#HER TAKING PICTURES OF ME SLEEPING ON HER BED TUCKED UNDER A FLUFFY BLANKET SURROUNDED BY STUFFED ANIMALS

[yamikawas]

btw yoomtah already has several recordings of you singing. and talking. and breathing. and sleeping. one time you mumbled in your sleep and she replayed it for about 3 hours straight.

THAT IS LITERALLY SO CUTE OF HER IM GOING TO SCREAM OH MY GOD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!SHE CAN RECORD ME AND LISTEN TO ME AS MUCH AS SHE WANTS IVE ALSO ALREADY LISTENED TO THE FIRST CLIP OF HER VOICE ON LOOP FOR HOURS SO<3<3<3<3<3<<3<3<3<33333<3<<3<3<3<3<3<3<<<3<3<3<3<3

[2-cute-4-school]

𝚗𝚌𝚝 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚌𝚞𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚢, 𝚎𝚡𝚑𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚜/𝚘

a/n: hiiiii so i decided to make this a 2in1 reaction; basically i just put together 2 of my requests that were *in my opinion* closely related. hope y’all don’t mind and enjoy!! ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅

requested by annonies: ‘Hey.. could you please do nct dream reaction to s/o having high fever and just wants cuddls? 🥺 like how would they take care of them.. make it fluffy please.’ & ‘nct dream reaction to their s/o being EXTREMELY tired and then like ummmmm cuddling and stuff maybe?? *uwuing in the distance*’

Mark Lee

okay but just imagine this (๑◕︵◕๑)

cuddle sessions when you’re both stretched thin and overworked

even though we all know he isn’t big on skinship i think he would throw all reticence out the window when it’s crystal clear that you both NEED each other ꒰๑˃͈꒳˂͈๑꒱ﾉ*ﾞ̥

so you just crawl under the bankets into his arms and you both just lay together in silence just enjoying each other’s presence

bonus points if he runs his hand through your hair and you trace shapes with the pads of your fingers on his skin (´,,•ω•,,)♡

it would probaby take a couple of lazy kisses and if you’re really really soft he might just hum some song lowly in your ear

just a lil heads up:

you ain’t getting out of his arms ‘til next morning so better hope you peed beforehand and have a bottle of water in reach (ಠ‿↼)

the only thing that would make him get up without a second thought?

if you’re feverish because of your exhaustion

his worry wouldn’t allow him to settle down until he’s 110% sure he made everything in his power to keep you comfortable 

“cold towels, water, painkillers just in case, is there anything i’m forgetting? babe, should i make you some tea-”

“mark, you know what would make me feel SO much better?”

“huh?” ｢(ﾟ<ﾟ)ﾞ??

“CUDDLES, BABE, CUDDLES!!” (╬ Ò ‸ Ó)

you don’t have to say that twice, your man is tucking you into his side in an instant flash ain’t got nothing on mark, he’s a man on a mission

he’ll try to stay awake long enough to make sure you’ve fallen asleep properly since he knows your fever won’t go away without proper rest

might hover over you the next morning too!! ( ≧Д≦)

Huang Renjun

this boy would FRET like CONSTANTLY

especially if you develop a fever 

he keeps piling up a lot of stuff in your room, anything he deems would be potentially helpful at some point is surrounding your bed

“jun, why tf is a cactus on my nightstand?” Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)

“what if haechan walks through the door?”

“... understandable” ¯\_( ◉ 3 ◉ )_/¯

your room looks like a deposit at this point and you’ve tried to drag him to bed more times than you can count

but he’s restless ༼ ಥ ‿ ಥ ༽

until your frustration topples over and you’re on the verge of tears as you ask him for ✨cuddles ✨

he might actually feel bad for not joining you earlier so he’s gonna be EXTRA soft with you enjoy it while you can

he’s gonna pepper kisses all over you as he encases you in his lil arms and nuzzles his face into the crown of your head (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ )

he’s ready to offer free massages or head scratches!!!! LIMITED OFFER DON’T MISS OUT!!!

also he’s ready for literally anything

fever? medicine and wet towels nearby. thirst? 4 bottles of water AND gatorade. hunger? your favourite take out is waiting. any intruders? cactus is right by his hand. cuddles? CUDDLES!!!!! (۶* ‘ꆚ’)۶”

i think he’ll probably stay up even after you fell asleep, reading about how exhaustion affects one’s body and how to help i just think he’s a really wholesome person despite his all ‘don’t talk to him he angy’ character

but he’s still SO attentive to you!!

he’s down to anything that would make you feel better and if that means 20 hours of non stop cuddling so be it (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

Lee Jeno

i think he’d be REALLY clingy with you even in normal circumstances kind of like how he’s with mark ya know

so your affected well-being will just give him an extra reason to evolve to his ULTIMATE LEVEL OF PHYSICAL AFFECTION◝( ′ㅂ`)و ̑̑

he won’t let you lift A FINGER

my man is cuddling you even while standing up (灬 ♡ ω ♡ 灬)

he’s also going to insist on carrying you anywhere even if it’s just from the bed to the bathroom this boi is strong you have no excuse to shy away from him he won’t let you

you have no chance at escaping him btw his arms are made of iron when it comes to cuddles good luck prying them off you

and even though he’s clearly focusing on your requested cuddles, he’ll ask you from time to time if you need anything, how you’re feeling, if you’re comfortable

lowkey uses the excuse of checking your temperature to give you endless forehead kithes cuz he can (*＾∀ﾟ)ъ

he also becomes kind of hyperaware of every little move you make

you shiver? he’s cocooning you in yet another blanket. you’re becoming restless? he adjusts your cuddling position until you’re fully comfortable.

NOTHING gets past him ┌༼ σ ‸ σ ༽┐

idk why but i have a hunch that jeno sleeps like a rock

so if he happens to fall asleep too and you need to get up? pfft yeah sure better call for a crane to lift you up from the bed  ૮( ᵒ̌ૢꇴᵒ̌ૢ )ა｡

he’s also going to be EXTREMELY cranky if anyone dares interrupt your extended cuddle session this is strictly ‘only y/n and jeno time’

he might also entertain you with a few pictures of his cats if you’re feeling soft or ugly pictures of his members if you need a good laugh

would totally recommend leaving yourself in jeno’s care!! ♡(.◜ω◝.)♡

Lee Haechan

he would LIVE for your cuddle sessions (●♡∀♡))

despite that, he WOULDN’T STAND you being uncomfortable for a single second if he can do something against that

i think he’s the type of person who wouldn’t leave even the smallest of papercuts untreated when it comes to his partner so exhaustion? fever? yeah no. frickin. way. ┐(;Ծ⌓Ծ;)┌

and after he’s absolutely sure he has everything you might need nearby and put a cold cloth on your forehead and made sure you were hydrated and well fed

he finally climbs into bed with you and just SMOTHERS the shite outta you i’m not even kidding ꒰๑*´ᗜ`*꒱*›◡‹꒱꒱

he’s full on *leech mode*, kisses and nuzzles and gentle caresses

and best part of the package? this man is a walking spotify premium!!

you get to choose whatever song you want and switch with no ads and he has no complaints since his payment is already made in cuddles

you thought this was the end of it?? SIKE

also an entertainment king!!  ୧༼✿ ͡◕ д ◕͡ ༽୨

we all know he probably has shit on all of the members and he’s not shy to do some harmless story telling to put you in a good mood

so just imagine and try coming up with anything better

sleepy you engulfed in the sunshine himself’s arms, tightly cradled against him with his soothing honey voice murmuring and humming to you and only you ˭̡̞(◞⁎˃ᆺ˂)◞*✰

his protective side might surface too btw

no one is allowed near you and if someone somehow managed to bother you? oh hell naw  🙃

now they’re on hyuck’s black list good luck mate

his babie gets the royalty treatment in those times guaranteed

Na Jaemin

he’s a doting boyfriend either way i think we can all agree on that

but you clinging to him and asking for cuddles? you not feeling well?

yeah not on his watch mother hen in action part the sea (ﾉ･ｪ･)ﾉ

i don’t think he’d panic tho, his only struggle would be postponing the cuddles you’re asking for while he prepares something to eat and a tea and fluffs up the pillows and blankets he’s gathered (oꆤ︵ꆤo)

but once he’s done?

yeah you’re bundled in a mountain of softness and most importantly? our cuddle bug jaemin (♡ >ω< ♡)

he’ll keep you propped up against his chest while he feeds you himself, proper care is something unskippable in his agenda

but after that any cuddling position is FREE REAL ESTATE!!

anything his baby wants, his baby gets ෆ╹ .̮ ╹ෆ

but for the sake of his mental stability he’d prefer to be in a position from where he can see you

boi is too worried to let you out of his sight so he’s aiming to be the big spoon or facing you directly 三 ( ◜◡‾)っ)⁰▿⁰)

he’ll help you fall asleep in any way he can

he’ll caress your back, your arms, he’ll softly massage your neck and shoulders, he has a playlist ready for sleepy moods

he is PREPARED ٩(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و

he checks your temperature every so often and he grumbles with a pout if it doesn’t seem to be going down

but if it comes down to it he won’t hesitate to ask someone to bring some medicine and if your exhaustion and/or fever doesn’t relent he’ll insist on getting checked by a doctor

it would break his heart to see you so weak and no ammount of cuddles could repair it until he sees you up and healthy again (◕⌓◕;)

but he’ll do all the pampering in the world so don’t worry

Zhong Chenle

i think he would hesitate at first but only because he’s kinda scared he’ll only make it worse and he WOULDN’T want that ( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

eventually i guess he’d step out to call his mum for help before he pulls some bull like ‘let’s do some math it’s gonna be fun’ and you lose your shit like no thanks fam i wanna live (┛ಠДಠ)┛彡┻━┻

he’ll listen RELIGIOUSLY to his mum’s advice 

makes you some chamomile exactly how you like it, probably pulls together something small to eat but won’t force you

what he will force you to take is some medicine you ain’t dying on his watch (๑･`▱´･๑)

and most importantly... DAEGAL CUDDLES!!!! imagine getting to cuddle every nctzen’s bias

he might get *a little* jelly tho if you pay too much attention to her tho

so he makes up some dumb excuse about dog hair aggravating your fever or some dubious other reason why you have to let go of his puppy and cuddle HIM!! ೕ(•̀ᴗ•́)

he’ll do that cute thing where he leans his forehead against yours to check your temperature he has to be extra until the end

and before you go to sleep he’ll  try to prod at you to tell him what caused you to be so exhausted that you developed a fever might nag at you too about how unheathy it is to let it get to that point

he just wants to help okay? baby is worried in his own way ( •́ ∧ •̀ )

if there’s ANYTHING he can do to help consider it done by the time you wake up he’ll ALWAYS go an extra mile for you

and chenle wants to make sure you are aware of that and can lean on him so it never gets to this point again

but for the time being... it’s cuddles and relaxation time!! ✧(๑✪д✪)۶

better believe he’s already preparing a spa day for both of you to enjoy like the  ✨spicy ✨ bitches you are

Park Jisung

his heartbeat accelerates

and unfortunately it’s not because he’s flustered shame (#ﾟﾛﾟ#)

his only thought when he sees you with bag under your eyes and a cold wet cloth on your forehead is ‘shit, they’re dying wait no censor the first part i can’t get my mouth washed with soap but... poop, they’re dying’

ONE step away from calling for an ambulance or morgue in his mind

he SWEARS he’ll let you teach him how to ride a bycicle as long as you get out of this safe and sound (╬⁽⁽ ⁰ ⁾⁾ Д ⁽⁽ ⁰ ⁾⁾)

he’s a bit of a mess, but he’s your cute mess

it would take *quite* a bit of reassurance that you’re going to be fine after a good night’s sleep and some jisung time for him to somewhat relax

his cheeks will flush once he curls himself around your form no matter how many times you’ve cuddled before

but once you sigh blissfully once he wraps his arms around you, it’s game over for him ε=(｡♡ˇд ˇ♡｡）

he MELTS against you

he’ll caress your head and gently scratch your scalp, lays kisses on your cheeks/forehead/crown of your head

but he will also fret every time you toss and turn or you make any sound that seems ‘distressed’ to him

we all know he can sleep anywhere under a frickin carpet so he won’t have any problems adjusting to whatever works for you since all that matters to him atm is that you’re comfortable (♡ >ω< ♡)

he just wants you to get better faster

he’ll talk to you in a hushed voice, encouraging and praising you and assuring you that once you’re all better he’ll help you with whatever you need and EVERYTHING will be well in the end ٩(ó｡ò۶ ♡)

he’s a senstitive person so he just wants to be there for you in any shape and form he can be

[lilred8220]

Sleeping Beauty

No one asked for this but, I did it anyway. I was wondering what the brothers would do if they found Maya asleep on the couch. And I could stop thinking about it so here we are. I hope you enjoy!

Having been hard at work studying at R.A.D., all the misadventures throughout the day and dealing with the brothers 24/7, Maya desperately needed a break. 

She was in the living room as it was probably the first time in…well…ever that she was able to have a moment to herself. As much as she would love to do anything with her free time from all the chaos, frankly, she was tired. 

Just a quick shut eye. Then I'll be able to spend some time by myself. Is what she told herself. However, she didn't quite realize just how exhausted she truly was. The moment she laid down on the couch, she pretty much crashed. Falling asleep on the spot. And a certain demon eventually found the little sleeping human. 

Lucifer

He had just come back home from a meeting with Diavolo. He was walking down the hallway to his office to finish some paperwork when he noticed a figure asleep on the couch. He sighs, thinking it was Belphie, as he quite often sleeps there. He walked over to scold his brother for sleeping there but he was surprised to find not Belphie but Maya instead. 

At first, he couldn't understand why she was sleeping there. Surely, if she was tired, she would go to her room. But, then after thinking about it, with everything on her plate, plus his brothers constantly dragging her around, it made perfect sense. 

So, he decided to leave her, however, he takes off the coat around his shoulders to cover her, not wanting her to catch a cold. 

She suddenly twitched by the new feeling and he took a step back, fearing he woke her up. Only for his heart to skip a beat or two when she curled up happily in his coat, accepting the new found warmth. 

Maya. What are you doing to me? Why must you look so innocent and pure? Why do you have this effect on me? Is what he wonders to himself as he leaves, closing the living room off, casting a spell so that none of his brothers enter the room and bother her.

When Maya wakes up, finding Lucifer's coat on her and has slept much longer than she planned. 

Welp, at least I got a good nap. She thought as she got up. She took Lucifer's coat and kept it clung to herself, not ready to leave it's warmth and made her way to Lucifer's office to thank him.

When Lucifer saw her all bundled up in his coat, his pen fell from his hand. He almost stopped functioning. Almost. He quickly composed himself as Maya thanked him. She returned his coat and left soon after. He was very prideful as he put his coat back over his shoulders, his coat now covered in her scent.

Mammon

"Oi! Maya! Where are ya!?" Mammon yelled out. 

He had gone straight to her room when he got home but she wasn't there. He looked all around the house before finally making his way to the living room. 

"Maya! Are ya in-!…here…" He quickly cuts himself off, seeing Maya fast asleep on the couch. He carefully walks over to her and crouches down. He goes to wake her up then stops. He was suddenly mesmerized by the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes, the way her face is so very peaceful, her parted lips…he shakes his head, clearing his thoughts before they could go any further. 

"...Ok then…" He says, before very, very carefully putting his arms under her and lifting her up. "I swear, human. What would ya do without me?"

He quickly takes Maya back to her room and puts her in the bed, tucking her in. She cooed happily in her sleep as she snuggled up in the bed. Mammon's face lit up as he watched her. 

This Human. This very human right here. She has shown me so much kindness and compassion that I've long forgotten. Defending me when no one else will. I hope I can do much more for ya as ya have for me, my precious human. He promises to himself as a small smile grows on his face. He turns to leave but stops. 

"Well…I guess, I can't just leave you here. One of my brothers is gonna come and bother ya one way or another…" Is what he tells himself as he plops down on his rightful spot on the floor next to the bed. 

When Maya wakes up, she looks around in groggy confusion. 

How did I end up in my room? She thinks to herself. However, she sees the white haired demon sitting, his back towards her. She looks at him, seeing as he had fallen asleep. She chuckles as she quickly puts one and two together. 

I'll have to thank him later. Maya makes a mental note to herself. She leans down and places a kiss on top of her guardian's head. A smile plastered on his face afterward as his dreams filled with him and her together. 

Levi

Levi had gotten home, ecstatic as he had just gotten a new limited edition Ruri-chan figurine and wanted to show Maya his new prized possession. However, when he didn't find her in her room, he was slightly confused. He looked around before finally finding her in the living room. He froze in place. His face turning bright red and his heart started pounding in his chest. 

"M-moe…" Was all he could manage to say. He watches her sleeping peacefully for a minute when she suddenly curls up a bit, getting a bit cold. 

"Oh! U-uhh…" Levi suddenly snaps out of whatever spell he's in. He quickly hurries up to his room, puts his figurine away and grabs his Ruri-chan blanket. He makes his way back to Maya and carefully puts his blanket on her. 

She hummed in approval as she clung to the blanket. Levi damn near fainted at the sight from how cute she is right now. 

How can she be so moe right now? This is like straight out of an anime! Even though I'm just a yucky otaku, I somehow have the best luck to get to see this! I hope I get to see this again…He thinks to himself as he snaps a few pictures of Maya. Levi wasn't sure if he'd ever get the chance to see this again, so he'd like to save the memory of it. 

When Maya wakes up, she finds herself with Levi's blanket and smiles. 

Well, I slept longer than I wanted but I got Levi's fluffy blanket now. She thinks before heading to Levi's room to thank him. 

After knocking and saying the secret phrase, Levi let her in and showed her his new figurine. She listened happily, eventually thanking him for letting him use his blanket and tried to return it. 

Levi's face turns red, "U-uhh…I know y-you probably don't want a-anything thing that belongs to a s-shut-in otaku like me b-but…you can k-keep it…i-if you want…"

Satan

Satan had just returned from the library, a stack of books in his hands. He had planned to spend the day reading all the books he got in the living room however, his plans were interrupted by Maya sleeping on the couch. 

He chuckles as he sets his books down on the table nearby. He leaves the room for a moment and comes back with a blanket to cover Maya up. He took a seat in a chair next to the couch and started to read his pile of books. 

Maya stretched, making a cute little noise and she held the blanket close to herself. Satan, fortunately, was able to see this and a blush spread across his face. 

The way she stretched and that little noise…was like a little kitten! How is she able to be so feisty and lively yet, look so cute and innocent? I wonder how she'll be like when we're alone together…he ponders as he tries to put his focus back on his book. 

When Maya wakes up, she finds Satan reading, what she could guess was his third book in a large pile of books next to him. 

How long has he been here for? She thinks as she slowly sits up. 

"Seems you're finally awake." Satan says, not taking his eyes off the book. 

Maya thanks him for bringing her a blanket and gives him a hug. She goes to leave but Satan grabs her hand. 

"If you don't mind Maya, could you keep me company for a while longer? I wanted to tell you about this book I've been reading."

Asmo

Asmo had just come back from a huge shopping trip, tons of shopping bags on each arm. As he went to the living room to adjust all his bags for the trip to his room, he saw Maya sleeping on the couch. 

He had to stop himself from squealing from how adorable she was being. Despite that, the couch was no place to sleep. So he quickly put all his bags away and came back to take Maya to his room, the only place where she'd get the best sleep, for sure. Though he's never one to carry anyone, he'd easily make an exception for Maya. 

When he picked her up, she cuddled up to him with a smile on her face. Asmo's heart fluttered at the sight. 

How could she be any more precious then she is right now! She might even rival me in beauty! If only I could hold her like this when she's awake! I'd love to cuddle her all day long! Asmo thinks as he hums a little tune, laying her down and tucking her in his bed. 

When Maya wakes up, she's very confused by her new pink surroundings. 

Am…Am I in Asmo's room? She thinks as she sits up. 

Asmo, who was looking at his vanity fixing his hair, sees Maya through the mirror and makes his way over to her. 

"Oh Maya~! I see you're finally awake from your beauty sleep~!" Asmo sings happily. 

Maya giggles and thanks Asmo for letting her sleep in his room. As she gets up, she sees the pile of shopping bags and asks about them. Asmo's eyes lit up as he told her all about his latest shopping spree. 

Asmo proceeds to give Maya a fashion show of all of the new clothes that he bought earlier today. 

Beel

Beel had just finished his Fangol practice when he got home. He had raided the fridge and went to walk to the living room to finish the pile of food he had gotten. That's when he sees Maya fast asleep on the couch. 

He was a bit confused why she was asleep there however, he didn't think too much of it. As he would with Belphie, he set all his food down and slowly yet, quite easily picks her up. 

He very carefully takes her to her room, realizing just how small she really was to his large frame. Once he's in her room, he goes to ease her in the bed and tuck her in. 

But when he went to put her down, she stirred in her sleep, clinging to Beel and not wanting to let go. Beel feels his heart and stomach fill up. 

Does she want to stay with me? Does she want me to join her? Even if she's really small, she fits in my arms perfectly. I feel hungry but not for food but for something…sweeter. He smiles happily, gently goes to bed with her, holding her close to him as he falls asleep with her. 

When Maya wakes up, she takes a moment to realize that Beel was holding her so sweetly.

He's just as gentle with me asleep as he is awake, huh. She thinks, a blush spreads across her face. 

She definitely was going to thank him later but, the sound for Beel's stomach rang in her ears. Signaling her that he'll wake up soon. 

He wakes up and after shy hellos, they both make their way back to the living room to retrieve the food that was left behind.

Belphie

Belphie got home from R.A.D. and was looking for his favorite pillow. It wasn't in the attic like he thought it was and he was grumbling while wrapped in a blanket the whole time looking for it. He eventually found it…and Maya was using it as she was taking a nap. 

He watches her for a minute and slowly walks over to her. How he really wants to take his pillow back but, he doesn't bring himself to wake her up. Sleep is his sin, after all. With sleep threatening to take him, he eases himself on the couch, leading Maya to lay on his chest as he managed to do many times in the past.

He took a minute to adjust to each other so that it was comfortable for the both of them. Once that's done, he covers themselves with the blanket that he had and sighed in relief, closing his eyes to sleep. 

Maya cuddles up to Belphie, a happy sigh slips past her lips. Belphie opens one of his eyes, a gentle smile appearing on his face. 

Has she truly forgiven me? Does she feel safe with me now? Even after everything I've done? She truly is more pure then any and all angels in the Celestial Realm, huh? He chuckles as he finally let's sleep take him over and his dreams fill up with his pure human. 

When Maya wakes up, she finds Belphie snuggled up to her, asleep as always. 

How does he manage to move me so much and not wake me up? She thinks as she had to be shifted significantly to be in the position they're in now. 

She giggles lightly as she knows how this is gonna end up. She'll try to get up but Belphie will hold on to her tighter, to not let her go. Eventually, she'll end up falling back asleep, at least, until Beel or one of the other brothers comes to wake us both up. 

I'll thank him later. Another nap wouldn't hurt, right? She tells herself, letting sleep take her back into her dreams. 

If you made this far, thanks for reading ❤

[haveanotherkpopblog]

Early Morning Sunlight

Part of the Intimacy Anthology Project

Pairing: Do Kyungsoo x OC

Genre: Fluff, Single Parent!AU

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: Vomit, Sexual Situations

Summary: Kyungsoo and his girlfriend have an unexpected interruption early in the morning.

The rays of early morning sunlight filtered through the window of a tiny apartment and into an even tinier bedroom. Soft, quiet breathing filled the small room. Two figures laid on the bed in peaceful slumber, wrapped in fluffy, white blankets. Their limbs were tangled together.

Kyungsoo took a deep breath, eyes fluttering open. He squinted slightly, turning his head away from the early morning sunlight as it warmed his face. He turned to gaze upon the sleeping figure that laid beside him, still fast asleep. His girlfriend of two years now, Zhao Meilin, had her face pushed against the pillow, her dark locks falling across her face and onto the pillow.

The early morning sunlight grazed the edges of her face, casting an angelic glow around her. Her sharp features cast defined shadows over her face. Despite this, her face was relaxed. Here, in his arms, in the early hours of the morning, she seemed at complete peace. Her chest rose and fell slowly with each breath she took.

Kyungsoo gently moved her hair from her face, memorising every feature on her face. His eyes traced over the curve of her brow,  to the edge of her cheekbones. From her sharp nose, smooth jawline, and plump lips. Not as plump as his of course, but damn near close.

He brought a hand up to her face, gingerly running a finger along her features. She shifted slightly but didn’t wake. He paused at her mouth, taking in the dip of her cupid’s bow, the slight curl at the corners of her mouth, the faint cracks etched into her lips.

He let his eyes fall shut, reminiscing the feeling of her lips against his. The quick pecks they shared while she stood in the kitchen, preparing for work as he left in a hurry to get to the studio. The sweet, innocent kisses they shared on their private dates, usually in a small town or even a different country if time allowed it. The lingering kisses at her door right before he went away on tour, spending torturous months away from each other. Long make out sessions from his return, arms wrapped around each other as they re-explored their mouths. Hot, wet, frenzied kisses shared in the dark of night, their limbs a tangled mess as whispered praises filled each other’s ears.

He smirked at the memory, dragging his bottom lip through his teeth. He opened his eyes again, staring down at her sleeping form with a darkened gaze, staring at her sleeping form, hidden beneath an unnecessary amount of blankets. He could picture her body perfectly, curled slightly from being held by him the night prior. He knew every dip and curve of her body. God knew how many nights he had spent memorising everything about her.

He let his finger gently brush against her bottom lip, watching as it dipped slightly from the pressure of his thumb. Meilin slowly began to stir from her deep slumber. She scrunched her face, carefully opening one eye. The sun had shifted in the sky and now cast its rays over her face completely, warming her face. She slowly blinked both eyes open, inhaling deeply as she became aware of her surroundings. A soft smile graced her lips as her eyes met those of her handsome boyfriend.

“Good morning Baobei. What has you up so early?” she inquired, tucking her arm under her head. He smiled back, moving to rest his head in his hand.

“Just admiring your beauty, Jagiya,” he replied, using his free hand to rub her side. She hummed, letting her eyes close briefly. He smiled down at her, letting the tips of his fingers ghost her sides. When she opened her eyes again, she was staring up at her boyfriend with an amused smirk.

“Promise me you aren’t going Edward Cullen on me and watching me sleep.” He rolled his eyes as he let out a soft chuckle, his deep voice reverberating off the bedroom walls. Meilin bit the inside of her cheek, quite enjoying the sound of Kyungsoo’s deep, gravely voice this early in the morning.

“None of that. I promise,” he assured her. He brought his hand up to her face, gently cupping it as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “No, I was simply admiring my beautiful girlfriend in the early morning sunlight.” She raised a brow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

“Oh are you now? And what, praytell, makes her so beautiful this early in the morning?” It was Kyungsoo’s turn to smirk. If there was one thing about Meilin that simultaneously pissed him off and turned him off was her ability to turn everything into a debate. And defending his compliments of her always lead to a sweet reward for the both of them.

“Well, let’s start with the fact that she has an astounding glow around her, courtesy of the sun of course.”

“Naturally.”

“She looks so beautiful, every time I look at her, I’m sure I’ve died and gone to heaven,” he said. She blushed slightly, turning her head away to try and hide it. Sensing the challenge before him, Kyungsoo moved so he was hovering over her. “If that’s not specific enough I could go into more detail. Like, I could tell you about her eyes.” She glanced up at him, a condescending look on her face.

“You can’t see my eyes when they’re closed,” she taunted. He nodded his head in agreement, moving closer. He smirked before kissing the top of her jaw, right below her ear.

“No, but I can imagine them. I can imagine how they seem to glow in the light and how dark they can get when you’re mad… or horny.” He nipped at her earlobe, earning a shudder from her. He reached his hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, slowly dragging his finger down the side of her face as he continued talking. “I like imagining them staring up at me with such an innocent, yet provocative, gaze. But it’s even better when your mouth is doing something else.” She bit her lip, thought focused on his hand traveling down her face and his sinful words.

“Oh really now? What do I do with my mouth that you like so much?” Meilin inquired. She kept her gaze steady to his despite her heart beating erratically in her chest. Kyungsoo moved closer, his chest almost pressing against hers. He leant down, whispering his love for her mouth right into her ear. His breath fanned across the side of her face, only adding to the heat of her body.

 “I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of her mouth pressed against mine,” he said when he pulled away slightly.

“And why would that be?” Despite her heavy breathing and her heart pounding in her chest and her head feeling slightly dizzy, her voice was calm and steady.

Instead of answering, Kyungsoo pressed his lips to hers, gently kissing her. Meilin immediately responded, her eyes falling shut as she savored the sweet, early morning kiss. His hand went to cradle her face, bringing them closer together. She reached under his arms, gripping onto his shoulders. One of her legs slid around his torso as he trailed his mouth from her lips, up her jaw and down the length of her neck. His hand gripped her thigh tightly as he left chaste kisses all over her. She squirmed beneath his gentle kisses, her body arching and jolting with each touch.

“Stop teasing,” she whined. Her voice was soft and airy. He hummed in response, but did not stop his gentle attack. He kissed his way back to her mouth, pressing three quick kisses to her mouth. He smiled to himself as she began to giggle softly. “You can be so annoying.”

“I’ll be more than happy to mke it up to you,” he murmured. He watched with pleasure as her eyes began to darken. She hummed, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. She paused, eyes glazing over as she thought to herself.

“What about the kids?” Kyungsoo glanced over at the clock. It was five-forty-five in the morning. He shook his head.

“They’re still asleep. They won’t be up for almost another hour. And as long as you stay quiet, there shouldn’t be a problem.” She quirked a brow, a smirk coming onto her face.

“Is that a challenge?” Instead of answering, he began to leave wet, open mouthed kisses down her neck. She let out a quiet moan, her body relaxing under his touch. His hands traveled down her body to once again map out the body he knew so well.

“Mama.” Kyungsoo paused his movements, briefly closing his eyes. He knew he’d jinxed their morning together. He shuffled around so he was back to laying next to Meilin. They poked their heads out from under the covers, looking over to the door that had been quietly pushed open. Meizhen, Meilin’s five-year-old daughter, stood at the door, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Qianjin, what’s wrong?” Meilin slid out of bed, making her way to her daughter’s side. Meizhen turned to Meilin. She didn’t say anything, but she squinted, blinking rapidly. She crouched down, moving Meizhen’s hair away from her face. “Meizhen?”

Before she could say anything, Meizhen scrunched her body up and proceeded to projectile vomit all over Meilin. Kyungsoo’s mouth fell open as his eyes almost popped out of his head. Meilin closed her eyes, her jaw clenching. Meizhen began crying, lip quivering as she stared at her mother. Kyungsoo clambered out of bed, moving to carefully pull Meizhen away without being near the vomit.

“I’ll take care of Meizhen. You go clean up Jagi,” Kyungsoo said. Meilin didn’t say anything. She simply nodded, standing up and heading to the bathroom. Kyungsoo scooped Meizhen up, holding her to his chest as he made his way to the kitchen. He set her next to the sink, in case she had to throw up again. He found the thermometer and carefully took her temperature. She definitely had a fever.

He picked her up again and went to her room. She rested her head on his shoulder wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. He carefully laid her in her bed, placing a bin next to her. He moved her hair away from her face. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“Get some rest, Meizhen. You’ll be fine in a few hours.” She nodded, curling into a ball and closing her eyes.

Kyungsoo headed back towards the kitchen. It wouldn’t be long before Meilin’s roommates and her sons would wake up. He began making breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast, coffee for the roommates and juice for Sheng and Jinhai, Meilin’s sons. As it simmered in the pan, he went to set the table.  He wouldn’t be able to join them since he had to head to work, but he would make sure everyone had a good, healthy breakfast.

“What’s all this?” Meilin was leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest. Her hair was still wet from her shower, tiny droplets falling onto the exposed skin of her chest and down into her tank top. She had a smirk on her lips, her brows raised. Kyungsoo turned towards the stove, tearing his eyes away from her glistening skin.

“I thought you’d all like breakfast,” he said, flipping the bacon over. He listened as meilin padded across the kitchen. He felt her arms wrap around his torso as she rested her head on his shoulder. They were quiet for a few moments, savoring each other’s presence. The sizzling of the bacon and their light breathing filled the room.

“You know, you’re absolutely amazing,” she whispered. He smiled to himself, focusing on not burning the eggs as he fought off a blush.

“I didn’t realize being able to cook would have won you over so easily.,” he said. She rolled her eyes, giving his shoulder a tap as her own smirk played onto her lips.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “I don’t know many men who would help take care of a child that wasn’t theirs. Especially since we aren’t married. And while I do love your cooking, it’s the fact you thought to cook even though you won’t get to eat it. You’re thoughtful, kind, caring and, well, amazing.”

Kyungsoo bit the inside of his bottom lip and willed himself not to blush. He removed breakfast from the stove, setting it back to cool. He turned the stove off and turned around, wrapping his arms round Meilin. She was staring up at him with so much love and adoration in her eyes, he thought he’d melt from her gaze.

“You know I would do almost anything for you. You, Sheng, Meizhen, and Jinhai. I love you guys. I love you.” Meilin’s smirk melted into a foolish grin. She tilted her head up, capturing his mouth in a sweet, giggly kiss.

“I love you too.” She kissed him again, hugging him as tight as possible.

“Ew! Kissing!” They broke apart as Sheng entered the kitchen. Jinhai came waddling in after him, his hair sticking up in a million different places. Sheng scrunched his nose, sticking his tongue out. Kyungsoo and Meilin chuckled as her roommates filed in, each taking a seat at the table.

“Go get ready. I’ll serve breakfast.” Kyungsoo nodded and disappeared to get ready for work. He checked on Meizhen before he went to leave. He paused at the kitchen, peeking his head in.

Everyone was seated around the table, light pouring in from the windows. The love of his life was laughing and talking with her closest friends and her kids. He smiled fondly and contemplated staying. He knew he needed to get to work so with one final smile he left, keeping the image of his family happy in the early morning sunlight.

[2manyfandoms2count]

#MarichatMay Day 28

Aaaand I’m back with some fluffy Adrien “she’s just a friend” Agreste doing what all good friends do when there’s a black out; bringing them food. 

I can’t believe it’s already the end of May!! Oh well, I’ll just embrace my lateness and bring Marichat May into June for a bit ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Enjoy!

@marichatmay

---

Day 28: Lights out

Black outs hardly happen in Paris; “the City of Lights” wouldn’t be a fitting epithet if they did, after all. Ever since the rise of Hawkmoth, though, they had become more frequent, even if just for an hour tops, the Akumatised seemingly being fond of throwing large objects into electricity generators. 

It had therefore taken Marinette by surprise when the power had gone off in her neighbourhood, on a crisp November night. She hadn’t actually noticed at first. She had come home from the Collège Françoise Dupont and crashed on her bed, exhausted from a busy week at school. Her parents were absent, on a trip to a baking convention, so she gave herself some time to hang around, scrolling on her Instagram. After a full day of Brevet Blancs, the least she could do was relax. She gushed to Alya about Adrien’s newest pictures via text message while Tikki got the live commentary, making sure to save the ones she would ceremoniously be putting up on her board. It was a hard task -how could someone look so good all the time?- which was only interrupted by the signal that her battery was getting low. She groaned and rolled over to plug her phone in, but noticed the charger did nothing to rectify the situation.

Confused, the young girl tested several power outlets in her room before trying to turn on the lights. Nothing happened. 

“Mince, alors.” She swore lightly, taking the few steps that separated her from her window. She peeked outside, looking out for any commotion that would betray another attack. 

She could see lights across the Seine, and the Eiffel Tower was sparkling, sign that it wasn’t a city-wide problem, but the streets near hers were pitch black. One of her neighbours waved after seeing her, and shouted there had been a small fire in a nearby shop, with a potential gas leak, which was why the firemen had deemed fit to turn the power off for the block; it was supposed to be restored later in the evening when all necessary checks had been carried out. Marinette thanked him and went looking for candles in the mean time.

“Do you think Ladybug should go and help them?” She asked Tikki as she searched through drawers for matches.

“Unfortunately there isn’t much you could do.” The Kwami replied, floating up next to her, eating a macaron. “I’m afraid a Lucky Charm would not help in this situation.” 

Marinette made a face, thinking about her dinner. She was doubtful she’d be able to eat anything warm tonight. She entrusted the candles to Tikki and rummaged inside her fridge, grabbing some cheese and fruit from it. She took the remains of a baguette on the counter and some cutlery before making her way back upstairs. 

She set up for the evening, lighting candles around her room to allow her to see. She found some battery-powered ones buried in her Christmas decoration trunk and settled with a blanket and a book on her chaise. She was in the middle of a tense scene when there was a thud on her roof. Paralysed, feeling as if her heart could rip out of her rib cage at any moment, she let her book drop as her skylight slowly opened. She scrambled for the knife she’d brought up with her and stood up in what she hoped was a good attacking stance. 

A familiar dark figure dropped on her bed, holding what looked what looked like a picnic basket.

“‘Evening Purr-incess, did so-meow-ne order room service?” Chat’s eyes glinted in the candlelight as he slid down her ramp. 

Marinette’s arm dropped to her side. She was torn between yelling at him for scaring her half to death and hugging him for not being a burglar. And also (maybe) because he was him. “Hey Kitty, think you could give me a bit of a heads up before barging in like this?” She ended up saying, with just a hint of reproach in her voice.

“Sorry if I startled you.” He said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “I came as soon as I heard about the black out. Will you forgive me in exchange of food?”

Adrien himself hadn’t been affected, despite living just a couple of streets away. The Agreste Mansion was very well equipped to deal with situations like this one. Had Nino not been suddenly logged off from their UMS game, he probably wouldn’t have known about the situation at all. His first thought had been for Marinette, whom he knew was spending the weekend alone. Showing up at her door as his civilian self with provisions was not an option -how would he explain his father letting him go outside in the middle of a power cut, when he wasn’t usually allowed out any other time?-, but for all she knew Chat lived on the other side of town.

“That’s really nice of you, thank you Chat.” Marinette smiled and decided he deserved a kiss on the cheek for his efforts. “What made you think I needed company?”

Chat froze slightly. He hadn’t come over in a while, too busy studying for their exams. He technically wasn’t supposed to know she would be alone as her parents had only remembered the convention in the middle of the week. “Er... Adrien told me you might need stuff? He called me earlier.” That was a believable lie.

“Adrien talks about me?” Marinette’s heart fluttered in her chest. She resisted the urge to swoon, but couldn’t fight the blush creeping up her cheeks.

“Well, yes, I mean you’re his good friend, and good friends worry about each other in blackouts, don’t they?...” Chat trailed, a little puzzled by her reaction. Of course he would talk about her. She was the person he valued most beside Ladybug. And his oddly composed family, he supposed.

Whether Marinette chose to ignore him or whether she simply didn’t hear him, too busy internally jumping up and squealing at the information, he didn’t know, but she didn’t reply. He was happy to see her with such a wide smile. Marinette’s happiness was one of the prettiest things he’d ever seen, and he worked in the fashion industry, so that was saying something.

Chat cleared his throat. “Anyway, is there anything you need help with? In the bakery purr-haps?”

Marinette snapped back to reality. “Oh. Yes, I guess, I need to check the fridge downstairs is working, just in case. Do you have to go?”

“For you, I have all the time in the world.” That was another thing friends could tell each other, right?

“Okay, let’s head downstairs then. Do you need a flashlight?” She climbed to her bed to get hers, a relic from when she used to secretly read past her bedtime.

“I’ve got my night-vision goggles on, don’t you worry.” He winked, tapping gently on his mask.

They made their way down to the bakery’s storage room, at the back of the building. Marinette lead the way, expertly dodging bags of flour as she weaved her way towards the fridge. Chat trailed behind, marvelling at the many supplies that surrounded them. Sweet smells tickled his nostrils, chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, rose and passion fruit in between others, an original combination he very much enjoyed. Too busy basking in the quaint atmosphere of the bakery, he tripped on a box and brought down a packet of rice flour and a couple pans in his fall. The commotion gave Marinette a jump scare; she had been checking the temperature of the fridge, which seemed to be stable, with her back to him. She turned around, shining a light directly at Chat, lying on the floor covered in white powder, grinning guiltily.

“Sorry?” He said as he got up, trying to dust the flour off. His hair was completely white.

“Let me help you.” Marinette strode up to him with a giggle at his unusual appearance and mussed up his hair, standing on her tiptoes. The flour fell like snow over both of their faces. She smirked as she heard him purr in response. “For an animal that’s supposed to be discreet, you’re hardly light on your feet tonight.” He stuck his tongue out in response. Standing so close to her, their faces bare inches apart seemed to freeze his thoughts for the benefit of accelerating his heart beat.

Satisfied everything was in order, and the bakery was locked and secure, the pair went back upstairs, grabbing a box of macarons as they did, Chat admitting he’d omitted to bring dessert. They settled on the floor in Marinette’s room, laying down the picnic. Marinette was impressed by the amount of food there was.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d want to eat, so I just took what I found.” Chat shrugged. Namely, sushi, quiche, ratatouille and beef Wellington.

“You’re really the best, you know that?” She smiled in reply, her head tilting to the side as she looked at him fondly. What would she do without her Chaton?

“Purr-etty sure that would actually be you.” He held her hand absentmindedly. 

They joked around as they ate, both enjoying the company. It had been a while since Adrien had had dinner with anyone. He appreciated Marinette’s humour, and her interest in him, while still being respectful of the mask and the secrecy that went with it. Marinette was glad to have Chat with her tonight. He made the black out more cheerful.

They ended up curled up in her chaise after dinner, Chat reading her book out loud thanks to his night vision. The traditional candles had burnt out, decreasing the light source in the room. His voice, so familiar and smooth, lulled Marinette to sleep. She snuggled against him as he spoke, embracing the warmth of his body. Chat stopped reading and looked at her affectionately, reluctant to disturb her in her slumber. He moved delicately from under her and picked her up, bridal style. He carried her to her bed and tucked her in. He nipped back down to get a piece of baguette and cheese for Plagg (the Kwami would never forgive him if he didn’t get him anything), and a battery-powered candle to leave beside her bed, in case she needed it when she woke up.

Marinette stirred as he open her skylight, muttering something along the lines of Lucky Charm. Chat found it odd, but didn’t question it. 

“You’re my Lucky Charm, you know that Purr-incess?” He whispered as he carefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her on the forehead before leaving.

Marinette woke up the next morning in the best of moods. The power was back on, and she’d had the most wonderful dream of Adrien calling her his Lucky Charm.

[noorakardemmomesaetre]

Through the Snowfall - Chapter Two 

Or Read It On Ao3

Pairing: Betty Cooper x Jughead Jones

Summary: The Coopers and Andrews have rented the same cabin in the woods every holiday season since their kids were two years old.

And with Archie and Betty leaving for college in just a few months, Betty is determined to make this Christmas a memorable one…by telling Archie how she really feels.

What she doesn’t plan for is Archie bringing his best friend.

Or the way her gaze is suddenly lingering on the wild dark curls peeking out from beneath a crown beanie rather than the ginger spikes she’d set her sights on so long ago.

Chapter Two: Sunrise 

6:03AM

Betty stares at the alarm clock beside her bed until her eyes burn and she sighs, pressing her palms to her now closed eyes.

She’s tossed and turned all night knowing that he’s sleeping soundly in the room just down the hall from her. She’s dreamed of this moment, of the possibility of her slipping into his room under the cover of darkness, sharing whispered secrets and possibly even kisses beneath his heavily quilted comforter.

But that’s not what’s kept her up. It’s the fact that that same opportunity she’s dreamed of is presenting itself to her now, as it has been for the better half of two hours, and she hasn’t necessarily felt the urge to take it.

And why the hesitation? Because a good-looking guy with a kind smile and warmth behind his eyes has shown up unexpectedly?

That’s enough, she silently decides. Being distracted by Jughead’s good looks and playful wit is absolutely no reason to debate my feelings for Archie. I’ll tell him tonight.

Veronica is snuggled beneath her blankets, snoring gently, and Betty envies her ability to sleep peacefully while her own mind feels so incredibly loud.

She tugs on her robe hanging from one of her bedposts, slipping her feet from beneath her blankets into her plush slippers. Perhaps a mug of hot chamomile tea will quiet her overthinking and she’ll be able to get at least a couple of hours of sleep.

She’s making her way past the main hallway bathroom when the door suddenly opens, startling her. She stops and her fingers immediately fly to the messy bun lazily tied atop her head.

“Sorry!” Jughead whispers, shutting off the light and stepping into the hallway, only feet from her. He motions to his toothbrush and offers her an apologetic smile. “Had to brush my teeth.”

“At 6:00 in the morning?” she asks softly, a playful edge to her tone as she regains her composure. “I didn’t take you for an early riser.”

“I’m definitely not,” he murmurs quickly, his free hand falling to the back of his neck as though he needs to ease some tension there. “But Archie told me how you all like to get ready for breakfast around this time so I thought I’d try to get out of the way of the bathroom before you and Veronica wake up.”

She wonders silently if he knows how endearing he looks when he does that. Rubs the back of his neck nervously. But then the realization of what he says hits her and she tugs her bottom lip between her teeth to keep herself from giggling aloud.

“Oh, Jug,” she sighs, shaking her head partly because of what she needs to tell him and partly because she can’t believe she just referred to him with such familiarity. “That’s so thoughtful, but I think Archie is playing a trick on you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Brunch doesn’t start until 10:30am…”

His hand falls from behind his neck and he closes his eyes, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Right." He laughs before focusing on her once more and she finds herself tucking a few loose strands of hair that have fallen from her bun behind her ear as she smiles up at him. “Well, I’m really happy I ran into you out here then, Betty.”

She looks down at her slippers in an attempt to ignore the unfamiliar warmth spreading through her chest, before she lifts her gaze to meet his once more.

He clears his throat and takes a step towards his and Archie's designated bedroom, motioning with the blue toothbrush still firmly clasped in his hand. “I guess I’ll head back to sleep.”

“Goodnight Jughead,” she says easily, before remembering it’s now morning and grimacing at her mistake.

But instead of correcting her, he chuckles and gives her a genuine smile. “Goodnight Betty.”

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

“I’m so excited we’re finally going out to the snow!” Alice says, clapping her hands together as everyone settles into the living room to tie on their snow boots. It’s been two days since everyone’s arrival to the cabin and Alice’s excitement for a family outing to the snow has been no secret.

Veronica whispers something to Betty about feeling like the Michelin woman in the snowsuit Alice has insisted she wear and Betty bites the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

“Remember when we went sledding last year, Betty, and you couldn’t make it halfway down the hill without falling off?” Archie asks from across the living room, smiling to himself at the memory.

Betty finds herself grinning at him and rolling her eyes. “I was actually trying not to remember that, but thank you for sharing.”

“Okay, enough chatter!” Mary says as Fred helps her zip up her shin-length black snow jacket. “Let’s go!”

Betty helps Veronica to her feet and they can’t help the giggles they share as they take in each other’s fluffy and oversized outfits.

“Kids! Get together for a photo! I need to document this,” Alice says, nudging Betty and Veronica over to where the boys are attempting to stand. She positions the four of them in front of the fireplace, making sure to push Betty in between Veronica and Archie.

Betty hopes her eye roll isn’t as noticeable as it had felt.

After a few dozen pictures are taken with Betty looking grumpier and grumpier with each shot, they all make their way down the snow-plowed road towards where the few families taking up residence here are sledding and building snowmen.

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

An hour later, Archie heads back up the hill with his saucer sled in tow, his cheeks flushed from the cold. He’s waving at all of them excitedly and Betty can’t help but give him two enthusiastic thumbs up for his run.

He heads over to them and his eyes are shining because sledding with his friends is his favorite part of vacation. Or at least she thinks she remembers him saying something about that several winters ago.

But her train of thought regarding their past is interrupted when-

“Veronica, come with me this time! I’ll take you down,” he’s saying, holding up the saucer cheerfully alongside his invitation.

Something tugs uncomfortably on Betty’s heart as Veronica turns to her, her face fully reflecting how obviously torn she feels. “No, no, I think you should take Betty-”

“I can take Betty later, she always falls off-”

“I really think you should take her, Archie-”

“No, it’s okay,” Betty cuts her off with what she hopes is a reassuring smile that doesn’t reflect the pain stinging the corners of her eyes. “You should go.”

“Yes!” Archie pumps his fist in the air, his grin widening as he makes his way over to the very top of the hill. He sets the saucer down and waves for Veronica to join him.

“Are you sure?” Veronica asks, concern laced through her voice as she searches Betty’s face until Betty reaches over and squeezes her hand.

“Of course I’m sure! Go have fun, I’ve been wanting some hot chocolate anyways.”

Veronica hesitates for a few more seconds before Archie calls her name once more and she heads over to join him on the sled. She wedges herself between his legs, her back pressed against his front and Betty pretends not to notice what a perfect fit they are and how far her heart has dropped.

She heads over to a spot of untouched snow beneath a sea of large trees and stares at the ground for a moment before turning around and allowing herself to fall on her back.

The snow pillows around her and she spreads her arms and legs out wide before moving them up and down and side to side. Up and down. Side to Side. Up and Down.

Her gaze is fixated on the snow-covered branches above her and for the first time since the boys have arrived, her mind is truly quiet. She feels comforted by the serenity of being surrounded by the snow.

“Are you trying to make a snow angel?”

His deep voice tears through the silence she had just begun to enjoy, but when she sees it’s him she's not bothered by the interruption.

“What does it look like?”

“If I’m being honest, it looks like a Jackson Pollock attempt at a snow angel,” he teases and she can almost see the way he’s smiling as he says it.

She grabs a fistful of snow in her glove and sits up, throwing it at him before laughter falls from her lips. He doesn’t attempt to dodge it, the unballed snow exploding in the air and falling around him rather than hitting him. He tilts his head, grinning at her and shaking his head.

She lays back down, continuing her half-hearted snow angel movements and though a small part of her hopes he joins her, she doesn’t ask.

And she doesn’t need to. A few seconds later, he lays down in the snow beside her, leaving only a couple of inches between his outspread fingers and her own.

They’re quiet for a few moments with only the sounds of their movements and gentle breathing between them. Birds chirp amongst each other as they fly through the branches above their heads and Betty stills her arms and legs.

Jughead follows her lead and Betty pretends not to notice that they’ve stopped with their arms spread in the widest positions...his gloved fingers almost touching hers.

“Is your family sad you won’t be joining them for Christmas this year?”

She’s not sure why she’s asked him about his family, but there’s something about laying next to him surrounded by the safety of nature that has prompted her interest in who he is.

At least that’s what she tells herself.

“I don’t think so,” he responds quietly and she’s afraid she’s touched a nerve before he continues, “my mother left with my little sister when I was much younger and I doubt my father is sober enough to notice I’m gone.”

“Oh.” The word leaves her lips in a breath that crystallizes as soon as it hits the air.  “I’m so sorry, I had no idea-”

“Don’t worry about it,” he murmurs, turning his head to look at her and she does the same. “If I didn’t want you to know, Betty, I wouldn’t have told you.”

His eyes are electric against the backdrop of glistening white snow and she feels her heart beating erratically in response to the intensity of his gaze.

“Do you miss her? Your sister?”

The sounds of Archie’s giddy hollering and Veronica’s squeals pierce the air as they head down another hill, but the noise fades as she awaits his answer.

“There’s never a moment I don’t miss her.”

“And your mom?”

His eyes darken at that question and Betty immediately regrets asking it, but before she can take it back, he shrugs.

“That’s a bit more complicated, I’ll admit.”

“Totally understandable, I’m sorry to be so nosy,” she apologizes, turning her head so that she can focus her gaze on anything other than the adorable way his nose has pinkened in the cold.

“You’re not being nosy,” he says, mirroring her movements and turning back to stare up at the cloudy sky. “I don't know why, but I don’t mind answering anything you want to ask me.”

She’s quiet at that, but she shifts the tiniest bit so that the tips of her gloved fingers touch his. If he’s noticed, he doesn’t say anything.

After a moment, his tongue runs against his bottom lip before he quietly asks, “tell me something about you now?”

“Um...I’ve only applied to colleges out-of-state,” she admits so softly she’s sure he couldn’t have heard her, immediately closing her eyes.

“That’s great, Betty! Which states?”

His interest and encouragement surprises her and she responds with a bit more confidence, “Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.”

“An Ivy League girl,” he says, turning to look at her once more with a cheeky smile on his face. “I should’ve known.”

She genuinely laughs at that and the sound catches her off guard. She tosses some snow at him and he moves his hands to block it, his own laughter now intermingling with hers.

She turns back to watching the birds flying amongst the branches, but she doesn’t miss the way he smiles to himself when she does so.

“What’s making you so happy over there, Jones?”

“Nothing… it’s just that I-”

A snowball hitting him square in the chest interrupts him mid-sentence and they both sit up to see Archie holding his stomach, chuckling loudly. Veronica is standing next to him, her cheeks flushed from their many sled rides.

“Archie,” she finally says and Betty watches as they exchange a knowing look.

“Betty!” Archie turns his attention to her now and lifts the round sled in the air once more. “Let’s see how far you can make it down the bunny hill without falling this time, yeah?”

She rolls her eyes, but grins as she stands up from her accurately-described-by-Jughead snow angel. Archie takes her movement as a yes and gives her a thumbs up before heading to the top of a smaller hill. Veronica smiles at her supportively, but Betty can’t read the expression in her eyes as she turns to make her way over to where the parents are hoarding thermoses of hot chocolate.

Betty’s about to move to join Archie when she stops suddenly and turns around to find Jughead now standing, brushing snow from the sleeves of his flannel jacket.

“Jughead?”

“Yeah?”

“I haven’t actually told anyone about the college thing yet so if you could...um...not talk to anyone about that-”

“What college thing?” he interrupts and she’s about to remind him of what she’s literally just told him - how could he have possibly already forgotten? - when a small smile plays on his lips and he winks at her.

She doesn’t stop smiling until she’s comfortably settled between Archie’s legs on the sled and heading down the semi-steep hill.

She falls off within twenty seconds of take off and decides perhaps tomorrow will be a better day to confess her feelings for him.

For Archie.

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

leave a comment if you’d like, i love hearing your thoughts! ❤️❄️☃️

[milomeepit]

Diamond In The Rough: Chapter Nineteen

Roman has always wanted better. Has always believed that there’s a better life, a better world, just out of reach. Just beyond the veil of shitty teachers who don’t care, angry classmates that scream insults and slurs at each other all day, and drug-hazed parents who are more concerned with their next hit than looking after their ten year old son.

When he runs away after a particularly bad night at home and finds a quiet little cafe/bookstore tucked away in a back alley of the city, the sweet couple who run the joint (an odd pair; a quiet, gloomy man with a wry sense of humour and a cynical gleam in his eye, and a bouncy man who smiles like sunshine and laughs like a storybook king) help show him that maybe- just maybe- he really can have the life he always dreamed of.

Masterpost (to be added soon!)

Word Count: 3314

Chapter Warnings: nightmares, blood, snakes, confusion, stabbing, panic, anxiety, crying, happy crying, food

“Roman. It’s time to get up, Roman, come on.”

A hand shook his shoulder gently. Roman raised his head from the pillow, blinking at the bright sunlight that streamed in through the window. He looked towards the disturbance to see Logan’s face, hovering above him. A concerned frown creased the man’s eyebrows.

“Are you alright?” He asked softly.

“‘M... tired,” Roman yawned as he shook his head. “S’fine.”

“I made pancakes for brunch. Would you like some?” Logan sat on the bed next to him. The mattress dipped under his weight, and Roman had a brief flash of the sensation of falling.

“I, uh... sure. Thanks,” He flopped back down onto the pillow, facing towards the window.

Logan leaned down to the floor and picked Arwen off the ground. He brushed her off before offering her to Roman. “I’ve also got hot chocolate warming on the stove, if you would like some.”

Roman took Arwen. “Yes, please.” He forced a smile onto his face. His head ached, and his limbs felt heavy as lead, but he didn’t want to worry Logan.

Logan squeezed his shoulder gently. “I’ll see you downstairs in a few minutes, then.” He smiled before getting up and leaving the room.

Roman lay in bed for another minute, staring out the window. Crisp white snow covered the ground, glittering in the morning sunlight. Part of him ached to go out and play, but he knew it would just be him and Cody. Logan had mentioned he wasn’t much of a fan of the colder weather, so it seemed unlikely he would join in a snowball fight. He sighed and got up, swapping his cozy pyjamas for sweatpants, a long sleeved shirt, and his red hoodie.

Breakfast passed, painfully slowly. Logan did his best to keep up a conversation, but Roman felt sapped of energy, like lead weights were tied to his wrists and dragging him down. He felt bad for the one-word, disinterested answers he gave Logan, but he just couldn’t bring himself to pull up his usual pep and bounce.

By the time Logan disappeared into his office, Roman was practically ready to crawl back into bed. Everything ached, and he wanted to hide away for a little while. Though, he could practically already hear Patton rambling about sleep schedules and making the most of the day, so he instead settled for curling up with a blanket on the couch in the rec room and watching a movie.

The familiar crescendo of the Walt Disney sequence was comforting, as was the sepia-toned rainy opening scene of the film. His eyes were glued to the screen as Lewis fiddled with his PB’n’J dispensing hat, half wondering if it would work the same with pop tarts.

If he was Lewis, the one being adopted, then he decided that Patton would definitely be Lucille. Virgil could pass for Bud when he was in a silly mood. Virgil had mentioned he had siblings, so the two of them could probably be Fritz and Joe. And Roman wouldn’t mind marrying someone like Franny. She was funny and passionate and strong and loved her family more than anything, all the best things he liked in a person.

He cuddled Arwen tightly, only half paying attention to the movie as his mind wandered. It would be amazing to have a time machine like the Robinsons did. He could go anywhere, any time, he wanted. Just fly through the sky and pop to wherever he liked.

Though, he thought, it would be cooler to ride on a dragon. Feel warm scales beneath his hands, the wind rushing through his hair, the powerful wings pushing them up, up, up through the clouds. Dragons were cool. He’d always wanted a pet, something friendly and scaley that climbed up his arm. A snake could be cool.

He could picture it now; shining eyes and shimmering golden scales, smooth to touch. Dropping down into his lap from the sky, a gift from the heavens above, like a fallen star. It would curl around him, wrapping him in a serpentine hug before slithering away.

Roman got to his feet, slowly following it. The golden scales drew him forward like a magnet, almost hypnotizing. When he finally broke his gaze away and looked around, they were in a forest. Green and blue and red and purple plants surrounded them, and the snake nimbly weaved between them. Roman trotted along behind it, looking around at the scenery. It rather reminded him of the valley from his last daydream.

He looked down at the snake again, watching it curl around a tree and onto rocky ground. He blinked, looking around to see a cave. Stalactites clung to the ceiling, water drip-drop-dripping from them in a soft rhythm. Piles of treasure littered the space, almost glowing in the shadows where the light didn’t quite reach. He heard voices, distantly, faraway conversations he couldn’t quite catch.

Fear tugged at his chest, and he instead returned his attention to the snake. It wound back around and out of the mouth of the cave, and when Roman looked up again, he was walking through a garden. A picnic blanket was spread carefully across the grass, and a box of cookies sat half-eaten on top of the basket. Bottles of water sat unopened on the checked blanket, and Roman felt the distinct urge to go sit.

He blinked, glanced back to the snake, and then they were in a ballroom filled with people that spun gracefully past him. They seemed undisturbed by the snake that stretched across the shining floor. Faces flashed past him, too quickly to get a proper look at, but achingly familiar. A young man with a moustache and a mischievous grin, with a tall young woman with a shy smile and fluffy brown hair that fell down her back in waves. A girl with eyes bluer than he’d ever seen and a flowing white dress winked at him. Another woman, older, with dark ginger hair and a sharp smile swept past. He knew them. He couldn’t know them, and yet he did.

It made him dizzy. He looked down again, silently begging the snake to take him somewhere else. Somewhere quieter. It seemed to respond to his discomfort, hooking to the right and away from the crowd. Before Roman knew it, they were outside. It was night, but not dark. A full moon cast a silvery light over the scene, a grassy hill dotted with small flowers that waved in the breeze. Stars sparkled overhead, glitter spread across the dark, dark blue that covered the sky.

Roman let out a soft gasp at the bone-deep longing that spiked through him. It was beautiful, more so than anything he could think of. He felt that same pull to sit, to just soak in the scene and stay there forever, but the snake didn’t pause. As it was, he broke into a jog to catch up with it. He studied it as he walked. It, too, seemed somehow familiar. Something seemed to be trying to click in his head, like an engine having trouble starting.

The scene changed again. Stone walls appeared around them rough and imposing, and when Roman looked back down, the snake had vanished. A cold sense of horror rose up, and he broke into a sprint, trying to find it.

The night became darker. The glittering stars faded from the sky. He shivered as he searched the maze for his guide. There seemed to be no escape from the cold, no matter how hard he tried to will himself to another place. The walls began to form cracks, stone splintering off and falling to the ground. He had to step around chunks of rubble as he ran further into the labyrinth.

Carvings appeared on the ruined walls. Images that seemed to dance before his eyes, hard to focus on. A terrible monster, huge and angry and merciless, destroying towns and villages, swallowing people whole. Figures bowed down before the giant creature, a snake with those same golden scales he recognized. Roman skidded to a halt in front of a depiction of the snake staring straight at the viewer. Its eyes drilled into him, sending a chill right through his body.

“... What are you?” He murmured, reaching up to touch the wall.

As his fingertips brushed against the stone, a loud crash rang through the night. He spun around, blinking rapidly. “H-hello?” He called. “Who’s there?”

“You don’t understand, he’s gone completely rogue!”

He jumped at the noise. A girl’s voice, both familiar and not. He was getting pretty sick of that feeling.

“Look, I know you two used to be really close, but... he’s.... changed. Badly.”

A boy, this time. A little nasal and whiny, and something inside him ached at the shaky words.

“Hello?” He started walking towards the voices, yelling out to them.

“He’s a monster! Nothing we can do would change that!” The girl snapped.

The walls around him shifted again. Banners appeared, large enough to hang down to the floor, with careful embroidery and bright colours.

“I know. I know you want him back, but...” The boy trailed off.

At some point the rough ground had changed to smooth stone. Windows dotted the walls between tapestries. Torches on the wall threw dancing shadows as he sprinted past them. A castle?

“Gods, why can’t you just trust me on this?” The girl’s voice was filled with anger and hurt and desperation.

Roman wondered who they were talking to. It certainly seemed like pieces of the conversation were missing.

He hurtled around a corner and skidded to a stop. A dead end. He looked over the hall, noticing the spears that lay abandoned on the floor, some snapped and broken. Blood was splashed across the castle stone, violent red smears that made his stomach roll. He peeled his eyes away from the floor and up to the tapestry hanging on the wall.

That same golden snake. It felt like it was taunting him, it’s cold eyes mocking his confusion and distress. Poor little prince, lost and alone, it seemed to say. Nobody to save you. Nobody to chase away the shadows and monsters. Nobody to protect you.

Roman’s head felt like it was going to split open. What was this? He didn’t want this. He didn’t want any of this. The dizziness, the nausea, the darkness and panic and violence and cold. He didn’t understand. He didn’t want to understand, he just wanted out.

Footsteps clacked on the stones behind him. He turned to see a tall man, his features hard to make out in the dim, flickering torchlight. The only thing Roman could see clearly was his eyes- shining gold.

Just like the snake.

It took a moment for him to register the knife in the man’s hand. A dagger, shining in the firelight, with a sharp, thin blade. It took another few seconds for Roman to realise it was pointed squarely in his direction.

His heart leapt into his throat. What was happening?

“You need to wake up, Roman.” The man’s voice was smooth, like liquid gold. Roman shivered at the strong pang of some unfamiliar emotion that shot through him. The man threw a glance over his shoulder as running footsteps drew closer to them, clattering down the hall. Someone shouted out at the man, and he stiffened, stepping around the corner and much closer to Roman. “You don’t belong here, little one.”

Roman stumbled backwards. He hit fabric, his back up against the snake tapestry hanging on the wall. Something was wrong about this. Wrong and bad and much too real. “W-who are you?” He choked out.

The man froze for a moment. His eyes swept up and down Roman, and he opened his mouth.

“Get away from him!” The boy’s voice boomed down the hallway, and the man glanced over his shoulder again.

His mouth twisted into a snarl, and Roman was distracted for a moment by the sharpsharpmuchtoosharp teeth. His eyes glowed with something Roman couldn’t identify. Not quite hatred, but something close. “Your murderer.”

Roman’s eyes snapped open. He gasped as he bolted upright on the couch and clutched at his chest. Pictures danced in his vision, too fast to focus on. Constellations that sparkled overhead, their shapes utterly foreign. Smooth scales under his hands, warm and soft. Fires that blazed, higher than he could see and hotter than he could bear. Soft smiles, barely visible out of the corner of their mouth. A knife, plunging into soft flesh that parted beneath its blade.

His chest ached. A familiar feeling, one he knew as well as the freckles that dotted his arms, but it seemed to burn. He curled into himself, clapping both hands over his mouth in an attempt to muffle the sobs that burst from his throat.

“Roman?” Logan appeared in the doorway. He crouched down next to the couch and reached out to touch Roman’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?” He asked gently.

Roman flung his arms around Logan’s middle and clung to him. “Bad dream,” He mumbled against the fabric of Logan’s shirt.

Logan sat on the floor and rubbed Roman’s back. “I’m sorry to hear that. Are you okay?”

Roman shrugged. “I... I dunno,” He admitted. “M’scared.”

“What are you scared of?”

“I... what if I don’t...” The words died in his throat, bitter and uncooperative.

Logan hummed in understanding. “It will be alright. I can’t see any reason that things wouldn’t work out.”

Roman pulled back a little and scrubbed at his face with his sleeve. “... But what if they don’t anyway?” He whined.

Logan frowned sympathetically. “Well... whatever happens, I’ll be here for you. I promise.”

Roman sighed. He sagged against Logan’s chest and turned his head to look at the TV screen. It was black, the timer device having turned it off after a period of inactivity. He wondered how long he’d been asleep. His stomach growled, as if to say ‘Long enough we need food, dingus!’

He peered up at the clock on the wall and his stomach sank. It was 4.30pm. Only half an hour left before his fate was revealed.

“Would you like to do a puzzle? I still have an unopened one in the hall closet.” Logan suggested. “I think it’s a fantasy scene, a lake with mermaids.”

“Yes, please.” Roman nodded. He slid off of Logan’s lap and shuffled on his knees over to the coffee table.

They spent the next half hour chatting about mermaids and mythology as they fit together the glossy puzzle pieces. Roman worked on the trees and plants while Logan worked on the water, and it quickly took shape under their hands.

Roman had never realised quite how much he enjoyed doing puzzles with people. It was pleasant to work together on something so casual, especially if you could talk while you worked. The pretty artwork and brightly coloured scenes were a big plus, too.

“As legends go, the first known mermaid stories appeared in Assyria, around 1000 BC. The goddess Atargatis, mother of Assyrian queen Semiramis, loved a mortal, and unintentionally killed him,” Logan explained. “She jumped into a lake and took the form of a fish, but the waters didn’t hide her divine beauty. After that, she took the form of a mermaid- although the earliest representations of Atargatis showed her as a fish with a human head and arm, similar to the Babylonian god Ea.”

“Cool!” Roman exclaimed. “Who was Ea?”

“Well, that’s actually quite interesting! Enki is the Sumerian god of water, knowledge, mischief, crafts, and creation. He was later known as Ea in Akkadian and Babylonian mytho-” Logan was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Roman froze and looked up at Logan. “It’s not 5pm yet, is it?” He mumbled. “Can’t be.”

Logan ruffled his hair lightly. “It’s alright, Roman,” He reassured. “Come, let’s go see.”

Roman slowly got to his feet and dragged himself after Logan. It felt like he was marching to the gallows, or pulled along in an ice cold river that intended to toss him over a jagged waterfall. He wrapped his arms around himself and hovered in the doorway of the rec room. He stared at the front door. From here, he wouldn't be able to see who was there, but they wouldn’t be able to see him, either, so it suited him just fine.

“It’ll be okay,” Logan glanced over his shoulder and smiled again before returning his attention to the door as the visitor knocked again.

Roman’s heart thudded in his chest as Logan turned the handle and opened the door. A gust of wind swept into the entryway, and he shivered. It was obviously still freezing outside. At least he might be able to play in the snow at some point, he thought. That would make things a bit better.

He couldn’t quite see Logan’s face from here, either. He was speaking quietly with whoever was at the door. Roman couldn’t make out the conversation, and his anxiety ratcheted up another notch as he strained to hear the other person’s voice.

A few tense seconds passed before Logan moved out of the doorway. Roman held his breath, his eyes wide.

Please.

He almost screamed as vibrant green and purple eyes met his around the door. Virgil broke into a wide grin and dropped to one knee as Roman threw himself forward into his arms, already bursting into tears again.

“Oh, sweetheart, honey, it’s okay, we got you, it’s okay, darling.” Patton’s arms joined Virgil’s, and Roman felt like he was going to burst into pieces like a firework.

“Hey, hey,” Virgil murmured. He dotted kisses on the top of Roman’s head. “We got you, buddy.”

“I-I...!” Roman wheezed, flailing a hand wordlessly. What words were there, when his heart was so full of love and relief and hope and joy? What could possibly encapsulate how happy he was to see them?

Patton took his hand and squeezed it. “I know, honey,” He beamed, and Roman saw the shiny film of tears swimming in his eyes. “Me, too.”

“I can stay?” Roman asked as he relaxed into their grasp, feeling safer than he had in quite a while.

Virgil nodded. “You sure can, Ro,” He whispered. His voice was soft and raw, and Roman realised that he’d probably already been crying.

He could stay. Forever. Cookies and hugs, movies and blankets, spaghetti and kisses, storybooks and warmth, and love. So much love. His heart felt like it was going to burst open. His hands shook as he clung to Patton and Virgil, and he never wanted to let go. He would never have to.

Logan cleared his throat, and the three of them looked up to where he stood, awkwardly holding the door open. “We’re letting all the heat out,” He pointed out.

Virgil laughed. “Sorry, Specs. Got a little distracted.” He kissed Roman’s forehead again, and Roman swore that he felt sparks zap right through him. “C’mon, guys.”

Some undignified scrambling later, they were all on their feet once again. Patton hung off of Virgil’s arm, cooing over Roman and chatting away about all the ideas he had for decorating Roman’s room and making it his. Roman liked that idea.

As Roman sat in the rec room, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, sandwiched between his new fathers, and his hands wrapped around a steaming mug of sweet hot chocolate, he sighed contentedly.

Sometimes, he thought, just sometimes, life really did come equipped with all the parts of a fairy tale. A down-on-their-luck hero, villains to make your blood curdle, and, most importantly, a loving family.

As Patton leaned across to peck Virgil on the cheek, his arm looped lovingly around Roman’s waist, Roman thought to himself that he liked that part best of all.

[mycatshuman]

Castle of Devils

Chapter 1

Warnings: talk of devils, blood mention? Let me know if I missed any.

Pairings: Eventual Prinxiety

Thank you to @civilsounds17 for reading through this for me. I am very excited about this. And thank you so so much to my child, @wxlcomxtothxjunglx for coming up with an amazing title for me!

More chapters

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Roman glanced out the tinted window of the black limousine as it drove through the grassy country side on it's way to Castle Dracula. Certainly a weird name for a castle, and not very inviting. Especially with “Dracul” meaning "devil" in Romanian. Roman, being the prince like character he was, was truly prepared to fight whatever evil the castle may provide (despite his promise to his boss, Logan Sanders, telling him that he was he only going to help a client purchase a home in America and help him learn what to expect with American life.) Roman was suspicious. Very suspicious.

Soon the limo stopped to get some gas and Roman stepped out to use the restroom. When he entered the gas station, he noticed the people in the building were watching him with a careful and weary eye. He frowned, suspicious. "Could I use your restroom?" He asked the cashier.

The women behind the counter nodded and pointed to the restroom as she kept an eye on the limo outside. Something about the way these people reacted to the limo and him struck Roman wrong. He decided that he would ask about it when he got back.

Roman stepped out of the restroom and saw that the cashier was now looking at him. "You should be careful," she said. "That castle has devils. Devils worse than you can imagine."

Roman frowned. "What kind of devils?"

"They plague us." She shuddered. "They come and steal lives through blood. They are not good." She then reached under the counter and pulled out a cross. "Here," she said as she slid it across the counter. "This will protect you. Devils don't like symbols of God."

Roman took the cross and hung it around his neck, tucking it inside his shirt. "I shall do what I can to purge you of these devils you speak of. On my honor."

The women shook her head. "We shall pray for your safe return.” Roman nodded and stepped outside to return to the car.

And he was off again. It wasn't until it was dark out and nearing midnight that they finally reached the forest surrounding the castle. Roman cast a wary glance out the window at the twisted tree limbs and fog seeping through the ground. Roman even thought he heard the howling of wolves a few times. Soon enough, they arrived at the castle.

Roman stepped out of the car as the driver opened the door and leaned his head back as he looked at the imposing structure. It was old, most definitely. And it was in that gothic style that was reminiscent of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France.

A chill ran up Roman's spine as he imagined dungeons and secret passageways. Ghouls and demons lurking in the dark as you walked by. He pictured ghosts floating down the hall, an unearthly glow following them as they wandered aimlessly through echoing rooms. Roman took his bags from the driver, who then seemed to disappear into thin air, and walked through the tall, wrought iron gates leading to the castle.

He jumped as the gates slammed shut, spinning around to find no one there. He shuddered and froze when he heard the unmistakable sound of howling in the distance. "I shall be safe in here," he muttered to himself. But he couldn't stop the fast-paced thumping of his heart as he heard the unnerving sounds come closer. Roman almost raced to the front door of the castle and raised his hand to knock on the tall wooden door, only to have it pull open.

Roman had to glance up a bit to meet the eyes of his host. He was a pale man with dark brown, almost black, hair and steely grey eyes that stared at him. Roman was not prepared for this. Not at all.

"Come in," the other spoke, his voice deep and smooth. Roman tried to stop his gay heart and mind as he stepped over the threshold and into the entrance of the castle. Roman's eyes were wide in awe as he stared at the cavernous room, before turning back to the other man.

"I'm Virgil Stoker. Welcome to my home." Roman glanced at the man again. So this was the man who was his client. He was certainly very handsome. He wore a black dress shirt with a violet velvet vest and dark slacks. Underneath his silver eyes, he wore dark eyeshadow that stood out like a stamp on his fair skin.

"I'm Roman Prinz."

Virgil nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I assumed as such. Come with me." Virgil then took Roman's bags and started up the stairs with no difficulty despite the heaviness of the bags. Roman narrowed his eyes in suspicion. How could he have lifted them? Surely he wasn't that strong.

Roman followed Virgil up the grand staircase until he stopped in front of a door. Virgil set the bags down and unlocked the door and opened it, letting the other go in first.

Roman stepped inside and gaped at the decor. It was, to put it simply, perfect. The color scheme was so him! Whites, reds, and golds splattered the room. His bed was fit for a king with it's satin red bedspread with intricate gold designs and fluffy soft pillows. The windows were covered with deep red velvet curtains that spoke royalty. The room was so princely and enchanting that Roman felt like it was made for him by a fairy godmother.

"I called and asked Mr. Sanders about how I could make you comfortable during your stay. And he sent me emails of color schemes and options for furniture and decorations. I hope it is to your liking?" Roman turned and watched as the other placed his bags on the chest at the end of his bed.

"It is. Its perfect. Thank you." Roman watched as Virgil's lips almost twitched into a smile.

"Come. You've had a long journey. You must be hungry." Virgil led Roman back down the winding stairs into the great hall where a long table was set with silver platters filled with food. Virgil pulled out a chair for Roman and pushed him in. "Please, eat your fill." Roman quickly filled his plate and began eating.

Soon, however, he realized that Virgil had not eaten a single bit the entire time. "Are you not hungry?" He asked.

Virgil shook his head. "I ate earlier. No need to worry." Roman nodded and continued his meal as Virgil watched.

Just as it was getting uncomfortable Virgil looked down and cleared his throat, somewhat nervously, might one add. “I think it would be a good time to learn a little about each other if that's alright?”

Roman swallowed his food and nodded. “Yes. Well, although I work in real estate, one day I would really like to work as an actor. I'm also fond of the creative arts-”

Virgil suppressed a soft smile as he listened to the excited man ramble about his interests. He was not expecting to find this man so attractive. And despite Virgil's promise to himself many moons ago, he found himself falling fast and hard for the other man. It certainly didn't help him any learning that Roman loved Disney, like him. They were almost complete opposites but, Virgil couldn't help falling. He was so screwed.

Soon, after Virgil almost had a breakdown over his crush, he was bringing Roman back up to his room. "Good night,” Should I do a nickname? What would he think? Oh no I'm too much of a disaster for this. “Sleep well, Princey."

And then Virgil was gone before he could see Roman's reaction. Roman stood frozen for a moment as he processed it. Princey? I can't say I don't like it.

As Roman was getting ready for bed, he caught sight of the cross hanging around his neck and remembered the events at the gas station. “That castle has Devils. Devils worse than you can imagine.” Roman frowned. As far as he knew, it seemed the only one here was Virgil. Although his host was a bit…different than Roman was used to, he couldn't possibly be a devil. He was too kind.

Roman sighed moved to his window to get some fresh air. He drew back the curtains and opened the window doors. They opened out into the night air and Roman leaned forward to take a deep breath of air as he toyed with the cross hanging from his neck. “Devils don't like symbols of God.” Roman looked down the outside wall of the tower he was in and sighed. “Virgil couldn't possibly be a devil. He's too handsome.” A thought in the back of Roman's mind reminded him that Lucifer was in fact handsome according to the stories he had heard before. He stared at the small river below his window as he thought over a few things. It was a fairly big castle, yet, there seemed to be no one else living here. And all the food, who cooked it? Was it Virgil? How long must it have taken him? And the room.

Roman turned back to face his bedroom. It was well decorated. All of it. And everything looked so fairytale perfect. Some of the furniture he found was handcrafted with tiny details that spoke of days worth of work. Why would Virgil put so much effort into all of this when Roman would only be here for a little over a month. This was too much work for a guest.

Roman ran a hand through his hair and closed the window before drawing the curtains close. He was exhausted. That must be why he was overthinking everything. Roman crossed the room to his bed and climbed into the soft sheets and pulling the blanket up to wrap around his shoulders. It was late, and tomorrow would be his first day of work helping Virgil find an estate somewhere in America and learn what sort of things to expect in America.

As Roman snuggled deeper under the covers, he couldn't help but remember his promise to the cashier, “I shall do what I can to purge you of these devils you speak of. On my honor." And with that sentence on his mind, he fell into a deep slumber.

[bettersafethandicks]

[takes a huge hit of a blunt] hey dude what if you were like the calypsos pet and some vague bandit group kidnapped you and held you for ransom lol

@sugar-high-viking this is 4 u binch

troy n tyreen x gender neutral reader

as you all know nothing sexie happens that ‘x’ just emotional 

warnings for getting beat up by extremely rude and rowdy boys and also for calypsos showing genuine care and affection also for lack of any editing

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

           You kicked and writhed as the marauder dragged you by the ropes digging into your wrists, rubbing them raw.  Your pleas and curses were muffled by a rough cloth gagging you, and you were already bleeding from the scrapes and cuts you’d gathered while trying to escape.

           “Keep ‘em yellin, its picking up great.”  The guy following you with a camera laughed, keeping you in focus.  

           The bandit dragging you jerked the rope to one side, causing you to slam your cheek against the filthy floor with a yelp.  It wasn’t long before you were hoisted up, the bindings at your wrists looped over a ceiling beam; high enough to keep you barely stable, on your tiptoes in a position that was going to ache sooner rather than later.  You stopped your cries and panted harshly, worn out already.

           “Right, you freaks listenin?” The camera operator spoke to his future audience, panning the device around you.  You tried to follow him, turning your head as he circled you. “Your poor little pet is only gonna get more banged up the longer you keep us waitin’.”  

           At that, the masked man who dragged you in slammed a punch into your side, earning an audible crack and a piercing shriek.

           You couldn’t make out more of his words, twisting in your strung-up position, yelling in agony, each breath bringing bolts of pain streaking through your body.  

           “Shut them up for a second, will ya?”

           A hand wrapped around your throat, cutting the air from your lungs and silencing the already muffled wails.

           “Guns and cash- not delivered by you two.  In fact, send someone disposable; it’ll be a little trade-off.  No funny shit, or you’re gonna be getting this thing back in installments.” The knife biting into your jaw was barely noticeable beyond the panic of oxygen deprivation.  “Ohh, maybe we could make their face look like brother Calypso’s?! Wouldn’t that be fun?  Why don’t you put your suggestions in the comment section, huh?”              

           The camera lowered, and the lead guy gave a nod; the pressure came away from your throat, and you gasped desperately.  Your side was screaming in pain, bone shifting like a handsaw under your skin, but your lungs took over reflexively and tears sprang to your eyes as you wheezed.

           Your chin was grabbed to look forward, face slick with blood from where the knife sliced you.  “Nice job pet.” He said it like an insult.  “I can see why they like putting you on their fucking videos so often.”

           “Should we send an ear or a finger?”  

           “Mmmh…Nah, not yet.“ He was typing on the ECHO device, probably sending the video to the twins.  “Let em respond; see if they know we’re serious… Then we can figure out what to start slicing off.”  

           “God I wish I could see their faces when they get that message.”  The bandit beside you was moving you, pushing you to turn, off-balance and huffing. “Can I even out their ribs?”

           “Eh, sure.”  He was already turning to leave the room, giving your guard a lazy wave of his hand.

           The door slammed shut just as the metal-studded knuckles cracked into you for a second time.

           The blood drying on your skin itched.  Not that you could reach well to scratch it with your wrists still bound; you had tried to get the bindings slippery with blood to wriggle out, but the rope was too tight and you were too weak to put up much of an effort.  You were curled up in a tiny cell now; (more like a cage, if you were honest) shattered ribs aching no matter which way you lay.  

           The taste and smell of copper was overwhelming. Thankfully you still had all your teeth, but your lip was split and the insides of your cheeks were torn and bleeding. You’d swallowed enough of your own blood to be sick, as if the regular pain wasn’t bad enough.  You weren’t sure what was making you more dizzy; the blood loss or the hunger or the dehydration. It had been close to two days now since you had been dragged from the wreckage of an ambushed caravan, out of the Calypso’s watch for once while you and a few other cultists ran to the nearby town.  You sniffled, blood still trickling from your nose.  You just had to go into town that day, huh?

Every hour or so (you think; the best way to tell time right now was by seeing how long it took for blood to dry) someone would come by to make sure you were still conscious, kick you around, snap a few pictures, and then leave. You wondered if the twins were even going to save you.  You had devoted yourself to them and they seemed to care for you but… you’d seen them throw other followers away when it was convenient.  Or when they were bored. True, never ones they had doted on this much but…you hadn’t seen every pet they ever had.  You trembled slightly and curled in on yourself more, trying not to tear up at the thought of being abandoned by your gods to be tortured and die here.  

               “Oh shit- TROY IN HERE!”  

You felt like you were hallucinating.  You cracked an eye, the one not stuck shut with blood, to see Tyreen, your queen, your god, rushing to you and falling to her knees to put her hands on you, caress your face, make sure you were breathing.  Troy barreled into the room moments later, covered in blood that wasn’t his, coming to kneel beside his sister.

Tyreen held your head up off the ground “Faithful, can you hear me?” She was worried.  She was worried about you.

You hummed out a soft acknowledgement.

Troy ran his fingertips over the cuts and bruises that bloomed across your shoulders and sides, pulling away before he reached the rainbow of red and black and blue that sat over your broken ribs.  You had never seen him so…upset.  A mixture of hurt and angry, like he wanted to go back and kill the bandits all over again.

“Oh, sweetheart…”  His voice was soft.  “Tyreen can’t you-“

“They’re too old.”  You could swear her voice cracked.  “The injuries are too old I can’t-  It won’t work.”  You tried not to groan in pain when she moved you to pull you into her lap.  “Call the medics- Fuck, Troy they’re freezing.”

You had enough of a grip on reality to know you were in shock by now, shivering weakly.  Tyreen cradled you, pulling her shoulders in to surround you protectively.  Troy was barking orders through his ECHO device, though you couldn’t pick out words anymore.  You just wanted to fall asleep, finally safe in her arms.  They were here, after all; this was all you had hoped for.  Tyreen stroked over your cheek, you couldn’t even feel the gash there anymore…this was alright.  You were alright.  

  It was bright.  Your eyes were closed but it was too light, overpowered bulbs searing through your lids and waking you up.  Stupid as it was, you opened your eyes directly into the artificial sun sitting over you, squeezing them shut just as quickly and turning your head to the side with a barely audible groan.  

“Tyreen! Hey!  They’re awake!”  Footsteps rushed closer as you opened your eyes to see Troy Calypso, twin god and all-powerful siren keeping a nervous watch over your bed.

“You’re awake…”  He murmured it mostly to himself, running a hand over your jaw.  You could feel him thumb over the dull bumps of stitches in your skin, comfortably numbed by the best painkillers on Pandora.

Those narcotics definitely came in handy as Troy wrapped his arms around you, pulling you halfway off the bed and sending IVs and monitors clattering around.  He buried his face into your shoulder, inhaling your scent like he was making sure it was real.

“Troy…” you were almost scared at how faint your own voice was.

“Troy!”  Tyreen yelled.  “You’re gonna break them again!”

“Oh shit- “ He jumped, nearly dropping you before setting you gently back on the bed and attempting to realign the blankets and IV.  

  Once you were deemed stable, the twins insisted you stay in their room, and it wasn’t like you were about to argue.  They didn’t want to let you out of their sight for any longer than absolutely necessary; you got the feeling anyone who tried to approach you would be evaporated on the spot by one of them.  

It was surreal, having the Calypsos care for you. Feeling Tyreens careful hands undoing the wrap around your chest, soothing you as you take a few painful deep breaths to keep pneumonia at bay.  Troy pulling the bandages off and making sure your stitches were holding, cleaning the blood away from the wounds with a cool washcloth.  Both of them helping you out of your clothes and into a warm bath, hushing the sharp hiss you make when the water hits your injuries.  Troy usually had to pull you out, the hot water making you too weak to climb, and Tyreen would be right there with a fluffy towel, not caring if it became stained with your blood.

Once it’s safe enough, the two of them sleep on either side of you, tucked in a luxurious nest of pillows and blankets, each of them keeping at least one hand on you through the night.  Even after you’ve healed up enough to change your own bandages, they insisted on being there, making sure everything was clean and uninfected. Tyreen even pulled your stitches out herself; it barely even hurt.  Even later, it became a habit for them to idly trace over the lingering scars as you sat by their thrones, neither of them having to look to know exactly the path the marks cut across your skin.  

Away from cameras, they’d kiss over raised lines, assuring you that you belonged to them, and no one on the planet would ever take you from them.

[avidreaderffn]

Gertrude’s First Christmas

Written for @lurkz for the Supergirl Femslash Secret Santa 2018 challenge. Merry Christmas Lurkz! and Happy Holidays to all of you.

Read in AO3

DECEMBER 21ST

Maggie woke up with a jolt when Alex jumped on the bed. “Wake up Mags! It’s Christmas!”

Maggie chuckled at Alex’s excitement, then glanced at the clock on the wall. 6:55 am.

Maggie groaned as she covered her face with a pillow. “No, it’s not. Are you going to wake me up this early every day until Christmas? We took the week off for a reason.”

“Nope,” Alex smirked, “just today. I promise. And you know why?”

Maggie removed the pillow and cracked an eye open so she could look up at Alex in confusion.

Alex pouted, “Did you forget what today is?”

“Uh… Friday?”

“Maggie! You just said it yourself, we took an entire week off to make sure we did this right.”

Maggie groaned again, “It’s way too early for this. You can’t expect me to-” Maggie’s eyes shot open and she suddenly sat up, “the puppy!”

Alex beamed at her, and Maggie beamed back, “Alex, we’re getting a puppy today!”

Alex nodded enthusiastically and leaned forward to kiss her, only to find Maggie already jumping out of bed and starting to get dressed. “What are you waiting for? If we leave right now we may be able to beat morning rush hour and get to the shelter just as they open!”

Alex rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide a smile at her wife’s excitement.

In what seemed like no time at all, both of them were dressed and in the car, driving to the shelter that had finally declared their latest litter of puppies old enough to be put out for adoption.

“So…” Alex started almost as soon as Maggie pulled out of their parking spot.

“We are not naming them Gertrude.”

“But Mags!”

“Nope. Not happening.”

“Why not?”

“For starters, we haven’t even picked a pup yet. What if we get a boy puppy?”

“Easy. We name him Pavlov.”

Maggie almost pulled over right then and there. “Are you trying to get our pup bullied by every other dog around?”

“And if we ever get a cat,” Alex continued like Maggie hadn’t said anything, “we’re naming it Schröedinger and getting it a box full of fluffy blankets instead of a bed.”

Maggie rolled her eyes at Alex, only her small grin showing her amusement. “A nerd. I married a total nerd.”

“Says the girl who named both her favorite gun and her favorite leather jacket.”

“You leave those two out of this. It’s not my fault you haven’t been able to think of a name for your alien gun after all this time.”

“I mean, I’ve been considering ‘Curie’, you know, after-”

“If,” Maggie cut her off, “if we ever have kids, you better be ready for me to name all of them.”

Alex opened her mouth to argue, then thought better of it, “Yeah, I guess that’s fair.”

Maggie smiled. After a glance at the red traffic light above their car, she leaned over and kissed her wife.

~*~

An hour later, both of them were sitting on the floor of the shelter, half a dozen puppies crawling all over them. It had taken over twenty minutes to convince each other not to adopt all six of the pups. Fifteen more minutes to decide which of the small belgian shepherds they were taking home. The rest of the time they had spent back at the old argument.

“How about Spot?”

“She looks like a Gertrude though.”

“Okay, how about Buster?”

“We could call her Gertie for short.”

“Lassie? She looks like a Lassie.”

“Or I guess we could also call her Trudy, although I don’t like that one as much.”

“Alex..."

“No, that’s my name.”

“Alex!”

“How are you guys doing?” Alex and Maggie looked up to see one of the shelter’s volunteers had come to check on them. “Do you need some more time with them?”

“Oh, uh, no. We picked one already. We were just trying to agree on a name.”

“Oh, well, of course you can name your dog anything you like, but if you’re having trouble, all of these pups already have names. Do you want to hear what your dog’s name already is? That way if you like it, you don’t have to change it.”

Maggie turned hopeful eyes at Alex, who just shrugged and said, “Sure, let’s hear it. We picked this one. What’s her name?”

“Oh, that little girl? Her name’s Pizza.”

Both of them froze, taking exactly 1.7 seconds to wonder what Kara’s reaction would be to that.

“Actually,” Maggie jumped in before Alex could say anything, “we were thinking she looks more like a Gertrude.”

Alex’s blinding smile and eager nod were enough for the volunteer, who started rounding up the other pups so Alex and Maggie could go sign the last of the paperwork. As they did, Maggie looked to her wife and saw her smiling nonstop, as the pup- as Gertrude kept trying to lick her face.

Maggie laughed and went back to her paperwork.

They would be okay. She had a good feeling about this.

DECEMBER 22TH

A deafening crash rang through the apartment, followed by a shrill whine. Alex and Maggie jumped out of bed, grabbing whatever they could find on their bedside tables as weapons while they tried to figure out what was going on. Another whine sent them running out of their room and into the living room.

Alex’s hand shot out, stopping Maggie from taking another step. Both of them looked down at the floor covered in shards of the ornaments that’d been on the tree.

The tree which was also on the floor, still tangled in Christmas lights (thankfully unplugged before they went to bed every night) and surrounded by a mess of broken plastic, tree needles, and the water that’d been in the tree’s base.

In the middle of the mess, Gertrude was hiding under the coffee table, tail firmly tucked between her legs.

After exchanging a glance, Alex carefully headed for Gertrude, while Maggie went back into their room to get them both slippers.

As she turned on the light to search through the closet, Maggie glanced up at the clock and sighed. 6:01 am.

Yawning, Maggie walked back into the living room and handed Alex a pair of slippers. Alex took them with one hand while she settled Gert on her other arm.

Slippers on, Alex took Gert into their room to check her up as Maggie righted the tree and found a broom.

A few minutes later, Alex walked out of the room and locked Gertrude up in her crate. The pup immediately started complaining about it.

“Is she okay?”

“Yeah, not a scratch on her. She was just scared.” Alex looked at the mess around them, “I guess no more Christmas tree until we’ve had the chance to train her a little.”

“We could-”

She was cut off by the loudest whine so far, followed by a shrill howl and a storm of barking.

“...It’s also probably not a bad time to start her on crate training”

“Yeah… yeah I guess.”

“Maggie? You okay?”

“She sounds so sad, Alex!”

As if to prove a point, Gertrude started whimpering loudly. Maggie’s eyes widened. “Oh no, now she’s scared!”

She started to head for the crate, but Alex’s hand on her arm stopped her.

“Maggie.”

Maggie was surprised at the amused tone in Alex’s voice. “What? And what’s with that look?”

“Oh nothing. It’s just we were both so sure I was going to be the whipped parent in the relationship.”

“I’m not whipped!” Maggie’s almost offended look melted away at Gertie’s next howl.

“Maggie…” Alex said in a half stern, half amused tone.

“But-!”

“Nope. We have to at least clean up the place first.”

Maggie looked around the living room, which was still a mess of ornaments and twigs and lines of Christmas lights. “Fine,” she said as she picked up the broom and tried to ignore the barking and whining, “but after we’re done, we are taking her for a LONG walk around the dog park.”

Alex smiled at her and leaned closer. “That,” she said before placing a small kiss on Maggie’s lips, “sounds perfect.”

DECEMBER 23TH

“Maggie.”

“Mmmpf”

“Maggie wake up.”

“Hmm?”

“Maggie. Maggie look at her!”

“Hmm?”

Alex’s hand starts shaking her shoulder, “wake up Mags, you gotta see this!”

“I’m up, I’m up,” Maggie mumbles, pushing Alex’s hand away from her shoulder.

She glances at the clock. She groans. 5:47 am.

Sitting up slowly, Maggie leans against Alex, blinking wearily around the room. “What am I looking at?”

Alex merely points.

Gertrude is on her little bed, curled up in a little ball and staring back at them. Her tail starts wagging when she sees them both looking at her.

“Do you think she’s cold?”

“What?”

“She’s all curled up. Maybe she’s cold.”

“Danvers, she’s a dog. That’s how dogs sleep.”

“Should we let her sleep in the bed?”

“What? No! Why?”

“If she sleeps up here with us, she won’t get cold.”

“Danvers, no. If you really think she’s cold, we can buy her a blanket. But we can’t let her on the bed. If we do, we’ll never get her to sleep back on her own bed. Besides, look at her! She’s two months old and already the size of a beagle. She’s gonna be huge when she grows up.”

“That sounds like the opposite of a problem.”

“Danvers!”

“What!?”

“I thought I was the whipped parent here.”

“I’m not whipped!”

Maggie was saved from having to answer that by the ringing of Alex’s phone. A quick glance to the screen tells them both it’s Kara calling.

“Are you okay Kara? Why are you calling so early?”

“Everything’s okay, I just heard you were both awake and wanted to know when I can come over to meet the puppy.”

“Kara-”

“ Three days Alex! I can’t believe you’ve had a puppy for three days and I haven’t met her yet.”

“It’s pretty early,” Alex said ignoring Maggie’s quiet muttering about the early hour, “you can always swing by before work.”

“No! I want to properly meet her. Let’s have a movie night! I’ll head over there today as soon as I get out of work.”

“Kara- Kara?” Alex rolled her eyes and turned to talk to Maggie, “Kara says-”

“Yeah, I heard.” Maggie picked Gertrude up and placed her on her lap. “Did you hear that girl? You’re meeting auntie Kara today!”

Alex laughed at that. While Maggie was busy playing with the puppy, she managed to take a picture of the two of them and sent it to Kara.

Normally, even Alex had a little trouble understanding Kara’s long strings of emojis, but this time, she had to admit she fully agreed with the two dozen hearteyes Kara sent.

~*~

True to her word, Kara showed up that afternoon with her usual order of three pizzas, two bags of potstickers, and a gallon of ice cream for each of them that she’d end up eating when Alex and Maggie declared they’d had enough ice cream.

After spending the better part of an hour cooing over the puppy and taking almost as many pictures as Alex and Maggie had in three days, Kara’s stomach finally reminded them that dinner was there and it was supposed to be movie night.

As soon as they picked a movie and Kara reheated everything with a quick burst of laser vision, they all settled down on the couch and started eating.

It became obvious pretty quick that Gertrude’s presence was going to change things a little bit.

“No! Bad girl, this is MY pizza!” Kara wagged a stern finger at Gertrude. Gertie stared at her finger for a moment before going for the pizza box again.

“No!” Kara said again, before levitating herself and her pizza out of reach. With a laugh, Maggie reached for Gertie and placed her in her lap.

Kara gave them a suspicious look, but she floated back down to the couch. Maggie tried to get her attention back to the movie, but had to stop Gertie from trying to steal the pizza again. With a huff, Kara got to her feet and lifted the cushion she had been sitting on. Then, she put the pizza box down, replaced the cushion on top of it, and sat back down, throwing Gertie a smug look and crossing her arms.

Maggie rolled her eyes at the theatrics, “You better not get any pizza grease on our couch.”

“Relax Maggie, we both know I’ll eat that pizza before the movie is over.”

Gertie suddenly yipped, jumped out of Maggie’s lap and ran straight for Alex, pawing at her and trying to lick her face. There was an incredibly guilty look in Alex's eyes as she tried to fend the puppy off. Kara frowned at them and looked around. Her eyes landed on the coffee table and she gasped loudly.

“Alexandra Danvers! Are you eating my potstickers?”

Alex’s eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly.

Gert sniffed at her suspiciously puffed up cheeks. She tilted her head in a way that immediately reminded Alex of Maggie. Then Gertrude sat back and barked. That was all the confirmation Kara needed.

“Aleeex! Those are mine!” She started throwing pillows at Alex. Alex covered her face and started returning fire. Gertrude jumped up and down, barking at both of them and trying to catch one of the pillows being thrown around.

Then Alex took off running, Kara started chasing her and an all-out pillow fight broke out, with both Danvers having to dodge around the puppy who was trying to chase them both.

Maggie watched all this from the comfort of the couch, pausing the movie and cheering on her three favorite girls.

Her wife, their dog, and Alex’s alien sister.

DECEMBER 24TH

“Maggie!”

At her wife’s frantic yell, Maggie jumps off the bed before she can even register what is happening. Grabbing an empty glass from her bedside table as a weapon, she runs full tilt into the living room, prepared for anything from armed robbers to a vengeful alien.

What she wasn’t expecting was to see Alex kneeling by the coffee table, trying to pry something out of Gertrude’s mouth.

When Maggie gets closer she can see that Gert seems to have a piece of cardboard in her mouth. It almost looks like… “Is that a pizza box?”

“Yeah,” Alex says angrily. Then she points to something on the couch. Maggie’s stomach drops when she sees the overturned cushion and recognizes Kara’s stashed pizza from the night before.

“Did she-”

“Eat an entire pizza and half its box? I think so.”

Maggie swears under her breath. Alex manages to retrieve the piece of cardboard in Gertie’s mouth and goes to throw it and the rest of the box away. Maggie kneels in front of Gertie and stretches her hand out. Gertie sniffs her hand but makes no move to get up from where she’s lying.

“Gertie? Come here girl!” Maggie tries to coax her.

Gertie doesn’t move.

Maggie’s heart sinks. “Gert? Gertrude come on. You wanna go for a walk? Let’s go for a walk!” She tries again.

Gertrude just looks back at her, then shifts so she’s lying on her side instead of her stomach.

Maggie carefully picked her up and stood just as Alex was coming back into the room.

“How is she?”

“I think she’s sick. She’s barely moving, Alex!”

“Give her to me, and go get a coat.”

That’s when Maggie realized Alex was already dressed for going out into National City’s predawn winter.

Maggie ran into their room and got dressed as fast as she could. On her way out, she looked at the time and cursed. 5:29 am.

“It’s Christmas Eve! Where are we even going to find a vet in Christmas Eve before the sun is even up?”

Alex gets a glint in her eye that Maggie knows means she has an idea. “Take the dog, give me the keys.”

Maggie wordlessly complies and runs after Alex. Once in the car she can’t help saying, “you know I love you babe, but I’m gonna kick your sister’s butt the next time I see her.”

“Get in line,” Alex mutters as she peels out of the parking lot.

“Where are we going?”

“To Vasquez’s place. Their wife is a veterinarian. She’ll be able to help Gertie.”

Maggie nodded, “We are gonna owe them both so many favors.”

“Yup.”

“It’s worth it though.”

“Yup.” With that, Alex gets to the street and floors the gas pedal.

~*~

“Thank you both So Much!” Alex repeated for what felt like the millionth time as they walked out of Vasquez’s house four hours later, Gert happily trotting along on a leash. “We owe you big time. Anything you need, just let us know.”

“It was no trouble at all. She’s a lovely dog,” Erin said, smiling.

“And she’s going to be okay?” Maggie asked.

“She’s going to be fine. Just keep her on a strict kibble diet for a few days and keep an eye on her for the rest of the week,” Erin said.

“You heard that, girl? You’re going to be okay!” Maggie said to Gertie, who just looked up at her and wagged her tail.

“Seriously, thank you again for-”

“We get it Danvers, it’s fine, now get OUT so I can get back to spending Christmas Eve with my wife.” Vasquez said, drawing laughs from Erin and Maggie, and a blush from Alex.

“I’ll help you train the next rookie class,” Alex proposed.

“You mean you'll help me scare the next rookie class. I'll take it. BYE." They shoved Alex towards the car.

Maggie and Gertrude got inside. Then Alex climbed into the driver’s seat and tried again, “Thank-” Vasquez shut the car’s door and mock-glared at Alex.

With a good natured eyeroll, Alex started the car and they left.

Alex is still rolling her eyes when Maggie’s muttering in the backseat gets her attention and brings a smile to her lips.

“-and then we're gonna get revenge on stupid Auntie Kara by making her buy you all the doggie toys for Christmas. ALL of them. She’ll buy you a Supergirl-sized amount of toys, and as soon as you can have treats again, she’s gonna get you treats too, yes she is-”

Alex chuckled and focused back on the road. It was time to take their family home.

DECEMBER 25TH

A ray of sunlight touches Maggie’s face, warm and welcome after what had been a slightly chilly night.

She raises her arms above herself, happily stretching out and feeling more rested than she has in weeks. Opening her eyes, Maggie peeks at the clock on the bedside table.

11:27 am.

Curious, Maggie props herself up on her arm to look around.

She smiles.

Alex is on her back, sound asleep, with a hand draped over Maggie’s hip. Her other arm is resting on top of Gertrude, who’s lying on Alex’s stomach, also asleep.

Carefully, Maggie reaches for her phone and snaps a picture of them. Moment captured, she puts her phone back on the table and rolls over so she’s facing Alex and Gert. She settles back down on the bed as she places a kiss on Alex’s forehead and lays her hand on Gertrude’s back.

Maggie figures she can let her girls sleep in for a little longer.

After all, it’s Christmas.

[ritebeforeyoureyes]

I Want You, I Need You

I am loving the opportunity to keep writing. I am also taking requests on which multi-chapter fic I should continue; Ransom or Favourite Star Season so, let me know if you have a preference.

This smutty Sunday piece was requested by pink7184. I hope you like it.

I Want You, I Need You

"Why are we having this argument right now?" Zendaya was yelling, her arms raised above her head in exasperation.

"We aren't arguing, we're meant to be having a conversation - like adults!" Zendaya hated that word - adults. The age gap between her and Val was one that made her feel insecure, even after years of dating. She was a legal adult who lived independently and yet in moments like these, she always felt like a child. Val didn't mean it, but whenever he was angry, he felt it was necessary to highlight just how old Zendaya was. It was all most a way to belittle her when things weren't going his way.

"I'm sorry I'm not as mature as you, Val." Zendaya snorted with a tinge of bitterness to her voice. "But, right now, we are having an argument, a pointless one at that."

"Pointless?" Val scoffed in response. He was now pacing the length of her living room, his legs taking large strides within the confined space. "You're asking me to sit there and watch whilst another guy fondles you in public and you think this is pointless?"

Val and Zendaya's heated exchange had originated with her Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 contract. As stated in her contract, Zendaya was legally obliged to do whatever her publicist asked of her and in this case, it was a publicity stunt that starred Tom Holland. The aim of the game was to utilise Tom and Zendaya's friendship to boost the hype surrounding the sequel that was quickly approaching its release date. Fans were intrigued to know about Tom and Zendaya's relationship which meant they were seemingly interested to see how their characters' romantic plot panned out in the highly anticipated movie. For sales, the idea was utter genius but for Val, it meant he couldn’t do or say anything as his secret girlfriend paraded around with another man on her arm.

"We are just hanging out! It's the same as the last movie. We just do some of the press releases together, pose for so much pictures - that's it!" Zendaya didn't understand why Val was getting so jealous. In fact, Zendaya thought his overreaction was preposterous. She didn't object to when he had to dance up close and personal with his ex-girlfriends. She sat in the audience and watched him rumba like the proud girlfriend she was. She didn't understand why he couldn't do the same for her.

"That's not it-" Before Val could begin to list all that was wrong with Zendaya's contracted obligation, a knock came at the door. The two suddenly went quiet before automatically turning towards the grandad clock that hung in Zendaya's living room. It was approaching 11pm and neither of them were expecting any visitors, especially at this hour. Zendaya got up off her spot on the couch and stalked towards the door, her eyes scanning past the security camera feed as she did. Within seconds, Zendaya's frown was turned upside down; the smile stretching across her lips as she pulled open her front door.

"Bella!" Zendaya hadn't seen the familiar redhead in months and her unexpected arrival was bittersweet. Zendaya desperately wanted to continue her heated debate with Val but she also wanted to relish in the presence of one of her dearest friends. "This is a surprise. How are you?"

"Hey, Z." Bella went in for a hug and the two met in the middle, their arms curling around each other instinctively. “Sorry for stopping by so suddenly but there are road closures up ahead and the storms are meant to come in tonight.” Zendaya nodded knowingly. It was the reason why Val was staying with Zendaya tonight. The two were meant to spend the following day together after Val had gotten some well-deserved rest. He had been in extensive rehearsals approaching the new season of Dancing with The Stars and truth be told, his partner wasn’t much of a dancer. Hence why Val had decided that a full night’s sleep would leave him refreshed and ready to spend time with his girl. However, weather reports had claimed the approach of the storm of the century and Val didn’t want to be stranded, without Zendaya, on his only day off. “Is it okay for me to crash here tonight?”

“Of course, it is, you goof.” Zendaya pulled open the door, inviting Bella inside her home.

“Oh, hey Val!” Bella’s eyes bulged open, mentally slapping herself. She knew Zendaya and Val were in a relationship and it hadn’t even crossed her mind that Zendaya would have company. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting anything.” Bella cringed awkwardly, her hands ushering between the two.  

“Hey, Bella! Don’t be silly, you’re welcome to spend time with us whenever you want!” Val smiled courteously even though a nagging part of him wanted to say, ‘Yes, you are interrupting. Leave.’  He liked Bella, he really did, but she couldn’t have had worse timing. Val’s jealousy was bubbling within him aggressively, the idea of Zendaya being so comfortable with another man wasn’t sitting right with him. Val needed to talk this out with Zendaya and he needed to do it soon.

“If you guys don’t mind, is it okay for me to just head straight to bed?” Bella didn’t want to be a third wheel and honestly, Zendaya was doing her a massive favour by letting her stay; she didn’t want to impose any more than she already was.

“Aw, B,” Zendaya closed the door behind her and turned all her attention to Bella rather than grouchy old Val in the corner. “Hang with us! We can watch a movie or something.”  

“No, no, honestly, I am exhausted!” Bella faked a yawn and Zendaya just chuckled at her. She knew Bella well enough to know that she was purposefully trying to give Zendaya and Val their alone time. “I’m just going to call Matt and get some sleep.” Matt, or Blackbear as he was known to most, was Bella’s current boyfriend and just like Val and Zendaya, the two were pros at living out their long-distance relationship.

“You know where the spare bedroom is, right?” The question was more rhetorical, Bella had been over at Zendaya’s place plenty of times; it was practically a second home to her. “You head up and I’ll bring you blankets and … some tea?” An excited nod was given at the mention of tea. Zendaya wasn’t a whizz in the kitchen but one thing she could do right was tea. Bella made her way up the stairs and Zendaya brushed past Val in order to make Bella’s tea. Zendaya was looking at her feet as she walked past him and Val, he was staring directly at her. His hand caught her wrist as she stepped through the doorway and into the kitchen, halting her movements drastically.

“We have to talk about this.” Despite holding her temporarily captive, Val’s touch was gentle. His thumb was tracing light patterns into Zendaya’s skin making unintentional shivers run through her.

“Val,” Zendaya warned with a whisper. She didn’t want to do this in front Bella. She knew they’d start having a normal discussion that would lead back to what Bella had walked in on – a heated, and rather loud, argument. “Not now.”

“Yes, now.” Val was whispering also but his tone was still firm, authoritative. He was a Russian man with hot blood, there was no way he was going to downplay his girlfriend’s current situation. “I go back to work tomorrow and what, you’re free to go on all these dates with Tom? That’s not okay with me.”

“I am not going on dates, Val!” Zendaya felt like she was going in circles just constantly repeating herself. She didn’t know what to say or do for Val to believe her – to trust her. “I am just hanging out with a friend.”

“A friend who has feelings for you.” Zendaya was about to intervene but Val held his hand up, quietening her within seconds. “And don’t try to tell me he doesn’t having feelings. I see the way he looks at you, acts around you.” Val didn’t like to acknowledge the fact that Tom adored Zendaya. The boy couldn’t keep the smile off his face whenever in her presence and Val couldn’t blame him. “I know because it’s the way I look at you.” Zendaya was perfect; her looks, her kindness, her talent. Zendaya was the whole package, hence why Val felt so threatened. He didn’t like the idea of losing her. Zendaya was the only girl Val had ever fell so wholly in love with. The thought of her not being in his life wasn’t just heart-breaking, it was earth-shattering.

“Val, can we not talk about this now, please.” Zendaya shook her hand out of his hold and continued to make Bella’s tea. From the corner of her eye, she saw Val leave the room and she let out an audible sigh. She hated fighting with him. But, for now, Zendaya needed to distract herself with the hospitable arrival of Bella – she could talk to Val later. Zendaya prepped some jasmine tea on a tray full of snacks and made her way upstairs, a fluffy blanket tucked neatly under her arm. Zendaya paused outside Bella’s door, placing the tray on the floor before reaching over to knock.

However, Zendaya’s arm paused as she heard a soft moan come from inside.

“I miss you so much, Matty.” Bella’s voice was raspy and seductive and Zendaya simply stood frozen in her spot. She didn’t know why but her legs just wouldn’t let her move. A sense of curiosity was ignited within her and she stopped to listen. “I wish you were here, I wish you were the one touching me, playing with me.” There was a light lag in conversation, presumably where Blackbear responded to Bella on the phone and Zendaya felt a sensation bubble within the pits of her stomach. “Are you playing with yourself, huh? Thinking about me here … by myself.” Listening to Bella was turning an already angsty Zendaya on. She could hear Bella’s fumbling on the mattress accompanied by her moans and Zendaya had to try holding in one of her own.  With Val’s crazy rehearsal schedule and her Spiderman promotion tour, the couple spending time together was a rarity. With this entailed a prolonged period of no sex. And truth be told, she missed him … she missed him like crazy. She missed the movement of his hips, the throaty whispers into her ear, his rough yet simulatenously soft touch.

As if she had been zapped by a sudden force, Zendaya snapped out of her turned on haze, dropping Bella’s blanket beside the tray of food. She speedily made her way to her own bedroom, knowing that was where Val had made his way to earlier. She spotted him instantly, he was stood in front of the TV, his fingers fussing at the buttons on top.

“Stupid remote.” Val was mumbling to himself, his anger seemingly being taken out on the TV and its inability to function how he wanted it to. He was so focused on trying to get the TV to work that he hadn’t noticed Zendaya walk into the room. With her hormones still running a rage, Zendaya made her way to Val, her knees dropping before him. Val looked down at her suddenly, his eyes looking down at her widened doe ones. “Babe,” Val said, the uncertainty evident in his voice. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t want to fight anymore.” Zendaya played with the buckle of his trousers, desperately trying to get them undone. She grabbed at his length through his trousers and Val took a step back. He knew that sex wasn’t the answer to their problem; a discussion was. He placed his hands against her shoulders, forcing her up and back onto her feet again. A look of sadness – and rejection - floated across Zendaya’s features and Val tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He let his hand travel leisurely down her face before he spoke.

“I want you-“ Val didn’t want Zendaya to think that he was rejecting her because the idea of her dropping to her knees and taking him was the hottest thing he had seen, ever. He adored her, in every sense of the matter and he wanted her to know that – fight or no fight. “But-“

“No buts, Val.” Zendaya pressed her chest against his tightly, their body heat intermingling. “I want you, no, I need you, right now.” And as she spoke Val knew he was putty in her hands. Her simple sentence of reassurance and the glazed over look in her eyes was enough of an indicator for Val to know that she was his. Regardless of Tom’s affection towards Zendaya, at the end of the night, she got into bed with Val. She told him she loved him, she made love to him and that was all that mattered.

Val’s hand progressed from Zendaya’s face down her body in admiration; her arm, to her breasts, her hips and then her thigh. Zendaya sucked in a breath as his fingers traced the smooth skin. His fingers inched closer and closer to her inner thigh, excusing her panties and finding their way inside her. Zendaya gasped, her eyes fluttering shut. “Val…” The sound of his name on her lips was ecstasy and enough to make Val move faster. He moved his fingers at an increased pace, his neck falling into the crook of her neck.

“I’m sorry, baby.” Val peppered kisses to her neck as she spoke. “I didn’t mean to get angry … I just I want to be the only man on earth who gets to adore you.” He was muttering into her neck whilst his fingers steadily moved in and out of her. Zendaya opened her mouth to respond but no words came out. She was gaping, like a fish out of water, the moans just ascending from the back of her throat. “I want to be the only man who gets to touch you, feel you.”

“You …” Zendaya’s moans were louder, her eyes still glued shut. She was captivated by Val’s touch: the way his stubble rubbed against her skin, the way his free hand cupped her hip. Zendaya knew she couldn’t use her voice to tell Val that he was only man for her so, she decided to use her body instead. She grabbed his face with her hands and pressed her lips against his, kissing him with a pent-up hunger. Her claw like fingernails pulled at his shirt, tugging it up and over his head in seconds. Then came her pleasurable torture. She scratched and tugged at his toned body, her whimpers soon drowning against his lips. Their mouths were pressed together tightly, both fighting for dominance. But as time passed and breathing became harder, Zendaya gave in. Val parted her lips with his tongue before tasting her mouth fully as she fell apart around his fingers. “Val!”

As Zendaya came down from her orgasm, they separated to catch their breath. Zendaya and Val took the opportunity to discard of all their clothing. The process was messy and clumsy; a depiction of how urgently they wanted one another.  Zendaya pushed Val back against the bed as soon as they were naked, her eyes devouring him before she inched up his body. She rubbed her fingers up and down his thighs teasingly, his body clearly tightening with the amount of tension he was currently experiencing.

“Don’t tease me, not right now.” Val grabbed at Zendaya’s hair, pulling her up his body. She smirked against his pouted lips before slowly straddling him, her body engulfing him fully. “Fuck.” The hiss left Val’s mouth in pleasure. He had missed this, being this close to her. They’d been apart for so long he had forgotten how good she felt.

Zendaya placed her hands flat against his chiselled chest as she began to rhythmically rock backwards and forwards. Val’s hands freely travelled her body; her arms, her stomach, her thighs, her perky little breasts. He gripped her firmly, massaging her breasts to the rhythm of their movements. “Baby, I’m so close.” Val’s head was flat against the bed.  

“Val … please … oh my god, please.” Val’s hands fell to her hips, all most guiding her so that he was effectively inside her more; deeper, harder. The two moaned each other’s names until they were effectively riding out their simultaneous orgasms – their argument completely forgotten.