#Nikolas Knight

[seyvia]

𝚂𝚒𝚛 𝙽𝚒𝚔'𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝

My personal favorite is the 2nd summer one. I also like how colorful his workout outfit is.

[notknickers]

to me, a masked or armoured person lifting their headgear enough to show the line of their lovely jaw or a hint of red from their bottom lip is the equivalent of a victorian maiden showing her calves.

(slag)

[wrixie]

🍒 FIRST GROUP OUTING | CHERISHING CHERRY

Cherry threw a "party" at the park so everyone could get out and get to know each other better! The date started with Matt making tons of food because Cherry was just a bit peckish. That's love right there!

Nikolas was not feeling the park today, it's hot and he'd rather be by the pool

Cherry asked Terrance about his daughter so Terrance whipped his phone out to share some photos of his little girl with her. Cherry would just love to meet her one day soon!

While Matt and Cherry were trying their best at chess, Billy came over and flirted with MATT instead of CHERRY lmfao like boy what xD

Nearing the end of the day, Cherry wasn't feeling too hot... so she complained to Wesley about the heat for 20 minutes

beginning | previous | next

[shyjusticewarrior]

Some pics of Jason with white backgrounds for your needs

[saint-of-ossaville]

Oh we just remembered that the last thing Bruce said, at least on-page, to Jean-Paul and Azrael was no more deaths (see below cut), and then chronologically Arkham City: The Order of the World happens, and The System has Azrael go on this holy mission and…

— Arkham City: The Order of the World Vol 1 #2-3 (Jan-Feb 2022; 2021, DC Comics) by Dan Watters (W), Dani (A), Dave Stewart (C), and Aditya Bidikar (L).

(Under cut is Batman telling them no more killings, assuming that Azrael was the one to do them. Saying this again to avoid confusion: The below panels are prior to the above ones.)

— “Dark Knight of the Soul, Part One” of Batman: Urban Legends Vol 1 #8 (Dec 2021; 2021, DC Comics), reprinted in Sword of Azrael: Dark Knight of the Soul Vol 1 #1 (Aug 2022; 2022, DC Comics), by Dan Watters (W), Nikola Čižmešija (A), Ivan Plascenia (C), and Ariana Maher (L).

[nfcomics]

BATMAN URBAN LEGENDS no.16 • cover art • Ejikure [June 2022]

Batman and Zatanna stand up against the curse they’ve been facing throughout their whole relationship! Ace and his Super-Pet compatriots make their last stand. Will the new Birds of Prey crumble because of their lack of trust in each other? And we go back in time for a Batman and Alfred team-up story where Alfred’s taking the lead on the action!

Written By: Vita Ayala, Mark Russell, Che Grayson, and Josh Trujillo

Artists: By Nikola Cizmesija, Karl Mostert, Serg Acuna, and Rosi Kampe

(W) Various (A) Various (CA) Ejikure

[denimbex1986]

'...Is Oppenheimer Christopher Nolan's Magnum Opus?

Oppenheimer had all the necessary ingredients to achieve desired success: a stellar cast, phenomenal direction, and a riveting piece of history about one of the most influential figures told in real life. Christopher Nolan has a style of peculiar storytelling that distinguishes him from other filmmakers, often due to its intricacy, which drives viewers to rewatch his films multiple times in order to fully grasp the concept.

Nonetheless, Nolan has once again outdone himself with the film's story being recounted from the perspectives of Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.). Furthermore, he continues assembling a stellar cast, like The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Tenet, which have all encompassed an ensemble cast of A-list actors, establishing a successful formula.

Having said that, Oppenheimer is miles apart from his prior works, both in terms of complexity and the way he depicted history's true events through real people. Unlike his other works, such as The Prestige, where the narrative of scientific geniuses like Nikola Tesla is told from a fictitious perspective, Oppenheimer mirrors history, but Nolan made it exceptionally engaging, which is quite difficult.

Add to that the film's three acts, which address various conflicts and personal feelings of the Atomic Bomb's creator, Oppenheimer, who, despite wanting to bring peace to the world, created something that led to more destruction. Even with Christopher Nolan's unparalleled storytelling, another Oppenheimer is unlikely to be made in the future, which is why it has ample chance of becoming a classic...'

[nikolas-sweetheart]

Meeting Nikolas

[letsgethaunted]

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Episode 67: The Black Knight Satellite Conspiracy Photodump

Image 01: A close-up image of the alleged “Black Knight Satellite” Image 02: The full image as posted to NASA’s website. Officially, NASA classifies this photo as nothing more than a piece of “space debris” Image 03: Some theorize that the famous photo is actually of a thermal space blanket lost during a space walk in the 1980s. Here’s a photo of one; they normally come in silver or gold. Image 04: Astronaut Gordon Cooper discussing his experience with UFOs (part 1). Cooper is alleged to have seen The Black Knight Satellite during his time in outer space. Image 05: Gordon Cooper discussing UFOS (part 2) Image 06: The New York Times article that started it all when astronomers claimed to have spotted satellites orbiting the Earth 3 years before the launch of Sputnik 1 Image 07: Nikola Tesla’s article published in 1901 where he claims to have intercepted intelligent radio signals coming from outer space in 1899. Image 08: Alleged video of the Black Knight Satellite caught on camera in 2016. Image 09: Alleged video of the Black Knight Satellite caught on camera in 2020.

[arolesbianism]

I wanna draw oni characters with designs based off of abnormalities from lob corp but 1 motivation and 2 I wanna make Olivia plague doctor soooo bad because the idea makes me go crazy especially with making a white knight printing pod design too but it's the latter bit that would be hard as hell and then I'd also have to make Jackie one sin like legally and I don't wanna do that both design wise and character wise because one sin is my bestie

[usedtobekrampus]

growing list of WIPs because

✿ ●--- - - ---● ✿

[akutasoda]

Hey I know i do a lot of request but I can't help it since your writing is so good.

Could you do bsd x feisty female reader who wears their cape/coat. Like they went on a date and while coming back, reader felt cold. So they offer her their cape/coat only because they want to tease her over how small she looks in their clothes. But she ended up looking so cute that they started hugging her and trying to steal kisses while she is aggressively trying to get away (although she secretly likes it). Please do Ranpo, PM!Dazai, Ada!Dazai, Chuuya, Jouno, Nikola and Fydor or any other character you want. Thank you! <3 <3 <3 Take care of yourself ♡

frostbitten kisses

synopsis - on a cold walk home after a date, they offer you their coat but they simply can't help but smother you in affection

includes - ranpo, dazai, chuuya, fyodor, nikolai, jouno

warnings - fem!reader(no pronouns mentioned), fluff, teasing, slight crack, wc - 2k

a/n: this was so adorable! take care of yourself aswell <3

ranpo edogawa ★↷

dates with ranpo were interesting to say the least. most of the time, home dates were the favourite as ranpo could be quite lazy when returning from a day at the office. however you knew that if you asked ranpo wouldn't turn you down for any ideas you had for a date.

and so when you told him briefly you wanted to go somewhere sometime for a date, he wasted no time in planning it all out and telling you to be ready. your dates with ranpo were always going to be interesting, but it was that sort of charm he had that made it all the more enjoyable.

and even on the walk home you found yourself already missing the previous couple of hours. but your mind was quickly sidetracked by the cold night air that crawled under your attire and made you shiver. noticing your discomfort, ranpo immediately shrugged off his cape like coat and wrapped it around you, he didn't really carre about the cold.

but he still didn't hesitate to tease you about you not being prepared, however he couldn't keep his eyes off how cute you looked all bundled up in his cape like coat. and so his words died down and he tried to smother you in affection, but you simply avoided him.

this then spurred him to wrap his arms around you and tried to press kisses ylto your face but you kept squirming and turning your head. however you did enjoy the affection he always showered you in, so eventually you caved.

osamu dazai ★↷

to absolutely nobody's surprise, when dazai got himself into a true relationship he would act more upon his lovestruck feelings - and that included traditional dates like the romantic he truly was. in addition, dates with him were actually very frequent and always memorable.

but he would be up to any kind of date, whatever you named he'd gladly try his hardest to achieve it for you. but if he wanted to surprise you with a date it'd most often be either at a bar or a traditional fancy restaurant. and tonight it was the latter.

he had been waiting for you the minute you finished work. escorting you home and patiently waiting for you to get ready no matter how long you would take before escorting you arm in arm to his chosen location. just as always, the date had gone by too fast and you sere already anticipating the next one - even if you were just walking home.

but you both underestimated the time you both would begin walking home and so the night air had become especially chilly. but you were determined to not let it ruin your perfect night out even if you couldn't stop shivering.

dazai noticed how this became the case and with a wide smirk he took his coat off and wrapped it around you. he started feigning how he had become your 'knight in shining armour' but before he could start teasing you more he took a moment to take in your form.

seeing you huddled in his coat made his heart swell and instead of teasing you he became draping his arms over you and pressing kisses to your face. you immediately shoved him off and tried escaping his grasp but you were both aware you enjoyed his affection. and so he continued and you let him.

~ 15!dazai

and if you were lucky enough to know him before, he'd be no different.

he'd either of taken you to lupin or some arcade but the result was still the same. after taking in your shivering form, he'd take his coat that hung loosely on his shoulders and wraped it around your form. but now he was slightly more discreet and teased you longer before wrapping his arm around your waist and leaning his head against your shoulder.

chuuya nakahara ★↷

dates with chuuya were always elaborate. he was yet again another traditionalist - arguably the most. he believed heavily that the dates he would take you on would work toward showing how much he adored you and so no expensives would worry him. and while he did prefer those more traditional dates, who was he to say no when you wanted something different?

and so when you planned a date and swung by his office to inform him, he could only smile with a love struck expression. at the end of any date all that really mattered was that you both had a good time, and you always did. normally chuuya would drive you to your dates but because you had chosen somewhere not too far from his residence, he didn't mind the walk.

except the weather wasn't really in your favour and the cold started nipping at you through your attire. chuuya noticed immediately and without thinking he placed his coat over your shoulders to allow you to warm up. he wanted to tease you, to comment or your lack of preparation but all words died in his throat at the sight of you huddling into his coat.

so instead he settled for instead trying to give you a kiss. but your feistyness could rival his own, so you avoided him and only smiled back. he would always know that you loved his affection and so he tried again and again until you finally allowed his to press many kisses to your face.

fyodor dostoevsky ★↷

dates with him were rare but they were more rememberable. the reason was that he was very busy and disliked going out unless he really had to, but when it came down to you he'd be more willing to take you out for the night.

unsurprisingly he was also traditionalist at heart, if he planned the date he'd take you to a fancy restaurant. more surprisingly was the fact that he'd normally spring them on you a day in advance. randomly seeking you out during the day to inform you of his plans to take you out the next night. however he would be open to going to places you'd like to go for a date.

but this time he had yet again sprung another date on you with no prompting on your end. the evening had gone just as charmingly as it always did and noe it was time for the two of you to head back. but it seemed you hadn't picked an outfit that withstood the cold night air and unconsciously wrapped your arms around yourself in an attempt to conserve warmth.

fyodor had noticed immediately and in a rare case he swiftly took his coat off and wrapped it around you (it would've been his cape but you insisted he wore something else for your date). he had half a mind to make a snark comment about how you should come nore prepared but the words died in his throught and one look at you gave him the uncharacteristic urge to hug you.

oh the things you do to him. never in his life would he have thought that someone would render him to a lovesick fool, yet here you were. he subtly shifted closer to you as you two walked side-by-side and you didn't fail to notice his arm sneaking round your waist.

you swatted him off and looked at him while he just said something about you now having his coat to keep you warm instead and he was cold now. you only smirked at him and told him he gave it to you. it took s few more attempts of him trying to sneak closer before you gave in and pressed yourself into his side.

nikolai gogol ★↷

dates with nikolai could be 50/50. sometimes he was simply too busy or he just preffered to stay at home with you for night, other times he wanted nothing more than to sweep you up in his arms and take you on a date.

and when he did it was always a new experience. never once had he given you the same date twice, you often wondered how long it would take for him to run out of ideas. the only time the date was the same was if you suggested a date or asked for the same one.

but today nikolai had found a bar that he now wanted to take you to for your date and while the date had gone by enjoyably, it was time for the walk home. now, you were fully aware of nikolai's ability and how walking home wasn't really necessary, you both agreed that walking home was more enjoyable as it was a form of stretching out the date for as long as possible.

even if the night air granted you with an uncomfortable chill. nikolai noticed your slight shivers and continued talking about whatever subject he had brought up as he whisked off his cloak and wrapped it around you.

he had originally done this to then tease you about, comment on how unprepared you were and how you're lucky he loves you so to brave the freezing night air for you. but he truly couldn't resist the sight of you bundled up in his cloak and instead opted to stop dead in his tracks and start peppering your face in kisses.

you tried your best to shrug him off, quickening your pace as you attempted to get away from his constant affection. but you still loved it and so you allowed him to catch up to you and do it again.

saigiku jouno ★↷

dates with jouno were also quite rare. and if you ever complained he'd remind you that you knew and understood the effect his role as a hunting would have on your relationship. but he would always make sure that if he did take you out, he'd do it properly.

he would always prefer a date in the comfort of either his or your residence. it was much easier on his enhanced senses and it didn't prove to difficult after a long day at work but if you insisted on going out he would also oblige - especially if it was an anniversary or some celebration.

and this was exactly what this was. it was yet another anniversary of your time with your lover and thsi time he'd surprised you and informed you of his plans to take you out to a proper restaurant. he wouldn't admit it, but he always did enjoy these dates with you - no matter how much he grumbled about certain things around him.

luckily the restaurant wasn't too far from his residence, it was walking distance and since your practically lived at his place you both walked back there together. but you both had underestimated how cold the weather would turn by the time you both walked back. and your shivering didn't go unnoticed by jouno who also was getting pretty effected.

but even if he was feezing he still didn't hesitate to take his coat of and hand it to you. you gladly took it and wrapped it around yourself but almost immediately he was regretting it as he got impossibly colder. and his solution came in the form of him wrapping his arm around you instead of the simple hand holding you previously did. this way he could seek out your warmth but you more than happily shoved him off and complained about how comd his hands were and how he handed you his coat.

his lips pressed into a thin line before he tried again, he was met with the same fate. eventually you caved as you did enjoy his affection even if you played this little song and dance.

[batbabydamian]

DC June 2024 Solicitations - Comics Featuring Damian! 🦇

BATMAN #148

6/4/2024

Written by Chip Zdarsky

Art and Cover by Jorge Jimenez

Variant Covers: Woo-Chul, Homare (1:25), Gabriel Dell'Otto (1:50), Yasmine Putri, Skylar Patridge (DC Pride Variant)

“DARK PRISONS - FINALE” It all comes down to this: Batman versus Batman! With Damian's life - and the future of Gotham - hanging in the balance, nothing can prepare either version of the Dark Knight for what's about to happen!

BATMAN #149

6/18/2024

Written by Chip Zdarsky

Art by Michele Bandini

Cover by Jorge Jimenez

Variant Covers: Belen Ortega, Dan Panosian (1:25), Steve Lieber (1:50)

“DARK PRISONS - EPILOGUE” When confronted with the totality of your life, and all the choices that led you to where you are, do you build on the ashes, or rise from them? The Batman who is left standing will have to answer this question quickly, as someone is already sifting through those ashes, with an eye toward saving the world!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #10

6/11/2024

Written by Joshua Williamson

Art and Cover by Simone Di Meo

Variant Covers: Gleb Melnikov, Guillem March, Sergio Acuna (1:25)

SHUSH RISES! Man-Bat's plans have been unleashed on Gotham. The only person who can help Batman and Robin save the city is... SHUSH?! Can she set aside her hate for the dynamic duo and help, or will she let her quest for revenge overcome her?

THE BOY WONDER #2 of 5

6/4/2024

Written by Juni Ba

Art and Cover by Juni Ba

Variant Cover: Chris Samnee

Jason Todd is the exile prince of Batman's kingdom, stalking Gotham's darkest alleys and eternally turning his face from the light of day-all because he cannot quench the burning flame of anger and retribution that consumes his heart. Can Damian learn from Jason's mistakes? Or is the reflective mask of the Red Hood doomed to be a mirror held up to his own future?

WONDER WOMAN #10

6/18/2024

Written by Tom King

Art and Cover by Daniel Sampere and Belen Ortega (Backup Story)

Variant Covers: Julian Totino Tedesco, Daxiong, Jeff Spokes (1:25), Phil Jimenez (DC Pride Variant)

This cat has claws! Cheetah enters the fray as the Sovereign recruits Diana's greatest foe to deal the killing blow! Meanwhile, the Wonder Girls may have promised their mentor that they'd stay out of her fight, but well-behaved heroes seldom make history. Will they reach Diana before it's too late? Plus, Trinity takes to the skies...literally!

BATMAN: WAYNE FAMILY ADVENTURES VOL 5

8/6/2024

Written by CRC Payne

Art by Starbite

Cover by Vasco Georgiev

Collecting the finale of season two of the smash-hit WEBTOON series! When your superhero life is just as busy as your personal life, there's never a dull moment in the Bat-Family. Bruce Wayne's young heroes are still learning to fight and live side by side, but they always have each other's backs. Whether it's teaming up to fight a massive villain or a massive head cold, Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Spoiler, the Signal, and the rest know what it takes to smash that problem in the face! Collecting episodes 98-116 of the massively popular WEBTOON series, optimized for a brand-new reading experience in print!

BATMAN AND ROBIN VOL 1: FATHER AND SON

8/6/2024

Written by Joshua Williamson

Art by Simone Di Meo, Nikola Cizmesija, Mikel Janin

Cover by Simone Di Meo

The Dawn of the Dynamic Duo Isolated from their friends and allies, Batman and Robin have moved into a Gotham City brownstone to rebuild their lives, reconnect with one another, and, of course, fight crime. No sooner do they settle in when they are attacked by their most monstrous villains, led by the mysterious Shush. Whispering from the shadows, she is intent on revenge with a plot to turn one of Batman's greatest assets against him! With his father incapacitated by Shush, can Damian help solve the case before it's too late? Can he survive the tribulations of high school at the same time? A brand-new fun and exciting adventure begins for comics' greatest father-and-son duo, from DC Comics architect Joshua Williamson (The Flash, Knight Terrors) and superstar artist Simone Di Meo (Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood)! Collects Batman and Robin #1-6!

[wrixie]

🍒 HOUSE PARTY | CHERISHING CHERRY

Welcome back to Cherishing Cherry! Today Cherry threw a house party to hopefully get closer with the remaining men in the mansion!

First things first, let's get to dancin' - Alternative music for the win, everyone loves it!

Nik told Cherry a dramatic story then fell asleep in the hot tub

Speaking of the hot tub, that's where everyone mostly spent their time. Cherry spoke to Matt about her interests - dogs, it's always dogs; isn't he just so cute????

Terrance was flirting with Cherry right in front of Micheal. Totally unimpressed.

Once the party was over, Julian and Cherry got to flirting in the hot tub in front of everyone; let the jealousy ensue!

beginning | previous | next

[seyvia]

Nikolas sets off to focus on his inner peace following his elimination. Three weeks have passed since the event, and Nik is completely unaware that today is the airing of his elimination episode. His phone is suddenly overflowing with sympathy and messages of support, and Nafisa? He can easily find every detail about her online. However, instead of being a virtual fan, he rather take it a step further and get to know her face to face! He's coming back to the dating scene with a fresh perspective and sharper skills. And ever the optimistic he noticed they have a lot in common, both enjoy yoga, mornings, and if she's self-absorbed, then she wouldn't mind his nosiness right? ( ^ω^ )

Is Nikolas Nafisa's knight in natural linens? Or will this dueling interest yogi, face rejection once more? Find out at @flocy-sims Nestled with Nafisa!

More below:

Name: Nicholas Knight. Age 28 (he-him)

Aspiration: Inner peace. Traits: Goofball, Vegetarian, Nosey.

Likes: coffee, green, brown, mischief, gossip, wellness, mixology, guitar, boho fashion, deep conversations, sunrises and bike rides. Her hair, like that's a goddesses hair!💕(going to like calling her goddess/angel)

Dislikes: eating meat, "boring sims"(small talk), sleeping in, arguing, violin. the nick name Nik-knack-patty-whack...

Extra: Nik completed the master of mischief asp at 21. currently living in a cute blue trailer he got half priced. He believes scarves are an extremely underrated accessory. He grew up in Windenburg. He got a really bad haircut as a kid and has been styling his own hair eversince. His parents resent him because he "wasted all his potential". Grew up in a well-to-do family where they didn't like it if you exploded the toilets, not even a little!

let me know if you want more info, hope yuh like him💕 (^///^)

I CAN'T BELIEVE I Robbed y’all by not showing Nickolas's hair down before!!! My deepest apologies! ❤️┗( T﹏T )┛

[kendsleyauthor]

GODLIKE

Godlike Universe (Brielle, Cameron, Nikolas)

~2000 words

New characters?? 👀 Nikolas is a size-shifting deity--the Lord of Autumn (AKA Lord Taranis but he prefers his chosen human-like name). Brielle is an ex-princess, and Cameron is an ex-knight. How did these humans earn the favor and protection of the literal personification of autumn?? It's complicated.

But they're all in love teehee 😘

@marydublinauthor 🌸

Brielle hopped from root to root delicately while Cameron muscled down the urge to stay within catching distance, imagining her cry of pain if she slipped. Old habits died hard.

Flashes of the grand Autumn manor were visible in the distance as they trekked back toward the property. Although the Rite had occurred just that day, signs of spring were swiftly taking hold. The snow had melted a couple of weeks ago, and the harsh sting in the air had all but dissipated. Before long, the forest would be saturated with fresh color.

“Could we start dinner when we get back?” Brielle asked.

“Don’t be coy. You mean to ask if I will start dinner when we get back,” Cameron said.

“I’m starving!”

“You poor thing,” he crooned.

A dramatic exaggeration if there ever was one. Nikolas ensured they never went hungry. But although they were living in a far grander place than ever, they were dressed more simply. Cameron had little need for armor, choosing light tunics instead. Brielle’s boots were already worn from months of exploring the woods. The hem of her dress was speckled with dirt. Her leggings were comfortable for climbing places she ought not to.

Nerve-wracking as her decisions could be, Cameron had to admire how flushed with life she was these days.

“Wait.” He hurried to Briell’s side and put an arm out to stop her from striding to the next thick root. “Do you hear that?”

He swore he could hear wind, but the pine needles weren’t rustling. Squinting through the sparse foliage, Cameron caught a glimpse of fabric that lay across their path like a wall. All at once, he realized it wasn’t the wind he was hearing.

“Nikolas?” Brielle whispered. “Could he be hurt?”

“Doubtful.” Cameron seized Brielle’s hand and hurried her forward nonetheless.

The Lord of Autumn lay on his back, head turned to face them. His eyes were shut. One hand rested on his chest, while the other sat palm-up on the ground by his face. Late afternoon sunlight dappled through the branches overhead, spilling across his skin. His breathing was steady, chest rising and falling peacefully. The ground, though thawed, shouldn’t have been a comfortable place to nap, but he made it seem so.

Cameron relaxed when all appeared to be well. “I didn’t expect he’d be back already.”

“He must’ve fallen asleep waiting for us,” Brielle said, utterly endeared. “Do you think the ceremony went well?”

“As well as a gathering of childish deities can go, I suppose.”

“Shh!” Brielle glanced up at the branches. “You never know what could be listening.”

“It’s the day of the Rite,” Cameron said back in a mocking stage whisper. “They have more important things to do than listen in on us lowly mortals.” Nonetheless, his gaze briefly wandered in search of the odd snowy owl or rabbit.

Then his attention was inevitably drawn to Nikolas’ relaxed expression. Although Nikolas had nothing to do with the shift of winter to spring, he had still attended the Rite to hold council with his siblings. He had been glum the past few weeks, claiming that he was at his weakest during the spring, given that he was as far from his autumnal power as he could be.

And yet, he was still intimidating. At his full size, there was hardly anything else he could be.

Brielle almost shared the same sentiment. “He looks breathtaking in his sleep, doesn’t he?” she asked, still hushed like she couldn’t bear to wake something so precious.

“Godlike, one might say.” Cameron hummed thoughtfully. “Menacing, another might say. Alarming—”

She elbowed Cameron’s ribs. “Look at him! He’s so sweet.”

“If I recall,” Cameron said sourly, “you would fling acorns at my head and call me lazy when you caught me napping in the Queenswoods.”

Brielle grabbed an acorn from the ground and raised it threateningly. “You had barely lifted a sword on those days. Nikolas has every right to be exhausted after spending the day with his… charming relatives.” 

She tossed the acorn, which Cameron nimbly plucked out of the air. He thought she might grab another, but she lost interest in landing a hit. Instead, she turned back to Nikolas and began to approach his sleeping form. Cameron hurried to catch up, taking her arm. 

“You were just going on about how sweet he looks—why would you want to wake him?” Cameron asked.

Brielle gave him an impish smile that typically accompanied her worse ideas. “I don’t mean to wake him, silly. How often will this opportunity come around?”

“Opportunity?”

“To simply… admire him. Besides, even if he wakes, it’s not as though he’d be opposed to the attention.” She slipped her hand into Cameron’s and tugged him with her.

Protests bubbled up, but they never reached his lips. She was going to do what she wanted, so he may as well stay by her side to keep her from doing anything too foolish. Besides, he had to admit there was something enticing about exploring Nikolas up close without that intense stare following their every move. 

Naturally, they were drawn to his face first. His gentle breathing stirred the air like a faint autumn wind. Brielle reached out first, gingerly brushing a hand over the stubble along his cheek. Her fingers traced the edge of his top lip. She looked at Cameron, eyes sparkling. 

“So soft,” she whispered to him. “Feel.”

Cameron was perfectly familiar with Nikolas’ lips, but he reached out anyway. His heart stammered. Gods, it was just like Nikolas to be irresistible even in his sleep. 

There was a slight shudder in Nikolas’ breath, and the two of them pulled away swiftly to rid him of the disturbance. Brielle sidestepped and leaned up to push the hair out of his eyes. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, soothing him back into his deep slumber. To Cameron’s surprise, his breathing evened out again.

“He may not sleep for much longer,” Brielle said, stepping away from his face and toward the open-palmed hand behind her.

Cameron bit back a groan. “Meaning?”

She served him another grin. “I want to feel his heartbeat before he wakes. Come on.”

He dragged a hand down his face. “You’ll be the—”

“The death of you. I’m well aware.” She climbed onto Nikolas’ palm, throwing her arms out for balance. “Now, help a lady up?”

He had half a mind to leave her to it—to use a giant deity as her personal playground, and see where that got her. But he trudged toward her, grumbling. The moment he stepped aboard Nikolas’ hand, his heart gave another lurch. There was something to this little adventure, and he couldn’t keep it off his face. Brielle beamed at him like she could read his mind. 

Before proceeding, Cameron couldn’t help but kneel down to briefly run his hand over the palm that held them. How many times had he been held in this hand? And yet it felt like the first time all over again. He traced one of the lines, eliciting a small twitch in the fingers curled loosely beside him and Brielle. They needed to move on.

“I swear I can already feel his pulse,” Brielle said in wonderment as Cameron helped her onto Nikolas’ shoulder.

Together, they made their careful way to his chest. His shirt was soft, practically begging for them to curl up in its folds. The warm surface beneath them rose and fell at a steady pace as Nikolas continued to snooze, peacefully oblivious to their presence. When the two of them finally came to a stop, there was something almost meditative about his breathing. Cameron could feel his eyelids growing heavy.

“How beautiful,” Brielle said quietly, dropping down slowly to place a hand over Nikolas’ chest. “To think that someone like him has a heart beating right here. Just like we do.”

Cameron wasn’t sure whether to tease her or agree with her. He didn’t get a chance to decide—at that moment, Nikolas decided he had napped long enough. 

The world shifted, and Cameron found himself plunging downward. A cry caught in his throat, while Brielle, who was situated farther above him, screamed for help. Cameron, trying fruitlessly to take hold of the fabric of the shirt, looked up in time to see a massive hand swoop up and catch Brielle. 

Cameron’s descent came to a sudden pause when he landed on Nikolas’ lap—too close to the edge. He slipped, briefly catching hold of the inseam of his trousers before falling to the ground between his legs. 

“Should I ask what you two were doing?” Nikolas spoke around a yawn, sounding faintly amused. 

Before Cameron could orient himself, a hand descended and plucked him from the ground. He found himself reunited with Brielle, who was catching her breath in Nikolas’ other hand. His stare, though groggy, was quickly sharpening with alertness as he regarded the two mortals in his cupped hands. 

“Her idea,” Cameron said at once, sitting back against Nikolas’ fingers with a huff.

“No, really?” Nikolas raised his eyebrows, feigning shock. 

Brielle scoffed as though she had any right to be offended. But her expression quickly sweetened. “We wanted to be right here with you when you awoke,” she said. “How was the Rite?”

The brightness in Nikolas’ face dimmed somewhat. “Well, Aldwin is certainly pleased to be back in power. He created a whole field of wildflowers outside the sanctum. The show-off.”

Brielle swooned. “I remember I would peek out the window when Lord Aldwin passed by the castle on the first day of spring,” she said. “The trees and flowers flourished along his path—it was all very magical. I was so taken with him as a girl.”

Cameron laughed. “As a girl? You were doing this last year.”

She shrugged. “He’s dashing.”

“You wound me,” Nikolas said, looking thoroughly disappointed. The glint in his eye was unmistakable, though. “That settles it… Cam is my favorite now.”

Cameron wasted no time in beaming smugly at Brielle while she stammered indignantly. She moved to hands and knees, crawling closer to Nikolas’ face. “You said you didn’t have a favorite!” she exclaimed. 

“Well.” Nikolas leaned closer, those perfect lips pulling into a smirk. “If you’re allowed to have a favorite season…”

“I didn’t say spring was my favorite!” She threw her arms around Cameron suddenly and snuggled against him. “And besides, Cam can’t be your favorite because he was mine first!”

“Oh, Bri…” Cameron gave her an innocent look and leaned his forehead against hers. He tipped forward as if to kiss her, then stopped short. “But what if Nikolas is my favorite?”

Brielle shoved him back. “You two are insufferable!” She crossed her arms, pointedly turning away from them both as they chortled. 

“Come now, you can’t stay mad,” Nikolas said. He brought his hands closer to his face. “If I forgive you for fawning over my brother, can we agree there are no favorites?” He nudged her back with the tip of his nose.

She turned to face him, still pretending to pout. Nikolas moved swiftly, brushing his lips against her cheek with tender grace. She clearly couldn’t continue her dramatics any longer; a smile spread across her face, which only grew wider as Cameron kissed her other cheek. Before long, she was squirming and giggling, telling them that’s enough.

Giving them both a look of overwhelming affection, Nikolas brushed his lips one last time over the pair of them before settling back down on the ground. 

“I could use five more minutes,” he said with a yawn, depositing them back onto his chest. 

“Not a minute more,” Cameron said, pulling Brielle into his arms and lying down with her. “She says she’s starving. If we don’t have dinner soon, she may resort to devouring me.”

A chuckle rumbled beneath them. “Lucky you.”