#A nice way to end the day considering how...eventful the beginning of it was

[loriache]

"I've been waiting for ages for somebody to unmask them."

This moment tends to elicit negative reactions in a first read through, and I've got some opinions about why where Kabru is coming from here actually makes a lot of logical sense. So I thought I'd elaborate on that.

I think people hear this and go, "He thinks they must be hiding something because they gave money to someone? What a cynic." Or "he dislikes them because they did charity?? What's wrong with this guy!". And obviously, a lot, a lot is wrong with him. But I think this makes more sense than it seems at first glance! What people evaluating this judgement miss is why Kabru is paying attention to Laios and co to begin with.

Kabru knows of the Touden siblings because (he's a little bit of a stalker-) he is keeping an eye on all the relevant parties in events developing on the island, in order to be able to guide them to his preferred outcome. This includes adventurers because they are the ones actually exploring the dungeon! He's well aware that something as minor as internal tensions between party members could be key to the historical events that are developing. (He would love the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.)

His desired outcome is that whatever the rewards are of breaking the dungeon's curse, whether that's kingship or the ancient elven secrets of dungeons, are claimed by:

A) a short lived person

B) Someone who will be a good, effective leader and/or use those secrets and the power they carry wisely, with foresight, and to establish a political bloc for short lived people.

The person he can best trust to do this is, of course, himself. But due to his PTSD regarding dungeons and monsters, he's not able to develop the necessary skills to conquer the dungeon. Once he realises this, he starts looking for someone else who he can support to that end.

But most of the adventurers don't have any intentions of conquering the dungeon, don't have the skills, or are unsuitable in other ways. In fact, it seems like some potentially suitable people are the Toudens. There are a lot of good rumours about them going around - they actually seem to have a very positive reputation! That's what Kabru means when he says "unmask".

So when Kabru is observing something like them giving money to an old comrade from their gold-peeling days, he doesn't consider it a problem because "they're giving money to this person who doesn't actually need it" or because they must have some dark secret if they act superficially nice. I think he actually understands this situation and what it implies about Laios (in particular) perfectly well.

Laios and Falin gave money to an old comrade who got injured and couldn't work. That person then healed up but kept taking their money. Then he used the money to start smuggling illicit goods to the island.

The key is that for Kabru, the problem here is the same as with the corpse retrievers - people using the dungeon's resources to fuel dangerous, selfish, or violent pursuits cause problems for the island, attract more criminals and people with motives other than breaking the curse, and increase the chances of the whole situation ending in tragedy.

Kabru is willing to work with the Shadow Lord of the island if it gets him to his goal - he isn't scrupulous - but the criminal element of the island increasing is something he sees as a major issue.

Also, when you're evaluating someone as a candidate for power, riches, secrets, potentially kingship - then being curious about how the money you give to people is going to be used is kind of a relevant trait!

Interpersonally, Kabru's actually very easygoing - I mean, Mickbell isn't exactly an upstanding guy, is he! But Kabru likes him and they get along well. These traits wouldn't be a problem at all in a friend, or a comrade, or someone Kabru was confident he could use. But he can't get a handle on Laios, and Laios is someone who has the potential to be a major player!

On Laios' end, this is the same as with the marriage seeker who joined their party. She kept asking for things and he gave them to her, because he tries to be nice to others. He even gives her money! It's the exact same thing.

That's fine, but it became a problem because he basically wasn't interested in her motives, didn't notice she was trying to manipulate him, and it also didn't occur to him that the other party members would notice or be affected. We can assume the situation with the gold peeler is the same. When Kabru says that "It's not that they're bad people, they just aren't interested in humans," he isn't wrong.

The extent to which this is true of Laios is linked to his autism imo, (because it isn't just disinterest - he genuinely isn't able to notice nonverbal cues that people are lying to him or have ulterior motives) but to a greater or lesser extent I think it's a very common trait. Most people aren't actually that interested in other people who aren't close to them. Kabru is the weird one here. It isn't an issue except as a leader - which is why we see an immediate comparison to the Island's Lord, because that's how Kabru is evaluating them.

And disinterest in/lack of ability with people to the extent Laios exhibits it, it does, actually, make him a worse leader... it's just that as we see in the story, people can help him out. The rest of the party tell him the marriage seeker is taking advantage of him so he tells her he can't give her special treatment anymore. They're pissed and it's a crisis point - he couldn't have recovered their trust without Marcille and Falin - but that's exactly the point. With Marcille and Falin, he was able to recover their trust.

And he has other good traits that make up for it, such as his intelligence, strategic knowledge, open-mindedness and sense of fairplay.

Kabru doesn't disqualify Laios as a candidate based on what he sees about him from afar, though - he still tries very hard to get close to him, obviously hoping that if he manages he can steer Laios to defeat the dungeon and make up for his lack of people-skills in the aftermath. (Which... he does eventually achieve that goal!) He completely fails until the events of the story, so... definitely I think "They just aren't interested in humans" could also partially be a stung reaction to Laios' complete disinterest in him.

Anyway, that's my read on what exactly Kabru's "issue" with Laios is. Obviously, once he does find out what Laios' true nature is like - about his love for monsters - he develops an entirely new set of fears about Laios' priorities. But since Laios kept that a secret until the start of the story, he has no idea of that yet.

Given all that, I think it's interesting that he says that he doesn't think that the Toudens are suitable to defeat the dungeon, and that he's hoping they'll turn out to be the thieves. As some of his few potential candidates, people who he thinks may play a big role in the island's future, you'd think he'd hope they would be good people!

I suppose it's better, in his eyes, because it means that he's involved in something "interesting". They haven't just had their stuff stolen by regular criminals (boring, puts them further away from his goal) - they've been caught up in the beginning stages of "a historic event". The desperate and dwindling group forgetting morals in their quest to retrieve their lost comrade probably appeals to his sense of melodrama. Because he also just... loves drama.

Despite it being "uglier than anything he was expecting", he still pursues Laios as the person he wants to conquer the dungeon pretty much as soon as it becomes clear that he won't be able to do it himself and they are out of time. That's because... well, to be fair, there aren't any other options. And he fits standard A: he's short-lived!

and Kabru still hopes he can fit standard B, too, and be persuaded to use the power he wins for good. No matter how many nightmares he has about Laios, or whether he thinks about killing him. He doubts him, but ultimately he puts his faith in him and seems happy after the manga's ending that he made the right decision.

[happilyhertale]

Long Lost Love - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader, Part 1

Summary: You are the daughter of Daemon and Rhaenyra. When the invitation to Aegon and Helaena's wedding came, your entire family rushes from Dragonstone to King's Landing to take part in the festivities. You haven't seen your family in King's Landing for 6 years so you are very excited...

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x fem!reader

Warnings: At the beginning none – eventually smut (uncle/niece)

Author’s note: Hello you!

This is my first fic so please be nice :) I thought I'd just try a little self-considered story. I hope you like it. The events are not entirely similar from the series 

English is my second language, please forgive me if I made any mistakes (:

Word count: 2,3k

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7a, Part 7b, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

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You have waited a long time for this day. And now it was finally here. Your legs are wriggling and you are nervously fiddling with your dress as you look out of the carriage window and see the towers of the Red Keep approaching. Far too long you have been away. Six years have passed since the terrible events of Driftmark. After your parents took you and your siblings and brought you back to Dragonstone. "Y/N is everything all right? You're about to have the threads of the dress in your hands one by one if you keep this up."

Your father, Daemon Targaryen. Many fear him. Rightly so, you think. Countless times you hung on his every word as he told you how he went into battle and defeated his enemies. Or when he simply read you tales of dragons. You love him dearly, if you can put it that way, you are father's girl. And he treats you with the same warmth. He loves you with all his heart and to only a few people can Daemon Targaryen show affection or even love, but you are one of them. He would do and give anything to keep you safe. It would break his heart if he failed to protect you from the dangers of the world or simply if you did not feel loved.

It started with your birth. Your mother Rheanyra Targaryen was married to Laenor Velaryon. They already had a son together, your brother, Jacaerys Verlaryon. You love your brother very dearly. He's the kind of brother you always have fun with and who's there for you. As children, you played an incredible number of pranks and sometimes they went so far that the servants complained to your parents. When it got to the point where it seemed that Jace and you were not in control, they felt compelled to go to Daemon. They were sorry, because no one wanted to arouse the "wrath" of a dragon, but they had no other choice. If you were unlucky, Daemon would end up standing in front of you and giving you a telling off. But, what the servants didn't know, he could never keep it up for long when you looked at him with sad eyes and muttered "sorry daddy". You call him Daddy or Dad because you couldn't call him Daemon when you were a child. As a child, you wanted to call him Daemon, like all adults did. But all that came out of your mouth was "Dad". If you felt very close to him at certain moments or if you wished for something, it also became "Daddy". And to this day, you just call him Daddy. So the roles soon became clear, as soon as you were in trouble with Daemon, Jace would sent you ahead and let you call him daddy.

But when you were born, the shock was great. Your mother lay in labour on Dragonstone for over two days, even though a new life was to begin, it was a fight for life and death for Rhaenyra. Jace was already born on Dragonstone, as it was important for Rhaenyra to give birth to her children, heirs to the blood of Targaryen and the Iron Throne, on Dragonstone. Laenor was continuously by Rhaenyra's side and held her hand. Daemon was always close by to be there for your mother from a safe distance. Visibly nervous, he watched the birth. But when the maesters finally took you out and you took your first breaths in this world, your father got a fright that was quickly replaced by the feeling of joy and infinite love. As the maesters held you, your silver hair came out, your fair, porcelain skin seemed to reflect the incoming sun. Daemon knew at once, you were his daughter. When Rhaenyra finally held you in her arms, overjoyed, she simply smiled. She hugged you close to her and looked over at Daemon, who nodded lovingly at her. She looked down at you, stroking, your soft cheek as your eyes opened and Rhaenyra saw the most beautiful purple eyes she had ever seen. Laenor smiled and embraced Rhaenyra and you.

"She is the most beautiful girl in all the kingdom," gently he caressed your cheek, "What name shall she have?"

"Y/N Velaryon" says Rhaenyra with a loving smile on her lips. The understanding between Rhaenyra and Laenor was clear, everyone was allowed to have their lovers as long as the marital duties were fulfilled. Laenor was slow in fulfilling his marital duties, and so it came about from time to time that when Rhaenyra and Daemon met, they could not hold back their feelings for long.

The result of these actions was now you and that changed everything for Daemon. When he could finally hold you in his arms, it was over for him. He held you and you looked at him silently, this moment was so precious for him and he simply enjoyed this silence. When he tried to touch you, you reflexively grabbed his finger. His breath caught in his throat and he only had eyes for your small hand clutching his finger. He knew that he would not give you away.

That very evening Daemon went to Rhaenyra.

"I will take her to Viserys. I will tell him that she is my daughter and that he should confirm her legitimacy. She is no Velaryon, she is pure fire of the Targaryens."

Rhaenyra just stared at him at him. "You can't do that! Everyone would know I committed adultery! You can't, she must officially remain the daughter of Laenor."

Daemon began to smirk. "With all due love, but when you look at little Jace, do you really think anyone would think you hadn't committed adultery?"

"Daemon!", she looks at him in horror, "You can't go to my father and ask him to acknowledge my adultery and make her your daughter. No one in the entire realm has that right. Therefore, neither do you. Bastards of high Lords from all over the land would come and ask Viserys to recognize the legitimacy of these children."

"Rhaenyra, regardless of the love I have for you. But don't you ever dare call my daughter a bastard again. Viserys has the ability to recognize her and he will. I don't care about the rest of the realm. She is my daughter and she will be recognized as such."

"And what do you want to say to Laenor? Rub my adultery in his face publicly in front of the entire realm?"

"Oh come on! He lives just as happy a life, stuffed like a goose by his lover. Nothing is rubbed in his face, I have great respect for him, but I want the recognition that Y/N is my daughter. And besides, what are you trying to rub in my face by forbidding me to stand by my daughter in public?"

"He's right Rhaenyra." Suddenly Laenor stood in the room.

"Laenor...", she gasps as she turns towards the door.

"No he is right Rhaenyra. And you know that. She is his daughter. She has the Targaryen fire in her, the purple eyes, her soft white skin. He should have the chance to stand by his daughter publicly." Laenor simply nodded silently at Daemon.

So it came about that Daemon took you, his little dragon and Rhaenyra with him and they set off for King's Landing.

"We really need to sort this matter out urgently because…", King Viserys paused as he heard noises from outside. "There's a small council meeting going on right now, you can't just go in there. Prince Daemon…!" The guard tried to stop Daemon and grabbed him by the arm. With this movement, Daemon felt that the guard was getting too close to you. "If you don't get your arm out of my daughter's reach right now, I'll make sure you lose it altogether." And with that, the door opened and Viserys looked irritatedly at the entrance. Standing in the doorway was his brother, Daemon, with an infant in his arms. Right behind him stood his daughter, Rhaenyra. "Daemon, Rhaenyra? It's really good to see you, but as you can see, you're bursting right into a meeting of the small council."

"Viserys, brother, I have a very urgent matter to discuss with you." Viserys looked at him questioningly and hesitated briefly, "Daemon… please, go to the small hall, I will try to be with you as soon as possible." "Father… please, it is really urgent and we would be very much obliged if you could talk to us immediately"

And with these sentences Rhaenyra spoke for the first time for this recognition.

Rhaenyra was afraid. She wanted you to be recognised as Daemon's daughter, but at the same time she was worried about Jace. If you were legitimised, voices might be raised that if she had been unfaithful to Laenor before, she might have been so with her first child. And gods know what that was about. "Perhaps we can also postpone the last matter for today until tomorrow? It seems my brother and daughter have a big problem to discuss." Viserys spoke to his council, but could not take his eyes off the little bundle on Daemon's arm. The members of the small council nodded and then left the room.

Viserys looked helplessly into the faces of Daemon and Rhaenyra. "Can someone perhaps explain to me what is going on here?" Rhaenyra then took you from Daemon's arm and walked towards Viserys. She smiled warmly at him. "Father, this is your grandchild, Y/N. I gave birth to her, just about a week ago." Viserys was visibly moved. You were so small and delicate and had him wrapped around your finger immediately.

"Oh how delightful, this sweet little child. Hello my sweet darling." As Daemon stepped towards him, Viserys looked up. "As you can see, she is the pure flame of Targaryen blood. Her purple eyes, her porcelain-like skin, her shimmering silver hair." Viserys nodded silently, visibly pleased, he lowered his gaze to you again. "Brother, I want you to recognize her legitimacy." Viserys looked at him irritatingly, "Why should I recognize her legitimacy when she is obviously a Targaryen as well as my daughter's daughter?" "I am her father," Daemon said dryly. It seemed Viserys didn't quite understand at first. Or he didn't want to understand. A simple "How…?" left his lips. "Do you really want me to explain to you now how children are made, brother? Judging by Rhaenyra's three younger siblings, I'd say you're well aware of how it works." "Daemon!" Rhaenyra hissed.

"Oh thank you brother, but I can just about manage that. My question would rather be how it is that my daughter, who is married to Laenor Velaryon, manages to father a child with you"

"Father..," Rhaenyra said, but Daemon interrupted her.

"No, Rhaenyra, I want that legitimacy, I will talk," Daemon raised his hand slightly in her direction and then turned back to Viserys, "Viserys, brother, you know as well as I do that Laenor is neglecting his marital duties. I love Rhaenyra. Just as I loved her before she married Laenor, I still love her…" At these words Rhaenyra's heart warmed and she smiled. "…From that love, Y/N has now come forth. I love her, she is my daughter and I will not rest until she is officially recognized as that" "What..? ", Viserys looked irritatedly back and forth between Daemon and Rhaenyra, "Daemon, how do you imagine this? I just say she's your daughter and that's it? That's not possible."

"It is possible! You are the King! I ask you brother, and you know I don't ask often, but please, enable me to be a good father. Public, not behind any walls."

"I'm not quite sure… What does Laenor say about all this? Rhaenyra?" Rhaenyra stepped forward, now standing next to Daemon. She seemed hesitant, but was convinced she was doing the right thing, "It's definitely a complicated situation, father. But Laenor agrees. So am I. It's not easy and I'm afraid that in the process… Jace's lineage might be called into question, after all it would become official that I was unfaithful to Laenor at least once."

Daemon took Rhaenyra's hand in his and stroked it gently.

"But we agree, Daemon shouldn't be deprived of the opportunity to be a loving father. After all, we know he doesn't care for many people.”

Daemon smirked and looked at Viserys.

Viserys was torn, but finally said, "Okay. Daemon, I will. She will officially be your daughter. But I want you to always stand up for her, stand by her side and be a loving father."

"I stand here for nothing less. Thank you brother."

Viserys nodded and turned to Rhaenyra. "Have no fear. You are my daughter. The heir to the throne. Jace is my grandson and no one will question his lineage. I promise you that."

"Thank you Father", Rhaenyra smiled sweetly at him.

"And to you my little one, you are now officially a Targaryen. Y/N Targaryen."

Viserys kissed you lovingly on the forehead and handed you over to Daemon. When Daemon held you again, he looked at you. He smiled. The warm purple eyes that beamed at him warmed his heart. He kissed you gently on the forehead and murmured, "My little dragon." As Daemon and Rhaenyra left the room, they were happy. Rhaenyra had to wipe away a few tears, but she was happy.

_____________________________________________

You look up into your father's face, "Naah I'm fine. I'm just excited. I mean, I haven't seen my uncles and aunt in years… Haven't heard from them… That's weird. We kind of grew up together and then all of a sudden it was just nothing. I'm excited to see how they've changed."

"How Aemond changed?", Daemon looks at you with a smirk.

You blush and look at your father in shock. "Dad! No!"

Daemon raises his eyebrows and looks at you, "Well, this "no" came a little quickly", he still smirks at you.

"Well I mean.. yeah we were close but we haven't talked since and I don't even know if he still likes me or what he's like now", and your hands were fiddling with your dress again. Your mother recognises your distress and encourages you by taking hold of your knee.

"Everything's fine, it's going to be nice. We'll spend the couple of weeks here, enjoying the festivities for Aegon and Helaena's wedding, and then we'll head back"

You smile at your mother. And then you look at your father and you say, "Also, I'm nervous because I wasn't allowed to fly here with Meraxes. Now I don't have any kind of adequate defense when you're bugging me with statements like that."

Daemon just chuckles and looks at you naggingly. Rhaenyra scowls at Daemon, but he simply takes her hand and kisses it. As you roll your eyes and look out the window, you realize you've arrived. Now you are full of nervousness. As the carriages come to a halt, a voice outside the carriage calls out "Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen…" And with that you step out of the carriage behind your parents and see your relatives.

And you just smile.

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[inbarfink]

Hello, Invader Zim Fandom! Say, have you ever found yourself thinking “hmmm.... I wonder how often Zim and Dib skip classes due to their constant misadventures and battles?” Well, whatever you did or not, I am going to do it now! Time for…

Checking Attendance for Invader Zim and Dib Membrane!

"The Nightmare Begins"

Our first major confrontation between the two leads (leaving aside some quarreling in the middle of class, but I am checking attendance - not behavior) happens explicitly right after Skool has finished. So, no class has been missed in the production of this episode. 

(I mean maybe I would ask about how long their Skoolday even is considering Miss Bitters introduces Zim, says ‘Doomed’ for a few minutes and then sends them home. But that’s, like, a common Bug with Schools in fiction. I’m going to assume that we’re not supposed to take the class/Skoolday as literally being that short.)

"Bestest Friend"

Zim takes a whole day off from Skool under the claim that he’s sick.

Zim: I'm sick. I'm not going to skool today.

Which, I mean, he said it to get Keef off his back, but then we do see he stayed in his lab all day to work on his Eyeball Machine. So yeah, here's our first missed attendance. Zim skipped a whole day of Skool right there.

"Nanozim"

Dib: Zim wasn't in class today, Gaz. Gaz: Maybe he's sick. Dib: Yeah, sick with fear!

Another whole missed day from Zim for the sake of his scheme!

"Parent Teacher Night"

Nothing! The entirety of this episode takes place either during Skool, explicitly after Skool or during a Skool-sectioned Afterskool event. 

"Walk of Doom"

Now this is where things really get interesting. Because Zim certainly spent like a whole day on his and GIR’s little City Adventure - but also, you might want consider the possibility that this episode took place over the weekend, or even just that it starts after skool. After all, Invader Zim’s Daytime Sky doesn't change that much between the morning and the afternoon.

However, even taking these factors into account, I still think that it’s more likely that this episode does takes place during Skool Hours and is yet another example of Zim missing a full day of Skool, and that is for one reason - the background extras. 

Through all of Zim’s Urban Misadventure, the City seems to be populated entirely by adults + one baby we saw on the Bus. No Skool-aged youngsters anywhere in sight.

And, maybe that’s a weird thing to get hung up on, but usually IZ Crowd Scenes do include a mixture of kids and adults… including some scenes in that very episode, but only after the transition into night. When Skool would obviously be already over.

Thus, I think it’s most logical to conclude that Zim, for some reason, decided to do this lil excursion in the middle of a Skoolday. Couldn’t wait for the weekend or even just the afternoon for some reason. He got a bee in his bonnet about the Guidance Chip and he had to do it at that very moment!! 

(But I am going to cut him a little slack with the ending. Cause, like, obviously he’s been driving for like a whole night and it’s going to take him some time to get back home… but for the sake of Being Nice I am going to assume this episode takes place on a Friday and he's got the whole weekend to find his way back home and so he only missed one day of Skool. After all, isn’t this what ‘Invader Zim’ is all about? Being nice?)

(This is a rhetorical question and the answer is no.)

"Germs"

As Zim himself states, he did miss a day of Skool due to his obsession with Germs.

Zim: The skool! The skool will know I've been missing! They must be really suspicious by now!

I wondered if that was actually more than one day, but we only see one transition to night near the end of the episode. 

Most likely this entire episode takes place over the course of a single day - Zim watched that movie very early in the morning before getting to Skool (he doesn’t sleep so he’s got a lot more free time in a day) and then got so Germ-Obsessed for that one day that he forgot about that.

And thanks (?) to the workaround at the end, we can be sure this time he only missed one single day of Skool.

"Dark Harvest"

So all of this episode takes place in the Skool, but mostly outside of the classroom. With Zim leaving early on after a lesson started, then Dib going after him a short while later and this whole …. Adventure lasted enough to get to Lunch Break and also probably the climax lasted a bit after it and into the next lesson period (considering how empty the Skool Hallways seem at that point.

However, this speculation is kinda moot since both Zim and Dib were both out there with Hall-Passes officially ‘just trying to get to the nurse’, so I am just not going to count it as skipping class at all. They had permission. 

"Attack of the Saucer Morons"

Okay, so… this episode starts at night, but by the time Zim gets to the Saucer Morons it’s already Daytime. But since Zim was very adamant about getting his Voot back ASAP, I am going to assume this is taking place Very Early in the Morning. It just takes a while for Zim to get back home from the crash site and then back again without the Cruiser, but it’s still probably like… before Skool starts. 5AM-6AM or something like that? You know, the excitement of an Alien Spaceship is going to encourage a lot of people to wake up early.

It’s not entirely clear how long the events of the episode lasted in-universe. There’s a few ‘skips’, like, how long did Zim’s initiation take? How long did it take GIR to get the Government Man robot ready? How long did it take the Saucer Morons to make that lil’ set-up for Zim?

But, Fastforwards to the climatic chase scene at the end of the episode, and we can see Zim has zoomed by a Skoolbus. Now, this might be a Bus taking kids back from Skool, or taking the kids to Skool. Either the implication here is that Zim has wasted a whole skoolday and it’s already the afternoon - or it’s still early in the morning and Skool is just about to start. And… since it’s just down to my gut feelings, I am going to say the second one. I think all of the little-time skips during the episode still don’t amount to more than like, an hour or two. So it being just before Skool starts seems reasonable to me. 

But, well, even for the sake of being nice to Zim…

I am going to assume that murdering all of these scientists (or however he got himself out of that jam) and getting back home to retrieve a new disguise will take like… A Considerable Amount of Time. And Skool was basically just about to start. So… I think that I’m going to mark it as Zim missing at least one class and getting to Skool late. 

"The Wettening"

This episode actually puts a lot of attention into making sure all of Zim and Dib’s confrontations take place after Skool hours and that all the time they spend at home planning is happening during the weekend. This episode is mostly useful for explicitly establishing that Skool is operating with a two-day Saturday-Sunday weekend. 

Now, I was wondering if I should count Zim as ‘skipping class’ for, y’know - not actually showing up to Skool on Monday and basically going straight home to drown to death in the toilet right after he won that water-balloon fight. But since the entire damn Skool was reduced to a ruin by Zim’s victory - I think it’s safe to say that Skool is canceled regardless. So that shouldn't count.

(Remember kids! If you wanna skip school, you should just blow it up with a giant Space Water Balloon first and then it’s okay!)

"Career Day"

The entire events of that episode were a Skool-sanctioned activity, so nothing really to report.

"Battle-Dib"

With the 8PM ticking clock, Doctor Membrane having a clearly very kid-oriented edutainment show that he’s apparently recording live, and all the other ordinary kids trying out for the audience… I think it’s pretty safe to say this whole episode takes place after skool.

"Planet Jackers"

Whole episode takes place at night, nothing for us to concern ourselves about.

"Rise of the Zitboy"

Okay, so this episode starts at daytime, with both Zim and Dib very clearly not at Skool - and usually that would be enough for me to assume this episode starts in the afternoon, but…

After Zim gains the Power of Pustulio, he seemingly immediately goes to Skool to test it out. There’s no reason to assume this is like, a whole night later. Zim’s only thought was about hypnotizing Dib and he knows where his house is. If it were the afternoon, wouldn't he just go to the Membrane household rather than wait for the next Skool Day? So this episode actually starts very early in the morning. 

And, like, either way it seems like this is happening very early in the morning and has no real effect on their Skool attendence and I shouldn’t dwell on it too much for this post but… I guess it still kinda surprises me that Dib got up bright and early just to do this shit like an hour before skool starts.

Most of the episode seems to take place before the first period of the day even starts, so the only actually relevant part to our discussion is the very last line from Zim.

Zim: Bye Dib, and thanks for the information! I've got a few more lawn gnomes to plant!

So Zim is going to skip away before Skool starts to take care of the security problems in his Gnome Field right away. So… he’s probably going to miss at least one class, if he’s even coming back. 

"Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain"

Episode takes place entirely at night, not relevant to our discussion. I am not going to consider the ‘One Year Later’ gag as canon, because, like…. come on. 

"Bad, Bad Rubber Piggy"

As the episode starts with a broadcast of Professor Membrane’s show (which as we have already established, is very kids-oriented, highly-rated and seems to be airing live), it’s a pretty safe bet that the whole events of this episode is taking place in the afternoon, so no Skool-Problems here!

"A Room With a Moose"

So, I am not going to knock Dib any points for leaving mid-class on something that wasn’t really a Skool trip. I mean… everyone thought it was a Skool trip, including the other students and their teacher. I assume either Zim took care of the paperwork while he was sneaking around setting up his plan or there was never any paperwork in the first place because it’s the IZ Earth and No One Cares.

Now about Zim… he has technically not skipped class in the sense that he was doing all of this under the guise of being in the toilet, but… Like, in his second round in the Restroom, he actually just never came back until… well, probably the next Skool day, considering it was nighttime at the end of the episode. Even with how apathetic Miss Bitters is… I assume she can conceive of the idea of a student trying to get out of Skool under the excuse of being in the bathroom, even if she doesn’t know/care about the Alien Teleporter Device.

So I am counting this as just a half day of skipping school for Zim. 

"Hamstergeddon"

Okay, so this was actually the episode that inspired me to make this post, and the reason why I conceived of it as a “Zim and Dib Skipping School” list even though, as you have seen so far… Dib has a pretty spotless attendance record so far. I just saw both Zim and Dib piss off from Skool mid-lesson to follow the Hamster Kaiju and started to wonder ‘hmmm… how often does this happen?”

And since we never see Ultra Peepi, like, outright entirely destroy the Skool - I don’t think the day would be canceled like it probably was in “The Wettning” (if it was, I’d assume we’d see more students running out and not just Zim and Dib). And I assume Dib would notice the Growing Peepi Problem near the start of the day, so they both missed about a full day of Skool just then.

"Plague of Babies"

Takes place entirely during one night, not relevant here. 

"Bloaty's Pizza Hog"

Explicitly takes place during the late afternoon/evening. 

"Door to Door"

Another Skool-Sanctioned activity similar to ‘Career Day’

"FBI Warning of Doom"

Takes place during the evening/night. 

"Bolognius Maximus"

After Zim reveals there is no cure to the Bolognafication, Dib runs out of the classroom screaming. This transition into a whole Zim Fantasy Sequence where he’s Gigantic and stuff. But it does seem like the whole ‘Dib being run out of Skool midway through the Skoolday’ did happen. Since they only re-meet after Zim is going back home from Skool. 

So that’s the first time Dib loses attendance (basically an entire day, since he didn’t even last one whole lesson) but not Zim. (But Dib still has a lot of ‘catching up’ to do).

(This episode also establishes that Dib is often late to Skool due to his various paranormal misadventures. Reliably enough for Zim to incorporate it into his Vengeance. However, that’s not entirely relevant since I’m only counting attendance in this post and not tardiness. But I thought I might as well acknowledge it.)

"Game Slave 2"

Episode takes place entirely at night, not relevant.

"Battle of the Planets"

Same as above.

"Halloween Spectacular of Spooky Doom"

So I am not going to count Dib being forcibly institutionalized by Skool administration as ‘skipping classes’, obviously. 

However, while Dib was being dragged off to the Crazy House, Zim used the chaos to ‘escape’ this Skool full of ‘Zombies’ and ready his base for tonight. Next time we see Zim, it’s nighttime and he is still readying his base. And even with Dib being late, it still seems like the episode started early in the first period. So Zim is skipping another full day of Skool basically. 

"Mysterious Mysteries"

From the events of the episode, it seems like ‘Mysterious Mysteries’ airs live (or at least semi-live, in regards to the interviewed segments). We already know that it airs in the evenings because that’s always when we see Dib watch it. Even if it didn’t actually air live, they would probably schedule their interviews to afterskool hours when they have three elementary-skoolers to interview. 

"Future Dib"

Episode starts at a Skool-Assembly, and then move to later that day in the afternoon/early evening (Membrane says ‘tonight’, but the sky is always daylight-yellow, so it seems to be later that day after Skoolhour, it’s just that the sun hasn’t quite set yet.) Either way, neither Zim nor Dib actually seem to skip class on that one. 

"Hobo 13"

With this being an entirely Space-Based Episode, we have basically No Data on what Earth Time this episode takes place. Zim does generally seem to call the Tallests just after Skool or during the night, so I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt on that one and not count it.

"Walk For Your Lives"

While I have no doubt in my mind that Zim would skip Skool for the sake of Probing Day and maaaybe Dib would too for the sake of catching Zim by surprise, well…

So remember way way back during ‘Walk of Doom’ when I talked about background extras? Well, I’m doing this again but in the other direction this time!

Because all the city scenes in this episode do actually feature both child and adult extras (including literally some of Zim and Dib’s classmates).

So I think it’s most likely to assume this episode takes place just after Skool hours. Or perhaps the weekend. 

"Megadoomer"

Starts right after Zim gets home from Skool, and lasts through the night. Not relevant.

"Lice"

Takes place entirely at Skool and also classes are canceled due to Lice Quarantine. I don’t really count any of the Nonsense in this episode as ‘skipping class’, it’s fine.

"Abducted"

We don’t have any details about when the episode takes place outside of ‘the daytime’, but again, Zim generally ‘updates’ the Tallest after Skool so I am going to assume this applies here. Plus, we also see Dib and Gaz at home by the end and they generally don’t skip Skool - so yeah, more evidence for this being the afternoon. 

"The Sad, Sad Tale of Chickenfoot"

Episode explicitly takes place at evening/night, not relevant.

"Gir Goes Crazy and Stuff"

Episode starts at night, and ends at sunrise.

Not relevant.

(Also hey! Does this imply that we can tell that the City is on the East Coast at least?)

"Dib's Wonderful Life of Doom"

Starts at Skool and then seems to take place entirely at night - since the Wonderful Life of Doom starts with Dib sleeping in bed, I assume Dib kidnapped him and put him in the simulation while he was actually asleep.

"Tak: The Hideous New Girl"

Okay, so we had two fairly-regular Skooldays since Tak arrived on Earth.

Then, after Zim comes back from Skool the second day and Tak reveals herself, we cut to Zim’s battle against the Ham Demon. Which is also happening in the daytime. Although Zim later mentions he’s been trailing Tak for ‘48 hours’ - meaning exactly two whole days. 

And then as Zim realizes he needs Dib’s help, we cut to the Membrane house at nighttime. 

So… was that battle taking place in the afternoon/early evening  and it’s just that by the time Zim got to the Membranes the sun had already set? That seems to be the case from the establishing shot. But then Dib yawns and rubs his eyes as if he just woke up and Professor Membrane says ‘good morning’. 

I mean… with how often Dib seems to stay up late and wake up extremely early, maybe he takes a lot of afternoon-evening naps?

Or perhaps this suggests this establishing shot might’ve been just an art error? The little we see of the indoor backdrops are also kinda inconsistent about the Color of the Sky.

First seeming to indicate daytime.

And then… nighttime? Nighttime with sunset? Nighttime with sunrise?

Then nighttime again?

And then, the whole Giant Evil Weenie Stand sequence is at daytime again.

And it only becomes night again by the climax.

And with Zim’s ‘48 hours’ comment placing the Ham Demon fight at the early afternoon (it should be 48 hours after the Tak confrontation, which happened just after Zim got home from Skool) our scenarios are either: 

Zim battles the Ham Demon, then almost immediately Zim confronts Dib after his afternoon nap (and the Color of the Sky around the Membrane household is just Consistently an Art Error. It should be daytime). And the rest of the events of the episode take place on that same day’s late afternoon/evening. 

Zim battles the Ham Demon, then a few hours later Zim confronts Dib after his early evening nap (the Color of the Sky around the Membrane household is not an art error...for the most part. The sun has set already). Then the rest of the events of the episode take place over the next day.

Zim battles the Ham Demon, then the next morning Zim confronts Dib when he wakes up (the Color of the Sky might be a major art error, or it might be a failed attempt at conveying sunrise, or both). Then the rest of the events of the episode take place during that day.

And when considering which one seems to me the most likely, I took three different factors into consideration.

I wanna minimize just dismissing things as art/continuity errors. I want to be as canon-compliant as I possibly can.

The plot needs to maintain its sense of urgency. Having too many Big Timeskips where the characters just kinda don’t do anything significantly hurts the narrative. ‘

The possibility of skipped skool days which is… hey! Is actually what this post is supposed to be about!

Okay, so to elaborate on Point C: Scenario 1 has Zim spend like two full Skooldays’ worth of time on tracking Tak down and then he and Dib and Gaz stop her together during afterskool hours. Scenario 2 + 3 has Zim spend two skooldays, and then the three of them spend the day after that stopping Tak. And.. it’s not just a matter of considering Zim skipping two days versus three days and Dib and Gaz skipping one day versus zero days. Because also the weekend exists.

I actually think it’s incredibly likely that the Tak Reveal is supposed to take place on a Friday, and Zim tracked Tak over the weekend (so the ending of the Ham Demon sequence is on Sunday afternoon).

Especially as Dib apparently didn’t notice Zim either stalking Tak during Skool or just vanishing from Skool altogether due to the Ham Demon Situation. Like, considering how paranoid he is about Zim normally, you’d think he’d take notice and try and figure out if he is up to anything. Especially if it involved the girl he saw as an ally and friend. But it seemed like he was not bothered by anything or noticed anything Zim was doing in the meantime. Which I think only makes sense if Zim was ‘investigating’ Tak during the weekend. 

So in Scenario 1 that would mean the climax of the episode took place during Sunday afternoon/evening. And Scenario 2 + 3 would mean that those events take place during Monday, and thus all of our main trio is either skipping skool or waiting until skool is done to go on their Earth-Saving-Missions.

And the latter is both unlikely because it wrecks the sense of Urgency in the plot and because… like… did Zim and Dib just go to Skool and Angrily Glared at each other until it was done? It really just kinda ruins the dramatic pacing if Zim and Dib meet between the scene at the Membrane Household and the Weenie Stand. So going to Skool on Monday and then doing the Evil Weenie Investigation afterwards seems unlikely to me.

And as for the former scenario… like, as you’ve noticed. Dib very very rarely skips Skool of his own volition. And Gaz never does. Honestly I don’t think it’s in-character for her. Not cause she’s a goody-two-shoes who would never skip class or anything like that. Just because she never takes all of this Alien Stuff seriously enough to consider it a worthwhile reason to skipping classes. And no, neither is getting her brother beat up by security - even if she does enjoy the latter a lot more. 

I guess maybe just Zim could’ve been skipping Skool that Monday morning to do some more failed ‘investigative work’ before he actually realized the Evil Weenie Stand was important. While Dib and Gaz just attended classes like Normal and investigated the Weenies afterwards.

But then, like, did Tak go to Skool? She cares so much about showing off her ability to Actually Competently Infiltrate Humanity, and it seems most of the Evil Weenie Stand Construction is happening automatically… so I kinda assume she would go to Skool on that Monday? So with both Dib and Tak at class that day and Zim not being… that would be another Hypothetical Dramatic Scenario that is just Inexplicably Off Screen in the narrative.

You know like…. Maybe not Dib confronting Tak about Zim’s accusations if he truly doesn’t believe them at that point, but trying to warn her that Zim is deluded about her and out to get her? I just don’t believe any Skoolday after Zim and Dib's confrontation at Dib’s house could be uneventful enough so that we could just skip over it completely like that. 

So, I really really tried to get a scenario where I don’t resort to the Art Error Clause but… I think the only timeline that makes real sense in terms of narrative and characterization is Scenario 1. So most of the events of the climax of “Tak: the Hideous New Girl” probably take place over Sunday afternoon and thus neither Zim nor Dib actually skipped classes. Zim just had a very very busy weekend. 

"Backseat Drivers From Beyond the Stars"

Takes place entirely during the night/evening, irrelevant.

"Mortos Der Soul Stealer"

Same as above.

"Zim Eats Waffles"

Okay, so, there’s nothing in the text of the episode that explicitly says it but… since this episode centers around Zim eating waffles and reading the newspaper

I always kinda assumed it was taking place in the morning. And probably, like Saturday/Sunday morning.

This would also explain why Dib immediately goes to sleep at the end of the episode even though it’s the same ‘daytime’ sky-color outside.

 He woke up early for this - but now that his plan has failed so thoroughly, well… It's still the weekend and now he’s going to sleep in for a while. He probably needs it.

"The Girl Who Cried Gnome"

Well, presumably Moofy and the other Girly Rangers don’t go selling cookies during normal Skool hours. So this episode either takes place after skool hours or also over the weekend. The amount of kid extras in the scene also supports that idea. 

Of course, with the episode ending with Dib being tormented until nightfall, there’s a reasonable chance he won’t make it to Skool on the next day… but I’m going to be nice and assume he managed to get himself free, like, at 3AM or something. So he’s fine, just incredibly sleep-deprived and traumatized. So par for the course, really.

"Dibship Rising"

So, Dibship tries to go to school as Dib, and it seems like it could’ve worked

Poonchy: Hey! Dib's bein' all weird and giant again!

But, well for starters, Dibship only managed to get to Skool by the time for lunch break. I guess he’s really just figuring out how to walk and he’s pretty slow and heavy… So yeah, it might take him a While to get to Skool.  Then once he is at Skool, Zim almost immediately takes him over and starts up his Evil Scheme. 

It’s unclear how long it takes until Dib actually wakes up (hey, remember what I said about him being probably very sleep deprived?), but since Dib’s concern is about being late, I assume the skoolday is not yet over. And when he meets up with Dibship again…

Yeah, it actually took me a bit to notice it, but the scene is directed as to always obscure the top of the ship’s cockpit. AKA where Zim is. I thought at first that maybe he sent the ship out on its own and jumped onto it when it was passing through the Skool. But with that little trick of angles and the stick in Zim’s wig and GIR scattering acorns everywhere… yeah he was clearly on it the whole time.

So Dib missed about a whole day of Skool, spending the reminder of that day trapped just over the cesspool listening to the dying Dibship talk about how much of a loser they are. 

Zim got about… half a skoolday done before skipping out for, as Dib pointed out, no real reason other then endangering himself. And I’m pretty sure he, like, died at the end of the episode. So he’s probably not making it back to Skool either. 

"Vindicated!"

The events of this episode start during Skool and then explicitly continue after Skool, not relevant. 

"The Voting of the Doomed"

Takes place entirely at Skool doing Skool stuff, not relevant.

"Gaz, Taster of Pork"

Well, I am not actively counting Gaz’s absences for this post, so I don’t need to worry about, like, the multiple weeks that her dad kept her isolated in his lab (and even so, I don’t think being forcibly being pulled out of the education system by your parents count as ‘skipping skool’?) As for Dib, most of his ‘research’ we’ve seen happen either in Skool

Or at nighttime and thus explicitly after Skool.

The daring breakout from Membrane Lab does happen in the daytime - the day after Dib’s Hobo Encounter at MacMeaties. The question is just if Dib decided to wait until after Skool to get the information out to Gaz or if he broke her out ASAP skool be damned. (And it can’t be the weekend this time, “this Friday” is our explicit Ticking Clock). But since the sun had already set by the time they finished with their chase scene… Honestly, yeah my guess is he decided to procrastinate by waiting after Skool to break her out lol.

So Dib has had another Very Long Night, but he probably didn't skip skool (and since the episode ends on Friday, he technically has two whole days to finish Cleaning the Pig Toilets and still make it back in time for Monday! Fun!)

"The Frycook What Came From All That Space"

So Zim gets kidnapped from Skool at the very start of the episode and , according to Sizz-Lorr, a week before the Foodening starts

Sizz-Lorr: YES!! And that's not all, Zim! In one week, the Foodening begins once more, and you'll be trapped here for 20 years, just like I was!

And Zim manages to get off the planet at the very last second before the Foodening trapped him there.

And we know there’s no ‘time warp’ in place cause Dib did notice Zim was gone for three days about halfway through the episode.

Dib: Um, I noticed Zim's been gone for three days. Do you know where he is?

So, yeah, Zim was absent from Skool for a week.

(I am… going to assume Dib did not spend like 72-96 hours non-stop annoying the Tallest. But rather he went back and to Zim’s house whenever he had the chance so I am not counting absences for him.) 

"The Most Horrible X-mas Ever"

Takes place over Winter Break and thus is irrelevant.

In total, Zim has confirmed 12 missed full days of Skool + about two times where probably just skipped the first period. Dib has three missed days of Skool. So, like Zim might need to repeat the sixth grade if time ever Actually Moved Forwards in the IZ universe - but Dib is pretty in the clear I think.

Really, what I find really interesting, more than just the obvious difference between Zim and Dib’s tendency to skip skool is the difference between the earlier and later episodes. Like, not counting the five days Zim picked up at the second-to-last episode (which were very much outside of his control)…  Zim picked up 4/7 missed days in just the first eight episodes! And after that they are far less frequent. Perhaps the writers deliberately tried to take care to not overuse the whole skipping skool thing too much? Or maybe from an in-universe perspective it just took Zim a few weeks to really wrap his head around how the skool schedule thing even works? 

[lailoken]

I really hate doing this, but earlier today, my puppy Rowland was running outside with his brother when he took a tumble and ended up running straight into an old metal tool of my father-in-law's. The metal caught the flesh on his side in three spots and tore some large and deep gashes in his hide and underlying muscle. Initially, between the blood and the way he was crying and limping, I really thought he had managed to stab himself in the gut, which was a particularly horrifying thought since I was alone in the countryside with no way to get him quick medical help at the time.

After soothing him enough to get a better look at his wounds, I was deeply relieved to see no signs of abdominal perforation, but I was still taken aback by how bad his injuries were and how much he was bleeding. While I waited desperately for my father-in-law to get home and lend me his truck, I gently cleaned Rowland's wounds, and I thank all the gods that I was able to work a successful Blood Stanching charm on him despite the severity of the bleeding. He was already beginning to shiver and drool with nausea, making me think he was starting to go into shock, so I'm not sure how much worse it might have gotten if I hadn't stemmed the flow of bood.

I managed to get him to the vet, where he had to stay for the day being cleaned, treated, and given 15 stitches. He is clearly in a lot of pain and fear, but he should recover fine, which I am beyond grateful for. That being said, though, the veterinary bill was $864 (everything on the itemized invoice below plus an additional $17 for anti-nausea meds that prevent him from throwing up after anesthesia, which could tear his sitches) and while we were able to pull from our savings to pay for this, it's still a rather disheartening financial turn of events. Especially since I've been mostly working free cases the past few weeks, meaning that I've taken in very little money recently. While I trust my spirits to keep our needs met so long as I honor my vows, it would still be nice not to be forced into depleting our life savings.

I held a raffle once to help fundraise for my older dogs who had started a regimen of expensive pain medications at the time, and I am now considering doing this again. Specifically, I am considering raffling off a handmade wooden stave that I'm currently selling for $200. I was thinking that, since this piece is highly unique and fairly expensive, people might want to enter the raffle for $5 a person (using the link I end up providing) and then the winner would be chosen by a random number generator. Whoever won would end up with a $200 Stave of braided thorny Crabapple wood that was harvested from a 120+ year old tree and sealed with a traditional black Hearth Soot stain, for only $5.

Of course, a raffle like this would only be of use if enough people think they would actually consider entering the raffle. After all, if only 20 people entered, I would be selling this $200 piece for $100, which wouldn't help me fund this medical care and would actually lose me money overall. As such, I figured I would make poll to help me gauge the viability of this idea, like I did the last time.

Sorry again to be doing this. I hope you can understand. ♡

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor’s Carbon Pen and Glass Bead Event (Day 1)

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for content yet to be released on the global server! ⌚

✦ thursday || friday || saturday || sunday || monday || tuesday || wednesday

【High School Affiliated to Loveland University Second Year (Section 1) Semester Schedule - Thursday】

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈

[Tidbits]: To not break the flow, gonna put the note first– in the first dialogue, Victor’s classmates address him as “老李” (Lao Li)~ the way I hate English vocabulary at times like this LMAO the term “老” here is used as a teasing remark by his classmates to express their respect/ honor for him sarcastically given that not only he’s ahead of the crowd but he acts far too mature beyond his years as well~😂

—

[MATH]:

“Sir Vic, what answer did you get for the second-to-last question?”

“Square root of 2.”

“OK! Now, what option did you choose for the tenth question?”

“I chose option C, but I’m not sure.”

“It should be option A… P is the symmetric point with respect to the straight line x-y=0…”

For the math teacher who loves giving impromptu quizzes, getting the students to engage in discussions during the ten-minute break is also one of their “conspiracies.”

—

[BIOLOGY]:

Looking at the textbook he’s already highlighted with the key points long ago, Victor takes out a collection of competition-grade questions that are carefully sorted to align with the relevant exam topics. As he listens, he begins contemplating the problems.

—

[CHINESE]:

Everyone is on their “best behavior” during the homeroom teacher’s class. The beaming woman is speaking eloquently on the stage, while Victor looks down at a reading comprehension analysis. He finds that he understands it even better than the original writer.

There are so many incomprehensible things in this world.

—

[CHEMISTRY]:

There are less than ten minutes to go until the end of the class. Glancing from afar, Victor notices that Zheng Xi, who is seated near the front door, already seems to be in a stance ready to bolt at any moment. Victor can’t help but feel hungry as he feels himself being infected by the sight.

—

[PHYSICS]:

Is it really possible for anyone to stay alert and not feel sleepy in the first class of the afternoon?

Yes, Victor doesn’t feel sleepy in the slightest.

—

[MUSIC]:

“Aside from focusing on studies, I hope that everyone can enhance their perception of various forms of “aesthetics.” This semester in music class, the teacher aims to create a platform for self-expression, where each student can showcase their talents through musical instrument performances, singing, or dancing. Last week, several students performed exceptionally well. Now, we’ll continue with the presentations in order of student numbers. Up next is student number 23.”

“Does the vice class monitor know how to play the piano?”

“I’m not sure, I’ve never seen him playing it.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...Thank you, Victor, for your performance. Music is a form of self-expression. But, next time, perhaps you can also consider singing a song?”

—

[ENGLISH]:

Led by the arrangement of the passionate young teacher, the class is divided into multiple small groups, each assigned to perform different roles based on the textbook content. However––

With a sense of resignation, Victor touches the curly wig on his head and remains silent for a moment. Despite so, he still earnestly delivers the lines of the judge.

“I’m already a mature high school student,” he thinks to himself, feeling at a loss for words.

—

[ENGLISH]:

One of the biggest benefits of the campus activities on Thursday is that Victor can seamlessly participate in the Model United Nations (MUN) right after his English class.

Even if one practices their lines in advance, no one will raise an eyebrow. The school administration teacher is really nice.

──────

✧ next stop: Friday

─────────

[daisynik7]

A Stitch Ahead

Pairing: Mitsuya x Original Female Character

Rating: Mature

Word Count: ~4.4k

cw: explicit language, switching POVs (2nd and 3rd person)

Summary: Mitsuya is asked to create jackets for the newly appointed captains, to which he reluctantly agrees. When the deadline arrives and he still hasn’t finished, he enlists your aid to help him complete his task. The same day, the two of you make dinner together for his sisters, leaving Mitsuya with a lasting impression.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks so much for all those who have read this so far, I truly appreciate all the support on this little series! It may take me a while to put out chapters since I am simultaneously working on requests for my event, so I appreciate your patience with this! Likes, reblogs, and/or comments are always appreciated! Would love to hear what you think so far! 

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The next three weeks go smoothly for Mitsuya. He’s continuing to do well in his classes, and he manages to keep up with his sewing projects. Fridays, he meets with Shimizu after school until dinnertime, then he drops her off to his house to watch his sisters for the night while he hangs out with his friends. He can’t remember the last time he had spare time like this, even if it is only for a few hours a night. Since the beginning of this arrangement, he’s been able to catch up with Draken, Takemitchy, Hakkai and his little sister, Yuhuza. With everyone busy with their own priorities, it’s nice to reconnect. Mikey remains to be seen. 

A month after Hanma and Kisaki are appointed captains, Mitsuya is tasked to make new jackets for them. He holds the phone to his ear, glaring at his shoes with Draken’s voice ringing in his ears. “Just do it, Mitsuya. Mikey’s orders.” 

“But for those two assholes?” he questions, kicking a pebble on the ground. He stands outside one of the courtyards at school, on his lunch break. Naturally, he’s reluctant to concede to this request, considering how pissed off he still is by the two traitors. The memory is fresh in his mind, fighting Taiju, head of The Black Dragons and Hakkai’s older brother, in the chapel on Christmas Day. Mitsuya probably wouldn’t have been whacked in the skull by a metal pipe if Kisaki and Hanma didn’t betray the plan that Takemitchy devised. And while he’s dealt with his dose of treason, like with Peh-Yan attacking Draken in retaliation for Pah-Chin’s arrest, he managed to forgive, forget, and move on. Though something about those two rub him the wrong way. 

That being said, Mitsuya trusts Mikey. He’s never been one to question their leader’s decisions, always complying to whatever he suggests. So, he agrees, especially when Draken reiterates, “Mikey’s orders. I’m not going to repeat myself. Make the damn jackets.”

“Fine,” he relents. Maybe he’ll hide a few loose threads in there to be spiteful. 

“By the way, we won’t be able to host dinner Friday. Emma and I are going to her grandpa’s, so I’ll meet you at the shrine.”

“Okay, sounds good. Maybe I’ll see if Takemitchy wants to hang out.”

“Probably not. Him and Hina are going out for a date night or whatever. I overheard Emma talking to her the other day.”

He sighs, leaning his head against the wall of the building. “I guess I can eat with my sisters then.”

“Doesn’t your classmate watch them on Fridays? Maybe she can cook for you.” There’s a boisterous drilling sound in the background on Draken’s end, and Mitsuya is reminded that he’s talking to him during work hours at the car shop.  

A little louder, he replies, “Yeah, maybe.”

“You never told me, but is she hot?” Draken asks, his cocky smirk audible through all the noise. 

“Don’t you have a pregnant girlfriend at home?”

“It’s not for me, asshole. It’s for you. When’s the last time you hooked up? And sneaking Jasmine into your house doesn’t count.”

“I thought we agreed to never mention that again,” He blushes over the memory that occurred a year ago. He was set up on a date with one of Emma’s friends, and it was going fine up until his mom called him to come home and watch his sisters because of a last-minute scheduling change. Not wanting to waste the opportunity to get some much-needed action, he brought her home with him, making Luna and Mana swear not to snitch. Either way, it didn’t lead to much since the mood was killed; turns out, Jasmine isn’t a fan of children, so even his very adorable sisters turned her off completely. 

“Sorry, it slipped,” Draken laughs. “My point is it sounds like this girl has been helping you out recently. Maybe she can help you with something else if you catch my drift.”

He shakes his head at this ridiculous conversation, unsure why he’s entertaining it to begin with. “I don’t think of her in that way. She’s really sweet, sure. But we’re just classmates.”

“Is she ugly?”

“No! She’s not ugly at all. She’s actually kind of cute,” he trails off, picturing Shimizu’s warm smile and kind eyes, gazing at him carefully, always in awe of his sewing abilities during their lessons inside the home economics room. It makes him feel special, like what he’s saying means something, even if it is just instructions on how to stitch a new patch or mend a tear. 

“Have you made a move yet?”

“I’m not going to make a move on her.”

“Why not?”

Mitsuya is getting annoyed by his friend’s persistence. “It’s not like that. I’m teaching her to sew, and she’s helping me watch the girls. That’s it. Anyways, I gotta go.” He has a few more minutes until his next class, but he’d rather not prolong this discussion any further. 

“I’ll ask Emma if she has any more friends to set you up with. Not Jasmine of course – ” He hangs up before hearing the rest of Draken’s sentence.  

Friday arrives, and with homework piling on, Mitsuya realizes that he’s behind on schedule. Tonight is another Toman meeting; afterwards, the captains will get together at a local diner to discuss more important matters. There, Mikey will present Hanma and Kisaki their new jackets. That is, if Mitsuya can finish them. Immediately after class, he rushes to the home economics room, resuming where he left off on Hanma’s. He hasn’t touched Kisaki’s yet. It’s not difficult for him; the problem is, he needs more time, or maybe an extra set of hands. 

“Hey, Mitsuya.” Shimizu’s voice is soft behind him. He turns to face her, realizing this is the blessing he needs today. 

“Shimizu!” he greets, more enthusiastic than usual. 

She giggles, clearly surprised by the energetic reaction. “Are you okay?”

There’s an odd pang in his chest hearing her laugh. He ignores it, swiveling in his seat to display the jacket to her. “I’m actually in a pinch right now, and I think you can help me out. If you’re willing.” She sits beside him, studying the clothing, waiting for him to elaborate. 

“I’m trying to finish the rest of these by tonight, but I don’t have time unless I get your help. There’s another jacket in my bag,” he points to his backpack resting on top of one of the desks. “I haven’t touched it at all. I was hoping maybe you can finish the one I started while I work on the other.” They’ve had lessons each week for the past month, so he’s confident that she knows the basics enough to complete his work. It also helps that these are for people he doesn’t like, so if it’s a sloppy, he won’t mind. 

She hesitates, staring at the garment in his hands. “Are you sure I can do this?”

He smiles, passing it to her. “Absolutely. It’ll be good practice. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

She takes it, eyeing it nervously, nodding to herself for reassurance. “Okay, where should I start?”

~~~

At first glance, it seems more advanced than your current skill level. After all, you’ve only had four lessons with Mitsuya without doing anything on your own. With his low, gentle voice guiding you through it, you find yourself weaving through the fabric easily, with only a few sloppy stitches here and there. 

“Oh, shoot,” you mutter, leaning towards him to show him your blunder. “I left a big gap there.”

He waves it off. “Barely noticeable. Besides, we don’t like the guy this jacket is going to, so it’s okay.”

You raise a brow at him, curious. “We?”

“Well, me and a few of my friends. This guy is a total asshole.”

You brush your fingers along the embroidered characters stitched on the back of the jacket, mouthing the name it spells out. Tokyo Manji Gang. Without thinking, you blurt out, “Is it scary?”

“Is what scary?” he asks, not looking up from his work. 

Deciding it’s too late to back down, you add, “Being in a gang.”

He pauses this time, still focused on the fabric, contemplating his answer. After a beat, he says, “Sometimes. I don’t like fighting unless I have to.”

“When do you have to?” You’re not sure how much you’re crossing the line, but your curiosity gets the best of you.

“When I have to protect someone I care about.” He glances at you with a small smile on his face. “I’m actually a pacifist.”

You grin at him, nudging his knee with yours. “A pacifist in a gang. How ironic.”

“Hey, we don’t fight all the time! We mostly ride our bikes and have fun.” He keeps himself near you, bare skin of your knee poking out from your skirt brushing against his pant leg. It’s not uncomfortable; in fact, you relish the delicate touch. “We’re not as scary as everyone thinks we are.”

“I’m beginning to realize that.” Heat rushes into your cheeks, suddenly aware of the intimacy in this moment. You draw your leg back, pretending to focus on the jacket again. “Anyways, hopefully your friend won’t notice this.”

“He won’t. Like I said, it’s barely noticeable. And besides, he’s not my friend.”

You don’t mention it any further, too shy to pry him for more details, chalking it up to gang matters that you shouldn’t involve yourself with. After an hour more of idle chitchat and stitching, your jacket is complete, while Mitsuya’s is more than halfway finished. When it’s time for them to head home for dinner and babysitting duties, he stuffs both garments into his bag, grabbing his helmet from the cupboard. “Ready? I can finish the rest at home before my meeting.”

You nod, cradling the helmet he gave you weeks ago. There’s a sticker you placed on it the other day, one of a cartoon hamburger with a winky face. Turning it to show him, you say, “I hope you don’t mind.”

He smiles, leaning in closer to inspect it. “Not at all. I’m glad you’re customizing it. It’s yours now, anyways.” His eyes twinkle at you, genuinely meaning the kind words he’s saying. It’s enough to put a flutter in your belly.

You’ve gotten used to riding with him now. Adrenaline courses through your veins whenever he’s cruising through the streets, but you’re more relaxed with your arms around him, holding him snug for stability. Despite his intimidating status as a gang member, he’s done nothing to put you in danger. In fact, Mitsuya makes you feel safe, and you admire him for that. 

Admiration. That’s all it is. Right? 

You’re happily greeted by Mana and Luna at the door, who watch you slip out of your shoes, immediately grabbing you once you’re done to lead you into their bedroom. “Let’s play dress up!”

“Hey girls, let her breathe. We just got here.”

“We want to model the new costumes you made for us!” Mana whines, stomping her feet. 

Realization hits you. “Oh! Those are the ones you were showing me the other week, right?”

He rubs the nape of his neck, embarrassed. “Yeah, I finally finished them.”

“Let’s go!” Luna exclaims, dragging you further down the hallway. 

Mitsuya follows behind, laughing. “Guess you’re their plaything now.”

“I guess so.” They pull you into their room, Luna shutting the door ajar, enough to peek at her brother through the crack.

“I’m going to finish my work if you need me,” he mentions through the small opening. “Please don’t let them torture you for too long.”

“Hey! This is fun! Now shoo!” the older of the two sisters demands, waving him off. “Girls only!” You can hear him chuckle as he walks away into the living room. 

They try on their new outfits, courtesy of their big brother, twirling in their dresses, skirts poofy and sparkly with glittery fabric. Mitsuya did an amazing job with these; he had mentioned before that this is for an upcoming princess-themed party his sisters are planning to attend. They complete their ensemble with plastic tiaras sitting pretty on their heads. You play with them for a while, acting like a wicked witch bent on stealing their precious crowns for whatever reason. Eventually, he returns, pushing the door slightly open to ask, “Are you ladies hungry?”

His sisters jump up, arms flailing in the air. “Yes!” they exclaim, pulling you up from the bed, leading you out of their room and back into the kitchen. 

“Did you finish the jacket?” 

“Yup!” he answers, giving you a thumbs up.

“And you’re not eating with your friends tonight?” You try not to sound excited.

“Nah, they’re busy, so I’ve got some time.”

You smile to yourself, secretly elated to have this opportunity to spend more time with him. You’ve been curious about where he sneaks off to before his big Friday night meetings. He’s mentioned names like Draken and Takemitchy, and you have no context on who these people are. His sisters seem to be familiar with his friends, but you’re embarrassed to ask them about it, not wanting to come off nosy. You want to learn more about his life, about him. 

“Can we please have fancy ramen tonight?” Mana peers up at you with puppy-dog eyes, making it impossible to refuse. 

“Don’t feel pressured to do this,” Mitsuya tells you, shooting a glare at his sister. “Mana, it’s rude to make demands like that.”

“I said please!” she whines. 

You open the pantry to retrieve the proper ingredients. “I really don’t mind. It’s easy and nothing special.”

He stands next to you, grinning. “It is, though. My sisters won’t stop raving about it.”

“You should teach Taka how to make it!” Luna suggests, retrieving paper and crayons so they can draw while you cook. 

“Yeah, I’ve been wanting to learn. Show me your ways, Master,” he teases, bowing to you. 

Chuckling, you pass him the can of Spam. “I guess the roles are reversed this time.”

“There’s a lot we can both learn from each other, don’t you agree?” He cracks it open, tapping it out onto a cutting board. “So, how should I cut this?”

He dices the meat into bite-sized pieces, per your instructions, then pours it onto a pan to crisp the edges. Meanwhile, you slice the green onions and place the eggs in a pot of boiling water, explaining exactly how you get them to be perfectly soft-boiled. It’s nothing extraordinary, like you told him earlier, but he watches you carefully, nodding along as if he’s retaining every single detail in his head. That’s what you admire about him. He treats something so simple, so ordinary, as if it’s special.  

When your timer sets off, you place the eggs into an ice bath, letting them chill for a few minutes before peeling them. Mitsuya remains beside you, hovering over the pot with the noodles and broth simmering. “Already smells amazing, can’t wait to eat this. I’ve been craving ramen for a while now.”

You decide to pose the question that’s been on your mind, hoping it comes off nonchalant. “What do you usually eat on Friday nights?” 

“Draken’s been cooking recently, so it’s whatever his girlfriend is in the mood for that day. Last week it was chicken katsu.” he answers, stirring the soup. He turns the dial, shutting off the burner. “I think it’s done.”

You arrange all your cooked and prepped ingredients on the countertop, passing him a bowl. “Is Draken also part of your gang?”

He pours broth into it, carefully handing it to you. “Yeah, but we go way back before Toman. We’ve been friends since we were kids. We even have matching tattoos.”

“Tattoos?” 

“Yeah. Want to see?” He runs his fingers through the hair on the right side of his head, showing off the ink etched on his scalp. “It’s hard to see with my hair in the way, but it’s a dragon tattoo. Draken caught me spray painting this on a wall when we were kids. He offered his beef bento in exchange for it. A month later, we saw each other again and we both happened to get the same tattoo without either of us knowing. We’ve been the Twin Dragons ever since.” 

You garnish the assembled ramen with green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. “That’s amazing. I can’t believe you designed that, too. There’s nothing you can’t do.”

“It’s a dragon. Nothing special, really.” He scratches the back of his neck, blushing. 

You set the food down in front of Luna, who thanks you happily, waiting for it to cool down. “It is, though,” you say, repeating his comment from earlier. “And the story behind it is special too. Draken seems like a good friend.”

“He is. He’s a great guy.” He starts on the second, adding, “And he’s going to be dad soon. His girlfriend is pregnant.”

“Wow! That’s exciting, congratulations to them.”

He chuckles, on the third now as you finish the second and present it to Mana, who claps. “Yeah. I still can’t believe it. They’re going to have a little baby in this crazy world.” He trails off, a sudden shift in his demeanor, almost like he’s sad. 

“Aren’t you happy for them?”

“Of course I am. I just…I don’t know. Draken’s had a rough life, ever since he was a kid. A couple years ago, he went into cardiac arrest after being stabbed almost to death. He finally has a chance at a normal life, and I don’t want to see him lose that. Part of me believes leaving Toman is his best bet to prevent that from happening.”

You empty whatever is left into both bowls for you and Mitsuya. With all the dishes in the sink and the two sisters already slurping on their noodles, you slide him his serving. “Would you ever leave?”

He doesn’t answer right away, contemplating your question. “I don’t think I have a good enough reason to.”

You’re tempted to keep this conversation going, but you start feeling guilty for prying so much into his life. A life that you’ll never understand, no matter how hard you try. So instead, you ask, “Ready to eat?”

He nods, smiling at his ramen. “Definitely.”

You join the two girls around the table, rubbing your palms together, excited to dive in. Luna and Mana are already halfway through their food, lips glossy with the broth they’ve been slurping. Mitsuya takes a big bite, eyes lighting up once it hits his tongue. “Wow!”

“It’s good, right Taka?”

“Open your egg! Open your egg!” Mana demands, excited to see it. 

He grins at his sisters, holding it out to show them the perfectly runny yolk dripping from the spoon into the soup, resulting in a round of applause. He faces you, expression warm and bright. “We make a good team, don’t we?”

Your chest swells with pride, and an odd sensation you’re unfamiliar with. All you can do is nod, smiling back at him, focusing on your meal to ignore the heat creeping into your cheeks and the flutters twisting in your belly. 

~~~

The four bowls on the table are licked completely clean, not a trace of meat or garnish left. Mitsuya checks his phone for the first time in what seems like a while, too busy enjoying the moment with his sisters and Shimizu, sharing childhood stories about the shenanigans they all got up to as siblings. When he sees that it’s almost nine, he curses, causing Luna and Mana to scold him, “Taka! No swearing!”

“I need to go. I’m going to be late.” He looks at Shimizu, guilty that he’s leaving her to clean the mess they made in the kitchen. “I’m so sorry. Leave it and I’ll get to it later tonight. I promise.”

“It’s fine,” she reassures him. “It’s just a few dishes. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you, Shimizu. Seriously. This was really great.” Before he dawdles even longer, he puts on his Toman uniform, grabbing his backpack with the two jackets they finished earlier. He sprints out the door, hopping onto his bike to speed his way to the Shrine.

Draken sits on the steps, greeting him with a smirk. “You’re late. Lucky for you, so is Mikey.”

“Sorry. I got caught up with something,” Mitsuya explains, wiping sweat off his forehead.

The two of them head up the stairs, chatting idly with the others until Mikey finally shows up, beginning the meeting. There’s plenty of topics that are discussed, including Kisaki’s and Hanma’s efforts to infiltrate the rival Leviathan gang. However, Mitsuya is only half paying attention; his mind keeps going back to the dinner he had with his sisters and Shimizu. 

He doesn’t remember the last time he hung out with someone that wasn’t his family or a member of Toman. In fact, he doesn’t have any friends outside of that. For the first time, Mitsuya felt like himself. Not big brother Taka or Second Division Captain of the Tokyo Manji Gang. He was Takashi Mitsuya, eighteen-year-old student who sews, occasionally cooks, enjoys eating, and happens to be in a gang. 

Admitting his fear about Draken was a huge weight off his shoulders. He’s thankful to his new friend for giving him the outlet to confess what he could never to anyone else. Would anyone else understand him? Is he the only one who has these hints of doubts about the future? Mitsuya has never considered a future outside of Toman. He figured he’d grow old wearing the jacket or die protecting it, whichever comes first. Could he have a life outside of the gang? Sure, he’s dreamt of it before. Pursuing a career as a designer. Watching his sisters grow up into independent, strong women. His mom marrying a nice man who would give her the life she deserves. And maybe, just maybe, he could follow in Draken’s footsteps and create a little family of his own with someone he loves. 

It's a possible future for his sisters and mother. There’s nothing stopping them from that. But for him? Could he ever leave the gang behind? Does he want to do that? Toman is also his family. How could he turn his back on his brothers?

He snaps out of his reverie when the meeting is over and Draken pats him on the shoulder. “Man, what’s with you today? Your head is in the clouds.”

Mitsuya punches his arm lightly. “Just tired, I guess.”

“Oh right, Hanma’s and Kisaki’s jackets. I’m assuming you finished?”

“I did, thanks to Shimizu,” he replies, smiling. 

“Ah, so she has a name,” he teases, nudging him as they walk down towards their bikes. “And now she’s helping you sew. What else can she do for you?”

“I told you, it’s not like that. She’s a good person, so don’t talk about her like that.” He shrugs his friend off, oddly defensive.

Draken cackles. “Oh shit, my bad. I didn’t mean to offend your woman.”

Before he can give him a harder punch, Hanma sneaks up on them, voice as sleazy as it usually is. “What’s this? Little Taka has a woman?”

Mitsuya does his best to ignore him, actually upset now that this asshole is butting into their private conversation. If only Draken didn’t have such a big mouth.

“C’mon, don’t be shy. Tell us all about her,” he says, a creepy smirk on his lips. 

Draken interferes, stepping between them. “I was teasing him. It’s nothing.” 

Hanma shrugs, hands in his pockets. “Fine. Keep your little secrets. I guess I’ll just have to find out who Shimizu is myself.” He laughs, walking away as Mitsuya and Draken slow their pace, staring at him, concerned.

~~~

It’s almost midnight when you’re awoken by the sound of keys jingling at the front door. You fell asleep on the couch after putting the girls to bed about an hour ago, watching a familiar show on the lowest volume with all the lights off. You rouse awake, sitting up to meet Mitsuya’s gaze as he stands by the couch, waving at you. “Hey. Ready to go home?” Minutes later, still not fully awake, you’re riding behind him on his motorbike, clinging to his waist. He remains quiet; he must be tired from his meeting. 

He pulls up to your driveway, stopping the ignition so you can hop off. “Thank you for the ride,” you say, pulling the helmet off your head. “And thank you for helping me cook. That was fun.”

He nods, eyes averted towards the ground. “Yeah, it was.”

With nothing else to comment, you turn on your heel to head inside. Before you can, you feel him grip your wrist gently, his touch radiating up your arms and throughout your entire body. 

“Shimizu.” His voice is soft; you like the way your name sounds coming from his mouth, maybe a little too much. 

“Yes?”

He opens his mouth, then closes it again, struggling for the right words. Eventually, he utters, “Have a good night.” 

He lets go, starting the engine, leaving you to stand in the driveway, alone and confused.  

[lollytea]

What do you think Hunter’s first daydream/dream/fantasy of Willow was like? Rather, the first time his brain subconsciously started telling him he has a crush? One where he was like, “Holy Titan this is different!” I want to know your take on it!

Oh his subconscious was TRYING to tell him literally that night after meeting her but Hunter blatantly refused to process the truth of the matter cuz it was just too much for him to mentally handle. He was all like "hahaaaa....friend.... :)"

Like "It'll only be 52 weeks before Caleb's next day off"??? Not only has this girl confirmed that she still considers him a friend (She's his friend!!! Hunter's stomach does backflips at the thought it of it.) but she also makes clear that she would like to see him again. 52 weeks....in 52 weeks he's gonna see Willow....there is no way that's not going to cause his mind to wander about the possibilities.

Oh and the pensta chatting. The pensta chatting makes it a billion times worse. Cuz he's here and he's talking to her everyday and he's having so much fun but all he has are her words on a screen. He can't see her face or hear her voice.

He remembers how he blurted out "The Emerald Entrails!", that moment of doubt that he had said something dumb, only for Willow's expression to completely light up in a pretty smile as she touched his shoulder and eagerly began to chant the name he came up with. That was when he knew he had done something right. And those little emojis and exclamation points and 'lol's are cute NICE and makes him all giddy when he gets a positive reaction out of her but he misses the real thing. Which is weird to think because he barely knows the real thing.

Why does he want the real thing so badly?

He misses her.

So he starts to imagine her smiles and her laughter somewhere on the other end of Bonesborough. He knows the hours she's at school. He knows the hours she's working out. So whenever they're not texting, wondering how she's doing is always tucked away in the back of his mind.

As Hunter's crush on Willow fattens up (without him realizing it) the anticipation to see her again only builds. Before he knows it, he falls asleep to the thought of how it's gonna go. What will he say? What will she say? He's writing scripts in his head. He'll be strapping on his armor in the mornings and rehersing his lines in the mirror. He always imagines himself as doing something cool that Willow is very impressed by. And then they'll play Flyer Derby together 🥰

So yeah that is definitely the foundation of Hunter's little Willow daydreams. They don't start off intimate in any way at first. They're very innocent. He just wants to see her. He wants to spend time with her. He wants to talk to her. (He later discovers that talking to her is easier said than done.) So while he definitely has a massive crush on her at this point, his feelings remain repressed because he doesn't have the self awareness to explore them so the explicitly romantic daydreams are still locked behind a paywall.

This shifts into something more heart thumping between the events of LR and COTH where Hunter gradually begins to realize that how he feels about Willow is very very different from how he feels about anyone else. Like Luz. At this point he can admit to himself that he's very fond of Luz. And ever since HP, he has wondered if he'll ever see her again. Her words still stick with him. But she doesn't render him grinning and giggling as he lies awake at night thinking about her. Willow makes vines squirm around in his stomach. It is undeniably different. Even Hunter, the king of mental gymnastics, can't run from that truth forever.

I feel like he didn't quite know he had feelings for Willow during LR. Hell, he was surprised as anybody about how nervous he suddenly became when she was around. But he had observed that she made him feel very funny. In a good way. He mostly just chalked it up to her just being so cool that of course he felt a little starstruck in her presence.

But then Willow yanked him into a hug after the Hexside battle and it changed his brain chemistry. Because she was just!!! So close!!! He could smell her. Her voice was practically in his ear. And she was holding him so tight and secure. It initially startled him beyond comprehension because he is so starved of intimate touch that a hug would absolutely make his endorphins go fucking buckwild and what was happening was so foreign to him that he was frightened of the emotion he felt. He couldn't immediately recognize it as a positive feeling because he had no idea what was going on.

But after?? After Willow let him go and the Hexside students all gathered around to make sure everyone was okay, Hunter was just left standing there, in a complete stupor until Gus pulled him out of it. He still didn't fully understand what had just happened, only that his brain was static because of it.

It takes him a moment to realize that he desperately hopes that whatever that was, she'll do it again.

So those few days/a week he spends with Willow and Gus, Hunter receives a bombardment of physical touch. Usually from Gus. Sometimes Willow too. And Hunter is going absolutely fucking bonkers because Willow's touches are so soft. So fluttery. A hand on his shoulder. A pat on the head. Almost like she knows the effect her touches have and is keeping it to a minimum just to tease him. And it's driving him wild. She'll jokingly pat his cheek and it takes all of Hunter's willpower not to press his face into it. A hand on a shoulder could so easily turn into an arm wrapped around him and pulling him closer. It never does. But that doesn't stop Hunter's kneecaps from melting everytime she touches him so gently and his mind wanders to how it could escalate.

It is astounding what one hug did to him. He hasn't been the same since. But Titan forbid he ask for one. Or initiate himself. Oh no no no that's far too forward.

So yeah, whenever Hunter is left alone and the thought of Willow crosses his mind, he ends up fantasising about being held. Or just. Touched in a way that makes him feel safe. It's a very emotionally charged desire.

Again, while Hunter has definitely reached some awareness that he might be heading down a slippery slope of infatuation, he's still very inexperienced in matters like these. So he doesn't quite know what to fantasise about. But he's had hugs and touching on the brain ever since LR so that's what all his dreams concerning her revolve around.

But then COTH happens and OH BOY. This is when the overload of repressed teenage hormones are finally unleashed. Hunter has spent the last week wanting to be held by Willow because Willow is so sweet and so kind and soft and pretty. But then it finally happens but the nature of it is completely upside down. This is different!!

She swoops in to rescue him and flings him over her shoulder and she's holding him tight but it's not a hug. It's nothing like he was fantasizing about. It's something he has NEVER experienced before but it definitely awakens something in him. She...she's capable of carrying him. She's strong. Girl strong. Arms.. Uhhh..hmm...um. WELL. that's...Ugdhhkk.

This unlocks a new reason that Hunter wants to be held by Willow. Because simply put he thinks Willow is hot.

And that is a whole other set of emotions that Hunter will have to unpack but we won't go into detail about it. But you know how it is with teenagers. Their attractions are borderline feral. Especially if they're experiencing them for the first time.

After Hunter's Strong Girl awakening, he's pretty preoccupied with the Day of Unity to focus on it. It's not until the dust has cleared and he's settled in with Camila that he has the mental capacity to indulge himself with silly little daydreams of Willow effortlessly picking him up.

So now physical attraction has been added to the Hunter crush broth. Now all that's left is for him to observe how Luz and Amity interact with each other, sharing affection that he never really saw up close before and he's beginning to realize that a romantic relationship is....a thing he might actually want? Maybe?? Holding her hand...hm...or....or maybe....

It began as Hunter simply longing to see her in person. To see her smile. To hear her laugh.

Then it escalated to wishing more than anything that she could touch him.

Then the fizzling burst of teen attraction butted its way into the equation and he can't stop thinking about her strong arms.

And now....he wonders what it would be like to kiss her...

Stir that all together and you have a boy who is helplessly in love.

[sweethibiscustea82]

can I ask about ur au? :33

of course!! All under the cut and stuff, all of this is just bits and pieces of stuff because there’s not a super clear like outline of events and stuff but here’s some basic thoughts and ideas and stuff lol. Uh warning its very long, very rambley and kind of just jumps from one thought to another sorry 😭

Okay so basically this isn’t a very nice au to Steven sadly (I do it out of love for the character 💗💗), when I first got back into Steven universe I kept rewatching the diamond days episodes and I really enjoyed them. So basically this au is called diamond years, where Steven ends up staying for a very long time (about I wanna say year and a half) on home world pretending to be pink diamond so that he can change the diamonds ways.

This takes a while though, he’s failed again and again at trying to talk to white, so end he focuses on trying to change blue and yellow’s minds first, on not hurting defenceless planets and trying to stand up to white (they never take him up on standing up to white until about the last year). At first he is completely put off and ignored just like in the show but the longer he stays there the more they begin to listen to him. But despite how well Steven is doing at changing homeworld from the inside, it’s been taking a toll on him.

He finds himself questioning his identity more than ever before, and it really stresses him out. He also feels bad for bringing the gems into this plan with him, he feels like he’s forced them back into their homeworld lives and it makes him feel horribly guilty a lot of the time. In my head it’s like all of this fighting in the rebellion just to end back up here serving diamonds and it sort of starts to make Steven feel like a disgusting person. Like pearl doesn’t belong to him and amethyst shouldn’t have to wear limb inhancers but like whenever he like debates it with blue or yellow they chastise him.

I think eventually he’s permitted to go visit beach city, as a gift for his good behaviour since he came back and it makes him so happy that he finally gets to be Steven again, but whenever he’s there the moments are sort of bittersweet because he knows that if he messes up at all on homeworld, he might lose getting to see his friends on earth. So he throws himself even more into the pink diamond role.

When the first year finally passes and he’s made a significant amount of progress (not enough in his mind) he’s never Steven in public. Only when no one else but his family is around does he consider himself actually Steven, yellow got on him about his pearl calling him Steven still after a year of being on home world officially. They offer to help like recondition her but he refuse’s absolutely. So now pearl calls him pink in public, which sets it in stone in his mind that oh right now I’m not Steven.

When Steven turns 16, is when he not only updates his pink diamond outfit to something newer and slightly different, but his eyes look like pinks and it doesn’t go away even after he stops living on homeworld. Pearl is the first one to notice it and tell him and he’s horrified. The next days when some of the other gems starts to see his eyes, he can tell they’re a little shocked, a little uncomfortable. None of them bring it up besides amethyst who’s like woah cool eyes Steven cause she’s trying to be jokey. It doesn’t work but he laughs.

All this time he’s seen white maybe a dozen times and she’s barely even talked to him. He’s making changes, blue and yellow are more merciful but it’s still not enough. So around the end of the second year blue and yellow finally actually help him go confront white, and he has relief all of this all of this horrible pain and issues and pink diamond stuff wasn’t for nothing and so when they go confront her it starts the yk white diamond confrontation in the show except she’s like oh starlight you’ve been doing so good, why did you have to mess it up now. And this is the first time in so long that he’s protested about being pink, he’s Steven and he gets punished for it with white pulling his gem out to prove that pinks still there and that he isn’t.

It plays out mostly the same as the actual show except what happened in like the third episode of the diamond days arc, happened 2 years after the first episode of the diamond days arc lol.

And so now after that huge fight stuff he’s free, he’s Steven. But he still has the lingering feelings of being pink for so long. When he steps into his house for the first time he doesn’t even know what to do really. He hasn’t seen some of his favourite foods besides the things Connie sneaks in for him, he hasn’t watched tv in so long. he hasn’t seen almost all of his friends on earth. They all celebrate him coming back, he’s fixed everything but why does he still feel so just empty, like he’s living someone else’s life. It’s horrible, that’s how he felt when he first had to act like pink and now he feels like that for his own life.

His friends tell him he doesn’t have to act so formal around them when they’re out in public. People don’t greet him by saluting their diamond. And he doesn’t miss it at all, he’s happy that he’s finally home but it takes so long for him to get used to being himself again.

Anyways sorry for like dumping a pile of random thoughts on you lol, I hope you find it good. I don’t know how good the ideas are at all, it just started from my fascination with characters pretending to be someone and then the lines blurring between them and the person they’re impersonating

oh and uh here’s an official reference for DY!Steven

[solomons-poison]

Greedy

Keith Howell x reader

: ̗̀➛ A/N: uhhhh I suddenly had the urge to write a kind of silly little thing for mean!Keith after reading Keith's POV story from the amnesiac AU collection event. Keith's route isn't out in the EN server yet and my knowledge of him is limited to fan translations and what little EN server does have, so sorry if it's really OOC. I also didn't know how to end this RIP

: ̗̀➛ Warnings: bit of spoilers for Keith's character/route??; no pronouns but fem leaning reader, also focused on mean!Keith's POV; slightly suggestive; amnesia AU; just mean!Keith being kind of jealous and a tease :>

: ̗̀➛ Word count: 2039

Keith could be many things, perceived by the public in many different ways, all depending on the alter that was presenting. When nice!Keith was out, he could be considered timid and nice to a fault, often over-apologetic over the simplest things. But he was also incredibly kind, thoughtful, reliable, and sweet. Sometimes he was even considered akin to a knight, the way he seemed so honorable and righteous.

Alternatively, when mean!Keith was out, he was primarily ruthless, intimidating, maybe even a trickster. If something proved to be a threat or he needed something of value, he didn't hesitate to unleash the full inner beast until they were trembling before him, ready to give in. And especially if it was a threat to you, his lover? There were no arguments. He knew he could be manipulative and scheming when he wanted to be, but he argued he was just doing what was necessary, as much as you scolded him about it. 

He wasn't even sure where this aggression came from, to be honest with himself. He could only imagine it was related to his missing memory, and for now, that didn't matter to him. It was just second nature, this primal need to protect. He had nice!Keith to worry about, the softie's heart capable of shattering with one wrong move, he thought. Sometimes he even felt the man's heart was already shattered, just this inkling in the back of his mind, but he couldn't recall from what.

The townspeople grew to be wary of him because of these differences, even to the point of nice!Keith leaving scathing notes only for his eyes, begging him, pleading, to stop scaring people. But mean!Keith didn't care about that. 

Even if he hadn't regained his missing memories yet, that didn't matter to him right now. What mattered was that he had you to protect, as well. Partly as payback for you coming to his aid that one rainy night, helping him recuperate. But as time went on, he also grew to love you, the way you accepted his different personalities, opening your heart to not just one man, but two different men in the same body.

If he wasn't so pleased about winning you over, he'd maybe feel bad about that. He knew it wasn't easy loving even just one person, let alone two, but you handled it like a champ. And he knew that he was a handful at the best of times. But sometimes your acceptance of him just sparked his playful side and he wanted nothing more than to tease you, push your boundaries and see just how far that love and devotion extended.

Even more than that, he was simply greedy for you.

In the beginning, mean!Keith rarely came out. Nice!Keith was the one you met first, and the one you interacted with the most. His emergence mostly seemed to coincide with daylight hours, so you were often unaware of any change on the rare occasions you did interact with his alter. But as time went on, the switches seemed to happen more often, to the point that mean!Keith could spend almost a whole day with you before losing out. Once that started happening, you were quick to catch on that something wasn't quite right, and he finally opened up to you about the truth. From then on, he seemed to have about equal time with you as nice!Keith.

He hated that the most. Once he became used to your presence and your attention, he found himself seeking it out more and more, and he always wondered about the next time he'd resurface. He would never say it to your face, but he was fascinated by you. At first, he thought you were weak, easy to manipulate, fragile. But he found his gaze always drifting to you, memorizing the way your lips quirked up when you ate something delicious, or the giggle that came from you when you read a particularly funny line in your books. Your presence was simply addicting.

That's why, when he was out, he found himself gravitating towards you and holding onto you as much as possible. His neediness always made you laugh, and tonight was no exception as he slid his arms around your waist while you were reading on your bed, savoring the feel of your soft curves beneath his hands. He didn't even need to say anything, his demeanor spoke volumes about who you were interacting with now. That was just another thing he absolutely loved about you, even though he did think it took the spirit out of the game when he wanted to tease you or make you guess.

"I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon,” you said. You’d startled for a moment, but your brain quickly connected the dots on who you were with, and he felt you melt back into his embrace.

He pressed his lips to the back of your head, taking a breath to just enjoy the scent of your hair– a sweet, floral scent filled his nose, likely freshly washed– before moving your hair to the side to kiss your neck. You couldn’t help but shiver at the feeling.

“Why, you didn’t want to see me?” he teased, making sure to put a pout in his voice. However, as much as he liked to tease you, part of him did wonder, was actually worried about your response, not that he'd ever admit it to you.

Keith could feel you shake your head, trying to twist around in his hold but your efforts were in vain, his strong arms keeping you facing forward instead. “It’s just hard to know when I’ll see you next. But of course, I love seeing you, Keith. I love seeing every part of you.”

Your voice was soft, but he heard every word, and he felt a shock go through his heart.

Honestly, he didn’t know how you did it. The people in town knew how to deal with him now, but many of them that interacted with this side had come to fear him. Even now, despite learning he wasn’t really an immediate threat (for the most part), many of the townspeople were wary and kept their distance of him. But you… Not only had you accepted him into your home despite learning about his existence, you’d even grown to love him too.

At first, he couldn't help but be extra cautious about that. Experience with the other townspeople told him that you were faking, that you really did prefer his nice side. But time and time again, you proved his assumptions wrong, always catching him off guard and assuring him how you truly felt. It was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating.

His sudden silence as he ruminated obviously seemed to bother you, as you suddenly turned in his arms, his hold on you loosened after getting distracted.

"Keith? Is everything ok?" Your soft hands cupped his cheeks, earnest eyes seeking him out.

He could curse the way his heart flipped in his chest every time you said his name.

He did decently well pretending to be unaffected by your sweet voice, most days at least. But it was your eyes. Your eyes were always his biggest weakness, the way they looked into his soul, past all his jokes and teasing, how they managed to see just who you were dealing with that day. He couldn't hide from them.

"Of course. Do I seem bothered to you?" he joked, golden eyes narrowing teasingly. But your lips only tugged down into a worried frown.

He knew that look, it always came before you'd ask him a question that somehow always hit close to home, and as expected, he saw your mouth start to open, already forming your words. And although it was probably childish, he just wanted to have your attention for a little longer, rather than look too closely at the reason he felt this way. He knew his time was limited. So he tugged you into his lap, one arm still wrapped around you, and used his free hand to pull your head forward, capturing your lips in a deep kiss.

You stiffened in surprise before relaxing against him, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue in. Somewhere, distantly, you both heard your book slip off the furniture, forgotten about in this moment. This Keith's kisses always left you breathless, and now was no exception, barely giving you a moment to get your bearings before kissing you again. Whatever it was that you'd been thinking, had been tossed to the winds now.

Keith lowered you back down against your bed, his kisses moving from your lips, down your jaw, to the side of your neck. He could almost purr at the way you melted beneath him, compliant and moldable like the softest of clays. Perhaps that's why you fit him so well, because you could simply change form, fill in all his little cracks and crevices and make him whole. And he sought the way he could fill you too, give it all back to you and fill you fit to bursting. His body was already aching for it.

He brought his hands up to the top of your blouse as he continued his rain of kisses, deft fingers undoing the first few buttons before you can blink. But maybe that movement was enough to rouse you from what was happening, as your hand suddenly flew up to cover his mouth, stopping him in his tracks.

Keith pulled back to look at your trembling form, obviously dazed by his intense affections and trying to piece together a sentence. He knew what was coming but gave you a moment to regroup your scattered thoughts, letting your soft hand remain over his mouth.

"I don't know what's going on," you started, a little breathless, "but I can tell something is bothering you. I won't make you tell me if you're uncomfortable, but I hope you know you can always tell me anything."

You gave him a moment to speak. Keith reached up and gently removed your hand from his mouth, leaning forward to press an awkward kiss to your forehead.

"I know. It's nothing for you to worry about."

"Are you sure?" You could see the prior passion in his eyes had died down, replaced with a rare softness.

He grinned at you, quickly leaning forward to steal a kiss from your lips this time. "Yes, I'm sure. Now, will you let me continue?"

He could see in your expression that you weren't convinced, but luckily, you let the subject drop. You were always so patient with him, yet another thing he loved.

Your lips drooped down into a pout, then, looking off to the side of the bed where your book had fallen. "You know, I was in the middle of reading something."

He scoffed at that. "And? Are you telling me you'd rather do that instead? Or do you want me to keep going?" He slipped a single finger between the buttons on your blouse, tugging it gently, suggestively. He didn't miss the flare of desire in your eyes, and leaned forward, lips brushing against your ear to whisper, "If you really insist on reading, maybe we can play a game and see how long you can focus on your little book before you give in."

You couldn't help but shiver at that, his breath on your ear and enticing words sending sparks through your body. Your fingers curled into his shirt, pulling his body close. "Hmmm," you hummed, pretending to consider his offer. "Is that a challenge?"

Keith's lips curled up into a seductive smile, yours responding in kind, and no more words were necessary as you leaned forward to meet in another passionate kiss.

Perhaps one day he'd come clean about his feelings, face them together with you. He knew you'd accept him regardless, show him he had nothing to fear so long as you were by his side. But he was in no rush for now, simply basking in your attention and happy enough to deliver back the very love you've gifted him all along.

Comments and reblogs appreciated ♡

[mslanna]

Father of Liars

Be My Guest chapter 21 up on AO3

In which Mephistopheles comes to bargain and things go about as well as one can expect. Y’all can thank@red-dead-sakharine for this being one chapter and not cliff-hangered with Tav captured. My poll came ut 50/50 but he said he doesn’t like cliffhangers as a reader. 😅 Read his amazing stories while you’re over there.

Preparations to receive Maladomnia and Mephistopheles begin immediately. Tav doesn't get to see much of them. And as soon as Maladomnia is even close, they are banned to the suite with nibbles and drinks. They are allowed into the library, but only through the hidden passage.

At first Tav presses their ear to the sound proof door but it is actually sound proof. A good thing, considering the sounds regularly happening in this room. But not so nice when they try to find out what is happening in the throne room. Tav considers overindulging in the prepared treats, but they have no stomach for it.

Fortunately, wine always goes down and the buzz filling up their head numbs their mind. It also makes them very sleepy. Which is okay. Being woken up by disgruntled devil noises as they are picked up and carried to bed isn't the worst thing. There are kinks and cramps in Tav's back and shoulders from slumping over the table, but those are easily worked out.

With the test run on Maladomnia successful, prep begins to receive Mephistopheles. The prospect send electric lines through the House of Hope Tav can't escape. The devils are tense, anticipation drifting from their forms like superheated plasma. Eternal debtors have problems keeping the house in order. Haarlep suggested Tav try writing letters themself to keep occupied. Or maybe write a book. They should be done with that by the time the incubus has time on their hands again.

It feels like betrayal. Seeing the devils strut around like loaded weapons makes Haarlep's point for them nicely though. Tav won't kill anybody if they snap under the strain. And they do get plenty of stress relief. Not that any of it helps the day Raphael's father is expected.

Tav stands on the bed applying horn balm for the event. They know it takes them way too long, but Tav doesn't want to let go. They don't want to be left behind locked doors however much that is for their own safety. Raphael's wings enclose them as they work, humming to themself, though the melody got lost in the tension a while ago.

Mephistopheles. In the House of Hope. To Bargain. Tears prick at their eyes. But they understand. For his whole life, Raphael fought against that man, devil, entity. He didn't receive a single lick of recognition or appreciation for free. Unruly. Naughty. His father doesn't consider him more than a whiny brat. If that.

How can Raphael forgo the one chance he has to look his father in the face and show how wrong he is? Not that the result will be anything he wants. Devils, real devils cannot love. Tav knows they got lucky with their cambion. His father won't like him any better, he won't suddenly look at his son and think, yes, best thing to ever happen to me in my life. Well, not everybody got as lucky as Tav.

A melody weaves back into their hum and they rest their hands on Raphael's shoulders, nuzzling their face into his hair. “I will stay out of sight," they promise again.

Raphael turns, taking their hands in his and holding them tight. His eyes hone in on Tav's with piercing intensity. "You will stay safe."

"For you." Tav breathes a kiss over his lips.

For a moment it seems he will return the kiss. Then Raphael shakes his head. One kiss won't be the end of it. And he is needed elsewhere. He runs his fingers over Tav's face a final time instead. He hates to leave them behind, but this is too dangerous. His father will take advantage of Tav given a chance. Raphael cannot risk it.

In the background, preparations to rip Cania out of his father's hands are in motion. They will take a little longer yet until Cania is ready to the plucking. And then – then. Raphael straightens and composes his body language as he steps into the throne room.

Tav watches him leave, the familiar ache in their heart when his tail suddenly stops moving. There isn't even hope he won't have to do that any more when he rules all hells. But that is a sadness for another day. First, it is time to kill time. Tav takes a long hot bath, indulging on the prepared foods while reading. Then they retire to the library. Maybe writing letter will do them good. And they can at least tell everybody that things are progressing and they should be back soon. Soonish. Some day in the not too far future.

Tav stares at the parchment. At least there’s a greeting on it. This shouldn't be so hard. They're Tav's friends. They will delight in hearing from them. Just as Tav would love to get letters from any of them. It doesn't matter what's written, every word says "I care, you are missed, I think of you" and Tav means the same when they put pen to paper. And yet. And yet.

Tav sighs into a cup of tea long gone cold. Why not be honest then? I miss you. I long to see you again. But the quill doesn't move, doesn't dare commit those thoughts to paper.

Tav is saved unexpectedly, when their helldusk armour snaps into existence around them. They drop the quill and frown though habit made them get up immediately. The war hammer is familiar in their grip and they're halfway to the door before their brain catches up with them.

Can they leave the library? Mephistopheles is in in the house. All devils are gathered in the throne room- that thought does it. With everybody in one place, Tav has to do something. Otherwise the intruder could do anything. Tav opens the door quietly and peers down the hall. It is ghostly empty. The murmur of voices drifts up the stairs from the throne room.

Well, with Mephistopheles already down there, Tav has free reign to deal with intruder however they see fit. Still they sneak towards the foyer, avoiding the stairs to the throne room by a wide margin. The floor of the foyer already pulls away into a black hole outlined in fire when Tav arrives. They take up their usual position and wait.

It doesn't take long for a lone wanderer to drop out of the portal. Tav inhales sharply at the familiar figure. "Wyll?"

The warlock orients himself in their direction. "Tav! Thank the gods you're already armoured up! We need to help Karlach!"

Tav takes a stumbling step toward the portal. Then they freeze, a cold shiver hurtling down their spine. They cannot leave. If they leave-

"Please. We must hurry," Wyll begs and holds out his hand. When Tav still doesn’t move, he switches tracks quickly. "But I see you need more information. That's – I factored some time in for you to armour up. We can use that. Just," he looks around in hesitation, "take me to a place we can’t be overheard."

Something is off. But that he doesn't force them out immediately, calms Tav a little. And this is their home. If Wyll is willing to be taken to another location. "Come." They lead him to the library where he sticks close to the door.

"You know that Karlach kept away from the upheaval around the new governing structures of the hells. Understandably, I'd say. But it has now backfired and she is caught in the crossfire."

He paces and Tav frowns. "Where is she?"

"In Avernus, if that worries you. I'd never ask you to go deeper into the hells than you already, are. Not with your affliction."

Tav frowns harder. They cannot talk about their deal. Wyll, as a warlock, knows that. How can he know about their deal with Mephistopheles? Is he just guessing?

"Mephistopheles is here. He can't interfere. Please," he continues when Tav doesn't move.

How does he know? Tav bites their lip. How can he? Why did he appear in the foyer, when last time he easily found the window to the library? They were here just now. Tav can't put their finger on it and takes a step towards the door. The air hums, brittle, and shatters.

"A shame." Wyll's tone and diction changes into something utterly foreign. He points at Tav and mutters under his breath. "You could have made this so much easier on you."

A gasp escapes their mouth and when Tav tries to follow up with words – nothing. They stare at Wyll whose form wafts in the heating air. Then they take a step to the door and Wyll moves in to intercept.

"You said you could deliver them willingly." A voice from behind – warm and rich like chocolate with a cruel end note of chilli you didn't expect.

Tav turns, jaw and throat still working frantically without creating a single sound, as a group of three devils steps in through the arched windows. They are about twice Tav's size and two of them are armoured in helldusk armour more splendid than their own.

And then there's Mephistopheles. Why the fuck isn't he down in the throne room? If he is not down there, who is? What is going on? Tav trips over their thoughts, unable to sort their feet. And why would Wyll – Wyll – ever work with him? What could Mephistopheles promise the warlock? Their soul? In exchange for what?

"You said they trust you," the arch devil purrs. The sound runs down Tav's spine like ice water. "That they will follow you trustingly into my hand."

Wyll swallows. "The need of their friend would have convinced them. You revealed yourself too soon. If-"

"Tav was already bolting." Mephistopheles graces them with a wicked wink. "Maybe you should have chosen the shape of the other friend instead. What a sad waste of the gift I granted you."

"I will make it up to you, I swear." The figure changes, now a bulky warrior between Tav and the door.

"I will deal with you later when we have time to – discuss your failure or our contract. First," his eyes alight on Tav, we hunt."

The piercing gaze accompanied by those words finally, shocks Tav into motion. Disregarding their weapon, they make for the door. They will have to go through the shapeshifter but that is alright by them. Tav pulls the backup knife and keeps their eyes on the shifter.

When he realises they won't sop, he changes back into Wyll, hoping for a moment of hesitation. Tav has none. They shove their spiked pauldron into his body, slashing for his stomach at the same moment. The figure flickers through several forms and Tav doesn't stick around to see on what it settles.

They rip the door open and shut out the deep laughter that follows them like a soft promise of pain. It's not far, they can make it to Raphael.

Two guards at standing at the top of the stairs to the throne room. This is new. Probably decorum for the visit. Both smile with a show of greedy teeth when they see the human.

"Es geht los," the right one chuckles. He steps into the way, crossing his halberd with that of his companion. "Viel Glück, kleine Maus."

Both laugh as Tav eyes the closed passage. Behind them steps approach without haste. Mephistopheles has long legs and doesn’t need to hurry. Their options are extremely limited. Tav wants to howl in frustration, but no sound leaves their lips.

Tav turns on their heel and run off in the other direction, the image of Mephistopheles laughing face at the back of their mind. They can't fight him alone. Maybe they can't fight him at all. But they are not alone, they have help.

It's only a short sprint to the boudoir. Tav skits around the corner and through the magical curtain. There they stumble when an invisible hand grabs their throat. It rips at their insides, clawing up their throat in blood-hot barbs.

Despite their best efforts, Tav crumbles, bracing on their hands as they heave and retch. Their insides twist, stomach pressing upwards but nothing comes out. Tav crawls on all fours, determined to put distance, any distance between them and Mephistopheles.

The curtain may not keep him out. What if he has his own invitation to the boudoir? The thought makes Tav sick, but you never know wish devils. A final pain shoots through them, a feeling as if their throat cleaves open, windpipe torn and shattered. Tav tastes blood but it drips to the tiles from their mouth accompanied by tears and a soft sob.

Their voice! Tav doesn’t stop to think about it. With their voice back, they can warn Haarlep properly. Tav resumes running, swallowing blood that comes from a deep bite in their cheek and wipe the tears of pain away. Only a few more steps.

The boudoir is quite and empty with all evils assembled in the throne room. And Haarlep lounges on the huge bed without a care in the world. Their head tilts slightly when the dishevelled human barrels towards them with bloody armour and face.

"A lost little mouse is running through the house," Haarlep chuckles as they sit up. "What brings you here, my sweet. I thought you and Raphael had an understanding?"

"Mephistopheles." The word is breezy, more air than sound and rakes through Tav's throat like hot coals. But it is audible and that is all that matters.

"Yes, he is here to bargain with his unruly son. How do you think that will turn our?" The incubus raises a brow.

"He's not in the throne room bargaining!" Tav gasps. "He's here, in the library, tried to get to me with a shapeshifter. I ran. But-"

"Slow down." Haarlep rises and slips off the bed. "How can he be here when he is also down in the throne room?"

"I don't know," Tav wails. "But he is after me. And the shapeshifter cast a spell on me so I couldn't speak."

"How very clever of you to come here," the incubus hums. "The magical shield won't let magic pass that isn't from the House of Hope. "Did Mephistopheles follow you?"

"I don't know if he can get through the shield to the boudoir."

"He doesn’t have to," comes a familiar voice from the balcony. The rich timbre goes right into Tav’s bones.

The curtain moves and a red wing emerges, followed by Mephistopheles and his two warriors. "I think you may have forgotten about the path over the balconies." He smiles in triumph. "Haarlep?"

Tav looks to the incubus at their side. Black and red eyes bore into theirs.

"Do you trust me?" Haarlep asks.

Tav nods. "Always," they murmur and hope Mephistopheles doesn't hear it.

Haarlep smiles and puts an arm around their shoulder as he produces a scroll and tosses it to the arch devil. "A stupid decision, really."

Tav recognises the spell for Dominate Person a moment before its power paralyses them.

"Too easy," Mephistopheles says as he steps into the room. Hard eyes scrutinise his inhibited prize. "Let's see how my unruly son bargains in the face of this."

He nods to the incubus and Haarlep drags Tav along, out of the boudoir behind the arch devil while more warriors join until they form an unbroken escort around the small group.

The devils part before them as they walk down the stairs slowly. Mephistopheles is milking his entrance for all it is worth. For a moment Tav can see Raphael on the other side of the room, looking small on the huge throne because of the distance. Before him a devil and his honour guard stand and though their words don't carry this far, the commotion speaks loudly.

Raphael stand up abruptly and the sea of devils part to let Mephistopheles through. Tav walks with Haarlep's hand on their shoulder to steer them. Their mind is running, but nothing they want to do, they can. Their body obeys Mephistopheles now; no amount of hating that or him will change that.

Tav is paraded through the assembly, the unbelieving and angry gaze of Raphael heavy on them. They wish nothing more than to assure him it will be alright. But what right do they have? And what proof? Haarlep's hand on their shoulder is efficient as a leash. It doesn't help they can hear the incubus quietly chuckle to themself.

"There he is, my unruly son." Mephistopheles' voice booms through the room. "Styling himself the ruler of hells and yet unable to protect what is his in his own house."

The chocolatey laughter drenches the room and Tav knows many of the devils are swayed already. A master has returned with the trump card of his adversary on his sleeve. Their gaze flicks to Haarlep, but they are absorbed in their task and their own head. Mephistopheles ignores his human prisoner completely – and justifiedly. Tav is bound firmly under his spell.

"You need to train your pets better. This one ran straight to their butcher for help."

Haarlep pushes Tav forwards until they stand before Raphael who glares daggers across the space between him and his father.

"Oh, don't worry about them," his father goads. "They are perfectly fine as long as you behave. And Haarlep, well, you know how they are."

Raphael does – Haarlep is always on the winning side. If they side with Mephistopheles now – he pushes the thought away. The last thing he will do is take this insult - this public humiliation - and swallow it. His eyes graze over Tav, obviously under a spell, unable to move. But their eyes, their eyes plead. Scared but determined.

"So you come to negotiate and break every law of hospitality instead." Raphael's voice is calm and betrays nothing. He cannot lose his face now. He will talk until the solution to this problem reveals itself to him. And while devils are violent and evil, they also value decorum and proper etiquette. "I will not forget it."

"I will make sure there are more things you won't forget about today," Mephistopheles replies. "You ignoble defeat in front of your peers for one. Bested in your own house. Again. But I am yet willing to bargain. Let's see how much this," his hand languidly indicates Tav, "is worth to you."

"Not as much as you will ask for them." Raphael's voice is cold but if Tav can hear the tremor in it, so can everybody else. Maybe he can pass it of as anger. Tav can only look at Raphael, rage rising from his body that shifts as if about to ascend into his fiend from out of sheer rage.

"That remains to be seen." The arch devil laughs to himself, a sound like velvet and lightning. "I let this one go, and you agree to leave Cania and me out of your conquest." Mephistopheles smiles thinly. "Though, you are said to think very highly of this mortal. So abandon your conquest. Return the hells to their natural order."

Silence falls in the throne room. The only noise is an occasional rustle of wings.

"You are delusional if you believe I will give up my life's gaol, within reach, for a mere mortal," Raphael scoffs convincingly.

"We will see the truth of that soon enough." Mephistopheles eyes Tav and runs a claw along their jaw, leaving a thin red line. "Or do you have a counteroffer?"

"You let Tav go unharmed now, and I let you live," Raphael growls.

"Oh, you never knew when to back down," his father laughs. "But I can repeat my only offer, if you have trouble hearing."

Raphael sets his jaw, lips but a thin gash across his face.

"Oh, he is not very accommodating. How about we show the whole place everything he treasure so much?" Haarlep leers. They lean over Tav’s shoulder murmuring ‘be ready to run’ into their ear before running their tongue seductively over the side of Tav’s face.

With a snap of his fingers, Mephistopheles removes Tav's armour. They stand naked in the middle of the room and shame starts its hot rush up to their face. At the same time, the familiar protection of Sanctuary settles around them. If only they could look back at Haarlep, but the incubus has their cheeks pressed together, hands wandering down Tav’s sides and leaving pinpricks of red.

Raphael doesn't react. Though Tav can see the tiny flick of his eyes, disbelief and distrust, aimed at Haarlep.

"What do you say, my insolent offspring?" The words echo.

Raphael doesn't reply. His eyes narrow and seek out his most trusted lieutenants. Then he throws himself at his father, changing into an ascended fiend on the way. Long black claws rip into the arch devil's expensive clothes and smug expression.

At once the warriors flanking their master attack Raphael, but only one gets to him as the others are cornered by the cambion's minions.

Mephistopheles takes a step back, concentration broken, and casts a devastating spell at Tav. It bounces away harmlessly. He casts again but this spell, too, fizzles out harmlessly. Tav turns, their eyes deep with rage. But they cannot retaliate without breaking their own security. So instead they approach him slowly. Area effects can harm them and Tav will make sure the arch devil feels the pain as well if he casts any.

"None of that now." Haarlep takes Tav's arm and gently drags them out of the melee zone. One of Mephistopheles' warriors lies dead already, and Raphael approaches his father seething white. The black bones encasing his fire glow red in places.

Tav lets the incubus move them unable to drag their eyes of Raphael. The throne room is carnage, devils that took sides prematurely getting decimated by those loyal to Raphael, and the tall figure is its centre piece.

Mephistopheles spares them one last glance before he vanishes. Raphael drops to the ground where his father was a moment ago, claws ripping over the tiled floor. The skulled head turns to his father’s last warrior who, pinned and wounded smirks and cuts his own throat with a slash of his armoured tail.

Raphael roars and every body makes room for the tail and hands that tear into the dead bodies. The four devils are ripped to shreds and the cambion shows no sighs of slowing down, moving on to the traitors in his own ranks.

Tav frees themself from Haarlep's grip and approaches their devil carefully. "Raphael." The word is as soft as the touch of Tav's hand on the devil's arm.

His head snaps around, jaws open, eyes burning, mandibles shaking slightly from rage. But he doesn't lash out and when Tav raises a hand to his blood-covered face, Raphael lowers it enough for them to reach. Cool fingers move gently over the flithy bone and mandibles. "Ich bin hier. It's alright."

The fiend calms down enough to growl.

"I know." Tav breathes a kiss over the central skull.

Raphael rises to his full height, wings spanning the width of the throne room. He scrutinises each fiend for a moment, barking out orders: tighten security, remove the back door to the boudoir, send spies to Cania, clean up the mess, check on the loyalties of all under his command.

He lets his gaze linger a little longer on Haarlep. The incubus smirks with overt glee at the carnage. "We will talk later," Raphael growls and sends the incubus away with a curt gesture. Haarlep winks at Tav before they leave.

Tav is swept up by their devil and carried away. They cling to the bony figure, face pressed into the burning chest. They only have to hold it together for a few more moments.

Then the door closes behind them and Tav lets go. They shake in Raphael's hold, hyperventilating as the situation crashes over them. There is no adrenaline left to keep them going. But they don't have to.

Raphael puts the down on the edge of the bed but Tav clings to him. "Don't leave me." It's a weak plea and so very selfish considering the situation. But Raphael complies. Long claws close around their shaking body and Tav sobs into his embrace.

Once, they would have tried to calm down, to bottle it up enough for later release, alone, safe from prying eyes. But not any longer. They are safe with their devil. And Raphael takes the time necessary until Tav drained the swamp of their flurrying emotions.

Finally, they lean back and smile. “Thank you." Tav stands on the mattress and steadies themself on the fiend until the can bury their face against his neck. "Thank you," they repeat and press a soft kiss to his throat.

"You will tell me how this happened." The devil's voice rolls like an avalanche. But he holds Tav tight, closes his wing around them.

"Yes." For a moment longer, Tav snuggles up against the hellish figure. Then they put the side of their head against his bony side and recount the whole misadventure. Sometimes they shudder at the memory. But they are safe.

"Did they touch you?" Tav asks when they finish, remembering the fight. "Are you hurt?"

"I am fine." Raphael's tone betrays his lie.

"Let me see." Tav pushes back a little but the ascended form is impenetrable to their gaze. It looks fine. "Raphael," Tav's voice is tender as they turn the devil's head to face them. "Let me see."

Raphael switches into his devil from not looking away and Tav scans his body again. Mostly it is covered in shallow cuts, likely from fingernails. But one deep gash runs over his ribs and the skin of his right wing is torn between two spokes.

"I will take care of it." Tav places their devil on the bed. Instinctively, they grab for their shirt to rip off strips to staunch the bleeding momentarily. But Tav's hands find nothing. Tav cups Raphael's face with on hand and kisses him softly. "I'll be right back."

They yield to his hand that pulls them down again for a longer kiss, tasting the remains of adrenaline and fire. Tav leaves with a smile to rummage through their shelves until they find old shirts that are soft from much washing and a bottle of healing water, stashed with many, almost identical bottles.

Tav returns to Raphael's side and pours some of the water over their shirt and presses it against the wound. The devil sighs, as the restorative water knits his flesh back together. After a moment, Tav pulls the fabric away, soaks it again and repeats the process until the wound is healed. They leave a trail of kisses where no scar shows.

When Raphael runs his hand through their hair, Tav leans into the touch. They allow the caress for a while before they kiss the devil's palm and move to his torn wing. It doesn't take long to heal either. Tav throws the bloody shirt into a corner and kneels beside Raphael, one hand on his stomach.

"Do you need rest now?" they ask. The healing process of devils is not familiar.

"Not as much as you.” He slowly pulls Tav down at his side. The human complies, snuggling up against the hot skin and wrapping an arm across his chest. Their breath is cool on his skin as Raphael wraps the healed wing around their small form. "You will rest."

[otomefiend]

Alfons Sylvatica

Story Event: Wicked love blooming in the dark night (part two)

Chapter 3 Bitter

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

I must admit, I enjoyed Al's bitter ending as much as the premium one. As per usual, do not enter if non-con is not your thing.

~~Part 1~~

Alfons: "Oh, are you 'awake' already?"

Kate: "Wha..? Huh...?"

My thoughts gradually became clearer, as if under the influence of his smile.

(W-why did I think of Alfons as my lover...?)

(I only just met him.)

I was astonished at the absurdity of what I had believed to be true just a moment ago.

(No way)

Kate: "So you were using your powers on me...?"

Alfons: "Nice guess. You're correct."

Alfons: "When I whisper while touching the nape of someone's neck, they immediately believe what I am saying is true."

He tapped his finger at the back of his neck.

(When? When did he touch me for the first time?)

*flashback starts*

Alfons: "We're lovers, who vowed to love each other."

*flashback ends*

(...Since then?!)

Kate: "Why would you do such a thing?"

Alfons: "You didn't like it? It was supposed to be fun, right?"

Alfons: "You don't get many chances to toy with the poor robin who got lost in the den of evil."

(I was deceived the whole time)

(Thinking about it, I felt strange from the beginning, so why couldn't I even think of his power......?)

(Is this as well due to his ability..?)

The person in front of me, who was my dear lover just a moment ago, changed into a demon.

Alfons: "Look, reality is always painful, isn't it? It's much better to dream."

~~Part 2~~

Alfons: "Look, reality is always painful, isn't it? It's much better to dream."

Kate: "....!"

When he reached out to touch my neck, I hurriedly covered it with both hands.

(I shouldn't be around this person...!)

I jumped out of bed and backed towards the wall.

Kate: "Even though I watched you today, what happened in the bar and in the almshouse..."

Kate: "How much of it was true? Where did the illusions start!?"

Alfons: "What's good about making it clear for you? There's no fun, nor pleasure in it."

Kate: "I need it to better understand you. I can't do that without knowing the truth..."

Alfons: "Shouldn't you just take what you see as the truth?"

Alfons: "What people consider 'truth' is a 'strong impression' after all."

He shrugged his shoulders as if to say he had no intention of continuing the subject.

(...I want to find out the truth somehow, but I struggle to get my head around it)

In a mess of emotions, feeling sad, frustrated and embarrassed, I straightened up my messy blouse.

Alfons: "Are you going to call it a day?"

Kate: "Huh, isn't it obvious?"

Alfons: "I hoped you'd enjoy it. "

He didn't even try to put his dishevelled clothes in order, still lying on the bed watching me.

I felt more and more confused.

(How can he be so calm...I can't believe it...!)

By the time I finished getting dressed, Alfons finally got out of bed.

Alfons: "Even though the illusion ended, the sun is yet to set."

Alfons: "Shall we continue playing lovers a little longer?”

~~Part 3~~

Alfons: "Even though the illusion ended, the sun is yet to set."

Alfons: "Shall we continue playing lovers a little longer?”

Kate: "...."

As he approached me, I involuntarily stiffened and backed away.

Alfons: "Ah! So cute, like a stray cat."

Alfons: "It's okay. I won't touch your neck again today."

Alfons: "This time, let's play 'lovers' while fully aware."

I pulled my lips tightly so as not to be swayed by the soothing voice.

Kate: "...Okay. It's my today's duty, so let's have a dinner together."

Alfons: "Heh, how commendable."

Smiling, he bent over.

(...a kiss)

For better or worse, I was able to get acquainted with his kisses in just one day.

I reached out my hand and covered his mouth.

Kate: "...no kisses."

Alfons: "So indifferent."

Giving up easily, Alfons shrugged.

The sensation of his lips on my palm lingered...

~~~

The fancy dinner we had that night didn't taste good at all.

~~~

A few days later.

Wanting to know what really happened that day, I went to the almshouse,

An unknown woman calmly introduced herself as the new director.

When I asked her about her predecessor, she swiftly answered, "I can't tell anyone but those involved," and walked away.

(... In the end, I didn't learn the truth.)

(But at that time...)

*flashback starts*

(What is this smell?)

(I think I've smelled it recently...)

Alfons: "Mission complete. It was just a misunderstanding after all. Thankfully It didn't turn out to be bloody, right?

*flashback ends*

Just before hearing his words, the scent that I smelled was,

Reminiscent of the scent of blood from that night.

(To make sure...I have no choice but to ask Alfons)

(Though I really shouldn't get involved anymore)

~~~

I was rushing through the streets of London at dusk, on my way from the almshouse to the castle.

(Huh... Alfons? And...)

His lustrous black hair had caught my eye just before he disappeared in an alley with a woman.

(I'll pretend I didn't see it. I shouldn't be involved anymore.)

(But...)

(In the end..... I'm still curious)

~~Part 4~~

Sad woman: "... then, see you again."

Alfons: "Yeah... I love you."

(...?)

As soon as I entered the alley and heard those words... I felt a painful sensation in my chest.

When the door in the back closed with a bang and the woman disappeared,

Alfons turned around as if he knew I was there.

Alfons: "Meeting alone again in such a dim alley."

Alfons: "You do like to go through a lot of pain, don't you?"

Kate: "This person…is she your real lover?"

Alfons: "Heh, no way. I'm just killing time showing her the illusion of love."

Alfons: "She agreed to it. Even if it's just an illusion, you need something to keep going.

(You're pretending to be a lover even though you don't really like her...?)

Kate: "Why would you do that..?"

Alfons: "Didn't I already tell you? It's for fun."

Alfons: "Those who are fed up with reality need some amusement, even if in the end it's just licking each other's wounds, right?"

Kate: "Does that mean you also have a reality you want to escape from?"

Alfons: "Mhm, of course. That's why I understand how they feel."

(What is he running away from...)

At that moment, I heard a soft meow,

Alfons: "...whoa."

~~Part 5~~

Kate: "Does that mean you also have a reality you want to escape from?"

Alfons: "Yes, of course. That's why I understand how they feel."

(What is he running away from...)

At that moment, I heard a soft meow,

Alfons: "...whoa."

A calico cat snuggled up to his feet.

(Kitten...? A stray cat... adorable)

Its sweet behaviour dispelled my annoyance.

Alfons bent down and traced the back of kitten's neck with his fingertips as gently as he earlier stroked mine.

Kate: "...At the very least, cats are attracted to you."

Alfons: "This? It's because I have catnip in my possession."

Kate: "Wh....a substance..."

Alfons: "Heh, it's simple, isn't it?"

Alfons: "...I'm sure the cat will appreciate being intoxicated with sweet pleasures."

(He said that he deceived me and played with me just to have fun, and I thought so too)

(Then, maybe that's not all)

When I was looking at his profile as he was petting the cat, an idea popped into my head.

Kate: "The black cat on that day. Was it real?"

Alfons: "Hmm, was it? I don't remember."

I felt like the truth of that day was hiding the real him.

I still don't have a clear understanding which of my memories really happened...

Kate: "There's something I forgot to say..."

Alfons: "Heh, what is it this time?"

Kate: "Please don't show me illusions again."

(I want to honestly face him)

Alfons: "... I can't promise that."

Alfons: "Such restrictions get me all fired up."

~~~

Wrapped in a sweet illusion, I wanted to discover his truth.

I couldn't stop this anymore.

[happilyhertale]

Long Lost Love - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader, Part 9

Summary: You are the daughter of Daemon and Rhaenyra. When the invitation to Aegon and Helaena's wedding came, your entire family rushes from Dragonstone to King's Landing to take part in the festivities. You haven't seen your family in King's Landing for 6 years so you are very excited...

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x fem!reader

Warnings: At the beginning none – eventually smut (uncle/niece)

Author’s note: Hello you! (:

This is my first fic so please be nice (: I thought I'd just try a little self-considered story. I hope u like it.

The events are not entirely similar from the series.

English is my second language, please forgive me if I made any mistakes (:

18+ NSFW

Word count: 4k

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7a, Part 7b, Part 8, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The next day you are powerless against your permanent grin.

Your thoughts always drift back to last evening. As you sat with your family at breakfast, it was hard to keep your mind off the way Aemond's tongue caressed your neck and cleavage.

Also, when you wanted to enjoy a walk with Helaena, all you could think about was Aemond's hand gently moving up your inner thigh. Absently, you smiled at Helaena from time to time or agreed with her about something.

In the afternoon, as you watched Jace and your father train, your thoughts inevitably returned to how much satisfaction Aemond's fingers gave you. And that really wasn't something you wanted to think about when your father or brother was around. Jace tried to persuade you to fight him, but you stubbornly refused. You don't trust your thoughts and you didn't want to lose to Jace just because your thoughts were about Aemond's fingers.

You haven't seen Aemond all day. This makes you a little sad, but you are all the more excited to see him in the evening.

You are late for dinner again. But just as your thoughts were with Aemond all day, it was no different in the evening. And so you needed a lot of time to dress and braid your hair.

Luckily for you, there was no ball scheduled for tonight. It was just a big dinner in the hall. Your family gathered at the big head table and the guests, the Lords and Ladies at the other tables in the hall. It was almost informal.

You enter the hall. Your eyes immediately go to Aemond. He too looks to you immediately, a slight smirk playing around his lips. You suppress a smile and go straight to your usual place next to your father. But when you get there, you see that Jace is sitting in your seat and is engaged in an animated conversation with your father. Luke is sitting on the other side of Jace. But there is no seat reserved for you next to Luke either. As you stand behind your father and Jace, you draw attention to yourself, visibly irritated, "Mhm Dad? Jace? Isn't there a seat for me?" They both look at you and only seem to notice at that moment, "Oh, sister, that's right. I'm sorry, I didn't notice."

Just as Daemon was about to order a servant to get a chair for you, you put your hand on his shoulder, "Ah it's okay dad". He sees that your gaze is fixed on the other end of the table. You smile at your father and walk over to Aemond. There is a chair free on his right side. He notices you coming over to him and he smiles at you, "Mhm an unexpected visitor"

You just smile. As you sit down, Aemond raises his hand towards the servants to bring you a place setting. You eat in silence as the hall is filled with conversation and laughter. After a while you notice that your father is visibly annoyed. Again and again you hear him angrily sending away various Lords. You turn your head towards your father, who is sitting at the other end of the table, and you see several Lords seeking his attention.

You giggle as you realise that the Lords are now daring to make engagement proposals to your father again. Aemond looks at you curiously and wants to know why you are suddenly giggling. You nod to your father. When Aemond realises the situation, he too has to laugh. He turns to you and grins at you, leaning over to whisper in your ear, "If only they knew you could actually call yourself a dragon rider now."

Your cheeks turn deep red as you stare at him speechlessly. But you can't quite suppress a grin. He chuckles and presses a barely perceptible kiss to your cheek. He takes a sip of wine from his goblet. As he sets the goblet down, he lets his hand slowly slide off the table and land elegantly on your thigh.

Your eyes grow wide and the bite you just took from a piece of bread remains unchewed in your mouth. You stare at him slowly, his hand not moving. "What are you doing?" you whisper.

He just grins slightly and keeps looking ahead.

You try not to let it show and focus on chewing. You notice Aemond suddenly circling his hand over your dress. You bite your lower lip. At first they were barely perceptible circles, but you notice how he builds up more and more pressure and lets his hand move higher. You cling to your cutlery and just look at your plate. Aemond has his hand on your crotch and with one deft movement he spreads your legs barely visible for better access. You feel your arousal building. Your underwear is surely soaked through again. You close your eyes briefly. Aemond looks at you, "Should I stop?" he whispers.

He grins. You want to hit him. But you shake your head, hardly visible. As if by magic, your hips begin to move rhythmically against Aemond's hand. You bite your lip again and close your eyes when suddenly a low moan escapes you. Startled, you tear your eyes open and try to cover it with a cough. No one seems to notice, but Aemond turns to you, "Are you all right, my Love?" That bastard.

They give him an evil look.

The door to the hall opens and a Lord of Harrenhal is announced. Aemond stops moving. His gaze goes in the direction of the entrance and his hand slides back onto your thigh. You look at him, "What's wrong?" He does not answer. You look at the Lord who arrives. Behind him walk two more Lords and three pretty Ladies. You turn back to Aemond, "Which Lord lives at Harrenhal now?" He looks at you, "Lord Simon, the brother of Lord Lyonel Strong." You look back at the arriving guests.

The Lord steps in front of your grandfather and bows his head in greeting. The Lords and Ladies behind him do the same. King Viserys looks curious, "Lord Simon, you have finally arrived." The lord smiles, "I apologise. We have had to contend with unexpected delays. But now we will be able to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Prince Aegon and Princess Helaena."

Behind Lord Simon you see one of the Ladies looking at Aemond. You see the look on her face and notice how she suddenly smiles. She smiles too much for your taste. You cast an unobtrusive glance at Aemond, who seems unimpressed. You put your hand on his, which is still on your thigh. He strokes it with his thumb. Suddenly you notice how the Lady moves away from the Lord unnoticed and walks towards Aemond. She walks around the table. You notice how Aemond stiffens. His hand is still on your thigh.

You are speechless how someone could be so rude and just bypass the main table to get to one of the princes. Your eyes widen as she suddenly embraces Aemond. He takes his hand from your thigh. He doesn't return the hug, but he doesn't end it either. You notice that even Alicent looks over at you in shock.

You know that Aemond has been intimate with women before, but what does this mean?

She breaks away from the embrace and lets her hand rest on his shoulder. Slowly the hand threatens to slide down onto his chest. You've never had such a strong desire to jam a fork into someone's hand. Aemond reaches for her hand and holds it by the wrist before it reaches his chest, "Lady Alys. How about you go back to Lord Simon." Alys chuckles, "But Aemond, why so formal. You are not usually so dismissive."

His gaze falls on you and sees your look of disbelief. Now Alys' attention is on you too, "And you are? ... What am I actually asking, judging by the hair, another Targaryen I suppose?"

Before you can answer, Aemond repeats his request, "Lady Alys. You really should go back to Lord Simon." She looks irritated. At this moment Lord Simon calls for Lady Alys. "Well, I guess we'll have to talk later," she gently releases herself from Aemond's grip, "See you around, Aemond." She goes back to Lord Simon and they leave the hall.

You look at Aemond, "What was that Aemond?"  He looks at his plate, "Nothing important." He looks at you slowly, "An old friend." You stare at him stubbornly, "You don't have any friends."

He sighs. He takes your hand and discreetly kisses your inner wrist. He notices you are tense, "My Love, trust me, there is nothing between me and Alys"

You really want to believe him.

You look at him, "You never let anyone approach you. And yet she even comes around the table to hug you?" He looks at you, his jaw tight, "She's just an old friend. And we have a history" You look down at your plate and mutter, "And I don't think I want to hear those"

After a while, he puts his hand on your thigh again. You gently but firmly push it away. He takes your hand and strokes it, "Hey... My Love... I assure you, you have nothing to worry about." You look at him. You try to scowl at him, but when you see his smile, you can't resist and smile back. He whispers, "Mmmm, how about I show you my chambers?" You look at him, "After all, you haven't been in my chambers for years now" You continue to look at him, "I don't think I should go to your chambers alone with you" He grins, "That would be a shame. We could lie by the fire. I could read to you. We could drink wine," he winks at you. You can no longer suppress a grin.

You move away from the table and let Aemond lead you out of the hall.

As you walk through the corridors you are close to Aemond's side. You don't dare think back to it, but you don't like the whole Alys thing.

You reach Aemond's chambers. He opens the door, smiling at you. You enter. In his chambers you perceive his scent. It smells of vanilla with a hint of orange.

Books are lying around everywhere. Some of them are open and some are stacked. Some lie on his table, others on the floor. And there are even some on the bed. You have to giggle. He looks at you smiling, "What's so funny?", you just shake your head and keep looking around. Aemond lays out blankets and pillows in front of the fireplace.

You go to a small table on which there is an open book. You leaf through the book. It is about Aegon the Conqueror. The book already looks so old and worn that you would think it had already been read in the days of Aegon's conquests.

You stroll on to his wardrobe and take a quick look inside. You have to grin. There seem to be countless vests hanging there. You also recognise some leather waistcoats. Your attention falls on the adjacent room. You look inside, it is a beautiful bathroom. A bathtub stands in the middle, everything is tidy and neat. You smile. When you come back into the room, you are standing by his bed. Unconsciously, you stare at the bed.

Aemond is taking off his leather waistcoat and putting it over a chair when he notices your gaze, "Are you coming? We'll spend plenty more time in bed" You look up, startled, and see him wink at you. You stick your tongue out at him.

He sits down in front of the fire and you sit on his right side. You make yourself comfortable with your wine. Aemond has a book in his lap and you listen to him attentively while enjoying your wine. After a while you turn a little and slide closer to Aemond. You lean against his upper body. The back of your head rests against his chest and you put his arm around you. Your elbow rests on his thigh. Aemond falters briefly as he places the book securely on his other thigh.

You take his hand that is lying on you and look at it admiringly. You stroke it and trace the slight scars on his hand. You let your fingers wander over the veins that emerge from under his delicate pale skin. You touch each finger, not missing a word Aemond reads. You gently kiss his index finger and Aemond chuckles, "If you keep distracting me like this, I won't be able to read for much longer." You protest, " No... You must read on!"

You don't want to distract him any further and put his hand on your stomach. He continues reading and begins to gently caress your belly. You notice how your arousal builds up again just through this light touch. He simply continues to read. You feel how his hand slowly but noticeably slides further down. You have to grin. Unconsciously you press yourself closer to him. Over your dress he strokes your warm core again. You gasp briefly. With a smile he asks, "Is everything all right, my Love?"

You feel his breath on your ear. You close your eyes and nod slowly. You feel Aemond kissing your neck. He pauses for a moment and inhales your scent. He gently lets his lips wander over your skin and kisses up your neck until he stops just below your ear. He nibbles gently on your earlobe. You tilt your head a little so that he has better access to your neck. He continues to kiss you while he puts the book aside and takes your breast with his hand. He massages your breast over your dress. This is too much for you. His one hand gently caressing the pulsating centre of your body. The other, gently touching your breast. You moan out and it drives him wild that he is the cause of your moans. That he can make you moan.

You feel his hot breath and how it tickles the sensitive spot on your neck. You notice how he pauses. You hear his heavy breathing. You turn to him and look into his eyes. You swallow. Your eyes wander to his lips. And your lips crash against each other. His tongue advances into your mouth. You feel a low grunt in his chest, his hot breath filling your lungs as your tongues dance together. You can't stand it any longer, you need more. You pull away from the kiss. You breathe heavily. Aemond watches your every move. You look into his eye as you sit on his lap with your legs spread.

His hands are on your hips, guiding you to press yourself against his hard cock. You can't suppress a moan. With one hand on your neck, he pushes your head down to him and kisses you passionately. Your hips move rhythmically against his hard member. Aemond moans softly into your mouth when he suddenly breaks the kiss. His breath comes in short gasps. He caresses your cheek and lets his thumb wander over your lips, swollen and reddened from kissing. You bite your lower lip, "Aemond... I need you," you whisper to him. He gives you an almost tortured look, "I can't do that, my Love." He continues to caress your cheek. You exhale in frustration as you are abruptly turned around. Suddenly you are lying on your back, on the blankets, in front of the fire. Aemond leans over you and smiles at you. He kisses you passionately again and lies on top of you. Carefully he spreads your legs with his legs. He gently presses his body into yours and you feel his swollen cock pressing against your warm core. He moves his hips rhythmically against yours and you can't help but respond with circular movements.

Aemond leans on his elbows, which are right next to your head. A veil of silver hair surrounds you as you kiss passionately. One of his hands moves down and you notice him reaching for your ass, pressing you closer to him. You gasp at the contact. Your hands move to his neck and you hold him close. You try again, "Oh Aemond... please... I need you so much..." He chuckles softly and starts kissing down your neck. You let your hands slide slowly through his soft hair, daring to pull gently. He moans softly in response. He leaves your neck and on his way down he leaves a trail of kisses and caresses. He kneels between your legs. Slowly he lifts your skirt and gently pushes it up to your hips. You are startled and he notices, "Do you trust me?" he whispers. You can only nod. He grins towards you, "I have to taste you"

You have no idea what that means and so you lie there breathing heavily.

He gently strokes your long legs. Slowly he works his way up from your calf to your thigh. You shudder at his touch and realise how wet you are. Your breath comes in short gasps. Slowly he reaches for the waistband of your stocking and gently pulls your stocking off. He does the same to your other leg. Not once does he take his eyes off your beautiful legs. He runs his hands along your legs, from your calves to your thighs. He stops just before the warm centre of your body, "Just enjoy it". And again you can only nod. He leans down and you feel his warm breath on your inner thighs. Slowly he kisses your thighs gently, not missing an inch. Suddenly you feel him kissing you over your wet underwear. You almost cry out with arousal. He chuckles softly, "Mmhm, already so wet for me". And again this simple sentence that arouses you so much. You start to move your hips slowly and rhythmically. You notice how his fingers glide over your underwear and trace your folds. He does it again and it drives you wild. You feel him push your underwear aside and slide his fingers through your wet folds. You moan loudly at this touch. His cock twitches at the sound, nothing has ever turned him on more. Slowly he takes off your underwear.

He slides through your wet folds again until he carefully positions himself at your entrance. Slowly he applies pressure and slides his finger inside you. "Oh good gods..." you gasp as your whole body responds to his fingers. You could not have imagined how much you crave his touch.

He notices how your walls immediately clench around his finger. You whimper with arousal. "So tight...", he almost whispers against your inner thigh, but you hear him clearly. You gasp as he pushes his finger in again. His chambers is filled with the shameful sounds his finger makes inside you.

Slowly he lets his thumb glide over your sweet spot, somehow too slow for you, you whimper. But then you feel his lips on your wetness. You feel him playing with his tongue on your clit while his finger is inside you. You feel him moaning against your folds and it vibrates through your whole body. You move your hips further in his direction and moan louder and louder. You notice how he suddenly places a second finger in front of your entrance and with ease it slides inside you. He lets his fingers slide into you repeatedly and his pace increases with every thrust. His tongue continues to play with your clit. He notices how hard he is and with every moan from you, his cock twitches. He has to pull himself together not to pound his cock into you immediately. His face pushes further into your wet folds as his hunger for you intensifies inside him.

At some point you notice how the feeling inside you starts again. "Gods… Aemond.. I“, you whimper as you feel his fingers in the right spot again and again. You can't help but reach for his head and let your hands sink into his hair. As you arch your back and lean your head back, he chuckles softly. He can't get enough of how your body reacts to his touch.

The burning starts in your lower abdomen and your thighs begin to tremble. Aemond notices how your walls continuously clench around his fingers. You moan and let go of his hair. Out of desperation, you reach for the blankets beneath you, clawing tightly. Your climax shoots through your whole body. Several waves of satisfaction flood through you. You try to squeeze your thighs together, but Aemond holds you tight.

You groan out, "Oh...! Aemond...! Aemond, Aemond...!". He smiles against your folds and only stops moving his fingers inside you when he realises that your climax is over.

Your heart is pounding and you are breathing heavily. There is a thin layer of sweat on your forehead. You notice that Aemond is suddenly lying next to you. Completely exhausted, you smile at him. He smiles back. He kisses you and you taste yourself on his tongue, you moan into his mouth. He smirks, "You taste delicious" A slight blush rises to your face. You hide your face and press it into his chest.

For a while you lie in front of the fire. Aemond holds you in his arms. Until he begins to kiss your cheek tenderly. "Come, let's go to bed," he whispers to you. You kiss him.

You both stand up. As you begin to open your dress, you pause briefly, "Aemond?" He is just opening his vest at the neck and turns to you, "Mhm?" He looks at you questioningly until he notices. You need a nightgown. "Oh, of course, wait a minute."

He pulls his vest over his head and walks towards you. You love the sight of his bare chest. He hands you his vest, "Take my vest so you don't have to sleep naked," he winks at you.

You take his vest and have to grin. "Please turn around," you order him. Dutifully, he bows his head, barely visible, and turns around. You undo the buckles of your dress and let it slide down. Quickly you pull on his vest and you immediately smell his scent, you smile.

Aemond has his back to you and is about to take off his breeches. You go over to his bed and carefully take the books off the bed that are still lying there. You lie down in his bed and you have never felt better.

Aemond climbs into bed with you and immediately his hands are on your body. He can never be with you for long without touching you. He pulls you close to him and hugs you from behind. But although you have just climaxed, you do not feel fully satisfied. Feeling him so close to you drives you crazy. Slowly you start to move your hips rhythmically against his crotch. He chuckles softly and lowers his head into your neck. Eventually he whispers, "What are you doing?" You press yourself closer to him, "I need you Aemond...".

He gently kisses your neck. You reach back to the back of his head and press his head closer to you. He continues to kiss you tenderly and you feel him getting hard. You continue to rub against him and you notice how this makes him breathe heavily. But he sticks to his decision, "I can't sleep with you, my Love".

You make a frustrated sound. He leaves numerous more kisses on your body and holds you tightly against him.

"Sleep well, my Love."

"Sleep well, my Flame"

He chuckles lightly at the term of endearment. And then he leaves another kiss on your neck.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Tag list

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[dc-gt-plantbox-ideas]

Gotham Apartments

Hello! This is a very long post explaining a borrower Gotham AU with batfam, it's manly a cute idea I had with a bit of hurt/comfort. This post is long and if you have any questions or want anything elaborated on send them my way!

Btw not all of the batfam are in this as I have not found a proper way to add them yet, sorry in advance :(

Words- 4k

The Beginning Of Family

So in this world borrowers are really the only people who can have powers and they usually get these powers from very traumatic events (it's a 5/60 chance) and these powers can be passed down through the generations, Bruce is one of these people but his power manifested in a way where he can grow to the size of a human. He is now known as one of the few borrowers that are called "Size Shifters".

Bruce and his family were once in charge of a large colony that lived inside of an old abandoned movie theater; they ran a very large colony that surprisingly had lasted for two generations. Bruse was going to make it three but one day we'll they were helping new families move into the theater some humans broke in and ended up killing several borrowers, Bruce's parents being among them.

The humans not realizing what was actually running across the floor and thinking the building was infested with rats decided to set it on fire, Bruse was one of the few lucky people to escape and thankfully was found well his power started to manifest by a kind old man named Alfred who was one of the few humans that was trusted with knowing about the colony.

Alfred like to stop by the old theater removing what garbage he could and sometimes leaving supplies for the Borrowers as he believed they were a good luck charm, when he found Bruce he took the boy home and realizing he had grown to human size started getting what he needed to legally adopt the boy and make sure he wasn't put into the foster care system.

As Bruce got older and lived a human life well still working with borrowers he started to realize how few colonies really remained, they started to get destroyed left and right as the city they lived in tore down old buildings and replaced them with new ones that were almost impossible for borrowers to build inside of.

Bruce desperate to try and help save what little borrower population remained in Gotham.

Bought an old and run down apartment building that had three separate buildings, he started fixing the place up and making sure that there would be an easy way to make tunnels through the walls and there would be room for homes in them, Alfred happily helped his son believing it was a noble cause considering Bruse also planned on making the apartments accessible to lower income families.

Once they finished fixing up the first building Bruce had two separate apartments combined into one for him and Alfred to live in and started renting out the other spaces as he began work on the second building, then the borrower started coming in as the humans did.

Kids/Friends Introduction

Dick- 

Bruce and Alfred had decided to go to a carnival that had stopped in Gotham hoping to have a nice day out but instead ended up spending half the day saving a group of Borrowers, they been living in secret with the circus but something had gone horribly wrong and the two people leading this group of borrowers had sadly passed away. These people being Dick's parents

They had been killed by a size shifter who was angry he wasn't in charge of the group letting the power get to his head and believing he was better than the other borrowers, Bruce left the man all alone to deal with the ringleader of the circus finding out about him and took Dick and what remained of his very small colony back home

Dick was obviously terrified of Bruce at first considering what had happened to his parents but Bruce proved he was trustworthy and eventually got Dick to be okay with Bruce adopting him, the members of the circus ring also stayed to help carve out tunnels in the walls and start creating homes in some of the finished apartment buildings

Dick originally wasn't allowed to help considering he was too young to be out of the walls for a borrower (there let out at age 12 and Dick was 9) but Bruce eventually let Dick start helping when he kept catching the kid sneaking out on his own anyway

Dick still lives in the apartment buildings but he now primarily lives in the second building so his father isn't too overwhelmed with taking care of the colony

He also helped get a few humans to help out, like his best friend Barbara

Barbara-

Barbara or Bab's was a young teenager when her and her father moved into the apartment building and she has lived there ever since even when she moved out of her father's house she just got a different apartment so she could stay with her friends, Bab's had never planned on making friends with tiny people that lived in the walls but she did and the idea of leaving that world never occurred to her

Her and Dick had met on a rainy day when Bab's was making her way home from school and saw a small animal trapped in an old glass jar that was slowly filling with water, Bab's couldn't leave the small bird to drown so she quickly rushed over and picked up the jar keeping it safe under the umbrella with her

She didn't realize she had actually saved a tiny person until she got home and carefully poured the small creature out onto her hand, Dick really didn't make the best first impression as he fucking bit her hand and insulted her (he called her glasses dumb)

So when he escaped into a tile in the bathroom floor Barbara was perfectly fine with this never wanted to see the rude little shit again, then she found him picking small tomatoes from the rooftop garden and cleaning the garden bed of any died leaves at the bottom

Barbara was now very curious and whenever she didn't have school would eat her lunch on the roof hoping to run into Dick, thankfully for her her new tiny friend was also curious and with every now and again meet her there sometimes revealing what he was doing or being the most cryptic little shit in the world

Barbara didn't mind tho it was nice to have someone to talk to who was roughly her age and didn't call her lame or nerd for being so focused on her studies

Then as Barbara gained Dick's trust she got to meet his little brother, Jason

Jason- 

Jason had been all alone before he was found by Bruse, it had sadly become common for young borrowers who weren't even ready to leave their home to end up living on the streets completely alone traveling around without any help

That's how Bruse found Jason, hanging upside down from his cabinet and crying his eyes out from how terrified he was. Dick was over thankfully and helped Bruce calm the kid down to where they could have a proper conversation

Bruse had a system in place for young borrowers with no families to stay with or be adopted into but Jason was completely against the idea, he wanted to stay independent and take care of himself

Dick and Bruse obviously hated this idea considering how they found the kid but knew forcing him to stay wouldn't be a good idea either, so Alfred thankfully swooped in and got the kid to agree to a little arrangement

"If you're so capable of taking care of yourself how about we make a little deal? You stay in this house borrowing from us for an entire week and if you succeed in not being seen or caught you can leave and will give you any supplies you want, but if you fail you have to stay with us until you perfect your borrowing."

Jason finding the old man very comforting agreed to the deal and did his best to not get found once by Bruse or Alfred, sadly for Jason Alfred had spent years raising a borrower and could always figure out which nook or cranny they were hiding in

So Jason lost but by the end of the week he had grown attached to everyone in the house and didn't really mind staying to learn how to properly borrow from them, Dick was the one that helped teach him how to be better at his balancing well Bruse taught him how to more properly use his gear. Jason was happy here and even after perfecting his borrowing skills chose to stay with his family

Especially after he met Barbara. The human girl was extremely kind and had even started to teach Jason (and Dick) how to read human,

Jason started devouring books whenever he got the chance and absolutely loved reading. Bruse even started helping his son out by translating some of his favorite books into more properly sized borrower ones so he could more easily read them (he had to write all of them out by hand btw)

So when Barbara made the mistake of revealing she worked at a library part-time Jason would constantly go to her only to ask her to check out a new book he heard about, she had to put a limit on how many books he could ask for so she didn't end up carrying half of the library home (his limit was 6)

Jason lived with his family happily for years until a new creepy resident moved in, Bruse told his sons to stay away from that apartment as that man was only going to be staying here for at least a month and then he was going to kick him out

But Jason was curious. Too curious for his own good.

That's how Dick and Bruse discovered Jason had a regeneration power and how Bruse almost murdered a man, Joker was just a crazy guy who enjoyed manipulating and hurting people whenever he got the chance. Why wouldn't he do the same to a small child big enough to fit in his hand?

Thankfully after the scare Bruce gave him he never came back and everyone hoped he never got his hands on another borrower again, Jason wasn't okay after the incident though and barely would hang out with Barbara nowadays or go anywhere near Alfred or Bruce when he was human size

Jason just wanted to be alone...sadly for him he was going to be pulled into a rescue mission to save some kid named Tim 

Tim- 

Tim had been born a size shifter, he had inherited the powers from his mother and as the years went by learned how to properly use them

Even after Tim lost his mother he still practice and learned how to use his powers for one particular goal, to be allowed to go to public school

Jack was a good father (even if he wasn't around a lot) and like all fathers worried for his son, so when Tim was 5 and developed his size changing powers he was tutored from home. Jack wouldn't take any risk of losing his son just because of some powers he had been born with.

Tim didn't mind for a couple of years but as he got old enough to go into Middle School he started to long to be anywhere then his home and see the world more properly, so Jack and Tim made a deal that Tim knew he could accomplish

Tim had to successfully keep his stepmother from ever finding out about his powers until his fathers and stepmother's second anniversary, Tim could do this! Tim was going to succeed and get to go to public schools!

Sadly tragedy struck again and Tim lost another mother, but Jack head lightened up on his rules a bit and Tim was now allowed to walk out alone and didn't even need to take his dog Putgoo with him

And on this walk where he just wanted to get some chips from a nearby gas station he saw borrowers, they were obviously moving trying to get somewhere safe and struggling considering it had started to rain. Without much thought Tim walked over and held his umbrella over them, his mother said to always be kind to Borrowers but she had never really taught him on why borrowers didn't like humans

So they ran, even when Tim shrunk down to their size it was like they ran faster...but one

His name was Bert and he was a kid like Tim, he actually talked with Tim for a few hours well they both hid under his umbrella that rested on the concrete well Tim was small

Bert want home with Tim and became the first borrower Tim ever befriended,

Jack never properly got introduced to Bert and their first meeting was just watching a small and extremely fast borrower run across his floor.

Jack didn't mind that there was a borrower in the house, his first wife was one but he slowly started to become concerned. He didn't share any of these concerns with Tim once he noticed how happy his son was and once it was time for Tim to start his first year of high school he made sure his son was ready for it.

Tim didn't let Bert come with him and had to buy several snacks before returning home just to make up for the 'betrayal' but besides that he had a very fun first day, he even made friends with a kind human girl named Stephanie 

Tim loved school, he loved how many people were there, have something was always going on, and how he wasn't all alone in a room anymore

So when he and his father had to move Jack make sure they stayed close by the school so Tim wouldn't get transferred, Bert tried convincing him to go into the walls with him many times and sometimes succeeded- but this time was different

Bert was positive there was a colony here and Tim was scared to meet so many people at once, at school it was easy because it was something he had been looking forward to for years but...

Not many borrowers liked size shifters or other borrowers who had gained special powers, Bert and Tim constantly learned this the hard way but Bert always stayed determined to find people who would accept them for them

So when Bert came back and said the colony that lived here had been created by a size shifter Tim became genuinely hopeful and agreed after school on Friday he would go into the walls with Bert, his father wouldn't be home and would be gone until Monday so they would have plenty of time to explore the walls and check out this colony

Tim loved how kind everyone was to him and Bert when they first got there and how everyone kept offering them free things,

Tim also got to learn that day that most borrowers used a bartering system instead of money. Bert said it was easier because everyone was able to borrow different things so someone always had something you wanted and something you could trade for it

Tim started to wonder what he could possibly bring with him to trade with the merchants here and Bert simply enjoyed the borrower food that was being handed out, for two months Tim and Bert would go into the walls and spend time within the colony

They made sure not to get attached to anyone and Tim made sure everyone believed them about their fake borrower parents and that they didn't need to be put into the orphanage here, then Jack found out

Tim didn't understand why his father was so angry and concerned he was hanging out with Borrowers, it was a part of himself he had never really gotten to express or look into and as his father just got more scared and angry he started to realize what the problem really was

Jack was scared Tim would choose borrowers over him.

He wouldn't he would never do that to his father- but Jack didn't believe that and like most humans do when they are scared acted on impulse

Tim had shrunk long ago into the argument feeling extremely guilty for upsetting his father and scaring him so much that he would be abandoned, so Jack had an easy time snatching him up and dropping him into a jar

He didn't seal the top of the jar with a lid, he simply put it into one of the cabinets and sealed the door by putting a rubber band around the handles

Bert saw this go down and instantly figured out what to do, he had heard about a group of people who were trained in helping save borrowers who have been captured in the apartments so he found one of them and got to come and help save Tim

As Bert and Jason desperately tried to free the cabinet handles from having a rubber band wrapped around them the door to the house swung open and a blonde hair girl came in

Bert instantly recognized the girl and called Stephanie over for help, she came to them and instantly removed the rubber band and got Tim free from the jar

Bert told Stephanie to get some of Tim's things and take them back to her home well they got Tim to safety, today was going to be a long day but thankfully they now have Stephanie helping them

Stephanie-

Steph didn't expect to get pulled into a world of tiny people but she did and it was 90% Tim's fault, she was so happy she chose to be friends with the kid when she spotted him eating lunch all alone at school

Steph and Tim became pretty inseparable after their first week of being friends and halfway through the school year she got to hang out at his house meeting Bert. She had noticed some of the snack she was eating disappearing randomly but only when the fan that was cooling her off blew in her face, so she turned the fan off and waited until she saw something small and fast run by grabbing another one of her snacks- Tim had to do a lot of explaining to Steph and she decided to forgive Bert for stealing her food

On the condition he wore one of the stupidest Barbie doll outfit she had, he agreed happily and from there she easily made friends with Bert (he also stop stealing her snacks)

Steph loved the weird tiny world she had been pulled into, it made her not feel so alone in her almost completely empty apartment. Until Tim's Dad was a dick.

Steph had been babysitting Tim's dog Putgoo when she went over to his apartment to ask if he wanted his dog back or if he needed her to take care of them for another day, she simply forced her way in when no one answered the door after a few minutes and was extremely concerned when she saw Bert and some unknown borrower trying to save Tim

Steph didn't ask any questions as she did what she could to help and took some of Tim's stuff to her apartment, she waited for at least 3 hours until Bert and Tim came to her apartment appearing from behind the box her TV rested on

They did their best to explain what was going on but Steph was just happy Tim was okay and asked if they just wanted to order a pizza for dinner

Tim said he could just sleep on one of Stephanie's extra pillows tonight with Bert and they'd figure out a better arrangement in the morning. Steph just hoped her neighbors next door didn't question why she was leaving her apartment with a boy they never even saw come in…

Lois, Clark, and Kon-

Lois had every right to be worried about a teenager living all alone in this apartment building, that was not normal no matter how much Clark told her to leave it alone it was not normal and it worried her. So when said teenager living all on her own left her apartment with a boy that she had never even seen enter the house or really seen around here (Steph lives in the second apartment building Dick resides in) she asked Kon to offer to walk the school with the two of them, she didn't want that young girl getting hurt 

Thankfully Kon recognized the two and instantly realized who it was, he was able to reassure his sister-in-law that Steph (the girl) was safe with the boy as he was her best friend and his name was Tim. Lois still though Kon should go walk to school with them as he needed to make more friends, Kon begrudgingly agreed and quickly caught up with the other two and got to walk to school with them

Which Kon surprisingly enjoyed despite not really knowing the two very well, Kon never really tried to make friends with anyone in the city when he came down for the school year but there was always a chance to try something new!

Kon usually lived with his Ma and Pa but after getting kicked out of the school in Smallville he started living with his brother Clark so he could attend school in the city, he still went back to the farm during most breaks but had slowly started to primarily live with his brothers family

But Kon found Tim a bit weird compared to Steph, he reminded him a lot of Clark's friend Bruse with how withdrawn he acted and usually avoided standing close to people. Kon didn't say anything obviously not wanting to be rude but figured once he got to school he would just ditch the two and go about his day, sadly for Kon Steph has already decided they were friends and he gets roped into having lunch with them

Well the teens were off on their own adventure Clark was checking in on his friend as Bruse was still doing pretty bad after everything that happened with Jason, he wasn't surprised though. If anything like that ever happened to Jon or Conner? He would be destroyed.

So when he came over and found Bruse talking with Jason (Bruse was even at his human size!) He couldn't help but smile and quietly made his way in deciding he was check in with Alfred first, but as Clark got a bit closer he could hear their conversation and it started to worry him

"I'm telling you Bruse, we should just find a way to make sure that kid stays here and keep him away from his father."

"Jason we can't force them to separate, it's not a call to make."

Jason obviously wasn't happy with that answer and left, thankfully for once Bruce explained what was going on to Clark and felt he could at least give his friends some good news. He explained he had seen the boy Jason saved with the polite young girl that lived a door down from him and his family, Bruse seemed a little reassured by this and relaxed when Clark said Lois made Conner interact with the two of them

Clark sat down with his friend and they thankfully moved away from the uncomfortable topic, Clark quietly wondered to himself what Jon was up to considering he had no school today

Jon, Damian, and Cass-

Jon was on a super secret important mission today! Jon and some of his classmates that walk to school together had noticed a lady walking around the apartment building and seemed to be looking for someone or something, they had tried helping her and Jon had even told his mom about the young lady. But whenever they tried to approach her or the grown-ups they talked with did she would just suddenly disappear, Jon had even gotten a lecture from his dad about making up stories!

So Jon was going to prove that this girl existed and was going to do that by using a camera Kon had gotten from a friend (He thinks his name is Tim?) to get a picture of the mysterious lady, then no one can say he's lying or making stuff up! Jon had been looking for the mysterious lady for two hours now.

Jon, after 4 hours of looking, was slowly starting to give up when out of nowhere the mysterious lady dropped down in front of him from a nearby tree and he quickly snapped a picture of her. The two just stared at each other for a moment as the flash from the camera stumbled them both but when the lady tried moving closer to Jon he quickly got up and started running, he was not losing this picture!

The lady obviously ran after Jon and actually appeared right in front of him very quickly and when she reached forward to grab the camera a quiet voice yelled at her to stop, Jon looked around very confused trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from and finally looked up at the lady shoulder seeing a-

"A borrower! Gran Gran stories are real!"

The two looked at Jon very confused and started questioning him on how he knew what a borrower was, he happily explained all the stories his Gran Gran had told him about the tiny people that live in the walls and then found out that the tall mysterious lady (Her name was Cass!) was also a borrower she was just stuck very tall at the moment.

Jon asked the two why they were here and the small borrower boy (His name was Damian!) explained that he was looking for his father who lived here, Jon obviously offered to help and when he found out the boy was related to his dad's best friend Bruse- well he was extremely confused but assumed it was probably a thumbelina situation.

The three quickly made their way up to Bruce's apartment and once he open the door he was extremely confused and even more confused when a small borrower boy was held out to him that looked kind of familiar, Jon was sent home after this as Bruse said this was a serious family matter and asked him to not tell anyone about meeting a borrower. Jon happily agreed as he understood how important secrets were and hoped the two borrowers got everything sorted out.

Two weeks later Cass started going to school with Kon and his friends and Jon got to go over the Bruce's house whenever he wanted to hang out with Damien, Dami had explained to him that his father was magic (so the thumbelina thing totally worked!) and that's how his mother and father made him.

Jon could still tell Damian was sad considering they didn't know where his mother was or if she was still alive but Jon did his best to cheer up his friend and really looked forward to starting school with him next fall.

[just-a-strange-boy]

better strangers - part 4

part 1 * part 2 * part 3

Eversince ending your arrangement with Stephen, you've been going through a rough patch. Attempting to avoid him as much as you possibly could, you struggle to let go. An unexpected turn of events convinces you to reconsider. Not sure whether it might change everything or nothing at all, you agree to one last encounter with Stephen...

Pairing: Stephen Strange x ftm!reader

Warnings: 18+ (Minors DNI), mentions of cheating and the endorsement of cheating, ANGST (and a bunch of conflicting feelings), oral sex (ftm receiving), unprotected penetrative sex

A/N: so here we are, the big finale (word count is around 11k) ...and I've had a lot of fun continuing the idea and giving them this ending in particular, especially considering the beginnings of their story were only two prompts I wrote for kinktober. please remember that communication is key, cheating is not the way to go, and feelings are allowed to be complicated.

The weeks following your fallout with Stephen turned out to be disastrous.

You were constantly on edge about everything. There were so many things suddenly starting to irk you and apparently everyone decided to get on your nerves constantly.

While you managed to hold back unsolicited comments at work and people luckily weren't able to see your grumpy face or how you held your head in hands as you talked to them over the phone, it didn't change the fact you were moody and a mess – running on an unhealthy amount of caffeine, cigarettes and plenty of bathroom breaks you spent with bawling your eyes out.

Work was bad, but it didn't quite stop there. Being on your own at home or even hanging around your friends was no better.

You found yourself reminded of Stephen at every little instance, incapable of ignoring his existence and pushing memories aside altogether. Instead you kept checking your phone every so often, wishing for him to just text you. You even caught yourself going home in anticipation, downright hoping he would be around on some days, because at least that would mean you could see him – well, before remembering how things had ended and that you shouldn't be excited at all.

So often, you remembered the things Stephen liked, little phrases he tended to use, his quirks. Most of all how he had been around you and how nice your moments together had been, not just because of the sex. All that stuck around in your head – and there was no use in denying the fact how much you truly missed him.

He didn't deserve to be cried over and yet it was exactly what you did. You couldn't bear the thought of him being all happy and pretending everything was fine, while it wasn't so easy for you – so you tried your hardest to avoid him at any given moment. It worked reasonably well: you always checked in with your sister on whether he was or would be around, and if she confirmed, you thought it best to not come home at all.

Because you didn't know what was worse: just seeing Stephen or seeing him all loving and happy with your sister.

As it happened to be, he seemed to avoid any opportunity of crossing your way as well, whether it was out of respect for you or because of his own pride.

He didn't come around the apartment often anymore. Your sister was downright annoyed how he seemed to never have time for coming for dinner, although he had always loved sharing meals with them.

You just ignored her rambling with a shrug.

You didn't want to think about Stephen Strange ever again, not another single second of your life. But everything revolved around the fact how desperately you missed him. You missed him hard. His presence, his cocky arrogant smiles, his playful teasing. You missed how right it felt to be with him, his loving kisses all over your skin, how keen he had always been to touch every inch of you, how it felt to have him inside of you. His smell, his voice, his... well, everything really.

You desperately tried to convince yourself how much you should not care, because neither did he. But it didn't work. Not in years would it have worked. The situation tormented you, because you cared immensely. Nothing was fine and everything sucked, but at least you didn't have to see him anymore. That was something, right?

Maybe, with time, your thoughts about him and feelings for him would pass, dissolve in the air, and you'd never worry a single moment in your life about that man ever again. Maybe.

Hitting the two month mark after ending the arrangement, your sister broke the sudden news to you. Two months ago you would have been happy to hear as it had been all you had wanted. But now your face fell and you didn't know what to feel when she told you that Stephen had abruptly ended the relationship.

She was understandably devastated, in the same way that you had been about letting him go, and although harvesting little compassion for her, you were still playing the good brother, at least giving her a hug and the consoling words 'He's not worth it then'.

How much of a bastard liar you were. Not just because you had endorsed Stephen cheating on her, with you no less. Not just because you pretended to care when you really had no empathy for her. But especially because what you were saying was a dirty lie.

You hated to admit it, even after all the resentment and anger and disappointment you had gone through, that he was worth it. That's why you had slept with him. That's why you had started to become so obsessed with him, wanted him, maybe even kind of fallen in love with him...

He wasn't easy, sure. He was a cheater and an asshole. You felt more than betrayed by him, his behavior and words having caused you to feel worthless. He had hurt you and you wanted to be way above putting yourself in a position of being hurt again.

But at the end of the day, you still clung onto his memory and longed to have him back, in the way you had him before and even more so in the ways you had never had him.

Silly you. As if that would ever happen.

.

It was a quiet Saturday evening.

You were in your room, sitting at your desk, typing away on your laptop like you so often did, when your phone display lightened up and grabbed your attention. Of course you decided to check it, thinking it might be one of your friends sending you either something important or maybe just a meme supposed to cheer you up.

But you couldn't have possibly been prepared for the disbelief that washed over you when you read the name. You blankly stared at it for a moment, thinking it was your silly mind playing a trick, but after double-checking - it was indeed him.

You had been foolish enough to never delete his number in the first place, not bothering to block it when you should have, and that's exactly how you ended up with his message on your phone, too weak to resist checking it altogether.

And thus, Stephen Strange returned to your life with a very subtle and surprising 'I'm in front of the complex waiting in my car. Will you please come down and see me?'

Your heart sunk. He could have written anything. An apology, a question, a plain approach like 'Hey' – but the message he had chosen to send was so direct you couldn't have possibly ignored it. He was here. He had come to see you.

A whole mess of feelings began surging through you. Confusion, resentment, disbelief, annoyance, though in some way hope was fluttering within you too, a giddy feeling, unmistakable excitement.

You should have ignored him. You should have let him sit and rot in his car, without ever giving him an answer, without ever talking to him ever again, make him swallow the bitter pill that you weren't so easy. That you wouldn't dance after his whistle and come back crawling to him in desperation. That he might never get you back.

You should have let him suffer the consequences of his behavior and continue to live with your own mistakes, in solitary.

But you didn't want to. After all, wasn't this what you had asked for, in a way? You had wanted him to choose you. You had wanted him and he was here now, requesting to talk to you, perhaps willing to make amends.

If you only heard him out, gave him a chance, perhaps it would ensure you the ending you had always desired. Maybe you could talk it out, find a middle ground. Even if you didn't and it was just another opportunity to see Stephen one more time, it might actually be worth it.

The wish of wanting to see him again was stronger than any resentment could have ever been, no matter how stupid it was. Seeing him was what you had to do. What you needed to do.

But you didn't want to seem too eager, deciding to test your luck and let him wait. See if he was willing to stay down in his car for longer than five minutes, without a definite answer whether you would come down or not. At least then you would know if he was truly serious about this.

Saving your document, you eventually shut your laptop. Your heart was beating faster by the second and your nerves were getting the worst of you. Was this actually worth the risk? Was he actually worth it or were you too blinded by your persisting feelings for the man?

You got dressed in another pair of pants and your favorite hoodie. The state of your hair was a mess, but you figured it didn't matter much. It wasn't like you were going on a date or had to look your best to get a point across.

Grabbing your keys, wallet and phone, you crossed the hall, aware you'd be passing your sister watching TV in the living room.

"I'll be out tonight", you spoke to her, "Don't know when I'll be back."

"Have fun", she turned her head and responded. A smile flitted across her face. She probably greeted the thought of you having a good time out, considering she had seen you miserable and mopey the last few weeks – in the same way that she had been, ever since her break-up.

If she only knew.

Slipping into your sneakers, you finally left the apartment, lingering on the stairs for another moment. It wasn't too late to turn back and put an end to this chapter in way that would ensure avoiding another heartbreak. Going down there would put you in a position of possibly being hurt again and were you really able to endure this another time?

You could have thought through every possible outcome of this situation for hours and it still wouldn't have changed the fact you had made your decision – in your head and most definitely in your heart. Taking another deep breath to brace yourself, you left the complex.

Out on the curb, you realized you didn't know what car to look for and checked the street. It didn't help it was fully packed with parked cars and it was dark outside already, save for the few street lamps scarcely illuminating the sidewalk. You pondered, searching the half-dark, guessing which car would fit a man like Stephen Strange.

But as it appeared to be, he must have noticed you leave the house long before. An engine was revved. Headlights further illuminated the sidewalk. A sign for you. You sighed when you noticed the car model. Of course, he drove a flashy car. As if Stephen Strange would have ever settled for something ordinary, something normal. No, he just had to drive a Lamborghini.

You walked up to it, checking the window to make sure it really was Stephen, but there was no way you could have mistaken him for someone else, his face illuminated by the interior lights.

He opened the door to you from the inside almost immediately. "Climb in", the voice you had missed so much eventually invited you in.

It felt odd to even get inside such a pricey car. Probably cost a hundred times your salary, if that was enough – and after all you had gone through, meeting each other again in the bounds of a car like this was not what you had imagined for yourself. But once you had pulled the door close behind you, actually being in the car made no difference to you though.

You were still facing Stephen and this situation alone would have been hard anywhere. Because he was here. Because he wanted to see you and you didn't know what it would mean.

"Thank you for coming", Stephen initiated conversation, cutting the engine again, so it was just the two of you sitting in the half-dark, his form barely illuminated by the streetlights falling into the car, "I was afraid you'd let me sit here and sour. I wasn't sure if I would have waited until the morning. Though I couldn't have blamed you. I would have deserved it. Being ignored by you, I mean."

"Yeah, maybe you would have", you sighed, not daring to even look him in the eye. You couldn't. Not yet. You had a feeling that he wasn't looking at you either. It was just the two of you and on your part you were feeling very small in these enormous leather seats, and a whole lot of tension between you. "But I'm here, am I not?"

"You are", he noted and it was when he spoke your name that convinced you to look at him, able to slightly make out his features and the lines of worry on his face, "Will you believe me when I say that I'm sorry?"

"That depends", you responded, one single thought popping into your head and bouncing back and forth: Forgive him and everything will be alright. But that would have been too easy. Things were never easy. You had to hear him out and decide then.

"If you tell me what exactly you're sorry for, I'll give it a try."

"For treating you the way I did. I handled it all wrong, and regret the way things happened... That I decided to keep a relationship I didn't really want, that I was so self-absorbed and never really...", he paused, bracing himself for the next words with a deep breath, admitting to his own faults, "I never really thought much about how you'd feel. As long as we were having sex, I didn't worry or think about anything else much, not until it was too late anyways. I am sorry for being so blind. I should have seen it meant more to you and knowing that, I should have never treated you the way I did."

"Did it ever mean anything to you? Like... was it ever more than just sex to you? At any point?"

It was perhaps the question that had tormented you the most, whether it had been as meaningless as you'd thought, just a bit of fooling around, or... more. It might not make any difference now or mend what had been broken. But you needed to know.

"In the beginning it was really just sex, that's why we made that arrangement, didn't we? We kept rolling with it, because... it just worked between us", Stephen began. You didn't really know what to expect to hear next, nor were you really decided about what you wanted to hear.

But as long as he'd be honest with you, you supposed you were willing to accept whatever he said.

"There was something special about you. I knew the first time I met you. And the second time, when I recognized you, realizing that you were my stranger... It changed everything", he went on. You couldn't help but think this was the first time he was being genuinely honest with you, allowing you to see deeper into the complex and usually closed-off man he was.

Though you wished he would have done that, well, two months ago, it was still better than never.

After hearing it all, perhaps then you could make up your mind whether it was too late or if there was perhaps still hope.

"I tried not to think about it so much. But then I got to know you better and I learned that you were kind, smart, adorably shy, a great cook... You had me hooked on your smile and tempted me with...just being you. It got harder and harder to stay away from you, to ignore the way my whole being was craving to be with you again. I could have gotten laid anywhere, but I didn't want to. I just lusted for you. There wasn't anyone else. Sure, your sister and that only for convenience. But it was you that I... you must think I'm so ridiculous, because I distanced myself from you – but it was you that I really desired."

"You could have. Had me. But when I told you about that, you dismissed me. Made me believe having the feelings was silly. You said that I wouldn't understand and you were right... I don't really get you. You seemed so indifferent and you pushed me away and yet you're here. I... I still don't get it."

"It's complicated... I avoid relationships for a good reason. I fuck up, because I'm clueless when it comes to them. Caring for another person... I think it overwhelms me", he admitted.

Could have fooled you. On a surface level he usually never displayed any kind of insecurity or doubt, with his level of confidence in himself, his carelessness and slightly more arrogant attitude. Stephen had never appeared like a man keen on big emotions. Honestly admitting to his own faults or sharing his worries, like he did with you right now, must have been a rarity.

"I dismissed you, because... because I didn't know what to do. I was scared of the thought to have you falling for me and not being able to live up to that. I realized a lot of things then, most of all that whatever we had was going to change...", Stephen went on.

"I felt like I was using you all of the sudden, which was never my intention. I always wanted it to be two-sided and consensual, but I didn't expect you to develop feelings. I dreaded the thought of hurting you. Which of course doesn't mean anything now, because I did hurt you and I can't take that back."

“You did hurt me”, you could only admit, “But I reckon that developing feelings for you was my own issue and certainly not your fault. I figured you had none for me and that's why you pushed me away. It sucked having to accept this was going to be how things would end. Now you're here though and I don't... I don't know how to process this.”

“I'm here because I am sorry. I wanted you to know I regret how things ended.”

"Is that also the reason why you broke up with her?”, the question blurted out of you.

"It's what I should have done in the first place. Before chasing after you. But I didn't care, as long as I got what I wanted. I really didn't care up to the point you addressed it, because it was never appeared as an issue to me until then...", Stephen mused, admitting to his own blindness. He hadn't known better and while that wasn't any kind of excuse, you weren't going to push him away. Not when he was already here for you.

“When you asked me why I kept staying with her... I don't know. I did like her, desire her, all that, it was good to show off a pretty girl on my arm, especially around the hospital. But I could have never loved her. It wasn't really fair to her either, huh? Pretending I was a great boyfriend while fucking around with you. After you told me to leave you alone... it wounded my ego quite a bit. But I think I needed that to make me reconsider things. I realized I'd much rather miss her than you. And now that I have broken up with her, I don't miss her much. All this time though, I've missed you."

A very pregnant pause followed.

You didn't know what to say, because that was a confession you hadn't quite expected. You understood what he was implying, but how much could you let his words truly mean to you? Could you let him wrap you around his finger like he hadn't hurt you, downright broken your heart? Because it would have been so easy for him to get you back like that, now that it suited him, now that he suddenly seemed to want you in this way.

But if you just gave him this, the benefit of doubt, the chance to prove himself to you... perhaps he would really live up to all he said. You wanted him to mean it. You wanted him so desperately. Your heart clenched as you looked at him, street lights barely revealing all of the features you had traced and kissed and adored all the same.

He spoke your name, pulling you out of your thoughts again. "I'm really sorry. It's stupid that I'm only realizing this now when I should have known better from the get go. You must think I'm such a asshole. And you wouldn't be wrong. I am. But I'm still hoping... even if it's stupid to hope you'll..."

"Forgive you?", you interrupted his rambling.

"Yeah. Yes, that."

"I don't know, Stephen. I don't know if I should."

"And I'd understand. Lord, I understand."

"I missed you too", you admitted to him then, a brash and quick confession, "And I've hated it. I hated you. I hated myself for not being able to stop wanting you. God help me. I've wanted you the first time you stepped into that hotel room. I've wanted you every other time you came to our apartment. And even now, I still want you. But I don't know if that's good enough. Or good at all. But... perhaps it would be worth figuring it out.”

“I know it's so much to ask for, to let me be in your life again just like that. You don't have to make your decision now. But even if you can never bring yourself to forgive me or allow yourself to want me... I wanted to make one last request”, he was very forward, like Stephen always used to be, “Will you come home with me today? Spend the night together?”

Your heart leaped wildly within the confines your chest – though you found yourself immediately considering what he was asking for. You didn't know whether he was requesting sex, just having you one last time, no matter how things would turn out. What you did know was that the idea wasn't offending nor repelling you.

"What will that entail?", you inquired anyways.

"Whatever you feel like.” A vague answer.

You decided to take the chance. "Food? I'm kind of hungry."

"Sure”, he agreed, “I could grab a bite. Haven't really been able to stomach anything before getting here."

"Am I gonna get an apartment tour?", was your second request, probably not what he had expected.

Yet he agreed with a shrug. "Sure, if you'd like. It's not that interesting though.”

“Well, you'd at least need to show me the bedroom”, you responded, deciding now was not the time to play coy. If that was your last chance at ever being intimate with Stephen, you were not going to pass on the chance, “That is, if you would you want to have sex?"

You weren't surprised he wasn't denying either. “Oh please, is that really a question you need to ask?” His answer put a smile to your lips.

“Good, because I haven't gotten any in weeks and I'm not sure I'll do well resisting you anyways”, you said then, unashamed to admit to your own truth. Maybe having sex would strangely resolve things you were too afraid to sort out right now.

“Likewise”, he hummed, reaching over to your side to search for your hand in the dark of the car, grasping it firmly in his. “There has never really been a moment I haven't wanted you. I'll have you if you'll have me. Even if it's just this once.”

"Stephen...", you murmured and since you were already looking at each other, it was an easy and quick decision. You leaned over the middle console, closing the distance between the two of you, and let your lips brush over his, the softest touch. It allowed you to embrace the idea this was actually happening. The two of you reunited. Kissing in Stephen's car, between you a quiet promise of so much more than you had initially bargained for.

It was so sweet. He didn't urge you on, responding with a gentle press of lips against yours, closing his hand around yours a little tighter. It was so innocent it made your heart flutter. During all the time you were allowed to have with him for the rest of today, perhaps it was fair to push aside all that had happened and just be in the moment, no matter what the future would entail.

"I wanna go home with you", you muttered against his lips then, before kissing him another time, never wanting a gap to persist between the two of you ever again. You felt him squeeze your hand in return, an assurance that he was feeling quite the same way: not ready to let you go anytime soon.

"Then let's get something to eat. My fridge is disastrously empty", he admitted to you after breaking apart. Where worry had been on his brow just minutes ago, you could now see the implications of a smile in the half-dark.

"No fancy restaurants though. I look a mess", you sighed, causing him to laugh.

"Don't worry. I'm more in the mood for a burger, some fries. Maybe a milkshake."

"Sounds perfect.” You paid him an honest smile, watching him turn towards the steering wheel and get ready to get started. “You're gonna drive this beast respecting all speed limits, yes?"

You eyed Stephen curiously as he revved up the engine again, the droning sound filling the relatively quiet street. You shortly wondered whether your sister would recognize the probably familiar and distinct sound of this car, but shook your head and quickly reminded yourself to stay in the moment. Now was not the time to think about your sister.

The Lambo's display lit up, grabbing your attention. "Okay, very fancy."

"Gonna drive by the rules, I promise", he agreed, backing out of the parking space and pulling the car onto the street. It looked so practiced. You couldn't have driven a car if your life depended on it, let alone this beast, but Stephen had perfected the skill of handling it.

He turned out to be a rapid driver (most definitely one that had gotten ticketed for speeding before), but overall seemed to stick to his word and tried to hold the speed limit, casually checking on you with a glance to his right. Checking if you were okay. Or, you imagined, checking if you were actually there.

You noticed he was steering the car into the drive-through of a fast food chain.

Even just sitting there, watching him drive, made you suddenly very aware of the fact that he was going to take you to his apartment, a place you had never been. You didn't even have a single clue where he lived, but sure were going to find out.

It was a little odd, wasn't it? That you had grabbed the opportunity by the neck so rapidly. Was it making you seem desperate to him? Or was he thinking about how weirdly unusual this situation was as well?

"Real fancy for a date", you hummed, but couldn't ignore how damn content you felt anyways.

"You can get a fancy dinner some other time, if you'd want", Stephen spoke, the clear implication of another actual date on his mind, though not allowing the pressure of needing you to agree to persist, "What do you wanna get?"

"Oh, a Classic Cheeseburger, large fries, and probably a strawberry milkshake, if they have that."

"Will do."

You patiently waited in the passenger's seat, watching him with patience as he ordered your food, picked it up from the drive-through window, and tipped the server rather graciously.

He carefully handed you the baggy and drinks. "If you spill, you owe me."

You chuckled at the notion, only guessing what he had in mind for owing him – probably something sexual, of course – and let him continue to drive in peace, noticing how he was heading towards a more pricey part of New York. Of course, he owned an apartment here. With a salary that was probably five digits, driving an expensive and flashy car, what else should you have expected?

There was a neat little car park below the building complex, where Stephen ended up parking. It was probably smart to have a designated spot like that, far-off from the public eye.

You were greeting the idea too, especially because people passing by, seeing someone like the renowned Doctor Stephen Strange going home with someone like you, would be no bother like this. Luckily, no neighbors in sight, you could head up the stairwell entirely unnoticed, just you and him and your food.

He lead the way and invited you into his apartment, and to be fair, you wouldn't have expected anything else from Stephen in means of decor either – sleek, expensive looking, straight out of a catalog honestly. He had so much space, which he probably didn't even need, and everything was just so... huge, especially the large windowpanes, allowing you to catch an impressive glimpse over New York.

It was a great view – still, you found your eyes rather tracking back to Stephen instead.

"Do you want dinner or the apartment tour first?", he asked, lingering, watching you, waiting.

"Food first. Always", you insisted. And even though it was only fast food, eaten out of the bag, slapped together burgers, greasy and soggy fries, two very sugary milkshakes, it suited you just fine.

You made a little bit of light conversation – during all the time your arrangement had been going, there had always been more sex than words involved. You had rarely simply sat together and talked. Maybe that's why this situation felt so substantially different to you.

You learned that Stephen mostly lived from take-out, wasn't very keen on cooking for himself, which didn't mean he couldn't – he just chose not to. As he was at the hospital most of the time anyways, he had gotten so used to purchasing meals elsewhere, mostly the hospital cafeteria and nearby restaurants. And well, for a fair amount of time, you'd been feeding him through by proxy.

He did give you a full tour of the apartment afterwards, as promised, all the way from the living room (where you had eaten), to the kitchen space (which you adored since it looked so perfect for cooking big meals), the bathroom (which literally had a shower you could sit in), a small study (a room that truly felt like Stephen's, displaying he was an avid collector of music records) and at last, the bedroom adjacent to it.

He once again admitted to loving your food, especially baked goodies – because he did have a sweet tooth, which was weirdly adorable to acknowledge. The confession alone made you want to cook and bake for him, as often and as much as he liked.

Some other day maybe.

Was it coincidental that he had chosen to show you this room last? You had requested him to show it to you after all, hadn't you? Was it time for that already? Maybe. Maybe not.

You could have asked him to simply take you back to the living room to talk some more and he probably would have been amenable, not wanting to ruin his chances with you. But once you found yourself standing in the middle of Stephen Strange's bedroom, looking at him and remembering how much you had been missing him the last months, how much it had hurt to let him go, how awful it had been to hear him dismiss you... how could you have not taken this opportunity?

Even if today was going to be the last time you ever did this, it would be all worth it.

Daring yourself to be bold – because he certainly wasn't being the bold one now, even though he had always liked taking the risks – you crossed the remaining distance between you two and wrapped your arms around his waist, craving to be embraced, hoping that he would return it with the same affection.

And he did, pulling you closer into him.

You tucked your head under his chin, letting it rest on his chest. In return, you felt him bury his face in your hair as he rested his head atop yours. And then he just held you, wrapped in his arms, one hand securely placed on your nape, the other on your midriff. You were melting into one another, not in the sexual way you were used to, but in this comforting manner. It was innocent. It made you feel whole.

There was no rush. No need to force anything. No point you had to get to.

"Smell so good", you hummed into his chest.

"Oh yeah?", he sounded amused.

"Mhh, I missed it", you admitted, "To be so close. I know I already said it, but I really did miss you a lot, Stephen."

You could hear him chuckle softly before he spoke your name, easing his grip around you as you stirred to look up at him again.

He was so handsome. All of his chiseled features, those high cheekbones, the prominent jawline, the curved lips turned into a smile. You loved the way his face always brightened up when he was at ease, lines of age visible but not overtaking. His eyes glistened as he looked down at you.

It was a little like the first time you had ever met – in mere minutes he had you mesmerized.

His looks had been impressive then, you still remembered the anticipation, not knowing what would happen, not knowing what he would do to you. You were in awe of his looks even now. How could you not be? There was anticipation too, especially as you noticed his tongue dart forward between his lips, the subtle downward glance to yours. Lord, the tension was thick.

This time you knew exactly what was going to happen.

Stephen leaned into you and you simply closed your eyes, welcoming whatever he decided to give.

His breath was ghosting over your face for a short moment, noses awkwardly bumping against each other, which made you smile. He wasn't intentionally winding you up, though it did cause even more tension to settle between you two. Your heart fluttered heavily and you breathed out a sigh when you felt his mouth brush over yours again, the whisper of a kiss, a gentle exploration. Innocent, intimate. Raw, honest.

It made you want to believe he meant it all.

He sank his lips onto yours more firmly then and you were perfectly pliant, greeting his kiss with a smile, parting your lips for him to get a taste. Picking up on your little signal, Stephen's hold on you tightened again as he claimed more of your mouth, swiping his tongue across your bottom lip. In return you opened your mouth further to him, trying to catch his lip between your teeth, grazing them over the tender flesh.

It made Stephen chuckle, your little attempt to playfully bite him and in some fortunate, though unexpected way urged him to deepen the kiss, passionately smashing your mouths together then. As if he were starving, he devoured you bit by bit, sliding his tongue against yours, encircling it, gentle strokes as he explored all of your mouth – and it was good, so fucking good that it had you cling onto his broad form, desiring him to give you more. Because you needed. Badly.

If he slipped away now, you weren't sure you'd survive. Neither would he though. Not by the way he was kissing you like he needed this more than oxygen, more than anything.

You both had to catch a deep breath somewhere in between kisses and so high on the ecstasy of just being able to have Stephen again, like this, you broke out into a chuckle, soon infecting the other man as well, once again revealing he looked so damn handsome when he laughed.

Stephen rose one hand to cup your cheek, caressing it gently, and you were grinning hard at him, being so affectionate. "Let me take care of you", he said, his gaze intense as it burned into you, "I wanna be good to you. I wanna prove to you that I meant everything I said earlier. I want you to know that I'm serious. If you let me."

"Yes", you agreed, nodding at him as his fingers gently trailed down your jawline, ever so slightly tilting your chin, not wanting you to avert your gaze again, "I want that too. I want you too."

You wouldn't, couldn't stop smiling and allowed him to pull you in another kiss, your mouths colliding once again, a whole wave of passion rolling over you.

He didn't pull you much closer, giving you just the perfect room to get your hands on his skin, sliding them under the sweater he was wearing. They landed on his waist first, though you were eager to let them trail further towards his stomach, the hard muscle tensing where you placed them flat against it.

He was so warm.

Willing to touch more of him, your hands skirted up the plane of his abdomen, seeking out his defined chest next. How did Stephen Strange have the audacity to be so damn hot, figuratively and literally?

Your brain short-circuited at the sudden moan that slipped past his lips, right into your kiss. There wasn't a more erotic, heavenly sound you could have imagined at the moment.

You craved to hear some more of it.

"Missed your touch so much", he groaned between open-mouthed kisses, insistent on putting his hands on you as well. You were forced to stay apart for a moment, eagerly trying to wrestle the sweater over his head – because while he looked good in any clothing, you preferred him even more without it.

You had to get a good look of him later, because before you had the chance to, he was keen on prying your hoodie off you, returning to the kiss with the same eagerness, chest to chest, heart to heart.

His hands on you were curious, mapping you out, from your shoulders to your arms, across the plane of your back, along the slight dip of your hips. Eventually he moved them to rest on the swell of your ass, squeezing the soft flesh lightly. "Hold onto me", he muttered, urging you to wrap your arms around his neck, clutching onto him as he pulled you up. You had most definitely underestimated his strength as he heaved you upwards, causing you to hop into his arms, legs coming round his midsection as he held you securely, hands placed under your behind.

It was fucking sexy, the way he didn't struggle to hold you in his arms, hungrily claiming more of your mouth, before beginning to walk through the room all while carrying you. You could have let him hold you and make out with you like this for ages, but were not disappointed in the slightest either as he moved towards the bed and sank you down again, toppling over with you.

Another shared laugh slipped in between kisses, your nose bumping his, the comfortable weight of his body pressing you to the bed. Warm excitement rippled through all of your being as he rolled his hips into yours. You tried to pull him closer, hands pawing at his back, feeling the hard warm muscle under you.

He was so responsive to your touches, small groans passing his lips when you dug your fingers a little harder into his skin, the needy buck of his hip as you wound your hand into his hair and gave it a firm tug.

He was aching for you, just like you were aching for him.

God, how you had missed him – his plush lips plundering yours, his taste, his smell, his warmth, his noises, the feeling of his body on top of yours. How he failed to be subtle in the slightest, the insatiable man that he was, grinding hard into you, somewhere between the states of wanting to give and needing to take.

You broke the kiss. "I don't wanna wait any longer today. I need you. Wanna feel you inside. Please, Stephen."

His ocean blue eyes darkened with lust as they flicked across your face again, a slight smirk crawled onto his lips. Of course, he enjoyed having you begging without even needing to do much for it. But his tone wasn't quite as dark with lust as he responded. It was gentle. "Anything you want", he hummed and bent to kiss the tip of your nose, the small display of affection making your heart clench. It made you want him even more.

"Can we do it slow today?", you requested, brushing through the hair on his nape, your other hand resting on his hip, "Not that I mind much however we have sex, I just think... I need to take it slow today."

"Yeah, sure", Stephen responded, only reluctantly pulling out of your hold to sit back up on his knees. His large hands quickly found their way to your thighs at first, followed by a gentle squeeze, fingers skirting along your pelvis up to the waistband of your pants, "Can I get this off you?"

"Definitely", you said eagerly, "If you strip as well."

"Your wish is my command." He chuckled softly, hooking his fingers underneath the waistband and freeing you from the last restraints, carefully shuffling your clothing down your hips as you helped him by wiggling and shifting your hips a bit.

"Could get used to this", you grinned back at him, feeling your face heat up while slowly revealing your naked form to him. Stephen had always managed to make you blush, that was no secret, but you usually weren't feeling so shy around him. Maybe it was all that time you hadn't been together or the fact that today was so different.

"I like undressing you. And if you're asking nicely for me to strip, who am I to refuse?", Stephen admitted, placing your bottoms aside, before his hands returned to your body, skirting up the length of your legs, rubbing small circles into the shins, the cap of your knee, the insides of your thighs, tickling you lightly, but stopping before going any further. God forbid, even his ministrations made you giggle – and helped you relax more, all naked in his presence.

"The sight has always been with me. From the first time on", he added.

"You're one to talk", you said, rolling your eyes at him, as if he weren't the one so annoyingly handsome and hard to forget. "Get out of your clothes, please?"

He gave you a knowing smirk, withdrawing his hands to reach for his belt buckle, seemingly in no rush to undo it, though ending up making quick work of his pants as a whole, shedding his underwear as well. It was a lovely sight, having him all naked.

If there was one thing to know about Stephen Strange, it was that he was rarely shy about the way he looked and that he took good care of himself that caused him to have a certain pride. His muscular thighs and long legs a delicious view to behold, though your eyes were a lot more drawn to the half-hard length resting between them.

"Pleased?", Stephen asked, returning to the bed and his designated spot between your legs.

"Very", you grinned, "Come give me a kiss, you hot bastard."

"Where would you liked to be kissed?", he responded with the same cunning grin, but not waiting for you to answer, bowing down low to press a kiss to your navel.

You had wanted him to press a kiss to your lips, but were not complaining as you watched him move on in adoration, his mouth peppering kisses all over your skin, fingers making their way along your thighs, keen on exploring the tender flesh and eventually reaching the apex of them.

A delicate gasp left your lips, small, barely audible. Your eyes fluttered shut, you jolted slightly at the feel of him alone. The skilled doctor's fingers never failed to awaken all kinds of feelings within you – most definitely a whole lot of arousal, hot excitement flashing inside your core as he brushed gently brushed through your folds, up to your little t-dick, quickly hardening at the attention.

"More, Stephen. Please", you huffed out and he did not disappoint, his breath trailing along the fine wisps of hair down to your crotch, before reaching your enlarged nub, ever so carefully sucking it between his lips. The hot and warm mouth on you made you nothing but ecstatic, incapable of believing your luck in this moment, and you dug your fingers a little harder into his scalp. You needed him to go on or you might just lose your mind.

Stephen was devoted to giving you pleasure in any kind, that you had known. He was simply insatiable as a lover, relentless, rough when he wanted to be, thorough and sweet when you asked him to. And at least for today, he was just yours.

Like so often before, you simply fell apart under Stephen. He was sucking on you, occasionally placing long broad licks all over you, little flicks around you that drove you crazy. His tongue worked as quick as efficient – and so did his fingers.

With his head buried between your legs, he kept you spread open, the thick pad of his thumb gently circling your hole, growing wet and needy at his ongoing teasing by the second. Enough to make you mad with lust, not quite enough to give you the pleasure you desired.

"Please, Stephen... your fingers... I need...", the words slipped out of your mouth, an incoherent babble, barely a request, but you didn't need to tell him twice.

Stephen was more of a dominant type, while you found it naturally easier to submit. But that didn't change the fact you knew exactly what you desired and how to get it, often enough having put your foot down and demanding he give into your pleas without a word of refusal. Sometimes he took and something he gave. Sometimes both at once.

Stephen's mouth was godly, his hands magic. He worked two fingers into you so easily, slender and long, sliding deep into your wetness, where you craved to feel him.

You arched into his touch, taking him to the knuckle, feeling him brush past the spot oh-so-sweet as he curled them inside of you, and the warm embrace his mouth had on your small cock, ever changing between hard sucks and skilled swipes of his tongue.

"Fuck, Stephen... you're driving me crazy", you whimpered, the combined suction on your most sensitive part and his fingers working over the perfect spot enough to make your thighs tremble already, pleasure building up too quickly.

It had been so long. Masturbation had never been as efficient, never would have been able to make yourself feel the way that Stephen accomplished, the thought of him and not being able to truly have him had tormented you anyways. But now... now you had it all.

All of Stephen, in his bed at his apartment. His mouth on you and his fingers deep within you. All of his attention on you, all of his affection for you, all of him belonging to you and all of you belonging to him. For as long as you'd decide to do this.

If you decided to forgive him, then it wouldn't only have to be tonight. There would be more chances, more opportunity, more of him and more of you together.

It didn't matter much that you had asked him to go slow, didn't matter his pace wasn't rushed at all, didn't matter he was going gently at it – there was something about him eating you out and fingering you at the same time managing to drive you to the edge all to quickly.

Overwhelmed with pleasure you were shaking, legs twitching, incapable of holding still, edging you further and further while you were so convinced it wasn't even possible to drag this out any further, tugging on his hair, mindlessly bucking your hips into him, chasing your own orgasm.

"You're gonna... gonna make me cum", you panted, squeezing your eyes shut, your desperate moans filling the room, "Gonna cum, Stephen... fuck, feels so good, feels so fucking good."

Your words continued to urge him on and Stephen did it perfectly, changing nothing, hitting the right spot with his fingers and circling your dick with his tongue in the way that made you absolutely feral. It was more than enough to pull you over the edge, all that tension coiling in your core suddenly releasing, pulsating and clenching around his fingers, pleasure surging through you and consuming all of you.

It was heavenly. Your mind went full blank, especially as he wouldn't stop lapping at you, causing you to squeeze your thighs shut, trapping him between them, hopefully not suffocating, still firmly grasping his hair. He made you squeal and squirm and lose yourself to complete ecstasy, until all of it ebbed away and you went entirely lax.

Only then did Stephen pull back, pressing a few more kisses to your thighs, chuckling lightly into your skin, clearly enjoying himself.

"Gorgeous", he hummed, pulling himself back up your body. You could feel his face close to yours by the warmth breath tickling your jaw. But good lord, you weren't sure how to function properly anymore, barely able to look at him, definitely not able to say something that would make sense.

You basked in this moment though, Stephen's warm body carefully resting half-atop you as he caressed your body all too gently, placing a kiss to your cheek.

"Are you doing okay, baby?" The term of endearment struck something deep within you, the smile on your lips must have looked so silly and droopy.

"You've officially murdered me", you huffed, hands searching something to hold onto and apparently finding his shoulders, "I'm literally pudding."

"You're ridiculous", Stephen chuckled softly, "I love to see you come apart for me."

You cracked one eye open, getting a glimpse of him looking at you rather fondly. His hard features had all softened while he observed you, his own cheeks a little heated, lips swollen red from his ministrations, but nevertheless entirely kissable.

"You're a menace", was your response and leaning into him, you claimed his mouth in another kiss. While you were still feeling the after effects of that mind-blowing orgasm, you weren't tired enough to stop wanting more of him.

He was still aroused, so you could feel, his hardness clearly poking your thighs. Not so subtly acknowledging this, you grinned, letting your hands skirt over the broad plane of his back, down to his firm ass, pressing upwards into him.

Stephen got the drift immediately, lips curling into a smile as well, and he began grinding into you again, even just the slightest friction of his cock sliding against you making him groan so sweetly.

You sucked his bottom lip between your teeth, before slightly pulling back to take a good look at him. Eyes blown dark with lust, cheeks red, small breaths passing between his lips, Stephen seemed positively flustered, his hair a damn right mess after his endeavors between your legs.

"I want you", you whispered to him, canting your hips into each movement of his, meeting his erection times and times again, "I want you so much."

"If you'd only know", he hummed, holding his body up with strong arms as he towered over you. A smile passed his lips. He spoke your name, bowing his head to gently rest your foreheads together. "You drive me crazy. I want to have you so bad", he admitted, voice low and smooth and sinfully hot. "Are you sure you can go again?"

"Yeah", you responded, digging your fingers into the firm muscle of his ass, sliding your bodies closer together, "And I'm afraid you might burst if I make you wait any longer."

"Have some faith in my self-control, will you?", he chuckled right back at you. It might have been a while, but Stephen was usually keen on drawing out the moment of being inside of you, lasting a fair amount of time. And it was what you had asked for anyways – slow and gentle, feel all of him, for as long as you could, right until the moment he'd come inside of you.

"I do", was all you said, stopping the movement of his hips as you reached between your bodies, both flush with heat, grabbing hold of his fully hardened length, throbbing in your hand with the silent request of being allowed to fill you.

You made sure to look at Stephen, keep his gaze, notice how he was holding his breath as you slid the tip of his cock over your own dick and then between your wet folds, guiding him to your entrance.

He let out a downright desperate little moan as you let him bury himself inside of you, carefully sliding into your wetness until he was to the hilt, allowing the moment to just be. You two just existed like this for a while, conjoined, him inside of you, feeling all, having all of each other, after going so long with missing this.

You locked your legs around him, keeping him in place, and brought your hands up to cup his face, smiling as you noticed the glimmer in his eyes. "Make love to me?", you requested.

Love. Whatever that entailed, whatever it meant to the two of you, whether it even was ever going to be that... During all your encounters, even the slow ones, it had always been just sex.

You had never thought anything else of it, not until it became a lot more meaningful sex, to you at least. But this, the way that Stephen was capable of making you feel, was so much more.

There was heart and soul and adoration and also lust in any of his movements, the way he checked on you between losing himself to pleasure occasionally.

He looked so handsome though, his eyes closed, brows a little furrowed as he concentrated on the sensations, lips parted, huffs of air and low groans leaving his throat. He felt perfect, like he had always done. His thrusts were slow, but nonetheless passionate, eager to fill all of you, drawing out the long strokes that drove you crazy.

"Stephen, you're so good. Feel so good", you whimpered, holding him close by his nape, needing him closer still.

"You do too, baby. So good", he murmured, brushing your mouths together again, tongue lazily tangling with yours as he kept this insanely good rhythm upright.

How did he always manage to make you feel this way, whole and complete? Every worry and sorrow brushed away, belonging to him in a way you had never belonged to anyone else.

You didn't want to belong to anyone else ever, just Stephen.

"You take my cock so well, babe", he muttered against your lips, sheathing himself within you again and again. You clenched around him, feeling the pulsating cock, a sensation you had hated to miss all that time, an action that made him feral.

"Fuck, I wanna fill you up so bad", he groaned, pulling out and sinking back in, with the same restraint, the same composure, keen on making this as slow as you had asked for, not giving into the need to fuck you harder.

"Missed you, Stephen", you whined, arms wrapped around him, hands splayed against his back, needing to pull him closer still, tilting your hips upwards in response to take him deeper, overwhelmed with a whole bunch of emotion as your body kept burning with pleasure, "Don't wanna miss you ever again."

His head sank into the crook of your neck, warm mouth brushing against your skin, rolling his hips into yours again. He only managed to speak words mangled with groans.

"Want you to be mine", you heard him say, a declaration spoken in the heat of the moment, but you couldn't help but feel as if he was meaning the truth. God, how badly you wanted to be his.

"M'yours", you whimpered right back at him, causing him to quicken his thrusts a little, though he was clearly not letting himself be overruled by passion. You sure were not going to last at this point, your whole core was throbbing and you were aching to cum, feel him cum inside of you as well.

"All yours, Stephen", you hummed again, sliding a hand between your bodies, searching for your enlarged t-dick, circling it with your fingers, adding to the pleasure.

"Gonna cum for me again, baby?", he growled, lips finding your pulse point, suckling on your neck as he kept rocking into you, every movement precise and deep.

"Oh god, yes", you moaned, working your hand faster as you felt your thighs trembling again, another upcoming orgasm consuming you as your thoughts seemed to entirely deconstruct.

You were coming apart, one of your hands searching to tug on his hair, pulling his head back up and crushing your mouths together, soon no more than a sloppy kiss shared between the two of you. Everything was so overwhelming, but there was an undoubted ease when you realized that you had Stephen. You had him right here, with you.

"I got you", he muttered in between kisses, the ongoing roll of his hips, his cock hitting these deep pleasure spots, causing you to reach your end. Bliss was washing over you. Stephen was all you could think about, all you could feel. Warmth and satisfaction burst through you in waves, momentary tension passed and you clung to him, still sliding into you, every other thrust of his drawing out more moans and sweet noises out of you.

"You're so gorgeous", he went on praising you, "My darling. I'm gonna cum. You want me to fill you up, yeah?"

You only whimpered, your words barely recognizable. "Y-yeah... come inside of me, please", you longed to feel him and he didn't disappoint. Rutting out his own pleasure, driving himself to the point of completion, he finished deep within you, coming so hard you could feel the ripple of his orgasm surge through his body, his warm cum spilling into you, his sweet and low groans ringing in your ears, mixed with the repetitive praise of your name and one little word - mine.

He called you his alone and like this, claiming your body completely, it was hard to deny how badly you wanted this to be the truth. You longed to be his, clinging onto his form as you kept him deep inside of you, embracing him. He was breathing so heavily you could feel it, brushing over your skin where his head had slumped against your shoulder.

Burying your nose in his hair, you wallowed in the moment and continued to hold him close.

You felt warm, whole. Stephen smelled so good and a little bit like home, your heart aching at the thought how you had missed it and most of all why you had to miss it in the first place.

Getting emotional after sex was nothing seldom, but you hadn't expected to feel your anxiety spike as well. A sudden rush of thoughts came up, reminding you of all the anguish and the pain of thinking you might never have this again, that he didn't want you the way you wanted him, that he would never choose you.

What if it didn't mean anything? What if Stephen was not serious about all this and just needed a way back to you, because he desired to have sex with you without wanting something more? What if this was all there was gonna be?

You couldn't bear the thought.

However, his words and tenderness and apology and his obvious need to have you again... all this gave you hope too. In the same desperate way you craved to have him physically, you were aching to just be with Stephen and want it all, with him. Right now, there wasn't anything you wanted more.

"We're having the sex of a lifetime and yet it's not enough to make you stop thinking", the rumble of his voice reached your ear. He rose his head to look at you, obvious worry on his brow, noticing that something was off.

"What's going on?"

"M'just processing all that's happened today", you admitted, reaching out to brush back some unruly hair that had fallen into his forehead, "And what it means for us."

"I don't need to ask what you want it to mean, do I?", Stephen hummed.

"Am I silly for hoping we have a chance?", you asked, vulnerability seeping through every fiber of your body, and your heart ached when Stephen paid you the most loving and gentle smile in return.

"Silly? Sometimes, yeah. But not for having these hopes", he assured you, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to the tip of your nose, "I'm not quite sure what this... what we could be. What will happen with us. But I would not have asked you to forgive me, or to come here with me, if I didn't want you back."

"I just... I don't want it to be just sex. You understand that?" You wanted to smile back at him, but your head was not going to let you rest, until you had definite assurance. Maybe it would have been fairer to enjoy the moment and talk about this the morning after... but you were not going to be able to sleep soundly and be content without knowing. You had to be sure.

"Yes", Stephen acknowledged with a nod, "I'm not a total idiot, you know?"

"Could have fooled me." Your lips did quirk into a smile then. "Do you think... that maybe you could want more than just the sex?"

"Mmh", he hummed, his eyes flicking over your face as he mustered your expression, his gaze crossing yours again, "Don't get me wrong. I really love having sex with you and I have been desperate to feel you again. But I can only repeat myself. I want all of you. I think this strongly implies wanting more."

"Okay, when did you turn into a romantic?"

"It will pass, don't worry", Stephen chuckled, "Tomorrow I'll be back to my asshole, arrogant self. Even then... please know that I will still want you all the same. But it's not gonna be a walk in the park. You know me.”

"I actually don't know you all that well", you mentioned, cupping his cheek, softly caressing it, "I've only gotten small glimpses of who you really are. I think today was the closest I've ever gotten to seeing the real you and I'd love to see more of it."

"What if you won't like it? Having sex with me was the easy part. Really knowing me... I'm gonna fuck up. I have fucked up already, haven't I? You do understand I'm definitely not beyond making mistakes, I am clueless, and I wouldn't blame you... I don't want you to..."

"Just do better then", you advised him, very firmly, “And we'll work it out?”

"You're seriously giving me a chance?"

"No, I'm just saying", you began, rolling your eyes at him, his complete denseness, the momentary surprise and consideration on his face, "Idiot. Of course I'm giving you a chance. I don't want this to be the last time. And you know how I feel about you.”

"This evening turned out in both our favors then", Stephen responded and you gladly obliged to him pressing another kiss to your lips, causing him to shift slightly on top of you. The slight movement made you wince, reminding you he was still sheathed inside of you and you were entirely oversensitive at this point.

"Yeah, right... let's get untangled, before you get even more uncomfortable", he decided then, noticing your discomfort and withdrawing from you, "Would you like a shower?"

He looked about as wonderful as ever. Skin glistening, muscles straining, so beautifully dotted with his moles, hair disheveled, eyes fixated on you as he sat up on the bed. There was these ease to him now too, his demeanor having shifted after pulling down the walls he had put up around himself. For you.

"God yes", you immediately agreed, a little sweaty and absolutely sticky. You felt debauched, filthy in the way you loved it, sensing his seed trickling out of you. It did however cause you to rather awkwardly press your legs together as you pushed yourself upwards.

Stephen extended a hand, wordlessly aiding you in getting out of bed, pulling you into his strong arms, apparently not quite ready to take his hands off you. He was radiating with some sort of glee which you had never seen on him before. Maybe he was content. Maybe he was genuinely happy. And honestly, you loved to see it on him.

"You wanna watch a movie afterwards?", he inquired, both of you in your naked entirety as you staggered over to the bathroom.

"I'm probably gonna fall asleep anyways", you had to admit, beginning to realize how desperately your body was craving some rest now. You'd gone through a whole roller coaster of emotions today and having mind-blowing sex had been the cherry on top. However, falling asleep in Stephen's arms during a movie did sound oddly inviting, so you couldn't deny.

"Wore you out, didn't I?", he chuckled, getting you settled in the shower before starting it, the warm spray raining down on the two of you, keeping his hold on you.

"That's what I signed up for", you shrugged and grinned up at him, enjoying the domesticity of showering together without sexual intent. It was wholesome, taking turns to care for the other, Stephen gently soaping up your hair and rinsing it afterwards, you using the opportunity to ease a bit of tension out of his back muscles in return.

Cleaned up nicely and entirely relaxed, you eventually found yourself curled up next to him on the couch, a protective arm draped around you while you rested your head against his chest, barely watching the movie you had decided on together, too busy with enjoying just to be with Stephen.

All of this was what you signed up for too when choosing to forgive him – to be the recipient of Stephen's gentleness, to see his genuine smile, to have him close and be comfortable with him, to have actual conversations and meals together and spend quality time with him in ways you had previously not been able to.

Who knew what the next months, weeks or even tomorrow would be like. Any kind of obstacles could be coming for you soon enough, but if the two of you managed to put an effort in facing them together, perhaps it would turn out just fine.

Not that it mattered right now. You thought about the future often enough and didn't want to find yourself trapped in the same spiral of over-thinking while getting to enjoy your time with Stephen.

For today, you allowed yourself to be happy and content.

[jerzwriter]

Simple Pleasures

What are the Carricks doing this Valentine's Day? Waiting on their little one and loving each other. And no one could capture the moment quite like Aianna! 💗

I'm sending a huge thank you to @lucy-268 for gifting me a commission from @/artbyainna for my birthday. I was so incredibly excited to create this - and since Kathy is my fellow Tobias stan - I hope she loves it as much as I do! You are the best, Kathy! 💗

Simple Pleasures 💗💗💗

Book:                   Open Heart (Post Series)

Pairing:                Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey Carrick)

Featuring: Ethan Ramsey, Sienna Trinh

Rating:                 Teen +

Warnings: SLIGHT sensuality at the very end

Category:            Valentine's/Domestic Fluff

Words: 2,000

Summary: Tobias is driving himself crazy trying to create the perfect Valentine's Day for his new wife and momma-to-be. Meanwhile, Casey forgot about it until the last moment, then worried she couldn't make it special. Luckily, they heeded good advice from friends and went on to enjoy a beautiful evening together.

A/N: Since Kathy was kind enough to gift this to me I merged in a prompt she requested: having sleepless nights because they can't think of the perfect gift. I'm participating in @choicesficwriterscreations Valentine Event. @choicesflashfics - prompt 1 in bold below. @choicesholidays - Let's have a baby. @choices-february2023 Day 9 - "Maybe I'm Amazed", and lastly @choicesmonthlychallenge "To Be" luv you, hubba hubba, I'm urs,

An unexpected snowstorm had blanketed Boston overnight, and no matter how accustomed residents were to this, it didn’t make the morning commute any easier. Still, being a doctor didn’t afford Tobias the luxury of staying home. So his inability to sleep finally worked to his advantage. He marched into the team's office with time to spare; it may have required the two cups of java he carried in each hand, but somehow, he made it and was awake. A double win.

Ethan raised cocked his head in the direction of his almost comatose friend.

“Good morning,” he chirped, in a tone far too cheery for Tobias to take.

“Mmmh.. yeah,” he mumbled without enthusiasm.

“You know, you should consider moving a little closer to the hospital. Especially with the baby on the way. If you were in my neighborhood, you probably could have tacked on an extra thirty minutes of sleep, even in this weather.”

Tobias was all but sleeping, so Ethan’s advice went unheard. Looking to ensure no one else was in earshot, Ethan upped the ante. He knew would get his friend’s attention.

“Plus, if you moved, you and Casey could run home for your little afternoon rendezvous. Then I wouldn’t have to field complaints from your neighboring offices.”

“Mmmm,” Tobias mumbled, resting his head on his hand, his eyes beginning to shut. "That's nice."

Ethan was concerned. There is no way Tobias would pass up a verbal sparring match after that. Undeterred, he tried one more time.

"... and then I dropped my trousers during the middle of my speech, swiveled my hips, and shook my skin snake for the audience to see. They were quite impressed.”

"Hmmm... oh, that's good...." Tobias muttered.

"Really? I thought discussing my skin snake would get your attention.”

"Wait… your WHAT?" Tobias startled.

"Finally! What has you in such a daze? I haven't seen you this quiet, well... ever."

"I haven't been able to sleep...it’s been over a week now.”

“Well, with Casey going into her third trimester, I’m sure sleep is more difficult for her, and you’re bound to be impacted, but….”

“But she’s sleeping fairly well… better than me if we’re being honest.”

Ethan scrunched his brow in concern. “Has something got you worried?”

Tobias chuckled as he ran his hands down his weary face. “Well, I don’t know. My wife's pregnant, we have a baby on the way… I’m constantly worried about both of them. Then, I’m going to be a DAD in a few months. A Dad? Me? Can you believe it?”

“It's a horrifying thought. This is why I’ve always supported certification and licensing to be a parent. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.”

That seemed to awaken Tobias, who shot back. “Screw you, Ramsey.”

“You don’t want to screw me, Tobias,” Ethan laughed. “But, seriously, you’ve been jumping out of your skin with excitement about this baby from the moment Casey learned she was pregnant. So what has you so rattled now? Is reality setting in?”

“No. I can’t tell you. You’ll judge me.”

“Probably,” Ethan confirmed. “But I’d still be here for you.”

“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Tobias sighed.

“Valentine’s Day? I hate to compliment you, but you seem to have had a knack for nailing that holiday down since med school. Now, you have a pregnant wife who adores you, so what do you have to worry about?”  

“Because I have a pregnant wife who adores me. Casey, she’s… she’s everything. She’s given me so much, and now I see what she’s going through to have our child. I want to make this special for her, and nothing I have thought of is good enough.”

A small smile tugged at Ethan’s lips. “Tobias, it’ll be fine, and it’s not worth losing sleep over.”

“I was talking to my Ma. She said I could go to the vault, maybe get a piece of heirloom jewelry….”

“OK, slow down….” Ethan interrupted. “Now I see the problem. Vivian is an amazing woman, and I know she means well. But now I understand why your brain is going haywire. Tobias, Casey is more of a homemade cupcake than an heirloom jewelry person, you know that.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Tobias smirked. “She seems to enjoy my family jewels.”

“Annnnd he’s back,” Ethan laughed. “Seriously, don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Casey will be happy just spending time with you.”

“Kerry said, too.”

“So your two best friends vs. your well-meaning but…”

“Insane mother….”

“You said it, not me! Just keep it simple and get some rest tonight. Can you do that?”

“I’m sure gonna try.”

~~~~~

Back at Casey & Tobias’s townhome, Sienna fixed her best friend a cup of herbal tea and brought it to her on the couch when it was done.

“I really could have gotten that myself, Si,” Casey insisted. “But I do appreciate it.”  

“You could have, but not while I’m here. Your doctor said you need to rest when you’re off duty, and I’m making sure that you do!”

“Mmm,” Casey said, sipping her tea. “You sound just like Tobias.”

“Good! This way, I don’t have to kick his butt.”

“I’m glad you approve of my husband," Casey teased.

“You know I do,” Sienna smiled. “He takes such good care of you, I would have believed it when I first met him.”

Casey beamed as she took a moment to reflect. “You know, he is the man he always was. He just needed….”

“You!” Sienna grinned.

“Yeah, and I needed him too.”

“You two are so adorable! What have you got planned for Valentine’s Day?”

“Oh, shit!” Casey exclaimed. “I completely forgot! It’s tomorrow! Now I won’t have time to do anything special.”

“Define special? All you really need is each other.”

“But I wanted to do something really nice for him. I always get so frustrated because he’s impossible to buy for. The man has everything.”  

Sienna snorted, earning her a peculiar stare from her friend.

“What?” Casey asked.

“Isn’t that how you ended up doing the boudoir shoot for him? And isn’t that what led to….” Sienna’s cheeks turned red as she pointed to Casey’s rounded belly. “That was one hell of a gift!”

“Yeah,” Casey giggled. “Jackie will never let me live that down. But you have to admit, I succeeded. I got him something he loves, and I gave the man who has everything something he never had before.”

“So, then your Valentine's Day gift is taken care of already!”

“That gives me an idea!” Casey enthused. “I did buy a teddy bear for him last week and some of his favorite chocolates… and you just made me realize I have the final touch.”

Sienna scrunched her nose in confusion. “If you say so. I’m glad I could be of help.”

“You always are, Sienna. Now, I need red paint!”

~~~~~

Valentine’s Day arrived at the Carrick's, and the delicious aroma of steak burritos filled the air. Tobias was overjoyed as he watched his wife delving into the meal he prepared. The way her eyes shut, and the noises she was making... she usually reserved those for different activities... so he knew she was happy, and that made him happy, too.

“Mmmm,” she hummed with a full mouth. “These are so good!”

“Only the best for my girl. Besides, I know my burritos make you happy.”

Casey pulled the fork from her mouth and smirked. “Are we still talking dinner here?”

“We’re talking whatever you like,” he chuckled. Leaning across the table, he gently tugged her head toward him, their lips meeting in a tender kiss. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Eager to get the rest of the night underway, he began to clear the table. “So, where do you want to have dessert and open gifts? In the living room or upstairs?”

“That depends. What’s for dessert?”

“I made homemade cupcakes and got us a vintage bottle of sparkling cider.”

“Ooh, trying to get me tipsy,” she quipped. “It’s nothing messy, so why don’t we go to the bedroom. But, T, promise me you didn’t go overboard on gifts.”

Tobias raised one hand in the air. “Scouts honor! I swear! Ma tried to convince me to gift you some family jewels, but I told her we were keeping it simple…” then his heart sank when he saw Casey begin to pout.

“Really?”

“What? Would you have liked… I could always still get you something… I just didn’t think….”

“Tobias,” Casey winked. “I’m teasing. Besides, my favorite Carrick family jewels are already right here in our house.”

Shaking his head in laughter, he let out a little moan scooping his wife up in his arms.

“You see, MacTavish….”

“Uh, that's Carrick, thank you very much!”

“Oh, that’s right, that’s right! Give me some time, baby; it’s only been three months.”

“Mmmm.”

“But seriously,” he smiled. “This is why you’re my perfect match? I’d never want to be married to anyone but you.”

“Good, because you’re stuck with me!” She took his hand and placed it atop her swollen belly. “Well, with us.”  

“And that’s why I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

~~~~~

Casey rushed upstairs to finish preparing Tobias’s gifts while he gathered dessert. She put a red, heart-shaped box of candy on his nightstand and sat a teddy bear, wearing a pink t-shirt… just like hers… at her side. Then she hiked the front of that shirt up to under her breasts to expose the rest of his gift, finishing just as he walked in the door.

“What the….” Howling with laughter, Tobias needed to place the tray of desserts to the side.

“Please tell me you’re laughing because you think this is adorable, not ridiculous,” Casey asked with pleading eyes.

“Do you even have to ask ?” He slipped into bed at her side and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “So,” he put his hand over the big red heart she painted on her belly. “Is this my Valentine?”

Casey nodded impishly. “I’m making it just for you. Well, and for me, too. I’m making it for us… and your Mom… she’d kill me if I didn’t include her… and my parents but… but mostly you.”

“And it's the best gift you could ever give me.”

Leaning over to his side of the bed, he pulled up a bouquet of red roses and put them in her arms.

“I’m afraid my gift pales by comparison.”

“Nonsense! You know I love roses.”

“Hey, I got you chocolates too!” He beamed, offering her a large, fancy box.

“Even better,” she squealed, eyeing the teddy bear in his hands. “Oh! And you got me a teddy bear? I got you a teddy bear, too!”  

“Hey, slow down there, greedy,” he teased. “Don’t be so presumptive! The candy and flowers are for you, but this little guy, he’s a gift for our little girl.”

“We don’t know that it’s a girl.”

“I do!” he beamed.

Casey looked at the tiny brown bear holding a big red heart. “Aww… it says I love you! It’s perfect!”

“Do you want to give your bear to the baby, too?” he asked.

“Oh… oh, no…” she chortled, handing him his bear. “I don’t think that would be good.”

“I’m Horny!” Tobias exclaimed, his eyes crinkling as laughter echoed off the walls. “Really, Casey?”

“Well, I am! I mean, sure, we still do it more than the average American couple….” She started as her husband lowered his lips to her neck.

“That’s why people are so grumpy,” he breathed.

“I agree! But... we have been a little tired lately... with me pregnant and you never sleeping... so while we're still ahead of the average, we're not living up to our personal best, and that leaves me a little...."

Tobias stopped kissing her just long enough to answer. “Horny?”

“YES! But now you see why the baby can’t have this bear.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “We’re gonna pass on that."

He swopped back up and kissed her lips as he gently pushed her back onto the bed. Her hands moved up his muscular chest, then wrapped behind his neck as he eagerly explored her every curve. Relishing his touch, Casey tilted her head back with a faint whimper, which left her husband smiling with delight.

“You like that, baby?” he hissed.

“Mmmm….” was all she could manage.

“Then I think I have one more gift for you tonight.”

“Does it involve the family jewels?” Casey giggled.

“You better believe it!”

“YES!” She blurted, raising a fist in the air. 

Laughing uncontrollably, Tobias fell to her side and cupped her cheek in his hand.

“You know, the word ‘love’ doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what I feel for you.”

“And I feel the same way about you….” Casey purred. “Now, do I need to pull my bear out? Or are you going to give me that last gift you were speaking of?”

Tobias's eyes were bright as he slipped his hands under her shirt, eagerly pulling it over her head.

“With pleasure.”

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[leahseclipse]

Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you // S.H

Pairing: Steve Harrington x fem!reader

Warnings: light mentions of ST s1-s4 events

Summary: With the help of the kids, Steve secretly organised a proposal to you.

Word Count: 2.3k

A/N: just thought this would be cute 🤩👍 sorry if it's kinda long and bad 💀

Steve could not express how much stress he had been feeling the last few days, between trying not to get caught, not to seem too suspicious, make sure the kids would do the same, try to spend time with you so you wouldn't worry— he was a mess inside. 

But he didn't care.

He wanted to organize the most beautiful proposal he could do for you, he wanted you to remember it forever. 

So... he asked for help to the only people he knew: kids. Except for Robin, and Nancy, but they were outnumbered compared to these children. 

Besides, you liked them a lot. Steve thought that if you were to have any type of celebration, you'd want them here. They counted a lot for you two, you've known them ever since the incident that happened with Will— when you were in highschool with Jonathan.

And that's when you met the famous Steve Harrington. Famous was a good word to use, because he was. With his great hair, great face, personality and his 'keg king' title, who couldn't love this guy? 

As for you, you were just a sort of outcast, hanging out with Jonathan in the corner and developing pictures with him in the red room between classes, the kind of people no one would pay attention to— you two were considered freaks. But you never really mind, you were fine with this lifestyle. 

But people like Steve, Carol and Tommy would just have probably laughed at you, approaching them would only earn you a bullying session. 

Therefore, you just stayed there, watching him from a distance. Jonathan always told you to stay away from this 'jerk'. 

The first time you talked to him after those months of contemplation was at a party, Nancy had taken two extra flyers from a girl who was giving them out. She thought it would be nice for Jonathan and you to go and try to socialize a bit more. 

Jonathan was reluctant at first, but eventually agreed when you said it'd be nice.

When you had gotten out of his car, you immediately felt overwhelmed by the number of people in and out of the house. You knew that no one would look at you in this entire crowd, but somehow you were still convinced you'd look like a complete clown in there.

You weren't a party girl, just a nerd that hung out with kids at the science club, played DnD with them after school, or just looked over them when their parents were busy. You'd be laughed at if they knew you played the role of the babysitter with them.

You weren't embarrassed by it, even if they were younger, they were still nice to be with, but you didn't need to get bullied; so blending in with the walls at school was better than that.

By the time you had gone in and turned your head, Jonathan had already disappeared from your sight. This had either meant that he had decided to chicken out, or that a certain girl named Nancy had gone to have a  more-than-friendly chat with him. 

As you made a path through the crowd, and made your way towards the drinks, you suddenly tripped on your own feet, ending up in some guy's arms.

Lifting your head up, you were met with Steve's worried eyes.

"Hey, are you fine?" he asked. 

"Yeah, yeah, I am." you said, stepping away from his touch. "Thanks for... catching me, I'm sorry I almost took you with me in the fall. I wasn't drunk I just... tripped on my own feet." 

Steve smiled, "It's okay, there's a crap ton of people here."

"Yeah, a bit... too much. That's true." you admitted.

"Do you... want to go outside the street, then? It's less crowded. Just in case, you know. But if you want to stay here, then I can stay or you can... Yeah." he stopped himself from rambling any further, bringing his hand in his hair. 

"Outside is fine, if you don't mind. I wasn't supposed to come here to begin with. 

Nancy dragged me here." you confessed. 

"Outside it is, then." 

That was then that you saw a different side of Steve. Way different from the one you used to see from the end of the corridor when he was with Tommy and Carol.

He was actually a decent guy, polite and patient, and you actually felt... appreciated around him. You weren't a freak, or some weird girl, you were just... Y/N. 

He found interest in what you liked, even though he had no idea about it, and even insisted on walking you home when you had to go. 

You had left a note on Jonathan's windshield before continuing talking with Steve on your way home.

During the walk home, you discovered that you lived a few blocks away from each other, that you knew the same kids, and liked the same band! You were happy about it, but he was ecstatic. He was smiling to his ears, talking about all those kids, hanging out together later, and every single one of the band's songs.

Since that day, this side of Steve has become your favorite. You no longer wanted to be that shy girl in the corner, you wanted to be like you were when he was around.

Back at school, even when you saw him in the corridors with Tommy and Carol, you still approached him, whether they liked it or not.  When he wondered why they looked at you like that, you finally caved in and told him about when they used to bully you in middle school and whenever he wasn't around. 

Because of this, he stopped seeing them. He ripped the group pictures he had in his locker the next day, and put them back in their spot when they snickered at you in the corridor. 

Never in your life would you have thought that Steve would do that for you. From your side of the room, he seemed like the guy that would join them and laugh at you, but he was just a guy hanging with popular people, except he didn't have a superiority complex. 

It had taken some time for Jonathan to warm up to his presence due to their past fights, but after a 'man to man talk', they decided to be on good terms; and Nancy and you were actually happy that they decided to be friends after this.

As days, weeks and months went by, you slowly started to act like a couple, without even realizing it. You were hanging out at every occasion, going to the mall, going to each other's houses, all. the. time. 

You saw each other so often that your parents started to invite Steve for Dinner, almost treating him like their own kid. 

He even started to watch over the kids with you, they couldn't stop making smooching sounds and pretending to be you two when you happened to act a bit too close during conversations.

You scolded them for making fun of you, but deep inside, you did want to be with him. You wouldn't see yourself with any other guy. 

But when Valentine's Day came around, and you were met with deception when you didn't get a card, he was there, arms behind his back.

"Hey, can we... go somewhere private?" he said with a nervous tone, looking around. 

You nodded, to which he seemed reassured. You had followed him to an empty classroom, asking why he wanted to see you.

To your surprise, he pulled a tiny bouquet of red hued flowers, to which a card was tied to. 

Taking it from him with shaky hands, you slid the bouquet carefully against your chest as you opened the card, reading the words written on it: 'Will you be my valentine for this year, along with many other ones? Please?' 

Before he could even answer, you jumped in his arms, enthusiastic. 

'Of course I'll be your girlfriend, Steve Harrington.'

To this day, Steve has been the best boyfriend. When you didn't have classes together, he'd rush to your class at the end to walk you to the next and rant to you how long an hour without you was 'agonizingly painful'.

He always knew what to say to make you laugh, no matter the mood.

When highschool ended, you had originally planned to go to university, but… nothing was interesting. You didn't want to regret wasting years to not like it at the end.

But even if you had found a major you were interested in, you didn't want to have a long distance relationship. You knew you couldn't take it.

Turns out Steve hadn't planned to go either, for the same reason. 

So, you started working together with Robin, at the mall, all summer. That was a great advantage, you could be together all day, and Robin could have more breaks; to which she said: 'Praise whatever God for bringing them together, I get to work less. Thank you.' 

Robin had even set up a board to count the number of times customers flirted with him and you.

And then, there was the whole russian thing, the base, the monster and… the fire, all in a few days.

This wasn't how you had expected your summer to end, but at least you made it out alive.

To the present day, you started working at Family Video, still with Robin and Steve, as always; and your relationship was still going as strong as ever. 

Years went by, and the day eventually came. Steve had decided to propose.

He asked for the help of the kids, along with Nancy, Robin and Eddie— the kids's newest pal, and got to work, during weeks, planning everything out, making sure everyone knew what they had to do.

Dustin and Lucas were on standby, waiting for you to get off work and lead you to Nancy's place.

Max and Mike had to come to the store in the morning to announce that Steve couldn't come to work that day, trying to come up with all of the excuses they could to refrain you from trying to reach him or go to his house. You didn't ask for Robin, as you knew it was her day off.

As for Eddie, Nancy, Robin and Steve, they were since early morning at the Wheeler residence to go over the plan, keeping touch with everyone to make sure nothing had gone wrong.

At the end of the day, you closed the store with a sad feeling. You haven't been able to see him all day, it felt weird and lonely without him in there. When you had reached the car, you didn't even play music, Steve wasn't there to scream along.

Your first thought was to drive to this house, figure out what was going on. He was probably sick and was too ashamed to say that to the kids, that happens sometimes, when people don't like to be taken care of. Although, just as you were able to drive down, your radio had made a noise.

Perhaps it was him.

'Y/N? It's Dustin, do you copy?' 

'I do. What's going on?'

'Can you come to Nancy's house like… as soon as possible?'

'Is there something wrong? Did something happen to Steve? I haven't seen him since yesterday.'

'He's probably…. Sick, Max told you, this morning. I'm sure he's fine, don't worry. Can you come though? Are you free?'

'Uh… I mean, I can. I'll probably be there in about 10 minutes, is that fine?'

'It's perfect. See you there. Over.'

All of this was oddly suspicious, Steve not being there, not sending any radio transmission but the kids instead. You trusted him, so never would you have thought he was cheating, the kids wouldn't even have come to try to hide it, they would have come to tell you they needed your help to kill him instead.

As you drove near the place and finished walking to get there, Dustin and Lucas were near the house, waving their arms at you. They lead you inside the oddly quiet house that was usually filled with the sound of toys, the scent of food and the snoring of Nancy's father.

But this time it was empty. 

When you reached the living room, the lights lit up, revealing Steve, standing in the middle around a bunch of valentine's day themed decorations, along with pictures you immediately recognized from all your dates.

Steve was the first to react when you entered, smiling at you fondly. You stepped further in while looking around you, completely speechless.

"I'm sorry if I got you worried all day. I had to keep this a secret." Steve said, bringing back your attention to him.

"You… bet I was worried. It's not like you to not come to work."

"Yeah. Not me." He said, taking your hands when you arrived in front of him. "I wanted this to be special, though. It's… our four, and a half years anniversary, soon, and I thought this would be the right time." He paused, before his hand reached my cheek. "Since I saw you that day… at the party, I knew you were a great girl. I never thought I would have had the chance to be your friend, then your boyfriend, up to this day. You've… made me happy in a way no one has ever made me before. So…" he said, taking his hand off my cheek as he got down on one knee, to which I let out a gasp. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me, Y/N Y/L/N?" He asked, holding a box containing a ring in his hand.

You let out a choked sob, "Of course I'll marry you." as he got up, sliding the ring on your finger. Immediately, you wrapped your arms around his neck, crying uncontrollably.

After that, everyone came running from the stairs, congratulating the both of you. Words couldn't describe how much you loved Steve at this moment.

You were going to spend the rest of your life with him, you couldn't be happier.