#at least I can still smell and taste as of right now otherwise I've been having an on and off fever with severe chills and aches

[feralnumberfive]

Send help

[idy-ll-ique]

See You Tomorrow On The Other Side.

Pairing: Vampire!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Smut

Warnings: unprotected sex

Requested: nope

based on this prompt.

Summary: Nothing wrong with just wanting a taste, is there?

Author's Note: Hiya peeps! enjoy!

---

Wait, why is it so cold?

Y/N blinked her eyes open, flinching when she felt blinding pain in the side of her neck. Touching it, she found out that she was bleeding. What in the world…? "What the fuck?" she mumbled, moving to turn on the night-light but instead, she heard loud gagging noises coming from next to her on the floor.

She froze. I live alone. And then her instincts kicked in. She started screaming, only for her mouth to be clamped shut by a cold, freezing hand. "Shut up! Don't scream!" a raspy voice hissed. "Who the fuck are you?" Y/N demanded, though her voice came out muffled. "Forget that— why the fuck does your blood taste so gross?" the man asked instead.

Y/N's eyes widened with fear. "My— you— who are you?!" she yelled. "Shush! It's the middle of the night!" the man groaned, "My name is Bucky Barnes, happy?" Y/N huffed, clutching the side of her neck. "And what the fuck do you mean by your blood tastes so gross?" she questioned. "Did I stutter? I mean exactly that. Why the fuck is it so disgusting?!"

Y/N froze for the second time that night. Her first thought was that it was a dream, but the very real pain in her neck and the blood on her fingers suggested otherwise. The man— Bucky— he bit her neck. And that had only one reasonable explanation. "Are you a vampire?" she blurted out.

"Aye, see? Knew you were smart," he beamed and she stared at him, shocked. "Vampires aren't real." His face dropped and he rolled his eyes. "Then how do you explain me?" He flexed and Y/N scrunched her nose in mild annoyance. "First off, you're too annoying. Second— what the hell are you doing in my house?!"

"What do you think I'm doing?! I was hungry! Now answer my damn question— why is your blood gross?" He tapped her on the forehead twice. She blinked. Well, since this night couldn't get any crazier… "I have anemia? I guess that's why. Now you answer my question! Why did you select me to be your food?"

"Because you look like a snack?" he offered sheepishly but she only raised an eyebrow. Bucky blushed a bit; he very well couldn't tell her that he had had a crush on her ever since he had seen her— that was a few months ago. Nothing wrong with just wanting a taste, is there? "Okay wait, come back to you— you have anemia?"

"Uh, yeah? Why do you care? Go away, dude, you got your taste, you didn't like it, now leave me alone!" Y/N scoffed, turning to lay back down but Bucky put an arm around her, pulling her back up. "No, we gotta talk about it. Are you taking anything for it? Supplements, Vitamin D pills…?" Y/N stared at him.

"No," she replied flatly, "Medicines taste bad and I've already come to terms with my condi—" Bucky scoffed harder. "Really? You are a dumbass, you know that? I'm bringing you the medicines tomorrow, and you're gonna take them every night in front of me, got it?" Nothing wrong with being worried about your darling's health.

"Do you usually get this involved with your prey/food?" Y/N deadpanned. "You're not— don't argue! If you're not going to take care of your health, I'm going to have to do it for you," Bucky huffed. "As sweet as the sentiment is, I think the fuck not. Goodnight, Bucky, I will not see you tomorrow." She gave him a sweet, fake smile and lay down.

This time, Bucky didn't stop her. "Dumbass," he muttered under his breath as he stood on the window sill, promptly turning into a bat before flying away into the night.

---

"Hey, welcome home!"

Y/N screamed, almost dropping her bag of groceries on the floor as she whirled around to see Bucky sitting on the couch in the living room, flipping through the pages of a magazine. "Couldn't figure out how to turn on the TV," he muttered as Y/N eyed the magazine. She couldn't help but snort. "Ancient."

"Hey, rude." He narrowed his eyes at her and she narrowed hers right back. "Okay, had your fun reading the magazine? Now get lost or I'll call security," Y/N threatened him and stood in front of him, her arms crossed. He smirked and rose to his full height, causing Y/N's resolve to crumble.

He was much, much taller than her. "Go ahead, do it, baby girl," he whispered tauntingly, leaning in so that their faces were inches apart. Y/N whimpered involuntarily at his sweet scent, slapping a hand to her mouth in horror when she realized what she had just done. Bucky burst out laughing. "See? You want me here."

"Flatter yourself, Barnes," she mumbled but the truth was, she did want him there. The previous night, she had failed to notice just how beautiful he really was; now, she found out. He was also funny, charming, caring and sweet— not bad company. "So, am I cooking dinner for one or for two?"

"You? I'm cooking dinner! And you're gonna eat whatever the hell I'm going to make. Go take a bath in the meanwhile, I'll handle it." Bucky ushered her towards her bathroom and she blinked. "What, I— hey! Wait!" He stopped pushing her. "Why are you cooking for me?"

"Because your dumbass doesn't eat shit it should be eating and instead eats what it shouldn't! You're anemic, and yet I never see you eating food that has high levels of iron in it. You just don't care about your life, do you?" Y/N laughed, pinching his cold cheeks. "You're really cute, you know? Dude, I'll be fine—"

"Okay, how about this? I'm doing this for myself because your blood tastes gross and I gotta fix it," he suggested. "I have a solution: why don't you go find someone else to be your food? Look, my blood tastes bad, so why waste all your time trying to fix it? Get someone else, kill them!" Bucky pulled a face.

"Kill them? You think you'll die if I bite you?" Y/N nodded slowly. "Um, no, sweet pie, you won't die if I bite you. You'll… maybe get sick for a few days, but then you'll be fine," Bucky explained. "What if I don't want to get sick for a few days either? Just go away, find someone else, make them sick!" Bucky pouted.

"You really don't want me to be here?" he whined. "I— Fine! Fine! Cook whatever the hell you want, stay, but on one condition." A huge smile bloomed on the vampire's face as he nodded. "You don't get to bite me, ever." His face fell. "Not even a little…?" Y/N shook her head. He pouted harder. Y/N stared back, unwavering.

"A little, small bite…?"

"Bucky, don't push it," Y/N warned and Bucky immediately raised his arms in surrender. "Now go take a bath, I'm making food." With a small smile, Y/N entered the bathroom, starting to fill the tub up with water as she sat on the toilet seat, thinking back a few hours.

How did this even happen? First, she wakes up to find a stranger on her bedroom floor gagging on her "gross" blood; second, he reveals that he is a vampire and third, he wants to take care of her and wants her to get better. Teenage her, who was quite fond of Twilight, would've loved this dude.

But now? Y/N was still skeptical, but at least Bucky hadn't pulled any sketchy shit. So far, he had been nothing but sweet. "Maybe I can give him a chance," she whispered to herself. She had no doubt about the fact that he was a vampire; he was always cold, had sharp, pointy teeth and she had practically seen him turn into a bat last night.

So yeah.

Y/N was going to allow a vampire to take care of her.

"Oh good, you're here," Bucky called out when she finally walked out of her room in her pajamas. "Smells good, what did you make?" Y/N smiled, sitting down at the kitchen island. Bucky placed a plate in front of her. "Beans. We'll start small. Do you eat meat?" Y/N nodded, eating a spoonful of the beans.

"Mm," she groaned, "These are so good! You're a great cook, Bucky." He rubbed the back of his neck shyly as Y/N beamed at him. "Thanks. My ma taught me, back in the 1500's." Y/N's eyes widened. "How old are you?" she asked with disbelief as she picked up the bread he had prepared along with the beans.

"A few centuries. You kinda lose count after a long time," he laughed. "Were you born a vampire or were you turned into one later in life?" Bucky pondered for a few seconds. "I was born one. My ma and my pa were both vampires." Y/N nodded before looking at him with a curious look. "What do you want to ask?" he teased upon seeing her expression. She chuckled.

"Can I become a vampire too?"

Bucky froze. "Do you want to be one?" he spoke slowly. "I mean, sounds cool, don't you think? Of course, I'm not completely sure, I just— wanna know how you turn someone into a vampire. Can you turn someone into one?" she blurted out. Bucky gulped hard; God knew he had been dreaming about turning her into a vampire ever since he had seen her.

Vampires having relationships with humans wasn't uncommon but he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And with vampirism comes one boon— immortality. So, if he turned her into a vampire, they could be together forever and always, literally. "I— I can turn people into vampires. All it takes is a neck bite."

Her brows furrowed. "But you bit me last night, am I—" Bucky shook his head. "You aren't a vampire, Y/N. There is a specific spot on a person's neck that you have to bite in order to turn them into a vampire. I didn't bite you there." She nodded and exhaled. "Good. I don't wanna be a vampire just yet, gotta think more before making a decision."

"So in the future maybe, you'll be open to becoming a vampire?" Bucky asked, his hopefulness shining through in his voice. Y/N laughed. "Wanna turn me into a vampire that bad?" she teased and Bucky looked away, an embarrassed look on his face. "I'm not desperate," he muttered. Y/N finished eating her dinner, did her nightly routine and got into bed.

Bucky soon approached with two pills in his open palm, his other hand holding a bottle of water. "Just gulp it quickly and you won't have to taste the pills," he reassured her as she eyed the pills with disdain. Putting her doubts aside, she quickly downed the pills, pulling a face as she did. Bucky ruffled her hair.

"Good job, sweet pie! See, easy, wasn't it? Now get a good night's sleep, I'll see you tomorrow evening." Y/N lay down on the bed, pulling the covers on top of her as she smiled sleepily at Bucky. "Goodnight, see you tomorrow," she yawned and Bucky gave her a huge smile before jumping out the window like he had done the night before; flying into the night as a bat.

---

"Bucky! Are you here?"

Y/N walked into her dimly lit house, confused. All the lights were off, the house lit by candles placed strategically here and there. She could smell roses too. "Hi, sweet pie." A gasp escaped Y/N lips when Bucky walked out of the kitchen. He was dressed in an all-black suit, a suave smile on his face. She stood frozen as he approached her, taking her hand.

He pressed a kiss to her knuckles and Y/N found her voice. "What is this, Bucky?" she chuckled. "Our six month anniversary, sweet pie. Did you forget?" he pouted. Y/N laughed harder. "We're not dating." His smile stayed confident. "Would you like to?" She paused mid-laugh, staring at him through wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"Are you… asking me out?" she whispered and Bucky nodded. "Oh my— yes! Yes, Bucky!" She ran forward and jumped into his arms, ignoring how cold he was as she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck. As he stated, six months had passed since Y/N and Bucky became friends and Y/N was quickly falling for him.

He was literally perfect. There was nothing she didn't like about him; she had even gotten over the fact that he was a vampire. "Oh, fuck, I thought it was gonna fail," Bucky laughed as he pulled her flush against him, one arm wrapping around her waist as she other cradled her head. "No way, Buck, I've liked you for a while now."

Both of them walked into the kitchen, where Y/N got another shock. The floor was covered in rose petals; they formed the shape of a heart. There was a bouquet of roses sitting on the dining table as well, between two plates of delicious-looking food. Next to the vase were two bottles of expensive champagne, and two glasses.

"How long did this take?" she whispered, snuggling further into Bucky's arms as she admired the scene in front of her. "A few hours. But all worth it." He pressed a quick kiss to her temple. "The rose heart looks awesome," she grinned, thanking Bucky when he pulled out her chair for her. "Ha, thanks," he laughed.

They maintained a light-hearted conversation as they ate dinner; afterwards, Y/N took a relaxing bath, took her medicines and got into bed. "Bucky," she called out tentatively and he turned to her. "Yes, my love?" She smiled shyly. "Will you stay the night?" Bucky grinned broadly. "Thought you'd never ask."

He stripped down; only in his boxers as he got into the bed with her. Before he could lay down Y/N pulled a pro-gamer move on him and straddled his lap, rendering him speechless. "Sweet pie," he groaned when her lips came crashing down on his. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her close, kissing her deeper.

Somewhere in the kiss Bucky's hands reached the hem of her t-shirt and he broke the kiss to pull it off of her. Another few minutes in, Y/N found herself laying on the bed stark naked under Bucky, who was equally as naked, his hard length poking at her tight entrance.

"Bucky," she whimpered as he slid home, a deep moan leaving his lips. "Fuck, sweet pie, so fucking tight," he praised, one of his hands toying with her breasts as the other grabbed her headrest, using it as support as he thrust into her repeatedly. Y/N's hands fisted around her bedsheets, the pleasure in her abdomen becoming too much to bear.

"I'm close," she announced breathlessly and Bucky dropped his head, pressing kisses to her face. "I'm close too, just a minute more." Y/N tried her best to hold the pleasure in as Bucky's thrusts started becoming sloppier. "Such a good girl for me," he grunted as he felt himself inching closer to the edge.

"Let go for me."

Both of them let go at the same time, Y/N cumming around him with a soft whine as Bucky shot his load into her with a guttural snarl. "Oh, fuck," he panted as he fell on top of her, both of them out of breath. "Bucky, I— I wanted to ask you something," she whispered shyly as Bucky rolled off of her, only to pull her closer to him. "Yes, darling?"

"I wanna be a vampire."

Bucky turned to look at her, wide eyed. "Are you sure?" She lowered her eyes and nodded. "I— I love you, Bucky, and there's no one I'd rather be with than you. So please, make me— make me immortal." Bucky blinked back tears and cupped her cheek, tilting her chin up. "All mine. My beautiful girl. I love you too," he whispered, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips.

He then strayed to her jaw, peppering it with kisses until he finally reached her neck, nuzzling into it for a few seconds, breathing in her scent. Soon, he found the spot— the one that would turn her into a vampire. "It'll sting just a bit," he warned her, "Then you'll go to sleep. When you wake up, the transformation will be completed. Are you sure you want this?"

"I have never been so sure of something in my entire life." Bucky smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her spot before sinking his teeth into her neck; Y/N winced a bit at the sting but overall, felt fine. When Bucky pulled away from her, he was wiping blood off his lips. He then reached down and picked up her t-shirt.

Y/N smiled sleepily as he cleaned her neck, admiring the mark for a few seconds. "Looks good. And tastes much better." Y/N giggled and slapped his bare chest, making him grin. Both of them then lay down on the bed, arms around each other as they closed their eyes.

"Goodnight, Buck."

"Goodnight, princess, see you on the other side tomorrow."

---

A/N: Thanks for reading, leave a like if you enjoyed!

[kiridarling]

𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐒 𝐔𝐏!

shouto todoroki | f!reader, ceo heir!shouto, mirror sex, hair pulling, choking, inappropriate use of showerhead, alcohol. minors dni!

— 3k words

"You're so pretty when you make a mess, aren't you?"

Miss Y/N,

I couldn't help but notice the latest project my father assigned is extremely difficult. If I'm going to be completely honest, you'll work yourself to death at this rate, and your greys double by the day. Drinks on me at Club 777 at 7 pm. Sound like a deal?

— shouto todoroki

“A club.”

“Glad you could make it,” Shouto gives you a small smile; it’s anything but hostile. And yet, that’s all yours is as you assume the space to his right in the velvet crescent booth. “I hope it wasn’t too hard to find. Club 777 is pretty popular around he—what are you doing.”

As your fingers fly across the keyboard, you give him an indignant huff, the screen highlighting the underside of your face electric blue as you continue hacking away at your presentation. If you’re going to be forced to go out, you’re going to make the most of it—and that’s by getting the work that you would be getting done at home, at a club. And a rather loud one, at that.

"You're a workaholic," he observes with a sigh, and you flash him a fat sarcastic smile. Stupid fucking CEO heirs and their entitlement.

"Congrats, you've solved everything! Can I go home, now?"

"No," Shouto frowns before he rudely snaps your laptop shut and sets it to his right. Pushing a plate of clear-colored shots your way, your eyes bulge—there have got to be at least fifteen. "Drink up—it'll take the edge off."

You blink between your coworker and the shots. You trust Shouto and you've known each other for a while...somewhat. His father is your boss, and with Shouto as the next in line you’ve got no choice but to play nice. He’s as cocky as he is aloof, but you suppose he’s fine overall—and he's seen you break your back over this project for a solid month and a half. Positive you won't be able to keep your conscious from running laps over all the work you have to do otherwise, you snatch the first shot and chuck it down your gullet with worrying enthusiasm. Shouto lifts an eyebrow and you reach for another.

"Thirsty?" He chuckles, before grabbing a shot for himself. The second shot burns, but never as much as the first, and the back of your hand catches what doesn't make it into your mouth as you say:

"More than you could think."

"And then—and then I was like, um no sir, I think you got my change wrong by at least five bucks! He didn't believe me, like at all."

"Did he make a fuss of it?"

"Of course."

"That means he has a small dick," Shouto advises with the second to last shot in his hand, wrist-watch glinting in the club light. His face is a deeper red than his hair and you've never noticed how nice a suit fits him as if you don't see him in one every day. You giggle at that, too far gone yourself to be offended on the stranger's behalf. Shouto's jacket drapes over your shoulders like an oversized blanket even though you bickered about not being cold, with enough alcohol in your veins to warm a village.

"Probably," you rest your head against the crescent booth, dismissive at the softness from the red velvet that’s probably ruining your hair. "Either way, I pulled a Karen and called the manager on 'em.

Shouto nods, "As you should. Once I tricked my father into thinking he had a very unhappy customer by sending him a million emails from 'John Appleseed' and calling his personal secretary twice as much."

You cackle, throwing yourself across the table at the thought of your Boss’ face hot and red with anger (as it does.) Shouto's loved nothing more than to make his animosity against his father well-known—to you, at least—and to say bored Heir been getting creative the past few months is an understatement. "Oh fuck—when'd you stop calling?"

Shouto shrugs, muscles rolling underneath his white dress shirt, "Once I filled his voicemail box.”

He holds a smile, small and distant, as he watches you wheeze as if he just told the funniest story in the world. In your defense, Shouto's never really been a funny guy, but he does funny things. Like when he stares at you when he doesn’t think you notice, or when he gets so close your chests nearly touch, but doesn't notice it. Doesn't point it out, at least. You find your laugh dying along with the smile on his face, though, and when he says nothing afterward but stare.

"...Shouto?" You snap in his face to make sure he's still in there—but it's hard to tell, with his glazed eyes and scarily steady breathing. His arms find either side of you, and you're too tipsy to realize you've been caged against the booth until it's too late.

"Your eyes are quite mesmerizing, Miss Y/N," he marvels. You can smell the vodka on his breath, and positive that compliment would’ve set your face aflame if the alcohol hadn’t already, any hints of cherry obscured by the neon club lights.

"I—um, thank you," you giggle, and if you were sober, you'd shoot yourself in the foot for reacting like a school girl. But you suppose you can give yourself some leeway—this is Shouto Todoroki after all, and for some reason, he's complimenting you. "You...you aren't too bad yourself."

"You wouldn't mind if I got a little closer, would you?" Though Shouto holds a cheeky half-drunken smile on his own, knowing any closer will result in nothing but a kiss and perhaps a little more. His eyes flicker to your lips the same time yours flicker to his, and you and you catch a heat in his eyes you didn’t notice before.

"Not at all."

You blink and Shouto's lips are on yours. They’re soft, painfully so, and it's clear he knows what he's doing—with his hands dropping to your waist and tilting his head ever-so-slightly to the right. Nudging your lips open, his tongue easily finds it's way around, mapping the insides of your mouth and taking note of what makes you shiver the most.

Shouto tastes like vodka. It's a familiar taste, one that you associate with seven minutes in heaven and quick make-out sessions in high school—and yet this time it spurs your heart to beat faster, your arms wrapping around his neck to pull him in even closer, as if it's possible.

When you pull away it’s clear neither of you really want to, but unfortunately you need to oxygen to live, chest heaving in unison as your eyes catch his own. Shouto's grip tightens around your waist as he licks over his already wet lips, glossed by what you assume is your spit.

“You’re one dangerous woman,” he rasps with swollen lips. You giggle, but you know he knows his words’ effect on you because goosebumps are impossible to hide.

“Thank you,” you respond, a bit awkwardly—because what else are you supposed to say?

"I'm positive it isn't the alcohol talking when I say I want to take you right here." Shouto growls as his eyes hold you in your seat. You shiver, the request sounding impossibly inviting, and your thighs discreetly rub together to take the edge off a bit.

"Bathroom," you breathe against his lips, this night turning for the most unexpected.

"Off, off, get all of this off," Shouto pants the moment you two step into a gender-neutral singles bathroom. You don't doubt they made it gender-neutral for this exact reason, but that thought leaves as quickly as it enters when Shouto pins you against the sink starts to pepper hot kisses down your neck. He scrambles to bunch your dress to your waist over taking it off completely and growls at the sight of your lower-half in absence of your usual attire.

"Do you know how long I've wanted you? Hmm?” He's breathless as he settles between your legs with a lick of his lips, pushing the excess of your dress into your hands. You really don't know how long he’s wanted you, but you find yourself biting your lip at the prospect anyway—that you've been driving your boss's son, your future boss, just as crazy as he's been driving you.

"Shouto—"

"Shhh," he interrupts, pulling your panties to the side. "Let me take care of you. You've been working hard these past few months, no?"

You guess so.

Either way, all clarity dies when Shouto licks a fat stripe up your slit, chuckling when you slide a tentative hand into his hair. Your grip tightens when his lips wrap around your clit and suck, slipping a finger between your folds to elicit a whimper or two. He bites his lip when you tug a little.

"Keep doing that and you just might ruin me," Shouto groans, before his mouth returns and he’s adding another finger. When the digits curl just right, your hips buck in faint frustration—they're moving too slow.

"Can you, um," you blush, eyes skittering to the bathroom walls instead. The club music permeates despite the fact that they look like they're made of solid brick, vibrating the floor and sink underneath you both. "Go faster?"

Shouto's eyes snap to yours. For a second you’re afraid he's going to say no, but he tosses your leg over his shoulder and adjusts your hips until they're at a perfect level, licking his lips and growling:

"My pleasure."

You're positive whoever loiters near the bathroom door hears your yelp as his mouth descends to devour your pussy, eating you so enthusiastically that you see you're slick smeared across his pink cheeks. Shouto pulls your hips deeper into his face with a defiant growl and you have to drop your forearms on the sink to keep yourself from falling to the hard ground, your grip around the porcelain ever-tightening.

"Feel good?" He rubs a heavy thumb over your clit in place of his mouth and stuffs you with a third finger. You nod with a broken moan as he pulls his digits out all the way out before burying them knuckle-deep again, grasp on the sink slipping. He flicks your clit, "Answer me."

"Y-Yeah," you nod again, near-hyperventilating. You’re sure Shouto’s getting a kick out of it—at least, if his chuckle has anything to say about it.

"Good girl," he coos, the circles on your clit slowly quickening, "You're so pretty when you make a mess, aren't you?"

You're nodding along with him, though you're not exactly sure why—but then his mouth returns and suddenly, why doesn't matter as much.

Shouto's more vocal than you expected, groaning into your sweetness as your thighs trembles next to his head. He holds you like you're precious, like you're actually something to him, but you're much too drunk to unpack all of that right now. Instead, you tug at his hair. It pulls a much louder moan from his gut and you find yourself enjoying the vibrations, yanking harder to hear him again.

"W-Wait, Shouto," you whimper out, painfully close as you pull at his hair but this time to pull him away from you, "I wanna—wanna cum on your cock...if that's okay."

Shouto blinks once, twice, and then you're staring at yourself in the mirror listening to him frantically undoing his belt, cursing when the metal slaps him across the palm. You giggle.

"Eager, are we?"

"You don't even know," he pants, and the tip of his cock kissing your entrance has you biting your lip. His eyes meet yours in the mirror and they melt when he fits the head of his cock inside, the grip he has on the porcelain sink turning white as he pushes further.

"You are—you are painfully tight, Miss Y/N," Shouto wheezes into your neck, teeth grit as his pelvis finally brushes against your ass. You resist the urge to wheeze with him, his cock filling you to the point where your lungs struggle to find room to breathe.

"I'll take that as a compliment," you joke, eyes fluttering shut. Shouto tuts, grabbing the underside of your face as he says:

"Eyes open, Miss Y/N. I want you to watch yourself fall apart as I fuck you."

Your eyes peel open, albeit reluctantly as you whine, not understanding why you need to watch your own face when you can enjoy the sight of him instead, "But Shouto, that's embarrassing..."

"Just trust me," he grunts, and his hips are snapping into yours, sending you jolting into the sink to the point where you have to brace a hand on the mirror to keep yourself from being squished flat against the porcelain. Shouto leans over, "You trust me, don't you?"

And well. When he puts it like that...

"Look at yourself, not at me," Shouto says, catching you redhanded. You whine when the hand holding your head moves to your neck and squeezes, cutting off your oxygen supply just enough for your eyelids to drop halfway. "See? See how good you look? So wrecked for me already and we've barely started."

"S-Shut up," you moan more than you say, finding yourself mesmerized in the way your lips part and by the redness of your cheeks. Shouto dips his head into your neck and sucks, prompting your free hand to find his multicolored hair again and pull. His reaction is almost automatic, the way the smooth rock of his hips changes into a quick snap in a heartbeat. It has you keening, his cock reaching places spots you weren't aware you had, and he crushes you against the sink to rub at your clit.

"Fuck, you're so gorgeous for me," he grunts, hips finding the energy to pick up the pace. You whimper and he's sucking a hickey into your neck, hot breaths punctuating along with his sharp thrusts. "Feel so good around my cock, like you were made for me—shit—"

This time you break the rules, eyes flickering to look Shouto in the mirror as you watch him come undone. His hips stutter as he muffles a broken moan in the back of your neck, body shuddering while he fills you up. His thrusts slowly dissolve into nothing and soon it's just your heavy breathing between brick walls, until Shouto pulls out with a hiss.

"You didn't cum."

"O-Oh, um," You blink at his unimpressed gaze through the mirror as if you got caught redhanded. "I...usually can't. Without a vibe.”

Shouto hums at that but says nothing. You watch something in his brain churn, eyes surveying the room before a lightbulb appears above his head and he's snapping his fingers.

"The shower."

"...What?"

"The. Shower." Shouto says, a little cheekier this time, as he guides you towards a simple shower hidden behind a curtain. Now, why there’s a shower in a club bathroom is beyond you.

"Well. This seems awfully convenient," you click. Shouto shrugs.

"Sun (the author) says it's to clean up the drunks who vomit all over themselves." He takes the only shower seat available, back pressing against the tile.” I think she just wants you to ride a showerhead ****if I'm being completely honest."

"Maybe she tried it for the first time recently or something,” you hum absentmindedly, but that thought flies out the window as Shouto grunts:

"Either way, it's irrelevant. Strip."

"I—completely?" You exclaim, covering your body despite the fact that it's already covered by your dress again. Shouto raises an eyebrow, settling both elbows on his knees once grabbing the showerhead from its bar.

"Unless you want your outfit to get soaking wet, yes. Completely."

Touché.

You're naked fairly quickly and Shouto lays you across the tile even quicker. You watch him test the different modes on his hand, before choosing the one with the most...gusto. You spread your thighs and fight the embarrassing blush dusting your cheeks from the exposing position.

"Ready?" You roll your eyes.

"I swear Shouto, if you do—o-oh."

He presses the rushing water to your clit, and you have to take a step back, fully unprepared for how nice the pressure would feel. Shouto chuckles at that, the soles of his loafers soaking in the lukewarm water with you as he sits with his legs spread, brazenly enjoying the view.

"Feels good?"

You nod, hips subtly grinding into the hot stream. Shouto bites his lips at the view and it turns you on that much more to know you can have such an effect, before his free hand drops to his palm himself through his dress pants.

"I get the perfect view, too," Shouto growls to himself, tilting his head ever-so-slightly as you release a broken moan, bare hips stuttering against the tile. "A perfect view of that pretty little pussy. Ah ah, keep those legs for me."

Your inner thighs quiver with an impending orgasm, the edge looking much closer than it did previously. The combination of Shouto's words, his sounds, and the steady beat of the water against your clit is enough to have anyone shaking, and the only complaint you have is that you wish he wasn't so fucking far.

"S-Shouto," you whimper, hands scrambling across the slippery tile. "I'm close."

"Yeah? Do it then, make me proud," Shouto growls with a feral smile, grip tightening around his cock—you nod, chest shuddering.

“Y-Yeah just adjust the—oh fuck, Shou, right there!”

Your thighs clench as you gasp and your fingernails dig into the grout between the tile as you orgasm, your moan nearly bordering on a scream. Shouto groans, grip tight on his cock through his damp suit pants, and you nearly giggle as your high ebbs.

“Have I ever told you how dangerous you are, Y/N?” Shouto says cheekily. You grin back, cocking your head to the right.

“Only a million times.”

“Well then I owe it to you again,” he says lowly, and you get the message you two aren’t done as he joins you on the wet floor to cradle your jaw.

“You’re one dangerous woman, Y/N.”

a/n: i fully expose myself in this, and you know what? i'm fine with that.

click to return to CLUB 777

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hey!

I’m back with a question this time : ) Huge fan of your series Happy Accidents - read it at least a dozen times. Any plans to continue it? It’s some of the best GSR fic I’ve read & so I’m tune with their characters with a slightly different scenario playing out than canon but I love it!

Thanks for sharing! Chelsea

hi, @chelsshearman!

thank you for your kind words! i'm so glad you enjoy the accidentsverse so much. to know that you've read those stories multiple times means a lot. ❤

as for your question, well—

at this very moment, there are about 70-odd pages of the next installment of the accidentsverse sitting in my docs folder, and those 70-odd pages focus on the part of the story where the rest of the team finds out the good news.

i've been slowly—and that is the operative word—working on the story, piece by piece, and i very much intend to finish it.

of course, in classic aj fashion, i can't promise that it will be ready to post anytime soon, not only because i'm a slow writer in general but also because a) i'm really busy with work right now, so i don't have a lot of time for fic atm, and, b) i am simultaneously writing the next chapter of "something in you i believe in" (my canon-compliant s5 wip), and my priority is to finish/post that before the next accidentsverse fic.

but i will get it done eventually.

promise.

in the meantime, may i interest you in a sneak peek to tide you over?

under the "keep reading," if you're interested.

__

She hadn’t intended to still be sitting on the floor when he found her, not when she knows that seeing her this way will worry him. However, despite her best intentions, when his shoes appear in her view on the tile, she is still down, hunched over, breathing shallow breaths through an open mouth, head hung between her knees, back curled against the cupboards below the sink, body shaky and hot under the skin. Her skull throbs with each hard lub of her heart, sour wets her lips, her throat burns with acid, and reflexive tears sting in her eyes. There is roiling in her stomach.

To prove how okay she is, she forces herself to look up at him when he stops in front of her, even though just the act of raising her head worsens the turning in her belly. Wipes her mouth on her wrist. Tries to smile, though somehow she gets the sense that whatever expression she actually manages might be closer to a grimace.

She reaches for a joke, wanting to lighten the moment. “Any chance I could convince you that I’m down here because I lost a contact lens?” she deadpans.

Grissom is too anxious to be playful back or even, in his literal way, to object that she doesn’t actually wear contact lenses. His brow furrows in deep concern as he takes in the tableau before him. “Honey, what happened? Are you not feeling well?”

She winces. “Can I still call it ‘morning sickness’ if it comes on after 10PM?”

As before, her attempt at humor goes unacknowledged. Grissom furrows his brow even more deeply. “You’re having morning sickness now?”

“Seems like.”

More brow-furrowing from him. “Did you throw up?”

She winces again. Leans her head back against the cupboards behind her. Taps the crown of her skull dully against the wood. Groans, never mind her efforts to downplay. “Twice.”

“Just all of a sudden?”

He’s not expressing incredulity but rather surprise at the rapid change in status quo.

For the past few days, her breasts have ached; she has been averse to certain smells, mostly those from hot foods; and she has constantly carried a ferruginous taste in her mouth, as if she had been sucking pennies like lozenges, but until just now, she hadn’t actually actively been sick—only occasionally queasy. Really, so far, the worst part of everything, physically speaking, had just been trying to find meals that sounded even vaguely appetizing. Otherwise, nothing had been too unbearable. 

(The doubt has been much more pressing than any physical symptom.)

[artsyxloner]

Not just a Monster

Warning: drinking

19: Another Infected

Ji-Soo laid on the recovery table fast asleep. She was still kinda pale but that will soon go away once she starts healing. The group managed to find antibiotics if she got an infection.

I would have given her some of my stuff but it burned up in the car explosion. I've been in here for a while, making sure nothing went wrong. Watching to see if her side was turning red, or started to swell.

It could get infected easily and-spread throughout her body if not watched or treated carefully. Soon Jae-Heon came in, I smiled. He was pretty badass for a man that worships God and is also a great swordsman.

( please note that this is not meant to offend anybody, my religion is Christianity )

He took a seat, laying down some white candles he brought with him. checking over Ji-Soo. I could tell something was going on between them but neither announced it yet. I guess in a world like this it was hard to.

" What are the candles for?" I questioned but waited as he lit them with a lighter. Clasping his hands together he bowed his head and began to Pray. Watching him, I haven't prayed in a long time.

I use to think what was the point, thinking it wouldn't do any good since I did a terrible sin. But seeing how Jae-Heon is still keeping his faith even after killing monsters it was the same difference.

Killing is killing.

If I ask for forgiveness will it help? will I finally stop feeling guilty and move on? Will I be able to forgive myself? I wish I knew what to do I was uncertain. But I closed my eyes and bowed my head.

Dear lord

I know I shouldn't be asking for your forgiveness... but please lift me of the sin I committed and if possible I could somehow forgive myself someday and in hopes, they can too. let my family Rest In Peace.

I finished reopening my eyes, I jumped a little realizing Jae-Heon was watching me. " God will forgive you Soo-Nico for whatever you've done." He reassured me, I felt my heart was weighing heavy.

I had to ask since he's was the only one that I could talk about religion. " how are you so sure?" Was he going to forgive me? For something as terrible as that? Jae-Heon had a knowing look on his face. " Because he's a merciful God,"

With that answer, I nodded, " I don't mean to pry but what were you praying about." I wanted to ask, I probably seem nosy. I saw him glance at Ji-Soo," for someone to live a long, healthy, happy life."

Now it was my turn to give some words of encouragement. " They will," it was short and simple but effective. Jae-Heon patted my shoulder. " you're a good kid, I'll watch over her. you should go eat something to build up your strength,"

he informed, me I had to laugh, now that he mentioned it I was pretty hungry. Rubbing my stomach I got up, bowing. Leaving the room, heading to go get something to eat.

His words somehow made me feel better. They were having dinner in the day-care-center walking in I had grabbed my plate sitting down beside Hye-in. I guess it was better to eat with people than being alone.

She was happily eating, away I noticed she had a white face mask on. She looked like a puffy marshmallow, it seems like they have all washed up. I needed a wash. Taking my spoon, I scooped some rice and took a bite.

" Ms. Cha, " Hye-In spoke up getting the woman's Attention, She had looked up. " I thought that you were tan but you're just really dirty." Hye-In laughed, I raised an eyebrow.

" Thanks.." Ms. Cha stared at her I couldn't believe she just said that. " I'm saying you look good now." what she didn't look better before?

" I got these masks in the mail. Want one?" Hye-in offered to pulling up her shirt, revealing a couple of packs of face masks. Well, that's one way to hide them.

" No, thanks. I know That I look pretty without it." This earned all kinds of laughs around the room. " wait, Seung-Wan needs it." Byeong-ll point making  Seung-Wan clap back defensively.

I have I admit it was pretty funny, as we chatted, Sun-Young walked up to our table she seemed nervous. I wondered what about it? " I should go outside." Before I could take another bite I stopped looking up at her. What for?

" I think I'm starting to have symptoms." that's when all the attention turned towards her. It was quiet, " I should've told you sooner." Sun-Young had a long face as if she was disappointed for not telling. " I guess I didn't want to believe it. I'm sorry."

No one can blame you it's scary finding out your showing symptoms it's like your life just has been ripped away. It's hard to accept. " I just don't want to put everyone in danger. So I should go before it's too late—"

Ms. Cha, interrupted Sun-Young, " still you shouldn't go outside." She dismissed. " she right. You're still human, you'll die if you go outside." Hye-In agreed. But Jay-Hwan thought otherwise.

" –We can't let her stay here?" I rolled my eyes, " why don't you shut up!" I fussed that's when Eun-Hyuk Entered the room. " why don't we all hold a vote?" Byeong-ll suggested a worried look was plastered on his face.

Then he all turned to us, " just vote how you feel, because this is like... taking part in a murder." I remembered those words, the day Eun-Hyuk guilt trip, everybody, to so they could vote for Hyun-Su to stay for selfish reasons.

But that was over and done with now, " I vote she gets to stay in the arcade." He raised his hand, I did also Even Seung-wan, " Me, too. Maybe she'll be able to hold out as Hyun-Su did?"

After that everyone raised their hands. I was Surprised when Eun-Hyuk's hand was raised, he has changed, well a lot of them have. It looked like Sun-Young was about to cry.

Soon everyone said their goodbyes, I felt bad she was going to be locked up. But it's what she wanted to keep everyone safe it's better than being outside.

At least they won't discriminate against her as they did to Hyun-Su and now be there for her. Things were changing for better than worse. Hopefully, it stayed that way.

After finishing my food, everybody was in a gloomy mood. They moved around sitting in different seats. " I could definitely use a drink on a day like this," Byeong-ll grumbled moving his pointer fingers around a small candle that was lit.

" There you go again." 

I didn't mine alcohol, but it sounds good right about now. Jay-Hwan told putting in one earbud," well, do you think Sun-Young will hold out like Hyun-Su?" Seung-Wan rethought his words he said earlier.

" I hope so. I thought it was just her husband, but her whole life is awful."  Hue-in announced, yeah I remember Suk-Hyun.

" lady you're face is Awful." Eun-Yoo sneered, I had to smirk, shaking my head. " well I think Byeong-all it right. We could definitely use a drink today."

Ms. Cha agreed I hadn't noticed she left, she was carrying a glass cylinder it was a beautiful dark red juice with raspberry in it.

Setting it down on the table unwrapping the top taking off the plastic wrap. " What is this Korean wine? Please tell me it is." Byeong-ll pleaded.

Everyone began to turn their heads to see. Gil-Seob sat up smelling the wine, " it's at least four years old." He looked up at Ms. cha and she nodded. He smelled it again as Eun-Yoo and I came over sitting beside each other.

" it could be as good as Medicine." I smiled, taking a glance at Eun-Yoo we were both too young but I already had some wine before but it wasn't that great but I was willing to give it another try.

Eun-Yoo Leander forward smelling it, " Yu-ri left early by the way." She informed him, she then moved pushing the Cylinder to me. " go on," she smiled I did to smelling it. God that smelled so sweet, my mouth watered.

" shall we finish this off before Eun-Hyuk comes?" She suggested, talking about her brother. Gil-Seob stuck his pinky in the jar getting a taste. We all began to laugh.

But stopped seeing Eun-Hyuk, he had a straight face, considering he was the leader he made the choices around here shit. " speak of the devil." Gil-Seob mumbled.

I was for sure he wouldn't let us drink, but to my shock he did. " just don't forget your duties." Eun-Hyuk then left, turning back around we quickly Gil-Seob began pouring the wine into small cups.

He handed them out giving me and Eun-Yoo one. I gladly Excepted it before I could take a sip Eun-Yoo nudged me. " hey, I saw you and Hyun-Su almost kiss." She whispered in my ear. My eyes went wide, feeling my whole body go stiff.

WHAT!?

I took a sip avoiding her stare, wow this was good and sweet, " don't be embarrassed you guys are cute together might as well hook up before you know what happens." She hinted, smirking at me.

I took another sip, gulping it down. Is this girl talk? From an actual friend? I wanted to be together with him and I confessed in way that was out of my comfort zone.

" Thanks... And yeah, what is better than two Infected's getting together in a world where anything and everything could go wrong." I said lowly enough just for her to hear.

She Seconded that. " his lips were this close!" I wined, showing her pinching my thumb and pointer finger together symbolizing how close were to kissing. I could feel my cheeks heat up, was I getting drunk I only took a few sips I must be lightweight.

I leaned my head on her shoulder kinda upset, she brought her hand up patting my head. " don't worry you'll get your chance, and you'll be the one to do it." She added.

I thought it over, " Me? why me?" My eyes glanced up. She huffed, " because Hyun-Su is too nervous, plus you made the first move he still wouldn't have done it if you didn't say anything." Eun-Yoo finished her cup like me.

I think that is enough Wine for today. I sat my cup down, feeling all fuzzy. Thinking about Hyun-Su's lips they were chapped and dry but it didn't matter I kiss them either way.

I then heard Eun-Yoo laugh loudly. Did I say that out loud? " you did!" She confirmed I was embarrassed hiding my face in my hands. Only me.

"All Alright!" Gil-Seob clubbed his hands together, " who's in for a story?" He recommended, " aren't we too old for stories?" Eun-Yoo stated, he only smiled. " not this one." is all he said

Taking a seat where everyone slept. We followed I laid my head on a pillow. " it was a very dark night with no moon. I lay down between the corpses and pretend to be dead, but u were watching them carefully." so this was a scary, story the Irony huh?

" the remnants of the people's army went inside the building, and the allied forces that were after them fired hundreds of shots at the building." He took the weird stick Jay-Hwan was holding and reenacted the gun fire-making Pow sounds.

He was on his knees saying it loudly but he suddenly stopped. " Hey, I know I saw them go into the building with my own two eyes," he said as if he was so sure. " they all went into the building but nobody came out of the building." I was interested now raising.

" and there were no dead bodies found. How baffling that building." He sucked in a breath looking around as if remembering something. It seems like everyone was on the edge of their seats. " Was here." Everyone gasped, raising hearing this.

" then?" Jay-Hwan gulped, " we have no idea what's buried underneath where we are. That's what I mean."

He Motioned towards the ground, " -what? -jeez." Someone asked not to believe this scared, I mentally laughed the only thing scarier than that is me in this room.

They had no idea, well except Eun-Yoo but then there was a loud bang since everyone was tense they all screamed. An unfamiliar man came running into the room wearing a black soldier suit." He came towards us seeing the jar of raspberry's sticking his hands in it eating them.

We all scooted back, Gil-Seob held up the stick ready to attack if needed. But Yi-kyeong strode in. " who are you, someone yelled. " I think he's a runaway soldier." He continued to eat, as the raspberry juice dripped on the table.

He then looked at his stained red hands, he kept mumbling something I think it was run? But from what? " quickly!" He freaked out then started shaking falling to the floor. What the hell?

Yi-kyeong grabbed onto his collar as the boys got up to help her. They dragged him away. " well that was unexpected." Hye-In blurred out. The girls nodded.

Seeing there was no reason to stay anymore, I got up and left before any more surprises popped up. I said my byes to Eun-Yoo, I figured I should search around for Hyun-Su.

A/N

Finally finished with this chapter. And please I'm sorry if an offended anyone talking about god, I don't mean to if you guys worship a different religion. I did it because it fits in with the characters' plot. And I also smell a great friendship coming up.

Thank you guys for the reads, votes, and support!! 🖤

[sillyrabbit81]

Her Heavy Cross

Summary: Three years after tragedy hits, Lana she decides to start dating again. She meets Will through a dating app and they begin an online romance. After months of constant requests, Lana relents and agrees to meet and go on an irl date with Will. But is Will who he says he is? Lana is quickly pulled into an intense relationship forcing her to confront her tragic past. Will Lana face it or will she close her heart forever?

Pairing: OMC x OFC

Word Count: approx 3.8k

Warnings: swearing, smut, masturbation

Authors Note: The story started as a Henry Cavill fanfiction but I changed it to be an original character, but shades of Henry are still there. Hope you enjoy the story and thanks for reading.

Part 16 Part 18

Part 17

We got back to Liam's a couple of hours later. I felt exhausted by the time we got back. Finding the right shoes had been a nightmare. I have wide feet and struggled to find something I didn't feel like I was spilling out of.

In a surreal moment, I had found myself debating on whether I should get the Blahnik's or Louboutin's. The prices were unreal, and considering the most expensive shoes I had before those were my Dr Marten's Made in England 1460s, I was out of my depth.

This shop assistant in the shoe department was amazing. He said to go for the Louboutin's because "every woman should have at least one pair in her collection." He made me laugh and was helpful, so despite my misgivings on spending even more on the shoes than the dress, I got them.

The bag had been an easy purchase after that. I got a silver glitter Jimmie Choo clutch. It was half the shoes' price and felt like a bargain.

I hung my dress up, put my shoes and bag in Liam's dressing room and went downstairs to eat lunch with Liam.

"Thank you so much for today. I feel a bit better about the whole thing now that I know what I'm going to wear. One less thing to worry about," I said after we had eaten and packed up. I put my arms around Liam's neck and kissed him.

"You're welcome, Sweetheart. You looked so beautiful in that dress." He kissed me back. "Do you want me to get Ryan to organise an alteration?"

I scoffed, "No, he's probably got enough to do taking care of your shit." I winked. "I can do that tomorrow. I'll also get Jen to do my hair and makeup."

"Riza's wife?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, she does hair and makeup for weddings and formals, so she knows what she's doing."

"Tell her to bring Riza when she comes here, and I can meet them both."

"I'm getting ready here?"

"Yeah, I thought you would. Otherwise, you'll have to get from your place to here all dressed up. And you'll have Perrin with you."

He had a point. "Ok, so next week I'm staying at your place from Thursday until Sunday? Then going to David's and what? Will you stay at mine on Sunday night? Then you come back here on Monday?" Oh, this was complicated.

"Yeah," Liam said like it was no big deal. When you live half your life out of a suitcase, things like that aren't a big deal. Liam looked at his watch. "When do you have to leave?"

"I've got to be at Dave's in a few hours."

"That's just enough time."

"For what?" I asked.

The only warning I got was Liam's bloody twitchy lip. My eyes went wide, and he hoisted over his shoulder again. "For me to have my way with you."

He ran up the two flights of stairs to his bedroom with me giggling at his feat of strength and fitness. I was let down gently on my feet.

I expected Liam to rush me, but he didn't. He brushed my hair from my face as he looked at me with a gentle smile. He seemed so sweet and open that I couldn't help but smile back. I held his hand to my cheek, relishing its warmth, then kissed his palm.

Liam expelled a breath with a short laugh, and his smile grew larger. "I got you another present," he said. "I was going to give it to you on Thursday, but," he rubbed my earlobe, "I can't wait."

"You're very impatient."

Liam nodded. "Wait here." He went to his dressing room and returned with a small jewellery box. Real small. Ring sized small.

I took a step back. I felt cold, sick and my guts churned. Surely, he wasn't that stupid.

Liam looked at me, confused. "Lana, are you ok? You've gone white." I didn't look at him. All I could look at was that little black box. I shook my head.

Liam followed my gaze and must have finally realised why I was looking so sick because he chuckled and said, "it's not what it looks like, Lana." I looked at him, and his eyes twinkled in amusement.

I felt the colour return to my face and covered my face in my hands. "Thank God." I felt a little sheepish.

Still grinning, Liam pulled his hands away from my face and said, "one day, Sweetheart, I certainly hope it will be. Today, however, it's earrings." He opened the box, and inside were two perfect white pearls below a black onyx and diamond setting. They were beautiful. "I know you were joking when you said you needed matching earrings." He shrugged, "I couldn't help myself."

"You got these today? When?"

"I have a confession." Liam's smile was mischievous. "I didn't have to buy a shirt."

I shook my head at Liam, grinning, "you cheeky bastard." I got on my toes and kissed Liam on the cheek. "Thank-you. They are beautiful."

"Will you wear them now?" I nodded and started to take my earrings out. "Let me," Liam said.

Sweeping my hair away from my ear, Liam took my small gold hoops out and put his gift in my ears. He smiled a brilliant smile, revealing just a hint of his teeth. "Perfect," he said, leaning down to kiss me all too briefly. "Go look in the mirror, tell me what you think."

I looked in the mirror in the dressing room, and they were perfect. I played with the earrings. They had such a beautiful yet simple elegance to the design. I felt silly wearing them in my jeans and Joy Division t-shirt.

Going back to Liam, I hugged him again. "Thank-you." I looked into his eyes, so blue and open, and I felt my own tearing up. "You've made me feel special today."

I don't know why I cried. I just knew I felt a warmth in my body, my stomach quivered, and my heart felt like it was trying to escape my chest. I was confused by my feelings. They made me ache, they made me scared, but I also felt happy and safe.

Liam cupped my face with his hands. "Lana, you make me feel that way every day." Using his thumbs, he wiped my tears away.

My next words took us both by surprise. "Make love to me, please?" I didn't mean to say it. The words just fell out as I was swept up in the moment. But it was what I wanted. I wanted to feel love from him, have him hold me again like he had yesterday morning, have him break through my defences, help me tear them down. But more important than what I wanted was what I wanted to give. I wanted to hold him, kiss and caress him, show him how I felt about him.

Liam's face took on a series of changes, moving rapidly from one to another. First, his eyes widened, then he smiled, then his eyes hooded. Finally, he nodded and licked his lips. He leaned down to kiss me, and I closed my eyes. Tenderly, he kissed me, each kiss feathery and light. The ache between my legs was sudden and intense. I kissed him back, matching his mood.

I held Liams head while I got on my toes and kissed his neck. He let out a short groan as I trailed my kisses to his throat. He threw his head back, exposing his whole neck. His hand went to my head, holding me to him. I kissed under his jaw, and his stubble felt sharp on my lips and tongue. I moved down his throat, over his Adam's apple and into the shallow hollow at the base of his neck. Liam ran his fingers through my hair as I went.

I put my hands under his shirt and lifted it, pulling it off with Liam's help. His bare chest made my breath catch, and I reached out to touch him, pausing just short as I had the first night I met him. I smiled at the memory and looked at Liam as I let my fingers sink into his furry chest, his curly hair enveloping them as they did. For a moment, I just let myself feel his warmth through my fingers.

Sliding my arms around his waist, I kissed Liam's shoulder. I felt Liam's hands on my hips, but he let me kiss at his chest as I liked, not hindering me at all, not hurrying me, letting me take my time, allowing me to take control. I travelled across his chest with my hands, mouth and tongue, heat spreading throughout my body as I went. Liam's breath was shallow and rapid as I kissed him. I savoured his smell, texture and taste, hoping to hold onto this moment until I saw him again.

Wanting to feel Liam's skin against my own, I took my shirt and bra off. I embraced Liam as he slid his arms around me, his hands feeling their way up my back. I put a hand to his head and lead his lips to mine. I kissed him slowly, leisurely, enjoying his soft lips while I licked and sucked.

I brought my hips close to Liam's, and we both gasped as we touched.

"Lana," Liam pleaded, rolling his hips into mine, his movements slow and deliberate. "Please, Lana. I need you."

Kissing Liam again, I reached for his pants, undoing his belt. He grabbed for mine, and we undressed each other. Our kisses continued, neither of us wanting to break away. Liam kicked off his shoes and socks and stepped out of his pants. I tried to take mine off, but bloody skinny jeans and Doc's are not easy to kick off.

Liam chuckled when he saw my difficulties. My face warmed. He kissed me as he put his hands under my bottom and lifted me, carrying me the few steps to his bed and sat me on the edge. He got down on his knees and undid my laces, and took my boots and socks off. He pulled my pants and underwear off. To complete the replay of our first night, he held my ankles in his hands before he ran his fingers up my legs, making my skin break out in gooseflesh and my spine shiver.

Smiling at my response, Liam covered his body with mine, and I wrapped my legs around him. Slipping an arm under my waist, he lifted me off the bed and moved me up until my head lay on the pillows. Liam held his weight above me, his powerful arms out outstretched next to my head. He looked so beautiful above me, muscles taut, skin lightly tanned, his face sincere and genuine.

Liam let his body rest on mine, his arms sliding around my shoulders. He let some of his weight onto me, asking, "I'm not too heavy, am I?" I shook my head and nuzzled into his shoulder, sliding my hands under his arms to pull him closer.

Liam made a slight noise of discomfort and rearranged himself before holding me again. I moved my hips and felt myself effortlessly slide against him. A moan escaped my lips as I felt his sex rub against my folds and my point of pleasure. Flares of heat came with each passing, and my mouth sought him, needing his lips, his tongue like I needed air. He kissed me back, and I felt the same need from him, the same desire, the same hunger.

Moving his hips, Liam positioned himself to enter me. He lifted his head and looked at me, his eyes searching for confirmation. I nodded, and he watched my face as he slowly entered me, stretching me, filling me.

It felt like I was whole for the first time in years.

Holding himself still, Liam asked, "are you ok?". Not trusting my voice, I nodded. It didn't help, and the tears came anyway. Liam went to pull out, but I held him with my legs, locking my ankles together.

"Please, don't." My voice was a whisper. Putting a hand to his cheek, I kissed him, my lips firm and my tongue needy. He kissed me back a moment but then stopped and looked at me again.

"But you're crying." He said.

"I'm happy, you idiot," I said softly, smiling at him through my tears.

Liam let out a short laugh. He kissed me again and said, "me too, Lana." He held me tight against him.

We moved with each other, our bodies rocking slowly together. We sometimes kissed, we sometimes just closed our eyes and enjoyed the sensations. Mostly we looked at each other, small smiles on our lips.

"I'm close, Lana," Liam whispered to me.

I smiled at him and nodded. His gentle thrusts became harder now, and I looked into his eyes, watching his expressions change until he called my name, and I felt him release into me.

He let his head fall into the crook of my neck, his deep breaths tickling me. I stroked his hair and caressed his back. We stayed like that, holding each other. It seemed neither of us wanted this moment to end.

I felt Liam's whole weight fall on me as I heard soft snores start in my ear. I chuckled to myself, the poor guy was all tuckered out. I looked over at the bedside clock. I had a bit more time before having to leave, so I stayed holding him until his breaths where long and he had fallen deep into sleep.

I waited until the last possible second before I wriggled out from under Liam and went to have a quick shower. Liam had let me out from under him in his sleep and rolled over. I didn't want to wake him, so I showered upstairs instead of in his ensuite.

I dressed quietly, got my stuff together, went over to Liam, and kissed him on his forehead. He had hummed and tried to grab hold of me in his sleep, but I stepped away, and he relaxed back into sleep.

On the way out, I patted Cole and said goodbye. Cole, being a gentleman, walked me to the garage.

Perrin was happy to see me when I got to Dave's. He dawdled over to me and gave me some licks. It seemed like the kids had worn him out.

The kids weren't tired, though, and begged me to play on the trampoline with them. I rolled my eyes and said to Perrin, "I feel your pain."

Dave, the smart-arse, said to the kids, "I think your Aunty Lana had a big weekend, guys." Smirking, he continued, "she's probably had a lot of exercise."

"You're a dickhead." I said back to him.

The kids giggled their heads off, laughing that "Aunty Lany said a bad word!" I made my eyes go wide and smacked myself on the hand. They laughed and went to play, pulling Perrin along with him.

I said hi to Lucy, who was grinning like a crazy woman but trying hard not to. I laughed at her, blushing furiously. "Stop it," I told her. She just shook her head.

"Come on! Why didn't you tell us? Is he as nice in real life as he seems? Oh God, is he as hot? What's he like?" Lucy gushed.

"Oi," Dave said to her. "Ease up." Lucy just laughed and brushed him off.

"Yeah, he is as nice, really sweet. Funny, exciting and yes, very hot." We giggled.

"Awww," Lucy sighed. "Lana, I'm happy for you. I didn't even know you were dating again."

"Well, yeah, I only started a few months ago. Liam's the only one I had any real interest in."

"How'd you meet him?" Lucy asked. Dave nodded, also wanting to know.

I told them about the Will/Liam thing. They didn't seem to think it was as big a deal as I had thought, but I guess they weren't the ones who went through it. I told them a bit about what happened when we meet, how we had spent the last two weekends together. I left out all the gory details. I also told them about the plan for this week, the premiere, and asking Liam if he wanted to spend Easter Sunday with us.

Lucy squealed and jumped up and down. Dave rolled his eyes at her and agreed it would be good to meet him.

"You know Mum will be there, right?" Dave said.

"Yeah, I know." I scoffed. "Maybe Liam will be the guy to meet her expectations finally."

Dave laughed at that, "Yeah, well, he's got money, so she should be happy about that. He's not a CEO, though, so you still might be in trouble." He was probably right.

My phone rang then, and it was Liam. I must have had a massive smile on my face because Lucy made an "ooooh" noise at me. I hushed her and went outside.

"Hey," I said, my voice was already breathy.

"Hi, Sweetheart," Liam sounded a bit groggy.

"Did you just wake up?"

"Hmm, yes. Sorry. You should have woken me up. I didn't get to say goodbye." He sounded like he was pouting.

"Yeah, I know. But you just looked so sweet laying there, snoring like a chainsaw."

"I do not snore like a chainsaw." He paused, "do I?"

I laughed, "No. You do snore, but it's pretty soft."

He laughed. Then he asked, "are you at your brother's house?"

"Yeah."

"I will let you get back to it then. Call me later tonight?"

"Yeah, I will." I paused, building up the courage to say what I wanted to say, but Liam beat me to it.

"Thank you, Lana."

"For what?"

"For forgiving my bullshit and for pushing you. For letting me get close to you. For letting me be with you. For trying to fit into my world when I know it scares you. For being you. For everything."

For once, I didn't feel like I had to make a joke or change the subject. But I also didn't know what to say. "Thank-you." It was all I had.

"Call me tonight, Sweetheart?" Liam asked again.

I agreed, then hung up.

After dinner, Perrin and I went home. I didn't feel like staying later. The kids were disappointed, but I was tired. I knew it would be a big week, and I wanted to try to get a good night's sleep.

I called Riza on the way home, and we talked a bit about the weekend. She told me a bit about her work and her arsehole boss. I asked her if I could speak to Jen for a minute.

"Sure, but why?"

"Well," I said dramatically. "I'm going to a premiere on Thursday evening, and I need someone to do my hair and make-up."

"Jen, get over here!" Riza yelled, and her voice was so loud through my car speakers that Perrin barked.

"Christ, Riz."

She laughed and said, sorry. Before she handed me to Jen, she said, "Thanks Lana, she will be so happy."

"Why will I be happy?" Jen asked. I told her, and she was quiet a minute. "Really, Lana?"

"Yeah, who else would I get to do it?"

"Can I put it on Instagram? Like a picture of you two all ready?"

I knew she would ask that. She did it for most of her clients. "Yeah, but don't mention anything about it before then. Just after I'm ready, you can put a picture up. I don't know if Liam will want to be mentioned or have a picture, but I'm happy for you to ask him."

"Oh, Lana, thank you! This could boost my business."

"I know, that's why I'm ok with it. I mean, there's going to be photos out there of me anyway, so I hope it will help you get some more work."

Jen and I talked about what I was wearing and how I wanted my hair. I told her I had no idea, so she got all excited and said she knew exactly what to do. Before I hung up, I gave Jen the address and time and told her Liam asked if Riza could come because he wanted to meet her.

"Wow, Lana. You guys are serious, huh?"

"Yeah, Jen, I think we are." We hung up not long after that.

Later that night, I called Liam, and I told him I'd sorted Jen to come over and told Dave he would come for Easter.

He seemed pleased, and we talked a bit about Riza and Jen before I told Liam I was tired and wanted to go to sleep.

I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. My brain wouldn't shut off. I kept thinking about being at school tomorrow and seeing the parents. Then I started thinking about Thursday and what Myra and the others would think of me. What it would be like to do that walk down the red carpet. I know a lot of the press will just want photos of Liam, so I'll have to stand there looking like an idiot while he poses. But worse will be when I have to stand with him. I could just imagine pictures of us, Liam looking dashing and me looking like a deer in headlights.

I started Googling how to pose on the red carpeting even got out of bed and tried a few before feeling like a total dag and getting back into bed. I wanted to back out. I didn't want to do it. I couldn't believe I had said yes to it. But I remembered Liam's face when I said I would go, and I knew that's why I had said yes.

I thought about how sweet Liam had been to me all day, how beautiful he had made me feel,  how he had tried to make the whole thing easier, how he had kissed me and held me. How he had whispered my name as we made love.

I felt the heat between my legs grow. I tossed and turned a bit, trying to make it go away. I felt hot, so I took my pyjamas off. I tossed and turned some more. I tried to ignore it but I couldn't.

I went to my draw and got out my rabbit-style vibrator. I touched myself, and I was ready for it. I closed my eyes as I slipped it inside. I thought about Liam as I did. He was thicker than my slim vibrator but just as long. I positioned its ear against my clit and put it to the setting and speed I liked.

I held it there. I thought of Liam's gravelly voice in my ear and could almost feel his breath on my neck. I let my free hand wander over my body, remembering watching as Liam touched me. I thought of how he looked at me sometimes with a small smile, his eyes dancing with amusement as his lip twitched.

As I got closer to the edge, I thought about earlier that day, the way he held me, how gentle and tender he was. I remembered how it felt as I kissed his chest and his hairs tickled my nose. I remembered his smell, earthy and masculine, like the bush after it rained. I fell over the edge when I remembered how he had called my name as he orgasmed, my own rippling through me in waves as his voice rang in my ears.

Not long after that, I finally fell asleep.

Part 18

[nikki-romero]

The Wild Flower (Tomoki Matsuba x OC) Prologue

It was finally the long-awaited moving day. I was moving into an apartment by myself. My dad helped me get the perfect apartment. The negotiations had gone smoothly and it was time to move in. I decided to walk to the new apartment to learn the new neighbourhood better.

My cousin and I had stopped and checked the map we had.

"Hmm, it looks like it's this way." My cousin, Ayame, pointed ahead of us. The pedestrian light turned green. "Come on!" She rushed across the street. With how excited she was getting, you'd think she was the one starting a new chapter of her life, so to speak.

"Wha-! Ayame!" I called after her. I quickly shoved the map into my bag before running after her. She turned around to wait for me, and her eyes widened.

"Hotaru! Watch out!!"

I looked to the side and saw a white limo heading towards me. I gasped but managed to leap out of the way before it could hit me, right into a puddle of ice-cold water.

"Hotaru! Are you alright?!" Ayame came running up to me, panicked.

"Peachy." I looked at my soaked clothing in utter dismay. Just as I was about to get up from the ground, a gentlemanly man dressed in black stepped out of the limo. A butler? I stared dubiously at him as he reached out his hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm great," I replied sarcastically. I had the right of way. I should not have had to escape death so narrowly. And I wasn't about to take his hand either. I shot him a nasty glare as I got up by myself.

"Your clothing... This is my fault. Allow me to make it up to you."

"What the hell was that? Don't you know how to read a road sign? Jesus Christ, you could have killed me!" I scolded him.

"You're right, I am so sorry." He bowed to me. "I'll get you a change of clothes," the man said gently.

"I don't need it," I snapped.

"Please, I insist. I can't leave a beautiful young girl looking like this. For one thing, my employer would be angry with me."

"Hotaru," Ayame whispered, "Maybe you should accept his offer. He looks like he feels really bad."

"You're too nice," I whispered back before turning back towards the butler. "Fine, whatever."

He smiled as he opened the door of the spacious limo and ushered us inside.

"My apologies. I should have stated earlier. My name is Aoi Shirafuji. I'm a butler to the Ichijo family," the butler introduced himself.

I stilled. "Ichijo?" I repeated.

"Oh, you know Mr Ichijo?" Aoi asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"No, I've just heard a lot about the Ichijo Group," I managed to force out. "The amusement parks the company has built is really quite impressive." I forced a smile. Somehow I felt like I just stepped on a landmine.

We arrived at a large and impressive mansion and Aoi took me to a room with a large full-length mirror and closets full of a wide range of clothing. "This way. Choose whichever you like."

The clothes were both my style and my size. It sent unpleasant shivers down my spine; I felt sick.

"Does a girl our age live here?" Ayame mused. I didn't answer. "Hotaru? Hey, are you okay? You seem a little tense." She furrowed her brow.

"Mm," I choked out. I didn't feel particularly eager to talk about it. "I'm... going to get dressed. Would you mind waiting outside?"

"Uh, yes, sure." Ayame knew me too well. She knew I wasn't being myself.

I took a shaky breath. Then another. Another. I took several deep breaths until I felt slightly calmer. I really didn't want to be here. Feeling like I wouldn't explode, I grabbed the first dress I saw off its hanger, not bothering to even look at it.

There was a knock on the door as I finished getting dressed.

"Yes?" I replied though I hadn't finished fastening the hook of the dress yet. It wasn't Aoi who entered the room.

"I'm Tomoki Matsuba. I'm one of the butlers here. I'm here to pick up the garments that require cleaning," the butler said. Bow-tied, black-suited and bespectacled, he exuded a rigidness befitting of a butler.

"Right. My cousin; did she...?"

"She went ahead to the garden," Tomoki responded.

"Oh." I bit my lip. Now what? I couldn't reach the clip on the back of my dress. I took yet another deep breath." Would you mind helping me fasten the hook on my dress? I can't quite reach it," I said.

"Please turn around." I did as he said and turned my back to him. He swiftly fastened the hook at the back of the dress before speaking again. "I'm going to do your laundry. Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"That would be lovely, thank you," I answered.

"This way." I followed Tomoki to the garden where Ayame was already waiting for me. She was sitting at a table, drinking from an elegant tea set.

"Kyo Aizawa. I'm a butler. Would you like anything else to drink?" Yet another butler introduced himself to me.

"The tea will be just fine, thank you," I replied formally as I sat down. Kyo promptly poured tea into the beautiful cup. "Thank you," I smiled up at Kyo once he was done.

"It's an original black tea blend using roses from this garden," he informed me.

"It smells wonderful."

"I recommend first tasting it black." A delicate pattern covered the teacup.

"This is Queen Rose, is it not?" I inquired, inspecting the cup. It suited the garden, but I was too on edge to enjoy it. Kyo didn't look the least bit surprised that I knew that.

"That's correct. It was produced in the early 18th century at the Raines factory." I nodded as I delicately held the cup and took a sip.

"How do you even know that stuff?" Ayame asked me. My only response was a small smile. Ayame cocked an eyebrow at me, inspecting my lips, and then my eyes. She gently placed the cup in its saucer and leaned over the table. "Hotaru?" she lowered her voice so only I can hear.

I shook my head. "Don't."

Ayame frowned but left it at that.

"It's delicious," I said after having tasted the tea, but the truth was I could barely taste anything. Silence fell upon the garden. Kyo didn't seem to be the talkative type as he watched over us. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another butler approaching, a charming smile on his face. This family certainly had a lot of butlers...

"What's the matter? You look so serious," he commented.

"I always look like this," I replied calmly.

"Itsuka Matsuba at your service. You met Tomoki earlier. Last name's the same," he said cheerfully.

"Brothers, I take it?"

"That's right. Now, how would you two like some freshly baked scones?"

"Scones sound nice, don't you think so, Hotaru?" she asked, a little too cheerfully.

"Thank you," I replied. We were stuck here until my clothes got cleaned so we might as well.

"The strawberry jam is made with organic strawberries from our farm, and the clotted cream from milk from our cows." Was that supposed to impress me? Without responding, I cut open the scone and took a small bite.

"It's very delicious," I said before taking another bite. After eating, I elegantly wiped my mouth with a napkin and glanced at my surroundings. The garden was well taken care of. It was filled with gorgeous flowers and the landscape was really quite breathtaking. "You have a lot of pink flowers and roses here," I noted.

"We're growing them for a celebration," Itsuki replied.

"A celebration?"

"It will be our employer's birthday in a month. And his daughter will be introduced to society on the same day," he explained. It took everything I had not to tremble. Not to react in any negative way. I swallowed.

"Is that so? I'm sure she must be wonderful," I said, keeping the bite I was feeling out of my voice.

"She is. A bit of a diamond in the rough. But that'll make training her all the more worth it." I had to keep myself from barking a laugh, and almost faltered.

"Oh? In my experience, I've found that the rough diamonds are far more valuable than refined ones." I flashed him one of my most dazzling smiles. His eyes widened.

"Oh, how do you figure?" he asked.

"I apologise for not being able to put this more delicately, but in this society, I find these 'refined'," I air quoted the word, "diamonds to be little more than sheep." Itsuki didn't hide his shock at my words, and I smirked ever so slightly. "Of course, I don't blame them. They were raised that way. You know, to follow someone else's orders; someone else's plan for their lives. It's been imprinted on them since the moment they were born and it's all they know. Whereas a diamond in the rough, as you put it, is quite rare in high society, but personally, I find it invigorating. It's like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating world to meet someone who is willing to against the status quo to do what they believe in. You could even say it's like defying gravity, which, in and of itself is already a very impressive feat." I chuckled. "But, what do I know? I'm just a teenager." I didn't fail to notice Ayame's dubious expression directed at me.

Yet another butler walked up to us, holding my freshly cleaned clothes.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," he said. I had to admit, I was taken aback by how attractive he was. But he had a certain vibe that reminded me of my brother, Eisuke, and that usually only spelt bad things. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yuma Akagi, and I'm the Ichijo family's head butler." Yuma bowed to me.

I smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I would like to apologize for the actions of one of our butlers today," Yuma said.

The corner of my mouth twitched. "I appreciate it. I'm just glad no one was hurt," I added. Yuma nodded.

"Meeting like this was, I think, fate. I hope... that you and I will meet again somewhere." I forced a chuckle as I looked away. If we did, I'd choke all of them. Yuma smiled significantly as he took my hand, then he gently kissed the back of it. The gesture was familiar, but it never got any easier to bear. "You were in the midst of moving. I'll have the limousine take you," he said.

"Thank you," I replied. I quietly watched Yuma give instructions to the other butlers.

After changing my clothes, Ayame and I got into the limo together with Yuma.

Ayame gave me another worried look as she was dropped off. "Hey, um, call me. Okay?"

"Sure." I nodded.

"Again, I am very sorry about today," Yuma said. It seemed like his attention was focused solely on me.

"It's alright."

"How did you find the house?"

"It was gorgeous. Absolutely breath-taking," I replied.

Yuma smiled, brimming with elegance and grace, but I could tell he wasn't actually buying a word I said.

We weren't far from the new apartment when the limousine came to a sudden stop.

"Are you alright?" Yuma's arms were around me, steadying me after the abrupt braking. I felt myself stiffen; my blood ran cold. In a panic, I pushed away from him. "Miss?"

"Sorry, I just don't handle physical contact very well." I shifted uncomfortably.

"I... apologize," Yuma said as he moved away from me. I shook my head.

"It's fine. But is there a problem?" I asked, looking away from him and out the window in an attempt to get rid of the tension in the atmosphere.

"It appears the road narrows up ahead. The car can't continue. This is as far as we can take you," Yuma explained.

"Here is fine. Thanks for bringing me this far."

"Before you go, might I ask how you found our service?" Yuma asked. An odd thing for a butler to ask.

"Oh, your service was superb." I got a sudden idea. "You're definitely on Geo's level."

"Geo?" Yuma asked. The corner of my lips tugged upwards. I got him. Hook, line, and sinker.

"My dad's butler," I replied innocently.

"Your... Dad?"

"Oh! I just realised I never introduced myself. Apologies. I'm just so used to people knowing I am. I'm Hotaru Ichinomiya."

"A pleasure, Miss Ichinomiya." Yuma smiled, but it was forced.

"I know this is probably common knowledge, but my dad, Akira, adopted both me and my brother, Eisuke. You see, my biological father abandoned me and my mother a long time ago."

Yuma's façade almost faltered, and I saw that. I was right; he knew!

"Abandoned?" Yuma asked, almost hesitantly.

"Yep. He didn't even show up for my mother's funeral after she died."

Yuma looked away. "I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps there was a reason he couldn't take care of you?"

I leaned back in my seat. "I don't care."

"You... Don't care?" God, how many more times was he going to feel inclined to make me repeat what I said?

"I don't. No excuse he could have would ever be good enough."

"I'm sure he must love you." I could tell Yuma was choosing his words very carefully without divulging too much information.

"You can't love someone you don't know. I've never even met him. Or talked to him. You see, the way I see it, blood doesn't mean anything. Genetic doesn't mean anything. I'll tell you what does mean something though: When I needed a dad, Akira was there. Akira is my dad. And my so-called father was little more than a sperm donor." Yuma almost choked on his words, and I chuckled. "Not the most delicate choice of words, but it's the truth. The thing is, you don't get to be a dad just because you share DNA. He wasn't there when I needed him the most, and he has no right to take up that role now." Yuma was speechless. "But I'm sorry to dump all of that on you like that. That was really silly and unfair of me. Please, forget I said anything." I made a show of giving a nervous laugh.

"Not at all." Yuma knew I was full of it. And I knew he knew that, but he didn't say anything more.

"Well, it's getting dark. I really should be going."

"Of course." He got out of the car before I did and held the door open for me. I bowed politely to him and turned to leave. I was happy to see the moving truck in front of the building when I finally got there.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry I'm so late. I'm Hotaru Ichinomiya."

"We've brought everything inside. Have a great day, Miss." With that, the movers left. I stood still for a moment and frowned. They brought everything inside? I didn't have to guess how they did that. I had a really bad feeling about this. I just hoped to god I was wrong. I inserted my key and unlocked the door.

"Welcome home, Miss Ichinomiya."

I wasn't wrong...

I was unable to hide my disdain as the butlers bowed their heads gracefully. I slammed the door shut behind me. The composure I put so much effort into keeping all day crumbled in an instant. I stared at them, not saying anything.

"We're here to serve you. Starting today." Aoi said. The butlers brought me slippers. I glared at the slippers, then at them, and crossed my arms.

"Well. I wish I could say I'm surprised," I snapped scornfully. I slipped my shoes off, not bothering with the slippers as I walked into the living room and sat down on my sofa. Resting my elbow on the armrest, I pressed my forefinger against my temple and my thumb beneath my chin. "Well go ahead. Give me the whole speech about why you're here."

Itsuki cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "Do you remember when I mentioned our employer's daughter?" he asked.

"Uh-huh."

"That girl..." Itsuki started, only to have his sentence finished by Tomoki.

"... is you." I didn't respond. "But... you already knew that."

"And that surprises you, how? I have the power, money and resources to do just about anything. You really think I'd go through life being oblivious and naïve without looking into who my father is?"

"You're going to be a sophisticated woman by the time of our employer's birthday," Kyo said. Sophisticated. I could socialise quite well in and I knew how to conduct myself, but there were many in high society who would argue that I wasn't quite "sophisticated" or "traditional" enough. Men in high society liked controlling everything, and I had a reputation for going against the tide. But I've never been bothered by that before and I wasn't about to start now.

"Right. Your employer, Kazuma Ichijo. My so-called father."

"Yes." Aoi smiled. I bet women were putty in his hands with that smile. The stupid ones anyway.

I didn't say anything, and the tension in the air grew ever more palpable. I didn't take my eyes off the butlers either.

As the glaring continued, the front door opened and Mr Head Butler walked in.

"Why, hello there, Miss Ichinomiya," Yuma grinned as he unceremoniously locked the door.

"Oh, great. The cavalry's here," I said sarcastically.

"Yuma, she knows," Aoi said.

Yuma grinned. It was a sinister grin; the same one Eisuke got whenever he was plotting something. "I figured as much. Everything you said in the limo... You knew all along who Mr Ichijo is."

"What did she say in the limo?" Itsuki asked, curiously.

I snorted. "Believe me, if I'd known you were Ichijo butlers before I got in that limo, I never would have accepted your half-assed offer. But then again, something tells me whether I accepted it or not, we'd still all be here right now."

"Enough. I cannot allow and Ichijo to utter such vulgar words," Tomoki said with a scowl.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Oh yes? Try and stop me, four-eyes."

His scowl turned into an expression of both shock and offence.

"Well as fun as this has been, everybody out. Before I report you for break in and entering."

"I didn't expect you'd treat us like crooks. Not when you're the one violating your lease." Yuma held out a piece of paper.

I snatched the paper from his hand and skimmed through the contract until my eyes stopped at a particular 'special feature'. "Personal butler?" I read out loud. And right at the bottom was Akira's signature. My dad wasn't stupid. No way would he have signed this without checking every detail and have the family lawyer go over it for emphasis. Which could only mean he knew about this and didn't tell me.

"We had you come to the house to make the idea more palatable," Aoi said.

"Yes, yes. You set me up. I figured that out hours ago." I got up. "I don't believe this," I mumbled as I grabbed my phone and went into my room. I slammed the door shut and furiously dialled my dad's number.

"Yes?" He didn't look at the caller ID before answering.

"Hi, Dad. It's me," I said in a voice so sweet it sounded sickening even to me.

"Hotaru! I was going to call you in the morning. Have you settled in?" he asked.

"Yes, about that... Did the lease for my new apartment perhaps come with a tiny detail you forgot to mention?" I spoke through clenched teeth.

"The lease?" Akira remained silent for a few moments as he thought. "Oh! You must be talking about the butler service. It was a special they had just for your apartment. I figured having a butler would make your life a little easier."

My eyebrow twitched as I closed my eyes in exasperation. "So you did know about it."

"Of course. You think I'd sign something like that without thoroughly checking every word on it?"

"And you didn't think to warn me about it?" I breathed.

Akira paused. "You're upset..."

"Damn right I'm upset! Dad, you've been duped!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Those butlers! I wouldn't be surprised if they disguised themselves as real estate agents. They probably played on your worry as my dad, too."

"Hotaru, you're not making any sense."

"They're Ichijo butlers! They orchestrated this whole thing! The apartment, the lease, the butler service. All of it! All so they could, and I quote, 'turn me into a sophisticated woman' for his birthday party."

I heard Akira breathe hard over the receiver in an attempt to maintain his composure. "I'm calling Yuzuru."

"What's he going to do? They're practically untouchable, and not because they work for Ichijo. They planned everything to the finest detail and slipped through all the right loopholes. Everything on the lease is legal and you knew about the butler service when you signed it, so we can't even sue them for not explaining certain details on the contract. There's nothing we can do."

Akira paused. "You're right. But there's nothing on the lease about you following their rules. No conditions about you taking any kind of lessons from them. I doubt I need to tell you this, but you don't dance to the sound of their pipes. You dance to yours."

I smirked, relaxing a bit. "You know it, Daddy."

"Good. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Love you, too."

I took a deep breath before opening my door. Of course they were still there, and they likely heard every word I said to my dad, too. I took one annoyed look at them and moved to the kitchen.

"All sorted out?" Yuma asked sarcastically as he followed me into the kitchen.

"Why bother asking when you heard my entire conversation," I retorted.

There was a moment of silence before Yuma doubled over with laughter.

"I think this will be very interesting indeed," he said as he looked at me with amusement.

I didn't bother responding as I put the kettle on; nothing good could possibly come from interacting with him. I turned around and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing my arms over my chest.

Yuma's sinister smile returned. I raised my eyebrows in a motion for him to get to the point.

"All you have to do is accept our training on behalf of our dear employer. It's only a month," Itsuki said.

My eyes flitted to him. "No," I said flatly before turning my back to them.

"You had etiquette lessons, but we need to make doubly sure you didn't miss anything. Not to mention kick that flighty nature of yours. Otherwise, you'd just be an embarrassment," Yuma replied with a broad smile.

I barked a laugh. "Wow. That is just hilarious." I turned back to him. "I already told you how I feel about him. And I know you know I meant every word. But just in case you're still processing, allow me to break it down for you. I can barely stomach the thought of breathing the same air as your oh-so-wonderful employer. He can go fuck himself for all I care. And you would be damn lucky if I decided not to embarrass him and his company on purpose, which, by the way, I'm still undecided on." Tomoki opened his mouth to say something. I pointed my finger at him without looking at him. "You say one word about my language, I swear to god I will punch you."

Yuma sighed, exasperated. "How you feel about him doesn't matter. We made a promise to him and we intend to keep it."

I snorted. "Good luck with that." I turned back to the now boiled kettle and prepared some camomile tea. God knows I needed it.

"Alright, it's time you choose," Yuma said. I could hear the amused smirk in his voice.

"Oh, I get a choice, do I?" I retorted.

"Who would you like to be your butler?" Aoi asked.

Next Chapter

[oikawa-tuwu]

Kitchen (gn!Reader x Osamu)

Rated T, 1.5k words

Not Home for the Holidays Masterlist

"Can I hide in here?"

You spend most of your time surrounded by people. Entertaining guests and providing homey hospitality is half your job after all. Therefore, you tend to relish the time you have to yourself. Cooking dinner, like you do every evening, is one of those times.

Unfortunately, it seems like one of your guests didn't get that memo.

“Can I hide in here?”

You blink. One second ago, you were alone in the kitchen, washing vegetables for dinner, but now there’s a man, tucked against the wall of the kitchen, glancing fearfully into the hallway.

“Not from the cops, I hope.”

“No,” the man says, even though the intensity wedged deep into the furrow of his eyebrows says otherwise. “My brother.”

Ah. He’s one of your guests. Now you recognize him as one of the twins that you checked in yesterday, the one that slapped his brother on the arm as you led them to their room. You never did get an explanation for the assault, but hey. Siblings.

The man in front of you shifts his feet a little, glancing back out into the hallway, and you remember that he asked a question. While you're not exactly used to having an audience while you cook, you also can't find a reason to tell him to leave, so you shrug and the man sighs, carefully closing the door behind him.

“Thanks. I’m Miya Osamu, by the way.”

“Y/n.”

Miya nods his head in greeting, sliding into one of the barstools at the end of the kitchen island. He pulls out his phone and you continue washing potatoes. It’s quiet, and a little awkward, but not unbearable.

Then, Osamu’s phone starts to ring. Well, vibrate, to be more accurate, spasming violently in Osamu’s hand, and it startles him so much that he almost drops it, before catching it in his other hand and trying to pretend like that slip never happened.

Meanwhile, the phone keeps ringing.

“Are you gonna get that?”

“Nope,” Osamu says. He flips through something on his phone, and the ringing stops, even though his phone on the counter stays lit up with the notification of an incoming call from contact name: Asshole.

“Is there a particular reason why you’re trying so hard to avoid your brother?”

Osamu scowls, and somehow scowls even harder when his phone lights up again. Incoming call from Asshole.

“It was his idea to come here as a sibling bonding vacation,” Osamu says, emphasizing that last part with unenthusiastic air quotes. “I haven’t spent this much time with him since we were in high school. I just need a second alone.”

“Sounds like you two are close.”

Osamu makes an uncommitted sound, somewhere between a grunt and a huff, and rejects the next phone call that comes in. “If you call driving each other up the wall everytime we’re in the same room as each other as close, then yeah.”

“Distance helps with that,” you say, as you pull out a cutting board for your freshly washed vegetables. “If you spend enough time apart, you’ll start to appreciate the time you can spend with each other.”

At first, Osamu doesn’t respond, just watches as you slowly begin to chip away at the mountain of vegetables you need to chop for the stew. Hesitantly, he finally asks, “Do you want help with that?”

“This is kind of what you’re paying me for,” you laugh. “Besides, no offense, but my reputation as a host is dependent on evenly cooked vegetables, so if you mess up...”

“I own a restaurant,” Osamu says, deadpan. “I don’t think I’ll fuck up chopping carrots.”

With a shrug, you get out a second cutting board and knife, sliding it across the counter. “If that’s how you want to spend your vacation.”

Osamu washes his hands, cracks his knuckles, and gets to work. He’s quick with the knife, quicker than you, so you start on the actual base of stew as he works, dicing and chopping. You're a little surprised at how... nice... it is to cook with someone else for a change, working in silence as you both attend to your tasks.

After cooking the floured beef, you add a few splashes of red wine and keep stirring. Once it's ready, you add the broth, and wait for it to come to a simmer.

Osamu, on the other hand, made quick work of the pile of potatoes, onions, and carrots and he quietly slides the pile of diced produce towards you.

“Stew?” He asks, peeking into the pot with a watchful eye.

“Yep. It’s cold outside, and this stew recipe is pretty hearty, so…”

“It’s a good idea,” Osamu says, with a quiet, fond smile. As he talks, one hand reaches up to rub at the back of his neck, a strangely endearing nervous tic. “My mom used to make stew for us after we got home from spring nationals every year back in high school. It smells like her recipe.”

“Do you want to try it?” You ask, digging for a spoon in the silverware drawer. “Obviously, it's not done, but…”

Osamu accepts your offer anyways, and takes the spoon from you, closing his eyes as he lets the beef broth and wine run down his throat. “Tastes like her recipe.”

“Do you mind getting out the tableware? Bowls are in the top cupboard to the right of the sink.”

“And you sound like her, too,” Osamu grumbles, but he laughs when you do, and obediently traipses across the kitchen.

The quiet returns, briefly, but this time it's tainted, distantly, by the sound of someone yelling. Although muffled, it sounds vaguely like they’re shouting a name, so you tilt your head and listen harder to make out the syllables.

“‘Samu!” The voice yells again, significantly louder this time, as the speaker gets closer to the kitchen.

“Is that-” You start to ask, but the scowl on Osamu’s face answers your question for you. Before you can think better of it, you point to the door in the corner of the room. “You can hide in the pantry?”

Osamu blinks, and it takes him a second to process the words, but then he grins, darting into the tiny space and shutting the door just as the kitchen door opens.

“Is Osamu in here?” The other Miya asks, grinning as he leans into the kitchen. “Looks like me, except dark hair and less handsome?”

“Hm,” you hum, as you go back to stirring the stew. “No, I haven’t seen anyone like that.”

The blond Miya nods thoughtfully, but, unfortunately, doesn’t leave. Instead, he slides into the seat that had been previously occupied by Osamu, still sporting that same mischievous grin. “The name’s Atsumu.”

“Y/n.”

“Nice to meet you. You know, my brother is a chef.”

“Really?” You ask, biting your lip to keep from laughing. “I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah,” Atsumu continues, his smile growing. “He’s good, too. Makes the best onigiri I’ve ever eaten, which is good, because if he quit playing volleyball to do something he sucked at, I think I would have to disown him. Did I mention that? We played volleyball together. He honestly could have gone professional if he wanted to, like me, but I suppose I can forgive him since he’s so successful-”

“Miya,” you interrupt. “Are you talking up your brother to me?”

Atsumu shuts up, and has the decency to at least look a little embarrassed, as his cheeks flush a little and his grin loosens up just the tiniest bit. He rubs his neck, a gesture that you saw only a few moments earlier on his twin brother, and says, sheepishly, “You got me. But… just between you and me,” he takes a second to glance about the room, like confirming his brother wasn’t actually in the room and he just hadn’t noticed the first time, before leaning forward and stage-whispering conspiratorially, “he thought you were cute when you checked us in yesterday.”

“Did he now?”

“Uh-huh,” Atsumu says, that mischievous glint back in his eye. “But you didn’t hear it from me.”

And with that, Atsumu winks, rising from his chair and leaving back through the door, giving one last wave before it closes shut behind him.

You give it a moment, but when the pantry door doesn’t open, you say, “You can come out now, Osamu.”

“I don’t want to,” comes the muffled response.

For the second time, you have to bite your lip to stop the laugh that threatens to escape. “Not even if I offer you another taste of the stew?”

Slowly, the pantry door swings open. Osamu walks out, one hand self-consciously running through his hair, not quite looking you in the eyes.

“Is it possible for you to forget everything my brother said?”

You tilt your head, a teasing lilt to your words as you ask, “You think I’m cute?”

“When you’re not conspiring with my brother,” Osamu replies, shuffling his feet in a way that could only be described as quietly self-conscious. “Then yeah. I think you’re cute.”

For some reason, the admission takes you by surprise, and your cheeks flush even though you were the one that goaded him to it in the first place.

“Well,” you say, clearing your throat and looking back down at the stew. “I guess you made an effective sous chef, Miya, so if you would like to return tomorrow, I won’t complain.”

Osamu smiles, and you’re pleased to note that his eyes drift up from the floor to you, frown sliding into something more like that playful grin like his brother’s just a second ago. “I guess that depends. What’s on the menu?”

“I was thinking… onigiri. Know anyone that could help me with that?”

(A/N: Its not my favorite I've written, but it's done! Also shoutout to my mom for dealing with her daughter running into the living room and demanding she recite a stew recipe from memory. Which she did. I also posted this to AO3, so you can find the link to that on the masterlist! See you on 12/5 for Tendou's! Dw, the next ones will be more holiday/winter inspired than this one ;) )

[skittles1229]

Old Expectations Die Hard (Dashie x Reader Fanfic)

Chapter One: Weird Circumstances

You know your life is complicated when the friend you always complain to says "you never have a dull moment do you?" I sigh as the weight of the world seems to make it impossible to breath. You see recently things have been rough. I lost my job and my fiance all in the same day, that itself was an unbelievable story. I was so upset and strung out on thoughts of what to do that once i got home early from work i didn't notice the extra car in the driveway. i stepped into my home and my own floors felt as if they'd given way when i saw the guy i thought i'd be spending my life with in bed, with my sister... my sister and i hadn't been on good terms for a while and for a good reason! The drugs she took either made her unreliable and selfish or crazy and murderous. He, of course, pulled the its not what you think, id never hurt you, it was a mistake, and honestly i could write a book out of the excuses i heard in the time of two minutes but maybe another time. Needless to say i left. I never thought about going back and to be honest my sister looked more hurt then i was. I took a job in California a few weeks ago and moved in with my friend (BFF Name). They always seemed to know what to say and honestly i truly believe They  knew me better then i know myself. 

California gave me the biggest culture shock I've ever had. I came from Mississippi, the bible belt and the most rural part of the world. California was sooooo different then what i was use to. The weather is awesome. There's lots of jobs for technical people, at least until you're 45 and then you're considered ancient and you can't possibly know anything when some 23-year old out of Stanford tells you that they know it all. (a little bit of sarcasm there) It's a great place to start a new company, money is available as is talent. The risk of starting a company is lower since you can always find a new job The politics are insane, if you aren't towing the progressive party line you should just STFU. If you even once say that Trump has done something positive, or that Obama did something negative prepare for the wrath. Read the stuff behind the recently filed lawsuit against google for a taste of what it's like. Seriously, don't say a word. The state if structurally bankrupt, although the finances look good because so much stuff is off of the balance sheet. The public pension liability dwarfs the "good" part of the budget, and some day it is coming home to roost. Watch out when it does. The cost of living is absurd, really absurd. I'm not talking just a place to live but gas, electricity, haircuts, milk, pizza, you name it. The traffic is absurd too. (can you tell i like the word absurd) The public transit, although usually on time, is a mess. People are pigs, they throw trash everywhere, the cars are overcrowded almost all the time. 

I've got to say, from how much it sounds like i hate California, i actually don't.  Mainly because its so far away from my original family, leaving really helped me start to grow up and feel like maybe i was getting a hold of my life again. Only problem has been getting to my new job on time. I work as a barista and a waitress at a brunch place a good minute away from the apartment. The money is good, otherwise i wouldn't waste my time with the commute everyday. i keep being late to work because i still haven't adjusted to how terrible traffic is and so my boss was "nice" enough to switch me to the later shifts. The hours are long and boring because my shift starts in the middle of rush hour to the slowest hours at the end of the day meaning you have to find things to keep yourself busy with. the only good thing is, we can wear pretty much anything we want as long as its black. all i wear is dark colors so i didn't have to spend any extra money on a uniform and i didn't have to wear the same thing everyday. Today i decided i wear a v-neck shirt that with an emperor waist (body forming) with black skinny jeans and my regular converse. i decided against driving to work and decided it would be far smarter to catch a bus to the nearest destination. My (hair color) hair was done is a fishtail messy braid, i always liked this style because it made me look like i had a head full of hair when in reality i thought i was going bald. 

My personality was a little odd, you see some days i felt like the beautiful nerd who has no confidence and wants to hide away in a hole. other days i feel like a model from Victoria secrets, of course those are the days i get the most tips. today was honestly a mutual day, where id rather be at home in my bed asleep, or listening to music. The bus finally stopped a block away from my job and i sighed obviously not wanting to go into work. surprisingly there wasn't nearly  as many cars as there usually is around this time but i wasn't complaining. i walk in to see that most of the downstairs was empty but whoever was upstairs definitely had a loud mouth. i walk to the back in order to clock in and i bump into melany ( the girl im shifting with). "wow you actually got here on time! Maybe the boss's mood will cheer up." i huffed a little. "yea, i dont know why i thought id need a car in California, say whats with the low level of customers? its NEVER this slow." she looked at me in disdain, "some guys reserved the entire upstairs and we had to make this huge table out of all our tables up there, glad im not gonna be the one fixing it later." i rolled my eyes, i hated when a huge family came in and they just had to move everything around because little johnny wants the sit next to suzzie and suzzie HAS to sit by her parents bc she likes to throw her food on the floor, all fake names but a real situation ive been in before. "well have they at least been fed so that i only have to clean up after them?" she shook her head while hanging up her apron. "nope, they've only ordered their drinks and they are getting those onto trays now." so today was gonna be like every other day. "guess i better go help them take those upstairs then, have a good rest of your day." i walk away and slip on my apron, grabbed one of the trays of drinks while another waiter grabbed the rest of the drinks. Once i got upstairs, that's when i met him...

Chapter Two: Last Will and Testament

          He was sitting on the far end of the long table of people laughing and joking. everyone seemed to be loud and all had their own inside jokes. This guy, he stuck out. i changed my attention to the task at hand, finishing this shift. i hated when people moved all the tables and seating around. all the waiters and waitresses have to go back behind them and look at the layout of the floor to put them all back exactly as they were before. it was a struggle and because of this nobody actually wanted that job so usually the manager gives it to her least favorite workers and i happened to be one. "who all had coke?" nobody answered me so one of the men bellowed out the same line and somehow was able to get a show of hands. i walked around handing  out drinks, catching the lingering smell of strong liquor. i could tell by the end of tonight they would all be wasted and loud. please, just don't make more of a mess then you have to, i thought to myself. i had one drink left on my tray, "sweet tea?" the guy i saw before at the end of the table waved his hand and i dreaded going over there, i always seem to make a fool of myself when it matters. 

     i make my way slowly down the table with the tray under my arm and the tea in my hand. i lean over to sit his drink on the table.."here's your t-" *CRASH* while joking with one of his friends his elbow crashes into my hand sending the tea flying all over me and the cup crashing to the floor, thank god i wore black. he turned around and looked more horrified then i did. "i'm sorry! i'm so sorry!" his voice was deeper then i imagined it'd be. "no, it my fault i'm sorry ill get you a new one." i turned away to hide my embarrassment and walked away really just trying to get away from the situation. i could tell from the silence behind me that all eyes were on me. i ran to the back where the lockers were for the service. i went to the bathroom and stripped the sticky clothes off throwing them aside. i sat on the toilet  trying to catch my breath, my social anxiety had struck me  hard. a feeling of worthlessness and dread fell over me like a blanket. after the past few months i've had just one day without something terrible happening would mean the world to me. i heard a knock on the door, it was melany, she walked in with a towel from the kitchen. "hey, i heard what happen upstairs are you ok?" i covered my breast trying keep myself as unexposed as possible. "oh yea im fine, im just cold, and sticky, and... covered in tea." melany and i made eye contact and both laughed just to lift the dread in the air. "let me guess, all the guys are getting a kick out of watching me fumble again huh?" i said a little less concerned and more annoyed. she rolled her eyes "they are boys, they get a kick out of picking their own nose. we both slid to the floor beside each other, she hands me the damp towel. i get most of the sticky off as possible, throwing my hair up to make it look less clumped together by the sugar. "i have an extra black t shirt in my locker but i don't know how it will fit you. your breast are at least a size larger then mine." i shrugged my shoulders, "who cares ill make do. thanks for your help melany." she smiled her weird anime girl smile and ran to get the shirt from her locker.

     ill have to admit, she was right about the size thing. it was far to small around the chest area but the rest fit fine. after the incident my boss stuck me down stairs wiping tables and sweeping the floor, i dont mind though because i get to experience the day coming to an end with a beautiful sunset over California. i secretly kept the the window to watch as the sun fell from the sky. the sky seemed to burn and darken while the clouds began to glow with the last bit of sunlight left. the sky filled up with burning Burgundy and faded orange and yellows, the tallest buildings seemed to reach for the skyline as if it were a sunflower moving to the last drip of sunlight. moving here had been hard, and this had become one of the things i looked forwards to. living in the apartment with my friend was nice, buts its not the same as coming home to someone you use to lay with every night. sleeping alone seemed so much colder and emptier then i remembered from childhood. my mother would be so disappointed in the way i turned out, in the places id gone and the decision to spend my life with someone who was most obviously the wrong one. she would have told me to slow down and to take my time, that growing up wasn't everything. she would have said love isn't something you just wake up and have, its something you make. i wasn't anywhere close to where i thought id be by now, and i could see that. it tears at my heart everyday, not being able to see her or any of my family. sometimes it felt as if they'd all died in the fire that night. 

     i suddenly heard a boom of voices making their way down the stairs, i hadn't realized how close to closing time it had become. all of them walk out stumbling and laughing at their own jokes, seems they all got a good bit of drinking in, all except one. The guy i ran into on accident seemed as sober as ever, designated driver i think, he was much taller now. he seemed muscular but in such a fitting way for his body. his teeth sparkle because their so white, his smile complimented him best. his high cheekbones made his chocolate brown eyes his best feature. His skin was glowing with a sweet honey hue and before i could notice that i was staring he turned his head. his eyes met mind before i could think twice and that's when i felt the heat rise to my cheeks. weather it be from embarrassment or silly school girl shyness i didn't know . i turned my face away but it was too late, i turned my face a little just to catch a glimpse of him before he made his way out of the door and that's when i noticed his cheeks had gone from a burnt caramel to a rosy color. i felt my body shiver at the thought that maybe, just maybe he found me as attractive as i found him. i shook the thought from head realizing they had began locking the place down. as i helped close up shop and wash dishes i couldn't help but to let my mine wander to all different kinds of thoughts, funny thing was they always fell back to him and his rosy  cheeks. i couldn't help but smile as i felt my heart race at the thought of him, even though id made a fool of myself today i was glad i hadn't ruined my chances. Even if he'd never get with me or i wouldn't ever see him again, i'd still take it as a compliment that he even looked my way. 

     before long we were all outside laughing and talking about today. The manager locked the doors and said his goodbyes. i turn to walk towards the bus station when i see a man standing aside awkwardly between the restaurant and the parking lot. suddenly my eyes adjusted and once they did, the joyousness butterflies came back and the blush suddenly reappeared on my cheeks..

There are lots more chapter after this if you are interested you can find them here

https://my.w.tt/sosFRmianbb

[emmy-the-dragoness]

Mutated AU: Prologue/Origins (short STORY)

Writer's Note: That's right I'm doing this little written story here to give you its... not-so-humble beginnings in a way to let you expect the goings on for the AU sooooo....

Here goes!

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"POWEEERR FIIIIIIISSSST!!" A youthful's voice rang out, thrusting out an arm with a bright blue, flaming fist that shot out of it at full speed. The incoming attack was making its way towards a large serpentine creature, complete with blondish white messy hair and yellow green eyes. With a smirk on its face, the cretin had its paws spread out wide and caught the attack in the nick of time, with a little bit of force as its feet were firmly planted on the ground. Tamaris, who the female monstrous mutant was properly known as, performed a counter clockwise twirl and lept at the boy with a fierce roar. KO shielded his face for the impact, but instead found himself pinned, before grabbing a peak at her unbelievably close face with one eye.

They spent the next 10 seconds gazing at each other, and the next thing they knew, the human and the beast started to laugh, having the time of their lives.

"Hahahahahaha, that was an amazing sparring session, Tamaris!" the child laughs, folding his arms behind his back.

His chimeric creature of a comrade couldn't agree more, with a nod and affirmative grunt. It was quite a good learning experience for the two in order to put their abilities to the test. Needless to say, she was impressed how far the hero in training had come with his innate powers had come, glad he has pals to help him out every step of the way.

With that said and done, it was high time for something to munch on as a reward, and since there was no Beardo in sight, who's humble abode was back at Lakewood, they settled for the next best thing they could find, and that was Weirdo's at the Danger Zone. Sure, the food he had was for a lack of better term, questionable. But Tamaris especially was hungry, so she was in a mood for a burrito. It resembled one of your run-of-the-mill wraps the original made, but it wasn't really any concern for her, being part monster. Ah, how she enjoyed the taste. Not only was it a favorite food for her, but it was also one of the only things to return in a more humanoid state she prefered. So as she took that bite of her meal, she diminishes a little in size, reverting into said form.

KO however, couldn't help but take in the scent, he was pretty parched after the workout. Then without warning, he hopped up momentarily and bit Tamaris' food, gulping it down. Her face paled at this, and instinctively pulled a little further away. "KO!" she exclaims, trying to hide her frightened expression to the best of her ability. "Oops." He said, rubbing at his head sheepishly. "The burrito smelled too good to pass up. Sorry!"

"It..." She wanted so bad to give him a bit of a scolding, but taking her glance upon her mutant saliva covered burrito bite, Tamaris had no other option to set that aside for a later time, after all. She gives a smile that didn't reach her cheeks all the way. "You know what, it's totally fine. Maaaaybe I forgot to pack you a snack beforehand."

"No worries! I'm having some spaghetti when we get back!" KO chimed in, with a smile of his own that was more playful and genuine. Tamaris gives a sigh from her nostrils. Hopefully things won't turn upside down at least. The two start their walk back to Lakewood Plaza, not taking into account that KO seemed to scratch at his head.

~~~~~~

~~~~~~

Several minutes later, the duo arrives back to their destination, just a couple footsteps into the bodegas' parking lot. Tamaris had finished her meal while KO on the other hand... still kept at his incessant scratching from earlier. Did he have lice or something? He had no clue.

"You know you've been going at the itching on the way home, how about a break so it doesn't get all red?" his silver blonde haired pal asked him. "I have?" He took a minute to finally slow it down, moving his hands away from his hair. Two or three of his strands rested on his fingers, and he waves them off.

"So correct me if I'm wrong, but is this usually the part of your day where something drops down from thin air for a battle?" Tamaris asked, using a sleeve to wipe her mouth.

KO was about to answer her question, but he was interrupted when the signature Voxmore box had manifested from the sky, then plummeting downwards the concrete. Once making impact, it opens up all four sides, revealing Darrell and Shannon, with mischievous grins on their faces and combat ready poses.

"Ding-dong, mop face, it's us!" The orange, shape-shifting bot, Shannon cackled, her saw blades out and Darrell's arm cannon was at the ready.

That's when Tamaris decides to take a glance at the two fighting machines. They must be one of the kid's opponents he clashes with almost daily. "I take it these are the bucket of bolts you fight from that building over there?" She inquires, pointing at the Voxmore factory building, which just happened to be across the street from where they were.

"Sure is!" was the child hero's reply, already assuming a battle stance at his advasaries.

"Hey, at least Shannon's head here isn't even an actual bucket, thank you very much!" Darrell seemed a bit miffed by the comment while her sister exchanged a look of annoyance. "Do you seriously have to go there?"

It got a silent giggle from the mutant-shifting woman, before her too, takes a combat ready pose just as the level 3 hero did. "Why don't you go on ahead and be the first to start the battle? I wanna see what we're dealing with."

KO got pretty stoked, starting to hop in excitement. "Really? OKAY!"

He starts out by running towards Darrell, reeling back his right arm, a bright neon blue glow manifesting in a flame. "You hungry? Cause I've packed a POWER FIST SANDWICH JUST FOR YOU!" he calls out, thrusting the arm at the one eyed robot, launching the signature attack. Darrell, was, as always, prepared to counter whatever his opponent could dish out, so with a single shot from his cannon, blasts it away at the last second. He gives a snicker at this, while KO growls irritated, shaking the arm he just used. Dangit, that was no good. Gotta give it another try. Attempt number two, he brings out the left arm now, about to unleash the same attack again. This, however, made him stop a moment when he started to feel a strange tingling sensation in said arm. KO glanced at it, wincing a little, inhaling air slightly from his teeth.

This didn't take long for Tamaris to notice from a few feet, as she watches with uneasiness bubbling up in her being. KO stands there, seeing his forearm become an acidic green color, small, pointed claws sprouting from each fingertip. Four spike-like growths were digging out, one by one. He showed a sign of discomfort, giving a suprised yelp at the sight.

"K-KO?" Tamaris asked rather quietly. This looked exactly like what was happening. Oh Cob. As much as KO wanted to ignore this and just attack already, he was distracted, witnessing the right arm undergo the exact same changes as before.

"Tamaris? Is it me, or do I feel kinda funny?" He asks with a small frown, moving one arm to rest at his forehead. His fingers nearly felt like they were poked at, so upon feeling around more, KO would discover that longer, pointed spikes grew from his head, about four or five of them. The boxbot siblings didn't dare to move, watching the scene before them. Shannon was perplexed while Darrell did nothing but shake a little. Was he... afraid?

Alright, this was getting concerning to watch for Tamaris. She had a troubled look that was clearly written on her face, should she stop this? She wasn't sure.

"Buddy, uh... are- are you, doing okay, over there?" She hesitated to ask. KO's ears grow into what exactly resembled her mutated form's ears. This cannot be happening...

"Fine, Tam!" he managed a thumbs up with all the changes. "I'm fine, really. I..." His situation said otherwise, the stinging feeling now progressing into bodily aches. From his shoulders, which sprouted blades from them, to his toes growing claws. He got cramps all over his frame, wanting so badly to get right back to attacking, but it just kept at it, it wouldn't stop. Even giving his darndest to make a Power Fist interfered with this. KO couldn't concentrate, this was proving to be too much for him. It was distracting to continue further. Once Darrell made sense of what was going on with KO, he shakes in fear, then letting out a high-pitched, frightened scream, hiding behind his sister. KO however, was getting more fearful than him, stammering, unable to make proper sense what was happening to him. "Aaaa, uh. Uuuhhhhh...." he moaned, looking around his surroundings. "Uuuuuuhhhh, no! Don't look at me!" He shouts, covering his face. The mutating hero couldn't bear to let anyone else witness what came next, he immediately retreats towards the bodega to hide inside, stumbling clumsily along the way.

All Tamaris could do is watch him desperately obscure himself from the public, she knew too well what that felt like. Confusion and worry was brought upon her. After what was a few seconds of the two opposing sides gazing at each other, trying to process everything, she takes it upon herself to use part of her mutant abilities and tear apart Darrell and Shannon on her own. Once she reduced them to scrap after, she runs off to the bodega in search of KO.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not too long after heading inside, Tamaris could only search for her child comrade in what was said to be the most mysterious, potentially perilous parts of the bodega, and that was: the back room. She ventured inside on her quest to retrieve him all the while keeping a watchful and cautious eye of potential mimics, creatures that can assume the form of virtually anything AND anyone. Being careful not to make sudden sounds, she scanned the area left and right, and with one of her mutant senses, sniffs for a scent. There has to be a sign from the boy, he could be anywhere, all miserable and in pain, Tam couldn't bear to think of what might've happened. Just by then, she finally picked up what faintly sounded like a quick, pattering noise of feet and hands, starting to follow the source of the sound in pursuit. This had to be him, she could feel it!

With a torch now on one hand, so she would see around a little better in the room and a spray bottle with the other, she ventured in more, striding in her steps where the running and skittering noises increase. Tamaris was prompted to get closer, but two mimics in the form of a levitating book and a baseball bat made sudden impact with her, letting out a grunt. Guess she'd have to ward these pests off along the way. The shapeshifting beasts gave a hiss at her while she made a growl back. It felt like a distraction with those hostile obstacles in the way, but made quick use of disposing them with tearing up the mimics with her sharp, pointed teeth and a fraction of her mutant strength to throw them against a wall as hard as she could. With that, they were out of her sight, yelping away.

Good. That takes care of that. Tamaris takes off once again as she at last reaches a corner area further in the room, and hears a shuffling sound of tail and feet, along with small grunts and yelps, clear indication that she's even closer where the noise had shifted direction, then stopped. Thank Cob, finally, the beast in human form thought to herself. Immediately, she flashed the flames' light at the squirming shape, but it quickly turned away.

"KO? It's me..." Tamaris softly called out to who was hopefully in front of her, wanting to take a peak at him. The shape barely budged. But it seemed to give it thought. Seconds later, it turned back to face where Tamaris stood. The creature in the shadows was then revealed to be none other than KO himself. But he appeared to look somewhat... different. His full attention was caught, staring at her and his surroundings wide-eyed.

"Oh. My Cob." The original mutant-shifter was, understandably, shocked at the sight. Her newest friend, with the same ailment she had, she was really dumbfounded. Only he still looked human at most, physically. But the mutant attributes were clearly there.

This was insane, she had to get a better view of him from head to toe, so she called the now currently mutated KO to meet ground level and meet up. "Hey bud," Tamaris called out. "You mind if you just come down here quick? I only wanna see how you're doing!"

KO's response was uttering a small growl, holding at his forehead with a green paw. He moved to hop from where he sat, but ended up tripping himself with his own tail. He tumbles and crashes back on solid ground in a rough landing, crying out when he made impact.

Tamaris came to his aid, holding his claw as she helped him back on his feet. "There we go, KO. You alright?" He had regained composure, shaking his head. "I guess so... I feel fine now," was his reply. At least he sounded like himself, no alterations to his voice whatsoever, so that was a good thing. He rubs at his prickly head with the same arm that begun the change, then stopped to take a look at it. "Wha?" he murmured, his clawed feet and tail then coming into view. He grew confused and curious, hoping what he saw was a mere illusion only he could see. Was it...?

"Tamaris... what happened?" Ooohhhh boy, this was a bad time to break the news. She became practically nervous, tapping her index fingers. No pretending that he got sick, took a hallucinating substance or anything. She really had to do this. Tamaris made a hesitant groan, grabbing a nearby large, wheeled, rectangular mirror. It'd be better if he saw for himself.

Well, that answered his questions and interest. In his reflection, he saw traits in himself that clearly resembled Tamaris: prehensile tail, clawed fingers and toes, spikes and blades peaking out of the skin and the like. KO jumped backwards, with a scream in fright and surprise. "I'M -- YOU!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" he practically yelled, freaking out now. Tamaris was doing the same as him.

"Aaaaggh, I know! This is a disaster! It's my fault, I made you into what I am, I could've stopped this from happening! I should've warned you about that burrito before and got you a healthy one to have instead!" She was beating herself up so hard right now. Cob, this was awful, just awful.

KO still hollered, running around in a clockwise circle, waving his arms about frantically. After what felt like longer than a minute of being rattled at this turn of events, the mutant child hybrid at last calmed himself and slowed down for a second to meditate, breathing in and out, closing his eyes. Focus, KO. Stop and just focus... Alright, good. He finally regained composure, walking towards where Tamaris still panicked, paying mind to his tail. He rested a hand on her... leg. Not big enough to reach her shoulder, but this'll do. "Hey, hey... Tammie. It's okay... It wasn't entirely your fault."

"No, no! It was, KO. You're this thing I'm stuck with now all because of me!" Tamaris objected at this. How could he possibly have any part of this?

"Well..." KO began, folding his arms behind his back with a sheepish look. "Maybe I might've stopped first to check if the burrito looked okay to eat, then I wouldn't turn into... this."

Tamaris was rather embarrassed, probably as much as he was. "Yeah, hahahah... that had my mutagentic saliva on it. I wanted to tell you, but..."

Wait. That's how he became the scaly thing now. Oopsie whoopsies...

Her and KO both join in after the exchange with awkward laughter at their own expense, then sigh.

Tamaris, exhaled, running her fingers through her messy hair, "Ah, this is gonna suck." She had no idea how he was gonna live through this.

"I dunno," KO chimed in, taking another glance at his new appearance. "I think it won't be as terrible as it may seem. Besides, now that I'm probably gonna stuck like this for who knows how long, that won't probably stop me from what else is coming my way." A pause, blinking twice. "I hope."

His female, mutant-shifting friend shrugged, although not taking exactly what he stated sincerely.

"Ooorrrr," the hybrid thought aloud. "I'm dreaming all of this up and I'll wake up tommorrow morning less thorny and normal!" Or so he thinks. Unfortunately that wasn't to be the case. Tamaris was living in a worst case scenario she can't escape. This should be a fun experience, yes siree.

~~THE END...?~~

Well now that took longer to complete as expected huehuehuehue. Ehhhh...... 😅 Anyway that's that. I don't do written work often but this is as best as I can do! Hope y'all liked it!

[ink-nguyen]

Writing Ask Games

Tagged by @papersky-pencilstars thank you!

I’m using my current WIP Stars in the Dark

1. Describe the plot in one sentence.

Hemlock is hired to kill a prince but doesn’t anticipate the bodyguard being competent, while Fox walks a fine line between creatively interpreting his orders and outright treason - emotions ensue. 

2. Pick one sight, smell, sound, feel, and taste to describe the aesthetic of your novel.

Brilliant jewel tones painting scalloped arches in sandstone and marble

“cinnamon and anise and paprika and tomatoes mellowing in rich coconut milk”

a folk song and lullaby being sung in chorus as the hymn of a mischievous goddess-fox

the shock and pain of falling onto a very hard surface

chilled pomegranate and desert pear mead on the first day of spring

3. Which 3+ songs would make up a playlist for the novel?

Yellow Flicker Beat - Lorde

Collide - James Bay

Did You Hear the Rain? - George Ezra

4. What’s the time period and location in which the novel takes place.

:))) Time period is sort of nebulous? It’s sort of medieval, and but things like pin-and-tumbler locks exist. As for the location, it’s split between Mahjuren and Kinan. Mahjuren is heavily influenced by Mughal India, Persia, and North Africa, but the climate is more temperate with deciduous oak forests and marshlands, but also monsoons don’t @ me I know it doesn’t make sense it’s fantasy okay? Kinan is an archipelagic kingdom, very much tropical, with a strong Southeast Asian flavor, but with blue everything everywhere.

5. Is this a standalone or a part in a series?

It’s a standalone! And also technically like... the prequel for a different solo novel set in the same universe but far into the future when all the sovereign states in SitD have either fallen or morphed into something new.

6. Are there any former titles you’ve considered but discarded?

Fox and Flower. It’s technically not actually a title, just a placeholder, but it has a nice ring to it. I would have used it if not for the fact that I have an aversion to using character names in fantasy titles.

7. What’s the first line of your novel?

‘Hemlock flattened himself into the alcove, chest heaving as he caught his breath.’

8. What’s a dialogue you’re particularly proud of?

Oh man, there’s so many snippets ugh.

There’s this bit:

"I don't know, you could at least pretend to care."

Something like anger flickered in his eyes, but it didn't reach the rest of his face. "All I ever do is care," Fox said, his voice almost flippantly cool. "To do otherwise would be treason, and I'm not eager to die."

"You're unbelievable," Lilac scoffed.

"Would you like it better if I said that very little matters more to me than his well-being?" Fox offered, his tone mocking. "That I've come to see him as my younger brother and I would gladly betray his father if it meant keeping him safe? Is that satisfactory?"

"Why are you like this?"

Or:

"You're such a bastard."

"Indeed I am," Fox said, still smiling. He brushed his fingertips against Hemlock's arm as he stood up from the pallet. "I'll be going now."

"Goodnight, traitor."

"Sleep well, murderer."

Or or this one, which I used as my back-cover quote:

Lilac let her shoulders drop and turned back around to face him. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. I know what a gilded cage it is to serve the crown," Fox said. "I don't believe in caging pretty birds to make them sing on command."

"And what about dangerous animals?"

Fox shrugged. "There is nothing more pathetic than a tiger that has been beaten into submission."

Lilac raised a skeptical brow. "And is that what you are?"

Fox met her gaze with a shake of his head. "I'm just a dog on a leash," he said. "I do as I'm ordered."

9. Which line from the novel most represents it as a whole?

"That doesn't make it taste any less bitter," Fox said, his voice low and cold, "when you offer me the honor of being your second, as if it wasn't always my fucking birthright to stand as your equal."

10. Who are your character faceclaims?

SO here’s the thing: I’ve tried. I’ve TRIEEED to find good photo references for my characters.... but they’re all PoC and darker skinned except Fox, who is still not... pale, per se. Which is a big fucking issue because it’s impossible to find decent photos of a young South Asian man with no beard, or a young Southeast Asian man who doesn’t just look like a kpop idol (which is NOT to say that they all look the same, because they don’t, it’s just that they have a uniformly  p a l e  aesthetic; also he’s not Korean). HOWEVER, I found one really good reference for Lilac:

Lilac is a few shades darker with curly hair, and her eyes are brown, not green, but otherwise she looks very much like this.

11. Sort your characters into Harry Potter houses!

Hemlock - Hufflepuff

Fox - Slytherin

Remin - Ravenclaw

Lilac - Slytherin

Tayali - Slytherin

Vermil - Gryffindor

Bonus side characters:

Xuan - Hufflepuff

Liem - Slytherin

Fern - Gryffindor

Clem - Hufflepuff

12. Which character’s name do you like the most?

Fox and Xuan! 

13. Describe each character’s daily outfit.

Hemlock - black hooded vest over a dark shirt, plain-woven linen pants tucked into sturdy leather boots, knives tucked eveywhere. so many knives. 

Fox - finely made dark cotton shirts with embroidery on the collar and cuffs under a sturdier vest with matching embroidery on the chest panels, black twill pants, black leather bracers and low-necked boots. 

Remin - a brocade shalwar kameez with goldwork and pearl buttons, silk pants and a coordinating sash around his waist, kidskin shoes.

Lilac - a cotton choli with intricate embroidery and a matching lehenga, slippers with beadwork and tiny mirrors, a few bangles and sometimes earrings but no necklaces when she’s working.

Tayali - prior to her defection, the same as Fox. afterwards, loose-fitting shirts fashioned out of colorful batiks and ikats - or adire if she can find it, long pants gathered below the knee, the same low-necked boots from her days as a Black Knife, a delicate-looking necklace with an iridescent steel spider pendant.

Vermil - similar to Remin, but even more ornately embroidered, a dress saber slid into a knotted sash, knee-high boots.

Xuan - an airy silk áo dài in various shades of blue and painted or embroidered with waves or flowers or birds, a matching khăng đóng, a silver bib necklace, heeled silk shoes with silver bird wings embroidered on the toes.

14. Do any characters have distinctive birthmarks/scars?

Fox has an x-shaped scar on his cheek, Hemlock has a thin slash on his cheek, and both have multiple scars on the rest of their bodies. Lilac has a birthmark on her upper thigh. Tayali has scars similar to Fox’s but none visible while clothed. 

15. Which character most fits a character trope?

Vermil is pretty “evil king” but I’m trying to give his character some more depth than that. 

16. Which character is the best writer? Worst?

Remin is both a good and straight up awful writer. He’s great at academic writing and diplomatic missives, so unfathomably bad at love letters. Other than him, I would say Lilac or Xuan are the best writers, and Hemlock is probably the worst. 

17. Which character is the best liar? Worst?

Fox is the best liar, Remin is the worst.

18. Which character swears the most? Least?

Hemlock swears most! He drops f-bombs left and right (altho not in the text bc I’m trying to keep things YA-friendly). Remin swears least because of his ingrained manners.

19. Which character has the best handwriting? Worst?

Remin has very proper penmanship with perfect curlicues and all that jazz. Fox has really pretty handwriting that’s flowy and sort of spidery but still easy to read. Hemlock’s handwriting is the worst comparatively, but it’s not actually bad. It’s just very plain and straightforward. 

20. Which character is most like you? Least like you?

Personality-wise I’m most like Hemlock, but culturally I’m v much Fox. Diaspora, homesick for my mother country, bilingual etc. 

21. Which character would you most like to be?

I think I’d like to be one of the non-field Spiders. I would just craft things for them to use or help forge documents. 

I tag @issun-boshi ​ @longsightmyth​ and @spaceshipkat​ (it’s laini). Feel free to join in even if I haven’t tagged you, and tag me so I can see your answers!

[thetaekooklibrary]

Hey :) are there any new angst fics with happy endings? I've read all the ones that are in the tags! Thank you for your work! ♥

yep^^ some of these are still ongoing but they have ‘angst with happy ending’ tags so I’m assuming they’ll have happy endings once they are complete lol (here are previous angst with happy ending lists for anyone who wants to look)

(it’s not) Fine by roseycheol - You can’t fake what Jungkook did, the days spent bundled up together, the little notes left in Taehyung’s bag with stupid doodles of hearts and bunnies, the gentle kisses pressed to Taehyung’s forehead when Jungkook had to leave for class early and thought Taehyung was still asleep. Jungkook had looked at him like he was the most precious thing in the world and touched him with such a firm yet delicate care, Taehyung knew that Jungkook had at least loved him in some amount. But he’s hurt and angry enough right now to say it, and he’s not sure whether it’s more painful to think that Jungkook fell out of love with him or was never in love with him at all. (Taehyung and Jungkook break apart and fall back together)

you act like summer but you talk like rain. by cloverseoks - Jeongguk does urbanex. During one of his little expeditions to an abandoned factory, he stumbles upon the camp of a homeless person, one he finds himself dying to meet.

Only Breathing - Aquiver by Sharleena - Like all things about Taehyung, being loved by him is loud, messy and familiar. Under lilac neon lights his hair is a shade lighter and his skin is gold, Jungkook’s hands tremble when he touches it and Taehyung keeps mixing weird sauces in his ramen. “Do you still quiver when I touch you?” “Always.”

when i’m ready (i will fly us out of here) by cherryjjk - summertime in seoul feels a lot like a thunderstorm, jeongguk thinks.

Veni, Vidi, Amavi by yourluckytae - (I came, I saw, I loved) Ever since that day, Taehyung has been looking for something, chasing a dream he seems to be missing. Something important that makes his heart whole. It’s a creeping sense of someone he can’t quite grasp, who’s always on the tip of his tongue, nails on a chalkboard screeching loudly in his ear to remember. But every time he tries, it hurts. But he chases the dreams, the feelings, whatever it is that he’s missing because he thinks it would hurt more to never find whatever’s gone. – Jeongguk stares at his palms absent-mindedly, body rocking with the movement of the train. His fingers trace over non existent words on his right palm. Something he hadn’t thought about in years. He has a feeling; something deep and nostalgic bubbling inside him tasting like chocolate muffins and caramel lattes and smelling of vanilla and strawberries. It stirs within him as his fingers trace each stroke over his palm. It stirs something melancholy, something sad. A feeling. (Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name) Au)

refrigerator humming, chewing gum and instant karma by locks - Taehyung sets the flowers down on the dining table, plucking the card off the little holder. “Dearest Taehyung, just wanted you to know that I’m thinking about you. I hope you’re thinking about me too. Love–” he pauses and squints before cocking an eyebrow and pursing his lips. “Hyung, why is the boss of your little boy band gang professing his love for me?” Yoongi drops the noodles on the floor with a loud curse as he burns his hand.Or, Taehyung’s been trying his hardest to avoid Yoongi’s criminal life for a long ass time, but a cute kid and his infuriating father keep pulling him deeper into the mix.

We Were Together (The Rest, I Forgot) by Kookie_andCream - Jungkook has always been able to see ghosts. When he meets Taehyung and falls in love, the last thing he would guess is that Taehyung is one. But somehow, in a world neither of them truly belong to, they walk the boundary between life and death together and make it work.

(some people might consider this a bittersweet ending but I think it’s a happy ending)

little do you know by aeterisks - Taehyung has been running away from Jeongguk for seven years. Now is the time to be brave. (Or, Taehyung is a producer who goes back to his hometown to find a new artist to give his song to. What he didn’t expect was for it to be Jeongguk, his first love.)

love, taehyung by ataezingkookie - take a deep breatheand start at the beginning

tell them how we first mettell them how we shared our dreamseven your weirdest ones

no, keep that as our secret

tell them that this isthat this has to beone of the happiest daysof your life.

OR the one where Taehyung and Jeongguk just keep missing each other

i’ll return to you (a promised handful of orange blossoms) by meanho - “Do you think he’s cosplaying an anime, or manhwa?” Jimin asked, voice in a trance. Taehyung understood his confusion because it wasn’t every day you see a person dressed as fine as the king of Joseon himself stumbling through a crowd and knocking over some Sailor Mercury’s wand. “Hmm, maybe he’s going for someone from Yona of The Dawn?” Jimin scoffed, “Yeah right, more like my 9th grade text book.” (or, the taekook Rooftop Prince AU!!)

I know it will soon be our last (but I can’t let you go) by wolfsbanez - Jeon Jungkook is a guy who is willing to break as many hearts as he can and Kim Taehyung’s heart just happens to be on his way.

the world don’t stop ( it’s on again ) by dormant_bender - Jungkook just wants to be normal, but of course that’s impossible when the world has labeled you as “Spider-Man.” Despite his newfound power and abilities, the one thing he is still unable to do is confess his feelings for his best friend Taehyung.

Everyone lives with a love (that has come to an end) by wolfsbanez - Kim Taehyung thought he was ready for the perfect relationship and Jeon Jungkook just happened to realize otherwise.

i want to breathe; i hate this night by thebestofme - Finding out his sweet childhood best friend was now one of Seoul’s most wanted villains was interesting, to say the least; but what’s more astonishing is that a freak like Jeongguk is now considered a hero.

Black Dahlia by AmandaPleese - Jeon Jeongguk is not afraid to die. So he thinks. It’s not until he is staring into the eyes of his soulmate, black spots beginning to splotch his vision, chest on fire, far too many dark petals trying to come up his esophagus at once, that he’s terrified. It’s too much. Tears sting his eyes, and he looks desperately at his soulmate who looks just as desperate right back, his world beginning to teeter. His throats closes up, and he can’t breathe. Jeongguk thinks he’s never been more scared in his life. Jeongguk doesn’t want to die.

Spectator by TheSadisticMunchkin - Taehyung was used to being the spectator of his students’ stories. He enjoyed the way the pages of their life filled with the adventures and plot lines that he was more than happy to be a witness of. He was always going to be their number one fan. That was up until the moment he became a character in a very messy story. 

everything means nothing (your kiss is a gateway drug) by nyxphrodites - Kissin’ leads toTouchin’ leads toLovin’ leads toFuckin’ leads toSomeone always seems to get hurt // Jeon Jungkook’s in love and it’s not Kim Taehyung’s fault.

saudade by hurricanedelta - saudade. noun. a nostalgic longing to be near again to something or someone that is distant, or has been loved and then lost; “the love that remains”

Why Me? by bruhnam299 - Powerful CEO, Sang Sunwoo, catches sight of the pretty, little florist that works at the corner of the street, and what he wants, he always gets.

The World is Dark (But Baby you Shine Bright) by pinkeow - Where Taehyung sees nothing but darkness, Jeongguk is his light

I Got Lost In You(r Eyes) by NastaeTae - The earth is surrounded by a universe that doesn’t care, and filled with people that do. When something is out of place, the universe will correct it, no matter what the cost.

I Bloomed For You… by Meanie_Beanie_nim - Jungkook just barely registered the warm soft skin of Taehyung’s palm, before his whole world changed. His skin prickled almost painfully, and it felt like somebody had sent a great wave of electricity crackling through him. The world went black for barely a second as a strange weight settled in his chest, and then the world came rushing back like a flood. He looked up with wide eyes at Taehyung - no, at his soulmate - and expected to be met with the same surprised eyes as his own, but Taehyung just looked at him with a carefree smile. “See you soon, Jungkookie,” he grinned teasingly before releasing Jungkook’s hand and turning around to leave. Jungkook stood there for several minutes, just staring at the spot where Taehyung had disappeared, with only one thought in his head.  Why had his soulmate just left him? 

got a question or request? check our tags page first to see if what you’re looking for is already there, or use the search bar on our blog! if you don’t have any luck with that, feel free to send us an ask when the inbox is open^^

[punkscowardschampions]

Grace & Janis

Little Twin Times

Grace: It's not too late to change your mind! Get dad to bring you xxx Grace: 👍💜💭 Janis: Nah, you're all good, I'm going out to play footie with lads from down the road after tea Janis: You having fun? Grace: 😮😈 WHICH LADS??! Grace: of course! it's the best! 🙌 Name a film and we've got it ready to watch Grace: her mum ordered from the posh bakery too Grace: They've got each of our names iced on so you've gotta come Janis: You know, they live in the farmhouse one along if you keep going down the lane, renovated all fancy, like but they're actually alright Janis: shit at football though 😉 Janis: s'alright, you eat mine Janis: think they use too much cream, s'not as good as Da's stuff Janis: got any horrors? Grace: EW JANIS THOSE BOYS ARE GROSS DON'T PLAY WITH THEM Grace: they always shout stuff at us they think they're so 💪😎 Grace: You always say that! You'd eat custard tarts every day and never try anything new ever! Grace: 🙄 Grace: OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT AMATEURS Grace: the cinema room has everything it's like being out at the poshest one you can imagine 😍 Janis: Only 'cos you act like such a drip whenever you see a boy Janis: If you shouted back instead of going all giggly and red maybe they'd not take the piss, ey? 🙄 Janis: I would if I was faced with all that pastry and cream...tastes like fusty old tissue paper 🤢 Janis: At least that'll be a laugh then Janis: Her house smells like an old lady's handbag though 😂 Grace: OMG I DO NOT! Grace: what would you know anyway you're too busy trying to BE like a gross boy to get a boyfriend Grace: such a 👽 weirdo for a sister, how and why Grace: AGAIN DUH! It is such a laugh and you're missing it Grace: for football 🙄 Grace: RUDE JAN-JAN IT DOES NOT Grace: you're just jealous of how cool her house is Janis: Yes you do, you all just nudge each other and laugh like a bunch of loonies Janis: LOL and what would you do with a boyfriend, gracie? you can't even talk to one nevermind anything else Janis: for you, maybe, i'm good where i am tah 👌 Janis: why would i be jealous of having a too large tv in a too small room and calling it a cinema Janis: they ain't even got that much money, we've probably got more, they're just snobby twats about it Janis: how cool, so cool, woooow Grace: DO NOT Grace: I can't believe you've already forgotten that Jake and two of his friends are all fighting over who gets to be my boyfriend rn so Grace: I'm gonna be a great girlfriend like in all the films excuse you Grace: ugh you're the snobby one thinking we're richer than everyone and talking about how much money everyone's got all the time Grace: what am I gonna do with you? 🙄 Janis: how buzzin you must be Janis: doesn't mean you'll know what to do Janis: s'the stuff that happens after the happily ever after you need to know, graciekins Janis: only cos she's a show-off when she's got no right to Janis: always bragging that one Janis: you just don't like it 'cos you're up her hole, like 😂 Grace: I will too! I've practiced kissing loads Grace: Just because you don't have a clue don't tell me I don't Grace: You're the showoff always trying to beat the boys ugh Grace: just brush your hair, put some gloss on and come over Grace: you'll see she is cool and you're just being salty as usual Janis: yeah, we've seen the gloss on the oranges, its manky Janis: at least eat them when you've frenched them Janis: there's no trying involved, i'm just better than all the boys 😏 Janis: no thanks, i've got plans, like i said Janis: if she's so cool why you ignoring her rn hmm Grace: YOU'RE MANKY I don't even use 🍊 thanks Grace: You think as much of yourself as the boys do it's cringey Grace: and im not even ignoring her she's setting the spa up Grace: nobody's allowed to see what's she's done until she's done it so you're wrong again there Janis: Well all the others have got fellas rn or experience under their belt so don't think they're still getting in 'practice' like its a shitty teen movie 😂 Busted Janis: soz, I'll develop an eating disorder and self-esteem issues asap Janis: oh wait, no, fuck that i'm great Janis: don't hate cos u ain't Janis: better get ur surprised face ready now, you're a shitty actress, like LiLo bad post-all the drugs Grace: It's likely you, J, you've gotten really embarrassing lately 😂 make sense why you don't wanna come out. gotta stay in with the fruit bowl Grace: Don't even joke Kirsty Dixon from number 22 had to go to the hospital loads in the summer it's so serious Grace: you're the hater on me and my friends, read the chat back if you don't believe Janis: Whatever you say, Graciepoo Janis: So? She's still a lame bitch Janis: or you gonna be her best friend now too? Janis: Last I remember, it was your pals calling her names Janis: but now she's in the hospital, you all wanna send her flowers Janis: just not chocolates, she'll be raging, like Grace: YOU'RE SO RUDE AND SOOO WRONG Grace: i know you're blinded by your jealousy but it's sad how much you have no idea what you're talking about Grace: cute but still cringey of course Janis: lol jealous of what? Grace: me having friends and you being the lone loser Janis: 😂 no Janis: firstly, your 'friends', you can keep 'em, there's a reason they were free to let you tag along and be their bitch Janis: secondly, i'm happy being alone, you're the one begging me to come hang, so nice one there 👍 Grace: I'M TRYING TO BE NICE Grace: won't next time, bitch Janis: please don't 😂 Grace: laugh it up all you want you were the one tagging along with us for ages Grace: you're not too good, you're too much of a freak now that's all Janis: yeah because wittle baby gracie doesn't want to do anything on her own Janis: don't cry about it now 😂 Grace: no i didnt want my sister to be an antisocial weirdo Grace: makes me look bad too Janis: Literally going out after tea, did you not hear? Janis: You wanna control WHO I'm friends with Janis: I've got friends, I don't want your hand-me-downs Grace: those creepy boys who want to look at you in your shorts aren't your friends saddo Janis: Your mind, Gracie 🙄 Honestly Janis: lads don't care about things like that, they wanna play footie Janis: and I have plenty of other people I hang with, not everyone wants to be in a sad lil gang Grace: now who's being a baby 😂 lads always think about stuff like that Grace: 🙄 you only think its a gang because you've made yourself unwanted Grace: whatever Jan-Jan i've got fun to have Grace: be boring Janis: They really don't, they think you're mental Janis: also a right slag 😂 Janis: sure you do 😏 laters! Grace: at least they think of me you're furniture Grace: I've got plenty of time and chances to change their mind but you're always gonna be blah Janis: lol yeah, so much chance, when i'm the one that gets to chat with them every day on the pitch and you just stand there staring and dribbling, not the ball, like 😂 Grace: 🙄 so jealous at least they know me and my friends are interested they all think you play for the other team Janis: so? I'm not the slag, I'm NOT interested Janis: how lame Grace: i'm no slag either Grace: you're just being too judgey and weird to know the difference Janis: whatever you say 👌 not me you've gotta convince otherwise, is it Grace: thank god for that 😂 Janis: eurgh don't be disgusting Janis: now who's the freak Grace: EWW THAT'S YOUR MIND I MEANT YOU'VE BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD BY THE BALL TOO MANY TIMES TO HAVE A CLUE ABOUT ANYTHING Grace: 👽 Grace: so gross Janis: no you didn't Janis: you're a shit liar Janis: why would you even say something like that Janis: you're messed up, grace Grace: WHY WOULD YOU WEIRDO Janis: I didn't Janis: you're always like this Janis: you're so fucking creepy Grace: I am not Grace: you're the gross creep Janis: get your own comebacks Janis: this is why i don't want to hang with you Janis: you're so boring Grace: get a life and stop being so disgusting all the time Grace: it's not cool its just gross Janis: I've got one Janis: and it isn't yours to ruin with your lameness Janis: ✌ Grace: I can't ruin what doesn't exist Grace: can't compete with how much of a loser you are anyway Janis: stop trying then Janis: weirdo 😂 Grace: 🙄 pathetic Janis: Oh, FYI, you forgot your jammies Janis: Rio's dropping them in so you better run unless you want her to come in and show you up for being a fake little bitch Grace: No I didn't we've all got matching here already Grace: I'm doing fine get over it Janis: That's literally the most hilarious thing I've ever heard Janis: Hope you're snapping pictures so we've all got something to laugh at Janis: 'Course you are, remember to let Jake know the # Janis: so sexy 😂 Grace: You're so obsessed it's embarrassing Grace: leave me alone Janis: I'll remember that when you're pestering me later Janis: Thanks for putting in writing Grace: Don't flatter yourself that I care Janis: So blatant Janis: N'awwwwh Grace: so annoying 🙄 Grace: go away Janis: go soak your manky feet Grace: go lose on the pitch you try hard bitch Janis: me? LOL ok Janis: trying so hard to be white and likable Janis: of which, you are neither Grace: Plenty of people like me as I am thanks Janis: oh, and who are you today? 😂 Janis: you haven't got a clue Janis: faker than your brands Grace: and you do? 😂 trying so hard to be a badass all of a sudden Grace: everyone's laughing at you Grace: not me Janis: By everyone you mean your sad little friends Janis: who no one but you gives a shit about Janis: be more mad 'cos I've ditched you FINALLY Janis: and I can actually enjoy myself Grace: go and do it then Grace: you'd have to stop talking rubbish at me first Janis: do you see me there rn? Janis: I already am Janis: laughing at you takes no time outta my day Grace: 😂 Grace: like i said, obsessed Grace: nothing better to do than be this lame Janis: like i said, bad actress Janis: i still, unfortunately, have to share a room with you, remember? i've heard you crying Janis: 😂 Grace: not everything is about you Grace: nothing is pretty much Janis: Why'd you go crying to mum about me then Janis: Now I've gotta be nicer to you Janis: What a drag Grace: you're a drag Grace: and a worse actress than you think i am Janis: I'm not pretending otherwise Janis: Its impossible to be nice to you, faking it or otherwise Grace: can't be harder than dealing with being around you Grace: too cringey for words Janis: Aww Jan-Jan please come Janis: PLEEEEEEEEEEASE ITS SO MUCH FUN Janis: now that's cringe Janis: 👍💜💭 Grace: not sorry for trying to get you to keep your invite Grace: you said you'd come and the girls were expecting you Grace: some of them wanted you to be there, because they feel sorry for you or whatever Janis: I don't recall that coming from my mouth Janis: more like YOU said I would Janis: boohoo Janis: the ONLY person who gives a shit is you Grace: blah Grace: bored of you thinking you know everything about me Grace: if you don't care then leave me alone like I already told you to do Janis: how could i not? EVERYONE knows you, right gracie? Janis: ur as transparent as a window and as shallow as a puddle Janis: doesn't take a genius babe 😂 Janis: i'm having fun, fuck off yourself if you can't deal Grace: 😂😂😂 Grace: your definition of fun is so sad Grace: I'm off to have some for real Grace: bye Janis: enjoy your spa and matching jimmies Janis: you wild one 😂

[mogwitch]

hi there! i was hoping you would help me with energy work. i'm a baby witchling and i think the spells i've been casting haven't been working because of troubles i'm having with energy. do you have any tips on visualisation, channeling/drawing energy or know where i can look to find this advice? a lot of witch 101 posts seem to take it for granted that you can do this stuff and i'm totally struggling! thanks so much :)

Ok first I’m going to have to apologise to you and anyone else scrolling rn because I just spent like a full hour typing bcos I just do not shut up when I start sometimes.

Second, I’m also going to have to be really annoying and say that even though it’s hard and doesn’t seem to be working, continuing to do it ANYWAY will help strengthen your ability to do it. I know that sounds about as helpful as those posts assuming you can just do it, but I struggled a lot with it in the beginning and in the end stubbornly continuing to just do it anyway slowly built the mental muscles that do these things.

Right, now this ended up pretty long and mostly All About Me sorry but I have no idea what you’ve tried so I’m just trying to give examples and break it down a bit so it’s a little less 101 basics

There’s a few things you could look at for why it’s not working and visualising is difficult for you;

EnvironmentCompanyToolsClothesTimeSeasonMoodThe actual spell/magic typeYourself

So, what kind of environment are you casting your spells in? I have ADHD and autism so as weird as it seems sometimes I often actually visualise better with my eyes open and my body moving rather than sitting still in a quiet room with my eyes closed. But then again sometimes I do need that quiet calm lights off and one candle kind of atmosphere. Totally depends on how my sensory feelings are feeling and how over stimulated they’ve been throughout the day.

I also don’t usually work well with other witches because then it feels like a performance if our styles don’t match. My best friend is also a witch but she needs the big elaborate formal ritual type spells with prewritten chants and all the trimmings sometimes including having other witches casting the spell with her, otherwise she can’t get her mind in that place and her spell doesn’t have the energy it needs. I prefer to keep things simple because otherwise my mind is more focused on the ritual than the actual magic and it stops me being able to visualise and properly cast the spell which means it fails. I don’t speak out loud much, and if I do it’s very quietly. I need to make my spells so that I’m not my own distraction from my goal.

Some people find it easier with tools to help direct and concentrate their energy. I have a lot of tools I like to work with and which one works best depends on what I’m doing. They don’t need to be the tools someone else tells you are right for something. Maybe try using a wand? It doesn’t have to be a specially made wand just something that feels right to you. I have several hundred £ worth of crystals (because I have no self control) but at least ¼ of the rocks I use in my practice are regular plain old rocks. I have a deck of close cards from the anime card captor Sakura and they’re nothing fancy they’re even a little damaged but although I have around 50 other decks (plenty that look more impressive for aiding spells) they remain one of my favourites because they work so well for me. Some people find it easier to do things while holding a crystal. Some people ask spirits or deities for help. . Maybe flowers would work better for you? Or origami? What TYPE of magic are you trying to do? You could be weak at glamours but gifted at spirit work. You could excel at kitchen and garden witchcraft but be absolutely unable to get a single spark out of curses. There could be elements you work better with and some you need to work on your relationship with. Does your energy work better late at night or in the sunlight? Is your mood affected by the weather? My magic is much stronger in autumn and spring, summer is an okay time, but winter is pretty 👎 so I tend to spend the winter months focusing more on other areas of my life because trying to connect with magic is more frustrating than lucrative.

Symbolism is there more to help you focus your energy than to do the actual magic for you, so personal associations are much more important than anything anyone says is ‘official’. If the spell you’re trying to do is bring money and you’re better able to connect a banana to that than whatever the spell is calling for, then use a banana because your own associations will help you to visualise better than theirs. I pretty much always at least tweak any spell of someone else’s that I want to do to fit me better.

Also even though I don’t do big elaborate rituals for my actual spells, I’m much better connected to the energy when I do my pre spell ritual, which is really just cleaning my room (and the rest of the house if I feel like it), taking a cleansing bath to wash myself including my hair, then my hair has to be tied back, pinned up, and covered. Partly it’s a religious thing because I do this for any devotional or prayer time, but doing it for spells too helps because it makes me feel cleaner and able to focus better. I also need a cup of coffee before I start because instead of making me hyper caffeine narrows my brain chatter and makes it easier to focus on one thing.

Grounding and centring is as important in helping your magic as cleansing I think but it doesn’t need to be done through pure visualisation like the tree roots method etc. Grounding for me is usually an hour of light working out, then I cleanse myself and my space physically and spiritually, then I centre by simply preparing my hair (doesn’t matter what clothes I’m wearing I just have to be clean and comfortable) and taking a moment to drink my coffee and breathe and focus on gathering energy to me mostly by feeling rather than visualising.

Maybe instead of trying to cast actual spells (which could be stopping you because it’s causing stress, anxiety, worry that it will fail again, doubts in your abilities, etc) just start afresh and do the simplest exercises with no intent to actually get anything from them apart from building your skill. Like, I’m learning to draw right now and I’m terrible at it and I keep hoping to come across some trick that makes me go “aha!” And suddenly get what I’ve been missing this whole time, but it never happens lol. Instead I tried practicing by drawing the pictures I wanted to draw, but I would get frustrated and mad because they were failures and it put me off. So instead of doing that I spent a week just doing practice exercises a few times a day. Straight lines, parallel lines, wiggly lines, cubes, triangles, circles, dots that I’d try to connect with one quick stroke, angles, etc. Then after that week I had a much better feel for it and I started trying to draw things again and found it much easier (I’m still terrible lol but I know I’ll get better if I keep at it)

You could try out a few different methods of preparing yourself for a spell, but then instead of actually casting one just spend a little time, anything you want 5 minutes or 2 hours doesn’t matter it’s up to you, just practicing visualising.

Once you’re grounded (in any way that makes you feel your physical presence and the physical world around you) cleansed (it gets rid of all the excess energy from you that gathers on you and your space like dust and gets in the way of your spell) and centred (helps you gather fresh energy ready to put to use) Maybe try growing a tree, but not with the intention of it actually doing anything for you. Just picture mud, nothing but mud. Imagine how it looks. Imagine yourself reaching out and touching it. Is it dry? Wet? Does it have stones or bugs in it? Is it clean peat? Are you wearing shoes or can you feel the soil under your shoes? What does it smell like? Is the sun hot on your head? Asking these things and as many others you can think of will help to build it in your mind and the more real it is to your mind the easier it will be for you to visualise your goal there. Visualise digging a hole with your hands. Don’t just imagine that you DID dig a hole with your hands, actually take the time to see your hand reaching out, feel the sun on your skin, feel the dirt between your fingers and under your nails, feel yourself scraping at it until there’s a pile of it by the hole you dug. Actually reach out with your physical world hands if it helps you at all. If you have to do something in the physical world to help yourself picture it in your mind then that’s totally fine and still valid. Go outside and feel some mud between your fingers if you have to. Heck, sniff the grass if it helps. Do whatever makes it easier for you (I mean watch out for neighbours giving you funny looks if you’re gonna do that though lol).

After you’ve finished your hole imagine looking around yourself. On one side there’s a watering can and on the other side there’s a seed. It could look like anything; an acorn, an egg, a jewel, a black cube with flashing lights, whatever, just be sure to spend some time inspecting it first for texture, colour, shape, weight, temperature. I mean lick it if you want and taste it, no one is looking in your mind. Then plant it in the hole and water it. Hear the water pouring into the earth. See the soil change colour and texture. Then you can sit back in the soil and watch your tree grow. Maybe it happens straight away, or maybe the sun and the moon pass over you a few times while you wait, but you’ll see it starting to sprout through the soil. When it grows, is it fast? Can you hear the wood creaking and groaning and it’s branches extend and split off into smaller branches? Is it even made of wood? What colour is it? What about its leaves? What colour? Shape? Texture? Size? How many? Any flowers? Maybe it looks like a regular tree you’d find in your yard, or maybe its pink and glitters and made of glass with golding flowers that glow like sunbursts. Or does it grow so slowly that you have to stand up and help it, physically pulling the branches to stretch it out and untwisting the little buds to open the flowers?

By this point you’ll have spent enough time visualising with all your senses (because seeing is absolutely not the only important one in visualisation) that you’ve gotten your mind into a good state for magic, but without the pressure of actually doing any spells that you could stress yourself with, because the goal wasn’t to grow the tree so that it could do something for you, you achieved your goal already by growing the tree. That’s it. The end. You achieved something!

You don’t have to grow a tree obviously, you can do anything you want, but doing a few exercises like this where the goal is the visualisation itself, rather than visualising to achieve something else, will help make sharpen your ability to do it. Maybe try one small exercise a day for a week and then try a spell? If you like growing a tree you could just do that again. Start your meditation several feet away from the first tree and start an orchard or a tiny forest. If you can maybe it’ll help to actually draw the tree so you have something to look at to help you visualise it.

You could build a house. You could start in a maze and find your way to the middle. You could explore an enchanted forest. Do a pathworking with a tarot or oracle card or even a painting or poster or a video game or ANYTHING. Do whatever makes your imagination go !!!!! (but if you’re struggling with visualising I’d just advise you start off with something simple so you don’t overwhelm yourself).

The astral is somewhere you can only get to in your mind, because it’s not on our physical plane, and you should familiarise yourself with this before immediately trying to work magic in it.

If I use a sigil I have my own methods of making them because a lot of the time other people’s don’t work nearly as well for me as my own do, and I have my methods of using them depending on what they’re for. Drawing it on paper and burning it has never really worked for me except for specific things, but drawing it on myself works better. Sometimes I don’t make a physical 'magical copy’ of a sigil at all. I keep my sigils in a book that I have magically protected from BEING magical (because there’s so many different sigils for different things in there and I don’t want them mixing or accidentally casting) and there are some that I name. Once they’re named and memorised I can use them when I need them by calling them and creating them in the astral, but this took a lot of practice and failures before I was able to confidently do it because visualising is hard lol especially when I’m out and there’s things going on around me and I can’t do any cleansing or put my hair up if I don’t have a tie or any of the other fussy little things I’d like to do before doing any magic, then I have to be aware of my physical body and astral body at the same time. Which makes it sound more complicated than it actually is, but until you get the hang of something it DOES seem complicated. I’ve been doing magic since as far back as I can remember and decided I was a witch when I was 6 when I didn’t even know other people were witches and my parents thought it was a cute funny game I played because I lived with my head in the clouds and “away with the faeries” (if only they knew, lmao) but there’s still plenty for me to learn and ways for me to grow because witchcraft is an ever evolving PRACTICE. You’ll never be finished with training so it’s good to embrace that the training part is the craft, and not something that’s training you to be ready for being an expert at it. We’re all still learning all the time so don’t feel like you need to reach some kind of final level before you can consider things a success. Sometimes they don’t work the way you want them to, instead of thinking “my spell failed” you have to say “that’s fine, you didn’t do what I wanted yet but you will, you will work” and then you can even cast it again to give it a boost. If you refuse to let the energy for a spell fizzle into nothing, then the spell hasn’t failed yet. If it tires you out, find a way to borrow energy or tie the spell to something (charms, enchantments, spell bottles, poppers, witch ladders, etc) so that while you rest between sessions working on it the spell it held together and not allowed to dissipate.

Another note before I FINALLY shut the hell up (sorry guys, I know I go on) make sure the spells you are trying to do aren’t above your skill level and are realistically achievable. Don’t jump in with a spell to make yourself 10lb lighter overnight or to change your natural hair colour (both of which are unrealistic) or to win the lottery jackpot which would take more energy to magically pull off than one person or even a hundred people possess even if you did buy a bunch of tickets, there is way too much collective energy pushing and pulling at that already for a spell to be more than a flyweight nudge against a mountain. Instead you could do a spell for financial prosperity and maybe in the end all you get is for your money to NOT drop when it might have (in which case you might not know about it working) or slightly increase the odds in your favour of winning a smaller bet, or maybe you’ll find a few coins down the couch ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ you have to start real small and work your way up. Also I find that taking yourself/a spell/witchcraft too seriously can hinder someone too. Have fun with it and try not to expect too much from yourself. There’s always a chance that a spell you cast just took a while to manifest and by negatively thinking “it didn’t work” you’re increasing the chances of basically cancelling it

If that didn’t answer what you needed (though that probably gave you more answers than you even WANTED - again, sorry - and it’s unorganised af cos I’ve had a busy day so I’m feeling scatterbrained and hyper) or you have any more questions please feel free to ask!