#I NEED TWP LIKE I NEED AIR

[tscsunlover]

IS THE “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I promise news about Wicked Powers is getting closer!” TRIPPING ANYONE ELSE UP?!? LIKE WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT IT

[wikitpowers]

me to kit & ty:

KISS, YOU LOVESICK FOOLS!!!!!

[detective-giggles]

TWP word of the day prompt: Apology

Another double fill- today’s TWP word and “trapped in an elevator” from my @911bingo.  

The one in which circumstances make TK formally apologize to Carlos for bringing Lou home.  Thanks to @noxsoulmate for letting me talk this one out and figuring out how to finish it.  I mean, we planned this weeks ago and I’m just getting around to finishing it, but I’m still within both deadlines!  

💜💜💜💜

“Thanks for coming with me, babe.” TK presses the button for the elevator with one hand, and Lou, tucked safely in a plastic container, is in TK’s other hand.  Carlos sighs and takes a step back, away from the offending lizard.

“Did you have to make the holes so big?” Carlos asks.

TK laughs. “He needs air!”

“And mealworms,” Carlos rolls his eyes.

“Got those too!” TK pats his pocket. “He’ll get a feast before we set him free.”

“At least they’re not in my kitchen anymore,” Carlos mutters.

The elevator doors open, and TK steps inside.  Carlos debates on taking the stairs; he needs his cardio for today anyway (anything to keep him away from the lizard) but sighs again and joins his boyfriend in the elevator.  If he stands a little too far over to the side, he’s grateful that TK pretends not to notice.  He’s holding the container up to eye level and taps at the side.

“That lid is on tight, right?” Carlos asks.  “So if you drop it or something, it’s not going to pop off for him to run away?”

“Why would I drop-” The elevator goes dark as it jolts to a stop. Carlos grabs the bar to steady himself and reaches for TK with the other hand.

“Are you okay?” TK asks.

Carlos nods, although he knows TK can’t see him in the dark car. “What just happened?” Carlos asks.

TK grabs his phone out of his pocket and turns on the flashlight. “I think the power is out.”

“The what is what?” If there’s anything that makes him feel safer in this predicament, it’s that his boyfriend used to be a firefighter. If there’s anything that makes him feel less than safe, it’s the flesh-eating reptile in his boyfriend’s hand.  

He watches as TK presses at some of the buttons, and none light up.  He hits the emergency call button and nothing happens.

“What do we do?” 

“Have a seat. We’ll probably be waiting here a while.” TK shuts off the flashlight and presses a few buttons. “I’ll call it in.”

“Have a seat?”  

“I’ll call it in,” TK repeats. “But we’re not going to be high on the priority list. The power will come back on soon. I hope.”

“Not high on- the Fire Captain’s son isn’t high on a priority list?” 

“Carlos, relax. I didn’t say they wouldn’t come.”

Carlos eases himself onto the dirty floor and leans against the wall.  TK paces around the small space while he talks to the 911 operator, giving them their address and details and what floors he thinks they’re stuck between.

He and Carlos compare the percentage of battery left on their phones, and then TK joins Carlos on the floor, bumping their shoulders together and setting the container on his lap.

“Hey, could you, like, scoot the lizard over there?” Carlos asks. 

“What?”

“The lizard. Over there. Away from me. Please?” 

“Okay,” TK turns on his flashlight and sets Lou on the floor. Carlos shudders and watches as TK puts his hand on top of the container and slides him to the corner, as far from Carlos as he can be.

“Is that better?” TK asks with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“It’s looking at me,” Carlos says.

TK makes an exaggerated point to press the button on his phone, and the elevator is immediately bathed in darkness. “Better?”

“I’m not sure.”

They sit for a while in silence. “Why do you hate him?”

“Hmmm?”

“Lou,” TK says. “You seem to really hate him. Why?”

Carlos sighs. “I was the butt of a joke that was funny to everyone except me, apparently.”   TK is silent for a moment, and Carlos continues. “I was camping with some kids in my class. We were…junior high, so 13 or 14? Anyway, someone had beer.  I wasn’t gonna rat them out, but I didn't want to drink with them, so I just went to bed early,” Carlos pauses, grateful for the darkness. “I woke up a while later when something crawled across my face.  They had thrown some lizards in my tent.”

TK lets out a horrified gasp. “Kids that age are terrible,” he murmurs. Carlos can hear movement coming from beside him, and then TK says, “I’m gonna grab your hand.” Carlos snorts, but he’s thankful for the warning; he probably would have jumped out of his skin if TK’s hand had brushed his.

“No one wants the cop’s kid hanging around at that age,” Carlos says. “I get it. But-”

“It was a cruel thing to do,” TK finishes. “I’m sorry, Carlos.”

“It is what it is. I mean, I’m sure I participated in a practical joke or two when I was young, but this was different.”

“I’m sorry I brought Lou home without checking with you first,” TK says softly. “But, Carlos, I really wish you had told me sooner. You can tell me anything.”

“I know; I’m sorry. I thought he’d be okay in the tank.”

“And then he got loose.”

“And then he got loose,” Carlos echoes. TK squeezes his hand and rests his head on Carlos’ shoulder.

The lights flicker and stay on, and the elevator begins descending again. “Oh, thank god,” Carlos mutters. They both stand up and TK wraps his arms around Carlos, burying his face in Carlos’ neck. 

“I am really sorry,” TK says. “I promise not to bring any more animals into the loft without checking with you first.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”  

The doors open and Carlos steps out, happy to be on the ground again.  TK picks Lou up and pauses outside the elevator.  “You don’t have to come with us. You can go back up to the apartment and Lou and I can catch an Uber to the Greenbelt.”

Carlos pouts and rolls his eyes. “Are you kidding? I want to go and make sure the little bugger doesn’t follow you home.” 

They wander toward the Camaro hand-in-hand. “You know, I don’t think his sense of direction is that good.”

Carlos snorts. “I don’t know about that. He really liked your desk lamp.” 

taglist: @plaidbooks @tarlosweeklyprompts

[walkingaftermidnight07]

Today's SOBH: let's chat yall

AKJS:DLJK:LKSJDF:KLJSFDLJLSKJDSLKJDSKLJSDLSDJLSLKJFLKSJDFLKSJFLKSJDFLKJSDFLJSLFJLKSJFLKSJFLKSJFLSJFLK

I AM SOBBING ON THE FLOOR RIGHT NOW I AM NOT OK

DEAR GOD I CANT DO THIS WHYYYYY

ok im trying to compile my thoughts as best i can but that's not gonna work so well so prepare for a very long, unhinged rant

first of all, livvy. seeing this update from livvy's perspective ripped my heart out of my chest and crushed it. i am already having all the feels. Hearing livvy describe kit being all grown up, it being a reminder that she will always stay the same....

I quit. im done. this hurts too much aksjf;jks;jfljslkfjlsfj

second, ty's reaction. my poor baby, he was so shockeddd

"I heard Ty take a breath like he never has before. Like he was gasping for air, like he’d been sucker-punched and he was trying to breathe and trying to breathe and he couldn’t."

kit may have fallen first, but ty fell harder for sure. this boy....he cares so much about kit that seeing him after everything that has happened causes him almost physical pain. he wants him back so much, but he doesnt understand why. or why kit has iced him out.

(sidenote: ty telling him that he's cleaning the gun wrong made me sob and laugh at the same time, because of course he would do that and i love him for it)

third thing:

KIT MY BABY WHAT THE HELL I GET YOURE HURT AND EVERYTHING AND I FEEL FOR YOU BUT YOUVE JUST HURT TY SO MUCH AND HES SO CONFUSED AND THIS ISNT HELPING YOU AT ALL

COMMUNICATE. I DARE YOU. TY CANT READ MINDS YOU IDIOT. HE DOESNT KNOW YOURE HURTING TOO. FOR ALL HE KNOWS, YOU HATE HIM

I LOVE YOU KIT, BUT DRU IS RIGHT YOU SUCK AT COMMUNICATION

“How long do you think it will take you to forgive me?”

“I don’t know,” he said.

“But not now,” Ty said in the smallest voice.

“No,” Kit said. “Not now.”

i just wanna hug them so bad oh my fucking god

THAT WAS PHYSICALLY PAINFUL TO READ JESUS CHRIST AND IT STILL HURTS. TYYYYYY POOR BABY

fourth thing: livvy noticing how hurt kit is too, but ty not seeing that

something tells me that livvy isnt going to tell ty about that, so as not to get his hopes up, meaning twp is going to be a long ride for them to get to the point where they actually communicate 👀😭

"Julian, I don’t know what to do. Ty misses Kit more than he thought he could miss someone. He misses him as much now as he did the day he left. He loves him the same. I think he always will and it scares me.

Kit is used to not needing people, but Ty needs people. He is afraid to need people but that is only because he needs them so much. He is not going to stop needing Kit. I don’t know if Kit will always need Ty. But Ty will always need him."

DONT SAY THAT LIVVY. KIT NEEDS TY TOO HE IS JUST SO FUCKING STUBBORN A:KJSDFLJSLFJLSDJFLSJFLKJS

no but i have to applaud cassie for this, because holy shit, this update managed to wreck me within the first paragraph. The overall tone, livvy's perspective and voice throughout the whole thing, the descriptions of our two lil baby idiots-----

I AM FEELING ALL THE FEELS AND I AM SO EXCITED FOR THEM TO FINALLY TALK IT OVER FOR REAL NEXT TIME

let me know what y'all's thoughts are!!! Id love to have a discussion about yalls theories and overall thoughts :D

[nyotasaimiri]

Arc Twp 107

Nyota held Tarvei tight for a long moment. “Before that, Vei,” she said as she finally let go and leaned back, “we have others to catch up. Can I ask a favor of you?”

“As long as it doesn’t involve messing with your medic.” Tarvei pulled a face. “He threatened to shave me if I wore you out, and I don’t want to test if he’d make good on that.”

Nyota laughed. “Don’t mind Lumen. He’s mostly bark there.”

Vei looked nervous. “You sure on that?”

She grinned, feeling the old mischief tickle at her fangs again. It had been quite a while. “He knows I’ll make him clean up the mess.”

That got a good chuckle, and Tarvei relaxed a little. “What a cruel captain you are, sis, threatening them with manual labor like that.”

Nyota settled comfortably back into her pillow with a wicked conspirator’s smirk. “If it makes them clean up their acts…”

Lumen poked his head in with a cross little crackle. “Hey now, who’s hootin’ like a howler in here? Vei, I told ya not to get the lady worked up—wait, she got you laughin’?”

Namina leaned in over Lumen and rested his head on the novakid’s head. “Ape-sprout laughs like ssscreaming monkey?”

“Sprout yourself,” Vei wheezed as he caught his breath. “I’m taller than you.”

Namina gave him his widest and toothiest grin. “Sssprout is state of mind, Ssprout.”

Lumen reached up to tap the floran’s nose and missed. “Which ya ain’t got, huh? Move yer spiky noggin, Ferny. I ain’t a chin rest.”

Namina complied only long enough to fold his hands under his chin as a makeshift cushion. Lumen sighed and resigned himself to his fate. “So what got ya goin’ like that, anyway? We could hear ya out in the kitchen. Darn near made Eldie drop the muffins.”

“Oops, sorry about that,” Vei said with a sheepish little grin. “Wait, why am I apologizing? It was Nyota’s pun.”

Lumen studied both of them and nodded solemnly. “A pun from the lady, eh? Ya don’t need to tell it, I can guess how bad she made it.”

Vei snorted and swatted his sister’s shoulder. “Wow, you’ve got a rep and everything?”

Nyota made a very good effort at looking prim and noble, despite her pajamas and extremely unkempt mane. “I must make our people proud somehow. But since I have my doctor here—”

“Medic,” Lumen insisted. “I ain’t right to be a doctor, just medic’ll do.”

She bowed her head slightly. “Very well, medic,” she conceded. “I had a request for Tarvei, but it probably does need your approval. I need to visit Marcy. I have a favor to ask her, and it’s better done in person.”

Lumen hummed and shook his head. “I’ll have to give ya another exam to be sure, but I’d say ya need another week or so restin’ before ya head out, first. That cold did nasty work on yer lungs, and even my good stuff can only patch them up so fast.”

Nyota sighed, and the faint but sharp pain in her throat and chest told her that he was right. “And the heavy salt air of the port town would not be good for healing, I think. Very well… But I want to speak with her, at least. I need to reassure her that I’m alright.” Her promise itched at her throat under the pain, and Nyota pressed a hand to her collarbone to keep the words steady. “She has spent enough time being afraid for me.”

Namina shrugged. “Easy fix, why ssee there? Ssee here, make Doc Lightss happy, make Captain happy, make friend happy. Profit.”

That drew a small laugh out of her. “I don’t plan to make any pixels off of this, but that’s a good point, Namina. Tarvei, I’ll revise my favor. Can you bring my laptop? It should be on my worktable near SAIL’s console. It’s best if I ask her myself.”

[stories2tell]

Starting off he picks me up from my house and the whole ride there I was Like so Im still in shock of what happened the previous night that we spent together and apparently I esd very expressive of how I wanted to filled by him. Now Mind you I don't get drunk often but when I do I for some reason cant stop talking. The ride over he tells me that hes noticed how i enjoy Sex out side he taught me that this is considered exhibitionist and this means you like to have sex in spontaneous places. I think its true considering as soon as we got out of my neighborhood I started sucking his dick while he drove us. Whole time my ass is in the air and his fingers are stroking my pussy and I an wetter than a water hoes. The whole time I was told im perfect and that everything im doing is great.. I never knew I could be so wild, and appreciated for showing that aspect of myself. He tells me we can go back to his house or spend time out. I wanted Ice cream and he was open to the idea. Before we got their he showed me a construction sight, I was so hot and horny from the foreplay earlier that I didn't want to talk. I wanted to feel. I suck him off in the front seat and he takes his pants off and jumps in my seat. Its completely daylight and this man is butt naked in the car fucking me like a man hows starved for years. The feeling is immaculate. Our eyes are locked and I try my hardest to keep my composure when I with him because truly I know This relationship is physical. I try my hardest to not engage outside of it because this chapter is about me exploring my sexuality in a safe way.  After cleaning ourselves off we go get Ice cream I like it when he treats me. I know its different but this is MY kink. I like the pleasure of being outgoing and being rewarded after. Hes very gentle and attentive to my needs. We talked for a while and hes touching my legs making me laugh, and his hand wonders my body. everything is ideal. We end up at his Storage unit and truth be told we went another 4 rounds in the space. I was going down on him and I was having a creative streak and I took my ice cream and poured it over his dick, I watched as his body shivered and his dick start to twitch, Locking eyes I see his desperation for warmth to come back to his member, I slowly took my tongue and from his base licked a line to his tip. Letting the melted icecream drip all over my body. To say the least I devoured him. His It very hot i've been noticing how my body reacts to him. I like how he’s taking notice to my body I told  him that i would like to squirt one day and he got so turned on by it. I think this is were I got the motivation to really let go and allow more relaxation come into my life through sex. Its very hard to understand my emotions on the matter as when Im in the moment I feel this high like the world is a fairytale and I don't know what to do so I continue to chase the high I once had. One of my more vivid memories comes form use being outside walking in nature and we have the most pictuest moments when he goes behind me and wraps his arms around me. Its so gentle and I like his touch and the height difference. Its like hes this cuddly bear. I know he can be a switch in moments but at that time i felt as though I was a little girl and he was my protector. From what I don't know the cold, the fact that my dress was flying up from the winds or that we were just twp people enjoying each others company. I was on cloud nine and I never wanted to come down.

[pinerlotus]

Psychopy demos

#Psychopy demos full

#Psychopy demos android

#Psychopy demos code

Wilson Marine is family-owned and operated for over 70 years and conveniently located in Brighton, Commerce Twp., Harrison Twp., Howell, and Wixom Michigan. It is our goal to help our customers find the perfect watercraft to fit their lifestyle, along with just the right parts and accessories. Since 1949, Wilson Marine prides itself on having the friendliest and most knowledgeable staff at all of our locations. RT sonofr: “When Britain was in the single market it was linked via undersea interconnectors to Irish, Dutch, French & Belgian grids.Welcome to Wilson Marine! We offer a variety of marine products and our selection is second to none. You can still register for this free on… PsychScientists I love her! 2 hours ago RT LNummenmaa: The fantastic TurkuPETCentre UniTurku Neuroimaging course will start in one week. RT PatrickBloniasz: I am offering a free Zoom "intro to R" data visualization workshop on November 5th, 2022 after popular demand.

Towards open-source psychology research.

A new paper on timing errors in experimental software.

Stimulus timing accuracy in PsychoPy – an update, and an example of open science in action.

For the love of God – learn to touch-type.

JASP might finally be the SPSS replacement we’ve been waiting for.

#Psychopy demos android

Tag Cloud: analysis Android apps Brain BrainVoyager coding computer computer skills computing data desktop dropbox e-book ebook education endnote essays Excel experiment Experiments fMRI FSL Google Google Scholar Hardware Imaging internet Internet Resources ipad iPhone keyboard laptop links Mac MacBook Air Macbook Pro Matlab mendeley mouse MRI netbook neuroimaging neuron Neuroscience Open Sesame OpenSesame os x papers parallel port PC plagiarism programming psychology PsychoPy python R reaction time research response box Review Software SPM SPSS statistics student studying study skills tablet textbook timing TTL vision web windows zotero.

This is one of the best examples I’ve seen of the power of an open approach to science, and the ability of post-publication review to have a real impact.

#Psychopy demos code

As a result of the authors posting their code up to the OSF website, and the fact that PLoS One allows comments to be posted on its articles, the issue could be readily identified and clarified, in a completely open and public manner, and within a matter of days. However, there’s a wider picture that’s revealed by this little episode, and a very interesting one I think. So, great news if, like me, you’re a fan of PsychoPy.

#Psychopy demos full

Those who need the full story should read Jon’s comment (and the response by the authors) on the PLoS comments page for the article. Up-to-date versions have this feature, and as a result are now much more reliable. It turns out the authors used an older version of PsychoPy, where the ability to set a stimulus duration in frames (or screen refreshes) wasn’t available. As a result it was possible for Jon to examine the scripts and see what the issue was. The authors of the paper made all the data and (importantly) the program scripts used to generate it available on the Open Science Framework site. However, the creator of PsychoPy ( Jon Peirce, of Nottingham University) has already responded to the data in the paper. The paper suggested that PsychoPy had some issues with presenting very fast stimuli that only lasted one (or a few) screen refreshes. A few days ago I reported on a new paper that tested the timing accuracy of experimental software packages.

[angels-all-sin]

I’ve been scrolling through some Shadowhunters Chronicles blogs (because a few always end up popping up in my recommended section; lol, my love for this universe will never die) and I keep seeing posts about Dru and Ash possibly having romantic feelings towards each other in TWP (though it’s already been made clear that Ash already feels something for Dru). And I’m over here like: have you people forgotten about Jamie? Dru and Jamie?

I remember Cassie answering an ask on her tumblr, a long time ago, saying Jamie comes back in TWP and Dru is older and feelings change.

Fuck yes. I ship it. I am ride or die even though there is sparsely any proof for romance between them at all.

There’s my unpopular opinion. That’s all.

[gideonnavsenormousbiceps]

I have to say that I’m honestly really happy with how CC is developing the characters we’ll see in TWP. Especially the Blackthorns and Kit. The Blackthorns are a very tight knit family, and rely heavily on each other in TDA, and eventually Kit comes to rely on Ty and Livvy as well. Kit, Ty, and Dru are probably going to be the main characters in TWP, and they all had issues in Queen of Air and Darkness that desperately needed addressed in the time between the series. Ty  felt like Julian was being too protective, and not allowing him to be independent, and Dru also felt like she was only really a babysitter and was lonely because she didn’t have many friends. Kit, on the other hand, lost his father, whether they had a close relationship or not. Dru is at the academy, Ty is at the Scholomance, and Kit is with Jem, Tessa, and Mina in Devon. That means Dru gets to be her own person and make friends outside of her family, Ty can be independent and learn to be his own kind of Shadowhunter (”I don’t want to be that kind of Shadowhunter”), and Kit is finally part of a family like the Blackthorns have. For now, I think they are in the places they should be with, and who they should be with. Ty and Dru need people outside their family they can count on, and the ability to grow on their own, and Kit needs the family he has now, because although he liked the Blackthorns, they weren’t his family. They were Ty and Livvy’s family. I’ve noticed that some people are frustrated that certain characters like Kit and Ty haven’t reunited or mentioned each other in the SOBH installations, but they’re also in the middle of developing into the characters we’ll eventually see in TWP. Eventually they’ll all be reunited, and we’ll finally be able to see the extent of the development and change they’ve gone through. I’m definitely looking forward to it. 

[amchara]

In Cold Blood - (Whumptober prompts 4, 7, 22)

Kit Herondale, Belial, Sammael, Tessa Gray, Jem Carstairs, Mina Carstairs

The Princes of Hell are looking for the perfect pawn and Johnny Rook's protection spells performed on Kit as a baby aren't enough to save him... (Or- my take on this thread about possessed!Kit in TWP)

Prompts: Taken hostage (Prompt Four), helplessness (Prompt Seven) and Demon (Prompt 22) for Whumptober

TW: offscreen violence, demon possession?

The two demons watched as the teenage boy shifted uneasily and cried out in his sleep. “No Ty… not if you do this, not if…” he fell silent. Then his body locked and stiffened. He called out in horror and despair-- “LIVVY!”

Sammael looked appreciatively at the boy’s long limbs, which, despite their coltish appearance, had nascent muscles- the promise of a powerful warrior if trained properly. And his face was fair, framed by golden curls and a strong jaw, and despite his nightmares, sweet and open. All the better for seduction and persuading the unwary to trust him, Sammael thought.

“Well done, brother- I think he will do well for our plans,” he said, adjusting the portal window so that he and Belial could spy further into the room.

Belial smiled. “He’s not of my line but his protection spells are weak- they were not completed properly. And there’s a hint-” he sniffed. “A hint of dark magic around him- that should speed the possession.”

He started forward, clawed hand descending towards the opened portal to draw the shadowhunter boy into his realm. But his brother’s arm thumped across his chest, stopping him.

“You have him for three days,” Sammael reminded him. “And then you must allow our brothers to take their turns.”

“You should find your own,” Belial said, a sulky note entering his voice. “I want this one.”

“Most shadowhunters have intact protection spells so you know that would be challenging. Also, this one…” Sammael said, watching the boy carefully. “His faerie blood will do nicely for the final stage of our plan. You must share.”

Belial tossed his head, moonlight glinting off his immaculate dark hair. “Understood,” he said shortly. His grey eyes glowed. “No matter- I should be able to accomplish my goals by that time. Starting with my plans for the inhabitants of this house.”

-

Kit opened his eyes, blinking as he took in his surroundings. His limbs felt oddly heavy and his mind felt unfocused, and he tried to shake his head to clear it. Strange. He couldn’t quite manage it.

He was in Mina’s room, dressed in normal street clothes and standing by the door, hand resting lightly on her dollhouse.

Mina was awake and sitting upright in her bed. But something was wrong, Kit realised. She was watching him with a wary look, her dark eyes solemn and unsure as she huddled in her covers.

“Where’s Kit?” she asked, her voice small and tentative.

What was Mina talking about?

To his horror, Kit could feel his face move into a rictus of a smile and he walked forward even as she shrank back from him on the bed.

Was he sleepwalking? Was this a waking nightmare?

No. The voice was low and seductive, caressing across his mind. You’re under my control now, Kit Herondale.

Mina screamed as he grabbed her.

But suddenly he was the one screaming, as his hands burned uncontrollably and he dropped her, her light yellow magic trailing away like smoke wisps. She scrambled away and the fear on her face sent a stab of pain through his heart. The… presence, whatever, whoever it was seemed to find delight in this, almost broadcasting its feelings directly into Kit’s mind.

There was a thundering noise in the hallway and Jem and Tessa burst into the room. Jem was an incongruous but deadly sight holding a long broadsword and clothed in only an undershirt and tight white underwear, while Tessa, despite the late hour and wild hair, projected an air of sharp competence as she held her hands up, blue flames dancing between her fingers.

They took in the sight of their two children.

Tessa was the one who understood it first, a look of shock and dismay crossing her face. “Kit?” she asked, slowly.

“Hello, daughter,” it said, the words leaving his mouth in an unnatural way, and Kit could feel a cold amusement from the being currently controlling him.

“Belial,” Tessa whispered, and Jem let out a muffled gasp but his grip on the sword didn’t waver.

Panic rose through Kit as he considered Tessa’s response. He tried to push, strain his muscles, blink his eyes. Anything to regain control over his body that was being controlled by a freaking Prince of Hell.

Nothing worked.

“I know we said we were even, the last time we spoke-” and Kit could feel his focus switch to include Jem as well. “But I’m afraid I… lied.” He gestured down his body. “And it was rather careless of you to have left such shoddy protection spells on another of your children.”

Tessa narrowed her eyes. “Let him go.” She raised her hands again.

“Or what?” His arms crossed, and he leaned casually against the bedside table. “You’re hardly about to attack me away, not while I’m wearing this.”

And Kit thought he would do a million chores, and a thousand tough training sessions, if it meant he was never again referenced as a demon fashion accessory.

Tessa’s eyes flickered almost imperceptibly towards Jem. It was the smallest of gestures and if he wasn’t so aware of their tiny tells, having lived for three years with them, he wouldn’t have realised that they had just shared a plan. Unfortunately, Kit realised with growing horror, as his hand suddenly raised in a familiar gesture, Belial seemed to have direct access to his very thoughts.

I do indeed. Thank you

Jem lunged towards the bed, arms outstretched to scoop up Mina. But he was intercepted by Belial taking control of Kit’s powers - the same powers he and Tessa and Jem had spent hours carefully training, safely- and knocking him with a giant invisible force, slamming Jem into the opposite wall of the nursery, where he lay crumpled but still conscious, eyes wide with pain.

Tessa snarled and with a couple elegant gestures, a crying Mina flew into the air, landing safely into her arms. Mina burrowed her head into her mother’s shoulder.

“I do need both your children, Tessa, my darling.” Kit sauntered over to her but stopped short as a solid, invisible wall stood in between them.

“Over my dead body,” she told him, her eyes furious as she stroked Mina’s back protectively.

“How very dramatic,” Kit heard himself drawl, looking down at his fingernails in a bored manner.

There was a growing sense of a burning, hungry power building in him and Kit summoned all his willpower to fight Belial if he tried to hurt Tessa or Mina or Jem again.

I won’t let you hurt my family.

He could feel the demon scoff at him, as he stepped away. With a few sharp gestures, he outlined a door frame, and reality bent and shivered for a moment before a doorway opened. On the other side, Kit could see city lights and hear cars honking, as a balmy breeze drifted through.

“I’ll go have fun with this one first, and we can return to discuss your daughter later,” Belial told her as he stepped through, easily sidestepping Jem’s pained attempt to try and tackle him.

“Kit!” Tessa’s cry was suddenly cut off as the doorway winked close.

Kit raged and swore and drew on every scrap of knowledge he knew- Shadowhunter and Downworlder alike- but it did no good. He was powerless and worst of all, as he walked down the busy urban road, he felt insignificant, a feeling that was highlighted by Belial’s next words to him.

Oh, you’re still here. I don’t think I need you around for this part. In fact, I think for this first time- it’ll be more fun if you’re not.

The next time Kit returned to consciousness, he was lying in an alley somewhere, his head throbbing and it felt like a bucket of paint had been thrown over his face and body, his clothes tacky with it. But instinctively Kit knew it wasn’t paint. He looked down.

There was blood on his hands.

So. Much. Blood.

-

(Yes there will probably be more to this story - this was too much fun to write. Which Prince of Hell takes control next?? Also, am thinking a Kit / Ty reunion while Kit is still possessed... )

Taglist: @sandersgrey @dontmindmyshadowhunting @shadowhunting-hooligans @of-same-steel-and-temper @hardlymatters @storm-of-ruination @im-not-ruined-im-ruination @roundtom

Previous Whumptober fics:

Prompt One - "You Have To Let Go" (James Herondale, Cordelia Carstairs, Matthew Fairchild)

Prompt Two - Choking/Gagged (Dru Blackthorn, Ash Morgenstern, Ty Blackthorn, Kit Blackthorn, L.A. Institute inhabitants)

Prompt Three - "Who Did This To You?" (Cristina Rosales, Mark Blackthorn, Kieran Kingson)

(link to prompts)

[shootingxsstarr]

Kit and Ty - Playlist (Part 2)

Hi there, so... After almost a year I decided to make a part two for the kitty playlist. You can check part one here if you want.

While the first playlist was more related to the things that happened in Lord of Shadows, this one is more focused on the events from Queen of Air and Darkness. I hope you enjoy it and lets suffer together for these two while we wait for TWP.

1. Sweet Night // V

"I'm wondering, are you my best friend? / Feels like a river's rushing through my mind / I wanna ask you if this is all just in my head / My heart is pounding tonight, I wonder / If you are too good to be true / And would it be alright if I / Pulled you closer"

"This was Ty hugging him because he wanted to. The soft cotton of Ty's shirt, the feeling of Ty's hair brushing against his cheek as he hid his expression from Ty by burrowing his face against the other boy's shoulder. He could hear Ty breathing. He threaded his arms around Ty, crossing his cold hands over Ty's back. When Ty leaned into him with a sigh, he felt like he'd won a race he didn't know he was running."

2. the 1 // Taylor Swift

"We were something, don't you think so? / Rosé flowing with your chosen family / And it would've been sweet / If it could've been me / In my defense, I have none / For digging up the grave another time / But it would've been fun / If you would've been the one"

"To never being parted", Kit said, looking across the campfire at Ty.

Ty's thin face was limned in light from the red-gold flames. "To never being parted" he said, with a grave emphasis that made Kit shiver for reasons he did not understand.

3. Sorry // Halsey

"I run away when things are good / And never really understood / The way you laid your eyes on me / In ways that no one ever could / And so it seems I broke your heart / My ignorance has struck again / I failed to see it from the start / And tore you open 'til the end"

"Without you, I just - there's nothing if you aren't there."

There's nothing if you aren't there. Pity and despair ripped through Kit. He couldn't hate Ty for this. But he would never mean anything to Ty and never had: That was much clear.

4. Easy // Troye Sivan

"I can't even look at you / Would you look at the space just next to your feet? / The wood is warping / The lines distorting / This house is on fire, woo! / Burning the tears right out my face / What the hell did we do? / Tell me we'll make it through / Cause he made it easy, easy / Please don't leave me, leave me"

"I wish - I wish I'd never known you -"

Ty's eyes filled with sudden tears. Shocked, Kit fell silent. Ty was The; he didn't weep easily, but he as wiping tears from his face with shaking hands.

5. Run (Ballad Mix) // BTS

"I run, run, run / I can’t stop / Run, run, run again / I can’t help it / This is all I can do anyway / All I know is how to love you / Run, run, run again / It’s okay to fall / Run, run. Run, again / It’s okay to get hurt / I’m alright, even if I can’t have you / Pitiful destiny, point your finger at me"

One of the Riders jerked and yelled, clasping at his arm. Ty’s slingshot, Kit realized, and felt a rush of reluctant warmth and a sudden stab of fear - what if he never saw Ty again?”

6. Fool for you // Zayn

"This love is tainted / I need you and I hate it / You're caught between a dream / And a movie scene / In a way, you know what I mean / When the dark turns to mist / I just can't resist it / 'Cause I'm a fool for you"

"All his energy had gone into Ty, all his devotion and hopes for the future. He liked the other Blackthorns, but he hardly knew them well. He probably knew Dru the best, and he liked her as a friend, but that was a small thing compared to the burning hurt and humiliation he felt when he thought about Ty."

7. Before You Go // Lewis Capaldi

"So, before you go / Was there something I could've said / To make your heartbeat better / If only I'd have known you had a storm to weather / So, before you go / Was there something I could've said / To make it all stop hurting? / It kills me how your mind can make you feel so worthless"

"I know," Ty said. His voice shook. "I know, but- can I say good-bye to him? If I could just talk with him once-"

"He's already gone." Magnus said. "He didn't want to say good-bye to you. To anyone really, but I suspect it was mostly you."

8. I Hope You Find It // Miley Cyrus

"Last words that I said / But that was nothing / But a broken heart talking, baby /You know that wasn't what I meant / Call me up, let me know / That you've got this message / I'm leaving for you / 'Cause I hate that you left without hearing / The words that I needed you to"

"Tell Ty-"

9. Someone You Loved // Lewis Capaldi

"Now the day bleeds into nightfall / And you're not here to get me through it all / I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug / I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved"

Kit watched as Ty waded out a little bit, tipping his head back, smiling up at the Livvy only he could see.

Remember him like this, Kit thought, happy and smiling. His hand crept up to touch the faded white scar on his left arm where had draw the Talent rune what felt like so long ago.

[prongsisabadger]

TWP Chapter 33

To say Wolffe was frustrated would have been the biggest understatement in the galaxy. There he was, muscles burning with fatigue, sweat clinging to his blacks and panting like a Hutt that just took the stairs to the third floor. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a cadet, damn, even the first battle of Geonosis seemed like a breeze right now. Still, he forced himself to maintain his stance, he would be damned if they caught him slipping now. It was so infuriating, Kriari was breathing a little deeper than she usually did, she was trying to control her breathing, but that was the only indication that they had been fighting the last thirty minutes. 

He knew she was a Jedi, he knew they trained since they were children, so did the clones and they were engineered to keep up with Jedi, but the gap between their abilities was still quite large. He resisted the urge to scratch his fresh scar out of annoyance. They had been at it for a week now and he was making progress -slow, but progress nonetheless. 

Kriari slipped into her offensive stance once again. Wolffe resisted the urge to sigh. He admired her and her abilities -whether influenced by the Force or not- but he was not going to lie and say getting his ass handed to him on a platter by a teenager didn’t hurt his pride a little. Kriari moved, and this time, Wolffe could actually follow the movement, his new eye a little sharper than his original one. He blocked one strike, then the counter strike, he parried and went on the offensive. Kriari blocked his roundhouse kick with ease, using his own strength and momentum to redirect the blow and get inside his guard. 

The first time she’d done that, Wolffe had ended in the med bay with a heavily bruised rib, he knew better now. He backed away from her and created more space for him to move. Kriari wasn’t incredibly big or strong, but she was quick and she knew what she was doing. Putting some distance between them was the smartest thing to do. Once he was out of her range, he went on the offensive again, looking for an opening in her defence. And then he saw it, Kriari had left her left side open, and Wolffe respected her too much to go easy on her. 

As Wolffe’s fist collided with Kriari’s left side, all the air in her lungs was forced out. He heard the little “umph” that escaped her lips as she stumbled away from him. She looked at him in disbelief as she held her side. He smirked but he really should have kept a straight face. Well hindsight is 20/20. Something lit up in Kriari’s eyes, something only her fellow Padawans had ever seen, something her masters found both concerning and incredibly amusing in equal measure: Competitiveness. 

“Ah, shit, Commander- wait!” he said, backing up slowly as a predatory smile crept onto her face. Panic started to grow inside him steadily as the woman in front of him slipped out of her stance and started circling him like a predator, surrounding him, watching him, stalking him. 

“You landed one on me, Wolffe. Let’s see if you can do that again.”

But he never got to find out, because General Koon announced their time was over. They all had responsibilities to attend to. It was quite remarkable how the fight left Kriari the second she stepped off the ring, Wolffe definitely still had his guard up. Sometimes he forgot that, for all her emotional volatility, Kriari was still a Jedi. Granted, not a fully trained Jedi but a Jedi nonetheless, so of course she knew when to quit. 

Sometimes it felt like he knew very little about her, about her upbringing, about her culture and her relationships outside the 104th. But it didn’t really matter, he knew who she was at her core: brave, bold, selfless, loyal. He didn’t need more than that, even if the urge to know -to know her- was growing with each passing day. He wanted to be able to sit at the canteen and drink caf with her and talk, or more specifically, hear her talk. 

He was a man of few words and 80% of those were usually sarcasm, so he wasn’t one to make good conversation, but he could listen, he was very good at that. Wolffe had always been the observant type, and it was most likely the reason he had become Commander in the first place.

“Hey, Wolffe?” said Kriari beside him. “I won’t be able to train with you for a while. I’ve been assigned a mission and I don’t know when I’ll be back. You’ll train with Master Plo while I’m gone.”

Her smile was a little strained, like she didn’t really want to go, but orders were orders. The thought of her leaving with the 212th again made him more bitter than he cared to admit to himself, and once again his feelings were making his job far more difficult than it should have been.

“I guess you could give Cody my regards then..” he said as he put away his water bottle and towel before swinging the strap of his backpack over his right shoulder. 

“Oh, no, I’m not being deployed with the 212th. I was assigned an undercover mission. It’s just me and two other troopers. We’re going to Ord Anlata.”

Wolffe looked at Kriari for a moment, not really understanding why she was sharing this information with him. Did she feel guilty for leaving him again and felt like she had to explain herself? Did she simply not realize she shouldn’t be telling him this? No, it was none of those. And then it dawned on him, Kriari was nervous. But why?

He didn’t have time to figure it out, because Kriari crossed the space between them and slowly, gently, reached her hand up. Wolffe was frozen in place as Kriari’s hand caressed his jaw, his cheek, the bottom of his scar. He wondered how the yellow of her skin would contrast with his dark complection and if she could feel the stubble starting to grow. She was looking at his face so intently, like she wanted to memorize it. She was touching it so softly, so reverently it made him feel fragile. It made him feel seen.

The moment ended before he could understand what was going on. Kriari took a step back and clasped her hand behind her back. She sighed at the floor before looking up at him once again. 

“Goodbye, Commander. I hope we see eachother again. May the Force be with you.”

…

Sinker was almost done packing when Wolffe entered the barracks. He didn’t really pay him much attention, he still needed to double check his weapons were in top shape for his next mission. He had packed his new civvy clothes and fake IDs, he had hidden as many weapons among his luggage as he could without making him an easy target for scanners. He checked for ammo, then for his maintenance kit and the first aid pack Twitch had given him. He took a deep breath in. This one would be tricky. 

“Can I have a word?” Asked Wolffe beside him. 

“Of course, Marshal Commander.” answered Sinker teasingly. Wolffe had been a little reluctant when he had been promoted, but the Pack was glad for him, he deserved it. 

“None of that, this is more of an unofficial matter,” he said before sitting on the cot across from Sinker. “I have a bad feeling about this mission, the Commander made it seem like she- like you wouldn’t be coming back.” 

Now this was way out of Sinker’s area of expertise. He knew Wolffe and their Jedi Commander had a special bond, hell there was an ongoing bet on the status of their relationship. But to have Wolffe approach him about Kriari was not something he had expected.

“Well, we are going undercover and we might not be back in a while…”

Wolffe sighed.

“It’s not that, when she said goodbye- it seemed almost too final '' If it hadn’t been for the fact that his brother was voicing his concern, Sinker would have thought Wolffe was completely indifferent to the situation. If one looked at his face, the only thing they’d see was confusion and a little frustration, but not concern. 

“Maybe you should speak to her about it, vod.” Sinker let go of any pretence of formality. This wasn’t his CO talking to him, it was his brother. “The only thing I can tell you is that I will do anything to keep her safe, and so will Art. But I can’t speak for how the Commander feels, I care for her because she is loyal and kind, but that doesn’t mean we are close.”

Wolffe looked away, as if ashamed of something, as if speaking to Kriari was the last thing he wanted to do. And it was probably true, Sinker thought, they were walking a very fine line and one step in the wrong direction could prove to be catastrophic to them both. 

“Come on, Wolffe.” he said finally with a smirk and a rough pat on his brother’s shoulder. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of a teenager, Commander.”

“Sinker-”

“It’s Just talking, vod. Clear things up before she leaves, because if something happens to either of you, you will both regret it the rest of your lives.”

…

I stared at my folded robes, the urge to take them with me was great, but I would not be a Jedi for the duration of the mission, and as such, I would not be able to have anything that could identify me as one. Still, I would not be erasing my identity so easily, even if my clothes, my armour and my braid would not be coming with me on this journey. 

I wore robes that resembled traditional Tusken wear -with a few alterations to make them easier to fight in-, my face would be covered most of the time, and the only weapon I’d be able to use was the old rifle I’d brought with me when I first left Tatooine all those years ago. It was a jarring experience, to let go of one’s identity completely and become no one. The ego was yet another attachment Jedi were encouraged to let go of, but only few managed to do it. 

And there I was, staring holes into a few layers of clothing that had become a part of me, a part of my identity. I would no longer be Commander to the 104th and the 212th. I would no longer be an apprentice to masters Plo Koon and Obi-Wan Kenobi. I would no longer be Kriari Foreas. 

Someone knocked at my door. It was past lights out, and I would be heading out at first light. Few people knew where I was going, but they all knew I’d be leaving for a while. Whoever was out there wanted a word before I left. I should have been surprised, I really should have. But when the door opened to reveal a very anxious Wolffe, all I could think about was the fact that he was there. 

“Commander, can I have a word?” He said after a moment.

All I could manage was a nod as I stepped aside from the door to let him in. He seemed just as lost as I felt. The Force around him was anxious as well, and he couldn’t bring himself to look me in the eyes. 

“About today, Commander- what you said….”

“I apologize if I overstepped, Wolffe” I interrupted. “I just, Where I’m going isn’t exactly safe at the moment, and I wanted to make sure… I don’t know what I-”

“You made it sound like you wouldn’t be coming back.” He said, his tone slightly accusing. 

“I might not be.” 

“You will, you have to.” He insisted, finally looking at me. 

“I can’t make promises like that and you know it.” I said, almost pleading. 

I was confused, overcome with emotions I couldn’t place. Why was he here?

“Then I’ll make a promise,” he said, taking my right hand in both of his. “I will tear this galaxy apart to find you, Kriari. So make sure you come back.”

He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my palm before placing it on his cheek. 

“I promise.”

[cassandraclare]

Hi Cassie! I'm spanish so sorry for my english😅I am really excited about TWP, I waited since 2013 to read TDA and after I finished Queen of air I needed more. I have to admit that Kit and Ty are the characters that I'm looking forward to read more about, but I'm super curious about Dru, I know she'll be a badass (she is already), but I'd like to know if we are going to see her acknowledging Livvy's ghost and helping Ty to get over Livvy's dead at some point. Ily💚

I tried to think of non-spoilery ways to answer this, so all I can say is: it is safe to say that Dru will not be always unaware of Livvy-the-ghost’s existence! 

[d3monp0xx]

Unpopular opinion (maybe)

That.... No matter in what way qoaad ended... Whether either Emma or Julian die or both of them did due to the curse or Emma did manage to sever the parabatai bond....

Iiiiii think there would always be some sort of hate towards it..... Like no one could truly be made happy about it....? I couldn't really understand the feeling of expectations to read qoaad and the feeling having to wait quite a while after LoS because I read TDA after it's all published so... I don't have super high long waited expectations...but still... I don't think..it deserves that much hate..

I don't hate that Emma and Julian got their happy ending no matter how cliche it is. I love it in fact. They deserve happy ending..they have been though so much..and if anyone say they're way too dramatized... They're both 17..with heavy burdens on their shoulders with life threatening situation and feelings they can't contain they're bound to be dramatic.

And tbfh I don't even hate what happened to Kit and Ty because I do think that they both need something that each other can't give.. and they both need to grow individually before they can learn to love each other. Yes the reason Kit ran was because he's angry and not because he "want to learn about himself" I think that part is what Cassie intended so that later on..they can work towards the relationship instead of having to work on themselves while being in a relationship...imagine two 15 years old who had just been through some sort of traumatizing things...having to do those things.. it wouldn't end up good. I genuinely think that if Kit stays..it might've been unhealthy to both of them.. I do believe they're endgame in TWP but I just think they can't be with each other...for a while after qoaad ended.. "well Kit should've at least say goodbye." He was hurt okay...he was humiliated and he felt as if all the things he felt before, that he was never enough to anyone, is true by then... And he's 15 for God's sake you can't expect him to make a rational decision when he's feeling all that while also discovering his whole ass first heir thing...

The only thing I was unhappy about qoaad was Kierarktina. I do feel like they deserve more work and hours to be put in developing them esp in Kieran's part. More of Kieran's POV would've been nice esp during the part where he realized he like Cristina... And although they may be happy in their tiny cottage..I. Genuinely wish they would get much more than just that... It's hard for me to get into their feelings towards each other while reading... Because in comparison of how developed Emma and Julian feelings are towards each other and the air around Kit and Ty,. Kiertarktina feels lacking a bit.. in ways that feels like more could be done...

But yeah qoaad deserve more appreciation

That's so long...oh God I'm sorry

[waiting4inspiration]

Just Try XIII (Alpha!Bucky x Omega!Reader)

Summary: Bucky confides in Steve after realizing his mistakes. As your heat nears, you can no longer keep yourself locked up in your lab.

Warnings: hahahaha, things are going so good, I’m so happy!!!

Just Try Masterlist II Marvel Masterlist

“I messed up, Steve,” Bucky mutters, holding his head in his hands as his best friend sits beside him. “I realized that too late and I hurt her. Now she won’t even talk to me,” he mentions, lifting his head and rubbing his hands together. “It’s been a week and she hasn’t set one foot out of her lab and it’s all my fault.”

Steve takes in a deep breath, licking his lips as he shifts in his spot beside Bucky. “She just needs some time to herself, Buck. Some space,” he explains, Bucky’s head lifting up at him. “I know that you’re concerned about her, but this isn’t the first time she’s locked herself in there. Trust me, she knows how to look after herself.” Bucky forces a smile at him, nodding his head before staring back down at the ground.

His knee starts to bounce up at down as he swallows a lump that has formed in his throat. “Her heat’s coming. I can smell it and I don’t know what I’m going to do if she doesn’t...” He sighs, hanging his head between his shoulders and bites his lip. “This one’s definitely going to send me into an early rut,” he chuckles, shaking his head as he looks back up. 

Steve laughs lightly with him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She knows that she won’t be able to sit this one out without you,” he states, Bucky nodding his head at him. “It’s always like that after a pair has bounded. I know her too well to know that she won’t stay down there much longer.”

“I hope you’re right, Steve.”

Fusing pieces of your invention together, your eyes stare at the work in front of you, you don’t even hear FRIDAY question if she can let Nat into your lab. Taking your silence as a ‘yes’ she unlocks the door, making your head snap up when her alpha scent drifts towards you. 

“You say anything you want, Nat,” you say, glancing back down in front of you. “But I’m not going to leave until this is finished.”

She walks over to you, sitting in front of the table and crossing her arms over her chest. “I know. Which is why I didn’t come here to try and drag you out,” she states, your eyes briefly flickering up at her before focusing back down. “I just wanted to see if you’re alright and how things are coming along.”

Her scent makes you shift uncomfortably as you place the tool in your hands down and walk across the room. “I’m fine. You can go now,” you sneer, unintentionally. Realizing that you’ve snapped at her, you stop in your tracks and run a hand through your hair. “I’m sorry. It’s just...”

“That your heat is near,” she finishes and you turn back around to face her. “And my scent isn’t really helping.”

The smirk on her face says it all. “You’re doing this on purpose. To push it that it comes early and that I'll have to leave and talk to Bucky before it actually hits me,” you state, making the smirk on her face widen so much it make you think of the Grinch. “You’re so sly, Romanoff.”

She shrugs before you throw a piece of scrap cloth at her face. “He’s miserable, you know.” Her words make your head lift up at her. “He’s realized his mistakes and is waiting for you to get out of here so that he can talk to you,” she mentions, you head shifting towards the door as your teeth bite the inside of your cheek.

“He is?” you ask, looking back at her as she gives a small nod. Looking back at the door, you omega side wants to walk right out of your lab and straight to him. But you don’t really know what you’re going to say to him. But you need to speak to him before your heat clouds your common sense. “I just need some time, Nat. To think about everything.”

She nods at you, standing up from her seat and walking towards you. “Don’t wait too long, okay? You need him as much as he needs you,” she informs, taking your hands and giving them a friendly squeeze before turning to talk out the door, leaving you alone with new thoughts to think about. 

Leaning against the wall behind you, your eyes travel over to the half-assembled gauntlet on the table across the room. There’s no way you’re going to finish it before your heat now thanks to Nat and her damn alpha scent. And now knowing that Bucky wants to speak to you and that he’s realized his mistakes, it means that he’s thinking straight again and not acting like a bullish alpha anymore, which makes you only want to see him more. 

Sliding down to sit on the ground, your mind races too much to try and work again. This is something you can’t push aside anymore. You’ve done that enough this entire week and now you just need to think about what you really want, what you’re going to say to him when you actually work up the courage to see him. 

When Nat walks into the common room, Bucky’s head snaps up when he catches your scent. He’s the only one in the room and when he realizes that your scent is coming off of Nat, he slowly stands up and glares at the red-headed alpha. “Why do you smell like her?” he questions, clenching his fists to hold back anything he might regret. 

Nat glares at him and places her hands on her hips. “Because I went to talk to her,” she states, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Bucky’s glare hardens at her as a small growl sounds through the air. “Stop it! I’m her best friend, Barnes. And she needs that right now,” she growls back, pointing a finger at him. 

He sighs, holding a hand up in defeat before falling back into his seat. “I’m sorry. I just... I don’t know what I’m going to say to her when she comes out,” he mentions, Nat walking across the room towards him. 

“You could always start with an apology,” she says, sitting opposite him and resting her elbows on her knees. “It’s the most important thing she needs to hear. Then, just see where it goes.” Nodding his head, he leers down at the ground as his mind thinks over his words. 

Just like the days blurred by this week, the minutes did the same thing and before you know it, you had been sitting on the ground for hours. The only reason you had looked up to see the time was that your stomach alerted you that you were in need of food. 

You knew exactly what you wanted; foodwise and relationship wise. You had more than enough time to figure everything out, but you were still working on actually deciding to speak to Bucky. So, you decided to first eat something from the mini-fridge in your lab and work for a little while before talking to him.

But it was a bad habit to completely lose track of time with almost everything you do and when you look back up at the time to find that it’s already past midnight. You shake your head at yourself as you clean up your workspace. “FRIDAY, is Bucky still up?” you question when you stop in front of the door. 

You know it’s a bit of a long shot that he might still be awake, but you’ll never know unless you ask. “He is, miss. Would you like me to tell him you are looking for him?” she questions as you slowly open the door.

“Can you just tell me where he is?” you ask, slowly walking down the halls as you feel your heat slowly ebbing its way into your body. 

The fact that you can smell the scent of some of the alphas in the building doesn’t help at all. But one scent is driving you absolutely crazy. “He’s currently making his way towards your shared bedroom.”

Great. That means that you’re bound to bump into him soon. Though you half consider turning around and heading back to your lab, you push yourself forward. You have to talk to him. You have to see him. You need him. 

When you turn the corner, your eyes lift when his scent hits your nose, stronger than before. His eyes do the same when your scent hits him and you both freeze when you spot each other standing on opposite sides of the hallway.

Your chest starts to heave when the smell of the man you fell in love with pulls you close to your heat and you can tell that your scent is having the same effect on him, sending him closer to his premature rut. 

Licking your cracked lips, you slowly start to walk towards him. He mimics your moves and meets you halfway as you twp stand in front of each other. “Hi,” you whisper, staring up at him as a smile spreads across his face. 

“Hi.”

Tags: @chameerah @rororo06 @tephi101 @spaghettirogers @bookwormmads @veganfangirl5 @prussiangilbert @kissakatterna @thewinterwolf @captainamericasbeard @kulteule @collette04 @satellitespidey @marvelgirl7 @bxxbxy @summernykole @ek823 @buckaro0 @gracethegeek9902 @oldspirit @rubyquatzshades @classyunknownlover @blellaa

[alma-berry]

Kit’s secret Fire Message #22

Masterlist

This chapter contains sexual content. I’ll take this opportunity to remind you that this fic takes place in TWP’s timeframe, in which both Kit and Ty are over 18.

It’s not an overly explicit chapter, but if you are not comfortable with sexual content, I’ll advise you to stop after the magnificent word “Christopher”.

I really hope you’ll enjoy it 🖤

*

Iratze, blood replacement, strengthening rune, endurance rune, another Iratze.

Ty applied each rune with careful hands. Every mark stood a stark black across Kit’s chest, his arms, the side of his neck. Ty caressed them, like checking if the ink had already dried from a sheet of paper.

He was about to put an energy rune on Kit when Livvy stopped him.

“I think I should leave you two alone”

“Why?” Ty frowned at her.

Livvy surveyed her brother’s pursed lips, the dark, sunken hollows under his eyes and the delicate yet hungry way in which his hands moved on Kit’s bare skin, as if careful not to hurt him, yet unable to break away their touch.

It reminded her of when they were children, and they dared each other to write their own names without lifting the pen off the paper. Livvy’s always seemed like an unintelligible scribble, but Ty managed to write in a neat, elegant scroll that seemed like it was made by an artist.

She looked at him and knew that when Kit woke up, which would probably be as soon as the energy rune took effect, an important conversation would have to take place. They were searching for each other for so long, not in so many actions, but in their hearts. Whatever might happen in that conversation, couldn’t happen if she was there.

“I would come if you need me..” She looked at her twin with knowing sincerity. “But I don’t think you will.”

*

Kit lay on the damp grass and watched the sun play tricks on his half-lidded eyes.

He liked it, letting small rays of light escape through his lashes and paint beautiful, unrealistic images on the inside of his mind.

Sometimes, when he needed inspiration, he would lay there for hours and listen to the forest whisper a whole symphony in his ears, one he would never be able to replicate, but would always try.

As he felt the tips of his fingers bathe in the mid-days warmth, a shadow fell over him.

“Kitty!” his favorite voice in the world cried in ringing delight, and Mina jumped on his stomach with all her might.

Kit pretended to be fatally injured and called Jem for urgent assistance.

As he appeared, and a slightly worried crease pinched Mina’s forehead, Kit snatched her like she was nothing but a tiny, raggedy doll and held her close to him. She screamed in protest, and as retaliation, he tickled her until she surrendered.

Jem’s soft laughter made him look up. His head stood right in front of the sun and blinding rays of light weaved through the dark strands of his black hair, making him look like an odd, beautiful planet.

“You’ve caught some sun, Christopher”

Jem’s voice was amused, though Kit couldn’t manage to see his mouth move beyond the shadows that hid his face.

“Have I?”

“Yes, you’re practically glowing”

“Like a radiant bride?” Kit teased.

“More like the sun, I reckon.”

“Oh”. Something about that statement made Kit feel uneasy, but he couldn’t remember why.

“I believe you’ve spent enough time out here, son. I think it’s better if you wake up now”

Kit frowned in confusion. “Wake up? I’m hardly asleep, Jem. You’re all lovely to look at and all, but I doubt I would dream of Min kicking me in the gut.. maybe church. But if it was a dream, I would have kicked back”

He grinned at his father with innocent wickedness. But Jem still smiled serenely.

“No, my dearest. I assure you that this is a dream, one from which it is imperative you wake.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s time, Christopher.”

“Time for what?”

Jem wasn’t the cryptic type, and Kit still couldn’t see his eyes. He shifted his head, trying to see Jem’s expression in its fullest, but weirdly enough, the sun seemed to move with him and kept its safe place right behind Jem’s head.

“Kitty!” He suddenly became aware that Mina was still in his arms. He focused his gaze on her and watched in surprise as she lifted her small palms to his face.

Her grip was soft, yet strong as iron. She arched her red lips in a smile and whispered to his ear.

“Kitty, wake up!”

*

“Kit, wake up”

Kit opened his eyes to a whirling grey storm. They still stung from the brightness of his dream, and the sudden change made him flinch.

All of a sudden, his view cleared and he saw Ty’s sharp features leaning away from him.

“Ty!” He called in relief, and bolted to a sitting position, reaching to cup Ty’s face in his hands. The sudden movement made his head spin, and he staggered back on his elbows.

“Stay down, you need to rest your head.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. How did- are you okay?”

He tried to focus his eyes on Ty, but his vision kept blurring back to the black, blinding spots from the sun.

“Yeah, I’m... I’m okay. I came looking for you with Livvy. She helped me find you.” Ty’s voice sounded strained, but Kit’s ears kept ringing with Mina’s chiming voice.

“Find me? With Livvy? Where is she?”

He peeked through his lashes, trying to locate her white glow through the haziness.

“Livvy left for Jessamine. Apparently, she’s been frantic for hours, kept knocking off glasses and trying to demand that you were found.”

“Wow”, Kit gaped. “I didn’t know she liked me that much.”

And at that, Ty’s words sank in.

“Wait, what do you mean for hours? And.. find me? Why did you need to find me? you were right there and I-“

Kit’s words hushed into a confused silence as he retraced through his last recollections; Ty’s limp figure in the entrance to the hall, the ceiling raining down rocks and himself, trapped behind that massive boulder. He definitely broke something, maybe even a few somethings. He saw his left palm, pulsing with all the light and energy he could muster.. and he saw the darkness, lulling him to sleep like a soft blanket.

He opened his eyes, his heart hammering unevenly in his chest, and sat down slowly. He couldn’t look at Ty, afraid to see the knowing expression on his face, so he looked at his surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was the ruins. Everywhere around them were shattered piles of rocks, but he himself lay inside a neatly drawn circle of dust. It was too neat, too precise. He didn’t need to remember the night’s events to understand what happened.. and knowing Ty, neither did he.

Kit shivered. He lifted his arms to warm himself, only to find bare skin. He looked down at the disheveled remains of his gear and felt the burning crawl of shame and fear climbing up his neck. It was too much, it was all way too much.

He sank his face in his hands and tried as hard as he could to dissolve into thin air, like the ash between his fingers, like the dread that swallowed his heart whole.

It wasn’t until Ty’s touched his skin to his, prying his hands away from the barricading shield they created, that he felt the slick remains of his tears.

Kit didn’t cry much, there was a time he thought there was something wrong with him because of that. Then again, there were many reasons why something would be wrong with him… reasons he spent years trying to overcome. He felt the lucid cold of that night on Lake Lynn, and the flattened pain of his ravaged heart, twisting their way into his mind. He was, simultaneously, too much to handle and barely there at all to take notice of.

He was almost on that edge, his hands trembling like they were also trapped within Kit’s memories until the gentle embrace of Ty’s fingers pulled him back.

Kit straightened his gaze in defiance, ready for the sharpened questions in Ty’s eyes, but found nothing.

Ty’s eyes darted all around him, pleading worry plain and naked smeared all over his face. He wasn’t looking for answers, he wasn’t looking at Kit’s lack of clothing or at the stark evidence of Kit’s powers all around them. He just only looking for Kit.

The sudden rush of tenderness punched a hole through Kit’s defenses, shattering it completely.

“Ty…”

“I didn’t believe them, Kit. You were trapped here for hours, and I didn’t even know... They said you were dead, and I was knocked out and couldn’t help you and I-“ his voice cracked, “I’m sorry, Kit. I’m so sorry. I should have been here to help you. It was all my fault.”

His voice died down to a whisper, and his eyes fell to his lap, burning bright with unshed tears.

“No, Ty...  You, you saved me, don’t you remember? You took a fireball straight to the chest for me, that’s why you were knocked down.” Kit traced a finger across his cheek like he was wiping the tear that wasn’t there.

“I didn’t believe them,” Ty repeated. “You said you would never leave me again, so I knew you must still be here. I didn’t believe them, because I believed you.”

Kit felt the sweet brush of Ty’s breath on his lips, making him shiver down to his toes. There was truth in him, that he never saw in Ty before. It wasn’t that Ty lied, he was alarmingly honest, to the point of bluntness. But that kind of honesty was from the inner layers of his soul, so much so that Kit felt like he was touching it with his bare hands.

“You’re right,” he swallowed hard, “I would have never left you. I never will.”

Ty’s face lit up with the ferocity of the sun, and Kit was mesmerized by the clean beauty of him. His lashes thick and startlingly dark against the silver in his eyes, feathering down across flushed, sharp cheekbones. His lips were slightly parted, stuck on their way from astonishment to a smile. Kit could see the small shimmering traces of his tongue, glittering like stars in the ever-increasing light.

But they were inside a dark, collapsed cave. There were no lamps or witchlights around them, but Ty was still glowing as the light came from right under him, where their hands were still clasped.

With a sinking realization, Kit lowered his eyes to find that, in fact, the light came exactly from between their hands. Between his hands.

With a yelp, he pulled his hands away and leaned as far from Ty as he could manage without falling to his back.

“No!” Ty called, the smile ripped away from his face and left an angry, desperate abyss. “Stop it, Kit!”

Kit froze and stared at Ty with horror.

“You don’t get to do that anymore” he reached to grab Kit’s hands in his. “You don’t get to shove me off like I’m-“

“Ty, please” Kit cried and tried to release himself from Ty’s iron grip, but couldn’t.

“You don’t understand, Ty... I’m- I can’t-“ he murmured with barely contained sorrow.

“So explain it to me, Kit.” He punctuated every word. “Explain why for weeks you keep pushing me away, just explain it to me, because you act like you can’t be around me but then you say these things… your screensaver is a photo of our beach, you wrote me these letters for years but after you kissed me you just.. you just sent me away.”

Ty’s voice was the hard, desperate truth that Kit tried to avoid until he could figure out on his own how to take control, but there was nowhere to escape.

“I-“ Kit’s chest was heaving, chasing one breath after the other before he could fully take them in. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” Ty touched his palm to Kit’s, and he could feel the wild current of energy going through Ty’s body like electricity.

“Yes!” His voice rose to a shout. “Look, I’m hurting you right now!”

“I don’t care, Kit!” He shouted back, the force of his grip making Kit’s bones grind against each other, though he barely noticed the pain.

“That’s why you keep avoiding me? That’s why you won’t even look at me?”

Every word Ty said hit Kit like a thousand rocks, tumbling down onto his heart. He managed to pry away his hands from Ty’s but Ty kept pushing him back until he almost hit a wall of piled stones.

“That’s why you won’t let me touch you?” Kit stopped thrashing and looked at Ty, his eyes wide with savage grief, like Kit’s words, not his powers, were breaking him apart.

In his heart, Kit heard the rumble of a shattering glass.

“Ty, you have to believe me, there’s nothing I want more than to-“ his whole body was vibrating from the effort to control himself, but energy flooded his veins, poured down from his skin to his fingernails. He had to make Ty understand.

“Every time I look at you, every time I hear your voice say my name or your hand accidentally brushes mine... the effect you have on me-“ Why couldn’t he find words? When he needed them the most, they failed him.

Kit clung to every movie he watched, every book he read, and searched frantically for the right thing to say.

“I know I’ve been hiding things from you, but it’s not because I want to keep you away… I swear. I wanted to protect you from it, Ty. I owe you that much. After everything I did, after all of my mistakes, I owe you at least that much.”

Ty lips curled into a grim smile, and Kit couldn’t bear it any longer. He shut his eyes hard and willed his heart to compliance.

“Kit,” his voice imprinted soft pedals across Kit’s neck. “I believe you, didn’t you hear me say that before?”

Ty carefully laced their fingers together, and Kit let him, too tired to fight him away.

“I believe in you. I believe in this. You can never hurt me.”

A hot tear melted on Kit’s cheek like a snowflake in the fire.

“Will you look at me? I need you to know that I mean it, Kit.”

Kit opened his eyes but didn’t look at Ty. He looked at their intertwined hands, and at the threatening glow that shined like a hidden candle.

Kit took a deep breath and listened to the steady beating of Ty’s heart. It was so implausible, that his heartbeats could be so calm… like a river, the unyielding flow of its temper beating down the night, that Kit had to try again. He focused on that rhythm with everything that he had and raised his eyes to face the man in front of him.

Ty’s eyes pinned him in place immediately, and Kit knew that there was nothing anyone could do to make him look away.

“I’ve known for a while that there was something that you’ve been hiding. At first, I tried to figure it out for myself, so I could protect you from whoever is after you.. but that only did the opposite of what I wanted. I needed you to trust me again, so I had to trust you. I had to trust that your secrets, whatever they are, are safer in your hands than in mine… and they are yours to give away. Don’t you see, Kit? I know… I know and I don’t care. I don’t care as long as you’re with me.”

Ty looked at him like he was the only answer he ever needed to know, like there was nothing more important than this very second, this very light, trapped forever between their hearts.

Kit breathed Ty’s words and felt again that calm sureness smoothing away the frayed edges of his anxiety. He would never hurt Ty, he couldn’t, and that plain knowledge molded into a glistening blazing light in the palm of his hand.

The light washed over them like a ray of distilled sunshine, clinging to every curve of Ty’s face like a ghostly whisper.

Without knowing how they closed the distance between them so that one couldn’t know who’s heart was beating the loudest.

Kit caressed Ty’s lips with his eyes, breathed the cottoned dimples on his cheeks and counted each marvelous shade of silver in his irises.

“Tell me,” Kit said. And it was barely a whisper, but he needed nothing more.

“I love you, Christopher.”

Ty didn’t hesitate, he didn’t miss a single beat before releasing Kit’s hands only to pull his face towards him, and steal his very last breath, straight from his lips.

It burned, it burned like the sun dug its way under Ty’s skin and everywhere he touched left a mark.

His tongue licked fire at the base of Kit’s throat, his fingers turned his bones to ashes as they sank lower down his back. And his heart, his heart was marked all over, with tears and rain and the smell of ink that didn’t leave Ty’s skin in the three years they spent apart.

Kit pressed his nose to the hollow above Ty’s sternum and breathed so deeply he feared he might faint. With another shaky breath, he clawed his fingers in the collar of Ty’s shirt and forced his eyes to stay still.

“I need you to tell me what you want, Ty.” His voice was horas, wanting, but he made every word count. He needed Ty to choose this, choose him.

“I want to touch you”. It echoed all through Kit’s body, like a desperate shout, reverberating across empty halls.

“You are touching me.” Kit answered with a small smile.

“I want to touch you more.”

Kit drew a sharp breath. Ty’s words hit him like a cigarette tossed into a pool of gasoline, flaring up the blood in his veins with unbearable heat.

He only nodded, there was nothing he could phrase that would explain the way he felt, so he pulled Ty into his lap and let his long fingers slide across his body like a tide over a helpless sea.

There wasn’t much left of his clothes, to begin with, but Ty made the remains of his gear crumble under his touch like smoke, evaporating with a blink of an eye.

behind the dark curtain of his lashes, Ty’s eyes gleamed bright and hungry like a panther’s as they slid down Kit’s naked torso, all the way to his naval. In the years since he found out that he was a Shadowhunter, Kit had a love-hate relationship with his own body. He was relieved every time he received any kind of appreciation for his appearance… not in the manner of beauty, but more in the way of finding his own place amongst the race of these super hot, highly maintenance angel warriors. But this, this, how Ty’s eyes drank every muscle and scar made Kit unleash a low growl of pleasure.

“Ty,” Kit breathed, and the soft hairs on Ty’s skin stood up in salute.

“I want to-“ I want to feel your skin under my mouth, I want to know how you sound when I graze my teeth across that jawline of yours, that jawline that can cut me without even noticing. I want to feel that you’re mine.

He couldn’t say none of these things, but Ty understood. He took Kit’s hand and tucked it under the hem of his shirt, guiding him upwards, until they rested over his heart. It slammed against his palm, an uneven dance of raging anticipation.

Kit peeled the fabric off, exploring inch by inch the wonders of Ty’s skin, admiring how every touch made his breath heavier and sweeter than the one before it. He buried his face in the wide field of Ty’s chest, inhaling his soft whispers, egging him on.

His body felt like it could no longer contain his heart. The violent joy of how Ty’s cherry red and swollen lips trembled as Kit found the buckle of his belt, made his blood burst like lava all through his quivering limbs.

Ty put both hands on the rock behind them and lifted himself so that Kit could remove the rest of their gear. Kit wanted to look at him, to see the places where his snowy skin was even paler, to look for scars and ask for every tale that came with them, but the look on Ty’s face was more important. He trusted Kit - with his body - and with his heart. It made him want to cry, to break down on the dusty stone floor and tell Ty that he loved him, that he loved him because his heart couldn’t bear not to.

Instead, he pushed Ty off him and down to the ground. He crawled up his body to meet his lips. Ty put both of his hands on his chest, both to steady him and to keep him at bay.

“Have- have you ever done this before?” Ty sounded almost shy, which was surprising to hear.

“Yes. So have you.”

It wasn’t a question. The confidence of how Ty’s fingers slid over his body made it very clear.

“Does that bother you?” Ty asked, his eyebrows pulled up against each other like a child’s illustration of a roof.

Kit paused, he wanted to give an honest answer, not an impulsed one. The thought of Ty with someone else made the fine hairs on his lower back stand like pikes, he couldn’t deny that… but what did he expect? He couldn’t reproach Ty for living his life, it’s not like he hadn’t. Ty never left his heart, but he tried with all his might to banish him away. He kissed and laughed and danced and fucked, he did everything he could think of, but he always remembered. He never made love before, a differentiation that used to seem overly romanticized to him, but now felt like all the difference in the world. He desired others, but he never loved.

So Ty might have been with a dozen other men, and it wouldn’t matter. Because he was now touching his lips to Kit’s temple and the memory of his words rang clear in his heart. Ty loved him, and that’s all he needed to know.

“No.” He said simply, and the relief was clear on Ty’s face. “I don’t care, because you are with me.”

Ty smiled as he recalled his own words from before, and pulled Kit closer, every inch of their exposed skin touching. He slid his fingers along Kit’s thighs and purred like a satisfied cat to Kit’s reaction.

“Besides,” Kit added with a choked voice. “Practice makes perfect, and this -“ he put his hands on Ty’s, guiding him to his pelvis - “is exactly that”.

They giggled until they couldn’t any longer, their bodies allowing only sharp moans and sudden gasps. The intensity between them was building up into a tangible need. Kit wanted him, but he didn’t intend for it to be over so soon… so he propped up on his elbows and held Ty’s gaze, and like untying a ribbon, let his tongue run slowly down his length, embedding every precious moan to his memory.

For a second, he felt like he was watching them from a distance, hiding behind one of the shattered rocks. And they were beautiful together, like an unavoidable collision between the sun and the moon. The light that was first caged in him spread out and surrounded them like a halo. Ty’s skin was a silvery silk, melting under Kit’s golden sun-kissed hands. It was like that old poem, Kit thought, as he drifted back to his own body, and knew that he would have died a thousand times for this night.

When Ty started shaking under him, Kit disentangled himself from his hold and sat breathless, watching Ty’s back arch, as if looking for the missing warmth of Kit’s body. His eyes were half-closed, unfocused, searching for him in his peripheral until he realized that Kit was not there.

“Something’s wrong?” He sat on his knees with a noticeable effort, his naked body covered in a thin layer of sweat and dirt.

Kit shook his head, trying to figure out a way to explain what he wanted, what he needed. He could feel his cheeks flare red with embarrassment, and cursed his self-consciousness.

“So come back to me” Ty whispered, and when Kit stayed where he was, he closed the distance between them and took his chin in his hand, lifting it up so he could examine his expression.

Understanding bloomed in Ty’s eyes, and they darkened in a sudden explosion of hunger.

“More.” He said, and Kit thanked Ty’s lack of need for unnecessary words.

He nodded, relieved and wanting, and crushed their lips together, licking and sucking everywhere his mouth could reach.

Between breaths, Ty whispered to him, and Kit could hear the effort it took him to stop and say these words.

“But it will hurt you, afterward. I don’t want you to be in pain, ever.”

Kit smiled to himself and nipped Ty’s lower lip, biting it, hard. Ty groaned in response, and it felt like the greatest victory of Kit’s life.

“We’re Shadowhunters, there will always be some sort of pain.” He sat on top of Ty and tightened his grip on his shoulders.

“And don’t forget -“ he added. “We have Iratzes for that.”

Kit lowered himself atop him and Ty cried out his name, running his fingers on his scarred chest like a caged animal, breaking free. He was glorious, from the soft feathers of his wet hair, the sharp ridge of his collar bone to the dimples down his hips, like two fountains - twinkling as a mirage in the desert of Kit’s life.

They moved together, slowly, their lips fused to an everlasting kiss, and Kit could hear the distant memory of waves crashing over the Los Angeles Institute’s shore.

He always remembered Ty as someone delicate, breakable, the person he must protect no matter the cost. But as he felt him, thundering inside him like a storm, stronger than any force of nature he ever encountered, he knew that he was wrong. When the pleasure inside him took hold over every other coherent thought that he had left, only one remained - they could protect each other.

*

They lay in silence, bodies laced together like vines.

Kit’s eyes were closed, his golden lashes almost white, illuminated by the witchlight Ty gave him so long ago. Ty nudged his nose in the faint stubble on his cheeks and relished on the prickling texture of it.

“Christopher,” He murmured.

“Hmm?”

“Christopher Jonathan Herondale.”

Ty tasted the words, slowly, mouthing them like they were a secret he wasn’t sure he was willing to give away.

Kit lifted one eyebrow in question, his eyes drifted open and focused on Ty’s lips.

“I remember that poem you sent me, a couple of years ago.” Kit’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Where the crows had not yet woken

And the dimmed, elongated seconds

Between one breath and the other

I whisper to the impatient sun

Your name

Your full name

As an ancient lullaby

Sung by the gods”

A loud silence crawled between them. He didn’t know what to make of it and was suddenly very aware of how exposed he was in front of Kit.

“Did- did you memorize it?” Kit’s voice was calm, measured. It sent shivers down Ty’s back.

“Yes. I memorized all of them.”

Kit’s gasp was audible, and Ty had to turn and search his face for any sign of distress. Did it scare him?

“Why?”

“Because I needed to understand them. It was.. maddening.”

Ty searched his face, the cobalt blue of his gaze made him feel like they were outside, under the night’s sky. He was even more beautiful like this, he thought, with his hair rumpled and his shoulders uncovered, glittering from the remains of dust and sweat and magic. He was so beautiful Ty ached somewhere deep within him. He never felt this way, and it was more frightening than realizing the shape of his feelings for Kit.

“And did you? Understand them, I mean.”

Ty ran his fingers through Kit’s curls and tried to make sense of his thoughts.

“Not until recently, no… and not all of them. But- but this one, in particular, haunted me. I used to say your name, when I was alone, even without Livvy… just to understand what you meant. It only made me miss you more, it made me angry and frustrated and… and it made me so mad at you. For leaving, for sending these letters, like you were deliberately trying to hurt me by reminding me that I lost you.”

Kit lifted his hand, it hovered above Ty’s heart for an excruciating second, and then rested on it.

“And now, when I say it, when I say your name.. I can still taste you in my mouth. I can hear you singing in the car, I can smell the sun on your skin and feel your heartbeat right here, in the palm of my hand.”

He looked into the depths inside Kit’s eyes, they were so vividly real Ty got lost in the middle of the ocean until he realized they were tears.

“It’s like a prayer, your name.”

Kit pulled him into a sitting position, planting his hands so hard through Ty’s hair he probably felt every bone in his skull.

“It wasn’t a prayer, it was a promise, Tiberius.”

And he kissed him. He kissed him for so long that when he came up for air, it felt like the first true breath he took in three long years.