught dancing in their underwear like the scene from risky business by all of class 1-a

ii. British Transfer Student hcs

requested; a british exchange student deals with class 1-a’s endless teasing and ridiculous stereotyping as they struggle to deal with moving across the world

i. Forgive

the whole team, including your brother tony, attempts to get you and bucky on speaking terms after you refuse to forgive him for what happened to your parents

ii. New to the Team

the newest member of the avengers team, you can’t understand why everyone has accepted you more readily than the winter soldier, who joined months before you did and never got the chance to find his place among the tight knit group of teammates

i. Fighting

pre-serum au; you find yourself cleaning up after your older brother’s friend steve more times than you can count. after this last fight, you’ve had enough

i. Spiderboy

finding out your best friend is a super hero could quite possibly be the best thing to happen to your friendship. finding out flash anderson asked you out could quite possibly be the worst

ii. Flying

being iron man’s kid has its perks, but also its challenges. never leaving stark tower can be lonely, but when your dad’s new “intern” finds himself in the penthouse suite, you may have found yourself a new friend

i. Worry

loki calms you down when you’re stressed about a mission and can’t fall asleep

i. Carol Drabble #1

i. Useless   pt. 1   pt. 2   pt. 3

completed; a mutant with a power to manipulate emotions, you find yourself feeling useless when your friends risk their lives on dangerous missions. hank decides to help you find a way to use your power aggressively

i. The Invisible Mutant   Chapter 1 - Ch. 2 - Ch. 3

ongoing; your mutation allows you to hide away from others, hidden in the shadows away from those who are out to hurt you. now, turning invisible is a reflex, and you do it at the smallest bit of fear, but when a mutant with mind reading powers saves you from the streets and brings you to a safe haven with other mutants your age, you come to learn that fear isn’t everything, and your mutation is so much more

ii. Summer Fun

requested; you and your husband take your daughter to a water park for a day of fun, only to catch her manipulating the water in front of the other kids

i. Bullseye

requested; you and leo are stuck after dark trying to meet the requirements to finish your archery lesson with coach hedge. after a few hours, though, it becomes clear that neither of you are going to hit a bullseye any time soon

let me know if you would like to be added to my taglist - general, for a fandom, or a particular series - also, my requests are always open! Thanks for reading!! <3

[madelinecoffee]

Is This Seat Taken? Ch. 6

Summary: Rucas Senior Year AU. Riley’s a loner who doesn’t really have any friends, besides her twin brother Josh but she keeps to herself in school. Something happened the year before where she missed the 2nd half of the year but she’s back for senior year and Lucas’ heart is ready. He’s had a crush on her since he moved to Philly in 3rd grade and he’s convinced this is the year they’ll move up from the class-friends label and into something more. This is not a completely fluffy fic, I’m going to be diving into some deep shit so if that’s not your cup of tea please leave *this does  include some serious depression if it goes beyond that I will trigger warn it* A/N: Hi it’s me, happy new year. 

TRIGGER WARNING FOR MENTIONS OF DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE 

Tagging:  @iwantyoutochooseme @celluloiddreams @imaginarybird Words: 1177 Previous: Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch.4 Ch.5

After a lot of convincing from Riley and a promise for her to call him when she was going to bed and text him after her bath Lucas was home taking a shower and figuring out what he wanted to do next. He still felt overwhelmed with all the information Riley had told him, and it made him worry more about her than he had before. He always knew she was nervous and pretty insecure but he didn’t know it went that deep.

He shook his head again as he came down his parents where in the family room chatting, he hesitated for a moment but he went over to tell them what was going on. He had called his dad to give him the jest of what was going on so they didn’t worry. He loved his parents though the woman he called mom was his step-mom it didn’t matter to him, his birth mother had walked out when he was born, as did Maya’s dad. It was something both of them struggled with and as a result their parents made sure they had a tight-knit family.

Lucas plopped down in the chair by them, “Hey guys, thanks for letting me stay over at the Matthews last night”

Lucas dad patted him on the knee, “Of course son we trust you and from what you said on the phone Riley needed you who are we to stop the future Mrs. Friar from getting support”

Lucas turned red, “Dad! Stop!”

Lucas’ Mom laughed, “Luke honey, he’s just teasing. But what was going on with Riley that she needed you to stay over?”

Lucas mom looked worried he big blue eyes boring into his soul as Lucas felt hot tears boiling in his throat, “Um well, I’ll give you the short version because it’s just easier.” Both Lucas’ parents nodded, “So Riley’s been struggling with major depression and anxiety for like, ever.  And she had a big break down last night and I didn’t feel right leaving her like that. Even though she had her family she wanted me”

Both Lucas’ parents shared a look, “I feel like there’s more” Lucas mom said

“Um she tried to commit suicide last year, that’s why she missed so much school”

“Oh honey” Lucas mom came over and gave him a big hug while Lucas saw his Dad making his deep thinking face

“Lucas, what ever that sweet girl needs from you. You be there for her, I don’t care if you spend the night with her. Or she needs to spend the night here, or she needs to take the day off and needs someone with her. You be that person Luke. I am clear” Lucas’ Dad gave him in a tone that left no argument

“Yes Sir”

“Good, you probably don’t remember this but back when your mother and I first started dating I was going through something similar and she was really my rock. Because she was just herself around me, and when I needed someone she was there. I know you love Riley-“

“-Dad”

But Lucas’ dad was on a role, “And you want to be there for her, so I’m giving you permission to do so. I’m proud of you son” Lucas hugged both his parents feeling incredibly thankful to end up with them as the adults in charge of him.

Just then his phone buzzed with a text from Riley, “Do you want to go on a walk with me?”

“I’d love to <3” Lucas responded quickly

--

Riley’s hair was French braided when he came to pick her up, her face still looked tired but she looked pleased to see him. She gave him a big hug before grabbing his hand

“Hi Blue” Lucas smiled he loved that she had a love name for him, she always said it softly like it was something precious

“Hi, what made you want to go for a walk?”

“Well my parents are getting into my room and I just can’t be in the house when they do it, it just upsets me so much.” Lucas nodded, “I also just wanted to talk to you about something”

“Shoot”

“Well, I was um kind of wanting to tell Maya and Zay about my issues. But um, I don’t want to tell them the whole story. But they’re my friends and I want them to get it a little bit?”

Lucas nodded, “Yeah you want them to be in the loop, it’ll also make more sense since Maya lives with me and if I’m sneaking off at night to give you cuddles she gets it a little more. Oh that reminds me, my dad basically gave me a pass to stay with you whenever you need. Like if you’re staying home or you need cuddles because you’re upset whatever”

Riley perked up, “Really? That’s so sweet of him; I haven’t seen your parents in forever. Do you think I could meet them again soon?”

Lucas leaned over and kissed her nose, “Of course, but back to your original thought. I don’t think you need to give them the whole story, but just give them the basic idea.”

Riley nodded, “Okay but how?”

Lucas smiled at her softly, “Well you just tell them that you struggle with anxiety and depression and that the reason you were gone last year was because” Riley could tell that it was hard for him to get the words out

“I tried to commit suicide, but does it have to be today? This weekend has been really hard.”

“Riley, we are always going to do things at your own pace. When you want to tell them you can. I’m not going to pressure you at all”

“Promise?” Lucas had to hold back his laugh as she held up her pinky; he wrapped his pinky around hers and gave them a kiss

“Promise”

Riley gave him a mega-watt smile, “I also had another question”

“So many questions” Riley nudged him as she giggled

“I’ve been talking with my therapist and my parents, and I think I’m going to get a therapy animal. We’ve been talking about it for a while, and based on this weekend I think it would be helpful.”

Lucas nodded, “What do you think would be helpful about it?”

Riley started to swing their hands, “It gives me something else to focus on like what they need,  and they’re trained to like know my triggers and like signs of what causes issues for me. So I think it’d be helpful for how extreme my anxiety and depression is”

Lucas nodded and leaned over to kiss her head, “I think that sounds like a great idea for you. Do you know what animal you’d get?”

Riley shrugged, “The main ones are dogs and cats, but I could also get a bunny. I love bunnies.” Lucas chuckled at her, “I have to confirm with my therapist and my parents. But when it’s time will you come with me to pick out my animal?”

“For you? Anything?”

[pocket-luv101]

The Forest of Ash || Chapter 19

Fandom: Servamp Characters: Mahiru, Kuro, Licht, Hyde Pairings: KuroMahi (main), LawLicht (side)

Summary: To stop the never ending winter the gods created, Mahiru entered the Forest of Ash to steal fire and gift it to the humans. When he was caught, he thought that he would be put to death. But Kuro was far from the God of the Dead that he heard stories about. He decided to stay in the Forest of Ash with him. {KuroMahi//Greek Mythology AU}

FFNet || AO3

Ch.1 || Ch.2 || Ch.3 || Ch.4 || Ch.5 || Ch.6 || Ch.7 || Ch.8 || Ch.9 || Ch.10 || Ch.11 || Ch.12 || Ch.13 || Ch.14 || Ch.15 || Ch.16 || Ch.17 || Ch.18 || (Ch.19) || Ch.20

“Kuro, I’m sorry I couldn’t do more during your talk with Hyde. I wish I could’ve convinced him that you do mean well and stopped him from storming out like that. As long as we’re both here, we can try to talk to him again. Your brother doesn’t seem like the patient type so it might take a while to show him that. I know we need to return home to our forest soon so maybe we should invite Hyde back with us.”

He glanced up at Kuro when he didn’t respond to his suggestion. They decided to take a walk through the stoa connected to Lily’s temple after Hyde left the library. It was dusk but Mahiru hoped that the fresh air and beautiful scenery would ease the troubled look Kuro had. Mahiru’s eyes fell onto his hand at his side and he hesitantly hooked his pinky around Kuro’s finger to hold his hand loosely.

“I don’t know the details of what happened centuries ago with Sensei or Ophelia. But I’m certain that whatever you did was out of love for your siblings. I saw it in your eyes when you talked to Hyde earlier. You really care about your family. You’re just a little awkward.” Mahiru stopped walking and Kuro turned to face him. He massaged his hands tenderly as he went on.

“I understand how difficult this is for you so lean on me whenever you want. You helped me with my past so let me do the same for you. For the longest time, the sun festival was a painful day for me. I would lock myself in my room and cry. Then you came into my life and changed that. I’m looking forward to spending the next sun festival with you. I also want you to be able to look forward to family dinners.”

Kuro untangled their fingers and wrapped his arms around his waist. He pulled him closer against his chest and rested his cheek against his soft hair. “Thank you. You’re a treasure, Mahiru. I guess it would be nice to have my family at our wedding ceremony. That might not be for a while though. We need to deal with Tsubaki and his winter first.”

“It’s going to be a lively event with all eight Olympians there. Hopefully, Licht won’t start a fight with one of your siblings.” He could imagine the chaos very well. At the same time, he could also see that day being full of joy. Mahiru chuckled and said, “Do you remember that time Lily had breakfast with us and he asked why you fell in love with me? Can you tell me your answer again? It was very sweet.”

“You’re my sunshine.” His voice stuttered as he remembered how he reacted the last time he said it. Now he knew how painful the topic was for him and he didn’t want to make him remember those terrible memories. But Mahiru was gazing up at him so expectantly that he muttered the words reluctantly. Kuro felt relieved when he beamed a sunny smile up at him.

“You actually said: ‘His smile is like the sun’. But I’ll happily be both your sun and sunshine. I want to stay by your side and support you. Will you let me?” Kuro lifted his hands and brush his lips over his ring finger. The feelings in his red eyes as he kissed him warmed his heart. He was accepting him for who he was, including his mistakes.

Mahiru leaned towards Kuro but they both became bashful and pulled away. Black Cat saw the longing in his eyes and thought that he wanted a hug from Kuro. So, it nudged Kuro’s leg to make him stumble into Mahiru. He placed his hand on the back of his head so Mahiru wouldn’t be hurt when they crashed into a pillar. Kuro looked down at the cat and frowned, “You could’ve hurt Mahiru.”

Black Cat didn’t appear the least bit guilty because it had a large, mischievous grin on its face. Mahiru pulled Kuro’s attention back to him by wrapping his arms around his neck. In return, Kuro moved his hand through his hair until he could cup his cheek. “I don’t think he intended to hurt either of us, Kuro. Actually, I’m sure he knew what I wanted and tried to help me.”

“What did you want?” Kuro tilted his head slightly. Mahiru wasn’t a materialistic person so he didn’t know what he would ask for. He saw how the blush on Mahiru’s cheeks deepened. Every one of his expressions were adorable to Kuro and they made him smile. His rare smile only made Mahiru more flustered and he looked down at their feet. “If you want something, you can tell me what it is and I’ll buy it for you.”

“You don’t need to buy me anything. I love you for you. The only thing I want is your arms around me like this. But we’re in a sacred temple right now so that might not be appropriate. Anyone walking by can see us as well. When we’re in our garden, we didn’t need to worry about people seeing us like this. Visiting my friends was great but I miss our home a little.”

“This is the temple of love so I doubt people will be that upset by a married couple being affectionate with each other here. The only thing they’ll gossip about is how you tamed the God of the Dead. If you’re worried though…” Kuro made rose bushes grow around them until they were hidden by the flowers. The moonlight filtered through the leaves enough for Kuro to see Mahiru’s smile. He never thought his powers could make someone happy and Kuro hoped he could continue to make him smile.

With the roses around them, Mahiru felt like they were home again and in their garden. They were in their own world where they didn’t have to worry about a war or the past. He fiddled with Kuro’s blue hair and lifted himself onto his toes. His breath brushed over his ear when he whispered. “Did you know you smell like the earth? Flowers and trees. It’s probably from the Forest of Ash. I like it.”

“Are you sure it’s not the roses around us?” He stroked his thumb over his cheek.

“I’ll check again.” His heart fluttered when Mahiru tickled his nose against his neck. He pressed a kiss onto his cheek before he rocked back onto his feet. Kuro wondered if Mahiru knew the things he did to him. He pressed him against the pillar and kissed him deeply. Mahiru was intoxicating and he needed more.

He was crushed between the pillar and Kuro but Mahiru still tried to press closer to him. Kuro still couldn’t believe that someone as wonderful as Mahiru would choose to be with him. But here he was, beautiful and warm, in his arms. He never considered himself a greedy man but Mahiru brought out aspects of him he never knew he had. There was nothing he wanted more than Mahiru.

He broke the kiss gently and whispered into Mahiru’s hair. “I must be the luckiest man in the world.”

“Actually, I think that’s me. I love you, Kuro.” He giggled. Mahiru picked one of the roses and twirled it between his fingers. “We’ll work things out with your brothers, don’t worry. A simple talk can go a long way. Hyde seems more reasonable than Tsubaki so we should focus on him first. He might help us talk with Tsubaki after you two work things out as well.”

Mahiru burned the thorns off the rose’s stem before he fastened it onto his cloak. He rested his hand over Kuro’s heart. “Tsubaki and Hyde told me how you placed a barrier around your forest to keep them out. Please, don’t make that guilty face. I understand why you did that, especially after that siren tried to capture Black Cat. Maybe you should take it down for Hyde though. It’ll show him that you’re not hiding anymore.”

A year ago, he would never have considered taking down his barrier. Yet Mahiru was able to change him in the time they were together. Kuro nodded, “Alright. My way hasn’t been going well so we should start trying to use your way now. Let’s keep things simple.”

“And if Hyde does try to do anything to you or our home, I’ll protect you.” Mahiru’s grin was full of confidence and encouragement. Black Cat purred loudly at their feet. It forced its way between them and into Mahiru’s arms. It purred at him despite how Mahiru couldn’t understand him. He was getting better at interpreting it though. “Of course, I’ll protect you too.”

“I don’t want to think about you fighting one of my siblings again. We should head back. It’s getting late.” He controlled the rose bushes around them and set them aside. With his arm around his waist, he led Mahiru down the stoa. He leaned against Kuro’s side as they walked. His words repeated itself in his mind. Mahiru called his forest their home and nothing could make him happier.

“Knowing my brother, it’s going to take a while for him to calm down enough to talk to us again. It’ll possibly take a decade or so. Hopefully, he’ll forgot about everything in that time and we can just go home.” Kuro felt Mahiru shake his head against his shoulder. “I know, I was just joking. We’ll invite him back home with us and I’ll talk to Hyde again.”

“I’ll be with you the entire time.” Mahiru promised and kissed his cheek.

“Was that a reward for saying the right thing or encouragement?”

“It was something I wanted to do.”

“Wake up, Shit Rat! I will kick down this door if you don’t come out in five minutes!” Licht hammered his fist against the door. He assumed that Hyde would change his mind overnight and decide to hide in his room. He persistently knocked on the door to annoy him into leaving his room. Someone behind him wrapped his hand around his to stop his next knock.

“You’re going to wake the entire city, Angel Cakes. I’m right here so you don’t need to make a scene because you think I’m sleeping in.” He recognized that it was Hyde but he was still slightly surprised to see that it was him when he turned around. Hyde smiled down at him. “Were you so excited to see me again that you came to my room so early?”

He glared at him suspiciously. He looked down at his hand and Hyde was still holding it. Licht didn’t let go of his hand though. “You didn’t decide to run away or hide? I assumed you would so I came to make sure you keep your promise to not give up. I guess you’re not a complete imbecile.”

“For the past century, I’ve been pissed at my brother for doing that. I’ll be a hypocrite if I did the same thing. Anyways, my guardian angel gave me some good advice and encouragement last night. How can I leave after we shared such a sweet moment? I also wanted to see you first thing in the morning. I pictured you in my bed though. Maybe next time, Angel Cakes?”

“Will you ever act serious, Shit Rat? I’m not your angel.” Licht knew that Hyde was only casually flirting with him to tease him. There were a thousand myths about him and his many flings. He refused to be one of them when he knew better. Then again, his heart had trouble listening to his head.

Hyde reminded him why he should be wary when he laughed and ruffled his hair. “I had to get up early to oversee the sunrise. I’m the God of the Sky but I’ve been neglecting my duties while I was helping you. You don’t have to worry about my job or my leaving though. I can never leave you without saying goodbye. You would yell and lecture me if I left so I decided to stay and find what happened to Ophelia.”

“Who said I would chase after you if you left? I would never waste time on some cowardly Olympian.” Licht took his hand back from him and crossed his arms. But Hyde didn’t seem to be offended by his tone. “My mother was human but she was far braver and more noble than any deity. That’s why my father gave up his godhood for her. She’s better than all of you.”

“You must take after your mother because you’re wonderful too. I didn’t know either of your parents but they were strong people. I wish I could thank them for blessing the world with an Angel of Music.” He would always call him by his silly nickname but that had to be Licht’s favourite. “Kuro probably won’t let me back into his forest to visit them.”

“The better question is if I would let you meet my parents. They’ll be shocked if you do visit them and told them we’re friends. My mother is more forgiving towards the gods than me so she might accept you. But my father would love to punch an Olympian like you. On second thought, maybe I should introduce you to my parents.” Licht walked to window and leaned against the ledge.

The wind played through his hair and Licht smoothed it back down. He was beautiful to Hyde. Licht swore when the wind suddenly became more powerful and twirled around him. Hyde laughed and then straightened his dark hair. He glared up at him because he knew that Hyde was the one that controlled the wind. As retaliation, he tugged the curtain down over Hyde.

He laughed while Hyde struggled to pull the curtain off him. Seeing Licht’s bright face, he couldn’t be angry and laughed along with him. Hyde wrapped the curtain around Licht’s shoulders and pulled him closer. He stopped when noticed his brother down the hall. He dropped the curtain and Licht saw how he became stiff. Licht followed his eyes and turned around to see what caused it.

He understood why he suddenly became tense when he saw Kuro. Hyde told him that he would be more direct with what he wanted and confront his brother. He knew that Hyde was sincere. But words were easier to speak than to put into action. To Licht, actions were more important than words so he nudged Hyde forward with his wing.

“Good morning, Hyde.” Kuro stopped in front of him. He felt as hesitant as Hyde and it showed in his voice. Behind his back, Kuro fiddled with his fingers and tried to calm his nerves. Mahiru patted his arm and smiled at him. He whispered some encouragement to him but that was drowned out when Hyde made a mocking laugh.

“You’re still here? I thought you would be halfway back to your forest right now.”

“I understand why you would think that.” Kuro rubbed his arm. His hand brushed against Mahiru’s and he took a deep breath. “You’re my brother and I never wanted to hurt you— or any of our siblings. No matter if I told you the truth or hid it from you, people would be hurt. I would rather you guys hate me than for you to be hurt. But, in the end, I hurt you. I’m sorry.”

“Is that all you have to say? You think a simple ‘I’m sorry’ will make everything better? This conversation isn’t any better than the one we had yesterday. Are you going to tell me what happened to Ophelia and the people of her town? I think we both know the answer to that is no. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say to me or—”

Hyde cursed when Licht stomped on his feet. He pouted at Licht who ignored him and faced Kuro. “Don’t listen to that idiot. He’s being dishonest again. What he truly wants is for you to tell him everything. He deserves that much, I think. I can see that you feel guilty so you must think the same.”

“You’re right.” Hyde was a little surprised by Kuro’s quick admission. He thought his brother would be more resistant. “Mahiru says a simple talk can go a long way. It’s still dangerous to tell you everything but I hope we can find a compromise. I have to go back to the Forest of Ash tomorrow because of my duties but you can stay with us until we work this out.”

“We still have one more day before we have to return home. How about you two have some quality time as brothers? You two should invite Lily as well!” Mahiru suggested. He was happy and excited for Kuro to be with his family again. “So, what did you two enjoy to do as a family in the past?”

“Do your best, Kuro! I’m cheering for you.” Mahiru yelled from where he stood in the stands. They travelled to the Panathenaic Stadium so the family could have a chariot race like they did in the past. He hoped the chariot race would help bring the brothers closer. He waved to Kuro to catch his attention. Kuro walked to the marble fence and stopped in front of Mahiru.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Mahiru? I know you’re uncomfortable with chariots so you don’t have to watch if it’s too much for you.” He whispered as he stroked his brown hair tenderly. Mahiru shook his head with a smile. Kuro was still uncertain and said, “My brother is very competitive so the race might become too intense for you. Maybe you should go on a walk with Misono.”

“I’m fine, Kuro. It’s sweet that you’re worried about me but you don’t have to be. The memories aren’t too painful as long as I don’t have to ride in a chariot. I want to be here to support you so I’m staying to watch your race.” Mahiru took his hand from his hair and held it in both of his hands. “Work together with your brother and win this race. I know you can.”

“Chariot races are so troublesome. My cloak will get in the way so can you hold it for me?” Kuro took off his cloak and wrapped it around his shoulders. As he fastened it in place, he leaned closer to him and whispered into his ear. “If the memories get too intense, just cover your eyes with my cloak.”

“Thank you, Kuro.” Mahiru pulled his cloak tighter around him and smiled. He liked wearing his cloak because he could smell him faintly and it felt like he was holding him. Similarly, Kuro thought he looked wonderful in his cloak as well. Kuro adjusted the hood over his head so he could see his eyes better. They both jumped when Lily appeared behind them and clapped.

“Are you going to give Kuro a kiss for luck? You should!” Lily shook Kuro’s shoulder.

“Have you been listening to our conversation?” Kuro’s face became bright red. “Can’t deal.”

Mahiru giggled at the brothers. Then he wrapped his arms around Kuro’s neck and gave him a quick kiss. He let him go and said, “Good luck, Kuro. I’ll be cheering for you.”

“I guess I’ll actually try to win if you’re going to make a big show out of cheering for me.” Kuro tousled Mahiru’s hair to distract him from how he was blushing. He squeezed his hand before he went back to the center of the arena. He nodded to Black Cat and it transformed into four horses for the chariot race. With his shadows, he summoned his chariot and tied it onto the horses.

He was still nervous about being partnered with Hyde for the chariot race. They had to work together for the race. One would steer the chariot while the other collected the flags placed around the track. The first chariot with three flags would be the winner. Kuro looked over his shoulder to Mahiru sitting in the stands. He wanted to do well at the race for Mahiru and see his proud smile.

“You must be smitten with your little god if you’re actually participating in a chariot race for him.” His attention was pulled away from him when Hyde spoke. He stepped onto his chariot and the temperature plummeted around them. Kuro knew that it was the tension he felt and not Hyde’s power that caused the change. He looked down at the reigns in his hands and remembered the games they played as children.

“I love Mahiru but he’s not the only reason I’m here. He said this race can help mend our family and I hope it does. You’re my brother. For this race, we’ll have to work together like we used to.” Chariot racing was a dangerous sport and it took a lot of skill to control the horses. Kuro’s hands tightened on the reigns. “I’ll drive so you only need to focus on grabbing the flags.”

“Then we should win this easily, Brother.” Hyde said and gripped the chariot. The race sprung to life once the announcer raised the flag. Kuro steered his chariot towards the first flag with a quick flick of his wrist. He could hear Mahiru cheering for him and he felt more determined to win the race.

“Go, Kuro!” He wanted to see Kuro having fun with his brothers so he didn’t care if he won or lost. The most important thing to Mahiru was Kuro’s safety. He didn’t know what he would do if Kuro was hurt in a chariot crash. They cleared the ice and snow from the stadium but, even in the perfect conditions, chariot races were dangerous.

“I heard tales of how fast Sleepy Ash’s chariot is but I never imagined it would be so quick.” Licht leaned back in his chair. He wanted to be a part of the race as well. Unfortunately, he didn’t have anyone to partner with. Mahiru refused to step on a chariot and Misono couldn’t ride one.

“Kuro’s chariot is very fast. The only chariot faster than it must be the Chariot of the Sun.” Misono could barely keep track of the chariots. “No matter how fast Black Cat is, I expect Tetsu and Lily will be the victors. I trust in their strength. Hugh, the God of Wisdom, has acknowledged Tetsu as a true hero. He once rode a chariot pulled by a lion and a boar.”

Mahiru could hear how much Misono loved Tetsu in his voice. He understood how he felt because it was the same with him and Kuro. He couldn’t take his eyes off Kuro. “I think Kuro will win. Between his shadows and plants, his powers are very versatile. Black Cat is well trained too. Who do you believe will win, Licht?”

“The angel, of course.” Licht stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“So, you agree that Tetsu will win!” Misono grinned because he assumed that was what Licht meant. He was confused when Licht shook his head. He pointed to the black chariot and Misono raised a brow at him. “You believe that Lawless is an angel? I had the impression you didn’t like him.”

“I was referring to Mr. Cat. He is the most angelic warrior in the arena. As if an Olympian can compete against such an adorable cat.” He watched Hyde capture the first flag. Hyde turned towards him and their eyes met. He winked at him with a sly grin. Licht looked away from him and muttered, “I guess he does have his strengths. He’s unpredictable.”

“I don’t know if you’re complimenting him or not.” Mahiru knew that the two were close and he wondered if Licht would ever admit it to himself. He was very stubborn after all. “You call Hyde unpredictable but I think you know him very well. After spending time together, you two must be close. It looked like you two were getting along this morning.”

A high pitch screech brought Mahiru’s attention back to the chariot race. He shot to his feet when he saw Kuro make a sharp turn. He was relieved that the chariot didn’t tip over and Mahiru placed his hand over his racing heart. While he trusted Kuro’s abilities, he still worried about him. He prayed that he wouldn’t be hurt and shouted, “Go Kuro! Grab the next flag!”

Kuro didn’t take his eyes off the track but he nodded in response to Mahiru’s voice. He guided his chariot to the next flag pole and moved as close to it as he dared. He didn’t want to risk crashing into the fence but he also needed to help Hyde reach the flag easily. Hyde leaned over the side of the chariot and stretched towards the flag.

He swore when the flag passed through his fingers. No matter if they race to the third flag or circle back to the second flag, they would lose. Lily already had one flag and they were close to their second. He tapped Kuro’s shoulder and said, “Do you remember that time I messed with your chariot and turned your wheels into wind? That will make us fast enough to get the next flag fast.”

Before Kuro could say a word, Hyde snapped his fingers and the chariot became lighter. The wind he created beneath the chariot kept it from skidding against the ground and allowed it be faster. Hyde’s feet slipped on the shadows and he tried to grab the chariot to steady himself. Kuro couldn’t let go of the reins but he summoned his shadows to keep Hyde from falling off the chariot.

“You’re as reckless as ever. Do you want to win so much that you’ll do something this dangerous?” He said once he was certain Hyde found his footing again. It was a little difficult to steer because he couldn’t control the wind. Kuro did his best to keep the chariot on track. The flag was rapidly approaching them and Hyde leaned over the edge to take it.

A powerful wind circled the stadium and Mahiru gripped his cloak so it wouldn’t fly away. The falling snow was becoming thicker. Beside him, Licht grabbed his arm and stood. Licht had a worried expression and Mahiru thought he was scared about for Hyde’s safety like he was for Kuro. “Something’s wrong. This wind isn’t Hyde’s. We need to stop the chariot race right now or else they’ll crash.”

Mahiru didn’t question his friend and he screamed as loudly as he could. “Kuro! Stop!”

Kuro was confused by his order but he pulled sharply on Black Cat’s reins. The horses dug their feet into the dirt but they couldn’t find any traction due to the snow on the ground. He knew it would be too difficult to stop the chariot safely. A cloud formed around them and lifted them out of the chariot.

He heard Mahiru call his name again as he landed on the ground. Mahiru ran across the field and threw his arms around Kuro. He buried his face into his neck and clung onto him. Kuro stroked his back and scanned the stadium to see if his siblings were unharmed. Lily and Hyde could fly so they were safe. He sighed and transformed his chariot back into shadows.

“It’s okay, Mahiru. The snow made the track a little slippery and Hyde got a little too enthusiastic with his wind because he wanted to win. But we’re all fine.” He helped Mahiru to his feet. He was as pale as a ghost and Kuro wished that he suggested they played another game. Kuro took Mahiru’s hand and pressed it against his cheek. “You don’t need to be scared.”

“I was afraid that wind would make you lose control of your chariot. Licht said that Hyde wasn’t the one that created that wind too.” Mahiru let go of him enough for him to look up at him. They placed a barrier around the stadium so snow couldn’t enter. He doubted Lily created the snow and he bit his lip. He walked to his siblings. From their expressions, he knew that they were worried about the snow as well.

“Please tell me that you’re the one creating this snow, Hyde.”

“It’s not him.” Licht looked up at the sky. The clouds were darkening and he took his pan flute out of his satchel. “I have fought this Olympian enough to know that this weak wind isn’t his doing.”

“Calling my wind weak? How hurtful.” They all turned to see Tsubaki standing behind them. He was holding a lantern in his hand and Mahiru stiffened when he recognized it. The lantern had forced him to relive his memories. Tsubaki had a cold smile on his face. “You didn’t invite your little brother to your race. Maybe you can show me something interesting to make up for that.”

The next chapter should be that last one (unless it becomes too long and I have to split it into two). But I do have a few mini fanfics for epilogue stuff and side stories for this AU. There were a lot of ideas that I couldn’t fit into the 20 chapters I outlined.

[otabekskitten]

A Dozen Roses Ch 2

Otayuri I G-Rated

Yuri works in the flower shop. Otabek is a business man. This is how they fell in love.

Fluff, Falling in Love, Mutual Pining

Word count: 5.1K

Read on AO3

Read here for Ch 1

Yuri and Otabek decided to meet at the plaza in between their respective workplaces. They couldn’t stop smiling and thought wow he looks so handsome tonight. All they could really say to each other was a constant back and forth of “Hi” in a cute dazed manner.

After a bit of this though Yuri remembers he had a surprise for Otabek behind his back which was a single flower, a sunflower in fact. (because Beka has become such a sunshine in his life)

“I know it’s not a rose or a few dozen haha but as soon as I saw it I thought of you”

and he continues to do his trademarked rambles. His line of vision starts from staring at the flower slowly making its way to the ground to avoid Otabek’s gaze. Yuri thought he just might blush even more than he already was if he kept looking at Otabek straight on.

Little did he know was that Otabek was grinning from ear to ear, thinking how much he wanted to hug and squish Yuri right now. On second thought though he also didn’t want to squish the precious flower he just received.

Yuri interrupts Otabek’s thoughts without realizing as he says,

“Ah I tend to a ramble a lot I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize I just love hearing your voice so feel free to ramble even more in the future.”

Yuri’s heart goes hnnng and he blushes like mad, proceeding to give Otabek the flower. Yuri starts to run off rather quickly saying,

“Okay so where is that date again??” to hide the excitement on his face.

Otabek chuckles a bit and smells the flower before he puts it in his coat pocket, close to his heart. He starts running over to Yuri, slyly catching his hand to kiss it with intentions of never letting go and says,

“I have it all planned out don’t worry.”

They walk over to this cozy restaurant that Otabek wanted to go to for ages. They enjoy their meal and each other’s company before even realizing that they talked for hours on end. They noticed the time and proceed to leave the restaurant to not cause any more disturbance as it was almost closing time.

Otabek knows that there is a beach nearby so they walk over to enjoy the moonlight and walk in the soft sand.

Yuri notices a hill at the top of a cliff and wants to go see it closer and is so excited that he didn’t hear Otabek’s cute laugh. And little did Yuri know at the time that this was actually Otabek’s next stop on their date so it worked out perfectly. Otabek laughs again standing in awe as Yuri says,

“Are you coming or not?!”

Yuri was slightly out of breath from all the running, and flops on the ground waiting for Otabek to join him. He starts to close his eyes thinking wow how is this not a dream.

Otabek finally arrives and notices Yuri laying on the ground and decides to lay down next to him quietly as he sees Yuri possibly napping. He can’t help but take in the view and stare and puts Yuri’s hair aside from his face covering his eyes. Yuri blushes at the realization and they both kinda jump for a second but laugh right after.

They lay down there for a while as they stare at the stars and Otabek puts on a playlist he made specifically for tonight. Otabek decides to take this moment to end the night with a sweet slow dance. Yuri was hesitant at first nervous he’d mess up or step on Otabek’s toes but at this point he didn’t really care he was so full of joy.

They walk hand in hand as they call a cab to take them back home.Otabek insisted that they drop off Yuri first, being the gentleman that he is, and despite how Yuri tried to argue. Otabek tells the cab driver to wait for a bit and hold the tab for now as he walks Yuri to his front door.

“I had a really great time tonight thank you.”

Otabek had his breath taken away once again. Otabek started to lean in closer especially when it seemed that Yuri was not wavering.

Otabek leans in saying, “Me too.” and steals a gentle kiss in which both the boys melt.

Otabek feels conflicted as he really does not want to leave his love just yet but he knows he has to. He’s worried about what could happen if he was invited in and he wanted their first time to be infinite times more perfect than today was.

(Also they just got together after like months of back and forth flirting so can you blame him.)

He steals another kiss, this time on Yuri’s forehead and proceeds to see himself off saying

“I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”

“Okay.”

They kiss once again this time a little bit more passionately than the first, not wanting to let go of each other.

But Otabek initiates his self control and says, “Okay I really do have to go now.”

Yuri pouts a bit but he makes a pinky promise with Yuri, that first thing tomorrow he’ll make it up to him. Yuri laughs at this cute gesture and reciprocates the promise. Yuri smiles a wide smile and shoos Otabek off. As he opens the door ready to walk in he stays in between the door and the porch to make sure Otabek gets inside safely. Yuri waves at Otabek who is getting in the car.

When Yuri sees the car zoom off he locks the door shut and is so weak in the knees that he just flops again on the ground and screams out of so much joy. He’s excited to see what tomorrow and the future has to bring for them both.

Otabek would be doing the same if he wasn’t in this cab right now but he manages to hold it in till he got into his apartment and proceeds to text Yuri, “I made it home safely!” Then they both talk for a bit longer despite how they literally just left each other. They eventually say goodnight wishing the other, sweet dreams rest well.

The next morning Yuri wakes up humming and feeding Scorpio an extra treat today with her meal. He’s awake surprisingly early so he decides to do good on his part of the pinky promise from last night. He knew Otabek meant a promise on his end but he wanted to be the one to surprise him this time. So he decided to get some coffee for them both. He took this chance to decorate the cup for Otabek’s coffee with his name and doodled a flower and a few hearts facing the side to him so Otabek wouldn’t notice right away. He was just about finished when he heard the door chime and knew it was Otabek who was right on time as usual. Since Otabek is on his lunch break Yuri thought the coffee could be a lovely surprise.

Otabek walks in about to kiss him when Yuri hands him the coffee and says,

“I thought you might need it! I wasn’t sure what to get you but I hope you like it.”

Yuri starts to ramble a bit more not noticing how Otabek is staring at how beautiful Yuri is right now.

Otabek interrupts saying, “I love it, thank you for thinking of me. I have something for you too actually.”

Yuri jumps a bit upon hearing this and is curious as to what it could be but tries to hide his curiosity by trying to act cool.

“Oh, what is it?”

Otabek is quite observant noticing the sudden change of tone but as to not embarrass Yuri he continued. He makes sure the coast is clear and asks Yuri to lean in a bit closer. Yuri complies wondering what Otabek could possibly have up his sleeve.

Otabek proceeds to tell Yuri to get closer but Yuri is really questioning what is happening right now when Otabek takes the chance to kiss Yuri so passionately more than they did last night that after they stop to get some air they are both in a daze.

Yuri is left speechless and Otabek says,

“This was my surprise to make up for me leaving early last night.”

Yuri catches his breath and chuckles saying,

“Well then I could get used to this.” and covers his mouth as his face goes super red.

He’s absolutely sure that he just said out loud and not in his head. Otabek just laughs and says,

“Yuri you are just the cutest thing ever and I can’t wait to see where the future takes us from here.”

Yuri smiles softly looking down, taking Otabek’s hand and says “I can’t wait either.”

Later that day as Otabek was working on some paperwork he took a glance at his coffee Yuri got for him. Otabek was so happy Yuri even thought of him that he only just now noticed the little doodles around his name on the cup. And just when Otabek thought he couldn’t get any more happier for the day his heart smiled a bit more today.

Every so often they would surprise each other with little gifts and things that immediately reminded them of the other. Otabek was passing by a store one day and saw some candies that made him think of Yuri and he couldn’t resist getting a bag to share and enjoy. Yuri was so touched by the thoughtful gesture that he gave Otabek a flower for now in return.

The beginning of their new relationship bloomed beautifully.

[luna-moon-201-blog]

Ch 2: Mission on the Surface (MLP X UT Crossover)

Morning came when Luna flew down into Ponyville and was heading towards Twilight's castle before she saw Discord in front of her. Discord cross his arms as he looks at Luna.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect you out this early or for you this late in the day. Is there something I need to know?"

Luna glanced at Discord, "no, why should I tell thou of?"

Discord rolls his eyes, "is this whatever you don't want to tell me about happened last night?"

"You know?"

Discord looks at Luna, "I heard all about it from Celestia."

Luna sighs, "I should have known my sister will tell you about it. If you really want to know then you must promise to keep a secret from her. If you don't then you'll regret of my punishment to you. One will be putting you on the moon."

Discord eyes widened as he began to scratch his head with his claw, "of course just don't send me to the moon. I mean you've been there, right? Heh... it must be lonely."

Luna narrows her eyes, "don't remind me, Discord..."

Discord backed up never in his life saw how scary Luna can be with her cold stern look.

Luna sighs before she began to speak, "Discord, I'm going to Twilight and her friends' castle to go to the human world. Chara wanted us to meet him at a place call Mt. Ebott so that's where we are going."

Discord nods, "you do know if Celestia ever does find out she's going to be really upset at you."

Luna gave a stern look at Discord, "that's why you aren't supposed to tell her anything of this. Am I clear?"

Discord nods as he made himself disappear. Luna continues towards the castle not knowing that she's being followed.

Once Luna made it to Twilight's castle she was greeted by Pinkie Pie and Spike as they both let Luna into the castle. Three fillies and a colt ran in before the door closes as the young ones follow Luna, Spike, and Pinkie Pie to the main room.

Twilight smiles as she watches Luna sit down between Rarity and Apple Jack.

"You said you wanted to see us, right?"

Luna nods, "yes, I continue to be haunted by that boy's words last night..."

Rimmer listens closely as so did the Crusaders. They can hear every word that Luna was telling the six manes. Also, can hear what the six manes response after Luna had told them what she had planned to do.

"Princess Luna," said Rarity, "how could we possibly know where to go? I mean we don't even know how to go into the human world."

Luna sighs, "let's just say my sister and I have a secret ability to go into the human world.We both have done it once and I can do it again. Whatever this demon child has plans for us is not good."

Rainbow Dash was all in with the plan, "I think what we should do is to make sure this demon kid pays for what they did to our village!"

"Even so," said Twilight putting her one hooves up, "we have to be careful we don't know how much power this child really has."

Luna nods, "I agree with Twilight Sparkles. We have to be careful besides the child did mention about enemies in the human world."

Without even knowing that there was a tiny black spider was spying on them as it left after Luna had spoken.

Twilight nods, "yeah, I wonder who is this Sans?"

"Sans?"

Twilight looks right at Apple Jack, "yeah, the child mention about Sans who is his worse enemy?"

Luna looks down, "this Sans could be a really good person to make an alliance with."

Pinkie Pie said as she jumps up and down, "what are we waiting for then? Let's go, go, go!!"

Fluttershy gulps, "we other then you Princess Luna have never been into... (gulps) the human world before..."

Luna nods, "I am quite aware Fluttershy. That is why I will be joining all of you on this quest. I want to know what this child is planning and stop him before any pony gets hurt."

All six manes yell out, "agreed! Let's go!"

Luna smiles as she led the six manes out of the castle. Rimmer and the Crusaders hid behind some pillars as they saw Luna and the six manes went out of the castle. Rimmer jumps out as so did the Crusaders. They all decide to follow their friends to see the human world themselves and stop the demonic kid.

Luna led the others towards an open field and soon use her magic creating a portal to the human world.

"This," said Luna as she turns to look at the six manes, "is where we should go right to the place we shall be."

The six manes nod as Luna went into the portal first. Then Twilight was the second with her friends following close behind. Spike got on Rarity back as they both went into the portal. Rimmer and the Crusaders ran into the portal before it closes up behind them.

Once at the human world Luna turns to the six manes saying, "we have to split up. I will go alone. Twilight you, Spike, and Rarity will go one way. Apple Jack you, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy go another."

Everyone nods in agreement of Luna's plan.

Everyone split up leaving Rimmer and the Crusaders to figure out which ones they should follow. Then Apple Bloom came up with the idea of them splitting up and choosing which one they should follow.

"I got an idea! Me and Rimmer will follow Luna, Sweetie Belle you follow your sister, Twilight, and Spike, as for Scootaloo you go follow the others."

"Wait a minute," said Sweetie Belle with a smile across her face, "you want to be with Rimmer. You like him..."

Scootaloo hooted, "oh... Apple Bloom and Rimmer sitting on the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Shut up!" cried Apple Bloom, "let's just get going!" Apple Bloom pulls Rimmer with her as the other two went in seperate ways.

Meantime...

Sans slowly woke up as he was face to face with Frisk. Sans jump back as he put his bony hand on his chest.

"Damn it kid! Don't scare me like that!"

Frisk giggles, "I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

Toriel came into the kitchen and smiles, "oh Sans I'm so glad your up. Could you do me a huge favor?"

Sans nods, "sure what is it?"

Toriel asks, "could you go to the store and get a pound of flour. I ran out and I need it to bake a cake for Grillby. His daughter's birthday is coming up next week and I promise him to bake a cake for his daughter."

Sans nods as he got up, "sure thing Tori, I'll be back in a flash."

Sans winks making both Toriel and Frisk giggled before he snaps his bony fingers and soon appears in front of the store.

"A bag of flour huh? Welp, here we go."

Sans walk into the store as he got a lot of stares from some humans who's not from around the city. Sans felt a bit awkward that those humans were just staring at him. He almost felt that he needed to turn around and yell at the humans to quite staring at him. Yet, he had to be good and not cause any more scene to possibly cause another war between humans and monsters again.

He quickly found the flour and went towards the counter to pay for it. Once he pays for the flour he snaps his bony finger and out of that store. Sans appear back in front of the store when he spotted a small light green colt and a yellow with red mane filly ran into the alleyway. Sans was a bit confuse to what he saw.

"Welp that's something you don't see in the city every day. I better put this down and see where those two are going."

Sans placed the bag of flour on the bench as he snaps his bony finger to follow the two little kids.

Rimmer and Apple Bloom were having a bit of trouble catching up with Luna as they ran into the alleyway to keep their eyes on where Luna is going.

"Boy..." said Rimmer catching his breath, "she's really fast."

Apple Bloom agreed, "y... yeah, guess being an alicorn you go faster."

Both of them didn't know that they were being followed by a skeleton. As they began to catch up towards Luna that's when Rimmer trip on his metal leg scratch his front hoof as he yells in pain. Apple Bloom turns to see Rimmer crying. Luna whip around as she spotted the two children behind her.

"Are you alright?"

Rimmer shook his head, "my hoof hurts a lot."

"What are you children doing here?"

Apple Bloom and Rimmer both looks at Luna knowing that they both have been caught. Apple Bloom gulp as she explains to Luna.

"We... um... heard what was going on and so me, Rimmer, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle came to help."

Luna sighs as she looks at Rimmer hoof, "it is too dangerous for you children to be on this quest. Once we find your friends then I will take you, children, back home."

"But Luna..."

"No buts Rimmer! I mean it! Look what you have done to yourself. I know you didn't mean to but... this is why we didn't want you, children, to come."

"Maybe I can help with that."

Luna and the two kids look to see Sans kneeling down beside Rimmer. Sans looks at Rimmer's wound and nods.

"Yup, a pretty bad cut. I know a healer to heal that wound in a blink of an eye socket."

Luna giggles, "I may not know much about puns but that one was a pretty good one."

Sans looks at Luna, "thanks... uh... I'll help take the kid to Toriel. She's a healer. I gotta get the flour first then I'll take you guys there."

Luna nods, "thank you. What is your name kind, sir?"

Sans liked how Luna had called him 'sir' in a kind formal way.

"The name is Sans, Sans the skeleton uh... alicorn?"

Luna blinks for a moment as she thought to herself, "so this is what that demon child meant. This Sans is actually a skeleton. This is whom we had to find."

"Luna? Luna?!"

Luna shook her head as she saw Rimmer's concerned expression.

"Luna huh?" said Sans as he looks at Luna, "never met a lovely alicorn like you before."

Luna looks down as she began to blush, "oh... um... thank you."

Apple Bloom and Rimmer look at each other as they smiled. Sans nods as he teleported to grab the flour and teleported back to where Luna and the children are.

Luna eyes widened, "guess you know how to teleport as well."

Sans looks at Luna, "you know about teleporting huh?"

Luna nods, "I have a friend who teleports as well."

Sans nods, "welp guess that don't make me the only teleporter expert."

Rimmer cries out in pain as Luna use her magic to carefully place Rimmer on her back. Sans sighs as he looks at Apple Bloom.

"We better hurry. Bet that pain is getting worse. I can teleport all of us to Toriel's house."

Luna and Apple Bloom both came up beside Sans as he snaps his bony finger as they all appear in front of Toriel's house. Luna, Apple Bloom, and Rimmer were a bit dizzy from the teleport as they shook their head to get rid of the dizziness.

"Sorry," said Sans, "should have warned ya before we teleported."

"That's quite alright," said Luna, "let's get Rimmer in the house."

Sans nods as he lets Luna and Apple Bloom into the house. Frisk eyes widened as she saw Luna, Apple Bloom, and Rimmer.

"Who... who are they?"

Sans answer, "meet Luna, Rimmer, and... uh... what's your name kid?"

Apple Bloom answer, "Apple Bloom."

Sans nods, "yeah, Apple Bloom. Anyways where's Tori?"

"She's outside" reply Frisk.

"We need her here. Rimmer got himself hurt and we need Toriel's healing magic."

Frisk nods as she ran outside to get her mother. Sans use his power to place the flour on the kitchen table and help put Rimmer down on the couch. Luna rubs her head against Rimmer's as she calms the little colt.

"Do not cry little one. You will be alright."

Rimmer sniffled a couple of times as he enjoys Luna's sweet lullaby song. Even Apple Bloom enjoy Luna's singing. Sans cross his arms as he saw how amazing Luna was with Rimmer.

After Luna stop singing that's when Frisk and Toriel came running in.

"See Mom, I told you!"

Toriel's eyes widened as she remembers of Asgore's warning. She shook it off as she ran beside Rimmer to heal his hoof. Rimmer smiles when he saw the wound clearly had healed up.

"Thank you!"

Toriel smiles, "you are very welcome... my child..."

Toriel began to tear up as she could see her lost son Asriel through Rimmer. She even notices Rimmer's voice is so similar to Asriel's. She began to wonder if Asriel's soul is in this tiny colt's body. She was interrupted by Sans.

"Your okay Tori?"

Toriel wipes her tears from her eyes, "y... yes sorry. It's just when I see this child I see my son right through him."

Sans and Frisk both sighs as they could see Toriel was still being hurt by Asriel being gone.

Rimmer ask, "where is your son?"

Toriel sighs as Sans answer, "he's well gone. Some humans hurt him and well didn't make it alive."

Luna looks at Toriel, "I'm so terribly sorry."

Toriel nods, "it happen a long time ago. Now I have my adopted daughter Frisk."

Luna looks at Frisk as she nods, "that's good. You kinda look like that demonic child who attacked us last night."

Frisk gulps "D... demonic child?"

Luna nods her head as she turns to look at Sans, "this child mention about you as being his worse enemy."

Sans nods, "wouldn't be too surprising and I know exactly who you're talking about. Sorry for what happened last night."

Toriel was confused what Luna and Sans are both talking about. She soon spoke up remember Asgore and the other's plans.

"Is that why you ponies are being here?"

Luna nods, "yes, this demonic child wanted us to meet him at Mt. Ebott. I want to face to face with him and make sure he will not hurt my ponies again."

Frisk ask seeing Luna's wing and horn, "are you an alicorn?"

Luna nods, "yes, I am also the Princess of the Night. I rule with my sister Celestia back in Equestria."

Toriel's eyes widened, "so... this was all a huge mistake. I better call Papyrus and tell him to call off the plan."

Sans looks at Toriel, "uh... what plan?"

Toriel sighs, "I suppose Frisk should know too. When you were well sleeping at the table. Asgore came and wanted to capture the ponies thinking they were going after Frisk."

"What?!"

Toriel and Sans look at Luna to see her shock reaction, "are we in any danger with these other monsters?"

Toriel took a deep breath, "not if I have a saying about it. I won't let them capture any of your friends."

Apple Bloom spoke up, "my friends and my sister Apple Jack are out there right now!"

Sans looks at Toriel as he spoke, "don't worry I know Tori. She won't let that happen."

Toriel thanked Sans as she ran to her phone to call Papyrus to explain what's going on.

AN: So I’m back with this brand new chapter! Yay!!! Okay, there is one problem not on here but on Wattpad. I got this on Wattpad too but.. the title of this chapter is completely wrong and I’d try to fix it but... nothing. Don’t worry I have the correct title for this one. Just... not on Wattpad. Oh well... hope you like this one!

[pocket-luv101]

The Angel and The Witch || Chapter 1

Fandom: Servamp Relationships: KuroMahi, LawLicht Characters: Kuro, Mahiru, Hyde, Licht, Tsubaki

Summary: Licht was a noble angel. Mahiru was a penniless witch. Their lives were different but they both longed for freedom. After circumstances, they switched places and found freedom where they least expect it.

Note: On Poke’s crazy ideas train, she decided to make an AU based on The Princess and The Pauper.

(Ch.1) || Ch.2 || Ch.3 ||

“Lichtan, I know you’re in there! Unlock this door or else I’m going to break it open!” Hyde threatened and scowled at the door but he knew that it was pointless with how stubborn Licht was. He was Licht’s tutor but he felt more like an abused personal assistant sometimes. They butted heads more times than he could count because Licht was more interested in his piano than his duty as the future king.

“That’s it, I’m coming in!” He screamed when Licht refused to answer him and continued to play his piano. Hyde used his magic to unlock the door and pushed it open. Unfortunately, he was met with a wall of furniture blocking the door. Muttering countless curses, he forced his way through them and made his way to the angel in the center of the room.

“Licht Jekylland Todoroki, it’s time for your magic lesson! After that, we need to talk politics. Are you even listening to me?” Hyde groaned and rubbed his temple. “Angel Cakes, you’re going to be king soon so I need to teach you everything about your new duties. I can’t do that when you’re stuck at your piano.”

“What does a demon know about running a kingdom?” Licht scoffed but he stopped playing to face Hyde. “Let me play my piano in peace. I never asked to be a king and I certainly don’t want to be one!”

“Licht, you know this marriage is for your people and the kingdom.” He reminded him and Licht bit his lip. He couldn’t argue with what he said.

Licht was the second son of the king but he never expected the responsibility of being king to be thrust upon him. Earlier that year, his older brother had eloped with a common knight and left the kingdom reeling. No one knew where he was now. While his family was worried about their missing son, they also had a kingdom to provide for. The mines, the kingdom’s main trade, were in ruins after an attack.

In the aftermath, his parents decided that marrying Licht off for a dowry would be best. The marriage would also provide stability because his fiancé was the king of a wealthy, neighbouring country. But the union meant that Licht would have to give up the freedom he thrived in to become a ruler. He was never trained to be a king so he was scurrying to learn everything about his new role.

“I don’t want to waste a beautiful afternoon in one of your boring lessons. I’m already proficient with my wings and my piano. Those are the only two things I need.” Licht stood and strode onto the balcony. He stared up at the wide open sky and thought of all the places he hadn’t visited and the people he hadn’t played his piano for.

He had planned to leave his kingdom and explore the world on his twentieth birthday. That was only a few months away but he would soon be shackled to his castle. He loved his people and his kingdom but he also wanted his freedom. Caught between love, duty, and his dreams, Licht didn’t know what the right choice was. “I don’t want to marry a complete stranger.”

“Licht, I know this isn’t the future you wanted but think about your people.” Hyde moved to stand next to him. He had been his tutor for the past three years so he knew Licht well. “It won’t be that bad. Sleepy Ash likes music so he won’t forbid you from playing your piano. Arranged marriages are common and most of them end up happy. I’m sure you’ll learn to love him.”

“I’m already in love.” Licht whispered and there was a longing in his eyes that clawed at Hyde’s heart. It was rare for him to appear vulnerable. In all the years they’ve known each other, he never told him that he was in love with someone. The thought made him feel a little jealous.

“Do I know this person?” He asked.

“Idiot, I’m in love with this.” Licht climbed onto the balcony rail and gestured to the blue sky.

He balanced on the railing and let the wind wash over him. He unfolded his wings to let them breathe. A rare smile played on his lips. “I love the wind, the birds and playing my piano for the world. I can see it all in front of me and I can reach out my hand to them. But, if I marry Sleepy Ash, I’ll be trapped. I know it’s my duty but I wish I could’ve experienced the world more. I’ve never even been outside the castle…”

Hyde watched him silently. He did sympathize with Licht and he wondered if there was anything he could do to help him. An idea came to him but he didn’t know if Licht would agree to a kidnapping. He snapped his fingers and made a cloak appear over Licht’s head. While he was still struggling with the cloak, Hyde swept Licht off the balcony and into his arms.

“What are you doing, Shit Rat?” Licht screamed and pushed the cloak’s hood off his eyes to glare at Hyde. He held him securely against his chest as he went back into the room. He started to fight him but paused when Hyde walked to the dresser. His curiosity got the better of him and he waited to see what Hyde would do. With his feet, Hyde pushed aside the dresser and revealed a hidden door.

He had never seen the door before and he wondered if Hyde summoned it with his magic. Licht pushed at his shoulder and he was glad that Hyde gently placed him on his feet. He went to examine the door. He didn’t feel any magic around the door and wondered where it led. A key was dangled in front of him and he turned to see Hyde’s sly smile.

He placed a finger on Licht’s lips and whispered. “I’m sneaking you out so you need to be quiet. This is a secret passageway to outside the castle. Only the most trusted servants know of it in case we need to evacuate you quickly. No one ever told you because we know you’d use it to fly off. I’m willing to take you out for an afternoon of fun in the kingdom as long you promise that this stays between us.”

“Okay.” Licht reached out to take the key but Hyde stealthily wrapped his pinky around his. He pulled him closer and kissed his little finger with a grin. He chuckled at his bright blush and moved around him to unlock the door. He should’ve known better than to turn his back to Licht. The moment he opened the door, Licht kicked him through the passageway. “That was for kissing me without permission, Shit Rat.”

“I was only sealing our promise. That kiss had a spell to keep you from telling anyone about the door.” He groaned and rubbed his back. He closed the door behind them, pitching them into darkness. Despite the fact that it was hard to see ahead of them, he could hear Licht rushing forward and tripping on rocks occasionally. Hyde shook his head with a wry smile.

“Slow down, Lichtan, the kingdom isn’t going anywhere.” He knew that Licht was excited to leave the castle and he was running through the dark without thinking. When Licht would’ve tripped again, Hyde caught his arm. He summoned a small flame to help them see their way through the tunnel. Hyde led them through the underground maze using the marking on the walls.

They stopped in front of a stone wall and Hyde placed his ear against it. Once he was certain that it was safe, he opened the hidden door and gestured for Licht to follow him. Licht walked into a secluded alley and winced at the bright sun. He could hear the bustling marketplace outside the alley and bounded forward. His expression was like a child’s and Hyde chuckled at his enthusiasm.

“Just wait a minute, Lichtan.” Hyde wrapped his arm around his waist. He stepped in front of him and adjusted the robe around him more. “Your angel wings are beautiful but we need to hide them while we’re out here. We’ll cause a scene if the people knew that their prince and future king escaped the castle. You don’t want to return early, do you?”

“Fine,” Licht folded his wings behind him and hid them beneath his cloak. “Let’s go now!”

“I’m coming.” He followed him into the marketplace. Licht stopped at every stall to examine the wares for sale. While the castle held more luxury and exotic items, he was still fascinated with the simple plaza. Hyde loved watching his expression and curiosity as he asked him about the town.

Hyde bought a bouquet of dahlias from a vendor and handed it to Licht. “Lesson time, Lichtan. These are dahlias and its scientific name is dahlia pinnata. Flowers have a lot meaning. Even a single flower like a dahlia has multiple meanings but I think they fit you pretty well; elegance, inner strength, creativity, and dignity. They are also known to represent an everlasting bond so these flowers are used in wedding.”

Hyde took one of the flowers from the bouquet and tucked it behind his ear. Licht tilted his head at him but he didn’t take out the flower. Though, he did touch the dahlia in his dark hair and asked: “Why do I need to learn about flowers to be a king?”

“I think that it’s pretty useless too but figure heads are expected to know about these things. You don’t want to accidentally send an ally some roses that means love and cause a bunch of confusion. How about we talk politics next?” He held out his arm to Licht who placed his hand in the crook of his arm. Licht let him guide him through the street. He held the bouquet to his nose as he half listened to his lesson about taxes.

He heard a commotion behind him and Licht looked over his shoulder. The man running towards them shoved Licht aside and Hyde quickly steadied him before he could fall. Guards ran past them and from their yelling, he knew that the man must’ve been a bandit. Licht handed the flowers back to Hyde before he ran to chase the man as well. “Wait, Lichtan!”

His voice faded behind Licht as he ran after the man. Licht was an angel so he was compelled to catch the man to keep his people safe. He quickly passed the guards and he could see the bandit in front of him. He swore when the bandit scaled a wall and Licht struggled to follow him. Licht wished that he could’ve used his wings to fly but he remembered Hyde’s warning.

A black rope snaked out of the wall and wrapped around the bandit’s feet, keeping him in place. At first, Licht thought that it was Hyde’s magic so he was surprised when he saw a witch on a broom floating at the top of the wall instead. With a whispered spell, the witch forced the bandit to the ground by changing the gravity around them. He casted another spell and restrained the man with a rope.

The witch descended to the ground. He landed next to the bandit and took the bandit’s weapons. Once the man was unarmed, the witch turned to Licht. “We should stay with this thief and wait for the guards to catch up. My name’s Mahiru. I saw you chasing him and it looked like you needed help. Did he take anything from you? I’m guessing that was why you were chasing this man.”

“He didn’t steal from me but I had to bring him to justice. Why? It’s because I’m an angel.” Licht said proudly and made a pose. Mahiru didn’t know if he was joking or not but decided to shrug off his claims with a smile. “My name is Licht. That was an impressive gravity spell you casted. Are you traveling witch or do you have a shop in the village?”

“Well, neither. I’m working as an apprentice at Carp’s Potions and Spells. I practise my witchcraft as often as I can though.” He answered in a small voice. “I still have a lot of work to do before I can leave the shop. Then I can use my magic to help people. It has always been my dream to leave and use my magic for good instead of money. Just a few more years and I’ll be able to do that.”

“It seems like you already know some powerful spells. You can leave.”

“I wish leaving was so simple but I can’t abandon my friends there and I still need to pay off my debt to Carp. Anyways, it isn’t entirely bad. I’ve learned a lot of spells from his books.” Mahiru didn’t add that he would often be punished for reading the spell books without permission. But he loved magic and wanted to learn spells that could help people.

“What other spells can you use?” Licht asked excitedly and Mahiru decided to humour him. He waved his hand above his head and wrapped a shadow around himself. The shadow dispersed and Licht was staring at himself. He knew that Mahiru must’ve cast an imitation spell and he was astonished with the likeness. They only just met yet his magic was powerful enough to replicate his image.

“I know a lot of spells aside from illusion and creation spells.” Mahiru opened his hand and summoned a bunny made of ice. “Do you know how to use magic as well?”

Before Licht could answer, he heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw Hyde running towards them, out of breath. Hyde’s eyes widened when he saw the two and staggered. “There’s two now? One of you was already going to send me to an early grave, Lichtan.”

Licht kicked him for that comment and Hyde held up his hands in surrender. “Well, at least I know who the real one is now. Who’s your look alike friend? His spell is remarkable but it still needs work. The white strand in your hair is a little short and your eyes are a different shade of blue. Also, you look pretty calm while the real Licht here is ready to kick me again.”

“Because you’re being an insufferable demon!” Licht screamed and Hyde dodged his next attack. It surprised him that Hyde could point out minor differences between them that most wouldn’t notice. He watched the two men banter and then Mahiru laughed good naturedly.

“You two look like you get along well.” He commented and they, predictably, tried to deny that fact. Even if they said otherwise, Mahiru could tell that they were close. He heard the guards approach them and said, “I’ll stay and talk to the guards. They’ll most likely keep us here for hours with questions and you two probably want to enjoy your date.”

“I would never date this demon.” The bite his voice usually had was lost when Licht remembered that he didn’t have a choice in who he was with. He was engaged to a king he never met before.

“I think it’s time for us to go home, Lichtan. If the guards see us, your parents will know that we left the castle.” Hyde whispered into his ear and gently tugged on his hand. He pulled away and spoke to Mahiru. “Thank you. We’ll be leaving now.”

“The next time I’m able to sneak out, I’ll visit you at Carp’s shop! Bye, Mahiru.” Licht called to him as they walked away. Deep inside, he knew that it was unlikely that he would meet his new friend again.

“Now, remember you can’t tell anyone about today.” Hyde reminded him as he escorted Licht back to his room. It was late when they returned but they were able to evade the guards patrolling the halls. They stopped in front of his door and Hyde handed the bouquet to Licht. “This has to be my favourite lesson so far. It’s just too bad that we can’t do this more often.”

“I had a lot of fun today. Hyde, I…” Licht trailed off as he tried to decide what he wanted to say. In the end, he sighed. “Never mind. Goodnight.”

“Sweet dreams, Lil’ Angel.” Hyde whispered back to him and Licht entered his room. He closed the door, leaned against it and sank to the ground. He hugged the flowers to his chest and listened to Hyde’s footsteps disappear into the distance. A thousand different emotions turned his stomach and confused him but he couldn’t ignore them.

Hyde, I want you to stay by my side, was what Licht wanted to say. For years, he had wanted to say those words to him. He held himself back because he knew that he had to stay faithful to his engagement— an engagement he only accepted out of duty. He breathed in the sweet scent of the flowers and wondered what he should do next.

He heard something drumming softly on the glass door of his balcony and looked up. Licht saw a bird tapping on the glass and it was as if it was beckoning him to it. He stood with the flowers still in his arms and he walked to the balcony. He opened the door and the bird landed on his finger. “What is it, Mr. Bird? Do you want to come in and sing along with my piano?”

Licht tried to walk to his piano but he was jerked outside by thin, almost invisible stings. He realized that the bird must’ve tied them around his wrist and cursed. He dropped the flowers and tried to break free. “Hyde!”

His scream was cut off when someone’s hand clapped over his mouth. He strained out of the person’s grip but his body suddenly felt weak. Soon, he couldn’t fight anymore and lost consciousness.

The next morning, Hyde was looking over every detail for their guests’ arrival. Sleepy Ash’s advisors were scheduled to arrive that afternoon to finalize the arrangement. A week after that, the wedding ceremony would commence and then Licht would leave with Sleepy Ash. Licht would be gone from his life. Hyde feet slowed with that thought and he looked down at his list of duties.

He looked up when he heard a panic from Licht’s room. His heart stopped and he ran to the room. Hyde saw that his parents, their advisor, and a few guards crowded in the room. What worried him most was the fact that he didn’t see Licht inside. He pushed his way into the room and asked. “Did something happen to Licht? Is he hurt?”

“Hyde, do you know anything about this?” His mother broke away from the group and held out a letter to him. “I came to check on Licht but all I found was this letter. It says that he ran away because he doesn’t want to marry Sleepy Ash. I searched every room for him so please tell me you know where he is.”

“I don’t know…” His mind was racing as he read the letter. Hyde knew that Licht had reservation about the engagement but he didn’t think that he would run away.

The letter had his handwriting but something about the letter seemed wrong to him. He scanned the room and walked to the closet and threw it open. Nothing was missing and his brows furrowed. Licht wouldn’t leave without being prepared. While he was rash and reckless, he wasn’t stupid. If he didn’t run away, where was he? Then, he went to the balcony and saw the flowers he bought Licht scattered on the ground. There were other signs of a struggle. Had he been kidnapped?

“The advisors are arriving at noon. What are we going to do?” Tsubaki said, earning a glare from Hyde.

“You’re worried about the engagement when Licht’s missing? He could be hurt or lost. We need to send out a search party for him. I doubt he went far when he barely knows his way around the kingdom.” Hyde said. Tsubaki’s words laid heavy on his mind. The only reason one would kidnapped Licht would be to interfere with the wedding. “I think I know where he is. I’ll have him home by noon.”

Mahiru tapped his quill against his chin as he counted the inventory and then marked them on his scroll. He hopped off the small step ladder and stretched his arms. He winced a little because his sore body protested against every little movement he made. Carp worked him to the bone most days and he couldn’t remember the last time he was given a break.

“Are you okay, Mahiru? You’ve been working since dawn.” Sakuya said worriedly.

“I’m alright.” Mahiru forced himself to smile to reassure his friend. Sakuya and Tsurugi were the two small blessing he found in his exhausting work. They were his best friends and he wished that there was something he could do to help them but he was as trapped as they were. “Can you check on Tsurugi for me? I’ll finish up here by myself.”

Sakuya hesitated to leave but Mahiru pushed him out of the basement. “Are you sure that you’re fine on your own?”

“I’ve been working here longer than you Sakuya. The only thing I need you to do is make sure Tsurugi doesn’t throw up his medicine.” Mahiru was glad that Sakuya relented and walked up the stairs.

There was a commotion on the floor above him and a large thump caused dust to fall onto him. Mahiru swore beneath his breath and he threw open the basement window. It didn’t let a lot of fresh air into the room but it was better than nothing. He placed a box beneath the window so he could rest his head on the window sill. He breathed in the air and watched people walk by.

He saw a variety of people throughout the year; poor and rich. He saw the plait of everyone and he wanted to help them all. Every night, he would think of solutions to their problems. Mahiru knew that he would have to leave Carp’s magic shop first but he was trapped. When his parents died, they had a lot of debt to the wizard and it fell on Mahiru to pay it back. He worked for Carp ever since.

It started to rain and Mahiru went to close the window. A carriage caught his eyes as he did so. The wheel was broken and a man was struggling to fix it in the rain. He was quickly becoming soaked but nobody stopped to help him. Mahiru knew that he should return to his work but he also knew that he wouldn’t be able to concentrate if he left the man in the rain.

He jumped off the box but only so he could get an umbrella. Mahiru sneaked out of the shop, hoping that Carp wouldn’t catch him leaving. He opened his umbrella and quickly walked around the building to where he saw the man. He stood next to the man and held the umbrella over him. “Excuse me, do you need help?”

“I need to fix this stupid thing. I’m already late for my appointment.” The man groaned as he gestured to the wagon wheel. The wood was split and splintered so it would be difficult to mend it without supplies. Mahiru nudged him aside and handed him the umbrella with the order.

“Hold this for me while I fix the wheel for you. I know a spell that can reattach the broken pieces but it will take a moment for it to mend and set in place. But let me dry you first. If your appointment is important, you can’t arrive looking like a wet cat.” Mahiru ran his finger through the man’s ghostly, blue bangs and drew the raindrop from his hair and clothes. Then he made a warm breeze to help dry him further.

“My name’s Mahiru. Do you mind if I ask where you’re heading?” He asked. “I’ve lived here most of my life but I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m from the neighbouring country. My name’s Kuro.” He took the hand Mahiru held out to him. Out of habit, Kuro kiss the back of his hand as he was trained to do from a young age. Mahiru knew that it was a customary greeting but he had to pull his hand back with a blush. “I came with the order to negotiate a stupid marriage contract.”

“I’ll make sure to fix this quickly so you can head to the castle then. That negotiation must be important.” Mahiru began to work on the wheel.

“Take your time and let me be lazy for a few more minutes. It’s not often that I get to relax.” Kuro leaned against the carriage and watched him fix the wheel. He caught Mahiru rolling his eyes before he placed his hands on his hips.

“Your king trusted you enough to send you to our kingdom with a very important task so don’t slack off. You don’t want to abuse that trust, do you?” He lectured him and Kuro couldn’t remember the last time someone chastised him. His tone was slightly amusing to him. Mahiru smiled after a moment and wiped his hands on his pants. “That should do it. Good luck on your job.”

“Thanks, Mahiru. Take this.” Kuro dropped a few gold coins into his hand. At first, Mahiru wanted to return the money because he helped him out of kindness and nothing else. Then he remembered his massive debt and knew that the coin could help buy his freedom. He was conflicted about taking the money and Kuro must’ve sensed that because he added. “I’m just paying a witch for his work so keep it.”

Being called a witch and having his work be acknowledge warmed Mahiru’s heart. He nodded and tucked the money into his pocket. He looked up at Kuro and noticed that his shoulder was wet. Kuro had held the umbrella over Mahiru more as he worked. While the gesture did touch Mahiru, he had to say, “I just dried you but here you wet again. Hold still.”

“Do you fret over every wet cat you find like this?” From Mahiru’s guilty smile, he knew that it must’ve been true. Kuro groaned but he stood still for Mahiru to cast another spell on him. He finished and Kuro thanked him against before entering the carriage. He watched the carriage leave.

Almost immediately afterwards, he felt someone take his witch hat and hit him with it. He turned around and swallowed his tongue when he was faced with Carp. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, Sir.” Mahiru quickly apologized. He took back his hat and followed the old wizard back to the shop. He knew that there would be a lecture once they were inside and Carp would give him a slew of new chores. Even though he knew arguing wouldn’t help, Mahiru said: “I saw someone who needed help. I was only gone for ten minutes.”

“A customer came asking for you. You’re costing me money if you’re only playing at being a witch. Unless you stop wasting time, you’ll be working here for the next thirty years.” He roughly pushed Mahiru into the shop. “This entire situation is your parents’ fault. They shouldn’t have borrowed so much if they couldn’t pay me back.”

“They did it to feed me! Don’t you dare speak about my mother like that!” He couldn’t stop himself from yelling. He refused to flinch when the wizard raised his hand. Someone came between them, stopping the man. Mahiru was a little surprised to see that it was the man he met the previous day.

“A highly regarded establishment like this shouldn’t abuse their workers.” Hyde said slowly and a silent warning laced his voice. From the corner of his eyes, he saw how relieved Mahiru was. He wanted to help him but he had to focus on finding Licht. “I would like to hire your witch, Mahiru. Is there somewhere we can discuss the details in private.”

“We can talk in my room.” Mahiru gestured for him to follow him. He guided him up the stairs to a small room that was barely large enough for one person. He closed the door and he could see how serious Hyde was. Furthermore, he casted a spell around the room to keep their voices from leaving the room. “You said you wanted to hire me as a witch?”

“Licht is missing. Are you able to create a locator spell?” Hyde told him but Mahiru could tell that there was more he wanted to say.

“I know a spell that can find a person if they’re no further than 500km from their home. I only need his full name and something like a hair.” It was a difficult spell but other wizards or witches could perform it so Mahiru didn’t know why he came to him for help.

“Licht Jekylland Todoroki. I have one of his feathers.” Hyde took out the feather from his pocket and Mahiru’s was stunned. He did say he was an angel but Mahiru didn’t believe him. Licht was the future king of their country and he spoke so casually with him. The rest of Hyde’s words dawned on him. The king was missing.

“I’d love to help but shouldn’t you hire a more experienced witch for something so important?” Mahiru asked.

“There’s one more spell I want you to cast.” Hyde’s next request couldn’t be more impossible. “I want you to pretend to be Licht while I search for him. I suspect that someone kidnapped him to interfere with the wedding but I don’t have proof. The wedding will be cancelled if Licht isn’t there to greet Sleepy Ash’s advisors today. I’ve seen how well you can imitate Licht.”

“You’re asking me to impersonate royalty?” Mahiru sat down on his straw bed. “I can’t do that. If they discover me, I’ll be put to death. It’s simply impossible. An imitation spell is difficult to maintain for a long period of time. Aside from that, I don’t know a single thing about being a king.”

“Neither does Licht. He’s still studying and he’s a slow learner. I’ll give you a list of his mannerism for you to imitate too. It won’t take more than a day or two for me to find and rescue Licht. All you have to do is entertain the advisors. Please, Mahiru, the kingdom needs this marriage.” Hyde pleaded. “Licht and I will pay you for your work, no matter what the cost is.”

“There’s a lot at stake.” He thought of Licht in danger and felt compelled to help. He wouldn’t have hesitated if Hyde only asked him to perform a locator spell. Mahiru closed his eyes and debated what he should do. “If I do this, I want freedom in return. Not just for me but also for my friends, Sakuya and Tsurugi. The castle will repay the debt we owe.”

“I’ll pay whatever it takes to find Licht.”

Mahiru dropped the feather into the bowl with a few gems and twigs. He recited the spell and blended everything together until it took the form of a dove. He whistled and the bird came to life. “This little guy will take you to Licht. Please come back as quickly as you can.”

“I’ll be back by sunset tomorrow.” Hyde promised. He could see that Mahiru’s resolve was faltering now that he was inside the castle. They already spoke to his parents but Mahiru had been quiet the entire time. He said that it was because he was tired but he knew that excuse could only last so long. “Licht doesn’t bother with politics so you won’t have to discuss much at dinner. Just go directly back to this room.”

“Okay. I just wish that I had someone to help me so I won’t say the wrong thing.” Mahiru sighed.

“If all else fails, just say: ‘An angel doesn’t need to explain himself. I’m going back to my room to play my piano.’” Hyde ruffled his hair before he left. He pulled his cape around him and whistled for the bird to guide him. Mahiru watched him leave with a sigh.

Once he disappeared from sight, he collapsed onto the bed. It was softer than anything he had experienced before but it only punctuate his situation more. What was he thinking when he agreed to Hyde’s outrageous plan? He thought of his friends and, even if it was near impossible, this was their best chance of leaving that shop. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be discovered before Licht returned.

There was a knock on his door and Mahiru stiffened. He forced himself off the bed and went to the door. He stopped at the mirror first and he didn’t recognize himself in the mirror. Mahiru took a deep breath and opened the door. A man with dark hair and red eyes stood on the other side so Mahiru did his best to look intimidating. “I thought I said I didn’t want to be disturbed.”

“Your mother sent me to escort you to dinner.” Tsubaki told him.

“Oh, I’m sorry for being so rude when you were only doing your duty. Thank you for coming all this way.” Mahiru said with a kind smile, forgetting that he had to act like Licht. He walked next to Tsubaki and tried to think of something to say so they wouldn’t have to walk in silence. “What are we having tonight? I can smell something wonderful. I haven’t been able to eat today.”

“Where did you disappear that you couldn’t eat? How were you able to leave the castle without anyone seeing you?” Tsubaki asked and Mahiru’s eyes dropped to the ground as he searched for an answer. He had rehearsed the story many times but he was never a good actor. He could feel Tsubaki’s gaze bore into him as if he knew the truth.

“Licht!” At first, Mahiru didn’t remember to answer to the name. Then a woman hugged him unexpectedly and Mahiru awkwardly hugged her back when he realized that it was Licht’s mother. It felt a little strange but Mahiru thought of his own mother. “I was worried that you would want to eat in your room alone after everything that happened.”

“Why would I miss a dinner with my family?” He said.

Even though he felt a little nervous, Mahiru walked into the dinning room. Most of the guests were already seated and his eyes fell on someone. He recognized Kuro, the person he helped earlier that day, sitting at the table. Seeing someone familiar, he sat next to Kuro and not Licht’s usual seat. But Mahiru made sure to place a napkin on his lap and appear dignified.

“Thank you for waiting, everyone.” He said and then beamed a nervous smile. “Please enjoy your meal. I’m certain the cook worked hard to make it.”

Everyone was silent and Mahiru wondered if he said something wrong. He bit his lip and hoped that no one suspected him yet. Mahiru decided that it would be best if he tried not to overthink things and ate his food in silence. While the nobles and advisors spoke among themselves, none of them asked him anything. That was a relief to Mahiru until the topic shifted to the wedding. They were discussing his marriage as if he wasn’t sitting in front of them and it felt as if he were some cattle being sold.

Mahiru was pushing his food around his plate when he heard one of the advisors’ comment. “I say the solution to the fruit bats destroying the fruit farm is to exterminate them all. We should burn down the trees they live in and force them to relocate.

“You can’t do something so short sighted.” Mahiru said and then covered his mouth. Everyone’s eyes were on him and he lost his confidence for a moment. He continued in a small voice. “Firstly, we can’t afford to cut down fruit trees and lose another source of income. Secondly, fruit bats do have their benefits. They eat smaller pests and they don’t eat seeds so the seeds they leave behind—”

“And what would you suggest we do? Let them destroy our fruit trees?��� The man shot back and everyone expected Licht to attack the man for interrupting him.

Mahiru leveled his gaze with him and his back straightened. “I read of a containment spell that could be of use. We set aside some of the fruit trees and place the bats in there. If we regulate them, they won’t be a problem. A bat sanctuary will provide more jobs for our people and the seeds they collect will become a source of income. It’ll take a while for it to make a profit though.”

People continued to gawk at him and he wanted nothing more than to leave. He quickly stood and screamed, “I know this is the best action. Why? Because I am an angel.”

Mahiru did his best to imitate the pose he saw Licht make the day before. He never felt so embarrassed in his life and sank into his seat. Next to him, he heard Kuro chuckle softly. The entire dinner, he had been silent but now he was more expressive. Kuro leaned forward and there was a hint of a smile on his lips. “If the issue is resolved now, lets discuss something else. Sleepy Ash is going to arrive in a week but if Licht has reservation about him…”

“I came back because I realized that I was wrong to run from my duties. I’ll marry the king.” Mahiru reassured him. “Being outside the castle and seeing how much people need help, I can’t run away.”

“Then the marriage shall continue as planned,” Tsubaki said into his cup with an icy smile. He had been watching Licht for a while now. “Licht, how about you play a song for us? We haven’t heard you play since you returned. Shouldn’t you play for our guest so they know how talented you are?”

“I… I…” Mahiru’s eyes darted from the piano to the guests. He couldn’t play the piano. He never so much as touched a piano before! Of all the spells he knew, not one let him play the piano. But, with everyone watching him, he felt compelled to tread to the piano. He sat down and placed his fingers over the keys. They were trembling slightly and Mahiru said shakily, “I don’t know what to play.”

“The music sheets are right in front of you.” Tsubaki pointed out and Mahiru looked at them as if they were a foreign language. They might as well be. Mahiru pressed a random key repeatedly, hoping that he could think of a spell to help him.

A hand lightly rested over his and gentle guided his fingers through the motions. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Kuro was standing behind him, helping him play. Kuro let go of his hand and sat next to him on the piano bench. “I’ll play for you. You look too tired to play the piano.”

“Thank you, Kuro.” Mahiru relaxed and smiled at him. He didn’t want to return to the dinner table so he stayed seated next to Kuro and listened to him play.

Man, this is looooooong. I knew I would only be able to make one chapter of this so I tried to cram all of my ideas into it xD