#behold a set after over a year of not doing anything

[herdarkestnightelegance]

Nocturnal eyes

Pairing: Astarion/ g/n Tav

Tags: vulnerable Astarion, angst, friendship, a bit of fluff

Length: 2.4k words

Summary: Astarion notices something is off with his eyes …

A/N: @nyx-knox out here once again, being the ✨best✨ beta-reader I could hope for!

Also: ARE Y'ALL FOR REAL?! Over 750 reactions on my Bedhead fic?? Thank you so much 🥹!!!

Taglist: @wilteddreamsofbaldursgate , @littlelovelore, @onlyancunin @chaoticbardlady99

::::::::::::::::::

Astarion sits in the soft green grass, enjoying the warmth of the setting sun.

Today had been exhausting. The party had finally left the wilderness behind and set up camp on the Mountain Pass. Tomorrow they will head to the Githyanki Crèche, but for now … he’s just relaxing, listening to the soft rustle of the trees above him with his eyes closed.

Because they are hurting again - his damned eyes - causing his head to ache in that awful stinging way. This has been happening semi-regularly since they crashed on that beach. By the end of every day, his eyes feel exhausted. Sometimes he even welcomed the night, the dark bringing relief to his vision, much as he hated to admit that he found any solace in the darkness after having been trapped in it for so long.

It’s not that he wants to be in the dark again - on the contrary! Oh, words could never express how much he enjoys the feeling of the warmth on his skin, the smell of sun-baked earth beneath him, filling him with life, making his undead heart swell with secret joy. It’s just …

“Truly, a sight to behold,” Gale had said, when they first stepped through the gate onto the Pass and were greeted by a magnificent view of the surrounding valley … Or at least Astarion assumed that’s what it was.

Because he can’t tell. Not really. In fact, all he sees are blurry, rugged shapes and a haze of earthy colors far off in the distance.

When Astarion had first opened his eyes after the crash, all he could do was gasp audibly. The sun seared his eyes, the light brighter than anything he had seen in centuries. Immediately, he had shielded his face from the merciless rays, curled into a ball, panic taking over. “No!” he yelped. It’s daytime! I can’t be out! Oh Gods, do I smell smoke? Am I burning up?? Am I disintegrating???

But a few heartbeats passed and to his surprise - and great relief - it was not a burning pain he started to feel. Rather, it was a sensation he thought he had forgotten but that he immediately recalled, having felt it lifetimes ago: The warmth of the midday sun.

Cautiously, he had uncoiled himself and tried opening his eyes again. Gods! It hurts. Of course, Vampire eyes are sensitive to the light, in order to see better at night. An essential trait for nocturnal creatures, predators, such as himself. His eyes hadn’t had to process so much brightness in … forever. So, being blasted with daylight for the first time in roughly 200 years - it hurt like all Hells! 

It took a few moments, but eventually Astarion managed to pry open his crimson eyes. And he began to see. To look. And he saw colors he hadn’t seen in too long. He saw the bright blue sky, the deep purples of the Nautiloid shipwreck, the turquoise water covered with the most beautiful shimmering reflections. Everything was bright. Everything was so vibrant! Everything was so … full of life. He looked up, squinting at the trees and their slightly blurred leaves. Those luscious, green leaves. Gods … I had forgotten how beautiful that particular color is … 

But there had been no time for him to enjoy all those new sights for long. He heard them before he saw them. The others. Friends? Enemies? He couldn’t tell. They were just indiscernible shapes in the distance - but as soon as he had lured one of them close enough to put a knife to their throat, he was back in survival mode, forgetting about the colors he had just reveled in.

That’s what he knew how to do, after all. Hitting his close target. And really, that’s all he should care about, that’s really all he actually needs to see. He’s a master at close-up melee combat, a rogue who sneaks up to his victims, dangerous with his blade. He’s skilled at picking locks and picking pockets. And he’s an amazing lover, always able to read every detail of his victims' expressions to make sure he hits that target just as well. All he needs to see clearly is what’s right in front of him, isn’t it?

But if he was being really honest … it’s not like his usual tricks have actually worked out for him so far, now have they? His first melee attack had earned him a headbutt to the face. He had woken his first victim while sneaking up on them. And he felt his nice little seduction plan for Tav slowly and steadily backfiring on him - but that was a problem for another time. So why not top it all off with embarrassingly inadequate vampiric eyesight to really emphasize it all, he figured?

Astarion opens his eyes again and looks at the hazy, blurred valley below, the wind tousling his white locks, and he scoffs. Ironic, isn’t it? Here he is, finally free from his captor. But of course, even out in the open, he’s not able to look beyond the confines of his own metaphorical cell. As if his eyes are still keeping him prisoner.

A sound behind him snaps him out of his thoughts. Again, he hears them before he sees them coming. Only this time he knows it is a friend. “Astarion?” Tav, he thinks with a knowing smile. He knows their voice anywhere.

“Yes, Darling?” he asks as their leader emerges from the shade of the trees.

Astarion grew to enjoy Tav‘s company quite a bit, if he was being honest. Not only during their passionate encounters, but also just sitting with them, talking about their journey, about the others in their party, sometimes even about his past, which he never thought possible when he had been pressing his knife to their throat just a short time ago.

“Enjoying the view?” they ask as they sit down next to him in the soft grass.

“Oh of course,” Astarion answers as he leans back onto his elbows.

“Especially the Crèche,” Tav continues, pointing into the valley, making casual conversation.

“Why, I agree. Who would have thought the Gith were such marvelous architects,” the pale Elf replies without missing a beat. 

It’s now that Tav turns to look at him. “... Except the Crèche is in the opposite direction?” they say cautiously. 

Shit. Astarion tenses.

He hates this. They know. Immediately he is prepared to snap, to throw a sarcastic comment back at them, telling them to mind their own damn business. Feeling exposed, he keeps his gaze fixed forward, part of him expecting to see mockery, or malice even, should he meet Tav’s eyes. But when he eventually looks up … all he sees is a knowing smile. Their face is so very clear next to him, and so is the genuine fondness that greets him in their expression. The same fondness he is secretly happy to see on Tav’s face every time they look at him.

Astarion takes a deep breath. He doesn’t want this, he doesn’t want his walls to go up. Not for Tav. He resists it, that stupid defensive mechanism and to his surprise, he actually relaxes a bit. “You noticed,” he says quietly.

Tav nods. “On our first day, actually.” His eyebrows go up in surprise. 

“Did you now?” the vampire asks.

“We climbed that platform next to the crash site, remember? You were first up. And you said there’s nothing to see.” Their tone is neither condescending nor reproachful. “But there was... A lot, actually. You know, like, the village? Or the goblin camp. Or, well, this mountain pass. So yeah, I noticed.”

Astarion scoffs. They were right, of course. And back then, he didn’t even realize there was something wrong with his vision. He had still been so overwhelmed with all the light and color, all this blue and green…

For a moment, both sit in silence before Astarion speaks up. “It’s all rather blurry, you know?” he finally admits aloud. “I never noticed it back in Baldur’s Gate.”

Tav listens and nods. “I thought vampirism cures all mortal ailments, even eye problems.”

“Well, maybe there are exceptions? Or maybe I’m just a sorry excuse for a vampire spawn. Honestly, I don’t know. It’s not like any vampire is able to look at vast illuminated landscapes during the day to notice if something is off.” he says in a slightly frustrated, even embarrassed tone, gesturing towards the sunset.

“Your eyes have been adjusted to the night for 200 years. So … maybe they just need a bit to adjust to the daylight now? Give it some time.” The optimism and sweetness in Tav’s voice makes the corner of Astarion’s mouth twitch up into a half-smile.

“Wouldn’t that be something,” he says. Maybe they are right. Maybe. 

This is when Tav clears their throat. “But uhm, until then …” Astarion’s pointy ears twitch slightly as he hears Tav rummaging in their pocket. When they procure something wrapped in a folded leather cloth, he sits up.

“What’s this?” he asked, and they hand him the flat parcel. Curiously, Astarion opens the wrapping. 

In his hand lies the most hideous pair of mismatched spectacles he has ever seen. 

Before he can say anything, Tav begins to talk. “I came across this half broken pair of looking glasses while looting some time ago, and I thought, well, while there is no way we would ever find the perfect pair, we might just try making a custom one, right? I mean, it’s obvious you’re straining your eyes. You might not say anything to us about it, and you don’t have to, but I can tell that you often have a headache by the end of the day, and I, well, wanted to help.” Astarion still says nothing, inspecting the wonky looking thing in his hands.

Quickly, Tav continues, compelled to explain. “But you have no idea how hard it is to find undamaged spectacles! I mean, it makes sense, right? Who would leave their eyes behind? So anyway, I started collecting all the glasses I could find, hoping for an intact pair, but well … eventually I ended up with … this.”

The pair of spectacles in Astarion’s hand was clearly made of two halves from different glasses, held together in the middle by a thin leather cord, wrapped around it several times and in several other places. “Both glasses seemed to be made for looking at things further away. Of course, I can’t say for certain. They are not for me, I mean, if anything, I should be looking into finding a pair for me, so I can finally read that book Gale won’t shut up about. But … anyway, I thought maybe they might be of use to you.”

It’s not often that Astarion is stunned into silence. Tav did this? For him? It takes him a moment to process this … act of kindness. But when he does, he leans over to Tav, turning their face to him with a finger beneath their chin, and softly kisses them. “They … are hideous, my dear,” he says against their lips, with a chuckle and a genuine, soft smile on his face.

“Yeah, I know,” Tav agrees, kissing him back, mirroring his smile, before pulling away. “Well go on then, put them on.”

And he does. Astarion puts on the mismatched, wonky pair of improvised spectacles, the right temple barely fitting over his ear.

“Well?”, Tav asks hopefully.

With the awkward thing perched in his elegant face, the vampire looks down into the valley and takes in an almost inaudible breath. It’s … much better than he could have hoped for. Yes, it’s far from perfect. The glasses are sitting on his aquiline nose lopsided and the left glass is not even close to what he probably needs, yet he feels that nagging strain on his eyes eases immediately.

But that’s not what stuns the pale Elf.

Just as the sun begins to disappear behind the mountains, casting long shadows and a warm orange glow on everything around them, Astarion sees. And all of it this time! For the first time in 200 years, he sees the crisp outline of the setting sun. He sees the mountain tops and ridges. He sees the glowing clouds. By the Gods…

“Astarion?” Tav asks timidly, but he does not react. They sit with him in silence then, watching him watch the sunset in wonder, those red ruby eyes they love so much squinting intently, unmoving, until the glowing disk disappears behind the horizon and the sky slowly begins to turn a lovely shade of purple.

It takes a moment for Astarion to stir again. Carefully, he takes the spectacles off his face as if it’s the most precious thing he has ever owned, before looking at Tav. A lot of things are going through his head at that moment, and - much to his ever-growing confusion - through his undead heart as well. This is not a thing you just do for a travel-companion. Why are you so nice to me? I do not deserve your kindness. “Thank you.”, he eventually settles on, and he knows to Tav those simple words convey everything. 

Tav smiles. “Don’t mention it,” obviously delighted their little gift has been accepted. Why in the hells his favorite travel companion, no, his lover, went out of their way to help him like this, he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Sure, they agreed to help him kill Cazador, but this is not the same! This is special. This is … caring. It is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for him. And he is truly, deeply grateful.

This gift would do wonders for his vision, at least until his nocturnal eyes fully embrace looking into the far distance during the day. He knows he will look so foolish with this contraption on his nose and he would probably have to kill Gale should the wizard ever see him with them on, but somehow he didn’t mind wearing these, looking silly, unsightly even, in front of Tav. They wouldn’t judge him, they wouldn’t laugh at him. Because he feels that they care.

After a moment, Astarion puts the spectacles back on, turning his head up to the tree branches above them, that stunning green of the individual, defined leaves still visible in the dim dusk light.

“You know, Darling …”, he says, “I really do love that color.”

[dancingbirdie]

Behold my labor of love: Astarion SMUT.

This idea came to me after writing my last fic Something Imagined / Something Real. I wanted to backtrack and reimagine Astarion and Tav's first night together after the tiefling party.

If smut is not your thing, no worries! You can scroll down to the first set of asterisks (***) to avoid reading those parts. You don't miss much at all plot-wise.

This is my first time ever writing smut. Please be kind. And I hope you enjoy!

EDIT: This is a flashback fic! Part 2 is Something Imagined / Something Real. And subsequent vignettes to come!

I Want It To Be You

Rating: Mature/NSFW

Pairing: Astarion x f!Tav

Word Count: 5.2K

Warnings: Detailed description of consensual sex, Tav's first time having sex, descriptions and references to Astarion's trauma/trauma responses, description of panic attack/anxiety, minor Act 1 and Act 2 spoilers, FLUFF, angst

“Are you absolutely certain about this? About… me?” 

If she weren’t already lying naked in his arms, she would have shed her clothes for him for that response alone. He wasn’t treating her like some oddity. And he was honoring her decision. It was more than anything Tav had dared hope for. 

Her eyes welled with tears that threatened to fall. She laughed, suddenly elated, before nodding her head vigorously. 

“I’m sure, Astarion,” she confirmed. “I want this to be with you.”

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

TWO WEEKS AGO

THE NIGHT OF THE TIEFLING PARTY

Let’s wait until things quiet down. Once the others are asleep, we’ll find each other. 

Astarion’s parting words replayed over and over again in her head as she padded quietly through the woods, away from the campsite. From the comfort and familiarity of the party. They hadn’t agreed on a meeting place, but Tav assumed his heightened senses would locate her soon enough. She was grateful for the extra moments to herself. Her stomach was knotted from nerves and anticipation for what the night might bring. 

She hadn’t told him that she was a virgin. He probably deserved to know, she realized that, but she hadn’t wanted him to change his mind just because he’d be taking something no one else had before. It was her choice, her body to give, she reasoned to herself. Whether for the first time or the hundredth time, it shouldn’t matter. Right?

Her past experiences certainly influenced her reticence. Divulging that particular information about herself had resulted in people immediately halting romantic pursuits with her, or leering at her like she was some sort of top-shelf prize they were about to take home. She didn’t want to know if, or where, Astarion might land on that spectrum. Didn’t think her heart could take either reaction from him. Besides, she’d read enough of those dirty romance tomes and scrolls throughout her life (for educational purposes, of course, she justified to herself) to have a general understanding of what happens during sex. Surely she could bluff her way through this. Right?

She wanted to please him. Wanted him to want her as much as she wanted him. It was no secret that Astarion had quickly become her favorite companion in this unlikely band of heroes she was traveling with. He was absolutely gorgeous, of course, but the longer she lingered around him, the less that seemed to matter. He was funny, in a devilish sort of way. Intelligent and cunning. Perceptive. And, while it was obvious that it unsettled the rest of the group, she genuinely appreciated how he prioritized his own self before bending over backwards to help someone else. Secretly, she wished she could emulate that a bit more in her own life, but years and years of people pleasing to win what scraps of affection she could was a hard habit to break. 

Clearly she was no closer to doing so, as there she stood. In the middle of a forest. Preparing for a midnight tryst with a person she had just met but grown to genuinely care for. And she wasn’t even sure that he would, or wanted to, return her sentiments. 

“There you are. I’ve been waiting.”

Astarion’s voice broke the mundane quiet of the forest that had lulled her into such ruminations. She turned toward the direction she had heard him speak and marveled at the sight of him slipping gracefully between the trees, moving ever slowly toward her. 

He had removed his shirt and was clad only in his leather breeches and boots. His alabaster skin practically glowed in the silvery light of the moon. He was the most beautiful person Tav thought she had ever laid eyes on, and it wasn’t only because she could now see the taut, sinewy muscles of his abdomen. He was perfectly fit in an elegant sort of way. Not like Halsin, with large bulging biceps, thick torso and sturdy legs. No, Astarion was like a leopard. Lithe, agile, regal even. And his face. Gods, the poets and painters could opine for centuries on his beautiful face without ever growing weary. 

“Is that so?” Tav called out in reply, walking to close the distance between them. By her estimate, she sounded much braver than she felt. Good. 

Astarion nodded, raising one hand to cup her cheek. “Waiting since the moment I set eyes on you. Waiting to have you,” he finished, the pad of his thumb grazing sensually across her lower lip. 

“You don’t have me yet,” she whispered teasingly, although both of them were clearly aware of how she had shivered when he touched her. How her head bowed into his touch, like a lovesick little thing. 

“Don’t I?” he smirked. “You’re here. And I don’t think you want to talk.” He stepped closer, completely absolving them both of any personal space. His free hand came to rest along the curve of her waist. 

“I think you want to be known. To be tasted.” He purred, lowering his head so that his lips ghosted the shell of her ear while he spoke.

Tav was thankful for the steadiness of his hands on her. His insinuations alone were quickly rendering her a quaking mess. But she didn’t want to be a selfish lover, and so she collected herself enough to pose a question in return.

“What do you want, Astarion?” she asked, bringing a hand to rest softly against his chest, over his heart.

She noted the way his brows drew down briefly, seeming almost confused by her question. But as quick as it came, the expression vanished, replaced by something much more confident. More assertive.

“What do any of us want?” he breathed. “Pleasure. Yours. Mine. Our collective ecstasy.”

Gently, so very gently, he began to trail hot, open-mouth kisses down the column of her neck. Tav’s breath caught audibly in her throat, and Astarion hummed in approval at her response.

“That’s what you want, isn’t it?,” he murmured into the crook of her neck. “To lose yourself in me?”

It was fast becoming difficult for her to string two thoughts together. Astarion touching her like this sent shockwaves throughout her body. That curious heat she’d only known from touching herself began to kindle low in her belly. She clenched her thighs together subconsciously, trying to sate that feeling the fire was stirring up inside her. Astarion noticed her squirming, to his immense satisfaction.

“Well?” he coaxed in between kisses across her collarbone. His prompting reminded Tav that she had yet to answer his question, so lost was she in the feeling of his cool lips against her rapidly warming skin.

“I want to be with you. Share this night with you,” she answered honestly, unable to spare enough brain capacity to consider whether or not it was a good idea to be so forthcoming. 

“Such a charitable little thing,” he chuckled. “How could I deny you?”

And then his mouth captured hers. It was a searing, passionate kiss. A kiss that promised so much more pleasure to come. One that Tav had never known before, despite having partaken in her fair share of kisses over the years. But this kiss? This was the kiss of time-fated lovers. And Tav was desperate to match Astarion’s pace, desperate to feel more, more, more.

She moaned as he ran his tongue lightly against the seam of her lips, granting him entry to fully sweep in and plunder her mouth proper. Her fingers carded through his silvery blonde curls, nails scraping lightly against his scalp. He groaned in response, the sound vibrating in her mouth. 

She finally was forced to break their kiss after a few moments, hungrily gulping in air to alleviate her starving lungs. Astarion moved to ravage her neck once more, licking and sucking the soft delicate skin there. He gripped her ass possessively as he did so, walking her backwards until he was pressing her into the nearest tree.  

He lifted a knee to knock her legs apart before raising it higher to press into the juncture of her thighs. He delighted at how Tav immediately parted her legs for him, how she moaned from the pressure, how she subconsciously began grinding against him. 

“Look at you, you naughty thing” he crooned in her ear. “Riding my leg for some relief?”

Primal behavior called out, a scarlet blush immediately bloomed on Tav’s neck and cheeks. It only goaded Astarion further. 

“Go on then, darling. Rut against me. But I’m getting these lovely tits free first,” he whispered.  

He began undoing the laces on the front of her corset. Tav watched his progress, entranced by the gracefulness of his long, slender fingers. She was nearly trembling with anticipation. Once finished, she helped him extract her from the offending garment and allowed him to lift her chemise up, over her head, so that she was fully bare from the waist up. The cool night air turned her skin to gooseflesh, her nipples hardening.  

The sensation roused her lust-addled brain enough to realize just how vulnerable she was, standing there half-naked before him. She’d never been so exposed to another person before. Her fingers fluttered as she fought the sudden bout of nerves that insisted she cover her breasts from view. 

“Don’t you dare,” Astarion growled, plainly reading the self-conscious expression on her face. “I’ve been dying to see these for days now,” he continued, cupping one full breast and flicking her nipple lightly with his thumb. 

It sent a pulse thrumming directly to her core, and Tav moaned openly at the sensation. She could feel her simple linen breeches were completely drenched, was certain she was also dampening Astarion’s leg as she continued to grind against him.

Astarion chuckled, clearly pleased by her reaction. 

“So responsive,” he whispered before lowering his mouth to latch onto her breast. He sucked lightly, while his hand continued its assault on the other. She fisted his hair in one hand, kissing the top of his head lovingly while he worked her into a frenzy.

Tav felt like she was quickly losing any ability to maintain balance. Her body was aching, whining, for more. She wanted to be laid out on the ground, wanted him to press her into the soft earth, taking everything. 

“Astarion, please,” she panted, pulling at his curls. He groaned in response, releasing her nipple from his mouth. 

“Please what, pet?” he teased, kissing and licking up her sternum. 

“I need… more,” she whined, bucking against his leg. 

He huffed a laugh before sweeping her up in one smooth motion and lowering her to the soft grass beneath their feet. 

He began to loosen the fastenings of her breeches with a practiced ease. Tav watched, breathless, as he slid the fabric down her thighs, his mouth following with indolent, open-mouthed kisses. Each touch of his lips on her heated skin left her skin tingling, her hips canting slightly into the open air.

Finally bare before him, she watched as Astarion surveyed her from where she lay beneath him. In nearly all respects, he looked primed and ready to ravage her. His nostrils flared, detecting the heady scent of her arousal. His chest rose and fell with shallow, ragged breaths. For the first time, she took note of the considerable erection straining against the leathers he still wore. 

After a moment, he came down to lie beside her, pulling her onto her side so that her chest was pressed flush against his. He trailed a hand down her side, over the rise and fall of her curves, until he reached her thigh. He hiked her leg onto his hip.

But something was off. Amid her clouded thoughts, Tav thought she could sense it, even if she couldn’t precisely put a finger on it. Perhaps it was the look in his eyes? Or the perfect nature of his behavior? He seemed almost too practiced, too formulaic. Like an actor who’s rehearsed their lines to the point that the words have lost their meaning. He was there with her, but somehow he wasn’t, at the same time. 

“Are you all right?” Tav asked in a hushed voice, lifting a hand to cup his neck. She rubbed soothing circles with her thumb across his jawline.

“I’m more than all right, darling,” he replied with a smirk, squeezing her ass lightly.

 “You seem like… you’re not wholly present,” she explained.

“It’s difficult to decide what I’d like to do to you first,” he reasoned, sidestepping her unspoken question. “I’m torn between tasting you with my tongue, or fucking you with my fingers,” he smirked. 

Before she could respond, his fingers took an experimental swipe between her folds. She gasped at the feeling, her hips bucking against him. She watched, speechless, as he lifted that hand to suck the wetness from his fingers. Her wetness. In his mouth. 

He groaned in approval. “Mmm. You’re pure sweetness, darling.” 

All thoughts eddied from her mind. A singular, primal focus took over, and she suddenly clutched at Astarion’s neck with newfound ferocity. 

He seemed to know exactly how his behavior had affected her, if his impish grin was anything to go by. He lowered his hand to swipe against her once again, his fingers stopping to circle that sensitive bud at the apex of her thighs. Tav jerked in response, but Astarion had been prepared for it. He used his other arm to brace against her back, locking her in place against him. 

As she writhed against his hand, he repositioned himself to insert a finger inside her. She was deliciously warm and soaking wet. Soft, like velvet. His thumb continued to circle her clit, eliciting a long, low moan from Tav. Embarrassed, she attempted to muffle her voice by ducking her face into his chest. 

He chuckled again. “That’s it, sweet one. Let me hear you,” he goaded her. Her moans pitched higher in response. 

After a few moments of pistoning in and out of her, he inserted a second finger. But despite how drenched she was, he met considerable resistance, to his surprise. He stilled his fingers in response, uncertain. 

It took a moment for Tav to register that Astarion had stopped moving inside her. Caught somewhere between discomfort and satisfaction, the increased sense of fullness his two fingers brought was strange but not altogether unwelcome. She exhaled, but it came out as more of a hiss than a sigh. After a moment of stillness, she raised her head to look at him.

“What is it?” she questioned..

“You’ve never done this before, have you?” Astarion murmured. 

Tav flushed. He’d realized, despite her best efforts to cover up that truth. Absently, she wondered what had given her away. 

She said nothing at first, just studied him. He didn’t seem angry. But then again, she had quickly learned that Astarion was very skilled at masking his true feelings. 

“No. I haven’t,” she admitted.  

At her reply, he gently removed his fingers from inside her. He moved his hand to clutch her hip instead. 

She sighed, rolling onto her back, gazing up at the stars. “Is that going to be a problem for you?” 

Silence. It felt deafening in her ears. But then –  

“I’m a bad choice, darling,” he replied, his thumb rubbing absentmindedly over her hip bone. She failed to see the sad smile that graced his mouth. “A terrible choice, really. For your first time.”

“It’s my decision,” she retorted, lolling her head to the side so she could look him straight in the eyes. “I want it to be you, Astarion. But if this is going to be a… problem for you, or become some ordeal where you feel guilty or weirdly triumphant, then we can just–” 

“It’s not a problem for me. It’s your decision,” he affirmed softly, interrupting the beginning of her tirade. Some unknown emotion flitted across his features. He schooled his expression before she could really identify it.

“But I have to ask,” he continued, studying her seriously. “Are you absolutely certain about this? About… me?” 

If she weren’t already lying naked in his arms, she would have shed her clothes for him for that response alone. He wasn’t treating her like some oddity. And he was honoring her decision. It was more than anything Tav had dared hope for. 

Her eyes welled with tears that threatened to fall. She laughed, suddenly elated, before nodding her head vigorously. 

“I’m sure, Astarion,” she confirmed. “I want this to be with you.”

His eyes softened, obviously touched by her response. It was the first time tonight, she realized, that he had appeared vulnerable to her. He was staring at her as though he were seeing her for the first time. Like he couldn’t believe that the woman between his arms was real. 

Without another word, he captured her mouth in a passionate kiss. His tongue swept in her mouth at the same time he inserted his fingers again, tasting her gasp of pleasure. His thumb began circling her clit once more, and Tav was powerless to silence her moans.

“Good. So good, sweet girl,” he whispered in her ear after a few moments. “You’re so close.”

She let loose a whine, squeezing her eyes shut as she chased that ever-nearing precipice inside her. Astarion’s voice in her ear only pushed her that much closer.

“That’s it. Come for me,” he urged, and she felt her orgasm rip through her at his words. Stars collided behind her eyes as she tumbled from that cliff of pleasure, Astarion holding her and whispering soft praises as she floated back down to earth. 

Eventually her eyes fluttered open to see Astarion smiling openly at her. She felt her lips stretch up to return his grin.  

“That was… incredible,” she breathed. 

He huffed a soft laugh. “I’m not nearly finished with you. Unless you’d like to sto–”

“No,” Tav blurted, a little too loudly, interrupting him. “No. I want more. Please. Show me.”

“Of course, darling” Astarion promised, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. He gently released her and stood, beginning to remove his own clothing. Tav watched him brazenly, drinking in the sight of him. 

She moaned softly as he removed his breeches, his impressive length springing free. He remained still, allowing her to take in the sight of him fully naked before her. Curious, she sat up and lifted a hand to wrap around him. She marveled at the way he felt. Like velvet-wrapped steel. She gave a tentative stroke, thrilling as he groaned in response. She stroked him again, harder, intent on learning how to give him as much pleasure as he’d already given her. 

But he stayed her wrist with a gentle touch of his hand. She paused, looking up at him, confused. 

“As exquisite as teaching you how to stroke me would be,” he explained in a sultry voice, “I’m much more interested in teaching you something else tonight.”

Tav nodded mutely, lying back once more. She opened her legs for him to return to her. Astarion smiled, lowering himself on top of her. He braced his forearms on either side of her head, one hand absently combing through her hair. His hips fit perfectly in the cradle of her thighs, and she moaned as she felt him gently nudge against her entrance. 

“This is going to hurt at first,” he explained in a hushed whisper. She nodded, her breathing a bit uneven in anticipation of what would come next. 

“But then it will stop. You’ll stretch around me. And then it will feel good,” he continued. 

She nodded again, trying to remain focused on his words. But the primal part of her mind was warring against her. And it was winning. She subconsciously bucked her hips into him, marveling as she felt him slip between her folds just slightly. He hissed at the sensation, clenching his jaw.  

“Greedy little thing,” he chastised teasingly. “All right, enough talking. But you will tell me if you need to stop, yes?” 

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I promise.”

“Good girl,” he purred.

And then slowly, gently, he sheathed himself fully inside her with a groan. 

Tav gasped in response. It was unlike any feeling she had ever felt before. Astarion had been right; it was painful at first. A pinching sensation. A mind-bending feeling of fullness. But then, but then, the feeling was phenomenal. She felt her walls stretch to accommodate him, felt herself clench around him, accepting him in his entirety. 

Astarion’s head dropped to the crook of her neck. His whole body trembled, as if it was taking all his restraint to remain still so she could grow accustomed to him. 

She canted her hips into him a bit, testing the waters. He groaned again in response, and she released a breathy chuckle. 

He raised his head at the sound, peering down at her. “You little minx,” he breathed. “You have no idea what you’ve started.”

She thrilled at his words, crying out in ecstasy as he began to thrust in and out of her. The pace he set was addicting; the rhythm had her pushing her hips up to meet him, her legs locked around his back to pull him closer.

“You’re taking me so, so well, darling,” Astarion grunted, ratcheting up his pace. “You’re so tight. So. Perfectly. Fucking. Tight.” 

His words were a fuel to her flame. She cried out his name again and again as he continued to rut into her, reveling in the feeling of him claiming her completely and totally. She was lost to the sensations, adrift in the fullness of Astarion inside her. 

Finally, or perhaps all too soon, she felt his pace begin to grow more erratic. His hips lost their rhythmic pumping. His groans grew louder. Sensing his release was close, Tav clutched him tighter, digging her heels in his back to pull him closer, clenching around his length inside her. 

“Yes, yes, FUCK,” he barked all at once, and her eyes rolled back into her head as he slammed himself to the hilt inside of her one final time. She could feel his release spilling inside her. 

Lost for words, she simply held Astarion as he half-collapsed on top of her, one arm still braced on the ground beside her head. Listless, euphoric, and utterly at peace, Tav raised one arm to gently caress his back, listening to his erratic breaths slow. Distantly, she noted the raised, rough sensation of scars on his upper back, but she was too consumed by their mutual pleasure to give it a further thought. 

Eventually, Astarion slipped out of her. He lowered himself to lie down beside her, curling one arm around her waist. 

Tav closed her eyes and curled into his side, suddenly overcome with drowsiness. “Thank you, Astarion” she whispered faintly. 

“For what, my darling?” he crooned, tucking an errant curl behind her ear. 

“For making my first time so wonderful,” she replied. 

She was asleep before he could think of a sufficient response. 

***

The panic was a monstrous thing. Clawing at his chest, its vice-like grip squeezing his lungs until inhaling felt like breathing through a reed. He could barely think. Barely move. Barely registered the lovely woman still sleeping peacefully beside him. 

The part of his brain that wasn’t frozen in fear chastised himself for behaving this way. He had taken plenty of virgins before. In fact, he had sought them out specifically. They were a much easier prey. They became attached to him so quickly, attributed so much more meaning to their first bout of lovemaking than perhaps more… seasoned individuals. 

He should have been elated. She was obviously besotted with him. His plan to ensure her loyalty was moving forward without a hitch. So then why was he feeling so horrible?

He turned to observe Tav. So close to him and yet so far away. Swept into that blissful sleep that continued to elude him. He watched her chest rise and fall with deep, steady breaths. Watched her eyelids twitch as her mind made its way through some dream. She was so very vulnerable in this position. And so very trusting. Of him, of all people. 

Astarion didn’t like many people. But he had developed a fondness for Tav, despite the short period of time they had known one another. She treated him like a person, not a monster. Not like the others in their party. She seemed to accept him for who he was, cynicism and vanity and all. He couldn’t remember ever knowing someone as kind to him as she was. She was… incredible.

And then it struck him. He was developing… something… for her. Feelings? Affection? The sentiments were so foreign to him, he didn’t even know what to call it. 

But the realization caused panic to clutch him even tighter. No. He couldn’t feel this way. He wouldn’t. 

This thing with Tav was purely transactional. It had to be. There was no other viable option. She had needed to feel something with someone. He had needed to secure an ally. That was all.

That is all this is, he thought, quashing the weak sentimental part of his mind. 

And come morning, he resolved he would make certain that that was all this was for her as well.  

***

Tav woke to the sound of birds chirping, high in the trees above her. The early morning sunlight filtered in through the forest, dappling her skin and warming her in the places that it touched. Opening her eyes, she spied Astarion, already dressed and standing a few paces in front of her. 

His back was facing her, his face lifted toward the sun. She noted how he held his arms outstretched by his sides, palms facing up as though he were trying to collect all the sunlight pouring into their little grove. Despite his preternatural sense of hearing, he didn’t seem to be aware that she’d awoken, so lost was he in his enjoyment of the sun’s rays. 

Tav’s heart nearly swelled to bursting as she watched him. Before all of this, he hadn’t felt the sunlight on his skin in over 200 years. Now, he was reveling in it. His joy was such an innocent, pure thing. 

How many times had Tav taken the sun warming her skin for granted? Probably all of her life, she supposed. To see someone so appreciative of something so utterly mundane to her… well, it was a sobering reminder to acknowledge those little pleasures in life, especially the ones that seemed so constant to her. 

She also took the time to study the strange pattern of scars on his back. She had felt some of the rough ridges last night, as she clutched him closer while he spilled himself inside her. But she hadn’t realized just how intricate and intentional the markings were. The sight of them sparked a rage inside her. Whoever the monster was who’d done this to him, they deserved to pay a price worse than death. 

Someday soon, she swore she would ask him about those markings. But not today. Not right now. Not in the aftermath of spending such a wonderful night together. No, the only thing she wanted for them both today was to revel in post-coital bliss. 

Not wishing to startle him, Tav intentionally laid back to stretch out her blissfully sore muscles, rustling the grass and fallen leaves around her. She threw in a halfhearted yawn for good measure. Secretly, she hoped he would return to her, take her again in this quiet forest, beneath the warmth of the sun.

“You sleep light,” Astarion chuckled, half-turning to speak to her but not meeting her gaze. “I thought you’d be exhausted after last night.” 

Tav hesitated at his tone. It wasn’t cold per se, but he sounded much more guarded than he had been last night. Perhaps she was just being extra sensitive in light of what they had shared, she reasoned.

“Did you enjoy it?” she asked hesitantly. She watched his back, waiting for a reply. “It felt like… you weren’t truly there…” she added, after a beat of silence. 

“I was… holding back a little, it’s true,” he finally responded. “I didn’t want to lose control. Delicious as you were… I didn’t want to go too far.”

“Oh, I see,” Tav replied, a bit dismayed. “I’m sorry you felt that way.”

Astarion turned and gave her a trademark smirk. “Think nothing of it, darling. Now,” he intoned, clapping his hands together. “Shall we get on? We’ve wasted enough time already.”

The words were like a lance to her heart. 

“I… I didn’t consider it a waste,” she murmured, trying with some difficulty to hide her hurt. 

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Astarion huffed. “I just meant I’d like to break camp and get out of here before those tieflings drag us into another one of their messes.”

“Sure, of course,” Tav nodded, smiling up at him, though it came across as more of a grimace. Then she broke eye contact, bending over under the guise of collecting her discarded clothing. Really, she didn’t think she could look at him a moment longer without crying. 

“I still need to dress,” she said, attempting a casual sort of air. “You go ahead without me.”

She sensed rather than saw Astarion hesitate at her suggestion. 

“Are you sure? We’re a fair walk from camp. I can spare a few moments and wait.”

“Positive,” she replied with false cheer. “Go on ahead. The last thing either of us need is the party jeering at us if we’d return together.” 

“Fair point,” Astarion conceded. “All right. Then… I’ll see you, back at camp.” Then he was walking away, back toward the direction of their fellow party members.

Tav waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps before she let loose a quiet sob. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was crying. Maybe it was just the stress of everything that had finally overwhelmed her. Maybe it was how abysmally this morning had gone. She didn’t know how she’d expected the morning after a sexual tryst to go, but she certainly hadn’t imagined what had just taken place. She hadn’t expected Astarion to slip that aloof mask he wore so well immediately back on, not when it was still just the two of them here. 

Then again, she reasoned, perhaps there was a perfectly justifiable reason for his actions. They barely knew one another, after all. He didn’t owe her anything beyond general respect. They hadn’t made any promises or ties to one another. They had simply agreed on a night of pleasure. That night had passed on. She should move on as well. Right?

But she had hoped. Oh, she had hoped. That maybe last night could have been the start of something new for her. For both of them. She knew she was a dreamer at heart. But still, part of her couldn’t help but hope that some silver lining would come out of all of this mess. 

In any case, she knew she needed to pull herself together before reentering the camp. She would not let anyone see her cry, especially Astarion. So she remained standing in the grove for a few moments longer, collecting herself. 

She forced her mind to focus on anything, anything else. She counted the birds she saw flitting amongst the tree limbs. She watched leaves swirling in their light, airy dance toward the ground. And she said a silent prayer to whatever gods were out there and possibly listening. She prayed that everything would work out the way it was meant to be.

[sunflower-lilac42]

✧ 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 || nico hischier ♔

summary: y/n suprises her kids with her brothers and her boyfriend and it makes nico realize he has to do something and do it soon

warnings: emma writing fluff

publish date: 02/18/24

notes: i thought this was longer because it was an 11 page document but i realized it's mostly just dialogue, so I'm sorry that it's kind of underwhelming. i can't believe i decided to write fluff tonight but i had to write nico because of all the content we got so... also the last part is for cam, because we have been talking about it | add yourself to the taglist ➺ taglist!

nhl masterlist | main masterlist

It wasn’t the first time the kids had talked about hockey, in fact, it was probably like the millionth time they’ve talked about hockey. She didn’t even know this many kids were a fan of the Devils, but low and behold, of course she could get a class full of hockey fans. On ‘Meet the Teacher’ night, she was pretty sure every kid had asked her if she was related to the Hughes brothers.

For the first day of school, she introduced herself, “Hi everyone! My name is Miss. Hughes and I’m so excited to teach you guys this year!”

“Miss. Hughes?” A hand popped up immediately after words and she looked over, “Yes?”

“Do you know Jack and Luke Hughes?”

She smiled, “I might, why?”

“Because they are so cool!” All the other kids agreed.

“Are you guys Devils fans?”

They all nodded excitedly, smiles plastered on their faces. She then looked at them seriously, “Do you guys think you can keep a secret?”

They all nodded again, “Jack and Luke are my brothers.”

“No way!” The kids all let out gasps, almost starstruck by her words.

She nodded, “Oh yeah. You guys want proof?”

She pulled up a photo of her, Jack, Quinn, and Luke, showing it to the kids, “This is us from this past summer.”

“Are they older than you?”

“Just Quinn, I’m older than Jack and Luke.”

“I have a younger brother too!”

“I have a sister!”

“My brother’s older than me!”

“That is so cool, you guys! How about at the end of the day you can ask me anything you want about hockey or my brothers, but for right now we need to learn about some classroom rules and other things. I might even have an activity for you to do.”

Ever since then, the kids loved to ask her questions about it no matter what. If they were supposed to be working on counting their numbers, they would ask her about them, if they were supposed to be learning about planets, they asked her about hockey, if they were supposed to be working on spelling, they asked her about the game last night.

She had adjusted some things to incorporate hockey and the Devils while learning. She would give them bonus spelling quizzes about hockey teams, she would use their numbers to help them add or subtract, she would use the teams as help for colors. Sometimes she even gets them to start learning a bit of geography and memorizing where each team is from.

Then she was begged to keep track of every game they lost and won. So each month she would set out a little portion of the whiteboard and write out the schedule, writing a ‘w’ or a ‘l’ next to it the following day or on Monday.

Come, January, the kids were super excited when they found out Quinn and Jack were going to the all-star game. It was all they were able to talk about. And after that, she decided she wanted to do something special for them. They had never even thought of the idea and she was glad that they didn’t. It took a lot of sweet talk from her to get all of the boys agree, and when they did she gave them hugs, practically squeezing them to death. She also was planning on a bonus surprise, knowing how much they would love it.

It was the week of the All-Star break, Quinn had flown to Jersey yesterday. She had decided to cut out the science portion of their day because the kids hated science, it was their least favorite thing ever. So she got the kids to sit in a circle on the carpet. The boys were standing outside the classroom listening to everything that she said, “Okay, you guys have been so good lately and I wanted to give you guys a surprise.”

Excited giggles and small screams echoed through the classroom and the boys outside started laughing a little. SHe shook her head and sat down on her chair, “You guys have to behave okay, because no other class is getting a surprise. You promise?”

They all nodded, “Okay, so you guys know how it’s All-Star break this week?”

“Yeah!”

“And you know how on Thursday Quinn and Jack are drafting their team?”

The kids once again said yes, excitedly nodding their heads, “Miss. Hughes?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s the surprise?”

“I’m getting there! Well they were talking about how much they didn’t get to see me and how much they missed me.” All the kids giggled and one girl popped up, “You’re being silly, Miss. Hughes.”

“You’re right, I am. They didn’t say that to me. But I asked them a little while ago if they wanted to hang out and if they wanted to ask me for a favor.”

“What’s a favor?”

“It’s where you ask someone to do something for you.”

“What did you ask them?”

“Do you guys really want to know?”

“Yes!!”

“Okay… I guess I can tell you.” She got up and walked out of the classroom, the kids looking at each other confused and started to whisper.

When she walked back in, Quinn, Jack, and Luke followed her, the kids immediately letting out screams of excitement, “Hey, what did I say about being loud?”

The kids quieted down a little but still were bouncing with excitement, all of them repeatedly saying their names over and over again. Y/n got the kids to settle down and told the three of them to sit in their seats, “Okay you guys. Do you know who these people are?”

One boy raised his hand, practically begging her to call on him, “Yes Liam?”

“They’re your brothers!”

“That’s right. Do you know their names?”

“Luke, Quinn, and Jack!”

“Do you guys have any questions for them?”

For the next ten minutes they answered questions until one of the kids softly called out her name. She got up and walked over to her, kneeling down to be at her height, “What’s up, kiddo?”

“Why is there an extra chair?”

“Oh that’s a good question. Should we let everyone else know the question, because I might have an exciting answer.”

She nodded and y/n sat down next to her, having everyone stop speaking, “Okay guys. Belle has a question.”

“Why is there an extra chair?”

“Well that’s because I have another surprise for you!”

“Another surprise?”

“Yeah, you guys wanna know?”

They all nodded, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“Alright. Neeks, come on in!”

Nico walked in at the sound of his name and y.n could’ve sworn that the kids were more excited to see him then her brothers. A lot of them ran up and gave him a hug, y/n laughing a little bit at the interaction. She watched in awe as she watched her boyfriend interact with the kids, her heart warming a little bit. Belle, the girl who had asked her the question initially, turned around from where she stood and asked loudly, “Miss. Hughes, is he your boyfriend?”

All the kids looked at her expectantly and she blushed, “Yes. He is.”

All of them gasped in excitement, “No way! That’s soooo cool!”

She laughed at their comments and allowed them to continue asking questions to the four of them. When twenty more minutes had passed and it was time for them to go to lunch she had them sit back down on the carpet, “Now what do we say to Quinn, Luke, Nico, and Jack for coming?”

“Thank you!”

The four laughed and said ‘your welcome’ in unison. As another surprise, they all gave them a puck with their signatures on them. The kids gushed about it on their way to lunch and until the rest of the day. She was able to have lunch with the four of them in her classroom, eating whatever food they had bought for her.

THe joy on their faces was something she would never be able to reciprocate even if she tried, it made tears spring in her eyes, “Thank you guys for coming. It really means a lot.”

They all smiled at her, Quinn wrapping her in a hug, “It was really no problem, y/n/n.”

“Yeah, I know but it’s your guys’ all-star break and I know that you two have to be in Toronto soon. And Luke and Neeks probably want a day off.”

All four of them shook their heads, Nico coming to sit next to her, “If we wanted a day off, we would’ve said no schatzi.”

She nodded, still unable to control the few tears that formed in her eyes. She leaned her head on his shoulder and reached for his hand, “They literally never shut up about you guys.”

It was silent for a moment before a little voice startled them from the entryway, “Miss. Hughes?”

She jumped and wiped the tears from her eyes, “Hi, Victoria. What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

She got up and walked over to her, hearing her sniffle, “I’m not feeling good.”

“Did you go to the nurse, honey?”

She nodded back at her, “She told me that I was going home.”

“Okay, you want me to help you pack up your things?”

She nodded again, going to grab her folder from her cubby. Meanwhile, Nico was watching her with complete adortion in his eyes. Quinn noticed this and moved over to sit next to him, “You want kids with her don’t you?”

Nico looked at him with wide eyes, “What?”

“You want kids with her. It’s kind of obvious, dude.”

He nodded, “Yeah, I guess. I mean, we’re still kind of young.”

Quinn smiled, “Yeah, but when you know you know, man. She loves you, though. I know she does.”

Nico looked at him with a small grin, “You know, she didn’t even want me to come today. She said that the kids would be happy with just you guys and that she didn’t want to ruin my break.”

“That sounds like her.”

“When I told her I was coming no matter what she said I was pretty sure she was going to cry.”

“Trust me, Nico. Y/n could never go a day without you no matter how much she tries to deny it. One day when you guys had this little fight, it must’ve been when you guys just started dating, she called me crying and told me she wanted to marry you.”

“She did?”

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this happy.”

Victoria was finishing up putting the last thing in her bag and she looked at her teacher, “Mr. Hischier looking at you.”

“Oh he is?” She looked over her shoulder and saw him looking directly at her. Both of them blushed when their eyes locked and looked away, “He was wasn’t he?”

She nodded and smiled, “Miss. Hughes?”

“Yeah?”

“I think he loves you.”

“You think?”

“Yes! And I think you two are going to get married.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah. Okay, bye Miss. Hughes!”

“Bye, honey. Feel better!”

✧༺✎༻∞

Later that night, Nico laid in bed with y/n, arms wrapped around her tightly as they looked at each other. Y/n lightly traced his tattoo, sending shivers through him. It had been a quiet night, the two had eaten dinner and watched a movie. It was comfortable between them, no words had to be said. Both of them, however, were thinking the same thing, back to earlier. Quinn and Victoria’s words had an impact on the respective two, both of them coming to the same conclusion of wanting to marry the other. 

Nico looked up at her through his eyelashes, she was looking down at his arms as she ran her finger over the ink. He smiled and couldn’t help himself, “Do you wanna marry me?”

She paused, her finger stopping and her mouth opening just a little in shock. She looked up at him, “What?”

“Do you wanna get married?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. 100 percent.” He got up and walked over to his bag that sat at the foot of the bed, reaching in and grabbing something out, “You always told me you hated the way my bag smelled and that you wouldn't even take a step near it.”

She giggled a little, sitting up so her back was against the headboard. He walked back to the bed, sitting down by her legs, “I bought this for you a couple of months ago. It was the beginning of the season and I had just gotten back from a game. You were telling me about your day and how the kids wouldn’t stop talking about the teams win the previous night. I saw the way your face lit up when you talked about them and the game. You were so excited that they were interested in hockey. I don’t know. There was just something about the moment that made me realize that I needed to buy a ring for you. I always knew I wanted to marry you but I guess that moment just solidified it for me.”

He took a deep breath and risked a glance at her, she had tears in her eyes again, “Don’t cry, schatzi.” He held her hand before continuing, “Jack and Luke came with me the next day while you were at school. They kept pointing out random rings but none of them seemed right. The three of us were just about to give up and then I saw this one and I thought it was perfect.”

He opened the box and showed her, causing her to gasp in awe, “Oh my god, Neeks.”

“I love you, y/n and I want to be with you forever. I want to grow old with you and I want to have kids with you. I want to do it all with you.”

She nodded her head, almost screaming as she said yes. She launched herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

A couple of moments passed, both of them basking in the moment, “Victoria told me we were going to get married. When she came back in during lunch earlier.”

“Oh she did?”

“Mhm.”

“That’s funny, Quinn was telling me about how much you wanted to marry me earlier too.”

“He did?” A blush rose to her cheeks, “Yeah. He said that you called him after one of our small fights one day and you cried to him, saying that you wanted to marry me.”

“Oh god, that’s so embarrassing.” Her head fell into his chest and he laughed, moving his hand to run through her hair.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I think it's adorable.”

She shook her head and looked up at him, “I love you, Nico Hischier.”

“And I love you, y/n Hughes.”

✧༺✎༻∞

The next day, y/n showed up to work and immediately thought about how she was going to tell her kids. When Victoria walked in she knew what she had to do. They went through their whole routine, no one suspecting a thing. At the end of the day, she beckoned Victoria over and she skipped to her, “Yes, Miss. Hughes.”

“You know how you told me that Mr. Hishcier and I were going to get married?”

She nodded confidently, “Yep!”

“Well can I tell you a secret?”

“Yeah!”

“He asked me to marry him last night.”

Victoria gasped excitedly, a smile gracing her lips, “Can I see the ring?”

Y/n nodded, grabbing the ring from her pocket, “It’s so pretty!”

“You wanna do me a big favor?”

“That’s when someone asks you to do something for them right?”

“Yep. You wanna tell everyone?”

She nodded excitedly, “Yeah!”

“Alright go on.”

“Hey guys! Mr. Hsichier and Miss. Hughes are getting married!”

All the kids ran around getting a huge rush of energy. They all came up to y/n and started asking her questions, “When are you getting married?”

“Sometime during the summer. Maybe next year?”

“But you hate the summer!”

“Yeah I know, but Mr. Hischier has to work during hockey season, remember? He plays from October to April every year. So I have to make a sacrifice.”

“What’s a sacrifice?”

“When you give up something for something else.”

“I’m so happy for you, Miss. Hughes.”

“Don’t you mean, Mrs. Hischier?!”

Y/n laughed and made them pack up to go home. When she got back to her and Nico’s apartment, she smiled when she saw him making a pre-dinner snack. She wrapped her arms around his torso from behind, “Hi Neeks.”

“Hi schatzi, how was your day?”

“Good. Told the kids what you asked me last night.” He turned around in her arms and smiled down at her, “Yeah?”

She rested her head on his chest, “Mhm. They were really excited.”

He wrapped his arms around her, “I’m not surprised.”

“I still can’t believe this is happening.”

“Me neither. But I’m so excited.”

“Me too. I love you.”

“I love you.”

𝑻𝑨𝑮𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻 ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

if your name is crossed out it means i couldn't tag you

@jasminecaskry85 | @lilyevanswhore | @shoesjr13 | @Exonct07 | @dancerbailey3 | @if-my-heart-bleeds | @prettyinsatiable | @hearts-4-luke | @sarawinson78 | @pucks-goals-penalties | @elegieseulogise | @crazycat-ladys-blog | @privatemythss | @5secondsofonedirection222 | @piavettel33 | @bohemianrapshawty | @mikayladavis | @klkennedy | @hockeyboysarehot | @whoopwhoop123 | @dasiysthings | @rleigh-47 | @ivy-34 | @itsnotgray | @daisysnhl | @love4ldr | @love4lando | @dyslecticdutchman | @thescooby-gang | @biscuit-muffin05 | @toasttt11 | @fratboyharrysgf0201 | @http-aatp | @biggiesmallspots | @kei943 | @Studio_reader | @ru-kru | @zebraszegras | @sleepybesson | @lausdigitaldiary | @eleutherafairy | @hockeygirl101 | @fearfam69691 | @skoolnites | @bunting58 | @francesfarhadi | @fallinallincurls | @valluvsu | @cixrosie | @absolutelyhugh3s | @livelovefanfics | @love-like-woaah

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for telling my mom to either get me what I've asked for, or to just get me gift cards?

This probably makes me sound horrible and ungrateful, but this is an issue I've had for about the last ten years of my life. I love my mother dearly, and I am so insanely grateful that we are in a financial position where we can receive gifts at all. I'd genuinely be happy with just a card and a cozy day in, but my mom always insists it isn't Christmas without at least one or two things under the tree.

I always ask her routinely as we inch toward the later months of the year what she'd like, and I do my best to get her exactly what she wants. I'll get her one or two other things too, like some skincare or chocolates or shoes or something, but I always stick to what she actually asks for.

If she asks me for a specific dress, she'll get it. If she asks me for a certain type of perfume, she'll get it.

The same....Cannot be said for her.

I've begged her over the years to just stick to getting me what I ask for. I don't ask for anything expensive. I think the most expensive thing I've ever asked for were concert tickets, and I offered to pay half. I just more or less wanted help actually getting them, because as we all know, concert tickets sell so fast its like you blink and they're gone, and the more people you have trying to get them the more chances of success.

Usually I'll ask for something like a particular poster I saw online, or a bedding set, a new phone case, ect. Small, easy to get things because honestly, I don't need that much.

What I actually end up with is a bunch of random stuff I will never use and clothing I'd never wear and once or twice, tickets to do things I hate doing.

Its like she asks me what I want then goes out of her way to get me the exact opposite of what I've asked for. She always pouts at me and berates me for 'looking disappointed' or never using anything she gets me (I hold onto it for a few months then quietly give it away to a friend or thrift store).

It makes me feel guilty, but this is a conversation we have every. Single. Christmas.

(For example I'll ask for, say, a pair of white shoes. What I'll actually get is a box of wind up toys from the dollar store, expensive paint brushes when I've never touched paint in my life, and a box of chocolates from a brand I don't like.)

This year, once again, she asked me for my list, and I just gave her some stores and told her I'd like gift cards to those places. She gave me a weird look and dropped it, but asked again a few times, and each time I just reiterated what stores I wanted gift cards to.

Well lo behold, I come home from college and there's packages under the tree. Proper packages, not just envelopes or anything else that a gift card would realistically be in.

I guess I was staring at the tree with a weird/sour expression, because it wound up starting an argument between us. Her argument was she's getting me gifts, I should be grateful, and she tries really hard but I'm just 'impossible to please.'

My argument is I tell her repeatedly exactly what I want and not once have I ever gotten what's actually on my list. In which case, why the fuck should I bother writing a list? I'd rather have the gift cards so I can buy exactly what I wanted in the first place.

She said I ask for clothes, I get clothes. I said I ask for specific clothes and she gets me ones that I wouldn't even look at in the store, let alone buy.

The whole argument ended up with her calling me an ungrateful asshole and confiscating my gifts to return them all after the New Year. She told me I can just have the money from returning them and 'be fucking happy for once.'

Its Christmas Eve and she's still not speaking to me. I feel terrible, but I'm also relieved. Either this means from now on she won't get me anything, or from now on if she asks for my list she'll actually get me what's on it.

My dad is staying in the middle. He said I'm right, and over the years he's tried to convince her not to buy all that stuff, but he also said I should've just done what I always do, fake a smile, and get rid of it later.

Is he right or was this fight a blessing in disguise? Am I the asshole for ruining Christmas or am I justified in voicing what I have for the last ten years running?

What are these acronyms?

[adore-laur]

MILESTONES

— a series of firsts from the dadrry universe 🩵

——

The First Hunch

Intuition seemed to follow Harry around the house like a ghostly shadow.

The irregular morning sickness could have been entirely coincidental. Still, the moment you lost the hopeless battle of keeping your eyes open and eventually drifted off beside him was the indisputable sign he had been seeking. You, the person he knew like the back of his hand, were succumbing to a nap before dinner. The notably rare occurrence was a spectacle to behold, and he didn't move a single muscle except for his heart that wildly thumped in his chest at the mere thought of it being true.

You had to be pregnant. No other conclusion could be drawn.

When you awoke an hour later in an evening daze with mellow light from the sunset casting a silhouette of the open shutters on your face, Harry found it amusing how disoriented your expression was. It was almost as if you were astonished at how your body managed to do a simple human function, such as letting yourself fall asleep. He gazed down at you and raised his eyebrows with an unspoken assumption of what you had been so futilely denying to him and yourself.

"Don't say anything," you said through a yawn before he could make a witty comment.

Harry kissed your forehead and knowingly smiled against it. "Just take a test, love. There's no use in putting it off any longer."

"I'm scared,” you mumbled.

"Why?" he asked softly, wrapping a comforting arm around your shoulders. You rubbed your tired eyes while sinking into his embrace. "We've talked about how much we want this."

"It's still scary.”

Harry swallowed thickly. Hell, he was scared too. Priorities shift tectonically once a baby is born and brought home to be raised for eighteen years. How did a person even go about preparing for that enormous of a responsibility? It was always nice to fantasize about until the harsh realities of parenthood caused him to spiral mentally.

"Well," he said with a loving pinch to your cheek, "I think it's a girl."

You grinned into the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "Have you been reading up on things already?"

"Maybe," he mused. Setting his feet on the ottoman, he continued, "Look at me for a second." You did, and he absentmindedly stroked his thumb across your stomach. "Tell me that you don't think you're pregnant."

A wary pause ensued. Your unintentional signals were as clear as day.

"I think I am," you whispered.

"For real?"

"Harry, you're the one who's so confident I am."

"I know, but... do you actually feel like there's a baby?" His palms turned clammy when he said it out loud. "It's your body. I'm just guessing based on mum blogs I read online."

You pursed your lips, then replied, "What else could it be? My period was supposed to start two weeks ago. And I've been nauseated recently."

"Do you want to take a test soon?" he asked, trying to steady his ragged breathing.

You nodded briskly. "Sure. I'll buy some after work tomorrow."

"Promise me," he pleaded, a slight impatience taking over him of wanting—no, needing—to confirm it once and for all.

"I promise. We'll find out this week." You were deliberately quiet for a moment before you asked, "Why do you think it's a girl?"

Harry immediately perked up and held his pointer finger in the air. "An old wives' tale claims that—"

"Stop right there," you interrupted with a hand to his chest.

"No, hear me out." He laughed contagiously and cradled your cheeks. "They say if you crave sweets, then it's a girl. Remember when you begged me to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast a couple of days ago? I had to go to the store for more milk because you were on the verge of tears."

You narrowed your eyes. "Everyone gets cravings, though. It doesn't mean they're pregnant. Or that it's a girl."

He frowned and said, "You're starting to sound like you don't want to be pregnant."

"I do," you replied frantically, kissing his precious pout. "I do, Harry. I want a baby with you more than anything."

"Then let's find out. There's nothing to be afraid of."

——

The First Heartbeat 

Boundless possibilities could either leave you in a state of serenity or absolute shambles. The thin paper on the exam table crunched under you when you shifted restlessly for the umpteenth time, your jittery limbs bouncing with each second that noisily ticked by on the clock. Shirt bunched up to your ribcage, you awaited the gel that would be spread on your stomach. The skin there had become a little firmer during the previous week, yet somehow pudgier.

Harry stood next to you, his face visibly flushed with an equal amount of anxiousness. He looked around the room with observant eyes, scanning the daunting equipment and colorful pamphlets that presented themselves to eager parents-to-be.

He got off work early and rushed to the hospital to meet you, still in the grubby clothes he wore in the restaurant kitchen. You noticed his fingernails were bitten raw when he grabbed your elbow and leaned in for a kiss hello. Gentle and nervous smiles had been exchanged before the two of you walked down the hallway toward the elevators, your arms looped around his waist.

As the ultrasound gel was applied with an icy sensation that made you jolt, you held your breath and locked eyes with your husband.

"Is it cold?" he whispered, wringing his hands together.

"Yeah," you answered just as quietly.

The room was so still you could probably hear a pin drop. You inhaled deeply when the doctor moved the transducer wand around your lower stomach. Harry cleared his throat and broke eye contact with you to watch the computer screen that displayed a blurry black-and-white view of your womb. It was strange to see the inside of your body and even more strange to know a baby was growing in there.

After a painstaking moment, the device finally picked up on the most beautiful, muffled heartbeat. It wasn't your own, and it wasn't Harry's—it was your baby's. A lub-dub rhythm that was your responsibility to bring into the world.

Harry whistled in amazement and pressed two shaky fingers against his lips. He glanced between you and the screen several times before touching his heart and rubbing the spot. A reaction took over him that you had never seen before. Tears welled in his eyes, and a transfixed smile dimpled his cheeks. A sentimental ache bloomed in your chest, caused by love for him and his vulnerability.

"They've got a very strong and healthy heartbeat," said the doctor while adjusting the screen monitor.

You stared at the ultrasound showing a blob with no distinguishable features or anatomy, yet it was somehow part of you and part of the man you lived and breathed for.

"Harry, look," you said through an emotionally tightened throat.

He crouched beside you and sniffled. "I see, sweetheart."

"How far along am I?" you asked the doctor, blindly reaching for Harry's hand.

"Around eight weeks," they told you, clicking their pocket pen and writing down information. "As for your due date, you guys will be looking forward to early November!"

Harry clutched your hand, leaving a prolonged kiss on your knuckles. "An autumn baby," he murmured against your skin. He then turned his attention to the doctor and asked, "Can we please have copies of the ultrasound pictures to hang on the fridge at home?"

The timing was perfect. The color of the leaves would change the same way your lives would together. It would be a season filled with pure bliss and a turning of the tide. The end of the year would give you a love you could cherish forever.

——

The First Cry 

"Is she breathing?"

It was the first string of words that tumbled from Harry's mouth after you gave birth. Babies were supposed to cry once they came into the world. Why wasn't she crying? Where were the shrieks he had prepared for months to hear?

Nurses crowded around you as she was pulled out all the way and set on your chest, her squirming body sensitive to the air. It was beautiful chaos happening in slow motion. Harry felt like he was floating outside of his body, feeling a surreal concoction of confusion, euphoria, and hysteria.

"W-what... why isn't she crying?" you choked out breathlessly. Your body was shaking due to the immediate shift in hormones.

Two nurses roughly rubbed your daughter with towels until she gurgled a high-pitched wail. Relief, relief, relief. Nothing could quite encapsulate Harry's raw emotion when he heard that sound come from a fresh pair of baby lungs. It was piercingly loud and overwhelming, yet heavenly to his ears.

Harry stepped forward with a wide smile. "There she is," he said, his voice scratchy. "She's here, love. She's breathing."

Your hands, wavering and sweaty, cautiously cupped your daughter's fragile figure. With that first maternal touch, you broke down with a cascading waterfall of tears.

"Hi, baby girl," you cried happily. "Shh, it's okay. You scared us for a second."

Eyes glossy, lips trembling, and heart growing tenfold, Harry was lost in admiration. The scene surrounding him was a mess, and it was merely an afterthought in his mind. He had never been so mesmerized by someone except for the day he married you. Even so, this was a different type of love—one that had flourished over nine months and was now a tangible fondness lasting for eternity.

Absent nods and weak affirmations were given to the nurse's questions thrown his way. The bubble he was in simply couldn't be popped. You scooted over on the hospital bed so he could sit next to you while they suctioned his daughter's tiny mouth, nose, and ears. Her cries were still going strong, and Harry soaked them in as he smoothed over the back of her small head with his hand. She had a decent amount of hair, courtesy of his genes, and something about that realization broke the dam behind his eyes.

When he blearily looked at your awestruck face, he knew he had made the right choice. The mother of his baby girl. And, if he got lucky, a couple other bundles of joy as well. It had to be you. No one else made him feel as complete as you did.

"We had a baby," you whispered in disbelief, staring at him with eyes rapt in wonder.

Through his tears, Harry laughed with astonishment. "It was all you. Do you hear me? All you." He kissed your dewy cheekbone. "I'm so grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

You exhaled heavily and murmured, "I'm starving."

"When we get home, I'm going to cook you the best damn meal you've ever had in your life."

——

The First Smile 

Harry entered the sunlit nursery with dragging movements similar to those of a zombie. He had only one sock on and the staticky-sounding baby monitor tucked under his armpit.

That morning, a whopping four hours of interrupted sleep was the new record. The days and nights blended together like watercolor on wet paper, and no amount of espresso shots or afternoon naps could cure his poor, sleep-deprived soul. His circadian rhythm had now changed to a cadence of chaos, and there was nothing he could do about it. The millisecond he became a dad, a certain little someone shifted to the number one spot on his list of priorities.

After turning on the lamp in the corner of the room and setting the baby monitor down, Harry leaned against the bassinet and let his baby girl's subsiding cries wake him up just like a freshly brewed pot of coffee would. They made him feel sad, but if getting up at the same time as the sun meant they could be soothed somehow (and that you could get more shut-eye), then he would do it over and over again.

Harry eventually reached down to pull his daughter's tiny body against his bare chest. It made his heart swell how she always calmed in his arms. "Already up and at 'em, huh?" he rasped, giving her his knuckle to suckle on since the whereabouts of her pacifier were unknown. She cooed and looked at him with curious eyes that resembled yours. "Why are you so precious all the time? Got me so wrapped around your finger that I couldn't possibly be mad at you for waking me up this early."

She kicked her legs outward, apparently a happy camper now that she got some love from her dad. Harry shook his head in amusement. "Were those fake cries?" he accused lightheartedly.

Once he changed her diaper and stole a few minutes of snuggles before she started becoming fussy again, his next destination was the kitchen, where most mornings began as a new family of three. Opening the fridge decorated with baby pictures galore and a calendar scribbled full of upcoming postpartum appointments, he grabbed the first bag of breast milk he saw and then took an empty baby bottle out of the dishwasher so he could make her breakfast. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had the energy to cook himself a nourishing meal before noon.

Harry attempted to screw on the cap of the bottle using only one hand since his other was being occupied by a hungry, babbling baby. His face grew hot with frustration when the cap kept resisting being twisted, and it definitely didn't help when the bottle tipped straight over, causing valuable milk to spill onto the counter. Nice going, idiot. That wasn't good at all. He dreaded delivering the news to you, especially considering you recently told him how pumping felt like an extreme sport.

"Well, that's just wonderful," he muttered while looking down at his daughter, wholly prepared for her to literally cry over spilled milk.

But no, she didn't cry. Instead, she smiled at him for the first time. A gummy, wonky baby smile that woke him right up.

Harry gasped in surprise and completely forgot about the milk mishap, his heart pounding. "Are you smiling at me? Holy sh— I mean, shoot. We gotta show your mum. Wait, she's sleeping. Um, okay, hold on." He aimlessly scanned the kitchen for his phone. "Keep smiling, okay? I need to take a picture of this."

He abandoned the 'no phone around the baby' rule and rounded the corner of the island. In the process, he accidentally hit his side on the edged corner, causing him to stifle a groan. His clumsiness made his daughter smile even wider, along with a noise that could be interpreted as a giggle if he believed hard enough. And if he looked close enough, he could make out two miniature dimples indenting her cheeks.

He picked up his phone, and with the rays of the golden sunrise dancing over her happy face, he snapped a picture while his face beamed behind the camera. "Look at you," he cooed, pressing the capture button repeatedly. "Is my struggling funny to you? Hmm? Just wait until mommy sees this. She'll freak out."

After he put his phone away, which now had nineteen new keepsakes in its photo album, he observed her a little longer. At that moment, a sudden realization dawned upon him.

His daughter's smile looked a lot like his own.

——

The First Year 

Hot wax dripped from the candle in the shape of the number one, making a black mark on the cake's blue fondant. It took the combined respiratory strength of three people to blow the puny flame out. Afterward, there was a brief pause in the festivities to settle a crying baby because it escaped Harry's adult mind that babies don't know how candles — or birthdays in general — work.

The cake was made with admirable precision that he somehow pulled off using his amateur cake-decorating skills from ages ago. Piped seashells made from buttercream frosting sat atop the circular cake, and a message of Happy Birthday was spelled out in dainty cursive icing. A graham cracker and sugar concoction caressed the bottom edges to resemble sand, and an impressive starfish cookie rested against the side. She wouldn't remember the cake, or the day for that matter, but Harry definitely would.

Once the slices were eaten, it was time to clean up for the night. The cheap chandelier hanging over the kitchen table shined upon a dirty mess of paper plates, plastic utensils, and opened presents containing toys aplenty.

"I need a shower," you told him, an exhausted sputter leaving your lips after you threw all the crumpled napkins away. "Do you mind cleaning the rest?"

"Not at all. C'mere." Harry loosely grabbed your elbow and pulled you toward him, smacking a vanilla-flavored kiss onto your mouth. "Love you. Go relax."

You thumbed away some frosting on his chin. "Don't put her to bed without me, okay?"

He smiled softly and stole another kiss, slower this time. "I won't. We're actually planning on partying all night."

You just laughed and made your way upstairs. Harry took it upon himself to clean the kitchen until it was spotless for you. He had been genuinely trying to help more around the house since motherhood is no easy feat on the body and mind. Taking an extra load off your shoulders was the least he could do as part of his lifelong repayment for giving him the most extraordinary experience imaginable.

After every surface was scoured clean, he walked over to his daughter and kneeled, observing her childlike wonder as she smeared frosting on the tray of her highchair. Curious eyes distracted, he felt a crashing wave of emotion wash over him. It just didn't seem possible that an entire year had already passed by. Wasn't it just yesterday that he unbuckled her from her car seat and showed her around her forever home? Didn't her newborn fingers curl instinctively around his thumb whenever he pressed it to her palm? Hadn't she only been something he dreamed about with you?

If he thought about it too much, he'd start weeping.

"Stop growing, please," Harry said while scrubbing her sticky fingers with a baby wipe. "I know you need to, but it's killing me inside."

She looked up at the sound of his voice. "Da da da da," she babbled, fists excitedly hitting the tray and becoming dirty again.

He sighed and decided to give her a sink bath before bedtime. "Yes, I'm your dad. And you need to listen to him when he tells you to stop growing, yeah?"

"No!" Her new favorite word was spoken shamelessly, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle.

"All right, little lady. Keep breaking my heart, then."

She raised her arms. "Up."

After standing with a huff, Harry lifted her in the air and shook her body playfully until she let out an infectious burst of giggles. Tickles came next, an innocent attack on her belly as she squirmed over his shoulder. He held onto her kicking legs and stomped up the stairs dramatically, making a right turn into the master bedroom. A gentle toss of her on the bed had her giggling even louder.

"An entire year of loving you," he said, kissing her cheeks repeatedly. "Happy birthday, lovebug."

——

The Last Night 

There used to be a time when her legs couldn't wrap all the way around Harry's waist because they were simply too short. What were once chunky baby legs that happily kicked against his rib cage turned into toddler ones that kicked because they wanted to run free.

No more holding her sideways while she fit like a puzzle piece in the crook of his elbow. No more swaddling her tightly in a blanket after a midnight meltdown. No more tummy time, carrying her in a sling, or being there to catch her whenever she tried to walk on her own. Her dependence was slipping away.

Time was slipping away even faster.

Often, he looked back on all the moments he had taken for granted with his firstborn. Those screeching cries that wouldn't stop no matter what, leaving him with a daylong migraine and maybe a side of tears. Those tantrums that left him feeling defeated and on edge, only to end with her just wanting to be held by him. Those summer evenings on the beach, only him and her lying on a blanket and watching the sun go down while he answered all her nonsensical questions about the world around her.

Tomorrow, the date circled on the calendar's December page would allow Harry to relive those moments. However, it would be with an entirely new person he's never met. It'd be undeniably different — an accustomed bond to be formed and a shift in dynamic to adjust to. A challenge of keeping two humans safe instead of one.

Was he ready for that?

"Are you ready to be a big sister?" Harry asked the tiresome, limp child in his arms. Might as well pass off the question to someone unaware of it all.

"No."

He laughed at the confidence with which she answered. "I understand. It's a huge responsibility, but you'll be a natural. That's what your mom told me before you were born."

She nodded slowly against his shoulder, most likely oblivious to what he said. "Wanna go night-night."

"I know." The weight of his soul sunk, realizing time was ticking by faster than he'd like it to. "Let me hold you for a while longer. Is that okay?" Another nod. "You can fall asleep, darling. I promise I'll carry you to bed and tuck you in."

"Where's Mama?" she asked with her sweet, soft voice.

Harry rubbed soothing circles on her back, and tears stung behind his eyes for some reason. "She needs rest just like you do," he explained vaguely, not wanting to talk about the pre-labor pain you had been so gracefully pushing through the entire day. "Grandma's taking you to the park tomorrow, so you can't be cranky."

"Okay," she mumbled, approximately thirty seconds from a dream-filled sleep.

After swiping a finger down her button nose to get her eyes to flutter shut, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and steadily hiked up the staircase toward her room. He checked on you when he passed the master bedroom, finding you hunched over the bed and swaying through a contraction. It hurt to see you in such discomfort.

Harry opened the door to his daughter's bedroom, laid her in her toddler bed, and tucked the blanket around her body like he did every night. "Sleep well, sweetheart. Don't grow up overnight."

Her eyes popped open, and she was suddenly wide awake due to not being in his arms anymore. "'I'm not tired."

"You just said you wanted to go night-night!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Go to sleep, crazy girl," he told her, ruffling her hair. Your mum needs me right now. Can you tell your angels and fairies to make her feel better?"

She hummed an affirmation and settled down. Harry's lips twitched into a smile, and he spread his arms out in his unvoiced gesture of love. She immediately spread her arms out too.

"Love you this big," she said cutely.

"Love you even bigger," he replied, gently pinching her cheek.

Doubt, incompetence, and fear swirled in his stomach when he realized that come tomorrow, he would no longer have his paternal attention solely focused on the little girl in front of him. His chest ached for her, knowing how hard it'd be to adjust to someone who required more nurture and care under the same roof. He'd just have to share his love, and his heart was more than capacious enough to manage that.

Before Harry turned off the lights, he confessed a secret that had only been shared between them. "You'll always be my biggest love."

——

[sgiandubh]

Once someone shows facts about anything then there will be something to discuss. After 10 years everything anyone has about Sam and Caitriona has been opinion. All the Sam and Caitriona pictures and videos together have been acting or promotional, so not reliable as to personal life. All the pictures about Sam with anyone other than Caitriona are short life and appear set up and his interviews about personal life are awkward. Caitriona, aside from talking briefly about her son, is for the most part private. So agree, disagree. So far no one has truth, facts or anything more than speculation.

Dear Facts Anon,

You are the same Anon regularly popping in here with her deaf drumbeat and her rather fragile English, and I should ignore your very primitive and desperate attempt to curb my enthusiasm. But I am not, because this is the only answer you, your sock accounts or any other Anons are going to get from me on this topic.

Perhaps you chose to lie to yourself and you are comfortable with it (not my problem, of course), but we do have pictures of SC that are neither promo, nor acting. I shall not add insult to injury and enumerate them here, since that would make you look and probably even feel like a fool. These have been mentioned to death, over many years, to no possible avail. To be honest, dialogue about these has always been impossible, across the Great Divide or even across those tiny rivulets of nuanced opinions. Because every time something does not seem to fit, it is dismissed with insults, flimsy accusations, counter-narrative and calumny. In anger. You call that 'a discussion', Anon?

You write, with confidence: 'Once someone shows facts about anything then there will be something to discuss'. Facts have been shown, more than once. Facts are still being discussed, under the counter, never in public. Primarily because of the disgusting collective reaction to the coffee run revelations, something many wanted to see, many pressured to see and when it was finally there, lo and behold: feather and brimstone and insults and accusations. How this served the very idea of 'discussion' is just beyond any logic. If that served to something, it was certainly to put a halting stop to any open discussion about anything: people have feelings, people have self-esteem. Show me the masochist that would come back for more insults, after what happened and still does. It served as cautionary tale to many, including myself.

The intellectual gap across the Great Divide is a reality. Calling us 'mental' will not help anything. You have nothing to do on this page and you shall receive nothing from me. You are undeserving, Anon. I do not know you and I do not trust you. Trust being the operative word, here.

[criminalmindswhore]

I am lost.

TW: alcohol abuse, general sadness, depression

This is gonna be a long one, I don't feel like making it into different parts

When you joined the BAU you were coming out of a pit of depression you didn't even know you were in. You didn't join in on jokes, go to Ross's for dinner, and rarely smiled. After a month or so you started to come out of your depression, finally feeling supported by those around you. Emily always made sure you had a full cup of coffee when she refilled hers. Reid always brought you a rock or something from his lunch break walks. Garcia would send you pictures of flowers after hard cases. Hotch even hugged you once. JJ became like an older sister to you. She was only a few years older than you but she became your main support. Emily and her went out of their way to make sure you three always shared a room on cases to make sure you slept and showered.

Recently you could feel the darkness creeping in on you again. You were working so hard to prove yourself to everyone, Strauss, Hotch, and most importantly your mom. The things that usually brought you joy, like running with Morgan, no longer brought you any joy. Morgan picked up on it when you started flaking on him most mornings. He would get a text at 3 a.m., "I'm not gonna make it to our run this morning, I think the takeout we got in Georgia isn't agreeing with me, sorry!" Reid noticed when you stopped bringing lunch to work, insisting you would eat a big dinner. You two always ate together after his walk, debriefing from the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy. He didn't like the show but he watched it to connect to you.

Emily noticed when you guys were in New York for a case. She texted you to let you know Hotch dismissed everyone for the night and she wanted to grab dinner with you. When you didn't answer by the time she got to the room she assumed you were in the shower, but the shower wasn't on. "Hey, have you seen Y/N?" JJ looked up from her book concerned, "No, she disappeared when we got back. I assumed she was meeting you or Morgan." Emily shook away the slight panic and picked up her phone and wallet. "I'm gonna go ask Morgan." JJ nodded, "Keep me updated." Emily nodded and bit her lip.

"No, she said she was gonna go grab a drink and head to bed." Morgan shrugged. Reid perked up behind him, "Is she okay? She's been acting weird." Emily sighed in their doorway, "I don't know. I'm gonna talk to her." Morgan smiled at her, "Just let me know if I need to do anything, princess." Emily took the comfort he was offering by using the pet name. She left their room and walked down to the hotel bar. Lo and behold there you were, sitting at the bar whiskey in hand looking empty. She sighed and walked over to you, taking her place on the stool next to you. You didn't acknowledge her just kept swirling your glass. "Y/N, what's going on?" She took the glass from your hands and asked the bartender for water. You sat up and looked at her offended, "Can I not just have a drink after a long day of tracking down this psycho?" Your tone was straight and a little mean. Emily knew the anger wasn't directed at her and her gaze softened seeing the bags under your eyes. "Y/N you need to talk to me," her tone was soft and gentle. "I don't know what to tell you, Emily. I'm fine, if you don't trust me to have a drink alone maybe you should check yourself." You snatched the glass off the bartop and shot it back, drinking it all in one go. Emily took a deep breath, "Everyone is worried about you. Your regressing back into the person we met when you joined the team. We study behavior for a living Y/N/N." You glared at her, "You all profiled me?" The bartender set down water and slid your tab over to you, exposing how much you've drank. Emily took notice of the 8 whiskeys on your tab and how you left a way too high tip. "Drink the water." Emily's tone was stern and you knew she wouldn't let you leave until you drank it all. The water was cold and kept the burning anger from taking over. "Emily I'm fine." You were completely dejected from her, not even looking at her now.

"That's a lie." Emily was not going to give it up tonight and you knew it. "Either you tell me, or I go to Hotch right now." There was too long of a pause and Emily went to stand. You grabbed her hand, "Fine, just don't get Hotch, please. Being taken off this case would make things so much worse." She sat back down and held onto your hand. You took a deep breath. Everything in you screamed not to tell her, to shut her out, but the look in her eyes pulled all your walls down. "My depression has been bad again and I've been drinking a lot. I've never drunk on the job or been intoxicated at work. I just needed something to make me less numb. I feel so empty all the time except when I'm at work or with you." Emily could see the pain in your eyes, "I think I slept with the director's daughter too but I don't remember. Obviously, it didn't help. It honestly made it worse because it solidified something I've been fighting for months." Emily's heart broke slightly hearing you slept with someone but she shoved it away. "Y/N you could've come to me or JJ or anyone. You are not a burden to us and we want you happy and healthy. Even if it means late-night talks or teary phone calls. We are here for you, don't shove us out. Do you know what triggered this?" You nodded sadly, gripping her hand tighter, "Hotch rejected three of my reports because I didn't write them properly one night when I was on hour 45 with no sleep. It sent me down a spiral of proving myself and overworking." Emily smiled at you, "Y/N, that happens to all of us, it doesn't make you any less of a good agent." You laughed, "Yeah logically, but my brain doesn't think logically when it comes to me. I can think logically about everyone else's issues, but never my own." Emily grabbed your chin and made you look at her, "You have nothing to prove, we all know you're amazing at this job. Y/N you need to get help with this beautiful brain of yours." She smiled sadly at you. Tears started slipping from your eyes, your drunken brain not realizing you were crying. She wiped a tear from your cheek, "Let's go to bed, and we game plan tomorrow okay?" You nodded at her.

She pulled you from your seat, never letting go of your hand. She took the time in the elevator to send Morgan a text, 'I got her. She's okay. Talk more in the morning.' You were swaying to the elevator music, feeling lighter now that you've told someone you were struggling. "You're gonna fall over." Emily laughed at your drunken state, and you shook your head. "Em, I got this." Just as the elevator stopped you slipped and she caught you by the waist. The closeness of your faces took you both back. Your breath hitched which didn't go unnoticed by the raven-haired beauty. You stood up and cleared your throat, Emily smiled to herself. You were so beautiful to her in every way. Even in all the darkness that swam in your eyes, she could see the goofy girl you were inside. She opened the room door for you and JJ perked up, "Y/N! I missed you! Wanna cuddle?" You laughed at her and pulled PJs from your bag. "Let me change first and then all 3 of us can lay together?" Your voice slurring was all she needed to know. While attempting to take your shirt off you almost toppled over. "Here let me help you Y/N." Emily grabbed the hem of your shirt, waiting for you to consent. You nodded and just stared at her face while she took off your shirt and helped you change. She was the most beautiful girl you have ever seen. After you were changed you wiggled into bed between Em and JJ. You turned on a movie but immediately fell asleep holding Emily like a teddy bear. JJ smiled at you, "Is she slipping again?" She asked, not really wanting to know the truth. "Yeah, she was 7 deep when I got there. She told me everything. She slept with the director's daughter." JJ grimaced and Emily had a look of horror on her face. "You told her yet?" JJ had a childlike excitement on her face, Emily giggled shaking her head, "Not yet, not while she's vulnerable like this. Soon though once we get our girl through this." JJ smiled, she genuinely loved the idea of her two best friends being together. Emily told her about her crush on you immediately encouraging her to tell you.

Emily came over when you got back from New York and helped you clear out the many, many, empty bottles of alcohol you had collected. "Y/N, this is a little absurd, I counted 4 bottles in the bathroom alone." You toyed with the hem of your slacks, "Yeah if you buy in bulk at the store on 34th street it's cheaper." A month later you felt like yourself again. Emily spent the night a lot when you felt dark, she would hold you while you cried and would make sure you ate. Morgan would start showing up at your apartment for runs instead of meeting, forcing you out of bed. JJ started sending you home with notes and drawings from the boys. Reid bought you a few crystals that he swears work with depression.

One night you, JJ, Garcia, and Emily were at your apartment watching movies and building a Lego set of a piano. It was getting late so you wished JJ and Garcia a good night before returning to Emily on the couch. You sat beside her and looked at her. She looked at you from her phone and saw tears forming in your eyes. She immediately set her phone down and grabbed your hands, "Hey, what's wrong?" She looked concerned, ready to jump into action, and then you smiled. "I just feel so loved and it's a new feeling for me. The whole team has done so much for me this month to help me. I just feel so much better and I can't thank you guys enough." Emily felt tears in her eyes, she was so happy you felt loved and better. "Y/N, we would give the world for you. At least I know I would." You turned to face her on the couch, now crisscross apple sauce. "Emily, thank you." You pressed a simple kiss on her cheek. She relished in the feeling, her cheeks turning bright red. You gaped at her, "Miss Prentiss are you blushing?" She closed her eyes and winced, "Yeah?" You cackled, "You're being so soft right now, who are you?" She opened her eyes and stared directly into yours, now was the right moment. You were stable, one month sober, and making jokes again.

"I'm a woman in love with you."

Your heart exploded, she loved you. Before you had time to think you cupped her face and kissed her. Her hands went to your waist. Your lips felt exactly as she imagined they would, soft, and plump and you tasted like strawberry lip balm. You pulled away but kept her face close, "Emily Prentiss, I love you." She smiled and a tear slipped down her cheek. At that moment, foreheads touching, the pieces of your life snapped into place. Her fingers traced patterns on your hips, her soft face in your hands.

[brienneoftarth1989]

“Please, if you can, make one where Larissa doesn’t know, but the reader is too weak to drink, and when she gets drunk, touch Larissa and she takes responsibility for inviting the reader for a few glasses of wine, and just let her passion secret to touch her however you want. Larissa has a penis” - G4bE train wreck on A03

I Need Your Touch NSFW

Larissa Weems x fem reader

Summary: you are such a lightweight when it comes to drinking but you couldn’t turn the opportunity down when Larissa invites you to her office for a couple of glasses of wine. The drinks go straight to your head and your touchy side comes out.

Warnings: shifted cock, cunnilingus, teasing, fingering, soft, mentions of alcohol, smut

Request open

———————————

You have been working at Nevermore Academy for a little under a year now. As an outcast yourself you never thought you would be able to find a teaching job where you could express your true identity. That was until you found Nevermore. You immediately checked to see if there were any vacancies and low and behold there was.

You applied for one of the jobs that you would be suitable for and a few weeks later you were working at the new school. You had a very close relationship with your students and your colleagues but there was one person you just couldn’t seem to stop thinking about. The Principal herself just wouldn’t leave your mind.

You also believed that Larissa had also caught on to how you felt about her. At first you would be able to gaze and admire her from a distance and not get caught but now everytime you even look in her direction she always seems to know you're watching. You always get caught.

Then the flirting started. As your friendship grew closer and stronger the level of flirting increased. At first it started out with the occasional long glances and the odd lingering touch when your hands accidentally touched. But now it’s the constant lip biting when you are around each other as well as the lingering touches becoming more frequent as well as lasting longer than is appropriate for ‘friends’.

Although this behaviour continued to this very day neither of you have done anything about it. You both seem to be keeping things entirely professional, scared that you both might cross each other's boundaries. That was until one fateful day.

The school day had officially ended and you were sitting in your classroom checking your emails and grading some work that you needed to give back to your students tomorrow in class. You had a couple of emails from students which you responded to first. Most of them just ask questions about the assignments you had set for them. You always prioritise your students as you want them to do well.

You then check the emails from your colleagues. One of them was emailing over the plans for an upcoming school outing and the other was talking about a change in the timetable and they just wanted to clarify with you that it was right. You then refresh your emails to see no new ones come through. Happy with the lack of new emails you closed your laptop and started grading your students' work.

After about 45 minutes of marking their work you heard your phone bing. You grabbed your phone and had a quick glance at the notification. It was from gmail informing you of a new notification. You sighed as you placed your phone back on your desk and opened your laptop back up.

You open your emails to see the new email had in fact come from Larissa. You face lit up immediately and you were quick to open the email to see what it said.

Evening y/n,

Hope all is going well. I have a spare evening tonight and a couple bottles of wine that I won’t finish myself. So I was wondering if you would like to join me?

Don’t feel obligated to come but if you would like to come see me come meet me in my office at 20:00 this evening. I hope to see you soon.

Larissa x

All you could do was smile to yourself. Thee Larissa Weems has invited you to her office this evening for a glass or twice of wine. This was the first time Larissa had invited you to her office after hours so you didn’t really know what to expect. Either way though you were excited and looking forward to the evening ahead of you.

You closed your laptop and finished marking the work that you were currently working on. You placed the remainder of the students' work in the top drawer of the desk before grabbing your laptop and locking up your classroom for the evening.

You then made your way to your room to get ready for the evening ahead of you. It was currently 18:00 which meant you had two hours to get yourself sorted and ready before heading to see Larissa. What were you even supposed to wear? You didn’t even know if this was something friendly or something more.

You definitely didn’t want to overdress but at the same time you didn’t want to underdress. This was definitely going to be a long evening especially if you were reading this all wrong. You decided to have a quick shower which meant you had time to think about what you wanted to wear.

Before you jumped in the shower you played one of your spotify playlists on shuffle. The first song that came on was Long Live. The songs continued to shuffle as you washed your hair and did your skin care routine. Once out of the shower you went to go and dry your hair. You styled it so it was half up and half down letting the waves of your hair really show. Once your hair was done you did some light makeup before making your way to your wardrobe to choose an outfit.

After having a look at the range of clothes in the wardrobe and trying a few on you finally decided to go with a white button up tank top, some black ripped skinny jeans and a dark green raglan open front cardigan. You then paired the outfit a black round buckle belt. You then had a quick glance in the mirror to confirm you were happy with your final choice.

The only thing you could do was smile in the mirror. You loved it and you knew that Larissa definitely was going to love your outfit. You just hope that you weren’t reading this all wrong. You glanced over at the clock and it was now 19:30. Alright you had half an hour to kill so you chilled on your phone scrolling through social media.

The time went by relatively quickly and before you knew it was 19:55. You grabbed your phone and had one final glance in the mirror making sure you still looked good. You locked the door to your room before making your way to Larissa’s office. It didn’t take long to feel the butterflies start to build up inside of you.

It wasn’t long before you were standing outside the doors to Larissa’s office. You knocked on the large oak doors and waited for Larissa to allow you into her space. “Come in y/n” you heard Larissa speak from the otherside of the door. You opened the door and walked into her glorious office.

The sight in front of you was absolutely breathtaking. Larissa sat on her fabric sofa in front of the fireplace with two glasses and two bottles of wine. Larissa looked over at you and all she could do was smile at you. “Come sit y/n, these bottles of wine aren’t going to drink themselves” she giggled slightly.

You walked over to Larissa and sat down on the sofa leaving a respectable amount of space between the two of you. She poured you both a drink before leaning back into her sofa. “So how have you been today?” she asked you.

You had a sip of your drink before answering her question. “I’ve had a relatively good day. My students got on with their work, all their assignments were handed in on time for once, I got a lot of my marking done and now I’m sitting here with you so I can quite easily say I've had a great day. How has your day been though?” you asked as you had another sip of wine.

“My day has been quite stressful trying to organise the upcoming school outings but I’m definitely glad you decided to join me for a glass of wine tonight. It will definitely keep my mind distracted from this work load” she laughed slightly.

“Haha I definitely know that feeling and I'm definitely glad you invited me to your office for a glass of wine. It’s nice to be able to hang out after work and not have it be work related” you said to Larissa as you glanced over to her.

The night continued on and one glass turned into another which turned into another. This was such a bad idea yet you were having such a great time. It wasn’t very often that you drank alcohol so when you did it normally went straight to your head. You also learnt that when you did get drunk you had a habit of getting very touchy with the person you were with.

You had no ill intentions, it's just that physical touch is your love language and it was your way of expressing that and there was definitely a very high chance of that happening tonight considering you were drunk and with Larissa who you had an extreme crush on. As the evening went on you found yourself getting closer and closer to Larissa.

The flirting was clear as day now and Larissa could tell that the alcohol had gone straight to your head. Did she really care? No but that was because she was also tipsy. The difference between the two of you was that Larissa could handle her drinks a lot better which meant she had a clearer head than you did.

As you had somehow made your way next to Larissa you decided to test the waters and rest your head on her shoulder. All Larissa could do was giggle at your boldness. She shuffled slightly before wrapping her arm around your body letting you huddle into her body. You sighed knowing that Larissa was allowing you to do this.

You decided to test the waters further as you let your hand travel down to hers tracing circles over the top of her hand. While you did this you turned your head slightly so you were to leave little kisses over her shoulder. You ever so slowly made your way further up her arm so you were leaving kisses on her neck.

Larissa adjusted her neck ever so slightly allowing you more room to continue what you were doing. As you continued to kiss her neck you let your hand move from her hand so it was now resting on one of her breasts. You started to massage her breast as you started to leave hickies on Larissa’s neck.

Larissa had not said anything. She hadn’t told you to stop and you took it all as a good sign. As you continued to touch the woman in front of you Larissa started to let out small whimpers due to the pleasure you were giving her. You were enjoying every moment of this and decided to test the water further. You let your hand slowly travel down her body so it was now resting just above her waist.

You were about to let your hand travel down further so you could lift up her dress slightly but she grabbed your hand leaving you frozen in place. Did she not want this? Have you done something wrong? Even though you were still very much drunk you could start to feel your mind start to sober up a little.

You looked up to see what was going on. You were half expecting Larissa to be looking down at you with disgust but she was giving you this care filled look instead. “What’s the matter?” you asked Larissa. “Nothing darling. Nothing at all but your drunk darling. I want this to happen trust me I do but we should both be in sober minds. I would hate for this to happen and then you regret it the next morning.

All you could let out a small whimper. You wanted Larissa so desperately. You wanted to ravish her and make her feel things that only you could provide her but instead she wanted to wait. You understood why but in the moment you didn’t really care, you just wanted her.

“I tell you what, how about we spend the night together, but just sleeping and maybe cuddling. If you still feel the same way tomorrow then we will do something about it. How does that sound?” she said to you. All you could do was sigh before giving her a response. “That sounds like a plan” you smiled before giving her a light peck on the lips.

Larissa responded to your kiss immediately. It didn’t take long before you ended up in her lap having a full on make out session. The kiss was passionate and you could spend the whole evening in her embrace. You were hoping that it would lead onto something more but it didn’t. Just as you were gonna let your hands wander her body she stopped you. “Come on you, let's get you to bed” she said, scooping you up and bringing you to her bedroom.

Larissa stripped you of your clothing leaving you in your undergarments before then putting one of her t-shirts on you. It was more like a dress on you but you were too drunk to really notice. Larissa got you to lay down in bed before putting the duvet over the both of you. As soon as your head hit the pillow you were out for the count. Nothing was going to wake you until morning.

Larissa laid in bed next to you just watching you sleep. How she wanted to spend the night properly with you it just wasn’t something she was able to do especially as you were both intoxicated. You wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you woke up the next morning regretting it all. It wasn’t long before Larissa fell asleep next to you holding you in a tight hug which caused you to unconsciously smile.

The next morning came round quicker than you both could imagine. You were the first to awake due to being blinded by the sunlight that was coming through the window. You groaned slightly not enjoying being woken up by this awful light. You turned over to get away from the sun to come face to face with a sleeping Larissa.

She was beautiful. She had no makeup on and her beautiful blonde hair was cascading down covering part of her face. All you could do was smile at the beautiful sight in front of you remembering everything that happened last night. You may get drunk quite quickly but 9 times out of 10 you always seemed to remember the night before.

You were definitely glad that you didn’t do anything last night just in case. You think it was more for Larissa’s peace of mind rather than anything else but now all you really wanted to do was show her the pleasure she was missing out on last night. You slowly leaned closer to her stroking the hair that was covering her face out of her way and tucking it behind her ear.

Your delicate touch caused the woman in front of you to start to stir in her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open causing a smile to be plastered on her face when she saw you. “Morning darling” she whispered to you. “Morning” you smirked back at her just admiring the sight in front of you. “What are you smirking at? Do you even remember anything from last night? You had a lot to drink darling and you were pretty drunk” she said sitting up slightly.

“Oh I remember everything and I definitely remember you saying we would do something about this if I still remembered. So if it’s alright with you I would love to show you what you were missing out on last night” you said smirking as you lifted Larissa t-shirt over your head and chucking onto the floor.

Larissa moaned at the sight of you before grabbing you by the hips and pulling you body so you were both lying against each other. Larissa gently cupped your face before bringing you into a gentle kiss. The kiss was just as passionate as the night before. You also cupped Larissa’s face as your lips moved in sync. It was like they were meant to be together like a piece missing from a jigsaw puzzle.

The longer the two of you kissed the more desperate you both became for one another and there were too many pieces of clothing that were separating the two of you. You let your hands travel down her body grabbing the hem of her silk pyjama top before lifting it over her head.

You separated for a brief moment as the fabric stopped you both from kissing but it didn’t take long for your lips to find each other. You moaned into the kiss as you let you handle travel down her bare chest. As you massaged her breasts her hands travelled around your body lifting her shirt off your body before then unclasping your bra.

This whole time the only time the two of you stopped kissing was to breathe but just like drugs the two of you were addicted to one another and you never wanted to come down from this high. You pulled away from the kiss before resting your forehead on hers before gazing into her eyes. “Why did you stop?” she panted.

“Because there are so many other places I want to kiss other than your lips” you said smirking at the woman in front of you. You pulled back ever so slightly moving Larissa’s hair out of the way of her neck before leaving a couple of open mouth kisses on her neck before letting you tongue run the length of her neck from her collarbone to her jawline.

Larissa moaned at this action before adjusting her neck further to allow you to do whatever you pleased. You licked around her jawline before kissing her chin before gazing into her eyes and giving her another small kiss on her lips. Larissa was desperate to return the favour as she pushed you back ever so slightly so she could then repeat what you did to her on yourself.

As she did this she massaged your breasts which caused you to moan and whimper ever so slightly at her touch. Larissa left plenty of open mouth kisses in the crook of your neck as she continued to worship your body with her hands. Instinctively you were doing everything in your power to bring her as close to you as possible even though that was becoming near enough impossible.

You smiled at one another as Larissa worshipped your body. You decided that you have had enough in this position so you flipped the two of you around. You quickly removed your panties before sitting back down on the bed before having Larissa straddle your lap. You let your hands travel down her back before cupping at her arse and squeezing the hell out of it. This caused her to buck her hips and grind down into you which you definitely weren’t complaining about.

You couldn’t take it much longer with Larissa kissing your neck and having her grind down into your body. You needed to feel her, you needed to taste her, you just needed everything about her. You moved Larissa so she was now laying next to you allowing yourself to lay next to her so you were laying on your side. You nuzzled into the crook of her next once more as you let your hand travel down her body. Your hand slowly made its way down her torso over the patch of blonde curls and right to her hard throbbing clit.

You lazily drew circles over her throbbing clit watching her squirm under your touch. You continued to torture her clit before slowly rubbing the tip of your finger over her entrance slowly pushing a single digit in. Larissa gasped as you entered her. “Fuck y/n, please fuck me” she moaned out.

You complied with the tall beauty as you slowly started to pump your finger in and out of her. As you did this you rested your head on her chest and slowly started to tease her nipples with your tongue. She was a moaning mess and you could tell she was getting close. You could feel her walls clenching around your fingers.

You looked up at Larissa. “Cum for me baby, cum all over my fingers, I want to be able to lick them clean for you”. Your words sent Larissa into overdrive causing her to immediately cum all over your fingers. You let her ride out her orgasm before slowly pulling your fingers from her. You placed your fingers in your mouth and sucked them clean. All Larissa could do was look at you as she came down from her high.

“Why don’t I get my strap? I would love for you to dominate me” you said to Larissa as you crawled up her body. As you sat down on her lap you felt something hard poking at you. You looked down to see a girthy 8 inch cock attached to the woman in front of you. “Oh I don’t need a strap. One advantage of being a shift shifter darling” she smirked as she lined her cock up with your aching cunt slowly pushing herself inside of you.

You gasped as she pushed herself fully inside. “Fuck Larissa your so big. Let me adjust to you” you moaned as you huddled into her neck. After a minute of letting your body adjust, Larissa ever so slowly started to thrust up into your aching core. This felt amazing and you never wanted it to stop. “Faster Larissa!” you moaned into her ear.

Larissa immediately increased her pace as she thrusted up into you. You sat back as you rested your hands on each leg. The sight Larissa must have right now watching as her cock disappears in and out of you. You threw your head back as you felt yourself getting closer and closer to the edge.

“Are you getting close, baby?” she asked you. All you could do was moan out a somewhat coherent yes. “So I am a baby. Let's cum together. I can feel you getting close, I can feel you clenching around my throbbing cock. Cum for me baby! Cum all over me” she started screaming.

It was Larissa’s words that sent you over the edge. You screamed her name as you came which caused Larissa to release her load deep inside of you causing you to gasp as you felt her feel you up. You both slowly road out the orgasm before coming to a stop.

Laissa slipped out of you before shifting her anatomy back. You laid down to the woman next to you. “That was amazing Larissa. I knew I wouldn't regret anything” you whispered as you cuddled up next to her. “I know darling. How about we just chill and watch films for the rest of the day. For once I don’t have any important business to attend to” she laughed ever so slightly.

So that was exactly what you did, cuddled up together watching horror films and snacking on junk food.

[endlich-allein]

Till Lindemann from "Rammstein" turns 60

Good man

Von Flake Lorenz

3. Januar 2023

Till Lindemann, "Rammstein" singer and lyricist, turns 60. Congratulations from his longtime friend and keyboardist.

Actually, one would not have to wait for a milestone birthday to honor this wonderful person. You could just pause and pay homage to the force of nature on any other evening. It may also be that Till Lindemann's birthday this Wednesday is not true. Even when Bravo reported about Rammstein for the first time in the early 1990s, our dates of birth were completely out of thin air. We were way too old for the Bravo target group back then, so the editors simply made us a few years younger. That wasn't a problem because the internet was still empty.

We soon realized that it doesn't matter how old you really are. Much later, when Rammstein became successful, being old was even better. You can deal more calmly with all that nonsense and enjoy your happiness in peace. Also, a person's age is just in the eye of the beholder, at least I don't know anyone who would call themselves old. On the other hand, I can still remember how, as a young musician, I couldn't calm down when I found out that the guitarist in a band I was friends with was over 30 years old. "He can still make music?" I asked. Men over 50 were half-dead, bleating grandpas in ugly brown clothes, they were every teenager's natural enemy.

It's 1986. Till turns up the system. I'm worried: What will the neighbors think?

Till seemed old to me when I met him. That was in the mid-1980s in East Germany. Till was not only older than me, in contrast to me he was already really grown up. He lived in his own house while I was still in my parents' room and didn't even have a girlfriend. I saw Till for the first time in 1986 in a Schwerin club after a Feeling B concert. I immediately noticed him: Till was a tall, strong man who on the one hand exuded natural authority, but at the same time seemed very shy. We didn't hesitate when he offered to take us home with him. His house in the country near Schwerin seemed like paradise to me, it was incredibly comfortable, probably because he had set it up that way himself; he had knocked out the walls between the rooms and left only the half-timbering. The volume on his system was turned up to the limit, the Sisters Of Mercy screamed from the cheap speakers.

I had never dared to do anything like this in my life. What would the neighbors think? When I wanted to play a song on the piano in between, Till simply carried it for me to another room where it wasn't so loud. At some point we all fell asleep where we sat and stood, like in Sleeping Beauty, and when I woke up the next morning, I imagined what it would be like if you always lived like Till. I really liked this idea.

Of course, his life wasn't a one-stop party. He also lived in the house because the argument with his father, who was not exactly frail, had escalated beforehand. Till had hit his father, the children's book author Werner Lindemann, with such a punch that he flew into the strawberry bed. Then Werner Lindemann threw Till's things out of the skylight. Life in a sports boarding school and training as a carpenter in Rostock were no fun either. Later, as a single father, Till lived with his daughter Nele in his nest, which in turn probably saved him from being drafted into the army. Till always seemed and always seems in a good mood to me – a bit like Obelix, of course not in terms of stature, for God's sake, he looks more like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but in terms of personality he's more like Obelix. Always according to the motto: "Friends, I have a plan, let's go here and there and break everything to pieces!"

Practical: He could change a wheel on the Trabi without using the jack

When the wall was suddenly open, Till drove to Lübeck with a couple of friends and spent all the West money he had saved and exchanged on gummy bears. He sat in a doorway and ate them all. Of course, he also manages a wild boar – it was an advantage back then that he lived so close to the railway embankment. When a waiter asks Till if he liked his food, he usually replies: "Yes, thank you, it was plenty." Incidentally, he also shares Obelix's great love of small dogs. Since Till is with (allegedly) Francis of Assisi, who wrote: "The dog remains loyal to me in the storm, man not even in the wind."

And like Obelix, Till seems to have fallen into a magic potion, because he really has tremendous powers.

At that time he could change a wheel on the Trabi without using the jack. In the old days, when we had to work as stewards at an open-air festival, Till just banged his fist through a car window to hold the driver down.

If Till sees any body of water, he immediately plunges into it and plows through it like a motorboat. He tucks the boxes that we carry in the studio or in the rehearsal room under his arm alone.

If a door is locked somewhere, he just sticks me through a second-story window so I can open it all from the inside.

I've never met anyone who is so pragmatic about music and lyrics. Till would never have originally thought of becoming a singer. Although he observed that musicians in Schwerin had a hit with women and then played drums in a punk band - but in all those years I really never had the feeling that punk music particularly interested him. An effective and well thought-out stage show was always more important to him. For example, Till once put chickens in the bass drum and only pulled the cloth away after the first song, causing the animals to tumble across the stage.

Cheering crowds, prizes and honours: All of this actually leaves him completely cold

When Till was supposed to sing with us, it was very difficult for him at first, because as a singer you can't hide behind an instrument or another musician. Then he put on welding goggles so that he looked like a friendly insect. Till sang beautifully, deeply and soothingly. We stopped worrying immediately. Everything would be fine. We just needed good lyrics. So Till sat down to write them. He never pretends to be a great artist who needs to express his deep feelings. He prefers to think about what else can be lit on stage (like me). The concerts used to be a lot of fun. At that time we always looked for an attractive village inn first, in order to eat as much as possible. Only then did we set up our stuff and play.

Till loves women - and women love him. But how he manages to go through his life completely free of any affectation, even after 37 years, still arouses deep admiration from me. Cheering crowds of spectators, prizes and honors actually leave him completely cold. Organizing a party for our entire crew seems to be more important to him than any concert. Incidentally, he has renounced his rights as a lyricist for decades, so that all six of us at Rammstein earn exactly the same. In any case, Till has extended the life of the band, because money is usually the trigger for a breakup. He, on the other hand, has a very decisive influence on our band with his lyrics and his voice.

So we can still successfully defend our small East German village. By Teutates! May the sky never fall on Till's head!

(I'm not sure of this whole translation so feel free to correct me)

[meowsgirldrawing]

Princess vs Prince (Astarion x Gn-Tav/Reader) WIP

I got 6 pages of this so far HA-

Prompt: The ragtag gang of tadpole holders saves a princess (daughter of a grand duke) from a miserable fate by a monster, then decides to help escort her back to her town. Astarion didn’t mind any of this, but after weeks since his and Tav’s exchange of real affections and confessions, he’s not too keen on allowing her fluttering eyelashes and obvious thing for hero’s to go on any longer.

(Aka-Astarion doesn’t like to share and wants to be the only “royalty” Tav adores)

(Aka-he’s jealous)

Why am I calling Astarion a prince? Because he acts like it besides the gore and vampy stuffz. Plus it makes a fun title.

Note: Tav is a tiefling in this, because I love tieflings so much, but I'm trying to keep it mostly open so people can imagine their Tav's easier. More or less a little self-indulgent on my part.

“Let’s save the little princess, they said!” 

“It’ll be harmless, they said!”

Astarion bristles, leaned up on the tough wood pole that holds up his tent. The pure white pup beside him pays no attention, his gnawing noisy and breaking the air occasionally with happy whimpers. “I mean really??” He manages to keep his words low-ish, but his hand movement, flaring up in mock dismissal, is rather the opposite. “Who does that little minx think she is?-”

“GO WYLL, GO!” Karlach’s booming voice interrupts him. Loud enough that Scratch finally peers up, tail wagging. Oh so you’ll ignore me but as soon as the big fire lady says one word-

Not that Scratch really needs to listen anymore, Astarion trails off, finally resuming on the scene before him. The scene he was so diligently watching for a few reasons only before his disgust came filtering in.

Gale steps up, settling in beside Karlach,  “Do we really need to do this?”

“Have a little fun, Gale,” Tav huffs lightly, playfully, as they snatch up another log and set it up in the stump, axe glinting in the sunlight from their hand.

“Of course we do! Since Tav thought it was oh so wise to comment-“

“It was just a joke, Wyll-“ They try.

“On my “princely-ness” I must show them exactly how prince-like I can be!” His shirtless chest puffs up in confidence, or faux bravo as Tav rolls their eyes and sighs. And that is through a friendly log-chopping competition apparently.

“Tsk’va-“ Lae’zel settles up next to Gale’s side, her eyes focused on the pile beside the two morons. “As long as we get firewood, I don’t care how it’s done.”

Tav nods, grateful “Thank you, sweet Lae’zel. See Gale, it’s harmless my guy!”

Lae’zel does her dismissal words, rolling her eyes. The friendliness form of ‘no problem’ a Githyanki, at least their favorite one, can offer apparently. 

What? No, the competition is certainly not Astarion’s source of disgust. The sight of a bare chested, years of fighting showing in rippling muscles, Wyll going against their broad-shouldered, built in both structured and height Tav, whose upper half is covered by a mere tank top. That is absolutely not it. If anything, he could sit there all day watching both go at it like morons over a simple joke. 

And no, it’s not how he can clearly see the others taking in the sight as well. Gale watches in more amused confusion compared to most, but if you looked harder, his eyes are certainly not straying from either’s form. 

Karlach’s tail wags lightly, while her eyes glim with her hearty laugh. Perhaps if she wasn’t already burning up from her engine, she’d probably be visibly burning up in another way. Still, her focus is on Wyll, amused and thoroughly intrigued.

Lae’zel’s possibly the only one who isn’t doing much leering, but she isn’t so innocent. She goes from watching their forms swing down the axes on Tav’s call to being unable to take her eyes off Tav’s arm stretching out for another log. She huffs but does nothing more besides crossing her arms.

He can’t blame them, not at all, his Tav alone is a sight to behold. Not to mention their overall friendly and sweet persona that takes no real effort, a gentle giant is what he’s heard multiple times by Shadowheart. Added with Wyll, an admittedly gentleman despite his profession at slaying off monster heads, his demeanor also alone can melt the strongest of hearts. 

Pair them together, and you got a nice show to sit back and enjoy. Especially with the banter thrown left and right.

“Ready to give up, Tav? Even by your tail I can tell you’re struggling.” He grins, eyes crickling in mirth.

Tav scoffs, their tail adjusting the log before swinging back to behind them.

“Try me, warrior boy. I’m just getting started!”

“Well-” At the next call, both heave up their axes and slit the wood in two. 4 more added to their respective collections. “So am I, my friend!”

Astarion’s lip quirks, but then turns into a full frown as soon as he hears it again.

A high pitched giggle.

A little ways behind the two competitors, there sits a young woman in a fair and fluttery day gown, dark long locks curled over her shoulder, manicured and well cared for hands trail near her full and red lips as she giggles out her response, “You’re doing just amazing, both of you!”

But her eyes stay on Tav. His Tav.

His lip curls, eyes piercing from the other side of the camp.

There she is, the little princess he and his group just so happen to come across when dealing the final blows on a goblin camp. Annalisa, or rather, Lady Annalisa-Daughter and heir of Duke Salton. Who just so happens to be from the town they planned to head to next before her untimely landing into their group.

[amandacanwrite]

Amanda Cessor • A Writeblr Intro

Hey everyone! I'm Amanda Cessor and I write historical fantasy and romance. I have words published in Merciless Mermaids (An Anthology,) Full Mood Mag, and I have my first novel coming out with Inked in Gray Press.

I'll be posting tips, essays, creative nonfiction and excerpts from my work here, as well as documenting the process of publishing my first book with a small, independent press. I hope we can be friends!

The Novel is called "With Love, Juniper" and the little elevator pitch is: Herbalist and witch Juniper, who suffers from severe social phobia, finds herself caught between the courtships of her oldest friend, Oleander, and handsome, influential stranger, Theo, while trying to deal with the expectations of her parents and the members of the small village she lives in.

I have entirely too many projects I'm currently working on, behold:

A Dawn Without Ashes -- Vampire Romance, Stand Alone (for now?)

Projected Word Count -- 100k

Setting

Fantasy Anachronistic 1920's vibes, in a land where Vampires rule and humans are seen as little more than a food source.

Synopsis

In Oubliette, Vampires rule from the shadows. Humans are considered pests at their worst, beloved pets at best. Orianna is the lowest of the low, an impoverished thief awaiting her sentencing after stealing coins to buy some food. When the charming Count Diable hand picks her as a commodity for his blood-brothel, she worries she has jumped out of the frying pan and straight into the fire.  

She has no idea how true that really is until she meets Atlas, Count of House Lune, darling of the Empress and and keeper of a secret that could change everything. Not only for her,  but for all of human kind.  

Of Foxes and Follies -- Fae Meets Peaky Blinders -- Trilogy

Projected Word Count -- 100k

Setting

Fictional version of Scotland, which I like to call Not!land and actually called Dimloch, around the 1910's or 1920's.

Synopsis

Rheannon Todd has a debt to pay. A debt she plans to pay by stealing from drunken guests at a Midsummer Soiree hosted by the notorious gangster known as The Magpie.

What she doesn't know is that The Magpie is more than just a charming card sharp with a penchant for cruelty. He's a member of the Unseelie Court and he doesn't much like being stolen from.

The Hallowed Wilds -- Serial on Hiatus -- Grounded Romantasy

Setting

Pseudo Appalachian small town in the 1840's.

Synopsis

Ezra lives near a mysterious forest called The Wilds. People who go in there tend to not come out, but even as a boy he feels drawn to the strange place. One day, when his parents are out, he sneaks into The Wilds and meets Aurelia, a strange, beautiful witch who has lived in the forest since she was born.

What starts as a beloved childhood friendship develops into a star crossed love over the years. The fear in the village and the brutality of the witches in the forest threaten to tear them apart.

Currently on Hiatus, but you can read about 60k of it here!

Red Skies -- Standalone Novel -- Pirate Romantasy

Projected Word Count -- 100k

Setting

Psuedo Imperial open world around the 18th Century.

Synopsis

Cordelia Shurka will do anything to provide for her family. She's worked herself to the bone since she was a child to keep the house afloat after her father vanished from their lives. When things get too hard, though, she seeks to raise her station by marrying herself to the viceroy. It seems an easy trade, her utter devotion and obedience in exchange for finally having the security she so desperately wants.

On her wedding day, the thinks she's finally out of the woods. That is until handsome pirate, Edric Davenport steals her for himself.

Want Updates?

If you happen to be interested in getting updates on any of these projects, you can join my tag list here!

[peach-and-bugs]

Hi, I hope you are well, I fell in love with Nat's one-shot, so I was encouraged to ask for a request, well there are two that come to my head with different characters.

"Wow, you really never got out of your angsty teenage stage, did you?" with Teen Shauna (sorry it's just that you see those eyes and they bring back a lot of melancholy).

"Please tell me you didn't hold on to that all these years" with Lottie (1996) and Lottie (2021). I think with this one you can play with flashbacks of seeing what happened in the desert and their relationship in that timeline in 1996 as a reunion in 2021 somewhat angsty.

Sorry the request is so long, although I would like to add that I can imagine both requests with f reader, anyway thank you very much for everything, take your time and take care of yourself. ❤️

💚Flower stems for heartstrings - Lottie Matthews (1996 & 2021) x fem!Reader💚

Fanfiction master list

disclaimer: don't repost my work. I only post on Tumblr and on Ao3. anything else is stolen and should be removed immediately

Summary: y/n finds evidence of her teenage best friend (and secret crush) being alive after all, and a possible way of finding her thanks to modern internet and goes on a personal quest to find her and the truth, all while reminiscing about their teen years...

Warnings: Internalized homophobia, fem reader that dresses both "masc" and "fem", underage drinking and smoking weed, extremely angst but with a good ending

Word Count: 8,758

A/N: woohoo! We've surpassed word count on my longest oneshot with this fic, the record previously being 6,990. And ngl, this might be one of my favorites to date! Lottie is an extra special gal who deserves an extra long one-shot, so of course I'm going to give her extra attention. What can I say, I'm not immune to favoritism. This one was actually so fun! I loved getting to write about excited, young (and medicated, let's be fr) Lottie bc I think we forget just how much the wilderness took a toll on her. She was so lively before, it makes me so sad. But, I hope I was able to give her a little bit of that liveliness back in this fic! I think in the request "desert" was supposed to be wilderness, but I wanted to have the reader be left behind, which adds a whole different kind of angst to the situation. As always, feel free to leave questions or comments in my comments or ask box, and happy reading!💚

Lottie Matthews Tag List:

General Tag List: @summergeezburr

-💚-

You’d only ever felt the way you did now only twice before in your life. Once when word got around that flight 2525 had mysteriously gone down in flames with no trace, and once again when you learned she’s been shipped off to god knows where for some kind of treatment. You hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to her then and she was gone. 

It was a sickly green feeling that had you kneeling over with weak knees and a stone throat. Lottie Matthews, the girl you’d had your heart set on for all of these years, wasn’t gone. She wasn’t locked away or dead like gossip has always said. She was alive and well and looked like she was thriving. And how did you find this out? Through Instagram, of course. That might have been the worst part of all of this. 

One minute you’re mindlessly scrolling through your feed when an ad for a farmers market in some part of upstate New York, rather than New Jersey where you resided. But the ad featured a booth selling honey, and low and behold, there she was. Well, the photo didn’t give a clear picture of her face, but you refused to deny that it was her, despite how it made you sick. How could you forget that smile of hers after all? 

You had to put your phone away after that, but it didn’t help you sleep. A few hours into staring up at the ceiling, restless with gnawing curiosity, you decided sleep wouldn’t come till you found an answer. Rather spontaneously you packed a bag and got into your car. Was this the smartest thing to do? Hell no, but you had the weekend off for work anyways, and nothing stopped you from going, so you drove through the nightstand into the morning and drove by coffee, a podcast, and the straining urge that you needed to know what was going on.

-💚-

At some point in the night, you found your mind wandering as your eyes trained on the empty highway before you, highlighted by your headlights. You reminisce a time long before, even more than 25 years ago. Back when you had been a freshman in high school during your lunch period. You moved to Wiskayok, New Jersey late in the year, giving you an even later start to your first year of high school. You’d relatively been left alone and had decided you'd be alright with that. Not everyone can have friends right? So, alone you sat outside on the school's field, picking at the grass underfoot having already finished your lunch. 

Some students around you sat on the track or the stadium's bleachers with their friends, enjoying company and comradery or whatever and you didn’t like to admit how it made you jealous. But what was there for you to do to change it? You refused to look desperate and walk up to random groups of people who would probably talk about how lame you are behind your back-

“Hey, you alright?” the sudden voice in your direction yanked you out of your self-deprecating thoughts. Looking up you had to squint your eyes to try and make out who was talking to you as the sun shone in your eyes till they tilted their head, blocking it. After some adjustment from the sunspots in your eyes, you were greeted with a shy yet warm smile. 

“Um, yeah, I’m fine,” you uttered awkwardly, swallowing the frog in your throat that had your voice croaking. The girl chuckled and tottered down to the ground to sit beside you in the grass. She dressed well, was one of the first things you noticed. Her pink skirt and tall white socks were very countering to your grass-stained jeans, scuffed hightops, and t-shirt. 

“You sure, because you’re all by yourself,” she said rather matter of factly. 

“Well, maybe I like being alone. Think of that,” she arched her brow curiously. “And as far as I know you’re alone too,” she chuckled again with a little huff. 

“Tuche,” was all she replied, but she had a stupidly shiny grin on her face. Next, she reached out her hand to shake. “I’m Charlotte, by the way. But most people call me Lottie,” you hesitated for a standing moment, only staring at her hand as you kept yours loosely wrapped around your knees till you gave in, shaking her hand in greeting. 

“I’m y/n,” 

“Well y/n, tell me about yourself,” she spent the rest of that lunch period at your side, asking questions about you in exchange for the little tidbits you were willing to give her. It was so strange, looking back now, how a because girl decided you looked lonely you'd be driving to upstate New York on a random Thursday night due to your desperation to find her again. 

Lottie had always been charismatic. She liked people. She looked at them like puzzles made special for her to figure out. Maybe that was her way of avoiding herself, or maybe she just had a natural curiosity for those she didn’t understand. But from that day on, she hadn’t left you alone. She’d excitedly greet you in the halls, and invite you out with her friends and to late-night parties. She was the one who integrated you into the community and helped you find a place. 

But she also became your best friend. However, you struggled to feel like you were hers sometimes. She was so bright and colorful, full of life and boy was she popular. She always had someone with her, unless she found the time for you exclusively, which dwindled more and more as high school progressed. Of course, this is a concern you could talk to her about but you didn’t want to bother. In truth, you feared your feelings were driven by selfishness. You thought you'd never voice it, but oh, how you undoubtedly adored Lottie Matthews. 

You felt her encase you when she was close and her laugh was enough to have you swooning. You thrived in her presence and basked in the littlest bit of attention she may offer you. Her touch was electrifying and when she grabbed your hand when she greeted you you felt what had to be magic. But of course, you could never tell. Sure, you knew you were gay and you were so fortunate that you’re mother said it was ok, but you’d never tell, ever. Even if the ache felt like it was squeezing you, you couldn’t lose Lottie. You didn’t want to scare her away and be a freak. 

Part of you wonders if that’s why you'd lost Lottie after all. You hadn’t been honest with her. No, that wasn’t rational. A secret didn’t take down an airplane. 

-💚-

You didn’t arrive till mid-afternoon, late morning, the sun high above as you made your way towards this market. They had their location posted online, so with a quick search and an input to your mapping app you were all set to go. Moments like that reminded you of how on your road trips with your mother growing up she'd have you read the map in the passenger's seat beside her, your finger tailing over the highways towards the little star sticker added on to be your final destination. Strange how so little time felt like it had passed since then yet a whole life as well.

Venders had been set up for some time now and enjoying the comfortable air as they mingled and shopped. You hooked a tote bag over your shoulder to look less conspicuous (although there inherently isn’t anything conspicuous about a middle-aged queer woman at a farmers market, still. You felt a need to keep a low profile). You wandered for some time, looking for a stall that said something like sunset honey, or maybe it was sunnyside. Something involving both the sun and honey, and it looked like the people working wore a lot of purples. 

Honestly, it was a very nice market in itself. Had you had ulterior motives for attending you would have quite enjoyed it. That is still you grew distracted by a florist’s stand. The owner had lovely premade bouquets that ranged in a variety of colors and sizes, but what caught your eye where the assortment of white and pastel metal buckets housing small assortments of different flowers, meant to be starters for gardening. In particular stood out the small purple flowers known for growing naturally back home, in Wiskayok. You tentatively reached out to stroke the petals. 

You hadn’t formally been invited to the party, but it was one of those words get around kind of things, she no one was actually invited, right? At least, that's what you'd told yourself as you got ready in your room, obsessively messing with your hair in the mirror. It was one of those beer-guzzling bonfire things that the seniors hosted on the outskirts of the woods now and then. This time, however, the justification was the girl's soccer team going to nationals, and after the whole pep rally earlier in the day, it did sound justified. 

You pulled back from the mirror to look back down at your clothes. You'd layered a black plaid dress with thin straps over a white sweater that’s sleeves cut off just below your elbow with tights and docs. You tugged at your coller, attempting not to grimace. Sure, you liked dressing feminine now and then, but when it came to events like this you couldn’t help the anxiety, especially with drunk boys. But still, you wanted to look nice, even if the drinks being served were from a beer keg. It just felt like one of those nights, you figured. You sighed and forced yourself to leave as there was a car horn honking outside, grabbing your backpack along the way as you went. It’d be good to have a quick getaway available to you if need be. 

“Have fun, hun! Make good choices for me, ok?” your mom called to you from the couch, watching one of her late-night shows while sipping tea and crocheting something as you went downstairs. You smiled, walked up beside her at the end of the couch, and kissed her forehead. 

“I will, mama, I promise,” you forced a tiny smile. She hummed her thanks and smiled, opening her eyes to take a look at you.

“Show me this little number you assembled for me,” she said, taking off her eyeglasses and gesturing up and down with her crochet hook as she readjusted in her seat to get a better view. You stretched out an arm, the other firmly holding your backpack to your shoulder, and did a turn around for her. She smiled wide and gave you playful applause. 

“Cute! And do you like it? Everything fits well?” 

“Yes, Mom, I promise,” you sighed, trying to refrain from rolling your eyes. It was a new dress you hadn��t worn yet and you knew she was only doing the classic mom routine but you had to go!

“Alright, you go have fun. And tell your friend Charlotte good luck at nationals!” she called after you as you shut the door front door and locked it. You turned, illuminated by your porchlight, and waved to your ride. Van had the passenger window of Taisa’s car down and she waved back with a confident grin on her face. You could hear Depeche Mode playing on the radio as you approached the car. You opened the door and slid inside with a quick smile. 

“Thanks for the ride, Taissa,” you said, trying not to sound as shy as you felt. She smiled in the rearview mirror, checking her surroundings as she turned down the radio. 

“Yeah, no problem girl,” she said with effortless confidence. You didn’t know Taissa or Van, or much of the school's soccer team all that well, but in your mutual connection to Lottie over the past four years you’d tagged along with them quite often and they’d always been nice to you.

“We couldn’t say no after Lottie was so adamant we were nice,” Van joked quite loudly to Taissa, giving you an up and down with that grin again. You stared for a second, unsure of what she was trying to imply till Taissa smacked the goalie in the arm with the back of her hand, hissing her name to make her shut up as she started driving. The redhead let out an undignified yelp.

“She’s being an asshole. And confusing. Lottie wanted you to come and she knew we’d be the best people to pick you up is all,” you still had a confused look on your face, your shoulders hunched inward. 

“Um ok, thanks?” you said it more like a question. 

“What she means, is that we like you. And we’ll tell you we like you,” Van chimed in again. She wasn’t as helpful to you as she thought she was.

“Right, ok. Is there something else going on that I’m not cluing in on?” Tai and Van shared a knowing look. 

“Ok, so the other day Lot kept going on about how she worries that you don’t feel like we’re all friends, and doesn’t want you to feel like you’re just her other friend that tags along, ya know? So we figured we pick you up and tell you that, because some of the other girls on the team aren't the best at communicating, ya know?”

“Oh. So we're friends?” you sounded far more surprised and eager than you would have wanted to. “And Lottie told you all that? About me, I mean?” Van grinned once more, fully turning around in her seat. 

“Yeah, dude! I think you’re really cool actually!” you began to smile more than before and leaned back, straightening up your posture. 

“And, yes, Lot had all that to say and more,” Tai added on. You were thankful for the dark car hiding any color that might have rushed to your face. 

“She talks about you all the time,” Van blabbed on. Tai gave her a look that told the goalie to keep quiet now. Just as she did you pulled up to another house in the neighborhood that has Lottie sitting on the front porch. She shot up when she saw the car but took a last-minute look at the front door like she was waiting for something. Van maneuvered in her seat to hang out the window. “Hurry up slowpoke or we’ll be late to our party,” Lottie all but yelped and ran to the car after that, toward your side of the car. 

You didn’t have enough time to move out of the way and before you knew it Lottie had flung the door open with an exhilarated grin, laughing as she climbed in over your lap to collapse in the seat beside you in the back. She’d picked to wear all pink, which was just so fitting for her. You noticed in particular that she was wearing one of her shorter skirts that she giggled to you about hiding from her mother. 

“Shut the door and go!” she said through giggles, and once you had the time to process what was happening you did just that, closing the now-opened door to your right, and Taissa was off. Lottie lunged forward in her seat and punched Van in the shoulder, laughing all the while. “God, fuck you! I could have been caught because of that,” she griped as Van dramatically clutched her arm. 

“Ugh, what’s with beating on the goalie tonight? I gotta stay fit for nationals and I’ll be covered in bruises at this rate,” 

“Whatever. You’re always covered in bruises, and not all of them are from soccer,” Lottie implied, her hands gripping Taissa’s headrest in front of her so she could lean forward and talk to the two girls up front. That is till she scooted back to give you her full attention. 

“Well, you’re liking fine as hell tonight hot stuff! Have you been hiding this little number?” Lottie asked, reaching out to touch the material of the dress you were wearing along your leg. You managed to force a laugh and playfully swatter her hand away with shifty eye contact. 

“It’s new. My mom got it for me during our last mall trip. She wanted me to expand my wardrobe or whatever,” you played off causally. Lottie gave you a knowing smile and sighed as she turned to look out the window. 

“I think it looks great, just like you always do,” she murmured rather quietly. You weren't even sure you were supposed to hear her. Not long after Tai parked and you all got out of the car. Van yelled something at the crowd that had already gotten things started and there was a low collection of howling and yelling in response to her. Lottie got out of the car before you but stopped and waited by your door for you to get out with her. She said nothing but had that perky smile on the whole time as she watched you expectantly.

“So, whatcha wanna do?” you asked. She shrugged. 

“I dunno. Maybe get reeeeeally drunk,” she toyed, reaching out to take your hand like it had become second nature. Tai walked up to the two of you from the driver seat of the car, double-checking as she locked it shut and shoved her keys in her jacket pocket. She made a purposefully obvious glance down at your entwined fingers then back up to Lottie.

“Careful Lot, people might talk,” she said with what Lottie took as a comfortable coolness but it sent a shiver down your back that caused you to think about pulling away. 

“Pfft! I don't give a flying fuck! Let them talk!” she announced quite loudly, leaning forward with her free hand on her hip. She turned her gaze back to you and wiggled her brows as she grinned. “Come on. Get a drink with me,” she urged, tugging you away from Taissa. 

“Don’t listen to her. No one is looking, and if they are they don’t care. What’s wrong with holding hands anyway?” Lottie babbled on as she pulled you in line for a beer with her. She was still holding onto your hand quite tight as she jumped into rambling about something related to her French class. Maybe a recent test? You weren't exactly sure. Despite everything she’d said before, it felt like everyone was looking, but not because of you. Because of Lottie. She was the pretty, popular girl while you were just the weirdo she hung around. With that idea in your head, it was pretty hard to not be self-continuous. You were so in your head that you didn’t notice her shoving a beer in your hand. 

“Wha- oh, thanks,” you stuttered. You'd let go of her hand to get your drink, opting to use both hands to hold it. Lottie frowned as she was handed her drink ans thanked the guy passing them out. 

“Hey, you alright? Lost you for a sec,” she murmured. She’d become so gentle all of a sudden. Were you really that fragile? She forced a smile and nodded.

“Yeah, I'm great. Just haven't gotten into the party mood yet, I guess,” 

“Oh, ok. Do you wanna step away, clear your head a bit?” you shook your head no. 

“Nah, I'm good. I’m just gonna grab something from my bag in Tai’s car, ok?” Lottie tilted her head, almost like she was trying to look at you from a new angle. 

“I can go with you,” she offered. God, why did she have to be so attentive and sweet?

“I promise I’ll be fine-” you started only for a distraction to catch your eye. “Hey, Shauna and Jackie are over that way. I’ll meet up with you when I’m done,” you offered, dialing up that chipper tone as high as you could. She finally gave in and nodded, making her way over to her other friends while you crept away to dash toward Tai, wherever she was. You eventually found her after dodging around cars and trees listening to Van argue with a group of boys about something sports-related probably. That honestly wasn’t a huge concern of hers at the moment. 

“Hey, Taissa. can I borrow your keys?” Taissa arched a brow. 

“You’re not trying to use my car to go joyriding or to fuck, right?” 

“What? Oh my god- no. I just wanna get something from my bag. It’s in the car,” 

“Where's Lot?” why is that relevant right now?

“She’s with Jackie and Shauna,” you began messing with the loose hair falling in your face, averting your eyes from her. Tai gave you an up and down before tugging at Van’s jacket. 

“Van, go with y/n to my car, ok?” 

“I was just in the middle-” Van started till Tai arched a brow and she gave in. Tai dropped her keys in the redhead's hand and you were off to the car again. 

“Do you already wanna leave?” Van asked, walking backward in front of you. 

“No, I just want something from my bag,” Van slowed to walk in stride with her hands in her pockets, watching you as you watched everyone who passed. 

“Care to share?” you just looked at her and finally managed a laugh.

“I’ll share when we get there,” upon reaching the car and unlocking it, you grabbed your bag and made your way to a more secluded edge over the party where you’d be left alone, Van trailing close behind till you set your solo cup on the ground, sat down saddle style on an old, knocked-over log to rummage through your bag. You pulled out a baggy you’d been holding onto and a lighter.

“Damn, y/n, I didn’t think you the type,” the goalie said as she dropped down across from you. “Where’d ya get it?” she asked, taking the joint you pulled out to share. 

“My older brother. He lives with my dad while he’s going to school and I visited him over Christmas and he gave me a few that I use quite sparingly. 

“Divorced?” she asked, referring to your parents. You shrugged.

“Kinda, but not really? It’s weird. They still like each other and get along but they aren't exclusive by any means. Dad works in Cali while mom moved here to look after her mom who’s a few houses down from us,” you explained as you fidgeted with the lighter, fixated on the way the flame moved up and down, on and off. Van snatched it out of your hand during an “off” moment to light the joint now placed firmly between her teeth. 

You simply watched her process, lighting the joint and then taking in a long breath before holding and letting it go with a sigh as though she was relieved before passing it to you. She did the same, watching your breath in with your eyes shut only to exhale into the dark, finishing off with a small cough before passing it once again. You could see streetlights from the main road from here, you realized. 

“You’re into Lot, aren’t you?” her voice was low to not attract attention, but she was confident in what she had asked. You paused, staring out at the lights just a short walk away. Normally, an insinuation that you were gay would have you panicked. It could have been the weed, but maybe you'd relaxed and found some sliver of comfort in the redhead, your new companion.

“I think I do,” you whistled through your teeth at your admission. You turned to meet her eyes when she nudged your shoulder with the side of her hand, passing the joint off again. “Think I’m a lost cause?” Van snorted and shook her head.

“Oh, hell no. That girl’s crazy about you,” Van said with a sigh, leaning back on her hands where she was sitting on the log. “Now, I don’t know what type of way she feels. Sexual, romantic, or just friendship. But there's something there. Lot’s banked a lot on you,” you began to smile again, soft and mellow as you took another hit. After that one, you leaned down to take a chug of your beer. You offered to pass again, but Van had turned her attention back to the party, particularly to Taissa who looked like she was getting shit from Shauna. Even from over her, you could tell she was wasted given how she stumbled around. Van groaned and got up from where she was sitting.

“Keep it. I gotta deal with this,” she huffed as she left. You watched her go, eyes trailing after her to meet with Lottie’s, who was staring right at you, arm crossed over her chest and cup in hand. She seemed to hesitate between you and her arguing friends, but when the debate got particularly loud she turned with a furrowed brow. You watched her go and kept watching till Jackie derailed the entire situation, pulling all the girls away likely to yell at them. With that done, you sighed, leaning back to fully lie on the log, the joint between your lips and legs dangling over either side as you shut your eyes. 

“You hiding from me over here?” you opened your eyes. The joint was nearly out as it had just been sitting between your teeth for who knows how long by now. Lottie stood over you, arms still crossed as she held onto her nearly drained drink. you shook your head, sitting up as she sat down beside you on your left, much closer than Van had been. You readjusted, sitting properly with both legs over one side of the log, shoulders hunched. Lottie's arm brushed against yours when she moves. “You didn’t come back,” she simply steed with no malice or accusation in her voice. You shrugged. 

“I was getting overwhelmed I guess,” you murmured. “Didn’t feel like talking,” 

“You seemed chatty with Van” Again, she simply stated fact. You sighed and leaned down to take another drink. Lottie took the joint from your hand. You watched, then reached for the lighter to give it a second wind. She held it between her forefinger and thumb for you and once it ignited once more it found home between her lips. You watched, sipping your beer. She smoked far prettier than Van had.

“Van’s a good listener guess. Doesn’t talk too much,” Lottie snorted out a laugh at that. 

“I don't think anyone has ever said ‘Van Palmer doesn’t talk much’” you chuckled out a soft laugh to match hers. You looked away, out at the lights again. Lottie took another breath in, letting the joint sit between her fingers with her crossed arms. She watched the lights with you, though she might not understand the fixation you seemed to have on them. That is, till she paused, turning fully to watch you. She tilted her head again, unexpectedly brushing her fingers over your temple to guide loose hair obstructing her view out of the way and behind your ear. “Let me kiss you,” she murmured, almost as though she was pleading. You turned back to her. Her hand settled on your cheek, fingertips curiously brushing over the apple of your cheek.

“Don’t kid me,” you whispered, eyes glazing as you darted down to her parted lips. 

“Never,” she shook her head ever so slightly. It made her hair sway. You swallowed hard but shakily nodded. That was enough of a yes for her to move in. She immediately dropped the joint in her hand and the hand tracing your cheek found home on the back of your neck. Her now free hand rested behind your ear, stroking your hair as you latched onto her waist, using your left hand to hold you up on the log. 

She kissed like she knew exactly what she was doing. As though this had all been part of a longstanding plan. She’d envisioned this just as you had, and fuck was it perfect. Her lisp whereas urgent as your own and had it not been a public space you might have let her do anything she wanted to you right then and there. She scrunched her fist into your hair, unintentionally pulling ever so lightly on your scalp and eliciting a sudden moan from your throat which only egged her on further till she had to pull away with you chasing after her. 

You opened your eyes wide, lips still parted as you gasped for breath in and out. And then, of course, you got shy, anxious voices telling you she’d regret this immediately. You began to turn from her but the hand in your hair let go and moved to trace knuckles over your cheek and subsequently turn your eyes back to her. She shook her head, murmuring no over and over, soothing you like a child about to cry. And at that thought, the thought of crying alone, you felt the tears spike in your eyes. She watched your brow crinkle as your lip trembled and she pulled you into her chest, holding you as close as she could. 

The hand on your neck found your back as the hand on your cheek moved to cup the back of your head. You buried into your neck as you cried, and she rested her cheek against your scalp, murmuring over and over how it was all ok. She kissed your hair, rubbed your back, and rocked you from side to side as your hands vigorously clung to her sweater, fearing letting her go, because what if the magic would be over and gone when she was out of your hands? 

But reluctantly you needed to let her go, and eventually, that point came where you emerged from her embrace, the scent of her shampoo and perfume fading from you quickly as you met her puffed, teary gaze. She moved to hold your cheeks in her hands as her breath shook. You held your hands around hers, kissing her palm with a weak smile. Fortunately, that had her let go of a watery laugh. But neither of you spoke yet. You just sat in warm silence till you readjusted to be side by side once more, your head lulled to her shoulder with her cheek at your temple.

“Fuck, what do we even do after that?” you breathed, eyes training down to the long discarded joint and red solo cups with only sips left of beer in them, though yours has spilled at some point, soaking the ground under it. 

“I leave tomorrow,” she murmured back. You dressed your lips together before letting go of another sigh. 

“I know… we should have waited” she chuckled sleepily.

“I don’t think so,” you hummed your why. “I’ll be excited to get back here. Well, more excited than I already was to see you,” you chuckled, though your tongue dripped with wordless sarcasm. 

“Don’t forget about me,” 

“Oh, how could I ever after that?” she teased with another giggle. You smiled, nuzzling your nose into her shoulder. With the change in direction, you got an idea upon seeing a small purple flower growing just beside her shoe.

“I know how,” you started, reaching across her side to pick it, leaving a nice, long stem to tuck behind her ear and in her hair. You sat back to admire your work and smiled. “Purple suits you,” you decided, tucking some of the hair behind her ear for a better look at your work. She chuckled with a sniffle, her fingers gently wrapping around your palm, catching you to kiss your fingertips. 

“Mam, are you alright?” you were dragged out of your daydream like a shockwave and had to take several moments to ground yourself again, taking in a deep breath. You blinked repeatedly, shaking your head before forcing a smile. 

“Yes, I’m so sorry. I was remembering something I needed,” you said with a forced chuckle. The florist smiled, though he seemed a little unsure. You turned back to the flower, petal still gently settled between your fingers. “I’ll take this, while I’m here,” you said as you cleared your throat, gently picking up the small white bucket and giving it to the florist to ring up. 

“Ah, Ruellia caroliniensis. But it’s better known as Carolina Wild Petunia. A good choice. Pick it for any reason? I ask everybody that,” he asked, making meaningless small talk. Your eyes stayed focused on the waving petals of the plant as it was gently jostled around. 

“It just reminded me of someone I knew, I guess,” he smiled thoughtfully and nodded with a soft hum of acknowledgment before he asked you for cash or charge. You picked charge which resulted in you digging through your purse for your card. 

“Oh my god! y/n! A shrill voice called when you weren’t looking and just as you pulled out your debit card. You gave the florist you’re card before turning to look who it might be only to have the Misty Quigley herself approaching you with the wide smile and outstretched arms that you felt you had to reciprocate. She squeezed you quite tight and when she let go her hands remained at your side for a moment as she seemed to look at you in awe.

“Well, what the heck are you doing here?” she asked tilting her head with that smile still plastered across her lips till she gasped “Oh! Are you looking for Nat too?” you furrowed your brow and frowned. 

“What? No, I’m-”

“Uh, mam, you’re purchase?” the florist interrupted. You turned from Misty to grab your new belonging, which he had been so kind and bagged for you as well as outstretching your card back to you. 

“Yes, thank you so much! I truly appreciate it!” you said as chipperly as you could before ushering Misty out of the man’s stall and towards a clearing. “What, what are you talking about with Natalie?”

“She got kidnapped!” the blond exclaimed, adjusting her glasses. “She was taken from the motel she was staying in back home and we’re here to find her,” she blabbered on. 

“Hold on, when did Nat get out of rehab and who is we?”

“I dunno, a few weeks ago I think? So much had been going on and it's been hard to keep track and ‘we’ is me and Walter,” you were still confused about the situation and about to ask who Walter was when the man himself showed up. He’d be trailing behind Misty for some time, just casually in the background. He was so average you hadn’t even noticed him. The man waved and offered a smile. You tentatively returned the wave but still seemed confused. 

“I’m not here for Natalie. I didn’t hear about that at all. No, I’m looking for Lottie,” you said rather bluntly. Misty frowned and it was now her turn to be confused. 

“Lottie? But she’s been in Switzerland for years-” 

“Well I thought that too will I saw this,” you whispered, hissing through your teeth as you frantically pulled out your phone and the screenshot you’d taken of the farmers market Instagram post, zooming in on Lottie and shoving the device into her hands.

“No, that can’t be her,” 

“It is. I just- it’s not a great angle but I know it’s her,” you insisted. Misty began to scan the photo curiously, zooming back out when she let out a dramatic gasp and began excitedly smacking at your arm. 

“Purple people!” you yelled. “Purple people!” she repeated it to Walter this time, which summoned him to rush over and huddle around your phone.

“The purple people took Natalie!” she explained with far too much excitement for your liking. 

“Could they have taken Lottie,” Misty shrugged. 

“I dunno, maybe. But only one way to find out!” She shoved your phone back in your hand and began aggressively powerwalking away with Walter tight on her heels. You hesitated momentarily before shutting your phone off and shoving it into your purse, hustling after them. 

“Wait! Do you know where to go?”

“Yes! Of course! We found out from the other stalls,” she called back. “Get in your car and follow us!” she sounded far too excited for this whole ordeal, but what other options did you have to find Lottie? You ran back to your car, got in, and started with heavy breath ready to take the next step on this crazy adventure you found yourself on. 

-💚-

After quite a bit of driving, they pulled off into a bed and breakfast parking lot and parked. You parked beside them and got out with a frustrated expression. 

“We're not going tonight.” Misty rolled her eyes and she pulled her suitcase out of the trunk of what you assumed was Walter’s car. 

“Someone,” she was heavily implying someone to be Walter, especially with the annoyed, flat-mouthed looks he gave him “wanted to wait till morning because he thinks the cult will expect us at night,” you gave her a look that asked “really” and Misty threw up a hand, shaking her head as she grabbed onto her luggage. 

“I know! Trust me, I know, but captain’s orders,” she huffed as she followed Walter into the B&B. You paused, letting out an exasperated sigh before going to grab your duffle back and your plant. You hear Misty muttering about not using her real name as she and Walter get a room. 

“And it's just for one room, right?” the concierge asked. There was an irritatingly comedic back and forth of yes, and no, then both of them settled on no, two rooms would be fine. 

“And, um, you can put mine under the name Lady Mallowan,” Misty gave herself a name straight out of Clue or a shitty romance novel and you couldn’t help rolling your eyes. 

“Seventeen and eighteen. Up the stairs to the right,” then went back and forth with thank yous as they clumsily took their keys, then started deliberating about luggage when Walter offered to take the suitcase off of Misty’s hands. 

“Just one room under y/n l/n is fine, please,” you said simply. You saw Misty and her new boyfriend exchange an appalling look and you had to refrain from laughing. 

“Room nineteen,” 

“That’s great, thanks” You dropped your things upon entry, but gently placed your plant in its bed on the nightstand before collapsing on your bed with a long sigh. Of course, you'd need to get up and change, but for now, lying on your back in a bed that wasn’t yours was all you could feel like doing. That is till you got up from said bed and disappeared into the bathroom, returning with a small paper cup of water that you set on the nightstand as you sat on the edge of the bed. You tentatively opened the bag that held your plant and took it out, setting it on the stand to be out and in the fresh air. You gave it a light drink from the cup before you returned to the bathroom for a shower. 

-💚-

You were woken by Misty’s knock at you’re door bright and early at seven-thirty and back on the road by eight after grabbing complimentary breakfast to go. It was a rather long drive to wherever you were going, but you once again found ways to fill the time. That is till Walter took a screeching u-turn that almost caused a car crash on a winding, wet wooded road, but that was a conversation for later. You pulled up beside them and followed as they now stood excitedly outside a green gate that happened to have a matching bee on it. All you carried with you was your tote bag with your plant tucked away inside. Why you felt the need to bring it, you weren't sure, but it felt necessary. 

“The bee is where the purple people are!” Misty insistently explained.

“Ok, do we need to call them ‘the purple people” 

“Well, yes, but that's only till we get a better name for them. But anyway,” without another word of it, Misty ducked under the gate herself and began walking up the road. 

“Ok, we’re getting hit by a car if we do that-” you started but she shook her head. 

“It'll be fine. It looks decently short,”

“Well what about my car?” you urged. 

“Just lock it! Who’s pulling over in the rain to rob an unattended car out here?” you sighed with exasperation. 

“I dunno, maybe people from the cult we’re actively visiting,” you mumbled to yourself. 

“What was that!” 

“Nothing!” you huffed, following after Misty and now Walter, who had started moving shortly after her. She’d been right though. It was a rather short walk with no cars. You found yourself in what looked like a parking lot in the middle of the woods blocking off yet another road with an even larger fence in front of it. Misty and Walter were actively messing with an intercom system that seemed to have worked as they excitedly returned to your side. 

“Alright, so the man on the other end, I think his name was Jack or Jackson- anyway, he’s getting Natalie and she's coming to meet us here,”

“But what about Lottie?” Misty adjusted her glasses and folded her arms with a shrug. 

“I thought we could have Natalie confirm that, because we know she’s in there-”

“You don’t believe me,” you interrupted as she began trailing off.

“Well, we do not want to be making outlandish accusations to strangers, I mean-” she got easily distracted by the sound of someone walking down the pebbled path.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Nataline started with heavy irritation. 

“Oh, thank God you're safe,” Misty would have hugged her by now had the gate not been in her way.

“Safe? What are you talking about?” her attention turned to you and her eyes widened with further confusion “Hi, y/n,” she added tentatively. You awkwardly waved as she gave you a nod. 

“And who the fսck is this?” she gestured to Walter now. 

“Walter,” he simply introduced himself with a wave and a light chuckle before going on. “I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you” Natalie scrunched her nose, clearly not caring all that much about what impression Misty had given him of her upon first meeting. 

 “We're here to rescue you!” Misty eagerly interjected again. “I mean, you-you were kidnapped, right?”

“No. Uh, yes, technically I was, but it's no big deal, okay?” the notion that Natalie’s kidnapping wasnt that big of a deal was bewildering to Misty as seen on her face, but honestly you understood her reaction. 

“Lottie sent some people for me, but I'm not being held against my will,” she muttered, twisting her neck as she spoke. “Well, not anymore” It was now your turn to perk up. 

“I'm sorry, Lottie?”

“I told you she was here,” you hissed through your teeth at Misty, moving closer to the fencing. 

“Wait- as in Lottie? Lottie, who was committed to a mental institution in Switzerland? That Lottie?”

“Yes, Misty, that's the one,” Natalie turned to you once more “I'm assuming you had your theories or whatever?”

“Oh, I’m not here with them-” you paused. “Ok, originally I was coming here all on my own, but we ran into each other, and well,” from there you gave up.  

“Wait, Natalie, Natalie!” Misty derailed the conversation once again. “​​You're gonna have to elaborate, 

“Look, she runs a place here, and she's helping me reflect or whatever. So, you and your Hardy Boy can go home,” she looked Walter up and down again about Hardy Boy.

“But…”

“I'm doing a fսcking thing here, Misty. I don't need you getting in my way,” she’d lost patience with the blonde’s interruptions and persistence and in all honestly, you felt bad for her given how she shrank back at the raised tone. But she quickly toughened back up, turned on her heels, and marched back in the direction you'd come. 

“She seems nice,” Walter tried to lighten the mood. Natalie sighed with either exhaustion or irritation, watching them go before her eyes drifted to you, still standing in front of her. “You’re not done too?”

“Natalie, I need to see her,” she let out a scoffish chuckle and sighed through her nose. 

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” 

“I’m serious, Natalie,”

“Oh no, I can tell you are, don’t worry. Just- just give me a minute, alright. Let me ask my guy,” she began to turn but waited for you to nod before actually leaving. You stood still, turning to check your surroundings once more just to be as sure as possible. Natalie returned quite quickly with a man behind her. She shrugged, seeming surprised by the verdict herself as the gate’s electric lock began to unlatch letting you in. 

“Uh, my car is still parked with some of my things,” Natalie was already shaking her head. 

“We can have someone come and retrieve it all later,” Natalie’s companion started ad Natalie turned, already heading up the hill for a second time. 

“But you're not gonna need it!” she yelled behind her. Due to her eagerness to leave the scene, you were left walking beside the strange man who let you in. 

“So, I'm assuming you’re Jack or…” you drawled off but he chuckled, appreciating your intention. 

“Jeferson,” he cleared. 

“Right, ok. Nice to meet you,” you nodded, your hands clutching quite tight to the straps of your tote bag. “Look, I don’t mean to sound rude, but I’m only here to see Lottie not join your… well join whatever you're up to,” he laughed again and nodded. 

“Don’t worry. She knows you're here,” a shive rushed down your spine as you realized what was happening. “I’m instructed to take her to you, actually,” 

“Oh. wow, that’s just great. Yeah, great,” you whispered to yourself as you bit your lip, questioning if this was going to be a good idea after all. When you looked up again, taking a deep breath you were met with quite a beautiful scene before you. It was a nice, well-organized camp on a lake with cabins and what you assumed were social areas all around and throughout the woods. You paused for a moment to take it in and wonder, did Lottie make all of this? 

“Charlotte is waiting this way, Ms. l/n,” Jeferson interrupted your wonderings. 

“Mhm, I’m coming,” you had to manually tell your feet to move before you could follow him to the separate cabin that must be Lottie’s. He had already walked up the stairs by the time you approached the porch, taking a moment to appreciate its handiwork before trudging up the creaking wood. Jefferson opened the door but didn’t enter, only gesturing for you to go in. 

“Charlotte will be here as soon as she can step away,” he explained as you cautiously walked in. You nodded, turning around to give him your thanks but he was already shutting the door, leaving you to your own devices. For a moment you stood completely still, watching the wooden door anticipating her walking in at any second, but after a few seconds of stillness, your foot began bouncing with building anxiety squeezing at your chest. 

“Shit,” you hissed, turning to look around your surroundings and find something to help you calm down. You put your bag on the table, but take the time to take the plant out and set it beside your bag. You rubbed your sweating palms on your pants and began to wander around the single room you found yourself in. Her main space was split into a small lounge-ish office space with a kitchen on the other half. 

You assumed the bathroom and her bedroom were down in the back of the cabin and with a craning of your neck you could see in one of the rooms but you decided it best to leave that be. Wandering around the office space you ran your fingertips over the edge of her desk. You peaked over the edge, curiosity winning momentarily before you restrained yourself, instead turning to the art hung on her wall featuring deer and other wilderness things before resigning yourself to the couch facing her desk. 

You flopped down rather unceremoniously but couldn't help sitting stiff, hunched forward with your knee bouncing in anticipation. Your eyes trained on her desk again, which was mostly bare of anything decor-like other than the two small picture frames. You forced yourself to look away till your nerves kicked in again and you were back up and taking the large one into your hands. It featured a classic team photo of the soccer team back in high school, but earlier on during your sophomore year. 

You chuckled lightly scanning over the baby faces your old friends used to have. Having something familiar to look at was relaxing, you decided. Maybe not the most morally correct thing, but this was an exceptional situation. So, you moved on to the small one, thinking none of it till she got a look and your heart dropped again. Pressed pristinely against the glass was an all too familiar flower, nearly identical to the one you'd been carrying for the past day and a half. Only this one had far more wear to it, clearly showing its age. It had faded in color over time, taking on hues of parchment brown rather than the vibrant purples you’d been familiar with. You traced over the shapes of the petals, likely dry and dusty to the touch by now over its safety net of glass. That is till you heard the carbon door abruptly shut.

And oh, she was perfect. She was sickeningly, stunningly perfect but all you could do was freeze where you stood, grip tightening around the small wooden frame in your clasp out of fear you might drop it if you didn’t squeeze tight. And she stood just as stunned at you. Age had encompassed her face all this time, but it was still her face. The one you had ingrained in your mind, so much more detailed than any photograph. You felt your chin begin to quiver.  

“Please tell me you didn't hold on to that all these years" You had to force it out with your breath ad your brow bowed with the strain of keeping it together. And then she laughed. She laughed her laugh, now blossoming with the beautiful thing that is age, just as every other part of her was. She moved toward you as though she was floating. She took her caftan off so smoothly it was like the breeze itself removed it for her. And before anything else, she took the frame from your hands, fingertips brushing together only for a moment. She returned it to its place before shakily turning back to you, tears drizzling from her eyes as she smiled.

“How could I not,” she murmured with a laugh full of exasperated joy as though she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her hands hovered over your arms as though she feared touching you would break the illusion, but with the way your lip trembled and tears rolled from your eyes as you held back a strangled sob she couldn’t refrain herself. It all felt so new and old all at once and oh, how overwhelming she was, her hands cupped at your face, thumbs stroking at your tears as you let it all go, sopping into her. 

Just as she had years before she murmured sweet nothing promising that you were safe and you were here, but not only you. After so much time she needed the reassurance of reality just as much. She pulled you in, just as before and your nose found its rightful place in the curve of her neck as her cheek found your scalp. She held you up and close as your knees began to shake and you had to grip onto her shoulder blades for what felt like dear life. You needed to feel her to truly know that she was here, she was real and she was yours, as were you.

[aurumacadicus]

Yes TikTok is rotting my brain again. For background purposes, Steve is Peter’s biological father, he came out of the ice way earlier and SHIELD couldn’t catch him after he ran off so he was Nomad for like... twenty years. And during those years he does fuck around. Lo and behold, Mary Parker is one of his one night stands. He only learns about it once he goes back to SHIELD and finds out that they eventually caught up with him but decided it was best to just observe rather than try to bring him in when he didn’t want to be. He decides it’s safer for Peter to stay with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Only when Ben dies does he reluctantly step in. Luckily, Peter is very forgiving and loves his dad even though they both know he’d much rather have his Uncle Ben still around.

Also Steve thinks pranks are funny as long as they’re the “confuse, don’t abuse” type. He thinks the abusive pranks of today are absolutely heinous.

--

“Mr. Stark, you know what would be so funny?” Peter asked, sitting at the kitchen counter.

“Tony,” Tony said, then sighed, setting his coffee cup down and tipping his head back. “I’m scared. This sounds like a trick.”

Peter began kicking his feet back and forth. “It’s nothing to be scared of. Just a TikTok prank.”

Tony sighed again and turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. “You know how your dad feels about TikTok. And pranks. And TikTok pranks.”

“It’s not anything bad,” Peter rushed to assure him. “It’s actually really sweet!”

Tony remained skeptical, picking his cup back up and taking a long, slow sip of coffee. Finally, he lowered his mug and asked, “Okay. I suppose I’ll let you tell me what the prank is before I shoot you down.”

“It’s only fair,” Peter agreed, placing his feet on the stool again. “So, basically, it’s to see how dads react when kids are rude to their moms.”

Tony blinked at him slowly, then carefully said, “If you think I’m going to let you sass Aunt May--”

“No!” Peter yelped, horrified. “Do you think I’m crazy? Steve wouldn’t have to do anything because Aunt May will kill me!”

Tony blinked again. “...Then I’m not entirely sure where this is going.”

Peter beamed at him, horror forgotten now that he knew that he and Tony were on the same page about sassing May. “I was thinking I could sass you!”

“Peter,” Tony sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

“No, you see, it’s perfect! Low stakes,” Peter explained, enthused. “You and Steve are basically married--”

“What,” Tony said.

Peter plowed over him. “And as soon as you realized I was a package deal with Steve, you really stepped up to make me feel welcome without spoiling me, too. Or, well,” he added, squinting. “You do spoil me, but not like in a way that makes me feel icky or turned me into an entitled brat.”

“Huh,” Tony tried again.

“Anyway!” Peter continued, ignoring him. “I just think it would be funny to see Steve’s reaction if I gave you attitude and told you to shut up after you asked me to do something. He gets super protective of you at the weirdest times. Besides, it’s been getting a little chummy around here and as a teenage boy I thrive on chaos.”

Tony tilted his head to squint at him skeptically. “I don’t think you have the emotional constitution to tell me to shut up with attitude.”

“It’ll be the hardest thing I’ll ever have to do,” Peter told him solemnly.

“I think this is a terrible idea,” Tony began.

“That’s not a no, I’ll get everything set up,” Peter said quickly, then bolted from the kitchen.

Tony stared after him, mouth still dropped open in shock.

.-.

Tony still thought this was a supremely bad idea, because he knew Steve’s opinions on TikTok pranks (and TikTok. And pranks in general.) and it just felt like he was going to be yelled at for being a co-conspirator. But! Peter had been right. Tony liked to spoil him. And apparently that included being a con-conspirator in a stupid TikTok prank that would probably backfire anyway because while the team joked about him and Steve being Team Mom and Dad (and even then, who was Mom and who was Dad depended on who was most apoplectic).

Tony sat down beside Steve, handing him a can of coke as he settled in with his Stark Pad. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, Tony,” Steve said, cracking it open without looking up from the baseball game. It must have been the Dodgers, Tony figured. Steve was still bitter about them moving to LA, but he was also nostalgic for the old days, so sometimes he’d overlook it.

Peter poked his head into the living room. “I’m headed over to Ned’s to work on our physics project! Bye Steve! Bye Tony!”

Tony sat up a little. “Oh, wait, Peter, did you get your model from the lab?”

Peter sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’ll get it later.”

Tony noticed Steve carefully going very, very stiff beside him and chose to ignore it. “I need you to grab it before you leave. I’m doing a project that requires no clutter.”

“Sure, when I get back,” Peter huffed, heading toward the elevator.

“I need you to do it before you leave,” Tony called after him. “Otherwise I won’t be able to start--”

“God, okay, shut up!” Peter sighed loudly.

Tony opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by Steve slamming his soda on the coffee table and surging to his feet with a snarled, “What the fuck did you just say?” He stared up at Steve, mouth continuing to hang open in shock.

Peter turned to face him, apparently just as surprised. “Uh...”

“No, you were real confident saying when you thought it was just Tony answering,” Steve said, taking a step toward him. “Say it again.”

Peter was quiet for a moment, considering, before finally, with bravado only a teenager could have, he said, “Shut up.”

“Okay,” Steve answered, voice shockingly calm, and then took a very deliberate step forward.

“It’s a prank it’s a prank it’s a prank!” Tony yelped, throwing himself off the couch to wrap his arms around Steve’s waist and stop him. “Stop Steve it’s a prank you cannot commit murder I will not be cleaning blood out of this carpet again!”

Steve swiveled his blank stare to him. “What do you mean a prank?”

Tony chewed on the inside of his cheek, considering whether he wanted to draw Steve’s ire onto himself in the face of his blank expression. “I did object,” he tried weakly.

Peter appeared between them, planting himself in front of Tony protectively. “He did! He’s just a pushover when it comes to me because I’m your kid. So! This is really your fault.”

Steve’s mouth dropped open, but luckily the blank stare turned to an outraged glare. “What did you just say?!”

“Okay let’s go,” Tony said hastily, grabbing Peter’s shoulders and steering him toward the elevator. He heard Steve move and started shoving him instead. “Peter he’s coming hurry up oh my god.”

“I’LL TELL AUNT MAY YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!” Peter shouted defensively over his shoulder.

“I’LL TELL AUNT MAY YOU DESERVED IT!” Steve bellowed back.

Peter swerved around Tony so he could meet Steve face to face. Tony threw his hands up and just left.

[sonicexelle-junkary]

Foreboding [a HungryHero.EXE short fic]

I'm finally including the Zeti in something again, something small but still. Set about after the main backstory. Sonic decides to go back to lost hex, he needs to have a talk with a certain group of Zeti about something. Though he might not get the answers he wants.

CW: Mentions and descriptions of Cannibalism, blood, and disassociation

Lost hex was a sight to behold. A planet hidden just out of view from the residents of earth down below. Its surface was made of many large slabs of hexagons, dissipating into nothing around each landmass. It’s a mystery how this world works, even to its own denizens.

Among this world lived the Zeti, powerful beings who only want to cause harm to any being they come across. They had interacted with the world below and the people that resided in it only a few times before, a most notable interaction was when Dr. Eggman had found their home and enslaved them, to use them for his own army. What a fool he was, and what a bigger fool that hedgehog was to. To be so dumb and arrogant that he’d free them from the mad doctor, unknowing of the terrors that these creatures could create, especially with the doctors own machines.

A bright red biplane landed not far from the Zeti’s base. It used to be Eggman’s but they had repurposed it to be their own, among the badniks that he had carelessly left behind. From the plane hopped out a blue hedgehog who looked a little worse for wear. He walked from the plane and into the base with ease. Standing in the main room was Zavok, the leader and the most ruthless of the Deadly Six. He was alone, for now.

“I sense you have something to ask of me, hedgehog.” Zavok rumbled. Sonic didn’t respond. He turned to him. “Why else would you be here other than to get something from us? It has been over a year since we’ve last interacted, if I'm correct.”

Sonic nodded lightly, he still didn’t say anything. Zavok folded his hands behind his back and looked at the hedgehog before him. He fiddled with his hands and didn’t look him in the face, that undoubtful confidence and immense heroism was not there anymore. 

The Zeti’s expression grew firm. “This is about the cave isn’t it?” Sonic froze in place, his hands closed tight into fists. The Zeti paused. “I am surprised it took you that long to find out. I figured it was obvious… That we like to feed on your kind.”

Sonic continued to not say anything, it made the red Zeti pause again. “…. I feel you found something else in there.” Sonic’s breathing hitched, he gritted his teeth. Before he realized it the Zeti had came up to him and bent down to his level. “Am I correct?”

Sonic slowly opened his mouth and struggled to speak. He felt weird, like he wasn’t in his body. He was nervous and numb, something he didn’t know how to deal with. He finally looked Zavok in the face, their eyes meeting for only a moment, but it was more than enough for them to fully understand what each other was thinking.

Zavok’s eyes grew firm. “I see that I am.” A smile was hidden in his voice.

“What did you do to me?” Sonic forced out.

Zavok simply responded. “Nothing.”

“What?”

“We didn’t do anything to you, Sonic. Any actions you have made are truly your own.”

“No. NO! That's impossible! I can’t- I can’t want-…” Sonic looked at his hands. His gloves were slightly pink from his failed attempt to wash the blood off in time. His teeth felt like they were digging through flesh, he imagined swallowing and tasting it in his mouth. As much as this made him feel terrible, it made him feel amazing, his mouth watering and dripping with saliva. 

“I…..” He looked up at the Zeti who still stood a few feet from him. “Am I… like… y-….”

Zavok took a glance at Sonic. “Would that make you feel better or worse if you knew the answer.”

Sonic stared vacantly into nothing. His emotions were mixed and a pit had formed in his stomach. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, like he hasn’t eaten in days, he hasn’t. Any food he would have wanted was shoved in a large cooler in the garage of Tails’ workshop. He would struggle to open it almost as much as he would struggle to stay away from it. Knowing what was in there, it called to him like second nature.

“If you would like me to help you, I’ll have to refuse. Though I think you already knew that.”  Zavok said.

“You don’t even care…” Sonic strained through a lump in his throat.

“Why should we? You know what we are. Beings who cause pain to others, using them for our own personal gain.” Zavok came closer to the small hedgehog. “And if you becoming a cannibal causes you this much distress, I’d be happy to relish in it.”

Sonic swung but missed the Zeti in front of him. He stared at him, scared and angry. Zavok chuckled. “If you are so instistant in going out for blood, then perhaps you are more like your enemies than you think, Sonic.”

Sonic turned and left. He jogged out of the Zeti base, his footsteps were heavy and loud. He didn’t want to be there any longer, didn’t want to hear another word coming out of Zavok’s mouth. He jumped into the Tornado and started the engine, he winced at the sudden loud noise that came from it.

 As the propeller slowly started to pick up speed, he looked back at the base that towered above. A big dark building that had various appendages and devices stick out of its almost smooth exterior. It mocked him. Sonic scrunched his face up at the tower, the knot in his stomach had loosened a little, but his dizziness didn’t leave. He exhaled as he finally took off and away from lost hex.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere Husband Kyojuro Rengoku x Reader ~ Trophies

I honestly love Kyojuro Rengoku i really do

But before the end of Mugen i thought he was a little creepy

I mean he hardly blinks he always smiling and even when he's not exactly happy he's still smiling like an idiot

But anyway here it is

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

You found another one. Another woman's necklace found in youre shared home with your husband. He was a wonderful man everyone had told you so and you had witnessed his goodness yourself. But something was off with Kyojuro Rengoku. Now that you were married you knew that much. He easily swore on his mother’s grave that he would never cheat on you and you believed that but still something wasn’t right. Why did he keep ‘losing women’s jewelry’ or random trinkets that didn’t belong to any of you?

You tried to ignore it but while channel surfing you recognized the jewelry set on the missing persons report. It was in a montage, a flashing moment of haunting familiarity as the anchor relayed a hopeful tale of this missing mother hopefully coming home. You tried to dismiss it as only a coincidence but it just kept replaying in your mindseye until you looked it up. Low and behold it matched everything on it including chips and forming rust. 

“STARSHINE HOW ARE YOU!”

You jumped as your husband looked over your shoulder at the article you were reading. Even after years of knowing him sometimes his volume still seemed to shock you. 

“Oh hi Kyo,” You gave him a peck on the side of his everpresent smile, soothing whatever ill-will initially brought by your discovery. “I recognized the jewelry set that ‘you found’ and I think it belongs to this missing woman…would you know anything about that, dear?”

You smiled and squinted your eyes as you turned to look at him still hovering over your shoulder. You were mimicking something he did often where instead of expressing negative emotions in a straightforward way he’d just smile or laugh in the fake sort of way. 

“HA HA HA.” 

He pecked your lips before reaching over to close out your tabs, sauntering into the kitchen saying he’d cook your favorite dish. Pouting you decided it was time to take this into your hands officially. 

__________________________________________________________

Operation Jewelry-that’s what you were calling it and you told yourself that calling in sick for this mission was definitely worth it. You were sitting in your own car waiting for your fiery-headed husband to get in his patrol car. You perked up when you finally saw him saunter out of the station all suited up…you resisted the urge to shudder and instead started your car for your first step of tailing your husband. 

For the first six hours he honestly was just driving around and if you weren’t already driving you would have fallen asleep. There were times when random citizens called out to him to compliment him or give him pastries–you knew he was loved but not as much as you originally thought. Anyway finally something interesting was happening as he drove a ways outside of your town down a long stretch of road through the country. You didn’t realize that you were caught until he stopped, hopped out of his car and made a look with his hands on his hips. You sucked your teeth as you stopped a couple hundred feet behind his car. 

You rolled your window down waiting for him to appear as he waltzed up hand on his hefty belt.

“(Miss/Mister) RENGOKU ARE YOU AWARE THAT STALKING CAN BE CONSIDERED A FELONY?”

“Oh officer Rengoku, I didn't mean to be bad! Can’t we figure something out?” You teased and in the way only you could recognize he reciprocated. 

“I BELIEVE WE CAN!” He reached in through the window unlocking the doors. “IF YOU’LL STEP INTO THE BACKSEAT!” 

Following his instruction you laid back into the seat excitedly watching as your husband stripped off his police gear. Finally free of the hard equipment he climbed inside caging you in as he kissed you neck and face. 

“But-hah-d-don’t you have to w-ohh!” 

“NO WORRIES mmm~I'M OFF THE mwha CLOCK~mwha BY NOW AND I’M TAKING THE CAR THIS WEEK SO WE’RE IN THE CLEAR!” 

He dove back into you happily indulging in his significant other who was just happily commencing in the inevitable plan B of Operation Jewelry. If caught, distract from the initial task. Originally this was something to be scared of but your suspicions were scary and you weren’t above stalling yourself from confirming a possibly gorey truth. So for the next hour or two in the abandoned roads you and your husband indulged in one another in the backseat of your car. 

When you awoke still in your car you dawned your clothes and searched for the one who appeared to be missing. You decided to search along the car finding nothing so you moved to look at his patrol car. Looking on the outside you vaguely could see footsteps tapered off into the surrounding crop. You decided since he seemed to leave you it wouldn’t hurt to snoop through his stuff. 

“HELLO STARSHINE!” He popped up again on the outside of the car effectively scaring the living daylights out of you. 

“Where the heck were you just now I couldn’t seem to find…” 

You trailed off realizing your husband had made a disturbing wardrobe change from his police uniform to something of a raincoat with red splatters on it. Ushering you out of the car you were scared of what came next. 

“NO WORRIES! I’VE SIMPLY NOTICED MY DEAR SPOUSE HAS BEEN PARTICULARY SNOOPY LATELY SO IVE DECIDED TO CLEAR UP ANY AND ALL CONFUSION!”

Latching onto your arm with a gloved hand he dragged you away from the road and into some unknown path in the crop. You could do nothing but follow blindly as the pit in your stomach seemed to grow. 

After moving through the crop for what felt like hours you arrived at an abandoned building. Dingy, cracking concrete of what might’ve been a mental asylum long ago. Pushing you inside you couldn’t decipher this smile and felt the urge to finally satisfy this confusion. Walking in you found various brown splatters and you could easily smell a metallic scent growing stronger as you walked deeper in. 

SPLOsh

You looked down to find your shoe steeped in a puddle of blood  which had a heavy trail leading into another room. Against your better judgement you followed it leading you to the human remains of the lady from the missing persons report. 

“RECOGNIZE HER LOVE!”

“-f-from the Tv? Yes, yes I do.”

“NOPE THAT'S WRONG!”

“W-what?”

“THIS ONE’S FROM THE SUNDAE PARLOR WHO SPILT YOU’RE ICECREAM ON YOU!”

“I told you that was literally a mistake. And THIS one?! You mean there's more!”

“OF COURSE THERE’S MORE! ANYONE WHO DARES TAINT YOUR SHINE SHOULD BE PUNISHED!” 

He was beaming with pride even as you cried and begged him to never do this again. He optly refused and quite proudly told you he’d never stop and that now that he was quite happy you actually knew what his ‘trophies’ were for. 

And when you drove home in silence debating whether or not to turn into the police station; your husband's patrol car following closely behind, nearly bumping the rear, told you otherwise. You found that truly in every aspect of your life Kyojuro Rengoku had control over you. Police station? Worked there. Private Detectives? Friends of his. Your pleas for no more death was only met with his laugh and smile as he fawned on about his latest kill. Even when you fell back into your typical routine he never did cut back on the amount of ‘trophies’ he left for you to find. You deduced that from the beginning this was the case meaning he was more than thrilled when you were seeking out the truth. 

[onestepbackwards]

You got anything for robot subway twins? I’m tryna get that robodick. Like you’re just their care taker or mechanic of Gear station and are tasked to upkeep the androids, but they love you 🥺

OH BOY DO I Sorry this took a while, Anon! I hope you enjoy! Word Count: 2918 - - -

Gear Station was a mess.

But it was your mess. Your favorite place to be.

The hustle and bustle of the crowd may have been chaotic to some, but it was a welcome, usual sight for you. You had to be here every other day, so you were fortunate it was a place you enjoyed seeing. Though you wished you were here for regular work. You bit your lip anxiously as you passed by different groups of people, heading for the back of the station. You had a specific job to do today, after all. Some depot agents had called you in early. Apparently there had been a near accident by the tracks. Everyone was okay, but it seems the station's androids were a little… Beaten up. You had been upset when you heard over the phone what had happened. Not so much for needing to come in to do repairs on your day off, but actually for the robots. Two robots, to be specific.

Ingo and Emmet were their names. Two identical twin robots the station had commissioned to have built.

They had been bought and brought in a little over a year ago. They were rather popular too.

The station had them made to be subway bosses. Gear Station had decided to branch out, and become a battle facility. However, the higher ups were having issues finding suitable battlers to run the subway.

So, the idea of a robot AI was tossed out, and lo and behold, the Subway Bosses were created.

They did their jobs well. Both were incredible battlers, and also amazing with people. Not to mention how real they looked. They were so human-like, it was almost unsettling.

The only giveaways were the occasional hidden seam under their clothes, their glowing eyes, and how they were a bit too… stiff. Stiff in a way that a human couldn’t naturally be.

Other than that, they were well loved by the community. They were respected in the station, both for their manners, and their battle prowess.

You adored them. You didn’t tell anyone this, but you genuinely liked the two of them. Probably more than you should. It was a secret you kept close to your heart. It was silly, you knew. Having a crush on the Gear Station androids, especially when they couldn’t feel emotions like humans. …But the way they looked and talked to you sometimes, it made you almost believe that they could.

It’s another reason you were willing to come into work so easily. You cared about your robot friends, and the idea that they could be hurt… It didn’t sit well with you. So when you entered the back area of maintenance designated for the robots, you expected the worst, but hoped for the best. You couldn’t help but gasp when you saw the two. Ingo was sitting on a chair, fiddling with his arm, which was sparking and squeaking, and moving oddly. Emmet was fretting over him, though he had a large dent on his back. Upon hearing you, both twins quickly looked over. Emmet’s face quickly turned into a relieved grin. “You’re here!” You quickly rush over to the two, worry clear on your face. “Oh Arceus, what happened!?” You asked, quickly setting down your tool bag, and looking over their ‘injuries’. Ingo happily showed you his arm, and you quickly got to work on the diagnostics. “Some kids were having a battle by the tracks. For safety reasons, they should not have done so, yet there were no depot agents on duty at the time.” Ingo began explaining, wincing a bit when you bent his arm. You gave him a slightly odd look. It was as if he had felt pain. How odd. “Ingo and I were in the area, and had seen them having a battle through the security system. We alerted the agents and security, but we were closest to the area in question.” You felt a sinking feeling in your stomach. “Emmet and I approached, asking them to please battle elsewhere, or to wait for the battle subway. They got upset, and attacked us instead.” Ingo spoke, and you had to hold back a flare of anger. Those rules exist for a reason. Emmet watched as you fiddled with Ingo’s arm, pulling out a tool to look at it closer. You didn’t notice the affectionate look he gave you. “Ingo and I attempted to pull out our pokemon to calm the situation, but one of the kids who was close to the yellow line lost their footing.” Your head shot up. Emmet held up his hands. “They are safe. Ingo and I ran and caught them, though we fell on the tracks in the process. There were no trains on the way, but the rail caused some damage.” You briefly looked at the damage done on Ingo’s arm, and Emmet’s body. The rail had done that much? Both twins shared a look. “...And one of the children may have attacked us with their pokemon the moment we tried to climb off the tracks.” Ingo finished. “They what!?” “I assure you, we are alright. The station is already taking steps to handle the situation. As of right now, all of them are temporarily banned from the station, and the higher ups are pressing charges to the parents for property damage.” Your lips formed a fine line. You were upset. You hated that this happened. A lot of people love the Subway Bosses. But a lot of people also didn’t take them seriously. They were just robots, they’d say. It’s not like they can feel, they’d say. It made your blood boil, even if what they said were technically true. Just because the Bosses didn’t ‘feel’ things, didn’t mean you shouldn’t respect them. Ingo hissed when you tugged a wire. Your eyes shot up, and his eyes were on you. “Apologies. That… is tender.” Tender…? You nodded. “Sorry. I’ll try to be more gentle then.” You responded, and Ingo gave you a nod, and a small ‘thank you’. You had never heard of them ‘feeling’ tender before. Then again, they had never gotten damaged as badly as they had, today. You rarely ever see their internal wiring. But it was a bit odd. A little bit of time passed without you all talking, but you couldn’t help but feel your mind buzzing with different thoughts. As you finished attaching some wires, and fixing a seam, you decided to speak. “I’m glad you both are okay. You two didn’t deserve what happened.” You mumbled, feeling your face heat up. You felt both their eyes snap to you, though you were surprised to see such a gentle look on their faces when you glanced up. Emmet gave you a soft smile, one that took your breath away. “Thank you, darling."

You felt your face heat up again, and had stuttered a moment, before looking away. “N-No problem!”

‘C’mon! Get a hold of yourself!’ You chided in your head. He had never called you ‘darling’ before, but that doesn’t mean you should lose focus!

….Even if you really wanted him to call you that again.

You were so flustered, it didn’t even occur to you that Emmet shouldn’t be able to call you that in the first place.

It took a little bit more time, but you were able to get Ingo’s arm functioning again, though it unfortunately wasn’t perfect. “That should do for now. I’ll need the station to contact the company for some spare parts. After that, anything that needs fixing is purely cosmetic. Sorry about that.” You explained as Ingo flexed his arm in awe. “Just be careful not to do anything strainious! Just because it’s working okay now doesn’t mean it’s 100% fine.” You pointed out, and Ingo gave you a brisk nod. “Bravo! I will take your word to heart.” He said, looking over his arm in wonder. He then looked back at you. His hand reached forward, much to your confusion, and landed on your cheek. You sharply inhaled at the action. His hand, despite wearing a glove, was warm against your cheek. Your eyes met his glowing silver ones, and you felt your mouth go dry when he gave you a loving smile. “Thank you, my dear.” You felt your heart pound in your chest. At that moment, it felt so real. They weren’t robots you were hired to take care of. They were real people. Real twins that you had feelings for. Swallowing back your feelings and thoughts, you gave him a shaky smile, but backed away out of Ingo’s grasp. Ingo frowned at the action, but simply pulled his back. “It’s no issue! I’m happy to help!” You were also eager to take a break and get away. You were getting too flustered. Damn your crush on these two. You were reading way more into this than necessary. There’s no way they would feel something for you. It was against their code. Mentally sighing, you turned to face Emmet, motioning for him to turn around. You still had to deal with that dent, after all. The sooner you finish this, the sooner you could leave, and avoid looking dumb over your silly feelings. “Your turn, Emmet. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that large dent.” Emmet pouted. “I am Emmet! I will be fine.” You shook your head, and crossed your arms. “Emmet.”

He pouted once more, before facing away from you. You were thankful he didn’t put up a fight, and got a closer look. Upon inspection, it didn’t look too bad… But you didn’t want to just leave it. Years of experience has told you leaving something like this could cause problems down the line. …And you really didn’t want to see Emmet in pain, or to see him malfunction because of a stupid decision. You cared about him too much for that to happen. “Okay, I’ll need to buff out the dent, but I’ll need to take off your back plate.” You explained.  You also wanted to get a good look at his circuits, making sure none were damaged in that accident. Gently, you opened up Emmet’s back panel, and let out a sigh of relief. So far from a glance, it looked fine. You would just need to adjust where some wires were. Maybe tighten a few things, and tighten a few screws. You could feel your anxiety ease up. Emmet was fine. Both of them were fine. Nothing to worry about. It didn’t take long to buff out the dent in his back plating, after taking out a tool. It would need new paint, sure, but it’d be an easy fix. What was more on your mind were the wires and the circuits. You briefly looked over those in his back. You took one of his wires into your hand, examining it. However, Emmet’s back shot straight up, and he let out a gasp. The action startled you enough to let go, and you froze. Had you… hurt him? “Emmet…?” You asked carefully, hand hovering over the wire. Before you can ask if he’s alright, his head turns slightly to look at you from over his shoulder. “I am Emmet! That… tickled, is all.” You wanted to raise an eyebrow at him, but he simply looked at you with that same smile, and glowing eyes. You wanted to ask questions. Tickled? What did he mean? “What-” “Do not worry! I am fine! The wiring is just sensitive!” You gave him an odd look. You didn’t doubt the wiring was ‘sensitive,’ but… that was an odd reaction to have. You decided to be a bit more gentle. You softly gripped the wire, and noticed the younger bot had tensed. Carefully, you properly adjusted the wire, though Emmet seemed dead set on squirming. Odd noises were coming out of his voice box as well. If you didn’t know any better, you would have sworn they were moans. But that's not possible. Right? “Emmet, you need to sit still-” you begin, trying to avoid hurting him while moving the wires. Your hand brushed up against one closer to his core, and he let out a squeal. “S-Sorry, darling!” he whimpered. Your eyes were wide. Hesitantly, you brushed your hands against the wires once more, and Emmet gripped the table in front of him, letting out what definitely sounded like a low moan. You could feel your brain wanting to blue screen. Were you giving him pleasure? That sure as hell didn’t sound like pain. Feeling yourself grow hot, you quickly finish what you set out to do, trying to be as gentle as possible, and ignore the delicious noises that were coming from the bot in front of you. Thankfully, you didn’t have much left to adjust, so you were quick to close his back panel, and begin getting your things together. “That should do it for you two, for now. You’ll both need some minor replacements, but you both should be functional. I’ll have the station order in some parts, and I’ll finish the repairs when those are shipped in.” You explained as you put your stuff together. Emmet stretched a bit, and looked over at you. You didn’t want to leave, but those noises… and how gentle both had been treating you… You had to leave before you made a fool of yourself. “If that’s everything, I’ll be on my way-” You began, and headed for the door. However, you were cut off when someone grabbed your wrist, and pulled you into a metal chest. You take a moment to gather your bearings, and froze when you realized what had happened. Glancing up, you were in Emmet’s hold, who had a strange look on his face. You wanted to speak, but all the words you could say seemed to catch in your throat. “Thank you, darling. We appreciate everything you do for us. We are very fortunate to have you as our caretaker.” He spoke softly, and ran a hand through your hair. Before you could register the words in your head, Ingo stood next to you both, and took your free hand in his own. “You mean so much to us, dear. Please take care of yourself, and stay safe on your way home.” He then took your hand, and pressed your knuckles against his lips in a small bow. The entire time, he never took those glowing eyes off of you. You felt a shiver run down your spine, and licked your lips. You felt your mouth go incredibly dry. After a few more moments, Ingo let go of your hand, and Emmet let you free from his grasp. You stepped away from them, and struggled to find your words. “I-I will! Thank you!” You stammered, and backed away towards the door. As you began to open it, however, you turned around to face them. “And uh… You two mean a lot to me too. Please take care of yourselves as well.” You said softly, before quickly shuffling out the door. When you closed the door behind you, you ended up leaning against it, your hand over your chest. It was as if your heart was trying to leap out of your chest with how hard it was pounding. Your mind was racing, and you could barely think straight. “Oh Arceus. I’m in trouble.” You whispered, before grabbing your bag and heading home. Meanwhile, Ingo and Emmet shared a look, and let out a small noise of frustration. They were so close! Oh, how they wanted to confess to you! They had been working for months! They can’t tell you when exactly they somehow broke their code, and gained feelings for you. However, they knew one thing. They wanted you. They wanted you as a partner, not as an engineer. You worked so hard for them! You cared for them, more than just robots for the subway! The way you treated them was more than just objects, you treated them like they were people. Something not a lot of humans did. It wasn’t hard to fall for you. Both wanted to cherish you. Hold you close. Do all the things human partners did. But they weren’t human.

Not to mention, they were still getting used to the whole ‘having feelings’ thing. They had a lot of catching up to do in terms of affection and relationships.

But they were very observant. It wasn’t hard to pick up on things from couples on the subway, and learn a few things from some research.

It wasn’t hard to figure out you had some sort of feelings for them, either. They were designed to be observant, after all!.

But then there was the problem. How to confess to you, and properly court you. They were robots, after all.

They weren’t blind. They knew having a relationship with them would be met with some side eye, and they wouldn’t be able to give you everything a human partner could.

But they wanted to try, for you. They wanted to be happy with you.

All they needed to do was show you their affection, just like they had done today!

Now if only they could actually confess to you.

No matter. They both have time.

Maybe next time they’re alone together with you, they’ll finally have the courage to do so. Until then, well…

They don’t mind pining for you from a distance, for just a little bit longer.