#bruises on the back of my calves from hitting the chair behind me while jumping

[wickedbitchin]

i survived planetary (go!) 9/21

[drumboydowoon]

Woof Woof | Stray Kids AU

Chapter Three / Return of the Memories and the Fellowship of Fear

Werewolf!Chan au

Warnings / language

Words / 5K+

Masterlist

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The first thing you notice when your eyes flutter open suddenly, is the splitting pain pulsing in the back of your head. Then it shifts to the aches that run down your thighs to your calves. You groan at the throbbing pain and lay there for a moment, getting ready to sit up both physically and mentally. 

After you’ve prepared yourself to move, you sigh and try to sit up, however, you can’t. You suddenly felt the heavyweight wrapped around your torso. You pout in confusion, then look to see what’s responsible. The questions become endless once you see that it’s someone’s arm wrapped around you. You allow your eyes to trail up the arm all the way to the face that sleeps right behind you. 

Gasping, you lightly jump at the surprise of seeing Chan’s face right next to yours. You’re about ready to shove him away until you notice that his eyes are still closed and he’s letting out soft snores. It’s obvious that he’s still asleep… But why is he asleep next to you? That’s the big question of the hour. 

You purse your lips as you gently push his arm off of you. For a moment, he flinches and you cringe, thinking that you woke him up. Luckily for you, Chan’s still out cold. When you move next, you make sure you’re careful to not wake him. You quietly slip away from him and get up off the painfully hard ground. 

You brush yourself off and look around the room, which definitely wasn’t the bedroom that you were expecting (thank god). Instead, you find yourself in the basement of the boy’s home. More questions arise. 

It also happens that you aren’t alone in the basement. Besides Chan, Felix lays on the floor next to the stairs, curled up into a ball and fast asleep as well. Curious as to who else may be in there with you, you turn around and search the room. You find another sleeping body resting a few feet away. Gazing curiously at him, you finally recognize who it is. It’s neither Minho or Jisung that you suspected. It’s Hwang Hyunjin, someone you knew a lot about, but never spoken to.

Frowning, you wonder what he was doing here, or what any of you are doing down here in the basement. Blinking, you stare at all three of them in thought for a while. What did you do last night to end up here?

Then, like a dam breaking open, everything suddenly comes crashing back to you all at once. Everything from you arriving at Felix’s house, to Felix and co. trying to murder you, to Minho coming to your rescue and knocking Chan out with a rock because he was getting a little handsy. In an instant, your jaw drops wide open as you’re at a complete loss for words. 

Your body starts to shake as you slowly take a few steps back. Keeping your gaze locked both on Chan and Hyunjin, you fail to remember that he’s set up by the stairs. Taking another step backwards, your shoe collides with a body. Your entire being jumps in fear and you accidentally let a squeak escape you. 

Felix groans at the contact and moves his arm out to scratch his leg, where you just kicked him. “5 more minutes…” he grumbles, but his eyes remain closed, though. There’s a cute pout etched on his face as he settles back into his previous sleeping position. You sigh in relief and this time you’re careful watch where you’re going and maneuver around him. 

Once you step over him, you go up the first few steps very stealthy. After going around the corner and out of sight from them, caution goes out the window and you break into a sprint upstairs. It’s not until you're halfway up the stairs that you begin to feel a stinging sensation going across your waist to your stomach. It burns, so it makes you look down to see the issue. Your shirt is a little torn up and within those tears, you can see the angry red scratches covering your stomach. They don’t look too deep, but they sure hurt like hell. 

You don’t recall getting those marks last night. Then again, everything went by in a flash, so a few things are bound to be clouded from your memory. Besides the pain isn’t what is important at the moment. Right now you need to focus on getting away as far as possible from the sleeping maniacs before it’s too late. 

Waving it off for now, you continue your way upstairs and reach the door. You hurry to it and swing it open, not caring if you wake up the whole neighborhood at this point. Then you dart straight for the front door that stands not too far, yet still miles away at the same time. You can’t get out the door fast enough. 

Someone in the dining room is alerted by the noise. He stops what he’s doing and stares, “Y/n?” he questions as he watches you try to make a beeline out the door. 

Nearly tripping over yourself, you promptly look over to find Minho walking towards you with concern and confusion written all over him. Then his gaze wanders over to where your hand is moving towards the knob of the front door. Quickly, he rushes over and puts himself between yourself and the sweet smell of fresh air that he’s denying you.

“You can’t leave yet,” he says while slowly taking your wrist in his hand to move it away from the knob. 

Sorry, but did you hear correctly? “Why not?! Why are you standing around like everything is fine? Do you even remember what happened last night? We need to get out of here!” all the words come jumbling out of your mouth as fear and anxiety sit in your gut unpleasantly. Any moment something bad can happen, so why is Minho acting so strange?

After ranting, Minho simply places his hands on your shoulders, “Calm down. Sit,” he points towards the black dining room table in the next room over. 

Your jaw drops. It continues to hang open, even as he directs you towards a chair to sit down on. “Calm down?” you ask incredulously. 

“You want me to calm down after I saw Felix acting like a fucking… whatever that was!?” you repeat, “Not to mention the fact that Hwang Hyunjin is here too, for some reason, and he tried to eat me as a late night snack. But thank god Chan was there to save me, then act like a weirdo who creepily sniffs girls!” you exclaim, in complete disbelief at what Minho is telling you to do. Calming down is the last thing that’s on your mind. 

Finally a moment of realization hits you as Minho pushes you along. You stop in your tracks and refuse to move any further. Instead you turn to face Minho and jab a finger into his chest, “I bet you are in on this!” you accuse, “That explains why you’re so calm about all this,” you gasp at the sudden revelation you came up with out of nowhere. 

Minho stares down at you with a blank face, but it still holds some resemblance of emotion because it’s quite easy to tell he’s not pleased. You gulp at the daggering stare. “Sit. Down,” both words fall sharply off his tongue as his daggering gaze commands you to do as you're told. 

Though he is your friend, you sometimes forget how threatening Minho can be. Without thinking, your body has a mind of its own as it walks to one of the dining chairs and makes you sit on it. You could curse your mind and body for betraying you like that, but then again, you can’t blame them.

Sighing in relief, he follows after you and takes a seat across from you. He folds his hands on the table. You look to him expectantly, but he remains silent for a second, seemingly thinking before he speaks.

“I know you must be really confused and scared-”

“Terrified,” you correct. 

He gives you a look before continuing, “Yeah and that… It’s not really my place to tell you this,” he starts, “But at this point you deserve to know after all that shit you you went through…” he trails off, trying to find the best words to use to explain it all to you. It’s much more difficult than you think. 

As he thinks, someone walks into the room from the hall over, “Hey did you even start making breakfast yet? I’m starving,” Jisung asks sleepily. His eyes are half closed as he walks in. His face is covered in marks that are bruises forming. His lips have a cut near the corner and he looks exhausted. It’s like he hardly got any rest last night. But who could after a night like that? 

“Oh hey, Y/n,” he greets nonchalantly before looking to Minho for an answer. Then it comes to Jisung a moment later, “Wait, Y/n?!” he jumps when he realizes that you’re there, sitting peacefully at their table. 

He’s sure you would have ran for the hills by now. Thankfully that’s not the case, or that would have been really bad. He’s just surprised that’s all. He wasn’t expecting to see you so soon. Awkwardly, you smile back to the flustered boy. 

“I’m trying to explain everything to her right now,” Minho fills in for him. 

Jisung’s brows furrow as he objects, “What? The boys will be mad… Especially Hyunjin since he’ll find a way to blame all of this on me,” he frowns. 

Rolling his eyes, Minho argues, “Well I think she would rather hear the truth from the only two normal people here.” He scoffs. It shouldn’t be that hard to guess why it would be a good idea to have the other three try to explain it to you. 

“Okay, but it’s not really our place to expose a secret as big as this,” Jisung counterpoints, even though Minho literally already told you that. He’s unsure about making a decision like this. The two of them never really dealt with a problem like this.

Sighing, Minho pinches the bridge of his nose. You watch as they argue back and forth about whether it’s okay for them to tell you or not. Another headache forms in your already throbbing head. 

Being extremely tired, in pain, and pissed off wasn’t the greatest combination. Their voices faded into the background while you thought of everything at once. Flashes of memories from the previous night reminded you of how absolutely scared you were. You’ve never felt so… helpless before. 

For most of your life you’ve never had a reason to feel that scared. The most fear you felt was when you did something bad and you knew you were going to be yelled at for it, or knowing fully well that you did horrendously on a test that you did not study for whatsoever. But never because you had to worry for your own life.

What scares you the most is the feeling of not knowing, though. It isn’t the burning pain dancing all along your body. It’s the confusion that weighed you down the most. Did Felix always act like that? Why now of all times? Is this your fault? 

There’s so many questions bubbling in one mind. Eventually it comes bursting out. Sick of the two fighting over something so pointless, you raise your voice, “Well someone needs to tell me what the hell happened!”

At once, they’re mouths shut. They both stare at you, not expecting your sudden much needed outburst. They only blink at you as you huff out a heavy breath. 

Leaning over the table, you stare at the two. Barely above a whisper, your voice is still deep and dangerous in warning, “I don’t care whether or not it is your place to tell me. I’m telling you that you need to explain to me why my best friend, your weird roommate, and pretty boy, acted like a bunch of horror movie rejects.” There’s no room for debate in your tone. 

You’re so tired. Somehow you’ve become completely different from a few minutes ago. Before, you were frantic and desperate to leave as soon as possible, yet now you’re so done with everything. You’ve had time to process, only momentarily, but you had time. Now you need answers. 

“Y-yes ma’am,” Jisung stutters, it’s clear that he’s far more worried about you exploding at him now rather than having Hyunjin get mad later. Minho mumbles about how he can’t believe that’s all it took to shut him up. 

The older of the two then resumes his previous position of leaning closer to you with his hands folded. He licks his lips in preparation, “It might sound really ridiculous,” he warns, “But it’s not fiction, I promise. Sometimes there’s things-”

Rolling your eyes, you gesture for him to hurry, “There’s no need to sugarcoat it. Just tell me. Is it drugs? Some kind of hypnosis?” The list of assumptions and guesses could go on forever, but before you can question anymore, Minho opens his mouth. 

“It’s werewolves”

Blinking once, then twice, you have to think if you actually heard him right. Once again, he beats you to the point, “Felix, Chan, and Hyunjin are werewolves. Last night was a full moon, so they were way more out of control than usual.” Even after he repeats and clarifies his preceding statement, you’re still not sure if you’re hard of hearing. 

Looking away, Jisung stuffs his hands in his pockets while he kicks at the ground. The other waits for your response. The room is hushed as tension rises high. Such an… interesting explanation was bound to make some speechless. 

By what you understand, Felix, your loveable friend, who acts like a pesky mosquito because he just “feels like it”, is a werewolf. Someone you have known for a few years, somehow managed to hide the fact that they’re a werewolf as well. 

It starts off with a scoff. But soon that turns into quiet giggles. Minho and Jisung give each other a look. One holds annoyance while the other faces uncertainty. The giggling evolves into full blown hysterical laughter. Grabbing at your sides, you laugh harder and harder, even after the fact that both boys look at you like you’re a nutcase.

In your defense though, you can’t possibly believe they’re being truthful for one second. Like seriously? Werewolves? Out of all the things either one of them could choose to lie about, they chose werewolves. You do applaud them for using their amusing creativity. 

It felt like you went on for minutes before you finally began to calm down. After devolving into chokes of laughter, you wipe away the tears that were slipping from your eyes. You glance over to the two, who were not laughing along with you. 

You take a deep breath of air and chuckle midway through, “You are joking, right?” your eyes continue to flick between both of them, looking for any sign that this is some cruel prank.

Blankly, Minho shakes his head, “Nope”

Your jaw drops as you look to the other boy, “Jisung?” you question, hoping he will be kind enough to enlighten you. 

Jisung huffs. He looks conflicted, “Believe it or not, you’ll find out soon enough,” he ominously answers, making you rethink that it’s a joke. 

It’s impossible to believe them. And it’s impossible to think you would believe them. There’s no point in lying now. You’ve already seen enough, so why are they being so frustrating about this?

Minho squints his eyes to something past you. “Looks like soon, is now...” he mumbles quietly to himself. You can’t hear him, so you ask him to repeat himself. But instead he gives whatever he’s looking at a sheepish smile, “Good morning, boys,” he greets. 

All at once, you can feel your entire being freeze. It only takes a few words to figure out who he’s greeting. Three sets of groggy footsteps approach the room. It’s impossible to turn around. Rather than moving, your body sits straight up as you look to Minho with wide eyes. All the feelings from before you somewhat calmed down, come tumbling back into you full force. 

In the moment, both Minho and Jisung feel bad for you (one more than the other). Subtly, Minho unfolds his hands and carefully slides one across the table towards you. You look down at his snaking hand trying to offer its comfort. Instead, you return a frown. Somehow you were able to convey that it wasn’t the time and that you are mad at him now, because his hand retreats to his lap. 

In the corner of your vision, you can see the outline of someone walking into the kitchen and past the counter. Daringly, you decide to look in the direction of them. Felix ignores your presence all together and darts straight for the refrigerator. He opens the door to the freezer and sticks his head in. Sighing happily at the cool contact, Felix enjoys remaining peacefully oblivious to you sitting at their table. 

From behind you, a round of pained groans and groggy voices ring in your ears. Chan and Hyunjin follow shortly after, evidently muttering something to each other. The two of them step into the room and Hyunjin’s tired voice drowns out for some reason. Chan, like Felix, is unaware of you. Your head snaps away from Felix and opts to look down at your fidgeting hands sitting on the table. 

“Hey, what time is it?” Chan’s raspy voice asks. He stretches as he tries to wake up from his horrible night of sleeping on the concrete floor. 

Jisung holds a hand to his face and shakes his head in disappointment. On the other hand, Minho pointedly looks at Chan, hoping that he would see the elephant in the room. Lacking in the ability to understand, Chan cocks his head to the side. It takes a second to fully comprehend his surroundings. 

Getting annoyed, Hyunjin rolls his eyes and elbows the older in the side and points harshly to you, the first thing he noticed when he walked in. A chill goes through you as you feel the many stares on you. It takes another moment before he realizes that there’s someone else in the room rather than his roommates. He sees your sitting body at his table, back facing him and visibly tense.

The uneasiness seeped into him the moment he laid eyes on you. Memories from the night before were vastly blurry. He can hardly remember anything, but seeing the tears in your clothing and the way you kept your head down, he could use common sense and put two and two together. Guilt found a way to drop in the pit of his stomach since he can practically hear you shivering from here. 

He gulped as he waved for the one boy that remained ignorant, “Aye, Felix…” he trails off.

Felix sighs as he hears his name, “What…?” He doesn’t want to leave the refreshing cold air blasting his face. It felt too nice. All nice things come to an end, though, or at least when they’re ruined by Chan calling him again. 

Groaning, this time a little more irritated, Felix pulls away from the freezer to lazily glance at the man that’s making it hard for him to relax. Like a teenager, Felix shrugs in exasperation, “What?” he repeats with a bit more attitude. He could hear the cool air from the freezer calling his name to come back. 

Felix sees Hyunjin’s scowl first, then Chan’s eyes that keep flickering between him and somewhere else in the room. He follows his line of sight to the table. You can feel your heart pick up the second his gaze lands on you, even when you’re not looking at him. If you were watching, you would be able to see the way Felix’s eyes pop open like a cartoon. The color drains from his skin at the sight of you. 

He opens his mouth, stammering to say something, yet nothing comes out. Opting to say nothing at all, Felix makes the hasty decision to turn his back to you and stick his head back into the freezer. You sneak a peek to see his reaction, but are disappointed to see that he isn’t even looking at you anymore. God, how can something be so awkward and terrifying at the same time?

Chan shakes his head at the cowardice of his younger friend. It’s clear that he would have to take matters into his own hands. Putting on a very fake smile, he perks up, “Morning, Y/n! Weird seeing you here,” his voice is so cheery, you totally can’t tell it isn’t real at all. 

After he calls your name for the first time this morning, you can’t help but let your body go rigid. For a second, you look to Minho and Jisung for help. Luckily for you, they’re no help at all and only offer either a shrug or an expressionless face. Classic Minho and Jisung. You’re sure going to give them hell later. 

Shakily, you turn in your seat to face the boys, giving them a nervous smile that wasn’t meant to be a smile. Seeing them now makes you look at them differently. They don’t have their fangs or glowing eyes anymore. Instead, they looked like they always had. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stop seeing the horror that they were. 

Chan saw how hard you were trying to not to make a run for the door, and he couldn’t blame you. Even though he can’t recall much, he’s sure that nothing good happened. And he knows for a fact that he isn’t innocent either. 

“H-hey,” you curse yourself for faltering like that. 

Deciding to speak up at last, Hyunjin rolls his eyes, “It’s obvious she knows. Stop acting like she doesn’t,” he scoffs. He can’t be the only one with common sense. 

Chan’s shoulders drop as his fake happy act does as well, and is replaced by awkwardness and nerves. Before anyone can say anything else, Jisung pipes up quickly, “Minho is the one who told her!” he points an accusing finger towards the boy in question. Minho is just as quick to give him a sharp glare back.

Suddenly your expression of fear turns into one of doubt, “No, what Minho told me is that made up crap about you being werewolves. Please, like anyone expects me to believe that” You take a turn eyeing up all three of them, “Werewolves? More like a bunch of drugged up lunatics…” 

Knowing that the boys weren’t nearly as hostile and out of their mind as they were before, was relieving. You can be brave enough to talk to them, but you can’t be caught off guard yet.

For what felt like the hundredth time, the room became quiet. Hyunjin laughed in disbelief at your comment. You raise a brow at him, “Something funny?” you ask, but you snap to something more important, “What are you even doing here, Mr. Bigshot on Campus?” 

Jisung was amazed how fast your moods can change. One you’re scared for your life, then the next your insulting each and everyone of them. It’s a talent, really. Hyunjin didn’t bother to answer your question, instead he scowls at you. 

Quietly, Chan twiddles his thumbs together, “Well, Minho isn’t lying… We are werewolves,” he admits, looking you straight in the eyes afterward. As uncomfortable and tense he was for admitting such a big secret like that, he still wanted to be sincere. He needed you to know that he wasn’t lying. 

“This isn’t funny anymore…” you tell them with a frown, “If you can’t tell me the truth, then I’m leaving,” you get up from the chair and begin to move. You can’t deal with them. If they don’t want to tell you, then fine. They’ll just have to handle the aftermath of you ignoring them from now on.

Minho calls out to you, “Y/n-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” you shut him up. He’s just as guilty as the rest of them.

Felix is frozen in place. He can’t face you, but hearing that you’re going to leave sends him into a panicked frenzy. You can’t leave, not when you still don’t believe them. If you leave, there’s a chance he could never see you again, and you’ll only know him as the monster that hurt you. Then again, if he does tell you, you might still look at him like that anyways. He can’t think straight. 

Without much thought, Felix stops you in your tracks, “Wait, Y/n” 

You face him, looking indifferent and ready to shut him up too. You don’t want to hear any more excuses. If you’re fortunate, you can leave this place in one piece and never talk to them again. 

Conflicted, Felix looks to his other lunatic buddies. Hyunjin can’t be bothered to care about the pleading look Felix shoots at him. At least Chan is more caring and gives him a small reassuring nod. 

At last Felix sighs and his shoulders drop in defeat. He never wanted to show you this side of him, but now he has no other choice. The only thing he says to you is, “I can prove it…” before his face completely morphs into something entirely different. Rather than seeing the freckled boy with chocolate eyes, who you care for too much, you see the same monster from last night that beat the shit out of Jisung and tried to do the same to you. 

At the sight of his transformation, you jump back, nearly knocking over the chair behind you. “Oh!” you would’ve fallen over if it weren’t for Minho’s quick thinking to jump from his own seat and keep you up right. He holds your arm, but lets go just as quickly after you’re stable.

The hurt Felix felt when he saw your expression is unmeasurable. But he understands that he had to do it. He understands why you’re scared. He’s had the same feeling long ago too. He raises his hand into view, showing off his sharply cut claws, “Do you believe us now?” he hesitantly asks. 

All eyes are on you once again, waiting for your response. Would you look at them differently, more than you already did? Would you expose their secrets? Would you run out of the house screaming “Wolf!”? Each one of them thought up a different scenario. 

They were all wrong, though. In fact, your mind can barely think of what to do. All your thoughts were strewn around in a fiery hellscape. There’s too much information to process. Although you already saw this, you can’t understand why you didn’t believe them before. In some twisted way, it made sense. But you didn’t want it to make sense. You wanted it to be normal and rational. Perhaps the drug use scenario would have been better than this. 

Your jaw slacked open, trying to form a proper sentence, but nothing seems to be coming out right. You stare down at your shoes for a moment, licking your lips in thought. Taking that moment to think your words through, you finally look up at them.

“Can I borrow your shower?” you ask, not noticing how your voice pitched up. 

Being dumbfounded, is saying the least. The boys wondered if they heard you correctly, but they know they did. Jisung is the first to speak up, “Y/n are you serious?! You just saw… that!” he throws his hands up, referring to Felix’s woofed out face, “And you want to wash your hair?!” 

You bit your lip as you realized that the request did sound a little ridiculous, but you needed to get to an escape. “I just need somewhere to think for a second,” you tell them, feeling shy all of a sudden. 

Some of them were still in disbelief, while others could understand. Nevertheless, Felix is kind enough to be one of the few who understand, so he gives you permission. In an instant, your feet are moving and you're going upstairs to lock yourself in the bathroom. Once you’re safely inside, you lean back against the door and sigh heavily. 

The only feeling in your mind that you can describe right now are three tiny words, “What the fuck”

You left in such a hurry that you couldn’t allow anyone else enough time to say anything. And you’re thankful for that. You don’t know what other kind of talking you can handle right now. 

You stood there for a few minutes, trying to catch your breath and calm yourself down. After you settle down, you push yourself off the door and go straight for the shower. However, passing by the mirror made you backtrack once you caught your reflection. 

“Wow I look like shit,” you mumble to yourself, observing your dirt covered face. Not only that, but your hair was sticking up in every direction, and frankly, you’re surprised Minho didn’t make fun of the new look. And worst of all, your clothes appear unrecoverable with all the grim and rips covering you. 

You run a hand through your mess of a hair and pout, deciding at last to start the shower. Once the water heat ups, you slip out of your nasty clothes and step into the hot inviting shower. You immediately put your head under the and relax under the warm water cascading down your body. Head empty, no thoughts. You only felt the comfort from the only normal thing you have had today. 

What did you exactly get yourself into? Is the last thing to pass through your mind before you succumb to the pleasures of taking a hot shower.

[gauntie-o-dimm]

Avallac’h | Stress Relief

"Let me make it up to you."

You have a great way of relieving Avallac'h from his stressed state.

Word count: 1700+ Warnings: Smut, angst, swearing

He had been sitting behind his desk for hours now, bent over the parchment while scribbling an endless amount of notes, his books folded open in front of him, scattered around the table. His eyes seemed tired, bags visible as he massaged his sore hand. For a second, he looked up, staring out of the window in front of him pondering before writing down something again. I carefully slipped out of my chair, putting my book down and walked over to him. My night gown felt soft against my skin as I wrapped my arms around the Aen Elle from behind, burying my face in his neck, inhaling his scent. 'Hm... You've been sitting here for ages.' The quill he held hovered above the paper for a few seconds, his aquamarine eyes gazing out of the window another time. 'I have to finish this soon, (Y/n).' 'I'm bored.' I pouted, giving him a peck on the cheek, running my hands through his gray locks. 'Come to bed.' I whispered in his ear. 'No time, darling. I am sorry.' 'Look at me.' He looked over his shoulder for a second. My fingers fiddled with the first few buttons on my gown, opening the upper ones to show just a little cleavage. His tongue flicked over his lips as his eyes lingered upon my chest for a moment. 'Avallac'h, I need you.' 'I don't have time.' He repeated, turning towards his work. I let out a deep sigh, walking off with slumped shoulders. I made my way to our bedroom, plopping down onto the duvet, laying down comfortably. My eyelids were heavy, and I let them fall down for a few moments.

I jumped as I felt the bed dip and my eyes fluttered open. Avallac'h was laying next to me, rubbing his forehead. 'You okay?' I whispered, rolling onto my side. 'Just a bit tired.' I reached over to his cheek to caress it. 'You look tense.' He hummed, his eyes meeting mine. 'My muscles hurt just a bit.' I smiled, tugging at the edge of his shirt. 'Take it off and lay down on your stomach.' The Aen Elle frowned. 'Why?' 'Trust me.' He did as I asked, and I opened the first drawer in my nightstand, taking out a little bottle of scented oil. 'It smells like lavender. It will help you relax a bit.' A smile spread over his face as he knew what I was going after. He took off his shirt, his bare chest drawing my attention immediately. 'Like what you see?' 'That's cliché.' He let out a light chuckle before leaning in to give me a kiss. 'Lay down.' I demanded playfully, opening the cap and pouring a bit of the slippery liquid into my palm. Avallac'h had a small smile on his face as he closed his eyes, resting his head in my pillow. I straddled his hips, sitting down upon his butt before rubbing my hands together, spreading the oil around before pressing them against his shoulders. He immediately let out a sigh of relief, his tense muscles relaxing. His shoulders were broad. I let my palms slide across his back, massaging every crevice of it, his ribs, his waist, every muscle had to be warmed up by my fingers. I kept on massaging for a good five minutes. 'Right there.' Avallac'h growled as I hit a particular tendon. 'Oh, yes.' I smiled as his lips slightly parted when I applied pressure, his brow furrowing. 'That feels good.' I rubbed the spot before moving away from it again. 'Your hands feel magical.' 'So do your muscles.' He chuckled, wiggling his butt to try to fling me off. 'Hey!' I laughed, rolling off him. 'My hands are still oily.' Avallac'h crawled over me, his hair falling in front of his face. 'What about it?' I wiped them on his biceps. He leaned in, his lips brushing against mine. 'Hm...' He kissed me and I exhaled through my nose, nipping at his mouth while our tongues fought for dominance. Avallac'h won, of course, and he leaned his arms on both sides of my head, trapping me in his little pleasure prison. 'What was that for?' I asked after he pulled back, his eyes half lidded.

'For being so sweet always. I am sorry about earlier, it's just a lot of work. Makes me a bit grumpy.' 'It's OK, Crevan. I'm not mad.' 'Let me make it up to you.'

He captured me in another heated kiss, his hands finding the bottom of my nightgown. He slipped them under it to take it off me. I shivered as the chilly night air hit my skin. 'You're beautiful.' Avallac'h whispered, kissing my collarbone. I couldn't help but blush. He sucked on my neck, leaving bruises. 'Shit.' I groaned, clawing in his hair as he took care of my breasts, flicking his tongue over my nipples. 'Hm, you're so sexy (Y/n).' He moaned, biting down onto the sensitive buds carefully. I wrapped my legs around his hips, trapping him against me. His hardened crotch rubbed against my covered core, making me insane. I whimpered as he kept teasing my nipples in turn with his tongue, one of his hands rolling the other between its fingers. 'They're getting sore if you keep going like that...' I muttered. Avallac'h didn't listen. Instead he nibbled even harsher. I moaned, bucking my hips forward. 'Just fuck me already...' 'Patience, dear.' He kissed my belly, stopping at my mons pubis. He hooked his long fingers around my underwear, pulling it off my legs while kissing my thighs. A sigh left my lips as he latched his mouth on the wet spot between my legs, his tongue licking my labia. I lifted my hips, curling my toes as he sucked my clitoris softly. I moaned, grabbing his hands as he ate me out, entwining my fingers with his. 'Fuck...' My stomach was filled with butterflies, my clit throbbing with pleasure. Avallac'h hummed lowly, sending vibrations through my womanhood. 'I'm just so addicted to you and how you taste.' he breathed, hovering his breath over the swollen lips. I made a lewd noise as he grabbed my butt, pushing my hips upwards to reach my vagina better. 'Crevan...' I groaned, grinding against his hot tongue. His aqua eyes met mine, filled with lust and love. He licked against the sensitive bud, making me see stars. I threw back my head as he slid a finger into me, wiggling it as I felt my orgasm building up at the speed of light. 'Shit... I'm going to cum.' I muffled my moans with my hand as he stepped up the pace. 'All over my face, darling, come on...' Avallac'h muttered. I squinted my eyes shut, a loud groan escaping my throat as my high came. I rolled back my eyes, bucking my hips, my legs trembling with pleasure. 'Hm...' Avallac'h hummed, licking off his fingers and the leftovers from his chin. He crawled over me again, kissing my body in the process as my chest heaved up and down, my lungs desperate for air. I kissed him, tasting myself. My hands traveled down his back, all the way to his underwear. His bulge rubbed against my leg as he towered over me. I cupped it, giving it a teasing squeeze. Avallac'h let out a deep grunt, his member straining painfully against the cotton loincloth. I pushed him off me, making him roll onto his back as I took place between his legs, freeing his manhood from its distressed state quickly by pulling off the underwear. A relieved sigh left his lips as he leaned upon his elbows so he could look at me as I took care of him. I took his hard cock in my hand, stroking up and down a few times before licking the base, the veins on it already throbbing. It glistened in the light of the candles. Carefully, I sucked on the tip, the pre-cum on it sharpening my senses. 'Fuck... (Y/n).' Crevan cursed, burying his hands in my hair. I bobbed my head up and down, erotic sounds erupting from my throat, driving him crazy. 'Shit, yes.' Avallac'h closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as I took in his entire cock, gagging as it didn't fit completely. I gasped, continuing to bob my head. I felt it twitch, indicating the upcoming orgasm. Curses in the tongue of the Aen Elle left his lips as I pulled back from him, not wanting him to finish just yet. 'Guess I deserved that from ignoring you earlier?' 'Not really, but I want you to finish in just another place, though.' I winked, laying down, spreading my legs. I was clear enough, for he grabbed my calves instantly, positioning himself before my entrance. 'Ready?' 'More than I will ever be.' The elf smirked, pushing himself inside. I moaned, adjusting to his size quite quickly. Avallac'h groaned, starting to thrust after a few moments. I gasped as his head his the back of my vagina, his thumb brushing against my clitoris. Growls left the Aen Elle as he sped up. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed through the room, and I hoped no one else was close to hear. The tension between my legs started to grow, and yet again the familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach made my head spin. Avallac'h was breathing heavily, beads of sweat covering his forehead. His chest rose up and down as he quickened yet again, his cock plunging in and out of me as if his life depended on it. '(Y/n)... You feel so right, so right...' I was too far in a state of bliss that I couldn't respond, instead I was fondling my own breasts, letting out soundless moans. I felt Crevan release himself inside of me, pushing me over the edge. I came as well, the warm feeling between my legs heating up even more. Avallac'h nearly collapsed on top of me, holding himself up barely. I wrapped my arms around him as he laid down next to me, his breaths still uneven. 'I love you...' Avallac'h whispered. 'And yet again, I apologize for the beginning of this evening.' He kissed my temple, tugging me into him. 'I love you too, Crevan. And I have forgiven you already.' 'That's good, since it would be madness if you didn't after this night.'

[lubdubsworld]

Amor Vincit Omnia

Pairing :  Yoongi/ OC.

Chapter count : 20

Genre : Violence , Romance, Drama ( like a lot of drama)

Warnings : Abuse. Violence.  

Description :  Arranged Marriage Gang! AU . BTS Suga /Min Yoongi and OC . The worst thing you can do to a guy? Marry him when he begs you not to. Worst thing you can do to yourself? Fall in love with him afterwards.

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6

Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12

Chapter 13 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15 / Chapter 16 / Chapter 17

Chapter 18 / Chapter 19 / Chapter 20

Chapter 1

~~One~~

In life, I never got second chances. If the first time didn't work out, I wasn't given a second time to try to improve. Instead I would be hit , tossed into the basement and denied food for three days, till I agreed to never ask for anything ever again. Till I promised to never try to embarrass my father like that again.

It happened after my debutante ball when I accidently addressed someone wrong.

It happened after my graduation, when i didn't make valedictorian.

Afterwards, when I stayed at home, waiting for my parents to send me to college, it happened everyday till I just stopped asking or trying or...just living.

I would wake up, eat my breakfast and set out to explore the woods that surrounded our estate in Busan. I had till twelve in the morning when my mom would wake up, to indulge in all my fantasies , live a make-believe life in which I was loved by a handsome young man who adored me and spoiled me to distraction.

After lunch, I stayed perfectly still while my mom taught me everything I needed to know to be the perfect society wife. I learnt pottery, needlework and hosting. I learned table placements and ranks, learnt complicated waltzes and learned to wear my waist length hair in three dozen different ways. I learned to wear make up in a way that made my eyes look bigger, brighter. I learned how to smile in just the perfect way. How to apply lipstick in a way that would drive any man mad with desire ( Or so my mom told me.)

I learned exotic dishes from around the world. I learned to speak English and French. I learned everything that would turn me into the perfect princess for my Prince Charming.

I also learned to swallow all the screams that threatened to bubble up inside me.

In the evenings I tried to disappear into the upholstery. My father was a psychopath. One wrong word and he would grab me by the roots of my hair and drag me to the out of the room and toss me into the basement. Or worse, he's take a belt to my calves or my thighs ( Never my arms or face ). I learned to literally stop breathing when my father was in the vicinity. But then, how did I not go to pieces, you may wonder.

Well, you see I knew that it was temporary.

When I turned twenty one my parents would have to marry me off. In our society when a girl reaches twenty one, if she stays unmarried it's a sign of ill breeding. My parents would be disgraced if I wasn't married off. It was my get out of jail card, marriage. I knew that every day I got closer to my marriage. When I would officially be out of my father's protection. It would mean escape.

But what was I escaping into?

I never considered.

I always thought it would be paradise.

My prince charming would be everything I had ever dreamed of.

I believed it completely.

Until the day I actually met him.

Min Yoongi was no Prince Charming.

He was the devil in the flesh.

~~~~

"You!! Fix your hair!" My father barked so loudly , I jumped. Bowing quickly and quietly and I rose up and disappeared into the restroom on the left wing of the lobby we were waiting in. I found the mirror and swallowed drily. Three simple curls had come undone from my elaborate up do . My father was a stickler for perfection which would explain my outfit. A pale pink georgette dress that fit me to perfection. Paired with pumps of the exact same shade , the dress made me look a little tall. I was rather woefully short and my father was forever cursing my lack of height.

I quickly fixed my hair and glanced at the expensive diamond studded Cartier on my wrist. It was a little past six thirty in the evening. We weren't due to meet Min Yoongi , the young CEO of Bangtan Inc., for at least half an hour. I fidgeted a bit and reapplied my lipstick.

I'd spent three hours for make up and four hours getting ready. Literally every single feature on my face had been emphasized and perfected till I practically glowed. I had gone over a billion hair-styles to pick the perfect one. It would help highlight my slim figure and also the pretty pink and grey make-up on my eyes. I tried not to tremble as I stepped out of the room and walked back to the lounge.

I couldn't screw this up. Min Yoongi had  to like me. Or else my father would kill me. He would literally strangle me. Trying not to think about that, I sat down demurely in front of my father who gave me another look of impatience.

"Yoongi called me. He wants to meet you alone. Apparently he thinks you can actually have some sort of a useful opinion which, really doesn't make any sense to me. anyway, go meet him and you better keep your mouth shut, girl. Agree to everything he says and tell him you'll be an obedient wife." He growled at me.

As if I wouldn't.

As if I would actually risk spending the rest of my life in hell.

I followed a suited man who looked less like an assistant and more like a hired mercenary. My hells made no noise on the plush grey velvet beneath my feet as he led me down a few flights of corridors before stopping in front of a oak-paneled door in the middle of a dimly lit corridor. I took a deep breath and when the mad held the door open, I stepped in. My heart began pounding steadily as I noticed the figure leaning casually against the heavy desk at the center of the room. The room was dimly lit and I couldn't make out his face. On the contrary, a light hung directly ahead of me, throwing my face into sharp relief against the darkness.

"You look younger than twenty one."

His voice surprised me. It wasn't that of a twenty six year old. It sounded strong and masculine with a hint of Daegu accent. I felt a sudden dryness in my throat.

"I'm...I'm twenty one." I said carefully. I couldn't screw this up. I couldn't screw this up.

He stayed silent for a few more seconds and then the room flooded with light. I blinked to adjust to the brightness and then almost fainted.

Min Yoongi was a work of art.

His hair was a blinding shade of blonde and his skin so pale he looked almost bloodless. His lips were pink, perfect against his bright black eyes and he had a smile that made my knees go weak. I'd never seen a more handsome man in my life and I was starstruck. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, with a pale blue tie and shoes that practically shined. He wasn't abnormally tall. His shoulders were broad and strong, his body tapering into a slim waist and nice long legs.

Suddenly , I didn't feel so beautiful anymore.

"Let's make this quick. " He said briskly before turning around and moving to sit behind the desk. I stood still, not sure what to do. There was a chair in front of the desk but I didn't want to offend him by sitting down before he offered it to me.

He gave me an impatient look.

"Well, sit down fast , will you?" He snapped.

I scrambled to obey,  hitting my knee against the desk. I swallowed the cry of pain and bit my lip in mortification when he gave me an amused smile.

"Anyways....what i wanted to say was, I would like for you to release me from this engagement." He said casually. I felt my breath leave my body in a single second.

"I...what? Why?" I blinked in confusion. There was a roaring sound inside my head. What did I do wrong??!!

"I'm in love with someone else." He said almost apologetically.

Oh.

Oh, God.

I stared sightlessly as he explained how he was in love with a childhood friend. He wanted to marry her when he was ready, maybe in a couple of years. His parents however were adamant about him marrying me, so he'd agreed to meet me. He couldn't openly defy his parents , so he hoped that I would do him the favor of saying that I wasn't interested.

I almost started laughing.

If I told my father what he asked me to say, I would be flayed alive. My father would shoot me dead.

I hesitated and then slowly stood.

"I'm sorry you don't want to marry me." I said softly. He gave me a sympathetic smile and held a hand out for me to shake.

"Thank you for understanding, Ji Soo ssi..." He began but I held a hand up.

"I'm sorry....because I want to marry you." I said firmly. I felt his eyes widen in shock and I felt like the worst human being on the planet. He loved someone else. He wanted to marry someone else. What the hell was I doing??! Then I thought of my father. Of the years of being bruised and battered. The years of going without food and light, cowering in the darkness while he raged at me. If I didn't get married my father would kill me. I didn't want to die.

I didn't want to die.

"Ji Soo ssi...I don't think you understand what I'm telling you. I'm in love with Hye Mi. That's her name. She's the same age as you. she loves art and she's just in her second year of college. She loves me very much. Please...Please don't destroy our lives." He said, his voice hardening a bit. He looked deadly serious and even a little disappointed. Like he'd thought better of me.

I hesitated. I could imagine the kind of love he shared with this girl, this Hye Mi. Some sweet and serious romance with lots of love and happiness. The kind I'd only ever dreamed of. Funny, how in the million different scenarios I'd played in my head , I'd never once considered that my prince would be in love with someone else.  I stared at him now.

He was so beautiful. Like straight out of a fairytale beautiful.

"Like I said, I want to marry you. Nothing else matters to me." I said shakily. He looked stunned.

Disgusted.

"What kind of a bitch are you?" He growled out furiously and I bit my lips.

"You can call me names. You can even hit me. I'm not changing my mind." I said firmly.

He looked at me in disbelief, shaking his head. Like he couldn't believe the nerve of me.

"Get the fuck out of my office."

Shaking, I stepped out of the office. When ?i met my father he beamed and gave me a one armed hug that made me sick to the stomach. I'd done something right as far as he was concerned.

Two weeks later , My father received news from the Min Family that Min Yoongi had agreed to the marriage as well. As I sat across from him while the elders discussed the details of the wedding, he stared straight into my eyes, wrath written large in every feature on his handsome face. He hated me. I could feel the fury radiating from him in waves. He wanted me dead. But i couldn't bring myself to even apologize or tell him the truth. For the first time twenty one years, my parents treated me like a human being. They didn't yell or hit me. They thought I'd done something right. For the first time, I could leave that house and never worry about being thrown into a basement. Or being thrashed by a belt.

Min Yoongi looked dangerous but not violent.

Whatever he may yell or scream at me , I doubted he would hit me.

Finally the date for our marriage was fixed.

In two months we would be wed.

With shaky fingers I signed the prenup and the dowry. He gave me a look of calculating revenge.

"Say your prayers, you little witch. You're in for some serious trouble " He whispered, before stalking out of the room.

On December 7th , we were married in a small private ceremony held in the private ballroom of the Bangtan Hotel. It was attended by just the family and six of his closest friends and business associates. I was told to memorize their names. Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jung Kook.

Because Yoongi was busy with a deal, we wouldn't be leaving on a honeymoon. All my clothes, jewelry and everything else was packed and moved to the huge penthouse on the top floor of Bangtan Inc.,

On the wedding night, I sat on the small uncomfortable couch of the foyer. The penthouse was locked and no one else was there. I was supposed to meet my husband there but he was nowhere to be found. Deep down I knew he wasn't coming. But I couldn't really go back downstairs and tell someone that my husband had abandoned me. So I  stayed sitting there .

After about three hours, my body started going numb. The heat in the building was slowly dying down and I was still dressed in the strapless wedding gown from the evening. I curled into a ball on the small couch, suddenly thankful for my short stature. After a few more minutes I started drifting off to sleep. And then I heard voices.

From inside the penthouse.

Surprised and still a bit groggy, I made my way to the door. I gave it a slight push and to my complete surprise, the door swung open. I had tried openeing it for a long time. Had it been closed on the inside then? If so, who had opened it now?

I followed the voices to the end of the exquisitely decorated living space and stopped short in surprise.

It wasn't just voices.

It was moaning. Panting.

"Oh, babe, I love you so much...."

It was Yoongi's voice. And some other woman.

I stayed frozen on the carpet, mind finally processing what was going on in the other side of the door. On our bed. On the bed that had probably been decorated for our first night as husband and wife.

My husband was having sex with another woman.

Sudden blinding pain shot through me. It was completely unwarranted. It wasn't like he had promised me love and a happily ever after. He'd warned me that he was in love with another woman. So why did it hurt so damn much??

Maybe because I'd hoped he'd at least wait till after our first night was over, to cheat on me.

The last phrase made me laugh.

Cheat on me?

Who was I for him to cheat on me?

He didn't love me.

He didn't even care if I froze to death in the cold hallway.

He wasn't a friend or a companion. The sooner I got that into my head the happier I could be.

Swallowing the pain I quickly crept to the couch in the corner of the living space. It was warm inside the penthouse. I slipped out of my gown with ease. I stood still in just the shift and my inner wear, savoring the warm air on my frozen skin. I used the skirt of my wedding dress as a sort of blanket and went to sleep on the couch. I fell asleep quickly.

[fuckingchatnoir]

Chapter 3 of Fanboy is posted!

Ao3 Link

The whole chapter below the cut

This is also an animation I did from one of the scenes in this chapter :)

Adrien wasn’t sure how long he’d been passed out. He’d never fainted before in his life. Was he okay? Did he hurt himself? He wasn’t sure if anyone even noticed him falling from that building. He half-expected to wake up on a cold rocky surface with a few injuries – minor or severe he didn’t know yet. However, his fingers began to move, trying to grab onto to something, but instead of dragging along cement or brick, they dug into something soft and plush.

What?

He continued to touch, realizing that something resembling a cushion was under his head as well.

Am I resting on clouds?

Am I dead?

His fingers dug into the mysterious surface once again.

Oh my god, I’m dead and I’m lying on clouds!

“I think he’s waking up.”

His eyes began to slowly open at the sound of a familiar voice, his head still feeling a bit dizzy, but better nonetheless. He heard something scoot closer to him. The sound resembling that of a moving chair. He wanted so desperately to know where he was and what was even happening, but he knew that he had to actually open his eyes completely in order to find out.

He expected to see a lot of things when he woke up: angels, doves, harps, maybe even a pile of garbage if, in fact, he didn’t actually die and just fell onto some pillows in a dumpster.

What he didn’t expect, however, was the sight of his classmate staring at him intensely with her face only a few inches away from his own. Her eyes were blue, shimmering, and observing him like he was a lab rat in a science experiment.

Adrien, still in costume, of course did the first thing that came to his mind and screamed loudly – his body practically jumped in place. Marinette slammed her hands over his mouth quickly in response and he felt how warm they were.

“Shut up,” she whispered nervously, Adrien mumbling words of panic under her clasped hands. “You’re going to wake my parents!”

“Whyur amiop Iyui heuire?! Whujik amiun Iyug?!” His legs were still moving like flying noodles and he realized that his arms were a bit sore.

“Lower your voice! I’ll answer all your questions if you just calm down!”

Her head was turned to the left, her attention on some closed entrance on the wooden floor nearby. The blond knew that his classmate was a good person. He always thought of her as his shy and gentle – yet confident – friend who was too sweet for her own good. Yet there she was next to him in her swivel chair, using her unexpected strength to keep him pinned down and quiet. And, well, he didn’t know what to think anymore.

He finally relaxed his legs defeatedly and rose his eyebrows in question.

“Canijs youuih letjh gookj nowisjn?”

“Do you promise to keep your voice down?”

He nodded quickly and the girl’s eyes narrowed briefly at him.

“Iiu promiselujs!”

“That doesn’t sound any quieter, but fine.”

She obliged and released her hands, the boy gasped and sat himself up quickly before he just stared at his legs, still in disbelief. Marinette sat calmly in her chair, arms crossed over her chest, her sight never leaving Chat.

“Are you fine now?” She asked after a few seconds of silence. She appeared completely unfazed by the whole situation, which only made the boy even more riled up.

“Am I fine now?! You just-“

“What did I say about keeping your voice down?”

He took a deep breath before he crossed his legs over one another and turned to face her. He knew he had to calm himself down. If not, he wouldn’t get the answers he was looking for and would possibly get Marinette even more annoyed than she already was. He really didn’t want her to pin him down like that again. He could still feel the heat from her palms on his lips.

“You cat-napped me and still won’t tell me why and how I got here.”

She rolled her eyes at his pun and rubbed her face up and down with her hand in an exaggerated manner before scooting herself closer to him, the front of her calves touching the side of her chaise lounge. She was wearing bright pink pajama shorts and he could see her knees. She had freckles scattered on them like small constellations.

“I didn’t kidnap you. You fainted. I was in the area. Ladybug caught you and took you back to my place, and now we’re here.”

Her response sounded rehearsed, maybe too rehearsed, but Adrien of course didn’t focus on that. His cheeks flushed immediately at the sound of his beloved’s name instead.

“Wait, L-ladybug caught me? She saw me fai-“ He groaned loudly and hid his masked face behind his hands.

Great! She probably thinks I’m a total lame-o now! Smooth move Agreste.

“Really, that’s what you focus on?”

He groaned again. He didn’t think anyone had seen him, much less saved him. Even though he was grateful that his lady was there for him yet again, a part of him wished she hadn’t been there to witness the whole thing. He probably looked weak, fragile, and not partner-worthy in her eyes and he didn’t know how he was going to face her the next time they met. How was she going to look at him? With pity, with frustration, with disappointment? He wasn’t sure and he wasn’t excited to find out.

Marinette sighed.

“You shouldn’t be sitting like that. You should lay down and rest for a while.”

Adrien peeped through the spaces between his long fingers and stared at the girl who looked to be concealing a certain emotion he couldn’t yet decipher.

“Why?”

“You fainted. If you don’t rest for a few minutes it could happen again.”

“But I feel fine.”

“Chat.”

The boy wanted to say no, resist more since he didn’t want to be treated like some broken doll. But he saw the bags under her eyes, noticed the many hair strands coming out from her loose pigtails, and instead decided to oblige, feeling a pang of guilt rise up in his throat.

“Okay.”

He laid back down slowly, releasing a small breath of relief once his head hit the cushion again. He stared up and noticed the red umbrella over his head. It was an interesting choice of décor and if Chat wasn’t still so confused and embarrassed he would’ve asked the girl about it. However, he remained silent instead not really sure which of his swarming questions he should ask first. But, he didn’t have time to choose one because Marinette beat him to the punch.

“Do you feel any pain?”

He looked over at the girl and cocked an eyebrow, the side of his mask going up along with it.

“Like, do you have a headache, a bruise, a scratch, anything? Did Ladybug hurt you in anyway when she caught you?”

“Of course, not,” He stated defensively. “I feel fine. Just a bit sore is all.”

He was guessing it had to with his exhaustion in some way, but he didn’t question that any further.

Marinette nodded, and rubbed her left thigh, not really knowing what else to do with her hand.

“Why did she bring me here specifically?” he finally asked, his fingers intertwined over his chest.

She shrugged.

“Like I said before: I was in the area. She told me that she didn’t know where you lived and I offered to take you in until you woke up and felt better.” The girl answered nonchalantly. Chat just looked at her intently, his chest beginning to feel as warm as his lips.

“You offered?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“You were passed out, she was desperate, and there was nowhere else you could go. Why would I say no, Chat?”

There it was again. She called him Chat, and it sounded so familiar coming from her lips – like it belonged there. The boy wasn’t sure why she continued to call him that since they weren’t necessarily friendly when he was his alter ego, but he didn’t say anything about it. Marinette was a friendly person in general, so, after a bit of thinking, he realized that it wasn’t much of a surprise.

Even after everything he went through in the past few minutes, he still wanted to know more about her. She was much more confident with him as Chat Noir, that’s for sure, and he craved to know why.

“Ladybug was desperate?”

Marinette groaned loudly and Chat simply shrugged and smiled before chuckling tiredly.

“You’re unbelievable, really.”

“Why, first you take me to your room and now you’re showering me with compliments? How you spoil me, princess.”

“Ughhh.”

They spoke for a while longer and Chat decided to ask a few more questions that were on his mind. The blond asked her how long he was out, what Ladybug said to her when she held him in her arms, if he was drooling (since he tended to do that when he was asleep), and other less-pressing questions, but honestly he just wanted to talk to her more.

“About two to three minutes, she didn’t say much, and why would you be drooling? Should you have been drooling?”

She asked her own questions, most of them on the topic of why he wasn’t getting enough sleep. Which frankly, those weren’t his favorite to answer. He mostly replied with shrugs, his bell jingling a few times along with the action. After a few more minutes, his classmate finally gave up and got up from her seat. He stared at the backs of her knees as she walked off, wondering if she had any freckles there too. He had never really noticed them before since that was one of the first times he actually got to look at her up close without her shaking or moving away. She had them on her cheeks, some on her fingers, and three or four near her collarbones. He wasn’t sure about the number exactly since he had merely glanced there for a brief second and didn’t give himself time to figure it out.

I wonder if Ladybug has any freckles.

Maybe I should add that in my fic.

“Stay there and don’t fall asleep.” She said before she went through the small entrance on her floor that she was previously so nervous about. She promised to come back up with water and food, and even though he said that he was fine – if only because he felt that he was overstaying his welcome anyway – his stomach grumbled loudly and she wouldn’t let him try to talk her out of it.

She would only take a few minutes to come back up, meanwhile Chat had distracted himself by staring at the umbrella that hovered over him and a piece of thread that he had noticed popping out from the cushion under his left palm. He twirled it around his fingers a few times and hummed some song he made up on the spot. Suddenly, He thought about the last time he was here as Adrien. They had been seated over by her computer practicing for the gaming tournament and honestly, he had just been so impressed by her that whole day. Not only had her sudden confidence at the library shocked him, but her skills in general were outstanding. He couldn’t stop telling Plagg about her once he got home; of course, after he gushed about how kickass his lady was when she controlled that bot.

He had had fun that day and felt saddened that they hadn’t hung out like that since. He still had her bracelet that she gave him and wasn’t sure whether he even wanted to give it back or not. She hadn’t asked for it yet, so he assumed that she had probably given it to him to keep. Besides, he liked the colors of the beads, he thought they were cool.

He felt himself smile at the thought.

That bracelet was nice.

Damn… Marinette was just nice and being with her in her room that night reminded him again of why he wanted her to enjoy his story so badly.

If Marinette likes it then it’s good enough.

It’s more than enough.

The girl returned with a glass of water and a small plate of two croissants that brought a strong scent of melted butter along with them. The soft smile on her face lit the dimmed room. He thanked her immediately before he chugged down the drink. He didn’t realize how thirsty and hungry he was. He had devoured the two pastries in what seemed like less than a minute, suddenly feeling rather embarrassed.

There he was, in her home eating like a starving animal without a care after she had been so courteous to him. He must’ve looked completely rude and ill-mannered. His father would’ve had his head if he found out he pulled a stunt like that in someone’s home.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I guess I was sort of hungry after all.”

Marinette just smiled at him with a confused yet amused expression. She sat back down in her seat and scooted closer to him once more.

“It’s fine, really. I don’t mind. Just try not to get crumbs anywhere.”

He apologized again and the girl wouldn’t stop looking at him in an odd way. They both decided to change the subject and after some small talk, Marinette yawned. Adrien suddenly remembered that it was late and that school was a thing that existed.

“I should get going.”

She looked over at her window beside her computer, staring at the blanket of black night that hid the world from them. Her eyes then met his and he stared at her fidgeting hands. She was still concerned.

“You can stay a while longer if you want. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

Chat smiled fondly at that.

“Princess, this cat’s stronger than he looks. I paw-romise you.”

“Yeah, of course.” She scoffed and he chuckled before getting himself off of the chaise lounge he had been lazily resting on for almost an hour. His legs felt like jelly.

“But really, it’s getting late and I don’t want to keep you up.”

“I’ll be fine.”

She got up too, however, and they stood in front of each other, Chat still smiling at her as she continued to frown up at him. She was shorter than him, of course, but her stance was still so confident. She looked like a small soldier ready to salute, her back straight and her chin held up high. Adrien was beginning to realize how expressive his friend was and it made him happy that he now knew that.

“Me too.”

She sighed in defeat and Adrien began to head towards the circular window near the chaise lounge. He tried to approximate the length he was going to have to make his staff in order to land correctly. He was praying that his hands wouldn’t slip like they almost did during patrol when he landed.

He was a bit nervous. His eyes were tired and a loud yawn escaped him that made his body tense. He wasn’t sure if he could pull off the jump anymore, but he knew that he really had no other choice. It’s not like he could just walk out the front door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

He immediately stopped in place and turned to face her, his baton in his hand and his grip tiredly loose.

“Um, home?”

“Not through there,” Marinette walked up to him, frowning with her arms crossed. “You fainted.”

“And?”

“And I’m not going to let you hurt yourself! Are you serious?”

“Well, how do you suggest I get out of here then?”

She cocked her head to the side and gave him a look of disbelief.

“Um, through the front door?!”

“What?”

She sighed from frustration and grabbed his left wrist, his eyes widening slightly at the sudden contact. She was leading him to the floor entrance. She actually had expected him to leave through the front door.

“Wait, wait, wait,” He said as he planted his feet firmly on the ground, stopping them both from walking further. “Won’t your parents see me?”

“It’s twelve-thirty in the morning, they’re asleep. When I got you the food, I closed their door just in case and even took down the entrance bell so they wouldn’t hear us.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Her hand was still holding his wrist and he could feel that same sensation of warmth again that he felt on his lips after she had slammed her hands on his mouth earlier. He wasn’t really sure what to say. He was exhausted and very thankful for everything she’d done for him, but he felt like a thank you wouldn’t be enough. He wanted to say more to the girl that thought of everything when it came to him.

“I’m sorry,” Her voice rang through his ears and he realized that he still hadn’t said anything to her. She had looked so confident before, so driven to get him out of there safely. Now, though, her expression was softer and her hand wasn’t holding onto his wrist anymore. “I do this thing sometimes where I kind of get over-protective of my friends and make them do things without asking them first. Is it okay with you to leave through the entrance? Or are you not comfortable with that because of your whole identity thing and all?”

She was rambling and he couldn’t believe that she just called him her friend.

Holy shit.

“Friends. Yeah, you do that for your friends and stuff,” He coughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s fine, yeah. Sorry, I just spaced out a bit. But I don’t mind that over-protective friend thing. Yeah.”

WHAT AM I SAYING?

THIS IS WHY SHE CAN’T LOOK ME IN THE EYE AT SCHOOL.

She smiled and looked at him amused again before nodding and whispering “Okay, good.”

They walked down the steps silently, Chat following right behind the other teen as quietly as he could, his tail in his hands and his baton back in place on his back.

They made it all the way to the door successfully without anyone seeing. The bakery was dark and Marinette was using her phone flashlight to guide them to the front.

“Be careful getting home.” She finally spoke, her voice even lower than before. The bright flash was held under her chin so he could see her expression and he stared at the shadow of her long eyelashes on top of her darkened eyes.

“Yeah, thank you again. I appreciate this.”

He really did.

“Of course! And I would say anytime, but I don’t want you back here because you passed out again. Seriously, get some sleep.”

He smiled at that and bowed, his head tilting up to look up at her.

“Whatever my princess desires.”

“You can hardly see it now, but I’m rolling my eyes.”

He chuckled and smiled when she put the light on him again.

“Goodnight, Marinette.”

“Goodnight, Chat Noir.”

He couldn’t see her smile, but he could hear it in her voice. The blond walked to the door and, before he went out completely, he turned back one last time to look at her again.

“Marinette?”

“Yeah?”

His smile was gone and he swallowed nervously.

“Was Ladybug disappointed?”

The flash was still on him and he couldn’t see the girl’s reaction. He felt like he was talking to a ghost.

“Disappointed?”

“Yeah, in me…tonight? When I fainted, that is.”

There was silence for a while and Adrien was beginning to feel like the air was suffocating him.

“Of course not. She was….she was worried though.”

“Worried?”

“Yeah. Very.”

“Ah.”

“Now go get some sleep, Chat. She’d want that.”

His grip on the door was looser than it had been moments ago and he realized that he had been holding in his breath. Marinette turned the light on herself again to reveal her smile and Chat couldn’t help but smile back.

For her.

For them.

Damn, I’m tired.

“Okay.”

                                                      _______________

After de-transforming and feeding Plagg his much-deserved camembert, Adrien finally went to sleep, his head a bit warm and his computer untouched and off.

Since school was Adrien’s responsibility entirely, his father always expected him to rely on himself when it came to waking up. He had to set his own alarm and make sure he was dressed and ready on time in the mornings. However, some days he found himself feeling exhausted with all the patrols, akuma fights, homework, practices, and modeling, so he slept through his alarms unknowingly. Those were the days where Nathalie would be the amazing woman that she was and assist him by notifying him in a stern and loud voice that he was going to be late. She wasn’t supposed to do that. Adrien knew that she wasn’t supposed to do a lot of things but she did them anyway if she felt that it would benefit him – though she would never admit it. He really appreciated her in that aspect.

That morning was one of those occasions. He was still sleeping, Plagg hidden and wrapped like a burrito in a small blanket he had gotten for him right beside him. The woman’s voice blared through the room.

“Adrien, if you do not wake up now, you’ll be late to school again.”

That was usually the line that got the blond up and out of his bed within a few seconds, however, that morning he didn’t budge. His eyes were still closed and his mouth was open, small snores released occasionally.

Nathalie’s eyebrows furrowed at that and she came closer to his bed, her arms still behind her and her back straightened in a conservative manner.

“Adrien, you will be late.”

Nothing.

“Adrien, are you ignoring me?”

After a few more seconds of staring at the sleeping teen, Nathalie noticed that his cheeks were a flushed red that didn’t look natural on him. She finally decided to walk up to the boy completely, bending down to rest her palm on his forehead. He was warm, too warm.

She sighed and immediately contacted his father.

He stayed home for three days after they found out that he had gotten a small cold, the doctor telling him to get some rest and drink lots of fluids. He obliged and tried to catch up on as much sleep as he could. He would nap during the day, go to sleep early at night, and prayed that Hawkmoth was too busy in his civilian life to plan anything treacherous. His throat was sore, his nose was stuffy, and he missed seeing his friends at school. Other than that, however, he felt sort of relieved that he got a small break. He knew he needed one. When he was awake, he completed the homework assignments that Nino kindly left in his mailbox, played video-games, caught up on a few shows that he’d been missing, and was trying his best to avoid his computer.

He found freedom in his writing and loved the jolt of excitement it gave him whenever his fingers touched the keyboard, but he knew that his hobby was beginning to turn into an obsession, and that too much of a good thing wasn’t a good thing. So, for the first two days, he avoided it completely. He wanted to make his Lady proud that he was catching up on his sleep. He wanted to make Marinette proud too.

He had thought about the two girls a lot in those few days of solitude. He thought about Ladybug’s worry, her strength, her courage, how she must’ve looked when she caught him in the air. Adrien hoped Marinette didn’t lie to him when she‘d said that the heroine wasn’t disappointed.

He didn’t think Marinette was the kind of person to say things she didn’t mean anyway.

And then his thoughts would switch to his classmate. He thought about that night a few days ago. She was so different around him when he was in costume. Her confidence radiated off of her and he couldn’t stop staring. He thought about her freckles, her kind words, her concern, her red umbrella that she had on that chaise lounge. He wondered if she still had the one he gave her that day in the rain a few months back.

She probably didn’t.

The inspiration was blooming in his chest hour by hour and on that third day as soon as he woke up, he walked over to his computer and finally sat down. Plagg rested on his mouse immediately and looked up at him with concerned eyes.

“Maybe you should worry about this another day, kid.”

Adrien opened his palms and rested them on his lap, signaling the kwami to rest on them. Plagg didn’t move, however. The teen sighed.

“Don’t worry Plagg. I got my sleep and I’m going to continue getting my sleep. But I still want to write. That’s why I’m doing this in the morning. I promise you that I won’t stay up anymore unless it’s for hero purposes.”

Plagg didn’t look convinced.

“I promise.” He stared down at his friend with a sincere expression and smiled softly at him. “I mean, I wouldn’t want you to get all worried about me again.”

Plagg finally floated up in front of the boy’s face with his small arms crossed over his chest.

“Please, me worried? I just can’t have you all tired or I’ll starve again.”

“Hey! I fed you!”

“Yeah, barely! What happened to extra camembert Fridays?! I was robbed!”

Adrien snorted and patted his shoulder, the small god immediately rested there.

“You glutton,” He stroked the top of his friend’s head softly. Plagg’s eyes closed in comfort. “Now that I’ll be more organized I’ll bring back extra camembert Fridays and movie night Wednesdays.”

“Will there be popcorn?”

“There will be popcorn.”

“Extra butter?”

“As much as you want, buddy.”

Adrien started typing calmly. Plagg eventually dozed off on his shoulder and the light wind coming from his opened window made the atmosphere feel more tranquil. The blond enjoyed himself, finding the day passed by quickly with his word count growing alongside the mountain of tissues he had next to his keyboard.

He napped after writing two-thousand words and spent the remaining hours in his bed, feeling more awake than he had in weeks.

                                                     ______________

Nathalie didn’t have to wake him up the next day, the boy had gotten out of bed as soon as he heard the first ring of his alarm. He missed seeing his friends, and couldn’t wait to show Nino this new DJ he found in the deep parts of his recommended videos on youtube. He felt that the man had a similar sound to Nino’s and that his friend would love his tracks as much as he had. He also wanted to see Marinette again. He wondered if she had read a certain story while he was gone.

Plagg told him to stop talking about her and to just go to school already. So, he did and he had a smile on his face the whole time.

He was still sneezing and felt a bit of discomfort in his throat when he spoke, but other than that, he felt fine. It was Friday, he was going to have lunch with his best friend, he was going to see Marinette, he had patrol with his lady the next day, and he was pretty sure he was going to update later that night. He couldn’t be more elated.

That was until he heard his two classmates talking behind him later that morning. The teacher had gone to the bathroom momentarily, Nino was jotting down notes as he listened to the songs Adrien suggested, and Marinette and Alya were talking to each other.

At first they chatted about the designs that Marinette was working on. Apparently, the girl had artist’s block.

“You don’t get it, Alya. Usually I can just stroll through the park, look at something and get inspiration. But recently I’ve just… I don’t know! I think I’ve lost my touch.”

“Girl, you’re an amazing designer and nothing can change that. Right now, you’re just on a block. You just need to find yourself a muse.”

“A muse?”

“Yeah! Something or someone that speaks to you, that inspires you!”

“You really think I can find one?”

“Of course!”

Adrien smiled softly at that. He loved it when friends supported each other, it always had been something that warmed his heart. Like the week before, when he saw Alix give Kim her lucky shoelace the day of his baseball game, Kim had tied it around his wrist like a bracelet with a look of pride on his face. Or when the lights briefly went out during a storm and he saw Rose hugging a trembling Mylene when they came back on. He loved seeing that kindness and bond between people, and those moments always made him even more thankful for his own friends and acquaintances.

He wished he and Marinette were closer. He would’ve told her about the countless times his own father had artist’s block. Even though the man was a famous designer, he was human and it was a perfectly normal thing to experience. Besides, he agreed with Alya. Marinette was very talented and he knew that she would find inspiration soon enough.

Alya started talking about the ladyblog soon after, the topic switching smoothly. She had changed the color of her blog skin and mentioned how a few people disapproved of it. Marinette told her to just keep it the way she wanted it, and Alya hummed in agreement. Nino began to nudge Adrien with his elbow, his right hand on his lowered headphone.

“Dude, this guy is killer.”

Adrien smiled.

“I knew you’d like him.”

“Like him? I love this man. I’m going to marry him. It’s happening. You’ll be the best man at our wedding.”

The blond snorted at that, raising an eyebrow at his friend’s antics before he sneezed lightly.

“Marrying someone only for their talent, Nino? That’s so selfish of you.”

“Shit, you’re right. I could never do something like that to a literal music god.”

“And if you marry him, then who’d marry Alya?” Adrien whispered the last part so no one else would hear, a smirk playing on his lips. Nino blushed furiously, his eyes widening before he grabbed Adrien’s collar and pulled him closer to him. He then proceeded to look around cautiously, the other teen trying his hardest not to laugh.

“I don’t like Alya like that, alright,” He muttered, not meeting Adrien’s gaze as he continued to stare around the room. “So, lower your voice or people will talk.”

“What’s so bad about people thinking you like her, dude?”

“N-nothing! It’s just that she could hear and she’ll never let me live it down man and-“ He sighed, finally meeting Adrien’s gaze. His cheeks were still red. “She’ll fuck me up dude. That girl may be drop dead gorgeous but she’s scary.”

“You think she’s drop dead gorgeous?”

Nino blinked twice in response.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Oh no.”

Adrien’s smile only widened, his teeth beginning to show and Nino blushed even more before releasing his friend and placing his headphones back over his ears.

“Nope, this isn’t happening. Not today. I’m going to listen to my future husband again, so wipe that smile off your pretty face and leave me alone.”

“Awwww, you really think I’m pretty?!”

“Why are you like this,” he glanced back at Adrien who was beginning to laugh and tried to suppress his own growing smile. “But yeah bro, you’re pretty and I fucking hate you.”

“Bro.”

“Shut it.”

Nino began to listen to music again, marking up his notes once more with a small grin on his face, Adrien chuckled brightly in response. No one paid attention to their conversation, lucky enough, so Adrien sighed happily and began to play some fighting app on his phone. His teacher was taking a while and he hoped that she was okay.

“I’m not reading it and I don’t think I will.”

His head snapped up at the sound of Marinette’s voice.

“Almost half of the school is reading it. I think you should give it a chance. And I mean if you know who is reading it, why not?!”

“It’s just not my thing, Alya. And besides, like I said before, I don’t like the way they write them.”

Adrien’s shoulders tensed and he felt his smile fade. They were talking about his story again, he knew it, he felt it.

“The author developed them more, especially Chat, but if you say so, I guess I won’t bother you about it anymore. You do you.”

Marinette groaned and Adrien stared back at his phone, their teacher returning soon enough with an apologetic smile on her face.

She’s not going to read it Agreste, just forget it.

                                               __________________

It was seven in the evening and Adrien was pouting in his swivel chair, his fingers tapping against his mouse mindlessly as he stared at his opened document. Plagg was devouring his extra plate of camembert over on his couch while watching some game show. He had a thing for watching people humiliate themselves on live television.

He was writing the ending scene of his next chapter, his mind racing with thoughts that didn’t revolve around his story. He didn’t know what to write Ladybug’s reaction to the situation he created and it was absolutely killing him. All he could think about was the way his father had canceled dinner plans with him again through email and Marinette. A deadly combo.

“Ughhhh. Why is writing hard?!” He complained as he rubbed his face with his hands dramatically. He heard Plagg shush him from afar and groaned again.

How would Ladybug react if Chat messed up in a fight?

Adrien didn’t really want to think about it since that was one of his greatest fears, but he had to, and honestly, he wasn’t sure how the heroine would react if it were to happen. He’d messed up in battles a few times already, that’s for sure, but it was never anything too disastrous like in his chapter. So, he didn’t have anything to write by.

Why did I have to make this chapter so angsty?!

He leaned back in his chair, his hands rested on his thighs as he stared at his lit screens in thought.

This is what Marinette must’ve meant earlier today about the lack of inspiration.

Adrien wanted to give up for that night and join Plagg on the couch, maybe criticize him again for laughing at other people’s humiliation, but he knew that if he didn’t get that chapter done that night, he wasn’t going to look at the document for a while. The blond hated procrastinating almost as much as failing, and besides, he didn’t want to disappoint his readers. He had promised them a chapter earlier that day on his blog and he was never one to go back on his word.

So, he took in a deep breath and scooted his chair closer to his computers, placing his fingers on his keyboard slowly.

Think. Think. Think.

What would Ladybug do? What would Ladybug do?

His lady was an absolute mystery to him. Even though he could write her quirks and mannerisms perfectly, he still didn’t know in depth how she was in more personal ways. It hurt him to admit that to himself, but he had to face the fact.

I just gotta try to think like her. That can’t be too hard, right?

It was, frustratingly and evidently so. To the point where two hair ties and a loud groan later, Plagg finally floated to him to see what all the commotion was about.

“What did you do to your hair?” his kwami asked as soon as he saw the boy, staring regrettably at the top parts of his blonde locks in messy pigtails that looked like they were tied by a small child.

“I’m trying to channel Ladybug.”

“You look like an idiot. Take those things off.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Plagg attempted to float to the top of his head, his small stubby arms trying to reach for the loose hair ties, but Adrien kept refusing and moving around, his hands over his hair protectively.

“These are helping me think!”

“You need a brain to do that. Now stay still!”

After a few more seconds of the ridiculous chase, Plagg finally got to him, grabbing the scrunchies and a few strands of Adrien’s hair too in the process.

“Um, OW!”

“Hey, next time don’t go running around like a lunatic and I won’t hurt you.”

“Give them back!”

“Why? What could you possibly gain from wearing these?!”

“I don’t know! Inspiration…ideas!”

“You see, the fact that pride and dignity weren’t on that list should tell you something.”

“Plaaagg!”

“Even though I know I’m going to regret asking, what’s this all really about? You’re already a pretty weird human but this is a new low.”

Adrien sighed in defeat and told Plagg everything – from what happened that day at school with Marinette, to his father, to his lack of inspiration. He didn’t hold back and the kwami listened the whole time, little-by-little lowering himself to Adrien’s hands before he placed the hair ties in his palm gently.

Adrien smiled fondly at him before he slipped them around his wrist.

“Well, didn’t you feel terrible when you fainted a few days ago?”

Adrien cringed at the memory.

“Yeah, thanks for the reminder.”

“You’re welcome. And can you say that your weird book Chat is feeling the same as you did?”

Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he lifted Plagg higher up to his face.

“I suppose, yeah.”

“And that chick said that Ladybug wasn’t mad at you, right?”

“Yes, now where are you going with this exactly?”

Plagg rolled his eyes and flew up from the boy’s hands, floating right in front of his face so Adrien could really look at him.

“Writers write what they know. So, do as the Romans do and do just that.”

Adrien stared at him blankly a while longer, his hand going over to his mouth. He bit his knuckle lightly in thought, trying to comprehend what Plagg was trying to tell him.

And then it hit him and his eyes widened in realization.

“Y-you think I should write what Marinette told me?!”

“Ah, he can be taught!”

Adrien shook his head quickly, nervously.

“Isn’t that creepy? That was like a moment we had there. I can’t just write it down for everyone to see. It’s too personal.”

“What’s so personal about it? You almost fell on your butt, Ladybug saved you, and that girl told you not to get so sad about it. Seemed like a simple thing to me.”

“But…but…”

The teen’s hand lowered to his thigh again, his fingers squeezing it tightly. He felt that he was already crossing a small line by writing LadyNoir fanfiction in the first place. But now, writing word-for-word dialogue and events that happened between him and his friends? That can’t be cool… It shouldn’t be. Should it?

“You’re doing that thing again where you know I’m right, but you’re overthinking things.”

“I’m not overthinking things, Plagg!”

“Ah, but you think I’m right.”

“What if she finds out, I mean-“

“Didn’t you say she’s not reading it?”

Damn, he’s right.

Adrien’s cheeks flushed and he thought about Marinette’s words from that night again, his hand placed over his heart.

If Ladybug truly was worried about me and not angry, then she would act the same in this situation too, right?

God, the dialogue would be perfect, now that he thought about it. The tone would still be intact and it wouldn’t sound too rushed like the last chapter. It was killing him how well it would fit. Exactly like a puzzle piece.

“Why am I like this?” He finally announced simply before he turned his chair around and started writing.

“I don’t know, but give me more cheese.”

                                            _____________________

Chapter 9 of “The Empty Streets of Paris”

          --by FelineGood16 on FanWorkz.net

“She almost got me,” he states in a vulnerable tone, his hand gripping around his staff tightly like he’s afraid to lose it. “People got hurt because of me.”

She’s staring at him, intensely and observantly with a spark in her eyes that reminds him of lightning.

“Chat.”

“Are you disappointed?”

She steps forward, walking away from the moonlight that was illuminating her to walk into the darkness alongside him. Her head tilts to the side in confusion and god, how can someone’s eyes still look so blue in the night?

“Disappointed?”

“Yeah, in me… tonight? With everything that happened.”

'You are, aren’t you?’ He was about to say, the words burning his throat

Her expression immediately shifts into something he can’t decipher, her feet moving her closer to him in a quick pace. He’s about to walk backwards, away from his knight – since he feels that he said too much. That he keeps saying too much. There always seems to be a pull between them forcing him closer to her even in times where he doesn’t want to, and he gives in to it.

“Of course not. I was… I was worried though.”

His eyes widen and she doesn’t look away. Blue meets green and green is meeting blue and he feels like any second now he’s going to explode from the anticipation of something.

“Worried?” His voice cracks when he says it and he mentally curses himself.

“Yeah, very.”

Her hand goes to his face suddenly and her thumb rubs a small circle over his cheek. It was made of stone from the akuma only minutes ago and now it’s back to normal. Her finger glides over a bit of his mask, the part resting over his cheek bone, and he tenses nervously.  He doesn’t want to even imagine how red his face is.

“Ah.” He finally says, his breath hitching when she smiles at him.

Her earrings beep and a part of him wants to grab her hand away from his face so he can intertwine their fingers together. He doesn’t and lets her leave instead, like the coward he is.

“I should go, it’s getting late anyway.” She whispers.

“Yeah.”

“Get some sleep. You deserve it.”

He nods and she gives him her signature salute before she finally goes, leaving Chat Noir there with his thoughts and aching heart.

[usefulthumbs-blog]

Ice Water In My Veins (Chapter One)

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV

Spoilers: this fic is set post-game, so yes.  Warnings: This chapter has a small reference to self-harm and a suicidal thought. Relationship: promptisluna (Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Lunafreya Nox Fleuret) Rating: T Word Count: 1,489 Summary: It’s been a decade since Ardyn captured him, and Prompto thought he was over it. He’s not.  It’s been a long time coming, but he’s finally getting help. (For this fic Noctis is non binary and uses they/them and the title “King,” and Prompto is a trans demiboy and uses he/him.)

This shouldn’t be so hard for him.

He hadn’t—Gods—died like Noct had, or the hundreds when Insomnia fell, or when the darkness overtook them all.  Hadn’t even come that close (wasn’t allowed to, wasn’t allowed to), like Luna.  Hadn’t had much besides scrapes and bruises, still had all his limbs, his head, healed so long ago and it had been ten years goddammit—

Prompto hugged his knees to his chest and watched the way his arms were shaking.   One kind hand on his wrist and his brain had gone well aren’t you a pretty one and now he was here.  In a utility closet. Pathetic.

It’s cute how you think they care, said Ardyn’s voice in his head. They don’t, you know. In case I was being unclear.

“They do,” Prompto said to the stuffy air.  Ardyn chuckled, right beside his ear, and Prompto flinched.  He dug his nails into the side of his calves.  Gladio had slapped him once, when he’d found Prompto doing that, his eyes scared.  Prompto curled his hands into fists instead.  Not as good, without the pain to ground him, but something.

It was the middle of summer, and Prompto knew it was hot, had just been complaining about it, but he couldn’t stop shivering.  He rocked back and forth and tried to breathe past the hammering of his heart.  In count four. Hold. Out count eight. You’ve done this before stop hyperventilating could you be any more self-obsessed—

A howl from outside; Prompto raised his head to look at the sliver of light that crept in around the door and realized that something had been scratching at it for the past several minutes.  He couldn’t move, he couldn’t, but it turned out he didn’t have to: the handle clicked and the door swung open without him, and Pryna bounded in to snuffle at his pants. “Hey there, puffball,” Prompto croaked, and then he was crying.  Pryna shoved her way into his arms and let him bury his face in her fur.  She smelled like dog, not metal or blood or anything else, and her ears were soft beneath Prompto’s fingers.   “You’re a good girl,” he said, smoothing a hand over her flank.  “You knew I was having a bad time, didn’t you? You found me.” He could hear the way he was stuttering between sobs, and his nose and eyes were a streaming mess, but Pryna butted her head up against his chin and settled down in his lap like she was planning on staying for a long time.  “Good girl,” he repeated.  “Good dog.”

“Pryna, honey, you’re acting like you’re worried—oh, Prompto,” someone said, and then Prompto and Pryna were enveloped in Luna’s comforting arms.  “Noctis, she’s right here. Prompto’s crying.”

No, Prompto thought, and shoved at her chest.  Luna pulled back, radiating concern, but Pryna stayed right where she was.  He was grateful for that.   It was easy to hear Noctis approach. They weren’t exactly light on their feet.  Still, the soft touch took Prompto by surprise. He jerked back and hit the corner of a shelf, hard, with his right shoulder.  The spray bottles on it wobbled dangerously.  So maybe a closet wasn’t the most comfortable place for three grown adults and a dog. He thought Noctis was going to say as much, because they made a lunge for the door—but then they closed it.  It seemed darker than before, after the sudden influx of light. Prompto was suddenly hyperaware of everyone’s breathing.  Pryna barked.

“Noctis,” Luna started, exasperated, but her move to re-open the door was cut short when she bumped into what sounded like a bundle of mops.  Noctis threw out a hand to catch them—their joints cracked—and missed, the clatter of them falling against the opposite wall amplified in the tiny space.  One of the handles rapped Prompto on the head.  

“Ow.” “Shit, sorry, didn’t mean to do that.” Noctis tried to settle back and the mops rattled again.  They froze, a hand on Prompto’s knee for balance, and huffed.  “Gimme a moment.” Luna clucked her tongue as they eased themselves down with much grunting and frantic grabs for falling cleaning paraphernalia.  By the time they had found themselves a semi-stable position squashed against Prompto’s side, Prompto had managed to wipe his eyes on the collar of his shirt and catch his breath. There was an awkward silence.

“Figured the dark would make it easier for you to talk to us, but I guess that didn’t work,” Noctis said finally.  Despite himself, Prompto laughed.  He shook his head and pressed his face again into Pryna’s neck. “Nope.” “You don’t have to,” Luna said.  She laid a hand on Prompto’s arm, tentative, asking permission. This time he let her. He wanted to talk to them, but he couldn’t. This was just his own head not letting him go, even though everything was over and done with, and had been, for ages. He couldn’t put that on them.  Prompto took a shaking breath and twisted his hands in Pryna’s fur.  She yipped and tensed up in his lap, and he forced his fingers to lie flat.   “Sorry, girl,” he said.  Pryna liked his cheek.   It was silly, huddled in here with Noct and Luna like they were schoolchildren playing hooky.  Prompto could feel the grit on the floor against his leg where his pants had come untucked.  He felt sticky, tears drying on his cheeks and Pryna’s drool on his hands.   Noctis fumbled for Prompto’s face and shoved a crumpled tissue against it.  “It’s not used,” they assured him.  “Just been in my pocket for a while.”

Luna made a disgusted noise.  “Why am I married to you?” “Because you love me,” Noctis said.  They reached out to flick her and caught Prompto instead.  “Oops. Well, you too.” “Noctis!” Luna pulled Prompto into her chest.  “You’re not an afterthought, Prom.  Noct, stop being mean to him.” “When was I mean?” Noctis tried to crawl into Prompto’s lap and ran up against several pounds of dog.   “Move, doggy,” they said. Pryna didn’t.

“I’m the King, you’re supposed to do what I tell you.” Pryna pushed her muzzle into Prompto’s armpit.

“I can’t believe my throne has been usurped by a dog.”

“Did you mean your actual throne, dear, or just Prompto’s lap?” “What’s the difference?” “I think the Council might be a bit surprised if they walked into the throne room and just found Prompto in a chair.”

“Fuck the Council,” Noctis said.  They nuzzled the side of Prompto’s neck.  “Hey, how are you feeling?” “Better,” Prompto said, and was surprised to find out that it was true.  He scratched the underside of Pryna’s chin and leaned his head on top of Noctis’.  Noct and Luna always did manage to cheer him up, sometimes without him realizing it was happening.  Even when he tried to hide from them.  “I just sometimes…things.” Luna, part of the way through combing Prompto’s hair back, stilled.  “Was it Ardyn again?” How had she—? The air in the closet was thick suddenly, stifling.  Prompto worked a hand between himself and a whining Pryna to press against his ribs.  Over his head he could hear Noctis and Luna talking, alarmed. Noctis moved behind him, wrapping their arms around him, and Luna peppered kisses over the side of his head. “It wasn’t anything you said,” she assured him.  “Listen. You know I can tell what it is, when something’s ailing someone—” “He didn’t get me sick,” Prompto snapped, but that was wrong, because he was. He’d been fine for ten years, and then Ardyn had come back like a nightmare except real, and now he was jumping at shadows.   “Oh, love,” Luna said.  “None of this is your fault.” Pryna was licking his face again, trying to knock him backwards.  Would have, if Noctis hadn’t been there.  They stroked gentle fingers down Prompto’s side. “Prom,” they said, haltingly.  “If you wanted—you know there’s someone that I talk to.” “No!” He couldn’t have the same person who heard all of Noctis’ troubles had to listen to his. They’d hate him for being so weak in comparison. “Someone else then, maybe?” Luna asked.  “You can’t keep locking yourself up in broom closets.  It’s not good for you.” “It’s worked well for me so far,” Prompto said, but he knew she was right.  It felt like an unraveling to admit.  He tilted his head up to kiss Luna, twisted around to kiss Noctis as well.  “I…can think about it?” “Good,” said Luna.  Noctis patted Prompto’s arm.

“You know we’re here for you,” they said. “I know,” Prompto said.  The floor tiles were pressing a pattern into his ass, and he was still stuffed against bottles of cleaning chemicals in a space far too small for everyone it was holding, but at least he had the two of them.  “I know. Thank you.”

Notes: So I have a theory that everything…went into a sort of stasis while Noctis was in the Crystal, and that included Prompto’s healing.  Prompto decided not to deal with it, and everything was so fucked that he didn’t have to.  But now there’s peace and Prompto is happy, and his brain decided it would be a good time to have things surface again. (Title from “Organ Donor” by Jeremy Messersmith)