#and they know this! and were perfectly kind and gentle and reassuring when i broke down and admitted it!!

[fridayyy-13th]

gotta say. landing myself a queerplatonic partner being the thing that really drives home "oh shit, i actually have very low self-esteem and don't understand why people hang around me other than shared interests we can geek out over together" is. truly something. hoo boy.

[moonselune]

Heyo! I was the one to send the ask about a Tav hiding their past from their companions and the romanced one realizing the other day. I forgot to add which romanced companions for the request 😅

Astarion, Karlach, or Shadowheart if that’s ok

No worries! I couldn't actually find the original ask as my inbox likes to snack on them so it worked out perfectly!

Karlach:

The two of you were sprawled out on a grassy hill, the stars blazing above like a million tiny promises of hope. Karlach, ever radiant, had her arms behind her head, her warm laughter still lingering in the cool night air after she'd recounted some ridiculous tale of a fight she'd gotten into years ago. You couldn’t help but smile as you watched her—there was something about Karlach that was utterly disarming.

“Y’know,” she said, rolling onto her side to look at you, her face half-illuminated by starlight, “I’ve been thinking about something.”

“That’s always dangerous,” you teased, earning a playful swat on the arm.

“I’m serious,” she said, her tone soft but thoughtful now. “I realized... I don’t actually know much about you. Like, really know you.”

You tensed slightly, your smile fading, and she noticed immediately. Karlach wasn’t the type to miss when someone’s defenses went up—she was too attuned to cracks in the armor not to see it.

“I know you're amazing, and you're kind, and you’ve been through some stuff, but...you’ve always been pretty vague about your past. Why is that?”

“It’s not important,” you said quickly, brushing it off as if it were nothing. You turned your gaze back to the stars, hoping she’d let it go.

But Karlach wasn’t one to let things go easily.

“Not important? You’re important. What made you who you are is important,” she said, her voice gentle but insistent. “Come on, you know everything about me. You know about Zariel, the Hells, all of it. But you...you’ve got this wall around parts of yourself, and I don’t like not being able to reach you.”

You swallowed hard, your chest tightening. “Karlach, it’s...it’s not something I like to talk about, okay? Some things are better left buried.”

“But buried things tend to rot, love,” she said softly, placing a warm hand on your arm. “Please. Talk to me.”

You hesitated, staring at her hand on your arm. The warmth of her touch was grounding, comforting, and yet it made the ache in your chest all the more acute. When you finally looked at her, you saw nothing but patience and love in her eyes. And it broke you.

“Fine,” you muttered, sitting up and hugging your knees to your chest. She sat up too, waiting quietly, not rushing you.

“I grew up in a family that looked perfect from the outside,” you began, your voice low. “We had money, status—everything people think makes a family happy. But behind closed doors? It was a nightmare.”

Karlach said nothing, letting you continue at your own pace.

“My parents...they hated each other. And they weren’t exactly quiet about it. Every day was a war zone. Screaming matches, accusations, the kind of anger that seeps into everything. My siblings and I were caught in the crossfire, always trying to stay out of the way, always trying not to make things worse. But no matter what we did, it was never enough. Someone always got hurt, one way or another.”

You paused, your throat tightening as old memories clawed their way to the surface. Karlach reached out and took your hand, her grip firm but reassuring.

“And then,” you continued, your voice trembling slightly, “one day, it all fell apart. My older brother tried to leave—tried to get out of the hellhole we called home. My father...he didn’t take it well. There was a fight. Things got...violent. And my brother never made it out. After that, everything just...collapsed. I left too, eventually, but by then I’d lost everything that mattered. My family. My sense of who I was. All of it.”

You finally looked at her, your eyes shining with unshed tears. “That’s why I don’t talk about it, Karlach. Because what’s the point? It’s just a mess I crawled out of, and I don’t want it to define me.”

For a moment, Karlach was silent, her expression a mix of astonishment and heartbreak. Then she shook her head, a small, incredulous laugh escaping her lips.

“Damn,” she said softly. “You’re...incredible, you know that?”

You blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“How are you so well-adjusted after all that?” she asked, her voice tinged with awe. “Seriously. If it were me, I’d be a total wreck. But you...you’re strong. You’re kind. You’ve got this huge heart that somehow survived all that pain. It’s...it’s amazing.”

Her words hit you like a tidal wave, and you couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. They spilled over, and before you could even think to hide them, Karlach was pulling you into her arms. Her infernal warmth enveloped you, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you let yourself lean into someone else completely.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, your voice muffled against her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I just...I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Shhh, it’s okay,” she murmured, her hand stroking your back soothingly. “I get it. I do. But I’m here now, okay? You don’t have to carry it all by yourself anymore.”

You clung to her like a lifeline, her warmth chasing away the chill of old wounds. And in that moment, for the first time in a long time, you felt like maybe—just maybe—you weren’t as broken as you thought.

“I love you, you know,” Karlach said softly, her voice thick with emotion.

You pulled back just enough to look at her, your eyes still glistening with tears. “I love you too,” you said, your voice steady despite the weight of everything you’d just shared.

And as her lips met yours in a gentle, grounding kiss, you realized that maybe you didn’t have to bury your past anymore. Not with Karlach. Not ever again.

Shadowheart:

The two of you sat side by side on a quiet patch of forest floor, the campfire flickering in the distance as the night crept in around you. Shadowheart had been unusually quiet, her sharp eyes scanning the stars above before settling on your profile.

"You know," she started, her voice soft but probing, "for all the time we've spent together, I realize I don’t actually know much about you."

You blinked, glancing at her, caught off guard by the sudden turn in conversation. “What do you mean? You know plenty about me,” you said lightly, trying to deflect.

Shadowheart raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a small, knowing smile. “Do I? I know who you are now, sure. But your past? Where you come from? What made you...you? You’ve kept it all locked up tight.”

You shifted uncomfortably, your gaze dropping to the ground. “It’s not important,” you muttered.

Shadowheart leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she studied you. “Not important to who? Because it feels pretty important to me.”

Her persistence made you squirm, and you quickly stood, brushing off your clothes as if that would somehow shake the conversation away. “Shadowheart, I don’t—can we not do this right now?”

You started to walk away, but her voice stopped you in your tracks.

“Alright. But I’ll find out eventually. You know I’m not one to let things go.” You glanced back at her, giving her a pointed look, but she just smiled sweetly, her tone deceptively innocent. “You’ll tell me, willingly or not.”

You rolled your eyes, but there was no real irritation behind it. Still, you didn’t realize how serious she was about her little promise—until the next evening.

Shadowheart wasn’t just clever; she was sneaky. The next day, she found ways to chip away at your defenses. She asked questions that seemed harmless at first—what foods you liked, what your childhood home looked like, what kind of trouble you got into as a kid. Bit by bit, she pieced together fragments of your past until you realized too late that she’d woven a net around you.

It wasn’t until you were sitting by the riverbank after another grueling day of travel that she struck her final blow.

“So,” she said casually, dipping her fingers into the cool water, “was your family always so chaotic, or did the drama start later on?”

You froze, your stomach twisting as you realized she’d cornered you.

“What are you talking about?” you said, feigning ignorance.

Shadowheart smirked, tilting her head. “Oh, come on. I’ve been paying attention. The little things you’ve let slip, the way you dodge questions—it’s obvious there’s more to your story than you’re letting on. So, spill. What happened?”

You sighed heavily, running a hand through your hair. “You’re relentless, you know that?”

She just smiled, her expression softening. “Only when it comes to things that matter. And you, my love, matter.”

Her words cracked something open inside you, and before you could stop yourself, the dam burst.

It all came tumbling out. The family drama that felt like a never-ending storm—arguments, betrayals, and secrets that tore your home apart. The tragedies that left scars too deep to heal. Scandals that painted your family in a light so harsh, you’d spent years trying to escape it.

But it wasn’t all darkness. You found yourself sharing the funny stories too—the times you and your siblings played pranks on each other, the little moments of joy that somehow shone through the chaos. You talked about the people you’d loved and lost, the lessons you’d learned, and the weight you still carried from it all.

By the time you were done, your throat was raw, and your chest felt hollow, like you’d just carved out a piece of yourself and handed it to her.

Shadowheart had been silent the whole time, her expression unreadable as she listened intently. When you finally looked at her, self-consciousness crept in like a cold shadow.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, averting your gaze. “That was...a lot. I probably should’ve kept some of it to myself.”

“Don’t you dare,” she said softly, her voice filled with a kind of reverence that made you look up in surprise.

Her eyes were shining, and there was an almost tangible warmth in her expression. “Do you have any idea how incredible you are?”

You blinked, caught off guard. “What?”

“You’ve been through all of that,” she said, gesturing vaguely toward the horizon as if the weight of your past was hanging in the air between you. “And here you are—still standing, still fighting, still...you. It’s astonishing.”

You shook your head, a small, incredulous laugh escaping you. “I’m not incredible, Shadowheart. I’m just...getting by.”

“No,” she said firmly, leaning closer and taking your hand in hers. “You’re so much more than that. You’ve been through things that would break most people, and somehow, you’re still...kind. Still hopeful. Still...loving. I’m in awe of you, truly.”

Her words broke something else inside you—not in a painful way, but in a way that felt like healing. Tears welled up in your eyes, and before you could stop them, they spilled over.

Shadowheart cupped your face gently, brushing the tears away with her thumbs.

“I love you,” she whispered, her voice steady and certain. “All of you. Your past, your present, your future. Every part of you.”

A shaky laugh escaped you as you leaned into her touch.

“I love you too,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

She pulled you into a tender embrace, holding you as if she could shield you from the weight of your past. And for the first time in a long time, you felt like maybe—just maybe—you didn’t have to carry it all alone.

Astarion:

It was a quiet moment in camp, the kind of peace that always felt precarious, balanced on the knife's edge of your group's chaotic lives. Astarion was lounging next to you, his chin propped in his hand as he studied you with a curious intensity.

“You know,” he began casually, his voice dripping with charm and mischief, “for someone I’m hopelessly enamored with, you are a remarkably well-guarded mystery.”

You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, already suspicious. “Am I?”

“Oh, don’t play coy with me,” he purred, sitting up straighter. “You’re practically a ghost when it comes to your past. You’ve danced around every question I’ve ever asked, dodging and deflecting like a master illusionist. Honestly, it’s impressive. I think I might even be proud of you.”

You smirked. “Well, thank you, but some things are better left in the past.”

Astarion let out an exaggerated sigh, placing a dramatic hand over his heart. “Ah, but darling, I hate being left in the dark. You can’t expect me to simply accept this vagueness when I’m dying to know what secrets you’re hiding.”

You gave him a pointed look. “I don’t expect you to do anything. But I’m not telling you, Astarion.”

That should have been the end of it, but of course, it wasn’t. Over the next few days, Astarion’s curiosity morphed into relentless determination. He needled you at every opportunity, his charm turning into playful persistence. Every time you dodged his questions, he only seemed more delighted, like unraveling your secrets had become a personal challenge.

“You know,” he said one evening, leaning close enough that you could feel his breath against your ear, “this is getting downright insulting. Do you think I can’t handle a little drama? Please, I thrive on it.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” you said, rolling your eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that week.

“And yet,” he countered, grinning like the cat who’d caught the canary, “you still haven’t answered me. Come now, my sweet enigma—indulge me.”

Eventually, you snapped—not in anger, but in exasperation. Sitting by the fire that night, you threw up your hands. “Fine. You want to know? I’ll tell you. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Astarion’s eyes lit up like a child on their name day, and he settled in with a gleeful smirk, clearly expecting a story worth his persistence.

Blasé, almost flippant, you began to unravel the sordid tale of your past.

You told him about the family dinners that ended in shouting matches—or worse, murders over disputes that ran deeper than blood. You recounted the endless scandals: the illegitimate children, the betrayals that made even the most dramatic bardic tales look tame, the backstabbing that left no one unscathed. The drama unfolded like a grotesque tapestry, each thread more tangled and wild than the last.

Through it all, you remained indifferent, recounting events as if they had happened to someone else entirely. “And then there was the time my cousin poisoned the wine at a wedding. That was a mess. Oh, and the twins—turns out one of them wasn’t even my uncle’s child. But really, what did he expect when he married his mistress?”

Astarion sat in stunned silence, his lips slightly parted as you continued to nonchalantly recount the chaos of your upbringing.

“And, of course, there were the power struggles,” you added with a dismissive wave of your hand. “Everyone vying for control, alliances shifting faster than the wind. It’s all so...exhausting, really.”

When you finally finished, the fire crackled in the silence that followed. You looked at Astarion, expecting...something. Disbelief? Judgment?

Instead, he burst into delighted laughter.

“Oh, my dear, dear love,” he said, clutching his chest as if he might collapse from mirth. “You’re right—it does sound like a poorly written bardic tale. But gods, what a deliciously awful one!”

You rolled your eyes. “I told you it wasn’t worth hearing.”

“Are you joking?” he asked, still laughing. “It’s magnificent! The drama! The intrigue! And you—you just walked away from all of that and turned into...well, you. It’s incredible.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You’re impressed by all of that?”

“Of course I am,” he said, leaning closer, his expression softening into something genuine. “You survived a storm of madness and somehow emerged as the person I’ve fallen utterly in love with. How could I not be impressed?”

Heat rose to your cheeks at his sincerity, but before you could respond, his grin turned wicked.

“Although,” he added, “you simply must take me to your next family dinner. I need to witness this circus for myself.”

You snorted, shaking your head. “Not a chance. They’d eat you alive.”

“Darling,” Astarion purred, his voice dripping with confidence, “I’ve been surrounded by vampires for two centuries. I think I can handle a few backstabbing relatives.”

You laughed despite yourself, and Astarion leaned in to press a kiss to your cheek, his hand brushing yours in a silent promise.

“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice quieter now. “For trusting me with this. It means more than you know.”

awh this was wholesome, as someone who comes from a chaotic ass family this was cathartic to write aha. Hope you guys enjoyed it -Seluney xox

If you want to support me in other ways | Help keep this moonmaiden caffeinated x

[pankowcrumbs]

Loving you in public X Chris Evans (Requested)

MasterList

Marvel MasterList

I adjusted the strap of my gown, trying to ignore the tightening in my chest. The hotel suite buzzed with activity stylists, makeup artists, and handlers scurried around, making final touches before we all headed to the premiere. And yet, all I could focus on was the silence.

His silence.

Chris and I had broken things off just five days ago.

It wasn’t explosive. No slamming doors or cruel words. It was the kind of quiet heartbreak that leaves you feeling hollow. We said we needed space, that the timing wasn’t right. I said I was tired of hiding, and he said he wasn’t ready for the whole world to know. We were two people who loved each other, trying not to ruin what was already cracking.

“Y/N?” Scarlett’s voice broke through my daze. She tilted her head, brows knit together as she stepped closer. “You alright?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah. Just a bit nervous.”

It was a weak excuse one she saw right through.

She didn’t press, just nodded and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before walking over to the mirror. I caught my reflection as I followed her movements. My eyes were lined in gold, lips painted a soft rose, and my dress shimmered like liquid midnight. I looked like the perfect Hollywood actress.

But inside, I felt like I was splintering.

The car ride to the red carpet was filled with chatter. Scarlett, Anthony, and Sebastian were cracking jokes, trying to keep the energy light, but I knew what they were doing.

They were trying to keep me from falling apart.

“You know,” Anthony said casually, “I heard Evans is arriving just before we do. Said something about avoiding the flashbulbs.”

I stiffened. Of course he was. He always hated the media chaos. But I knew better. He didn’t want to see me.

“He’s a bloody coward,” I muttered before I could stop myself.

Seb laughed into his drink, choking. “There she is.”

“What?” I asked.

“That’s the Y/N we’ve missed,” Scarlett said with a small grin. “The one who actually says what she’s thinking.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” I said, quieter this time. “And none of it’s been very fun.”

We pulled up to the venue, and I plastered on my press-ready smile. As the car door opened and the crowd screamed, I stepped out into a blinding wave of camera flashes.

The carpet was long, endless, suffocating.

Each interview felt rehearsed. Smile, laugh, talk about how excited you are for the film. Dodge the question about your love life. Rinse, repeat.

Then I saw him.

Chris stood a few feet away, looking annoyingly handsome in a perfectly tailored tux, that familiar beard trimmed just so. He was laughing at something Paul Rudd had said, but when his eyes caught mine, his smile faltered.

Only for a second. But it was enough.

He looked like he hadn’t slept properly in days.

Good. I hadn’t either.

I moved away quickly, grabbing Scarlett’s hand like a lifeline. “Let’s find the others.”

“Sure,” she said gently, leading me toward a small group of castmates doing press together.

But it didn’t matter how far I moved. I could still feel his presence.

Later, we were ushered into the green room before the screening started. There was a soft buzz of conversation, laughter, the clinking of glasses. Brie passed me a flute of champagne and raised her eyebrows.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Y/N, love,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. “You look like you’re about to throw up.”

I looked around. He wasn’t in the room yet. But it was only a matter of time. “I just need some air.”

I pushed through the door and stepped into a quiet corridor, heels clicking softly on the marble floor. I leaned against the wall, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth.

I should’ve been stronger. But the worst part was I still loved him. Every bloody piece of me did. And I hated myself for it.

“You’re doing that breathing thing again.”

I froze.

His voice.

I turned, and there he was. Chris. Standing only a few feet away, hands in his pockets like he didn’t know what else to do with them. His tie was slightly loosened, his eyes tired but soft.

“I didn’t know you were back here,” I said, arms folded.

“You always say that when you’re overwhelmed. The breathing trick. In through the nose, out through the mouth. You taught it to me, remember?”

Of course I remembered.

“Why are you here, Chris?”

“Same reason you are. Needed a break from the noise.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend like everything’s fine. Like we’re just colleagues bumping into each other behind the scenes.”

He looked down, then back up. “I’m not pretending.”

I laughed bitterly. “Could’ve fooled me.”

There was a beat of silence. Then he said it softly, hesitantly. “I miss you.”

I looked away, blinking rapidly. “Don’t.”

“I do. Every second. I thought space would make things clearer, but all I see now is you. Everywhere.”

“You said you couldn’t handle the public knowing,” I whispered. “That it would ruin everything.”

“I was scared.”

I scoffed. “Of what? Loving someone out loud?”

“Of losing you because of the pressure,” he said. “Because I’ve messed things up before and I didn’t want to mess us up too.”

“Well, congratulations. You did anyway.”

He stepped forward, slow, cautious. “I never stopped loving you, Y/N. Not for a second.”

Tears threatened to spill, and I hated him for making me cry in a hallway in heels and diamonds.

“Then why didn’t you fight for me?” I said, my voice cracking.

“I didn’t think you wanted me to,” he admitted. “You walked away so quietly.”

“Because I didn’t want to beg,” I said. “I didn’t want to be the only one trying.”

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Sebastian poked his head in. “Hey, not to interrupt your dramatic hallway moment, but actually, no. That’s exactly what I’m doing. Brie just locked the green room door and said no one’s allowed out until you two sort this out.”

Chris and I turned in sync. “What?”

Seb held up a keycard with a smirk. “You’re both locked in this corridor until you figure your shit out. Orders from Scarlett, Mackie, and about five other people. You’re welcome.”

Then he closed the door.

Chris blinked. “Did they just parent-trap us?”

I let out a disbelieving laugh. “Looks like it.”

We stood there, facing each other in stunned silence.

Then, without warning, he stepped forward, cupped my cheek gently, and said, “I’m sorry. For all of it. For letting fear win. For not choosing you out loud.”

I closed my eyes, tears slipping down. “I never wanted to hide. Not us.”

“I know,” he whispered. “And I don’t want to hide anymore either.”

I opened my eyes, searching his face. “What changed?”

“You leaving,” he said simply. “That was my wake-up call. I realised losing you in private is far worse than loving you in public.”

My heart thudded painfully. “Do you mean that?”

“Every word.”

A beat passed, then another.

And finally, finally, I stepped into him. His arms wrapped around me like they were meant to, like they never should’ve let go. I buried my face in his shoulder and breathed him in familiar, warm, home.

“I missed you too,” I murmured.

He pulled back just enough to look at me. “So… what do we do now?”

“We go out there,” I said, brushing a tear from my cheek, “and we give them a headline.”

His eyes lit up. “You serious?”

I nodded. “We’ve done everything else secretly. Let’s make this loud.”

A wide grin spread across his face one I hadn’t seen in weeks.

“You sure you want to be seen with me?”

I snorted. “Evans, please. You’re lucky I’m giving you a second chance.”

“Oh, I know,” he said, pulling me in for a quick, fierce kiss. “And I plan on earning it.”

When we finally walked back into the green room, hand in hand, the room fell quiet.

Then Scarlett clapped. “Well, it’s about bloody time.”

Brie grinned. “Told you it’d work.”

Mackie whooped. “Operation Get Those Idiots Back Together is officially a success!”

Chris leaned in and whispered, “You sure we’re not being too loud?”

I squeezed his hand. “Nope. This is exactly the kind of noise I want.”

And as we walked onto the red carpet his fingers laced tightly with mine, cameras flashing and fans screaming I realised something.

This wasn’t just our comeback.

It was our beginning.

[chewyfics]

Easy To Love - Part 3

<- Part 2

It was nice seeing Wonwoo and Jeonghan be just as gentle with Minghao and Mingyu as they were with them when they were being checked over.

Minghao went first, sitting at the dining table so they wouldn't need to stay in the ‘sad room’. Jeonghan removed the panel on the back of his head to plug in the cable before sitting on the chair at his side, holding his hand while Wonwoo started up his diagnostics program. Hoshi watched the screen as it ran through, relieved to find there wasn't anything majorly wrong. He could do with some maintenance, his audio input coming up as a definite issue, but that was an easy fix. Mingyu was a little cluttered, probably the cause of the slight slowness, but almost perfectly fine besides that, only needing a handful things to be cleared and updated and he was good to go.

Seungkwan asked a few questions as they went through, but he mostly just stared over Wonwoo's shoulder to see what exactly he was doing. His shoulders relaxed when he was told the two of them were mostly okay, but his jaw clenched when it was time to bring out the box. He held it close to his chest, hesitating to hand it over, but he finally passed it to Junhui when Jeonghan reassured him that it would be alright. Seungkwan didn't look like he really believed it.

Junhui placed the box on the table to scan over the parts closely, assessing how extensive the damage actually was before they moved forward. His brows furrowed as he carefully turned the pieces over, the rest of the room in total silence as they waited for the outcome. Hoshi registered fingers slipping between his own, Minghao appearing at his side. His face was totally blank as he watched Junhui work, but his hold was tight. Hoshi hadn't expected him to be so anxious about it. It made him curious.

‘Did you know him?’

‘Yes. Very well, actually. Chan was originally part of my project, but he kind of floated around after the people running it realised how advanced he was. Even we forgot that he was one of us, sometimes. Everyone loved him. But he still turned out like… this.’

Even just in his head, Minghao sounded heartbroken. Hoshi couldn't comprehend what it was like since he was made after it all happened, but he knew it must be awful. His attention snapped back to Junhui when he straightened up and slid the box towards Wonwoo.

“I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I don't think it's actually as bad as it looks. Mostly superficial damage. Give it a go and see if anything comes up.”

Wonwoo's jaw dropped for a second, but he quickly grabbed the cord to plug into the exposed port in one of the pieces. Hoshi broke away from Minghao to lean over Wonwoo's shoulder, groaning in frustration when corrupted files popped up on the screen. Seungkwan buried his face in Mingyu's chest before they could say anything, a loud sob shattering the quiet when strong arms wrapped around to hold him close. Jeonghan sighed as he petted Seungkwan's hair, looking at them in a way that could only mean they had to get on with it. Now.

Hoshi dragged one of the other chairs around to sit beside Wonwoo without needing to be asked, waiting to be plugged in before getting to work. It was faster for him to go through the repair and recovery than it would have been for Wonwoo alone, even if it was something he was good at. Having to do it at all was more annoying than anything else, but they needed to get something done before Seungkwan fully lost it. He didn't really enjoy essentially wandering around a half-dead stranger's brain, either. He ignored as much as he could, but one thing was impossible to get around. 

“He remembers everything about you, by the way,” Hoshi turned to Seungkwan, splitting his focus to keep working at the same time. “I'm really trying not to see too much, but half of this is just… you. I thought you should know it's all still here.”

“Oh. Thank you,” Seungkwan twisted himself around in Mingyu's arms, his breath still stuttering but much more calm. “I'm sorry for assuming the worst. I just miss him so much. Do you really think we're going to get him back?”

“I hope so. We'll see how the rest of these files go.”

He got through the rest of the recovery as quickly as he could, slumping down in the chair for Wonwoo to take over when he was finished to avoid further overloading himself. It was harder on Hoshi's system than he thought it would be, so he was more than happy to let Jeonghan unplug the cable and drape himself over his shoulders. They watched Wonwoo unconsciously hunch down closer to the screen as his program ran through, leaning back with a hum when it ended.

“Hey, Hannie? Are you still in contact with Jihoon?”

“Yeah. Yeah I am,” a slow smile spread across Jeonghan's lips, his eyes lighting up when he caught on to what Wonwoo was implying. “I'll start making a list.”

“Good,” Wonwoo turned to the others, grinning when hope started making its way through the confusion. “I think we can do it. I think we can bring him back.”

Hoshi was pulled up from his seat by his hands a second later, Minghao's arms wrapping around his middle and squeezing tight. He narrowed his eyes when Junhui winked, ignoring him to hold Minghao closer before he could move away. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it, but it was nice. Helping with Chan meant they would get to be there more often, so maybe he would figure it out with time. He was happy to be there either way.

——————————

They ended up spending more time there than their own home, mostly planning out what they were going to do while they waited for what they needed. Getting the parts they asked for was even more difficult than it apparently had been when Hoshi was being built, but that wasn't too surprising given how much more time had passed. At least Jihoon was still in business. 

Jeonghan let Hoshi join him when it was time to pick them up, but only because he'd been annoying Wonwoo so much about it that he begged Jeonghan to take him. That was slightly insulting, but it still got him what he wanted. It was a new experience. Jihoon sounded like such an elusive guy that he couldn't help being curious. He'd technically helped to make him too, so of course Hoshi wanted to meet him, even if he still wasn't allowed to give himself away. It was a decent compromise.

Jihoon didn't live in a sketchy neighbourhood like Hoshi had kind of expected. His house was incredibly normal looking, the only strange thing being that all the curtains were drawn in the middle of the day. The garage door opened when they pulled into the driveway, automatically closing again behind them as soon as Jeonghan parked inside. That was more of a give-away for shady business, but Jeonghan trusted him, so Hoshi was excited nonetheless. He just didn't expect to be scrutinised as soon as Jihoon opened the door.

“Huh,” he ran his eyes over Hoshi before Jeonghan could even say hello, tipping his head to the side with a small smile. “I figured this was what you were doing. Come on in.”

“Wait, what?” Jeonghan looked incredibly alarmed, leaving Hoshi to follow them inside when he walked away. “You can tell?”

“Calm down. Nobody else would be able to,” Jihoon rolled his eyes as he leaned against his kitchen bench, the boxes they came to collect sitting on top. “I'm not dumb, Hannie. Not many ‘projects’ require the stuff you've asked me for over the years. And how could I not recognise the outer parts that I gave you? Seriously, you did well. He looks good.”

“Thank you.”

They both turned to him so suddenly that Hoshi couldn't help shyly looking down at the floor. Jeonghan cooed, petting his hair gently before seeming to remember they weren't alone. Jihoon outright laughed at Hoshi pouting when he quickly retracted his hand, but it wasn't in a mean way. He seemed nice. Safe. Hoshi liked him already.

“You should meet the others,” he raised an eyebrow when Jeonghan looked at him like he'd grown a second head. “What? Mingyu keeps complaining that we don't count as visitors anymore.”

“Others?” Jihoon appeared just as confused, and somehow even more concerned. “You made more than one?”

“Yes and no,” Jeonghan sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Wonwoo had Junhui way before we made Hoshi, here. But a friend of ours has a couple, too. Those parts are for another little guy we're trying to rebuild after he got… taken apart.”

“Damn,” Jihoon whistled, crossing his arms over his chest. “It's almost like you guys are trying to get on a list. I thought I was the dodgy friend, and here you are actively doing criminal shit.”

Jeonghan winced, his eyes going wide with a blush climbing up his cheeks. Hoshi could hear his heart pounding worryingly fast. He brought his palm up to rest on Jeonghan's chest, his other hand rubbing soothing circles on his back until the beats slowed down. Jihoon watched them silently, waiting for Jeonghan to take in deeper breaths before trying to speak again.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean that like I'm going to run to the cops or something,” he screwed up his face like he couldn't imagine anything worse, putting Jeonghan a little more at ease. “I think what you're doing is nice, actually. You really have done well, if Hoshi taking care of you like this is anything to go by. I'm happy to help however I can.”

“Wonwoo and Seungkwan just said you can come over if you want to,” Hoshi giggled when Jeonghan threw his arms up in disbelief. “Don't worry. I got Hao to ask so Junnie wouldn't lie about it.”

“I don't even want to know,” Jihoon raised his hands before they could explain. “But I guess I'll come with, since you're so adamant about getting me out of the house.”

Hoshi clapped excitedly, grabbing the biggest box before rushing back out to the car. The other two followed behind with the rest, shaking their heads when they found him already in the back seat. He couldn't help it. They were finally going to start properly working on Chan and he made a new friend. Maybe. Either way, everything was going even better than he'd hoped.

——————————

Introductions were a little awkward. Jihoon and Wonwoo had met a few times in the past through Jeonghan, so that wasn't so bad. The biggest problem was Minghao half hiding behind Hoshi as soon as they put the boxes on the dining table, with Mingyu trying and spectacularly failing to do the same with Seungkwan as if he thought he wasn't twice his size. It was more embarrassing than anything else, Seungkwan scowling as he shoved him away.

Junhui claimed Jihoon had an awful case of resting bitch face, whatever that was supposed to mean, but of course he still thought he was cute. It wasn't too surprising that he was the one to break the ice, immediately babbling about how nice it was to finally meet. It shocked a laugh out of Jihoon, his cheeks bunching up and brightening his demeanor as a whole. It really was quite cute.

Hoshi couldn't say he was usually a fan of Junhui being so rambly, but he did appreciate that it brought Jihoon out of his shell. It made Mingyu and Minghao relax, too, so that was helpful. The atmosphere was comfortable enough to move to the living room, curling onto the couches and armchairs to just talk. It was easy, even when most of them were pretty introverted and Jihoon only really knew Jeonghan up until a few minutes before. Their little group gaining another person was unexpected, but Hoshi wanted to keep him. 

“Not that this isn't nice, or anything,” Jihoon leaned forward when the chatter naturally died down, blowing steam from the tea he'd finally accepted after Mingyu offered for the third time. “But I am kind of curious about why you need some of those parts. A few of them were stupid hard to get and I'm not even sure what they're for.”

Everyone turned to Seungkwan. He was staring down at his empty cup, sudden uneasiness rolling off him in waves. Even Mingyu pulling him close against his side didn't seem to help. Jihoon opened his mouth to backtrack, but Seungkwan stood up with a deep sigh before he could apologise. He still looked conflicted, but he tipped his head towards the workroom for the others to follow when he started walking away. 

They'd started using it again mostly to clear space on the dining table, but also because it was feeling less gloomy now that they could actually do something. The pieces of the metal skeleton had been moved aside, which also helped with getting away from the weird vibe, so Minghao had room to spread his drawn up designs over the bench for when they were able to start building. Jihoon looked over the sketches carefully, making Minghao shy when he genuinely complimented his talent for art. Hoshi grinned at the weak punch landing on his arm when he called him out on it.

The energy in the room shifted when Seungkwan picked up the box from the shelf. He held it close to his chest, taking a deep breath before removing the lid and turning back to the others. Jihoon leaned forward to see inside, his brows furrowed in confusion until he worked out what he was actually looking at.

“Fucking hell,” he mirrored Seungkwan's grimace. “Hannie said he was taken apart, not torn apart. What happened?”

His expression turned more horrified with each detail as Seungkwan went through a brief version of the timeline, Mingyu chiming in every so often to give his and Minghao's perspective on the story. Jihoon's eyes were shining when they finished, shifting to Wonwoo with a barely concealed desperation that Hoshi hadn't seen coming at all. He seriously did care.

“You think you can fix this?”

“Yes, I do,” Wonwoo squared his shoulders, looking incredibly determined. “So let's get started.”

——————————

Jihoon had to leave shortly after they'd gone through and unpacked the boxes of parts, endlessly apologising for having business to get to early in the morning but promising to check in on their progress when he was free. Jeonghan drove him home after they all told him that he'd already done more than they could have asked for, but he was still reluctant to leave. Hoshi didn't think he'd ever meet someone who got attached as quickly as Jeonghan. It was sweet. 

It wasn't like they were going to get a whole lot done in the rest of that day anyway. Their time was mostly spent sorting out what should go where, grouping the internal and external parts for when they could start building up the body. Seeing it all spread out made Hoshi feel kind of weird. He'd heard about how uncomfortable Junhui was when he was being made, and he still didn't look like he enjoyed being there, but he was helping where he could, so Hoshi did too. They weren't having to put anything together yet, at least. That was a problem for later.

They arrived in the mid-morning as usual the next day, letting themselves in with the spare key Seungkwan had given them a few weeks after they'd started coming around almost daily. It wasn't hard to find him, his singing echoing down the hall from the workroom with Minghao and Mingyu adding soft harmonies. Hoshi was used to it by then, Jeonghan and Wonwoo tended to do the same thing over cups of coffee in the morning, and it was nice to hear it from people he was beginning to associate as part of his family. He wasn't sure when that started, but he didn't mind it. That was nice, too.

The three of them looked over when they walked in, excitement bubbling under the calm. Hoshi hooked his chin over Minghao's shoulder from where he was taping his drawings on the wall to make room on the bench. He really was good, but it was him leaning back against his body that made Hoshi smile. He wasn't entirely sure when that started either. They had all naturally become quite touchy as they grew closer, being tactile engrained in Hoshi from day one, but Minghao wasn't too openly affectionate most of the time, appearing to tolerate more than enjoy being pulled into hugs or having his hand held. For some reason, it was different with Hoshi. He wasn't going to complain about it.

“This could be interesting,” Wonwoo sat on the desk chair to switch on his laptop, spinning back towards them when it started loading. “Junnie, could you bring over the pieces and new parts for me, please? And do you mind being plugged in, Hoshi? I have a feeling I'll need help from both of you with this one.”

“Do you mind if I watch?” Seungkwan asked shyly when they nodded, Junhui picking up the boxes and Hoshi perching on the desk for Jeonghan to connect him to the laptop. 

“Of course not,” Wonwoo tipped his head to the side with a small smile. “Might want to grab a chair, though. I honestly don't know how this is going to go, so we'll probably be here a while.”

Mingyu left and returned with one of the dining chairs before Wonwoo even finished his sentence, grinning at Seungkwan's fond eye roll. He might not have been as sophisticated, sometimes a bit slow and clumsy, but he made up for it by being incredibly attentive. Jeonghan had called him a big puppy a few times, and he really was right. It was cute. 

They worked quietly for the most part, the only breaks in activity when Jihoon called Jeonghan to check in and Mingyu bringing in cups of tea for the few of them that could actually drink it. There was easiness to it all, even if what they were doing wasn't in itself. Going through everything and keeping an eye out for if anything went wrong as Junhui played around with putting the pieces together was actually quite a lot for Hoshi to be focussing on. Seungkwan speaking up was a welcome reprieve, but the question was a little confusing.

“Do you think he knows what we're doing?” he turned beet red at everyone's eyes suddenly pointed his way, but he pushed on. “You said he's still in there. Do you think he knows?”

Wonwoo looked up to Junhui, who turned to Minghao and Mingyu on the other side of the room, who both stared at Hoshi as if he would know how to answer. Typical.

“Well, uh,” he thought it over with his head tipped to the side. “I don't know when things are happening if I'm shut down. I can hear and feel Jun poking around if I'm awake, though. This is a bit different, so I'm not entirely sure, honestly.”

“I don't know what I wanted you to say, really,” Seungkwan laughed bitterly. “As much as I miss him, I kind of hope he doesn't. I hope there's been nothing since he was switched off. I can't bear to imagine if he… when he was…”

He trailed off with a miserable sniffle. Even if he didn't say it, Hoshi knew what he meant. 

“I don't care how long it takes. We're going to bring him back,” Jeonghan rested his hand on Seungkwan's shoulder, a grim determination in his pretty features. “I promise.”

It was a big promise to make. There was a warmth to it, though, incredibly sincere with his words in a way that was reflected in all of them when Hoshi looked around the room. His eyes landed on Minghao, finding his shoulders set and expression passive, but his lips turned up at the corners slightly when he noticed Hoshi was staring. It was impossible not to smile back. They could do this.

——————————

“Woah. You guys are good at this.”

Hoshi looked up from where he was carefully threading wefts of hair, grinning up at Jihoon standing in the doorway with his eyebrows raised to his hairline. It genuinely had been going better than expected over the week since he'd last been over, even with the photos Jeonghan had been sending, making progress quickly with so many helping hands. Besides Junhui already not coping well with the half formed body on the bench, anyway, but he'd started mostly hanging out with Mingyu in the yard after he finished up with the part he was really needed for. Teaching him about gardening actually was pretty helpful, so nobody had any complaints. The weeds had been getting a little out of control. 

“Why thank you, darling,” Jeonghan slung an arm around Jihoon's shoulders when he moved to get a closer look. “I'd like to think we're experts by now, but it's still hard to beat perfection.”

Wonwoo shook his head at his borderline sleazy wink when Hoshi bashfully waved him off, but it was fond as always. Minghao and Seungkwan watched the exchange with mild amusement, but they'd gotten used to their antics by then. Jihoon hadn't had to experience it as frequently and didn't seem very happy about it, shrugging Jeonghan off with flaming cheeks and muttering something under his breath as he pretended to be very interested in the tangle of wires sitting inside the open body cavity. Hoshi caught Seungkwan's eye, holding back a giggle when he smirked and waggled his eyebrows. Shyness was like a drug to Jeonghan.

“That colour is a bit unusual though, isn't it?” Jihoon asked after he recovered, eyeing the transparent bag on Hoshi's lap. “I thought the idea was to not stand out too much?”

Hoshi peered down at the weft of hair in his hand. Truthfully, he'd thought the cotton candy pink was an odd choice himself, but Seungkwan had been adamant on it, so he shrugged it off and did as he was asked. That didn't mean he was any less curious, though.

“Channie brought it up a few times,” Seungkwan shared a smile with Minghao, both of them clearly having similar memories. “He thought natural hair was boring, but it wasn't like we could just change it back there. I think this suits him more. It'll be a nice surprise.” 

It was a relief to not have him burst into tears when he talked about the past anymore, the previous days of work seeming to give him more optimism for what would hopefully be coming soon. With the internal workings put together and the success of unmuddling his brain, they just needed to finish up the body before they could finally start testing. Before they could finally bring him back to life. Hoshi didn't think he'd ever been so excited, and he hadn't even met Chan before. He couldn't imagine how Minghao, Seungkwan and Mingyu felt. Judging by the wide smiles of the two in the room, it was unexplainable.

Jihoon stayed as moral support more than physically helping, but it was still appreciated, especially when the sun began to set. Mingyu wandered into the room with a goofy wave after washing the dirt off his hands, but Junhui still wasn't keen on coming too close to the flayed open torso they were still working on. Hoshi raised an eyebrow when Jihoon beat Jeonghan in getting to him. Junhui looked just as bewildered when he was gently led out towards the living room, but it wasn't long before he sent through an update.

‘Oh! He wants to talk about my plans for the garden!’

Hoshi rolled his eyes. Junhui was so easy to distract.

‘Knock him dead, buddy.’

Mingyu giggled, explaining what was happening to Seungkwan, Wonwoo and Jeonghan when they turned to him in confusion. It was a shame they couldn't be a part of it sometimes. Maybe they could look into connecting to their phones one day. They had enough on their plates for the time being, but he decided to keep it in mind for later. With the rate it was going, it probably wouldn't be take longer anyway.

——————————

They were finished by the next time Jihoon came over, gathering around what would appear to just be a sleeping man on the workbench if it wasn't for the cable connecting him to Wonwoo's laptop. Hoshi could admit they'd done well. Besides the hair, he was almost identical to the photos on Seungkwan's phone and Minghao's sketches taped to the wall. He was beautiful. Now they just needed to run through the tests. 

“You might not want to stay for this part,” Wonwoo directed at Seungkwan, uncomfortably rubbing the back of his neck when he looked at him incredulously. “It can be kind of, uh…”

“Freaky,” Jeonghan cringed at the thought. “He won't be activated, so he can't see or feel or anything, but I still don't like it.”

He'd only witnessed it a couple of times with Junhui, but Hoshi had to agree it was weird. Something about moving without being aware wasn't something he loved the idea of. It was necessary, though. They couldn't afford to have anything go wrong.

“I'm staying.”

Wonwoo sighed as he dropped down onto the desk chair to face his computer screen, but nobody could convince Seungkwan otherwise. He could be too stubborn for his own good at times. In the end, it was his decision to make, but they all knew it might not be the best one. That much was clear when he jumped to hide behind Jeonghan with a shriek, peeking over his shoulder as Wonwoo's test program ran through. 

The android's eyes had snapped open, blindly rolling in his skull as the artificial muscles in his face began to move. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly, brows raising and furrowing to make various expressions. The body twitches started soon after it went back to neutral, most noticeably his fingers curling into fists and chest rising as if taking breaths on a timer. The worst part was watching him go completely still for a few seconds, an uneasy calm, before suddenly bending at the waist to sit up straight. Even Hoshi flinched, the unfocussed eyes landing on them sending a visible shiver up Jeonghan's spine at his side. 

“Junnie,” Wonwoo spoke softly when Chan had slowly lowered back down. “We need to test his hearing.”

Junhui grimaced, but still stepped closer to stand beside Chan's head. He snapped his fingers near his ear, looking over at the screen to see the volume level change with the sound. All good signs, but still odd to watch everything unfold. Wonwoo clicked the mouse a few more times before leaning back in the chair and spinning towards the group, all of the tension leaving when he broke out in a small but pleased smile. Jihoon petted the back of Seungkwan's trembling hand when he let out a shaky exhale, Minghao appearing almost equally as spooked when he slipped his fingers between Hoshi's.

‘Are you alright?’

Minghao nodded slightly, but still squeezed his hand tight when he met his eyes. Hoshi was fairly sure he understood. Chan wasn't back yet. It was like watching a moving shell of his past friend. At least it all meant that they were close. 

“I still want to tweak a couple of things, but he's almost good to go,” Wonwoo huffed when he got a lap full of excited Jeonghan, but wrapped his arms around his middle anyway. “Honestly, I think we can get him activated tomorrow.”

Mingyu whooped, picking up a teary Seungkwan to spin him around in circles, giggling at the weak punches to his chest when he set him back down. Cute.

‘We did a really good thing, huh?’

Hoshi turned to Junhui, sharing his soft smile when he registered it went to him privately.

‘Yeah. Yeah we did.’

——————————

Standing around waiting for Chan to be activated was even more tense than the testing the day before.

Wonwoo made Hoshi triple check everything while he was still plugged in just in case, needing to be reassured now that his nerves had flared with it finally happening. Jihoon had joined them again despite the business he was supposed to be attending to, clearing his schedule because “like hell I would miss this!”. Hoshi didn't think he would be so invested, but he hadn't really expected him to wriggle his way into a comfortable place in the group so easily either. His enthusiasm and presence in general helped put everyone else at ease, especially with Junhui almost vibrating out of his artificial skin, so it was appreciated. 

“Alright,” Jeonghan unplugged the cable and slotted the panel in place, looking up to Seungkwan as he felt for the button on Chan’s nape. “Are you ready?”

“Do it.”

Jeonghan pressed his lips into a thin line, nodding once before pushing the button in until the sound of whirring filled the space. He backed away to stand between Wonwoo and Hoshi when it quieted down, clinging to their arms as they all waited anxiously for him to wake up. Seungkwan hovered close on the other side of the bench, Mingyu and Minghao holding his trembling hands as the seconds of inactivity ticked past. Just as it seemed like maybe they hadn't actually been able to do it, Hoshi’s head snapped towards Minghao, finding him already staring his way with wide eyes and jaw dropped. Buzzing.

Seungkwan gasped before they could say anything. Chan's eyes had cracked open, pupils dilating and shrinking to focus on the ceiling, eyebrows drawing together in confusion as his gaze slowly shifted to take in his surroundings. They shot up in panic when he landed on Hoshi's half of the group, softening to surprise when he looked the other way. His lips parted as he scanned over the three standing at his side, recognition flickering over his features as he tried to find his words. 

“Kwannie?”

A loud sob ripped from Seungkwan's throat, breaking himself away from Minghao and Mingyu to wrap his arms around Chan's neck. Chan's hands were slow and awkward as he moved for the first time, but he managed to bring them to Seungkwan's waist when he climbed onto the bench to hold him close. Hoshi felt like he would be crying too, if he could. It was a beautiful moment, only broken by Wonwoo tapping his shoulder and gesturing to the door to give the four of them space. They'd just shuffled out, about to close the door for privacy, when Seungkwan sat up.

“Wait!” he sniffled, almost pleading through tears. “Please. You did the impossible. You brought him back. Don't go.”

Hoshi looked to Wonwoo for guidance, finding his eyes shining with emotion behind his glasses. Jeonghan and Jihoon were in the same state, tear tracks down their cheeks and breaths stuttering as they stepped back inside. Junhui gripped Hoshi's hand tight to drag him forward, letting go only for Minghao to take his place. Chan had managed to sit himself up by then, a confused but elated grin stretching his lips with Seungkwan curled around him like a koala. 

“What happened?” he scanned over the new and familiar faces as he slowly rubbed Seungkwan's back. “Last I knew, we were supposed to be, you know, dead?” 

“Uh, well,” Mingyu nervously locked eyes with Minghao when Seungkwan whined. “Yeah, actually. Me and Hao weren't so bad, so Seungkwan could bring us back okay. But you've been gone for a while, Chan. A long while. We… we needed help.”

“So that's why you look so old.”

“I haven't even hit thirty yet, you asshole,” Seungkwan smacked Chan's shoulder, breaking the heaviness in the room with a wet, disbelieving laugh. “And not the point. Like Mingyu was trying to say, we needed help. Then Minghao kind of stumbled on these guys. You should be thanking them.”

Chan quirked an eyebrow at the name changes, but didn't mention it. Instead, he tipped his head to the side and looked at the rest of them properly. There was an intensity to it that made Junhui shrink back and confused Hoshi, but his wide smile came back when he found whatever he seemed to be looking for. 

‘Oh, cool. You guys are droids, too?’

He laughed when Junhui's mouth dropped open. Hoshi liked him already.

“Those two are, yes,” Minghao rolled his eyes, but he was oozing fondness. “This is Wonwoo and Jeonghan, they did most of the work, and Jihoon, he managed to get all the parts we needed, then our android friends here are Junhui and… Hoshi.”

There was an immediate outcry. Jeonghan, Jihoon and Wonwoo waved their hands frantically to not take so much of the credit, babbling over Junhui getting shy and Mingyu's giggles. Hoshi was more distracted by the strange way his name had been tacked on at the end. Seungkwan was gazing down at their connected hands with a knowing smile, Chan and Minghao having a stare-off that Hoshi could only assume meant they were communicating privately about something. Weird. 

He was dragged away before he could ask what was going on. Being in Minghao's bedroom was nothing new, but something about the circumstances made Hoshi uneasy, even with their fingers still tightly laced together. Minghao let go to face him with a complicated expression, a nervousness that Hoshi wanted to smooth away, but it seemed like he needed space to get whatever he was thinking in order. It was unsettling to see him so unsure of himself.

“All of this has gotten me thinking. Bringing Chan back, I mean,” he finally spoke up, forcing himself to look Hoshi in the eye. “This life is precious, right?”

“I… yes?” Hoshi tipped his head to the side curiously. “Why?”

“So if we have something we want, we should go for it?” he stepped closer, bringing his hands up to rest behind Hoshi's neck to leave their faces inches apart. “Act on a feeling we think might be shared?”

“Yes,” Hoshi whispered, holding Minghao's waist as he caught onto where he was fairly sure it was going. “I think so. Yes.”

Relief flooded Minghao's features, leaning in closer to give Hoshi room to back away if he wanted to, but there was no way he could. He'd been thinking about it for months, even if it was something he'd forcefully pushed to the back of his mind with the uncertainty of what exactly the feeling was. It all came back to the big question. The sensation when he closed the gap between their lips confirmed the answer. They can learn to love. 

Hoshi pulled him closer, the pressure on his sensors making the whirring in his head louder and warmer, but not in the overwhelming way that made him black out. He could hear the same happening to Minghao, could feel it in his body getting more loose and pliant against his own, and there was such a sweet softness to it that he never wanted it to end. In that moment, he understood Chan and Seungkwan. It was a true feeling that he hadn't thought possible. Precious. 

“About time.”

They broke apart to find Junhui leaning against the doorframe, the annoyingly smug smirk from what seemed like a lifetime ago back in place. Jeonghan stood just behind, his hands barely concealing his wide grin, but it was impossible to hide his shining eyes. He pushed past to drag them both down into a tight hug, rambling about being happy for them and how beautiful the day had become. They didn't get a chance to say anything before being pulled back into the workroom. Somehow, despite being alive for only a few minutes, Chan looked the most pleased out of everyone. 

“Who knew we would be so inspirational.” 

“You told me to do it,” Minghao scowled, but still tightened his grip on Hoshi's hand. “I haven't missed you at all. You suck.”

“Love you too, Hao-Hao,” Chan blew him a kiss, much to Jeonghan's delight. “Ah, it's good to be back.”

“Don't make us regret it,” Seungkwan deadpanned, but he couldn't hide the honey dripping from his eyes when Chan almost toppled backwards off the bench from throwing his head back in laughter. 

Maybe Hoshi still wasn't the best with understanding emotions, but there in what was previously considered the ‘sad room’, surrounded by his favourite people, he knew he was happy. He knew they would be okay. He knew there was love.

——————————

There was something so surreal about looking around the living room later that evening, watching Chan chattering freely and learning how to use his new body, that it got Wonwoo thinking about what they'd done. No, not what they'd done; what they'd accomplished, essentially bringing someone back from the dead with their own hands and sheer will to return something lost, forming precious bonds that shouldn't have been possible along the way. It was insane. 

Wonwoo didn't intend for it to get so far. He had just been a student intent on not letting the life he'd created slip away. He could blame Jeonghan, but that wouldn't be fair. He was kind of just roped into it, even if it was voluntary. It was something Wonwoo hadn't realised he'd taken for granted until he really let himself think about it in that moment, seeing the man he never expected to care for so fiercely giddily pressing kisses to into the hair of the androids who had wormed their way into their hearts making something ache in his chest. 

Even Jihoon being there, squished beside Junhui on the couch, grinning wildly as they teased Mingyu over saying something silly, really shouldn't have happened. A distant acquaintance turned close friend, a change even more sudden than the way their family had integrated with Seungkwan's, was incredibly sweet. It was a wild realisation that none of it would've been possible without him. Maybe it started with Wonwoo, then Jeonghan being adamant to take things further, but Jihoon was the one to make it work. It seemed impossible for him not to be a bigger part of it.

Then there was Hoshi and Minghao. That really wasn't anticipated. Sure, the relationship between Chan and Seungkwan was outside the box, evident in the way they hadn't stopped clinging to each other for a second since Chan had opened his eyes, but it was different. They had a connection outside of the realm of nature, but that in itself could be argued. What they felt could be considered the most natural thing in the world. They had beaten the odds, learned to overcome the thing that hovered above their existence. They had learned to love, not just the people in their lives, but each other as well. 

Jeonghan landing in his lap with a question in his eyes almost brought Wonwoo to tears, but he shook his head, not wanting to ruin the easy comfort enveloping the room. As always, Jeonghan got it straight away, pecking his lips gently before curling up like a cat with his head under Wonwoo's chin. Wonwoo knew the softness in his gaze meant he felt exactly the same, not that that wasn't obvious enough from the beginning. 

They were easy to love.

[redheadspark]

Hey could i request  “going to hold hands in a stressful situation” for Benedict bridgerton

A/N: This is a good one! Thanks for the request anon!

Anchor

Summary: Holding hands with your husband helped you in more ways than one

Warnings: Gentle fluffiness

Benedict loved holding your hand.

He called it "An Anchor" for him for when he needed you the most. Of course, you saw it as a simple gesture and nothing more than showing that you loved and cared for him. Even when you two started courting one another and going on outings together as a couple, Benedict would find a way to hold your hand. Sure there were times when it was not appropriate to hold hands out in public, but that never stopped him from lacing your fingers together and going palm to palm. Whether you were watching a polo match or a elegant ball, he held your hand.

Not only did he held your hand on any occasion, he held your hand through dire moments too. Benedicts sometimes had moments of stress and uneasiness, being part of a well known and well liked family. The reputation of the Bridgerton got to him at times, which was a shame since you loved the family and cared for them long before you became a Bridgerton yourself. Yet in the past, you saw the pressure with him at times, which made you reach for him before he would reach for you first.

His anchor, no other way you would be for him.

"What if they don't like my work?" Benedict asked you as you two were sitting together in bed, going over some of the drawings Benedict has done for his art courses. You were his biggest advocate and supporter in his creativity, and you loved to see him grow in his passion. Seeing his arms speckled with colors and oils made your heart swell, and the shirt he would ruin from the colors weren't bad either. But it broke your heart when he doubted himself and overstressed with canvases or sketched thrown across the room.

"They will love your work, darling," You reassured him, taking his hand in yours to kiss the back of it soothingly as he watched you with worried eyes, "Your art is your own, not another's art. Don't doubt yourself now,"

And when it came to you, Benedict was always there with an open hand ready for you to grip tightly. Long before you were married and blissfully happy, you were beyond worried to talk to your father about Benedict wishing to marry you. It was beyond stressful, your father not an easy man to please. You were waiting for your father's arrival in the gardens outside Benedict's home, the tea simmering and ready for use as you both were etched in your chairs under the canopies that were placed in the perfectly.

"It'll be alright, sweetheart," Benedict reassured you as you two were gripping hands in the middle of the table, your eyes trained on the opening into the garden where your father would arrive any second, "Your father likes me and this will be a pleasant conversation. He knows we're in love,"

Your hand gripping his so tight was the only thing that was making you feel stable in that moment.

The trials you two went through to be married and happy together was all worth while. His hand in yours was a source of not just comfort, but love and peace. Now you hand felt empty at times when he had to be away for business affairs or you would visit your own family for a few days. At first, you thought it was just you thinking like that, maybe almost looking like a desperate wife who needed her husband more than she should. But Benedict was just the same, reaching for your hand first when you would reunite or when you both fell asleep in bed.

No matter what you went through, no matter what kind of joy or sorrowful moment you had thrown at you, all you could do was reach for each other's hands.

And be each other's anchors.

The End.

[hannibals-favourite-meal]

The Real America's Ass

Sam Wilson x reader

Marvel Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Sam is insecure about being Captain America, reader reassures him

A/N: Requests are open! Check my masterlist for characters/fandoms I write for

Warnings: Body worship, cock worship, ass biting, insecure!Sam, little bit of angst, captain kink, oral (m receiving)

WC: 1.1k

Minors DNI

The house was silent as Y/N returned home. They threw their keys in the little bowl by the door, wincing as the clatter broke the silence. An air of sadness had settled over the house, making their brow furrow in confusion.

“Babe? You home?” A muffled ‘in here’ came from the garage/workshop. Sam was sitting on one of the benches, staring at the shield in front of him. “I don’t think that thing is going to give you the answers to life my love.” They expected him to turn and give them a playful glare but he just remained in place, sighing quietly.

They stepped forward and wrapped their arms around his strong shoulders, burying their face in his neck and giving him a small kiss. “What’s going on?” “I’m not worthy of it. I’m not like him, I can never be him.” They rounded the bench and took his face in their hands, lifting his chin up so they could look into those gorgeous brown eyes. “What are you talking about Sam?”

He tried to move his head out of their grasp but they held firm, not budging an inch. They raised a single eyebrow and watched as the fight faded in his eyes. “I just, I-“ Tears gathered along his water line, a couple fat drops spilling over which Y/N immediately ripped away. “Tell me what’s wrong baby.” “Steve gave me the shield when he retired, and I can never be him. I can’t pick up that mantle. I’m not strong enough.” “Oh my love, Steve would’ve never given you that shield if he didn’t believe in you and consider you to be the best person for the job.

“Besides, who else would he have given it to? Bucky?” That made Sam chuckle, “You are a good man Samuel Thomas Wilson. Steve saw that, Bucky sees that, I see it. You deserve this shield and I know if he was here, Riley would agree with me too.” He was full-on crying now, but his shoulders were slumped as if a huge weight had been lifted off of them. He brought his partner into a tight hug, burying his face in their neck. “Thank you. But I-” “Alright, come on Cap, we have something we have to do.”

They took his hand and dragged him through the house. Their bedroom took up the entire top floor of the quant house and perfectly overlooked the secluded lake they lived in. Y/N loved waking up in the morning to see the sun rising over the water as their husband slept peacefully on their chest. But the view they had now was even better.

They had shoved Sam on the bed after removing his shirt so his toned chest and ripped abs were on display for them. They kissed down his body, nipping his perfect skin as they mapped a path down his torso. “You’re so perfect Sam. So amazing. So kind. So gentle. So hot.” He moaned, the sound coming from deep within his chest as they circled his nipple with their tongue and lightly biting down, just hard enough for his hips to jerk upwards.

“God baby please.” Y/N ignored his pleas, continuing to worship every inch of skin before them. “You always take such good care of me. It’s my turn now. Let me love my husband the way he deserves. Until he believes me when I tell him that he is worthy, more worthy than he thinks.” But despite their words, they took pity on him, slowly dragging the waistband of those delectable grey sweatpants down his thick thighs. His cock smacked against his lower stomach, leaving droplets of pre-cum on the little trail of dark hair below his belly button.

Y/N moaned at the 9 thick inches of pure pleasure that had just enough curve to it that every time he thrust into them, he hit the exact right spot. “Such a pretty cock baby. The prettiest I’ve ever seen and it’s all mine.” A devious smirk was all the warning Sam got before Y/N took his cock completely down their throat. “Holy fuck!” His body hinged forward, curling around his spouse’s head, as if trying to keep them in place.

Sweat dripped down his back as they worked his length perfectly. They licked the little spot on the underside of his dick, just below the tip while one hand fondled his balls. Sam shuttered at the feeling. He was almost never vocal in bed, only really speaking dirty phrases into their ear and giving soft groans as he neared his end but now, as his perfect, gorgeous partner gagged on him but refused to relent, his moans rang through the house, his voice getting deeper as he got closer.

His legs shook as their nails dragged down his thighs, cutting into him as an attempt to stop choking on his massive cock. “Baby stop, I wanna make you feel good too.” They came up for air but continued to stroke him with their hand. “Not today. Today is all about you. My incredible husband, let me worship you.” With that, they returned to sucking him off. His cock twitched wildly in their mouth, his balls tightening up as his orgasms grew and grew. “Baby I’m gonna cum!”

“Cum for me. Come on Captain, give it to me.” He growled at the name, hips canting upwards, chasing the tightness of their fist while they nibbled on his earlobe and spoke filthy praises into his ear. “You’re so brave, so strong. Such an amazing man. I have no idea how I got lucky enough to marry you. You’re my soulmate captain, the love of my life. Cum for me, let go.”

“Fuuuuuucckkkkk!” Hot ropes of cum coated Y/N’s hand as they worked him through his high, slowly loosening their grip when he became too sensitive. They kissed his cheek. “I love you Sam.” He sagged back onto the pillows, chuckling breathlessly. “If that’s what I get for being insecure, I’m definitely not going to take that shield.” Y/N glared at him. “Oh baby, that was a one time thing. Next time you question your worth, I’m using those ropes you love to use on me to tie you up and edge you for hours.” The serious expression on their face stopped Sam’s laugh in his throat.

“Damn you are scary.” “Damn right I am. Now turn over, I have something I need to do.” He looked at them confused but obeyed anyway. Once he was flat on his front, Y/N bent over and bit one of his ass cheeks. Sam yelped. “What the hell was that for?!”

“I’m sorry but America’s ass just looked so delectable.” And all of a sudden, the air of sadness in the house disappeared and was replaced by Sam’s laughter and unconditional love.

Taglist

@im-a-slut-for-fluff

[spinster-sisters]

Pushover. psh jwy

TW: exhibitionism, fingering, oral female receiving, dirty talk, praise, degradation, grinding, slight bondage, good ole fashion fucking, cock stepping apparently, daddy kink, mutual masturbation, probably other stuff that have escaped my mind cuz writing this felt like a fever dream. So wooyoung is involved pretty heavily involved in this, like many of the kinks listed are done on him and by him so there you have it. Also yeosang is directly involved for like 4 seconds, also please just assume any tags mentioned in the first part that are not listed here may also pop up.

Part 1 (this is a direct continuation of this timestamp)

WC: 5k words of pure smut.

-

You were hardly aware of your surroundings. Nestled into Seonghwa’s lap, your head fell back onto his shoulder and your eyes screwed shut. You could hear the garbled sound of your boyfriend’s voice rumbling next to your ear, but the slim fingers working in and out of your wet hole stopped any thoughts from entering your brain. Your panties had been pushed aside only enough for him to slip two fingers inside you but you were already keening.

Seonghwa knew how to work you, knew how to make you fall apart and he would usually take his time doing it. Normally you had to put in the work for this kind of treatment, you would have to be especially good and listen to him well during the day, a single misstep or disobeyed words would leave you hopeless, but you had gotten very good at behaving. Why would you when he treated you so well? Not to mention that Seonghwa had something to prove today, without an exchange of words you already knew to be on your best behavior today.

“So what do you say, Woo? It’s your call.” Seonghwa spoke with a cool calm tone. His free hand tapped your side and you knew he wanted your attention for the next part, so your head lifted up and you pulled your eyes open to face the room.

Seven pairs of eyes were glued to you and your boyfriend, all in various stages of embarrassment to downright turned on, but the ones that caught your attention were none other than Wooyoung’s. Because it seemed for the first time the man was at a complete loss for words. His mouth was flapping open and closed like a fish out of water but his complexion was suddenly very pink. He was watching with careful eyes the way Seonghwa’s fingers slipped in and out of you, each time pulling more wetness from you, where it pooled on Seonghwa’s pant leg and made his fingers glisten.

“Are you going to answer me? I don’t appreciate being ignored Wooyoung.” Seonghwa’s voice sounded again, this time with a much steelier tone. Snapped out of his reverie Wooyoung’s eyes flung up to your boyfriend's hard gaze and he made a confused noise. Wooyoung’s body twitched at Seonghwa’s disappointed sigh and somewhere in the room, you heard Mingi muttering to Jongho.

“I asked you a question Woo, do you have an answer?”

Wooyoung’s eyes flitted around the room, desperately looking for aid in the faces of his friends, but none came. They seemed perfectly content to watch the loud boy struggle for words. Eventually, he looked to you for help with pleading eyes, you weren’t quite sure what he wanted you to do but before you could even ponder Seonghwa slipped another finger inside you, stretching you open, even more, making your lips fall open with a pleased sigh and your brain clouded over again.

“Don’t look to her for help, she listened well and is getting her reward. You can’t possibly expect her to risk that to help you. Now, I don’t like repeating myself Woo, so I’m only going to do it once. Do you still think I’m too much of a pushover?” Seonghwa spoke with icy venom.

Wooyoung frantically shook his head ‘no.’ You almost felt sorry for the man when your boyfriend's face turned to stone. Wooyoung noticed it too, and in a moment of frantic panic he realized his mistake and pushed out the word “No!” With perhaps a little too much force. Your head turned to look at Seonghwa’s sharp side profile. He looked very pleased with himself. Rightfully so, taking charge was his forte in times like these.

Seonghwa returned your gaze with a smirk. Using his free hand he gently took your chin between his fingers and pulled you in for a deep kiss. The hand working inside you slowed it is ministrations, but you knew better than to voice your disapproval. Seonghwa’s lips effortlessly urged yours to open and his long tongue slipped between them. Seonghwa’s kisses were always so, strong? He put so much force into every press of the lips and every swipe of the tongue head spun with excitement. Your eyes feel shut almost immediately, moving your mouth gently along with your boyfriend.

It seems you got a little too lost in the feeling of the kiss and the gentle push of the hand working inside you because you were slowly becoming more and more vocal with each passing second. What started as soft groans were now developing into full moans that were only slightly muffled by Seonghwa’s lips. But a sudden squeal from across the room drew both of your attention. Seonghwa broke the kiss to peer across the room at none other than Wooyoung, whose pink complexion had turned bright red since you last looked at him. Also notable, was the way he kept clenching his thighs together and making small grinding motions.

He wasn’t completely alone in this, one quick glass around the room showed you that all of your friends seemed to be enjoying the scene before them, many of them sporting hard dicks of their own (San and Hongjoong especially had taken to slowly palming themselves over their jeans) but none seemed to be quite as affected as the boy directly across for you.

“Getting impatient?” Seonghwa asked with disinterest.

“No,” Wooyoung replied, trying to match your boyfriend's tone but failing miserably.

“We’ve barely started and you're already rutting against the floor like a dog, are you sure this isn’t too much for you?” Seonghwa asked in a tone of mock concern. Seonghwa pulled his fingers from you to instead gently circle your clit with care. You. Squirmed again. The truth was you were remarkably close to the cumming. A fact Seonghwa probably knew. You tried to reassure yourself, knowing that in the current circumstances a high reward was coming your way soon, but the sudden emptiness was disappointing none the less and while it showed on your face you dared not make a sound.

“Get on with it then,”

You winced. Knowing the kind of reaction Wooyoung’s words would bring. Seonghwa’s face hardened. Much darker than you had seen in a long time. One quick glance to the side told you that the younger boy's word had left Seonghwa seething. He stayed silent for a moment, but not inactive. His fingers dancing across your folds seemed to gain a sense of purpose, and with sudden and unexpected vigor, Seonghwa worked them in a way that made your legs twitch and your hole clench around nothing.

“Can I, please?” You asked aloud, though it was clear who you were talking to.

“Go ahead little one,” Seonghwa encouraged with a surprisingly gentle tone.

A loud whine came from your open mouth and the room watched with rapt attention as your body came undone. Even Seonghwa pulled eyes dangerous gaze away from Wooyoung who had been gulping with fear, to watch with soft eyes at the way his pretty girl fell apart for him.

It must have been a truly lewd sight. Your body spasming freely as your glistening core twitched, not to mention your chest covered with marks given to you by the very man who caused your pleasure. The helpless cries were only the cherry on top to the room of onlookers, Yunho had even let out a low groan of his own. But the man of the hour, as it seemed, Wooyoung had returned to his stunned silence, watching the way Seonghwa continued to toy with your clit, prolonging your orgasm as much as possible for the room to enjoy.

Seonghwa turned back to Wooyoung and stopped his work on you only after the majority of your orgasm had passed, leaving you breathless and panting. You felt Seonghwa’s hard cock digging into your ass, but Seonghwa had other matters to attend to first. He fixed Wooyoung with a hard gaze and gave a simple command.

“Come here,”

Wooyoung froze at his words, unable to look away. Yeosang, who had been enjoying Wooyoung’s torment far more than the others urged his forward with a small push on the shoulder, which snapped him out of his trance, and after a moment he slowly crawled across the floor to sit on the floor before you.

Everyone in the room seemed shocked by this turn of events, yourself included, but one quick look from Seonghwa’s encouraging smile settled your nerves. Besides, your brain way still basking in the aftermath of your orgasm so this all seemed much more exciting than you would admit out loud.

With a pinch on your outer thigh from Seonghwa your legs instinctively opened wider, giving Wooyoung an eye full of your now slightly swollen core. Seonghwa reached between your legs and spread your pussy open, exposing your still pulsing hole to the man on the floor, and with one simple sentence, changed the tone of the night for good.

“Get on with it then,”

“What?” Wooyoung sputtered helplessly, looking up to your boyfriend with wide eyes.

“Your attitude has done nothing but remind me how wonderfully obedient my pretty girl is,” as Seonghwa spoke you subconsciously cuddled further into his chest, his eyes flicked to you and he gave you a reassuring squeeze on your neck with his free hand, “and I think she should be rewarded before I deal with that mouth of yours.”

Wooyoung’s eyes shown with realization as it finally dawned on him exactly what his teasing had gotten him into. His eyes flicked around to the faces of his friends only to see them waiting expectantly for Wooyoung to do as he was told. He looked back to Seonghwa and opened his mouth, to apologize, to beg, to l say anything at all, but no words came out. Seonghwa frowned at him.

“Don’t you think she’s been good?” Your boyfriend asked accusatorily.

“Yes, she has-“ Wooyoung started.

Seonghwa’s finger slipped down to drag through your folds and collect the wetness gathering there. You were still incredibly sensitive from your orgasm and the movement made you shudder a gasp. Wooyoung’s eyes followed the action with a downright hungry gaze but something was still restraining him from acting. Seonghwa held out his wet finger in front of the boy's face, and Wooyoung couldn’t help but lick his lips at the sight.

“I’m not going to say it again. Get. On. With. It.”

It seemed whatever defiant streak had been holding the boy back had finally broken. Wooyoung’s head snapped forward and took the Seonghwa’s long shining finger into his mouth and sucked it clean. A loud whinny groan came from the boy instantaneously and after a moment his lips pulled away with a loud pop. With his new resolve Wooyoung’s eyes zeroed in on your face blushing face and with an incredibly what look his eyes snapped back down and he dove in.

An unapologetic scream ripped from your open mouth. The first sensation you felt was pain, you have only fully come down from your high a minute or so prior and your clit was still incredibly sensitive as Wooyoung attached his lips to your cunt and rolled his tongue over the bud repeatedly. But the longer he kept at it, sliding his tongue over the length of your core in a wide lick, the more the full pain turned into biting pleasure.

“You look so pretty like this baby,” Seonghwa muttered encouragingly in your ear, but still loud enough for the room to hear over the obscene slurping noises Wooyoung was now making as he sucked at your entrance. “Doesn't that feel nice?”

Depends on how you define nice really, it felt like all too much all at once, it hurt yes, but every swipe of the younger boy's tongue brought more wetness out of you and made your body twitch and writhe with the slightest movement. Honestly, you should have been used to this by now. Seonghwa loved to do this to you, overstimulate you for hours till there were tears in your eyes and you had lost control of your limbs, he thought you looked best when completely at his mercy. But this was only your first orgasm, you had been trained well enough to keep some of your composure despite the abuse your aching core was suffering at Wooyoung’s hand. You turned to Seonghwa’s satisfied face, and gave him a weak smile,

“Feels good, Daddy.”

Somewhere in the room someone let out an “oh fuck,” and Wooyoung groaned particularly loud directly into your pussy and the vibrations traveled up your spine like lightning. Your mouth fell open as you looked into Seonghwa’s eyes with a dazed look. Your hips arched off your boyfriend's lap. It was Wooyoung who made the first move to push your hips back, eager to have his mouth back on you, but he had no sooner touched you than Seonghwa slapped his hand away from your body.

Wooyoung pulled away from your core, his chin dripping with your juices and his eyes shining with confusion. Seonghwa took your hips into both of his hands and pulled you back, flush against his lap and still hard cock, he then fixed Wooyoung with a glare.

“Your not here to touch. Make my baby girl cum in the next five minutes and I might just go easier on you.” Seonghwa spat.

Wooyoung blinked at him, before giving him the sweetest smile he could muster.

“Yes, Daddy”

This took you and the rest of the room by surprise. But you didn’t have time to ponder before Seonghwa took the boy by the roots of his hair and pulled his face forward into your swollen cunt.

“Times ticking, little boy, better get a move on.”

And so he did. Wooyoung ate you out with a burning passion you had never quite experienced. Seonghwa preferred to take hours going down on you, purposely going a slow and steady as possible to build up extremely powerful orgasms that would last for minutes. This was entirely different. Wooyoung was being incredibly messy. Wet sounds echoed around the room and into your ears, he seemed to be trying to eat you alive with the way his mouth moved desperately around your folds. His tongue had made its return to your clit. He sucked the bud between his lips and rolled it around with his tongue in such quick tight little circles your brain spun and if it weren’t for the iron grip one of your boyfriend's hand still had on your hip your sure you would flailing around like a madwoman. You certainly sounded like one with the way endless cries, whines, and groan spilled from your lips in increasing volume. Wooyoung had a clear goal, Seonghwa had given him five minutes? He would do it in three.

You were nearing the end of your rope, your entire lower half seemed to be vibrating with numb pain and pleasure it was almost unbearable but somehow nowhere near enough.

“Daddy? Can I cum please?” You spoke in a shattered voice. Seonghwa, who still had his hand twisted in Wooyoung’s hair looked down expectantly at the boy, who was already peering up at your face with wide eyes. Both you and your boyfriend watched as Wooyoung slid his tongue into your hole and began fucking it in and out of you in time with your breathy gasps. Your head flipped frantically to search your boyfriend's eyes, begging for permission.

“Please, please, Daddy, I can’t hold-“

“You can cum baby,”

And that was all it took. You practically screamed. Your eyes went white as your head fell back again. Having lost all control of the movement of your limbs Seonghwa took his hand from Wooyoung’s head and used both to hold your spasming body close against his. Your brain had gone fuzzy and the only two things registering in your brain were the gentle praise being whispered into your ear and the beat of Seonghwa’s heart against your back from how closely he held you.

Your recovery to much longer this time. To be perfectly honest, in your whacked-out brain it could have been hours.

Slowly you came back to reality. When you opened your eyes the first thing you saw was Yunho from across the room, he gave you a reassuring smile but it was offset slightly by the way his hand was down his pants, nevertheless you smiled back. You laid limp and spent across Seonghwa’s lap. His arm had come around your waist to hold you up and his other hand was rubbing soft circles on your inner thigh. He gave a gentle kiss to your temple as you stirred, leaving butterflies in your stomach. Shifting slightly so you sat sideways on his lap you curled yourself into him with an affectionate purr.

And then there way Wooyoung. He sat on his knees with his hands on his thighs looking up at you like he won a prize.

“You taste good,” he said with an almost happy hour lucky smile.

“Did you like it, Woo?” San asked from behind him, San was sporting his own wide eyes and looking overly jealous about the whole thing.

Wooyoung spun around to look at his best friend and spoke enthusiastically,

“She tastes so good Sannie, really, it was so much fun!”

“Don’t get too excited Woo, we’re not done yet.” Seonghwa chided. Wooyoung whirled around to face him.

“Didn’t I do good?” He asked with a confused look.

You nodded absently as Seonghwa spoke.

“Yea you did good, but that doesn’t excuse your attitude earlier. You still need to learn some respect. I’m sure our friends would agree all this attention you’ve been getting has gone to your head.”

Yeosang and Jongho snickered in agreement. Wooyoung turned to shoot them a glare but it was cut short by a strangled moan. Seonghwa had pressed the heel of his shoe onto the swollen tip of Wooyoung’s cock through his jeans. And to your surprise, Wooyoung’s hips bucked up into the sole of his shoe. Your brain short-circuited.

Wooyoung started to move away but Seonghwa took hold of his hair again and kept him in place.

“What’s the matter woo? Embarrassed? Embarrassed you almost got yourself off on Daddy’s shoe?”

Wooyoung shook his head no, but Seonghwa only dug his heel in harder and Wooyoung couldn’t help but buck against his shoe again with a pained moan. Your legs were clenching together as another pool of arousal pooled between them. Here’s the deal, you had always admired Seonghwa’s incredible level-headedness. In fact, it was one of the best qualities you could ask for in a lover. But for months now, you had been hoping for the chance that Seonghwa would show his true colors to the rest of the group. The idea had been a fantasy of yours for such a long time, but seeing it, here and now, and like this? Not to mention you had always wondered just how far Seonghwa would go if someone disobeyed him, perhaps you didn’t have the guts to do it yourself, especially since being good reaped such high reward, but this was far more than you ever imagined. You doubt whether you had ever been this turned on in your life.

Seonghwa noticed your reaction, of course, he could always read you like a book. He glanced around the room to the hungry faces of your friends till he found who he was looking for and locked eyes with them with a smirk.

“Yeosang, think you could help me for a moment?”

Yeosang returned the smirk and the room watched with bated breath as he made his way over to the scene, eyes zeroed in on Wooyoung’s mortified face.

“Who knew Wooyoung was such a pain slut.”

Yeosang’s voice was as cool as a cucumber, and if it wasn’t for the bulge in his pants you would think he was talking about the weather. Seonghwa dug his heel into Woo one last time before spinning the boy around to face Yeosang by yanking the hair in his grip. Wooyoung was whining pathetically at it all. Your hand was placed on Seonghwa’s hard chest. He glanced at you with a promising smile at your desperate face.

“Not had your fill yet, little one?” He asked you with a smirk. You shook your head ‘no.’

“No Daddy, you make me so needy.” You reply with wide eyes and a slight whine, grasping the fabric of his shirt in a tight fist. He grinned at you before turning to Yeosang again.

“I think it’s finally time to fuck my baby girl, but I don’t think Wooyoung has learned his lesson yet,” as he spoke Seonghwa began fiddling with his belt, pulling through the loops of his jeans. Handing the belt to Yeosang he continued, “Do me a favor, tie him up, make him desperate, don’t stop till he begs.”

Yeosang accepted the challenge with a smile. Seonghwa’s attention was finally on you and you alone. With his help as your body was still weak, he adjusted you to straddle his hips facing him. You looked a mess surely, there was no way you looked anything but obscene and sweaty, But Seonghwa took in your face with a smile.

“You look so pretty like this baby girl” As he spoke, Seonghwa’s hand came to your ass and kneaded it in his palms. The room could no longer see your face, but they could most definitely see this, and likely your still leaking cunt.

Directly behind you, you could hear rummaging noises and the distinct clink of a belt being done up. A quick glance over your shoulder showed you that Wooyoung was now facing the room, with his hands bound behind his back and a pillow between his legs, Yeosang sat to his side clearly satisfied with his work. After taking it in you turned back to Seonghwa who looked pleased himself.

“You’ve been so good baby, want Daddy to fuck you? Nice and deep how you like it?” You practically purred at his words. It’s true so far you had enjoyed yourself, but there was nothing quite like when Seonghwa filled you up with his cock.

“Please fuck me Daddy” you whispered, leaning in close to him with your biggest doll eyes, and your hands gripping his shoulder. Seonghwa smiled at you, content with your answer.

A moment later he had freed his duck from his jeans and was stroking it leisurely. Your mouth watered. Oh, the way he could make you feel, how many times he had made you cum. As Seonghwa sunk into the couch, taking a moment to watch you squirm on his lap he truly looked too powerful. The calm in the sea of chaos that had unfolded that night, it was unfair how he made your heart skip a beat. With one quick glance over your shoulder, he called out to Wooyoung one last time.

“I’d start doing as you were told Wooyoung, wouldn’t want the others to get impatient with you,”

At that, you heard the first grunt of Wooyoung grinding helplessly on the pillow, then whimpering at how the surface was too soft to gain any friction over his pants. The poor boy was at his wit's end.

But your attention was drawn back to the man in front of you before you had time to feel sorry for Wooyoung. One of his fingers had slipped inside you once again to test the waters. You flinched at the intrusion, your body was utterly spent, and the overstimulation would be hell, but as God, as your witness, you were going to take your boyfriend's cock tonight.

“Are you sure your ok baby? Wouldn’t want to push you too far after the night you’ve had.” He spoke with mild concern, but he already knew the answer.

“No! I want to! I can take it!” You spoke with urgency.

“Absolutely sure sweetpea?” He asked one last time. Your hand gripping his shirt twisted and shook. You looked at him with the most pleading look you could muster.

“Please fuck me, Daddy.”

“Ok then,” he replied with a smile. Not once today had you forgotten your manners or rules, after dealing with the whimpering boy behind you for an evening he was glad to have his perfect baby girl still being as good as ever.

Seonghwa hoisted your hips to be level with his. Seonghwa had a thing about eye contact while he fucked you, so you did your best to not break it as the tip of his cock teased your entrance.

To be completely honest, but the focus of the rest of the room seemed to now be on Wooyoung, who was still rutting against the pillow like a dog, and they all seemed to be enjoying the show far too much to notice the tender way Seonghwa pulled your body down flush against his hips and down onto his cock. Although the broken whipper that came from you at the feeling overwhelming sensation did turn a few heads.

Your knees were shaking and your hands trembling. You had been right, the overstimulation was making it too hard to move on your own. But Seonghwa was attentive as always. He wrapped an arm around your waist and used it to slowly work you up and down on his cock. Each thrust he made felt like pins and needles in the best way possible. After Seonghwa had worked up a steady rhythm a numbing pleasure had already begun to build. Looking deep into your boyfriend's eyes you placed and hand on your tummy and after moving it around for a bit you could feel him moving inside you. You groaned out, this position had always been the best for deep penetration anyways.

“Daddy I can feel you inside me,” you whipper as he picks up speed. The room was beginning to sound like a symphony of lewd cries and squelching noises coming from both you and Wooyoung. Not to mention the panting and groaning coming from the others in the room, who had lost any semblance of shame and were jerking off freely to the unexpected yet beautiful sight. The other boy's eyes kept flicking back and forth, unable to decide which one was more arousing to watch. Many of them had already gotten themselves off before now and were now sporting half-hard cocks as they were faced with the delightful scene.

“I know baby girl, I know how much you love to be stuffed full of cock. And now everyone else knows too.” Seonghwa replied clearly satisfied with himself. His hand came up to your jaw and he delivered a particularly hard thrust and pulled your hips down to match it. You were already losing focus of the world around you and the pleasure was mounting rapidly. At the force of the thrust, your eyes almost dropped closed but Seonghwa pulled your head forward and they opened a bit wider.

“Now everyone knows how good you are for me, baby. My good little girl, who loves taking my cock.” Seonghwa was speaking in such a low grumbling voice it was almost like he was talking to himself rather than you like he was reminding himself of what he had accomplished today. You could tell that after waiting all night for stimulation he was also getting close to his own edge, and if you listen to the whiny panting of the boy behind you you could tell he was getting desperate for the release that would never come from the pillow.

You almost lost eye contact again when Seonghwa’s thrusts became sloppy. Increased pace but with less consistency was the tell-tale sign that Seonghwa was going to cum, but luckily for him, it was this exact treatment that made your head spin. Your lower half was numb with biting pleasure and it was all you could do to keep your eyes open to watch the sweat dripping down Seonghwa’s forehead as he carried on with determination. The others had caught on to what was about to happen and many were now speeding up their ministrations to themselves to climax at the same time as you and your boyfriend.

Seonghwa’s hand wound its way into your hair and used it to crash your lips onto his is a heated, wet, and messy kiss. Any second now and you would lose yourself to the pleasure. You detached your lips just enough to pant into Seonghwa’s lips,

“Daddy, in cumming”

“Damn right you are,” he moaned in response.

It was wise of him to reattach your lips before you came undone. Even with him muffling your noises there was no way the sounds you made didn’t echo around the room and ring In everyone’s ears. Seonghwa kept his pace, pushing more and more whinnies out of you till you almost jumped away from him in overstimulation, butter grip on your waist didn’t let you get far. There were tears in your eyes by the time Seonghwa finally came. Your orgasm had turned silent almost immediately after and your mouth hung wide open in an empty moan. Your brain had all but shut off when the feeling of your boyfriend's cum spilling into you registered into your brain.

Saying you blacked out would be a strong word. But when your eyes fell closed they didn’t seem to want to open. You and Seonghwa stayed connected for what seemed like an eternity before he pulled out of you with a groan and laid you gently down onto the couch to his side.

You were dead weight at this point. But when you felt Seonghwa stand up you pried your eyes open the slightest bit once you realized that the unmistakable noises of a begging Wooyoung had filled your ears.

Seonghwa walked around to stand in front of him. Most of the others in the room were now basking in the afterglow of their own orgasms but had perked up to watch.

“Please, please, please, Daddy. Please let me cum. I promise I’ll be good, I promise I won’t bother you as much, I promise, please-“

Wooyoung ramblings we’re cut short by Seonghwa taking hold of Wooyoung’s head and turning it up to look him in the eyes.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Seonghwa replied. Wooyoung gasped a sigh of relief. Seonghwa motioned for Yeosang to come over and untie the poor boy and hopefully get him some relief. But Seonghwa didn’t care about that part, his eyes were now back on you. His sweet perfect, obedient little girl.

-

Tag List: @deja-vux @txtbbys @darlingmulti @emotionally-intellectual @mingishoe @eonghwa @galaxteez

@a-soft-hornytiny @yunhospuppy @barnesbabee @woowommy @hyetiny @multidreams-and-desires @spacepiratehongjoong @pikacuuuuuuu

if your wondering why your tagged, its either because you expressed interest in a part two or are otherwise a homie or I would like you to be a homie and this is my olive branch

[valdomarx]

A Marriage of Convenience

Octoberfest romcom tropes day 1: fake dating

Jaskier pushed his ale aside and broke the wax seal on the letter. As he read the contents, his face pinched into a frown.

“Anything important?” Geralt asked, glancing up from his soup. 

Jaskier chewed his lower lip. “Not really. It’s from my family.” He took a breath. “They’re going to disinherit me.”

Geralt raised an eyebrow. “What did you do this time?”

Jaskier scoffed. “Nothing, thank you very much! But it’s my 35th birthday next month, and the stipulations of the Lettenhove family will are quite clear. If the oldest son isn’t married by the age of 35, inheritance passes to the next married cousin.”

“Very keen on weddings in Lettenhove, are they?”

“Rather less keen on unmarried bachelors, actually.”

Geralt grunted. “That’s too bad. I imagine a viscount’s fortune could have come in handy for you.”

“Oh, I don’t care about the money.” Jaskier waved a hand dismissively. “It’s just,” he sighed. “I have younger sisters who rely on me for support. If the inheritance goes to cousin Edward, he’ll turn them out without a penny to their names.”

“That’s unkind.”

“It is.” Jaskier slumped. He was glad to have left Lettenhove and its court intrigues behind, but the thought of his sisters being at the mercy of his greedy cousin was unconscionable. He knew too well all the terrible things that could befall a woman alone in the world.

“This will,” Geralt said, stirring his soup absentmindedly, “does it have any rules about who you have to marry?”

“No. Any old wedding will do. But it’s not like I’m going to find anyone willing to tie themselves to me in the next month.”

Geralt shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll marry you.”

Jaskier choked on his ale. “You?”

“Why not?”

“Because…” he broke off and mopped the sweat from his brow. Because I’ve been in love with you for decades. Because I’ve fantasised about you saying this in a million different ways. Because having to pretend it’s real is going to break my heart.

Geralt reached over the table and patted his hand. “It’ll just be pretend,” he said, as if that were in any way reassuring. “This is a problem easily solved. Let me help you.”

Jaskier sagged. This was going to be a disaster.

-

“This is going to be a disaster!” Jaskier paced anxiously around their room. “There are so many ways this could go horribly wrong.”

Geralt sat on the bed counting bundles of herbs. “It’ll be fine.” He was infuriatingly calm. “We’ll head to Lettenhove, have a quick wedding, get your family off your back, and be on our way. It’ll only take a few days.”

“But,” Jaskier kept pacing. “We’ll have to. You know. We’ll have to do couple things. There are certain… expectations of a newly married pair.”

Geralt got to his feet and placed his hands on Jaskier’s shoulders, stopping his anxious traipsing. “We’ll manage. Can’t be any worse than fighting drowners.”

Jaskier looked into amber eyes and felt his heart turn over in his chest. “Everyone will expect us to be holding hands, and kissing, and gods know what else. And you can’t do that.” He sighed. “You don’t even like men.”

Geralt leaned in closer, close enough that strands of his silver hair tickled Jaskier’s cheek. “I like men just fine,” he said, and pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Then Jaskier did something terribly foolish. His body moved before his mind, his feet stepping closer, his arms wrapping around Geralt’s neck. He kissed him, hard, and to his astonishment Geralt kissed him back hungrily, lips parting to allow Jaskier to taste him fully, tongue exploring, hands roaming, and by the time they broke apart Jaskier was flushed and breathing hard.

“See?” Geralt said, his deep voice sending a shiver up his spine. “We can do this.”

-

Jaskier wrote to his family to tell them the good news, and he and Geralt wasted no time in heading off to Lettenhove. The journey was long but nothing they were unused to. They traveled by day, slept under the stars by night, and Geralt even picked up a few quick contracts to help pay their way.

It was comfortable, and normal, and Jaskier could almost forget about what he was about to put himself through.

At least, until they reached the outskirts of Lettenhove and they heard the whoosh of an incoming portal. The ground shook, the air rippled, and through the rent in reality stepped Yennefer, terrifying and beautiful as ever.

She raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at them. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

Jaskier couldn’t even bring himself to come up with a snarky reply as she swept past him and went to Geralt. He stood back and watched the two of them, powerful and dazzling together, each other’s equals in capability and composure.

He had never had a chance in this competition, he thought bitterly. He would be pretending with Geralt, while she had his heart for real.

Jaskier was left at camp while Geralt and Yennefer went off to do... whatever it was they did together. (He could guess what that was.) He spent a cold, lonely night with no one but Roach for company, berating himself for feeling so hurt by something he knew from the beginning was nothing but a ruse.

-

With their arrival in Lettenhove proper, there was nothing to do but face his family. The brightest spot of his day was walking into the estate and having his sisters squeal and jump on him just as they had done as children.

He stopped laughing and caught his breath long enough to introduce them. “Essi and Priscilla, this is Geralt.” My husband to be, he thought, and something twisted inside him at that. “Geralt, these are my troublesome sisters.”

Essi dipped her head and Priscilla performed a theatrical bow. “We were wondering if Jaskier would ever settle down,” Essi said with a sly smile.

“But seeing how handsome you are, I can’t blame him!” Priscilla replied, and the two of them broke into fits of giggles. 

Geralt, for his part, took them with good humour. Where Jaskier had been expecting him to be dour, he smiled indulgently and took each of their hands in turn and pressed a kiss to their knuckles, resulting in another uproar of giggling.

“Thank you for that,” Jaskier said quietly as they made their way to the room waiting for them.

Geralt inclined his head. “Have to make a good impression on the future in-laws,” he said, the corner of his lips quirking upward in amusement. 

The rest of his family were predictable as clockwork. Cousin Edward was sour, his father was distant, and his mother was simply relieved to see him married off as was proper. Geralt sat through all of it with more patience and good grace than Jaskier would have thought him capable of.

-

The day of the wedding itself passed in a blur. With such short notice the ceremony was terribly paired down by noble standards, but still, there was the formal breakfast, the dressing in formal garments, the journey to the temple outside of the city, the clamour of priestesses and officials and his family, the exchanging of rings, the reading of texts, and of course the formal dinner.

Jaskier barely remembered any of it. Looking back, the only thing that stuck out in his mind was the feeling of Geralt’s hand clasping his own during the handfasting. And the way that, whenever he was feeling overwhelmed over the course of the day, Geralt’s hand would find his own and give a comforting squeeze. 

-

Finally the ceremonies were complete and they were left in peace in their chambers, the two of them alone for the first time all day. Geralt’s hair had been braided into two slim plaits running either side of his face, though by now they were starting to become mussed. He’d even put on a shirt of dark blue silk as opposed to his standard uniform of all black. The effect was quite stunning.

As the door closed, Jaskier’s shoulders slumped and he breathed for what felt like the first time in hours.

Geralt cupped one cheek tenderly. “You good?”

Jaskier exhaled, letting the anxiety and stress of the day slowly unwind. He looked into Geralt’s warm eyes and felt, for once, safe and unjudged. “I’m good.”

Geralt brought their lips together, soft as could be, and Jaskier’s knees shook. He grabbed Geralt’s forearms to hold himself upright and, desperate for some sort of control, some sort of meaning, he pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. 

This was a bad idea, he was aware, but Geralt felt so good in his arms. He ran his hands through silky silver hair like he’d always wanted to, he pressed himself close to that muscled chest he’d spent more time than he should have admiring, and he moaned unrestrainedly when Geralt picked him up, locking his legs around his waist.

This was a terrible idea, he knew, but Geralt carried him over to the bed with firm, confident steps, and the temptation to touch, to hold, to kiss was overwhelming. This would only lead to heartache, but he was weak in the face of love, as always. 

Geralt laid him out and took him apart with soft lips and careful fingers and a wicked tongue, and it was everything he’d been dreaming of for years, and yet so much more intense than anything he could have imagined. Geralt was dazzling beneath him, warm amber eyes and pale scarred flesh, beautiful and kind and more than he could possibly deserve.

-

Nuptial celebrations in Lettenhove were mercifully brief, and with the ceremony completed and recorded to the satisfaction of the genealogists, they were free to depart.

There were, however, some customs which could not be avoided.

“You’ll be honeymooning nearby?” Jaskier’s mother asked, with the understanding that this was not a question.

“Actually, we thought -”

“They’ll be staying in my cottage, won’t you?” Priscilla interjected. She’d availed herself of her position, such as it was, to secure a tiny ramshackle cottage on the Kerack coast. It wasn’t opulent but it was, thankfully, far from prying eyes.

Jaskier gave her a tiny nod of thanks and she winked.

“A cottage?” His mother’s lip turned up in distaste. “How quaint.”

“And there’s ever so much to pack, so we must be on our way -” he excused himself with a bow, tugging Geralt behind him.

Out of the view of their parents, Priscilla and Essi set upon him with hugs and kisses, thanked him for saving them from the horrors of cousin Edward, and packed up an obscene quantity of cheeses and wine to take with them.

By the time they departed the estate, Jaskier was even smiling.

-

It was quiet and calm on the coast. The cottage overlooked the sea, rolling and tempestuous, and had just enough space for a kitchen, a bed, and a bath. They had everything they needed, even a stable for Roach outside.

Even though it was only for a few days, Jaskier imagined Geralt would be bored and unhappy, feeling trapped in a place so small. But he seemed content: riding along the coastline in the morning, brushing Roach out, going fishing in the afternoon, preparing the catch for their evening meal.

Jaskier showed him his favourite spices and how to prepare the fish with butter to make it rich and indulgent, and in the quiet moments he wrote poetry or simply sat on the battered chair on the porch of the cottage and watched the waves.

Geralt returned to the cottage with a net bulging with fish and a smile on his face. He’d been doing that more recently, Jaskier had noticed, smiling in a way that seemed natural and unforced. He even left his armour and swords in the cottage and waded down to the sea in just his trousers and shirtsleeves, disarmingly casual.

It was comfortable, almost domestic. 

And it was a torment, showing Jaskier a tiny glimpse of a life he’d never have.

-

Their last night on the coast, Geralt cooked the remainder of their provisions into a feast, poured the best wine they had, and set a fire in the hearth. He piled up blankets and pillows, laid down their warmest furs, and pulled Jaskier into his arms in front of the flames.

“Thank you,” he said, dotting kisses in a line up Jaskier’s neck, “for taking such good care of me.”

Jaskier fidgeted unhappily. “You’re the one doing me a favour,” he reminded him. That seemed important to remember. This was a favour from a friend, nothing more.

Geralt hummed against his neck, the vibrations rippling against his skin. “I can see some advantages to me,” he murmured, continuing his line of kisses up Jaskier’s jaw and toward his lips.

Jaskier, stupidly, allowed Geralt to turn him around, hands delicate around his waist, allowed him to bring their lips together. He allowed a kiss, soft at first, and then another, more intense, moaning into Geralt’s mouth. 

“Can I interest you in an early night?” Geralt purred in his ear, and everything in Jaskier’s body said yes, and everything in his mind said no.

Eventually, his mind won out and he pushed Geralt away. 

“No,” he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “I can’t. I won’t. I’m sorry, Geralt, but this was a terrible mistake.”

He pushed himself to his feet, ignoring Geralt’s sad expression. He was hit by the urge to run, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. Tears welled in his eyes.

“Hey,” Geralt’s voice was so soft behind him. “It’s okay, Jaskier. Whatever it is. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. I won’t do it again.”

Jaskier deflated. He turned to face Geralt, watery eyes and all. “That’s not the problem. I don’t want you to stop. I want this to be real.”

Geralt stood carefully still. “What do you mean, real?”

Jaskier took a breath, tried to imagine how to explain himself, how to convey what he felt. “I’m in love with you!” he snapped in the end. Not his most eloquent work, but perhaps his most honest.

Geralt tilted his head. “I know,” he said. He looked down at the ring on his finger. “Isn’t that the point?”

“The point?” Jaskier exploded. “The point!” He couldn’t stop himself from waving his arms as he ranted. “Oh, sure, I’m certain that the ideal marriage is between one person who’s hopelessly in love and one person who’s indifferent and besotted with another. I’m sure Yennefer will be delighted when she hears about this whole situation.”

Geralt’s eyes narrowed. “You think I’m in love with Yennefer?”

“Yes! Obviously!”

He paused, obviously weighing his words. “That night when she visited us outside Lettenhove, she wasn’t surprised by the news. She told me congratulations, and that it had taken long enough. I think she knew long before I did that I wasn’t in love with her, not really. My heart already belonged to another.”

Jaskier’s breath caught in his throat. “You mean… You and her, you’re not...”

Geralt shook his head. “What she most wants is something I can’t give her.”

“And you?” Jaskier asked, dreading the answer.

Geralt took his hand. “What I most want,” he stroked his thumb over the ring around Jaskier’s finger, “is something I already have.”

Jaskier’s heart leapt. It was almost too much. It was overwhelming. “You really love me?”

Geralt smiled softly. “I really do.”

Jaskier threw himself into Geralt’s lap, arms around his neck, foreheads pressed together. “Tell me again,” he said, because he was needy.

“I love you,” Geralt said, kissing down the side of his face. “I love you,” he said, lacing their fingers together against the furs. “I love you,” he said, their bodies moving together, finally free to feel with the intensity they had been hiding for so long, their scents mingling together with the fresh salt tang of the sea.

-

The sun shone brightly and the wind whipped their hair as they packed up Roach the next morning. Jaskier paused to admire the view one last time: The rolling waves, the steep cliffs, the shingled beach. 

Geralt slipped his arms around his waist from behind and dropped a kiss just beneath his ear. 

“What does our life look like now?” Jaskier asked, eyes on the waves.

He felt Geralt’s smile against his hair. “Much the same as before,” he said. “With perhaps a few improvements.”

Jaskier turned then and kissed him fully, no need to hold himself back, taking Geralt’s hand and running his fingers over the ring there.

“Ready to head back to the Path?” 

Geralt smiled, and Jaskier would never tire of that. “Ready if you are,” he said with softness in his eyes, “husband.”

[zv5x]

What if reader was really obsessed with Senpai, [like they played his game everyday whenever they can, literally memorizing all the choices and reactions, all that jazz] And they found a way into the game?? Basically yan!reader x Senpai

Also idk if these are taken but could i please be 🥀 or 💐 anon?? Tyssm!!

You can most definitely have those Anons! Either one you want since they're both open! Also omg??? I absolutely love this consept!! Thanks so much for requesting it! Remember to stay safe and take care of yourself!

( :̲̅:̲̅:̲̅[̲̅:♡:]̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅)

You hummed, gently tracing a finger across your television screen as the familiar menu music played oh-so beautifully. It was truly the peak of music in your eyes, not that it had any right to be anything but however. What would you do if the game that inhabited your beloved soulmate was anything but remarkable? It would be nothing short of blasphemy, that was to be for certain.

Under any other circumstance, you'd be turning this game on simply to see the man that made your entire universe go round. To just talk to him, read those dialogue screens with the same amount of interest you had before you memorized everything the absolute angel had to say, to just be in his presence for as long as you could. Every second you spent around him made your world feel a little bit purer, he made everything feel like it was going to be okay.

Today, however, marked the day that you would be the one giving to him, instead of just he giving everything he could to you. It broke your heart that you couldn't do anything to repay Senpai for his kindness, almost as much as it broke your heart when you forced yourself to obtain a negative game ending for curiosities sake. Your body fell under a deep, agonizing sickness every time you even pondered about whether or not Senpai realize how truly adored he was. That is why you did everything in your power to make sure you could show your love to him.

You went through every library in your area and even beyond that reading various literature pieces regarding dimensional travel, as you assumed that is what it would take to finally be with him physically in his very world. By the time a few days passed, you considered yourself a master of the subject.

Your once clean desk was now cluttered and messy as you went over a final draft for your plans. It was simple, really, to simple. It was quite inconvenient that you only had to rely on books that were written before video games were even established on the consumer market, but it would have to do. Search engines were deemed unreliable from the minute you began doing your research on them - believing that you were intending to enter the video game industry rather than physically entering the universe of a certain title.

Eventually, you stood in front of Senpai with grand confidence, and with a promise to fufil. Soon, you'd be within his physical reach. He was smiling at you, saying words of such love and adoration, as if he was breaking through the bounds of the games script just to praise you for your hard work. Within the next hour, you'd have paid your debt to your beloved. His hard work and determination to make this relationship work would finally be appreciated by his one true love.

Giving the pixelated figure a gentle kiss, you laid back on the floor and relaxed your entire body, thinking solely of who you were trying to meet and exactly what you wanted to accomplish. You remembered reading in one of your covered books that the main method of dimensional travel was complete detachment from your physical self in this reality. Of course, your fears of not being able to meet Sen were immediately eased, considering you felt you have long mastered the art of depersonalization.

Soon, you felt yourself grow tired. Maybe that was a sign everything was falling in to place, or maybe it was just your lack of proper sleep catching up to you the moment it saw the opportunity. You hoped the second reason wasn't the case, and you quickly focused your thoughts back onto your goals as everything faded into a calming black.

You truly had no way of knowing how long you were out for, but what you did know was that the climate felt noticably different from your room. The air felt pure, clean and just the perfect amount of coldness to make breathing a genuinely enjoyable necessity. As soon as your eyes opened, you were met with a figure standing closely in front of your face. Upon waking up just for a few more seconds, your eyes quickly widened and your heart began to pound in an extremely fast paced rythem. It was him. It was your cherished, beloved Senpai.

"Ah, there you are!" He sighed in relif, gently patting your head as he gave you a reassuring smile. "I thought you'd never wake up, I was so worried!"

"Sen-Senpai?!" You immediately sat up, prompting him to give you a soft laugh as he sat you back down into a more relaxed position. He hummed and nodded his head, looking at you with a look of such elegant care that it made your heart completely swell.

"I appreciate you being so happy to see me dear, but I can't have you moving too much after you just woke up. It must have been a nasty fall for you to be out for so long..." He gave you a slight pout, and you stared at him for a moment whist blinking.

For some reason, he didn't seem as...happy to see you as you would have expected. You wanted to feel a form of disappointment, but everything had its reason, and you had to ask Senpai before making assumptions.

"Sen...do you know who I am?"

You asked, and all he did was tilt his head. "Well, no, I assumed you were a new student at first..." He gave a nervous giggle, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Have we...met before...?"

Your heart sunk. He didn't...he didn't remember you? No, that couldn't have been the case. The love the two of you felt was too strong for him to just forget. Maybe something needed to just jog his memory.

"M-my name is (Y/N), I told you my name was (N/N), we spent entire days together, I got all of your games endings, we've been through so much together Sen! Please, try and remember!" The desperation in your voice was as clear as day, and even Senpai felt it. He looked down for a moment, trying to throw your name through every inch of his mind. Until, he hit a mark.

All those times he spent with you, the good, the bad, everything you gave to him and everything you did for him. It was you! His player, his (Y/N)! Suddenly, you saw his eyes brighten and tears prick his pretty blue eyes. Letting out a choked gasp of pure bliss, he threw himself into your arms and pressed his forehead lovingly against yours. Of course, you immediately wrapped your arms around his perfect form, peppering him with as many kisses as you could manage and moving your arms up to be able to run your fingers through his hair. It was just as soft as his game sprites made it look. Absolutely perfection. You knew you had no reason to worry, you just needed to jog Senpai's memory a bit. After all, how could he forget the love of his life?

"I-I can't believe I'm finally able to meet you, (Y/N)..." He said, his normally perfectly silky voice trembling with euphoria. "Please...never leave me..." A soft sniffle could be heard as he nuzzled his head into you and completely laid himself onto you, and you promptly gripped him as tightly as you could without bringing him harm.

"Don't you worry, Senpai..."

You said, leaning back slightly to be able to look him in his pretty eyes. You made him a promise from the moment you saw him, and you could never even think of letting a person as pure and perfect as Senpai down.

"I'll be by your side forever." Kissing him gently on the top of his head, you smiled and rested your cheek upon it. "I wouldn't dare let anything tear us apart."

[butwhyduh]

Hi if you still do request could you do a There is only one bed with Tim maybe with some teasing?

Warning: smut

“So it’s not ideal,” you said with a little smile that you covered with your hand. Tim was exasperated. You could slum it. He was not used to this.

Admittedly the cabin was worse that what you remember. As a kid, your family had visited every fall to pick apples and hike. Marshmallows by the fireplace before telling ghost stories and all.

But that was over 10 years ago and not in midwinter. Now the windows were boarded and the fireplace was barely useable. Which was good, as it was literally freezing.

When Tim had said he needed a place to crash after a mission for you both, you offered this place. It was only a few miles north of your location. But it was also trash. The couch leg gave way as Tim sat down and he almost fell to the floor.

“So this is technically a cabin in the woods. But I’d rather burn it to the ground,” Tim said. “I’m going to the bathroom, unless it’s an outhouse or just a hole in the ground.”

“No no. Real bathroom,” you motioned to it. He went in the other room. You sat on the bed, the only functional piece of furniture besides a dodgy table. You were glad that you brought extra sheets and the plastic protector over the mattress. After scrubbing the cover and putting on the sheets, you sat down to pull off your boots. Ice was still clinging to the bottom. You put them near the front door and stood by the fire. Tim came out changed into thick sweats.

“You should change,” he said, motioning to your suit. You turned away from him.

“Can you?” You asked about the long zipper that went from the top of your neck to right above your ass.

“Oh, sure,” Tim said walking close. There had always been some kind of sexual tension between you both but neither had ever acted on it. He looked at your black leather suit lit up in the firelight. It clung perfectly to every curve.

He delicately pushed your hair from the back of your neck over your shoulder and grasped the zipper. Tim pulled it down almost painfully slowly. You felt your skin prickle as he slowly touched down your back. His fingers hesitated to move away from your back. Tim pulled away suddenly and cleared his throat.

“Done,” he said in a lower tone. You turned back to see him standing so close. He watched you. Tim wasn’t particularly tall, only a little more than you, or bulky, with lean muscles. But he was so pretty with thick dark eye lashes and silky hair.

“You should probably get dressed. You’re cold,” he said noting the way your forearms shivered as they held the front of your suit up. You nodded and grabbed your clothing before heading to the bathroom. It was even colder in there. Frost covered the window and you could see your breath. You quickly dressed into pajamas.

In the main room, Tim was sweeping the floor. “Not that it doesn’t need it or anything, but why are you sweeping?” You asked.

“One bed. The couch is shit. I’m sleeping on the floor,” Tim said. There was no way you’d let him. He’d freeze with the draft and limited blankets.

“No way. Just sleep in the bed,” you said. He gave you a look you couldn’t comprehend before shaking his head. “Tim, you could freeze to death down there. I won’t let you,” you said trying to sound authoritative.

“I’ll be fine,” he shrugged.

“I won’t bite. Get up here,” you said sitting on the bed.

“Sure about that?” He said with a sly smile.

“Only on Tuesdays,” you said with a little smirk. He chuckled. “I’m not letting you sleep down there. My house, my rules.”

“Ouch. I guess I can’t argue with that, hu?” Tim said putting the broom down. He carefully climbed in the other side of the bed without touching you despite being a small bed. Tim laid flat on his back with his arms tight to his body.

You slid under the covers shivering. “Okay, I hope you’re okay with me stealing body heat from you because I’m fucking freezing,” you said sliding your back against him. Tim shifted to his side and you pressed against his warm chest. “I don’t know how you aren’t cold.”

“I’m from Gotham. The weather is terrible year round,” he reminded you. Tim didn’t lay his arms across you or anything but let you spoon against him. He was carefully passive like a gentleman. After a few minutes, you shivering stopped and you finally warmed. The pull of sleep dragged you under and you slept for a few hours.

The crackle of fire and gentle rapping sound of snow falling was the only sounds you heard in the early morning. Tim’s breath on your neck and arms wrapped around you tightly were very distracting. You resisted the urge to shiver at the sensation. How many times had you wanted this?

You shifted a little to go back to sleep and Tim’s hands wrapped tighter. One hand snakes down to cup your breast in sleep, pulling you flush to his body. You inhaled quickly and was wide awake. How could you sleep when the guy you liked was holding your actual tit? You tried to stay still but your body made small adjustments.

Tim made a soft “hmmm” sound and you froze. That’s when you felt it, he was hard. You felt like you were going to burst. He was holding your tit and rubbing his dick against you in his sleep. It’s just biology. It means nothing, you told yourself.

But you needed to get out of his grip because your body was definitely reacting to him. You tried to scoot your hips forward but this arms around you were clinging too tightly. Tim groaned and rubbed his cheek in your hair.

“Tim,” you whispered a little too breathless. He hummed again. “Tim,” you said a little louder.

“Is too early. Go to sleep,” Tim mumbled. He didn’t moved. You thought about trying to sleep but Tim was very distracting.

“Tim,” you said in a regular voice. He huffed.

“What?”

“You... you’re, uh,” you said unsure how to tell him. Your penis is rubbing up against my ass? You’re feeling me up in your sleep? “Let me go, please.”

“I don’t have you,” he protested before waking up more. Tim moved his head and opened his eyes. You could feel him freeze as he took in the situation. Tim quickly let you go and pulled back to one side of the bed. His face was brick red and his hips were almost falling off the bed trying to make as much space as possible between you both.

“Sorry! Fuck, sorry! I didn’t mean- how long was I-“ he said halfway freaking out. You turned to face him.

“It’s okay. Relax,” you said calmly.

“I don’t control when it happens when I’m asleep, you know?” Tim said sitting up and clutching the sheets hiding his crotch. You sat up and grasped the sides of his face.

“It’s fine. I know how biology works,” you reassured him.

“And I didn’t mean to grab you. I was asleep,” he added. “I swear I didn’t-“

“Tim!” You said finally shutting him up. He stared at you and gulped. Your hands on his face didn’t exactly help his uhh... problem he was desperately trying to make go away.

“What?”

“You. Are. Fine. I cuddled with you, right? Not super surprising. It happens,” you said and he relaxed a little. “It was kinda nice laying with you,” you murmured. Tim glanced down at your lips before snapping back up to your eyes like he broke a rule. “You smell nice. And you’re warm,” you added. You stared at his lips obviously.

“I got to ask, are you hitting on me?” Tim asked warily.

You snorted and rolled your eyes. “Yeah, detective. I am. What are you gonna do about it?”

Tim smiled and grasped your face for a kiss. You pulled him down on top of you as you kissed. He inhaled quickly before adjusting to the change. His knees gently pushed between yours and you pressed your hips up against his and was rewarded with a groan.

You reached down to cup him in his pjs. Tim kissed down your neck and his hips pushed his cock in your hand with more pressure. His hand cupped your breast and squeezed.

“Do you want to?” He asked.

“Absolutely. Condoms are in the top zipper of my suitcase,” you said breathlessly. You’d be a fucking idiot to say no to the one chance to sleep with the guy you like.

“You came prepared?” He asked.

“They just stay in there,” you answered and he nodded before getting up to grab one. Tim turned around to blink a little as you were completely nude and staring up at him predatorily. He couldn’t say that it wasn’t hot.

“Eager,” he breathed climbing back over you, pulling off clothing. You shrugged. You took the condom from him to put it on.

“Do we need to-“

“Penis in vagina. I don’t need a ton of prep. I super appreciate the offer. Seriously, next time go nuts. But it’s like 5 degrees in here and I’m ready as hell,” you said and he almost laughed.

“Can do,” he said pulling the blankets over you both. He sunk in and you breathed out quickly. Tim wrapped his arms around you behind your back to kiss your chest and neck as he moved. It has you breathless. It was so intimate. He was completely pressed against you.

His lips found yours and he kissed you in pace with his hips rocking against yours. You bent your knees and you gasped as he was now rocking against a spot that had you seeing stars.

“There,” you breathed and Tim simply nodded. Fuck, it wasn’t going to take long at this pace. “Fuck fuck fuck,” you whimpered before clenching around him with his name on your tongue. Tim groaned and thrust through your high before finishing himself. He kissed up your collarbone and neck to your lips before pulling out to throw away the condom and pull on his pjs. You did the same in the chill.

He climbed back in bed and snuggled close. “Okay, yeah. It’s cold as hell,” Tim said with a little laugh. You laid your head on his chest and entwined your legs together with the blanket pulled tight and the cold was more bearable.

[mercy-burning]

Win Me Back

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader

Summary: When Reader’s ex-boyfriend comes back to town, he finds a way to make amends— with a little help from her niece.

Category: FLUFF

Warnings: None other than a few swears :)

Word Count: 3k (I barely made the limit, folks, that was hard lol)

MASTERLIST

NOTE: This is my entry for @homoose ‘s 2k Celebration!! And if this fic seems familiar, that may be because it’s a re-telling of the car-wash scene from Ramona and Beezus 🤭😂 It’s one of my favorite movie scenes of all time, it never fails to make me squeal, and I had SO MUCH FUN writing this!

Also! I tried very hard to find the scene for you to watch incase you haven’t seen the movie, but the ones I did manage to find on YouTube cut out THE BEST PARTS, so I’m sorry 😭 But in case you want to know the ~vibes~ I tried to capture and don’t feel like watching the movie, I made THIS post last night with some dialogue/background from the scene if you’d like to read it! Obviously it’s not required since what I’ve written is quite different, but it is encouraged 😊

I hope you like it!! And if somehow you haven’t followed Moose yet, you should! She’s the sweetest ❤❤❤

***

Y/N found an abundance of upsides to taking neighborhood walks with her niece. For one thing, it gave her a distraction, something to focus on as she made sure eight-year-old Piper wouldn't wander too far from the sidewalk. She found solace in quizzing her on the multiplication table as they made their way around the block, an activity in which Piper enthusiastically flaunted her love of numbers.

It was also nice to stay outside and take in the warm sun and soft rustling of the trees, though every once in a while all of it wasn't enough to keep the memory of Spencer at bay.

After all, it was kind of hard when he was back in town, and after all these years he was reaching out to her like he hadn't broken her heart in the first place.

"You seem sad, Auntie," Piper said, grabbing Y/N's hand as the turned the corner.

Y/N swung their arms together gently, smiling down at her with a tilt of her head. "Why d'you think that, hon?"

Piper gave a little shrug, her ponytail blowing softly behind her. "You don't smile as much. And you always smile when you're with me... And you asked me the same times equation 3 times in a row just now. You're distracted."

Y/N couldn't help the breathy laugh that escaped her. You sound just like Spencer... Instead, she told her, "Aw, I'm sorry, Kiddo. My mind is just in a... confusing place right now. But I'm very happy that you got to come stay with me this weekend, you always brighten my day." She punctuated her sentence with a little boop on Piper's nose, to which she giggled and asked for another math equation.

The two of them continued around the block a few rounds, though on their fourth and final one, Y/N noticed very familiar car parked just outside her house.

Heart jumping into her throat, she stopped in her tracks, and Piper kept going only to be pulled back slightly. The girl turned to her aunt and furrowed her brow. "Auntie, why did we stop?"

"Um... I just wasn't expecting any company today besides you..."

Y/N certainly wasn't ready to discuss everything that was going on with Spencer to anyone, let alone her eight-year-old niece who wouldn't probably understand or care anyway. So she explained it the best way she could, quickly coming up with a plan to avoid him as long as possible.

"See the car parked over there?" Y/N asked, and Piper nodded. "Well, that's an... old friend of mine... And we haven't talked in a long time because we don't really get along anymore. So when we get up to the house, he might try to talk to us, and I'm going to tell him that we're busy."

"He's not mean, is he?"

Sensing Piper's reservations, Y/N reassured her while letting her own contempt for her ex fuel the conversation. "No, but... He broke my heart. And he—"

"Y/N... Hi..."

She nearly jumped, mostly from surprise, but also at the fact that hearing her name coming from his lips and his voice and just him brought back a flood of feelings she'd rather have forgotten. Still, she turned to him and cleared her throat. "Spencer... Hi."

Piper suddenly let go of Y/N's hand, a small scoff escaping her. "Oh. Spencer..."

The two adults turned to look at her with surprise, though it was Spencer who spoke up. "You... know me?"

"Mhm," Piper returned with a nod, crossing her arms. "I heard Mom and Auntie talk about you yesterday, and she says you have a stupid, beautiful face."

"Piper!" Y/N screeched, heat rising to her face. "I... You can't tell people that, I— That's not... I..."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Auntie," the little girl said quietly.

Y/N was fully prepared to dig a hole and stay buried in it forever, and her embarrassment grew even stronger when Spencer spoke up again. "It's okay," he reassured gently, a small laugh sounding from his throat that regrettably gave Y/N butterflies. "You're auntie's definitely right, I do have a stupid face."

Before Y/N could stop the conversation altogether, Piper cut in quickly, being sure to add, "And beautiful."

Spencer's eyes flicked up to Y/N, drawing her in with amusement and charm, a fact which she hated to her core. Because it was working, and that was annoying as hell. "Yep," he said, never taking his eyes off of her. "And beautiful."

And then the corner of his mouth turned up slightly, flashing her the most amused, stupidly perfect smirk.

Piper started talking again, and for the second time that day, Y/N wished she hadn't even said anything at all, keeping this whole situation to herself.

"But we can't talk to you, because you broke Auntie's heart, and we're busy. C'mon, Auntie. Let's go." Piper grabbed Y/N's hand and led her up the rest of sidewalk until they got to the driveway. And even though it might have been childish to completely ignore Spencer as they walked past, not giving him a second glance, quite frankly she was quick to abort the situation as soon as possible.

Unfortunately for her, Spencer was persistent.

They were almost to the steps up to the door when he called out. "Piper! Can I ask you something?"

The little girl turned around, losing grip of Y/N's hand and greeting his gaze without batting an eye. "Sure."

Damn kids and their willingness to be nice to strangers, Y/N grumbled in her head.

"I know... your auntie is an important person to you, right?" Spencer inquired, walking up the driveway with his hands in his front pockets. Y/N swallowed, most certainly not noticing how the sun perfectly highlighted him in a glow that made him look more beautiful than stupid.

Piper nodded.

"Well... She's important to me, too. And I really hurt her feelings, but I want to make it up to her. Would you be kind enough to let me try?"

Damn him, Y/N grumbled yet again. Damn him, damn him, damn him to hell... Why was he so charming?

He'd always known that kids were a soft spot for her, and when they'd dated, they talked a lot about having some of their own  one day. Every time they took a walk in the park and they passed a kid, they always gravitated to Spencer, giving him the biggest smiles, and in turn he would give them a high five or perform a little magic trick to make them smile even wider. And Y/N melted into a damn puddle every time.

He knew exactly what he was doing, using Piper as a means to win her back, but even still, she knew that because of his gentle nature, most of it was... well, nature. Deep down, as much as she hated to admit it, she knew that he was a kind person. They may have ended things on bad terms, sure, and Y/N could pretend he was cruel all she wanted— The truth was that no matter how their relationship ended, he was a good man at heart.

And that's why it hurt so much.

Y/N thought for sure Piper would fall into his web, but she was pleasantly surprised when the girl responded with, "I don't know... I don't know if I trust you yet."

You and me both, Kiddo, Y/N thought to herself.

Spencer laughed again. "That's fair. Look, you can say no, but... How about I give you something in return?"

"Spencer, that's no—"

Piper crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side, interrupting Y/N before she could finish protesting. "How much we talking?"

"Piper!"

"Well, I was going to offer to show you a magic trick, but I suppose I could work you a deal... I only have a hundred bucks on me, would that be enough?"

Sure enough, Spencer pulled a one-hundred dollar bill from his pocket, and the young girl's eyes went wide. Y/N's did, too, but more likely than not it wasn't a means of excitement.

"You have yourself a deal!" Piper squealed with a jump. She ran over to take the money, meanwhile Spencer looked up at Y/N with a smile.

She didn't return it.

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" he asked softly. Kindly.

"Well, I'm babysitting Piper today, so you'll have to come back another time," she returned a little coldly, hoping that she and Piper had just scored a free Benjamin to pig out on ice cream while Spencer was left waiting forever for a conversation that was never going to happen.

Funny how eight-year-olds always had a way of making things more difficult for you.

"Auntie, Spencer and I made a deal. He gave me money, and now he has to make it up to you. Remember?"

Y/N groaned. "Yeah, yeah, I remember..."

"Well, how about I... take you guys out for lunch? My treat? If it's alright, we can go to McDonald's..."

"The one with the play place?" Piper gasped, immediately turning to Y/N. "Oh, Auntie, please can we go? Please, please, please?"

She looked up at Spencer, shaking her head in exasperation as he smiled at her, those sparkling honey eyes reeling her in whether she wanted them to or not. Then she turned to Piper and sighed.

"How fast do you think you can eat?"

***

Y/N was surprised Spencer didn't try to talk to her more on the drive over. Though, Piper did most of the talking, telling Spencer about how much she loved numbers and math, and he even quizzed her on some multiplication equations on the way.

If she wasn't so annoyed with him, Y/N would have melted completely.

It was the getting into the restaurant that worried her the most, though. She knew that once Piper ran off to play while they waited for their food, he would spend whatever short amount of time he had trying to win her back. And she was afraid of two things, mostly that she would end up crying in the restaurant, making a scene and wishing she'd never agreed to go, no matter how heart-broken Piper might have been. But there was also a small part of her, nestled deep into her heart, that was afraid she'd fall for him all over again.

He certainly made falling easy.

When the three of them stepped into the restaurant, it was easy to see how excited Piper was to be there. She gently tugged on Y/N's sleeve before looking up at her. "Nuggets, fries, and Sprite?"

"Apples, too, and you've got yourself a deal," Y/N said.

Piper nodded, not really caring but eager to go and play. So she sighed and nodded, leaving her with a, "Be careful!" as she saw the girl quick-walk over to the play area. There was a decent crowd that day, but thankfully no one in the restaurant seemed to have any grievances or knacks for trouble.

Spencer on the other hand... Y/N scoffed to herself, thinking how he was the most troublesome person in the area.

He proved her point by nudging her with his elbow. "She's a fun one."

"Yeah, she's somethin' alright," Y/N grumbled. "I can't believe you bribed her just to talk to me... If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you were being romantic. But I do know better, and you're just stubborn."

Spencer laughed, but she refused to look at him. "Aw, come on, give me some credit. You know I can be a little of both."

This time Y/N did look at him, squinting in a glare, like she was contemplating. "Eh... five to ninety-five. Leaning in favor of stubborn, of course."

"Obviously." The amusement in his voice made her hate his stupid, beautiful face even more than usual.

Thankfully he kept the conversation short after that, at least until they ordered. Since it was Spencer's treat, she milked his wallet for as much as she could afford to on fast-food. She ordered a large chocolate milkshake and enough food for her and Piper to share for dinner later— and probably lunch the next day, too. The amused chuckle Spencer let out as she was ordering did have her believing maybe she was being a bit childish. But the longer she thought about it, the more she stood by her actions.

He did break her heart after all. The least he could do was compensate through chicken nuggets and French fries.

The only thing she didn't count on, though, was how long it was going to take to make all her food, not to mention getting things done for other people. As she and Spencer made their way to the table, she realized she'd have to talk with him longer.

Spencer took advantage of this, naturally.

"So... How've you been?"

Y/N scoffed. "You show up out of the blue five years after you break up with me, and then have the nerve to ask me how I've been, in a McDonald's? Yeah, I've been great."

He sighed, his eyes flitting down to the table. "I know, I'm... I'm sorry. And I know I should have—"

"Spence, please don't... Look, I know... I know why we broke up, and I came to terms with the fact that your job was just to dangerous for us to be together, but... I mean, you weren't even willing to work it out, you just... ran away. That hurt."

"Y/N... I'm so, so sorry that it happened that way. I think about it almost every day and how much I wish I could have changed it..."

"But you can't change it. And now you... you show up here after all this time to—to what? Win me back? Use your kindness and your charm to reel me back in, like that'll somehow make everything better?"

He looked up at her through his eyelashes, the sight almost breaking her. "Maybe..."

"It's not that I don't appreciate the thought, Spence, because I do... I've dreamt about the day you'd come back and apologize, begging me to take you back... But I can't get hurt again. And you have to understand that."

"I do... Just..." His hands reached out across the table, gently touching hers. The feeling sparked something in her, something nostalgic and warm...

Something that felt a lot like home.

He was going to continue his speech, but a knock on the glass separating them from the playroom on the other side jolted them apart. It was Piper, a stern look on her face. "Don't try anything, Mister... You're still on thin ice."

She turned away then, running back to the slide when Spencer sighed. "I thought we had a deal."

Y/N laughed, nodding at Piper through the glass. "Even a hundred bucks and free food isn't enough to win someone's trust." Spencer looked over at her and waited, visibly swallowing. But Y/N flashed the smallest of smiles before finishing, speaking quietly, yet with all the truth and firmness in the world. "You have to work harder than that."

"Duly noted," Spencer replied, his gaze never straying from hers. "Looks like me and my stupid, beautiful face have some work to do."

Y/N rolled her eyes, leaning back in the chair as Spencer grinned like a fool... A stupid, beautiful fool. "Oh, alright... You know what... If you weren't paying for my mountains of food and giving me a ride home, that thin ice you're on would have just shattered under the weight of that comment."

"Oh, come on, it was funny."

"No, it really wasn't."

"Yeah, it was."

He stared at her, smiling until her forced frown slowly and reluctantly transformed into a smile of her own.

***

"Thank you for lunch, Spencer! And for the hundred dollars!" Piper skipped past him and up the driveway, stopping to turn and wave with her Happy Meal toy in hand. Y/N was carrying a bag of leftover food and half a milkshake, her stomach already regretting every choice she'd ever made.

"You're welcome, Piper," Spencer said, smiling at the girl. "And thank you for letting me get a chance to set things right with your auntie. You really helped me out today, I appreciate it."

"Sure thing. Just don't break her heart again, or I'll break your stupid, beautiful face. It'll turn into a stupid, ugly face then."

Y/N mentally face-palmed herself, turning to Piper and telling her to go inside and wash up. The girl gave Spencer one final wave and a smile as she did so, leaving the adults alone once again.

"Thank you..." he said quietly, shifting on his feet. "For giving me a chance. I really want to make things right with us... Make up for the way I hurt you, and... try harder. You deserve that much."

Years of heartache and trying to get over him begged Y/N not to believe it, but deep down she knew he was being truthful. He wasn't the type of guy to come around like this—especially with all the work travel he did—just to manipulate her into heartache again, with empty promises and hurtful intent.

She knew he was really willing to try to make things right, and that was a big start.

"Thank you... for saying that... And for making Piper's day. I know you didn't really mean to bribe her, but the fact that you did it anyway is absurd, so... I guess I have to give credit where credit's due."

Spencer laughed, and this time Y/N didn't hate the feeling of the butterflies in her stomach fluttering at the sound. "Well, I'm glad I could at least amuse you today. Does... this mean my romantic to stubborn ratio shifted a little bit?"

Y/N rolled her eyes affectionately, taking a sip of her milkshake. "Hmm... twenty to eighty."

"Still leaning in favor of stubborn, I suppose..."

The smile they shared in that moment felt more like the ones they used to share back then, officially kickstarting the slow, meticulous mending of their love.

"Obviously."

***

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[halstudandruz]

Research Purposes ~ Part 3

*Gif: Not mine; credit to @thompsonconnors

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader/ Adam Ruzek x Reader

Requested: Yes

Prompt: What happened after Adam catches you and Jay? Part 1 (18+) here /// Part 2 here

Warnings: Swearing

A/N: I used some dialogue from S6E10, but the rest of the episode doesn’t pertain

A/N 2: Wouldn’t you all be pissed if I ended up putting the reader with Ruzek 😂

You and Jay were on his couch silently eating pizza and watching Hulu. Not having said very many words to each other in the last two hours.

“I didn’t want him to find out that way.” You eventually broke the silence. Jay reached for the remote pausing the show to turn and face you as you sat up away from where you were cuddled into his side. “I mean I wasn’t ecstatic about him sleeping with Hailey, but if he would’ve just told me and been upfront about it I think I could’ve handled it better.” You admitted.

“So you wouldn’t have slept with me in other words?” He joked making you chuckle.

“Oh I still would’ve done that.” You smiled.

“I think he just didn’t want to hurt you. You know Adam. That would have never been his intention.” Jay replied.

“Well no I don’t think he did it on purpose, but I just turned around and did the same thing to him. What if he thinks it was out of spite?” You sighed.

“You don’t have any obligations to each other any more, [Y/N].” Jay shook his head.

“I know it’s hard for you to understand, and it’s hard for me to explain to be honest. You have to remember we were engaged. It wasn’t some fling. Our relationship was serious. I wanted to be with him. I wanted to have a family with him, and when it ended it hurt like hell. I know I don’t have any obligation to him, but in order to see him everyday. Work with him everyday. There has to be a different kind of respect, a different kind of… regard for each other than we have with everyone else or it won’t work.” You tried to explain.

“Then why didn’t you just tell him about us?” Jay finally asked.

“Because I don’t even know what’s going on here.” You laughed, “I mean are we just fucking? Cause if that’s the case we should be doing a lot more of it.” You pointed out, reminding him how more and more nights have ended in just a cuddle session in his bed.

“You know I’m not good with emotions and saying how I feel, [Y/N].” He sighed, “I honestly didn’t expect for this to happen. One night of fun turned into wanting you here every night. Ya know? Regardless of whether it ended in us sleeping together or you just... in my arms.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Jay, if they go up in flames and Hailey comes running to you where does that leave me?” You eventually asked the question that had been pegging you for the last few weeks.

“You know that’s not fair to ask me when I could ask you the same thing.” He replied.

“You don’t think I know that?” You questioned, head falling into your hands, “I don’t know, Jay. Okay? I-I don’t know!”

“What are you saying?” He pushed.

“I’m saying maybe it shouldn’t be this hard.” You shook your head, emotions running through you, tense silence falling between you two again. “I’m really tired.” You admitted, leaning your head against the back of the couch.

“Alright come on let’s go to bed.” He stood up turning the tv off and moving to clean your plates up.

“Do you want me to sleep on the couch?” You asked, biting at your lip and he turned to give you an incredulous look.

“Why would you think I would want that? You know I sleep better with you beside me.” He replied making you smile, body feeling just a little bit lighter.

“Yeah me too.” You agreed, helping him clean a little before going through your bedtime routines comfortably. Sliding naturally into his body once you laid down.

“Goodnight, baby.” Jay whispered into your hair laying a gentle kiss on your forehead.

“Goodnight.” You said, returning a light kiss onto his chest, nuzzling further into his arms.

“Come on [Y/N] you gotta get up.” Jay tried to wake you with soft kisses across your neck and shoulder. Groaning you didn’t move, “I promise I let you sleep as long as possible.”

“Can we just get my car registered for a spot already?” You whined.

“You’re the one that said that was and I quote “testing our luck and a waste of money.”” He teased.

“I will give my life savings for ten more minutes of sleep.” You replied, sinking further back into Jay’s warm chest.

“No, no, no!” He lectured rolling away from you.

“Ugh, fine.” You grumbled pulling yourself out of his bed turning to see him lying in only his boxers, “Are you trying to provoke me?” You gestured to his body causing him to chuckle.

“If I wanted to provoke you I could do a hell of a lot better than this.” He smirked, “Plus I already got my own shower this morning so no go.” He shooed you away getting up to riffle through his dresser. Rolling your eyes you trudged to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

The ride to the district was filled with a comfortable silence, the tension from the night before gone. He put his truck in park after pulling up behind your car.

“Just so you know I’m gonna stay at my place tonight.” You informed him, reaching for the door handle.

“What? Why?” He practically whined, but a nervous tone seeped in as well.

“Because I see you all day everyday and I would like to binge a carton of ice cream without your judging eyes on me the entire time.” You joked.

“I do not judge you.” He defended.

“Uh huh of course not babe. See you in a few.” You leaned over to give him a quick kiss before climbing out of the truck.

When you got to the district Trudy whistled to you summoning you over. You stood in front of it, hands clasped together on her desk. “Goodmorning.” You stated cautiously.

“Wanna tell me why rebel without a cause looks like someone pissed in his coffee this morning?” She raised an eyebrow at you.

“No, I do not.” You replied.

“Well then just a friendly warning to step cautiously today.” She looked back down at her desk nodding her head towards the steps.

“Yeah..thanks Sarge.” You sighed moving to buzz in. You could feel the edginess when you entered the bullpen, but you couldn’t tell who else had noticed it. “Goodmorning.” You mumbled passing everyone on the way to your desk. Luckily everyone was able to work normally despite the obvious agitation in Adam’s demeanor, but per Platt’s advice you stayed out of his way as much as possible.

“Alright so we do it the old-fashioned way. Farm it off. Every beat cop and CTA worker, get every gang and tact unit across the city. If someone knows this guy, that picture’s gonna be enough to spark it. Ruzek, you run it past Mark.” Hank ordered before moving back into his office. Everyone nodded moving towards Jay’s desk to make plans. Adam moved off on his own and out of the corner of your eye you watched Hailey follow behind him. Sighing you looked back to Kevin making mental notes of the plan he was laying out to Jay.

“Alright let’s roll.” Kevin shrugged on his jacket when you heard yelling in the distance. The three of you exchanged confused glances before you easily picked up Adam’s voice.

“It’s Adam and Hailey. They’re downstairs.” You informed the two men, detouring your route to hurrying down the steps, their voices only getting louder as you made your way towards them.

“I’m not gonna talk about policing with you again!” Adam’s distinct voice carried.

“I care about you, I care about you and I-“ Hailey fought back, stopping to turn when she noticed the three of you enter the room.

“We can hear you guys in the stairwell. What the hell are you doing?” Jay asked, looking between the two. Hailey looking guilty and Adam standing at defense, restlessness clear in his frame, from more than just the conversation you were guessing.

“Nothing. It’s fine. Sorry.” Hailey cleared her throat, shaking her head.

“You cannot be having this conversation here. It’s not the time or place.” Jay warned, glancing back up the steps.

“Oh but it’s a perfectly fine place for you to stick your tongue down [Y/N]’s throat?” Adam bit back and you watched Hailey’s eyes go wide flicking between all of you.

“What?” She asked and the look in her eyes at the information pinged a feeling of jealousy deep in your stomach.

“Oh yeah you didn’t know?” Adam took a step towards Jay, anger radiating off of him.

“Watch yourself. Who do you think you're talking to?” Jay straightened his body, jaw clenched.

“I’m not scared of you, Halstead. I’m not some rookie straight out of the academy anymore.” Adam pointed out.

“All of you, cool it.” Kevin whispered harshly stepping between the two men, ”unless you want Voight to find out whatever is going on here I suggest you all get back to what you were supposed to be doing.” He ordered. Adam threw you a cold glare before maneuvering around Kevin and heading up the stairs.

“We’re supposed to be out securing an ID.” Jay grumbled stalking out of the door, Hailey following behind slowly.

“To be a fly on the wall in that car.” Kevin winced looking back to you.

“Yeah.” You laughed dryly. Starting to walk towards the parking lot.

“Hey, it’s gonna be fine.” He tried to reassure you once he slipped into the driver's seat, starting the engine. Kevin knew more of what was going on then anybody else did. You and him had been partners in crime since your first day at the district and even before that in the academy. Your partnership was comfortable and he knew you better than most people. You had each other’s backs always, and even though he was best friends with Adam, who had without a doubt been chirping in his ear about his discovery the night prior, Kevin always remained neutral. So, you knew he would lay it straight for you. He found out about you and Jay the Monday after it had happened. You were pretty good at hiding stuff, but not with him. He could read you like a book.

“This is such a fucking mess.” You huffed watching out the window.

“Well I’m certainly not going to tell you you’re wrong there.” He agreed blatantly, “You should’ve been more careful.”

“You don’t think I know that, Kev? But it’s done now. He knows and I have to find a way to deal with it. I don’t even understand why he’s so mad. He’s doing the same thing with her, and I didn’t act like a jealous teenager when I found out. What he just did was unnecessary.” You sighed heavily knowing that there was more to the story. “I know he’s going through more than just this. I can tell this case is getting to him and he’s struggling and honestly it kills me that I can’t be there for him. It kills me every time I can’t help him through it. I miss him and what we had, but maybe it is for the best. But.. I don’t fucking know! How am I supposed to know?” You slammed a fist against the dashboard and Kevin didn’t even flinch. Adam was impulsive and had a short fuse, but what had happened a few minutes prior was not something Adam would do on a normal day.

“So, what are going to do about it?” Kevin asked looking over at you expectantly, but all that came was silence. You didn’t know. Did Adam still want to be with you? Was that why he was so angry or was it just a lingering reaction? If he was jealous, if this thing between you the two of you was still a possibility then what? Plus Hailey knew now. What if that pushed her in a direction you didn’t want her to go? Maybe it opened her eyes. Maybe she was confessing her feelings to Jay right now in his truck and that scared you. An uncomfortable selfish feeling radiated through your body at the thought. The unknown was starting to terrify you. The possibilities, the factors, all of it was too much and you weren’t sure how it was going to play out.

You had finished the case getting out of the district at a decent time that day. Which you were glad for. The room was starting to feel too small. You needed space to breathe and room to think. Which is exactly what you did. For hours until you came to a conclusion. You loved both of them, but in the end you knew who you wanted, who you needed.

You couldn’t keep dragging them around like this. Dragging yourself around like this. You were going to figure it out and you were going to face it head on. Walking up to his door your heart was racing. You had already made up your mind, but that didn’t mean you weren’t scared to actually face it. Taking a deep breath your knuckles lightly rapped the door. How were you supposed to tell someone you loved you didn’t want to be with them? Shifting on your feet you couldn’t help, but chew on your lip, anxiety only heightening when the door swung open.

“We need to talk.”

All Taglist:

@corebore123 @scarletsoldierrr @hehurst23 @beautiful-bunny89 @ingie @halsteadsway @malrunaway @grettiwrites @inlovewith3 @wanniiieeee

Jay Taglist:

@jayxhalsteadx @life-treatments @weepingfestivalmentality @toomuchtv95 @queen-of-arda @sofferderynnp

Taglist for series: @miranda0102 @5sos-imagine @5hundreddaysofsummer @a-f-f-a-n-c-u-l-o

[jayeray-twst]

How He Shows You Affection: Jade Leech

Warnings: None all fluff!

He Gifts You Things

The feel of a hand on your shoulder nearly made you jump out of your skin. You’d been so focused on what you were doing that you hadn’t even registered the arrival of a new person in your proximity. However the sound of a familiar chuckle instantly made you relax.

You leaned back against the person who was standing behind you, pressing your back to their front and tilting your head up so you could peer up at him. Jade had an amused half-smile curling his lips as he looked down at you.

“How was your trip?” you asked smiling brightly at him, your own hand coming to rest overtop his on your shoulder, tangling your fingers together, “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Jade had taken another hike up into the mountains searching for mushrooms, claiming there was a certain kind that it was perfect weather to harvest them. You’d taken his word for it, as you couldn’t hope to know nearly as much about the fungi as Jade did. You just wished you could’ve gone with him. Unfortunately, you’d had too much work to do, so had dutifully stayed home.

“It was quite a fruitful day,” Jade told you, evidently really pleased, one of his rare full smiles lighting his face and the odd clicking trill to the end of his sentence enough to let you know how utterly delighted he was. It was a bit of a strange sound, something beyond the ability of human vocal cords, but one you’d come to quite enjoy hearing from your eel mer boyfriend. He only made it when he was beyond thrilled, and it was one of the few true insights into his feelings that your enigmatic boyfriend tended to keep tightly under wraps.

“Oh? Anything interesting?” you asked. Mushrooms generally weren’t what most would consider a fascinating conversation topic, but Jade always had interesting things to say about them. Plus you liked hearing your boyfriend ramble, and mushrooms were one of the few things he would do it for.

“Indeed,” he agreed, producing his other hand from where he’d been keeping it behind his back and presenting you with a flower. It was utterly beautiful and in your favorite color, stunning and perfect you’d never seen anything quite like it.

“It’s beautiful,” you told him a little awed at the pretty thing.

“It reminded me of you,” Jade informed you, gentle hands reaching out to tuck it behind your ear.

It was almost ridiculous how smoothly he could say lines like that, ones that would’ve made anyone else sound cheesy, but from him sounded utterly suave. It made your heart flutter in your chest every single time.

However you did have one small concern, your hand lingering close to the flower by your ear as you carefully asked, “It’s not poisonous is it?”

“Only if you ingest it,” he told you with a casual smile that was all teeth and amusement, eyes shining in delight. It really shouldn’t have surprised you given his fascination with mushrooms but Jade had a bit of a fascination with poisonous things.

“Really to think I would gift you something dangerous,” Jade scolded lightly, and you almost would’ve felt bad, except you remembered the whole debacle with the ghost bride quite clearly. On top of that there had been a few things at the beginning of your relationship that you’d learned a little too late were perfectly safe for merfolk but not so much for humans. It had been an honest mistake, and Jade had clearly felt bad afterwards, but it had been a little traumatizing.

“I would never deliberately gift you something dangerous,” Jade corrected, clearly reading your mind, and while Jade wasn’t one to pout, leaving such antics up to his twin, the slight downturn of his lips let you know he wasn’t entirely happy either.

“I know,” you assured him, gently squeezing the fingers that were still interlaced with yours, “And it is sweet of you to bring me gifts. I do appreciate each and every one of them, even the dangerous ones.”

It was all true, Jade was very careful to put a lot of thought into the things he gave you, even the little things. It was part of mer courtship customs apparently, and one he quite enjoyed and so did you if you were being honest. His little gifts never failed to make your heart skip a beat.

Jade chuckled, clearly appeased by this, gently tracing his fingers over your cheek before giving you a quick kiss goodbye and wandering off to sort through the bounty of mushrooms he’d brought back. You watched him go with a fond smile on your face, quietly thinking of your own gift ideas. After all, if you were dating a mer, you might as well embrace their courtship traditions. You just hoped your own gifts could make him feel just as treasured as he did for you.

He Does Little Things to Make Your Life Easier

One of the things you’d noticed about Jade Leech early on that differentiated him from his twin brother, was that he was incredibly attentive to detail. He was always watching, taking everything in, and he remembered almost everything. It was both impressive and alarming considering his penchant for blackmail.

As his significant other there was no one he observed more closely than you. It was one of the reasons the two of you had started dating in the first place, because Jade considered you one of the most interesting creatures he’d ever stumbled upon on land or sea.

All that close observation meant Jade almost always knew what you needed, sometimes even before you did. If you ate the last of your favorite snack, it would mysteriously be restocked. If you were feeling down your favorite comfort items and Jade himself would appear to help cheer you up. If something broke, or was on the verge of breaking Jade would buy a replacement or find a way to fix it.

It was all incredibly flattering, and made you feel seen in a way you never had with anyone else. Jade knew you better than you knew yourself at times, and it was both a little alarming and incredibly reassuring. Alarming because allowing anyone as close as he was to you and having them capable of predicting your actions to the degree he could was startling on a good day, but also reassuring because you knew Jade could see all of you, both the bad and the good and he wanted you anyway.

It might’ve made the relationship feel unequal at times, especially at first, but as your determination to know him the way he knew you grew, so did Jade’s willingness to let you in. These days you knew a lot of his little tells, the way he made small pleased clicking chirping sounds low in his throat when he was happy, the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when he was smiling his genuine smile rather than the bland customer service smile, and the way his lips turned down at the corners when he was truly upset with something. You knew it all and took pride in the hard-won knowledge.

Still despite everything Jade still knew you better, as proved by the warm drink resting near your hand when you glanced up from the book you were reading, while waiting for him to finish his shift at Mostro Lounge. Gently touching the mug, you found it was the perfect temperature to be consumed, and there was also a little snack along with it.

Right on time your stomach grumbled, letting you know you were in fact, rather hungry. Amused as ever at your boyfriend’s ability to predict things you cradled the mug in your hands, enjoying the warmth of it in the coolness of the lounge, your eyes darting around the crowded room until they locked on your boyfriend at the bar.

As if sensing your eyes on him, he glanced up from what he was doing and met your gaze. You smiled at him, feeling warm and happy as you saluted him with your drink, mouthing your thanks at him and blowing him a kiss. You couldn’t actually hear his amused chuckle from where you were across the room, but you saw the genuine amusement in his eyes as he dipped his head in acknowledgment of your thanks before turning back to what he was doing.

With a content sigh you dug into the treat he’d brought for you, sipping your drink, and reflecting that you really were lucky. Not many got a boyfriend quite as attentive as Jade Leech, who saw to all your needs without question and without being asked. Despite what others might say about his cold and ruthless attitude to you he’d always been sweet in his own understated way. It was a privilege you vowed never to take for granted as you smiled to yourself feeling thoroughly adored.

He Makes Time for You

It had been a long, hard day, and if you were perfectly honest with yourself, all you really wanted at this point was to curl up with boyfriend and be cuddled to help shake the stress of the day away. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be an option, not until late as Jade had a shift at Mostro lounge and wouldn’t be back until late.

Normally, you didn’t bother your boyfriend at work, but you desperately wanted to see him, and didn’t think he’d mind too much if you surprised him there, especially since you didn’t actually want to cook yourself dinner. Settled on your course of action, and feeling a bit optimistic that you might even get to steal him away for a little bit during his break you headed for the lounge.

It was relatively busy, the same as it always was with several waiters running back and forth fetching things from the kitchens for the students. Tonight Jade wasn’t actually one of them, instead he was stationed behind the bar, which made things easier for you, especially since there was a seat free. You didn’t worry too much about distracting him, Jade was a consummate professional after all, and meticulous in all things including the work he took quite a deal of pride in.

Sliding into the seat you smiled when your boyfriend spotted you and quickly made his way over, glad to see him, even if you were separated by the bar and unable to latch on to him like a limpet and not let go the way you wanted to.

“Hey you,” you greeted affectionately.

“Hello, fawn,” Jade answered lightly, his mismatched eyes scanning you carefully, taking you in. You hoped he couldn’t see how utterly done in you were, tucking back your exhaustion as far behind your emotional walls as you could manage and smiling at the nickname which never failed to life your spirits.

It hadn’t surprised you that Jade had decided to nickname you after a type of mushroom, you were just glad he only used the cute names, instead of something terrible like toadstool. Sometimes it honestly surprised you that he hadn’t given his sense of humor. You were just glad you’d managed to find out what amanita was ahead of time and put your foot down on it, as you had no desire to be named after a fly killing mushroom.

“What brings you to the lounge?” he asked, pulling you from your thoughts about mushrooms, his hands already going through the familiar motions of making your favorite drink.

“I didn’t want to cook and decided I’d kill two birds with one stone and come to the lounge and see you,” you answered, giving him a mostly honest answer.

“I’m always glad to see you,” he told you, passing your drink, “Excuse me for a second though sweet fawn, I have something to do and then I’ll be right back.”

“Of course,” you assured him, confident that you managed to keep your irrational disappointment locked behind your cheerful façade.

You idly sipped your drink as you waited for Jade to return, quietly watching the people moving around the lounge. Luckily, it didn’t take him long to reappear, though you were surprised when he did it on your side of the bar.

“Are you on break?” you asked, delighted at the prospect, practically beaming up at him, “Want to get something to eat with me?”

“I would love to get something to eat with you,” he assured you, cupping your cheek affectionately, the tender gesture taking you by surprise, though you couldn’t help but melt into it, so much so you nearly missed his next words, “But unless you’re very hungry it will have to wait until we get home.”

“Huh?” you asked, completely inarticulate in your bewilderment.

“You heard me,” Jade scolded lightly, “Let’s get home, precious little fawn.”

“But you’re working,” you sputtered in protest, “Your shift doesn’t end until eleven you said!”

“Ah but I decided to take the rest of the night off,” he informed you casually, “As if I could do anything else when my fawn needs me.”

“Jade, I’m fine,” you tried to assure him firmly, guilt broiling in your stomach, “You can finish out your shift, it’s not a problem!”

The knowing look he gave you, made you want to backtrack, but instead you held firm. The last thing you wanted was to inconvenience him, you loved him far too much for that.

“You’re never a problem,” he informed you his tone quiet but sincere, “let’s get you home.”

You were seriously contemplating refusing him, but the option was swiftly taken away as you found yourself lifted off your feet and swung up into a princess carry, making you yelp in surprise and indignation.

“Ooh someone’s in trouble!” a familiar sing-song voice called out from behind the bar, and you leveled a look at Floyd who was apparently taking his brother’s place for the rest of the night. You made a slightly rude gesture in Floyd’s direction, but the eel only laughed, completely unbothered by it as Jade began to carry you from the lounge your boyfriend also chuckling in amusement.

“You really don’t have to do this,” you tried, one last time, wriggling slightly in his hold trying to get him to set you down, “I’m really okay Jade, you don’t have to take time off for me.”

Jade paused in his steps, and for a second you thought you might’ve gotten through to him, only to have him tell you, “You’re worth all my time, sweet fawn, and I will always make more of it for you when you have need of me, even when you don’t want to admit it.”

The sincere, surprisingly gentle words took all the wind out of your sails, as you peered up into his eyes, his face solemn without any trace of his usual teasing. You slumped in his hold and stopped fighting, which he correctly interpreted as compliance and started walking again.

You looped your arms around his neck and buried your face into his chest, breathing him in the way you’d been dying to from the minute you’d finished your day. Jade let out a soft chuckle of amusement and simply adjusted his grip so you were more comfortable, making you sigh in contentment.

“Hey, Jade?” you asked quietly against his neck, earning a hum of acknowledgment that let you know he was listening, “I love you.”

The words always seemed to take your boyfriend off guard, and this time was no exception. Still to his credit his steps only faltered for a second before he admitted, “I love you too, precious silly fawn.”

You sighed in contentment at the words, letting him carry you off back home, feeling utterly content and truly lucky to have a boyfriend like Jade Leech.

Like this or my writing in general? Feel free to drop by my ask box to make requests! Just make sure to read the rules first! I also take commissions on Ko-Fi!

[jaskierswolf]

Mayhaps a wild take : Geralt folds the corners of his precious, centuries old, valuable beyond compare, bestiaries. Jaskier sees and loses his marbles. ( Then gifts geralt a book mark with pressed.. somehow familiar flowers... 👀 )

Hi, hello... So... I got carried away? This is 2.1k? I hope you like it!

CW: mentions of injury (on Jaskier)

________

Monsters mutate. They adapt, change, grow. Geralt was clearly a very skilled witcher with decades of experience, and Jaskier never grew bored of watching him fight, on the rare occasions he was actually allowed to watch that is. Most of the time, he had to make do with second-hand stories told by Geralt himself, which just wasn’t the same. But, sometimes, just sometimes, Geralt would deem the contract safe enough for Jaskier to trail along with a silver dagger gripped in his hands, and sometimes... Geralt got it wrong.

Jaskier was poking at his bandaged thigh where the drowner had bitten him, already beginning to stain red as the blood oozed from the wound. It hadn’t needed stitches but it still stung. The fight, however, oh the fight had been surprisingly spectacular. It was a small drowner nest just outside of town, attacking nearby fisherman along the beach, nothing that Jaskier hadn’t seen before and certainly not ballad worthy, but he’d tagged along regardless. He never wanted to pass up the opportunity to see Geralt in action. The witcher was just so beautiful, dancing with his sword in hand, all grace and elegance and fury. Jaskier was entranced every time. It was truly a miracle he didn’t get hurt more often.

The drowners had been fast, faster than they should have been, and now Geralt was muttering about mutations and skin pigments as he scratched words into a worn out copy of a bestiary. The witcher has borrowed one of Jaskier’s least expensive ink sets to update the centuries old book. It broke Jaskier’s heart to see such a beautiful book treated so poorly but he understood that it needed updating to keep his witcher safe.

The poor book though.

Academics at Oxenfurt would kill to get their hands on it. It would have been treated with the utmost respect, kept away from the grubby hands of the first and second years, only allowed out for special projects, and here was Geralt, covering it in his appalling handwriting, bloody fingerprints and dirt smudges in the margins.

“Oh bollocks,” Jaskier hissed as he jabbed at the bandages a little too hard, his restless energy getting the better of him. The witcher always told him off for picking and scratching at his bandages and scabs, but he couldn’t help it. They were just so scratchable, and the itching drove him mad!

Geralt sighed, glancing up at Jaskier with an exasperated expression. He took one look at Jaskier’s bandage and…

And he fucking folded the corner of his page before closing the book.

Jaskier saw red. He stammered and pointed at the pages, gaping as he tried to find the right words to express his utter outrage. “You-You… Geralt!” he whined.

The witcher’s brow furrowed and he looked between the book and the bard, obviously completely confused by Jaskier’s sudden change in mood. “What?”

“You did not just fold down the pages!”

“Yes?”

Jaskier scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Oh, dear witcher, you and I are taking a trip to Oxenfurt immediately!”

Geralt scowled, looking at Jaskier as if he’d grown a second head. “Why?”

“Geralt, please. Don’t make me suffer your cruelty any longer,” Jaskier pleaded.

The witcher rolled his eyes but didn’t argue any further. He just took Jaskier’s hands in his, keeping them away from the bandages. Jaskier blushed, the gap between them suddenly feeling too small and yet too far all at once. He swallowed, trying to ignore the sudden swell of nerves in his chest, and laced their fingers together, smiling shyly up at the witcher.

______

By the time they reached Oxenfurt, Jaskier’s limp had almost entirely gone. He still got tired quickly and by the end of the day he had to lean on Geralt or ride Roach until they found a suitable camping spot. Geralt had been ridiculously caring, obviously looking out for Jaskier at every opportunity, their days were shorter and well… Jaskier had actually been allowed to ride Roach. That was new. Holding hands had now become almost normal, and Geralt was just so gentle when he took care of the bandages, making sure the bite wound wasn’t infected. It made Jaskier’s heart do all sorts of acrobatics in his chest.

If he hadn’t been in love with the witcher, then he certainly would be after all of this-this… nonsense.

When Geralt wasn’t looking then he crouched at the side of the road, picking up a variety of buttercups and cornflowers and slipping them inside his heaviest poetry book. The supplies he needed from Oxenfurt were specialist ones. He hadn’t made bookmarks in ages, not since his days at the Academy, but he used to make them for all his friends. It was something to do with his hands that didn’t feel like work, and he had always enjoyed giving gifts. He was looking forward to getting back into his old hobby.

“Why are we here, Jaskier?” Geralt groused, glaring around the town with his scary witcher face. Jaskier felt a little bit bad for dragging Geralt back into a busy city but it was important.

He scoffed and waved a hand at the witcher. “You’ll see,” he said with a grin, and booped Geralt on the nose. “Don’t be nosy.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm,” Jaskier hummed back, sticking out his tongue. “You know your way to my rooms at the Academy?” Geralt nodded. “Excellent! I will see you there in time for dinner, but I have shopping to do. Did you need any potion ingredients?”

Geralt cocked his head, his brow furrowing as he thought. “Blowballs.”

Jaskier grinned and brushed his lips against Geralt’s cheeks before he could chicken out. “Be good, darling, no scaring my colleagues.”

The witcher smirked. “Unless it’s Valdo?”

Jaskier laughed, “Unless it’s Valdo.”

And then they went their separate ways. Jaskier easily navigated the streets of Oxenfurt, basking in the hustle and bustle of the city. It was alive and thriving, as if it had a beating heart of its own. The witcher may hate the city but Jaskier lived for it. He was a bard, a man of the people. He needed to be seen, loved, adored. The bookshop was in the same place that it had been when he was a student, tucked away in the backstreets, only known by the students and professors. Jaskier grinned and slipped inside, the bell ringing as he pushed up the door.

He let his fingers trail along the leather spines of the books, inhaling the musky scent of paper and old parchment. It smelled like home, and a warmth settled in his heart. He knew this shop like the back of his hand, and he easily found the supplies he needed. The pressed flowers from the road would be fixed onto a soft leather strap, and then Jaskier would cut the end into smaller strips, creating a kind of tassel. He also planned to engrave an inscription into the leather, something lyrical, something poetic… something for Geralt to remember him by when they were apart.

“Gods, I’m pathetic,” he mumbled as he worked. His tongue flicked between his lips as it so often did when he needed to concentrate. Each letter took time, a delicate process, and he sat in the little corner at the back of the shop, just as he had in his youth. After an hour the owner, now an old man with a thick grey beard, brought him a cup of herbal tea. Jaskier smiled up at him, and gestured to his work.

“How’s it looking? I’m, well, I’m a little out of practice,” he hummed, scrunching up his nose.

“It’s beautiful, and it’s good to see you back here, Jaskier. It’s been too long. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten us.”

“Oh, no. I would never!” Jaskier reassured him, “and thank you. This one is special.”

The shop owner chuckled. “You used to say that every time.”

Jaskier grinned sheepishly. “This one is extra special.”

He stayed later than he intended, past the closing time of the bookshop, and certainly past dinner time but he just lost track of time, too focused on his task. By the time he finished, Geralt’s bookmark was a work of art. The inscription was written in his finest calligraphy, and the flowers were arranged just perfectly. It had been made with love.

He just hoped that Geralt liked it.

When Jaskier made it back to his room, Geralt was perched on the corner of the bed, a needle and thread in his hands as he made repairs to his armour. His silver hair was loose and falling in front of his eyes, and there were the beginnings of a beard growing on his cheeks. The witcher’s golden slitted eyes were almost completely black in the dim light of the room, and Jaskier was once again envious of his friend’s ability to see in the dark. It was a handy skill, and he looked almost ethereal as the light bounced off his eyes, making them glow.

“Dinner was two hours ago,” Geralt murmured, not looking up from his sewing.

Jaskier felt his cheeks heat up and he scratched the back of his neck. “Ah, umm…, yes, well…”

“Jaskier.”

“You know how I get?”

“Hmm.”

His friend finally looked back up at him, giving Jaskier a soft fond smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. Jaskier stuck his tongue out, “Don’t hum at me, witcher, I’m fluent in Geralt speak!”

“Hmm.”

Jaskier rolled his eyes. “Now you’re just being obtuse, and don’t you dare…” Geralt hummed again. “Stop it! You bastard. I’m not giving you your present now.”

“Present?” Geralt cocked his head, looking stunned by Jaskier’s revelation.

“Ha! That got you, oh shit, cock it. It was meant to be a surprise. Fuck!” he groaned and buried his face in his hands. The bookmark was tucked away in his bag but it seemed to be taunting him, and he was suddenly struck by the fear that Geralt would hate it.

Fucking buttercups.

He was an idiot.

Why would a witcher want flowers on a bookmark?

“You got me a present?”

Jaskier nodded “I made you a present, Geralt.”

The witcher looked completely taken aback, a blush painting his cheeks. He set his needle and thread aside, and reached out for Jaskier. It was almost instinct at that point to reach back, taking Geralt’s hands in his. “Can I see?”

Jaskier glanced at his satchel and sighed. “Yes, yeah. Yes, of course. Umm, wait here.”

With shaking hands he plucked the cloth bundle from his satchel and handed it to Geralt, mentally preparing himself for the worst. At least he was already in Oxenfurt, he wouldn’t have to travel alone when the witcher inevitably decided to dump him. Gods, he was such a fool.

Geralt gingerly unfolded the dark blue cloth, humming as he picked up the bookmark. “Buttercups?”

Scratching the back of his neck, Jaskier cleared his throat. “Yes?”

“To my dearest, Geralt. May your days be filled with Destiny, heroics, and love. Ever yours, Jaskier.” Geralt read the words aloud and Jaskier wanted to sink into the floor. It was ridiculous. They weren’t even that good. He was supposed to be a poet for Lilit’s sake.

“It’s shit. I’m sorry, I’m tired, what with my leg healing and the rush to get here, but I just… you fold down the corners of your page, Geralt. I could not sit by and let that happen, and I-I… ah fuck it. I wanted you to have something to remember me by, you know,” he gave a flick of his wrist, one hand resting on his hip, “when you’re stuck up in that mysterious witcher keep of yours, and well, you probably don’t remember but I-I said you smelled like-”

“Death and destiny. Heroics and heartbreak, I remember.”

“Oh, umm… well yes. Death and heartbreak seemed a bit… dramatic? So, I-I changed it… to love.”

“Thank you, Julek,” Geralt murmured, cupping Jaskier’s cheek and pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss that was over before Jaskier could even process what was happening.

He stared wide-eyed up at his friend, his heart racing and the whole universe shifted until Geralt was at the centre, burning brightly in the dark. Jaskier cupped the nape of Geralt’s neck and pulled him back into another kiss, and this time they didn’t break apart, their lips moving in tandem. It was slow, lazy even. There was no rush, just the two of them against the world, their breaths mingling and their hearts beating as one.

[tsukishumai]

[11:27pm]

pairing; tsukishima kei x gn!reader genre; fluff, friends to lovers wc; 900+ a/n; temp is in Celsius my fellow americans

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The weather report stated that today’s lowest temperature would be approximately twenty five degrees with a hint of a slight breeze. Skies were to remain clear in the foreseeable future, and the phase of the moon this evening was in Full. 

The rock you were currently sitting on was flat, smooth, and hosted the most perfect view of the city below. Lights were sprinkled across the buildings and houses, perfectly mirroring the starry sky above. 

From this perspective, you were so trivial. Cars were driving up and down the streets, husbands coming home to their wives, friends meeting up for dinner, life going on with no regard to the woeful eyes that scrutinized them in the distance. 

You tilt your head up, basking in the glow of the moon. Stars twinkled down at you in greeting from light years away. You wish you knew what other worlds they could see from their permanent fixture across the inky black canvas, or if they could even see you at all. 

Perhaps they were too far away; far from the work piling on your desk, far from the argument with your classmate over group projects, far from the lack of sleep and countless cups of ramen in your system. The stars pay no mind to whether you had the energy to shower, or if you broke down in your room crying about everything and nothing.

Suddenly, you were insignificant. Yet somehow, this begins to feel like a gentle comfort, embracing your thoughts in a soothing reassurance that maybe things weren’t as big as you thought they were. 

The wind blew around you a bit stronger than you anticipated, and the twenty five degrees was starting to feel more like twenty. You shivered in your spot, wrapping your arms around yourself in an attempt to retain heat. 

A heavy material was abruptly draped around your shoulders, spurring you to twist around in surprise. 

“Fancy running into you here,” Tsukishima comments, stepping back and placing a hand in his pocket. 

You stared at him in shock. “How’d you find me?” 

 “If I recall correctly,” He closes the distance between you in two strides, settling into the empty space next to you. “This was my hiding spot.” 

A huff of air escapes through your nostrils, scoffing to disguise the smile at the memory of the first time Tsukishima showed you these breathtaking views. 

Tsukishima may not seem like it, but he hates losing. And the bitter loss of his first ever national tournament had stained his mouth the entire ride back home. 

He knew you were following him after drop off, the concern on your face was etched as clear as glass. You tried to hide it at first, but soon the path Tsukishima followed became narrow and unpaved. There was a silent acknowledgement between the two of you as you abandoned your attempt at stealth and trailed two feet behind his footsteps. 

When he arrived at the dinky spot on top of the hill behind school, you were less than impressed. But he worldlessy sat on a rock that was flat, and smooth, and quietly left the space beside him free for you to take. 

You had wondered briefly why Tsukishima chose to come straight here after such a heartbreaking loss, but as soon as you sat down, you knew. 

You said nothing about the tears that flowed freely down his cheeks. He said nothing as you cried along with him. You liked to think your tears from that day had watered the dandelions that now grew in the cracks of the soil. 

You waited with bated breath for Tsukishima’s inevitable sermon. You wonder if he’s going to ask if you’re okay, or question why you were up there in the first place. Or maybe he’ll urge you to talk about your feelings, and spout out some motivational bull. 

But instead, Tsukishima says, “What kind of idiot comes up here without a jacket?”

You wrap the sleeves of his jacket around you a little tighter, sticking your tongue out at him before you say, “The tired kind of idiot.” 

He rolls his eyes, handing you a bag that you hadn’t noticed him hiding. You take it eagerly, sifting through the variety of all your favorite drinks and snacks. 

“I didn’t know what you liked,” Tsukishima lies through his teeth, “So I just picked up whatever. You’re hungry, right?”

An emptiness in your stomach makes itself known, and you deliberate just how long Tsukishima has known you so well. 

You pick out an aloe drink and a bag of chips. Tsukishima picks a sports drink and soba bread. He ate beside you in comforting silence, saying much more than he ever could with words. 

Tsukishima pulls out a set of wireless earphones, handing you the left earbud as he puts on the right. Your favorite song plays softly into your eardrums, and Tsukishima sits back without a word. 

He tilts his head at you when he catches you staring, and instead of his usual glare or irritated scowl, he offers you a soft smile. 

You smile back. 

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” You ask, your eyes never leaving his face. 

Tsukishima’s lips part slightly, a redness tinting his cheeks as he stares at you astonished. 

Slowly, he reaches out, and carefully laces his finger with yours. 

“I can die happy,” he responds. 

You lay your head on his shoulder, and he rests his head on top of yours. You close your eyes as you allow yourself to bask in the glow of Tsukishima Kei. Your insignificance begins to ebb away into the distance, and slowly replaced by the inkling that the universe was made just for the two of you to have this moment. 

[test-tube]

Dawn at the Winery

Author’s Note: Apologies!! School took up a lot of time and I also just couldn’t carry the plot- (pspspsps @starfell-traveler​​ come here you simp) Pairings: Crepus x GN!Reader Word Count: 1533 (I’m ashamed)  TW: death

You took a deep breath, excited for your new job. You were sure working at the Dawn Winery wouldn’t be too difficult, right? Right? It’ll be perfectly fine, you assured yourself. You opened the doors and were greeted by the sound of children cheering.

“I gotcha!”

“AHH- “

A blue haired child fell onto a chaise, then started squirming. “I’ve been hit! R…remember mE!”

You couldn’t help but giggle at the two. They looked about 6 maximum.

The redheaded child turned to you. “Oh, who’re you?”

“I’m Y/N, your-“You paused. You shouldn’t make any rash assumptions. “Master Crepus hired me. Is he here?”

“Papa’s upstairs in his office. But he did leave us this.” The child handed you a paper, outlining your tasks for the day.

“I guess I’ve got to take care of you two. So,” You bent over to his height and ruffled his soft hair. “What do you want to do?”

“We were playing pirates...but if you can take us outside…” The kid’s eyes were wide with pleading. The infamous puppy dog eyes. You crumbled.

“All right, all right. What’re your names first?”

The child with blue hair stood up and dashed over. “I’m Captain Kaeya!”

“No, you’re not.”

“Shush Diluc.”

“Kaeya and Diluc then.” You smiled at the two.

“Actually, it’s Diluc and Kaeya.” Diluc corrected. “I’m older.”

“Diluc and Kaeya,” You amended. “Shall we go outside?”

“Woohoo!!” The two boys ran outside quickly, you chuckled and followed them.

  They played for hours upon hours. Would they ever run out of energy? The sun had started to set, you ordered them back inside. You were met with a taller man with red hair similar to Diluc’s. His foot was tapping against the floor, his arms were crossed.

Diluc and Kaeya stopped short. Their heads hung low. “Sorry Papa.” They said in unison.

(Y/N: 😀😀 I’ve been lied to)

“I’ll ask this one time. Who let you two out?” The man ordered.

You gulped and met the eyes of the man. “I did sir. I deeply apologize.”

His eyes met your and his expression softened in a way. Maybe it was due to how sheepish you looked?

“A common mistake. These two can easily win people over.” He emitted a warm atmosphere now, and he walked over and ruffled the hair of his sons. “But it won’t happen again. Not without permission.”

“Yes sir, of course.” You nodded. You were incredibly relieved of Master Crepus’ easy-going nature. You had a feeling working here would be fun.

Everyday was a new adventure, caring for the Ragnvindr boys. You played pirates, attended parties, watched over their lessons. You smiled and listened and watched over these boys like they were your own, in some way you felt like a parent yourself. You loved this feeling and wanted to cherish it.

You had held your occupation for over a year now and you have never been so fond of the household. Crepus tells the boys such wonderful stories at night, shifting his tone for each characters to make the audience giggle. Taking tour along the winery, pointing out all the wildlife.

While it’s true Crepus does spend a majority of his time working, when he comes out it’s like the sun peeking from behind clouds, a rare, warm event.

“Mx. Y/N, Mx. Y/N!” called Kaeya. He clutched several letters in hand. “You got something in the mail! I’m not sure why it came here though…”

“No matter, thanks for the delivery.” You ruffled the kid’s hair like you always did.

He giggled and ran off, leaving you to address the letter privately.

  Dearest Y/N,

I looked upon you on a moonlit night, astounded by your beauty

I see you each day, blown away by your kindness

I’ve come to the terms of my own feelings, but I am unsure of yours

Please accompany me to Windrise, a picnic awaits

  You felt increasingly flustered the longer you held the parchment. It wasn’t signed, no, but you planned to accept. What’s the harm if you did? You would probably need to request time off from Master Crepus…

You knocked on the door to his office, out rang a gruff voice. “Come in.”

“Master Crepus?” You peeked through the doorframe.

His expression softened at the sight of you. “Yes Y/N?”

“I received a letter earlier, inviting me to go to a picnic. I was planning on accepting, may I request time off?”

He pondered this for a second. “Yes, of course.. Take the rest of the day off, actually.”

“Really? I couldn’t do that Master Crepus, I really couldn’t.”

“Nonsense. You deserve a break.”

You looked hesitantly at your boss but gave in. “Alright. But tomorrow I’ll arrive early.”

“If you insist.”

You nodded and stepped outside of the office to inform the boys you were leaving and that they were expected to behave themselves for the hours you were gone.

The wind blew lazily in your hair as you walked to the roots of the Windrise tree. A small blanket was set up with a basket and candles. You sat carefully on one side, promising yourself to not look just yet. You heard a slight shift and peeked at your suitor. You gasped at the familiar face.

“Y/N-“

He looked extremely worried and hesitant, which was honestly fair. You erupted into a small smile. “Did you mean all of those things? In the letter?”

“Of course. All of that and more.”

You felt blush creep onto your cheeks. You looked down at the blanket. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything.”

His voice reassured you easily, like how his stories could lull Kaeya and Diluc to sleep.

You scooted closer to him and muttered something about eating the food. The two of you dined together while Crepus occasionally told stories and jokes to make you feel more at ease. It was nice, seeing Master Crepus able to relax. It made you feel all warm and fuzzy how he’d want to spend his time with you.

The veil of night spread over the sky. You bid Crepus farewell.

“You could stay at the winery if you wish.” He offered.

It was rather far from home. You lived alone anyways, it would be quite lonely, sitting in a silent home. You nodded and turned towards the manor. He silently asked permission to grab you by the waist, after your confirmation he snugly held you in a sort of half hug.

The two of you arrived and he hesitated outside of the guest room.

“Thank you for accompanying me.”

“Thank you for the invitation.” You reply with a smile. He kissed your hand softly and walked over to the master bedroom, disappearing for the night.

You awoke with a smile, remembering the acts of last night. You hummed contentedly as you got dressed and walked through the manor. Diluc and Kaeya were both already awake, reading in the family room. When Kaeya caught sight of you he looked excited.

“How did it go?”

Both you and Diluc replied “How did what go?”

“Oh, come on~” Kaeya set down his book and walked over to you. “You know what I’m talking about. Papa was very excited that you went, he put extra effort in his story last night.”

You became flushed and tried to hide the pink on your cheeks. “That? Oh, it was wonderful. But it’s between me and your papa, alright?” You booped Kaeya on the nose and he giggled. “Don’t you two have classes to get to?”

The two boys nodded and dashed off, though you caught a hint of Kaeya whispering something. Couldn’t stop him from gossiping. As usual.

Crepus walked into the family room. “Ah, I was just about to get them.”

“Good morning Master Crepus.” You said meekly.

“Let’s not bother with formalities.” He smiled and gave you another kiss on the hand before carefully grabbing it and pulling you into a dance. Music drafted from somewhere nearby. You had no time to regain your composure, so you just focused on the steps. 1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4.

Kaeya and Diluc peeked from a doorframe, giggling. You caught their eye and you smiled as their expressions became surprised and the duo dashed away.

“Is something wrong?” Crepus asked.

“No, no of course not.” You looked back at the man and smiled as his gentle expression.

Each day there was something new. He made you breakfast. Bought you gifts. Wrote you letters. Called you “my fawn” or “sweet flower”. You were totally and indefinitely entranced.

You remembered these days with a bittersweet heart as the rain dripped down from your umbrella onto your hands encased with black silk.

You remembered these days during your silent grieving with Kaeya.

You remembered these days when you saw that little velvet box on Crepus’ desk and broke down in sobs. Diluc had found you that day and comforted you, but you could hardly hear him over your throbbing heart.

You looked at the two older boys, turned away from each other. Their world had been torn apart. Your world had been torn apart.

“Can we go play pirates?” You ask with a sob.