#MAN OH MAN AM I GLAD THAT I FINALLY GOT THAT ALL WRITTEN OUT

[focalove]

Bathing with him

Cw! : gn!reader....... with some mentions of maybe f!/m!reader, mentions of d*ck, nothing too explicit. written before sunday & aven release!

Aventurine

✦ 01 bb come home the kids miss u :(

✦ 02 Though, by all means, Aventurine never or rarely reveal his ✦ bare naked self infront of anyone. So congratulations for achieving this level of intimacy with him

✦ 03 At first he'd be so cocky and teaseful when you asked him if you wanted to bath with him

✦ 04 "Oh? princess/prince-y here wants to bathe with me? well what's the occasion, or are you just that touch starved?" he snickered with a smirk of a devil in his face

✦ 05 I also think he'd also ask you to undress you to like "sweetie… I don't think I can take off my shirt… can you help me?" and he would be dangling his chest window area

✦ 06 and his pants too maybe, to show you his d---

✦ 07 anywayz, when both of you finally get in the bathtub, he'd be so shy

✦ 08 pls lead him!! princess needs his directions on how to do it correctly :<

Aventurine had a big bathroom. Big bathtub, a lot of space, fully furnished bathroom, a complete set of bath commodities. For you, it was like a dream bathroom. And there you are, sitting on the brims of the bathtub. The water tempeture was warm and the fragrance of the soap that had been mixed with the water was devine.

The door opened, revealing Aventurine in a towel around his waist. You can hear the footsteps behind you. An indication he's coming. "The water is set, you can get it in you'd like" you played with the water just a bit.

Aventurine put a hand onto your shoulder and gave you a kiss on the cheek "Mhm sure, arent you getting in honey?"

"I am, i am.. what, you need help with your towel?"

"Is that an offer, sweetheart?"

"…forget I said anything then" he snorted and smirked hearing your retort

As soon as both of you had done removing eachother's towels, both of you get in the bath tub.

Aventurine, gets in slowly, almost like as if he was scared to break the water itself. Adorable, really. To see a man who acts so smug and so sure of himself, express nervousness when he's just taking a bath with his one and only lover. You noticed his nervous behavior and you cant help but let out a light chuckle, "Scared much, Avey?".

In which he reply "Nonsense, lovely." however to contrast his words, he stammered on his words he spoke. It's not that noticeable, so he hopes you don't notice it.

yet ofcouse you would notice it and scooch over to him closer and give him a little kiss on his shoulder and snake an arm on the back of his waist. Just a way to tease him, just a bit.

He flinched slightly by your touch and scoffed "Devil much huh? oh sorry, I meant hell spawn." you laugh, "Not my fault that handsome here is so stiff. Come on, I'll wash your hair and you wash mine"

He let you do as you please with him. It felt oddly nice to have someone taking care of him for once in a lifetime. You do it so gently with him too, now how could he not feel at least slightly emotional when only such a few people have given him comfort and almost all of them have died? And now here you are, taking care of him like he's a stray cat.

He just can't help it but say

".... I'm glad I met you, I love you, sweetheart."

Jing Yuan

✦ 01 Big cat. Very big cat.

✦ 02 Big cat flop onto the bath tub

✦ 03 Big cat will ask u to wash his hair (uncertain he would do the same tho)

✦ 04 Will sleep if u take too long to shampoo his hair.

✦ 05 Cold water can do the trick to wake him up

✦ 06 Would probably pull you in a huge hug too.

When Jing Yuan got on the bathtub, it was almost as if he hogged all the space that were available. "Hey, how come I don't get a room?" You complained. Which he replies with a lazy smirk "you can just sit on my lap?"

An awkward pause fills up the room, and the longer the pause, the more contagious the little pink blush is on your cheeks which he just cannot help himself to laugh. "Well? Would you like to, dove?" In which you just let out a whine.

Eventually, you cave in and give into his whims. It's not like there's any other way to get in the bath tub without any of his body parts being touched by you. Now here you are, sitting on top of his lap, looking like a confused cat, don't know where to leap next.

It was a sight for sore eyes. You looked cute, now he can't help but let out a playful chuckle and bring you forward to him. "Why so stiff? Is it your first time seeing me stripped? I don't think so…" Worst part, he gave you his signature little lazy smile, looking like he has no wrongdoings.

"That's… Irrelevant, just let me do your hair, baobei." Hence, he let his head down and let you untie his ponytail, and do the rest

While you were washing his hair, his eyelids suddenly felt heavy. He couldn't help it, it felt so good to have your delicate yet skillful fingers all over his scalp. It just so happens that you were doing too great of your job.

"Baobei, it's done~!" You twisted his hair and stuck it into the top of his head. "Baobei?" You called him out again. No response.

Out of suspicion, you raise his head to show his sleeping face. Ah, in all of the places in the universe.. he just had to sleep at this moment, you thought. Abruptly, you had a really… Devious plan to wake him up.

Jing Yuan really just needed to rinse the shampoo away and he'd be done. But instead of using the warm water, just use the icy cold water to wake him up. And perhaps instead of using the shower, why not just pour a bucket full of it? That's exactly what you did.

Sure, it's quite literally deceitful, but at least it gets the job done. It's hard to wake up this big general, so a bucket of cold water could do.

You took a small bucket lying around the bathroom and filled it up with cold water. Little did you know, Jing Yuan was already awake when you were done with his hair.

You swear you didn't feel the water vibrations changing, but somehow, he's already in your shoulder while you were still not done filling the bucket.

"Mmnh… What are you doing my Qīn qīn? Not trying to splash me with the cold water aren't you?"

Drat. How did he even—

"No-no… O-ofcourse not.."

"Then what is it for, hm?"

"I…" You decided to give up from the act. Goddamnit, you were so close!

"you know what? yes, I was, now.. have a taste—!" You splashed the water into his face. Yet, no response. Not even a reaction, single flinch, nothing… Literally unfazed.

"Mhm, it takes more than that to even make me flinch, baobei dear."

Sunday

✦ 01 Asking to bath with Sunday isn't really that hard... But he would reassure you if you want to do it, it's a very intimate action to bathe with one another.

✦ 02 But bathing with Sunday is like bathing with an angel in a cloud

✦ 03 He'd be so soft, delicate. As if scared to even hurt you, make a wrong move.

✦ 04 Though, as delicate as he can be, he expects you to do the same.

✦ 05 He would let you wash his wings, but be gentle with them!

✦ 06 Once again, his touch is so gentle. Like imagine him washing your face with his thumbs just circling your cheeks

"Dear, turn your head downwards for me please?" He asked. Your boyfriend, Sunday, couldn't have been more gentler. He's washing your hair and your whole body with firm yet gentle strokes. You did as he asked and turned your head downwards. "Good girl/boy..." and thus felt the warm water wash away all the foam that covered your entire frame.

"Mm... Shouldn't I be the one praising you, angel?" He let out a silent chuckle "And who's being the obedient one here, hm?" It was a somewhat convenient playful banter between the two of you. Convincing the other that they're better.

Once you're done, Sunday gave one last splash of water to your hair and scrub off any remaining shampoo or soap that still be sticking around. "There, all done." He gave a wet kiss on the forehead. Which you unintentionally let out a giggle. "Hey this isn't fair, can't I bathe you too?" You note, it was true, all this time who's getting the royalty treatment is just you. "Do you want to? If so you could do that.."

An unanticipated idea came up from your oh so brilliant head "How about I wash your wings?"

"..." He hesitated just a bit. If truth be told, he was quite... Anxious to lend you his wings. Just what if you accidentally pulled one of the feathers? "How about my.. body, dear? My hair?" He recommended

"I mean— sure.. but can I wash your wings? Pleasee?" You insisted and pleaded. You even crawled your way to his chest, he felt compelled to kiss that face of yours and hug you tight. Just how can he reject you? "Fine, fine... But be extremely gentle." He sighed.

You started on with his right wing. Once you've held it, the wing flinches by accident. You poured the soap into your hand and started caressing the tip of his wing, cleaning all the dirt or dust that was there. "Does this hurt, sunday?" Through which he denies "no, absolutely not, darling. You're doing great" and purred as you do his wings

As you did the other wing, he kept purring like a pigeon being petted. Perhaps it was to imply that he was very enjoying this.

"Enjoying this much, love?"

"Very" he cood "oh, and thank you, I love you darling.." you giggled in response as you rinse both of his wings "I love you too."

✧ XTRA : i fking gentlemenfied sunday dawg :sob: also this was vv rushed, thats why it keeps getting shorter from aven to sunday (Aven is 430 words n sunday is 400 words) but oddly enough jy is 560 words💀 cringed so bad in jy's part tho like i speedrun that shit & gonna write guitarist bf kazuha after this

[onlyangel4]

healing a heart i didn't break. LH44. MV1. SMAU. part three.

cheater! lewis hamilton x reader. max verstappen x reader.

when your boyfriend of three years fumbles, his rival is there to put the pieces of your heart back together bit by bit.

warnings: 14 year age gap with lewis. cursing. cheating.

author's note: our girl finally getting the treatment she deserves

prev // next

faceclaim: camilla morrone

y/ninsta posted a story

written: nothing could keep me away from austin

y/nupdates

liked by user12, user45, user62 and 15,629 others

y/nupdates: it is official mother is not missing the austin gp. she had us wondering whether she would be present after the news that dropped on friday and her not being present at qualifying but she is back in the paddock. as usual arriving with charles and alex. fits like this are one of the many things that make y/n the perfect wag.

view all 530 comments

user12: i'm so glad she didn't miss austin she is on the record so many times saying that it is her favourite date in the calender because of the chaos.

user45: the fit! y/exbff could never

user62: she is a better woman than me, i would be in bed eating my weight in ice cream if what happened to her happened to me

y/ninsta posted a story

written: change of scenery

f1updates

liked by user22, f1fan7, user54 and 250,028 others

f1updates: lewis hamilton faces engine failure during the 23rd lap and DNFs in austin.

view all 5,682 comments

user22: i call that karma

user54: oh no what a shame

f1fan7: y/n cursed that bitch

user52: the way the sky camera man knows exactly what he is doing. it cut from lewis getting out of his car to y/exbff looking all concerned and then to y/n sat in the rb garage just sipping her drink with a straw unbothered

f1

liked by maxverstappen, y/ninsta, f1fan32 and 920,310

f1: and he does it again. max verstappen takes poll at austin with norris in second and russell in third.

view all 19,283 comments

f1fan32: can't wait to see what mad max has to say about lewis' dnf

user61: he is going to have so much to say but red bull will silence him

y/nfan2: the way he hugged y/n when he got off podium. this friendship was so unexpected but it is so perfect

user51: they are so sunshine x grumpy coded and i love it

y/ninsta posted a story

written: an outfit change before dinner with my favourite people

y/ninsta

liked by maxverstappen, danielricciardo, alexandrasaintmleux and 761,982

y/ninsta: these past few months have been some of the worst of my entire life but the people in these picture + many more have made it one hundred times better. i love you all and i miss seeing you in the paddock however i am sure that with our many group chats i will still manage to annoy you all. so many exciting things on the horizon.

view all 7,284 comments

maxverstappen: going to miss your light in the paddock

y/ninsta: and i'm gonna miss all the free redbull

danielricciardo: and where did you get that last photo from

landonorris: i was about to ask the same thing

y/ninsta: you are both so stupid you stole my phone to take it

alexandrasaintmleux: charles is laughing at me for having tears in my eyes

y/ninsta: we are practically neighbors babe, you will see me all the time

y/nfan: y/n living in france? is she back in her model era?

carmenmundt: gonna miss my garage buddy but this is the right choice my love

y/ninsta: thank you my love

taglist: @sinofwriting @toldyouitwasamelodrama @formulaal

@minkyungseokie @shrbehndwn @gr1mes-cc @nichmeddar

@liberty-barnes @kravitzwhore @annaluna12

[just-a-touch-of-sass-and-fandoms]

Title: Atta Girl

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Word count: 1,330

Warnings: dirty talk, no actual smut but a definite lead up

A/N: I’ve never written Hotch before, so please be kind. I apologize for no editing, the idea came to me and I immediately wrote it on my phone lmao Enjoy! Feedback appreciated!!

Tagging @ssahotstuff and @hotchscvm because I recently discovered you guys and love your fics (hope it’s okay I tagged you!)

———

Pulling into the motel parking lot the team exited their SUV’s, grabbing their bags and slowly walking towards the rooms. Each of you were at the brink of near collapse from exhaustion, so everyone agreed to whatever lodging was closest.

“Alright, get some sleep. We regroup around 8am.” Hotchner looked over his shoulder.

“Come on Hotch,” Morgan groaned. “Give us a break, man.”

Hotch stopped and took in the teams exhausted faces. “Okay, I’ll give you a break. 8:15am be ready.”

“Such generosity,” Emily laughed.

“Reid, Morgan, Dave, you’re all in room 7. Emily, JJ, Garcia, you’re all in room 8. Y/N,” he turned to you. “You’re with me. Each of the rooms can only sleep 3 with someone taking the couch.”

“Fine.” You didn’t argue and walked past him. “But if you snore I’m sleeping in the car.”

Walking into the room you both gave each other an exasperated look. The beds were tiny. There was a table and chair in the corner that looked like it would collapse any second. And neither of you wanted to be there, but also didn’t have the energy to verbally protest.

“I’m going to feel huge in this bed.” You couldn’t help but laugh at his words. “What?”

“Um, in a different context that was kinda dirty.” You started to laugh again and Hotch ran his hands over his face.

“Must everything be dirty?”

“When it’s going to be funny, yeah.” You gave him a quick smirk and turned back to your bag. But it’s also a good option when you want to get a topic going.”

Hotch paused, staring down at his own bag. “Which one is it?”

You paused. “Right now? Funny.” You paused again. “But that’s just right now.”

Hotch let your words sink in and before he could respond you were the first to speak.

“Shower?” Hotch turned at your words. “Do you need it right now because I’m gross as hell.”

“Oh, no, all yours.” Hotch turned back to his bags to unpack his things.

You got the shower running and were halfway through shampooing when you heard a knock. “Y/N? I…”

“Yes?”

“I really, really need to pee. I’m sorry.” You could tell the mortification on his part through the door.

“You’re fine! Come in. I grew up with one bathroom so I’m used to it.”

As the door opened Hotch tried to keep his composure. “I am sorry.” You could tell he was hesitating.

“Um, you do remember I was a nurse for 5 years right? This is nothing.” Your words helped him relax.

While you finished rinsing your hair you were extremely aware of the fact that only a thin curtain stood between the two of you. You were completely exposed, and in a way so was he.

You could hear him wash his hands and leave the room. Quickly finishing you toweled off, threw your hair in a second towel, and wrapped yourself tightly making sure it wouldn’t fall. Grabbing the door handle you opened the door. “Bathrooms free.”

Hotch grabbed his things and walked over. As you moved to leave, he was coming through the doorway. Your chest brushed against his and your towel started to slip. As your hand flew to grab the towel, Hotch stared down at you, focusing on your face.

“That’s the second time you’ve been ‘inappropriate’ tonight.” Hotch’s eyes never left yours. “I’m starting to think you were trying to start a conversation earlier.”

Unsure of how to respond you moved through the doorway and turned to him. “Glad you’re finally catching on,” you smirked and walked away. Hotch took a deep breath and closed the door.

You grabbed a tank top and underwear and right as you covered yourself you heard the door open. “Can I come out? I forgot something.”

“Yeah no problem.” You answered not really realizing the level of undressed you were.

When Hotch turned the corner, he stopped mid-step, completely caught off guard. You didn’t even realize it until you felt his eyes on you.

“Oh, shit. Sorry. It’s how I slee-“ but you couldn’t finish your sentence. Standing there in nothing but a towel you took in his body. His large frame, his arms and shoulders, chest and torso.

“You good?” Hotch smirked, taking a few steps towards you.

“Um, respectfully,” you paused. “No way I could have guessed you looked….well this good under your suit.” Each of you let your words hang in the air. Hotch slowly started walking towards you.

“What caught your eye first?”

“I think…your biceps.” Your mind raced to give a reason. “You could really throw a girl around.”

In one motion Hotch crossed to you, grabbed your arms, circled them around his neck, and grabbed both your legs at your thigh to wrap around his waist. You buried your face in the base of his neck as you tightened your grip around his waist. Without a word he walked you to a wall and as soon as your back hit, he pulled his head back as you let yours rest against the wall. His eyes studied your face. Pupils dilated, lips parted, cheeks flushed, and chest rapidly rising and falling.

“You’re right. I can throw a girl around.”

“Show me.” You challenged.

Hotch smirked. “First I gotta make sure you’ll be worth it.”

It was your turn to smile. “Oh I promise…I will be.”

“I knew you would.”

Finally breaking the tension you pulled his lips to yours. You held the kiss, neither of you moving for several seconds. When the kiss finally broke, you each pulled back and smiled.

“Fucking hell Y/N.”

Hotch pressed his lips back to yours and this time the kiss was deeper. Your tongues slowly met and you tangled your fingers into his hair as your grip tightened on the top of his back. He dug his nails lightly, but firmly into your thigh with one hand and brought the other to tangle in your hair at the base of your head.

You needed him to know you were all in, but also you weren’t going to let him run the show. At least not right away. Getting a good grip on his hair you pulled his head back. You dragged your tongue up the side of his neck before resting your lips right next to his ear.

“You take on too much, and are in control too often. Let me show you what a good girl like me can do to you.”

Hotch’s breath caught in his throat before he let out a soft, low laugh that made his chest rumble. It was his turn to fist and pull your hair, exposing your neck to drag his tongue across your pulse point. His lips rested at the base of your ear and he paused to collect himself.

“You will be my good girl…however,” his hand let go of your hair and moved in one smooth motion to lightly grip your throat, “you will also be my dirty little slut, just for me, and show me every trick you have. I will take control when you edge me to the point I have no choice but to stop you so that after I make you cum again,” his grip tightened around your throat, “and again,” his grip tightened more, “and again, I will force you to the point you are literally begging for me to rail you until you nearly black out you cum so hard on my cock.” His hand let go and went back to grab your thigh. “Understand?”

Your head was spinning. Your pussy was tingling. You couldn’t decide if you wanted to kiss him or drop to your knees right then.

“I understand completely…sir.”

“Atta girl.”

He let you down slowly to your feet. His towel falling away as you slid down his body.

“Now,” he took a step back. “Show me how my perfect good girl will be my dirty little slut.”

[eccentricallygothic]

i didn't understand the last two episodes of supernatural at all. was it a covid thing?? it felt like they were written by people who'd never watched the show who just got brought in to wrap it up quickly. why didn't they even try to rescue Castiel from the empty?? that's what I don't understand. I figured when Cass died the last two episodes of the show would be Sam and Dean rescuing him! but he just died and they never mentioned him again! it made zero sense. Dean dying in that stupid way in the finale was totally ridiculous too. a spike through the back?? that he just oops fell on?? it was the dumbest thing I've ever seen. Dean has died like a million times already. in way worse ways than that. he always comes back. we know that. we were just supposed to watch that and be like "oh well I guess this time it's for real" like Jack didn't literally just become GOD the episode before?? like they're not friends with a super powerful witch who is the queen of Hell? like Castiel hadn't died and gone to the Empty before and come back?? like they don't know any magic?? it made no sense. they should do more episodes just to erase those last episodes. like start up a new season with Dean waking up from a nightmare in his bed in the bunker and going "wow I'm glad that didn't actually happen. ok! time to go save Cass!"

well, they said it was a covid thing 🤷🏻‍♀️ and i am like, a show that ran for almost 2 decades and had such a huge legacy, couldn't you wait instead of rushing it so bad that it ended up a disaster?

i agree with you 10,000%! even the john and mary come back arc? It felt so out of place if you ask me. they were literally doing anything towards the end.

also yes! cass did so much for them and they never mentioned him again??? they were all about protecting their own and crossing any boundary to do so but the excuse was that the empty doesnt answer to anyone bla bla bla. the entirety of spns runtime was about finding a way! team free will and all. i feel like Misha was forgotten as a whole towards the end

oooff don't even get me started on deans death. it was so fucking lame that it was unreal. a man who came back from hell? survived the mark of cain? fought archangels and endured possession by them? survived purgatory? literally fought god and killed god died just like that? it was extremely stupid and a not fair to his badass character at all

the last episode was a mess. after the shit storm that they boys went through during the shows runtime, it should have honestly been a happy episode because they had earned it and i am not hearing anyone out sorry! for my own mental peace i like to pretend the last episode doesnt exist thank you!

[gvfmarge]

The What Ifs and Buts.

I’ve never been one to choose myself over a significant other. I’ve always seemed to want to do anything and everything they’ve wanted; I dropped out of college to move home with my ex-boyfriend ffs 🙄 it didn’t work out and I moved back to college a semester later lmao. BUT I grew from it. So, in my dreamland tonight I thought of this little Jakey blurb. Because it’s totally me and I have attachment issues. This is toxic, it has to be right? So not healthy, but it’s just a story! Oh, also, I haven’t written in a very long time, so be gentle. Y/N is wild: I am she, she is me. Here is a cheesy, dumpster fire of a story!

TW: if you squint maybe an unhealthy attachment? Anxiousness, alludes to sex.

You met Jake 8 months ago, in a random little coffee shop on the edge of town. You remember feeling so melancholy, following through with your day to day life. It was ordinary, at least it felt that way at the time. Your life was exactly how you thought it should be: you got your big girl corporate job, your big girl apartment, hell you even got a cat. You were choosing all the right paths that had been drilled into your head since middle school. Get the job, get the money, get the house, married? kids? Was that next on the list? It felt like it was supposed to be the next check mark on your to-do list, but it felt hopeless. This was what life was all about, right? Why didn’t it feel like this was supposed to be how your life would go, you ticked all the right boxes but it still just didn’t feel like enough. You were proud of how far you had come. You were the first in your family to graduate from college, to move away from your tiny town and into the big city. You had made it in the eyes of everyone back home, but you just felt like it was a never ending game of “why am I so miserable?”

You had walked into the coffee shop just after sunrise, the exact same way you had everyday for the last 6 months you’ve lived in Nashville. You ordered your coffee and bagel, the exact order you did everyday. The exact pleasing smile, exact tip for the barista, same table as usual unless someone else beat you there. You sat as you scrolled through your work emails, preparing for your day ahead. The same day you’ve had for 6 months. Sighing, you collected your bags and made your way to the trash bin by the door.

When you turned to push open the door, you were met with two hands outstretched on your shoulders. “Oh my god I’m so sorry, I wasn’t even paying attention!” He had caught you just in time before you ran straight into his chest and presumably spilled coffee over both of you.

“No need to apologize, I’m just glad I won’t be wearing coffee this morning.” Your eyes followed along the skin of his exposed chest, focusing along the silver chains that sat against his smooth tan skin, up to the ends of his long wavy hair that laid against his broad shoulders and finally into his deep brown sparkling eyes. You were staring. You were totally staring but you couldn’t look away. Your mouth was instantly dry and any of the words that you could possibly even think to say were stuck in your throat. His eyes flicked towards his hands that were still clutching your biceps and he quickly pulled away. “So sorry about that” he quickly blurted out and shoved a hand through his hair. Time finally caught up with you, feeling like all the blood rushed back to your head at once and snapped you out of your trance.

Oh God, say something y/n, anything! You coughed, basically choked, and huffed out a laugh. You began giggling which quickly turned into a full laugh. You covered your face in your hands and finally looked back at the man who you basically just convinced you were clinically insane. Thankfully, he was laughing along with you, beaming his beautiful smile at you.

And that was that. You met for drinks the next day, had a drawer in his bathroom and clothes in his closet two weeks later, and he even bought cat food and toys the third week. It was perfectly perfect. The check box you had left empty had been marked off and your mundane days were now filled with happiness with Jake alongside you.

But, you knew the day was coming. There’s always a but, in everything that is perfect, there will always be a but. That’s just how your life was. You felt you couldn’t have one great thing without it crashing and burning sooner or later.

Jake was intertwined with you in bed, just after getting back to his house from a night out with his brothers. (Who had quickly became your brothers, just like everything in this situation had come together quickly) Your foreheads were pressed together, small pecks inbetween whispers, giggles in the dark. His fingers tracing lines up and down your bare arms. “You’ll be okay, won’t you love?” He whispered against your lips. You gave a short nod which turned into a fast shake of your head. “No, I don’t think I will be.” You were being honest. You had quickly learned that Jake’s schedule was sporadic and hectic, his life was full of chaos which was drastically different than your days full of constants and predictability. You had made it through the months just fine with the tour, a few days of him being gone here and there, it was hard but it worked. You made up for it in the time that he was home. But, he would be gone for 3 months this time. This was uncharted territory for your new relationship, that had given you a new outlook on your life. It had made the mundane more bearable and felt like your purpose in life actually made sense.

“I dont think I can do it, Jake” the tremble in your voice more noticeable than you had hoped. His thumb grazed against your cheek as he held your head in his hands. You could feel the sadness in the dark, making the air heavy and thick. “Then come with me.” It felt like you had imagined his words, you never thought he would actually ask that much of you. “What?” It came out harsher than you intended and your body tensed against chest. “I- I just thought maybe we could travel together.” He rolled onto his back and you could see his eyes staring into the ceiling above. “I wouldn’t have to worry about where you were or what you were doing and you wouldn’t have to worry about what I was doing, I don’t even know if we would be able to talk everyday if you stayed home. I mean.. it will still be hectic and busy but at least we could be together for most of it.” He swiveled his head to search for just an ounce of how you were feeling.

“What about my job, Jake?” The checklist was scrolling through your mind, reminding you of everything you thought you had accomplished and made you feel successful. “What about my life here?” You wanted to go, of course you did. How could you pass up months of traveling with the man you knew deep down was yours forever. But if he is your forever, did these next three months really matter in the grand scheme of things? You could make it and be better than ever when he got back.

“You are my life, y/n.” He whispered, the fear in his voice evident. “I love you and I never want to be away from you, I want to be with you, always.” The pure shock of his words had you gasping for air. It felt like all the air in the room had dissipated and you thought for a moment you had actually died and left your body lying right there in his bed. “You love me?” It wasn’t really a question, you had known it was him from the time you locked eyes all those months ago. “No, no wait.” You rushed out as you sat up on your knees and stared down at him, your panic had him scrambling to sit up against the headboard. Your body was working on autopilot as you crashed your lips to his in a frenzy. His hands lifted to your cheeks and he slowly pulled your face from his. “Y/n are you okay?” Through heavy breaths and blown out eyes you realized just how crazy you were acting. Always the one for dramatics, you groaned and cradled your face in your hands. “No.. yes. Yes. I’m okay. I just love you is all.” The whiplash you were giving Jake left him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as he took in your theatrics. “I love you, Jake.” Is all you managed to blurt out before his lips were on yours again.

The kiss felt ravenous, like your lips on each others was the only way for you to survive. You needed him just as much as he needed you. Your chaotic mind and anxious personality evened out with his calm and collected brain, you completed each other in ways that you had never believed was possible. You had always been too much, too needy, too loud. Your mind was too cluttered for other people. But Jake loved that you overthought everything, that you worried too much about things he couldn’t care less about. Your faults were his favorite things about you, it’s what made you you and helped balance out his own personality and feelings. You were the chaos to his calm.

His hands roamed across your thighs and up your lower back until he was running his hands through your hair. He gently tugged you down onto his chest until you were straddling his lap. “Then go with me.” He whispered, finally breaking away from your kiss to connect his forehead to yours.

You paused for longer than he expected, staring into his soul through his hazelnut eyes. Once again, your mental checklist of what was “right” flashing through your mind. You swallowed roughly, trying to find the right words to say. The big red neon flashing light lighting up in your head saying JUST DO IT and out shined your stupid checklist. “Okay.” You smiled against his lips.

“Yeah?!” Jake grabbed your face with both hands, staring into your eyes searching for any type of resistance. His strength hastily flipped you off of his lap and onto your back, pushing his body between your hips. His lips devoured yours as he rutted his hips into yours. Moving his kiss across your cheek and down to your sensitive spot just under your ear. Your hands splayed across his back just as you thought through your decision. He would be with you every night, you would get to see the boys in their element, the days of traveling and eating, months full of joy and laughter.

“Wait!” You blurted out, causing Jake to almost knock you out with the force of his head shooting up to look at you, your unexpected word giving him a look of terror. “What about the cat?” You giggled when you realized you had almost caused him to have a stroke. His shoulders relaxed and his head dipped to meet with your collar bone.

“Rose loves cats.” Is all he said before he made sure the only thoughts you had were of him and the memories you would make together.

[hyckism]

BOX. — three

(this chap also has written parts :)))

as you entered the small shop, the aromatic scent of books wafted into your nose. despite feeling like absolute shit, you always found solace in being at work.

“ugh finally! you're here," renjun says, sounding exhausted. "it’s been super slow today, but i managed to go through about 3 boxes. the rest are in the back and just need to be sorted on the carts to be put out. OH! also, chenle and jisung should be arriving in about 5 minutes. you could-"

“hi y/n how are you today??? i’m doing good renjun, just trying to forget about this hangover i have,” you interrupted while walking past him to place your belongings down behind the counter.

“listen y/n i’m SOO sorry, but you know how particular ms. jeong gets about things not being put together,” he says genuinely. you roll your eyes eyes and let out a small sigh.

“yeah i know. i forget to put the step stool away ONCE, and i haven’t stopped getting passive comments from her since. like i get it lady, damn,” you muttered while placing your right cheek against the cool counter, letting it ease the heat radiating off your face.

“yeah, i meant to ask, what happened with you and beomgyu?? last week, you were talking like it was going so well between you guys,” he questioned curiously. you turn your cheek to the left, now facing the door instead of him, embarrassed.

he sort of left me high and dry with the whole moving in together thing," you said, trying your best not to tear up at the thought of getting your heart broken. “he said he thinks we’re ‘moving too fast’ and he wants to ‘live a little’ before he settles down.”

“what a fucking ass? he really said that? i swear if i catch him i’ll-.“

“renjun, it’s okay! i promise. i actually don’t feel too terrible about it. like yeah it hurts, but i’m glad he did it now instead of at the alter or something. would’ve been WAYY more embarrassing honestly,” you chuckle.

“i guess… still wanna beat his ass though,” he mutters, coming over to your figure at the counter, leaning resting his chin on his hand. you turn back to face him placing your arms under you head, the smooth material of your jacket replacing the cold counter.

“worst part is, i already told my landlord i was leaving and he’s already got someone else in line to move in when i’m out. i don’t think i’ll ever be able to find a deal as good as the one i’m getting now. the economy sucks,” you sigh. renjun perks up, processing your words.

“wait did you just say you’re looking for a place?” he questions.

“yeah. and i only have three weeks to-“

“i know a place,” you stand up immediately urging him do do the same and continue.

“are you serious?? omg tell me!! tellmetellmetellmetellme!!!” you shout while shaking his shoulders. “w-well yeah. jisung’s roommate just left today and he was complaining about not being able to afford the full rent by himself. i don’t know all the details so you’d have to talk to him about it.-“

**DING**

just then the chime of the door brings your attention to it, a tall man in a red hoodie and dark sweats comes rushing in, breathing heavily.

“i came as fast as i could, is she-“ almost instantly his eyes land on you and he immediately stands up straight and adjusts his look.

“hey,” he says in a deep voice, still attempting to ease his breathing while trying to maintain his fake cool guy demeanor.

“hi,” you giggle, attempting not to burst out laughing in his face. “i’m jisung by the way, you must be y/n,” he says voice almost fully back. you turn to renjun and give him a look that says ‘really? THIS guy.’ he nods his head in approval and you turn back to the man in front of you.

yes, i am," you smile, "it's nice to meet you, jisung." you extend your hand for him to shake, and he takes it, shyly smiling back, his façade faltering. you notice that his hands are slightly rough yet still super soft, and they're so large, almost engulfing your own. the grip on your hand was strong, yet not too tight, nor too loose, with veins accentuated by his slightly rolled-up sleeve.

lost in thought, you hardly even catch renjun clearing his throat until you swiftly release jisung's hand, causing him to snicker. as you turn to face renjun, he squints suspiciously at your antics and then shifts his gaze back to Jisung.

“i was actually just telling her about jeno moving out, and how you’re gonna need a new roommate,” he speaks as he places his hands on your shoulders turning you back around to face the other man. “you see, y/n here, is looking for a place in the area to move into, says her place is too quiet or something,” he lies. you mentally note to thank him for not sharing ALL your business to someone you just met.

“oh yeah?” jisung says in his rich voice, your knees ALMOST buckling as he slightly leans down to your level, raising one eyebrow with a tilt of his head. “need a place, pretty girl?”

your face immediately heats tenfold at the nickname, hangover long forgotten. hands immediately fly to cover most of your face and cheeks, looking at jisung through the gaps in your fingers. you nod before continuing to speak. “y-yeah. i have about three weeks to move out a-and…” you shut up, clearing your throat standing up straighter and lifting your chin to meet his gaze.

‘come on y/n. LOCK IN.’

“i’d have to get to know you more before i consider it though,” you finish, moving to walk in front of the counter to get out of his proximity, placing your hands on your hips. he laughs and stand to his full height.

‘damn he’s tall.’ you thought.

“yeah of course. how ‘bout after this you give me your number and we can work out when to meet again when we’re not busy? sounds good?” he asks, once again tilting his head slightly with that fucking eyebrow.

“yeah,” you chuckle while looking down slightly “i will,” you finish.

“now that that’s done, where’s the hell’s chenle?? i thought you guys came together?” renjun questions jisung.

“yeah ha… i may have actually…” jisung starts, nervously twiddling his thumbs, but the door opening interrupts once again.

“this motherfucker RAN out the car at a red light, THREE stoplights back mind you, saying i was taking ‘too long’ and he has a girl ‘waiting’ on him,” the slightly shorter man walks up to the counter, looking at renjun and pointing to jisung as he spoke. the man in question seems to be unusually intrested in the light fixtures and celing fans around the shop. you approach him and wave to get his attention.

“hey there! you must be chenle, right? i’m y/n,” you smile meeting his gaze. chenle waves back looking over you towards renjun and jisung, smirking.

“i get it,” is all he says before placing his items down on the counter.

“well now that everyone is here, it's time to get to work," renjun enthusiastically claps and gestures for everyone to follow him to the back to begin restocking.

previous — masterlist — next

UNEDITED

im so late😭😭 but chap 3 SLAYYY!! tysm for everyone being so sweet i love it here honestly haha💕💕

☆ TAGS ☆ @yyangj3lly @miyawwn @buns-inhiding @axo-l0tl

[morethansky]

***TBB SPOILERS***

My primary takeaway from these last six episodes is that Hunter and Crosshair ARE SO MARRIED OH MY GOD. They do everything together, even little chores.

And my Crosshair-is-Hunter's-second agenda continues to thrive; since their reunion, Hunter has hardly made a decision without checking with Crosshair first.

The way I cackled at Crosshair looking up at a ship careening in the sky and being all put upon: "Uh-huh. That's the idiot I married. Unfortunately."

And then the way he hurriedly reached for his binocs when they saw the ship crash, and how the camera lingers on him to show his relief, sob. I see you and thank you for your service, shippers on the crew.

Finally a glimpse of the cadets! Thinking about them tasting ice cream for the first time makes me want to cry. How many clones have never tasted it...

I like that "Identity Crisis" was like a mirror of "Confined," but I think it could have been 15 minutes. To be fair to them, I feel this way about like 75% of the franchise.

So we were all very wrong about what was in the Vault. What was Palpatine even going in there for, honestly. I do quite like this foreshadowing of the Inquisitorius though.

The ominous hint about Emerie's past is interesting. Is the implication that Nala Se took Omega under her wing and abandoned the rest of the Omega clones? Like Jango, I guess.

I love that Tarkin's cameos are all about funding. Something about the Imps squabbling over government spending just delights me. I wonder if the end of that conversation actually means he's not going to be killed by the clones but by Palpatine instead? That'd be kind of disappointing tbh.

Hilarious to me that Fennec got an entire episode and Cad Bane got like two minutes of screentime. Like Asajj, he knows when to stay out of the plot. They did my boy Todo justice though, love that dumb droid.

I, a plushie enthusiast, approve of how this is adamantly a pro-plushie show. But how am I supposed to believe that Omega, who missed Lula so much she effectively cloned her, was just going to leave her there??? I guess that whole scene was just a way to remove her and the goggles from the ship before it exploded.

I'm in the middle of writing like five different Tech/Wrecker whump fics and even I wouldn't have written CX-2 effectively shooting Wrecker. My heart!!!

I was so worried about Gonky. Glad he's okay.

"Point of No Return" needed 15 more minutes, actually. I continually find it so jarring how quickly this show breezes through reactions. It would've been nice to see at least a little more from the Batch at the sight of their ship being blown up.

That ending...was not for me. Crosshair missing that shot after he was given an entire episode to figure out what was wrong and meditate is such a frustrating choice. What even is going to be the arc here? Is it really going to be him abandoning his weapon entirely? That should be an upswing in the plot, but at this point it'd be more believable for him to be like, "Man, fuck this, I'm over it," lmao.

I'm glad Omega at least chose to get captured. Everyone knows I've been pissed about the anti-heroic messaging of this show from the start, and given how afraid I was that they would just abandon the other clones, I'm very relieved Omega's had this arc of worrying about them. But it's so silly to retread this line of plot after the three kickass episodes covering this exact thing. These next episodes are absolutely about to be messy af, and it's a bummer how it'll take away from the impressive clarity of the first three.

Why does this show keep cutting the titular team off at the knees?? Seems like Omega will probably work with Emerie and Nala Se to contact the Batch and Echo/Rex with the coordinates, but that will mean that Hunter's group will once again be lost and searching in the meantime. And they didn't even get to find her the first time!

Truly the quintessential fandom show. Half of it makes me tear my hair out in frustration and the other half makes me shriek in delight.

[genmaichafan]

FREN! IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE’VE TALKED!

WHAT IF: Some rando has been trying to flirt with the reader. He seems to be ignoring how uncomfortable the reader is. This makes Donna incredibly jealous, as she doesn’t take kindly to creeps trying to steal away her girlfriend. As such, she TERRIFIES the creep and sweeps her gf home (lots of kisses and fluff ensue).

TY SM

Hello hello friend i have written it sorry i dont think its my best work and i kinda ignored the second half of the prompt because i uhh got lost in the sauce of an idea.

Anyways enjoy.

Donna x f!reader. modern au. sfw.

You had been at the coffee bar for a while now, Donna had just gone out to grab something quickly at the time being.

You loved this coffee shop.

the barista was friendly and always knew your favourite order. The seat you always wanted in the corner was often empty. And most of all it was quiet.

Something both Donna and you appreciated.

But today of all days there was a promotion going on for old brew that seemed to draw in people like crazy.

it was packed.

and worst of all there was this guy here. That seemed to be eying you up and down with a smirk, something in his eyes said he thought you were easy prey.

”donna please come back so we can leave” you whispered under your breath.

”talking to you self pretty lady?”

oh god he actually approached you.

”yeah i like talking to myself and the voices!” You tried to make him think you were mentally unwell so he would leave you alone.

”whoa. Spicy. I like that.”

you internally face palmed. This frat boy was not going to leave you any times soon.

“Yes I actually am waiting for my partner-“

”oh yeah? You guys open or something?”

you hadn’t noticed but donna had been back from whatever errand she had been doing and had heard the very last thing the creepy man said. She was seething beyond repair.

”no we aren’t open.”

”oh you're her partner?”

he eyed her up and down like he did you earlier.

Donna’s response to this was to start speaking tongues of obscure italian. literally cursing the man. Donna was not a witch but she was trying to cast imaginary spells.

to further sell her game she took out her large and intimidating garden pruning sheers and cut off a lock of his hair really quickly. Not before clutching and blowing the lock into his face further selling the gambit.

The gullible man's face was turning more and more pale and when the final move was cast his hands were shaking.

”w-witchcraft!!” He did not think twice about running away.

donna quickly walked up to you. Dropping the facade. Quickly taking up your hands into hers.

”are you okay mi amore?!”

”yes, thanks to you.” You smile was half amusement still remembering the display, and half adoration.

”im glad.” she brought her lips to your quickly, hoping to wipe the remainder of the man’s presence on your mind away.

”what were you going to get?”

”thats a secret. For now.”

”no fair you know i dont like secrets.”

”i know i know but im hoping youll be happy to see it.”

_____

“Are you sure we should go to our secret spot? It’s going to be super dark this time of night.”

”I promise it won't be that bad mi amore.”

Had it been anyone else you would have not believed them. You were heading to a secret alcove in the nearby park that Donna and your friends liked to hang out at but it didn't have much of a way of being illuminated in the dark, but you knew better.

”ok i trust you.”

Donna's response to this was to take your hand and begin racing towards the park pulling you along with her.

you two laughed along the whole way as if playing like children.

_____

When you arrived you didn't want to say it but youre were kinda right.

it was almost pitch black in the hide away and you couldn’t really see anything. Luckily; you could make out certain shapes enough to not fall or trip on anything. Not to mention you suddenly had no idea where Donna was.

”Donna?”

”right here mi amore” she was right behind you.

“What are we doing here today my love?”

”oh you'll see.”

Just like that the lights that had never been here before turned on. The alcove was beautifully decorated to yours and donnas personal tastes almost as if there was going to be a celebration of shorts set up with fairy lights set up with an extra table with Champaign.

before you could even ask what was going on, Donna got down on one knee.

your breath hitched.

”[y/n], will you marry me?”

Somehow you had managed to bring yourself to affirm that you would in-fact love to marry Donna through the shock.

“Yes! I would love to marry you!”

You two quickly brought each other's lips halfway to meet in the middle in union. savoring the moment between you two and the deep connection you shared. Donna smiled so widely when you finally parted that she had to cover her face a bit. A bad habit that she had not managed to nip that you found extremely cute.

”I love you donna.”

”and I love you more than you could ever know.”

[ashsimpsalot]

thank you for doing god's work and blessing us with wonderful monkey man fics 🫡

if youre taking requests, id like to make one with a blackwidow!reader, she's undercover at the hotel as well and was confused when someone made an attempt at rana singh then tracks kid down and even helps him train. they go through the fight together and after that they start a new life in the end 🫶

sorry if its too specific, feel free to make any changes however you like and tysm in advance if you decide to do this 🩷✨️

The lack of kid x reader content is killing me. I'm glad you liked my fics though, thank you for reading! THIS IS MY FIRST REQUEST EVER ERM

I've never written action before, hopefully I do this fic justice. Im sorry if it just seem like I'm yapping😭

Hands Up (Kid X Blackwidow!Reader)

Holy Fuck!

You've been undercover in India for almost 2 months and you didn't even know autos could drift like that!

You're hot on their trail, abusing the throttle to its limit.

Whoever this guy is, he's either extremely ballsy, or extremely stupid to go after Rana Singh like that.

The helmet didn't help with the shooting sounds at all, you couldn't take it anymore, drifting away and avoiding to be near but near enough that you could see where the guy was going. Your already ringing ears would go deaf if you trailed them any closer.

Shit he went into an alleyway.

Your eyes trailed around the road.

Bingo

Another alley that links to his spot.

Maybe it took you 5 minutes extra but once you got there, the auto was already flipped onto its side, empty. The policemen were chasing someone who's running on foot.

Running on the fucking roof!

Limping.

You twisted the throttle of the motorbike to chase after him but he ended up falling onto the road after an officer shot his leg

You hit the brakes. Tires screeching loud at how sudden the brake was. Stopping the bike right in front of him.

"get the fuck on! Hurry!"

He looked confused but decided to question it later and hopped on.

You zoomed away from the place, going into an alley an coming out the other, making sure no one sees where you guys were headed.

His grip on your waist loosens.

Oh no he's losing blood.

"man don't pass out on me yet!" you yelled, making sure he heard but his answer was mumbling and gibberish. Before he could limp off of the bike, you reached back and placed one hand on his back.

You sighed and accepted your fate, your arms going to hurt from the weird position but at least he won't fall off.

You zoomed right to the temple, dragging this tall building of a man in with you all by yourself.

You called on Alpha, she almost chuckle at how you struggle to bring the man in.

"I told you, child, if you need help, ask for it," she said like a mother nagging her child while helping you steady the man.

"I am asking for help, help this guy," you reply mumbling like a teenager after being scolded, she let's out a huff and guided the man onto the makeshift bed.

"wait outside, take care of your own wounds, hm? There's food in the kitchen, eat up," she said softly then closes the curtain.

A pang in your heart, she's like a mother to all these people here and to you too. You didn't expect to step foot on the motherland and gain an actual mother figure.

When you hear the man screaming in agony you knew exactly what she was doing as you yourself was on that makeshift bed a month ago.

You chuckled and went to the kitchen.

After indulging in a plate of naan and a cup of coffee, you sighed and lean against the chair, closing your eyes, floating in a food coma. finally taking the well needed rest you've been procrastinating.

That is until a soft pinch on your shoulder startle you.

"I told you to tend to your wounds first, child," Alpha scolded, dragging a chair in front of you with the small medical box in her hands.

25 years of training, nothing could get past you.... except for Alpha. For some reason she has a way to sneak up on you.

You gave a silly smile, letting her tend to your light wounds. "I was hungry," she hummed dismissively.

"the man is alright, he'll need a few hours before he regain consciousness. Who is he?" she asked, eyes still pinned onto the cut on your arm.

"he tried to go after Rana Singh, all by himself, in Queenie's hotel with a small gun. I think he could've succeeded but not sure what made him miss the shot," you said simply.

"why did you help him?"

"he's stupid but I saw how he fought, he's got potential,"

Alpha hums and packs the medical box. "and maybe because he has a pretty face," you joked while grinning at her. She chuckled and shook her head and stood up.

"your bed roll is still unused," she said, some guilt creeps up on you. You left, after staying with them for a month, to go after Queenie.

"thank you,"

You went to take a little nap.

When you open your eyes again, you heard chaotic voices of confusion. The guy had woken up.

"hey, clam down,"

"you? You're... The chef?" he's more confused than ever. You nodded. "look, you're still recovering, take it easy and sit down. I'll explain everything."

He seemed reluctant but sat down on the nearest branch anyway.

"who..are you?" he asked, eyes pinning on his fidgetung hands.

You started with your name and he nodded. Taking a few seconds, wondering where to start.

"I'm a blackwidow, well, was a Blackwidow, after the fall of the red room most widows just work with each other trying to free others who were injected with mind controlling serum."

Blackwidow? His mind flashed to pictures of the only famous widow, Natasha Romanoff, the fucking avenger? He looked confused but try to take in what you said.

"but I didn't do that. I came for revenge."

"revenge? On whom?" he looked up at you, you knew that look in his eyes, you see them in your own everyday, the thirst for revenge, sunk in a sea of violence.

"They ship kids, the red room, they take us in very very young." you started with a heavy voice, you've told this story multiple times but fuck, knowing you're so near to where it happened is just too much.

"and where do you get kids, untraced, unwanted, unregistered kids?" your eyes lifted to look at him, as if quizzing him. He shook his head as a sign that he never thought about that.

"human trafficking rings, prostitution rings and Queenie just happen to have the biggest rings in whole of fucking Asia,"

He furrowed his eyebrows. He's known a fair share of prostitute, most of them keep their kids, at least his mother kept him, but his mother did left to live somewhere else.

"Queenie has a reportation to uphold, she can't have legal cases against her, she can't have her girls die from multiple abortion, the kids will just be threads someone could pull and find out the truth so she cuts em. Take all the kids and ship them for the red room. She got a ton of money for that too,"

He looked horrified, he didn't even know that was a thing people fucking do.

"I want to put a stop to this, maybe there red room is gone but she's still doing something with those kids,"

He looked up at you and nodded, he understood.

"what about you? Going after Rana Singh by yourself like that, in his own slice of heaven,"

He sighed then stared off into the distance, he's eyeing the kids who were giggling and chasing each other in the middle of the temple.

A sense of innocence both of you lost a long time ago.

"he killed my mother," you sucked in a quick breath. Mother, you're both avenging your mothers then. Though he's avenging a woman he knew and you don't event know the name of yours.

"then we better get ready. I saw you, when you were fighting. You fight a lot?"

"at the ring. For money" you nodded, you know of the tiger temple, an excuse to gamble, honestly.

"I realise you let your left hand go idle for too long, we'll work on that," you simply said and stood up.

"though for now, you should rest, I'm going for a shower, Alpha will bag my ears off if she realise I took a nap before showering."

You offered him a smile, half joking.

The next few weeks are dedicated to teaching him, reminding him not to neglect his left hand. Another habit you see is that he sucks in and hold his breath in while throwing a punch, leaving his breathing a little erratic after a long fight.

"there you go, Kid!" you yelled with a smile after he basically torn the makeshift punching bag.

He walked towards you. "was that good?"

You nodded though a silly smile creeped on your lips. "yeah, had the whole temple screaming, I bet it was because your lack of clothing," you teased. Kid smiled, a genuine smile, and thanked you.

One night he went missing, two nights before diwali, a bag of money was hung on one of the branches with a note with his writing on it.

You went to find him and when you did he looked apologetic.

"I told you, we're doing this together," you said, hitting him with a slap on his stupid face. He turned back to look at you. "I'm sorry I... I had to fight in that ring alone."

His voice soft but fuck, his lips looks softer, maybe he saw that desire in your eyes because he had them in his own. He pulled your arms softly, leaning down to kiss you on your lips.

"we stick together, that's the plan," you breathed softly after he pulled away. Kid, being himself, didn't say anything and nodded.

He didn't think he could've kept that promise but he did.

The night of diwali, you dragged him out of the burning hotel, he had passed out after killing Baba Shakti.

He woke up to the same scene he did almost 2 months ago but this time with familiar faces and a heavier feel in his chest, relief. Relief that he's alive, that's new for him.

"you're awake," you said. He looked dreamy, that's also new.

"why are you looking at me like that?" you asked, worried if he had lost too much blood or hit his head too hard somewhere. Your hands carefully trace his face, head even body to inspect if Alpha had missed a wound somewhere.

He shook his head, toon your wandering hands in his and smiled.

Fuck, he's finally home.

With the woman he loves, a sanctuary that might need fixing but filled with pure love, a worried woman that plays a role his mother played years ago.

He had a reason to live.

"I love you," Kid whispered, he trued to think of the last time he's said that but no memory came up.

Your eyes soften and that day he fell deeper.

"I love you too"

A few years later he'd tell the kids that laid on his chest, with his hair and your eyes, a smile on his face, proudly tracing the memory of how the wild monkey finally find his peace with a spider.

The little girl laughed. "amma'a a spider!" she would repeat that again and again as if that's the funniest thing her appa ever said, her brother chasing after her, suddenly it's a game of tag.

"don't run!" Alpha would scold after the two almost bumping into her, scared that she'll accidentally spill the drink she's taken for herself.

Kid laughed.

His life is perfect.

It's perfect.

[you-are-constance]

how was the great gatsby musical?

overall, one of my favorite theatre experiences. to the level that i have been looping the cast recording nonstop since it came out last week

i do have a lot of specific points that i could talk So Long about with this show, most of which i'll put under a read more, but first: casting

anyway. spoilers for the great gatsby musical (things that were changed from the book for the production)

the 'main four' being Jeremy Jordan, Noah J Ricketts, Eva Noblezada, and Samantha Pauly, were all absolutely incredible. show stopping in their own ways. i was genuinely so scared that when i saw it that any of these 4 wouldn't be on, but i got so lucky and all of them were!! i am 100% convinced that many of the songs were written just to showcase certain actors voices (jeremy jordan).

let me tell you. getting to see jeremy jordan and eva noblezada live was unlike anything i've ever seen before. i was like. genuinely honored to be there. their stage presence, their voices, their acting ability, oh man... and Samantha Pauly was just incredible, and her big number was so. show stopping. Noah J. Ricketts was amazing the whole time, but his emotion in finale as he was saying the lines that are basically quoted exactly from the book... yeah i cried.

but so many other actors were also so amazing! John Zdrojeski as Tom was so good at the role, because Tom really was genuinely awful, but not in like an evil villain way, because he's much more realistic than that. i also find that a lot of times Tom is kinda seen as stupid or whatever for not noticing a lot of things going around him but in the musical he really like. could tell what was going on. and he worked his way into finding out secrets (kinda more on this later bc of my favorite song)

another main this was just. the design. Linda Cho costumes MY BELOVED im so glad she won the tony because this show DESERVED IT. it was definitely a glorified image of what those 1920s outfits would actually be, but most musical theatre isn't meant to be an exact replica of history, it's meant to dramatize it, and Linda Cho understands the assignment when it comes to costumes. the lighting and scenic design were also just incredible, especially their use of the green light shining from across the bay...

the show started out with Gatsby onstage, reaching for the green light. a set piece is moved across the stage, passing in front of him, Nick standing where Gatsby was. within that moment i was like "if they don't end the show with Nick standing there, the set piece passing in front, and leaving Gatsby behind, reaching for the green light, then what is the POINT" and then they DID and it was just as great as i'd imagined.

there were definitely changes to the story to adapt it to the stage, which i actually enjoyed (i've read the book, but didn't love it mostly due to a bad experience with reading it in school so. yeah). it is kinda more romance-centric in the first act, which i have heard people complain about, but i kinda see reasoning for it. yes, the first act is very much centered around the various relationships (especially the romantic ones), and in the second act, while certain characters (mostly gatsby) try to keep it centered on the romance, there is a much bigger, darker story going on all around them. so i really liked that meta perspective of it.

they also gave a lot more character to mr wilson (idr his first name), effectively intertwining him with both Gatsby and Wolfsheim as he, from the very beginning, plans to move him and Myrtle away from the city (its been a hot sec since i read the book, so idr if that's there but i don't think it is).

the relationship between Nick and Jordan is also taken a lot further in the musical, to the point where they are engaged, but after Myrtle's death, it gets broken off. this is because, in this version, Jordan ends up lumped in with both Tom and Daisy, in with the old money. throughout most of the show she is much more aware of society and doesn't want any part of what her role 'should' be, but when things go south, she is just as quick as the others to abandon what's 'right' in favor of what's better for her. and ik some people might not like that change but i actually did.

Myrtles character is also taken a lot further in this, which i find really fascinating. she is given her own big number right before her death as she tried to go after Tom, saying that he'll leave Daisy and marry her instead, but then she realizes she'll become just like Daisy in that situation, and the only choice is 'love or money.' she eventually decides that she wants to go back to her husband, and the moment she turns back, she is killed. this was Such a big number and, looking back, might be one of my favorites story-wise.

while i absolutely adored most everything, genuinely, the music was by far my favorite part (besides maybe jeremy jordan and eva noblezada...) a personal thing for me was that Every. Single. Song. has SUCH a good bassline. man i need the sheet music for this show. (side note: i got to talk to the show's bass player for a few minutes after the show! i was super nervous about it but im glad i did. he was super nice)

there's def a mix of more modern showtune styles, along with bringing in a lot of jazzy elements, which was GREAT. i love jazz. like i mentioned before, certain songs were definitely written for actor's voices (Past is Catching Up to Me) which is absolutely not a bad thing because they were AMAZING

two of my favorite songs were 'Only Tea' and 'Made to Last.'

only tea is when Gatsby is stressing about Daisy coming over for tea. this was hilarious. I kid you not jeremy jordan jumped a fence at the end. it was iconic. (you can Feel the nerves in just the cast recording alone).

made to last takes place in the scene in the Plaza. it's mostly Tom, revealing the secrets he learned about how Gatsby got his fortune, then Gatsby trying to get Daisy to tell Tom she doesn't love him. there are So Many Good lines in this song (everyone kinda drags Tom a lot its great) but this is where the characterization of Tom was really just. top notch. because he really is freaking Awful. but he's also smart and not going to let go of what he owns (not good that he considers Daisy a possession though...), and he knows exactly what is going to happen to Gatsby--he's not Made to Last.

(also the song Shady is iconic. spinny tailcoats)

another just. singular line that i need to draw attention to, sung by mr wilson (he has multiple songs directed to the Eyes of God), and this line is right when he decides to go after Gatsby. "God sees everything but he's slow on his commands/You've got the eyes of God, Doc/Who's gonna be his hands?"

(this line is reprised in the middle of Gatsby's song right before the gun goes off. fun fact)

i'm sure there are So Many Other Things i could talk about (i s2g i could write 13 essays about this show) but in general like. while it wasn't groundbreaking to the theatre, it was still Such a good show and absolutely deserves better yknow. attention then it's getting. like jeremy jordan is here for a Reason this is a Good show. and mostly this is my begging people to listen to the cast recoding because its SO GOOD.

anyway. if anyone has questions about specific things i am So Happy to talk but here's a lot of my more general thoughts... (god i haven't even Talked about Eric Anderson as Wolfsheim...)

[ichigoromi]

𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭 | 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

It's been a long time since I've written a Sakusa piece, and I kind of got a little crazy with it.

Judging by the title, it's not your usual fluff.

Pairing: Sakusa Kiyoomi (timeskip) x fem reader! (she/her)

Genre(s): tragedy, angst

Warning(s): terminal illness, reader's death, lots of sad stuff.

Please proceed with caution.

Sakusa Kiyoomi

“Kiyoomi, let’s break up.”

On the seventh anniversary of our relationship, I decided to break it off with the man that I once decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I knew he would propose to me in that fancy restaurant that would have taken months to get a reservation to go in. I even know that he got my dream ring because he hid it in the drawer of his socks compartment.

I broke it off with him because I want him to resent me.

I want him to resent me to the point that he does not want to remember me or forgets all about me.

Why?

He deserves someone better than me because I am a bad person.

After the dinner date, I successfully stopped the proposal and ditched him there and spend the night at a cheap motel. No matter how many times he called or messaged, I ignore all of it. I deleted all the photos we shared together in my phone, so that I will not regret what I am going to do for the next few months.

This was killing me on the inside but I have to do this.

On the first day of post breakup, I packed up all my stuff and send it back to my childhood home back in Okinawa. I wanted to throw all of our pictures hanging around our home, but I want to give him the honours of destroying our happy memories.

I quit my job in Osaka and left for Okinawa. On the same day, the news article of our breakup was released. I felt some weight lifted from my heart. At least he accepted it.

During my first week back, it finally hit me. I broke up with the love of my life. I cried every night to sleep. It was painful, harsh and torture to sleep by myself but it was all of a choice made by myself.

As I was not working anymore, I had more time to spend with my family and helped out with the family small yet bustling inn that was filled with tourist.

Weeks turned into months and it was time for my family to know the truth. It was the first time I saw my tough bear papa bawled like a baby that day. I felt bad but the truth was going to come out sooner or later.

Every evening, either my mother or father would bring me to the beachside for a light walk. They say it was for my own good, but I know they are just worried about me. I guess I should not let them worry more.

Instead of going out for one of my usual night walks, I asked them to give me some privacy.

I prepared three envelopes and begin writing.

Oh, it’s not some love letters. It was my will. One for my parents, another for…him and another one for our baby girl. I used to be a lawyer, so this was a piece of cake for me. Who am I kidding? It’s never easy. I’ve tried written my wills a thousand times but I could not do it.

It kind of seals the deal that I am going to die.

When I received my diagnosis, it was a nightmare in disguise. I was 18 weeks along and…I have cancer. A terminal one at that. Life sure loves me…huh. I have already started on chemo, since I have passed the danger zone but I have lost all my hair.

I hope my baby girl gets her daddy’s luscious dark curls. How do I know if it’s a girl? I just know in my gut feeling that it will be a girl.

Besides, I hope my baby girl looks like him, I don’t want to leave another piece of me behind for him.

This is torture.

Why is life so unfair? I just wanted to be a good lawyer, get married to the love of my life and have children with him. Is it so difficult for me to live a normal life?

But I am glad to see him moving on. I recently read on an article that he was spotted on a date with one of the famous actresses that my mother probably watches.

I am happy for him. Truly, I hope he lives his life for himself and not for me.

My doctors told me that I will be able to carry my baby to full term and that was all I need. I hate chemo but I needed to do it for my baby girl.

There could be a change of events cause Mama’s body is very sick, so I am going to name you Miyuu.

I am going to add in the will in case someone objects to your name.

When my friends flew into Okinawa to see me, they all broke down and bawled like babies. Do I look that terrible? Guess I don’t have the pregnancy glow that most pregnant ladies have.

And yes, I am having a baby girl. My chemo treatment has stopped as we have about eight more weeks to my delivery date.

Everyone was updating on how their life has gone and then they told me about him too.

I am glad that he is moving on well with his life.

That is all that matter, his happiness.

As long he is happy, I can leave this world happily.

I hear the beeping of the machine and my shallow breathing in the oxygen mask that helps to breathe better. I felt my bump weakly and relaxed when I heard the strong heart beating of my baby girl.

Miyuu, darling, I’m sorry that mummy got sick before you came out to this beautiful world.

I hope you are as healthy as your father, but not the anal person like him. Be more like mummy and make more friends.

But don’t lie to your loved ones like mummy. Always be truthful.

I know you will grow up and be loved by everyone.

Mummy is going to take a rest now, my sweet darling, be safe and healthy.

“Code blue!”

The flatline, the dreaded beep sounds, the anxiety and helpless of not being able to do anything. The doctors tried their best to stabilise the mother but it was no use. She was gone at the age of 28, and now they have to save the baby in her too.

They promised the young lady that they would save this baby of hers no matter what.

“Call the OBGYN, Paediatric surgeons and book the operation theatre. We have to deliver this baby now. I will inform the family.”

It was all too soon for the family but time was of the essence.

After losing his only daughter, now they have to pray for their granddaughter.

With shaky hands, he signed the form. The form to save his granddaughter but nothing could bring back his daughter. His precious girl that he raised for 28 years old, passed before him.

“Please…please tell me I’m not too late. No…Wait, what is going on?”

Kiyoomi lets out a shaky breath as he slowly approaches the glass window, and saw it all. Your lifeless body lying in there, while the doctors were prepping to go in for an urgent surgery. The baby bump broke him.

Your father wrapped his arms around the tall volleyball player and no words were needed.

He did not even say his last words or even spend your last moments together.

Without a care in the world, he cried in your father’s arms. He was too late, to hold you in his arms, to say I love you for the last time.

At least you did fulfil one of the promises that you make together, half of it, was to build a family with him.

Every second was agonising as they waited outside the operation theatre. Kiyoomi refused to rest until he knows his baby girl was out safe and he just wanted to hold your hand for the last time.

All this time, you were suffering and he was oblivious to it.

“Babe, it’s so painful. Why didn’t you tell me that you were suffering? Just how much pain were you in? I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”

His siblings who flew down with him, could only wrapped their arms around him and comfort him.

[Two months later…]

After putting Miyuu to sleep, Kiyoomi went into your study room. He took a deep breath as he sat down in front of your table. The graduation photo that you took together was still on the table.

And the three envelopes.

He traced your handwriting on the envelope fondly and opened the content.

It was a letter.

Hi babe, can I still call you that after our breakup?

I know what I did was brutal because I want you to resent me. Resent me to the point that you hate seeing my name or remembering me. Forget me all…but I guess you couldn’t since you opened this letter. I wrote my name especially big on this envelope because I hope my name repels you but if you’re here, I’m glad.

My diagnosis was not in our plans at all and I was pregnant. I knew if I told you, you will drop everything and spend your time with me. I am going to die. I don’t want you doing that and regretting it. That’s why I planned the breakup and hiding from you.

When I saw your news of you dating again, I thought, I’m happy that he’s moving on.

But I’m not. I miss you so much. I want to hug and kiss you or get my daily cuddles. There is a lot more that I want to do with you Mimi but I don’t have the time. I hate it so much but I regret this. I love you so much, never once did I forget about our time together.

Please don’t forget about me. I really love you so much that I don’t want you to know that I die, but you were there? Weren’t you?

I’m sorry babe that you have to experience this.

Kiyoomi, take care of our baby girl, Miyuu. I gave her that name because you’re horrible with names! I love you so much.

With lots of love,

Your First and Last  Love of Your Life.

P.s – Check the second drawer for a usb drive.

He wipes his tears and looked for the usb that you have left for him. It was his usb that you ‘borrowed’ from him during your second year of university and never gave it back.

It was videos.

But there was one that you titled it as ‘WATCH THIS FIRST’.

He clicked on it and it was you before you started on your chemo treatment.

“Erm…Hi Mimi. This is a little awkward but I wanted to film this before I start my treatment…so before I turned ugly. I’m sorry for everything, from hiding this and our baby.”

Kiyoomi’s eyes became teary as he watches you wiped your tears away.

“I don’t want to die but I guess it’s inevitable? I love you so much that even words can’t express how much I love you. Since I’m dying soon, I love you more, ‘kay? Please take care of my parents after I’m gone. I have kept my recipe books at the highest shelf where I keep my secret stash of chocolate, so cook those for our daughter.

I didn’t throw out any of our memories. It’s at Mika’s house. I couldn’t do it, so go and take it back.

Our little girl here, I hope that she looks like you but you probably wish that she looks like me, right?

Babe, I wished I had a time machine and went back to the time where I took my health seriously but I guess this is fate too.

Sakusa Kiyoomi, it was an honour to be loved by you in this life. If you don’t mind, can we meet again in our next life? In our next life, please marry me.

I love you so much and I’m sorry.”

And the video ends.

“In the next life, I will make sure we meet again, fall in love and get married and do all the things that we missed in this life. Why are you always right, she does looks like you. Our baby girl, she’s like you. I love you so much, so please let me come to you in the next life.”

For the first time after the birth of his daughter, he smiled for the first time.

This was written after the movie, More Than Blue. I got lots of inspiration from it and I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Stay safe and healthy,

With love,

Rosalie🍓

©️ ICHIGOROMI — Please do not plagiarise my work or re-edit and repost as your own.

Reblogs are appreciated!

[hamofjustice]

Julinemo Week, Day 2: Battle

"You…"

The impromptu crowd flooding Mesagoza fell silent. Their formerly-youngest Champion, the incomparable, unrivaled prodigy, had yet to uncover her face after the blast of Tera Shards being shattered off of her strongest Pokemon and strewn across the plaza. She had been defeated. By another kid, no less. She could be defeated.

… Was she crying?

"Nemona…?"

The victor -- as well as the Director and the Top Champion in the crowd -- all started to step toward her with concern written on their faces, when…

"YOU DID IT!!! This is legit incredible! You’re the strongest out there, Juliana!" Nemona suddenly roared. The relieved audience resumed their cheers as Nemona rapidly closed the rest of the distance to Juliana, holding up her shaking, clenched fists like she was barely restraining herself from launching onto the rooftops like a rocket.

Juliana giggled with a proud, toothy smile. In another timeline, she could've easily flinched and backed away from Nemona's overwhelming energy, but not this one. "Hehehe, thank--"

"I mean, you knocked me flat, and I was… giving you absolutely EVERYTHING I had! Everything I… I… Ha haaa! Hahaha! Oh man. Pokémon battling, am I right??? It’s so much better, so much more fun than I ever even knew! Man! Hahaha! Haaah... hoo..." Nemona continued to enthuse, sounding like she was nearly hyperventilating.

"Y-yeah, that was a lotta fun! I'm glad I finally got to see what you're like without holding yourself back for my sake."

"… Heh! And I'm so super proud of you for bein' able to handle it! Now I've got a real challenge to overcome again! It's like you've… like… given me back the thing I loved most! But uh… heh, I guess that's just kinda what you do, though, isn't it?"

"Mmm, I guess so, huh?" Juliana had to agree. It was true, this was at least the third new friend whose Treasure Report she was very likely to end up in that semester, at the expense of her sleep schedule. "Well… I wouldn't be here without you, either. I might've never known I could do something like this, if you didn't... take me under your wing and believe in me."

"Aww. Well, I might've had an ulterior motive, heh heh… but that sparkle in your eyes during our first battle was your own! I can't make you love something if you didn't already! Believe me, I've tried. I mean, why else would you go all the way to the top, huh?"

"… To see you this happy?" Juliana offered.

"Heh! Good one! Put 'er there, rival!" Nemona said as she offered her hand to shake, which Juliana took and held firmly as if she was being helped to stand up. "Now I gotta think about what Pokemon to bring for round two!" the council president declared, eliciting some facepalms from Geeta and Clavell. "Decisions, decisions…"

Juliana side-eyed those two but didn't point them out to Nemona. "No, really, I mean it."

"Mean what now sorry?" Nemona blurted out quickly, snapping her attention back to the present.

"I never gave up any of the times I was tempted to on my Gym Challenge, 'cause… I wanted you to share your favorite thing in the world with me. 'Cause… I imagined how happy you'd be right now, and didn't think anything would make ME happier than seeing that."

"… Jules, I-- Don't make me cry in fronta all these people, c'mon!"

Juliana smiled sheepishly. "Sorry!"

Nemona responded with a hearty laugh and a tight hug. "Hahaha! Man… I think YOU'RE my favorite thing in the world, actually."

"Aww. Best treasures?"

"Best treasures."

More "awws" could be heard from the crowd at that, even if they couldn't hear all of what was being said... as well as the sound of an old man bawling uncontrollably.

[icouldhyperfixatehim]

last twilight finale time for me and i'm going to jot my thoughts as i go and just post it altogether bc i don't want to fill the tag w nonsense to excess so lets go

4 minutes in and i'm already pissed off. 3 years my entire hole, ugh. where's that meme of a woman putting a toy out of a child's reach? i'm the woman the child is p'aof and the toy is fucking time skips

so glad mork got to fulfil his five minute dream of being part of the exploitative tourism sector decimating hawaii. cool love that for him, it's definitely better than finding healing through love and support or whatever

i hope they had fun with the mork porjai implication bait and switch, because night walked through the door and my only reaction was: well obviously -_-

and here's the man himself! aof why are you doing your stan lee cameo in THIS ep of all eps. you could have photoshopped yourself into the last twilight mountain scene like the teletubbies sun and i'd have been less fucked off w you right now

okay but i'm never too bitter to appreciate a nice little bookshop. this is cute. i hope the shelves have braille indicators or smth. would have been cool to see some practical accessibility considerations - evidence of what day has learned and how he's letting the ladder down for others. also where's his white cane? i thought he was finally using one?

the lighthearted tone of this flirting...i am being gaslit. rubbing sugar in my wounds doesn't feel any better than salt hey

i do love watching porjai get the full princess treatment though, she deserves it

their "adult" conversation over cake has me so weary. don't explain how you want me to interpret this narrative thanks, i'm a big girl with some, nay, muLTipLe brain cells. you can tell me it was all about mork pitying day and day not liking to be pitied, but i don't like being told what to think. it's a disservice to these full, multifaceted characters to turn them into informed-storytelling puppets

porjai is my ep highlight so far for real. namtan, the actress that you are and the beauty that you have in the bridal get up. nightporjai are so dark horse special to me. THIS. THIS is what i wanted for mork! to do the growing and the healing IN SUPPORT AND WITH LOVE TO STAND FIRM FROM AGHHH, not on the arse end of america for no reason at all

ah, the classic romcom airport dash, except i'm mad lmao butWAIT PORJAI DOING A GRIFT FOR LOVE SHE IS THE EP HERO!!!

oh christ. oh christ they're not are they?

no

no they are...oh my god. oh i'm. i've written this whole thing pissy over the relationship thing i didn't even. oh my god. i'm heartbroken.

"the worst page in my novel" i'm. i actually feel a little sick. how horrible. what an absolute reversal. they waited until the last 15 minutes to make my worst fear on seeing the very first trailer come true, they waited until my guard was down

to all my disabled buds out there, wherever you fall on the spectrum of weary to deeply hurt by this narrative decision: your happy ending is in no way reliant on you someday "getting better". you do not have to "get better" to be whole, to be worth loving, to find meaning and joy in your life. you are not incomplete.

this is so busted. i'm so incredibly disappointed by this turn. they cocked this up massively, i need to go make mashed potatoes bye

[gigabyte-flare]

The Necromancer

A Gigabyte Flare One Shot

Summary: Ash is a seasoned Demon Hunter that stumbles upon the village of Tristram to assist with an ongoing undead infestation. However, a recluse Necromancer hiding out in the nearby Cathedral has other plans...

Word Count: 2.3k

Pairing: necromancer!Sephiroth x OC/Self Insert

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Actions depicted in this story are not condoned in real life. You are responsible for your own content consumption. If any of the following warnings trigger you, please read at your own risk. Minors do not interact, this story is 18+ only.

Warnings: Sex (p in v), dubcon (OC caves like instantly), oral (f and m receiving), breeding kink

A/N: This is actually an old fic I wrote back in 2021 starring Sephiroth in a Diablo AU that never got posted anywhere. It's an OC/self insert, I hadn't started writing x reader fics at that point. I hope you enjoy it anyway! I wanted to share it because I really like how this one is written!

I wandered into the Slaughtered Calf Inn half awake and starved from my journey to Tristram. The air stank of death; there were rumors a Necromancer had taken up residence in the bowels of the Tristram Cathedral and was tormenting the town with his experiments. I practically collapsed at the bar; the innkeeper approached and slid a pint of beer, some bread and cheese in front of me. I ripped off a piece of bread and ate it.

“Couldn’t have found a worse time to come, traveler. We’ve had a bit of a…” the innkeeper cleared his throat before continuing, “undead problem.”

“That’s why I’m here friend,” I said as I motion to the two hand crossbows strapped to my waist, “I’ve come to alleviate your Necromancer problem.”

“Ay, he showed up about three months ago, cursed thing,” the innkeeper growled as he wiped down the bar, “what are you, some kind of mercenary?”

I shook my head, “I’m a Demon Hunter; I specialize in the slaying of the undead.”

“You’ll want to talk to Leah, she has the key to the Cathedral gate,” the innkeeper said before calling out, “Leah! Someone has come to take care of the Necromancer!”

“Oh! That’s fantastic!” Leah rushed in and approached the bar, “you must be the Demon Hunter!”

“I am,” I hold out my hand to shake hers, “I would have gotten here sooner but there seems to be undead all over the place around here.”

“You can thank the Necromancer for that, that bastard,” Leah groaned as she sat beside me.

I took a sip out of the pint, “what happened when the Necromancer showed up?”

“He murdered my Uncle Deckard, slit his throat right open and then he was revived and turned into one of his puppets right before my eyes. I had just enough time to run out and lock the gate before the whole place was overrun with undead.”

I watched as tears welled up in Leah’s eyes, “I’m so sorry.”

Leah wiped her eyes, “I’m just glad you’re finally here so we can kill that monster.”

“You’re not going anywhere Leah, I’m going to the Cathedral alone.”

Leah looked over and glared at me. When she was met with my cold stare, she let out a sigh and relaxed her shoulders, “I’ll take you to the Cathedral gate and unlock it.”

“Then you’ll come back here.”

“Yes. I’ll come back here.”

“Good, I’m going to retire to one of the rooms and rest up. Leah, would you mind bringing me to the gate tomorrow morning?”

“Sure, I’ll meet you there at sunrise.”

“Alright, see you in the morning then, Leah,” I say as I stand up from the bar and head into one of the rooms.

My sleep was restless; I couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching me from the shadows in the room. 

********

Sephiroth poured over the volumes of books that were kept deep in the bowels of the Tristram Cathedral. He had heard about Cain Deckard’s research on the lesser evils and decided to take the old man out in order to gain access to it. The fact that he now had his own large lair to do his experiments was a very nice perk. His jade, cat-like eyes scanned the pages of Deckard’s research, deeply engrossed in the writings. His silver hair, which went well past his knees, seemingly glowed in the low light of the candles in the room. Suddenly, he stood alert, his eyes wide, as if sensing something. His left hand wove in the air and clenched as he held Deckard’s research in his right hand. A pale blue light encompassed his left fist. The light glowed brighter as he stood there. He suddenly spread his fingers and his hand engulfed in a blue flame. 

A few minutes passed and a group of skeletons came into the room, dragging a woman into the room with them. She kicked and thrashed in an attempt to break free, but Sephiroth’s magic was much too powerful for her. Sephiroth slowly turned to the skeletons and the captive intruder. 

His jade eyes scanned her body up and down. Demon Hunter: he knew their kind, however he admittedly had never seen one so beautiful. She had haunting blue eyes, short brown hair that was styled asymmetrically to one side. 

She was thin, but muscular; he could tell she took good care of herself. His eyes lingered on her perky breasts, which bounced gently as she fought the restraint of his skeletal thralls. When his eyes finally met hers, her eyes were filled with hatred and death; he knew if his magic relented that her powerful hands would end up around his throat. He felt a warmth in his loins, something he didn’t think he could ever feel. 

He smirked at the woman, crossing his arms as he continued to watch her struggle.

“Did you seriously think you could just waltz in here and kill me?” Sephiroth asked, his voice cool but sinister.

She spat at him, “you fucking bastard, let me go!”

“I will not,” he purred as he approached her, standing within inches of her, “you intrigue me, Demon Hunter.”

“Are you going to kill me and turn me into one of your puppets?” the woman growled.

“I could do that,” his gaze lingered back to her breasts for a moment before he looked back into her hate filled eyes, “but you’ll be much more entertaining to me alive.”

The hate in her eyes suddenly yielded to fear and she started to struggle more violently, as if sensing what was going to happen to her. Watching her be consumed by fear excited him, he could feel it in his leather trousers. Dropping his arms to his sides before bringing up his left arm, he spreads his fingers on his left hand again, now glowing with a pale blue aura.

“Keep her perfectly still,” he commanded.

The skeletons tightened their grip on the captive girl, holding her still by her arms, torso and legs. Leaning in, Sephiroth takes in her scent by sniffing ever so subtly. She smelled sweet, almost like a wildflower, he wondered why. He felt his cock pulse at her scent, making the confines of his trousers increasingly uncomfortable. 

As if his right hand had a mind of its own, he suddenly grasped one of her breasts. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he was surprised by how soft and supple it was. He then grasped her other breast with his other hand even though it was still pulsing with power. The woman let out a soft whimper as she attempted to squirm, but the skeletons’ iron grip kept her in place. 

Sephiroth’s hands slid from her breasts, down the sides of her body and came to a rest on her hips. He didn’t understand what exactly he was feeling, as he never experienced anything like this. His left hand groped at her toned backside as his right gently grasped her chin and tilted her head back. His lips suddenly met hers and he kissed her gingerly. He could feel her tremble in his grasp as he kissed her. He released her from his grasp, brought his left hand up into a fist as his hand burst into blue flame.

“Bring her to the bedroom and place her onto the bed.”

The skeletons carried her into an adjacent bedroom, Sephiroth followed close behind. He watched as the skeleton thralls gently placed her onto his bed, it pleased him that she didn’t attempt to flee. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the thralls and they left the room. He closed the door as they left. He watched her intently as she lay on the bed, her legs spread wide as she propped herself up by her elbows. He began to unbutton his loose gray tunic, revealing his pale, but very well toned chest and abdomen. He pulled it off and tossed it aside before approaching the bed.

“Tell me Demon Hunter,” he began as he climbed onto the bed, crawling between her spread legs, “what is your name?”

“It’s… it’s Ash.”

“Ash… the remnants of a flame,” he said as he began to undo her trousers.

He slowly pulled them off, taking care to also remove her boots as well and he pushed them onto the floor. They fall with a loud thud. He gazed in awe at what he saw; Ash’s legs remained spread, her vagina fully exposed to him. It was oozing with juices and she smelled absolutely divine, inviting even. His cock was begging to be released but he wanted to savor her before indulging himself. 

“What is your name…?” Ash suddenly asked with a slight whimper.

“I am called Sephiroth,” he replied as he approached her very aroused entrance, “it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance my beautiful phoenix.”

Closing his eyes, he once again inhaled her natural scent. He felt chills throughout his body, almost as if he was getting high off her.

She’s in heat, he realized as he once again gazed upon her beautiful entrance, if I mate with her now, she will likely be impregnated from my seed.

This realization excited him; a devious smirk crossed his lips before his tongue caressed her clit. He felt her flinch in response; his tongue caressed it a few more times before his lips latched onto it, suckling her. He felt her heels dig into the bed and her fingers grip onto the sheets. After a few moments she moaned his name as one of her hands gripped the back of his head. His lips moved from her clit to the lips of her soaked pussy and he lapped up her juices. The taste of her was indescribable. His tongue slipped inside her and stroked her inner walls, making her squirm even more. As he indulged himself on her, he could hear her pull her tunic off and toss it across the room. Removing his mouth from her entrance, he gazed upon her now naked chest.

Her breasts were perfect. Round and perky, her nipples were erect from arousal. He looked into her blue eyes, now filled with lust. He climbed on top of her, placing a gentle kiss on one of her breasts, his lips cupping the erect nipple perfectly. Meanwhile, his deft fingers stroked her pussy before pushing two of them inside her. Moving his fingers in a come hither motion, she squirmed beneath him as he began to suckle her breast. He suddenly pushed a third finger inside her, causing Ash to let out a rather loud moan. His cock pulsed in his trousers, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He pulled his fingers out of her, now soaked in her juices. He licked his fingers clean as he gazed upon her naked body.

“Ash, allow me to ignite your flame,” Sephiroth said in a lust filled growl as he undid his own trousers.

His member, now free from its leather prison, stood erect and ready. Ash let out an audible gasp as she gazed upon it. It was easily 10 inches in length. Now nude himself, he stood on his knees over her, slowly stroking himself as he gazed upon her form. Ash suddenly sat up, approaching his member, wrapping her mouth around it. He gasped as her head bobbed up and down on his shaft. Sephiroth growled as he tilted his head back. His fingers ran through her hair as she sucked his cock. His hips instinctively thrusted into her mouth, which she didn’t seem to mind thankfully.

“Oh Ash, my queen,” he moaned as he gripped the back of her head as he continued to thrust into her.

Ash, suddenly taking her mouth off him, laid back down onto the bed, spreading her legs wide open.

“Come, my king,” she whispered, looking up at him, her eyes pleading, “take what is rightfully yours.”

Without saying a word, Sephiroth climbed back on top of her, pinning her to his bed. One hand grasped his member as he led it to her eager pussy. When he felt himself in position, he thrusted into her hard and fast. Ash screamed, her fingers digging into his back as he pounded into her. Animalistic instincts took over his thoughts, all he could think about was breeding her. As if reading his thoughts, she angled her hips in such a way that he could thrust deeper into her body. Gazing down at her, his hands once again grasped her breasts as his lips locked onto hers. She moaned his name into their kiss as her legs wrapped around his waist, as if to beckon him to release inside her. He could feel his climax approaching as he fucked her relentlessly.

Ash suddenly began to violently tremble as she let out a loud, lust filled moan and in that moment, Sephiroth felt a burning heat release from inside him as he pushed inside her as hard as he could. His cock pulsed inside her, pumping his seed deep into the depths of her womb. Her legs tightened their grip around his waist, forcing him deep into her. After a few moments, he began to thrust into her again before another wave of ecstasy consumed him and more of his seed spilled into her body. He watches as her eyes roll into the back of her head, however, he does not relent. It was going to be a very, very long night.

[canonically47]

review pls!

disventure camp all-stars episode 20: review!

spoilers!!! (no duh.)

i despise how emily was turned into a villain and betrayed trevor. absolutely dogshit, poor writing

ally and jake not being petty??? LMFAOAOAOAOAOOO

riya you did NOT work your ass off you got plot armour. KYS.

oh NOW jally are friends?? now they bond? oh my god fuck you. literally fuck you. such cheap writing to make them bond just in the second to last episode, out of NEED rather than WANT. my god.

“i’m glad you’re still here, jake, we all are” first tom says jake sees the best in people and now this? ONC stop mischaracterizing your characters lmaoaoao

ALLY SAID SUS LMFAOAOAOAO

why did ally INSTANTLY agree to this. the fuck.

oh this is cheap. this is just cheap. not only is ally fucking stupid, but didn’t she just say she saw season one? like? she wouldve seen how jake cried at his grandmas death?? the fuck?? do the writers think we are stupid?????

thank you kristal for putting an end to that cheer

why didn’t they make yul’s scar permanent ://

what the fuck is that flashback sequence

“can’t get caught lacking” killing myself

why did they stop mining while they talked bro

why is ally using minecraft logic in real life i despise her actually i’m so sorry 😭

YAY YUL DIED oh nvm ://

and james fell in love right then and there yay!

this emily plot is so annoying i despise how they wrote her, why are the writers so fucking stupid

why are yul and riya so stupid also

i love how alec is rooting for ally because fiore is helping her. they’re so family-coded <3

jake protecting fiore awwwww :((( <333

JAMES SAID WHAT.

THEY’RE DATING

“riya #screenhog” I LOVE YOU JAMES

JAMES SOUNDED SO SCARED FOR JAKE OMG

why did he put his whole body on his to listen to his pulse omg thats crazy gay people are insane

ew why are these two here

im with emily on this why do you care for him trevor

derek why are you acting surprised he kissed you the fuck 😭⁉️

yeah i hate how they treated emily. it’s actually so bad how they made her this super likable character then ruined her for shock value, god forbid a woman gets between the no-chemistry yaoi right? such cheap writing is crazyyy

like they know the fans love her so much to the point where they confirmed her as queer because in ONC’s eyes queer characters > non-queer characters,, i guess, and then they gave her. this treatment. wow

for once im with yul on this !

yo riya if you want to win you should like. keep going???

yas ally your feelings matter! i wish i cared for you, or that the show was good, or that the writing wasn’t trash, so this moment meant something to me!

PARDONNNNN??????????

JAKE IS OUT WHAT????????

oh WAIT?? WAIT??????

OH MY GOD??????????????

HELLLLLLLLL YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

JAAAAAAAKEEEEEEEE RAHHHHHHHHHHHH

man fuck your emotional moment ally idgaf JAKEEEEEEEEEE WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO 🗣️🗣️🗣️‼️‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥

if riya wins i am KILLING MYSELF !!!!!!!!!!

LETS GO JAKE YOU CAN WIN

why are we panning back to trevek eurgrhrhhr ew

thank you so much for ruining that kiss kristal i owe you my whole life

uhhh this episode was dogshit for the first ten minutes, and then for the most part was just mediocre if not just bad. the audio mixing was bad, the voice acting & delivery horribly mid, especially for the high stakes here, like cmon ally a little more emotion would be nice i refuse to hype up yul but my god his actor is the best of all; and then just. i realized how much this finale fucking sucks and how i genuinely do not care for these characters and how badly the show WANTS me to care for them. they’re trying SO HARD. it’s SO FUNNY

i believe emily is the worst written on the show, and she deserved so much better. she was hyped up for nothing and her villain arc came out of nowhere. my theory is, ONC knew how little chemistry trevek actually have, and how much better tremily is, so they decided to make emily a villain so she wouldn’t get between the ship. which is laughable, and such cheap writing.

i say ‘cheap writing’ a lot sorry :(( unfortunately thats all ONC can do! so yea

uhh idk man this is like.. a 4/10 maybe? if i wanna be nice about it. cuz theres some good stuff in it (alec has a speaking line) (james is gay for jake) (ally loses) but otherwise idrk.

i am so so SOOOO happy this show is almost over i am counting down the days until its done 😭🙏🏼 yall are not catching me watching season 4 or rewatching anything. im gone the moment i put out the review for ep 21. like a dad going for milk. perchance

[slothquisitor]

What Moves in the Dark: Chapter Eighteen

A post-campaign Baldur’s Gate 3 eldritch horror AU.

Chapter summary: The group returns to Ramazith's Tower to celebrate their victory. Here there be smut. If that's not your cup of tea, I support you. Simply stop reading at the break when it switches to Astarion's POV. <3

Read from the beginning.

Also on AO3.

__________________________________________________________

“We were able to pinpoint where the uvuudaum was because my brother infected himself with tainted blood, there’s another entrance a few blocks away,” Liv replies. She feels as though she’s been repeating herself for the last two hours as she and all of the rest of their companions are questioned relentlessly by members of the Watch and Flaming Fist who have swarmed the Caldwell estate. 

There seems to be some question of jurisdiction, and the murder of Lord Wyllyck is only complicating things. Her brother and Astarion have had the longest and most intense interrogations. Having Investigator Devella able to corroborate much of their story is not nearly as helpful as Liv would have believed. The fact that their group as well as all the uvuudaum’s victims have emerged from a hidden door in a drawing room covered in blood is probably not helping their case for early release. In fairness, she, Gale, and Roland had done their best to prestidigitate the worst of the blood away, but they’re all still a mess. She needs a nap and bath, and she’s tired enough to not be picky about the order. 

“And where was this entrance?” The Fist asks. 

“I already gave that information to your colleague. It’s in the retaining wall behind two houses on Turl Street.” 

The questions continue like that for a while, but finally, the Fist turns on his heel and strides away without another word, and Liv stays in her seat, fighting her exhaustion. Kharis is free too, the Watch member interviewing him has stepped away, so he walks over and sits down. 

“Are you alright?” he asks. He’s dressed for travel, gray cloak still about his shoulders. He’s trimmed his red beard some too. His husband, Wynn will be pleased. 

She’s a little bruised and trying desperately not to think about everything she saw when she closed the portal, but she’s also exhilarated. “Yes, I am. Thank you for showing up. I had gotten worried when I wasn’t hearing from you.”

He sighs, leaning back in the chair as she’s seen him do so many times in the workroom. “That sort of magic doesn’t come easily to me. We didn’t have much information. When I showed up at Candlekeep with the tainted blood in tow, we immediately began analyzing it, but finding anything concrete…we had theories. Nothing helpful. Until your last message.”

“Oh?”

“You talked about a host…how it could all communicate…and then how it took someone. Of all the possibilities we were entertaining, an uvuudaum was the only creature that fit. Your brother got the spell written down, and because you cannot teleport inside Candlekeep we had to run outside the enchantment. Roland and I didn’t want to waste time or magic to tell you that we were on the way.”

She remembers reading about that once. That there is no teleportation near Candlekeep. She wonders how far they had to run, and smiles a bit at the image of her brother and Kharis sprinting away from the library city. “I’m just glad you’re alright and grateful you came to help.”

He nods. “I’m sorry I didn’t go to get help sooner, but it seems like you managed to gather some powerful allies without me.” 

“They all showed up to save Astarion,” she said. “The vampire you kicked out of our shop.”

Kharis laughs. “Yeah, I see that my religious convictions had no effect on your befriending him. But…it seems like it’s a bit more than that, isn’t it?” He doesn’t sound mad, mostly exasperated.

“A bit more than that,” she agrees. “But I think all these people showing up to save him should speak volumes about his character.” 

“I don’t give a fuck what they think, but if you say he’s a good man, that’s enough for me.”

“Really?”

“If this whole saga has taught me anything, it’s that between the two of us, yours is perhaps the better judgment of character and danger and probably everything else too. I’m an old mercenary, Liv. I’ve spent far too much of my life distrusting everyone around me. I opened that shop to do some good, and you reminded me of that,” Kharis says. 

Astarion strides over to them and sighs. “Well, I do believe we have waded through enough of the bureaucratic red tape to finally be allowed to leave.”

“Finally,” Liv replies. 

Astarion glances rather expectantly between her and Kharis, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. Kharis simply stands. “I have a husband to surprise, and I’d very much like to not see you working for at least the next three days.” Then he glances to Astarion. “Can you help me force her to rest?” 

Astarion grins wickedly. “Well, I can certainly keep her from working, but rest isn’t something I can promise.”

She rubs her eyes. “I promise to rest, maybe even sleep for the next three days?”

“Good enough.” And then Kharis picks up his axe leaning by the door and leaves. 

“He didn’t threaten me this time, so I feel like that went well,” Astarion grins. 

“It certainly went a way…well isn’t how I’d describe it,” she says, more amused than annoyed.

He extends a hand to her. “Come on, we’re all going to Ramazith’s Tower.”

She takes his hand. “All of us? My brothers too?”

“It seemed rude not to invite them.”

She sighs. “I suppose I do have to talk to them at some point, don’t I?” 

As they leave the Caldwell Estate, it is nearly dawn in Baldur’s Gate. Their group is loud in the streets. Shadowheart and Veska are telling Jaheira all about the menagerie of animals they have at their cottage, while Minsc boasts to Gale all about his recent adventures with the Guild and helping rebuild the city. Her brothers hang close, but they’re not exactly joining the chatter. She knows she needs to talk to them, to both of them, but she’s not sure what to say. Especially to Percy. 

Astarion has noticed her attention snag on them, and he gives her hand a squeeze. “Go on, far easier to fireball them out here than in the tower.”

He’s not wrong, but she’s hopeful that the conversation won’t go that poorly. She drifts their way, in the chaos earlier, she hadn’t been able to properly catalog the passage of time, of all the ways her brother has changed. Roland looks different, older. His hair is longer than she’s ever seen it and he has the faintest hint of a beard, but there’s a lightness to him she doesn’t remember. Candlekeep has been good to him. He and Percy look rather at ease with each other, and she realizes that he must have known about Percy’s true loyalties. It stings a little, but she’s too tired to be angry about it.  

“You feeling alright?” she asks Percy. Astarion had confirmed that the tainted blood was all gone, but there’s a part of her that worried that it couldn’t be that simple, that even with the uvuudaum banished there might be some lingering effects. 

Percy smirks. “Is that concern I hear?”

“Well, I did kill you,” Liv shrugs. 

Roland looks between them both. “You did what?”

“It was a spell,” Liv explains. 

Roland shakes his head in exasperation. “Oh, and that makes it fine?”

“She had my permission,” Percy replies. 

“We’re certainly not short on drama in this family, are we?”

It’s less awkward than she imagined, talking with them. Though she still feels like she’s still on the outside of something, not quite part of their ease with each other. She glances at Percy. “I owe you an apology.” 

Percy shakes his head. “You don’t. You saw exactly what I wanted you to see. If anyone owes an apology, it’s me.”

 “I’ve been telling him to just go talk to you for the last six months,” Roland says. 

“You two were in contact that much?” She hates the way her voice sounds so small. So Roland would talk to Percy, but not return her letters? 

Roland looks uncomfortable but nods. “Here and there. He contacted when you left home.”

“I was so damn proud of you, I had to tell someone,” Percy says, voice quiet. 

She is so surprised she doesn’t know what to say. He’d been proud of her? For leaving?

“I hadn’t heard from him in years and suddenly there’s his voice in my ear telling me all about you,” Roland says with a smile laced with apology. “I’ve been trying to figure out what to say, how to reach back out to you…and then Kharis shows up at Candlekeep. He sought me out immediately, and said he knew I was there because of you. It seemed like a good enough opening, but I had hoped to show up with answers rather than arriving to chaos…”

And it still hurts, but they’d both shown up when it mattered, and she’s not sure if she’s ever had anyone show up for her like that. Certainly not her own family. And it doesn’t fix the years or the distance or the pain, but maybe this can be a start. “Thank you both, for everything.”

There’s plenty going unsaid between her and Percy, but she thinks Astarion might have been right. He had infected himself, helped with all of this because he wanted to show her that he did care. She’d been wrong, and even though they’re almost strangers to each other, maybe they won’t always be.

Roland straightens his robes and leans down conspiratorially. “So, am I going to be given a proper introduction to all these important people, or will I simply have to guess who they are from the stories?”

She laughs. “You did show up in the heat of battle, I don’t think anyone was very concerned with introductions.”

But she and Percy point everyone out, telling him names and stories. She surprises herself by laughing and joking with them. Time is a funny thing, it can feel so very long, and yet so short. Talking with them she is thrust back in time, to one of the good days. Every memory with her siblings isn’t brimming with pain, there were good times too. She just wishes Brelia was here to see this moment. 

Ramazith’s tower rises before them, the tallest levels catching the first rays of sunlight peeking over Dusthawk Hill. Their group hurries inside as if they are all as sensitive to the sun as Astarion is.  

Rolan, Cal, and Lia are still gathered in the large sitting area. Lia looks like she had dozed off at some point, while Cal and Rolan seemed to be playing a game of lanceboard to keep themselves awake. 

“Astarion!” All three siblings are on their feet and hurrying over to him. 

“I’m so glad you’re safe!” Lia says around a yawn. 

Cal pat his arm. “We kept telling her you’d be fine.”

Astarion keeps his chin up, his tone nonchalant. “Oh come now, I’m always fine. Takes a hells of a lot more than that to keep me down.” And he’s playing it off, but it’s clear he’s touched in the same way he was when he realized his friends had come to rescue him. He might never say it, but she’s pretty sure that the siblings catch the undercurrent of gratitude anyway. 

Rolan brings out drinks and food and everyone in the group collapses somewhere in the sitting area. There is a sort of practiced air to it. All of these people are used to fighting together, used to the aftermath, and in this, there is a sort of ritual. A push and a pull, a checking in on everyone without actually asking how anyone is. It’s fascinating to watch from the relative safety of the sidelines while Gale and Astarion fill the siblings in on the events of the evening.  

Eventually, Veska makes her way over, rather tentatively. “Mind if I join you?” 

“Not at all.” 

“Couldn’t help but notice that…uh…things with your brother were a little strained earlier?” Veska says, keeping her voice low enough not to be overheard. Percy and Roland are talking with Jaheira and Minsc, so there’s little chance of that, but she appreciates her discretion. 

“Bit of an understatement,” Liv replies. 

“So I’d gathered. I…wanted to apologize if I made it worse, but honestly, I owe Percy a great deal.”

“So I’d gathered,” Liv echoes with a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m not upset with you…there’s just a lot of painful family history we all need to work through. I think we’re making some headway there.”

“I know a little about that,” Veska says raising her glass in solidarity. “Did you know I have a sister?”

“Oh shit.” Liv has known Veska’s family her whole life, but if there’s one thing she’s familiar with, it is the ability of the wealthy and powerful to bury those things they would rather have everyone forget. 

“I haven’t seen her in a long time, and there’s a lot about her I thought was true and wasn’t. Shitty parents tend to twist things…I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but if I had the opportunity to see my sister again, there’s a lot I’d want to say. Your brothers are here. They showed up for you.”

“They did.” And it means more than she can say. “I’m sure when you see your sister again you’ll get the chance to say everything you’ve wanted to.”

“It’s been a very long time, but hey, we’re both disowned now, so at least we’ll have that in common.” Veska has always been sunny in her disposition, and though they’ve never been close, Liv can see that there’s a confidence and a brightness about her now. 

Liv offers her a smile. “It’s not the worst club in the world to be in.”

“I did want to tell you that your leaving gave me the courage to go too.”

Josie had said something to that effect, but Liv hadn’t quite believed it to be true. And it’s hard to believe now. “Really?”

“You’re Liv Fucking Vires. Hard not to be inspired,” Veska says with a wink. 

Liv isn’t sure what to say to that, so instead she turns it back around to Veska. “But you’re happy, away from the city?”

Veska’s gaze wanders to Shadowheart. “I am.” And then with a smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand, she’s gone, meeting Shadowheart at the base of the stairs before they head up to the promised rooms to rest. 

Liv glances around at the celebration that is rapidly winding down. It wasn’t so much a party as it was an excuse to eat everything in sight and retell every aspect of the battle piece by piece. But as the sun rises, the exhaustion has begun to set in. Liv feels it too, it makes her limbs heavy. No part of her wants to make her way back to her apartment, so she stays sitting, hoping for energy to find her. 

Astarion swoops in then fresh off a murmured conversation with Gale who has gone upstairs now as well. He reclines casually against the arm of the couch rather than joining her fully. He bends down to whisper in her ear. “Stay here with me.”

She twists to look at him, to read his intention. She wants to say yes so badly. “You’re sure?”

He smiles. “Very.”

She catches her brothers’ attention before she goes. “I’ll see you both, soon?”

Percy glances out the window, at the cheery morning sun and looks as tired as she feels. “Let’s do dinner tomorrow. Give us all some time to recover.”

Dinner. With her brothers. That’ll be something new. “Sounds great.” And she means it. 

And then she lets Astarion lead her up the stairs and to his room. The magic of the tower still sets her teeth on edge, but it’s not so bad once they’re actually in his room, and it occurs to her that’s probably because the room itself is in a demiplane rather than the actual tower. That certainly explains why there’s no issue with space or unexpected guests here.

 “You know, I had intended to invite you here after the party,” Astarion says. 

“But best-laid plans and all that?” 

He sighs. “Well, we did finally make it, though we are both a mess.” He strides purposefully over to his desk and begins unbuckling his armor. 

She knows that the worst of the blood is gone, but she can still feel it lingering like an oily sheen against her skin. “I wouldn’t mind cleaning up before going to bed.”

“Same. The bathing chamber is through there, you can clean up first,” Astarion says pointing towards a darkened doorway that stands ajar, turning away from her. “Unless…”

She turns and he looks rather unsure, so she prompts him, doing her best to sound utterly neutral. “Unless?”

He meets her gaze full on, the silence stretching taut between them. “The tub is big enough for two…if you wouldn’t mind the company.” He seems to be batting the nervousness away by trying to be smooth, but it’s not really working. Still, it is rather endearing. 

She recognizes it for the show of trust that it is, so she doesn’t tease. Not about this. “I’d like that.” 

She waits while he discards the last of his armor, and then he joins her and together they go into his bathing chamber. It is quite large, and he was right, it does seem that the tub will be big enough for them both. 

“Perks of a wizard tower, I’m told,” he says, touching a rune on the side of the tub that immediately fills it with water.

“Or simply having money,” she replies, having grown up with similar accommodations. 

“And here I thought I might impress you,” he says, coming to stand in front of her. 

“You know that you don’t need to impress me, right? I’m already here, and I don’t have any expectations,” she says. “But I would like to know how much of you I can have right now.”

His eyes widen a bit with the question, before softening as he brings a hand to her shoulder. “I’ve never been with someone like this before…without it leading to more. I’d like to be with you…touch you, but nothing more. Can we simply try that?”

Life has not been kind to Astarion, but still, he reaches for it. Still, he tries. She finds herself perpetually in awe at his commitment to living, to freedom. And she feels rather honored that he feels safe enough to try with her. She cups his cheek and cannot help but smile. “I’m way too tired for anything more than that. I almost cried at the thought of walking home.”

He looks relieved. “Well, glad we’re on the same page then.”

“Have I told you have glad I am you’re okay? I was so worried about you.”

He rests his forehead on hers. “I was worried about me too, and then you came to the rescue like some ethereal knight in shining armor.”

“I heard you liked adventure stories. Though I didn’t quite expect to be living one.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like a few months of relative quiet before the next world-ending threat to solve.”

“Deal.”

His hands skim her waist, clever fingers working at the tie of her shirt, eyes never leaving hers. Each movement is deliberate, slow; she sees the question in his eyes, and she offers him a nod. His hands are cool against her skin, gentle as they trail over her bruised side and shoulder. He doesn’t kiss her as he undresses her, and she wishes she could read his mind, know what he’s thinking. But his crimson gaze is soft, almost full of awe, so she lets him strip her bare, and she doesn’t reach for him. 

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers, eyes roving hungrily over her body. She wants to look at him too, so she reaches slowly for his shirt. He catches her hands, head bowing slightly. “I have some scars…a portion of an infernal contract.”

And before she can say anything in response, he turns his back to her and removes his shirt. She understands now that there is something more vulnerable about showing her this than simply being naked together. Unable to tolerate being at a disadvantage, he has stripped her bare before showing her this, putting them on a more even footing. The scar is circular, jagged and cruel. She steps close, places a hand against it gently; his breath catches, so she leans forward and presses a kiss against the raised skin. She can feel the way his shoulders relax at the contact. 

She steps around him so that she’s in front of him once again, his eyes are wide with trepidation, so she moves slowly as she cups his cheek. He leans into the touch. “We all carry the scars of our past in one way or another. Neither of us are defined by the choices other people made.”

He rests his forehead against hers. “Touch me again.” The words are a plea, laced with uncertainty as if he is unsure if he can trust them. 

Trailing a hand down his neck to his shoulder, she wraps an arm around his lower back and pulls him close. She runs her hands down the smooth expanse of his chest, his skin is soft, smooth as stone. She has always known he is built lithely, all broad shoulders and a graceful waist…but he is also thin…he hasn’t been feeding as often as he ought to. She makes note of it, files it away for later discussion, and keeps running her hands over his skin. He makes a quiet sound as she touches him, and then as if he cannot stop himself his fingers work into her hair, pulling it loose from the bun, the pins dropping to the floor. He presses a kiss against her neck while his fingers tunnel into the hair near her scalp. She shivers at the contact, at the way he smiles against her skin. 

“Get in the tub, I’ll join you in a moment.”

She’s letting him set the pace here, tell her what he wants, so she nods and turns her back to him, sliding into the warm water. She immediately feels better, the warmth sinking into sore muscles and banishing the aches from her bruises. Gently rubbing at her arms, she banishes the blood and sweat from her skin, already feeling cleaner even as she dips her head beneath the water. 

Astarion joins her then, settling in behind her, a soft brush of fingers along her shoulder before handing her a bar of citrus-smelling soap. Liv is sure that there’s some more sensual way of doing all of this, but she’s tired and desperately wants the blood and sweat of the day washed away, and it’s clear Astarion does too, since he goes about scrubbing his own skin clean without delay. 

It is only once they are both finished that he leans back against the side of the tub, and pulls her with him, arms folding on her bare stomach. She melts against him, warm and content. His fingers trace lines down her skin, gentle brushes that feel almost reverent in the sputtering candlelight of the room. 

“This is nice,” he whispers. 

She closes her eyes and leans more fully into him. “It is.”

The backs of his fingers skate slowly up her arm, brushing against her jaw and neck. She turns her head a little, baring her neck. “You can feed; I don’t mind.”

“You’re injured,” he replies indignantly, but it’s half-hearted enough that she knows she won’t have to do much to convince him. 

“I have a few bruises that Shadowheart already tended to. Drink.”

The water splashes a bit as he rearranges them both enough to reach her neck, and she feels the cool press of his lips against her skin. She knows better what to expect now that she’s already done this once. He holds her steady before he bites down, the bright flash of pain fading to numbness quickly. He cradles her rather tenderly as he drinks, and it’s easy to melt into his touch, and soon he pulls away, his tongue laving the excess blood off her skin. She feels a bit light-headed, that’s all. 

“Thank you,” he whispers before leaning back again against the edge of the tub, pulling her with him. They stay there for a long while, she knows she is dozing because she keeps coming to find the candles have burned lower. Astarion must have noticed too because she can feel his body shake with a quiet laugh. “Let’s get you to bed.”

He hands her a towel and one of his shirts as they emerge from the bath, skin wrinkled, but clean. She’s grateful for his shirt since it saves her from trying to figure out what of her clothing is salvageable for sleep. He waits for her to braid her hair, and then leads her by the hand to his bed, where they crawl beneath the covers. 

She settles against the pillows, getting comfortable, and manages to catch a glimpse of Astarion in the darkness watching her, looking a little lost. And this is probably a first for him too. 

“Want to cuddle?” she asks simply, and he nods as he closes the distance. 

He rests his head against her chest, his ear placed just over her heart, their legs tangled together. She runs her fingers through his soft curls until sleep overtakes her. 

***

Astarion wakes long before Liv, but he doesn’t mind. She was clearly exhausted; he doesn’t want to wake her anyway. The quiet is punctuated by her steady breathing, and he is strangely content. She sleeps on her side, facing away from him, so he gently curls up around her, enjoying the closeness, the novelty of being with someone like this.

She shifts a little as he settles behind her but doesn’t wake. Astarion has never been able to be with someone like this or in the way they were together last night. He’s still pleasantly surprised that he had been naked with someone and it hadn’t led to sex. It was just like she had said: no expectations, no pressure. She had asked how much of him she could have, and he had wanted to tell her everything . 

He is rather hopelessly in love with her. He’s pretty sure he’s been in love with her for a while, and he can’t pinpoint the exact moment, but he was finally able to put a name to the feeling last night when she had kissed his scars and told him that he isn’t defined by his past. She’s right, of course, and when she wakes, he’s ready to shake the last of his past away. 

Last night had been a testing of the waters, quite literally. He needed to know how he’d feel that close to her, close to her in that way. He had lain awake alone in the darkness, waiting for any sign of disgust or shame, but all he’d wanted was more with a sort of desperate urgency. He had been snatched, locked away, made a prisoner once again, and now he needs, more than anything, to take something back. He wants to be in control of himself, wholly. He wants to try, to be reminded that he is alive and free. 

But that all can wait until she wakes, and he will quite happily lay here with her until then. Because there is nothing pressing on their time, nowhere they need to be, no problems to solve. It is rather freeing. 

When Liv finally stirs, her hand traces the length of the arm he has banded about her middle, until her fingers can tangle with this. “Morning,” she says, voice deeper with the dregs of sleep still hanging on. 

He laughs. “I’m quite positive it is early evening, actually.”

She twists to face him. “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t have anywhere to be until tomorrow then.”

“For all sorts of reasons,” he says, voice dripping with promise. 

“Oh?” 

Saying it out loud makes it real, gives her the opportunity to ask him about it, and he’d rather show her. So he closes the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss that is neither gentle nor careful. He’s surprised her, he can tell by the soft sound she makes when their lips meet. His tongue dips into her mouth, experimentally, he’s never had the occasion to wake up beside someone and then move to other things, and he’s still half convinced she might stop him. But she doesn’t, her tongue meets his, and her hands run across his chest. He reaches for the bare expanse of her leg, all she wears beyond her underwear is his shirt, and there’s something unbelievably sexy about that. He hooks her leg over his, bringing their hips flush together as she arches against him. 

The moan that escapes him as his hardening cock brushes against the warmth of her has nothing to do with performance or seduction, it is compulsory. Desire frantically bolts through him, honest and insistent. He is altogether too aware of everywhere she’s touching him, the way that warmth radiates from her touch like every point of contact is vibrating. He discards his shirt in a fluid movement, eager to feel more of her. 

He nips at her lower lip and rolls her back so that she is below him and he can more easily seek the friction he’s desperately craving. He rolls his hips into hers and swallows down the low, hungry sound that emanates from her as their kiss deepens. His hand slips higher up the smooth skin of her stomach, inching the shirt up and revealing more of her skin to him. 

She turns her head, and he takes the opportunity to kiss down her neck and across her exposed collarbone, but then he feels her push him back, putting distance between them. “Astarion.” His name is laced with a question.

He pulls back enough to see that her green eyes are dark with desire, but her face is pinched with concern. “Is this alright? Is it what you want?” 

Because if it isn’t, he knows that it could all stop here, stop at any time and she would be alright with that. He trusts her, feels safe with her, seen in ways he’s not sure he ever has been. “Yes. I…didn’t want to push things before. I didn’t want you to become another one of my regrets, but I could never regret you. I love you.”

He watches the effect of his declaration, the way her eyes widen in surprise before softening, before she touches his cheek, fingers nearly trembling. “You do?” 

“I love you,” he says again. He’s said these words to people before, but he’s never meant them. And it does feel different to offer them to her, to watch the way she smiles brilliantly at the words. 

“I love you too.” The words are soft, but they hit him with a force that feels as though it could have knocked him clean over. The words seem to course right through him, landing somewhere beneath his sternum, taking up residence there. He feels a light sort of giddiness. He knew she cared, but it is another thing entirely to hear it from her lips. 

He cannot help the smile that spans his own face. “I’d like to try…with you.”

“You mean sex?” 

“Well, we did cure a blood disease and banish a blood monster back to the Far Realm, so it does seem like the natural next step,” he deadpans. 

“Naturally,” she agrees but then grows more serious. “We don’t…”

He cuts her off. “I know. I want to.”

“I do too,” she admits. “Though, do we need to worry about contraception?” Oh, he’s not used to fielding this question, it was never much of a concern before. 

“Thankfully, no. Vampire spawn can’t reproduce. We have nothing to worry about in that regard, though…perhaps it would be good to go slowly?” 

“Alright, what do you like?”

The question is asked playfully, with a smile, a gentle means of feeling him out, and he wishes he could play along, that it could ever be that simple. Instinct tells him to make a suggestive joke, to tell her to do whatever she likes, but he knows that’s not what this is. Honest, vulnerable, all of his armor stripped away, that is the only way this can work for him. 

“I don’t know what I like,” he whispers. What he wanted or enjoyed hadn’t really mattered. He had tried once to use his conquests the same way they used him, but finding pleasure in someone fated to die felt rather cruel even by his standards, and it was never as enjoyable as he hoped. It was an exercise in futility to care about what he wanted or liked anyway, so he’d simply stopped paying attention. And now he has no idea what feels good or doesn’t. He watches the words hit, watches her process the invariably sad admission. 

He expects a deferment, that somehow he has managed to cut this off before it can really begin, but she simply pulls him closer. “Well, it’s a good thing I enjoy research then, isn’t it?”

She kisses him then, it’s different from before, not careful exactly, but watchful almost. And he wants nothing more than to get lost in her, so he does. She is everywhere, warm, inviting, perfect. He can’t seem to touch enough of her, and the feeling seems mutual, he keeps pressing himself into her touch, looking for more. She shifts her weight, urging him onto his back, and he complies. She sits up over him, tosses her long, dark hair over her shoulder, and puts distance between them he doesn’t want. He indicates as much by catching her hand, trying to pull her back into him, but she rebuffs him by nipping at his knuckles.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get there if you want,” she says. “Take these off?” she gestures at his pants but doesn’t reach for him.

“If I do that, you’ll be overdressed.”

“Are you trying to negotiate?” 

He fluffs the pillow below him and settles in, indicating that he could wait all day. “Sure.”

“Together then?” she says, toying with the hem of the shirt. He nods and begins removing his pants as she discards the shirt, revealing the untracked expanse of her skin. She is so buttoned up most of the time, he had expected that she might be shy about her body, but she’s not. He had hardly gotten to look his fill when they’d bathed together, so he takes his time now. There’s a slight flush across her chest that dips down to the tops of her lovely, round breasts. There’s still some bruising across her shoulder and ribs, but it’s mottled and fading instead of the brilliant purple it had been last night. 

She leans in and catches his hand, bringing it to rest with hers on the jut of his hip bone. “Show me how to touch you.” 

Every thought eddies out of his head, everything except her, her touch. He can feel all of her attention on him, eyes watchful as her other hand finds his. He thinks he might die if she doesn’t begin touching him soon, so he covers her hands with hers and begins moving them across his skin. He shivers at the dual sensation of both their hands against his skin, moving slowly, drawing out the intoxicating torture of soft touches before finally leading her hands down his chest and stomach, guiding her to the hard jut of his cock. Her hand follows without hesitation, wraps around him boldly and he sees stars. 

He’s dimly aware that his hands have fallen to his sides, of the way they clench at the sheets and the way his lungs have emptied of air. She pumps him, slowly, torturously, and he leans into the pleasure of it. He opens his eyes, unsure when he closed them, and she is there, cataloging his every reaction, every movement with those clever green eyes of hers. Like with anything else, Liv is careful with this, intentional. He feels stripped utterly bare, down to all his broken parts, but she looks at him like he is whole, and maybe just now, he is. Their eyes meet, and he can see the satisfaction in her gaze, and then she leans down and kisses his hipbone, a clear question in her eyes. 

He doesn’t trust himself for words, so he simply nods. She kisses further in, moves her hand enough to run her tongue along the length of him before taking him into her mouth. He can’t help but touch her then, his fingers in her hair, feather-light. He doesn’t need to guide or push her, he instead needs an anchor. He is unmoored, undone by her. His whole body seems to tense and relax at intervals as pleasure takes him, and a ragged sound escapes his throat. It feels so good that it is almost too good. He cups her cheek, slowing her very good work. “No more,” he manages, the words strained. 

With some effort, he coaxes her up his body. She kisses his jaw before looking into his eyes. “Still with me?”

Because he had told her once that sometimes during the act he was anywhere but here. But he wants nothing more than to be present here and now. “I’m with you. Now come here.” 

He flips them in one quick movement that puts her beneath him. He pins her down with a fierce, hungry kiss against her smiling mouth. Skin against skin, there is nothing keeping him from the warmth of her. Their thighs tangle together, and he can feel her racing pulse. She is so vibrant, so very alive.

His fingers tangle with hers, and he pulls back just enough to whisper, “Show me how to touch you.” 

He swallows down her answering laughter, but her hand leads his to the swell of her breast. He follows her lead happily, swiping a thumb across her nipple, feeling the way it hardens under his ministrations. She is breathless, chest heaving even as she guides his hand down beneath her underwear and into the tangle of dark curls between her thighs. She arches into him as he dips his fingers inside of her. She’s already wet and waiting. He swallows down her low moan, biting her lower lip and then working his way down her neck, across her collarbone while his fingers work in and out of her and his thumb circles her clitoris. 

There’s a flush to her cheeks and her hips move against his hand, seeking further friction even as he feels her inner walls tightening. He hooks his fingers ruthlessly, pressing in deeper, and watches as the orgasm takes her. She’s beautiful like this, head thrown back in pleasure, chest heaving, his name on her lips. 

There’s a feeling in his chest, a tightness that’s torn between drawing this out, making it last as long as possible, and a bone-deep need for more, more, more. He captures her lips in a kiss that’s just this side of punishing and eases her underwear down her legs. There’s nothing between them now, and he marvels at how easily they fit against each other, her warmth seeping into his skin, spreading through him. “I want you. I want this, all of it. Can we…?”

She cradles his face in her hands, fingers gentle as they sweep across his cheekbones. “Yes.” 

It is so easy then to shift his hips and slowly press into her. Her thighs wrap around his waist as if she cannot get close enough. He begins to move, languidly at first, enjoying the feel of being inside her. But the more he moves with her, the more he feels as though his heart is splitting at the seams as if his own rib cage might open up and his heart leap out to her. She might be below him, but he is wholly at her mercy. 

Her hands run along his back, fingernails scraping carefully against his shoulder blades. Waves of sensation roar through him, and the sound of her breathing is in his ears as she unravels beneath him. He picks up his pace, feeling the thundering of her heartbeat as if it is echoing in his own chest. There is the slightest compulsion to perform, to tell her how good she feels, to whisper any of the meaningless things he’s used to, but instead, he simply says her name, like it is a prayer, an anchor keeping him here.

She comes around him with a sigh, and he presses his face into her neck, worrying his teeth against soft flesh as his own release builds within him. He lets go of the careful control he has held to, to the rhythm he’d established, simply seeking his own pleasure now. She holds him like he’s precious, and it is easy then to follow her over pleasure’s glimmering edge.

Her fingers are in his hair, gently raising his head enough to look at her, boneless as he is. “I love you,” she says breathlessly. 

Is this what it feels like, to be with someone wholly? It feels almost too big to hold, he thinks his eyes might be burning from the profound relief of it all. “I love you too.”

“You’re still with me?” she asks.

He kisses her again, amazed that he can, that he wants to, that somehow he hasn’t gotten his fill, that he doesn’t feel hollowed out. “Always.”