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#and being able to make it that kind of a place
rowarn · 3 days
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shadow entity!ghost cw: it/its prns for ghost, protective!ghost, implied vomiting from a hangover, sexual assault by third party, implied murder of said third party, unedited /: part: one
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it was strangely easy to fall into the life of living with an unknown shadowy entity in your house. it wasn't particularly talkative or friendly -- it was sort of like living with a really creepy, introverted roommate. except occasionally it made the atmosphere feel 5x heavier around you. and there was always the looming threat that it would kill you.
your life outside your home continued on -- college, work, and the difficulty of making friends now that you lived in a new city. a bar is where you happened to meet a guy -- phillip, you recall his name. he was older than you but seemed quite polite.
after a night of drinking, you return to your home, buzzed and happy. you stumble into the house, brows furrowed as you tossed your shoes off before collapsing in a heap onto your couch. the springs creaked under your weight and you groaned at how uncomfortable it was. but you weren't going to be able to make it to the bed, you knew that for sure.
just as you were drifting off to sleep, that familiar, heavy feeling filled the room.
"ghost..." you sighed, "i'm drunk."
"drunk?" its deep, echoing voice came in response, sounding almost confused.
you were too out of it to consider that too much, instead simply explaining, "i had too much to drink."
it hummed in response, offering nothing further. you finally relaxed letting you sleep overtake you.
only to wake up with a hangover. you jumped tot your feet the moment your eyes opened, throwing yourself over the toilet bowl. sweat beaded on the back of your neck as that oppressive feeling washed over you.
"are you still drunk?" it asked, making you groan.
"i fucking wish," you spit into the toilet, cringing at the awful taste that still lingered on your tongue before sitting back and leaning against the wall, "this is what i get for drinking, i guess."
"drinking?" it asks, curiosity lacing its tone.
you hummed, "you know, alcohol," it remained silent and you raised a brow, "what? you didn't drink alcohol when you were alive? jeez, what century were you from?"
"i am alive," it responds easily.
you grunted, "right, right. you're not actually a ghost, that's right. so what--"
your phone obnoxiously ringing stopped you short. you stood, steadying yourself using the wall before you stumbled out into the living room to find the device. it was sitting on the floor, clearly having fallen there sometime while you slept.
when you answered it, the familiar voice from last night spoke -- asking you out on a date. as much as you wanted to say no because of the raging headache currently pounding behind your eyes, the desire for actual human connection after being away from your friends for so long urged you to agree.
so you did.
the date went surprisingly well, he was a gentleman and polite with a bit of a sense of humor that had you grinning through the entire dinner. he even paid for both your meals and by the time the two of you were walking out, you were more than willing to invite him over to your place.
"ah, but," you cleared your throat as you stood on your doorstep, suddenly remembering the problem inside, "i have a uh...roommate. it- he is a little odd. i-if you hear any...weird sounds, just ignore it. he's kind of flighty and shouldn't bother us otherwise."
"that's alright, sweetheart," phillip assured, offering you a kind smile as he followed you inside.
when you stepped in, you were relieved that you didn't feel ghost's presence.
"do you want a drink?" you ask, wandering towards the kitchen.
"sure, darlin'," he mumbled, looking around your place.
"have a seat if you'd like," you smile, disappearing into the kitchen.
as you grab a glass, a familiar, dark form takes its humanoid shape in the corner. you jump, almost dropping the object before you glare at it.
"ghost," you hiss, keeping your voice low so your guest doesn't hear you, "don't scare me like that." it remained silent, simply standing there. you could feel eyes burning into you, making the hairs rise on the back of your neck, "look, he's just gonna be here for a little while, okay? then he'll leave. just...don't do anything, alright?"
it remained silent, it's shadowy figure wriggling and shifting with varying shades of darkness. you tried not to stare too long -- staring into that murky black always had you seeing weird, scary things from within that disappeared the second you blinked.
"ghost," you urged it to answer you.
it didn't offer any response before vanishing. you sigh in relief but still feel apprehensive that it was going to do something to scare your guest. phillip was the first real, human connection you had since moving here and you weren't about to let that little shadowy shithead ruin it.
you plastered a smile on your face before greeting him back in the living room. phillip grins and thanks you for the water, taking a few sips before placing the glass on your table.
after a few moments, sitting up and making sure that ghost wasn't going to make an appearance, you settled into the couch and turned on the tv -- the otherwise deafening quiet of the house really stifled the atmosphere.
the energy between you and phillip grew and grew until you found yourself kissing him right there on the couch. as you pulled away to take a breath, he dove back in immediately, pushing you onto your back. you frowned, hands moving to his shoulders to push him back a little bit. he didn't mind, moving his lips down to your neck and to your neckline.
"h-hey, slow down, phillip," you mutter, pushing a little more forcefully at his shoulders.
"can't," he breathes, sounding positively drunk on you, "i've wanted you since i first laid eyes on you."
you roll your eyes, frowning when his fingers slipped under the hem of your shirt, "hey-! i told you to stop!"
as soon as the words fell from your lips, the lights flickered dangerously. phillip didn't seem to notice but you knew immediately. your guests hands continued to wander and you kept trying to push him off to no avail.
"s-seriously, stop it," you cried, growing more nervous as the seconds passed.
how could a simple need for human connection turn out so rotten?
"don't want to," phillip huffs, "i know you want me too, baby."
"no!" you shriek.
then, all at once, something terrifyingly heavy fills the room. you know that sensation all too well -- it was the night you first saw ghost's shadowy form.
phillip paused, no doubt feeling that same dark feeling looming over the both of you, making it hard to breathe. he looks confused, "what the-?"
the floorboards creaked, loud, booming footsteps coming from some unknown place in the living room. it sounded right next to you yet across the room at the same time.
darkness surrounded the both of you, blocking out the living room completely until all you could see was darkness. somehow, your eyes were able to adjust, seeing phillip's petrified face, a strange, purple filter seemingly coloring the both of you within the shadow.
"close your eyes," it's voice sounded completely different now. though it didn't address you, you knew it was talking to you so you quickly did as you were told and slammed your eyelids shut.
your breathing was labored and loud as was phillips. he sounded terrified.
"what the fuck?!" he cried, a petrified kind of voice you'd only ever heard in movies.
then, a scream. an animalistic, horrified scream you didn't know could come from a human being. you squeezed your eyes shut tighter before slapping your hands over your ears to drown it out. but it was impossible, it was too loud -- too horrific to block out.
the scream was cut off, complete silence following that made your ears ring. you couldn't resist opening your eyes to see what had happened.
but there was nothing.
just the inky blackness of ghost's shadow. no sign of phillip to be seen.
slowly, the darkness dissipated, taking shape in that familiar, humanoid form. your living room came back into view and your eyes adjusted painfully to the sudden light.
"ghost?" you pant, finding it difficult to catch your breath after that. you look around frantically, "what was that? what did you do? where did he go?"
ghost didn't respond, shadowy form flickering in and out and sight before vanishing completely. you frowned, heart racing in your chest so painfully that it made your head pound.
you looked around, for any sign of the man you had brought home. but there wasn't a single sign he had ever even been there. it was silent in your home aside from the tv playing in the background.
you sunk into the cushions of the couch, unsure of anything that had just happened. you were starting to doubt that phillip had even been there to begin with.
but on the floor was a black scorch marked circle. right where ghost had stood.
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burntheedges · 2 days
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do you feel it too?
Frankie Morales x f!reader | 5.5k words | masterlist | ao3
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summary: Frankie's been Dreaming every night for weeks. He might be trying to pretend it isn't happening, but he knows what that means.
a/n: This is my entry for the Summer Lovin' Challenge! My prompt was "barbecue" and the moodboard and quote above. Thanks for the great idea and for hosting @pedgito @amanitacowboy @chaotic-mystery! And thank you to @sawymredfox for helping me figure out my idea and @katareyoudrilling for being an amazing beta, as always.
tags/warnings: soulmate AU, fluff, misunderstanding, reader has a nickname (Sunny), Colombia happened but no girlfriend/baby, kissing, cuddling, pet names (hermosa), food and drink mention, no use of y/n
...
“Fish!” 
Frankie was Dreaming, he was pretty sure. No, he knew he was. Dreams were the only place he ever saw her.
“Fish, get up man, come on.”
He knew he was looking into her eyes, even though he couldn’t quite tell what color they were. He always forgot them as soon as he looked at them. He knew he wouldn’t remember any of this once he woke up. He never did.
But he was absolutely certain she was beautiful. He’d always known that, since they first started Dreaming together, years ago.
He knew she was saying something, but he couldn’t hear her. She always tried to talk in the Dreams, always tried to communicate. It never worked (or maybe it did, and he just never remembered – maybe he forgot what she said the moment he heard it). He looked and saw her lips were moving, but it was another, more familiar voice that he heard instead.
“Fish, you asshole, we’re going to be late.”
Frankie felt the dream start to disintegrate around him and let out a noise in protest. He reached out to try to grab her arm, but there was nothing to grab. She slipped away like always as soon as he tried to touch her. 
Sometimes he thought he remembered a freckle or the color of her eyes or maybe the slant of her eyebrow, but he was just fooling himself. The only thing he could ever remember was the shape of her smile.
He opened his eyes to find Pope staring down at him, shaking his arm.
“Fish, come on cabrón, we don’t have time for this.” Pope looked extremely annoyed, but Frankie just covered his face with his hands and groaned.
“Just leave me here,” he said, low and muffled by his palms.
Pope started pulling at his arms. “No fucking way, man, you promised. We promised. And I promised I’d make sure you show up. Get the fuck up and in the shower, asshole.”
Frankie groaned again and threw his arms out like a starfish on the bed. “I’m so fucking tired, man.”
Pope paused and looked down at him, eyebrows furrowed. He sighed and shook his head. “More Dreams?”
Frankie closed his eyes and tried not to make any kind of face at all. “I feel like I close my eyes and that’s all I get – the Dreams. It doesn’t matter how tired I am or how long I’m asleep.”
Pope put his hands on his hips and just looked down at him for a moment. Frankie looked back at his best friend and hoped Pope couldn’t read everything going on in his head.
“You know what that means, Fish.” Pope’s tone was flat, no nonsense, like he didn’t want to leave any room for argument. 
Frankie barely let him finish before protesting. “No.”
“Fish–”
“No, man. You know how I feel.”
Pope sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I do. And you know how I feel about that.”
Frankie just closed his eyes and shook his head. “Look, man, I’ll get up and get ready. But I don’t want to talk about it.”
Pope eyed him for a minute and looked like he might want to argue. But then he seemed to deflate and just put his hands up in front of him, palms out. “Ok ok, ya entendí.” He sighed again and turned away from the bed. “Get up, Fish, we have places to be.”
Frankie laid there for another minute, staring up at his ceiling. He’d told the guys he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, but that didn’t mean he’d been able to stop thinking about it. 
He used to have a Dream every other month, sometimes less. For the last 3 weeks he’d been Dreaming every night. Every single fucking night. 
He knew what that meant. They all did. It was textbook – you had the Dreams if your soulmate was still out there, and they only got more frequent when you were about to meet them.
The only problem was, he didn’t want to meet her. Not anymore.
Twenty minutes later Frankie threw himself into the passenger seat of Pope’s truck and tugged his hat down low over his still-wet hair. “Let’s go then,” he grumbled. 
Pope rolled his eyes as started the car. “You better not walk into that party with that look on your face. It’s for Benny, man, come on.”
Frankie groaned and tucked his head against the window. “I know, ok? Shit. I know.”
Pope drove in silence and Frankie did his best to pull himself together. He felt like he’d barely slept, even though he was pretty sure he’d been asleep for most of the day. Like most of his days, lately. Just when he was starting to really stew in his own self-loathing, Pope spoke again.
“Fish. I know you don’t want to hear it. But I’m going to say it one more time, and then we can talk about something else and try to have fun at this party, for Benny’s sake. Deal?”
Frankie gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, but nodded.
Pope’s tone was gentle, and it made Frankie want to jump out of the car. “She’s still out there, man. And I know you think she won’t want you, but that's not how this works. Ok? All I want is for you to think about that. Just–” he stopped and for a minute Frankie thought maybe that was it, he was done and Frankie was off the hook. But Pope continued, “just try to think about the other side of it, ok? The side where you’re wrong, and she does want you. Just let yourself consider it. That’s all I ask.”
Frankie thought about arguing, and then he thought about saying nothing. After a moment he just said, “I’ll try.” Because if Pope asked, he would. He didn’t think it would help, but they’d been friends (brothers) for too long and they knew each other too well. He knew Pope would bother him about this until he agreed, anyway.
And some small, hidden part of him still hoped Pope was right.
They’d promised to get there early and help set up, and despite Pope almost tossing him out of bed, they were still on time.
Frankie spent the next couple of hours setting up tables and chairs and hanging string lights and generally doing whatever Will told him to do. He pretended not to notice Pope and Will and Benny having quiet conversations at the other end of the yard, conversations that were almost certainly about him and his Dreams. 
He also spent that time trying to think about anything other than what Pope had asked him to think about in the car.
Soon enough, the yard started to fill with familiar and unfamiliar faces. Yovanna arrived with Claire, Will’s soulmate, and told them Benny’s fiance (and soulmate) would be arriving soon.
Frankie found himself floating along the edge of the party, hiding in the shadows from the string lights, sometimes with his friends and sometimes alone. He was starting to wonder if he could get away with leaving when Claire appeared beside him, arm-in-arm with someone he didn’t know.
“Frankie! Have you met my friend Sunny? The one I told you about, we were roommates in college.” 
Frankie turned to greet them and was struck with a sudden sense of overwhelming deja vu. He shook it off and met her eyes. “Hi, I’m Frankie,” he said, nodding to Claire’s roommate. “Sunny?”
She smiled, and Frankie blinked, a bit taken aback. Shit, he thought, she’s so pretty. 
“Not my real name. It’s a college nickname I’ve never been able to escape.” She grinned at him, and he took a deep breath. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said and elbowed Claire. “All of you, really. Will’s got a lot of stories.”
Frankie grimaced, but tried to turn it into a smile. “From Will? Shit. Don’t believe a word he says.” 
Claire laughed and Sunny smiled, and Frankie took a long sip of his beer. It was warm, likely had been for a while, and he tried not to grimace again.
“Hey, Frankie, can I leave her with you? I need to help Will with something inside.” Clarie was already starting to move away towards the house as she spoke, and Sunny rolled her eyes. 
“What am I, your dog? Go inside, I can fend for myself.”
Claire laughed again and waved as she headed inside. 
Frankie turned back to Sunny and found that she was already looking at him. He tried not to stare but he couldn’t help but notice again how pretty she was. He was admiring the color of her eyes when she spoke.
“So,” she said, leaning towards him. “I hope you don’t mind me being extremely direct, but you don’t look very happy to be here.”
For a moment Frankie had the uncanny sensation of teetering on the edge of some sort of revelation, but unable to tip over in either direction and figure out what it was. He was stuck, balancing, wavering back and forth. It was disorienting. He shrugged. “Yeah, sorry, I don’t know if I’m good company. Haven’t been sleeping well.”
She looked at him thoughtfully, and Frankie squirmed a bit under her discerning gaze. “Me neither, actually. Stress, I guess. I just moved here and I’m still getting used to everything.”
He nodded, not sure what to say. His eyes trailed over her neck and shoulders and he tried not to notice how nice she looked in her top. 
She took pity on him and changed the subject. “So, Frankie? Is that a nickname?”
“It is. Francisco,” he offered, relaxing his shoulders purposefully. He could at least try to be friendly.
Sunny’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love that. Do you ever go by Francisco?” 
Frankie actually felt himself start to smile. She was so animated; her open curiosity was starting to put him at ease. “Sometimes,” he said, looking down and then back up to meet her eyes. She was still smiling at him. “More in Spanish.”
“Francisco,” she murmured again, and he felt a shiver move down his spine. “Do you have a preference?”
He shrugged again. “Not really. Most of them,” he gestured around the yard, ”call me Frankie or Fish. Catfish. My call sign.” 
She smiled again and nodded. “I’m not going to ask, not now anyway, but I just want to register my interest in hearing that story some time. Will refused to tell me.”
Frankie laughed, and then he blinked in surprise. When was the last time he’d laughed? He wasn’t sure. 
“Can I call you Francisco, then? I like it.” She bit her lip after she asked, and Frankie realized he was taking too long to answer because he was staring. Again.
“Oh, um, sure,” he said, and then tried not to wince at himself. “Of course. It sounds nice when you say it.” He grimaced as soon as the words left his mouth – what the fuck, man, don’t be weird – and glanced down, afraid to see how that awkward comment landed. He noticed they were both holding empty drinks.
“Can I get you a refill?” he asked, reaching out for her cup. He didn’t quite look up to meet her eyes again. She nodded and reached out to hand it to him.
As she did, the tips of their fingers brushed lightly against each other.
Frankie gasped, and he was pretty sure he heard her gasp, too, but he couldn’t look away from her hand. As soon as his fingertips brushed hers he was overwhelmed with the sensation of something like lightning crackling down his spine. He froze, fingers still touching hers, arm outstretched. His mouth dropped open as the aftershocks sent tremors through his body.
Finally, he tore his gaze upwards to look at Sunny again, and found her outright grinning. At him. She looked absolutely delighted. He didn’t know what to do or what to say or what face to make. 
Sunny broke the silence to ask, “did you feel it, too?”
Rather than answer, he turned around and ran.
For a moment you stood, frozen, hand still outstretched holding your empty cup. Your smile had frozen on your face and you felt it start to become a grimace. You don’t know how long you would have stood there, nothing but white noise in your head, if Claire hadn’t reappeared at your side.
“Hey, you ok? Where’s Frankie?” 
You shook yourself and blinked, dropping your hand down to your side. You turned to look at her and she must have seen something in your expression because her brow furrowed and she grabbed your elbow. “Come on, over here.”
Claire marched you around the side of the house to the path that led to the gate in the fence. There was no one else back there, and you felt your shoulders drop as soon as you were hidden from view.
“Ok, what happened,” she said, flat, barely a question. 
You sighed, staring down at the ground. “You were right? He is totally my type. Tall, with the hair and the shoulders and, ugh.”
Out of the corner of your eye you saw Claire cross her arms and lean against the wall next to you. “Ugh what? Did he say something? I mean, I wouldn’t have expected it, but he is a guy.”
You laughed, helplessly, and shook your head, glancing up at your friend. “He didn’t say anything weird. But um, just now. I don’t think I imagined it– no, I didn’t imagine it. It happened, I guess, but–”
Claire’s eyebrows flew upwards. “Wait–”
You kept talking, looking back down at the ground, steamrolling over whatever she wanted to say. “Our hands, well our fingers, touched, and I think… I’m pretty sure. I felt it.”
Claire made a strangled noise and you looked up at her to find her mouth dropped open in shock. “It? You mean–” she cut herself off, speechless.
You nodded. “Yeah, I mean, you can tell me if I’m wrong, but it was like a lightning strike all through my body. My spine tingled. I thought I was shaking, or maybe the ground was. It was…” you trailed off, searching for the right words. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”
Claire started to smile and you wanted to smile back, but you couldn’t. “Yes!” she said, grinning, “that’s exactly what it was like when I shook Will’s hand.” She seemed to notice you weren’t smiling, though, and hers started to fade. “Wait, but Frankie– where did he go?”
“He, um,” you started, gathering yourself. “He looked at me, and I know I was smiling, but he looked–” you cut yourself off, closing your eyes against the memory. “He looked terrified, Claire. Like he’d seen a ghost. I asked him if he felt it, too, and then,” you swallowed, trying not to let the emotions you’d been ignoring since it happened claw their way up your throat. “And then he ran.”
You opened your eyes after a moment of silence with no response from Claire. You saw that she was moving through a variety of emotions, jaw working as she considered what to say.
“Ok,” she said. “Ok. I think–” She shook her head, sighing in exasperation. “I think I know what’s going on. Can you wait here for one second? I need to grab someone.” You nodded, confused. “Don’t go anywhere, seriously. I’ll be right back.”
Before you could even open your mouth she was gone, back around the corner of the house into the backyard. You blinked, uncertain. You leaned harder into the wall of the house and pressed your palms into your eyes, trying not to think of anything but your breathing. Trying not to think about how long you’d waited for this, about how Claire knew you’d been starting to lose hope, though you’d hoped you might find him in your new city. About how you wanted, so badly, to know him.
Only a few minutes (of you resolutely not thinking about anything) had passed when you heard Claire coming back, talking to someone in a low voice.
“You have to tell her, Santi, you know–”
You opened your eyes again and found Claire approaching you with one of Will’s friends, one you’d just met about 45 minutes ago. Santiago, or Santi. Or Pope, he’d said. He looked worried.
“Wait, Claire, what happened? You said–” he stopped short when he saw you waiting. He looked around for a second as if he expected someone else to be nearby. “You said Frankie–”
Claire shook her head, and gestured towards you. “Tell him what you told me.” Her tone was direct, no nonsense, but you bristled.
“What? Claire–”
Your friend took a breath and her expression softened. “Hey,” she said, “trust me, ok? He’s Frankie’s best friend. Just tell him what happened.”
You turned to Santiago and saw that he looked way more confused than you felt. You sighed. “Ok, well, I guess it couldn’t hurt.” You bit your lip and crossed your arms in front of you, feeling suddenly defensive. You hadn’t expected Claire to make you repeat it to someone you barely knew. “Frankie, he– we were just talking. And he offered to get me a drink, so he went to take my cup, and our hands–”
As soon as you said the word “hands” Santiago’s eyebrows flew upwards. “Sunny–”
You ignored him, unable to stop now that you’d started. “Our hands touched. Just barely, but enough. I felt it. You know. And, well, I thought he did too, but I looked up and he looked–” you closed your eyes again. You didn’t want to remember his face again, but it was all you could see in your mind. “He looked–”
“Terrified.” Santiago finished your sentence for you and your eyes flew open. He looked worried and annoyed and resigned, all at once. “Am I right? He looked scared.”
You nodded, mouth dropping open. “How–”
Santiago sighed and shook his head. “Goddammit, Fish,” he muttered. “Look, I wouldn’t say this to anyone but you. You know that, right?”
You nodded, again, not sure where he was going with this, but knowing, somehow, that he meant it.
Santiago grimaced. “Ok. Well, I’ll try not to say too much. But Fish, that goddamned idiot, convinced himself you would never want him. That he was better off not meeting you, because you’d turn him away. I tried to tell him but he won’t listen, he–” Santiago sighed and wiped a hand over his face. “Look, I know you just met, but I swear–”
“Why would he think that?” you asked, confused. You couldn’t imagine that there would be something about him that would make you want to leave before you even got to know him. These were his friends, right? They cared about him. You trusted Will, and obviously you trusted Claire. And you were pretty sure these guys knew everything about each other, from the stories you’d heard. (And you kept remembering the way Frankie’s eyes had looked when he smiled at you, before he’d run. So warm.)
“He, well, we all did something, and–”
Claire interrupted Santiago before he could say anything else. “She already knows about it, Santi.”
He whirled, mouth dropping open to stare at Claire. “What?” He sounded scandalized. “How?”
Claire shrugged, and glanced at you. “She was with me, that night, when Will agreed to go with you. Couldn't really hide it.”
Santiago looked completely shocked. “Um,” he said, mouth opening and closing again. “Well, shit. That’ll probably help, then, if you already know about that whole disaster.”
You nodded. You did already know about Colombia. Maybe not all of the details, but the general gist of things. Enough.
For a moment none of you said anything. You assumed they were just taking in the revelations of the last twenty minutes, like you. Your head was starting to spin.
Santiago cleared his throat. “Ok, well, can I assume you do want to talk to him? And you don’t want to leave?”
You nodded. If nothing else, you were sure of that – you wanted to talk to Frankie. Francisco. He was your soulmate. Your breath hitched – that was the first time you’d even thought the word in the privacy of your own mind. Shit. You stood up a little straighter, suddenly resolute – you knew what you wanted to do.
“Do you know where he is?” you asked, meeting Santiago’s gaze. 
He nodded. “I saw him go upstairs, he’s probably hiding in the guest bathroom or something. And I drove him here, he can’t get away so easy.”
You squared your shoulders and nodded sharply, just once. “Ok. I’m going to find him.”
Santiago started to smile again, and Claire made a little squeaking noise as she covered her mouth with her hands. She looked excited. “Good luck. I’ll keep an eye on the door, ok?” Santi gestured towards the front of the house.
You nodded again and took a deep breath. “Thanks,” you said, turning to go and find your soulmate.
When you reached the upstairs landing, you faltered, suddenly unsure of yourself. Will and Claire hadn’t lived there long and you hadn’t even gotten a tour yet. There were 5 closed doors in the hallway, and you weren’t sure what to do next. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath.
He was your soulmate.
You opened your eyes again, brow furrowed, mouth serious. You were going to find him and you were going to talk.
You knocked lightly on the first door and opened it to find a guest bedroom. No Frankie in sight. The second door was a closet, and the third seemed to be Will and Claire’s bedroom. That left two.
Just then, you heard a noise from the room behind the second-to-last door. You moved towards it, silently. As you got closer you heard the low noise of a familiar voice, muttering, maybe talking to himself. 
You’d found him.
Before you could second guess yourself, you knocked. “Frankie– Francisco. I know you’re in there.” You tried to sound confident but you thought your voice probably gave away all of your insecurities anyway.
There was no response, but you swore you could feel how he suddenly tensed on the other side of the door. You knocked again. “Francisco? Can we–”
The door suddenly opened under your knuckles, and your last knock caused it to swing inwards. You froze, hand in the air, and looked down to find Frankie sitting on the floor. He had his knees up with this head resting on one hand, the other still raised from where he’d just opened the door.
You met his eyes and saw that he looked… well. The first word that came to mind was distraught. You opened your mouth to say something, maybe ask what was wrong, say anything that might help, but he spoke before you could.
“Shit,” he said, and his voice sounded rough and gravelly. “Shit, Sunny, I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I just left you there, I–”
“Hey,” you cut him off, moving quickly to kneel next to him. “Hey, no, are you ok?” You reached out to touch him but faltered, unsure if you would be welcome. He hid his face in his hands again and you sat back on your heels. 
“... no,” he murmured after a moment. “I don’t think I’m ok.”
You moved again, shifting enough that you could close the door behind you before sitting back against it. “Hey, you know you can tell me.” You tried to sound encouraging. 
After a moment he sighed, and looked up at you again. You met his eyes and were struck, suddenly, with the knowledge that you knew those eyes. You couldn’t believe you hadn’t recognized them immediately, the moment you’d met him outside. You smiled at him. “Hey there, brown eyes,” you said, and he blinked. “I think I had a lot of dreams about you, recently.”
“Brown eyes?” He looked surprised.
You felt your face start to heat and you ducked your head. “That’s what I’ve always called you. In my head, anyway. It was always the only thing I could remember, when I woke up. That you had brown eyes. Not what they looked like. Just that they were brown.”
You glanced back up at him through your eyelashes and saw that he looked stunned. 
After a moment, he said, “I remembered your smile.”
You felt it start to stretch across your face in response. “Yeah?” you asked, wondering if he remembered more than you did. 
He nodded, starting to smile himself. It looked hesitant, and it was small, but it was still a smile. “Yeah, just– just the shape, the corner.” He glanced down at your mouth. “Just like that,” he whispered, eyes wide.
For a moment the two of you just looked at each other. You wondered if you were both looking for other familiarities, things you might remember, even though it was unlikely.
You felt the question crowding your throat, and couldn’t help but let it out. “Why did you run?” Your voice sounded small to your own ears and you watched the grimace form on his face in response. You turned towards him a bit more and your leg came to rest against his. Neither of you moved away from the contact.
He stared at the place your leg touched his as he answered. “I thought…” he trailed off and visibly gathered himself. “I thought you wouldn’t want me. There’s been– there are things, things I’ve done and I didn’t–”
You couldn’t help but interrupt. You didn’t like the look on his face, didn’t like the way he was talking about himself. “Francisco,” you said, voice a bit too loud. You cleared your throat and tried again, quieter. “I know about Colombia.” His head shot up, eyes wide. He looked afraid and you didn’t like that one bit. “I’m not saying I know everything, but I do know the basics. I know you were there.” Frankie’s mouth dropped open; he was obviously shocked. You wanted to reassure him, but you weren’t sure what to do, other than to just say it. “I’m not turning you down because of that, ok? I’m not turning you down at all. I–”
Frankie seemed to find his voice, suddenly, and interrupted you. “What? You– how?”
You nodded. “Yeah. I was with Claire, when Will went. She couldn’t really hide it.”
“Fuck,” he breathed, eyes dancing over your face. He seemed to be looking for something, but you didn’t know what. “Fuck,” he repeated. 
“Yeah, “ you repeated. “I mean, like I said, I know I don’t know all the details. But I’m not– I want to get to know you.” You nudged his leg with yours. “I mean, if you–”
Frankie laughed, suddenly, and you stopped short. He seemed giddy, like a weight had just lifted off his shoulders. He sat up a bit taller, and your eyes trailed over the line of his neck. “I thought–” he laughed again, incredulous, and shook his head. “I was so afraid. Of finding you and losing you because of– because of what we–” he trailed off again.
You couldn’t stand just sitting there anymore. You reached out a hand and lightly touched the back of his where it rested on his leg. He immediately flipped it over and clasped your hands together tightly. Your breath caught, but you couldn’t look away from his face.
“That’s not–” he squeezed your hand. “That’s not everything. But damn, I can’t believe it.” He closed his eyes and seemed at a loss for what to say next, even though he looked so much more at ease than he had only moments ago. You knew it was too soon for either of you to start in on your entire life stories. You had time. Or at least you hoped you had time.
“Hey, Francisco,” you said, and smiled at him. He opened his eyes and smiled back, a bit bigger this time. You liked the look of it. “I know we don’t know each other. Not yet. But, well. I think we might be made for each other.” You heard and felt a tightness in your throat as you said it, and you watched some strong emotion take over Frankie’s expression, too. He relaxed his grip on your hand only to lace your fingers together instead. He nodded, and you continued, “so I think we might be able to figure this out. Together. What, um,” you leaned in a little bit. “What do you think?”
Frankie grinned, suddenly, and it dazzled you. Your eyes caught on the crinkles by his eyes and the way he lifted his chin.
“I’d love to figure this out with you, hermosa,” he murmured. He pulled your hand upwards and pressed a soft kiss to your knuckles. “I’m sorry I ran away. I promise I’ll never run from you again.”
You shivered at the kiss, but your brow furrowed at the promise. “Frankie–”
He shook his head, looking resolute. “No, you deserve better than that. I promise, I’ll figure it out with you instead of running. Ok? We’ll do it together.”
You nodded, closing your eyes as you felt emotions swell in your chest again. He was so sweet, underneath the fear and the worry. Together sounded pretty good.
“Hey, Sunny,” he murmured, and you opened your eyes to meet his. His gaze was soft, again, like it had been when you’d barely started flirting outside. You thought he might still be afraid, but something had shifted. “Have I told you already that you’re fucking beautiful?”
Your cheeks heated and you tried to duck your head again, but you were stopped when he raised his free hand to cup your cheek gently. He lifted your gaze to meet his again. “Hey, no. I mean it. When I saw you outside, shit, Sunny, you’re so fucking pretty. That’s the first thing I thought.” Your cheek tingled under his touch and you wondered if you were imagining it or if it was part of the whole soulmate thing. Soulmates, you mused, and turned your head to press a kiss to his palm.
He sucked in a sharp breath, and you smiled.
“I told Claire you were exactly my type,” you said, and he started to look shy, eyes darting away. “With your hair, and those shoulders, and your smile–” you trailed off when he started to blush, and you smiled again, leaning into his hand. He was so handsome. “Hey, Francisco,” you said, and he met your eyes again. “Can I kiss you?”
His eyebrows flew upwards and his eyes darted to your lips. You bit your lip.
“Hermosa, you can kiss me anytime you like,” he murmured, and when his gaze met yours again your breath caught at the heat behind his eyes.
“Yeah?” you breathed, and he grinned.
“Yeah, Sunny. C’mere,” he pulled you towards him and you found yourself perched on his lap. After only a moment’s hesitation you slid your hands around his neck loosely. He placed his hands on your hips and squeezed gently. “S’this ok?” He sounded shy again, even though his grip was anything but.
“More than,” you replied, and then you pressed your lips to his.
You were swept away, instantly. You fell into the sensation of his lips against yours, of his body under you, of his hands sliding around your waist to pull you in tighter. You realized your hands were wound through his hair, though you didn’t remember moving them.
All you knew was the gentle movement of his mouth against yours. The brush of his lips and the tease of his tongue sent shivers up and down your spine. 
There was a warmth building inside of you that you’d never felt before, never even dreamed of. You broke away with a gasp, overwhelmed, and blinked your eyes open to find his waiting for you. He looked as stunned as you felt.
“Fuck,” you murmured. He nodded. “That was–”
“Better than I ever could have imagined,” he said, and you nodded. That was exactly right. “I can’t believe you’re here,” he murmured. He ran his hands lightly up and down your back and you shivered again. He smiled. “Sunny,” he said, and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of your mouth. “Let me take you out.”
You grinned and nodded. “You’d better.”
Frankie laughed, looking so much more carefree than he had when you’d found him in the bathroom. It tugged at your heart.
“You can take me out,” you said, “but right now I want you to kiss me some more.” You leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth, right where it quirked up into a smile. 
“Sunny, hermosa, mi sol, mi luz,” he said, pressing kisses along your jaw between each endearment. “I never want to stop kissing you.” You giggled, and he grinned. “What’s so funny, hermosa?”
You shook your head, still smiling widely. “I can’t wait to get to know you, Francisco.”
His smile softened, but stayed just as big. He tugged you closer and wrapped you up in his arms. “Me neither, baby.” He kissed you again, and you sank happily into his embrace.
...
a/n: I'd love to hear what you think! Also, quick translation: mi sol = my sun, mi luz = my light.
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satorusugurugurl · 11 hours
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Could I request JJK men helping you masturbate? More specifically, it's late at night and reader masturbates, they wake up but are too tired to actually do anything so they just whisper in ur ear or just guide the toy with their hand 😇 Modern AU with Nanami, Gojo, Geto, and Sukuna if possible, thank you sm I love ur writing it gets me GOING everytime you post teehee!! 🩷😁‼️
Guide You
Summary: A modern!au when during a late night solo session gets spicy as JJK men help you get off. 🥴
Characters: Nanami Kento, Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Ryomen Sukuna, AFAB!Reader
Word Count: 4,492
Warning: Spicy, smutty stuff, masturbation, toy use, praising, language
A/N: Hi Nonnie! Thanks for the request! I hope you enjoyed it! I hope it wasn't too repetitive I kinda struggled for a bit in a couple of places! 🥲 but I loooove you thank you!! 💚💚💚
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Nanami Kento:
Your husband was the best pediatric ortho doctor in the city, which came with its positives and negatives. He was paid well, loved what he did, and was able to spoil you. Rotten with gifts and luxurious trips. The downside was the hours and overtime he hated to put in and the fact that you rarely got to see you some nights.
This was one of those challenging weeks while he was on call because it seemed like every child in the city decided this was the week to break their bones. By the time his week was finally over, your poor husband was exhausted, mentally and physically
You lay in bed, gently stroking his snored into his pillow. His features were finally relaxed as he dreamed peacefully next to you. You loved seeing him relaxing, with a gentle look on his face as he finally got the rest he deserved. The poor guy was tuckered out, and when he got home, he promised to make up for the long week to you this weekend with his mouth and his cock
And you were desperate to have him
You both made several attempts this week to have a quickie in the morning, the kitchen, and the car ride to work, but each attempt was interrupted. It was like the worst kind of edging. When Nanami had gotten home tonight, you had the full intention of riding him until he passed out, but the moment you saw how tired he was, you decided your pleasure could wait until he was well rested.
That’s what you kept telling yourself: to not jump his bones, you could wait. You weren’t some Horndog that needed to be consistently fucked within an inch of her life. You could function as a normal human. Telling yourself that helped for a second before thoughts of pushing you against any surface and having his way with you had your short soaked and your pussy throbbing
Maybe you weren’t too strong
Squeeze your thighs together, rubbing some relief, but it was suddenly too hot, and your brain was buzzing too loudly at one in the morning. You needed to get off, but you didn’t want to wake your exhausted husband, which meant you needed the hell of your trusty wand vibrator
You pulled the blue toy out of your nightstand before slipping under the sheets. An orgasm would be enough to tide you over for the night. Tugging your shorts down your hips, pulling them around your thighs, you press the tip of the wand against your clit, turning it on the lowest setting. The buzzing vibrations had you moaning softly, tilting your head back against your pillow.
The simmering desire between your legs began to increase to a boil, fire, throbbing, making your legs twitch and tremble as your eyes tight, imagining being the one to touch you, bringing you this delicious pleasure that was burning hot. You pictured him slotted between your legs, tongue torturing the little bundle of nerves, while honey-brown eyes stared into yours, eagerly eating you out and driving you towards release. That image of your husband had you turning the speed to the toy up. The buzzing grew louder as you chewed on your bottom lip to hold back the moans, trying to
While you did your best to keep your moans silent with the sound of the vibrator muffled by the sheets, it was the squirming of your legs that caused your husband to stir next to you. Nanami hummed his eyes, opening them just in time to watch your mouth fall into an ‘O’ shape while your eyes shut tight. He blinks lazily, trailing down the curves of your trembling body, listening to the soft humming buzz of your favorite toy
His poor wife must be pent up. As much as he would like to roll over and fuck you into the mattress, he was too tired. He might not be able to fuck you, but he could still offering and helping hand.
You were in your fantasy that you didn’t realize Kento was right next to your ear. His breath flushed over your cheeks, his lips pressing against it. Feeling his warmth next to you and his lips on your skin, the smell of his body wash had you whimpering as you spread your leg
“Mm, that’s it, baby. Does that feel good?” Nanami whispers in your ear. “You’re trembling, and it must feel good.”
“It feels really good, Kento, so good.” Your leg shakes more as he buries his face in your neck, kissing it gently fuck
“Turn it up higher. Don’t tease yourself like that.” As Nanami’s hand wraps around the wand, he presses one of the buttons, increasing the speed to a higher setting. “You’ve been such a good girl. You deserve to cum.”
Your hips buck forward as your left-hand grips the sheets. You could feel the burning fire growing hotter and hotter between your legs, spreading down to the tips of your toes to your abdomen, where the kindling flames grow hotter. A coil tightened. You were so close, and Nanami was sleep-deprived, could tell. He turned the speed up higher with a moan, grinning against your skin as you inhaled sharply, legs clamping together as you gripped his forearm with your hand.
“Oh-Kento! Oooh fuck~ fuck I’m gonna cum! !”
“That’s right, let it go cum for me.”
“Nnngh!” Nails dug into his skin as waves of pleasure washed over you. “Oh my god! Oh my god, c-cumming~!.” Your husband chuckled, his breath warming the skin on your face as you both worked yourself down from the intense orgasm.
“Pent up, darling?”
You hum, nodding as you pull the toy away, turning it off before putting the wand on your nightstand with a pleased sigh. “Yeah, I’m sorry I woke you up.” Large, calloused hands wrap around your waist, pulling you into the warmth of his body.
“No, you’re fine. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help out more.”
“That was hot enough to tide me over until you get some well-deserved rest.”
Nanami’s lips press against yours in a kiss as he shuts his eyes. “Then you better get some sleep. I have a week to make up for, so you’ll need all the rest you can get.” The promise of him ruining almost how you want, but the steady rhythm of his heartbeat had you falling asleep with him in your arms.
Gojo Satoru:
Gojo Satoru, your boyfriend, was well known for his company, Six Eyes. A game developing company that produced some of the best video games of the era, making your rich boyfriend even richer. Gojo was constantly whisking you away on spontaneous trips. If you saw some new viral dessert in Canada, you both were off to try it. If you were stressed, no worries; a weekend in Fiji would fix that.
While his job paid exceptionally well and was stable, he also went on many business trips. The Jet Lag was real, but your boyfriend made it a point to try to readjust his sleep schedule whenever he got home, which sometimes meant he’d stay up close to twenty-four hours to do just that. Some nights when he got home, like today, he had been up so long that he was out like a light the second his head hit the pillow.
You didn’t mind. Just sleeping next to Satoru, wrapped in his arms, made up for the two weeks he was away. But being wrapped in his arms like you were right now also had downsides. His breath was hot against your neck as his chin rubbed that sweet spot where your shoulder connected to your neck, and his leg was firmly pressed against your sex.
God, you were so horny you felt like your whole body was on fire. There was no way you could fall asleep like this wet and needy. It would be awesome if your boyfriend was up and able to help you with your situation. But the rumbling of his snores clued you in that there was no hope for two A.M. quickies.
Taking matters into your own hands, you crawled out of his koala grip, reaching into your nightstand and pulling out your g-spot vibrator. God, you were so wet you didn’t even need lube. All you needed to do was rub the toy up and down over your folds before dipping the tip inside of you. You hissed out in pleasure before pushing the toy deeper inside of the tip, pressed firmly against that sensitive, spongy spot inside of you, the one that made you squirm. With a whimper, you turned it on and began thrusting it in and out of your tight pussy.
It felt so good, and it made your body burn hotter. The familiar coil in your abdomen began twitching to life. You hummed, rocking your head forward as you laid on your side gently, thrusting in and out of you faster, working yourself up to release, but you ran into the same problem you always did with a toy like this.
It got too intense.
You’d feel yourself getting close; your legs would clamp down together, making it nearly impossible for you to move the toy when you were trying to rub circles around your twitching clit. You would struggle to keep the rhythm pace and ultimately end up edging yourself endlessly.
“Fuck!” A harsh whisper sounded as you felt your orgasm slipping away again, your legs clamping together tighter. “Come on.” You were so close you could almost cry. The sweet release was just within your grasp and kept slipping away.
Biting down on your bottom lip, watching your trembling legs try to clamp together for the third time, making it almost impossible for you to move the toy in and out. If your vibrator were charging, this would have been much easier to do. But alas, your toy was dead, meaning you had to use your fingers while trying to thrust your toy in and out of you, feeling your orgasm for the third time. You were about to give up when an ivory hand reached between your legs, finding your clit with ease.
“H-Haaah, Satoru!” you gasped out as the warmth of his body snuggled closer against your side.
Gojo had been dreaming when you cried out in frustration, his eyes open, finding you struggling to reach that sweet release. He lay there momentarily, eyes still heavy as he debated oncoming to sleep when your voice broke. You sounded like you were going to cry and not in the way. So, fighting against the drowsiness, he inched closer to you, deciding to give you a helping hand.
The sharp circles you loved around your click while he forced his knee between your legs, forcing them to stay open, giving you the chance to fuck the toy faster into your heat. The stress and struggle on you were lifted as Toru rubbed his chin over that sweet spot on your shoulder before he trailed kisses down your neck.
“I got you.” his voice was thick sleep. “I got you; you can relax, sweetheart; you can cum~”
“T-Toru—” you whine out your hand, moving faster. “Satoru!”
Your boyfriend is leaning over your body, watching you drive closer to release. “That a girl~ don’t it up, don't stop.”
“B-But—”
“Shh~ relax, baby.” Gojo’s other hand reached under your body, his hand wrapping around yours that was thrusting the toy. “Keep moving like this, just like I do with my cock. You like it when I do that, right? When I that tight little cunt?” his lips brush over your shoulder as he moves the toy at a faster speed.
Your head tilts back as you feel the coil in your abdomen tightening.” C-Close—!” you whisper, eyes rolling back into your school as you beat up.
“Yeah? Does that feel good, sweetheart? You gonna cum?” His husky breathes as you nod. “Good girlfriend, that’s it. I can feel your leg shaking. You’re gonna cum so hard.”
“T-Toru!”
“Yeah, yeah, baby, good girl, such a good girl~!” Satoru causes your body to convulse as your breathing catches in your throat. “Mhmm fuck!”
Your pulse was racing, causing both you and Satoru’s hand to still as you cum. Waves of pleasure send you rocking back against him the entire time you cry and shake, littering your shoulder with kisses until you gently pull the toy out with a satisfied cry. His hand rests over your hip, gently holding you as you toss the toy to the foot of the bed. There was always time to clean it later; you were afraid if you tried to get up on wobbly legs, you would most likely collapse on the floor.
Opting out of leaving the bed, you roll over to face Satoru. His eyes are heavy as he looks at you through white, luscious lashes with a gentle smile. Grabbing Satoru’s handsome face with your hands, you kiss him deeply, making him hum happily as he lazily kisses you back before you pull away.
“Thank you, Toru.”
“Mhmm~” his eyes finally shut as he rubs his face into the pillow before squeezing you closer to his body. “Love you.”
“I love you too, Satoru. Get some rest, honey.” Before those words leave your mouth, your boyfriend snores softly against the pillow with a gentle smile.
Geto Suguru:
The problem with dating an EMT was the fluctuating hours. Some weeks, you and Suguru worked the same hours on the same days, while others had him on the night shift. This week had been nothing by the night shift. You couldn't complain, though. At least he would have the next four days off to spend with you. You could go out on dates, fuck each other, and he could rest, catching up on the sleep he had been deprived of. You both usually did that, but tonight, there was a problem.
You were currently ovulating and unbearably horny.
Suguru had worked his ass off this week, having been on calls nonstop for the entirety of his 12-hour shift. Usually, he’d be raring to go, needing to take his frustrations out on you, but today has been hard, rough call after call. You could see the exhaustion in his eyes as a kid tissues off and made it straight to the bathroom to take a hot shower, but we’re probably passing out face first in bed.
You lay down next to him, pressing your lips together as you stared at his sleeping face. His hair fell over his eyes, and he hugged his pillow tight as his sweats hung low on his hips. One leg was underneath the sheets, while the other was bent near his chest. How was it legal for him to be this fucking hot. That wasn’t even the hormones talking. That was a straight fact.
The hormones were telling you to breed you until you cried. But Suguru’s pale skin in the dark circles under his eyes prevented you from waking him. Waking him up to satisfy your needs was cruel when you were perfectly capable of satisfying yourself.
As long as you could see his handsome face and his breath, it would be to keep you in the moment. He was out so hard he wouldn’t see you staring at him like you were some pervert while you got yourself off lying on your side facing him; you bit back a moan as you rubbed your favorite flexor toy over your opening before sliding it inside of you with a shiver
The toy was pressed firmly against your g-spot and clit. When turned on, it would flex, mimicking fingers moving inside of you. It was your favorite toy, one your boyfriend had bought specifically for you, which made this even hotter. Small whimpers left your mouth as your eyes focused on Suguru, who slept soundly across from you.
Doing something like this, masturbating in front of him without him, knowing had your walls twitching in pleasure
“Haaah—” wind, one hand, gripping the pillow behind your head while the other grasped at the sheets. The curling motion and vibrations made you wetter than you already were, which seemed almost impossible. Your arousal seeped out of you, coating your folds, thighs, and your favorite pink toy buried inside you, and the pleasure of doing it in front of your handsome boyfriend without his knowledge had you squirming, resulting in the toy slipping out of you.
“H-Huh?” The feeling of the vibrations against that spongy spot inside of you vanished. “What the?” reaching down, you pushed it back in place, but your wet walls had it slipping out again. “Y-You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”
You repeated the same process, pushing the toy inside, but it continued slipping out, turning your very steamy solo session into a much more frustrating scenario. It was hard to get into the moment when you were constantly having to push your favorite toy back inside of you. You finally reached down, holding it firmly in place with one hand. So you could handle the situation. Before you could lose yourself in the pleasure, you glanced back up to admire your boyfriend, only to meet his dark gaze, watching you with a lazy grin.
“S-Sugu!”
“Oh~ don't stop, please~ I love watching you get off.” he hummed with a smirk, snuggling closer into his pillow. “Could wait for the morning~ had to get out your toy?”
“Y-Yes—”
He glanced down, “Need a hand?” You can only nod as he reaches down, replacing your hand with his own. “Fuuuck~ baby, you're so fuckin’ wet.” he pushes the toy deeper inside, holding it snuggling in place.
“I-I was I-imagining you, f-fingering—nngh—” Your mouth falls agape as you watch Suguru as the vibrator flexes against your clit and g-spot perfectly. Your hips buck, and your leg trembles as you cry out softly.
“Yeah~ you always get needy for my fingers.” he gently rocks the toy black and forth, making a whimper crawl up your throat. “Does that feel like me~? Rocking my fingers against that spot?”
“Ooooh fuck S-Suguru, Sugu~”
Your boyfriend’s thumb presses the button, increasing the speed to the highest setting. “Oooh baby~ you sound so pretty, moaning my name like that.” He smirked as you grip his bicep, digging your fingers into the muscle. “You’re gonna cum~ I can tell.”
“Y-Yes! Please, Sugu, please, please, I need it!”
As much as he would like to edge you, keep this going, he was still tired. So he rocks the toy back and forth, faster and harder, drawing out the loudest moans from you. It felt so good. It felt like he was touching you while guiding a toy he had purchased for you. Your nails nearly broke the skin as you clinched your hand around his bicep, the coil in your abdomen tightening harder and harder until it finally snapped.
“I'm cumming!” screamed out legs, trembling and shaking as you gushed all over the toy. “C-Cummin’ cumming!” Subaru couldn’t help but chuckle as you arrived against the mattress; you were so sensitive, so easy to please, because he knew you like the back of his hand.
As the rippling contractions of pleasure ceased, your grip on his arm loosened before gently rubbing away the crescent moon shapes you left behind. “Feel better?” Suguru asked as he gently removed the toy from inside you.
“Yeah, it's your fault—ahh—” your words cut off as you watched your boyfriend slide his tongue slowly up the toy collecting your cum off of it. “W-What are you?!”
“A midnight snack should be enough to tie me over until I fully devour you in the morning.”
Your boyfriend nonchalantly placed the toy on his side of the nightstand before hugging his pillow and shutting his eyes as if he hadn’t just done something so sinfully hot! If it weren’t for the mere intensity of your orgasm, pulling you into dreamland, you would’ve taken him right then and there and told him to relax while you did all the work. Suguru was right; you would have to wait for a proper meal in the morning, and you would beat him to it.
Ryomen Sukuna:
Ryomen Sukuna, you’re hot, tattooed, and pierced boyfriend, was snoring next to you in bed. His right arm was in a black brace courtesy of the sofa. You had begged him to wait until you got off a call to help him move it, but he insisted that he would be fine alone. And he was until the damn thing nearly crushed his little brother Yuuji when your back was turned.
It was a hairline fracture that would quickly heal in six to eight weeks. Plus, with the hairline fracture, Sukuna could still do simple things like piercings and scheduling appointments at Geto’s tattoo shop. Your boyfriend had been lucky that he had a lot of muscles to take the blunt of the hit from the massive sofa. Your boyfriend wasn’t fortunate enough to avoid your wrath when he said he could care for himself and his brothers alone.
Hearing him say that caused you to blow a fuse. It was bad enough that he had tried to move a sofa alone! Then he dares to tell you he doesn’t need help around the house. Sukuna told you he would be fine nursing a hairline fracture while working and caring for his brothers, which caused you to tell him to shut up and stop being an asshole. That’s how you found yourself with your bags packed in the corner of his room as your ass was planted firmly in his bed while he slept off his pain meds.
He could fight you all he wanted, but you wanted to be there for him.
With a heavy side, you brush back some of your hair as you glance at the clock on the wall. The adrenaline had been pumping through your veins, keeping you wired most of the evening. You were wired after taking Sukuns to the hospital, picking up his brothers, and packing a bag to bring. Seeing that it was now one in the morning, you had a couple of choices to help with your insomnia. You could pull an all-nighter and take a nap on the day, or you could relieve the tension with an orgasm and fall asleep that way.
Having to choose between sleep, deprivation, and pleasure wasn’t a hard decision. Without any other thoughts, you reached into Sukuna’s nightstand, pulling out the vibrator he kept there for you. With that bad boy, he would be able to cum in no time. You had just laid on your back and went to turn it on the highest setting for it to do absolutely nothing. You gave it another click, finding your favorite toy dead.
“No,” you whine, leaning against the pillows. ��Fuck no.” as much as you hated it, you would have to go back to the ages and get off with your hand if that was even possible.
With a soft side, you pull to the side before your swollen clit with ease. You gently began rubbing it with your forefinger and slowly teasing circles. Your toes curled as you pressed down on the bundle of nerves with a whimper. It felt good, but you weren’t sure if this would be enough for you. Your boyfriend had not only been your first for almost everything, but he has successfully ruined you for anyone else
And the smug bastard knew that, too
Rubbing your clit faster, you spread your shaking legs with a shaky sigh. Touching yourself, of course, felt good. It always did, but it wasn’t enough, whether it was the lack of callouses or how your fingers were much smaller than your boyfriend's. Or it could just be the fact that your hand wasn’t his. Those thoughts only made it harder for you to focus on the pleasure,
“Kuna,” you whispered, glancing at the ceiling. “Yes~” You were trying to mimic his fingers over your swollen bud, picturing his mouth on your tits, sucking at your nipples. “Fuck.” imaging that only increased the pleasure, making you rub yourself as fast as your fingers would allow. The pleasure only seemed to intensify, urging your hands to grab the sheets instead of continuing to get you off. “Fuuck.” They were about to slow down when Sukuna swatted your hand away and replaced it with his left one. “Haaah!”
Looking up, you found your groggy boyfriend sitting on his knees, the right hand pressed close to his chest while the other rubbed furiously at your clit. “Gotta move your fingers faster than that kitten.” his voice was deep and groggy from the sleep and the medication he was on. “You’re never gonna cum like that.” Your hands dug into the sheets and snapped your fingers faster and harder. I guess that sensitive bundle of nerves.
“Fuck, fuck, fuuuck!”
“What? You were begging me to do so. This is what you wanted, right?” Sukuna moves his hand as fast as he can as you bite down on your bottom lip when the pleasure becomes almost too much.“Then do it, cum all over my fingers like the good kitten that you are.”
“I-Im gonna—!”
“Yeah? Gonna finally cum now that your boyfriend’s helping you out?”
“Y-Yes!”
“Yeah, your fingers aren’t as rough as mine, are they?”
“No!”
Sukuna presses down on your clit harder, rubbing circles around it. “Awe, so honest~ come on, baby cum, you deserve it for telling me the truth and helping me out today. Consider this one of the many ways I plan on repaying you,” you scream, eyes going wide as your orgasm hits you with the promise of more pleasure to come.
Your body rides and arches off the mattress as you cum all over your boyfriend’s hand. You grip the sheets, eyes clamping shut as your tights clamp around her hand. Sukuna slows his fingers down, grinning as he watches your face go from scrunched up with pleasure to a more relaxed expression. His quick circles turn into lazy strokes until, finally, your legs shakily release the vice grip on his hand.
“Mmm.” he licks his fingers clean as you fix your shorts. “You taste so sweet.”
“Mhmm,” you respond almost lazily as he pulls you into his chest. Drowsiness creeps up on you, making your eyelids heavy, and Sukuna sighs heavily. “Night, Kuna; let me know if you need anything.”
Sukuna hums in response, watching as you slowly drift off to sleep on his chest. Would asking you to move in be too much to ask? Because you were everything he needed.
Forever Tag List:
@darkstarlight82 @pandoness @nealeart @simp-plague @sugurubabe @chilichopsticks @reap3erslov3
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poppy-metal · 3 days
Note
i am tHInking about that look that art gives you during his most competitive matches….just that burning stare like he’s looking straight through you in the stands…aurrrr you’d already been giving him a hard time today because he wasn’t paying you any attention (oops 😋), trying to lock in for the match…so you wear the most body hugging little tennis dress in your closet and taunt him up there…grrrrrr getting him so riled up and worked up that he really snaps after he loses the match and has no where better to place his anger but on you like completely losing himself and demolishing you in that locker room, whatever position you’re in making sure he isn’t looking at you or your eyes because of that fear and shame of what he’s doing (you have literally wanted this all day)
-🐞
sm about art not being able to look you in the eye while he pounds uses you is just - like he needs to cum so bad he can't stop himself, its too animal too intense, he has you bent over the nearest surface he can and he's forcing himself inside - and its so disgusting and degrading to treat a woman like this he kinda hates you for reducing him to this - a dumb horny dog with a bone. nothing but a hotblooded male that needs to cum and breed and take, take, take, take. thats not him. thats the kind of urge he tries to avoid, that he represses because its not right. but you bring it out in him, you rip it out from him, you leave him no choice - he just needs to fucking cum. hips slapping against your ass in a punishing rythm, his hand around the back of your neck to keep your face pressed the fuck down - jerking off using your body. and you're fucking wet for it, he can feel it dripping down his balls. can hear your moans even though he told you to shut the fuck up - you dont listen.
he closes his eyes and imagines you're just a fleshlight. you're not a beautiful young girl who is haunting his dreams and breaking him down. he just needs to get off. you're so warm and tight and soft and real around him - fuck.
"gonna cum -" he grits out. he's gonna fill you all the way up, to the brim. fuck it deep into your body so it never leaks out - forced to keep it all inside - your fucking pussy - he needs it. he needs this.
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࣪ ˖✧ The Jackpot
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✦ Pairing: Arthur Morgan x Fem!Reader ✦ Summary: You join Arthur and the boys for a job on the Grand Korrigan riverboat where you act as Arthur’s lap girl. The man in question is more than excited about this decision. ✦ Warnings: Guns, mention of shooting, swearing, SMUT, oral (reader receiving), p in v✦ Words: 3,8k ✦ a/n: A big heartwarming thank you to @zae-heeyyy!! Who took the time to correct my dumb spelling and give me her thoughts on this before publishing it! Please go check her work, I swear it won't disappoint! Also: pictures are not mine! Found them on Pinterest.
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Dim lights are flickering all around you, making the golden ornaments of the luxurious place you're in shine like a thousand stars. You couldn't believe this gigantic reception room, gratified by a bar, a grand piano, and of course, three elegant poker tables, was actually floating on water right now, as you were on the Grand Korrigan boat, the jewel of its kind, den of the richest gentlemen in St. Denis, in search for some amusement and of course, even more money.
Trelawny and Herr Strauss had plotted a well-crafted deal that could earn a lot of money for the gang. Along with Javier disguised as one of the guards, Arthur would act as a new wealthy businessman who had just made a fortune in oil. Strauss would give him signals during his poker game, which guaranteed him to win considering Trelawny had made a friend out of the dealer.
You? You'd play his mistress, sitting on his lap during the game to make the scene look more convincing. On top of that, you had been able to hide a little gun in a hidden pocket in the underside of your dress, guaranteeing some extra protection, which wasn't a bad idea considering the Grand Korrigan was heavily armed and neither Arthur, Trelawny nor Strauss had one.
So here you were, thriving in your role, comfortably sitting on Arthur's lap, hands wrapped around his neck, both legs hanging on his left side. His arms were enveloping you, hands resting on the edge of the table as he was focusing on his cards.
Well, more like trying to focus, actually.
Maybe it was because you two had started a quite passionate relationship a few weeks ago, sneaking in each other's tent, simple kisses and whispers in the night quickly turning into something more, the both of you having cravings to fulfill.
Maybe it was because Trelawny, the damned man, had chosen a particularly suggestive dress for you to wear, comforting your play considering wives weren't allowed at the poker tables, only work girls and such, your cleavage on full display for his immoral eyes.
Maybe it was the way he could feel the round and warm flesh of your ass even through the fabric of your clothes, right where he wanted to, making his brain impossible to function properly, desperately trying to keep the hardness between his legs to stay in line.
Either way, Arthur had to make enormous efforts to focus on the job and was frankly relieved Strauss was telling him what to do; despite being a pretty good poker player, he would never have been able to win the easiest of games in this state.
Strauss told him to go all-in. He did. You smiled, you would have lied saying you weren't enjoying yourself right now. You had known far worse jobs than playing Arthur's lover. Much to your surprise, he had played a really convincing character through the night too, his usual mumbling far gone, replaced by a bright and confident speech and a cheeky grin that was making you want to kiss it even more. In fact, you wanted to take care of him just to see this cocky smirk flatter under your touch, replaced by a pleasured expression on his handsome face.
It was easy to say both of you were acting pretty good, but inside felt like two teenagers in love.
Arthur had won another hand, men were starting to leave the table, angry. It was only you both and the target now, an opulent man known as Desmond Blythe, loaded with money thanks to his hosiery business.
You pulled a cigarette out of Arthur's pocket along with a match, and you felt his breath hitch for an instant when you slipped your hand in it. Rubbing the match against the wood of the table, you lighted the cigarette casually, little flame illuminating a thin grin on your lips. You took a small drag on it to make sure the tobacco had plainly burnt, then you placed the cigarette in front of Arthur's lips, holding it for him between your index and middle finger, so that he could smoke on it while keeping both his hands on his cards.
It was downright one of the hottest things anybody had done to him and he was starting to lose it. Wrapping his lips around your offering and smoking a long drag, he allowed himself to avert his gaze from his opponent for a few seconds, planting his turquoise pupils into yours.
His eyes were half-lidded, long lashes accentuating the languorous gaze he was giving you. Your heart started racing. The power this man had on you was insane, but if only you knew what you were doing to him in return. You had a glimpse of it though, right there in the depths of his two blue diamonds, this so distinctive dark glow of him, direct window on the sinful pit of his urges.
You were sure your own eyes were mirroring it. And it got worse when, after exhaling some smoke, he quickly kissed the palm of your hand, indicating he had smoked enough, the warm sensation of his chapped lips on your skin giving you goosebumps. His eyes went back to Blythe, and you exhaled as if you had been holding your breath during the whole time you had locked eyes.
You retrieved your hand, taking a drag yourself on the cigarette after him, loving the idea of sharing it with him, of putting your lips right where he did a few seconds before, your biased brain telling you you could taste sweet remnants of him there.
Another all-in, another hand won by Arthur who couldn't stop himself from smiling this sly cocky smirk, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Shit, shit!" Blythe shouted, hitting on the table with his fists furiously.
"I guess ma luck held... Is that you done?" Arthur asked him, his tone triumphant while bending over the table to gather his not-so-well-deserved chips. "Or, do you got somethin' else to play with?" He added more lowly, his baritone voice almost making you shiver just hearing it.
"Meaning?" Desmond questioned back, visibly frustrated. Looked like frustration was a popular feeling around this poker table tonight, about the game or other things...
Arthur had gotten up from his chair and you too, now standing by his side, partially glued to his body as he had snaked an arm around your waist while finishing to put in order his chips. He answered using the same taunting, arrogant tone as before.
"Well, I heard there was some big boys on this boat, maybe that's not you, no offense-"
"Sit your and your whore's hillbilly asses down." The rich men cut him off, voice dark and serious.
You felt Arthur's hand grip tighter on your waist. For a faint moment, you thought that his cover would collapse, considering how tense he had gotten hearing him calling you a whore. But the way he was still smiling was almost even more scary, it was a false, threatening one. The kind of smile that hides a cold anger, boiling silently inside.
"Why?" Arthur simply answered, tone brilliantly contained considering the way his muscles were flexing on their own under his fancy suit.
"I got a watch... An expensive one, swiss... a Reutlinger no less. It's in the safe, upstairs. It's worth more than you."
You forced yourself not to cross eyes with Arthur. Your target. He had just confirmed what you were all here for. Perfect, just a bit more of this whole play and Arthur would be able to access the strongbox.
"Okay, I trust ya." Arthur consented while sitting back on his chair, placing you with his two big hands back at your place, on his lap. You were definitely loving this job. You'd have to thank Trelawny for it, someday.
The rest of the game passed just like before, your outlaw ultimately winning once more thanks to your colleague's little trick. Desmond was furious, and you obtained your goal.
Arthur happily got up once again, gently helping you stand, one of his hands naturally resting on your shoulder. Before following the gentleman who was supposed to bring him to the safe, he bent over to you, head brushing against yours, his stubble and hairs tickling your cheeks. He whispered in your ear, voice deep and hoarse, this one voice that was always making your head turn.
"When we're finished here, I'm gonna take care of ya, darlin'."
You sighed, cracking up a sly smirk, your cheeks turning a bit red. These simple words were enough to make the heat between your thighs make itself known; crying out for attention. Being so close like this was allowing you to breathe in his scent, its combination on top of his breath on your ear was a dangerous mix for your sanity. You took the opportunity of having his skin so close to your lips to place a small kiss on his neck, right below his own ear.
Arthur smiled at you, his bright blue eyes sparkling as he took a last look at you before walking off. You sighed softly again, already missing his presence. The wait for some time alone was only making your own needs grow.
You were only hoping the job would end up smoothly.
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Of course, it didn't. 
Desmond, sore loser, had accused Arthur of cheating. That and the fact that the guard Javier had knocked off to steal his clothes had appeared out of nowhere yelling to shoot him had set things on fire on the Grand Korrigan, the boat now witness to a heated shooting the Van Der Linde Gang was known for.
You had instantly pulled out your hidden gun and helped Arthur clean up the place thanks to Javier who had thrown him a rifle. The night had ended with your incongruous team jumping straight in the water, swimming back to the shore, a quite odd and armed to the teeth fish shoal. At least, everyone was alive, and you even had obtained a pretty decent amount of money, not even mentioning the watch Strauss had authenticated as a real Reutlinger. Arthur had quickly taken back the precious object from his greedy hands, "well give it back then", which made you laugh to yourself.
True to himself, your cowboy had instructed everyone to separate and get out of the shore, as always after a job. You were all quite a sight, soaked to the bones. As you were greeting everyone a good night, Arthur silently walked to you and grabbed your hand. Even with the water you both had leaking from your clothes to your skin, you could feel how warm his hand was, contrasting yours which was completely freezing cold from having swam in the icy waters. You wondered if this man was even human.
"But you, Miss, are comin' with me." He playfully informed you, not leaving you any choice.
It was not as if you wanted to go anywhere else anyway.
"Really now? What d'ya have in mind, cowboy?" You asked him with an equally mischievous tone on your own, your eye glued to the way his hair looked completely soaked, subtle rivulets sliding all the way from it to his neck.
"Maybe we could pay ourselves a well-deserved night in town..." He proposed, voice turning more and more into a low growl as he was letting his desires take the lead on his reason.
"I would love that." You simply agreed, before getting closer to him, tilting your head up to bring your lips to his. He gladly let you, one hand still holding yours, the other gently landing on the side of your face.
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The walk to the La Bastille Saloon was supposed to be a short one, but you both looked like you couldn't wait to be there before teasing each other. You would sometimes stop walking to just attack his neck, lips merciless as you sucked and kissed him there. Your taunting acts were often met with his equally heated answer, one of his palms ending on your ass, or your thighs, your wet clothes transparent and glued to your curves not helping him to keep his touch away from these places of your body. Arthur's breath sharpened as he called you his lil minx, and no, darlin’, we can't just do it on the streets.
Finally, after having shocked the barman by arriving at such late hours in completely soaked clothes, which honestly just made the both of you laugh mischievously, you reached your love nest for the night.
And what a nest! Silk sheets, canopy bed, sumptuous decor glistening with the dim lights of the chandeliers. Even the floor looked comfortable, carpeted with some fancy patterns, matching the couch and bed's color. Red, just like passion, just like lust. Red, like the color of your cheeks right now as Arthur had closed the door and was already on his knees, placing you on the edge of the mattress. Red, just like what Arthur was seeing right now, hungry hands pulling your dress up, positioning himself between your thighs.
You looked down at him, his darkened eyes looking at you. You noticed he had ripped off his fancy tie, needing to breathe properly, the heat between you both already making him suffocate. In those moments, his beautiful pupils were always shining with a more murky color, his usual sky blue turning into a more cobalt one. They were staring intensely into yours, expression questioning. A silent demand. You nodded positively, quietly answering. Dooming yourself.
The moment you did, he buried his head between your legs, left hand resting on your hip, holding you gently. His lips started kissing softly on the fabric of your undergarments. His other hand quickly came, helping him in his task by pulling it to the side, granting him access.
The moment his lips met your folds, you let out a moan, unable to resist the feeling he was giving you. He was loving it, his ears getting redder as he was more and more aroused himself. He was so big between your thighs, his shoulders were spreading them almost completely open.
He licked in a long, slow movement all the way to the top of your pussy, making you sigh in pleasure already, hips jerking against his head, begging for more.
"Easy, girl... I've got ya." He soothed you hoarsely, left hand holding you more firmly to prevent you from crushing him totally. Nevertheless, he took your eagerness into account; he couldn't deny you anything. Not when it came to sex. Not when you were so beautiful in this ostentatious dress. Not when he had grown more and more found of you, even if he was refusing to admit it to himself completely for now.
He brought his lips on the top of your core, tongue gently circling around this so special knot of nerves, his stubble scratching pleasantly against your skin, bringing you even more sensations.
It was already so good, Arthur's mouth showing you no pity, licking, sucking, kissing, as if you were becoming the only food he could ever feast on, the only oxygen he could breathe with. The sight of his broken nose buried beneath your skin, as if he was searching to go even deeper within you was almost too much for you to handle. Your hands that were gripping the sheets had now found the top of his head, spurring him to continue, please please please, Arthur, more, or you could have died right here on the fancy bed of the La Bastille Saloon.
Arthur's tongue answered your begging call, lapping your sensitive spot faster, harder. How the Hell was that man so good at pleasuring a woman? That, sinful, dirty man, just like the sounds you were letting out right now.
Your vision started to blur, the back of your head sinking onto the mattress, your back arching deliciously, and you were going to let him know just how close you were until he stopped all of a sudden.
"A-Arthur!" You protested, head snapping back at him, eyes pleading, tone both offended and needy as his name had sounded more like a whine when it had felt from your mouth.
He smiled cockily at you from where he was, his mouth looking wet with your arousal. He loved it, he loved being responsible for it.
"I'm here, girl... I jus' need ya too much right now. Lemme just..."
His voice was now a low rumble, coming from the depth of his chest. You watched as he quickly ripped off his clothes with little care for them. Trelawny would have shouted at how he was treating one of the most expensive suits he had ever brought.
But he didn't care about the suit. And neither do you, as your eyes were devouring every inch of his flesh that was appearing under them. The sight of a completely naked Arthur always had the same effect on you, no matter how many times you already had seen it.
His muscular body looked like it had been carved by Angels. No, more likely by an angry, dark God, who would have sculpted him from a hard and brutal material, his many scars and blurs a remnant of it. You could almost picture his tools molding your lover's broad chest and shoulders with sharp, furious hammer blows. His powerful arms and legs had received the same treatment, as if the deity wanted to pass on all of his brutal force into his creation. And his cock was definitely no exception to it.
And yet, this brutal force of nature was blushing under your gaze. He couldn't have resisted the hurtful sensation of emptiness around his shaft, one of his hands now giving himself a few strokes to try and relieve some of it. His eyes closed in a frown for a few seconds, your pussy burned at this unholy scenery he was offering you.
You were in such a state of need it was almost depraved. You quickly got rid of your own clothes, tossing them somewhere on the floor of the room, needing to share this intimacy with him, to feel his skin against yours.
"Oh, please... Arthur, jus' take me..." You asked yourself before he could probe your adequation. You knew him well now, you already knew the next words he was going to speak would be another demand to make sure you truly wanted this.
He seemed to enjoy how you had forecasted it, his eyes opening again to look at you, his cock hardening even more, precum slowly leaking from its top, wasting all the efforts he had done to relieve it a bit.
"If that's what you want darlin'... I'm your man." He answered in a growl, climbing next to you on the bed.
You weren't sure why but his last words had made your heart swell in your chest. You were sure, deep down inside of you, that he meant it in another way. He really had become yours, and you, his. Lost in your thoughts, you let him handle you gently, placing you on your belly against the silk sheets, lying himself on top of you, legs between yours.
You slightly moved your rear up against his erection, earning a grunt of pleasure from him. Saying he had loved it was an understatement; he had been thinking about doing this with you since you had sat on him on the riverboat.
Using his right hand, he placed his cock against your entrance, and finally started pushing, your pussy already ready for him thanks to his ministrations, your mouth mewling at the sensation. Your perfect, hot walls were finally enveloping him, and he tried his best not to come just from that intense feeling alone.
He was so big and tall behind you, his head could reach yours and he buried it onto the crook of your neck, his hair still wet offering you a cold feel, contrasting with his whole hot chest pressed on your back, making you feel as if a literal inferno was burning it. He slowly started to pull back, only to shove himself in you again, starting a slow but intense back and forth.
"God, damn it... 'Feel so good girl..." He mumbled against your skin, his arms encircling you from both sides, caging you under his tall figure.
You sighed at his praise, wanting to answer something to compliment him back, but he snapped his hips just at the same time, making you shut your eyes close, and moan louder than before. Your voice was starting to crack under the amount of pleasure he was bringing to you, hard shaft brushing this deep spot within your core every time his hips moved, hitting just right where you needed him to.
He had noticed, and it was only making him lose his mind even more, unable to keep his pace slow, letting his body unleashed. He had waited this whole night to bury himself in you, listened to this moron calling you names without having the right to punch his goddamn idiotic face. He couldn't hold anything back anymore.
He started thrusting more frantically, pistoning his cock in and out of you so fast and hard he was now fucking you onto the bed. His right hand grabbed a fistful of your ass, the feeling of it colliding with his pelvis with every thrust making him insane, the other one next to your left shoulder, preventing him from crushing you completely.
You could feel it, the familiar feeling, the divine relief, building more and more thanks to him, the pace increasing your pleasure. Feeling how impossibly hard his sex had gotten in your cunt, you knew he was close too. This simple fact was the last push to your deliverance.
"A-Arthur! God, yes!" You screamed, unable to form any coherent thoughts, existing simply for this, for this moment with him, naked on the bed of this saloon. Just you and him.
"Oh, darlin’, shit!" Your orgasm had made your walls clench even more around his dick, exploding his limit. He quickly removed himself from you, and finished at the last second on your back, his burning release painting your skin in flaming spurts. His very own sinful art piece.
The room felt silent again. The air stifling from your lovemaking, the only sounds being heard were your sharp, quickened breaths. Arthur took a few seconds to collect himself, feeling better and so satisfied, almost euphoric. Turning your head to the side, you took a glimpse of your lover's gorgeous state. Hair messy, cheeks and ears crimson, sweat dripping everywhere on his skin, chest rising and falling in big, profound exhales.
He then grabbed a piece of fabric from one of the wardrobes to gently wipe off his seed from you, and tossed it away, wanting nothing more but to rest against you now. A perfect contrast, from an agitated, stormy sea to a quiet, secret cove. As if you were the only one who could see him like this, vulnerable, loving even.
You watched him lay by your side on his back, your head still feeling dizzy, slowly coming back from a world of fantasies. You snuggled against him, resting your head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around you, feeling spent but so, so happy. And you felt the same.
Tonight had been quite something, and despite having won a few thousand dollars, it was definitely not money that was making Arthur feel like he had hit the jackpot.
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wannabelife · 2 days
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SEVENTEEN'S IDEAL TYPE
seungcheol: i think cheol is attracted to people who give off a big aura, walking chin up kind of look, but have actually a soft spot for him. he likes the reserved and independent people who are willing to get out of their comfort zone for him. because he's an intense lover and will treat you whenever he gets the chance, so you have to accept it and get used to it.
jeonghan: i think the best word is someone easy-going. as we all know, this man will tease the out of this person and play around a lot, so he likes it when that someone can play along or even tease him back. maybe he might like to be able to make you shy as he's a bit flirty, so that be something that attracts him in the early point of meeting.
joshua: really, just someone who wants to be with him, he likes to be wanted. i don't think he needs much, just love and attention. if you're interested in him, that's already enough. and i think he's attracted to the cute look, warm looks like summer.
junhui: i think he likes people younger than him. he likes to take care of that someone, who can hear him attentively and seek advice from. also, someone who is a friend first than a partner. maybe friends to lovers type of romance, he needs to feel safe in the relationship and will provide the same.
soonyoung: you gotta be intresting my friend, dont get this man bored... he might be attracted to people who can teach him new things and are knowledgeable. more than just the person, he's also enamored by the feelings, the thrill that being with someone can have, he needs that to keep a relationship for a long time. someone who is always trying new things with him.
wonwoo: he likes independent people, someone smart and successful. someone who he can have deep conversations with and talk about their similar interests (in books, for example). someone who is introverted like him and prefers to do things just as two and sometimes at home.
jihoon: i think he likes someone who is quiet as him but not so introverted, someone who can also make him go out of his comfort zone without pushing too hard. take him to new places, new interests, and people.
seokmin: someone cute and bubbly. i think he likes people like him, who match his energy. he's like a happy pill, and someone different could make him feel down. he needs to always have dates, go out every weekend with that someone. dating him is really like living life with him, he will drag you around and expect the same from you.
mingyu: female fatale type of energy, who looks classy, independent, and sexy. he likes people who look powerful, who can talk work with him or even make money together. someone who likes to travel and go out a lot, he wants to do that with them.
minghao: i think he likes people who are opposite of him, someone energetic and sociable. but also respect his space and won't drain him out with it. someone who can talk, and he just listens.
seungkwan: he likes the cute and submissive look. he likes to feel important and treat you, especially financially; to be able to shower you with gifts, dinner nights, travels, and so on. someone who can look dependent on him, but also someone who is able to put him in place when needed and is always willing/not afraid to talk it out.
vernon: someone who he can have long talks with, who have a lot of interests and can share with him and do the same for him. i think he's attracted to people who look sexy and hot, and is smart and witty. and you must love music, he needs you to go in concerts with him.
chan: i think he's attracted to the hot looks and people smaller than him but looks taller (personality aspect). someone who is interested in him, he likes the attention and the praise. someone funny who can joke around with him and who he can be able to make laugh too, so basically, same humor.
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koishua · 2 days
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𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐋 — cyj.
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━━━━━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜 𝗬𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗝𝗨𝗡 | 0.962k words. heavy angst, semi fluff ending. fear of abandonment. themes of lacking self worth.
━━━━━━ burned and hurt before, yeonjun had decided to break up with you and save himself from the pain he believed would inevitably come (as it always does), only to be welcomed again in a feat of unconditional love. (heavily inspire by the smile has left your eyes!)
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! © 𝗞𝗢𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗨𝗔 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗗. reblog/feedback <3
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when the birds cease their serenade, time begins to slow down. seconds trickle down the glass in individual grains of sand, one by one when he locks eyes with the painting of heartbreak he'd left behind. when the subject of his dreams (when you—) look at him through the curtain of your lashes, darkened and damp, yeonjun wishes he dies a slow and agonizing death.
the light in his eyes had vanished into the depths of his sinking stomach, far too out of reach to ever return. not now, not after succumbing into his own fears and letting your hand go. an unnerving moment of silence floats by, the clouds casting a dark grey over the world as far as your eyes can perceive. yeonjun dares not weep in your presence, shame returning in folds when he remembers the words he'd left you with days ago in an attempt to save himself from what he believed would have been an impending pain anyway somewhere down the line. if not soon, then later (and in larger, monstrous waves).
"you told me to never return."
was that the murderous clap of a thunder or the sound of his crushed heart echoing in his ears? choi yeonjun is a man in sorrow. regret seeps out of him in almost visible rivers, down onto the floor and reaching the tips of your shoes. a beat goes by and he sighs, defeated.
"i did."
you take a tentative step forward and he catches the hesitation through the mess of strands over his eyes, blocking you once again. his knees almost crumble underneath him. he doesn't deserve another chance, and yet you're at his broken doorstep offering him one.
through the blur in your vision, your trembling hands reach for his slender and beautiful fingers (a memory resurges of him lulling you to sleep on the piano, his bed a safe haven despite the empty grey walls in shambles and the apparent lack of anything making a space liveable other than where you lay on and the miscellaneous small objects not belonging to a place someone calls a home).
the rain had stopped pouring just minutes ago, his clothes soaked through and skin ice cold. the warmth of your skin feels ugly to yeonjun. it's too inviting (too familiar, too kind, too easy to melt back into, too good to be true after every mistake he's ever made—) and he feels his lungs constrict inside their cage, refusing to breathe enough air as if to punish himself for ever believing he'd be loved.
but he is.
unconditionally.
"don't leave me," the words clumsily part from his purple lips. yeonjun feels a tender hand against the back of his head pulling him into an embrace he'd prayed he'd be able to forget after running away from the life of peace that had terrified him.
you don't see his glazed, wide open eyes from your position, an arm around his neck and a hand running through his hair still dripping water on the nape of his neck, nevermind the shiver that runs down your spine from the cold sleeping through your shirt. a fist harshly squeezes your heart thinking about the man at your mercy.
there is no rain to blame the tears you feel collecting under your chin. a haggard breath of air inhaled, shoulders tense and trembling, a tug on the fabric of your shirt is enough to let you know that choi yeonjun is a man destroyed.
he's a man broken in more ways than one and one who is terrified of being held so compassionately, so fondly. petrified of being hurt again and yet so desperate for a semblance of affection. the weight of feeling unloved and fearing it at the same time weighed him down and chained him to the ground.
"i'll stay," your reassuring words reach his ears like a prayer answered, allowing him to collapse safely into your embrace like never before. once strong arms wrap around your waist as though he is bound to you for eternity, never to let go.
you sway together to the sound of the cars passing down below, unable to see them, standing so far away from the rooftop's railings and in a corner tucked away under the light above his doorway. your bodies mould into one synchronous being, complete like pieces of a puzzle.
yeonjun tightens his hold on you when you reach for the handle bar, pushing the creaky metal door open and into the safety of his small hideaway. finding it difficult to maneuver safely, he lifts you up and lets you wrap your legs around his torso to move you towards his bed, gently placing you down on the edge, letting you regain your bearings.
"please don't leave."
finally able to look into his eyes, yeonjun studies the expression on your face and the way your lips quiver. you bring your palm to cup his face, not needing to reach far as he crouches in front of you, his own hand wrapping over yours to bring you closer and lean further into your touch. his eyes flutter shut, feeling your soft lips press against his forehead, strands of hair brushed away.
"i love you."
"don't ever leave me, please."
"i love you."
"stay."
"i love you, yeonjun."
"i never meant to hurt you."
"i love you."
"i was just scared. i never meant any of it."
"i know, i love you."
"please believe me."
"i do, i love you."
"i love you, too."
"i know."
"how?"
"you always protect me even when i'm not looking."
"but i hurt you. i left."
"but you loved me then too."
"i did— i do. please forgive me. i'm so sorry."
"i love you, yeonjun."
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nanamiscocksleeve · 3 days
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I'm sorry, but I gotta share my thoughts with someone.
All I can think of is just being married to Nanami and giving him permission to free use you whenever he wants around the house.
He's totally against it at first, rejecting it because it just sexualizes you into some sort of object for him to use whenever he wants. And he wants to make sure you know that he's married to you, for you and your wonderful personality, not just for sex. (Hell, he probably held off on having sex with you for the longest time because he wanted to make sure you knew that he wasn't in it just for that).
But after you explained it better to him and thinking about it for a few days, he realizes how nice it would be to be able to act on those naughty thoughts he always has of you whenever they strike.
You're bent over the counter grabbing something out of a cabinet and all he can think of is how that's the perfect position to eat you out? He could do it.
You have a new lipstick on and he wonders how it would look around his cock? He can find out.
He comes to realize that he definitely should've agreed to it sooner because of how much you both enjoy it.
Kento is the king of consent.
I definitely think he'd be reserved when you first start getting intimate, not wanting you to think he's just interested in you physically. This man needs a 3 month minimum before he starts heading towards the bedroom.
The idea of being his free use is so hot. Look at you innocently trying to grab something off the top shelf, making your shorts ride up so temptingly, stopping just at the swell of your ass. It's like you're begging to be spanked.
But he's the kind to put rules in free use too. Safe word in place, and in the house only. Or an empty alleyway. It depends on the need.
Once he gets the hang of it, he's really into it.
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edsbug · 23 hours
Text
Moonlight
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pairing: eddie munson x gn!reader
summary: eddie helps you find comfort on a restless night (wc: 1k)
contains: reader has a bout of insomnia, eddie sings to reader, hurt/comfort (emphasis on the comfort), fluff, eddie being a sweetheart
author’s notes: i have been struggling a bit lately and wrote this to make myself feel better. i hope it may help others too<3
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The room was steeped in shadows, the only light coming from the faint sliver of moonlight peeking through the curtains. Eddie lay sprawled across his bed, his unruly hair fanned out on the pillow, his breathing deep and even, lost in the realms of sleep. You, however, were wide awake, your mind refusing to quiet down.
Eddie's room was a blend of chaos and comfort, stacks of well-worn magazines, band posters covering the walls, and a full ashtray on the nightstand. You stared at the ceiling, counting the cracks in the plaster, the ticking of the clock growing louder with each passing minute. You didn't want to wake Eddie, knowing how little sleep he often got.
It had been a week since you got a decent nights sleep. The room feels like a silent witness to your restlessness. The minutes drag on, and each glance at the clock only heightens your anxiety. You try to focus on Eddie's calm presence beside you, hoping his tranquility might somehow seep into you. But instead, you become acutely aware of every small sound — the ticking of a distant clock, the faint hum of the refrigerator, the occasional creak of the trailer settling.
As you lay there, the frustration of not being able to sleep begins to build. Every time you close your eyes, your mind races with a cascade of thoughts, each one more persistent than the last. You replay the events of the day, worry about tomorrow, and ponder the meaning of fleeting moments that now seem monumental in the quiet darkness.
After what feels like hours of tossing and turning, you decide to slip out of bed, hoping some movement might help clear your head. Carefully, you begin to inch your way out from under the covers, moving with precision. But as you swing your legs over the side of the bed, the mattress creaks slightly, and you hear a soft murmur behind you.
You freeze, holding your breath, but it’s too late. Eddie stirs, his eyes fluttering open. “Hey,” he mumbles, his voice thick with sleep. “Where’re you going?”
Caught, you sigh and turn to face him. “I’m sorry, Eddie. I didn’t mean to wake you. I just… I can’t sleep.”
Eddie blinks a few times, shaking off the remnants of his dream. He props himself up on one elbow, worry etching lines into his forehead. “Come back to bed,” he says softly, patting the space beside him.
You hesitate, but the concerned look in his eyes and the warmth of his voice are too inviting to resist. You climb back into bed, and Eddie immediately wraps his arms around you, pulling you close. The scent of his skin, a mix of soap and his cologne, fills your senses, grounding you.
“What’s on your mind?” he asks softly, his lips brushing your forehead.
You lean into him, feeling the steady beat of his heart against your cheek. “I’m not sure. A bit of everything. I just can’t seem to turn my mind off.”
Eddie chuckled softly, his breath warm against your ear. "Sounds familiar. You know, I have a trick for that."
"What trick?"
He reluctantly untangled himself from you and slid out of bed. You watched as he scurried towards the living room. After a moment, he came back with a vinyl record, glancing at it with a small smile before moving to his record player tucked away in the corner of his room. "This," he said, holding up the record, "is one of my uncle's favorites. Always helps me relax."
He carefully placed the record on the turntable, the needle finding its groove with a soft crackle. The room filled with the warm, mellow sounds of a classic rock ballad, the kind that seemed to wrap around you like a comforting blanket.
Eddie returned to the bed, climbing back under the covers and pulling you close.
"There. Just listen to the music. Let it carry you away."
You nestled against him, feeling the vibrations of the music seep into your bones. The gentle strumming of the guitar and the soothing vocals eased the tension in your body.
Eddie began softly humming along to the music, his voice a soothing lullaby. His hand traced lazy patterns on your back, his calloused fingertips grounding you.
"I don't know what l'd do without you," you whispered, your voice trembling.
Eddie pulled back slightly, cupping your face in his hands. His eyes, full of love, met yours. "You'll never have to find out, because I'm not going anywhere.”
He leaned in, kissing you softly, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist. It was just you and Eddie, wrapped in each other's arms, safe from the chaos.
Eddie's humming turned into soft singing, his voice low and melodic, blending seamlessly with the gentle strumming of the guitar. You closed your eyes and let the melody wash over you. Your racing thoughts began to slow, the worries of the day fading into the background.
Eddie's presence, steady and unwavering, was a beacon in the dark. He had a way of making you feel safe, even when your mind was in turmoil. "Thank you," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the music.
He pressed a kiss to your temple. "Anytime. I'm here, always."
Minutes passed, the music weaving its magic. You felt the edges of sleep begin to creep in, your mind finally quieting. Eddie continued his gentle ministrations, his fingers brushing through your hair, his breath even and calming.
You sighed, your body relaxing completely for the first time in days. "I think it’s working," you mumbled, feeling sleep pull you under.
Eddie chuckled softly. "Good. Just keep listening. I'll be right here."
And with that promise, you finally let go, surrendering to the gentle embrace of sleep. The music, Eddie's voice, and the shared quiet moment between you created a perfect harmony, one that carried you into a deep, restful slumber.
As you drift off to sleep, Eddie’s voice is the last thing you hear, a promise in the dark. “I’ll always be here for you sweetheart. Sweet dreams.”
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Text
Hunter's Favorite
Pairing: Shigadabi
Rating: Explicit
Summary: Commissioned by @zehei, Tomura has been an intergalactic poacher for a good long while now, and when a potential job comes through that's for a big payout only four hours from where he currently is, he decides to look into it. But red flags start to blanket the wintery forest as he realizes the barely classified creature that he's been sent after seems far too sapient to actually be an animal. For his part, Dabi is just desperately trying to find what he needs to ensure his next heat doesn't kill him.
Contents: Sci-fi bullshit, Alien!Dabi, Hermaphrodite!Dabi*, descriptions of violence and (brief) vomiting, non-human anatomy, mating cycles/heats, size difference, size kink, scent kink, cum inflation (brief), belly bulge, eggpreg, egg laying, infertility, vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, multiple orgasms, wet and messy, courtship rituals, mating bonds.
*Author's note: I am using "Hermaphrodite" rather than intersex because Dabi is not human and his species is able to produce both male and female gametes throughout their entire lifecycles unless they use medicines to stop that process.
Word Count: 22,357
Days camping in the wilderness have never exactly been Tomura's idea of a good time, let alone the wilderness on foreign, barely settled planets looking for a creature that could very well already be captured or dead. But that is what he finds himself doing as he lands his ship and starts to make his way outside. Ipra 309T is a small earth-like planet, which is a stroke of luck for him because the last one he was on had dangerous amounts of sulfuric gas making up the atmosphere, and the one before that had dangerously high spikes of radiation. Ipra 309T is a hospitable planet that in all likelihood will see a settlement brought to its surface within the next few years once the current groups of scientists finish surveying the land. 
He makes sure that he has all of the gear he needs for his stay, however long that will end up being, and leaves his ship. The cloaking device only works when it's stationary, but after the past half an hour of scanning the area, it's taken in the environment and is able to mimic it effectively, turning all but invisible to the naked eye, certainly invisible to most animals that may come across it while he's gone. Camping. In a snow covered forest. Great. Tomura is already bundled as tight as he can be and he is already wishing that he hadn't taken on this job as he starts to walk away from his far more comfortable vessel. If he were a lazy poacher he would just send out drones to look for the creature and stay in his ship, but the effectiveness of that kind of behavior is always far below what he feels like he's able to achieve by using more traditional methods. And if he wants to bag this little beast then he is going to have to be as effective as possible. 
Tomura starts to hike towards the place where the animal-- if it is an animal at all-- was spotted last. Ipra 309T hasn't been fully surveyed yet, and the first reports that scientists had given were that there weren't any sapient species on the planet. Which would mean settlers would be welcome to come and stake their claim on the land as long as they did so within interplanetary immigration guidelines. And then someone came across a pack of eight small bipedal creatures. The early reports said that the creatures had white skin and hair with long pointed ears with tufts of fur sticking off the ends and thin tails with prominent tufts at the tip as well. Their sharp claws on the hands and feet, and the mouth full of jagged fangs were very effective against the skin of humans and Varquix, because the two scientists who had come across the pack had immediately been set upon with such viciousness the human had all but dragged their companion away while he held his intestines inside after being gutted. Not a particularly good first encounter, but not that unusual. The problem is that no one has been able to get close enough to the intensely violent and territorial creatures to actually determine if they're people or animals. The other problem is that someone from Proximacard, the company that sent the scientists here to study the planet, had also gotten away with an egg from these creatures, clearly classified as BMN-019, which had been broken at some point. The embryo had, of course, not been viable, but regardless of whatever could be discovered from that, the shell itself had been exquisite. The palest blue in color on the outside with irregular rippling patterns across the surface that flashed like mother of pearl and and inside that, as it oxidized, started to glow, making the ripples along the surface cast faint patterns of the shining rainbow that had been compared to the northern lights on Earth. And the shell had 'gone missing' only for new jewelry that was worth a fortune to crop up among the most elite in two star systems, only a few pieces, but enough to have made the theft more than worth it for the person who orchestrated it. 
And that person had reached out to see if he could find someone to get more of the eggs, if not the creature themselves, hoping they could induce the laying in a sterile environment. It was a job that no one was particularly eager to take up after the early reports on the viciousness of the creatures, but some leak in Proximacard's system made mention of one of the BMN-019s that was seen roaming alone, smaller than the others and with patches of dark blue fur and skin across its body. It was unclear if it was a juvenile or if it was exiled, but it would be worth finding out. He hadn't known if he would want to bother with this job either, given the cold, but the reward for bringing it in was enough to make him go to this planet to potentially freeze to death, especially since he was only four hours away from the location when the message came through. That would all but guarantee that he would be the first one here to try and capture the creature and he was hoping that would better his chances. 
He hikes for the better part of two hours to get to the area where the creature was spotted, the forest not unlike that of a pine forest on Earth, though these trees drop seed leaves year round, the pods pale and mingling with the snow. That only means that he has a better idea of how to survive the natural environment as he finds a place that has a good vantage point and starts to go about setting up his campgrounds. The goal, aside from not freezing to death, is to be as unobtrusive as possible and be able to get the creature to come close enough for him to subdue it and get a translation collar around its throat. If the creature can talk with it on, then he'll know its a person, not an animal, and that means he can warn it that slavers will be after it and that it should probably go with its pack to the surveying crew and try to be registered as a sapient creature and the dominant species on the planet to protect them from being hunted and sold. It's not much of a boundary given the other animals he's captured and sold throughout the years, but it is better than nothing. At least he doesn't trade in people. 
Tomura sets up his camp and scatters some sensors in a mile radius around his tent, cloaked just like his ship, so that he'll know if anything enters the area. And then he returns to sit and wait. Even with the best winter gear that he can buy, he is still loathing that he bothered to look into this job and subject himself to this awful cold. 
///
Dabi wakes just before dusk and stretches his tail flicking and his ears twitching as he listens to make sure nothing is out of place around his den. There shouldn't be any, not when he's made his home so far away from the village and anything else that might want to make a meal out of him now that he's alone, and he's pleased to not hear anything that might indicate an animal has found its way to his den. He stretches and looks down at the thin bedding that he's been able to gather so far and knows that it won't be nearly enough when his cycle hits in a few weeks time, not only that, but there is a hollow aching in his stomach from not eating the day before. Ten months since his exile and he still can hardly feed himself. If he doesn't manage to make his hunting and gathering pay off soon, he doesn't think he'll survive his next heat.
He slips out of the sparse scattering of leaves that have been serving as his nest and makes his way out of the cave he's been calling home, using his claws to grip onto the sheet of ice that reformed overnight. This section of the mountain doesn't have much in the form of readily available resources, but it is just outside of the place the hunters tend to venture, allowing him to sneak along the border taking whatever he can, as well as ensuring that he is far enough away to not be noticed. Maybe someday he'll have the energy to move further east where food is supposed to be more plentiful, but for now, this is all he can manage.
Dabi moves down the side of the mountain, swapping hopping from boulders and snow mounds, up into the trees and moving through those instead. His coloration makes this marginally safer than just darting over the ground, but the white patches of his skin and fur are certainly not the perfect camouflage. Still, he can't change that, and he has to hunt.
He doesn't like to fish the river. Zerads, reptilian semi-aquatic animals with powerful tails, taloned front legs, and sharp teeth, tend to swim in small packs through it, and being alone means that he's an easier target for them to pick off, especially since his shorter reach means that he can't scare them off with his claws when he needs to. But the fish are the most readily available source of food that he can get as it is, and he needs to eat something today and every day as he works his way towards his cycle. If he doesn't-- Dabi shudders to think of the horror stories he was told killed their layers during times of famine. Eggs not forming correctly, eggs shattering inside of the layer's bodies and piercing them with the sharp fragments of shells leaving them to die slow, agonizing deaths. He has managed to avoid those things so far, but he needs to make certain that he's getting the food he needs if he wants to keep avoiding that. If that means risking fishing the river and forcing himself to eat the fish, then he doesn't really have a choice but to try it.
Dabi is about to climb down from the trees to start his fishing, when he spots tracks in the snow. He frowns and slinks down a bit further to try and get a better look. His fur bristles. The rounded toe and strange regular, intricate patterns that are pressed into the ground are not the same as the other kinds of these prints they started finding around the village a year ago, not the shape of any creature's natural foot and that makes him bristle. His ears twitch, listening all the more carefully to hear anything moving around him, but only the light breeze through the trees and birdsong in the distance. He was already being cast away when the tall creatures came into their neighbor's territory and stole the eggs from their brood layer. But from what he heard along the edges of things were that they had strange flesh, and that they left tracks in the snow with no toes. Great. Just what he needs, another potential predator to deal with. Dabi hisses at the footprints as if that will make the frustration disappear, before he continues along the bank of the stream. He doesn't see any signs of Zerads for the moment and perches on the edge to watch and wait. 
It takes the better part of the night, but he manages to spear three large fish on his talons and that take is a relief. He carries them back to his den and tucks himself into the sparse nest. The fish taste foul, he has never liked fish at all, and their bones aren't going to offer as much nutrients as he is likely to need when it comes to being able to form a healthy eggshell, but he needs anything he can get and he forces himself to take large bites and only chew enough not to choke, swallowing the mess down as quickly as he can. The egg he managed to lay last cycle casts the images of his pack along the walls, but it doesn't really make him feel any less lonely as he sits in the thin layer of needles that is nothing like the nest that they used to make for his mother or Shoto. 
///
The next evening he wakes again, not ravenous thanks to his meal the night before, but with the knowledge that he has to go on a proper hunt today. He needs to eat real meat, he needs real bones, and he is so small. He slips from his den and goes through the trees again, this time moving away from the river to try and find something he can pounce on from up high. His people can climb, but they usually choose to hunt on foot, fanning out in a semi-circle and closing in on a target when one has been located. Dabi can't hunt like that, not only because he's alone, but because his strange coloration means that he isn't nearly invisible in the snow. He blends in better up in snowy branches and he only has a chance at catching something if he takes his prey by surprise. So he learned how to climb the trees better than any other Salkeh and now he can dart through the branches looking for his prey. 
He has to travel far from his den to find what he's looking for and it is a miserable realization when he finds a small herd of Vaak curled up and sleeping. There are three babies being guarded by their mother, the animal quadrupedal with thick gray-brown fur, large sharp antlers, sharp beak, and sensitive large ears. He knows if he moves any closer, if he tries to pounce with her around, she will wake and attempt to gore him. He doesn't know if he's fast enough to kill one of the babies and drag its body back up into the trees to feast on, especially not since the babies are nearly the same size as him and he really has no hope of carrying that corpse above ground all the way back home. 
Which means he has to stay until the mother leaves in the morning to go find food for her young. His instincts rebel at the thought of not being in his den for the entire day. But this could be a proper feast for him and the bones will help his egg form so much better. He fights his instincts, resigns himself, and stays where he is, curling up to sleep until the sun rises. Hopefully the mother will leave then and he'll be able to kill the babies before she can return. 
///
Tomura camps for two days, learning through his sensors that this quiet forest is teeming with life. There are a variety of small creatures that live in the trees, many more that roam the forest, but so far none of them have been the BMN-019 that he is looking for. He, thankfully, determines this from his tent where he is doing his best to try and convince himself he doesn't hate the cold more than he hates, well, anything else in the entire universe, but still. It's not until the third day that the sensor by the river goes off and as he checks the scan that it made of the creature's body, he finally gets the jolt of electricity that goes through him when he's found his target. The image the sensor is able to project is only of the creature's silhouette but it matches what he was told to expect for the most part, though seeing the creature in three dimensions shows him just how small it really is. It barely would reach his waist if he were standing beside it. He supposes that would put him right at disemboweling height the way the first scouts were. Still, that is good information to have.
The sensor indicates that the creature stays for a few hours, but it is pitch black outside. He is not about to go trekking through the snow in a dark forest, alone, on a foreign planet. That is a recipe for getting himself killed and losing his target forever. If the creature goes to the river to eat, then he can hike closer tomorrow when the sun is high and prepare to keep an eye on the area closely enough to actually act if it comes there again. It is another miserable night to sleep in the cold, but he will certainly need the rest for tomorrow, so Tomura forces himself to settle. 
In the morning, he gathers what he needs and then hikes out to where the sensor indicated. He stays down wind of the tracks and near the tree line, trying to ensure that the creature won't spot him as he waits and watches to see if the being will show itself. The day passes without the target showing its face, but as the sky grows dark and he feels the stirrings of his exhaustion starting to pull at his senses, Tomura gets his first glimpse of the creature. Through the night vision goggles, he can't tell the exact coloration of the creature, but it does have darker patches across its body that he was told to expect and it is very small as he watches it climb up into the trees instead of going to fish the river again. He tries to move through the forest beneath it at a safe distance. It is even harder to do when trying to keep from being smelled or spotted, but if the creature leaves the canopy, then he can use his tranquilizer gun to knock it out and restrain it. When it wakes he'll try speaking to it and determining if it's a person or an animal.
The creature moves through the trees gracefully, its long claws catching the bark as it jumps from tree to tree, its tail streaking behind him and lilting this way and that to help him keep his balance as it moves. Tomura watches closely and carefully, taking note of how it moves and how quickly a casual pace is for the nimble creature. He has no doubt that it will be much faster than him if it wanted to run. It searches the forest, hunting, Tomura thinks, as he recognizes the randomness of how it scans the environment. 
It finds what it's looking for after a few hours, and Tomura lingers a good way outside of the creature's range of hearing as he sees it settle into a tree above another small group of creatures. He tries to look up the designation of those, but Proximacard's public records for potential settlers are abysmal, and he can't get into the classified ones without his ship's computer. But the animals on the forest floor are sleeping in a tight bundle and his target watches them, pacing along a branch for a moment or two before he decides to settle into the bows of the tree, seemingly to sleep. Tomura can't allow himself that luxury, and he settles to watch the creature through the frigid night.
///
It takes until two hours after sunrise for the mother to leave her babies, and even then, Dabi waits another hour, his stomach hollow and gnawing again, before he thinks it will be safe for him to drop onto the nest. He can't eat all three of the Vaak in one sitting, but he will try to kill as many of them as possible. If he does then he can butcher them for the richest parts of their bodies, gorge himself on what he can eat, and then drag back whatever he can't. He moves along the branch until he is just above their nest bracing himself for the fall. The babies sleep soundly in the snow. 
He drops down, his weight, even so slight, from that distance is enough to crack the spine of the one he lands on top of which begins to scream its agony. But it doesn't manage to move, so Dabi ignores that and instead goes for the other two that are starting to thrash and try to gouge his flesh with their beaks. But his soft fur is much tougher than it looks and the attacks slash, but cannot pierce without them putting the force of a true bite behind it. He twists to find the throat of the second baby and sinks his teeth into the flesh, tearing out the throat and pulling away to find the third before it can even gurgle its last breath drowned in blood. He knows it will die, and he needs to ensure he takes the third as well. That one he throws his body on top of as it tries to flee the nest, stabbing his claws through its ribs and rending its insides into shreds. It collapses beneath him and the one that was screaming its pain only screams for a moment longer before he returns to it and snaps its neck completely. Dabi licks at the blood on his mouth, satisfaction humming through him, as he sees the feast he has made for himself. He listens carefully to ensure the mother isn't rushing back to her nest, and when he doesn't hear any movement but the breeze through the trees, he separates the bodies from each other so that he has room to work. 
If he were home, if he had a pack to keep him safe, he would be much more meticulous in skinning his kills. but right now he just wants to be certain that he eats his fill and has the best parts to bring home with him. He uses his claws to carve the muscular back legs off, the thick bones inside will be full of marrow and will make the consuming of those more pleasant. He opens the chest cavities to find the liver and takes the bulk of fat and meat from the abdominal section as well, getting many pounds of it that he knows will be very hard for him to take back home with him, so he eats that first. Dabi barely chews, knowing that will make it take longer to fill his stomach, and the meat is so slick with blood anyway that it goes down his throat easily enough. The more he can get inside before his body feels full, the less that he will have to waste or carry back with him. 
He is about halfway through the first body before there is a distant click and then a sudden, sharp thud against his thigh. Dabi yelps, startled, whipping around with his teeth bared to try and find whatever hit him. But there isn't anything that he can see. Still. He doesn't like that and quickly checks to ensure that his fur beneath his skin is unharmed before he pulls back and gulps down two more large fistfuls of meat before he grabs a section of one of the baby's intestines. He squeezes out as much filth from them as possible, and then he uses those to lash the legs together so that he will have an easier time of carrying them. He still doesn't hear anything, so he climbs back up into the tree with his spoils, and starts to make his way back home, hoping to get there before the fullness sets in and he's able to sleep for the rest of the day, knowing he won't be hungry for the next several. 
///
Tomura sits back in shock as he watches the tranq dart hit the creature's back flank and bounce off into the snow. He ducks lower in his cover as the creature, small and definitely his target with its patches of dark and light fur, whips around to see what hit it, but the dart is lost in the thick red-stained snow. When the target doesn't find an obvious source of the pain, it goes back to its food. From just watching the creature, Tomura can't determine if it is more or less animal than he was expecting. He only knows that it is particular about the sections that it eats. It's not until a few minutes later as he watches it use the innards of one of its kills to tie the limbs it selected to take with it in a bundle, that Tomura starts to lean towards this being a sapient species, and not an animal. Using tools is not always a clear indicator of a species having human-level or greater intelligence, but it certainly lends itself to that interpretation. The target goes back up into the trees and despite his exhaustion, Tomura follows after it again. He wants to know if this creature has a den, or a pack, or anything that could help him understand it better. 
They trek back through the forest, back to the river, and then he watches from the denser forest as the creature scales the side of the mountain, moving through snow and rock until it slips away into a little crevice in the stones and Tomura loses sight of it. Well, that is something, he supposes. He knows now, at least generally, where the creature is making its home. He goes back to his campsite so that he can sleep after such a long day and dreads his next steps. He may not be certain, but he is more suspicious of this creature being part of a people, not an animal , and that means that he not only won't get the payout for this job, but he will have to decide if he's going to risk trying to make contact with it, if only to tell the creature what danger it and its species are in if they don't get registered by someone as a sapient species. 
He would much rather go back to his tent to sleep, but instead he hikes all the way back to the carcasses that the creature left behind, the mother of them nowhere to be found. He goes to the bodies and carves out as much additional meat as he can, getting a few pounds of it that he knows will keep in the cold. Then he heads back to his campsite and packs that up as well before moving it much closer to the river and where the creature makes its den. It's only once he has all of that re-established that he makes himself sleep, already dreading the next few steps he has to deal with in this situation he's found himself in. 
///
Tomura ends up having to wait another day and a half before the creature comes out of its burrow again. It goes off into the trees and he slips out of his tent to leave some of the strips of meat near where it climbs down from the mountain. He also makes sure to leave a strip of cloth that has his scent on it. There's about a fifty-fifty chance that makes the creature start to associate him with food as a provider or as a potential target, but he would rather get the target to start smelling him a bit. Maybe it will make him less likely to tear out his entrails when he does end up having to approach the creature. 
After another hour or two, it comes back, hesitating in the canopy as it spots the meat. It watches and waits for forty-five minutes before it carefully moves down the tree and over to the pile, ears rotating as it listens for anything beyond the sound of the rushing water. But it investigates the meat, finds the cloth and gives it a sniff, and then takes that along with the large bundle of seed pods and pine needles back up to its lair. Tomura is starting to wonder what else he could leave there for it that might tempt it to stay longer, but after about five minutes, the creature comes back down the side of the mountain to retrieve the food. It snatches it up quickly and darts back up the side of the mountain and he's glad he has more of it. 
This routine continues for three more days. On the first he leaves another bit of the meat and another little piece of cloth for the creature before it leaves its burrow for the night, and when it comes down the side of the mountain it paces around for a long while before it takes a chunk of the meat to the river. It catches a fish with it and Tomura's stomach sinks as he realizes that it was testing it for poison, as it makes the fish eat the chunk and then keeps a hold of it in the water. It hangs on for half an hour before it seems to determine the fish is not going to die unless its claws sink in on accident, and it leaves the fish be before gathering the cloth and the food and going back up into its den. It doesn't come back out for the rest of the night. 
On the second he leaves what is left of the meat and a small sensor. He doesn't know if the creature will figure that out or not, but if it takes it into its burrow, then Tomura will be able to see if there is a whole pack waiting inside. He watches and the creature ignores the offerings tonight, instead going to the forest and gathering more plant matter before coming back and picking up the meat. It pauses as it finds the sensor, tapping at it, even biting on part of the edge and Tomura is mildly dismayed to see that corner shatter right off. The creature spits and sputters as it tastes the metal and plastic and lobs the whole thing into the river before it takes the meat and vegetation up to its den. 
The third day, though he loathes to do it, he gives up one of his thermal blankets. He has more than one, and he takes the one that he's been sleeping with and that has been saturated with his scent to where he has been leaving his offerings and then sits, just on the edge of the treeline, only hidden enough so that he doesn't think the other will spot him immediately when it comes down the slope. And he waits again. 
The creature comes down, investigating the blanket and not treating it as if it's food, thank god. Instead the creature starts to make small soft chirps and purrs as it picks up the fabric and bundles it to its chest. He can see the creature smelling it, its tail swaying softly over the snow as it closes its eyes and presses its face into the fabric. Tomura is struck with how cute the creature looks as it does so after seeing how vicious it was in its hunting before. He hesitates, but he shifts slightly, making himself a little more visible and the creature's head snaps up out of the fabric, its big, bright blue eyes scanning the area and locking onto him quickly. 
It bares its teeth and hisses, "Egg thief!" Short, sharp guttural sounds that Tomura can't understand before it drops the fabric like it's burned him before it darts back up the side of the mountain and disappears again. 
Well. He can't say that went exactly as planned. 
///
Dabi watches from the edge of his burrow as the egg thief waits about an hour before moving over to the bundle of soft, warm hide and begins to fold it. He doesn't know what animal it was made of, but it felt so good under his skin, smelled good and masculine the way the other little hide strips that had been left with the food from before did, and his stomach sinks. He had thought... he had thought, just for a moment, that he was being courted by someone. That some other exiled or lonely person had found him and was trying to give him food and materials to build his nest so he might be more inclined to let them join him when his heat comes. But instead the egg thief, one and a half of him tall and still would be towering at least two heads above even his father, with its thick blotchy skin and reflective insectoid eyes, had been trying to trick him. The thief makes the hide neat again and then goes back to the trees. Dabi watches him until he cannot see anymore, and even then, stays perched in the entryway for the rest of the night, ensuring that the thief does not come back. When the sun does finally rise he goes to his half-formed nest and starts to eat again. He got so much more food, both from his main kill and from the thief bringing everything he couldn't take as offering, but he will still need to go on another big hunt or another few smaller ones before his heat comes. He had been so excited about the hide, it would have easily filled out the rest of his nest, but now he will have to work twice as hard to get everything he needs so that he doesn't die during his heat. 
He eats and forces himself into a fitful sleep when the sun rises. Tonight, he decides, he will finish his nest, with or without that hide. 
///
When Dabi wakes again he pokes his head out of his burrow. The hide is where it was before and he scans the trees to try and find the thief for a few minutes before he darts back down and snatches it from the snow and brings it back up. He shakes the thing out, trying to find anything in it or on it that may be dangerous, but all that does is kick up the air around him and leave his burrow soaked in the scent of the thief. It's a shame that he smells so good, like crisp water and a musk that speaks of being a hunter that makes Dabi feel the first stirrings of arousal. He pushes that away and tucks the hide all around his nest, so big and soft that it fills it out perfectly and makes it much cozier. He wants nothing more than to get right back in, but if he wants to have his heat be perfect, to make it easy after the last one nearly killed him, he needs to do more. 
Dabi goes back out and spends the rest of the night gathering more and more of the seed pods to break, opening them letting piles and piles of white fluff come out that he can stuff under the hide to cushion him from the floor and keep him and his egg as warm as possible even as he will be sweating to cool off desperately. The one thing he will say for being on his own, is that no one seems to be hunting this narrow strip of territory, so finding places where piles and piles of them have gathered isn't very hard. 
He brings them back and growls when he sees the thief, a blotchy white and gray dot on the edge of the trees again, and it stays where it is, even lifting an arm to ensure that he has taken notice. 
"Leave!" Dabi snarls in the creature's direction, holding his pods tight, debating if he should attempt to kill the creature or if he should continue hiding in his burrow. He doesn't know if that thing can climb with its thick, nubbly fingers and feet with no toes or claws to grip the ice and stones, but the rumor had been they also travel in pairs. He doesn't know if he's seen one or two of the creatures, but the hide only smelled like one. 
"I don't mean any harm." The voice that comes out of the creature is even more unsettling because it doesn't have a mouth. It makes sounds that are too regular, that must be speech of some sort, but that Dabi cannot understand, and it does so without a mouth. He doesn't think that it’s an unfair reaction for that to frighten him enough to dart back up to his den as fast as he can possibly go. The thief doesn't chase after him, but he stays in the clearing for hours after Dabi has hidden himself away. 
///
The next day the thief is gone. Dabi combs the area, he smells around and finds the place where his scent goes strong enough that he thinks the other may have made its own den, but he doesn't venture too close, afraid of getting trapped on the ground. But the scent smells a little stale, and the day after that it is even fainter. Fine. Maybe he moved on. Dabi certainly has to if he wants to get the food he will need to push him into his heat that he can feel getting closer by the day. He tries to hunt, but he doesn't have the luck he did before, and before the night ends, he's back at the river, doing his best to snag a few disgusting fish to just ensure his stomach stays full.
When he wakes again, it's with him coming sharply out of sleep with panic roaring through his veins as the smell of burning fills his den. Oh stars, oh no, no, no. Dabi keens mournfully as he leaves his nest, his den, his eggs behind as he runs out of the cave, needing to get as far away from the forest fire as--
He bursts out into the sunlight, and there is smoke on the air, but the trees are not burning. Instead, down below, the egg thief has a small fire, contained in a circle of stones, and beside him is the carcass of a full-grown Vaak. The egg thief looks up at him as he bursts out into the sunlight and lifts its hand again. 
"Good morning." 
Dabi cannot understand the words any more than he can the sight laid out in front of him and he stares down at the egg thief. The creature has removed the outer layer of its face, and he distantly realizes that must have been a hide or something that he was wearing over his head. Because he does have a real face, eyes that remind Dabi of his own though they are smaller and the color of blood, his hair is long and white, but it has been tied back into a bundle at the back of his head, save for a few wavy sections that spill over his face. He has a nose and lips, but his ears are smaller and stuck to the sides of his head instead of the top, and they do not twitch or rotate the way that Dabi's can. He has markings, but they are smaller than Dabi's own, just some texture across his lips and around his eyes, and two short little stripes over the side of his mouth and one eye. 
The thief lowers his hand and pulls a stick out of the fire, then sets it to the side. Dabi watches as he moves over to the vaak's body and carves another section of meat from its corpse using a sharpened something that shines brighter than even Dabi's jet claws. He then pulls the chunk from the stick and the bloody piece and looks back up at him, offering both. He stares and after another second the creature speaks again, 
"I'm not going to hurt you. Come here and have some food." The words are foreign and confusing, but the tone he uses is low and soft, only just loud enough to carry to where he is perched, and he knows that tone from how his mother spoke to his younger siblings. Does he think that he is a child that he can steal away? 
Dabi hisses at him. "Go away!" 
The thief tosses the two pieces of meat up the side of the mountain, to on top of one of the boulders that make up the rocky face a few feet below him. "There's plenty for you to eat if you come down to see me." 
He's torn between hissing at the other again, possibly leaping from the stones and trying to get his claws and teeth into his throat and watch the blood gurgle there until he chokes on it, and... accepting the... courting presents. That must be what these are. Only a potential mate would bring things for his nest, would bring him food, would talk in that tone of voice? Did the thieves realize they couldn't steal away the eggs, so they decided that they would court a mate for them instead? Dabi hisses at him and stomps his way back into his burrow to go to sleep. 
Some thief. He curls up into a tight ball in his nest and tries to go back to sleep, his nose still filled with the scent of the strange creature. He clearly doesn't know that Dabi is alone because he's not worthy of having a mate in the first place. 
///
Tomura keeps the fire going and he slowly butchers the animal he caught the previous day into neat sections. He carves away the legs and breaks them down at the knee joint so that the thick flanks are separated from the thin ankles and hooves the way he had watched the target do with the babies. He takes out as much meat as he can and separates the liver as well. It's cold enough that the corpse will keep for days, and the smoke of the fire, rather than attracting any other creatures, seems to have very effectively scared them all off the way that his target had looked so frightened as it came barreling out of its den to the smell. 
Tomura has a miserable knot in his gut throughout the day. That creature made different sounds at him when he tried to coax it closer with the food. Not just hisses or growls, it had very clearly waited for him to finish speaking and then deliberately articulated, his ears pinned back and his teeth bared in a snarl. He can't pretend that this isn't a person anymore, but that just makes this all so much worse. Other people won't care, they'll do their very best to hide that fact for as long as possible, they might even try to figure out how to lobotomize the creatures when they get them into captivity so they'll just be egg producers for anyone who wants to indulge in the beautiful shells. He is a criminal on thirty planets for the animals he's hunted, but at least he knew those were animals. He hasn't ever done something so vile to a person, and the thought of leaving the strange, vicious, fluffy little creature to suffer whatever fate the next poacher inflicts on it is not something he can stomach either. 
It's a few hours after sundown when the creature reemerges from its den and it pokes its head out, sees him, and actually hisses this time, his ears pinned back and his tail whipping around behind him. Tomura wishes that he could just use the translator himself, but if this is a completely unregistered species, then it won't have the first clue how to translate his language for him, the model not nearly as advanced as others on the market because he hasn't ever needed a more sophisticated one. 
"I have more food." He offers calmly. The creature hasn't tried to attack him yet, and he moved into the center of the snowy field, far enough from the mountain and the trees so that he's certain it won't be able to pounce on him from above like he saw it do when it hunted before. 
"Go away! I'm not a mate!" The creature pairs the words with a big arm motion, trying to shoo him away. Tomura ignores that and gestures for him to come down, then picks up another piece of meat and offers that. The creature looks at him incredulously, stomps one of its feet and huffs before it moves parallel to him until it can jump from the edge of the stones into the nearest tree, then it disappears again. Tomura leaves the meat behind, puts on his goggles so he can see, and follows after it.
He doesn't bother to sneak this time, just staying a few yards behind and keeping one hand on the hilt of his knife just in case it lunges for him. But otherwise, when the creature carefully descends from the trees to start to gather even more of the seed pods, Tomura starts to do the same. Mirroring is something that many species do to show that they're not threatening, and he hopes that his mirroring will help to make the creature less frightened of him. The small creature spots him doing that and glares at him. 
He's much closer than he has been to his target before, and he can see human-like features in the set of its face. Its eyes are larger than a persons and its irises are such a bright blue that Tomura doesn't think he's ever seen that color occur naturally before. It has a small pointed nose and thin well-defined lips that cover the sharp teeth when it isn’t sneering at him, all of them sharp but its incisors are much larger on the tops and bottom of its jaw. The fine, tough fur that covers its body is littered with patches of dark blue under its bright eyes, across its cheeks and down the lower half of its jaw to his collarbone, along its arms, stomach, legs and chest, more dark patches than light and it sticks out fiercely among the snow. It has four fingers on each hand and three toes, long black talons curving off of each like a raptor, the back of its ankle even has a larger dew claw that he has seen the creature use to grip onto branches and stones. Its tail is long and thin, topped with a thicker tuft of longer fur, and its head has hair, not just fur, a shaggy mess of it that looks like it was hacked into the spiky shape around its head and spilling over its forehead and cheeks by the creature's claws. And it really is so small. Maybe four feet tall. Tomura is almost never the tallest human in a room, but he feels like a giant when he looks down at this creature. 
His target hisses at him again and makes a shooing motion and Tomura shakes his head and offers it more of the seed pods. It huffs, takes what it's gathered, and climbs back up into the tree instead. That's fine. For now, Tomura has the time to be patient. 
///
It takes another three days. Every evening when the creature emerges from its den, Tomura offers it bits of the frozen carcass, and he can see the creature's resolve starting to waver at the massive feast that is being offered to it. But it tries to tell him to leave anyway. He stays. He brings more of the seed pods too, he digs through his things until he finds another blanket, not a thermal one, just a thin, small scrap of fabric that he hasn't used in years, and he offers that as well. 
And it takes three days, but the creature finally huffs, paces around, and eventually descends. It still skirts around the edge of his little area and Tomura tries to seem calm and relaxed, very carefully gesturing for it to come closer as he offers some of the meat. The target stays back, darting in just close enough to grab one of the legs instead. It goes halfway up the mountain again as it starts to eat and Tomura lets it do so. He watches as it sets into the frozen flesh ravenously, crunching through the bone and swallowing the marrow and shards as easily as the meat. It manages to eat the entire thing, looking up at him constantly like it's waiting to be attacked, but Tomura just keeps trying to be calm and unthreatening. The creature eats the leg and then eyes the other butchered pile of meat. Tomura offers it again, 
"You can have as much as you want." 
The creature looks nervous and tired, but it comes a little closer again and takes the frozen liver. That was the only specific organ he noticed missing in the babies, and Tomura hoped that would be its favorite. It takes that and gobbles it up as well and Tomura waits. It slinks over to the river to drink, keeping one eye on him the entire time and Tomura watches quietly. There are another few minutes of time that pass, but the creature does eventually come a  little closer, keeping the fire between their bodies. 
He lifts a hand and presses it to his chest. "Tomura." 
The creature considers him for a long moment, then mirrors the motion, "Dabi." 
And Tomura is finally able to breathe a little easier as he offers the blanket too. 
///
He doesn't understand why the thief, Tomura, seems so bound and determined to court him, but after days of him sitting outside of his burrow and the feast he procured a constant offering promising Dabi that his heat will not be one of misery, he finally breaks and goes to actually get closer to the other creature. Tomura moves slowly and carefully, like he is trying very hard not to spook him, like he's a frightened animal, but he wonders if the size of him is what makes that a necessity. He's so large compared to others of his kind and he clearly is a skilled hunter to have taken a Vaak alone and without claws or sharp teeth. They sit together for a few hours and the thief periodically offers him more food. Dabi declines. He would love to gorge himself, but he can't let himself relax that much. 
About halfway through the night, Tomura very slowly reaches into a pouch on the side of the hide that he is wearing over his body and Dabi bristles, but he pulls out a strip of cloth that has a darker square of what looks like the same material as the hard puck that had been left with the second offering of the meat. It's not something that he recognizes and Tomura holds it between his strange hands. He lets Dabi examine the cloth from his side of the fire and then brings it up to his neck, miming adding it to what he is already wearing before pulling it away from his neck and pointing to him. 
For him. Something to wear. Dabi wonders if this is a courtship item from his culture, if the puck was too. He isn't certain that he should accept it when his eggs will never be fertile. If the creature wants to be his mate, then he should know that. Dabi shakes his head. He doesn't know how to tell the thief that he isn't worth the time and effort that he is putting into this courtship. He puts his hand low on his pelvis, where the pouch of his egg will form as he gets into his heat and he whines softly, shaking his head again. 
The thief frowns at him and puts the hide back into the pouch and then offers Dabi more food. It would be sweet if it weren't so sad. Dabi takes that offering and then leaves the fire, going back up to his den, but Tomura calls after him. He half turns to look and sees he's offering another hide, a bigger one like the one he's already added to his nest. Dabi's chest tightens so sharply. This creature is trying so hard to be a good mate. He carefully approaches, still worried that he might lunge for him. But Tomura offers him the hide, letting go of it when it's in Dabi's claws, and he pulls it to his chest. It doesn't smell as good as the other did, it's not as thick, but it's still too much to give someone like him. 
"You should leave." He tells the other, putting the hide back on the ground between them, and using his other hand to try and shoo him again. "I can't be your mate." 
Tomura very deliberately shakes his head. Dabi churrs, huffs, and goes back up to his den. 
But Tomura is still there and waiting for him the next morning. 
///
He offers the scrap of hide for the next day and a half, and no matter how often he rejects it, how frequently Dabi tries to tell him to leave, even resorting to throwing handfuls of snow at the other to try and chase him off, the thief doesn't waver. And the longer he lingers, the deeper that a warmth starts to bloom in his body, telling him again and again that he needs something, and that something should be a mate now that he has plenty of food and a warm, safe nest for his egg. It's those instincts he has been trying so hard to ignore that have him reaching for the hide. Tomura confuses him when he withdraws it, trying to get him to come closer. 
Dabi is still wary, but he moves so that he's within arm's reach of the other creature, his claws ready to go for his throat if he tries to harm him. Tomura mimes wrapping the hide strip around his own neck again and then gestures at Dabi. Oh. He hesitates, his ears pulling back and his tail flicking wildly, but he forces himself to tilt his head back and bare his throat. Tomura moves very slowly as he leans into his space and Dabi gets a stronger whiff of his scent, the warmth of his skin sending him purring softly even through his nervousness as he prepares himself to attack if this is a trick. The thief brings the hide around his neck, and the bit that was like the puck is heavier than the scratchy hide. He slots it into place and there's a soft whirring sound that comes from the thing that Dabi doesn't understand. Tomura leans back out of his space and smiles. 
"There, can you say something for me?" He can't understand the words, but the other mimics speech and Dabi frowns. 
"What is this?"
The whirring gets louder and then Dabi startles as there's a little shock against the side of his neck like when there is lightning in the air. 
"It's okay--" Tomura says in his language. Dabi's head whips back to him and he snarls. Tomura holds up his hands placatingly. "It's okay, it's not going to do that again. It just had to connect to you so that you will be able to understand me. You can understand me now, can't you?" He lowers one hand very slowly to one of his pouches and extracts a little... shell? Something hard and shiny black that opens. He takes a rigid larva out of it and raises it to one of his strange ears, slipping it inside. 
"I--I-- if you could speak all this time, why were you--" he gestures as if that can encapsulate all of the stranger's behaviors up to this point. 
"I can't speak your language." The other tells him, "And you can't speak mine. This earpiece," He points at the thing he stuck inside. "And that collar, connect us so we can understand each other now." He waits to see if Dabi has anything to say to that, but he is just stunned and quiet. He has never heard of such a thing. "My name is Tomura Shigaraki, I'm a human from the planet Earth." 
There's another long pause, but eventually he makes himself croak, "I don't have a pack name anymore." 
Tomura frowns slightly. "Is that different from 'Dabi'?" 
He barely manages to nod. "'Dabi' is my name in exile." His chest tightens, "I was expelled from my pack-- I'm broken, my coloration is wrong, I still lay even though my brother was chosen to be the nest barer--" he has to tell him these things, he has to get this... human to understand that he isn't worth all of this trouble, that he can't be a mate. "My eggs aren't--" 
"People, other species from places besides this one," Tomura cuts him off, his eyes intense, "Want to steal them from you. They think that your people are animals, and they want to steal you away so that you can lay the eggs for them to sell." 
His stomach lurches sharply. "...What?" 
Tomura takes a breath and starts to speak for a long time. 
///
It takes several hours, the sun rising on the clearing again, by the time Tomura has finished telling Dabi everything that he needs to. He doesn't have the training that planet surveyors do to tell a new native species that they are not alone in the universe, but he does what he can. Dabi listens to him, he only asks a few questions, and he can see the small creature grappling with everything he's been told. 
"...I can escort you to the Proximacard settlement where you can get your species registered as sapient and start negotiations with them--"
"They are the ones who told your people," he has never had a qualm about his profession before he hears how Dabi says that, "To steal our eggs." He whines low in his throat, "Would they even listen?" And there's a hopeless fear in his voice that scratches at that bare bit of conscious that has kept him here trying to figure out how to help Dabi and his people, Salkeh, instead of leaving when he realized that they weren't the animals he had thought he should expect. 
"I don't know." He admits and then, before he can use his better judgment and stop himself, he goes on, "I can also take you off planet to the nearest hub. I can bring you to a galactic outpost, and you can get registered directly with someone there who isn't associated with them. They'll work out what they can do to help make sure it is a lot harder for anyone to come here and try to hurt your people." 
Dabi looks so forlorn and helpless for a long moment. "How long would that take?" 
"The nearest planet," that he can go to and that doesn't have an outstanding warrant against him, "Is about a day and a half's flight. I don't know how long getting completely registered will take, but just going and telling them that your species is a people and not animals will make them send non-Proximacard people here to make certain that Proximacard isn't doing anything illegal-- like trying to take your eggs." 
"I... okay. They'll have to find someone else-- I'm an outcast. I can't speak for all Salkeh." 
"Now that I have a sample of your language, they will be able to reach out in your people's tongue. Hopefully that will be enough to keep anyone else from being disemboweled?" 
Dabi shrugs weakly, like he doesn't know and is too caught up in everything else that has already happened to make a decision now. 
"You can take some time if you need it," he offers reluctantly. He doesn't know what learning this kind of thing about the world would do to a species that is still in the hunter-gatherer stage of evolution. He's not even certain, as far as legality goes, if Proximacard would be allowed to set foot on this planet if they'd known about this. "But not too long. I'm not the only person who is interested in your species." 
"Okay." Dabi reaches for the collar. 
"You can leave that on, unless it's causing discomfort. I'll leave in my earpiece. If we are within ten yards of each other then we'll be able to talk." 
Dabi's hand drops away and he just nods, barely looking at him. 
"You can take as much of the meat as you want too." 
"...I'm not giving you my egg." 
"I don't want it. I just brought this because I was hoping that you would talk to me if I showed that I wasn't a threat." 
Dabi's ears pull back, not into sharp points, but almost flat down into his hair and his tail curls around one of his ankles. "...Right. Of course." He doesn't take anything else as he goes back up to his den. It's too far for him to hear the other's voice through the piece. 
///
The next time he sees Dabi is well through half of the night and he is going to have to tell the other man that he is diurnal, not nocturnal, because he is seriously starting to feel the lack of sleep he's been getting over since arriving here. Dabi slinks down the edge of the cliff and comes over to the carcass, picking up another leg before he drags it closer and starts to gnaw on it. 
Between bites he asks, "Do you not eat meat?" 
"I do, but I don't know what on your planet is safe for humans. We have people who determine that through different methods, but I don't have the equipment for that." He takes the water bottle from his belt, "If I didn't have this, I couldn't even safely drink the water on this planet. There are some planets where I can't even breathe because of the different environments. If you come with me, when we dock, I'll have to call the outpost and they'll send someone to see you to determine if you can leave the ship safely, if not, they'll probably come with us back here to fully register you." The only reason he's bothering to take Dabi instead of just going himself to tell them is because he doesn't want the guy to get captured or killed by any other poachers that may arrive while he's gone. He can't even just try to put a call through to the proper authorities because it will be filtered through to Proximacard because they have settling rights on the planet and they'll just report back that the Salkeh are not conclusively a people. Bringing Dabi somewhere it won't be possible for that information to be buried should help actually keep his people from being rounded up and sold to slavers. 
Dabi rolls those things around in his head for a minute and crunches into the bone of the leg again. 
"Can I ask you something?" 
"What?" 
"Do all of your people lay eggs?" The translator has assigned his speech the masculine forms of words, which is how Tomura has been able to guess his gender now, but he has no visible sex organs or any recognizable secondary sex characteristics that he would have expected from another creature. 
"...We're not supposed to." Dabi mumbles, hunching in on himself and making his already small body even tinier. "Packs are made of a mated pair and then whatever clutch they are able to raise over the years. The mates pick one of their children to be the one to continue the line and they are allowed to keep laying throughout their life and look for a mate, the other children become the hunters and guardians for the layer. My youngest brother was picked to do that for my family, my sister, second brother, and I were supposed to be hunters, but I kept laying anyway. I tried to stop it, but it only delays it, and it makes me sick." Dabi hesitates, but he keeps eating, and when he swallows again he mumbles, "They sent me away. We can't sustain a pack that has two layers, and my coloration isn't... right. I'm too noticeable when we hunt." 
"I had a hard time spotting you at night going through the trees." It's not much of a compliment, but the little creature looks so forlorn that Tomura wants to try to offer something comforting. 
"We normally hunt by foot, during the day. I'm... compensating for my shortcomings." 
"If you're surviving fine on your own then your differences aren't shortcomings." He says a little more firmly. That, at least, he can be genuine about. "None of the rest of your pack have survived alone, have they?" 
Dabi considers the words, considers him, and then shrugs slightly, his tail flicking a bit. "I don't know." He shifts, turning slightly away from him as he focuses on his meal, making it very clear he's finished with this line of conversation. 
Tomura doesn't push him on that. He's supposed to be building trust with the other man. He doubts he'll get him onto his ship otherwise. 
///
Dabi isn't sure about any of the things that Tomura tells him. He didn't know there were other people out in the sky, he didn't know there were worlds that were like his but not, that the creatures invading their forests and stealing their eggs were looking for something pretty rather than stealing them away to eat. What he knows most sharply from his conversations with Tomura is that... he isn't looking for a mate. He never was. He only gave him the things he did to try and get him close enough to put the collar on him so they could speak. Tomura brought him gifts to tell Dabi what danger he is in, and that is all he did it for. He never intended to do anything else. 
And Dabi is aching with his hurt every time he goes and curls into his big, warm, fluffy nest with his stomach full. His mother had never had such a lush nest, his father and all of them had never been able to provide her or Shoto such luxury when their heats came. But Tomura doesn't seem to know or even understand any of that. He only means to try to do right by his whole people. That shouldn't sting so badly, but as the smell of the human fades and fades from the blankets, it's the scent of his sorrow that replaces it. Not even the monster his people feared could want someone as broken as him. 
///
"Tomura?" Dabi asks as he comes to the fire. Tomura finishes adding the sections of wood that he gathered earlier in the day and looks up at him. The smaller man looks up at him, his ears pulled down again and his tail flicking by his ankles, like a guilty dog. 
"What is it? Did something happen?" 
Dabi shakes his head slightly, but his head is still down. "How long will it take?" 
"A day and a half to travel there, but they should send someone to the docking bay immediately when I tell them you're with me. I don't know how long they would make me confine you to my ship as they checked you out, but I don't think it would be more than a few days, otherwise they would probably just have me bring you back here so that you wouldn't be off your planet for too long. Maybe a week?" He hopes that it wouldn't be longer than that. He's already spent a lot of time on this job and he's sure the file is properly in circulation now. If they don't sort this out quickly, then the likelihood of other Salkeh getting taken away is absolutely going to go up. 
Dabi shifts on his feet. "I can't leave for two weeks," he says and Tomura wants to argue. "I need medicine if I'm going to try." 
"Medicine?" 
"It's almost time for me to lay my egg. I can hold it off, but I need the fruit from a special tree. If I have enough of the fruit I can push it back for a little while." 
Tomura would almost laugh if Dabi didn't sound so dire as he speaks. Every species on every planet has their own versions of birth control, it's just something that is slowly becoming apparent as a universal constant. "Okay, I can help you gather it if you want." 
"I need you to go get all of it." Dabi tells him. "We only plant the trees on the edge of a claimed territory, and I'm not allowed near any. If they smell I was by the tree, they may come to... hurt me." 
"Okay, where is the tree?"
Over the course of the next few minutes, Dabi gives him directions that Tomura maps out with the sensors that he's placed around the area, and he gets a detailed description of the tree, though it shouldn't be too hard to spot given that it is much smaller than the species that is dominant all throughout this area. The fruits themselves are the size of Dabi's fist, so around the size of an apple, but should be dark purple with a fuzzy white layer of hair along their skin to show they're ripe. 
He would rather not travel at night, but with time being so important, and now knowing the other Salkeh are diurnal, he would rather go to the edge of their territory under the cover of night. Just to lower his chances of getting disemboweled, if at all possible. So he gears up and heads out, Dabi staying behind and watching after him as he goes. 
///
The trek through the snowy forest is, thankfully, not as difficult as he feared it would be, though the cold and moving carefully through the snow does mean he's going much more slowly than he usually does. Still, it's worth it when he gets to the tree and finds that it is filled with the fruits exactly as described. He pulls a small folding bag out of one of his pockets and starts to pick the ones he can reach, going a bit higher than the ones he imagines will be easier for the Salkeh who live in this territory to get to. Dabi said to bring as many as he could, and he's guessing he'll need to eat them every day that they're gone, so he fills the bag with nearly three dozen and makes his way back to the campsite. 
Dabi is waiting for him, inspects the fruits and starts to take them up to his den. 
"Dabi, we should leave as soon as we can." He warns. 
"Tomorrow?" The creature asks, his shoulders hunching in on himself. "I... might be sick after eating some of these. I need a few hours to adjust." 
He doesn't really want to put the other man on his ship, on the first vehicle that he's ever been on, when he already might be at risk of throwing up, so he concedes to that. "Okay, I'm going to go back to my ship and sleep and in the morning I'll gather up my gear and then fly the ship back here. Do you need more food for the trip?" The Vaak that he hunted for the other is still only half eaten, though he supposes that's not really a surprise, the creature was the size of a moose. 
"No," Dabi mumbles, and Tomura isn't going to say that the creature has ever been jovial or even all that talkative, but he certainly seems more dower than he has been before. Part of him wants to ask if pausing his laying is painful or dangerous, but the fact of the matter is that him not doing it could be far, far worse. So he just says, 
"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon?" 
"Yeah." He slinks back up to his den and Tomura extinguishes his fire thoroughly before going back to his ship. It's a lot of hiking on very little sleep, but he can sleep for a few hours in the ship, and the autopilot will be able to cover him on the way to the nearest settled planet. 
///
Dabi doesn't dare curl up in his nest as he eats the raca fruit. Tomura brought him plenty and he purged his stomach as much as he could while the other was gone in the hopes of getting their toxins into his system as quickly and thoroughly as possible, but he still will have to eat so many of them to try and stall the heat that he can feel sitting on the edge of his awareness. He waits until he can't hear Tomura crunching through the snow anymore and then he slips out of the den and takes the first fruit from the bag. The plump insides are bitter and sour as he eats it, the taste immediately making his stomach lurch, but he quickly tears the hard pit from the insides and gulps down the soft pulp of the rest of the fruit in a handful. It has barely hit his stomach before he is reaching for the next, and the next, and the next. He eats them until his whole body feels hot, the fur across his chin is sticky and wet, his claws are soaked, and he's sobbing softly as his body tries to revolt. 
He only manages to hang on for another two fruits before he can't any longer, shifting away to empty his stomach of the fruit that tastes the same crawling up his throat as it did going down. Dabi means to move back to the bag and continue the miserable feast, but the stress and pain in his body are too much, he was too close, and a cloying, sickly warmth starts to bloom through his veins. He stumbles as he tries to stand, dizzy and even weaker than he usually is as his heat swells through his body, barely managing to drag himself back into the safety of his den before his legs give out beneath him. 
///
Tomura lands his ship in the clearing the following afternoon and spends the next twenty minutes boxing up bits of the Vaak to bring along for Dabi to eat. He knows the other doesn't drink as much water as he does, but he also goes about ensuring that he takes several gallons of the water from the river for him. He makes sure that his ship has fully filtered through the air that was inside, runs a decontamination sweep on the thing, and then leaves the bay doors open to take in as much of the pollen, air, and anything else that the planet might have that will hopefully keep Dabi alive. He usually knows how to adjust his ship's environment for his cargo, but he also usually is going after a known species. He doesn't know if Dabi's race is so delicate that a change in humidity or slight fluctuation in pressure could kill him, so he does his best to calibrate all of his systems to keep him safe for the journey. He even lowers the heat so that it will maintain the temperature of the planet, even if that means he's going to be miserable for a few more days. 
And by the time he's done all of that, it's well after noon, and there is still no sign of Dabi. He waits another hour and the alien still doesn't appear. At the end of that hour he goes up to the base of the mountain and calls, 
"Dabi?" He knows the creature's name, and even if he's out of range for the translator, he should be able to hear him anyway. But he doesn't get a response. Tomura hesitates. He hasn't climbed up to the creature's den. At first it was out of fear that he was hiding a vicious pack inside that would tear him to pieces, but after that, it was entirely because he was worried that doing so would encroach on the other's territory and make him feel unsafe. He needs Dabi to trust him and to be able to trust the other if they're going to be in a confined space together for a few days. 
But he also said that the fruits could make him sick. He debates with himself for another twenty minutes, but then he goes back into the ship, gets his climbing gear. The distance from the place where he's seen Dabi disappeared and the ground isn't all that much, but given the icy surface of the stones and mountainside, he would rather be safe than sorry. It takes him another twenty minutes to climb up to the ledge he always sees the other duck into, and even just a cursory look around has him locating the narrow entrance to a cave along with the half-empty bag of fruits, the pits of them, and a pile of what he can only guess is frozen sick. Concern lances through him and he goes over to the mouth of the cave. 
"Dabi?" He calls softly. 
The earpiece crackles to life and he hears a soft, distinctive whimper from deep within the cave followed by a sound he can only describe as a sob. Tomura's stomach sinks. 
"Dabi, are you alright? Can I do anything to help?" 
"T-Tomura," He whines again at the end of the word, and he takes a tentative step into the cave, having to crouch down a fair bit to fit inside.��
"I'm going to come inside, okay?" The other just lets out another weak sob and Tomura doesn't know if he could feel worse about this situation. He's never thought he was a particularly good person, but the realization that he made a newly discovered species cry before he even found out if they could laugh is a truly miserable thing. The other doesn't protest, just giving a pained moan, and he moves through the narrow channel, his nose slowly starting to pick up on a sweet citrusy smell that vaguely resembles lemongrass. It also gets warmer, much, much warmer as he goes, the sunlight dimming behind him, but not going so dark that he can't see anything, because there is a faint blue-green light emanating from deeper in the cave. 
He finds out what that is at the same time as he finds the larger opening. He is on his knees, crouching low, as he sees four eggs, four of the sought-after shining eggs spilling the aurora borealis along the walls and ceiling... in the shape of four figures. They're crudely carved, but they're clearly shaped in a similar away to Dabi. Four Salkeh watching over Dabi who is curled up in what he can only describe as a large, fluffy, makeshift bed built around the blankets he gave the other. 
Dabi mewls at him, a sound that is distinctly cat-like, his bleary eyes blinking up at him, shiny and wet with his tears, his thicker fur pasted to his forehead from his sweat. And it is very warm in the den, Tomura realizes distantly as the small alien writhes in the nest, spreading his legs and showing the hard, flushed cock and dripping cunt, the lips nestled around his base like his dick has replaced where he would expect a clit to be. He feels his face heat and starts to move away. 
"Tomura," Dabi reaches towards him, milky tears slipping over his cheeks. "'M sorry," his voice is watery and thin and his gut sinks. 
"It's alright, I'll wait for you outside--" 
Dabi keens at him, trying to sit up, and when his hands can't reach him, his tail wraps around his wrist. He reaches for the appendage gently and even just the lightest touch has Dabi moaning so loudly, putting all of his sharp teeth on display. "N-need to lay--" He whines, his claws clenching around the blanket and twisting to press his face deeper into it. 
"Okay, that's fine, Dabi." Embarrassment is a heat tingling down his spine as he sees the alien in such an intimate moment. His first instinct is to extract himself to give the other some privacy, but that wars with what he knows about childbirth in his own species alongside the watchful figures that Dabi has made for himself crudely out of his eggs. "Do you want me here? Should I keep watch at the entrance to make sure no one else comes in?" 
Dabi whimpers and his tail pulls on him. "You'll stay?" 
His mouth is dry as he croaks, "If you need me." He's not expecting Dabi to start to purr. He's also not expecting the other to force himself to sit up, claws tangling on his sleeves as he tries to pull him weakly into the nest. 
"T-thought you weren't--" Dabi loses the words in another loud purr as he tries to get him even closer. "Mate, my mate?" 
"Mate?" He doesn't want to push the other away, worried about hurting him, or accidentally getting his gear shredded on those sharp claws, but Dabi is purring and pressing in even closer, shoving his face into his neck and breathing deeply to scent him. 
"Please, please, please. Such a good mate." The other tells him desperately, trying to hook a leg around his hips and pull him closer. "Bringing me food, protecting me, helping make my nest--" Dabi lets out a strange mixture of sounds that the translator can't make sense of. "Be good," he promises, "Be a good mate for you." 
"Dabi," he says as gently as he can, "I can't be your mate." He hates having to say the words as soon as they're out of his mouth, but, "I don't know if we're compatible." And then he wants to slap himself because that should not be the thing that he said. That shouldn't have even crossed his mind. He should have told the other he didn't know those things were-- oh, oh! Is that why he had been so despondent? He thought he was trying to... court him? Tomura's chest tightens as a few more milky tears slip over Dabi's cheeks, his face stricken. 
He's an idiot. He's beyond stupid and this is a terrible idea, but he can't stomach that look on Dabi's face. He can't bear the thought of hurting this creature like this any more than he could leaving him to get captured and abused by some other poacher. He whimpers softly and Tomura... settles more fully into the nest. Dabi's body feels like an inferno, the heat reflected and retained by the blanket he gave him. 
"How can I make this better?" Should he be helping to shift him into a different position? He looks down at the other's stomach and it doesn't seem to have any visible swelling, though he feels like it should given the eggs around the cavern are nearly the size of a pineapple. 
Dabi, maybe his brain cooked through with the heat of his body or the arousal that is making his pussy gush and his cock drip, pulls on him again, his tail shifting from his wrist to up between Tomura's legs. He nearly yelps at the touch, and Dabi chirps and purrs so loudly when he feels his cock beneath the thick fabric. "Mate, mate, mate," he can't tell if the word is a term of endearment or a demand, but Tomura supposes for a species that doesn't constantly have their genitals on display, his body must seem... eager to him. He doesn't know if it's better or worse that he is. That despite everything else, all of the messy things that are happening, Dabi is cute. He's pretty so flushed and needy, his body desperate to be fucked full, and the purrs and moans, the pleading whimpers and whines, how needily he's pulling on him to get him close-- Tomura hasn't had a partner in ages now, and one so eager puts an ill-gotten heat under his skin. 
"Are you sure?" His voice is rough and desperate himself, almost wanting the alien to come to his senses and turn him away. 
"Please, Tomura, hurts," he whimpers, pulling again. 
"Tell me how to make you stop hurting, beautiful." He murmurs, reaching for his gloves. He's burning up, sweat already prickling at his skin beneath his gear, and as he sheds those, Dabi starts to pull more insistently at his jacket. That joins his gloves, his boots, his pants and the thermals beneath all of it, he strips away layer after layer of clothes, and Dabi watches with some fascination as he does. The heat in the cavern is enough for him to barely feel the chill of the outside air that's coming from the entrance. When he's naked too, his cock starts to harden as Dabi spreads his legs wider, letting go of him to keep his sharp claws away from his skin. The fur around his cock and cunt is matted down with how get he is, and Tomura gives into the urge he's had since he saw his dart bounce harmlessly off of his fur, and lets his fingers trace along the fur over the outside of his thigh. 
Dabi purrs again, and the fur, for as tough as it must be, is extremely soft, but dense. It's cloud-like in texture, but there seems to be so much of it, despite how short most of it appears. He tries to gently press his fingers into it, but no matter how warm it is, he doesn't feel the texture of skin beneath, too thick for his touch to sink in. His tail wraps around Tomura's wrist again, grip tight around him, and he brings his hand from the outside of his thigh, to over top of it and then, "Please," he pleads as his cock twitches, the skin there visible and flushed with the heat of his blood. Tomura's breathless as he very gently rubs his fingers along him. Dabi still moans so loudly, back bowing so sharply that he worries he might have hurt him. But he didn't, he's just breathlessly needy as he tries to get more. 
The slick along his cock isn't dissimilar to his own pre, to the vaginal fluid that leaks out of an eager cunt, and when Dabi doesn't growl, snarl, or try to twist away, he lets himself wrap his hand around his length. His cock is the right size for his body, but it's still so small compared to him. Everything about Dabi is small, and he is easily able to have his entire length smothered in his palm, feeling little regular bumps and ridges along his underside that he hadn't been able to see well, but that feel almost as solid as bone beneath his burning velvet skin. It could be bone, he considers distantly. Some species have bones there. It's hard to focus on any coherent thought when Dabi's pretty blue eyes are squeezed shut and he's writhing, his little hips fucking up into his fist and his pretty lips open on  every gasp and moan that he's letting out. 
"Tomura, Tomura, Tomura," the alien keens and he has to stroke him, has to twist his wrist and pump him, slowly increasing the pressure until he finds the things that make him feel good. He thinks he knows when a fresh pulse of slick streams out of his cunt, soaking the blanket beneath them and filling the air with more of that lemongrass scent. "Inside, please, please, need you, please--" 
It's perhaps the only time any human man has ever said, "I don't know if I'll fit, baby," and actually meant it, actually been uncertain. He doesn't know if Dabi can take his cock, certainly not without stretching him for it. But he does take his other hand and drag his fingers through the thick puddle of his slick. He makes sure his fingers are coated thoroughly before he brings them to the puffy lips of his cunt and starts to rub at that soft skin gently, watching with fascination as his anatomy opens for him. The lips spread wider, his cock gets a little longer as it pushes even further out of his body, and he can see the little hole between his legs more clearly. Tomura keeps his touch gentle as he circles him with a finger, and more slick rushes to meet him as Dabi moans and he hears his claws pierce through the blanket. Tomura circles and rubs, but the muscles are soft, giving, and just as eager as the rest of Dabi's body. 
His pussy squeezes around his digit deliciously as he pushes it inside. It's probably a miracle his slick isn't burning off his skin and that his vagina doesn't have teeth or spikes or something inside. It's just hot, wet, and tight, sucking at his finger as he presses it in all the way to the base as Dabi sobs his pleasure. He tries to go slowly, feeling half-crazed as he feels Dabi's body trying to suck at him to get more. He strokes along the soft muscles and feels them give and press back as they undulate against him and he is achingly hard himself as he imagines how tight they'll squeeze him if he can actually give Dabi his cock safely. 
Tomura can't help it, he doesn't know what the other man would want, he's not even certain how the Salkeh normally mate, but he is only human. He leans over the creature's much smaller body and he catches his panting mouth in a kiss. A mouth that is full of sharp teeth that are strong enough to rend bone, that he should be terrified of despite how small and sweet the other feels beneath his lips, but Dabi knows this. His people have a concept of kissing, because his mouth is messy and eager against him, kissing back as his arms wrap around his neck to keep him there and his legs try to wrap around his hips to bring those closer as well. He manages to hook his thighs around his hips, but he can't pull him all the way in, and Dabi lets out a frustrated chitter as he uses his tail to wrap around one of Tomura's thighs and try to pull him even closer. He can't help the breathless laugh he lets out against the other's mouth, and he starts to press in a second finger to try and quell some of his need, stroking his cock in time with the movements along his walls. 
That doesn't calm the creature at all, and he uses his sharp teeth to nip at Tomura's chin, the points dangerous, but not breaking his skin as he does. "Mate me, correctly." He demands, digging his dew claws into Tomura's back just hard enough to put a tantalizing sting of pain under his skin. 
"I'm opening you up, Dabi." He murmurs, drawing his fingers back and pumping them in more deliberately. Dabi keens, his back arching as his cunt gushes around him. "You're so small, little one," his own voice getting rougher as he feels the deceptively delicate body against him. "I don't want to break you." 
"Break me if it means I'll be full," he demands, pounding a fist weakly against the back of his neck. 
"Such a demanding little size queen." He can't keep the warmth out of his voice. 
Dabi curses. The translator knows it's a curse, but it doesn't know how to translate the saying, not having enough of a sample of things on Dabi's world to pull from as he does so. "You are a bad mate!" He snarls, but he's not pulling away, he's just whining and it should not be as endearing as it is, making Tomura's insides warmer as he presses a kiss to Dabi's cheek, 
"Let me give you one more and then you can try my cock, alright?" 
It seems to be enough for the other man because he angles his hips up into his touches again and Tomura presses in a third finger. It already feels like a tight squeeze, but even then the Salkeh doesn't seem satisfied, his cock dripping and such an angry red at his tip, his hips constantly rutting up to fuck himself harder on his digits. He presses more kisses to his cheek, down along his slender neck, chancing licking at his fur which is such a strange textural experience against his tongue, but the other's fur tastes the way it smells, with a strangely herbal tang coming through as well. He doesn't know if he should stop, if he's accidentally going to poison himself by licking at the other's flesh, but Dabi starts to purr even louder as he gets impossibly wetter and Tomura quickly dismisses any hang-ups about the texture. He'll hack up a hairball if it means that he can keep making Dabi feel good. 
He takes the third finger easily enough, and Tomura hopes that means that whatever this state is as he prepares to lay his egg means that his insides are as elastic as they must be for that task. He doesn't want to tear the other open around his cock that he guesses must be much larger than any that Dabi has had before just based on the size of his species. He withdraws his fingers and Dabi starts to purr even more loudly, the sound rumbling out of his chest like a warp engine switching gears, and sending vibrations across both of their skin. Tomura smears the fluid all over his hand along his cock, the touch there making his own need more than insistent as just the cursory strokes make him desperate for the release he was trying to ignore his body craving. 
When he lines up, Dabi pulls on him again. His head looks too big for him and as he does start to slowly press inside, the stretch of Dabi's cunt is deliciously obscene as it spreads so wide for him. The pressure and heat is blinding as he pops his head inside, Dabi's body convulsing around the intrusion and then tightening so much Tomura nearly sees stars as Dabi's cock twitches in his hand, his cunt gushing, his seed spilling thickly all over his hand and stomach as the other comes from that first stretch of him. A heady rush goes through his body as those muscles start to loosen again as Dabi writhes and moans against the nest, his head thrown back and eyes squeezed tight as pleasure seems to wrack his body. He pushes in a little harder, a little deeper, and the other keens, but his body opens for him. He sinks all the way inside and Tomura thinks he's going to lose his mind. He's so tight, so hot, so wet. Dabi's body clings to him, texture along his walls that isn't like any human or alien he's ever fucked before. 
And he's breathless when he sinks all the way inside and he can see the press of himself as a faint shadow along Dabi's stomach. He tries to roll his hips just a bit, and he can see the muscles in his abdomen flutter, can feel them, and he can see how the movement shifts inside. Fucking hell. He's not certain he's ever felt his arousal burn this hot beneath his skin and it's only made all the stronger when Dabi opens his eyes just a sliver so he can see that shining blue and his breath trembles as he demands, 
"More." 
He can't really stop himself from giving the other everything that he can. Tomura fucks into Dabi's body, starting slowly, but as the alien moans and squeezes around him, his cock still hard even after his orgasm, and makes it so abundantly clear that he wants every inch of him that his body can take, he can't hold back. Soon their movements are rough, shifting the blankets beneath them, his mouth dragging over wherever he can reach as he looks for places to make both of their pleasure burn hotter. Dabi doesn't have nipples or a belly button under his fur, but he does have a place on the side of his neck just under his jaw, where a sweeter scent is mingling with that of his slick, and his eyes roll back when he sinks his teeth in there at the same time as he thrusts as deeply as he can go into the other's body. He makes such a wonderful symphony of sounds as Tomura tries to write pleasure into both of their bodies, switching between moans, chitters, and purrs constantly. 
His breaths are growing heavier, the heat between their bodies nearly unbearable as they move, and his pleasure starts to go so hot, tightening the muscles in his thighs and through his pelvis. His balls are drawing closer to his base as his orgasm pushes on his nerves. He doesn't know how Dabi knows that he's getting close, but he starts chirping, making short bright sounds as he tries to pull him closer, his tail wrapping tight around one of his thighs to try and drag him in deeper. He's not expecting his cock to hit something deep inside of the alien's body, something that twitches and flutters against his head before it latches on like there's a tiny mouth sucking at his tip deep inside of Dabi. The surprise, the sensation of that is what sends him over the edge. He lets out a rough groan as he is held deep in the other's body, cumming hard and shaking as his orgasm lasts much longer than it ever does normally. And he just keeps cumming. He's certain that it should be painful, that his body shouldn't be able to give the other so much, but there is a little bulge forming on his stomach where his tip sits, where he's filling the other's body. Tomura can't help the thin whine he lets out as Dabi purrs and purrs as that place inside of him pulls out every drop of cum that he thinks he's ever been able to produce in his life in, god, it must take at least a minute or two, and when he's finally finished, those internal muscles finally let go of him and Dabi slumps bonelessly to the nest, his cock softening and his body letting Tomura pull his out. There's an aching oversensitivity there and he ends up shifting so that he doesn't crush the other beneath him, laying back on the blanket and just trying to catch his fucking breath. 
And then Dabi shifts, half crawling on top of him, his face pressing tightly up into his neck, his tail tangled around one of his legs, and his arms back around him, clinging to his body, and he starts to purr and purr. And Tomura decides he doesn't give a single fuck, he's too busy petting at the soft fur all along the alien's body. 
///
Tomura, for as much as he seemed confused about the mating process at the start, is a good mate for him as his heat swells through his body. His cock is so much bigger than any Dabi has ever seen before, but he supposes that shouldn't be a surprise when he is a much bigger creature in general, and he feels so good inside of his body. Dabi doesn't know how he ever could have pretended to be satisfied with his own tail before when he fills every space of him and gives him so much seed that it leaves his breeding pouch distended with the fluid as his egg forms. And Tomura's body is different underneath his hides. His skin is warmer and more of one even color save for when he's flushed, and he isn't covered in fur elsewhere, which he supposes is why he needs all of the hides that he wears to stay warm. And he's... good. He's sweet. He brings him water, both warmed by a fire outside to help clean up the stickiness from his fur and cold from the river to drink. He brings him food when he's hungry, and he gives him his cock again and again whenever he craves that impossible, delicious fullness.
And being so full, getting so much from the other in such a short period of time means that it is barely three days before he feels that hardness forming low in his abdomen. It doesn't hurt, it's just a different kind of pressure and he is purring and purring as he feels the egg becoming more and more solid. He's never been able to form his egg so quickly and he immediately knows that this will be the shortest heat he's ever had. he's not certain if that's because Tomura was able to fill him so thoroughly, or if it's because he made sure he was so well-fed throughout his entire preparation period, but he doesn't care either way. Even if the egg won't be fertile, and none of his eggs ever are, it still puts something deep and satisfying in his body as he realizes that he will be able to lay so easily for once in his life. 
When his body finally starts to feel as though the pressure is getting too great he starts to nose at Tomura's neck, chittering and chirping to try and get him to wake from his sleep. The human pulls him closer, into his side and presses his face between his ears, nuzzling sweetly into his hair and making Dabi's whole body even warmer and softer. He's a good mate. He's warm and soft, and more affectionate than his father ever was with his mother during her heats. He hopes Shoto finds a mate this sweet someday. 
"What is it, little one? Do you need it again?" He murmurs, his other hand moving down Dabi's body, he touches his lower stomach, feeling the harder press of the egg beneath his skin and Dabi moans softly. His cock is starting to harden again, the pressure inside of him putting good pressure everywhere, just like the other's cock. 
He chitters, rolling onto his back and pulling at the human, being careful of his claws. For as strong as Tomura was to be able to hunt a Vaak so easily, without his hides on, his skin is soft and easy to break. He doesn't want to hurt the other. So he is careful as he gently pulls at him and gets him between his legs. He needs the other to fill him again, to make sure that his walls are already soft and gushing to make room for the press of the egg as it comes. 
Tomura doesn't hesitate to help him get out the egg. He presses inside as he kisses along his neck, licking at his mating gland. He's nibbled on it a few times throughout his heat and each time he does, Dabi only grows more and more desperate for him to bite at his properly. But Tomura doesn't have the same kind of bump on his neck and he worries that he won't be able to give him that. Maybe humans do something else to show that they have taken a mate. He doesn't know. He doesn't have the focus in him to bother to ask. All he cares about is how good it feels when Tomura rubs their cocks together, when he presses his length between his folds and moves against him to stimulate his nerves until his lips are puffy and his cunt is wet and dripping, making sure he coats himself in Dabi's fluids like he wants to soak his scent into his skin before he's even gotten inside. But then he does start to push in and he goes absolutely breathless. Stars dance behind his eyes as his body is made to stretch, and stretch, and stretch open as the other creature makes his insides part around his length. 
He can't be blamed for how good that feels, can't be shamed for how quickly just that entrance and the first few gentle rolling thrusts make him tremble through the heights of his pleasure as they come crashing through him. He certainly does not think he can be blamed for that feeling so perfect that Dabi feels his egg loosen itself from the walls of his breeding sack, and before his mate has even cum to slick his walls further, it is starting to shift slightly lower. Dabi keens, not having words for the feeling of that pressing against the inner muscles that are usually so tight to hold in his mate's seed inside, being stimulated at the same time as they press on his outsides as well on each deep, languid thrust from the human. Dabi can hardly breathe. Normally laying, even when he was allowed to do so, was painful. It was so much pressure and such sharp discomfort as the egg pressed out of his body, but now he is dizzy from how good it feels, the movement on each side of that ring coaxing it open more and more. He feels delirious as he realizes that he's opening up for it without the agonizing cramping that usually comes with this part of the process. 
Tomura mates him slow and deep, one hand, his hands are soft, his claws thin and trimmed back to the beds of his fingertips so that he can't rend flesh, moves to Dabi's cock. He's still hard from how his body is forcing more and more blood there to make laying easier, and that further spike of pleasure opens him enough for the muscles inside to latch onto Tomura's cock again. He's never been able to mount another, but it must feel as good for the human as that suction does for him, because each time his body is ready to receive his release and attaches to him, it hardly takes long for him to shudder through his own orgasm, the first pulse of his fluids sending Dabi into another of his own. 
And as soon as his insides tighten, his egg starts to move. he unlatches from Tomura's cock, and he lets out a soft sound of surprise before he pulls out, seeing the bulge in his stomach beginning to shift. 
"Oh," he breathes, bringing a hand to Dabi's stomach and pressing lightly. Dabi moans as his pelvis tingles with fresh pleasure as the egg moves. It feels heavier than it normally does, though he supposed that's because he hasn't been starving for two weeks before pressing out an egg with a shell barely thick enough to hold. He can feel the ridges and patterns of his shell moving along his walls this time, the sign of a well-formed egg that makes his whole body hum with pride. "Already?" Tomura asks, sounding awed as the bump disappears from the surface of his stomach, as the egg presses into his vaginal canal, and his hand moves lower too. He spreads Dabi's lips wider without even needing to be told, the mixture of his cum and Dabi's slick easing the way so that he can press out the egg. It's not an hours-long struggle that leaves him completely drained this time. It's an easy, gentle slide, his insides already so stretched and used to the delicious feeling of Tomura's cock pushing in so deep. Dabi purrs and purrs as the egg slips free of his body and settles gently into the soft nest beneath him. 
Tomura's hands leave his body and he reaches for the egg, and a flicker of fear goes through him. He said he wasn't a thief, that he didn't want his egg, but it could have been a lie. He could take it now, and Dabi isn't sure that he would have the strength to stand and chase after him to get it back. Even if it is empty, he doesn't want to give it up. Panic surges through his chest--
And Tomura lifts it and offers it to him. The egg has the shiny iridescent color that a strong shell should, the bones he'd eaten throughout the past few weeks imparting it with what it needed to form so well. And the swirls, they're more distinct, better formed than any other that he's ever seen, creating deep ridges and grooves that make it look like something truly unique and lovely. He's never seen another egg like this one, and he thinks that must be because no one else of his kind has ever had a mate like Tomura. He can't help it when he starts to purr and purr as he gently takes the egg from his hands, intending to lick it clean, but Tomura takes some of the cloth he first gave him, unsoiled from their mating, and begins to help him clean it off. He doesn't steal it, he doesn't take it to be crushed the way his father used to take his other eggs. He watches over Dabi, his expression warm, as he holds it. 
There isn't anything inside. He hadn't let himself even pretend that it would be different because he had Tomura. It's his body that is incapable of creating a viable seed, be it in his womb or otherwise, and he can't feel the pulse of warmth that would be inside if it were alive. He can't hear the shifting inside that would indicate that there was something inside. But it's easier not to care about that now. If there is no baby then he can hollow this egg like he has his others, he can keep it close forever, a little part of him and Tomura even if the human tells him he still never intended to take him as a proper mate. 
///
Tomura isn't expecting to get to see Dabi lay his egg, and he's a little stunned and dreading the eventual conversation about the egg itself. About... the child that they may have now after he made himself at home in Dabi's bed. He doesn't know what to think, what to do. He certainly wouldn't be the first human to go off-planet, meet a new species, and immediately copulate, potentially spawning hybrid children, but he didn't think he would actually be the type to do so. He also didn't think he would be the hind to see Dabi holding the egg, the shining, swirling shell nearly eight inches tall and six wide, and wonder how that could have not only gotten out of the little creature, but also to keep finding himself feeling a warmth in his chest as he sees Dabi curling around it, pressing his cheek to it to check its temperature, his ear to it to listen for whatever he expects to hear inside. He doesn't know how he's supposed to ask what this means going forward, but he has to know as the next day he finds Dabi without his genitals visible again, blinking and looking at his surroundings much more carefully, his blue eyes brighter and more aware than they have been for the past few days. 
Tomura has to ask-- and Dabi stands, egg in his arms, and goes outside. 
He immediately scrambles to put all of his clothes back on, having been in only his thermals from how hot the den was, but he knows that he can't let the other just wander around, not when it's been two days and he has no idea if there are other poachers that have already arrived in the area. The other man has been practically non-verbal for days, so he gets into his clothes as quickly as possible and stumbles out into the snow, 
"Dabi, wait--!" 
The other creature is already down by the river and only glances up at him before he crouches into the snow by the bank, waiting. Tomura does his best to get down onto the ground, though he doubts he is anywhere near as graceful or quick as the other man. Still, Dabi waits for him to get down and move up to the edge of the river with him. 
"What are you doing?" 
"Emptying the egg. It'll rot if I leave the stuff inside." His voice is a little scratchy from how much he's been purring and moaning, and he doesn't sound particularly happy about the prospect either. 
"...Rot?" 
Dabi doesn't look at him as he nods, turning the egg onto its tip so that he can use one of his sharp claws to scrape away gently at the surface until he scrapes through enough of the shell to pierce his claw inside. He tips it onto is side and lets the liquid drain out, a milky mixture that looks startlingly similar to their fluids as they gushed out of Dabi with the egg as it was laid, but no clear part, no yolk as he was taught to expect from an egg laid to carry a living creature of any kind. 
"I can't lay healthy eggs," his ears droop low and he won't look up at Tomura as he says that. "I'm sorry." He drains the rest of the fluid and rinses it out in the water until it passes his test, and even after just a minute or two open and not in the water, the inner shell begins to oxidize and it starts to glow a gentle blue. 
"You don't have to apologize, Dabi. I'm not sure I would have been ready to be any kind of parent to a child." He doesn't bother to say it's a relief the egg was infertile. "I don't know if I'm... a suitable mate either." He says more carefully. 
Dabi's shoulders hunch in on themselves. "Okay." He hugs his egg close to his chest, "We need to leave, don't we? I'm sorry for the delay. I should have had you get the fruit as soon as you told me it would be important for us to leave soon." 
Tomura wants to protest, wants to... he doesn't know, give the other some time? A minute alone, maybe, but Dabi is pushing up from the snow and starting towards his ship, still holding the egg carefully, but straightening his spine. Maybe the other doesn't want that though. He doesn't know, he just knows that they do need to make up for lost time. 
He gets the other situated into the ship, having someone in the seat beside his own for the first time, and he makes certain that everything is ready. Dabi still holds onto the hollowed egg, as his ears pitch forward with his interest as he starts up the engines. He keeps finding himself glancing over at Dabi as he starts the final checks, starts the take off procedures, the moment that the engines start and they begin to rise. He brings the ship up past the trees, ascending carefully, and Dabi's nose is all but pressed to the glass as he sees the forest from above. His pupils have blown wide, his tongue peeking out from between his lips like a cat excited to be given a new toy and Tomura feels helpless to the warmth in his chest. 
Space travel was something old and commonplace when he was born. He had been to Earth's moon for a field trip when he was only five. He knows he was impressed then, but since that point, he's spent most of his life in space ships or on other planets. He hasn't even been back to Earth in six years. But seeing the look of wonder on the other's face is... something else. 
"You're going to want to sit back," he instructs, not entirely sure why his throat feels tight. "We're going to go fast to get out of your atmosphere." 
Dabi sits back and wraps his tail around his egg for added security. 
He wonders what it says about him that he still can't help but feel a deep endearment for the creature when they enter hyperspace and the lurch of movement has Dabi throwing up on his floor.
///
The trip to Coth E1 is uneventful as far as the flight goes. The autopilot functions as it's supposed to, they don't get into any skirmishes or fly into an asteroid field, they just go from point A to point B. But the journey itself, having Dabi in the ship for a day and a half is different. About three hours after they left his planet, Dabi hadn't been so clingy and protective of his egg anymore, asking if there was somewhere he could put it where it wouldn't be broken, and Tomura had carefully shown him the smugglers hatch, using his coat to wrap it up in an extra layer of padding even before he put it in a secure box with a spare tarp. 
"My instincts are normalizing again." Is all Dabi had bothered to say when he'd asked if that would really be alright for the rest of the trip. 
He let it go then, and over the next hour he'd shown him around the rest of his small ship. But when that had been finished, Dabi had wanted to sit back at the front of the ship to look out the window. And Tomura had done his best to answer any and every question the Salkeh had about space and the things they passed as they flew. When Dabi had run out of questions, he had just looked out the window until his eyes grew too heavy and he let out a soft defeated coo before he had slumped low in the seat and fallen asleep. Tomura picked him up then, easily lifting the small creature, and carried him back to his cot. Dabi hadn't woken as he was moved, but he had immediately clutched onto his pillow and blanket, tucking his face in tight to the fabric and purring the same way he had when he had been tucked against his chest in their nest. 
He sat on the edge of the bed watching the other sleep for an agonizingly long time. 
///
Flying in the ship is fascinating. It's amazing to be able to travel through the night and see bursts of stars that are the suns of worlds so far away that even in a ship like Tomura's they wouldn't ever be able to reach them. Coming off of his cycle, out of the haze of desperation and longing he'd felt to be claimed by the other, his wonderment at being able to be in the sky is amazing. However, landing is horrible. 
He loses the little he managed to eat when he woke up again as the ship lurches as it comes down in the docking bay with many more ships, some much, much bigger that Tomura's, but the human anticipated his sickness this time and gave him a receptacle to be sick into, the mess being sealed away in seconds rather than spilling anywhere that will have to be cleaned. He also brings him a cup of water to drink to help clean out his mouth. 
"...Sorry." 
"It's fine, Dabi. Lots of species get motion sickness." He then turns his attention back to the panel of buttons in front of him. He hits a few and then a new thing opens across the window, partially blocking the view of the place they've landed in. "Shigaraki Tomura, docked in ship XR0U280. I'm calling to report I have an unregistered sapient species with me who would like to register with the Foundry." 
There's a slight pause and then more talking that Dabi can't understand despite the collar. 
"I'm a wildlife photographer," Tomura tells the other voice. "I came across him while visiting a nearby planet, I don't have access to that kind of equipment." 
There's another burst of speech from the other side, and it sounds calm. Tomura doesn't seem upset either. 
"Thank you, I'll have him put on a helmet before opening the doors." The little square goes away and Tomura turns to him. "Okay, they're going to send someone to check you over, alright? They're going to make sure you're healthy and that none of the things on this planet will make you sick." 
"Okay." 
Tomura brings him a dome to wear around his head and he hooks up a thing to it so that he can breathe, and in just a few minutes, he is opening the door to what looks like another human, and what looks like a reptile that walks on two legs. Tomura blinks when he sees the lizard-person. 
"Spinner? I didn't know you were out here." 
The lizard says something in turn, but Tomura is still calm and the other human, who is shorter than Tomura and that has lumps on their chest that Tomura doesn't produce something from inside of one of the pockets of the hide that they are wearing. They pass it off to Tomura and he turns back to him. 
"This is a universal translator, if you put it on, it will let you understand everyone who talks to you, not just me. It will also start to log your language so that anyone else who meets a Salkeh while wearing this, will be able to understand their speech and talk back to them." 
"Okay." 
"It's going to sting like the collar did." He warns and Dabi is not thrilled about that, but he allows the collar to be swapped for the new one. The sharp jolt that goes through him is easier to stomach this time because he was prepared for it, but Dabi can't say he enjoys it as it happens. 
"Hello," the other human says, "My name is Lilea Sylas, I work for the Foundry and am going to help you to register your species. This is my colleague Dr. Shuichi Iguchi. He's going to give you a check-up." 
"Okay." 
"If you have any questions or need anything explained, all you have to do is ask, we'll do our best to make sure that everything is as comfortable as possible." 
He turns back to Tomura, guilt twisting his stomach, "You'll stay, right?" He doesn't know if he can ask for that. They're not mates, after all. 
"Of course I will." He reassures without blinking. 
And he doesn't move an inch as the other two begin to ask him questions and check him over. 
///
It takes four days for them to do the full gamut of tests to make certain that Dabi isn't carrying any pathogens that he might give to others, and to determine that he isn't going to die to any of the natural ones here. He shouldn't go into weather exceeding twenty-one degrees Celsius for more than one hour without lots of fluids and even then he will have a risk of overheating if he stays in direct sunlight, he should limit his intake of grains to a maximum of five percent of his daily food, and he is deathly allergic to guava of all things. They also determine the dark spots and infertility are due to an autoimmune disease, not one that's transmittable, but that is hereditary, and likely something the rest of his former pack were also carriers of. 
He's not sure if finding out that information makes Dabi feel better or worse, but Tomura feels a hell of a lot better when the Foundry finds the file Proximacard made available for settlers going to Ipra 309T on the Salkeh and immediately send a cease and desist along with an order for immediate closure of the planet. The Foundry, or likely one of the exploration companies that work more closely with them like Exovin, is dispatched six hours after they arrived on day one to put a stop to it and make sure they all left. He's certain that when they find out, and he's sure they will, about Dabi's people being hunted for their eggs, they will put a blockade around the planet as well until they speak to the Salkeh. He doubts Dabi's people will trade away their young, but it will be up to them if they want any shell pieces after they've hatched to be illegal to be sold as well, if the rest of his people even want anything to do with the outside world. 
But at the end of the four days, Dabi is free to wander the planet, he is given a list of all the ones that he will also be able to travel to without having any adverse side-effects, or he can go home. The Foundry will offer transportation if Tomura has his own business to get back to. 
"Okay." Aside from answering questions, Dabi has been quiet for the past few days and it sinks his stomach to see him so despondent. Sylas leaves the ship, and Tomura promises to go out for drinks and to catch up with Spinner when he can, but he gets them out of the ship so it's just he and Dabi alone. When the others are gone Dabi turns to him, "Can I have my egg?" 
"Of course," he makes sure the bay windows are shuttered and then he goes down into the smuggler's hatch and retrieves the bundle. The full shell inside must have oxidized over the past few days of the trip, and he can see the lights dancing across the patterns that swirl over the shell. It feels much less fragile than a chicken egg, but he's still extremely careful with it as he brings it back up to Dabi. 
He takes it and holds it to his chest, "I can go back with the other ship." 
"You don't have to," he says immediately. It's stupid, he should really be distancing himself as much as possible from this situation before someone finds out what he normally does when he's going for wildlife 'shoots'. "I don't mind taking you home." 
Dabi's ears droop and he doesn't look up at him. "No. You've wasted enough time on me. You must have more important things to do."
Tomura isn't certain how he can tell Dabi that nothing he's ever done feels as important as this. Not when he can't really find words for it himself. "I really don't. If you want to go home, I'll be happy to take you." But he can't stop himself from adding, "but if you want to stay and explore, here or some of the other places you can visit, I'll go with you there too." 
That finally gets Dabi looking at him again. "...Why?" 
Why indeed. "Can't I just want to spend more time with you?" 
"No one else ever has." 
"I'll let you in on a universal secret," he tells the other. "Shitty families come from every planet. But they're not here now. You are the first of your kind to ever leave your planet, and you can go wherever you want and we can travel for as long as you want." He needs to stop his mouth from saying these things. He's not a child with some grand view of the galaxy who believes that every new world is an endless possibility. He's a criminal, traveling with him will be dangerous, Dabi will always be in danger until the fascination with the eggs dies. He has to be clear about that. "I would love to have you as a companion for as long as you'd like to stay." 
Dabi's bright blue eyes search his face for a long minute, and then he lets out a shaky breath. "I want to stay." 
Good. There's no other name for the lightness that fills his chest than relief as he realizes that he won't have to leave Dabi behind. "I need to tell you some other things about me. If you want to change your mind afterward, I'll still take you home if you want me to." 
///
Six Years Later
"Two of whatever you have with the domed ice, but absolutely no guava." The little bar that he's wandered into is off of the main thoroughfare, wide bay doors and a large u-shaped counter with several people sitting and sipping at drinks packed full of ice, waiting out the Vebbore heatwave that lasts about two hours as the planet's axis tilts them a little closer to the sun in this region. He sees a few Earth fruits on the counter and being mixed into drinks alcoholic and not, but no immediate signs of guava, still. Better safe than sorry. 
"Tomura Shigaraki." 
He tenses slightly and turns, hating that he has to look up at the middle-aged red-haired human that's speaking to him. He is even less thrilled to see a Constellation's Collective badge pinned to his chest. "Can I help you, officer?" 
"You have two outstanding--" 
"My outstanding warrants in this system were quashed two months ago." He says immediately, flicking open his wallet to pay for the two drinks that have been set in front of him. "Thank you," he acknowledges the bartender. He then lifts his ID for scanning, as is procedure in this system for any arrests. The officer grits his teeth as he does so, his device only taking a second to match his profile to the one in the system and confirm his statement. 
"You're under arrest." 
That... actually does surprise him. "You just saw my warrants--" 
"For the possession of illegal goods." 
"I can assure you I am of age to purchase a slushy, even an alcoholic one." He says flatly. 
The officer glares at him. "That," he says, gesturing to his neck, "Is Salkeh shell. Possession of which is illegal unless you can verify it was obtained ethically." 
Tomura nearly rolls his eyes. One of these kinds of cops. "It was obtained ethically--" he hears a distinctive chitter and braces himself. Sure enough, not three seconds later, a solid weight connects with his shoulders, Dabi's legs hooking quickly around his waist and his tail steadying them both as he reaches over his shoulder to take one of the cups. 
"You were supposed to wait in the ship, it's too warm out here for you." 
"You were taking too long." Dabi says in turn, taking a big bite out of the snow cone dome of ice over the cup. He purrs happily at the coolness and only then seems to take notice of the man still glaring at him. "Who's this?" 
"Pig." The cop's lip curls up into a sneer, and Dabi's tail flicks. 
"Oink. What's he want? I took care of your warrants." 
"He wants to know if my necklace was sourced ethically." 
Dabi snickers, shifting to press a kiss to the shell piece that he'd etched carefully and attached to his translator. The larger piece of the shell sits just under his jaw on the right side of his neck, a ring of Dabi's teeth casting little nebulas through where he thinned the sections for him, since he couldn't have survived taking a proper bite there. "Of course it was, you helped make it." He purrs, rubbing their necks together. His blunt human teeth couldn't have pierced his fur in turn, and instead they had found someone who could embroider with hair, and Tomura had given up a few locks so that he could have his teeth marks in his collar as well. "My mate is welcome to as much of our eggs as he wants." He turns his attention back to the cop, "If that's all?" 
The man clearly wants to argue, but they haven't broken any laws yet, and there are far too many people around who would likely take umbrage with him attempting to arrest Dabi at the very least. Afterall, when he's clinging to him like this, his dark talons disappear against Tomura's black clothes, making him look far smaller and more helpless than he would otherwise. The officer sneers at them one more time, pushing Tomura's wallet back into his hands before he turns and leaves the shop. He watches him go, making sure he actually leaves and isn't waiting outside to grab them as soon as they go, but Dabi is busy gobbling up the rest of the ice from the top of his drink and then quickly slurping down the contents, immediately reaching for Tomura's as well. 
He presses a kiss to the tip of his nose before he relinquishes it, knowing his mate is just not built for this kind of heat. "Did you decide what you want to do tonight?" 
"Yeah! I was talking to a Koquro woman at the bay and she said that there's a boat race after dark along the river, it's really dangerous because it's all in the dark except for the algae that glows as they stir it up." He nuzzles back against his cheek to whisper, "And I heard there's a lot of people trading things." 
"Hmm, we should probably make sure to refuel before we go then." Because Dabi has been having a very good time lately hunting down anyone who breaks the rules of going to his home planet and stealing their eggs. If he's planning on committing a few murders tonight, then they should be ready to leave as soon as possible. His mate starts to purr immediately at not being told no, as if Tomura can ever tell Dabi no over anything. But it does also earn him a kiss from his mate, so he's certainly not complaining. 
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wordstome · 3 days
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Thanks for everything, but it’s time to close up shop.
Hello, everybody. Sorry for this post being a portent of doom, but I feel like you all deserve better than radio silence. Originally, I went on hiatus because I got busy with school and work. This is still true—real life is getting in the way of me being able to write creatively, which I haven’t done in a while.
However, I think it would only be fair for me to admit that I’m just not as into COD anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been into the games and always have been a fan of the little fandom of writers here, but I have to admit that part of my difficulty writing is just not being as into the content anymore. Most of it is just naturally moving on from something you used to like, but I also feel uninspired and weird about the idea of writing fanfiction about the military nowadays.
TO BE CLEAR: I don’t suddenly think that all my fellow writers are doing something problematic and amoral, and I vehemently do not want my departure from creating fan works to be used as some sort of gotcha to attack other writers. I don’t think any of us respect the military or US imperialism (I hope not) and I think the tumblr subsection of fandom is especially aware that COD is military propaganda. What we do here is writing about characters, not the institution they operate in. A lot of cod fanfiction doesn’t even take place in the military. I also haven’t drifted away because some writers make heavier/darker content, so I’m squashing that discourse before it has a chance to start.
It would also be disingenuous to say that I drifted away solely because of fandom discourse, but it certainly didn’t help. Thankfully, I only caught the tail end of a recent…controversy? Discourse? Involving other creators. It’s exhausting and disheartening to see this sort of thing happen, but I also realize it’s kind of inevitable that feathers will be ruffled when subjects like racism against Gaz are addressed, and that doesn’t mean we should just stop talking about those subjects. I don’t have a good solution to this and I don’t mean to complain about something that’s just a part of human nature. I just can’t pretend that it isn’t really demoralizing to see people acting poorly and the internet slapfights that result from it. I hope those involved in the recent incident are taking care of themselves. ❤️
Anyway, if you’ve gotten this far, thanks for reading. I have a lot of love left for this fandom, and especially my fellow creators who I have come to consider genuine friends. I feel a deep obligation to everyone who reads and interacts with my work, and I can’t continue to leave people waiting when I know it is, most likely, over. So, to be clear: this is the end of my COD writing journey. I won’t be writing any more or continuing any of my fics.
All of my works, both here and on AO3, will remain up, so you don’t have to worry about anything being deleted. I’m still grateful to cod for bringing my zest for writing back, even if it was only for a handful of months. And if you guys want to see unpublished drafts (like for kingdom come), have questions, or simply want to know my plans for fics that won’t be finished/want to know how they end, please send me asks or reach out! I would love to talk about it. Mutuals are, as always, extremely welcome in my DMs, and it means the world to me that people have been checking in on me during my hiatus.
TLDR:
I’m leaving for good. None of my fics will be deleted, but they won’t be updated anymore. I won’t be active on this blog, but I’ll still check in once in a while to answer any asks or questions about my fics.
I don’t think this will happen, but it’s worth saying: please don’t use my departure to make sweeping generalizations about the fandom or start more discourse. I just drifted away and lost interest. Take care of yourselves.
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nhlclover · 2 hours
Text
𝐎𝐊𝐀𝐘. | 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐒
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summary: while struggling with your mental health, quinn refuses to leave your side despite your attempts to push him away.
warnings: descriptions of mental illness, behavior and sentiments that resemble depression (although it's kind of vague), crying
word count: 1.26k
It had been a while since you were okay.
Life, recently, had felt like it was trying to suffocate you. The days blended together in a haze of obligations, stress, and an overwhelming sense of inertia. Each morning, the alarm clock was an unwelcome intruder, dragging you from restless sleep into a world that seemed to demand more from you than you could give.
It had been a while since you’d felt this way. And you couldn’t place what had given you this feeling. It was as if the vibrant colors of your world had faded to a dull gray, leaving you trapped in a monochrome existence. The laughter that once came easily now felt forced, a mere echo of genuine joy. Friends and family noticed the change, but their concerned inquiries only added to your burden, making you feel guilty for not being able to snap out of it. So deeper into the hole you fell.
You’d called out of work again, telling your boss you’d come down with the flu which gave you another couple of days to be alone. You’d pulled the covers back over you earlier that morning and found yourself in the same spot nearly fourteen hours later.
The hours stretched and warped in the dim light of your room, a cocoon of silence punctured only by the occasional hum of the refrigerator or the distant murmur of traffic outside. You felt like a ghost haunting your own life, present but not truly living. The motivation to move, to eat, to even turn on a light seemed beyond you. Instead, you lay there, paralyzed by a weight that pressed down on you, making even the smallest tasks feel insurmountable.
When Quinn knocked on the front door of your apartment, at a quarter to midnight, part of him wasn’t surprised to get no answer. It was possible you were asleep after all. However, Quinn knew you and he knew that you didn’t typically fall asleep until well after midnight. He pulled the set of keys you’d given to him for emergencies out of the pocket of his dress pants. He didn’t feel like he was violating your ‘emergencies only’ policy right now.
He knew that you weren’t doing well recently. He’d tried to give you some space, assuming that was what you wanted. But nothing changed. If anything it got worse. He tried to plan dates, but you let them fall through. He showed up at your apartment, but the ghost of you that seemingly replaced you pushed him away.
You then stopped showing up to his games. In two years of dating, you’d only missed a select few home games. And now, you hadn’t been to one in over two weeks. When Quinn heard that you didn’t show yet again, his worry hit a high. He left right after media was over to come check on you.
Quinn shoved the keys in the lock, pushing the door open and stepping inside. It was eerily quiet in your apartment, not even the sound of the television playing broke through. The glow of the city lights filtered through the half-drawn curtains, casting long shadows across the room. Quinn’s heart pounded in his chest as he called out your name softly, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the oppressive silence. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, searching for any sign of movement, but the apartment seemed deserted.
He took a tentative step through the hall, his dress shoes squeaking against the wooden floor. “Hey,” he called out a bit louder, his voice tinged with concern. He made his way toward your bedroom, the door slightly ajar. Pushing it open, he found you buried under blankets, your unruly hair scattered on your pillows.
“Y/n?” Quinn asked, approaching your bed tentatively.
When he caught sight of your sunken face, his heart ached. The bags under your eyes were dark and heavy, accentuated by your pale skin. You were asleep and Quinn felt bad about waking you, but he wasn’t sure you had ate, let alone left your bed today.
He reached out, gently touching your shoulder. You stirred slightly but didn’t fully wake up. “Y/N, it’s me. It’s Quinn.” His voice was soft and soothing, trying to coax you back to the present. Your eyes fluttered open, bleary and unfocused, taking a moment to recognize him.
“Quinn?” Your voice was hoarse, barely more than a croak. You blinked a few times, trying to clear the fog from your mind. Seeing him standing there, his face etched with worry, brought a rush of emotions that you’d been trying to suppress.
“Yeah, it’s me,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I’m here. I was worried about you.”
You scrambled to sit upright, rubbing your eyes with the backs of your hands. “I’m sorry,” you whispered, your voice cracking. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just… I…”
“Hey, hey.” Quinn said softly. “There’s no need to apologize. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay… Which you’re clearly not.”
You shook your head, avoiding Quinn’s gaze. “No, I’m fine, really.”
Your eyes filled with tears, and you quickly turned your head, not wanting Quinn to see you cry. But he did see, and it broke his heart. He reached out, gently cupping your face and turning it back to him. “You don’t have to pretend. Not with me. Not ever.”
A familiar frustration bubbled up inside you. You didn’t want him to see you like this. You were a shell of yourself, the exact opposite of the person you were when he fell in love with you. Tears began to spill over despite your efforts to hold them back. The vulnerability you felt in Quinn's presence was both a comfort and a curse. You wanted to be strong, to show him that you could handle everything, but the truth was you felt like you were drowning, and you didn't know how to reach for help. It was just easier to keep him at arm's length while you sorted shit out.
“Quinn… please…I’m fine.” you said softly, pushing his hand away from your face. “So just… go.”
Quinn shook his head, knowing you were going to push back. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Quinn, please, I just need to be alone,” you say.
“No,” he said firmly. “You don’t need to be alone, you just think you do.”
You quickly wiped away the tears that dripped down your cheeks, hating how vulnerable you felt. “You don’t understand,” you replied, voice tinged with bitterness. “It’s just easier this way.”
“Easier for who?” Quinn asked gently. “Not for you. You're hurting yourself more by pushing everyone away.”
He reached out and took your hand, his touch warm and reassuring. “You don’t have to go through this alone.”
The floodgates opened, and you began to cry, the pent-up emotions spilling out in a torrent of sobs. Quinn pulled you into his arms, holding you close, his heart breaking at the sound of your pain. He didn’t say anything, just held you, letting you cry until the sobs subsided into quiet sniffles.
When you finally pulled yourself from Quinn’s arms, your eyes were red and puffy. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.
Quinn brushed a strand of hair out of your face, his touch tender. “You’re going through a tough time. It happens to everyone, and it’s okay to not be okay. But you don’t have to do this alone. We’ll get through this together.”
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fleshdyketwo · 14 hours
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i have a genuine question that id like to know your thoughts on, as an intersex person. im nonbinary, and ive always had kind of a quite wish that id been born intersex, because i feel like it would make my particular issues with gender and biological sex a lot easier to deal with, but i feel really guilty for thinking that way because i dont want to like... romanticize this thing that causes a lot of people very complex issues, and im not in any place to understand whether or not i am doing that by wishing. but it seems like you feel pretty positively about being intersex, so im curious how you feel about people wishing they were too? is it bad for me to think that way? sorry to dump in your inbox like that, im just really interested in hearing your perspective on it.
i mean i can't control what you think or what you want your body to be like but it's absolutely very insensitive to say to an intersex person that you want to be intersex/are transitioning to intersex etc etc. it's fine to want to have atypical sex characteristics because of gender identity but it's not okay to say that you're transitioning to intersex or anything like that. i can't remember the words off the top of my head but there are non intersexist terms that describe experiences such as yours. think of it similarly to an able bodied person wanting to be physically disabled - it completely negates the abuse we face, idealizes a complex identity and medical conditions without fully understanding them (because you wouldn't be saying things like that if you did actually understand), and it's just weird. plenty of physically disabled people including myself have pride in being disabled and having our community and it's the same thing with being intersex. we can be really proud of this thing we are, but that doesn't make it okay for people to want to identify as one of us when they're not. it's plain weird for one, there's terms for perisex people who desire atypical sex characteristics as a part of gender affirming care, and it shows a complete lack of understanding and respect for us and the struggles we face. like i can't stop you from thinking what you think and wanting what you want but hopefully you can take this into consideration
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thisgirlnamedblusy · 2 days
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Hey, like your story. Can you do a story about the reader is a gardener in the mansion. Donna has been observing her for years and has developed a romantic feelings for her. Inorder to get her closed and win her love, she promoted her to be her maid, an excuse to get close to her. The reader is oblivious and thinks that her mistress is being really kind to her so in turn she gave her, her loyalty. Donna is upset that she doesn't get the idea so she started to flirt with her. The reader felt uncomfortable and one time she asked her mistress on why she's acting this way. Donna got embarrassed then confessed her feelings to the reader then kisses her. Reader is surprised and kisses back, then she told her that she feels the same way. Donna wanted to know when she started to develop feelings for her, READER said it's when she was promoted to being a maid. After that they started their relationship and lived with each other happily. Reader still continues to work at the mansion but Donna helps her around the house as an excuse to spend some time with her.
Yess!!! Here it is!!! Thank you for your request, I hope you like it (And I hope you don't mind I wrote it with Donna's POV, I thought it was interesting) Sorry about the language mistakes :)))
I need you to love me
Pairing: Donna Beneviento x Fem! Gardener! Reader
Warnings: Fluff, mental health issues, slightly dark themes, Donna’s POV, Donna being Donna, insecurities
Word count: 5,946
Summary:  I didn’t believe in love, but your smile made me think otherwise
N/A: Sorry about the language mistakes!!! Requests are open!!! I'm waiting yours!!! I love you all!!! :))
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My steps were slow, but determined, my breathing was still normal, I could control it. I don't know when I got used to leaving the house every afternoon. As I walked around the grounds, I couldn't stop smiling. I was shaking, not because of the cold, but because of the excitement of reaching that place, of stopping imagining you and being able to see you.
I have been serving Mother Miranda for so many years that to remember my life before that was difficult for me. I guess that's because I've always been like that, with, or without Cadou. Nothing had changed. Nothing had made me stop seeing my house as a safe place, and solitude as my most faithful ally.
Maybe getting rid of Josef was a bad idea, or maybe it was the best idea ever. I couldn't say it. I just wanted to know if I was as powerful as my siblings said. But fate is capricious and the lack of a gardener was a problem for my experiments. At least that's what I used to say to calm myself down. It was better not to think of flowers as a silent company, it was better not to think that their colors, their smells, were the only thing that prevented me from seeing everything gray.
I shouldn't care, I didn't have to care. I’m a Lord, I’m the story that a mother tells her child to make it fall asleep. I’m the terror that waits in the darkness, I’m... I’m a monster.
But even a horrible monster like me needed some help. I didn't want an army of maids, or a test subject. I was always quite simple. Power was never one of my ambitions, at least until I met you.
(Y/N), that was your name. You came of your own, without being afraid of what I could do. I know you knew it. I know you knew what happened to the poor unfortunate souls who dared to disturb my solitude. You knew it, but you came, sure of yourself, saying you had something that I needed, that I wanted.
No human being had anything I wanted, you should have known, (Y/N).
You said you knew how to take care of flowers, you knew how to make the garden shine. Did you want to be like Josef? Poor and innocent (Y/N), you just didn't know how he ended up.
No, you didn't know, or you didn't care.
I fought with all my might to be rational, to not take out all my frustrations on you. If you only knew the pleasure that to see you in my mind, rushing down the waterfall, gave me. Surely you would have fled, you would never have returned.
I would have liked to tell you that I didn't need you but... For some reason, I started to think otherwise. Your ability was quite curious, as was your appearance. Curiosity was the only word that came to my mind when I was looking at you.
Over time, I became fond of getting closer to where you were. I was looking for an excuse, a reason to make you disappear. I wanted my solitude, I wanted it back. I didn't need to see your stupid smile, even if I was the one who started looking for it.
But joy is a contagious emotion. You smiled at me, and I smiled back. You couldn't see me, but I saw you, I couldn't stop seeing you. Day, night, summer, winter…
Time passed and your smile didn't disappear, neither did mine. What was happening to me? Why after so many years I had a reason to smile? I tried to ignore it, really, (Y/N), I tried.
I tried to ignore the fact that my mind stopped tormenting me for a few moments, just to draw your smile, your beauty.
Love is an artificial construction, an invention of human beings to have something to fight for. I used to think that way. I used to think love wasn't real, that it was just a trick of the subconscious and that it confused people to make them believe that their loved one had something they needed.
Eat, drink, sleep... Those were the true needs of a human being. Loving was not necessary, you could not die for lack of love. I was sure of that, until I met you.
Tachycardia, discomfort, confused mind... It seemed like an illness, a serious one. Every time I saw you, my soul seemed to want to leave my body. Was it love?
I looked for a remedy. I swear I looked for a remedy to make that tremor, to make that pain disappear. None of the plants you cared for were of any use to me. Only you managed to appease my spirit. I wish I could have avoided it, I wish, after so many years my heart would stop beating so hard when I look at you.
All the times I think about you, the times I dream that you hug me at night, the feeling of imagining your gaze very close to mine, your lips very close to mine, so close that they almost seemed to collide… Oh, Gods, I wanted them to collide. Why, when my mind abandoned its sanity, I could only sob your name? I didn't need you. I didn't need your arms surrounding my body. I didn't need your voice calming my demons. I didn't need it, you didn't have something my body craved. You didn't have it.
“Oh, wow, hi, Donna,” you said, scared when you saw me behind you. I couldn't tell how long I had been staring at you, lost in thought.
“Hello,” I said, clearing my throat, noticing that cold sweat running down my forehead. At least you couldn't look at me. You couldn't see my stupid smile.
You stood up from the ground, shaking the dirt off your hands. My presence should be disturbing to you, you should fear my presence.
“Look, I've taken care of all those weeds,” you told me, pointing to a pile of plants in the corner.
You always do it. You always make the bad things disappear. You always make the thorns not eclipse the beauty of a rose, could you do the same with me? Could you be able to take away my darkness? To tear it from my body like those weeds?
“Good job,” I said quietly. Normally a random girl like you wouldn't have the right to hear my voice, you should consider yourself privileged, (Y/N), or at least realize that it means you're important to me. Are you?
“Ugh, it's been a crazy day,” you sighed, taking off your gloves and leaving them on a pile of firewood. You're not even terrified of turning your back on me. Don't you know how dangerous I am? “I have taken care of the gardenias, apparently they were sick with aphids, and when I thought it couldn't get worse, it turns out that...”
I wasn't listening to you, (Y/N), I didn't care about gardenias. I couldn't do anything but get lost in your voice, to study each of your movements to remember them when the nightmares torment me, to be able to see your hand reaching out to me to take me out of hell.
“But hey, it doesn't matter, how about you?” You asked, like every day.
What did you want me to tell you? Did you want to know I spent the day thinking about you? You wouldn't want to hear that.
I shrugged. You should be used to it.
“Wait, where’s Angie?” You asked, looking around for any sign of my doll.
At what point did I forget about Angie?
I couldn't live without that doll. I needed to feel that I was protected in some way, that Angie would come to my aid if the words refused to come out of my mouth. I needed her, but I forgot about her. Your smile made me forget about Angie. I hope you were proud.
“She's at home,” I said in a low voice, wiping the sweat from my hands on my dress. If you thought I would tell you that I forgot about her because I wanted to be with you, you could sit and wait, (Y/N).
“I see. This cold is even unbearable for her, right?” You joked, with a polite smile. Are you questioning me? No I don’t think so. “Would you like some tea?”
Before she could say anything, my body moved on its own, making me nod slowly. Your smile graced your face again, pleased by my silent response.
“Sorry about the mess,” you said nervously, removing a pile of junk from the table before elegantly offering me a chair. Oh, right, I forgot that I was your lady, a Lord, a dangerous one.
I sat slowly, looking at the old cabin. I asked myself in which corner you would spend the time when I was not with you. Did you like to read? What did you occupy your thoughts when the flowers were already taken care of? I wanted to know so many things... And at the same time I wished I didn't want to know them. I didn't want more reasons, more imaginary scenarios in my head.
“Here, it's hot,” you said kindly, placing a small cup in front of me. I recognized that cup. Josef also used to offer me some tea. Thinking that you could end up like him didn't sound so fun anymore, it stopped doing a long time ago.
I shook my head to thank you while you searched the small kitchen for something. It looked like a tray.
“Look, I made cookies. Well, I tried to,” you commented amused, showing me that kind of strange, deformed things. “They look horrible, but I promise you they are good.”
Oh, I understood instantly, did you want to poison me?
“I didn't know you cooked,” I whispered, taking one of those cookies and observing it, looking for the trace of the poison you had put in them. You were an idiot, (Y/N), you couldn't fool me.
“Well, saying that I cook is perhaps exaggerating…. I survive,” you joked again, sitting in front of me and eating one of those... Things.
Assuring you that you didn't want to kill me, I bit into one. Vanilla, did you like vanilla?
“You haven't sifted the flour,” I said, crumbling the rest to check its texture, still suspicious. It was nothing personal, (Y/N). I couldn't trust anyone, not even you.
“Sorry, sif... What?” You asked curious. Great, now I had to explain something as basic as that to you.
“The flour must be sifted, (Y/N). If not, it clumps together and spoils the dough,” I explained, with your eyes looking at me attentively. Sometimes I could feel them piercing my veil, could they really do that?
“Oh really? Wait, I'll write it down,” you said hastily, taking notes in a small notebook.
Not knowing what I was looking at gave me an advantage, I could know what you had written. I could see what your handwriting was like. Just as I thought, a disaster.
“Sift the flour... Okay,” you said satisfied, leaving the pen on the table and looking at me embarrassed. As time went by I began to understand your looks, you still hid so many secrets from me. I wanted to know them all.
“You don't know how to do it, do you?” I asked, smiling involuntarily again.
“I have no idea,” you said, hiding your blush behind the cup of tea.
“Do you have a strainer?” I asked getting up from the chair, passing by you. I didn't need to explain it to you, that cabin was still mine. Everything was mine, even you, even if you didn't know it.
“I think, I think so,” you stammered, searching through the drawers of the old kitchen. “This?”
I nodded, taking the metal object and a small bowl that was nearby.
“Wait,” you said, putting a hand on my shoulder when I was about to add the flour. I was doing you a favor and you were protesting. I didn't understand you. I didn't understand why I even bothered to help you. Maybe if I was useful to you maybe you could... Love me? I think I was rambling.
From a nearby hook, you grabbed an apron, and without even asking me, fastened it around my waist. I couldn't describe the feeling I felt when you were so close, when your hands surrounded my waist without touching it. I started to think you were torture. You came closer and I couldn't touch you.
I wanted to scream, to grab your hands so you could hug me. I had to fight with that stupid impulse.
“That way you don't get stained,” you said, with your hands on your hips. You must have seen something strange in my body, maybe you noticed my heavy breathing, maybe my heart was beating so hard that even you could hear it. “Well, you know… The flour is white, your dress is black and…”
I nodded so you would stop babbling, staring at me. Please stop looking at me... Wanting to forget the air that moved your body was so close to mine, I began to manipulate the flour under your attentive gaze. You even seemed innocent, it seemed like you weren't breaking my heart without even realizing it.
“Okay...” You said nodding, approaching me again. “It seems easy.”
“It's easy, (Y/N),” I said, shaking the flour from my hands. Sometimes I believed that fate was against me. That white powder reached your face, making you close your eyes and take a deep breath.
“Achoo!” You sneezed, raising a white cloud around us. “Oh, wow, I…”
Your look was worried, but it wasn't hard to see the amusement in your eyes. Naturally, my entire body was covered in flour. I knew you were laughing at me, but in such a shameless way. Embarrassed and confused, I brushed off what I could of my dress. I should have gotten angry, punished you, but I didn't, I just stared at you, I wanted... I wanted to know what your laugh sounded like.
“I'm sorry,” you said, lowering your head and gently patting my dress. “I have made a mess on your dress.”
That damn white powder got through the little holes in my veil, making me cough too. Maybe it wasn't an accident. Maybe that was your intention.
Wanting to be free of that discomfort, I moved the black cloth away from my face. Your smile, your presence made me forget about something as important as Angie, and also, also my wish to you never be able to see my face. That was the last thing I wanted. You would never love me if you saw how I look. Never, never, never…
When I realized that the black cloth was in my hands, my entire body tensed. I was about to panic. I noticed how my sanity was slipping through my fingers, how the voices in my head began to whisper horrible things to me, things that I didn't want to do.
Finish her, she hates you, Donna, everyone hates you, Donna, you're a monster...
“Wait, let me help you,” you said with a soft voice, not being able to take your eyes off me. Help me to what? To kill you?
The voices faded when I felt something warm in my hand, yours, holding it, preventing my desire to kill you from overpowering the desire to love you. You were a gardener, why was your skin so damn soft?
My gaze slowly rose to yours, knowing that this was the last thing I needed to make a decision, to make you disappear from my life, although my heart was screaming at me not to do it, to look into your eyes.
Your other hand rose to my face and I stepped back reflexively. I couldn't run away from you, your soft and warm hand made me stay in the same place, made me want to stay in the same place.
“That's it, that's it,” you whispered, running a hand through the bangs that hid my deformity. “You know what? I imagined you differently.”
Those words caused my mind to echo those voices again. I played with the veil in my hand, not knowing if I should put it back on, or on the contrary, strangle you with it. Just thinking about it made my stomach turn.
“What did you imagine?” I asked abruptly, bringing my panic attack to light. You smiled, unfazed by my nervous state.
“Well, I thought you were blonde,” you said calmly, taking the veil from my hand and putting it on my head again. Your hands weren't shaking, your eyes weren't terrified. You were hiding very well, huh?
“Blonde?” I asked confused. Didn't you think I was horrible? Did you think I was blonde? What kind of macabre joke made me love you so much?
You nodded with a sigh, brushing some flour off my shoulder.
“I...” I whispered, moving away from you, moving away for my own sake, and yours. “Tha, thanks for the tea,” I said, leaving the cabin almost running, wanting to disappear as soon as possible.
“You're welcome...” I heard you sigh when I cowardly ran away.
“Angie, I think I'm going crazy,” I said, sitting on the couch, already in the safety of my house.
“You mean even crazier?” The doll asked, climbing onto my lap. I shook my head, sobbing out of helplessness. Not for thinking that you would never love me, but for knowing that you were not there with me.
“You're not helping me,” I protested, bringing my hands to my face, feeling that horrible deformity that separated me from normality, that separated me from you...
“What should I do? I... I love her...” I said, letting out my frustration, being aware of what my feelings were, of what the reason was for not being able to stop seeing your smile.
“I don't know, I'm just a doll,” the puppet said, shrugging her shoulders. “Why don't you ask the girls? Maybe they know what to do.”
“Yes, they'll tell me to forcibly kidnap her and...” I said pushing Angie away from my body, shaking my head as an idea began to resonate among all my torments. “Wait, that's...”
“Oh...” Angie hummed. “Are you going to kidnap her? Sounds funny.”
“No, Angie,” I said sharply. The thought of seeing suffering overshadowing your beauty turned my stomach again.
“Are you going to force her? Drug her? Hmm, maybe undress her and put her in your bed? I know you want to do it, you forget that I know your thoughts,” the puppet continued. I never wanted to throw her into the fireplace so much.
“Stai zitto!” I screamed, overwhelmed by those horrible proposals. I couldn't deny that sometimes, just sometimes, to commit such an atrocity crossed my mind, but always, always your smile kept me from the wrong path, like you did with weeds, keeping them away from those beautiful flowers.
Angie covered her mouth with her hands and laughed sinisterly. It wasn't Angie, it was me, and I knew it.
“Then, what are you going to do?” She asked, offended because it had been a long time since she had fun with the suffering of others. I must have been an even more horrible person on the inside than on the outside.
“Maybe if she could live here... With me...” I said, thinking about how wonderful it would be to have you within these walls, how wonderful it would be to be able to see you every day, to know that you were here, with me. “But I don’t know how…”
“I got it!” The doll squealed, climbing back into my lap. I nodded nervously for her to speak, for that part of me to give me the solution to the pain that your absence caused me. “Alcina has maids, right? You know, girls who do all their boring chores.”
“You know what she does to the maids...” I whispered, thinking about that idea.
“She is a Lord, right? Just like you, Donna, why can't you have a maid?”
“Well, I...” I stammered, blinking quickly. It was the best idea I could have had. “Do you think (Y/N) would want…?”
“I don't know, I’ve already told you that I'm just a doll.”
Yes, (Y/N), you would be my maid, you would live with me, you would be close to me, I would be close to you…
“Maid?” You asked, pouring me a cup of tea, confused by my request.
I nodded, crumbling another of your cookies. You sifted the flour, you listened to me. Gods, I love you, (Y/N)...
“Well I... I don't know. I have never been a maid,” you said doubtfully. My fist crushed another cookie, rage began to consume me.
“It's easy, silly, you just have to clean the dust, cook, prepare hot baths for Donna...” Angie added. That time I didn't forget  about her, I needed her.
“Angie,” I whispered, blushing at the doll's lack of shame. I should have taught her manners, they should have taught me manners.
“Well, that's easy, I guess,” you said, crossing your arms.
“I'll pay you better, (Y/N)” I whispered, almost pleading. I didn't want to beg you, but I couldn't help it. “And, and, you would live with, with me.”
“Wait, at your house? Could I live in your house?” You asked surprised, leaning towards me. What did you expect?
“Yes,” I answered, shaking the crumbs from my hands. “It's what maids do.”
“Wow... I'm not complaining about this cabin but... I think I could sift flour with these walls, I don't know if you know what I mean...” You joked, pointing to the holes in one of the windows.
“You'll be better off at home, silly,” the doll emphasized, looking at me for my approval.
“Well then it's like a promotion, right?” You asked, a smile growing on your face.
“Yes, it is,” I said dryly.
“Wow, I... Thank you, Donna, it's, it's an honor,” you said excitedly, getting up from the chair and committing something stupid, something that would cost me too many sleepless nights.
Without shame, or any qualms, you hugged me, you did it, damn it, you surrounded me with your arms. The aroma of the flowers you cared for was impregnated in your clothes. I couldn't help but close my eyes to enjoy it, to enjoy you.
“I will be the best maid you have ever had, I promise,” you said with a smile, moving away, leaving a horrible empty space between the two of us.
Everything I imagined, what I thought it would be like to have you close to me, fell weak, too weak. I could finally have you. I could enjoy your company, your smile. You were not the best maid in the world, but you were mine.
You were happy, or so you told me. The trust I had placed in you was enough for you to swear loyalty to me. I didn't need your loyalty. I needed your love and you… You were incapable of realizing it.
I didn’t know the ways, the methods that people followed to win the love of their peers. I was so lost and confused, even being close to you, my patience ran out and the frustration of not being able to love you took its toll even on my work, even on my dolls.
“I can't tell her that, Angie,” I said, crossing my arms, waiting patiently for you to serve me dinner. I hoped that my advices would be enough to not get poisoned, again.
“You'll have to tell her something,” the doll told me, extending her arms as if she were saying something obvious. Angie, you were me, you knew I couldn't just…I couldn't.
“I don't know what,” I murmured, playing with the fork while resting my head on my hand.
“You rely too much on luck, Donna. If you don't tell (Y/N) you love her, she will never know.”
“What if she doesn't love me? What nonsense, of course she doesn't love me, no one could ever...”
“Stop, stop, stop,” the doll said, putting a hand on my mouth, a hand that I pushed away unpleasantly. I hated when Angie did that, I hated that she considered herself superior to me. “You don't know that.”
“I know, Angie,” I murmured, sighing.
“Have you ever heard about the fine art of seduction?” She asked, making comical gestures with her hands, bringing them together in a romantic pose.
“Seduction?” I asked curious.
“Yes, you know... Basic flirting: how beautiful you are, what beautiful hands you have, your smile makes me forget about the bad things in life... You know, that knd of stupid and cheesy things,” she responded, walking on top of the table. I hated when she did that, when my conscience did that.
“I don't see myself capable of doing that,” I admitted, huffing, looking from time to time at the elevator hallway.
“Well, you'll have to do it if you want her to notice,” Angie said, sitting on the table, swinging her legs. “A caress, a whisper… Hands that rest on her waist…”
I shook my head but couldn't help but ponder that idea. To seduce someone? No, it didn't seem possible.
“I'm getting better, huh?” You joked, already with dinner served. I nodded nervously. In those moments I would have liked to continue wearing the veil to hide my shame.
“Yes, I...” I stammered, seeking the confidence I needed in a glass of wine. “I, I like everything you make.”
“Wow, thanks for the compliment,” ​​you said with that smile, with that stupid… Beautiful smile.
“You're welcome...” I whispered, looking at the soup, thinking about Angie's words, about my words. “You are, you are beautiful…”
“What?” You asked due to my eternal clumsiness, due to those words that came out of my mouth on their own.
“I say, I say that... Well, you are beautiful and... Sure, that's probably why you cook so well... I... Your, your hands are soft and...”  I said, making the situation much worse.
“Donna, are you okay? You seem a bit little nervous,” you asked worried. I nodded immediately, with the wine as the only excuse for my idiocy.
At least you didn't seem angry at my words. That was… Fine, I guessed. Angie's strategy was absurd, but putting it into practice with you began to become a real hobby on my part.
Little by little, my hands began to touch you, to rub your back when I walked next to you. I don't know if you realized it, but I did, I enjoyed it every time I touched you, smiled at you and you smiled back.
Sometimes I would whisper something in your ear, “Italian is a sexy language,” Angie said. It was absurd for that to work, you didn't understand a word. Your waist began to be my playground, the place where my hands traveled unintentionally. I spent the day near you. I spent the day wanting to be even closer to you. But something, something in your eyes told me that I was making a mistake.
Your body separated from mine, you told me that you had things to do not to read, not to even have tea with me. Why were you doing this to me? Were my suspicions true? Didn't you love me?
“I like your hair... It's soft,” I whispered, running a hand through your hair while you were dusting. My hands traveled along your back and my body took the liberty of being closer and closer to yours.
You sighed. You looked tired, were you tired of me? Were you unable to see the love I felt for you?
“Donna,” you said with a serious voice, turning around and taking my hands, stopping their desire to travel to your waist. “I think, I think we have to talk.”
I nodded, grabbing your hands when they wanted to let go. You looked at me strangely again, you closed your eyes, as if you were suffering, did my love make you suffer?
“Hey, I'm happy here and... Well, I like working for you but...” You murmured, avoiding my gaze. My body started to shake immediately, something gave me a bad feeling.
“But,” I said with the serious tone I couldn't help but have when I was this nervous, when you were about to stick a dagger right in my heart.
“I don't know what's wrong with you lately, I...” You said, now, definitely moving away from me, as if you were afraid of me, were you afraid of me? “You…. You are always close to me, too close and... You touch me, you caress me... You whisper things to me that I don't understand...”
“I only say nice things to you,” I protested, frowning and feeling my eye water.
“Why, Donna?” You asked, with a cold, annoyed, offended look. You were scared. I could feel it in the trembling of your hands. “You've been... Harassing me for weeks and... I'm sorry, but I'm starting to get a bit uncomfortable.”
“Why? Don't you like me telling you that you're beautiful?” I asked, with my nerves on edge, with those voices starting to sound in my head. “Do you think I’m harassing you?”
“Well, no...Maybe harassment isn't the word, I...” You said, sighing to let out some air, relaxing your expression. “Something's wrong with you, Donna... Tell me, tell me why you're behaving that way.”
“I... I...” I stammered as I saw how you walked towards me again, slowly, with a disturbed look, but with your hands traveling to mine again. “Don’t, don't come any closer,” I asked you, I begged you.
It had been too long, too long until your closeness became an addiction to me. I couldn't take it anymore. I would become everything I hate if I let my body speak for itself. I didn't want to be Alcina, I didn't want to harass you, was it so difficult for you to see that what I wanted was to love you?
But it was too late. My head leaned to yours, my hands gently grasping your face, pulling you towards me, letting my lips taste yours for the first time. I kissed you, (Y/N), kissing you was the most extraordinary thing my horrible life had ever experienced. You stayed still, you didn't move, you didn't kiss me, you simply let me do it, let my lack of experience dominate that clumsy, unexpected kiss, the kiss that you didn't want to give me.
You pulled away slowly, opening your eyes and looking at me, not scared, but confused. My shame and my tears were no longer a secret from you. I had already gone too far, there was no longer any reason to remain silent.
“I love you, (Y/N),” I said with a sob, feeling how your body was moving away from me again, how my hands abandoned the soft touch of your skin. “I love you since, since I met you. I didn't, I didn't know what to do for you to know...”
You looked at me with amazement, with surprise, not with fear, not with terror.
“I brought you to my house so I could have you close to me because, because I am not able to let my mind imagine nothing but your smile and...”
I couldn't finish speaking. Your hand on my cheek cut off my words and your lips, your lips returned to mine, kissing me for real kiss. Your mouth on mine, the salty taste of my tears running across your lips, lips that caressed mine, that were not clumsy, that knew how to kiss, that taught me how to kiss.
“I love you too, Donna...” You murmured, still on my lips, still close to me. My reaction was not what I intended, I’m still unable to control myself. I turned away from you abruptly. Now I was the one who was scared.
“What? You? But, but...” I said, confused, looking everywhere except at your sincere gaze.
“I know, I know it's stupid but... Well, I guess it's okay to admit it. I'm in love with you,” you said, stopping me from going further away, putting your hands on my waist. If you knew how to have your hands holding me made me feel...
“But, but no, I don't believe you,” I said confused, trying to think clearly. “Since when?”
“Well, the day you named me your maid I... I started to see you in a different way. You know, the things I had heard about you, maybe they were preventing me from realizing the wonderful woman I had in front of me,” you explained, bringing one of your hands to my chest, approaching me again, as if you didn't want to let me go. I wasn't going to let you go, (Y/N), ever.
“You said you were uncomfortable,” I said with a suspicious tone. I found hard to believe you, really.
“Yes, I... I didn't know why you did those strange things. The last thing I thought was that you had feelings for me, that you felt the same as me.”
“If I didn't feel it, why would I do those things? It doesn't make sense,” I said, frowning even more. You smiled embarrassed.
“Maybe it was because of that or because... Well... Because...” You said, now more embarrassed. I knew you, (Y/N), I knew what you were thinking, the things you had heard about me.
“Because I'm sick in the head,” I whispered, terribly humiliated by that thought. It was a reality that made me complex, but that you thought I wanted, I don't know, to hurt you just for... For not being able to control my emotions... That hurt me.
“But, but I don't think about it anymore, Donna...” You said hastily, cupping my deformed face in your hands, keeping my gaze on yours. “You are very sweet, you know that? And very clumsy, too,” you joked, making me want to smile, blushing.
“I'm sorry, I don't... I didn't know what love was until I met you. I didn't know what to do,”  I apologized, hugging you, feeling the heat of your body against mine, protecting me from my demons.
“Let me show you what love is... Let's try to love each other... What do you think?” You asked, again on my lips.
“Please...” I sobbed, this time with joy.
Love, that artificial need of the human being... I didn't understand why it was so addictive, why the people I loved were so happy. Now I do.
Your kisses are a necessity for my body. Your caresses are like kisses on my soul, like massages to my heart. Everything I live with you is different, my world stopped being gray, I didn't need flowers to admire the beauty of life nor their colors. Your smile was something I had, something that could make the Sun come out on a cloudy day.
You were still my maid, that's what you wanted. I don't know why, but I didn't refuse. What I refused to do was spend more than half an hour without you. I cleaned with you, I cooked with you. I did everything with you so I could enjoy your caresses and your body snuggled up next to mine on a rainy day.
Over time, I stopped believing that I needed love to live. I only needed you.
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moonselune · 3 days
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Hello! I love how you write! congratulations on graduation. I would like to ask if you could write what Shadowheart would be like pregnant with Lae'zel? Lae'zel is all protective of her, taking care of her and also somewhat fearful of her joy and the baby, while they live on the farm or in the Astral plane.
Well goddamn, seems I'm a bitch for shadowzel, oh what a shame
The morning sun bathed the farm in a warm, golden light. Birds chirped merrily, and the scent of fresh earth and blooming flowers filled the air. Shadowheart stood at the edge of their small vegetable garden, gently cradling her growing belly. Her eyes softened as she watched the plants swaying gently in the breeze, each day bringing them closer to the arrival of their child.
Lae'zel was nearby, her eyes never straying far from Shadowheart. Her warrior instincts, once honed for battle, had shifted towards an intense protectiveness for her partner. Every movement, every step Shadowheart took, Lae'zel monitored with a vigilance that was both endearing and a little overwhelming.
"Are you sure you should be out here?" Lae'zel called, her voice tinged with concern as she approached.
Shadowheart smiled, a serene and patient expression on her face. "I'm fine, Lae'zel. Fresh air is good for me and the baby."
Lae'zel's eyes flicked to Shadowheart's belly, her usually stern gaze softening with a mix of awe and fear. She reached out, her hand hesitating before resting gently on Shadowheart's stomach. The baby responded with a gentle kick, and Lae'zel's eyes widened, her tough exterior momentarily cracking.
"Does it hurt?" Lae'zel asked, her voice almost a whisper.
Shadowheart chuckled softly, placing her hand over Lae'zel's. "No, love. It’s just our little one saying hello."
Lae'zel nodded, but the worry in her eyes didn't dissipate. She had faced countless battles, but the prospect of bringing a child into the world and keeping her beloved Shadowheart safe was a different kind of challenge. She took Shadowheart's hand, leading her back towards the farmhouse.
"You should rest more," Lae'zel insisted, her tone brooking no argument.
Shadowheart followed willingly, her heart swelling with love for Lae'zel's fierce protectiveness. Inside, the farmhouse was a picture of rustic charm, with wooden beams and a stone fireplace. Lae'zel guided Shadowheart to a comfortable chair near the hearth and began to fuss over her, adjusting cushions and bringing her a warm cup of herbal tea.
As Shadowheart sipped the tea, Lae'zel knelt beside her, looking up with a mixture of adoration and anxiety. "I fear… I fear that I may not be enough. That I cannot protect you both from all dangers."
Shadowheart reached out, cupping Lae'zel's face in her hands. "You are more than enough, Lae'zel. We are safe here, together. And our child will grow up knowing the strength and love of two incredible mothers."
Lae'zel leaned into Shadowheart's touch, closing her eyes as if drawing strength from her words. "I will always protect you," she vowed, her voice thick with emotion. "Both of you."
Shadowheart smiled, laughing lightly as she leant down to press a tender kiss to Lae'zel's forehead. "I know you will, my fierce warrior."
The days passed with Lae'zel hovering close, her protectiveness becoming almost comical at times. She would insist on carrying even the lightest of objects for Shadowheart, and any hint of discomfort had her in a flurry of activity to make things better. Yet, beneath the surface, there was an undercurrent of fear, fear of losing the joy she had found, fear of not being able to protect her family.
One evening, as they lay together in bed, Shadowheart could feel the tension in Lae'zel's body. She turned to her, their faces close in the dim light. "What troubles you, 'Zel?"
Lae'zel sighed, her hand resting protectively over Shadowheart's belly. "I am not accustomed to this… joy. It feels fragile, like it could be taken away at any moment."
Shadowheart's heart ached at the vulnerability in Lae'zel's voice. "Joy is not something to fear, my love. It is something to cherish, together."
Lae'zel nodded slowly, "Together,"
So wholesome oml, hope you guys enjoy this ! - Seluney xox
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clangenrising · 3 hours
Text
Month 16 - Greenleaf
When Aldertail had volunteered to go herb gathering with him, Oddstripe had been delighted but he had definitely expected her to get tired and lose interest by this point. The day was hot but there was a nice breeze and, as they meandered the territory looking for patches that hadn’t already been harvested, Oddstripe couldn’t help but smile. 
“Y’know, I’d really love to find some thyme or juniper,” he said, hopping over a stone in his path. 
“What do those do?” Aldertail asked, carefully picking her way after him. Her legs were the best he’d ever seen them. There was almost no redness and the fur had nearly grown back in. Oddstripe was so proud.
“Thyme is very calming and juniper berries are just all around useful. On top of being calming, they soothe belly aches, help with coughs, and they can even treat aching joints when mixed with the proper herbs. I’d love to get some for Sagetooth.” 
Aldertail’s ears pressed back briefly. “Mm, would that help?”
“Oh, yes,” Oddstripe nodded. “When she isn’t suffering from her aches, she’s really, actually very kind. It can just be hard for her to stay that way when she’s in a lot of pain.” 
“I guess,” Aldertail shrugged. “I feel like you don’t just start being mean to people though, if that makes sense.” 
“I get what you mean,” said Oddstripe, “but something you have to remember is that your body and your mind aren’t two separate entities. They’re both you and they influence each other.” Aldertail winced in an attempt to seem less skeptical. Oddstripe laughed a little and tried to think of a better way to explain. “Oh, for example, when your mind starts to run wild, you feel sick to your stomach right?”
“Yeah,” Aldertail nodded. 
“So that’s your mind influencing your body!” Oddstripe grinned. “But the inverse is also possible. Like, if you’re very scared, we do those deep breaths and the act of calming your body calms your mind.” Aldertail hummed thoughtfully. “So when Sagetooth’s body aches it makes it harder for her to control the way she speaks to people. You’re right that it doesn’t make her something she isn’t but it’s also not entirely her choice. Even I can get snappy when I’m stressed or ill.” 
“Really?” Aldertail didn’t seem convinced. “I can’t picture you snappy.” 
Oddstripe blushed and laughed as he replied, “Oh, that’s very sweet of you.”
“It’s true,” she said. “You’ve only ever been kind and gentle.” 
“Well, I’ve been lucky that I’ve never felt ill enough to snap at you,” he said, full of pride. 
“Mm,” Aldertail chewed her lip. “So where would we find juniper berries?” 
“Hmm,” Oddstripe scrunched up his face in thought. “I know a place they’ll definitely be but its a bit of a distance. Would you still want to come along?” 
“Of course!” she nodded vigorously. “I like learning about medicine.” 
“Really?” asked Oddstripe. 
“Mhm,” nodded Aldertail. “It’s so… powerful. I can’t imagine being able to do what you do.” 
“Oh, it’s really not that hard to learn,” Oddstripe said, changing course. “I’ll show you.”
As they made their way towards the juniper bushes, Oddstripe went over all of the basics he could think of. Healing was something he was intensely passionate about and Aldertail indulged him in his ramblings for the entirety of their walk. Oddstripe couldn’t remember the last time someone had let him ramble like this. It felt amazing. 
They crossed the eastern border and Oddstripe assured Aldertail that everything would be alright. Eventually, the grass petered out and the earth beneath their paws turned to dry, sunbaked mud patterned with cracks and ridges. Oddstripe smiled at the feeling of it under his paws. It had been too long since he’d stepped foot in the desert and he had missed it. They passed little burrows and scurrying lizards and dry looking shrubs and then finally came across the big juniper bush.
“Tada!” Oddstripe declared, unfurling his tail towards the cloudless sky. 
“This is a juniper bush?” Aldertail asked, glancing around its leaves as if something would jump out. 
“Mhm!” he purred. “The berries near the bottom are usually gone because creatures eat them but we can jump up and snag a few branches to take home. Maybe we could even plant one closer to the territories.”
“That would be a good idea,” Aldertail squirmed. “I don’t like this place.” 
“Really?” asked Oddstripe, tilting his head.
“Yeah, it’s too open,” she shuddered. “Let’s hurry up and go home.” 
“Alright,” he frowned worriedly. He’d never considered that someone might not enjoy being able to see the world stretch out endlessly around them. He bunched his legs underneath him and sprang into the bush, but failed to grab onto any of the branches. “Mousedung. Let me try again.” 
He jumped again, this time snagging a branch in his teeth, and his weight pulled it down to a place where Aldertail could help him snap it off. He handed the branch over to her and tried again. The leaves rattled as he fell through them, this time taking another two tries before he caught another branch in his claws. It nearly slipped and he had to scramble to clamp his jaws down around it, smearing berry juice all over his muzzle. 
“Are you okay?” asked Aldertail. 
“Uh huh,” he said awkwardly. “‘Ah you ‘reah ih?” 
“Oh, right! Sorry!” Aldertail hurried forward to start chewing through the branch.
“S’alrigh’,” he chuckled, feeling silly. She met his eyes and flushed pink, quickly averting her gaze to focus on her work. He laughed again. She was such a sweetheart. 
A voice startled them both. “You shouldn’t be out here.” 
Aldertail squeaked and flattened herself against the ground. Oddstripe tried to turn around but struggled to do so without letting go of the branch which didn’t occur to him at all. The cat who had spoken, thankfully, stepped to the side into his view. She was a plain looking grey tabby with bright, golden eyes, and she was watching them with an expression that read to Oddstripe as professional. 
“Oh, sahhy,” he tried to say around the branch in his teeth. 
A small smile poked at the edges of the stranger’s lips and she glanced carefully at Aldertail before asking, “Would you like a paw?”
“Mm!” Oddstripe grinned and nodded clumsily. “Mhm!”
The stranger chuckled softly, dropping her gaze to her paws for a moment, before she stepped up and swatted the branch where Aldertail had been chewing it. The force of the blow was enough to snap it and Oddstripe stumbled away as the rest of the branch sprang noisily back into place. Aldertail squeaked again, and scrunched herself closer to his side. 
He laid his tail over her back, dropped the branch, and then licked his muzzle before speaking. “Thank you! I really appreciate the help. My name’s Oddstripe, what’s yours.” 
“Oscar,” the she-cat smiled with a polite dip of her head. “I’m glad to be of assistance but I really must urge you to leave this place.” 
“Oh?” asked Oddstripe, ears perking. “What for?” 
“This is coyote territory,” she said, scanning the area with a sharp gaze. “You aren’t safe here.” 
“Oh, I didn’t realize the coyotes had come so far west,” Oddstripe said. 
“You live here?” asked Oscar, brow furrowing. 
“No, no, but I used to live near here,” he said. “Now I’m out in the grasslands.” 
“I see,” Oscar nodded. “Well, I must insist you return home, for your own safety.” 
“We will, thank you,” smiled Oddstripe.
Oscar glanced around again and said, “Should you require an escort, I would be happy to oblige.” 
“I don’t think it would hurt,” Oddstripe said. “Aldertail, honey, is that alright with you?” Aldertail simply shrugged, eyes wide enough to show the whites. 
Oddstripe’s ears drooped in pity. “Oh, you poor thing. Here, let’s head back to camp.” He licked her cheek and helped her stand, then handed her one of the juniper sprigs to carry. Having something in her mouth would keep her occupied, he thought. Picking up his own branch, he glanced at Oscar and said, “It’s just this way.” 
“I follow your lead,” she deferred with a bow of the head. Oddstripe blushed, a silly little flutter dancing in his stomach. Something about her seemed right out of a story. He’d never felt that way before. 
Shrugging it off, he led the way, tail wrapped around Aldertail’s leg reassuringly. She stayed close to his side, ears flat against her skull, and Oscar stayed on the opposite side of him, at least two tail lengths away. Oddstripe wanted to walk closer but the distance was probably best for Aldertail. How considerate of their new companion, he thought. 
“So, Oscar,” he asked, able to speak around the sprig this time, “why are you out here in coyote country?” 
“I’m patrolling,” she said. “I look for creatures like you and give them the warning.” 
“Creatures?” Oddstripe chuckled but Oscar nodded seriously.
“Yes. Anything I can speak to. Cats, deer, snakes, most birds.”
“Wow!” Oddstripe marveled. “That’s amazing! I didn’t realize you could talk to those kinds of things.” 
“It’s simple if you have a teacher,” said Oscar humbly. 
“It seems most things are,” laughed Oddstripe. 
It wasn’t long before they reached the edge of the grass again. Oscar stopped under a scrubby little tree and said. “I should return to my patrol. Will you be able to get home from here?” 
“Oh, yes,” nodded Oddstripe. “Thank you so much, Oscar, it was lovely to meet you.”
She shook her head. “I’m simply doing my duty.”
“Well, thank you anyway,” said Oddstripe. She smiled, dipped her head in a polite bow, and then turned and bounded back into the desert. Oddstripe watched her go like he was trying to catch every last moment of her before she disappeared forever. Eventually, her shape disappeared into the shimmering edge of the horizon. 
“Oddstripe?” asked Aldertail quietly. 
“Oh,” he blinked and looked down at her. “Yes, dear?” 
“I’d like to go home, is that okay?” 
“Oh, of course it is,” he said, “let’s go home.”
“Sorry.”
“No, no, that’s alright. Sorry I got distracted.” 
“What was her deal?” Aldertail asked, craning her head to see if she could spot Oscar in the distance.
“I don’t know,” Oddstripe breathed softly, doing the same.
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