#demon kells

[jinx-on-mars-19xx]

Sharp Secrets and Bloody Blades

Not Natural ✨ The Devil's Trap ✨ Holy Water ✨ The Demon's Altar ✨ Midnight Meeting ✨ The Hunter's Trap

Dom x Colson (Yungblud x Machine Gun Kelly)

Warnings: Supernatural inspired, ABO (knots, slick, heats), demon Kells, hunter Dom, case talks, mentions of death, mentions of brutal murder, talks about their pasts, drug use, drinking, PTSD, one quick mention of animal abuse (Dom saw a frog killed as a boy), mentions of being drugged and attempted date rape, implications of being a prostitute, a small fight between them, teasing, emotions, feels, fingering, almost blowjob, interrupted sex, graphic descriptions of them getting attacked, monster fight, blood, magic, healing, thinking the other is dead, fear, almost love confessions, secrets ⚰️ rating: explicit

They didn't talk about the new lines they crossed in bed together and they definitely didn't talk about the way Dom was mostly healed by the time he woke up. The human wrote it off to the wounds not being as bad as he thought they would be and the demon told himself it was a magical fluke. Darkness didn't heal and that was all that he was made up of. He refused to think anything else. Maybe it was the blood he kept sharing with his lover- demon blood made a human strong and resilient. That's all it was, the Hunter kept drinking from him and complaining about it later. He'd lament he was being roofied but the moment he saw red on Kells he licked his lips.

The kid went right back to his job after he woke, researching into the early hours and only taking breaks for food or a few quick and dirty make out sessions. The room was thick with smoke from his cigarettes and the beast's pot by the time the sun rose. The scent of coffee, smoke, cheap booze, and old sex was stuck to their skin. Kells was exhausted just watching his lover but he wasn't the best at helping. He knew he could find out what and where the monster was in two seconds flat but he didn't want Dominic running off and facing someone that powerful with one of his many pig stickers.

"Tha's fucking it. I can't even see straight anymore." The boy grumbled as he shut his laptop and laid his head on the perpetually sticky table. "I can't find any'fin tha' fits. No 'ex bags, no sulphur, no nuffin." He whined. "A god maybe?"

Kells stood from his spot sprawled out on the bed and walked behind his boy. His long fingers found their way to Dom's tense shoulders and he tried to massage the decade old knots out. His lip rolled between his teeth, his mind tripping over itself to think of literally anything that might make him cut the trip short and move on but he knew better. He wouldn't leave when there were humans in danger. "Any link between the vics?" He tried to stall, his gaze flicking to the bed as he wondered if he could use sex to distract.

"Teen boys. Pretty. Not really any'fin else. 'Onestly I took it cause I fhought it might be…" He trailed off and shrugged, tapping his forehead against the table. Kells cringed but he tried not to control the kid out of bed. If he wanted to catch something from the furniture that was his choice.

"He doesn't normally kill them so bloody. He tries to make a deal." The demon sighed, rubbing his thumbs deeper into the rock hard muscles under his touch. The punk shuddered, whether from memory or the massage he wasn't sure but it made him ease up just in case.

"Exactly. So why… Fuck, it's disgusting Kells. I saw the last kill. I remember seeing a boy shove firecrackers into a frog once… it reminded me of tha'. No piece is distinguishable as a person."

The monster wished he could say that sounded like hell but he'd spent so much time there that he knew you could find so much worse. "Dude sounds like a psycho." He hummed instead and his bitch chuckled dryly.

"Yeah. He was in prison last I 'eard but tha's from another life." Dom sighed, pushing up and out of his seat and away from the demon's touch. He wandered off to pick through his clothes, his boxer's wet. Even the chair had freshly spilled slick and the scent almost brought Kells to his knees. He'd just mentally made fun of the boy for touching the furniture though, he would not bury his face against the cushion when he had Dom's pussy so close.

He took a deep breath and stepped closer to the omega. He knew Dom was just trying to escape the conversation and his past but Kells had found something to distract them from the hunt at hand and sometimes he could be like a hellhound with a femur. Persistent as fuck. "You don't really talk about England."

"God save the queen, keep calm, carry on, bangers and mash and all tha'. Better? I talked about it." Dom's accent got thicker as he mocked his homeland but it was all real and something about it drove the beast a little insane. "You wanna talk about your past? Yeah, didn't fink so."

Kells rolled his eyes and took a seat on the mattress. He was still naked, he didn't see a reason to dress unless they were going out and it kept the boy's eyes on him. Parts of him. "I've lost count of all the bad shit I've done. I've lived all over, done every drug imaginable and some I made up. Ya know, I discovered weed." He smirked and Dom scoffed. He honestly wasn't even sure if that was true, he'd lived too long but it was a damn good story either way. "I've killed more than I saved, I've never hurt an animal like that fucker though. I think animals were where the fucker up there went right. I don't- I don't know my mom. My dad's a fucking asshole. Was- I mean. I didn't back Lucifer which kind of got me blackballed. Uhhh… I might like a human a little too much for the first time ever."

"Tha's not your past dumbarse." Dom huffed, twisting the shirt he was holding between his fingers. His belly flipped, his nerves were a little too shot to play that game. The beast was teasing him. He had to be.

"Are you fucking kidding me dude?" He tried to keep his voice level but it dropped a little, he didn't want to fight. He wasn't supposed to care about the boy's life but he couldn't help it. He wanted to know him better than anyone else ever had.

"Me parents fought. I wanted out. A pretty boy seduced me and told me he'd take care of it for a price. I got 'ung up in the wrong bloody crowd and I ran Kells. He killed em all jus' to try and get me back. He said it was a gift. A gift. Me family is dead and I've got a fucking womb because I looked at the wrong boy. Cause I was… fuck if I know. I didn't say yes but he claimed me anyway! It's been ten years. Do you 'ave any idea 'ow-" His voice was going high and breathy and before he could finish his rant the demon was holding him, pressing his face into his inked chest to breathe his scent deep. "He wants me soul Kells. He-"

"No. You didn't make a deal. Astaroth is a psychopath but you didn't say yes. He has no right to your soul. Killing your family was the bastard's idea of flowers. He probably thought it was romantic. He doesn't want your soul baby. If he did he wouldn't have cursed you. Besides he's not a fucking crossroads demon." Keliphos tried to soothe as he pressed kisses to Dom's hair and rubbed up and down his back. He had wanted the kid to open up but he hadn't meant for it to open Pandora's box. His lover held the world's sorrows and it broke his heart. Well… it would if he thought he had one.

"Wha' you mean? Wha' does he want?" Dom whimpered, his voice as pitiful as any young pup.

Kells swallowed hard, his eyes closing as he swayed them gently. He wasn't exactly trying to rock his bitch but maybe. Anything to comfort him. "Astaroth… he's real fucking old. Like… one of the originals kind of old. Like… He was something else before he was a demon but no one knows exactly what. Not human. Some think he was an angel that followed Luce down. He doesn't care about much but he's spent his existence trying to make more of what he is. He can never get the pairing quite right. He must have thought you weren't just human." The beast sighed. He was terrified to say so much, demons didn't spill other demons secrets. If they did then everyone would fuck each other over but he didn't like Dom being so terrified. So confused.

"Well tha's bloody stupid. Course I'm 'uman. Wha' else would I be?" Dom sniffled but with every breath in he could scent the man holding him and it soothed the fear. Fuck he needed some distance from the demon before he got too close. Too reliant on him. That was dangerous for them both. Everyone Dom got close to died.

"Hey, I'm okay. Don't worry about me." The devil accidentally let slip but the boy was too worked up to notice. Thank fuck. "I don't know what you could be. Maybe you are just human but that's not what matters. What matters is that he's out there and obsessed with you. We'll kill him though. There isn't some ten year contract on your life coming up, he doesn't make those so please stop worrying. But he is out there."

Dom huffed, leaning back enough he could look up at his lover. Those blue eyes were surprisingly kind and he knew he could easily be fooled by them. Kells didn't want him like that, they were just having fun while they hunted. That was all. "I ain't seen 'im in years. I want revenge for me sisters but… I don't fink he cares about me anymore. Too old." The human shrugged and Kells had to bite his cheek not to let slip that he talked to the fucker the first night they made love. Fucked around. Damnit.

"He still wants you. Trust me. He doesn't let people escape so the fact that you did? Yeah… he wants you. Plus… he never got you right?" His voice dropped to almost a whisper. He was scared to ask but Dom was so obviously a virgin their first night. He just wanted to make sure the monster hadn't done something else.

"No. God Kells- never. He tried. He tried real 'ard. Even drugged me but I went 'ome. Woke up wiv a cunt and a dead family. Me friend got me out and got me 'ere. I guess it must've looked… bad for me. No…" He sighed and watched as he traced tattoos on the demon's chest. "You me first. Only. Messed around wiv a few people once I got 'ere. 'Ad to make money some'ow but no… no actual sex. Before you." He was almost annoyed at the way his stomach buzzed at the thought, at the way his thighs felt wet, and his lips tugged into a smile. He shouldn't let anyone effect him so much.

Kells stepped back, his gaze snapping away from the beautiful boy in front of him. Nerves got the better of him. He ran a hand through his hair and down his face. He didn't mean to stop soothing his- the omega but those words made him anxious. "We didn't have sex. We haven't had- I haven't fucked you yet. Believe me you'd know."

Jade eyes rolled and Dom almost laughed. Almost. "I fink me pussy would beg to differ Kells. Maybe we ain't gone at it like rabbits or nuffin yet but…" He trailed off, stepping closer to his demon lover because Kells was that. His lover.

"We've talked about this. Personal space Dom."

"You the one who crowded me. I'm jus' returning the favor." The boy purred as he wrapped his hand around the demon's and led his touch between his legs. His gentle grip directed Kells to slide his boxers over and bend his fingers before he pushed two between his surprisingly wet folds. "You the only one to ever be inside me. Don't you feel it? You put your cock right 'ere. Right inside me tight, wet, warm pussy. Few inches still counts luv, tha's all some men 'ave. But you been blessed ain't yas? Big boy."

The beast swallowed fast and hard, trying to push the lump in his throat down. He wasn't sure how he lost control of the situation so badly but had to bite his tongue not to stop it in a mean way. He almost asked if this was the whore side of him but he knew Dom was being genuine. That's why it was working on him. It felt innocent and seductive at the same time. "I haven't fucked you yet." He tried again but Dom just smiled.

"Tha's strange tha' cause I seem to remember your cum spilling outta me all night."

"Doesn't count. Was just trying to soothe your heat." He whimpered back, his knees threatening to buckle.

"Me 'eat?"

"Yeah. The way you felt. Feel- I guess. You're in heat. Happens with omegas. It's safe though cause I'm not really an alpha." Kells shrugged and Dom sighed, letting go of his hand but he couldn't stop touching. The kid was right, he was warm and tight and so fucking wet.

"Oh. Sweet of yas. Definitely weren't for you at all right? Like you ain't 'ard for me now? I shouldn't jus'-" The kid teased, pulling the demon's touch free and making him growl. He dropped to his knees and smirked up at him as he leaned forward and licked playfully over the tip of his cock. Shit. Kells hadn't realized how hard he was. He'd been so focused on his lover but now the strain was all he could feel.

"Fuck yes- please?" He rasped, his voice dropping to gravel as his pussy wet fingers tangled in Dom's messy hair.

Dom smirked and nodded, he wasn't ashamed to admit he'd been desperate to try this but the moment he pressed forward again and let his eyes close so he could savor the taste of his beast the devil disappeared.

"I felt a Hunter after me and I thought to explain myself but to find you fornicating with a demon? They're no better than the beasts of the land." A stern male voice sounded from behind him and his eyes flew open as he threw his body into a drop and roll, searching out the blade stashed under his bed.

Dom could take in a few things with his adrenaline kicked into overdrive. His senses were certainly stronger with his lover's blood pumping fast through his veins. There was a strange being in their room- a young man it seemed, dressed in a gray blue suit speckled with blood. The creature- whatever it was- had enough power to get passed their wards, go undetected by them both, and summon a strong demon to his hands. The wanker had his lover by the neck and Kells looked frozen. Hopefully not passed out or dead. Dom couldn't think like that.

His fingers closed around his blade and he jumped to his feet, keeping a good distance between them but obviously the fucker didn't need to move to hurt them. "Astaroth?" He asked, the form matched his normal meatsuit and the magic level seemed right but it seemed incredibly offended by the name.

"Do I look like a demon? Do you know where Astaroth is?" It hissed and Dom shrugged.

"Well, ya got blood on ya nice suit and you wearing a 'uman so… yeah a bit. Put Kells down and we can talk." He teased the beast, he couldn't help it. He always had a sharp tongue when hunting and it often got him in more trouble but he couldn't seem to help it. He tended to blame it on his ADHD but the truth was that he was a smart ass and loved it. Sometimes it threw them off kilter that he wasn't scared but this one didn't seem to care. When it gripped his lover tighter he did the same with his knife and wondered if he could throw it before the fucker killed Kells.

"No. I came to talk to you. I've heard you're a good boy. I wanted to explain that I was hunting the same thing as you. You shouldn't get mixed up with demons. Let me help." It's voice held a hint of madness that made Dom's insides cringe. Monster was one thing, crazy monster could prove almost impossible. He wouldn't let someone else he cared about be taken from him.

When he caught sight of it's nails digging into his demon's throat he jumped forward, his heart racing in his chest. The more blood that spilled the more nauseous he felt. He didn't mean to but he kept praying for Kells to wake up. Wake up and fight. Wake the fuck up! "Wait! Let's talk yeah? Fank you for caring but… let me 'elp you kill 'im. You right. He seduced me. Right monster he is. I should be the one to do it!" He tried to keep his voice level as he attempted to lie to the newcomer but he was sure he was filled with fear. "Please, you saved me. Tell me ya name?"

The wild eyes of the intruder locked on his as he stepped closer and it's head jerked as if it were trying to nod. "Raziel. I've been after Astaroth for centuries but he only surfaces long enough to steal a few boys before he takes them to hell. I followed his stench here but I find only this beast. I am happy to save you from the fate of my brother."

Dom took a deep shuddering breath. Raziel was an angel name. They didn't have many on earth since the new ruler stepped up but he wasn't surprised there were a few stragglers. A mad angel? Why was an angel mixed up in all that? "Oh? Your brother? Wha' 'appened?" His gaze flicked between the crazy winged wanker and his still unconscious lover. He was hoping it was a tactic but he knew better. Kells had a buzz about him like the air after a lightning strike and he couldn't feel it anymore.

"He… well… he. It's not my story to tell but he too was seduced by darkness. Astaroth. He used my brother and left him broken. Ramiel left heaven with the traitor and never returned. I believe him dead." There was true pain in the angel's blue eyes and Dom almost hurt for him. If the fucker had just come to him calmly he might have welcomed the help. As it was he was wondering if he could stab him but he didn't have an angel blade. Fuck. "Why does it feel like Astaroth?" He spat, his fingers digging deeper into the demon's throat. Before long he would rip part of it out whether he meant to or not and Dom couldn't allow that. Raziel shook Kells hard and the Hunter had to act. He had to do something to save him.

"I don't know! They're both demons. Strong! Please! Drop 'im? I want to kill it me'self."

Raziel seemed to think about that before he nodded and threw the limp devil on the bed. Dom's heart dropped. He was more terrified than he cared to admit. His lover already looked dead but he had to believe he wasn't. He had to. How had the angel knocked him out? Raziel grumbled at the blood on his hand and he seemed to be unnerved by it. The human picked up a towel from the floor and tossed it to him before he turned to the bed and prone beast, walking close and crawling on top of him.

"Here boy." The feathery fuck offered, throwing him a blade he hadn't seen before. He was tempted to turn and stab the stranger just to test if it would work on him but he knew the angel was mental and close to killing him anyway so instead he took it and tried to act grateful.

"'Ow bloody dare you come 'ere and seduce me. You tried to give me blood and- and you tried to fuck me. You jus' wanted me 'eart didn't you? 'Ow dare you!" Dom sniffled as he rambled off half true feelings. He wanted to buy a moment as he worked. He only knew one other thing that worked on Raziel's kind and he had to work fast, he was just terrified Kells would get hurt in the process. He sliced a cut in his arm where the angel couldn't see and he started drawing on his lover's chest. To keep the lie going with his other hand he held the blade over the demon's heart and he prayed it was still beating for him. The bastard had to live. He needed him.

"Fuck you and your blue eyes and monster cock and- and ya every'fin. You shouldn't 'ave come 'ere Kells! Look wha' 'appened! 'Ow dare you make me love you!" His voice broke when he accidentally let that slip out. He heard the angel mutter something and step closer but it didn't matter. The banishing symbol was complete and stood out on the beast's inked skin. Dom sliced his palm as Raziel came up behind him and he closed his eyes tight as he slammed his hand to the bloody mark.

Kells woke to a bright light and someone screaming and as he tried to gasp for air he realized half his throat was ripped out. It was healing fast but he couldn't figure out what was happening until something dropped heavy on his chest.

The room cleared of its brightness and he blinked his gaze to its true form. Not many creatures could stare into heaven's light and not have their eyes burned out but he was special he supposed. "Dom?" He tried to call out but his vocal cords were still healing and his brain was still catching up. He remembered his omega about to blow him before someone else appeared in the room and- the rest was blank. Shit.

A scent hit his nose and his mouth watered, Dom's blood was strong in the room but- "Oh fuck baby?" He moved too fast but he didn't care about himself. Dominic was limp on his chest and he crawled out from under him. There was an angel banishing symbol painted over the ink on his chest but that wasn't the only place the smell was coming from. His heart raced as he looked over the kid. There was an angel blade in his hands but a knife in his back. It looked like one of his own. Oh fuck.

"Dom?" His voice was broken and wet and not just from the bubbling blood. He could feel his eyes brimming with tears but he couldn't stop to question himself and his feelings. He rushed to straighten the human out before he pressed one palm around the wound and the other gripped the hilt tight. "Fucking told you. Less fucking knives. Get a gun damnit. They look cooler. Stupid bitch. You're such a stupid-" His voice caught on a sob as he pulled the knife free and let it fall. He made sure to slice his own hand so he bled straight into the wound but that was only back up.

His eyes closed and he focused inside himself for power he hadn't tried to touch in so long. He thought it was long gone but just hours before he'd healed the human. He had to do it again. "Get your ass back here. You can't fucking leave me. We have to kill dad together. Please baby? Wake the fuck up!" He begged. "Anyone up there, if you're listening… I know I have no right to ask but please? Just let me heal him? I get why you shut it off- I get I don't deserve to use that power but please? Domie hasn't done anything bad. He's a good Hunter. I love him. He makes me want to be better! Please? I love him-" His palms felt warm and from behind his eyelids he could see a bright light. A wet laugh escaped him but he tried to keep focused. "Thank you! Fuck me thank you!" He didn't know if it was heaven or himself but when he opened his eyes he could see the Hunter healing. He would be okay. He had to be.

Dom gasped for air like he hadn't had it in too long as his pulse thundered through him. One moment he was bathed in light and the next he was staring up at his demon lover. "Kells, you're alive?" He whimpered, trying to surge up to touch his throat but the monster met him halfway.

"Shut the fuck up, of course I am. Don't try and get yourself killed for me. Fuck you. Dom- shit…" Yeah... he was still crying and he couldn't stop. Their arms wrapped around each other and they shared desperate messy crimson kisses.

"I know. Fuck you." If Dom didn't know better he'd swear it sounded more like 'I love you' but he couldn't focus on anything besides the way Kells was staring at him and holding him. "Kells, I need you."

The demon knew it was more a demand than a question. They'd both almost just died and they obviously had a lot to talk about but at the moment all he could think about was that he'd mentally vowed before to make love to Dom in a puddle of blood. Why couldn't it be their own? "I need you too."

Author's Note/Tags: @iamnotanearthlingmotherfucker @hollywoodxwhore @jaxbreaker @fenoy7 @cole-way-iero28 🖤

Holy shit that was long 😅 I hope you enjoy it! I know it's a lot to take in but I'm sure they'll talk it through at some point. Probably a little porn first though. They deserve it after that. Did Kells say 'dad'? Who is Raziel and Ramiel? How does Kells have angel powers? Is Dom just human? Keep reading to find out! I hope you're loving this as much as I am! ⚰️🖤

[pistachi0art]

In an alternate reality Kell got the slightly better option and became a demon along with Gordo 👹

[saaraofthesand]

Siblings Siblings Siblings Siblings Siblings

[ybcpatrick]

OPENIGN THE SHOW WITH KEVIN IS SO BAD FOR MEEEE EGT HIM AWYA FORM EM 👹👹👹👹👹😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[birdmankickedmyass]

and not lying at all btw

[fuckable-entity-battle]

SO YOU WANNA FUCK AN ENITY? AWESOME! But we have RULES here, sir!

Before you submit, consider these rules:

-if youre a minor, GO AWAY

-does it pass the harkness test? You’re gonna need intelligent consent before you fuck that entity. It also needs to be OF AGE

-does it look like an adult? None of that “she looks 12 but she’s actually MILLIONS of years old” bullshit. Go somewhere else.

-does it fall into the entity guidelines? Meaning is is a god, angel, demon, eldritch/lovecraftian being, ancient spirit, metaphysical creature, fae*, etc?

-if so- good! But have they ever been human? We’re keeping humanity out of this- so if the entity used to be human, for example, used to be human, but now they’re a demon, please keep from submitting them. Sadly, this means no ghosts, vampires, etc

-like I said, fae are allowed, but it will be on a case by case basis. All fae need to be otherworldly and not just a fantasy race. If their vibe is Human+ (think lord of the rings elves or Macielle dungeon meshi), I will not count them as an entity. If you want good examples of fae, think Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, the tooth fairy from rise of the guardians, and aisling from secret of Kells (though she is a child please do not submit her)

-please no gods/entities from closed religions! Please be respectful! :)

[antaripirate]

Some silly little Kellila headcanons I think about often:

Kell buys *at least* one new tea from every market he visits. He then sits Lila down and makes her try them all. She goes along with it to make him happy, even if she secretly thinks they all taste the same.

A secret pet name Kell has for Lila is ‘my demonic angel’, but he generally keeps it to himself, except when he’s tired and it just slips out (or when he’s REALLY tired and it comes out as a mumbled ‘my angel’).

Lila likes to kiss the freckles on Kell’s shoulders (modern-day Kell would get an ‘X marks the spot’ tattooed on the spot she kisses most).

Kell likes to collect maps he finds in different port towns - he stashes them all under the bed and after Lila finds them, they make it a tradition to go and find another whenever they dock.

Lila received her first-ever birthday present on her 20th birthday - it was a knife from Kell. She cried. No one’s ever done something like that for her before.

Kell teaches Lila how to dance in the captain’s cabin one night after they talk about the ball during the Essen Tasch.

If Kell knows Lila has to travel between worlds alone he always gives her his coat so she has a piece of home with her.

Kell always wanted to learn how to cook but Maxim and Emira thought it was ‘beneath him’ (plus, it would take his focus off protecting Rhy). When he sails away with Lila he finally gets to learn how. Plus, he likes to cook her fancy meals to show he loves her. She never has to go without food again. (This is one i’ve spoken about a lot with @bluecichlid, who had a similar hc about Kell and cooking!)

[ghoulorghost]

What if Antari eyes had a tapetum lucidum layer?

Eyes reflect light, but some eyes have the tapetum lucidum, an iridescent cellular or noncellular layer of the choroid, which is responsible for the metallic reflex seen at night in the eyes of many mammals and for their impressive night vision. It is not present in the human eye. And although this structure improves night vision, its presence decreases visual acuity during daylight. 

And now I'm just sitting here, imagining a multitude of scenarios, if this were to be true.

The nights spent by Kell and Rhy in the castle, freaking the servants out, because Kell's eyes glow.

Lila robbing people at night, and they just think they came face to face with some demon.

The Danes having to order Holland to stop prowling around at night, because it creeps them out.

Nasi waking up next to Kosika, just to find this pair of glowing eyes staring at her.

I find this idea truly hilarious.

[depleti]

Happy Birthday! Been reading TMK for a while and really enjoying it, have you ever shared what inspired the story?

I'm not sure I have, actually, if only because it's not very interesting lol.

A long time ago, I used to play on a lot of rpg forums (where you would post your roleplay responses to each other) and back then there were a lot to pick from. I joined one that had an original fantasy setting and one of the cultures was inspired by the Vikings, which prompted me to do a bit of research. That board folded before I even played my character--which was actually a precursor to Coal--but I guess I found the Vikings in particular to be interesting enough to do more with.

More background and very early drawings below the cut!

This question prompted me to go looking for some of my earliest TMK drawings! Here's perhaps the first Coal drawings with a girl who would eventually become Hedda. For some reason she has a vaguely Asian outfit and I'm not sure why. Perhaps even then I was looking to emphasize the international reach of the Viking period.

Here's a page where Hedda starts to look like Hedda:

Now the very early story for TMK is quite different from how it ended up. Coal was always a kind of undead warrior, but how he died and came back has changed. Initially, Coal died defending a village from two demon-creatures (maybe dragons?), and killed one of the two demons. The surviving demon, who was the killed demon's brother, vowed revenge against Coal and intercepted him on his way to Valhalla/Sessrúmnir (Freyja's hall, looks like I never decided which).

This demon, named Fen, was the one who brought Coal back. He could also turn into a ship and control it and turn into a dragon with it (the oars became legs, the sail became wings, etc.). Coal came back with missing memories and had more of a blank personality.

Here's Fen in his demon form and a human form apparently:

For some reason that I never wrote down, various god items were included on this boat. It wasn't just items belonging to the big three (Odin, Thor, and Freyr) but also Freyja and Frigg and Tyr, etc. The idea was Coal needed to find their human counterpart owners in Midgard to do...something. I originally wanted to do nine items, because nine is a magic number, but after discussing with a friend (hi, Hannah!), I quickly realized that was too much work. Fen was scrapped but the idea of the living figurehead lives on in Rollo.

So the number of items changed to three four and Loki became the main cause of everything. I think I avoided using Loki before because I didn't want my version of him to be compared to Marvel's or whatever, but you can't really do a story involving the Norse gods without Loki in there somewhere. So I just bit the bullet and not only used him, but made him a main character. I think he's different enough to stand apart from most other depictions of him.

Here's me trying to figure out how TMK's Loki should look:

I realized early on he shouldn't look too refined, but also not as scruffy as the bottom drawings lol. I think when I realized he's not just "The Trickster" but also a father a lot of things fell into place. Also the feather cloak!

One of the hard things about working on webcomics is how long they take to make, but that can also be a kind of benefit. When I first started TMK I just wanted to make a fun fantasy adventure comic with a bold art style (it's probably no surprise to say Cartoon Saloon's Secret of Kells and subsequent films have been a huge inspiration to me), but as time has gone on and the world has shifted, it's turned into an exploration of toxic masculinity and its effects on the self and the world.

Anyway here's some other older drawings!

One of the first Ibrahims. His design was settled almost immediately.

Arne's design also came together pretty easily. I dunno what that old man at the top is for...

Anyway I hope you've enjoyed this lil jaunt down memory lane. Thank you for your question and birthday wishes and, of course, for reading the comic. <3

[naamahdarling]

Do any of your blorbos have a favourite meal? Or a favourite category of food?

I HIGHLY recommend giving your OCs (or ascribing to canon characters) relationships to food, as that also touches on relationships to family and culture, and even themselves.

Every single one of mine has pretty defined tastes.

Gowan (Blorbo Prime at the moment) has really broad tastes since he grew up poor, eating a lot of things wealthier people would think are pretty gross. His catastrophic rise to fame as a music star did not refine his palate. Maybe he hates certain things, but he always eats what's in front of him without a single complaint. His homeworld's cuisine is honestly pretty bland, but he still has affection for it, and he loves the more complex flavors of his boyfriend's homeworld's cuisine. He also likes the kinds of things you tend to find as street food. He will absolutely patronize the nastiest-looking hole in the wall places you have ever seen because they have one incredible dish.

Kell is a chef/baker and when he retires from adventuring, opens his own food cart in his fun island pirate setting. He doesn't need the profits, his considerable adventurer's fortune is hidden under a huge slab under a huge anvil he uses as a side table in his living room, so he just uses the profits to feed folks who need it. He likes sweet and savory meat dishes, sweet breads and rolls, cooks-in-dish things like paella, and nice hearty stew, and he dislikes almost nothing if it's prepared well.

Ariel likes classic Southern soul food, junk food, huge burritos, and his mom's incredible cooking (Iranian cuisine). Mage and demon hunter, moonlights (daylights?) at Penguin Hut, an ice cream shop. He's kind of just a big kid at heart, his tastes are basic, more expensive or experimental food is largely lost on him. He will eat all your garden tomatoes.

Boogie (Bougainvillea) is just a shop cat at Penguin Hut, but she's in a kids' talking cat game, so she's basically a person. She eats bugs and likes kibble, she likes the crunch, and is grossed out by warm-blooded prey because she wasn't raised by other cats who ate it. She has a french fry compulsion and loves ice cream -- Ariel has trouble keeping her out of the ice cream shop's coolers. She is a little bit gluttonous, and correspondingly round, but her many adventures and her daily run to the shop keep her very healthy.

There's more, but that's a lot. But yeah, get into food with your settings and characters. It says a lot about them and how they move through the world. It also introduced you to new concepts to try out!

[jinx-on-mars-19xx]

Cursed or Not

Not Natural ✨ The Devil's Trap ✨ Holy Water ✨ The Demon's Altar ✨ Midnight Meeting ✨ The Hunter's Trap ✨ Sharp Secrets and Bloody Blades ✨ A Hunter's Beast Tamed ✨ No Chick Flick Moments ✨ Witches, Bitches, and Beasts

Dom x Colson (Yungblud x Machine Gun Kelly)

Warnings: SPN inspired, ABO dynamics (knots, slick, heats), demon Kells, hunter Dom, stripping, magic, desperation, panty gagging, cunnilingus, rough sex, aggressive sex (seriously guys- ouch!), spanking, bruising, biting, insults, threats, Kells is FILTHY, naughty boys, I can not stress enough this is pure smut with a tad fluff if you squint, body worship, so much teasing, heavy d/s undertones, rough hand job, nipple play, unnatural speed, terrible Pollock reference, nervous boys, boys not so secretly in love ⚰️ rating: explicit af

One snap and Dom's shirt was gone. The cool air hit his overheated skin and he whimpered. He was almost tempted to crawl away as the other man came closer, stalking up the bed like some jungle cat. A second snap and his shoes and socks vanished. A tap to his ankle and his pants were gone. Kells pushed up on his knees and toed off his own Converse, his palms rubbing down his inked chest before he played with the button of his black pants. The Hunter's breath was coming faster and faster and the thin cloth between his legs was so drenched in slick he thought they might be ruined.

"Gonna dirty dance for me?" He tried to joke but he almost wanted to beg the universe that he wouldn't. He'd basically just realized he truly had ovaries and if Keliphos moved like that just for him he was positive they'd explode.

Kells bit the inside of his cheek not to cackle at his omega's thoughts but it was a hard one to swallow and then it hit him he was trying not to hide anything anymore. "I promise if that happens I'll heal you."

"I bloody well knew it!" Dom huffed, but he wanted to reward his lover for his honesty. Instead of waiting for Kells to magic his boxers away he pushed them down himself, wriggling free of them before he tossed them at his face. Kells growled low, catching the fabric between his teeth and sucking at the mess. He got so distracted by the perfect flavor of his boy that he jumped when Dom started helping him out of his jeans. The human was fast and fumbling but the eagerness drove the devil wild.

"Yeah yeah." He slurred around his mouthful and Dom huffed before tugging his boxers free.

"If you want a taste you can 'ave one, but get naked for me?" He barely got the words out before fingers were gripping his thighs and tugging until he fell flat on the bed. A soft 'oof' escaped him as his spine hit the mattress but he felt enraptured as he watched his man finish undressing. The monster's dick was so red and it looked achingly hard as it hung heavy between his lithe strong legs. The beast was coming for him again but something inside him had him rolling over and pulling his legs up under his belly until his ass was up in the air.

"Oh holy fucking shit fuck- what are you doing?" Kells growled so low his throat hurt. Maybe it wasn't completely healed from before. He dropped himself closer to the bed until he was eye level with his boy's beautiful pink drenched holes. "Do you even know?" He wondered, inching closer. Dom's scent was so fucking thick he was surprised there weren't visible whisps of it drawing him in like some old cartoon. It certainly felt like it was grabbing him by the balls. Dom's thighs spread open until his cockhead was kissing the mattress. He was so hard his foreskin was rolled back and he was leaking a puddle of precum on the ratty sheets. Snap- the fabric underneath them was soft. Egyptian cotton. Black. Of course. "I want to see the stains you leave."

"Oh fuck-" The boy groaned, resting his cheek against the pillow under him and biting it gently. "Keliphos, please?" A hand came down on his ass so hard he cried out, his hips rolling as if he were already getting fucked.

Kells choked on nothing at the sound of his name on his bitch's pillow perfect lips. It didn't sound like the curse it was coming from him. It was supposed to mean a hollow and empty shell but from Dom it sounded like he was something special to be filled with love. Or… whatever the human wanted to put into him. He crawled closer, fitting himself between Dom's long slender feet and he pressed a kiss to his bright red cheek. When his lover shivered he scraped his teeth over the pulsing skin and let his mouth search out his elixir of life dripping between quivering folds. He flattened his tongue and swiped slowly from balls to tailbone and the boy melted into the bed like liquid gold. He was certainly precious.

"Wha' am I doing?" Dom asked. He couldn't help but be curious even when his brain was melting out of his skull. His fingers gripped at the sheet and twisted, he was trying not to reach back and drag the wanker up and inside him. It didn't go very well when he tried to help before. "Don't make me- like- like 'is yet please? You too close." He whimpered softly. He didn't want to admit it out loud but he knew the devil was listening. He wasn't used to all of this yet and he knew he'd be embarrassed to orgasm directly in his face.

"Shut the fuck up. You kidding me? I'd love to make you squirt for me. Shower me in it. Fucking drown me in it babe. Wanna feel you go wild."

"Kells oh me God no, fuck- Tha' word?" The boy full body flushed and giggled nervously against the pillow. The beast could feel the truth in his body though, his pussy dripped honesty like honey for what turned him on. Got him hot and desperate and aching.

"Such a good bitch presenting for me. I get it, you'd rather squirt on my dick, yeah?" His voice was barely more than a rasp, his cock in question was pounding. They both knew he was giving Dom an out but at the same time he wasn't sure he could wait that long to hollow out his space inside him again.

"Presents?"

Kells snorted and unglamorously choked on his boy's slick but Dom was so worked up he didn't care. His fingers groped rough at the human's thighs and he shoved his tongue as deeply inside his core as he could before pulling back. "No but… if you want. Presenting-" He reiterated as he crawled up over his omega and pressed himself chest to spine. He tangled one hand in Dom's hair and tugged gently. "-is how you're sticking that pretty ass and tight little cunt out for me like a special treat. The way you're curled up and offering me all the power." He purred, licking a stripe across the kid's shoulder, up his neck, and over his jaw. Dom shuddered and whined so sweet, grinding his ass back. He was definitely searching out Keliphos but the demon took a moment to breathe him in.

"Please?" Dom was trying, he wanted to open up to things he hadn't been able to do before. He had trouble begging, he found it impossible to give up his power or be sweet, this was all new for him but Kells had lowered his walls for him so it was only fair. "Wanna-" He slurred, hiding his face against the pillow though he knew his cheeks were as pink as his ass when he whimpered out- "Wanna squirt on ya cock."

The noise that left the demon's chest was primal but that was probably the kid's point. "Yeah you do." His voice was gravel but he got it almost working as he curled a palm around his dick and started pressing inside his lover. His crown caught against the Hunter's hole when he thrust too soon and slipped up, grinding against Dom's ass hard enough he almost dipped inside. They both froze, shuddering together, but the kid wiggled as if he wasn't sure whether to buck back or pull away. "Fuck- soon but not yet." The devil tried to soothe as he angled his dick down.

Dom nodded fast, a puddle of drool, sweat, and probably even tears wiping across his face. "Wha'ever ya say. Need yas!" He whined, trying to abandon all reticence. There was a heat in his belly and a need burning through his veins that couldn't be quenched until he felt full again. He just knew it.

Keliphos groaned, he could already feel his omega's thoughts quieting and he couldn't wait to feel him blissed out again. He gripped the base of his cock tighter and stroked up until he was teasing the head of himself through his lover's folds. With every tease the boy tried to slur out a beg but he kept playing. Maybe he was scared to lose parts of himself inside the first true warmth he ever felt welcomed inside. Especially after tearing himself open for the kid. "So fucking wet-" His voice dropped somehow lower and his partner answered by trying to fuck back. "Bad boys don't get treats."

"Bad demons get surprise 'oly water blowjobs. Fuck me already." Dom didn't mean to get bratty but it was hard not to. He wasn't used to giving up his control.

"Mmm, kinky bitch. See that's where you seem confused…" He trailed off, holding himself tight to feed just the tip of himself inside the boy before he pulled back out. He relished every broken noise his punk cried. "I'm into that shit."

Dom would have rolled his eyes but he was too lost already. His skull felt like cotton and his brain a sparkling soft mess. He wanted to say he'd file that away for future reference but instead he just mumbled another beg and tried to bounce on his beast's dick. A thought struck him and he knew it was a gamble but if it worked it would be so bloody worth it.

Kells felt his boy working up to something, his jelly-like mind was circling one word but he knew he wouldn't say it. All of this was far too new. Instead of waiting to see what might slip out of his mouth he went back to his game, pushing in until his mushroom tip caught and just to make his bitch blush he circled himself until they squelched.

"Keliphos!" The Hunter flushed even hotter, his palm slapping down on the bed. He could hear the creature chuckle and it caressed over his skin like silk.

"Just wait until I-" He growled low, pulling himself free of Dom's core but he kept the head of himself pressed hard against the kid's skin as he traced precum up over his asshole. "-fuck all of you sloppy open. You'll make such pretty noises for me." He vowed but he didn't know how much more he could tease before he broke too. The omega felt too good not to be buried deep. Always.

Dom waited until his devil was back against his pussy before he uttered one simple word- "Alpha?"

The nephalem's hips jerked rough, his cock breaching the boy's core and hitting home in one quick thrust. The vise-like squeeze was so intense he cursed from the pressure. Dom cried out, his body convulsing like a stripped live wire. The pain was overwhelming but in the most delicious way. He could feel his inner walls pulsing, his guts trying to fit the monster inside. He was quite sure his insides were bruised up. It shouldn't be so hot but the thought of being marked up from the inside out by his devil was intoxicating.

"Dangerous game." Kells snarled, setting his teeth against the kid's pale freckled shoulder. "So fucking human. Can feel your heart in your cunt." He slurred against hot skin and Dom whimpered below him.

"Alpha please?" He wasn't ready for the slap against his hips or the monster strength grip that followed. He tried to take a breath but he couldn't prepare for the way the devil's rock hard cock felt when he slid back and pounded him deep. Nails dug into his skin, blood dripped softly down his trembling thighs to get lost in the black sheets. They bathed in crimson already- Kells wanted to turn the darkness white.

"Say it-" The nephalem grunted between stuttered rough thrusts. Maybe neither of them were ready but fuck- it felt amazing. Perhaps he was an angel because he was certain he was seeing heaven. He sat up enough he could kneel behind the boy and watch where they were joined. The sight of his straining red shaft being swallowed by shiny sweet pink had him shaking. The Hunter's pussy matched his mouth and he couldn't wait to see himself there too.

Dom felt his ass jiggle with every sharp snap of his lover's hips. He knew he was drenched wet and leaking fresh with every move. He felt both wild and calmer than he'd ever been. He felt something he never had before- safe. "Alpha?" He wasn't used to following orders but that was a favor he could grant. Every time he whined it he could feel the devil's dick jerk inside him. The beast was close already and Dom wanted every drop of his spend.

Kells slid his hand under the boy, his fingers teasing against Dom's cock and balls. He wasn't gentle, he couldn't be, but he was closer than he wanted to be and he needed his lover on the same edge. "Again." He demanded, his voice as deep as his shaft. He could already feel his knot threatening to pop, half full and forcing its way inside.

Dom clawed at the sheets, he was overstimulated to the point of too much- just there. It wasn't pain but it was dancing close. He was surprised how much he trusted his man to take him there and keep him safe. "A-al-alphaaa-" He whined long and loud.

Every time the punk called him that it pushed him even closer. He could feel his lover's mind quiet in the rush of hormones drowning them both. It wasn't like either of them could hear themselves think over the noises their bodies made echoing off the walls. "A-a- fuck!" Kells cursed when he tried to ask for it again but he couldn't get anything out besides that. Curses were easy, praise was hard.

Dom felt the devil's palm slide back up his body. His cock fell sloppy wet against the sheet to mess it more. He felt filthy as his partner flattened his hand against his chest and pulled him up until he was sitting in his lap, impaled somehow deeper. He tried to find traction against the mattress to help but Keliphos gripped under his thighs and lifted him like he was nothing. He moved so fast the room became a blur around them and he couldn't tell one thrust from another. His voice wouldn't work past his grunts and cries so instead he thought the title as loudly as he could and he turned his face up to his monster and mouthed wet kisses along his skin.

Kells felt the bite on in his neck and he jerked hard, slamming the boy on his cock. He felt himself filling fuller by the second, his balls tight, his need right on the brink. He stared over Dom's shoulder and watched his dick bounce, droplets of precum making the bed a Jackson Pollock of pleasure. The human panted and suckled loudly in his ear but he finally pushed one more word out. "Cum."

The omega's soul felt the command and he had to unlatch to scream. His rapture rushed through him like a shotgun blast- hard, fast, and incredibly messy. He knew he was doing exactly as his man wanted, his pussy clenching tight as he flooded the bed. He tried to hold on but they were covered in sweat and he couldn't find a spot to grip. The demon kept him off kilter, completely owned.

Kells watched rapt as the human came alive and their minds were so entangled he felt the rush of hormones as if they were his own. Cumming always felt good but it was different for a human and his own mind got lost inside the boy's. Distantly he felt his knot catch, locking him inside his bitch as his tip twitched the first load inside his womb. He could barely focus as his thoughts were drowned out by chemicals he'd never felt before.

They moved through their pleasure, the push-pull-grind of their bodies following their desire but everything inside felt bright. Light. They were locked together in more ways than one and if Dom listened he was almost positive the devil was crying.

They fell forward, Kells driving himself deeper as he wrapped the kid tight in his hold. Their hips rolled, wringing out every drop they could spill together until Dom's belly was swollen with it. The human turned his face, panting and gasping for breath but they held each other through it. Both were thankful they couldn't really speak, oxytocin might have them whispering sweet nothings that meant everything.

Keliphos wasn't sure how long they laid like that but eventually he turned them on their sides to let the boy breathe. Sweat and cum was drying on their skin and sticking them together. He was slowly coming down from the rush but something felt altered inside him. He couldn't feel emotions like people could but now he couldn't make them go away.

"You good Kells?" Dom sighed, keeping his head down. He pulled his lover's hand up to play softly with his fingers though. It was a way to let him know he was there without overwhelming him he hoped.

"I don't know." It was muffled and almost childlike, whispered against wet freckled skin and it made the Hunter's heart skip a beat.

"Tha's alright. I dunno neiver."

The devil cleared his throat and tried to shake it off. There were cobwebs of emotion stuck on the walls of his mind though and he couldn't help but ask- "Are we okay?"

"Wha' ya mean?" The boy asked softly, looking over his shoulder to try and make eye contact.

Keliphos tightened his hold around the kid's chest, his fingers absent-mindedly teasing over his petal pink nipples. He tried to let the subtle clench around his cock from his play distract him, his omega was sensitive and beautifully reactive. "All I said. That I'm not… I'm not made right." He shrugged.

Dom took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, he wanted to pull off and turn around but there was no possible way. His alpha's knot was keeping him plugged full but even a mild tug would hurt them both. "I'd raver 'ave you Keliphos. Cursed or not. It ain't like tha' was summat I ever fhought about." He lied. He was sure the beast knew he was but the first part was true and he hoped that was enough. "Besides, 'unters don't need families. I jus' need you."

The nephalem felt the ache in his chest lessen and he nodded as he held the boy closer. They weren't cuddling- of course not. They just had to lay that way because of his knot. Part of him hated that he'd gone so soft after such an intense fuck but his lover didn't seem upset. "You never know. It works for some of them." He hummed, it wasn't like he thought the kid would always want to be with him. Forever was different for a devil, he didn't want to try and tie his lover down more than his dick was. He just needed to make the voice in his head shut up that really wanted to keep him and join them forever. It was fine. It was just the fuzzy chemicals.

Author's Note/Tags: @iamnotanearthlingmotherfucker @hollywoodxwhore @jaxbreaker @fenoy7 @cole-way-iero28 🖤

Another post too soon, maybe I can let myself rest tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed it and it was worth the smutty cliffhanger yesterday! How is Kells feeling Dom's chemicals? Why is he so scared of being with him even after opening up? What will they do next? Keep reading to find out! 🖤⚰️

[pistachi0art]

Urple 💜

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Gonna change my profile picture. Pick a useless MTG planeswalker man for me to impersonate next.

[ybcpatrick]

hello dear bestie and happy tiana loves kell sunday <3 i think it’s such a beautiful thing that i am able to miss you each day even though i’ve never physically been next to you, but it also hurts like a bitch sometimes and i want to fight the universe for putting you so far from me 👊👊we’ll be right by each other’s side one day though, i know this for certain because i would do anything for you and know you would for me and plus we have movies to watch and cookies to bake and tattoos to get and places to go together and the universe will never get in the way of that <3 until then i’m sitting by you spiritually and wishing the best things for you while packing you boxes of lemon oreos and watching wrestling with you through my phone :’) i’m always here for you, and i hope this next week is great. i love you so much you just don’t even know 🩷💖💘💝💕💞💓💗 hugging you hugging you hugging you

tiana i love you more than any words could ever say and i'm so thankful to have you in my life. you're one if the best friends i have ever had. and i miss you, too, very much, and someday soon, we're gonna get to fix that for a while. 💕💞💖💗💓💘💝🩷

and when i do see you in person i'm gonna have to kick ur ass because that specific kevin image in the top left is SO deeply fucked up and i have to go do laps around my house to deal with it 😵‍💫🙄 /j SKAJDJAJDKSK

[thesixthplaneteer]

Day 3 OC-tober - Old OC!

This is going to be a rambling personal story post. OC stuff under the break. The first DnD character I made was Groglag a half-orc fighter but the people I played with instilled the feeling of cringe in me about getting too attached to your own characters. They were pretty old school DnD players and this is before crit role and other shows so the idea of being super into your character to make stories about them or grand self serving plotlines was shunned. So in some sense Groglag is the first OC because thanks to getting over the cringe of playing DnD and enjoying it I've been able to get into an amazing creative hobby and head space. That's also a lot thanks to my wife. She's the one that showed me the comic shop that I eventually started playing DnD at and she's the one that helped release me from my shell and not baulk at doing things because others look down on it. She's helped me become who I am now and create the amazing characters and stories I/we have. I think the character where there was a turning point for all this was Derrick Kendrick, The Boy King. I'll share more about him below the break but he was an NPC in a DnD game I ran with my wife and some friends. Her interest in him and genuinely wanting to know more about him and the world when I thought he would be just a quest giver made him into a main stay of my OCs.

Derrick Kendrick - The Boy King

Derrick is the first born son of the third born son of the king of the Moon Shae isles. War against invaders and war amongst the islands themselves weighed heavy on Derrin, Derrick's grandfather. Tragedy brought him low as he lost his two eldest sons to the seemingly endless campaigns before they had children of their own. When Derrick was fifteen, his parents grew ill and died of a sickness the druids of the Moon Wells could not cure. Now all that survived of the Kendrick line was Derrick and his grandfather. His grandfather was old, the wars he fought had wrecked havoc on his body, and the loss of his sons had wrecked havoc on his mind. He abdicated to Derrick at the behest of his advisor Kell. Kell was a new but promising addition to the court, helping Derrick rule as a good king and eventually bringing many of the conflicts to a resolution.

Lots of adventures and chance meetings later

Derrick is married to a Triton named Coral (wife's OC) who was brought ashore in a fishing boat during a Sahuagin invasion and they now have many many children as they rule over a united Moon Shae Isles until their second eldest is ready and Derrick hands down the crown to his daughter.

Fun story facts,

Their eldest child is a druid so he didn't become king

Derrick and Coral were forced to flee the isles after Derrick's grandfather was revealed to be a terrible terrible man and a werebear. They eventually came back and kicked his butt though.

Derrick is also a werebear although it took a while to manifest

Kell is actually an Elf in disguise and is Derrick's great great great great grandfather

The Kendrick line is technically human but they got just about everything but demon and dragon mixed in there.

The first Kendrick that made landfall on the islands was married to a frost giantess and they brought with them a sapling from the tree of life.

In the courtyard of the castle is the Rainbow Tree. The sapling from the tree of life with a menagerie of transplants from fruit bearing trees all around the world. The druids on the island will bring back a limb of a fruit bearing tree when they return from being off island.

[a-bucket-of-trash]

Bonds Like Tree’s Roots- Kelvin x Female Reader – P16

P15

Tags: ANGST with fluff

"What the fuck are you doing here" Was the phrase that came from Kelvin's lips when he saw that woman standing at the door of the house that he had shared with you for two months, a house that, inside, he considered his own.

Not only was he not expected her, not even here, so far from Dallas, but his heart and mind had been instantly filled with an amalgamation of feelings and thoughts that gave him an immediate headache, while he thought why, his ex-fiancée, was there, wondering how the hell she had found him. The melancholy of seeing the face that he had loved so much, but which now caused him a visceral disgust, fused with anger and revulsion, the betrayal burning in his chest, the pain she had caused him.

"I came to talk to you" The girl said, with a sweet tone, casually looking in through the opening in the door.

"There's nothing to talk about" He saw her eyes and closed the door behind him, so she wouldn't peek where she didn't belong "Our conversations died the day you decided to sleep with Andre"

"But you have to take care of your son, Robert..." She played with the hem of her dress as if she were an innocent child. "You are already healthy enough to take responsibility for..."

"Is not my son!" He interrupted her, annoyed. "Unless your pregnancy lasted a year, it's not mine."

"Andre doesn't want to take responsibility!" She approached him, her eyes pleading him. “You were always responsible! You're not going to leave me alone with this, are you?"

"Why the hell would I own up to your mistakes?" He rubbed his frown, between annoyed by how she treated him and pained by his headache.

"Because you love me" She smiled, touching his chest with a seductive air "You always loved me, you wanted to marry me... You can still if you want..."

"You are insane, Daphne!" He removed her hand from his chest, disgusted. “I may be a good person, but I'm not an idiot! I don't love you, trash, and I'm absolutely in love with someone else! I wouldn't love you again even if you were the last woman in the world, you damn treacherous harpy!"

"Watch your language, Keaton!" She slapped him quite hard, close to his ear.

Kelvin's ears had been overly sensitive since the accident, so that hit really hurt, worsening his headache, while the beeping he heard brought back memories of the island, when sometimes, between his deafness, he could only hearing that high-pitched, constant, demon-like sound in his head that would go on for days and drive him to the brink of madness.

He crouched lower, dropping to one knee on the floor, closing his eyes, pain mingling with trauma, images reverberating like explosions in his head that pulsed in time with his heart.

Daphne tried to approach him, but you, who had seen everything from the inside, came out, with the look of a serial killer, to push her aside rather savagely and kneel beside him, gently touching his forehead.

"Kel..." You called him in a low voice to not make his headache worse "Calm down... I am here... Open your eyes, focus" You noticed him breathing quickly, a sign that he was about to have a panic attack "You're safe, calm down honey... Do your list of boring things, come on, yes?

"Kell?" Daphne looked at you, incredulous “Honey? Are you his girlfriend?" She laughed slightly, as if you were a small thing. "You've really lowered your standards, Robert... she's pretty ugly."

You looked at her, acidly, even with your hand on his head. Yes, she was spectacularly beautiful, her angelic face and porcelain skin, her clear eyes, her reddish-brown hair that fell in waves like a lion's mane, exaggeratedly firm feminine attributes, slim and precious. She was an enhanced Instagram model. But she was also a heartless bitch.

“Daphne…” You hissed, furious, hating her more than a mutant “Do you like being pretty? Wouldn't you like me to cut the skin off your face into strips or scalp you?" You saw her get a little scared by your words "Kelvin is not the only ex-soldier here, and I swear I can render you unrecognizable using just a nail clipper... So if you don't want to see my bad side, you better bring your pompous fitness ass back to Dallas and never go anywhere near MY boyfriend again"

"W-what?" She stepped back a bit. She was expected that her Robert would be the one with the most balls in that relationship, his now girlfriend was not expected to have that level of sadism. Robert was a cub and you were the blood-soaked wolf.

"It seems I'm not speaking clearly enough." You took your butterfly knife out of your pocket and made a graceful move before showing her the sharp blade in a clear threat of what would happen if she stayed there.

The ex-fiancée did a mini-jump before running off. You were someone she should never bother.

Still angry, you put your knife away, holding Kelvin better and helping him into the house while you heard him mumble a list of technical things, in his task of controlling his panic attack. You gently sat him on the couch, sitting very close to him, rubbing his back, holding him.

"How are you feeling, honey?" You searched his eyes, speaking to him tenderly “What do you need? You can tell me?"

"Migraine," He murmured, squeezing his eyes shut.

You stood up immediately, turning off the lights and the music was playing in the background, closing the curtains, making sure the place was dark, before reaching for his migraine meds and a glass of cool water. You approached him, watching him take it quickly while you took a cooling gel from the fridge.

“Flashbacks?” You spoke in a low voice, gently supporting the cold gel on the back of his neck, knowing that most of his pain originated there. "Panic?"

"They... are leaving..." He breathed slowly, to control his thoughts and heart.

"Good boy" You tenderly kissed his temple "How is your ear?"

“It hurts a bit…” He took your hand firmly, “Nest, please?”

"Of course, honey, come here"

“Nest” was a code word that both of you had developed during those months, when either of you had flashbacks, or when your brains were particularly out of whack. It meant that they needed to snuggle up, rest on each other's chest, stop everything you did, for a moment and focus, to come down to the ground.

You leaned back along the couch, noticing how he leaned against you, his head resting on your chest. You gently held the cold gel to the nape of his neck, while he firmly grasped your free hand, intertwining with your fingers, as if was a way to remind him that he was safe.

"I'm s-sorry, m-my love..." He sighed, somewhere between hurt, tired and emotionally unbalanced.

"Calm down honey... I know you can't control the trauma, I can't either" You moved the gel to another point on his head.

"It's n-n-not... it's not t-t-that..." He buried his face a little in your chest "I'm t-t-t-talking about... I'm s-sorry that you... that you h-had to..." He tapped his foot lightly on the couch, frustrated "Stupid... m-mouth..."

"A knot?" You heard him nod "Okay, don't stress... We can talk later"

“Knot” was another code word you had invented. When Kelvin suffered a lot of mental wear and tear, or stress, or was under too many traumatic memories, his ability to speak would worsen, to the point of stuttering, not remembering words, or getting so slack that he seemed to not know what to say. You called that a “knot”, an agile way of giving notice that he wasn't suffering from something serious, that it was just that temporary verbal incapacity. Although that frustrated him, sometimes to the point of making him cry.

"Does it still hurt?" You heard your boyfriend deny, so you put the cold gel aside and focused on combing it gently.

"Thank y-you..." He started to sob, tired but grateful "For taking c-c-care of... me"

"I'll always take care of you and you know it, dear" You kissed his head.

Kelvin let go of your hand so he could hug your waist, squeezing you, rubbing his face firmly against your chest, anguished, searching for your warmth and scent, his ropes that pulled him out of the darkness.

You hugged him too, holding him as close as you could, knowing that it healed his heart as much as yours.

P17