#Voltage fanfic

[chirp-a-chirp]

Devour and Delight: Roy’s Wedding and Wedding Night

Fandom: Court of Darkness (Roy X MC, MC named Carla)

Rating: First third PG/Sugary sweet; last 2/3 R/Sweetly Spicy (Minors/folks under 18 do not interact please!). The spicier section is in dialogue format.

Description: Roy and MC get hitched—and clearly enjoy their first honeymoon night. Part One to this story here: LINK HERE

Word Count: ~2700

Tags: Wedding; wedding night; fluff; sweet and spicy; soft smut

…

A private ceremony takes place in a garden near the Invidian royal chapel. A little girl clutching a basket marches down the aisle, the frills of her dress bouncing energetically. Roy smiles indulgently as the girl curtsies to him at the altar.

“You performed admirably, Nica.” He adds. “Your excitement mirrors mine.”

“Yay!” Nica runs to her older brother, Rio, who serves as Roy’s best man. She had practiced her flower girl routine diligently for a week. No one had the heart to tell Nica that, in her excitement, she forgot to drop any of the petals.

“Sorry about that mate,” Rio says quietly to Roy after ushering Nica to her seat.

“There is nothing to apologize for, my friend.” Roy eyes Nica’s overflowing flower basket, grinning. “I have a better use for the petals this evening.”

“What use could that be—“ Rio stops himself. Roy’s gaze is transfixed upon seeing Carla.

King Klaus walks Carla down the aisle. “I thought I’d only get this honor with Sherry,” Klaus murmurs, his voice choking. Carla can’t help but be moved that the King is reacting like a proud parent this day, his emotions clearly etched on his face.

The audience witnessing this wedding is small—some palace staff, Rio, Lynt and their immediate families, Sherry, Grayson, and Roy’s parents. The Invidian people and other foreign princes will be present for the public ceremony—and all the royal trappings along with it—in a week’s time. But this day is for Roy and Carla.

Carla can hardly contain her emotions as she grasps Roy’s hand.

“No escaping now,” Carla whispers jokingly, her eyes drinking the sight of him in his suit.

“Escape was never an option for us, Heartspell.”

King Klaus makes a gracious escape and sits next to his wife and daughter Sherry. He’s all but sure from Roy’s lovestruck stare that his son did not remotely register his presence.

“Roy’s brimming with passion. It just took the right woman to unlock it.” Roy’s mother notes fondly to King Klaus.

“If he can keep it unlocked until the ceremony ends!” Sherry giggles.

The officiant intones some very poignant and meaningful words—of which Roy would confess later to not recalling much of at all. He does recall every word of his and Carla’s personal wedding vows. When that time arrives, Carla turns and places a gold ring with an etched rose motif on his finger.

“The world is comprised of darkness and light. For years, I struggled in the dark, seeking a life worth living. But then, you arrived. Thank you for being my light—my source of inspiration and joy. I vow to spend every day giving you the same love and happiness you’ve gifted me. To ease the burdens you carry. To lift your spirits in times of sorrow and doubt.”

A beautiful smile forms on Roy’s face from Carla’s words. He places a diamond ring on her finger before clasping her hands.

“The world may be comprised of light and dark, but you brought color into my life. I love you with all that I am. My soul has transformed from knowing you—your goodness, your kindness, your perseverance. I vow to cherish you for eternity, to be the one you can turn to when you require. To comfort, soothe, and protect in times of need.”

The officiant asks if there are any objections. Carla withholds a giggle when Roy scans the crowd and briefly narrows his eyes as if anyone would object. Her thumb caresses his wrist to soothe his nerves.

The officiant pronounces them man and wife. Carla represses the urge to leap in Roy’s arms due to the audience. Roy senses her hesitation and pulls Carla to him in a tender embrace. As their lips touch, Carla whispers on his lips.

“I love you…husband.”

Time stops briefly. Affections overflow as they gaze into each other’s eyes.

“And I love you...wife.”

There’s a joyous celebration at the Castle. The festivities blur in a series of dances, feasting, and good natured ribbing of Roy and Carla being unable to keep their eyes off each other. The moment King Klaus and Queen Charlotte leave, Roy makes his excuses, picks Carla up in his arms, and dashes away.

Carla: Roy! So impatient! Her voice echoes the hallway. What will people say?

Roy: Patience would be rather unusual at present. It is not as if tonight’s plans are a secret. Roy smirks while carrying Carla towards their chambers. Upon feeling her cheeks blaze, his voice lowers. I have the most beautiful wife in my arms. All I desire is to spend time with her.

Carla: Define spend time. Carla nuzzles her nose against his neck as Roy opens their chamber door. I have some ideas…

Roy: Roy chuckles at her coyness. His eyes close briefly at feeling of Carla’s breath against his neck. He steps inside their chambers and locks the door.

Well then, please enlighten me.

Roy puts Carla on the ground. His thumb traces her jawline before lifting her chin towards his gaze. His eyes reflect adoration, love, and rising heat. Carla’s thoughts scatter at his look.

Carla: Roy…She is overwhelmed. A part of her wonders if she closes her eyes if she’ll find this day, nay their entire relationship, nothing more than a dream. She grasps Roy’s free hand. It’s real, solid, radiating warmth. His fingers curl against hers on instinct.

Allow me to burn this beautiful image of you in my mind. Please.

Roy: His eyes widen with surprise—he has been called fair of face by many, but none have mattered before meeting Carla. His expression softens.

Take your time. The corner of his mouth quirks. Please inform me if I pass your inspection.

Carla: She walks a full circle around Roy, eyes roaming up and down from the tips of his shoes to the top of his head. Roy breathes heavier at her examination.

It’s not everyday a girl marries the most handsome prince in Saligia—inside and out. Her voice trails as her arms wrap around Roy’s back.

Roy: He embraces Carla softly, resting his head on top of hers. You understand you've completely melted me, yes?

Carla: You’re standing upright, so not ALL of you has melted. She kicks off her heels and nuzzles against his chest.

Roy: He is determined to make this a night she’ll never forget. One of joy, of gallantry—

Carla: How about we unwrap our…wedding presents? Her fingers untuck shirttails from Roy’s pants so she can caress his sides.

Roy: …gallantry be damned.

Carla: Her hands wander to Roy’s shoulders as she removes his jacket. Carla hums in approval as Roy’s hands travel up her back and slowly undo her dress.

I REALLY despise buttons. Her hands shake as the top three buttons of Roy’s shirt are undone. There is an innate satisfaction in unveiling one another’s skin with their own hands versus using magic—even if their wedding attire consists of the tiniest most cumbersome buttons in existence. Her lips lap Roy’s chest as more skin is exposed. Carla’s wedding dress falls to the ground in a pool of fabric.

Roy: You are exquisite. Beyond exquisite. Heartspell. I love you.

There are more eloquent ways to express these overflowing emotions. But, those are the words that matter.

Carla: Though they’ve come together many times before, this feels different. Her skin is covered in goosebumps as Roy’s fingers trace her curves. His touch is revenant yet burning. When Carla finally gets Roy’s shirt off, she gasps as she’s lifted in his arms. Her legs wrap around his waist, their kisses quickly becoming ravenous. Roy walks to the bed and lowers Carla down, his lips never leaving hers.

Carla’s hands drift to Roy’s waist to take off what remains of his attire. Despite their passionate sounds, Carla can’t help laughing as Roy kicks his shoes off with serious impatience.

And YOU may hate shoes as much as I hate buttons! Even as she laughs, her lips seek Roy’s body vigorously.

Roy: He half laughs, half growls in impatience. His hands finally remove the few articles of clothing clinging to their bodies.

Believe me, you’re well worth the effort of unraveling, dear wife. Roy groans as their lips devour each other, caressing said and unsaid desires.

Carla: Her fingers dig into his rose gold locks. Oh God Roy…

Roy: He moans at her touch, her body, her heart—it is pure heaven. His hands travel up her thighs, tracing every inch, seeking her heat.

Carla: This…this is a problem. She murmurs softly against his lips and neck. I want this moment to continue, but your fingers…oh, just like THAT.

Carla’s fingers dig into his shoulders as Roy’s fingers concentrate on her most sensitive spot, lightly at first and then encircling intently.

Roy: He laughs softly as she murmurs against him. Roy’s touches become all-consuming, her reactions driving him wild.

Just like this…yes? Roy feigns his questioning tone. He knows Carla loves it.

Carla: Her legs quiver from the sensations of Roy’s fingers in her. Carla feels rather than sees Roy smirk as his head is buried against her neck.

Roy, I…her eyes close as she becomes undone by his touch.

Roy: You already need me this much? He grins at her body’s quivering, the lurid wet sound of his fingers loving her. While he wants to savor his Carla, the wanton desire on her lips fuels a need to make her delirious with pleasure. Roy continues to twirl and pump his fingers the way she enjoys it until he brings Carla to her peak.

Carla: Her body convulses against Roy, her mind going blank. Carla clinches his shoulders and cries his name, lips pressed against the top of his head. Her body sinks in the bedsheets in the aftermath.

Roy…though her limbs still shake, Carla pulls Roy closer to her. She should not be the only one delighted this night. Plus, Carla wants to replace the slightly smug look on Roy’s face with another expression. She whispers in his ear.

Your turn. Her hands slide towards Roy’s waist, tracing light circles on his hips and upper thighs.

Roy: He groans softly in anticipation, his mind clouding as Carla pulls him closer. Roy’s breath is shallow and short, Carla’s fingers sending his body into overdrive.

Carla: I’m not the only one in need it seems. Carla purrs against his skin. One arm encircles Roy’s waist while the other tantalizes his length. Her lips press a wet trail across his upper chest and neck.

Just like this…yes? Carla mimics Roy’s previous teasing tone. Her face is flushed, but seeing Roy slowly come apart is an absolute treat. Her tongue swirls on his chest as her hand moves faster on him.

Roy: He groans as Carla’s tongue and fingers perform wonders. Carla’s name falls from his lips, as if it’s the only thing he can utter. Roy is certain his heart will explode from Carla’s ministrations. His hands clinch the bedsheets, his vocalizations intensifying.

Carla: And now to test how soundproof our chambers are.

She nips his neck, stroking him faster still until he comes undone. Carla takes her other hand and glides her fingertips across his whitening knuckles until they relax into her touch. Light kisses now cover bite marks in soothing pecks as Roy recovers.

Roy: Her actions send him to a point where he doesn’t care if the whole Castle hears him. His voice cries out and his body shakes and slumps. A towel is magically summoned to their bed.

It appears we both need this, Heartspell. Roy chuckles ruefully, wiping their bodies as he catches his breath. Carla rests her head on his chest. A smile spreads across her face when Roy drops a kiss on her forehead.

Carla: It appears so.

Carla breathes in a mingled scent of sweat and roses—Roy always smells sweet Carla thinks. She drapes an arm across his torso and lets a comfortable silence remain between them before speaking.

I said you were handsome in your suit Roy. But I prefer what you wear now. Carla can’t see Roy’s face from her position, but she can easily imagine his cheeks turning pink.

Roy: Is that so? Even when I am all...sweaty like this?

Carla: Yes. It’s you in your most natural state—no political trappings, no formal words, no masks. Just you and your heart exposed. Her speech is a bit sentimental so she tacks on an addendum. And no one else gets to see your pretty body and reactions but me. I rather like that.

Roy: He responds back in a teasing tone. You just had the best view then, did you not?

Carla: Carla buries her head against Roy’s chest and laughs heartily. Cheeky man.

Roy: I can never resist teasing my gorgeous wife.

Carla: You couldn’t resist teasing when I was your consort or fiancé, you know.

Roy: Well, you make it so easy. How am I supposed to ignore teasing someone as beautiful as you?

Carla: Carla sits up, looking down at Roy in mock indignation. Oh, so it’s MY fault?

Roy: Of course it is. Who else's could it be?

Carla: Perhaps, JUST PERHAPS, the rascal prince I’ve married!

She throws a pillow in Roy’s direction, but then notices rose petals on it. She scans her surroundings and sees the bed and most of the carpet sprinkled with rose petals, the room cast in a golden light from numerous candles.

Roy… Carla gestures to candles and roses. You sweet man…. Her cheeks turn pink.

Roy: His eyes catch Carla’s glances at the room. It’s a cute reaction he’s compelled to play with. Roy sits up, grabs another pillow, and tosses it towards Carla. Oh, did you just notice the candles and flowers?

Carla: YES! She deflects the pillow.

Roy: You can thank Nica for supplying the petals. A much better use of them I dare say. Roy smirks and tucks a strand of hair behind Carla’s ear. Too bad you didn’t see them until now. Were you distracted?

Carla: I was as distracted as YOU were! Or were our moans not indicative of this?

Roy: You do inspire quite the response from me. His fingers caress the back of Carla’s neck. And here I thought I was a good, quiet boy.

Carla: HA! She launches herself so Roy’s on his back and she’s lying on top of him. You’re good in another context though…

Roy: And what context is that?

Carla: The “your wife wants to pounce you” context. Carla straddles Roy’s hips enticingly and presses her lips to his.

Roy: Her playful desire envelopes Roy. Their kisses grow intense, thorough, and ravenous. They crave without hesitation or restraint. Roy twines his fingers in Carla’s hair and uses momentum to flip their positions. His hips move against hers, entering her in one smooth powerful stroke. They gasp at the instant fireworks unleashed.

Carla: She is mesmerized—his lips, his touch, the way he yearns for more intimacy, the blaze of Roy’s golden eyes as they give into the moment of being husband and wife in every sense of the word.

Roy…Carla hopes he can feel the passion she has for him. More.

Roy: Roy calls out to her, eyes aflame, skin on fire. He presses further into her, their rhythm increasing rapidly.

Feel me. With all that I am.

Lips devour, seeking her everything—her cries, her sighs, the words she tries to express. Roy tries slowing their pace to prolong the moment, but it’s no use. Carla matches his pace, digging her fingers against his back as the pounding pressure crescendos. Roy encircles one arm under Carla’s waist and tips her slightly upwards, pressing further until they hurdle over the edge together, their voices crying out.

Carla: She feels Roy collapse on her shoulder. They roll onto their sides, clinging to one another. Carla maneuvers her position slightly. She closes her eyes and slowly massages Roy’s scalp, his head resting between her breasts.

Ahhh, so this is what happens when we pounce each other.

Roy: Yes, and your claws are truly sharp.

Carla: What would people say if they knew WHY their prince was so tired now? Her words are soft.

Roy: He murmurs. They would understand it was due to our constant pouncing. Very constant.

Carla: Carla yawns, her fingers slowing to a stop.

Roy: Roy moves back upwards, gathering Carla in his arms. Rest up Heartspell. There’s still the rest of the honeymoon to enjoy. He runs his fingers through her hair, savoring her presence, until they both succumb to slumber.

[booklin]

Bidders x Preg! Fem! reader

Fandom: KBTBB

Rating: E-10

Genre: Fluff

Tws: Pregnancy

Notes: If I throw this in as a scene in one of my books and you happen to notice.. NO YOU DIDNT

Baby Files

You and the bidders had been dating for quite a while, things had gone smoothly. Sure, there were ups and downs but that’s with any relationship. All and all, things were calm. Except… they weren’t. Not anymore. Despite how much you shamed yourself, you couldn’t stop eating sweets. You had to have a sweet with every meal. Considering you rarely ate sweets, always self conscious about gaining weight, everyone was taken aback. In fact, their looks were causing so much paranoia you stopped eating anywhere near them. Only eating sweets in your room now, they didn’t fail to notice your other new habits, such as sleeping and becoming stressed over everything. Lately, your work ethic has been terrible, constantly falling asleep. Even your boss couldn’t keep covering for you anymore, alerting Eisuke.

“Okay, I think we can all agree Y/n has been acting strange.” The others nod to Baba’s concern. “She’s been eating sweets everyday. I asked the Chef.” Soryu adds, causing Eisuke to chime in. “And she’s been avoiding us. What could be wrong?” They weren’t sure, and putting their heads together didn’t seem to come closer to finding answers. You were frightened by this new change as well. What could be wrong with you? “Maybe you’re pregnant?” Your friend says after listening thoughtfully to you worries, then laughs. Though, you weren’t laughing. “Pregnant?” You repeat, spacing out at the thought.

Immediately, you rush out of the cafe, leaving your friend behind. What if it’s true? It would explain the cravings. And emotions. And tiredness. And now, a new symptom to add. Throwing up when worried. What a nice cherry on top. Despite not wanting to believe it, you, reluctantly, go to a pharmacy. In disguise, wearing sunglasses, a hoodie, wig, and everything else to keep your identity undetected. Then you grab a test and ask to be rung up in a strained whisper. After discreetly exiting, you shove the box in your pocket before sprinting back to your apartment. You have been spending a lot of time there lately. With what’s been going on, staying away from them, as not to explode or do anything else embarrassing was a must.

Anxiously, you rip the box open then, after drinking plenty of water, go into the bathroom. Shaking the whole time, you nervously wait for the results. Two lines… your heart drops, and so does the pent up emotions inside you. Sobbing your eyes out, you fail to notice the knocking at your door. “Y/n? Are you in there? We want to talk.” Nothing, yet the door was locked. They had a bad feeling, after debating on whether your privacy was more important than safety, Baba agreed to pick the lock. Though, Soryu is impatient, deciding to break the door instead. “Y/n, are you here?” They hear a distressed cry suddenly come to a halt. “I- I’m fine-!” Your voice shakes, barely coherent, it was hard to hide. “Y/n, are you okay?” Ota asks, taking a seat next to where the sobs came from, the bathroom.

“Yes…” Your voice becomes quiet, sniffling any residue onto the tissue. “Can we talk?” Shaking your head, you remember they can’t see you and manage another reply. “I don’t want to.” You hear a small sigh, the voice getting close. “Y/n, we just want to know what’s wrong. We’re all worried about you.” At the moment, you were tied between embarrassment and wanting comfort. Was it worth them seeing you like this? A mess? About to side against it, something in you that yearns for their touch breaks loose. Without giving it a second thought, you open the door before you could change your mind. That sight was shocking to see, on their part. A teary eyed, broken down, head hung, nose running, messy hair partner, appearing miserable as she runs out to hug the first person her hands reach.

Rambling incoherently, you sob some more, this time into Soryu’s button down shirt. “We can’t understand you when you talk like that.” Going on, though everything is heard in more of a whine, he manages to make out a few words, however not enough to piece together what’s wrong. “Why don’t we take some deep breaths?” Baba suggests, his tone gentle and face softened. Facing towards him, you quickly turn away, shaking your head no. “Y/n, come on, I know you can do it. I’ll do it with you.” Without hesitation, he begins taking deep breaths and eventually you repeat after him. Steadying yourself, you’re finally able to say all at once, “You’re going to hate me! I’m going to have to raise our kid alone and I’m not going to have enough money to support us, then we’ll be sleeping in a box on the street, eating out of a trash can, and drinking water from some old guys sweaty socks! Please don’t leave me.”

You become worked up, sobbing once more, while you shake Soryu’s body back and forth, continuing to plead. “Wait, what?” Eisuke says, shocked at both the scenario you’ve come up with and the news. “You’re pregnant?” You stop crying long enough to shake your head yes, then immediately begin again. “Woah woah, it’s okay.” Soryu says, rubbing your back. About to pick you up, Eisuke snatches you away, being the one to pick you up instead. “Baby, it’s fine. We’re not highschool boys, we wouldn’t leave you because you’re pregnant.” Ota nods before saying “And how would you end up homeless?” He laughs lightly, “It just wouldn’t happen.” Finally starting to calm down, you sniffle, rubbing your teary eyes before saying “Because I’ve been doing bad at work, and now you’re going to fire me.” Looking at Eisuke, he shakes his head. “I wouldn’t fire you without reason, and even then I would take care of you. Technically, you don’t need a job. You were the one insistent on keeping yours.”

You give a small smile, thinking about the memories when you first began dating. Suddenly, a hand ruffles your hair, looking at the culprit, Mamoru gives a small smile back before sighing. Then, running a hand through his hair, he shakes his head. “Just relax kid, we’re not goin’ anywhere and you’re not in trouble.” The support was all you needed to calm down, shaking your head to acknowledge you heard Mamoru. “If anything, I’m glad you’re not upset with us.” Baba says, to which you look surprised. “Why would I be upset? If anything I’m ecstatic. We’re having a baby! I hope they look like one of you. They’re sure to be beautiful.” Thinking about it more, finally done crying altogether, you show them the pregnancy test. “We should make the gender a surprise! Do you think they’d like bears? Or are bears too scary? Maybe ducks? Oh, I know! Cats! Wait, what if we make their room ocean themed?”

Going on about the endless possibilities with clothes, room design, and how great parents you would be, Eisuke sets you down. “We have to get parenting books! What type of parents should we be? We could be intense, strict, free-range, french, or-!” You just keep going on, and they intently listen to every word, the smile never leaving their face. After that they had you take time off of work, you finally weren’t as embarrassed to eat sweets around them, they were always kissing, holding, or hugging you, saying how much they loved you. Baba loves rubbing your belly while you sleep, and together they get you anything and everything you could ask for. Eisuke is no longer brutally honest about how he thinks you look. He’ll tell you if something looks better than other outfits, but never critiques such as “it makes you look fat.” Overall, they all turned into soft, loving boyfriends who are always worried about you and the baby.

[sophiie2000]

Hi! I loveee your writing! If it's fine with you I'd like to request a crossover of Irresistible Mistake & OISY. It's where Shunichiro and MC are already married but MC is from the Miyoshi Concept of OISY & didn't meet as a fling. So the scenario is like this Shunichiro has been acting strange since morning. Like he looks at the door often which he was actually waiting for his wife as their in a Collab with them. So their surprised when he hugged & call her wife as they didn't know he's married.

Hey! Thank you so much! It means a lot to know that you've enjoyed my writing! ♡

I LOVED the sound of this scenario, and it had me thinking about how I could do your idea justice! 😊

I hope you enjoy this and I've managed to capture the essence of what you were hoping for! And thank you for trusting me with your idea! ☆

Request Crossover

Shunichiro Tachibana (IM) x MC (OISY)

Word Count ~ 1241

A bustle of nervous energy, thick as a fog, filled the halls of Addison & Rhodes offices. A nervousness unlike any the employees had ever experienced before. It wasn’t the typical anxious excitement from the team preparing for a meeting, or the worried jitters of the new hires about to experience their first assignment.

No. This nervousness was different. Why? Well, for starters because the person who seemed bursting with nervousness wasn’t a new hire aiming to please their bosses, nor was it the team leaders excited to begin a new project.

It was Mr Tachibana. Creative director of Addison & Rhodes. The man who had always been known for his brilliance, calm, collectiveness. A man all within the company look to for guidance.

The man who could face any challenge a project threw his way without batting an eye or displaying any sort of weakness, now strode back and forth, between his office and the conference room where a meeting with another company was scheduled to take place in less than 10 minutes.

He had treaded the same path between his office and the conference room so frequently that morning, it was a wonder he had not left a threadbare path in the carpet on the route he had taken.

Toma and Natsume watched as Mr Tachibana strode once more through the thick doors to the conference room which had already been prepared not once, not twice, but three times this morning after Mr Tachibana had deemed it lacking.

Demands had been directed in all directions. The water is too warm, prepare some more. Also bring a few extra bottles in case the three iced jugs already prepared would not be enough. Also make sure there is hot water available should that be preferred.

The coffee had to be remade, as Mr Tachibana had feared it may be too bitter. Then again, as the second batch seemed too weak. The regular mugs used during conferences had been deemed inadequate by Shunichiro this morning, and so the company’s best were fetched out of storage for the meeting.

Neither Toma, nor Natsume, could decipher why their boss had suddenly become so stressed about a regular initial meeting with another company to discuss a collaboration. Neither had been informed of the meeting being a level that required such anxiety. Had they underprepared themselves? Surely, their already anxious leader would have informed them if they were ill prepared.

Five minutes before the meeting, the employees of Addison & Rhodes required for the meeting filed into the conference room.

Toshiaki entered the room, noting his friends tension offered a quiet chuckle as he attempted to take the empty seat to Shunichiro’s right. The seat he occupied every meeting in which both attended. It had become an unspoken rule that when both were present, the chair at the head of the table, and the one to its right were to be occupied by the duo. However, before he could even begin to lower his body into the seat, Shunichiro stopped him, pushing the chair firmly back under the table. Toshiaki glanced at his friend; eyebrow quirked. Shaking his head, he moved further down the table.  

The other employees, having witnessed the exchange, shared cautious glances. Who could they be meeting? So important that they would be taking the seat directly besides the creative director, rather than sitting at the opposite end of the table, like all previous meetings saw.

The five minutes leading up to the meeting seemed to pass by at a snail’s pace. Mr Tachibana, however, seemed to become even more fidgety.

The employees present had watched him rearrange the placement of his pens, at least, seven times. The latest placement returned them to their initial spots.

His eyes had moved between the door, his watch, and the conference room clock, repeatedly. If he wasn’t watching the clock, he was watching the door.

And when he wasn’t watching the door, he was guzzling glass after glass of ice-cold water down, as though his life literally depended on it.

Finally, the conference room door opened, Kunihiro Kasai, the managing director of Miyoshi Concept entered first. Toma and Natsume shared an even more confused look. Miyoshi Concept were a good company. Toma had had the privilege to work with them on previous works, but neither could imagine why this meeting could have caused their boss so much stress.

Following Mr Kasai into the room was the team he had clearly selected for the collaboration. Kuranosuke Kiba, Shu Hasunuma, Ukyo Senkawa, Eiji Takao.

As the door closed behind Eiji, Shunichiro’s eyebrows drew together. Frustration marred with confusion filling his gaze.

“Is this everyone?” The words almost sound like they’re spoken on a low growl. Disappointment laced in his tone. The Addison & Rhodes employees were tense, silent. You could hear a pin drop despite the full conference room. They had never heard the tone the words were spoken come from their boss before.

Luckily, Mr Kasai didn’t seem offended by the tone in which he had been spoken to. He simply chuckles and shakes his head.

“My apologies, Mr Tachibana, I do have one more member of my team to join us, she –”

Before the other man could even finish his sentence, the conference room door was opening once again, all eyes turned towards the sound, and a pretty, brunette entered the room, a smile gracing her cherry lips, her blushed stained cheeks reddening further as she felt all eyes on her.

However, it was the next moment that seemed to really deepen her blush.

Mr Tachibana’s chair screeched, as it scrapped along the ground, almost falling over in his haste to jump up out of his seat. He seemed to rush towards the woman who had just entered the conference room. Panic flared in the eyes of the employees seated at the table. Was he angry she was late? Surely, he would not react so overtly if he was.

 But it was the next moment that shocked everyone more.

They watched as their boss pulled the woman firmly to his chest, caging her in his arms, and nuzzle his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling her hair.

“Shun…” The soft murmur of his name, fell from her lips, while she sounded shocked, she spoke his name with such love. Returning his embrace.

“I missed you, Mrs Tachibana”.

Audible gasps ricocheted around the room, appearing to echo around the walls.

Taking her hand in his, Shunichiro led her towards the seat directly beside his own. Pulling her chair out, and directing her to take the seat, before Shunichiro gazed out across the table and took in the shocked expressions on his employees faces.

Shunichiro saw Toma and Natsume with their mouths agape, eyes wide. Toshiaki’s subtle smirk and shake of his head at his friend’s caveman like behaviour despite being at an important meeting.

Yet he simply smiled. His nervousness and excitement from waiting for her to arrive finally dissipating, now she sat beside him. Her delicate fingers fiddling with her documents in front of her. The diamond ring he had put on her finger months earlier, glistening under the conference room lights.

Warmth flooded his chest and with every ounce of pride, Shunichiro loudly declared towards the room, with his eyes firmly fixed on the beautiful woman who held his heart sitting beside him,

“Now my wife is here, the meeting can begin”.

[acefaun]

Yandere Huedhaut

Synopsis: Huedhaut is probably the least suspecting yandere—as should be from the smartest man in the Heavens. He plans and he plots, but no one would ever suspect him to be a puppet master, cleverly pulling all the strings.

🩸Yandere Masterlist🩸 Female Goldfish! Warnings: Gore, Minor Character Death, manipulation, etc.

A/n:  I got suddenly interested in Yandere Huedhaut because of the fact that he'd be so unnoticeably manipulative. And then… I went overboard with a murder mystery and I really wanted to add a wild plot twist(one that I wrote, and then forgot about, and then surprised myself with like half a year later.) I definitely went overboard with Yan Hue. 🫣 Read at your own discretion.  It’s one of my longest one-shots. So I’ll just add a link to the AO3 while I’m here. 

–Word Count: 19,954–

It wasn't entirely fair. Was it? To fall hopelessly in love and then be torn apart by fate. It was insulting and even more infuriating to have reminders of that time. To have the love of your life before you but be unable to have her and be unable to do anything about it. To watch her fawn over every other man that wasn't you.

Life just wasn't fair and I only felt that pain from a distance. Huedhaut never explained to me just what we used to be back when I was a goddess. He always seemed pained in my presence yet he always wanted to be around me when I wasn't working and when he wasn't busy with work from Leon or Karno.

After I was officially safe from the dark king and I had thanked Zyglavis for protecting me, things went back to normal between me and the gods. I was happy with how close I was between the Punishments gods and the Wishes gods, particularly Huedhaut whose company I found soothing. Though, I admit I openly fawned over him and continuously hovered around him simply because I was denying my childish crush on the strong and silent Krioff. But if I had to give Huedhaut any sort of label, I'd definitely call him my best friend. He had been looking out for me since he first laid eyes on me that night those six gods showed up in my apartment.

I hummed happily, my quiet melody the only noise in the hall as I carried my pillow and blanket through the gods’ mansion. I could only imagine how at peace Huedhuat must have been without the racket of the other gods.

“Hey, goldie!” I turned, catching Teorus’ gaze as he caught up with me, matching my pace. “You don’t usually come by this late in the evening. Whatcha doing?”

Walking side by side with the god of Taurus, I guestimated that he was following me to get to his room. I grinned in excitement as I gushed, “I'm staying over with Hue tonight! We're going to be reading books and stuff. It's going to be really fun.”

Teorus tilted his head, but his smile didn't lessen at seeing how happy I was. “I didn't know you liked that kind of thing. I guess I shouldn’t let you keep Hue waiting then if I want to avoid his wrath…” He waved me off as he continued on down the hall to go into his room. “Have fun!”

“Will do! Thanks, Teo!” Mindlessly caught on my conversation with Teorus, I happily slipped into Huedhaut's room, eager for our evening together. It wasn’t like I had to bathe, change into night clothes, or anything since I was already wearing my comfortable pajamas. All I had to do was climb into bed and enjoy a relaxing night with my best friend. “Huuuuue!” 

“One minute.”

I nearly dropped my pillow when I realized he was very naked and just getting out of the pool in his room. My face heated up uncomfortably and I quickly averted my gaze, covering my eyes with my hands. My voice came out shakily as I attempted to scold him, “Y- You could have told me you were... not wearing clothes! Gah! Seriously!”

Faintly, he whispered, “Your reactions are so adorable... I want to be the only one to see you blush like that…” A snap echoed and I cautiously brought my gaze up, finding Huedhaut in his normal Department of Wishes clothes. He greeted me with a smile as if nothing had happened since I carelessly walked into his room. “I’m glad you could come.”

“Y- Yeah!” I quickly shook myself out of my embarrassing thoughts, trying to actively wipe the memory of his shirtless torso out of my mind. “I was super excited to be able to come spend the night. Usually you’re so busy with work.” 

“Of course, I’m always willing to make time for you.” Smiling tenderly, he gestured to his bed. “Get comfortable. I'll grab a book and join you.”

I kicked off my shoes before eagerly climbing onto the bed. Setting my fluffy pillow on top of those that were already there, I pulled back his blankets, plowing into the soft pile of pillows as I made myself comfortable. Cuddling up with my blanket around me to shield me from the cold room, I asked, “Got any interesting suggestions for me?”

Huedhaut smirked as he joined me in bed, pulling me up close beside him as he reclined against the pillows I’d fixed. “I was planning on reading to you tonight. Would you like that?” I nodded eagerly, planting myself on his lap, per his invitation, with his arms wrapped around me and his chin resting atop my head. Things seemed to grow quiet as his hands rested on my sides for just a moment too long and he commented quietly, “I could stay with you like this forever.”

“H- Hue?” What was he saying? Geesh. He didn't have to get all cute like that. What was his deal? Making me blush like that. He was almost as bad as the other gods that liked to tease me. Well, in private, Huedhaut was honestly worse than the other gods sometimes. Curse him and his desire to get reactions out of me for every little thing. 

He nuzzled his nose into my hair as he grabbed the book from beside me. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do with you sometimes.” His breathy chuckle blew my hair into my face, but he brushed it away so I could watch as he opened the book in front of us and began to read with me following along. Again, he acted like he did absolutely nothing as we enjoyed a calm night together.

***

I liked Huedhaut and I was sure he was my best friend for more reasons than simply because we were an ideal couple back when I was a Goddess. His company was different from the other gods. He was always so considerate, even when he was joking around. His sarcasm was on the perfect level to make me smile, even when he was clearly saying something offensive. But he was the smartest man in the Heavens for a reason. He always knew what to say and what to do.

But occasionally he was in the Heavens when I had free time on Earth. Such was the case as I was playing games in the living room with Ichthys, Teorus, and Dui. I jumped in alarm at the rate I was losing to Ichthys. “Hey! That isn’t fair! I’m a human! You gotta take it easy on me!”

Ichthys grinned, waving his cards around in glee. “You just made that rule up because you’re losing and don’t want to do a truth or dare.” Dui nodded in agreement with an amused smile. That wasn’t fair! I was sure Dui was on my side…

“Pfft.” I openly glared at Ichthys, “You act like me picking a dare from you is an option. You’d just make me do something to get Zyglavis angry and I don’t have a death wish.”

Ichthys slammed his winning card on top of mine with a joyous grin. “I win! Now, time to answer the truuuuuth!” Turning to Teorus he whispered in his ear. Teorus seemed to take a moment to think before whispering back. I glared at them with intense skepticism. Even Dui seemed the slightest bit curious over what they were planning on asking me. Their faces told me it was going to be extremely personal. Ichthys then finally turned back to me, both gods holding malicious grins as Ichthys requested, “Tell us who you have a crush on.”

My breath caught in my throat, my eyes briefly flickering to the white haired god that sat only a few feet away on the opposite sofa. Krioff was doing his work but he wasn’t deaf. Immediately, I was left glaring at Ichthys. “You can't be serious! What are you, five?” It might not have been that bad if the source of our conversation weren’t nearby. Sure, he seemed like he wasn't listening, but I knew he heard every single thing that was going on between us. “Absolutely not! Geez!”

“That isn't how you play the game!” Ichthys stuck his tongue out teasingly. He would get me to say it before this round was over.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” Teorus reassured with his princely smile. “You can tell us if it’s me. I don’t mind if you love me as much as I love you.”

“Why would she have a crush on you?” Ichthys turned to narrow his eyes on Teorus. “She likes me. She asked me to play this game first.” Turning his attention back to me, he asked, “Are you embarrassed that I'm your crush?”

“That- That isn't it…” I looked away from them, my cheeks feeling uncomfortably hot. I had no doubt Krioff was listening to this whole conversation from where he was sitting and the minute someone mentioned his name he would be onto us. He might’ve been a quiet god, but he was probably just as interested in my answer as any of the other gods. I shut my eyes, but I knew they wouldn’t let me get away with being quiet. The last thing I wanted was to refuse to play by the rules and face their ‘punishment’.

I muttered Krioff’s name quietly as I attempted to avoid getting utterly embarrassed. The three gods only leaned in closer to try and discern my answer. Dui tilted his head and pointed out, “You were so quiet we couldn’t hear you.” Almost groaning to myself, I tugged Dui closer and whispered the name in his ear. His eyes widened in realization. “Kri- mmph!”

I jumped forward and shoved my hands over his mouth in a panic, “Hey! Shut up! Do you want the whole mansion to know?!” 

“That isn’t fair,” Teorus whined, crossing his arms. “We still don’t know who it is!”

But our racket was apparently quite distracting, for Krioff finally looked away from his work to address us, “Do you need help over there?”

I shook my head furiously, my cheeks still quite hot with embarrassment. “No! Nope! Not at all!” Taking a glance at the two gods who were passing through the room, I shot to my feet as I recognized Huedhaut and Karno. My saviour! “Anyway, I’ve gotta go! I’ll get you back some other time, Ikky!” Making a run for it, I caught up with the two wishes gods that were separating further down the hall. “HUUUUE!”

He turned with wide eyes only to have me practically tackle him. Luckily he was balanced enough to catch me in his arms without collapsing to the floor. “What on Earth happened?”

Still feeling embarrassed, I pressed my face into his jacket. The last thing I needed was for him to start teasing me too. “You have no idea how badly you just saved me from an embarrassing situation.” I looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Where are you going? Can I go with you? I need to... get away from Gods.”

Almost as though reading my mind, he smiled in amusement before ruffling my hair with a laugh. “You fell for their trap again and they were teasing you? If only you didn’t give us so many reasons to fluster you.” 

“Et tu, Huedhaut?” I pouted indignantly. “That’s not fair. You can’t make fun of me too! I’ll have no one else to turn to. My very best friend betrayed me.” I whined into his shirt. “Ooooooh, the agony of betrayal. I’m hurt! Really. The pain is too much for me to take. I can’t go on like this. Tis the end!”

“You’re a very dramatic ex-goddess.”

Pausing from my over-dramatic show, I frowned up at him. “You’re a very mean God.” Still, he didn’t lose his smile as he lifted a questioning eyebrow. “Huuuuue, stop smiling like that, you traitor.”

“(Naaaaameeee)!”

I panicked at hearing Teorus calling my name and I paled. Dui probably fed their curiosity and now they wanted to find me. If I didn’t get out of sight soon then I was a goner! Huedhaut laughed at my tortured expression and teased, “A traitor would let you into his room, would he?”

My gaze shot back to Huedhaut and I begged, “Please, please, pleeeease, hide me! I take it back! You’re a really nice god! Pretty please? Bestie? Promise I’ll pay you back! Hue?”

“Fine.” He purposely messed up my hair and snapped his fingers, transporting us to his room. “You can pay me back now.” He leaned closer to me and I backed away with heated cheeks at how sudden the action was. “You really do make the cutest expressions. I want you to tell me what you’re so desperate to hide from.”

I sighed, avoiding his searching eyes as I looked around at his many books, desperate to avoid the question. With his persistent gaze, I groaned. Why did he have to demand answers out of me when I only just escaped one cruel fate? “Fiiiiine. Ichthys started it. We were playing a game and he asked me who I had a crush on and so I told Dui and then you showed up and... I’m really sure he told Ikky and Teo.” I crossed my arms and looked away from him with my blush that was quite obvious to Huedhaut. “Now I’m all embarrassed and don’t want to see them. They’d probably make me do something embarrassing in front of him. I couldn’t even imagine. Ichthys might even tell him!” I rubbed my face, completely stressing out over that last possibility. What would I do if Krioff came to me later? I’d feel really stupid! I mean, I already knew he wouldn’t like me back before I even told Dui his name!

“It’s only fair if you tell me who it is, isn’t it?” I glared at Huedhaut, but he didn't seem to mean any harm in asking. He was my best friend after all. Aside from teasing me, he only ever had good intentions. “I see that look on your face. You want to tell me, don’t you? You already told the three troublemakers. Do you have such little faith in me?” What really was the harm in telling him?

“Don’t laugh... This is super embarrassing.” Not that Krioff was embarrassing… It was simply embarrassing to have a crush on someone who had no chance of liking you back. Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes. It was just one name. How hard could it be to say one name? As much as he liked to tease me, I knew Huedhaut was a much better person than that. So, gathering up my strength, I admitted, “I like Krioff…”

Huedhaut’s eyes widened. “Krioff?” This was the same reaction Dui had. Why were they so surprised? I hoped they didn't expect me to have a crush on Zyglavis or something! “You’re talking about the God of Aries?” I nodded my head woefully. “He hardly ever speaks to you. How could you like him more than me?”

His voice turned... cold for a moment. My eyes snapped open at his tone and I noticed he was glaring down at me. What was suddenly on his mind? “Hue?”

Saying his name seemed to have snapped him out of his thoughts. He instantly pulled away, realizing he was gripping my shoulders much too tightly for comfort. “Sorry. I was just surprised.” His cold glare was replaced with an affectionate smile as he led me to his bed and sat me down. Though, I had an uneasy feeling in my gut. “Krioff, huh? I never would have imagined you would have an eye for him. He’s such an entirely solitary god. Why don’t you tell me more?”

“M- More?” After that reaction of his, was he sure he wanted to hear more? But after a strict nod from him, I knew I wasn’t going to be leaving until I opened my heart to him. It wasn’t like he was going to go tell Krioff or anything. He never spilled my secrets before. I could trust Huedhaut. “He’s just attractive in his own way. He cares about people in such a unique way. Despite how hard his past was with his family, he’s so strong. He might not say much, but he’s very sweet and I love how adorable he gets when I bring him ice cream. I just couldn’t possibly put into words how amazing he is.” I sighed, leaning back on the bed. 

Huedhaut watched me quietly for a moment before asking, “What do you think Krioff would feel about this?”

“Krioff?” I hesitated, thinking about it. “He's a god...  so I could never see us together. But... he's always had such a tough time with people. I don't think he’d like me back. He’s probably just a thought that I entertain myself with because I admire his story.”

Passing his cool hand through my hair, Huedhaut asked quietly, “Have you ever told him any of this?”

I gnawed on my bottom lip, shrugging slightly as I admitted, “I accidentally told him he was cute once and he looked very surprised.” I covered my face with my hands trying to erase the mortifying memory. “I couldn’t face him straight for like a week after that.” I groaned, looking up at my best friend with a pathetic expression on my face. “What do you gods do? I mean, do you guys even have solid relationships like that? Some of the gods make it sound like committing to one person isn’t something a God could be interested in.”

Huedhaut furrowed his eyebrows before explaining to the best of his ability, “It’s true some gods think that way. However, some of us do prefer to commit to another. For instance, the only woman I’ve ever considered being attached to is the love of my life. I couldn’t tell you what kind of God Krioff is, but we do understand loyalty and values.”

I perked up at that and immediately turned to Huedhaut. “You love someone too?” He never spoke of anyone else. He always seemed so detached from everyone he didn’t need to bother himself with.

A rueful smile crossed his face as he looked up at the skylight. “I do.” It was quiet for a few minutes between us before he spoke again, “She’s beautiful, both body and soul.” As though hesitating to continue, it took a moment for him to finish, “Her name was Clotho.”

I hummed in curiosity. Did he mention her before? “Gee… She sounds familiar. Have you ever spoken about her before?”

Huedhaut shook his head, and before I could ask any further questions, he explained, “(Name)... you were Clotho.”

My eyes widened at the revelation and I quickly sat up to face him. Did that mean... he loved... me? “B- But, Hue, I-”

“I know.” He stopped me short, pulling my hands into his. “You don’t love me. I don’t mind. But, I still want you to know that no matter what happens to you, I’ll always be here for you. It doesn’t matter what any of the other gods say or do, I’ll be here to take care of you. Just as I always have been. It’s been a miracle to simply have you by my side again after all these years.”

With tears filling my eyes at his affectionate speech, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Hue, you’re the best… I promise I won’t go anywhere again!” Holding him tight, I smiled as he wrapped his arms around me in return. “You’re my favorite god!” 

But being my favorite would never truly be enough for him. No. The God of Aquarius wanted more. He needed more. He couldn’t stand these other gods getting all of my time and attention. I should be with Huedhaut every second I wasn’t working. But what was worse was that they had the nerve to tease me, to talk about who I loved with me. He couldn’t stand that they got to see my blushing face that should belong solely to him. 

So, though he had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, he would set his plan into motion. 

Of course, I had no chance with Krioff. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that Krioff simply wasn’t interested in having a relationship. So, Huedhaut would focus his time and energy on the other gods that were in the picture. Those children were keeping me from him. They were distracting me from realizing that Huedhaut was the man for me. Huedhaut was the one I needed to be seeking love from, not Krioff or any other god. 

Namely, he needed to take care of the three trouble makers of the two departments: Ichthys, Dui, and Teorus. Yes, Teorus was in the same Department as Huedhaut, but that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered until they were out of the picture. Any threat to Huedhaut’s perfect plans just had to be dealt with. 

It annoyed him that he couldn’t just find a way to kill them. That would be the easiest and the best way to go, resulting in me completely and entirely relying on Huedhaut. But the 12 Gods of the Zodiac were necessary for balance in the Heavens. He couldn’t just get rid of them like that. His plans had to be more delicately constructed.

There were better ways of going about this and ensuring I end up in his arms, after all. Reasonably, he was the smartest god in the Heavens.

***

“Duuuuiiii! I made a pie and it’s your favorite.” I grinned widely, knocking on Dui’s door. He was such a big help keeping Ichthys and Teorus from spilling my secret to Krioff. I had to pay him back with his favorite food. “Hey, Dui! It’s me, (Name)!”

“Oh, (Name), what are you doing here?” I turned and found Dui walking toward me, just returning from a Punishments job. But he paused and his eyes lit up as his gaze found the tray I was holding. “Is that what I think it is?”

I nodded and held it up to him so he could get the full glory of what I created. “Cherry pie! Just the thing to repay you for keeping Ikky and Teo silent. I was wondering if you wanted to have some on the roof with me? It’s a really nice day outside and I wanted to get some sun before the clouds took over. Apparently, it’s supposed to rain later.”

“Of course. We should go before the other two come looking for you.” Dui’s smile was really infectious. Sometimes it was nice to just hang out with him on a peaceful day. 

Ichthys was a bit too playful and Teorus was a little too touchy-feely. But just me and Dui like that? We weren’t such a bad combo. I felt relaxed and happy while he was eagerly eating the pie he loved so much. “So, Dui, how’s work been for you since your mark of sin has been gone?”

“It’s been good, thanks to your help.” He stuffed his cheeks once again before he gave a more detailed reply, “I mean, there’s been a few bumps in the road. Some humans can be pretty stubborn and Shadow Dui’s been trying to interfere where he’s not supposed to. But things are great. I’m getting more done without having a restraint on my powers.”

“That’s good!” I shifted in my seat to take a better look at him. Just looking, I wouldn’t be able to tell Shadow was causing any trouble at all. “I knew I only saw a portion of what you guys could do when I was lending my powers so I thought I’d go ahead and ask. I mean, you guys can go freely between Earth and the Heavens now. It sounds like a lot’s happening. I hope Shadow hasn’t been that much trouble for you? He was alright the last time I saw him. You apologized like crazy after he scared my friend from school, but Shadow was okay.”

“It’s not that bad. We enjoy visiting you, (Name).” I was glad he thought so because I really enjoyed hanging out with all of them too. But then he spoke in a sad tone, in a topic that caught me completely off guard. “I’m sorry about our reactions to Krioff. It’s just... I was pretty surprised. Everyone in the Heavens is so afraid of Krioff and then you, a human, falling in love with him… It surprised me. But, I’m happy. Even if Krioff is too afraid to accept you, I’m at least glad he has someone that loves him.”

“Too afraid?” I mean, I expected him to be insecure due to his past but... afraid? He always seemed so calm and collected. I couldn’t help but wonder how much he still carried on his shoulders.

Dui nodded to my quiet question. “He’s been through a lot. I’m sure you’ve heard. I think he avoids getting close to people because he’s afraid he’ll hurt them. I know he wouldn’t want to hurt you. We all care about you a lot. None of us would want to see you hurt.”

It was so hard to keep my heart from beating so horribly fast when he held my hand and looked into my eyes like that. He was just reassuring me, but if it were coming from anyone other than the kind-hearted Dui I might’ve mistaken it for an intimate gesture. 

I flinched at hearing someone clear their throat behind us and I awkwardly looked at the ground the minute we made eye contact. Though, I still tried to greet the newcomer to the roof, “Ah, Hue. Hey. You don't come up here often.”

“I figured it’s where you'd be. It’s about to rain and I’d hate for you to get sick.” Looking back at him, he was as composed as ever, that small smirk on his face telling everyone around him that he knew better. What was on his mind, I didn’t know, but he looked awfully happy about something. 

I returned a shy smile before I grabbed the pie from the table and asked, “Do you want this in your room, Dui?” All it took was a nod and I was following him off of the balcony followed by Huedhaut who closed the doors behind us. “Thanks for coming get us. I’m glad we didn’t get caught up in the rain.”

He nodded and, before leaving, offered, “If you need anything, I’ll be granting wishes with Karno.”

I waved as he left the hall and I quickly bolted past Dui with a challenging smirk. “I’ll race you! No powers! Last one there has to deal with Ichthys’ next prank!”

“No fair! You didn’t warn me!”

I laughed as he tried to catch up without using his God abilities and I swung open his door and ran in before he could get the better of me. “I made it fir- WAH!” Tripping over a soft surface, I instantly crashed to the floor with a groan. At first, I was under the impression I was covered in cherry sauce from the cherry pie, but as I sat up on my knees my eyes widened in fright and I froze. I hadn't landed in cherry sauce at all… I landed in blood.

“(Name), are you okay?! I heard- Oh my god…” Dui stopped talking as his eyes turned wide as saucers.

I wasn't sure what to do or how to react with Dui standing behind me. Did Shadow Dui do this? My best human friend was dead, killed in the most graphic way possible. Their organs weren't even inside them anymore—were those their organs? There had to be a logical explanation but my mind wasn't working right. All I could ask myself was if I was going to be next. Shadow Dui killed his best friend before. Why would I be any different?

“What the hell…” I froze fearfully as I noted the gruff change from Dui to Shadow Dui. “Shit… goldfish-”

“Don’t,” I interrupted him, trying to keep him from approaching. My mind still hadn’t caught up with me yet. Was this really happening? Please, let it be a horrible prank from Ichthys. 

“Hey, I didn’t-”

“Don’t touch me!” I screamed, pulling away from his touch. Anxiously, I scrambled to escape him, only able to go as far as the other side of the room. “Don’t come near me…” The last thing I needed was for him to finish what he started. “Why…?!” My manic state was enough to make him stop approaching, though I was trapped, the door being blocked by him. What did Shadow do? My voice was too caught up in my throat to scream, but I need help. I needed somebody, anybody to come and help me, to bring my best friend back from the cold world of death. 

“What the hell?!” Shadow Dui hissed, resuming his pacing. His frantic state only served to make me more terrified. A frantic murderer was a horrifying murderer. “This is your shitty little Earth friend! I knew it!” He kicked his chair across his room, making me flinch back into the wall. “I knew a stupid little human would only bring Dui more trouble! If I’d have just killed you back then then Dui wouldn’t get blamed for murder again! I didn’t kill this damn human!” 

I wish Shadow wasn't standing between me and the door. I wanted nothing more than to run out and find Huedhaut. Didn’t any of the other gods know what was going on here? 

The minute Shadow approached me, a cry left my lips, “H- HELP!” It wasn’t long before tears were streaming down my cheeks and I was hiding my face behind my arms. Shadow Dui killed my human friend. “HUE!” I needed somebody, anybody to come and help me, to bring my best friend back from the cold world of death. 

“What the hell are you-” The voice that was speaking from the hall suddenly paused. Scorpio was glaring at Shadow Dui from the doorway. The way Shadow was standing over me didn’t paint a pretty picture. “Damn it!”

With my eyes screwed shut, I could only hear the loud shuffling of a fight, but after that I didn’t hear anything as if I were alone in the room. But, alone or not, I was too frightened to move from where I sat. It was only several minutes later when Zyglavis asked, “Where is (Name) (Surname)?”

There was silence for a moment and I shuffled closer to the corner I had isolated myself to. I made sure I was far enough away from the body. I was thoroughly out of sight in the space between the bed and the wall and I wasn’t willing to move.

It was hard to control the shaking that came with my overflowing tears, but the sound of approaching footsteps only made it feel that much worse. “Woman,” Scorpio called, having found my hiding place. “(Name)!”

“(Name) (Surname)." I sniffled, looking up at the familiar voices. Zyglavis was kneeling in front of me, Scorpio was a short distance behind him, his attention split between me and the… Well, Scorpio had already taken care of the scene. "Are you hurt?" Zyglavis’ question brought my attention back to him. I shook my head slowly and he reached out to reassuringly pat my head. “You’ll be okay.”

“(Name)! (Name)!” My head shot up at the voice of Huedhaut. He pushed past Partheno to get into Dui's room. He didn't falter at seeing the blood. He only paused at seeing blood on me. “Are you hurt? You're covered in blood. Come here.” He fell to his knees beside Zyglavis and pulled me into his arms. “(Name)...”

“Hue…” I whimpered his name softly, burrowing myself into him. Why didn’t he come sooner to save me? Why didn’t he stop Shadow Dui from killing my best human friend? Didn’t any of them know that Shadow Dui did this? Did Dui even know before just a moment ago? 

Zyglavis looked at Huedhaut with a serious expression, his brows furrowed. “Take her somewhere quiet. The Department of Punishments will deal with this.”

Huedhaut wasted no time snapping his fingers, transporting us to his room. Still, I didn’t want to release him as he tried to pull away. He smiled gently as he tried to reassure me, “That probably took a toll on you. I promise I won’t leave your side. I’ll never let anyone hurt you. Will you let me bathe you? I imagine you’ll feel better being clean.” I couldn’t find the energy in me to smile back at him, but I nodded in response. Anything was better than how filthy I felt standing there. “You’d be okay if we used the bath in the mansion, right?” I nodded again, not really thinking about his question.

He kept a close eye on me as he walked me down the halls and to the bath. Usually, it was a shared space, but he locked the door to give me as much privacy as I needed. That’s what it would look like, anyway. He just didn’t want anyone else to see my precious body. That sight was purely for him and him alone. But he wouldn’t invade my privacy just yet. He would wait until I loved him in return. It might take time, but he would have patience.

He was gentle and quiet as he helped me into the bath, rinsing my hair with the warm water as he made sure not an inch of me was unclean after my experience. But he paused as he heard a small whimper from me. Was I going to say something? Evidently, the answer was yes as my broken voice reached his ears, “Why... Why would he do that to me? Was he that upset?”

I turned my head to look up at Huedhaut with watery eyes. I couldn’t identify the emotion on his face but he almost looked guilty. 

He did feel guilty, in fact. He did this to me, but it was for a greater purpose. I was in pain for the time being, but he knew it was only a matter of time before I fell into his arms. As soon as I was his, he would end my suffering. He wouldn’t have to hurt me if I would just surrender myself to him completely. But he wasn’t going to tell me that straight out. Eventually, I was going to figure out that Huedhaut held all the answers to my problems. If only I’d realize it sooner, he wouldn’t have to keep torturing me like this.

But, hiding his true nature, he caressed my cheek, answering me softly, “The other gods are going to get answers for you. Please, don’t worry. I’m here with you. Dui’s in the Heaven’s and he isn’t going to be allowed to return to Earth. I am truly sorry about your friend. That must have been horrible to see. I know it was hard for me to watch Clotho sacrifice her life for Earth. To have someone you care about die... it’s not a good feeling.”

A few remaining tears fell from my eyes as I apologized, “I’m sorry, Hue... I didn’t realize what you went through. It- It just hurts so much, but then I can't even imagine that you took your own stars after-” I was feeling the intense loss of someone close to me, but combined with sympathy for what Huedhaut must have felt, my feelings were just too fragile.

He was surprised as I began to cry again at his words. He was using his sad past to emotionally manipulate me into feeling empathy for him, but it was working better than he anticipated. I didn’t even seem to mind that he held me so much closer despite being naked in the bath. After making me feel guilty about my crumbling emotions, he spoke, “Please, don’t apologize. No one was there to comfort me after you left. But I’m here for you now. I’ll always be here. Now, are you sure you want to be holding me like that while you’re naked? I’m trying to keep you modest but you're making it difficult.”

I was in such distress that I hadn’t even realized what I was doing. It was like Huedhaut just lowered my defenses. Sinking back into the water, I looked away from him with a furious blush over my wet cheeks. “I’m sorry... I just... I don’t know how to handle what I’m feeling.”

Huedhaut nodded his head, trying to comfort me though I turned away from him. “I told you you don’t need to apologize. I know you’re not well right now. I’m just here to help you.” Of course I wasn’t well. Huedhaut was making sure of that. But he was going to do his best to make me smile while I was with him. I didn’t have to fear the bad things with him. “Why don’t we get you out of the bath? I can take you back to my room for the night and I can read you a pleasant book.” He was so thoughtful. Bringing tragedy into my life and then getting rid of it with his kind words and caring actions. I was so fortunate to have a god like him…

***

It was tough leaving the mansion without Huedhaut after that—which I hadn't left Huedhaut’s side since the incident. But, eventually, I had to go back to work, and I swear returning to work was the worst. There was no best friend there to make me smile while we joked and waited for our break. The gods had also fixed it to where everyone thought they had died of natural causes, so I had the sympathy of my coworkers. But it didn’t hurt any less to be so alone.

Over the days, Huedhaut tried to help the best he could and his efforts were appreciated. I smiled more with each book he read to me. He even sent me off to work with a packed lunch so I wouldn’t have to suffer that horribly my frist day back. The other gods also tried to cheer me up of course, especially Teorus and Ichthys. I mean... it was their friend Dui who killed my best friend. It was revealed that Shadow Dui killed them out of jealousy; I had a best friend to brag about but he didn't. Though, it was sort of strange that Shadow would target a petty human best friend over Huedhaut, my actual god best friend. Regardless, Dui was stuck doing time in the Heavens, forever banned from returning to Earth with Shadow Dui.

One day, as I was walking into my workplace, I paused to look at a package that was sitting outside. I knelt down and read that it was from Teorus and Ichthys, they hoped it would give me a smile. Attempting a small smile, I picked up the box and brought it in with me, leaving it in the break room for my hour lunch break that I would get. Surely I could use whatever laugh those two came up with by then. It was always my break hour that I would feel at my loneliest and lowest.

Time flew and I was set off doing different tasks. My mind was lost in everything that had happened the past few days. “I had no idea he was so jealous... But... to... do something like... that…” I squeezed my eyes shut, nearly tripping over the broom in my hands. "Ah- damn it..." But my eyes widened in fright as the fire alarms suddenly went off. Perfect. Just perfect. This was the last thing I needed. 

I was in the storage room, but I knew the way to the exit from there. Dropping the broom, I made a dash for the exit, only to jump back at the flames that were licking the outside of the door. “AH!” I couldn’t close the door back, so I backed away from the tall flames with wide eyes. They were so huge. How could they get so big so fast? The alarm only just went off.

Part of me was reminded of Krioff’s flames. But his flames weren’t so out of control! Still, there was nowhere to run as I fled to the back of the room to give myself time to get help. One of the gods would hear me if I called them, I was sure. “Please, please, please,” I coughed, the smoke steadily filling the room. I sat on the floor, trying to breathe slowly. “I wish there was a way out.” I coughed harder. Shelves began to fall as flames ate at their legs. “HELP!” I choked on my wishes and I covered my face, trying to avoid the ash and soot that was quickly spreading the flames. “P- Please... get me out of here!” 

The fire was moving so fast as it devoured everything it touched. I wondered if my other coworkers made it out. I wondered... if I was going to make it out. I was going to die. It was my turn. 

I closed my eyes tightly, but I heard a voice calling me from within the fire. “(NAME)!” Who the hell was searching for me in a mad fire like that? The smoke was hurting my lungs to the point where I almost couldn’t breathe. Was that someone from the fire department looking for me? “(Name)! Answer me!” No. That voice sounded familiar. Did he come to save me? 

I coughed the minute I tried to call out to him, but I managed to wheeze his name, “Hue!” I screamed as something collapsed beside me, kicking up ashes. 

I quickly covered my eyes to prevent any ash from getting in my face, but I felt a large form wrap around me and instantly I knew I’d be safe from the feel of his arms. “(Name)...” A blinding light took my vision for a moment; the clean air was almost too sudden and I found myself choking on it. “It’s okay. Just take in deep breaths for me.” Was he kidding? I had inhaled too much smoke to take even little breaths without feeling overwhelmed. But he seemed to know that as he tried to calm me, “I know, I know, it’s hard. Just trust me. The air in the mansion will clear your lungs, I just need you to take deep breaths for me.” I tried my best to follow his directions without coughing my lungs out. But slowly and surely, his advice proved fruitful. 

I was also surprised that he took me into the living room of the mansion. The Wishes gods were staring at me with wide eyes, obviously hoping for my quick recovery. Huedhaut was most concerned, however, as he was the one who found me suffering in the heat of the fire. But Leon wasn’t looking at me. He was the only god openly glaring at Teorus as he growled, “That prank that you and the Punishments’ problem child came up with almost got several goldfish killed.”

“I- I’m really sorry... It wasn’t supposed to-”

“Teorus,” Leon interrupted the innocent god, his tone fierce and not to be defied, “Go back to the Heavens. We’ll deal with you both later, but you and that fish are no longer permitted to work on Earth. Your actions put many goldfish lives in danger, you put (Name) in danger.”

Karno sighed, but he had to nod in agreement. “This is the last thing she needed after her best friend…” He paused, not wanting to elaborate in front of me. “I’ll go talk with Zyglavis. Teorus, come with me.”

Before he could get pulled away by Karno, Teorus tried to apologize to me with big, sad eyes. “I’m so sorry, (Name)... We really didn’t mean to do that to you…”

But it was too late to apologize. I almost died—or I could have gotten seriously hurt. Huedhuat was the only reason I was still alive and well. I didn’t look at Teorus as he was taken out of the room.

Tauxolouve noticed that I was keeping my gaze far from Teorus and he asked, “How are you feeling now?”

It took me a moment to understand his question, but I realized that I was breathing a lot easier thanks to Huedhaut coaching me to breathe deeper breaths and get all the smoke out of my lungs. I nodded my head in a gesture saying that I at least wasn’t going to die or pass out on them. Huedhaut snapped his fingers and all the soot that covered me and the floor I landed on was gone. “(Name),” he asked quietly, “Would you like me to take you home?”

As much as home sounded like a comfort... I wasn’t sure I wanted that. I certainly didn’t want to be alone after everything I was put through. Karno wasn’t wrong about that side comment. I just lost my best friend and I almost died soon after. Looking at Huedhaut, I asked shyly, “Hue... do you think you could stay with me for a while? Like you did last time?”

He smiled genuinely as ever. “Of course.” He took my hand and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me as he snapped his fingers, taking us to my apartment. 

It was quiet between us. Though he was kind enough to offer to give me another bath for the time being and I had to admit I loved the way his fingers combed through my hair as he washed it. It was a sense of peace I couldn’t find with anyone but Huedhaut.

Huedhaut smiled to himself as he lathered shampoo in my hair. He got rid of the three idiots quite simply and he had no doubt that the fire shook me to my core, thoroughly breaking my crush on Krioff. Everything worked out perfectly and here I was, relying on him. Still, there was something else he wasn’t satisfied with. Sure, I was relying on him. But he wanted more than that. He wanted me to love him. Why couldn’t I just say the words he wanted to hear? Was I still holding onto something? Did I just need time to adjust after everything that happened? No, he had been patiently waiting. He sent disaster after disaster toward me and I leaned on him, yes. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted me to do more than lean on him. He wanted to have me. How much longer would he have to wait?

Certain he would have to start planning the next tragedy of my life, he was surprised when I finally spoke up and asked him quietly, “Hue... What am I going to do? That place was my life. I don’t have parents to go back to and my best friend is gone... I’m not going to have enough money to pay rent and I’m going to be homeless.” With each word, it was like my world was shattering to bits and I had no control over any of it. That was why I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I thought I was done crying, but I just couldn’t help it as my world crashed down around me. Huedhuat was the only one holding me up. He was the only one keeping me from succumbing to my sorrows. 

Drying his hands, he began to gently wipe away the tears that fell. This was exactly how he wanted me. He wanted me at his mercy. My life was in his hands and I would listen to his every word. “You won’t be alone, (Name). You can stay with me forever. I’ll love you. I’ll keep you safe. I’ll take care of you. Will you let me?” He knew I had to say yes. There were no other options for me to choose from, just as he had planned. I had no one but him. Sure, the other gods were willing to help, but no one was as desperate as he was. He would be the only one to love me truly. He didn’t care who he had to take out of the picture. He didn’t care how many times he had to make me cry, he’d always be the one to dry my tears in the end.

Despite being naked in the tub, I felt like none of that mattered in my moment alone with Huedhaut. This God was offering to take care of me. He was offering me a place with him. I took his hand that gently caressed my cheek and held it tight. “P- Please, take care of me, Huedhaut. I want to stay with you. I-” I paused, looked away from him shyly. It took a while, but he was the only one there for me. I couldn’t believe it took these tragic events to show me who I should have really fallen in love with. He was the only one to actually make me happy after the disasters I’d been through lately. I knew he loved me and I didn’t want to abuse that knowledge, but maybe that was why I kept denying my own feelings. Finally, I decided to tell him what he'd been waiting to hear all along, “I love you, Hue…”

Huedhaut’s eyes widened slightly, not expecting the declaration. Not that he was displeased. If I loved him then that would make things easier. He wouldn’t have to make me sad anymore. I loved him. “I love you too, (Name).” He beamed, tilting his head. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I’m never going to let you go again. I’m honestly so happy. I want to make you the happiest goddess.” He took a deep breath to calm himself; it would do no good to startle me if he got too excited. “Before I get carried away, I should let you get some rest. I know you had a very tiring day and I don’t want to rush you into this relationship with me. I’ll take things as slowly as you need.” Carrying me out of the tub to dry and dress me, he held me close the entire time, proving his love for me by making sure I was comfortable and not touching me any differently than before I declared my feelings. He was true to his word in taking things slow.

I trusted him wholeheartedly. This was perfect. His carefully made plans weren’t for nothing as he had me lovingly dozing in his arms without a clue to the horribly violent thoughts that swirled through his mind. Of course, he’d never lay a hand on his one true love, knowing full well I’d hate him and go to some other God for safety and comfort. He would never become the bad guy in my eyes. He was all I had left, after all. Huedhaut would do anything and everything to keep me with him. He wasn’t the smartest god in the Heaven’s for nothing. Even if I did find out what he had been doing, there was nothing I could do, was there? But Huedhaut was certain he wouldn’t have to worry about that. I was as ignorant as all the others, which was just how Huedhaut wanted it. I’d be his forever, and considering his perfect plans for the two of us, he would never have to worry about me leaving.

***

It was a few weeks later when I was found sitting in the garden, staring intently at a flower as if it had all the answers in the world for me. Huedhaut couldn’t help but smirk in amusement as he called my attention to him with a single sentence. “That flower must be something special to have you so enraptured.”

“Flower?” I hummed in confusion, glancing up at him. When did he join me outside? Finding the mansion was getting too stuffy, I decided to bring a blanket outside and enjoy the windy shifting of the seasons. But what was Huedhaut suddenly talking about a flower for? Had I been looking at one without realizing? Shaking my head, I unsmoothly changed the subject. “I was only thinking. I’ve been a little worried lately.”

“Worried?” His eyes were trained on me for any sign of distress as he moved closer, sitting beside me on the blanket. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I glanced up to see him reach toward me, his fingers gently passing through my hair. It was his usual way of trying to soothe my anxieties and I couldn’t say it didn’t work as I leaned into his touch. “I’ll fix anything that’s troubling you.”

“I didn’t want to make you worried too,” I excused, though, that wasn’t entirely the truth. I stared down at the blade of grass that I had been picking between my fingers. “I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to bring it up or… how I really wanted to ask. But you’ve been making trips to the Heavens, so I was wondering if you knew how Teorus and Ichthys were doing. I… also wondered how Dui was doing with, um… Shadow…”

His face grew deathly serious, his hand pausing as he started, “If any of them have been bothering you-”

“No, no. That’s not it.” I swiftly saved the three of them from Huedhaut’s wrath. Grabbing his still hand, I tried to reassure him. “They haven’t been trying to talk to me or anything.” It wasn’t that Huedhaut was a violent god—he was very kind—but I knew how scary he could be to others when he lost his patience. “I got over the accident from last month—just maybe not the Dui one… But I was just wondering if they were okay. I haven’t heard anything since they were all banned from visiting Earth.”

Studying Huedhaut’s expression didn’t tell me much—he was always so stoic when addressing topics about the other gods. Then again, Huedhaut wasn’t one for idle nonsense like most of the other gods liked to participate in. The way he caressed my fingers in return told me he still had quite a ways to go before he completely lost patience with them. I was glad I could be there to ease Huedhaut’s stress in the same way he was always there to comfort me.

I was releived when he finally decided to indulge my curiosity. “They’ve been monitoring Dui in the Department of Punishments. He’s on, what you would call, house arrest. They’re being maticulous with ensuring further incidents don’t occur. As for the other two, I’m not sure how Zyglavis has been handling Ichthys’ punishment, but Teorus is handling so much work that I’m not sure he’ll be finished until next winter.”

“I get that,” I muttered, a sigh escaping my lips as I stared aimlessly at the grass. “What they did was dangerous… among other things. But, Hue, that’s not what I’m asking. I want to know how they’re really doing. Are they happy, are they sad, are they lonely? Do they still get to see each other? It feels like my favorite boy band broke up or something.”

The concept of a boy band was lost on Huedhaut, but the thought of those three being my favorite anything made Huedhaut grimace. Still, he wouldn’t just ignore me; he’d never do that. He’d simply do something to try and get my attention off of those three. They were truly an annoyance even when they weren’t around. His best option was to reassure and redirect. “They’re fine. It’s not like being punished has ever stopped the punishments’ problem child from his mischievous nature. Teorus is ever obsessed with his milk and still attracting women left and right. Personally, I believe Dui only reverted to his behavior similar to when he first killed that god friend of his… All is proceeding normally in the Heavens.”

It sounded fairly normal for them—well, as normal as they were before their sins were erased. 

“Then…” I hesitated. I wanted to see them for myself to check on how they were doing, but I wasn’t entirely sure it was the best decision. “What do you think I should do? I want to see them again. I want to see with my own two eyes how they’re doing. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just… want to see that they’re okay, you know?”

“I don’t think so,” he answered immediately, leaving me at a loss for words at how fast his answer came out. It was like he didn’t even give it any thought. But before I could ask him about it, he explained, “I don't do this with the intention of hurting you, I have your best interest at heart. I don't personally believe this will help you. Rather… If you saw Dui, I don't believe you would handle it well. It was fairly traumatic what he put you through.”

“That's true…” I hesitantly agreed. But the Heavens was a pretty big place, as far as I was aware. What were the chances of me actually running into Dui when Huedhaut just said he was on house arrest? 

“Don't look so disappointed,” he encouraged, offering me a smile that was enough to settle any doubts in my heart. “Once I'm certain that you're feeling better, then I'll take you to the Heavens to see them.” 

“Promise?”

“Promise.” 

Scooting over on the blanket, I leaned on Huedhaut’s shoulder, a small smile on my face as well. “Thanks, Hue.” At least I had a loving boyfriend to take care of me. If I were all on my own then I was sure I'd make a huge mistake by rushing to the Heavens just because I was feeling antsy. 

***

My eyes darted frantically over the sheet of paper I held in my hands. I’d been staring at it for the past hour, trying to convince myself that it was some kind of trick, but that wasn't the case. If it were a trick then I wouldn't have heard Dui’s voice in my head just prior to the letter appearing in my hands. 

I thought I was panicking, Dui must have been even more distraught. After all… The letter was nothing nice. I recognized Dui’s handwriting immediately as he described the events of the incident. Shadow Dui didn't kill my best friend. He wasn't even on Earth that day prior to meeting up with me. He claimed such, but I had to check with the other gods just to be sure this was accurate.

But my concern wasn't entirely on Shadow Dui. My concern… was that Dui claimed that the god framing him had to be one of the gods in the mansion, another Zodiac god. But why would any of them have a problem with a human? I wasn't even sure any of them had ever met my friend.

If Dui had an idea on who it might have been then I would have had an easier time handling this. But as it was, I couldn't imagine any of the gods that I trusted with my life capable or willing to murder a human. That made it twice as terrifying knowing I couldn't trust anyone. 

I had thought it would be okay to trust Huedhaut, at least. But… with the way things were, he was on Earth that day too. Unfortunately, Huedhaut was also a suspect. Besides, Dui was trusting me with both clearing his name and seeking justice for my friend. If Huedhaut knew I was tracking down a killer then he'd put a stop to it. He was too protective to let me do something like targeting a god who wasn't afraid to kill humans. 

Whoever it was was clever enough to pin it on Dui, who had a history as a god killer. But wasn't that too simple of an answer for anyone to believe? Sure, the evidence lined up, but it was too perfectly set up. Until the time came that the killer was found, I couldn't trust anyone in the mansion. The murderer was one of the 12 Zodiacs and he was hiding amongst us! 

Aggravated, I crumpled the paper in my hands. I'd have to burn it to avoid anyone else getting their hands on it. I didn't need anyone knowing I spoke to Dui. 

“(Name)?” I flinched, spinning around on my heel to catch the god who snuck up behind me. Huedhaut stood in the doorway, his eyes trailing over me. “Is there a reason you're standing in the middle of the room like that?” He tilted his head as his eyes flickered to my hands. “Is something bothering you? What's that?” 

“Nothing,” I immediately responded, shoving the crumpled letter into my pocket. “Just some notes I scribbled down earlier. I… was bored. So, I was thinking about going find you. Are you busy?”

He hummed before nodding his head. “I came to let you know I'll be in the Heavens tonight. Leo’s given me extra work. I'm tempted to believe he's done this in retaliation for how much time I've been spending with you…”

I tilted my head. This… oddly worked out in my favor. If Huedhaut was busy working in the Heavens then it was unlikely he'd be able to catch onto my investigation and stop me. “But when are you coming back?” 

A soft chuckle left his lips, a smirk crossing his face. “You’ll miss me that much? You're the reason Leo’s making me return to the Heavens. I'll try to be back tomorrow at the latest. Who knows, if you go to bed early, I may be by your side when you wake.” 

I glanced away from him, grumbling quietly, “Stop teasing me and go to the Heavens already…”

Huedhaut tilted his head. “You're sending me off without a goodbye kiss? I'm hurt.” 

“You sound like the needy one.” Huffing, I granted his small request. Though, when my lips connected with his, I couldn't help but lean closer to him, craving just a bit more comfort from my boyfriend. I wished he could help me with this… He’d have this solved within a day… But I couldn’t put this information in the hands of gods.

His laughter was nothing more than quiet hums against my lips. When we finally parted, he caressed my cheek. “So? Do you want to repeat that?”

I rolled my eyes, turning away from him as I abandoned his loving touch. “Go to the Heavens. The sooner you leave the sooner you can come back, you know.” 

“Then I'll be back soon,” he reassured, pecking his lips against my head, wrapping his arms around me from behind before taking his leave. 

It hurt me to think that I had to treat Huedhaut as a suspect when he'd been the only one willing to help me through all my hardships. It had to be someone else and I was going to find out who. I was going to clear Dui’s name and I was going to bring this killer to justice.

My first suspect was admittedly the most expected Zodiac god… The former demon and son of the Dark King himself, Partheno. No one else would make a greater killer and then pin it on Dui. The question… was why?

Luckily, the god in question was in the living room and my eyes immediately locked into him as he worked with Krioff. If it was just those two… I could ask them, and if either one of them admitted something then I’d have an extra god present for support. “Excuse me, can I ask you guys some questions?”

They turned their heads toward me and a smile blossomed across Partheno’s face. For a killer, he was awfully carefree. “You're a rare sight. We hardly ever see you out of Huedhaut’s room anymore.” 

“I’ve been healing,” I vaguely answered. The less they knew, the better. “But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I’m here to ask about you two. Where were you the day Dui was banned from Earth? Tell me everything you can recall from that day and everyone you saw prior to that afternoon.” 

As surprised as they were with my line of questioning, Krioff assumed it was a method of human coping—I didn’t bother to correct him since that excuse was useful to me. Both Partheno and Krioff had similar stories. They were in the Heavens that day doing work. A useful tip they gave me was that they had seen Dui in the Heavens that morning: once leaving Zyglavis’ room and another time walking through the palace. 

Similar to me, they found this all quite puzzling. That day didn’t make much sense, but Dui’s guilt probably got in the way of him denying anything. He confessed to the murder because he was a murderer.

But along with an explanation from Tauxolouve who joined us, it was easy to put together that Dui had been in the Heavens up until the point of meeting me in front of his room with the cherry pie. In the few hours he was on Earth, he had spent his time solely with me. I was also familiar with the appearance of old blood; that scene was very fresh—I could recall it clearly enough, as much as I prefered not to. Shadow Dui never would have had the time to meticulously kill my best friend in such a manner. 

Thankfully, the gods that I visited were all more than willing to cooperate, all completely under the guise that I was ‘coping’ with the events of that day. As far as I knew, Huedhaut, Aigonorus, Ichthys, and Leon were the only ones who didn’t have any witnesses to vouch for their whereabouts—not that I was able to really talk to Ichthys or Teorus personally.

This entire investigation might’ve been easier if I were able to question Dui himself, but such a feat wasn’t possible. Unless…

“Scorpio?” I apprehensively asked, “Do you think you could take me to the Heavens to see Dui?”

His eyes narrowed, scanning me carefully for an answer as to why. As much as he glared, an answer didn’t come to him and he was only left with his assumptions. “What the hell do you wanna do that for? If you think vengeance is going to-”

“That’s not it,” I quickly defended myself. Though, I knew he’d only continue to get the wrong idea. Holding out my hand to prove my pure intentions, I quietly admitted, “I want to help him. I… Well, you care for Dui too and you didn’t sound suspicious… So, I guess I can tell you. I don’t think he killed my best friend, and I think he’s being framed. But I need to know what he knows. I need to talk to him.”

His face scrunched up into a scowl, turning away from me. “Shadow Dui killed that goldfish. He’s awaiting his sentence from the King. You’ll get into trouble messing with things you shouldn’t.”

“Do you really think Shadow killed my friend?!” I tried again, desperately trying to change his beliefs. Seeing that he wasn’t going to budge, I pressed, “Did the Department of Punishments even investigate this?”

“Dui confessed.”

“But it wasn’t Dui!”

He turned around to face me and we stared evenly at each other. Sighing, Scorpio took this moment to warn me, “If it wasn’t Dui… you’re searching for a god who murdered a human without a clear motive. You sure you wanna risk your life for this?”

My eyes trailed down to the floor, my hand falling back to my side. He wasn’t wrong. Besides, it was hard to imagine any of the gods actually killing a human—even Dui who was known as a god killer. Biting my lip anxiously, I uttered, “There had to be a reason it was my friend that was killed. That coupled with my workplace burning down… the timing was ironic, don’t you think? Isn’t my life already at risk?”

The silence was thick between us as I let him absorb my words. I wasn’t sure what the Department of Punishments was doing, but I knew Huedhaut would catch on if I let this linger too long. But I couldn’t let him shield me like a child when I had a fight to win. 

“Tell me what you want to ask Dui. I’ll help, but I can’t take you to the Heavens.” He paused. “I don’t think your killer would be too happy about you meeting with your framed god.”

My eyes shot up to meet his. At least he was starting to get on the same page as me, even if he made a very valid point. So, I made sure to tell him every detail about the investigation, even my thoughts on who were the most suspicious gods with no valid alibis that I could personally verify. In all, he seemed to take my concerns very seriously before he left to return to the Heavens. We would find the killer…

This back and forth went on for days, and unfortunately, Scorpio had yet to find anything incriminating from the three gods detained in the Heavens. While they had alibis for themselves, it didn’t clear any of the other three suspected gods, nor did it give me any clues as to who it could have been. For all I know, Aigonorus could have been sleeping, Leon could have been avoiding Karno, and Huedhaut could have been doing his work alone as usual. I wanted to deny that it was Aigonorus with how gentle he was as a god, but I also didn’t want Huedhaut to still be under suspicion. 

I grumbled quietly, shoving my face into a pillow. Being a detective was hard with so little clues. What motive would those three have to kill a human, anyway? Well… Leon had a short temper, but he wasn’t as murderous as he always seemed. Still, blaming Leon seemed better than blaming Huedhaut. I needed to figure this out soon.

***

Huedhaut glanced over to me, his eyes trailing over my still body, picking up on the subtle rise and fall of my chest. It had been a while since he had seen me sleep. On the nights when he was able to be on Earth and ‘sleep’ with me, all I seemed to do was toss and turn and sigh every other minute.

He knew for a fact that this had been going on ever since he found me with that piece of paper that one afternoon. If he had been smarter, he should have taken it to see for himself. It only seemed to have made a rift between the two of us.

Huedhaut sighed, knowing he had to figure this out soon, lest I fall ill with whatever was bothering me. So, without addressing me on the matter, he left to find another god that might know more. After all, he wasn't blind. He knew I was speaking to the other gods behind his back. 

His eyebrows furrowed. With that line of thought… Could the rift between us be because I was cheating on him? 

No, impossible. That didn't make sense either. He knew me better than that. Still, it didn’t hurt to make sure… He'd only get answers by asking. Since I was fast asleep in his bed, I wouldn't notice him missing. 

His decision made, he left his room, determined to question the next god he came across. One particular god that he came across, just so happened to be the very god I had been speaking most to. It was time to get answers from Scorpio.

***

This… This was golden. Huedhaut wasn’t a fan of nonsense that got in his way, but after questioning a few gods who had been interrogated by me… he was livid. Though, at the same exact time, he was extremely pleased and head over heels for me. 

Based on all the information he received about my recent whereabouts, he realized what I was doing: I was investigating the murder. He was proud that I was actually succeeding in finding out clues. If he was being honest, it just made him love me even more. I was such a smart goldfish to be following his trail so closely. To have narrowed down the list of suspected gods to only him, Leon, and Aigonorus was quite the feat. He knew I was worthy of having the soul of his goddess.

As proud as he may have been, he was still entirely livid that it had even come to this. He didn’t want me to see him as the bad guy. However, at the same time, he wanted to see if I could actually put all of this information that I was gathering together. He was morbidly curious to test my intellect; and if I did happen to find out it was him behind it all along… Well, that would be troublesome—more so for me rather than him.

Besides, I had questioned almost all the other gods. Why hadn’t I asked him anything about it yet? Or… did I already have my suspicions? That could explain the wedge that made itself between us. Well, if I didn’t speak with him soon, he would have to do the honors and open the conversation himself. 

***

It wasn’t fair… I’d been holding off asking Huedhaut anything about that day; praying that I could find the killer beforehand. Only… I cleared Aigonorus of suspicion. He was visiting his goats that day, so he wasn’t on Earth at all. The only verification was that his goats weren’t bad at communicating even if they didn’t speak English. 

And while none of the other gods saw him during that time, Tauxolouve told me that Aigonorus mentioned going to see his goats that day, which proved to be more useful than he thought since that narrowed it down to two other gods—for the time being, anyway. If all else failed, Aigonorus was alone that day and I had every right to further inspect him and his goats.

Leon, on the other hand, was also found innocent, if his paperwork was anything to go by. He had been doing his work in his room that day, a rare sight, but believable with the actual paper evidence that littered his room. Karno was there to verify just when Leon was given this huge mess to work on. The time frames matched and so Leon was in the Heavens the whole time. 

At this rate… Huehaut was the only god without an excuse… But he was also the only god I never questioned. 

Huedhaut had been taking good care of me since all of this started; I didn't want to associate him with this at all. Besides, as far as motives went, what reason would he have to do this to me? I felt like Leon would have more reason to kill my best friend than Huedhaut who was always calm and composed and loved humans. 

Still, there was no getting around this much-needed conversation. Maybe I could lighten the mood a bit before dumping everything on him. So, later that afternoon, I went to his room—our shared room now—to find him where he was reading on his bed as usual.

His eyes flickered to me as the door cracked open for me to confirm he was in there. And who was to say he wasn't sitting in his room reading that day? He was the one who came to get me and Dui from the balcony before the rain started and I hadn’t noticed anything unusual about him then. His hair was kempt, his clothes and hands were free of blood, and his voice held just as much love and compassion as usual. 

“Something's bothering you,” he spoke, causing me to flinch out of my thoughts. I couldn't be getting distracted around a potential killer and arsonist—I winced, feeling horrible associating Huedhaut with those terms. “(Name), come here. You don't look well.” 

“I'm fine,” I quickly excused, only to shake my head after. There was no point in lying when I'd later tell him the heavy news. “Actually… I have something to ask you, but… it's a little heavy. I was wondering if we could go outside and stargaze; maybe you could bring something to drink to lighten the mood?”

He was surprised by my line of requests, confused that I didn't just outright ask him, my trustworthy boyfriend, if he killed my best friend. Still, he jested, “If you wanted to propose to me, you could have just said it. There's no need to take the roundabout way of asking for my hand in marriage.” 

“H- Hue!” I stuttered, and he smirked, having me exactly as he wanted me. I argued, “That's not- I didn't come here to-” I huffed, turning away from him. “I don't have time for you making fun of me. This is serious!”

“I was also being serious,” he lightly commented, determined to distract my mind from seeing him as a bad guy. “If there's ever a time you're ready to start a family with me, I'll ask you to marry me. I missed my chance with Clotho… But you're in my life, (Name) and I want to have all the best moments with you.”

This caused me to falter. How could someone out to ruin my life go and say all these sweet things? There's no way it was Huedhaut! I wasn't going to accept that as an answer! Still, I had to ask… “I'm sorry, what I'm doing is important right now… I'll meet you on the balcony, ‘kay?” Sending him a terse smile, I retreated from his room. There was one person I had to speak with first… I needed to get my facts straight. 

Trailing back to Scorpio’s room, I gently knocked. As a Punishments member, I was sure he could help me solve this. Though, I was surprised when Zyglavis was the one to open the door for me. My eyes widened and Zyglavis asked in confusion, “(Name) (Surname)?”

“I…” I faltered, “I need to talk to Scorpio…”

Scorpio hummed, glancing over Zyglavis’ shoulder before nodding. “Yeah. Come in. Zyg, you might wanna hear this. This stupid woman has been trying to prove Dui’s innocence by finding the killer of that goldfish. So, let's hear what else you found.”

They were polite enough to offer me a seat as we sat around Scorpio’s desk, but that didn't lessen the tension as I announced, “In the past week, I narrowed the suspects down to three gods, and of those three, two don't have entirely valid alibis. Well… I haven't asked the final one for an alibi yet, but I figured discussing it might narrow my thoughts.”

Zyglavis crossed his legs, requesting, “Let's start with the god with an alibi. What did you find and is it a sound excuse?”

“It's Leon,” I nodded. “That day he was busy working in the Heavens. It wouldn't have checked out, but there was evidence. He wasn't granting wishes, he was taking care of backed up paperwork. As Karno and Vega were managing Leon’s work, they were able to vouch for him. He was in the palace that day.”

Scorpio scoffed, crossing his arms. “I'd say Karno would stick up for him if they were both in on it; we know that rabid lion doesn't like Shadow Dui. But Vega wouldn’t have kept it to herself. Altair would have told us if something wasn't right.”

“Agreed,” Zyglavis nodded. That got Leon off our radar of suspects, much to my disappointment now that we were nearing Huedhaut’s name. Starting again, Zyglavis tried, “Now, who is the god with an alibi that you're uncertain of?” 

“The first one… is Aigonorus. Though, I can't wrap my mind around what the motive would be. Before meeting me, granting wishes of humans was just a job and I'm pretty sure he'd never have associated with us otherwise.” My reasoning was sound, and the two gods had to agree with me. Still, there was his alibi to consider. “No one had seen him that day, but he told me he wasn't around the palace or on Earth; he was visiting his goats. Which, his goats aren't horrible at communicating and verified that he was with them. But it's the same issue as with Leon and Karno. His goats would vouch for him regardless, don't you think?”

Zyglavis nodded to my suspicions. “It is true that Aigonorus has the power to communicate and manipulate animals. It's worthwhile to keep him as a suspect to go back to. At least until you can rule out your final god. So, who is left without an alibi?”

I stared at the floor, too anxious to bring up the name now. Saying it would only make it feel that much more real to me. I didn't want Huedhaut wrapped up in all of this, but it was useless to go around it when he was one of the last suspects.

Scorpio sighed, quietly admonishing, “Stupid… You can't be biased about it. It doesn't matter how you feel about him, you can't protect him like Karno would for Leon or like those goats would do for Aigonorus. Do you think it's Huedhaut?” 

The question itself stung, making my chest ache in pain. I couldn’t cling to my biases forever, and they were both staring at me and waiting for an answer. “I thought about it… But Huedhaut loves humans. What would his motive be…? If he loved me so much, why kill my best friend? He only ever had the best intentions for me.”

Zyglavis’ eyebrows furrowed. “Your affections aside, you haven't addressed him about this, have you? Why is that?”

“Well…” I hesitated. “I knew if I brought it up with him that he'd want to stop me. He's really protective and I knew tracking down a killer would be dangerous. So… I never told him I was doing this. I asked to talk with him later tonight… That’s when I'll ask him about it.”

“You never told him…?” Scorpio’s eyes narrowed. The situation was awfully suspicious as he revealed, “Huedhaut already asked me about it. He knows.” 

“He… knows?” I faltered. Clearly, he couldn’t have been that concerned if he was letting me carry on without mentioning it. But that didn’t make him look good. “He never said anything… He never tried to help either.” He’s the smartest god in the Heavens. I knew he would either stop me or help me if he was aware, but he hadn’t said anything at all regarding what I was doing. Did that mean he didn't care… or that he was hiding the truth?

Zyglavis sighed, offering a word of advice, “I think it’s time you set aside your feelings and focus on the reality you may be facing.”

But… I was too terrified to accept that this could be the truth. “He…  I can’t.” I slouched in my chair, avoiding their pointed gazes. “I can’t. He… I’m too close. Besides, there’s no motive! He loves humans! He loves me!” 

“You’re the motive, then,” Scorpio bluntly figured. “You’re the only one tying any of this together. It wasn’t random—your workplace, the human closest to you.”

Zyglavis nodded in agreement, following Scorpio’s line of thought as he explained, “You would think this string of misfortune would continue regardless of who was with you. However… since you’ve fallen into his arms, all has been well, hasn’t it?”

“He’s going to have an alibi,” I instantly replied. There’s no way he wouldn’t have an excuse, a reason for not being on Earth during the time. 

Scorpio hissed, “Don’t be freaking biased about it. You need to do the right thing if he’s the one. You wanna stay with a killer who backed you into a corner with loving words?”

“N- No…” I stuttered, but I was extremely hesitant to do what had to be done. After all Huedhaut had done for me… did I have what it would take to point him out as the one behind all of this? Well… if that was the case, I wasn’t sure I had the heart to support him for everything he’d done to me. He simultaneously ruined and saved my life all at once. “You’re right. I’ll do my best. If he says anything, I’ll call you for help. I… have to take this seriously. For Dui, for Ichthys, for Teorus, and for all the other gods that were pulled into this mess. I will get to the bottom of this. He hurt a lot of people…”

Zyglavis laid a hand on my shoulder, directing my attention to his serious expression. “We’ll be here for you. You can handle this.”

***

I could handle this; I could handle this. I repeated that thought over and over again in my head as I walked through the doors of the balcony. Just as I suspected, Huedhaut was there waiting for me. There was a cute little table set up with a bottle and two wine glasses. 

Ordinarily, my stomach would have been fluttering with butterflies, but now it was stirring with anxiety. Well, that’s what the alcohol was there for. “Sorry I’m a little late,” I apologized, stealing a seat beside the table. “You know how the other gods like to talk when they catch me.” 

“That’s understandable,” he replied simply, fixing our drinks. “After all, they must be curious as to how your investigation is coming along.”

I froze, my eyes glued to him. He had never mentioned my activities before. His timing was ironically scary. He drank from his glass, only sparing me a glance as I took the filled glass from the table and drank from it. I was too nervous to get any words out, so I waited until I was half way through the glass before I finally commented, “I thought you’d be more concerned about me searching for a killer.”

“I am,” he confirmed. “Though, as I understood, you neglected to tell me about this because you didn’t want me interfering. However, if I thought for a moment that you were in harm's way, I would have stepped in. I’m not sure if you recall, but I can see your future.”

My eyes flickered back to him. How could I forget that little detail? He would have foreseen all of this. “Then tell me,” I requested, “Do you know if I’ll find him?”

His pause was way too long for comfort, but he finally nodded sharply. “You do.” The corners of his lips curled up as he unexpectedly praised me, “You’re so intelligent, I admire that about you. Even up against twelve gods, you don’t dare back down. I don’t think this excitement would have been stirred by yourself, however. So, can you tell me where this all started?”

It was strange how he was talking as if we were having a completely normal conversation when the topic was something that wasn’t exactly light. Still, I answered him, “It started a few weeks ago when Dui warned me that I was in danger. I didn’t think too hard about it… until I realized there was more to the story than what we saw.” I paused. “I checked everything and everyone. They all have alibis. Almost… all of them…” I emptied my glass, filling it with more wine for a second round—all until my cheeks were burning. “I didn’t come to you because I thought I’d find him before it came to this. But you’re the last god… I have to know… where were you that day?”

Finally, the question came out and Huedhaut had a well-rehearsed answer. “I was doing my work until the time came where I went to retrieve you. I knew you’d get sick from the rain if I left you out there. Then I proceeded to leave to meet with Karno.” 

My eyes narrowed as I lightly sipped on my wine. Thankfully, it was already proving to have a calming effect as my anxiety wasn’t rearing its ugly head. His response only left for one question. “Can Karno or anyone else verify that you were doing your work that morning?” 

“I was alone,” he revealed, though being alone wasn't unusual for him. “But you can ask the other gods, I changed the water from the reflection pool that day. The gods using it would have noticed.”

I nodded slowly. “I'll have to ask them.” Hesitantly, I added an apology, “I'm sorry I'm doing this to you. You’re just the only god I haven’t spoken to.”

“You don't have to apologize,” he replied, offering me a soft smile. “Please, don't feel guilty about this. I wouldn't feel so proud of you if you weren't working so hard to free your friend. I'm only worried about you and how you might feel with the answer you find.” 

“I won't be happy,” I muttered onto the rim of my glass. “I haven't found him yet and I'm already heartbroken about it. To think one of the gods I love and trust would ruin my life… I don't want that person to be you.” Pulling the glass from my lips, I stared into the vibrant liquid, swishing it around. “Would you tell me if it was you?” 

“No,” he honestly replied, making my heart break further. “I don't believe any god would admit to wrongdoing—especially to a human.” 

“Even if that god loved me?”

“Especially if that god loved you.”

It was clear that we were both walking around the question. I didn't want to know if he was the bad guy in my life. But I had to find out—not for my sake, but for Dui. “Huedhaut,” I said, and he flinched upon hearing his full name fall from my lips. “I've gone through every single god to get here… And you've been the least forthcoming with what I want to know. Why can't you be honest with me?”

“I've always been honest with you. I've never lied to you,” he sighed, placing his half-empty glass on the table. “I'll give you your answers when you start asking the right questions.”

I pursed my lips together. “What was your motive?” Did he even have one if he was the killer…? This conversation was giving me chills.

“You.” 

So… Scorpio was right on the money, wasn’t he? He did all of this until I was in his arms, just as he seemed to want. Now that I was where he wanted me, all of the bad things suddenly stopped.

For some reason, I didn’t feel as anxious as I should have been in the presence of a killer. If anything, it felt as if we were having an average conversation. Was this because of the alcohol? The gods had some pretty strong stuff and I was thankful for its ability to keep me calm as I pressed him, “Why? Couldn’t you just accept that I didn’t love you at the time? If you would have waited and done things the right way, you wouldn’t be in trouble with Zyglavis and Scorpio right now.”

“If I had waited, you would have ended up with Krioff,” he revealed, making me falter. Everything he did was to ensure I didn’t end up with the man I really loved. He drew me away from my home on Earth as well as the other gods. “Don’t look upset. Aren’t you happy with me? I’ve cared for you after every grievance and I’ve provided everything you’ve needed. Didn’t I bring you a delightful drink and agree to join you tonight? You’ve impressed me.” He smiled fondly. “My smart little goldfish followed a trail that not even the other gods could follow. I’ve rewarded you with all the answers you were looking for. So, what reason could there be for you to look so miserable?”

“Don’t act like this was all a game! You hurt people,” I hissed, glaring at him. “I don’t know what you expected to happen here, but I knew I might find something I wouldn’t like. And… I can’t say I’m sorry, Huedhaut… but I’m telling Zyglavis.” 

“But he already knows, doesn’t he?” Huedhaut asked, tilting his head as if he were actually confused with me. “You told him already. Your frequent meetings with Scorpio means that Zyglavis already knows. So then… we have to wonder why they aren’t already here.” Shrugging his shoulders, he commented, “Maybe you’re the only one concerning yourself over things that gods are frankly indifferent to.”

“That…” I trailed off. He was right, wasn’t he? No, no, no. I shook my head furiously. “They want to prove Dui’s innocence as much as I do. They’re not indifferent to this.”

“Okay, then,” he calmly replied, placing his glass on the table. “You seem to know quite a bit about us gods for only being with us a handfull of years.” 

“I don’t,” I quickly disagreed. Well, he was probably being sarcastic again, but my mind couldn’t keep up with him. Once again, my mind was stuck on the why. “Why’d you blame Dui? Why’d you kill my best friend like that…? Not even the Dark King was ever so cruel…”

His quiet hum hardly met my ears, but he looked entirely unbothered. Well, if he was slightly irritated, he did a good job at hiding it behind a mask of disinterest. “Tell me, could there have been a better choice of god? He’s a god-killer, isn’t he? Besides… I knew if he was framed with a minor crime—like what Ichthys and Teorus had done—you would easily forgive him over time. If seeing his face brought up a rather gruesome memory… I wouldn’t have anything to worry about, would I?”

“That don’t make’ny sense…” I slurred, my eyes narrowing on him. 

The corners of his lips curled up. “Are you already so intoxicated that you can’t think?”

“No,” I hurriedly denied, only serving to make him more amused. “If Krioff was th’only one… why’d you gotta hurt my friends for?”

He tilted his head, his eyes scanning over me. “Do you mean to ask why I didn’t choose to frame Krioff instead?” Following a drunken nod, he pursed his lips, wondering if he should have let me drink so much for such an important conversation. “That would have been a waste. After all, with your attention on me, there was never any time for you to interact with him. He wouldn’t pursue you without you first pursuing him. I did all that was necessary.”

“But…” I paused, my eyebrows furrowing together. “Why… them? Why I’thys an’ Teo an’ D- Dui?” 

“They were the ones keeping you from me, weren’t they?” He inclined his head with a knowing smirk. “It isn’t like they got into any real trouble. Being sent to the Heavens is less than a smack on the wrist. I was merciful enough for you, wasn’t I?”

I suppose the entire situation could have been worse, but aside from the state of those three, he still killed a human and he still manipulated me. “You…” I growled, trying to come up with the right words. “You jus’ a cruel god… horr…ible…” I blinked furiously, trying to keep a clear head. 

For the first time since we’d been together, it was the first time I’d called him a cruel god and meant it. Now I’d done it. He wasn’t so amused when I was taking my intoxicated frustrations out on him. “I think you’re a little drunk. You should get some sleep and we can talk about your new arrangements in the morning.” Knowing I’d refuse his kind advice, he stood, electing to return me to our room himself.

However, as soon as he moved to lift me from my chair, he froze in place, shocked at the warm sting that crossed his cheek. He was too stunned to move before he heard me hiss, “Don’touch me!” His eyes finally flickered back to me, his heart aching at the hatred in my gaze—my gaze that was fighting desperately to stay trained on him. “‘m not goin’ with you! You ruined ‘vryth’ng!” My head drooped, leaning against his torso for a moment before I was able to pull away and hold myself up again. But somewhere in my drunken mind, I knew something was wrong with this situation… “Wha'd you put in it…?” 

“You shouldn't worry so much over things that are only meant to help you,” he replied, his fingers passing through my hair, a soothing gesture. “I knew you'd be in distress, so I gave you something to help you relax. Have I ever done anything that wasn't in your best interest?”

“You killed ‘em…” I slurred, trying to keep my watery eyes open.

Seeing my disoriented state, he lifted me into his arms with ease, to carry me back to his room. I may have been scared of my situation, but at least I could no longer fight or hit him. Still, he didn't wish for me to hate him. “It should soothe your heart to know that I did not have hand in your friend’s death. I merely used them as a plot device and, what you might call, character development.” Sure, I was already half asleep and sniffling back tears, but he continued explaining nonetheless, “Your friend was murdered by humans. The result would have been the same. I simply… thought to use them in a more beneficial manner.”

In other words, regardless of anyone being accused of murder, my friend died for reasons outside of godly influence. Still, I stuttered a second accusation, “You b’rned m’ work…” He was an arsonist no matter how that went. It didn't matter if it was by godly powers, he still almost killed more than a handful of people. 

“Did you forget?” He gazed down at my face that had a few trails of tears. “Ichthys and Teorus managed that. It was their gift that burst into flames, and not by my doing. The only part I played… was in simply putting the idea into Teorus’ head to make you smile again.” And it worked for a time; I seemed so very happy with Huedhaut up until Dui’s intervention. “These gods put useless concerns in your head.” He sighed. “Well, we'll have to fix that.”

“Huedhaut?” Karno called, making Huedhaut pause. Though, Karno’s concerned eyes were glued on me. Eyebrows furrowing, he asked, “Is (Name) alright?”

“She's been distraught,” Huedhaut answered honestly. “It’s understandable; Anyone would be distressed after a failed attempt of proving their friend innocent. You know (Name) was close with Dui. I can't blame her for taking her anger out on me when she's in so much pain.”

A soft sigh left Karno’s lips as he gazed at me with soft eyes. Slowly, his eyes trailed back to Huedhaut. “She's lucky to have you. I can't imagine how she might have taken everything if she'd been alone. But…” He hesitated… “Is she drunk?”

“Ah…” Huedhaut’s gaze flickered aside. “I granted a wish. Though, had I known the conversation would be so heavy, I'd have given her something lighter.” Studying my restless expression, he added, “I'm sure she'll be better in the morning.” 

The corner of Karno’s lips curved up into a soft smile as he watched the two of us; he loved how caring Huedhaut was to his loved ones. “Keep taking care of her, Hue.” 

Giving his friend a nod, Huedhaut happily took me to his room. Likely, he’d have to deal with me having a hangover, but he’d be ready to deal with that when it came. Gazing down at me peacefully sleeping on his bed, a blush coated his cheeks. He was happy that he’d never again have to stress about losing me. As soon as this ‘investigation’ matter was well behind us, we’d be much happier and Huedhaut couldn’t wait for that day to come.

***

My head pounded with the fury of a thousand horses stampeding against my skull… But the rays of light that shone through the windows above certainly didn’t help, despite the beauty with which they illuminated the room. With a quiet groan, I turned over in bed, shoving the pillow over my head to block out the piercing sunlight. 

The sound of shuffling did not escape my notice and shortly after, I heard his voice. “It’s nearly noon. You had a little too much to drink last night, but I made something to help counter that, if you’re willing to come out from hiding.” After a silent moment with neither of us moving, he snapped his fingers and I tensed up. I waited for anything to physically happen to me: for the blanket and pillows to be removed, for me to be dragged out of the bed, or maybe even for the entire bed to just flip on its side and force me off. But… none of those things happened, and after another moment, Huedhaut finally added, “I’ve blocked the windows for the sun. Come out.”

My heart was still racing and my head was still pounding as I hesitantly crawled out from under my comforting place beneath the blankets. Gazing warily at Huedhaut, he presented me with a cup which I gazed at with just as much suspicion. Still sizing each other up, I probed, “Put something in that one too?”

He pursed his lips. “It’s to help your hangover. Unless you’d rather I leave you in pain…” He paused before adding, “I wouldn’t wish to do that.”

“Why?” Tense silence surrounded us as I glared at the floor, my eyebrows scrunched together in mild pain. “You’ve done it before…” 

“I’d never hurt you,” he repeated, trying to convince me. 

Unfortunately, I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle him until this headache was gone. Frustrated, I snatched the glass from his hands, gulping down the bitter liquid and praying for it to work quickly. Though he looked pleased with my acceptance, I no later knocked him down a peg, accusing, “You’ve always hurt me, I just didn’t know it. I wanted to be with Krioff, you ruined that. You banished my friends to a place I’m not allowed to go. And the only thing I get from the other gods are looks of pity!” With a wrathful scream, I threw the glass at him, missing by a hair and having it shatter across the floor behind him. “You’re always hurting me!”

“I’ve told you,” he mentioned quietly, not reacting to my rage with rage of his own. He was calm as always. “Everything I’ve done is for your own good. However, I’ve done nothing to harm you. I’ve given you all the answers you desired and still you refuse to understand. Who would you have turned to if you had found out your friend was brutally murdered and the murderer gone unpunished? I took care of everything for you.” 

“Shut up,” I whimpered.

“Your workplace burned, yet no one was injured. How is that?” Huedhaut continued to press. “Had I not been there for each of these instances, you’d hate no one but yourself. I grant all your wishes, only with the hopes that you might acknowledge my efforts. I love you. I’ll do anything for you… but I will not hurt you.”

Staring at the shattered glass, I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you even feel guilty for manipulating me?” Did he hurt as much as I was hurting?

The corners of his lips pulled upward. “I can’t feel guilty when you’re well. I can’t feel guilty knowing I have everything I ever wanted and I now have the opportunity to give you the best life.”

“But you’ll never give me what I want…”

His smile turned rueful in a flash, but he didn’t look remorseful. “I can’t do something that would hurt you. You want the life you had before… but that’s an impossible wish that even a god couldn’t grant. All you can do now is accept what I’m giving you and move on. We were happy before, weren’t we?”

I hated how he was the smartest man in the Heavens. It didn’t matter that I knew everything he’d done, he wasn’t guilty of any kind of sin. He didn’t kill that human and he didn’t set my workplace on fire. He didn’t force me to leave my home to live with him. He simply manipulated all of these elements until everything stood in his favor… until I willingly ran into his arms. 

Never once did he let me suffer alone. Even now, he wasn’t lashing out at me and he wasn’t trapping me in his room. …was he?

Warily gazing at him, I shoved the blankets off of me, crawling from the bed. However, before I could race for the door, his arms wrapped around me and I frantically clawed at his arms so he would release me. “Calm down,” he advised, not budging until I stopped fighting against him. Only once I stopped trying to pull away from him did he remove his hold. “Go the other way. You’ll walk straight into glass and hurt yourself if you go that way. Then you’d be bedridden, wouldn’t you?”

Even now… he was still caring for me and ensuring my safety. But… he wasn’t disabling me from leaving. Carefully trailing around the glass, I finally escaped the suffocation of being around Huedhaut. I blinked, standing alone in the hall. Did he really just let me walk away knowing what I know? He… He had to know something I didn’t know. 

Too anxious to stay put, I wandered straight into the living room where I was desperate to tell Zyglavis everything I knew. Someone had to be able to do something. Only… I was disappointed when Zyglavis finally opened his mouth to comment on my findings: “We can’t do anything.”

“W- What…?” My eyebrows furrowed together. “What do you mean you ‘can’t do anything’? Of course, you can! He confessed!” 

“He confessed to being involved; and yes, it may have been in… less than moral ways… However, he hasn’t committed a sin; there were no heavenly laws broken.” Zyglavis’ eyebrows were also knitted together in frustration. “What’s more is that we have no evidence of these activities, regardless of his admittance. You have also admitted that he isn’t keeping you here against your will, so he is not under any wrongdoing by housing you in the mansion.”

Tense silence followed his explanation until finally, I slowly said, “Then he’s going to get away with everything… and Dui’s still going to be held accountable for killing a human! Can you live with that?”

“No,” Zyglavis said as if it didn’t bother him. Pursing his lips, he explained, “We will address that matter with Huedhaut. Counting on his cooperation, we will find the human responsible for this murder and punish them accordingly. As there was no divine intervention of human life or death, Dui will be proven innocent, though there is nothing we can do about the… unfortunate placement of the human.” Seeing that I was dispirited with his answers, he offered, “Being that Huedhuat is a member of the Department of Wishes, such admonishments should be in the hands of his minister. And, being that this is a serious matter… I advise you to take this issue to that wild lion and hope the consequences are what you desire.”

Slowly, I asked, “Is that the best we can do?” 

Pursing his lips, he nodded firmly. “I apologize. But should you find anything else that might prove him of having sinned, return to me and I’ll do what I can to ensure you get the justice you seek.”

I knew it… If anything, Huedhaut probably looked like nothing but a nice god who was only trying to care for his partner. There was nothing anyone would be able to do.

While I was lost in thought, Leon walked into the living room with a deep frown. Clearly he had overheard the conversation, but all he could do in response to my depression was comment, “I knew he wouldn’t be able to let go of her so easily. But just like her, you fell in love with how caring and clever he is. You’re completely ensnared, aren’t you? You can deny it so fervently, but you can’t even fool yourself.”

He stared at me, but seeing that I didn’t readily have a comeback, he took a seat in the living room, determined to ignore Zyglavis as he relaxed during his time away from Karno and the Heavens. 

I would have immediately left the tension in the living room, but if I was being honest with myself, I no longer had a place to go. Dui, Ichthys, and Teorus were in the Heavens, no one else was there that would willingly take me in, and I would not return to Huedhaut—he didn’t deserve it… I didn’t deserve it.

Leaning back on the sofa, the living room was quiet and peaceful. It was something I thought I could appreciate, until my eyes widened upon finding Huedhaut entering the room. For a moment, I was certain he was there for me. However, he didn’t even glance at me—nor did he give me a wink of attention. My staring didn’t seem to affect him as he spoke calmly with Leon about work. I willingly broke up with him and he was being respectful of my space and wishes.

It was as if he didn’t care that all his efforts to have me went to waste. He wasn’t even remotely bothered by the way things turned out. If I could forget about everything he’d done, then things between the gods felt like they hadn’t changed at all. 

Zyglavis met my gaze as if silently checking on me, but he just as quickly looked away, as if he had seen exactly what Leon was describing a few moments prior.

I wasn’t sure how to take the situation between me and the gods in the living room, so I quickly fled, wanting to leave the mansion if only for a moment. But as I sought out the door, I ran straight into Karno who was quick to catch my outstretched arms. 

“(Name),” he called my name, offering me a concerned smile that made my heart ache. Though, his eyebrows soon furrowed in genuine worry at my lack of reaction. “What’s wrong?”

I stared at him for a moment, silently deciding that if there was any god to stay with, I wanted to stay with Karno… Luckily, he gladly accepted to take me in with the condition that I tell him what was going on between me and Huedhaut. Of course, I explained my situation and earned his ready sympathy. 

His arms were always open to me… and he offered the same warmth and kindness as Huedhaut always did… Only… Karno wasn’t Huedhaut. 

Still, I was grateful for his acceptance and eagerness to help me, even if he could only give a similar solution to Zyglavis and offer to do his best in discussing the issue with Leon.

Karno was the reason my week without Huedhaut went as smoothly as it did. It was peaceful, quiet… Yet… it was, above all else, painful. So many times, the truth was waved so obviously in my face: Karno wasn’t Huedhaut, and Huedhaut could not be replaced. My heart ached every time I walked past Huedhaut in a hall, or saw him working in the living room, or walked past his door. Even looking at a book made the longing grow more painful.

It made it worse with how he never so much as spared me a glance. It was as if… I didn't exist to him anymore. Rightfully, I should have been glad for all of this… but why did it hurt so much? 

I hated how Huedhaut created an irreplacable spot for him in my heart. Or, thinking more deeply on it, maybe that spot had always been there. Maybe, to make myself feel better, I could place the blame on Clotho… After all, this could have been considered her fault. If it weren’t for her love for him, maybe I wouldn’t be so hopelessly attached to the most deviously clever god in the Heavens. 

A couple of weeks later, I was on the verge of a breakdown when I finally gave into my initial urges to see Huedhaut, desperate for the love and affection I'd been neglected—and had been furiously avoiding. Only, Huedhaut wasn’t in the mansion as I had hoped, he was still in the Heavens.

Unfortunately, the minute Leon spotted me trailing through the mansion on a search for something—or rather, someone—he huffed in amusement. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was humored by my desperation to see Huedhaut after such a short time apart. He knew better than to think Huedhaut didn’t have me wrapped around his finger.

Upon returning, the sought-after god was surprised to find me trailing him to his room. He suspected it could have been a coincidence and that I just so happened to have been going in the same direction as him. But he was the only one in the hall when I spoke, “I’m sorry…” His eyebrows furrowed. What was I apologizing for? “You were right…” I paused. “I can’t go back to the way things were before. I- I thought I could go back and start again, but it’s not that easy. And- And Karno tried to help, but it only feels worse because it’s not you. And I’m stuck knowing things I wish I’d never found! I wouldn’t hate you so much if I didn’t know you’d done all this…” I paused for another tense moment, wondering if he was considering my words. He had at least paused to listen. “We were happy before… but I can’t stand you touching me anymore… and I hate hearing your taunting voice, because I can’t do anything.” 

“What did you come here for?” He appears dispassionate, as if he didn’t care for my insulting explanation. “You broke my heart by leaving me for other gods. You’ve hurt me where I’ve never hurt you. Why should I do you a favor?”

“I’m not asking for a favor… I’m apologizing. You- You don’t deserve one. You…” I trailed off. “I don’t want to keep suffering like this. You have no idea how confused I feel!”

“I know,” he simply answered. Of course, he knew. He always knew. “Knowledge is a cursed thing that few can resist—especially curious humans.” That last bit was a jab at your desire for answers. “Fortunately, I can help you,” he offered. Snapping his fingers, a glass ball appeared in his hands and he looked down at it, inquiring, “You wish for me to take your memories? I can put them in here… a safe place to serve as a reminder…”

He didn’t elaborate on what he meant, but I could only gather that, should I wish to suspect him of any wrongdoings in the future, he’d have my horrible memories of these past few months stored away in a bubble. It was smart, as always. He had a clever solution for the problem he was responsible for. 

“Yes… Please,” I begged, finally surrendering in this long game of mental chess. 

A considerate smile crossed his features. “Well, you know what to say.”

Confusion filled my gaze before I finally apologized, “I’m so sorry for hurting you, Hue… But I’m hurting too. Cant’ you help me fix this…?” I trailed off at seeing the look in his eyes. It was a familiar look, a knowing look that said I was missing something.

After a brief moment, he assisted, “You know what you have to say…”

I faltered at how obvious it should have been. Finally, I prayed to him, “Hue… I wish I could forget everything we’ve done so things could go back to the way they used to be.” 

I gazed at him with begging eyes, a sense of relief overcoming me at seeing his pleased smile. “Finally… Everything will finally return to as it should be.” Lifting his hand, he finally snapped his fingers and the world was overtaken by a bright light. 

***

Huedhaut was reading a book some time after having laid me comfortably in his bed. Taking one’s memories isn’t an easy process, but Huedhaut had prepared himself for this very task, and it had gone off without a hitch. 

He was only waiting patiently for me to wake up when he paused, hearing me call out his name softly. His gaze flickering to me, light seemed to fill his eyes once again. “Ah, my love. You’re awake already. I thought you’d sleep longer.”

This, unbeknown to me, was a test. Though, according to the blush that colored my cheeks, Huedhaut was happy. He knew he didn’t usually refer to me as ‘his love’ unprompted. So, he was greatly pleased when my shy response was, “Geez, H- Hue… I love you too. I…” I trailed off, curling further with the blanket around me. “I guess I am pretty tired,” I relented. “But can you come lay down with me? I… I feel like I miss you, for some reason. I had a weird dream that I can’t seem to remember.”

His soft laugh was music to my ears as he joined me in bed. “You needn’t worry, (Name)... I’ll always be by your side, even every single time you miss me. Just let me know if you do remember that dream you had. I’m so curious to know what it was about…” At the end, he added with a love-struck smile, “My love…”

[kensington-queen]

Tsugaru’s Baby’s Cravings

Fandom: Her Love in the Force - One-Shot

Pairing: Tsugaru/MC (named Emi here but it’s only mentioned once)

Rating: Fluffy T +

AO3 Link: here

Tsugaru comes into the bullpen with a bag from the convenience store, his usual smile on his face when he spots her sitting at the desk in front of Momo’s. Her own lunch is rice and fried chicken with some vegetables that were left over from their shared dinner, which he had graciously let her take.

He disappears into the kitchenette, reappearing with his lunch a couple of minutes later. He sits in the chair beside her, intent on eating with her.

“Wanna try, Little Hare,” Tsugaru asks, showing her one of those quick meal ramen cups. The flavor is matcha, which is not too out there for him. But then he takes out his faithful Tabasco sauce, pouring a liberal amount on top of the hot noodles. She instantly wrinkles her nose.

“Ew, no thank you,” she politely declines like he knew she would. He grins at her, shrugging, content with shoving his noodles into his mouth. He looks so cute, she thinks absent-mindedly as she takes a bite of her own lunch, watching him.

Something smells good, she notes a minute later, getting a whiff of something appetizing. What is it? She sniffs discreetly. Something spicey. Paired with something that had an underlying scent that blended subtly in. Wait a minute. No. Surely not? She leans in toward Tsugaru, taking another sniff.

His lunch!

It smells… delicious. Why?

“Changed your mind?” he asks, aiming his chopsticks playfully at her mouth. The noodles come too close to grazing her lips, so she sits away.

“Just trying to figure out what about that combo is appetizing,” she innocently replies, hoping he won’t catch on. He’s too smart sometimes, too good at reading people, and especially good at reading her. Nothing can be hidden from his eyes when it comes to her.

“Who wouldn’t find this good? Here, have a dessert,” he shoves a wasabi-flavored KitKat into her mouth instead, catching her off guard. Her nose automatically wrinkles in reaction, anticipating a slaughter on her taste buds but she finds herself eagerly eating it and swallowing.

“You like it?” He asks, his eyes sparkling as they dance mischievously waiting for her reaction. Oh god, she didn’t hate it. Why isn’t she hating it? Why does she want a second helping?

“It’s not the worse thing you’ve shoved into my mouth,” she grumbles carelessly, forgetting where they are for a moment. Tsugaru’s eyes widen briefly before a very specific look falls onto his handsome features as his eyes turn the slightest bit sultry. Across from them Momo, too close to pretend he didn’t hear her comment, chokes on his coffee.

“Little Hare, how brazenly dirty of you” Tsugaru whispers wickedly, a huge grin appearing on his face as she catches on to what she just said. Her cheeks redden.

“You know what I mean, Tsugaru! Snacks! Your snacks!”

“I have been referred to as a snack before, so this isn’t the first time,” Tsugaru says, enjoying her spluttering and embarrassment a little too much. She glares at him. “I’m glad you think my snacks are tasty, Little Hare. You’ll get more treats, I promise.”

Then he winks at her, the bastard.

“Takaomi,” she hisses, low enough so only he can hear. Uh-oh.

“I’m just kidding, Emi, just kidding! Momo help!” He wheels away fast, getting out of her range. She’s dangerous when mad.

Later on, once things settle back down with Team Tsugaru, she finds herself struggling to concentrate on a report. She makes a mental checklist as she stares at the report. Fatigue. Aches. Breast tenderness. Finding Tsugaru’s weird food appealing. Her eyes flicker to her mini calendar on her desk, scrutinizing the dates.

When was she last on her period?

She doesn’t bother with a store-bought test, instead calling up the nearest OBGYN clinic to the office on her break while alone on the roof. She gets the next available appointment for after work the following day.

She decides to not alert Tsugaru about this in case it’s a false alarm when she gets home, making her way up to his place. He cooks her pasta with homemade sauce, giving her the normal version first before dumping seven spices and mint of all things into his own portion. She hates the way it smells appealing. Who puts mint into pasta sauce, to begin with, never mind with seven spices?

She deduces she must be pregnant because only a baby that she is carrying that is half Tsugaru could possibly cause her to temporarily lose her sanity and find herself wanting a taste of his strange food combinations. She’s going to have to fight the insane food cravings she realizes when he offers her eel soda and she accepts, drinking it like she would Sprite or Coca-Cola.

Otherwise, she’s going to be the only one with normal tastebuds in the house.

The doctor confirms her suspicions the next day after work.

She’s 11 weeks along and she gets a huge scolding about the dangers of her chosen field of work from the doctor who’s alarmed she didn’t notice her period being late because it’s normal given the stressful demands of her job. She’s told explicitly she needs to be very careful going forward now that she’s aware.

It’s lucky that Tsugaru has been out in the field with Momo when she left for her booked appointment time, otherwise, it would have been incredibly difficult to find an excuse to leave the office without admitting the truth to him. She makes it to their apartment before he does, the small scan tucked carefully away in her planner until she steps inside, where she moves it to her pocket.

She’s excited. Really excited. The idea of having his child sets her heart soaring. She’s nervous too, and concerned about how he might react. The trauma of his past is going to emerge with this pregnancy, she’s sure of it. He might go into a dark place with worry once she’s around the same time as his mother had been when she was killed, and she needs to be prepared for that.

But she knows Tsugaru and his desire for a family.

They’re dating with the intention of marriage, and have been since the start when he proposed before asking her out officially. They’re a little over two years of being together, and lately, the conversation around potentially making Noa part of their family legally has been happening with Shirogane.

The confirmation of this pregnancy further confirms her desire to make Noa theirs permanently. It’s a big change in dynamics though, one she needs to talk over with Tsugaru. She darts around the kitchen, cooking a simple stir-fry to go with rice, her nerves dancing as she plays the waiting game for his arrival home.

“I’m homeeee,” his voice calls out from the doorway; her heart beats a bit faster, and even though it’s far too early to feel a kick, she swears she can feel a tickle in her tummy from the baby she’s carrying. Their baby.

The plan is to tell him after dinner.

But when he steps into the kitchen with a big smile on his face, hugging her close, the plan goes out the window.

“Takaomi,” she murmurs into his chest as she relaxes under his tight embrace. Dinner is ready to be served, she should move away to serve, but when she does his eyes catch hers and she finds herself biting her lip before the words spill out. “I’m pregnant.”

He stares at her, arms further tightening around her. Has he forgotten how to breathe? She waits patiently, letting her own arms loop up around his neck. She steps up on her tip-toes and presses her forehead against his, closing her eyes as she hears him exhale slowly. When she lands back on her feet a moment later, he’s smiling. A genuine smile, though his eyes are wide and watery from both worry and joy.

“Really?” He asks, just to be sure. She takes out the scan from her pocket and gently hands it to him. He touches it, then touches her stomach. “How, how far along?”

“11 weeks,” she tells him, hoping he won’t think about the dangerous missions she’s been on recently. “I have a pretty good idea of when…”

His eyes darkened, remembering immediately what she was referring to.

An early Sunday morning.

Sunlight filtering in through the windows.

A quiet, sleepy warmth shared between them.

A moment where they gave to each other honestly without reserve.

She presses a hand over his, which is placed on top of her stomach. “I want this with you,” she says, looking at him. Reassuring him. She can sense the underlying anxiety that’s fighting with the excitement and happiness in his eyes.

“I want this too,” he replies, flipping his hand so he’s threading their fingers tightly together. “I want Noa to be a big brother.”

“Me too,” she smiles as the scent of the stir-fry overcooking catches her nose. “Dinner!”

She dashes to turn off the stovetop, sighing at the blackened stir-fry mess in the pan. He comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle with his head resting on top of her own.

“Let’s get take out. Any cravings yet?”

“Actually,” she spins to face him again. “I actually really liked the wasabi KitKat earlier. I’ve been infected with your weird tastes thanks to this baby!”

The widest grin expands across his face, pure delight radiating off of him as he laughs out loud.

“There was never any doubt this baby was mine,” he says, teasing, “but this just confirms it. I’ll buy out the shelf if you want more wasabi KitKats.”

“I don’t want them, the baby does!” She protests, pouting. A small, soft kiss makes it disappear a second later. “Are you happy?”

“I’m thrilled,” he says, the sincerity in his voice clear as a bell. “You’re banned from missions. Desk duty until maternity leave,” he adds a second later. “You’re my Little Hare carrying my baby bunny after all. Say,” he lifts an eyebrow playfully. “If it’s a girl what about the name Usagi?”

“I’m not naming my daughter after Sailor Moon,” she replies, though she’s sure he could probably charm her into agreeing when he gives her that particular smile of his that's on his face. “Besides it could be a boy.”

“I think it's a girl,” Tsugaru confidently says. “Usagi, your daddy can’t wait to meet you!” He takes her by the hand, tugging her to the sofa in the living room. “Usagi are you hungry for daddy’s favorite food?”

“No, she’s not! We want pizza. With pepperoni and cheese! With a bit of onion.”

“I’ll order the works,” Tsugaru promises, phone in hand. “Anything for my special girls.”

“We could be having a boy,” she reminds him, though she feels like he’s probably going to be right. He always is.

There’s a lot still they need to talk about and decide; telling Shirogane, moving into a new place, getting married and adopting Noa, and eventually telling the office about the pregnancy. There’s the part of his heart that’s afraid too, which will need extra love and reassurance as the pregnancy proceeds.

But as they sit close together, she relaxes as his head rests next to her stomach, still flat, as he talks to the baby, cooing “Usagiiiii!” Her hands' thread through his hair, happy.

[otomefoxystar]

Unexpected Surprise

Fandom: Kissed by the Baddest Bidder

Pairing: Eisuke X MC

Genre : Fluff with a teensy bit of angst

TW: Mentions of wanting to lose weight, pregnancy

She looked at herself in the full length mirror, turning right, then turning left. Her favorite pair of leggings weren’t fitting like they used to. She had gained weight. It was hard maintaining a figure that the Tres Spades CEO deserved, or at least what she thought he deserved. She sighed, “I have to lose some weight.” She said to herself quietly.

She entered Eisuke’s kitchen, immediately starting the coffee. She opened the fridge and took out eggs, onions, and peppers. Preparing to make breakfast. Eisuke came out of his home office looking at his phone; when he looked up, he saw _ _ _ looking displeased. “What’s the matter?” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, just in a bad mood.” He arched an eyebrow. “You haven’t even been up for an hour. What would put you in a bad mood so quickly?” She rolled her eyes, “I don’t know, Eisuke. Just leave me alone and let me cook breakfast!” She snapped at him, “You don’t need to get pissy with me. It was a question.” She immediately felt terrible.

“Sorry,” He kissed her forehead. “It’s fine.” He went to sit at the table while she cooked. The door swung open and in sauntered Ota, Baba, Mamoru, and Soryu. She sighed. Could she get a moment of peace with her boyfriend for once? Of course, knowing they’d want to eat, she made extra. There were omelets, toast, sausage, fruit, and yogurt when she brought the food to the table. “Is this a special occasion? It’s like a gourmet breakfast.” Baba joked. Soryu shot a glare his way, shutting him up. “I dunno. I figured you’re all here, so I might as well.”

As they talked and ate, she gave herself a small serving, knowing she had to watch how she ate if she wanted to lose weight. As everyone ate their fill, they all talked while she cleaned breakfast, but Eisuke noticed her taking bites of sausage and fruit as she packed everything up. After wiping the table, she left to go shopping. “Have you noticed _ _ _ eating more than normal?” Mamoru asked. Eisuke was swiping through his phone. “A bit” Soryu leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms across his chest. “You don’t find that odd? Maybe she’s stressed?” Eisuke looked up from his phone to his best friend. “Maybe.” Ota was doodling on a napkin. “I would pay attention to her. It could be something serious.” Eisuke scratched the back of his neck. “I’m over this conversation.”

When Eisuke returned home from work that same day, he found her asleep on the couch with the TV playing. Taking off his shoes, he went around the sofa, lifting her up and taking her to the bedroom where she could sleep properly. Her eyes blinked open when he was covering her up. “Eisuke?” He reached up and caressed her cheek. “You fell asleep on the couch.” She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “I’ve been exhausted lately. There’s no reason for it. Not like I don’t get enough sleep.” He kissed her on the forehead, and her stomach growled. “Have you eaten?” She blushed, “I ate. I’m just constantly hungry. It’s irritating.” He smiled.

“How about a snack, then?” How could she refuse when he was being so sweet? “Okay,” She went to stand up and suddenly felt dizzy. Not able to see, she sat down, waiting for her vision to return to normal “_ _ _?” She stood back up. “I just got really dizzy.” Eisuke was quiet as they went into the kitchen. As they gathered food for a nice snack, his mind was racing. Maybe something was wrong? Some medical condition, perhaps? After their snack, she went to bed.

The following day, she entered the kitchen to start breakfast when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and smiled, but he didn’t smile back; instead, he crossed his arms. “What?” she asked, feeling his stare heavy on her. “There was a bunch of candy wrappers in the trash this morning. Did you get up during the night to eat?” She adverted her eyes. “I felt like I was starving” Eisuke raised his eyebrows. “So you ate a bunch of candy?” She sighed. “I didn’t want to make anything; someone had given me some candy.”

She furrowed her brows. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me! It’s like I can’t stop myself. I’m so hungry all the time. I’ve been trying to watch what I eat to lose weight, but I feel sick if I don’t eat.” He motioned for her to come to him and led her to the kitchen table, sitting across from each other. “Why are you trying to lose weight? You’re fine the way you are.”

“Because I want you to be proud to call me your woman, not when I look bloated and chubby. I hate it.” He put his head in his hand. “You’re fine. You’re more beautiful than any other woman anyways. Stop trying to live up to what you think are my expectations without knowing first.” He looked her over, noticing her breasts looking a little fuller, her face a little swollen. It couldn’t be weight gain; she hasn’t put on that much weight, maybe a couple of pounds, but not enough to make a noticeable difference.

He started connecting the dots as he looked at her. Her insatiable hunger, dizzy spells, exhaustion, and now she tells him she’s bloated. He cleared his throat, and she looked at him, confused. “What?” He swallowed, almost nervous to say what he was about to say. “I don’t think you need to lose weight. You should feed your body if it’s telling you to.” She was confused. “Why would I do that? I’ll gain more weight?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think it’s just weight gain, _ _ . I think you’re pregnant.” Her eyes widened, and she just looked at him for what seemed like minutes of not speaking. “ _ _?” When he called her name, she came to reality. “Oh my god! I think you’re right. How did this even happen?” Eisuke smirked, “I can show you how if you want?” She kicked him from under the table. “Stop it. This is serious! I’m on birth control.” She looked at him again. “Why are you so calm?!”

He sighed, “Birth control isn’t completely effective in preventing pregnancy. We’d have to use a condom in tandem with birth control, but why would we do that? We’re only sleeping with each other. What does it matter anyway? I can take care of you and the baby. That’s no problem. It just means I get to see the efforts of our lovemaking with your swollen womb. To think we made life. Feels special, don’t you think?” She beamed. “Come here, baby.”

She walked over towards him and pulled her down to sit on his lap, and he put his hand on her stomach and kissed her cheek. “Don’t be scared, be excited. Take joy in the fact that you are growing a life. That’s what you deserve, don’t think of this as a bad thing.” She smiled, “Of course, I would be excited, but you talk about it as if I am. We don’t know till I take a test.” He kissed her again on the temple. “Because you are; I don’t need some silly test to tell me something I already know.” She rolls her eyes at his arrogance.

“Okay, Eisuke. Cause you’re a doctor now? Aren’t I supposed to feel sick?” Eisuke sits back and crosses his arms. “If you’re so concerned, maybe we should call Luke here? Would that make you feel better?” She pondered for a moment. “So indecisive” He picked up his phone, calling Luke without waiting for her answer.

Not long after Eisuke hangs up the phone, there’s a knock at the door. Eisuke gets up and answers it, and Luke steps in with a bag of medical supplies. He places the bag on the counter and looks at both Eisuke and _ _ _. “So what can I do for you?” You cross your arms. “Sexy bones?” He reads your body language. Eisuke clears his throat and stands up. “I need you to see if she’s pregnant.” Luke’s eyes go wide, and he gasps. “Were you trying? I had no idea.” She shakes her head. “No,” Luke smiles, “Accidents are always fun too.” He picks up his bag. “Let’s go in the bedroom so I can examine you.” She nods, following Luke.

Moments later, she walks out with Luke remaining completely quiet. Eisuke looks at her. “What happened?” Eisuke asks. _ _ _ silently sits down, and Luke walks up to Eisuke putting his hand on his shoulder and lowering his voice to a whisper, “She’s pregnant, and she’s scared. It would be best if you were supportive. Stress can affect the baby.” Eisuke nods, and Luke pats him on the shoulder. He takes out a prescription pad. “I’m going to give you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins.” He says as he writes, “Also, let me know if you start feeling nauseous. If you can’t keep food down, I can prescribe something for the nausea, but you might be lucky and not feel sick at all.” He smiles as he hands her the prescription. She takes it, looks at the prescription, and looks at Eisuke worriedly. Luke smiles again, picks up his bag, and leaves the suite, shutting the door behind him.

She turns away from Eisuke, “I’m going back to bed.” She set the prescription on the table and walked to the bedroom, wrapping herself under the blankets. Eisuke followed not long after, not wanting her to shut him out. He sat on his side of the bed, crossing his legs at the ankles. He lifted the blanket so he could see her face. Seeing tears falling. He furrows his brow, and uncovers her head, then lays down so he is level with her. “Do you not want the baby?” He asked as he stroked her hair. “It’s not that. I want to keep it. Of course, I’ll keep it. What if I’m not a good mother? I have no idea how to raise a child. I’ve never really been around children.” His face relaxes. “I think this is a normal fear, but I also think your instincts will tell you how to do the rest. You’re going to be a great mother. You are caring and kind. How could you not be?”

She wiped her eyes. “I don’t know why I’m so upset, it was bound to happen eventually, but I’m really upset.” Eisuke smiled tenderly at her, “It’s probably hormones, baby.” He kissed the top of her head. “Turn over” She gave him a confused look. “Just do it” She turned on her side so her back faced Eisuke, and he rubbed her back soothingly. “You’ll get through this because I will be here every step of the way. Now close your eyes. You need to rest.”

[jessyurahara]

The Drunken Bars- Mamoru Kishi-

Mamoru and (Y/N), Mamoru and you, who would’ve thought you could end up where you are now, questioning if you’re even half the person you used to be, while you wait, with hope that he’ll appear in front of you, but you no longer even know him. 

Hands grasping at the bars in front of you, resting your forehead against the cold steel, you never thought you’d end up here, you remembered how you’d fallen in love with him from the back of his cop car, the detective was never straight laced, so did it shock anyone he was in love with a criminal like yourself? 

No. 

What did shock you? 

That after all this time he could hang up on you in your time of need. You’d die for Mamoru, he wouldn’t die for you. 

Swaying against the bars, you found yourself laughing, anyone watching would think you were insane, you weren’t you just found yourself questioning your own sanity, half convinced that Mamoru would call back, Mamoru would show up and bail you out. It was just a fight, just another fight, he’d never done this before. Turning, sliding down, feeling the cool metal against your back, shirt riding up, you rested your head in your hands, you dread to think what you looked like right now. Probably the same as the day he’d met you, another drunken street fight with some thug. 

The day you’d met Mamoru Kishi had changed your life, you remembered drunkenly explaining your story, young, drunk and alone, having just smashed a glass over a mans head, leaving with little more than a black eye and a whole lot of pride, you’d laughed as you regaled the tale to him, you were so damned proud of yourself. He’d been so strong when he’d thrown you in that car, and damn had he looked hot as he drove, smoke hanging from his lips, a lazy gaze drifting back to you, tracing your every movement as you excitedly explained every detail, you swore you’d even heard a short laugh slide past his lips, and like an over excited kid, he’d found you in the station every day after that, whether it was of your own will or not, constantly begging for his attention, telling him your small stories, things there was no need for the detective to know about you, then you managed to get him to give you his phone number, and you couldn’t count the amount of times you dial this number drunk, and yet like a knight in shining amour he would show up, collecting you, stopping your regular bar fights, because he was there before you could start them, it was like he was healing something inside of you, like you were no longer a danger to yourself. 

Mamoru Kishi, your very own lazy knight, you adored every moment you spent with him, never did you think he would leave you like this. 

And then there was one fight, and then another, and another, and you found yourself promising you would forget about him over drinks, and you swore to yourself you had, and yet as you were thrown in the back of that cop car, you felt as though you were reliving the night you’d fallen for him, and when you handed over his name as your one phone call. 

You swore he’d pick up. 

And the first time he didn’t you found yourself crying, but you repeated the same process, and that’s how you found yourself here, it had to be the fifth time in two weeks, but you kept on handing over his name as your phone call, and every time, it would ring, and ring, you swore you could picture him, sitting in that messy apartment, just watching his mobile ring on the coffee table, not caring. 

Coughing up some new tears, you didn’t know how you’d fucked up your relationship to this point, to end up, young, drunk and alone. 

All you could hear was his voice on repeat in your memory through the haze of the drinks, repeating how much he loves you, he wasn’t the man you thought he was, you would’ve died for him, and in that cell, you wanted him o come and pick you up off of the ground, but he was pretending like he no longer knew you, like he no longer loved you. 

“(L/N), (Y/N) You’ll be free to go in the morning”, you heard an officer repeat outside of your cell, and turning on him, you rubbed your eyes, attempting to hide the fact you’d been crying, 

“Just let me have one more call, he’s got to pick up” You found yourself begging, he wasn’t going to listen, despite all the officers looking the same, you could see the pity behind his eyes as he looked at you, a new bruise forming under your eye as you pretended to be strong, 

“I beg you, just let me call” You whispered more to yourself, something screaming that this would be the time he would pick up, and yet gazing at the officer he shook his head, 

“I swear he’d going to call me back” you continued to rationalise with yourself, as the officer walked away from your pleas. 

You couldn’t see it, you’d never know, Mamoru heard every call, he got told about every report, and sitting at his desk, head resting in his hands, he didn’t know what to do anymore, it was as though he never knew you, and yet, what more couldn’t he expect he’d met you while arresting you, he knew you weren’t perfect, and yet he was watching you spiral, listening to your every plea, getting feedback on your downward spiral and you fell further and further from grace. 

God Mamoru loved you, and getting the latest report of how much faith you had in this idea that he was going to pick up the phone and aide with your downward spiral was enough to break him, the fact he knew you were crying in a cell, half drunk, begging them to let you call him again, the fact he knew he wasn’t going to pick up the phone call. 

“(Y/N), Why do you do this to yourself?” 

For the shame of being young, drunk and alone, who knows? Maybe one day he’d pick up that call, but for now, you were stuck in that cell, as Mamoru would let that call just ring out. 

Back to KBTBB Drabbles/ Mamoru Kishi Drabbles

Headcannons/ Love Letters/ Stories/ Drabbles

[voltage-vixen]

Hooky (NSFW)

Fandom: Kissed by the Baddest Bidder Pairing: Hikaru Aihara x f!MC Prompt: Playing hooky from work to spend the day together Warnings: NSFW, Vaginal fingering, Oral sex (female receiving), Vaginal sex Notes: This is my first contribution to the @voltagefandomproject

“Stay in bed with me, honey.”

 MC squirmed as her husband murmured his sensual plea into the crook of her neck. After an attempt to shimmy from the bed to get dressed for work, the maid found herself at the mercy of Hikaru’s warmth enveloping her on this chilly early morning. 

“Come on, Hikaru,” she half pleaded, biting on her lip to suppress the moan threatening to succumb under the tantalizing duress of his touch of her curves. “I would love to stay in bed with you as well, honey, but Mr. Ichinomiya will be displeased if we don’t clock in on time.”

“Idiot. I’ll text Ichinomiya and inform him that both my darling wife and I fell ill during our honeymoon by catching a minor cold.”

“Hikaru, please,” MC huffed, her breath caught sharp when Hikaru’s hands vanished beneath the covers and rested on the mound of buttocks. “We….can’t….”

“Can’t what?” Hikaru provoked, his lips curling into a sly grin as his palms roamed his wife’s backside, her body bare from their late night affairs the eve prior. “Can’t call into work? Or can't we touch each other anymore?”

His fingers descended south, parting the creamy flesh of MC’s soft thighs apart until he brushed against the sensitive bud of her womanhood, eliciting a lewd gasp of pleasure. 

“Maybe just one more day wouldn’t hurt anything…,” her soft voice trailed off, sighing in content when Hikaru tore the blankets and tossed them aside onto the floor. 

Yearning to please his wife, Hikaru’s hands explored and caressed her damp skin, while his teeth engraved love marks that would remain visible for the sight of his eyes only long after this affair between the sheets. Satisfied that he had tormented his dear MC long enough with his teasing, Hikaru’s fingertips grasped the sides of her hips, and held her firmly in place while his tongue licked and lapped at her perspiration from her heated skin before gliding to enjoin them as one.

 His tongue lashed languid strokes into her; as MC’s body bucked back and forth in a steady rhythm. Clutching the bed sheet with her fingernails, the harmonious sound of her pants echoed throughout their bedroom until a sensation of pleasurable friction tickled her lower belly when Hikaru’s nose brushing that sensitive bundle of nerve delivered a sweet friction. 

“Have I convinced you to stay in bed and play hooky with me today, honey?”

Unable to formulate a coherent thought due to her body trembling from the aftermath of the high her hubby inflicted upon her, MC glanced backwards to meet Hikaru’s gaze and nodded slightly in between her pants. 

“Speechless already?” Hikaru smirked, rising to his knees to flip his wife so that she was placed flat on her back and pinned underneath him. “The fun has only just begun.”

Now partially recovered from the delight of her orgasm, MC ascended her body to wrap her arms around Hikaru’s neck. Their lips were drawn together by the lingering passion; their tongues fighting for dominance until the sound of MC’s pager beeping from the nightstand interrupted. 

Possessed by an envious desire, the former assassin reached for the device, and muted it before tossing it to the ground. Concerned about Mr. Ichinomiya’s reaction at ignoring his page when she did eventually have to face her employer again, MC attempted to fetch the pager, but instead yelped when her plan was foiled by Hikaru pinning her wrists back down onto the mattress.

“Idiot, you wouldn’t dare be thinking of another man while in bed with me now, would you?”

Keeping her wrists firmly pinned to prevent MC from wriggling away, Hikaru inched closer so that the tip of his erection brushed her thigh, eliciting a soft pleading whimper from the part of her lips.

“N-No, I would never, honey,” MC whinied, her mind spinning in anticipation at the teasing sensation tickling her leg. 

“Are you sure? Because I wouldn’t mind reminding you whose woman you are,” Hikaru chided, snapping his hips forward to stroke her entrance, being sure to graze her folds glistening in her cum. 

“Then remind me, Hikaru,” MC begged, the pool of wetness between her thighs dampening with how close his cock was to where she longed for his touch the most. “Spend the day reminding me.”

Hikaru groaned when his erection grew harder at the invitation. Releasing MC’s wrists, he trailed his lips down her body and aligned his pelvis with her opening. Complying with his wife’s demands, Hikaru thrusted forward and was greeted with MC’s sensual sighing. His responses was sighs of gratification taht drowned hers out when each movement of his was met with the fluttering of her walls clenching tighter around him. 

MC’s reservations about their day of hooky were long gone as Hikaru continued to make gentle yet passionate love to her.

Who knew playing hooky every once in a while could be so electrifying for a marriage?

[faerie-goth]

The Only One

Fenn x MC

@voltagefandomproject

MC approaches Fenn after catching him gently rejecting yet another girl for what seems to be the millionth time.

“Excuse me ladies!  My darling treasure awaits!  Ta!”  Fenn waves with a flourish as he cheerfully bids his fanclub goodbye.  Lys rolls her eyes at his theatrics, but accepts the hand he offers her to hold.  He beams in return, overjoyed at their reunion of just a few hours.  A few hours of absolute torture, if anyone asked him.

Hand in hand, they wander the academy grounds aimlessly until they find themselves in Fenn’s favorite secluded spot.  She could have asked him for anything and he would give it readily, but he could tell something was eating at her and she needed some time.  And so, he did the only thing he could do - he sat her down on his lap, and patiently rubbed at her limbs until she was ready to talk.

His warmth and attentiveness wore on her.  Although Fenn could be an absolute scoundrel at times, he was also a sweetheart.  She leaned back into his chest and toyed with the strands of his long hair that landed on her shoulder.

“Oh Treasure, what offense have I committed this time?” he at last lamented with a sigh.  “Please, would you tell me so that I could make it up to you?”

His pout was absolutely too much, no wonder he had such a penchant for getting anything (or anyone) he wanted. 

“It’s not you, I promise,” Lysandra finally responded, biting her lip.  “It’s just...those girls who swarm all over you like fire ants.”

“Ah.  So you DO get jealous,” he mused, placing a kiss on the crown of her head.  “I promise you, I have told them that there will be no more dates, no more stolen kisses...” at this he stopped briefly to nibble at her earlobe.  “I am a changed man.  You will be my one and only paramour, forevermore.”

She turned around to face him, now straddling him.  Fenn gave her his signature smirk of approval, clearly enjoying where this was going, although he was more than happy to let her make the first move this time.

“You’ll never love another girl?” she questions.

The man grins, reaching for her hands. 

“Treasure, I absolutely cannot promise you that - let me finish,”  his Adam’s apple bobs as he attempts to compose himself before he gets slapped preemptively.  “I cannot promise you that, because there might come a day when a little girl is born of your womb and my seed.  Our daughter.”

Her eyes go wide in shock, that Fenn, of all men, would be thinking that far ahead.  She lurches forward to wrap him in a fierce hug, her hands each grabbing a fistful of the ruff of his cloak as she tries not to cry. 

Hardie was right - beneath all his lies, Fenn really did have a heart of gold.

[fandom-collective-writers]

Doctor’s Orders (NSFW)

Fandom: Kings of Paradise Pairing: Hayachika Ryutsubaki (Tsubaki) x f!MC Warnings: NSFW, Breast play, Oral sex (both f & m receiving), Cum swallowing Prompts:  Venturing to the South Pole & “Unwrap me.” Written by: @voltage-vixen

“Now be a good boy and take a seat, doctor.”

Pressing the tips of her fingers against the taut muscles of Tsubaki’s chest, MC leaned forward to give her man a shove backwards until he collapsed into the mattress on his back. The man groaned when his scantily clad dressed girlfriend crouched to her knees and forced his thighs apart to nestle herself in between his flesh. Tsbuaki was bare save for the pair of red satin boxers MC gifted him for their tantalizing Christmas Eve encounter; leaving the fine physique of his canvas of a body open to admiration.

Inspired to drive her boyfriend wild with desire, MC propped one of her elbows on his thigh, while resting her chin on the palm of her hand, she batted her eyelashes and teasingly stroked Tsubaki’s chest. Inching closer, MC intentionally pressed the mound of her breasts against the bulge of his cock straining the fabric of the boxers.

“Command me,” MC murmured, drawing her hands to the sides of her breasts, encompassing his erect girth with the warmth of her flesh. “Tell me what it is you desire, Tsubaki, otherwise I’ll refrain from touching you.”

Savoring the sound of Tsubaki’s growl of aggravation when she released her breasts from her grasp forcing his erection to spring free, MC reached out to claw his pectorals with her nails. Her fingers were now relentlessly trailing down the south of his abdomen, hesitating before reaching the evidence of his need creating a tent in the fabric.

“Damn it, you’re being a tease,” Tsubaki hissed, shimmying his hips in a desperate attempt to feel any friction on the heat radiating between his legs. “Please don’t torture me any longer-unwrap me and then take me with your mouth.”

“As you wish.”

Tsubaki’s lip quivered, displaying a rare sign of distress when MC stopped teasing his cock and instead reached around to give his ass a firm squeeze before stripping him until the remainder of his beautiful body was on full display.  

Tsubaki’s eyes were coated in lust and glazed with a sensual desire. Rarely did the opportunity to witness Tsubaki become completely unhinged present itself. 

“Since you’ve been a very good boy this year, it’s time for me to taste you,” MC mewled, and spit on the head of his cock before pumping the length of his manhood.

“You’ll soon be begging me to cum,” MC leaned in to whisper in his ear, nibbling at his lobe before focusing her attention back on his throbbing desire. .

Not a moment sooner was MC enveloping Tsubaki’s full cock into the wetness of her mouth. Sliding up and down, MC kept her tongue pressed securely against him and would allow some of her salvia to drip down his shaft while she sucked and lapped.

“Gods, does that feel good. Don’t stop, love,” Tsubaki crooned, clutching a fistful of MC’s hair to encourage her to heighten the pace of her bobbing. 

MC adjusted her mouth to focus on the head of his erection and gripped the palm of her hand  to simultaneously jerk Tsubaki’s arousal. Her fingers lightly groped at his balls, and occasionally she would deliver a soft pinch to his thighs. 

“Please,” he groaned. “Make me cum. I can’t take this anymore. Let me finish so I can watch you ride me.”

MC’s lips curled into a grin to herself when the throaty moan of desperation escaped Tsubaki and echoed around the room. she furiously swirled her tongue while enhancing the pressure and speed of her movements with her mouth.

“I’m about to cum,” Tsubaki panted, grunting as his load was close to releasing into MC’s mouth.

Overtaken by the warm gratification of his girlfriend’s warmth, his hips involuntarily jerked in rhythm in tune to her pace. A thin bead of sweat dripped from the flush of his forehead, and Tsubaki’s knuckles were stained white from clutching MC’s hair.  His cock hardened while expanding. 

“I can’t last any longer,” he grunted. “I want you to swallow my cum, MC. Swallow every last drop.”

Tsubaki thrusted his hips into an ascent as his load finally shot inside of her mouth, and she eagerly lapped at the salty load he released, respecting his wishes by swallowing the salty tasting cum. 

 After a few more licks, MC wiped the front of her face while smirking at the sight of her boyfriend withering around from the aftermath. While Tsubaki was panting, MC exaggerated, sticking one of her fingers in her mouth and lapping her digit with her tongue as she climbed on top to straddle him.

“You taste divine,” she whispered, grinding her hips directly into his pelvis. “What should I do next, Dr. Tsubaki?”

Now being able to catch his breath, Tsubaki caught MC off guard by grabbing her hips and ignoring her surprised shriek as he dragged her until she was right above his own mouth. 

“Now you’re going to sit tight like a good girl while I return the favor.”

Tsubaki was met with a sensuous moan as his tongue brushed past the sensitive nub of her clit and plunged into the heat of her womanhood.

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away; yet an orgasm a day has them at your very beck and call. The couple greeted the morning of Christmas bestowing the gift of orgasm upon orgasm to one another, leading them both to experience a very Merry Christmas indeed.

[chirp-a-chirp]

Court of Darkness: Devour & Delight

Fandom: Court of Darkness (Couples: Roy X MC, MC named Carla; Sherry X Rio)

Characters: Roy and Sherry Invidia; Rio Voleri; King Klaus; brief references to Toa and Fenn

Description: Roy prepares for his wedding; Rio is newly engaged. MC and Sherry listen in as both events lead to unintended drunken fun.

Description Pt 2: The second part of this fanfic (Roy’s wedding + wedding night) upcoming in future spicer post!

Word Count: ~1350K

Tags: Fluff; humor; crack; innuendos galore; boozy fun; horrible singing; established relationship

…

“Roy, Fenn said you needed to loosen up!”

“I am perfectly “loose”, as they say, my friend.”

Rio’s jovial laugh booms through the open window. Sherry and Carla sit in the royal gardens within the Invidian Castle courtyard, their table conveniently placed so they can hear their betrotheds from the second-story window. The table is partially obscured by a series of towering rose bushes. It is a few days before Roy’s wedding, with Rio and Roy conversing in Roy’s bedroom. Several unopened wine bottles sit on a nearby desk.

“Mate, you’re as dependable as they come, but so prim and proper. You don’t have to drink if you wish!”

“I would rather congratulate you on your and Sherry’s engagement. Besides, I am the picture of looseness and flexibility when it matters. Carla can attest to this.” While Carla and Sherry cannot see Roy’s face, they can easily envision the subtle smirk he wears.

“Excellent! Thought even you, gallant as you are, might be nervous.”

“My goodness, no. I cannot wait for Carla and I to be joined. It cannot happen soon enough.”

“You’re cozy as ever! Fenn said I might need to loosen up though—get some experience for Sherry’s sake, prior to me getting married. Any idea what he meant?”

There is a deafening silence at THAT question, followed by an embarrassed murmur from Roy Carla desperately wishes she could hear.

“Should we go save my brother?” Sherry’s eyes twinkle as she elegantly eyes a tea-biscuit. She keeps her voice low so Roy and Rio do not discover their location.

“Roy has to learn you’re not just his little sister anymore, but a woman. A newly engaged woman clearly in love.” Carla places her hand on top of Sherry’s. “He’s beyond happy for you and Rio. He’ll adjust.”

“Oh I know that! He’s been endlessly caring and supportive of Rio’s and my courtship. It’s just…”

“The way Rio expresses himself puts certain images in Roy’s head.” As if on queue, Rio and Roy’s voices float from the window.

“Roy, those are beautiful Pegasus figurines. Are they your favorite thing to ride?”

“They were, once upon a time. Now my preferences have changed, thanks to Carla.”

“Aw, do you and Carla ride together?”

“…in a manner of speaking, yes. Quite invigorating.” The mischief in Roy’s tone is readily apparent…except to Rio. Sherry giggles prettily. “That cheeky brother of mine!” Carla’s face transforms to a shade of red matching her tea.

“Do you think Sherry would enjoy riding like you do?” Another silence lingers before Roy chokes out a reply. “Perhaps I DO need wine.”

Carla covers her mouth from bursting out in hysterics. “Serves you right, Roy!” She glances at Sherry, her mouth quirking upwards. “Well? Do you enjoy riding with Rio?”

“Rio is a fast learner. So am I.” Sherry nibbles her biscuit, warmth coloring her cheeks. “Very sweet and tasty. Rio and the biscuit.” The princes continue their conversation.

“What if Sherry asks? Should I…give it to her?”

“I beg your pardon Rio?!”

“Wine. Does Sherry drink wine? If so, I’ll gladly give her a glass later.” Rio gestures to the wine bottles on the desk.

“GIVE ME THE WINE BOTTLE. I DO NOT REQUIRE A GLASS.” Roy looks as if he wants to elegantly chug the entire bottle. He is overjoyed at Rio and his sister entrusting their hearts to one another. However, he does NOT want to envision particular aspects of their relationship. Roy quickly regains his composure and pours himself and Rio a glass each. “My apologies. Do not know what overcame me. She does enjoy the occasional glass.”

“I swear, if it were anyone but Rio, I’d say they were trying to intentionally rile Roy up.” Sherry snickers at Carla’s comment. “But on to more important discussions Sherry—how did Rio propose?!”

Time roles by as Sherry details Rio’s proposal—he baked a cake with a ring inside, with Sherry nearly eating the ring! They talk as the sun sets, drinking tea and eating scones and biscuits. The discussion is so enthralling that neither pays much attention to Rio and Roy until—

🎵 “My lips devour

Our bond empowers

To love and all she brings!” 🎵

“What is that screeching? Are…are there dogs howling nearby?!”

Sherry points to the open window, where Rio is sticking his head out, singing very off-key.

“It appears Rio has had more than a single glass of wine.” Carla smiles despite the ringing to her ears.

“Oh, those are the words of a Saligian love song. One written by an Invidian and a Volerian together long ago!” Sherry steals a glance at her howling prince.

“Ummm…” Carla tries to find something positive to say about Rio’s singing. “He certainly sings with passion!”

“Speaking of passion Carla…” Sherry chortles.

🎵 “Her eyes delight

They’re quite the sight

To love and all she brings!” 🎵

Though hidden from view, Roy’s voice permeates through the air. The sound was…unique. Yes, that’s the word!

“Brother’s singing has all the elegance of a wet cat. You can say it. It’s not a secret, hehe!”

“If it WAS a secret, it certainly isn’t anymore.” Despite the pain to her ears, Carla is happy. She did not envision Roy ever letting his guard down enough to be tipsy in front of another besides her.

“Brother is talented and poised in so many areas. Singing, however, is not one of them. Roy once asked Toa to tutor him in singing in return for teaching Toa how to cultivate roses. Rio decided to learn alongside Roy as a sign of support.”

“And? What happened?”

“After a day, Toa said they had all the talent of drunken frost lizards. And that was an improvement.” As Sherry talks, a lizard crawls up the castle wall and onto Roy’s window. Roy motions tipsily to the lizard.

“Pray tell, I sing better than YOU, dear lizard!”

“That’s right! You tell’em Roy!”

At this juncture, Sherry and Carla decide to make their way in the Castle, following the sound of their intendeds’ slurred singing. The women open Roy’s bedroom door and poke their heads through a crack. A few palace maids discretely place rags in their ears as they pass by.

“You both have BEAUTIFUL singing voices,” Sherry beams. Rio laughs and Roy’s eyes widen.

“Ah, don’t bother lowering your voices,” Carla mock whispers to Sherry. “So this is what lies underneath their princely masks. Such grace!”

Carla expects Roy to become bashful at these teasing words. To her delight, he and Rio continue giddily singing. Roy tries to keep up with Rio, but laughter makes Roy lose his breath.

“Brother, it appears Rio can keep his liquor and song better than you!” Sherry is gleeful at seeing her beloved older brother in this state—drunk but having the time of his life. Roy tries to sing again, but his attempts prove futile as he misses one note after the next, until he is forced to stop all together.

“Sherry, you have to promise you’ll NEVER let Roy forget this!” Tears form in Carla’s eyes from laughing.

Roy nods and grins. “Oh, Sherry will never allow me to forget. But not before…” Roy lets out a roaring crescendo and sings “To love and all she brings!” He suddenly collapses on his bed and mumbles against the sheets. “Rio, invest in soundproof rooms. Believe me, it’s WELL worth it.”

“Oh good grief!” Carla cackles as Rio looks with heat at Sherry and nods seriously…before collapsing on the bed with Roy.

Sherry and Carla leave the room once they’ve ensured there’s plenty of water to drink. As they close the door, Carla wonders aloud where they procured the wine.

“My wine cellar!” King Klaus arrives. “Roy would not have fully enjoyed himself in public, so I suggested this option to Prince Rio.”

Roy lifts his head slightly at these words. He’d congratulate his father on his insight tomorrow—once the room stopped spinning. “Oh Creator,” Roy moans, “this will not be fun in the morning.”

Rio mumbles against a pillow. “Hey Roy—riding adventures can be soundproofed too, right?”

[booklin]

KBTBB High School Headcanons!

Eisuke - I’d say Eisuke probably had straight A’s without trying. He was every girl's crush at school. All of the teachers loved him, giving their best reviews on report cards. Though, didn't have many friends, despite talking to a school day’s worth of people. The people he did call friends were just those he believed would benefit him in the future. You know the anime, “Haven’t you heard? I’m Sakamoto” basically, he’s a kid who’s perfect. Always ten steps ahead, girls love him, guys respect him, teachers admire his grades, that type of thing. That’s Eisuke. He avoids conflict and is always a step ahead. Pop quiz? He knew about it a week before.

Soryu - When you first see him you think he’s a bully, which is attractive in a way. Turns out he’s just a quiet kid, though there’s definitely an abnormal strength about him. The person everyone fights to get on their team during gym class. Decent grades, probably would get a B in math if it weren’t for the teacher being scared of him. I can imagine him holding a lot of pain in, especially with his home life. Unapproachable, to say the least. Only has one or two friends at most but keeps everyone at arm's length. He’s, surprisingly, not the fighting type however I can see him getting into one fight if he saw a girl being bullied.

Shuichi - Him and Eisuke are constantly battling for top marks. Everytime one gets an A- the other mocks them for the entire week. Unlike Eisuke, Shuichi actually studies. Some could argue he doesn’t need too, but still does. His desk is always clean, and his notes are perfect. The teachers always entrust responsibilities to him. They even joke about having him as the principal when he’s older. Probably the type of kid that puts a lot of pressure on himself. That, and he just grew up having high expectations set on him. Doesn’t date. At all. He denies every girl that tries. Has been labeled as an “impossible catch”. Believes studies comes first and would break his concentration.

Ota - Ota is the popular kid. Everyone’s friends with him. He’s always hanging out with someone. One day it’s the drama club, the next it’s the art club. Did I mention the art teacher loves him? He doesn’t do the best academically, but his art teacher is so impressed, she offers to write a college recommendation letter. Again, everyone loves him. He’s the type of person a fight would break out over in the cafeteria, because everyone wants him at their table. Between him and Eisuke, the girls can’t decide who they want to date first.

Baba - Baba is the playboy all the girls warn each other about. At last, between his dashing smile and adoring personality, almost every girl has fallen for him once. People probably think he rides a motorcycle. He doesn’t, still, he gives off friends to lovers vibes. Despite his efforts, he always gets dumped due to his flirtatious nature. If anyone were to get pregnant during high school, the chances of him being the dad are 9/10. Quite responsible though. Takes accountability and helps his girlfriend through it. Supports her decision and promises to marry her, if that’s what she wants.

Mamoru - Mamoru is the kid who barely anyone knows. He sits next to you yet, if someone asked, you’d deny that he was in your class. He’s either not in class or sleeping/barely paying attention. They call him “Big Bromoru” because he acts like everyone’s big brother. “Shouldn’t you be doin your homework instead of talkin in the halls, eh?” Literally to random people in the hallway. Though, for some reason, it makes him admirable. No one dares say anything rude back, knowing they’d have the whole school as a target. He’s respected by all the kids there, even if he isn’t very noticeable.

[sophiie2000]

Honestly any guy!! But I think one of the more cocky boys like Eisuke or Soryu would be cool headcanons ofc are never bad so honestly whatever you want! It’s you’re writing for you to enjoy! Thank you for considering love 💕

Ahh you are so lovely! 🥰

As I mentioned before this is the first request I have been sent, and I really enjoyed trying to think of an approach to your idea, so I just hope I've captured the essence of what you were hoping for! 🤗

Thank you so much, again, for thinking of asking me to do this!! 💕

***

Request: MC (reader) dies, and the guy is given the chance to relive that day again, on one condition, he has to give up all his riches.

Reader x Eisuke Ichinomiya

~ 1920 words

An overwhelming silence took hold of the dark, dreary suite. Eisuke haphazardly dropped his jacket onto the floor. The sound of the clock ticking as the seconds went by, mocked him. Signalling, despite his grief, time continues moving along. 

He felt like he was drowning in a sea of pain and regret. 

Picking up an empty crystal glass, and an expensive bottle of whisky, he slouched in the chair. Downing a couple of glasses, before running his hands roughly through his messy hair. The weak, strangled cry that left him was only witnessed by the moon outside. 

He pounded his balled fists on the table, sending important documents and newspapers flying. 

It had been a while since he had been alone in this suite. It had been a while since he felt so alone in the world. The man who had everything, could have whatever he desired, now felt like he had nothing at all. 

For he did not have her.

Only a few hours earlier he had been surrounded by the hustle and bustle of another convention being held at the Tres Spades. Clinking of glasses. Champagne bottles popping. Chattering guests, laughing. These sounds all filled the boisterous party hall. The usual liveliness filling the air.

These conventions, set up to elicit potential business deals, drained Eisuke. They were so regular, they were boringly mechanical. At least, they used to be…

As the gentlemen in front of him continued to converse, promoting his finest sake, Eisuke couldn’t help but let his eyes drift to the smiling woman standing beside him. 

Her delicate fingers clasped his arm, as her hand rested in its crook. The glistening ring adorning her finger caught the light of the chandelier above, making the diamond atop dazzle brighter. A natural smile graced her soft features, as she offered the man opposite, her undivided attention as he continued to ramble on about the new sake. 

This woman. She captured and held Eisuke’s attention unlike any woman before. She had seemed so ordinary to him when they had first met. Yet now, she was a vital person in his life. A necessity. The one, and only thing, he could never live without. 

Not now he had known her love.

She made social functions that little bit more entertaining. Her honest, unique reactions to whatever new venture a potential business partner promoted inspired him. Her surprise at the outlandish décor, despite how many times she may have seen it. Somehow, she still had not become accustomed to this life. 

Still, this was all part of her charm. Something he loved, and cherished, more than anything else the world had to offer him.

Yet all it had taken was five minutes. Five short minutes for his happiness to be snatched from him. 

Eisuke had been discussing a new venture with one of his usual business partners. They had been so enthralled in their discussion, Eisuke had failed to notice the individual lurking a few feet away. The hatred burning in their eyes as they stared holes into the hotel owners back. 

But one person didn’t miss that stare. Y/n. No… she watched the man like a hawk. She saw each deliberate step he took as he approached her fiancé. 

And she also spotted when something sharp and metallic caught the light as he suddenly increased his pace.

It all happened so very quickly. 

One-minute y/n had been standing beside Eisuke, the next she was in front of him and holding her stomach. 

Her body lurched forward. She gasped from the shock. A sharp pain burned through the fresh wound. 

The first thing Eisuke noticed was the crimson stain forming on her white dress. The stain growing. Her hands covered in the sticky liquid that just kept pouring. 

Blood. 

So much blood.

Eisuke wrapped his arms around her delicate body. Holding his love close he tried to whisper words of encouragement. Telling her it would be ok. All while fastening his tie clumsily around the wound like a tourniquet.

He barely registered Soryu and Mamoru tackling the attacker to the ground behind them.

Y/n was bleeding. And Eisuke knew, the amount of blood she was losing was fatal. 

Eisuke was stirred from his musings by the salty, wet sensation streaming down his cheeks. When was the last time he had cried? Really cried… 

He couldn’t remember what he had said to the other auction managers after y/n lifeless body was pulled from his embrace. 

But he would never forget how cold she had felt. How ashen her skin had looked. And he would never forget the last thing he said, before she closed her eyes one final time…

“Y/n, baby, I’ll find a way to save you. We will be together… I promise you y/n, I love you”

He wouldn’t forget the smile that aligned his loves bluish lips as his declaration of love tumbled so naturally from his own. Lips that hardly ever spoke the words she craved the most. 

How he wished he had rewind button. One which would let him reset on today. Go back to a moment where she was in his arms. Safe. Alive. How he would save her this time. 

He would do anything. Anything, to have that moment again and not fuck it up. 

*** 

A week had passed. No one had seen Eisuke. He had locked himself away in his suite. Surrounded by y/n things. He couldn’t bring himself to part from any of them. 

For if he did, then it would be true… she really would be gone. 

Each moment since the others had forced him to let go of his lovers’ body, had been a blur. How did he get back to his suite? When did he get changed? Had he eaten? He did not know. 

What he did know, was he had spent everything minute, of every hour, since praying to a God he did not believe in. Begging for his love to be reunited with him.

Trudging towards the kitchen, Eisuke spotted a crisp white envelope which had been slid under his door.

The neat calligraphy stood out on the white envelope. There was no sender. No return address. Eyeing the letter cautiously, Eisuke opened the envelope carefully. 

‘If I told you, by giving up all of your riches, you could go back to the day your lover passed away, and reset. Would you do it?’

At first, Eisuke thought it was some sort of sick joke. Go back and do it all again? Sure, he had been praying for such a thing. But… impossible. That was the first thought he had.

But then he remembered all of the ‘impossible’ things that had occurred during his relationship with y/n. And he wondered… what if? What if it was true?

Well, it was obvious.

He’d give up everything. Everything if he could just have her.

***

Sweating, and breathing heavily Eisuke bolted up in bed. Another nightmare. These had been a regular occurrence since y/n was taken from him. 3:00, the digital clock beside his bed displayed the early hour.

When had he fallen asleep?

Yet suddenly, that wasn’t the most important question on his mind. The familiar sound of movement in the kitchen echoed through the suite. On slightly unsteady feet, Eisuke headed towards the kitchen to see who was rummaging around his cupboards at 3 A.M. 

He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but the scene before him was definitely not one of them.

“Y/n?!” He gasped, as her familiar form stood beside the counter drinking a glass of ice-cold water. 

“Oh sorry Eisuke, I didn’t mean to wake you!” She smiled ruefully. 

Oh, how he had missed her smile. The cute dimples that formed on her cheeks, as she bashfully looked his way.

“Y-you didn’t” He stumbled over his words, rushing towards her and crushing her in a tight embrace. 

The warm arms that surrounded him told him this was real. Her warmth, the smell of her freshly shampooed hair, the sound of her voice, and the taste of her lips as he kissed her with abandon. She was undeniably real.

“Oh Eisuke, you are sweating buckets! Are you ok?” Concern was laced through her voice, as those delicate fingers threaded through his damp hair.

Eisuke held her even more tightly. Inhaling her sweet scent. It helped calm him down immediately. 

“Yes baby, I’m ok… it was just a nightmare. Come back to bed with me, I don’t remember giving you permission to leave” His usual cockiness filled his tone, but it barely masked the relief displayed in the way his eyes softened at her presence. 

Her soft chuckle was like a symphony to his ears. 

He had been given a chance to reset. He knew what he must do. He would not screw this up. He would make good on his promise, they were going to be together. 

***

Clinking of glasses. Champagne bottles popping. Chattering guests, laughing. These sounds all filled the boisterous party hall. The usual liveliness filling the air.

Yet all fell silent when Eisuke Ichinomiya stepped onto the stage, ready to make his speech. 

His eyes searched the crowd, meeting those of his love. The smile she showed him was all the ammunition he needed. 

This was it. 

He smiled back. The kindest, most genuine smile, he had ever shown at any of these functions. His heart was warm. Full. 

She was all he needed. Of that, he was certain. 

Taking a deep breath, he stepped towards the microphone. The band in the corner stopped their melody. The guests quietened down, ending their conversations. The hall fell silent.

“It has been a great honour to be the face of the Ichinomiya brand over the years. We have imagined, designed and created many ventures during my time leading the group. I have given my all to bring the best ventures to life. And to have had the ability to do so, has been both an honour and something I am incredibly proud of.”

His eyes remained fixed on y/n. Eyes which have held him captive since the day she came into his boring, lonely life. Eyes which now looked to him with confusion, yet awe. 

“It is with a heavy heart, yet excitement, that I must inform you all today of my decision to step down from my role as CEO.”

Gasps. A chorus of gasps spread across the room. Expected. Of course, no one but he would understand this sudden decision.

“The future of the Ichinomiya group is bright. I look forward to seeing what they do in the future. However, as for me, I desire nothing more than to step away and settle down with my own family. I thank you for your understanding and support”

Ending his speech, Eisuke stepped down from the stage. With purposeful steps, he headed directly towards y/n. 

“Eisuke?!” Her confusion was loud. Yet her happiness was undeniable. 

Grasping her hand tightly in his, he led her from the hall. Her warm hand and soft, delicate fingers felt pleasant in his own. This warmth he cherished so much, he would not let go of.

His accomplishments or her? It had been a no brainer. The old, cold CEO hotelier would have chosen his riches. But she had thawed his cold, locked away heart. She had taught him to love.

And he would choose her. Every time. No matter what he had to lose.

For she alone, made him feel like the richest man alive.

[acefaun]

Hi!!!

Please write a part 2, where Lou faces the consequences of HIS ACTIONS.

Where-

His mother slaps him, in front of everyone, while his father says he is disappointed in him, because they never thought their son would do something like that. They have started considering the mc as their own daughter so they could never imagine that, a boy who would never hurt anyone would hurt the girl he claimed to love the most. His mother says she never wants to see him ever again, with tears streaming down her eyes.

The gods, looked disappointed and somewhat angry. Krioff hands were in fire, ready to get at Tauxolouve, if given the chance. Krioff had started considering mc as his sister, after all they had similarities. He was angry on himself for not being able to save mc sooner.

The King thought of the time when Tauxolouve's birth parents came to him and asked him to let Tauxolouve be adopted by their friends ( Tauxolouve's parents).

Mc was standing there see all this unfold. Was she happy maybe not, but she was certainly relieved.😌

Please write a second part these key points.

Yandere Tauxolouve II~ The Outcome

Synopsis: Facing his fate, Tauxolouve is disowned and left a broken man, stripped of all powers, dignity, and title. Looking back… he only wanted to love you… and he hated himself for it.

🩸Yandere Masterlist🩸 Female goldfish! (Primarily Lou’s POV)

A/n: I LOVE that y’all were able to feel my feelings through this! 💖💖 This is my favorite part as a writer. Sure, I love making stories out of the wazoo, But I love forcing emotions onto people!!  Not to be weird, but the way Lou was enjoying MC’s tears, I'M ENJOYING YOUR TEARS BECAUSE I’M CRYING TOO. Oh my lord, it hurt so much to write some of these lines. 🥺 (Other note: I 100% wrote all of Zyglavis’ lines in Neuvillette’s voice. It’s engrained in my head now.) 

–Word Count: 2,945–

His dull eyes stared across the barren cell, only observing the wall before him. It was blank… Much like the walls of his room before you walked into his life. It was an unavoidable fate, wasn't it? Ever since he first saw the vision of him killing you… he thought it was some form of cruel irony. He did everything in his power to stop it from becoming a reality. But… in the end… it was all inevitable.

You were the only bright spark in his life; you made him see that it was all worth living while there was still time left. Still, all the times he saw his death, it made him want to hold you all the tighter. 

Tighter. And tighter. And tighter. 

Until he had no choice but to watch you walk away in the arms of another god. His heart clenched again. You should have been his. Up until the very end of his existence, you should have been his. Even now, locked away in a cell, stripped of his powers, reflecting on how wrong it was for him to love you like this, he still wanted you. 

The other gods were right, he certainly was a pathetic god; but he was only so pathetic for you. You were the cruel one for rejecting his love. He would have done anything for you, and you turned your back on his love. Was it wrong, too, for him to think that this was all your fault? You should have picked another god to protect you from those dark gods… if this was what you were going to do to Tauxolouve.

Tauxolouve resented how things got to this point. If you had just behaved like you were supposed to—no. If you hadn’t hung all over the other gods the way you always did… Maybe then his sanity would have been salvageable. But… it was his fault too for giving into your sinful human temptations. He couldn’t help but ponder if this was why loving a human was considered a sin… 

Perhaps this was why his father was cast out of the Heavens as well. It seemed that Tauxolouve was just destined to follow in his father's footsteps. 

Footsteps echoed through the barren prison, before stopping outside the bars of Tauxolouve’s cell. Taking a glance up, Leon had come to retrieve him from his cell already. Had such time passed that they were ready to judge him? 

Leon and Tauxolouve stared at each other for a solemn moment before Leon bluntly announced, “It’s time.”

Tauxolouve didn’t respond, simply nodding his head and following Leon obediently as his cell was opened. He was being treated like a prisoner, as expected, but it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve any of this. He could admit to his faults at this point. He hated himself for everything he had and everything he lost. 

However, if there was one thing he could avoid, it would have to be facing you. He didn’t want to see you again, however strange that might have seemed for someone so obsessed with you. Despite how possessed and obsessive Tauxolouve was, he knew the carnal urge to have you was all too fresh in his soul. He loved you, and so he was a danger to you. 

It was best to get this over with, he decided as he followed Leon’s footsteps to the Department of Punishments. 

Whispers followed him. Rumors of his deeds met his ears, having spread like wildfire across the Heavens. He loathed these gossiping gods as much as he loathed himself. He loathed- No… He loved you. 

He wanted to resist looking at you, but the minute he caught sight of you across the courtroom, he flinched. Seeing you in his mother’s arms, he couldn’t help but long for it to be him comforting you. 

Leon stepped forward, blocking Tauxolouve’s view, giving a pointed look at the younger demigod. He had no sympathy as he ushered Tauxolouve in the opposite direction from you, being directed into the defendant’s stand; though, he knew there was nothing to defend against. This entire trial was just for appearances and formalities sake; Tauxolouve was unquestionably guilty. 

Zyglavis’ eyes lingered on Tauxolouve for a brief moment. There weren’t any obvious emotions on his face, as expected of an impartial judge. Still, his thoughts were none too pleasant; such was the vibe in the room. Inclining his head, he addressed the court, “Now that all parties are present and accounted for, the trial shall begin.” Assessing the room, Zyglavis noted that Tauxolouve’s gaze was focused on you. Zyglavis’ sharp eyes narrowed. “Tauxolouve, I ask that you remain focused, please.”

Regardless of Zyglavis’ sharp command, Tauxolouve hardly paid any attention as Zyglavis listed his crimes and recounted what had to have been your description of events. His eyes were locked on you the entire time, though you refused to even glance at him. He hated how you were staring at Zyglavis. The thought of you having eyes for anyone else drove him mad…

His mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of stealing you away once again, he didn’t register that he was being addressed until Zyglavis loudly interrupted his train of thought. “Tauxolouve, I will ask you again. If you have nothing truthful to add in your defense…” He paused, the tension growing in the room. “Do you plead guilty?”

The court waited with bated breath. 

After a minute of thick, suffocating silence, Tauxolouve replied, “I do.”

“Then our verdict is such…” Zyglavis announced to the court, “Tauxolouve, ex-god of Sagittarius, is guilty of all confirmed charges. As decreed by the King of the Heavens himself, Tauxolouve shall be stripped of his godhood and exiled from the Heavens. In accordance with the severity of his crimes regarding human life and death, a curse of eternity shall be placed upon him.” Inclining his head, he briskly concluded, “Court is adjourned.”

With Zyglavis as the judge, things went exceptionally smooth. Any quarrels or arguments were swiftly silenced, and the entire trial started and ended in a timely manner. Finally, after it was all said and done, it was time for the punishment to be fulfilled. The Zodiac gods and select other gods were gathered before the King’s throne. Tauxolouve was going to be dealt with at last.

While waiting on the King’s appearance, you unexpectedly approached Zyglavis and he regarded you curiously. Aside from the quiet chatter around the room, everything else was quiet. Your voice was no exception as you timidly inquired, “I’m not familiar with divine sentences… but you said he’d be exiled and cursed. What does that mean?”

Zyglavis’ eyebrows were furrowed, as if he were conflicted over something. Still, he answered, “These types of punishments were decided long ago for such sins involving humans, as well as the natural cycle of living things. The curse will allow his soul to be placed on the wheel of rebirth, forever as a human; however, he will retain his memories as a god. He will be forced to suffer with his sin for an eternity.” 

“He’ll be reincarnated on Earth…” You slowly repeated, “with his memories of me?”

“We considered that this could be a danger to you,” Zyglavis quietly agreed with your unspoken concerns. “But this is the King’s final decision, and we’re reassured that Earth is much too big a place for him to find you. But as for our negligence to your situation…” He trailed off, his hand gently landing on your head. His goal was to comfort you with this minimal affection in front of the other gods. “You will have our blessings as Zodiac Gods. Once this punishment is finally complete, there will be no further threat to your freedom or your life.”

***

Seeing you share hushed words with Zyglavis infuriated Tauxolouve more than he cared to imagine it would. But all he could do was watch the scene take place, his heart clenching with pain. Was watching all he could do? After all, the minute Zyglavis’ hand came into contact with your head, he lost his composure. 

Seeing that something was off, Karno called out quietly, “Lou-”

“Don’t touch her~��� Tauxolouve interrupted Karno’s concerned call. In an instant, his arms were wrapped around you, pulling you away from Zyglavis before the god had a chance to move. It was almost as if Tauxolouve were trying to shield you away from the other gods, when it should have been the opposite way around. 

The gods panicked at the situation that came up so suddenly. They never should have left any open space between you and Tauxolouve. However, they were fortunate to have the right people with them to defuse the situation—or at least help out in ways the zodiac gods couldn’t.

Tears had already started to well up in your eyes, but to keep you from panicking and feeling trapped, Tauxolouve’s mother, Sofia, was holding your arms firmly. For the moment, they were all trying their best to remain calm and collected. “Louie…” She struggled to say, “Let go of her.” Tauxolouve and Sofia stared into each other’s eyes, but it was as if Tauxolouve was searching for something he’d never find. “It’s too late…” 

Tauxolouve was clutching desperately onto you. In his mind, he would rather die with you than die alone and suffer fate the way they had planned it for him. Tears welled in his eyes in sheer desperation as his nose nuzzled into your hair. “I can’t…” He admitted, his voice cracking. “I just wanted to love her… I didn’t want things to end like this. But I couldn’t stop it…”

Tauxolouve’s father, Nasir, placed a hand on his shoulder, quietly ushering, “Just let go; that’s the only way you can fix this.” They had to make Tauxolouve release you calmly, lest they put you in a worse situation. 

Your eyes were wide as you felt tears dripping above your head. Tauxolouve was already suffering for what he’d done, and he wasn’t even exiled yet… 

You hoarsely whispered, “Lou…”

Tauxolouve’s eyes widened as he loosened his grip on you. Between his parent’s gentle coaxing and your quiet plea, he was able to see the pain that surrounded him. He whispered into your ear, “I’m sorry… for everything…” 

His grip had loosened enough to where you were pulled away from him by Sofia, and Tauxolouve was again forced away from you, restrained by the other gods. 

Sofia held you against her chest like a child, caressing your head as you numbly cried without registering the tears that fell. You never expected Tauxolouve to apologize like that. For that one, brief moment, he sounded like he meant it. What was more than that, he sounded burdened by tremendous guilt—as if his actions were finally registering in his head. You couldn’t help but wonder… Was he finally hurting as much as he had hurt you?

“What were you thinking?” Sofia suddenly snapped. Finally, after having seen his seeming obsession for herself, she seemed to lose her composure. 

Seeing her reaction, Huedhaut instinctively reached out to comfort you in her place as she approached her son. After all, this was going to be their last time to speak. 

However, no one was expecting her to slap Tauxolouve…

The loud smack made everything fall silent, your sniffled the only quiet sound being made in the large throne room. 

Nasir held onto Sofia for comfort, though the two of them were both clearly torn, expressing it in different ways. “We never thought our son would do something like this,” he solemnly said. “We didn’t want to believe it, even after watching the trial. If only we didn’t have to see the evidence right in front of our eyes…” His eyebrows furrowed in frustration, yet remaining calm as he expressed himself. “We’re unfathomably disappointed in you.”

Sofia, heartbroken by Tauxolouve’s actions, shockingly announced, “No son of ours would have ever done the things you’ve done to this poor young lady. Our Louie would have never hurt anyone… especially the girl he claimed to love most.” Her eyes flickered to the ground, and it was clear that their words implied that Tauxolouve was being disowned. Tears were streaming down her delicate face as she uttered, “I never want to see you… ever again… Tauxolouve…”

These words were breaking Tauxolouve bit by bit. Hearing Sofia say his full name was so foreign to him… it didn’t sound right. None of this was right. 

He wasn’t right. 

His guilt melded into hate… hate for himself and his actions. But… he still sought your love and forgiveness, because that was all that mattered in his mind. “I’m sorry!” Despite his sudden struggling, he failed to pull out from the arms of Leon and Krioff. “(NAME)!” He wanted you to look at him. Time was running out. Why weren’t you looking at him?! “(NAME), I’m sorry!” Why? Why wouldn’t you even glance his way? He wanted to scream. 

Watching the scene empathetically, the gods were just as disappointed in Tauxolouve as Nasir and Sofia. It was clear that everyone had higher expectations for him. He shattered their reality. Seeing what he’d done to you pissed all of them off, and there was no apologizing for that. All the Zodiac gods cared for you; that was no secret. So it was fairly obvious the harsh reaction one would receive if anyone were to hurt you. Tauxolouve had irreparably hurt the one person they all agreed to protect… 

Krioff, who had much in common with you, had even started considering you as his sister. The guilt in his chest festered into a hot anger at the thought of not having been able to save you sooner. They all should have known better when you suddenly stopped making appearances in the mansion with all of them. They really failed you…

Hell, even the King of the Heavens was displeased with this turn of events—however much he knew it was inevitable to happen. He knew the dangers of allowing a demigod to join the pantheon. Tauxolouve never had the constitution of a god to avoid his sinful nature. 

Still… he had pitied Tauxolouve’s parents when they brought this demigod infant before him, pleading for his protection…

He could no longer uphold that promise. 

Revealing himself amongst the gods, his presence settled the chaos by forcing silence to fall upon everyone.

Apathetically, he looked down upon the gods gathered there, before his unforgiving gaze landed on Tauxolouve. “It is time. There is no need for you to say your farewells to the gods here, nor this human. You will live with your sins for eternity and have no solace in redemption, nor forgiveness. Therefore… I hereby cast you out.”

A bright light suddenly overtook everything in the room, and for a moment, your tears stopped overflowing. This bright light was so warm and comforting all around you. For the first time in months, you felt like it was all over. Your soul felt at peace. Maybe it was the blessings of the King and the 11 Zodiac gods present, or maybe it was just the sudden relief hitting you. 

You recalled Zyglavis’ words from earlier… You were finally free.

[dealerlin]

If you're requests are open I'd love to see some angsty kbtbb, especially w eisuke. Sorry if it's vague I've never requested anything before. Hope you're having a good day :)

okay, i can’t figure out who this is. i’m debating on writing two options: unrequited love, where younger reader is crushing hard on eisuke but he can’t return her love because of both age and he’s just not into her like that. or traumatized reader who has a trauma response to maybe a fight, or something along those lines.

[kensington-queen]

My Things, Your Space

Fandom: Her Love in the Force 

Pairing: Kaga/MC

Rating: Fluffy T 

Mini-One Shot

AO3 Link: Here 

It happens gradually and becomes so ingrained as part of his normal that he doesn’t notice until long after the fact.

It starts minor enough, a spare toothbrush becomes claimed by her soon after her first sleepover. She lives in the dorm, where he can’t risk being seen so his place becomes the default setting for home dates. Her overnight bag is slung over her shoulders each time she comes over, packed with her favorite shampoo and face wash brands. He takes note of it a couple of weeks later when he finds her drying the bottles after being used so she can take them back to the dorm. The next time she arrives he has new ones lined up on the shower shelf below his own toiletries, out in the open and ready to be used. He adds pads and tampons to his shopping list, placing them under the bathroom sink in case she needs them after an emergency run to the shop. He even goes as far as getting girly shaving cream and her own razor, having noticed she’s been discreetly using his own. Not that he minds that. He just wants her to feel comfortable in his space.

As her first year winds down and he finds himself crankier in the mornings when she doesn’t stay over, he tries to not think too hard about why that is.

When graduation becomes less of an abstract idea for her and more of a matter of time, and right before she’s given a spare key, he clears out a section of the drawers for her clothes. She’s been increasing the amount of time she spends at his, and it’s gotta be annoying to have to remember to bring an overnight bag each time she comes over. He gets her some more of the lingerie she wears and some more practical ones for when she has training and slips it into the drawer, washed and ready to be worn the next time she stays over.

At some point before she graduates she stops needing to bring an overnight bag, but when that actually happens neither can really pinpoint. He also stops asking her if she’s staying over too, an unspoken understanding that he doesn’t have to ask because the answer is obvious.

She has her own little place after graduation, but more of her things are at his than there, and it’s more common to see her in his kitchen sneakily attempting to slip vegetables into his portion of dinner than it is to eat alone.

He starts wondering why they’re keeping up a farce of her maintaining an apartment when she could be saving that money and living with him. It annoys him that Captain Tsugaru is just upstairs, able to track when she comes and goes, and he doesn’t like the idea of her interacting with him any more than she has to.

“You should just move in already,” he grumbles over breakfast before work, seven months after he’s been calling her a colleague and referring to her privately as his unofficial fiancee. The ring has been hidden for a couple of months, and a plan to make it open and public is not too far off.

“There’s a ban on department romances, remember?” She reminds him, smiling when he narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. She thinks of the ring he has hidden, suppressing a smile. She’s been patiently waiting to be asked since she accidentally came across it.

“You’re not on my squad, moron,” he says with a tinge of softness reserved just for her; this is a weekly conversation and it plays out the same each time. “When’s the last time you stayed at your place anyways?”

She pauses from drinking her green tea. He can see her trying to remember. She’s been staying over every night recently and her eyes cloud over when she figures it out.

“Uh, almost a month…?”

He nods, a triumphant smirk spreading across his handsome face.

“Move in,” he repeats, swiftly moving in and kissing her nose, catching her off guard. His voice is lower than usual and the huskiness of it is too much to deal with so early in the morning. “We can use that money toward a down deposit for a bigger place if you want,” he adds a minute later, his mind drifting on its own accord to a baby with her eyes and smile staring up from a crib. He quickly shakes it off, focusing instead on her.

“You want to get a bigger place? This one is already spacious for two,” she teases, a small little smile that told him she knew exactly where his thoughts had gone on appearing on her pretty face. When did she learn to mimic his skills so perfectly against him? “I like that idea,” she admits in the same breath and his heart flips with anticipation.

“Keep looking at me like that and you’ll be in for a punishment,” he says with surprising steadiness. A quick glance at the time on his phone tells him they both need to get going soon for the office but part of him feels a surge of rebellious temptation to carry her back to bed.

Her eyebrows lift knowingly and she’s definitely smirking at him now. “I think we’re long past punishments, Hyogo. Any time you touch me is a reward these days.”

She pushes away from the table then, pressing a kiss on his forehead and darting out of reach when he tries to catch her. She lets him grab her in the hallway, laughing as he carries her to bed.

They somehow make it to the office, giving up on trying to stagger their timing for just one day.