#go see pavements (2024) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dreamescapeswriting · 11 months ago

Text

Bound By Fate ~ LF

⤜ WORD COUNT: 13.6K

⤜ PAIRING: Fae!Felix x Human!Fem!Reader

⤜GENRE: Fantasy au, Fae worlds, fae talk, description of different worlds, “enemies” to lovers,soulmates, “mates” defeating an evil queen, love, slow burn?

⤜Copyright: © DreamEscapesWriting - July 2024

⤜MASTERLIST

You adjusted the grip on the leash as you walked through the woods with your dog, Max, who was tugging you along the new path you'd found the week before. You'd been desperately looking for a new place to take your dog out and when you found this place online you hadn't been able to resist. It wasn't that he couldn't be around other dogs but Max seemed to flourish more when he walked alone with you rather than having the distraction of other dogs around you.

It was an old abandoned road that used to lead to a mining site but it was now just a peaceful path for dog walkers or horses to take a stroll down. It had some reviews online that you'd been reading about but none of the descriptions of photographs had done the place justice.

The path where the old road used to be, was now almost unrecognizable under a thick blanket of grass and wildflowers that surrounded it. The pavement was cracked and fragmented, nature reclaiming it at every inch you looked around.

"Easy Max," You giggled a little as he excitedly began to dive through the long grass in front of you, his ears flapping every time he bounced around. Tree-lined the pathway, providing a sense of peace and privacy and even filtered out the sunlight that was above.

Everything was peaceful, not a single sound of other civilisation around as you listened to the resulting leaves, the chirping of birds and the occasional scamper of whatever woodland creature was around.

"Max..." You trailed off as Max stood to attention, almost as though he could hear something you couldn't and he slowly began to lower to the floor, his eyes fixated on something behind some trees.

Something in the air changed, the calming sense of serenity you had been feeling was wiped away in one swoop and replaced with a sense of dread. You didn't believe in much but what you did believe in was if everything went silent in the middle of nowhere, it was a sign to leave.

"Let's go," You whispered, softly tugging on Max's lead but he barked, his tail down between his legs before he lunged at whatever had caught his attention through the trees.

"Easy! Max!" You screamed, trying to gain control of him but he continued to pull and you felt a chill run down your spine as you ventured further into the woods, a silent warning telling you to turn and leave.

"I'm telling you, no one would even know it's here." Someone said, your head shot around in search of anyone that was around but there was no one, no one at least where you were standing.

"She just wants us to take a look, we look and we come back. It's not that hard, once we're back through the portal shuts and no one would even know one has been opened. The same voice said again. Either someone was very high on drugs or you'd walked in on a set for a film, who talked that way? You frowned looking around for what was making noise when you spotted it.

It looked like a window but floating in the middle of the air, light pouring through it as you saw snow inside.

"Shit, the prince is coming. S-Shut it down!" A nasal voice said before rustling was heard, you turned away from it shaking your head thinking you might have lost your mind for seeing and hearing such things.

"Well, that was weird." You whispered to Max, about to pull him away when you felt something tugging on your bag, you grunted a little at the tug.

"Looky what we found." The same voice from before said before you felt a rough tug on your back and you flung backwards, hitting the floor with a thud and groaning loudly.

You stared up at the sky which was now a dark grey colour and snow fell down around you, your body ran cold as you stared up at the sky.

"What the fuck-"

"Morgath is going to love you," The voice from before grumbled before you were dragged to your feet, your eyes scanned over the tall trees surrounding you, the air was so cold that you could see it.

"Who-" Before you had a chance to ask, who or what had grabbed you, an arrow shot through the sky before the man - thing? - holding you hit the floor with a bang and you screamed, scrambling away from him.

"Shh, shhh." A second voice called out, arms wrapping around you before a hand was placed over your mouth and you struggled against the grip until you heard it, more people talking in hushed tones.

"She sent us to find the mortal so we're not going to fail our Queen," Whoever was holding you scoffed but kept you pressed against them, your eyes wide as you listened more.

"This must not be where the portal is. Damn him, always giving us the wrong coordinates," The footsteps retreated as did the person's grip on you and you scrambled away, turning to face whoever had been holding you.

You felt a jolt of recognition as if you had seen him before but you were almost certain you'd remember someone so beautiful. You opened your mouth to speak, but the words caught in your throat. The man was tall and broad, his ears pointed as you stared at him he was breathtakingly beautiful, with sharp, elegant features and hair that seemed to shimmer like spun gold, even with glittery pieces through it. His presence was commanding, yet there was an air of melancholy about him.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," He whispered without thinking but you stared at him, your eyes narrowing as you tried to figure out who he was.

"Who-" You barely had a chance to finish your question before the man rudely cut you off,

"You shouldn't be here," Was all he had said, his voice smooth but laced with an edge of irritation at the idea of you being there with him and you felt your ego take a hit. It wasn't as though you'd been asked to be dragged through the damn portal.

"I—I didn't mean to intrude," You stammered, feeling strangely self-conscious under his intense gaze, your eyes went over to the body on the floor but the men stepped in front of your view, blocking the dead body from your eyes.

"I was just walking my dog, and someone grabbed me." You uttered, looking around, the snow around you was making it hard to stay warm and your body was shivering thanks to only being dressed in shorts and a tank top. Your heart sank as you thought about Max back home, you hoped he'd run home since he knew the way but it didn't make the guilt weigh on you any less.

"That much is obvious," he replied curtly, his eyes flicking to your outfit briefly before returning to you, no expression written across his cold face. You suddenly felt yourself feeling self-conscious and you folded your arms across your chest to cover up yourself,

"This is no place for humans." You bristled at his tone but couldn't help being captivated by his ethereal beauty. The man was dressed in, he was wearing a crafted tunic that was a pale green colour with silver embroidery stitched through the fabric. Paired with some form-fitting trousers and a pair of sturdy boots fit for walking through the woods. Clasped around his neck was a dark cloak that looked warmer than what you felt right now.

"I didn't know. It’s not like there were any signs saying 'Keep Out'." You grumbled at him, having enough of his dark and broody attitude toward you. It wasn't as though you'd walked right in. His expression softened slightly, but his demeanour remained aloof.

"You need to leave. Now." He practically growled, his eyes darting around the forest in case anybody else was around and listening in to the conversation.

"You think I don't want that? My dog is left behind..." You hissed at him, looking around you before taking a cautious step closer to the man who had been holding you moments before.

"What is this place? Who are you?" You finally found the courage to ask and the man hesitated, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features. Almost as though he seemed upset you hadn't known who he was.

"My name is Felix," he said finally, glancing at you and sighing a little. You were already here there was no use hiding what he was or what the place you were standing in was.

"And this is Eldoria, a realm not meant for your kind." His words were cut off, almost as though he wanted the conversation to end as much as quickly as possible

"Eldoria..." You echoed, the name feeling strangely familiar on your tongue. You couldn't help but think maybe you had read about it as a kid? Why did this place feel so familiar to you, why did he? Your eyes lingered on him once again, trying to figure out where this man had been before.

"I didn't mean to trespass, Felix. It's just... there's something about this place that feels like—"

"Like you belong?" he interrupted sharply, his eyes narrowing at you before a dry laugh left his throat and you couldn't help but feel your heart break at the laughter. He didn't need to be so harsh about it,

"You do not. Go back to where you came from. For your own safety." You wanted to say so much to him, you had so many questions but it was obvious he was not in the mood for any kind of games with you and you sighed.

"Whatever." You bit back at him, slowly walking to where you thought you'd been dragged through, your body shape was on the snow but the portal you'd come through was gone. You stared around waiting for something, any sign of it coming back but there was nothing there, not even evidence of it being in the way before.

"It's closed," Felix said flatly from behind you as if it was basic knowledge for you to know, your fists clenched at your sides. You had no idea what you'd done to make this guy hate you so much but clearly, he did. Irritation brewed inside of you,

"What do you mean it's closed? How do you expect me to leave if it's closed?" You asked, a mixture of frustration and desperation in your voice as you span around to face him. If it was closed how did he expect you to get home? Teleport? Felix stared at you coolly, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of sympathy making you frown a little. He'd never shown any kind of sympathy to you before, why start now?

Sighing a little he turned to look at you, his eyes staring into your soul as you felt your chest flutter. There was something about the brown in his eyes that felt so familiar to you, almost as though you'd stared into them before but couldn't quite place where.

"Portals to your world are rare and unpredictable. This one has sealed itself. Another exists, but it lies on the far side of the kingdom." Hearing this your shoulders slumped, how long was it going to take you to get back home? How were you even going to make it through the woods alone?

"How far is it?" You asked, looking at him and letting out a small sigh. You weren't sure how you were going to make it to the next portal but you weren't just going to stop.

"A several days' journey," Felix replied, his tone shortened. He stared down at you before clearing his throat, he knew there was barely a chance of you walking through the woods without being spotted and he knew he'd need to step in. Reluctantly.

"And it's dangerous. The realm is not safe for humans." You looked up at him, his expression was unreadable as you waited for any sign of him offering to take you.

If this place was so dangerous why was he here? Why had he been in the area when you'd fallen through, or rather had been dragged through?

"I don't have a choice, do I? I need to get home, since you're so adamant I shouldn't be here," Felix hesitated, his cold façade slipping for just a moment, a flicker or something else on his face as you stared at him. Realistically he knew that there was going to be no other way for you to get home, he knew he was your only hope but he needed to maintain distance.

"I will guide you," he said finally, swallowing a lump in his throat as he watched you closely looking for any sign of unease from you. He would need to find a way to get you through the Kingdom without being detected and your outfit was going to draw eyes to you, and the smell of you. Humans smelt incredible to certain creatures in the woods and it would take only a moment for something to catch you.

"But understand this: I am not doing this out of kindness. Your presence here is a threat to Eldoria, and the quicker you leave, the better." You frowned, feeling a pang of hurt at his harsh words.

"I get it. You don't like me or my kind. Let's just get this over with." You scoffed, tightening the bag around your shoulders and looking at him as he nodded his head.

"Good," Felix said curtly, turning to lead the way through the woods, throwing a glance over his shoulder.

"Stay close and do exactly as I say. There are many dangers in these woods, and you are ill-equipped to face them." You tried not to give him a snarky remark.

As you walked through the snow, you couldn't help but steal glances at Felix. Despite his cold demeanour, there was something about him that drew you in, something that felt inexplicably familiar. You wondered what secrets he was hiding behind that icy exterior but you shivered a little, gaining the attention from him and he felt his stomach sink at the thought of you getting sick out here.

"Why do you hate humans so much?" You questioned after a long stretch of silence. Felix stiffened sliding off his coat before wrapping it around your shoulders, telling himself it was only to mask your scent.

"It's not about hate," he said quietly, almost as though he didn't want to admit it to you but he knew it was going to be a long couple of days if he didn't admit the truth to you, or at least part of it.

"It's about survival. The presence of a human in Eldoria is dangerous. The queen - as she likes to call herself -, Morgath, will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who poses a threat to her power." Your heart skipped a beat, a threat? You barely knew how to walk without stumbling over your own feet. How could you ever be a threat to some Fae Queen?

"And do you...think I'm a threat? I'm a human I can't do anything" Your voice had trailed slightly and Felix glanced back at you, his eyes piercing into you before he held his hand up and shook his head needing this conversation to stop.

"Morgath has spies everywhere. If she learns of your existence, she will hunt you down and I can't describe the kind of things she will do to you." He looked ahead of him, there was a cottage coming up soon and he was hoping to find you something else to wear. Something to hide you and mask the stench of your human-ness.

"My hostility is a necessity, not a choice." He added you swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of the situation. You didn't feel like being tortured by someone because you were merely a human.

"I understand." You whispered, stepping closer to Felix as the two of you walked together. If it was that dangerous there then you were going to stick to him like glue.

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a twilight glow over the snowy forest as you and Felix approached a secluded lodge. By now you were practically freezing to death as you clutched his jacket around you tighter, your knees feeling weak.

"We need to make a quick stop here," he said quietly, glancing around for any sign of someone else in the area but the place was clearly abandoned.

"You can't keep walking around smelling like a human. It's too risky." He said as he began to walk toward the lodge. Its wooden structure was nestled among the towering trees, ivy creeping up its walls making it look as though it belonged there in the woods. Felix halted, turning to you with a serious expression.

"And how exactly do I fix that?" You mumbled, sniffing yourself trying to figure out what made you smell different to him. The two of you weren't too different, in appearance maybe. Felix's cheeks coloured slightly at the sight of you cuddled into his jacket, a sight that both surprised and intrigued you.

"There's a lodge here that belongs to a Fae family I know." He looked over at the door, trying not to let the sadness overwhelm him as he took in the sight of the place.

"They aren't home right now. We can find you some clothes that will help mask your scent." You nodded, following him up the creaking steps to the lodge's front door, wondering why there had been such a glum expression masking his face. Felix produced a small, intricate key from his pocket and unlocked the door, gesturing for you to enter, his eyes casting a glance behind you as he locked the door.

Inside, the lodge was cosy and warmly lit by the soft glow of enchanted lanterns, Felix snapped his fingers before a fireplace in the middle of what looked to be a living room lit itself startling you a little. The air smelled of pine and lavender, a welcome contrast to the tension of your journey here. If you were home you'd curl up in front of the fire and sleep for the night.

"This way." He whispered, leading you to a small bedroom before opening the wardrobe. He rummaged through the clothes, occasionally glancing at you and then looking away quickly, his ears tinged pink at the sight of you looking around.

Your hands ran over the bed sheets as you wondered who might have lived here, it was a beautiful home.

"Did your friends go on vacation?" You quizzed, glancing back over at him as he pulled out a soft green gown and then reached for something else.

"Not quite, they'll be back though." It almost sounded as though he didn't believe it but before you could push him more on the subject he turned to face you.

"Here," he said, handing you the gown as well as a warm-looking shawl.

"This should fit you, Sharm and you are almost the same size." He uttered the woman's name and you couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy but you had no idea why. You had no claim to him. He didn't even like your kind.

You carefully took the dress, your fingers brushing against his for a brief moment as he felt a jolt run through his skin. You noticed the way his breath hitched and smiled inwardly at him.

"Thank you. I'll, uh, change in the bathroom." You nodded behind you at the separate room and Felix nodded, stepping out of the room to give you some privacy.

As you changed, you couldn't help but marvel at the dress's quality. It felt cool and soothing against your skin, the material imbued with a faint, pleasant fragrance that seemed to blend perfectly with the forest's natural scent.

When you finally stepped out of the room, Felix was waiting in the small living area, pretending to study a map on the wall with his hands behind his back. He turned, his eyes widening slightly as he took in your appearance, he hadn't expected it to fit you so perfectly but the gown seemed as though it was made for you.

"You look... it fits well," he said, clearing his throat as he stopped the compliment from slipping from his lips.

"And it will help mask your scent." He finished, turning his attention back to the map, you slowly began to walk toward him, kneeling in front of the fire wanting to warm up a little before heading back into the snow.

"Not bad for stolen clothes. Do I smell sufficiently Fae now?" You laughed a little, sparing a glance at him and noticing the smile on his lips and a blush on his cheeks.

"Much better." His gaze was on you again as he took in your appearance, his eyes slowly drinking just how beautiful you looked in his world. Finally, he'd gotten a good look at you in a nice lightening and he couldn't help the way his heart skipped a beat. Clearing his throat he reminded himself of why you were here

"Now we just need to—"

"You didn't pick that dress just because it masks my scent, did you? You actually think it looks nice on me." You smirked noticing his glance from before, Felix's blush deepened, and he turned away slightly.

"It's practical. That's all." He said it so formally you almost would have believed him, you got up from the floor and laughed a little, stepping closer to him.

"You know, for someone who's supposed to dislike humans, you're being awfully considerate. Taking me home, giving me clothes. You could easily hand me over to Morgath and be done with it,"

"No!" He yelled, the lanterns practically shaking as you stared at him, shocked that he'd been a little loud and stern with you.

"What-"

"I have my reasons for getting you home," Felix replied, his tone softer than before. He met your gaze, and for a moment, the tension between you seemed to dissolve.

"This isn't easy for me, either. But keeping you safe is important. If I'm caught with you it would very much mean my head on a spike, something I do not need to happen." Something that no one in Eldoria needed to happen, he was the one thing standing in Morgath's way of gaining full power. With him around there was still a slim chance he could take back his throne.

You smiled, feeling a warmth spread through your chest at the thought of him keeping you safe.

"I appreciate it, Felix. Really." Felix nodded, averting his eyes once again.

"Have you warmed up enough?" He questioned, gesturing back to the fire that was burning hot behind you, your body had warmed up quickly thanks to him but you nodded a little.

"We should get going. The lodge won't be safe for long." As you wrapped the shawl around your arms you looked at him, unable to resist a small quip at him.

"You know, if you keep being this nice, I might start thinking you don't hate me after all." You teased, but Felix paused with his hand on the door handle, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Don't get used to it." He said in a teasing manner, not being able to keep the smile on his lips from growing. You laughed, and for the first time since you'd gotten to Eldoria, you felt a flicker of hope and something else deep in your chest.

Despite the danger, despite Felix's cold exterior, you sensed that there was more to him than he let on and you were going to keep pressing him for information.

"So are you going to tell me more about this place or do I have to beg for tiny bits of information?" You asked with a giant smile, trying to catch up to him as he strolled through the woods, a deep laugh falling from his lips.

"What would you want to know?" He arched a brow, turning to look at you as he kept walking with you, your eyes never leaving his even though you had no idea where you were walking, it was as though your body just knew the route.

"What other creatures are there here? You're clearly Fae and I'm assuming the queen is?" You looked at him and then in front of you, Felix smiled to himself. He'd never really had someone in his Kingdom he had to explain anything to before and it filled him with a small bit of excitement and he knew he couldn't be silent on your trip. Besides the way your eyes lit up as you questioned him only filled him with more eagerness to fill you with information.

"There are many things here, different kinds of Fae. The Queen is..." He stops for a moment trying to think of the words to describe her.

"She was made Fae, human first though." He rolls his eyes,

"But someone took her and created her for Evil, not knowing it would ultimately be the death of him as Morgath overthrew him," He glanced at you, you were clearly still listening to every word,

"Damn, Karma is a bitch here too." A laugh fell from his lips once again.

"I suppose it is,"

"Isn't there anyone that could stop her? I mean, if no one wants her in power why doesn't anyone try to stop her?" If only it was that simple, people had been trying for almost two years but she was too powerful.

"She's queen, she has many followers who will do anything to see her succeed. Including killing any Human." He nodded to you and you bit your lip, remembering the Fae that had dragged you through to this world.

"Not everyone believes in her though, there are some... admittedly very few, that want her gone and people have been trying for a long time to throw her out of power." You nodded along with him, happy you were having any kind of conversation with him. As you walked you were about to step over a log when he reached for you, his arms enveloping you right away before pressing you to his chest, his heart racing so hard you could feel it. The two of you sat on the floor as he caught his breath,

"Traps," He whispers as he points down, a trip wire on the floor before angling your head up to see the giant net above it.

"Shit, t-thanks," You stuttered, turning to face him, his face inches away from yours as you let out a small and shaky breath. Your heart practically racing but not from the trap, from being so close to him.

"Anytime," He breathed out, his eyes lingering on your face fluttering down to your lips before looking you back in your eyes.

"Felix..." You whispered, almost as though you didn't want to talk or ruin the moment, whatever kind of moment was happening between you. He inclined his head closer and you almost touched lips when a twig snapped and he turned to see what it was.

"We should move," He rushed out, carefully getting to his feet and holding out his hand for you. You stood up, your chest crashing into his as you both stared at one another again, neither of you making an attempt to move from the spot you were in.

"Yn." He breathed out, his hand running over your cheek as you felt your heart flutter, your mind completely ignoring the fact that you had yet to mention your name to him.

"Am I going to forget everything once I'm home?" You couldn't stomach the thought of it. You were almost scared to remember it, knowing what was out there but never going to be close to it again but part of you never wanted to forget the way he was making you feel. A flicker of something you couldn't read ran across his face before he put some distance between you, clearing his throat.

"I'm not sure." He mumbled, going back to cold silence as you made your way through the forest, being extra careful of where you were looking in case of traps.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale glow over the forest as you and Felix trudged through the snow once again. The night had grown colder, the chill seeping into your bones as fatigue began to overtake you. Felix had underestimated how cold you were going to get since it hadn't really affected him all that much and he felt guilt crushing him. The two of you had been travelling for hours, the path growing steeper and more treacherous. He'd been trying to make the trip as quick as possible trying not to get caught with you. He needed to get you out of there as quickly as possible.

Felix glimpsed at you, noticing your slow pace and the way you stumbled over roots and rocks. Your breath came in laboured gasps and you could barely keep your eyes open as yawns escaped you. He could see you were nearing your limit and he needed to do something about it. There was no way you'd made another hour on foot.

“Yn,” he said, stopping and turning to you as much as he didn't want to stop he didn't really have much of a choice when it came to how tired you were.

“We need to find shelter.” You shook your head stubbornly, adamant that you could continue without needing a break.

“I can keep going. We have to keep moving.” Felix sighed, stepping closer to you, clearly, you were too tired.

“You’re exhausted. We won’t make it far if you collapse.” Before you could protest, your legs gave out beneath you, and you fell to your knees, hissing out in pain. Felix was by your side in an instant, his strong arms lifting you effortlessly as he stared down at you.

“Felix, I’m fine,” You grumbled, though your eyelids were heavy with sleep, you didn't want to stop not when he hadn't shown any signs of getting tired yet.

“Clearly,” he replied dryly, shifting your weight to carry you more comfortably, your body was tense in his arms and he breathed into your ear.

“Just rest. We’re almost there.” You nodded a little, your eyes slowly becoming too heavy for you to keep open but you didn't want to stop. Part of you worried you'd fall asleep and never see him again.

"What if this is just a dream and I never see you again?" He chuckled softly at your innocence,

"You'll see me when you open your beautiful eyes in the morning." He let out a low laugh and you snuggled against him, a yawn taking over you.

"Another compliment? I should feel honoured," You breathed,

"Go to sleep, Yn," He urged, you whined at him and shook your head.

"Felix..." You trailed a little, he'd said your name twice now but you'd never even told him it,

"Hmm?" He asked dryly, his eyes forward as he navigated his woods, his eyes straight ahead as he tried to make his way with you in his arms.

"I never told you my name." You whispered before your head lolled against his shoulder as he continued through the forest, his body tense as he realised he'd said your name and hadn't meant to.

Felix moved swiftly but carefully, his keen eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger, he needed to get you out of there sooner rather than later, he'd already let too much go.

After what felt like an eternity, the two of you arrived at a small, secluded lodge nestled among the trees. Warm light spilt from the windows, and Felix approached the door, knocking softly, or attempting to with you nestled in his arms. Your head snuggled closer to him as you let out a small whine at the sudden movement.

A moment later, the door creaked open, revealing an elderly Fae woman, her eyes scanning over Felix before she gasped, her eyes widened in surprise and then softened in recognition.

“Prince Felix,” she whispered, stepping aside to let him in, her eyes scanning over your sleeping frame as she stared at the sight of Felix.

“Come quickly. We’ll keep your presence secret.” She told him, bolting the door shut and blowing out the light that let people know there was a lodging available inside.

This had been one of the many places Felix could come and still feel a little control over his Kingdom, Mary was one of the few people left in his world who cared he was the true owner of the throne.

Felix nodded his thanks and carried you inside of a small room. The lodge was cosy, with a fire crackling in the hearth and the smell of fresh bread wafting through the air. Two other Fae, a middle-aged couple, looked up from their seats by the fire, their expressions turning to concern as they saw their Prince carrying a person in his arms.

“We need a place for her to rest,” Felix said quietly, his eyes glancing down at you as he took in your sleeping appearance. You appeared so peaceful in his arms and he hated how perfect you seemed to mould against him.

“Of course,” Mary woman replied, leading him to a small bedroom at the back of the lodge. She pulled back the covers on a neatly made bed, and Felix gently laid you down, pulling the blanket over you and gently running his hand over your cheek, his heart racing as he stared at you. You stirred slightly but didn’t wake, your eyebrows scrunching together at the sensation of Felix being gone and he smiled weakly to himself.

“Thank you,” Felix said, stepping back and watching you for a moment before returning to the main room where the Fae who had been watching waited for an explanation.

They motioned for Felix to sit by the fire, offering him a cup of warm tea, which he accepted gratefully, sipping on the liquid and sighing to himself. He knew that they were going to have questions, anyone would.

“Who is she?” the middle-aged man asked, his voice hushed, almost as though he was scared one of Morgaths spies was around ready to pounce.

“She’s a human,” Felix replied. “She stumbled into Eldoria. I’m helping her find a way back.” The elderly woman shook her head, he already knew what they were going to say to him and he wasn't ready to admit it to himself.

“She’s not just any human, Felix. We can all sense it. She could be the one to save us.” Felix’s expression hardened, there was no way he was going to put you in that kind of Danger. There was no way he was going to subject you to that kind of torture.

“Don’t speak of that. She’s not here to fulfil any prophecy. She’s just a girl who got lost.” He hissed out, apologising for his outburst and sighing. The elderly couple left the room as Mary narrowed her eyes at him, she'd always managed to speak freely to him.

“But Felix,” She insisted, her eyes earnest as she ran her hands over his shoulder, rubbing softly.

“The prophecy speaks of a human who will break the curse. You know this.” Of course, he knew it. The damn thing had been drilled into his mind from the moment Morgath had taken the throne from his father but the Prophecy had been much older than that, older than any Fae that Felix had encountered.

In the ancient annals of Eldoria, written in the language of the Fae and etched into the sacred stone of the Elder Tree, there exists a prophecy that has been passed down through generations. It speaks of a time when darkness would fall upon the land, and a saviour from another world would emerge to restore light and harmony.

It had all been something told to children to make them sleep at night, Morgath was nothing but a nightmare until it all finally came true.

"She could be the one and you know it, you already feel it." She mumbled to him and it was true but Felix stood abruptly, his jaw clenched. He'd known it from the moment he'd seen you standing there that you were the one to fix everything but he wasn't going to put you through that. The second he'd locked eyes with you he remembered you, he'd always had fleeting visions of you, his soulmate. The visions had become more vivid as of late and he knew it was because you were closer to one another than before.

But you were human, you were breakable and would grow old. Felix was doing this for your own good, you deserved to be with someone of your own kind. The moon goddess had made a mistake making you mates.

“I won’t let her be used. She deserves to be in her own world! We’re getting her home, nothing more.” The room fell silent, the fire flickering as he shook his head. Felix turned away, staring into the fire, his thoughts a tangled mess of duty and protectiveness. He couldn’t deny the possibility that you might be the one the prophecy spoke of, but he also couldn’t bear the thought of you being thrust into such danger.

Mary placed a hand on his arm and smiled weakly, running her hand up and down his arm.

“We understand, Felix. We’ll help you both as best we can. But remember, sometimes destiny finds us, even when we try to avoid it.”

Felix nodded, though his resolve remained firm. He wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Not if he could help it.

"Don't forget while you're protecting her...You're also pushing away your own happiness." She whispered before disappearing into her own room, leaving Felix to stare into the flames.

The first light of dawn filtered through the small window of the lodge, casting a gentle glow over the room and you stirred, slowly waking to the comforting warmth of the bed and the smell of something delicious cooking nearby. You sat up, blinking away the remnants of sleep, looking at the small room you'd slept in and smiling to yourself that this all hadn't been a dream and you still had some time with Felix.

"Good morning," A woman said kindly, her eyes crinkling with a warm smile when you finally emerged out of the room. Your eyes danced around the kitchen she was in and she looked at you, almost as though she was in awe of you.

"I hope you slept well." You nodded, stretching your sore muscles.

"I did, thank you. Everything smells wonderful." You whined as you took in a deep breath to get another sniff making the lady chuckle softly, ladling a fragrant stew into a bowl bringing it over to you and leading you toward a table.

"Eat up. You need your strength." She told you, rubbing your back softly as you accepted the bowl gratefully, the warmth of the stew seeping into your hands.

"Is Felix here?" You asked as you took a cautious sip, savouring the rich flavours. Mary smirked to herself at you already asking about him. It was clear to her that you cared for him already and even if you hadn't realised you were soulmates something inside of you felt attached to him.

"He went to scout for the morning, I think he wanted to check nothing would happen to you both on the walk today," She smiles, sitting across from you and taking out a knitting needle before knitting while sitting there.

"Oh. Did he eat?" You asked softly, your eyes never leaving the bowl of stew in your hands as you slowly lifted another spoonful to your lips and carefully ate.

"You care that much already?" She smirked and you felt your body heat in embarrassment as you went back to eating in silence, Mary stilled and leaned forward.

"Don't worry dear. I made sure he ate and I've packed you both a lunch as well." She told you while stroking her hand over yours and you nodded a little,

"You're very sweet." The woman waved a hand dismissively, she'd been working this Inn for a long time this was something that was completely second nature to her at this point.

"It's nothing, dear. We're happy to help a friend of Prince Felix." Your food caught in your throat at the mention of him being a prince but she gave you nothing else on that.

As you ate, you couldn't help but notice the woman's eyes occasionally flickering to you with an expression of curiosity and something else—something that looked almost like reverence.

"Is something wrong?" You finally asked, lowering your spoon. The woman hesitated, looking around to make sure Felix wasn't around before clearly choosing her words carefully.

"It's just... unusual to see a human in Eldoria. Especially one who arrived the way you did." You frowned a little, surely there had been stories of other humans coming into the world.

"What do you mean?" You laughed awkwardly and she sighed, sitting down opposite you again and holding your hands in hers, nervously glancing around to make sure the cost was clear.

"There are old stories, prophecies really, about a human who would come to our land and—"

"Mary, that’s enough," Felix's voice interrupted sharply from the doorway, your heart picked up as you glanced over at him. He stepped into the room, his expression stern and cold like the one from the forest the day before.

Mary glanced at him and then back at you, her eyes filled with a mixture of apology and caution as she realised how scared you looked now.

"I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to alarm you." She breathed out, walking into the kitchen as Felix approached, his gaze locking onto yours.

"We need to leave soon. The longer we stay in one place, the greater the risk." He mentioned, glaring over at Mary who was now avoiding his gaze at all costs. You looked between Felix and Mary, sensing there was much being left unsaid and you hated the thought of being left out.

"Felix, what is she talking about? What prophecy?" You questioned, standing up from your chair and looking at him but he avoided your gaze, shaking his head as he went to collect the bag Mary had prepared for you both. Filled with food and things for the road you might need.

"Lix." You breathed out, the nickname slipping from your mouth as though it was second nature and Felix's body froze, slowly turning to look at you, his expression softened slightly, but his tone remained firm.

"It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with right now. Our focus is getting you back to your world safely." Mary stood, her hands wringing together as she studied you closely, she knew Felix would never harm her for speaking the truth but he was a friend and she didn't want to lose him as such.

"Just know, Yn, that you are special. More special than you realize." Felix shot Mary a warning look but didn’t say anything further. Your curiosity burned, but you knew pushing Felix would get you nowhere, right now at least. Maybe you could pester him more on the road since you'd have nothing else to talk about but right now it was clear he wasn't going to move on the matter.

"Thank you for the meal and a place to sleep." You said to Mary, finishing the last of your stew before bringing her the empty bowl, she took it from you, placing it down as Felix made his way to the doorway.

"Let's go." He urged impatiently but Mary wrapped her arms around you, taking in a deep breath and you hugged her back.

"Stay safe, child. Keep him on his toes," She whispered to you. As you were about to pull away she tightened her grip.

"Trust your gut." Was all she said before Felix gently took your arm in his, guiding you toward the door.

"We need to keep moving. There’s still a long journey ahead." You spared a glance over your shoulder at Mary who looked away and sighed.

As you both stepped out into the morning light, you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were a part of something much larger than you understood. The weight of Mary's words lingered in your mind, a puzzle you were determined to solve.

"Did you sleep last night? Do fae even sleep?" You asked, rambling a little as the two of you stepped into the woods again, a chuckle left Felix.

"I think I preferred you sleeping, much less questions being sent my way," You playfully glared at him and looked down at the snow that hadn't even melted despite the sun burning above you both.

"Yes I slept, I sleep just like you." He explained, holding your hand as he helped you cross over a log, his hand lingering in your embrace as the two of you walked together.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep," You uttered, you hated that you'd slept in his arms but it had been the best sleep you'd had in the longest time.

"Don't be, you're human, you tire easily. I should have expected it," Felix hadn't meant for the way it had sounded, so harsh and as if he looked down on you for growing tired.

"Why does the snow never melt?" You asked, trying to break the awkward tension between you and Felix raised an eyebrow.

"It seems your sleep has refuelled your brain then." He teased softly and you stared at him,

"I can ask about the world or I can ask about the prophecy, your choice." At the mention of the prophecy, you noticed his throat bob nervously and he let out a deep breath.

"The snow is a present from Morgath, an eternal winter she called it," He rolled his eyes a little. The woman had always had a flare for the dramatics.

"And how did she become Queen...seeing as you're the prince." You tread carefully around the topic. Mary had let the words slip this morning and you hadn't known how to bring it up to him.

"Mary let that slip did she?" He cocked his eyebrow while shaking his head. Mary had always been crafty when it came to him, he knew he should have stayed with you that morning to make sure nothing was mentioned about the prophecy, he was just glad Mary had neglected the soulmate part of the discussion.

"An accident I'm sure." You smirked, biting on the inside of your cheek as Felix rolled his eyes,

"Hmm, I'm sure." He muttered not sounding entirely convinced of the fact. Mary knew how to play people and she was playing both of you perfectly together.

"She married my father, who mysteriously died a short months later ready for her to take over."

"But surely the crown would fall to you?" Maybe it was different here but usually, a queen would never rule alone.

"We tried that, but Morgath was power-hungry. Demanded that she get the thorne only it hasn't exactly worked in her favour." He laughed softly as though he was in on a joke you hadn't known and you frowned a little,

"Meaning?" He stopped walking and held you in place, standing behind you and placing his hands on your shoulder. Your body stilled in his, relaxing a little from his touch as he leaned down toward your ear,

"Watch those trees," He whispers in your ear, your skin heating from the contact as you let out a breathy sigh. You stared over at them, waiting for something, anything, to happen but as you were about to turn and speak to Felix you saw it.

The tree slowly parted ways and sunlight was bleeding through, not an inch of snow below it, all of it beautiful lush grass and wildflowers.

"I'm the heir, the rightful heir to the throne and the kingdom knows it. It's why it still bends to my will, why some of her people fear me." You turned to stare at him, your eyes scanning his face as he smiled down at you, his fingers brushing over your cheeks to remove some of the snow that had fallen on your skin.

"She's been trying to kill me ever since," Your eyes darkened and he could have sworn he saw a flash of red in them before it faded. Your anger boiled deep inside of you at the thought of someone ever harming him.

"Why?" Your voice shook as you stared at him, your eyes brimming with tears at the thought of anything ever happening to him and Felix felt his heart clench. He was already revealing too much to you.

"She'll finally have the Kingdom at her will, she'll be able to do whatever it is she wants," He whispered, his hand gently cupping your face in his as he went to wipe away a fallen tear, you placed your hand atop of his stopping his action in place.

"And the prophecy...it'll stop her?" Felix's hand dropped from your face and he turned away from you, the trees moulding back together to hide the sunlight.

"The prophecy is a story, fictional. Made up by the people of this Kingdom who are scared." He grumbled, walking ahead of you and forcing you to catch up to him.

"If it's just a story why won't you tell me it?" You grunted as you tried to keep up with him, Felix only slowing down as he realised how far behind you were from him.

"I don't wish to bore you." He deflected quickly,

"We've got nothing else to talk about so unless you want to walk in absolute silence-" Your breath caught as Felix spun around, pressing your back up against a tree as he leaned down close to you. His face inches away from yours as his eyes bore into yours,

"Lix?" His finger lifted to your lips and she shook his head, his eyes on you but his mind clearly somewhere else as he listened to what was going on behind him.

"Morgath said she can sense it, the filthy thing is here somewhere." A voice cried out, it was navely and high pitched and you could have sworn you saw Felix shiver as he stared down at you.

"Be quiet," He whispered before disappearing right before your eyes, you reached out to touch him and he was still there. His hands held yours tightly as you watched two creatures stalk by you.

One was a wolf, the size of a bear as he sniffed around, stopping and staring in your direction. Felix could feel your heart racing and he pressed himself closer to you, your heart stilling as you waited for the wolf to pass.

"You find something?" The navily voice asked as the second creature turned to see what the wolf was staring at but it let out a growl before continuing away from you and Felix and in the direction of Mary's lodge.

Once Felix revealed himself and you, he wasted no time in grabbing your hand and quickly pulling you through the forest, his eyes focused in front of him.

The encounter had only hammered it in harder that he needed you out of there, that no prophecy about a human breaking the curse was going to be worth losing you if Morgath or any of her minions found you here. He wasn't going to let a single thing happen to you.

"Lix, please." You pleaded with him, your breathing becoming erratic as you tried to keep up with him without tiring yourself out. The nickname sent shivers down his spine as he was thrust into the memories of dreams about you. The two of you. Except they couldn't be true, you needed to be out of here before you were killed.

"We can't stop, you have to get home."

"Please...I-I just need a minute." You cried out before he finally stopped, taking you through a secluded area and sitting you down on a log, his face pale as he stared around.

"Why are they so adamant to find me?" You questioned, staring at him as you slowly caught your breath once again.

"I told you, it doesn't concern you-"

"I'm telling you! I want to know considering if they find me I'm dead, I'm pretty sure it damn well concerns me," He was slightly taken back by your boldness and he smirked a little, he should have known his soulmate would be able to hold their own when the time came. Taking in a deep breath he looked at you, he knew if you were anything like him you were going to be stubborn enough never to give in.

"It's a story we were told as kids, okay? Don't think about it too much." He told you before sighing,

"When shadows stretch across the Fae lands, And the queen of darkness takes her stand, A foreign soul, pure and bright, Shall cross the veil in the dead of night. From realms afar, where mortals dwell,

A human heart will break the spell, Bound by fate to a prince of old,

Their union is forged in stories told. Through trials dire and love concealed, The truth within shall be revealed, With courage strong and sacrifice, The cursed land shall pay the price. The kiss of life, with power untold, Will shatter chains and darkness fold, As light returns to Fae once more, The saviour’s heart shall love restored. In unity, both worlds shall see, A future bright, where all are free,."

"That's it?" You stared at him, you had to admit you'd been expecting more ever since you'd learnt about it that morning. It sounded more like a riddle than a prophecy someone was supposed to uphold.

"I told you, it's a fictional piece told to us as kids." He rolled his eyes a little and you stilled, staring at him with an arched brow.

"So fictional the Queen of Darkness happens to be real?" You slowly raised from the log you had been sitting on and Felix scoffed, shrugging his shoulders and turning to face the way you needed to go.

"A coincidence." He uttered harshly at you.

"Lix." You breathed out but he was already gone, walking ahead and trying to forget the way his nickname sounded on your lips

The two of you walked in silence for what felt like hours but the sun was still high in the sky when Felix decided to make a camp, parting the trees once again before pulling you inside and letting them shut around you both. It was spacious enough for you to rest and for Felix to get food out,

"I didn't mean to upset you," You finally whispered, your eyes watching him as he shook his head,

"You have nothing to be sorry for, I just want to get you home. I don't want anything to happen to you." He whispered, his back to you as he got the food out that Mary had prepared for the two of you. You needed food before the two of you continued on but he was rationing it so you could get another two meals out of it at least.

"But if I can help...I will." You pushed him on it and his fingers clenched around the flask he was holding,

"The risk isn't worth the cost, you need to go home where you can be safe."

"But-"

"Please," He turned to look at you, kneeling in front of you as you finally noticed tears in his eyes. Your hands slowly moved to cup his face in your hands and you slowly ran your hand over his cheeks. As long as he'd been yearning to feel your touch on him he didn't want to risk anyone finding you killing you for their own sick pleasure and destroying him in the process. He'd never recover if he lost you.

Knowing you were in the human world would be torture but not as much torture as it would be to lose you completely.

"Okay...I'll leave," You whispered, smiling weakly as you let him go, his back to you once again as he finished preparing you some food, both of you falling into an uneasy silence once more.

Your mind going back to the prophecy, if you could help him you wanted to do everything in your power to do it.

The sun had once again set, and the forest was bathed in the silver light of the rising moon, Felix could see how tired you were getting and he sighed to himself. It was one night of rest and the two of you could be at the next portal by the next afternoon if he was lucky enough not to run into any more trouble. He cast you a nervous glance, you'd been quiet ever since lunch and it worried him, if this was all the time he was going to get with you he wanted to spend it talking to you.

"Soon you'll see Max," He offered a small smile but you nodded at him, glancing over at him and smiling weakly.

"He probably ran home, my neighbours probably watching him." You whispered, wondering if you were going to go back to a bombarded questioning about where you'd been.

"Time works differently here," He admits to you, it was probably something he should have mentioned when you first arrived but between saving your life and seeing you in person it had thrown him through a loop.

"You'll go back to find it's only been about four hours missing," You stared at him and nodded a little, too tired to question him more on it and he hated it. He wanted to hear you say something, anything, even if it was a snarky remark about him, anything.

"Yn...Are you tired?" He asked, his voice full of concern as he stepped in time beside you. You refused to look at him, staring straight ahead as your eyes grew heavy.

"A little but I can keep going if we're close."

"We're not." He answered quickly, a little too quickly but if you'd noticed you didn't let on that you had and he smiled.

"There's a clearing just up ahead with an abandoned cabin, we can spend the night in there." He told you as he carefully brushed his hand with yours, taking it into his grasp and walking with you off the main path.

You emerged into a small clearing, where a secluded cabin stood hidden among the trees. Its stone walls were covered in moss, and the roof was partially obscured by overhanging branches but even from where you were standing you could see it was falling apart.

“We’ll rest here for the night,” Felix said, pushing open the creaky door and letting you inside.

“It’s an old hideout we can use. We’ll leave at first light.” He told you as you nodded, stepping inside and immediately noticing the double bed against one wall and a fireplace on the other. It was more of a bedroom than a cabin and your heart skipped a beat at the sight of one bed.

“Where are you going to sleep?" Felix followed your gaze, his expression remaining impassive though a faint flush coloured his cheeks.

“I’ll take the floor,” he replied curtly, not wanting to put you in distress at the thought of sharing a bed, besides, he wasn't sure that if he slept beside you he'd be able to hold back his feelings anymore.

“You need the rest more than I do.” You frowned, feeling a pang of guilt at the thought of him on the cold and hard floor after everything he had done for you.

“You don’t have to do that. We can share the bed. It’s big enough.” You stepped closer to it and Felix looked at you,

"Fine, but stay on your side," He pointed a look at you and you couldn't help but smile at his serious tone.

"Deal. But there isn't any-" Before you could mention the lack of pillows or anything to keep you warm a bright light flashed in the room before it was engulfed in a warm light, the sound of the fire crackling behind you both.

"Fit for a prince," You giggled noticing the bed was now covered in pillows and sheets to keep you warm through the winter night.

After eating you lay on the bed, stiffly side by side as you listened to the fire cracking on the other side of the room.

"Thank you for helping me, Felix." Felix glanced at you, his eyes softened by the flickering flames as he stared at you.

“I’m doing what’s necessary. Keeping you safe is important—for Eldoria and for you.” You smiled gently, sensing the weight of unspoken words in his tone but not pressing him any more than you had today. Right now you were just glad the two of you were speaking again, it had been your own kind of hell not speaking all afternoon.

“Still, I appreciate it. You’re not as cold as you pretend to be.” Felix’s lips twitched in what might have been a suppressed smile.

“Don’t get too comfortable. We’re not out of danger yet...We've still got a trip tomorrow,” He whispered as you yawned, your eyes slowly shutting as you nodded,

“I know,” You replied softly, your eyes slowly opening to find him again.

“But I’m glad I’m not alone in this.” For a moment, silence fell between you, filled only by the sounds of the crackling fire and the distant hoot of an owl. You shifted, trying to get comfortable on the bed, your leg brushing against Felix’s. You froze, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of your clothes.

“Sorry,” You murmured, starting to pull away. Felix’s hand gently caught yours, holding you in place, enjoying the feeling of being close to you, even if only for a night.

“It’s alright,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, his heart getting the better of his mind as he shuffled closer to you on the bed.

“Get some rest. We have a long journey ahead.” Your heart raced at the unexpected contact, but you nodded, settling back into the bed. Felix released your hand and turned onto his side, his back to you, though you could still feel the tension in his body from the contact the two of you had shared however brief.

“Goodnight, Lix,” You whispered, closing your eyes for the final time that night, too tired to open them again.

“Goodnight, Yn,” he replied softly. As you both lay there, the boundary between you slowly dissolved as you both sank into a deep slumber, Felix's body moving on its own as he wrapped himself around you pulling you flush against his chest. His own body gave in to the fact that you were there even if for a short while before you returned home.

While the two of you slept you'd not noticed that someone had followed you deep off the trail and watched the house while you slept, waiting to pounce.

The morning sun peeked through the holes in the ceiling, waking you up as you enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms, leaving your eyes shut for as long as possible. Both of you knowing the other was awake but neither making an attempt to move or start your journey together,

"I don't want to go," You finally whispered as Felix tensed from behind you. If he was a selfish man he would have begged you to stay, if he was the King he would have begged you to help but he needed you to go home. He needed you to be safe.

"You must," He whispered, his arms leaving you as he got up, straightening his outfit before snapping his fingers to remove everything he'd bought with him in the night. The sheets and pillows disappear in seconds and you rise from the comforts of the bed.

There was a certain tranquillity in the air as the two of you began your walk that morning, a quiet anticipation that neither of you dared to break with words. Felix walked a little slower than usual, his steps deliberate, as if savouring every moment of your time together.

You noticed his uncharacteristic pace but chose not to comment on it. Instead, you walked beside him, your fingers brushing against one another, enjoying the silence and the unspoken bond that had grown between you.

As the two of you walked, neither of you noticed the snow melting behind you, leaving a trail of sunlight through the trees and wildflowers finally sprouting in the ground, almost as though the Kingdom was reacting to the two of you together.

You stole another glance at Felix, your heart saddening as you realised your time together was coming to an end rather quickly.

“Felix,” you said softly, your fingers wrapping around his own as he stilled,

"Is everything alright?" He looked at you his expression indistinct for a moment before he nodded, smiling weakly at you.

“Yes. Just... thinking.” In fact, he was in a heated debate with himself. His heart and his brain raging against one another fighting a way to keep you with him. You smiled gently, accepting his vague answer for now and continued walking together. Neither of you noticed the silent figure lurking in the shadows, watching your every move, too lost in your thoughts or one another to notice anything else.

As you finally reached a clearing, the shimmering portal to your world came into view, Max was waiting there with his tail high in the air, barking into the portal almost as though you'd only left minutes before, it's light ethereal and inviting. Your heart quickened, torn between relief at the sight of your way home and the sorrow of leaving Felix behind.

“We’re here,” Felix said, his voice tinged with a mix of emotions. You didn't move toward the portal, you merely stayed still looking at him and waiting for him to tell you to stay.

“Felix, I—” Before you could finish, a dark, monstrous figure lunged from the shadows, its claws grabbing Felix and pulling him away from you as you let out a scream. You reached out but Felix was ripped from your grasp, thrown to the ground by the creature's immense strength. The wolf from the day before was towering over him, pinning him to the ground.

“Felix!” You cried, rushing toward him. But the wolf growled turning his attention to you as it snarled, blood dripping from its mouth.

“Yn, run!” Felix shouted, his voice strained with effort. But you couldn’t leave him, you'd never leave him alone like that. Searching around you grabbed a fallen branch from the ground, wielding it like a weapon, and charged at the wolf. The beast swiped at you, knocking the branch from your hands, but you didn’t back down.

"Go!" Felix managed to breathe, if the wolf wasn't attacking you then there was a small chance no one knew you were human and you still had the chance to get out of there.

"GO!" He screamed out before the wolf stepped on his arm, the bone snapping as he screamed. The scream made your stomach drop and your heart shatter.

"YN GO!" He finally boomed out, staring at you with tears in his eyes but you shook your head. Suddenly, a blast of light hit the wolf, sending it stumbling back. Mary, the elderly Fae woman, emerged from the trees, her hands glowing with magic.

"Hurry, child!” She called out, prepared to save Felix the second you left but she could sense your hesitation and the look on your face as you took in the bloody sight of Felix.

“The portal won’t stay open forever!” You stared over at the portal and then back to Felix, The creature was recovering and quickly advancing on Felix again. Your resolve hardened and you shook your head, there was no way you were leaving, you didn't care how dangerous it was. You couldn’t leave him to face this alone.

"Yn." He warned as Mary held off the wolf, drawing it away from you as you stood Felix up from the floor, wrapping his one good arm around your shoulder.

"I'm not leaving you, Felix, I don't care," You grumbled, groaning as you shifted your body to accommodate Felix's weight.

"We need to get you somewhere safe, to heal." You whispered but as you began to walk you stilled. A woman stood there with fiery red hair and a sharp face stared down at you, an evil smile spread across her lips as she took in the sight of you both together,

"So, the prophecy unfolds," Morgath hissed, her voice dripping with venom as she stared you down, trying to intimidate you.

"The human girl and the Fae prince. How touching." You felt your blood run cold as Morgoth’s gaze locked onto you. Felix immediately stepped in front of you, his stance protective. It didn't matter that he was already wounded he wasn't about to let her lay a hand on you.

"Morgath," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"You won’t touch her." He added as you reached for his hands, trying to steady him, he was in no position to fight

"Romantic...but very ill-advised my darling stepson." She smirked at him, laughing a little as the chilling sound echoed through the forest.

"You think you can protect her? You, whose power has been dimmed by my curse? How pathetic." With a flick of her wrist, Morgath summoned a dark, shimmering blade, its edges crackling with dark energy. She advanced towards you, her intent clear aiming to kill Felix and you shook your head.

"No!" You cried, trying to push Felix aside out of her way.

"I won’t let you hurt him!" You screamed, moving him out of the way but Felix was faster and stronger than you. As Morgath lunged with her blade aimed at you, Felix threw himself in front of you, taking the full force of the strike. The blade pierced his side, and he gasped in pain, collapsing to his knees.

"Felix!" You screamed your throat hoarse, dropping to his side as Morgath stepped back, a triumphant smile on her lips.

"Such noble sacrifice," Morgath sneered. "But futile. The human will never save Eldoria." She spat out as Felix pulled the blade from his side, hissing out in pain. You stared down at him, your eyes filled with tears as you cradled him in your arms. His face was drained of all colour, and his breathing was shallow.

"You have to go..." He whispered, his voice barely audible as he held onto your arms but you were applying pressure to his wound, refusing to leave his side for even a second.

"No," You sobbed, clutching him tighter as tears gushed down your cheeks.

"I won’t leave you. There has to be another way." You cried heavily but Felix shook his head at you, smiling weakly through his final breaths. Morgath watched with a mixture of amusement and annoyance at the scene unfolding before her.

"Your defiance is pointless. The prophecy is a lie. There is no saviour." Felix reached his hand up, cupping your face as tears fell down onto him and that was it.

A flash in your mind before everything became clear, all of the dreams you'd had ever since you came of age, a faceless man you'd never quite been able to picture in your mind but who would constantly visit you in your dreams. Images coming clearer of you and Felix together, spending time together in your dreams, he'd always been there. It was how he knew your name and how you'd slowly remember his nicknames. Your dreams had slowly been drifting back into your memory as you spent more time together.

Your heart ached with despair, but as you looked into Felix’s eyes, you felt a surge of determination as you stared down at him,

"I love you." He breathed out, blood trickling from his lips as Morgath began to laugh erratically, knowing she was close to getting everything she'd ever wanted but your mind went back to the day before. You remembered Felix's words, the prophecy, and the power you'd felt within you.

"I love you too," You whisper, looking at him as he frowns a little. With trembling hands, you leaned down and kissed Felix, your lips soft against his.

A brilliant light exploded from the point of contact, enveloping them both not letting anybody from the outside see in. Morgath shielded her eyes, stumbling back as the light grew brighter and brighter.

As you pulled away you stood from the floor, grasping the blade that had been the one to injure Felix and you turned your attention on Morgath who was stumbling, aiming her hands at you but nothing came of it.

"What's going on?!" She screeched, snow around her melting as you smirked a little as you realised what was happening. The kiss had been the one thing to break the curse.

"The prophecy," You whispered, realization dawning on you as you realised everything had been true.

"This changes nothing! I will destroy you too!" She cried out, snapping her fingers but nothing happened, the wolf and Mary emerged from the bushes behind you, her arm around the creature as it snarled in Morgath's direction.

Felix stepped forward, his hand still holding yours taking the blade from your grasp before kissing your cheek softly.

"No, Morgath. Your reign of terror ends now." He said through gritted teeth. With your combined strength, you faced Morgath together, as she scrambled to get away and sink back into whatever hole she'd crawled from. But it was too late The power of your bond, now fully awakened, surged through you both, creating a barrier of light that repelled Morgath’s dark magic.

You felt the energy within your response to Felix’s, your hearts and souls intertwined as your fingers found one another, your eyes never straying from the woman before you. As Morgath attacked, you countered, your combined power overwhelming her. With a final, desperate scream, Morgath was consumed by the light, her form disintegrating into nothingness.

As soon as everything had calmed, you heard the birds and other wildlife slowly begin to awaken and you slowly turned to Felix, your eyes searching his.

"Felix? Are you...?" You could barely finish your sentence, you felt him dying before, you felt him dying in your arms and you were almost sure it was over.

"I'm here, Yn. Thanks to you." He chuckles, running his hand over your cheek as Mary smirks at you both.

"The curse is broken. The land will heal, and so will our people."

Felix nodded his head as he stood beside you, your hands still intertwined. The portal still shimmered behind you both, but it no longer represented an escape. It was a choice, a path to a future the two of you could shape together if you wanted to try.

Now there was no threat to you he wanted you to stay, he needed you to stay after having you so long but if you wanted to go home he would never be the one to stop you.

"Yn," Felix said softly, his eyes locked on yours before flicking over to the portal, Max still waiting for you with his tail in the air.

"Whatever happens next, I want to face it with you." Your eyes dragged away from the portal and back at him,

"Your kingdom needs their king."

"And their queen," Mary spoke from the distance, earning a glare from Felix but you giggled at him running your hand over his cheek,

"She's right...If you want a Queen that is," He looked at you, he was ready for you to leave and hadn't stopped to think you would want to stay with him.

"You're my other half, Lix, I can't even dream of leaving you," You breathed out almost as though you'd been reading his mind and he wrapped himself around you, bringing you into another kiss.

This time there wasn't a flash of magic but you felt your body explode against his as you wrapped your arms around the back of his neck and pulled yourself closer to him. Butterflies erupted inside of you as fireworks went off.

"I love you, future Queen of Eldoria," He whispered, a bark separating you both as you turned to find Max wriggling in Mary's arms, jumping free and pouncing over to you both.

"I guess someone else wants a new life here too," Felix chuckled, kissing your cheek softly before you reached down for Max, cuddling him in your arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Epilgoue~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the ancient forest of Eldoria. In a secluded grove, a sacred ceremony was about to commence. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, and the trees seemed to hum with anticipation.

You stood in the centre of a circle of ancient stones, your heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nervousness, Felix had explained all of this to you weeks before not wanting you to be scared but it still worried you a little. You wore a flowing gown of silver and green, crafted by the finest Fae artisans, its fabric shimmering like moonlight. Your eyes sparkled under the sunlight and you glanced a look at your mate who was holding your hand firmly in his own,

"Are you ready?" Felix asked, his voice gentle but filled with excitement. He'd been pushing off the ceremony for as long as he could, trying to make sure that you were truly ready for it. You nodded, your gaze unwavering from his as you smiled brightly.

"I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life." You giggled, earning a clap from Mary who had been watching the two of you. She stepped toward you both holding a crystal chalice which was filled with a glowing liquid, you eyed it up before nodding at her,

"By the power of the Elder Tree, by the light of the moon and stars, we gather here to witness the transformation of Yn, who has proven her heart and soul are one with the Fae." The grove filled with a soft, ethereal light as the incantation continued, Felix squeezed your hands, his eyes never leaving yours.

"You’re about to become one of us," he whispered, pride and love evident in his voice. Though he'd never forced you into it, you could see how excited he was for this. The two of you would age slowly together for many years to come. You smiled, a tear slipping down your cheek from how happy you were to spend the rest of forever with him.

"I’m ready, Felix. I want to spend eternity with you." Mary brightened her smile as she slowly handed the chalice to you.

"Drink, and let the magic of Eldoria flow through you." Carefully you lifted the chalice, feeling its warmth against your palms. Taking in a deep breath you gave Felix another smile before you drank, the elixir cool and sweet as it travelled down your throat.

As you finished, a radiant light enveloped you, lifting you off the ground, Felix's hand slowly left yours as he watched in awe as your transformation began. Your hair shimmered like spun silver, your eyes brightened with an otherworldly glow, and delicate, iridescent wings emerged from your back fluttering softly as you slowly floated back down to the ground with a graceful landing.

"How are you feeling?" Felix questioned as your wings continued to flutter, your eyes finding his as you stared at him. Everything was so much brighter...everything was just so much more. The lights were brighter, the sounds louder but nothing overwhelming and you could feel everything. You could feel the flowers growing beneath you and hear Felix's heart from where you stood.

"Felix, I feel... complete." You breathed out before he rushed into your arms, his wings unfurling to wrap around you both

"You’re more beautiful than ever," he murmured, kissing your forehead softly both of you forgetting those who had come to witness the ceremony.

The gathered Fae cheered, their voices a harmonious symphony celebrating the union of their prince and his beloved after so long. You and Felix turned to face them, your hands still intertwined, your love and unity shining brightly.

"I'm going to marry you under this tree," He whispered to you, just low enough for you to hear him and you giggled at him,

"Oh? And what if I decline?" You teased but he wrapped himself around you, dipping you lowly as he leaned in toward your lips.

"As if you would," He smirked, kissing you deeply as the fae around you erupted in cheers once again.

@chiisaiblog @sw33tnight @kaitieskidmore97 @laylasbunbunny @stayconnecteed @saymyspringrain @toplinehyunjin @katnisspeetaprim @acciocriativity @just-aelia @choisoorin @straykids5star @midnightfrog625 @beccaskz @scarletemeterio @halesandy @junhannies @gothic4under4lord @lixie-phoria @soulphoenix1618 @aerastus @jin-from-the-block @lensfilm @elizaschuyler18 @piratequeen-impact @kpopsstuffs @chaeyoungs @delulu18 @xyahrinx @katsukis1wife @anthropologymajorkpopmultistan @blairscott @4-chan-inpadella @niktwazny303 @moonlight-the-writer @armystay89 @hadassahchan @yxngbxkkie @myyouthdonut @extrhotjne @ca11me3mily @elissasimp @piercedddriver

#skz #skz x reader #skz imagine #skz imagines #stray kids #stray kids x reader #stray kids imagine #stray kids imagines #lee felix #felix #felix x reader #felix imagine #felix imagines #lee felix x reader #lee felix imagine #lee felix imagines

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ma1dita · 10 months ago

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have you been watching the paris 2024 olympics?? i just think luke castellan is so like athlete coded, i’m just imagining him like as the athlete from sweden (?) in pole vault who broke his world record and then ran to his girlfriend like imagine luke doing that to you AGHHHH i’m on a luke as an olympian (the athlete) brain rot

the alchemy

luke castellan x reader a/n: i absolutely loved this request. mando duplantis i dream of you and your girlfriend every night. wc: 612

Luke Castellan swears he can feel his heart beating out of his ribcage. That, or it’s the thunderous roar of the crowd—it must be one or the other with so many people here, a sea of faces and noise and….

Deep breath in… and out.

Luke doesn’t think he’s ever seen this many people in a single room, and his brain hurts to even consider the people watching this live. Gods, there weren’t even this many people at qualifying, and there’s so many people counting on him. Honey brown eyes scan the crowd for you, his good luck charm as he squints, getting on his tiptoes in hopes of catching a glimpse of your smile. Your presence does wonders for his performance and his nerves, the past few years of late nights at the facility, strength and endurance training, and the crazy diets you’ve joined him on to accommodate bulking and cutting.

You’ve been there through it all.

He’s got two more shots at breaking his own world record, and to most, they’d assume he’d treat it like a piece of cake. But his mother always taught him to be humble, and he reckons she’s whispering something similar into your ear right now, wherever you two are in the stands. You’re his biggest cheerleader after all, on the days he feels like he can walk among the clouds and even the ones where his feet seem stuck to the concrete.

Luke rolls out the crick in his neck before bending over to grab his grip tape and liquid chalk. Going through the motions of years of proficiency worth his blood, sweat, and tears, he zeroes in on the crowd, walking up to the runway.

Just like we practiced, he thinks to himself, hearing his name get called out by the officials.

LUKE CASTELLAN, REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

LUKE CASTELLAN, DES ÉTATS-UNIS D'AMÉRIQUE!

Two minutes start on the clock—-and he runs like the wind.

Sprinting, taking the air out of his own lungs as his feet pound against the pavement, his fingers tapping against your initials that he etched into his pole as he gives it his all.

And then the other end meets the vault box and he’s flying.

Soaring through the air, momentum swinging his legs like a pendulum and by the smile that grows on his face—he knows he’s got it even before his feet touch the ground, and the only thing running through his mind is you as he contorts over the bar effortlessly.

Like echolocation, the only voice he recognizes through the commotion is in tune with the blood rushing through his ears, a scream that could only come from the depths of your soul, “BRING IT HOME BABY!”

And he’s ecstatic now, suddenly unaware of the resounding smack his body makes against the landing mat because his joints spring up tirelessly as he propels himself in your direction like Pavlov’s dog running towards the sound of a golden bell. Luke can barely see at the speed he’s going at, launching himself over the stands but he knows you’re there to catch him and he knows he’s gotten gold as he smashes his lips against yours. This must be the alchemy that you do to him, pulling his heart into yours with just the glimmer in your eyes and the sheer love you show to accomplish his dreams—he’s a winner for sure, with you by his side. Flashes from cameras surround his peripherals and you both can’t do anything but chuckle.

Gold medal aside, he’s got all he needs in his arms right now.

Luke thinks he’ll be getting you your own gold hardware soon too.

#for my gn babies (づ ◕‿◕ )づ #luke castellan x reader #percy jackon and the olympians #made by ma1dita ♥︎#luke castellan imagine

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dsudis · 9 months ago

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late night calls, sandman: "I know it’s stupid, but I needed to hear your voice.” ?

I almost never manage to write to prompts but hey, it's the summer of 2024! Sometimes crazy shit happens! I wrote this! Don't ask me how long ago I got this ask!

Dreamling, feat. retired Dream & comics spoilers for how he got that way.

The Sound of Your Voice

Hob scrolled back through his texts, reading the slightly disjointed conversation with Dream that had just trailed off into nothing, and then the previous day's exchanges. There were no selfies, but Dream sent pictures of the things he saw on his travels and found interesting--sometimes the sort of holiday snaps anyone might send, but often things that brought it firmly to mind that Hob was exchanging texts with the newly-human former Lord of the Dreaming, who was wandering the world in search of Normal Life Experiences.

He meant to scroll past, but he found himself studying the photos all over again: the instruction card from an airline seat; a scrap of spiderweb lingering in an unidentifiable corner of two beige walls; a spoon wrapped in a paper napkin; a puddle on a cracked pavement.

Hob zoomed in on that last, trying to discern a reflection in the puddle, trying to guess what Dream was doing with his hair these days by the shape of the shadow.

It had been a month now that Dream had been off on his travels. He texted fairly often, and always responded when Hob texted him; they had even spoken twice. The first time had been four days after Dream set out, when Hob hadn't heard anything, and gave up on being cool and called.

Dream had sounded mildly puzzled, but had been content to chat for twenty minutes. He had actually, haltingly, answered questions about what he was up to, what he'd seen, whether he was enjoying his adventure.

Hob had managed to compress four days of quietly losing his mind worrying about him into saying toward the end, "Don't be a stranger, right? I mean--you're not my--not a stranger anymore, so--we can keep in touch."

He'd nearly hung up then just to shut himself up, but Dream had said, "Yes, I see. I will."

He seemed to have understood, even, because since then he hadn't gone more than twenty-four hours without texting Hob some random observation or sending a photo or just Good morning, Hob, usually at a time that was nowhere near morning where Hob was.

Dream had even called, a week or so ago. It had taken Hob solidly ten minutes, in which Dream had scarcely paused for breath, to realize that despite speaking perfectly clearly, Dream was so utterly legless that he needed more absurd words for it. He was trolleyed. Gazeboed. Positively coat-hangered.

"Your turn," Dream had said abruptly, still not slurring a bit but audibly loosened, so that Hob was suddenly sure that Dream was lying down, sprawled somewhere, collar undone, shirt perhaps riding up.

Hob had been so entranced by that image--did Dream have a bit of an alcohol flush on, lighting up his pale cheeks?--that Dream had had to prompt him again to take his turn speaking. He had managed it just fine once he got going, happy as ever to have Dream listening to him.

Dream had made a few encouraging noises, then gone quiet, until finally Hob heard a tiny, unmistakable snore.

"OI!" Hob had shouted into the phone, and been rewarded with something that was almost certainly a snort and the clatter of a dropped phone.

"Hob?" Dream had said, returning.

"Drink some water, and lie down on your side to sleep," Hob had said firmly. "Your sister might not take you if you choke, but you don't want her to turn up and laugh at you, either."

Dream had actually said, "Ugh, she would," before he hung up, and Hob had spent the rest of the day laughing to himself as those words echoed in his ears.

He couldn't hear them now.

It was something that had happened time and again. Each time he met with Dream, hanging on every one of the sparse words that dropped from his lips, he felt that he would have that voice etched on his memory, ringing in his ears, forever. For days after, he could hear Dream's words again, playing them over in his memory.

But every time, before too long, he couldn't remember quite what those words sounded like. He might remember what the words were, but he couldn't hear them anymore. A few months on, he would forget the little quirks of Dream's expression.

At some point, every time, he forgot Dream's face.

He could remember what Dream looked like, generally: pale and black-haired, slim and tallish, dressed in black, obviously rich. But he couldn't bring Dream's actual face to mind, had to just wait out the century to see him again, to know him again. There you are.

He'd already started forgetting after their belated meeting, when Dream turned up again, though Hob still hadn't known his name at that point. There had been a dream, first, and then his old stranger had just--turned up in a pub when Hob was out drinking, having his own miserable evening. He'd pulled out of it enough to realize that Dream was even worse off than he was, that Dream was on the precipice of something unimaginable, but nothing he said had changed any of that.

And then he'd found himself attending Dream's bloody wake, which was how he'd learned who his oldest friend even was.

He'd had about a week to try to resign himself to never having another reunion, never refreshing those fading memories ever again, no longer having even one person he could look forward to meeting again on the long road of his eternal life.

And then Dream had turned up on his bloody doorstep: freshly human and tentatively immortal, as this new incarnation was technically his afterlife.

Dream had been nearly as bewildered by it as Hob was, and had stayed with Hob for a fortnight. Learning to function in a human body had been undignified and frustrating, but Hob had done his best to smooth the way. He had accompanied Dream through his first experiences of human-sized emotions, which seemed to be something he had no idea how to handle, where had possessed at least a general theoretical understanding of the physically messy bits.

After two weeks, though, he had seemed to be settling in, and Hob had let himself begin to think of what life might look like with his friend in it--and then Dream had announced that he needed more Life Experience and he was going off to find it.

Hob knew he'd said it like that, the capital letters audible even though his new voice had lost some slight uncanny edge he'd always had before. He just couldn't hear it anymore, and he couldn't hear Dream's drunken rambling either. He scrolled down through the texts again, trying to hear how Dream would say the words, but he only caught an echo, the velvety depth of Dream's voice.

It was late; he ought to stop fretting about this and sleep. There would be more texts from Dream tomorrow; sooner or later there would be another call, or Dream would turn up again. Everything was all right now; Dream was safe, and probably reasonably happy, out on his self-appointed quest to get the hang of being human.

Hob just wanted to hear that from him. He just wanted to hear _anything_, so long as it was Dream. He hesitated another moment, but he had never been good at resisting temptation. He just had time to try to guess where Dream was--and therefore what time it was--before he hit the call button.

It rang only twice before Dream picked up, sounding not just puzzled but properly disorientated, fuzzy with sleep. "'Lo? Hob? What's..."

All the circling misery of the last few minutes lifted instantly. _There you are. That's you._ "Hi, love," Hob returned, falling back into his own bed. "I know it’s stupid, but I needed to hear your voice."

There was a silence, but before Hob could take it back, or say something to give himself away even more, Dream said, "You could... do you think you'd like to--"

"Yes," Hob said, sitting up again, feeling abruptly wide awake, ready for anything.

"--Hear it more?" Dream finished.

"Yes," Hob repeated, standing. "Yes, I--where--"

"About five minutes," Dream said, which didn't make sense until he added, "it's a good thing you called, I didn't mean to doze off in the taxi."

"Jet lag," Hob said, mouth running on autopilot as he looked frantically around his bedroom. It was in a bit of a state; he hadn't gotten properly settled into his own newest incarnation before Dream turned up, and in the last few days he'd been... more down than he'd realized until right now, when he wasn't anymore, at half two in the morning. "I keep telling you, you have to respect the circadian rhythm now you have one."

"I have great respect for it," Dream said, sounding a little amused now. "Unfortunately--" he yawned, "international flight schedules do not, despite being entirely staffed by people who also need to sleep."

"One of those mysteries we may never solve," Hob agreed. "Uh, your room's a bit--"

"I will happily sleep on your kitchen floor at this point," Dream said, yawning again before he quite got all the words out. "Perhaps the stairs."

"Well, we can do better than that, at least," Hob said, pulling on a pair of joggers and giving the covers a few quick tugs so the bed looked plausibly disheveled rather than like a place of insomniac torment. He dashed down the stairs to the front door, and threw back the locks, listening to Dream's quiet on the other side of the line. "Dream?"

"Still here," Dream assured him, sounding a bit more alert now. "Just a few more blocks, I think."

Hob leaned out the door, peering down his street, listening as if he would somehow know which car on another street was the one with Dream inside. "Are you..." Hob didn't even know how to finish the question, other than _here yet?_ which was a stupid one.

"Yes," Dream said anyway, just as a car turned down Hob's street--a proper cab, not an Uber. Dream could be choosy about things like that. "I see you. I--I am very glad to see you."

Hob raised and arm and waved, to be sure the cabbie would see him too, and cleared his throat before he could say, "Same to you, my friend."

"Yes," Dream said dryly, even as the cab was pulling up, putting the rear door exactly level with the stairs to Hob's door. "I can see that."

Hob glanced down at himself and realized that he was both shirtless and barefoot, and showing a wide strip of his pants on one side where he hadn't managed to pull the joggers all the way up. Hob sputtered, already starting to laugh at himself and unable to find a riposte; he looked up again and his breath stopped.

Time stopped.

Dream was on the pavement below him, straightening up out of the cab. He was looking straight at Hob, with just as much bright gladness in his face as the first time they'd seen each other again after their longest parting.

Hob dropped his phone and darted down the stairs, colliding with Dream halfway and flinging his arms around him. He clung tight long after they were both steadied from the impact, pressing his face into Dream's messy hair. "Say something," Hob murmured, breathing in the not-too-recently-washed smell of him, soaking in the solidity of the angular body pressed up against his.

"Your front door's closed behind you," Dream murmured. "And I think you've cracked the screen on your phone."

"Bugger," Hob muttered, squeezing tighter; Dream's grip tightened in answer until Hob could feel his ribs creaking, and still neither of them showed any sign of letting go. "The door, I mean, that's a bother. The phone screen's been cracked for weeks."

Dream gave a little _tsk_, pressed a kiss to the spot just before Hob's ear, and then let go all at once, sliding past him to retrieve his phone. Hob pressed his fingers to the spot where Dream's lips had pressed, and didn't manage to speak, or even think anything coherent, before Dream was straightening up again, phone in hand.

"They can be replaced," Dream pointed out. "And you gave me a key before I left, so even the door is not such a great bother as that."

"Yeah, I wasn't that worried," Hob said, fingers still pressed to the spot in front of his ear, staring at Dream, who was going just a bit pink. "Dream, you--"

"You gave me a key," Dream repeated, making no move to get it out and unlock the door, still holding Hob's battered phone. "Before I left, you said. I could always. Come home."

"Yeah," Hob said, and finally managed to drop his hand from his own face, reaching out with the same fingers to touch the brightening pink of Dream's cheek. "You always can, love. I always want to hear you, and I always want to see you."

"I thought I--I thought perhaps--it might have been only..." Dream shook his head, giving up on putting it into words, but Hob didn't need him to spell it out; he'd worried himself that perhaps it was a problem that Dream only had him, only knew him. He'd known it was a good idea for Dream to go out into the world, even while he'd hated it. "But there is no one like you."

"And no place like home?" Hob added lightly, because he couldn't not, even when he could see Dream's perfectly earnest expression, the steady dark intensity of his gaze.

Dream snorted softly and put his hand over Hob's, pressing it to his cheek while he leaned in, closing the distance between them again.

Hob started to tilt his head, ready to guide Dream into possibly his first kiss in a world where noses would not politely reshape themselves to stay out of the way, but Dream first pressed his forehead to Hob's, breathing deeply and saying nothing. Hob settled his other hand on Dream's cheek as well, keeping him close, breathing in for himself the reality of Dream here with him again, safe and sound and wanting to be here, of all the places in the world he might be exploring.

"We should go inside," Dream murmured, and Hob just shivered at the secret sound of his voice before he made sense of the words.

He tipped his head back to meet Dream's eyes, and found Dream smiling wryly. "I fear we may be carried away here on your front steps, otherwise."

Hob dropped his hands to Dream's shoulders, where it was safe to grip as hard as he needed to while he let those words sink in, his whole body flashing hot at the possibilities. "Yeah. That's. Probably wise, yeah."

Dream nodded, still smiling, and held up a familiar key. "Shall we?"

Hob forced himself to drop his hands and turn to go back up the stairs. Dream followed him, close enough that Hob could almost feel him; when Hob turned the knob and realized that the door had in fact locked behind him, he had no time at all to be frustrated by it before Dream pressed up against his back, bringing his hands--and, crucially, his key--to join Hob's.

"You gave me a key," Dream said, so close to Hob's ear that his lips brushed it, so deep and warm that Hob could drown in it. "You knew I would want to come home to you. And now here I am--" the key slid home, and Hob bit his lip to hold back a noise at that altogether unsubtle promise of things to come. "Coming home. To you. With you."

Hob pushed the door open, but before stepping inside he asked, knowing it was ridiculous to hesitate, with Dream plastered up against him and hesitating anyway, "Will you tell me again tomorrow?"

"I will tell you again every day," Dream said without hesitation. "Every time I come home to you, wherever that may be, it will always be you."

"Right then," Hob said, and whirled in Dream's arms to kiss him as he stumbled back inside. Dream followed him, and didn't stop kissing him except to laugh when they staggered into a heap at the top of the inside stair. Hob tugged him back down into another kiss, and let Dream's voice echo in his ears a while longer.

#fic #the sandman #dreamling #the sound of your voice #prompt fic

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innistable · 9 months ago

Text

Talk talk (snippet) [Full fic coming 10/07/2024] [1/4]

jason todd x reader

summary: the sequence of events that led you and your neighbor, Jason Todd, to fall in love. For better of for worse.

a/n: I'm new to tumblr and I'm still getting the hang of this. English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes. Please, like and reblog if you are interested in reading the full fic, any comment is highly appreciated.

word count: 2k

Your grandmother had always been a superstitious woman, constantly talking about those omens lying everywhere, praying to be seen, both as a warning sign or as a blissful encounter. However, you have never been the one to pay attention to that, not caring about cats, stairs, corners, clover and everything in between, especially in a city like Gotham, where you don’t need an auspice to know that danger is close.

For all of its sketchiness, Gotham City is a pretty straightforward place, there is always something happening, you may not see it, but it is there, an uneasiness that you can’t quite shake, hiding in a blind spot, a shadow in the corner of your eye. Still, in this precise moment, you wish that you had paid attention to something, omen or not, maybe the gray sky had been a good pointer that it was going to rain, maybe for once you could have listened to weather forecast, and maybe, just maybe, you should have just stayed at home after you saw that black cat licking one of its wounds on the fire escape.

The point of all this is that it is raining, pouring, it’s one of those rainfalls that’s so loud and strong that it makes you think that the sky is being torn apart. Now you are on your knees, blue jeans now wet and grayish against the cold pavement, trying to retrieve your scattered groceries.

It went like this: a few harmless droplets when you were cornering Monolith Square to take the bus after spending the evening seeing the Wayne Botanical Garden; on the bus, you were reading a book, something short and too pretentious for its own good, suddenly, the driver was using the windshield wiper and you noticed that the window view was then translucent, being barely able to make out the street silhouettes, it all became a blurry heap of buildings, street lamps and ill-defined legs, torsos and heads; then, you recognized the “C” Building, your stop, so you pressed the button, the bus slowed down and opened its door, outside a storm awaited.

It’s a two hundred meter walk to your apartment, but what normally was easy, it turned into a midday odyssey, strong winds and warm water made the route unbearable, your tote bag felt heavier by every passing second and just when you were in front of your building, keys in hand, your bag tore by the seams, and all of its contents fell to the ground.

It’s frustrating and you feel like screaming, it’s not the worst thing to ever happen to you, but it does feel like it is, probably because Gotham is some kind of cruel mistress, no matter how hard you try to play by its rules, it always ends up having a way to humble you, you might try to avoid trouble, but it ends up finding you, one way or another. You have this kind of overwhelming sentiment that makes your eyes sting when you see the damp sugar on the floor, just next to the trinkets you got from the Wayne Botanical Garden and your favorite brand of cookies.

The rain seems to feel your distress and it starts pouring even more. Great.

“Need help?” a voice asks.

You have never been a very religious person, but when you hear those words dripped in that thick gothamite accent that sometimes makes your stomach churn, you think that perhaps there is something out there that has decided to glance your way for once, and that for once, it felt pity for you.

“Yes.” you say.

You look up and see a tall man, gruff, huge. He has dry blood on his upper lip, a thin scab, dark maroon, recent but not too fresh. His hair is black, tousled, with a white streak on the front, and it seems a little bit damp, locks sticking to his forehead. His skin seems thick, probably because it is littered with scars, white dents on his skin, some big and some small, you don’t think too much about it, it’s Gotham, everyone has some scars around here, from gunshots to safety accidents on the swings of Robinson Park. His eyes are blue, almost icy, and his pupil is enveloped by vibrant green hues, his gaze seems curious and fixated, he is analyzing you, the same way you are analyzing him, ‘fair’ you think. He wears a worn out hoodie, overused, with grease spots and frayed holes, he is wearing also a pair of black shorts, the ones you use for running or going to the gym, and he’s also using trainers, the label says Numa instead of Puma, they are probably from the street markets that you can find around in every corner of Gotham.

He is alluring, you concede, even handsome. But that doesn’t matter, because he is kind. Gotham is isolating, people keep to themselves, they look the other way, not because they are necessarily assholes, but because they have clear boundaries, they distinguish your business from their business, and unless those two spheres intersect, they don’t see a reason to cross the line, it’s easier that way. Therefore, unapologetic kindness is not something easy to come across; in fact, you would be wary of it, if it wasn’t for the fact that he has a plastic bag and is taking your milk carton from the ground. Thank you, that’s what your eyes say.

For Jason it goes like this.

He is in his apartment, for the first time in days. It’s Wednesday and on Saturday he had a complicated patrol with Nightwing, the kind of complicated that leaves your face scarlet and body mauve, the type of convoluted patrol that leaves you aching for days, movements limited and a sore spot under your sixth rib.

He was kept in the Manor until yesterday evening, not because he wanted to, but because he was forced to. I can take care of myself he grumbled, but then Afred got this look in his eyes, not the one that says I am disappointed, he doesn’t care about that, he is used to disappointing, to failed expectations and lists of unspoken requirements he will never meet, it’s fine, what’s not fine is the other look, the one that softly whispers You are breaking my heart, master Jason, and Jason doesn’t want to do that, not to Alfred, who seems the only one ready to accept him for what he is now and not clinging to an old memory of what could have been. So, he stayed, receiving medical care from Leslie and Alfred, but he left as soon as he could.

Alfred had asked if he was staying for dinner, even though at this point it’s more of a silent plea, some sort of want for him to stay for once, to really be part of the family, to act like one, but Jason never agrees. The thing is, Jason never stays, he flees, he doesn’t do goodbyes or excuses, he is not a Wayne, perhaps he was at some point, when he was loud and excitable, full of wonder, but that part of him died, and no magic or god can bring that back, some things stay dead and maybe it’s better off that way.

The point is that he was finally back at his apartment. The closest thing he had to a proper home. It was small, he could afford bigger, he had bigger, but it began being just a plain safehouse, some impersonal storage unit to keep ammo, League weapons, gear, etc. However, at some point, he started spending nights there, probably because it was in a nice part of Gotham, Midtown, without the constant chaos from Uptown, where he mostly operated, but still far away from the haughtiness ever so characteristic of Downtown Gotham. It was a perfect balance, not too much, not too little, and Jason likes evenness, equilibrium, perhaps because most days he tethers the line between sanity and insanity so he appreciates any resemblance of stability he can grasp onto.

He arrived yesterday at 20:30, ordered delivery from the mexican restaurant a few blocks away, and fell asleep watching reruns from an old, mildly successful tv show. He likes the background noise, when everything is too quiet, he starts imagining things: footsteps, the sound of a crowbar against his flat’s parquet, screams and wails, the sound of a ticking bomb, etc. He likes everything that makes his subconscious believe that he is not alone.

His morning wasn’t different from any other mornings and that was fine. Jason enjoys routines, the predictable. He enjoys his usual morning channel; the black cat that visits him every morning to silently ask for food; the cadence of his neighbors footsteps as they run around their flat trying to get the kids ready for school and Roy’s texts. There is no sign that today is going to be different, and he likes that. He hits the gym, as always. He prepares lunch, nothing fancy. He reads, today it is The Master and Margarita, he is one hundred pages in, he marks words, phrases, writes thoughts on the margins and slowly makes his way through. He journals, he is not much of a poet, not that he wants to; he might be tortured, but he is not an artist, words more times than not get stuck on his throat, scratching like barbed wire against his larynx, drawing blood; however, Dinah, also known as Black Canary, who acts as his psychologist via Roy, advised him to write, she told him that it could help, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t, he keeps doing it anyway.

When the clock marks 17:23, he gets bored, so he goes to his balcony. It’s sad, but he lives his days anticipating the nights; he likes patrolling, he savors the adrenaline, he basks on the rush, he thrives under the light of traffic and streetlights; daylight stuns him, he doesn’t really know how to navigate the world once the sun has risen, it’s disorientating. Therefore, he just rots, he decays around his apartment, and now he feels like festering on his balcony. Suddenly, it starts to rain. It begins as a drizzle, so he doesn’t really care, he takes a cigarette, he lights it up and takes a puff.

He started to smoke when he came back to life, his dad used to do it, his mom too, everyone in Crime Alley did it, since it helped you to stay warm. When he was younger, he didn’t like it, back then when he was the bright-eyed Robin and he treated his body like a temple because Batman told him to do so, back when the only thing he wanted was to prove himself worthy, something he never was. His body as Robin was a temple; his body as the Red Hood are the ruins of a long forgotten empire that lived its own demise, and no one cares about ruins, why should he?

His first cigarette was given to him by Egon, one of the first mercenaries who trained him after his resurrection; then, the habit sticked, after all the life he chose, the life he lives, happens on dimly lit bars and dingy hideouts where a thick layer of smoke covers everything, it’s only normal that he smokes. Furthermore, he admits, there is some kind of masochist element to it, at first, the smell of smoke was enough to send him to a panic attack, since it reminded him of bombs, collapsed buildings, screeching manic laughs and charred skin; smoke was what filled his lungs when he gave his last breath, so if he was able to control the panic that the smell evoked, that meant that he won, in some way, in any form, it may be a consolation prize, but a prize nevertheless.

So he smokes and the rain starts falling with more force, but he doesn’t bother going inside, he likes the feeling of the droplets against his skin, it’s nice, it feels real. He looks down and he sees you, hunched over picking things from the floor and, after a few heartbeats laced with smoke, he decided to go down and help.

He sees you up close, eyes fixed in your face, taking in every detail, engraving them on his memory as he does with everyone. Right now, the world doesn’t tilt on his axis, there are no sweaty palms or rushed breaths, nothing has stopped, it doesn’t feel like something monumental, but it is.

He helps you and accompanies you to your apartment, it’s on the second floor - his is on the fourth - and he feels content about knowing someone new after Roy has been nagging him about needing to be friendlier and meet other people. He doesn’t talk much, he never does, he tells you his name and his apartment number, it’s enough for such a small talk. You thank him and it feels nice. He leaves and you close the door, it’s enough for today.

Like and reblog for the full fic

#jason todd #jason todd imagine #jason todd x reader #jason todd x you #jason todd x y/n #jason todd fanfiction #jason todd fanfic #batfam #batfam imagine #batfam fanfic #red hood #red hood x you #red hood x reader #red hood imagine #red hood fanfiction #dc comics #dc universe #dcu

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ilikethisacompletelynormalamount · 1 year ago

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Andrew Scott, Vogue: April 2024.

by Zing Tsjeng, Photos by Annie Leibovitz

Ripley, in other words, is the hero of the tale. “That’s why he fascinates so many,” says Scott. “There’s been so many iterations of him. I think it’s because people root for him.” Actors like Alain Delon and Dennis Hopper have tried the role; Matt Damon played him as an obsequious, lower-class naïf; John Malkovich, as a slimy, camp killer. Scott’s Ripley is different; a watchful loner escaping rodent-infested poverty, more at home among art than he is around people. Musician and actor Johnny Flynn plays his first victim—the monied Dickie Greenleaf—and Dakota Fanning is Dickie’s suspicious ex-girlfriend. “I find Tom quite vulnerable,” Scott tells me. “I don’t think he’s necessarily lonely, but I certainly think he’s solitary…. He seems to me by his nature that he just can’t fit in. He’s trying to survive.”

In Ripley, Zaillian extracts maximum Hitchcockian dread from every creaky footstep. But most sinister of all is Scott’s face, which exhibits a sharklike steeliness throughout. It’s a performance that exudes queasy force. Is Ripley a scammer, a psychopath, or both? “There’s so many things lurking beneath him that I’ve been very reluctant to diagnose him with anything. I never thought of him as a sociopath or murderous,” Scott declares. “It’s up to everybody else to characterize him or call him whatever they want.”

As we weave through tourists near the Tower of London, barely anybody notices Scott, save for a faint glimmer of recognition among mainly young women. He seems to draw reassurance from it. “I don’t like to think about it too much, if I’m honest,” he muses of fame. “I find it a little bit, er, frightening.” He is known but not blockbuster-recognizable, although he is in the upcoming Back in Action with Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. What stunts did he do? “I can’t give that away, I’m afraid, or somebody from Netflix will come and shoot me in the head.”

What’s been on Scott’s mind the most hasn’t been acting at all, in fact, but art. As a 17-year-old, he was offered his first movie role on the same day he was given a scholarship to study painting. He chose acting, but has recently been thinking about Oliver Burkeman’s philosophical self-help tract from 2021, Four Thousand Weeks, which makes the case for focusing on the five things you truly want to accomplish. “For me at the moment, it’s like, What do you want to do? What do you want to say?”

He scrolls through his phone to show me his work. There’s a watercolor of a couple arguing in a restaurant in rich reds and greens, line drawings of friends and people on the beach, and two self-portraits. “It’s a bit weird,” he acknowledges of his depiction of himself, all bulbous forehead and Pan-like tufts of hair. His brisk, nervy lines are reminiscent of Egon Schiele or Francis Bacon, who turns out to be one of his favorite painters. “Well, God, I’ll take that,” he mutters at the comparison. He would like someday to go to art school. “I don’t ever regret it,” he says of acting. “But I suppose you just get to a stage where you think, What else? That’s one of the big painful things in life for me, where you can’t quite live all the lives.” As he gets older, he feels the tug toward revisiting old working relationships, including with Waller-Bridge: “We’ve definitely got things cooking,” he smiles. “I’d love to work with her again. She’s just a singular, wonderful person.” For her part, Waller-Bridge says: “I’d love to see him do a fully unhinged slapstick comedy character. Someone who is outraged at everything, all of the time.”

As we round the pavement and the Tate Modern looms back into sight, he recalls a poster he received in 2017—a monstrously large graphic that detailed every week in a human life span. “It’s your entire life if you live to 80—you have to fill in all the bits that you’ve already lived,” he remembers in awe, “a visually terrifying gift.” What did he do with it? “I didn’t hold on to it for too long.” Easy come, easy go: We finally finish our loop around the Thames and, as Scott disappears back into the throng, anonymous just the way he likes it, it occurs to me that the actor has many lives to live yet. ■

#andrew scott #ripley #vanya #all of us strangers #julianne moore #phoebe waller bridge #annie leibovitz #vogue

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daydreaming-in-letters · 10 months ago

Text

Feast

07/25/2024

Pairing: Vampire!Hozier x reader

Word Count: 7,286

Warnings: vampire au, language, alcohol, blood, blood sucking, thoughts about unaliving oneself, fingering, light choking, oral (f receiving), penetration (also the reader is female and has hair covering their neck)

Summary: You had heard rumours about the man living in the old mansion down Hollows Lane. Gruesome ones. Enticing ones. Little did you know they were all true.

A/N: I blame hoztwt and my undying vampire kink for this.

Picture found on Pinterest

If you enjoy my story, liking is great, but leaving a comment or reblogging is the stuff that keeps me going. No permission is given to copy, repost or share my work on other platforms.

There were rumours about the man living down Hollows Lane. Gruesome ones. The first time you had heard them, you had laughed out loud. A simple prank, you had thought, gone by the end of the month. But they just did not stop.

There were also other rumours. Enticing ones. The man was a seducer, they said, a master of his art, and he knew how to have a good time. You had heard women gushing about his talent, about how they had never been satisfied like that before. It was almost too good to be true. Especially since all he wanted in return was a tasty meal.

A small price to pay if the rumours about his unearthly qualities were true. And as soon as the thought had manifested in your mind, your ears picked up the deep roll of thunder in the distance. A warning, maybe. Probably not. Still it was enough to make you trip and stumble a few steps forward. With a deep breath you steadied yourself, pressing the basket of food you carried to your chest. Just one more turn, one more road to walk down. You could already make out the roof of the grand mansion at the far end. There was a whisper, carried on the breeze, as if it was calling you, a ridiculous thought, you chided yourself, but still your feet had picked up their pace again, the determined clicking of your heels on the pavement the only noise in the lamplit street.

Finally you reached the iron gate and its signature creak brought back memories from the first time you had walked up to his doorstep. You had been so nervous, almost dying inside from anticipation and anxiety alike.

You had no idea how this was supposed to work. All you had was some kind of code word you were expected to say to him.

The large door knocker felt heavy and ice cold as you lifted it and brought it down three times. For a long while, almost an eternity, nothing happened, and you were about to turn around and leave when finally the dark wood in front of you moved. And there he was. He was even more beautiful than the women had described and you doubted there were words in any language to do the looks of this man justice.

“Can I help you?”

He just stood there, waiting, glancing down at you as he towered in the doorway, but that was all it took to stun you into complete silence. Your mouth felt utterly dry, your tongue too heavy to move even if the code was short and easy to remember.

“Are you quite well?”

At least you managed to nod and that seemed to please him somehow.

“What’s your name?”

“Y/N,” you blurted out, your brain happy to start with something simple.

“Pleasure to meet you, Y/N.”

He held out his hand to you and you took it without hesitation. It was soft and warm and his touch almost had you miss out on the moment when he drew in a sharp breath, his upper lip quivering strangely, but it was gone as fast as it had appeared and soon you doubted whether it had been real or just a product of your shell-shocked brain.

“Do you want to come in?”

“Yes! I mean, no. I—” One eyebrow shooting up, he observed you carefully as you stumbled across your own words. “I’m sorry. I am so nervous and I have no idea how this works.”

“I can see that,” he chuckled. “But there is no need to be nervous. Just tell me the words and you’ll be fine.”

His green eyes were so calming as they seemed to stare right into your soul. It should have worried you, should it not, that he seemed to be able to glance at the deepest, most well-hidden parts of you so easily, but instead you felt yourself relax under his gaze.

“Carpe noctem,” you finally managed to pipe up.

“Good girl.”

His voice was low and raspy and you felt your walls tighten around agonising nothingness upon his words. He smirked, knowing full well what he was doing to you already and as much of a warning signal this should have been, it turned you on beyond reason.

“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” You shook your head. “And the rest of this will be just as easy, I promise. All you need to do is be back here on Saturday, exact same time. Dress to your liking, I want you to feel as comfortable as possible. And bring all the ingredients to your favourite meal.”

You nodded mechanically.

“Are you sure you got it?”

“Got it.”

Gosh, why were you like this? Why could you not just be chill about this? You were embarrassing yourself in front of a man who would supposedly shag the brains out of you this Saturday if one could trust the rumours in this town for once. He on the other hand seemed completely unfazed, maybe even enjoying your flustered state, telling from the satisfied smile on his face.

“Okay, see you on Saturday, then,” you were quick to end this torment, even waving stupidly at him as if you had not already done enough to traumatise yourself. But he was just as quick as he caught your wrist mid-air, a movement too fast for your eyes to catch up and he did not even allow you a second to blink before you found yourself pressed up against his body, one arm slung around the small of your back to keep you in place.

“Goodbye, angel,” he whispered, his breath mingling with yours in the tiny space that was left between your mouths, a space he was keen to erase completely as he leaned in. His kiss was featherlight, making you doubt once more whether this was actually happening or if his lips on yours were just another product of your delusional mind. All you knew was that it made your knees weak and you were very thankful that he was still tightly holding you.

Even more so as a sharp sting shook you from your hazy state. Your lip. And the distinctive metal taste of blood.

“What the hell was that?” you hissed in irritation, two fingers finding your lip and as you pulled them away, the dark red liquid was shimmering in the eerie light of the evening.

“Just a little appetiser.”

You wanted to protest, to tell him off, but once again you found yourself rendered speechless by this man. And he knew how to use your petrified state as a strong hand wrapped around yours, holding the fingers laced with blood in place, and then his mouth opened to take them in, licking them clean as he stared right into your eyes from underneath those impossibly long lashes.

“Can’t wait for Saturday to come.”

You did not know how often you had gone over this scene in your head these past days. It made you shiver, every time, but even more than that, it made you want him, to a point that you started to question your sanity because you knew you would never find peace again if you did not have him. Just once.

And so you had done exactly as he had told you. You had come back, Saturday, same time, wearing your favourite dress and heels, both red like your lipstick. The outfit was not really comfortable as he had suggested, but no other item of clothing in your wardrobe managed to make you feel yourself as much as this. And god knew you could use as much confidence as you were able to muster.

In your hand you carried a basket full of ingredients for your meal, no matter how odd his request still seemed to you. Why would anyone see a self-made meal as a fitting price for…well…for what he was about to give you in return? Living in a home like that, he surely was wealthy enough to afford a cook if he did not want to prepare his own meals. Would that not be much easier and less risky than having to eat a surprise dish from someone who did not know half the time what they were doing? Maybe he had some weird food kink or it got him off to watch other people work for him.

Whatever it was, he left you no time to think about the matter further as the door suddenly swung open. Your hand was still hovering awkwardly mid-air since you had just been reaching for the knocker. And it stayed there for a moment longer, your nervous system sent into overdrive as you took him in.

He was even more radiant in his gloom tonight, if that made any sense at all, but there were no better words to describe the pull he had on you. He was dressed in all black, jeans, denim jacket and shirt, which conveniently was not buttoned up to the collar, thus allowing a fine view of his fluffy chest. Different to your first meeting, he had decided to pull half of his hair back in a ponytail, allowing the rest of his curls to fall freely around his shoulders. He might have trimmed his beard a little as well, but you could not tell for sure, the memory of your last encounter still a bit blurry around the edges.

But all that seemed secondary when he fished your hand out of its weird position and brought it to his lips for a gallant kiss.

“You’re back.” He was beaming, his eyes so full of joy that you almost believed he had doubted you would return. “Come in.”

He still held your hand, making a welcoming gesture with the other, waiting patiently for you to step inside. Another thunder rumbled through the night, louder this time, and you hurried to cross the doorstep. With a heavy thud, the door of the old mansion fell shut behind you, causing a violent shiver to run down your spine. And you could not help but feel like red riding hood in your dress, who had just entered the wolf’s den, fully knowing he would devour her.

“Welcome to my home.”

And what a home it was. Dark wood and old carpets dominated the place, staircases wound their way upwards elegantly, leading to even more rooms that seemed wasted on one inhabitant alone. Oil paintings decorated the walls, portraits as well as landscape scenes of places far and near, and here and there antiques caught the eye, collector’s pieces, possibly, or family memorabilia, passed down from generation to generation. And as if that had not been enough to remind you of those old gothic movies, the whole house seemed to be covered in a sheen of gloomy, flickering light, as if it was solely lit by candles. But of course that was ridiculous, nobody sane would rely on candles today instead of electricity. It must be some of those ultra-realistic LED candles that sat on the chandeliers and candelabras you passed by on your way as he lead you deeper into his lair.

To your great relief his kitchen was up to modern standards, at least far more modern than the rest of the house seemed to be and you thanked the heavens for that. Even the thought of having to cook in a kettle over an open fire doubled your nervousness in an instant.

You did not speak much as you went to work, but you knew you had his full attention. You could feel his eyes on you, observing your every move, following you around as you tried to concentrate so you would not mess up dinner. An impossible task, it seemed, but what could you do? Sending him away was rude and out of the question. This was his home, you had come here of your own free will, knowing full well the terms of this deal, and if you wanted your needs satisfied, you would satisfy his, even it meant to have your every move studied.

“Wine?”

You almost jumped out of your skin. He was so close, his voice coming from right beside your ear. Accompanying his words, he pushed a glass of red wine into your periphery. You hummed in affirmation as you took the drink from his hand. Eagerly you set it to your lips, gulping down a swig and then another as you found it did nothing to end the sudden drought in your throat. And yet you found yourself leaning back against him the moment his hands found you. One was careful to brush away the hair from your shoulder, while the other tenderly glided up and down your arm. You felt his chest move as he inhaled deeply, bringing you even closer, letting the deep vibration of his satisfied hum take hold of you too.

“Mouthwatering,” he concluded, and he was already pulling away, the last you felt of him the brush of his fingertips against your neck.

He must have lied to you, a white lie, but totally unnecessary as he did not seem to intend in the least to eat the meal you had prepared for the both of you. He sat across from you at a table that felt uncomfortably large at a dinner for two, twisting a glass of wine in his hand. Yet he was neither drinking nor touching the food on his plate.

“Are you not hungry?” you inquired, already unable to hide the miffed undertone in your voice.

“I am,” he stated plainly as if your question had been obsolete, as if in fact your question was the confusing bit of this conversation and not his totally antithetic behaviour.

“Is the food not to your liking then?” you refused to let him get away with it this easily. And as you waited for his answer, your fork dashed down to impale an innocent piece of vegetable.

“It looks delicious.”

He sported a smile, totally unfazed by the message of the little stunt you had pulled. If this man intended to seduce you by giving you the full boyfriend experience, even the aggravating and irritating parts, he would be in for a surprise tonight.

“Then why don’t you eat?”

“I will.” He had just finished his statement when lightning stroke, bathing the room in its cold, white light and for a second your heart stopped in your chest. It was only an instant, but the picture of him had been distorted completely, his mouth wide open, a pair of razor-sharp fangs glistening in the eerie light.

You did not dare to blink, and still you must have, as only a moment later, everything was back to normal, he even continued speaking as if nothing had ever happened.

“All in due time, angel.”

Angel. He had called you that before. You had no idea what about you exactly made him think this was a fitting nickname for you. You certainly did not think of yourself as a being of light, and no one else before him ever had. Not that this was a bad thing, on the contrary. But what bothered you about it was the fact that he had already chosen a term of endearment for you, while you did not even know his name.

“Will you at least tell me your name?”

Your voice sounded awfully strange to your own ears, a mixture of pouting and whining. It never sounded like that, not even in your lowest moments. And there had been quite a few of those.

“You can call me Andrew.”

“Andrew,” you repeated, letting his name roll over your tongue as if you were testing the sound, testing what it felt like to form the name with your mouth. It was not intentionally done, but when you looked up from your plate, you found his eyes already glued to you, and the hunger reflecting in those deep green orbs made you shiver in anticipation.

An anticipation you felt now more than ever, and it was threatening to drive you to insanity as you casually flicked through his record collection after dinner, trying very hard not to let your nerves get the best of you. You had moved to the living room now, or was it his music room? You had no idea, but the piano and the record collection let you assume as much.

“This one.”

You pulled the LP from the shelf and handed it to him. Andrew was already waiting by the record player, taking it from you.

“Great choice,” he commented. "Unbelievably talented musician, and an exceptional woman. You would have loved her.”

“You say that as if you knew her personally.”

“I did,” he stated as he found your gaze, and not for a second did you doubt that he was telling the absolute truth, however impossible it seemed.

“How?”

You watched him walk over to you, and you both knew that he would not answer your question. He did not need to. But instead of taking the last way out and run, you took the hand that was already waiting for you and nothing you had done in your life before had ever felt this right.

There was just one question left to ask, you wanted to blurt it out and get it off your chest after it had pestered you for days, but you waited until you had both sat down on the chaise longue by the window.

“So, ehm, how is this gonna go?” You were still holding his hand, your fingers playing with his as you spoke. “Do you want me to tell you what I like?”

“No.” His voice was like velvet. “There is no need to tell me. I will know.”

“Know how?”

He slowly detangled his fingers from yours, and when his eyes found yours again, something about them had changed.

“I can sense it, your desire.” His words had distracted you, allowing his hand to move unseen. It found you, found the sensitive spot of bare skin right above your knee. He did not even have to look and had found his aim still, making you suck in a sharp breath of air as his warmth seeped into your skin, gliding higher and higher up your thigh until his hand had vanished underneath the hem of your dress completely. “I can sense what brings you pleasure.”

Your eyes must have fallen closed under his gentle caress, and yet the touch of his lips did not startle you as they found the outline of your jaw. He moved slowly, placing featherlight kiss after kiss along the path to your ear.

This was the moment. It had come at last. Time to give him his part of the bargain. And so you brushed your hair aside, craning your neck to allow him full access.

“Not yet, angel,” he whispered, his lips brushing your ear, “not yet.”

Instead of the teeth you had awaited, his palm settled on the most delicate spot you had offered him. He placed it right above your pulse, claiming what was his to take whenever he desired. He could probably feel it, feel the blood rush through you, and the thought was enough to coax a soft sigh from your throat.

But your pulse against his fingertips was not the only thing he could sense. Above it all he heard it, loud and clear, the thunderous drum behind your ribs, as if your heart was waiting for the right moment to break free. That would not be necessary. There were other ways to free you.

You moaned, a sound that warmed his icy heart, and when he let his hand glide up your thigh, your legs fell open for him. He blindly followed the moist heat, his eyes never leaving your beautiful face, watching as you slowly let go. Soon you would be lost to the world, your world, and would become part of his instead. He was just about to tear the last barrier, fisting the exquisite fabric, he gave it a harsh tug and there was nothing left between you and him any more.

You were so soft, softer as the finest silk, and the moan that fell from your lips when his fingers dove in between your silky lips to spread the slick that awaited him was so sinful it almost swayed him to allow himself a little taste of you. But he knew better than that. The wait would only heighten his enjoyment. He would not let his ravenous thirst ruin that for him.

Your head sank back as he slowly slipped inside of you, exposing even more of your neck as another sinful sound broke from your lips. This was impossible, he needed to do something, to silence you for a while until he had gathered enough strength to withstand the urge to sink his teeth into you and suck you dry. And so he pushed his thumb past your lips until he felt your tongue press against it, sucking it in deeper.

Soon he had found the right rhythm, pumping in and out of you, crooking his fingers every now and then to brush along that sensitive spot inside of you. He loved how the stimulation made your breath hitch in your throat, how your eyelids fluttered in that tiny moment of pure pleasure. It drove him wild, to play you like that, and for a second he forgot himself, his thumb gliding out of your mouth to squeeze that frail neck of yours.

He let go immediately when he heard your heart skip a beat, it had startled him, but your whine came instantly, eyes flying open to find his, begging him silently to do it again. And who was he to deny you your pleasure? So he squeezed again, lightly at first, then harder until your hand grabbed the collar of his jacket, your back arching as you pulled yourself closer to him.

You were close, so close, and he wondered…Tilting your head back, he dove into the crook of your neck, his tongue darting out to lick along the prominent vein. He could taste your pulse against his tongue, taste the sweetness of his triumph as he felt your walls clenching down on his fingers. Just one more step, one more ace up his sleeve to drive you over the edge. He knew you could feel it, feel the slight sting as his fangs brushed along your neck, teasing the skin they would soon break, a promise so ardent it left you no choice but to come with a desperate shout.

He held you as you trembled and shook, riding out your high against his fingers. You were enchanting in your rapture and it was in this very moment that he vowed to give you everything you wanted, he would cater to your wants and needs until you felt you could take no more.

He had never understood those who got high on striking fear into the hearts of their blood donors. Fear only staled the taste, while satisfaction heightened it. All those hormones, serotonin, oxytocin, prolactin, dopamine, adrenaline, mixing to form the most delicious concoction.

But there was something more to it. The truth was, he liked giving something back. It made him feel less guilty about what he had to do to survive. He had not really chosen this life, well, he had, but he had been young and in love and full of hope that sharing eternity with her, the one who had turned him, would be worth it. It had not even lasted a decade before she had tired of him. Apparently commitment was not only difficult for beings with a limited lifespan.

But with her gone, everything had seemed pointless in the beginning. All the things he had given up to share this life with her, he missed them terribly. And he loathed the killing, the never ending thirst. He had thought about ending it, numerous times, but he had always found more reason to hold on. And with a few alterations of the rules, he had also found a way to make it work.

He did not kill anymore. There really was no need to. Except for the fact that there were no witnesses if he did. Still, it was possible to survive on smaller portions of blood. He needed to feed more often then, which in turn increased the risk of getting caught. And so he had come up with this transactional system over time.

It was as easy as it was effective: he gave them what they wanted, and in return he could feast. Before he let them go, he made sure to erase certain memories of the shared time, and since he was good at his side of the transaction, they came back freely.

But this right here, you, you were more than a transaction. It had been nothing but a matter of business with the others, sex was just sex, a means to get what he wanted. But for the first time in forever there was something more than hunger he wanted to sate. He wanted you, wanted a taste of what it felt like to be alive, truly alive, not just a slave to the never dying thirst.

It had been a while, and he had been sure he had forgotten by now what it felt like, but with you, so full of life as you writhed with lust in his arms, he remembered everything. And he needed more of it.

You must have sensed it, that he was about to let go, and his punishment came promptly. “Andrew,” you whimpered, as if his absence was pure agony, and he hurried, moving with lightning speed as he disposed of his jacket and made his way down to the floor. He knelt between your legs, pushing up the red fabric to expose his next treat. He was ready to dive in, to devour you, lick you into oblivion, but the gentle touch of your hand as it cupped his cheek held him back.

Your eyes were so soft, full of affection and he felt a sting in his chest as the thought crossed his mind that he did not deserve this. Not at all. He was merely using you and still… His lips pressed to your palm in a tender kiss. The gesture did not even remotely match the endearment your eyes held, but it would have to do, for now.

And then you surprised him again. In the blink of an eye your eyes darkened, your hand moving into his hair, while the other pulled the red fabric even higher. And on your lips, those pillows of sinfully smeared red, formed a smile that would surely bring him to his knees if he was not already kneeling.

Eager for the touch of his lips you pulled him the rest of the way and his mouth found you with a moan, as if you were the most exquisite he had ever tasted. But what did it matter what you were to him? To you, he was the best you had ever had, and he had not promised too much when he had claimed he would know how to please you. He did. Oh god, he did.

Swirling his tongue, he drew small circles around your clit until tiny stars started dancing before your eyes. But he had no intention of ending this so soon, you knew, as his tongue slowly glided all the way down to your wet entrance, teasing you, just to glide back up. He repeated his sweet torture a few times, over and over, until you lost count. And just when you thought he would never stop this torment, his tongue dipped into you. Hooking his arms around your legs he pulled you closer, sinking even deeper into you. You keened, one long, drawn out cry of pure delectation. Both of your hands had vanished into his hair by now, securing him right where he was. Not that you feared he would cease his endeavour, but you needed to feel him, needed to feel that this was real and not just a fever dream, your mind caught in divine delirium.

“Andrew,” you sighed breathlessly and for a second he stilled, dark eyes staring up at you, searching intently for any signs that you wanted him to stop. But you did not. Far from it. And so his eyes dipped back down, his upper lip quivering treacherously before his tongue darted out to lick one long stripe along your crevice. He sighed, eyes falling shut as he inhaled your scent, and you could feel your walls twitch upon the ferocity of his gesture. His forehead creased, nose scrunching as he bared his teeth, the two prominent fangs now unashamedly on display, and like a savage beast he leapt forward, to devour you properly.

“Yes, yes,” you yelped, fingers tightening in his hair and he growled against you. “You’re gonna make me—” But you did not get to finish that sentence before your orgasm washed over you in a mighty wave, drowning out everything but you and him. Completely out of control, your legs wrapped around him, locking him up in the prison of your thighs where he still worked you, fervently, until your body went limp and your legs finally released him.

Your eyes still closed, you could feel him, his kisses on the inside of your thighs, his movement as he left his spot between your legs, slowly crawling up your body while he covered it in more kisses, your hips, your stomach, your cleavage, your neck. You held him there for a while, relishing in the feeling of his mouth right there, right where it belonged, but all too soon for your liking he pulled away.

Your tiny whine made him chuckle, and the most beautiful of smiles still curled his lips as he resurfaced from the crook of your neck.

“Should we take a little break?”

“Never.” Your answer was finite. You did not need a break. In fact it was the last thing you needed. There was something else you needed more than anything, and your fingers had already set out to get you exactly that. Skilfully they worked, opening button after button of his shirt, revealing more of that fuzzy chest. And now it was your turn to taste him, to kiss and lick that milky white skin while you kept on freeing him from his clothes. With a moan he sank against the back rest, one hand vanishing into your hair. He did not do anything, left it all to you, let you take what you wanted in your own sweet time. It was only when you had unfastened his belt and opened his trousers that he helped you shimmy them down his long legs. You had thought he would look more vulnerable once you had completely bared him, but there was nothing vulnerable about him. He was still exuding the same predatory power you had felt the moment you had first laid eyes on him and you knew you were damned for it, but it pulled you to him like a moth to a flame.

“Turn around for me, angel,” he ordered and you did. Kneeling on the chaise longue, back turned to him, you melted into his touch as his fingers found the hidden zipper on your side. He was in no hurry to pull it down, allowing himself to revel in every inch of your skin that came to light, dragging one finger along it, all the way down to your hip, where he gathered the fabric in both of his hands and pulled it above your head.

In an instant his hands were back on you, exploring your body. One arm hooked around his neck, you exposed yourself even further for him, and when he finally cupped your breasts, kneading them tenderly, playing with your hardened buds, you sank back against his chest. Wedged between you, resting right between the cheeks of your behind, you could feel him, all of him. And it was more than apparent that he wanted you just as much as you wanted him.

Carefully your hand moved through the tiny space between your bodies until you had found him. He hissed as your fingers closed around him, teeth sinking into your shoulder as you moved, slowly, stroking him, worshipping the silky hardness until it was not enough anymore to feel him like that.

You guided him, bending forward until you could feel the gentle press of his head against your entrance. Lazily you dragged him up and down, coating him in the juices he had so expertly coaxed from you.

“Fuck, angel, you are so wet.”

And with that you pushed your hips back, sinking him deep. Your reward was another growl that echoed through the silence. He was quick to pull you up against him, burying his face in your hair. He just held you like that for a while, enjoying your bodies in unity, his hand right above your heart, his breath drifting through your hair and down your neck, covering you in goosebumps.

But then he came to life, his hips moving, slowly at first, then faster, and once he had found his rhythm, you knew you were lost to him. It was perfect, just perfect, the steady rocking of his hips, his hand following the call of your sex, vanishing between your thighs, while his other still held you, trailing up your chest until it had found your throat, gently applying just the right amount of pressure. There was no way you would last long. How could you with the amount of pleasure he coaxed from you, leading you towards your next high as if he had been born for that purpose alone.

His lips found your ear, mouth falling open to lick along the bow it formed. “Come for me, angel. I know you want to.” And while he still whispered the redeeming words, you obeyed him once more.

You would have tumbled and fallen from the might with which your high took hold of you, but he held you tight, mumbling soft words into your ear as you moaned and sighed and mewled like a possessed woman. Softly he pulled you back with him, moving your malleable body around until he had you straddling him, your head resting against his shoulder while his hand drifted soothingly up and down your back.

You had no idea how long the two of you had been sitting like this, your hand on his chest, his heartbeat steady underneath your fingertips, calming you until the fog that had clouded your mind had cleared.

“I always thought vampires did not have a heartbeat,” you rambled as you pushed yourself off of him.

Andrew smiled, like a mushy drunkard, you thought, and for a second the word besotted came to mind. But of course that was just you seeing things that were not there. And he made it so easy for you, this fantasy, even reaching for you to rest his hand against your cheek.

“There is much for you to learn then.”

And when he pulled you in for a kiss, you did not care anymore whether this was a fantasy or reality. Like a drug, his lips drowned it all out, the doubt, the white noise in your head, and made you focus on him alone, his mouth, kissing along your jaw, down your neck, rekindling the flame that had just cooled down to a faint glimmer in a heartbeat.

“Andrew?” He hummed against your pulse, and you had to swallow hard, forcing down a moan, before you could continue. “Will you make me come again?”

He still did not leave his favourite spot, as if you had simply asked him for the time and not to fuck you again. “If that is what you want.”

It was. It was all you wanted, all you could think of right now. And since he made no inclination to give you what you wanted anytime soon, you reached for him. With a gasp you found him, still hard and ready for you. And as you guided him once more to where you needed to feel him, you told him about something else you wanted, something you longed for even more than for your next high.

“I want you to come with me this time.” Your words finally made his mouth still, his head slowly coming back to light as you continued, “I want to feel it, want to feel you, deep inside, pulsing in your rapture.”

A growl rumbled deep in his chest, and there was something about his eyes that made you want to run, something wild, something carnal, something you could taste on his tongue as he pulled you in for another kiss, deep and searing, while he pushed up inside you in one sleek thrust. You pulled away in a gasp, panting heavily as you stared down at him. He had the audacity to smirk, his eyes darkening with every passing second.

“Go on then, angel. Make me come.”

As he spoke, his hands had grabbed your hips. He was guiding you now, the roll of your pelvis against his, just for a while, until he trusted you had overcome your surprise. And when you moved on your own, you could feel his hands wandering up the length of your back. His tenderness was misleading, your suspicion proven right as he dragged them back down harshly, his nails surely leaving trails in their wake. You keened upon the unexpected sensation, your head lulling back. And it seemed this was the moment he had been waiting for all along. Immediately his head dove down to your chest to claim his reward, sucking in your nipple like a starved man.

You felt as if you were falling, tumbling through the air while he kept on ravaging you. In a desperate attempt to save yourself, to grab onto something for dear life, your fingers found his hair again. You pulled and still he did not budge, tormenting your soft flesh until you were betrayed by your own body and he was rewarded with an unhinged twitch around his length.

“It feels so good,” he moaned, and then it seemed you were not the only one who found herself betrayed by her own body when he confessed, “You feel so good.”

And while you were still soaring on his declaration, however insignificant it might have been, he hit that one spot inside of you that made you clench even more violently than before. He moaned again, a low, guttural sound that made you quiver, and when your eyes locked with his, another smirk had found its way onto his lips. Like a bloodhound he had locked onto that spot that made you dizzy with desire, sending those tiny shocks through your body with every hit, they spread and pulsed, crawling along your skin until you could feel the racing beat of your heart underneath the thin layer of skin that covered your neck.

He must have felt it too, one arm wrapping around you to pull you closer, while he used his free hand to brush away every last strand of hair from your shoulder. His gaze found you once more, and now the hunger was more apparent than ever, wafting through the dark pools of green, mixing, until they had lost all colour and you stared into pure darkness.

Giving permission was easier than you had thought, it felt natural to nod, to watch his fangs grow to full size once he knew you did not oppose, to feel him grow inside you at the same time, and just as his teeth broke through your skin, he came, giving you everything he had while he took what he needed in return.

You had feared it would be painful, but all you felt was pure bliss as he feasted on you, as he stilled the craving that he must have felt all night, stilled it on you. And as you gave yourself to him completely, you were carried away by the unexpected momentum of your high. You fell again, spiralling through a tunnel of colours that burst through the darkness around you. You felt light as a feather, but plunged down with the speed of a rock. And yet there was no room for fear. Not even as the colours began to fade and you were left with nothing but darkness.

You were dizzy, almost delirious, fighting so hard to hold on to consciousness, and if you failed, it would be his fault entirely. It was not supposed to end like this, but you had tasted so good, so scrumptious, that your taste had sparked the faint hope he would finally be sated. An illusion, of course. This hunger would never end, but it had made him foolish, had made him take more than he usually did, almost too much. It had taken him everything to pull away, just in time, as it seemed.

A soft sigh came from the place against his chest where your head rested. He was still cradling you, softly rocking you back and forth after he had mumbled his futile apologies. You probably did not even hear them in the state you were in. The state he had put you in.

He cursed himself as he carefully scooped you up into his arms. He usually did not let the donors stay over, never, that rule had not ever been broken before, but he did not care about rules anymore. What he cared about was you, and you needed rest.

Slowly he lowered you onto his bed before he laid down by your side, draping the sheets over you both.

“Sleep, my angel, you deserve to rest.”

You looked so peaceful in your slumber, and he did not even question why his hand reached out for you. Lovingly, he brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen into your face, his fingertips gliding across your brow, your cheek. He wanted to touch your lips as well, but he was afraid he would wake you, and so he kept his distance, his fingers still tracing their form, even if he could not feel their silky touch.

You were different. He had felt it all along, but it was only when he had tasted you, rich and warm on his tongue, that he had known for sure what it was that set you apart from all the others. You were what the likes of him called an old soul. One that had lived many lives and carried the wisdom of the centuries. Maybe that was why you had read him so easily. He was sure you had at least felt it from the beginning, what he was, and the fact that you had chosen to seek him out nonetheless still irritated him.

However odd all of this might seem, he was more than aware that finding an old soul—or being found by one—was a rare thing, especially today, when souls hardly lasted for one full lifetime. Maybe he should keep you, just for a while. To take care of you, your old soul and the body that housed it. Just to make sure the world would not lose another precious being like you.

Metamorphosis (Sequel)

***

taglist:

@rosecentury

@lowkeysimpinloki

@fightmespideyboy

#hozier #vampzier #vampire!hozier #vampire!hozier x you #hozier fanfiction #hozier imagine #hozier fanfic #feast #vampire fiction #gothic fiction

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valentiyne · 10 months ago

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𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 ✘ 𝗍𝖺𝗌𝗆!𝗉𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗄𝖾𝗋

TASM!Peter Parker x Fem!Reader

Summary: Uncovering the truth about your little affair with Spiderman to your obvious friend Peter. What could go wrong? (Let me know if I should do a part two!)

Warnings: Mild cursing & Peter being a dork

Word Count: 1.5k (not proofread)

Peter Parker stuck to himself for a majority of his time at Empire State High. I met him in middle school but we didn't meet up until eighth grade, and when I was stuck next to him in Chemistry- I knew we'd be inseparable. He was a nerd, a 4.8 GPA and enrolled in almost every club the counselors would allow.

He was a nerd, but he was also my best friend. My best friend that I hadn't talked to in two years.

The hundredth refilled coffee of the night almost dropped me to my knees. I was beyond exhausted, and it didn't help that my phone was almost dead. It was my fourth double this week, and I knew no amount of Redbulls would keep me going. There were a few stray customers sitting around the counter, reading the daily bugle or staring up at the old television playing a recap of the morning news.

Ben, a man who I've come to learn as a night shift security guard always came in before close. His hair was black with a few stray greys, mid forties with no wife or kids. He ordered a cherry pie with a black coffee and sat in silence until it was time to close.

He left a hefty tip- so I didn't mind.

"How you doing, Cherry." His nickname rolled off his tongue as he reaches down to grab his sweater from the stool. He knew everything about Peter and I, he had been here to see it all.

I shrug, dropping my dirty rag in the sink with a sigh. "I'll be okay."

"You said that two years ago when I first asked you." He teased, earning a small smile from me.

"That's what I like to see," He drops a twenty on the counter and gives a soft wave, letting the bells from the front door do the talking as he left to work.

As I lock the front door, I drop my skateboard to the floor and kick my feet up to head home. The skateboard was a limited edition OSCORP branded drop. Peter had camped out for two days to get it for me before the beginning of sophomore year, and i've treasured it every since. The train left 7 minutes ago, and I knew it would be a good forty minutes before I was home.

My headphones flowed with my hair as I pushed myself faster down the sidewalk. Queen was almost dead this time of night, aside from a few people who roamed the streets- and of course the vigilante the daily bugle has named Spider Man.

I've learned of his existence from a newspaper Ben was reading, his red and blue suit depicting on the front cover. It was something out a movie- a man who flies through the air with webs?

Peter thought it was fascinating, of course he did. He was a boy who thought everything was fascinating- except for me.

It wasn't that big of a deal, he liked Gwen. She was everything I wasn't. She had an internship at Oscorp, she was involved in the community, she was smart- if not smarter than Peter. Thank you Linkedln!

He was head over heels for her. And I was head over heels for him.

As my skateboard glided over the concrete, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket a few times. Slipping it out, I glance down to my screen to see a couple of messages from my roommate.

Just as I went to open the messages, my skateboard halted and I was launched from the board- sideways ankle and chin first into the rough pavement. "Fuck!" I cry out, my shaky hands immediately reaching for my chin. Crimson blood littered my fingers and I groaned obnoxiously, leaning down to my now shattered phone to check and see if it was still salvageable.

It was not.

Groaning in pain, I managed to extend my ankle out and look at it. It was probably a sprain, nothing that wasn't too life threatening but I knew I wasn't going to be able to skate any further.

Speaking of skating... Where the hell is my board?

I glance around the dark sidewalk, squinting to correct my vision but it was no use. My board was gone. I leaned down in pain, clutching my ankle and letting the blood drip onto the pavement below me.

I was screwed.

Peter kept his promise he had made to her years ago. He made sure she got home safe every night she worked. He watched her step out of the diner with his heart in his throat as he dangled off the side of a building. He had overheard all the conversations she had at work, not in a creepy way- he just wanted to know if she talked about him to some of her regulars.

His side hurt from a beating he took a few hours ago, a fight he had to cut short because he didn't want to miss "watching" her go home. He could have easily taken the guy out, but his mind was so lost on what went wrong between him and her. He wanted to just sleep. But the city never slept, and neither did he.

He left Gwen's apartment early this morning, almost couldn't stand the feeling of not watching and keeping tabs on the girl. His girl. It took him almost an hour to put the suit on, feeling like he wasn't strong enough mentally anymore. He wanted to walk her home as Peter, not Spiderman.

He told himself: stay away from her. Keep her safe that way.

But watching her collide with the pavement, her face hitting the hard cement and the board he had bought her going flying- he knew he had to step in.

I wiped the last of my blood from my chin with the back of my hand when a voice suddenly spoke right behind me.

"Ahem, You-Uh... You okay Miss?"

I yelped, turning around to see no one was there. My eyes traveling down the dark street and sidewalks.

Am I going crazy?

I look back down to my hands that were now stained red when the voice spoke again,

"I'm up here.." My head slowly angled upward and I see it- well I see him.

Standing ontop of a street light infront of me, I see none other than Spider Man.

"Yeah-" I cut my sentance off, my mind suddenly wandering to the fact that I was speaking to the infamous vigilante.

His head turns, his eyes on his mask narrowing at me. His mannerisms were odd, almost...familiar?

I look around, avoiding his gaze. "I fell off my skateboard... i need to get up," I hoist myself onto my right foot.

"Whoa whoa whoa", The man suddenly jumps down from his crouch position above and puts his hands on my shoulders. As his masked hands touch my shoulder, he flinches slightly. "The board isn't important, you're hurt."

My head shakes quickly, almost scrambling to get back on my feet. "No No no, you don't understand. That board, someone... he gave it to me."

The man steps back now, his eyes widening as he looks down at me. He looks... confused?

"Who did?"

I mentally slap myself in the face. He wasn't a therapist, he was a hero. I take a deep breath, "An old friend...." The breath that I let out was shaky, almost like I was about to cry.

The man now puts his hands up in defense, letting me get up onto my feet with a wince. I stumbled a bit from the unevenness, but I eventually got myself steady.

"I sprained my ankle," I say, gritting my teeth.

He immediately kneels down beside me and I limped as he starts to examine my ankle. He moves it gently, taking care not to cause any more pain. "It's not too bad," he says, "But it could use some ice."

I gave up hope looking for the board, and I let out a frustrated groan. I was annoyed. It was the last thing I had of Peter's, and now it was gone too.

"Shouldn't you be stopping a heist?" I suddenly snap, turning around to see the man standing behind me awkwardly.

He looks down at me and leans his hand back to scratch his neck sheepishly. "I saw what happened so.. I uh.. I wanted to help."

I look up at him now, feeling comforted by his presence. His posture, his voice, and everything else about him. He was familiar, but I couldn't place a finger on it.

I can't help but wonder how many other people he's helped like this. It's hard to believe that someone so extraordinary could exist in real life.

Now I just needed to figure out how I was going to get home.

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squidlykitten · 3 months ago

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Everyone ready for a fresh month of challenges?

This prompt list was created for the RP Garden's monthly art and writing challenge, and was inspired by @jilymicrofics 's 2024 Moody March! I thought I would share it here as well, just in case someone else feels like using it. And also because putting this together was a lot more work than you might expect.

Spotify playlist of the songs can be found here! There's no real rules. Feel free to make art or writing or whatever your heart desires! If you make stuff, please do tag me or use the hashtag #MoodyMarch2025 . I'm nosey and I wanna see. :> Happy March, ya'll! Text version of the prompts is below the cut.

The Prompts

1. Brave Burning Heart | Outside of Self | A Rising Power Through the pale moonlight, our hearts ignite to the call / Oh claim your price for a crown of stars / In the name of love be the sacrifice / You and I will stand and fight, our backs to the wall Hero - Elizaveta

2. Focused Duty Bound | The End Justifies the Means | Target It’s set in motion/ The legends spoken/ This is my moment/ Can’t break my focus/ Know where I’m going/ This is my moment Conquer - Magnus & Neoni

3. Panic Frantic | Crumble | Abject Horror Your lips are moving but I can't make out a single word/ I'm shaking like a leaf/ Hope the gods that you can't see/ Clawing at my chest cause I can't breathe/ Now I got scars that never bleed PANIC ATTACK - PEGGY

4. Uneasy Discomfort | Judgement | Suspect I feel a rush on me/ Come get these cuffs off me / Come get me out of my head/ And I'm stuck inside of what I see / These walls are blinding me/ Makes me crazy, I'm feeling uneasy Uneasy - Rita Ora

5. Contented Sunlight Filtering through a Window | Fulfilled | Serenity Loosen up on the grind/ Simmer down/ Settle back and mess around/ Be the cat in the sun Be the Cat - Kylie Dailey

6. Nostalgic Dreamy Thoughts | Faded Memories | Displaced Self Everything stays right where you left it / Everything stays but it still changes / Ever so slightly / daily and nightly / in little ways / everything stays Everything Stays - Bentelou

7. Joyful Mirth | Festivities | After Rain Comes Sunshine It don't matter if it's raining/ Nothing can phase me/ I make my own sunshine/ And if you think you can break me/ Baby you're crazy I Make My Own Sunshine - Alyssa Bonagura

8. Surprised Overcome Adversity | Skepticism | Doubt I know you hate it when you know I could be anywhere/ So complicated, when you try so hard not to be scared/ I’ll be hiding under your bed or behind the bathroom door/ It’s so fun to watch you freak out. Ha ha, scared you! Sneak Attack - The Aquabats!

9. Disgusted Depraved | Decay | Disappointment I almost settled for you/ Thank God you do what you do / And now your colours are true/ Took me a while, but I grew/ I’m so disgusted with you Disgusted - Song House & Wé Ani

10. Calm Untouchable | Tranquil | Water Darling, you gotta keep breathing/ Lose yourself in the feeling/ Just be slow(x2) / Take it back to that moment/ Before you start to feel broken/ Just be slow (x2) Be Slow - Harrison Storm

11. Amazed Reverence | Devotion | Striking No masters or kings when the ritual begins/ There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin/ In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene/ Only then, I am human, only then, I am clean Take Me to Church - Hozier

12. Furious Burning Face | Tense Muscles | Blood Pumping Punch your lights out / Hit the pavement / That's what I call entertainment Lights Out - Mindless Self Indulgence

13. Proud Overcome | Earnest | Achievement So as you go please know on your way / as you explore and as you learn and as you play / I hope it shows how much it is true/ that I'm so proud of you Proud of You - Five Times August

14. Heartbroken Chest Pain | Heavy Body | Cold Mind Tell me how to say goodbye/ Peel away the shame so I / Can tear apart my ribs to shed the dark Tell Me How to Say Goodbye - Red

15. Loving Together | Care | Faith I find it hard to believe you don't know/ The beauty you are/ But if you don't, let me be your eyes/ A hand to your darkness so you won't be afraid I'll Be Your Mirror - Courtney Barnett (Velvet Underground cover)

16. Anxious Shortness of Breath | Shaking Hands | Nausea I get overwhelmed / so easily / my anxiety / creeps inside of me / makes it hard to breathe / whats come over me/ feels like I'm somebody else overwhelmed - Royal & the Serpent

17. Admiration Mesmerized | Wonders of the World | Idol Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white/ And the brightness of day highlight the dark/ And I think to myself what a wonderful world What a Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

18. Bored Finnicky | Dull | Repetition A heart that's full up like a landfill/ A job that slowly kills you/ Bruises that won't heal No Surprises - Radiohead

19. Amused Wrinkles around the Eyes | Spry steps | Cheerful Heartbeats synched as one / endless summer fun / we are never done / underneath the sun Laughing with my Friends - Patranesia

20. Excited Promises fulfilled | Energetic | Eager I'm a shootin' star, leapin' through the sky like a tiger/ Defyin' the laws of gravity/ I'm a racin' car, passin' by like Lady Godiva/ I'm gonna go, go, go, there's no stoppin' me! Don't Stop Me Now - Queen

21. Embarrassed Accident | Secrets Unveiled | Unrequited Stranger, that's all I see/ When I look into your eyes/ A soulmate who wasn't meant to be A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant to Be - Jess Benko

22. Desperate Voice Breaking | Pleading | One Last Chance There's a time to pray / and there's a time to fight / Anything can be a weapon if you're holding it right / Defend what is yours / They will not take our souls / It's time now to rise / and FIGHT! Save Our City - Ludo

23. Grieving Change | Not Anymore | It mattered A single thought, a singular touch of grace/ Then following this single point, this single flame/ This single haunted memory of your face A Thousand Years - Sting

24. Playful Melody | Humor | Refreshed No need for morning coffee/ When you've cereal and cartoons / Let's skip the work and deadlines / And ride our bikes till noon Don't Grow Up, It's A Trap - Denny Haze

25. At Peace Forgiveness | Final Words | Idyllic And I found peace in the desert/ I found peace in raging waves/ And I found peace in the valley/ found peace in what you said Peace - Anna Golden

26. Stressed Tension | Choice | Urgent I'm addicted to stress/ That's the way that I get things done/ If I'm not under pressure then I sleep too long/ And I hang around like a bum/ And I think I'm going nowhere and that makes me nervous/ Everybody's out to get me, but I feel alright/ Everybody's thinking about me Stress - Jim's Big Ego

27. Terrified Voiceless | Harrow | Abandoned I've swallowed all my pride/ 'Cause I can't get this right/ There's nothing left to hide/ And I know deep inside/ I'm terrified Terrified - Versus Me

28. Compassionate Helping Hand | Kind Words | Unexpected Ally This is not just a pile of stones, okay?/ We are building a castle together/ And we are gonna to build it brick by heavy fucking brick / And I'm going to be here with you, every moment / Talking you through it GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE - The Narcissist Cookbook

29. Lost Lifeless | Wanderer | Point of No Return Because the thing about things/ Is that they can start meaning things nobody actually said/ And if you're not allowed to love people alive/ Then you learn how to love people dead The Thing About Things - Amanda Palmer

30. Insulted Vexing | Sticks and Stones | Pride There ya go, just spit in my face/ Keep my name in your mouth, how bad does it taste?/ Why do you sit there and belittle me?/ When you choke on your own animosity Disappoint Me - Left to Suffer

31. Fulfilled Grounded | Lightness of Self | Satisfaction You only live once / I'm good with myself / I'm there for my friends / to the very end I'm Good - The Mowglis

#writing prompts #monthly challenge #moody march #march writing prompts #march art prompts #prompt list #writing challenge

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valyrfia · 5 months ago

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Oh I don’t think I’ve heard the story of you meeting Lando by accident! What happened there

@tsarinablogs and I went walkies the night after the 2024 Monaco GP to just soak in the atmosphere (it was insane) and we were walking and mostly skirting around the outside of these restaurants onto the road, but there was this really busy place where it would have been dangerous to go onto the road (too many Ferraris) so instead we just went "fuck it" and walked through the part that kind of spills out onto to pavement underneath an awning. In hindsight the place felt different to the usual restaurants but I was a little overwhelmed so just focused on moving through the mass of people. Anyway, crowd parted a little and I see in front of me this guy who I clock immediately looks weirdly familiar. (He's wearing a button down and a backwards cap and a chain so I immediately decide I don't like him just because he's dressed like every fuckboy ever). We get closer until I'm right in front of him and I realise in my head "oh fuck, that's Lando Norris" and I have a split second to keep my cool and in the most bored voice I can muster go "excusez-moi". He kind of moves a little but not enough so I have to end up brushing by him and catching him with my elbow/boobs a little bit (hence I like to tell people I had to elbow him out of the way, that is a LITTLE hyperbolic). I focus on getting out of there but look back to @tsarinablogs who also has an impassive poker face but whose eyes were like 👁️👁️ at me. Anyway, we then get out of there and laugh about it because of course of all the drivers we could bump into, we bump into LANDO.

#monaco gp 2024 #fi lore #asks #anon

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baylz · 8 months ago

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Poison Oak .ᐟ

ft. kozume kenma

synopsis : you and kenma go to a halloween party but things take an unexpected turn.

song : Cupid De Locke by The Smashing Pumpkins

warnings: established relationship, idiots in love

a/n : a little short but i thought it was cutesy to write for flufftober (and the kenma lovers are starving)

credits to: @fisshbones for the cutesy divider

The “no biggie” in question was a rash and scrapped knee that you had tried to brush off once Kenma had finally found you. You were practically covered in dirt. “I’m okay.” You insisted, cursing yourself for the wince you let out attempting to stand.

You were currently hoisted on his back, mumbling silent apologies for leaving him stranded. “I was helping Kuroo with one of the inflatables and I tripped on one of the wires and fell into the bushes.” He already said a million times on the way home that it was okay, but you, stubborn as you were, insisted that it wasn’t.

“I swear, when we get home we can watch all of your favorite movies first. Which do you wanna start with?”

“Coraline.” He answered and you shifted yourself against him, your face leveled at the side of his head. “That’s not your favorite movie.” You accused, eyeing him suspiciously.

He snorted, “Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not. Monster House has been a Kenma household favorite since birth.”

“I like you a lot, but you’re so dramatic.” You squawked at that, hitting him on the head for turning such a compliment into an insult. But you knew there was no malice behind those words.

Perching your head on his shoulder, you sighed and nuzzled against him. Despite his cool attitude, his body always radiated some kind of warmth even on crisp nights such as this one. The streets were adorned with all kinds of halloween decorations as the two of you passed by. It was your favorite season and you had always hoped you could couple-y stuff with someone such as matching costumes, movie marathons, and going to crappy haunted houses.

Kenma has been that person even before you started dating. He would complain, but he never denied you of anything. Like the time you insisted that you should make a pumpkin pie as a small hangout idea and he swore up and down that he hated pumpkin pie and wouldn’t eat it. Until you brought a spoonful of the vibrant orange dessert to his lips and he threw you a look before taking a bite. That the same night you confessed your feelings for him, kissing his sweet lips and tasting the tangy flavor of cinnamon with brown sugar.

“How’s your hand? Itchy?” The question knocked you out of your thoughts. You hummed, feeling the urge to scratch at the bandage. Kuroo had slapped some ointment on the poison to stop it from getting worse. “It’ll last you half the walk home.” He informed you while binding up the blistered skin.

“Mm, very itchy.”

He nodded, his feet thumping against the pavement as he picked up the pace. “We can put aquaphor on it and clean up your leg once we arrive.” You loved how he had his own way of caring for you. He was never verbal about his affections, always silently looking after you. Thinking of that, you felt a different kind of itch, and looking at the delicate features of his side profile made you act impulsively.

Kenma felt the gentle pressure of your lips against his cheek at that moment. His cheeks flushed an artless pink and he was grateful that you couldn’t see his face right now. “What was that for?”

“Just a thanks for putting up with me.”

"Weirdo."

You laughed, the sound ringing pleasantly in his ear. "I'll kiss you properly when we get home."

#kozume kenma #haikyuu kenma #kenma x reader #hq kenma #haikyu x reader #kenma x you #kenma #kenma fluff #kenma kuzome #haikyu fluff #flufftober #fluff

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my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction · 11 months ago

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Deal Breaker

Trans!Santiago Garcia X GN!Reader • Rating: PG Masterlist• ao3• want to be tagged? • ko-fi • request info •

A/N: Written for @romanarose's Oscar Issac/Pedro Pascal Fan Art and Fiction Pride Event 2024! (Super late, but this is for the 'coming out' theme, thank you for letting me post it so late💚) This is super self-indulgent and just like *dreamy sigh* what would be the nicest reaction someone would have to someone else telling them they're trans.

Summary: Santi has something to tell you.

Warnings: overuse of italics, swearing, Santi being anxious, typos, please let me know if I've missed a warning.

Word Count: 1014

Santi paced back and forth outside of your house, practically wearing a groove into the pavement. (And trying not to walk into the lamp post again.)

He’d been there for over ten minutes, trying his best to work up enough nerve to knock on your door.

You’d been on one date, a chill one. Just a drink and cake at a little coffee shop he’d recommended. (Or, more correctly, Will had recommended and Santi had taken credit for.) You’d both ended up staying there talking for almost four hours.

You've been messaging everyday, joking, sending voice notes, videos and pictures. Everything was going great. He liked you. A lot.

And now he was going to fuck it all up.

“Hi, just wanted to let you know…” He muttered under his breath, repeating what he was going to say, what he needed to say. “I just thought you should know… you know… before this gets any further, not that things have to get further, I mean… I want to say I like you and I’m… I’m…”

“Santi?”

He jumps, visibly jumps, his eyes wide like a rabbit startled by headlights.

You find it quite endearing the way he looks at you, a bright panic. You’d just been grabbing some last minute bits and pieces and your local corner shop for the meal you were making together tonight.

“Trans!” Santi says a little too loud.

“What?”

“Erm…”

“Trains?”

“No.”

“What did you say?”

He pauses, biting his bottom lip. Oh fuck fuck fuck fuck. “Trans.” He says very softly, closing his eyes for a second. This was not how it was meant to go. “I’m… I wanted to tell you before… I really like you and… you should know… I’m, I’m trans. I’m a trans man.”

He looks up at you, ready to see disgust. Rejection.

Instead you smile warmly and nod. “Okay, thank you for telling me.” You point to your front door, “you wanna go inside?”

He pauses, staring at you for a long moment as his brain tries to and two and two together but keeps getting minus seven. “I… erm… inside?”

“For the food, the meal date? We were gonna cook together?” You say politely, mistaking his confusion.

“You, you still want to… go out with me?” He doesn’t mean for the words to come out so softly, so small.

It’s your turn to pause and truly absorb what he said. Your eyes widening as realisation dawns. “Oh, of course! Santi, fuck, sorry,” you put you hand on his arm and squeeze reassuringly. “It’s not a problem for me that you're trans, no problem at all. Doesn’t affect anything. I really like you too.”

He gives you a brilliant smile, all of his nervous energy outpouring as relief washes over.

He nods and walks with you as you both move towards the door, taking your shopping bag for you as you fish out your keys.

“Do you, erm,” he pauses for a second to take off his shoes as you do the same, “do you have any… questions?”

You turn away just to shut the door before you look back at him. “Questions?”

“Yeah… about the trans stuff.” He shakes his head, trying to sound more assertive. Fuck, being shot at was always easier than this. “I mean, me being trans.”

“Do you usually get questions?”

He nods.

You pause, thinking it over for a second. “Do you want me to ask questions?” You say sincerely.

He smiles and rubs the back of his head. “You know, no one's ever asked that before.”

You smile back.

“Erm, yeah, yeah,” he nods, “questions would be good actually. Normal.”

You laugh good naturedly, “kay,” you make your way to the kitchen, pointing out the different rooms as you go.

“Your house is really nice.”

“Thank you.”

“And thank you for, well, being so… for being normal about how I blurted it out outside, usually I’m a bit more together.” He says, a touch of bashfulness in his tone.

“Are people usually not normal? Wait, that’s a numb as fuck question.”

Santi laughs as you pull a face. “A lot of people are very normal about it,” he smiles, “but I don’t tell a lot of people.”

You nod as you start to unpack your bag, Santi jumps in to help. “So, when did you transition?”

“Well,” he takes a deep breath. “I know it’s a cliche but I kind of always knew, you know?”

“Not cliche, just a common experience.” You smile and nudge your shoulder into his.

He grins. “Started ‘dressing like a boy’ when I was 15, but it wasn’t until I was 18 and out of the house that I changed my name and stuff.”

You nod.

“Been on T for a long time now. Managed to get top surgery when I was 24.” He pauses, “sorry, I’m word vomiting all over the place here and-”

“Hey,” you smile warmly, taking his hands, there’s a slight tremor to them. You rub your fingers over his skin reassuringly. “It’s good, great. Not oversharing, thank you for wanting to share with me.”

He returned the expression a little shyly, “thanks, I just…” He screws up his eyes and sighs, “need to overshare one more thing.”

“Go ahead.” You give his hands a soft squeeze.

“I’m, I haven’t had bottom surgery.” He swallows, keeping his eyes closed, “I don’t know if that’s a deal breaker for you, I understand if it is.”

You lean forward and kiss his cheek. “Not a problem.”

He opens his eyes quickly, looking at you like you painted every pink sunset cloud in the sky, before he presses a soft, sweet kiss to your lips. “Thank you.” He mutters, stroking your cheek and kissing you again.

He slowly steps closer, pressing flush against you and snaking his right hand to rest on your hip, giving him all the leverage he needs to gently press you back against the counter top and slip his tongue into your mouth.

It is a long time before the half unpacked groceries are remembered.

Thank you for reading!

@pleasurebuttonwrites @raven-rk @campingwiththecharmings @alexxavicry @whatthefishh

@romanarose @strangerhands @saturn-rings-writes @lonelyisamyw-0love @queerponcho

@steven-grants-world @eyelessfaces @angel-of-the-moons @minigirl87 @lunar-ghoulie

@silvernight-m @autismsupermusicalassassin @apesarecuul @reallyrallyauthor @basicalyrandom

@alwaysmicado @mangoslushcrush @marc-spectorr @soft-girl-musings @spxctorsslxt

@novarosewood

If you'd like to be taken off the tag list please let me know here

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carminecherry · 8 months ago

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RULES? THIS IS A STREET FIGHT | hanma shuji

KINKTOBER 2024

this is PART ONE of the series NO TAPPING OUT

⇝ PAIRING: timeskip!hanma x fem!MMA fighter!reader

⇝ SERIES SYNOPSIS: after winding up in a street fight, you catch the eye of a sick bastard whose mental wires are so horrifically crossed that pain and pleasure have become one. he lives for the fight and once he has his eye on something or someone there is no getting away unscathed. he wants to sink his teeth into you and see how good of a fighter you really are. you will never go down without a fight. and you will never tap out. (Basically, Hanma is a fucked up, horny weirdo who has an unhealthy obsession with you)

⇝ PART ONE LENGTH: 3k words

⇝ PART ONE WARNINGS: graphic descriptions of violence, animal death (18+ minors do not interact):

all characters are 20+; Alternate Universe! Canon Divergent. you're nearly recovered from a life-threatening injury and got the go ahead from your physical therapist to do some light exercises. however, your walk to the gym is cut short when you find yourself caught in a street fight.

⇝ AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to Kinktober 2024! After not thinking hard about it, I figured Hanna is the perfect scary, fucked up guy to write about. For plot reasons, Y/N is a seasoned MMA fighter. Hanma is a fucked up, horny weirdo who develops an unhealthy obsession with you.

keep an eye on the tags and stay safe this kinktober! <3

Spotify Playlist to listen to while reading:

DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS WORK IF YOU ARE A MINOR. BY CLICKING THE READMORE, YOU CONSENT TO VIEWING ADULT CONTENT.

Your footsteps on the pavement echo as you cut through a dark alley between the city buildings. The air nips at the skin of your face, forcing you to nuzzle into your jacket. Winter has set in, draining the city of life and color, the brittle corpse of a vibrant fall. The sun sets quickly these days, light retreating earlier and earlier.

The air feels more hollow now, carrying sound further. The scuff of your shoes and the rustle of your jacket as you adjust your arms to cross; the tips of your ears growing rosy with cold.

The worst thing is how it cuts right to your bone. Like ghostly fingertips trailing up and down your skeleton. Prodding in their icy nails, finding points of weakness and wrapping their fingers there. Gripping ferociously tighter and tighter. Locking your joints, making your movements stiff.

You shake off the spectral grip, but the tightness in your body clings to the ghost of past injuries. You’ve racked up quite a few over the years, on and off the ring. But you’re no stranger to discomfort.

You roll your shoulder as it starts to cramp, laughing curtly to yourself. You can feel the hourglass of time trickling away, especially on days like today. It was catching up to you, your scrappy younger years of street fighting. Your short-lived wrestling career.

You were still on hiatus, living on the money you saved from your brief stint in the spotlight. Your body kept score. You rub absently at your locked elbow.

Physically, you’re more or less healed. The physical therapy has been hell but you’re through the worst of it. You had only a few more weeks until you could start training properly again. All of those hours of practice, all of the years of building up your body to be taken away in an instant by a stupid accident.

You stretch your arm in front of you, staring at the hinge of your elbow. You test the range of motion, flexing as far as you can, remembering how when you opened your eyes it had been bent the wrong way. This time, it’s the memory that makes you shiver.

It had come back to you in flashes, large chunks still missing. You laid there, phasing slowly in and out of consciousness. The last thing you remember is riding on the back of your motorcycle, cruising down the city streets, the world blurring between oranges and reds as the seasons changed.

You can’t remember the exact moment, but the police report stated you had been sideswiped by a drunk driver. You lost count of how many times you read those crinkled pieces of paper. A thin file to encapsulate the biggest moment of your life.

Your precious bike had been totaled. Seeing all of the pictures, you don’t know how you survived. The drunk driver hadn’t been so lucky. You don’t forgive him and you don’t mourn him, the feelings sit complicated and unprocessed in your chest even now.

You remember the sounds first. The drone of his car horn through the crunched metal of his vehicle. The screaming, your screaming, ripped from your throat. It sounded foreign. The sirens in the distance, growing louder. The rush of traffic as vehicles swerved around you.

You couldn’t move the first time you awoke, body shocked. Whether it was a gentle breeze rocking the tree branches above you or if your vision was wavering you’ll never know But the leaves swaying side to side had been hypnotic, a moment of calm in your calamity. Your eyes followed as one deep-ruby leaf detached and floated to the earth.

Turning your head to see where it landed, you saw your mangled arm. It looked fake, bent in all the wrong ways. You couldn’t feel it, move it. This couldn’t be real, that’s all you could think. The safety gear on your body was torn to shreds.

There was red. So much red. Another crimson leaf fluttered to the ground. The peace was in such contrast to everything else. Your blood pooled, the edge trickling its way over the leaves adding a sick, glossy red to the autumn colors.

There were more memories. The ambulance arriving, the swarm of bodies blurring your vision. Asking you questions, the words sounded strange; just noise. The electric shock of pain when they put you on the gurney. The blackness that ate at the edge of your vision.

They said it was a miracle that you survived, bones set well, you could walk, could use your arms… Everything was a miracle. The word lost meaning over the months as you recovered. Now, here you are. A miraculous, spiteful force of nature, freezing her ass off walking to the gym. You’d finally gotten the go-ahead from your doctors to do some light exercises. You were happy to be able to do something, anything. Body growing restless after months of unuse.

This walk had never felt this long though. Your legs are heavy and tight, slowing you down. You round another corner, the sun dropping below the buildings, shadows creeping farther and farther. A new sound slices through the hollow night air. You pause, looking around. It was far away, but it’s piercing. Like the feeling of falling through ice and being plunged into the freezing waters beneath.

It was an inhuman cry, hissing and wailing out. You hear the hushed laughter of boys beneath the sound. The tightness in your joints are forgotten as they’re drenched in the adrenaline that rushes through your veins.

You surge with power as you hurriedly approach the sound, quickly finding the small posse at the alley’s dead end. You don’t stop, you don’t hesitate, you don't assess the situation before you’re running, swinging, knocking one of the three boys to the ground; his hair is a crispy box-dyed bleach mess. He let out a startled cry, his voice cracking; he couldn’t be older than 16, the youngest looking of the group.

The two other boys turn, startled. The shorter with tightly permed black hair and the other with a buzz cut close to the scalp. Little gangster wannabes. They back away from the crumpled, trembling lump of fur at their feet. The cat lets out a weak cry. You feel strange, like you're out of your body. There is a feeling. Is it anger that flares? Your body moves on its own.

You kick the boy on the ground, a yelp followed by a wet heave wracks his body. The other two break from their stupor, springing to action. You still feel heavy, tight. Like trying to run in a dream. But the motion is familiar, the strength is still your own as you connect a solid right hook with the shortest boy. A sick pop clicks in his jaw as he goes stumbling back. The final boy looks terrified, but lunges at you nonetheless.

You sidestep his attack easily, tripping him as he approaches. You pause there, with all three on the ground. Logical brain finally clicks on as you snap back into your body. Your eyes sweep the narrow space.

The dirty ground littered with trash, the blackened brick of the walls that feel like they’re closing in on you, the quivering mass of fur, matted in blood, crawling its way to the safety of the corner. You stand as the barrier between the three young men and their feline victim as they get back on their feet. Shit.

3-on-1 would’ve been a challenge in any condition, but after months of strict bedrest you’re utterly unprepared. You had the advantage of surprise, but now… With your back to the wall, you had very few options.

You take a deep breath, cracking your neck in anticipation. “Come on, bring it you little fucks. Fight with someone who can fight back” They hesitate. “COME ON!“ You agitate. They share a look, the shortest boy seems worse for wear as his jaw hangs limp in his hands that cup it. Dislocated. That has to suck. The buzz cut boy leans to whisper to the permed boy who nods gingerly before taking off. “COWARD!” You shout after him.

This leaves you with two. You’re liking these odds more. They were slightly taller than you, but still children. Gangly and uncoordinated. Any natural athleticism they have is unfocused, untrained next to you; hardened over years of practice. “Come on man, let’s just go” says the box-blonde on the left. The other boy, with his buzz cut barks back, “Nah, let’s teach this bitch a lesson” with fake bravado. The blonde looks nervous but nods, squaring his shoulders.

You stretch, bouncing on your feet, prepared for them to make a move. The buzz cut boy charges with a battle cry. You bite back a laugh at the childish attack as your foot connects with the side of his head in a signature roundhouse kick. It’s like punting a bowling ball. You hop it off, rolling your ankle through the tingling sensation of impact.

He tumbles to the ground with a grunt. Blood mixing with saliva that drips from his mouth. The box-blonde is shaking. Arms up in fists but makes no move. “Come on! Get her! Don’t be a pussy!” The buzz cut shouts to him from the ground, lobbing a big ball of spit and blood to the icy concrete with a splat.

“You’re pathetic.” You goad. Your wrestler persona peeking through after all of these months on the sidelines. “Sniveling children. Get out of my sight.” You seeth, eyes, boring into the lanky blonde. You hold him there, under your gaze. His decision is clear. He links arms with his fallen colleague and pulls him down the alley as they make their escape.

You exhale, letting your body relax. The only sounds now are your breaths and the shuffling of your shoes as you back into the space further, eyes still on the empty space where the boys had run away, the darkness setting in as the veil of night raced across the sky.

Your back meets the dirty brick of the alley wall as you slide down, the stupidity of what you’d just done really sinking in. If things had gone south… You risked more than your safety, you risked thousands of dollars of P.T., all of those months of recovery, even the future of your career.

The jagged breathing from the lump in the corner pulls you back. That's why you did it; risked it. You extend a brittle finger to the creature. It tries to curl away from you but it’s… Fading. Your chest clenches. You reach further, giving a gentle scratch to the cat as it tries to bite. It can’t move enough.

You continue, giving soft strokes over the cat’s forehead, avoiding the open wounds. One eye is… Gone. The other blinks at you, teary. The sound is unreal. Like a weak gurgle, mewl of agony. Your throat constricts, swallowing hard. Tears blur the edge of your vision.

The cat, with what little strength it has left, doesn't fight you. Instead nudging up into your finger, still shaking. You scoot closer, slowly, letting its body rest against yours. You feel its coldness pressing into your leg, siphoning your heat. It vibrates there. Twitching occasionally. It’s whimpers soften. A small noise replacing it. A staccato purr.

The breaths come slower, body stilling. You look down, each beat of your heart clenches in your chest painfully. You feel warmth on your cheeks, wetness, tears finally falling. You share one final look with the cat before its eye closes, slowing in its spot next to you.

You lean your head back into the bricks, feeling like you're sinking. A fiery gnawing at your chest like your drowning. And then you’re alone in the alley. The light glittering of snow crystals float from the inky sky, not enough to make proper snowflakes. They twinkle, catching in the low light.

The cold wraps her arms around you, sinking into your bones once more. Locking you there as the little heat left beneath your fingers seeped from the soft fur, unreplaced. You breathe, a cloud forming before you as the temperature plummets.

You could've sat there forever, but you’re stirred by the sound of footsteps approaching. Three… Maybe four people. You harden your face, pulling yourself up from the pavement, bracing for whatever or whoever turns the corner.

You feel yourself detaching from the moment as it sears into your mind. The long shadows of four men are cast along the frigid brick. Three familiar silhouettes, one taller, larger, meaner looking man between them. His head was shaved close to the scalp like the smaller boy next to him; the family resemblance is unmistakable. An older brother, perhaps, your age or slightly older.

He turned a scathing look to his miniature, “You’re wasting my time with one, little bitch?” “She’s strong, bro. She’s gotta be running with someone.” The older brother brings a fist down on the younger’s buzzed head, “You fucking pussy, wasting my time. This better be worth my while…” The little brother massages his head, “She’ll make it worth your while…” The elder turns his eyes to you, looking you up and down. The look in his eyes makes you feel sick, alarm bells going off.

You’re in deep shit. No escape. Feeling the effects of your healed injuries. You can’t stand this. Feeling weak. It made the sick feeling intensify. You put your fists up. Once again, bouncing lightly on your feet as though second nature. The large man’s face changes, intrigued. “N-nothing to say now, huh bitch.” The box-blonde sputters out.

A look of annoyance flashes across the big man’s face. “Can you actually fight? Show me what you’ve got, kitten.” His arrogance, his tone. It makes your skin crawl. You were gonna make him hurt.

Muscle memory takes over, testing the new, healed tissue. You’re a bolt, closing the distance between the two of you in a blink. Feigning a hook and landing an admittedly low blow. Burying your foot deep between his legs. Your shoe presses into the denim of his jeans and the soft, sensitive flesh beneath, finally ending against the hard bone of his pelvis. The noise he lets out in guttural, sick.

But this is a street fight. He holds his crotch, huffing, a dry heave. The three smaller men back away. Veins pop along his brow and shaved head. Face red with anger. “I’m gonna fucking kill y-.” Your knee connects with his lowered face, your elbow ready to rebound the soft spot where his skull meets his spine. A dirty move you haven’t used since you were a teen. He stumbles, dropping to a knee.

You don’t stop, kicking once hard into his chest. You feel the crack of a rib. His meaty arms shoot up as the wind is knocked out of him, trapping your leg. “Fuck!” You twist, but his grip tightens. You punch hard, but can’t get enough force with your leg like this.

His eyes are murderous as he crashes his body to the ground, pulling you with him. He still hadn’t regained his breath, and this new position allowed you to snake your free leg behind his head, squeezing hard. Wriggling to get purchase on his arm, securing him in a headlock. The tide is shifting back in your favor before a dirty sneaker crashes into your face.

You see stars, grip loosening. Another kick to your shoulder, then your head. The other three boys were stomping you. You squint your eyes, tuck your chin, hanging on until the big man loses consciousness. If you can just hold on. You see red smattering the soles of the boy’s shoes.

This is what they’d done before. Trampling the poor creature that lay lifeless in the corner of the alley. Stomping on those who were vulnerable. You hate them. You hate them. Acidic, venomous, the electric feeling of adrenaline in your veins, pushing you.

The body in your grasp finally goes limp and you bounce up, feeling the world spin, skull knocking into the chin of one of the boys. There's something hot, sticky in your eyelashes, making it hard to see. You wipe, seeing red. You can’t help it, this is so fucked. You laugh. The sound ricocheting harshly off the walls.

“You could’ve just left.” You laugh, head spinning. They shift on their feet, uneasy, fists raised. Eyes darting between the man on the ground and you. You hang your head, another humorless laugh escapes you.

You cast your eyes to the man on the ground too, freezing when you see the tattoo peeking up above the collar of his shirt on the back of his neck. A gang tattoo that you’ve seen here and there around the ring. Bad news. These guys gamble on matches, big money, and deal in the darker, shadier parts of the underbelly of the city.

Very bad news, when he groans from his place on the ground. It’s now or never. You rush the boy with a dark perm, his jaw still slack and hanging unnaturally from his face. He flinches, jumping out of your way. You see an opening and you take it.

Sprinting down the alley. The heavy slapping of your shoes on the concrete and your heartbeat in your ears. You hear the hesitant steps of someone trying to follow you and a shout after you, but yours are the only steps that twist around the maze of alleyways. You could run them with your eyes closed. The alleys where you grew up.

You zip around, losing your pursuers. You feel the rush, the high as muscles reawaken, cold air filling your lungs. You didn’t know if you’d ever be able to move like this again after the accident. It’s melancholic; feeling so good to move but so shameful to run away. Your heart could burst with all of the emotion from tonight. You had no plan, no destination, Just to put as much distance as possible between you and the foursome you escaped. Coward your heart whispered. Weak… You would get back, get strong again. You would win. You never want to run away like this again. To lose.

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