#MAKE HIM A HUGE MOUNTAIN WITH GLOWING EYES

[caenith]

And he descended upon Arda in power and majesty greater than any other of the Valar, as a mountain that wades in the sea and has its head above the clouds and is clad in ice and crowned with smoke and fire; and the light of the eyes of Melkor was like a flame that withers with heat and pierces with a deadly cold.

This Silm-accurate image of Melkor absolutely slaps.

[deepdarkdelights]

As You Wish | Yoongi x Reader

Pairing: Werewolf Yoongi x Reader

Word Count: 21k

Warnings: 18+, Spice but no Smut, Yandere, Obsession, Fear, Non-Consensual Kissing, Grieving, Passive Suicidality, MC experiences major depression, Non-Consensual Touching, Breaking and Entering, Stalking, Depictions of Gore, Blood, Technically Cannibalism? Loss of Spouse, Loss of Child, Forced Found Family, Hunting, Mass Death, Attempted Burning and the stake, MC is hit by a man (not Yoongi)

I do not condone the acts displayed in this story nor do I believe any members of BTS would actually engage in this type of behavior. This is simply written for entertainment purposes and should not be taken as a reflection of my own values, opinions, or morals. 

Preview: You couldn’t even scream when the door was ripped from its hinges, the beast breaking through it like it was wet parchment. You were petrified in place, hyperventilating and trembling at the sight of it. 

It was a giant wolf. It was covered from head to toe in midnight black fur although there were spots that seemed thinner than others that were littered in scars - slashes and bite wounds from what you could only imagine were others of its kind. It was larger than a horse with a head so huge it could bite your own clean off in one impressive snap. And then there were the eyes. They were glowing an ice cold silver in the dark with a glare that felt sharp enough to slice through you while a gnarled scar marred the fur and skin of its right eye.

A/N: I’m exhausted and grad school sucks but I really wanted to get this out for your guys. I hope you enjoy it, I spent way more time on it than I wanted to. I really thought it was only going to be 8k yet here we are…21k. Anyway, I miss all of you - sorry this is so long lol, this is SUPER UNEDITED. As usual, I can’t wait to see you in my inbox and comments, I love you and hope you enjoy 

The sweet scent of flowers greeted your nose as you cracked open the window for the first time in months. 

Despite the warmth of sunshine and the bright green strokes of grass outside, it very well could have still been winter. It felt as if no time had passed since that fateful day. In your heart, winter still raged on. There were gnarled, ice-coated branches there and a torrent of never-ending snow. It had frozen over since then. 

You carried this sense of numbness you had never thought you would be capable of, it was as if your very soul had been corroded by frostbite. Any love or passion or warmth had been snuffed out like a match in the dark. 

That was the thing about grief, it could change a person into something that was beyond recognition. And your grief was immeasurable. 

When you got married, you never imagined your husband would die within the first year. 

It truly had been a cruel winter that year. The two of you were making do with what food you had. He had always been so smart, planning out what you could have each day so that it would last until spring. The only problem was the fire wood. No one could have anticipated how cold it was going to be and if you hadn’t burned as much kindling as you did you were certain you would have frozen to death. 

You could still remember that gentle look he had given you before he left. The soft touch of his fingers to your cheek, the gentle kiss he left you with. He still had every ounce of charm he had had as a boy. He had always been kind and sweet to you. He was the gentlest man you had ever known. That was why his death hurt even more. 

You had been worried the minute he left, but as minutes bled into hours and the winter sun quickly disappeared behind the mountains you were frightened to the bone. He had only an ax and a knife with him. He brought no food and no more clothing than what was on his back. He was planning on making a short trip and if he didn’t come back right away the chances of him surviving the night were slim to none. 

His body was found the next day. 

Honestly, you didn’t remember that day all too well. Everything was a blur, you could faintly remember hearing the voices of a few men from the village, the feeling of your raw throat after screaming senselessly, and the surplus of food and supplies that were sent your way with small slips of paper that read: “Our condolences.” 

They wouldn’t let you see his body and that was something you would never forgive them for. You didn’t care how bad it was, you wanted to see him with your own eyes and you were never afforded that closure. But you had heard enough from hushed whispers outside. 

“Pieces,” they had said. 

He had been mauled to pieces. They couldn’t even find all of him and what was left of him had huge teeth marks raked through flesh. It was an animal attack. Just like you and your husband, they were hungry. 

And now you were all alone. You were a pariah, one that people pitied, but a pariah nonetheless. You would never be able to marry again, not that you wanted to, but no one would want a widow as their wife. That was the way of things, you were meant to live out the rest of your days in solitude. Nothing more than a sad story mother’s would tell their children as you passed through the markets in silence. Your story would become a warning for children not to wander off into the woods. Your tragedy would become a lesson. 

The only lesson that you had learned was that love meant pain. You had given yourself to someone entirely, and when they had parted from you, you were left with nothing. That was the danger of love, losing yourself. 

After months of wishing you had followed him out of this world, you were hit with the sudden clarity that you were being selfish. He had left to try and save the both of you, but here you were wasting the life he had given you. He had sacrificed himself in order for you to keep living for the both of you. 

Choosing to live was so much harder than choosing to die. 

You shoved those horrendous thoughts to the back of your mind as you traveled through your small cottage, prying open every stiff window that you passed by. Living meant starting with the little things, like getting your home in order. It didn’t feel the same without him, but at least now that it was warmer out you wouldn’t have to stay inside and constantly be reminded of his absence. 

You stripped your bed, gathered up the used linens, and scooped up piles of worn clothes from the floor before depositing them in the basket. You were distracting yourself, that much you were certain of. But any distraction was welcome, you couldn’t bear the silence filled thoughts of him any longer. 

You heaved the basket up onto your hip and made for the door, pausing as you were faced with the blooming greenery beyond the threshold. The breeze was cool, the air was fresh. The world was starting over once again, why was it so hard for you? 

You shook the troubling thought from your head, squared your shoulders, and took a deep breath. You could at least try. And so, you stepped outside for the first time in months and faced the world. It was almost like nothing changed. The birds still chirped, the insects sang, and the rush of the river called from a distance. 

That was the other thing about grief. While it felt like your world ended, in reality, it still rushed onward. 

The soft grass sunk beneath your feet and sprung back to life as you walked, your body tense as you approached the forest. You weren’t going in too far, it was just the edge where the trees were still spread out and not too thick. You just needed to get to the river. But you couldn’t deny the sense of paranoia that was set in your bones. This was where he died, where he was mauled and consumed by whatever inhabited the forest. It would make sense that whatever animal that had ended his life was still prowling in the shadows, waiting for its next meal. 

“Stop it,” You snapped at yourself, your voice hoarse from lack of use and louder in the soft sounds of nature. 

You weren’t going far, you were going to be safe. There was no reason to be so anxious when you wouldn’t be putting yourself in danger. You weren’t walking into the lion's den, you were doing laundry. 

Despite your scolding, you still snapped your head in every direction when you finally reached the river. You were unsettled by every little noise, hyper aware of everything that was going on around you. For a task that was so mundane, you felt so on edge. 

The rush of icy water against your hands was enough to help you focus on the task at hand. The river had finally unfrozen. While your husband and yourself frequently bathed in the river during the warmer months, you had no plans on doing that anytime soon lest you be chilled to the bone and catch your death. Maybe when you were younger you would have risked it all for a moment of fun. But you were older now, matured by time and tragedy. It was harder to have fun now. 

You threw the shirt you were washing on a rock beside you, the force of the toss resulting in a loud, wet slap. Your body bent forward under an oppressive imaginary weight as your icy fingers braced your face, a frustrated sigh leaving your lips causing your body to sink even further. 

Living for two people was going to be even harder than you thought. Even these simple, menial tasks felt exhausting. It had been a miracle you had been able to drag yourself out of bed, that you had made it outside, that you had even journeyed to the river. But those things should be easy, so why did they feel so hard? 

You felt weak.

Useless. 

Helpless. 

You couldn’t help but think had the roles been reversed, he would have been stronger than you. He would have mourned but he would have been able to survive. He would have been able to find another wife, he would have had the children he always wanted, and he could have been happy. It was hard to not feel like it should have been you, like you were just wasting the life he had given you. It was hard to not crumble beneath the crashing waves of grief that eroded your resolve. 

It was too hard. 

A high pitched whimper broke you out of your spiraling thoughts, your hands dropping to your lap and your head snapping to attention. You held your breath and pursed your lips, listening closely to try and hear the sound again. 

And there it was again. Although this time it was much louder and much longer. It sounded like something was in pain. And your curiosity got the better of you. 

You shifted your basket to the side and stood, gathering your skirts in one hand as you carefully lept from stone to stone as you crossed the river. Your heart raced as you slipped once then twice, the stones slick from the rushing water, but the cries were becoming louder and closer and you felt as if you had no other choice but to find out what they were coming from. 

Once you crossed the river, you moved slowly through the grass so as to not startle whatever it was that was frightened. Every now and then you would pause and hold your breath, listening intently for the creature's cries before following them once more. You could just barely make out the shape of the animal, its body concealed by a thick underbrush of branches, leaves, and thorns. 

You dropped down to your knees with abandon and blindly reached into the shrubbery. The cries were much louder now as the creature was startled by your invading hands. Thorns raked through your flesh as you grabbed hold of the small furry body and pulled, trying your hardest to gently remove the little animal. A loud cry made you stop, halting all of your progress. It looked like it was tangled up in something. 

You quickly moved on to your second plan and softly placed the animal back down before grabbing thorn laced branches and snapping them with your bare hands. You hissed in pain as blood beaded up from the small cuts that now decorated your palms. You couldn’t fathom where this sudden rush of determination came from or why you felt like you so desperately needed to do this. That same rush that came over you to find the animal was present and even stronger with the desire to free it. You felt it on some deeper level, that you just couldn’t leave it behind. 

There was a generous pile of branches beside you now and you could very clearly see what you were dealing with. It looked like a puppy. It was very small with soft chocolate brown fur, a short nose, and the cutest pointed ears. Its big brown eyes were welled up with tears, its tail tucked between its legs, and its entire body shook in fright. 

Your horror stricken gasp was muffled as you involuntarily covered your mouth in surprise. The poor pup was tangled up in a snare. The wire was cinched tightly around its hind leg, chest, and foreleg, cutting in so tightly that blood was visible on the metal. The poor thing had run right into the trap and was stuck. You could only hope that it wasn’t intended for the puppy, that it had run into some hunter’s trap purely by accident. 

Your already lacerated hands went straight back to work trying as you attempted to untangle the snare as gently as you could. You hissed as it sliced your palms but paused only a moment to wipe the blood off on your pinafore before continuing your work. By the time you had finally managed to undo the trap, beads of sweat clung to your neck and the sun had moved a decent way across the sky. 

“There you go,” You murmured, “you’re free.” 

The puppy, although now free, didn’t move. Its deep brown eyes stared up at you as it continued to whine, its entire body still shaking with unadulterated fright. 

“Can you walk?” You asked, sitting back on your calves to get a better look at the animal.

You were shocked when it responded, in a way. The puppy attempted to stand and then walk, but it only made it two steps with a clear limp before it collapsed flat on its belly with a yipe. 

“Of course you can’t, I’m sorry,” You cooed as you reached out. Your hand paused in midair, hesitating before trying to touch the puppy. It was probably a wild dog, so it was not a good idea to go touching an animal that very well could bite you, no matter how cute it was. 

The puppy, as if it had read your mind, answered for you by leaning forward and sniffing your fingers with a cold, wet nose, before lapping at them with its little tongue. It was like any other puppy then, it wasn’t aggressive yet. 

You chewed your lip in thought as you watched the pup. It wasn’t a good idea to take in stray animals, but it was injured and leaving it in the forest would be like ringing a dinner bell for all the predators in the area. All of the blood the pup and yourself had shed was certainly not helping. And then there was the crippling loneliness of your cottage. A dog would be good for that. It would be something to share the space with, something to break up the cacophonous silence. And, when it grows older, it would be good for protection as well. The benefits outweigh the negatives you selfishly refused to think of. 

With the pup’s approval, you lifted it up and cradled it into your side much like a mother would her child. You giggled in delight from the feeling of a wet nose burrowing its way into your shoulder and neck, sniffing the cloth of your dress and your skin like it was trying to become accustomed to you. 

You crossed the river even slower now on your way back, very aware of the precious animal you were protecting. When you stopped at the river bank, you gathered your abandoned laundry and placed the puppy in the basket. You didn’t really care about the dirt, grass, and blood that would inevitably stain the fabrics - afterall, they still needed to be cleaned and you had much more pressing issues to attend to. 

You walked back with a sudden urgency in your steps, a small trill of excitement buzzing in your being. After months of isolation and misery, something so small had brought you joy, something that had been unimaginable a few hours before. 

The pup was much calmer now, softly panting instead of crying as it laid in your basket of sheets, eyeing the world that passed by as you brought the two of you back to your cottage. When you made it inside, you shut the bottom half of the door, leaving the top half open to allow fresh air in without the risk of the pup wandering out and falling down the stone steps. When you placed the basket on the ground it nosed at the sheets for a moment before limping out of the basket. 

“No, no, no, stay right there,” You chided, gently scooting it back into the sheets, “you’ll hurt yourself worse if you do that.” 

You stayed a moment, locking eyes with the pup to ensure that it would stay and understand. When you were certain that it was calmed you finally turned your back and headed into the kitchen. You rummaged through the cabinets, searching for the healing salves and creams you knew had been there months before along with the strips of makeshift bandages. 

Within mere moments of turning your back on the puppy you were alerted once more by its cries. It had tried following you again but was now laying in a heap on the floor, tangled up in the sheet and crying from the pressure it applied on its wounds. 

You dropped the bandages and rushed to the pup, cooing as you picked it up and cradled it against your chest. The little thing was an escape artist, that was certain. 

You let out a deep sigh as an uncomfortable thought brewed in your mind. It was the only option that you could think of, even though it was terribly unpleasant. Before you could dwell too much you headed towards the back of the cottage where a single door was fixed into the frame. It stuck at your first pull but relented on the second, the hinges creaking in defeat as you entered the room. 

Any furniture that was in the room was coated with a thin layer of dust having gone undisturbed for months. That old wound in your heart was bleeding around the edges now, the pain of avoided thoughts bubbling back up to the surface. 

There was a crib against the far wall of the bedroom. 

You swiftly moved to the back of the room and gently placed the pup inside the crib. The sides were high enough that the injured dog would be unable to climb over and you were confident that this was the safest place for the poor thing. 

But even that knowledge couldn’t stop tears from pricking at the corner of your eyes as your hands subconsciously cradled your belly. Your pregnancy had been short lived. Losing your husband had been the catalyst to losing your child, but you couldn’t help but blame yourself. Even though the midwife had promised you it wasn’t your fault you couldn’t see how that could be true. If you had been stronger, if you had taken better care of yourself, you would have been able to save that last piece of him. 

If you hadn’t been pregnant, maybe things would have been different. Your husband would have stayed and you would have figured out how to make it through the rest of the winter. But you had been pregnant, he had left to find more resources because of that, and even though he sacrificed his life for you and your unborn child you hadn’t been able to save them. 

You couldn’t see how any of this wasn’t your fault when you were at the center of it all. 

The feeling of cool tears rolling down your cheeks shocked you back to reality. You weakly wiped the tears away, sniffed, and shook your head. You needed to clean yourself and the pup up, you had priorities. 

You rushed around the cottage, busying yourself with what needed to be done. You ran to the water pump and wet some rags, retrieved the salves and bandages, and grabbed a bowl of poultry meat for the dog. This was a welcome distraction. 

You were greeted by excited, squeaky barks when you returned to the abandoned nursery. The pup eagerly paced back and forth, its little tail wagging so hard its entire backside wiggled. You let out a gentle giggle before releasing it from the crib and sitting the two of you on the floor, pulling the pup into your lap and distracting it with a strip of meat while you assessed its injuries once more. 

You blinked once and then twice in confusion. You could have sworn the wounds had been much worse not more than half an hour ago. The slashes were still bloody and in need of tending to, but they were not the deep, gnarled gashes that had once needed stitching. You were either still out of your mind or this animal had the fastest healing time you had ever seen. 

It was much easier to believe that your mind was failing you. And so, you got to cleaning and wrapping the wounds. The pup was surprisingly well behaved, only whimpering every now and then as you touched a tender spot but it didn’t jerk away and did its best to stay still as it ate. The more time you spent with it, the more you realized it was much smarter and more aware than you had once thought. Everything about the little creature seemed eerily human when you thought about it too much. It was better to not think about it too hard. 

Trapped in your own mind, you hadn’t realized that you had finished your work. Not until you felt the gentle lap of a little tongue against the wounds that decorated your palms, jolting you back into the real world. 

You pulled your hands away with a pained hiss before reprimanding the puppy, “No, no, no, I don’t know where that mouth of yours has been. The last thing we need is an infection.”

The puppy whined in earnest and nosed at your palm once more before you pulled your hands away again and scooped the little thing back up into your arms. This way, it wouldn’t be able to mess with the cuts. 

After you tended to your palms, applying salve and wrapping them securely, you couldn’t help but notice the odd tingling you felt emanating from them. It was warm and fuzzy and completely unexplainable - your salves had never caused that sensation before. 

As time passed and the sun crossed over the sky before dipping beneath the horizon, the feeling became stronger until it was a pulse-like thrum causing your hands to tremble before steadily declining until it was nothing more than a memory. And an odd one at that. 

It was when you began to turn in for the night, that everything fell apart. 

You didn’t notice that the crickets had fallen silent nor that the wildlife of the forest had completely disappeared. You hadn’t noticed the hollow ringing that came from the wind slipping between the trees. It was the calm before the storm, and you had no idea what was coming. 

The candlelight was dim, casting soft ochre colored shadows over the wood and stone of the cottage. The puppy slept soundly in your arms. Everything was calm. 

That was of course until a howl fractured the peace. It was so loud you could have sworn you felt the floorboards shake as a rush of fright went down your spine. The soft lull of sleep was suddenly long forgotten. 

The pup in your arms stirred at the noise, its ears perking up and its head frozen in place as it recognized the sound. It was on high alert. It knew what was out there. 

You shakily stood and approached the door, the top portion of it still unlatched and swung outward.  Outside of the lamp affixed to the stone above the door, the forest was pitch black. You could barely make out the twisted shape of the trees and the brooke that had once been in sight was obscured. But, what was even stranger, was that you were certain that the shadows were moving. 

You tilted your head to the side, squinting your eyes as you tried to make out what exactly you were looking at. And then, it was close enough that the light bounced off of it and you were met with the horrifying sight of a set of bright silver eyes staring back at you from the dark. 

You were frozen in an instant. But once you realized those eyes were steadily coming closer with a hulking form attached, you acted on instinct, slamming the door shut and latching it closed. You could only hope that the door would hold against whatever that thing was. 

Your chest rose and fell with heavy pants as you became more and more unsettled. Why was it so quiet? Why couldn’t you hear something so big moving? Where was it? What direction was it coming from? Your back met the wall and your weak knees had you sliding down to the ground. 

Your entire body was shaking in pure terror. There was something out there, something massive and monstrous. You held the pup in your arms tighter, bringing it to your chest for comfort as well as protection. 

You yelped as a loud bang popped the eerie silence. Whatever it was, it was slamming its body alongside the cottage. But it wasn’t doing it mindlessly, like it thought it could break through the walls. It was purposeful, it was an attempt to frighten you and determine where you were. It was smart. 

You curled into yourself as it came closer. You could hear heavy, sharp pants in between the vicious snarls that it was making. It sounded wild, primal, and predatory. It was hunting. 

The pup in your arms began whining and wriggling around as it tried to escape your grasp and all it was doing for you was frightening you even more. All it was doing was making more noise, drawing more attention to itself. And you knew it had, the creature outside had gone silent. It was listening. 

And then chaos unraveled in seconds. 

You couldn’t even scream when the door was ripped from its hinges, the beast breaking through it like it was wet parchment. You were petrified in place, hyperventilating and trembling at the sight of it. 

It was a giant wolf. It was covered from head to toe in midnight black fur although there were spots that seemed thinner than others that were littered in scars - slashes and bite wounds from what you could only imagine were others of its kind. It was larger than a horse with a head so huge it could bite your own clean off in one impressive snap. And then there were the eyes. They were glowing an ice cold silver in the dark with a glare that felt sharp enough to slice through you while a gnarled scar marred the fur and skin of its right eye. 

Your body slowly began to slump to the ground, falling weak before the wolf. You looked like the perfect prey, like a rabbit that was so frightened its own heart had stopped. It seemed that the wolf thought similarly. It approached you slowly like it was still on the prowl as angry snarls left its gaping maw. You could feel your blood run cold as you caught sight of its enormous teeth, each one long enough that they could be made into daggers. Whatever this creature was, it was no mere wolf, it was something else entirely. 

Your hold on the pup was weakened as your chest and forehead met the ground, bending beneath the invisible weight of the wolf’s presence. From beneath the cover of your hair you could make out its large paws and hooked nails mere inches away from you. It was so close now that you could feel puffs of its hot breath disturb your hair and ghost over your neck. You were breaths away from death. 

You couldn’t decide if you wanted to flee or embrace it as you had once desired. 

A soft whimper involuntarily escaped you as you waited, feeling the tip of its nose brush over your head as its snarls grew louder. A sudden loud yapping broke the tension. 

The pup was frantically barking at the wolf and lunging at it in a playful manner all the while standing in front of you like it was trying to protect you. The sight would have been comical had you not been on the brink of passing out. This tiny puppy was fiercely defending you against this monster. 

And, to your surprise, it was working. 

Once you gained the courage to raise your head you were met with the sight of the wolf’s intense gaze trained on the puppy. More specifically, its gaze was trained on the bandages covering its wounds. The wolf looked back at you, its hauntingly silver eyes making you flinch. It continued to stare at you for a long moment like it was contemplating something, that of which you were unaware of. But then its gaze hardened and its predatory stance relaxed. It had made its decision. 

Without another snarl or howl it nipped the pup by its scruff and began to carry it out of the cottage. It stopped for a moment once it had successfully squeezed out of the broken door frame and looked back at you, this too was a look that you were unable to decipher. It gave you a slow blink and then turned, carrying the pup back to the forest and disappearing into the darkness. 

It was in that moment that you finally realized that it had not been a dog you had rescued, but that wolf’s pup. 

And with that realization you completely collapsed to the floor and were dragged into a dark, dreamless, restless sleep. 

~~~~~~~

Yoongi had come to realize that there wasn’t much that you could do to discipline a two year old, especially a two year old that was a shifter. 

His daughter, Binna, had little control over her form and had a knack for slipping away and getting into trouble. That was something he could blame on his other pack members, specifically the youngest three. 

He huffed out a sigh as he carefully extracted twigs and leaves from her messy hair, flinging them back into the underbrush. She was the very definition of a wild child. And while it wasn’t uncommon for pups her age to be curious and adventurous, it was uncommon that she so readily welcomed and followed humans. 

Humans were dangerous, that was something he had tried his best to get her to understand but she simply couldn’t. She was too young to understand how they could hunt her and hurt her, far too young to realize what that meant, and far too young to understand that it was a human that had taken her mother away from them. 

Then again, she hadn’t known her mother all too well. That was evidenced by her clinging to any female shifter she had found and babbling out “mama” to the wrong mothers. She knew her mother was missing, but she couldn’t match the face to the name. He couldn’t really blame her all that much. Her mother had been amongst the best hunters and was oftentimes absent as she hunted for the pack’s survival. Yoongi was a defender, he was there to ensure the safety of everyone that resided within their territory. He was at the front lines. And because of that, his wife was often gone and he was almost always home. To his daughter, her mother was a faceless being. 

“Let me see,” He demanded firmly, trying to unwind the bandages that were already slipping from her skin. 

She nipped at his fingers playfully, her serrated canines gleaming as she giggled. Yoongi tried his best to suppress his smile, he was supposed to be upset with her. He sighed once more and grabbed the edge of the bandage and began to unwind it. 

“No,” She cried in a drawn out whine, “Mama gave me! Mama gave me!” 

Yoongi froze, startled as he registered her fractured speech. She thought that human in the cottage was her mother. 

He could see why she would think that, you had taken care of her after all. From what he had seen from the wounds he knew they came from a hunter's trap, snares made from silver that were so small they had clearly been designed for pups as no adult shifter would ever be able to be caught in that small a snare. It was clear that you had rescued his daughter and taken care of her in his absence. 

And for some reason, Yoongi could only press his lips together in a firm line and failed to correct his daughter. At the end of the day, she wasn’t necessarily wrong. 

Yoongi knew you.

He had known you for a while now. He had watched you the day you and your husband had moved in. The two of you had chosen a location that was incredibly close to their territory and so he scouted you out for days to ensure that you wouldn’t stumble too far from your home, to ensure that you weren’t a threat. 

He had thought you two were safe, and that was his biggest mistake. 

Yoongi would not say that he was enamored with you, but he was definitely interested in you. He had gone his entire life knowing to never trust a human, but as he observed he couldn’t help but be enthralled by your little human quirks. 

You were so blissfully unaware of his presence as he silently stalked you. Your husband, like his wife, was often gone during the day and you were left to amuse yourself. For someone of your age, you had this odd youthful aura about you. He would watch as you would jump into the brooke, spinning around and splashing with abandon not unlike his child would. 

That version of you that he knew though, that was long gone. Loss has aged you, hardened you. Even though you were completely ensnared by fright he could see the hollowness in your eyes when he had ripped your door from its hinges. 

The both of you had been irreparably changed by loss. 

And then there was the other problem. He was indebted to you and you were now in his care. While he refused to acknowledge any attachment he felt for you, he couldn’t deny the attraction. It was incredibly wrong considering his own disdain for humans, but he couldn’t help himself. There was something else there, this odd discomfort in his chest that demanded to be felt, a sour feeling in his stomach at the thought of your frightened face. 

This was not good. 

Contrary to popular belief, wolves do not mate for life. And as a shifter that was even more true. While many chose to bond to one another, it was not horribly uncommon to find a new mate if one were to leave or die. And, very rarely, there were intense bonds that made it so that you did mate for life. In the case of his wife, it was not that type of bond. Of course he was hurt, of course he missed her, but it was not the debilitating grief that you experienced. It was natural for his kind, evolutionary even.  

The attachment, this bond he felt for you paired with his daughter’s stubborn belief that you could be her mother made him make a decision far faster than he should have. 

You lost a husband, he lost a wife. An even trade. Why could you not fill those roles for each other? 

~~~~~~~

The following days were ones where you lived in a state of fright and confusion. 

When you awoke the next morning you were greeted by the feeling of the floor against your cheek and a stiff ache in your joints. Apparently, you had spent the night collapsed on the floor. 

When you finally mustered up the strength to stand there were several things that were brought to your attention. Firstly, that there was now a gaping hole in the wall from where your door had once stood. Secondly, the events that occurred the night before had not been a grief conjured hallucination. And thirdly, the pain in your hands had completely disappeared. 

Upon unwinding the bandages you were met with completely closed wounds and thin scars that looked years old. Your suspicions had been proven correct, that wolf and its pup were certainly not just animals not with the way a few stray licks had healed your palms. Your fingers trembled in fright at the realization before you grabbed another roll of bandages and wrapped them tightly in a panic. 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

You followed the same thought as you gathered up sheets, a cord, and pins with the intention to cover up the missing door to your cottage. 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

Unfortunately, that was not possible for you. Before you could even attempt to hang the sheets you were frozen in place a foot away from what was once the threshold. On the cobblestone porch was a carcass. You stared at it, dumb in shock as you tried to understand what you were looking at. It wasn’t a complete animal, it had been skinned and cleaned and left on your porch laying out on a thick piece of brown paper packaging. At first, you considered the possibility that it was another mourning gift from one of your neighbors in town but that was very quickly debunked. For one, they typically cooked the meat or met you at the door. And secondly, there were clear claw marks in the bone and large tooth impressions left behind. You had a sick feeling that you knew where this came from. But it didn’t make any sense, no wolf could clean a carcass like this - this was work done by human hands. 

Despite your conclusion, when you raised your head you were once more greeted by the sight of the wolf. He was much closer than he had been the first time you saw him the night before. He laid right by the end of the treeline - half of his body submerged in shade and the other half bathing in the golden glow of the early morning light. Those silver eyes were watching you intently, waiting to see what you would do next. 

That only confirmed your suspicions, he had brought it for you. It was a peace offering of sorts, a truce. In spite of that knowledge your hands still trembled when you grabbed a corner of the parchment and dragged the carcass past the threshold. The wolf’s alert and tense body almost immediately relaxed. It was like it was relieved. 

It stared after you for a moment longer, gave you a slow blink, and then rose and melted back into the forest - vanishing as if it hadn’t even been there in the first place. 

And so you hung your sheet, peeled the flesh from the bone of the carcass, and disposed of the remains. 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

~~~~~~~

When you woke the next day, the makeshift curtain was pulled to the side and wrapped around a bent hinge that was still mounted to the wall. Another thing you were certain wolves were incapable of. 

And there, on the stoop, laid a pile of wild berries and fruit on a small, clean cloth. And, not far away, the wolf was there once more. Although this time it was much closer, so close in fact that you could visibly make out the twisted scar around its eye. It was laying down, much like a dog would, with its large head raised in alert. Those silver eyes flicked slowly from the present and back to you three times, a clear signal that it was waiting for you to take them. It only relaxed when you brought them inside just like the day before. 

This pattern between the two of you persisted for several days to follow. And, no matter how you tried to forget what had happened that night, this creature was making it virtually impossible. It was ironic how you had once longed for company and were willing to settle for it from a dog but now that you had someone, well something, watching over you you were incredibly unnerved by the ordeal. But you couldn’t exactly shoo the hulking creature away. 

And so each day passed and more presents followed. One day it was bunches of wildflowers, another it was game of varying sizes, and another was a thick pelt that had been handcrafted into a blanket for the cold spring nights. You didn’t know how to exactly decline a gift from a mythical creature. Wouldn’t there be horrible repercussions for that? 

The urgency to put a stop to this odd arrangement became even more apparent when a gold pendant was left at your door and the wolf had crept so close that it was less than fifteen feet away. It was beginning to make your home its territory and now it was somehow stealing items you had only dreamed of affording when you were young. It was all too much. 

You wound the chain of the pendant around your fingers as you hesitantly crept down the stone steps. The creature perked up in interest, elevating its head again as you slowly approached it, your body shaking in fright in spite of your attempts to school yourself into a false confidence. 

“I-” You paused to clear your throat, “I can’t accept this. You’ve done more than enough for me, you’re forgiven.” 

It only cocked its head to the side in response. You were just a crazy woman talking to an animal, weren’t you?

“Here, take it,” You tried again, reaching out your palm to it as the chain caught the sun and glistened in the morning light. 

It was looking at you like you were dumb. 

“Fine,” You sighed, “I’ll just leave it here then and you can take it back to wherever you got it from.” 

You lightly tossed it onto the grass and turned your back on the creature before briskly walking back to your cottage. And, despite the haste in which you walked, you were no match for the massive wolf. 

A startled shriek left your lips as you felt a large, warm body bump against your side and thick fur rub up against your skin. Another shriek was forced past your lips when its tail wacked you on the backside like it had a mind of its own. 

Gold glinted in its teeth before the pendant was unceremoniously dropped on your stone steps, the placement much more haphazard than it had been that morning.

If this had happened a few days before, you were certain you would have been more frightened, but now your patience was far too thin and you were in desperate need for your privacy and a sense of normalcy. 

“If you’re going to keep bringing me things, at least let them be useful! Like a door, for instance. You know, that thing you ripped off of my home!” 

The wolf huffed in what almost sounded like an amused chuckle before rising and stalking towards you, crowding you up against the side of the cottage. Your heart pounded as you realized you had made a grave error, you were not the one in charge here. 

You clenched your eyes shut as you felt a warm puff of air over your face and a wet nose prod your cheek. You shook as you remembered the creature's giant fangs and huge body. You were certain now that it was going to eat you now that you had denied it, these were the repercussions that you feared.

What you hadn’t anticipated though, was the feeling of it pressing its head on top of yours and whining like an overgrown puppy. It was acting like you had hurt its feelings. You hesitantly cracked an eye open only to see this huge, scarred, wolf nuzzling your head and then your hands like it was begging for affection. 

A surprised laugh came straight from your chest as you shakily began to pet the wolf. The wolf that had previously been ready to kill you after you had accidentally kidnapped its child. 

“Alright, alright, cut it out!” You squealed, laughing hysterically as it began to lick you. You quickly froze when you realized that that was the first time you had laughed in months. It was the first time you had laughed since your husband had died. 

You gently pushed against the wolf’s large head as you side stepped around it, a frown now tugging down the corners of your mouth. It felt so wrong to be happy. 

Your companion noticed your swift shift in behavior. It ducked its head down and nosed at your back not all that gently as you stumbled forward. 

“Don’t you have a child you need to get back to?” You hissed, a sudden wave of irritation rushing over you. 

This wasn’t all that uncommon for you. The rapid changes in your emotions. It was easy to feel joy wither away to apathy, to frustration, to anger. Oftentimes you felt like you had no control over how you felt and it left you grasping at straws as you tried to hold yourself together. It was just so hard. 

“Go on, go home,” You sighed, flicking your hand in the general direction of the trees, “I don’t doubt that you’ll be back tomorrow anyways.” 

The wolf stared at you again, as it tended to, before purposefully bumping its large body against you once more and making for the forest. It hesitated for a moment, looking back over its shoulder to give you one last look, and then it was gone again. 

That was what you wanted, wasn't it? But if that were true then why did you hate the loneliness that you were left with so much? 

~~~~~~~

That morning, early in the morning, you were awoken by the sound of a hacksaw. 

For a brief moment, in the hazy grasp of sleep, you allowed yourself to settle back down when you realized it was just your husband getting an early start on the daily chores. 

But your husband was dead. 

With that sobering thought you jolted fully awake, gripping your blanket tightly in your hands and pulling it up over your mouth as you struggled to control your breathing. Your neighbors were out of the way and they rarely came to visit anymore outside of the kind supply drops they had provided you with throughout the rest of the winter. So, if it wasn’t them, then who was it? 

You rose and with the blanket still wrapped around you, you made for the door as quietly as you could. Once again, the curtain was pulled and fixed to the side like it usually was whenever your companion came to visit you. But the person that stood outside, mere steps away, was very clearly not the massive wolf you had come to know. 

You could only see him from the back, but he was very clearly a man. He was a decent height with longer, thick, raven hair that began to curl at the ends. From what you could see of him, you could make out stretches of porcelain skin. He was wearing a loose fit white top and he had rolled the sleeves up past his elbows exposing pale forearms with impressive veins and hands that looked like they had been carved from marble. 

Your cheeks grew warm as you realized you were spending far too much time appreciating his appearance rather than worrying about what this stranger's intentions with you and your home were. “What are you doing here?”

The man continued his work, sawing at the wood until the cut was complete before he responded. You then realized that he had been very aware of your presence the entire time, he had not been startled at all. 

“You asked for a door, did you not?” He replied, sarcasm tainting his words, as he brushed the sawdust from his hands and turned to look at you. 

His face was just as lovely as the rest of him. Dark brows, doll-like lips, and deep brown eyes that had the gentlest slope to them. He was beautiful, that was undeniable. 

But what was most apparent and most worrying, was the long scar that ran over his right eye. A scar that you had most definitely seen before. Your body stumbled backwards on instinct, trying its hardest to create more distance between the two of you. 

The man raised an eyebrow, a look of pure amusement etched into his features, “You weren’t afraid of me yesterday but you are now? You are a confusing little human, you know that?”

“You - that’s, that’s not possible!” You gasped, tightening your hold on your blanket. “What you’re insinuating is not possible!” 

He chuckled to himself, leaning his weight back on his hands as he dropped his chin down, “You want me to prove it to you? I could if you really wanted me to, I do like these clothes though so I’ll only do it if you give me a reason.” 

The thought of watching this man, creature, wolf, whatever he was burst out of his flesh and take on a different form was horrifying enough that you were certain you would faint at the very sight. Already you were shaken by the thought of this being possible, you didn’t know if you would be able to handle the sight. Not to mention that subtle innuendo that whenever he decided to take the form of a man again he would be as bare as the day he was born. It was all too much. 

“Please don’t!” You cried, “Don’t do that!”

“As you wish,” He nodded with a teasing smile as he turned back to the door in progress. “Perhaps some other time.”

“What is it exactly that you want from me, if you are who you say you are?” You asked. 

“I am responsible for you.” He said with a shrug, picking up the saw once more and continuing his work as if what he said made any sense at all. 

“No, you are not. No one is responsible for me, you owe me nothing.”

“I don’t? I would think I at least owe you a door, that is what you said after all, remember?” 

Heat rushed to your face in pure frustration and embarrassment. He was just as infuriating and insufferable as he was when he was an overgrown dog…that is of course if you were truly willing to believe in that sort of thing.  But how else could he have known about your request for the door? Why else would he believe he was responsible for you had you not saved his child’s life? Unless he were some creepy, stalking stranger, he would have no knowledge of these events. This man was the very thing your town hunted and was frightened of. 

“Just the door then? That’s all? You will leave after you’ve finished it and your debt will be repaid. You will leave me alone?” You asked. 

He paused for a moment, a confused expression taking over his face. He looked at you as if he realized he couldn’t comprehend what you were asking of him. “You confuse me.”

“I confuse you?” You laughed, “I woke up this morning to a strange man outside my home claiming to be something that up until this morning I didn’t believe in, who claims he is responsible for me and owes me when all I want is peace and privacy!”

“That, that confuses me.” He admitted. 

“What?!” You cried in exasperation. 

“How can someone who so clearly hates being alone also want to keep it that way?”

You wrapped your blanket around yourself tighter, as if that would somehow shield you from the sudden sense of exposure that washed over you. You were feeling vulnerable. You were feeling seen. 

“You humans are social creatures, not unlike my kind, yet when you need help, when you’re in distress, you push your pack away. It goes against every natural instinct that you have, it doesn’t make any sense.” He laughed with a shake of his head. 

“You are alone here, you have no one to protect you. I can keep you safe in every meaning of the word. Whether that means building you a door, forgive me by the way, or guarding your land. I want to protect you.” 

There was a gentle flutter in your heart, one that you desperately wanted to stomp out but were failing to do so. You hadn’t been affected by someone like this since your husband and you didn’t know if you should feel guilty about that. He was supposed to be the one allowed to move on, not you. These feelings weren’t supposed to be for you, they were supposed to pass. It was your job to mourn his loss; he was supposed to be your one and only love. These feelings were supposed to be wrong. So why, deep down, did you enjoy them? 

Instead of telling him to leave, to abandon his work and yourself, you made the mistake of giving him a chance. You made the mistake of entertaining him. 

“I don’t even know who you are,” You said with a laugh of disbelief. 

“Yoongi,” He smiled, a wolfish smile, “And you do know me, I’ve been here longer than you know.” 

That wasn’t the comforting sentiment that he was trying to make it be. Just how long had he been watching you? You were reluctant to linger on that thought much longer, so you moved on. 

“How long will this take you?” You asked, shuffling closer to his work. 

“Not long. Lucky you, you happened to pick a shifter whose trade is in woodworking.”

“A shifter? So, that’s what you are?” 

Yoongi pursed his lips, his brows furrowed, he was thinking. It was like he was still deciding if he could trust you or not. He was deciding just how much information he was willing to give up to you despite the fact that you had seen him in his other form. 

He nodded. 

“Are there…are there more of you?”

“Yes,” He reluctantly admitted, you had already seen his daughter after all. 

“Why is it that I have only met one of your kind now?”

“Because, we’re discreet. We have to be. You found my daughter in that hunter’s snare, remember?”

“Your daughter,” You echoed, “is she alright?” 

Yoongi practically preened at your concern. All you were doing was giving him validation, you could and would be a good mother to her. You could be a good mate for him. 

“Our kind heals fast, she’s already running around causing more trouble,” He chuckled, “but don’t be mistaken, I am grateful for what you did for her. You saved her life and you helped heal her. I owe you much more than you know.”

“I saved her life? You couldn’t mean…”

A grim look descended over his pretty features, a dark gaze settling in his eyes as he paused his work once more, his hands tightly gripping the tools they were holding. “That’s exactly what I mean. We have been hunted since the dawn of time. Woman, man, child, it makes no difference to them. Their entire goal is to eradicate us, they think we are abominations. It wasn’t enough that they took my wife, they tried to take my daughter as well.” 

Your heart ached in sympathy for him. You knew that feeling, the overwhelming wave of grief and pain that attempted to drown you in your suffering. You had lost your husband and a child, Yoongi was just as familiar with loss as you were. 

You crept closer to him, so close that you could feel the warmth that radiated off of his body like a stove. Hesitantly, you reached out to him and rested your hand on top of his. You could feel his grip go lax, his hand relaxing beneath your touch. 

“I know how terrible it can be to hear someone apologize and tell you that they know what you're going through, but I think this is one of those rare moments where it’s true.” You said. 

You could feel his gaze on you and the scarred skin of his hands beneath yours. He felt so incredibly close, this was the closest you had been to anyone in a while. You swallowed uncomfortably as you felt his hand turn over and the skin of his palm meet yours as his fingers laced their way in between yours. 

“My husband…he was killed this winter. I’ll never know what happened to him, or why it happened, but knowing that he’ll never be here again is the most painful thing I have ever felt. It’s indescribable.”

Yoongi tried his best to suppress the inappropriate smile that wanted to make its appearance known on his lips. You two truly did complete one another. You were two pieces of a puzzle that had not been intended to fit together, but had been carved up and forced together. You were altered, created for one another. He gave your hand a gentle squeeze, stroking his thumb down the curve where your palm met your finger in rhythmic swipes. 

“I know that feeling, I understand it well.”

I understand you, he wanted to say. 

“People like us, we should stick together. We can trust one another like no one else can.” He murmured, gently brushing up against your side. 

That was enough to wake you up from the dreamlike haze he had put you in. You stepped back, breaking your fingers away from his and holding your hand up to your chest. 

It was too soon, too much, you couldn’t be that close to someone, to a man nonetheless. You couldn’t trust him, you couldn’t trust anyone. 

Yoongi took a step forward and you took three back, retreating from the momentary comfort you had felt. But instead of looking dejected like you assumed he would, he looked determined, he looked sure of himself. And that only made you stumble back even more, stepping up your stone steps and into the house.

“I’ll leave you to your work.” 

This is what you did. Despite the entrapment you felt by your loneliness, it was familiar, it was right. The loneliness was easier. 

It was the only thing you knew you could hold on to for certain. 

~~~~~~~

In the days that followed, you became antsy to get out from beneath your visitor’s presence. 

You hurried past your uninvited guest, hoping that he wouldn’t notice you with his back turned to you. Your hopes were quickly dashed. 

“Where are you going?” He called over his shoulder. 

You came to a halt with an exasperated sigh, “Am I answering to you now?”

He only hummed in response and for a reason that you could not conceive, it lit you alight with agitation. “Where I go, is none of your concern!”

That caught his attention, his head slightly jerking to the side as he watched you from the corner of his eye. “It’s not safe out there, not when you’re alone.” 

“I was fully capable of finding my way through the forest before you got here, I seriously doubt that I have lost all sense of direction.”

“It’s not your sense of direction I’m worried about,” He sighed, “There’s more of my kind out there and more of your hunters - both of which would not bat an eye at a human getting caught in the crossfire.”

“It’s never been a problem before,”

“No, but it is now.” He said with a stern glare, his eyes not meeting your curious gaze, but instead staring into the distance. His shoulders were tense, his forearms flexed, he looked as if he was burdened with knowledge that he could not share. 

“Yoongi, what is that supposed to mean?” 

“Don’t wander off too far,” He deflected. 

You stayed for a moment, suddenly unsure as to what you should do. Moments before you were ready to get out from underneath his oppressive stare, but now you were intrigued. Yoongi had told you about the shared hatred between your species. The humans hunted the shifters and the shifters were reactionary killers. They followed an honor code closely and truly believed in an eye for an eye. So what had happened that now made it unsafe for you to traverse the woods when before it had never been a problem. Why would Yoongi’s kind attack you unprovoked?

Despite your stare, Yoongi was blatantly ignoring you, pretending that he didn’t notice you hadn’t left. That was enough to let you know that the conversation was over no matter how much you poked and prodded. 

Without another word, you left. Contrary to what Yoongi had believed, you wouldn’t be traveling too far. Your cottage and the shifter would not be in view, but you knew the way like the back of your hand. It was past the brook, and a good walk through the evergreens. What you were searching for was a small clearing. 

The trees lined the space in almost a perfect circle, something that appeared somewhat unnatural amidst the organic shapes of the woods. In the middle, there stood one weeping willow - completely out of place and the only one of its kind. And at the base of its gnarled roots was a simple stone with your husband's name carved into it. The earth was still turned, a reminder of just how fresh his death and the wounds they left behind on your heart were. 

You gently lowered yourself to the ground, your skirts folding beneath your knees as your fingers pressed into the dirt. You had often thought about crawling back to him, you had dreamed of being wrapped up in his warm embrace again, the two of you entwined and buried beneath a comforter of soil and flowers. In your dreams you were intertwined so tightly that years from now if anyone were to find you they wouldn’t be able to tell where you began and he ended. 

“Hello my love,” You whispered despite no one else being in the clearing. And of course, you were met with the silence, the ever present reminder that he had left you and that he was never coming back. 

You sniffled as your fingers smoothed down the fluffed dirt before digging into your basket and pulling out the prettiest wildflowers you could find with which you then began to arrange around the stone. You knew it wasn’t right to spend so much time here, you were holding on so dearly to someone that was gone and no matter how much love you held for him it would never be enough to revive him. 

When you were satisfied with your arrangement you allowed yourself to empty your eyes of the last of their tears before patting your cheeks dry with the edge of your pinafore. With clear eyes, you were now able to see a few things that you had missed before. 

Hanging from the boughs of the tree were several things. There were colored glass stars and moons that were strung up on several branches all of which varied in color and reflected the sun through them, casting brilliant shards of light over the earth. And, amongst those, were small wolves carved masterfully from wood. You slowly stood, your brows furrowed in confusion as you tapped one of the stars with a shaky finger. It swung back and an ethereal ringing sounded from within it. 

What were these doing here? At your husband’s grave? 

You looked back at the wooden wolves before you began to piece it together. Yoongi, he had a wife. Was this for her? Was this their version of funeral rites? But if that were true then she would have died recently, but why would she be buried here, where your husband had been killed and laid to rest? 

Your heart thumped, your palms began to sweat. 

No. No, you refused to believe it. 

Their words began to rush back to the forefront of your mind, “pieces,” and “consumed.” Your husband had been ripped apart and eaten, there was barely anything of him left behind. 

It was her, it had to have been her, she had been the one to kill him. But if that were true, then who had killed her? 

“I am responsible for you,” Yoongi’s words echoed through your mind. 

They had a code of honor, they believed in an eye for an eye. Or, a spouse for a spouse. 

You turned your back on the burial sight and balled your fists up before pressing them against your eyes. Out of sight out of mind. Out of sight out of mind. Out of sight out of mind.

Yoongi wouldn’t, Yoongi couldn’t. He wouldn’t do that to you, he wouldn’t take someone’s spouse from them, he wouldn’t make you feel the same pain that he did.

A rumble pulled you from your panicked thoughts, your breaths still fast and shallow. But what you thought had been the earth shaking, was something far more menacing. Across the clearing stood a wolf, a wolf that was not Yoongi. It was too small to be him and the fur was the wrong color. But the size alone told you that it was clearly a shifter and by the way it was looking at you, you were certain that you were in danger. 

You stood still, hoping that if you didn’t make any sudden movements he wouldn’t be provoked but you were sorely mistaken. You could see its muscles tensing up as it crouched low and shifted its weight back towards its hind legs like it was preparing to lunge. No matter what you did, it had already made its decision to kill you right where you stood. 

You hadn’t realized you were screaming until you felt the raw pain in your throat, your body acting on its own will to survive as you reeled backwards and hastily began to climb up the tree. If you were lucky, it couldn’t climb, but there was still a human inside of that creature - it was smart, you had seen Yoongi hunt you down before, after all. 

You shrieked in fright as you heard the mangy wolf approach, its large paws ripping through the ground as it raced towards you while all you could do was try and climb higher. Unfortunately, you weren’t fast enough. The wolf leaped and its massive teeth tore into your skirt and ripped you from the tree. For a moment, you were completely weightless - you were airborne. And in that brief moment of freedom, you were quickly grounded by reality when you came crashing down to the ground, your forehead just clipping the top of your husband’s headstone as you went rolling down into the grass. 

You knew what would come next. This time, the embrace of death would wrap around you. There was no getting around this. But what confused your shock ridden body even more was the pure dread you felt from the realization that you were going to die. You had once welcomed death, begged for her, prayed for her even, but now when you felt her looming over you you realized that you weren’t ready. 

You missed your husband, but you weren’t ready to join him. 

And, just as you felt the hot breath of the shifter mist over the back of your neck, it was just as quickly ripped away. 

There was a symphony of snarls that followed, the sound of flesh being torn, booming growls, then a pitiful whimper, and a loud snap. And then, all fell quiet. 

You were still dazed as you felt warm arms slip beneath your own, pulling you up into someone’s lap and pressing your body back against an even warmer, bare chest. Long fingers prodded at the warm blood that slid down your temple and a deep, frantic voice echoed in your ears - the words were unintelligible. 

“I told you not to wander off,” Yoongi said, his lips just beside the shell of your ear, the first words he had said that you could finally understand. 

“I told you,” He repeated, his voice wavering and full of emotion as he trailed off. 

You looked at him wearily, your head feeling much heavier than it had earlier. His eyes were wide, his pupils blown. The look on his face could only be described as haunting. He was cradling your face with both hands. His thumb stroked your cheek, but his eyes were trained on the weeping willow. He looked just as shaken as you had been before. 

That sinking feeling was back in your gut. The suspicions you had were coming back to your rattled brain. But still, you turned and wrapped your arms around his neck, collapsing your body against his completely as you felt yourself slipping away. 

He was calling your name, his voice panicked as he held you against him even tighter. You rested your chin on the pale stretch of skin of his shoulder and started back into the treeline. You were finding comfort in the man that you were almost certain was involved in your husband’s death. You were embracing the suspected killer of your husband. 

And in your delirium you caught sight of something out there, something you weren’t sure was even real. It looked like one of the clerics from town, his white robes reflecting the sun as he hastily retreated back into the cover of the trees. 

A bloodied, naked corpse laid where the mangy wolf once stood. 

You found comfort in a killer as a man of god ran away from the sight of the worst sin, murder. 

~~~~~~~

Yoongi’s watchful gaze never left you, even when you thought that you were away from prying eyes. When he said he wanted to protect you, that you were his responsibility, he meant it. 

It wasn’t safe for you to be alone this close to the woods and this far from town. Even though you chose to ignore this, he knew that he was right. He was oftentimes put on edge when he would think about the possibility of someone wandering through the woods and stumbling upon your cottage. And, even worse, he could imagine what someone would do when they found a beautiful woman, alone, in the middle of nowhere with help miles away. His paranoid suspicions had proven to be true with what happened days before. 

“Who was he?” You had asked when you had woken up. 

When you had slipped into unconsciousness he shifted once more, swinging you onto his back and racing back to your cottage. It would have been comical to try and watch his massive wolf form squeeze into your home while dragging your body inside, but in that moment Yoongi had trouble finding anything remotely amusing. He had been too frantic to switch back into his human skin and it took him several moments of concentration before he was able to do it. 

“He was no one,” He plainly said, his brows drawing together as he dabbed at the wound that split open your forehead. 

“You didn’t know him?”

“No,” He sighed, “He was just a nomad, a packless wolf. He must have caught your scent and tracked you down.”

“Was he going to eat me?”

You were met with a sickening silence as Yoongi pursed his lips and bandaged your cut. His silence was a clear answer. 

“But, I’m not an animal. There’s plenty of deer and rabbits…” You trailed off. 

Yoongi set down the roll of gauze and leaned towards you, cradling your face once more in his hands. “Humans and animals are not all that different, you eat, you sleep, you mate, and you both give chase. Many of my kind see yours and animals as one in the same. What only matters is the hunt.” 

Human, shifter, or hunter it didn’t matter, he had grown to trust no one outside of his pack. There were nefarious creatures at every corner, whether he was one of them was still to be decided. His behavior certainly appeared to be nefarious, to an outsider. 

He could hear the thrum of your heart in your chest and the quickening of your pulse as you digested his words. 

“Don’t be afraid of me, I would never hurt you. I just want to take care of you.” He murmured as he leaned in closer to you and pressed his lips to your forehead is a soft kiss that pulled a sharp breath into your chest. 

Since that day, Yoongi’s behavior has drastically changed. 

During the day he worked, far slower than what was normal or necessary, and he watched you fulfill your mundane tasks for the day. While they should have bored him, they did quite the opposite. Everything you did seemed so curious, enthralling even. He couldn’t explain this odd tether he had to you. The only thing that he did know, was that he had to be near you. Whatever this was, it had become far more than just a sense of duty he felt towards you. 

During the night, when the moon emerged, he would shift and watch from the shadows. He would watch you pull your curtain closed and float from room to room. He would sit as still as he possibly could and listen to your heart beat slow and your breathing even out as you fell asleep. He would sit in front of the gaping hole where your door once sat and he would keep watch, pride stirring in his chest as he protected you. 

It was during the night when his daughter would come to visit. Some nights he could hear four paws ripping through the earth as she excitedly ran up to him, other nights he would be greeted by the sound of two little human feet running through the grass. And sometimes, she would morph between the two forms, flickering between the two states like the unsteady wave of a flame. 

But, there was one constant with her. 

“Mama,” She would whisper, crawling on all fours up the steps. 

And every time he would nip her by her clothes and settle her back down in between his massive paws. 

It was a silent “not yet.” 

You were his responsibility, but his daughter wasn’t yours. Not yet at least. 

The three of you had unknowingly settled into a routine. And on the day that the door was finished, that pattern was finally disrupted. 

You had grown accustomed to Yoongi’s presence. If you were being truly honest, you would admit that you had grown to like him. You would never admit it to anyone but his presence had filled that hole in your heart that your husband had left behind. You knew that his saving you had caused this pivot in your emotions and in all honesty you were incredibly confused by them. 

Yoongi was kind and incredibly gentle in spite of how your initial meeting had gone. His voice was soft when he spoke to you, his smile reassuring, and the gentle touches calming. It was hard not to like him, and it was even harder to remember that he wasn’t human. 

But the reminders were there. The odd glow in the depths of his eyes, the wolfish smile, the predatory gaze you had caught sight of whenever he thought you weren’t looking and the looming suspicions you had about his implications in your husband’s untimely death. He was still a wolf, there was no denying that. But you approached it all with the same logic you tended to fall back on: out of sight, out of mind. It was simply easier to not think about it. That, as well as your traitorous feelings for him. 

The clouds came out of nowhere the day the door was finished. 

“No, no, no, no, no!” You cried as you frantically ran outside and towards your clothesline where you had hung all of your linens. 

Yoongi watched you dart in between the fluttering clothes and sheets as the rain slowly began to descend and the wind threatened to whip everything away. 

“Yoongi!” You called. 

The shiver that sent down his spine was strong. That was all it took for you to rattle him, just the mere sound of his name on your lips was world shattering. You didn’t know just how easily you could ruin him. 

“Yoongi, help me!” You called again, your voice stern this time. He thought it was cute when you tried to be in charge. 

There had been a definite shift in your relationship after he had killed that wolf for you. You had started inviting him inside for dinner, watching him work, and even spending the evenings with him outside, leaning up against the warm side of his wolf form. And in turn he would accompany you wherever you needed to go, keeping a close eye on you, and a firm hand on the small of your back. 

You had grown impossibly closer than you had ever thought you would be capable of. Hell, you hadn’t even questioned why he was wearing your husband’s clothes when you woke up - you weren’t even upset. You were beginning to feel alive again. 

The two of your hurriedly gathered the linens. Yoongi had turned it into a game, ripping items off of the line right before you could touch it like it was a race. In all honesty, he made you feel like a kid again. The both of you were laughing, stumbling over the laundry and bumping into each other as you raced inside. 

“You were supposed to help me, not compete with me!” You scolded him, dropping the sopping wet pile of laundry into your basket. 

“I can do both, dearest.”

Dearest. That had been a recent occurrence. It slipped from his lips one day, it had caused your heart to stutter and your blood to rush and ever since then he had not gone a single day without letting the term of endearment grace your ears. He loved seeing how flustered it would make you, the way he practically purred around the word. 

“Or, you could just be kind to me for once.”

“I’m always kind to you, have you not enjoyed the gifts I’ve brought you?” He asked, a faux pout on his pretty lips as he slowly stalked towards you. You could almost see the wolf in him when he did that, you could visualize the swing of his tail and the way his massive head would tip down as his glowing eyes locked in on you. It was there, in the swing of his walk and the taunt muscle of his shoulders. It was an ever present reminder that he was not like you. 

You backed up, almost coyly, as he approached. His broader steps quickly gain on your short, shuffled ones. The cold, spring breeze rushed over the exposed skin of your neck, the open doorway was now behind you. But, before you could rush outside and back into the rain and allow him to give chase, he reached behind you and jerked his arm back. In that instant you felt solid wood press against your back, the new door settling perfectly into the once empty frame and blocking off your exit. 

You let out a shaky breath as he leaned into you, his chest against yours as he raised his arm above your head. With one swift movement there was a click and then his arm settled by your waist and another click followed. He had locked the door behind you. You were trapped in your own home with the wolf. 

The silence that followed was deafening. 

Short breaths were passed between the two of you, both of you waiting for the other to make a move. Your lashes fluttered as your gaze traced the contours of his face. You often wondered if he knew just how lovely he was, scar and all. 

You swallowed harshly as you raised your hand to his face, your fingers trembling with desire before softly grazing the bottom of the scar. Yoongi’s eyes slipped shut as he moved forward allowing his face to lean into your touch, his body pressing impossibly closer to yours. 

“Yoongi,” You whispered. 

And with that one simple call of his name, he lunged and went in for the kill. His pretty lips collided with your own as his hand moved to cradle your jaw and tilt your head back with the force of his kiss. With your back against the door there was nowhere for you to go, but there was nowhere else that you wanted to be. 

You gasped as you felt his free hand slowly trail up your leg and over your hip before settling on your lower back and sharply pulling your hips against his. A pitiful whimper was passed from your lips to his from the sudden desire that was pooling in your lower abdomen. 

A moment of clarity came to you, your mind pushing past the haze of desire when you felt your feet leave the ground. Yoongi buried his face in the junction of your neck and shoulder, his lips and teeth making quick work of the skin there, as he walked. It was when you felt the soft cover of your bed beneath you that you realized what was happening. 

“Yoongi, wait -” You tried, but his movements did not falter. His fingers were making quick work of the laces at the back of your dress and he showed no sign of stopping any time soon. 

He looked desperate, like he was going to die if he could not have you and the only way to relieve himself of his pain was to unveil every inch of skin that you were concealing from him and each stretch that was exposed was just as quickly covered by kisses and nipped by sharp teeth. 

You couldn’t deny the attraction you had for him or the lust you were practically dripping with from his touch. But it felt like you were laying on a bed of needles when you were reminded of your late husband’s death as you were willingly laid down in your marriage bed with a man who was not your husband. 

“Please,” You gasped, gripping his shoulders, “not here.” 

That seemed to catch his attention as he finally stilled himself. From your position it looked like he was trying to gain some control over himself. His breathing was still heavy, but he had stopped touching you. He looked up at you slowly, his chin just barely brushing over your bare sternum. When he finally looked at you, you stopped breathing. His eyes were lit with moonlight, a silver glow emanating from their depths. 

He was more wolf than human in that moment, a creature that was acting purely on instinct. 

You cupped his cheek once more and while he flinched at first, he slowly relaxed beneath your touch. He was still eerily silent, and in that moment his behavior reminded you almost entirely of the first time you had met him when he was in his other skin, fully shifted into his wolf counterpart. It was those watchful eyes again, those eyes that held so much depth and awareness that it was startling. 

“I can’t, not here.” You repeated. 

He blinked slowly, once, twice, and then a third time as he cocked his head to the side. You felt a twinge of fear at that gaze and, shamefully, the rush of lust in your veins. Your body went lax as you allowed him to gather you in his arms once more. He was calmer now, his pace slower as he unlocked the front door and carried you into the night. You could see flickers of your Yoongi in him, his touch much softer as he laid you down in a bed of grass that has been permanently laid flat by the giant wolf that guarded your home. 

That night the sky was completely open, not a single cloud obscured the stars or the body of the full moon. It was utterly beautiful. Just as beautiful as the feeling of fresh dew on your back and just as beautiful as the sight of your breath crystalizing in the cold, spring air. But nothing was quite as beautiful as Yoongi. The way that his bitten lips parted with soft gasps and deep moans, the way that his porcelain skin shone beneath the moonlight, and the way that he struggled to part from your lips. It was the way that he would rather kiss you than breathe. Everything about him was beautiful. 

You had many regrets in your life, but this would never be one of them. Not when he held you like this, like you were the only person in the world that mattered. Everything about this was supposed to be wrong, unholy even, but that was what made it that more enjoyable. That was what made you tense your legs around his waist, curve your hips against his, and wrap your arms around the back of his neck - drawing him towards your pulse point where he had been nosing at, sucking, and kissing almost obsessively. 

When your body shook with pleasure, a rush of warmth and tingles spread beneath your skin, your back arched and your neck was bared. And before you could even realize what was to come, his teeth had already sunk into your neck and shoulder without hesitation accompanied by an almost animalistic growl. The pain was there, it forced a scream past your lips, but it mingled deliciously with the rush of pleasure that emanated from your very core. You gasped and shook, your vision blurring as you were assaulted by your senses, your nails digging into his shoulders. 

There it was again. 

There was a flash of white in the treeline. It was there for a moment before flickering out of sight as you felt yourself barely clinging to consciousness. 

You were being watched again, there was something or someone out there that was following you - watching you in your most vulnerable moments. 

You tried to get Yoongi’s attention but he was in a similar state, the both of you lazily holding onto one another and barely moving as you began to drift. Your lips moved but no words were spoken, your tongue felt heavy in your mouth, unable to form words.

Yoongi’s lips were stained with your blood, his eyes heavy lidded but now returned to their dark color that you knew and loved. You tried again to speak but found yourself unable to as he pressed his forehead against your own, his fingers brushing back your messy hair. 

The heavy lure of sleep was steadily pulling you under. You supposed it could wait until tomorrow. 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

~~~~~~~

When you woke up you were back in your bed and you were alone. 

The cottage was dark, the windows all closed and the curtains drawn tight. When your eyes fluttered open you had almost believed that it was still night, that you were still outside with Yoongi and you had only momentarily dozed off. But the familiar comfort of your blankets and pillows quickly dismissed those thoughts. 

Now wide awake with your sheets pooled around your waist, you could only wonder about where your wolf had gone. Had he left you already? Had he taken your words to heart when you told him that he was to leave when his service was finished? Had he abandoned you after you had shared your most intimate moments with him? What had you done?

You felt a sense of shame wash over you as you stumbled from your bed, dull aches throbbing at various points of your body that only reminded you of what had transpired the night before. Once you collected yourself you made your way to the door your wolf had crafted for you and when you grasped the handle and pulled, you were met with a locked door. 

Your face scrunched in confusion as you turned the lock the opposite way and moved the bar at the top of the door but when you tried it again it still would not budge. 

You had been locked in your own home like a canary in a cage. 

Your heart dropped into your stomach and your throat felt impossibly tight as tears began to brim in your eyes. You had trusted him and in turn he had trapped you. How foolish you were to think that you could trust another man and here you were, a betrayer of your husband’s memory.

You sat on the floor curled up by the foot of your bed with a weak grasp on your blanket around your shoulders. There was an unexpected heartbreak that demanded to be felt in your chest, how could you mourn someone who you never really truly knew? Yoongi wouldn’t even tell you about his family, where he came from, or his people. Your relationship, whatever it was, had been an uneven exchange and you had clung to him so quickly because you had been so lonely. It was unfair. 

You quickly swept away the tears from beneath your eyes when you heard a lock turn and light began to permeate the darkness as the door swung open. He came back. 

The gentle smile he had entered with melted away, a look of concern taking over his face. He crossed the room and you rushed to stand, your arms crossing over your chest to protect and soothe yourself. You flinched away from his touch as he attempted to cup your jaw, the look of hurt and confusion on his face only inspired anger. 

“Why are you crying? What’s wrong?” He asked, trying to bridge the distance between the two of you as he moved closer while you took to stepping around the bed. You needed to keep him away, you couldn’t be swayed by those gentle touches and kind looks. 

“You locked me up, Yoongi. Why would you do that?” You sniffled as you attempted to keep your voice strong and firm. 

“I didn’t lock you up-”

“Then why was the door locked? Why couldn’t I get out?” You asked, before leaning forward and grasping a cord that was strung around his neck and nestled beneath the fabric of his shirt. “Why do you have this?”

When you pulled the necklace out his hand shot out to grip your wrist in warning, but the damage had already been done. There was a key on his necklace, the key to your cage. 

“I’m protecting you.” He whispered, his tone deadly and his gaze dark with warning. “You saw what happened, it’s dangerous out there - I can’t trust anyone with you.”

“No, you can’t trust me,” You corrected him before jerking your hand out of his hold, “This is my home, Yoongi, my home! You have no right!”

“I have every right, you are mine!” 

“I am not!” 

His eyes were burning again, he was having trouble keeping his anger in check and you weren’t helping in the slightest. His chest was heaving with every breath and his jaw was tense. You watched him take one long breath in and then out before his arm shot out as he grabbed you by the wound on your neck forcing a pained gasp from your throat. 

“I told you, I am responsible for you, I need to protect you. This means that you’re mine and that I’m yours, this is a bond that goes deeper than marriage, do you understand that?” 

Your lips trembled as emotion welled in your chest, that told you everything that you needed to know. 

“You killed him, didn’t you?”

The silence you were met with and the empty look in his eyes was more than enough to confirm. Yoongi had been your husband’s killer. You stumbled back and heaved, waving away his hands that tried to steady you as you felt sickness stir in your stomach. 

“How could you? Why? Why did you do it?!” You cried, your fingers shaking as they grazed your lips in pure shock. 

His hands were raised as he tried to step closer to you, it wasn’t a defensive position, it looked more like he was trying to calm a startled animal. 

“He killed my wife,” He said, his voice much gentler than you expected in your state. 

“He wouldn’t!”

“No, but he would kill an animal, wouldn’t he?” 

He stopped approaching you and you had stopped moving away, your body having locked up in a state of pure shock.Your silence was enough for him to continue. 

“By the time I got there he was already taking her pelt, she wasn’t even able to shift back.”

He had skinned her. He didn’t know there was a person inside of the wolf that he had killed, and he had skinned her. 

“I took what was owed to me, he killed her so I killed him and I don’t regret it. The only thing I regret is what that did to you and your child, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. But I tried my best to give back to you what was taken. I can protect you, I can take care of you, I can give you children, and I can love you.”

His pupils were blown out, there was a look of pure desperation in his eyes. It was a look that made your heart shudder in your chest. 

There was a horrible ache in behind your ribs, it felt like it was on the verge of collapsing. It was undeniable that you cared for him, but the sickness that churned in your stomach was rivaling those feelings. You had never felt so betrayed before by anyone. You thought that he would have been different. 

You couldn’t even bear the thought of looking at him in the moment, it hurt too much and you knew how powerful those eyes of his were. You refused to be swayed at that moment. 

You knew that no amount of words you could say would force him to leave, so you did the next best thing and sprinted for the door. You barely made it a few steps before he lunged and grabbed you by your waist, picking you up with ease as you writhed in his hold. You turned into a feral animal, throwing yourself around wildly and scratching at any available skin you could find as you cried in shrill screams. 

“Stop fighting me!” He grunted, throwing you down on the mattress and pinning your wrists down at your sides as he pressed his knees into your kicking legs. “Calm down.” 

A scream of frustration burned your throat as your muscles strained under his firm grip. There was no use in fighting him, he was far stronger than you could ever hope to be. And so your body eventually tired itself out, your limbs going limp as you shook from a mixture of fatigue, fright, and dimming embers of anger. The skin beneath your eyes felt tight from all the crying you had done and the skin around your nails throbbed from the scratches you had carved into Yoongi’s forearms. But of course, those flesh wounds had already healed. 

You flinched as he released one of your wrists and stroked your face, indirectly drying your cheeks of their lingering tears. 

“You’re scared, now. Confused. But that’s alright, you’ll learn that I am the only one who can take care of you.”

You stayed silent and stubbornly turned your head to the side when he leant in to kiss you, but your actions did not deter him, he only laid a soft kiss to the corner of your mouth with a contented hum. 

“I’ll prove it to you, I can give you everything that you want.” He whispered beside your ear before he finally stood and the blood rushed back to your arms and legs. 

You scuttled backwards up the bed as he gave you one last lingering gaze and then he slipped out of the cottage and locked the door shut behind him. 

He had trapped you once again. 

~~~~~~~

You had laid there for a long time, frozen after what had transpired. Everything you thought that you knew has been completely and utterly wrong. It had all been a lie.

You slowly sat up and slid your palms into your lap. Your nails were stained with dark blood, you had hurt Yoongi afterall, not that it had mattered. To him, it had probably been no more irritating than a kitten’s scratch. You were once again reminded of his incredible inhuman nature.  

You needed to leave, now was your chance to escape him. It was an odd feeling that stirred in the back of your mind. The night before, there was nowhere else that you would rather be, and now you wanted to get as far away as possible. You wanted to run. 

With that thought in your mind you lept to your feet and made for the window. You knew that Yoongi would be able to find you, tracking you would be more of a game than a challenge. But if you left now, you would give yourself a head start. You would make for town and when you entered its boundaries it would be too risky for him to come after you. He wouldn’t be able to get you in either skin, the hulking form of that wolf far too obvious and the flesh of his human skin far too vulnerable when outnumbered. 

You pried open the shutters and undid the latch. You hiked up the skirt of your night dress, baring your skin to the cool breeze, and swung your legs out of the window and allowed your body to drop down. You needed to go, there was no more time for hesitation. 

Your dress was held tight in each fist as you began to run, the light fabric brushing over your legs as you moved. In that moment you had wished for a pair of shears to shorten it. 

A pitched howl echoed through the trees and your heart thrummed even harder in your chest. Your limbs froze on instinct and your ears rang with the sound of your blood rushing. It was too high of a tone to be him, you had heard the sounds he had made when he tore that other shifter to shreds. It wasn’t him but it was someone else. 

A small, dark, furry form shot out from the cover of the trees and darted through the clearing. Its pace was sure yet frantic, like it still didn't have control of its four limbs nor its speed. As it came closer you began to take cautious steps backward. You knew who that was, it was the pup. 

You watched in horror as the creature’s gait became wild and the pup began to trip over itself before the fur exploded from its skin and in its place was a little girl sprinting through the grass. 

There was no denying the impossibility of what you had seen, after all you had seen it with your own eyes. There was no forgetting this. 

“Mama!” She cried as she collided with your legs and displayed an impressive strength that was disproportionate to the size of her body, sending the both of you to the ground. The world turned sideways for a moment, and there it was once more. That flash of white that you had been seeing for weeks now. But it was closer this time, close enough that you recognized what it was. From the shape of the clothes on the fleeing form, you knew it was one of the clerics from the town. Has he been watching you all this time? 

“I missed you, mama,” She said, pulling your attention to her as she stared down at you with a pair of dark brown eyes that sent chills through your veins. She looked so much like her father. 

“Binna,” His voice shot through the air, “Remember what I said? Be gentle, you don’t want to hurt your mother.”

“Sorry!” She giggled as she pressed her cheek against your collarbone, her eyes fluttering shut and her long lashes casting shadows over the skin beneath her eyes. She wrapped her arms around your neck and hummed, the warmth from her body seeping into your skin. 

“Sorry, mama.” She repeated. 

You gently laid your hand over her back, your breaths still uneven as you pulled the two of you into a sitting position. “Sweetheart, I’m not your-“

“Binna, do you want to go see your room?” Yoongi asked, dropping down into a squat behind his daughter, his eyes on you as he spoke. 

Binna let out an excited hum of agreement, scrambling up onto two legs that still wobbled unsurely beneath her weight. You noticed that she was never completely stable in either skin she wore, it was like she was still trying to figure out how four legs and two legs worked. 

“Come on, dearest,” He said, holding his hand out to you. You sat there for a moment, stubbornly, but his gaze was unwavering and his body was as still as a statue. You knew there was no fighting him and he had played dirty by bringing his daughter into the equation. He knew that you wouldn’t want to start anything in front of her, the last thing that you wanted to do was frighten her. 

You let out an angry huff and rushed to stand without his help, storming past him and walking a few paces behind his small daughter who would toddle every now and then before bending over and trying to walk on all fours instead. 

As frustrated, frightened, and irritated as you were, you couldn’t deny the tug at your heart when you watched Binna crawl up the front steps of your home and scamper inside. You could hear the sound of her bare feet tapping against the wood floors and you couldn’t stop the resulting burn in your eyes. You had always wanted to hear that sound, you had always wanted a daughter of your own. 

But Binna wasn’t yours. 

But it was hard to long for that when you watched her disappear into the once empty nursery. You didn’t like what Yoongi was doing, he was messing with your head. He knew how badly you had wanted your child, how you had tirelessly grieved your husband, and now he was trying to patch everything together and force your lives to fit with one another. 

You knew that he could understand your loss, he had lost a wife after all. He would do anything to avoid that happening again, and if that meant locking you up while he was gone, then he would do that. But that wasn’t what you wanted. You had locked yourself up for months on end, turning your home into a mausoleum as you grieved the loss of the life you had once had. You refused to do that again. 

The door shut and the lock clicked. 

You heard him approach and then you felt his warmth as your back and his breath disturb the hair on your head. It wasn’t all that different from the first time that you had met. 

His fingers grazed your own and your hand twitched in response but you didn’t move. He intertwined your hands and pressed his forehead against the back of your head, breathing in your scent. 

“You have to let me go, Yoongi.” You whispered. 

He froze and a low, warning growl thrummed in his chest causing the hair on the back of your neck to raise. It didn’t matter what skin he was in, your body recognized him as the predator that he was. 

“No.” He simply said. 

“You’re not being fair -”

“I’ve been nothing but fair. I broke your door so I fixed it, I killed your husband and I gave you myself, you lost your child and I gave you Binna. I have been more than fair, so much so that I even gave you my love when you did not want it.” 

You ignored that last part, the love you felt for him causing a stabbing pain of betrayal in your heart. It wasn’t fair that you still felt the way you did about him after everything that he had done. After he had tricked you. 

“I am not Binna’s mother.”

He quickly hushed you, spinning you around by your shoulders and staring into your eyes, “She can hear you, she has very sensitive ears and a gentle heart, you don’t want to hurt her do you?”

You bit your lip in frustration, “It’s not fair to her mother.”

“You are her mother.” 

And that conversation was over, he wouldn’t hear any of your protests and you feared hurting Binna too much to continue to broach the subject. You were caught in between a rock and a hard place. And the worst thing was that it was hard not to love Binna. 

She was curious, mischievous, and sweet. She had been the same way when you discovered her as a pup, but you adored her even more this way. All she wanted was your attention, she was a little girl that was desperate to be loved by a mother. 

“Why did you leave?” She stumbled over the words, her little fingers twisted in the fabric of your skirt as you had started dinner, the light of the sunset cast over her eyes and bursts of silver shined in their reflection. 

You didn’t know how to respond. 

“Mama’s back now, you don’t have to worry about that baby.” Yoongi answered for you with a gentle smile as he pulled her onto his lap. 

“Forever?” She asked, staring at him with wide eyes full of wonder that only a child could possess.

“Forever,” He repeated, his eyes tracing over the profile of your face. 

The questions didn’t stop there. It was a full moon that night and Binna demanded to be outside. Yoongi had briefly told you before about their connection with the moon. It was almost religious, but even that wasn’t a good comparison. It was a part of them. 

“Shift.” Binna had commanded, tugging at your skirt again as she had quickly grown accustomed to. 

“I can’t Binna,” You explained, lowering yourself into the grass so that you were more level with her height. “I’m not like you, or your daddy.” 

Yoongi had stayed close to you all day, keeping a watchful eye on you to make sure that you wouldn’t try to leave them. 

“But…” She said, her words trailing off as her face furrowed in confusion, “It was white.”

You were confused but a quick look at Yoongi cleared that up. His gaze was glassy like he was remembering something, something that he didn’t want to think about. Binna must have meant her mother, she must have seen her before she left. Her pelt must have been white. 

Yoongi cleared his throat after a moment, “I think it’s time for bed.” 

Binna, even though she was a shifter, was still a child. She whined in protest and went limp as Yoongi scooped her up in his arms and held onto your hand, guiding the two of you back into the house. 

The door shut, the lock clicked. 

The both of you cleaned Binna up together, her feet and hands dirty from struggling to crawl in her human form and her hair a mess of twigs and leaves. She had laughed as she watched the pile of leaves grow beside the basin and attempted to jump into it like it were a much bigger leaf pile than it really was. 

And when she was clean, fed, and tired, she crawled into the center of the bed and reached her arms out for you. Your heart ached again. As soon as you laid down she was curled into your side, her little arms curled into her chest as she pressed her nose against the bite mark on your shoulder, taking in deep breaths.

The lamps in the room were snuffed out one by one, the room becoming progressively darker until it was completely plunged in darkness and only the gleam of silver eyes at the foot of the bed were visible. The bed dipped beneath Yoongi’s weight as he climbed in, laying on the other side of the bed behind his daughter. When he laid down he rolled over, wrapping his arm around the two of you and pulling you in closer to him. 

Binna hummed a happy noise, burrowing deeper into your shoulder and burying herself beneath your blankets. 

“What is she doing?” You asked, the first time you had spoken a direct question to Yoongi since that morning. 

“You smell like me, it’s how we identify each other. She feels safe with you.” He explained. 

“So that’s why you did it.” You said, a bitter edge to your words as you smoothed your hand over Binna’s freshly washed hair. “She doesn’t know any better.”

“That’s not true. She chose you, and so did I. She knew you were safe, that’s why she let you take her that day. And this,” His fingers ghosted over the mark sending chills down your spine, “was purely for my own selfish benefit. I wanted everyone to know that you’re mine.” 

“You didn’t even give me the choice.”

“I love you, and I know that you love me.” 

You remained quiet, not willing to agree or disagree with him. It was hard to make sense of madness, whether that be Yoongi’s or your own. 

“You’ll see it eventually, this is what you wanted.”

~~~~~~~

When you woke the next morning, you immediately knew that something was wrong. 

Firstly, Yoongi was gone. The spot on the bed that used to be your husband’s was cold, he had been gone for a while. Secondly, Binna was curled into the corner of the room, hiding beneath a blanket as she shook. And when you looked closer, you could see the tip of a snout and a still tail peeking out from beneath the blanket. She was frightened. Thirdly, there was smoke in the air, something was burning. 

You stumbled out of bed when there was a pounding on the door. 

“Open the door!” A man yelled, the door knob shaking as he tried to open it himself. Your instincts were screaming at you that something was wrong. 

“Open up, and pay for your crimes!” He yelled again, this time throwing his weight against the door. 

That couldn’t be right? Crimes?

You crept closer to the front window, the wood shutters were pulled shut but there was a crack that you had peered through, unnoticed, many times before. This time, the sight that you were met with was horrific. There was a large, angry crowd with torches outside - illuminating the pitch black field around your home. 

You had heard of these events before, but never had you considered that you would become the victim of one, not when you were so isolated from the town. But it was happening now and you needed to act fast. 

You rushed to the corner where Binna hid and scooped her up into your arms blanket and all. Her snout sniffed at your bite wound before she began to settle down. You ran to the nursery and to the very back of the room where the crib sat. You gripped it with one hand and with a strength you didn’t know that you possessed you pulled it aside. Your heart pounded and your breath was coming in harsh pants as you moved to the window. 

“Binna,” You whispered, forcing yourself to make your voice as soft and soothing as you could. You had one priority right now and that was to get her safe. You had seen what those hunters were capable of before. “I need you to run as fast as you can, and I need you to find your daddy. Don’t stop running until you're safe, don’t stop no matter what you hear.”

Binna stared back at you, her ears perked up as her glossy silver eyes poured into your very soul. Binna was a little girl, but she was smarter than any human child. You trusted her. 

A loud thwack sounded from the front door, a sound that you weren’t all that unfamiliar with - it was the sound of an ax striking the door. Your motions became faster and more panicked than before, your nails ripping at the bottom of the window that groaned as you forced it open. You grunted and with one more hard push, it popped and raised and there was enough room that Binna could slide through. 

“Don’t stop running, be very brave.” You whispered before pressing a quick kiss to the space between her ears and lowering her as close to the ground as you could. And then, her body left your hand and her dark fur disappeared into the night. You could only hope that she could find help on time. 

You had a terrible feeling that you weren’t going to make it out of this. 

A loud crack and sharp splintering sounded from the front door and then the thud of boots entered the kitchen. You stayed as quiet as you could but you knew there was no hiding and you needed to buy Binna time. 

You slid an oil lamp off of the dresser and hid by the door, waiting for it to open. The boots approached quickly, they didn’t want to give you time to get away and they were hunting you down. This was nothing like the way Yoongi had hunted you, it was un-practiced, frantic, amateur. 

When the door to the nursery slammed open you brought the lamp down on the back of the man’s head and sent him crashing to the ground as blood pooled onto the wood. But when you darted out into the hallway, there was already someone else waiting for you. 

You swung the lamp towards him with a scream but he dodged, grabbing your wrists and bending them in such a way that a sharp scream echoed through the cottage as you lost your grip and the lamp shattered upon impact with the ground. 

The man from the nursery was up and moving and now he was behind you, pulling rope from his belt. 

“You fucking bitch!” He yelled, and before you could move he had punched you clean across your face, sending you sprawling on the ground. 

You could taste blood in your mouth as he straddled you from behind, wrapping the rope around your hands. 

“Get off of me!” You screamed, wriggling desperately but to no avail. All it earned you was another strike to your head that made your vision blurry and spotted. 

When you came to, you were being dragged out of your house. The door that Yoongi had painstakingly crafted was shattered. 

And, as soon as the three of you were outside, torches were thrown and the house was lit aflame. 

“No!” You screamed, guttural sounds that ripped through your throat. “No, no, no!”

Your husband had built that house. It was the only thing that you had left of him. It was yours, it was where you were supposed to make a family and grow old together. And now that dream, that life, was being burned to the ground. 

It was absolute chaos. 

The smell of smoke burned in your nose and made your eyes tear up on reflex. When you had thought of all the ways that you could possibly die, you had never considered this as an option. You wriggled violently in your bonds like a wild animal trapped in a snare. The rope was digging into your wrists leaving behind raw, bloody wounds. There was no escape, but you couldn’t help but try. If you didn’t free yourself, then this would be it. 

There had been a time where you craved nothing more than to be reunited with your deceased lover, but when faced with the frightening reality of death you wanted nothing more than to live. 

Violent, raw screams tore through your throat as you were held down to the ground. There were hands everywhere, gripping your shoulders, your legs, and one in particular that was knotted in your hair. 

“Silence, witch!” A man yelled, pressing down on your neck and forcing your face into the dirt. 

“Witch? Witch?!” You shrieked, another manic scream breaking up your words as you writhed against the ground. 

You could hear the murmurs of the crowd that surrounded you and with a strained eye you could see nearly the entire town gathered around you and the men that held you captive. It was clear what this was, but you didn’t want to believe it. You didn’t want to believe that your own kind would turn on you like this. But that seemed to be your plight, those you tried to trust always turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

The hand that was wound in your hair tightened its grasp spurring a pained gasp from you as they began to drag you. You could only desperately writhe in the dirt as you were pulled closer to the crowd. You were certainly a sight, your hair a deranged mess, filled with leaves and twigs with dirt smeared down your cheeks and staining the tips of your fingers. Their rough treatment of you had only served to make you appear as the very thing they feared. The thing they were accusing you of being. 

You finally came to a stop in front of the town elder, the men behind you forcing you into an upright position on your knees, your arms still painfully stretched behind your back. 

The elder looked at you in what could only be described as disgust. 

“Behold, the witch who has brought a curse upon our village,” He spoke, his voice raspy and low, causing silence to descend over the group in order to hear him. 

“I am no witch-“

“Quiet!” The man behind you yelled before delivering a harsh smack to the side of your head, forcing it to snap to the side as you cried in pain. 

“The accused has brought death to all of your doors. She who murdered her unborn child in a covenant with the devil and brought those beasts to our home, and she who slayed her husband to feed those wretched demons and seal their bond to her will continue to slaughter us where we stand. What say you, shall we stand by and allow this to happen?” The elder said, opening his arms to the crowd who voiced their agreement.

This was the man who had known you since you were a child, the very man who had approved your courtship with your husband, the same man that married the both of you. This was the man that would ultimately kill you. 

Yoongi was right, humans were horrible creatures.

Your body had gone limp, your head rolling forward as if your neck could no longer bear the weight of it. Desperate, wounded cries burst from your lips. You had not killed your baby, you had not killed your husband, but there was nothing you could say to change their minds. They had already made their decision. 

“The punishment for these crimes shall be paid by that of which you are familiar,” The elder said, gesturing to a horrifying sight looming behind him, “Hellfire.” 

You couldn’t hear the screams that burned your throat, you could only feel them. There was a loud ringing in your ears and the feeling of your feet and shoulders digging into the ground as you were dragged toward the stake and unlit pyre before you. 

They were going to burn you alive. 

Your cries for help were left unanswered, there was not a single look of empathy on anyone in the crowd. He had truly convinced them all that the deaths that had plagued the town were because of you. They believed you were the one that had brought the shifters upon them even though that didn’t make sense, they had been there long before you and longer than they realized. But there was no getting through to them. What the elder spoke was considered divine nature.

You sounded like a wounded animal, horrific sobs and screams shaking your body as you were tied to the stake. Nausea swirled in your stomach and your heart pounded, the fear that you felt was indescribable. 

Vaguely, you understood that you were mumbling something repeatedly under your breath which was not helping your perception with the crowd. It looked like you were trying to cast a curse upon them. And if you could, you would. 

But what you were saying was far from that. All you could brokenly whisper was, “I did not kill my baby.” 

The scent of smoke became even stronger and from in between layers of your hair, you could see a torch flickering. The flames wavered, almost teasingly in nature, like it was deciding whether or not it would engulf you in its fiery embrace. Ultimately, that would not be its decision. 

“Return from whence you came, witch,” The man before you spoke, and with the crook of the elder’s finger, he lit the pyre.

Heat licked at your feet and ankles as the fire slowly but surely crept up the logs and branches piled around you. This would be a long, slow, tortuous end to your life and that was what they wanted. They wanted to put all of their rage, pain, and hatred onto you and they would make certain you experienced the full extent of their wrath. 

Tears rolled down your cheeks as you accepted your fate. You cried as you watched the flames lap at the edges of your skirt - eating away at the hem. In a matter of seconds it would eat the fabric away and begin charing flesh and bone. 

But it was when you lost all hope, that fate decided to play yet another trick on you. 

Frantic cries were coming from the crowd and when you raised your head you were shocked by the sight of six massive wolves emerging from the trees. It took no time for you to realize that they were just like Yoongi. Binna had made it back to them, she had gotten them to come and help you and thankfully she was nowhere in sight. 

The crowd pressed in closer to the elder, who’s face had gone gray at the sight of the wolves, as the six shifters surrounded them, corralling them all into one place. 

In the midst of the madness, you hadn’t noticed the presence behind you until you felt your ropes loosening. 

It was Yoongi. 

The fire was searing both of your clothes yet he remained, slicing through your bonds with deft hands. He had come for you, he had saved you. 

The moment your bonds slid from your hands he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you from the stake and pyre, the two of you sinking down to the ground in each other’s embrace. 

“Yoongi,” You choked, your lungs thick with smoke and ash. 

“Shh,” he hushed you, “just breathe, breathe for me sweetheart, just like that.” 

His hand came to rest on your chest while he guided yours to his, taking in exaggerated breaths so that you could follow him. 

Yoongi was many things: your husband's killer, your captor, your protector, and lastly - your savior. It was impossible for you to describe what you felt for him as it was no longer black and white. If there was anything you did believe, it was that nothing was ever that simple. There are many truths and many lies, it all was dependent on what you wanted to believe. 

You coughed again, the force of it shaking your entire body as Yoongi pulled you into himself tighter. You were in his lap, chest to chest, with his nose buried in your hair. You could feel him breathing in your scent, a growl radiating through his chest when he realized it had been tainted by smoke and other men. 

“I thought I lost you too,” he sighed before pressing a desperate kiss to your temple and then your cheek. He treated you like you were the most precious thing in the world. 

“Help us!” That raspy voice called out to you again. 

You slowly turned your head to face the elder who had placed himself in the middle of the crowd, using the bodies of his people to shield him from the wolves that were steadily circling them.

Help them. 

Help them? 

Help them?!

You cocked your head to the side, a look of bewilderment and rage taking over your features. Why should you help them? After what they had done to you? After what they had accused you of? 

Humans were horrible. You didn’t need them, after all, you much preferred to be alone. 

You didn’t need other humans. 

“Yoongi?” You whispered, maintaining eye contact with the elder. 

“Yes?” He leaned forward, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear. 

“Kill them all.”

You felt his warm finger trace the curve of your jaw before turning your face in his direction. He looked down at you in a mix of adoration and excitement before leaning in and pressing his lips against yours in a hard kiss. 

“As you wish,” He murmured before setting you down on the ground and joining his brothers. 

In a matter of seconds he burst free from his skin, a giant wolf in his place alongside the tattered remains of his clothes. The crowd screamed in fright from the sight of his transformation and then from the massive fangs of seven wolves. 

You sat there, knees drawn into your chest as you watched Yoongi carve his way through the crowd and toward the elder. And, with great ease, he forced the man to the ground and ripped his head clean from his shoulders. A large spurt of blood soared through the smoggy air, painting the grass a vibrant color. 

You watched on as several more people were felled by the shifters, their gruesome screams quieted by large jaws and hooked claws. 

You were numb, you couldn’t find it in yourself to care about their lives that were swiftly ended - their souls ripped from their bodies.

You craned your neck back and stared up at the full moon, eyes dull, red, and finally dry as more gurgled screams were silenced. 

Out of sight, out of mind. 

[bangchansdirty-slut]

"Not Too Old For Me"

Paring: Parents Bestfriend!Lee know x Bottom Reader

Genre: Smut

Summary: Y/n arrives at her family's vacation home for winter break to find a surprise in their pool.

More: Masterlist

A/n: I just finished my Yeonjun x Bottom Fan!Reader fic. I'll post it later today when I'm less busy.

The crisp winter air nipped at Y/n's nose as she stepped out of the car, her breath forming tiny clouds in front of her face. She stretched her arms overhead, feeling the familiar weight of her luggage dig into her shoulders. The warm vacation home, nestled at the foot of the snow-capped mountains, beckoned her with its inviting glow. She glanced around, taking in the serene winter landscape before her. It was just like she remembered.

But what she didn't remember was her parents inviting one of their friends, Lee Minho, to stay with them for the holidays. As she unloaded her suitcase onto the porch, she couldn't help but wonder why they'd done such a thing. It wasn't as if they were close friends or anything.

Shrugging it off, she made her way inside, removing her coat and boots by the door. The warmth of the house enveloped her like a comforting embrace, driving away the last traces of the cold air. She could hear laughter coming from the living room, where her parents were having a glass of wine with Minho. He was a tall, handsome man in his mid-thirties, with a charming smile and an air of confidence that seemed to draw people to him.

With a sigh, Y/n headed upstairs to her room to unpack. She glanced out the window as she passed by and caught a glimpse of Minho, his muscles glistening with water as he stepped out of the pool. Her heart skipped a beat as he turned around, revealing his perfectly toned backside. Suddenly, she felt a strange thrill coursing through her veins. This was going to be an interesting vacation indeed.

After putting away her clothes, she slipped into a revealing black swimsuit and made her way downstairs. The backyard was huge, with a pool and plenty of lounge chairs scattered around. As she stepped into the pool, the cool water enveloped her body, making her gasp. It felt so refreshing after being cooped up inside for so long. She swam a few laps, enjoying the freedom of the water, before deciding to lie down on one of the loungers to soak up some sun.

A few minutes later, she heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Minho emerging from the house. He was still shirtless, his chest glistening with droplets of water. He smiled at her, revealing a set of perfectly straight white teeth. "Hey, Y/n. Mind if I join you?" he asked, sitting down in the lounger next to hers.

She felt a rush of heat spread through her body at his proximity. "Uh, no, I guess not," she managed to reply, her voice sounding a little shaky. He leaned closer to her, his arm brushing against hers, and the air between them seemed to crackle with electricity. For a moment, she considered trying to seduce him, to see where things might go. But then she remembered her parents would be gone for two days, leaving them alone together…and that thought sent a thrill of excitement coursing through her.

Minho must have sensed her nervousness, because he smiled reassuringly and patted her leg. "It's okay, I won't bite. Relax and enjoy the sun." As he spoke, his hand lingered on her thigh, sending tingles up her spine. She could feel her heart racing and her breath coming faster. This was dangerous territory, but she couldn't seem to help herself. She wanted to explore where this attraction was leading.

The next few hours passed in a haze of swimming and flirting. Y/n's parents had already left to get Y/n's sister from boarding school. They talked about everything from movies to travel, and Y/n couldn't help but feel drawn to him. His eyes were piercing and intense, and when he smiled at her, it felt like the sun had come out from behind a cloud. They even shared a few intimate moments, their bodies pressed tightly together as they kissed beneath the warm summer sun.

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the pool and the surrounding landscape, Minho suggested they move inside. He led her through the house and into the Minho's bedroom, where they collapsed onto the bed, their bodies still wet from the pool. "Y/n, are you sure you want to do this. I'm twice your age. Aren't I too old for you?"

Y/n looks at Minho and says "I'm sure. You are not too old for me." He began to kiss her neck, his lips trailing Lower and Lower, while his hands explored her body, caressing and teasing. She arched her back, wanting more, needing him to touch her.He pulled away for a moment, his eyes meeting hers. "Do you trust me?" he whispered. She nodded, her heart racing. He smiled, his hand moving Lower still, until it was cupping her bare breast. He squeezed gently, rolling her nipple between his fingers. She let out a moan, her hips pressing against his hand. He leaned in, taking her nipple into his mouth, sucking softly as his other hand moved Lower still, slipping between her legs. She cried out as he found her already wet, her body trembling with desire.

His fingers moved in a rhythm that was both familiar and new, as if he knew exactly how to touch her, how to make her lose control. She arched her back off the bed, her nails digging into his shoulders as she came undone beneath his touch. She could feel the heat rising within her, spreading through her body like wildfire. He continued to stroke her, his fingers moving faster and faster, until she felt a second, even more intense orgasm building deep inside her.

As she neared the brink, he pulled his fingers away, leaving her aching for more. "You're so wet, Y/n," he whispered, his voice husky with desire. He rolled onto his knees, positioning himself between her spread legs. She gasped as she felt the head of his erection pressing against her entrance. He looked down at her, his eyes dark and intense, and slowly, carefully, he pushed inside. She cried out as he filled her, the sensation of being so completely joined with him overwhelming her senses.

He began to move, his hips meeting hers in a rhythm that was both gentle and demanding. He leaned down, capturing one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking as he thrust deeper. She arched her back, moaning loudly as their bodies moved together, the sounds of their passion echoing through the room.

As they became lost in the sensation of being joined, the last vestiges of daylight faded away, replaced by the warm glow of the lamps. The air in the room seemed to hum with anticipation as they explored each other's bodies, their movements growing more urgent and intense. Minho's thrusts became deeper, harder, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fought to control the building urgency within him.

Y/n arched her back, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as she met his every stroke. She felt herself getting closer, the pressure building inside her, demanding release. With a cry that seemed to come from the depths of her soul, she came, her body convulsing beneath him as waves of pleasure washed over her. Minho followed close behind, his eyes squeezed shut, his back arching as he emptied himself deep inside her.

They lay tangled together on the bed, their breath coming in ragged gasps, their hearts racing. Minho rolled onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at her. "That was… incredible," he murmured, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. Y/n couldn't help but return the smile, feeling a sense of warmth and contentment spread through her.

"I've never… I've never felt anything like that before," she confessed, her fingers tracing lazy circles on his chest. He leaned in, capturing her lips in a tender kiss before replying, "Neither have I." They lay there for several long moments, lost in the afterglow of their passion, the world around them fading away as they basked in the glow of their connection.

As their breathing began to steady, Minho propped himself up on an elbow, gazing down at her. "Do you want to take a shower?" he asked, running a finger lightly down her cheek. She nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. He smiled reassuringly, then rolled off the bed and onto his feet. He extended a hand to help her up, and she took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

The walk to the bathroom was a surreal experience as if they were in a bubble, the world around them fading away. He turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature until it was just right, then helped her step under the spray. The warm water cascaded down over them, washing away the sweat and the traces of their passion.

[iwaasfairy]

┌─ “ ! „ FLUIDITY

tw. dubcon, monsterfucking, explicit size kink, interspecies sex, reader has sex pollen like effects, communication barrier, manipulation, yandere (other parts will contain a lot more explicit dark kinks so please read every individual part's warnings!) wordcount. 8.7k

part 1 of —

a/n. ♡♡ thank you so much rhi for keeping me going through this, idk if i would have pushed through if not for you so ily ily ily and this fic is just indulgence as a period piece and a monsterfucking fic but i hope you give it a chance and like it bc there's moresomes a-coming and this is just the beginning so! yeA i hope you guys enjoy mwuah mwuah mwuah ♡♡

tachibana makoto x fem!reader ( x other characters coming)

Dragonflies glint the prettiest, richest silver you’ve ever seen under the right light. The rosy evening sun casts the entire river into a blooming glow— complete with a soft blanket of fog that rolls along the base of the trees. “Your maiden servants worry about you, you know,” a voice softly calls, and the rustle of shrubbery makes you turn.

You don’t really want to know how long the man’s been guarding you without a word. If it were anyone but one of your father’s most trusted men, you’d probably have some distrust. Instead you only pull your knees to your chest, and continue tossing rocks into the babbling brook.

“Lady, it’ll get dark soon. Your parents don’t want you playing out here so late.”

The small area isn’t open enough to lure any visitors. You’d be fine. Still, you slowly bob your head, waiting for him to step away from the tree edge into the river bank with you. “I had a weird dream, only it didn’t feel like a dream.” The reeds sway in the wind, and you almost let the perfect surrounding whisk away the thought. But the man’s hand drops from his sword, and he gives the faintest of nods. “There was a monster here when I fell asleep— one with a huge mouth packed full of teeth. I saw eyes in the water, and hair so long it covered its whole body.” The tart remnants of your delicately applied makeup wash away as you swallow. “I think- it was a yokai.”

“There’s no yokai here, lady,” he patiently responds, and you turn to him better. This time taking a proper look. If the damp hair tied in a bun is anything to go off of, he was most likely called out of his bath to come out looking for you. You bite your lip, apology lingering on your tongue. But that’s where it stays, as the man continues. “There’s monsters only where people don’t go. You needn’t worry.”

“Are you comforting me?” A slight giggle passes your lips before you can help it. “I know you think I’m lying. You don’t believe anything you don’t see with your own eyes.”

“... It’s not for a lack of trying.” He smooths a hand over his hakama, before resting it back on the pristine handle of his sword. The dragonflies buzz over the low edge of the water, and your feet ache a little from the cold. You’d love to ask to be carried right about now, but spare the poor man the effort. It’s the least you can do. After another few minutes of silence and watching the sun disappear entirely below the tree line, he finally clears his voice. “Come on, lady. We should really get back. You’re precious to your parents. You’re precious to us all. I can’t leave you here.”

This river runs from the high mountains all the way through the small lake that borders the gates of your home; and all the way down the lowlands— and it’s said that on the day of your birth the river flooded, and provided the most bountiful harvest of the last few decades. Even as a child, there was no ignoring the gleeful whispering of the ladies, nor the calculated introductions of sons of poorer lords at every birthday or feast. Some day not too long from now you will get married and spread providence over the land… and there won’t be time for napping by rivers or running off half-dressed into the forest.

Somehow, despite the honor, a small part of you goes cold at that. The water glistens under the last of the light— and you take a long look into the deep of it. The eyes the color of hot coals flash through your mind once more, and you start pulling the fabrics of your dresses aside to put your zori back on. “I know it was a monster- but-” The wind picks up when you turn over your shoulder and smile your most genuine smile. “I wasn’t scared, I think. Perhaps it was friendly.”

The guard is quiet as he watches you get up from the riverbank, and sticks a comfortable distance after helping you gently up onto your feet. You suppose he doesn’t really have the heart, or perhaps confidence, to tell you what he really thinks of your childish talk. The barely-there path back to your home has you growing much more tired— as if weights are tied to your legs. You wish you could stay. The moss crunches softly under your feet, and the dewy air starts to feel a bit cold to the touch. Despite everything, it’s always peaceful here. You cast a brief glance up to the man as he pushes the shrubbery aside. His face has a vacant sort of look, until he catches you looking, and his mouth curls up. “I’ll tell your maiden servants to prepare a purifying ritual for you.”

“Ugh, no, please. Anything but that.”

+

“The koi fish aren’t around anymore, are they, lady?” There’s a slight hesitation in her voice as your maid walks up.

You nod, lift your sleeves to brush your fingers through the water and wait. You got them as a present for your coming of age festivities— the most beautiful blue grey with red fins— much too expensive for your liking but a courting gift nonetheless. You’d been quite fond of the walks out of your houses’ walls because of them. The feed floats sadly on the surface of the inlet, where the clear river water shows no sign at all of the normally curious animals. “It seems like they’ve gone.” What a shame.

Your other maiden scans the area, before rushing to help you up onto your feet as she lowers her head. “Should we ask the master to procure some more? We know feeding the fish brings you much joy.”

The girl helps to fix your sleeves again, before awaiting your call. “No, that’s quite alright. There’s no use replacing a gift.” You cast a wary glance at the bay once more, not quite sure what you’re looking for; but fail to find anything out of the ordinary. A sight furrow comes to your brow, before you hike up your layers of skirts- much to the shock of your two servants- and turn to them with a softer smile. “I would like to be alone for a bit—”

“Lady!” one of them squeaks, but you only laugh.

“I am certain, Hitsu. Tell my father I will be home before tea and dinner, and if you could prepare my bath…” The dark brunette has a question on her tongue, but does nod with the same trained properness that you’ve come to know. “I simply wish to walk along the river, I won’t swim. It’ll be quick, I promise.” It’s not a lie. You have no intention of ruining your beautiful, expensive clothing by going any further than a shallow few steps. But there’s a nagging memory somewhere in the back of your mind— 

You used to have so many dreams, all of them now too faint to recall. Both young ladies give each other a look, before eventually bowing deeply and heading back towards the palace gates.

See, that nagging sense that you’re forgetting something important, something crucial, overcomes you. It’s almost impossible to ignore, and you kick off your shoes to tread carefully along the edge of the deep pool of fresh spring water. The moss is soft under your feet, keeping a tight grip on your embroidered silks.

When you were only a few years old, you used to have these dreams. Dreams of drowning, of ghouls and demons. They grew scarcer the older you got, and eventually even the weekly purification spells and chants became declared unnecessary. But where the memories once sat, now only a blank hole remains in your mind. And however hard you try to remember, you can never quite get there. You make it to the sloped edge of the river not much later, stepping up the small sputtering waterfall and a few round stones between stray bamboo— nearly still water pooling at your feet.

It’s chilly, but not freezing. Something scratches in the back of your skull, deep down. It trickles down your neck, and with a steady heartbeat, it breathes.

But you can’t catch the thought, and the harder you try, the cloudier it becomes— eventually you click your tongue and start walking along the water edge up stream. You should look for your fish. If they swam out of the inlet somehow, maybe they’d be around. They are, much like you are, bred for captivity and wouldn’t survive too long on their own. The sun casts warm spring rays onto your skin, walking in much needed solitude. When you barely realize you’ve spaced out, you’ve already made it to a bend in the river where peach blossoms float on the otherwise pristine surface of the water— and despite your previous care, you drop your dress.

The blossoms swirl in slow circles. And a raindrop lands on your nose. 

Arms, wrapped tight around your chest. Claws. Wide lashless eyes.

Something floods your brain so suddenly that you stumble back a few steps and gasp, sucking in a breath.

It was here. You can’t exactly make out what, but your gut recognizes the trees, the scraggly stones sticking out of the water. Your lungs full of water, and hands all over.

Bumps rise all over your back as you look around, and water seeps up along your tarikubi robe. It’s so quiet, and the stillness starts to trouble with each droplet that comes down. But you breathe. You’ve been here, perhaps more than once, and the aching, pressing itch deep in your head grows more unbearable. When a metallic flicker catches your eyes, you glance down. The rain now starts up more properly, and though the trees provide some shelter, there’s no hiding away from the cold as you walk in just deep enough to bend and pick up a dainty golden chain from between the smooth rocks.

It’s fine like thread, and cold to the touch, and though you can’t quite explain it; something about this finely crafted piece is familiar too. Even through the rain and the chills crawling all the way up your spine, you study the necklace closer. The intricate detail is almost too pristine.

A soft splash on the other side of the river startles you— The sudden scare makes you lose your balance and fall back onto your lower end. Hard. The ache immediately has you whimpering, but instead of worrying about the pain, you slowly try to catch yourself on the rocks; pained enough in the motion that you swear — you see a person diving underneath the water edge. Something pale and fast. You scream, and whatever you saw dashes away before you can think about doing different. The blossoms drift off as you scramble back up; your bruised palms sting, and your heartbeat still hammers hard in your throat when the silence returns.

But the blurry flash of maroon hair and fiery red eyes you caught is long gone.

And much too soon, the clouds that had seemed so fluffy and beautiful earlier turn a dreary grey. You turn on your heel and book it back down the river side on bare feet— still clamping the chain between your fingers.

+

The wick of your lantern splutters with thick oil as you fail to catch sleep. Even with the spring weather it’s chilly, with you remaining wrapped under a thick blanket. You breathe a long sigh, and listen to the crackling of the candle beside your bed in the absence of any other sound. The earlier lecture of your father, your mother, and even the normally quiet and collected matron of the house still lingers on your mind— it’s not like you can blame anyone. You wouldn’t be the first stupid, brazen young girl who happened to drown, and despite the quiet lives most girls like you live, you most likely won’t be the last.

You shouldn’t have been out there. Your servants had been ghastly pale from fright upon seeing the state in which you returned, and even the thorough scrubbing and hours-long bath didn’t do much to alleviate the ache in your lower back.

Despite all that, you’re stuck. Eyes -monstrous, unnatural eyes- appear in the crevices of your mind each time you close your own. No amount of prayer makes the longing fade, and the longer you lay here, the deeper they seem to dig into your flesh. Goosebumps crawl all over your skin once more. When you throw your blankets off you, you go digging in one of the woven baskets for the thickest bland garments you’ve got— tying them around your hips until you’re dressed enough to peer out into the hall. The frigid air current howls through the house when you gather your lantern, some woven socks, and after a brief bit of deliberation; snatch the golden chain from beside your pillow.

The palace is quiet at night, an almost eerie sort of calm that is broken only by the soft ‘pats’ of your feet on the hardwood— with the lanterns barely providing enough light to see a good arms length at a time. The wind pushes you forward, nuzzling deeper into the collar of your clothing until you make it outside. Even under the starry sky, there’s no doubt that this is a stupid idea. No good can come from nightly outings — though you’ve seen girls come and go in similar ways under the cover of night, you’re quite sure their purpose was less out-for-trouble than you are now. But what else can you do?

How could you ever sleep soundly not knowing what’s out there.

With only the flickering reflection on the water, you bow before your home— you’d be back soon enough. You love your clan— and you have no intention of getting caught in long lectures twice in a night. The guards at the gates have no way of noticing you as you slip into the brush and cover the lamp from sight, as cold breaths form clouds before your eyes.

Your legs move almost instinctively until you come upon the peach tree, and the pretty white flowers rain down with the breeze. You place the candle by your feet; and hesitate before taking your own seat on a round rock right by the water edge. You’ve never seen a yokai. Not that you can remember at the very least, but if you would have-you didn’t expect to here. Not the river that blessed your birth, or the one who gives everyone life by way of harvest. Maybe what you saw was a farmer bathing, or a particularly pale, large cod— wouldn’t that make more sense. Isn’t that exactly why you didn’t tell your father?

Because naïvity and silly wonder seems better than monsters lurking among the shrub.

Sadly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, a soft splashing in the water sets every hair on your body upright— and your mouth goes dry. It’s so dark. So awfully dark that it’s hard to see even past your own feet, if not for the broken reflection of your candle in the water. You know it's there. You feel it, by the rancid sort of churning in your stomach, the rapid beating of your heart. You swallow the tightness in your throat as best you can. “I’ve come to return your necklace. I didn’t mean to steal it, so I’ve come to give it back.” You wish you could let your eyes grow used to the dark, but without candle light, it’d be so much harder to get back home in one piece.

After just the sounds of the river drag on, you slowly take another breath, and try to bite back the wetness that rises every time you try and fail to find the eyes you know are looking at you. “I don’t wish to harm anyone.” The wind seems to howl harder across the river, and you can’t fight the horrible visions of monsters all around you, just there in the darkness; tightening your hands into fists. “So I wish you would not harm me either. You can have it back.” Your hand shakes when you hold out the chain above the water— not nearly far enough for anything to reach it without coming into your sight. But you’re too frightened to go any deeper, and your lungs tighten.

“Please, I-”

The peaceful spluttering of the water is suddenly disrupted by a much louder splashing, and you freeze up with a sharp gasp, shoulders trembling despite yourself. You don’t dare move any more than that— only after a minute or so of silence, you continue. “Hello? Don’t you want your necklace back?”

The reeds shake in the wind, and one of the blossoms brushes along your cheek as it falls into your crouched lap. Your breathing is tense enough to almost hide the little mumble that reaches back. It’s soft, sweet like dripping honey, and makes your whole spine tingle. “We want.”

If you had any less sense, you’d probably run right back home. But the idea of moving is too terrifying, so you’re stuck rooted in place as you take a breath. The voice sounds young enough, but the Japanese is distinctly older than your own dialect, rolling off the tongue with a vague foreign lilt— and it takes your frightened brain a little longer than you want to process that the voice isn’t simply human. When another little splash sounds a bit closer, you pull your outstretched hand back to your chest. “Can you see me?” Your own voice wavers when trying to make out any shape in the river. Alas, it’s just so dark that any further effort hurts your eyes.

“Yes.”

“I’ve come to give back your necklace. I got scared and took it, I’m sorry. I mean no harm-”

“He told.” The voice is unbearably clear. Almost like it’s being spoken directly into your head, even though it’s just a mere whisper among the rippling water. It’s distracting, and feels ice cold between your ears.

“Who’s he?” you try, biting your lip. The river seems to stare back at you, and you can’t do anything but hope you aren’t making some horrible mistake. Are you supposed to talk to the monsters that go bump in the night? “I- I don’t know where you are, I can’t see you.” Despite the soft, gentle nature of the voice, your heart patters wildly, unable to let go of your fear when there’s another closer splash. You must only be a dozen feet away from each other now, and still you can’t even see past the water at your toes. The voice stays quiet for a while.

“You don’t see is … better.”

You don’t respond for even longer. But for whatever reason, you almost want to agree. Not seeing, he almost sounds like a childhood friend of yours. The soft, honeyed words aren’t so frightening when you can’t see what they’re being spoken by; and you gather your last bit of courage to softly open your palm out again towards the night. “I’ll throw it over to you. Can you catch it?”

“No ‘throw’.” The -whatever- struggles with the word as he says it, before going quiet. You’re not sure if he doesn’t want you to throw it, or he simply doesn’t understand— so you just bite your lip and wait for any further comments that eventually do follow. “You put paw- h-hand.” Then, after another breath, “Come.” With a slight tremble in your voice, you breathe out a little laugh. You are really being asked to be braver than any girl with sense would— dragging your lantern closer over the pebbles until it’s right by your feet. Cursing yourself, you blink back nervous tears, trembling as you hike up the edge of your skirts, just the tiniest bit, and place only one foot into the shallowest part of the river for stability.

Your hand drops halfway outstretched, and you watch the flame where she glints back on the chain.

More splashing makes way for a more disturbing sound once it surfaces, of a body dragging over the shallow of the river towards you, scraping along the blunt stones— and you almost dart away when the sound comes close enough to reach. But your fingertips are almost frozen solid when another hand comes ever faintly into view, and wetness drops into your palm. To call it a hand is gracious, you decide. There’s longer digits, clawed, and webbed between each bony finger, and the wet glossy skin is more curved spike than thumb. The paw slides carefully along your hand, swiping up the chain as it goes— and leaves a cold coating all over your palm that you snatch back too quickly.

It’s unbearable to stay so close to something and not see it now, and you quickly hurry back to the safety of your rock as the same shuffling goes back to the water. Your heartbeat’s in your throat, and you can’t find any polite words to offer it until the yokai speaks again.

“Rin present, with- no, f-for you. You give present back, make happy. I am thank you.” You’re welcome, you think, but you barely manage to paint on a little smile before wringing your hands together and picking your lantern back up for safekeeping.

“I’m heading home now. If I’m not back soon my guards will find out.” It doesn’t feel entirely appropriate to thank it for not killing you when it had ample chance to, so you stay quiet. But there’s also a sense of gratitude that washes over you. Soon you’ll be back in bed like all of this was a dream. That seems right. That seems good. Your tongue lingers on your words. “You … What's your name?” The river bank feels much safer now you’re back on solid ground, and you can see the peach blossoms you almost slipped on.

There’s another long pause, where you almost make a run for it back all the way home, before the voice sounds out again from the dark— sugary sweet in its tone.

“Makoto.”

+

You’re pretty sure you should be questioning your own sanity. Everyone else wouldn’t hesitate to, and after the few restless nights you’ve had, you should be staying as far away as you can. But curiosity, mixed with a slight sense of obligation, has you walking the river bank like a little droplet flowing back to the sea. The quiet, scruffy man following behind doesn’t say much… never does, and you can’t say you dislike it. But you feel the glances your way, distracting you. Soon you find yourself clearing your voice. “You’re wondering why I’m walking this same path again?”

The older man only hesitates for a moment. “No, lady.”

“Sure you are. I would wonder if I were you.” There’s a faint smile that makes its way up, glancing out over the babbling brook to your left as grass tickles your ankles. “Not too long now and I’ll be engaged…” The peach blossoms above are almost done blooming— and you’ve never known your father to be an indecisive man. “Walking gives me a little break from all the fussing attendants, and father's advisors. Which is why it’d be even better if I were alone-”

It doesn’t take much pushback at all for the man to stop in place and give you a little look, resting his hand on the handle of his sword. “Lady.”

“Oh, please Azuma-san, we’ve had this same conversation for years.”

“I am not to leave you unprotected-”

You turn on your heel to face him. “I want to swim.” The stubborn frown on his face doesn’t move an inch, as your eyes go a little more puppy-esque. You have to know, so you have to lie. It doesn’t bring you joy either, but you might go insane if you have to live with questions for the next twenty years barred in some fancy prison of your future husband’s making. “-Swim right here. Without my very expensive clothing getting ruined.” Still that stone wall refuses to budge, and you throw your last bit of dignity into the ring. If this was anyone else you’d never hear the end of your unrefined words. “So I am going to get undressed.”

“—Ag-lright, just quiet. Your servants hear you and I’ll be lynched in the square.” He sighs deeply, rubbing his hand over his scruff, then gives a little bow. He wants nothing more than to roll his eyes when you offer back a self-satisfied grin, but instead takes a few steps the way you came with a stern look. “I’ll ask one of your maiden servants to make her way over here.”

“Don’t tell her to hurry!” you chant back, only taking off the heaviest layer of clothing once he’s out of sight. You lay it safe out of reach, before kicking off your shoes and socks and waddling towards the big stones again. Sure enough, the river here is a lot deeper than it looks. There’s a ledge in the pool that’s dark enough for almost any kind of monster to hide. This at least means your midnight escape wasn’t a total delusion. The peaceful sway of water grass settles when you dip your toes in the water, and wonder. There’s only a brief few minutes where you sit to think, before a slight thrashing once again captures your attention.

Only when you look up, the river is still, safe for a few tiny fish jumping out of the water. You get up, and tie your skirts up higher to inspect. A large maroon shape darts away into the darkness before you can take a good look, splashing droplets all over the river bank— and you hold your breath. You aren’t crazy. That definitely was much larger than any fish you’ve ever seen, and such a brilliant color that nothing but yokai could possess it. Brighter than all the finest silks, shimmering like a mirror. You wait for what could be a few seconds or an hour, before… someone- something else starts coming up from the darkness.

The olive-golden glitter rises so slow you have no choice but to take in another breath, but luckily don’t scare it away. His light chestnut hair is chopped short-ish, and a strangely human face— with cloudy black eyes, and green gashes either side of his neck— where he hovers below the water surface. It’s not human though. The eyes are big, round and deer-like, nose flatter, and his skin seems almost pearlescent. You don’t have the ability to think if you’re brave or just frozen solid. But whatever the case, the humanesque monster seems to stare for quite a while before judging it safe enough to approach.

It’s only then that you get to see the full extent of his body, scaled from ribs down, with a snake-like bottom half that’s at least longer than your entire body, and ending in a beautiful fish-like tail that feathers out in glittering threads. “Oh…” you breathe, and your arms wrap around yourself for protection, but you still don’t move further. Can’t, more like.

The half-man is close enough -and real enough- to feel a bit nauseating. Close enough to set every hair on your body on end and have your heartbeat a wild patter. But it’s the voice that really makes you feel frigid, gulping for air when that soothing tone comes out of a monstrous mouth. Whatever you had expected to see… wasn’t this. You can’t make out if the near-resemblance is comforting, or more frightening. You shiver at the black tongue, against porcelain white teeth.

“You come back.”

Your nod is hesitant, and you fidget with your jewelry in an attempt to calm your nerves. “I- wanted to see who I’d been talking to, that night. I haven’t slept well since then.”

He hoists himself a little further out of the water onto both hands, clawed and boney. “That was you, right? Makoto?” The brunet only gives a single nod of response, and doesn’t take his dark eyes off you for a second. And you want to laugh, though it isn’t too funny. The scene is just so absurd that you have nothing else to do, but laugh. “Isn’t this weird, talking to each other? How come yokai speak Japanese?” your voice comes, and you only hear how childish you sound when it seems to hang over the river without answer.

Out of all the questions you can ask, that’s what is most important to you? Makoto is gracious as he scoots a little closer once again, scraping his long, heavily muscled tail up over the pebbles and stones. “I listen very many year. Always listen, listen woman, listen warrior, listen you.” He blinks, and blondish lashes are the only normality you have staring back at him. “All can’t speak like me. I -hmm, pras-”

“Practice?” you try, and he clearly agrees when his tail pats happily on the ground. When you smile, he grins back wide and kind, his teeth are much sharper than yours. There’s something so human about the look, that you feel your muscles unwind a little further. You suppose, if he wasn’t so strange looking, with the wrong shades and fins here and there; he’d be quite handsome. He’d go over well with the maiden servants in the clan, too. “Many years, huh? Then- How old are you?”

“Hmmm- old. Very…” He doesn’t seem it, though. You avert your eyes when the water flicks over your feet, slowly dropping your shoes to the side. When you look back, he’s gotten closer yet, and is reaching out his hand towards the edge of the water, towards you. Despite your hesitation, and slight disgust— scaly and seemingly frost bitten pale lips, and unnatural greenish marks along his neck that flare out and in— there’s something that makes you want to follow.

A call, or instinct, to glide into the water and feel it embrace you. “You want come in?” he prompts, softly, and you do. You aren’t much of a swimmer even in high summer, and yet. You find yourself closing the distance and reaching out for his hand, letting your fingertips glide along as you get up to your knees into the water, and then get pulled along further step by unsure step. “Good, come.”

“Ah- it’s cold!” you squeak, but Makoto’s fingers wrap around your hand to support you even when you get almost up to your chest into the river, water crawling up your clothing and making your chest feel tight. “Sh- it's so cold.”

“Water not cold. You warm.” Only when he comes up in front of you do you truly notice how much bigger he is. His hands dwarf yours, and even though you’re higher up, his tail is curved aside to fit on the ground so he stares down at you— covering the sun from your view. He towers over any man you’ve ever seen, and his human-esque top half is still much broader than most. Like a hard plane of muscle, marked with thousands of golden freckles that shift in color the longer you look.

Shivers climb up your legs, and the water seeps your energy out of you. Wrapping your free arm around yourself, you rub some heat into your skin. Those pale lashes flutter as he gives you a half lidded glance, and the freckles that also go across his cheeks color a little more amber. “Lady is … cute.” Large hands suddenly slide along your sides up, before dragging over your shoulders and slowly taking your clothing with it, removing one of a few layers as he leans in. “Here, better without.”

“Oh. No- I don’t- think-”

“Shhh. Better, I know,” he seems to get closer, even though you are too busy staring back into the darkness of his eyes to really notice; and let him untie the robes enough to toss it towards the water edge. Then he pauses, and gets up higher onto his coiled tail to pull another layer off and throw it. Until you’re left standing in only your flimsier linen undergarb, and you’re suddenly much too aware of how peaked your nipples are against the scratchy fabric. But his hands slide up along your thighs to start peeling that off too, when you grab for him and shake your head.

Makoto insists. “No cold when not -this.” His hands keep going up even with your pressure on them.

Having a night encounter with a man is one thing, but you don’t know how you’d ever explain this if someone saw. You can’t dart away in a flash and escape the consequences. You have to go home after this. “I need my clothes to go back—” you quickly beg, ignoring the soft pads of his fingers along your upper thighs, “and if people see- Makoto, please.” Your whole body aches with the cold, and though the touch feels nice, it doesn’t seem right. Your nakedness isn’t a simple thing, even if his is.

“Clothes heavy. Water don’t like clothes.” He turns you around and you lose your footing on the stable flooring, arms quickly clinging onto his wide shoulders for support— it does make his point. Your clothes are incredibly heavy soaked, and pull down on you as strong arms ever so slowly wrap around your waist; nose only a few inches from yours. You can’t help it, your face gets hot. Cheeks, ears, nose- everything starts getting a distracting warm glow that you do your best to ignore, pulling your lip between your teeth. Even so, he seems to look down at you with intrigue, water reflecting in the black of his eyes. “What?”

“You’re very close…” you confess, and also try to release some of the tightness of your embrace— but amusement only brings him closer. He tilts his head, before leaning in until your foreheads meet, and the cooler skin consumes you. “Makoto-sama-”

“Human kiss, hm?” He’s so close, and his mouth is right there -and though you have no clue why, you really want to. The thought is almost as real as the air you breathe, feeling his hands roam all over your body through the soaked linen. Your voice doesn’t make it out when you nod, but he still lifts you into his chest, and your fingertips dig into his shoulders instinctively. “Show me how to kiss? You little one -hmm- good- fit.” You can’t help it, in place of physical heat there’s a sort of aching fire that spreads through your limbs the longer you stay close— and once you start you can’t stop.

Your mouth meets his first, lips moving with yours as his arms squeeze tighter; but when your tongue brushes his lips and meets his, he makes a noise. A low sort of purring that rattles his chest, and has him leaning in harder, trying to bury you into his body as your tongues brush and you suck and moan. His taste is mild but his tongue is heavy, and much longer than yours when it slips further into your mouth. Much longer, bigger, and the wetness soon has you feeling like you can’t breathe.

You pull back with a gasp, staring at the way his long tongue brushes along those sharp teeth before he leans in more. “Again.” You try to make some separation between your two bodies, but clearly Makoto doesn’t care for it when he clamps his hand down around your hip and kisses you more, melting to you as his tongue brushes against yours. He kisses like you’re the first and last thing he’s tasted, even when you moan a little whimper at the lack of air. His cold skin prickles against yours, grinding his waist against you slowly as your head pounds. Still, it feels good.

You don’t ever want to leave— and it’s this exact feeling that has you pulling back for air. You must be out of your mind. He stares with a blown out sort of hunger when you say his name again, and run your fingers along his shoulders up a little. “I’m going to get in trouble if someone finds me here- and- it’s not like we can—” Your cheeks get even hotter when you try to say the words, not even sure if he’d understand. Does a yokai’s understanding include human nighttimes? When he shows no intention of putting you down, you bury your face into his chest, feeling even smaller than before.

Though his skin is cold to the touch, there’s an intense amount of heat surging between you two, almost impossible to ignore— and the way you’re positioned against him, large arms caging you against his waist that pushes into you— doesn’t help anything. You can feel yourself get more slick each time you move your legs. He seems to chuckle when you groan- and as if sensing your train of thought, he rubs his nose along your ear and down the sensitive of your neck with a lower voice. “I want see. Human body so little. Want see it.”

That’s the tipping point. Every fiber in your being aches to obey, to let yourself get touched, seen, taken by him— and your mouth drops open a sliver as you struggle to find words. Your feet can’t reach the bottom here, and Makoto seems content to keep rubbing against you in a slow sea-saw motion that makes your center feel entirely hot. And eventually you crack. Blinking up at him, you breathe a faint “okay”, and let him turn you around. His hands are quick in their exploration, sliding under the last layer up your thighs, squeezing every few inches as he goes up. When he gets to your center, there’s a little flutter of his eyes, before those digits slide in and brush over your pussy, rubbing just soft enough to leave you wanting. “Warm,” he breathes, and then pulls you a little closer. “You do me too.”

As he pushes your last layer of clothing open fully and starts sliding it off your shoulders, you allow yourself just a little curiosity. He’s handsome, and he’s close, and you just feel so needy. Your breathing is still short against his chest, but your numb fingers glide down his sides with purpose as the muscles flex under your touch. His chest rumbles when you whine at the prodding and circling of his fingers around your dripping pussy, and you glide your hands down to his tail. The touch feels a little coarse, but he’s warmer there, and when you rub your palm over the area he’d been grinding into your waist, your fingers feel a softer, spongey slit. Makoto hisses when you rub a finger up and down, and you feel more heat burn onto your face. “Here?”

The question is answered when your finger slips in and is all hot, and something bumps you. But he picks you up and with one swift dash, lays you down on the river bank to get up between your legs. You need to open wide to allow him to fit, and can only whine out his name when the weight of his body over yours pushes you into the cold stones. He licks the air a few times, before grunting. You wish you could do anything other than just flush and look away when his hands descend onto your tits and start touching and rubbing, and the pressure leaves you all exposed. But it doesn’t take long for his attention to shift back to between your legs, and now with a better angle, he sinks down to nose below your navel. “Hmn-”

The purring is paired with a flaring of the gashes on his neck, and his eyes roll back. When his hands spread your legs up as wide as you can go, he nuzzles into you, and that long black tongue peeks out to lick slowly. You can’t help it, you moan. Loudly. It feels like a million pinpricks are traveling your body, as the very long, heavy tongue drags a long strip up your center, and then the tip of it laps at the wetness coating your hole— that quickly gets pushed open further with each sloppy lick. His tongue pushes inside you as he sucks and the feeling of something so hot and so- squirmy makes you squeeze your eyes closed. It’s too strange, but you can’t pull back.

Your hands even reach for his head to tangle your fingers in his hair and whine, your back curling from the floor. You’re drenched- no longer just water as your pussy clenches around his tongue that he forces in to lick places you’ve never been licked. Makoto wraps an arm around your thigh to pull it over his shoulder when you curl and wiggle against him- you can’t help it, it feels so good. Everything’s so sensitive, like your entire body’s been doused into hot water and you’re drowning— only difference is, you’re actively longing for more.

It’s better than any drink-induced daze, late night tussle with a stable boy. It’s even better than your own touch and mind, because he’s just so big and you’re so full, so hot. Your hips grind against his face when he sucks again, and his nose brushes your most sensitive area— and try not to let the water into your mouth when you yerk again. “Ah, ahg, Makoto-sama. I can’t- I can’t handle this much, please. Oh dear gods, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Ah-ughhh, f- ah, please -keep going.”

Your lower belly is wound so tight, and even the sound of his breathing against you feels good. You could melt into the floor with how much slick is coating your insides, dripping out of you around the suction on your cunt. And Makoto doesn’t have any intention of moving. Your mind aches— you want more. You want to wrap your entire body around him and come apart— as his large hands squeeze your thighs tight and wrap them around his head like he can’t get deep enough.

The sloppy, wet sounds of his face burying between your legs to stuff you full of tongue, licking and sucking at your sensitive pussy. It has your muscles so tight as you roll your hips against him, and you can’t stop shaking. “Oh, I’m g-gonna cum— I can’t! I can’t. It feels so- gud. Ah, ahh. What is happening?” When your fingers clench in his hair, he lets out a long, animalistic groan as he glances back up. Still his tongue isn’t fully inside you. “I can’t- Makoto, I can’t!” Even though he’s reaching further than fingers can, he’s still able to fold the deft black muscle over your clit and slot his lips around it to suck. Hard.

And your body can’t handle any more. While his heartbeat pulses through his tongue against your clit, everything goes white, your muscles clenching so hard it hurts. And your heart beats so hard it feels like it stops altogether. If you make any noise at all, you can’t hear yourself over the pounding in your head, rattling your body so hard that nothing except you and him exist. Your eyes are shut until you’re aware of how he grunts against you and pinpricks get too unbearable. But he doesn’t stop, lifting your body to his face and allowing you to ride out your orgasm against him for what feels like forever.

When you feel like you can hear yourself breathe again, you unwrap your legs from around his head. “I thought my heart was going to explode. If Hitsu knew…”

Your eyes are teary when they flutter open against the light, and the black abysses that stare back are barely narrowed slits. Dipping his gills into water briefly before getting up above you again, Makoto seems different. There’s something predatory that wasn’t there before. You can’t help but go quiet. As his hands drag your body down a few inches, you swallow. “Are you okay? Sorry. I feel like I should thank you— I haven’t come that hard, ever. I don’t know about yokai but I don’t think I could feel that good.” His muscular body covers most of the river from your view, but you find it almost too hard to look at him. You’re still hot; but your skin feels cold.

His fingers slide down along your side when he lets out a little groan. “Yokai don’t do this.” Then he goes to brush his face and mouth along your throat, and you shiver a little at the feeling. “So pretty. Warm. I like warm. Stay with me?” You let him grind himself on top of you and embrace him the best you can, only fitting around the narrow of his waist, but after just a second you yerk up. Makoto pulls his head back when he notices, and you get another brush against your slit that makes a cold shiver run up your spine. Where the slit sat before, a dick has emerged- and your mouth drops open a little. The thing is vaguely dick shaped, but has spurs at the base like an anchor, is more pointed at the tip; and it also pulses with each breath.

“Pretty warm body, good. Smell good too.”

You can’t help but swear when you avert your eyes, and instead wrap your arms back around his neck. “Oh, fuck.” Surely, this is where you’d draw the line. Right? But the touching of that against you doesn’t make your body react the way you think it should. The prodding along your inner thighs just leaves you feeling empty, like you’d like to start all over again. Makoto grunts out a little breath when your tits brush his chest, before staring down at you.

After a few seconds of studying your face, and probably the heat that’s flooding your features, he licks his lips. “Human men have… hm-”

“Yes,” you quickly say. He smacks his lips and grinds against you again. “They uhm- put it inside.” If the answer shocks him, he certainly doesn’t show it— looking like he’s barely holding back from crashing his face back to yours and turning you over to fuck you like the begging whore you feel like. The longer he just keeps his solid body against yours, the harder it is to ignore yourself getting wet again against the pulsing of his cock. The purring, clicking noise coming from him feels nice, and you pull at him. “You’re not done yet, right? I can do more.”

You angle your hips a little, and try not to sound so desperate when looking up at him for a kiss. “Please- put it inside me. I- I want to feel you.” Your hands slide over the rougher scales down between you two to reach for him, and hesitate a little when his cock is heavy and covered in some sort of slime; and it seems to follow your touch. But you’re too far past embarrassment to truly care, and Makoto groans when you wrap your fingers around him to squeeze softly. “I need you.” You really don’t know what’s wrong with you. You feel like your body’s being torn apart. You want to be filled, fucked full of him, and get pumped round of his kids— all things that you shouldn’t be thinking about. You didn’t with any men you’ve been with. You can’t.

Even though you know you’re being ludicrous, when he goes in for a kiss, you cling onto him hard; digging your nails into his back. You don’t even know if he could fit. His cock is proportionate to him- but it’s big and long and girthy enough to put any man to shame. You should care. You should care that you could regret being filled up to your breaking point, but you’re just so, so desperate. You might die if he doesn’t fuck you. You can feel it. “Please, please, please—”

—You slide a few feet across the floor, angry thrashing scaring you up into a flounder as you breathe in deeply. Makoto’s dragged off of you and down before you can even blink, water splashing everywhere; and you struggle back to the riverbank with wide eyes. Now you’re no longer side by side with another person- no, creature- you suddenly feel the entire ache of the cold water. The shortness of breath, the numbness of your lips and hands and feet. You feel the painful sting of your back where you’ve been sliced by a dozen sharp rocks, struggling to keep your head above water. And you feel the soreness between your legs of having been filled by something too big.

When you get over the pure shock, you notice the struggling has stopped, and you notice your creature’s golden shape next to someone else. They glitter and glint even in the low light of the afternoon, and you furrow your brows. The second shape only gets clearer when the light shines through the water and colors the flickers a blinding maroon. Your tongue feels cold.

Your arms wrap over your chest and cover up the best you can when Makoto surfaces again and gives you a kind smile, but you take a slight step back. His long, pale lashes flutter when he reaches out a hand. “Sorry. Rin don’t want to bleed you.” Your back and your painful scrapes are the lesser of your worries though. Whatever spell you were under, you’ve been snapped out of. You feel entirely strange- enough to have hot tears welling up along your waterline. What the hell have you been dragged into? You were going to… do things with some monster you didn’t know existed until today. Your brain screams and pounds, and your stomach is entirely flipped. But the brunet softly continues. “He don’t like I take you. Can you come here?”

“No.” Your hair now sticks to your neck and chest, and every second you’re out of the water, is one where the feeling comes back to your limbs. Your arms are so heavy as you keep them up. “There’s more of you?” You don’t know what you expected, really. Maybe you should have known. Maybe you should have questioned. But how could you have truly known?

“Yes.” he answers after a beat, and swims up a little closer with a frightening ease. “Shhh, okay. He will come. You stay.” You try to tell him not to, but he dips below the water surface before you get the chance to ask him not to, splashing water all over as he does— and you don’t know what else to do but to stare at the small bubbles that pop as peach blossoms wash over your feet. Before too long, the reddish shape surfaces alongside Makoto. He lingers in the deep of the river however; fiery eyes zeroing in on you without blinking at all. He stays submerged from the nose down, and you can’t help but feel too watched. 

Your heartbeat doesn’t calm when the brunet swims up closer, and you take a little breath. “Who’s that?”

“Rin,” Makoto softly, sweetly answers, as if he was expecting the question all along. He smiles wide like a saint, and you have to ignore the voice in the back of your head that tells you to get back in the water. His hand reaches out though, and you almost want to. Almost. Your arms and back break out in goosebumps. Then Makoto looks back at the other yokai, and gives you a smiley once-over. It takes you a little too long to recognize something else that plays over his features though. A strange sort of knowing, like he’s seeing right through you. “You Rin’s mate.”

You don’t know why you don’t get up and run.

“Come back in?”

Only that the voice in the back of your head gets more unbearable. You wrap your hands over your ears, and try to hang on.

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[fairyhaos]

seventeen and which mythical beings they are

requested by @mesanthropi ^^ physically held myself back from going on rants for shua's and hao's and jeonghan's pls (iykyk)

masterlist

seungcheol

vampire. formidable, mysterious vampire seungcheol from a powerful family name who lives in a huge, ominous castle and somehow manages to make sucking blood look sexy… shakes he's so fine oh my god. honestly vampire!cheol with glowing red eyes and an intimidating presence and the most smug fucking smirk in the world is such a vibe, and he also has the whole “i was born centuries and centuries ago” old hag thing down to an art

jeonghan

siren. specifically a mermaid-type siren that lives in the sea and has a pretty iridescent tail. water-dwelling being jeonghan just makes so much sense to me bc he has their fluidity and their peaceful and their mischief and also??? jeonghan with a shimmery mermaid tail and captivating siren voice???? i'd willingly drown myself for him actually, siren song be damned. he has the silvery voice of a siren and the ethereal looks to be one fr

joshua

wood nymph. bambi-eyed wood nymph joshua who communicates with the birds and tends to his forest and has flowers weaved in his hair and stars embedded around his eyes… the nymph!joshua obsession is Real guys and i am definitely a victim of it. curly haired joshua is just sooo wood nymph coded and i can see him as some soft-spoken, pretty being who lives in a birch tree and guides stray travellers when they get lost in his woods

junhui

witch junhui with his black cat familiar and his dented cauldron and his cottage in the middle of the forest!! witch junhui with his mini apothecary and his goofy-sounding spells and his eyebrow permanently half-singed bc his enchantments keep backfiring!! witch junhui with his soft spoken words and bright laugh and total kindness to everyone who happens upon his home!! witch junhui is so so dear to me and he really is just. a witchy little dude

hoshi

shapeshifter. does this idea feed into his furry agenda a bit too much? yeah, it kinda does, but oh my god just imagine tiger shapeshifter hoshi who's part human but can turn into a large, big-fanged and bold-striped tiger at a moment's notice. he really just genuinely gives shapeshifter vibes, and every year he schedules one week where he'll traipse off into the nearest mountains and blow off some steam in his tiger form for seven days

wonwoo

dragon. okay so this is kinda not a humanoid mythical being, but wonwoo is soooo big friendly dragon coded. i can imagine him as a large, red scaly dragon, snoozing atop his massive hoard of gold in a secluded cave in the forest, little wisps of smoke coming out of his nostrils as he snores contentedly. that doesn't mean he can't be scary if he wants to tho, and can burn down any puny humans who try to steal his hoard in the blink of an eye

woozi

demigod. part-god woozi is just such a vibe okay, and he rlly does give off a hercules-type feel, where he can do inhuman things and seems almost untouchable in his awesomeness, even though he's right there in front of you. and he has a hatred of the gods and a mild tolerance for humans but at the end of the day, he appreciates and loves both for all that they do. (also in a percy jackson demigod sense, he is totally an apollo's kid and no i don't make the rules) 

minghao

fae. y'all know how far my fairy minghao agenda runs by now and like ??? can you blame me ???? the idea of sassy smol hao with fairy wings and a squeaky voice is cute and all, but also i just think he fits the idea of the entire tall, mysterious fae folk really well too. with his pointy fae ears and his shrewd gaze and his ability to say half-truths and riddles and give sage advice about how to live your life all at once, he really is very much a fae-like person. 

mingyu

some sort of demon. he's so loud and bright and kind that, despite his huge presence and glowing eyes and the horns protruding out of his mess of fluffy hair, you don't even register that he's some dangerous, hellish creature before something happens and he just snaps, the air around him visibly darkening as he tears after the thing that caused him to lose control. he's so sweet and kind but so undeniably dangerous all at once. 

dokyeom

elf. i'm thinking lord of the rings elves, except i haven't actually watched lord of the rings but i have this idea of them being tall and rich and elegant beings, and it makes me think of dokyeom. he's just so pretty, and the elves rely on the natural elements to survive, right? dokyeom is just so sunbeams peeking through forest leaves, so little rabbits bounding through the undergrowth, so hand-whittled arrows and folk songs around a campfire and tall, tall, beautiful elves. 

seungkwan

will o’ the wisp or a sprite. he's endearing and mysterious, and once you gain his favour he's staying glued to ur shoulder for the entirety of your dangerous quest through the magical woods. he's very chatty and also very elusive, constantly flitting around in the air and disappearing in a wink of light before appearing on your nose once again. you can't tell if he's a help or a hindrance, but he's cute and bright and makes the journey a lot better

vernon

a smurf. smurfs count as mythical beings okay, and while ive never actually watched any smurf movie thing ever, i think vernon would make an absolutely brilliant smurf. they give off silly goofy weird adorable vibes, and that's basically vernon in a nutshell. also smol vernon with blue skin and lives in a mushroom looking house??? that's kinda cute and actually something that vernon might wanna do irl not gonna lie

chan

nine-tailed fox. he's so mysterious and sexy and kind of dangerous but like. his unbelievable handsomeness kinda outweighs the danger. honestly i don't really have an explanation for this other than that the Vibes r there for some reason and he'd look so cool with those glittery wisps of magic threading through the air around him as his eyes glow a mysterious colour before he launches into a kdrama-esque fight sequence against the latest monster

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[nexysworld]

Trying Again

Read on AO3 🖤 Make a Request 🖤 Masterlist

A Ko-fi commission for the beautiful @elfven-blog. It was my first time writing Kratos!

Summary: Set post Ragnarok - After seeing you treat an ailing Atreus, Kratos realizes that he wants to try being a father again.

Pairing: Kratos x FemWife!Reader

Tags: NSFW, Smut, P in V sex, overstimulation, baby making, mentions of blood, no use of Y/N, MDNI.

The second the sun hit mid-sky you knew something was off, your husband was nothing if not routine and even on the odd occasion something did happen to cause Kratos to be late, it was never for long. 

Nervousness bubbled in the pit of your stomach as you pondered where they could be and what had happened. Since the ending of Ragnarok peaceful times had washed over the land, outside of the small rebellions initiated by Odin’s lingering supporters – those didn’t have you much concerned though, small fries compared to those that fell to Kratos in memories past. Even still, something in your gut was gnawing at you, screaming something was wrong. Trying to avoid the thought, you busied yourself with tasks around the cabin. Cleaning, prepping meat, cooking, sharpening weapons, anything you could to keep your mind off of things. ‘Kratos is strong. You’re over thinking things.’ You repeated inwardly. 

Soon night had fallen, and still no sign of Kratos, not able to take it anymore, you began to dress, hooking a sword into your belt. “Aye Lass, what’re you doing? Ye can’t be thinkin’ about going after him, you’re no fighter.” Mimir piped up from his spot on the table side. “I know but what if something is wrong? Kratos is no healer, he’s never out like this Mimir. I can’t just stay here and do nothing.” “You know Kratos wouldn’t approve of this, he would want you to wait.” “But he wouldn’t wait. He wouldn’t hesitate if he thought something was wrong.”

“I know yer worrying, but I think it would be best if –”

The argument was cut short by a loud pounding on the door to the cabin, it was so hard the walls around you began shaking, dust pouring down from the ceiling. For a brief moment you thought the whole cabin might come down – you froze in place not sure if you should investigate or not. Not a moment of silence later before the pouding began again, this time you opted to step forward cracking the door open. A huge man you didn’t recognize stood before you, blood caked to his head and face. “Are you the wife of Kratos?” 

You nodded nervously. You could sense there was no malice in his voice, only concern, but it wasn’t enough to abate your growing fears. “Did something happen to him?” The man did not answer your question, reaching forward in a swift movement to wrap an arm around your back pulling you outside with him. “We must go,” was all he said before the runic tattoos along his arms began to glow with an iridescent blue. The world around you faded to black and it felt like falling through a waterfall made of wind. It only lasted for a few moments before your feet found purchase, light re-entering your eyes causing blurry vision. “What the hell?” You asked, rubbing at them until the ache disappeared and your vision was cleared again. Taking in your surroundings you didn’t recognize the location at all, it didn’t feel like Midgard or any of the other realms you’d had the experiences of visiting. The smell was too fresh and the symbols carved along the stony mountain pathways were not Nordic. “Come, wife of Kratos.” The man said, grabbing you by the arm and walking, not waiting for you to respond. “Where are we?” You asked, attempting to tug your arm back, but not succeeding. “It matters not.” Was the only flat response you received. “Where is my husband?” You demanded this time. “I am taking you to him.” “Is he ok?” “You will see for yourself.” Frustration at the man’s short responses had your inner temper threatening to boil over, but you kept yourself inline not knowing what was going on. It would have been almost ironic that he spoke like Kratos if it weren’t for how annoying it was coming from someone other than your husband. The walk felt like it lasted eternity as the two of you made your way down the stony pathway, desperately hoping to find your husband in one piece. 

 Your prayers were answered when you saw him there hunched over someone, a closer look and you realized it was Atreus. “By the gods!” You shouted running the rest of the distance over to them and kneeling down over your step son. “What happened to him? Are you ok?” The boy – now nearly a man – was unconscious, breathing rapidly. “I am fine, but Atreus has been injured. I do not know by what means. He returned to me from his search for the giants, asking for assistance. We made it out here and then he collapsed.”

You gave him a confused look. “That doesn’t sound right. You’ve been gone all day and well into the evening, surely you must’ve been doing something else in all that time.” “Time passes at different speeds in different realms.” Kratos reminded you. “Oh….right.” You replied, as you worked Atreus’ armor off of his body to better assess the situation. It was clear whatever was ailing him was definitely magical in nature but there was no immediate injury or runes that you could see. Bringing your hand to your chin in thought, you wracked your brain further. “Can you help him?” Kratos’ voice interrupted your thoughts. 

“I think so, I just have to figure out the magic behind it.” Closing your eyes you took a deep breath in before pressing your fingers to the runes on your own arm, causing them to light up. “Opinbera!” You commanded, magic fluttering out from your fingertips encasing the boy, it sparked for a few moments before it dissipated entirely. “Shit!” “What is it?” Kratos asked, you knew him well enough to understand the hint of worry in his voice. “The caster of whatever magic this is was smart enough to counter against revealing magic.”

“Maybe Freya can help.” “Perhaps, but I don’t think we’d get there in time at this rate, going through any kind of portal magic may make things worse …. let me think a moment longer. I’m sure I can figure it out.” Tapping your fingers against the ground you tried again, flipping through the magic knowledge in your head. Healing was your specialty, you knew you could do it. 

A few more moments passed and it finally hit you, you have seen Johtun magic like this before. Immediately, you activated the runes on your arm again. “Elskhuga eitur!” The magic encased Atreus and pulsed different colors, blue, purple, red, until finally black before dissipating into a puff of smoke. 

The teen immediately sat up and coughed into his hand, lavender flower petals coming up with the spittle. “I was right.” You said with a soft smile rubbing his back. “Tell me, what woman did you spurn so badly that she did this to you?” “I….oh well…” Atreus bowed his head sheepishly as he caught his breath, a pink flush coming to his cheeks. “What is going on?” Kratos asked, annoyed. 

“The magic used on him is called ‘Lover’s Poison’, while anyone can use it, it was Jotuhn magically typically used when a man was….let's say unfaithful.” You let out a soft giggle at the thought. Kratos didn’t find it nearly as amusing. “Atreus, what is the meaning of this? You said you needed assistance with locating a giant.” “B-because I did.” He let out a groan flopping back onto the ground rubbing his temples. “Just…give me a second to explain.” “It has already been a second.” “Kratos, my love, give him a moment to rest, alright?” You encourage your husband, moving to sit next to him, rubbing loving circles into his back. While he didn’t reply, you could feel the muscles under your fingers relax a little, a good start. Atreus sat back up, and adjusted to sit cross cross in front of you and his father. He rubbed the back of his head and let out an awkward laugh, his cheeks still covered in an embarrassed flush. “So…..Angroboda was kind of upset with me, but I didn’t know she did that. I really did need help finding the giant since she left, I just didn’t expect to pass out.” You pondered his words before replying. “That’s a pretty big reaction to just being upset, Atreus. What exactly did you do?” “We got into a fight and I uh…I thought we were broken up. On my last trip back to Midgard, I saw Thrud and we may have….look this is kind of awkward to talk about.” “I did not know you were…romantically involved with either of them.” Kratos said flatly. You on the other hand laughed again. “Did she ever say you two were broken up?” “Well no….not exactly….” “Oh my dear boy. Well, I guess that would do it. Hel hath no fury like a woman scorned.” You sighed and put your hand on his shoulder. “Listen, lets get back home so you can rest and eat a good meal. We can talk more about your love life more then, alright?” You leaned in to whisper. “Without your father, I promise.” Kratos obviously heard the comment and let out a groan, you opted to ignore it to carry on. “Now that that's settled….who is the big guy who brought me here? He was also covered in blood.” “Oh that's Brot.” Atreus stated. “He’s a giant I found during my journey. He’s not hurt, just….poor hygiene after hunting.” “I see…” You replied not questioning it further. A chortle left the large man who’d been leaning against a rock the whole time. “Well Brot, you’re more than welcome to join us as well if you’d like.” “No thanks, family dinners are not my style.” He replied with a shrug. Atreus stood up, dusting himself off a bit. “Here, I can take us back home. Brot taught me that portal spell.” “Atreus, you shouldn’t push yourself.” You warned, but he had already activated it, putting a hand on each of your shoulders. The free falling feeling was back before you were in the snow outside of the cabin. 

Two transportations in one day had you wobbling a bit, Kratos helped you from the ground with ease so you could stand right, using him for support. “Are you alright?” “Yes, I’ll be alright.” To prove your point you let go of his arm and made your way inside by yourself, Kratos and your step son following behind. “By the Gods, you’re all finally back!” Mimir said, smiling. “I was gettin’ worried once the man up and took our Lassy too. And well if it isn’t Atreus, or I suppose Loki now, too!” “Hey Mimir, glad to be back.” Atreus said, propping a chair in front of the head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner passed uneventfully, everyone catching up. Atreus chose to spend the night out with the wolves in lieu of the cabin along with Mimir, leaving you and Kratos alone. You couldn’t explain it but you could almost hear Kratos thinking despite his silence. You rolled over to face him, bringing a hand up to his cheek, feeling the rough skin and wiry hair. “My love, I know you’re not sleeping. Tell me what’s on your mind.” His eyes opened, and he returned the gesture bringing his own large calloused hand to your face. “You.” He answered plainly. “Me? But I am right here, why would you need to think about me instead of resting?” The two of you stayed like that for a while, neither moving. Kratos did not immediately answer your question. It wasn’t until the fire had finally died out, and moonlight was the only thing illuminating your face did he finally explain further. “You are very good with Atreus. Today before he fell ill, he said to me he thinks of you as a mother.”

“Oh, well I’m very glad to hear it. I love him as if he were my own.”

There was no verbal reply but you could vaguely see Kratos nod in the dull light. “I fear that I have not properly taken you into consideration.” “What does that mean?” “This cabin has many reminders of Faye, carved into the very wood, the trees around us. Does that…bother you? Freya had mentioned that for many women it may spark ill feelings.” “No. Of course not. Faye is no longer with us, but she was important to you, and without her I wouldn’t have Atreus or this version of my husband – I thank her for that.” There was a soft grunt in response. “Is that all that was on your mind?” You questioned. “No.” He answered honestly. “Then, what else is on your mind?” “I have been pondering it for a while. The thought of becoming a father again.” “Oh.” The words stunned you, Kratos had always maintained that he did not want more children now that Atreus was nearly fully grown. “What made you reconsider?” “You.” Kratos adjusted himself so he could roll towards you more, leaning in just enough to see the light hit his face, the sincerity in his eyes. “Every time I see you with Atreus it reminds me of what a family could be like. It reminds me of my time back in Greece, but the good moments with Calliope and her mother. I wish for that again, now that there may finally be peace.” “Kratos, to be clear, are you saying you want to have a child with me?” “Yes.”

You responded by leaning forward to press your lips to his. “Ok.” You said softly against them. “Put a baby in me then.” You had meant the words to be sweet and agreeable but, feeling his cock pressed against your thigh as it jumped showed you it had a far more powerful effect on him. 

He returned your kiss fervently, wiry hair rough against your skin, as his large hands roamed down your body before sliding their way up your shirt to palm at your breasts. Moaning into his mouth you squirmed a little scooting closer into his touch. For being such a gruff and battle-worn god,  he was quite tender and attentive in bed – though silent. He moved his kisses down your jaw and to your neck before tearing the night shirt off of you like it was merely paper. The reminder of his strength caused more heat to pool into your core, thighs pressed together in an attempt to ease some of the building tension. He pulled away, beginning to remove the remnants of his own leather armor and under garments. Your hand flicked, lighting some candles around the room with your magic. He raised an eyebrow at you. “I want to watch.” You said softly, raking your eyes along his muscled and scarred body. He replied by continuing his movements, removing the rest of his own garments, sending them to the floor with a dull clattering noise. When his hands came back to you, he spread your thighs apart with ease, tearing your small clothes off as well, leaving you bare before him. He placed a hand on your stomach where your womb was, giving it a soft rub. “I did not receive the chance to fully participate in the experience with my last two wives. I shall not allow the experience this time to go to waste.” He moved his hand down from your stomach, slipping a finger between your soft and wet fold before running it up and down your slit, taking an extra moment to circle your clit every time he reached it. A moan left your mouth and your back arched slightly as one of his fingers found their way into your wet hole, his thumb continuing to work your pearl of sensitive nerves. “K-Kratos…” His name left your mouth like a chant as heat and slick built further and further between your legs. 

Another finger was added as he worked them apart to ease your hole open to be ready for his much larger cock. Your eyes were half lidded with pleasure already, you dared your eyes to travel downward to see his now fully hardened erection against the abs on his stomach. The memory of being stretched out on it, coupled with his never relenting fingers finally pushed you over the edge. Your legs trembled as his name flew from your mouth like a prayer, wetness soaking the bed beneath you. 

“Do you think you are ready?” He asked, giving his cock a few pumps with his hand, smearing the growing precum along himself while he gives you a moment to recover and answer. “Mhm.” You said with a small nod, pulling your legs apart a little further as an invitation for him. 

He leaned forward, using his hand to guide the fat swollen tip to your entrance. “W-wait.” You stopped him for a moment. “Sorry, I almost forgot.” You brought your hand to the rune on your stomach, tapping it before it glowed and disappeared. “Can’t put a baby in me with a dispel charm on my womb.”

He grunted in response, and once you laid back he eased himself into you at an agonizingly slow pace. No matter how many times you’ve laid with him before, each time felt like the first with the stinging stretch of the God’s cock opening you up inch by inch, until he could not go any farther. Balls deep, he waited again a nearly silent grunt leaving him as your walls fluttered around him. Your tightness sometimes had him fighting off the Ghost of Sparta in the back of his mind, remembering all the whore-plundering he had done when he was younger. You certainly didn’t help the urges he had to fuck into you like a wild beast – but luckily for you this Kratos loved his wife and wanted to make sure she felt good as well. When you brought your hands up to his shoulder, the quiet signal that it was okay to move, he did so slowly at first with shallow thrusts before building up speed. “F-fuck…” You mumbled out, feeling each time the weeping head would kiss your cervix. Something about knowing this was raw, knowing he was actively trying to fuck a baby into you had you more heated than expected. The tension was already building back up again at a fast rate, whining and moaning with each piston of his hips. The way his pelvis and thick hair would rub against your clit with each thrust, coupled with the way he rubbed all the right spots inside of you had you going wild, clawing at his back, whimpering his name. You were met with loud grunts above you, and you swore if you listened close enough what could almost amount to a stifled moan. So close to finishing again, you were desperate for pleasure, bucking back up into his thrusts, before he suddenly stopped all movement. “Roll over.” It was a command, not a question. He didn’t even give you the opportunity before he was grabbing you and flipping you onto your stomach before lifting your waist up, giving him better access to your hole. He thrust in to the hilt in one go, mounting you much deeper than before, and earning a pleasured scream from you before it died out into whimpers. Your head was fuzzy and hazy with this new angle, nothing but pleasure coursing through your body. He wrapped one arm around you so he could rub at your clit again while he did even thrusts into your hole. The next orgasm crashed down on you causing your legs to shake. He stopped thrust but left his cock buried inside of you as he continued rubbing your now overly sensitive bud, riling up a third overstimulated orgasm. “I can’t…I can’t…” You whined squirming in his grasp. “You can. You will.” He said continuing until he felt your walls clamp around him again. Incoherent words sputtered out of your mouth until you were simply drooling on the furs beneath you, brain wiped and body exhausted. “Good girl.” He said, patting your lower back softly, before renewing his grip on your hips. Now that he had you how he wanted you, he returned to his own pleasure, bucking into you at a much rougher pace, making sure each thrust ended deep inside of you. He flattened his hand on your stomach to intensify the feeling of his bulge as he continued in this new position. It wasn’t long before he was spilling his seed inside of you, of course making sure it was right at the entrance of your womb. 

He adjusted you both so his cock remained inside of you as you lay together, not wanting to allow a single drop of his essence to spill from you. His cock was not softened yet and he would have been more than ready for round two, but he knew you well enough – the warm feeling of being fucked out, filled, and exhausted had you more than ready for sleep.

As the two of you lay there, he rubbed your back, shoulders, and arms with his free hand until he was sure you were nearly unconscious. Once asleep, or at least on the cusp of it, he pulled you close against himself, running his hand down to your stomach again, rubbing soft circles there to self sooth. He pictured what you would look like in a few months swollen with his child. He wondered if it would be another girl and if she would remind him of Calliope, or perhaps another boy like Atreus. He thought of what he would do differently this time around, what he would do the same. All his thoughts began to meld together until the God himself was finally asleep too, holding you close to him.  He would never express it out loud, but Kratos was actually feeling excited.

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[bluejeanstrash]

this to me is peak boyfriend seungcheol. it’s escaping to the mountains for the weekend to spend some quiet quality time together. 

it’s sitting by the water where seungcheol has been trying to fish for an hour, occasionally getting excited that he’s caught something only for it to swim away. you’re sitting on one of those foldable camping chairs writing in your journal. you take a moment to look up at him and god, he’s beautiful. 

his hair is all fluffy and tousled by the wind, clothes fluttering with every gust, and there’s the soft morning sun which seems to be glowing just on him. he feels you looking at him as he turns around and smiles. it's that smile that makes you feel all warm and mushy - the one where his eyes crinkle slightly and he looks especially kind.

you wave at him and he waves back, and just as he’s about to turn back around he notices something ‘are you cold?’ he asks seeing how you’re sitting. you tell him you’re fine but he knows you’re not. you've been freezing for the past 20 minutes, too lazy to get up and do something about it.

immediately, seungcheol drops his fishing rod and does a half-jog towards the car to get you a blanket. ‘i’m fine! seriously!’ you try to stop him but he waves off your protests and hurries to the car, returning with a thick cozy blanket and some hot packs. he warms them up, giving you some before wrapping the blanket tight around you, making sure you’re all bundled up and toasty. after ensuring no cold wind can get through, he pulls your beanie down to cover your ears properly.

and then he takes a step back to admire how cuddly you look.

‘wait, i have to take a picture of this’ he pulls out his phone as you pose for him - smiling wide, your fingers in a peace sign. ‘so cuteeee’ he squeals, smiling at his screen fondly. ‘wow, my girlfriend is seriously cute’ you see him change his wallpaper.

you ask if he’s having better luck with fishing and he pouts, complaining to you about all the hurdles he’s facing - how the fish are being mean to him, how they're just eating the bait and swimming away, and how he caught one so easily last time. ‘seriously, it was this huge’ he shows you with his hands.

you pat the chair beside you ‘why don’t you take a break and try again later?’

‘should i?’ he takes a seat, holding his knees and groaning like an old man as he sits. it was a habit of his that you had really grown to love. ‘what are you writing?’ he points at your journal.

‘um, nothing in particular. just about life in general - this trip, stuff like that’ he nods attentively and a second later asks ‘am i in it?’ it’s endearing how hopeful he sounds.

‘mmmm, that’s a secret’ you whisper playfully, making him laugh.

‘come on, tell meee’ he pokes you over the blanket.

‘i can’t just tell you. you have to unlock the secret’ you tease. 

some whiny noises later he asks ‘okay, how do i unlock it?’ 

‘with a kiss’ you pucker your lips at him as a faint pink flush spreads across his cheeks.

‘ay! you just want to kiss me!’ 

despite his complaints, he leans forward giving you a sweet kiss and as you pull away he pouts ‘one more’ before going in for another peck. 

‘so?’

‘yeah, you’re in it’ you confess.

‘really?’ he smiles, his feet tapping the ground happily. you chuckle at his cuteness before looking back to the view in front of you.

‘it's really so beautiful here' you say as he hums in agreement.

‘but-’ he turns to you dramatically ‘-not as beautiful as you’ you both look at each for a second, cringing, before you burst out laughing. the sounds of laughter melt into a comfortable silence as he grabs your hand, intertwining his fingers in yours. you lean into him, resting your head on his shoulder.

it’s just the whistle of the wind, the rustle of leaves, sounds of slow-moving water, and birds chirping. and you feel so safe and happy that it’s almost overwhelming. seungcheol lets out a soft sigh as his shoulders drop, his body relaxing under you. 

‘i’m so happy right now’ he says quietly - not to you or to anyone in particular, but just into existence. 

you hold his hand tighter as he squeezes yours, bending to kiss the top of your head. as you both sit there in silence, you shut your eyes, trying to live in this moment forever.

[anami-io]

There's no need to exchange pleasantries.

ღ Scaramouche/Wanderer x F! reader.

Note: A scenario in which you and scara/wanderer/Kunikuzushi head up the mountain to thaw the ice. (I know aether or lumine does it but let's just pretend it was you guys for the time being!) You also happen to run into some old friends along the way. Some jealousy rouses in scara, which causes him to realize his feelings toward you. See what else happens as you read loves! :3 

PS: I listened to the album for dragonspine - Vortex of legends while writing this!

Warnings: Mentions of you getting sick. Slight swearing. 

Word count : 3,966

ღ

You have to admit. heading up the freezing mountain in Dragonspine wasn’t entirely what you’d expected it to be, for starters. You didn’t expect yourself to love the scenery as much as you did before you arrived. The hike was indeed a bit challenging. A few treasure hoarders stopped you in your tracks as you both made your way toward the next huge pieces of ice that you guys needed to thaw. Not to mention some fatui agents had also tried to stop you as well. There was a bit of an awkward silence that sat between you two as you continued your way up Dragonspine. You however were just a bit annoyed, as you recall your earlier attempt of trying to spark up a conversation. 

From Kuni’s perspective, he sighed as the strap on his hat flew against his face, making him raise his arm to move it away. The wind began to howl in your faces, he sighed once more and glanced over in your direction. You squinted and continued forward, your scarf covering your mouth.  Walking up to one of the torches that were lit up near the path. You placed your gloved hands out and sighed for a moment. A certain feeling began to build up inside Kuni as he glanced toward your face. The small glow of the fire illuminated your face in the cloudy atmosphere. He glared a tiny bit. You were talking non-stop before and after you left Sumeru city. Even your journeys after. What happened now? 

“Why are you so quiet?” He asks with a hint of annoyance.

You glanced up at him surprisingly as he said this. Only for a moment, as you stood up straight, your scarf stooping below your chin. You thought for a moment before a smug look was then plastered onto your face. 

“I thought there was no need to exchange pleasantries.” You gave him a small smirk. His eyes widened before he scoffed and turned on his heel. You didn’t see the embarrassment on his face.. 

“Moron,” he mumbles

“I forgot that humans get cold,” Kuni spoke as he then continued his way, taking the lead this time. 

“Wait for me!” you said as you ran after him. He took a turn into some type of cavern. You saw the elemental monuments and took a step forward before you stopped and saw two Ruin Guards who were currently sitting on the ground.  

“Shit.” You whispered.

“I don’t think that they’re powered. Think about it, they would have already gotten up.” Kuni speaks, his back against yours. 

“Yeah but I bet they’ll power up when we finish this puzzle.”

“You said you needed to finish this commission though. We can take them unless you're too weak, I can do it myself.” He smirked 

“Ugh I'm not weak you ass, you’re right about me needing to finish this commission though.” You groaned 

 It took a good few minutes but you got the puzzle done. Your theory had been correct about both Ruin Guards turning on after the puzzle had been finished. Both Ruin Guards indeed stood up, and a strong gust of wind and snow began blowing around you both. Kuni and you both made swift work of taking care of both of them. You let out an exhale when suddenly a huge Ruin Grader crossed your path in front of you. Your breath hitched as you summoned your weapon. 

“You’re fucking joking,” you stated making Kuni hold out a hand in front of you. Standing in front of you as he then rose into the air quickly taking care of the annoying machine. 

“Thanks,” you sighed as you exhaled softly before pausing and sneezing softly. 

“Let's head up.” you finished. Kuni glanced up at the sky for a moment seeing that the once bright sky was now dark and cloudy.

“I think we should find somewhere to stay for the night and get some rest,” he states 

“Why are you tired?” you ask in confusion, it’s hard to believe that he could ever be tired. You thought to yourself.

“It’s not for me,” he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 “Then?” 

“Are you seriously this dense?” he asks 

“Rude I understand now, I’m fine, let's keep moving.” You started as you made your way back down the path. After fighting a few hilichurls, samachurls, and mitachurls. You finally made your way to a tiny cliff with a clearing. You began to feel a bit weird, tired actually. Panting as you made your way forward. 

“[Name], I’m not kidding anymore let’s head to mondstat and find an inn or-”

“Kuni, I said I’m fine-” you stopped as you felt dizzy, your vision blurring. You heard a ringing noise in your ears whilst also hearing shouting and growling. Your gaze made its way toward a white and blue blur to your left. A Frostarm lawachurl growled and pounded its hands on its chest, getting ready to attack. Your vision began to fade into the abyss as you felt yourself being yanked backward and a blur of blonde and white before the world fell into complete darkness. 

  ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

Waking up to see a blur of red made you groan softly. You began to slowly sit up before you were pushed back down softly. 

“What the hell are you doing, lay back down.” you heard Kuni’s familiar voice. You slowly regained your vision after blinking a few times.

“What happened?” you asked groggily.

“You fainted because you were beginning to catch a cold, now it’s worse,” he stated before moving the covers above your shoulders. His hand grazed past your cheek making your heart jump for a moment. He then looked straight toward you for a moment.

“Shit, you’re burning up again damn it!” He states he sighs before turning and walking toward another part of the room. It was then that you took a look at your surroundings that you realized you were at an inn in mondstat. 

“Drink, now.” he held a cup toward you. 

“Okay mom.” you joked, making him glare at you for a moment.

You tipped the cup to your lips before tasting the bitterness of what you assumed was medicine. Sucking it up, you finished it before letting Kuni take the cup from you. You sighed and laid back down before resting your eyes once more. 

“Don’t ever do that shit again.” you heard Kuni’s soft low voice reach your ears making you snap your eyes back open. 

“What?” you asked, he snapped his gaze back toward you with wide eyes. 

There was an awkward silence for a few moments as you two stared at each other before he scoffed and got up. He then said something that you couldn’t make out.

“Nothing. I have to go and get something. I’ll be back, go to sleep.” He states without looking back before walking out the door and closing it behind him. 

“Well okay.” you frown as you think back to the look on his face.

Was that..Fear? Sadness? 

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

You heard a knock at the door and slowly woke up from your sleep and slowly sat up. 

“Come in,” you stated, throat a little dry. 

That’s when a familiar girl dressed in red walked in. 

“[Name]!” Amber stated as she made her way over to your side of the bed. She reached her arms out and gave you a gentle squeeze.

“You’re okay.” She smiles as she pulls away.

“Amber, it's so good to see you! I missed you!” You smiled before you both began to catch up a tiny bit on things.

“Who is that boy that's been here with you?” she asked as she gave a tiny smug look.

“He’s my travel partner and friend. I call him Kuni.” You held your hands up. 

“Mhm, I see. You know when he and albedo brought you in, he looked so scared. Yelling for us to make sure that nothing happens to you or else. He was pretty scary himself.” Amber gives you a cute eye-closed smile while laughing nervously and scratching the back of her head. 

“Really?” You asked as you then pictured the scene in your head. Your face began to heat up. 

“Yeah well, anyway I brought you this!” Amber smiled as she held out a tiny red pin that resembled the cute bunny ears on her head. 

“I’ve been meaning to send you a letter or find you because I’ve missed you, but you’re always traveling so it was kinda hard ha.” She said sweetly. You glanced down at the small cute gift. Tearing up a tiny bit at how sweet Amber could be. 

“Thank you Amber I love it!” You smile and wrap your arms around her. After pulling away you smile and turn to glance around the room.

“Was Kuni in here or?” You asked 

“Last thing he said was that he needed to get you more medicine, that he was heading to liyue. For now he wanted you to rest so just try to take it easy. Oh! I brought you a book from the library, Here!” 

She reached into her pouch that hung from her belt and pulled out a small book, handing it over to you. 

“I know that you liked these type of books so I picked one up for you since you were practically asleep for a day already-”

“A DAY?!” You thought it was just a nap.

“Hey hey relax! You were really tired and sick! Kuni? Was it? He’s the one who’d been taking care of you all day yesterday and ever since you were brought here into the inn.”

You turned your gaze to glance worriedly out the window, guilt eating your insides. You couldn’t exactly understand why you felt this way. You did know that you deeply care for Kunikuzushi AKA Scaramouche. Ever since you had run into Aether and decided to travel along the famous traveler for a few journeys. You were there the day that those mysterious meteors had appeared, meeting him changed you. From the very moment that you met him, you saw right through him.You recall the night that you had spent camping out near the meteor occurrence. 

You glanced at the dark night sky to see another meteor flying into the ground from afar. Running off toward the sight, your body ached a bit due to being tired. Coming to a halt, the air around you made you feel light headed. It was then that you realized you weren’t alone, over toward the left far side of the crash to see that mysterious boy from earlier. His eyes were closed as if he seemed to be remembering something. It looked like it pained him, the frown on his face was clearly evident that this boy had been through a lot in his past. His eyes snapped open, his gaze flicking toward you. 

“You again.” He grumbled, he then wiped that frown off his face. 

“Where are your f-”

“You’ve been hurt before.” Lips moved without thinking.

His eyes widened, he looked purely surprised to hear you say this.

How could this strange mortal know anything? I can tell that she is being sincere.

Her eyes.

Her expression.

“I’m sorry..” she muttered.

“Nevermind that, It was nice running into you again but I have to go.”  He turned and took off. 

“[Name]?” you heard Aether call out making you turn.

“You can’t just leave like that, you scared me..” Aether trails off, his eyes held fear and worry. Looking as if he was on the verge of tearing up. Your eyes flashed with guilt.

“I know I’m sorry.” You reached out and gripped his shoulders in reassurance. Giving a soft smile before turning to glance in the direction of where that boy had gone, only to see that he had already disappeared. Or so, you thought.

From the top of the cliff above you, his eyes lingered on you as the blonde haired traveler guided you back to your campsite. 

“You’ve been hurt before.”

He watched as you tried looking for him but never spoke of him. Scoffing as he turned and made his way back.

Back to the present

It was already evening in Mondstat, the sun beginning to set and he still wasn’t back yet. 

Where was he?

 You do understand that Liyue isn’t exactly close but still. Archons, you already finished your book Amber had given you. You sat up and pulled the blankets off of you, Getting dressed into your usual gear and outfit. You opened the door to your room and stepped out, making your way toward the exit. Stepping out into the city of freedom, the wind blew softly against your face, and through your hair. Gazing toward the sky and your mind immediately thought of Venti. 

Strolling through the courtyard and making your way toward the Knights of Favonious headquarters. Entering the building made you feel nostalgic as memories of you and the traveler meeting everyone flashed through your mind. Your lips tugged into a smile, beginning to miss him a tiny bit wondering how Aether was doing.

You walked through the doors of the library, and made your way down the staircase, toward the section of your choice. That’s when you heard a familiar high pitched voice coming from another section. You immediately walked toward where you heard Paimons babbling and met face to face with Aether,Albedo,and Paimon. 

“[Name]! What are you doing here?!” Paimon exclaimed in disbelief.

“Yes I was just about to ask you the same question.”

“I see you’re doing better after the attack, I’m glad you’re well, though you really shouldn’t be out of bed and should be resting, how are you feeling?” Albedo’s voice reached your ears.

“Yeah about that-”

“An attack? What happened, are you okay?” Aether asks 

“I’m fine honestly, Me and Kuni were just trying to finish a commission and it was in dragonspine so I caught a cold and almost got attacked by a Frostarm Lawachurl.”

“I was able to deflect the attack and saved her while her partner pulled her out of the way when she fainted. I managed to take out the Lawachurl with one blow, but after that He kept threatening to kill me if I got too close. He seemed very wary of me and didn’t trust me one bit. It took a bit of explaining but we got her to my lab and got her a potion. Brought her to Mondstat where we took her to the infirmary. He threatened me and Amber telling us that we’d better make sure nothing happens to her or else. After she was treated, he took her to the  inn.” Albedo explained, you sighed when he mentioned how Kuni threatened to kill him.

Aethers arms caught you off guard as he gave you a tight hug.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He whispered, making you smile softly and return his hug.

“I was just thinking about you when I walked in, I missed you.” 

“I missed you too, it’s so nice to see you again-”

“Hey don’t forget Paimon! Paimon missed you too!” you laughed.

“Has your temperature risen at all since then? Shall I prepare some potions?” Albedo places his gloved fingers along your cheekbone. 

“[Name]!” you heard a familiar voice making you pull away from Aether.

You turned and felt your hand get tugged toward Kuni.

“You’re supposed to be resting, you’re still getting over your cold idiot!” He speaks

“Kuni,”

“Traveler,” There was a brief moment of silence before Kuni pulled your hand again.

“Sorry to cut this reunion short but she needs to be in bed right now.”

“I’m fine!”

Kuni softly smacks his hand against your forehead making you glare at him.

“Your fever is coming back moron, I told you to rest,” He turned toward the traveler and Albedo for a moment.

“Excuse me but I’ll be taking her back with me.” He finished as he began dragging you back to the inn.

“I’ll talk to you soon Aether!” You said softly and he glanced at Kuni and you surprisedly before returning your smile and a wave. 

As you both made your way back toward your room at the inn, he closed the door behind you and pushed you toward the bed. He turned his back toward you and picked up a box that laid on the dresser. He opened it and took a bottle out pouring the substance into a cup. Turning toward you he pushed you to lay back before handing you the cup. 

“Drink it, then go to sleep.” He watched as you took the bitter medicine in before laying down. He walked toward the door and walked out into the living room. You sighed and closed your eyes. Soon enough you fell asleep. 

“No! Wait please! Anything but the Gnosis! That’s mine, don’t even try!” 

“[Name]?” Aether called out to you.

“It doesn’t feel like a victory..” You whispered before turning away from the former harbinger. Seeing the pain in his face and hearing it in his voice made you unable to stay any longer.

You sat up with a gasp, tears wanting to prick at your eyes. Those were memories that you hated to remember, due to the way they made you feel. Yet no matter how hard you try to push them back, they continue to eat at your mind. No luck with falling asleep now. Your mind wandered to Kuni. The hurt he must’ve felt. You couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Kuni?” You call out a bit loudly. 

After a moment you hear some movement and shuffling, before the door opens and Kuni pops in. 

“What?” He asks with a small glare.

“I can’t sleep-“

“No you can’t get up, just close your eyes.” He said as he was about to close the door.

“Wait!” 

He paused.

“I was gonna ask if you can come and talk with me until I fall asleep?” 

He stood quietly for a moment before closing the door and taking a seat in the chair beside the bed. 

“Thank you,” you smiled before getting a little dizzy, your face fell, laying back into the bed. 

“I wanted to say a few things since we haven’t really been able to talk since I’ve been out. I’ve also been thinking about a lot of stuff.” Your voice made Kuni glance toward you.

“About what?” He tore his gaze from you toward the window.

He sounded a little cold with his tone. Trying so hard not to make eye contact with you.  

“Thank you, for taking care of me, I really appreciate it.”

He continued to glance out the window as you spoke.

“Hmph.” He scoffs 

You frowned softly and scooted toward the side he was near. Grabbing his hands in yours making him glance up at you.

“I really mean it, the fact that you went all the way to liyue to Bubu Pharmacy. When Amber told me, I pieced it together. I really appreciate you, I also want to apologize for not listening to you when you suggested that we should go to mondstat. I was reckless and stupid. I understand now..” You gripped his hand before reaching the other to tilt his hat up to a perfect angle, that way you could see all of his face. 

He looked a little flustered for a moment, like he wasn’t expecting this. Glancing into your eyes before turning his gaze toward the window. 

“Yeah well,” he started before he squeezed your hands as well.

“You should know I’m always right.” He glanced back at you. 

You rolled your eyes.

“I’m being serious here,” You glared 

“I really appreciate everything you’ve done so far to take care of me. We’ve been traveling together for quite some time now. If anything were to happen to you at all. I would do the same for you, because I really care about you. I wanna tell you something.” You pulled his hat off and placed it on the desk. Standing and Pressing both hands to either side of his face while glancing down at him. A stunned look decorating his face. 

“Puppet or not, you and I aren’t that different when it comes down to it, I believe that you have come so far to prove that you have more of a heart than anyone else. You have feelings.” You grabbed his hand and laced your fingers with his. 

“Because in my mind,”

“You’re human as far as I’m concerned.”  You whispered sweetly. His eyes widened, his breath hitching. Those familiar words. His face appeared in mind, the moment that he said those words. The smile on his face. 

“You deserve to be with your family and friends.”  Niwa’s smile and voice found it’s way back into Kuni’s mind.

“I just want you to know that you aren’t worthless. You are so much more. You may have chosen the wrong path once but now, You walk with those who care. No matter what anyone says. You deserve to be with family and those who make you feel like you’re home, I’m glad you’re here.” You smiled at his widened gaze. Tears pricking at his eyes. Teeth clenched. 

“Can I hug you?” You ask softly.

“…” 

His hands gripped at your arm. You automatically knew that was a yes. So you wrapped your arms around him and hugged tightly. Tears pricking at your own eyes as you softly caressed the back of his head. Playing with his hair. It was at that moment that you pulled him to lay along with you. A warmth spreads throughout your chest, your heart beating rapidly. You two laid there, with him in your arms and you letting him cry everything out.

ღღღღღ

Opening his eyes to glance around the room. He sat up with wide eyes. 

“Did I actually sleep for a bit?” He glanced down at his hands. His mind wandered to the previous conversation you both had. He smiled softly before turning to glance at you. That’s when his smile dropped. Your eyes were squeezed shut. Your hair sticking to your forehead. Teeth clenched and hands gripped the blankets. Your fever must’ve gotten worse. 

“[Name]!” He grabbed your arm to turn you onto your back. He flinched back once he felt how your temperature had risen. You were practically burning up. 

“Shit!” He ran toward the dresser and checked the medicine box. To your luck there was nothing left. He sighed in frustration before tossing the box toward the wall. Putting his shoes on, hat, putting your shoes on. Draping a cloak over your shoulders before picking you up onto his back and carrying you outside. He had to do something quick before it got even worse. With that he took off toward the gates of mondstat.

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

Part 2 anyone? Anywho I’ve been working on this for maybe a few weeks trying to perfect it I hope you guys love it!🥺 - may <3

sorry for any errors I tried my best to edit it as best as I could! good day loves!

[miasmaghoul]

Hiii could we get Mount and any ghoulette/ghoul of your choice slow dancing to cute music while under the stars? Thank you 🩷

-🐬

"You have terrible rhythm."

"I do not!"

Aurora scowls, arms crossed over her chest. Mountain raises an eyebrow, staring down at the little ghoulette. She tries to look threatening, despite him having at least two feet on her. Mountain seems unaffected.

"It's a basic waltz, Ro," he chuckles, striding over to reset the turntable for what must be the hundredth time tonight. "You just have to count to four."

"Says the drummer," she grumbles, picking at a cuticle. "With the mile long legs."

"And yet you're the one stepping on toes," he teases, gesturing at his newly scuffed boots. "I think my point stands."

Aurora sticks her tongue out at him and Mountain lets out a snort. Leans down to tuck a stray pale lavender curl behind her ear. It's the color of the week, matches her nails and eyeshadow and makes the silvery sheen of her eyes stand out. She's pouting at him, but Mountain still rubs their noses together.

"It's alright, petal." He takes her hand in his and brushes his lips over her knuckles. "You're still learning, and I've got all night. After all," he gestures at their surroundings, "this is just for you."

It's true, and a light dusting of pink crests Aurora's cheeks at the sincerity in his eyes.

The outdoor pavilion - usually reserved for celebrations and formal events - is truly a sight to behold tonight. Decked out in fairy lights and flowering vines that fill the summer air with with the heady scent of jasmine and wisteria, the only other light provided by the waning moon and sparkling stars overhead. A surprise, Mountain had told her. A little something just for her - dinner and dancing under the stars.

Except Aurora can't dance. At least not like this.

"I know," she mutters, straightening her skirt. She's glad she chose this dress - a flowy, sleeveless number in the palest shade of green, the hem embroidered with a vaguely floral design. It's Mountain's favorite. "I just..." she crosses her ankles, fidgets with one of her rings. "I thought I'd be better at it, is all."

Mountain tilts his head, hooks his thumbs in his pockets. He looks nice too, dressed in a light beige button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark jeans. Casual, but elegant in a way that suits him. The gold flecks in his emerald eyes stand out in the glow of the lights around them, as do the auburn streaks in his mousy hair. He looks beautiful, and it makes Aurora's belly warm to know it's just for her.

"You just started," Mountain rumbles, "no one's perfect without practice, Ro."

"I know, I know." She shakes her head, chews the inside of her cheek. "But I've seen you dance with Cu," she admits, quiet, "and she's so...so good, and I don't know why I can't -"

"Snowflake," Mountain interrupts, resting those huge hands on her slight shoulders, "do you know why Cumulus can dance like that?"

Aurora shakes her head, shifting foot to foot. Mountain's looking down at her with a gleam in his eye, a curl at the corner of his mouth.

"It's her vessel."

Aurora raises an eyebrow.

"The body Cumulus claimed when she was summoned," he explains and, well, she knows what a vessel is, but Mountain continues before she can balk. "It belonged to a ballroom dancer."

Aurora blinks up at him.

"Not exclusively, of course," he continues, "she also used to lead the human choir, but -"

"Really?"

She can't help the interruption. It's just such a surprise; she knows that most ghouls inherit skills possessed by the humans whose forms they inhabit, but she never would have guessed that was something Cumulus got.

"Really," Mountain confirms with a nod, his hands drifting down her sides to rest on her hips. "So I think it's safe to say you're making an unfair comparison."

"What did my body - my vessel used to do?" She can't help the curiosity, she's yet to find anything she's good at besides singing. "Did you know her too?"

"Hmm..." Mountain traces her hip bones while he considers the question, and it gives her the tinglies. "I think she worked in the kitchens, but since you could burn cereal..."

"Hey!" She gives his chest a playful slap and Mountain grins.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." The ghoul leans down again, nuzzles the crown of her head. "I'm not sure, Ro, but don't worry." He stands again, his smile kind. "You'll find your thing, I'm sure of it."

Mountain leans down for a quick kiss, and Aurora rolls up onto her tiptoes to meet him. She can still taste the wine they shared on his lips.

"But for now," he murmurs, stepping close enough to rest a hand on her lower back, "may I have this dance?"

Aurora flashes him a toothy smile, getting her hands in their proper places. She flicks a finger towards the record player, sends a gust of cool wind to knock the needle into place, and Mountain hums in approval.

"We'll start slower this time, alright?" Aurora nods, settles into his gentle hold. "Just follow my lead."

The music flows around them, carried by the sweet summer breeze, and as Mountain counts out the steps Aurora hopes this night never ends.

[laylaisthename]

ILW // Here they are! All 7 different end cards you can get in the many many more variations of the niche endings available in the game.

Google Drive Link to the cgs here

I am beyond honored to have been allowed to leave my own mark in the game like this, and honestly never in a million years expected to actually become involved with the game.

Everyone is fine to use these as phone backgrounds but if you do youre legally required to tell me which one is your favorite.

Putting it under the cut for length, but here's a breakdown of each card;

Starting with the Evil!MC end cards, that are lovingly dubbed Judas' Kiss if you stayed with Matty, or Scorched Earth for MC's solo end.

The images really mostly speaks for themselves; the flaming heart, hand in atrocious hand if you chose to share the power with Matthias, but then when you put it next to the solo end is where it got fun for me. The heart is broken, its just you now, but the glowing eyes are smiling. My first time testing the judas kiss route I did not hestiate for a second to hit "kill him"

Next is the death card

I really liked the idea of (if your mc wasnt a huge dick anyway) that they give you a grave outside the cave, something for people to leave Rowan flowers and gifts. A classic grave didnt quite feel like it fit so I settled on a cairn. It felt very fitting with the Power being a respect for nature and such. I set it to be at night, with moonlight streaming down on the grave to give it a melancholic sort of feeling, with the sun charm sunny gives you strung off it, and then placed flowers at the grave to kinda show that people have come by because they care about Rowan. Meanings for the flowers are below and while not canon, I like to think each of the LI's left behind one of them; red roses from Abel, blue violets from Amalia, sunflowers from Lincoln and the marigolds from Joss, though really they were all chosen more generally.

Onto the blood end card! Which I named New Horizons, and not because of animal crossing. A winding road in the mountains at sunset; the road has been long, it has been hard and now youre choosing to move on. Symbolically what i wanted this card to be is that feeling of leaving everything behind. The sun is setting on your old life as you go to embrace the normal life that Blood MC wants so much. Youre on the top road moving around the bend, not sure where life will take you but that's alright, you have the rest of your life to look forward to figure out where you'll go.

Onto my own canon end; the Mixed end!

Lovingly called "Best of Both Worlds" because mixed rowan is playing that hannah montanna life. More seriously; this card in contrast to the blood end is not about leaving everything behind, but embracing what you are. The card itself is set at dawn to contrast this; soft yellows and pinks, morning dew and fog clinging to the forest floor with a streak of Power playfully dancing among the trees. Its the dawn of a new day, seeing everything in new light after the darkness of the past weeks/years rowan spent trying to understand themselves. It's my personal favorite end even if my mc and Linc gotta do long distance for a while. But to me its about accepting yourself; moving on from the grief of losing your family without alienating yourself from your memories of them and embracing that Power side of yourself without being changed by it. The life you built after being ressurected is your own and no one can take that from you.

Next up my almost canon end, that does live rent free in my mind because I love angst.

Closed gate shadow end, Far, Far away (yes this is a shrek/starwars/nerd refrence); its a fairly straight forward card, thought it does have one of my personal favorite little details. This is the second draft I made of it after this scene from Lincoln's shadow goodbye stuck with me; looking up through the trees at the night sky.

I really wanted to hide an eye shaped constellation in the stars but couldnt make it look good sadly :sob: But my favorite little detail are the fireflies and how some of them are cyan; touched by the power Rowan is now again a part of. Not canon, but I like to think these little cyan fireflies come to sit on the LI's heads next they wander too close to the woods (Fireflies by Owl City starts playing).

Shadow end is just. Its so beautiful really. From sharing your experiences with the wisps, how Rowan's wisp has been changed by their time as a person, how despite their grief they are not sad or unhappy, melancholic yes but this is where you want to be. Its a cosmic love, the joy of having lived, coming inside on a cold winter day to find your home warm and inviting, your family waiting for you to tell them about your day. The card itself is a little whimsical, hopeful despite the closed gate that the power will forever be part of the world, even if its been cut off. And this brings us to the other shadow ending card; the flower

Eternal Bloom, a ghostly hand reaching out to hand this flower over to the world, a final gift, a final goodbye. Maybe a promise of "I'll see you soon" but first and foremost, it is a promise of love.

Thats right babes. Its all about Love. Unfading Love.

symbolically there isnt anything hidden in the card, but thats also in part of it at face value telling you all you need to know; its about love! its a gift, for you, to remember me by. You have not forgotten me, and even changed as I am, I have not forgotten you. Rowan's change in personality after merging shadow was sooooo heart breaking tbh but ITS SO GOOD. You found joy in what you were, but its time to come home, take off your coat, hang it up, take off your shoes.

And it is all about love! All these cards (well, not all of them) were for me made from the heart, trying to keep in line for the different themes each end resolves to give the players something to remember each route by.

To anyone that made it this far, let me know which one is your canon card/which card you like best! And im kissing you on the lips I love rambling about my thoughts and if you got to here then you deserve a reward. So.

[stalkerspy101]

Short from my story

The Doctor had come a long way from the reckless and borderline suicidal man he was in his ninth incarnation. But he still had moments of sadness.

Like the time the two of you were striding through a field, hand in hand, looking for an ancient cave network that housed 10 foot sparkling crystals.

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“This way, y/n. You’re gonna love this! The crystalline structures were formed from silica created by a huge lava pit that used to be here. They’ve been growing for thousands of years. Bioluminescent organisms in the molecules of the crystals make them glow!” The Doctor rambled on happily leading you over rolling hills.

“Doctor I think I see an opening in the hillside over there” You said pointing across the clearing.

“That’s the one!”

He began tugging you in that direction. The two of you trudged down, into a valley between hills.

He had stopped abruptly, forcing you to stop with him. You turned to the Doctor, fully prepared to tug him along impatiently, as he often did to you. But the look on his face made you pause.

Big, sad eyes, framed by his creased brow. You couldn’t quite place the emotion. You followed his gaze back to the scene in front of you. It was beautiful, sure, but not something you’d guess would warrant that look.

But as you took in the mountains, the sinking sun casting an orange halo around them. And the field that stretched out between you, it clicked.

His voice in your memory, leaned towards you and hushed, for your ears only. He spoke of his home. Gallifrey, with its burnt orange sky and giant, magnificent citadel. Incased in a glass dome. You could picture the resemblance.

You could now put a name to the emotion spread across his face; a bittersweet nostalgia., homesickness. Your gaze softened and you took a step closer to him, gently squeezing his hand.

The Doctor finally glanced away from the scene to meet your eyes.

“It’s beautiful here” You say, keeping your voice soft.

“It is, isn’t it?” The Doctor smiles down at you and begins walking again at a slower pace towards the cave.

[thebubblesareevil]

Life on the farm pt 7 friends on the other side

Danny stared at the chicken in front of him as though it held all the answers of the universe, and perhaps Lady Chickovsky did but she wasn’t about to share. Danny sighed flopping on the ground in frustration. Pa laughed from his seat on the porch.

“Y’know I don’t think the chickens have the answers your looking for.”

Danny turned to look at Pa “I’m trying to master portals, while I have no intention of going back to my old universe, I do have a responsibility to the infinite realms as their king.”

Pa nodded “that’s good, I’m glad you’ve found a home here but you should never abandon your responsibilities. How did you get there before?”

“Jack and Maddie had a portal in the basement lab. It’s actually how I…y’know” Danny answered nervously. Pa nodded.

“I don’t know much about all that but, not to brag, I helped Clark figure out a few of his powers. Let’s see what we can do.” Danny gave Pa a huge grin.

Ma came to check on them around lunch time and smiled at her boys. They clearly got distracted at some point as she’s certain they weren’t originally making ice sculptures of cujo.

“BOYS!! TIME FOR LUNCH!!” The two froze and Danny raced to the table with Pa following behind him. He stopped at the door to greet his wife with a kiss. “Having fun?”

“Always”

When they make it inside Danny is finishing setting the table. They all sit down to enjoy the lovely lunch ma made. “So what have you boys been up to?”

Danny swallowed his food “I’m trying to figure out how to make portals. I need to visit the infinite realms soon or else Fright Knight may start an inquisition.” Ma smiles.

“It’s so easy to forget that our little man is a king.” Ma smiles at him with pride “So how did that end with the ice sculptures?” Danny gave her a sheepish grin

“Well ya see, we were talking about each of my abilities and I realized I hadn’t shown you two my ice powers yet. There’s only one other power but I don’t plan on showing that off anytime soon, last thing I wanna do is level the farm.” Ma laughs

“Well I’ll toast to that. Why don’t you ask your new friends for help. Conner called earlier, they’re back from their mission, I’m sure he’d love to help.” Danny grinned

“That sounds like a great idea.” He jumped up and started doing his dishes. Ma grinned at Pa.

“I’m sure that Kaldur boy would be more than happy to help as well.” Danny froze, the two chuckled as they could see his cheeks glowing green from the table. “And take cujo with you, he misses Conner.”

———-

Cujo charged through the woods near mount justice, coming to a halt as they approached. Danny dismounted his loyal steed as he shrank down. He then plopped himself on Danny’s head for some much deserved rest.

With practiced ease Danny snuck his way through the mountain and slowly crept up behind his little brother. Slowly, ever so slowly he approached lifting Cujo from the top of his head and placing the invisible pup right next to Conners face as he spoke with robin. Cujo opened his eyes and upon seeing Conner he brutally attacked his face with the force of a thousand kisses. Conner jumped back but there was nowhere to hide as he fell to the floor under cujos might. Danny turned visible as he doubled over in laughter

“DANNY!” Conner screams, Danny grabs cujo from conners chest and gives him some ear scratches.

“Awww you love Conner dont you!” He gushes before setting Cujo loose to go find his buddy. Danny leans over to help Conner up. “You can’t be too mad, you left yourself wide open.”

He laughs “yeah yeah, so what’s with the surprise visit?” Danny looks at Conner aghast

“Can’t I visit my little brother without some ulterior motive.” Conner simply raises an eyebrow.

“Fine, you got me. Kinda. I did want to see my little brother, you were gone for a week on that last mission and you didn’t even call.”

“I called!!”

“No, you called Ma, but that’s fine, clear who the favorite is.” Danny mad a great show of being discouraged. Conner grinned knocking Danny in the shoulder.

“If it makes you feel better you are definitely my favorite brother.” Danny grinned

“Oh that makes me feel infinitely better, care to say that again for the camera.” Conner laughed even as Danny got serious “he hasn’t given you any problems right?” Conner smiled

“After the talking to be got from ma? No way. He’s actually really come around, I think seeing you interact will Ellie really helped.” Danny laughed

“Yeah she has that effect on people. Anyway I actually stopped by to see if y’all would be willing to help me figure out how to make portals?”

“You can make portals?!” Robin popped in.

“Not yet, but I’m capable, I just can’t seem to make a fully stable portal.”

Conner looked at Danny concerned “are you trying to go somewhere?” Danny looked at him surprised before grinning and throwing an arm around his shoulder

“Nah l, just got some stuff I gotta take care of. Why? You gonna miss me?” Conner shoved Danny off of him “NO! I’m just concerned because you’d get lost trying to get out of a paper bag.”

Danny grins “sure you are. Anyway I gotta get this figured out, the sooner the better, I wouldn’t want any surprise guests looking for me.” At the look Conner gave him he responded “like I said nothing to worry about.” Conner sighed

“How am I the responsible one?” Danny laughed

“You’re not I promise, that would be Jazz. You haven’t met her yet. She’s interning with a psychiatrist in Gotham.” Robin perked up

“Really who?” Danny shrugged

“Just some lady in waaayy too much makeup. I wouldn’t be too worried. Jazz is more than capable of taking care of herself and she’s not afraid to call for help if need be.” A hand lands on his shoulder.

“I think you’ve gotten distracted Danny.” Says a voice from behind him. Danny looks at the hand and blushes as he turns around to find Kaldur standing right behind him. “Now what’s this about needing help?” He says with a smile.

————

Three hours and 6 (minor!) explosions later Danny plopped on the couch “this is pointless”

Kaldur sits down next to Danny “it’s not pointless, you were really close that last time.” Danny looks up at Conner across the room. Robin and Wally had abandoned them at the second hour.

“He’s lying.” Conner states with no mercy. Kaldur shrugs “you’ll get it eventually”

“Wülf makes it look so easy” Danny complained. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

“Last I checked wolf can’t make portals.” Now Danny is the one looking at Conner weird

“What are you talking about Wülf is like, the portal master and ohhh we’re talking about two different wolfs. Okay I swear I’m just as sane as usual, which I know doesnt mean much but I swear it’s not a joke. Wülf is really cool.” Danny started to pace “He helped me beat up a cop… a ghost cop but he was a dick and wanted to lock Wülf up just because he broke one of his stupid rules. And trust me they were stupid, there was a rule for everything. I’m pretty sure he had a rule about how to tie your shoes correctly and if you broke a rule he’d sentence you to roughly 1000 years in his prison. Like I said he was crazy, he’s mellowed out a bit over the years but he’s still pretty weird….” Danny paused in his pacing “what was I talking about again?” He swiftly turned back towards Kaldur and conner. “Wülf! He’s one of my best friends in the realms. Trust me he’s awesome.”

At some point during Danny’s tangent a large green portal appeared behind him putting the teen heroes on guard. A, frankly, giant bipedal wolf with chains around its neck and hands? Exited the portal and started making its way towards the distracted Danny. Kaldur slowly tried to get close to pull Danny away but it was too late, the creature stood directly behind Danny. The two teens made to attack when the creature opened its large muzzle and… talked?

“dankon mia amiko pro la afablaj vortoj” Danny spun around to face the creature before wrapping his arms around him happily shouting “Wülf!”

Wülf smiled? “Mi aŭdis vin voki, ĉu vi bezonas helpon?”

Danny shook his head. “Mi ĵus diris al mia frateto, kiel mirinda vi estas!” Danny paused “efektive mi ne ĝenus kelkajn konsiletojn pri kiel ŝiri portalojn, mi vere bezonas halti ĉe la kastelo”

“estus mia plezuro mia amiko, tamen por ŝiri portalon oni bezonas ungegojn” Danny paused and just stared at wülf as if he just revealed that he was actually a monkey in a trench coat.

Danny turned to Kaldur and Conner “well first things first guys this is my friend Wülf. He’s saved my butt multiple times. Second apparently I’m an idiot who needs claws.” Danny stared at his hand as it slowly was encased in an erie glow, his fingertips started to get sharper and sharper until they could only be described as claws. He focused his energy into the claws and the two heroes stepped back as he sliced through the air leaving behind a rift.

“That is significantly easier with claws” Danny stated causing the two heroes to laugh. Wülf clearly agreed as he let out a barking laugh. It was at this moment that robin and wally walked in the room to find Kaldur patting Danny on the back while a green werewolf and Conner laughed at what was clearly Danny’s expense. The two looked at each other before asking

“What did we miss?”

Translation

Thank you for the kind words my friend

I heard you call, do you need help

No I was telling my brother how awesome you are

Actually I could really use some tips on how to rip portals, I really need to visit the castle

It would be my pleasure my friend, however in order to rip a portal my friend you need claws

[maverickbabes]

Dance with me

Dance with me

Dilf!Jake Sully x female!navi!Omatikaya!reader

Warnings: I honestly don't know how well this will turn out I might revise it a little cause I wrote this at 12 am but we will see. No major warnings just cute date night :)

Summary: You and Jake were having date night and you get the idea to slow dance with him.

a/n: This is inspired by the date night scene in atwow and the scene in the comic The High Ground where Neytiri says "Dance with me my marine" its so cute ahhhhhhh

You let out a giggle as you turn your head to look at Jake who was already looking back at you with a huge smile. "Oowah!" You said as you did a little twirl and flew over the thick branches connecting the Hallelujah Mountains together, creating a floating bridge. You could hear Jake let out a grunt before chuckling as he flies over the floating bridge.

Shaking your head, you called to your ikran and it began to pick up it's speed. You caught up with him easily and both of you hovered over another floating bridge, taking a moment to look at each other, before soaring back down into the night sky. Jake picked out one of the mountains to land so you both direct your ikrans to the direction of the mountain then land with ease.

"This is perfect ma Jake" You said as you fed your ikran a treat before giving it a little pet session. "See I still got good ideas" Jake said proudly as he gives himself a pat on the back. You turned to look at him and giggle "Yea okay mister" You retorted jokingly earning a disbelief look from your mate.

"Oh really is that so?" He says raising an eyebrow before running towards you and picking you up "Ahh Jake put me down" You giggled as you playfully hit him. "Never ma yawntutsyìp, Never" He tells you while spinning you around. After a few moments, he slows down and gently sets you back onto the ground before letting his arms rest on your waist.

Both of you stood there in each others' embrace for what seemed like enternity. Everything about tonight seemed perfect. The sounds of the animals making a soft melody, The bioluminescents glowing creating just a beautiful aray of colors all around you, The sound of his heartbeat as you rest your head on his chest. Everything was perfect, except for one thing.

"Dance with me" You murmured and Jake pulls away to look at you. "Hmm?" He hummed in curiosity of what you said and you smiled up at him cheekily "Dance with me" You repeated and Jake raises an eyebrow before shaking his head. "No Absolutely not" He says chuckling and you pulled on his hands in excitement.

"Absolutely yes! Dance with me ma yawne" You said letting go of his hands then began to twirl. Jake watches you in amazement as you began to dance under the night sky, your body moving so fluid and smooth, the way you were so full of grace. "Oh what the hell" He mumbled to himself as he to began to dance along next to you.

You chuckled a little as you saw him dancing somewhat awkwardly but it seemed like something was on his mind and you wanted to fix that. "You know how to dance better than that. No more worrying tonight Jake, tonight is for us" You tell him looking at him with such love and desire in your eyes.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Just like that, it seemed like all the stress and worries that were in his mind melted away and he pulled you close then dipped you as he gave you a slow yet sensual kiss.

Now tonight was perfect

[derpdino34]

Secret legacy: Pt. 1

Chapter 4

It took a long time to get back home but they got home before Mom or dad woke up.

They had to hide Twitch and Thrash in the barn for the night.

“Just wait till we tell Mom and Dad that we adopted two transformers.” Mo beamed.

“Mo, wait” Robby put his hand on his sister’s shoulder “ These are two transformers born on earth! they’ll take them away.”

Robby and Mo walked to Twitch and Thrash

“You have to stay here for tonight, okay?” Robby said.

Their sleeves started to glow as a wave of sadness washed over them.

“Aww, you feel frowny.” Mo wined

“You . . . don’t want to be with us?” Thrash asked.

“No! We do!” Robby yelped “listen Thrash, I was planning leaving this place before I met you guys, but now you’re the only one reason why I’m staying.” Mo punched her brother in the arm .

“Okay, the second reason.”Robby admitted

“Just please stay here for now, okay.”

“Then, we’ll make everything okay with our parents and you can stay with us forever!” Mo said

Thrash showed a quiet smile while Twitch remained quiet.

“So what do you need of us.” Twitch asked leaning closer to Robby, eyes piercing.

Robby stammered.”I-We don’t need anything”

“So what do we do?” Thrash puzzled.

“Stay in the barn and read our comics?” Mo said sheepishly.

“Here.” Robby opened a huge box with mountains of comics. Robby handed two of the comics to the Twins before leaving with Mo.

“Wow!” Thrash gasped at the colorful issues in his servos. “ These . . . Transformers are so cool!”

Twitch closed her comic and started right into his spark.

“ Thrash, I have an idea .” Twitch started to get up.

“Robby and Mo gave us these fighting comics as a test!” Twitch held her issue in the air.

“We can’t let our guard down, we have to protect our new . . . “ Twitch couldn’t think of what to call Robby and Mo. Friends? Masters? Siblings?

“Uhh… to protect our. . .well… ugh! No matter on what we’re calling them, we have to protect them from danger like that weird spider bot !” Twitch grabbed a pitchfork and raised to the sky.

“We are their protectors! Their own personal bodyguards.” Twitch started to fight the air like they were an invisible enemy right in front of her.

“Okay…” Thrash started to rub his hands nervously “how do we do that?”

“Simple” Twitch dropped the Pitchfork and grabbed one of the comic books

“By learning how to fight by these books!”

Twitch held the book with such triumph, her brother looked at her with worry.

“Once we gathered all of the information, we go for the parents.” Twitch gave another comic to her brother. “I’ll go after the mom and you will after the dad, deal?” She stuck out her servo to her estranged brother.

“. . . Sure.” Thrash shakily shook his sister’s hand.

“Now, how do we dispose of Robby’s and Mo’s parents?” Twitch started to think.

“Oh! An ambush! Thrash, you use this shovel and bash the dad’s head with it.”

Thrash was mortified when Twitch threw a shovel at him.

“I’ll go for the mom with the pitchfork.” She picked up her weapon.

“Hey Thrash” Twitch looked at her brother staring down at shovel.

“Ever wonder what’s inside of a human? Cause you’re find out tomorrow.”

warning: gore

[five-rivers]

Death is a personal thing.  

To be sure, everyone dies eventually, and, in that, if nothing else, they are equal.  But no two people know death the same way.  No two people are touched by death the same way.  No two people see death in the same way.  No two people are taken by death in the same way.  

And no one may know another’s death.  Not beyond a glimpse through a window at night, not beyond a tale of a country undiscovered.  

That country of death was much the same. 

The Ghost Zone.  The Spirit World.  The Infinite Realms.  

Many names.  Many faces.  Many forms.  

It was personal.  

.

Vlad Masters knew what the Ghost Zone looked like.  He had worked with Jack and Maddie to extrapolate its composition and appearance long before they’d even gotten the proto-portal running from the tiny samples of ectoplasm they’d been able to synthesize.  

Once they had… Well.  Even the small uncertainty he’d had before was gone.  The Ghost Zone was green and pulsating pain, ooze and rot, twisted abominations and power.  

He could feel it inside him, even in the hospital, even dying from ecto-acne.  He knew.  He knew.  

And his knowledge was vindicated the first time he stepped through a portal.  

.

Danny grew up hearing stories about ghosts, even if he didn’t believe in them.  Stories about how evil they were, generally, but also about what the Ghost Zone was supposed to be like.  Vast voids.  Glowing ectoplasm.  Islands of stability.  

It shaped him.  But it wasn’t the only thing that did that.  

(He remembered, distantly, Grandpa Fenton saying that he was going on one, last, long journey…)

He stood in front of the empty porta, smiling.  “You’re right.  Who knows what kind of awesome, super-cool things exist on the other side of that portal?”

Danny didn’t know.  But he imagined.  He imagined a journey of a lifetime, of a death, of an eternity.  

The light that killed him and saved him was green, but it was followed by diamond-studded black.  

His first journey into the Ghost Zone showed him a world of wonder.  Eternal night stretched as far as the eye could see, strewn with luminescent islands - each a wandering star, populated by strange trees, strange fruits, strange beings, strange technology, all glowing in the dark.  

.

For Sam, the Ghost Zone was a vast wilderness full of extinct and endangered creatures.  All those things Sam cared so much about saving.  All the things humanity had failed to save.  All the things humanity had driven into the dark.  

Not only a wilderness - a hungry, grasping wilderness.  Beautiful, but deadly and eager to take.  

It was about her activism.  Her passions.  Her understanding of killing.  

(It was really about Danny.)

(About losing him.)

(About dooming him.)

(About killing him.)

(Making him a member of a not-quite-species with only three members.)

But she could find her place here, too.  She knew.  The jungles, the deserts, the mountains, the tundra.  The creeping vines, the snarling beasts, the towering trees.  There was a place here for her.

.

The Ghost Zone was dead, and to Tucker Foley dead meant two things.  Broken tech and hospitals.  

His version of the Ghost Zone had both.  Great landfills and huge, almost industrial buildings that seemed to ooze illness and injury in an apocalyptic landscape.  There was rust and gray in the sky, streaked with mossy, algae-like green.  Verdigris.  Even gold oxidized and crumbled.  

The thing was, junk could be repurposed.  Broken things could be fixed, or scavenged for parts.  Brought back to life, as it were.  

He just had to avoid the hospitals, and everything would be fine.  

.

First and foremost, Jazz’s view of the Ghost Zone and ghosts in general was colored by the general concept of ‘her brother, the superhero.’

This was the world beyond the portal for her.  One where death wasn't, and she still didn't have to see.

.

Valerie hated the Ghost World and everything in it.  It was a bottomless pit that did nothing but take and take and take.  

… It did seem a little different, though, after the first time she'd actually worked with Phantom.  There seemed to be other changes after her second suit.  The whole place just felt more inviting.  

But surely that was all in her head. 

.

And Jack and Maddie?  Well.  They already knew everything there was to know about ghosts… and they knew they weren’t ‘souls of the dead’ or any such nonsense.  They were simply monsters from another dimension!  One made of ectoplasm and energy!  A green world!  An exciting world!

A hostile world.  

One that would do anything it could to lie to them, to trick them, to kill them.  Just like the ghosts that inhabited it.  

That's why they needed the Specter Speeder and all their other protective gear.  

That's why they needed protective gear, unlike, say, Sam, who could walk through her wilderness unharmed, so long as she kept an eye out for prehistoric megafauna, or Tucker, who'd had to get his tetanus shot renewed after a nasty fall into a junk pile that first week.  The Ghost Zone would destroy them, just like they tried to destroy it.  

That was just what death was like, after all.  

[liviavanrouge]

Their Reason

There goes my heart beating

Leona: *Perks up, a shadow appearing over him*

Livia: Hi Leona!

Leona: *Sighs and turns over* Hi Little Hunter

Livia: *Drops flowers on his head*

Leona: *Yawns and falls asleep, ignoring her hands fiddling with his hair*

'Cause you are the reason

Livia: *Smiles, sitting across from Leona*

Leona: *Picks up his tea cup, wondering how he agreed to this*

Livia: *Smiles at him* Leona! Try the tarts!

Leona: *Sighs* Fine...

Livia: *Beams, her eyes sparkling*

I'm losing my sleep

Leona: *Stares at Livia, his legs crossed*

Leona: *Stands up, feeling her forehead* How'd you even catch a fever

Ruggie: Leona-

Leona: *Snarls at him* Quiet...

Ruggie: Shishishi! Sorry~

Please come back now

Livia: *Runs around after Cheka laughing*

Leona: *Lays asleep, his hands behind his bed*

Livia: Leona! *Gasps, tripping over her shawl*

Leona: *Shoots up, catching her, his eyes widening in shock* Huh...

Livia: *Blinks in surprise*

Leona: You okay?

Livia: Yes...

And there goes my mind racing

Leona: *Growls, touching his head*

Ziro: Brother?

Leona: My instincts whenever that cub is around heightens for some reason

Ruggie: *Grins* Shishishi~

Leona: *Sighs* Whatever...

And you are the reason

Livia: *Opens her eyes finding herself in the infirmary* Huh

Lilia: LITTLE BAT!

Livia: Bat Dad...

Sebek: My Lady!

Livia: What happened..

Sebek: A magic bomb, Leona saved your life...he rushed straight in without hesitation..

That I'm still breathing

Leona: *Groans, Malleus holding him down*

Malleus: Sebek!

Sebek: *Hurries over helping keep Leona still*

Livia: *Holds her glowing hands over his chest, her eyes wide*

Leona: *Opens his eyes, immediately glaring at Malleus* Lizard...hands off

Livia: *Smiles in relief*

I'm hopeless now

Leona: *Pokes Livia's cheeks* How'd she get turned into a toddler?

Ruggie: Bandit and Ace.

Ziro: I'll take her back to Diasomnia

Leona: *Growls at him then flops over onto his back, Livia asleep on his chest*

Ruggie: *Wheezes, laughing*

Ziro: ....guess not..

I'd climb every mountain

Leona: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?

Ruggie: You think we know!?

Livia: *Grips her chest, her vision blurring*

Leona: Have Vil make a potion or something! Hurry up!!

Ruggie: Geez, when it comes to her you throw a huge hissy fit-

Leona: *Roars angrily startling Ruggie* GO!!

Ruggie: *Rushes out* FINE!!

And swim every ocean

Livia: *Shrieks shaking her head* THROW IT BACK!!

Leona: Livia-

Livia: *Screams waving her hand at the frog in her spot* I DON'T LIKE THINGS THAT JUMP!!! GET RID OF IT!!

Leona: *Throws his arm up as the boat flipped over, snatching Livia close to him*

Leona: *Climbs out of the water soaking wet, Livia thrown over his shoulder*

Livia: Sorry...

Leona: *Sighs laying her down and using a heating spell* You better be.....are you hurt

Livia: No...

Just to be with you

Leona: WHERE'S MY LITTLE HUNTER!

Livia: *Hops up beaming* Leona!

Leona: Wanna come to my hometown with me?

Livia: *Beams and nods* YES!

Leona: *Grins laughing* Then be prepared!

Livia: *Beams lifting her hands into the air* YEAH!

Leona: *Looks around for anyone then smiles, lifting his hands into the air with her* Yay~

Lilia: *Floats above them, covering his mouth snickering quietly*

And fix what I've broken

Leona: *Braids Livia's hair, sitting behind her*

Livia: Leona did you know that koala's can be aggressive despite being docile at times?

Leona: There are a lot of animals like that, Little Hunter

Livia: Oh-

Leona: But that's a good fact to know

Livia: *Giggles, beaming*

Oh, 'cause I need you to see

Livia: *Sits behind Leona on a stool, braiding his hair*

Leona: Don't tug...

Livia: Sorry

Leona: Ruggie bring her more accessories...

Ruggie: Shishi, okay~

That you are the reason

Livia: *Lays asleep on her side, her head resting on Shadie's side*

Shadie: *Perks up*

Leona: *Puts a finger to his lips, then drops one of his blankets on Livia* Let her sleep...

Shadie: *Yawns and rests his head on his paws*

Leona: *Turns and walks away, leaving Lonan to watch over them*

~~~~~

There goes my hands shaking

Livia: MAL MAL!

Malleus: *Laughs as Livia threw herself into him, her arms around his neck* Hello Beastie!

Livia: *Beams up at him her eyes sparkling* Is it tea time!?

Malleus: It is, you came right on time

Livia: *Beams and hurries away*

Malleus: *Stands up and walks after her*

And you are the reason

Livia: *Peeks out then smiles as she followed Sebek*

Sebek: *Halts his walking* Who are you

Livia: *Gasps in surprise as a green barrier popped up around her, blocking Sebek's baton*

Sebek: *Stares at her then yells in alarm tossing his baton ten feet down the hallway* I AM SO SORRY MY LADY!!

Malleus: *Frowns, appearing behind the freshman* Sebek...

Sebek: *Sighs ashamed* I apologize so very deeply, My Leige, Lady Livia...

My heart keeps bleeding

Malleus: *Looks over, his eyes widening in surprise*

Livia(14): *Walks towards him smiling, wearing her debutante dress* Mal!

Malleus: *Smiles, holding his hand out* Can I finally have my turn?

Livia: *Giggles and takes his hand* Yes!

Malleus: *Chuckles* Good...

I need you now

Livia(8): *Sits across from Malleus, eating lunch* Mal Mal, can I go visit Kalim?

Malleus: Your human pen pal friend?

Livia: *Nods* Yes...

Malleus: Hm...very well

Livia: *Beams* THANKS MAL!

Malleus: *Frowns*

Livia: *Perks up then comes around the table and tackle hugs him giggling*

Malleus: *Smiles and pats her back* You're welcome

And if I could turn back the clock

Malleus: *Stares at Livia then sets his tea cup down* Perhaps...we should end tea time here...

Livia(5): *Perks up then nods* Okay, that means early lessons with Nilo!

Malleus: *Smiles slightly and nods* Go ahead..

Livia: *Climbs down and walks away*

Malleus: *Sighs, touching his head*

I'd make sure the light defeated the dark

Livia(3rd Life): *Smiles wide*

Malleus: *Smiles as Livia took his hand* Shall we go?

Livia: Yes!

Livia(2nd Life): *Stares at Malleus and Cynthia with wide eyes, standing among the crowd*

Cynthia: *Smiles, walking beside Malleus*

Malleus: *Looks at Livia and turns away huffing*

I'd spend every hour, of every day

Malleus: You can have that

Livia(9): *Holding a small sculpture* Huh?

Talon: Malleus, that's the family's carved statue!

Livia: *Gasps in shock, looking at the wooden statue in her hand noticing the dragon had the royal mark*

Malleus: *Takes the statue, tossing it to Talon* If she wants it, it's hers..

Talon: *Stares in disbelief* YOUR HIGHNESS, THE PRINCE!!

Keeping you safe

Livia(7): *Throws her blankets off, beaming as she hurried out of bed* NILO!

Livia: *Steps on her nightgown, gasping as she fell face first towards the ground*

???: *Hurries past Nilo, quickly catching her* Beastie...

Livia: *Looks up surprised*

Malleus: *Stares down at her with wide eyes* Are you alright?

Livia: Yes..

Malleus: *Sighs in relief*

And I'd climb every mountain

Malleus: *Glares at the trembling servants* WHO poisoned her!??

Talon: Malleus, calm down

Livia(6): *Sobs quietly, gripping her chest, laying on her side*

Malleus: *Turns around tapping Livia's forehead, putting her to sleep* Bring Mayhem here, RIGHT NOW!!

Talon: *Bows his head then rushes out* Understood!

Malleus: *Stares down at Livia* You're gonna be alright...

And swim every ocean

Livia(4): *Perks up and looks to her right finding a grasshopper there*

Silver(5): *Flinches when Livia screamed and threw herself onto Malleus*

Malleus: B-BEASTIE!?

Livia: *Shrieks, her arms around his neck* I DON'T WANT IT!! THROW IT IN THE WATER! GET RID OF IT!!!

Malleus: *Grabs Silver as the boat tipped to the side*

Malleus: *Floats out of the water and lands on the grass, setting the two kids down*

Livia: ...I'm sorry....

Malleus: *Sitting between them, using a heating spell* It's fine..you were scared

Just to be with you

Malleus: *Carries Livia on his shoulder*

Livia(16): *Beams, her eyes lighting up*

Malleus: Better?

Livia: Yeah, thanks, Mal!

Lilia: *Laughs, smiling at the two amused*

And fix what I've broken

Malleus: *Looks at the glass sculpture, closing his hands around it*

Malleus: Beastie

Livia: Huh-

Malleus: *Holds out the glass bat* I fixed it

Livia: *Smiles wide, taking the sculpture* Thank you!

Oh, 'cause I need you to see

Livia: *Grabs a biscuit, taking a bite out of it*

Raviola: *Smiles, pouring her some mint tea*

Malleus: Should we go for a boat ride after this?

Livia: YEAH!

Malleus: *Chuckles* Very well then

That you are the reason

Livia: *Hugs Carrots close, laying fast asleep in bed*

Shadie: *Opens his eyes and lifts his head*

Malleus: *Gently pats the cats head* Hey buddy

Malleus: *Turns to Livia, carefully tapping her temple*

Livia: *Smiles* Pretty birdies...

Malleus: *Smiles and turns away* Happy dreams...

~~~~~

I don't wanna fight no more

Leona: *Scowls at Malleus, his arms crossed*

Malleus: *Smiles, taking a sip of his tea*

Livia: *Beams, sitting between them, taking a sip of her tea giggling*

Leona: I brought you snacks from Trey

Malleus: How kind~

Leona: *Growls at him*

Livia: *Giggles, smiling at the two*

I don't wanna hide no more

Leona: *Grunts as Livia tackle hugged him*

Livia: HI LEONA!!

Leona: Don't...EVER do that again......when we're around people

Livia: *Beams up at him* Okay!

Leona: *Sighs as Livia dragged him after her*

I don't wanna cry no more

Livia: *Rubs her eyes then perks up as glowing figures appeared retailing the Frog Prince story*

Malleus: *Smiles as she looked back* It's your favorite fairy tale

Livia: *Smiles slightly, looking at the glowing figures*

Lilia: *Plops down beside Livia, smiling as he watched*

Livia: *Giggles* PAPA!

Lilia: What!? *Laughs* I like it too!

Come back I need you to hold me

Leona: *Lifts his arm, his eyes wide when he found toddler Livia gone* Little Hunter!?

Leona: *Throws his pillows and blanket off, one hitting Ruggie in the face*

Ruggie: Leona-

Livia: *Yowls, floating upside down behind Leona*

Leona: *Whips around and sighs, smirking* Sneaky sneaky, cub

Livia: *Giggles*

Be a little closer now

Malleus: *Perks up, hearing running feet*

Livia: *Tackle hugs Malleus* MAL MAL!!

Malleus: *Chuckles* Hello Beastie, I see you have flowers, are those for my hair and horns?

Livia: YEP!

Malleus: Then let's head to my room and you may start, my hair stylist

Livia: *Beams, skipping ahead of him*

Just a little closer now

Leona: *Tosses Livia his credit card* Here, go on a shopping spree with your friends

Livia: *Stares at his card surprised*

Leona: What? You're getting one too soon...

Livia: Huh?

Leona: So you can spoil yourself and your friends, I have one on it's way for you..

Livia: *Jumps on Leona* LEONA!!

Leona: *Stares in shock as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, his hair messy* ...you're welcome.....

Come a little closer

Livia: *Giggles, twirling her parasol as she walked beside Malleus*

Malleus: Look your roses grew..

Livia: *Beams, gently touching the bud*

Malleus: Good job, Beastie, you did good

Livia: Thanks Mal!

I need you to hold me tonight

Livia: *Sits across from Leona, eating dinner*

Leona: Tomorrow we can go explore the kingdom if you want

Livia: *Looks over curiously* Huh?

Leona: I brought you to my home again so you can explore more, unless you want to stay at the palace

Livia: *Smles* No, No! I wanna explore more tomorrow!

Leona: Then get a goods night rest...

Livia: *Giggles and nods* Okay!

~~~~~

I'd climb every mountain

Livia: *Beams, the wind blowing through her hair*

Leona: *Glances at her smiling as he drove the car* Where to first?

Livia: *Looks at him beaming* Oh, I wanna see the springs again!!

Leona: Springs it is

Livia: Yay!

And swim every ocean

Malleus: *Holds Livia's hands, chuckling as the girl kicked her feet*

Livia: *Smiles, floaties around her arms* I'm doing it, Mal!

Malleus: You sure are~

Lilia: *Smiles, recording them* GO LIVY!!

Silver: *Smiles slightly, watching them*

Livia: *Giggles, Malleus moving backwards as she continued kicking her feet*

Just to be with you

Leona: No tea time?

Livia: *Smiles and shakes her head* No not today!

Leona: *Touches her forehead* No fever...

Livia: *Giggles* I don't have tea time everyday you know

Leona: *Chuckles* I see...

And fix what I've broken

Malleus: *Walks into the lounge then perks up*

Shadie: *Meows looking back at him*

Malleus: *Chuckles* This is why you brought me here

Livia: *Lays asleep on the couch, her book on the ground*

Malleus: *Floats a blanket over to Livia, laying it over her*

Shadie: *Nudges the book, using his nose to throw it up onto the table*

Malleus: There we go, good kitty

Shadie: *Curls up by the couch going to sleep*

'Cause I need you to see

Leona: *Smirks, his eyes closed*

Leona: *Turns over dodging Livia's attempt to pounce on him*

Livia: AW NO FAIR!

Leona: *Chuckles, and lays on his stomach, poking her nose* Try it on that guy~

Ruggie: Leona-

Livia: *Pounces on Ruggie*

Ruggie: AHHHH!

Leona: *Laughs*

Ruggie: I AM NOT A POUNCING TARGET!! LEONA!!!

That you are the reason

Malleus and Leona: *Stares down at Livia*

Livia: *Lays asleep at her desk, papers scattered around her, several books open*

Leona: *Pats Shadie's head* Good cat...

Malleus: *Places a blanket over Livia*

Leona: *Closes her books bookmarking them, and gathering the papers up*

Malleus: There...

Leona: *Nods* That's better

Livia: *Yawns and smiles slightly*

@anxious-twisted-vampire @yukii0nna @writing-heiresss @zexal-club @marrondrawsalot @yumeko2sevilla @abyssthing198