#i dreamt an entire plot and refuse to write it down. go away. come back later.

[beauty-proof]

: slaps self in the face :

I absolutely will not be writing a medieval AU. Not yet.

[dreamerstreamer]

Into The Woods

Pairing: werewolf!Dream / Clay x human!gn!reader

Summary: [Werewolf!AU] It’s love at first sight when you move into a quaint, little house by the forest’s edge, but you soon find that there’s more waiting for you in the woods than you originally thought. 

Word Count: 10k

A/N: my third commissioned story! this work has been altered so everyone can read it, but the plot remains the same. this story was a blast to write, and i hope you all enjoy it! <3

With a step back and a firm tug, the back door slammed shut with a satisfying click. You grinned as you turned the key in the lock. Slipping the silver keyring into your pocket, you turned on your heel, your gaze sweeping over the vast open forest that stretched out before you. Viridian green leaves loomed over the earth, standing in stark contrast to the clear, cerulean blue sky that stretched across the horizon overhead. On the ground below, the occasional wildflower sprouted up and out of the earth, their soft petals shyly unfurling and fluttering in the warm summer breeze.

For such a lovely view, you never would have guessed that you would be able to afford a place like this for so cheap.

Then again, Elmwood Ridge wasn’t a particularly notable town. Best known for its countless acres of elm forests and the large lake that laid at its centre, the town had become something of a nature reserve unto itself, despite being anything but. It was a quiet, quaint region, somewhere you had always distantly dreamed of visiting, if only because of its peaceful atmosphere. You never thought that you would end up living there, though.

It had been a split second decision made on impulse, and looking back, maybe it wasn’t the smartest move you’d ever made, but you didn’t regret one bit. Your new house was two stories tall and built with lovely stone bricks that looked like they came right out of a fairytale. The triangular sloping roof hung just over the sides of the house to provide some shelter from the rain, and the second floor had two balconies—one in the front and the back. Needless to say, you were sold in a heartbeat. Not only was the house pretty, but so was the price tag. You vaguely remembered hearing something about complaints of noisy wolves in the forest, but you weren't deterred. A little noise never killed anyone, and you were more than happy to share your space with nature.

Hopping down the back steps, you gently tread across the soft grass, careful not to step on any flowers as you walked. After moving in two days ago, you had planned to take the day off to hike and learn all that you could about your new backyard. You would head into town tomorrow and look for a job then—right now, all you wanted to do was explore and appreciate your new home.

Gazing up at the rustling elm leaves one last time, you smiled to yourself before stepping out of your lawn and into the forest.

In the distance, a faint howl rang out across the trees.

Between stretches of chestnut wood, a flash of tawny brown and golden fur dashed across the earth, powerful paws pushing off the ground with each leap. Landing atop a fallen log, the wolf raised his head, his muzzle raised toward the sky as he inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring.

Fresh. Clean. Warm. The faintest scent of flowers.

He exhaled, emerald eyes blinking as he scanned the open forest around him.

Carrying out routine morning patrols around the pack’s territory was one of the alpha’s many duties, but Clay still wasn’t quite used to it.

Stepping down from the log, he let his tongue hang out of his mouth, his ears flicking as he took in every sound. Somewhere above him, a bird flapped its wings, chirping as it took flight. Along the breeze, he could pick up the distant scent of deer coming from the south. His eyes flashed at the smell. He would have to report that to the pack when he returned—it had been a few days since they last had a large hunt. Sniffing one last time, he began weaving between the looming trunks, his entire body rapt with focus.

He had only been appointed as alpha a little less than a month ago, and although he had technically been taught the ropes, it took more than just a few lessons for a wolf to truly become alpha. He could still remember how the former alpha had pressed his nose to his side, nudging him onto the rock peak in front of his pack with an aging howl. He had been getting older, and everyone knew it—it was only a matter of time until a new leader was selected, but Clay never would have dreamt he would be the one who was chosen.

Only a few people were as surprised as he was, though. He was one of the larger wolves in the pack, and while he wasn’t the tallest in his human form—that title belonged to the young, curious Ranboo—he was by far the strongest, having led more than his fair share of hunts before. It was only natural that he ended up in his position, and he was welcomed into the upper ranks with open arms.

A glimmer of warmth washed over him at the memory, and he would have smiled if he wasn’t shifted. He had never felt such pride before, feeling everyone’s excited gazes on him as he howled up at the gleaming, full moon. The shouts that filled the starry night sky made his heart swell in his chest, and he just knew he was going to do his best to make everyone proud. He would protect them to the ends of the earth, if he had to.

Kicking away a stray branch, his eyes quickly flicked over his surroundings. He recognized this area, and he knew that he had almost completed a full circle around the pack’s perimeter, by now. There was only a tiny stretch left before he would return to the camp and fill everyone in. Raising his head, he let his jaw fall open to catch any aromas that travelled along the breeze.

All of a sudden, a new scent wafted over his nose, an unsettling sense of unfamiliarity striking deep within his core.

There was something in the woods—something that did not belong here.

In an instant, Clay’s lips were pulled back in a snark, his sharp canines bared as he sank his paws into the soil below. His claws latched onto the dirt, his grip firm and unwavering as he pressed himself closer to the ground, careful not to let his scent travel in the air.

They weren’t common, but every now and then, hunters would venture into the woods with their heads held high and guns drawn. Most of them came hunting for game, shooting down the occasional deer or elk to bring back to their own families. Clay didn’t have a problem with those hunters, but as for the ones who came in search of wolves?

Clay wasn’t sure he could be so lenient with those ones.

Prowling forward, he kept his haunches low, his tail brushing over the shrubbery as he took step after step toward the strange, new scent. Ever so slowly, he crept closer, his pupils dilated in focus. Suddenly, he stopped, freezing in place.

He could hear footsteps.

Inhaling deeply, he let his eyelids fall shut.

One, two, three...

His eyes shot wide open, and he whipped his head up, only to go stock still as a silhouette came into view.

It was a person, a regular person.

He blinked as he lifted his head, his expression growing neutral as he watched you crouch down to examine a small pile of stones stacked beside a tree, one that he vaguely remembered being made by Tommy and Tubbo when they went exploring a few weeks ago. There was no gun strapped to your body, no pack hanging off your hips as you rose back up to your feet. You didn’t seem to be a threat at all, and from the back, he couldn’t tell if you were even carrying a weapon.

Just then, you turned to the side, and he felt his breath hitch in his throat.

The world suddenly fell away, his surroundings melting into nothing more than a hazy blur as his eyes locked onto your face. His heart came to a screeching halt in his chest.

You were beautiful.

The light framing your lovely face made your cheeks seem all the more lively as you rose. He watched as you brushed your fingers delicately over the bark of a tree, your brilliant eyes meticulously tracing over the curve of every leaf as you walked past. Your feet never lingered in one place for long, constantly moving and skittering across the forest floor like a rippling stream. It was almost as though your every movement cast streaks of dappled sunlight everywhere you stepped, the marvelling spark flickering in your gaze making his head spin with wild abandon.

Clay felt something warm and tight curl against his insides, unmistakably soft and affectionate. It was almost hard to breathe with the way his lungs squeezed and shook behind his ribs. He hadn’t felt this feeling before, but he had heard enough stories to know exactly what it was.

His mate—you were his mate.

There wasn’t any one way to truly describe what a mating bond was, but the most commonly accepted one was that it was a connection that tied people’s souls together, uniting them in perfect harmony. Every werewolf had a mate, and most of the time, they would find their mate in another one of their kind. But right now, as Clay stood in the forest, his gaze glued to the most beautiful human he had ever laid eyes on, he knew that he wasn’t going to find his mate in some other shifter like everyone else had said he would.

Having a human for a mate was rare at best, and unheard of at worst. After all, not every human had a mate, and he had heard stories of shifters being rejected by their human mates. Some of the elders in the camp still refused to believe that having a human mate was even possible, but nearly all of the younger shifters had accepted it—embraced it, even. But never in his pack, at least, had someone learned that their mate was a human.

It looked like he was going to be the first.

For a few long moments, he simply stood there, watching you silently with wide eyes as you slowly made your way deeper down the path. A part of him wanted to chase after you, yearned to walk by your side for as long as his legs would let him. But as soon as he raised his paw, he quickly lowered it again, a pang of guilt shooting through him.

He couldn’t go up to you—not like this, and most certainly not now. He didn’t have nearly enough experience under his belt as an alpha yet, and bringing you to his world could just make everything even worse if he wasn’t careful about it. He swallowed, taking a single step back as you slowly slipped out of view, disappearing into the trees and carrying your lovely scent away with you.

Anxiety gnawed at the inside of his gut, and he couldn’t help but wonder if you would even return. Surely you must live around here to be hiking in these woods—maybe you would hike here again, if not even more often.

He paused, then nodded to himself before whipping around, his tail swishing behind him as he clenched his jaw.

Tomorrow. He would come back tomorrow.

A few feet deeper within the trees, the sound of a stick snapping shattered the forest’s silence.

Along the lightly-treaded path, you whirled, your head pointing toward the sharp sound. Pausing, you raised your head, your gaze darting to the forest canopy above. The sun peaked down at you between swaths of vibrant green, and you squinted, raising a hand to shield your eyes. The trees remained quiet around you, only whispering with the soft rustles of their leaves.

A moment passed in silence. A robin warbled.

You let out a long exhale and shook your head. Turning once more, you stepped over a small crack in the ground, humming as you walked further into the woods.

It was probably nothing.

Sapnap grunted as he dropped the pile of sticks onto the ground, the wood clattering at his feet in a heap. He scowled at the sight, resisting the urge to kick the pile down. He couldn’t believe Wilbur had actually tricked him into doing something as simple as collecting firewood. It wasn’t difficult or anything, but he was the beta, for crying out loud! He could have at least passed the buck to someone like Tommy, that brat.

“Sapnap.”

Sapnap blinked at the familiar voice, turning to find himself standing face to face with Clay. His dirty blond hair was disheveled atop his head, and his cheeks were flushed with heat. A smile tugged on his lips at the sight. “Oh, hey, Clay. Welcome back.” He squinted at the way Clay’s chest heaved, his breaths coming out shaky and uneven. “Um, you good, there? Did you run back here or somethi—”

“It happened,” Clay blurted.

Sapnap blinked, raising a single brow at him. “What happened?”

Clay swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I met my mate.”

Sapnap paused. “Oh. Oh.” A wide grin stretched across his face, and he reached over to clap a hand to Clay’s back. “That’s awesome, man! I’m guessing it happened on your patro—”

“My mate’s human,” Clay said suddenly.

Sapnap paused again. “Oh. Oh.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Clay’s shoulders went slack at his side as he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his scalp. “I, um,” he said, his words coming out in a hazy rush. “I don’t think I’m ready to—” He stopped, feeling Sapnap’s patient gaze rest on him, then opened his mouth, again. “I can’t just reveal our world so soon. I’ve only been alpha for what?” He gestured vaguely. “A month? I’m not experienced enough, yet.” He slumped forward, a hollow, wistful look settling onto his features. “It would be too much for both of us.”

Sapnap nodded thoughtfully, understanding flooding his face. “It’s okay, Clay. Take your time.” He fell silent for a brief moment, then quietly added, “Did you reveal yourself or anything?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I was too surprised to even move.”

Sapnap’s lips quirked up into a tiny smile. “Then there’s no rush,” he said. “You’re allowed to build up your confidence first, dude. Your confidence as a wolf. As an alpha.” His eyes flashed with soft reassurance. “As a mate.”

Clay raised his head, blinking as Sapnap gently nudged his shoulder with his. “You can do this. Plus,” he added, his tone growing more lighthearted, “I’m your beta. You know I’ve got your back.”

The chuckle that escaped Clay’s lips was low and short, but he could already feel the tension seep out his shoulders like a leaking dam. “Thanks, Sap.”

Taking a step back, Sapnap hummed, offering him a lopsided smile. “Anytime.”

Clay turned on his heel, jerking his head toward the centre of the camp. “Well, I need to organize today’s hunt, but I’ll catch you later. I trust you’ll keep things under control while I’m gone.”

He nodded. “Of course—you know me.” With a short wave and a small grin, Clay began walking off in the opposite direction. “Oh, also,” Sapnap suddenly shouted after him, “don’t forget to grab something to eat before you go hunting today, yeah? I know you missed breakfast.”

Clay didn’t look behind him as he shot a thumbs up at Sapnap from behind his back, but Sapnap could already picture the way he would roll his eyes with a smile. Shaking his head, he turned back to the firewood scattered around his feet, a new glower creeping onto his face.

He was so getting back at Wilbur for this.

Every morning after, Clay dutifully woke up early and strolled deep into the woods, shifted into his wolf form as he scented the air and patrolled the area just as any good alpha would. But time and time again, that one sweet scent never seemed to return, almost as though it had vanished from the forest entirely. At times, he thought he caught the faintest whiff of it, but some further exploration would only reveal a small patch of flowers, never you.

Needless to say, his disappointment was palpable.

It had been a full week now, and Clay was running out of hope. Maybe he was wrong—maybe you wouldn’t ever come back. His heart ached at the thought.

He had been too hasty, wasn’t he?

Hanging his head, he whimpered to himself in the quiet forest, sniffing absentmindedly as he ambled about almost aimlessly. He still had a duty to fulfill, he knew, but he couldn’t ignore the empty feeling burrowing deeper and deeper into his chest.

But right then, just as he paced another few feet forward, he heard it.

A melody.

It was soft, the singing travelling down from the west in a distant murmur, or perhaps a hum. If he hadn’t been paying attention, he surely would have missed it. He didn’t know this song, didn’t recognize it one bit, but he could already tell that it was sweeter than any thrush’s song or any loon’s call. He felt his heart flip in his chest, and just like that, he knew.

In a flash, he was racing across the earth, his paws flying out beneath him in a blur as he ducked under branches and darted past deer, missing the way they startled at his sudden approach. The song was louder now, and he could smell it—smell you.

It was only a few seconds later that he came to a stop, his paws digging into the ground as his heart leapt into his throat.

Soft hair. Bright eyes. A dazzling grin.

You were back.

You had headphones on this time, he realized, and you were humming aloud to yourself, your feet most likely moving in time to the beat of whatever song you were listening to. You were a little off-key and occasionally stumbled over the refrain as it came around, but he found himself entranced nonetheless. Even when you were doing something as simple as humming, you were stunning.

Why come back today of all days? he distantly wondered to himself. What made today so different from any other day?

He wracked his mind as he felt the sun shine down on him gently, warming his back as he crouched down a little. He rarely kept track of the days—that was Sapnap’s job—but he knew that there hadn’t been any special events or holidays going on in the human world. Pressing his ears flat against his head, he scratched his paw at the ground in confusion. Just what made today so special?

That was when the realization slammed into him.

It had been a week since he last saw you.

Once a week—you must hike here once a week.

If he could smile in this form, he already knew that he would have the biggest, stupidest grin plastered to his face. He wanted to leap for joy and howl like there was no tomorrow, but he didn’t want to alert you of his presence just yet. Again, it had only been a week, and he was still far from being a worthy mate for you.

Once a week, he thought once more, his eyes glued to you as you skipped further down the trail and out of his sight. I can wait another week.

The wind sang in his ears as a gentle breeze brushed over his tawny fur, the forest murmuring a silent lullaby into his ear as he whirled back around. As much as he wanted to stay with you forever, he had a patrol to finish and a pack to defend. He let his eyelids flutter shut for the briefest of moments, your face engraved into the rosy crevices of his heart as your humming filled his ears once more.

He couldn’t wait to see you, again.

One week later, you grumbled to yourself as you stomped through the woods, complaining about your new job under your breath. Clay wished he could comfort you, but stayed put with his claws buried in the dirt.

Two weeks later, you watched with wide eyes as a doe and her fawn drank from a nearby stream. He made sure not to hunt those two down in particular later that week.

Three weeks later, you were snapping photo after photo with the camera hanging around your neck, your eyes absolutely brimming with curiosity. He thought you were prettier than any view the forest had to offer.

As one week stumbled into the next, the months began to pass in a blur. Summer collapsed into autumn as the leaves turned gorgeous shades of crimson red and golden orange before tumbling from the sky. Shortly after that, the forest was covered in a blanket of ivory white snow, leaving the branches bare and awaiting the return of spring. The snow soon melted into rain, and puddles littered the forest floor while flowers began to bud and bloom once more. In almost a whirlwind of seasons and waiting, summer rolled around once more, marking the first anniversary of your arrival in Elmwood Ridge.

With each passing season, Clay continued to watch you from afar with a tender gaze. Some days, he would listen to you hum as you trekked along while other times, he would only manage to catch the tiniest of glimpses of you between the trees. No matter how short the instance was, every second he got was well worth the wait, and Clay could feel his affection bloom like a new spring flower. As the trees grew larger, as did his confidence. Time was the best teacher the forest had to offer, and it didn’t take much longer for Clay to grow comfortable with his duty as the alpha of his pack. But despite his newfound strength, he still didn’t feel ready enough to approach you outright, to reveal himself to you as he was. Doubt swirled in his mind like a raging storm, eating away at him like a gnat digging through mud.

He was beginning to fear he may never be ready.

Lifting his head, he sniffed the air, the now familiar scent of his mate drifting across the new summer breeze. You were taking a new path today, he noted in an instant. Perhaps you were doing some exploring.

Padding through the trees, leaves crunched beneath his feet as he leapt over logs and puddles, following after your scent as it grew stronger and stronger. It only took a few moments for him to find you standing atop an elevated rock face, your head lifted as you gazed up at the light scattered between the tree leaves. Your face almost seemed to be glowing in the pale, morning sunshine, your eyes looking like two dewdrops as they curved into tiny crescents. Clay’s heart rattled in his chest, and he resisted the urge to howl to the heavens above.

You were lovely, his mate. If only he could work up the courage to properly tell you.

Basking in the sunlight, he watched as you took a few steps forward closer to the cliff’s edge, your eyes still trained on the sky above. It wasn’t a terribly deep fall, he knew, but the fall was most certainly far enough to hurt someone if they fell at the wrong angle. He narrowed his eyes as you stopped dangerously close to the edge, halting just a few inches from the drop. Surely the stone was strong enough to support your weight, even as old as it was, right?

Apparently not.

Clay saw the cliff crumble before you did.

Terror shot through his body like a bullet as he watched the rock face collapse under your shoes, your feet tumbling out beneath you. Your hands desperately reached for the cliff face, but he could tell from the way your scream cut through the forest’s silence like a sharpened blade that you weren't going to be able to grab it in time.

There was no time for him to think—his body moved first.

In one moment, he was standing with his mouth slack and his emerald eyes blown wide with horror. In the next, he was lunging across the rock face, his jaws wide open as he reached for the lower collar of your shirt. The moment he felt his nose brush against the back of your neck, he snapped his jaws shut, careful not to pierce your skin with his sharp canines as the cloth caught between his teeth. Your weight bounced beneath him once, and the gasp that escaped your lips made his head spin dizzily.

Close—you were so close, and your scent was intoxicating.

You turned your head ever so slightly, and he felt it the moment your eyes locked onto his. You were scared, he could tell, but as you took in the sight of the wolf holding onto you, you almost seemed to relax in his grip. Planting his paws firmly against the rocky earth, he tugged his jaw up and backwards, pulling you away from the cliff face and over even ground. Your hands scrambled to latch onto the cliff edge, helping to pull yourself up until finally, he let go of you, your now torn collar resting against the back of your neck.

Heaving a sigh of relief, you let yourself collapse against the rock face, lying on your back as you gasped for breath. Your chest felt tight like a wound-up spring, and adrenaline pumped through every vein in your body, yet you felt oddly calm. After a minute or two, you slowly pushed yourself forward on your arms until you were just barely slouching forward, looking over your shoulder. A few feet away from you, the wolf stood, his eyes trained intently on your face as you swallowed.

“Um,” you breathed, your eyes desperately scanning him up and down. “Hello?”

He didn’t say anything in return, simply shuffling further away from you. He was giving you space, you realized after a brief moment, and you blinked as you scrambled to sit completely upright. His fur was a soft, golden brown, and you had half the mind to distantly think that you wanted to run your fingers through it. Something about him seemed comforting like that.

“Hi,” you whispered once you were seeing him eye-to-eye. “Ah, um, thank you for saving me.”

Maybe you were just imagining it, but you could have sworn his eyes widened in an almost human-like manner. He didn’t move from his spot a few feet away from you, and you swallowed. You thought you would be more scared than this, more terrified of the beast standing before you. But as you sat there, watching as he blinked at you, you felt as though you were anything but. An unfamiliar yet strangely comforting warmth curled around in the pit of your stomach as you tilted your head at the wolf.

He felt so... safe. So familiar, almost like you had met him before.

“Are—are you a nice wolf?” you asked after another moment, your voice faltering the tiniest bit. “I’d like to think you’re a nice wolf, since you just saved my life.”

Once again, you were greeted by silence, the only indication that he had heard you at all being the way his ears flicked. What am I doing? you suddenly thought, your mind running at a million miles a minute. I’m talking to a wolf—an animal. I’m not a Disney character.

This was weird—or at least it was supposed to be. Yet, as you stared at this wolf who simply stared back at you with these bright, stunning green eyes, you couldn’t help but feel that everything in this moment was just perfect. Like you had been waiting your entire life for this moment to happen.

“You’re really pretty,” you suddenly blurted. In an instant, you were slamming your palm over your mouth, your cheeks flooding with heat. “Oh my god, that was embarrassing,” you murmured, your voice coming out muffled. “I’m sorry.”

Your heart hammered against your ribcage like a caged bird begging to be let out, and ever so slowly, you lowered your hands from your mouth, offering the wolf a shaky, sheepish smile. “Um, thank you, again,” you said gently, honestly. Leaning forward, you pressed your hands against the cool stone to balance yourself, your fingers digging into the rock as you spoke. “I don’t really know how you knew I was there or how you knew I was going to fall, but I really appreciate it.”

The wolf blinked at you once more, then took another step back, subtly dipping his head. Your smile widened at the sight. Pushing yourself upward, you rose to your feet, brushing off the dust from your frontside before standing upright, fidgeting almost nervously.

“I—I,” you stammered, suddenly feeling awkward, “I think I’m going to go home now, but...” You swallowed, raising your hand in a small wave as heat rose in your chest. “...thank you so much, again!”

Before the warmth in your heart could burst, you whipped around, sprinting away as fast as your legs could take you. You didn’t see the way the wolf practically crumbled into a ball on the ground, whimpering to himself as you disappeared out of sight.

Bolting down the hill and past the trees, branches blew past you in a blur as you dashed between the trunks and over patches of wildflowers. Your heartbeat pounded in your ears like a beating drum, and your chest felt oddly light. You couldn’t shake the memory of how intense that wolf’s gaze had been on yours, his eyes swirling with something that made your stomach churn and your mouth go dry.

He really was pretty.

Sapnap yawned as he stretched his arm behind his back and above his head, rolling his neck as the joint popped back into place with a satisfying crack. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept in like this, but he did not regret it one bit. Clay had given him the okay, after all. One late morning wouldn’t hurt anyone.

“Sapnap, you are not going to believe this.”

Sapnap yelped, whipping around with eyes as wide as saucers as he stumbled back a step. The drowsiness left his body in an instant, almost as though he had never been tired to begin with. Clay’s hand shot out to grab his arm, steadying him as he swallowed, relaxing once he realized who he was looking at.

“Holy crap, Clay,” he gasped, pressing a hand to his racing heart, “you scared me! I know you’ve gotten better at this whole stealth thing, but that was just straight up terrifyi—”

Clay’s grip on his arm tightened. “I saved them today,” he whispered.

Sapnap froze, and there was a beat of silence. “You did what, now?”

Just like that, Clay had flung his arms up and around his head, his fingers buried in his hair as he began to pace, his tone frantic and rushed. “There—there was this steeper area with this cliff but it was kind of hidden, and then it was breaking and I just knew something bad was going to happen, and I couldn’t just let that happen, so I moved without thinking and I was pulling them back and—”

A pair of hands suddenly grabbed onto his shoulders, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Breathe,” Sapnap instructed calmly. “You need to breathe, dude.” Clay opened his mouth, but Sapnap spoke before he could. “You are talking so quickly right now, and I can’t understand you when you talk like that.”

Clay closed his mouth, mulling over the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions steamrolling through his head. After a few moments, he finally spoke once more. “I still can’t believe it,” he murmured, suddenly sounding completely and utterly awestruck. “My mate actually stopped and thanked me. And called me pretty.”

Sapnap’s fingers loosened around Clay’s shoulders, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips. “Yeah?”

Clay sighed, sounding absolutely lovestruck. “Yeah.”

Pulling his arms back to cross them over his chest, Sapnap eyed him up and down, cocking his head. “So,” he began gently, “how are you feeling?” When Clay opened his mouth, Sapnap quickly added, “Slowly, please.”

Clay groaned, teasingly rolling his eyes before leaning back on his heels, rocking back and forth as he began to speak. “I only revealed myself as a wolf,” he said softly, “so I don’t know if they know about the mating bond yet. I don’t even know if humans can feel it like we can.”

He tilted his head back, gazing up at the cerulean blue sky. “But there’s something about the way we looked at each other that makes me feel like maybe, just maybe, humans can feel it,” he whispered, sounding breathless all at once. “Call it a gut feeling, I guess. I don’t know.” He cast a glance over at Sapnap, his eyebrows furrowed. “Do I sound crazy?”

A thoughtful look flickered across Sapnap’s face. Then, he grinned. “A little bit, yeah.”

Clay sighed, something he noticed he had been doing a lot more, lately. “I just…” He swallowed. “I just don’t want something like that to happen ever, ever again.”

Suddenly, he fell quiet, his lips parting as the wheels in his head began to turn. Sapnap watched as a tiny spark came to life within his focused gaze, small but oh-so vibrant.

“You got an idea there?” he prompted after a few seconds of silence.

Clay blinked once. Twice. Then, a smile stretched across his face—a smile as bright as the full moon.

“Something like that.”

It was probably a dumb idea for you to return to the forest for your weekly hike as if nothing had happened, but you couldn’t quite quench the curiosity that bubbled up inside you every time you thought about the wolf who had saved you. His gaze had been fiery, yet compassionate, and he had been purposely so gentle when tugging you away from the cliff. You weren't a fool—you knew how powerful a wolf could be. Then why did he treat you so kindly?

You had to find out.

Marching through the brush and shrubbery, you whipped your head this way and that, scanning every strip of forest you could lay your eyes on. Wolves were good at hiding, you knew that. After all, if they weren’t as stealthy as they were, they would never be able to catch a meal. But you had been hiking for almost an hour now, and you still hadn’t seen a single glimpse of the wolf. You couldn’t say you were completely surprised, since it wasn’t like you knew every inch of the forest, but you were frustrated to admit that you were at least a little disappointed. Maybe this was a lost cause.

But then, you heard it.

The sound of a stick snapping.

Freezing, you paused, turning as you glanced to the sides. Nothing out of the ordinary stood among the bushes. You stopped again, then pursed your lips.

No, something was there.

A tender curiosity sparked between your lungs, but it was coated in a thin layer of reluctance. Sucking in a deep breath, you whipped around, squinting at the seemingly empty trees around you as you opened your mouth.

“Wolf?” you called out slowly into the quiet. “Is that you?”

At first, all was quiet, and you held your breath. The leaves rustled around you almost tauntingly, and you distantly heard the caw of a crow. You were just about to give up and go home when a flash of gold caught your eye.

Standing motionless a single yard away was a wolf—your wolf.

A grin stretched across your face, joy surging through your body as you carefully took a few steps forward. Oh, this was definitely a dumb idea, but you was more than brave enough to keep going.

“Hi, there.” You shuffled your feet, a tentative look passing over your face. “You’re, um—” You gulped. “You’re not going to hurt me, are you?”

Clay’s eyes went wide, and he took a step back. No! he thought, hoping you would be able to read his expression, even as a wolf. Never. Not in a million years.

You stared at him for a long moment, blinking slowly as you scanned his face up and down. Then, your lips quirked up into the tiniest of smiles.

“No,” you murmured in the softest of voices, and he felt his heart melt in his chest. “If you were going to do something, you would have done it by now, wouldn’t you?”

Clay nearly sank in relief, and he barked. You raised a brow at the sound, furrowing your brows slightly. “Do you want me to keep you company?” you asked, beginning to walk up to him. “Is that what you’re doing?”

You had only made it a few steps when he suddenly barked again, taking a step toward you. In an instant, you froze, watching with bated breath as he curled around to your other side and gently nudged at your leg with his nose. You shot him a curious glance, stumbling forward the tiniest bit. “Hey,” you said, “what are you...?”

You trailed off, a cut rock face suddenly catching your attention from the corner of your eye. The stony grey wall was nearly perpendicular to the ground and looked almost eerily similar to the one you had nearly fallen down the week prior. Just like that, it clicked.

There was another small cliff right there. He was trying to keep you away from it.

“Oh,” you breathed, your lips splitting into an even wider grin as you made sure to steer away from the short cliff, “you don’t want me falling again, do you?”

He snorted, and you blinked at him. That sounded far more human this time—almost too human. It almost reminded you of a dog, if anything. A triumphant smile slowly crept onto your face, and with your head held high, you turned on your heel, marching onward and away from the rock face.

“Well, wolf,” you said, a teasing arrogance seeping into your tone as you glanced over your shoulder at him, “I promise you that I’ll be much safer this time arou—woah!”

The toe of your shoe caught on a protruding stone, and with a sharp yelp, you stumbled forward, gravity pulling you downward with a harsh pull. With a flail of your arms, you only just barely caught your balance as your hand shot out to grab onto a tree and steady yourself. Your heart flipped in your chest as you planted your feet firmly against the ground, the soles of your shoes pressed flatly against the earth as your fingers curled into the bark. Your chest heaved with surprise as you stood upright, turning to look over your shoulder at the wolf. He blinked at you, and while you knew wolves couldn’t quite smile, something about his gaze almost seemed cocky—like he was laughing at you. Heat crept up your neck and onto your face, your cheeks bursting with warmth.

“Y-You did not see that,” you sputtered, coughing into your sleeve as you brushed off your pants dismissively.

Almost as if to spare you some embarrassment, he turned his head away from you, although you could see his eyes glance your way every few seconds. Pouting, you huffed, whirling on your feet as you continued to trudge down the path. Soon enough, the sound of soft footsteps trailed after you, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sound, knowing that he would follow you even if you weren't looking.

That night, you dreamt of whispering trees and a pair of bright, viridian green eyes.

What had once been a weekly ritual of watching from afar soon turned into an amicable companionship between human and wolf. You weren't afraid as you walked into the woods to see a familiar pair of eyes waiting for you, your eagerness to see him only growing with each passing week. Clay himself could hardly contain his excitement. Actually walking beside you was so much better than simply watching from the woods, hidden by the trees. He loved your company and absolutely basked in your presence, even if you sent his heart into an absolute frenzy.

“Sometimes,” you said aloud one day, “I really do think you can understand me.”

Clay stiffened, praying you wouldn’t notice the way his ears pressed flat against his head as he turned to look at you. You sat on a tree stump while he padded atop the fallen trunk it sat beside, your gleaming gaze slowly blinking at him as he silently circled around you.

“I think it’s got something to do with the way you react to some of the things I say,” you murmured. You watched the way his tail flicked behind him, the soft fur brushing gently against the low-growing plants. A second later, you sighed, waving your hand. “Ah, I’m probably just imagining things.”

Clay nearly heaved a sigh of relief, continuing to pace. You would say surprising things like that every once in a while, and it would send his heart racing. Well, you usually only said one absurd thing per week, so you probably weren’t going to say another thing like that toda—

“Can I pet you?”

His paws came to a halt. Perhaps he thought too soon.

Before he could even properly process what you had said, You were backpedaling, shaking your head with an apologetic look. “Agh, that’s a terrible question. You’re a wolf, not a dog. There’s no way you wou—”

All of a sudden, he was crawling up to you, jutting his forehead toward your hand. His muzzle was clamped shut as his eyes bore into yours, and you gaped at him, the realization beginning to dawn on you.

“Wait,” you breathed in disbelief, “you’re actually going to let me?”

He didn’t move, lowering his eyes to the ground almost shyly as his ears curled toward you. Slowly, you raised your arm with a shaky hand and reached forward, letting your fingers gently brush over his tawny fur with a feather-light touch. You nearly gasped at the feeling, not noticing the way his legs trembled beneath him.

“Wolf,” you whispered after a few seconds, “you’re really soft.”

Clay nearly combusted on the spot. Perfect—everything about you was just perfect.

With your hand buried in his soft fur and the summer breeze ruffling your hair, You smiled, sighing with warmth lighting up your heart as the wolf at your feet melted beneath your touch.

Sapnap tapped his foot impatiently, squinting up at the glaring sun. George slept in, again. He was kind of used to it now, but even though he wasn’t surprised, he wasn’t afraid to admit that he was more than just a little ticked off.

“My mate pet me today.”

Sapnap tensed for a split second, turning to see Clay staring at him with wide eyes. Relaxing once more, he stared at him for a long, long moment before speaking. He really needed to start giving him some sort of heads up at this point.

“Dude,” he said, “I know that the last time you asked me if you sounded crazy, I said a little bit, but I feel like I might have to change my answer.”

Clay shot him a glare, and he couldn’t stop his lips from twitching in amusement. “Sapnap,” he said bluntly, “you act like you don’t talk about Karl and Alex like this.”

Sapnap looked taken aback for a moment, raising a finger, then lowering it with a defeated look. “Touché.”

As Clay walked off with his head held high and a bounce in his step, Sapnap chuckled, watching him leave with a small smile. He recognized the gleam in his eyes, the rosy hue of his cheeks.

Love—Clay really was in love, wasn’t he?

“I’ve been thinking,” you said one day, a few months later.

Clay perked up at the sound of your voice from where he lay at your feet, soaking in the first few rays of sun. It had been well over a year since he had first laid eyes on you now, and a little over a few months since you began walking together. It was only a matter of time until the leaves would turn golden brown once more as autumn descended upon them.

“I dunno,” you murmured, knocking your legs back against the stone you sat on. “I feel like I should give you a name instead of just calling you wolf all the time.” You flashed him a shy grin, your gaze darting this way and that. “It feels kind of awkward, you know?”

He cocked his head. A name? Chances were you probably weren't going to guess his actual name. He supposed he wouldn’t mind a nickname. Then again, he didn’t think he would mind anything that you might do. Lowering himself closer to the ground, he let out a quiet bark of approval.

Your lips twitched the tiniest bit at the sound, and you hummed, drumming your fingers against your thigh. “How do you feel about... Aaron?”

His emerald eyes flashed as he took a step back, ducking his head the slightest bit. Your lips pursed into a small pout, and you leaned down to rest your chin on your hand. “Alright,” you murmured, “not Aaron, then.” You chewed on the inside of your cheek for a second. “Roy?”

Clay didn’t even have to think about it for more than a second before he was whimpering, pressing his head to his paws as he dropped his haunches close to the ground. You snorted at his obvious disapproval, tapping the toes of your shoes together with a pensive look.

“Okay,” you said slowly, drawing out the vowel sound, “maybe we should try some less... human-sounding names.” You tilted your head, letting your gaze trail up the tree trunks and up at the sky above. The sun wasn’t shining directly into your eyes this time, and you blinked with surprise to see a puff of white fluff blocking out the light.  

“What about,” you offered with a hum, “Cloud?”

You glanced down again, only to see the wolf staring back at you blankly. You couldn’t quite read the look in his eyes, but you had a feeling he wasn’t quite satisfied with this one, either. Lowering your chin, you puffed your cheeks, glancing this way and that across the forest around you. You couldn’t just call him something like Leaf, or Sky—those would be too obvious, too plain for a wolf as lovely as him.

Sighing, you let your eyelids flutter shut, letting the sun wash over your cheeks and warming your skin. He was... special, even if you knew you were biased in your opinion. There was some special quality about him, something that made your chest swell and your heart skip a beat, almost as if he came straight out of a—

“Dream,” you whispered at last.

Clay’s ears perked up at the new name, and he lifted his head, flicking his ears at you. Maybe it was the name itself, maybe it was the way you said it, or maybe it was just you, but something about it just felt right. He barked once, lifting his tail as he stepped toward you.

You blinked at the sight, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Dream?” you repeated. “You like the sound of Dream?”

He barked again, leaping up onto his hind legs for a moment. You grinned, giggling at the sight of such a large wolf acting almost like a dog around you. “Alright,” you murmured, reaching your hand out toward him, “Dream it is.”

Leaning closer to you, he sank into your touch as you rubbed your hand over his head, scratching behind his ears as he let out a soft whine from the back of his throat. Your eyes softened, and you curled your knees a little closer to your chest, resting your chin on them.

“It probably doesn’t matter to you since you’re a wolf and all,” you said softly, your voice almost sounding shy in the quiet of the morning, “but my name is [Y/N].”

Clay felt a tender warmth blossom in the cracks beneath his chest, heat unfurling from the depths of his soul as something inside him swelled beyond belief. Your hand continued stroking his fur all the while, not at all noticing the way he pressed his head a little closer into your soothing touch, yearning and longing for more.

“[Y/N],” his heart sang, shooting from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. “[Y/N], [Y/N], [Y/N].”

Had a name ever sounded as beautiful as yours?

Sapnap was going to wring Skeppy’s neck. Skipping out on a morning meeting was one thing, but skipping it to hang out with your mate? Not even he did that.

“[Y/N].”

Sapnap didn’t bother flinching as he turned to see Clay standing in front of him, panting like his life depended on it. This was far from the first time this had happened, and he was sure it most certainly would not be the last. “What?”

Clay shook his head, half-looking like he was about to collapse on the spot. “My mate’s name is [Y/N].”

Sapnap blinked, then his lips curled up into a smile. “Congrats for learning what it is, man,” he said honestly, patting Clay’s shoulder with his free hand. “That’s fantastic, really. You’re making progress.”

Clay swallowed, and he reached up to drag a hand down his face before letting it drop loosely at his side. “Sapnap,” he said slowly, his voice sounding quiet and raw, “I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

Sapnap’s eyebrows knit together, confusion rippling across his features. “What do you mean?” he asked. “You can’t keep visiting?” Something uncomfortable and cold tugged at the back of his mind. “There’s no way you’re just gonna give up like that, are you?”

Clay’s jaw dropped. “What? No! I mean that...” He paused, squeezing his fist for a moment as he sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t think I can keep showing up in only my wolf form.”

The cogs in Sapnap’s whirred to life as he took in his friend’s clenched jaw. Then, his eyes went wide. “Are you saying...?”

Clay nodded, pursing his lips as he swallowed thickly. “I’m going to reveal who I am.”

His eyes flashed with determination.

“Who I really am.”

You hummed as you twisted the key in the hole, the back door locking shut with a click you had grown used to hearing every week for the past year and a half, now. Whirling around, you could already feel the smile start to spread across your face as you leapt off the porch and ran toward the well-worn path, the forest beckoning you forward with a distant howl. You didn’t remember when exactly your weekly hikes grew to become your favourite part of the week, but you couldn’t imagine life without them, anymore.

Sucking in a deep breath, your chest swelled at the fresh air rushing into your lungs, excitement flickering through your body with every step you took. You couldn’t wait to see Dream again, as strange as it may sound. He had grown to be a greater comfort than you would have ever imagined, even if he was just a wolf. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but you knew your feelings were true—you couldn’t deny the warmth he made you feel.

Whipping around a tree trunk, you felt your heart skip a beat. You already knew Dream would be waiting for you at your rock—the one he had saved you from all those weeks ago. It had become a sort of meeting spot for them, and every week without fail, he would appear there, no matter how early or late you were.

As the shrubbery gave way to a clean, dirt trail, you lifted your head, squinting your eyes. You recognized this part of the forest, and you knew that you were getting closer. Just then, you saw it—the familiar streak of grey stone slanting up from the earth in a small cliff face. Usually, Dream would sit at the cliff base, his ears already pointed toward you. But today, your brows furrowed when you didn’t see a pair of ears facing you, but a head of hair.

Someone else was at your rock.

Slowing your pace to a walk, you paused for a moment, eyeing the figure sitting at your usual meeting spot. It was a man, you realized, and he was facing away from you. He wore a simple white shirt with jeans, and his hair was a shade of dirty blond with streaks of gold. Even if only from the back, it looked almost oddly familiar gleaming underneath the morning sun.

Taking a tentative step forward, you curled your fingers into your palm. “Hello?” you called hesitantly.

The man startled for a moment, then turned toward you, his face coming into view. As his gaze locked onto yours, he opened his mouth and uttered two simple words.

“Hi, [Y/N].”

You felt your breath hitch in your throat.

His voice was soft, gently wrapping around you like a soothing blanket. Your gaze only briefly raked over the comforting smile gracing his lips, instead focusing on the gleam in his eyes that danced with something warm and inviting.

His eyes were green—a shade of green that you had grown to know and adore.

No, you thought, your heart trembling in your chest. He couldn’t possibly be...

You took another step forward, closing the space between them by another few inches. With your eyebrows knitting together, your voice dropped to a small, curious whisper. “Dream?”

He shot you a crooked grin, chuckling softly. “That’s my name—or at least the one you gave me.” Leaning forward, he rose to his feet, the sun casting a bright streak of light across his cheeks. “My real name is Clay.”

All of a sudden, you felt as though all the air had been sucked out of your lungs. “Clay,” you repeated, your mind slowly growing murky with confusion, “but you’re also Dream. How...?”

A sheepish look skittered across his face, and he ducked his head. The way he lowered his chin was familiar, looking almost far too like a certain wolf you knew. “I—I guess you could say I live in two worlds with two forms,” he began. “Sometimes I’m a wolf, sometimes I’m a human.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but you didn’t miss the way his shoulders remained tense. “You already know one of them, but I didn’t want to keep hiding this form from you, so...” He gestured to himself with a bashful look. “...here I am.”

You blinked at him slowly, the muddled fog in your head slowly giving way to a strikingly warm clarity. But before the clouds could fully part, your lips began to move.

“You’re still pretty,” you blurted, your eyes going wide as soon as the words left your mouth.

In a flash, Clay’s cheeks flushed crimson, a haze of rosy pink dusting his freckles. “H-Huh?”

Waving your hands in front of you, you took a step back, embarrassment shooting up your spine. “I-I mean to say that you’re still pretty as a human! Because you’re pretty in both of your forms!” You stiffened, exasperation soaking your features as your knees buckled. “Wait, no, oh no, that’s also embarrassing... wait, please, um—”

Suddenly, he began to laugh. You fell quiet as you watched Clay clutch at his stomach, his lips split into a wide grin as peals of laughter tumbled from his lips. A familiar pit of warmth flared up in your stomach, one you had felt standing here with Dream so many times before.

He really was Dream, wasn’t he?

As his chuckles finally died down into silence, he stood upright once more, wiping a barely there tear from his eye. “I’m sorry for laughing,” he managed with an apologetic smile. “You must be confused about, well, everything.”

You offered him an honest, lopsided grin. “A little.”

His smile slowly melted from his features, and he cleared his throat as he turned to face you head-on. “Well, this is probably going to sound weird, but you and I...” He swallowed, his gaze flashing. “We’re mates.”

You blinked, your lips parting in surprise. Something in your chest slowly expanded. “Mates?” you repeated softly.

He nodded, his expression firm yet hesitant. “Yes, mates. It means that in one way or another, our souls are connected.” Inhaling deeply, he screwed his eyes shut before continuing. “It’s a lot to take in, I know, but I just want you to know that you don’t have to accept the mating bond.” His voice was trembling now, growing quieter by the second as he squeezed his hands into fists at his side. “You don’t owe me anything. I know this must be scary for you, and the last thing I want is for you to feel pressured because of m—”

“I’m not afraid.”

Clay’s eyes shot wide open, and he raised his head, shock etched into his features. “You aren’t?” he whispered.

The smile on your face was open and kind, and you shook your head. “No,” you murmured, sincerity lacing your every word. “Not at all. Dream, Clay... no matter what your name is, you’re still you, and I know you.” You took another step forward, your eyes never leaving his. There was hardly any space between them now, and Clay could feel his shoulders begin to shake with the sheer gravity of the moment. “I can’t explain it, but I just know I do.”

He swallowed, a whirlwind of anxiety and affection brewing just beneath the surface of his skin. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I know I’m just a stranger to you.”

You shook your head, again. “You’re not,” you said quietly. “Not to me.”

Before he could even register what was happening, you were reaching for his hand, clasping your palms around his fingers and holding them gently. His heart flipped in his chest at the feeling of your skin against his, and something stung at the back of his eyes.

You were so warm.

“I want to do this,” you whispered, just for him to hear and him alone, “I promise. I—” You gulped, your gaze remaining steady. “I might not know anything about your world yet, but I want to learn.”

You squeezed his hand. “I want to learn more about you.”

Clay sucked in a ragged breath. With shaky fingers and a gentle touch, he pressed his other hand to the back of yours, squeezing back ever so slightly. “I want to learn more about you, too.”

The smile you flashed him easily outshone the sun and every star that scattered across the night sky, and for a moment, he thought his heart had stopped in his chest.

“I’m glad,” you said, your eyes gleaming with delight. “I think we’ll have plenty of time to do that on our hike.”

Right then, a breeze came drifting past, the distant scent of rain filling the air. The trees murmured with rustling leaves and flapping wings as two birds landed on a hanging branch above, gazing down at the two silhouettes standing at the base of the rock face. Just for a moment, or maybe even two, the entire forest went still.

And unbeknownst to you and Clay, right between your feet, a flower began to bloom.

[burndownyourparade]

Dabi x Reader - Crossed My Heart

This literally had zero direction. It’s my first reader insert piece and it has nothing to do with the Olivia Rodrigo song, the lyric was mainly used as a loose prompt inspiration. It’s also been a long as heck time since I’ve sat down and really written anything so oof. But, I do plan on writing some more drabbles here and there. I’ve got Dabi/Touya brain rot bad. So expect a lot of him.

You used me as an alibi. I crossed my heart as you crossed the line.

pairing: dabi x reader (gender not specified)

length: 2k words

genre: angst, fluff if you squint real hard

warnings: mentions of death, the burning at sekoto peak. nothing detailed.

You’d been there. You had watched him go up in flames. The beautiful bright blue dancing across your eyes and you knew you’d never see him again. He’d be lost to you forever, but you promised.

And you were willing to do anything for him. Even if it meant breaking your own heart. 

So when you’d sit up at Sekoto Peak every year after his disappearancedeath you’d curse his name. Curse him for leaving you behind, for not coming back to you. Not even a single sign of if he was okay.. If he was still out there. 

When you’d seen this new villain on the news, just a few years ago, you had an inkling. A thought that maybe it had been him. He talked big about getting back at his father. Dishing back out everything he’d had to endure as a child. And at age 15 when you encouraged him, you never thought it would come to this. 

So today, when you sat up at Sekoto Peak, ten years after the incident, the spiteful, “Fuck you, Touya.” That left your lips didn’t go unheard. 

In all honesty he’d planned on coming clean. He had planned on coming back to you. After all, you were the only person who really meant anything to him. But then he got way too involved with Stain’s cause and the league, there was no way he was going to risk putting you in any danger. If that meant having to write you off, then so be it. 

Eventually you’d find out that Dabi was Touya, eventually you’d know that he was still alive after all these years. No more doubt would cloud your mind, but he had a feeling you’d come to hate him for waiting so goddamn long. 

It was when he’d heard his name, the anger dripping from your sweet voice that had him moving his feet towards you. He wasn’t planning to reveal himself, but he needed to at least try redeeming himself before even thinking of continuing his plan to bring down Endeavor. None of it would have meant anything if he couldn’t come back to you. If he wasn’t going to be able to run away with you like the two of you had planned.

“You have to promise you won’t tell anyone about this.” Touya held your hands in his, begging you. He was tired and run down. Bandages wrapped around his arms from his most recent burns. He didn’t know how he was going to do it. But he was going to fake his death. He was going to run away. 

You stared at him, wide eyed and reluctantly nodded your head to his plea. “Will I see you again?” The fear was evident in your voice and if that quiver didn’t give you away, then the way that your hands shook in his would. The tears in your eyes blurred your vision, but you could still see him. You could see his messy white hair fall into his bright blue eyes. You could see the bruise that was forming under the left eye, no doubt a result of training. And you wondered if this was his only solution. If this was really the only way that he’d be able to outrun this.

He could practically feel the pain reverberating off of you, it bounced off of him too. He didn’t want to leave you. But he had no other choice. He was trapped and all he wanted was to make something of himself. To prove to his father and everyone around him that he wasn’t worthless, he wasn’t a lost cause. He could do it, too. He was powerful just like Shoto. 

Touya was torn, he knew that this hurt you… Leaving you hurt him too, even if you couldn’t see it. Even if he was acting selfishly. “Of course.” He nodded, snow white hair moving wildly with the frantic nodding of his head. “I’ll come back for you and we’ll run away.” He promised, you could see the makings of a plan in his head. The way that his eyes moved when he was deep in thought, “We can start a life together. Build a house and adopt all the cats and dogs you want!” His hands moved to your shoulders, shaking you lightly with excitement before pulling you into him. His arms wrapping around you tightly.

He never cried in front of you, but today was different. He didn’t know when he’d see you after today, but he did know he refused to break his promise to you. A single tear slipped down his cheek.

“I love you, Touya.” You murmured into his shirt, breathing him in. If this was the last time in a while, then you were going to make the most of it. You tilted your head, looking up at him. Sadness washing over you and feeling your own tears begin to slip. You leaned up on your toes, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth and felt the way his lips turned upwards in a soft smile. An almost dreamy looking flashing across his face. 

“I love you too, (y/n)... I’ll come back for you, I swear.” His hands shifted again, this time to cup your cheeks and bring your lips to his. This kiss was soft and sweet, not unlike ones you’ve shared before but there was a sense of urgency to this one. Almost like he had been trying to convey every single thing he felt for you in this brief moment. He didn’t want to pull away, but when he did he felt your hands tighten around the fabric of his shirt. Just barely hearing your whisper begging him not to go, but he shook his head, gently moving your hands to take a step back from you.

“Please don’t watch…” Touya asked, giving you a gentle shove away from him. “Once you see my flames run… Run and tell someone about the fire and then go home. I’ll see you again soon, I promise.”

You bit your lip and nodded your head, running a safe distance away into the trees. Waiting to watch his flames burn around him. You stuck around a little longer than he’d asked you to, only to make sure that he was safe… That he was still okay. But you couldn’t make out anything other than the heat and Touya’s screams. 

At fifteen your heart shouldn’t have shattered that hard.

He didn’t know how you’d react to this. Hell, he didn’t even know what he was doing. Dabi had never planned on this. He was merely moving on pure emotion now. On things he thought he had forgotten, but when it came to you he was always weak. The only reason his resolve had even broken in the first place was because of how angry you sounded. The villain hated the thought of him becoming nothing to you. Ironic, when he was practically nothing to everyone else.

You stood in the same place where you both had parted ten years ago and he was quietly standing just a few feet behind you. He was uncertain of if he should reach out to you or just turn and run, was this even a good idea? But his feet wouldn’t stop and then his mouth started moving and before he knew it, he was speaking. 

“This Touya guy must have really fucked up, huh?” He cringed, ten years and this was the first thing he was saying to you? Ideally, in his head, whatever he’d dreamt up in his spare time was grandiose plans of sweeping you off your feet. He’d be done with the league, ready to pack up and start brand new. He’d have taken down Endeavor’s credibility and shattered Enji’s entire world. Yeah, that son of his who wasn’t going to amount to anything? He was something now. He was his greatest nightmare and deepest failure. And the consequences of his actions were coming back to bite him in the ass. Then, he’d be there for you. In the night he’d have found you, confessed his deepest feelings and that nothing had changed. Then you’d run away like he promised.

Your fists clenched at your sides, you recognized that voice, of course you did. How wouldn’t you when his promise haunted your dreams every night? His voice was a little deeper, raspier, richer. And for a moment, you hesitated in turning to face him, but when you did you couldn’t stop the way that your heart picked up pace. It was him, in the flesh, Touya was here. But he wasn’t Touya anymore… Not on the outside.

“Yeah, he’s a fucking asshole.” You played along with him. Both of you knew this was just a game, testing the waters to see if anything had really changed. “Promised he’d come back for me, but never showed up.” There was a smile on your face now, a sad one and Dabi felt his heart clench in his chest when he saw it. “Waited ten years for him.” You pressed, watching his reactions.

He deflated, he didn’t have an excuse. He could have come to you sooner and he knew that his whole keeping you safe excuse was bullshit. Dabi was just afraid. He was afraid of what you’d think when you saw him again. Dabi wasn’t Touya. He didn’t look like the boy you’d fallen in love with before. Smooth, pale skin was now rough and charred, the white hair with tufts of red now dyed black and coarse from the years of mistreatment. “I’m sorry.” Was all he could say.

“You could have come to me.” Your voice was soft and he knew that you were hurt. “Why didn’t you come back for me?” The way that your voice cracked made his heart break. He prided himself on being hard, on not allowing himself to feel petty emotions anymore, but unbeknownst to his comrades; you’d always be the only exception.

He was honest with you, “I was afraid.” And it was the first time in ten years that he’d been vulnerable, he was almost ready to run off with you. Dabi was ready to give up on his revenge plot against Endeavor, he just wanted to run away with you. To be just (y/n) and Touya.

“Of what?” You asked, nearly breathless and unbelieving. There was nothing he had to worry about. It didn’t matter who he was now or what he was doing. He would always be Touya to you. A boy who suffered more than he should have. The boy that you were ready to drop everything and run off with. The only boy you had ever loved and would ever love.

“I’m not the same.” He looked at you, uncertain. He still hadn’t gotten any closer to you and his hands twitched with anticipation. It had been so long since he’s held you. Dabi wanted to close the distance, to pull you into him and feel whole again.

“You’re still you.” You countered, shaking your head. You weren’t about to give the villain any room for excuses. He was still him and that’s all he’d ever be to you. You knew that he knew that. 

“I’m sorry.” He repeated, this time Dabi took a step closer to you. Carefully watching your movements, gauging on if he could move any closer. When there wasn’t any move on your part to shift away from him he took another step. And another.. Another, another, until he was wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you into him. His lips gently touch the crown of your head, inhaling your scent. “Run away with me.”

You returned his touch almost immediately, arms wrapping around his thin middle. Melting into him and letting out a sob of relief, you were home again. “I thought you’d never ask.”

[irrelevantwriter]

Mates (Part 1)

Pairing: Negan x OFC 

Rating: Explicit, NSFW (Ratings and Warnings for later parts)

Warnings: Language, A/B/O universe, smut, unprotected sex, knotting, mention of bodily fluids

Word Count: 2.6K

Summary: Camilla made a mistake by hiding her true nature. She got too close to an Alpha and set off a string of events that changed both of their lives forever.

A/N: You guys! What am I even doing? My muse is back in full force and I have you all to thank for that, and Jeffery because he’s all I can seem to write at the moment, lol. This started out as a one-shot that was pure filth but then took a left turn down plot street and then took a right at fluff avenue. It’s now divided up into about three or four parts. Moderation is not my strong point. Anyway, I wanted to get this out before the return of TWD this weekend. I’ll release a part every day so we’ll have it all up before then. First part doesn’t have any smut, but I’ll get the second part up quickly so you guys won’t be without for too long. I hope you guys like it! Enjoy! 

_______________________________________________________________________

Part 1 

Negan stared out the small window of his cell in Alexandria. He’d sensed a shift in the air…a scent. But as his eyes scanned the streets, he couldn’t pinpoint what had brought him to that certain spot. He instead watched as the residents moved about as they had been for the last three years. Three years of observing the same people do the same boring shit. Three years of being locked in a cinderblock cell with his only consistent visitors being a tough as nails six-year-old and a half-blind man of misplaced faith. It was a monotonous existence…but not one he altogether hated. It was only when things were brewing in the outside world that he missed riding into battle with his leather and barbed wire. It was only when he could feel the energy beyond his stone prison start to vibrate that he yearned to be on the frontlines. 

He sniffed the air. 

Rain. 

Something was coming.

_______________________________________________________________________

It was nearly a week later when he finally figured out what the fuck had him so twisted up. 

He’d gotten a nasty splinter from a wooden chair they’d let him keep in his cell. He’d broken the fucking thing into pieces; a sudden bout of rage hitting him out of nowhere the day before. It had been unexpected and quick. But the damage had been done. Father Gabe had tried to pester him about why he’d done it, but he didn’t have a fucking answer. The man was less than pleased. Negan could give fuck all. He felt like a caged animal.

The door to the room from the street above opened, the sunlight streaming in to taunt him. He stiffened, not entirely sure why he was having such an adverse reaction to a visitor. He usually lived for the days he could torture someone new with his incessant talking and taunting. But today was different. It’d been different for the past week.

A mixture of voices filled the space and Negan concentrated on appearing calm, even though his body was slowly shifting in the opposite direction. He stepped back towards his bed and waited as Dr. Siddiq entered with a woman he’d never seen before. She was attractive. And that was putting it mildly. She had dark hair that appeared to be tied back and away from her face. Her eyes were dark, the shape round and innocent. Her lips were full and pink, instantly taking his sex-starved mind to places they could touch him. She was dressed in dark jeans and a loose flannel, the clothing both accentuating and hiding her curves.

Negan could feel his body react to her. The strong effect confused him. He’d been around women since his imprisonment. He didn’t have an issue fucking controlling himself. But this woman forced his body to react in a way he hadn’t felt since...

Fuck.

A rut. He hadn’t felt this on edge since he’d been in a rut. And that was over twenty years ago.

Goddamn.

She was a fucking Omega. He thought the breed had been wiped off the face of the fucking earth with the outbreak. They were rare before the turn and they were sure as shit nonexistent since.

He could see the moment she realized he’d figured it out and her eyes got wide. He instantly picked up on her fear, but it wasn’t of him. At least not all him. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, slightly shaking her head. She was pleading with him not to say anything. Alexandria didn’t know they had an Omega on their hands. The place was full of Betas. And Betas weren’t privy to Omega and Alpha senses. They existed like average people. Alphas and Omegas had other needs that had to be tended to. Needs that could make for some dangerous situations.

“Negan, this is my newest colleague…Camilla.”

Siddiq’s voice brought him back to his current situation. Negan immediately plastered on a smile, one everyone in Alexandria had become accustomed to seeing him wear. He slipped easily into the persona of nonchalant, smart ass prisoner.

The man gestured to the woman and Negan grinned and nodded towards her, taking note of the way her body now faced him rather than being shielded by the doctor’s body.

“Hi there, doll.” He greeted smoothly. The flirty tone seeping into his words like liquid smoke.

The woman, Camilla, raised a hand in greeting and twitched her lips upwards into a hesitant smile. He could tell he’d made her nervous. He was glad for that. Her presence at Alexandria had disturbed his chemical balance.

“We came to check on that splinter you got yesterday.” Siddiq explained as he moved closer to the cell door. He handed Camilla the supplies he’d brought while he reached between the bars for Negan’s hand.

Negan moved forward and let Siddiq examine said hand, but his eyes were on Camilla the whole time. She moved to look over the man’s shoulder, watching with intense focus. Her face caught some of the sun streaming in from the window and he realized she had a small line of freckles under her left eye. Her skin was sun-kissed and golden, the hue reminding him of summer days on a beach. Something told him she kept that kind of tone all year round.

“Doesn’t appear to be infected. I’ll just remove it and disinfect. We can put a wrap around it too so it doesn’t get infected.”

“Nah…simple Band-Aid will do, Doc.”

The doctor nodded, accepting his request. He knew he would. They weren’t going to waste precious supplies on him if they didn’t have to.

He stood stock still as Siddiq worked on his hand. He sniffed the air, aware that his body was becoming more and more aroused and tense by the Omega’s presence. He could feel his skin starting to get clammy and his heart start to accelerate. Her scent was beginning to wash over him and he already felt like he was drowning in it. She smelled like rose petals and sugar. A soft and feminine scent that made his Alpha wild with some kind of primitive bond. His eyes shifted to her neck and took in the smooth, unbroken skin there. She’d never been claimed. The idea of her being a pure Omega made a rush of testosterone flood his system.

He growled.

Both Siddiq and Camilla heard it. Siddiq assumed he’d hurt Negan with the removal of the splinter. Camilla knew otherwise. He watched as her breathing picked up and her skin turned flush. He was having an effect on her too, though he didn’t think it was nearly as intense as what he was feeling.

He studied the way the pulse in her neck jumped in time with her rapidly beating heart. He could practically feel her pussy throbbing. His dick was starting to get hard just thinking about it. The need for a woman was certain. The need for an Omega was in his blood.

“Alright, all done. We’ll be back in a day or so to check on it.” Siddiq said as he finished placing the Band-Aid on his palm.

Negan nodded, pulling his hand back through the bars. “Thanks, Doc.” He’d spoken to the man, but he was eyeing the dark-haired woman the entire time.

They were gone seconds later. But her scent still lingered in the air. And it was going to send him spiraling.

_______________________________________________________________________

Camilla was doing inventory in the infirmary when Father Gabriel and Michonne busted in, eyes wild and searching the room. Siddiq quickly put down the medical text he was reading and got up to meet them.

“Who’s hurt?” The doctor asked frantically, ready for the worse.

“No one. Yet.” Michonne stated coldly.

“Its Negan…,” Father Gabriel said with a worried shake of his head. “He appears to be in a rut. He’s destroyed his cell. He’s refused any food or water. Threatening anyone who comes close.”

“He’s dangerous. Primitive.” Michonne intervened.

“Sounds like an Alpha rut from what I remember in medical school. But these kinds of things are usually brought on by an Omega. Not just out of the blue.”

Camilla felt her body freeze, her mind racing with the possibilities. It’d been four days since she’d seen Negan in his cell with Siddiq. And every day since, she’d noticed the signs of a heat coming on. Her body hadn’t had a proper heat since before the turn. She’d always been able to find a cocktail of suppressants to ward it and unwanted Alphas off. But it’d been months since she’d found any medication. And the Alexandria infirmary had little by way of Omega healthcare needs. As far as she knew, she was the only Omega here. And she’d been in hiding.

Was it possible that just their body chemistries had forced a rut and heat? She hadn’t even spoken to him. She’d barely looked at him. But something inside of her knew…knew what this would bring the moment she stepped in the room with him. Her Omega was immediately attracted to him. She wanted him. He’d triggered something in her. She’d dreamt of him every night since. When she woke in the mornings her legs were usually sticky from the flood of arousal produced overnight. But she’d ignored it because she didn’t know the man. And he was obviously someone who did something bad enough that he had to pay for his crimes by rotting in a jail cell.

It was the most inconvenient way for her body to let her know she needed to get laid.

“We can’t just kill him!” Camilla jumped at the loud tone Father Gabriel took with the other two. Michonne looked pissed while Siddiq looked confused.

“He’ll hurt someone. We can’t have that kind of blood on our hands.” Michonne insisted.

Father Gabriel looked to the doctor helplessly. “Isn’t there a way to treat this? To calm him until it’s over?”

Siddiq scratched his beard in thought. “It doesn’t sound like it’d be possible at this stage. The option of drugging him or knocking him out requires someone to get close. He’s very capable of killing someone.”

“Then the decision is made.” Michonne declared with all the air of a queen running her kingdom.

Camilla stood up abruptly, making her presence known for the first time to the other three. “You guys don’t have any other Omegas here?” She asked, her brain frantically searching for another solution.

“No. Omegas are basically extinct.” Siddiq supplied, his dark eyes watching Camilla closely.

“You can’t just kill a man because he’s gone into rut. That’s unethical.” She insisted, trying to get through to the woman who had so generously offered her a home behind these gates.

Michonne shook her head, a humorless laugh leaving her lips. “You don’t know the things he’s done in the past. He’s dangerous. Rut or not. He’s the only Alpha we have. If he really wanted to, he could take out every one of the men here.”

“Wait-,” Siddiq interrupted, his body now turning to face Camilla head on. “What did you mean when you said no other Omegas here?”

The room fell silent. All eyes were on her as she tried in vain to think of a good enough lie. None came to her.

“Are you an Omega?” Michonne stepped closer to her. Her eyes were fixated on Camilla as if she were a dead one. She looked disgusted. She looked infuriated.

“Yes.” She said simply, unable to refuse her biology anymore.

“Camilla, what were you thinking? You shouldn’t have even been in that room with Negan that day!” Siddiq admonished, his doctor voice in full effect.

She shook her head, unwilling to receive a lecture from Betas about her body. “I’ve been on suppressants since the start of all this. I recently ran out, but I haven’t had a heat since. I didn’t know he was an Alpha.” She explained, though she knew the effort was for naught. They all looked at her differently now. Whether because of her nature or her lying to them, or both…she just ostracized herself.

“What does this mean?” Father Gabriel asked dumbly, clearly unaware of how this new information changed things.

Siddiq eyed her cautiously and then turned to deliver the news to the man of God. “It means they are biologically made to mate with each other. Camilla’s presence has forced Negan into an Alpha rut. And it’s quite possible that she’ll be going into heat soon.” He looked to for confirmation and she nodded. “It could get bad for you too.”

“I know.”

“So they have to mate.” Michonne finished, filling in the blanks for Father Gabriel. The man had the audacity to look sheepish.

“Yes, they do.” Siddiq said with a nod.

Camilla sighed, annoyed and angry that strangers were deciding her fate. She may feel bad about Negan, but that didn’t mean she was going to be forced to sleep with an Alpha she didn’t know. Especially one in a rut.

“We’re not animals.” She protested, her hackles immediately raising at their absurdity and cluelessness.

“Do you have any better ideas then? Because you lied to us…to me. And now a man is a threat and a danger to himself and others.”

Michonne’s words ricocheted in Camilla’s ears. She was right. She knew she was. But it didn’t make the pill any easier to swallow.

“You said he was a bad man. I’m just supposed to jump into bed with him?” Camilla asked, her voice small and disbelieving.

The group said nothing.

“You can’t just keep him locked up?” She tried again. Desperate for any other way to right her wrong.

Michonne shook her head. “He’s being aggressive. He’s scaring everyone. Its gonna start a panic, make people feel unsafe.”

Camilla tried not to roll her eyes at the woman’s words. God forbid the residents of Alexandria are exposed to an Alpha in rut. It seems they quickly forget what kind of place lay beyond the high walls of their picturesque homes. The real threats that lurked beyond the trees.

Suddenly, a man burst through the door. He was breathing heavily, as if he’d run the whole way. He gestured behind him from the direction he came as he spoke. “The prisoner just tried to bite Danny!”

All four people, plus the newcomer ran towards the direction of the cell. A small crowd was gathered by the window, scared and angry faces watching the spectacle as if the Alpha was on display at a zoo. The sight made Camilla nauseous.

Michonne dispelled the group, shooing away the onlookers. They could hear the ruckus from below, but nobody made a move to enter. It was obvious what everyone felt needed to be done. Camilla could feel their insistence permeating the air between them. The situation opened her eyes to the same kind of prejudices Omegas faced before the turn. No one gave a fuck. They wanted Omegas to know their place and do their part. No questions asked. It seemed the dead walking had no effect on people’s tendencies to be assholes.

She couldn’t let that man suffer. And if she was being truly honest…now that she was nearer to him, her body was responding in kind. Signaling it was ready for the Alpha that was nearby. Ready for his knot. Ready for his seed. The haze that Camilla had come to associate with extreme arousal was seeping into her pores. A loud smash and grunt from the cell had her on the cusp of whimpering. A magnetic force pulled her in the direction of the locked door. The man behind it both terrifying and exciting her.

“I’ll do it.”

*Read Part 2 here

[lenfazreads]

Let’s burn it all baby and rise above

Here I bring out another book review, this time from a book that came highly recommended by some of my trusted trash romance lovers. 

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

I want to say first that I actually really like this book and I do recommend you reading it. It does have some trigger warnings, but it’s a good book. It does end in a cliffhanger though, as it is a series. 

The book is centered around Nevada Baylor, a low-rank mage that has a PI agency and is forced to tracked down the bad boy du jour, Adam Pierce, accused of setting fire on a building In her chase she clashes with Connor “Mad Rogan” an ex-army and prime mage that is also tracking down Adam to locate his cousin, an accomplice on the fire. Nevada, Adam and Mad will soon be involved in a weaved in plot where you don’t know who to trust.

The book is narrated from Nevada’s pov and while I usually can live with that if well written - and this one is - it does cut the perspective on the story a lot.

First things first, I’m not crazy about the cover. I’m really not. A book this good deserves a better cover although according to @kliomuse the original cover was even worse until Wal-Mart demanded a little more sexiness in it. Go Wal-Mart... we all know it ain’t a trash romance novel cover unless a couple of nipples are showing. RanchDude had a better cover than Adam and Connor and that is really a shame. 

I also want to fully acknoledge that half of the comments here are excerpts of text messaged sent to @sambethe as I was reading

(under the cut for spoilers)

I was 17% of into the book Burn for Me and I couldn’t figure out who the romantic interest was going to be for Nevada. Adam or Connor? This as a bad thing for me bc I don't like it when I don't know who I need to picture looking like Colin. What if I pick the wrong one? I suppose reading the summary would have solved this but it felt like cheating so I made a bet and stick to it... almost

Magic is real in this world and families with good magic have been harvesting and picking alliances to enhance that (so basically like regency nobility). The highest rank in magic abilities are Primes.   

Adam Pierce is the second son of House Pierce and a prime. He has pyro-magic and is a bad boy that reneged his family in the name of anarchy

Connor Rogan is the head of House Rogan, a telekinetic prime extraordinaire that can move entire building and cities at the age of 19. He was actually instrumental in the war against Mexico and then reclused himself bc he’s crazy af.

You can see why I couldn’t pick them out? Look at my predicament!

 there is an entire undercurrent on admiring the Primes, so much they are tracked in Herald where fans write self insert fanfiction on them. People writing self insert fanfiction on Mad Rogan is a thing that I definitely need a spin off for.

At this point I had alreqady settled for Connor... bc I had an inkling.

There is also Augustine, who’s also Prime in illusion magic and is Nevada’s boss (his house bought her mortgage) and he’s the one that forces her to track Adam, knowing she’s in over her head. Adam is a major asshole, but a pretty one... apparently due to magic. We’re interested to see what happens

Nevada’s family rocks: her mom is an ex-snipper that still has the best aim ever (it was her magic talent), her grandma is a badass mechanic that fixes combat transportation and his cousin is a wizard with technology. They are all funny and snarky af. Grandma also loves hot guys even if they are dangerous. Go Grandma.

So here is was, rooting for Connor when this happens:

ADAM HAS A BROTHER. PETER. PETER.  I was t4earing my chlothes at this point thinking... yes yes yes! The definition of the brother is totally my catnip. All the hotness and none of the issues.

But back to the main leads, Nevada’s first meeting with Adam is hot af. He’s charming, and has swagger and says all the right things. I’m impressed.

She then proceeds to get kidnap by Mad Rogan to get information. There is a scene of Mad traying to play some telepathic vodoo shit on her, to force her to talk. But here’s the catch: Nevada, although appears as a dub (no magic) actually has a willing magic of sorts. She can tell when people lies and later on in the book it turns that she can bend people’s wills and force them to tell her the thruth. She’s amazeballs and totally fights big ol bad Prime with her own magic and stands her own while verbally belittling him.  

Her second meeting with Adam was a downer. He was a terrible fratboy that wanted her to run away with him after just meeting her and when she refuses, he throws a tantrum. Oh Adam, I had such high hopes for you, but you’re just a PyroDude.

Her second meeting with Connor is dayum. He meets her at a sushi place (she had dreamt about his shirtless that night) and when she asked him to start projecting himself on her dreams, he told her he could not have done it and asked which clothes he didn't have in it. GO CONNOR. Rogan is problematic, his methods are assertive (not to say violent) but at least he owns his shit.

Adam sadly, goes down from here. He sets her house on fire and then goes into full psycho mode. He looks hot af doing it, but craaaazy. He’s like Dark Hook on amphetamines.

Connor is still… Connor. Nevada doesn’t want people to die unless is self defense and Connor is just… connor. If someone pisses him off, homie has no filter.  He ends up killing someone to defend them but it didn’t sit well with Nevada.

"the next time I kill someone, I'd like to do it in a way that doesn't freak you out" Connor, you’re such a romantic….

Nevada and Connor’s banter gives me life… these two, once they do it, it’s going to be all dirty talk and hot smut, I tell ya. Their logics are so different and the way they balance each other is amazing. And their pull… it’s awesome

Connor referring to himself in the same way the fans in the Herald think of him gives me all the life. Her family teasing him gives me life. Grandma demanding pics of Adam & Connor gives me life.

Adam just blew Connor's car. This is like Bridget Jones lame fight between Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Only better

Connor and Augustine went to college together. Their scene meeting at Nevada’s house and their piss fight and actual fight is also priceless. Nevada went from zero to 3 hot primes in her circle. She’s not convinced that was a good idea.

Turns out Connor is also a touch telepath or something like that… meaning that he can make you feel touched without actually touching you and he can also feed back that hotness back to you as he reacts to it. Needless to say, their kissing scene is skyrocketed hot.

I don’t want to give out the plot, but just now that nothing is exactly what is seems and there’s still lots to go from Connor and Nevada. He’s little assholy at the end… but I’m hoping we’re on the road to full redemption that will come in the upcoming books. I also wonder if Peter would show up in the other books. I need a brother to redeem Adam for me.

10/10 rec book. Go read it. Let me know what you think of it!

[sunlightschadow]

Sweet Dreams

I had this idea and just had to write it. You can also find me on ao3 also under sunlightschadow btw ^^ Reblogs and comments are very appreciated.

Summary: Baz starts having dreams involving Simon. This actually shouldn’t be a Problem for him since they are rather nice anyway. But what happens when he starts talking in his sleep and Simon is awake to hear it?

Words: 2434

Warnings: They both have nightmares where death and blood are mentioned (apart from these it’s all nice dreams though)

(Baz and Simons pov)

Simon

I awake with a jolt. The image of the Insidious Humdrum standing in front of me, Penelope and Agatha laying dead by his side still clear in my mind.

My heart is racing and there is cold sweat clinging to my body. Ragged breaths are being ripped from my lungs and I try to calm down by inhaling through my nose, holding my breath for a bit and then exhaling again.

I repeat this pattern until my breathing has calmed down enough to feel normal again. Closing my eyes I drag a hand over my face.

I hate having nightmares. All too often they are about the Humdrum and even more often they are about the people close to me dying and me not being able to save them.

They always leave me feeling terrified. What if that would be my reality one day? Me not being able to safe my friends?

Before my thoughts spiral any more downward into this negative direction I decide to rather try going back to sleep. However the moment I turn onto my other side and close my eyes again a very clear call of my name sounded through the dark room.

“Simon!”

I startle. Baz never calls me by my first name. More importantly did I make so much noise in my sleep that I woke him up?

“What is it Baz?” I ask. “Simon” is all he says, no rather sighs again.

I squint and try to see him in the darkness of our room. I’m lucky that the moon is shining brightly this night so I’m able to make out his expression, his very relaxed expression.

Is he asleep? But then why did he call my name? Is he dreaming?

A giggle from Baz side of the room rips me out of my thoughts, because Baz might do a lot, smirk, laugh sarcastically, laugh in a cruel way, laugh about your failures, about you almost tripping down some stairs, but Tyrannus Basiliton Grimm Pitch does not giggle.

“He he Simon stop that tickles.” What the hell? What in the name of Merlin is this guy dreaming about?

“Simonnn.” Baz whines out in a way that makes him sound like a pouting five year old. And is that? Is he actually smiling?

Before I can wonder any further about whatever the hell he is dreaming about he says something else that makes my heart skip a beat and my breath hitch in my throat.

“I love you Simon, I love you so much.”

Baz

I’m pretty positive I’m dreaming, because this could in no way be reality.

I chase after Simon on the big lawn and keep calling his name. “Simon!” I call over and over again.

He finally lets me catch up to him and swipes me into a hug, pressing his nose into my neck, his breath washing over the part where my neck meets my shoulder. “He he Simon that tickles.” I say.

He just presses his nose even closer to my neck and exhales harshly. I whine out his name in response.

I don’t care that I’m behaving like a teenage girl in one of those cheesy romance movies. Not when I have Simon Snow in my arms, my golden boy.

Finally he looks up to me and kisses me on the mouth, softly carding his fingers through my hair.

When we break apart I take his face into my hands and stare deeply into these shining blue eyes and let myself say something I would never allow to slip past my lips if I was awake.

“I love you Simon, I love you so much.”

Simon

I couldn’t look Baz into the eyes all morning. Currently I’m eating breakfast with Penny and try to drown my confusion in sour cherry scones. Yesterday he just had some weird dream, I get that, but still hearing him say that he loves me still sets me off a bit.

Mostly I’m confused about how I should handle this situation, but Baz doesn’t act any different to how he usually acts.

He still sneered at me this morning for making to much noise and almost killed me for leaving the bloody window open.

I don’t want to talk to him about what he said in his sleep either, he would probably end me for real. Or much more possible, would just refuse to believe me and I would make a fool of myself. Nope, don’t wanna do that, he already thinks of me as dumb enough.

I sigh and Penny raises an eyebrow at me but I just shrug and go back to eating my beloved scones.

Well it probably was a one time thing, so I shouldn’t worry to much about it.

I was so wrong.

It’s the seventh  night in a row now that Baz is talking in his sleep. The seventh night in a  row he proclaimed his love to me.

And that’s not the only thing he said in his sleep, ohhh no by far not the only thing.

Just to list a few other things: “Simon you are the center of my universe.”, or “I want to protect you from everything that could ever hurt you.”, or “You are the most beautiful person I have ever met.”, or “No idiot I’m trying to make you jealous, not Wellbelove.”

I had snorted when he had said the last one. As if. Baz had been after Agatha ever since I started going out with her, the git.

But I have to admit something. It’s actually nice hearing Baz say those things. During the day he’s his usual mean and angry self, but during the night when he talks about me in his sleep he sounds so sincere, so friendly.

Right now he’s blabbering about the fact that my hair is so soft he wants to touch it forever. I can’t really help the smile creeping onto my face. I actually like that.

Baz

Not that it’s enough that Simon is already taking in most of my thoughts during the day he has to apparently also get all of my attention while I’m asleep.

I keep having dreams of him, wonderful, beautiful, sweet dreams that tear my heart apart piece by undead piece because I know I can never have that. That world in that Simon Snow loves me as much as I love him.

Speaking of Snow. I turn around in my chair ever so slightly just so I can sneer at him across the classroom.

He kept staring at me these past days, probably thinks I’m plotting his downfall again, the bloody idiot.

A slight fear that I said anything out loud that I dreamt about creeps into my mind, but I push it away again. There’s no way Snow wouldn’t have asked me about it if I had said anything out loud. It was a ton of cheesy shit after all and he would never let a chance slide to show me he has something he can use against me. Idiot, he can use his entire fucking existence against me, he just doesn’t know.

This night my dream is different.

There is no light and warm atmosphere like there usually is, instead everything feels cold and uncomfortable.

I’m standing on the lawn in front of the Wavering Wood that’s looming in front of me. I can hear sounds of a fight from somewhere inside the forest but I can’t tell who is fighting in there.

Suddenly though an all to familiar figure comes stumbling out of the forest, clutching his side, blood all over him.

Simon.

I break out in a sprint. My lungs and legs quickly start to feel like they are burning but I ignore it.

Just in time I am by Simon’s side before he collapses and I catch him before he can hit the ground.

“Baz.” he gasps. “Baz.”

“Shh shh it’s alright love I’m here.” I say and take the hand that isn’t still clutching his side into mine and press it to my cheek.

There’s blood all over it, but I don’t care. All I care about is that Simon is hurt and even worse, that he seems to be dying.

I can’t help the tears that start to run down my cheeks. “Simon, who did this?” I ask while I gently place his hand back onto his stomach and reach for my wand in my back pocket. It isn’t there.

“Humdrum.” is all he get’s out before he starts to cough up blood.

“Shit Simon we need to get you to a doctor.” I can’t let him die, I can’t lose him.

“'ts to late Baz.” he slurs. “I can’t keep fighting anymore.” He reaches up and cups my cheek with his hand again, brushing away some of my tears.

“I love you Baz.” he says and then his hand slips down from my cheek and his eyes get glassy and Simon Snow dies in my arms.

I can’t do anything else. I scream. I scream and cry and keep repeating his name over and over again.

And then there  is something that tears at the corner of my consciousness and suddenly Simon is in front of me, alive and well, gripping my shoulders, his worried face dimly lit by the bedside lamp.

And all I can do is reach up to him and pull him into a hug, because he is alive and breathing and I can’t help myself.

Simon

I awake from a scream ripping through the air.

I’m out of bed in a second, my hand hovering over my hip, ready to summon my sword, before I notice that Baz is the one screaming.

“SIMON, SIMON NO, SIMON!”

I’m in front of his bed in two strides and click on his bedside lamp.

“Baz!” No reaction.

“Baz!” I try again. Again no reaction.

It can’t be helped.

I grip his shoulders and shake him. “Baz!”

And all of a sudden his grey eyes fly open, a panic and pain in them I have never seen before and before I can even comprehend what’s going on Baz has me in a rip-crushing hug.

He’s shaking like a leaf and he’s crying into my shoulder and I really have no idea what exactly I should do. I have never seen him like this before.

“Shh it’s alright I’m here.” I say and attempt to pat his head in a comforting manner. His grip on me just get’s stronger

Suddenly though he seems to become aware of the situation and shoves me away from him, scrambling to sit up, his legs drawn up against his body, his breathing still ragged.

“Shit I’m not dreaming anymore am I?”he aks.

I just shake my head. If anything he looks even more terrified now.

“Why are you even awake Snow?” he asks, arching up an eyebrow at me, attempting to look like he is calm again but frankly failing at it, his breathing gives him away and he is still shaking a little.

“You screamed.” Is all I say.

“Oh did I?”

“Yeah.” I swallow around the lump that is suddenly in my throat “And that-that was not the first time you well-talked in your sleep.”

His eyes widen, he looks horrified. So he remembers the dreams after all.

“Uhm Baz, is all that stuff that you said in your dreams true? That you want to protect me? That you think I’m beautiful? That you don’t want to fight anymore? That you-that you love me?”

He isn’t looking me in the eyes. I have never seen him look so defeated before.

Inhaling sharply he lifts his gaze to mine again. For a moment I think he’s just gonna attack me but then he opens his mouth.

“Yes it’s true.” he breaths. “All of it is true, I love you Simon Snow.”

Baz

“Yes it’s true.” I tell him. “All of it is true, I love you Simon Snow.”

There, it’s out, it feels like something has been ripped from my chest but at the same time it also feels like there is a weight being taken away from my shoulders.

I sigh, avoiding Simon’s eyes again, I can’t look at him right now, I don’t want to see the disgust in his eyes.

“Go ahead, laugh at me, get angry at me, tell the entirety of Watford that I’m gay, I don’t care.”

“Baz.”

I really don’t want to look at him, so I refuse to and keep talking.

“You probably hate me even more now. Look Snow this doesn’t have to make things weird, I will just avoid you, you don’t have to worry I won’t try anything. So if you’re willing to we could even forget about this entire thing and-”

Suddenly Simon grabs my chin and turns me towards him, I brace for a punch and close my eyes.

And then he kisses me.

I blink my eyes open in surprise. What? What is happening?

Before I can question why Simon Snow is kissing me any further he nods my chin against me and deepens the kiss and all rational thought vanishes from my mind.

Fuck it I decide and grab his beautiful curly locks, bringing his face closer to mine and kiss him back.

I don’t know for how long we kiss exactly. All I know is Simon’s lips are softer then I expected and my name sounds beautiful when he breaths it out between kisses.

When we stop he rests his forehead against mine and takes my hand in his, pressing a soft kiss to it and then continuing to hold it.

“What was your dream about?” Really, that’s what he wants to talk about after we just kissed?

I sigh. “You where badly hurt from a fight with the Humdrum.” I grip his fingers a little tighter. “And then-then you died in my arms.”

I don’t trust myself to talk any further without my voice breaking even more so I  just shut my mouth.

“Oh.” he says and then he chuckles “Don’t worry you won’t get rid of my that easily.”

I roll my eyes at him playfully. “Oh no and here I was thinking I would get rid of you quickly.”

Simon lightly punches me into the shoulder but he’s smiling.

“But so you like-really love me? That part’s really true?”

I withstand the desire to roll my eyes again. “Yes Simon, I love you, you infuriating git.”

“Good, because I think I love you to, you bloody idiot.”

This time it’s me who kisses him first.

[mveloc]

Pure Radiance

Chapter 25: Epilogue

Author’s Note: Here it is! It’s finally finished. What a bittersweet feeling. I’ll be taking a bit of a break from this universe before I jump into the sequel, but I’m happy to have it finished... for now ;) In the meantime, I’ll be tackling my other fic, Days of Why and How. Thank you all so much for the overwhelming support with this fic. I know vampire stuff isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (it isn’t even really mine), but you all took a chance with the concept and I’m glad you’ve all come to find as much joy in reading it as I have in writing it. A heads up that this chapter will be NSFW--I mean, this one sort of has to go out with a bang, huh? As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. I hope you’re all satisfied with the conclusion :)

“Congratulations, Doctor Cormier.”

I smile, zipping my bag closed and slinging it over my shoulder as I prepare to call it an evening. Somewhere in my quiet chest I feel a jolt of sheer anticipation—of exhilaration—as I allow my previously denied fantasies to play out in full inside the safety of my head for the very first time.

You see, fantasies are dangerous things.

They distort the truth and fill you with a false sense of hope; they lead naive girls to dark men and longer, darker nights; they leave you peering through a window, chasing light like a weary moth. I had thought I’d learned my lesson about entertaining my fantasies long ago, but then one day I miraculously found myself on the other side of that window with a little flame of my own that I was desperate to keep alight. Now that flame is a great, raging fire and instead of shying away from the inferno, I lean into its heat.

“Thank you,” I reply, offering my colleague a nod.

I try to remain humble.

I have every reason to boast, to declare my genius to the world like Aldous did at every given opportunity, but instead I keep my excitement to myself, bottling it up tightly for now so it can be saved for later; there is only one other it can be shared with, after all.

“Eager to try it for yourself before it hits the market?” Marcus asks with a knowing smile, removing his frames from his face to clean his lenses with his lab coat.

“Well, I’m still waiting on board approval—”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” he winks.

I know he’s right.

I know the process will be a long and drawn out one full of much bureaucracy, but no one can deny that I’ve been able to accomplish what Aldous could not. Once the board learns that I’ve effectively neutralized the sun and opened up the entire world to our kind, I suspect even more doors will open for Cosima and myself.

But none of that matters to me now.

This isn’t about the board, about feeding them the news they’ve spent years anxiously waiting for. This is about fulfilling the promise that I made to Cosima and I could weep with joy just knowing that she’ll walk in sunlight again, that I’ll see her skin illuminated in its light with my own eyes for the very first time.

“You know, Doctor Leekie also used to insist on testing each batch himself,” Marcus comments.

I know his words are meant to reassure me, that he doesn’t know the history or the circumstance behind Aldous’s demise, but any comparison to my late sire leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Oh, this isn’t for me,” I say, gesturing toward my bag. “Well… not entirely.”

Marcus smiles again.

“Ah, that’s right,” he nods in understanding. “Send her my regards.”

“I will.”

+ + + + +

The peace that we’ve established is still something I’m not quite used to.

After removing Aldous from the picture, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Marion or the coven. I had maintained my end of our bargain by assuming my sire’s role and continuing with his scientific endeavours, but a part of me had still expected Marion to go back on her word and for the coven to come after us.

Instead, I’ve been met with nothing but accommodation.

I know better than to trust it or to rely on Marion and the coven, but for now, I welcome it. So long as I continue to provide for them, I’m granted as much freedom as I could hope for in my current position. My interaction with the coven has been limited, much to my delight. I deal with Marion directly and she’s demonstrated a surprising level of respect for the boundaries I’ve erected; I’m contacted only when a status report is required and our relationship revolves strictly around our business. She’s even provided me with a generous new living arrangement—a bid to buy into my good graces, I’m sure—but I could hardly refuse the gorgeous penthouse suite upon seeing Cosima’s reaction to the glorious view of the skyline from behind the tinted, floor-to-ceiling windows.

As I ascend to our apartment in our private elevator, the anticipation becomes almost unbearable. I shift and twitch beneath its pressure, trying my best to keep my pokerface. I’ve dreamt of this moment, plotted the entire thing out in my mind, and I don’t want my eagerness to spoil it.

The doors chime open and I emerge into the home we’ve made for ourselves. The low hum of deep, mellow electronic music plays out over the speakers and fills our apartment, signalling to me that my lover is, in fact, home. I grin, unslinging my bag with its precious cargo from my shoulder and hanging it on the coat rack near the door. I divest myself of my coat and boots and begin my search—a search which is cut short the moment I notice the multiple books and papers strewn all across the rug on the living room floor.

My smile stretches.

She has access to her own office and yet she still insists on sprawling out across the floor when she works, same as always. She doesn’t seem to notice my approach or if she does, she says nothing, her nose buried in a textbook.

“Bonsoir, mon amour.”

She pauses upon hearing my voice, tearing her eyes away from her book for the first time in hours. A satisfied grin adorns her immaculate face as she rolls from her stomach onto her back, tucking her hands behind her head and looking up at me with a hint of amusement.

“Oh. Hey.”

I lower myself to my knees, straddling her waist and matching her expression. She chuckles, gently stroking my thighs until I lean down in search of her lips. I’m greeted halfway, our mouths connecting softly. I teasingly run my tongue along her bottom lip and elicit that tiny groan I’ve come to expect, trying to coax her desire out of dormancy.

“You’ve been busy, I see,” I comment, gesturing to the chaotic state of our living room which is littered with her books and notes.

She nods, giving my thighs a gentle squeeze.

“Yeah. I have a lot to catch up on.”

She stirs beneath me and I move to accommodate her, allowing her to slip out of my grasp. She rolls back onto her stomach, gathering some of the notes within her immediate reach into a pile. She tucks the pile into her textbook, using the papers as a bookmark before closing it.

“Now that I know I’m not gonna eat my classmates, I figured maybe I can start school again—maybe take night classes or something,” she shrugs.

Even though she’s been out of school for some time, a mind as inquisitive as hers simply cannot be subdued and now that we’re both confident in her ability to control her hunger, she can be reintroduced to the world properly.

“That won’t be necessary,” I tell her, unable to conceal my widening grin.

“Hm?”

She turns onto her side to spy me out of her periphery and arches an eyebrow in my direction, caught in confusion. I smother it quickly, covering her petite body with my own. I twist her onto her back and press her gently beneath me, the plush rug absorbing our combined weight. I bring my lips to her ear, nibbling gently at the shell as she tries to suppress the tremor that rolls through her.

“I have a surprise for you,” I whisper.

“Mmm… what kind of surprise?” she plays along, running her fingers through my hair.

I have many surprises in store for her this evening.

I have even more in store for her in the morning.

“It’ll have to wait just a little longer—the timing’s not quite right,” I tease, pressing a kiss behind her ear.

She whines, though I quickly rectify her disappointment.

“In the meantime…,” I begin, my pale hands with a mind of their own finding the waistband of her pants.

She giggles, her hips bucking in anticipation as I quickly tug the drawstring of her lounge pants loose.

“You know, I could use a study break.”

Her playfulness spurs me onward and I growl, digging my teeth into the tantalizing flesh of her neck. My fangs only prick the surface, not nearly deep enough to drain her—merely to tease, to remind her who owns her heart… not that she needs any reminders if the wetness that’s already beginning to gather between her legs is any indication.

She sighs as I run my fingers through her heat, urging her to shimmy out of her pants. I fasten my lips to hers again and she reaches to her side, fumbling blindly, knocking her book out of the way to clear space for us. The bed would surely be more comfortable and I’m certain that we’ll make it over there eventually, but the thought of taking her on the floor in front of the glow of the fireplace preoccupies every corner of my mind until my thirst for her becomes downright biological.

She struggles against me—not in an act of defiance, but rather the opposite; she knows how deeply I adore this game and she willingly plays the ocean to my moon, allowing me only brief tastes before she’s pulling back again, daring me to stretch her even further next time. I grow deliciously frustrated each time our tongues connect, each time she turns her head away and breaks our lips apart just as I find myself sinking into our kisses. She denies me all momentum, denies my burning hands as they wickedly seek out her most revered parts only for her to capture my wrists and relocate them.

“You’re driving me crazy,” I groan, my body nearly quaking with restraint.

“You love it,” she dismisses me, her fingers working at the buttons of my blouse while she peppers my jawline with feather-light kisses.

She opens the garment and pushes it down my shoulders. I shift, shedding the blouse and tossing it aside. I watch her do the same, pulling her own sweater over her head and exposing herself to me. I’m immediately greeted with an eyeful, grateful I don’t have to find my way around her bra, as well. I pause to take in the sight of her sprawled out beneath me in nothing but a flimsy pair of underwear and I feel my center pulse achingly.

“I do,” I admit with a tint of laughter to my voice. “But if you keep teasing me like this, I can’t be held responsible for what might happen.”

“And what’s going to happen?” she goads, eyebrows raised and smirk half-cocked. “Cause from where I’m lying… it looks like a whole lot of nothing.”

She wriggles her hips, mocking me further and calling my bluff.

Only it isn’t a bluff.

“What’s going to happen,” I begin, my voice low as I find my fire again and pin her wrists down on either side of her head. “Is that I’m going to fuck you.”

Her seduction, while magnetic and all-consuming, still remains tinged in a playfulness that’s a product of her youth. Like a child with a secret too big to keep, her desire shines through in the subtlest of hints; an arched brow, dancing fingertips, a tongue poking out from behind her teeth once it’s retreated after a witty jab. I find myself completely lost in the gestures, desperate and aching for more.

She strains against my grip, craning her neck forward until her lips are ghosting over mine.

“Then you’re gonna have to work a little harder,” she dares, her voice husky.

I can taste the words.

They’re hot against my lips despite their absence of breath; perhaps it’s the mischievous glimmer in her eyes which fuel them. Her lashes flutter and her grin continues to spread when she realizes she has me ensnared.

I throw my full weight into our kiss, pressing her into the soft, forgiving fibres beneath us. Her giggles turn into sighs which elevate to moans the second my lips abandon hers in pursuit of greater sweetness. As my lips begin to trail down her neck, over her collarbone, finding her breasts, she rakes her claws down my back and I hiss, bucking into her.

“Is this hard enough?” I purr.

I thrust my hips into her again, grabbing one of her knees and prying her open even wider to receive my attentions. She arches up to meet me, grinding her barely-clothed center against me.

“You can go harder.”

I freeze.

Looking down and searching her gaze, I maneuver my way through the fog of her desire until I’m faced with the true intent behind her words. My own eyes twitch slightly at the realization and she teases me again with a quick flash of her tongue from behind her teeth. She presses a kiss to the corner of my lips, confirming my suspicions.

I release her.

“Stay.”

My voice is gruff and strained as I stand and when I stare down at her on the floor, she twists her body in anticipation, dragging her fingertips down the valley of her breasts, her stomach—teasing me. I hurry into our bedroom, anxious to resume our activities. I shed the rest of my clothes as I make a beeline toward the dresser, crouching to reach for the bottom drawer and pull it open. I remove the discreet black box and pull the lid off, my lips twitching upward into a smile when I find what I’m looking for.

Amongst the rest of our toys I find the leather harness, the silicone phallus. It takes me a couple of minutes to get myself situated—usually Cosima helps me in this endeavour, but I’m a grown woman with a PhD and the current head of the DYAD Institute, so I’m certain I can figure it out with a little bit of effort.

My mind wanders back to the day we made this purchase; it was something we had talked about before, something she was far too eager to try. She’d never had a man before—never even knew if she would like it—but the budding scientist in her was unable to dismiss the thought from her mind. She had cheerfully dragged me to the store and on the clerk’s recommendation, we had picked out the most expensive harness they carried and a suitable toy—smooth and moderately-sized.

It was as good a place as any to start.

I had been reluctant at first, my fear being that I would find the experience too disjointed, though on the contrary, I find it to be strangely intimate; watching her eyes widen and glaze as I fill her to the brim, feeling the resistance as I plunge into her, hearing her keen as she clenches around the sturdy piece of silicone… it’s enough of a reward to pay for the equipment a hundred times over.

When I reappear in the living room with my new appendage, I find her sprawled out on the couch, underwear removed. She smiles when she notices me, her eyes shifting between my gaze and the toy, her fingers wandering the plains of her body.

“Brat,” I mutter, approaching her slowly. “You don’t listen very well, do you?”

She stands, attempting to close some of the gap in our height.

“You didn’t say Simon says,” she teases, her hand finding the appendage.

She grips it tightly, giving it a firm tug and causing my eyes to nearly roll back in my head.

“You don’t want to play games with me, Cosima—not now,” I growl, my hands finding her hips.

“Wrong,” she laughs, wrapping her arms around my neck and bringing her lips to my ear. “I wanna play all kinds of games with you.”

I pounce, her words taunting the beast into action. She’s grown strong enough now that she could put up a more challenging fight than before, but I’m met with no resistance as I pin her to the ground. She seems to delight in my aggression, a deep and throaty laugh escaping her as I walk head-first and willing into the trap she’s set for me. Gripping her hips roughly, I maneuver her body until she’s perched on all fours in front of me. Her head hangs low until I trail my lips down the column of her spine and she sighs blissfully, lifting her head again so that I can catch her gaze in the glow of the fireplace, our eyes locking in the glass doors.

I grip the sturdy toy which dangles from between my legs, using the tip to tease at her entrance from behind. A tremor tears through her as I coat it in her wetness and I find my lips pulling into a smile once more.

“But this is what you want the most, isn’t it?” I ask.

Once I’m lined up, I grip her hips tightly and leave her dangling on the precipice. As aroused as I am in the moment, I refuse to continue until she learns the rules of my game. I chuckle as I watch her try to hold out, to prolong the seduction. I reach up the length of her back with one hand, finding her braids and forcing her head back.

“Tell me,” I command, my voice harsh in her ear.

“Yes!”

She backs herself into me and I allow her to slide all the way down the length of the toy until her ass is nestled snuggly against my groin, the pressure sending a shock straight to my core. We both pause for a moment, satisfied groans slipping out of our mouths in unison. I never feel so complete as when I’m buried inside of her, evoking such sweet sounds from her lips.

When we’re both ready to move again, I begin with a steady rhythm; I dig my fingers into her hips deep enough to leave crescent-shaped marks in her skin and work my way in and out with long, languid strokes that I accentuate with a swivel of my hips each time I feel the toy reach her innermost depths. She clutches the pile of the rug beneath her and quivers like a leaf in the wind every time I hit her sweet spot.

I work her slowly and surely like this until I sense a crack beginning to form in her demeanour. While I’m perfectly content to carry on like this for hours—until the sheen of sweat which coats our bodies begins to drip from the exertion and the sound of our skin slapping together deafens us to all other noise—I know that our bodies will break long before our wills do. This night is supposed to be about fulfilling promises and so I know it isn’t right to draw out the exquisite torture for longer than necessary.

And I’d say we’ve reached the point of necessity.

“Harder,” she pleads.

My thrusts become more hurried, more forceful as I continue to slam into her from behind over and over, giving her no time to recover or prepare herself for my onslaught. Her moans grow louder until she can no longer support herself on both her hands and knees; her arms wobble before she forfeits, burying her face in the rug with her ass still raised to receive me. There’s something so visceral about having her this way that I can’t help the low growl that emanates from my throat; my eyes bleed black and my fangs unsheathe themselves. Even though she’s unable to see me from her position, she can sense my shift and she matches it with her own, forcing herself back against me to grind against the toy so that the base presses against my burning sex.

“F-Fuck…,” I hear her drawl.

I find more resistance each time I enter her and she clutches me every time I pull out, as if she’s desperate to be filled—her body hungry to be whole. I abandon my grip on her hips to stretch myself over her body like a brand new layer of skin, hugging her from behind as I continue to plough into her with a little less grace each time.

“Tu es—tu es mon monde,” I tell her, nearly choking on the words as I feel a white heat begin to spread through me.

I sink my fangs into the flesh of her trapezius and she cries out, the sound of her voice filling my whole world before the heat overtakes me completely and I collapse into her.

The universe stalls.

It takes me several minutes to regain my bearings and once I do, I press a lingering kiss to site of my lover’s bite and roll off of her, joining her on the floor.

“Mmm… how do you do that?” she asks me with a weakened grin, turning her head towards me ever-so-slightly so she can read my expression.

I laugh.

“I was about to ask you the same question,” I say honestly.

She inches closer, pressing her lips to mine to remind me that we’re both still here. I luxuriate in the moment, suspended, until she pulls away again. I whine as I watch her find her feet, somehow pulling herself to a standing position.

“How can you even move right now?” I ask, looking up at her both amazed and amused.

She positions herself over me, a foot on either side of my waist. She beams down on me with her head cocked to the side.

“Don’t tell me you’re a one-and-done,” she teases. “I know you can do better than that.”

She’s right.

We’ve certainly had much longer nights of passion and while I have no intention of calling it an evening just yet, I need another minute to find my bones and will them back into solid form.

“You sound quite confident for someone who was just fucked into the floor,” I throw back at her.

It’s her turn to laugh.

“Maybe I have my own surprises for you,” she winks.

My attention piqued, I sit up.

She laughs once more, sauntering away from me towards our bedroom.

“Come to bed.”

+ + + + +

“Mmmm… tired,” she groans, rolling over onto her side to bury her face in a pillow.

She looks so blissful and relaxed that I have half a mind to let her depart into her well-deserved slumber, but I will not miss my grand opportunity.

“Not yet,” I whisper, planting kisses along her shoulder blades.

“Hm?”

“You can’t sleep just yet.”

She rolls over, prying an eye open to regard me curiously.

“Why not?” she asks. “It’s nearly dawn.”

I grin back at her.

“Exactly.”

Both eyes open this time. Her brow furrows and she sits up.

“You’re gonna have to cut it with the cryptic talk. I have no idea what you’re getting at.”

I fight the urge to pull her face toward me and shower her with kisses.

“Come for a walk with me,” I say softly.

She pauses.

“Very funny,” she deadpans.

I could try to explain to her what I mean, but words seem too modest to describe what it is I’m offering. Instead I drag myself from the comfort of my bed, finding my robe hanging on the closet door and wrapping myself in it.

“Where are you going?” she asks.

I ignore her, vanishing into the living room in search of the bag I discarded earlier. I dig through it, finding the plastic receptacle which houses my gift. With trembling hands, I carry it back to the bedroom to deliver it to my love.

She has found her glasses, her face illuminated by the glow of the bedside lamp.

“Here.”

I hand her the receptacle and she stares at me, completely lost in her confusion. She accepts my gift anyway, inspecting it closely.

“What is this?” she asks.

I open my mouth to explain, only the words escape me. Emotion finds me instead and my lower lip quivers; I watch her open it, revealing two syringes and a vial.

“This is our future, Cosima.”

It takes her a second to reach realization but once she does, her eyes widen and lips tremble, as well.

“Do… do you mean…?”

She desperately searches my expression for answers and when I respond with a reassuring smile, her eyes begin to swell.

“Hold out your arm,” I instruct, retrieving the vial and one of the syringes.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she presents her elongated arm to me. I fill the syringe with the liquid from the vial—the culmination of my life up until this point—and inject a generous dose into her.

Once I’m done with Cosima, I use the other syringe and repeat the process with myself.

“Is it working?” she asks, shooting up from the bed. “I don’t feel any different.”

She’s pacing around the bedroom now, staring at her arm expectantly.

“It is,” I say, trying not to laugh at her eagerness. “I promise.”

Aldous has spent years working on this serum and I’ve spent the last eight months perfecting it. I wanted to wait until I was completely certain that I was successful before presenting it to her; I couldn’t bear to raise her hopes only to smash them to pieces if my efforts were in vain.

She waits another minute, running her hands along her skin as if she’s waiting for something incredible to happen.

“Are you sure?”

I crawl from our bed, walking purposely toward the balcony. As I reach for the handle to the sliding door, she nervously retreats deeper into our bedroom.

“Delphine, wait!”

I pull the door open and the world seeps in.

It’s light is gentle.

I take a bold step over the threshold, crossing over onto the balcony.

I look up at the sky; the sun is just beginning to crawl above the skyline and I close my eyes, allowing its warmth to embrace me.

There are no flames this time, no searing pain.

There is only silence and a great calmness.

“Come,” I call to her.

She follows in my footsteps, crossing the threshold and stepping out into the world like a fawn finding its legs for the first time. She’s weary at first, but the moment she realizes that I’m unscathed—that her skin isn’t being stripped from her—everything shifts.

It’s the most glorious thing I’ve ever seen.

The sun washes over the gentle curves of her body, basking her in its glow like a firefly along the lake at night. Her expression shifts many times over the span of a few seconds—from fear to relief to utter joy to something that’s unnameable to me.

“D-Delphine… I’m…”

Apparently the feeling is just as unnameable to her, as well.

I seek her out, closing the distance between us. My hands cup her face and I lean forward, pressing my forehead to hers. We both close our eyes, both allow ourselves to slip into the moment and stay lost.

“I never thought… I never thought I’d see it again,” she admits through silent tears.

I brush them away with the pads of my thumbs.

“I knew I would.”

There was a time I felt the same way.

My nights had grown so long that I had given up on morning altogether… and then she appeared. Suddenly, my impossibly long nights became far too short as she filled them with a sense of purpose that simply refused to expire with the break of dawn; stars filled my skies again and wonder returned to my world.

That’s when I knew that our nights would never be enough.

That’s when I knew I would find the light again, no matter what the cost.

If only to see her shine.