#anyway vote theo!!!

[lystring]

@orangenottangerineart drew my dnd character Bird!!!! I couldn't be happier omg ♥️😻 she's a tabaxi bard, a disgraced court jester, n honestly just a silly lil kittycat

[in-my-feels-probably]

Hey it’s me with the sick dog, but I was hoping to request like a super fluffy fic like established relationship, super domestic and just fluffy. Maybe watching a new horror movie or something. I don’t mind who but i’m partial to Remus, Sirius and Theo Nott

Timeless

Request: I was hoping to request like a super fluffy fic like established relationship, super domestic and just fluffy. Maybe watching a new horror movie or something. I don’t mind who but i’m partial to Remus, Sirius and Theo Nott

Hi! I hope this makes your day a little better, I tried making this pretty fluffy. I’m happy to write you something else if this isn’t what you were looking for, but hopefully you like this! I hope you have a good day, and thank you for the request :)

(Warnings: none? let me know if i missed anything)

—

Sirius had always loved the simple things.

He had grown up around magic all his life. As he got older, he realized just how much he relied on it. But he also knew just how much it had hurt him over the years, often being way more trouble than it was worth. When he met you, you were like a breath of fresh air. He loved how differently you had grown up compared to him. When you graduated from Hogwarts, you moved into a flat together on the outskirts of London. 

It was a community far enough from the city that you could safely still use your magic without being seen, but you also didn’t have to rely on it. Anything you needed wasn’t hard to get—all you had to do was take a short walk into town. It took Sirius some getting used to, but he eventually fell in love with your little home away from the life he had always known. 

He relished in the domesticity and simplicity of the life you had together, and it eventually felt natural to him.

One of his favorite muggle inventions you showed him was the TV. He sat on the couch for nearly a week after you moved in, cycling through all the movies and shows you had mentioned to him over the years. He also loved the movie theater, and it became a staple on your date nights in town. When you were too lazy to go out and do something, but you still wanted to spend time together, you’d have a movie night. Sirius would go around the corner to the little diner run by a sweet old couple and pick up food for you to eat while you watched your movie. 

It was your night to pick the movie this time, and Sirius came in the door just as you had put it on.

“Etta and George say hello,” Sirius said, tossing his keys on the counter before placing the food on the coffee table, taking a seat next to you. “And Etta wanted me to tell you that she thought you looked really pretty last week when we came by the diner.”

You could feel your heart warm as you leaned into his side. “That’s so sweet.”

“So, what are we watching?” He asked as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, settling into the couch. 

“It’s called Halloween. Remus knew I've been wanting to watch it, so he came by earlier and let me borrow his copy—remind me to bring it back to him sometime by the way. Anyway, it’s supposed to be pretty scary. Is that alright with you?”

“Think I can’t handle it, darling?” Sirius asked, a grin on his face. “You don’t think I’m brave?”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “I think you’re very brave. I also think you’re very prone to screaming like a child when something surprises you. Remember when James was over last week and you didn’t know he was here? You nearly jumped out of your skin when he came out of the bathroom.”

“I just wasn’t prepared for another man to be in my flat, let alone waltzing out of my bathroom like he owns it. You can understand my surprise, darling. It wouldn’t have happened under any other circumstances.”

“I see,” you mused, pressing play as you turned your attention to the TV. “So, you aren’t gonna be hiding your face in my arm by the end of the film?”

Sirius smirked, shaking his head at your teasing. “I think I’ll make it without resorting to that. But thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“My pleasure.”

—

Sirius barely made it twenty minutes in before he was already shifting uncomfortably next to you, a grimace on his face. You hid your smirk behind your sleeve, keeping your eyes on the screen. 

“I’m gonna kick Moony’s ass,” he muttered under his breath, so quiet you could barely hear him. “Masochistic bastard.”

“Want me to turn it off?” You asked, reaching for his hand.

Sirius gladly accepted, squeezing your hand tight. He just shook his head, continuing to watch the movie. At every intense scene or flashes of gore, you could feel him squeezing your hand tighter. By the time you made it halfway in, you couldn’t feel your fingers. When the movie was finally over, he let out a sigh of relief. He relaxed into the couch, his grip on your hand easing. 

“Never again,” he said as he turned to face you. “We’re watching Grease next time. I don’t have to worry about my heart bursting out of my chest watching Grease.”

You chuckled, running your hand up and down his forearm. “You made it, though. And you didn’t cry, not even once.”

“Very funny,” he pouted, but he made no move to pull his arm away from your touch. 

“I’m just teasing,” you smiled, leaning into his side. “I’m proud of you. You watched the whole thing, even though you weren’t enjoying it. It was very brave. Thank you for indulging me.”

“Thank you for letting me nearly break your hand. Are you alright, by the way? I didn’t mean to squeeze that hard.”

You chuckled, nodding. “It’s fine, love. It doesn’t even hurt.”

—

You talked as you finished your food, a random shitty soap opera playing on the TV in the background. It was one you both pretended not to be interested in, even though you both secretly had become quite invested in the plot more than a few episodes ago. 

“How long do you think Etta and George have been together?” Sirius asked, finishing what was left of his fries.

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, leaning over to steal a fry. “The diner has been there since I was a kid. There used to be a little record store on the corner, and I’d always pass the diner on my way. They’ve been together for quite a long time, I think.”

“Do you ever wonder what we’re gonna be like when we’re their age?”

You smiled, nodding. “Sometimes. Hopefully we’re still in love, and not sick of each other. That would be a shame—you’re too pretty for frown lines.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, and Sirius let out a chuckle. He playfully nudged his elbow into your side, feigning offense. Suddenly, he yawned, reaching a hand up to rub at tired eyes. 

“Sleepy, love?” You asked, motioning for him to lay down. 

Sirius pivoted to swing his legs over the arm of the couch, resting his head in your lap. You ran your fingers through his hair, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead.

“I wouldn’t mind ending up like Etta and George. Running their business, still together and in love. That’s years and years of happiness. We could have that. Our little flat and our diner on the corner. It's simple. Peaceful. I could get used to it—couldn’t you?

Sirius smiled, nodding. “Yeah…yeah, I could.”

It was quiet for a moment as you continued running your fingers through his hair, brushing it away from his forehead. Sirius kept his eyes closed, a content smile on his face. A warmth spread through your chest as he nuzzled his head into your lap, his cheek pressed against your thigh.

“I bet Etta doesn’t make George watch scary movies,” Sirius said unexpectedly, pulling you from your thoughts. 

You rolled your eyes, trying and failing to fight a grin. “I bet Etta has never heard George scream like a little girl.”

“Fair play, darling. Fair play.”

—

A/N - Hi! Thank you again for the request, I hope you liked this :)

[lukkabloom]

Fun facts abt residents according to Ikevamp Radio (ヴァンなま) Part 3

Continuing down the line with episodes 8-10!! These are getting longer bc it's getting more and more chaotic and funny

Episode 8: Makki and Morishi in Vincent and Sebas cosplay!!!!

Morishi (referring to Makki’s amazing cosplay) “I can’t destroy the atmosphere of the game (so I have to look good)… well I kinda already did (destroy it) but…” (the 2nd sentences refers to the fact he says weird things in his “I love yu” segment)

Another thing the two did that was cute—Morishi: does driving motion w/his hands Makki: “You don't see taxi drivers so handsome like you. I would be your customer anytime”

Morishi: “Maybe I should become a driver? Haha”

Also!! Makki: “Is Vincent cute?" Morishi: “Yes, Vincent’s cute. Makki’s cute too”

“I love yu” segment coming up!! Sebas starts out by saying “Sigh. Baths are really nice. It’s so nice that I can forget about the fact that I wasn’t nominated in the ever-so popular Ikemen series election (this was during the Ikemen election of 2018)

Also when Vincent enters the bath, Sebas is like “well, well. If it isn’t Master Vincent, whose route was just released and is gaining popularity by the minute.” (This episode celebrated Vincent’s jp route release) and then continues “Congratulations on your route release” to which Vincent’s confused. And then Sebas coughs and says “please don’t mind me”

Vincent likes oden, thanks Sebas for always cooking delicious food

Sebas stops breathing for a sec, then says “Ugh! As expected of a route-released character. So bright!”

Vincent’s worried abt Sebas’s weird attitude, Sebas reassures him that everything’s fine

The two bathe together so much now that it’s almost like a routine

MC is sick in this episode? Sebas brought her okayu (porridge), she happily accepted

Vincent wants to make her porridge as well, asking Sebas if he should put ginger, tabasco, or habanero to warm up her body. Sebas says “she will probably explode if you do that”

Saddened, Vincent proposes to peel apples, Sebas answers “Nononononono. It’s dangerous.”

Vincent: “It’ll be fine. I’ve actually gotten better at cooking. I can make scrambled eggs now”

Theo used to look after Vincent when he’s gotten sick

Sebas gave Vincent chocolates for valentine’s?? It was chocolate in the shape of a sunflower bouquet??? (how is that possible to make???) For Napoleon, Sebas gave him chocolate in a shape of a horse, Leo was given a chocolate in a shape of cigarettes (that’s kinda funny bc in Japan there are these snacks called Choco Cigarettes which are basically that)

Sebas gave Isaac apple-shaped chocolates, who, according to Sebas, made a weird face upon receiving it

Vincent’s in awe, reaffirming his theory that Sebas can do anything

So Sebas confirms that he only gave the gifts to the residents nominated for the Ikemen series popularity poll (Napo, Leo, Isaac, and Vincent—idk who the last person is) and wishes luck to Vincent (Vincent’s just confused but is like “I’ll do my best, I guess?”)

A new segment of the show called “van Gogh and Sebas and sometimes you!!” Where the viewers can vote on the situation they’d like to be in, and Morishi and Makki will act it out as Vincent and Sebas. The chosen situation was “where you are feeling down, and Vincent and Sebas try to make you laugh by doing funny things” and OMG the things they do are FUNNY AS HECK (aka very ooc), they just scream “yeaaaaaahhhhh!!!”

In the script they were given it literally just says “YEAAAAHHHHH!!!” and everything else was adlib

So next up in the “van Gogh’s drawing section” instead of drawing, they made paper-clay dolls of their characters and… well it was interesting to say the least. I recommend just watching the livestream itself for the experience

The two asked the audience if they even wanted the paper-clay dolls, and they were surprised by the “yes”s 

Anyways my fav segment!!! “Can you tell me… your name?” This one was even funnier by the fact that the camera continued to be focused on the Vincent and Sebas clay dolls while the two said their amazing lines. Well, it was supposed to be like that but there were so many voices of laughter and the two VAs couldn’t take it seriously so the camera zoomed out to their faces

Vincent’s line was “The wind here’s a bit too cool, so come here.” Most were serious names, but the last one was “Sebas, the wind here’s a bit too cool, so come here,” and Morishi just entered into the camera frame (it was zoomed into Makki while he was saying his lines)

Sebas’s chosen line was “Woosh! I have seen the inside of your skirt! (しゃっ！スカートの中いただきました)” (idk even know how to translate it, basically Sebas saw your undies from under your skirt when the wind blew too hard) the facial expression Morishi has while saying this line is so funny

There was “Yoshihiko, woosh! I have seen the inside of your skirt!” Makki replies, “I don’t wear one lol”

Episode 9: feat. Leonardo’s VA Tsuda Kenjiro once again once more

Tsuda stumbled on his line when introducing himself. He went “Leonar—aahhhhh” (he was trying to say something like "The voice of Leonardo da Vinci, Tsuda Kenjiro or smth")

They did a poll bc they were curious on the ages of the audience (0.8% were elementary schoolers, 3.3% middle school, 4.6% high, 13.3% college/university, 78% adult/workers) they think the children are watching by themselves, not w/their parents/guardians (they need to make the show available for all ages)

Very random but there’s a segment (that I never talk abt that’s been existing since the 1st episode) called “Motivation! Energy! Suzuki!” (やる気！元気！鈴木！) where a self-proclaimed low-level Cybird employee Suzuki-san introduces events and gachas happening @ the time of the livestream (you can tell why I skip this section. It doesn’t really apply now) Anyways, so she uses her phone during this segment so the VAs can pull on gachas and listen to voice lines in featured cards, and when her phone went back to her lock screen (accidentally) it showed Mozart’s drawing of Vincent from Vincent’s pre-route release and I thought it was neat

So to the thermae skit!!! This is probably one of my fav thermae skit episodes bc it’s so chaotic

Just like usual, Leo and Sebas sing the song whenever they are a part of the thermae episode (the same song from episodes 1 & 3)

Vincent notices that Leo and Sebas are acting a bit weird, the two join Vincent in the bath to talk about it

Leo asks what Vincent thinks of when he says “spring,” Vincent says that spring reminds him of cherry blossoms and he loves them

Leo thinks of the word “farewell” when thinking of spring, then tells Vincent that he has something to inform him

Leo’s planning to leave the mansion, Vincent’s confused asks him if he fought w/Comte

Sebas urges Vincent to be calm and let Leo continue. Leo describes that has a life-long dream of wanting to be a basketball player (I’m not even sure if basketball even exists during this time??)

Vincent is confused, but Leo continues “I know it’s not like me to say that. Besides, no one has ever heard of a basketball player who's a vampire. So I tried to give up. But nothing I do will let me forget about it!” 

Vincent: “Forget about what?”

Leo: “The sound of a basketball bouncing off the floor!” (Sebas: “dun, dun, dun, dun, dun" <- that's the sound of a basketball hitting the floor) Leo: “It’s almost as if god is telling me to not give up on my real dream”  (Sebas: “dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. Ando-sensei, I want to play basketball.  [←What reference is this idk] dun, dun, dun, dun, dun")

Leo: “So I’ve finally made up my mind. I’ve decided to leave the mansion and go to the Americas.”

Vincent is confused, and during this time, Sebas starts “I’m sorry to interrupt while you are deep in thought, but I also have something to tell you, Master Vincent”

Vincent: “Wait, you’re not going to say that you’ll be leaving the mansion too, right?”

Sebas: “It’s exactly that.” Vincent: “N-no way.”

(So apparently Sebas has been working in the mansion for 3 years?? I’m guessing MC is here rn so… idk more new info ig)

Sebas: “I’ve been really wondering what it means to come face-to-face with others… And my conclusion has led me to… wrestling.” (Vincent's confused even more)

Sebas: “In the sport called wrestling, you face an opponent without any gear. It is the ultimate definition of coming face-to-face (literally) with other’s bodies.”

(IT JUST GETS FUNNIER FROM HERE) 

Leo: “The two of us, in 2020, desire to compete in the Olympics held in Japan.” Sebas: “I believe my goal is to shoulder the Japanese flag (日の丸).”

Leo & Sebas: “(Master) Vincent. The two of us will be leaving this mansion!”

Vincent: “So… you’ve already made your decision. Then, I can’t stop you. Honestly, I’m a little—no. I’ll miss you a lot. I thought of you two like family.”

Leo & Sebas: “F-family…”

Vincent: “But! I shouldn’t do anything like stopping you from achieving your dreams, right? I-I’ll be watching over the two of—”

Sebas: “Ahhh! Stop!”

Vincent: “... ‘Stop?’”

Sebas: “My chest is hurting so much, I can’t continue doing this! Master Leonardo!”

Leo: “Ooooii, Sebas! Do it properly til the very end....”

Leo reveals that April 1st that’s coming up soon, aka, April Fool’s and everything that they stated previously was a lie. Sebas apologizes, willing to do anything to seek forgiveness from Vincent

Vincent is relieved, saying he can’t be angry at the two bc the happiness he feels from being able to spend more time w/the two overpowers the feeling of anger.

Sebas says phrases like “viewers” and “broadcast” confusing Vincent, but Leo tells him not to worry since it’s Sebas’s usual “meta-fictional expression/breaking the 4th wall”

Afterwards, Vincent says “I forgot to tell you two something. Actually, I’m not a big fan of baths because they’re too hot.”

Leo & Sebas: “EEEEHhhhhhhh!!”

Vincent: “It's a lie. Sorry. I wanted to tell one. Haha. To be honest, I really like baths!”

(I can’t believe I translated almost the whole skit that took so much time. I hope I don’t do that again... I will do it again)

“Can you tell me… your name?” segment comin up!!! Dang Leo’s line “Come here, closer.” his VA has such a good voice I’m swooning

Sebas’s line “Do you want to eat dried squid (atarime)?” Is just so random?? Like usually his lines are funny but at least related to the season or holiday at the time of the broadcast, but you can literally eat dried squid any time of year.

Anyways onto the names being called. There was “Atarime, do you want to eat dried squid?” and “Makki, do you want to eat dried squid?” w/Makki quietly replying “yes, yes.” There was also Tsuda-san and oyaji (dad).

Episode 10: for the first time in this radio the VAs are doing it in front of an audience

(Idk why this link looks a bit weird)

They do this episode in their cosplay which looks amazing as usual

Morishi had Vincent’s Drama CD, and wanted both Vincent and Makki to sign it, addressed to him. Also wanted Makki to draw both Morishi and Makki’s face on it (Makki did all that)

Makki said that Morishi is slowly eating at Sebas's character (basically Sebas turning into Morishi himself)

The return of the “van Gogh and Sebas and something you!!” segment!!! Lmao all the situation descriptions are so long. The chosen situation was “Protecting you from a suddenly-appearing enemy. However, Vincent and Sebas can’t decide who will hold them back, instead arguing against each other” One of the choices was the one they did last time, and Makki was like “pls don’t choose that one” (the one where they try to make you laugh)

Vincent: “We can’t hold them back. Let’s divide the work. One of us will take her (MC) and run away while the other holds back the opponent.”

Sebas: “A very smart decision. In that case, Master Vincent, I’ll leave everything to you here.” takes you away

Vincent: “Eh? Sebas? Isn’t it typically the opposite?”  Sebas: “Eh?”  Vincent: “It looks like we need to have a discussion”

Vincent: “Hey, strong opponent,”  Sebas & Vincent: “wait a moment!”

Vincent’s reasons as to why Sebas should stay is bc Sebas can do anything, so he should be able to hold back the enemy.

Sebas: “Master Vincent, you have more hit points (hp) than me” (since when was this a RPG??)

Vincent: “But above my hp, it says I’m poisoned”   Sebas: “but you only lose 1 health for each poison damage. I’m paralyzed, so—” Vincent: “You’re paralyzed?” Sebas: “and I’m cursed, so I should get away first”

Vincent: “But see, I don’t have any gear equipped.” Sebas: points to Vincent's scarf “But you have your scarf”

Vincent: points to Sebas’s vest “But this jacket here—it gives 100 defense, right?”   Sebas: “I got it. I’ll just take it off” Sebas takes off his outer jacket

Vincent: “Wait, Sebas…”  Sebas: “And then, finally—” Vincent: grabs Sebas's inner jacket “you’re wearing two jackets?”

The discussion was going nowhere, so they decided to end with rock-paper-scissors. Sebas won against Vincent. Vincent: “Sebas escaped, but I’ll do anything for her.” (he says this thrice, showing how salty he is)

Makki said this happens in a parallel world, different from the typical ikevamp period

Thermae episode coming up!! Aka they become idols!!

MC looked tired recently, from overworking and stress, so Sebas came up with an ultimate plan named “I want to make her happy! So we will become idols!”

Vincent doesn’t know what an idol is, Sebas describes it as someone who can sing and dance and make others happy. Vincent’s not sure if they can be something as amazing as that

Sebas: “With your pretty face, dignified personality, and angelic smile, you have all the attributes of an idol”

Vincent: “Sebas too, works hard all the time, and both your personality and appearance is very cool.” Sebas: “thank you for the compliment. Recently, I’ve been feeling that one of my charm points, my coolness, has been challenged.” (It's prob bc you're so weird in these skits, Sebas!!)

Sebas creates rules to become an idol. “Rule #1: an idol’s introduction must be catchy!” Vincent can’t think of one on the spot, so Sebas pre-made one for him. 

Sebas: “Hii! I come from Japan. I’m known as Sebas, aka Sebastian. My job as a butler is always done in a relaxed manner—” Vincent: “Relaxed!” Sebas: “controlling everyone with a cool stare—” Vincent: “Control!” Sebas: “I always understand my position. I keep my emotions in check—” Vincent: “Check!” (Vincent’s chanting Sebas’s words btw) Sebas: “But for tonight, I can express my feelings.”

Anyways it’s Vincent’s turn. Vincent: "Hai! From Groot Zundert, I’m everyone’s angel, Vincent! My hair texture is fluffy!” Sebas: “fluffy!” (Sebas is chanting now) Vincent: “My mood is fluffy!”   Sebas: “fluffy!”  Vincent: “I want to surround you fluffily (?), help you relax with my angelic aura! But… (he suddenly gets serious) don’t forget that I’m actually a man.”

(Both Sebas & Vincent’s lines are supposed to rhyme but my tiny brain doesn’t form great words to do that so you’ll get the literal translation here :PP)

Vincent says he’s embarrassed from doing that, and feels his face getting hot. Sebas says they should get going to the next page of the idol adventure

Vincent’s like “We’re striving to be idols, right? By the time we get there, I feel like she will have recovered…” Sebas: “...” Vincent: “You didn’t realize that, Sebas? You must really like her…” Sebas: “It seems like it…”

They decide to visit her instead after the bath to make her feel better and help her improve

Also I really wasn’t expecting so many ppl to be interested in this??? Anyways I finished all the episodes so as I promised the next parts will be coming out in the next two days :))

[freeuselandonorris]

come speculate on lando's neck scratch with me bc like what is going on there

it looks like a cat to me but whose cat and where was he with cats. i know he got a theo haircut bc max mentioned it and if that ottoman video was actually in the fewtrell's house as the the theories suggest... but also it looks new so idk :\ i could also see it being a dog but less likely. i see some people saying that it could be a person but like i really don't think so...

anyways i hope he drops the lore soon and i really hope it is a cat and it's max's cat bc it would acutally work so well with my nortrell fic

-🧸

heyyy! hahaha apparently he did claim it was a cat in some interview this week but… frankly as someone who’s had my fair share of cat scratches and also given and received my fair share of people scratches, they look like sex scratches to me 🤷

you can see it better if you zoom in on this one:

they look like wide, flat scratches with little bumps where whatever it is has caught on the skin, rather than cat scratches which tend to be finer? although the placement of them is pretty weird and would make more sense from a cat (he’s got history of mauling cats until they boot him in the face lbr).

the timeline def doesn’t line up for it to be nortrell related sadly bc i’m pretty sure he was in cannes before this weekend but after the slutty ottoman video, and they weren’t there on the photos from his talks there i don’t think. so it’s def from the last few days.

left field theory: it was leo leclerc! but i think he’d have wheeled that out as a fun anecdote in interviews already if that were the case tbh. my vote is sex scratches and that’s why he looked so smug coming into the paddock 🕵️

[yanderepuck]

You voted and I wrote it. Vincent somehow managed to win a smut prompt against Charles Arthur and Theo. How? I'm not too sure how, you simps really ganged up on this one.

Anyway the winning prompt was him walking in on you as you're masterbating/using sex toys

It was one of those days where no one was at the mansion. Isaac is teaching, Leonardo is out fixing things, Jean and Theo are working, rarely does everyone have plans on the same day however.

This was a perfect time to just relax.

First you took a nice long bath. It seemed so well deserved. Now you're laying in bed in your robe, too comfortable to get up and actually get dressed. You relax your body and sink deeper into the mattress. The curtains are just slightly parted and are the only source of light.

The more you relax the more you can feel a tingling. You shuffle your legs just wanting to ignore it but that did nothing. Now your attention is on it and it seems to be getting stronger.

Now that it's on your mind you realize you haven't had sex in a while. Before you know it your hand has already reached down and instinctively began to rub itself. You pull your hand back with a groan but somehow seems to have a mind of its own and does it again.

You lift up one of your legs, bending it at the knee and your fingers go farther down. So far down that they are now inside you. You let out a soft moan as you wiggle your fingers.

You move them in every way you like. Tickling your inner walls, rubbing every sensitive spot. Your moans get louder. You're really starting to wish sex toys would become a thing already.

Vincent never technically left the mansion. He was just outside painting. After some time he figured you were done with your chores and wanted to ask you if you would join him.

He sees your door slightly open and goes to knock on it when he hears you moaning. He stops himself and listens.

You don't hear him passing by and only finger yourself deeper, bucking up your hips. Your free hand cups your breast and squeezes it tightly.

Vincent knows he shouldn't be watching, he even feels slightly embarrassed but he can't force himself to look away.

"Ungh... Vincent.." you moan his name. Your eyes closed thinking of him being the one touching you. When the two of you first got together you didn't think he'd be as great of a lover that he really is. Now you crave his touch throughout the day.

You moan his name again. This time Vincent replies. "Do you need my help with something?"

You jump and immediately pull your fingers out and try closing your robe. In a panic you sit up holding your robe closed and look over. "Vincent!" You can feel your face getting redder.

Vincent has already made his way to your bed, leaning over and giving you a kiss. Your heart starts to settle and you kiss him back.

"How long were you watching?" You would have never expected him to be someone to be spying on you.

He chuckles seeing how embarrassed you are. "Not long. I was coming to ask you something, but I think I like your idea more."

Vincent started taking off his jacket and got onto your bed with you. It's like your prayers have been answered.

You tug his shirt loose and start to undo the buttons. He opens your robe back up and gropes your breasts, massaging them as he kisses you .

His kisses are soft and gentle but you can tell hes been craving you, just as much as you've been craving him.

He tosses his shirt to the floor and in a few moments his pants follow. He pushes you down to lay flat on the bed and first sticks his fingers in you.

Your moans start up from where you left off before. His fingers are so much longer, he's gotten so good at fingering you and knowing where you like to be touched.

For the most part you both sleep in your own bed since he still only had a couch. But when you are on the couch he likes to slide his hand up your skirt and tease you when you're cuddling. Holding you close in his arms and having you squirm has got to be one of his favorite things at this point.

His fingers spread apart and go in and out of you, curling against your walls. You squirm under him and whine. "Vincent... I want more..."

You spread your legs for him and reach up, wrapping your arms around him to pull him closer. He kisses your neck once he's closer and positions himself to enter you, before doing so slowly.

You let out a gasp, followed by a moan. Just what you wanted. He keeps a hand on your hip, holding you tightly as he begins to thrust into you.

You tilt your head to the side as he keeps kissing your neck, the tips of his fangs just barely touching your skin.

He has such a small frame that always makes you forget how rough he can really get. How strong he really is.

You rock your hips in motion with him. His hand drags up your body from your hip to your breasts, pinching your nipple before taking your boob in his hand and squeezing it. Moving his fingers around, massaging it.

"Do you always think about me when you touch yourself?" He doesn't like to admit it, but he's very possessive over you. Sometimes watching you talk to one of the other guys will make him jealous.

"Only you, V-Vincent," you try to bite your lip to control your moans, but he just knows your body so well. His thrusts get harder, reacting to your walls clenching around in him.

His lips trail down from your neck and to your chest, just above your boob, kissing you there. Nibbling at your skin but not fully biting you. He loves to cover you in marks. Not necessarily bites, but little bruised hickies all around your body that he can see later.

"Vincent!" You already had yourself on the edge before you were interrupted, and now you're tightening around him.

His hand goes back down to your hip, gripping you tightly, just enough to lift your hips up more, hitting deeper in you. He lets out a moan as he feels you cum and then lifts up one of your legs over his shoulder.

You're surprised by this and let out a little yell. "D-didn't you want to ask me something?"

"Yeah, but this is much better than what I had in mind."

[sxfterhearts]

an idea: headcannons (๑>ᴗ<๑)

hey everyone!!

so while i was doing my paint by numbers i had this sudden thought: since i have so many fic ideas, why don't i just write headcannons?? there's defs pros and cons:

pros - they are quick to write, gets the message across easily, and i can write more of them in a shorter amount of time

cons - they're not really a fully developed story, i guess you don't really get to be artsy and play around with use of words as much, readers might want to read more, and also i haven't written any before

anyways. i decided that it is a good idea bc i wanna do headcannons that are based upon reader's insecurities. obviously i will put tw and relevant warnings upfront because these may be more sensitive topics. but given how piwon has released multiple songs with messages like (im simplifying here) love yourself, don't be scared, you've got your own back etc. (eg. love me for me, scared) i thought it's fitting to write how the members react and comfort/help you through your insecurities :)

i dont have any immediate ideas, but i will probably start with jiung, as he is my bias. i'll leave a poll for you guys to vote who you want me to write next.

in the meantime, my inbox is always open if you have a specific request (member, insecurity/topic, or both combined)!! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

ps. thank you to the gif owner for this lovely gif (love story jiung lives rent free in my head omg he was so cute in this performance)

[crimswnred]

good night people of the world I'm here to bring you the long awaited

LITG TEMPTING FATE VOLUME IV: thoughts and prayers

first of all, whatever jack and sophie have to say we rdgaf because 1) he wanted me 2) she wanted jin and 3) jin and i are a couple

this challenge could have been replaced by the mean tweets challenge and it would've kept the same purpose and still be more enjoyable

why would I know and, above all, why would I care about who finished the juice?

I literally don't care if he's a player (he's not, this is fusebox), why do they keep shoving that in my throat. If he's a player let me be PLAYED.

lmao true friends as if me and Sophie don't fight every five seconds

Sophie shut up lol

she was not only flirting with Tyler but with Jin too and I bet if any of them had given her the chance, she would've kissed them too

imagine cheating on Oakley with Jack like bffr

see, Jack, the thing is. I want the hideaway and I want the villa to burn down in chaos so like, I don't see how that stupid plan will work for me??

my fucking game BROKE and restarted

anyways, moving on.

should I be messy and flirt with Theo even though his girl just told me she would like to fuck me tonight if I'm down?

oh, yes, yes, I should

season 4 compliment off gets a sequel

when you're the only one serving cunt at a party

LMAOOOO THE LAST OPTION????

MC is so messy I love her omfg is she season 1 MC little sister or something

Emel and Oakley were so cute with the eye contact stuff awwww 🥺 maybe they don't hate each other actually

that's not awkward at all!!

love that Jin is always saying stuff he just can't shut up and you know what he's so real for that

why do they always make the villa dad the cheater like do fusebox writers have some kind of father figure trauma or smth???

anyways lol Theo I don't actually like you I'm just messy sorry I hope this doesn't come back to bite my ass in the future

ofc me and Jin were the most voted couple AND TO THE HIDEAWAY WE GO!

Jesus Christ I thought they were targeting this for younger audiences? did they realise kids don't own credit cards?

we are going back to our roots

the scenes are getting better

anyways this was fun and all but like can something cool happen??

a bunch of drama that was settled in like half an episode, some tea about pre-game drama and a bunch of gems wasted for nothing. but the moments with Jin were cute and now I'm like 👀 at Theo

[operationnope]

Vol X

Ok, that was A LOT, friends. They’re cramming so much into these episodes, fb can’t even keep the timeline straight (Hari talking about SMP like it happened the night before 🫤)

Anyway, let’s see if I can remember everything… probably not 😂

KYLE’S PROPOSAL 🥹💍 I love him sm

💋 Theo, 💍 Kyle, 🥧 Sienna- extra 🥧 for Liam

Theo and Bea proposing to us, cute! I told Jin it was too soon, even though I said yes to everyone else 🫣

Oh back up- that reminds me. I told Jin I cracked on in Casa. Him being all butthurt made me feel a bit bad, but I told him things change before he got “dumped.” Wish we coulda properly ended things, if we wanted 🤷🏻‍♀️

Casa boy and OG LI fighting over us- HOT 🥵 FIGHT FOR ME 🔥🔥🔥 And they were all cute at the end?! 🫠

Oh OH- THEO’S TEA 😱 All I gotta say is, Sienna better back up off me

I’m annoyed that the public didn’t vote MC and Kyle for more things? Like how are Jack and Sophie (they’re my problematic OG couple) getting all the public votes?! Like yeah, we’re the hottest couple, but we shoulda got more than that. Boo 😒

URGH MUST RESIST THEO!!! I flirted with him, but I didn’t kiss him. Can’t do that to bbgrl Kyle 🥺💕

Yay for sexy times on the terrace!! lol I’m in a couple with this man, but it feels like we’re being sneaky. Everyone just needs to accept that I’m with Kyle now 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Ope Movie Night next week!! 🎥🍿 I already came clean to Jin, but I’m gonna be so put out when they make a big deal about it 🙄

[bluberimufim]

I am the sword of the Goddess of Time

Since "Theo having a mental breakdown because of killing people" won the poll by a landslide, here's the snippet I promised:

trigger warnings: talking about killing people, brief mention of body horror (just one sentence, really), idk how to describe it simply but Theo is going Through It mentally à la "out damned spot" scene in Macbeth

She found Theo by the riverbank, in a silent part of the hills almost beyond the camp. She had a pile of clothes at her side, all white. She drew closer and sat by her side, but Theo didn’t notice. She was too busy washing her coat, scrubbing it incessantly against the washboard, with such force that the embroidered insignia of the Goddess of Time was starting to come undone. Her breath was quick and tense, in contrast with the calm sounds of that sunny morning. Hesitantly, Seth stretched out her hand. “Theo?” “He looked at me!” she yelled. Her voice shook as if she was holding back tears. “He looked at me! He looked me in the eyes!” “Theo…” “I killed him! I killed him! I killed him!” She started scrubbing faster. “And his body grew more eyes and they all kept looking at me as he died!” Seth didn’t try to call her a third time. “They all look at me! They beg me not to kill them but I kill them anyway because that’s what I’m supposed to do!” Theo stopped scraping the coat against the washboard and studied the fabric, leaning down to examine every thread. “And now his look won’t come off! I can’t wash it off! His blood is still here!” Seth looked at the fabric. It was perfectly immaculate, washed with such intensity that it had begun to tear. Not knowing what else to do, she hugged her, pinning her arms to her sides so she couldn’t wash her clothes anymore. She put her forehead against her face, her eyes closed, as if they were the only people in that vast expanse of hills. “Theo, please come home with me,” she begged. “Let’s go home and pretend this never happened. Please?” “I can’t,” Theo replied, still panting. “While the war lasts, I can’t.” “Forget the war. Come with me.” Theo shook her head and shoved her to the side. She still hadn’t looked her way since Seth had arrived. Her eyes were fixed entirely on the half-torn insignia on her coat. “These people can’t go home if the war doesn’t end. If I don’t end the war. So, I can’t go either. I must kill so people stop dying…” “They’ll continue the war without you. Come home.” “I am the sword of the Goddess of Time,” Theo said. The words sounded rehearsed, as if she’d spoken them millions of times before. “It is me who protects the souls of my Mother’s believers. Only I can end this war.” With a defeated sigh, Seth got up and returned to camp. Theo kept scrubbing her coat, already dried from how long it had been out in the air.

I hope you enjoyed! Because I did!

As I said, I'll get to the others eventually. This is just the first. Maybe I'll go from most to least voted. See how it goes.

taglist: @little-mouse-gardens and @wildswrites

(Please correct me if the english is weird, since tall my snippets are translated and I may miss stuff)

[alitgblog]

s9 vol 7 thoughts: ah fuck this season has its problems but I don't think I've ever been this conflicted over love interests in a while

STEFAN 😍😍😍 literally I have to change my top five islanders now like I'm so sorry evan. AND he's an artist?? And it's my own fault for already buying into the second chance romance bit before he even showed up but like he's not ugly? omg stop. oof it's tough, like, shit I'm so sorry Natasha and Hamish I don't know who to pick in this love square they've got

him illustrating his sister's book for his sisters?? 🥺 I may be folding for that alone

I like Cassius' design. I like it more than Theo's but he does remind me of Liam unfortunately. and also he's looking like my MC's cousin this season so I gotta pass this time but makes it easier for me. but he does seem great, I like him and he's sweet without being boring (so far), but I also kinda wish we had an LI that gave us more pushback/banter? bc I picked a few options that disagreed with his whole thing about love/fate and he was just like "yeah fs that's a cool opinion too" which OK I get it he's nice but I'm just kinda sick of all the Islanders being so agreeable to MC. I guess Marshall is supposed to be the banter-y one but I have problems with him being here so I wish it was Cassius instead.

that being said they're fucking teasing me with this response to why are you here though

also at some point Cassius calls his season boring and I thought it was funny fusebox was dunking on themselves bc I didn't finish s7 either but no he was just referring to the fact he got dumped quickly.

I'm glad Lyle is back, like I'd be upset if an islander was only brought on for a date and then left, so I'm not mad at this even though he was momentarily mad at MC (and that became nothing?? like just take out that plot point) and i dont really care hes only coded in for Kat now. I'm just more upset bc they've literally already done this in S8 bc your LI has to pick between Sienna and Bea when they get "dumped" and then Sienna comes back in Casa.

And then we get to marshall and I don't even wanna talk about it. And ive made separate posts and reblogged some opinions on that so ill just add that also i hate his orange outfit. him dressing all white and ozzy all black was peak I hate he's out here in orange smh.. anyway so that'll be easy for me to not pick this season

although we get this and I thought it was funny like OK fine you got me marshall

he says it with a smile too not even angry/sarcastic

then after that I honestly don't remember what happens apart from way too many challenges all at once and the whole Stefan storyline. I wanted him to be a little upset initially bc it did seem like MC had some misunderstanding and then left him so quickly like I just wanted a little bit of angst where he came in with the gameplan of wanting to give her a piece of his mind and was on the show bc he couldn't contact her any other way, before he realized he was being silly and just was happy to see her again. like if anything, the story beats that Lyle goes through being snarky at mc in episode 1 then immediately asking for forgiveness by episode 3 makes more sense for Stefan but nah instead it just feels like another perfect li loyal route (which is fine but I like some tension in the story). like we can still have the terrace scene where he explains things though.

also if I saw this on love island? I'd be voting for them without question the angst is so good

OK I'm looking thru my screenshots and am now remembering I was upset at raunchy races for being subjective again. notable offenses:

straight out the gate, most creative boy and Kelly says "craft brewing is creative" gtfo as if it's not Chen the set designer (and anyone who brought back Lyle from the dates, I'd imagine musician over craft beer brewer as well)

Kat somehow doesn't win best dancer

I love Kelly and sure, biggest foodie but not when my mc is a chef smh at least in S6 the dialogue would change slightly with your occupation lmao

the physical challenge is OK but I just think it doesn't belong in casa. like on the actual show where they spend real days in casa it's fine but for the game that has to shorten it bc the volumes definitely don't add up to the length of real love island, it feels like a waste. if anything, the real villa needed a physical challenge rather than continuing to do variations on excess baggage type games.

someone help Kelly out with the mask pls

anyway the OG islander to visit instead of a postcard is interesting. I think a postcard makes the most sense but bc the game has to fabricate drama while also probably wanting most of the guys to still look good since the villa is like 75% love interests for MC, maybe it makes sense?

I think having it be MC's partner doesn't give us a lot of drama unless MC wants to bring up Stefan. Finn and Hamish could be interesting whether you're pursuing them or not. Like under the guise of them checking in on their partner, but they just care about MC and are asking her not to forget them. Most likely i think it'll be Kat's partner and he'll make up some lies about what's happening in the villa.

anyway a little rough first few weeks of the season but I'm enjoying at least this episode, surprisingly, so we'll seeeeee.... I think the seasons generally gets worse post casa so I'm not betting on this being a good season overall, but I'm not calling it a flop just yet.

[liiilyevans]

No cameras catch my pageant smile I counted days, I counted miles To see you there, to see you there It's been a long time coming, but

Or, Draco has a desire to learn more about Astoria when he sees her again.

Note: I really struggled with this song! I started this fic in Astoria's POV and scrapped the whole thing about half way through and started writing from Draco's POV, which I find quite funny at certain points in this fic. Anyways, I chose to focus on a few lines from the song such as, 'no cameras catch my pageant smile,' 'you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes,' 'no cameras catch my muffled cries,' 'and I don't want you to (go), I don't really wanna (fight),' and of course, the title lyric 'voted most likely to run away with you.' I hope you enjoy! Thank you to the @cruelsummer-ficfest mods for the challenge of this one!

Read on AO3

His parents were upset. Since he was a baby, he’d spent every Christmas with them. The only one he’d missed was in fourth year when he went to the Yule Ball. Now, he was abandoning them to globe trot with his friends for five days. At least, that was what his mother said. Her glare had been so icy when he’d walked out the front door that he thought shards would be embedded into his jacket. Theo met him at the gate of Malfoy Manor and then they were Apparating to the Portkey site. 

When Theo had asked Draco to come to Athens, he’d been surprised then suspicious. Pansy and Blaise were the ones who invited him to social events. Theo was quiet and kept to himself, but he and Draco had a pleasant enough relationship over the years. When they were in school, Theo had been the only roommate who Draco could stand. Crabbe and Goyle were both loud sleepers and dead to the world once they were asleep. Blaise had been entitled and pushy. Theo was quiet and took up little space. Most times, Draco barely noticed he was there. Besides, Athens would be a good way to get his mind off of Astoria Greengrass dancing all over his heart on the Zabini’s dancefloor. 

Since the Zabini wedding at the beginning of summer, Draco had been steadily avoiding her, only giving her clipped responses when she approached him at any pureblood soirées and more often than not, making excuses not to talk to her altogether. By the end of the summer, Astoria seemed to finally take the hint. She hadn’t spoken to him since. 

Which was for the best. Someone as clean as Astoria Greengrass didn’t deserve to be tainted by his reputation. 

Or him with his tainted hands and battered soul. 

When they arrived at the suite, Theo pushed the door open. Draco stepped into what looked like a sitting room levitating his luggage behind him. It was pristine with a white couch and two armchairs gathered around a table. The kitchen was right next to it, marble countertops gleaming from the light over the sink. There were four doors, two on each wall, leading to what Draco assumed were bedrooms and a beautiful balcony overlooking the city. 

Daphne was seated on the couch, her legs tucked underneath her, and her blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. Across from her sat Marcus Flint, which shocked Draco to the core. He was still as broad as ever, dwarfing Daphne. He was clean shaven and was eying Draco with a look of surprise and confusion. Theo hadn’t told Daphne that he was coming then. 

Draco nodded to the older man. “Flint.” 

“Malfoy,” he said pleasantly enough. Off the pitch, Flint wasn’t so bad to be around, a bit rough around the edges though. 

Daphne’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t realize you were bringing company, Theo.” 

Theo shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d mind.” 

“I don’t,” she said. “Draco, you knew Marcus was my cousin, didn’t you?” 

Draco shook his head. He’d never really paid attention to the Greengrass family tree. 

“Well, now you do,” she said. “He’ll be vacationing with us.” 

Draco didn’t know why she felt the need to state the obvious. 

“In here,” Theo said, nodding to one of the rooms.

Rolling his eyes, he stepped into the room Theo was staying in and let his luggage drop to the floor. He hadn’t expected the twin beds, and Theo was steadily avoiding eye contact with him. 

“Why are we sharing a room?” Draco said lowly. 

“What? You don’t fancy bonding with me?” Theo said with a quirk of his eyebrow. 

“I had enough bonding with you when we shared a dorm at Hogwarts,” he said. Merlin, that had been an adjustment. Until that point, Draco was used to being an only child and that meant having a whole manor to himself, dozens and dozens of dust covered rooms to explore. Having to share a room with six different boys had been a nightmare. 

Turning on his heel, Draco marched back into the sitting room to demand that someone switch rooms with him only to be met with the rich brown eyes of Astoria Greengrass. The Greengrasses were clearly in the middle of a reunion, Astoria still in Flint’s arms and Daphne grinning broadly at both of them. There was shock in her eyes as she watched him, and Draco felt the urge to turn back around and spend the rest of this vacation locked in that bedroom with Theo, as unpleasant as that would be. 

He wasn’t afforded that opportunity though. 

“We should all go out to celebrate,” Daphne said, clapping her hands. “We haven’t seen Marcus in ages, and I know where we can get the best wine in the city.” 

#

As it turned out, Daphne didn’t end up getting any kind of wine. Instead, she downed four margaritas in such a quick succession that she was ten times more talkative than usual. Lucky for Draco, she sat next to Theo. His evening was filled with watching Theo squirm as Daphne prattled on, only barely letting him get two words in edge wise. Draco thought it served Theo right for tricking him into coming on this trip. 

If there was one word that summed up Theodore Nott, it was observant. He was sure to have noticed that Draco had avoided Astoria after the Zabini wedding. For some morbid reason, he seemed to find Draco’s discomfort amusing. Little did anyone know, he’d been ready to bare his soul to Astoria when she’d stranded him on that dance floor. It was truly a blessing that she left when she did. It saved him the trouble of picking up the pieces of his shattered heart later on when he was more invested in . . . whatever it was they had been dancing around. 

Draco rolled over for the fourth time. This bed was small and terribly uncomfortable — much too firm compared to what he was used to. As he glanced over at his roommate, Theo seemed quite content. He was facing the opposite wall, his breathing even. Rolling his eyes, Draco climbed out of bed and grabbed his wand — a habit Aunt Bella had instilled in him. Fresh air would clear his head and hopefully zap some of the energy out of him. 

Gently, he opened his bedroom door and slipped into the sitting room. The moonlight was streaming in from the balcony, casting a soft glow on the room. The door to the balcony was cracked. Palming his wand, Draco slowly slipped over to the edge of the door, careful to keep himself out of sight. When he glanced outside, he saw Astoria and Flint sitting in the lounge chairs, their backs toward him. Astoria’s hair was loose and curling around her shoulders. It reminded him of the night she’d let it down on the dock before Pansy’s wedding. She had looked beautiful with those brown eyes high from the joint they’d been smoking. He had no doubt that she looked just as beautiful now, though he couldn’t see her face. However, he did spot another cigarette hanging between her fingertips. 

“I didn’t realize you were on a first name basis with Malfoy,” he heard Flint say. 

Astoria didn’t say anything for a moment. “What gave you that impression?”

“Earlier when I asked if you knew that he and Nott were going to be here, you said, ‘Daphne only told me Theo was coming, not Draco.’” 

“We’ve talked before,” Astoria admitted, and Draco felt a spark of outrage. If she dared to say one thing about the time they’d spent together — dared to tell Flint that she’d touched his Mark — he would burst onto that balcony now and obliviate them both. He didn’t care if it was illegal. 

“He’d be bad for you.” Flint’s voice pulled Draco from his anger. “He’s entitled and selfish. He only looks out for himself. You could do better.” 

Flint was right. Astoria could do much better than him with her witty remarks and her stunning smile. Merlin, even Potter talked to her if the rumors from the Ministry were anything to go by. And Draco was bitterly jealous because all he could think of was that night on the dock when she’d touched his Mark. It felt like someone had really seen him for the first time in a very long time. And just as he’d been ready to share his darkest moments with her, she’d left him on that dancefloor.

Astoria scoffed. “I didn’t see you complaining about his entitlement when you got a Nimbus 2001 out of it.” 

“This isn’t Quidditch, Astoria,” Flint said, and Draco could hear his eye roll. Flint didn’t say anything else for a moment. Just as Draco thought their conversation was over, Flint spoke again. “How much of that do you take now?”

From where he was standing, Draco could see Flint nod to the joint between his cousin’s fingers. Astoria simply lifted the cigarette to her mouth and took a long drag. Draco had never wanted to be an inanimate object more. 

“Enough,” she said. “Why are you so concerned?” 

“I’m always concerned about you, Astoria.” It was the first time Draco had heard Flint sound honestly sincere. Even though he couldn’t see the older man’s face, Draco could tell that he was staring at Astoria intently. Almost as intently as she was avoiding his gaze. 

“Well, stop worrying about me,” she said finally. “It’s bad for your blood pressure.” 

There was an undertone to their words. Though they seemed like simple questions, Draco got the feeling that they were talking in some kind of code. Flint wasn’t talking about her drug intake, at least not entirely. Draco leaned toward the glass door unconsciously. He was beginning to realize this is what Astoria did to him — made him want to learn more about her and store each golden nugget of information away for later use. His knee loudly knocked the table in front of him, and he quickly grabbed it to keep it from toppling over. Angry footsteps sounded on the balcony. He was going to die. 

Quickly, Draco cast a disillusionment charm and pressed his back against the wall. 

Flint yanked the glass door all the way open, and Draco flinched at the rage that covered his face. He scanned the room slowly, his eyes narrowed. Glancing down, Draco noticed his wand was in his left hand and his sleeves were rolled up, his Dark Mark on full display. When Draco’s gaze returned to the older man’s face, he was looking directly at Draco, squinting slightly. Fear slithered up his stomach and into his throat. Flint was going to hex him, possibly kill him. 

“Quit being paranoid, Marcus,” Astoria called. She hadn’t even bothered to turn around from what Draco could see. “It was probably just the wind.” 

Marcus glanced around the room once more before firmly shutting the glass door. 

Draco let out the breath he’d been holding. After waiting a few moments and sneaking a few glances out of the glass door to make sure Astoria and Flint weren’t suspicious, Draco hurried back to his room and promptly closed the door. 

Theo was still sleeping. The bastard. 

#

The only good thing about shopping in Athens was that he couldn’t go wrong with whatever he decided to buy his mother. The mink stoles were just to her taste, the feather hats just the right mix of delicate and sophisticated, the pearl bracelets just expensive enough without being gaudy. Draco knew he couldn’t come back empty handed if he wanted to spend the next few months without her silent glares of judgement. His father was the tricky one. While his mother liked expensive things, his father liked rare things — things that he could drag out once a year to show his friends. Draco would find nothing like that here. 

“That has to be the ugliest hat I’ve ever seen.” 

Draco’s head snapped to the right as Astoria came to stand beside him. She was as stunning as usual in her dark red lipstick, long sleeved green dress, and green beret. It should have been ridiculous — especially since they were in Athens, not Paris — but Astoria pulled it off beautifully. Draco thought she could pull off a potato sack. She fixed her dark brown eyes on him, a smile starting to curve at the corners of her mouth. 

“I don’t think you could pull it off,” she said, nodding to the red and black monstrosity he’d been examining. 

Draco sputtered. “It’s not for me.” 

“Oh.” She turned back to the hat. “Well, that’s good because it wouldn’t suit your complexion at all.” 

Rolling his eyes, Draco turned back to the display of hats. If he ignored her, she would get bored and leave, or Flint would pull her attention away from him. Then he could go on about his day trying to forget that she smelled like jasmine or the soft feel of her back against his fingertips or the gentle way she’d run her fingertips over his Mark. Yes, it was best to forget all about those things before she made him do something that was likely to get him hexed by Flint. 

“You really shouldn’t eavesdrop on people, you know,” she said casually. “Your mother would find it obscene.” 

Draco froze, the silk brim of a hat still between his fingers. With his heart beating rapidly, he tried to think of a moment during the previous night that Astoria might have caught a glimpse of him. However, she’d had her back turned to the glass door the whole time. There was no way she would have seen him. 

“I didn’t-” Before he could even finish his lie, Astoria roughly pinched his bicep.

Draco yelped and stepped away from her. 

“You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes,” she said, never taking her eyes off the display in front of her. Anger surged up inside him like a tidal wave. Who did she think she was? Stomping all over his newfound hope one minute and physically abusing him in public the next? Draco would not stand for this. 

“You have no idea-”

“You could just talk to me, you know,” she said, turning to him suddenly and stepping forward. As she invaded Draco’s personal space, his mouth went dry and any harsh words he was going to say before were now drifting from his mind like a soft breeze. Astoria’s eyes were beautiful, especially when he could make out the different shades of brown in them — the light caramel, the deep umber, the rich coffee. They held sincerity and an earnestness that Draco wanted to believe in so bad. Yet he couldn’t forget the last time he’d let himself believe that anyone might be willing to look past the picture that was painted of him after the war — couldn’t forget the way his heart had shattered when she’d turned and practically run away from him. 

“I have nothing to say to you,” he whispered lowly. He couldn’t even manage a decent glare, only a slight narrowing of his eyes. 

“Right,” she muttered, looking down. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.” 

#

Draco swore that he wasn’t going to go out on the balcony that night. Even if Theo was as silent as the dead in his bed, Draco was positive he could hear him breathing. That was the reason he was climbing out of bed, not because he hoped to see a certain brunette in the moonlight again. It was more than any sane person could be expected to bear. His father would never have stood for it. As Draco softly closed his bedroom door, he glanced toward the balcony. He wasn’t going out there. He was just going to sit on the couch; maybe sleep there since he knew that he wouldn’t be able to sleep in that room with Theo. Without even realizing it, he was already standing in front of the cracked sliding door. 

Astoria was just as beautiful as she had been the night before, the moonlight casting an ethereal glow on her. Her hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail this time, and Draco could make out the sides of her face — her delicate nose that she shared with her sister, the dark lipstick she hadn’t taken off yet, the high arch of her eyebrow. There was weariness there, too — in her pale skin, the faint dark circles under her eyes, the slight droop of her shoulders. She was never so vulnerable in the day with those pageant smiles and barbed words that she wore like armor. Yet here in the dark, she seemed to have shed them like a snakeskin. 

Draco silently pushed the door open. 

When he took a seat next to her, she didn’t seem surprised, didn’t even bother to spare him a second glance. Nerves settled in the bottom of Draco’s stomach. Perhaps, he should have stayed in the sitting room. The couch was far more comfortable than this chair anyway. But curiosity overtook him. 

“How’d you know it was me last night?” 

When she finally looked over at him, Astoria was grinning. “Because Daphne would have come outside, and Theo wouldn’t have gotten caught.” 

Draco sputtered as his cheeks bloomed red. This was obviously a horrible idea. After all, Astoria only ever insulted him or used him to cure her morbid fascination with the Dark Lord and his followers. But she started to laugh at the look on his face, and Draco flopped back in his chair pouting. How was he ever supposed to leave her be when her laugh sounded that lovely? 

“Do you enjoy inadvertently insulting people?” he asked, crossing his arms. 

“Only you,” she crooned, and Draco thought he could live with that. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her reach into a small plastic bag and begin to roll a joint. So, she rolled them herself. Fascinating. When she had finished, she pressed the cigarette between her lips and lit it with her wand. After she took a drag, she offered it to Draco. Silently, he snatched the cigarette from her fingers and inhaled. 

“Where do you get this?” he demanded when he handed the joint back to her. “It doesn’t feel like back-alley shit.” 

She laughed. “Do you think I’d buy back-alley shit?” 

He shrugged. “Who’s your dealer?” 

Astoria took a drag. “That’s none of your business.” 

Draco didn’t bother to dignify that with a response. If she wanted to be evasive, let her. He could be evasive, too. 

“So, are we going to talk about Venice?” she asked. 

She was looking directly at him now, but Draco avoided her gaze. They’d done enough talking in Venice, and he was not about to open himself up to her again. So, silence would do. Besides, he was too intoxicated by the scent of jasmine to form a coherent thought anyway. 

Astoria swung her legs over the lounge chair to face him. “Let’s play a game.” 

Draco rolled his eyes. “What kind of game?”

“A questions game,” she said. “I ask you a question and you have to answer honestly. Then you ask me a question. And so on.” Draco glared at her. He was not born yesterday, and he was not playing that game. “You can go first.” 

It was tempting. Learning about Astoria was like trying to break into a vault at Gringotts. All Draco really knew about her was that she was Daphne’s sister, she stood strongly against the Dark Lord, and she currently worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She’d never shared anything deeply personal with him, but now she was offering. 

“Who’s your dealer?” 

“Pass,” she said. When Draco tried to protest, she shook her head. “We both get one pass. Ask something else.” 

“Why is Flint so protective of you?” 

A soft smile fell over Astoria’s face. “Marcus has always been that way. He’s like my older brother.” He’d never seen her this soft before. Her eyes weren’t as guarded, instead open; her body wasn’t tense, just relaxed. Draco wondered if that was due to the marijuana. “When we were kids, he’d get us out of trouble or cover up for us. For me really, because I was the one who dragged Daphne into trouble.” Draco snorted, which earned him a smile. “And if he’s harsh, it’s because the world has been incredibly unkind to him.” 

Draco rather thought that it was the other way around. Marcus Flint had a reputation among the Death Eaters. He was ruthless. Whenever the Dark Lord had needed someone to disappear or needed information out of someone, there were a select few Death Eaters that were called on. Flint had been one of them. None of those on trial had mentioned his name because they were terrified of what he would do to them. According to rumors, he had a long reach, possibly even from inside Azkaban since the Ministry did away with the Dementors. His reputation contrasted starkly with the man who was currently on vacation with them. 

“Who were you looking at that hat for?” she asked. 

“My mother,” Draco said. That was easy enough. 

Astoria raised her eyebrows. “Your mother?” 

“Yes, my mother. She was upset when she found out I wouldn’t be spending the holidays with her and Father.” 

“Why aren’t you spending the holiday with them?” 

“It’s not your turn,” Draco said. Astoria rolled her eyes as if the rules were stupid, and she hadn’t come up with them herself. “When did you start disagreeing with what our society says about Mud- erm, Muggleborns?” 

That hard look was back in Astoria’s eyes. She leaned back on her hands before she answered him. “I’ve never agreed with it. My father taught me to use my brain and to think critically before making any kind of decision. The idea of ‘pure blood’ always seemed ludicrous to me. It makes absolutely no sense. But if you’re asking when it solidified for me, it was my first year.” Astoria bit her lip, and Draco was transfixed. “The first person I met after the sorting was a boy named Lucas. We were really good friends, just one of those instant connections. He was a Slytherin and a Muggleborn. So, his life wasn’t easy. I couldn’t do much. Snape wasn’t much help. I was eleven, but I told Daphne to make sure he was safe and left alone, and I always stood up for him when I saw the older kids bully him. But that wasn’t enough. I don’t know who did it, but someone went into his dorm and painted the word ‘Mudblood’ over his bed, left his sheets in ribbons, and tore through his truck. He cried about it for weeks, which only made everyone tease him more. None of the Slytherins wanted anything to do with him and the other houses were wary of him because of the colors he wore. I’m sure it was a living hell. I found him trying to sleep on the couch in the common room one night, and I stayed with him. I’m pretty sure he cried himself to sleep. His parents pulled him out of Hogwarts two weeks later.” 

Astoria was looking away from him, and Draco felt sorry for his school actions for the first time. While he hadn’t been the one who painted that boy’s bed, he was sure he could have easily figured out who did it. He’d never really thought of his actions’ effect on other people, only the immediate high he’d get after he said something mildly clever, and his friends laughed. In his mind, the people he bullied never had feelings, and there were never any lasting effects to his hateful remarks. He was beginning to realize how wrong he was.

“I didn’t . . . I didn’t know about that,” he muttered. 

“Probably because you were too busy milking that hippogriff injury and trying to get Hagrid fired,” she said bluntly. 

Draco winced. Perhaps not his finest moment. 

Astoria stood then, stretching her arms above her head. Draco followed the movement, up her legs, past the strip of skin showing where her shirt had ridden up, onto the arch of her back and her breasts, until he reached her dark eyes. They were cloudy again, hiding the world’s secrets for all he knew. Suddenly, she seemed wiser than him. And closed off, he realized, because she was done revealing things about herself. A chill ran through him. 

“As fun as this has been, my sister has a full itinerary planned for tomorrow, so I need some sleep.” 

Draco stood quickly as she started to step past him and grabbed her upper arm. Her name slipped from his lips without his permission, and horror suddenly flooded him. He had absolutely no words for her, but she was looking up at him expectantly. 

He cleared his throat. “Will you . . . will you be here tomorrow night?” 

She smiled brilliantly. “I may be persuaded. Good night, Draco.” 

#

“What do you think?” Daphne asked, holding up two tops that looked exactly the same, but in two different colors. How they’d ended up alone in the shop was a mystery to Draco, but Daphne had insisted she needed a second opinion, and since Astoria had disappeared with Flint and Theo, Draco would have to step in. 

He’d never been particularly close with Daphne during their time at Hogwarts. She had flirted with Blaise all through their sixth year and started to date him in their seventh. At the time, Blaise had gotten on his nerves, too entitled and removed from the war for Draco to find him anything other than annoying and childish. There was also Pansy. Draco never found out what was between them, but Pansy was always passive aggressive with Daphne, like she posed some kind of secret threat. Because he hadn’t wanted to deal with one of Pansy’s tantrums, he had left Daphne alone and only spoke to her when necessary. 

“I think the gold is more flashy, but the silver goes better with your undertones.” Something he would not have known if he hadn’t been dragged on shopping spree after shopping spree with his mother and forced to listen to her and her seamstress talk about undertones and matching jewelry and clothes together. 

Daphne held the gold up to herself in the mirror then the silver. “Fuck, you’re right.” 

Draco rolled his eyes. 

“Your mother’s influence, I assume,” she said as she spun around to examine several skirts on the rack. 

“Well, it certainly wasn’t my father’s.” 

“No? He seems the type to know his undertone.” 

Draco snorted, and Daphne flashed him a brilliant smile. 

She was funny, he was realizing. There was a brightness to her that the world should have dimmed with its cruelness, but Daphne seemed determined to outshine that cruelty. Over the last hour, he’d heard about how Daphne’s grandmother and her father didn’t get along and how she didn’t know if she wanted to go to Rio in the New Year or Costa Rica. Daphne was an open book. 

The difference between her and Astoria was like dawn and dusk. Daphne was always bright and chatty, while Astoria was standoffish. While Daphne seemed to care what others thought of her, Astoria couldn’t give a flying hippogriff what anyone said. Despite their differences, they seemed to get along splendidly from what Draco had seen, giggling together at lunch and teasing each other easily. It made Draco wonder what having a sibling would be like — what the ease and camaraderie would feel like. 

“So, you’re avoiding my sister.”

Draco’s head snapped toward Daphne, but she was still examining the rack of skirts. 

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“You wouldn’t? You seem determined to ignore her at the past few social events, and you’ve barely spoken to her on this trip.” Daphne glanced at him over her shoulder, blonde hair falling around her face. There was no judgement in her eyes, just curiosity. Yet another marked difference between her and her sister. 

“Your sister is perplexing,” Draco said instead of answering her question. 

And that was the truth of it. Astoria had so many layers to her that Draco never thought he’d make it to the center of who she truly was. Then there was Venice. Even after their conversation last night and the promise of another conversation tonight, Draco still couldn’t make himself let go of what had happened. He wasn’t a forgiving person by nature, and this was no exception. 

Daphne hummed. “She is . . . special. Too good for this world.” Too good for him, he thought she meant. “I would not want to see her hurt.” 

“I don’t think your sister would give anyone the power to hurt her.” 

Daphne only laughed in response. 

#

That night, Draco and Astoria established their routine. He would go to bed, toss and turn until he couldn’t stand Theo’s unnatural stillness, and then make his way out to the balcony where he would find Astoria, with a cigarette in hand. They ended up sitting on the edges of their seats facing each other with their knees brushing. Draco could smell the Mary Jane every time she exhaled above them. 

“Why’d you start smoking?” he asked. They continued the game. Though Draco had been reluctant to answer her questions, he was curious about her, trying to get to the center of what made her tick. And she never asked anything that made him pass on a question; always things about him, like where he liked to vacation most, what his favorite dessert was, why he’d been such an asshole in school. That last one had been tongue in cheek. 

But there were barbs in his words. Pansy and Blaise’s wedding had been brought up at dinner earlier. Very innocent really. Flint had asked about the wedding, and Daphne had started talking about it in minute detail with several sarcastic remarks from Astoria. During the whole conversation, Astoria’s eyes had kept sliding towards him, like she was trying to figure out what was going through his mind. Draco had left a bored expression on his face. If living with Death Eaters had taught him anything, it was how to wear a mask. 

Astoria took a long drag before answering. “I was in . . . a very bad place after the war. It was hard for me to function sometimes. So, I got weed. It helped a little. At least I could function and if I needed a boost.” She put the cigarette to her lips and inhaled. “That’s all there was to it.” 

Draco nodded. 

“Why’d you take the Mark?” 

Draco thought about passing, about brushing off the brutalness of the question and trying for something lighthearted. Astoria might let him, judging by her kind eyes and the gentle turn of her lips. 

“I wanted to,” he said simply. “I wanted to make my father proud. My aunt as well. It was everything I’d grown up with.” Everything that he’d always been taught would bring him greatness. “I thought if my father was in Azkaban and my family’s reputation was in shambles then taking the Mark would be the first step to fixing it. I thought . . . I thought I could show the Dark Lord how valuable I was.” Instead, he’d been left with a shattered heart and a manor full of ghosts. 

Astoria glanced away from him, her lip caught between her teeth. This was the part where she told him he should have known better, should have been smarter, should have seen that it was all a set up from the beginning. He braced himself for it, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of his lounge chair. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. It was the same thing she’d said when they had talked at the Goyle ball eons ago. No one had ever apologized for what he’d gone through; most people thought he brought it on himself. 

Draco relaxed his grip slightly. If she was going to ask hard hitting questions like that, then he would do the same. Fair was fair, after all. 

“Why’d you leave the Zabini wedding early?” 

He could see her stiffen instantly. It was like he found her Pandora’s box, the one thing he wanted to desperately open, but she kept under lock and key. They’d been at the game for an hour or so, and she hadn’t used a pass yet. Draco thought she might use it now. 

Then, “I was sick. Dizzy. Lightheaded. That’s all.” 

It seemed too simple an answer, too calculated. 

“Dizzy?” he said. “That seems a bit anticlimactic for how quickly you ran away.” 

She returned her gaze to him then, outrage clearly painted on her face. “Well, I’m sorry my bout of dizziness wasn’t climatic enough for you. Next time, I’ll let myself faint in your arms, would that make you happy?” Her eyes were blazing now as she swung her legs over the edge of the lounge chair. “Then you can be the charming gentleman who caused the delicate lady to swoon?” 

Anger eddied through him, causing his grip on the chair to tighten again. She was being condescending, and perhaps with good reason. However, she had started this game, and she had chosen to answer the question. If she didn’t like being pressed, then she should never have answered the question.

“No,” he snapped. “I would like to know why you left me after I offered you a goldmine of information on the Dark Lord to feed your morbid fascination with him.” 

Hurt shot across her face before it was quickly washed away. 

“I was never fascinated with him,” she said. Then her question hit him like a hex. “Why don’t you say his name? Are you still that scared of him?” 

Draco leaned away from her like she stung him. She spoke as if it were easy, forgetting all the terror that the Dark Lord had instilled in his followers. Even his most loyal Death Eaters were not safe. He’d seen Aunt Bella come home with her eyes dull and bruises forming on her pale skin after a rough night. While the Dark Lord might be gone, the scars he left remained. 

“I can’t just . . . say his name,” Draco said, his gaze on the sky suddenly as Astoria siphoned the truth out of him. She was brave and clever; she would think less of him for his reasoning. “He was . . . more brutal than you could imagine. I’d prefer to forget he even existed.” 

“But you can’t let him have that power over you,” Astoria said fiercely. As she leaned toward him, jasmine filled his senses, and Draco dropped his eyes back to hers. “If you refuse to say his name out of fear or anger, you give him power, even from the grave. Voldemort is gone, and he is not coming back.” 

Draco flinched when she said his name. There was nothing else for it. In time, he might be able to hear it and not bat an eyelash, but he didn’t think he’d ever be able to say it. Instead of answering, Draco turned his face toward the stars. He could spot Orion’s Belt and Cassiopeia. The stars seemed so far removed from all their worries, like they were too busy shining brightly to really have any problems. If Draco were a star, he imagined his problems would be miniscule as well. 

Astoria sighed loudly, pulling Draco’s attention back to her. “I can’t figure you out.” 

Draco laughed bitterly. “Well, I can’t figure you out either.” 

She smiled at him and leaned forward like she might tell him a secret. “Perhaps we are both far more complicated than either of us imagined.” 

“Perhaps.”

Astoria’s eyes were glittering with mischief now, casting a youthful glow over her face. Even the dark circles couldn’t take away from that. It was that mischief that had Draco leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. They were soft and full against his own, and she tasted like weed. A high set into Draco’s veins, almost like the effects of the weed were transferred from her to him. Only Draco realized she wasn’t kissing him back. 

His whole body went cold. Quickly, he pushed himself away from her, an apology already forming on his lips along with a cutting insult. Astoria caught the collar of his shirt, holding him within an inch of herself. Her breath danced across his lips, a teasing reminder of the kiss he had just given her. When their eyes meant, Draco was tempted to press his lips back to hers, just so he could have one last taste of her. 

“I-”

“Don’t,” she interrupted. Then she softly kissed him. It wasn’t rushed or forceful like his had been. It was simple, honest. When she pulled away from him, she let his collar go and stood up. Draco was too stunned to stop her. “I’ll see you in the morning, Draco.” 

Then she was gone, disappearing through the sliding door. 

#

When Draco and his family came to Athens, they always stopped by Antoni’s, a fabulous restaurant with some of the best cuisine and wine in town. After mentioning it to Daphne, she had insisted that they stop there for supper. It was as phenomenal as always. Theo was delighted to see that they had moussaka with lamb, and Astoria insisted on trying the loukoumades, fried dough topped with honey and nuts. The group topped off their meal with a red blend from Crete that had notes of cinnamon and allspice. 

Draco was listening to Daphne and Theo discuss who would be the next in their group to get married when he felt something brush against his calf. It felt like a foot. Astoria was sitting across from him, wine glass in hand, talking with Flint about Quidditch. When she noticed him examining her, her lips quirked upwards, and she took a sip of her wine. 

They hadn’t discussed the kiss from the previous night, and Draco didn’t want it to ruin their last night together. That kiss stayed with him all through the night and today, though. He was unable to forget how warm she had been against him. It had been a fluke, he had reminded himself to keep from going insane. When she’d kissed him again, Astoria was merely being nice because she was a kind person. After this trip, he would go back to being miserable in Malfoy Manor, and she would continue to rise in the Ministry. There was no place in her life for someone like Draco. 

“Astoria, come help me with a touchup?” Daphne asked as she stood up. Astoria quickly followed her. 

“I’m going to run to the loo as well,” Theo said. 

Then it was just Flint, Draco, and awkward silence. Wonderful. The only time Flint had been cordial with Draco was in his second year when he was handing him a Nimbus 2001. During practice, Flint was brutal, pushing his team to do their worst in order to win the Quidditch Cup. He’d been standoffish outside the pitch, much like he had been this whole vacation. Coldly friendly. Draco wished he’d gone to the bathroom with Theo; anything to be away from Flint’s stormy eyes. 

“You need to stay away from Astoria,” he finally said. 

Draco was so shocked his head snapped toward the older man. “Excuse me?” 

“Stay away from her,” Flint repeated. “You can’t handle being with someone like her.” 

He wasn’t surprised, especially after what he heard on the balcony, but it peeved him that Flint would discuss this topic so openly. They were in a restaurant, for fuck’s sake. Theo or the girls could easily walk back to the table and overhear their conversation. 

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Draco demanded.

“Just what I said,” he replied. “You couldn’t handle it. Besides, Astoria wants a career in politics, and she can’t have dead weight like you dragging her down.” 

Draco’s temper flared. “And you aren’t dead weight?” 

Flint smirked. “I’m only her cousin, and quite out of the public eye except for my Quidditch coaching career. And no one pays attention to the coaches. People pay attention to romantic entanglements though.” 

Romantic entanglements. Draco had never thought of them in that context. At least not until last night. 

“I don’t need you meddling in my business, Flint,” he snapped. 

“And I don’t need you fucking around my baby cousin’s feelings.” 

“Marcus, we just saw the most delicious looking baklava being served to another table,” Daphne said as she returned to the table. “We have to try it.” 

“It’s just food, Daph,” Astoria laughed. “Calm down.” 

Draco’s temper was flaring in his chest, but instead of offering a snide remark, he grabbed his glass of wine and downed it. Only Flint noticed, his eyes fixed on Draco the whole time. 

#

That night Draco made it out to the balcony before Astoria. It was only slightly chilly out, and he threw on an old button down and black trousers, not bothering to wait until Theo was soundly asleep. Draco had been subjected to enough of his sleep habits to last a lifetime. As he heard the glass door slide open, he looked over his shoulder to see Astoria closing it. She was wearing a pair of dark sleep pants and a tank top, both of which were silk. When she spun around, Draco caught a glimpse of her face. He noticed her eyes first. They were focused on him and slightly narrowed, determination shining there. Her mouth was slightly pinched into a frown. That frown sent a chill down his spine. 

As Draco opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, she strode toward him quickly. Her warm hands found his shoulders, and she used them to steady herself as she positioned her knees on either side of his thighs. Shock rippled through him. Astoria was going to sit in his lap, he realized. Automatically, his hands found her waist, her skin solid under the soft fabric of her shirt. 

“What are you doing?” he hissed. 

“I want to ask you something, and I thought you’d be more honest this way,” she said as she shimmied around to get comfortable. Draco sincerely hoped that she didn’t brush against anything unseemly. “How many people have you kissed?” 

It was an odd question, which Draco might not have answered if her lips were not within inches from his own. She smelled sweet and spicy and everything about her was intoxicating. He had the urge to freeze this moment so he could feel her warmth against him, know what it was like to have her breath fanning against his face, memorize the curiosity painted in her irises. 

“Enough,” he answered roughly, his voice dropping an octave. 

“Good,” she said. 

Then her lips were pressing against his own, more insistent than the night before. Though he knew it was coming, surprise still snaked through him, his hands blindly clinging to her shirt. Astoria was fine wine, rich and tart and revealing more flavors to him the more he tasted of her. Unsure of what she would allow him to do, he put all his energy into pressing his mouth against her own. Her lips were soft but urgent, and he tried his best to keep up, but he felt like he was drowning in her. Astoria was consuming him with her pretty gasps, her sweet smell, and her soft lips. 

She asked him how many people he’d kissed, and now Draco was wondering how many people she’d kissed. It was clear she’d done this before by the way she was pressing herself against him in all the right ways. Draco had only kissed a handful of girls — Pansy, Tracey Davis, and some other Slytherins. He’d been intimate with even fewer of them.

She detached her lips from his mouth and started a trail of sucking kisses down his neck. 

Draco had to force himself not to let out the most obscene moan. 

“Why haven’t we been doing this the whole trip?” Astoria asked breathlessly. 

Draco groaned and tugged her closer to him. He could have had four nights of this endless bliss. Instead of responding, he pressed his lips against her neck, delighted at the feel of delicate skin. Dropping her head back, Astoria gasped and clutched at his shoulders. This was the only way he could stop her smart mouth apparently, and he was not in the least bit upset about that. 

Sliding his hand between her shoulder blades, Draco held her firmly while his lips continued downward. Gently, he swept his lips down to her collarbone, found the skin between her collarbone and shoulder, and bit down lightly. The smooth tips of her hair brushed against his hands, and Draco had to fight the urge to tangle his fingers in it. His other kisses had never felt like this. He had been attracted to the other girls, of course, but it was always physical. It was more about what he wanted and what those girls could offer him. With Astoria, it was more intense, more emotional. He wanted to please her, not just himself. 

Astoria dunked her head and caught his lips again. This time, Draco was unable to hold back his moan, his hands grasping the nape of her neck. She turned gentle slowly, pressing her swollen lips tenderly against his own until they settled into a languid rhythm. Finally, she rested her forehead against his own, sharing the same breath as him. 

This was what peace felt like, he realized. Quiet, Astoria’s fingers desperately clutching the collar of his shirt, his fingers brushing the edges of her jawline. Even before the war, he had never felt like this – had never been so content to sit in silence, sharing the same breath as another human being, and soaking in the glow of their presence. Draco thought he might like to live in this moment forever.

“Are you going to spend the New Year with your parents?” she asked finally. 

Draco meant her eyes and saw calm there for the first time. He thought maybe this was his favorite version of her. 

“Yes,” he said. 

“I see.” Astoria tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Shame we won’t be doing more of this.” 

“We won’t?” Disappointment colored his question.

She traced her fingertip over the top button of his shirt. “I don’t think so. You’ll go back to your manor and your self-imposed exile, and I’ll return to work and people who highly dislike you.”

Draco’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“Harry strongly warned me against coming on this trip if you were going to be here,” Astoria said with a grin. “He said you can’t be trusted.”

Draco scuffed. “Potter is a shithead with no taste. You shouldn’t listen to him.” 

She laughed then. “That still leaves your self-imposed exile from society.” 

Draco looked up at the sky, highly annoyed that she was right. Though he ventured into Diagon occasionally, he stayed on the manor grounds for the most part. It was far easier to come to foreign countries where very few people knew him and his reputation. Then he could be just another member of wizarding society and not a former Death Eater. 

“You go back to work after the New Year?” 

Astoria hummed. 

“That’s a week away.” 

“I know.” 

“The French Alps are beautiful this time of year.”

“Are they? Daphne chose Athens. It’s more of a summer vacation spot. She’s terrible at planning vacations.” There was a pause. “I think I’d like to see the French Alps.”

“As would I.” 

Quick as a flash, Astoria was climbing out of his lap, and Draco was following her into the flat. Gently, he closed the door behind him and slipped into his shared room. Theo was sleeping, his back facing the door. Draco rolled his eyes. If he had to share a room again, he would sleep on the floor in the living room. A quick spell had all his clothes flying into his luggage. After he tugged on a black coat, he reached for the door to his room. 

“Where are you going?” 

Draco spun around to see Theo staring at him, his elbows pressed into the bed. The bastard chose now to wake up? 

“My mother-”

“Don’t lie, Draco,” Theo said, and he had never wanted to strangle a person more. 

“To the French Alps,” he ground out. 

Theo nodded before rolling back over. “Tell Astoria not to break her neck if she goes skiing.” 

Draco ground his teeth and cursed his bad luck. Then he stepped out into the living room. Astoria was closing the door to her room, her own suitcase floating behind her. She’d changed out of the sleep clothes she had on previously. Now she was wearing a pair of high-waisted black trousers and a fuzzy green jumper. Her hands were wrapped in black gloves, sporting little gold buttons on the ends. Her hair was still slightly messy from earlier, but her eyes were bright with excitement. 

“The French Alps?”

Draco nodded. “Yes, I know a place.”

He slid his hand into hers and then they were gone. 

[throwaway-yandere]

I'm just gonna drop by because I'm in the thick of it (writing for that one blasted fic is taking YEARS off of my LIFESPAN /exag) and I have to say this to Theo.

Sir, I hope you know that I loved you ever since you were first revealed and especially your lore, and I literally voted for you because I genuinely thought (and still do) that you're very interesting and want to get to know you better. It sucks that you'll be departing in 13 days (as of writing this ask) but! It is nice while it lasted.

Anyways, I hope you accept my potential future peace offering in a few days. When? I don't know. Will it happen? If I am able to, yeah.

Anyways, happy (early!) valentine's Theo <33 I hope you get sweets and whatnot before you go :D just wanted to rant a tiny bit abt how I felt abt you in a genuine way because God I have a type, and you are literally PRETTY as hell.

(I'll shut up now HAUHDUIF also Ansy!! Hydration check. No I will rattle ur ass if you skip it. /gen)

"But thank you!" Theophilus smiled. "You are very sweet. My nation does not exactly believe in... Valeen.. Times? Day? Once again, forgive me for being unable to pronounce these terms adequately."

"I do have a holiday dedicated to my name. The church becomes a rather busy time receiving offerings around that m-month— I... Sorry, it's a bit hard for me to gush about. I'm convinced King Lukas had only made it a custom to tease me. M-Must the tradition continue for three centuries?!..."

The archbishop looked away with a pinkish hue dusting his cheeks.

"On another note, you are not obligated to send me any offerings," he sighed. "I don't understand why the Royal Family insists that anyone who visits must present something. Do not stress yourself with a peace offering, dearie."

He laughed softly behind his hand. The archbishop's eyes were closed as he thought about his next words. There is a considerable amount of devotees who believe his habit of pondering comes with his wisdom and ancient years— but truth he told, he simply enjoys prolonging conversations. Young people live life faster than ever, barely stopping to smell the flowers. And your company in particular was one he wants to keep for much longer.

"And of course, thank you for the compliment. I've heard from Ansy that you do "idol work"? From what I know, the occupation requires charm— and you seem to have it in abundance." Theophilus chuckled. "Which is to say, you look wonderful as well."

[gmmtv-bl-tournament-but-evil]

not to be an enchante defender but!! it's funny bc one anon said that they were glad abaab was their introduction to forcebook rather than enchante but i am the opposite actually djdnsk

i couldn't finish abaab (maybe i will one day but not even the 2x speed save me from boredom when it was coming out) but i finished enchante (in 2x speed also but i did finish it!!) and while yeah i do think that theo being enchante was a little (read: very) silly and didn't really make sense, i just found akk to be so endearing!! maybe it's because i have a huge soft spot for force but man that yearning. and it had 3 of my fav gmmtv men (gawin, fluke pusit and aou) so i was at least very entertained dhfjd meanwhile in abaab i just couldn't get into it😭

but i do agree that forcebook not only need but deserve a much better storyline!! i feel like none of the ones they were given so far really allowed them to shine (and don't even get me started on joongdunk, get those men away from a university setting)

anyway, I'll also take this opportunity to thank you for the tournament!! it's been a lot of fun, looking forward to the end results!!^^

Okay, I gotta give it to you: Gawin, Fluke, and Aou were definitely a huge incentive for finishing Ehchanté. On the other hand, they weren't anywhere near in it enough to redeem it. I will say tho, there are quite a few pairings from GMMTV I've been introduced to under disastrous circumstances (ForceBook for one, but also TayNew to mention another), and yet I still get excited and optimistic when they get given new projects! Or maybe I'm just weak for pretty boys...

"Get those men away from a university setting" should be its own movement in the greater BL landscape, let's be real. GIVE. ME. MORE. ADULT. LOVE. STORIES!!!

And thank you! When I started this tournament, I thought I had a pretty good idea of how it was gonna go but I've already been proven wrong so I'm also excited to see where the voting will take us!

[moku-youbi]

Ahhhh I love your writing so much. Loved the newest chapter!!! Full on end of the world slow burn romance! I love unconventional soulmates.

Have you ever seen haunting of hill house? I’m thinking the dysfunctional family unit, seeing ghosts and not being believed might really work with the umbrellas?

Yay, I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I too adore the soulmates that, from the outside, seem to make no sense, where everyone else wonders why they would be together, but who compliment one another so perfectly. It hurts what they've both gone through, and I wanted to try to find a way to fix it, but I gotta admit, it's a real challenge with them having this big age gap (I mean...I guess they do in canon, too, but at least in that situation Klaus is firmly in his 30s...), but still, if Five had is way, it would not be as slow, lmao.

I *love* Haunting of Hill House (and the book, and the other shows in the series) and actually I thought the same thing when I did a recent rewatch. The atmosphere would be perfect for the Umbrellas. I had a vague thought of Ben and Klaus taking the role of the twins, which of course leads poor Ben to dying. (I could actually see Klaus as being Theo *and* Luke tbh, because I love the extra drama of him not being able to touch--that's something I love to toy with, the idea of there being one person you can touch. Plus Klaus losing himself in drugs to stop seeing the ghosts, and sleeping with anything with a pulse to try to feel something good, maximum pain. And I totally see Luther and Viktor as different aspects of Steve. Like both of them completely denying what happened to them as kids, Viktor still writing the book making everyone else look like they're crazy. Allison has Shirl vibes fr. IDK about Diego or Five.

I also sorta dreamed up what the Red Room would be for each of them. Like a gym for both Luther and Diego, but probably different sorts of equipment--like more typical strength machines/treadmill for Luther, where as for Diego it's more of a parkor/ninja obstacle course type thing. For Allison it's like a dressing room, with wardrobes full of gorgeous clothing and a vanity full of makeup, and all this jewellery. Klaus finds an wine cellar or rec room with a wet bar. Five has a study/lab. Ben has a library, but with decidedly different books, with a comfy window seat to curl up in. Viktor has a practice room full of instruments with perfect acoustics. Sometimes it's a shared space, like Luther and Allison's 'tent' in the 'conservatory.' (OMG, my wife just suggested Griddy's is the Red Room, too, ugh)

I would say I'd add it to my list, but OMG, the fics I plan on writing, I can't even. I've been meaning to post a list of all the fics I'm working on/have outlined/want to write someday for Klive. It's insane. Thought about taking a poll to see what people would be most interested in seeing next, but I'm not sure there'd be many people voting lol. Maybe I'll put it up anyway! But at any rate, I'm pretty focussed on the Bomb series at the moment.

Thanks so much for letting me know how you're enjoying the fic. I really appreciate it.

[powerpolyculeshowdown]

3 MADE IT INTO THE POLLS I'M SCREAMING I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT TAYLOR AND THEO AND JOSEY WERE GONNA BE AN HONORABLE MENTION BC I'M POSITIVE I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO SUBMITTED THEM BUT THEY'RE IN!!! THE POLL!!

you've made my entire day you have no idea how much serotonin I got from voting for them. I think they're gonna lose and that does make me a little bit sad (I would propaganda here but I'm not the best at it, all I can really say at this point is I love them so so much) but the fact that I got to vote for them in the polls at all makes me so, SO happy, and I really hope more people learn about the book from this and decide to read it

anyway yeah thank you for putting them in <3

tbf like most of them were single submissions so i had to pick a lot myself. there werent any secret rules for how i chose them but i did get an ask about 3 before, (maybe it was from you!) and i really liked the idea of it, so i wanted to give them a chance at the poll!