#fun fact did you know they all have signature flowers? i looked up dresses for their respective flowers hence the outfits

[monarchamos]

drew some silly little fem soukokus! they are on a double date in a flower park <3

i love them theyre so silly

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝐀𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐳: 𝐃𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 (𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝)

Warnings: NSFW content. Read at your own discretion.

❥𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰

Although he had performed on the stage many times already, something about this particular stage made Hongjoong feel more confident, bold and even sexier than usual. Hearing the fans cheer wildly stirred something in him. You noticed it too when he caught your gaze in the crowd, his eyes giving you a lustful stare and his signature cocky smirk.

Walking down the hallway on their way to congratulate them on another perfect performance, you gasped when you felt an arm pull you inside one of the supply closets. You knew it was Hongjoong because you could smell his cologne and you've felt those soft lips on yours many times to recognize them. You were left breathless by all his tongue movements inside your mouth while his hands fumbled with the zipper of your jeans.

"I'm sorry baby. I just really need to be inside you now."

You didn't protest, having also been aroused by his performance. You simply turned around and stuck your ass to him, wiggling it slightly to put on a little show for him.

"Impatient now are we darling?"

You shrieked softly when a smack landed on your ass followed by the intrusion of his cock inside your hole.

"Oh-oh my God-" You bit your lip to quiet down your moans, not wanting either of you to get caught.

Hongjoong, however, had other plans. Chuckling lowly, he began a rough and fast pace, nails digging into the soft flesh of your ass cheeks.

"Go ahead and say my name babygirl. Let them all know who's fucking you this good."

Pulling your hair back, he let out a growl as his hot breath hovered along the nape of your neck.

"Say. My. Name."

❥𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪

While the other boys are hollering or bickering as the scary movie played at a rather loud volume, you were currently biting down on the blanket that was covering both you and Seonghwa who were laying on the floor. Even though you had your back facing him, you knew he was smirking right at you. His fingers moved from holding your waist to rubbing at your exposed clit as he had inconspicuously pulled off your shorts before.

"Stay quiet baby or they'll notice." He whispered in your ear, his teeth gently grazing at the shell of it.

You couldn't help the whimper that escaped your lips when you felt him ease himself inside you, bottoming out and staying still for a few moments. You relaxed and payed attention to the movie. Perhaps your boyfriend simply wanted to cockwarm you, an activity you both enjoyed doing. But as soon as you forgot he was inside, he reminded you of his presence as he began slithering in and out of you. Turning your head to say something, he silenced you with a kiss.

"Told you to stay quiet baby or the boys will see what a dirty slut you are for my cock." He teased you, slamming harder in you.

Pulling your shirt sleeve down, Seonghwa began placing wet kisses across your shoulder, tongue dragging up to the crook of your neck.

"But maybe that's what you want. Want us to get caught so they can watch me fuck you good. Let them see what a cockslut you are."

You couldn't help but clench tightly around your boyfriend's length, covering your face, using a jump scare as an excuse to drown out the half scream you made as you came on your boyfriend's cock, feeling extremely flustered given the circumstances. Seonghwa wasn't through with you yet, as his hand traveled up to grope your breast under your shirt.

"Still have an hour left of the movie, let's see how many times I can make you cum."

❥𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸

You had been teasing Yunho to no end and he knew it. He knew when you decided to come keep him company as he practiced the choreography you had ulterior motives.

"Come on Yuyu....you're working too hard. Maybe you should let me help you out a bit." You purred at his neck, your voice like silk as you placed kisses alone his Adam's apple, which you felt move when he swallowed hard as your hands began to roam down his chest.

Grabbing both of your wrists, Yunho looked at you with a warning glance.

"Stop right now Missy, your fantasy of me fucking you in public isn't happening."

Poking your nose, he shifted away from you and pressed play once more, leaving you there with a huge frown and arms crossed over your chest. Yunho tried to focus back on the dance but when he glanced at you through the mirror he stopped dead in his tracks as he watched you slide your hand inside your pants, no doubt about to finger yourself. Taking off his cap and slamming it on the floor, Yunho marched over towards you and pulled you up from the floor.

"Did I give you permission to touch yourself?" He glared at you.

Before you even knew it, you were pressed against one of the mirrors, pants down to your ankles as Yunho's hips snapped against yours at a rapid and brutal pace, his hand occasionally coming down to spank your ass.

"Don't you dare hide your face. Look at yourself."

You moaned when he pulled your hair up, forcing you to watch as he fucked you from behind.

"Look at what a dirty slut you are. Look at what people will see if they find me here fucking you dumb. This what you wanted? Well now you got my little slut. "

❥𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰

Yeosang couldn't keep his eyes peeled off your body, loving the way the bikini looked on you. Catching sight of his wandering gaze, you decided to take advantage of the fact it was late and no guest was probably going to come down to the pool area anymore.

"Sangie." You spoke out in a sing song tone.

Yeosang couldn't hide the shock in his face as your hand emerged from the water, holding up your swimsuit bottoms before tossing it over his head, making it land on a nearby chair. You giggled at his flustered state as you swam over to him, pushing him back until he was seated on one of the stairs near the shallow part of the pool.

"God you're driving me insane." Yeosang groaned when you stripped him of his shorts.

As you began to align yourself on his entrance, Yeosang's hands pulled at your bikini top, freeing your breasts so he could watch them bounce as you rode him underwater.

"You look so pretty like this-fuck!" He hummed out.

Both of you completely forgot about the danger of someone seeing you both in such an intimate act. You were simply too lost in the erotic feeling of having sex in the water. Soon enough, Yeosang's hands gripped your waist, bucking his hips up at you as he decided you had your fun and it was time for him to take control.

"Ok....my turn."

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷

San looked over at the camera filming both of you guys, flashing the audience a wicked smile. Although the top part of his face was covered, the viewers could clearly distinguish the sadistic and unholy glint in his eyes.

"Look kitten, our fans are enjoying this just as much as you are."

Gently kneading your ass, San then harshly smacked that piece of skin which was already burning red from all the previous times he had slammed his hand on it.

"Such a pretty kitten, taking my cock so well."

San wasn't going to lie, he's so happy you brought up the idea of making an OnlyFans account. He was so addicted to the feeling of having people watch as he fucked you like he could.

"Come on kitten, lift your pretty face up- that's it. Show the audience how much you're enjoying this."

Your mouth was agape, heavy pants and whimpers spilling out your throat as San continued to pound at you from behind.

"She's close I can feel it. My cute little kitten just needs a little push. Like so."

Snaking his hand in between your legs, his fingers began to work on your clit, sending you into a shivering and stuttering mess as your orgasm took over you, your liquids gushing out in between your legs and onto the sheets underneath you. San let out a grunt of accomplishment as his juices ended up mixing with your own.

"And that.....is how you get a kitten to squirt."

❥𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲

You couldn't help the tiny squeal that escaped your lips when Mingi's mouth suckled cutely along your clit, tongue sloppily dragging across your folds as he slurped up all of your juices.

"Mingi." You giggled as you ran a hand through his hair, head falling back against the picnic blanket underneath both of your bodies.

Emerging from under the dress you had worn for your outing, he sat down and pulled you on top of his lap, hand making a fast work of his zipper to free himself enough to pull out his leaking dick.

"Fuck, you're so tight love." He moaned out, sinking you into his length.

Running a hand through your hair, his hands began to slowly lift you up before sinking you back onto him, wanting to take his time as he stared at your face with such a loving intensity. The sun radiated a beam onto your figure, making you look absolutely ethereal against the flowers surrounding you both.

"You have no idea how beautiful you look right love."

You looked around shyly, afraid of anyone witnessing the sinful act you were currently doing. Sensing your fear, Mingi cupped your chin and pulled you into a kiss.

"It's ok babygirl. I picked this place for a reason. No one comes in this area."

Smirking, he pushed you onto your back, as he wrapped your legs around his waist.

"I can take all my sweet time with you."

❥𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰

To say Wooyoung and you were a little bit past tipsy was an understatement. But hey, you all came down to the club to have a good time, besides Seonghwa and Hongjoong would end up being the responsible adults that made sure no one got lost and brought you all home safely. Wooyoung was currently sitting down, watching you dance in the crowd with Mingi and San nearby you.

His eyes kept staring shamelessly at your ass and legs. They looked absolutely amazing in that short dress you were wearing. Every time you glanced over, he'd send you a wink or a kiss. Unfortunately for both of you, some stranger also noticed you and thought it'd be a good idea to come close to you and put his hands on your hips. Immediately sprinting from his seat, Wooyoung marched over and pushed the guy off you.

"Hey! Hands off of what's not yours! See this? This all belongs to me."

Patting your ass, he stormed off as he dragged you with him to the men's bathroom.

"Wait! Woo-"

Slamming you up against the wall, his hands began hiking your dress up before pushing your panties to the side so he could bury his fingers in them.

"You're mine. All mine." He hissed as he bit down against the skin of your neck.

"Am I going to have to fuck you in here to make people see that?"

You didn't think he was serious until your legs were wrapped around his waist, his hands holding them up as he rammed his cock inside you, making a whimpering and nearly screeching mess of you.

"Yeah, just like that baby. Let them all hear you."

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸

You snuggled inside the warmth of the blankets, your body tired from having hiked the mountainous trail for nearly 3 hours. All the other members were probably already fast asleep, some already dozing off during your campfire session with s'mores. Just as you closed your eyes, you felt Jongho starts poking his hands across your legs, lingering too close on your inner thighs. You slapped his hand away when he began pulling your sleeping shorts down.

"Jongho." You whisper yelled at him.

He merely chuckled as began pulling them back down once more.

"What?"

"We're not about to do it out in the woods just because you're horny." You stated.

You tried to squirm away from him but his arms trapped you from moving. You involuntary bit your lip when you felt him rolled his bulge against your naked ass.

"Come on baby, I've been having a problem since we started the campfire....please?"

When he began kissing at your shoulder as his hands cupped your breasts, you became putty.

"Beside.....I saw the way you were eyeing me as I gathered wood. You couldn't keep your eyes off my arms."

You gasped when he suddenly flipped you on your back, hoisting your legs over his shoulders as he slid his now exposed member along your slit.

"Come on baby, don't you want my thick cock stretching you nice and good?"

You let out a whine and immediately shook your head in an affirmative manner. He pushed into you in one go, angling his hips so you'd be feeling his tip rub against your g-spot.

"Be as loud as you can babygirl, let my Hyungs hear you as I murder this pussy."

Gifs not mine. Credit goes to their respective owners

[courageous-she]

Happy Birthday- Charlie Gillespie

Charlie Gillespie x Reader

Requested: Yes. 

Hey, I love your work. I was wondering if you could do a chapter with Charlie Gillespie? It's the reader's birthday and Charlie wishes them, something like that? Something romantic and cute! I love your work, keep it up! Have a nice day!

Word Count: 2095

Author’s Note: I hope I did your request justice!

Your birthday. Happened every year, and every year was just as simple as the last. You never expected much, each year you simply went out to dinner with a few friends, the few close friends you had anyway. When you moved to LA, you’d moved away from everything you knew. You moved from your family and your friends; you’d moved away from your comfort.

But you were chasing bigger dreams, and you were willing to give up all you were comfortable with to chase those dreams and make them reality. This meant, however, that your birthday became a small gathering as opposed to the large family celebration you’d become accustomed to. But you weren’t one to complain, and you were just thankful enough that you had made a few close friends in LA to celebrate each new year with. Your friends had become your family and you were so thankful to have each of them in your life.

“Hey, have you started planning out your birthday yet?” your friend Charlie asked. He was one of the first people you’d met in LA, ironically at an audition, and now one of your closest friends.

“Honestly? No, I haven’t put much thought into it. Not really sure if I’m even going to do anything this year. Maybe just movie night…” you replied, thinking about a chill night in with your friends. Charlie turned to face you from where he was sitting on the couch.

“You are absolutely not diminishing your birthday to a lame movie night!” He exclaimed, “We have to do something to celebrate, Y/N”

“It’s not that I don’t want to celebrate, Char, it’s just that birthday parties are a bitch to plan. And then to plan one for yourself…” Every year you took it upon yourself to plan your own party. In the beginning it was because your friends didn’t really know you too well yet. And then every year after that it just seemed easier to organize it all yourself. This year, however, you lacked the energy and motivation to do so.

“I’ll plan it” Charlie replied quickly. You turned your head to face him, eyes questioning his words. You really weren’t sure whether or not he was being serious, but you were going to give him an out either way.

“Charlie, you don’t have to do that. Really, I’m absolutely okay with chilling in my apartment and having a movie night” This was his out, if he was joking about planning a party, the conversation would end here.

“Well, that’s too bad because I’m planning you a party. Keep your eye out for further details” he winked at you. And with that his attention turned back to whatever was playing on the tv.

***** 

About a week later, you receive a text from Charlie. This wasn’t unusual seeing as the two of you communicated multiple times a day. What was unusual was the cryptic message Charlie had sent.

Char: Your birthday. 5PM. Easton’s on Whitney. Cocktail Attire ;)

You: Who say’s I’ll even show up?

Char: I’ll pick you up at 4:30 ;)

Welp, there it was. There was no way of avoiding whatever Charlie had planned for your birthday. Though deep down you were excited to see whatever he had planned, nobody had ever taken over your birthday planning. The fact that Charlie felt comfortable enough as your friend to take things into his own hands meant so much to you. With a dress code in place, you began to find an outfit, and with no luck, you headed out to the shops.

*****

As you put the finishing touches on your look for the evening, a soft knock sounded at your front door. Before you could even move to answer it, you heard the door unlatch and soft footsteps make their way to your bedroom. There Charlie stood in white shirt with a suit jacket over top, black bowtie, and black slacks with his signature black vans. His hair was long, but cleanly brushed back out of his face. He was holding five yellow roses in his hand.

“Happy Birthday!” he announced, beyond excited to take you along to the night he had planned for you. He made his was over to you, wrapping his free hand around your waist and placing a kiss on your head. You giggled into his chest, bringing your arms around to embrace him. Charlie pulled away, handing you the flowers.

“Thank you, Char” you said, taking the flowers and smelling the floral scent.

“They’re yellow, for uh- friendship” Charlie said, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, a shy smile on his face.

“They’re beautiful, I’ll have to find a vase to put them in later” you said placing the roses down onto your bed. “But for now, I’m ready to see what you have planned for my birthday!” Excitement evident in your voice.

“Good because I’m super excited to show you” he said, grabbing your hand and starting to pull you toward the door. You quickly grabbed your purse and followed along behind Charlie. After a short drive you made it to the restaurant. Having already known where Charlie was hosting your birthday, this wasn’t much of a surprise. What was going to be a surprise was the events that would unfold during the night. Knowing Charlie, it wouldn’t be just a simple dinner with friends.

Charlie pulled the door open for you, leading your through the small entry way with his hand on your back. As your eyes adjusted to the darker lighting of the small restaurant you were very quickly met with a loud “Happy Birthday!”

You stopped walking to take in the people in front of you. There stood your four other closest friends in LA. However, there were more people who made up the group celebrating you. As you looked further, you noticed a few of Charlie’s Julie and the Phantoms cast members who you’d become close with after he filmed the first season. Owen, Savannah, and Tori all stood waving at you from the table.

You turned toward Charlie, a smile plastered on your face and tears brimming in your eyes. Charlie looked down at you with the biggest smile on his face, happy that his first surprise of the night had been a success.

“Charlie, this is amazing! How did you even pull this off?” you asked, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Well, everyone had already been planning to celebrate your birthday, so that wasn’t hard. And Owen, Sav, and Tori all happened to be free this weekend. Mads and Jer send their best, they couldn’t come.” Charlie replied, pulling away from the hug and leading you to the table.

You went around the table greeting all of your friends, and especially thanking Owen, Savannah, and Tori for taking time out of their week to celebrate with you.

“Hey, I’m not one to turn down a good party, Y/N” Owen said, squeezing you into a hug.

“I honestly just had to see if Charlie could pull this off!” Savannah laughed, Tori quickly agreeing, “But no, for real, happy birthday!”

*****

Dinner with your friends was amazing. It was fun to introduce your LA friends with Charlie’s Julie and the Phantoms friends who were now your friends as well. The chaotic energy was radiating throughout the small restaurant.

Occasionally you felt Charlie wrap his arm around you on the top of your chair, his thumb rubbing small circles on your shoulder. You kept turning to him throughout the evening, shooting him a smile letting him know how grateful you were that he’d planned this all for you.

After saying goodbye to each of your friends at the close of the evening, you followed Charlie out to his car. His hand hovered over your lower back as he opened the door for you, placing your presents in the backseat of his orange Subaru.

You turned to the boy as he climbed into the driver seat. “I can’t thank you enough for tonight” you said, giving him a small smile.

“Well, don’t thank me yet, it’s not quite over” he replied, a smirk resting on his face.

“What else could you possibly have in store for me tonight, Gillespie?” you questioned, sitting up a bit straighter in your seat.

“That, I can’t tell you” Charlie finished, winking quickly in your direction before starting to drive.

*****

You’d zoned out during most of the drive, tired from the events that had already occurred tonight. You only began to focus in on your surroundings when you noticed the colorful lights illuminating the dark night. Charlie parked on the side of the road, the sound of the ocean quietly rushing coming from the nearby ocean.

“The pier?” you asked, getting out of the car. Charlie only smiled at you before grabbing your hand and leading you toward the colorful lights.

As the two of you got closer, you took in all the stalls. Some were carnival games; others were food vendors. Charlie stopped the two of you, taking both of your hands in his.

“I remembered something you told me when we first started hanging out.” Charlie said, nervousness evident in his voice, “You said that every year your hometown had a carnival around your birthday, and your family would take you. You said your favorite thing about the carnival was riding the Ferris wheel and seeing the world when you stopped at the top. You said it you felt like you could see everything from up there” He finished. Charlie hadn’t made eye contact with you while he said all this, but when he finished, he looked at you as if you were the only one around.

“I hadn’t realized you were listening.” You said, recalling the night you told Charlie that story, “I thought you had fallen asleep”

“I wasn’t sleeping” he replied bashfully, “I listened to every word. But I thought, to make your birthday even more special, we could continue that tradition?” Charlie asked, holding up two tickets. A smile grew on your face and you pulled Charlie in for a hug. You pulled the boy toward the large, spinning wheel, and got in line.

When it was your turn, you sat down in the small chair, scootching over to ensure Charlie had enough room. Charlie pulled the bar down over your laps and the wheel began to spin. Before the ride, Charlie had been sure to ask the attendant for a few extra minutes at the top, he wanted to make sure you had plenty of time to look at the world.

“You cold?” Charlie asked as the two of you reached the top.

“A little. The breeze is a lot colder up here.” And without hesitation, Charlie removed his dress coat and placed it over your shoulders. You pulled your arms through, wrapping it around your torso. Charlie wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his chest to help warm you up.

“This has really been the best birthday; I can’t thank you enough Char.” You confessed, looking up at the blue-eyed boy.

“You deserve to be treated like royalty on your birthday, Y/N” he said, voice low. You noticed the way he was looking at you, different from how he normally looked at you. “You deserve to be treated like this every day.” His eyes flickered toward your lips but quickly made their way back to your eyes.

“That would be a bit much, don’t you think?” You asked, giggling at the thought. Charlie chuckled at your light heartedness, however, still somehow remaining serious and sticking to his plan. If he didn’t, he might never do it.

“Not for you” he whispered, slowly moving his lips mere inches away from yours. You inhaled sharply, anticipating his next move. His lips landed on your gently and hesitantly, waiting to see if you would pull away. When you didn’t, he moved his hand to cup your cheek, deepening the kiss.

You pulled away, chest heaving at the lack of oxygen. Charlie looked at you with nervous and expectant eyes. You looked back at him, a smile slowly making its way across your lips, quickly pulling him in to another kiss.

This time Charlie pulled back, resting his forehead against your own.

“Happy Birthday, Y/N”

[senju-sekhmet]

Leporina venatio

leporina venatio (latin): rabbit hunt

Summary: You’ve cleaned it. You’ve groomed it. You’ve run your fingers through it - time to get around to wear it. Tobirama’s fur collar has got to be the number one prize - except he’d never actually let you adorn it. You’ll just have to help yourself to it a little bit differently, no? I COULDN’T RESIST... In response to the lovely headcanons @cafeinthemoon! Go check them out!

Warnings: the fact I really suck at comedy? And slightly suggestive tones in the end. SFW, though, don’t worry!

~3.200k words Read on AO3!

He opened his eyes lazily. The sun was already filtering warmly through the window and with a content sigh he reached over to - Empty. Tobirama turned over to find your side of the bed vacant - cold, even. He huffed. Now he couldn’t deny being slightly miffed that you’d rather rise on your own than spend a few precious moments with him, awake, in bed - as you used to, on your off-duty days; but being the man he was, there must be a reason behind all this. Maybe you had prepared breakfast, received an urgent message… a multitude of logical reasons were plausible.

He still was annoyed. Those were your shared off days, after all. Precious and few inbetween. With a shake of his head and sigh he rose to get dressed in his dark casual attire. His scarlet gaze swept the room for any clues regarding your departure. At the very least he expected you to leave some kind of message behind for him to find - if you really did leave without any hint at all? However he came up short. Leaving the bedroom and entering the narrow hall, he found there was no smell of fresh food being cooked either, which ruled out the breakfast option. Tobirama’s heart sank a little. So much for a calm day off, then.

Quietly, as a last resort he tentatively called out - “Y/n?”

No answer. Closing his eyes momentarily he sent out a weak pulse of chakra and tuned into his sensor skills to see if you were anywhere nearby, but none of the signatures belonged to you. Opening his eyes again, he stemmed his palms to his hips and frowned deeply. Had you actually left just like that?

Suddenly, his gaze widened as a more sinister thought occurred to him.

Had something happened to you?

His frown deepened. Should he check the hospital - should he -

Then he noticed it. The door of your shared armoury - really, the small room in which you both kept your weapons, armor and other items for combat and missions was slightly agape. His eyes narrowed to tiny slits. That door was always closed. He stalked over cautiously, nudged the door open - then he saw it. All the puzzle pieces fell into place immediately.

His ultramarine battle gear, polished. Shining.

His white fur collar - missing.

“Why, you…”, he muttered, no, snarled. For a moment the world was red and hot ire burned inside of him - then he gazed through the window, huffing.

He whipped around on his heels and stalked out of the house. Already, he channeled his chakra to let his sensor skills fan out in search of you.

You wanted to hide from him, an extremely skilled sensor?

Game on.

_________

Your neck and shoulders were comfortably warm. It was spring, so the temperatures were rising indeed, but not quite there yet - though it did make you wonder how Tobirama handled this in summer. Occasionally you’d tilt your head to the side to nuzzle into the warmth of the white fur that adorned your shoulders, inhaling the scent of your husband.

With a snicker, you thought about how he’d wake up to you - and his precious floof - missing.

Honestly, this was a godly prank, or so you’d like to think. Waltzing through Konoha, wearing what obvious was Tobirama’s trademark piece of attire was bound to turn a few select heads - and it did. You even happened to meet Madara - who had regarded you with a fine smirk. He understood immediately, of course - the fact Tobirama wouldn’t part willingly with this and was somewhere else, royally pissed off.

“Does he know yet?”, the Uchiha clan leader mused darkly, a glint to his obsidian eyes.

You blinked innocently, putting a slender finger to pursed lips. “Do you hear him yelling and ripping it off me?”

He merely gave a low laugh and waved goodbye, going on his merry way.

As you did yourself. You weren’t stupid, of course. Stealing Tobirama’s fur collar was one thing. Hiding with it for a prolonged amount of time was another - by now he’d be awake, have figured everything out and probably even be using shadow clones to look for you.

His sensor skills were an extremely unfair advantage in this game.

Which was another reason you kept to the broad public - the more chakra signatures were around you, the more difficult it’d be for him to discern yours. Really, it’d just buy you a little bit more time - and dignity. Tobirama wouldn’t make a scene to recover his most prized possession in front of the entire village.

You hoped, at least.

It was just in front of a flower shop when you spotted him - his silvery hair would always stand out, just like the three red facial markings he used paint on. He was down the road, way off; however his stare might as well have been a kunai flying in your direction for how enraged it was.

You gave a cheeky grin, waved at him and entered the shop without looking back to see his face become contorted by a furious scowl.

Inside the shop were a handful of customers and the keeper of course, who you approached politely. “Hello, might I take a look around? I’m looking for a little surprise for my husband and your display had me enraptured, really.” Your tone was honey-sweet, you almost felt guilty knowing what would follow in here.

The man blinked, blushing a little. “O-oh, sure, go ahead,” waving you towards his sortiment with a bright smile.

You made a mental note to buy some flowers from this poor fellow later.

____

Tobirama couldn’t believe his own eyes.

Not only had he located you amidst the bustling streets - it was a quite busy morning - but every single aspect of the situation fuelled his fury more. Obviously - obviously - you had been mingling in an effort to make tracking you down with his sensor skills more difficult (How pathetic - he’d know your chakra’s signature between a thousand, always), but you actually also had the gall to stare him in the eye once he found you, grin at him and, by all that is holy, waltz away.

With his fur collar on.

He wasn’t a conceited man nor did he care for appearances, but frankly a part of him quite liked the idea of you wearing it (for a short time, anyway) - your scent on it, the idea of it being warm by your body’s warmth -

But this was his fur collar! And he hadn’t given you permission to saunter around with it in public like some - some - look-alike? Furiously he stalked over to the shop you had just entered, paying no attention to what was being sold there exactly. People made way for him simply for how he walked - likely his expression helped with that bit too - but he didn’t care. This game was over, now.

Inside, his scarlet gaze locks with yours immediately and his eyes narrow to tiny slits. “Y/n,” he sternly calls as though his voice was a weapon - a threat he’d make good on.

The shop’s owner turned his head, mouth slightly agape when recognition settled into his expression.

You weren’t fazed the slightest, of course. That grin of yours was as cheeky as ever and had he been slightly more prepared - had this not been about his fur collar - maybe, maybe he’d have found it funny. A little bit.

But as it was, he didn't. Not the slightest. Nope.

“Tobirama!”, you waved, “There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you before, dear, I’m glad you found me now.”

He was sure at this point his face became as red as three red streaks of paint that adorned it. The shop owner ducked behind his counter a little. “It wasn’t all that difficult, Y/n, with that outfit you’re brandishing right now, you know.” The tone of his voice was subzero, but quiet. He took a few measured steps towards you.

Your smile didn’t falter the slightest. “It’s lovely, isn’t it?” You tilted your head slightly to rub your cheek over the fluffy white fur, closing your eyes to inhale the scent again.

Tobirama took a sharp breath and his eyes widened slightly as that motion alone did something else to him. His fists balled though. “Shall we, then? We got a lot more to do today.” He extended his hand for you to take, taking another measured step towards you. If you weren’t going to take his hand, he’d simply take your arm or make body contact somehow else to use his hiraishin seal and end this prank.

Unfortunately - of course - you were too smart for that. Your loving ministrations to the floof ceased immediately as an attentive eye caught his hand nearing you; your lips formed a wicked smile. “Sure - go ahead, Tobi. I’ll be right along, I promised Mito to stop by and - oh, I needed to buy something else, too.”

Tobirama nostrils flared and his gaze narrowed to tiny slits. Momentarily his jaws clenched so hard it hurt, but he raised his chin as he identified this for what this was. Defiance. And the proverbial gauntlet being thrown down again. “Then let’s go together, shall we?” He raised his hand to casually lay it on your shoulder as he stood by your side - as wife and husband would -

But you pranced to the side nimbly and towards the door before he could do so much as lay a finger on you or get within arm’s reach. “Wonderful! This will be fun. I’ll be back later, mister, your flowers are delightful!”, waving the shop owner goodbye, you already were out of the shop.

Tobirama’s hand dropped to his side, his hands balled into fists again. Darkly he stared after you. So this is how we’re going to do this. Not sparing the shop owner a second glance he was out before you could slip out of his sight again.

________

With no small amount of satisfaction you were sauntering down the main street of Konoha again, ignoring the ominous presence that was following you. The look on Tobirama’s face had been priceless. Unfortunately you had a problem now: he literally only needed to graze your skin now to whisk you away to your shared home.

Then the un-fun part of this prank would begin. You’d have to find a way to pacify him before that because right now, you knew he was royally pissed only.

Still. It was fun to watch, once in a while. And you really loved this lovely floof.

His low timbre reached your ears again, nearer than you expected. Already, you sped up your playful gait, throwing a glance over your shoulder. “Enjoying yourself?” He inquired darkly.

If looks could kill, you might drop dead now. There were honest shadows cast over his face from how enraged he was. But - and this was most important - he was far enough away still. You smiled cheekily again. “Quite a lot.”

His voice became chilly again. “You realise this is no match for my hiraishin?”

You giggled. “Yeah, I’d be in real trouble if you ever used it.” To accentuate your statement, you picked up your pace a little bit more. By now you were quite close to running.

Tobirama gave a low growl in response and answered by picking up his speed, too. The way the two of you walked must look comical by now. Not like you cared - and Tobirama seemed fixated on his goal now.

Truth be told, you needed a plan. Another shop would just strain his patience more - and that trick was old. Reaching a familiar destination - like Hashirama’s house - was dangerous. Tobirama might unleash his fury there or simply grab you and really haul you away. Briefly you considered seeking out Madara - but the fun would stop right there, or the probability of an actual incident was too high.

That left you with one option.

Within the blink of an eye, you bolted into a sidealley.

_______

Tobirama skidded to a halt for just a moment as you ran - right down into the narrow alley to your right. Snarling, he began the pursuit - gloves off now. If you actually thought you could outpace the fastest shinobi alive, you had another thing coming.

Though you weren’t exactly holding back either - nor were you a sluggish person. Your footwork had always been nimble and in the small streets it was possible to zigzag past narrow corners, under clothes lines and down even more narrow alleys that barely deserved the name.

He had to be careful. This was not some panicked move, this had been a calculated decision of yours. Quite possibly you had more planned. His best option remained to stay as close as he could - no, get close enough to touch you and teleport home.

His increasing fury didn’t help maintain focus, though. All he did see was his white fur collar trail in front of him and away, alongside the endlessly amused laughter of his wife.

Were he not so frustrated, he might find the challenge entertaining. Enjoyable. Perhaps he did, right now.

Nonsense, this was ridiculous! He had better things to do than running after you like some schoolboy!

Just as you turned around yet another corner he lunged forward for you to narrowly miss his grabbing hand - so narrow he could still feel the air draft of your movement as you had to dance to the side in order to avoid capture.

“Ahaha!”, you giggled, “It seems you got to be faster, dear husband!” - and with a literal twirl you were on your merry way again.

That did it.

_______

After your very narrow escape, you had turned yet another corner - quite frankly you were surprised Tobirama hadn’t shouted anything back. There are no people in these alleys; and by now you expected him to be frothing by the mouth or something. Instead he actually lost a few meters on you - hah.

Then you frowned.

That was quaint, actually. Had he stopped for some reason? You spurred yourself to greater speeds but nonetheless you couldn’t deny the tiny shiver down your spine. Your husband was an extremely intelligent man and the fact he had hatched some plan that had required him to stand still even for just a second - that didn’t sit well with you.

You had to change your tactic, again.

But quite frankly you were running out of options at this point. A disguise was out of question due to his sensor capabilities - back on the main road, maybe?

You took another quick turn-

Only to be slammed into the ground by a tall, silver-haired man. With a yelp, you rolled forward to ease the incoming fall as you lost all balance due to your speed, but your assailant was quick as well - before you could gain your footing again, he used the weight of his body to tackle you. You managed to roll on your back to identify the attacker as - who else could it be - Tobirama.

“How?!”, you breathed, incredulously, but already, you raised your legs to kick out viciously to shake him off; though he was faster.

With a low huff he seized your wrists simply and dragged you up with him - damn it all. This was as good as over now. After a short scuffle he had wrestled your arms behind your back and turned you around to face down the alley, where the answer was coming from.

Another Tobirama was striding down towards you. He clapped his hands, once twice, lazily. The smirk in his voice was unmistakable. “Well done. Shall we go home, dear?”

You struggled still against the shadow clone that held your arms wrenched behind your back, scrunching your nose and huffing. “That was low, Tobi. I thought we were having a fair chase here,” you moped.

He finally stood in before you, arms crossed in front of his chest. His eyebrows rose lazily. “I was chasing you. Apologies for not reading the rules, you didn’t leave any behind.” He sounded entirely unimpressed now, but there was a certain glint in his scarlet gaze as he stared his quarry - you - down. You were unsure if it was fury or plain annoyance.

Your lips formed a pout. “At least make your clone disappear now. You won.”

He didn’t move an inch. In fact, his clone reinforced his grip, earning him indignant “Hey!” from you. Tobirama only blinked, gaze never leaving you. “Do you think I’m stupid? You’re going to bolt the moment I release you.”

You click your tongue in feigned hurt. “Ouch? Please, have some faith, husband. I lost a fair chase, I’m a good sport.”

“You just called it unfair, my dear.” He cocked an eyebrow, unimpressed.

You just stared at him for another moment after he had called your rather obvious bluff. Finally, you bit your lower lip and attempted a little bit of a smirk again. “Come on, Tobi. You did enjoy yourself a little.” He still didn’t move an inch. His intense gaze simply kept mustering you, only narrowing ever so slightly. “We’re going home now.”

Instantly reality twisted and a familiar lurch later you were in your bedroom, Tobirama right in front of you. The clone was gone - he must’ve released it the moment it had teleported you. In a swift motion he backed you up closer to the nearest wall, closer and closer - until you felt your back make contact with the wall. Defiantly, you crossed your arms in front of your chest.

“Well, go ahead then. Take the floof back.” At the very least, you were surprised he hadn’t been shouting or something. Remembering his face when he initially had spotted you, you’d been rather sure you were in for something.

Right now? Right now the scarlet gaze of his was near liquid, ablaze but narrow nonetheless. His jaw was working and slowly, he put a hand to the wall next to your head. “Hm,” he gave a low hum that rolled right off his tongue.

You raised an eyebrow. Was he going to prank you now? “If you’re waiting for me to give it back, no can do. I’m rather attached to this. Literally.” You smirked again, confidently, turning your head slightly to nuzzle the soft fur again for a moment.

From the corner of your eye you saw his throat move as he swallowed heavily, his eyes widening slightly. He was staring you down like a hawk now. Silence stretched for a few moments before - “Maybe I quite enjoy the sights right now, actually.” His baritone voice had taken on a sultry tone now and his free hand moved up to first ruffle through his fur, then trail up your neck and cup your cheek tenderly.

Your eyebrows climbed up. So that was what that look had been about. You leaned into his touch a little and couldn’t help but smile gently, looking up at him. Right then you wanted to lose yourself in that intense gaze of his. “Then ... I’ll wear it a bit longer?” you murmured headily, quietly.

He took another small step closer until his body almost touched yours, his fresh breath hitting your face as he seemed to ponder the notion for a moment. The hand next to your face slipped down to linger between the soft fur and your neck alike, his thumb stroking your skin gently. For a moment all he did was caressing you, pinning you with gaze; no marvelling you.

“A tiny bit…”, he finally murmured, then a fine smirk formed - and his voice turned stern. “But you’re not going to leave this house. With my collar on. Ever again.”

You rolled your eyes.

This was still Tobirama, after all.

[gucciwins]

The Hunt

Luna has won the Halloween Hunt two years in a row and she is going for a third with Harry as her partner, the problem well they don’t really get along. 

Word count: 10,761

A/N: Luna, I hope you love her like I do. She was a joy to write. I’m very excited to share so please come and share your thoughts with me. It really means the world to me. Thank you to Gianna (@hunflowers​) for hosting this wonderful Halloween challenge. I hope you enjoy. (prompt: you’ve got to be kidding me).

Halloween. 

The one holiday that Luna is excited to take part in with her friends, finding even the tackiest of activities fun and a joy to do. Luna and Caleb went to the pumpkin patch last weekend and spent the day drinking cider and eating cinnamon donuts. The pumpkin carving was a whole other story that ended with one smashed pumpkin and a grumpy Caleb. 

Luna has spent every Halloween with Caleb for as long as she can remember. From first becoming best friends when Luna and her family moved in next door to Caleb at the age of six to now, age twenty-one going on four years of living together. Much to their parents' disappointment, sparks never did fly for them. Not that Luna ever thought there would be; Caleb just didn't do it for her no matter how handsome he was.  

This Halloween, just like previous ones, they were going as a pair. Their first Halloween at age six, they went as Power Rangers, Luna the yellow and Caleb the blue. It was their most memorable one and has the picture hanging in their living room for reminiscing purposes. Last year Caleb decided on Ghostbusters, and they killed it. Being university students means low money in their bank account, so they went thrift shopping a lot that year. 

Halloween 2020, it is her turn to pick. Luna decided they would be going as Princess Buttercup and Westley from The Princess Bride. 

A true classic that will forever live on, yes, it may be a romantical pairing, but Luna has begged for this for years, and now is their time to shine. She pulled extra shifts at the tattoo parlor she works at as receptionist to get authentic costumes—the red dress of dreams. 

It's Saturday night, there is a Blue moon, and it's Halloween. 

It is time for their third annual Halloween Hunt, where her group of friends pair up and set off to find clues to win the grand prize of a crown, some cash, and bragging rights for a whole year. Luna has won it the last two years with Caleb on her side, and she is ready to do it again. 

Luna stares at herself in the mirror. The gown is elegant and rich with details. The long red, billowy sleeves with a fathered cuff. A high neckline and falls into a loose, pleated skirt. The dress is tied off at the waist with a gold pattern belt. And to top it all off, the beaded crown on her brown curls. The color of her hair the only inaccuracy of the costume. The crown shines more she feels with her darker hair than the original Buttercup. 

Her makeup is minimal, only having used mascara for her long eyelashes she likes having curled. It makes her brown eyes that much nicer to gaze at. 

She grabs her wallet and keys that she will be leaving with Caleb as his look was blessed with pockets, and she does not want to stick anything down her bra for the entire night. She takes the stairs two floors down as they meet at Mitch and Oliver's apartment, who happen to live in the same complex.

To start the hunt, the host will let everyone get into partners before dispersing the first clue, and the first couple to make it to the final location at midnight will be crowned the winners. 

They really are in for a fun night. 

___

Walking in, she sees the apartment somewhat decorated, not much, purple string lights hanging over the large tv they have. Small orange pumpkins scattered around the room. The excessive amount of fake spider web in every corner of the house. Mitch has always said, why to decorate if you're going to be the one cleaning it up. Oliver did not think the same way; she imagines his room looks like the inside of Spirit Halloween. 

Mitch greets her with a drink. It's water. He smiles at her costume before wandering off. She sips the cold water, never one to drink on such an important night. Also, she's wary about drinking growing up; her dad made her start driving at the age of fifteen because he liked drinking when they went over to her uncle's house on the weekends. He wasn't an alcoholic, but he did drink too often, and instead of putting her and her brother at risk, he taught her to drive. This is why now, she will instead be the designated driver than the one having the drinks. Tonight, she needs a clear head to win.

Luna moves past the kitchen, eyes searching for Caleb in his black outfit and mask, but she stops dead in her tracks once she meets his gaze.

 It's a shock.

Caleb is dressed in slim black pants, a white dress shirt, a messy done blue tie, an unbuttoned black blazer, and completing his look is the signature beige blazer. He looks incredible, but not at all how he was supposed to. He winces when he sees the expression on her face. 

She’s upset. He didn't even warn her. Not a single text or call.

There has never been a reason to break tradition, but here they are doing just that. 

"They asked me to host," Caleb says as he steps toward her. Luna manages a nod. She changes her direction and goes across the room to sit alone on the windowsill, leading to a small flower patio. Caleb looks like he wants to head over, but she knows her well enough; it's best to leave her alone. 

As Luna gets lost in thought, she doesn't acknowledge that everyone else has slowly arrived, the chatter getting louder. She also is oblivious to the lingering eyes on her. If she had looked up, she would have met Harry's concerned gaze.

"Hello friends, thank you for gathering with us here on this day of spooks and horror." Caleb stands on the study coffee table to get everyone's attention on him. "This year, you may not pick your partner. No, there will be random draws." 

"Let's hope this makes Luna lose this year," Oliver shouts, getting lots of cheers in response. 

Luna rolls her eyes at the banter but lets a smile overtake her face because she knows no matter who her partner may end up being, she will be a winner.

Caleb announces how only five of them will pick a name and how it has been decided it will be Mitch, Daniel, Charlotte, Abby, and Luna, who will draw a name. 

She is third to pick a slip, not opening it up until the last two receive theirs. She doesn't focus on the others as they begin to search for their partners because Caleb is shuffling over to her looking sheepish. 

He pulls her in and wraps his arms around her, giving her a big squeeze. Long and hard enough to leave her out of breath. A sloppy kiss on her cheeks, she is quick to wipe away on his coat, not at all wanting to dirty her dress, at least not yet. 

Those hazel eyes are hard to stay mad at, and he knows it. Luna can count all the fights they've had on one hand.

"Whatever, you owe me." She bumps his shoulder. 

He nods, quick to agree. "Name your price."

Luna opens up the folded slip of paper. 

Harry 

"A new partner." She whispers, not looking up, hoping if she stares long enough, the name will change. 

Caleb leans in and smirks at the name. "That I can't do. You know the rules." 

She furrowed her eyebrows. "There were no rules until today."

Caleb laughs. "Everyone partner up if you haven't already."

Mitch is already chatting with Oliver, and she knows they will give her a run for her money. These two get on so well, but their weakness is that when Mitch gets a lead, he forgets to address it to his partner most of the time, leaving them separated and lost. 

Justine is with Abby, and honestly, she has no worry over them. Abby is a hard person to partner up with, always wanting to lead even when she has no clue what is going on. 

Calvin is with Daniel, and honestly, she knows they are not competition. Calvin told her the clues confused him. 

Mason and Charlotte, she was hoping to partner with Charlotte. That being her closest friend right behind Caleb. She's a music major, meaning their time together is always a joy. Luna singing a random song and Char telling her random facts she knows about the said song. Luna is not sure how good Charlotte and Mason get on, but only time will tell. 

As she sees everyone paired up, she scans the room for Harry. She doesn't spot him, but she does see Pirate Roberts, better known as Westley, her other half. He's wearing a black shirt that has a lace-up front with a matching pair of pants. The mask and headscarf add a touch of mystery, while the sash and gloves put the finishing touch to the look. As much as she hates to admit it, he looks good. 

"You've got to be kidding me." She says, looking him up and down in disgust. 

Harry scoffs, now standing in front of her. "Guess that means I'm stuck with you."

"Yeah, you can lose the mask now."

"No, I don't think so. Makes my eyes pop." He bats his eyelashes at her. 

She ignores him, moving on to an important question. "Who were you supposed to dress with?" 

"Charlotte." His stupidly, charming English accent responds. "She asked me last week, then told me she was doing Ghostbusters with Mason. Her costume is done too nicely to be done last minute."

This is a setup. 

She knows because Charlotte helped her alter the dress's length so that it didn't drag on the floor as she walked, and in return, Luna helped sew Venkman on her suit. 

The only question is, why would they want her matching with Harry if they don't get on well at all, not even a little bit. Every interaction leaves with one of them storming off, not to brag, but it seems to always be Harry. 

"Well, at least you were warned. Caleb didn't even tell me." She shares. "Had me walk in to see him dressed as an angel." 

"Castiel, right?" Harry says, a bit uncertain.

Luna nods, surprised he knows, thinking this might be their one connection to break the ice. "He posted on his story who he was dressed as." She spoke too soon. 

"You're saying you don't know Supernatural." 

"No, sorry." He says, not sounding apologetic. 

Luna shoots him a fake smile before looking away. "He can't be my partner; it's a disrespect to my morals." 

Her only response is laughter. She wasn't joking. 

"You know the rules, baby," Charlotte says, arms around Mason's waist. Luna narrows her eyes at that, mentally reminding herself to check in with Char about that. 

How had she won two years without knowing any rules? 

"Well, I'll still kick all your asses with Dobby on my team." When meeting Harry's eyes again, she smirks, his face shocked, not sure if she was insulting him. 

"Right, do not mess up our chances of winning." Her voice was deep and threatening. At least she hoped that's how it sounded. 

"I would never" Harry looks down at her with a smirk on his pink lips. "But I need motivation, so what's in it for me." 

Instead of responding with half of the money because that much was obvious, what else would he want? She looks him in the eyes. "I'll kiss you if we win," Luna tells him sarcastically, and before Harry has a chance to respond, Caleb is walking over, handing them their first clue of seven. 

Head to the place no one ever cleans

Harry scratches his head. "That's confusing."

"It's the bathroom. Specifically, the toilet." She hands the clue for Harry to put away, making her way there. 

"You sure?" 

Luna doesn't bother replying, pushing first to the bathroom, wanting to get a move on. It's going to be a long night if he keeps questioning her. 

Harry opens the door and jumps back, he's startled at the sight in front of him, but Luna nudges him aside to take a look and is left impressed.

There is fake blood on the mirror, "You're next" written sloppily. What startled Harry was the body bag in the tub, bloody transparent curtains hanged to make it seem like a messy murder. 

"There's not a body, right?" A slight tremble in his voice. 

"Of course not. No one is a fan of jump scares her." She eyes his face. "Especially you." 

Luna picks up the skull sitting on top of the toilet tank, and taped underneath is the second clue. 

"That was too easy," Harry tells her, already heading out of the apartment, not waiting for her to read the clue knowing this one will lead them outside. 

You may sit, you may stand, you may push, but one must never jump.

"Who even made these?" Harry scoffs. "It's awful." 

She chuckles, agreeing because they do stink. "Caleb. The host has to do them all for each group. Talk with owners of shops and all. It's a long process." Luna explains to Harry as she reads the clue once more. "I'm surprised I never noticed how busy he was the entire month." 

"It's what happens when you're self-absorbed." He mutters. 

"Ouch." She feigns hurt, hands over her heart. 

Harry rolls his eyes, not wanting to deal with her any longer than he has to. He has no clue what that clue is pointing to. He looks over at Luna, who has gone quiet.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Harry exclaims.

"Where is the headscarf? You're messing up the look." She pouts, and Harry would never admit it, at least to her, but she looks adorable. 

"I took it off. It messes up my hair."

Luna stares at his hair. "Looks as messy as always.'

He gasps. "It looks fantastic, trying this new serum to make it shine."

"Sorry to break it to you, but I don't think it is working." She scrunches up her face in disgust. 

"Well, your shoes don't match." He yells. 

She looks down at her Molly metallic leather platform boots that give her five-four self extra height. "My boots are badass. Buttercup still kicks ass in these." She twirls and begins walking away from him. 

"Luna, for fuck sake, where are you going." Harry rushes after her. 

"We've got a hunt to win." 

For someone of her stature, she sure has a fast pace. It seems as if she never slows down, effortlessly moving around pedestrians. All while Harry mumbles apologies as he trips over a person's shoe. 

"The clue." He clears his voice. "How'd you crack it." 

"Easy after a few reads. It's the swings at the local park." 

Harry nods. "That doesn't explain how you knew." 

"Caleb uses things in his life, and if you know him well enough, you can crack it. He's an open book, one talk with him and you'll know his grandparents' name and phone number. He loves sharing everything." Harry motions for her to continue, all while keeping her fast pace, leaving him a little wounded. "As kids, our parents' one rule at the park was that we could never jump off the swings all because one time Caleb and I were going so high I jumped and almost flew past the sand pile and landed on the concrete. No one broke a bone, but we could have." 

"You and Caleb must have given your parents a hard time." 

"Not really, we were angels." 

"Hard to believe." 

She kisses her two fingers before placing it over her heart. "Scout's honor." 

"You were in the girl's scout." 

"Well, aren't you nosy Miss Rosy." She rolls her eyes. "The town didn't have the girl's scout, so when Caleb joined, I made a presentation for Ulysses. He was the man in charge, and I impressed him. He accepted, and no one questioned me."

"Impressive," Harrys tells her, genuinely meaning it. 

"Now shut up, Styles. You have too much information, might have to go kill you or something if these things get out." 

"And here I thought we were becoming friends." 

"Nope, let's keep it that way." 

Harry shuts up, letting the chatter of late-night stragglers fill in the silence. Luna is stopped by a girl their age looking for directions to a party. She is happy to help, giving the girl extra detail to make sure she doesn't get lost. She goes as far as giving the girl her phone number to know she made it there safely. 

Luna is an enigma. 

"I thought you hated all humans, but I see I was wrong." 

Harry is such a jerk that she doesn't bother responding. No, she does something much better. She stops walking, sticking her foot out, knowing how oblivious Harry is. He trips, almost falling to his face, but to some miracle, he manages to right himself without a scratch. 

He adjusts his mask, brushing off the dirt he acquired at the bottom of his pants. "Well, that was mean.

"I thought it was rather kind, knock you off your pedestal." She grins at him, walking away again. 

Harry mutters something under his breath, making sure she isn't able to hear him. 

Luna decides to bring back the conversation of what started their night, his costume. "Why are you even Westley? You don't have the blonde hair for it."

Harry scoffs. "Says the girl with the brown locks of hair."

"The wig was itchy, besides my natural hair is pretty." Her hair is excellent, and she knows it. It's mid-waist, and she does hair therapy to keep it healthy. After Caleb's sister-in-law introduced her to natural hair products, a significant improvement. It added a shine she never had before. She is always paid lots of compliments on her hair. It's enchanting. 

Harry looks at her before staying quiet. He kicks a rock as he walks. "Blondes are overrated."

Luna ducks her head, letting her hair frame a curtain around her face wanting to hide the blush he managed to get out of her. 

Finally, reaching the park entrance, the swings a distance away. They stop, neither of them making a move follow the path.   

"You could just stay here, and I'll text you when I'm done," Luna tells him. 

Harry is quick to rebut, "I'm smart, I can help." 

"I didn't say you aren't smart. It's just I know you don't like me, so why spend the time with me?" 

That's far from the truth, Harry thinks to himself but doesn't deny it. "Together, we're winning this together." He gives her no room for argument walking to the swings. 

Luna nods to herself; she's going to be okay. Maybe the night will start to get better. 

Harry is opening up the clue as she approaches, and he holds it out further, allowing her to read it.

You walk by me, never give me a second glance. Now tonight, I dare you to give me a chance.

"That doesn't sound great," Harry confesses. 

"You alright, with a bit of darkness?" 

Harry nods his head, yes, but he has no idea what's coming next. 

___

Standing in front of the house, Luna feels a chill run up her spine. It's not like she's never seen this house because she had. She grew up in the town and walked past the lonely house that wasted away day by day as she made her way to school.

"This place is creepy," Harry mumbles, standing next to her.

The grass is brown and unkempt; dried leaves scatter the path to the home's stairs, a crunch under their feet as they approach. She walks slow, counting her steps, and at unlucky thirteen, they reach the first broken step. The wood looked as if someone took a hammer to it, having random holes done. The windows are filled with spider webs and dust, no way to look in. The door was red and had scratches. As if someone small had clawed to be let in.

"Sure you want to go in, Luna." Harry looks at the door in fright. "You can admit you got the wrong location. You can't always be right."

"Look, Styles, I know I'm right."

Harry begins to sweep around to make sure no one is watching them break into an old abandoned house. She leans against the rotting wood, there's a chance she might fall through, but she's always up for the risk. In doing so, she shuts her eyes for a second, and a memory pops in her head; it causes her to let out a chuckle, startling Harry. He whips around to shout at her, but the smile on Luna's face makes him stop. He's never been privileged to a smile so intimate.

Before Harry can even ask her what's got her smiling, she is already talking.

"Caleb and I had our first kiss on these steps." Luna's eyes shift down as if the memory begins to play in front of her."

"With each other?" Harry asks, wanting confirmation.

"Yes, Caleb swore he was in love with me in the sixth grade, and I told him he was insane. The feelings were not mutual." She assures, wanting to get her point across. "We were walking home from school one day, and I, as the brains of the duo, told him we had to check out the house. I swore we had our own Boo Radley after reading To Kill A Mockingbird. He was going on and on about how he swore his love for me." She turned to look at Harry. "I looked at him, put my hands on his shoulders, and put my lips to his. He stood there shocked, and once I pulled back, he grinned." Luna deepens her voice. "So, I don't love you like that."

Harry chuckles, enjoying the story. She's not even sure why she began to tell him. "I was like yeah, you idiot, I see you as a brother. My mom could not stop laughing when I told her. My dad not so much." She stood up straight, took three steps to the door, grabbed the rusted doorknob, and it twisted open. There was a loud creak as she pushed.

"In we go, Farm Boy."

Harry shakes his head, mutters "As you wish." He hopes she missed that.

He steps in; first, his eyes quickly sweeping around the house, a doorway to a living room, another leading to what he assumes would be the dining room, and right in front of them a spiral staircase leading to the second floor where they might venture to if they don't find the clue in the main rooms.

"Right, together," Harry tells her.

"Awe, don't be scared, Styles. I'll protect you." She reaches out to pink his cheek.

He swats her hand away. "You'll be the one needing it."

"Don't count on you being my savior then?"

"Not ever, Buttercup."

They walk the first floor and find nothing. It's quite dull, nothing that stands out of place. Nothing haunting, really. A bit of a disappointment. They approach the stair and see footprints. This must be the correct way. She lets Harry lead. Once at the top, they see footprints are leading left and right. Harry nods left, so she assumes he means she has to go right.

It was not what he meant.

As Luna makes her way to the door at the end of the hall, she turns to see Harry entering the first room. She should turn back and go with him. She thinks about it for a second and decides it's best not and continues on.

Luna enters the boy's room. There is a race car bed, with white drawers full of stickers on either side. Everything is dusty, can feel the twitch in her nose. She approaches the bed when a paper catches her eyes on the corner of the dresser filled with different kinds of dinosaurs. It is their clue. It reads

If you wish to find me, you must go to the place where the choice of sweets is never-ending.

Luna smiles gratefully to have found it. She'll figure it out with Harry, she decides. The quicker she is out of the house, the better. As she folds the clue, she hears the door slam shut. It makes Luna jump. 

She approaches the door and twists the knob, but nothing happens. Luna keeps pulling and nothing; she's slowly but surely beginning to freaking out. 

Maybe Harry was playing a joke on her. That had to be it. 

"If you think this is a good prank, you're wrong." She yells, eager to hear his deep laugh before opening the door. But instead, she is met with silence. 

"Styles, open the door." Her voice firm, anger slowly taking over." Still nothing. "Haha, you've had your laugh; let me out." 

The panic is beginning to set. Harry didn't lock her in; he's on the other side of the house. 

"Harry?" She whimpers.

Meanwhile, Harry, no clue in hand, stands at the top of the stairs staring at a mirror frowning at himself. He looked for Luna, but it's as if she disappeared. He has come to the conclusion that she has finally left him. 

Luna, not sure what else to do, begins to scream his name. The tears streaming down her face in panic. She just wants out. That's all she wants. 

She pounds on the door, her throat hurting from the loud screams she's let out. The tears making it hard to keep on going; with one final knock, she lets herself slide to the floor.

Harry was about to descend the stairs when he hears a pounding on a door. It gives him chills; as much as it frightens him to go check it out, he has a gut feeling he has to. He goes right, the original way Luna went, and makes his way to the closed door. He takes a deep breath before turning the knob. 

Nothing happens. 

He takes a step back before pushing all his weight into the door, causing it to fly open. Harry scans the room quickly but sees nothing until he looks down and sees Luna hugging her knees.

Harry is quick to react. He's on his knees in front of her. "Luna, love, it's me, Harry. You're okay." 

She slowly lifts her head. "Harry." She croaks.

"Yes, it's me."

The tears begin once more. "The door was jammed. I was calling for you." She throws her arms around him wanting to be close, needing comfort even if he may not want to give it. 

"Thought you left me once you got the clue." He confesses as he runs his hand through her hair, he might have always wanted to do it, but not like this, never like this. 

"I'm not that mean, am I?" She looks up at him through her long thick eyelashes. A tear runs down her cheek.

He brings his hand up and gently wipes it away. "No, you're sweet and sassy and perfectly you. Not mean. Ya, hear me."

Luna nods. 

"Let's get out of here, okay. We need to figure out the clue now. Can't do it without your brains." He smiles at her dimples on display.

Luna smiles, he helps her out, and they walk out, Harry guiding her with a firm hand on her waist.

Once outside, the cold autumn wind hits them, and it's like Luna can finally breathe again. Harry guides them all the way to the sidewalk, where she hands him the clue. 

If you wish to find me, you must go to the place where the choice of sweets is never-ending.

"Sweets? There's a candy store, right?" Harry isn't sure, remembering seeing one. 

"It's named Annie's Sweets. Two streets from the library." 

"Well, lead the way, Buttercup." Harry links their hands together and begins walking forward is surprisingly the right direction. Luna stares down at their intertwined fingers, and it feels nice. 

Maybe, she's just a little touch starved. 

Luna is quiet, trying to think of anything but that moment she had in that house. She's going to give Caleb a lot of shit for that one. 

As they walk, Luna notices their hands are still together before pulling away. "Sorry." 

Harry shrugs. "Don't mind."

Luna frowns and looks straight ahead as they walk; he's confusing. Why is Harry acting sweet? A little too sweet. She intertwines her hands together in the front wanting the feeling of his hand in hers to disappear. 

"Are you going to tell the others about my crying? I get it if you do. Good story to get a laugh at me." She mumbles the last words. 

Harry grabs her arm, stopping her. She slowly raises her head to meet his eyes through the eye mask. His green eyes soft but filled with an emotion, she can't place. "I would never, what happened was not a laughing matter, this, all this tonight will stay between us, you good with that." 

Luna nods.

Harry clicks his tongue. "Verbal response." 

Her brown eyes go wide. "Yes, I'm good with that." 

Luna can't hide her surprise, and she knows Harry can see that. He's never acted so kind to her. It's a bit weird, but it beats the back and forth remarks. She's also sick of this façade of disliking him. It's exhausting now that she thinks about it. The banter is fun, but it always ends when it gets taken too far.  

"Harry, I know you hate me for some reason," She clears her throat before continuing. "But it's exhausting all the arguing. I'm great at it, but we've been at it for the two years we've known each other. You can keep hating me and not talking to me. I'm used to people not liking me. You won't be any different. We can co-exist in the same group."  

Harry scoffs, "You still don't get it."

She frowns. Get what? "You never gave us the chance to be friends. I'm giving you the chance to cut all ties while staying in the friend group." It's the most straightforward plan. It's honestly perfect.

"Luna, stop." 

She continues on. "Harry, seriously, you make me miserable, and I make-" He turns around, causing her to almost crash into him. 

"I like you." Luna knows the surprise is written all over her face. Harry's face is serious, no dimples insight and all his emerald eyes tell her is that he is full of frustration. "I like how beautiful and kind you are. How you don't let anyone walk over you and how you always manage to be the smartest person in any room."  

"Oh."

Harry likes her. Her. He likes her, and this was his way of interacting with her. He said she's smart, but honestly, nothing is making sense. She's confused; how does she feel? How long has he felt like this? Has it been since they were first introduced? 

Harry stands there staring at her, trying to see her give him any reaction, but all he gets is a blank stare. He clicks his tongue. "Alright." He turns on his heel and begins walking again.

Luna stares at him, walking away before shaking herself out of her thoughts and hurrying after him.

___

It's silent.

The quietest it's been all night, and she doesn't like it, but she's also not ready to address the bomb he dropped on her. 

At the start of the night, Luna believed he hated her. That he had hated her for the longest time only to find out he actually liked her. There is no way she'll bring it up, at least not yet. 

She cuts the tension in the way she knows best. 

"You could have at least grown the stache." He looks over at her, confused, not sure about what she just said or how she is brushing aside what he said. "The mustache adds to the character, and well, you don't have it."

Harry gasps. "I like my smooth face." She lets out the breath she was holding, thankful he went along. 

"Is that your way of saying you can't grow facial hair?"

"I can." 

She shrugs and nods. "Sure, Jan."

Harry is about to go off on her, but Luna runs ahead to the candy store entrance, walking in and letting the door shut behind her. 

He walks in after seeing that the store closes in twenty minutes; he finds Luna chatting with the cashier. He recognizes her as a girl he had in his intro to Psychology. She dropped out eight weeks in. He remembers because he lent her notes once and she had left coffee stains on them. As he reads on her name tag, the girl- Amy- was kind enough to pay him five dollars. Both girls don't acknowledge him, more into the conversation of Luna's costume and how pretty she looks in a crown. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd think Amy was flirting with her. Harry smirks but doesn't say anything waving at the girl before filling himself a bag of candy; he deserves it after all. 

"Amy was telling me Caleb came in a few days ago. Asked her on a date and they'll be going out next week. She thinks he's a proper cutie. Did you know her?" Luna tells him as she grabs the small tweezers to get a few sour gummy worms.

"Had her for a class first year, but she dropped out." Harry is focused on getting a few cherry sours in his bag. 

"Psychology. She was going through a rough time when she did it. Not that she ever needed the course. She's a theatre major now." 

"How do you know her?" He really is curious now, as she talks about her with familiarity. 

She drops a few Swedish Fish in the bag, sneaking one in her mouth, chewing it before moving along to add Tim Tams; he's never known for a candy store to have those. Then again, he's never been in this one. "She's my cousin. A year younger than us." 

"Why hadn't Caleb met her then if you've been friends for so long?" 

"God, you're a curious one, aren't you." She closes her bag and follows Harry as he fills his. He's going for Red Vines, nice and easy to snack on; Luna likes those only for movie nights for some bizarre reason she doesn't know. "I'm a protector of hearts. Amy is the sweetest person you'll ever meet, a real-life princess. Amy has been the sunshine in my life since she was born. I know Caleb, and he's going to fall in love with her, mark my words. I think they are a perfect match, but I also know not to meddle, which is why I wanted them to meet on their own." 

Harry smiles down at her. "Didn't know you could be so sweet, Buttercup." 

"Only to very few people." 

Luna places her bag on the scale, but her eyes go wide as she meets Amy's across the counter, realizing she doesn't have any money on her. Before she can even think about asking Harry, Amy saves the day. "Both your bags are covered. He knew whoever got this clue would most likely be buying, so he took care of it, more than enough actually." 

Luna rolls her head to look at Harry. "He's too kind." 

"What did the clue say?" Amy asks curiously. 

Harry and Luna's eyes go wide simultaneously. "Shit." He whispers before whipping out the slip of paper that led them there. "It says If you wish to find me, you must go to the place where the choice of sweets is never-ending." 

"The Pucker Powder!" Luna shouts, rushing over to the middle of the store where the machine of different flavors of powdered candy stands. There the clue is, under watermelon, Caleb's favorite. "I got it, Westley." 

Harry makes his way over to her waiting for her to read it, but Luna gestures for Amy to come listen as well, and she happily skips over. That's when Harry notices her costume; she's dressed in relaxed fitted jeans, a plain black t-shirt, and a faded brown leather jacket with leather boots. A charm hanging from her neck. "What are you dressed as?" He's confused. 

"Dean Winchester." She answers cheerfully. 

Luna feels Harry turn to look at her waiting for an explanation. "She's paired up with Caleb, He's Castiel, and she's Dean and together they are ‘Destiel’. A long-loved ship in the fandom of Supernatural.

He smiles. "You look great." 

"Don't worry, Ames, the reason we aren't friends, is that he doesn't watch." 

"It's not for everyone, Luna," Amy tells her before nudging her to read the clue. 

You swim to the bottom to find the other side but never come back up.

"Sound like the lake," Harry suggests. “Only source of water here.”

Luna nods, agreeing with him, as they head to the door. She stops, suddenly remembering something. "Do you need us to walk you home? You know how I feel about anyone walking out alone, especially tonight."

Amy blushes, looking down. "Caleb offered to walk me home, you know it's close by, and it's still a while until midnight." 

"Say no more, sweets." Luna leaves and follows behind Harry, as he now leads the way. 

___

It's a half-mile away, not too far but enough to have them silent for a while as they set a steady pace. 

Harry quite likes conversing with Luna and decides to ask her a question that's been on his mind since he saw her back at the apartment. 

"Why this costume, why Buttercup?"

Luna runs her hands down the front of the material, feeling the softness against her hands. "It was my favorite growing up. Still is, honestly. It's a nice story that gives you a bit of everything, romance, friendship, and adventure. Each character was on an adventure, and it brought them all together. Also, because I'd read it to Caleb during lunch breaks, we didn't feel like playing with others. I'd read because he had dyslexia and he grew a distaste for reading." Luna smiles fondly, thinking back to those simpler times. 

"I watched the movie for the first time last year." 

"Did you like it?" Her voice was full of curiosity. 

"Loved it." He tells her. 

She smiles, his answer filling her with joy. "Favorite part?" 

He hums, thinking it over for a second. "When she pushes him down the hill and finds out he's actually Westley." 

"Because he yells as you wish, rolling down." She grabs his arm in excitement, finishing the scene for him. 

Luna realizes what she's doing, and quickly let's go, muttering a small apology. "You're a romantic, Farm Boy."

"Not the first person who's told me." 

The walk to Orchid Lake continues in silence. A comfortable one, each one lost in their own head. Luna keeps playing one moment in her head, the moment Harry confessed his fondness of her, but it doesn't make sense. She replays every one of their interactions, and there is not one moment that stands out to her that proves he likes her. Harry introduced himself the first time but never once pursued a friendship or anything more. Luna is so lost in thought she doesn't realize they've arrived as she bumps into Harry's back as he stopped at the entrance. 

She walks ahead, and instead of walking to the trail in front of them, she goes right and takes a seat on the bench, it's a bit wet due to the mist filling the air, but she doesn't mind. 

"Uh, it's this way." Harry points, wanting to get a move on. 

Luna makes no moves to stand. She runs a hand down her face before letting it drop to her lap. "How is it that you hate, and you like me?" The question slips out before she can stop herself. 

Harry sighs, knowing the conversation is happening now. "Don't hate you." Harry is now standing in front of her, mask in his hand, wanting her to really look at him. "But, you hate me." 

Luna shakes her head, no. She's never hated anyone, she might have disliked Harry at one point, but honestly, they might have just misjudged each other. Harry gives her a look, one that tells her to be honest. 

"Okay, I didn't like you, but can you blame me?" 

"No, I understand completely." Luna stares at him, her eyes now locked with his.  

Harry lets out a deep breath. "I think you're an amazing person. You're kind and smart. Always volunteering to help others. You help set up study sessions for everyone." Luna keeps her eyes on him, not giving him a single expression. "Was mad you didn't treat me that way when we first met." He confesses. 

She nods, letting it sink it. "I've always included you, never not invited you." 

"I mean, you didn't try to get to know me." 

"Harry, I did when we first met." Luna is sure of this. 

"No, I would remember." He exclaims. 

"I'm not that memorable to you, it seems." She rolls her eyes. "Let me paint the picture for you. We are all hanging out in Mitch's apartment when you arrive a little later than the rest of us. A girl is hanging off your arm, not an inch of space between you. Kiersten, does that name ring a bell, Styles?" Luna knows it does. It's his ex, the only one she knows of. "She was rude to me the first time we met, when we were introduced to each other. You stood there and let her do that. Insulted me, and I was fuming. Mitch said you were a kind person and to give you a chance but letting someone treat someone else badly right in front of you, I wasn't so sure." 

Harry stays silent, letting her go on. "The second time we met, she made fun of Charlotte's outfit, and you just sat there. Char cried in the bathroom and then headed home for the night. From then on, I was neutral with you, not giving you anything to move forward on. The last straw was when it was Friday movie night in my apartment, and she tells you it's lame seeing movies together and that the apartment was trashy. You stood there, nodding along, and as soon as I saw you alone for a second, I let you know we wouldn't be friends because you were different than I expected.” Luna tries to calm her breathing, no point in losing control over the past. She's let it go, well, some of it. 

"She was bad. I broke up with her that night." 

"That's not the point. Even in doing that, you didn't apologize, but you did already decide on how you were going to keep treating me." 

Harry has no right answer because he was wrong. He messed up. "I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry, and I'm sorry my apology is so late, but you do deserve it. No one should ever put up with someone else's crap, Luna." 

"Thank you, I appreciate that."

"Honestly, I feel terrible. I think I did it because you didn't treat me like the others and-" Harry stops. 

"Yet you never questioned why. You just acted, and well, I reacted." 

Harry sighs, upset that they could have been friends by now, heck even something more maybe. 

"Wait, Harry." 

"Yes, Luna." 

"What was your' and'?" She stands up, not sure what it could be. 

"Uh, I was going to have a conversation with you to see why you never talked to me and had worked up the courage to also ask you on a date, but I heard you were dating Calvin, so I sort of got jealous and well, yeah." 

"We went on one date." She emphasizes. "No sparks. Who even told you?" 

"Abby." 

"Makes sense; she was jealous that Calvin asked me out. Seeing as he never once flirted with her. We're civil, but deep down, she doesn't like me." Luna isn't sure what went wrong with that friendship. 

They both let out deep breaths, thankful to have everything out in the open now, nothing hidden. A step forward. 

"I'm not that person," Harry tells her, needing her to know.

She smiles at him. "I know. You proved that today." 

"I hope I haven't offended you with my remarks." His smile was sheepish. 

"You haven't." 

"Luna," Harry chastises. 

"Okay, you have, but we can move past because it turns out you're actually really nice." She lowers her voice to a whisper. "And cause you like me." 

Harry blushes, his cheeks now a rosy red and not from the cold weather. "I plead the fifth." 

"Harry," She teases. 

"Lips sealed."

"Doesn't work if you confessed earlier." She reminds him.

Harry chooses to ignore her. Letting her words fall silent on him. "I know we have to get going, but can I do one thing before we do."

Luna nods, not sure what he wants to do. Harry takes a step forward until he is standing right in front of her. He pulls her in for a hug, his arms around her waist. She slowly raises her hands, being as gentle as she can about it. Their height difference makes her smile; her head reaches just under his chin. She hated it before, but now, in his arms, it's actually quite lovely. He's warm and not as firm as she thought he would be; it's like she's hugging a big teddy bear. 

Harry leans back, looking down at her, a shy smile on her face. His eyes flicker to her lips and back to her eyes, leaning in for a moment before stepping back. He clears his throat. "To the lake, Buttercup."

___

There's no fear as she walks to the bridge where the clue should be. It's dark, not much light guiding them besides the moon. Harry wanted to turn on his flashlight, but Luna knows it's best not to disturb their eyes with such a harsh light. 

Luna knows this path like the back of her hand. She comes here every morning, sometimes before sunrise, either for a run or walk but in the summertime, she'll even go in for a swim. The lake is well cared for by the community. There is just one house in the back of the property, and the old couple living there love the visitors. They teamed up with the university to set up students to be tour guides, and it's an excellent part-time job. There's a lot of good here. 

She's sure the clue is on the bridge because one time, Caleb got Luna so mad that she shoved him in. She can't even remember why she was angry, but Caleb surely does. She would bet her life on it. 

It's a wooden bridge, a bit old as it creaks under each step taken. It's low, as it sits on the side of the lake, four feet deep at most. She takes a lookout at the lake, the water showing a beautiful reflection of the bright full moon above their heads. 

Luna picks the paper taking a step closer to Harry so that they can read it together. 

"I was the embodiment of every writer's worst fear: A cliche."

"That's a book quote." Luna recognizes it, but not a single book comes to mind. "Let's head to the bookstore. It's fifteen minutes from here, but we can make it in ten." 

Harry lets her lead. They know time is counting down, not once having stopped to look at the time. Harry feels they might be falling behind with all the stops in between the clues, but he knows better than voice out his worries. 

"Do you recognize the quote?" Luna asks Harry to hand it over to him." 

Harry reads it over twice. "No." 

"I know it, but I can't figure out where. I've read one too many books." She crosses her arms across her chest in frustration. 

"Maybe it's one that you've read to him," Harry suggests. 

Luna looks up at him as if he just hung up all the stars in her name. "You're right. He set this all up." 

It's one she begged him not to make her read, but he gave her an offer she couldn't resist.

Luna picks up her pace; she's close to running but stops herself from doing so. 

"Wait up, it isn't going to run away." Harry huffs out. He thought he was in shape, but tonight has proved him wrong. It could also very well be the boots. 

"Farm Boy, put those legs to work!" She shouts, not at all looking back at him. She didn't have time for that. 

"I'm tired," Harry groans. "We've walked a lot.” 

"Please, we'll get something to eat after we win." She throws him a smile over her shoulder, and Harry happily returns it. 

"Deal." Luna is surprised at how quick he was to recover now next to her. She would have thought he was okay if it weren't for the deep breaths he was taking. "It can be our first date." 

Luna falters in her step. She recovers just as quickly, hoping Harry did not notice. It seems like he didn't. "Great joke, get serious." It's weird; she's feeling butterflies in her stomach at the prospect of what could be with Harry, a date. It doesn't sound so bad, but it's not her focus. 

Luna misses Harry frowning. He was serious, but he also understands they just came to a truce of sorts less than an hour ago. 

Walking into Read to Dream, the first thing Luna does is scan the clock. There are forty-five minutes until midnight. That is plenty of time to reach the last destination after retrieving the final clue. 

The bookstore is a family-owned place. Mrs. Bennet, the owner, will be sure to pass it down to one of her grandchildren. Seeing as her children didn't take an interest, but dear Clara has. Clara is Mason's younger sister. She recently turned seventeen, meaning she's now allowed to close shop independently, seeing as her grandmother lives right above. 

The bookstore is what everyone likes to call an organized mess. There are many books on shelves in their respected genre and ordered alphabetically. Still, there are also books on chairs that no one ever seems to touch, the books on top of the bookcases that don't fit, and the books in the back that are stacked in rows in a rainbow color because they don't have a specific genre. Luna spent many summer days here, this was her first job at fifteen, wanting to have more liberty and Mrs. Bennet was kind enough to hire her on. From time to time, she comes in to have tea with her or even volunteer her time around. It's one of her happiest places. 

"Hello, tootsie!" Luna bounces over to Clara going around the counter to give her a hug. 

"Lunes, it's great to see you. You look gorgeous. Red is definitely your color." Clara gushes. 

"Thank you, I'd love to chat more, but I'm on the hunt for a book." Luna turns to scan the store as if it would stand out to her.

Clara nods. "That I can help with.”

"Gone Girl"

"Three aisles down, second row." 

Luna quickly thanks her, and Harry follows after her. Harry's stuck on the fact that she seems to know everyone they encounter. He's never seen a person as social and kind as her. 

"You read Gone Girl aloud to him." Harry finally processes the information that was given a few minutes prior. 

"He paid me to." Luna defends.

"How much?" 

"In lunch for an entire semester." Luna finds the book and begins to flip through it knowing it must be stuck in there. 

"Fair." 

"Got it!" Luna cheers. She pulls it out and hands it to Harry. He opens it, and that's when her eyes catch sight of the second piece of paper. This one is pale yellow, meaning it's not a clue and specifically for her. Luna slips it under her sleeve, careful not to have it fall out. 

Evil lurks at midnight. I invite you to join me when they begin to rise.

The cemetery. A chilling place to end the night, but a perfect place to be crowned winners. 

"It's a twenty-minute walk from here," Luna informs Harry, putting the book away and heading to the front. 

"I've never been to the cemetery." Harry decides to tell her. 

"It's not as creepy looking as you would think." 

"Don't believe you," He mutters. 

They say goodbye to Clara and begin the walk to the final spot of the night. 

"Ready to win?" She smiles up at Harry, buzzing with adrenaline, knowing how close they are. 

"Yeah, I am." 

As much as Luna wants to run to the cemetery, she wants to enjoy the last alone time she will have with Harry. She knows they are going to be friends after this. She lets herself fall behind a few steps and pulls out the slip of paper. She unfolds it, and it reads, "You can thank me by making me the man of honor." She blushes, but Caleb might be right, and she honestly hopes he might be. Luna can deny how she feels all she wants, but tonight proved something there, something he saw long before she did. 

Something that had been hiding there for quite some time.  

This could very well be the night that changed it all, the story they tell their grandchildren. That stops her letting out a gasp loud enough to grab Harry's attention. A few hours ago, she couldn't stand him and now is thinking about a future with him, and all Luna wants to know is how she let these feelings grow without really noticing. 

"You alright, Luna?" Harry looks concerned. 

No future talk, not now, at least. First, they will win, and then they both can go from there. 

"Luna, love. Times ticking." Harry teases. 

Luna starts forward once more, not having noticed how close they actually are from the entrance. She passes Harry and is now running. "Pick up the pace, Farm Boy." She's gaining lots of distance from him. 

"You can't beat me, Buttercup," Harry says, beginning to catch up, now right behind her. 

Luna lets out a loud laugh causing her to slow down. "We're on the same team, Westley." 

Harry laughs, pulling ahead, but grabbing her arm, making her run even faster. They turn the corner, and that's when she sees Caleb's car and knows the entrance is right ahead where he has to be waiting. 

Caleb is leaning against the rusted golden fence. Evergreen Cemetery, the name on the arch staring down at them. Caleb raises his head, looking away from his phone as he hears footsteps hitting the pavement. 

"Inconceivable!" Caleb shouts as Harry and Luna stand in front of him, out of breath but smiling. "You have arrived with ten minutes to spare, but I hate to inform you-" Luna's smile drops, and Harry can only frown, a profound bit of sadness forming in his stomach.

Caleb bends over, laughing. He wishes he could have recorded that. "I'm only playing. Of course, you won." 

Luna punches his shoulder. "Jerk." 

"Hey, be nice," Caleb backs away, his hands up in defense. "Winners aren't mean." 

"They are if it's to their best friend." Harry laughs, knowing Caleb deserves the well-given punch he received. 

"Honestly, I wasn't too sure you'd win, considering you two aren't- or weren't the best of buddies." Caleb nods his head to their connected pinkies. Harry blushes but makes no move to pull away. Luna tries, but Harry tightens his hold, and well who is she to fight him. 

"Look who's here," Caleb says, looking over their shoulder. 

It's Mitch and Ollie rushing over, a frown on both their faces as Luna and Harry step to the side so Caleb can adequately thank them for being the first losers. 

Mitch scoffs, a smirk forming on his face. "No surprise, they won. Harry would do anything to see Luna smile."

Harry's cheek goes red, but Luna carries on her conversation with Caleb feigning as if she didn't hear a word Mitch said. 

As time clicks closer to midnight, the teams begin to trickle in. Daniel and Calvin come in with five minutes to spare. Mason and Charlotte right on their heels, and at 11:59, barely making it on time are Justine and Abby. There were many mixed emotions as they found out Luna and Harry were the winners. A few eye rolls (Abby) and lots of cheers. 

Caleb has quieted everyone down, as it is now time to crown the winners, and Luna is buzzing with excitement. She might not have won with Caleb by her side, but Harry was just as great as Caleb, if not better. 

"I am proud to crown Luna and Harry, the winners of the Halloween Scavenger Hunt 2020," Caleb yells, having everyone break out into collective cheers. Luna blows kisses to her group of friends, a large smile on her face. 

Charlotte steps forwards and places a jeweled crown on her head. Luna thanks her softly and watches as she does the same to Harry. He bends down so that Charlotte doesn't need to reach up to place it on him. He has a broad smile on his face, he glances at Luna, causing her to go a deep red, but all he does is give her a cheeky wink. Caleb hands over two yellow envelopes, Winner, written on the front, and in each is the $250 prize money. 

It's $500 total, but it's split because of groups. She's not sure who decided everyone put in $50 to get a nice prize out of it instead of just bragging rights, but Luna was thankful for whoever did.

"Speech, please," Caleb says, backing away to stand with the others.  

Harry nods at her asking if she'd like to go first, but she shakes her head no. He clears his throat and puts on a charming smile, always quick to dazzle a crowd. "This year, I was not expecting to partner up with the best at the game, but I am glad she drew out my name. Luck was honestly on my side." He turns his head to find Luna already staring at him. "I can happily say that I'd do it all over again with Luna by my side." Shoots her a smile before locking eyes with their friends. "As now reigning three-time champion, I'm proud to have been at her side. Her brains and my looks won us this hunt." He fakes a hair flip causing Luna and Caleb to let out a giggle simultaneously. She nudges him gently, shaking her head at his antics. 

Harry smiles at her waiting for her to now start hers. She blushes under his intense gaze wishing he'd direct it elsewhere. 

Luna knows they are waiting for her to share, but she's stuck in a trance staring into Harry's emerald eyes. She thinks back to the evening's start in Mitch's living room and the promise she made to Harry if they won. 

Without thinking twice, she steps close to Harry, closing the small distance between them. Luna brings up her right hand to gently cradle his cheek and as for permission. He gives her the slightest nod, and in the next second, her lips are on his. Harry reacts quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist, needing her close, not all believing it's actually happening. 

Harry's lips are soft, his mouth tasting like cherry from the gummies they bought earlier in the night. The butterflies in her stomach are going crazy, trying to find an escape. Harry lets out a small moan. That's when she knows it's time to pull away. Luna rests her hands on his chest, feeling how fast his heart is reacting to the kiss. 

Luna turns to face her friends,  not caring how they were all witnesses to their first kiss. "I told Harry if we won that I'd kiss him, and well, I'm not one to go back on my word." 

Caleb cheers and starts to clap, not at all trying to hide his excitement. Everyone else joins in the hollers, only getting louder, causing Luna to drop her head to rest on Harry's chest as she takes in her friend's excitement, knowing the teasing will soon be next. Harry has not removed his hands from her waist, liking how close she is. Luna doesn't mind it either. It feels quite nice.  

"Alright, let's head to the diner where we'll buy the winner's food." Caleb begins ushering everyone to the cars. He got Amy's help bringing over Mitch and Charlotte's car which is how they will be leaving, finally the end to all the walking.

Luna and Harry are still wrapped in each other's arms, not at all ready to move. Caleb is waiting for them at the small cobblestone entrance.

"We'll meet you there." Luna knows they have no transportation, the diner being close to their apartment that is a good two miles away. 

Caleb nods, stepping closer to toss his keys to her. She catches them with ease. "I'll be riding with Mitch." 

They watch the two cars drive away before turning her attention back to Harry. 

"What a night." 

She nods in agreement, happy that the hunting is over and can now relax. 

"Favorite part?" Harry asks.

She thinks it over for a second before responding, "The haunted house."

"Really." Her answer really surprises Harry, and he doesn't try to hide it. 

Luna shrugs. "Think that's what broke the tension between us; otherwise, we'd still be bickering." Getting locked in a room was not fun, but Harry coming to look for her and help her showed her a side she hadn't seen before. It was worth it, but would most definitely not do it again. "And yours?" 

He leans down to whisper in her ear. "When you kissed me." 

Luna nods, "That was a nice moment, huh." 

"Care to do it again?" 

"Only," Luna pauses before leaning close to Harry. She feels his breath against hers, mixing together. "If you would agree to dress up with me next year." 

"Done deal." Harry answers. His lips are on hers once more. Harry has a hand on her cheek, deepening the kiss, not ever wanting to pull away. "We could be Noah and Allie from The Notebook."

Luna breaks the kiss. "Gross, please take that back." 

"What's wrong? It's my favorite movie." 

"Why?" Luna asks in disgust. "Allie cheats on her fiancé. Sure, they have true love, but cheating should never be condoned, especially in a love story. Sure the book showed their growth and maturity, but you're not talking about the book. I shall not do it, not ever." 

"Guess you just won our first fight, Buttercup." Harry smiles. 

"First? We've had over five hundred!" Luna tells him. "Now, kiss me again because I won." 

"If we're kissing after each fight, then I owe you over five hundred." Luna shuts Harry up by connecting their lips. She knows kissing Harry will never get old, neither will these pointless arguments that will be forgotten seconds later. 

"Enough of giving these dead people a show. Let's go eat." 

"As you wish." 

Luna gasps, pressing her right hand against her heart dramatically. "Are you saying you love me?" She clears her throat, scrunching up her face in apology. "This might be a little awkward then." She points between them both. 

Harry stops walking, throwing his head back, letting out a loud groan of frustration. "You're a pain in my ass." 

Luna giggles. "Would you want it any other way?"

Harry grins, looking down at her soft brown eyes. "No." He responds honestly.  

Pinkies linked together, bumping into each other randomly to see who stumbles the most, Luna and Harry walk out of the cemetery forever thankful for this Halloween night. 

I love you! 

Thank you for reading, come chat the hunt with me

[mistaeq]

since christmas is coming, how about some headcanons for preparation for christmas and baking with the bucci gang? ✨💖

Bucciarati Gang: Baking and Christmas HCs

TW // none

This was so fun to write, plus I put a lot of effort into editing the images! I'm so happy I managed to post this as soon as possible ~ thank you so much for the suggestion, memory♡

Bucciarati Gang Baking and Christmas Headcanons with a neutral!reader

WORD COUNT: 2.5k

GIORNO GIOVANNA

He's never really tried to bake something, to be honest Giorno never had the occasion to even think about trying, in his past. So when Christmas approaches and you suggest the two of you try to bake something for the holidays, he's incredibly suprised and looks forward to it at the same time.

"Baking? Me...? That's sweet y/n, but I'm not sure I'm made for this."

He lets you be the one who does the shopping to buy what you need to bake whatever the two of you have in mind, plus he decided what ingredients to use in the recipe and what to bake.

Get ready for man bun Giorno, while you bake! He won't resist tying his golden hair up.

Christmas stuff doesn't have to be forcibly Christmas related, does it? Anything edible will be fine, and Giorno can't resist when he comes across the recipe for sunflower shaped cupcakes. Luckily you have everything you need to make them, you're just in awe for Giorno's inexperienced ideas.

Let this boy be the one to use the sac-à-poche to make the petals of the sunflowers. Since he's the one whose stand has nature related powers, it sounds just good for him to be the one who makes the petals with the frosting!

"I became one with Gold Experience!"

The two of you are concentrating on the chocolate chips to put in the middle of the sunflowers when you hear the signature sound of Gold Experience creating something. Your eyebrows raise when you see a real sunflower in the stand's hand, and giggle. "Thank you Gold, but I don't think we can put real flowers in the cake."

While you wait for the cake part of the cupcakes to be ready, the two of you are gonna choose a flower for every gang member, and create Christmas decorations with it thanks to Giorno's stand power. Abbacchio is gonna hate it so damn much. It gives you life for it's definitely hilarious.

BRUNO BUCCIARATI

Bucciarati is probably the one who gave the idea. In his mind, he wanted to bake with all of the gang, but for some reasons, all of them declined, you may never know it's because they wanted to let you have some time with Bruno, the two of you only. Abbacchio convinced Mista and Narancia.

"Who knows why nobody can join us... nevermind, it'll be the two of us, amore."

The two of you go doing the shopping together, so you can confront each other and decide what to buy while you're at the supermarket directly. Bruno enjoys doing the shopping with you.

Bruno loves Christmas, above all if it's with the gang - basically his family - and with you. So, he's gonna choose something more classic than Giorno's cupcakes. Chocolate chips cookies, the most popular ones, a must for christmas. Plus, he can't help but admit those remind him of his outfit.

"I'm... lowkey dressed like a cookie, ain't I?"

I bet Bucciarati's gonna be the ninety percent of your self control on how many chocolate chips to put in every cookie, and how to blame you, it's literally delicious. Plus, he can't lie. He enjoys seeing you so enthusiastic about it.

"Come on Bruno, it's not that big of a deal, just a chocolate chip more..." you insist, when all of a sudden, a metallic blue arm crosses your sight, and the bowl full of batter that was in your arms is now closed by a giant zipper. Your gaze automatically electrocutes Bucciarati. "It's not fair to use Sticky Fingers!"

When he unzips the bowl, you manage to throw in more chocolate chips anyway.

As you wait for the cookies to get ready, you're gonna witness Bucciarati writing touching Christmas themed letters to his gang members, and if you feel inspired, you might wanna suggest him what to write in some cases eventually. He's gonna ask you to sign the letters as well.

LEONE ABBACCHIO

You'll have to get his ass off of the couch using brute force, for he's never gonna bake something with you unless you try really hard to convince him. He's gonna let you pull him eventually, just because you rarely are so enthusiastic about something, and he likes to see you like that. So he accepts.

"Okay, I'll bake with you, just if you're the one who works and I'm the one to watch."

No excuses, mr. Scrooge. You're gonna make Abbacchio do something for it, sending him to do the shopping and asking him to surprise you in terms of ingredients, so that he's gonna choose what to bake, too.

You decided to find a compromise, and bake something for everyone to enjoy it, but not really Christmas themed. Still, you forced him to wear a Santa hat while you were baking. Blueberry cupcakes, that's what he liked. The color matching his tastes, plus cupcakes are units, for everyone.

"So everyone has their own cupcake 'n shit."

He's messy. You had asked him to be the one to put the blue frosting on the cupcakes, but he turned out to be so clumsy that you had to put your hands on Abbacchio's and guide him to make a perfect twirl. At the end, both your hands are blue.

Hope you enjoy Abbacchio in a ponytail, because this is what you're gonna get here.

As soon as you show him how to do decorate a cupcake, he's gonna use Moody Blues, for the scene to repeat and you to decorate every cupcake with him watching only. Luckily, your stand manages to stop this, as you cross your arms. "No lazy man will be my boyfriend, just so you know, Leone." he then started to work.

He's gonna work on something serious for his fellow gang members and for you when he'll be alone with himself, probably. Around you, he just plays it cool and opts to give each member one of the blueberries left from you baking session. Woah, Leone. Don't stress it out too much, huh.

GUIDO MISTA

The gunslinger will probably not even ask for your opinion about it, deep down he knows you'll accept to bake some delicious Christmas treats with him. You'll wake up one day just to find him in a cook outfit already, pulling you out of the bedsheets to drag you in the kitchen. He's so extra.

"Come on y/n, you can't keep on sleeping! Don't you feel the Christmas atmosphere?"

He's already done the shopping. When you get into the kitchen, expecting him to send you to buy everything you need. But the sweet goofball was so excited for it that he bought it all himself.

Oh, he wants to go wild. He can feel the Christmas spirit all over his soul already. When you look at the ingredients you can tell he chose to bake some classic panettone with raisins. That's not easy, but he believes he can do it with you, and you'd never let your boyfriend down. Let's do this!

He's gonna be so extra that his signature hat will be replaced with a chef hat for the day.

You better hide the raisins in the process, because Mista's gonna distractly munch on them, ignoring the fact that if he keeps going, they'll finish before you'll even be able to put it in the panettone. Keep your hungry man under your control.

"Guido... care to explain why do you keep on eating all of the raisins? We need them for the recipe!" he's then gonna stare at you, confused, for he claims he hasn't eaten any but a single raisin since the beginning. You seem to figure out the issue when you see a raisin moving by itself, Number 3 under it if you squint. "Oh my god."

While you wait for your panettone to be ready, him and the Pistols are gonna wrap up some smol presents he bought for you and for the gang. You're allowed to help the Pistols, but don't you dare to even try to look at what he's doing. You know, he's the one wrapping your present.

"If you watch this, I'm gonna fucking die."

PANNACOTTA FUGO

He's gonna be the one to bring the idea up, but it will take Bruno to sweet talk him into asking you. Asking something to Fugo isn't easy, and you told Bucciarati you would have liked to bake something. So he talked Pannacotta into be the first one to bring up the idea of baking to you.

Get him by the hand and bring him to do the shopping with you. His embarrassment with asking you to bake will slowly go away with time spent together choosing the ingredients you'll have to use. Let him enjoy it.

"So uhm... you choose the recipe and I follow you? No...? I choose? Oh my god..."

How much do you have to love a fruit to have it as a pattern on your tie too? You can't say no when Pannacotta suggests baking a strawberry cake. Even if it's not really Christmas themed, you don't dare to question him, it's already a good thing that he expressed his thoughts freely.

Pannacotta feels lucky to be able to have such a quiet and good time alone with you.

For the love of God, don't you even think about letting Fugo be the one to put the strawberry frosting on the cake. Man has no patience. Unless you want your cake go to waste, make sure you're the one to decorate it. Or maybe, decorate it together.

"Damn... you really made a mess on the counter, huh." you jokingly scolded Pannacotta. But now you had to find a way to clean up without Bruno to notice. "Do you think Purple Haze would be interested in tasting the frosting which flew around?" you suggest, seeing the stand summon itself and stick his tongue out of his mouth stitches.

"I think we did our best. I love you, cara/o."

While you wait for your strawberry cake to be ready, you'll happen to ask him what has he bought as presents for his fellow gang members. Fugo will shyly answer that he was lowkey hoping you could help him in choosing what to do. He's doing his best, please be proud of the boy.

NARANCIA GHIRGA

Baking? You really want to bake with him? Is he allowed to bring his headphones with him while you bake? No? Flour might ruin them? Narancia is new to this baking thing. Before you came to Passione, he left these tasks to Bruno or Mista, but now you want to bake with him? This is good...maybe?

"What's the point of baking if you can't even listen to some good music and vibe to it?"

You left Narancia at home to get the kitchen ready to bake with Bucciarati's help, and after asking what kind of Christmas cake he would have liked to bake, you took care of doing the shopping.

Obviously he would have wanted to bake that. It would have been hilarious, but predictable. Still, you decided to make Narancia happy despite the failed Christmas theme. Orange chocolate cake! Turns out he wanted to bake such a thing just to apply the meme "I am cake" to himself.

"I'll finally be cake... like the prophecy said."

Please keep Narancia from eating the cake batter, or else he'll probably eat the whole cake before you even bake it. It's a good thing, though. The boy's got a good sense of taste, and at least you know the cake's turning out pretty delicious.

"We have to slice the oranges. I'll try to figure out a way to do it properly- Nara? What are you..? NO-" you only manage to say, without keeping Narancia from throwing the oranges towards Aerosmith's propellers. You hate to say it, but you must admit that your boyfriend's idea worked and sliced the oranges perfectly.

He's gonna suggest to keep the cake for yourselves and give the gang brioches.

While you wait for your chocolate cake to be ready, Narancia's gonna show you all the playlists he prepared for his friends, but obviously not the one for you, that has to be a surprise. The music's one of the best ways for him to express himself, so that's a great gift, coming from Narancia.

TRISH UNA

It's not like she has had so much time to dedicate to baking in her last fifteen years of life, so you're gonna let her have a good time with it, being the one who brings it up first to her. Trish is gonna happily accept, and will take it as a way to thank Bruno for all that he's done for her, too.

She's gonna want to go doing the shopping by herself, in order to show you she's become independent enough and to make you proud of her. Trish is gonna surprise you with her choices!

"I won't disappoint you, y/n, I'll come back with the best ingredients you can wish for."

Turns out the poor baby's not really good at baking, but that's no problem! You opt for something more decorative, but still sweet. She's on cloud nine when you tell her it's no big deal, and that the two of you can still prepare some pink meringues to munch on during the festivities!

"Let's stay positive. Meringues are perfect!"

The girl is gonna definitely use you as a taste tester for the meringues, Trish likes to spoil you by feeding you the pink candies the two of you just prepared, and if they're good enough, she'll even let you do the same for her and feed her a meringue.

She'll be likely to do her best to be romantic to you. Trish's new to love relationships.

"Ouch... I think the batter turned out a little too hard. Maybe we put too much flour, babe." you tell Trish, but she smiles, and looks like she has a good idea. At the sound of a loud "WANNABEEEEEEE", Spice Girl punches the batter enough to turn it a little softer, a little less dense, just like you needed it to be. "Thank you, love."

While you wait for your pink meringues to be ready, Trish is gonna tell you a Christmas secret. She thinks it's not much, but she's prepared a small speech to tell to every member, to thank them for having saved her life. Reassure your girlfriend of the fact that her gift is amazing.

[woah-were-halfway-there]

The Sweetest of Them All

A/N: just another little bonus part of the AFTR universe that I came up with out of nowhere. Also, I left this as third person instead of second. Enjoy!

Word Count: 3.2k

Y/N has never been a big fan of Valentine's Day.

To her, it was overrated and expensive. But, she'd be lying if she said she didn't love the fact that it gave an extra reason to love on Auston a ridiculous amount. Sure, she did that every day, but to be fair, she loved how the title of Valentine's Day added a bit more fun and excitement to something she'd normally do any other day. It felt different for some reason, so even though she didn't love the so-called holiday, she still tried to plan something special for it every year.

Admittedly, she and Auston almost got competitive about it with trying to one-up the other with affection. They didn't care about gifts. They cared about the time they spent together and the thoughtfulness behind it.

Usually, it was Y/N that came up with something ridiculously sweet for Valentine's Day to do for Auston. However, this year, he had her beat.

For some odd reason, Y/N woke up very early that day. Maybe it was the baby waking her, or perhaps it was her internal clock saying sleep was no longer necessary. But, regardless, she was awake much earlier than usual. She also knew Mia wasn't awake or else she would've heard her, so she took that time to lie back in bed and relax for a few minutes on her own.

The bed felt incredibly empty, given that Auston was with the Leafs in Washington and wasn't expected to be back in Toronto until late that night. Frank was a good cuddle buddy alternative, but sometimes the Goldendoodle just wasn't enough when Y/N was missing her man. Of course, this was one of the days when she missed him a lot, so she took that as an excuse to text Auston and at least get this so-called holiday kicked off.

Y/N Happy Valentine's Day, Aus 🥰 can't wait to see you tonight

She wasn't expecting him to message back right away, seeing as it was only 7:30 in the morning, but much to her surprise, he did.

Auston Happy Valentine's Day, babe 💕 Can't wait to see you either. Did the flowers for Mia get delivered?

Y/N Yes, they got here last night. They're beautiful. I set them on the kitchen counter, so once she's awake and we go downstairs, she'll see her little V-Day gift from you

Auston Perfect. I got part of your Valentine's thing with me right now too. Ready for it?

Y/N Is it going to make me cry?

Auston Probably

Y/N Great. Hit me with your best shot

She stared at her phone screen for a moment, expecting it to light up with the notification of an incoming FaceTime call from her husband or a picture, but instead, he sent her a link. But not just any link, it was the link to the video recording of a new Spittin' Chiclets podcast episode that was over an hour-long called 'Love Day: Part One.'

Confused, but also insanely curious, Y/N then leaned over to grab her laptop from the bedside table and got into the most comfortable position her growing baby bump would allow so she could watch the video like that. As soon as she was about to press play, her phone buzzed with another text.

Auston This was filmed a couple of weeks ago when the Chiclets guys were in Toronto. They interviewed at least 10 different guys in the league at different times, and they're kind of long, which is why there's more than one part. Just watch the intro, then I'm the first interview. Mitch is on part 2 if you want to watch that as well, but yeah... call me when you're done 💕

Still unsure of how to process what was going on, Y/N just shook her head and followed the link.

The video started with Biz, Whit and Rear sat all-around a table, each wearing a different red, white or pink shirt with heart-shaped balloons positioned behind them. Empty bottles of Pink Whitney sat on the table, acting as vases for bouquets of roses, making Y/N roll her eyes and chuckle at how far these guys would go for good product placement. But, she kept watching, and unsurprisingly, Biz was the first to speak.

Biz: "For Valentines Day this year, we wanted to do something different. Something more soft. So, we're going to tell, well, I guess, show some love stories."

Whit: "Bet you all didn't know that some of the greatest love stories to ever be told have happened to some of the guys that play in the NHL. Don't believe me? Guess you'll have to listen to find out what they are."

Rear: "We asked some players to come in and talk to us about their relationship stories and give as many details as they were willing to give. And let me tell you, they were great. To start us off, we have Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs telling us his fairytale romance."

The video then clipped to a shot of Biz sitting next to Auston in what Y/N assumed was the hotel downtown that the Chiclets guys were staying at. Auston wasn't dressed extravagantly or anything, just wore a grey hoodie, black pants, and his signature Raiders snapback.

Y/N immediately recognized his outfit. She remembered Auston coming home in those same clothes early one afternoon after he did some running around downtown with Mia, and started thinking of how not once did he mention doing anything for the podcast. He kept this very on the down low, and Y/N was excited to see how it would all play out.

Biz: "Alright, with us today, we have none other than the Leafs number 34, Auston Matthews. Welcome back to the show, Auston. How ya doin?"

Auston: "I'm great. Thanks for having me. How are you guys?"

Whit and Rear: "Good."

Biz: "Great, real good. Now, Auston, you know what you're here to talk about, right?"

Auston: (chuckling) "You're acting like you didn't spend the last week blowing up my phone until I agreed to do this."

Biz: "Amazing! You do know. So, here's how it's all going to go down. We've got a list of questions about your relationship with your significant other. Your obvious better half. And are going to take turns asking them so the people listening at home can get a bit of insight on your, and I quote, iconic love story. Why don't you give us a little summary of your relationship before we dive in?"

Auston: (hesitantly) "Sure, okay. So, my wife Y/N and I have been married for almost two years now. Our anniversary is at the end of July. She accidentally forgot it last year, which I haven't let her live down. Y/N, babe, this is your six month in advance warning that our anniversary is indeed coming up again this year… She's going to hate that I mentioned that. We, uh, we've been together since my first season in Toronto, so for a pretty long time now, and it's been amazing. We have a daughter, Amelia, but everyone just calls her Mia unless she's in trouble. She just turned two on January 25th, and we have our second baby on the way. They're due to be making their grand appearance in late June. We also have our firstborn, Frank, the Goldendoodle. Can't forget about him. But, yeah, that's my little family."

Whit: (nodding along with Biz and Rear) "Fair enough. Now, how and when did you and Y/N meet exactly?"

Auston: "We met on the night of my first NHL game back in 2016. She was at that game."

Biz: "Oh, yeah? Was she there for a reason?"

Auston gave him an unimpressed look.

Biz: "What?"

Auston: "You know why she was there!"

Biz: (shrugging) "Our listeners don't. C'mon, refresh my memory. Was she there to cheer someone else on?"

Auston: (shaking his head) "Yeah. She, uh, she's a cousin of one of my teammates, so she was there with their family to watch him during our first game."

Biz: (grinning widely) "What teammate?"

Auston: "The one out in the hallway keeping my daughter occupied while you keep being annoying and asking me questions you already know the answer to."

Everyone laughed at that, including Y/N, as she shifted onto her side, being mindful of her growing bump that seemingly became more noticeable each day, and got comfortable as she braced herself for what the rest of this interview would entail.

Biz: (still laughing): "Just to clarify for everyone who still doesn't know, he's talking about Mitch Marner."

Auston: "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."

Rear: "I take it that Mitch and Mia get along really well? I haven't heard a peep from her since you came in here."

Auston: "Oh, she loves him. Yeah, that's her Mitchy, alright. Him and Steph, who you will hear all about once Mitch comes in here, are Mia's godparents and some of her favourite people."

Whit: "That's awesome. And how was that at first, though, being romantically involved with one of your teammates' family members? Sounds like grounds for some chaos, if I'm honest."

Auston: "It sure made meeting the family a bit more nerve-wracking. I'm just kidding. No, it was fine. It was definitely a little awkward at first trying to figure out how I was going to tell Mitch that I wanted to date his cousin. Like, he and Y/N are very close. Always have been. And the last thing both me and Y/N wanted was for Mitch to be uncomfortable. He did handle it really well, though. It's because of him I was even able to get to know her in the first place, which I'll never be able to thank him enough for."

Rear: "Now, you're a pretty private guy. You post the odd picture of your little family from time to time. Y/N is rather private, as well. So, really, no one knows your guys' story other than those who have lived it with you or watched it unfold. I'm sure many people will jump right on the chance to listen to this, seeing as you and Y/N are one of the most beloved couples in the NHL. But, what exactly made you want to come on here, give a bit of insight into your private life, and talk about it all?"

Auston: "Well, for one, Biz would not stop asking me to do it. Literally kept calling and texting me for days until I finally agreed."

Whit: "Shocker."

Biz: "Hey, now."

Auston: (chuckling) "That and also I figured, why not. I love my wife, and I love our little story. It's nice to think back on everything that's happened and see how it all got us to where we are now. With all the ups and the downs, its uh, it's been an amazing ride for sure, and I wouldn't change it for a thing. Also, it's for Valentine's Day. I haven't told her I'm doing this, so when you guys drop the episode, I'm just going to send it to her without much context."

Whit: "Do you think she'll cry?"

Auston: "Absolutely. I know this kind of thing would make her tear up regularly, but those pregnancy hormones have got her bad. Without a doubt, she's going to call me crying once she's done watching this."

Y/N scoffed as he said that and grabbed some tissues to wipe away the waterworks she already felt coming on.

Biz: "I've met Y/N many times now. The first time being back in what, 2018?"

The screen then showed an old picture of Biz sitting in a restaurant with his arm wrapped around Y/N's shoulders, both smiling widely as they held up their drinks, with Auston seemingly moping off to the side a little bit. Y/N chuckled at the image, instantly thinking back to the day she first met Paul Bissonnette and how wild it was before the photo faded away and showed the guys again.

Biz: "Yeah, it was when she was in Scottsdale visiting you during the summer. Great girl, completely out of Auston's league."

Auston: "Hey!"

Biz: "I'll never forget you sassing her when she commented on how hot Arizona was, with her being Canadian and all, but damn she was fast putting you in your place by calling you a, what was it?"

Auston: (grumbling) "Desert Boy."

Everyone burst out laughing again, except Auston, who just rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

Auston: "Whatever. She sasses me all the time when I complain about the snow, but the one time I do it back, I get called a Desert Boy and can never live it down."

Biz: (still laughing) "Ugh, amazing. Okay, moving on because we don't have much time and can probably fit in like two more questions. So, Auston, tell us how you knew that Y/N was the end game for you. How did you know that she was the one?"

Auston: "Oh, man. I don't even know how to explain it. Growing up, you see all these movies and shows, or read books where people always find someone who is their soulmate. Their perfect match. And I never knew what the feeling of finding that person was because I had never experienced it. My mom would tell me that when I did find that person, I'd know. That it'll be such an intense feeling, and to be honest, I didn't believe her. Until I met Y/N, I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. The first time I met her, something drew me in, and I knew I wanted to get to know her better right away. Mitch spoke so highly of her, so did the other guys on the team that had already met her and over the first couple of months of us knowing each other, I saw what they meant. She quickly became one of my best friends ever. When we started dating, I saw more of how good a person she is, which attracted me even more. She is so selfless and caring for everyone around her; it truly blows my mind. I had never seen my family welcome a girl I introduced them to as quickly as they did her, and I trust their judgment the most. But even if they didn't do that, I know they would have accepted her regardless because, honestly, I probably seemed like a lovesick idiot. I still do. Y/N became this significant light in my life that I knew I wanted to be there forever. I began thinking about what it'd be like spending the rest of my life with her. Then it became something that I knew I needed. I can't imagine my life without her, and I never want to. She makes me so happy and has given me more than I could ever thank her for. I'll never understand how I, of all people, was the one to capture her massive heart, but I do know how lucky I am."

As he spoke, the screen showed a little picture slideshow of Y/N and Auston over the years of their relationship. It started with one that Ema took the first time Y/N had ever gone to Scottsdale. Y/N was sitting on the edge of a pool, and her legs dipped into the water. Auston stood between them as he wrapped his arms around her middle and leaned against her while looking over at where Ema stood taking the picture. The next one was from a Christmas party where the two were under a mistletoe as Auston leaned Y/N back and was kissing her cheek as she laughed and held onto him for dear life. There was a picture of them with Auston's family, one of them with Mitch and Steph, and another of Auston with his arms around Nate and Mya, Y/N's younger brother and sister, as the three smiled at the camera and Y/N was in the background looking confused.

The last few pictures were a bit more recent. They showed Y/N holding Frank as a puppy, a maternity photo of her and Auston posing when she was pregnant with Mia, and one of them on their wedding day with Mia and the rest of the gang. Then, the slideshow concluded with a very recent picture of them taken just a couple of weeks prior at Mia's birthday party, where Auston has his arms wrapped around Y/N from the back, showcasing her growing belly. At the same time, she leaned against him and glanced over her shoulder at him lovingly. The photos then went away and showed the guys again as Auston finished speaking.

Auston was right. Y/N was full-on bawling by that point.

All the guys were smiling as Auston finished saying his thing, but were soon interrupted by a knocking noise followed by a door opening.

Mitch: (offscreen) "Wait, no! Don't let her in!"

Mia: (also offscreen) "Daddy!"

Mia then came into the frame as she ran towards Auston, not caring about what was going on or who was there. Auston was quick reacting as he smiled widely and scooped Mia right up into his arms, making sure to place multiple kisses on her cheek as she giggled and squirmed in his hold, while Mitch became visible too and shrugged.

Auston: "Hi, mini. I missed you. Did you have fun with Mitchy?"

Mia: "Yeah! Where's mommy, daddy?"

Auston: "She's at home, baby girl. I'm almost done, then we can go get a Timbit while we wait for Mitch to be done. Sounds good?"

Mia: (knuckling at her eyes, tiredly) "Mhmm."

Rear: "This is adorable."

Biz: "Hi, Mia."

Mia: (shyly while hiding against Auston's chest a bit) "Hi, Biz."

Whit: (laughing) "Okay, I think we've kept you long enough now, Auston. Is there anything else you and Mia would like to say to Y/N?"

Auston: "Yes. Happy Valentine's Day, babe. I love you so much, and I'm sorry I'm not there right now. You're going to hear a lot more from me on actual Valentine's Day, but for right now, I think that's just about it. Mia, can you blow a kiss to the camera so mommy can see it and say 'happy Love Day!'"

Mia: (blows the kiss) "Happy Love Day, mommy!"

Auston: "Can you tell her that you love her?"

Mia: "Love you!"

Auston and Mia then waved to the camera and said bye as the clip faded out, and a new interview of another NHLer began playing.

Y/N's heart felt so full. She couldn't stop crying over how much she loved her family and how badly she needed to hear something like that. Life had been particularly hard on her as of late and seemed to keep throwing her curveballs, but this, this was exactly what she needed. To be reminded of how loved she is and that she genuinely is never alone.

She then grabbed her phone to call Auston and remind him of how much she loved him, that day and every day. The two talked for a few minutes before Y/N was pretty sure she could hear Mia waking up. After saying their goodbyes, Y/N found herself thinking about how, regardless of how she feels about the actual day, this was a Valentine's Day she will never forget.

[calebdumes]

fake dating/relationship prompt fill for the lovely @pretchatta

I may have let this one get away from me

fandom: star wars rebels

relationship: kanan jarrus/hera syndulla

rating: m (not explicit) 

word count: 2.7k

~

"Why can't your contact just meet us on the Ghost when he gets into town?" Kanan asked for the millionth time as they navigated the winding streets of Neshorino. Hera resisted the urge to roll her eyes and adjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"Because," she replied in an even tone that didn't reflect her growing irritation with the man. "My contact left explicit instructions to meet him at Neeli's Inn." 

"Yeah but your contact also said he was at least three rotations out. So I don't know why we can't just wait for him there."

"He's already paid for our room Kanan." Hera squinted at him, the sun dancing brightly off of the colored spires that dotted the city. "It would be rude to reject his hospitality."

That and her contact was overtly cautious about this meet up. That’s why they left the Ghost two cities over and had to take a shuttle to the Capital. The Ghost wasn’t tagged by the Imperials and it’s signature modulator made a world of difference on jobs like these but her contact had insisted and Hera obliged. 

Kanan grumbled something under his breath but continued on beside her. He had been antsy ever since he stepped off the Ghost, on edge and starting to get on her last nerves. If she didn't already know that this was a two person job, she would have left him behind with Chopper but then again, her contact had been extremely specific, two people were needed. 

In all honestly, Hera would have thought Kanan would be all about this job, three days on a beautiful planet with all expenses more or less paid for. This was right up his alley. Well, except for the mission part of it. He still wasn't fully on board with the cause, she doubted he ever would be but he was slowly warming up to Hera's rebel activity. Heavy emphasis on slowly. 

"It will be fine." she tried to assure him, stepping out of the way as a group of school aged Abednedo children rushed by. "Think of it as a vacation, three days to relax while we wait on my contact."

"If we want a vacation, we should go to Spira." He looked around at the curious city carved into the mountain side with a perplexed expression. "Or some place less crowded."

This time, Hera did roll her eyes. "Duly noted." she said before turning down a wide side street that led directly to the side of the mountain. 

The rust colored rock of the mountain side that made up the façade of the inn, was ornately carved with flowering vines, the arched windows that dotted the surface were thrown open to emit the high breeze, vibrantly colored curtains spilling out like banners.

She followed the path leading to Neeli's Inn, the sun warming her face and lekku. She didn't know what Kanan's problem was, this place was far better than some of the other planets they had visited. Before she pushed over the heavy wooden door to the inn she turned to face her partner, grabbing onto his arm to stop his movement. 

"My contact said the owner is a bit of a traditionalist." she warned.

Kanan arched a heavy brow at that. "A traditionalist of what?"

"He didn't say, so just be cautious."

"Aye, aye captain." he gave her a jaunty little salute in response. 

Sometimes Kanan was insufferable. 

The foyer glowed orange and yellow from the glowstones trapped in ornate diamond shaped lights, giving the wide space in a warm and inviting feel. The woman manning the front desk however, not so much. 

"Can I help you?" the weathered looking Abednedo woman snapped as they walked up. Her long greying hair was tied back into a single braid that she looped over her shoulders like a scarf. She eyed them with a faint trace of disgust, her mouth tentacles curling.  

"We have a reservation, under Starbird." Hera supplied, ignoring how Kanan was glowering beside her. 

The woman tapped on her datapad before asking bluntly. "You're married?"  

Hera balked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"No unmarried couples are allowed to share living quarters." she glanced at them. "and you only have a reservation for one room."

Hera felt her chest tighten with anxiety. Her contact could have let her know that little rule before setting them up for a three night stay. She was formulating a response when Kanan's arms snaked out and linked with hers, pulling her up against his side.

"We’ve been married one year tomorrow if you can believe it." he said giving Hera an adoring smile that made her knees go weak. "Right dear?"

"What?" she said again, her mind suddenly refusing to think beyond married, Kanan, and the warmth of his body pressed up against hers. He gave her a little nudge, his smile taking on a desperate edge. "Oh right. Yes." she nodded with a wooden smile. "Tomorrow's our anniversary." The words came out stilted and unsure but just about everything in her mind was shot circuiting at the moment. 

The Abednedo woman looked unconvinced as she handed over their room key. "Room 406." she clipped out. "Breakfast is over at 9 so don't be late."

"If it's as good as we heard, we wouldn't miss it for the world." Kanan said with a wink before dragging Hera up the stone steps behind the desk. He didn't let go of her until they were well out of the Abednedo's view, right when Hera's mind decided to come back online.

"What was that?" she hissed, stepping away from him, smoothing her hands down the front of her flight suit.  

"Improvising."

"By saying we were married?"

"Hey," he pointed his finger at her. "You're the one who said it would be rude to reject your contact's hospitality. Besides, what happened to thinking of this mission as a vacation?"

"Yeah well now we're going to have to pretend that we're married so we don’t get kicked out!" she rushed out, her voice a little higher than normal. “Or worse!”

Kanan stopped by the door marked 406 and leaned slightly into her space, enough to make her breath catch at the sudden closeness. "Would that be such a hard thing to do?" he said in a low voice. 

Hera swallowed. It was getting difficult to think again. Kanan was right there, those green blue eyes locked on her, his lips just inches from hers. Close enough to kiss, to taste. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest, her mouth going dry. But then Kanan took a step back, his face impassive. "Or we could just go back and wait on the Ghost."

"N-no." she choked out before clearing her throat. "No, it's fine. It's just three days right?"

Kanan smirked and swiped the key through the door control. "Right, three days on a beautiful planet with good company. What could go wrong?" 

Hera let her breath out in a long push, following Kanan into the room and subsequently running right into the solid muscle of his back. 

"Oh you gotta be kriffing me." he said in a low groan. Hera darted around him and took in the room. It was bright and airy, the doors leading to a wide balcony thrown open to let in the clean sunlight. Ruby red drapes fluttered in the constant breeze, contrasting with the thick stripes of dusky purple in the etched stone walls. But the thing that had caught Kanan's attention wasn't the beauty of the room. It was the bed. 

The one, single canopy bed pushed up against the wall draped with gossamer white silk.

Hera groaned. "You gotta be kriffing me."

"I'll sleep on the floor." Kanan said, dropping his bag down at his feet. 

"No you don't have to do that." She rubbed at the base of her lekku. "We can share right? It's fine with me if it's okay with you."

"Whatever you want to do, Captain." 

She nodded. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay."

Everything was decidedly not going to be okay. 

The first night Hera hardly slept, stiff as a board while Kanan breathed lightly beside her. A mountain of pillows sat between them, demarcating their sides of the bed. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to sleep but it was impossible knowing that Kanan was right there. 

When morning came, the sky a brilliant wash of colors outside their room, her eyes were puffy and dry from lack of sleep. Kanan looked just as bad, his hair adorably mussed and a frown heavy on his lips. Hera slipped from the bed and locked herself in the ‘fresher to dress, her brown slacks and light purple tunic a far cry from the safety and comfort of her flight suit.

Breakfast had been another challenge. The dinning hall was practically empty when they arrived. Only Neeli sat at a table, looking up at the with a pointed look. Kanan’s arm snaked around her waist, holding her close as he loaded up a plate of food.

“This is ridiculous.” Hera said picking at a slice of melioorun. Kanan had pushed their chairs close together at the table, his feet resting against hers. It made Hera’s stomach clench uncomfortably. 

He hummed in agreement before tossing back the rest of his caf and saying, “Why don’t we get out of here?” he whispered it close to her ear cone. 

“And go where?” 

“See the city.” he breath ghosting over her skin. “Leave our chaperone here to worry about some other poor couple.”

“We’re not a couple.” she said with force. Kanan sat back and Hera instantly missed his warmth. 

“C’mon, just for a few hours. It’ll be fun.”

Hera sighed, giving in with a nod and letting him pull her to her feet. He took her hand in his as they passed by the proprietress and didn’t bother letting go long after they left the inn. She could feel his fingers against her skin. They were surprisingly soft for someone who liked to take on rough and demanding work. He held her hand gently, loose enough that she could slip free anytime she wanted. But the truth was, she couldn’t even if she tried. 

She let him drag her all over the brightly colored city, stopping at nearly every bustling market he could find. Neshorino was a beautiful place but Hera hardly remembered any of it. She was too preoccupied by Kanan. 

Hera wasn't stupid. She knew Kanan had feelings for her, he made that fact pretty clear on Gorse. And while his flirtations hadn't necessarily stopped over the past few months since joining her crew, they had become were few and far between. He knew how she felt about relationships. He knew her priorities. 

But the thing was, Hera found herself missing them, that sly smile and wicked glint in his eyes. Kanan was handsome, a bit reckless but good and kind. He fit into her life like he was always meant to be there, like fate or destiny was somehow pulling the strings, weaving them together. And somewhere between one breath and another, Hera was falling for him.

No, she suspected she had fallen for him not long after she met him. This was much more than that.

She was in love with him.

The realization hit her as she took a bite of her ryshcate, the gooey spiced nuts and flaky pastry sticking to the back of her throat making her cough.

Kanan’s eyes grew wide as she struggled to breathe. She reached for his cup of Jawa Juice and taking a gulp. 

“You okay?” he asked in a voice that was laced with concern. Other beings sitting near them at the café were watching them closely. Hera felt herself blush.

“I’m fine.” she gasped, her eyes watering. “Just went down the wrong way.”

Kanan looked unconvinced, the hallows of his cheeks sharp in the orange glow of sunset. “Why don’t we head back to the room?”

Hera nodded and let him lead her back to the inn hand in hand. As they crossed over the threshold, she rested her head against his shoulder, letting herself believe for a moment what it would be like if they were actually together. 

She pushed the thought aside. There was no use getting lost in daydreams. 

Back in their room, she stripped out of her day clothes and pulled on her black thermal pants, tugging her white shirt over her lekku. Kanan was already under the covers, the sheets tucked under his bare arms as he stared at the white canopy overhead. 

Hera flicked off the light and padded softly over to the bed, curling up under the covers. Her heart panged deep in her chest. She loved him. So what was stopping her from having him?

The mission? No, that was an excuse and she knew it. So what was it?

Fear. 

Fear that he’d throw her aside once he had gotten what he wanted. That he didn’t really love her. That it would ruining the friendship that they had built. That he would break her heart. That she would break his. 

Hera fisted her hands against her stomach and squeezed her eyes shut. So much could go wrong if she let herself have this. There was too much at stake, too much to loose if things turned sour. Hera didn’t know if she could handle that pain. 

“Hera.” Kanan’s voice said. Her eyes flew open to see his face looking over at her from the pillow wall. “What’s wrong?’

“Nothing.”

He frowned. “I can sleep on the floor if this makes you uncomfortable.”

Her hands unclenched as she sat up. “It’s not that.”

“Then what?” he asked, crossing his legs under him. 

Hera bit her lip, looking down at the sheets pooled around her feet. 

“Hera, tell me what’s going on.”

She shook her head. Damn her fears. Damn the consequences. She wanted him. 

Hera leaned across the pillow blockade and kissed him, softy but with desperation. Kanan froze beneath her and for one heart stopping moment, she feared the worst but then he was kissing her back, his hands coming to rest on her hips. She let herself get lost in the sensation of his lips on her, the heat of his hands where he held her. 

When they broke apart she was breathless, her cheeks molten with heat. Kanan looked just as wrecked as she felt. 

“I love you.” she said. “I love you Kanan Jarrus and I want you.”

Kanan kissed her. She fell onto her back as he kissed along her jaw and down her neck, his admission of love seared into her skin. Her hands traced down his bare chest, feeling his muscles shift as he moved. He pulled off her shirt as she shimmied out of her pants, chuckling when her shirt got caught on her lekku.

He mouthed at her collarbone, the tops of her breasts, her navel, then lower.

“I love you too.” He said as they lay together fully sated and breathless in a tangle of sheets, the pillows scattered on the floor. “In case I didn’t make that clear.”

Hera smiled and kissed his cheek. “You might have to show me again love.”

Kanan grind at her wickedly. “It would be my absolute pleasure dear.”

The next morning at breakfast, they sat side by side, pressed up against each other as her contact, a middle aged Abednedo man with a thick beard on either side of his mouth tentacles explained the mission. 

“There are two refugees that I need you to smuggle out of the system.” He explained, his eyes darting around the dinning hall. “Their names are Immel and Chuli, their parents were arrested for treason and the Empire is hunting them. I need you to deliver them to their Aunt on Batuu.”

“Sounds easy enough.” Kanan said, his pinky finger curled around hers. “Where are they now?”

“You can find them in the House of Strangers. In the lower city.”

Hera frowned. “You said this was a two person job?”

The contact wrung his hands nervously. “Yes,” he looked between them and then down at the table before mumbling, “You will have to pretend to be a couple to take them from the House. It was the only way I could convince their caretake to let you take them from here. Is that going to be a problem?”

Hera smiled up at Kanan. “No that won’t be a problem.” she responded. “Not at all.”

[sirowsky]

The Flowers Always Know

Description: When a mad scientist uses you as an experiment while you’re on holiday, the Heroics only just manage to save you. And in your recovery you become very close to the leader of the group. (Slow burn)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language.

Link to Masterlist

Comment: Another day of side-effects where my head really hasn’t been in the game. But a little fun stuff to pass the time has managed to crop up. 

So sorry for the tease ending... I blame the headaches.

Chapter 27

  The Chef, Greg, had personally brought you extra leftovers during the five weeks you were living in the cell, training and learning about your abilities. He knew about your abnormal energy-consumption, and had become concerned when you never ordered more than a double portion of food, no matter how exhausted you were.   So, he’d come to give you the leftovers one evening, and you’d explained that it felt like you’d be stealing from others that might need it, if you ordered six or even eight portions.   After that, he’d begun saving all the leftovers every day, and bringing you that for the extra portions you otherwise wouldn’t have ordered.

  “I may have to make Greg my Best Man.”

  “He’d probably decline. He’s nice, but he does have standards.”

  “Ouch…”

  “He doesn’t know you, Cujo.”

  “Okay, seriously, what is up with that?”

  “It’s just an accurate description.”

  “I am not a fucking dog.”

  “Yes, you are. It’s just that, ordinarily, you’re a puppy. You just have that lovable puppy-face, with the eyes and the grin that can melt the coldest of hearts. And then, you bare your teeth and growl, and you look fucking terrifying.”

  “I do?”

  “Um – yes. Unequivocally – yes. It’s amazing.”

  “Wait… you like my Cujo-quality?”

  “I like that you have that side, when you need it. I like that it comes out almost exclusively to protect the things you love. And I have to admit that I like the fact that even the remotest possibility that William actually had tried something, elicited that kind of a response from you.”

  “I was a little shocked at how strongly I reacted to that. Just the thought… I would’ve killed him, if he had. Not because you… belong to me. But because you were weak and unable to stop anyone that might have tried. Thank god William’s even more of a puppy than I am.”

  “Will is more of a Greyhound.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, you know – sleek, effective, streamlined.”

  “Okay, let’s just drop the whole dog-topic already.”

  “And, just for the record – of course I belong to you. Ass-hat.”

  He practically beamed at you.

  “Ditto. Mama bear.”

  You’d been talking while walking back from lunch, and when you got back to your office, Anita was there. Just standing in the middle of the room, with her signature scowl in full effect.

  “Hi, mom. Wow, you’re actually in the office, it must be serious.”

  “Fifty noise-complaints in the last hour – is serious.”

  You both stopped smiling, and threw a nervous glance at one another, but she just huffed and turned to you.

  “Have you had yourself checked out by medical, yet?”

  “No… why would I…?”

  “Because human beings don’t possess the biological imperative to breed, to the point where their libidos take control of their bodies.”

  You had actually checked both your offices for cameras and microphones a good while back, and found nothing. And there weren’t any fucking flowers in your office!

  “How the hell do you know that? Seriously… How?”

  She just rolled her eyes.

  “Get your ass down to medical. Now.”

  “No.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Whatever it is, I feel fine now, which means they probably wouldn’t be able to detect anything abnormal, so I’m gonna finish my work for the day, and then I’ll go to medical.”

  You walked over to your desk as you spoke, and as you sat down, you remembered something.

  “And by the way, where you in charge of selecting my substitute while I was gone?”

  “Yes. Petra wasn’t ideal.”

  “You don’t say. If I’m ever gone for an extended period of time again, no one sets foot in my fucking office. Got it?”

  “Did you just try and give me an order, loco?”

  “I’m not trying anything. I’m telling you. No one.”

  She threw you a kinda skewed smile and then turned around to leave. But as she crossed the threshold she stopped and looked back at you with pure steel in her eyes.

  “4pm. If you’re not at medical by then, I’ll drag you there by your ear.”

  “Try it. Please.”

  She left and you sighed and looked at Marcus, who had sat down on the couch again, one arm draped over the backrest while he’d watched you take on Máma.

  “Are you absolutely sure you feel fine? Because I’m all kinds of hot and bothered right now.”

  “50 noise-complaints, Marcus. That’s half the damned building.”

  “And like I said: fuck ‘em.”

  “Please go away so I can think.”

  “Only if you promise to call me the moment you feel any amount of craving. I’m serious.”

  “You think I want to feel like that again? Of course I’ll call, and you’d better pick up. I don’t care if HQ’s on fire.”

  “You have my word, famb.”

  “You know, your list of nicknames is getting a bit ridiculously long.”

  “Oh, I haven’t even started on the real one’s yet.”

  “Real ones?”

  “Prometida, esposa, amada, mi corazón…”

  “Okay, okay, have as many as you like, jeez.”

  “Which one’s your favourite?”

  “You already know.”

  He got up from the sofa and came over to kiss you before he left. His lips lingered long after the kiss ended.

  “Hermosa…”

  He was intoxicating. You put a hand up on his chest and pushed him away gently.

  “Get out of here, gorgeous. Mama’s got work to do.”

  “Oh, that’s mean. You know how I love it when you talk all husky like that.”

  “I’ll call you if I need you.”

  He walked away looking disappointed, but also kind of expectant, like he was looking forward to getting you back later. You smiled and shook your head after the door closed behind him.

  You did get a lot of work done after that, and even if you were still miles behind from catching up to where you’d been 7 weeks ago, it still felt good to have gotten back on track. Especially on what had been possibly the weirdest day of your life. Which was saying something.   Your libido stayed calm and behaved for the rest of the workday, but you did see Anita’s point in getting yourself checked over, and so you were planning on going to the med-bay.   But at 3:30 you were working on your computer, looking up rare metals for an upcoming build, and you sort of stumbled over a site for wedding-rings.   You were just gonna take a quick peak, scrolling through the various options, and getting progressively more worked up as you saw the price-tags.   You were just about to leave the page and go back to work, when an ad in the corner popped up.

  Wedding-dresses.

  Fuck.

  You clicked.

  “If you thought I was kidding about the ear, you were sorely mistaken.”

  You startled at the sound of her voice, and a puff of energy escaped you, sending papers flying everywhere.

  “Thanks a lot, Anita. Why don’t you give me a heart-attack while you’re at it?”

  “Don’t be so dramatic. It’s not my fault you were so engrossed in that screen you didn’t notice me. What were you looking at, anyway?”

  Had half an hour already passed? You just clicked on that ad a second ago… And why was she looking at you like that?

  “Just research.”

  “Mhm. Let’s go.”

  “Alright, just let me get these papers off the floor.”

  As expected, since the event seemed to have passed, the medical exam didn’t reveal anything, and Anita seemed unnecessarily peeved about that.

  “What are you so upset about? What exactly did you think they’d find?”

  “Nothing. Never mind.”

  “Never mind, my ass. You all but dragged me to this exam, and now you’re disappointed. So, spill. What’s the deal?”

  “I just hoped that maybe… you increased enthusiasm was…”

  “Was…?”

  “Alright, most women experience increased sensitivity when they’re pregnant. I just wanted to be sure.”

  You sort of half froze midway through pulling your pants back on, and your hands involuntarily went to your abdomen.

  “Oh… I never even considered…”

  “I’m sorry, niña. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “No, I’m not upset. God, I don’t even know what I am.”

  You finished dressing and sat down on a chair, letting your head fall into your hands.

  “Eight months ago, I was just a designer, going on a fucking vacation. Now, I don’t even know what the hell I am anymore, much less what to do. Every time I think I’m starting to get a handle on things, something else happens and I’m lost again.”

  She tapped your leg with her cane, ushering you to look at her.

  “What you are, is my son’s fiancé. My granddaughter’s adoptive mother. You’re smart, highly capable and stubborn, kind and caring, but abrasive when the situation requires it. You’re everything you need to be. And that’s all you ever really need to know about yourself.”

  You drew a deep breath.

  “Do you think he made the right choice? With me?”

  “Yes. Yes, I do.”

  “Thank you.”

  You called Marcus to let him know how the exam had gone, and he was just about to pick up Missy, so since you had your own car you told him you’d race him home.   But you decided to stop by Amanda’s house on the way. You wanted to talk to both of them, but her place was closer.

  When you walked in at home, Missy was in the living room playing a video-game with Noodles, A Capella and Wild Card. It had been a while since she’d had any friends over, and you smiled when you saw how much fun she was having.

  “Hey, Alma! Wanna see me crush these guys for the second time?”

  “Any day of the week, angel, but I gotta talk to your dad right now.”

  “Okay, suit yourself!”

  You laughed and walked into the kitchen to find him opening pizza-boxes and distributing slices onto plates.

  “Hey, sweetheart, sorry, this wasn’t planned, they just spontaneously asked if they could come over as I was picking her up.”

  “Honey, why are you explaining yourself?”

  “I don’t know… it’s just, with the weird day you’ve had and how you seemed a little down after the exam, I thought that maybe you weren’t quite in the mood for a house full of teenagers.”

  “No matter how I feel, Missy’s entitled to enjoy herself with her friends. I would never wanna deprive her of that.”

  “No, I know. I just worry about you.”

  “Yeah, I do too, sometimes. But that’s usually when I remember I have you, and it all feels better.”

  He smiled and asked you to help him carry out the food to the living room, and once you’d done that, you sat down at the dinner table to eat yourselves.

  “So… I may have googled wedding-dresses today.”

  He beamed.

  “Really? Did you manage to narrow down any preferences? Don’t give me any specifics, by the way.”

  “I did, I think. Or, at least, I found a lot of stuff I didn’t like, so I guess that helps. I don’t know, I feel like I need to see them, touch them, to actually get a sense of what I like.”

  He beamed even more.

  “I really like the sound of this. I’m sure Amaire would come with you if you asked.”

  “Yeah, I kind of already asked them to, this weekend.”

  He was fucking radiating joy at that point. He got up and took your hand, leading you to the bedroom and closing the door behind you.   Then he reached into his pocket and fished something out. His smile turned just a hint of insecure, as he held up the ring he’d chosen for you.   It was gold-plated steel, with a single row of small diamonds sunk into the centre of the band all the way around. A sturdy and solid piece that wouldn’t break or lose its shape.   While you admired it, he started trying to explain his choice.

  “I know you’re not much of a jewellery-girl, so I figured we’d skip the whole engagement ring plus wedding-band. You can wear it right away if you want and then just take it off before the ceremony, or you can wait and put it on then, either way is fine with me. That is, if you like it? If you don’t, we’ll take it back and you can pick something else. It just felt right as soon as I saw it. You’re not the frail silver band type of person, and I know you’d only get annoyed with a big rock getting in the way and getting caught in stuff. You work with your hands and so I figured something sturdy but elegant. I have a matching one just without the diamonds. Please say something before I pass out from oxygen-depravation…”

  “I love it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Really.”

  You both beamed.

  “Can I put it on you?”

  “You better.”

  He slipped it on your finger and it fit perfectly. And for the first time it really sunk in that you were gonna marry this man. The love of your life.   It felt like a really long time until the kids went home and Missy went to bed, with her headphones on.

  “I totally forgot, we need to go bed-shopping, honey.”

  “I don’t know, a mattress on the floor might be preferable until we know the extent of your ‘heat-situation’.”

  “Mm. Good point. Although, breaking in a new bed is always fun.”

  “Hermosa.”

  “What?”

  “Stop talking and get undressed. I’ve been waiting for this all night.”

Authors’ Note: I love criticism, don’t be shy to let me know if there’s anything you like/don’t like/have questions about.

@blueeyesatnight​​ @farfromjustordinary​ @allmyspideys​ @hrk-fic-recs​ @strawberryperegrine @lucrezia-thoughts​ @computeringturtle @sarahjkl82-blog

[jasmine-the-fox]

Loose the model but win a hero

Sorry for such a long wait but i’m back! And here is chapter 4 for you guys!

Chapter 4: Getting answers

Previous First

Jonathan Samuel Kent while Superman’s son... He was also Lois Lane’s son... So getting a scoop was in him whether he liked it or not, and right now he loved it as he needed to find out more about Mari’s life at school in Paris right now, the fact she was being bullied and her bullies were getting away with it made him mad and demand answers and fast... But how?

The girl didn’t look like she wanted to talk much about her school life, so he had to get answers another way... But how? Maybe if he could get in contact with her friends and family... He might be able to figure this all out! But his mom would need to make the calls... People would be confused about him asking the questions as he’s not a reporter and his mom could make something up fast. Jon went towards Mari’s hotel room to try and find her phone or something that would tell him who she was in contact with “Mari? It’s Jon” he said as he knocked on the door making her open it to let him in “Hey! I was just about to head to take a shower. Mind waiting?” she asked as he walked in and shake his head as she went in.

He quickly looked around to find her phone out next to her laptop and a book, he walked over and opened the book to find name lists and numbers, he found the friend list and found his number there, he quickly took a picture of the list minus his number and then did the same with her parent’s numbers then took a picture of her allies list which had Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale there making him understand that she knew people who were famous, he then sent the pictures to his mom who quickly replied that she would get to work so he then closed the phone book and set it where it was as Mari then came out with a dress on.

“You look amazing in that dress” he said making her blush and giggle “I made it myself actually” she said making him look at her surprised at her words, the fact she made this dress amazed him as he looked it over, the dress was knee length and light pink with what looked to be some cherry blossoms flying towards the top of dress from the branches at the bottom “Those are some amazing cherry blossom flowers” he said making her giggle again “It’s actually apple blossoms, it’s my signature design to put on my clothes” she explained making him nod in understanding.

He was impressed by her work right now “I saw the posts you made online, people seem to like them” he said making her smile but look away “Yeah, my friends and people who commission me for outfits like them... But my classmates haven’t seen them. So i’m guessing there going to think I never left Paris” she explained making him sigh and feel bad for her, he knew it must be hard but he was going to help her no matter what, he decided to offer to show her around some more and she accepted, they got going to first a clothing shop so she could at some of the design people in Metropolis like to wear making her sketch down some designs to make something new “How about a fabric store so you can get some stuff to make more clothes?” he suggested making her smile and nod to the idea as they then got going and began to have fun.

With Clark and Lois...

Lois Kent was making calls to the list of contacts Jon got her, she was doing her best to get some info and so far not many were able to speak with her, she did speak to Tom and Sabine who are Mari’s parents and was able to discover that they had tried to transfer her to another class but both her teacher Caline Bustier and her classmates refused her to transfer as they believed she needed to fix the situation she caused, then there was her friends, Kagami Tsurugi couldn’t answer as she was at a tournament but promised to call once it was over, Luka Couffaine had his phone turned off so she left him a message, so she spoke to her friends Adrien Agreste, Chloe Bourgeois and Sabrina Raincomprix who told her who bullied Mari and why while also explained to her for how long it had been going on.

Needless to say, she had a good scoop to release soon enough, Clark on the other hand was talking to his friend Bruce Wayne who was Batman trying to explain to him the situation in Paris, and from what she could hear the bat didn’t like it one bit and wanted something to be done about it right now, he wanted something to be done about it but the fact it wasn’t a villain trying to take control of Paris there wasn’t much to be done “It’s best we have some of the Titans going undercover there to take care of it” Bruce said with a sigh... Telling Clark that he didn’t like having his hands tied like this right now.

But they didn’t have much of a choice “I’ll have Kori and Richard go with them as legal guardians” Bruce added before hanging up, Clark sighed... But he knew Jon would love the idea of going to Paris to watch over Mari so it would be just fine in the end “It’s better then nothing, but I am getting a bunch of info about the bullying and with the names and the fact that miss Raincomprix will be sending me pictures of each of those who bullied Marinette with there names and what they did... It’s easy to say that they won’t have a single chance at getting jobs anywhere” Louis explained making Clark chuckle “Only because your the best at getting justice for those who deserve it” he said while kissing her head and then going to door “Going to spy on them?” Louis asked making him freeze before turning to her with a grin “You know me so well. Wish me luck!” he said as he then walked out making her smile.

With Caline...

The teacher walked towards the bakery with determination on her face, she had to speak with Marinette and her parents about what was happening in the class, she also had to apologize and explain she was on there side now, but from the look of it Marinette wasn’t there when she walked into the bakery to come face to face with Sabine “Miss Bustier, may I help you with something?” she asked as Tom walked in “I’m looking for Marinette” she explained making Tom look at her disappointed “If you would have taken the time to look her up on Instagram, you would know she’s in Metropolis for the whole summer as a gift from Sabine and myself” he explained. Caline’s eyes widen as she checked her phone to find it was true “I’m so sorry mister and miss Dupain-Cheng! I truly didn’t know, Lila claimed that Marinette was spamming her with insults there and had gotten her account shut down” she explained making them glare at her.

“You should look into her then as she lied to you” Sabine hissed making Caline nod “I know that now and I came here to talk about that” she said making Sabine look at her with hope “So your going to approve the transfer?” Tom asked making Caline look at them confused with a smile “Of course not! She still needs to fix things with her friends” she explained making the couple glare at her “Get out! Because of you our baby girl is being bullied by these so call ‘friends’ you claimed because Lila Rossi lies to them about our child!” Sabine shouted as she kicked the teacher out and slammed the bakery door shut.

Caline was shocked at this... Marinette was being bullied? But that couldn't be true! She was such a sweet and helpful girl! But then again, Lila has been claiming things were done to her by Marinette... So it would make sense why the class would attack her... She had to do something about this! With her mind set she walked back home to get to work on something important... Without knowing that Alya with the class minus Lila had watched the whole thing happen... Without knowing Mari was in Metropolis since it was said inside the bakery.

Next

[mimiplaysgames]

Terra Week Day 7 (Bonds/Fave Scene)

Summary: Terra lets his friends love him. | Word Count: 3,462

Read on AO3

A/N: For Terra Week 2021! You can find that account on Twitter!

~*~*~*~*~

At the end of the day, your chains weigh a burden. Share them. At the end of the night, your Bonds make you free. Mend them.

The stars wink sometimes, if you stare at them long enough.

Terra’s been lying on his back at the roof of the residential tower, where the slats are at a gentle slope so he’s not doomed to fall off. A small, square window behind him gives him easy access; he and Aqua used to waste many nights at this spot for years. Here, they can watch the sun rise behind the mountains, so they get the best of night and day. 

The sound of the window slipping open means she’s here—he just wasn’t expecting the plop of an open book landing in his face.

“Look what I found,” she says, and he pulls darkness out of his eyes to see detailed drawings of a fox with a bow and arrow, talking to a large bear who is spying from behind a bush. Robin Hood and his sidekick, Little John. They used to role play as these characters when they were children for hours. Aqua lies down on the space next to him, careful not to slide too close to the edge.

“Thanks, I was looking for this earlier.”

“It was in the potions section. Do you remember putting it there?” He doesn’t, and she shrugs and rolls over to her side. “I forgot there was a part where he dressed up as a blind beggar to sneak into the prison.”

Terra flips pages. Many of them have multiple bends, bookmarks to areas of the story that the two of them enjoyed to play with. That is one of his favorite scenes, Robin Hood dressing in a long cloak and dark sunglasses to hide the fact that he is a fox (despite that it’s still obvious), shaking a beer jug for coins. Those goons he fooled are so dumb.

“It’s still kind of funny after all these years.”

“You would do something like that.” She hides her smile behind her fingers. “Dress up to trick the enemy so you could sneak in and save the hungry.”

“You’re making fun of me.” 

She slaps his bicep. “I am not.”

It’s the greatest compliment he could receive but it’s also the greatest cringe. He’s always wanted to be compared to his hero... yet it’s still something he can’t quite believe, like there’s a twist to the joke, even though Aqua would never. She’d speak from the heart.

“Dress like this with me”—he shows a drawing of Robin Hood and Little John in their signature thief green tunics and hats—“and I’ll believe you.”

She rolls her eyes. “They don’t have any pants on.”

“That’s the point. We’d be wild.” Terra hides a smirk behind his finger.

“Only if you pay me a thousand munny.”

“... You know, that’s not going to be hard to collect.”

“A bold claim.”

“Okay, but if I end up collecting it all—”

“You’re seeing nothing.”

He laughs and she joins him, warm and painful in the stomach, something that hasn’t happened so sincerely since they have come back. Nights so far have been tight and insecure, as though laughing would expose them to an enemy hiding around the corner. 

Out here, graced with the breath of fresh air, they’re safe under the guidance of the stars. It feels like a young night when their dreams for the future come uninhibited. 

“I talked to Yen Sid,” she says once she’s able to slow down. 

“And?” Terra swallows air down the wrong pipe and coughs.

She wipes a tear from her cheek. “I convinced him to change the standards of your Mark of Mastery.” Picking herself up by the elbows, she sighs. “Though I still think it’s unnecessary, if you want my opinion.”

Terra doesn’t agree, flipping towards the end of the book where Robin Hood and his love are sent off by a carriage, free from persecution. “What are the new terms?”

“Everyone is splitting up to look for Sora and… I proposed searching for him in the Realm of Darkness.”

Terra rolls to his side, dropping the book, all joy that stayed with them minutes before now drained away. He speaks softly. “You want to go through that again?”

She purses her lips. “I don’t want to, but if it helps with finding Sora, then what other choice do I have?”

Terra hums. “I understand. It’s just… you’ve been through so much already, Aqua.”

“It’s crazy it’s been twelve years,” she mutters before perking up and pretending it’s not a heavy subject. “If you survive the Realm of Darkness, then Yen Sid will name you Master.”

Terra sputters. “Are you serious?”

She giggles. “Partially, but that did come out of my mouth in the meeting. Ven would want to come with us of course, but Yen Sid is most concerned about your affinity to Darkness… which isn’t fair.” She brings her knees to her chin. “We all carry Darkness, and you have already shown, twice now, that you are able to face yours and defeat it. So, I suggested you come with me and face the Master of Darkness yourself.”

“What do they look like?”

“Whatever you think it looks like.” She shrugs. “Yourself.”

Terra doesn’t know what to say. He traces the ridges of the slats in front of him. The Realm of Darkness is a different plane of existence entirely, one where the rules of Light don’t apply, where logic makes no sense and there’s only the constant pressure of regret and succumbing, based on what he’s read from the books. From what he’s heard from her, Darkness is the never-ending fight of giving yourself reasons to keep waking up the next day—when there’s no reason to.  

“Twelve years,” he muses. “I couldn’t have survived if that were me.”

Aqua sombers, watching the horizon for the outlines of mountains that you can only see in the night if you squint. “It’s not so different from what you have told me.” She looks at him. “About Nowhere and not knowing when it would end. If it would ever.”

Terra rolls back to look up at the stars. Darkness gives them room to shine. “So all I have to do is survive while we search for Sora?”

“When you say it like that,” she says with a mock-wave. “You know, twelve years isn’t that long. How about we make it twelve days? Survive twelve days and you’re Master. That sounds fair.”

He does a double-take. “That’s not funny. What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m taking a page out of your book and making inappropriate jokes.”

He groans. “This is why you’re not funny.”

“I am, you just won’t admit it.”

He shakes his head, but he can admit it brings a smirk to his face.

The window slips open again with a thud, Ven’s golden head of hair sticking out but not joining them. “You two are the most predictable ever. It was easy to find you.”

“You’re predictable for looking for us,” Terra reminds him.

“Did you find the thing?” Aqua asks, her head leaning back to address him.

“We did.”

That’s right. We. They accepted another member to the family the day of the Master’s memorial, when a talking cat-thing appeared out of nowhere and crashed the end of the eulogy. Terra and Aqua haven’t found a trace of its breed in any of the books in the library (five floors of it). They call it Cheers (because “Chirithy” is a ridiculous name; how in any star can anyone pronounce such a thing?), and every time they ask it questions about its past and how it knows Ven, it responds with more vague questions. Otherwise, it doesn’t offer much opinion. Much like that stupid book, Affairs of the Heart. 

But Ven inexplicably has a bond to it, and they are simply going to have to trust his heart. 

“What thing are we talking about?” Terra asks.

“Can’t tell you,” Ven quips. “Sworn to secrecy.”

“To who?”

“Come with us, Terra.” Aqua stands up, brushing dust off of her drapes and bending to squeeze through the window. 

Just when he was getting comfortable.

Lanterns light the way. Aqua likes to be in charge of how bright they get, and tonight they shine for a feast, bright with a cheery kick, glistening the golden halls of the castle as though it’s sitting in daylight. She marches to the entrance hall where they held their Mark of Mastery years ago. Cheers is already here with two books and a bouquet of flowers on one throne and more knick-knacks on another that Terra doesn’t have a reference for.

“What’s this about?”

“An honorary title ritual.” Ven cranes back into his own arms, proud of himself. “We found a couple of books on how they did it in the Age of Fairytales. A lot of it we can’t translate, but it’s pretty cool.”

“A title ritual?” Terra asks Aqua, who is stroking the middle throne where the Master used to sit, eyes closed in prayer.

“An honorary one.” She brings her hands to her heart. “I believe the Master really wanted to name you Master. And I agree. Riku does, too. I know you want to prove yourself and do it traditionally, but we wanted to do a little something special for you. A title that only we know of so you can keep it to yourself and no one else has to find out.” She steps down. “Until you want them to.”

“Aqua…”

“This is my thanks for what you’ve given me.” She summons Rainfell, and it springs in her hand among glowing petals and a swirl of waves, a second quicker to respond than the aged and wise Defender. She’s whole.

“It looks like so much fun, too,” Ven says with puppy-dog eyes. 

“You deserve it,” Aqua says.

“Pfft,” goes Cheers. 

“We’re supposed to be equals,” Aqua continues, twirling her Keyblade like it’s as natural as wiggling her fingers. “The Master said so that day.”

“Just say yes.” Ven nudges his elbow. “Roxas already calls you Master.”

Terra coughs on a snort. “Does he?”

“He calls all of us Master for some reason.”

“Maybe it’s because he thinks you’re all old,” Cheers mutters but Ven continues—

“When I tell him there has to be official recognition and an exam, he just shrugs.” He raises his shoulders too high to his ears for a good imitation. “He says, What difference does a dumb test make?” Ven is trying to act voguish, but it makes him look dorky instead. “Master Ventus sounds pret-ty cool if I say so myself.”

“Ahem,” Cheers announces, broadening its arms to command attention. All it needs is a conductor’s baton. “Shall we begin?”

“Do it with us?” Aqua pouts and raises her eyebrows, joining Ven in the ridiculous charade of coaxing Terra into playing along.

Terra huffs. “Okay.”

Both of their faces beam, Aqua throwing a sheepish high-five to Ven’s enthusiastic holler, giggling like they’ve won a game. It’s touching. 

“I’ll need your Keyblade,” Aqua says, handing over Rainfell. “Trade?”

“Huh?”

“Standing Masters must accept the Blade of the candidate. To bless it,” Cheers says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“If you say so,” Terra says, straining a chuckle from pouring out in case Cheers gives him a death glare. He summons Earthshaker and lends it to Aqua by the hilt. Rainfell is as light as a feather, as it has always been—he held it when she first called it at the age of thirteen, surprised by the paper-lightness of its weight, wondering How in the stars do you expect to hit anything with this? when he’ll learn the truth later that she hits just as hard as he does. 

It doesn’t feel arrogant and big like a Master’s Keyblade. It just feels like Aqua’s, the longest friend he’s ever had. 

“Terra. How on earth—?” Aqua grunts and pulls. Earthshaker screeches across the floor, and she takes breaks before inhaling and dragging it more. “So impractical.” She cries a sigh of relief when she reaches the throne. 

“Now the masks, in accordance with tradition,” says Cheers, peeking into one of the books.

“Oh.” Ven hurries over to the other throne, grabbing thin, plastic masks Terra’s seen in amusement parks, with the rubber strings that cut into your circulation. “Masks apparently were really fancy in the old days.”

“Yes,” Cheers says. “Made of porcelain and leather. Very tasteful.” 

“This is what we got.” Ven showcases three tacky half-face masks of a pig, a bee, and a frog like a deck of cards. “Which one do you want to be?”

Cheers wrinkles its snout in disgust.

“The pig is kind of cute,” Terra says. It’s bright pink, with holes cut out in the eye sockets and a tout nose. The string squeezes him around the temples, so he hopes the ceremony will be quick.

“You be the frog, Aqua.” Ven hands over her mask and dons the bee, complete with springy pom-poms for the antennae. 

“Don’t forget the robes,” Aqua says as she slips the frog on, lumpy and shiny, bracing herself so that Earthshaker leans on her hip. 

Ven comes back with three of the Master’s hand-me-downs. They smell like dust from a damp dresser. The one given to Terra is too short, and the one Ven is wearing drags on the floor. Aqua’s hangs off the shoulder (We’re going to need to hire a seamstress, she mutters).

“Now we shall truly start,” Cheers says.

“Why does Cheers get to lead this?” Terra asks.

“Because Aqua is the one to honor you and Ven is the witness,” Cheers says. Duh. “Master Aqua, you understand what you must do.” 

Aqua holds Earthshaker by the hilt like one of those knights in the attic, its point at the floor. It’s bigger than Rainfell, reaching up to her chest. She gestures for one of the books and Cheers is too eager to turn to the right page and hand it over.

“That book?” Terra rolls his eyes, remembering that no one else can see.

“Yep.” She brings Affairs of the Heart closer to her face, frowning before checking her attitude and reciting:

Thus a wield'r and a cousin, so longeth as thy heart stayeth true, and thy duty vows to who, a mast'r to the endeth, so longeth as thee behold not backeth.

She sniffs and double checks the passage, her chin wrinkling. 

“That’s it?” Ven asks. “What the stars does that even mean?”

“You shall also honor your bonds,” Aqua says, whipping her nose out of the book.

“You’re improvising,” Terra says. 

“And never scare me again.” 

“Mmm—”

She slams the book on his head with enough pressure to make him nod. “Say yes.”

“Yes, Master.”

She chuckles.

“Now we shower the room with flowers,” Cheers says.

Ven gathers up the flowers he plucked—a mix of withering vanity plants, such as tulips, and weeds, such as dandelions late into their development, where they spit white fuzz. 

“That’s all you have?” Aqua says. 

“It’s late into the season,” Ven says, defensive. “And you didn’t want to wait too long for me to get more.”

He throws them and they droop down to the ground, crinkling on the floor in an unceremonious finish and lack of climax. Terra brushes two petals off of his shoulder. 

Cheers stares in contempt. “Well… it is done.” 

“Now I call you,” Aqua says, licking her lips as they tremble, and she stops to cup her cheek and compose herself. “Master Terra.”

Master Terra. 

He doesn’t know how to feel when she leans his Keyblade toward him. Earthshaker feels the same–not more powerful, not more wise, but a friend patting his back. But what for? 

“Has a nice ring to it,” Ven says. “Master Terra.”

“How do you feel?” Aqua says, slipping fingers under her mask to wipe her eyes. 

“I don’t know, I guess I expected to feel… something that justifies it all. But I’m still me.”

“Isn’t ‘me’ the person who spent all these years studying for Mastery?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t make sense in my head.”

“I felt the same way,” Aqua says quietly. Cheers is closing books and picking up dry flower petals, urging Ven to help. “Without you by my side, it just felt… a little empty and confusing.”

“I never congratulated you.”

“I’ll do it first. Congratulations.” She smirks, her cheek wet under the frog mask. 

Terra pulls off his mask—ignoring Cheers when it squeaks, Excuse me, but that must stay on for the rest of the night out of respect for your appearance—and studies her. “What’s that look for?”

Aqua pulls hers off as well, her eyes red but soft and happy. “I want to see Yen Sid’s face when he names you Master and I get to tell him that I already did.” 

He snorts. “What if he objects?”

“What if he’s too stuck up in past grievances and can’t appreciate you for who you are or what you’ve accomplished?” Cradling Rainfell in the grip of her hand, she nods to herself. “Who gives him a say? I spent twelve years in the Realm of Darkness. Not him. There were some things the Master was wrong about. Do you know why that is?”

Terra wants to say it’s because the Master was afraid, but he won’t speak over her. “Why?”

She looks away at a wall, blinking too much. “I’ll never use it again. It makes me feel like I’m not thinking straight, that I’m too close in making a fatal mistake I can’t take back. But I can’t help but feel there’s a purpose for it. Darkness exists not to put us astray on our path but to help us understand ourselves and our needs better.” When she speaks with this much conviction, Aqua seems the tallest in the group. “Within us, it needs comfort as much as the Light needs faith.”

“That’s what makes the heart strong enough to protect what matters.”

Aqua smiles. “That’s why.” When he’s about to object, she places a hand on his shoulder. “The Master is no longer with us. If you continue like this, who’s to say you’ll be okay with Yen Sid accepting you as well?”

She’s right. “I just think I need to do more to atone.”

“Atone?” 

“I faced the Darkness, and maybe I’ve won. Sure.” Terra shrugs, and the change in tone catches Ven attention, who ignores his immediate chores to come close and remove his mask. “But I’m still missing the same Light you have, Aqua. The one that made you, Master, as you deserve. Mine is not that strong.”

Ven sighs.

Aqua opens her mouth to say something but stops herself, searching his eyes with a gentle mix of love and skepticism. “There’s something I never told you.” She rubs her palms together. “In the Dark Realm, I… there were many moments where I wanted to give up. 

“I saw you once, a bright light standing in front of me. You talked to me. You protected me from Xehanort, and you told me to never give up.” She breaks, swiping her eyes and sniffling loudly, willing her body to breathe normally.

Terra stares at her. “I thought I made that up.”

“No,” she says, smiling and shaking. “You never stopped lighting me back, either.”

Ven holds her hand, silently crying with her. He looks up at Terra, as he’s done for years, worshipping the ground Terra walks in, thinking he is a prime example of what a Keybearer should be. They did this because they believe in him. 

“Thanks for doing this for us,” Ven says quietly, and Aqua nods in agreement. And Terra takes them in his arms, Aqua under his right and Ven under his left, letting them sink their faces into his chest and wraps their arms around his waist.

“Thank you for always being there.” Terra doesn’t know what else to say that would measure what they mean to him. Forgiveness is not a real friend, and they don’t have reasons to give it to him, but he hugs them close without going too tight, his tears falling on their crowns.

“We still have things to clean up,” Cheers mutters.

“Come here.” Ven opens an arm to which Cheers happily accepts, nuzzling its nose into Ven’s neck. It’s only cheerful with him. Terra is most cheerful with all of them. A broken home renovated, a hearth revived, a clear sunrise over the mountains. 

Those who know him as Master Terra hold onto him dearly, under a night sky that waits behind stained glass in a moment they keep to themselves, where the future is irrelevant and the past goes to sleep.

[theheavenlymoon]

I totally did this out of order, so let’s try this again!

I would like you to meet Uzuki Hanako! (うづき- Uzuki はなこ- Hanako)

(My first introduction was a hot mess, so I wanted re edit that one and put up this one instead!)

(I can’t draw for crap so I’m using picrew.)

This will basically be me talking about her rather than all the fandoms she’s in. I’m gonna be making post about her and the fandoms later, but for now it’s all about her!

First Name: Hanako

Last Name: Uzuki

Gender: Female

Race: Demigod

Age: ??? (Depending on the fandom, her age changes)

Birthday: December 27

Zodiac: Capricorn

Height: 6’3.3

Sexuality: Bisexual

JP CV: Ami Koshimizu

ENG CV: Amanda Céline Miller

FRENCH CV: Indila

(Couldn’t find a Greek CV 😔)

Nicknames: Shachi-chan (Floyd), Child of Hearth (Malleus), Ms.Herbivore (Leona), Princess, Wifey (Gojo)

Favorite food: Cheesecake, literally anything sweet

Least favorite food: Hummus, mushrooms, candy, and beans

Likes: family/friends, cooking, singing really loud to her music, working out, making clothes, nail polish, memes/vines, rain/cloudy weather, animals, purple, doing anything around the house, video games, anime, fictional books, roughhousing, and day dreaming about her crush/significant other

Dislikes: Fights between friends and family, Candy, crying in front of people, and bookshelves

Since I can’t draw I have to use picrew, but sadly some of the makers that I find have limited options so allow me to go into detail about her looks. (I’ll probably make another post about her abilities later)

Hanako has bright gold eyes and long lavender hair that goes all the way down to her mid thigh. She has two beauty marks, one under her right eye and one on the left side of her lip. Her signature hair style is space buns with the rest of her hair down in the back. Like I’ve said before, I can’t draw so I’m using characters I know as reference! This is what her body looks like.

(^ This is Flare, a character from fairy tail! I recommend watching it if you have time. Fairy tail is a very long series, but it’s really good!)

(I’m pretty sure you can look at almost all the women in Fairy tail and get the idea.)

Obviously I know that Hestia doesn’t have any demigod kids but demigods don’t have to be born the normal way. Hanako was born from fire and was given to her father. With that being said, when Hana was first claimed she was given a fire place poker but traded it in for a sword so she it could help control her pyrokinesis. (Her sword is disguised as a charm bracelet!)

As for her sword...

Hana’s sword helps her control her pyrokinesis a little better and it’s fun to try and see who can pick it up. Her sword can reach up to about 2000°F (1093°C). She has a few special moves but those are for another time.

Although Hana acts like her mom in some moments, she met Apollo and Hermes when she was quite young and those two have had a big impression on her personality. One moment she giving motherly advice, and the next moment she screaming vines across the room.

Random facts about Hanako 🌸✨

Since Hana means flower I use cherry blossoms and lavender to represent her.

Has a huge soft spot for children!

Hanako is super understanding and open. Wanna try something new? She’ll come with you, so you aren’t lonely and scared. Skydiving? What time are we leaving? Want to be left alone? Call her if you need something! Wanna try working out? She’ll be your personal trainer! Feeling down? She’s coming over with movies and snacks! Can’t make it to game night? It’s alright just be safe with whatever your doing!

Once Hanako falls, she falls hard.(Romantically speaking) She is a SIMP. She’ll wear the most giddiest smile after talking with them. Probably screamed in her pillows at least a few times. “They make my heart beat so fast, and they make me feel like the happiest girl in the world!!” - Hanako.

Attempts her best not to be obvious about her crush, and for the most part it works. Until anything other than platonic stuff comes up. Her face is gonna turn crimson if ANYONE mentions her crush in not so platonic ways, gods forbid anything even more intimate. Children of Hestia are so shy when the idea of sexual things is even bought up that they blush deeply and cannot articulate any coherent words, and any fire nearby also turns crimson as if it were blushing like the child of Hestia. This shyness is amplified if they are around their crush.

Gets kind of anxious when she’s beside a bookshelf.

She’s a smart ass. It’s gotten to the point where she does it automatically. It doesn’t even have time to process, it just comes out.

Hana is actually really good at acting and singing. She was in a few commercials and videos when she was younger but only as background characters.

Hana is amazing with kids. She grew up with 3 little brothers before she was moved into the orphanage, which meant even more kids to watch over. (she takes her big sister role very seriously)

Since she was born from fire, she can raise her body temperature up if she wanted too, and she rarely gets hot or cold. Heat based attack have no effect on her. Hana’s hugs feel like a warm blanket wrapped around you while sitting next to a fireplace, all in all just really comforting

Hana grew up around a lot of guys and so she calls everyone ‘bro’ and ‘dude’ a lot. She has a few friends who are girls but most of them are guys. That being said, she grew up rough housing and yelling.

Hana also comes from a very affectionate family. (Hugs, kisses, feeding food to each other, smashing food into someone’s face, etc.) So it’s not uncommon to see Hana tackle all of her friends into hugs and kisses.(platonically)

Hana also likes to tease a lot (curtsy of Hermes) so don’t be surprised when she tease about you burning food.

Is super flexible. I’m talking like, Mitsuri flexible. Her friends have at least saw her in the scorpion pose a few times. The more flexible she is, the easier it is to move in battle.

The woman is a tree. I’m pretty sure all of her lovers (with the exception of Gojo) are shorter than her.

She can not, for the life of her, wear heels. Anything above a 3 inch that isn’t thick, would make her snap an ankle. Besides she’s already tall enough

In terms of anger, Hana has the patience of a saint. She still gets annoyed here and there, but very rarely does she get genuinely angry. On the rare occasion that she is angry, she gets pretty violent. Veins showing from her forehead, her body temperature spikes, and she wears one of the most nastiest glare ever. (from what she’s been told) Only a select few have seen her mad.

When thrown into a new situation (or a new world-) that isn’t familiar, Hana will come off a bit sarcastic (more than usual) and aloof. She wants to get a feel for her surroundings before she can actually be herself. Give her some time to come around and she’ll be back to hyper and happy.

Hana has a bunch of hobbies. She plays volleyball and is known as the queen of the court. She loves to paint her fingernails and her toes as well. Her cooking is top tier! As a Hestia child obviously she would excel at anything that has to do with domestic and home type things.

She 100% would/will make her own dress. Once made a huge ball gown dress because none of the place had what she was looking for.

When she isn’t doing any of her hobbies she’s working out and practicing her pyrokinesis. Hana trained a lot back where she was from, so she could master her pyrokinesis and her sword. She’s gotten to the point where she can lift a car. Just because she’s in a different place doesn’t give her the excuse to slack off!!

Ironically her mother is a virginal goddess and isn’t married to anyone. Hana on the other hand, wants to get married and have kids. She shooting for 4 but it all depends on what her partner wants. (2,6,8 it just depends)

Hestia children can induce serenity and make tense situations a lot more calmer. Hanako has defeated a lot of enemies and monsters this way.

Hanako knows 4 different languages. English, Japanese, Greek, and French. She was taught Japanese by her father and Greek by her mother. She learned French and English herself

Even though Hana loves to do girly things, makeup is not one of them. She always thought it was pretty cool but she never had the time to sit down and practice it.

Thank you for reading✨ I had a lot of fun making this and I can’t wait to write more stuff about her! I’ll probably have to learn how to make a master post so her stuff is easier to access. If you have any questions about Hana my inbox is open, or you can message me in private, either way works!

I hope you stick around for more content with Hanako! 🌸🔥✨

[thewonkywitchescauldron]

Magickal Energy of Plants

I am a HUGE fan of herbs, whether it’s growing them myself in my witchy herb garden and harvesting to use within teas, tinctures, beauty products and my spellwork or having a dried selection or essential oil form in my witchy stash to use at any time I need these wonderful beings within my path.

I use essential oils within magickal dressing and anointing oils, within magickal sprays, oil diffusers, holistically whether it’s topically to help aid an ailment or inhaling the oil for mental and emotional support. However these do need some training and much research before using them in such ways as these little bottles of oils are extremely concentrated extracts of the plants themselves and without proper training and research these can cause more harm then good.

Dried & Fresh herbs are much safer to use for all, but of course again research is needed before using herbs for specific ailments concerning the human body as they can cause problems as well if used incorrectly.

However using herbs within witchcraft is safe and doesn’t need to be considered too much unless when handling you are sensitive and of course if you're working with particular poisonous herbs, so still air on the side of caution.

Now the careful chat is out the way let’s talk herbal history. As we all know the plant kingdom came into existence on our Earth millions of years before the existence and evolution of human beings. Saying that, it’s fair to say that herbs are the oldest magickal tools and ingredients in existence. Known for millennia to have beneficial properties for both the physical and spiritual well-being, many different species of plants were incorporated into the practices of healers, shamans and other medicine men and women of the old days within villages and tribes - this is where, as we know it, the origin of herbal magick. You still see to this day in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Native American medicines being used from the knowledge of their ancestors centuries ago. In these traditions there is still a good amount of chanting, prayers and spellwork adding to the curative effects of the plants themselves.

Back before medicine was separated from magick, physical healing was often accompanied by ritual and prayer, so that a patient might be treated with an herbal decoction, as well as a smudging ritual and an incantation to the spirits for a quick recovery. Today, the simple daily ritual of enjoying a cup of herbal tea can have emotional and spiritual effects as well as nutritional benefits. This combination of healing and magickal properties makes herbs incredibly powerful components to use within your magickal practice or your daily life for that matter.

The healers of old would pass this information down through their lineage or to people they trained to become the next healers. This was all done verbally so you can imagine the concentration and memory they had to possess to keep track of every plant they worked, what it looked like, where it grew, how it grew, antidotes to them if a reaction occurred, what reactions may occur, along with their correspondences if working spiritually, this was all a trial and error for them as they did not possess the equipment we do today to tell how a plant may react to situations and know the dosages for medicinal use or magickal.The Egyptians used plants in the majority of their magick, they didn’t only use the plants for healing but also for their powers of protection, strength, love etc. The Egyptian practitioner knew the metaphysical properties of many plants and knew how to blend them together within spellwork and rituals.

The Greeks and Romans both used medicinal herbs regularly. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine lived during these times and he’s work is fll of known plants and their uses for medicinal purposes. Other names such as Galen and Dioscorides complied 500 plants into a reference text which we have Medieval Monks to thank for reproducing these texts for future use.With all this happening we did still have the wise woman or the wife at home using folk medicine to help aid any ailments that came. They used plants from their own gardens or woodlands nearby as well as their own kitchens and used them everyday to help aid illnesses like colds and also help heal bruises. These simple acts blended beautifully with folk magick, this is where the first herb witches were born.

From the 15th to the 17th Centuries herbal aids were popping up all over the place which also included astrological elements.

Nicholas Culpeper an English botanist, herbalist, physician and astrologer wrote a book called ‘The English Physician’ which is full of pharmaceutical and herbal knowledge, as well as Astrological Judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the Sick which is one of the most detailed works on medical astrology in Early Modern Europe. Within he’s work was The doctrine of Signatures which states that herbs resembling various parts of the body can be used by herbalists to treat ailments of those body parts. This method is still widely used today. For Example: A Walnut is the shape of the brain, so therefore helps with brain health. Ginger Root resembles the stomach, this in turn helps aid in stomach sickness. Nature always has a remedy for an ailment, you just ned to know where to look.

Herbs in Magick

As magickal practices with plants grew over the centuries, so did the approach of use from witch to witch. They were added herbs to flames or candles to increase their power as well as creating bundles for burning or mixing together for a specific goal. Others used the moon and phases of the moon to gather particular herbs for the best results.To hide their recipes, codes were put in place so the ‘muggle’ so to speak wouldn’t recognise the ingredients used by the witch. Eye of Newt is a great example which would be a common flower or plant used that only the witch who wrote it would understand. Historians aren’t sure why this was done, but the general consensus is that it was done for protection of their personal power. We don’t see much of this anymore however some practitioners will use the Theban Alphabet (witches alphabet) to hide information from prying eyes.

Today this use of herbs within witchcraft is exceedingly widespread and so many herbs are now so readily available there is no need to go out and forage. However it is a fun way of doing it as well as really getting that connection to the earth and the plants themselves. You can also of course grow plants within your own garden or in the home. This way they are readily available to you as and when you need them. Growing and harvesting your own herbs keeps you in touch with the powers of the Earth - not to mention the Sun, the rain, and the wind, as well as the role played by insects and other animal life in sustaining the cycle of life and death in all of its forms.Gardening and growing your own herbs and plants allows you to charge these wonderful beings with your own energy.

Herbs are also probably the most versatile when it comes to hands-on magic. You can use them to create your own magickal crafts, such as spell jars, dream pillows, poppets, sachets and other charms. Some people like to create their own incense and oils with herbs, which adds even more magickal power to their work. Herbs are also used in all kinds of ways whether we’re talking about magical teas, baked goods or other foods.

Why not add this knowledge to medicinal remedies in your witchy first aid kit as well, tinctures, salves, creams etc. Working with herbs, plants, trees, berries etc can really be so beneficial in so many ways. The Green Witch knows this.

Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher of ancient times, believed that plants have “psyches,” a word normally used to describe the human quality of soul, or spirit. Many Witches today would agree. In fact, even scientists are starting to realize that plants actually have what we might define as consciousness.

Plants both communicate and cooperate with each other in the wild, even among different species. In a forest setting, trees, shrubs, and other plants will exchange information with each other through an underground network of roots and fungi.

This natural “internet” allows plants to exchange nutrients with each other, helping each other make up for any shortages at various points in the growing season - much like you might “borrow” a few eggs from a neighbour and return the favour later on with some extra butter! Plants are also able to warn each other about nearby predators. For example, if one leaf is bitten by an insect, a plant will release chemicals that both repel the insect and prompt its plant neighbours to release their own chemicals to do the same.

These discoveries serve as wonderful illustrations of the inherent intelligence of Mother Earth. Whether working with a plant’s roots, seeds, stems, leaves, flowers, or berries or even the bark of a tree. Witches tap into these magical energies when incorporating herbs into their practice.

The Four Elements within Plants

In terms of magickal symbolism, plants embody the power of the four classical Elements working together to create and sustain life. They begin as seeds in the soil of the Earth, where the minerals needed to sustain their life are found. They interact with the Fire of sunlight, which makes the process of converting carbon dioxide into oxygen possible - a process that directly affects the quality of the air.

Air then fosters more plant life in the form of wind, which both stimulates the growth of stems and leaves, and scatters seeds in order to continue the cycle. And of course, all plants need Water to live.

But they also play a crucial role in the regulation of the Earth’s water cycles by purifying water, and helping to move it from the soil to the atmosphere. Indeed, there is perhaps no better illustration for how the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water come together than in the magickal existence of plants.

So where should a beginner witch start with their herb cupboard?

Here are a few firm favourites that I like to say are a must in any witches stash which are easily accessible.

Basil is a firm winner for the green witch. So easy to obtain. Basil covers Abundance, Prosperity & Wealth, Love, Happiness, Mental Power and Confidence.

Bay Leaf is another easy to obtain herb to use within your craft. These wonderful leaves are used for Psychic Power, Divination, Purification, Success, Money, Strength, Protection and is widely used for Wish Magick.

Chamomile is a beautiful little flower to work with, its gentle, calming and a firm favourite amongst witches. Chamomile helps with Money, luck, love, reversing hexes, happiness, meditation, sleep and purification.

Cinnamon adds some lovely aroma and boosts magickal potency but also helps with Spiritual and Psychic Abilities, Creativity, Divination, Luck, Protection and Success.

Clove is one of my favourites for boosting spells and adding a little potency to my workings but it’s also used for Cleansing, Protection, Banishing, Prosperity, Courage and Divination.

Dandelion is the dreaded weed that everyone wants to get rid of in their gardens. But is it really? This misunderstood so-called ‘weed’ is full of life. I love seeing these pop up in my garden, they are full of goodness and shouldn't be looked down upon in disgust. Magickally they can be used for Divination, wishes, transformation, calling spirits, sun energy (yellow flower), moon energy (puff ball).

Lavender is such a wonderful plant to work with. I cannot stress this enough.Lavender is used for Psychic Power & Awareness, Love, Divination, Happiness, Healing, Peace & Sleep, Meditation, Purification and of course Protection. A great plant to grow by your front door for protection.

Then there is the Witches Protection Herb of Rosemary. One of my absolute favourites. Grow this by your front door for some herbal witchy protection. It is also used for Purification, Courage, Confidence, Blessings, Mental Power & Remembrance, Strength and Wisdom.

You can always tell when a witch is present in a household when there is Lavender and Rosemary growing. Have a look when you're out and about, I am sure you will notice quite a few houses with these wonderful plants outside.

Sage being a firm favourite across many cultures which is used for Purification, Prosperity, Clairvoyance, Divination, Banishing, Inspiration, Wisdom and Protection. It’s usually the main herb used in most smudging sticks.

Just having these herbs in your witchy stash will cover an array of magickal needs you may desire. However if you’re like me this isn’t enough, I love to work with herbs and oils so much, I need a whole array of herbs to work with within my craft.

If you’d like to learn more about using herbs within your craft then please do join me at Kallima Spiritual Centre in my Green Witches Craft Workshop on Sunday 29th August 2021 Or my Magickal Witches Incense and Oils Workshop on Sunday 1st August. To book your space please visit www.kallima.co.uk

Stay Magickal & Blessed Be WillowMoon The Wonky Witch

[paramisgwilwileth]

Piano || Eren Jeager [ModernAU!]

-×- Warning: Slight Mature Content -×-

please dont repost, nor copy and paste, Thank you!

You stared at the music sheet in frustration, eyebrows furrowing together and you scribbled a pencil-mark on the end of the page. You were stuck- stuck at this particular bar, stuck on why you could be able to play this again - messing up over and over again.

"The paper is scared enough [Y/N]." A familiar voice chuckled from the music room door. "Any longer and your stare would burn a hole through that thing.

Your reply was non-verbal, shaking your head as you rolled your eyes, still a small smile formed on your lips- Placing your fingertips back on top of the designated ivory keys of the old grand piano you started from the very top of the unforgiving piece.

A chill ran up your spine- making you shudder involuntarily as your stopped playing. Pushing back the piano seat, you faced him in all his handsome glory.

"You're all dressed up, got a date?"

You raised an eyebrow at the stunning man in question. Now that you have seen him fully, you couldn't help but bite the inside of your lip- he looked so irresistibly attractive.

He snickered, obviously relishing the fact that your eyes basically scanned his whole being.

"Hmm, what if I did?" He challenged, spreading his legs slightly as he sat up from his leaning position on the velvety couch by the corner of the padded room- his eyes locked with yours, lips twitched up in a cocky smile- a signature of his.

You pursed your lips, narrowing your eyes at the attractive male- though... You couldn't help but stare at that delicious neck of his, oh how you wanted to just be near him- Inhaling and savouring his scen-

You forced out a cough, turning your back on him and faced the piano once again. Focusing on the black and white keys of the instrument you pressed the tabs gently, soft music vibrating off the layered walls of the spacious room.

Your heart raced as the notes you played neared the subject of your frustration.

molto appassionato

Crap.

It seemed as if your fingers had a mind of their own, fussing up and messing with the keys by themselves no matter what mental command you had demanded at them.

This part was supposed to be Fast and Passionate- Instead it became a blurry sound of no rhythm at all.

The music- or at this point- noise - stopped completely, folowed by a frustrated groan erupting from your mouth and a string of curses that could send a sailor to their shame.

Though, your complaints ended when he sat beside you, nudging you slightly to the side as if saying 'watch me'.

"Jeager what the fuck are you doing?" you hissed, still completely unaware of the fact that his long slender fingers sat atop the white keys ready to play a sweet melody.

"I think this is called 'Showing you how its done' babe." he winked, reaching up to flip the pages back to the first as a serious veil took over his chiseled features.

Music.

It was music.

The damn man could play the fucking piano- and he had fun watching your sorry ass stumble across a few fast paced notes.

Saliva pooled at your throat as you watched him gracefully play the instrument, never faltering even at the hardest points of the piece. His fingers were the highlights to your eyes,just as his music was to your ears, and the vibrations to your heartstrings.

His long, slender, perfect fingers danced like professional ballet dancers. Your mind wandered away from sane thoughts as your eyes felt glued to them.

What would his hands feel like on you?

Travelling on your arms and legs, brushing against your lips. Hovering over your breasts, warm, warm, hands- hands that seemed to be God's favourite, making you their own property.

The thought made you bit your lip out of human instinct. Holding back a moan of utter delight as your mind wandered into wild fantasies.

"... [Y/N], Oi [Y/N]." his sharp voice brought you back to reality, turning your head to face the piano as your face flushed a deep red.

"Y-Yeah? Right." You flustered, hurriedly flipping the music sheet back to the first page.

He smirked, placing his warm hands on top of yours, picking up your limp hands from the ivory keys and placing it on his significantly larger palm.

Those feel utterly amazing on you- stop it [Y/N] he's your friend.

Just a friend.

"You look so red." a laugh flowered from his pretty lips.

God even his laugh is attractive.

A smirk planted itself once more on his handsome face, nearing yours- his warm, minty breath fanned your face.

Jeager-- Oh God I want to kiss this boy so bad right now.

His lips were near, almost too near, leaving only a few inches between the two of you.

A small movement would surely... Connect you to him instantly.

You wondered how those lips would feel on yours, on your body.

You blinked.

His turquoise eyes staring down at your [E/C] ones.

"Can I...?" His eyes shifted to your slightly parted lips.

A kiss.

You didn't waste a second, leaning in an touching your lips to his waiting ones.

At first the kiss was soft, gentle, no more than an innocent first kiss- but soon turned into a hungry mess as he smiled, nipping at your bottom lip causing you to gasp out of surprise.

The sneaky man used this chance to dip his tongue onto yours, touching the tip of the soft muscle to yours.

A slight moan slipped out from your lips.

Slick.

He grinned cheekily into the kiss, loving the sound you made along with the fact that he was the reason behind your sweet sinful acts.

The kiss soon ended as both gasped for much needed air.

"I guess you know why I dressed up now." He winked, tucking an out of place hair strand behind your ear.

A thought flashed across your mind as you stared at his bright pools for eyes, the piano forgotten.

Holy shit, I kissed my friend.

I kissed Eren Jeager.

_________________________________________________

Note :

Hello!

I hope you enjoyed this!

Please don't be shy and comment or vote or message me so I can know if I have to make things better in my writing for you guys!

Much love,

MK

[tomsrebeleyebrow]

heavenly yours (part 3/3) | th x fem!reader

Heavenly Yours – a chaotic series

PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3  |  epilogue

Summary: (Y/N) followed Harrison and arrived in the Underworld of Hell. Everything was so much different from Heaven but instead of feeling uneasy by this new surrounding, (Y/N) sensed an appeasing presence she never dared to forget. After being reunited with her love one, the long forgotten angel and now King of Hell, he promised her nothing will tear them apart never again.

Pairing: KOH!Tom x Angel!Fem!Reader

Warnings: fluff because happy reunion, swearing, PDA, SMUT (first time of my life writing smut so please be nice!) including first time + unprotected sex (use condoms kids), body exploration, slight handjob and oral (f receiving)

Words count: 9258

A/N: okay. SO. here is the last part of this mini series!! 🔥 man, what a ride... not meaning to brag or anything, but I loved this idea so much and had tones of fun writing it! ☺️ well I MAY be thinking about writing an epilogue to end it for good, who knows... 👀 and as you saw in the warnings, this is a sinful chapter so beware your innocent eyes 😏😂 I really hope you will like this new chapter, and as always, I’m open to constructive critics and opinions 💕 Enjoy beauts 🔥

masterlist | series masterlist

“Tom…”

❞ Welcome back, my love. Welcome in Hell. And welcome home. ❞

As (Y/N) still processes what is happening she doesn’t notice Tom walking towards her, slowly walking down each dark step of the entrance. His pace full of confidence but still majestic like he owns the place... which he actually does. His aura gives such power off that as he continues making his way to her, more demons passing by start to notice their King’s presence and all of them stop to bow deeply for him.

Harrison and Jacob are still kneeling down next to (Y/N), not saying a single word. And she is the only one frozen in place, captivated by this man she once used to know as the most beautiful and caring angel of Heaven. But her angel transformed into an imposing and powerful demon, now well known as the King of Hell himself. 

Tom keeps advancing, not too fast but not too slow either. Finally. The day he dreamed of for so long and wished to happen is finally today. The day both he and the person he never stopped loving so much would be reunited for good. His dear angel is as he remembered: gorgeous from head to toes, divine features that could make anyone jealous - damn those curves are to die for -, with perfect immaculate wings to compliment her all. Pure and innocent. The way he always adored her. Desired her. Tom couldn’t hide the smile growing on his face. He wants to be close to his precious (Y/N) again. Now.

And (Y/N), on the other hand, could observe the new appearance of Tom and see how much he has changed. He is in fact all dressed in black clothes, the style similar to Harrison’s but with a closed shirt and neat tie. And the pants look more... shinny? Like leather maybe? Oh, the sinful way these pants hugged his hips only make the angel blush and avert her eyes from that part, hoping nothing caught her. And what surprised her the most is his new hairstyle. His once wild brown curls she loved to caress are no more, but replaced with a neat and clear buzz cut that surely emphasised a sharp jawline. Severe features that does something to (Y/N), bringing shivers along her spine. And the angel also notices his wingspan, wider and more impressive compared to hers. They could easily wrap around her fragile body whenever he wants. But what calms her down is seeing his smile, the same and usual one she knows by heart, his signature smile that brings a warm feeling into her heart.

It’s him. It’s still him.

This is it. The two beings stand in front each other. An angel and a demon, face to face, right at the entrance of the burning Hell’s castle. And the silence. A long but peaceful silence. Everything stops in Hell, first to bow down to the King’s presence and then because of this unexpected show. 

It is as if they are alone. Nothing around but them. Alone. (Y/N) can now clearly recognise and sink into Tom’s big brown eyes like she used to up in Heaven. Warm and soothing. Was his jawline this sharp before? It sure accentuates his features very well. And the angel does also notice he developed some muscles just by looking at his torso. But he is as magnificent as she remembers him. 

She feels no fear or disgust. No. Why would she? Because (Y/N) actually discovers that all she read about Hell in Heaven is false. Where is the ground burning with constant fire? Where are the ferocious chimeras and Cerberus? Where is the smell of blood that makes you nauseous? Nowhere.

❞ You are still gorgeous, dove. ❞

Oh his voice...

Hearing it again after so long and this close almost brings tears to the angel’s eyes. It gives (Y/N) goose bumps, her mind fuzzy as she keeps staring into his coffee coloured eyes. Tired eyes actually. The tender look she knows is still here, but now it is mixed with fatigue. His whole face screams exhaustion. But it doesn’t matter. This magnetic attraction that always existed between them, that didn’t stop burning, slowly, and that helped both of them to keep going, is here. And it never stopped existing.

❞ Are you... afraid of me, (Y/N)? Please, don’t be... ❞

His almost pleading voice pulls (Y/N) out of her thoughts as she blinks a few times, regaining some composure. And the most oblivious thing she finds doing is reaching to gently cup his face in her hands, as to make sure everything is real. To make sure it is really him.

And Tom couldn’t help but relax in her grasp. Oh her soft and delicate hands that he missed so much, still with a faint smell of flowers and immaculately fresh. He feels all the stress he accumulated leaves his body as (Y/N) continues caressing his cheekbones, applying a sweet pressure on them. He exhales at this feeling. The constant warmth emanating from not only his face but entire body in general appeases the angel too, maybe it is intentional or not but it works. 

Closing his eyes for a moment, Tom dares to brings his hands on top of (Y/N) ones and delicately putting them on hers. That is when (Y/N) can finally see but mostly feel them. Hurt. His hands are covered by multiples cuts, from top to palm as his fingers, making the skin rough. His poor hands show what her lover endured all these years before becoming who he is now. Pure pain. But his touch stays soft when his hands makes contact with hers. What a bizarre but calming sensation...

“I’m not afraid of you, Tom, and never would I be” finally answers (Y/N) in a whisper, her voice as sweet as honey. 

Without breaking contact, the young woman stands on her tiptoes and puts her forehead against her lover’s, noses now touching, and shuts her eyes. Her wings that she kept closed on her back until now slightly unfold. And as if Tom senses it he starts extending his toward hers, creating their own little fortress. 

She missed this closeness. They both did.

After this showoff of affection, Tom decides to pull back still too early for (Y/N)’s liking, but not without leaving a tender kiss on the palm of her hand. Then his eyes divert from the beautiful creature in front of him to gaze at his two friends, Harrison and Jacob, still kneeling on the ground. The same harsh expression as when she arrived makes its way back on his face. 

❞ Harrison, thank you again for your help, my friend. I couldn’t make it without you. ❞

‘ Anything for you, Tom ‘ directly replies Harrison while standing again.

The young demon takes a look at his friend - and King - and at his lover finally reunited, next to each other as if they have never been apart. Seeing the now appeasing expression on both their faces gives him pure satisfaction. Besides he doesn’t hesitate to shoot a few threatening looks at the other demons, further down, who try to look at the scene even though they didn’t have the right to. 

❞ And you Jacob, thank you for all your researches. Leave the files in my office before you leave. ❞

’ Your welcome Tom, anytime ’ declares Jacob, standing himself.

❞ Oh and I’m done for the day. So you two deal with whatever happens. I don’t want anything to disturb us ❞ adds Tom, finally looking at (Y/N) again. They both nod before taking their leave.

Tom sends (Y/N) a smile and as she does the same, he delicately takes her hand. ❞ Come on, love, I want to show you the castle and around. ❞

And as being told, the angel follows Tom while climbing the stairs next to him. (Y/N) still feels overwhelmed by all this but she knows that she has yet to see what the Kingdom of her lover, the King of Hell, looks like. 

As the two opposite but perfect beings leave, the other demons go back to their routine.

* * * *

Indeed it took an entire day for them to discover the Hell’s Castle. Understated and black. Basically. And a lot of rooms, like A LOT. Tom showed the principal rooms such as the dining room, the library - which the angel already planned to visit often -, the kitchen, the varied lounge rooms, his office, the throne room - Tom made the visit there quite quick -, the gardens and... His bedroom. As innocent as she could be, (Y/N) didn’t catch the innuendo behind this at first, just asking the demon “... and where is my bedroom?” straight away. Because to her, Tom is still the same Tom she knows since her arrival in Heaven. So Tom just laughed at her question and proceeded to show her another bedroom, one just next to his, like it was nothing. 

But little did she knows that his behaviour DID changed more than a little bit. 

The first few days went by and (Y/N) started getting used to her new environment. She would wake up early, have some breakfast - sometimes with Tom or by herself (because Tom would be already working) -, read for a while, maybe go outside the castle but always accompanied by Tom or Harrison or even Jacob (Tom refuses to let you go out alone). The rest of her day would vary with her longing. 

Other days, Tom would request her to stay by his side while he does some paper work - something he doesn’t fancy at all. And (Y/N) would never refuse because, well, she misses his presence next to her. So she would just lay down on his leather couch, a book in hands, while the King does his devil business. And sometimes, he would leave her there for a bit, leaving a soft peck of her lips and saying an important matter was waiting for him and that he will be back later.

But Tom would never let his angel enter the throne room while he is in there. The things that happen there are way too horrible and morbid and gore. It is where he can show his new self, his devil self, and terrify to death whoever was in there. The throne room is where Tom, as the King of Hell, decides of the life of any demon: are they allowed in Hell, in which part of Hell would them live forever, their punishment and so on. And Tom would be inflexible. And harsh. Never in a million years his beautiful and immaculate angel lover would put a foot in there. Never. That is why the King would also take extra precautions and shower neatly before finding her again, the smell of blood way too strong and sickening on him. And then he will ask (Y/N) to massage his sore shoulders in front of the fireplace, being back at the sweet and caring lover she knew.

And then, there are this particular days where Tom is... handsy and daring. At first (Y/N) wouldn’t mind because she appreciates his caresses with all her heart. But sometimes, well, (Y/N) is surely not use to what he does. The demon would sometimes sneak behind her, wrapping his toned arms around her waist but then, he would slide his hands on her hips and on top of her thighs, massaging them. Or as he is sitting and ask her to cuddle with him, he would keep her standing between his legs and bury his head on her tummy while embracing her frame. Or legitimately putting his hands on her bottom while they would kiss. Without forgetting the time when he would cheekily ask her to join him in the shower or in his bed... and so on.

All that embarrasses the innocent angel but she doesn’t say a word about it. One night Tom pleaded? no demanded asked her to try sleeping in the same bed as him, because he too misses having her next to him. And.... (Y/N) didn’t say no. Again. But still she felt her stomach contort and mouth dry, without really knowing why. Why was she so stressed being this close to him? 

* * * *

By now, all Hell knew about the angel woman and the demons accepted her - not like they had a choice anyway. Some were still defiant to her of course, but never oh never they would dare making an attempt on hurting her. So Tom did everything in his power to make his Kingdom understands the angel was no harm to them. And he obviously succeeded.

Tom recently left his lover aside because work has been an insane hell (pun intended?) to him so he surely wanted to make it up to her. So after delegating his duty to Harrison, he took (Y/N) out for lunch. After spending some time there just chatting, they had a walk into town and Tom took the opportunity to order some made-to-measure clothes for her that he of course all paid for. All white. No black. He wanted to keep her like she has always been so dearly. 

In the afternoon they went back to the castle and enjoyed each other company in the garden. Unlike Heaven’s gardens which are full of flowers and animals, the garden here in Hell were more simple - as that is just the aesthetic down here. Trees and bushes, plain but still beautifully looked after, and the only flower here are roses. Red roses everywhere. The garden is full of them and they definitely match with the environment. And (Y/N) loved touching their delicate petals, feeling like silk on her fingers, as a sweet and strong smell that awakes all senses.

❞ You know, my love, red is the colour that joins us ❞ Tom says behind her, slowly walking towards her to watch over her naked shoulder. ❞ It goes perfectly with white... and black. ❞

Wrapping his arms around her frame, Tom begins humming as he puts his head on her neck, leaving kisses here and there. (Y/N) closes her eyes and slightly rubs her face against Tom’s, while putting her hands on his. And their body would swing from left to right as if in rhythm with an imaginary song playing in the background. No one to interrupt. Just them.

“I love you, Tom. So much.”

❞ I love you too, princess. You’re the most precious person I ever had. And I want you to be mine as I already am yours since day one. ❞

As she whispers a soft “yes” in his ears, Tom keeps trailing a path of kisses along her neck until he finally catch her eyes to then kiss her luscious lips. Her hand makes its way on caressing his cheek, also feeling his jawline and the slight growing stubble there that she liked rubbing with her nails.

Tom lets out a raspy growl at the feeling. Then he detached from his lover and look at her again, as to ask her permission to proceed. When he got it somehow, a lap of his slippery tongue over her bottom lips have them parting right away, leaving the young woman under his spell of desire that always offer new sensations. The demon draws her even closer to him, not wanting her other than right next to him.

Such a hellish behaviour.

(Y/N) would sometimes think that letting loose is good. And yes, it also feels good indeed.

* * * *

The same day Tom and (Y/N) went to bed at the same time, both tired and quite pleased from the day they spent together. The angel’s body is curled into her lover’s frame, nuzzling her face in the middle of his naked chest - by now she got kind of used to it. His body give off a very calming warmth that she really appreciates, the nights in Hell being strangely cold. They face each other, one of Tom’s arms bend behind his head and the other around (Y/N)’s waist. His soft breathing indicates his sleeping state, as his lover is still wide awake. 

Every night, a bunch of questions would rush into her mind, questions that still need answers. How did she manage arriving in Hell like it was nothing? And above all, why was it possible that Heaven has not revealed itself yet? It has been almost ten days - maybe fifteen? - and still nothing from up there.

❞ Trouble sleeping, my love? ❞ Tom must have feel her wiggled against him. 

“I-I am just... thinking, that’s all. Sorry for waking you up, dear” whispers the angel back.

❞ Don’t worry, angel face ❞ Tom starts caressing her back tenderly, ❞ so, what are you thinking about that keeps you awake? ❞

Could she tell him what was on her mind all this time? Wouldn’t he just say to enjoy her new life with him and to not ask stupid quest-

❞ (Y/N), darling, look at me. ❞

The words seems to be illusive until the angel looks up and flutters at the features on his face. He merely seems curious and... preoccupied, maybe? 

“Well... I, um... I still wonder h-how is it even possible for me to be here... in Hell...Like you know I’m an angel so in what miracles did I make it here, without any injury? Am I a f-fallen angel too? Will I become a demon? And how come the Heaven didn’t even try to look after me?? I don’t know what to think, but it’s not like I don’t like being with you, Tom, trust me, I love you with all my heart and-”

Tom cuts her off by placing his lips on hers, slowly kissing to calm her down. After a few seconds, he pulls back but stays close to her face. His expression softens, coiling both his hands around her beautiful body and whiffing at the top of her head. Her delicious scent has always been soothing and he couldn’t help but bring her even closer to his frame.

❞ Relax, princess ❞ He kisses her forehead, chuckling at a nervous state, ❞ I will gladly answer to all your questions but tomorrow because, well, it’s kinda late now? ❞

(Y/N) just nods at him.

❞ But if it can calm you more, just know that I did every research possible to bring you and keep you with me, safely and by the rules. Nothing will ever hurt you, so you don’t have to be afraid of Heaven anymore. I will protect you until the end, angel face. ❞

The woman shows him a most sincere smile, while she circles her hands on his face to return his kiss. He enjoys the way she snuggles closer, sliding her warm tender hands around his hips then higher, just before his wings. Once again, she could feel all the cuts and closed wounds covering his strong back, another reminders of what he suffered during this first years here. She keeps caressing them, as hoping it could cure them for good, putting extra attention around the birth of his wings. And this startles the demon, who almost more like completely shivering from pleasure. He suppresses a weird sound definitely a moan from leaving his mouth by swallowing his saliva.

❞ I- I suggest you to... to not touch me here a-anymore, my love... ❞

HIs heartbeat accelerates, just like hers. (Y/N) has no idea of what she did but her entire face feels heats up. Why that? Her soft and confused eyes blink a few times, before she becomes redder and shy at the way he pulls apart. Even in the darkness of the bedroom, his alluring brown eyes show tonight a different expression, one yet unknown by (Y/N) but that she kept catching some time when the demon was starring at her for way too long. The sharp gleam behind his dilated pupils soon grows intimidating but the moment she tries to move away, Tom presses his warm palms against her cheeks. 

The expression behind his handsome face unsettles the angel and this encourages him by rolling slowly on top of her, his strong body now between her thighs making her nightgown slowly slide down. Now laying under him, her eyes flutter at him as if (Y/N) were dreaming, mesmerised by his beautiful dark wings displayed on his back. But an ounce of confusion persists in his look, as if something bothers him deeply.

❞ (Y/N), doll ❞ he begins not looking away from her, ❞ You know that I love you, with all my heart and since the beginning... right? ❞

The angel nods, not daring to speak. Tom lets out a sigh before proceeding.

❞ A-and I know I’m not like I used to be in Heaven b-but... But I want to show you how much I love you and... A-and make you m-mine, forever... ❞

The King of Hell stuttering is sure a sight, delectable as a piece of candy but still undeniably cute. It has been a long time since the King himself was not 100% honest with his needs. And now that you both were reunited, Tom didn’t want to scare you. But when he caught sight of his lovely angel after years and years of torture, he couldn’t help but want to please her in any way possible. Any way possible. But Tom controlled his biggest urges but well, he couldn’t really stop the heated make out sessions when he started them. 

Until tonight.

His (Y/N) is such a masterpiece. Now he finally has her just for himself, no one around too bold to check her out, but him. And only him. She is his ray of sunshine, at his mercy laying on his soft black silk bedsheets. Her all quiet, dressed in white, delicate and her beautiful and delicious features screaming innocence in his face. And her nightgown that just doesn’t let anything to his imagination but pure fantasy, slightly squeezing her breasts then the fabric loosening on her lower body. The delicate skin of her bare knees gently caresses his side, sending new shivers down his spine then through his wings.

What a fucking view.

❞ We... we haven’t been together in this way ❞ continues Tom, ❞ All this time I have been waiting for you and only you, hoping that this day would come... The day I openly declare my love to you. ❞

Tom slowly bends down towards (Y/N), ghosting his lips of her forehead. ❞ ... but Heaven didn’t want that at all. ❞

The angel closes her eyes, enjoying herself in this warm proximity with the demon. She still can feel his heartbeat going fast just like hers but now, it is a good sensation like both hearts try adjusting their rhythm to synchronise. Her hands slide along his built shoulders to then stroke the back of his neck, bringing his face to hers again.

“Tom... Tell me what you want” (Y/N) heavenly whispers against his lips, her cheeks flushed.

Tom’s hands accentuate his meaning by caressing first along her hips and over the round curves of her breasts. The angel’s body squirms with a soft moan, leaning back with a most delighted murmur of the demon king’s name when he leans forward to kiss at the side of her neck.

❞ My gorgeous and beautiful princess, I want to show you how much you mean to me, in both romantic and intimate way. I never want you away from me, ever again. I want you to be mine as I will be yours for eternity. I want Heaven to know that even in the afterlife, angels and demons have the right to be fully happy... meaning to love someone, no matter who it is. ❞

These tender words have (Y/N)’s heart absolutely fluttering, while he goes to claim your lips again. Meanwhile his hands slide down to massage her hips and they both share several sensual and mind fogging kisses, that display just how much he wants her.

❞ My angel, are you ready to... give yourself to me? Because I want all of you ❞ Tom smoothly groans, admiring his lover’s flickering eyes with their pure colours. 

His hands then trickle down at the top of her thighs, where the nightgown is all wrinkled up and almost showing her most private area. As his hands try to push the fabric even more up, Tom keeps his eyes on (Y/N)’s, tasting there waters and ready to stop anytime if she doesn’t want it. But her eyes ask maybe plead? him to continue so he pushes it up her hips, finally able to look at her thin white lace panties.

For fuck sake, I need to keep cool... keep cool, Tom... cool...

“I... am more than ready, Tommy. I always trusted you and always I will. And I want to be with you, forever” (Y/N) smiles to assure this is alright.

Then it is like her body already knows what to do. She lets him lean her off the mattress enough to fully pull her nightgown off, dropping it to the floor. The demon almost forgets how to breath in front of so much beauty: her perfect body displayed for him, wings beautifully spread out on each side of her frame, her underwear being the only thing left on her, skin as immaculate and tender as a cloud. And her breasts finally free from that fabric, round and full, just like he always imagined them.

Fucking Hell.

He murmurs softly so many compliments, praising each centimetre of her body then using the flat of both his strong hands to appreciate the edge of her stomach, of which he places a warm kiss against.

“Mmh Tommy, I enjoy your kisses a lot...” 

The demon gives her a tender expression pecking right against her belly button, as he works his way south. A warm haze of his chuckling breath aires against her stomach when the young woman gladly slips her delicate hands on his head, filling the buzz cut she starts to love even more day by day. She then gently scratch his short hair, a ticklish feeling left under her fingers. And Tom does enjoy the way they pet him in a tender loving way.

Dark brown eyes check up and down her lace lingerie that enhances the curves of her womanly frame, taking in how completely irresistible and erotic (Y/N) looks. This single piece of clothing really does wonders to her voluptuous form, so much that Tom can’t resist but keep caressing her skin.

❞ Bloody Hell, doll, you’re such a masterpiece. All for me. ❞ Tom growls, his voice low and eyes desperate with lust.

The angel giggles at the swear word her lover used, clearing referring to Hell, but still funny coming from the King of the said place himself. As he appreciates more her hips, a pleasured pour of Tom’s name frays from her succulent lips, turning into full moans when he places several kisses between her breasts.

Soon (Y/N) feels nothing anymore and when coming back to herself, her eyes meet with her lover’s. Her head slowly tilts on the side as if asking him what if something is wrong.

❞ Princess, before we go any further I want you to promise me to keep talking. That you will tell me if you feel good, what you want or even if I need to stop, alright? I don’t want to hurt you or do something you don’t enjoy, baby... C-Can you do that for me? Please? ❞

Not leaving a chance to the demon to continue his rumbling, (Y/N) firmly grabs his face and pulls him close to her again, making him lose his balance a little in the process. He catches himself on his forearms, draping her head in between them while savouring their sealed lips.

“I’ve always been ready for you and I promise you to tell you anything, Tommy. I know you would never hurt me... I love you so much, my love, so so much.” 

Her words resonate like a prayer in Tom’s ears. He couldn’t help but shows a relieved smile, showing his perfect white teeth.

❞ I love you too, baby, so fucking much. ❞  

The young man continues his ministrations by pecking the angel’s lips one last time before leaving a trail of wet kisses all the way to (Y/N)’s bare mounds. Then he is quick to lick a warm circle down and around the closest bud. Soon he is suckling and lapping in such a warm intoxicating way that fog was quick to form inside the angel’s brain. Even more when Tom becomes determined to leave a flavourful hickey. With a delectable pop he edges over her other breast, lapping flat his wet muscle slow enough to push up her nip before wrapping both his lips around it. The melody of his name and how good he makes his dear angel feel is all he needs as an evidence of her pleasure.

Tom then pauses his moves when he feels both her hands on his shoulders, her nails lightly pressing into his warm skin to get his attention. When he raises his head the demon notices (Y/N) with her arms opened like asking him to get back in between them. And how can he refuse such an offer made by his lover?

With his signature smirk on his face, Tom slides back up in (Y/N)’s needy grasp. The angel hums with satisfaction, her nose nuzzling against his temple.

❞ A bit needy, aren’t we my beautiful girl? ❞ mocks Tom while he playfully tugs at the frame of her ears with his teeth.

(Y/N) chuckles as she tightens up her embrace around his body.

“I love feeling your skin on mine. You’re so warm and comfy, I never want to let you go...”

❞ Cheeky... I love that... ❞ Tom immediately places butterfly kisses all over her face, making the angel giggle even more.

With goosebumps of warm delight gliding through her nerves, both her hands curl around his defined back muscles, arching into his frame. The feeling of their bare chests pressing together has (Y/N) closing her eyes again, enjoying the sensations wholeheartedly. Tom too seems to like this feeling as well when he aires a hot rasp of her name against her neck, before giving it a kiss and playfully tug at the skin with his teeth.

Soon they both share a most loving expression while meeting in the middle to devour each other’s flavour in a frenzy of passionate French kisses. His black wings go to lovingly brush her white ones that are still displayed on the bed. The union of both colours is at the same time poetic and sensual, each feather entering in a new passionate dance with its opposite.

During this saliva pooling fray, one of Tom’s hands squishes its way down her chest, stomach and eventually into the waistband of her lace underwear. He slows down a bit just to make sure (Y/N) doesn’t protest. And she doesn’t. So the moment his rough digits feel along her womanhood in slow v-shape, making it a point to note her warmth, a mewl hazes between his lips to accompany yours.

Pulling back Tom enjoys in a most seductive way the sheen of saliva connecting them together with a most dominant expression contorting his thin yet a bit swollen lips.

❞ You feel so warm and wet down there, angel... I’ve been waiting for the day we would be intimate for a long time, fuck. You too, baby? ❞ 

A simple demand but one that (Y/N) is way too embarrassed to answer.

Tom doesn't mind her silence, specially because he trails the edge of his lips along her jaw to then find a smooth patch of skin behind her ear to suck on. And unexpectedly, both his index and middle finger curl up into her folds, gently to make her used to this overwhelming sensation, and like desired he feels the intoxicating rattle of her lover’s vocal chords.

“Ah, Tommy... Oh please, it f-feels so good...” gasps out (Y/N) ever so sharply, clinging to his body and tossing her head the moment he starts thrusting back and forth.

Tom sighs in relief against the hot skin of her neck. After taking pleasure of the melody of her mewls - which leads to many love bites, he laps his way back down to her breasts. Both of his lips wrap around the closest delectable nip, sucking and puckering in a way that drives the woman even more insane. 

❞ Mmh (Y/N)... I can feel you warm my fingers... Can I taste you? ❞ The demon hazes his naughty yet simple straightforward desire against her flesh, detaching his digits from her folds.

Within a few seconds, he uses both his hands to tug her white panties down. Now his prominent boner can’t be hidden anymore, pulsating from pure want and need from that view - not like he was trying to hide it in the first place anyway. Besides some mild embarrassment that has the angel covering her most private part with her delicate hands, all it takes is a few tender kisses and an assurance she has nothing to fear of before she easily gives into his whims.

(Y/N)’s heart can’t help but palpitate against her chest, almost breaking free from her ribs. Shyly, her eyes flutter up at his handsome visage that thoroughly appreciates the unhindered view of her womanly curves. Sliding his warm hands along her legs, Tom edges down pulling up one of her knees to bring it to his lips. After a kiss or two he proceeds up along her inner thigh, until he sucks feverishly enough to leave a bright purple hickey.

“Oh Tommy, if you k-kiss me right there.... I will go crazy...” 

But she only has the time to instantly whimper out his name when he laps down the middle of her slit, pressing his thin lips almost defiantly against her intimate ones. The smell of her sex is completely intoxicating his nostrils and the demon can’t think about stopping, unless his lover tries to push him away.

❞ Also, you never called me ‘Tommy’ before... but it sounds so heavenly coming from you, fuck- I love it baby... ❞

His hands steady on her stomach, gliding his muscle up and down, over and over again, before sucking on the flaps of her womanhood. Her mewls delight his every bones that scream this gorgeous angel is his woman, and he has to make her feel pleasure beyond she could ever imagine of.

With the thrust of his tongue into her body, (Y/N)’s hands fly down to the back of his head as she screams out her bewilderment with the heavy raise of ecstasy. Her thighs squeeze slightly his head in between each spasm of pleasure. She tastes like the finest meal the demon never had the privilege to devour and so, Tom doesn’t hesitate to eat out her walls in a very detail oriented type of way, gulping down her nectar in a way that let her know he has no intention to waste a single drop.

“O-oh God, Tommy! M-my head is spinning!!” (Y/N) moans, her body consumed by this new pleasure. 

❞ I prefer to go by King of Hell, if you know what I mean, baby ❞ he teases. 

The smirk on his lips says the demon enjoys how desperate he is making the young woman, which he makes worse by wrapping his hands around her breasts and squishing a bit while he delves as deeply as possible into her pulsating walls.

The sharp feeling of her nails digging in his scalp - that she probably didn’t mean to - proves him how close (Y/N) is. He can feel against his slippery muscle the throb of her core and taste the fruits of his labor that tells him his angel is completely discombobulated by all the consuming pleasure he provides her.

“T-Tommy, oh Tom! It feels too good, I-I can’t take it any longer!!” whimpers (Y/N), legs shivering as they clench more around his head with a most lewd expression of her face.

❞ Don’t hold back baby, come for me ❞ Tom rasps, not letting her see the lust filled haze in his eyes as he parts from her core but for a second to lick his lips.

That is indeed a hell of a sight, that (Y/N) doesn’t quite catch because too engrossed in her pleasure. And next thing she feels is his tongue lapping trembling circles around her clit before sucking on it in a ferocious way.

That intense feeling mixed with the way two of his rough digits glide into her core, watching at her slick folds take him in drive the angel completely crazy. Never did (Y/N) imagine having such intense pleasure, as he keeps appreciating not just her most private parts but her soft breasts in the best way he can until it sends the young woman over the edge with a mind blowing orgasm, her vision now totally blurry.

The enamouring feeling of her folds clenching against his fingers and subsequently coating them in her juices has a most warm wanting growl hazing around her womanhood, making (Y/N) leave a high pitch moan. When Tom pulls back, he instantly slides his digits in his mouth, enjoying the flavourful nectar of his lover with dilated eyes.

❞ You taste so fucking good, angel. ❞

A small shy smile forms on (Y/N)’s lips, still a little embarrassed at what just happened and panting softly as she tries to recover from the heavy bubble of pleasure that still courses through her veins. Tom’s lips peck tenderly over her belly button as he makes his way back up, squeezing her breasts for another few seconds before finally cupping her red cheeks, claiming a possessive kiss.

Both (Y/N)’s hands slide around his neck, caressing his nape with the tip of her still trembling fingers where she can feel some hair growing back. After many kisses that steal even more of her breath away, the demon parts with a wanting and heavily lust riddled face.

His knuckles caress the side of her cheek and down her neck before edging backwards to start tugging off his sweatpants. But he has to stop his moves and contains some chuckles.

❞ Baby, why are you hiding behind your hands? ❞ 

“T-That’s embarrassing!!” she stutters. 

❞ What? Me undressing in front of you? ❞

“N-No! Well, maybe b-but like... itslookingatwhatisunderyourpantsthatisembarassing...”

Tom couldn’t help the heartfelt laugher that escapes his lips. He still catches her last sentence and finds it so adorable. His love for his angel would never stop growing, he is sure about that.

❞ I mean... I already saw your divine naked body, so it would be unfair of me not to let you enjoy mine too... what do you thing, baby? ❞

(Y/N) thinks about his words for a few seconds and, as she slowly puts away her hands from her face, the sight in front of her makes her unintentionally whimper. Tom standing tall on his knees still between her legs, pecs and abs lightly shiny from sweat, black wings wide open, face tilted on the side, smirking while bitting his bottom lips, his fingers pushing the waistband of his sweatpants under his hips showing his damned mouthwatering V-line.

❞ Fair enough, love? ❞ Tom asks again, the smirk never leaving his face.

Jesus fucking Christ.

This man could corrupt anybody by just making them look at him. And he did succeeded with (Y/N), but since the day they met.

And (Y/N) could only nod, her hands now resting on her collarbones as she shamelessly keeps her gaze on what he has to offer. This being the signal, Tom finally proceeds his previous actions, pleased. He tugs off his sweatpants and boxer at the same time. The now nude sight of his whole body brings warmth to the angel’s cheeks, even more so when she catches the stout image of his manly muscle, pressed against his stomach.

❞ This is what you do to me, babygirl. All the fucking time. ❞

Her heart forgets to beat for a second at this new nickname. But the demon doesn’t let her think twice as he takes her hand, kissing her palm, and encourages her to pump his length. 

Despite her complete embarrassment, all of her fingers curl around his cock and develop their own rhythm that he sure appreciates with a wispy rasp of her name. 

❞ F-fuck, baby... your hand feels so good around my cock... ❞

With some courage (Y/N)’s other hand meet his perfectly defined chest, caressing it and his hips, trying to show him she is as attracted to him as he is to her.

It doesn’t take much even for a not so patient man like the King of Hell himself to realise he wants so much more than the delightful and hot sensation of his lover’s hand around him. After using his own ones to roll her nice and mellow breasts, he squeezes down her luscious hips pushing her thighs apart, making a bit more room as he pushes (Y/N)’s digits away.

Her legs surprise Tom momentarily when they gladly spread while both her hands land now on his chest, moaning as he aligns his tip up against her slit. His expression softens, gently petting (Y/N)’s cheeks with a few of his fingers waiting for her to meet his lips for a soft peck. She indeed tastes herself on his lips but it doesn’t bother the angel and before she knows it, Tom uses his other hand to steady her hip to then presses himself into her walls.

“N-ngh!... Oh Tommy... I-I can you feel so deep...” (Y/N) suddenly moans at the weird sensation.

The proud expression on the demon’s face makes the angel blush and bury her nose against the side of his neck, her arms wrapping tightly around his broad shoulders. A nuzzle of his own nose on her cheek makes (Y/N) smile tenderly, thankful for a moment to get use to his shape and size. Her breath slows down little by little, the uncomfortable stretchy feeling of her core disappearing as she tries not to move under Tom’s body.

And when her hand finds his nape to pet the spot and placing a small peck against his neck, Tom takes it as her desire for him to go ahead and start moving. With a pull back of his firm hips and a tight grip of your own, he slaps forwards filling your walls to the brim over and over again, as he develops a very pleasurable rhythm that has (Y/N) moaning from the first few thrusts. 

“OH! Tommy! I-It feels so good!!”

❞ Good, baby. I want to make you feel like you completely belong to me... and only me... ❞ Tom husks, nipping at the edge of her jaw never slowing down his pace.

As possessive as it sounds, Tom’s affection feels more than true and his desire to please (Y/N) comes from a place of finding you to be the most beautiful woman he had the chance to meet that faithful day, years and years ago, in Heaven. And man did he replay their first encounter and other alone times too many times in his head.

Both of his hands squeeze her hips, pushing and pulling her perfect body to meet with the sway of his manhood. (Y/N)’s mind blurs with the intense pleasure of feeling his muscle in such intimate and dirty details, as it hits all the right zones to make her a moaning and mewling mess. It is even more erotic because he can feel how wet she is as he sloshes her juices.

With a startling grasp he pulls her legs up to wrap around his lower back, kissing the angel in a fray of his own overwhelming desire. (Y/N)’s moans haze into his mouth as he loops his slippery tongue all around her own muscle, downing the flavour of their combined saliva, and becoming determined in the way he slams roughly into her core making her thighs a tingly bright red. 

Pulling back from her swollen kissed lips, Tom brings the bottom one with him to suck on it enough and have a warm drool ebbing down her chin. Delirium swans inside the angel’s head so brightly that she can’t even be bothered with how wet her inner thighs start to feel. The only thing (Y/N) can only focus on is the warmth pooling in the pit of her stomach.

In a whimper of desperation her hands drag a bit down his spine, leaving Tom a claw mark or two but soon being blocked by the beginning of his big wings that are in the way. Realising how close they both are, his hands slide under her ass and lift her backside up off the bed to meet with every deeply penetrating sway of his hips. The hotness of her folds makes him grit his teeth as the demon keeps giving his angel the best rhythm he can muster.

❞ (Y/N)... H-hah, you feel so good babygirl. Your body is so warm, I... I want to f-feel you up... so badly... Fuuuck. ❞ 

“Oh... Tommy, I want all of you. Please baby!” (Y/N) quivers to him with ecstasy and pleasure rattling her vocal chords as she clings to him tightly. 

The demon most certainly doesn’t have to be told twice. With a clench against her plush bottom cheeks, his pace picks up to the best of his abilities mixing up her insides, getting off completely on the mewl of her constant moans.

Suddenly (Y/N) feels a most tight knot forming in the pit of her stomach that she tries to relay on her demon lover, but he honestly already knows. Specially when her hot and wet walls begins to pulsate vividly around his cock, with a toss of her head and the most lewdly erotic moan of his name, spreading warm along all her body.

“T-Tommy, I-I feel it!” (Y/N) exhales against Toms breath, heart beating extremely fast, as her glassy eyes looked up at Tom

To help her reach her climax even faster, one of his hand sneaks between both their bodies. His thumb starts to rub her clit, causing a pure jolt to run through her.

❞ I know, baby. C-come again (Y/N), let yourself go... ❞ replies Tom, a mix between a whisper and a growl, without stopping.

“B-But- Ah! But I’m s-scared, Tommy...” almost sobs (Y/N), everything getting blurry and confused around her.

Tom keeps his movements going but slows down a bit to look at (Y/N) closely. Seeing her in this state of euphoria and distress breaks his heart so the demon starts kissing her cheeks and neck again, trying his best to confront her.

❞ I’ve got you, angel, and always I will... Fuck- don’t be scared ❞ Tom says, a moan escaping his lips as he feels her walls squeezed around him.

His groans increase but louder this time, his jaw clenching as he held his orgasm back for a little longer as the angel pulls him against her - even closer if that is even possible -, their breath hitting each other face.

❞ I-I’m here, (Y/N)... Fall apart for me, baby girl ❞ finally whispers Tom, going faster on his last thrusts.

“TOM!!”

❞ (Y/N)!! ❞

And that night, an angel and a demon fell apart.

But only to reborn as one, and stronger than before.

* * * *

❞ You feel alright, my love? ❞ questions Tom as he twirls a strand of (Y/N)’s hair around his finger.

The angel only hums. She snuggles up against his warm body, her face resting on his heart while she sleepily draws forms on his chest. Laying on his back, Tom keeps one arm around his lover while his other one stays behind his head. A silk sheet is now up to cover their naked bodies, still hot and sweaty from their previous passionate lovemaking.

There is no sound around. What time is it? No idea, by now probably the middle of the night. But who cares, really. Peaceful. That is how the two beings feel. Peaceful and happy. Finally. They succeeded in taking that big step that the Kingdom of Heaven forbade them to even think about many years ago. But their fear is all gone. And things will get even better from now on.

(Y/N) steals a glance at Tom while he is not watching. He stares at the ceiling of the bedroom, smiling but his eyes kind of somewhere else. And the angel knows when something is on his mind. Even after so long from being apart, she knows him by heart.

“Tommy, is there something wrong?” she murmurs, still looking at him.

The demon sighs and buries his nose in her hair, nuzzling it against her temples.

❞ I’m the happiness man right now, with my gorgeous woman in my arms. How can something be wrong? ❞

“I know you too well, dear” answers (Y/N) as she leaves a light kiss on his jaw. “Now, tell me.”

As she finishes her sentence, (Y/N) has no time to breath when Tom suddenly rolls on top of her, making her squeals and taking the sheet with them. He now attacks her with kisses everywhere on her still rosy face, while his hands tickle her waist. The angel starts giggling at the childish attitude of her lover but tries to stay serious.

“Oh b-bloody Hell, Tom! I’m still sensitive, c-careful!” she says in between laughters.

❞ Why yes, I mean... Hell is quite bloody, that’s my job though... ❞

“Are you for r-real?!”

❞ What? Can’t someone be the ruler of Hell AND funny? That’s the whole pack, baby girl. ❞

Tom slows his moves to then flops down delicately on top of her, his head hidden in her neck still letting his lips wonder on her skin there. A few minutes pass before Tom decides to talk.

❞ I’m just... thinking. That’s all. ❞

“Oh I think I heard these same words earlier this night” cheekily replies the angel.

❞ Stop being a smartypants, young lady. ❞

They both chuckle and there is again no word spoken. (Y/N) massages the demon’s scalp and shoulders with soft motions, according some extra attention at the base of his wings. He lets an almost inaudible growl in her neck, relaxing at the feeling of her thin and delicate fingers on him.

“So... What’s on your mind, my love?”

❞ ... Be my Queen. ❞

(Y/N) blinks a few times. Did she really hear what he just said?

“E-Excuse m-”

❞ Be my Queen, (Y/N). Marry me and be my Queen. ❞

She heard right, there is no denying it even if his voice was muffled because still in her neck. Slowly Tom raises his head to face his lover, looking at her deeply in the eyes, noses touching. Clear shock can be seen on her face. This sudden love declaration out of nowhere startled her, and words can’t find their way out of her mouth. Seeing her like this, Tom pecks her lips and succeeds in taking her out of her trance.

❞ I want you nowhere else but by my side, doll. No way in Hell I’m gonna let you go now. ❞

“Stop making puns about Hell and then maybe I will think about it...” (Y/N) muses as she raises an eyebrow, glancing at him.

❞ I’m HELLA funny, my dear. You can’t deny it! ❞

That damned smirk. 

They share another fit of giggles, kissing each other faces as if their lives is depending on it. At some point (Y/N) finds herself on top of the demon, her legs on each side of his hips as he worships the view she offers him. Messy hair and rosy cheeks, but still perfect to him.

❞ I’d think you are trying to seduce me again with your naked glory, gorgeous lady... ❞ flirts Tom while feeling her hips in his hands.

“As if I’m the only one naked here...” (Y/N) purrs, her hands flat on his torso.

As they flirt back and forth, the angel’s eye suddenly catch the glimpse of something strange. Without a word, she approaches her face to get a closer look at one of Tom’s inside wings.

❞ What’s the matter, dove? ❞

“Wait a second, dear. Don’t move.”

Delicately, her fingers brush some dark feathers hiding behind his back. And there she sees it. Her eyes didn’t deceive her before. Her is a single but little feather, completely white between all the black ones. A white feather of an angel, a feather like hers. (Y/N) couldn’t help the smile on her face and as Tom notices that, he turns his head towards what his lover is looking at.

“It’s tiny, but beautiful” murmurs the angel, still caressing the single feather with the tip of her index finger.

Tom looks at it too. Never did he noticed it.

❞ It might be thank to you, love. ❞ 

Tom then takes her hand in his, kissing her palm before he snuggle his face in it.

❞ A beautiful angel sent from Heaven to help the pitiful King of Hell that I am... ❞ The smile on Tom’s soon becomes more dull, lost in deep dark thoughts.

(Y/N) doesn’t hesitate to firmly cup his face in both her hands, making the demon focus on her and her only.

“You are not pitiful in any way, Tommy. You are the bravest man that exists, the only one that went through so many horrifying times to then, being able to piece himself back together and start over again. You are the only one who can do that. You are strong, Tommy, never doubt about it.” 

❞ Shit, you could almost make me cry angel... ❞ 

They now smile warmly again at each other, pure love written on their face. They have been through a lot, they are plenty aware of that. But the tables turned and they had another chance offered to them.

❞ I love you, princess. ❞

“Queen, baby. I accept to be your Queen” coos (Y/N), showing her brightest smile at her man.

Tom brings the angel into his torso, tightening the embrace until they both need to breath. Their giggles echo in the silent bedroom as the sound of shared kisses at some point.

❞ I’m yours, my Queen. ❞

“And I’m yours, my King.”

The promise is sealed by a languorous kiss.

“I’m heavenly yours.”

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[jewish-space-laser]

Stand Back

Wow! I’ve only been back for a few hours, and there’s already been so, so much support. I missed you all. This piece is one of my favorites, inspired by my R&RHoF excitement last winter. My dear friend, @for-fucks-sake-h​ beta’d this for me, and I loved her then and I love her now! Thank you all for believing in me! If you enjoy this story, shoot me some feedback :) 7.5k words

xoxo Tile

“Harry, c’mon!” Millie whined, tugging at his sleeve when he didn’t bother looking away from the TV. “This isn’t fair and you know it!”

“Millie, fuck’s sake, I already told you that it’s just not possible,” He rolled his eyes, reluctantly looking over at his puppy-dog-eyed best friend. She’d been pestering him for the better part of the afternoon, and he was beginning to get frustrated. She was definitely going to ruin his surprise.

“I just don’t understand,” she pouted, “I’m the one who got you into Stevie’s music in the first place, maybe I should be the one inducting her next week.”

“Yeah, you can do the performance bit, too,” he chuckled, “I’m sure the audience would love to hear your off-pitch, dying-cat screeches. Stevie would love it, too. Instant record deal- oof!”

The pillow hit his stomach with more force than he had expected, but it did nothing to wipe the shit-eating grin off of his face. Millie whacked him on the thigh, and then once more for good measure, before chucking his throw pillow – her makeshift weapon – across the room.

“I didn’t want to see your performance anyway,” she grumbled, “you’ll probably sing Edge of Seventeen, because you’re too basic to sing anything else, and I’ve already seen you perform that one.”

Harry smirked at the memory. They had been fifteen, almost sixteen, and Millie had managed to smuggle a few bottles of cider from her father’s ‘special fridge’ in the garage. Harry had climbed the tree outside her window for the umpteenth time, and the two of them had spent the entire night looking up youtube videos of their favorite rock singers, their virgin livers drunk off of just a few sips of alcohol.

“The 1983 performance was better,” Harry argued, throwing his hands up in outrage.

“You’re taking the piss,” Millie scoffed, swatting his hand away from her laptop, “The 1981 performance is clearly better. Her dance moves are absolutely insane, and the audio quality is better.”

“Her dance moves are mediocre at best in this one,” Harry stated, nodding his head to the guitar beat anyway, “anyone could replicate those.”

“I’d like to see you try!” Millie challenged. The duo regarded each other for a long moment, waiting for the other to back down, and completely oblivious to the hearts in their eyes, still too young to understand what they were feeling.

“Alright then,” Harry giggled, standing up on her bed, obnoxiously singing along to the music blaring from her laptop. He tried to imitate Stevie’s high kicks, the bounce in her step, and swung his arms around as if he were draped in the singer’s white shawl. Millie couldn’t fight the peals of laughter that bubbled up in her throat. He looked completely absurd.

“Just like the white-winged dove!” Millie sang, hopping up on her bed to join Harry.

The two of them bounced until the song was almost over, their voices riddled with gasps and coughs as they tried to catch their breath. The fun had ended abruptly, with Millie’s mother swinging the door open, asking the two red-faced teenagers if they knew that it was past midnight.

“First of all, that was a great performance,” Harry teased, appreciating the way Millie’s eyes softened as she too reminisced their teenage years. She’d always been a sucker for happy memories, and Harry had quickly learned that they were the best way to calm her down or change the subject. Most of her happy memories included him, anyway. “Second of all, this time around, you won’t be grounded for a week.”

“Yeah, because you won’t let me be there!”

“Millie, I told you, I promised Gemma I would bring her along and I only get to have one guest,” he lied, “she’s my sister, I couldn’t say no.”

“You say no to her all the time, in fact, you love saying no to her,” she pointed out, “plus, I’m kind of like your sister. We’ve known each other just as long.”

Harry felt his heart plummet into the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t the first time she had said something along those lines, brother and sister, but it still hurt. He was beginning to think that she would never feel the same way about him that he did about her.

It was a curse, really. He had the world falling at his feet, enough girls were interested in him, and he was successful. But it didn’t matter, did it? Not when the only person he wanted thought of him like a brother.

“Right, yeah,” he cleared his throat. He quickly stood up, mumbling something about getting them more tea, but really he just wanted to hide the burn of tears behind his eyelids. When he came back, Millie was squinting at the screen of her laptop, hunching over so her face was inches from the screen.

“I’m buying my own damn ticket,” she informed him.

Fuck, he thought.

“Okay, okay, stop,” he groaned, closing her laptop. Millie’s hands were still suspended in front of her, poised to type when he shut the computer in her lap. “It was supposed to be a surprise, but there’s a front row seat at the Hall of Fame with your name on it.”

“I KNEW IT!” She cried, shoving the laptop off of her legs and throwing her arms around his neck. “I knew you wouldn’t just leave me behind!”

Harry melted into the hug, winding his arms around her shoulders and back and subtly inhaling as he pressed his nose into her hair. She was practically vibrating with excitement, which made him grin with pride. It may not have been the surprise he had planned, but it was certainly the reaction he’d been expecting.

“You were making it really hard to lie to you,” he admitted, tugging her back when she tried to step out of their embrace. He wasn’t quite ready to let go of her yet. “I was going to tell you tomorrow at dinner, had a whole plan.”

“I’d say I’m sorry for forcing it out of you, but I’m not sorry in the slightest!” She wiggled out of his arms, successfully this time, and gave him a look of pure happiness that made his insides turn to putty. “Does this mean you’ll tell me what song you’re performing?”

Harry snickered, batting her hands away when she went to pinch his arm. He wasn’t about to reveal all of his surprises.

“Not a chance!”

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

“Oh my god, turn this up!” Millie squealed, already reaching over to twist the volume knob on the dashboard.

“Oi!” Harry snapped, swatting her hand away with a steely glare. “What did I just tell you about touching m’ new car?”

“You told me not to make fingerprints on the window,” Millie crossed her arms over her chest, “you never said I couldn’t touch the radio.”

“It was implied,” Harry said through gritted teeth. Normally, Millie’s stubbornness was oddly charming, but today she was truly getting on his last nerve.

Harry had finally saved up enough money for a new car. Grueling ten-hour bakery shifts, babysitting jobs, yardwork, any penny he could get his hands on, had all finally been worth it. He didn’t technically have his license yet, since he was only sixteen, but nobody really paid attention once you got out into the country. Most kids knew how to drive anyway, one of the benefits of growing up in small English farmtown.

The car, which he had bought off of a classmate’s older brother, was a complete piece of shit, but that didn’t stop Harry from polishing every last surface, inside and out. It was a Mustang, and even though the front bumper was dented and it had chips in the paint, it was his pride and joy. He’d overheard a group of girls talking about how sexy it was that Brad Hannagan, his lab partner, had gotten a car. Apparently, he’d taken Allison Fishman to the next town over for dinner, and then they made out in his front seat. Harry wanted his car to be sexy, too.

There was really only one girl he wanted to impress though, and she was currently spilling granola bar crumbs onto his leather seats.

“Millie!” He whined. “You’re getting everything all messy!”

“You’re being so anal, H,” she had just shoved the rest of her bar into her mouth, so her voice came out muffled and garbled, “this is supposed to be fun! Our first ride together in your new car.”

“It is rather special, huh,” Harry nodded thoughtfully, “how do I look in the driver’s seat?”

“Honestly?” She raised an eyebrow. “You look… kinda hot. But do not let that go to your head or else I’ll - ohmygod! Harry, seriously turn it up, it’s Stevie Nicks!”

This time, he didn’t complain when Millie reached over and pressed three different buttons on his dashboard, because the girl he liked thought he was attractive, his windows were rolled all the way down, and the chorus of Stand Back was blaring through his speakers.

This feeling was worth every window smudge, crumb on his seat, and unwelcome dashboard push, he thought. Especially if it meant seeing Millie like this: long hair blowing out the window, head thrown back with her eyes closed, and feet tapping along to her favorite song.

It was a miracle he could keep his eyes on the road.

Harry was going to sing Stand Back. He knew it, Stevie knew it, almost the entire crew backstage knew it, but Millie was still in the dark. It was her favorite song, and he had every intention of putting on a show for her.

He was already dressed in his suit. He’d chosen another custom-made Gucci, a deep matte black fabric with metallic bronze flowers twisting up his torso and down his legs. He’d even let the makeup artist apply some matching bronze eyeshadow to his face, something he’d always wanted to try out. His shoes were plain, black with a bit of a lifted heel, and his only other accessory was a bronze colored tambourine. This was a Stevie Nicks tribute, after all, it wouldn’t be complete without her signature instrument.

The moment he stepped on stage, he knew his outfit choice was a hit. He hadn’t even started his speech before the familiar screaming started, but he’d grown used to the high pitched noise.

He hadn’t been able to meet with Millie beforehand, but it was hard to look away from her now (not that keeping his eyes off of her had ever been easy for him). She was sitting in the front row with a proud smile on her face, and a sinfully tight silver dress on her body, and Jesus Christ she looked incredible. He gave her a lopsided smirk before squinting his eyes into the lights over the audience.

The moment the first notes of the song echoed from the speakers lining the walls, Millie’s jaw dropped lower than Harry had ever seen. He smirked at her, licking his lips cockily as he started bobbing his head. The cheers from the crowd only spurred him on. He took his bottom lip between his teeth, never looking away from his best friend.

“No one looks, I walk by, just an invitation would have been just fine,” he crooned, unable to stop himself from tapping his feet to the rhythm.

He’d opted out of playing the guitar during the performance, wanting to focus more on his vocals. He tore his eyes away from Millie, who was still watching him in awe. This song was for her, but there was still an entire venue crowded with thousands of people, and this was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’d rather fling himself from the Empire State Building than give a poor performance.

“Stand back, stand back,” he ripped the mic from its stand, prancing across the stage and flipping the hair out of his eyes with a dramatic snap of his neck, “in the middle of my room, I did not, hear from you….”

“La la la la la la la, la la,” he closed his eyes as he turned his back to the crowd, seeing the bright bronze and burnt orange visuals on the screen through his eyelids.

He knew he absolutely killed the performance, if the whoops and hollers were any indication. He could hear the cheers, see people dancing, see her dancing. She seemed to have befriended the woman next to her, as they were both shouting out the lyrics along with him with their hips bumping.

“Take me home….” Harry belted, his voice turning grainy the longer he held the note. When the music finally faded out, he let out a low chuckle into the microphone, relieved to have done the song justice.

It took several minutes for the applause to die down enough for him to speak, and by the time it did, he had no idea what to say.

“Ehm, hello New York!” He called into the microphone, clearing his throat. “It’s an honor to be here.”

Writing a speech about Stevie was the easiest thing he’d ever done. All he had to do was be honest, after all; she was an inspiration, a legend. The definition of a powerful woman. The kind of person who supports young struggling artists, can whip out a killer song in less than an hour, who dedicates her life to bringing melody and emotion to her fans. A poet. A magician.

Giving the speech was another story. The sweat on his back was making the fabric of his undershirt stick to his skin in the most suffocating manner, and Millie’s burning stare had all but caused his brain to short circuit. She’d looked at him like that just once before. He thought about it often, usually when he was alone with his hands shoved between his thighs.

Millie was four drinks in.

Harry knew this because he’d been counting. He had gone to enough parties with her to know that she got a bit… loose once she’d had a few, and he’d taken it upon himself to keep her away from every man who dared look in her direction.

“Stop shooting daggers at everyone, H,” she’d complained, “I wanna dance with someone, but you’re scaring them off. They probably think you’re my boyfriend.”

Good, he’d thought.

“Mills, the men here look sleazy as fuck,” he’d said sternly, “I’m not letting you rub yourself all over some chav.”

“Well, I need to rub myself all over someone, or I swear I’ll lose my mind,” she giggled, her eyelids more hooded than usual as she leaned up against the bar, “you know how I get when I drink.”

Maybe he wouldn’t have normally responded in the way that he did, but he’d had a few to drink himself. The words were pouring out of him before he could stop them, his filter broken down by the whisky double he’d choked down earlier.

“Y’could dance on me.”

Millie hummed, slowly raking her eyes over him from his shoes to the stray curl on his forehead. Instead of giving him an answer, she leaned over the bar to whisper something to the bartender.

He wanted to kick himself. She’d said it time and time again: he was like a brother to her. He started running excuses through his head, things he could say to break the tension and make her forget that he’d ever uttered the words.

“Now that’s an idea,” she finally said, carelessly dropping a bill onto the counter beside her. Harry raised his eyebrows, shocked. When the shots she ordered appeared by her elbow, she slid one over to Harry wordlessly. He took it without hesitation, the burn of tequila tickling his lips long after the bitter taste faded away.

“A good idea?” He asked, cocking his head to the side. “Or a bad one?”

She had never looked at him like this before. Harry had long ago memorized every facial expression she’d ever thrown at him, and prided himself in being able to read her like a book, but this was brand new territory. Her eyes, which were normally bright enough to blind him, had darkened. She was looking at him like she could see right through his clothes… like maybe she wanted to see right through his clothes.

“Why don’t we find out?”

It had taken him weeks to stop dreaming about the way Millie’s ass had felt pressed against him, or how dewy her skin had felt as he ran his hands over it, but now it was all rushing back. Not even the bright spotlight could disguise the fire in her eyes. She wanted him.

But he couldn’t think about that night at the club, not unless he wanted to pop a boner in front of thousands of attentive onlookers. He delivered his speech perfectly, but on the inside his stomach was twisting and tangling into knots, and he hadn’t been able to look at Millie throughout the entire thing.

The rest was a blur. The deafening roar of applause as Stevie came on. The brief hug he shared with her as he passed the microphone to her. The hand he placed on the older woman’s back while a video montage played on the giant screen. More applause. Millie’s eyes.

By the time he made it offstage, all he wanted to do was shove his hand down the front of his trousers, but he still had one more surprise he had to follow through with. With his back pressed against the wall and a twitching hand on his stomach, he took a few deep, heavy breaths. He needed to calm the fuck down, or he was going to blow his load the moment he saw her in that dress.

“Shit,” he exhaled, closing his eyes.

He wasn’t near as composed as he wanted to be, but one of his security guards would be leading Millie backstage any second. He’d arranged for her to meet Stevie, something he knew she’d been wanting since they were children.

“Harry!”

He looked over to see his best friend galloping towards him, his frazzled looking security guard trailing after her.

“Sorry we’re late,” the man apologized, adjusting the walkie-talkie that was clipped to his belt, “she ran ahead and went the wrong way, so we had to backtrack and ended up getting lost.”

“That sounds about right- oof!” Millie clearly hadn’t pumped the brakes, barreling straight into him. If he hadn’t been against the wall, the two of them would have ended up on the floor. “You can take the rest of the night off, Dave.”

His guard didn’t argue, quickly spinning on his heel and leaving the pair to themselves. She’d glued herself to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around his waist as she swayed them back and forth.

“Missed you,” she mumbled.

“Just saw you last week, Mills.”

“Yeah, too long,” she nodded. Harry liked the way the tip of her nose rubbed against his dress shirt.

He chuckled fondly, gently easing her back with his hands on her shoulders. “How’d you like my song?”

“H, I can’t even describe how incredible it was. Like… I’ll be honest,” she blushed, “you looked… kind of hot. But do not let that go to your head, or else I’ll chop off your bollocks.”

Suddenly, he was fifteen again, bouncing all over her bed and getting her in trouble. He was sixteen, preening as Millie complimented him from the passenger’s seat. He was twenty-two, filled with euphoria as they moved on the dance floor. He was twenty-five, looking at her silver dress and feeling the overwhelming need to kiss her.

She was peering up at him like she might want him to, wide eyes and tiny smile, but one glance over her shoulder told him that there were more important things on the agenda. Stevie was walking towards them slowly, her ridiculously tall heels causing her to teeter with each step she took.

“Don’t kill me,” Harry said quickly, “I have one more surprise.”

“Harry, what- OHMYGOD!”

Millie had thrown her hands over her face, cupping them against her mouth and nose. The moment Stevie came into her view, tears burned at the corners of her eyes and a few fell down her cheeks.

“Oh my,” Stevie cooed, stepping close and placing her hands on the younger girl’s elbows, “I know Harry’s a handful, but there’s no need to cry!”

“Heeeey,” he whined, but it fell on deaf ears.

He stood to the side and watched his best friend tell her idol about all of the amazing memories she had with her music. She told Stevie about the first time she played Landslide at her fourth grade piano recital, how she’d listened Edge of Seventeen on repeat for hours on her last night of being sixteen, how she’d written an essay about Leather and Lace for her creative writing class at uni. Millie’s hands were flying all over the place, clutching at her chest, in the air above her head, wound around Stevie in a secure hug. He’d done this for her, and there was no better feeling.

“Harry talks about you constantly,” Stevie smiled. Harry widened his eyes at her.

“Oh he does, does he?” Millie pursed her lips teasingly. “Hopefully nothing too horrible.”

“On the contrary,” Stevie’s eyes twinkled mischievously. Harry shook his head subtly. He’d given her a long and detailed monologue of his feelings for Millie during a particularly vulnerable songwriting session, but they had never mentioned it again. “He’s said only good things. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

Harry’s chest deflated with relief. He was going to send a very long, scolding text to Stevie later on this week.

When it was time to part ways, Harry left the two women alone to say their goodbyes while he made sure there was a car for him and Millie. They’d arranged for her to stay in his guest room, and all of her bags were already there. By the time she was walking over to him, mascara streaking down her face and a sad little smile on her lips, he was ready to have her all to himself.

“How’d I do?” He grinned, scooping her into his arms as she let out a shaky sob.

“I’m,” she let out a hiccup, “so happy!”

“Oh, Mills,” he cooed, rubbing a hand over her shoulder blade, “let’s go home, yeah? I can make you some tea?”

“Mhm,” she whimpered.

The pair began walking towards the back exit, clinging to each other. It made it harder to walk, being pressed together so tightly, but the thought of letting go didn’t sit well them them .

“My emotional Millie,” he hummed, “always so teary.”

“Shut up, Harry!” She cried as she slid into the car. He quickly followed, watching her buckle herself in and kick off her heels. “I can’t help it!”

“Didn’t mean it as an insult, babe,” the term of endearment slipped out before he could stop it, “means you’ve got a big heart. It’s sweet.”

“If anyone in this car is sweet, it’s you,” she sighed, “first, you fly me here all the way from London. Then, you perform my favorite song, and then you introduce me to Stevie Nicks… my absolute, complete, legendary-“

“It was nothing,” he said quietly, knowing that she’d never stop unless he cut her off. Millie scoffed, but he was telling the truth. He’d do anything for her, and if it made her happy, it didn’t feel like a chore.

“Nothing my arse.”

Millie had felt like she was high from all of the excitement, but the way Harry was looking at her was sobering. Despite the sharpness of his cheekbones and the hard line of his jaw, he looked soft, the pine green of his eyes turning to velvet.

“Why are you looking at me… like that?” She asked softly.

“Like what?” He mimicked the tone of her voice.

“Like…” she paused, gulping against a dry throat, “like you’re thinking about kissing me?”

“I am thinking about it,” he admitted, “I’m constantly thinking about it.”

She didn’t say a word, turning her head away and staring out the window. With anyone else, he would have been offended, but Millie was a deep thinker. She always took a bit longer to process things, lost in her own head. He twiddled his thumbs as they sat in silence for the rest of the drive.

He knew he couldn’t take it back. He probably shouldn’t have said it in the first place, but it was as if everything he loved about Millie had been amplified tonight. Hell, he’d just inducted a rock legend into the Hall of Fame, and all he thought about all night was her. She was in his head, in his heart, running through his veins, completely ransacking any rational thought he might have.

When the car stopped in front of his building, Millie was swinging her door open and marching across the lawn before he’d even gotten himself unbuckled. He quickly thanked the driver, scurrying after her like a madman, making sure to grab her forgotten heels before the car rolled away.

She had already walked into his apartment building, using the little fob he’d given her when he started renting in New York. His two level loft had an entrance on the first level, which is where he found her standing when he finally caught up. She was tapping one foot impatiently at his locked door.

“Mills….” he cleared his throat as he dug the house keys from his pocket, “I didn’t mean-”

“You didn’t mean it?” She hissed.

“No, no,” he rushed, “I meant it. I just, I didn’t mean to make things weird.”

Once again, he was met with no response. Millie pushed the door open as soon as it was unlocked, and he could hear her stomping up the stairs. He sighed, fighting the pinprick of tears that threatened to form.

Harry didn’t know why she was reacting this way. Sure, she’d told him just last week that she was like a sister to him, but the way she’d undressed him with her eyes earlier had given him some hope. Maybe he’d just imagined it, conjured it up in his head to cope with his desperate need for her.

As much as he wanted to follow her up the stairs, he knew it was a bad idea. She was angry with him, and he couldn’t figure out why, but leaving her alone to simmer down had always been the best course of action.

“Harry, what the fuck!”

Harry’s eyes widened. This was his first day back to school after missing an entire week, and he realized with horror that he’d forgotten to text Millie about breaking his leg.

“You just vanish for an entire week, and then you show up to homeroom with… with bloody crutches?”

“‘M sorry,” he ducked his head, “I fell off my bike last weekend, and we had to stay in Manchester for a bit to get everything settled. I swear I didn’t mean to worry you-”

“Worry me,” his friend rolled her eyes. They were only thirteen years old, but Millie was more terrifying than most adults when she was well and truly angry. “Understatement of the century. I went by your house, and nearly organized a search party when nobody was home! Have you even checked your phone?”

He hadn’t.

“You know what? If not texting me is so easy, why don’t we just never speak again?”

“Mills,” he groaned, voice cracking slightly. They’d both noticed that his voice was starting to get a little bit deeper, and normally she’d tease the hell out of him for a voice crack like that, but she wasn’t in the mood. “I said I was sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t change how scared I was when you didn’t answer me!” She huffed, storming off. Just as he went to follow her, the bell rung, meaning he was already going to be late. With an irritated moan, he hobbled his way to his first class, hoping to god his teacher would let his tardiness slide when she saw his crutches.

She had, and later that night, Millie’s flailing pre-teen limbs fell through his bedroom window, eyes filling with tears and apologies leaking from her mouth.

“I thought about it all day, and once I calmed down… I just missed you.”

He chugged an entire glass of water before slamming it on his counter, taking a deep breath. His ears perked up at the sound of footsteps in his hallway, so he turned around to look at her. She was still in her dress, but had wiped off her makeup. He swears she’d never looked more beautiful.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you,” she said sheepishly.

“I’m sorry for-”

“No,” she gulped, “you don’t owe me any apologies. I was just… surprised.”

Harry nodded, not knowing what to say. He watched his feet, wiggling his toes awkwardly as an uncomfortable silence fell over them. Millie was shuffling around as well, debating whether or not she wanted to ask the question she’d been wanting to ask for years. Eventually, she couldn’t contain it anymore.

“How long have you been in love with me?”

Her voice was loud, but the volume isn’t what startled Harry. Sure, Millie had always been straightforward, fearless when it came to confrontation, but they’d never had a conversation like this. People had teased them as kids, telling them that boys and girls couldn’t be just friends, but they’d let the comments roll off of their backs.

“I… I-” he stuttered, his tongue suddenly feeling like an anvil in his mouth.

“You… don’t hide it well,” she divulged, looking at anything but him, “you’ve always been like an open book to me.”

“I’ve… yeah,” he choked out, “I, um, most of my life, I think.”

She started crying, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes. He wanted to go over and hold her, like he usually did when she cried, but it was as if he was stepping into cement, absolutely rooted where he stood.

“Most of your life,” she echoed.

Harry rubbed a hand over his face, his skin feverish and beginning to bead with sweat. He needed to get out of his suit.

“I- you, yeah,” he croaked, robotically moving across the room to slip his blazer over one of the kitchen chairs. His legs felt like jelly, as if he’d completely forgotten how to walk.

“H,” she whimpered, “why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Why didn’t you ever say that you knew?”

Millie sucked in a breath, fiddling with the sequins on her dress. “I wasn’t completely sure. I mean, I was pretty sure, but then you’d talk about going on dates with other people, or… just, I had my doubts. But then tonight….”

“I was pretty obvious tonight,” he chuckled humorlessly, clearing his throat and scratching at his jaw, “and I never told you because… well look at us. We’ve never been this uncomfortable around each other.”

“H-”

“There were a few times I almost told you,” he gulped, “but… the timing was never right. You’d be in a relationship, or I’d be out on tour. It never lined up.”

This time, when Millie let out a sob, Harry didn’t hesitate to tuck her under his arm.

“You’re such a wanker,” she bawled, pressing her forehead into the skin between his sparrow tattoos, “obviously I love you too.”

Harry couldn’t breath. Had his heart stopped beating? Was he alive? Maybe he was hallucinating. The girl he loved, his best friend, was currently pressing her entire body against him, and she apparently felt the same way he did.

“How long?”  He asked.

“Most of my life,” Millie giggled.

“Fuck,” Harry wept, licking the tears away from his lips, “we’ve wasted so much time. Could have been together ages ago.”

She looked up at his face with a watery smile. “We’re here now. Still wanna kiss me?”

Harry leaned down and mashed his lips to hers in one fluid motion, loving the way it felt to have her like this. Millie was pushing herself closer, the pressure of the kiss making them both smile. She tasted like salty teardrops and toothpaste, and he probably smelled like a gym locker after loping around the stage, but neither of them minded, completely captivated by the feeling of finally moving their mouths together.

Once the floodgates had been opened, there was no way of stopping it. What had been a sweet, almost innocent embrace, was suddenly rough and desperate. Their soft touches were now strong and unyielding, calculated movements gave way to impulse and speed. They were like a river breaking free of its dam; calm waters growing higher and stronger until the tension became too much, cracking the barrier and releasing every single pent up drop. They were white-capped waves, beautiful and chaotic as they crashed against each other.

“I’ve thought about this so many times,” Millie heaved, clenching her fist around the fabric of his shirt while he nipped at her jaw.

“‘Bout kissing me?”

“No, I mean, yes- oh!” She yelped, hissing through gritted teeth as Harry licked over the spot he’d bitten into her neck. “Yeah, b-but, also about what it would feel like to have sex with you.”

He’d been ignoring his semi since he walked off stage earlier in the night, but the moment she spoke, he could feel his cock chub up in his trousers, the blood rushing below his belt making him a bit dizzy.  

“Thought about that too,” he was hunched over as far as his back would allow, his craving to taste the skin below her collarbones much stronger than the strain on his spine.

“We should probably do it then, yeah?”

Harry moaned. He had been suppressing his inappropriate thoughts about the way she looked since the moment he saw her in the crowd, but now he could let them roam freely. He wanted to gather her hair into his fists, peel the dress off of her body, absolutely ruin her lipstick (he was a little bit disappointed that she’d wiped it off). He couldn’t wait to make his fantasy a reality.

“We probably should,” he agreed, pushing the strap of her dress down her arm, “only if you want.”

“Obviously I do, bloody bellend,” she said impatiently, undoing the buttons on his dress shirt, “god, this outfit was so sexy tonight. When you were singing, all I could think about was how bad I wanted you to fuck me.”

“I know,” Harry smirked, “saw the look on your face when I was done. Nearly got a boner during my speech.”

“The sex eyes can’t be tamed,” she shrugged, finally unfastening the last button under his navel. She tugged the material from the waistband of his trousers and pushed it off of his shoulders.

“Don’t want you to tame ‘em,” he growled, moving closer to her when the zipper of her dress snagged under his fingertips, “want you to keep the sex eyes on, and get this fucking dress off!”

When he finally got the zipper down, he practically ripped it away from her body, tugging it roughly over her hips and letting it fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. Millie didn’t even have time to step out of it before Harry was lifting her bridal style.

“Don’t you fucking dare drop me!” She shrieked, lightly swatting his shoulder when he set her down on top of his kitchen table.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Mills.”

She opened her mouth to tell him off again, but her train of thought completely derailed when he got on his knees and sucked her clit through her underwear. She couldn’t suppress her moans, especially as he swept the flimsy fabric to the side and really dug in, tongue licking over every bit of her and calloused fingers plucking at her clit.

Millie sighed feverishly. The rough texture of his fingers and the smooth wetness of his mouth felt practically angelic, while the sounds filling his kitchen were sinful. Wet pops of his lips and hollow slurps when he suctioned his cheeks in wre driving her hellishly insane.

“I can’t come like this,” she panted, “I want to see your face.”

He pulled off of her, leaving one last kitten-lick to her folds before rising to his feet. His lips were swollen and shiny as he undid the zip on his trousers, quickly stripping the bronze and black fabric from his legs. He pressed his erection against Millie’s sopping core, letting her soak into the fabric of his boxers. Everything was warm and wet and smooth, just like he’d always imagined.

“Let me fuck you,” he pleaded.

“Condom?” She asked, feeling her walls twitch as if they were trying to guide Harry’s cock inside on its own. “‘M not on the pill….”

“Right,” he swallowed harshly, “Okay, yeah. I’ve got to run upstairs and get one.”

“I’ll stay right here,” Millie promised, peeling her undergarments off the moment he was out of sight.

Whenever she pictured having sex with Harry, it was romantic; white sheets and fluffy pillows, a warm summer breeze, maybe even some scented candles and music. She certainly hadn’t imagined it happening on the hard wood of his kitchen table, but in a way, it was even more perfect.

Their friendship, their relationship was unique. They were two people who had spent the better parts of their lives dancing around each other, orbiting like two planets, feeling the weight of the gravity but never touching. It was only fitting that their first time together was unconventional.

Harry practically sprinted back into the kitchen, wincing at how cold the tile felt against his bare feet. However, he didn’t focus on that long, too distracted by the skin Millie had revealed in his absence.

She was laying down still, and her exposed breasts fell slightly to the sides, their undersides resting on top of her ribcage. She’d splayed her legs open upon seeing him, giving him his first unobstructed view of her heat.

“Christ,” he wheezed, “let me just….”

He ripped the condom package open with his teeth, slipping the clear latex from its confines and pinching it his fingers while he ripped his briefs from his body. He rolled it on slowly, almost teasingly, when he noticed Millie watching with an attentive gaze.

“Ready?” He hummed.

“Please, H,” she nodded, wiggling her hips in anticipation.

He gave her a breathtaking smile before pushing inside. She was so slick that he managed to push all the way in with one single stroke, causing Millie’s back to arch off of the table. Harry’s knees nearly gave out when she clenched around him, so he gripped her thighs and locked them around his hips to keep himself steady.

This had to be his favorite position.

From where he was standing, he could see the entire expanse of her body, laid out so prettily against his table. He could watch himself push in and out of her, seeing how his cock glistened with her wetness all the way down to the base, admire the way the flesh of her hips creased as they bent to accommodate him, watch her breasts bounce and jiggle with every thrust. If he leaned forward just the slightest amount, maybe he could even reach up to roll her nipples between his fingers.

Millie loved it, too. She liked the way Harry’s stomach muscles concave with each flex, the rapid snap of his hips affecting every nerve in his body. She absolutely loved watching a red flush creep up his chest and neck, the black ink of his tattoos standing out even more against the rosiness. Most of all, she liked watching his face. It was almost as if he didn’t know where he wanted to look most, his blown-out pupils flickering over every inch of her body.

The smell of sex wafted over them, sweet, sensual, and uniquely theirs. Their bodies were sticky with sweat as they slapped together, filling the loft with wet claps and breathy moans. It was raw, carnal, a complete release of the tension they’d been holding in for years.

When Millie was close, Harry dropped one of her legs to play with her clit, knowing that he’d find his release the second she found hers. Her lips were mouthing his name, but no sound came out. He watched, utterly bewitched, as her fingers curled into her palms and a strangled moan fell from her throat.

She gushed her release onto him, and he felt it drip down the fronts of his thighs as she tightened around his cock. He’d never made a woman squirt this much before. Profanities poured from his lips as he felt his balls clench, cumming into the condom with so much force that he had to bend over and rest his torso over hers to keep from falling over. His face was nuzzled into Millie’s breasts.

It was Harry who broke the silence after several minutes of shallow breathing. “Well, fuck, Mills.”

“Holy cow,” she coughed, “okay, first of all, I need some water, second, we’re doing that again immediately.”

He chuckled into her skin, nipping at her breast playfully before standing upright and looking between them. They’d made quite a mess of themselves, not that he minded.

Millie slid off the table, walking her shaky legs over to the sink, where she stuck her entire head under the faucet. Harry smiled to himself; seemingly, nothing had changed about their dynamic. He was afraid that professing his love for her might change the way they acted around each other, but she was just as silly as she’d always been.

“Millie, no! That’s so unsanitary,” a twenty-year-old Harry complained. Millie had just stuck her entire head into the unisex bathroom sink, chugging at the stream of water, “this is a karaoke bar, probably germs everywhere.”

“I was thirsty,” she informed him, wiping the back of her hand over her mouth, “and there’s only one more person in front of me. How am I supposed to sing Stevie Nicks with a dry throat?”

“How are you supposed to sing Stevie Nicks when your voice sounds like a police siren?” He countered with a smirk. His best friend crossed her arms over her chest in offense.

“We can’t all be professional singers, you knob,” she bit out, swinging the door open with more force than necessary. She’d only had a drink or two, but Harry drank enough to make the room spin.

“‘M not a knob,” he muttered to himself as he followed after her.

“You sure are!” Millie called over her shoulder.

When it was time for her to take the stage, Harry made sure that his seat was all the way up front and his phone camera was at the ready. Millie had always been a horrible singer, but that had never stopped her. He couldn’t wait to post the video to his private instagram in the morning.

“Stand back, stand back!” She screeched, flipping Harry the bird when he started laughing, “in the middle of my room, I did not, hear from you!”

Her hair was flopping all over the place, hips moving back and forth while she hopped up and down. He wished he’d gone up there with her, wanting to wrap an arm over her shoulder or put his hands on her waist.

“I would cry… la la la la la la la, la la….”

He was in a perpetual state of wanting to be near her. It felt like it was part of his identity at this point. His name was Harry, he had curly hair, he wore tight jeans, and he wanted to be touching Millie.

Twenty-five year old Harry wished he could go back in time and tell his younger self that he’d get to touch her, whenever he wanted and for however long he wanted. He’d held her close while they showered together, placed a hand on the small of her back while she sifted through his dresser for pajamas to wear, and had her sprawled over his chest while she slept in his arms.

He closed his eyes, a smile never leaving his face as he imagined having her at twenty-six, twenty-seven, thirty. Maybe even fifty, sixty, and seventy. Trips down memory lane are much more enjoyable when there’s a future.

And yeah, he thought, revelling in the tickle of her soft snores as they puffed into his skin, there was definitely going to be a future.

~~~

Thank you for reading, if you’ve made it this far! Leave me a message, I’d love to know your thoughts <3

xoxo Tile