#chapter preview

[madamechrissy]

Losing Control Now - part four preview

Pairings: Mobster Gojo x bartender F!reader

Warnings- just suggestive in this, but the story is NSFW, reader and Gojo are on their date hehe. After like over a month and a half (sorryyy) of no thoughts on this, it finally came to me today, so expect the update this week! <3

The wind is gently blowing your hair around your face, the soft light of the setting sun casting pinks and golds across your skin, and for a moment his breath catches, seeing your tired eyes light up, your pretty smile. It makes any and everything he’d have to do to protect you worth it, your giggle as you lean forward, a hand brushing across his thigh now, making him ache for you.

“This is beautiful, Satoru. Thank you so much for this.” Your lips press on his cheek, then the corner of his mouth, the salty sea spray mingling in the air with your perfume, heady and intoxicating.

He swallows a bit, arm wrapping around you now as the two of you sit at the table, food plated by the best chefs he could hire, on his own damn boat he bought for a date, but all you can focus on is him. In his pretty blue eyes, and the way the sun is casting shadows from behind him, illuminating his tall figure when he leans low, brushing a thumb across your cheek.

It’s warmed from the sun, but soon hot under his touch, his bright blue gaze that makes your heart pound. “It’s all worth it.” He murmurs quietly, he knows you don’t grasp his meaning fully, but you kiss him softly, drinking in his sighs, while his touch drifts to the small of your back.

Anything is worth your presence.

“This food looks amazing but I doubt I can pronounce it. It’s insane.” You say softly, eyeing the plates then, and he tries to hold back just lifting you on it, swiping every fancy dish across the wood planks beneath you, and eating you instead.

He doubts that will wait much longer, not with the glimpses of thigh from your high cut dress, not with the way that necklace is dangling precariously against your collarbone that he wants to litter with bites. He takes a breath, putting on an easy smile then. “I don’t either, I just asked for super fancy shit.”

You giggle at it, his sincerity, and he grins so boyish and charming, it melts your fucking heart. “I feel like you can’t be real, and it scares me.”

“Not real?” He frowns a bit, while you take a nibble of one of the perfectly set dishes, sighing as it hits your taste buds, nodding a bit. “What’s that mean?”

“Too good for me? More than I deserve? Too amazing-”

“The fuck?” He glares at you, gripping your chin now, snowy lashes lowering as you sit there, fork clattering from your hand.

“Sorry I-”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that. You fucking deserve everything. Okay?” You blink back emotions, words that shouldn’t spill yet but threaten to, taking a shaky breath and nodding.

“I’m just so tired, Satoru. I’m sorry.” He relaxes his grip, long elegant fingers dancing along your jaw, sighing now as the boat gently dashes through the water beneath you two, and for a moment he’d like it to carry you both away. Far the fuck away. “Thank you for everything, for every moment with me.”

“Don’t thank me for it, right now all I can think of is-” Your phone starts going off then, lighting up at the table, he frowns over at the name as you sigh, ignoring the call. “Your mom?”

“She’ll stop after a few, it’s for money.” You’re so used to this, it infuriates Satoru then, the next call he answers, before you can stop him, covering your mouth in shock, eyes wide as he casually answers.

“Your daughter is on a date, Mom. She can’t give you any money I’m afraid,” you hear her yelling and panicking, but he just sips on a glass of wine, winking at you, as if to tell you he’s got it. “I’ll make a deal, leave her alone all day and night, and I’ll give you some instead.”

“Don’t do that!” Your whisper is brushed off, as he smirks, and you can’t hear her voice anymore.

“Your daughter deserves a day where she’s not carrying all your fucking burdens, mmkay? Great, I’ll send that over tomorrow, meet you soon I’m sure.” He hangs up now, eyeing your shocked face with a shrug. “She’ll leave you alone for a bit.”

“You can’t just pay everyone to leave me alone, this is my mess, it’s-”

“It’s not your mess. You got stuck with hers. And baby Imma fix it all, okay?” He cups your face with both hands, and you’re ended, any resolve, or waiting for the right time, it all falls from your brain, replaced with one thing instead-

You need him.

You need him in every way.

You slam your lips on his then, hot and desperate, he exhales and drags your body against him, until he’s picked you up, sliding plates over and stepping between your thighs, feeling the heat of your needy cunt even over the layers of his pants and the dress he’s slipping up. You cry out against him when he bites the lower lip, the one you’ve bitten to hell, the pain sharp and sweet, soothing it with a swipe of his tongue.

“I need you, Satoru,” you whisper now, eyeing him with a dilated, lidded gaze, your little hands grabbing at his dress shirt, feeling the hammering of his heart against your palm. “Please.”

Who was he to deny you anything?

I'm so excited to get back to this oneee I can't wait

perm tags- @alt--er--love @nanasukii28 @cuntphoric @loafteaw @n1vi @indiewritesxoxo @miizuzu @beachaddict48 @honeybunnnnie @re-tired-succubus @gojosukuna2268 @waterfal-ling @1brii @wise-fangirl @moncher-ire @orikixx @uhnosav @baepsays @designerpvssy @orixxxana @airandyeah @nina-from-317 @evelynxxo @naammiii @soyokosuguru @espresso1patronum @tomboy-disaster @iam-souless @lanii-i @cristy-101 @doeeyestoji @cvixmei @mutsu422 @ivyvenus333 @g00seg1rl @suki91 @satoao-main @fairygardenprincesss @theonlyjuggernaut @huntyhuntycunty @lovelockdownff @ibreathesmut @s777athv @twinklywinkly @akiii143 @squeezyvalkyrie @cookielovesbook-akie @oinksa @grignardsreagent @shokosbunny

[reality-warp]

The first five chapters aren't done in the oven yet, but here's a little look at some Eleanor & Tink dialog from Amabilis Insania Chapter 2: A Battle of Wills

“Whatever you might have been before, that isn’t who you are now.” “How can you be so sure?” “Because you threw yourself in front of me. You put yourself between me and the most insidious, dangerous being on the continent. You didn’t even hesitate.” “A cynical person might argue that I was also doing it to save myself.” “Yes, well, I’m more than cynical enough for the both of us, don’t you think? Stay in your lane.” “… I’m still scared.” “I know… I am too.” “Promise me that whatever we eventually find, whatever I turn out to be… you’ll remember me like this. This is who I want to remain as.”

[ghost-bxrd]

Jason drums his fingers against the steering wheel, a nervous tick, “If it’s still as bad as you think by lunchtime you can call me and I’ll come get you, alright?“

Bruce frowns, “Just like that?“

“Just like that,“ Jason affirms, “As long as you promise me to give it a try.“

Bruce fiddles with the string of pearls tucked into the right pocket of his blazer. “But if I call you’ll pick me up?“

Jason sighs and a second later there’s a hand gently ruffling Bruce’s hair. Not that it matters. Apparently part of his ‘disguise’ are subpar hairstyles and non-tailored suits. Bruce just knows mom would gasp if she— well. Bruce thinks he looks stupid attending school like this, is all.

“Yes. I promise.“

The entrance looks like a gigantic maw, swallowing unsuspecting victim after victim. Everyone so eager to follow through on their own slaughter. Bruce wonders what it says about him that he’d rather face down several thugs than leave the car and submit himself to this torture chamber the government calls an “educational institution“.

“Fine,“ he grouses, releasing the seatbelt with a little more force than necessary, “I’ll see you at lunch.“

— The Antithesis of Magic, chpt. 4 sneak peek

[spicybardjj]

Wyll 🥺⚔️

Full chapter on patre0n

[cupcakemolotov]

Match My Heart to Yours

Summary: Enzo has an plan. Caroline has some serious doubts, because first all, werewolf, hot or not. Alpha, even. A political marriage to a man with his dimples seems like a terrible idea.

Tags: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson; Caroline Forbes & Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John; Caroline Forbes; Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John; Klaus Mikaelson; Rebekah Mikaelson; Alternate Universe; Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known; Alternate Universe - Witches; BFF Time; Whats A Little Magic Between Friends; Magic; Matchmaking; What To Do When You Friend Sets You Up With That Hot Alpha; Fluff; Male-Female Friendship

Please remember that A03 has been set to private, you will need to be logged in to access the new update.

Chapter One

Someone was knocking on her front door.

Caroline squinted across her living room, but she’d pulled the blinds at some point last night. Next to her elbow, the coffee percolated cheerfully, and she debated satisfying her curiosity over her need to offset her hangover with caffeine. She wasn’t expecting company, and none of her neighbors would break small town social etiquette to knock on anyone’s door this early. Wrinkling her nose, she decided eight AM on a Sunday was too early for surprises.

She’d only crawled out of bed because of Enzo's snoring. A side effect of the bourbon he’d consumed, a point tipsy-Caroline had forgotten. Since kicking him repeatedly hadn’t done any good, and suffocating him with a pillow would put her minus a best friend, Caroline begrudgingly rolled out of bed and staggered into the bathroom to wash her face and brush post-tequila horror out of her mouth, a mental promise to furnish her guest room asap.

Pressing her knuckles to her forehead, Caroline was fervently thankful she’d stopped at that last shot. Her head hurt, her stomach was twisted into stress knots and the only reason she wasn’t pacing was because that would likely make her head hurt worse. Last night’s discussion had been enough of an emotional roller coaster, what she needed now was quiet, a pad and pen, and the chance to make several pro/con lists before Enzo woke up. She could manage that even with a minor hangover.

It could have been so much worse.

They’d finished off her good tequila, going shot for shot as they’d had a very heated debate about wolves, marriage and how her dad’s family would roll over in their graves. Past-her had made a super smart choice and waved Enzo off when he’d gone hunting for bourbon, and drunkenly eaten cheesecake instead. At least her living room was less of a mess than expected, even drunk Enzo knew not to leave bottles or dirty plates laying around. The Chinese food had been left stacked messily on her stove, so she’d need to figure out what to keep, but her rapidly solidifying plans to stress-clean then make lists were interrupted by louder, more persistent knocking.

Huffing, Caroline glanced down at the clothes she’d hastily pulled on. Her favorite sweats, and an oversized sweater for the fall chill in the air. Perfectly suitable for dealing with the world's most persistent delivery driver even without a bra. Grumpily, she moved towards the door, rolling her eyes as the knocking came for a third time.

“Christ,” Caroline muttered as she paused to check the peephole. “What an.” Her words cut off abruptly, and she froze at the sight in front of her. Shoulders, curls. The slight curve of a mouth that immediately held her attention, particularly when the tip of his tongue ran along the edge of that plush bottom lip. A knowing of who was on her porch hit her with all surety of a find, and she stopped breathing.

“What, exactly, love?” Klaus Mikaelson asked, head tipping in a wolfish, curious gesture.

Absolute asshole, Caroline finished mentally, hand pressed firmly against her chest as if it would slow the racing thump of her heart. What the fuck was the Alpha of the United States doing on her porch? Even if Enzo had texted him she was considering this insane proposal, Enzo better not have, there was no reason for him to be on her porch not even twelve hours later. Panic turned her mouth cottony, she was not prepared for this, but before she could dissolve into a puddle of sudden, acute anxiety, a car drove down the street and a different kind of horror hit her.

Oh, hell, who had seen him?

[blushweddinggowns]

When Eddie woke up, he wasn’t super clear on where he was. He was coming out of a deep sleep, one that he usually didn’t get the pleasure of experiencing. But he did know that he felt relaxed, happy. A bone-deep comfort that he rarely ever experienced. It was dark, a pleasant smell in his nose as he buried his face against a pillow, unsure on what had woken up in the first place. Smiling a bit when he realized they almost smelled like Steve’s cologne. 

The thought made him pause, taking another sniff. They definitely smelled like Steve. Because Eddie was in Steve’s bed, the realization hitting him like a truck. Eddie grinned, running his face over the fabric as the memories came rushing back. He didn’t even know what to do with himself, he was so happy. He felt like he was seventeen again, living out one of the shitty romcoms him and Gareth used to dog on. 

God, he could even still taste him. A faint lingering in the back of his throat that made him shiver pleasantly. Why Eddie thought he’d be able to get away with jerking off right next to Steve with their paper thin walls, Eddie would never know. All he knew was that he’d never felt happier at the fact that he was a such a moron. How could he be, when it ended in him being in Steve’s bed? There wasn’t a better possible outcome. 

But then again, why was he alone?

For the first time since he woke up, Eddie frowned. He reached over, flicking on Steve’s bed side lamp before swinging his legs over the bed. Blushing a little when he realized he was still naked, his clothes thrown haphazardly around the room. Eddie ran a hand through his hair, standing with a sigh as he looked around. It was his first time being in here, the curse of having a shared living space. Though Eddie doubted it would be his last. 

He started to snoop around as he got dressed. Just a bit. It was easy to do when Steve had thrown all of his shit every which way, his excitement getting the better of him. 

The place was neater than Eddie had been expecting. Everything stacked and organized in it’s own specific place. A collection of baseball card binders were lined up on a near by shelf, labeled by team. A hamper in his open closet, next to a collection of heeled shoes that made Eddie blush. His brain helpless to do anything but immediately imagine Steve in every pair. Photos littering the wall, most tacked up with push pins. A mix of his babysitting friends and a few people he didn’t recognize. 

The only one framed was on his nightstand, him with a girl that had to be Robin. Easily recognizable from the selfies Steve would proudly show him off her Instagram. Her and a young, shirtless Steve. The two of them hugging and grinning at the camera, posing in front of a moving van. Looking so happy and sweet that Eddie couldn’t help but smile, the intense fondness he had for the man getting worse by the second. 

Finally dressed, Eddie came out of the room. Following the sound of Steve rummaging through their cabinets again. It felt oddly like dejavu, walking back in there. Steve casually smiling at him with a little wave before going right back to what he was doing. Already showered and dressed in the same get up he always went to work in. It made Eddie blink, the nonchalance unexpected.

And worrying. 

Steve stepped back, waving a foil packet in the air with a smile, “Do pop tarts still count as dinner?”

 “They do to me,” Eddie said, oddly even-toned considering how hard and fast his nerves were coming back. He watched as Steve calmly put them in the toaster, debating on what he could possibly say. 

Do you regret it?

Did I do something?

Can I put your dick in my mouth again while you call me pretty or was that a one time thing?

He didn’t think any of those options would end well. Not to mention the fact that he was running out of time. Eddie cursed softly under his breath when he looked at the clock. 

“Don’t you have to leave soon?” He asked, watching the mundane with an intensity he couldn’t control. Steve was putting their shitty, off-brand tarts onto plates, glancing at the clock with a hum. 

“In about half an hour,” Steve said, jerking his head towards the living room, “Wanna watch something stupid before I gotta go?”

Eddie nodded, at a loss of what else he could say. Taking a plate when Steve waved it at him. He followed him into the living room, taking the side chair instead of the couch like usual. It was a better angle for Eddie to stare at him, constantly searching for any kind of acknowledgment of what happened. But Steve was a picture of ease, slapping a Smiling Friends episode on without a care in the world. 

Maybe what happened hadn’t been a dream but Eddie was starting to wonder if it had been a bone-deep hallucination. Steve was still acting like nothing was amiss, perfectly at ease. Sitting there eating a pop-tart like this was a normal evening. The only hint that anything had happened between them was in the little glances Steve kept stealing his way. Something that could have been based off the fact that Eddie was staring at him like a creep, his food untouched. 

After what felt like a century, Steve finally muted the tv. His face morphing from content to something between a pout and pure devastation. Sad enough to make panic start battering inside of Eddie’s chest, the whiplash completely unexpected. 

“Why are you sitting over there?” Steve asked, his voice missing the usual confidence that Eddie had grown to love. 

Eddie couldn’t handle it. 

“I wanted to look at you,” He blurted out. He couldn’t even be embarrassed, not with the way Steve’s shoulders relaxed at the confession, “That’s all.”

“You can look at me next to me,” He whined, patting the spot next to him, “Please?”

Eddie didn’t need to be told twice. He tripped over his own feet in his hurry to get over there, barely managing not to face plant before stumbling next to him. 

But Steve still looked nervous, fiddling with his thumbs before asking, “You don’t regret it, do you?”

Eddie blinked at him, surprised at the question, “Do you?”

from the next chapter of this fic

again I am so sorry to my giftee for this being so late. I shit you not, my crazy methed out Trump uncle tried to kill an old woman on oxygen by turning her electricity off and it caused some issues in my life💀(she's okay but like shit is crazy crazy over there.) One more week and then it will be done! (if you're seeing this giftee I'll dm you! trying not to be annoying with my sporadic updates so I didn't tag 😓) actually i didn't tag anyone because its STILL NOT FUCKING DONE but if you asked for a tag on a prior post I'll add another snippet on here when it's actually finished so I don't leave anyone in WIP hell (like my other fics 😬)

[gachiarchive]

paper copy of chapter 80

Kei Urana || December 12, 2023 || Instagram [link]

[just-b-wilde]

Nicked Her Heart

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Man

June sat at her desk, phone pressed to her ear, eyes scanning through notes that made more chaos than sense.

Her boss was bombarding her with a barrage of things she was trying to catch and somehow organize—but today, the so-called “editorial feedback” sounded more like a combination of a fire and an earthquake. Pretty much like every time a deadline went up in flames or a long-anticipated author event was about to hit.

She was absently spinning a pen between her fingers until it slipped and dropped to the floor, right beside her desk.

“Damn it…” she muttered to herself.

Still with the phone at her ear, she bent down to pick it up—and her fingers collided with someone else’s hand.

She froze. Looked up—and her eyes met his.

A man was looking at her with warm brown eyes, strong eyebrows, olive-toned skin, and slightly wavy black hair. There was something about him—something that immediately pulled at her attention in a way she couldn’t quite explain.

[skyfellcomic]

Prologue 2 of Skyfell

coming soon (end of the month)

[pastafossa]

I have a hilarious reappearance of a previous one-off character from TRT in this next chapter. Have fun guessing! Here's your censored clue as I continue to edit it up:

A low rumble drifted to you through the thread, the song of it thick and heavy with seething rage. A wave of roiling heat washed over your skin next, the memory of red embers and bloody copper appearing on your tongue.  The corner of your mouth curled up into a smirk.  Five. “You were the lady ██ ███ █████ ████ ████!” ███ began to shake, his eyes wild and white. The knife fell from his trembling hand with a loud clatter as he stumbled back from you.  Four. Before the others could stop him, ███ turned and sprinted down the alley, leaving the others behind as they all shouted in confusion.  Three.  But it was too late.  Two. “Dinner time,” you murmured.  One. “Where the fuck is he going?!” Zero. 

[eggylord]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦

𝑒𝑔𝑔𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇𝒹 Fandom :: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) Relationships :: Bakugou Katsuki/Kaminari Denki Genre :: Romance

༶･˙⊹｡˚･ﾟʚ๑ɞ･✧˛˚･˙༶

𝟙𝟘. 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮𝓻 ::

[reality-warp]

"Looks like neither of us can dance." "I’ll have you know I am an exceptionally fine dancer." "When you’re not three-sheets-to-the-wind from out-drinking a room full of roaring men." "And one Dwarf." -- E & L (Compos Mentis, Chapter 24)

This may turn out to be the longest chapter I've ever written for RB, and a significant chunk of it is a long overdue (slightly drunk) conversation between these two. I'm currently at almost 11,000 words, and I'm still not quite finished yet. Too much?

[beneaththewoodscomic]

screw it i'm posting the first chapter preview on here too wHEE lol. Hope y'all enjoy! 🥰 (Also let me know if you want me to post more previews!! I can definitely do it with each chapter update)

The boy jumped. A quiet, electronic sob came from behind the tree. It sounded muffled and glitching. It felt wrong. Max’s face went pale, his eyes wide. He raced towards the sound.

Slamming to a halt, Max stared at the amorphous black shape bubbling up against the tree. He could barely make out where the shape ended and where Archie began, the shape twisting and consuming them. The boy barely spotted his friend’s face, seeing their hands pressed into their features.

Their sobs grew louder and louder, the electronic noise almost screeching and grating in the boy’s ears. Nevertheless, he pushed forward, kneeling down at the spirit’s side.

“Archie! Hey, it’s okay...”

What was he supposed to do? He searched across their face, fighting to see what was going on behind their clawed hands.

With a gulp, the boy reached a shaky hand forward. He placed it on Archie’s arm.

The spirit shook, jolting upright. They ripped their arm away and clutched their hands to their chest, staring with wide eyes at the boy.

Max lit up. “It’s okay! I’m right here.”

Breathing fast, the childlike spirit stared at their friend. The bubbling of their form ceased. But their gaze felt different; it felt alien, confused. They looked at Max as if they did not know who or what he was.

Despite this, Max held out his hand to them. Just like before: offering his hand as if trying to win the trust of an unknown cat. He smiled again.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, but I can help! I wanna help--“

Archie screamed with a curdling, bloody screech. Max winced, throwing his hands over his ears. The spirit shoved him away, the voice drenched in sobs.

Crashing into the earth, the boy scrambled upright and shook his head. He stared at the dirt, gasping for breath. Why would Archie do that?! They were friends; you’re not supposed to hurt friends! He stared at the scrapes on his knees, but doubled down, hopping up to his feet.

He didn’t know what was happening, but something upset his friend. He had to fix this. He had to do something!

Max turned back to Archie, a determined look in his eyes. He stepped forward. But, as he looked up, his face went pale. His entire body grew stiff.

This was so, so much worse.

A looming shadow towered over the tiny boy. It stretched up to the top of the oak tree. He swore he saw a face on the shadow, something glaring down at him. Not only that, but he made out silent, screaming faces twisting across the rest of their form, churning and fading in and out of existence.

Yet, in the middle of it all, there was still a tiny, terrified spirit trapped in that dark, dark place. Resting at the bottom of the massive shadow’s feet sat that tiny spirit, feeling like an insignificant speck in an immense universe. Archie grabbed at their face, sinking their claws into their flesh as if trying to rip off the skin over their mouth. Their sobs grew louder. Tears spilled down their face.

Max stared in horror at the scene. He felt so tiny, so helpless, but no one else was coming to help his friend. He was the only one who could do something. That’s what you’re supposed to do for your friends, right? You’re supposed to help them. Do something, Max!

Taking a deep breath, Max stepped forward again, steeling himself now. He extended out his hand, eyes locked on the terrified spirit.

He couldn’t let himself be afraid. They were already scared enough. Don’t let them see you scared, too.

“It’s okay, Archie,” Max said, his voice drowned out by the cries.

The spirit looked up at the boy with wide eyes, their hands shaking. They settled them down in their lap as they gasped for air amid sobs.

Max knelt before Archie. Despite the plume of darkness over their heads, despite the screams and the darkness now twisting around them both, the boy did his best to put on a brave face. The world was dark, but he fought to be some sort of light in that darkness. He extended his hands out to the spirit.

“I’m not gonna leave you, Archie.” The boy nodded firmly. He took both of Archie’s hands. “Never, ever.”

Archimedes stared at him with blank eyes as the shadows churned around them both. Their cries grew silent, now left with the sound of the howling wind. As they looked at their friend with that unfamiliar stare, a single tear rolled down their cheek.

You didn’t try hard enough, Max.

[penkura]

Here is your small preview of ch. 3 of where you belong! 👀 It's almost done, I just have a little more to do, it's going on 5k words again whoops. I probably could've given this more chapters and made them shorter but ehh, oh well. I can't wait to share this with you all!!

Preview is under the cut in case you want to wait. 💚

The gifts you’ve given him, the kiss you shared, he doesn’t know how to fully process all of it. It’s so foreign to him, he doesn’t think he’s felt so happy since the time he spent with Cora, he’s sure he hasn’t felt this loved since then either, even though he’s sure you’re not in love with him yet.

~~

After he makes it back to his office, Law nearly collapses on the ground, his energy spent and his emotions going haywire.

Law sets your gifts on his desk, he’ll put them away in the morning, placing his face in his hands to try and stop the blush he knows is there and the smile that he can’t seem to wipe off no matter how much he tries to. He tries to calm himself down, tell himself this isn’t a big deal, maybe you will come by in the morning and tell him it was a mistake, but he hopes and prays you don’t.

I can’t believe she kissed me. I didn’t expect that…

“Heeey, Law, I’m heading up for night watch,” Penguin knocks on the doorway a bit, stepping into Law’s office as his captain just nods, making him raise an eyebrow, “Something good happen, Cap?”

“Yeah…yeah, something good happened.”

[spicybardjj]

⚔️Chapter sneakpeak

[cupcakemolotov]

Dragon Dust: Part 2

Please remember that my A03 is locked, due to AI scrapping. I have unlocked this one briefly, but will be locking it back down after a few days. Making an account is the best way to see what I am writing.

Summary: Escaping a dragon isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Warnings: Alternate Universe - Dragons; Alternate Universe - Soulmates; Alternate Universe - Fantasy; here be dragons; Caroline is a Thief; They Will Probably Argue About That at some point

The first time Caroline met Enzo, she’d thought he was crazy. Nearly five decades of friendship between them and more high risk jobs than she cared to think back on to count, and she still thought he was crazy. But somewhere in all the long years of their friendship, he had turned her into a crazy person too. It was the only explanation she could find for why she was playing chase with the King of Dragons in his booby trapped castle.

Flinging herself down another empty hallway, Caroline’s gaze darted around as she tried to find a door, a pathway, anything to keep increasing the distance between her and the sheer force of the dragon behind her. There had been something in his gaze, hot and covetous and wildly dangerous to her equilibrium, that she could not allow herself to think about.

Not when Klaus’ roar had shaken the walls of the castle, when outside she could hear bells clanging in a jarring pattern that left her teeth grinding in frustration. Alarms that echoed in her chest as sharply as the feel of him, warm and naked and sleek beneath her hands lingered against her palm in a soft warmth. Shaking off those thoughts, she tried to focus. Enzo was counting on her. That meant she had to survive, had to find a way out of this trap. A feat made nearly impossible by the way she could feel the castle walls buzzing, an angry beehive that had been unexpectedly kicked, and while she wasn’t a quitter, she also wasn’t stupid.

Hide, hide, she needed to hide. Running into a storm barefoot and without a cloak wasn’t smart, but it was better than the dungeons and it would give her a fighting chance. So she needed an exit. Dragons were their own kind of awful, their magic had teeth, but storms like the one raging outside might give her smaller body just enough of an advantage she could slip their net.

To make that work, she needed space. Her best choice was to keep running until she found an exit. It was unfortunately not an uncommon solution to some of her more brazen thefts. If she made it out of this castle alive, Enzo was going to owe her so big.

Around her, the alarms increased in pitch. Bare feet slapping on the stone floor, Caroline barely registered the rooms she bolted through, trying not to think what it meant that no one had stopped her just yet. Cursing when she turned a corner and found yet another set of stairs, her heart skipped a beat when above her, not nearly far enough away, the sound of shattering stone told her the lock had finally broken.

The Dragon King was loose.

Around her, the air started to boil.

Caroline didn’t give herself enough mental room to panic. Her world narrowed to obstacle, and the fastest way past the obstacle. Her mental lists and plans were discarded as soon as she thought of them. There was no way she was going to run down the stairs faster than a dragon, even a naked one. Throwing a prayer to the god of thieves, Caroline shoved her hand into her last hidden pocket and gripped a charm tightly between her fingers and launched herself at the banister. She bounced, almost missed it, but caught herself at the last second. To her left, a gaping chasm of multiple stories of free space loomed, and to her right, roughly hued stone.

Her heart jumped into her throat as she slid down the rough stone. If she’d had even an ounce of magic left, she could have guided the stone, directed herself on the stone at less suicidal speeds, but she didn’t. She couldn’t. The walls around her rushed by, and she heard shouts of surprise, the alarms ringing in her ears increasing in volume. She had one shot at surviving this.

Gripping Enzo’s charm tightly between her fingers, Caroline stared at the oncoming floor and tried not to panic. God, the things she did for her family. Setting her teeth, she tried to anticipate the timing for the bone jarring jump as she neared the bottom. In her hand, the spell started to burn.

Behind her, a roar that threatened to shake the walls apart. Adrenaline flooded her as she launched, and she had half a heartbeat to hope she wasn’t turning herself into a flying, bite sized snack. Around her the air seemed to gather itself, magic thick enough to breath as she reached for the spell locked in the charm. Before she could force the magic free, there was a sudden, violent impression of wings and claws, a deep-chested snarl, and the world warped.

Magic. There was too much magic.

AO3