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yamcha-thelonewolf · 4 months

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🫂Toriyama forgets, Yamcha doesn't!

This time I want us to relax a little bit. My last analysis, The Heart's Savior, was very challenging both for me who wrote it and for you who read it, so now it is only fair to lighten the load.

In a poll, I asked you whether you would prefer to know more about Yamcha's life as a fighter or as an ordinary earthling, and if you remember, the second choice won. So here I am analyzing a little trivia that has nothing to do with battles. Well... Sort of! Martial arts still has something to do with it, but it only serves as a background. In fact, I will tell you about an extremely strong friendship, not because the bond is actually intense but because it goes against the narrative choices of Toriyama and Toei Animation. Believe me, guys, this analysis could maintain the connection with a character we hear little about now. Lastly, just because I know it's a kind of topic that many people like, I'm going to talk somewhat about one of Yamcha's many looks.

Let's be clear, this is just my theory, it's quite silly, but at least it might make you smile a little... Well, I hope so!

Before we begin, it seems only fair to warn that the following is likely to be coincidental. Dragon Ball has never dwelled on details, at least not the ones I care about, so it is highly likely that this topic is meaningless. But... What if it doesn't? Assuming Yamcha has a life of his own in this show, talking about it might be worthwhile... Because it would once again show what a beautiful person he is in everyday life.

So... Let's get started!

Don't worry, I told you. I am not going to talk about Yamcha as a fighter, but as I had anticipated it is necessary to understand how incredible he is as a normal earthling.

We are at the end of the Fortuneteller Baba Arc. Goku has finally found out where the last dragon ball is and so sets off with Upa to resurrect his father Bora. Meanwhile, Yamcha and the others await their friend's return at Baba's palace. It is during this wait that Yamcha reflects at length on his own life and he finally decides to ask Muten to make him his pupil.

A new orange Gi is definitely needed!

Freeze! It is not the Turtle School uniform that I want to talk about. Let's go back for a moment... A few hours before the 22nd Tournament begins.

Alright! We've got it!

We are on the plane bound for Papaya Island. Bruce Lee Yamcha has completed his training under Muten, and with this proud pretty face he lets us know that we are going to see some good things. He also seems more mature. He is in his 20s. Guys, many things could be said about this drawing, but in this case I will simply dwell on his outfit. This is the first time we have seen Yamcha in such an elegant look. We were used to seeing him in martial artist outfits or otherwise with looks more suited to his wild nature, so this is a very nice surprise. For a change, he looks great. I mean, you can dress and style him any way you like: Yamcha has the incredible power to be charming in any way. Yes, even with that bowl hair from DBZ...

Jeez, I love him. Let's go back to our outfit now.

Some will remember it for sure, but for those who do not know I want to let you show that this dress has its own origin.

One more step back now.

We are in the 21st Tournament Arc. Yamcha is in town with Bulma and he's training on his own. Muten's only pupils are Goku and Krillin. Many people do not pay attention to it, but if these two boys managed to get into the Turtle School it is because of a character who unfortunately met a brutal end in the show: Lunch.

The deal is clear: If Goku and Krillin can find a nice girl to stay at the Kame House, then Muten can train them. It is the only way to access. So we can safely say that if Goku has become so strong, it is also thanks to Lunch. Fortunately, she is found in her quiet form, but soon her secret would come out...

...Whatever! Goku and Krillin can finally train under Muten. Well, there really would be so much to say about Lunch. She is a character who deserves a lot. She should not have disappeared at all after the great contribution she made to Goku and Krillin. Not only that. She even defeated some Red Ribbon soldiers, she helped Yamcha defeat some criminals because he had a broken leg, in a filler she saves Goku from an attempted "kidnapping," and among many other things she allowed to find front row seats during tournaments! Seriously, she would deserve a separate post.

If we look at Lunch as a function of the protagonist, it is undeniable that she was the mother Goku never had. At least in her good personality.

The same of course applies to Krillin. Let's think it through. She cooked for them, cuddled them before bed, and who knows how many other mother hen things she did. Goku definitely lacked such a figure, so this is also why I consider Lunch an important character in his growth. If Bulma is more like an older sister, Lunch is definitely his mommy. Have you noticed that? Every person Goku meets represents a family member. It's extremely cute.

Be that as it may, as proof that Lunch is a real mom to the two pupils, she decides to give them a nice gift at the end of their training.

Tadaaan! Okay, I admit that Goku and Krillin are really funny dressed like this. They look like two little gangsters, something like Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro as kids, but that's okay. Lunch sewed these outfits for them, and that's what matters. It was done with love.

Seeing her satisfied like a loving mommy getting excited for her kids going to school for the first time always moved me. Although in this case the destination is the tournament, the meaning is the same: Lunch gave importance to their big day by honoring it with this outfit as awkward as adorable.

Well, friends. Now that the puzzle is almost complete, we can go back to our boy! As I said at the beginning, Yamcha begs Muten to make him his third pupil. Once inside the school, it doesn't take long to realize that for all of his three years of training he has been dealing with Lunch as well.

It should be mentioned, however, that the two had actually met for the first time during the Red Ribbon Arc, when everyone leaves to help Goku.

This is the first real moment when they meet. Lunch is in her "evil" form, but a little later Yamcha will also make the acquaintance of her good side.

This meant that during these three years he also cohabited with Lunch, who must surely have cooked for him as well. I think it's a really interesting detail. Unfortunately, we don't know what has happened during these three years, but I would like to point out that this is the first time Yamcha has dealt so closely with a girl other than Bulma. Imagining that he is still very shy with girls, I have no doubt that he has been embarrassed many times in being so near to her. Stop!, I'm not saying he had feelings for her, but she is still a pretty girl, most of the time very naive as well as sensual, so I wouldn't be surprised if Lunch made Yamcha blush without even meaning to. By the way, it would be interesting to analyze Bulma's feelings in this situation, since she has visited Yamcha several times. I don't think she was ever jealous of Lunch, but she may have punched her boyfriend in the head a few times anyway just because.

...They were so cute...

Okay, now the topic is clear, isn't it? The bond between Yamcha and Lunch is one of the least explored things in Dragon Ball. There is no point in talking about it because it leads nowhere, but believe me, for an earthlings fan it is worth discussing.

First, let's start by saying that this is a different relationship from that she had with the other two pupils. If with Goku and Krillin Lunch was able to act like a caring mother, the same cannot be said for Yamcha. Yamcha is not a child like them. He is almost the same age as Lunch, so the relationship must be absolutely equal: they are two friends. Nothing more, nothing less. This does not mean that Lunch took less care of Yamcha. Surely she must have avoided giving him a good-night kiss and things like that, that is.

As for her second personality, it becomes more complicated. We will never know whether "Bad" Lunch felt attracted to Yamcha. We know she loves wild guys and Yamcha certainly is, but I don't think she was that disloyal to her friend Bulma. In short: I am convinced that there was never any sexual attraction between Lunch and Yamcha. They have always been two great friends, proving that friendship between boys and girls can exist.

So... Maternal or not, one thing is certain: when the big day comes again, Lunch gives her gift to Yamcha too.

I don't know how many of you have thought about this. I'm sure I'm not the first one who has thought about it, but geez... It's a detail that has always excited me for no real reason. Perhaps because it is one of those details that indirectly deepens the relationships between Dragon Ball characters, which are unfortunately poorly told.

I mean, try to think of the scene!

Yamcha at that time was not really the type of guy to wear stuff like that. He has lived for many years in the desert, where it is not necessary to wear fancy clothes because the only priority is to survive. Yet in the desert, we don't know how, he also learned good manners, especially with girls. I'm sure he did everything possible not to disappoint Lunch's expectations. Yamcha has always been like that. In order to please others he has often sacrificed himself, so I think something like that happened in this case as well. Let's try to put ourselves in his shoes. He may be gentle and all, he surely must have thanked Lunch for this, but how much he must have cringed wearing this?

It is a bit like putting a bow tie on a wild wolf...

This is precisely how I imagine him: deeply embarrassed and on the verge of sinking underground. "Boy, I feel so ridiculous!"

Don't worry, silly, it actually fits you much better than you think. I don't believe anyone found him as funny as Goku and Krillin were the first time they wore that thing. Anyway, I assume that this is why we don't see himwith that Al Capone hat. "Hell, I can accept the dress... but spare me that thing!!"

Here you can see Yamcha now comfortable in his elegant look and Lunch by his side totally unaware that she was the one who sewed it for him. By the way, I think it's superficial to say this but... It's really nice that she handmade this dress for Yamcha. I mean, his body is much bigger than Goku and Krillin's. She must have struggled a lot! It's a proof to how much she loved Yamcha, too.

Come on, look at her! Here Lunch is as worried as everyone about Yamcha's condition after Tenshinhan broke his leg. The way she addresses him does indeed have something maternal about it, but it mainly shows that she has become attached to him over those three years.

She is so precious...

...even when she is about to kill Yamcha and Bulma in one shot.

Gosh, I love her! It is so nice that everyone has learned to accept Lunch as she is. Yamcha is like that. He always accepted his friends, no matter how they are, he is always there for them and always took care of them. I am convinced that he loved Lunch as he loves everyone else.

So... the topic could end here, but it is not like me to conclude so trivially. I like to go beyond the impossible, in fact even this time I want to extend the whole situation.

The real point of the topic is another.

Unfortunately, Lunch's fate is the most horrible of all. In truth, I don't know which is worse between being forgotten and being ridiculed throughout the show. Let's just say that neither Lunch nor Yamcha were lucky. They also have that in common, besides the fact that both are very close to Tien. I would call it the trio of outcasts. However, if we at least know what happens to Yamcha during DBZ, we know nothing about Lunch. The last time we see her is in a bar, completely drunk because Tien is dead. Another appearance, which is really brief, is during the Buu Saga, when she gives her energy to Goku. I consider these two scenes to be frighteningly sad because in both cases we see her alone and that hurts me a lot. It is as if she has lost contact with her friends. After all, she could not even return to the Kame House because it was now inhabited by Krillin, Android 18 and their daughter. There was no place for her anymore. This hurt even more, because we really don't know what happened to her. Finally, she appears without ever saying anything in the OVA Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!

This is quite consoling, but it is not enough. Her presence is highly unnecessary. I think she was thrown into the rabble just to actually pay homage to those who were Goku's friends, but what's the point if she doesn't even say a word? She certainly deserved more since she had been forgotten for almost two decades.

Whatever... Thank goodness Yamcha exists!

He is seriously the hero we do not deserve.

Well yes, Yamcha may be the one who partly solves this great riddle:

...What ever happened to Lunch all this time?

The truth is that there are no answers. Everyone can imagine what they want. One can think that she stayed with Tien (although DBS has ruled out this possibility for the umpteenth time), one can think that she opened a food truck or that she came to visit Muten sometimes. I personally believe that she has not completely lost contact with her friends. At least, not with Yamcha. I mean, we've seen how Yamcha is not the type to quit. When it comes to loving someone, Yamcha is always in the front row. This makes me believe that he has not stopped seeing Lunch. He is too loyal to forget a person who has done so much for him. Plus, if we add that Yamcha was left alone at one point in the story, it makes even more sense that he spends his time with an equally "lonely" friend. I imagine Yamcha as a very nostalgic guy. It would be unthinkable for him to exclude such an important memory as Lunch from his life.

At least, that's how it is for me. Until now I didn't know it for sure, but a few days ago I had an epiphany. That's when I realized that maybe Lunch is still there, we just don't see her.

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might, 1990.

Did you notice anything?

Oh god yes, it's that damn gangster outfit again. I mean, the dress sewn by Lunch. Although it is difficult to identify the timeline of this film, it is still clear that we are in a context far away from OG Dragon Ball. At first I anticipated that all this might just be a coincidence, but personally I like to believe that there is much more behind it. Assuming that indeed it is the dress made by Lunch, we need to consider one thing: it can never be that one she gave him for the 22nd Tournament. It would be really old, plus I don't think it would be able to hold up Yamcha's new body. He's now in his 30s, he has not only grown taller but also added a lot of muscle mass. It is practically impossible for him to have been able to wear it. So... Maybe Yamcha asked Lunch to renew that old dress? Think about it, it makes sense to me. Yamcha is also very cheap. Being a former thief, he knows the value of money well and knows that it is easier to lose it than to find it. He is really funny, but also very cute.

The money accumulated through baseball certainly does not change his stingy nature, that's why it is not strange to think that he turned to Lunch. Of course, also as a matter of affection. I think Yamcha is a guy who is very attached to things, especially if there are a lot of good memories behind them.

I mean, something could have happened like, "Hi Lunchie, how are you? Long time no see, it took me so long to find you! Let me guess, you're hiding from the cops, right?" and then... "Anyway, I wanted to ask you a favor. Going through my closet, I found that fancy dress you had sewn for me for the Tournament. Do you remember? Here it is. I tried to wear it but I only gained a hole in my pants. I'll let you guess where. So... Could you fix it for your bestie?"... So she would say: "Are you kidding, Yamcha? There's no way I'm going to fix that! I'll definitely sew you a new one!"

If so, we could assume that they are still in contact! It would really comfort me to know that Lunch is still part of the gang, even if we don't see her. Yamcha in this case could seriously be the link, simply because he is brought up to be.

That would be great.

I want to believe it.

After all...

...Toriyama may forget his characters, but Yamcha will never forget his friends.

Thank you!!

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lemonlushff · 1 year

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A-Yuan has a favorite scientist youtuber. He's fun and funny and makes science exciting. What he doesn't realize is that this youtuber and his baba share a past. At least not until his uncle gifts him con tickets to meet him in person.

(originally posted to twitter. Still being threaded there. Also being cleaned up on AO3)

LZ can hear A-Yuan on his laptop. Or more exactly - he can hear "WWX" on A-Yuan's laptop. A-Yuan isn't making any sound, aside from munching on a bowl of spicy crayfish potato chips.

He only buys them for A-Yuan, and only after a kid from school gave them to him.

'WOAH THAT'S SO COOL', he hears WWX say - his voice a little tinny through the old and small speakers. 'LET'S TRY IT AND SEE IF IT WORKS...Now kids, remember - if you're doing this at home, make sure you have an adult there to help you.'

LZ smiles, slicing through a napa cabbage

"What is WWX doing?"

"Borax crystals - it's an old video," A-Yuan explained. "I wanted to make some when Bofu comes for my birthday."

"You have discussed this with him already?" LZ replied, arching a brow. He's unsurprised that this is what A-Yuan wants to do for his birthday.

LH is always very accommodating of A-Yuan's desire to experiment. LZ doesn't mind, so long as his house remains intact. He's always preferred to be the one behind the camera documenting the process.

He's rather pleased, really, that A-Yuan shares such a deep connection with him.

A-Yuan had such a hard life, prior to his adoption - LZ would do anything for him.

"...No," A-Yuan smiled sheepishly. "I wanted to ask you first?"

"Is this you asking me?"

"...Yes?"

LZ pinned him with a look and A-Yuan straightened in his seat.

"Baba, may I make crystals with Bofu?"

"Mm...You may. Let me know what you need and I'll get it."

A-Yuan's shoulders visibly relaxed as he eagerly nodded yes, before grabbing another chip and popping it into his mouth.

He unpaused the video, and WWX's voice filled their kitchen as LZ returned to his cabbage.

This man's voice had become the backdrop of their lives - a soft yet vibrant sound that was always around.

The first time LZ had heard it, there was an air of familiarity to it that made his heart twist into a knot. It made him remember someone from his past. Someone with bright eyes and a brighter smile. It had taken a long time for him to convince himself that WWX was not WY.

After all, what were the odds? It was merely a coincidence. One in a million, at best.

His heart was just grasping straws against his better judgment.

'OK! Now it's time to wait...' the video continued, and LZ focused on tossing the cabbage into the pan.

LH was the one who had introduced A-Yuan to WWX, back when his adoption was still fresh. LZ hadn't approved of the computer use at the time, but LH had insisted that a little screen time wouldn't hurt anyone. And WWX was fun and educational. A Bill Nye for a new generation.

His steadfast insistence turned WWX into a them thing, curled up on the couch together until A-Yuan was old enough for LZ to allow him to use a computer without someone there.

Parental restrictions in place, of course.

'...And 24 hours later, you have this! WOAH!! It really works! Isn't that awesome?! Let's try it again with some food coloring!'

"Dinner will be ready soon," LZ reminded A-Yuan as the chip bag crinkled, tossing the stir fry he was making in the air.

The crinkling stopped.

"Is the video almost over?"

"Yeah, but I can finish it later," A-Yuan promised, pausing WWX midsentence to set the table.

"After homework."

"After homework," he agreed. "Can I call Bofu first?"

LZ already knew his brother would say yes, but that didn't matter.

This was a teaching moment, and LZ prided himself on those.

"Yes. Wash up - dinner is ready."

***

LZ was wiping down the counter when the doorbell rang.

*"Xiao Tuzi guaiguai, bamen er kai kai! Kuai dian er kai kai, wo yao jinlai!"

Ah. NMJ was here.

*"Good little rabbit, open the door. Open it quickly I want to come in!"

Part of a Chinese nursery rhymehttps://www.youtube.com/embed/Tkjs_O2Xj5U

"I'll get it!" A-Yuan announced, not quite running down the hall to the front door...but it was a close thing. "Bobo!"

"Xiao tuzi!" NMJ boisterously greeted, throwing A-Yuan over his shoulder as he entered. The house filled with A-Yuan's squeals of delight.

"Careful, Mingjue," LH cautioned, trailing after them with a wide grin on his face. "You'll never be forgiven if something happens to that boy..."

"Boy? What boy? There aren't any boys here - just my xiao tuzi!" NMJ corrected mischievously, earning a giggle from A-Yuan.

"Isn't he getting a bit too big to be your xiao tuzi?"

"Don't be ridiculous - so long as I can pick him up, he's my xiao tuzi."

"Given what you lift, I don't think he'll ever outgrow the name," LZ greeted, coming around the island to shake NMJ's free hand.

"Figured out my master plan, did you?" NMJ grinned cheekily.

"At least they don't play airplane anymore," LH chuckled, giving LZ's shoulders a squeeze.

"Mm...I was worried about holes in my ceiling for a long time," LZ agreed.

"I miss airplane," A-Yuan pouted.

"I bet I can still do it..."

It, being toss his son into the air like he weighed nothing. LZ had made him stop when A-Yuan turned 7 out of a fear of injury. He wasn't as small as he used to be, even if NMJ could deadlift 4 times A-Yuan's current weight.

"Perhaps we don't throw my son into the air like a stuffed animal?"

"Not a stuffed animal," NMJ corrected before spinning around in circles. "A xiao tuzi!"

Peels of A-Yuan's laughter bounced off the walls around them, and LZ snuck a glance at LH as NMJ ran with A-Yuan to throw him onto the couch and attack his sides with tickles.

LH's face was soft and filled with longing.

"He will make a good father," LZ commented quietly.

"One day...For now, he makes for a good uncle."

"Mm...A-Yuan is fortunate to have two good uncles in his life," LZ replied, and LH bumped his hip into LZ's.

"Do you need help in the kitchen?"

"Everything is prepared already," LZ replied with the shake of his head.

"I wanted those two to get out some of their energy first."

"Well. That could take some time...I suppose now would be a good time to talk about our present to him?"

LZ arched a brow inquisitively.

"There's this comic con coming up in a few weeks."

LZ's other brow arched.

"Did you buy him tickets to a comic con?"

"There's a science section," LH explained. "And they have a special guest. WWX."

Oh...A-Yuan would love that. Seeing his favorite youtuber in person was like a dream come true for him.

"That's very generous of yo—"

—The loud sound of NMJ blowing raspberries into A-Yuan's stomach, followed by squeals of delight interrupted LZ. LH released a deep exhale, and LZ squeezed his shoulder.

"Soon."

"Soon," LH agreed. "Water?"

"Of course."

LH followed LZ behind the island and accepted the glass LZ handed him.

"This comic con," LZ continued, picking up the thread. "When is it?"

"The weekend of the 29th. But Mingjue and I already discussed it and you don't need to go, if you don't want to."

They knew about LZ's great dislike of crowds.

"We're more than happy to, and I'd love to see this guy in person too," LH confessed.

"Mm..." LZ pondered, watching LH fill the glass with water. LH *should* be the one to go. WWX was his special thing with A-Yuan.

NMJ had sports and using him as a free weight.

LH had WWX...

...And he had him as a son.

"Take him," LZ decided, and LH paused, glass inches from his lips.

"Really? You don't mind?"

"You're Bofu. Of course I don't mind."

"Thank you, didi," LH replied, taking a sip of his water as A-Yuan escaped NMJ's clutches, barreling head-first into LH's side for protection.

"Bofu save me! Save me from Bobo!"

"Save you from Bobo?" LH echoed, a sly smile slowly spreading across his face. "But then who's going to save you from me?"

LZ watched as LH and NMJ chased A-Yuan around the room, a warm happiness curling in his stomach. The sound of his family's laughter filling the room.

He watched as NMJ cornered A-Yuan on one side of the couch, while LH took the other side, the two of them teaming up to stock A-Yuan like he was prey. A-Yuan knew there was no escape - it was hard not to. Still, he did his best to hide his smile, biting down on his lower lip.

He was going to go down fighting.

NMJ was the first to make a move, pouncing on A-Yuan and tackling him to the couch. He cradled his head and kept most of his body weight off of him, careful to not crush the boy.

Pinned to the couch, NMJ began blowing raspberries into his neck, while LH seized the opportunity to descend on A-Yuan and press kisses to his cheeks.

They *would* make such great parents one day. The two of them, working together to raise a child...He was...

LZ was envious.

The way they complimented each other. The way they worked as a team...The way they so clearly loved each other...He wanted that.

LZ loved his life, he did. A-Yuan was his light, and he had accepted that it would probably be just the two of them when he adopted him.

That didn't change the fact that there was a part of him - a very real part - that wished he had a partner in this.

Someone to help *him* chase his son around the couch. Someone to help *him* press his son down and cover him in kisses...Someone who would take care of his own needs as well. Emotionally.

...Physically.

LZ knew he was lonely (romantically). Sometimes, when his brother and his husband were around, he was just more sharply reminded of that.

It was fine though! He wouldn't trade this life - his happiness with his son - for anything...

And if someone wanted him, they would need to want them both. LZ turned away from the scene on the couch and busied himself with rooting through his fridge, taking out all of the vegetables he had sliced earlier for dinner. It would give him something to do.

Something else to focus on.

The laughter never died down. It filled the air all through dinner, carried in the edges of their voices and behind the words they said.

It made the food that much better, and the smiles that much wider.

"Mingjue," LH began once the plates were cleared. "Do you think we should perhaps give Xiao Tuzi his present?"

"Present? What present?" NMJ blinked innocently. "Were we supposed to bring a present?"

"Well, it *is* his birthday..."

A-Yuan was squirming in his seat, eyes darting back and forth between his uncles like he was watching the most fascinating tennis match, eager to know who would win - what the outcome would be.

"It is? I completely forgot! Xiao Tuzi, is it your birthday?"

A-Yuan vigorously nodded, "Yes, Bobo!"

"It is? That can't be right...didn't you just turn 9?"

"That was last year!"

"Are you telling me you're already 10?? A-Huan, are you hearing this? LZ, surely you got the dates wrong!"

"Mm. A-Yuan is telling the truth."

"10 years old...Well...I suppose he should have a gift, shouldn't he..." NMJ agreed, patting down his pockets. "I think I have something somewhere..."

LZ hid a smile behind his glass as NMJ took out a stick of gum from his pocket and handed it to A-Yuan.

"There! Happy birthday!" NMJ grinned widely. "It's from Bofu too, so don't rush through it."

"T-thank you, Bobo," A-Yuan replied, doing his best to look appreciative.

"Da-Ge," LH cautioned with a teasing smile.

"Alright, alright, I'll look again," he relented, "I may have something else in one of these pockets..."

"Perhaps the left one?" LH suggested in amusement, and NMJ shoved his large hand inside. The sound of paper crinkling made A-Yuan sit up straighter.

"Oh? What's this? I think LH may have been right! I think there might be something in here after all!"

A-Yuan's eyes went wide as NMJ pulled a bright red envelope out of his pocket.

"Now I wonder how that got in there!"

"A true mystery," LH agreed, as NMJ handed it to A-Yuan.

"Happy birthday, Xiao Tuzi."

LZ watched A-Yuan bow to both of his uncles before they urged him to open the envelope.

"Bobo...Bofu...Thank you..."

"You're welcome, Xiao Tuzi," NMJ grinned. "We thought you might like some spending money for the other part of your gift."

"The gum?" LZ asked, despite himself, earning a low baritone chuckle from NMJ.

"Something else," LH corrected with a slight shake of his head as he reached into his own pocket. "Happy birthday, A-Yuan."

It was another envelope in pale blue this time, and A-Yuan tilted his head curiously.

"Open it up," LH encouraged, and A-Yuan tilted his head to the side.

"Tickets?"

"To the Gusu Comic Con. We thought you might want to go. Keep reading," LH encouraged.

"...No way," came A-Yuan's whispered shock. "WWX is going to be there? I'm going to meet WWX?!"

"And get his autograph!"

"Bofu!" A-Yuan cried, leaping off his chair to run around the table and wrap his small arms around his uncle's neck. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou both!"

"You're welcome," LH replied into A-Yuan's hair as NMJ leaned down to join the group hug.

"Can I call Lan Jingyi?" A-Yuan asked when they broke apart, and LH gave him a little nod. "Go ahead."

"Thank you Bofu! Thank you Bobo!" A-Yuan exclaimed, running to his iPad in his room

"Well," NMJ began with a chuckle, running his fingers through his hair. "I think that gift was a success."

"Mm...It will be hard to top," LZ agreed. "Thank you - it made his night."

"Don't mention it, I'm glad we could do it. I just wish Huaisang would have told me he knew WWX sooner."

"NHS knows WWX?"

"I know right? I was surprised too," NMJ laughed. "My brother? Friends with the science guy? But apparently they've been tight for years."

"I didn't know that," LH blinked. "Ah...well. I suppose your brother has friends everywhere. How did they meet? I'm curious now."

"School? I think? He was a little vague on the details, but WWX is his internet name. Like a stage name."

A stage name.

WWX was a stage name.

"Really? How interesting...I wonder why..."

"Probably to keep people from finding him. But...I don't know, I feel like WWX is much easier to google than WY."

Loud ringing. There was a loud ringing sound filling the house. Or at least LZ's head.

"Did you," he swallowed. "Did you say WY?"

"Yeah...Why?"

All LZ could do was stare at his water and ignore the meaningful look from LH across the table.

"I should get the cake ready. Excuse me," LZ replied as LH placed a hand over NMJ's wrist.

"Was it something I said?" NMJ whispered (if you could call it that) to LH. "He looks..."

"I know," he heard LH reply. They weren't doing as good a job of staying quiet as they thought.

"I'll tell you in the car."

There was nothing to tell. WY was...A friend from his past. If he could even call him a friend. He wanted to. Or, had wanted to, at the time.

He'd wanted to call him more than a friend.

But right when LZ had worked up the nerve to do something about it, WY had moved, along with his siblings. It wouldn't have mattered. WY didn't see him that way. That's what LZ always told himself.

WY was a bright boy with a brighter smile, and he shared it with everyone.

He had the power to make you feel special to him, even if you weren't.

And LZ wasn't. He was just someone WY enjoyed to fluster. He flirted with everyone. LZ wasn't unique, in that regard.

Still, there had been a time when he'd hoped...That if he just asked...

"LJY is so jealous!" A-Yuan announced, putting an end to LZ's thoughts on the past. "He wants to meet WWX too!"

"Really? Well - maybe we can find a few more tickets," LH mused, and LZ nearly shoved his fist into the cake along with the candle. His brother knew what he was doing.

Taking a steadying breath, LZ replied as evenly as he could, "I'm sure LJY would appreciate that, brother. Who's ready for cake?"

***

LZ's phone chimed beside him in bed, and he flipped it over so it was face down against the mattress.

he knew what it was going to say. He didn't need to read it.

*"And as always, if you enjoyed this video, don't forget to like and subscribe. Now let's get started!"*

It shouldn't have surprised LZ, in retrospect. The signs were all there. The voice. The child-like antics. The jokes.

Maybe a part of him had always known and he just hadn’t wanted to face it. The real mystery was how he hasn’t seen WY until he looked for him in his videos.

Then again, that should have been obvious too.

Most of WYs videos were focused on his hands and the project. The introductions had him looking at the camera, but otherwise on screen appearances weren't a gaurentee…and he had never been the one actively watching WY’s videos.

LZ only listened to them in the background. A-Yuan and LH were the ones in front of the screen, and LH never knew what WY looked. He was already in college by the time LZ met WY.

LZ clicked onto the next video about magnets.

WY looked…

Good.

Older. No less handsome than the last time he had seen him.

His face was more angular, having lost the round softness of his youth. Otherwise, he was the same. Same laughing eyes. Same smile that made his heart skip a beat.

Shorter shoulder-length hair though. When he had last seen WY it brushed against his rather shapely bottom.

LZ could only assume that the change was due to either his chosen profession, or the desire to mix up his personal style.

He looked well, though. It was hard to stop scrolling through his videos now that he knew.

LZ's phone vibrated in a call pattern from its place on the bed.

He couldn’t avoid him forever, no matter how much he wanted to.

“Ge,” LZ greeted, picking up the phone.

“Didi…” LZ steeled himself. “Come to the con with us. We can get you a ticket.”

LZ inhaled, counted to 10, and exhaled.

“I think A-Yuan would enjoy himself more with you.”

“And I think you would enjoy yourself more if you came instead of moping around at home wondering what we're doing and if we've seen him yet.”

“I have plenty to do to keep myself occupied.” He didn’t mean for it to sound as petulant as it had.

“LZ…” LH sighed into the phone. “Meal prep for the week won’t distract you from thinking about WY. Wouldn’t you rather reconnect with him? Find out what he’s up to?”

‘Yes, yes, yes…’

His heart was a traitorous thing.

But…

“…What if he doesn’t want to see me?”

They hadn’t left things on bad terms but…it had been well over a decade - nearing two - since he had seen WY last. “What if he doesn’t even remember me?”

His soft confession perhaps bared more than he had been willing to show.

WY had been popular in high school - he knew so many people...who was to say he would even remember LZ? Especially now that he was internet famous. He didn't know if his heart could take it.

He could live with pretending their...acquaintance meant something to WY. Knowing what their...relationship had meant to him in actually, however, was a pain he wasn't sure he was prepared for.

"Oh...Didi..."

"It's been a long time, Ge. It's possible."

LH was silent for a long moment.

"It is," he finally agreed. "But...wouldn't you rather find out you're wrong than always wonder?"

He really hated his brother, sometimes.

It would gnaw at him and fester. Knowing he had been so close to WY again, and he had said no...

In time, it would crush him and they both knew it.

His heart was already betraying him.

Showing him a vision of standing in line, waiting for A-Yuan to meet WY...Then he would look up. Their eyes would catch. WY's bottom lip would drop ever so slightly in delight and surprise.

He could practically hear WY's high-pitched exclamation of "LZ!"

He released a long slow exhale, as butterflies fluttered their little wings in his stomach.

"...You said it was the weekend of the 29th?"

He could feel his brother's smugness from the other side of the phone.

***

LZ hated cons. He had hypothesized this prior to attending his first one. But now that he was here, he knew that he was right.

There were. *So* many people. The line to get in wrapped the block. And it was *loud*, as was expected when in a crowd.

Still, LZ has to admit there was magic here. He could feel the excitement in the air. The prickly hum of anticipation beneath his own skin.

He hadn’t stopped thinking about WWX in the last few weeks. Not since he learned who he was. He just hoped coming here wasn’t a mistake.

As the line slowly inched forward, LZ tried to do his best to distract himself. They played games. Made arrangements for dinner that night.

Still, it was hard when his heart kept beating “WY, WY, WY…”

When they finally made it past the first security checkpoint, LZ felt like he was about to vibrate out of his skin.

“So,” LH began innocently. “Where should we start? There’s a danmei panel that sounded rather interesting…or we could head down to the main hall and walk around. Check out WWX’s table times?”

He knew what he was doing.

LZ hoped he was pleased with himself.

“Perhaps A-Yuan should decide?” He was deflecting. He knew it. LH knew it.

It backfired.

“Can we walk around the hall first?”

“Yeah I want to see WWX!”

Children were terrors.

"A-Yuan and I have it all planned out," LJY continued, darting ahead of the group to lead them toward a pair of escalators. "We want to walk around for a bit and see WWX, then we want to go to the Star Trek panel, then the one with the guy who voices all those superheroes..."

LJY's voice faded as LZ stepped onto the escalator, and tried to ignore his suddenly very clammy palms.

It was fine. They were just going to walk past WY's table. There was no guarantee he was even going to be there.

He was nervous for nothing.

The hall was buzzing with life when they entered. The air was heavy with laughter and the music playing from different booths. LZ could smell popcorn and something fried coming from somewhere. It was an odd combination that vaguely reminded him of an amusement part.

Only he didn't find people dressed as a bottle of Ajax walking around saying "What's my name?" at the amusement park.

"Booth 395 is here, so that means...The autograph area is this way!" LH pointed, looking comparing their location to a map.

"He isn't in Science Valley?"

"Baba, he's a *celebrity*," explained, like it was obvious, and LZ realized it should be.

LZ knew that WY was internet famous, but somehow, hearing it so plainly made him feel off-kilter.

"Come on!" A-Yuan grabbed LZ's hand, pulling him forward, and LZ tried not to trip over his own feet as A-Yuan led him through the crowd - LH's amused chuckle trailing behind them as he watched over LJY.

LZ could barely hear it above the thundering in his chest.

He squeezed A-Yuan's hand tighter in his, telling himself it was so he wouldn't lose his son in the crowd. It wasn't a feeble attempt to calm himself in the slightest.

"LY, this way!" LJY called, grabbing A-Yuan's other hand and pulling them towards a corner in the back. "I see his table!"

"Is there anyone at it," LH asked as they approached, weaving their way past a group of storm troupers. "I can't tell - are all those people waiting in line to see him?"

There was a small crowd weaving it's way well into the aisle, all leading towards WY's booth.

"It looks like it," LZ agreed. There were a few people standing behind WY's table, but he wasn't among them. He couldn't decide if the feeling in his chest was relief or despair. "Perhaps we should come back later?"

"Hm..." LH mused, eyeing the line. "Or we could split up?"

"Never split the party!" a man wearing a gremlin mask and a black hoodie advised from behind them. "You never want to give the dungeon master the upper hand."

"Ah...Thank you for that advice," LH grinned. "We were just weighing our options."

"It's quite the line," the gremlin agreed. "Are you on a tight schedule?"

"We want to go to a Star Trek panel," LZ confirmed, trying to place why the gremlin seemed familiar.

"But we want to see WWX first!" A-Yuan interjected.

"You do?" the gremlin replied, shoving his hands into his back pockets. "Are you a fan?"

"Yes," A-Yuan nodded vigorously. "Bofu and I watch his videos all the time."

"Really? And is Bofu a fan?" the gremlin pressed, looking LZ in the eye with eyes that he thought he recognized.

"I am," LH replied, and the gremlin released a surprised sound.

"Really? And what about...Baba?" he asked, as if he weren't sure LZ was A-Yuan's father.

"I think WWX does the world a lot of good with his videos. I admire the way he's inspired my son to take an interest in the sciences over the years."

The gremlin squeaked and bashfully toed the ground with his shoe.

"Ah...Ha...You think so highly of him, huh?"

LZ could only nod.

"Well...it only makes sense that such esteemed, dedicated fans should get to meet him," the gremlin nodded. "Perhaps we should cut everyone in line then?"

"That doesn't seem very fair..."

"LY," LJY hissed.

"But...They were waiting for longer..."

"Ah! No...Your friend is right. It wouldn't be very fair to everyone else," the gremlin laughed, gently reprimanding himself.

"But it would be a shame for you to miss your panel. Alright...How about this..." he mused, tapping his chin through his mask. "What if we get dinner tonight instead?"

A-Yuan and LJY tilted their heads to the side in confusion as it hit LZ why the gremlin seemed so familiar.

"That is, if you have time for an old friend?"

"WY..."

The gremlin tilted his head back and laughed, the sound muffled slightly by the rubbery plastic mask.

"Ah...figured me out, did you?" he grinned, removing the mask. "Hello, LZ. It's been a while..."

"Baba...Baba it's him," A-Yuan whisper yelled, tugging on LZ's hand. His little eyes were round saucers as he gazed up at WY in disbelief.

WY just threw his head back, laughing and—oh...oh LZ's memories and WY's videos paled in comparison to the real thing.

"It is! I hope I didn't give you too much of a shock," he grinned, running his fingers through his hair to smooth the strands back into place after walking around with the mask on. "It's easier to go where I want with one of these on," he winked.

"Mm..." LZ swallowed, utterly captivated by WY's smile. "I can imagine..."

"Well? What do you say? Dinner? I'm sure I can move some things around!"

Could he handle dinner with WY? It had taken so much mental preparation just to work up the nerve to come today...And if he had plans...A selfish part wanted WY to cancel and spend time with them, but he also didn't want him bending over backwards to spend time with them either.

"Or lunch, if you already have plans?" WY rushed to suggest, as if he could sense LZ thinking about telling him no.

"Baba," A-Yuan whispered, tugging LZ's hand. "Please?"

"Please?" LJY joined, taking LZ's other hand. "We'll be so good!"

"Were you not going to be?" LH asked in amusement.

"We'll be even better!" LJY corrected, making LZ huff a small laugh.

"Aiyo! LZ! Was that a laugh? Do you still laugh the same? I need to know - I want to know everything you've been up to! You can't say no - we won't let you. I have a break around 1:30. Will that work with your schedule? Say you can meet me?"

"Please Baba?"

A-Yuan's voice was so small and filled with so much hope and longing. Regardless of his own nerves, he had to say yes.

For A-Yuan, if nothing else.

And if he was using his son as an excuse, that was his business and no one else's.

"Mm..." LZ relented, tilting his head. "We can meet you for lunch."

"Ah! That's great! Alright...lunch it is. Can you meet me here? Just come up to the booth! I'll tell security to let the most handsome man in the world pass with his son and brother and...nephew?"

LZ felt the tips of his ears burn bright red as LH replied "Distant cousin," on his behalf. Which he appreciated since he seemed to have lost his tongue.

"Right! I'll tell them to let the most handsome man in the world pass with his son and brother and distant cousin then."

"That would be appreciated - thank you for joining us! We are looking forward to it," LH smiled, still speaking on LZ's behalf. He could probably tell he needed the help.

"Ah," WY grinned, catching LZ's eye meaningfully. "Me too."

The panel passed by in a blur. If you asked LZ who spoke and what it was about, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. He wouldn’t be able to tell you where they went after or what they did.

All he could focus on was the erratic beating of his heart and the anticipation of getting lunch with WY.

WY…

He remembered him. He wanted to *see* him again and catch up.

He looked good. Better in person than in the videos. He had been so shocked when WY has removed the mask that he hadn’t been able to appreciate being with him in person.

All he was left with now was the fresh memory of his features tinted by surprise.

The bow of his mouth curving up in a delighted smile when he had agreed to lunch. The dancing light in his eyes…and LZ was going to see him again. They had *plans*. He’s be able to appreciate him better and not be overwhelmed by shock.

As bad as the anticipation from before had been - the not knowing if WY remembered him - it was even worse now that he had plans with him.

By the time 1:20 rolled around, he was practically vibrating out of his skin while leading them back towards WY’s booth.

"In a rush?" LH teased as they made their way across the main aisle, dodging past a wild group of pokemon.

"To be early is to be on time." One of the many principles they had been raised on as children by their shufu.

If they just so happened to be early to a lunch with WY...Well.

Was that really the worst thing in the world?

"Ah...Yes...Of course. My apologies," LH replied in that all knowing way of his that made LZ's ears heat.

He loved that his brother could read him like a book. He had never realized how much of a double-edged sword it could be until now.

If LZ had thought the line to see WY was bad before, it was worse now. It had only been a few hours, but somehow the line had doubled in size, splitting in half to continue on the other side of the aisle so people could still walk down the row.

Con Volunteers ushered a few people from line two into line one as WY waved goodbye to a few fans. It was interesting to watch them patrol the area like they were WY's personal body guards.

LZ he known WY was internet famous - of course he had.

It just didn't hit him until now exactly *how* famous he was. At least in this setting.

"Baba, can we go see WWX now?"

LZ glanced at his watch. 1:28. It was a little early still, but...It's what they had come here for. And WY had been talking to Mario and Peach for a while.

"Mm," he inclined his head, taking A-Yuan's hand and leading them around the thick crowd to come up the side.

A man wearing a black shirt with "SECURITY" written across his chest in thick block letters quickly cut in front of their path.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"We're here to see WWX."

"Of course," the man smiled, gesturing to the side in a way to draw his attention to the other side of the aisle. "The line starts back there."

"It does," LZ agreed. "However we're friends of his."

Friends.

The word still made him feel giddy. "He told us to meet him at the booth for his lunch break. He mentioned speaking with security to let us through?"

"No one told me anything about this. I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to need you to take your group to the back of the line."

LZ released a slow exhale. He didn't want to start a scene, but WY wanted to see them. His instructions had been pretty clear.

"Could you perhaps speak with someone? Perhaps another member of your team? Or tell WY that LZ is here?"

The man's face turned stony.

"Sir, as I said before - if you would like to see—"

"—LZ! Lan er gege!" WY called, waving his arms in large wide sweeps.

LZ wasn't a vindictive person, exactly, but he had to admit that there was a certain amount of warm satisfaction curling in his belly when he saw the shocked expression on the security man's face.

"LZ!" WY called. "Come here! I'm almost ready!"

"If you'll excuse us," LZ cooly smirked, trying to not feel too self-satisfied at the security guard's expression as they walked past him to WY.

"You see that man right there?" he heard WY tell Wonder Woman as she stepped up to the booth. "Isn't he so handsome? Can you believe he agreed to have lunch with me? Aiyo, you have no idea how hard it was to get him to say yes! You would think he didn't want to see me."

WY's over-dramatization made her blush as WY accepted her phone. "I—yeah!" It was sweet how her hands shook as she turned around for a selfie with him.

LZ watched WY wrap things up with Wonder Woman, talking with her about where she was from...how many siblings she had...and even graciously accepted a fan art she had drawn of him as a gift.

WY's world was drastically different from his.

He was grateful he could spare a moment away from the chaos for them - even if it was just one lunch.

“Have a great con!” WY waved as she left before turning the full force of his smile onto LZ. “Come back behind the booth - let’s leave this way!”

WY pushed the curtain back, holding it open for the small party to pass through before dropping it back into place. Hidden from the public’s prying eyes, he reached for the hem of his hoodie and lifted it.

LZ felt his breath catch in his throat as the hem of his T-shirt caught on the fabric of the hoodie, pulling up to expose the edge of a tattoo across his ribs. He wanted to ask WY what it was.

And if he could press his mouth against it to find out if it was a different texture.

WY balled his hoodie up and dropped to the floor to shove it into a gym bag.

"So how was that Star Trek panel?" WY asked, riffing through his bag for something.

"It was *so* cool," LJY burst, and soon he and A-Yuan were talking over each other as they told WY all about it.

"It sounds like you guys had a great time—Ah ha! here they are!" WY announced, pulling out a pair of oversized fake glasses with a giant nose and put them on. "What do you think? Totally inconspicuous right?"

It made both the boys giggle, and LZ couldn't help his own small smile.

"Mm...WY is a master of disguise."

"One might even say the grandmaster of disguise," he teased, waggling his eyebrows. "So...Where are we headed?"

***

They ended up at a little hot pot place 20 minutes from the convention center. They could have stayed closer - perhaps it made sense to, from a time standpoint - but WY could be recognized, and selfishly…LZ wanted him all to himself. No interruptions.

Or as to himself as he could get with two preteen boys, and his brother in tow. They had spent the whole lunch talking about science with WY.

“We want to cast animal tracks next,” A-Yuan told him.

“Then make a carbon sugar snake,” LJY nodded. “It’s so cool!”

“You just want to make things explode…”

“That’s because it’s *cool*!” LJY replied, his cheeks turning red.

“It is!” Wei Ying nodded, leaning forward to prop his chin up on an arm. “You know what really got me into science?”

The boys shook their heads, silent and wide-eyed.

“Baking soda volcanos. I made one for a science fair when I was your age and it was a *mess*. I added too much of everything and it went *everywhere*...and I wanted to do it again. So I did. And this time I went even *bigger* with it.”

The boys were hanging off of WY’s every word. It was precious. They had been the whole meal.

“How did you become a youtuber?” LZ found himself asking - perhaps the first question he’d had for WY since entering the restaurant.

“Oh…well…I was just messing around in college, filming experiments and documenting the results…And then one day I realized ‘oh wow, people actually kind of like me??’

and…I dunno…I just started focusing on that more. Especially when I realized that most of the people watching were kids in school. I decided I wanted to teach them something, you know?”

“Mm,” LZ nodded. “It’s very admirable.”

“Ah…Lan Zhaaan,” WY blushed, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing down at the table sheepishly. “You can’t say those things so sincerely! Don’t you know what it does to my poor fragile heart?”

No.

But he wanted to.

“Boys…Why don’t you come with me to the bathroom,” LH suggested, shooting LZ a knowing smile. It made him want to squirm in his seat.

“But—”

“—No buts. We should use the bathroom before we leave - it’s been a while and they’re cleaner here than at the con. You’ll thank me later when the line is wrapped around the side like it was earlier.”

“...Yes, Bofu,” A-Yuan deflated, taking LJY’s hand and following his uncle to the bathroom.

“He will make a good dad one day, won’t he?”

“Mm…A-Yuan is looking forward to having a niece or nephew.”

“And you? Aiya…I feel like I’ve been talking this whole time and haven’t been able to ask you anything. What a horrible friend I am…”

“WY is not horrible - you were indulging my family. I’m grateful for your generosity.”

“My generosity,” WY replied slowly, blinking at him.

“Offering to have lunch with us.”

“Oh…Oh that,” WY laughed, threading his fingers into the roots of his hair and shaking it.

“It was nothing, LZ. Selfish, really. I just wanted…” he trailed off, glancing down at the table and grabbing his water. He took several large gulps of it, and LZ watched the knot of WY's throat bob with each swallow, clenching his hands together to keep from doing something...

Foolish.

He couldn’t forget himself.

Pressing his teeth too it wouldn’t do him any good.

WY placed the glass back down onto the table, running his fingers up the side - dragging them through the beads of condensation on the sides. “I just wanted to catch up with an old friend,” WY finally said. “I guess that hasn’t really worked out, huh?”

LZ remained silent. He didn’t really care what the reason was, or what they were doing. He was just glad that he was able to see WY again.

“Well - I guess we have a few minutes before they get back for me to fix that, right? Tell me - how’s Mianmian?”

“MM?” LZ replied slowly, wondering why she would come up in conversation. “She is well. Pregnant again - motherhood looks good on her.” He just attended her baby shower the other week.

“Ah! That’s wonderful! How amazing! Truly…I couldn’t be happier,” WY swallowed. “Is it a boy or girl?”

“I don’t know - she wanted it to be a surprise,” he replied truthfully.

“That’s always fun. The mystery of it all. Maybe it will be a girl this time!”

She had a girl last time, and was hoping for a boy, not that she would be upset with another girl.

“Hey…Listen. This might be…Well…I have an idea…Since we couldn’t really talk and all…But. I’m going to be in town for a few more days after the Con. I was planning on checking out some old haunts and stuff. Would you maybe…”

WY rubbed the side of his nose, looking off to the side. “You don’t have to say yes but…Would you want to…Would A-Yuan want to help me record a video?” he asked hesitantly - like he was about to ask LZ something else, and changed his mind at the last second.

“Yes - he would love that.”

“Great! Cool! Wonderful! MM won’t mind, right? Maybe she can help!”

LZ blinked slowly.

“I can ask if she would like to come.”

He wasn’t sure why she would mind. She may be busy with the nursery though.

“Yeah! Great - Wonderful! Perfect! Ask! I’d love to see you again. If that’s. I mean. If you guys don’t mind…”

“WY,” LZ said in a way that made WY stop fidgeting in his chair and give LZ his full attention.”We would love to see you again.”

“Oh,” WY exhaled shakily. “Ok then. We should…You should give me your phone. So we can exchange info.”

It didn't take more than a few minutes for LZ to enter his number into WY's phone, and within seconds he was looking at a text from him.

He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so giddy.

"Come here, LZ. We should take a photo together! For contact pictures," WY decided, wrapping his arm around LZ's shoulders.

He felt himself stiffen as WY pressed against his side, tilting his head toward LZ's.

He smelled so good. Clean, but manly. He wanted to turn his head and press it into the crook of WY's neck.

"Ah...Sorry. I guess you still don't like to be touched."

"No," LZ rushed to say, forcing himself to relax. "You caught me by surprise. I don't mind you touching me."

"Really?" WY blinked in surprise, and LZ realized his mistake. "Well - maybe I should do it more then, hm?"

"Shameless," LZ blushed, the tips of his ears turning bright red. WY laughed and—

—Oh...Oh he really missed that sound...

"Always," he grinned cheekily. "Teasing a married man..."

Married man? Did he...

Did WY think...

MM...

"Smile for the camera, LZ!"

"WY," LZ said as WY snapped a picture. "I'm not—"

"Ah! No talking, you'll ruin the photos."

"But—"

"Just a second! Smile, ok?"

"I'm gay!" LZ blurted.

"Are we...Interrupting?" LH asked, holding A-Yuan and LJY's hands. LZ hadn't even noticed them return.

"Ah...Ha...No...sorry..." WY replied, pulling away from LZ and licking his lips. "We were just...You're gay?"

"Why don't we...go and ask for the check?" LH suggested.

"And a car," LZ nodded.

"And take your time," WY added, not looking away from LZ's face. It was like he was trying to puzzle LZ out.

"I'll call?"

"Or not," LZ replied.

"Why don't we meet you back at the Con?"

"Yes. That," WY agreed. "Best idea I heard all day. Truly brilliant, LH. Top marks. 10/10."

"Mm, Gege has always been wise."

"Bofu," A-Yuan whispered loudly. "What's going on?"

"Oh...Nothing..." LH replied, leading them out "You're just going to have some Bofu time for a while

"So..." WY began, once they had made it far enough away from the table.

"You're gay?"

"The last time I checked," LZ replied wryly.

"Yeah? And when was that?"

It was a risk, but...

"This morning, when I saw you again."

“Oh…” WY swallowed, wide-eyed. “Oh that’s…ok...yeah that’s great! Gay is wonderful. Fantastic. I’m also…Oh…Oh no…Does MM know? LZ…LZ you need to tell your wife!”

“My…wife…” LZ exhaled. Either WY was being intentionally obtuse, or he simply wasn’t grasping this. “WY,” LZ began again, “I adopted A-Yuan. By myself.”

“By yourself…” WY repeated slowly, blinking at LZ like he couldn’t grasp what he was telling him. “You’re a single father?”

Yes. He was.

“Mm.”

"Like...Single single?"

"WY..."

“I’m sorry but…” WY tilted his head to the side. “How? How are you single? I just…I’m sorry, I don’t understand…Do you not want…I just…Do you not want to be in a relationship? Did something happen to make you swear off men? Oh my god I’m being so rude...”

WY blustered, covering his face with his hands. “You can’t just ask people why they’re single. I just. I don’t understand. You’re so perfect…I don’t understand how someone hasn’t like, married you on the spot. How are you still on the market?

Unless you don’t want to be on the market. LZ. Lan Zhaaaaaaaan…Please say something and shut me up. I need you to say something or else I’m going to do something even stupider like ask you if I can change your relationship status—”

“—Yes.”

“...Yes?”

“Yes, you should personally change my relationship status.”

“Oh…Personally, huh?” WY replied, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “LZ…did you just ask me out?”

“I believe you asked first,” LZ pointed out, and WY buried his bright red face into his hands.

“Aiya…You can’t accept that as a real…” he mumbled into his palms, voice muffled. “LZ, it was horrible…You shouldn’t accept that! LZ! You deserve to be properly asked out!”

“Then you should do it. Properly this time.”

WY spread his fingers apart to peek up at him through the gaps.

“...Really? You want me to try again? But what if you say no? I have you committed right now, you know.”

“I’ll say yes again.”

A wide grin spread across his face as WY sat up. Hopeful silver eyes flit across his face as he bit his lip in an attempt to make his smile smaller. LZ wanted to smooth his thumb across it and tell WY that he shouldn’t ever feel like he couldn’t smile.

“Ok - there’s no taking it back now, LZ! You promised!”

“Mm.”

“Ok…Alright…Are you ready? You’re about to be wowed.”

“I am ready.”

“Are you sure? This is serious business you know.”

“It’s a good thing I’m serious, then.”

“LZ!! And people call *me* a flirt…”

“WY…”

“Alright, alright, alright,” he nodded, composing himself and taking a calming breath. “LZ…I’d like to take you to the movies, but they don’t let you bring in your own snacks…So…Want to Netflix and chill at my place instead?”

“WY…”

“Yes?”

“...That was terrible.”

“Ah - yes. But is it? Because I totally managed to slip calling you a snack in there, and you aren’t saying no…”

LZ blinked slowly at WY.

“Oh my god tell me you got that…”

“I did, but I did not think it warranted a response.”

WY burst out laughing.

“Ah…LZ…Way to let a guy down gently…”

“I don’t plan on doing anything gently,” LZ replied, taking a sip from his water as WY started sputtering and turned bright red.

Oh, this was going to be *fun*…

***

“Baba, I don’t want to be late!”

“We won’t be late,” LZ reassured, turning to look at his profile in the mirror.

LH had said causal. He hoped this was casual. It was just a cuffed pair of jeans and a white button down he’d rolled up past his elbows. He’d left a few of the top buttons undone and paired it with some white tennis shoes.

They were headed for a beach after all.

He had no idea what WY’s elephant toothpaste would entail, but comfortable shoes seemed like a safe bet.

A-Yuan shifted nervously on LZ’s bed, gnawing at his bottom lip. LZ wasn’t sure who was more excited about seeing WY again. Him or A-Yuan.

A-Yuan had positively lit up when LZ had told him that WY had invited him for a video, and LZ had plans with him alone after. It was going going to be a full day of WY.

He couldn’t wait.

He was glad LH had dragged him to the con. Even if he had been insufferable after.

LZ smoothed his hands over his jeans, wondering if they were perhaps a bit too tight. He used to love the way they hugged his ass and his thighs but he had switched up his workout routine and now they looked a bit...Like he had been poured into them.

"...Baba?" A-Yuan pressed again, fidgeting with the hem of his pants leg.

LZ glanced at the time and mentally winced. He was going to stick with these pants if they wanted to be there on time. He couldn't spend all day preening.

"I'm ready," he reassured A-Yuan, grabbing his watch from the nightstand. "Let's go."

***

It was a short drive to the beach, and a short walk to the shore. It's a beautiful day - the sun shimmered off the waves and every time LZ inhaled, his lungs filled with salty air.

The most beautiful part though, is WY.

He's already there when they arrive, and a part of LZ is surprised. He used to be late to everything in school. He doesn't want to read into him being here now.

When they arrive, he's sitting on a blanket, legs stretched out towards the ocean as he plays on his phone.

He's pulled his shoulder-length hair back so it's half up, and he's wearing a pair of jeans and a witty science shirt - "let's TaCo 'bout science", using the table of elements to spell out taco.

It's perfectly WY, and LZ loves it.

"WY!" A-Yuan calls as soon as he spots him, and LZ can tell he is barely restraining himself from running over.

WY glances up from his phone to the pair, a smile spreading across his face when his eyes meet A-Yuan...Then slips off his face when he sees LZ.

"Hey," WY greets when they get close enough and pushes himself to stand. "You're right on time! I wasn't too hard to find, was I?"

The beach is nearly deserted, due to the time of year and location. WY was very easy to spot.

"No, not at all," LZ reassured, and WY exhales, shoving his hands into his back pockets.

"Good! That's great! I was a bit worried about that...But I guess I should have been more worried about what you'd wear. LZ. *LZ.* What is this?" WY demanded, gesturing at LZ's outfit.

"Are you trying to distract me? Aiyo...You don't wear this to make elephant toothpaste! I need to make sure the measurements are right and this won't help...and now you can't help!

You look too good! I'm going to need you to stand far away from this, LZ. What happens if it gets on your nice white shirt, eh?"

He had a reply for that, but he didn't think his son should suffer through hearing his father talking about removing his shirt.

He didn't want to scar A-Yuan, after all.

"I'm sure we can find a solution for that, should it happen," he said instead, drawing his eyes down WY's body, allowing his eyes to display a fraction of the want he felt for WY.

It had the desired effect on WY - he sharply inhaled and bit the side of his cheek.

"Right...Right...well then...A-Yuan, do you want to help me set up? I'll explain the experiment!"

"Yeah!"

The experiment in question, apparently, was to figure out what produced the largest and fastest growing elephant toothpaste by alternating the chemical reacting with the hydrogen peroxide…And then using that formula to create a giant sand volcano.

A-Yuan was beyond excited to help. WY had done most of the setup prior to their arrival - the chemicals were premeasured in containers on a table. He mostly needed help constructing the volcano, which A-Yuan very enthusiastically agreed to.

“Now LZ,” WY guided, handing him a second camera. This one is so you can follow us around, alright? I need you to film my intro first, and then A-Yuan and I will start experimenting like the mad scientists we are.

Once we have our recipe, we will make the volcano, and then it’s time for an outro. Easy enough, right?”

“Mm,” he nodded, taking the camera WY handed him and allowing his fingers to brush against WY’s. “You’re making it very easy.”

His words lingered in the air in just the right way, making WY’s whole face turn bright red.

“LZ! Lan er-gege! You can’t say those things to me when I’m supposed to go on camera! You aren’t supposed to distract me like this! Ayio…How am I supposed to film when you say these things? Do I need to send you away?

Should I appoint A-Yuan as my official cameraman and assistant? LZ - I need you to behave yourself!”

“Do you?”

WY began sputtering.

“A-Yuan,” he said very seriously, once he could form words again and was no longer doing an excellent impersonation of a kettle. “Tell your father to behave himself.”

“Baba…Stop being weird.”

LZ could only huff out a laugh, and turn on the camera.

“Mm…I’ll stop being weird. Are you ready, WY?”

“Yeah…Yeah ok,” he exhaled, jumping in place a few times and shaking out his arms. “Now don’t say anything…And count me off.”

“In three…” LZ nodded, holding up his fingers, lowering them as he silently counted down.

“Helloooo friends! Today is a very special day - the sun is out, the birds are chirping and—Oh…did you notice that? There are wave in the behind me. Why you ask?

Because I’m here with my new friend to experiment with elephant toothpaste, and see if we can’t make the biggest, baddest explosion we can to create a sand volcano. Now before we get started, don’t forget to like and subscribe. Let’s get started.”

***

"Xiao Tuzi!"

"Bobo!" A-Yuan laughed as NMJ swept him over his shoulder, spinning him around. A high-pitched squeal of delight cut through the air as A-Yuan's legs and arms flailed about.

"Da-Ge," LZ greeted, watching the pair in amusement. "Ge."

"Brother...WY...Did you have fun today?" LH asked as NMJ tossed A-Yuan into the air. "Careful, Mingjue - LZ won't let you near him again if you hurt him."

"Hurt my Xiao Tuzi?" gasped, blowing a raspberry into the side of A-Yuan's neck, making him shriek.

"Never! A-Yuan, tell them I'm not hurting you," he demanded, blowing another into his skin.

"No! Bobo!" he laughed, "Not in front of WY!!"

"Oh I see - am I not cool enough for Xiao Tuzi now?"

"Bobo!" he shrieked in delight, and LZ chanced a glance to WY.

His gaze was soft and...if LZ was reading his expression correctly...Filled with longing. Maybe he was seeing what he wanted. Superimposing his own wants and desires onto a fleeting expression.

There one moment, gone the next - his smile shuttered back into place as if WY could feel LZ's eyes on him, successfully concealing whatever it had been.

"Don't you know A-Yuan?" WY demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's an uncle's sacred duty to embarrass their nephews. I do it to mine all the time!"

"You have a nephew?"

"Ah - yeah. He's only a few years younger than your son," WY nodded, shoving his hands into his back pockets and rolling back onto his heels. "He's a good kid - even if he does have a peacock as a father," he continued, muttering the last part under his breath.

A-Yuan released another high-pitched shriek as NMJ positioned him onto his shoulders, earning a few questioning looks from people walking past them on the boardwalk.

The plan, as arranged with LH, was that they would take A-Yuan for the evening.

It had been LH's suggestion. He had gone on and on about how it had been so long since they'd had a proper sleepover with A-Yuan, and didn't LZ know what he was doing to NMJ by withholding his son from Da-Ge? Did LZ want LH to suffer?

Really, LZ would be doing him a favor if he said they could take A-Yuan for the night.

His brother was not subtle.

All the same...he appreciated what LH was doing for him.

"Perhaps you can catch up now when we take A-Yuan," LH suggested, drawing A-Yuan's attention at the mention of his name.

"I'm going with you? Where are we going?"

"I don't know," NMJ hummed dramatically. "I was thinking...maybe we could go furniture shopping..."

"Oh," A-Yuan wilted, and NMJ barked out a laugh.

"What's wrong? You don't want to help Bofu and me pick out a new couch?"

"No, I'll do it," A-Yuan reassured, putting on his most serious face, and WY choked down a noise LZ couldn't identify.

"Mingjue," LH smiled, warning him gently.

"Alright, alright...we thought we would take you go-karting and go from there - But only if you behave yourself!"

"Aiya, behave himself...it's like they don't realize he's your son, LZ," WY teased.

"Mm...I have wondered more than once if they would kidnap him."

"I'm sure it's tempted them - I'm half tempted myself. Not that he needs another father. Lucky kid has three!"

LZ had to bite the tip of his tongue to keep from saying that WY needn't resort to kidnapping to become his father.

Marriage was far easier.

ending it here for the night!

“Mingjue may beat you to it,” LH replied, almost wistfully. “We should go if we want to have enough time for everything. You’ll text me if you need anything?”

“Mm,” LZ nodded, feeling his ears heat at the pointed look his brother gave him. “Enjoy your evening with him.”

“You too,” NMJ smirked, and LZ reminded himself that his brother and son would kill him if he killed NMJ.

“So,” WY began, shoving his hands into his back pockets after they bid farewell to everyone. “Do you mind if we go back to my hotel first?”

"Not for that!" he rushed as LZ's eyes widened - the flush from his ears spreading down his neck. "Oh my god...I'm sorry. I just heard it how you heard it...I think I did at least...and I just...I'm dirty and gross and really need a shower after the beach...

I won't make you wait in the lobby - promise! You can come watch TV and hang out in my room. It shouldn't take long. If you don't mind, that is? We don't have to though. If that make you uncomfortable or anything. You know what, why don't we forget tha—"

"—Alright."

"...Alright?"

"You feel uncomfortable. I don't mind waiting for you."

He had waited 16 years for this date. He would wait another 16, if he had to.

Giving WY time to take a shower so he was more comfortable didn't bother him in the least.

"You're sure?"

"Mm."

***

WY's room somehow surpassed all of LZ's expectations. He expected it to be a chaotic whirlwind.

He didn't expect it to look like WY had exploded everywhere. Why was there a sock on the lamp? How did it get there?

And why did he find it endearing?

"Sorry about the...ah...well...I'd call it a mess but this is a bit more of a mess, isn't it?" WY chuckled nervously, grabbing the sock and hiding it behind his back...And LZ did the courteous thing and pretended he had never seen it.

"It's lived in," LZ smiled wryly, assessing the room for a clean place to sit.

"Ah...Ha...Yeah...that's one way of looking at it..." WY chuckled humorlessly, rubbing the back of his neck. "You'd think with as much as I travel, I'd learn to not spread out as much..."

"You travel a lot, then?"

"Yeah...for work, mostly. Not really for pleasure. It's always a nice surprise when the two can overlap. Like this trip! The convention was work, but you're pleasure."

"I'm...Pleasure..." LZ repeated slowly, and WY released a high-pitched...something. He did an excellent teapot impersonation. He hoped A-Yuan never learned how.

"Ah! Ha...sorry...that sounds...Ah...No...You're not pleasure...I mean you are!" he rushed to correct.

"I've been looking forward to this ever since I saw you! I just...Ayio...I sound like NHS...I just mean...you know. You're. This is. Personal. You know? It's nice. I don't get that often."

"Mm," LZ agreed, inclining his head. "I'm glad I could be pleasure, then."

LZ watched with delight as the blush on WY's face spread down towards his neck.

"Yeah...Yeah me too," WY laughed nervously. "Do you maybe...How about I...You need a place do sit, don't you?"

WY glanced around the room. Everything was covered, except, miraculously, the bed.

If housecleaning hadn't come by, it may not have been much better.

"Do you mind sitting on the bed? Or I can throw things around..."

"The bed is sufficient."

LZ normally didn't like to wear outside clothing on a bed. He supposed this time, he would have to make an exception. If it was fine with WY, it would be fine with him.

"Great! Perfect! Wonderful! You're the best, gege...Do want to watch TV? Oh! Or, you know what? If you want...I can pull up the footage we shot earlier? If you want to have a peek at that? I always love watching everything after shooting."

"I would like that."

"Great! Perfect! Fantastic! Sit down and I'll just...Get that set up...Let me just..." WY laughed nervously, grabbing his computer off his desk while LZ sat as requested.

The mattress shook as WY plopped down next to him, rooting through the bag he'd dropped on the floor at the foot of the bed for the camera.

"Here," WY said, handing LZ his computer as he wrangled a mess of wires. "Would you mind opening up iMovie for me?"

"Mm," LZ nodded, and opened the lid to his laptop...

...only to be greeted by a photo of himself from five years ago on his Instagram page.

Ending it here for tonight!

....Nothing to see here. As we were.

It was his first family vacation with A-Yuan. A gift from LH and NMJ so they could all spend some time together, bonding as a new family in a tropical resort.

It had been...terrible.

LZ had spent the majority of it stressing over A-Yuan. The flight had been a nightmare - the change in altitude making A-Yuan cry when his ears refused to pop. The time change was horrible, throwing off his sleep schedule and snack times.

Then there were the mosquitoes…The sun burn despite the ample and liberal use of sunblock. The seasickness on the boat for snorkeling.

He’d even pulled back the sheets to reveal a lizard lounging in bed.

When the last day rolled around LZ was ready to go home, and the very one agreed they’d just spend the day by the pool.

They didn’t leave it once. Not for food. Not for drinks. Not for the ocean. They’d just claimed a few chairs by the edge of the pool and swam.

Just before sunset, LZ felt the strain of the trip and of being a new parent get the best of him. For the first time in his adult life - save for illness - LZ took a nap.

There were two hammocks tucked off to the side of the pool, crowded by plants and covered by a large white swath of fabric. LH and NMJ had encouraged him to go - saying they would be happy to look after A-Yuan for an hour or so.

When LZ woke up, it was to the swaying of his hammock as a small A-Yuan climbed, wrapping his flushed body tightly around LZ's torso - using his shoulder as a pillow.

That was the first time it had really sunk in that A-Yuan...this small, tiny person, was his son.

That this child wanted him as much as LZ had wanted A-Yuan. He could have gone to the other hammock - it had been empty...But A-Yuan had chosen to be with him.

LZ didn't move for a long time, almost too afraid to breathe.

…and when A-Yuan snuggled just a little closer to LZ, burying his face into LZs damp skin, breathing out, “Baba” for the first time…LZ was sure that breathing wouldn’t have mattered because he had forgotten how.

That’s when LH had taken the photo. With LZ’s lips pressed to A-Yuan’s head, holding him tight.

In the end, that vacation had been...

Wonderful.

Simply wonderful.

"Ah ha! Ok - here it is. Let me just—Oh..." WY said, his voice swinging from triumphant to nervous. "I...ah...I can explain that..."

LZ's eyes flicked to WY as he squirmed next to him, making the bed shift beneath them.

"I...Ah...So...Would you believe me if I said I fell asleep on the keys? And then woke up and realized the time and that I was running late and then bolted for the door and called a car?"

He would not, and he thought that this was adorable.

"Mm..." LZ replied noncommittally, his lips quirking up into the smallest of smiles. "And you were on my Instagram page because..."

WY squeaked and somehow turned redder.

"LZ. Lan Zhaaan...Can't you let a guy save some face? Alright. Look. If you must know, I just...I missed you guys. After the con and everything. And I was hoping...Ah...well...It doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

WY shifted on the bed beside him, nervously winding the chord around his fingers.

"I just thought...maybe if I scrolled through your pictures, I could learn more about you guys. And if I could do that, maybe I wouldn't miss you as much. But...I'm not a very smart man, you see,"

WY explained, taking a deep breath and turning to meet LZ's gaze finally. WY's eyes were so open. So sincere...Silver pools of raw longing. It made LZ's heart ache that much more.

"It just made things worse."

"Worse," LZ whispered, the knot of his throat bobbing as he swallowed around what had to be his heart.

"Yeah," WY replied, his eyes dropping to LZ's lips. "Worse."

"Why?"

"Ah...gege...Don't you know?" WY smiled in wry amusement, twisting the cable between his fingers.

It seemed to draw his attention back to the task at hand.

"I should set this up and shower, hm? Look at me, wasting all this time..."

"Time spent with you is not a waste."

WY huffed a laugh and took his computer back from LZ, connecting it to his camera.

"LZ, you're dangerous. Do you know that? When did you become so smooth, hm? You should be careful or you'll give a guy the wrong impression."

"What if it's the right one?"

WY huffed a laugh and refocused on his computer.

"Dangerous. I should have written my will before this date."

"Worried I'll kill you?"

"Worried I won't survive tonight, yes..." WY nodded, opening the footage - adamantly keeping his eyes on the screen.

"Ah ha!" WY cried triumphantly, as his intro began playing through the small speakers. "Success! This is for you," WY said, sliding the computer into LZ's lap, "And I'll just go and shower quickly and then we can...Ah..." he paused catching LZ's eye. Swallowing.

"Yeah. Right. Right! Showering."

This time, it was as if he needed to firmly remind himself.

"Mm...hurry back," LZ encouraged, making WY swallow and scramble off the bed.

"Dangerous, gege! I hope you know that," he teased, disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door behind himself.

LZ heard a loud thump against the bathroom door and smiled to himself before trying to turn his attention back to the screen.

It was hard though. Knowing that he was affecting WY - who had flirted with anyone and everyone - like this...It was powerful.

He wondered if he made WY blush hard enough, if it would spread to his shoulders too.

Maybe, if he tried, he could get that blush to spread down to his chest.

...Or perhaps, if he couldn't make him blush, he could make his chest flush all the same. He wondered what that would take. What he would have to do.

The rush of water from the shower started, drifting out from behind the closed door, and LZ was suddenly struck by the thought that he was here.

Alone with WY...Who was completely naked in the next room. Vulnerable. He could surprise him right now, if he wanted to. Abandon the laptop on the bed. Push open the bathroom door. Pull back the curtain...

He wondered what WY would do.

He wondered what WY would look like, completely wet.

Shoulder-length hair clinging to his skin. His neck. Water beading on his skin...shimmering in the dimly lit bathroom. Steam swirling around him. His body warm and soft—

—A-Yuan's high-pitched shriek of laughter brought LZ back to the computer he was grasping in a white-knuckled grip on his lap, and he shifted uncomfortably on WY's bed, trying to not think about the implications of where he sat.

This was a fantasy he would wrap in a bow and tuck away for later. At a time when he was more alone and less likely to find himself in an embarrassing situation later.

LZ counted to ten, exhaled slowly, and watched the delight bloom across A-Yuan's face as they moved from the first experiment to the second.

LZ loved this part.

WY was reaching down below to grab the bottle of soap, only instead, he scooped up a small handful of sand and flicked it over at A-Yuan's shins.

The next five minutes had been A-Yuan chasing WY down the beach until WY had let A-Yuan catch him.

He allowed A-Yuan to tackle him, falling to the sand and taking A-Yuan with him.

The ease of the whole interaction...Of how WY protected A-Yuan's small form as they fell...Of how they teased one another...

LZ exhaled shakily, closing his eyes.

This was what LH and NMJ had.

This was what LZ had thought he could never have. This was what LZ wanted.

More than anything.

LZ heard the shower turn off as A-Yuan and WY had returned to the table, shaking out their clothes from the sand, and noticed again the hint of a tattoo peeking out across WY's side.

LZ, so absorbed in the scene, hadn't realized he'd zoomed in when WY had lifted his shirt - like he was trying to get a better look at the art.

"Alright, alright...let's be serious now," WY had reprimanded, a bright twinkle in his eye as he winked and bent over to pick up the soap.

He didn't remember zooming in on WY's ass either...And he was mortified...and glad that he had.

It was so.

*Round.*

And.

*Firm.*

"See something you like, gege?" WY teased, startling LZ into snapping the laptop shut and straightening his neck, putting a kink in it.

He didn't remember tilting it.

"LZ!! It's ok - I don't mind," WY laughed. "I think it's one of my better features."

LZ exhaled slowly, turning to apologize to WY and felt all the air get punched out of his lungs.

WY was standing there. In his hotel room. Soaking wet and rubbing one towel through his hair...while only a second one was wrapped dangerously low on his hips.

LZ couldn't stop himself from dragging his eyes over WY's body - watching as a drop of water journeyed down from his wet hair across his chest. Skipped past a dusky nipple. Rolled down the planes of his abdomen, disappearing into his towel.

"Sorry, I...ah...Kinda forgot to grab some clean clothes before I showered. I hope you don't mind," WY continued, and LZ had to tear his eyes away from the towel to meet WY's gaze again.

"No."

"Good! That's great then. That's like. The last thing I want to do. Make you uncomfortable, I mean."

"I'm...Fine."

If one could call this fine. It was taking every ounce of his willpower to behave himself - not do something he was sure he would later regret.

"Great! Wonderful! Love that," WY grinned, dropping the towel he had been using to the floor...and revealing the tattoo across his side in full.

LZ froze at the sight of it.

A rabbit wrapped in peonies.

"I won't take long," WY continued, walking around to rifle through the pile of clothes on the chair.

"WY," LZ croaked, and WY looked over his shoulder at LZ.

"What's wrong?" he asked, straightening and giving LZ his full attention. "Are you ok?"

"I," LZ swallowed, looking for the words. "Your tattoo."

"My...Oh..." WY blushed, covering a small portion of it with his hand. "That..."

"That," LZ repeated, frozen in place - wanting to go to him and peel his fingers from his side. Look at it better, Touch it.

"I forgot it was...that you would...See it. When I came out. I guess I wasn't thinking," he chuckled nervously. "Do you...remember?" WY whispered, rubbing his thumb along the length of the tattoo. "You probably don't. It was such a...It was so meaningless. To you, I mean."

Meaningless.

How could he think that?

"It was in school - Do you remember how I used draw on myself all the time? And then I started to let all of my friends do it too. It started with NHS saying he could do a better job and he drew these lotus flowers all over my arm..."

"And then JC started doing it. And then it just sort of snowballed from there...But one time I...Ah...I bullied you into it. I told you that all of my friends were doing it, so since you were my friend—"

"—I had to do it too," LZ finished. "It was just before spring break. We did it on the field by the track team."

"Yeah," WY chuckled, releasing his side. "You...ah...You remember..."

"Mm..." he nodded, eyes combing over the tattoo - just as he remembered drawing it.

"I remember."

He didn't think he'd ever be able to forget it. WY had been doing homework with LZ at the time - working on a group project for history class together. His arms had been littered in drawings from people, but he insisted that LZ do one too.

"Where would it go?" he'd asked. "There's no room."

He'd thought that argument would get him out of it. Instead, WY had just lifted his shirt and pointed to his side.

"How about here?"

In the presence of that smile...of all that *skin*...LZ had been helpless to say no.

He'd tried to be so careful when he did it - tried to make sure his hands weren't shaking. That WY wouldn't see how overwhelmed he'd felt being allowed to touch him like this.

He was rather proud of his ability to keep himself together, at the time.

"Why?"

"Eh? Why what?"

"Why did you tattoo it?" he clarified, and WY shifted his eyes to the side.

"Ah...It's stupid, really...Not all that important..."

"It is to me," he said for a second time, and WY released a breathy chuckle.

"Cruel, LZ. You're a cruel man. Everyone thinks you're so kind and just and a virtuous pillar of all that's good in this world, but it's all to hide how cruel you are, isn't it?"

He was trying to be aloof. Teasing.

He was coming off as scared. Nervous.

"The worst," LZ agreed. "WY...please?"

WY gnawed at his lip for a moment before sighing, "Alright. But it's...it's stupid. And you can't make fun of me, alright? Promise me you won't make fun of me?"

"Never."

"Yeah. Yeah...Ok..." WY whispered to himself, then, steeling his nerves said, "Most people, when they drew on me, they were quick about it. They rushed through it and drug the pen into my skin which - it's not like I minded or anything...But when you did it...The way you..."

A sigh. A steadying breath.

"The way you did it was soft and gentle. And you were so careful about it. You really took your time with it and it...It just...You made me feel...special," he whispered.

"Like you didn't want to rush through it, because you really wanted me to like it. It just...I...I felt special. Like I was worth..." he drifted off, looking down at the hotel room floor. "Anyway...You said you wouldn't make fun of me, so you can't make fun of me, alright?"

"You promised."

"Never..." LZ whispered, rising from the bed and moving to stand in front of WY. "I'd never make fun of you."

"Oh..." WY exhaled shakily. "That's...yeah. That's good, then. Good. I'm glad. Thanks, gege..."

"You still haven't told me why," LZ pressed, eyes glued to the tattoo.

"Ah..." WY chuckled nervously, "I suppose I haven't...I just...Don't laugh but, I just wanted to remember feeling that...that special," he admitted. "And I guess I...I wanted something to remember you by."

"You were really important to me, you know. But you never told me why you picked this - don't I deserve an explanation, gege? After all this time?"

Ending it here for the night - it's 12:30 am. Back to top!

"You tattooed it on your body, and you don't remember what it means?" LZ exhaled, swallowing down the small hurt that bubbled up from the pit of his stomach.

So what if he didn't.

WY had done this for other reasons - reasons that made LZ feel like WY had cracked open his chest cavity, carefully scooped his heart out, and tenderly wrapped it in soft blankets.

"Remind me, gege," WY whispered, the knot of his throat bobbing as he swallowed.

"I had a violin recital...Do you recall it?"

WY exhaled slowly, "Yeah...Yeah it was so hard to get you to tell me about it...You didn't want me to come at first."

"I didn't want to be distracted."

"Afraid I was going to start yelling in the middle of your performance?"

"I was afraid I'd see how beautiful you were and I wouldn't be able to focus."

WY inhaled sharply, his face looking like LZ had just knocked the air from his lungs.

"Oh...LZ...LZ you can't say those things and look like at me like that," WY replied, voice trembling. "What's a man supposed to do with that much sincerity?"

"Listen to it," LZ replied, reaching out and tucking a strand of damp hair behind WY's ear.

"Why did you tell me to come, then? If I was going to be such a distraction?"

"Knowing you wanted to be there and weren't would have been equally distracting," LZ replied, running his knuckles down along the edge of WY's cheek.

"Ah...I...I see..."

"Mm," LZ replied, not sure if WY did see. "You have always been very good at distracting me, just by existing. I couldn't stop thinking about you..."

"LZ...You'll give a man a complex..."

"You should have it."

WY's eyes scanned LZ's, lips slightly parted.

"And...ah...What...ah...Does this have to do with...Oh..." WY breathed. "Oh the peonies..."

"Mm," LZ nodded, his hand drifting from WY's cheek to his side, hovering lightly above WY's skin. Close enough that he could feel the heat of WY's body, but not close enough to touch. "The peonies...And the rabbit."

WY had been standing at the back of the crowd after, hopping from foot to foot, waiting for everyone to finish shaking LZ's hand, with a bouquet of peonies and a stuffed rabbit.

"I can't believe you remember that," WY murmured, leaning forward just a hair, making LZ's hand brush his skin.

"Why wouldn't I? You made me feel special."

"LZ..." WY exhaled shakily. "I don't care if this is a first date - if you don't kiss me right now, I swear I'll never forgiv—MM!"

LZ gripped the side of WY's waist tighter, pulling WY's body to his and crashing their lips together before he could finish the thought.

LZ felt WY's body tense against him in surprise before relaxing, allowing LZ to pull him closer. WY's lips were soft against his. Pliant.

He allowed LZ to take the lead - allowed LZ to work his lips open before pulling back, drawing a whimper from WY.

The feeling of WY's lips lingered against his as he rest his forehead on WY's. It felt so sureal. It felt...

Good.

"Oh," WY breathed. "Oh, you should do that again. Like. Right now."

LZ huffed a laugh and kissed WY again. This time it was softer. More tender, but no less invigorating. LZ felt WY wrap his arms around his neck, pulling him closer until their bodies were pressed flush.

WY's finger's trailed up the back of his neck, making him shiver.

It felt like his every nerve ending was waking at WY's touch - the slide of his fingers along his skin exquisitely sharp.

It made him shudder and walk WY backwards until his back hit the wall a few steps away.

It made him shiver which only made LZ's heart pound that much harder in his chest cavity. It was a wild creature - ready to burst free of its cage.

LZ's fingers dug deeper into WY's side, while his other hand wound through his wet tresses - tugging.

WY's mouth parted in a near-silent gasp, allowing LZ's tongue to slip inside and LZ moaned. Distantly, he was in disbelief. Distantly, this felt like a dream.

Presently, he felt WY's fingers tugging his hair, trying to kiss LZ back as hard as he was being kissed.

LZ felt like he was melting - boiling from the inside out wherever WY touched him. Absently, he wondered if WY felt the same way. If he was as overcome with arousal as LZ was.

If he craved more of LZ's touch the way LZ craved more of WY's.

LZ pushed further into WY - needing to be closer. Needing to touch more of him. He wedged a leg between WY's thighs, and WY's hips thrust up against LZ of their own volition, allowing him to feel that he wasn't the only one who had become hard.

"LZ," WY breathed as LZ kissed the corner of his mouth when WY pulled away to breathe. "We should...Fuck, LZ..."

"Yes. We should," LZ agreed, mouthing at WY's neck.

"I..." WY blinked through the fog, his breath hitching as LZ pulled his earlobe between his teeth, lightly nipping it. WY shivered in his arms, and LZ couldn't stop the groan of approval even if he wanted to.

"Oh..." he breathed, "Oh but I can't...LZ..."

LZ paused, lightly holding WY's earlobe between his teeth until WY turned his face. It was the first time LZ had really looked at WY since they had started, and - oh...Oh he looked...

Debauched.

His damp hair was wild from LZ's fingers pulling at it. His lips were spit-slick and full from when LZ had licked his way into WY's mouth. His pupils were dilated, making the silver of his irises appear pewter. His face was completely flushed.

If WY hadn't just said "I can't", LZ wouldn't have been able to keep from kissing him again.

"Ah LZ...Didn't I tell you? I have a date tonight with the most handsome man in the world. A true, rare beauty...What will he think of me? Spreading my legs so fast..."

"What happens if he just wants to fuck me and leave, and then I don't see him again for another 16 years, hm? I don't think my poor heart is strong enough for that, LZ..."

Oh...Oh WY...

"Never," LZ reassured, allowing his eyes to express just a small fraction what he felt show.

"Oh..." WY breathed, trembling.

"I wonder what my date must think of me," LZ murmured, allowing his hand to drift over WY's tattoo again. "Throwing myself at him...Taking anything he's willing to offer...Wanting him so much I can't control myself...What must he think..."

"Maybe he wants that," WY swallowed. "Maybe he wants you to lose control."

He slowly drew his hand up the side of LZ's neck, cupping it to hold him in place.

"Maybe...He wants you to take what's always been yours."

LZ crashed his lips back into WY's - teeth and tongues clashing together as he worked WY's mouth back open. WY moaned and trembled beneath him, and LZ greedily drank every sound - every gasp and whimper - like he needed them to survive.

Absently, LZ was aware of WY's foot running up along the line of his calf - too distracted by the feeling of WY's warm, pliant body pressed against his until WY's leg wrapped around his waist.

Suddenly, the damp towel that had once been wrapped around WY dropped to the floor as LZ found his hands under WY's bare thighs, helping hold him up.

"I promise," WY said between kisses - hands tugging LZ's head back, "it's normally much harder to get me naked."

"I look forward to the challenge."

"Fuck, gege," WY whimpered as LZ's fingertips pressed further into WY's thighs digging little crescents from his nails into his skin. "You too. Too many clothes."

"Then get rid of them," LZ managed between fevered kisses, sucking a mark into WY's neck, just below his jaw.

"So wise. So smart. Ah! LZ...*yes*," WY mewled as LZ sunk his teeth into his skin. "Fuck, why is that so good?"

LZ didn't have an answer for him. He didn't think he could formulate a coherent reply as WY's talented fingers somehow wormed their way between their bodies and pulled at the buttons of LZ's shirt.

"Come'on...Off, off, off..." WY chanted, hips spasming forward as LZ scraped his teeth against the knot of WY's throat.

"Rip it."

"What?"

"Rip it off," LZ repeated, kneading the muscle of WY's thighs. He needed WY on a bed.

Now.

(More to come! This post is a back up of the original thread, and will be continued in conjunction with the original thread to ensure I don't lose my work and people can still follow and get updates of the very very rough draft!)

#mdzs #mdzs fanfiction #lwj x wwx #wangxian #dadji #scientist wwx #modern au

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mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess · 1 year

Text

Mall Santa

Day Four of WangXian Christmas Stories!

If you asked Wei Ying, this whole “take pictures with the mall Santa” thing was quite the weird tradition. In what other circumstance would one allow their child to sit on a costumed stranger’s lap, take pictures and ask for gifts? None! So how did it become okay to do it if the stranger was dressed as Santa?

Regardless, A-Yuan seemed beyond excited at the prospect of there being a mall Santa in their city and no matter what Wei Ying told him, he wouldn’t give up on the idea of meeting him, even if the queue was long and they could have done a million other things in the meantime. A-Yuan could be impossibly stubborn when he wanted something, a trait Wei Ying didn’t know whether he picked up from himself or from Auntie Wen Qing. Probably both.

So, Wei Ying had to interrupt their Christmas shopping for friends and relatives to meet this mall Santa, only comforted by A-Yuan’s excitement and the knowledge that it would be over soon. Sure, the boy was adorable, and Wei Ying loved seeing him happy and full of holiday cheer, but Wei Ying was getting a bit skittish waiting in line and if another lady cut in front of them again, he was quite sure he would eviscerate her, goodness be damned.

Eventually though, their turn came, and A-Yuan all but jumped in Santa’s arms.

“Hello, little one! What would you like Santa to bring you this year? Have you been good?”

“Yes, yes, very good! You can ask baba!”

Wei Ying laughed a bit and nodded in agreement, sharing a bit of a conspiring look with Santa.

“Well, then, would you like some new toys?”

“Yes, but that’s not what I want the most.”

“Oh? Then what else do you wish, little one?”

“I want Baba and Rich-gege to get married, of course!”

Wei Ying turned redder than Santa’s clothes. A-Yuan continued. “They’ve been going out for like a hundred years and I know they love each other so they need to get married already! I want a second daddy! And a little brother to play with, because Jingyi can’t always come over and I get so bored!”

Santa laughed heartily as Wei Ying attempted to cover his face with a hand, the other carrying a dozen shopping bags. He was really going to die of embarrassment in the middle of the mall, wasn’t he?

“Anyways, you’re supposed to be able to work miracles, right? That’s what Baba needs, so please, please, please, do it! I promise I’ll be even better this year, and I won’t steal A-Ling’s sweets at recess when he doesn’t look ever again!”

Wei Ying didn’t know whether to laugh or attempt to hide behind the giant mall Christmas tree. No wonder Jin Guangyao was always giving him the side eye... so much for A-Yuan having been a perfect kid.

“Santa’s going to try his best. But other than that, is there anything else you wish for?”

A-Yuan lifted a suspicious eyebrow. “Well, didn’t you read the letter I sent you? You can get me the remote control train set I wrote about in there!”

Santa smiled brightly. “Of course, of course, I remember now! I’ll do my best to make your wishes come true this year! Merry Christmas, little one!”

“Okay, thank you! Merry Christmas!”

And A-Yuan jumped off the man’s lap and ran towards Wei Ying, as if nothing even happened and he didn’t just air their business for half the queue to hear.

“A-Yuan... Santa can’t grant wishes like that one you asked him...” Wei Ying began as they picked up their McDonald’s order in the food court. A-Yuan took his Happy Meal and sat at a table as Wei Ying drank from a tall cup of too hot coffee, seated in front of him

“Santa can grant any wish! And besides, it’s not that big of a deal.” and the boy sipped from his juice emphatically, “Rich-gege showed me the ring he’s going to give you anyways, I just want it to happen already!”

Wei Ying almost choked on his drink.

A-Yuan bit into his chicken nugget piece like nothing at all happened.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wangxian #writing attempts

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pandomech · 1 year

Text

Everything that was traded

Spoilers for Dimension 20 Neverafter Episode 18, The Trials of Baba Yaga. BE WARNED THIS IS BIG SPOILERS

Okie doki first this will try to cover the actual facts, what I think was traded and for what, and finally some random wants in this order.

The Facts

-Gerard goes first, in the actual episode Brian Murphy as Gerard says "I would give you my name, my humanity, for hers, for her name." then Brennan Lee Mulligan says "you have asked that Elody's story be hers." In the Adventuring Party for the episode afterward, Brennan revealed what Brian had written "My name/humanity."

-Rosamund next, again in the actual episode Brennan as Baba Yaga says "for you to end this story your own way, then give it to me, princess." Siobhan Thompson as Rosamund said, " I make the choice to be alone, if that's the choice that I get to make that is mine." A bit after Brennan says in his voice "Do you want to give up this hope that you could have this in order that this person would be let go?" to which Rosamund simply responds "-Yes." later in the Adventuring Party it was shown that Siobhan wrote "My true love,❤❤❤"

-Ylfa seems to have no specific moment of a deal but there was a deal just untold, but here are some maybe trade moments. The Baba Yaga says "a rare, rare treasure indeed." after Ylfa hugs her grandma goodbye which Brennan follows up with "- The memory of the little girl leaves.", a bit later he also says "- The memory is something you leave behind", then a bit later Emily asks "I gave away the memory of my grandma, right?" which Brennan answers "- I think you know you gave something, and you feel pain of its absence, but you don't know what it was." also in a tiny bit later Siobhan asks "- Can I give Ylfa some really deep scritches?" which Ylfa replies "- Who's Ylfa?" the Adventuring Party revealing Emily wrote "The Little Girl, so that all that's left is the wolf,' or 'Memory of my grandmother dying, so that I have to experience the loss of her all over again."

-Pinocchio then is asked by the Baba Yaga "what would you give? What would you give for a chance to write this story a different way?" and Lou for Pinocchio responds "would offer up any chance he ever had of being a boy again." A bit later Brennan says "But as the light fades, a single scrap of paper from The Lines Between comes through that portal as it vanishes, floating just in front of you with a name written on it." which Pinocchio then plucks out of the air as Brennan soon after reveals the Step Mother's name "Minerva." Lastly in the Adventuring Party Lou wrote "The chance to be a real boy again."

-Timothy following is asked by the Baba Yaga "powerful book, Mother Goose. What would you give to write in it truly?" and Mother Goose responds "I would offer you a full page." which Baba Yaga responds "That's a deal!" then in a bit she also says "For this precious thing, I think I will be coming to The Lines Between with you." and like all the others in the Adventuring Party it is said Ally wrote "A full page of the true book (the rest will possibly be shredded, disseminated to all other people of the world."

-Pib finally is asked by the Baba Yaga "What would you be willing to give to find the path through this place?" and Zac thinking for Pib says "I think he would think of his story, his book." AND SEEMINGLY SHE ONLY GIVES HIM ADVANTAGE WHAT THE F*?/<NG H\}L CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT ELSE HE GETS WHAT!!! also in Adventuring Party Zac wrote on the paper "Pib's book."

Simplifications

Here's is what I think was actually traded and for what

-Gerard traded his name (turning him into his archetype / just a frog prince) for his story to become Elodys

-Rosamund traded her connection with her true love for some freedom I guess not sure but it seems like more than just ADVANTAGE

-Ylfa traded all of her memories of her grandma which explain why so much of herself is gone including her memory of her name since she only got it because it was her grandma

-Pinnochio traded the possibility that he would ever turn into a real boy for the weakening of the Step-Mother/her name

-Timothy traded a whole page of his true book for the Baba Yaga being with them in The Lines Between

-Pib traded his book SEEMINGLY JUST FOR ADVANTAGE, I GUESS GOOD STANDING WITH THE BABA YAGA BUT TRADING ANYTHING IS CREATING GOOD STANDING WHAT THE F*CK AT LEAST MAKE IT AN AUTOMATIC SUCCESS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

Anywhoo

Random Wants

I would have liked it if when Gerard's new form was shown instead of saying Prince Gerard of Greenleigh it just said

"A Frog Prince (He/Him) The Frog Prince"

since that would be such a simple change and a thousand times more devastating, how he's just a frog prince, the fact that there is a near infinite version of him that all go by he/him pronouns from the story of The Frog Prince.

A slightly harder creation is art for the rest of the player characters one that is obvious to me is art for Pinocchio where it would be him looking straight forward making the info that he is a puppet, without face muscles, pupils, an actual moving mouth, or a face that can articulate how sad and empty he feels. Mother Goose's art could be also be facing forward holding his book in his arms as his face being lit by the magic in his book as certain characters from the book are because of a lack for a better word holograming. Pib's art could be mixture of the previous arts of him being a clear feral devious cat in much more of a regal stature like him standing straight up showing his fangs with his daggers in his hands but not going to stab something.

Final want the characters being happy goddamm has these episodes been great but depressing as fuck ugh.

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chlocxli · 1 year

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What is a Legacy?

Li Ruì’s Journal, as found in the Talbot Archives. A selection of entries that feel pertinent to Chloe as she reads through them alongside Lilith, trying to make sense of where this family history comes from.

For years, Li family Seers have been tasked with keeping Journals of their time as the family Seer. Li Ruì has been a mystery for many years as her journal mysteriously went “missing” after the family’s cross country move from Las Vegas to New England. Some stories had been brought down from generation to generation, but all seemed to stop before they reached Chloe. She’s none the wiser to any connection the Midnight Underground or how her family ties into the world she felt as if she had blindly stumbled into.

June 2nd, 1905

We moved to Las Vegas today. The town has something special, I can feel it in my finger tips. Baba thinks it was all his idea, but I’ve been hinting for weeks to convince him of such. The town has such potential that he had no choice but to say yes, but moreso, it feels so incredibly special to me. Having been to many places across the west coast, it holds an energy that none of my family can't quite place, but I know it’s right, whatever this feeling is.

I’ll become a school teacher soon. I’ve never been quite so excited for a new chapter in life as I have this one. It’s a funny feeling, to be an Oracle such as I am, I’ve never seen my own future before my eyes, but I know it’s going to be something special. I can feel it in the pit of my stomach, and Zumu promised me that a gut feeling could be just as powerful as the sight we are given by Jiǎngjiě yuán. I have no choice but to trust it! I can only hope things continue to improve for us throughout life to come.

June 30th, 1905

Cicerone appeared to me today. It was unexpected, I never thought I would see her with my own undeserving eyes. However, she insisted that our family have been good to her. That we were destined for great things. Insisted she wanted me to have that power, even. I didn’t know what to say, but I very well couldn’t say no!

She placed a hand over mine, and swore to me that my family would be powerful seers again. Revered like we were before we left for America. I know she’ll make good on her word.

She wore the clothes of a debutant, frills and beautiful pastel colors adorning her body. Though, I suppose it’s not her true form if what others tell me are true. No mortal could see her as her true self without consequence. But, she has deemed me worthy of her knowledge. All I can do is prove that she was right to choose our family.

October 17th, 1905

I’ve met so many people here like us. Not Seers, but those misunderstood who have felt the need to hide until they’ve come here. Vampires, Werewolves, and Wizards alike have all flocked to this town, drawn in by the same power that drew us. It feels comfortable. As if we’ve wandered lost with a shroud drawn over our eyes until this moment where we’ve all found each other.

Moira Devlin, a Vampire, seems to be a great leader. She takes great care to display her power, and rightfully so as a woman in all of this. I admire her a great deal. She seems to recognize the power I have, though I have not disclosed the blessing given to me. However, I take her appreciation of the power I have as a blessing. Not many have in recent years, and it feels right to be recognized.

Then there is the Talbot family, a Werewolf pack. Their leader is Samuel Talbot, I quite like him! Not romantically of course, he’s spoken for, but he’s charming and has a good sense of humor. We get along well, though we do have our differences, they don’t seem to matter as much as they could! I hope this is something that persists through our time together. This is quite a special friendship.

July 16th, 1906

The visions have been getting difficult to manage over the last year. They’re more vivid, and leave lingering side effects that I haven’t had before. And much more important, too. Rather than seeing the mundane, I see the dangerous facts. Violence, pain, death, and more all seem to become a part of my readings in some respect now. They were something I was no stranger to before, but I worry that the once vivacious nature of visions is fading into something that may be used against me in time. Or, may this not come true, against my family.

Samuel assures me that it’s not all bad. Power is met with responsibility as he’s learned as he’s led his pack. I’m helping those that I see, too, warning them of what could be, and giving them a chance to be vigilant and in control of their futures. A power not so easily bestowed, but I feel as if he doesn’t understand why I feel the way that I do about these things. I am one young woman, and holding this responsibility in my hands doesn’t feel fair.

April 17th, 1907

I marry in a few weeks. Sometimes I think Samuel is more excited than I for the occasion. He’s been close since I spoke with him about my fears with my visions last year, and I thank him for that constantly. He insists it’s what he’s meant to do as a leader, strong and solid. However, I tell him often that those are not the only qualities that make up leadership. Least of all his leadership. I’ve watched him lead with a heavy hand, but I know him to be gentle and kind as well. A soft and open heart ready to appreciate the hearts of those around him.

He tells me I discredit him with such comments, but I see him smile while he says it. I know he knows me to be truthful, I’ve never been less than truthful with him at least. And, he says he appreciates that. Too many people are willing to lie to him, and he doesn’t know how to handle that. It’s much easier to deal with my ‘brutal honesty’ as he puts it.

We agreed today that we would be Best Friends. More than that, we agreed our Children would be best friends when the time came, too. They will inevitably be as joined at the hip as we are, and I look forward to the adventures our families will share in the years to come. We insist that we will always be connected somehow, and that brings me an indescribable joy.

December 15th, 1909

The visions only seem to be getting worse. Maybe it’s this place, and the chaos that it’s been slowly brewing, but all that I seem to note are the horrors people will face. Including Samuel. Poor Samuel. It wasn’t even a purposeful reading, he says he doesn't ever want one of mine after all that I’ve seen. Blissful ignorance is safer. But feeling a bullet rip through one of the people I hold most dear requires me to say something. I couldn’t keep it from him even if it was what he would have preferred. I told him all that I saw, though it wasn’t much to create a mental picture with.

Wherever it was, it was incredibly dark, almost blurry. It was as if an arm extended from the shadow, and a gun fired so loud I thought my ears would ring for days. And then there was this sharp pain that seemed to rip through my entire body, and there I stood helpless, feeling the way life seemed to siphon from my body with no chance of recovery. Though I don’t know for sure, it must have been a silver bullet to cause such concrete damage. Samuel has told me time and time again that silver is the only thing that can do him true damage.

I couldn’t quite gauge his reaction the way I wish I could have. I begged him to speak with me about it in the hopes we could come up with a solution, but he seemed far too accepting of a fate I do not wish to see befall him. I’ve never had such pushback from him on a matter before. I don’t know how to feel about all of this, and he’s the only person I wish to discuss it with, though I feel as if I can’t speak to him on the matter.

January 7th, 1910

As if the issue with Samuel is not enough, I had another vision today off someone by mistake. I didn’t know him well, but I knew him to be a family man. A human at that. His entire family is slated to die if he isn’t careful, and worst of all, he will involve himself in this world through a deal with a demon. He’s to become Tainted like so many before him. There’s nothing I can do if he refuses to believe me which seems to be the case.

I told him then and there that the danger was apparent, written in the strings of fate already. He reacted so poorly, I couldn’t explain it as well as I hoped to, but I’ve done my job. I’ve told him what I saw, and there’s nothing else I can do. As I’ve learned, time and time again, there is no way to make someone believe the truth. A lesson learned is the only way for one to learn the truth.

I wish him well. I hope I’m wrong.

February 12th, 1910

I tried to speak with Samuel again. I wanted to know if he had taken any sort of protective measures or if he even knew of anyone we could question about an incident like this. Shooting the Alpha of a Talbot pack was no small atrocity, and one that I am sure more than myself would like to see never come to pass. All it did was upset him, and I can tell he’s been upset with me for quite some time. He of all people should know that I don’t choose what I see, and that I do not wish him ill. But, it doesn’t seem like enough to temper his anger.

He yelled at me in a way that I’ve never heard him do before, and I didn’t know what to do but to yell back. It just continued to escalate from there, and when I insisted that I couldn’t sit by and watch all of these horrible things continue to come to pass anymore, he said that maybe I shouldn’t remain in the Underground anymore.

And, like a fool, I agreed.

Moving away has been in the back of my head for weeks now, but I didn’t want it to be like this. Las Vegas still feels like home, but I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t subject my Daughter to this life. Still, it feels as if Samuel has forced my hand when I wanted this to be something we planned together. Perhaps moving just far enough that it was only a day trip by train when one of us worked up the fare.

But, now all I want is to be as far from any reminder of this place as possible. I can get a job on the east coast somewhere, I’m almost certain of that fact. And, the distance will be good for my family. I don’t want this place to stain us any longer.

Maybe one day we’ll be cut out for this life. Maybe one day we can return to the Underground when we’re stronger. But my place is not here. And, I don’t want it to be some mission by our future Seers to claim their place here by sheer dumb will alone. This Journal will be lost with the rest of our life here. I’ll leave it with Samuel’s wife, kept safe and away from my own family. I trust her with it, as I’ve trusted both her and Samuel with my life.

If, one day, someone reads through this Journal again, know that I’m sorry I couldn’t be stronger. I know this power is a blessing, but it comes with a heavy weight to carry as with any power. It was not a weight I was ready for. One day, someone will be strong enough. Someone in our family has always found strength in the face of adversity, and I know that the promise that we were given by our God will come true. What I wouldn’t give to see it be true.

#{ the insight }#the quality of this is debatable #also please forgive me if I made any errors of like how someone in the early 1900s would write #i was in fact born in the 90s #not the 1890s

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rosethornewrites · 2 years

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Thursday-Sunday NR, E, & M reading

The usual

Finished

Not Rated:

Become Tomorrow, by ShanaStoryteller (5 chapters)

Wei Wuxian gets caught sneaking into Cloud Recesses.

But since he can't tell the truth - that he's just here to deliver his teacher's most recent love letter to her soulmate who's stuck in a cave - he tells a lie instead. He says that he's a Jiang disciple that had arrived late and so had snuck in through the gates. He hadn't expected the lie to work, sure that it would unravel as soon as they found a Jiang to verify it, but instead Jiang Yanli backs up his story, and even adds to it.

Which is how he ends up masquerading as the first disciple of Lotus Pier while trying to figure out how to get out of Cloud Recesses without anyone discovering that he's the disciple of Baoshan Sanren.

No One But You., by ConinaUK

Lan Zhan is convinced his best friend doesn't see him as anything more. He uses dating apps to take his mind off Wei Ying (it doesn't work).

Wei Ying is convinced that Lan Zhan's type is the exact opposite of him. He tries to get Lan Zhan's attention anyway. He thinks it isn't working (it is).

Explicit:

You're Coming Home with Me, by Tokiio

Wei Wuxian needs to finish work and his faithful lover CEO, Lan Wangji just wants to take him home.

Mature:

Good, Good Water, by duustbunny

Delirious with fever from a night-hunt gone wrong, Wei Wuxian mistakes Lan Wangji’s help for something else.

(Fill for a MDZS Kink Meme prompt requesting “Wangxian, forced bathing mistaken for rape attempt”.)

Unfinished

Not Rated:

Regret, by bunny_xian

Wei Ying was falling down the cliff of the nightless city before Jiang Cheng’s sword can touch him, falling while the yin tiger seal was getting destroyed, resentful energy tearing his soul apart, he looked up and saw the desperation, the anguish, the pain in Lan Zhan’s eyes looking at him a single tear fell from his eyes. He wished that if he got a second chance how he would do things differently, how shijie would be able to live or lotus pier won’t be burned.

Lan Zhan was looking down and saw his zhiji falling, with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life.

Little did they both knew that they would get that chance to try to make everything change before it’s too late.

Explicit:

the perfect crime, by Anonymous

lan wangji had to fight tooth and nail to move into his own apartment. when it burns down, he scrambles to find a reason why he can't move back into an apartment his family controls. lucky him, an old friend needs a roommate.

Heart of the Beast, by WaitForTheSnitch

“Wei Ying?” Nie Mingjue prompted him gently. “Where are your parents?”

“They went on a night hunt,” Wei Ying said, a bit evasively.

“Your parents are cultivators?” Da-ge asked in surprise. “Did they leave you here while they hunted? When did they go on their night hunt?”

“Four summers ago,” Wei Ying said a bit uncomfortable.

“Four summers ago,” Nie Mingjue repeated. “What are your parents’ names?”

“My mama is Cangse Sanren and my baba is Wei Changze,” Wei Ying told him, and recognition registered in Nie Mingjue’s eyes.

“Wei Ying,” Nie Mingjue said, sounding a bit regretful, “Your parents aren’t coming back.”

Or, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang run into Wei Ying while in Yiling and decide to bring him home. And it changes everything.

Mature:

Too Much To Bear, by madwriter223

Coming back to life and being immediately thrust into a quest to discover the origins of the demonic arm that had murdered nealy an entire clan overnight was not something Wei Wuxian ever thought he'd have to deal with, but it was fine. He had Lan Wangji and together they were unstoppable.

However he had no clue how to deal with discovering Nie Huaisang was apparently a wreck on the verge of collapse at any given moment. How in the world had this happened?

AKA

this is filed under 'nervous wreck nhs' in my fic folder for a reason

Break my heart myself, by Sesugi

Lan wangji would not be like his father he had thought. No. Never.

So he let Wei Ying go.

He watched with his heart clenching painfully as Wei Ying, his Wei Ying, walked away. Farther and farther away. Till he and Little Apple became all but tiny smudges of black on the rolling green landscape, before disappearing completely.

"WEI-GONGZI WAS FOUND STABBED WITH A ROPE AROUND HIS NECK HANGING FROM A TREE"

The Jingshi's colours swirled in his vision as Lan Wangji's vision went black, he thought he heard his name being called by a frantic voice. But it hardly mattered.

Nothing mattered now. Nothing at all.

Live Again, Love Anew, by kkanime5555

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian finally speaks up.

“Mn.” Lan Zhan hums to show he’s listening.

“I think we traveled back in time.”

...

“I’ll go, Lan Zhan. I’ll come to Gusu with you.”

-----

Or,

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are soulmates and, upon Wei Ying's death, they are sent back to when they first met as kids on the streets of Yiling. From there, they both are taken to Gusu, where they are raised together, gradually learning of their shared feelings and finding out the mystery of who sent them back in time and why, all while planning how to save the world, preferably with all their loved ones left alive.

Bones, by Forever_Marie

Disillusioned with his sect, Lan Wangji abandons it after his punishment. He takes A-Yuan and Lan Jingyi with him as he leaves as he can't stand to think about someone like Wei Ying being snuffed out in the Lan clan. He then gets strung into Nie Huaisangs plot of revenge somehow.

Not that he is complaining.

Paint it Black, by Forever_Marie

Wei Wuxian is saved by the Gusu clan after being abused by the Jiangs. Sort of. They kinda just take him and hide him for years. He is recognized at the lectures and his peaceful life is slowly unraveled.

(My take on a Wei Ying, raised in Gusu. Still a clown but with different baggage)

#the untamed #mo dao zu shi #cql #mdzs #chen qing ling #untamed fanfiction

0 notes

tchallasbabymama · 3 years

Text

Ready

Hey y’all, here’s a request I got a while ago for M’Baku with a breeding kink. I hope I did you proud, anon! More oneshot requests coming soon. Next up: T’Challa in heat❤️‍🔥! Enjoy, and check out my masterlist when you’re done so you can read my other oneshots and series.

Word Count: 3,302

Rada gazed at herself in the mirror as she finished applying a moisturizing serum to her face. Her eyes fell to her stomach and a tiny smile lifted the corners of her mouth, making the slight dimple in her left cheek come out of hiding. That sweet, longing smile turned mischievous when she locked eyes with her reflection and she went over her plan in her head. She was finally ready to take the plunge and become a parent, and she knew her husband, M’Baku, would be more than excited. In their three years of marriage, he never pressured her, but he was very vocal about the fact that he wanted to be a father. Truth be told, part of Rada wanted to have children a couple of years ago, but her fear of raising a child in this fucked up world kept her from going any further. That fear wasn’t completely gone, but it had waned enough for Rada to feel comfortable telling her husband she was ready.

She straightened the lace hem of her red silk nightie and took one last glance at herself before exiting the bathroom. M’Baku sat up on his side of the bed, nose deep in his latest read as Rada posed awkwardly in the doorframe.

“Hey, baby?”

“Yes, love?” he asked without looking up from the page.

Rada rolled her eyes and made her way over to the bed. “What are you reading?”

“A new thriller from Ade Mustafa. Just came out yesterday,” M’Baku mumbled as his eyes scanned each word like it held a secret. Rada crawled onto the bed and pulled the book from his hand. He grumbled in protest until he looked up and saw what his gorgeous wife was wearing and his eyes lit up. Rada placed his book facedown on the nightstand and pulled off his reading glasses.

“I want to talk to you about something.”

“You do not look like you just want to talk,” he grumbled as he planted a kiss on her collarbone, making her giggle. His strong hands traveled up her thighs and rested on her hips, gripping her tight.

“I had to get your attention somehow.” Rada stroked the back of his neck and looked deep into his eyes.

“I am sorry, my love. What do you want to talk about.”

“Children.”

M’Baku’s eyebrows shot up, making his forehead crinkle as he blinked in surprise.

“Ok...what about them?” he asked, trying not to get his hopes up over where the conversation might lead.

“I know you have wanted to be a baba for a while now, and I appreciate you waiting for me to catch up,” she started. “But I think I am ready now.”

“You think, or you are? If you need more time-”

“No, I am sure...You have given me so much over the years, and I want to give you a child.”

Seconds passed as M’Baku just stared at his wife in awe. A goofy, gap-toothed grin slowly took over his face, but Rada could feel that he was excited in more than one way. His girthy member hardened beneath her, and she knew she was in for it tonight.

“That is the sexiest thing you have ever said to me,” M’Baku growled into her neck as he peppered it with kisses. “When do you want to start?”

She pretended to think about it for a moment, and he paused his assault on her neck to watch her wheels turn. However, he didn’t have to wait long. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted it as soon as possible. “How about now?”

M’Baku’s already blinding smile stretched from ear to ear, and a deep rumbling erupted from within his chest. He flipped them over so that he laid on top of her and buried his face in her neck again, whispering in her ear between kisses.

“You want to have my baby?”

“Yes,” she giggled.

“Mmm.”

M’Baku’s hands roamed Rada’s body as he took in her scent. He couldn’t wait to feel her body changing as she grew his seed. He began salivating just thinking about her widening hips and growing belly. M’Baku’s fingers found their way between Rada’s legs, and she spread them wide to grant him access. He found her clit with ease, and she let out a low moan as he circled it slowly.

“I have been waiting for you to say that for years, Rada.”

“I know, I-” she began to apologize when he cut her off.

“Shhh, it is ok,” he pulled back to look her in her big doe eyes, “You needed to take your time...just like how I am going to take my time with you tonight.”

“Oh, really?” Rada teased with a smirk on her face.

“Mhm,” he nodded before pecking her lips softly. “And I am not pulling out, either.”

Rada bit her lip in excitement and wrapped her legs around his waist. It wasn’t often that she got to feel her husband release inside of her since they were trying to be careful, but she secretly loved when they slipped up. Despite her apprehension towards having children, Rada had always had a cum kink of sorts. She could orgasm just from the feeling of his dick pulsating inside her as he emptied himself into her warmth. Just the thought of it was enough to set her off, but now she would get to feel it without any fear. Rada was ready. She wanted it, and her husband was more than willing to give it to her.

“You can cum in me as much as you want, my chief.”

A deep growling erupted from M’Baku’s chest as he crashed his lips to hers, their tongues dancing together in a waltz they had perfected over the years. Rada’s hips bucked as she felt his thick fingers enter her, and she whimpered into M’Baku’s mouth as he slowly dragged them back and forth over her g-spot. Her hips wound against him as the palm of his hand stimulated her aching pearl, and just when she felt the dam about to break, he removed his fingers.

“M’Baku,” Rada whined, making him chuckle.

“What is it, pretty girl?”

“I want you inside me.”

“And you will get your wish. Be patient,” he whispered against her lips.

Rada rolled her eyes and poked out her lip in protest, but it just made him chuckle some more. He nipped at her lip before kissing down to her neck, making her shudder as his tongue brushed over her favorite spot. His hands traveled up her body and skillfully slid her lingerie up and over her head as his eyes landed on her supple breasts. His mind flashed to the image of them engorged with milk for their child, and before he knew it, his lips were wrapped around her erect nipples. Rada stroked the back of his head as he went back and forth between them, teasing with his tongue and lightly tugging with his teeth. M’Baku always paid special attention to her breasts, but this time felt different. It eventually clicked for Rada, and she decided to play along.

“They are going to get bigger, you know?”

“Mmmhm,” M’Baku groaned with a mouth full of titty.

“And you will have to share so I can feed our baby.”

A shockwave traveled down M’Baku’s body and straight to his hardening member as he longed to taste her. He sucked harder as though he were determined to pull milk from her, and Rada keened from the sensation. Her nipples were sensitive, and she almost came again, but he removed himself at the last second once more.

Rada’s breathing slowed as he kissed down her stomach, landing just below her belly button. M’Baku lightly dusted his fingers over her soft skin as he thought of the child they would make together. As if she could read his mind, Rada smiled softly and caressed his bearded cheek. Their eyes met, but no words were exchanged as he planted a soft kiss over her womb. His kiss was a “thank you” and a blessing all in one, and she felt the love radiating from where his lips touched her skin. It tingled, and the feeling expanded to cover her whole body as the warmth of his passion settled into her bones. Rada let out a sigh as he continued his descent to her treasure trove, and she jumped when she felt his mouth envelop her vulva. The flat of his tongue lapped up her juices as she squirmed, but he shot her a fierce warning glance, and she stopped moving immediately. M’Baku hated being disturbed when eating his favorite meal.

“Mmm, my chief,” Rada moaned, “I-I want to feel you ins-”

M’Baku slapped her inner thigh, and she yelped.

“Tell me what to do again, and I will be the only one getting a release tonight,” he mumbled with his lips dusting over her clit.

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Now, be good for your chief so I can put this baby in you.”

M’Baku’s skilled tongue had Rada struggling to control herself. She tried her best to stay still, but he had to forcefully hold her legs open so his tongue could explore her folds. He brought her to the edge over and over but denied himself her sweet nectar.

“Baby,” Rada whined as tears fell from her eyes. “Please let me cum for you.”

M’Baku kissed her pussy one last time before crawling up her body and kissing her upper lips. Rada moaned at the sweet taste of her on his tongue and the wetness of his beard, but just as she began to lose herself, he pulled back. M’Baku could see the anger on her face, and it amused him.

“You made me wait three years for this day, and you think I am going to let you get what you want so easily? No. You cum with my dick inside you and nowhere else. Understood?”

“Yes, my chief,” she sighed in defeat.

“Good girl.” He kissed her again and looked deep into her chestnut eyes. “Now, are you ready for me?”

Rada nodded enthusiastically.

“I bet,” he snickered. “You think your pretty pussy can handle all I have to give?”

“Mmm, yes, chief M’Baku.”

A fire burned behind his eyes as he lined himself up with her entrance and pushed forward. She bloomed for him and enveloped him in her warmth, making him moan as he seated himself inside her. M’Baku stilled, allowing Rada to revel in the feeling of him stretching her walls. They stayed like that for a while, gazing lovingly into each others’ eyes and feeling the other’s soft skin beneath their fingertips. Moments passed before M’Baku started to grind his hips, stirring Rada’s insides as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

“You, mmm, you f-feel so good.”

“Because you fit me so well, my love.”

M’Baku withdrew his hips and thrust forward with such restrained power that Rada yelped and dug her nails into his back. He groaned at the feeling and thrust forward again and again, finding the perfect rhythm and playing her body like a drum.

“M’Baku-”

“Who?” he sneered as he sat up without missing a beat. He looked down at her body, tits bouncing around as he pounded into her, and smirked, “You forget yourself.”

“I’m-”

“Did I say speak?!” he roared, and Rada shook her head frantically. She tried to give him her best puppy-dog eyes, but he was immune in this state. Lustful fear clouded Rada’s face as she felt his large hand wrap around her throat, and M’Baku grinned darkly when he felt her contract around him. “You like that, huh?”

Rada could only nod as his precise strokes brought her to her limit.

“You want to cum. I can feel it,” M’Baku teased as he tightened his grip. Rada nodded again with her bottom lip between her teeth. She was trying her hardest not to make a sound, but he was determined to make her break his rules. “Why are you holding it? I said you could cum with me inside you, love. So cum on my fucking dick.”

He dug even deeper, and Rada’s body shook as she erupted all over him. Her constricting walls pulled her husband right along with her, and the moment he let go of her throat, she wailed. Rada could feel every pulsation as he emptied himself into her, and she wound her hips up against his to stimulate her clit. She came again, and M’Baku smiled down at her as she convulsed.

“There you go. Now, does that not feel better?”

Rada looked at him with uncertainty, and M’Baku realized she was waiting for permission.

“You may speak,” he ordered through a smug smirk.

“Thank you, my chief.”

“Mmm, for what?”

“For letting me cum.”

“And?”

“And for rewarding me.”

M’Baku leaned down and kissed Rada’s forehead.

“You are more than welcome, love. Now turn over,” he said with a slap to her thigh. He removed himself from her, still erect and dripping with their combined fluids, and watched in amusement as Rada’s face twisted up at the loss of contact.

Rada loved the sting of his palm against her skin and decided she wanted more. She knew M’Baku could be a very impatient man when he was in the mood, so to tease him a little, she took her time rolling over. Before she could even get on her side, Rada heard a deep bark and felt M’Baku’s heavy hand come down on her behind. She yelped at the pain, but the sensation was quickly replaced by that same heavy hand kneading her flesh.

“I know you are toying with me, Rada.”

“I would never,” she gasped.

Rada tried to hold in her giggles but failed at her attempt. Of course, M’Baku saw the way the corners of her mouth struggled to lay still, and he decided to give her something to laugh about. He flipped her onto her stomach and lifted her hips before delving deep inside her once more. This time, he took no prisoners, and Rada’s screams filled the air as he plowed into her. The smile never left her face as he slapped her ass repeatedly or when he grabbed her short coils and pulled her back flush against him. M’Baku’s length reached deep inside her from every angle, making the smile on her face a permanent fixture. However, he felt he could find a better use for her mouth.

“Vula,” he commanded, and she opened wide, sticking her tongue out as far as it could go. M’Baku snaked his two long fingers in her mouth, and she closed her lips around them, sucking them the way she would the thick appendage that was currently wrecking her insides. “Mmm, I love that you do not have a gag reflex anymore.”

Rada sucked even harder as his other hand squeezed her hip. M’Baku pulled his fingers out with a “pop” and immediately brought them down between her legs. Her moans grew louder as he toyed with her, and moments later, she released around him again. Rada’s body went limp and he let her fall to the bed, but he didn’t stop. He licked up her spine as he leaned over her spent form, making goosebumps appear on her skin.

“You are not tapping out on me, are you?”

“N-no, my chief, I- oooh, yes!” Rada screamed as he dropped his weight on her.

“Good. One more, then you get a break. Ok, pretty girl?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

M’Baku’s hips picked up the pace as she anchored herself to the sheets with her face almost completely buried in the soft pillows. His fingers intertwined with hers and she held onto him for dear life. Rada could tell he was close, so she lifted her hips just a little bit, and wound back on him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

“Here it comes. You ready?” he growled in her ear, and the vibrations traveled straight to her pussy as she bit her lip and nodded.

“Give it to me.”

M’Baku fucked her through his orgasm, not letting up until he had finished filling her. He slowly ground his hips into hers as they came down from their high, and he rolled over to the side, taking her with him. They laid like that, cuddled up together and listening to each other breathe with his dick still pulsating inside her, for who knows how long. Eventually, the haze of lust lifted slightly, and M’Baku slowly pulled out of Rada, marveling at the sheer amount of his seed that slowly dripped out of her.

“Fuck,” he groaned, and she turned around to face him.

“What is it?” Rada asked, then followed his line of sight down to her dripping pussy. “Fuck…”

She rolled over on her back and her eyes traveled to his dick. It was still hard and dripping with their cum, and Rada’s mouth began to salivate. He knew what she wanted, and watched as she scooted down the bed and began licking their juices from his impressive length. Slurps filled the air as she took him down her throat, determined to get every last drop.

“Mmm, suck it just like that,” M’Baku moaned as his fingers tangled up in her tapered curls. She smiled up at him, and his jaw clenched as he tried to control himself. He felt himself nearing the edge, and an idea struck him; he wasn’t going to waste a single drop. As soon as he felt the sensation rising within him, he pulled her off of him and pushed her back onto the bed, quickly climbing on top and entering her with such fervor that she cried out to the heavens. He made it just in time, and emptied himself into her depths as he strummed her clit. Rada’s overstimulated pussy couldn’t take it, and she was pulled right along with him.

M’Baku kissed all over her face and neck as their breathing slowed down once more.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” Rada pulled him into a passionate kiss, and they explored each others’ mouths for a moment before he tore his lips away from hers.

“Thank you,” he murmured as he rested his forehead on hers.

“You are more than welcome, my love.”

As usual, M’Baku pulled himself from her, and got up to go run a bath, but this time he just stood there, taking in her form.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, but her concerns quickly went away when a small smile appeared on his lips.

“Boy or girl?”

Rada stood and held his face in her hands, staring deep into his eyes.

“That does not matter to me. All that matters is that they are made with love.”

“That they will be.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead before taking her hand in his and leading her to the bathroom.

Rada sat on the edge of the tub and let her mind wander while she halfway watched him fill it with bath salts and warm water. She couldn’t help but picture M’Baku and their child. He would probably be the type to talk to her belly before they even made it into the world, and when they got here she had no doubt that their baba would be overprotective. No matter what, though, she knew he’d love their child more than anything in this world, and that brought her peace as her eyes wandered to her reflection again. She pictured herself pregnant with his undoubtedly big-headed baby and knew she had made the right choice. It was time for them to start a family.

Taglist: @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife, @motheroffae, @love-mesome-me, @toni9, @bribrisback, @impremenior, @devnicolee, @muse-of-mbaku

#oneshot #cecewritessometimes #black panther fanfiction #black!oc #m'baku x oc #smut

200 notes · View notes

iamwestiec · 3 years

Text

June 17: Chengxian 💜🖤💕

childhood friends to lovers/QPPs, ace Jiang Cheng, bi & aro Wei Wuxian, modern AU

(A/N: If you're wondering about a certain other someone, he will have a wonderful, full life of his own in Suzhou in this AU but is not in this story. 💙 There are some brief mentions of offscreen ace-antagonism, not by anyone we know.)

Read on ao3

Jiang Cheng had been Wei Ying's best friend in the whole world for his entire life.

Okay. Well, not quite his entire life, but certainly since Wei Ying’s parents moved to California when he was little little, which was about as far back as Wei Ying could remember anyway. Wei Ying’s baba and Jiang Cheng’s baba had grown up in Wuhan together and been best friends when they were kids, so naturally, when Wei Ying’s family moved into the same neighborhood as the Jiangs, it made perfect sense for Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng to become best friends too.

It was Jiang Cheng who had taught Wei Ying that he didn't have to be afraid of dogs, by introducing him to Princess, Jasmine, and Lil' Love. Lil' Love lived up to her name, coming and quietly sitting in all her fluffy glory on Wei Ying’s lap every time he went over to play.

It was also Jiang Cheng who Wei Ying got drunk with for the first time. They snuck booze from the cabinet where Wei Ying’s parents kept it and laughed at the faces each other made with every shot until they stopped tasting the harsh burn, and then laughing more just because.

(Wei Ying’s mom had not laughed, not at the time, when the two teens had been sick as anything the next morning, but instead made them a gloriously greasy late breakfast and gave them lots of advice about proper hydration.

Then she told Jiang Cheng’s mom and let her scold them.)

It was Jiang Cheng who came out first, their first semester in college, when he told Wei Ying he didn't think he wanted to have sex with anyone, ever, and asked if Wei Ying thought that meant no one would ever want to date him. Wei Ying hugged him tight and told him he didn't know about everyone out there, but he knew Jiang Cheng was the best guy in the world and would be an awesome boyfriend, and he'd fight anyone who said differently.

Jiang Cheng found a group on campus for third culture LBGT kids, and Wei Ying went with him, as a supportive ally.

Which was how Wei Ying figured out that he was not just a supportive ally.

In listening to the others talk about orientation and identity and attraction and cultural expectations, Wei Ying realized that what he'd always assumed was normal—finding all kinds of people physically attractive, regardless of their gender—was actually his bisexuality. So that was kind of cool.

"So yeah, now we can be queer together!" Wei Ying said, when he excitedly shared his newfound realization with Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng snorted. "Yeah, 'all' and 'nothing,'" he joked.

It was Jiang Cheng who'd helped him practice what to say to his parents when he wanted to change his major at the end of sophomore year, and Jiang Cheng who reminded him to eat and sleep and "take a fucking break, Wei Ying," those next couple semesters when he took way too many hours so he wouldn't have to rack up a whole extra year's worth of student loans to finish his new degree plan.

It was Jiang Cheng who graduated first, on a gorgeous blue-skyed sunny day in May, and Jiang Cheng who suggested Wei Ying keep living with him at his new apartment, so he wouldn't have to try to find a one-semester lease until he finished in December.

(They renewed the lease together every time.)

Jiang Cheng ribbed him playfully each time Wei Ying met someone new, but he was always there each times things fizzled out after a few months for reasons that never quite made sense to Wei Ying.

Jiang Cheng occasionally dated too, and Wei Ying was glad he never did have to fight anybody—though he did drive Jiang Cheng to the emergency room the time he came home with split knuckles from punching a guy who, "seemed to think I didn't know my own mind about certain things."

But dating sucked for everybody, right? It wasn't like Wei Ying or Jiang Cheng were in any hurry to settle down and do the whole spouse and kids thing or whatever. Wei Ying tried to imagine it and just... couldn't, though the image of Jiang Cheng with a baby was admittedly pretty cute.

It was not Jiang Cheng, but Jiang Yanli, a few months after she proposed to her girlfriend and they started planning their wedding, who Wei Ying finally asked, "Yanli-jie, how does a person decide someone else is their person?"

Jiang Yanli looked across the room to where Jiang Cheng was showing her soon-to-be-wife how to put side spin on a billiards ball and smiled. "I think you just know," she said. "You meet someone and you get to know them, spend time together, then one day you realize you love them and want to build the rest of your life with them."

Wei Ying wrinkled his nose. "I dunno if it works that way for me. Just some random person? I've never met anyone I can imagine wanting to live with all the time. Well, besides—huh..." he cut off suddenly and darted a look over at Jiang Yanli, who just calmly sipped her drink.

"Have you ever told him that?" she asked, after a moment where Wei Ying reassessed his entire life and dating history. "I think he might appreciate hearing it."

"I... huh. Yanli-jie, you're kinda blowing my mind here," he complained.

"I gathered," she said wryly, before fixing him with a smile that made all the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "Of course, I trust," she told him, "that I do not need to explain to you of all people how very dearly I hold my didi's happiness and well-being."

He swallowed and raised three fingers in the salute he'd used ever since the summer that—hah—he and Jiang Cheng had decided as kids that they would make their own oath of brotherhood like the heroes of their favorite show. "I, Wei Ying, swear to you that I would kick my own ass before I did anything to hurt him."

Jiang Yanli leaned over to knock her shoulder against his and nodded. "That's what I thought."

Turned out, dating Jiang Cheng didn't suck at all.

It felt easy in a way Wei Ying’s past dates never had, less like trying to keep up with a game whose rules everybody knew except him, more like... well, like spending time with his best friend in the whole world, but on purpose. There was also a tension in the back of Wei Ying’s mind that seemed to have lifted, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that had gone.

It was Jiang Cheng who helped him figure it out.

"I think it's that now I'm able to count on this. On us," he said, when Wei Ying brought it up. "Before, whenever you went out with someone new, I wondered if this would be the time you'd find someone to fall in love with and leave me behind."

"Aww, Chengcheng! I would never!"

Jiang Cheng huffed and rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were pink. "Well, I know that now," he said, a pleased little smile breaking through his attempts at a scowl.

"As long as you're sure—" Wei Ying began, still getting used to thinking about himself with the word "aromantic." Still a so very sure that Jiang Cheng deserved to be fallen in love with.

"Hey!" Jiang Cheng cut him off. "None of that. I know you. And I know you don't see it this way, but I personally think it's pretty damn romantic that you choose to love me, on purpose."

"I simply have exquisite taste in life partners," Wei Ying sniffed, embarassed the way he always got when Jiang Cheng declared something he'd done "romantic."

"You do," Jiang Cheng agreed. "Someone told me a long time ago I was the best guy in the world and would make an awesome boyfriend, and that he would fight anyone who said differently."

Wei Ying laughed. "That's you and your sister I've promised to kick my own ass if I ever break your heart, then. Guess I'll just have to keep you forever."

"Damn right, you will," Jiang Cheng agreed, grinning smug and happy and breathtakingly beautiful. Wei Ying leaned across the couch to give him a sweet, closed-mouth kiss—the kind Jiang Cheng had shyly admitted he actually did like, a lot—and smiled too, at how lucky he'd gotten to be with his best friend in the whole world for his entire life.

🖤💜

Today's (extremely long!) thread was inspired by this WONDERFUL art of ace Jiang Cheng and bi & aro Wei Ying! Go give Midori some love on Twitter!

I spent a nonzero amount of time googling to double check when various terms and flags came into vogue, so if you're wondering, WWX & JC were in college in the early 2000s, before the ace and aro flags were designed. By the time they get themselves figured out, they can get their cute wristbands.

...which, yes, means these dingdongs spent about a solid decade living together before realizing that was what they wanted to do forever. 😉

This also means Jiang Yanli and her unnamed wife here are getting married between when California started recognizing same-sex marriages in 2008 and the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling in 2015! THIS SHIT'S RECENT!!!

Happy Pride, thank you for reading, check out more LGBTQIA+ sweetness on my #PrideMonthSnippets Masterpost!

#PrideMonthSnippets #chengxian #westie writes #mdzs #the untamed #asexual pride #aromantic pride #asexual jiang cheng #bisexual wei wuxian #aromantic wei wuxian #queerplatonic relationship #queer relationships #love has a lot of shapes

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stitch1830 · 3 years

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Kantoph Mondangst here we go! I'll probably have more to add to this before it's posted on ao3, just a heads up :)

......

“What are you doing?”

He said nothing as he kissed her neck and gently rubbed her stomach while she cut vegetables for dinner. They weren’t unwelcome gestures, in fact, she quite enjoyed the attention. Still, Toph had tasks to complete and she couldn’t have her boyfriend cling to her like this for the next six or so months. So when he didn’t stop kissing her neck and rubbing her stomach, she feigned being exasperated and once again commented on his antics. “Don’t you have something better to do?”

“Nope,” he replied quickly, grinning into her neck. His hands gently wrapped around hers and coaxed them to release their hold on the knife and vegetables, and once she did, he turned her around to face him. “I have nothing to do except kiss you and say hi to our little baby badgermole all day long.”

“That baby badgermole is barely a baby right now,” she teased.

“Nonsense. I can tell already.”

“Are you calling me fat??”

“Please Toph. You’re perfect the way you are.”

“That’s not a no, Hotshot.”

He said nothing, but leaned his forehead against hers and swiped his thumb over the small swell in her belly. Normally, such close quarters and cheesy gestures would’ve had Toph complaining until the man stopped, but with Kanto, it was okay. In fact, she enjoyed it. Loved it, even.

His hair tickled her forehead as he stood there with her, leaning on the counter. She could practically feel his mind reeling with thoughts, and one of them he thought aloud. “You can actually feel the heartbeat, huh,” he quietly remarked.

Toph chuckled. “Yeah, ever since Katara said that’s what the echo was, can’t stop hearing it.”

“I wish I could feel it.”

She teasingly clicked her tongue at him. “If you weren’t such a lily-livered earthbender, you probably could.”

“Hey!” he playfully shouted as he wrapped his arms around her, effectively ‘trapping’ her. “Some would say I’m a pretty good earthbender.”

“Pretty good doesn’t cut it with seismic sense, Hotshot.”

He grumbled and buried his face into her neck, and she breathed out a laugh as his towering figure huddled over hers. They stood in their kitchen, content with the silence and the intimate moment they shared with one another. Pretty soon, those moments would be limited, so there was no need to rush. And it was strange how soon things would change. One moment, they were two, the next, they would be three. A change that while they had months to prepare for, would still be rather sudden for the both of them. For that, a wave of apprehension overwhelmed Toph. The idea of motherhood was distant, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be prepared.

It was as if he knew what she was thinking, because he commented on the very same idea.

“Funny,” he began. “A year from today, our lives will be so different. And the year after that will be different, and so will the year after that.”

The comment seemed straightforward, but it left Toph curious. She had only told him last week that she was pregnant, and while he had been ecstatic then, there was that fear in the back of her mind that this wasn’t what he wanted. She swallowed thickly and noted, “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”

“Not at all,” he reassured her quickly. “If anything, it’ll be amazing and perfect. I just mean, it’s crazy what can happen in a year.”

“I suppose,” she pondered.

Toph meant to say more, but she refrained. Perhaps it was the uncertainty of the change, or the weariness she still felt about becoming a mother, or a combination of both. Change could be good, but she feared it wouldn’t be all perfect like he dreamed it would be.

He seemed to be reading her thoughts once again. “Don’t worry,” he began, “I’m going to be with you every step of the way, and you’re going to be a great mother. The very best mama.”

She could hear the smile in his voice, and as quickly as her worries came, they disappeared. Her response, however, was filled with sarcasm and sass for their continued banter. “I feel so much better knowing you’ll be there to hover all day,” she jabbed. “And of course you’re not worried about being a dad. You’ll be a natural.”

“True,” he replied, mimicking Toph’s dramatic tone. “But that’s only because we’re gonna have a baby girl that’s gonna be just like you. And I know you like the back of my hand.”

Toph scoffed. “How do you know that??”

“A father’s intuition.”

“Well, my motherly instincts say it could be a boy. And if he’s anything like you, I know you like the earth beneath my feet.”

“Oh yeah?” he jokingly challenged. “What happens when I pick you up from the ground and you’re not on the earth, huh?”

His hands found her waist and did just that. He lifted her up and set her on the counter, her feet losing the sense of the world around her. Toph laughed at his antics, and he chuckled with her as her legs wrapped around his waist. “I’d hit you until you put me back down,” she threatened, thumping his chest with her knuckle.

Kanto breathed out a laugh. “I suppose I deserve that.”

She smiled at him while his thumbs smoothed out the wrinkles on her shirtfront. Her hands found his face and traced out the marvel and joy etched on it. Things were perfect, even with change looming over them. Oddly enough, it didn’t seem so bad with Kanto around for it, despite what she thought moments ago.

He looked up at her. “I know you’re still worried, but I’m really looking forward to what this year is gonna bring us.”

His heart beat with hers, and his hands were warm and gentle and reassuring, and fear was far from her mind. All she felt was joy and excitement with him.

So she didn’t hesitate to respond, “I’m looking forward to it, too.”

~~~

She dreaded this day. She wanted anything but this day to come.

But the days came and went with the wind, and a year had passed since she felt his heart beat in time with hers, a year since his warm hand was in hers, a year since she heard this deep, calming voice.

She hated today. It reminded her how much things could change in a year.

Toph bitterly chuckled at the thought. He wasn’t wrong when he spoke about change before they had Lin. Change came suddenly and unapologetic. And their lives were so different from a year ago. But they weren’t better. That was apparent.

The memorial itself was a lovely, intimate ceremony with her friends and some close work colleagues in attendance. He would’ve loved it, or, she hoped he would’ve. Out of all the endless conversations they had, death was not one of them.

All the flowers had to be shipped in; Republic City’s bitter winter started to roll in early, and no native flora could withstand the sudden overnight freezes. Still, it was important that the hill had a flowery aroma with the incense. His botany obsessed heart and mind would’ve rattled off all the different types and facts of each flower, and he would’ve spent half the time describing each petal in great detail to Toph.

She insisted that there be at least one panda lily to set by his memorial, and the lengths she went through to have one in bloom in time for today was no small feat. It hung low by her side in one hand, the other occupied with her—their—daughter. Poor Lin didn’t understand the reason behind today. The chilly wind bit at her cheeks, and she sought refuge in the crook of Toph’s neck while she waited for the adults to carry on with whatever kept them outside on this cold, windy afternoon.

Zuko gave the speech. It was lovely, really, but Toph didn’t remember a single word of it. And all the hands and pats to her shoulder and back felt distant; they weren’t his steady hands, and if they weren’t his hands, then she didn’t want their support.

At the end of the formal ceremony, those in attendance dropped a single, unique flower by the memorial portrait. Some took a moment to say something to his picture, others dropped the flower and left. It meant a great deal that so many came to honor him, but truthfully, Toph didn’t care about anyone in attendance. She didn’t care about the number of flowers that dropped to the ground for him. Because in the end, only one mattered, and it wasn’t even hers.

When everyone dropped their flower in honor of him, Toph set Lin down and held onto her hand. Katara handed her the very last flower designated to be placed for him, and Toph gently steered Lin toward the memorial. It took a few moments, but when Toph and Lin arrived at his picture, Toph placed her panda lily on the pile for him, and gave a white chrysanthemum to Lin. She wrapped Lin’s chubby fingers around the stem and gestured toward the flowers.

“Come here, Lin,” Toph prompted, rather shocked that her voice sounded so strong and calm just then. “Give your flower to Daddy.”

At the sound of his name, Lin toddled over to his memorial and the pile of flowers. Her little body crouched down to the level of the pile, and she set hers on top.

Toph pulled Lin into her arms and whispered to her, “Good job, Lin.” She placed a single kiss on Lin’s cheek, and listened as her daughter said, “Dada,” over and over.

She ignored the sting of the breeze as it hit her tear-stained cheeks. “Tell Baba you love him,” she told Lin.

Lin whispered to the wind those words, saying them only loud enough for Toph to hear.

Spirits, she hated all of this. Time moved so slowly each and every day, and yet, here they were, remembering his life because it has been a year since he was alive. She hated that a year had passed, she hated that she still wasn’t over it, she hated that all the things they used to forever memorialize him were things that she couldn’t enjoy to their full extent, and she dreaded the day Lin wouldn’t call for her Baba any longer. Because that day would be sooner than Toph cared to think about.

There were too many people around, now. Toph wanted a moment with her family, no matter how broken it was. But it didn’t feel right to snap at the others and scream at them to leave, so she waited.

And waited.

Until finally, Toph Beifong got her wish. As the crowd disappeared and all who remained were her closest friends, Toph only told them once that she wished to be alone. When they left her alone with Lin and his memorial, and as her friends waited at the bottom of the hill, Toph wept openly for him. For the drastic swerve her life took, for the inevitable reality that she’d spend more time separated from him than they were together, and for the change that the future held for her, because she no longer looked forward to it.

#kantoph #toph #toph beifong #kanto #lin #lin beifong #atla #lok #writing #the long winding road to you #the chief and dep series #like a boomerang i always come back to you series #kantoph mondangst #the angst is strong to start the week lol

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tres-spades-hotel · 3 years

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Can I request a kbtbb x SCM crossover where Leon falls for Eisuke's MC. Leon is just the same as he was in his S1 but he slowly starts developing feelings for MC. However, she is completely loyal to Eisuke. Can we get some twist and turns and a happy ending for Eisuke. I will be grateful if you could do it. By the way, Thanks for other beautiful stories that you have written.

KBTBB x SCM

A Lion’s Attempt at Love

LEON’S POV, PALACE IN THE HEAVENS, THE THRONE ROOM

I can’t believe this is happening.

‘And, therefore, the six of you will be sharing the mansion with these humans for three days. I’m sure you will have plenty of fun,’ he says, with that annoyingly knowing smile of his.

‘This is ridiculous, we’ve already opened up that place for the goddess, and now we have to open it up for an entire cluster of goldfish? Absolutely not,’ I retaliate but the trickster on the throne stares at me; the corners of his lips turn up into an even more annoying smirk.

‘It won’t kill you. Run along now, they’re waiting for you all,’ he says, and a bright light envelopes us. The warmth of it doesn’t reach my heart, it just irritates me further.

Opening my eyes, five men sit at the luxury couches of the main room. One in particular, with brown hair, sits in my spot in the middle. His arms outstretch against the top of the couch while a young woman sits beside him, fidgeting nervously with her thumbs.

Karno turns around as we appear, and he smiles at me.

‘Hey, did the King tell you?’ he asks. The heads of the goldfish look up with curiosity.

‘Yeah, he did that bastard-hey! Don’t touch that!’ the scorpion marches over to a blonde-haired goldfish holding a Punishments document.

‘Oops, guess the work is off limits,’ he says as Scorpio snatches back the piece.

‘Um, let’s all just calm down and talk. My name is Mitsunari Baba! You may call me ‘Baba’, ‘Mitchy’, or ‘Mitsunari’ if you want,’ the man in the black hat says with such joy it almost makes me want to actually turn him into a goldfish.

‘How about I call you ‘idiot’ instead?’ Scorpio says, huffing away to the chair in the corner.

I step forward further into the room, amused. ‘I didn’t realise you were in the habit of calling yourself out like that. I wouldn’t be trying so hard to annoy you if I knew,’ I respond, and with some sort of sick delight, watch the fumes rush out his ears in anger.

‘You stupid lion, shut up!’ he shouts back.

I sit down and cross my legs. ‘He’s a scorpion so he’s all bark and poison with no bite,’ I reply.

‘Why you-‘ he attempts to pounce but Dui and the fish hold him back.

‘Scorpio, stop!’ Dui says.

‘Um, let’s sit down. Vega, Altair, will you both provide us with some tea?’ Hue says, lightly pushing them out the door.

‘Here, I’ll introduce the others. Next to me is Ota Kisaki. The sleepy looking one is Mamoru Kishi, the scary looking one is Soryu Oh and the pretentious looking one is Eisuke Ichinomiya. The lovely lady sitting next to Eisuke is Vivian Grier, Eisuke’s fiancée.’

‘It’s nice to meet you all and we apologise for our King’s disturbance in your lives,’ Hue says. The six goldfish look at each other with wary looks.

‘It’s fine. Our lives were becoming boring anyway. At least we can pass the time with this,’ the man named Eisuke says. There’s a powerful glint in his eyes which I recognise in myself.

‘So no harm done! And all of you?’ the red suit goldfish says.

‘Well, I’ve already introduced myself. The one shouting murder and terror is Scorpio, the god of Scorpio, he’s the Vice Minister of the Department of Punishments; next to him is Dui, the god of Gemini and that is Ichthys, the god of Pisces. They are part of the Department of Punishments in the Heavens.’

The scorpion huffs away in distaste while Dui and Ichthys smile and wave.

‘This is gonna be fun!’ the fish says.

‘Ichy! You can’t do anything while they’re here,’ Dui frowns at him.

‘What does that mean?’ the older looking goldfish asks. His sleepy demeanor reminds me of Aigo.

‘Nothing!’

‘He’s a prankster,’ Scorpio answers with a scowl. Three out of six frown in disapproval while the other three seem to accept this fact.

‘How much harm can you do, pranking people?’ the blonde one asks.

‘He blew up the palace once,’ Hue answered indifferently. Their eyes widen.

‘By the way, who names their child, Scorpio?’ he asks again.

‘The King,’ the six of us reply, causing Scorpio to crinkle his face in disgust.

‘All I suggest is that you be careful. The one who answered is Huedhaut, the god of Aquarius; over there is Teorus, the god of Taurus and this,’ he points to me, ‘is Leon, the god of Leo, the Chief Minister of the Department of Wishes,’ Karno says it with such pride it nearly makes me smile.

‘It’s nice to meet you all,’ Hue says.

‘Hello!’ Teo also says.

Everyone turns towards me as I look up. I somehow lock eyes with the woman, but she quickly averts her gaze with a faint blush on her cheeks.

‘Leo,’ Karno whispers.

‘You want me to introduce myself? They’re just goldfish,’ I say, continuing to stare at her.

‘Goldfish?’

‘All humans are the same to us, just as all goldfish look the same and flock to beings more powerful than they are,’ I answer.

‘What nonsense. What about variability? Individuality?’ the dark-haired ‘scary looking one’ says with a frown.

‘Doesn’t matter. You’re all the same,’ I repeat, and he scowls at me as if I’m the only one who believes it. Everyone in the Heavens does.

‘I don’t care what happens during this week,’ the man sitting next to her suddenly begins, ‘there’s only one rule you will abide by,’

‘Oh ho, giving gods orders? You must be special,’ I say.

‘Yes, I am,’ he smirks and crosses his arms. ‘And you will follow this rule until we leave: my fiancée is off limits.’

‘Eisuke!’ she exclaims, for the first time she has been here.

‘You should listen to him, Eisuke always has his way, with gods or humans,’ the dark-haired man says. All the other humans nod furiously in agreement.

‘I believe that rule applies to the sex fiends in the room,’ Hue points out, looking at Teo and I specifically.

‘Me? I haven’t done anything yet!’ Teo protests.

‘As if I would bother pursuing a human, let alone a woman like her,’ I say. Her face scrunches at my insult.

‘Good, then we’ll have no problems living together,’ he says, taking out a rectangular piece of technology and begins tapping away at it.

Vega and Altair finally return with tea. The woman stands up and hurries over to them, taking the tray of teacups out of Altair’s hands.

‘Oh, thank you, but I can-‘ Altair begins.

‘No, it’s okay. It’s my job to provide refreshments,’ she says, placing the tray onto the coffee table.

‘Really?’ Vega asks. The god children look up at the woman with sparkles in their eyes.

‘Yes, I work at the hotel my fiancé owns as a maid,’ she answers, smiling with pride.

‘Wow, that’s so cool! What kind of things do you do?’ Vega asks with excitement. The woman casually talks and pours the tea as if she had been doing it for years.

‘Well, I work with other maids to tend to our guests who stay at the hotel. I clean the rooms they stay in by changing the bed sheets, dusting, and replenishing amenities,’ she takes the teacups and starts handing them out, ‘that means I replace all the empty bottles and towels and other things the guests use which we supply.’

She hands me a cup and our fingers touch briefly.

‘I also have an extra job as a maid, which is to clean the penthouse where us six live in the hotel,’ she continues, handing a cup to Karno who smiles a ‘thank you’ to her which she returns.

‘That’s a ‘very important people’ area for those who pay enough money to live in luxury,’ she says.

‘Oh, so you consider yourself a ‘very important people’?’ I interrupt with a question. She briefly looks at me but then shrugs her shoulders.

‘Not really. I’m pretty normal actually.’

‘Don’t be so modest, Vivian. You’re the only one who managed to squeeze herself into Boss’ little heart,’ the man named ‘Baba’ says. His knowing smile reminds me of a certain trickster King.

‘And you’re the only one who can manage being around this lot,’ the sleepy one named ‘Mamoru’ adds. He suddenly yawns. ‘Hey, there any beds to sleep in? I’m tired.’

‘You’re always tired,’ the dark-haired man, Soryu, says.

‘Shut up, it’s been a busy day!’

‘No it hasn’t. We’ve been to see the King and that’s it,’ Soryu argues.

‘You think any of this is normal?’

‘That’s enough.’ Eisuke orders.

‘Haha, they sort of remind me of you and Scorpio, Leo,’ Karno laughs, and I scowl at him.

‘Don’t you compare me to a pair of clownfish,’ I reply. I watch the woman sit next to her fiancé, smiling.

‘Hey!’

‘Pair of clownfish? Please, don’t group me in with them,’ Soryu says with frowning eyebrows.

‘We actually like to call these four the peanut gallery,’ Eisuke tells us.

‘Makes sense,’ Scorpio says, pushing a stack of documents onto Ichthys. ‘Will you hurry up and finish these already? Zig has been waiting for these!’

‘I’m sorry, I was going to do them but then the King called us to see him!’ Ichthys protests but is dragged away by Scorpio.

‘It’s nice to meet you all,’ Dui quickly says before rushing out to follow.

‘Hue, show the humans the guest rooms in the mansion,’ I order, and he nods in response. ‘But first,’

Everyone looks at me as I stand up and saunter over to the woman. She looks up and slowly stands up to face me.

‘You will work in this mansion as my maidservant.’

THE NEXT DAY

LEON’S POV, THE GOD’S MANSION, HIS CHAMBERS, 9AM

A knock at the door wakes me from my daze. I snap my fingers and the doors open.

‘Um, hello?’ Vivian asks, slowly walking into my room.

‘Open the curtains,’ I order her and lie back down.

‘Okay,’ I hear her respond. She shuffles across the room and soon the sunlight fills my bedroom, dispelling the darkness. I sit up and watch as she does the same to the other set of windows.

‘Do gods sleep?’ she asks.

‘Recreationally we can, but it’s not a requirement. What’s that?’ I ask, seeing a tray of tea and biscuits on the table.

‘Well, it’s morning. I figured you would order me to get you breakfast,’ she answers, pouring tea into the cup.

‘Gods don’t eat either,’ I say.

‘But you can, recreationally, right?’ she answers, looking back at me with a smile. She places the cup down as I stand behind her.

‘Do you need anything else?’ she asks. When she turns around, she jumps back but the back of her legs hit the chair. My finger lifts her chin up so that I can take a look at her face. A faint blush graces her skin. For a moment, she’s completely dazzled by my presence but that fades quick. Her small hand wraps around my wrist and pushes it away.

‘Oh? Don’t want to be touched by a god?’ I ask.

‘No. I only want to be touched by the man I love most in this world,’ she responds and pushes past me to leave.

‘Love doesn’t mean anything. You’ll come back to me begging for pleasure,’ I say with a smirk on my face, but it fades when I see pity in her eyes as she turns around.

‘How does a god who grants wishes to humans not understand how important love is? I really feel sorry for you if you don’t believe love means anything.’ Vivian walks away, leaving me with cooling tea and annoyance.

I continued working with Karno looking over my shoulder, but I couldn’t concentrate. Her words echoed in my mind and the way she looked at me didn’t fade. Love is based off of nothing but need. And I don’t need it. I’ve seen love destroy many gods in my life: my mother and father, Hue and Clotho and then Aigo with that goddess Phione. Men like Teo and Tauxolouve, even that sex fiend Partheno, play games and have as many goddess’ as they want because they don’t see love romantically either. Love has messed all of us up in some ways.

VIVIAN’S POV, THE MANSION COURTYARD, 13PM

I don’t know why Eisuke agreed to my being a maidservant to Leon. I guess he’ll tell me eventually. As soon as I left his room, I leaned against the wall to take a breath. He stood so close to me, and I could feel his warmth and powerful aura. But it didn’t make me feel the same way Eisuke does when he’s beside me. Eisuke makes me feel safe and loved, Leon makes me feel cornered, like prey.

‘Vivian, hand me that document,’ Eisuke asks, holding out his hand while staring at his laptop. The outside breeze cools me down as I pick up the piece of paper.

‘Here you go,’ I say. Eisuke looks up at me and narrows his eyes.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing. I was just thinking about how beautiful the courtyard is,’ I answer, sitting down opposite him. Eisuke continues to stare at me. I sigh, knowing that I can’t hide anything from him.

‘Okay, Leon came onto me and failed in the morning, that’s it,’ I answer.

Eisuke scowls at my answer but then he leans back into the chair and folds his arms across his broad chest and raises an eyebrow. ‘He failed?’

‘I told him that I love you and only want to be touched by you,’ I respond, but I feel my face heat up in embarrassment.

‘Good, but you still need to be careful around him,’ he orders which I nod in agreement. He leans in again and rests his elbows on the table.

‘Eisuke, can I say something?’

‘What?’

‘He sort of reminds me of you. Now hear me out,’ I begin, holding out my hands to stop him from interrupting. ‘I know that we’ve only been here for a day but from this one interaction I’ve had with him, Leon is as confident and sexy as you are. You are both so sure of yourselves and in your abilities.’

‘But? There’s more,’ Eisuke presses on, leaning over the table.

‘He said that love isn’t important. I guess it reminded me of back when we first met,’ I finish, running my fingers over the grooves in the table.

‘He’s wrong, you taught me that.’ Eisuke takes my hand in his and runs his thumb over my engagement rings. His touch fills me with warmth, so I place my hand over his and smile. Eisuke takes my other hand and pulls me to sit on his lap.

LEON’S POV, THE MANSION COURTYARD, 13:30PM

Instead of snapping my fingers to cause the sound of bells in her head, I decided to go out looking for her in a vain attempt to avoid Karno and Hue. As I open the doors to the garden, I hear faint giggling. Walking further into the yard, I see her sitting on his lap, with his back to me. She gives him fleeting, playful kisses and her sweet voice echoes in the empty space.

Why did I just think ‘sweet’ voice?

I shake my head and saunter into the middle of the garden.

‘You two are quite a shameless pair of goldfish,’ I begin, but I feel myself raising an eyebrow when neither attempt to move from their position.

‘Pfft, then you don’t know me very well,’ he answers.

‘I don’t “get to know” goldfish of any kind.’

‘You wouldn’t because you don’t bother yourself in knowing about us as humans, but you do care about our particular brand of entertainment,’ he argues which makes me huff in response.

‘Your fiancée is my maidservant,’ I point out which causes her to stand up. Vivian folds her hands over each other and smiles at me with a business-like expression, different to the lovable-wife I watched a few moments ago.

‘Did you need anything? I didn’t hear any bells ringing,’ she asks.

‘That’s because I didn’t.’ I turn around and leave them to their ‘love’. As soon as I walk back into the foyer, Karno comes out of the dining room.

‘There you are, I’ve been looking for you everywhere,’ he says. ‘You need to read and sign these otherwise we can’t file our year’s work in the department.’

I feel my face crinkle at the thought of paperwork and turn around to the main doors.

‘Leo, you can’t run away from me, not unless you want to make me cry, which would be terribly wrong of you,’ Karno continues, putting a firm hold on my right shoulder. ‘Come on. Humans have this saying you know, it’s called-‘

‘Work first, play later,’ I finish for him. We head up the staircase into the hallway.

‘Exactly! Look, I know lions sleep for 20 hours a day, but you can’t blow off your work when they need your particular signature,’ Karno says, handing me a folder.

‘Okay, I get, I understand your point. Can you stop talking now?’ I tell him, turning the corner.

‘I saw you outside talking to the humans, Eisuke and Vivian. What were you telling them?’ he asks.

‘Nothing, I caught them kissing and decided to embarrass them,’ I answer.

‘And?’

‘They weren’t.’

‘Many humans of their stature aren’t embarrassed to be physically intimate in public. You know the gods aren’t any different in that regard,’ Karno says.

‘I know. I wanted to see what her reaction was. She seemed like the nervous, wouldn’t-want-to-be-exposed-in-public type but she hardly reacted when I called them shameless,’ I say.

‘Wow. I guess she must be used to it,’ Karno says. He pats me on the back and continues walking down the hall. I stand outside my bedroom doors, thinking about her face when she was laughing and smiling, happy. It made me feel, something.

THE DAY AFTER THAT

LEON’S POV, HIS BEDROOM, 4PM

When my power to give pleasure came about when I was young, my mother hid me away from the heavens to prevent any ‘accidents’ but they always brought me out to parties and social gatherings to show off how powerful they’re only son was becoming. She didn’t even raise me, the servants of our household did. They couldn’t love me because-

‘Leon? I brought you some tea,’ Vivian’s voice pushes through my closed doors. The images of my childhood fade as I sit up on my bed.

‘Um, Leon?’ her voice pushes through again, hesitating. I rub away my past off my face and snap my fingers. The doors creek open, revealing her standing with a tray. The evening sun’s rays holds her figure in a basking glow of gold. She smiles at me and walks in. The shadows on the floor creep up towards her, threatening to plunge her into darkness. For some reason, I nearly jump out of bed.

‘Are you okay? What happened?’ she asks, slightly disturbed at my behaviour. Like I am.

‘I’m fine.’ I sit down at the small table. ‘Join me,’ I order, and she looks at me briefly. Her eyes seem to search mine for a clue of my motives. Hers are a normal shade of brown. No stars, no flecks in the pupil, Vivian has regular human eyes but somehow, I see something other than love and pity and excitement as she looks at me.

She finally shrugs her shoulders and sits down opposite me, pouring herself and I, a cup of tea.

‘Are you always comfortable being intimate with him?’ I ask suddenly, after taking a sip.

‘We’ve been together for years. I wasn’t at first, but that’s only because I had never been with a man like Eisuke before. I got used to it and now I enjoy it,’ she answers.

‘Only with him?’ I ask again. She smirks at me before drinking a sip of tea.

‘Yes, only with Eisuke. I guess you’re the type to take what you want and leave straight after?’ she asks in return. Vivian places the tea down and leans back into the chair, crossing her legs in the process.

‘Goddesses throw themselves at me because of my powers,’ I say in response.

‘The ability to give pleasure, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is that why you asked about me in the morning? About giving me pleasure?’ she asks.

‘I was curious. Human’s act based on needs.’

‘My needs are being met, there’s no doubt about that,’ she says, laughing.

‘Oh?’

‘Believe me. You know, Eisuke was like you when I first met him,’ she says, changing the subject. Her finger slowly traces the curve of the lip of the cup.

‘A god?’

‘Ha, very funny. No, a man who had everything he could ever want in his life, but no one to love him. He didn’t think love was necessary either,’ she continues. Her eyes glaze over in reminiscence.

‘Until he met you?’

‘I suppose so. By the way, is it okay if I use the kitchen here to cook for dinner?’

‘You really like to jump, don’t you? Fine, I assume it’s because the others like to eat ‘cooked’ meals rather than magically appearing ones,’ I say.

‘That is true actually. Thanks! Anything in particular you want?’ she asks.

‘I’m a god,’ I reply.

‘Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t mean you don’t eat, ever,’ she says, waving her hands in dismissal.

‘Meatballs,’ I mumble.

‘You like meatballs? Beef scrunched up into a ball and cooked in sauce?’

‘Don’t mock me. I said what I said. Now go away, I have work to do,’ I say.

‘Work being, laying in your bed?’ she asks, her lips slowly curve up into a familiar smile.

‘Ha, ha, very funny.’

LEON’S POV, HALLWAYS OF THE MANSION, 7PM

The smell of cooking fills the entire mansion. As I walk down the hallway to the main room, I turn the corner to see the others standing outside the dining room. Hue notices me and waves me over.

‘What’s going on?’

‘It smells so good. Do you think they’ll share the food?’ Ichyths asks.

‘We could ask,’ Dui suggests.

‘Do they look like the kind of humans who share?’ the scorpion walks up to us.

‘They seemed pretty nice,’ Teo says.

‘You’re probably better off asking the woman who’s cooking the meals,’ Hue says.

‘That’s right,’ her voice echoes out of the room. When I open the doors, Vivian is laying the table with plates. She looks at us as she places a fork down.

‘I think I made enough for everyone,’ she says.

‘Ah, I was wondering why we had to wait so long. You made some for the gods as well?’ Eisuke’s voice suddenly sounds from behind us.

The rest of the humans arrive and begin sitting down as if they have lived here for years. Before her fiancé can sit down at the head of the table, I take his spot. I look up to see him scowling at me.

‘You live in our building, you live here by our rules.’

His eyebrows furrow but he doesn’t respond. Instead, Eisuke walks to the other end of the table and sits directly opposite me.

‘Vivian,’ he says, and she picks up a spoon.

‘Vivian,’ I say, and she turns around. ‘Before you are his fiancé, you’re my maidservant.’ I gesture to the plate of meatballs by me with my chin. I lean back casually as I watch the wrinkles in his face deepen. In my peripheral view, everyone’s eyes switch back and forth between Eisuke and I, but I don’t look away from his gaze. After a few moments of silence, she places the spoon down slowly and speaks up.

‘Everyone can sit down and serve themselves with whatever they like.’

As soon as she walks past me, I open my mouth. ‘Choosing the middle ground doesn’t make you a saint.’

‘Being a god doesn’t make you all powerful,’ she fires back. ‘I control my own actions, regardless of my “employment” anywhere.’ Vivian heads into the kitchen.

‘Is it just me, or did it get really hot in here all of a sudden?’

‘Shut up!’

THE NIGHT BEFORE

LEON’S POV, HIS SECRET GARDEN, 8PM

Since the dinner, I’ve been doing all I can to annoy Vivian and Eisuke. But it seems all I’ve done is bring them together even more. He seems to trust her to protect herself from me.

As I walk downstairs, she comes out from a doorway at the bottom of the foyer. We make eye contact, and she looks at me curiously. I simply pass her and open the door revealing a black darkness.

‘Um, Leon?’ she asks, hesitating.

‘Follow me if you’re up for it,’ I say, and walk through. The scene changes to a field on Earth. Similar to the one in the Heavens, its calming nature lets me breath. A rustling of petals and grass tell me she did follow.

‘Curiosity kills the cat, you know?’ I speak. Gentle footsteps creep up towards me.

‘Good thing I’m not a cat then,’ she replies, standing beside me.

‘No, you’re a goldfish,’ I answer back and turn my head to face her. I see her smile and look down. Vivian slowly lowers herself to sit down on the ground and she tugs on the hem of my jacket.

‘Gods don’t-‘

‘Oh, shut up and sit down,’ she says in a playful manner.

‘Fine.’ We sit there, watching the moon and the lake for what felt like a lifetime.

AN HOUR LATER

Leon doesn’t like to kiss, which is stupid because kissing is great!

Teo’s words echo in my mind over and over. We have been sitting for a while and talking and arguing about gods, humans, and just life in general. Right now, she’s trying to humiliate me by suggesting I believe in love.

‘If you don’t want a woman to kiss you, then it doesn’t mean you believe love is unimportant, it means that you do feel that love is important and you’re afraid to take a chance to be loved and give love.’

‘That’s ridiculous,’ I reply.

‘Sure, you can deny it all you want, but it’s true. You’ve been deprived of physical and emotional love. And now, you have begun craving it, in me.’ She sighs and stands up, smoothing down the crinkles in her dress. ‘I can’t give you what you want, whether you’re a god or not.’

‘I don’t want anything from you,’ I begin, and stand up.

‘Oh, shut up! You and I both know I’m right!’ she shouts. ‘I love Eisuke, with all my heart and I’m sure there’s someone out there for you. You never know, maybe you’ve met her already or maybe she’s just not born yet. You are a god, after all. You’ve got an eternity to find her, but she’s not me, and never will be.’

The next thing I know, I’m holding her in my arms. Trying to will her into staying. She feels small in my arms. No, she feels perfect in my arms. Her body shakes with nerves, so I rub her back to calm her down. Vivian sighs from frustration and I feel her arms reluctantly wrap around my torso. Her warmth fills me as the breeze rustles the flowers on the ground.

‘Leon,’ she begins to say.

‘I know.’ I abruptly pull away and quickly snap my fingers. The scenery changes to the empty courtyard of the mansion. ‘Thank you,’ I say. Turning, I leave her ‘love’ behind.

THE NEXT MORNING

LEON’S POV, OUTSIDE THE MANSION ENTRANCE, 9AM

‘Okay Boss, I’ve put all the suitcases into the back,’ Baba says.

‘Kishi! Why are you stretching your entire body out? We can’t sit inside now!’

‘You stupid slacker, move over!’

‘Hey! Don’t push!’

The four humans argue and push inside the vehicle while Eisuke pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

‘They somehow get dumber as time moves on,’ I say, moving to stand next to him.

‘They were always dumb,’ he replies, chuckling. ‘Hey! Stop squealing and get in!’ he shouts to them. Vivian finishes hugging the little godchildren and stands up. Vega suddenly runs over to us and hugs Eisuke, wrapping her little arms around his waist. I raise my eyebrow while his hands hover in hesitation before beginning to pat her head awkwardly.

‘I’ll miss you, Mr Eisuke!’ she says, leaning her chin up to look at him. He looks away shyly before patting her head again.

‘You know where to find me if you continue to miss me,’ he answers.

‘She’ll be too busy for that,’ I say.

‘Lord Leon! You’re so mean!’ she cries out at me before turning back to him. ‘Thank you for playing with me, Mr Eisuke!’ Vega squeezes him tight before running off inside the mansion with a furiously blushing face.

‘I think she has a new crush. That’s too bad for you, Leon,’ Hue says with a smirk and turns to follow her inside with Altair and the others.

I roll my eyes and face Eisuke. His thin lips slowly curl up into a smirk.

‘She belongs to me,’ he says.

‘Pfft, she certainly knows what she wants,’ I respond, glancing at the beautiful figure leaning against the vehicle with crossed arms and interest. She begins to smile at me.

‘I’ll be watching,’ I say.

‘Well, I hope you enjoy what you see,’ he chuckles.

‘Make her happy. Even more than you already do. And yes, this is a direct order from a god,’ I demand with a smirk on my face.

He looks at me for a moment, then he holds out his hand. My hand takes his in a firm grasp and shake it.

‘I will.’ For the first time since I met him, Eisuke genuinely smiles at me. He heads for the limo and Vivian quickly takes his place in front of me. She bites the corner of her lip and looks down at my feet before looking up again.

‘I didn’t mean to make you think-‘ she begins.

‘You didn’t,’ I interrupt. Vivian gives me a lopsided smile.

‘Well, to be honest, I had fun as your maidservant,’ she says.

‘Even though most of the time you gave me attitude? Don’t forget, you’re still a goldfish,’ I reply.

‘It wasn’t … all the time, I made you meatballs!’ she points out but we both smile knowing how ridiculous the argument is.

‘I think I’ll stick to making my own by snapping my fingers,’ I answer.

‘Didn’t like ‘em?’

‘They were of adequate quality, for a human, to a god’s tastes,’ I answer.

‘Funny. Leon, I wanted to ask a favour,’ she says. When I say nothing, she sighs, preparing herself for it.

‘You grant wishes for everyone. Who grants your wishes?’ she asks.

‘I do, for myself.’ I answer, but I know that’s not the question or answer she needs.

‘Then, I wish for you, that you find a happiness you genuinely enjoy in your life,’ she says, looking me in the eyes. I hear a faint intake of breath from myself as soon as she says those words. Hope fills her plain brown eyes.

‘That’s-‘

‘A ridiculous wish? Maybe. But I hope you fulfil it, for your own sake.’ Vivian smiles and winks at me before turning around. I watch her go and fall into the arms of the man she loves most in this world.

#kissed by the baddest bidder eisuke #kissed by the baddest bidder #star crossed myth leon #star crossed myth #scm leon #kbtbb eisuke #eisuke ichinomiya

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